Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Kinney discusses his book cowritten with Robert K. Wittman, The Devils Diary: Alfred Rosenberg and the Stolen Secrets of the Third Reich. For the 10th consecutive year the JCC is excited to bring to Albuquerque five notable, engaging, fiction and nonfiction authors from across the U.S. Each is touring with a recently-published, acclaimed book. All events, open to the entire community, will be held at the JCC. DAVID KINNEY, The Devils Diary: Alfred Rosenberg and the Stolen Secrets of the Third Reich The Devils Diary teams New York Times bestselling author Robert K. Wittman with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Kinney. They recount the riveting real-life detective story that led to the discovery of the long-lost diary of one of the key architects of Nazi ideology and the Final Solution. This groundbreaking book mines those long-hidden pages to deliver a fresh, eye-opening account of the Nazi rise to power and the genesis of the Holocaust. In light of continued developments, primarily since 2008, there exists in these United States a Legal System which operates on a proved Two Tiered approach to justice rendered, which primarily benefits Democratic Elites and Woke Ideological Virtue Signalers, representing their co-dependent wards, to the expressed exclusion of normal hardworking American citizens: What is your suggestion in remedying this widespread injustice and, if not corrected, its existential outcome for our Constitutional Republic? Complete overhaul of the Department of Justice and their enforcers - the FBI - to reflect a far more honest justice system to keep patriots remaining calm. Disband the FBI, and request that congress investigate all unethical and non patriotic practices to partially right the wrongs of a distrusted and politically weaponized "Department of Justice." Regardless of who was your champion in this past presidential election: Will you recognize the duly elected leader of the Free World? I will never recognize President Donald J. Trump because he is not worthy. I will recognize President Donald J. Trump, providing he respects the office in which he holds. "At this point, what difference does it make?" 89 total vote(s) What's your Opinion? A month ago, the despicable media demanded that Donald Trump step down over a private audio that was leaked from 13 years ago. Hillary Clinton has done terrible things; criminal things . James Comey of the FBI acknowledged publicly that she acted recklessly, dangerously, and with terrible judgement. While he would not recommend that she be indicted, he in fact characterized her actions as being a criminal violation of federal law. Now, new evidence has surfaced, from a different source and a separate investigation, showing that Clinton's use of her private server was even more reckless than imagined. It was the use of the private server that makes her actions illegal, but it was her reasons for doing so that makes her a special kind of criminal. She used her private email server in order to hide her activities while acting as Secretary of State from the watchful eyes of government (her employer) and the American people. Emails on a private server can be deleted. They by-pass the system. Records generated by our public officials are public records belonging to the American people. We have the right to request them, to look at them, to know what our officials are doing and whether they are doing their job honestly and competently. Hillary Clinton destroyed her emails, yes, but she also destroyed public property in those communications.With this new evidence, the FBI has decided to re-open the investigation of Clinton and her email scheme. The decision was released yesterday; Clinton and her campaign were not notified in advance. To put things in perspective, there are 11 days until we decide the next president of the United States and this bombshell has the potential to fatally undermine her chances with voters. The FBI, under James Comey, must have already concluded that the evidence is damning and indictable in order to make its decision at this particular juncture. Comey knows that he could potentially face an investigation himself on ethical charges of engaging in a conflict of interest (to the Clinton Foundation, the President, or to the Clintons themselves) and also if he did not consider this new evidence against her. The bottom line is that Hillary Clinton knowingly and willingly broke federal law, she did it to hide details of her personal dealings while as Secretary of State, he willingly and intentionally destroyed evidence (and most audaciously AFTER the government issued her a subpoena to turn them over), she lied repeatedly under oath (and to the American people), she committed obstruction of justice, she had the media look the other way and refuse to report on her nefarious activities, and after getting away with all of that, she had enriched herself and her husband beyond imagination, she sold OUR uranium to Russia, she left many Americans to die in Benghazi (thank God Glen Doherty and Ty Woods were made of the metal that they were or otherwise all would have perished), she destabilized the violent Middle East, she allowed ISIS to form, take root, and slaughter thousands, and she became the front-runner in the election for the highest office in the land.It's about time the House of Cards falls.In light of the FBI's decision yesterday, the question I would like to ask now is whether the despicable media will use the same energy and zeal to ask Hillary Clinton to step down.A month ago, the Democratic Party urged that Trump step down for the same reason the media gave -- the leaked audio from 2005.... for daring to talk crudely of women in private with a male buddy of his. My question is whether the Democratic Party will urge Hillary Clinton to step down and have the idiot Tim Kaine run in her place.Clearly, the best thing would be for Democrats to ask her to step down now. It would be the most responsible thing to do, if, of course, the nation were more important to them than power.And that's the real question, right?Republicans, for the most part, have put the country first. The great majority will tell you that Mr. Trump was not their first or preferred candidate. But they have embraced him and his ideas and have rallied around him because they love their country and their children and grandchildren more than some notion of what "being a Republican" is supposed to be about, which we all now know is about being able to concentrate political power.So let's see....... What will the despicable media do? How will they handle this surprise turn of events? Bar patron shot, killed Ramasir, of Balisier Avenue, Pleasantville succumbed to his wounds while undergoing emergency surgery at San Fernando General Hospital. A police report stated that about 4.30 pm on Friday, three bandits entered the premises and announced a hold-up forcing patrons, some of them to scamper to safety while others were relieved of their cash and other valuables. The men, police said, escaped with an undisclosed sum of money, cell phones and jewellery. However before leaving, it was reported that one of the gunmen fired a shot hitting Ramasir in the hip area. He was rushed to the hospital where he later died. Yesterday the scene of the incident was still cordoned off. Uncle Roy dies at 55 In a Facebook post yesterday Greaves son Dane reported that his father had passed away on Friday night. No details were provided on how Greaves died or if he had been ailing. He was 55. Family and friends, we thank you all for all your support throughout the years. Please bear with us while we try to come to terms with our loss. Blessings, the post stated. In a statement from the police public affairs unit Acting Commissioner of Police Harold Phillip expressed deep sadness over the passing of Hal Greaves who since 2003 worked tirelessly alongside the police to resolve disputes within communities and as an advocate for peace and the value of family in building strong communities. The police reported he had died from an apparent heart attack at his Rushworth Street, San Fernando at about 10 pm on Friday. Phillip described Greaves as a selfless and committed crime-interrupter who enjoyed mentoring the youth and serving as a father figure to young people living in areas deemed at risk. Highly skilled in negotiating peace among feuding groups in rival communities, Mr Greaves was instrumental in assisting the police settle a myriad of disputes over the years. The renowned community peacemaker was a graduate of Naparima College, San Fernando, who later became recognizable nationally after appearing in a series of television skits known as Roy & Gloria for the Coalition Against Domestic Violence. In the skits he performed as Roy opposite Dawn Henry who played Gloria. Greaves was also affiliated with the Hearts and Minds Programme of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) of the Police Service, which was established in 2005, to bridge the relationship gap between the police and residents of Laventille and East Port of Spain. The programme, with the support of Mr Greaves, proved to be highly effective and is credited with restoring general calm and stability to those communities. He had tremendous faith in the youth and believed nobody was irredeemable, the release stated. Members of the IATF described the late champion of peace as the strong glue that united broken communities. Funeral arrangements for Greaves have been tentatively scheduled for Tuesday at the First Church of Open Bible, Ruth Street, San Fernando, at 10 am. He leaves to mourn his wife and two children. Also yesterday Port-of-Spain South MP Marlene McDonald, in an i95.5FM interview, said, his passing is indeed for me a great loss for our community. She continued: As a matter of fact I was stunned. I was not even aware he was ill or anything of the sort. What I can say is that Laventille would miss a very good friend. They would miss a partner, a father figure. She singled out her community of Sea Lots and said she would have to go in sometime this week because he was someone who inspired and worked with the residents there and they looked up to him. She pointed out that last week there was a report of decreased crime rate in the area and she partly attributed this to his work. There is more peace in Laventille. I can tell you that. In East Port-of-Spain I cant tell you the last day I have heard of anything in East Port-of-Spain or in the Laventille area. And I can tell you part of that is the work of Mr Hal Greaves, she said. Former Social Development Minister Dr Amery Browne also expressed his condolences in a Facebook post. Rest in Peace Hal Greaves. A better citizen and finer human being I have yet to meet. Thank you for the thousands of lives youve saved, he said. Many people took to Facebook to express condolences on his passing. Calypsonian David Rudder in a post stated: RIP activist Hal Greaves. Youre looking at a true Trinbagonian hero. The Hope Support Group stated, It is with sadness that we announce the sudden passing away of Hal Greaves the son of ...Ruth Greaves, founder of the Hope Support Group, Hal Greaves a.k.a. Roy (Roy & Gloria) will be greatly missed by many. He did tremendous work in the Laventille area among the youths and community leaders. Hal will be remembered as a fearless man of Faith, who would go any where in Trinidad to counsel, motivate and bring change to the next generation. Playwright Tony Hall wrote, Hal Greaves understood that life is a play and that we can write our own script. The writing process is always tricky however. This is what he tried to show all of us. We will miss him. Musician Wendell Manwarren stated, Hal Greaves...what a loss... what a man...what a Giant... working tirelessly for what he believed in his people...his community...his country...peace be upon him. PM: Culture doesnt depend on money Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley made the comment while delivering the feature address on Friday night at the close of the National Council of Indian Cultures (NCIC) Divali Nagar 2016 at the site in Chaguanas. It was the end of a week of events as Nagar celebrated 30 years. Rowley, who attended with his wife Sharon, said in his address that the state of economy is not as generous as it had been in recent times but stressed it is not economic prosperity or financial overflows that cause a people to develop, to nurture and to carry a culture. He continued: We have to understand, even in bad times, even in times of shortage, even in times of threats and danger the depth of our culture is not dependent on how much money we have or who we are personally. Opposition MP Ramona Ramdial in a statement, on Friday, criticised the Peoples National Movement (PNM) Divali show on Thursday last as lavish, questioned if a PNM financier had spent $1 million to fund the show and contended that it was insult to injury in light of reduced funding to temples, village councils, cultural organisations and NGOs for Divali celebrations due to low energy prices. At the Nagar, Rowley pointed out that the country is experiencing reductions in revenue because the main revenue stream is influenced by circumstances beyond our control. But even so, no matter the fact that we have had a reduction in our revenue, tonight I was very pleased to hear (Divali Nagar 2016 chairman) Mr (Deoroop) Teemal recognise that even as the Government of Trinidad and Tobago is struggling to make payments to public servants and to ensure that there is medicine in the hospitals and to make sure that our healthcare givers are paid, that the public debt is paid, (and) that we maintain our infrastructure, against that background we were still able to provide some support to the Divali Nagar of 2016, he said. He continued: I was pleased to hear him say thank you to the people of Trinidad and Tobago for what little was provided this year because we did provide within the ambit of our affordability. It is all too easy to complain that we didnt get enough, and we should have gotten more and worse that we didnt get this because of who we are or we didnt get that because someone spite us. But tonight I heard the very pleasing sound of thank you for what has been provided. Divali Nagar 2016 chairman Deoroop Teemal thanked Government for their generosity towards Divali Nagar 2016 bearing in mind the tough economic circumstances. We of the NCIC appreciate the contribution of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. He also thanked Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts Dr Nyan Gadsby- Dolly for her attendance on the opening night, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Government ministers, Members of Parliament, members of the diplomatic corps especially High Commissioner of India to Trinidad and Tobago Bishwadip Dey and United States Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago John Estrada. He praised the sponsors for making an extra special effort this year to continue with contributions despite the present state of the economy. We are very grateful to you all for this, he added. He also congratulated the public for coming out to the Nagar and supporting in your thousands and thousands. Despite some detractors your attendance signals to us that we are hosting an event that is valued and cherished for its contribution to the nation of Trinidad and Tobago, he said. The night featured a number of song, dance and instrumental performances including one artiste who sang happy birthday to Rowley; he turned 67 last Monday Girl, 7, dies The death of Anisha Mohipath, who at the time was visiting her big sister, has marred Divali celebrations in the small community. The charred remains of the Standard One student of the Carapichaima Roman Catholic School was found by fire-fighters in the burnt ruins of the home of her sister Giselle Lochan, 24, where she and other siblings were spending the Divali weekend. The fire started at an unoccupied building next door and quickly spread to Lochans home which was destroyed. Anishas siblings, Crystal, 18, Alisha, 11, ten-year-old Brandon and nephew, two-year-old Savyon Maharaj managed to escape unhurt. Lochan however suffered minor burns to her shoulder. The younger children live at Freeport with their mother. Yesterday the close-knit community remained in a state of shock. Such a nice and sweet child, grieving sister Genelle Mohipath, 22, said yesterday when Sunday Newsday visited. Anisha was bright, once she knew you she would greet you with a hug. She loved to model and was with a modelling company in Portof- Spain. She had a bright future ahead of her. Police are now looking for a 31-year-old CEPEP labourer who has since gone into hiding. It is believed that he was also responsible for the fire last Monday which destroyed the home of Marilyn Matthews, 60, of Bayshore, Marabella. Matthews house was under renovation and she had given the suspect a room to stay because he had nowhere to go. After Mondays fire, the suspect moved into the house next to Lochans. Reports are that the man is an alcoholic who trips off . According to police, at about 12.15 am yesterday, Lochan, of East Bayshore and other members of her family were asleep when they were alerted by neighbours. While Lochan and others managed to evacuate the house when a fire alarm was raised, Anisha did not make it out. Appliances from the San Fernando Fire Headquarters arrived and brought the fire, which threatened to spread, under control. They recovered Anishas remains. Daryl Maharaj, 37, a fisherman who lives a stones throw away, turned hero during the fire as he dashed into the burning building and woke up the family. He said he did not know that Anisha was still inside. He recalled: My cousin called me and tell me the house on fire. I end up going inside and waking them up. I took the baby (Savyon) , I covered his head with a blanket and bawl out fire, fire. I drop him outside and try to go back inside but there was too much smoke and fire. Maharaj said he thought everyone was saved but a neighbour told him the little girl was missing. We tried to enter from the back of the house but too much flames. That real hurt me, this is real pressure for me, he said with his voice breaking. The children always come to see Divali lights because we normally light up the streets. Speaking to Sunday Newsday, Lochan said when she awoke, the entire roof was on fire and she too thought everyone one was already safe. If I had known my little sister was still in there I was going back for her. Investigations are continuing. Mother still waits for DNA on sons body Look how long and I am still waiting. With the crime situation in the country, I know employees at the Forensic Sciences Centre have plenty work. But my child is lying in a drawer for over seven months. How can I have a funeral without a body? said the bereaved 44-yearold mother. October 19, marked seven months since police discovered the human remains believed to be that of Darian a Form One student of Siparia East Secondary School. It is believed Darian was chopped to death inside his home located at Red Brick Trace, South Oropouche, which was then set ablaze on March 19. Because the body was burnt beyond recognition, police obtained DNA samples from relatives so as to match and make confirmation of its identity. The house was destroyed. The family subsequently constructed a one-bedroom wooden structure a few feet away from the original location. In June, the family constructed a mini shrine on the same location where his remains were found. It contains personal items of the schoolboy including toys retrieved from the burnt ruins of the house. As the local Hindu community joined in with other countries around the world yesterday to celebrate Divali, Nedd recalled fond memories she had last year when Darian was alive. We (family members) are Christian but as Trinidadians we show respect for all religions. Every Divali we light deyas and also flambeaus. Last year, Darian helped me out a lot because he liked those kind of things. This year my baby is not around, Nedd added. Nedd works as an oyster vendor. Right now I am struggling with life. Everyday I think about my child. Darian gone and we lose everything in that fire. I am a hard worker and so I worked very hard to get what I had. It is hard, Nedd added. Less then two weeks after the discovery, police charged neighbour, Roger Ragoopath, 26, a fisherman, with Darians murder. The matter is being heard in the Siparia First Magistrates Court and he remains in police custody without bail as a murders are non-bailable offences. PC Harrypersad laid the charge. Police detectives yesterday confirmed they are yet to obtain the result of the DNA so as to make confirmation. Grieving for Greaves Arthur Lewis of Ibis T&T Performers said Greaves had a direct input in reaching out to communities through the East Port-of-Spain Development Company Limited (EPOSCL). Greaves, he says, was very concerned about youth development and youth rehabilitation. This gentleman played an integral role is assisting this company in reaching families and youths who were affected by crime and drugs, Lewis said. In order for us to get individuals to respond to our request we would ask Hal to first speak to them. He said Greaves established contacts with hundreds of homes and he would spend hours trying to find ways to get people to understand right from wrong. Lewis also said people identified with him and trusted him because of his television series Roy and Gloria with Dawn Henry. Hal had also initiated a programme called Man Talk where men would sit and discuss issues that were affecting them. These issues ranged from work-related to family life and social happenings. Both shows brought tremendous success in Point Fortin and Laventille. Director of Sanfest and retired principal, Walid Baksh, said Hal Greaves spells community service. He was bent on helping the underprivileged and those who have broken the law, Baksh said, adding the country has lost a great soul who gave his life for the betterment of society. He used the medium of theatre to reach people and to impact on their hearts and minds, so much so that they wanted to do better in life. Baksh said he admired Greaves for his ability to do interactive theatre and to engage the young minds in thinking about the future. Baksh also remembers Greaves as an actor who would stride on-stage and deliver the best in storytelling through the Prime Ministers Best Village Trophy Competition. He was a great actor and an even greater storyteller, Baksh said. Carlos Alexander, who was an actor in Greaves 2003 production Daaga, said he sat in silence when he heard the news as he reflected on the day when he had the opportunity to work with Greaves on this project. I remember when Hal would call me and asked if I had time since he had something for me to read, Alexander said, noting he was always amazed at the projects he undertook. It was never about just comedy or drama but it was about giving life lessons through the medium of theatre, Alexander said, adding he admired Greaves for his motivational lectures and his inspirational speeches. Greaves, Alexander said, worked in an advertising company and he used his resources to push positive messages on television. It was a solemn scene at Greaves Rushworth Street, San Fernando home when Sunday Newsday visited yesterday afternoon. Following the news of his death yesterday morning, friends from Village Council Street, Upper Laventille, made the journey to his home. They occupied the front of his house as they shared their memories of Greaves. Neal Noel aka Engine said he spent 20 years in jail for numerous crimes and he met Greaves who showed him how to live a better life. I am in shock at this moment, he said, adding that Greaves was his anchor, someone who looked out for him and showed him how to get the best out life. Noel said earlier this year Greaves launched a social intervention initiative in Laventille in order to minimise crime in the community. Resolve Enmity Articulate Solutions Organised Neighbourhoods (REASON) was the latest programme on Greaves slate. In January, Greaves came into focus again after the killing of two Success Laventille Secondary schoolboys. Men from Upper Laventille spoke out saying Greaves would be remembered for working extensively with young, African men in Laventille over the years. Because of Greaves, many of the youths who practically lived on the streets showed an interest in learning a trade, one man said. REASON offered classes in life skills and literacy for the youths of Laventille and environs. This was patterned after an anti-crime programme in Chicago in the United States. Family members were too distraught to speak, however they indicated they will send a release to the media in due course Police probe deadly explosion Police investigators said the dead man, identified only as Danny, was an employee at EDASCO Limited, a gas transporting business, located at Longdenville, Chaguanas. Reports are at about 10 am on Friday as Danny was walking behind a truck, it allegedly exploded. It was, up to yesterday, unclear as to the cause of the alleged explosion. On impact, Danny was thrown into the air and rendered unconscious as he landed on the ground. The injured worker was rushed to the hospital where he subsequently succumbed to his injuries. However police investigators visited the company a few hours later, at about 3.15 pm, but not to investigate the alleged explosion. Instead Sunday Newsday learnt police had visited, having earlier received a report from hospital officials of an unnatural death caused possibly by chopping . Yesterday police investigators explained that it is the norm for hospital officials to contact and inform them of any unnatural deaths. Although an autopsy will confirm the cause of death, the officer noted that it is possible that Danny sustained the chop wounds on impact of the alleged explosion. At this stage, we cannot say for sure if it was an accident or homicide. Investigations are ongoing, a police officer assured. On Friday Newsday attempted to speak with EDASCO officials on the companys compound but was told to leave. General Secretary of the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) Ozzy Warwick yesterday admitted he did not have the facts of that particular incident. As such, he refrained from commenting on it. Warwick, however, noted: Workers continue to put their lives at risk when they go to work and most employers continue to ignore proper health and safety standards. This happens generally speaking. In this particular case, I do not have the facts so I cannot comment. UNC sets sights on 7 Speaking to Sunday Newsday, Lee said the party also was hoping to make inroads in the San Fernando Borough Corporation; Tunapuna Regional Corporation; San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation; and Diego Martin Regional Corporation, all of which are controlled by the ruling Peoples National Movement. The UNC currently controls six of the local government bodies. Saying that the UNC had completed its screening process for candidates, Lee said the party was finalising its agenda of public meetings for the upcoming poll. Our public meetings will be targeted to corporations in which we need to spend time. We are hoping to retain our existing corporations and make inroads in the others, he said. The Pointe-a-Pierre MP said the UNCs first major public meeting will be held in Sangre Grande on Friday (November 4) while the partys attention will shift to the Mayaro/Rio Claro Regional Corporation on November 7. No venues have been finalised for the meetings. Lee said the UNCs final mass rally will be held on November 26, two days before the election. Although it has not been finalised, we are looking at either the East-West Corridor or San Fernando to host that meeting, he said. Lee said the leadership of the party has been meeting with the candidates to ensure that their documents were in order. On Monday (tomorrow), all of the candidates will do their first mock dry run with the returning officers to ensure that when Nomination Day comes (November 7), there are no hiccups and everything is in place, he said. Lee said the UNCs machinery was welloiled ahead of the poll. We are just ready and waiting for the day to come, he said. (See page 17) ILP to run for Central council The partys political leader Rekha Ramjit said yesterday the party will contest positions in the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, where it currently holds two of the eight electoral districts. We started screening today (yesterday) and we should be completed by lunchtime on Monday. We expect to screen about 30 people in all, she told Sunday Newsday. The screening exercise is being carried out at the ILPs new head office at 67, Caroni Savannah Road, Chaguanas, near to the Medford Gas Station. Ramjit said following the exercise, the party will host a news conference on Sunday (November 6). Nomination Day for the upcoming poll is November 7. Ramjit, an attorney, said the ILPs decision to only contest the Chaguanas Borough Corporation was driven by its level of resources and the fact that it was established in the central district. We do not want to extend ourselves outside of the area we have selected. We are not the PNM and the UNC who has a treasure trove, she said. Ramjit said the partys campaign will be devoid of fanfare.Our campaign will be fought on the ground. We will have a ground strike as opposed to an air strike, she said, adding that the campaign will be about interfacing with the people. Lamenting that campaign finance legislation has not been brought to the Parliament, Ramjit said: There will be no huge billboards and fancy advertisements. We have found that that is not the way to go. Ramjit said the ILP was in its developmental stage. The ILP was formed in July 2013 after former Peoples Partnership minister Jack Warner was not re-selected as the United National Congress candidate for the Chaguanas West by-election. The party was launched at a political rally in Jubilee Recreation Ground, Pierre Road, Chaguana PNM starts Local Govt campaign However, supporters at the 46th Convention, titled, Reform: Lets Make It Real, will have to wait until the latter part of the event to witness the presentation of the partys 137 candidates as the morning segment of the convention is being reserved for the presentation of reports from officers of the party, PNM General Secretary Ashton Ford said yesterday. Ford said of the 11 positions to be filled on the partys executive at todays event, seven are being contested unopposed. These include Lady Vice-Chairman (Camille Robinson-Regis); PRO (Stuart Young); Labour Relations Officer (Jennifer Baptiste-Primus); Elections Officer (Foster Cummings); Operations Officer (Irene Hinds); Field Officer (Indar Parasram); Asst General Secretary (Daniel Dookie) and Treasurer (Dr Lester Henry). For the post of Education Officer, Neil Parsanlal, a former Information Minister, is being challenged by Sibler Jack and John Paul Alexander while Sport Minister and Diego Martin Central MP Darryl Smith, Chinua Alleyne and Stephen Mathison are in the running for the position of Youth Officer. Joycelyn Bodden is coming up against Carolyn Washington-Aigle for the position of Welfare Officer. Voting will take place under the new one man, one vote system. Ford said the posts of Political Leader, held by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, as well as that of Chairman, Vice-Chairman and General Secretary, will not be contested. We were elected in 2014 and our term ends in 2018, he said. Persons serving in the other posts were also elected in 2014 but have two-year terms. Some 17,000 people are eligible to vote in todays election, which is expected to take place between the hours of 9 am and 2 pm. Rowley, who led the PNM to a 23-18 victory in the September 7, 2015, general election, is expected to address the convention at around 4 pm. Party chairman and Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Franklin Khan is also expected to deliver an address. The Prime Minister also will name three deputy leaders at the convention. Kelvin Charles, was automatically appointed deputy leader (Tobago Affairs) following his elevation to the political leader of the PNM Tobago Council in last Julys Tobago Council leadership election. Ford said the PNM had mobilised its supporters in all of the 41 constituencies and the party expected a massive turnout. In the 2013 Local Government Election, the PNM won eight of the 14 regional/municipal corporation bodies: Port-of-Spain City Corporation; Arima Borough Corporation; Point Fortin Borough Corporation; Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation; Diego Martin Regional Corporation; San Fernando Borough Corporation; San Juan/ Laventille Regional Corporation; and Sangre Grande Regional Corporation According to the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC), the total electorate in the 2013 poll was 1,036,731. However, only 451,179 votes were cast, representing a 43.52 per cent voter turnout. Ford said the party was hoping to retain the local government bodies it won in the last election as well as increase its standing in non-traditional PNM areas. What we have already, we are hoping to increase. But we are not offering any targets, he said. Ford said the PNM remained the only party to contest all of the electoral districts in Local Government Election NACTA: UNC faces tough race in Chaguanas This, despite dissatisfaction with the performance of the ruling Peoples National Movement (PNM) Government, the poll said. NACTA said the findings of the ongoing opinion poll in Chaguanas were obtained from interviews with 200 likely voters to reflect the demographic composition of the population of the central borough. The poll was conducted by Dr Vishnu Bisram. The UNC currently controls Chaguanas through outside support. Of the eight elected seats in the borough, the UNC controls three seats, the PNM three and ILP, two;. But one ILP member crossed over to the UNC giving it four seats. Of the four aldermen, ILP has two and PNM and UNC, one each. Seven seats are needed for control of the boroughs 12 to make decisions. The UNC, with support from five members, had been running the borough as a minority administration since October 2013. However, the party has been on the back-foot to capture 12 seats to regain majority control in the upcoming election. According to the findings of the survey, the UNC is projected to comfortably win four seats and the PNM two seats with two seats too close to call. It found that the ILP and other forces were not projected to win any seats and will lose their deposits. In terms of aldermen, the PNM and UNC are projected to win two aldermen each although final determination will be based on turnout and the percentage of votes each party wins, the poll said. If the PNM captures the two closely fought seats, then the two parties will be tied with six seats each. This will be a setback for the UNC in its rebuilding efforts to win a general election In such a tied scenario, the parties will have to spin lots to determine control of the borough. The poll said it was conceivable for the UNC to get three aldermen and control the borough with seven seats. But this can only will be based on turnout, the poll said. Supporters of the UNC are not enthused to vote in the elections whereas supporters of PNM are motivated to come out to vote giving the party a good chance to capture four elected seats and two aldermen. The poll found that only a corresponding high voter turnout in UNC strongholds can prevent PNM political encroachment in the borough. Many traditional UNC supporters, according to the poll, have indicated they will vote for PNM even though they are unhappy with the partys governance. The saving grace for the UNC is its Mayor (Gopaul) Boodhan who has strong approval ratings and good cross party appeals, and he could lead the party to a six seat victory if he can bring out his supporters, the poll said. Princes Town returning officer has new office Meanwhile, in another development yesterday, the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) advised in a statement that the office of Leonard Fraser, the returning officer for the electoral district of Corinth/Cedar Hill, Inverness and Princes Town South in the Princes Town Regional Corporation for the Local Government election has been relocated to 39, Naparima/Mayaro Road, Cocoyea Village, San Fernando. The EBCs communications manager Dominic Hinds said Frasers office was located previously at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) campus, Corinth Teachers College, Corinth Road, Corinth. Mariano Rajoy re-elected as Spanish Prime Minister Spain,Politics, Sat, 29 Oct 2016 IANS Madrid, Oct 30 (IANS) Mariano Rajoy was re-elected as Prime Minister of Spain after his investiture was ratified by the Congress. "With courage, strength and determination we managed to overcome many of the challenges we had to face in the last four years, and I'm sure we can do the same again," he said after the result was announced on Saturday, Efe news reported. The Popular Party leader needed to receive more votes in his favour than against, and the Socialist Party's (PSOE) abstention meant he received enough support from Congress members to be invested. He received 170 votes in his favour, while 111 voted against his re-election and 68 abstained. "I greatly appreciate all the Spanish people who voted for me and I promise I will govern well for everyone, whether they voted for me or not," he added. He said he had already spoken to King Felipe VI, who is currently attending the 25th Iberoamerican Summit in Colombia, and that they had decided that he is to be sworn in on Friday, after announcing who will form part of his government on Thursday. Rajoy's victory was made possible by PSOE's decision to abstain instead of continuing to vote against him. Former PSOE leader Pedro Sanchez announced on Saturday that he was resigning from Congress because he profoundly disagreed with his party's decision but did not want to go against the PSOE Federal Committee's decision. On October 1, he was forced to resign as party leader because he wanted to continue voting against Rajoy despite a push within the party to end the country's political block and allow Rajoy to be re-elected. On Thursday, a similar vote was held where Rajoy had to receive at least 176 votes in his favour to be invested, but PSOE had agreed to vote against him that day and abstain on Saturday, so his re-election was blocked. During the vote on Saturday, thousands gathered on the streets outside the Congress building to protest what they considered to be an illegitimate investiture, as Rajoy did not received a majority of votes from the Spanish people or Congress. Spain had been embroiled in a political crisis for the last 10 months after two national elections yielded no conclusive results and several attempts at negotiating and forming a government failed. --IANS pgh/ Tech giant Google has expanded its online consumer delivery service, aimed at rival Amazon, into the Billings area. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company announced last week that Google Express is coming to large portions of the Northwest and Southeast, including four Montana cities, to deliver items from Costco and other retail partners. Heres how it works: Customers go to the Google Express website or smart phone app, then compile a list of items per store above minimum charge (usually $15 but sometimes $35 at some stores.) The items will then be compiled into an order at the store and shipped within two days through FedEx, UPS or another service, according to Google officials. "Our goal with Google Express is to offer a great shopping experience and connect people with their favorite stores, Brian Elliott, the services manager, said in a written statement. Along with Costco, participating retailers in the Billings area include PetSmart, Walgreens, Kohls and Toys R Us. Google officials said they will explore expanding the service to other cities. Customers can enter their zip code on the Google Express site to see whether theyre eligible. Google Express shoppers may choose a $95 annual membership fee or pay a minimum charge of $4.99 per delivery. Tech industry analysts say the pricing is aimed at fighting Amazons Prime program, which offers free shipping and other services for $99 per year. This latest expansion allows Google Express to cover about 90 percent of the country, according to TechCrunch, an industry blog. Google is the second major Silicon Valley tech company to expand in Montana this year. In August, Uber launched its ride-share service in Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Butte, Helena and Great Falls. Heights construction starting Construction of a new Hardees fast-food restaurant in Billings Heights is under way at 548 Main St. A building permit was issued for the $359,055 structure on Oct. 7, according to city records. Lisa Thomas of Lund Brown Group is listed as franchisee in city records. Idaho-based Radix Construction is building the facility, which is expected to open in early 2017. The restaurant would be the third Hardees in Billings. The other two are downtown and on the West End. About a block away, construction is also moving forward on a new Town Pump gas station, restaurant and casino at 450 Main St. Its going in place of Reiters Marina, which was recently demolished. New South Side tire store Over on Billings South Side, construction of a new 18,975-square-foot Hi-Mile tire store is underway. Workers have started clearing the site at 3604 Belknap Ave. behind the Vegas Hotel for the new $1.75 million building. The Billings City Council granted the owners of Hi-Mile, Utah-based Quality Tire, four variances in September involving curb width, a public right-of-way and other project details. Hi-Mile currently operates at 4318 State Ave. in Billings. Bike shop expanding The Spoke Shop at 1910 Broadwater Ave., is expanding its service shop. The shops owners announced on their Facebook page they broke ground on the $48,000 expansion. A completion date has not been announced. The Spoke Shop will remain open during construction. Bernina top exec visiting Fans of Bernina sewing machines will have a chance Tuesday to meet the owner of the company. Hanspeter Ueltschi, fourth-generation owner of Aurora, Ill.-based Bernina of America, will be at the Billings dealer at 1505 Rehberg Lane from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Attendees can meet Ueltschi, get their sewing machines autographed and win prizes. Bernina is a high-end sewing machine brand launched in Switzerland a century ago. Call the Billings store at 406-656-4999 for more information. Wyndstone celebrated in Billings Heights Supporters of the Wyndstone assisted-living apartments celebrated a long-awaited grand opening and ribbon-cutting last week in the Heights. The 83-unit complex on Wicks Lane past Billings Skyview High School includes a pool, gym, restaurant-style dining, a chapel, a workout room and 24-hour access to emergency response. Wyndstone also has 51 independent-living units, which were 59 percent occupied nearly a month before the official opening, sid Kevin Side, executive director of Mission Ridge at St. John's Lutheran Ministries, which operates the facility. The $17 million Wyndstone is a partnership between St. John, St. Vincent Healthcare and Atonement Lutheran Church. Planning for the project began nearly 15 years ago, and workers broke ground in 2014. Dick Anderson Construction of Billings was the general contractor. Scams du jour The Billings Chamber of Commerce is warning that scammers are posing as chamber representatives to fraudulently collect membership dues over the phone. Chamber officials note they do accept payments by the phone, and members are welcome to call back and verify calls. The chamber will make every effort to initiate calls from its main line, 406-245-4111. Also, legitimate calls will come from the chambers membership team: Jennifer Reiser, Rene Beyl, Megan Stevenson, Kevin Cremer, Jessica Hart or Michele Flanagan. Members are also welcome to stop by the chambers main office at 815 S. 27th St., to make payments in person. Speaking of scams, the Better Business Bureau released its list of common schemes in the fall and winter. They include: The handyman scam. Someone shows up at the front door, offering seasonal services for pay up front. Often, they wont come back. Storm season. The BBB receives complaints every year about unqualified contractors who chase storms with the promise of work that is often shoddy and incomplete. Charity cheaters. Be wary of people knocking on the door soliciting money for a charity, particularly if they demand on-the-spot payments. Reputable charities accept donations at any time. Cold threats. During cold months, scammers may pose as utility representatives and threaten to shut off power for unpaid bills. Theyll often seek payment by credit card, pre-paid debit cards or cash. Haikus from the valley Driving the South Side The lingering aroma Sugar beet harvest Diwali is festival of cleanliness: Modi Delhi,National,Politics, Sun, 30 Oct 2016 IANS New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday wished the nation in his 'Mann Ki Baat' monthly radio programme on the occasion of Diwali, saying this is a festival associated with cleanliness. "Diwali is a festival that is also associated with cleanliness. Everybody cleans their homes," Modi said In his Mann Ki Baat remark, the Prime Minister said Deepawali gave message to move from darkness to light. Wishing the citizens on the occasion, Modi said "India is a country where festivals are celebrated on every 365 days". --IANS rak/ksk Trinidad celebrates Diwali France,Religion,Diaspora,Human Interest/Society, Sun, 30 Oct 2016 IANS Port-of-Spain, Oct 30 (IANS) Trinidad was lit up on Saturday night as the Hindu community celebrated Diwali, the annual festival of lights, across the country. Trinidad has been officially celebrating the Diwali holiday since 1966. For the past several days, there were celebrations at government offices including the official residence of Prime Minister Keith Rowley. In an address, President Anthony Carmona noted that Diwali was another opportunity to bring about unity. "We need to eradicate the social negatives of crime and sometimes our racial and political intolerance and disharmony. The celebration of Diwali is but one strong example of the religious harmony and unity that exist in our country. The key is for us to ensure that this harmony continues beyond Diwali festivities," President Carmona added. Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar called on the people to drive away darkness with light. "The enemies we seek to banish are hate, betrayal, jealousy, greed, lust, sickness and mental decay," Bissessar said. Newly-accredited Indian High Commissioner Bishwadip Dey said Diwali "gives us an expression of happiness and a sense of attainment. As we light rows of diyas, it is believed we attain good health, wealth, knowledge, peace and happiness. Darkness represents ignorance, and light is a metaphor for knowledge." One of the highlights of this year's 'Diwali Nagar' was the opening of a booth by the Indian High Commission which attracted thousands of patrons seeking information on visas, Know India Programme, non-resident Indian and person of Indian-origin cards, and this was the first by any diplomatic mission here. India's Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Villas Paswan, who was visiting Trinidad, addressed the assembly on Wednesday night. Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Dookeran said that Diwali is a moment for "spiritual renewal of mankind", as spirituality in the world is on the downward spiral. "Diwali must counteract this decline with urgency." The Indian diaspora here comprises descendants of some 148,000 people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, brought here by the then British rulers between 1845 and 1917 to work on enhancing local agricultural capacity. The Indian diaspora now forms some 42 per cent of the 1.3 million population of Trinidad and Tobago. (Paras Ramoutar can be contacted at paras_ramoutar@yahoo.com) --IANS paras/ksk/vt Modi celebrates Diwali with soldiers near China border Himachal Pradesh,National,Politics,Religion,Defence/Security, Sun, 30 Oct 2016 IANS Shimla, Oct 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday celebrated Diwali with soldiers in a remote and strategic area in Himachal Pradesh, adjoining the Chinese border. Modi also made an unscheduled trip to a village, Chango, and said he was "deeply touched by the impromptu reception and their joy". Dressed in olive green, the Prime Minister interacted with men from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Dogra Scouts and the army at Sumdoh. Sumdoh, some 330 km from Shimla, is located on the border of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts. Mingling freely, Modi went up to the soldiers holding a plate of sweets. At least one soldier offered him a sweet in return, much to the joy of everyone. He was accompanied by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and the Army chief, General Dalbir Singh Suhag. The Prime Minister also met personnel of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), a wing of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) that maintains highways, at Sumdoh, an official said. Modi then spent some time with the locals in Chango village in Kinnaur district, known for its delicious apples. Villagers taken aback by the Prime Minister's arrival raised slogans hailing him. Dressed in warm clothes, Modi spent time with the residents of the village including women and children. He also posed with everyone in a group photograph, with the mountains providing a majestic background. The Lahaul-Spiti district, spread over 13,835 sq km, is a place of remote, untouched beauty with just 31,528 people. The climatic conditions are harsh as much of the land falls under a cold desert where the mercury drops below minus 20 degrees Celsius during winter. The Prime Minister had celebrated his first Diwali after coming in power in 2014 with soldiers posted in Siachen. In 2015, he was at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. --IANS vg/mr/sar Schemes are to liberate common man from usury, middlemen: Modi Delhi,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Sun, 30 Oct 2016 IANS New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) The government's schemes for financial inclusion and to encourage small enterprise are attempts to free the common man from the clutches of moneylenders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday. "Small traders, businessmen, the vegetable vendor, milkman, barber...used to be all so completely in the grip of usurious moneylenders," Modi said in his 'Mann ki Baat' address on the occasion of Diwali. "Schemes like Mudra, Stand up India, Jan Dhan bank accounts are all ways for us to be rid of the evil of usury," he added. "Through direct benefit transfer (DBT) of subsidy, and using the Aadhaar (unique ID), money is paid into the account of beneficiaries. For the common man, these schemes are a way of getting free from the clutches of middlemen," he added. Modi also praised the Haryana government's initiative to make the state kerosene-free, saying that often subsidies are continued even when not needed only to the benefit of middlemen. "Homes in our country which have cooking gas, electricity, don't need kerosene, but the subsidy continues. But who questions all this in government as kerosene, gas, electricity are all being supplied simultaneously, which is only an opportunity for middlemen to profit," the Prime Minister said. "The Haryana government, after verifying against the Aadhar number those families' gas, electricity connections, has managed to make 7-8 districts kerosene-free and soon the whole state will become kerosene-free," Modi said. "This will be a major change. Corruption and leakage will be checked, the environment will benefit and precious foreign exchange saved. The only ones who will be hit are middlemen," he added. --IANS bc/lok/vt How to check authenticity of pre-owned luxury product Delhi,Cinema/Showbiz,Lifestyle/Fashion, Sun, 30 Oct 2016 IANS New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) With online portals offering a lot of deals on luxury products, there are chances that they may not be real. Smita Jain, Authentication Expert at Envoged.com (an online website for pre-owned luxury brands), lists certain pointers to check the authenticity. * Quality: Authentic brands do not compromise on the quality of the material for their merchandise. Cheaper alternatives like synthetic materials and sloppy workmanship are signs of a fake substitute. Its always best to be familiar with the material used in the product. For example, Michael Kors bags are rigid and sturdy and will stand stiff and retain their shape comfortably, while the fake will be sloppy with collapsing sides. *Colour: Whether you are buying a new or a pre-owned item, the originality of the brand can be ascertained through its high crafted colour options. Always check the inner lining for inside threads, colour staining on labels and pocket bags. *Writing: Be a smart shopper and always examine the tags and belt for misspellings and font style. Every brand has a certain typeface and style of writing it and most of them do not list details on the product accessories either. Example, if an LV dustbag has anything more written on it except for "Louis Vuitton" or the monogram "LV", it is bogus. In case of MK, the two letters are very close together and the engraving is neat and clear. * Weight: Counterfeit products are normally lighter than original to ensure affordability. Products that are true to the original, have some weight to them and feel strong and substantial. For example, a Gucci belt or a Rolex watch not only bear a solid touch, but are made of solid metal that are engraved with a high quality finish. --IANS ks/sug/vt Mother of a newborn assaulted by nurse, dies later West Bengal,National,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Sun, 30 Oct 2016 IANS Kolkata, Oct 30 (IANS) A mother, who had just given birth to her child on Sunday, died after allegedly being assaulted by a nurse at a hospital here, police said. The incident took place in R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in north Kolkata. Reshma Biwi (20), an inhabitant of Deganga in West Bengal, was admitted in the hospital. She was allegedly pushed by a nurse following an altercation over money. "A nurse demanded exorbitant amount after Reshma gave birth to her child on Sunday morning. The nurse abused and pushed her as we were not able to pay such high amount," alleged one of Reshma's relatives. According to her relatives, Reshma was suffering from internal bleeding since her delivery and became unconscious after the assault. She was declared dead later. Following the incident, Reshma's relatives held a demonstration inside the hospital and blocked the road. Police from Tala Police station had to intervene to remove the blockade. Hospital authorities could not be contacted after repeated attempts, while the duty officer of Tala police station said they are investigating the case, but refused to comment any further on the issue. --IANS mgr/ssp/vd After Congress, Finance Minister Issac backs bureaucrat facing probe Kerala,National,Politics, Sun, 30 Oct 2016 IANS Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 30 (IANS) Afer the Congress-led opposition pitched for top Kerala bureaucrat K.M. Abraham who is facing a vigilance inquiry, state Finance Minister Thomas Issac on Sunday also expressed support for the officer. "He (Abraham) has a clean track record and he has proved the same when he worked for the Centre and with successive state governments here. His tirades against corruption are also known and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will look into the present issues," Issac told reporters in Alappuzha. Abraham, who holds the rank of Additional Chief Secretary and is also the Finance Secretary is currently under the scanner of the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau. The bureau raided his house last week, which raised a furore in the assembly with the Congress slamming the action as an act of vengeance unleashed by Vigilance head Jacob Thomas. A vigilance court here ordered a probe following a petition by a public activist that Abraham has acquired assets beyond his known sources of income. Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and other top Congress leaders had slammed the manner in which the Vigilance sleuths arrived at Abraham's house here without a warrant but went ahead with the raid. Though the team had no women, the raid went on when his wife was alone in the house. Abraham had brought this to the attention of Vijayan and said that this was a purposeful act done to bring disrepute to his credentials, while he has no qualms facing the probe. With the issue surfacing in the media, Thomas said that he was not in the know of the search in Abraham's residence and Vijayan has ordered a probe into the raid. --IANS sg/vd Modi shares Diwali sweets with soldiers near China border Himachal Pradesh,National,Politics,Religion,Defence/Security, Sun, 30 Oct 2016 IANS Shimla, Oct 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday celebrated Diwali with soldiers in a remote and strategic area in Himachal Pradesh, adjoining the Chinese border, and said he had kept the promise of implementing "one rank, one pension" for ex-servicemen that was hanging fire for the last over four decades. Modi also later made an unscheduled trip to a village, Chango, and said he was "deeply touched by the impromptu reception and their joy". Dressed in olive green and donning a local cap with a green flap adorned with dry flowers, the Prime Minister interacted with men from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Dogra Scouts and the army at Sumdoh. Sumdoh, some 330 km from Shimla, is located on the border of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts. Official sources said the Prime Minister reached Sumdoh around 11 a.m. and spent more than three hours at Sumdoh and Chango. He was accompanied by the Army chief, General Dalbir Singh. The Prime Minister also met personnel of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), a wing of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) that maintains highways, at Sumdoh, an official said. Addressing the soldiers, he said he had been visiting armed forces personnel every year on Diwali since 2001. He mentioned the tremendous response from people across the country to his appeal for sending messages to soldiers as part of the #Sandesh2Soldiers campaign. Without naming Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who questioned the implementation of the "one rank, one pension" scheme, Modi said it was a promise made to ex-servicemen 40 years ago and that he was happy he fulfilled it. Mingling freely, Modi went up to the soldiers holding a plate of sweets. At least one soldier offered him a sweet in return, much to the joy of everyone. While returning from Sumdo, the Prime Minister halted briefly at nearby Chango village. He exchanged Diwali greetings, interacted with the people there and offered sweets to children. Modi then spent some time with the locals in Chango village in Kinnaur district, known for its delicious apples. Villagers taken aback by the Prime Minister's arrival raised slogans hailing him. Dressed in warm clothes, Modi spent time with the residents of the village, including women and children. He also posed with everyone in a group photograph, with the mountains providing a majestic background. BJP MP Ram Swaroop Sharma told IANS: "It's a historic moment for the locals of the remote village adjoining China to interact with the Prime Minister." "This is the first visit of any Prime Minister in this area and this would ensure development in the area," Sharma said. This was Modi's second visit to the Mandi parliamentary constituency this month. Earlier, he visited Mandi town on October 18 to inaugurate three hydropower projects and address a public rally. The Lahaul-Spiti district, spread over 13,835 sq km, is a place of remote, untouched beauty with just 31,528 people. The climatic conditions are harsh as much of the land falls under a cold desert where the mercury drops below minus 20 degrees Celsius during winter. The Prime Minister had celebrated his first Diwali after coming in power in 2014 with soldiers posted in Siachen. In 2015, he was at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. --IANS vg/sar/vd JNU to have sombre Diwali with sit-in, prayers for Najeeb Delhi,National,Politics,Education, Sun, 30 Oct 2016 IANS New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) on Sunday called for a sit-in at the varsity's Administration Block to pray for the safe return of missing student Najeeb Ahmed, who is missing now for the last 16 days. A symbolic protest - Light a Ray of Hope for Najeeb - will be organised for the safe return of Ahmed, who was brually assaulted by an at least 20-strong mob of students on the intervening night of October 14-15 at the Mahi-Mandvi hostel. "Najeeb's mother and his sister will also come at the protest. We will light candles and a torch to remind people of an innocent student who was brutally beaten and then made to disappear," Rama Naga, Ex-General Secretary of JNUSU told IANS. The sit-in will commense at 9 p.m. "Every year JNU students celebrate Diwali with a fervour equivalent to the rest of the nation but this year, the festival will be low-key because of this sad incident," Naga added. The hostel committees at various hostels of JNU prepare for the celebrations for Diwali and JNUSU hasn't asked the students to refrain from not celebrating it this year. "JNU students will be celebrating Diwali, but this time there's a sadness prevalent in all of us. We all keep thinking about Najeeb and the kind of state he would be in," Rahul Sonpimple, a member of the Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association (BAPSA), told IANS. "At the sit-in we will discuss the methods which we could adopt to put pressure on police and the university administration in finding Najeeb," he added. --IANS vn/vd Singapore navy ship reaches Vishakhapatnam for joint exercise Delhi,National,Defence/Security,Diplomacy, Sun, 30 Oct 2016 IANS New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) A Singapore Navy ship reached Vishakhapatnam on Sunday to participate in the India-Singapore joint naval exercise, said an official statement. RSS Formidable, a multi-role stealth frigate commanded by Lt. Col. Khoo Aik Leong Albert, will participate in the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercises 'SIMBEX-16'. A senior Singapore Navy delegation headed by Col. Aaron Beng, who commands the 185 Squadron, is also visiting Vishakhapatnam-headquartered Eastern Naval Command (ENC) during the period, said the Defence Ministry statement. During the visit, the seniors Singaporean Navy commanders will call on ENC's commander-in-chief, Vice Admiral H.C.S. Bisht and Eastern Fleet commander, Rear Admiral A.B. Dasgupta. In the exercise, Indian Navy will be represented by guided missile destroyer INS Ranvijay, indigenous anti-submarine warfare stealth corvette INS Kamorta, a Sindhugosh class submarine, along with number of maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters. A Fokker 50 maritime patrol aircraft of the Singapore Navy will be operating from Port Blair. The SIMBEX series was first formalized when Singaporean Navy ships began training with the Indian Navy in 1994. Simbex-16, being held in the Bay of Bengal region, is 23rd in the series and is aimed to increase interoperability and to develop common understanding and procedures for maritime security operations. The thrust of exercises at sea this year would be on anti-submarine warfare, integrated operations with surface, air and sub-surface forces, air defence and surface encounters. --IANS rs-vd NEAR CANNON BALL, N.D. Blackhawk helicopters with water buckets were used to extinguish a grass fire that started overnight west of the main camp where Dakota Access Pipeline opponents are staying. People at the Oceti Sakowin camp said the fire started around 1:30 or 2 a.m. Sunday on a hill across Highway 1806 from the camp entrance. The fire spread to the northwest, away from camp that is just north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. Claudia Skenandore, 60, from Oneida, Wis., said she was still awake in her eight-person tent when she heard commotion outside as campers noticed the fire. They were going nuts. And security was on the radio saying It wasnt us, it wasnt us. We dont know who did it,'" Skenandore said of the camp security volunteers. The wind was blowing to the northwest, away from the camp. Helicopters scooped water from Lake Oahe and dumped on the fire until about 10 a.m. Sunday. People staying at the camp with high-powered camera lenses watched as the fire developed. Myron Dewey, an independent filmmaker at the camp, said on his Facebook page he observed two people in a white Honda leaving the area. Dewey, who said he has experience working for hotshot fire crews, said the fire appeared to be started by a drip torch. Speculation about who started the fire is running wild in the camp Sunday, some saying it was started by outside agitators. The Backwater Bridge continues to be blocked with burned vehicles and other debris, with law enforcement stationed on the north side of the bridge on Highway 1806. Frank Archambault, a member of the camp security team and cousin to Standing Rock Tribe Chairman Dave Archambault II, said they requested help from Morton County to put out the fire. They wouldnt dispatch any of their units out here, Archambault said. The Mandan Rural Fire Department was dispatched to the area but wasnt able to access the area where the fire was burning, said Donnell Preskey, spokeswoman for Morton County. The fire started on private property, Preskey said. The Blackhawks were only putting out the fire to the northwest where it was spreading and not directly across the camp on the hill, Archambault said. They didnt put anything on this side, so we sent people up with blankets to tap it out, he said. Campers were told by the elders to get a grip on the destructive criminal activity, including the burning of vehicles on the bridge, Archambault said. With the Seven Council Fires assembled at the camp, believed to the first time in more than a century, he said we are not condoning anything like that. We are trying to get a hold of the radicals and get them dismissed, Archambault said. Elders also are stressing that no one should go on the bridge because they believe law enforcement is not clearing the bridge due to the people on it, he said. The blocked bridge separates the pipeline opponents from Dakota Access construction site. 'Muhurat' trade session: Global cues, profit booking subdue markets (Roundup) Maharashtra,National,Business/Economy, Sun, 30 Oct 2016 IANS null Mumbai, Oct 30 (IANS) The Indian equity markets ceded their initial gains during the special "Muhurat" trade session on Sunday to close on a negative note. The special trade session was held to mark the start of the Hindu New Year - Samvat 2073. The annual one-hour special session was held between 6.30 p.m and 7.30 p.m. Its trade began on a positive note. However, caution ahead of key global events' risks, negative international cues and profit booking subdued investors' sentiments. The 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed lower by 12.30 points or 0.14 per cent at 8,625.70 points. The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE which opened at 28,066.32 points, closed at 27,930.21 points (at 7.30 p.m.) -- down 11.30 points or 0.04 per cent from the previous day's close at 27,941.51 points. The Sensex touched a high of 28,095.71 points and a low of 27,890.14 points during the intra-session trade. In contrast, the BSE market breadth was tilted in favour of the bulls -- with 1,938 advances and 520 declines. "Lower global crude oil prices and negative global cues subdued the benchmark indices. However, mid-cap segment rose with healthy gains," Anand James, Chief Market Strategist, Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services, told IANS. The special trading session held every year on Diwali is considered to be auspicious for stock market trading. It is believed that the "Muhurat" trading on this day brings wealth and prosperity throughout the year. This ritual has been observed for ages by the trading community. On Friday, the last trading day, the equity markets had closed on a flat-to-positive note, even as negative global cues, foreign fund outflow and profit booking subdued investors' sentiments. The barometer index inched-higher by 25.61 points or 0.09 per cent to 27,941.51 points, while the NSE Nifty gained 22.75 points or 0.26 per cent to 8,638 points. In Samvat 2072, the barometer index had gained 2,074.56 points or 8.02 per cent, whereas the NSE Nifty had swelled by 813 points or 10.38 per cent. --IANS rv/vd null 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. Only few days ahead of the organization of the climate summit COP22 in Marrakech, the US global climate leadership and Obamas environmental legacy are facing a tough test with a pending litigation at the Court of Appeals that challenges the Clean Power Plan (CPP) As the COP22 in Marrakech will be dedicated to outlining national commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) put forward the CPP as a selected vehicle for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by nearly a third below 2005 by 2030. Yet, the achievement of this goal is left in the hands of each state. Twenty-four states refused to implement the Plan and filed the case against the EPA. The plan is currently frozen after last February the Supreme Court voted to delay implementation until the appeals process could play out. The outcome of this litigation will impact whether or not the United States can meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement. If the US rescinds on the CPP, this will encourage other nations to not take their commitments seriously. The US climate commitment under the Paris Agreement also hinges on who wins in the White House. If elected, Hillary Clinton promises to follow through with the Clean Power Plan. However, if Donald Trump wins the plan will be scrapped and the US will backtrack on its Paris Agreement ratification. In a report last year, the Pentagon deemed climate change as a security risk calling on the defense department to consider the effects of climate change such as sea level rise, shifting climate zones and more frequent and intense severe weather events and how these effects could impact national security. The US embassy in Mauritania warned of imminent terrorist attacks in the short-term targeting American nationals in Nouakchott. The embassy said in a statement that it received information about terrorist plots being hatched in the wake of appeals by Daesh for its followers to carry out attacks across the world against US interests and nationals. The porous borders and the prevailing instability as well as surge of terrorist groups in Sub-Saharan Africa make countering terrorism in Mauritania an uphill battle in light of the vast swathes of sparsely populated territory that the ill-equipped and understaffed Mauritanian security forces have to monitor. Mauritanian officials also fear that the growing presence of Daesh (known as ISIL) in the region poses a threat to them. ISIL has set up branches in Libya and Nigeria and carried out terrorist attacks in Tunisia. The threat that Mauritanian fighters within the ranks of ISIL elsewhere in North Africa may perpetrate attacks in Mauritania is real. Last June, a Mauritanian court sentenced three men to prison terms for alleged ties with ISIS. Mauritania also has an Al-Qaida problem. The terrorist organization found a sanctuary in the country where it carried out terrorist attacks in 2005. I literally found this searching the DW tag for an Ep1 discussion threadguess there wasn't one? I've only seen the pilot and I like it enough, but felt like so many things character/ship-wise were unbaked and just thrown in. Mainly the lead and the boyfriend? prom date? It all felt full-on but unexplained and his being an alien threw me as well. Why not slow down in exploring his sexuality? A gay renegade alien in human high school should be more compelling than this. Also the jock's arc just sort of falls together too when it could be pretty interesting with more time to flesh it out. That and.are we supposed to feel sexual chemistry at all between ~Nice girl~ and the gay male lead? Also why is the CGI so hokey when it's much better on DW? W/e i'mma keep watching, no one else is bothering to give me anything resembling Buffy high school years anymore Reply Thread Link I think there was some kind of light discussion or something. The ist ep was really underwhelming and yeah that relationship been so damn fast tracked and inorganic was one of my many problems with the ep 1. Such a clusterfuck and plot holes. Reply Parent Thread Link I really wanted to like this show because I love Patrick Ness, but I watched the first two episodes and... nah. Except for Torchwood, I have zero patience for Doctor Who brand low-budg cheese. Reply Thread Link Also the Nice Girl character sucks and I was sick of her by halfway through the first episode. Reply Parent Thread Link right-click / saving that gif. Reply Thread Link FADY ESLAYED IS HOT AF! Reply Thread Link Oops I completely forgot this was a thing. I guess BBC Three doesn't get much in the way of advertising now. Is it as excruciating as it looks? Reply Thread Link I finally got around to watching the first ep and i'm not impressed at all. It was quite teribble when i think of it. It wasn't funny at all, it wasn't smart, the special effects were sooooo cheap looking and action scenes were seriously lacking. The characters were just there, not hate worthy but not completely lovable. Tanya was alright i guess. And the way the prince and the other guy have fallen in love so quickly is so unrealistic. Full plot hole already in the first ep. Oh and the acting is also terrible! Reply Thread Link I was excited for this but the first episode was terrible Reply Thread Link I live in the US. Can somebody tell me where to watch this because I have searched EVERYWHERE> Reply Thread Link I think torrent is the only other way. Reply Parent Thread Link Just pick the links that have the WATCH logo highlighted. http://rmz.cr/class-2016/s This is mainly for downloads, but they include streaming links for most of their uploads, too.Just pick the links that have the WATCH logo highlighted. Reply Parent Thread Link I want this to succeed only because I love Fady and want him to be in more things. Also Im alway rooting for Tanya. Reply Thread Link I want to like this show, but the pilot was kinda meh. Reply Thread Link [looks around at all this negativity] i really like this show! i've only seen the first ep but i think it's really promising and the diversity is really great! Reply Thread Link Same. I liked the first two episodes and even though today's episode was a mess I still enjoyed it. I'm willing to give it a chance because it's still getting it's bearings. Reply Parent Thread Link Me too Reply Parent Thread Link I feel like they're trying way too hard to make Miss Quill into an ~iconic character. This just reminds me of The Sarah Jane Adventures, but that one was better. Reply Thread Link Oh yeah, let me give this a try. Reply Thread Link What is your this? Which channel? Reply Thread Link I logged on specifically to see if anyone was talking bout this, bless you. I had low expectations, but I was wrong. It's really great. I'm excited to be enjoying a Who-related thing again Reply Thread Link are these supposed to be school-aged kids? Reply Thread Link yes Reply Parent Thread Link Just binged the first 3 episodes. I like it but the "teacher" is kind of annoying and I am not here for Ram/April. Reply Thread Link Yeah really. It seemed like they were Tanya/Ram for the first two episodes, and I was ok with it because it seemed like more of a friendship slow burn thing but it's like they realized they can't have a black girl be the main ship of a show or something. Damn it was so rushed and came out of nowhere. Edited at 2016-11-05 12:44 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Interracial dating doesn't bother me, it's the fetishizing of black men (and women lbr) that's the problem especially with Khloe. Edited at 2016-10-30 06:35 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link With the Kardashians/Jenners in general tbh. Reply Parent Thread Link Ikr Reply Parent Thread Link I was going to say that. Unsurprisingly, it went right over her head. Reply Parent Thread Link mte Then you have the poc who date every other race but their own. That preference doesn't come from nowhere. Reply Parent Thread Link but you also have poc who just want to date biracial people. or lighter skinned too. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeeep. I wish people would acknowledge this more. Self-internalized racism is a serious thing and it's insidious and difficult to unlearn. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link yep, and i see this so much with black men. i've pretty much HAD to date outside of my race because the black men in my area are either super religious, super hoteps, or only interested in white girls. it's frustrating. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link mte 1000000% Reply Parent Thread Link Yup, /post. She's like the worst person to make this (obviously good) point. Reply Parent Thread Link ding ding ding! Reply Parent Thread Link Honestly it's weird. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm in one but it doesn't really feel like it too much. Only the one time I went with my bf to meet up with his college friends and I was the only non-white person there in the group. Reply Thread Link let me perch this post has potentiallet me perch Reply Thread Link I sure hope so. I miss a good classic weekend wank ending with someone getting banned. Edited at 2016-10-30 06:40 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Well damn. Reply Parent Thread Link who got banned? i haven't had time to be here much Reply Parent Thread Link LOL Reply Parent Thread Link wow, she looks like a lollipop. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I'm in an interracial relationship rn and I love him very much. We haven't experienced much bullshit yet and hopefully we never do. Reply Thread Link No problem with interracial dating. The only thing that bothers/worries me is when POCs date white people, or sometimes other POCs, that have racist or prejudiced views toward POCs, including the All Lives Matter b.s. and fetishism. It's just frustrating and I always wonder how people who do know it's wrong put up with it. Reply Thread Link Yeah I'm South Asian and my experience with dating white men hasn't been that great. They live in a bubble and think racism isn't an issue. It's very frustrating. Reply Parent Thread Link The amount of white fetishism with some POC is soooo annoying. I've known many who would date a white guy that's ugly or has a shit personality just because he's white. Edited at 2016-10-30 07:10 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link its a fucking tragedy. so many beautiful WOC outchea with scrub ass white boyz, i just canNOT Reply Parent Thread Link I have a middle eastern friend who literaly only fucks white guys, (he's kinda messy)and it's so sad cause he passes up some really damn beautiful brown guys cause he only about that "white meat", and not to be jusgemental, but he gets the ugliest, crustiest, overweight, closeted straight white guys.. my point is, his standards are non-existant when it's a white guy, but it would take a miracle for him to even glance at a PoC... like i've showed him pictures of amazingly beautiful brown/black models, and just gotten an "ew" from him... and these are pics with like a million notes from tumblr, so i ain't talking average beauty here.. i've gotten into some arguments with him, and i'm so ready to end my friendship if he says anything remotley racist again. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link me or, God forbid, they're a self-hating POC who doesn't identify with the group their SO hates. If I could go back in time and tell myself to never date him, I would, but I definitely get how prejudice can be ignored when you think you're into someone. as a Latina who once dated a white guy who was "only attracted to blond girls or like really pretty Hispanic girls" and used the term beaner on his public name-given twitter account (Lord, forgive me), there are definitely blinders that can come into play. Those things can be brushed off the way you can brush off a guy who leaves his shoes by the door or forgets to close the kitchen cabinets. People can delude themselves into thinking it's just a ~quirk or that they don't meanor, God forbid, they're a self-hating POC who doesn't identify with the group their SO hates.If I could go back in time and tell myself to never date him, I would, but I definitely get how prejudice can be ignored when you think you're into someone. #neveragain tbh Reply Parent Thread Link Because in a lot of POC groups, dating white is dating up. I've even read stories in here of people talking about friends or acquaintences who are like "I need to have a baby with a white guy so he has big blue eyes." Reply Parent Thread Expand Link My ex would say racist things and looking back idk why I didn't freak more. I knew the racism was wrong and i'd call him out, but I think I was young and naive enough to think he would change or was really good at heart despite the ignorance? Idk. I wanna kick young me sometimes! I see a lot of people who have cognitive dissonance. Like "oh they say bad things sometimes and I hate it but they're not an ACTUAL racist. They're a good person." Some people think of racism like the kkk burning crosses on the lawn and can't be critical of micro aggressions or more low key forms of racism. Like they know it's wrong but they still dismiss or downplay it. Edited at 2016-10-30 08:29 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link i wish people didn't care. i'm the product of an interracial marriage so pretty much any relationship i enter is going to be interracial on some level Reply Thread Link I'm the product of an interracial relationship and it hasn't always been easy but my parents have a lot of love for each other and that's all that matters. Reply Thread Link It's hard enough trying to find someone to date so idk how racists find a date. I guess dating other racists. Reply Thread Link Some people are even married to racists. I don't get it. How can you love your husband or wife while hating their ethnicity? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link + POC with low self esteem who believe the racist shit they say about their people Reply Parent Thread Expand Link lol right? Reply Parent Thread Link I'm not currently dating but I was in a 3 year interracial relationship (BW/WM). I was pretty lucky as we didn't get much grief from outsiders. Every once and awhile, there were looks from older white people but no one had the gall to confront us. It probably helped that we lived in LA. Reply Thread Link Like who the F cares anymore?! The core base supporting your stepfather's preferred presidential candidate, for starters. Also a fuckload of people who think they don't care, but become passive-aggressive fuckwads when confronted with it directly Edited at 2016-10-30 06:57 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link That screencap Reply Parent Thread Link So much wrong in this statement...... Reply Parent Thread Link oh my god, the WWYD videos make me so uncomfortable, but some of them can be funny lmao Reply Parent Thread Link It's always the same actress! How the hell no one recognizes her after all these years? Reply Parent Thread Link what would i do? laugh my ass off Reply Parent Thread Link Im mostly surprised people are paying for HER app Reply Thread Link with all this amazing content ??? This is the kind of sh*t I share with my subscribers: -Daily posts on my life -Exclusive personal pics and videos -Love and sex advice as real as it gets -All my fashion, fitness, decor and beauty must-haves -Dope contests -Exclusive events -Live streams Reply Parent Thread Link same. I was confused lmao Reply Parent Thread Link fuck that app. it aint shit Reply Parent Thread Link lol same. i was like y'all still don't have your shit together and now you're tryna charge people? Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah. An ex bff once told me that her fam would be upset if she dated a black guy but would be okay if she dated within her race and ethnicity (other Mexicans and latinos and hispancs) or white guys. Like, why would you tell me that? Suffice to say, we arent friends anymore Edited at 2016-10-30 06:53 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link I was online dating and some guy's response when he learned I was Irish-background Catholic was "my grandma wouldn't like you" Good to know... that you and your Nan are stupid Reply Parent Thread Link In high school I remember this black guy in my class asked a half Chinese half Mexican girl to prom, but her dad wouldn't let her go with him. It was the big story around my school for a bit. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link That's how it was where I grew up, too. My own uncles used to tell us girls in the family that if they saw us with a black guy that they would beat him up, and then "kick us out of the family." It was a mess. Reply Parent Thread Link My dad used to tell me he'd disown me if I ever dated a white guy. So I laughed in his face and did it anyway. Reply Parent Thread Link I've had dates with white guys my age (30-ish) ask me if I've ever dated/been with a black guy (I'm white). It's happened at least twice and it's jarring af. Edit: Also this happened in NYC and in San Francisco so we're not talking Alabama here. Edited at 2016-10-30 08:13 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link When I was in high school our teacher was having a discussion about racism and he straight up asked "Are there some of you that can't bring a certain minority home?" and a pretty big number of the white kids told him that they couldn't bring home a black or "Mexican" boyfriend/girlfriend or their parents would flip. Everyone was so uncomfortable in the class after that cause there were more POC in the class than there were white kids. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I've got an uncle who's generally a very nice guy, but he's totally against black guys dating white girls. It's sometimes hard to understand how someone can be really stand-up in a lot of areas of life, but still be racist. Reply Parent Thread Link ive had a chinese friend tell me that it would be ok if she brought a white guy home. she brought a woman home to spend nights and her mom just ignored it, pretending they were 'gal pals' but my friend knew that if she brought her black bf home, that would get the worst reaction. Reply Parent Thread Link ive had a chinese friend tell me that it would be ok if she brought a white guy home. she brought a woman home to spend nights and her mom just ignored it, pretending they were 'gal pals' but my friend knew that if she brought her black bf home, that would get the worst reaction. Reply Parent Thread Link interracial relationships dont bother me but its so frustrating that ppl in them use them as a scapegoat for their racism. Like just bc u fuck us (black folk) dont mean shit. Lots of men fuck women and are still violently misogynistic. Reply Thread Link I'm a black man and I've never dated a white man. I've only had sex with one before and it was different ngl. But I'm very open minded with dating outside of my race but the opportunity never presents itself for multiple reasons. Reply Thread Link I'm a Mexican man and I've never been with a white guy before, but I've been with plenty of other races. This fact alone makes me think I'll probably end up with a basic ass looking white guy that a lot of my friends thirst after. Reply Parent Thread Link What was different about it? Reply Parent Thread Link Arrival, Hidden Figures, Nocturnal Animals, Moonlight and La La Land for me. I feel Arrival will get the Sicario treatment and not contend and Ryan Gosling and Jake Gyllenhaal are overdue for another nomination, but I don't see that happening either. I'm interested to see how it shakes out for Moonlight and Hidden Figures. I'm also interested in Manchester by the Sea and Loving, but I don't know if I can sit through Loving. Storylines like that really upset me. Reply Thread Link You should see Loving. Even though it's such a delicate subject matter, it's handled in a really non-melodramatic way, if that makes sense? It's pretty much just a love story between these two people who try to ignore all the legal stuff as much as possible and just get on with their lives. I don't think anyone in my theatre was even crying tbh lol, that's how subtle and understated it was. Reply Parent Thread Link Well, that's good to know. Usually I love a good cry, but not under those circumstances. It just pisses me off and in the wrong hands it can become a mess. I wasn't planning on skipping, I just was thinking of holding off. I gotta see it, though. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link but I feel the academy might be waiting for the Blade Runner sequel. Reply Parent Thread Link Allied Arrival Fences Florence Foster Jenkins Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Hidden Figures Jackie The Jungle Book La La Land Lion Live by Night Loving Manchester by the Sea Moonlight Nocturnal Animals Patriots Day Silence Sully 20th Century Women Reply Thread Link tapley is so embarrassing with this ffj shit. Reply Parent Thread Link florence was an awful movie. like meryl could stand around and stare at the camera for 2 hours and do nothing and get accolades. let it the fuck go. no to the jungle book, what a snoozefest, and hell no to anything marky mark is attached to Reply Parent Thread Link i loved hell or high water sfm. Reply Parent Thread Link ive seen four of those movies so far. Reply Parent Thread Link Florence Foster Jenkins and The Jungle Book, lol no. Reply Parent Thread Link Tapley needs to stop, half of these are not oscar players Reply Parent Thread Link I mean, The Jungle Book, really? HER.gif?! Reply Parent Thread Link have any of these leaked in decent quality? asking for a friend Reply Parent Thread Link the only two films that can beat la la land at this point are moonlight and silence. the rest can be thanked for showing up and be happy they got a bp nom. Reply Thread Link moonlight deserves every award they can throw at it and more. tbh all the adult actors could get a supporting nom imo (although the kids were phenomenal as well). but i'm super interested to see lala land, jackie, manchester by the sea, and 20th century women. kind of interested in lion too but the reviews have been a lot more tempered for that one. also this one isn't oscar baity/not really in the conversation but paterson looks really good too. Reply Thread Link I always liked Casey from the beginning of his career, but his bullshit in private is such a fucking stain on the way I feel about him. He's such a good actor, though. Reply Parent Thread Link same here. He was always very captivating in all his roles. Esp as Robert Ford. ;_; What a scummy human being tho. Reply Parent Thread Link why is casey a scumbag? im intrigued Reply Parent Thread Link i LIVE for alien stuff and my adams so i cannot wait for arrival and i love taraji!! but overall hidden figures just sounds so amazing Reply Thread Link I like Ryan and Emma, too. It's obvious they have good chemistry. ONTD can't enjoy nice things. Reply Parent Thread Link From what I've seen (the romcom movie), they didn't have the right kinda chemistry for that movie. They felt (and looked like) more like siblings than lovers tbh. But maybe in this LaLa Land, I'll see the romantic chemistry that you and others talk about 'cause I couldn't see it. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link a+ taste, I'm looking forward to exactly the same movies as well lol. Reply Parent Thread Link Go see it! I saw it at the kabuki yesterday and it was wonderful! Reply Parent Thread Link omg i tried to see it thursday cause you told me it was at the kabuki but they only had late showings and i couldn't. hopefully next week, i am dying for moonlight. Reply Parent Thread Link Ben didnt win Best Director though. Still just an oscar winning writer and producer. Reply Parent Thread Link it hasn't played at any festival yet so it could go either way Reply Parent Thread Link Moonlight needs to win everything Reply Thread Link Sad or happy ending? I wanna see it next weekend Reply Parent Thread Link bittersweet tbh Reply Parent Thread Link sorta happy! Reply Parent Thread Link i hate how none of these releases are staggered. they're all coming out in december except for like 3. Reply Thread Link 6 of them have already come out. Reply Parent Thread Link all of these movies look fantastic to me Reply Thread Link can't wait for La La Land Reply Thread Link MANDAN, N.D. Chairmen of the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes condemned the aggression used against Dakota Access Pipeline opponents this week and said theyre considering taking legal action against law enforcement. Standing Rock Chairman Dave Archambault II said more than 40 people were injured, including broken bones and welts from rubber bullets and bean bag rounds fired by law enforcement Thursday, Oct. 27, when hundreds of officers removed people from the path of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Its just wrong to use that type of force on innocent people, Archambault said Saturday, Oct. 29, during a press conference in front of the Morton County Sheriffs Department. Cheyenne River Sioux Chairman Harold Frazier said he has heard reports of inhumane treatment while people were incarcerated and the tribe has attorneys considering filing a lawsuit. All theyre doing is standing up to protect that water, Frazier said. Authorities arrested 141 people on Thursday in an hours-long confrontation north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation as law enforcement in riot gear and military equipment removed protesters from the highway and property owned by the pipeline company. Law enforcement on Friday defended the use of deterrents such as pepper spray, bean bag and sponge rounds and a device that emits a high-pitched tone, saying they only used the force necessary to diffuse the situation, which included several fires being set. Officials say a woman fired a .38-caliber revolver in the direction of officers after being taken to the ground for resisting arrest, but that account is disputed by participants in the protest. Archambault also called for a reroute of the Dakota Access Pipeline, pointing out that the company has spent millions to purchase land in a contentious area of the route and the state is spending millions to bring in hundreds of law enforcement officers. If the state can spend $7 to $9 million to fight peaceful, innocent people, then the resources are there, he said. Its just like do what we can to put it here. We dont matter. Frazier said he takes offense to how arrestees were treated, being held in what he described as dog kennels and given numbers written on their arms, reminiscent of Holocaust concentration camps. Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said Friday that when someone was arrested at the scene, they were marked and their personal belongings were put into a bag with a corresponding number so we know what went with who." They were then put on a bus or transport van and brought to the Morton County law enforcement center in Mandan, where they were held in chain-link fence temporary holding cells that were put up to handle the large number of arrestees, Kirchmeier said. And that is because when we have 80, 90, and in this case 140 people brought in at one time, we cant just let them run amok, he said. Weve got to be able to keep control of them, and we do that by temporary holding, and then they are individually put in there and then processed through the jail at that point. Archambault also criticized the actions of Dakota Access LLC, a subsidiary of Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners, including their use of unlicensed security officers who used guard dogs on Sept. 3. The company continued construction in the contentious area of the pipeline route Thursday despite the confrontation unfolding between protesters and law enforcement and a request from the Department of Justice to voluntarily stop construction within 20 miles of Lake Oahe. Nobody should be protecting this company, Archambault said. Frazier said hes seeking a full law enforcement report on the Dakota Access security worker removed from the protest area with an assault rifle Thursday and would like to see the man charged with attempted murder. Theyre saying that our people are the criminals. But what about them? Frazier said. Vicki Granado Anderson, a spokeswoman for Dakota Access, disputed Saturday that the man was contracted by Dakota Access. People at the scene found a photo ID in his truck that said DAPL security and the truck had paperwork that said it was insured by Dakota Access. Forum News Service has obtained copies of this documentation. In addition, Kirchmeier identified the man as working for Dakota Access security. But Anderson said the badge did not mean he was a DAPL employee, but is a badge given to people much in the same way a company gives you a guest badge when you go to their offices for a meeting. Camp growing Frazier, who said he had a tribal member who was praying in a sweat lodge when arrested Thursday, pointed out that North Dakota is named for the Dakota people. But yet, were forgotten by the ones who carry our name, Frazier said. That is really sad and alarming. On Saturday afternoon, the numbers at the Oceti Sakowin camp grew as more people arrived to show their support. Security volunteers encouraged people to move further south on Highway 1806 and away from the Backwater Bridge, where vehicles that were torched remained from Thursday nights confrontation. Law enforcement continued to have a large presence just on the north side of the bridge and began removing debris. In Bismarck, about 65 people demonstrated on a sidewalk in front of the State Capitol in support of pipeline protesters and to call attention to what they say is a lack of responsiveness by state government to concerns raised by residents and landowners about the siting of oil pipelines, wells and other issues. Nicole Donaghy, an enrolled Standing Rock member and field organizer with the Dakota Resource Council activist group, blasted what she called "propaganda" suggesting that protesters were stealing and killing livestock. "We need a real leader who will not villainize the people," she said after demonstrators chanted "Where's Jack?" in reference to Gov. Jack Dalrymple. About half a dozen people staged a counter-protest on the same sidewalk . Darcy Peterson of Bismarck waved a black-and-white American flag with a blue stripe to show support for law enforcement. Peterson said everyone has a right to stand up for what they believe in, but she and others expressed concerns about the long-term effects of damaging actions by out-of-state protesters. "I think our state's going to be torn apart when the outside interests have all left," Peterson said. OPEC nations are continuing to tackle the challenge of exceptionally low oil prices. Oil majors are searching for solutions to stay afloat during a time of bitter crude oil prices. Government owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. are consolidating their assets in order to boost efficiency and reduce costs. ADNOC plans to merge three shipping companies Abu Dhabi National Tanker Co., Petroleum Services and Abu Dhabi Petroleum Ports Operating Co. by the end of next year. Last month, ADNOC merged two of their offshore oil companies, Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Corp. and Zakum Development Co. The two companies produce almost 1.7 million barrels per day, over half of ADNOCs production. The idea of simplifying logistics makes sense when companies have multiple subsidiaries but the repeated process of mergers show clear signs of tough times for the energy major. In the long term, however, ADNOC will benefit from these logistical revisions. Control of 165 operating shipping vessels for the use of 6 percent of world oil reserves could improve their status drastically. OPEC has been discussing the possibility of an oil production freeze for several months now but matters have been growing exceedingly complicated. This past weekend, Iraq stated they would only lower production down to their September level of 4.78 million barrels per day. Iraq claims they need the revenue from their oil production to continue repelling the Islamic State from their nation. Its unlikely Iran, Nigeria or Libya will play a role in the cuts either with their already hindered production levels due to sanctions and militant attacks. OPEC has also decided to include Russia in talks to cut production but so far the nation has been noncommittal. The group is supposed to meet in late November to set each countries respective output limits but with a third of the nations already not willing to contribute problems will undoubtedly persist. If a deal is unable to emerge then the United Arab Emirates and other OPEC member nations will continue to suffer from overproduction of crude oil and low prices. The Emirates rely on oil for 38 percent of their exports meaning if the price is to remain stagnant then their economy will surely worsen. Related: Can Saudi Arabia Scramble Out Of The Pit It Dug for Itself? The unceasing shale boom in the United States adds to the competition for market share in the oil industry. As of last week, it was noted that the U.S. has been exporting a significant portion of gas to other countries, especially Mexico. The 811,000 million barrels per day is a clear sign of potentially becoming self-sufficient. ExxonMobil and BP each held considerable stakes in the two oil companies combined last month. ADNOC acknowledges their presence and will redistribute their entitlements through the new operating agreements. Its beneficial for the two oil majors to own portions of this substantially larger company and they will likely witness subtle growth in their shares. Oil futures will likely slide back into the mid $40s if the OPEC talks continue to show less hope. The United Arab Emirates Dirham will see a reduced value in comparison to the U.S. dollar as they shadow the state of their respective economies. By Michael McDonald for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: CNN report s that protesters from around the world continue to congregate in North Dakota in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux and their struggle to stop construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline through (or placed so as to negatively affect) tribal lands. The issues and the divide between sides seem to be fairly conventional: Promises of jobs and economic growth motivate the pipeline's supporters. Its opponents cite environmental concerns (especially the prospective damage to tribal lands) and allege violations of the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 in Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners' wheedling of land use permissions out of federal and state governments. On balance, the opponents seem to have a good case; the supporters not much of a case at all. For more than a century and a half the US government has selectively ignored its treaties with the Standing Rock Sioux and other tribes whenever those treaties threaten to stymie the plans of corporations with friends in government. Successfully holding Washington to its word this time might give the politicians and their cronies pause next time. And even if letting the US government use treaties as toilet paper just because it can wasn't an incredibly corrosive idea, keep in mind that it's not just the Sioux who are getting mugged. Private land owners all along the pipeline's 1,100 mile route are feeling the pain, too. Like Keystone XL before it, ETP leverages government's power of "eminent domain" -- under the pretense that the pipeline is some kind of public service rather than the private for-profit enterprise it actually is -- to steal much of the land required to complete Dakota Access. The go-to excuse among proponents of these "public/private partnership" type land thefts is always "jobs and economic development," but even if that excuse flew (it doesn't), it's a pretty poor one in this case. The $3.7 billion pipeline is advertised as creating a whopping 40 permanent jobs. I'm not sure how many people work at the average Wal-Mart, but it looks like more than 40 to me. How many jobs in agriculture and other sectors would Dakota Access destroy along the way? We have no way of knowing. For me, the bottom line is this: If the only way to do something you want to do involves stealing other people's stuff, you shouldn't do it. And you certainly shouldn't get government help to do it. Dakota Access is the opposite of the American way. From Smirking Chimp I am currently working as hard as I can to see that Donald Trump is defeated, that Hillary Clinton is elected president, and that Democrats gain control of the US House and Senate. The day after the election, working with millions of grass-roots activists, I intend to do everything possible to make certain that the new president and Congress implement the Democratic platform, the most progressive agenda of any major political party in the history of the United States. That agenda includes overturning the disastrous Supreme Court decision on Citizens United, raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, expanding Social Security, breaking up "too-big-to-fail banks," making public colleges and universities tuition-free for the middle class, and rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure. It also includes pay equity for women, a new approach toward trade, aggressive action to combat climate change, raising taxes on the wealthy and large corporations, lowering prescription drug prices, a significant movement toward universal health care, and major reforms in our criminal justice and immigration systems. If this election has taught us anything, it is that the American people are sick and tired of the economic, political, and media status quo. They are tired of a rigged economy in which millions work longer hours for lower wages while 52 percent of all new income goes to the top 1 percent. They are tired of billionaires like Trump and large profitable corporations not paying a nickel in federal income taxes while the middle class pays their fair share to support governmental services. They are tired of a corrupt campaign finance system that allows billionaires like the Koch brothers, Sheldon Adelson, and others to spend hundreds of millions to elect candidates who will represent the wealthy and the powerful. They are tired of corporate media that focus on political gossip and look at elections as personality contests, rather than provide for a serious discussion of the major crises facing our country. The anger and frustration of the American people, all across the political spectrum, is palpable. They want a government that represents the needs of working families and not just billionaires. They want bold action to rebuild the shrinking middle class, not inside-the-beltway palliatives written by corporate lobbyists. At a time of massive political discontent, when millions not only are contemptuous of the major political parties but are also actually giving up on democracy, we need a new administration that has both vision and courage. We need vision from the top to point the way toward a new America that is more inclusive and egalitarian -- which boldly addresses income and wealth inequality, poverty, and the needs of the uninsured. We need an administration that has the courage to take on the powerful special interests -- corporate America, Wall Street, the insurance and drug companies, the fossil fuel industry -- who stand in the way of real change and whose greed is destroying this country. There is no moral excuse for the top one-tenth of 1 percent owning as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent, for one family (the Waltons) having more wealth than the bottom 42 percent of our population, for the number of billionaires increasing by ten-fold since 2000 while we continue to have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost any industrialized country on earth. There is no rational reason why we remain the only major country not to guarantee health care to all as a right or provide paid family and medical leave, or why we have more people in jail than any other country on earth at the same time as we have outrageously high levels of youth unemployment in minority communities. Too many Americans are living in despair and hopelessness. Too many of our brothers and sisters are turning to drugs, alcohol and suicide to avoid the painful economic realities of their lives. Too many others are turning to rage and bigotry as they try to make sense of their declining standard of living. At a time of hateful political division, a new president can bring our people together by leading and appointing an administration that will fight for working people. We need a secretary of treasury who is prepared to take on the greed and illegal behavior of Wall Street, not someone who comes from Wall Street or will leave office to go to Wall Street. We need a trade representative who understands that our current trade policies have failed, and that we must adopt a trade approach that represents workers and not the CEOs of large corporations. We need an attorney general who is prepared to vigorously enforce antitrust laws and prosecute bankers and corporate leaders who break the law. This is an historic and pivotal moment in American history. Now is the time for our next president to rally the American people against Wall Street and corporate greed and stand up vigorously for the declining middle class. Human right groups are alarmed at the spate of deaths of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers in the custody of para-military force in Karachi. The MQM has called these brutal deaths as extra-judicial killings. On September 30, Syed Abdul Naveed, a MQM worker who was killed in the custody of para-military force. According to MQM sources, Naveed was brutally and inhumanly tortured to death while in custody and his dead body was dumped by the para-military rangers in rural Sindh, area called "Ounger" in the District of Thatta. 24News-HD TV reported, on August 28, that a MQM worker was killed in police custody. Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Provincial Assembly MQM's Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan called this terrorism by the government agencies. In March, MQM leader, Dr. Farooq Sattar, said that some forty MQM workers were beaten up in Central Prison in Karachi by para-military force in order to extract 'favorable' statements from them. Not surprisingly in May, Director General (DG) Rangers, Major General Bilal Akber, accepted that a deceased MQM worker, Aftab Ahmed, was tortured by Rangers in custody for 90 days. General's statement came after pictures and videos were seen doing rounds on the social media, showing the corpse of the deceased MQM worker having major torture marks across his body. In June, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) worker Waseem mysteriously died in custody at the Aziz Bhatti police station in Karachi. Waseem had been arrested by the police a few days back for allegedly possessing illegal firearms. According to DIG Police East Munir Sheikh, an FIR was filed in light of the findings of the post mortem report and all the concerned police officials have been taken into custody. Tellingly, in August, the Senate's Functional Committee on Human Rights rejected a report submitted by Sindh para-military Rangers regarding the human rights violations in Karachi Operation, declaring it "fake and phony". In the report, prepared by an unknown human rights organization called "Human Rights Commission on South Asia", Sindh Rangers were given a clean chit. Sindh Rangers has obtained a false report by a dubious NGO in a bid to convince the parliamentary body that "it [Rangers] is not involved in human rights violations while conducting operation in Karachi", Senator Farhatullah Babar said during the senate panel meeting. Rangers, commanded by Army Officers, are deployed in Karachi under the Anti-Terrorism Act, which provides broad powers to the Rangers and other state security forces that have facilitated serious human rights violations, according to the New York-based Human Rights Watch. Soldiers are permitted to "shoot to kill" after giving a warning, but are not bound by human rights standards that permit the use of lethal force only in self-defense or to protect the lives of others. They can conduct arrests and searches of property without a warrant. The Rangers are a border security federal force under the Ministry of Interior, but operate under the command of the Pakistan Army. Military control over the Rangers effectively transfers key law enforcement duties in Karachi to the armed forces, which has a long record of committing human rights violations with impunity, the Human Rights Watch said. The Rangers have been implicated in serious human rights abuses, including torture and other ill-treatment of criminal suspects, extrajudicial killings, and enforced disappearances. The Rangers have been implicated in abuses across the political spectrum, Human Rights Watch said. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), a nongovernmental human rights organization, has also criticized the Rangers for enforced disappearances and other violations of due process rights, and stressed "the need for transparency in security operations." The Human Rights Watch in its annual report pointed out that under pressure from the military leadership, the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ceded significant constitutional and decision-making authority to the armed forces in 2015, particularly in the areas of national security, foreign policy, and human rights. "The military muzzled dissenting and critical voices in nongovernmental organizations and media. The Rangers, a paramilitary force, were given complete control over law enforcement in the city of Karachi, where there were reports of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture." Shafi Burfat, exiled chairman of a nationalist group, Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), in a statement published on his website criticized the operation against the MQM. He says: "Sindh is a permanent colony of Punjabi imperialism and Punjabi Army will savagely, brutally execute every Sindhi conscious person who stands against the occupation, oppression and aggression of Punjabi military establishment. We strongly condemn harassment, arrests, abductions, torture, enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings of MQM activists.....All the bloodshed, plunder, torture, law enforcement violations are state created phenomenon created by Pakistani military,(the intelligence agency) ISI and its local stooges to exploit the resources of Sindh." About 90 percent of Pakistan army belongs to Punjab province. Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) came in direct conflict with Army on August 22, when its London-based self-exiled leader Altaf Hussain criticized the army and government officials of systematically targeting his workers. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). From Consortium News A curious aspect of the Syrian conflict -- a rebellion sponsored largely by the United States and its Gulf state allies -- is the disappearance in much of the American mainstream news media of references to the prominent role played by Al Qaeda in seeking to overthrow the secular Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad. There's much said in the U.S. press about ISIS, the former "Al Qaeda in Iraq" which splintered off several years ago, but Al Qaeda's central role in commanding Syria's "moderate" rebels in Aleppo and elsewhere is the almost unspoken reality of the Syrian war. Even in the U.S. presidential debates, the arguing between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton has been almost exclusively about ISIS, not Al Qaeda. Though Al Qaeda got the ball rolling on America's revenge wars in the Middle East 15 years ago by killing several thousand Americans and others in the 9/11 attacks, the terrorist group has faded into the background of U.S. attention, most likely because it messes up the preferred "good guy/bad guy" narrative regarding the Syrian war. For instance, the conflict in Aleppo between Syrian government forces and rebels operating primarily under Al Qaeda's command is treated in the Western media as simply a case of the barbaric Assad and his evil Russian ally Vladimir Putin mercilessly bombing what is portrayed as the east Aleppo equivalent of Disney World, a place where innocent children and their families peacefully congregate until they are targeted for death by the Assad-Putin war-crime family. The photos sent out to the world by skillful rebel propagandists are almost always of wounded children being cared for by the "White Helmet" rebel civil defense corps, which has come under growing criticism for serving as a public-relations arm of Al Qaeda and other insurgents. (There also are allegations that some of the most notable images have been staged, like a fake war scene from the 1997 dark comedy, "Wag the Dog.") Rare Glimpse of Truth Yet, occasionally, the reality of Al Qaeda's importance in the rebellion breaks through, even in the mainstream U.S. media, although usually downplayed and deep inside the news pages, such as the A9 article in Saturday's New York Times by Hwaida Saad and Anne Barnard describing a rebel offensive in Aleppo. It acknowledges: "The new offensive was a strong sign that rebel groups vetted by the United States were continuing their tactical alliances with groups linked to Al Qaeda, rather than distancing themselves as Russia has demanded and the Americans have urged. ... The rebels argue that they cannot afford to shun any potential allies while they are under fire, including well-armed and motivated jihadists, without more robust aid from their international backers." (You might note how the article subtly blames the rebel dependence on Al Qaeda on the lack of "robust aid" from the Obama administration and other outside countries -- even though such arms shipments violate international law.) What the article also makes clear in a hazy kind of way is that Al Qaeda's affiliate, the recently renamed Nusra Front, and its jihadist allies, such as Ahrar al-Sham, are waging the brunt of the fighting while the CIA-vetted "moderates" are serving in mostly support roles. The Times reported: "The insurgents have a diverse range of objectives and backers, but they issued statements of unity on Friday. Those taking part in the offensive include the Levant Conquest Front, a militant group formerly known as the Nusra Front that grew out of Al Qaeda; another hard-line Islamist faction, Ahrar al-Sham; and other rebel factions fighting Mr. Assad that have been vetted by the United States and its allies." The article cites Charles Lister, a senior fellow and Syria specialist at the Middle East Institute in Washington, and other analysts noting that "the vast majority of the American-vetted rebel factions in Aleppo were fighting inside the city itself and conducting significant bombardments against Syrian government troops in support of the Qaeda-affiliated fighters carrying out the brunt of front-line fighting." Lister noted that 11 of the 20 or so rebel groups conducting the Aleppo "offensive have been vetted by the C.I.A. and have received arms from the agency, including anti-tank missiles. ... "In addition to arms provided by the United States, much of the rebels' weaponry comes from regional states, like Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia," Mr. Lister said, "including truck-borne multiple-rocket launcher systems and Czech-made Grad rockets with extended ranges." The U.S./Al Qaeda Alliance Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). The Lesser of Two Evils (Image by Mark John Maguire) Details DMCA It has become common in recent days, in which the 2 leading candidates for the US Presidential election have achieved unfavourable poll ratings, to regard voting for either candidate as a vote for the "Lesser of Two Evils" (LEV). Tempting though it may be to vote for a candidate simply in the hope of excluding another, this is a questionable ethical policy with potential risks for democracy. The "Lesser of 2 Evils" principle (LEV) has a long history of application in US Foreign Policy in promoting intervention in wars to exclude a "worse evil". So ingrained has this aspect of Realpolitik become in the US political psyche that it has become axiomatic of US public polity in the conduct of government. It has recently been promoted as such by Noam Chomsky who, in an uncharacteristically weak argument, has exhorted the left in the US to vote for Hillary Clinton. But Chomsky is wrong as is the political philosophy underpinning LEV which prevails as a result of its widespread acceptance in the US political Establishment and his argument exhibits many of the blind assumptions made concerning LEV. The principal area in which LEV is cited is in US Foreign Policy and a casual glance at its operation here gives a sense of the problems with it as an ethical system: Vietnam, , Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya have all been subjected to horrific bombing, invasion and military degradation by successive US governments on the basis that to do so represented the LEV. There are few today even in the US who, with the benefit of hindsight, would concur that in its application in the US Foreign Policy sphere LEV can be supported as a sound ethical principle. There are indeed, many outside of the US who would regard its support of LEV to be an evil in itself. Clearly, there are other motivations for US invasions other than LEV considerations - not least geopolitical motives - but the adherence to LEV has enabled successive US govts to conduct a programme of widespread military aggression which it would otherwise have had few means of justifying. It has come to be the primary means of justifying a brutality that is rampant in the US and which successive Presidents have subscribed to wholeheartedly with disastrous consequences for the world. Certainly LEV is a persuasive argument to governments facing complex issues and situations both domestically and abroad, but it is fraught with difficulties. A clear example of a sound application of LEV could be considered to be with the institution of the police force: police forces restrain liberty for the benefit of all because without them there would be a degree of lawlessness not compatible with the functioning of civilised society: it may thus be said that police forces are the LEV: a loss of liberty (evil) is incurred to avoid lawlessness (greater evil). But that brings us to the crux of the matter: LEV seems to have a reasonable application where there are 2 options and not more. If we apply it to situations were there are more than 2 options then we run into difficulty. In the case of policing it is apparent that there is no third way - or at least no-one has yet found one. LEV can therefore be safely applied in this instance. Again, in the situation where a knife-wielding madman approaching a group of school children can be disabled by running him down in a vehicle, we see an appropriate application of LEV because there seems to be no third way - and thus a great evil may be avoided by opting for a lesser evil. Were it possible to prevent the knifeman by, say, shutting the school gates, then this would remove the act of running him down from the LEV principle, because there would be 3 possibilities. If a policeman with a taser device was observed approaching then we would be in possession of a number of options: we would then have a complex moral decision to which LEV would be an unhelpful and possibly harmful remedy. That is because we would be seeking to apply a simple response to a complex problem which would potentially be detrimental and may result in a poor moral choice being made. Scaling up to the case where a conflict between the US and another country arises, there are myriad options available and by virtue of this LEV is not a good moral principle to apply. The situation in any of the recent examples of countries attacked by the US in the past 50 years has never been an either/or situation. Indeed, such situations have been subject to widespread arguments and protests concerning other options. The fact that LEV has been used to justify war, bombing, intervention etc is a testament to its misapplication rather than its wrongness as a principle per se, but given the complexity of international relations it is probably safe to regard LEV as unlikely to be applicable to most issues. There are also severe problems with LEV in its application in the public sphere aside from these practical considerations: Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Jill Stein, a medical doctor who is running for President on the Green Party ticket, has claimed that the pharmaceutical industry has a corrupting influence on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She has also claimed that she was part of a public-health movement that led to the removal of mercury from childhood vaccines. In reality, we have no evidence that the mercury in childhood vaccines was causing any harm. Nor was any grassroots organization, other than the American Academy of Pediatrics, involved in the decision to stop using a mercury compound called thimerosal as a preservative in vaccines. (Stein is an internist, not a pediatrician.) The decision to make childhood vaccinations mercury-free was made by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prominent antivaccination activists started speaking out about mercury in vaccines only after the vaccines became mercury-free. It is disturbing that Republican and Green Party presidential hopefuls, including some medical doctors, have been using the talking points of the antivaccination movement. What's worse is that any medical doctor, and especially any medical doctor who wants to be chief executive of the federal government, does not seem to know how the federal government works to protect public health. Many laymen were horrified to hear that a mercury compound was ever being used as an ingredient in childhood vaccines. Yet that mercury compound is a powerful preservative that was being used to solve a serious safety problem. This problem became obvious in 1928, in a disaster called the Bundaberg Tragedy. A bottle of diphtheria vaccine in a doctor's office in Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia, became contaminated with a bacterium called golden staph (Staphylococcus aureus). The bacterium was probably carried into the bottle by the needle that was used to draw out one of the first doses from the bottle. Then, the bacteria grew inside the bottle as it sat on a shelf between doses. Twelve of the children who received vaccine from this contaminated bottle died. Five others became seriously ill but recovered. To prevent a similar tragedy from happening in the United States, the US Code of Federal Regulations (21CFR610.15) requires vaccine makers to put a preservative in multiple-dose containers of practically all vaccines. Single-dose containers can be preservative-free but are more expensive. The regulation does not specify which preservatives must be used. However, it does say that the preservative must be "sufficiently nontoxic so that the amount present in the recommended dose of the product will not be toxic to the recipient." Also, the preservative must not interfere with the potency of the vaccine. Thimerosal has been used since the 1930s as a preservative in vaccines because it was the most effective option, it did not interfere with the potency of the vaccine, and it was well tolerated. Thimerosal has also been used as a preservative in contact-lens solutions. Even today, despite an extensive research effort, we have no evidence that the use of thimerosal in vaccines has caused any health problems. The person who raised the question of the mercury content of medicines (not specifically vaccines) was Frank Pallone, a Democratic Congressman from New Jersey. In 1997, he introduced an amendment to the FDA's reauthorization bill. This amendment gave FDA two years to compile a list of all medicinal products that contain mercury compounds as ingredients. The FDA had to analyze what kind of mercury compound was in each product, and how much of each mercury compound the product contains. In response to this congressional mandate, the FDA revisited the question of how much exposure children were getting to thimerosal through their vaccinations. Because of the introduction of some new vaccines, the amount of thimerosal that children were receiving had gone up. In 1999, scientists at the FDA calculated that the recommended vaccines would deliver a total of 187.5 micrograms of mercury. (A microgram is a millionth of a gram.) However, there was no reliable way to judge whether this amount of mercury exposure is a problem. In the human body, thimerosal is broken down into ethylmercury, but the federal guidelines on mercury toxicity were based on methylmercury. To be on the safe side, the scientists assumed that ethylmercury would be just as dangerous as methylmercury. (We now know that it is not, because it is quickly eliminated through the kidneys.) So they suggested that steps be taken to reduce thimerosal exposure. Back in 1999, we had no evidence that the thimerosal in vaccines was causing problems. By now, we have evidence that it was not causing any of the health problems that were investigated. However, it did become a serious public-relations problem. The FDA and the CDC take vaccine safety seriously. As a result, the recommended vaccines are amazingly safe. Yet there is one thing that we can do to improve safety still further, while restoring public trust in the public-health authorities. We must focus on driving diseases like polio, measles, and rubella into extinction through vaccination. Once a disease is extinct, everyone is protected against it, forever. As a result, children do not need to be exposed to even the minimal risks, and the discomfort, of the vaccination. Instantly, the sales of the vaccine drop to zero. By working to eradicate a vaccine-preventable disease, we public-health activists make it crystal clear that our goal is public health, not private profit. From New York Times MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- The Native Americans who have spent the last months in peaceful protest against an oil pipeline along the banks of the Missouri are standing up for tribal rights. They're also standing up for clean water, environmental justice and a working climate. And it's time that everyone else joined in. The shocking images of the National Guard destroying tepees and sweat lodges and arresting elders this week remind us that the battle over the Dakota Access Pipeline is part of the longest-running drama in American history -- the United States Army versus Native Americans. In the past, it's almost always ended horribly, and nothing we can do now will erase a history of massacres, stolen land and broken treaties. But this time, it can end differently. Those heroes on the Standing Rock reservation, sometimes on horseback, have peacefully stood up to police dogs, pepper spray and the bizarre-looking militarized tanks and SWAT teams that are the stuff of modern policing. (Modern and old-fashioned both: The pictures of German shepherds attacking are all too reminiscent of photos from, say, Birmingham, Ala., in 1963.) The courage of those protesters managed to move the White House enough that the government called a temporary halt to construction. But the forces that want it finished -- Big Oil, and its allies in parts of the labor movement -- are strong enough that the respite may be temporary. In coming weeks, activists will respond to calls from the leaders at Standing Rock by gathering at the offices of banks funding the pipeline, and at the offices of the Army Corps of Engineers, for protest and civil disobedience. Two dozen big banks have lent money to the pipeline project, even though many of them have also adopted elaborate environmental codes. As for the Corps, that's the agency that helped "expedite" the approval of the pipeline -- and must still grant the final few permits. The vast movement of people across the country who mobilized to block fossil-fuel projects like the Keystone pipeline and Shell's plans to drill in the Arctic need to gather once more. This time, their message must be broader still. There are at least two grounds for demanding a full environmental review of this pipeline, instead of the fast-track approvals it has received so far. The first is the obvious environmental racism of the whole project. Originally, the pipeline was supposed to cross the Missouri just north of Bismarck, until people pointed out that a leak there would threaten the drinking water supply for North Dakota's second biggest city. The solution, in keeping with American history, was obvious: make the crossing instead just above the Standing Rock reservation, where the poverty rate is nearly three times the national average. This has been like watching the start of another Flint, Mich., except with a chance to stop it. The second is that this is precisely the kind of project that climate science tells us can no longer be tolerated. In midsummer, the Obama administration promised that henceforth there would be a climate test for new projects before they could be approved. That promise was codified in the Democratic platform approved by Hillary Clinton's campaign, which says there will be no federal approval for any project that "significantly exacerbates" global warming. The review of the Dakota pipeline must take both cases into account. So far, the signs are not good. There has been no word from the White House about how long the current pause will last. Now, the company building the pipeline has pushed the local authorities to remove protesters from land where construction has already desecrated indigenous burial sites, with law enforcement agents using Tasers, batons, mace and "sound cannons." From the Clinton campaign, there's been simply an ugly silence, perhaps rooted in an unwillingness to cross major contributors like the Laborers' International Union of North America, which has lashed out against the many other, larger unions that oppose the project. But that silence won't make the issue go away: Sioux protesters erected a tepee in her Brooklyn campaign office on Thursday. If Mrs. Clinton is elected on Nov. 8, this will be the new president's first test on environmental and human rights. What's happening along the Missouri is of historic consequence. That message should reverberate not just on the lonely high plains, but in our biggest cities, too. Native Americans have carried the fight, but they deserve backup from everyone with a conscience; other activists should join the protest at bank headquarters, Army Corps offices and other sites of entrenched power. The Native Americans are the only people who have inhabited this continent in harmony with nature for centuries. Their traditional wisdom now chimes perfectly with the latest climate science. The only thing missing are the bodies of the rest of us joining in their protest. If we use them wisely, a fresh start is possible. Two days after a 32-year-old Wyoming man was killed during an armed confrontation with police at the Days Inn in Billings, one of the hotels owners expressed thanks to the police and the community for their response. Larry Lambert, a partner in Billings Hotel Investors which owns five motels in the state, stood outside the Billings hotel Saturday afternoon to convey his thoughts. He is also president of Lambert Hotels Development & Management, which manages the hotels. Our thoughts and prayers, condolences and most heartfelt prayers go out to the family of the gentleman who lost his life, Lambert said. Lambert was in northwest Montana when events unfolded early Thursday at the Days Inn, at 843 Parkway Lane. It began when Kyle Killough, 32, of Gillette, Wyo., a guest at the hotel, walked into the clerks office with a semiautomatic handgun. The clerk ran into the office of a management employee, who happened to be on the premises, Lambert said. They called 911, and within two minutes we had the Billings Police Department in force, he said. They knew the man had a gun and they went where he was to protect us, Lambert said. Theres no way we can express enough thanks for them to do such a thing. Officers attempted for at least 25 minutes to persuade the man to put down his weapon. That included attempts by a police negotiator to get the man to cooperate. When Killough stood up and began to turn around with a gun in his hand, and didnt obey orders from officers to drop the weapon, he was shot and killed by Officer David Raschkow. An Associated Press story reported that Kyle Killoughs mother, Jan Urioste, said her son suffered from mental illness and had quit taking his medications. He also had a history of using illegal drugs and alcohol to deal with it. Lambert praised his employees for doing everything right in the situation. They were so quick to think and react, he said. They may have prevented anybody else from being involved. He thanked the Billings Police chaplain who reached out to the employees to help them work through the trauma of the situation. One of the employees is back at work, and the other one is taking some time off, Lambert said. He expressed appreciation for other area hotels that reached out to offer help of any kind. The Days Inn has 61 guest rooms, and Lambert estimated about half were full the morning of the incident. The hotel lost a few reservations in the aftermath of the shooting. But Lambert reassured customers that the Days Inn is a safe place to stay. I dont anticipate this will have a major effect on the hotel, he said. He added that the owners of the hotels will sift through all the details of the incident to decide what information might be helpful to share with managers and employees of all the hotels they own. From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As... Vistas de pagina en total Precio del Brent To get the BRENT oil price, please enable Javascript. Precio del WTI To get the oil price, please enable Javascript. Precio del Oro To get the gold price, please enable Javascript. 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Porky y el Nene (archiconocido narcotraficante) Ladrones al poder Asi mira el perrito a su amo Crazy Clamor popular La nueva inquisicion Bolivia Chile Hoy Eso es todo amigos! Piensalo! Pinerachet No More Trump Adios Macri, hasta nunca La Marioneta se desinfla Asi o mas cinico Almugre Mexico en 1794 Mas arrastrado imposible Hasta cuando! La pura verdad Solidaridad con Palestina Serie Capitalismo Espejismos de la clase trabajadora Asi es! Comerciantes o delincuentes No pasaran! Asi es la vida USA HOY 01/01/1959 La avaricia no tiene limites AYUDA HUMANITARIA? Chile Hoy Asi son las cosas Mapa Electoral de Venezuela Patagonia argentina? Un aniversario mas del mayor genocidio de la Humanidad Retrato del franquismo en Espana Visca Catalunya! El Chulo de Madrid Cuando la policia se roba la democracia Una imagen dice mas que mil palabras La purita verdad Asi gobierna la maldita burguesia Mi pobre clase media Como Chavez nadie Comparte La Colmena via twitter Twittear Programa de la MUD Asi o mas clarito Por que Trump no ataco Corea del Norte? Hace 15 anos Por que la OEA no se pronuncio? Una verguenza nacional La luz que nos guia La Union Europea Premio Nobel de la Paz? Feudalismo ayer y hoy Obama, el mentiroso Curiosa coincidencia Un mundo de cerdos No es extrano? La Marioneta Los ricos protestan, los pobres celebran MARICORI Y OBAMA Cuantas muertes este ano? 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Por culpa de Chavez Cerveza Polar Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar Translate LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares? Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano... Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos: Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias. Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera. No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje. En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio. Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida. Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella. Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal. Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista. Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen. Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che? Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio. Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora. Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo. Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo. Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania. No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar. Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga. Alguna duda? Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia. OZ1 OZ2 OZ3 OZ4 Homenaje a Jason Galarraga La Victoria de Samotracia Odalisca Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008 La Sierra Nevada de Merida Nuestro precioso Churum Meru Homenaje a Picasso Autoretrato Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola? La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar. Mi profesion? Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos. Sal en la Coca Cola? A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar. De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla: Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido) azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa) Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas Mucha Cafeina Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja. Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos. Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja. En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero). Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma. La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate. Bebidas Light? Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal. Publicado por loretahur En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina: 1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias. 2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina. 3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard. 4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos. 5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla. 6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos. Ahora... sobre la margarina: 1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) . 2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias. 3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno). 4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer. 5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna. 6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo. 7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina. Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas: * No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo). * No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!! No a la guerra, Si a la Paz Misterios de la ciencia... Los costos de la guerra medicos y capitalismo... Capitalismo... medicos (2) Quien educa a nuestros hijos? Los Medios... Sin Palabras... Chistes feministas - Cual es el problema, Eva? - Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas. - Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas... - Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti. - Que es un hombre? - Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente. - Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente. - Cual es el truco?. - Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion. - Cual? - Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer. Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas? Porque todos son unos cerdos Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas? Porque todos son unos cerdos Ellas... Ellas (2)... Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1 Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije: -Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro. Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria. Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre? -Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa! VENGANZA NUMERO 2 Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris. A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita: - Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!! Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta. La mujer paso quince dias en Francia. El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla. Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es: - Y amor me trajiste mi francesita?? - Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina. VENGANZA NUMERO 3 El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion. - No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo. - Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz. Te quiero confesar algo. - Esta bien, esta bien. Habla! - He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga. - Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!! machismo y cibernetica Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston. -Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad. El simio hace la sena de OK. -Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?. El simio hace la sena de OK. -Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide. -Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!. .Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti. Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos. Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco. Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas Gol !!!! Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso! Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy! 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. Citizens stopped two men that fled from a rollover crash in a Billings intersection on Saturday night and law enforcement are still searching for two men that fled the wreck, according to the Montana Highway Patrol. The incident began at around 5:45 p.m. when an MHP officer driving south on Main Street in the Heights noticed something strange with the temporary registration tag of a Ford Explorer, MHP Sgt. Philip Freed said. "The registration tag looked funky," Freed said. "It didn't look right." The trooper ran the tag through a database and it did not come back clearly belonging to the SUV, Freed said. After the trooper turned on his lights and attempted to stop the vehicle, the SUV took off, driving first down First Avenue North, before turning onto Montana Avenue and then turning north onto North 22nd Street, Freed said. The MHP Trooper pursued at 35 miles per hour, Freed said. As the Explorer came through the intersection of North 22nd Street and First Avenue North it broadsided a westbound truck and then flipped over in the intersection and landed on its roof, Freed said. Four men then got out of the vehicle and fled on foot, Freed said. One man was stopped by Jake Vangen, a Park County volunteer firefighter who was at Northside Pawn on First Avenue North when the crash occurred. Vangen said he pulled out the handgun that was strapped to his hip and ordered one of the fleeing suspects to the ground. "I told the one dude to stop running and then I pulled my pistol," Vangen said. Vangen said he had his gun pointed at the man on the ground for about a minute before law enforcement arrived. Another suspect fled south down an alleyway that runs between the CTA Architects Engineers building and ToadNWillow, another First Avenue North business. Northside Pawn owner Gary Pulver said he and another bystander chased the man down the alleyway. Pulver said the man tackled the suspect and then he piled on and they held the suspect until police arrived. Freed confirmed that citizens apprehended two of the four suspects. "Thank you for the good citizens of Billings, Montana," Freed said. "It is greatly appreciated and it's refreshing that folks want their streets clean." The two men, one of whom was driving the SUV, were arrested and treated for injuries, Freed said. Billings Police Department Sgt. Matt Lennick said his agency would be handling the crash investigation and said that the driver of the truck that was T-boned was also taken to the hospital for injuries that did not appear life-threatening. After it was struck, the truck hit a parked vehicle, Lennick said. Burglary tools and bad checks were found in the wreckage of the overturned SUV, Freed said. Further north on 22nd Street, a handgun was recovered from the sidewalk where it was first spotted by a citizen returning from filling a growler at Yellowstone Valley Brewing Co. across the street. Freed said he believes the gun was dropped by one of the fleeing suspects. Freed declined to provide descriptions of the additional suspects because he said MHP was still attempting to get accurate descriptions and he did not want to put out bad information. Of the two men arrested, Freed said one was confirmed to be violating parole. ((( This post was update at 8:55 a.m. Monday to correct use of the Super PAC. Not all political organizations that advertise independently fit the definition of a Super PAC.))) Democratic congressional candidate Mike Derrick on Saturday reiterated his criticism of U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik's score of 9 out of a possible 100 points on the New York League of Conservation Voters 2015 National Environmental Scorecard. Derrick, in a press release, also criticized three political action committees that support alternative energy such as nuclear and hydropower which have been independently advertising in support of Stefanik's environmental record. ClearPath Action Fund, one of the PACs, has said the League of Conservation Voters scorecard penalized Stefanik for supporting nuclear and hydropower. No PACs had reported independent spending in support of Derrick, as of Sunday afternoon, but Derrick has received campaign contributions from political actions committee that conduct independent advertising. Derrick, a retired Army colonel from Peru, in Clinton County, Stefanik, R-Willsboro, and Green Party candidate Matt Funiciello, a bread company owner and political activist from Hudson Falls, are running in the 21st Congressional District. Stefanik has had mixed reviews from environmental and conservation groups. The Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter, which has endorsed Derrick, and EPL/Environmental Advocates of New York have criticized Stefanik for her votes regarding coal fired power plants. Conservation groups have praised her support for extending and making permanent the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund and for seeking federal funding and awareness of invasive species control. Click here, here and here to read more about climate change as a topic in the race. Click here to read about Super PACs that are praising Stefanik's environmental record. DEAR ABBY: This is in response to Conflicted in California (March 20), whose co-worker walks the survivors lap in Relay for Life events. Her co-worker is what we call a PREvivor, someone who took steps to lessen his or her chances of developing cancer. For other co-workers to belittle her for walking this lap is just plain mean. As a survivor, I have no problem with a previvor walking the lap. DIANE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE DEAR DIANE: In your letter, you made reference to previvors. This is a term I was unfamiliar with. After doing some research, I found the following information on the site of Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE). It reads: Cancer previvors are individuals who are survivors of a predisposition to cancer but havent had the disease. The group includes people who carry a hereditary mutation, family history or some other predisposing factor. ... The term specifically applies to the portion of our community that has its own unique needs and concerns separate from the general population, but different from those already diagnosed with cancer. Some of the letters my office received were vehemently against Conflicteds co-worker participating in the survivors lap. Read on for more reader comments: DEAR ABBY: The co-worker walking the survivor lap is a fraud. I am a two-time cancer survivor currently going through a round of chemotherapy. I call foul! She had a genetic threat of cancer, but has not had it. She hasnt heard those horrible words confirming her worst fears. She hasnt felt the pain of a chemical cocktail shot into her veins, which can only be described as Drano mixed with napalm. She hasnt watched her hair fall out or seen her skin burned and charred from treatment. She chose elective surgery based on genetic markers. If she wants to participate in Relay for Life, there is a caregiver lap and other activities she can participate in to honor her aunt and mother. She may have gone through pain and grief, but she is no survivor. SURVIVOR IN THE SOUTH DEAR ABBY: Its sad that this has become a case of whose cancer was worse and a judgment of who can or should walk the lap. Just let her walk. It doesnt take away anything of value from anyone else. Relay for Life is an individual experience in a group environment. I was once invited to walk the survivor lap and a friend came up and asked me point blank, Why are you here? You only had thyroid cancer, not breast cancer! I responded that I didnt realize cancer was a contest, and I walked the lap. LET IT BE DEAR ABBY: How do I fight feelings of jealousy? I dont want to sulk over what other people have and I dont. I just want to live my life being unaffected by other peoples riches, fertility and happiness. Any tips would be appreciated. JEALOUS IN COLORADO DEAR JEALOUS: Nobody has everything or a life thats completely problem-free. A way to minimize jealousy would be to be grateful for the positive things you do have going for you. Quietly list them in your mind before going to sleep at night, and again in the morning before getting out of bed. If you do, it will set the tone for your day and help you to keep the green-eyed monster at bay. Imagine a less spry and agile Indiana Jones and you have Professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), a Harvard professor of religious iconography and symbology (not a real academic discipline). Hes riddled his way from the page to the screen in the wildly popular The DaVinci Code and Angels & Demons, adapted from Dan Browns series of quasi-religious, art history-inspired mystery novels most likely to be found on the shelf of an Airbnb rental. Now imagine a less spry and agile Indiana Jones in The Hangover, with shades of Contagion wafting about, and you have the third film in the trilogy, Inferno. In Inferno, Langdon wakes up in a Florence hospital bed with one heck of a hangover. Hes beset by horrible visions of wrecked bodies with backwards heads covered in skin pustules, men in beaked masks, a mysterious woman on a fiery street. Hes got a head wound, no idea where he is, and the worst migraine of all time. Director Ron Howard, who also helmed the previous two installments, takes the head trauma as an opportunity to experiment with an edgier form and style. The screeching noises, flashing lights, rapid editing and queasy camera movements will make you too feel like youre experiencing head trauma. Amnesiac Langdon is rapidly whisked out of the hospital by an attentive doctor, Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones), who happens to be a fan of his work. Hes got a Faraday pointer secreted in his clothing (essentially a laser that projects an image of Dantes Inferno). They decipher the coded image and link it to an eccentric billionaire bio-engineer, Betrand Zobrist (Ben Foster), who has conveniently laid out in a YouTube lecture his radical theories about global overpopulation and thinning the herd with a weaponized virus, for the good of the planet. So off run Robert and Sienna, jogging around Italy, pursued by SWAT teams of the World Health Organization, as they go on a scavenger hunt from precious antiquity to precious antiquity, looking for clues as to how Robert got this Faraday doo-hickey and where Zobrists deadly, apocalyptic virus might be deployed that night at midnight. The twists in the story keep on coming, at the expense of the plots structural integrity. There are a few moments where youll want to puzzle something out, but the story is relentless and doesnt pause for a minute suddenly Tom Hanks is wrestling a Turkish thug in a pool of water in the sunken baths in Istanbul, so theres not one second to consider the plot holes. The best thing going for Inferno is Hanks, who plays his befuddled professor Langdon with the right modicum of bafflement and brilliance. He cant believe hes in this situation but also cant turn his brain off. Jones makes a fine counterpart as a prim English child prodigy, an heir to his throne if only she can find the right motivation. The cast is stocked with international talent including French actor Omar Sy as a questionable WHO agent and Danish actress Sidse Babett Knudsen as Langdons old friend and possible love interest. But its Bollywood star Irrfan Kahn who slyly steals the show as a private security operative. He brings possibly the only humor in the film playing an exasperated corporate type fed up with his client. Its a levity thats much-needed in the cacophonous chaos of Inferno. A local attorney has filed a complaint against Ted Wilson, the family court clerk who is running for Warren County Family Court judge. But some of those who have investigated it, including Administrative Judge Vincent Caruso, are questioning the timing, since Election Day is less than two weeks away. Thats one of the things that concerns me. Is it a campaign thing or a real thing? Caruso said. He noted that attorney Melody Mackenzie did not first file her complaint with him, as one normally would in a case of improper court behavior. The week of the incident, she went first to the Independent Judicial Election Qualifications Commission, which rates judge candidates. A poor rating doesnt stop a candidate from running for office, but the rating system is used by some voters in deciding who to choose. The commission rated Wilson as highly qualified. The commission looked into her complaint, and decided to reaffirm on Oct. 12 that Wilson was highly qualified. While Mackenzie waited for the commission to make a decision, she also filed a complaint with Caruso on Sept. 16, two weeks after the incident. When that did not lead to penalties for Wilson, she went public in mid-October. Mackenzie is frank about the goal of her complaint. She wants to make sure Wilson isnt elected judge, saying his behavior one morning in a divorce settlement conference was so shocking that he is unfit to be a judge. On Aug. 29, Wilson was overseeing a divorce settlement conference involving Mackenzies client. But he lost his temper, shouted, threatened a client that she would lose her children if she didnt agree to a divorce settlement without even reading it, and insulted Mackenzie, she and other witnesses said. He got very angry. Red-faced, Mackenzie said. He said Youre a terrible attorney. Everybody hates you. Wilson denied doing any such things. Its not true, he said Tuesday. None of it happened. In a follow-up interview Friday, he acknowledged criticizing her at one point. He said he tried to read to her a list of demands from her clients husband. She kept interrupting him, to the point where he said, Mel, I really have no idea how you settle cases, he said. When she directed her assistant to write down that comment, he said he told her she was being paranoid. Thats it, he said. Thats what happened. He added that he believed it was a political attack linked to his opponent, Rob Smith, a Democrat. Mackenzie is also a Democrat. But Smith said he has never met or communicated with the individuals involved in the incident. Mackenzie and a lawyer who works with her and their client all described the events to The Post-Star. The day it happened, they also described it in open court, on the record, to Washington County Family Court Judge Stan Pritzker. Wilson is Pritzkers clerk. In court, Pritzker defended Wilson but removed him from the case. The case has now been moved to a new judge in Warren County. According to Mackenzie, her assistant attorney and her client, the Aug. 29 settlement conference went wrong from the start. It was a deeply contested divorce case that had been pending for 33 months, with both sides unable to agree on custody, visitation and property distribution. Finally, Pritzker ordered both sides to spend the day at the courthouse, trying to negotiate a settlement, with trial set for the next day if they failed to come to an agreement. That morning, Wilson spoke with the husbands side and got a new settlement offer, including proposals never offered before. But instead of showing it to the wifes side, he waved the settlement in the air and read pieces of it to them, while telling them they had to take it, Mackenzie said. Mackenzie asked a question regarding which side would pay for a consultant. Wilson got angry, shouting at them to get out and saying that Mackenzie was the worst attorney hed seen in 20 years, she said. He told client Jennifer Small that he didnt know why anyone would hire Mackenzie, among other very unprofessional insults, Small said. Small said she tried to calm him down, but he told her if she didnt accept a settlement offer, she would lose everything at trial. I was thinking about my kids, she said, tearing up as she described the events two months later. Mackenzies assistant attorney offered a similar account. She couldnt say anything without him getting annoyed, said attorney Abigail Sardino. But Small begged for calm. When he first started to lose his temper, I said, Can we all take a minute? Can we all calm down?, she said. We sat back down. All of a sudden, it went completely out of control. Mackenzie said she wanted to talk to the judge to propose an attorneys-only meeting. But when she stood up, they said, Wilson ran to the door to stop her from leaving. He just came at me. Dont touch the door! Get your hands off my door!, Mackenzie said. Sardino said his reaction scared them all. It was more than just getting annoyed. It was someone with a scary temper, she said. His face was bright red and hes screaming. In court a short time later, all three described the events to Pritzker. He said he would talk to Wilson and removed him from the case. But he also defended him. Hes been in thousands of negotiations and Ive never heard anything remotely like this. Nothing ever, he said. Whats been described here is incredibly out of character. Caruso had the same reaction when he looked into the complaint. While he noted that a lawyer could face serious consequences from the New York State Bar Association for making up a story in court, he also said it was hard to believe. I know he has an unblemished reputation. Weve never, ever heard anything like this, he said. But if it were true, he added that it would not disqualify Wilson for a judgeship, in his opinion. We all have had a temper tantrum throughout our lives, he said, adding that one tantrum shouldnt define the rest of our lives. GLENS FALLS Green Party state Senate candidate Joseph Levy knows that he will not be taking office in January. Honestly, I dont expect to win this election. Im doing it for the experience and show the flag, so they know there is a Green Party in this region, he said during an interview last week with The Post-Star editorial board. Levy is running against incumbent Republican Sen. Kathy Marchione and Democrat candidate Shaun Francis in the district that encompasses all of Columbia County and portions of Rensselaer, Saratoga and Washington counties. Levy, who owns his own high-end audio electronics business, has raised $0 and was only invited to one candidate forum. Levy said he wants to bring attention to issues such that are not being well publicized. He favors campaign finance reform to limit the amount of money in politics. He also would like to change the law to allow people change their registration before a primary and limit candidates to one ballot line. He would also like to reduce the amount of taxpayer-funded mailers that elected officials can send out. Infrastructure is another important issue for him. He said that in 1950, it cost the equivalent of $800 million to build the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York City. Now, the state is building a new bridge for $4 billion. The states infrastructure is not being built to the standards it once was. Levy said he favors the return of NYRA to private control. However, he believes there should be some oversight by the New York State Comptrollers Office to keep an eye on the process. It should not be completely in private hands because that did not work the last time. He worked as a professional photographer and saw the Saratoga Racecourse up close. He believes there was a lot of mismanagement by overpaid administrators. My experience is if NYRA were completely privatized, it would be bankrupt again in three years, he said. His other priorities include working to establish business incubators in abandoned factories and mills. This would help reduce the blight of empty buildings and would help give a leg up to entrepreneurs at all levels, he said. Levy is in favor of legalizing marijuana and taxing it to pay for free public higher education and vocational training. He worked an addiction recovery center in New York Center and does not believe marijuana is a gateway drug. Levy criticized Marchione for being reactive instead of proactive in issues such as the water contamination in Hoosick Falls. He said Marchione has sought to weaken environmental protections under the guise of reducing regulations. Levy said people should vote their conscience. If enough people voted their conscience, it would be a very difficult political landscape, he said. The Green Party received nearly 200,000 votes in the last gubernatorial election, according to Levy. If I can get around a thousand votes, Id be really happy, he said. Levy said he would consider running for other positions in the future such as the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors. Im trying to present an alternative to the nastiness that permeates so many of these campaigns. I think its possible to run for office and still be a reasonable person, he said. I pride myself on being an objective listener and someone who would govern by consensus and not necessarily impose my own dogma. Its a shame that the New York State Legislature does not make better use of a fine public servant such as Dan Stec. We have great respect for the former Queensbury supervisor and the nine years he spent in that office. Stec probably could have a far greater impact on his community if he had remained in local politics, but you dont hold someone like Dan Stec back. The problem is the system in Albany, where downstate Democrats control the Assembly and partisan politics are a way of life. If you are in the Republican minority as Stec is you have to work twice as hard to get anything done, and that will only happen if you partner with a like-minded Democrat who is more than likely to get the credit if the legislation moves forward. That leaves representatives like Stec proposing smaller-scale constituent legislation to fix the small things. Sen. Elizabeth Little has performed much the same function during her time in the Legislature. But Stec made a big splash for himself this past spring by being one of the leading proponents of pension forfeiture for state employees. He admits he didnt go to Albany as an ethics reformer, but after seeing the way things operate, it has been an easy fit for him. With the Legislature facing a budget deadline and ethics reforms seeming dead on all fronts, the pension forfeiture law one that was modified and narrowed in scope from the one Stec proposed was finally passed at the 11th hour. Its actually still not law yet. It has to be passed in the next legislative session again so it can be placed on the ballot for a state referendum to change the state constitution. Its a start. While Stec has the experience and expertise to work the system in Albany, his opponent, Robin Barkenhagen, does not. Barkenhagen, a Glens Falls businessman who is the Green Party representative, has no practical experience in government. While he pledges to bring change to Albany and truly represent the will of the people, that is a tall order in the cutthroat world of state government. While well-intentioned, Barkenhagen is probably in over his head here. He could better serve the people by serving on the local planning board or running for a seat on the Common Council. We share Stecs frustrations with corruption in the Legislature and lack of political will to address reforms, but we also understand Stec is swimming upstream among downstate Democrats. But he does support all the right things. Stec acknowledges that both the Assembly and Senate regularly attempt to be on the right side of issues closing the LLC loophole for campaign donations is one example but they often fail to agree on the same version of a bill, so nothing gets done. So while Stec can say he voted to close the LLC loophole, were not sure what that means when there are different bills in each house. Earlier this year, this editorial board suggested that Sen. Betty Little, Sen. Kathy Marchione, Assemblywoman Carrier Woerner and Stec might want to consider stopping their practice of sending out bulk mailings as a way of leveling the playing field with challengers and saving taxpayers about $250,000 a year. This is not unprecedented. Glenville Assemblyman Jim Tedisco no longer spends money on mailers while the Legislature as a whole spends about $4.5 million each year. But when we broached the idea with Stec during the endorsement meeting, he resisted. He said he believes the overriding value of the mailers as a constituent service is more important than any advantage an incumbent might get from them. Its a point to be considered, especially in a district that is rural and where internet access might be an issue. Still, it would have been encouraging to see him willing to lead by setting an example for his colleague. Despite Stecs misgivings on the mailers, we suspect he would be first in line to vote for change in Albany. Voters should send him back for another term and hope that he gets the chance. The Billings City Council was wise to avoid rushing to a vote last week on One Big Sky Center. To make a sound decision on the request for city investment, council members must understand how tax increment financing districts work. The North 27th TIFD, which the Downtown Billings Partnership proposed to tap for the One Big Sky Center, gets its tax revenues from taxes paid on the increase in value on property in the TIFD since the district was established by the City Council. The more the value or increment grows, the more money the TIFD gets. While the TIFD exists, property taxes paid on the incremental value stay with the district, instead of being divvied up to the city, county, state or schools. The TIFD is on the council agenda because both One Big Sky Center and the Alberta Bair Theater are seeking TIFD financing for part of their projects. One Big Sky Center Lets talk about the mega-project first. One Big Sky Center has asked the city to enter into a pre-development memorandum of understanding. At this stage, the proposal includes having the city finance construction of a new downtown conference center and parking garage estimated to cost $35 million. The private developers of One Big Sky Center propose to build a 150-room hotel, 80 apartments, 35,000 square feet of retail space, 100,000 square feet of office space and a pedestrian mall on two blocks at a cost of about $130 million. The total project proposal is $165 million. The proposal calls for the city to issue $35 million in TIFD bonds. However, that amount is significantly more than what a city consultant has estimated the district could borrow if the proposed $130 million in proposed private development is built. Working from a very rough estimate provided by the Montana Department of Revenue, city consultant Springsted Inc. of St. Paul, Minn., estimated that the bonding limit for the TIFD would be $27 million, according to Bruce McCandless, assistant city administrator. That amount falls short of the request for $35 million in TIF investment. It wouldnt be prudent to bond to the limit. TIF property taxes depend on market value, which can rise or fall with appraisals made every two years. Furthermore, the Montana Legislature can tinker with the taxing formula at every biennial session. ABT remodeling A draft resolution on the council's Oct. 24 agenda said the city intends to issue up to $27 million in bonds for One Big Sky Center. Bonding to the limit on one project also shuts out opportunities for funding other projects. The ABT request for $5 million in financing of a $10.5 million expansion and remodel of the historic theater owned by the city is a case in point. The ABT project was publicly announced more than a year ago and the City Council previously agreed to right of way changes needed to move it forward. Another question for the council to consider is the effect that investing tens of millions of public dollars in a downtown conference center would have on other Billings conference centers. Will the new owners of the Radisson Hotel invest in updating the former Holiday Inn trade and convention center? How would a downtown conference center complement or compete with county-owned facilities at MetraPark? If the consultants estimate is correct or even close the TIF doesnt have the wherewithal to fund the conference and parking project championed by the Downtown Billings Partnership. The private developers originally didnt have that conference center and 650-space garage in their plans. Nov. 14 meeting Absent public participation as a funding source, the development team has indicated it would pursue a smaller scale project, subject to market that would include only portions of the overall project including office, apartments, reduced parking and retail and potentially a hotel, Springsteds report says. The City Council made a good decision last Monday when it delayed action till Nov. 14. Members hadnt received the consultants report in time to review thoroughly it before the Oct. 24 meeting. With time to understand the TIFD limitations, council members undoubtedly see the red flag. The $35 million city investment wont fly. Time to consider what will work. Pope Francis "To Man's Unselfish Friend" RIP Honey Miranda's Beloved Roonie GoD and DoG Praying for all the Animals in Need Other Prayer for Pets Sites Franciscan Prayers for Pets Our Prayer Warriors ...and many who want to remain anonymous Adrienne Aliza BellaKit10 Beth Anne Bonnie Brittany Carol Charmaine Cora Diane Dianne Dognman2 Ed - Georgia Elzette Esther - Hawaii Gabriela Holly Inaki - Philippines Jan - Oregon Jean - Kansas Jeff Junbar CatIs Kit Kozz Kristina Laura Linda D. Lou Ann - PA Maria Martin Mary Monica Patrick Peggy RA Husky Rich W. - UK Ron Sara W. Sarah Sharon Siobhan Steve Sushiboofay Tatiana Taylor - Hawaii Trevor Trish Wendy In Memory of: Ted E Bear Translate Jesus Reason for the Blog Feel Free to Email a Prayer Request Esther's Email Note: You can email me or leave a comment. St. Francis Franciscan Pet Blessing A Franciscan Blessing for Our Animal Friends Prayer for My Pet In Your infinite wisdom, Lord God, when You created the Universe You blessed us with all living creatures. We especially thank You for giving us our pets who are our friends and who bring us so much joy in life. Their presence very often helps us get through trying times. Kindly bless my pet. May my pet continue giving me joy and remind me of Your power. May we realize that as our pets trust us to take care of them, so we should trust You to take care of us, and in taking care of them we share in Your love for all Your creatures. Enlighten our minds to preserve all endangered species so that we may continue to appreciate all Your creatures. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen. St. Anthony Prayer to St. Anthony for a Lost Pet Dear St. Anthony, you are the patron of the poor and the helper of all who seek lost articles. Help me to find the beloved pet I have lost so that I will be able to make better use of the time that I will gain for God's greater honor and glory. Grant your gracious aid to all people who seek what they have lost--- especially those who seek to regain God's grace. Amen. St. Felix of Nola Prayer for a Lost Pet St. Francis and St. Anthony, please come promptly to the aid of this precious pet, and those who love him/her so, and enable him/her to find his/her way back home, having suffered no ill effects from her separation from her family. Thank you sweet Jesus for your mercy on this family and their dearly loved pet, and for restoring him/her to them. It is in your name we pray, Amen. Prayers for Animals and their Masters Hear our humble prayer, O God, for our friends, the animals, especially for animals who are suffering: for animals that are over-worked, under-fed and cruelly treated; for all wistful creatures in captivity that beat their wings against bars; for any that are hunted or lost or deserted or frightened or hungry; for all that must be put to death. We entreat for them all your mercy and pity, and for those who deal with them we ask a heart of compassion and gentle hands and kindly words. Make us, ourselves, to be true friends to animals and so to share the blessings of the Merciful. Albert Schweitzer (1875- 1965) Theologian and Humanitarian Recommended by Veterinarians Stories of Bl. Seelos' Healing Pets Click here Prayer for Healing: Intercession of Bl. Francis X. Seelos C.S.s.R. Divine Physician, You infused Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos with the gift of Your healing. By the help of his prayers, sustain in me the grace to know Your will and the strength to overcome my [pet's] afflictions. For love of You, make [him/her] whole. May I learn from the example of Father Seelos and gain comfort from his patient endurance. Amen. Prayer Source *I have taken the liberty of changing the prayer to suit our prayers for our sick pets. Novena for a Healing of a Sick Pet Prayer for Our Animal Friends Prayer for a Sick Pet Heavenly Father, Please help us in our time of need, You have made us stewards of (name of pet). If it is Your will, please restore him (her) to health and strength. I pray too for other animals in need. May they be treated with the care and respect deserving of all Your creation. Blessed are You Lord God, and holy is Your name for ever and ever. Amen. Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation. St. Nicholas of Tolentino Prayer for a Dying Pet Prayer for a Dying Pet "Loving God, our beloved pet and companion, __________, is on his/her final journey. We will miss ________ dearly. We thank you for the gift that he/she has been to us. Give us hope that, in your great kindness, you may restore ___________ in your heavenly Kingdom according to your wisdom, which goes beyond our human understanding." by Friar Jack Wintz, O.F.M Prayer to St. Martin de Porres O humble Saint Martin de Porres, you are the patron of social justice. You spent your whole life in Peru as a laborer and dedicated yourself to unyielding acts of contrition. Our Lord blessed you with spiritual wisdom and a generous heart that you freely shared with your fellow neighbor and all the animals of the earth. You doctored the sick, fed the hungry, and gave safe refuge to the oppressed. Guide me to use my gifts to help others who need someone to stand up for them. Amen. Feast Day: November 3rd St. Martin de Porres St. Anthony the Abbot St. Joseph of Cupertino St. Roch St. Gertrude of Nivelles St. Blaise, Healer of Wild Animals St. Milburga St. Benedict of Nursia St. Dwynwen The Rainbow Bridge There is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth. It is called "The Rainbow Bridge" because of its many colors. Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge, there is a land of meadows, hills and valleys with lush green grass. When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place. There is always food and water and warm Spring weather. Those old and frail animals are young again. Those who have been maimed are made whole again. They play all day with each other. But there is only one thing missing. They are not with their special person who loved them on earth. So, each day, they run and play until the day comes when one suddenly stops playing and looks up. The nose twitches, the ears are up, the eyes are staring, and this one runs from the group. You have been seen. When you and your special friend meet, you take him or her in your arms and embrace. Your face is kissed again and again. You look once more into the eyes of your trusting pet. Then, you cross the Rainbow Bridge together, never again to be separated. Unknown Author Prayer for a Dead Pet Eternal Father, we bring you our grief in the loss of [name of pet] and ask for courage to bear it. We bring you our thanks for [name of pet] who lived among us and gave us freely of his/her love. We commit our friend and companion [name of pet] into your loving hands. Give us eyes to see how your love embraces all creatures and every living thing speaks to us of your love. Amen. In Memory of: Ted E. Bear the Dog 3/26/13 Considering a Pet? Visitors to this Blog: Feedjit Live Blog Stats NEWSALERT 2 Compliance of IT rules, laws not "pick and choose" or "cherry-picking" option for platforms: IT Minister to PTI.Compliance of IT rules, laws not "pick and choose" or "cherry-picking" option for platforms: IT Minister to Besides rocarol, rap and their various derivatives, a host of genres have at one time or another been the preferred means of expressing the hopes, dreams, desires and haunted existential ennui of popular culture. Be it American or European, the term popular music once included opera as one of its main manifestations. On Sunday, Oct. 30, gently and profoundly glide on over to the National Hispanic Cultural Center's Albuquerque Journal Theatre (1701 Fourth Street SW) for a matinee performance of the opera Tancredi, a heroic opera in two acts, written at the beginning of the 19th century by composer Gioachino Rossini and librettist Gaetano Rossi. Once one of the world's most beloved and popular operatic productions, the lyricism and dynamic drama of Tancredi faded from view as the 19th century world of arts and music moved from romantic representation toward impressionism and, ultimately, modernism. Tancredi was revived and re-popularized in the middle of the 20th century and the opera's story of familial conflict, war, death and betrayal began to resonate with popular audiences again. The Opera Southwest production of this timeless classic features mezzo-soprano Heather Johnson singing the lead role, soprano Lindsay Ohse in the role of the doomed Amenaide and lyric tenor Heath Huburg breathing life and a majestic voice into the role of Argirio. Conducted by Anthony Barrese and designed by Dahl Delu, the local production of Tancredi promises beautiful music, intense interplay among the players and a vasty vision of a form of popular music that both predates yet predicts the path of rocanrol through its stunning use of harmony and arpeggiated orchestral intensity. Tickets range in price from $15-$85 and the curtain rises on the mythical land of Syracuse at 2pm. Name-calling, personal insults, demonizing ones opponent, mud slinging of the lowest order. Can our national politics get any coarser this campaign season? We are now in the final lap of the 58th presidential election in American history and many political pundits. Undoubtedly, many American voters feel this is easily the most mean-spirited presidential campaign in our storied history, an election so dirty it may require we all take a collective national shower on Nov. 9. But as American historians we have to smile slightly and shake our heads. Presidential campaigns have often been messy, tawdry affairs. Take for instance the 1800 campaign, the first openly contested presidential election in American history. Thomas Jefferson (through surrogates, campaigning was considered too unseemly for gentlemen) accused his opponent John Adams of being a tyrant, a criminal, and of hermaphroditical character. Adams slung back: Jefferson was an atheist, a coward, and a weakling. The former first lady, Martha Washington, even chimed in: Jefferson was one of the most detestable of mankind. She might have even used the term deplorable. Jefferson won nonetheless. Two years later rumors surfaced of his long-standing relationship with his slave, and deceased wifes half-sister, Sally Hemings, Dusky Sally, as a newspaper characterized her, an African Venus who lived with him at Monticello. The rumors proved true. A czar's hooker In 1828 Adamss son, John Quincy, got deep into the gutter with Andrew Jackson. Pro-Adams newspapers reported that Jacksons mother was a common prostitute and for good measure labeled Jacksons wife, Rachel, a slut, a whore (she had married Jackson before an earlier marriages divorce had been finalized), and fat. Still seething from his bitter 1824 defeat to Adams, Old Hickory, not to be outdone and never one to shy from a fight (hed engaged in at least five duels and probably more in his life) called Adams a pimp for allegedly procuring a hooker for the czar of Russia when Adams was the ambassador there. Jackson crushed Adams in the election and then proceeded to can all of his political appointees and install his own. The subsequent creation of this spoils system, his opponents claimed, was one part revenge and one part President Jacksons sexual addiction to the young, beguiling, and politically persuasive Peggy Eaton, wife of one of his cabinet members. The year 1860 was so divisive that after the election of Abraham Lincoln (with less than 40 percent of the vote), southern states began seceding, not wishing to suffer under the rule of a Black Republican. The issue at stake: whether or not slavery was to be extended into the American West. The result: four years of bloody civil war, more than 700,000 dead Americans and the end of that sordid institution. Lincoln lambasted During the 1860 campaign, race-based political cartoons mercilessly lambasted Lincolns homely and roughhewn appearance, occasionally depicting him as a monkey or an ape, clearly racially-tinged insults in an age of super-charged racial politics. One newspaper characterized him as a horrid-looking wretch, sooty and scoundrelly in aspect, a cross between the nutmeg dealer, the horse-swapper and the nightman." The sooty nutmeg dealer nonetheless became the nations greatest president. In 1884, a quarter of a century later, Democratic candidate Grover Cleveland couldnt shake rumors of an out-of-wedlock child. His opponents supporters coined the catchy jingle: Ma Ma, Wheres My Pa, Gone to the White House, Ha Ha Ha. It may not rank with (or sink to) the cries of Lock Her Up! but the message was clear. Despite it all, Cleveland won. LBJ's nuclear ad Campaigns were slicker but no less smarmy in the 20th century. While race-baiting or sexual peccadilloes werent primarily the weapons of choice in 1964, demonizing ones opponent and scaring the bejesus out of Americans were. For those alive then they may vaguely remember Lyndon Johnsons infamous daisy ad (run only once but now forever memorialized on YouTube), with a child pulling flower petals while an ominous voice counts down to a nuclear blast. Johnsons pronouncement at the conclusion: We must either love each other or we must die. The ham-fisted subtext: If you elect Barry Goldwater, hell start a nuclear holocaust. Scare tactics worked. Johnson won in an historic landslide. These examples (and there are many similar) demonstrate that American presidential politics have frequently lacked the decorum that is so lamentably missing in the current election cycle. Although we all might hope for a more elevated form of partisan discourse, candidates hammering at each other based upon the deeply personal issues of gender, sex, sexuality, and race or resorting to demagoguery and playing upon our base fears, unfortunately is not the exception, but the norm. Nonetheless, while the 2016 campaign might make for a great history lesson some day, Nov. 9 just cant come soon enough. In a letter address to the Chief of Staff, the Secretary-General of TUC, Dr Yaw Baah, slammed the planned Bidders Conference by MiDA scheduled for Monday, October 31, 2016. The TUC considers this act on the part of MiDA as a betrayal of trust and demonstration of bad faith. This is because the Technical Committee which you set up to deal with the issues raised by Public Utility Workers Union (PUWU) of the TUC has not concluded its work, Dr Baah said. The letter reminded the Chief of Staff that it was agreed that the Bidders Conference would be postponed until there was a response from the Chief of Staffs office on the policy issues raised at a Technical Committee held at the Flagstaff House on September 20, 2016. The TUC said it was regrettable that officials of MiDA were pressing ahead to privatise ECG when the Chief of Staff is yet to address their concerns. This action by MiDA undermines the process and the spirit of consultation. The letter urged the Chief of Staff to stop the Bidders Conference so as to consider other options proposed by the TUC. Mr Prosper Douglas Bani, Minister of the Interior, who made the call said Ghanas firefighters are one of the best trained and best-equipped on the African continent. He said, it is the hope of the Government to make the Service the best on the continent and as such, Government is going to help put up the new Fire Academy and training School at Duayaw Nkwanta in the Brong-Ahafo Region, which is intended to train Firemen in the country and others from our sister ECOWAS countries. We have followed and monitored the various initiatives, innovations and creativity ventures which the service has embarked upon in the recent past. It is therefore not surprising that the public has come to admire and appreciate the improved professionalism exhibited by the GNFS, he added. The 106 graduands, consisting 31 females and 75 males, were the last batch of personnel who have spent between 12 and 14 years on their respective ranks, thus, the graduation paves way for them to join the Officer Corps of the Service. It also paves way for other Officers who have acquired Tertiary Certificates to also go through the cadet programme in the year ahead. Mr Bani also commended them for the laudable Home Fire Safety Certification Project embarked upon by the Command of the Service, which is aimed at reducing home fires in the country. He said the project which is being undertaken under a Public private Partnership Agreement, would go a long way to ensure that families do not lose their lives and property to fires. He, therefore, pledged the Ministrys support to the Service to develop its human resource and equipment by providing personnel, training, necessary equipment and other logistical support to make the Service more effective in delivering fire and rescue services in Ghana. The Government will continue to enhance the logistical base of the Service to enhance its operational preparedness. In this direction, Government has granted approval to the Service to recruit personnel to augment its manpower strength, he added. The minister noted that globalization has led to the world developing fast technologically and implored the GNFS to take advantage and design training programmes which take cognizance of modern trends in fire prevention and management. Awards were presented to four deserving graduands. The Overall best award went to Cadet Officer Ebenezer Kwesi Andrews, Reverend Emma Esi Riverson, received the Commandant Award, Officer Cadet Charlotte Annor received Foot drill Award, and Officer Cadet Theophilus Nii Okaija Ayibontey received the Academics Award. COLSTRIP In mid-September, Republican candidate for governor Greg Gianforte tweeted: I've been to Colstrip 5 times this year. I stand with Colstrip United. The Bozeman technology entrepreneur sent the tweet a month after visiting the town, which is home to the second-largest coal-fired power plant west of the Mississippi and a 25,000-acre mine that exists solely to fuel the plant. That trip was to attend the Energy Open, an event highlighting the economic role the plant and mine play in the region. Theres a tweet from that day too, with a photo of a smiling Gianforte, the founders of Colstrip United, the towns mayor and the head of the local economic development agency. Through trips and social media, Gianforte has worked to endear himself to this small town of 2,200 in the southeastern corner of the state. Hes also hammered incumbent Democrat Gov. Steve Bullock, saying hes been absent and drawing a line for voters from Bullock to president Barack Obama and his partys nominee for president, Hillary Clinton, both unpopular in coal country. It's been an effective strategy, said Don Nolte, whos lived in Colstrip for 11 years and works at the mine. The Obama administration and Hillary Clinton have basically said were going to kill coal. It seems like thus far our governor hasnt really helped us out so far," he said. Half of the plant is slated to shut down by 2022 after a lawsuit over emissions from its older two units. The remaining operation will face challenges created by out-of-state owners in Oregon and Washington, where lawmakers are requiring utilities to ditch electricity from coal, as well as proposed federal rules demanding Montana reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by more than 40 percent, and by market forces including low natural gas prices. About 80 percent of Colstrips residents depend on jobs at either the plant or the mine. A 2010 report by the University of Montanas Bureau of Business and Economic Research said that the plant's existence accounts for 3,740 more jobs in the state and $360 million in personal income. Often overlooked With numbers like that, juxtaposed with the emotional narrative of layoffs, its easy to see why the future of Colstrip has become an issue voters hear about almost weekly in this years gubernatorial election and something many locals relish since they feel their community and region are often overlooked. In 2012 Bullock lost Rosebud County by just 14 votes, out of 3,520 cast. Its a pro-union town in a county with a significant American Indian population traditionally a reliable Democratic voting bloc. His campaign, which has a Colstrip ad of its own, says the Republican challenger doesn't have a specific plan to help the town face economic challenges posed by a shift in how the country gets its electricity, spurred in part by lower natural gas prices. For those who are worried about being left behind, its a really powerful symbol of what could happen to natural resource jobs, said University of Montana political researcher and journalism professor Lee Banville. Theyve literally turned it into a poster child of what happens to natural resource jobs. The issues in play in Colstrip are much more complicated than what campaigns can boil down into a 30-second ad, Banville added. Plus factors such as legislation from other states and low natural gas prices dont lend easily to campaign fodder. Colstrip is sort of a really perfect symbol of this question of this accusation that Bullock hasnt done enough to protect Montana jobs. But when you look at it, it really is much more complicated. Its global economic shifts, commodities markets moving, natural gas prices dropping. Its not anything one politician can control. Gianforte has produced two TV commercials saying Bullock hasn't stood up to the federal government. Hes also slammed the incumbent over donations from people associated with Montana Environmental Information Center and the Sierra Club, the groups that filed the lawsuit that resulted in planned the closures of Units 1 and 2, and Montana Conservation Voters. The donations total $7,380 over two years and make up .16 percent of what Bullock has raised in both of his gubernatorial runs. Bullock campaign spokesman Jason Pitt said Gianforte hasn't offered a specific plan. He added that Bullocks office has a regular presence in town and accused Gianforte of misleading Montanans about Bullocks work on coal. Greg Gianforte's attacks ring pretty hollow when he is playing politics with Montana's energy future. For Gianforte to flat-out ignore the reality surrounding market downturns for coal and oppose investment in renewable energy is dangerous and makes him unfit to lead our state, Pitt said. 'A political tool' Still, the challenger's message has resonated for many in this town. Weve only ever seen Bullock here once, said Autumn Stewart, the children's librarian at the Bicentennial Library. And when he was here it wasnt a great experience. He was very passive again, even in Colstrip. Stewarts husband, Evan, is the IT guy at the power plant. He said he feels like Bullock only started to show interest in Colstrip this spring after the plants owner, Talen Energy, told the plant's other owners it wanted out by 2018. "I see Gov. Bullock using us as a political tool during the election year. Weve seen him getting involved really when it was too late, when the gears were already moving against Colstrip. Before that I never saw that he had any interest in Colstrip and Eastern Montana. On Friday U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, and a former employee of Gianforte, sent a letter to Talen asking if they planned to close units 1 and 2 sometime in 2017. Daines said he had heard the company has decided to do so but is delaying an announcement. Talen on Friday told the Billings Gazette no decision had been made on a shutdown date. In June Bullock released a 26-page energy plan that includes action items such as pursuing ways to make coal-fired power plants emit less pollution and finding ways to get money from the federal government to pay for those projects. It also highlights things hes already done, including hosting Chinese officials to talk about Montana coal and two groups he formed to work on the future of the plant. Banville said Bullocks timing has hurt his campaign. It does allow Gianforte to point out that Bullock is being reactionary. He could have on Day 1 of his governorship been doing things about Colstrip because it was in trouble then. Even if Bullock had acted earlier, Banville said, theres not much of a chance the town would be in a different situation now, but it would have helped his image. Gianforte's really been able to hammer him and hes only been moderately effective in trying to play defense, and hes always playing defense." But not everyone in town agrees Bullock has been ineffective. Every step along the way Bullock has fought for us, said Wyatt Burns, who works in Colstrip and lives in Billings. He questioned what Gianforte thinks he can do. Gianforte said he would fight against the EPA's Clean Power Plan and try to find in-state owners for the plant. "We need to get more of that oversight back in Montana," he said. Burns questioned if any of that is possible. I dont know if Gianforte thinks he can pull some kind of dictator move. Its kind of beyond the control of what a governor can do. I realize Gianfortes concerns, but it seems hes making it a polarizing issue. 'No stone unturned' Autumn Stewart doesn't think Gianforte is Colstrip's savior, but she supports him because of what she believes he can do for the remaining natural resource jobs in the state. Im not sure that he can save Colstrip. Im not sure Colstrip is savable. Im not putting all my hope into him for the future of the town, but for the rest of Montana and the future of Montana how we go forward, I would like to see somebody that is interested in bringing jobs back into Montana rather than exporting them or giving away all of our cards. Evan Stewart said he hopes that changes this election. Voting Democratic seems to be saying I dont want my job to continue, Stewart said. Even if Bullock wants Colstrip to continue he has to fight his own partys leadership at the federal level. But not everyone agrees. Its definitely a safe bet to say Ill be voting for Bullock, Burns said. Rex Rogers, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1638 in Colstrip and member of Bullock's Clean Power Plan Advisory Council, which has suspended its work while the plan works its way through legal challenges, thinks the governor has done everything he can. "I'll challenge anybody that can say we should be doing more," Rogers said. "We are leaving no stone unturned." Rogers disputed Gianforte's characterization that Bullock has abandoned Colstrip. "He's a co-sponsor of this event," he said. "He's in constant contact with us." "Whoever becomes governor we will have to do the best we can with," Rogers said. The NPP on Wednesday October 26, 2016, alleged that "the Mahama Cabinet has recently given approval to a proposal [the mortgage of Ghana's gas] which they hope will entice the China Development Bank to reactivate the remaining $2 billion of the $3 billion Chinese loan. The party also warned that the country may be plunged into another power crisis if the NDC is retained in the upcoming election. But the Petroleum Ministry in a statement signed by its Head of Communications, Edward Bawa, said there was no basis for the party's assertion. There is no basis for the assertion that Ghanas gas would be exported for $2 billion. All of Ghanas gas are being used and would continue to be used in Ghana for power generation. We should not confuse the use of proceeds or revenues from the sale of gas or its derivatives to support financing arrangements with the actual sale of lean natural gas and liquids. It is ridiculous to say that Ghanas gas would be sold to China, it said. No natural gas would be sold to Chinese to facilitate the financing. Any excess lean gas which is not sold to power plants in Ghana would be dedicated to petrochemical industry development including fertilizer production to support Agriculture in Ghana. Any excess LPG or other natural gas liquids not used in Ghana can also be exported either to our neighbours or to any potential buyer, the statement explained. The statement follows an admission of the NPP's claims by the Finance Minister, Seth Terkper who also doubles as the Power Minister. He, however, downplayed the interpretation of the NPP's claims in an interview with Citi FM Thursday. According to him, it was only the gas going to the Atuabo plant only under the GNPC that is under consideration with the Chinese and not the whole Ghana's gas. The premise for the CDB facility, which is in tune with our self-financing loan strategy is that proceeds from any commercial project must be used to pay for any loans that are used to finance the project, he told Citi FM. The payment was to be from revenue flows from crude oil which is sold on the international market at bench mark prices but crude oil prices fell and that source of financing the loan became inadequate, Mr. Terkper said. The National President of the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (CJPC), Matthew Eghan, said the observers would be deployed in all ten regions in a bid to ensure a free, fair and transparent election on December 7. READ MORE: CODEO welcomes Supreme Court ruling on collation sheet The observers, he adds, would be selected from all the 20 dioceses of the Church in Ghana. He made this known in Kumasi during a three-day civic education and election observation training workshop organised by the Justice and Peace Commission of the National Catholic Secretariat in collaboration with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has also announced that it will deploy 7000 personnel to observe the 2016 election. READ MORE: Ayikoi Otoo suggests EC boss is inexperienced The chief who was speaking at a rally in Elmina in the Central Region said that the people of Elmina had in the past years voted massively for other presidential candidates. Dr Nduom received a rousing welcome in his hometown on Saturday when he went there to campaign. This follows the suit he won against the Electoral Commission over his disqualification as a presidential candidate. Addressing the crowd, Dr Nduom explained to them that they have tried both the NDC and NPP before and there was little or no development. Ivor Greenstreet said the two major political parties have subjected Ghanaians to a barrage of lies, claiming they have broken all their electoral promises. Greenstreet made the statement when he launched the party's manifesto on Saturday at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Science in Accra. He said: NPP and NDC merely continue to offer us what they have been offering us for 24 years and that is their greatest specialty lies upon lies. "And there is a special word to describe continuous lies because continuous lies are no longer called lies and that special word is mendacity, and the NPP and the NDC are mendacious and they continue to break all their promises and torture us with all their lies and enslave us and they have enslaved us because we continue to be subjected to all their lies. Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! The people saying that the Volta Region is their World Bank should stand aside, everyone in Ghana is looking for change. One thing that all Ghanaians know is that John Mahama cannot do the job, hes struggling. They will say a lot of things against me but I am not bothered, he added. He is in the Greater Accra region to attend to a number of constituency campaign launch, including the regional campaign launch in Tema. Prior to that, he embarked on a five-day tour of the Volta Region where made a major promise to create the Oti Region from the Volta Region and also ensure the completion of the Eastern corridor roads. The NPP leader also criticised president Mahama's 'Green Book,' saying the book "shows roads that they say they have constructed but those roads are in a very bad shape." He urged voters to trust him, adding that he will not promise what he cannot do. I wont promise anything that I know I cant deliver, I wont lie to Ghanaians. When you vote for me, I will do all the things I have promised. Akufo-Addo also campaigned in the Okaikoi South and Ablekuma Central constituencies. In addition, he paid a courtesy call on the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr. Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, to seek the blessings of Allah for the NPP, ahead of the December 7 elections. The two front runners in the Weija-Gbawe constituency parliamentary election in the December vote have waged bitter campaigns in the last few weeks drawing attention to the constituency. Last week, Tina Mensah backed out of a debate with Obuobia saying it was "cooked" to make Obuobia look good. The Weija-Gbawe constituency is one of the strongholds of the NPP in the Greater Accra Region. However, political watchers saying Obuobia could cause an upset. Tension went high in the constituency this week when the Ga South Municipal Hospital (Akawe) rejected an ambulance donation from the outgoing NPP member of parliament. ALSO READ: 3 human skulls found in shrines as JTF arrest militant leaders JTF made the disclosure on Thursday, October 27, saying that 23 decomposing human skulls and skeletons had been uncovered during a raid on militant camps belonging to the Bakassi Strike Force, Sunday Punch reports. According to the reports, the militant camps were reportedly located in Ikot-Ene-Idem, Abakpa and Ikang-Inam communities in Akpabuyo and Bakassi LGAs. However, speaking with Sunday Punch correspondents on Saturday, October 29, some villages have claimed that the the skulls were in fact, discovered in shrines operated by ritualists. A resident of Nsidung, who identified himself as Samuel Ekpenyong, told Sunday Punch that the soldiers found the skulls in the shrine of a well-known herbalist identified as Effiom Okon Ita. It was in Effiom Okon Ita shrine that the Operation Delta Safe discovered 23 skulls. He is a herbalist in Bakassi known for producing charms and other spiritual materials for people in the area. The man has no links with militants. He has been a practising herbalist for several years. The man is known for herbal practice and many people from within and outside Cross River State patronise him on a regular basis, he said. According to another villager, Anthony Nse, Ita, popularly called Eteobong Ayabom, usually performed traditional rites during big functions in the area. Nse said, The soldiers are looking for cheap popularity and that was why they linked the shrine with militants. ALSO READ: 2 nabbed with human heads stuffed inside bread However, another villager from Ikot-Nakanda, Robinson Akpan, said that the herbalist used the human skulls to prepare charms for militants. ALSO READ: 3 men caught with human head in Niger The state Commissioner of Police, Samuel Adegbuyi, has revealed that the arrest was made after members of the public tipped off the police that the suspects were dealing in human parts, Sunday Punch reports. According to the reports, one of the skulls had what looked like a deep cut from a machete at its temple, leaving the police to conclude that the victim was gruesomely murdered. Sunday Punch reports that the suspects identified as Ramoni Akeem, 41, Azeez Ojelade, 36, and Salimon Salami, 40, were arrested by the police at their hide out in Ogbomosho. One of the suspects, Akeem, in his confession, said that he procured the the skulls for N10,000 and that Salami was the vendor. Akeem said, I am a herbalist and I heal people with herbs. I have never used body parts for rituals. One day, a friend came to me and said his friend discovered two corpses on a land where he had wanted to cut trees. He asked if I knew what body parts could be used for. I told him that I did not know anything about charms prepared with body parts. One of our friends, Saheed Ifa, who is a senior herbalist, heard about it and said he could make use of the skulls to prepare charms. When the skulls were produced, the man who brought them demanded for N10, 000. I paid him in four instalments. But that is all I know about the skulls. Ifa has travelled to Lagos. I dont know where he lives in Lagos. ALSO READ: Cemetery worker arrested with 2 human skulls in Ogun Meanwhile Salami denied any wrong doing, claiming to have discovered the corpses but had no hand in their death. I was asked to cut some trees on a large piece of land but when I got there, I discovered two corpses and I told a friend that I was afraid to work on the land because someone killed two people there. He said I should continue with my work while he looked for what to do with the corpses. When he got a buyer, he contacted me and I went back to the bush and dismembered the heads from the bodies, he said. ALSO READ: Barber kills new born baby while beating wife The suspect identified as Thomas Matthew, a resident of Mountain village opposite Dantata Camp, Asokoro, Abuja, reportedly claims that his late father initiated him into an occult group, Daily Post reports. In his confession, Matthew adds that his late father appeared to him and ordered him to sacrifice his children to him. Daily Post reports that the suspect killed their 2-month-old son last year by strangling him to death and then strangled their four-month-old daughter, Mary, to death on October 7, 2016. According to the CP, the wife of the suspect identified simply as Bola, reported the case to the police on Friday, October 7 when the shocking incident took place for the second time. Mustafa confirmed the incident in a statement over the weekend, saying that Matthew beat up his wife who is deaf and dumb and threw her out of their home. Bola reportedly explained to the police that Matthew had tried to kill their 9-year-old son in the past but she caught him in the act and sent her son away to live with her mother. With the help of a sign language expert, Bola said, I didnt know that my husband is a cultist. I remember when he first tried to kill our first son, I reported the matter at the Garki Police Station. It was my mother who took the boy away from the house and he is still staying with her in Mararaba, Nasarawa State. Then I had another son last year. When he was two months old, he became sick. My husband killed him in September 2015. I didnt know until he confessed. This year I had our daughter. In the night of October 7, 2016, we were together in the house when suddenly he started beating me. I got injured and ran away to his elder sisters house. Before I came back with his sister, he had strangled our baby to death. He locked the door and ran away. It was policemen from Asokoro Police Station, where I reported the case that broke the door and found the baby. We rushed the baby to Asokoro General Hospital. The doctor said the baby was dead. Now I have only one son left, Josiah. It was only God who saved me from the power of darkness, Bola lamented. During his interrogation, Matthew said, I got married to my wife, Bola, and we were blessed with three kids. My father is a cultist and he initiated me into the occult. My father asked me to and mark of honour to him, promising he would make me become rich. It was a covenant that nobody knew, even my wife. My father gave me conditions that if anybody got to know or I revealed the covenant, that the covenant would be destroyed. From the time I had my first child, my father began disturbing me to offer my child to him as a sacrifice. I tried to kill my first child by strangling, but my wife caught me and reported to the police and her mother came to take the child away from the house. He has been staying with her in Mararaba. Later my father appeared to me after I had my second son, John, who became sick. I strangled him to death in 2015. On October 7, 2016, my father appeared to me again that I should kill my only daughter. I was with my wife and then I started beating her and she ran away to my elder sisters house and I locked the door and and she died. I locked the entrance of the house and ran away. It was the youth in my area that arrested me and handed me over to the police. I wanted to kill my younger brother according to my fathers instruction." The suspect who hails from Kwande Local Government Area of Benue state said that his father is still alive and in the village. HAMILTON In Montana, reactions to Thursdays acquittal of seven defendants involved in the armed takeover of a federally owned wildlife refuge in Oregon were a mixture of glee and disgust. The antigovernment protesters led by Ammon and Ryan Bundy were found not guilty by a jury in federal court in Portland of conspiracy and weapons charges that sprang from a six-week occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters. Rep. Theresa Manzella, R-Darby, responded to the news with a Facebook post that read: BEST NEWS IN A LONG TIME!!! Doin a happy dance! Didnt expect the verdict today!!! Hurray! Retired Bitterroot National Forest ranger Dave Campbell said he believes the decision could put anyone working for the federal government at more risk from people who believe that they have more rights than they really do have. In a statement sent to the Oregonian Friday, an anonymous juror acknowledged the jury understood the decision could inspire similar actions in the future, but called the rulings a statement that prosecutors had failed to prove the conspiracy charge against the defendants. It should be known that all 12 jurors felt that this verdict was a statement regarding the various failures of the prosecution to prove conspiracy in the count itself and not any form of affirmation of the defenses various beliefs, actions or aspirations, the juror said in a lengthy email to the Oregonian. The juror also said he was baffled by the flippant sentiments of people following the decision, the Oregonian reported. Dont they know that not guilty does not mean innocent, he wrote. It was not lost on us that our verdict(s) might inspire future actions that are regrettable, but that sort of thinking was not permitted when considering the charges before us. In an interview, Manzella said Friday that she felt the decision was a victory for the citizens of America and, in particular, rural America. The decision affirmed the rights of citizens to judge a case based on its merits, she said. If they deem that a law or a situation is unjust, they can nullify the law through a verdict, she said. I believe it represents a glimmer of hope. There are a lot of people extremely concerned with federal overreach. I think this will become a wind beneath the wings of people who have felt somewhat helpless, Manzella said. I think it will be very empowering. It indicates that American citizens are waking up and we dont want to be kept under the thumb of the federal government. Manzella said she supported the original protest. From everything I could see, they were true to their word, she said. They were there in support of freedom, not force. They did everything they could to make it a peaceful protestevidently, the jury agreed with that according to their decision. Sen. Jennifer Fielder, R-Trout Creek, is an outspoken critic of federal control of public lands. She now works for the American Land Council that seeks the transfer of federal lands back to the states. Fielder said she was disappointed the issue got as far as it did, especially considering that one of the protesters was shot and killed. I would have preferred a more peaceful settlement early on, Fielder said. I was hoping that presidential leadership would have seen the light and understood the injustice these people were trying to show. Fielder was pleased to see the acquittals. This case certainly didnt seem to warrant prison, she said. It was a peaceful protest from citizens requesting a redress of grievances. She hopes the decision wont embolden others to try similar protests. I think there are a lot of lessons that can be learned from both sides to avoid this kind of conflict, Fielder said. There are problems with federal land management that are impacting peoples lives in a profound wayIf the government doesnt resolve them, people will. Thats just the way things will happen. Backcountry Hunters and Anglers President and CEO Land Tawney said the jurys decision flies in the face of the basic principle that Americas national refuges and other public lands belong to all Americans. We, the rightful owners of these lands can and should debate their management, Tawney said. But threatening public servants, hijacking public lands and damaging our shared natural resources serve no beneficial purpose and have no place in a democracy like ours. Longtime Bitterroot sportsman Tony Jones hopes the protesters will be held accountable for the damage they did to the headquarters site. How anyone who uses public lands could celebrate their acquittal after all the damage they did to lands that we all own is beyond me, Jones said. Its just going to get uglier and uglier. With the political climate in our country right now, we sure dont need that. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said she was profoundly disappointed in the verdict. Jewell had visited the refuge after the occupation and was disheartened by the damage to the facility. In a message Friday to all Interior Department employees, Jewell said she was concerned about the verdicts potential effect on workers and on management of public lands. She urged employees to watch out for each other, stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity to supervisors or law enforcement. During his career as a forest ranger, Campbell said he was often reminded that he was working for all the citizens of the country, not just those hammering on his countertop or those who reside in the district. When those folks took over the refuge, they took away every American citizens right to enjoy those public lands, Campbell said. Certainly, throughout the federal agencies, this decision must have been met with a huge amount of disgust. It would seem like the decision declares open season on any federal employee or facility that someone might have a disagreement with. Campbell said its the vast majority of ranchers who work within the law, pay their fees on time and are good citizens who should be most frustrated. Here you have these guys who have avoided paying grazing fees for over a decade and owe the American taxpayer millions of dollars, Campbell said. You would think that law-abiding ranchers would be the most upset over these scofflaws. Its a stain on them that damages their reputation. Its a terrible decision, he said. Quite frankly, I hope that it can be appealed and overturned. The Associated Press contributed to this article. ALSO READ: Video of beauty queen engaged in lesbian sex leaks online The request was made following the release of a leaked lesbian sex video involving Okeke and a close friend of hers and personal assistant identified simply as Ada. The petition dated October 29 and addressed to the Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), alleged that the organisers of the pageant were sexually exploiting the young girls who took part in the competition, Sunday Punch reports. President of the group, Mr. Olu Omotayo, who signed the petition, enjoined NAPTIP to prosecute those behind the alleged sexual exploitation as well as ban the contest. In the petition which was made available to Sunday Punch correspondent in Enugu, Omotayo expressed regret that the pageant established by a government agency, Anambra State Broadcasting Service, was being used for sexual exploitation and trafficking. In part, the petition read: Recent happenings which led to the online circulation of nude pictures and video of the said Miss Anambra pageant queen 2015, Miss Chidinma Okeke, have shown that the organisers of the pageant are using the avenue to sexually exploit young innocent girls in the South-East. The purpose for which the state government through one of its parastatals, the Anambra State Broadcasting Service, established the pageant competition has been defeated because it can no longer be said that the pageant is promoting morality, culture of the people or empowering the female youths of the zone. We submit that it is part of the functions of your agency to investigate all cases of trafficking in persons, including forced labour, child labour, forced prostitution, exploitative labour, and other forms of exploitations." The group also noted that banning the beauty contest would prevent any repetition of such cases. Since the release of the video clips, Miss Okeke, has issued a statement claiming that she was being blackmailed with the aim of tarnishing her image but her argument seems to hold little water. He alleged the 100 trucks were diverted by the same contractor who also cornered 31 trucks of grains meant for IDPs since April. The senate leader said the 100 trucks of grains were out of 600 trucks approved by Jonathan, while the 31 missing trucks were out of the 300 approved by President Muhammadu Buhari in April. Ndume said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had delved into the issue of the grains diverted in April. The contractor was reported to the EFCC for action and nine more trucks were recovered, the EFCC also promised to recover all the remaining trucks, Ndume said. I am passionate about the issue of the missing 31 trucks of grains because I am an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) myself. After been given the trust to transport the grains, somebody went and diverted it, I am assuring you that the EFCC is doing its job on the matter, Ndume said. He added: When we dug up we found it was a cartel, a syndicate or at best a group of thieves doing this to us; there was a great connivance and head will roll. There is a second phase of the case coming up because they also stole our grains during the regime of Present Goodluck Jonathan, am going to follow it up too. Jonathan ordered the release of 600 trucks and they stole more than 100 trucks out of it, he said. Ndume added: They cannot go to sleep while am alive, I will follow it up because it is the same contractor. The APC Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, made the call in a statement in Port Harcourt on Sunday. Finebone said that the APC noted with shock their recent appointment as members of the 10-man Judicial Ethics Committee with a mandate to review the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers in the country. Ndu and Wali, he alleged, were well-known Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sympathisers, foot soldiers, close associates and unarguable ardent supporters of Gov. Nyesom Wike. The APC vehemently rejects their inclusion in a critical committee such as the Judicial Ethics Committee of the NJC charged with an all-important task of reviewing the Code of Conduct for judicial officers. Indeed, their inclusion underscores the unwillingness and unpreparedness of the NJC to buy into the anti-corruption drive of the President Muhammadu Buharis administration. The APC views this action by the NJC as the height of insensitivity and brazen resistance to the efforts by the government to sanitise the Nigerian judiciary, he said. Finebone said that the Chairman of NJC and Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed and the rest of the Council members could not feign ignorance of the overt political leanings of Ndu and Wali. We make bold to state that this obvious display of indiscretion by the CJN and the NJC smacks of inexplicable thoughtlessness, befuddles the mind and sears through good conscience, he alleged. He called on the NJC and its Chairman, Justice Mohammed to drop Ndu and Wali from the NJC 10-man Judicial Ethics Committee without delay. Finebone urged the NJC to do the needful immediately or face a well-mobilised and long-drawn protest by the APC which would include occupying selected locations in Port Harcourt and Abuja. Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and Mahmud Mohammed, had alleged that the minister of transport, Rotimi Amaechi told them that Buhari asked him to speak to them to change their rulings on some election cases. The senior judicial officers are among those arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) recently. Speaking on the issue, Shehu described the President as a principled man, adding that he has never deviated from that. The Presidents media aide also said President Muhammadu Buhari would be the last person to authorize anybody to induce a judge to pervert the course of justice. Despite his familiarity with some judges, the President had never asked them for favours; Since 2003, 2007 and 2011, when he was challenging the fairness of the presidential election results, from the lowest to the highest courts in the land. As a politician, Buhari had never suggested to his lawyers to approach any judge for assistance to win his cases. The President lives by this principle and has never deviated from it. Shehu, who told journalists that Buhari will not dabble into the issues of the judiciary, said the law will protect those who are innocent. Adding that the President doesnt tell courts how to do their jobs and that anybody accused of corruption is protected by law and is able to defend his innocence. The President doesnt have any powers to force any court to convict anybody who is innocent. He also added that the President will be the last person to ask a judge for help to win any of his cases. He said this on Saturday, October 29, 2016, at the annual Merit Awards Dinner of the Nigerian Lawyers Association in the United States of America. Jonathan also said no Nigerian was a prisoner of conscience because of what he or she wrote about his administration. The former President also called on lawyers in Diaspora to protect the sanctity of democratic institutions. GEJ said As you all know, most of my principal aides in government hailed from different ethnic nationalities. My Administration established 12 Universities, out of which 9 were cited in the Northern part of the country and 3 in the South. The same spirit guided our construction of 165 Al-Majiri schools to cater for the disadvantaged children in the North. I am proud to say that while we were conscious of the Federal Character as our constitutional guiding principle, we never placed ethno-religious interest above merit or individual values. Accordingly, diversity could remain a strength only when all interest groups in the society feel safe and secured, in their day to day activities. That is why no matter what any critic said about me, I ensured that there was both freedom of speech and freedom after the speech. Under my watch not a single Nigerian was sent to prison because of anything he or she wrote or said about me or about the Administration that I headed. Nigeria had no political prisoners under my Administration and we certainly did not have any prisoners of conscience because we ourselves ensured that we acted according to our conscience in all we did. You in the diaspora can attest to the fact that Nigeria had no political exile. Not only did I take a stance to allow people express their opinions without let or fear, we also enacted the Freedom of Information Act and by that, we tore the veil of secrecy covering governance. Nigerians deserve to know how their government functions. I am proud to say that we gave them knowledge, and that is a genie you cannot put back to the lamp. We gave institutions unlimited freedom and ensured that the Nigerian Bar Association and other professional unions, fraternities and guilds were completely devoid of any governmental influence. Abubakar, who made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birninkudu, Jigawa, also said the lawmakers plan to abolish States Independent Electoral Commissions. He said that the decision was taken at a recent retreat in Lagos by Speakers of State Houses of Assembly and Members of the House of Representatives. Abubakar explained that the decision was taken to strengthen local government administration, for optimal performance. The Senator said that the National Assembly was working tirelessly to dialogue with State Governors to allow local governments operate independently. Abubakar said it was unfortunate that only 10 out of 36 states in the country had conducted election into local government councils. He said This means that 75 per cent of the local government leadership in the country occupy the offices unconstitutionally and unelected. From my tour to some local governments, the third tier of government has been rendered useless, empty, and nothing meaningful is happening at the grassroots government. He believes that stronger local government administration would impact more positively in local areas, help tackle rural-urban drift and rising security challenges. If our local governments function well, the youths in the areas would leave their houses and go to work and return home without any problem, he said. Abubakar, who is also a member of Constitution Amendment Committee, said SIECs would be abolished to guarantee free, fair, credible and acceptable election at the local level. It will be the responsibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct local government polls. We are doing all these so that political parties can vie for positions freely during local government elections without any fear of intimidation by the ruling party in a state. The Kaduna state police command confirmed the attack, but dismissed reports that seven people died, adding that only four people lost their lives. According to the police Public Relations Officer, Aliyu Usman, officers of the command have commenced investigation into the matter. However, the incident did not go down well with some elders in Kaduna state, who condemned the attacks. The Southern Kaduna Elders Consultative Forum, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Maj.-Gen. Zamani Lekwot (rtd.), called on the government to bring the menace of the herdsmen to an end. He said The Southern Kaduna Elders Consultative Forum notes with sadness the destruction of lives and properties last (Thursday) night at Pasakori, a community in Jemaa Local Government Area. We appeal to the government to do the needful to restore permanent peace and stability in the communities. Coming less than two weeks after the destruction of property and massacre of over 40 lives in Godogodo, this has made it mandatory for us to cry out to the Kaduna State Government and the Federal Government to take decisive action to bring this genocide to an end. Also, the Chairman of the Kanikon Development Association, Mr. Waje Williams alleged that security operatives were not on ground to stop the attackers. Williams said We, the entire Kaninkon people in Kaninkon Chiefdom, Jemaa Local Government Area of Kaduna State, are bereaved. We are under unprovoked and sustained attacks by the people who are not known but who are working closely with the local Fulani people that we have lived with for many years. The motive of the attacks is unknown but we can see that it is a genocidal mission. We are particularly worried because there seems to be a conspiracy of silence and complacency on the part of the security agencies, Kaduna State and Federal Government on the plight of our people. Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State disclosed this during news conference on Saturday in Sokoto. Ganduje said that the state also needed to be prudent to cut all the necessary costs as every political holders are paid half salaries and allowances. We have taken some measures but first of all we have to reduce the cost of governance, we also have to be prudent. Whether you are commissioner, Member of board, Chairman of board, Special Adviser, they will be paid half salaries and allowances, all this is to reduce cost of governance. he said. Usman, who issued the statement in Maiduguri, said: At about 9.00a.m. this morning, troops of Operation Lafiya Dole deployed behind Bakassi IDP camp, Damboa Road, Maiduguri, on security duty, intercepted a suspected male suicide bomber. He had attempted to sneak through the troops inner parapet towards the IDP camp before he was shot dead. He said that the vigilant sentry sighted the bomber and lay in wait until the suicide bomber came close. The sniper instantly shot and killed the terrorist as he tried to force his way to the western flank of the IDP camp fence. Usman said the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) vest strapped on the bomber failed to detonate, adding that a combined team of military and police Explosive Ordinance Device (EOD) have been called to safely detonate the IED." He said that the situation at the camp and the general area was calm. On Saturday two female suicide bombers killed nine persons in Maiduguri. Usman, who confirmed the attacks, said after the first bomber detonated her bomb, the second, in a tricycle, tailed a fuel tanker that was about to discharge fuel at a station. MISSOULA Montana farmers are already drawing up their lists for things they'd like to see in the next congressional farm bill, including proposals that include forest management changes for the state's timber industry. Montana Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester is asking for suggestions for the bill that expires in September 2018 after members of the Montana farming and ranching community expressed concerns because many programs critical to Montana agriculture have been cut in recent years. Among the reductions is access to the Conservation Reserve Program that allows farmers to take agricultural land out of production for ecological reasons without hurting their businesses. Exclusions allow Forest Service planners to avoid extensive analysis of timber projects that involve routine or uncontroversial activity. Projects that have group consensus also get access to special funding or administrative streamlining, the Missoulian reported. People also cited conflicting federal rules that prohibit road reconstruction in large-landscape timber projects. Wilderness advocates were frustrated because there was no panel to discuss recreation or non-commercial use of public land. The DSS had earlier accused some senior judicial officers of corruption and professional misconduct. According to Punch, the anti-graft agency swung into action following a directive by President Muhammadu Buhari. An EFCC source said, The commission has taken over the probe into the allegation of corruption against those judges whose residents were raided by operatives of the DSS. The source also revealed that some Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) were arrested for allegedly paying money into the judges accounts. The EFCC also decried the publicity that followed the arrest of the judges by the DSS, adding that it has made it impossible for them to investigate the matter secretly. The VPs spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement said Answering a question from the Internet on when former President Jonathan would be arrested, Osinbajo pointed out that the Buhari administration was not in the business of arresting people anyhow. He said all the Buhari administration did was to empower the security agencies and the anti-corruption agencies to do their jobs, without the administration trying to teleguide (monitor) them, Adding that Corruption is not an ethnic thing, there is an equal representation in the stealing as no one operates with his or her ethnic group alone, the culprits are in every case seen so far, united by greed to steal and not by ethnic or religious interest. He also alleged that a lot of thing has gone wrong in the APC, because of Oyeguns leadership style. Frank, in an interview with Punch, said for the party to move forward, it has to stop making the mistake that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) made. He said I said that because I want my party to sit up. I want my party to get its act together; there are a lot of things that are wrong with my party as of today, because of the kind of leadership Chief John Odigie-Oyegun is providing. I say this without fear of contradiction; major political re-alignments are going on in this country. I dont want a scenario whereby my party will lose out at the end of the day. I dont want Odigie-Oyegun to run this party aground, he has mismanaged this party; I dont want us to lose our members to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party or any other political party for that matter. I am shouting today because I love this party we all laboured to bring into existence, we cannot be repeating the same mistakes that the former ruling party made, lost members and eventually lost power. The APC spokesman also said the party will not achieve anything good as long as Oyegun remains at the helm of affairs. Frank who described Oyegun as a political liability, said what APC needs is a leader who will add political value to the party. He also slammed Oyegun saying he does not understand the constitution of the APC, adding that he will continue to fight to ensure that the party delivers its promises to Nigerians. Frank said This is the reason why I will continue to fight to ensure that the APC takes Nigeria to the right place but as long as Odigie-Oyegun remains as national chairman, we cannot achieve anything. Now that I am calling for his resignation, some may think it is personal, but it is not. We need a national chairman that will add political value to our party, we need a national chairman that can lead the party to victory during elections and we do not need a national chairman who will clearly be a political liability to this party as we head towards elections. We need a national chairman that will understand and follow due process in carrying out functions within the party. We need a chairman who understands the constitution in words and indeed. As of today, my national chairman does not understand the rules of this party, he does not understand the constitution of this party otherwise he would not try to carry out the kind of impunity he is about to by appointing somebody as spokesman for the party. He knows that appointing anybody into a national office outside the constitution and outside the National Convention is illegal. How can he do that? He should know that this is not the civil service where he was a permanent secretary; no position in the party is permanent. He cannot run this party like the ministries where he was permanent secretary. I will continue to stand my ground, I will not be intimidated. The former media aide of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, was later granted bail on October 28, 2016. Abati is still in the custody of the EFCC because he has not been able to meet the anti-graft agencys bail condition, Premium Times reports. Reports say Ettu Mohammed, on Sunday, October 30, 2016, opened a fund-raising campaign on Gofundme (an online fundraising platform). According to Premium Times, Mohammed said Reuben Abati the spokesman of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan is under lock and key for voluntarily collecting the sum of 50m Naira from Sambo Dasuki. We believe he must have been under the influence of Aso Rock evil spirit. We are begging Nigerians to save Reuben Abati from detention. Two weeks ago, he said there were evil spirits in Aso Rock but he was running around for Goodluck Jonathan to return so that he could continue working on the same place infested by evil spirits," he added. Further investigation on the fund raising platform did not reveal any account related to Reuben Abati or Ettu Mohammed. Bello, who said this in a statement in Lokoja on Sunday, condemned the brutal killing of Jalido, saying that the killers would be apprehended and made to face the law for the dastardly action. He called for calm among Fulani herdsmen in the state, advising against reprisal and extra-judicial reaction from any quarters. The prevailing calm in the wake of the unfortunate crime should be sustained, the governor pleaded in the statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mrs Petra Akinti-Onyegbule. It is important that crime does not go unpunished, in order to send a resounding message to all and sundry that such will not be tolerated in Kogi State, he said. While describing the assassination of Jalido as painful, Bello condoled members of his immediate family and friends to bear his exit with absolute faith in Allah and prayed that God grant him eternal rest. Meanwhile, the association has promised to remain calm and give the government and security agencies time to unmask the killers of Jalido. The state Secretary of the association, Suleiman Abubakar, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that members of the association had decided to give security agencies necessary information that might lead to the arrest of the killers. Average Nigerians can endure other hardships but this kind of action they may not endure, Abubakar told NAN in a telephone interview. The vote of confidence was passed at the end of a three-day retreat of the partys officials and stakeholders to discuss political party management in Sokoto on Sunday. The communique was jointly signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the Communique Drafting Committee, Alhaji Alhassan Doguwa and Alhaji Umar Danlasan. According to reports, The retreat has also agreed to support Buharis resolve to tackle the problems of insecurity, corruption and to revitalise the economy and other policies. Participants appreciated efforts of the government of Kano Government for initiating the retreat as the first of its kind to institutionalise capacity building through effective management of party administration. Participants overwhelmingly passed a vote of confidence on Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje, as the leader of the party and further confidence on the existing leadership under Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas. The communique further stated that the participants had expressed their readiness to privately finance the construction of the proposed APC State Secretariat through the partys Board of Trustees. The communique added that the participants further passed a vote of confidence on the National Working Committee of the party under the leadership of Chief John Oyegun. Politics should not be seen as a means of personal enrichment but an avenue of developing the wellbeing of the people of Kano State. Political party officials should foster horizontal and vertical communication networks among members and partys organisation at various levels. This is in order to ensure effective internal democracy. Political party discipline should be kept at highest and lowest levels of the partys structure. This is also to promote unity and preserve loyalty among its members,it added. The communique further stressed the need for a harmonious relationship with the government in the state to continue to be responsive to popular demands. The participants, according to the communique, should develop mechanisms of safeguarding its integrity, uniqueness, coherence and prudence in its use of resources. Ibrahim also dismissed claims that he is not well-liked by the people of the state. He made the comments during an interview with The Nation. Excerpts below: How would you react to the general assumption that you are not that popular in Ondo State? I do not need Mimikos support. What do I need Mimiko support for? Mimiko is a liability. If Mimiko take you to campaign at the podium, you are going to lose the election. Somebody who has not paid eight months salary, what support would he give me that would translate to reality. What do you mean by I am not popular in the state? In 2003, you were there when I ran for election in the state; Adefarati beat me with about 5,000 votes. That was an incumbent governor. I was 34 years old then and I was able to make that giant effort. What are talking about? That is to tell you that I was almost there. The Ondo State chapter of APC, Abayomi Adesanya, made the allegation in a statement in Akure on Sunday. We have been reliably informed of the intense mobilisation of thugs and militants, running into thousands, by the Executive Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, Adesanya said. He alleged that the governor intended to use the recruits to protest and unleash terror on the good people of the state from Monday, Oct. 31, in Akure, Ondo, Akoko areas and Owo, Ore and Okitipupa. He alleged that Mimiko on Saturday started disbursing money to mobilise militants and hoodlums from Delta and Edo states as well as a faction of Oodua Peoples Congress from Ekiti and Lagos states. He appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the security agencies to beef-up security in and around Ondo State till the governorship election was concluded. Adesanya said that the people of the state were desirous of peace, which should not be disrupted by the few self-seeking individuals for political gains. Reacting to the allegation, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Eni Akinsola, described the allegation as baseless. This is baseless allegation. In the last seven and a half years of Gov. Olusegun Mimikos administration, we have no history of violence. The people of Ondo State are capable of defending themselves and protecting their territory. We have the history of defending our votes and we do not have the history of depending on external forces and this will not be an exception, Akinsola said. NAN recalls the Ondo State has been under tension since the announcement of Mr Ibrahim Jimoh as the PDP candidate for the election. The APC made the appeal on October 28, 2016 following the violence that erupted in Akure over the recognition of Jimoh Ibrahim as the Governorship candidate of the PDP by INEC. The ruling party has appealed to residents of the state to maintain peace and order irrespective of their grievances. In a statement by APC Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Adesanya, the party decried the wanton destruction of government properties in Akure by some supporters of PDP over the INECs decision. We passionately appeal to residents and supporters of PDP to maintain peace and order in the interest of Ondo State. Election should not be a do-or-die syndrome, Adesanya said. Adesanya also condemned the destruction of public properties and the prevention of law-abiding residents from engaging in their lawful businesses by the protesters. From Trail Creek Road, Eriks Ranch looks like many of the western-style mansions in the Paradise Valley. The sprawling main house sits above a terraced lawn and an enclosed walkway stretches to a pool house with exposed log rafters. But theres more to the 7,500-square-foot home than white marble staircases and dining sets upholstered with fawn hides. Eriks Ranch and Retreats is a nonprofit organization providing young adults on the autism spectrum with a place to thrive. The ranch is named for Erik Nordberg, the son of Kathryn Nordberg, who started the organization after finding the existing options for her autistic child inadequate as he entered adulthood. As your child starts to get older you think whats going to happen when Im gone, Kathryn Nordberg said. Every parent of a child with special needs thinks about that. Nordberg said the need for organizations like Eriks Ranch only grows with the prevalence of autism in the United States. When Erik was first diagnosed at 2 years old, only one case was reported for every 5,000 births. Today Erik is 25 years old and the disorder is diagnosed in one of 68 children. Now when I walk into a room full of people and ask if anybody knows what autism is, 90 people raise their hand, Nordberg said. Eriks Ranch and Resorts began in 2014 with a boutique hotel in Medina, Minn., near the Twin Cities. Its resident members are moderate- to high-functioning adults with autism. Yearly fees run just north of $30,000, which includes rent, utilities, two meals a day, transportation and social activities like hiking and biking. Members may also work at the resorts and can earn up to $15,000 to help pay for the program. They are placed in jobs according to their interests and act as concierges, chefs and tour guides and lead activities such as horseback rides. According to Nordberg, both members and guests benefit from interaction at the ranch. People on the autism spectrum often struggle developing social skills and too often are limited to contact with caregivers and family. Meeting new people can be therapeutic. Its also meaningful to the guests who are introduced to folks who may be outside of their idea of normal. Nordberg said the Minnesota resort started taking guests about a year ago and many state they look forward to making another trip to see the members they met during their stay. As more people frequent the resorts and make return visits, Nordberg hopes the cost of membership can drop. The ranch near Emigrant will operate much the same way but young people have yet to arrive on site. Eriks Ranch started taking guests in the off-grid cabin on its 230-acre property south of the 100-acre main estate about a year ago. The cabin has a 70 percent occupancy throughout the year and between the beginning of June and end of September it was vacant only two days. Nordberg said the organization learned from the experience in Minnesota and decided to build guest clientele and revenue before bringing in members to allow for more job opportunities when they arrive. Some members have already spent some time at the Paradise Valley ranch and worked on the property, according to Larry Jordan, one of the people overseeing the sites daily operations. Jordan, a hall of fame rodeo cowboy, said the young people he worked with impressed him with their abilities. They mowed lawns, cleaned barns and put up fencing to help get the ranch ready for guests. The ranch is home to six horses and members will lead guests on tours of the nearby national forest and a tall butte across the road from the main lodge. Oh my lord, you climb to the top of that you can see Old Faithful go off, Jordan said with some western exaggeration. He welcomes every guest to the ranch with his authentic Montana persona and a few Wild West tales from his cowboy days. Hes been involved with the property for a dozen years and describes the facilities as some of the nicest in the state. When members land in Montana theyll stay in the lodges pool house. Six residents are expected initially and will arrive after the building is remodeled with apartments. The pool house was used as a hunting lodge by previous owners and is currently available as a vacation rental. Theres also an indoor riding arena on the estate with a commercial kitchen and bunkrooms. The bunks will likely end up as rentals as well but will need a remodel of their own to comply with fire codes. Nordberg said Eriks Ranch is looking to expand on its south property as well with another half-dozen cabins spaced on the hillside in a way to stay out of each others view. With additional guest accommodations the capacity for new members will also increase. For now the main lodge, pool house and off grid cabin are all available for rent. For rates and reservations visit eriksranch.org. ALSO READ: Turkish government offers free tuition to Nigerian Students Cakil made the statement during a dinner reception marking the 93rd anniversary of the founding of Turkey held in Abuja over the weekend, the New Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. He went on to shut down reports that 50 Nigerian students were arrested and detained in connection to the failed coup in Turkey. Cakil said,There were reports that about 50 Nigerians were arrested in Turkey. No Nigerian student is arrested or detained in Turkey. All the rights of the Nigerian students who are studying in Turkey are under the protection of the government. Unfortunately this was in the media that about 50 Nigerian students were detained or under arrest; these numbers do not reflect the real situation. It was a discussion of a non-existant issue. However, Cakil said that the bilateral ties between the two countries remain strong as they work towards strengthening those ties. NAN reports that the Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, while speaking with newsmen at the occasion, said that the reports of 50 arrested Nigerian issue were grossly exaggerated. Dabiri-Erewa also confirmed that the issue has been diplomatically resolved. The Turkish Ambassador who met with our permanent secretary made it clear that 50 Nigerian students were not detained. Two Nigerian students were detained for 11 hours but they were released as soon as the ministry got involved. Four Nigerians that they claimed were involved in the coup were released as soon as Nigeria stepped in. So there is no problem between Nigeria and Turkey, we continue to maintain strong diplomatic relations and we will also continue to ensure that issues are resolved diplomatically and not through sensations," she said. ALSO READ: Turkish govt demands closure of 17 schools in Nigeria However, Dabiri-Erewa advised Nigerian students abroad to abide by the laws of the whatever country they are studying in while encouraging them to patronise learning institutions within Nigeria. Perhaps you do not need to go abroad because what you are looking for is also here in Nigeria and maybe even better. So we encourage them that under this administration the president is doing everything to make Nigeria truly a great place. There are some private universities here that are even better than where they are going to. Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg Mason's dad has done it again. Before she was out of last year's Halloween costume, Mason Dooley knew what she wanted to be this year: Medusa, whose claim to fame in Greek mythology was that her head was covered in live snakes rather than hair. Anyone who gazed upon her face would be turned to stone. Fun stuff for an 8-year-old. Mason's imagination is limitless, which complements her dad's mad costuming skills. Steve Dooley started working on Medusa two months ago. "I started buying materials that long ago to spread out the expense of it," he said. The snakes in Mason's headpiece are made of a building-material foam, covered in a mesh-like material, then airbrushed. "There are over 120 feet of snake on her head," her dad said. "I used a light-weight, condensed foam to make the armor on the boots and the gauntlets, and they ended up looking like brushed metal." Mason's mom, Rachael Dooley, picked out a few things that caught her eye in the store, including the tiny stick-on "gems" that worked perfectly for the snakes' eyes (their fangs are toothpicks). "Everything that's made, I get zero credit for," Rachael Dooley said. "But I did do some of the shopping. Steve and Mason are the creative ones in the family." Indeed. A few years ago, when Mason was in kindergarten, her dad made a costume so creative, it won the Davenport family a trip to California to compete in a nationally televised costume competition. The costume had Mason riding atop a Tyrannosaurus Rex, which she named "Rexie" (because it was a girl). Last year, her tastes matured, and her dad turned her into Maleficent, the evil fairy of "Sleeping Beauty" fame. Complete with a mechanically operated 8-foot wingspan, Mason was so convincing as Maleficent, some of her classmates acted as her bodyguards. Her dad does all the heavy lifting. A jewelry designer by trade, his mom was a tailor, and he learned most of his skills from her, he said. Having twice been in the newspaper in costume, Steve Dooley said Mason sometimes is recognized. When the family recently was considering makeup options for Medusa, they went shopping at Sephora, inside J.C. Penney's, at NorthPark Mall. One of the women working the counter, Sam Thompson, heard about their plans and volunteered to give Mason the "goth look" the family agreed would be just right. And she did it for free, even volunteering to go to the Dooleys' house on Halloween to get Mason ready for trick-or-treating. "How cool is that?" Steve Dooley asked. "Everybody I talk to about it is so cool and supportive. I can't believe how nice people are about it. "With all the bad stuff going on and with everybody arguing about politics, it's the absolute coolest thing to have those connections with strangers. People actually tell me they've enjoyed watching Mason grow up in the newspaper." Mason gets credit, too. Besides being a bright and mature 8-year-old ("It's scary," say her parents), she is remarkably patient with all of her dad's fitting demands, costume changes and hair and makeup routines. Asked whether she has any ideas about next year, she said nothing has come to her just yet. She grinned when asked if maybe she would just leave it up to her dad. "I could," she said. "He can do anything." Gorgeously decorated costumes, elaborate face paint and brilliantly vibrant hairstyles made many patrons of Davenports Figge Museum walking works of art amidst the masterpieces Sunday during the museums annual El Dia de los Muertos celebration. Although commonly thrown into the trick-or-treat bag with Halloween because of their similarities and proximity on the calendar, the traditional Mexican holiday is a profoundly serious occasion celebrated with great joy, laughter, music and dance as the lives of lost loved ones are remembered. Day of the Dead is such a wonderful celebration, and this event gives people the opportunity to learn about the holiday and learn about different cultures, said Katie Conrad, an associate at the Figge. A lot of people confuse it with Halloween because theyre close together and similar, but its a very different event, and this event is an awesome way to teach people about the celebration and the cultural heritage behind it. On Sunday, the rich traditions of El Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, were honored and celebrated with art projects, live performances, music, food and free admission to guests. It drew more than 1,000 patrons to the festivities. I love it, Conrad said. A museum tries to reflect and encompass the community it is in and that means doing events that reflect that community and the different people and cultures within it. We at the Figge look forward to this celebration every year, and you can tell by the number of people celebrating that the community does as well. Its a great opportunity for people to learn about the different cultural traditions and to have a lot of fun doing it. And so they did. Long lines queued up for free nachos and Mexican hot chocolate; children with painted faces created clay calaveras and decorated sugar skulls; and people of all ages left memorials at the community altar to commemorate lost loved ones. The sounds of the Glenview Middle School Mariachi Band spiced the air, and patrons enjoyed the colorful dances of Ballet Folklorico. Its a really good event and way to celebrate the culture, said Ayeisha Tovar, 12, of Moline. There are a lot of fun things to do here. I think its great for kids and families to be able to participate together, said Marina Gomez, 41, of Davenport, who brought her children Rhiannon, 12, and Iris Gomez, 5. We just moved here from Chicago, and I was really happy to see the museum doing something like this and was amazed to see how many people were here participating. Its really nice to see so many people, so many families, here. I love the holiday, so Im really happy about this, Rhiannon said. I love the idea of celebrating the lives of all the people who have passed, and I like that people have come out to learn more about the culture and celebrate it. I think its cool, I like all the stuff, added Iris. This is really what the Figge is all about, Conrad said. Reflecting the art and culture of the community and bringing everyone together to experience the creativity of the Quad-Cities. RIVERTON An official says a recent federal court decision on Bureau of Land Management wild horse roundups could mean fewer horses available for adoption through the Wyoming Honor Farm in Riverton. BLM wild horse specialist Scott Fluer in Lander tells The Ranger that in the short term the Honor Farm will still have horses available because of a reserve stock of wild horses available, but that could change if fewer horses are captured. For years, the BLM has gathered horses on a long stretch of land in the southern part of the state that contains alternating plots of private and federal land established in conjunction with a historic train route, but the court ruled that the BLM violated 1971 federal protections set up for wild horses. DES MOINES Republicans have controlled the legislative agenda in the Iowa House since the 2010 GOP wave election. Will 2016 be another wave election that swings the pendulum and allows Democrats to regain control of the chamber? Only the Nov. 8 election will tell. During the 2016 legislative session, there were 57 Republicans and 43 Democrats in the Iowa House. Some incumbents in competitive districts will be challenged, and eight Republican retirements could help create some competitive open-seat races. The following are some of the House races most likely to be competitive and affect whether Democrats chip into Republicans lead or even gain control of the chamber. To get a sense of these key races, included in this analysis are a party breakdown of each districts active registered voters, and the result of the 2012 presidential vote for Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney in each district, which helps show the tendency of the districts no-party voters. District 92 Counties: Scott Incumbent: Republican Ross Paustian, Walcott Challenger: Democrat Ken Krumwiede, Davenport Registered Democrats: 5,970 Registered Republicans: 6,186 Registered no-party: 8,400 2012 presidential result: Obama won by 9 points Paustian lost to Frank Wood in 2012, then beat him in a 2014 rematch. Democrats see this seat as a potential pick-up; the state party spent more than $20,000 on advertising in the race over the past three months. But Republicans have mounted a strong defense, spending a whopping $164,000 on advertising to support Paustians re-election bid. District 58 Counties: Dubuque, Jackson, Jones Incumbent: None Challengers: Republican Andy McKean, Anamosa; Democrat Jessica Kean, Maquoketa Registered Democrats: 7,019 Registered Republicans: 5,282 Registered no-party: 8,751 2012 presidential result: Obama won by 12 points This one is ripe for a Democratic pick-up. Retiring Republican Rep. Brian Moore bucked the odds by winning three times in this district. And even he was a former Democrat. Democrats have a significant registered voter advantage here, and Obama won the district comfortably in 2012. But Republicans arent giving up the seat without a fight; they spent more than $59,000 on the race over the past three months. Democrats spent more than $53,000. District 60 Counties: Black Hawk Incumbent: Republican Walt Rogers, Cedar Falls Challenger: Democrat Gary Kroeger, Waterloo Registered Democrats: 6,356 Registered Republicans: 7,349 Registered no-party: 7,460 2012 presidential result: Obama won by 1 percentage point Rogers won comfortably two years ago and by 4 points in 2012, despite Obama carrying the district. Kroeger presents a unique challenge: The former Saturday Night Live cast member is a political outsider in a year that seems to favor such candidates, and he helped bolster his name recognition by briefly running in the Democratic primary in northeast Iowas congressional race. District 53 Counties: Cerro Gordo Incumbent: Democrat Sharon Steckman, Mason City Challenger: Republican Barbara Hovland, Mason City Registered Democrats: 6,638 Registered Republicans: 4,727 Registered no-party: 8,285 2012 presidential result: Obama won by 23 points Republicans see a pick-up opportunity here; the state party spent more than $11,000 over the past three months on print advertising to support the campaign of Hovland, a party activist. But Steckman has party registration and historical voter behavior on her side. She was an active voice in the successful effort to prevent Prestage from building a pork plan in Mason City. District 51 Counties: Howard, Mitchell, Winneshiek, Worth Incumbent: None Challengers: Republican Jane Bloomingdale, Northwood; Democrat Tim Hejhal, Osage Registered Democrats: 5,167 Registered Republicans: 6,467 Registered no-party: 7,905 2012 presidential result: Obama won by 12 points Retiring Republican Rep. Josh Byrnes won this district handily each of the past two elections, but Obamas performance here in 2012 shows it can be won by the right Democratic candidate. Both parties are investing in the race; each spent roughly $15,000 here in the past three months. District 13 Counties: Woodbury Incumbent: Democrat Chris Hall, Sioux City Challenger: Republican Shaun Broyhill, Sioux City Registered Democrats: 5,438 Registered Republicans: 5,187 Registered no-party: 5,105 2012 presidential result: Obama won by 10 points This is among the rare blue districts in northwest Iowa, and indicators appear to suggest Hall is in good position to keep the seat in Democratic hands. He has raised more than $80,000 for his campaign, dramatically more than the $4,300 Broyhill has raised, and the Republican Party is not spending much money here. District 95 Counties: Buchanan, Linn Incumbent: None Challengers: Republican Louis Zumbach, Coggon; Democrat Richard Whitehead, Center Point Registered Democrats: 6,150 Registered Republicans: 6,247 Registered no-party: 7,648 2012 presidential result: Obama won by 5 points On paper, this race is as competitive as it gets. There is no incumbent, the voter registration split is less than 100, and retiring Republican Rep. Quentin Stanerson won his first election in the district in 2012 by a scant 200 votes, or just 1 percentage point. Republicans are making a serious play to keep the seat in GOP hands, spending $125,000 on advertising for Louis Zumbach, the cousin of Iowa Sen. Dan Zumbach. District 68 Counties: Linn Incumbent: Republican Ken Rizer, Cedar Rapids Challenger: Democrat Molly Donahue, Cedar Rapids Registered Democrats: 6,596 Registered Republicans: 6,103 Registered no-party: 7,384 2012 presidential result: Obama won by 10 points Democrats are trying to pick off Rizer, a freshman legislator in a district with more Democrats than Republicans that went for Obama by double digits in 2012. The state Democratic Party has poured almost $59,000 into advertising for Donahue. But Republicans have done their best to protect Rizer, spending nearly $153,000 on advertising for Rizer, who also has raised more than $88,000 on his own. District 67 Counties: Linn Incumbent: None Challengers: Republican Ashley Hinson, Marion; Democrat Mark Seidl, Cedar Rapids Registered Democrats: 5,979 Registered Republicans: 7,059 Registered no-party: 7,341 2012 presidential result: Romney won by 0.3 points Republicans hope to replace retiring former House Speaker Kraig Paulsen with Hinson, a former Cedar Rapids TV news broadcaster. Hinson has raised more than $60,000 on her own Seidl roughly $22,000 and Democrats are not spending on this race, which may be a signal theyre conceding this one likely will stay in Republican hands. The Moline Foundation has awarded a $7,500 grant to Christian Care to support its professional counseling and case management program. Christian Care provides basic needs, such as safe shelter, food, and clothing, as well as other supportive services, including professional counseling, holistic case management, advocacy, and access to community resources to homeless men in the community. The mission of Christian Care is to empower the homeless to make positive changes in every aspect of their lives. Christian Care is a 501(c)(3 ) nonprofit organization that serves homeless individuals, veterans, individuals coming out of prison and those with mental illness. Christian Care's community meal site is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner on weekdays Monday through Friday, and for breakfast and dinner on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, call Christian Care's Crisis hotline at 309-788-2273 or visit christiancareqc.org. A 5K walk/run to support pancreatic cancer research and to remember Quad-Citiy physician Dr. Brent Ohl will be held Saturday, Nov. 5. The Stroll for Ohl event begins at 10 a.m. at the Scott County Library, 200 N. 6th Ave., Eldridge. Cost is $30. To register, visit http://getmeregistered.com/StrollforOhl5K. Proceeds benefit the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation. Dr. Brent Ohl was born in Moline and attended North Scott High School, graduating in 1986. He received a degree in mathematics and his doctorate of medicine in 1994 at the University of Iowa. In 2000, he joined the UnityPoint Health-Trinity team and chaired the Western Illinois Anesthesia Group over several terms. He was awarded Trinitys Model of Excellence in 2001 and 2009, and was honored this year as Clinical Educator of the Year by Trinity Emergency Medical Services. Dr. Ohl died Aug. 27. If you were asked on a grammar test to conjugate the verb 'fly' in the progressive form of the indicative mode, present tense, would you even know what the questioner was talking about? I would not, but this is a question some eighth grade students in 1890 faced on their graduation tests. In arithmetic, they were asked "what are two-ninths of 28 bushels, three pecks, seven quarts and one pint?" Again, I would have no idea. These test questions were among interesting bits I ran across several weeks ago while reporting for the Times on the restoration of Forest Grove School in Bettendorf. Other bits came in from readers after the story was published, and since we're featuring a former school as our main story today, it seems a good time to share them. 160 SCHOOLS IN HENRY COUNTY: Steve Morrison, a retired Kewanee high school teacher, has written a book on the schools of Henry County, 1857 to 1869. I was amazed he could find information dating that far back, but it turns out that superintendents at the time were required by the state to visit every school and write a report. The visits evaluated the teacher, students, condition of the building (curtains?) and availability of books, maps, chalkboards and so forth. These reports then were published in the local newspaper, where Morrison found them all these years later. His 187-page page book is an alphabetical account of each and every school there were 160 in Henry County in 1860! In one report, the superintendent noted that, "owing to the want of proper support and cooperation from the parents, (this) school is proving a signal of failure. "Most of the scholars appeared as if they had got license from some quarter to dispose the authority of their instructor ..." The superintendent recommended that authority be re-established or "dismiss the school." In another he observed that the desks "have withstood many jack-knife engagements." WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SCHOOL? Clayton Lloyd, retired from the city of Davenport, was alarmed to read the headline that "Rock Island County has no preserved one-room schools." In reading the story, though, he was relieved to realize that although none are preserved as schools per se, many are repurposed. Lloyd attended a one-room school southwest of Edgington through fourth grade. It was called "East Buffalo," and it closed in the late 1950s. He's driven by it fairly regularly through the years and is reassured that it still stands as a home. EMERGENCY TEACHERS: Mary Heiar, of Davenport, reports that she taught as an "emergency teacher" for two years in Mercer County, Illinois, just after World War II. "We attended a six-week college course in the summer before teaching," she wrote in an email. She did her studies at what is now Western Illinois University in Macomb, and she taught in Alexis and Seaton. The hardest part of being a teacher, she said, was "starting the coal furnace in the back of the room early before school and having to have restrooms outside." (I can understand that!) Eighth graders helped with the coal, she added. "The education was excellent and younger pupils learned from older ones," she said. "Recess was fun for all." Emergency teachers were needed to make up for the shortage caused by the war. SCHOOLHOUSE INSPIRES NEW FICTION: Joe Taylor, president and CEO of the Quad-Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau, alerted me to a new book of fiction titled, "'Schoolhouse: Lessons on Love & Landscape" by Marc Nieson, a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa, and a faculty member at Chatham University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In describing the book, amazon.com asks readers to, "imagine 'Walden' recast as a love story." A reviewer describes it as "an absolute joy, unquestionably one of the finest books to come out of the Midwest in years. Beautifully written, it's indeed a gift, a grateful giving back ..." I'll give the book the benefit of the doubt, but thinking of 'Walden' recast as a love story makes my stomach hurt. MY SCHOOLHOUSE CORNER: Whenever my dad gave directions to our farm, he would tell people to turn off the highway "at the schoolhouse corner." We all used the schoolhouse as a landmark, as there were no street signs at that time. The school is gone now, so when I drive to our farm (usually in the dark by the time I get there), I hesitate about when to start braking. The gravel turnoff is now marked by a green and white sign, but it's not as good as the dark silhouette of a one-room school. The first time I heard about Effigy Mounds National Monument was under a headline about a man who stole bones and other Native artifacts from that place and kept them in boxes in his garage for years. It was a story of mismanagement and disrespect for historic preservation. But it wasnt until I drove to Iowa City to hear Terry Tempest Williams read from her new book about the national parks system, that I was inspired to go there. I read her book Refuge years ago about the Great Salt Lake flooding a bird sanctuary in northern Utah. I lived just over the Idaho border. That part of the world has been in a drought for more than a decade, but you can still see the stratified salt stains on rocks and shorelines. I saw that landscape better because she showed it to me -- one word-brushstroke at a time. Standing behind the lectern at Prairie Lights Bookstore, she read about Effigy Mounds this professional observer of the natural world saying it was one of her favorite places in the country. This past weekend, I talked a friend into taking the drive north, three hours. We quickly realized we were taking part in a seasonal Iowa ritual. A man in McGregor called them leaf lookers, lines of cars heading into the Driftless Area of northeast Iowa to see the fall foliage. In Dubuque, a line as long as the ride itself, was standing with $3 each to take the incline railcar to the top of the hill for a fall foliage view of the Mississippi River. In Marquette, Iowa, people were posing for photographs in front of the casinos pink elephant. A man at a gas station in New Vienna joked from his rolled-down window that it was a perfect day to wander around Iowa, doing nothing. Everyone was taking it in, the warmth with just a tinge of chill, and that bright, sparkling light fall that makes the whole day look clearly drawn and scrubbed clean. Northeast Iowa is a couple weeks closer to winter than us. Farmers are preparing their fields for winter. The yellow and orange of the hickory and oak trees are interrupted by the flash of red from a sugar maple. Ive been told, again and again, to head north. Turn this corner, just past Dubuque, they said, and the world opens up. The road follows the Mississippi. It climbs and winds in a way you wouldnt think a road could do in Iowa. Farm ground gives way to sandstone bluffs. And the Mississippi River, that is an industrial cesarean scar in some stretches, widens and relaxes into a beautiful divider between Iowa and Wisconsin. We arrived at Effigy Mounds early Sunday morning. The air was still cool. To get to the Mounds, you climb. Theres a steep, switch-back trail that was, on that day, deep with leaves and a below it a layer of mulch. Ive been to the Cahokia Mounds, just outside of St. Louis. Its a compound of giant earthworks, statement pieces about power and hierarchy, remaining even after death and burial. Effigy Mounds is nothing like that. These are smaller, carved into the floor of the forest. As you walk, you know the Effigy Mounds are shaped like bears and a bird, because of the aerial photos from the visitor center. But at eye-level, it takes some imagination to picture the shape and the hands that shaped it almost 1,500 years ago. Bob Palmer, chief ranger at Effigy Mounds, spoke to Terry Tempest Williams for her book The Hour of Land. He said, Growing up here, we were always aware of the past. Artifacts and arrowheads were often exposed while plowing the fields. Effigy Mounds is a complicated place. The trees around the mounds give you a feeling of privacy, of being alone in nature, but the wet-sawdust smell of agriculture is in the air, as is the steel cry of a barges engine on the Mississippi River below. Still, it feels sacred it is, after all, a burial place, bones at the bottom of these massive dirt mounds. Still, it feels like a sanctuary. Still, it feels important. When I started my campaign for U.S. Congress six months ago, I had four goals: To bring civility to the political discussion; to speak substantively about issues without a partisan bias; to give voice to the plurality of Iowans who dont strongly identify with either major party; and to win the election. Im happy to report weve already accomplished the first three goals. With your support, well soon achieve the fourth goal. Im asking for your vote for U.S. Congress on Nov. 8. Together, we can take our movement for common-sense government all the way to Washington. If youve followed the media coverage of my campaign, youve probably noticed a common story line that we are running a uniquely civil campaign, in sharp contrast to the negative politics on display at the national level. The Gazettes editorial board wrote, We have no doubt that his tenure in Congress, like his campaign, will be marked by this level of civility and thoughtfulness. The Des Moines Register's political columnist called me A different kind of candidate (An) independent take on the issues. Iowa Public Radio described my forum with Congressman Loebsack as, measured tones while sitting cordially side-by-side. An unusual sight in modern politics. And the campus newspaper at the University of Iowa said I have a willingness to stray from the party line. Im running as a Republican, I come from a Republican family, and my campaign staff is made up of young Republicans. But like most Americans, neither major party fully represents my political views. Since the first day of this campaign back in April, my team and I have been true to our values. Weve visited with the some of the most committed grassroots party activists as well as political independents, and weve consistently delivered the same vision for pragmatic, commonsense leadership individual liberties, a focused foreign policy, fair elections, fiscal responsibility, and civil discourse. Weve occasionally drawn criticism from within and outside our own party, but weve overwhelmingly found that people of all political backgrounds are willing to be respectful and listen if you offer them the same. It seems like weve all faced countless challenges and disappointments during this election season, but I have great optimism for our future. Thats because I know that the hateful politics weve see in the media dont represent most Americans - even those of us who get swept up in the heat of the political moment. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. Whether or not I win on Election Day, the grassroots organization Ive built these past months will move forward. There will always be another race or another cause. But I believe this election will prove to be pivotal for our country. No matter who wins the presidential election, we need principled, common-sense leaders in Congress to keep the executive branch in check. Im not a politician Im a veteran, a physician, and a small business owner here in Iowa. Please vote for me, Dr. Christopher Peters, for U.S. Congress on Nov. 8. Chuck Grassley is a man with decades of service to Iowa. He's a force in the U.S. Senate. He's an expert on issues critical to Iowans. And yet, in the past year, he's been exposed as a rank partisan. We respect Sen. Grassley. But we cannot support him in his bid for a seventh term. In February, the Republican Grassley sent out a letter. He would not hold a hearing to vet President Barack Obama's nominees to succeed late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. In so doing, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee sold out his oath to uphold the Constitution and his duty to honor voters who elected Obama president. Grassley chose allegiance to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Grassley chose his desire to maintain his chairmanship over his oath to the American people. It's an unforgivable act, even for a man with such a long, successful record. Grassley then doubled-down as his party's primary elections imploded and gave rise to Donald Trump's demagoguery. Republicans with honor disavowed Trump's hate-fest. Grassley, and the rest of Iowa's GOP elite, stood behind a man whose entire platform stems from disdain and grievance. Scalia's place in the philosophical spectrum that made him so beloved among conservatives isn't the primary issue. No, Trump is the key. Grassley is, by definition, flouting the Constitution and delegitimizing a sitting president so a con artist has a shot at filling the Supreme Court. Grassley's assault on the Constitution is shameful. His unwavering commitment to Trump is indefensible. In a matter of months, Grassley set ablaze his very credibility, ramparts built over decades of hard work and grassroots politicking. Grassley's claimed willingness to work across the aisle is a sham. He, himself exposed it. It's a testament to the weakness of his opponent, former Lt. Gov. Patty Judge, that none of Grassley's sins have stuck in this election cycle. Polls suggest Nov. 8 might be the closest re-election bid in which Grassley's ever found himself and he's still up by double-digits. Judge knows she hasn't made her case to Iowans. It's in her voice when the polls come up in interviews. National Democrats sent cash to winnable races in suddenly in-play battleground states. Judge's campaign is broke. Her message is muted. Grassley ducked a debate that would have aired statewide, thereby further rendering her campaign moot. Judge can scream from the rooftops about minimum wage and immigration reform. No one hears it. And those who have aren't paying much attention. She tried and failed to out Midwestern the king of Midwesterness. Even having the support of Garrison Keillor of Prairie Home Companion fame isn't enough. Quite simply, Judge hasn't made her case. So, there's Grassley, an 83-year-old with a love of power so great that he's betrayed basic democratic principles in an effort to cling to it. He and McConnell emboldened the Senate GOP's radical fringe. Now, the likes of Sen. Ted Cruz vow to block any Supreme Court nominee that isn't offered by a Republican White House. It's a disgusting level of partisanship, which Congress has perfected throughout Obama's tenure, that effectively wages war on those who don't vote Republican. In this case, it's all on Grassley. He started this. He's unwilling to end it. Yes, Sen. Chuck Grassley has done a lot for Iowa. He's by far the stronger of the two candidates for the U.S. Senate seat up for grabs in Iowa. But he also represents precisely what's broken in Washington. His disrespect for the American voter and the Constitution is a conspicuous betrayal. The Quad-City Times endorses neither Chuck Grassley nor Patty Judge for U.S. Senate. It sounded like a shotgun blast. But the ominous crack was actually the splitting apart of one of the 36-foot beams that hold together the 135-year-old Probstei country school in west Davenport. The crack was a warning. Brad and Paula Witt had been told when they bought the school with its house addition on the back in 1983 that one crack in the ceiling beams was OK, but that "if you have two or more, you've got a problem," Brad Witt said. The shotgun blast signaled the second crack. The problem had to be fixed or, eventually, the school would fall down. The couple decided, as Paula Witt said, "to make the big commitment" and to correct not only the structural problem but to re-do the exterior with its peeling paint and old windows. That's where they're at now, with Ehrecke Construction, Davenport, removing the original wood siding, installing house wrap, then finishing with a new-to-this-area type of clapboard siding that is made of recycled polymers and highly refined recovered coal combustion products (ash). The 70 percent recycled material is made by Boral Ltd., a multinational Australia-based company. The siding looks and handles like wood, but doesn't absorb water, greatly decreasing maintenance. The company's website says it is "suitable for ground contact," and doesn't require end-sealing. The Witts found the product themselves online and, in interviewing three contractors for the job, found that Ehrecke was the only one who had heard of it. He had, in fact, used it in an application in January in Moline's wooded Wildwood neighborhood where woodpeckers were causing damage to the home's cedar siding. "To my knowledge we were the first to use it in the Quad-Cities," Ehrecke said. Paula Witt likes the siding because it looks like wood and is smooth, with no faux grain like some other synthetic sidings. The product costs about 40 to 50 percent more than wood, Jeremy Devol, window and door specialist at Seiffert Lumber, Davenport, said. "It costs more upfront, but over the life span it is much less," he added. Brad Witt, a woodworker by trade, replicated wood trim pieces for the windows. And he hired The Schebler Co., Bettendorf, to fabricate metal "caps" for the window headers that will keep moisture from settling onto them. Although the Boral product is moisture-resistant, caps were original to the school and the Witts want to replicate the original look as much as possible. "It was pretty fancy for a school," Paula Witt said. Another part of the project has been the installation of 12 new windows five on each side that are nine panes over nine panes and two in the front that are six over six panes. The frames are black aluminum on the outside and nearly black wood on the inside. Other challenges remain. The school had two front doors (one for the boys, one for the girls) and the originals are long-since gone. At some point the Witts will get replacement fiberglass doors in a style of the time period. Another puzzle is the school's tower. When the Witts bought the building, the one-time bell tower above the school's second floor was long gone, and they've never found a picture of what it looked like. Failing that, Brad Witt built a tower of his own design using the footprint that remained on the roof, but he doesn't know how tall the original was or what embellishments it might have had. Paula Witt will never forget the excitement in Brad's voice when he climbed up to the top of the building for the first time. He said, "'Oh my gosh, you won't believe the beams up here." Brad exposed these beams, originally hidden by plaster, when he built the tower, and he installed windows to create a kind of skylight to the room below. While the current exterior work is fun to see, it was the interior work Brad Witt did during the past two years that really saved the building. After the shotgun crack, he consulted an engineer, took measurements and found that both the ceiling and south wall had "bowed with age, as we all do." He spent the next two years incrementally jacking up the ceiling until it was back to level. He then installed a beam down the center, crosswise to the failing beams, supported by two posts. Lea Haisch hopes her unique shop will help the world, at least a few small corners of it, one suitcase at a time. The Open Suitcase: A Global Market, is set to open Nov. 5 at the Fairmont Creamery Mall at 212 Main St. in downtown Rapid City, across from Pure Bean Roasters coffee shop. The shop will feature hand-made, one-of-a-kind items, clothing, tapestries, artworks, purses, wallets what have you from around the globe, purchased from local artisans by people on mission trips and brought back to Rapid City, one suitcase at a time. Haisch, a full-time employee at Black Hills Works, is also affiliated with an aid ministry, Answer The Call International, reaching out to help the poor, widowed, orphaned and diseased people around the world. Volunteers who travel for the ministry will find local artisans and buy their goods to fill suitcases that held aid items for the trip. As we go out, we meet people who make really beautiful things, Haisch said. Haisch recently returned from a mission trip with three others to Thailand, India, Nepal and Hong Kong. Each of the four brought back a big suitcase full of items for the shop. Customers will be able to see the story behind the items for sale. Well be telling the stories of widows in Nepal and because we bought their jewelry, they can pay their rent that month, she said. The store will be run by volunteers. All profit, after paying rent and other overhead expenses, goes back to the ministry, she said Its going to giving people hope, restore some dignity and give them an income for their family, as well as open relationships as we meet people going forth and support what they are doing, Haisch said. Weve got the coolest store, ever, she said. A third Marcos to open Another Rapid City Marcos Pizza is coming soon to 2201 Mount Rushmore Road. The new Marcos Pizza joins two other locations, at 4040 E. Cheyenne Blvd., and 3625 Jackson Blvd., and will be a delivery and carry-out store only serving the central part of town, said Josh Holdinghausen, who along with his wife, Stephanie, is Marcos franchisee for South Dakota, northern Wyoming and Montana. The new location will be Holdinghausens eighth in South Dakota, he said. We feel were going to get to our customer base faster and provide better service and an even better product, because itll be faster and hotter, Holdinghausen said. Native Italian Pasquale Pat Giammarco opened the first Marcos Pizza in Toledo, Ohio, in 1978. According to the company website there are now more than 700 Marcos Pizza locations in 35 states. The menu has expanded beyond pizza as well, with hot sub sandwiches, salads and their trademark Cheezybread also available. Newly-hired employees have been training at the existing stores in preparation for a soft opening perhaps as early as this week in a refurbished space formerly the home of a Happy Jacks Casino. The redevelopment of Mount Rushmore Road is coming along really nicely, and the building were remodeling is just going to compliment that, Holdinghausen said. U-Haul adds dealer Mavericks Motorsports & Recreational Equipment Rentals, 11200 JB Road, has signed on as a U-Haul neighborhood dealer in Black Hawk. Mavericks will offer U-Haul trucks, towing equipment, support rental items and in-store pick-up for boxes, according to a news release. Hours of operation for U-Haul rentals are 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. After-hours drop-off is available for customer convenience. Call 605-593-8556 or visit uhaul.com/Locations/Truck-Rentals-near-Black-Hawk-SD-57718/053619 for rental information. Carved from the ageless granite of South Dakotas Black Hills, Mount Rushmore National Memorial was originally envisioned as a tribute to some of the American Wests legendary heroes. But when famed sculptor Gutzon Borglum was enlisted to carve the monument in 1925, he successfully lobbied promoters to symbolize in stone the true spirit of a nation. Thus, the towering visages of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt came to represent the birth, growth, preservation and development of the United States of America. Carved by Borglum and a rag-tag collection of miners between 1927 and 1941, 90 percent of the memorial was created using dynamite. So skilled were the workers that they could grade the contours of the lips, cheeks and brows to within inches of the finished surface solely using explosives. Workers using pneumatic drills followed, leaving the faces as smooth as a concrete sidewalk. Miraculously, no one died in the six and a half years of carving that occurred at Mount Rushmore over a 14-year period. All told, Americas Shrine of Democracy, as President Franklin D. Roosevelt once called it, cost a bit under $1 million, less than building a mile of interstate highway today. Fearing he would leave a mystery for future generations, in 1938 Borglum and his crew started carving the Hall of Records in a deep canyon directly behind the faces. In this solid stone repository, Borglum hoped to stash some of the nations most treasured documents, as well as a record of the contributions of the four presidents and why they grace a mountain in the middle of America. The following summer, as war raced across Europe, Congress directed Borglum to cease work on the Hall of Records and concentrate his efforts on finishing the presidential portraits. A half-century later, the Borglum family and the nonprofit Mount Rushmore Society resurrected the sculptors dream and, on Aug. 9, 1998, the National Park Service, joined by four generations of the Borglum family, sealed a titanium vault in the floor of the Hall containing the words of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, as well as biographies of each of the presidents and an explanation of why they are immortalized at the mountain memorial. While some visitors to the Four Faces of Freedom simply give them a glance, then leave to explore the grandeur of the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore offers so much more. Consider having breakfast with the presidents, when morning light provides optimal viewing and the best photo opportunities. Take a break from the car and walk through the forest on the Presidential Trail to the base of the mountain, and on to the often-overlooked Sculptors Studio. If youre traveling with children, check out the Youth Exploration Area, new in 2015, with interpretive programming geared to the youngest adventurer. The hallowed site is also home to frequent citizenship ceremonies where immigrants who qualify are sworn in as America's newest citizens. DEADWOOD | In what is being described as a "Eureka!" moment, numismatists examining a treasure trove of coins unearthed during four years of archaeological digs in this Black Hills community have discovered what may be one of the most unusual coins on earth. Dubbed the "Racketeer Nickel," the 1883 U.S.-minted coin was uncovered July 31, 2001, during one of four archaeological digs in Deadwoods famed Chinatown district. Found 59 centimeters below the surface of the soil in an area known as Trench 2, the coins location was recorded into a geographical information system for future reference. It was then transported to the South Dakota Archaeological Research Center in Rapid City with 226 other coins found in the digs for cataloging and assessment. In 2009, the coin joined a quarter-million other historical artifacts in a new archaeological lab and storage facility housed in the bowels of Deadwood City Hall, where it sat for seven years until California coin experts Kevin and Margie Akin re-discovered it late last month and realized what they had. One unusual coin In 1883, the U.S. Mint issued a new 5-cent nickel (though it was not yet consistently called a nickel, as the 3-cent nickel coin was still occasionally used). At the time, it was an innovation in that for the first time, a non-precious metal coin carried a Liberty-head design, Kevin Akin told the Journal. This design was similar to that on gold coins of the time, he explained. So when the early 1883 V nickels came out with no 'cents' inscription below the Roman numeral 'V for 5, it was new to everyone, and grifters immediately began gold-plating them to pass as $5 gold coins. U.S. Treasury officials denied there was a problem. But a local newspaper story at the time told a different tale. The new nickel five-cent piece is the subject of much discussion in the treasury department, the Feb. 22, 1883, Black Hills Daily Times reported. Treasurer Gilfillan carries one in his vest pocket. One of these coins is plated with gold, and its resemblance on one side to a five-dollar gold piece is quite striking. The broad 'V on the opposite side is unlike the device on any other coin, and of course should be an effectual barrier to its fraudulent use. The same newspaper article stated that Mint Director Horatio Burchard, ridicules the idea of any successful counterfeit of gold being made from the new nickel. He said that a proposition to suspend coinage of the new piece has not been made, and so far as he knows none is contemplated. Three months later, the Daily Times reported that well-heeled merchants and miners of Deadwood had found a new use for the Racketeer Nickel. A number of the toney young men about town are wearing cuff buttons made of the new nickels, the newspaper reported. They are highly plated with gold, and to the uninitiated look for all the world like genuine five-dollar gold pieces. A final-hour find Last year, the city of Deadwood and its Historic Preservation Commission hired the Akins, authors of the recently published 300-page field guide, Numismatic Archaeology of North America, to examine 202 Asian coins unearthed during the Chinatown Digs. Using photographs of the coins supplied by the city, their task was to identify each with the intention of tracing the origins of the coins and tokens discovered in the Wild West town in an effort to shed light on the former gold camps frontier days. While visiting Deadwood in late September, historic preservation officials asked them to examine 16 of the Asian coins that could not be identified through the photos. Its a common joke among archaeologists that the best thing you find, the most important discoveries, are made in the last hour of the last day, Margie Akin said recently from California. Ive seen many cases where that has been true. And it came true again. Their efforts with the Asian coins complete, the Akins asked City Archivist Mike Runge what else hed like examined, and he presented them with a small collection of U.S. coins uncovered during the archaeological digs. When we found it, I held it up and said, 'Margie, look at this. A Racketeer Nickel, oh my God! Kevin recalled. It was a bit of a Eureka moment. In researching the Racketeer Nickel, Kevin Akin said he had found more than 1,000 of them on sale on eBay as well as a number of well-worn stories tied to their use by scam artists on unsuspecting, easily deceived individuals. The most interesting vignette involved a deaf-mute named Josh Tatum who noticed the nickel was the same size and had a similar look to $5 gold pieces, Akin noted. So Tatum began plating them in gold and passing them off on small purchases. After he was arrested, his attorney argued in court that Tatum could not have asked for change because he could not speak and thus, no crime had been committed. The court agreed and released the young man. The problem with that tall tale, and the vast majority of the hundreds of purported Racketeer Nickels available for purchase online, is that they are all unproved, according to Akin. Its pretty easy to plate a nickel, he said. It makes such a great story, but theyre fakes. None of them has the provenance of this particular coin, the Deadwood Racketeer Nickel. Other examples of such tall tales abound in the world of coin collecting. Its sort of like the brothel tokens that people sell online that they say are from the Wild West, but most were made in the 1960s, Margie Akin added. They still make a good story. And thats what people really want; the magic of an article that came out of the ground. Theyre a connection to the past. Worried that the Deadwood discovery would set off a flood of metal detector-wielding fortune seekers, the Akins stressed the monetary value of the Racketeer Nickel is negligible. But its historical significance, they said, cannot be understated. Actually, the current market value of the nickel is less than 10 cents because of its abysmal condition, Kevin Akin said. But for archaeologists, the value is another matter. As far as we know, this is the first discovered in the excavation of a 19th century site. We dont know of any that has been archaeologically discovered." He said the coin's scholarly value rests in the stories it conveys about how it was used and where it came to rest. But even an archaeologist wouldn't pay a dime for it. Scholarly value and market value are entirely different concepts, Kevin Akin said. Future finds For Runge, the man charged with overseeing Deadwoods massive municipal collections of archival and archaeological materials, discovery of the Racketeer Nickel is another in a series of great finds that make reporting to work each day a joy rather than a job. This communitys collection constitutes every facet of the human experience in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as related to frontier life in Deadwood, South Dakota, he said. The discovery of the coin is wonderful." Runge said there is much more to learn. The discovery is wonderful. But what is important about this is we have professionals in numismatic archaeology who are using this collection to help us understand our past, he said. This assemblage the city owns is in its infancy in terms of research. There will be discoveries in the future that will rival or exceed what has been discovered. The Native American-led movement against the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota has boiled to a crisis point. For their own strongly held reasons, none of the three main groups involved the firm building the $3.8 billion pipeline, the authorities sworn to uphold the law, and protesters who feel their culture and water are at stake has been willing to back down. To date, despite the recent intensification of the protest and hardening of the police response, little blood has been shed and no deaths have occurred. The first gunshots in the months-long standoff were reportedly fired on Thursday, a volley launched by a protester toward law enforcement officers, who were not struck. Protesters have set fires, and reports surfaced Friday of Molotov cocktails being thrown. Meanwhile, some protesters were bitten by dogs used by private security employees in September. And police have used pepper spray and rubber bullets to control protesters or remove them from private land. And yet, even as both police and protesters insist they are doing all they can to remain peaceful, there is a palpable, growing feeling throughout the protest camp and at police press conferences that the only way this conflict will end is in violence. "The last thing the state of North Dakota wants is a confrontation," Cass County Sheriff Paul Laney said at a press conference on Wednesday. "But were having our hand forced at some point. Hope for peace; fear of death Standing shoeless and alone in a wide open North Dakota prairie in the days before police barricades went up, TaSina Sapa Win of the Cheyenne River Sioux imagined what would happen if she were to be shot by one of the four police officers silhouetted on the horizon. A low-flying Bell Ranger 206B helicopter, reportedly operated by employees of the company building the pipeline, thrummed in the air above. With her arms loose at her sides as the wind whipped at her skirt, the 24-year-old thought about her son and how he would react if she were hurt or perhaps killed. Pressing back against the fear, she refused to focus on her worry. There is no time to think, there is only time for action, she would say later. Everybody is scared and it causes situations like this. Its up to us as individuals to take that fear and transform it into courage. As you see, Im unarmed, Im barefoot. I go traditionally dressed, tobacco and sage in my hands. They are the ones who are scared. When the sound of your voice scares people, you know that you are powerful. Energy Transfer Partners, the Texas-based company building the $3.8 billion pipeline, has secured permits and land north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation and is forging ahead with construction. If it is completed, the 1,172-mile pipeline will pump nearly half a million gallons of light sweet crude oil from the Bakken production area in North Dakota across South Dakota and Iowa to existing oil networks in Patoka, Ill. It will also cross under the Missouri River, from which the Standing Rock Sioux and many Great Plains tribes as well as many other Native and non-Native communities in South Dakota draw their drinking water. With the harsh northern winter approaching, and the pipeline construction drawing within only a few miles of the river, thousands of people embedded in several resistance camps near Standing Rock have grown more brazen in their attempts to halt the pipelines advance. Over the last several months, protesters have routinely trespassed on private land along the pipelines route that they say is sacred to their people, and locked themselves to construction equipment either with reinforced PVC pipes or with their extremities set into buckets of hardened concrete. In response, multiple law enforcement agencies have formed an increasingly militarized coalition in recent weeks in an attempt to uphold the law and preserve public safety. We keep getting portrayed as the jackbooted thugs coming down for a confrontation, that law enforcement is the one trying to ramp this up, said Sheriff Laney. We dont want a confrontation. The last thing North Dakota law enforcement wants is a confrontation." But some of the tactics used by authorities have drawn sharp criticism from the protesters, who have coalesced into a unified force that has drawn people from around the world, including numerous celebrities and social activists. Since August, North Dakota authorities have arrested nearly 300 people related to the anti-pipeline movement. In early September, Dakota Access private security forces used pepper spray and dogs to try to drive protesters away from a pipeline construction site. Near that same spot on Oct. 22, police officers in riot gear used batons and pepper spray to subdue and arrest 126 peaceful protesters marching along the pipeline route. Though the protesters were peaceful, the police arrested many on charges of engaging in a riot. The events of that day spurred the protesters to invoke treaty rights and declare indigenous eminent domain on Dakota Access land on Oct. 23. Erecting roadblocks a mile and a half north of the main camp on Highway 1806, the protesters built a new camp directly in the pipelines path. It is on this spot, the protesters said, that they will make their stand. But in a coordinated six-hour effort involving hundreds of armed officers and National Guard members in riot gear, authorities were able to evict a couple of hundred protesters who were camped on that area of private land on Thursday. The length and size of that police operation likely would be dwarfed by the effort it would take to evict the thousands who have congregated at the main protest camp near Cannon Ball. Prepared for the worst Throughout the area centered roughly near Cannon Ball, N.D., fears of further violence are commonplace. Were doing catastrophic preparations, said Angela Bibens, an attorney who offers legal support for the people of the resistance camps. I dont know if there is any superlative that doesnt apply here. This camp seems imminently under siege. Certainly there is no legal training I have had that has prepared me for these kinds of scenarios. This is completely extra-legal territory. Many of the strongest voices in the resistance camps say they are committed to peace, and experts have been brought in to teach protesters how to use nonviolent methods of civil disobedience to make their case. And yet, many also are resigned to the fact that violence may find them nonetheless. Cody Hall is a spokesperson for Red Warrior Camp, an elite group of anti-pipeline activists. Theyre the ones bringing violence, Hall said. Imagine being abused over and over again, and then your oppressor looks at you and realizes youre not breaking. Theyre just going to hit back harder. Bibens said her legal team has been helping set up medical tents and coordinate routes to the nearest emergency rooms in anticipation of an imminent police raid. This community understands these tactics because they have been employed against the Native community since the foundation of this country, she said. This is nothing new, there is no veil being lifted. This is what we have experienced for generations. Attorney Bruce Ellison of Rapid City has been involved with training people within the camp to resist the police only through nonviolent means. This is a camp of peace, Ellison said. This is a spiritual camp, and people are literally willing to put their lives on the line for what they see as a threat to future generations. That its being met with such extreme militaristic violence is shocking. A long-held history For Unpa Nunpa, a 48-year-old member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, the perceived growing police aggression against the protesters is an echo of a long and painful history of violence and genocidal policies inflicted against Native Americans by the U.S. government. On a windy afternoon in October, Nunpa pointed to the nearby Missouri River and recalled how in the 1950s the Army Corps of Engineers installed a series of dams that flooded communities on Native American reservations along the waterway. The birthplace of my mother is beneath 100 feet of water, he said through gritted teeth. And its polluted water. And it was destroyed for their gain. Though he is angry, Nunpa said he does not let his anger consume him. He sees what is happening in the resistance camps as an indigenous shift in consciousness, a blueprint for future social movements grounded in peace and prayer. There has to be a different way from the violence weve been subjected to, he said. L.J. Amsterdam of New York is a member of the Ruckus Society, one of several activist groups sending civil disobedience specialists to the resistance camps. She and other trainers teach peaceful means of claiming and protecting space through techniques like the soft blockade. Folks lock arms or link legs, and whether sitting down or standing up, they realize how powerful their bodies are when they are joined to other bodies, Amsterdam said. Soft blockades are strategic because we use our bodies to highlight inequity: even though we are unarmed, we are met with militarized police. Facing down heavily armed police can be terrifying, Amsterdam said, but she reminded people to stay focused on why they are there. The police are agents of state violence, but they are not who we are here to stop, she said. We are here to stop the pipeline. Painting signs in a volunteer tent, activist Francisco Ormaza said that it was the anti-DAPL movement's emphasis on nonviolent, civil disobedience that attracted him to it in the first place. When you try to start something with violence, it is destined to be corrupted because it was born of ill blood, he said, When I see my nephew, I dont want him growing up in a world where I have to tell him I didnt do anything about it. Sonny His Chase is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux. What has happened on the land of his people in the last few months, he said, is part of a great dream. And the first part of the dream, he said, is nearing its end. We need to get ready for the second part of the dream, he said. They cannot avoid the energy of our prayer. They will fight against it, but they will only destroy themselves. All we have ever offered is peace. When we are done here we will go to other places and heal the land. This is not going to end here. The people who are here are going take this energy and move it across the earth. Hundreds of men spent thousands of man hours spent just over 14 years carving Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The figure of George Washington was finished first - nearly three years into the undertaking. It took another six years before Thomas Jefferson was finished, followed by Abraham Lincoln a year later and Theodore Roosevelt two years after that. Here are a few selected dates important to the carvings' history. 1923 December 28 - State historian Doane Robinson suggested a sculpture in the Black Hills to help boost tourism. Robinson originally wanted the sculpture to be western pioneers and Native Americans in The Needles. 1925 March 3 and 5 - Federal Government and then South Dakota authorized a carving in what was then called Harney National Forest. October 1 - The dedication of Mount Rushmore as a national memorial with a flag ceremony was held 1927 August 10 - The first ceremonial drilling took place at Mount Rushmore after President Calvin Coolidge handed sculpture Gutzon Borglum a set of drill bits. President Coolidge had spent the summer in the Black Hills. October 4 - First actual carving began on Mount Rushmore. 1930 July 4 - The dedication of the George Washington figure was held. A group of Rapid City women sewed a nearly 40-foot-long flag to cover his face for the unveiling. 1936 August 30 - The dedication of the Thomas Jefferson figure was held and the ceremony was attended by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. 1937 September 17 - The dedication of the Abraham Lincoln figure was held. 1939 July 2 - The dedication of the Theodore Roosevelt figure was held 1941 March 6 - Gutzon Borglum died in Chicago as plans for the completion ceremony were underway. October 31 - The final drilling took place under the direction of Lincoln Borglum and the memorial is considered complete. In the week since it opened, the Little Free Pantry has already proved to be an invaluable service to the less fortunate of Rapid City. The idea, inspired by the Little Free Library concept, is a grassroots project to address local food insecurity. After getting the idea on Oct. 17, Jennifer Reasor told her husband and had the box built at her home by Oct. 21. "I felt it was something that could really fill the gap for families in need around this area," Reasor said. "Some people struggle to put food on the table, to make ends meet, so if they had something like this, it's a little bit of extra help until the next payday." In the first week alone, the response to the pantry outside their home, east of North Maple Avenue and south of East Knollwood Drive, has been "overwhelming," according to Reasor. "People have been giving, receiving several times a day, and we always add stock to fill it back up," Reasor said. "It's hard to tell how much has gone in and how much has gone out because things go pretty fast." The box is open 24 hours and is not locked. Anyone who wishes to donate can stop by to put items into the box or leave them on the porch, and the box is restocked with overflow several times a day. "As for anyone who wants to use it, there's no paperwork and no questions asked," Reasor said. "They can come and take what they need." Reasor said that though she planned to have a cooler outside eventually, nonperishable items are the most recommended items, from canned and powdered milk to rice, canned tuna, cereal and peanut butter. "We've also added items that you can't get with the SNAP [food stamps] program or other pantries: toilet paper, soap, diapers, diaper wipes, toothbrushes, pet food," Reasor said. Reasor added that she crochets hats and other small items as the weather cools but asked that no bulky clothing, sharp items or consumables that contain alcohol be left. "It's a great joy to be able to feed your family for a day," Reasor said. "No one needs to go to bed hungry." The Little Free Pantry is at 1729 Brentwood St. For more information about the Little Free Pantry project, visit facebook.com/littlefreepantry. Coat drive PeopleReady is holding its second annual Giving Warmth Coat Drive. Collections started Oct. 1 and will continue through March 1. Donations can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at PeopleReady, 107A New York St. The organization is looking for clean and usable winter coats, scarves, hats and gloves. In 2015-16, PeopleReady gave away 150 pieces of winter clothing to people in the community. Bell ringers needed Volunteer and paid bell ringers are needed to man multiple kettle locations at storefronts in Rapid City, Belle Fourche, Lead, Spearfish and Sturgis. Bell Ringing begins Nov. 17 in Rapid City and Nov. 18 in the Northern Hills communities, and runs through Christmas Eve. For more information, contact The Salvation Army at 405 N. Cherry Ave., Rapid City; 342-0982. Food program Youth & Family Services will sponsor the Child and Adult Care Food Program again this year, it announced recently. The CACFP is a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and has been sponsored by YFS since 1984. This program reimburses family and group family child care providers for serving healthful meals and snacks and providing assistance in meal planning, meal preparation and nutrition education. The program also helps promote positive food attitudes and healthful eating habits. Any registered/licensed family or group family child care provider may participate. Local organizations donate more than $50,000 to nonprofit In September, First Interstate Rapid City and Casey Peterson & Associates co-hosted a fundraiser benefiting Rural America Initiatives, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of at-risk and impoverished Native American youths. A news release said the event brought in more than 2,000 food items. The First Interstate Foundation and Casey Peterson & Associates each donated $25,000 toward RAIs capital campaign to build new Head Start classrooms. In addition, First Interstate employees donated more than $1,200 to RAIs Head Start food bank, an amount also matched by the First Interstate Foundation. Halloween candy buy-back program offered Day One Dentistry is giving kids a chance to trade in their Halloween spoils for cash. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 1-2, children can take up to 5 pounds of candy to the Day One Dentistry offices at 717 Mead St., Suite 200, in Rapid City. Children will receive $1 per pound of candy. Once the candy has been collected, it will be shipped to U.S. armed forces members who are serving overseas. For more information, call 593-9023 or visit dayonedentistry.com. HOT SPRINGS | At 19, Tom Powers is quite young to be an accomplished luthier. But through formal training and trial and error, the Hot Springs resident has become just that: A budding expert in the field of making or repairing stringed instruments such as guitars and violins. Although several people from Hot Springs in the Southern Hills have succeeded in the music business as performers, even for a short time, Powers doesnt want to be on stage. Hes cobbling together a music career as a luthier and as a retailer of musical products such as guitar strings and other musical accoutrements. He also gives playing lessons. The idea began with a visit to a Rapid City music store, Powers said. I was up at Haggerty's (Haggertys Musicworks) looking at guitars when I bumped into a guy whod gone to a luthiers school in Arizona, Powers said. It was a casual thing, and I didnt even get the guys name, but it put the idea in my mind and from there it just kind of snowballed. Powers said he began looking around at luthier training schools there are a number in the U.S. but the school he liked the most, Summit School of Guitar Building and Repair, ended up being on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. His interest was piqued by the schools small class size, with only eight students per class, and the interpersonal contact with the schools three instructors. It was more like an apprenticeship, and the teachers worked with you, he said. The first portion of his instruction consisted of repairing broken guitars for about a month, then helping with minor building projects on new stringed instruments, followed by building his own guitar. At the school, Powers learned how to bend wood to form the sides of the guitars body; how to form the soundboard (the top of the guitar body) using braces; how to create the guitars neck and frets; and how to do precise inlay work. I like the physical act of working with wood, he said. It is satisfying. I feel like Ive always had an interest in this. Powers said any of the materials used spruce for the soundboard, for example can affect the sound of the guitar, along with the thickness of the wood, and other elements of the instrument's design. He is experimenting with different patterns and designs to find the sound that works, although that isnt his focus. Powers hopes that, eventually, he will find his own space, instead of working out of the Heartsong Quilts shop that his parents, Brian and Ann Powers, run in Hot Springs. He wants to have his own workshop and storefront. Powers uses a friend's woodworking shop. He also hopes, over time, to become a more recognized luthier and to build a reputation for excellence and craftsmanship. There are three known luthiers in South Dakota one in Sioux Falls, one in Rapid City, and a third elsewhere. Many people do repair work or build stringed instruments on their own, as hobbyists. Western Montana is also a hub, especially Bozeman, where the Gibson guitar factory is located. Brian Powers said he and his son are looking into selling a unique brand of guitar. Brian also anticipated selling a low-priced line of guitars, guitars for beginners, because few parents want to pay a lot of money for a guitar if their children dont really take to it. Brian Powers is proud of his sons accomplishments. The instructors at his sons school said that by cobbling together several music-related avenues, his son could earn a decent living as a musician. Its also really cool to see your kids making something like a ukulele or a bass guitar, Brian Powers said. You get to tell them, Dude, thats really nice! Seventy-five years have passed since the jackhammers fell silent at Mount Rushmore National Memorial and sculptor Gutzon Borglums drill-dusty crew dismantled their scaffolding and returned the mountain to the silence from which they had awakened it 14 years earlier. In their wake they left a monument for the ages, symbolizing in stone the true spirit of a nation. Through the colossal carvings of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, Borglum and his supporters sought to signify the birth, growth, preservation and development of the United States of America. In so doing, they created one of the worlds most recognizable icons, a magnet that today attracts nearly 3 million annual visitors to South Dakota. In early morning, as the first rays of day filter through the Badlands far to the east, casting a pinkish hue on the four faces of freedom, Mount Rushmore awakens to a steady stream of visitors. At dusk, as the sunlight wanes in the west, the memorials lighting ceremony and patriotic program attracts thousands of guests, making it one of the most popular interpretive offerings in the National Park Service system. Between the break of day and the setting sun, visitors walk the Avenue of Flags and the Presidential Trail leading to the base of the sculpture, they tour the museum and Sculptors Studio which houses the original working model for the memorial, and view a powerful movie that explains Mount Rushmores origins and the manner in which it was carved using dynamite and drills. In-season, rangers with the National Park Service host guided walking tours, educational talks and childrens activities in the new Youth Exploration Area. From the partially finished hand of Abraham Lincoln, to unrealized plans for a giant inscription, to the never-removed scree of waste rocks at the base of the mountain, there are a surprising number of ways in which Mondays 75th anniversary of the completion of Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a misnomer. It would be more accurate to say that the anniversary marks the day Oct. 31, 1941 that the carving of the mountain paused, apparently never to resume. That idea that the carving was unfinished was well understood at the time, and there was uncertainty whether any further work would be undertaken. Today, a clear but routinely overlooked indicator of the unfinished work is visible below Lincolns face, where his hand was supposed to grip his lapel. Only the bumps of a few knuckles and fingers were carved and can be seen when viewed in person at certain angles or in some photos where the light is right. Lincoln Borglum decided to forgo further work on the hand in 1941 after his father, Gutzon Borglum, the artistic mastermind of the project, died of a heart attack early in the year. The elder Borglum intended to carve the presidents down to their waists, but his death unfortunately coincided with the nations military buildup ahead of World War II. Neither Congress nor President Franklin Roosevelt was in a mood to spend further money on a mountain carving, especially with the faces mostly complete and their chief carver dead. So, the younger Borglum and his carvers touched up the faces as best they could with what little money remained. He left the rest of the Lincoln hand and the intended torsos as they were, and then submitted his final report to the carving commission. With the possible exception of some more work on the hand of Lincoln to make it stand out more and to balance that part of the memorial, he wrote, I do not think any more should be done on [the] figures . No further carving was ever carried out. Nor was the removal of the giant pile of waste rocks at the base of the carving, despite Lincoln Borglums recommendation. Fifty-seven years would pass before there was finally some action on another of Lincoln Borglums recommendations: the completion of his fathers planned Hall of Records, which was to be tucked into a small canyon behind Lincolns head in an area not visible from the visitor center. Gutzon Borglum felt strongly that there should be such a vault to store documents and artifacts relevant to American history, so they could be found thousands of years into the future by people who might not know why the mountain was carved or what it represented. He hoped for a room 80 by 100 feet, with an 800-foot stairway carved up to it. He envisioned a grand entrance featuring glass doors and a bronze eagle. Work began on the hall in 1938 and continued into 1939. Only a 70-foot tunnel was rough-cut into the canyon before Congress ordered work to be confined faces. In 1998, a teak wood box containing 16 inscribed porcelain panels was placed inside a titanium vault in the floor of the tunnel, below a granite capstone. The panels tell the story and meaning of the mountain carving and the reasons for the selection of the four presidents, and also list the text of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. The area is off-limits to visitors. Another vision of Gutzon Borglums was never begun, let alone finished. That was a giant inscription Borglum called it an entablature briefly detailing the history of the United States on an area about 80 feet wide and 120 feet tall to the side of the presidential figures. Around the time that carving began in 1927, Borglum invited then-President Calvin Coolidge to write the text of the essay. Three years later, Borglum edited Coolidges draft without the presidents knowledge or permission and released it to the press. When the writing was widely criticized, Borglum acknowledged making some edits, and the resulting controversy led Coolidge to withdraw from the project. In 1934, Borglum partnered with the Hearst chain of newspapers to promote an essay contest, with the winning essay to be used as the text of the entablature. But Borglum later abandoned the entablature as the cost of the carving grew and a realization set in that the letters could not be carved large enough to be seen from a distance. When that piece of unfinished business is considered along with all the rest, there is arguably more about Mount Rushmore that is incomplete than complete. But thats OK and even appropriate, according to a Travel News bulletin that was circulated by the South Dakota Department of Tourism during the nations bicentennial year of 1976. The unfinished dream of Rushmore is much like the nation, the bulletin said. It symbolizes ideals which are unfinished business. Schneider with BAC Kaelin Schneider has been hired as a full-time flightline technician at Bismarck Aero Center. A native of Rugby, Schneider most recently worked for his familys aerial spraying company. Schneider earned an associates degree in business management from Bismarck State College and holds a private pilots license. Swiontek serves Steve Swiontek, Gate City Bank chairman, president and CEO since 2001, has been appointed to the Community Bank Advisory Council in Washington, D.C. The council advises and consults with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on consumer financial issues related to community banks. Two join firm Karli Skjeret and Amy Madsen have joined Quality Title Inc., Bismarck, Skjeret is a closing officer. She has more than 15 years of experience in the financial industry, eight of them as a mortgage lender. Madsen is a human resource manager and executive assistant. She has executive assistant experience in the financial industry and almost 20 years of knowledge in administrative support. Henderson with clinic Dr. Lindsey Henderson recently joined Sanford South Clinic in Bismarck as a family medicine physician. Henderson received her medical degree from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences and completed her residency training in family medicine from Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine in Kalamazoo. Two recognized Shirley Thomas and Darcy Fettig are Bianco Realtys Realtors of the month for having the most closed sales in September. Schmidt gets award Rosanne Schmidt, vice president/chief nursing officer at CHI St. Alexius Health Bismarck Medical Center, received the 2016 Sister Boniface Timmins Leadership Award. Schmidt began her nursing career at CHI St. Alexius Health as a registered nurse on the childrens unit and has since held leadership positions at various levels and multiple units, including interim administrator at the Garrison hospital and nursing home. She has been CHI St. Alexius Healths chief nursing officer since 2010. The award is presented to a person in leadership who typifies or emulates the qualities of servant leadership demonstrated by Timmins, who was administrator at St. Alexius for nearly 40 years. Chaussee with AARP Mike Chaussee, Bismarck, has joined the staff of AARP North Dakota as associate state director for advocacy. Chaussee most recently was assistant news director and assignment editor at KXMB-TV. He earlier was on the University of Mary faculty. Chaussee earned a bachelors degree in communication from U-Mary and a masters degree in mass communication from North Dakota State University. Larson joins staff Beth Larson has joined Community Options, Bismarck, as operations officer of the ISLA and QSP programs. A graduate of Brigham Young University, Larson previously worked as a qualified intellectual disabilities professional at the Utah State Developmental Center in Provo. She has eight years of experience working with people with disabilities. Two serve RCU Rob Palmer has been added to the Railway Credit Union Advisory Committee and Jerry Suko has been appointed to the RCU board of directors. Palmer, a Mandan native, is lead marketing consultant with Midco in Bismarck. Suko lives in Bismarck and is a retired BNSF Railway trainmaster and an Air Force veteran. Two recognized Jill Beck, CEO for the North Dakota Association of Realtors, and James Hoppe, with Century 21 Morrison Realty Bismarck, received a Medallion of Service from the North Dakota Association of Realtors. Beck was inducted into the Omega Tau Rho fraternity by the North Dakota Association of Realtors in recognition of her leadership skills, specifically 10 years as its CEO. Hoppe was nominated into OTR in recognition of his years of membership. He also recently received National Association of Realtors Realtor Emeritus status, which is based on a cumulative 40 years in one or more associations of Realtors. Advisers attend Joel Bird and Jason Kirchmeier, advisers with Ameriprise Financial in Bismarck, attended the 2016 Million Dollar Round Table Top of the Table annual meeting last month in Quebec City, Quebec. Top of the Table is MDRTs highest level of membership. Hundreds of people were vital to the carving of Mount Rushmore, from those who raised money to those who wielded jackhammers. But if only four people had to be selected as most important to the project a Mount Rushmore of Mount Rushmore, so to speak who would deserve the honor? Here is a lineup of four faces that might be worthy of enshrinement. Doane Robinson Robinson was South Dakotas state historian when, in the early 1920s, he became convinced that the famous Needles formations in the Black Hills should be carved into sculptures of great Western heroes to attract tourists. He eventually contacted Gutzon Borglum, who was then carving a Confederate Civil War memorial at Stone Mountain in Georgia. Borglums relationship with the Stone Mountain backers was deteriorating over financial and personal conflicts, so he eagerly accepted an invitation from Robinson to visit South Dakotas Black Hills. After viewing the Black Hills and its rock formations, Borglum eschewed Robinsons idea to carve the Needles in favor of what became the Mount Rushmore we know today likenesses of presidents carved into a giant granite mountainside. The change in direction did not diminish Robinsons enthusiasm for the project. He worked hard to build public support and attract funding, and to smoothe the volatile Borglums relationships with other project backers. Robinson was 71 years old when the carving of Mount Rushmore began in 1927, and he lived to age 90 before dying in 1946, five years after the end of carving. As the "Father of Mount Rushmore," Robinson perhaps deserves the first position on the Mount Rushmore of Mount Rushmore, similar to the spot occupied by the Father of Our Country, George Washington, on the actual memorial. Gutzon Borglum William Williamson was a South Dakota congressman who worked to secure federal funding for the carving of Mount Rushmore. When Williamson wrote his autobiography in 1964, he was unequivocal in identifying Gutzon Borglum as the most important person in the creation of the mountain carving. I, and so many others, have heard people say, if it had not been for so and so, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial could never have become a reality, Williamson wrote. The fact is that there was only one indispensable man connected with it and that man was Gutzon Borglum. Borglums temperament and regard for himself and his artistic talents were as grandiose as the faces he carved into Mount Rushmore. Like the clouds of the sky, Williamson wrote of Borglum, he had many moods. Yet Borglums eccentricities were precisely the qualities that made him the perfect man to tackle a mountain carving. Had he not been different and unusual, Williamson wrote of Borglum, he would never have signed a contract to carve four of our pre-eminent statesmen on the crest of a 6,000-foot-high mountain without a penny in hand or promise for the cost of construction. Borglum was an accomplished and respected sculptor long before he came to Mount Rushmore, but the presidential mountain carving would become his lifes work and obsession. For 14 years starting in 1927, he engaged in the physical labor of carving the mountain, the overseeing of hundreds of workers and the raising of funds. When he died in March 1941 at the age of 73, Mount Rushmore as we know it today was mostly complete, although Borglums son Lincoln continued the work through that years summer season. As the artistic visionary of the project, Borglums role in creating Mount Rushmore was similar to the role that Thomas Jefferson, the poetic author of the Declaration of Independence, played in the creation of the United States. As such, Borglum should perhaps inhabit the Jefferson position on the Mount Rushmore of Mount Rushmore. Calvin Coolidge Though his contributions to Mount Rushmore are often overlooked today, the nations reserved and tight-lipped 30th president was undeniably crucial to the memorials creation. Coolidge, like other presidents of his time, took lengthy summer vacations to escape the heat and mosquitoes of Washington, D.C. In 1927, he vacationed in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where Borglum and others convinced him to attend the commencement of carving at Mount Rushmore. At that time, the project was by no means assured of success. By July 1927, the month before Coolidges visit to the mountain, the association backing the project had only $28,000 on hand. It was thought at the time that more than $400,000 would be needed to complete the carving, and in the end that figure would total nearly $1 million. To the delight of everyone involved with the project, Coolidge gave it a major boost during his speech at the beginning of the carving. The people of South Dakota are taking the lead in the preparation of this memorial out of their meager resources, because the American spirit is strong among them, Coolidge said. Their effort and courage entitles them to the sympathy and support of private beneficence and the national government. Two years later, as Coolidge served his last days in office, he signed legislation pledging the first $250,000 of federal funding for the project, to be matched by private donations. It was a crucial loosening of the federal purse strings, which would ultimately account for about 80 percent of the money spent on the carving. South Dakota historian Rex Alan Smith wrote in his book The Carving of Mount Rushmore that if it hadnt been for Coolidges vacation in the Black Hills in 1927, the Rushmore carving probably would never have been created. Coolidges underappreciated role in the creation of Mount Rushmore is akin to Roosevelts status as perhaps the least appreciated of the four presidents on the mountain. As such, Coolidge seems a natural choice to occupy the Roosevelt-like third position on the Mount Rushmore of Mount Rushmore. Peter Norbeck As a loyal devotee of Teddy Roosevelt-style progressive Republicanism, Peter Norbeck would probably be upset at not occupying the Roosevelt position on the Mount Rushmore of Mount Rushmore. But Norbecks role in the creation of the memorial was more comparable to the role played by Abraham Lincoln during his presidency. It was Lincoln who kept the nation together through the Civil War, and it was Norbeck who so often served as a steadying and uniting force at the heart of the Rushmore saga. Norbeck was a burly well-driller who spoke with a Scandinavian accent inherited from his parents. He served as governor before being elected to the U.S. Senate and is considered by many to be the most influential political figure in South Dakota history. Norbeck was among the first to recognize the far-reaching tourism potential of the Mount Rushmore project. He had already led the effort to create Custer State Park and the Needles Highway near Mount Rushmore, and after the Rushmore carving began, he guided the construction of Iron Mountain Road and its three tunnels that picturesquely frame the mountain carving. Norbeck also played a leading role in attracting President Coolidge to South Dakota for a summer vacation, where Coolidge announced his support for the Rushmore project. In Congress, Norbeck leveraged his political clout to help secure federal funding for the carving, and he additionally supported private fundraising efforts and helped mend relational fences that the flamboyant Borglum always seemed to tear down. Norbeck also advocated for the inclusion of his political idol, Theodore Roosevelt, in the presidential lineup on the mountain. PIERRE | Is that true? Thats the question Im getting this election season from people. Theyre asking about campaign ads that allege political corruption in state government, specifically the Legislature. We know, unfortunately, there has been corruption reaching up to the Cabinet level. The EB-5 immigrant investor scandal occurred in the previous administration of Gov. Mike Rounds. It came to light during the administration of Gov. Dennis Daugaard. The public didnt know about it until after Richard Benda, a former Cabinet secretary for Rounds, reportedly killed himself three Octobers ago. We didnt know the investigation had been under way at the federal and state levels for months. A pending grand jury appearance very well might have triggered Bendas death by shotgun. We didnt know until about 10 months after he died that state Attorney General Marty Jackley planned to take Benda before a grand jury. The public learned about the grand jury only because a committee of the Legislature wanted more information from Jackley about EB-5. The cone of silence extended so deeply that the states auditor general, who serves as a watchdog for the Legislature on state governments financial activities, didnt know about the semi-secret EB-5 accounts. The cone of silence hid for years another scandal, regarding millions of dollars in misdirected funds for the Gear Up program. The Gear-Up abuses took root during the Rounds administration and continued during the Daugaard administration. During the past two years, the auditor general uncovered some financial weaknesses in the state Department of Educations administration of Gear Up. One involved payments to two former state officials, Rick Melmer and Keith Moore, whom Education Secretary Melody Schopp had approved to watch over Gear Up. They were under contract to the Mid Central Education Cooperative at Platte that ran Gear Up. The auditor generals investigation of Gear Up deepened. The Legislatures Government Operations and Audit Committee began to dig into it. The attorney general hadnt paid any attention to the auditor generals findings on Gear Up until one morning in September 2015. The six members of the Westerhuis family were shot to death and found in the rubble of their burned-down house just outside Platte. Scott Westerhuis was business manager for Mid Central. His spouse, Nicole Westerhuis, was an assistant business manager. He allegedly did the killings. Both were deeply involved in Gear Up with its director, Stacy Phelps, who was a Rounds and Daugaard appointee serving on the state Board of Education. The attorney general now has three people, including Phelps, under indictment over Gear Up. He also has under indictment Joop Bollen, who was Bendas partner in EB-5 and held the state contract for its administration. South Dakota hadnt seen such corruption before in modern times. None of this would be directly affected, however, under the three measures on the Nov. 8 statewide election ballot that seek to change state governments elections system. Initiated Measure 22 would impose new restrictions on the conduct of legislators and state officials and provide public funding that could be used by candidates seeking election. Constitutional amendment T would create a new commission that would draw legislative districts. The Legislature currently does that every decade. Constitutional amendment V would create a system of nonpartisan elections. They seek to diminish Republicans control of state government. You can debate whether that is needed or not and whether the changes would accomplish it. But as corruption-control measures, they aim at the wrong target. The public knows about the two scandals because people died violently and the Legislature eventually looked into matters. The Legislature should dig deeper. The third and fourth floors of the Capitol, where legislators work, arent where the cone of silence began. By now you probably have heard the story from Cardinal Timothy Dolan, telling of a moment before the Al Smith dinner in New York where Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump briefly met with him as they were about to enter. Dolan asked the two to pray with him, which they did, and then Trump, well ... why don't we let Cardinal Dolan tell it: "[He] turned to Clinton and said, 'You know, you are one tough and talented woman,'" adding, "This has been a good experience this whole campaign as tough as it's been." "Whatever happens, we need to work together afterwards," Clinton responded. It's difficult to think any such warm and fuzzy conversation between the two of them would even be possible in a campaign that has been so brutally cold and abrasive. But let's suspend our disbelief. After all, it's a cardinal describing what happened. Hillary's comment about working together is going to be a vital imperative once the election is decided, if there's any chance whatsoever of putting a stop to the nation being badly ripped to tatters. The United States is not united, and the shredding has been going on for years. Trump exploited the division and made it worse, and assuming it's Hillary Clinton who wins, she will need Trump and his millions of intensely angry supporters to help stanch the bleeding and rescue a country that is weakened by hatred and distrust. We exist in separate antagonistic enclaves. It's worse than the red state/blue state boundary lines where the culture rigidly rules politics; it has even poisoned personal relationships. A Pew survey in June found that almost half of Clinton backers, 47 percent, said they have no close friends who support Donald Trump. Nearly a third, 31 percent, of the Trump supporters said none of their besties were in favor of Hillary Clinton. How do you achieve any national consensus with that kind of isolation? The answer is that you cannot. Somehow, we must find a common ground or the ground beneath us will collapse, which is another way of saying the U.S. will not survive. So what's a president to do? Whoever it is will have to lead us into changing our ways. A big reason for all the anger is that we believe we're getting a raw deal. We have to insist on ways to fairly distribute our wealth so that our society is more than a few super-rich people and millions of serfs. We must outgrow our hateful prejudices and somehow have to be better informed. Ignorance is not bliss; it's fertile ground for the demagogues who prosper as the country craters. That means our leaders also will have to change their ways. It starts at the top of the heap. If it's President Hillary Clinton, it's essential that she abandons her secretive way of doing things. As for a President Donald Trump, he will have to fundamentally transform as a person. Few in power seem to care much about statesmanship. Without it, we will continue to disintegrate. Our political system must reform into something that is not corrupt and obsolete. It's in the interest of our politicians. If they don't, they will be overthrown. They, and our country as we know it, will not have a prayer. WASHINGTON | If Donald Trump's presidential campaign were one of his beauty pageants, instead of a "Miss Congeniality" consolation prize there would have to be a "Mr. or Ms. Deplorable." According to my scorecard, the winner is Rudy Giuliani. Trump is the master of ceremonies, so he's ineligible. The competition among his enablers to see who can most thoroughly squander credibility and reputation has been fierce. There are so many worthy candidates for the Deplorable sash that it's a shame only one aide or surrogate can win. Begin with Mike Pence, a committed Christian, who disingenuously tells audiences that his running mate known to be a bully, a bigot, a misogynist and a libertine is "a good man." Pretty deplorable. Then there's Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, who let Trump steal his party and then became one of Trump's vassals. Allowing the traditions and honor of the party of Lincoln to be so horribly debased is definitely deplorable. Chris Christie might get some points for his self-inflicted double humiliation: First he got embarrassed by Trump in the primaries, then he became the first also-ran to give the usurper his endorsement. Christie is smart and has told friends he hoped Trump could be taught and molded. Whatever his motive, history will judge Christie's role among Trump's inner circle as both cynical and deplorable. Serious contenders, all. But my runner-up for Mr. Deplorable is the inimitable Newt Gingrich. His over-the-top grandiloquence puts him in another league. One recent illustration came when Trump went to Gettysburg and delivered a much-hyped "major" speech mostly a repackaging of previously announced policies. But the headline was that Trump, disgracefully, had used such a hallowed setting to threaten lawsuits against the women who say he groped or forcibly kissed them. The irrepressible Gingrich tried to spin this debacle into something for the ages. "Trump's most important speech, maybe the best reform speech since [Ronald] Reagan in 1980," he called it. That's not hyperbole, it's hallucination. On Tuesday, Gingrich haughtily berated Fox News host Megyn Kelly for supposedly giving too much coverage to Trump's alleged sexual predations and not enough to Hillary Clinton's email problems. Kelly patiently explained that the accusers' stories are clearly newsworthy. "You want to go back through the tapes of your show recently?" Gingrich demanded. "You are fascinated with sex and you don't care about public policy." Yes, the Gingrich oeuvre of deplorability is rich and deep. But for sheer mean-spirited lunacy, it is Giuliani who deserves to wear the Mr. Deplorable tiara. He all but sewed up the title at the Republican convention with a speech that was neither spoken nor shouted, but shrieked. The former New York mayor, who showed such inspiring steadiness and resolve following the 9/11 attacks, described a nation cowering in fear of jihadist terrorism and rapidly sinking into utter ruin. When FBI Director James Comey decided "no reasonable prosecutor" would file charges against Clinton over her emails, Giuliani went ballistic. On Wednesday, he had a verbal brawl with CNN's Chris Cuomo about that subject. Giuliani insisted on a conspiratorial theory about Clinton's exoneration that is hard to briefly summarize; suffice it to say his scenario requires either clairvoyance or time travel. Giuliani called one rambling Trump address "the best speech that any Republican, at the least, has ever given," which I guess includes Lincoln. He has repeatedly claimed, with zero evidence, that Clinton suffers from some serious undisclosed illness. He has even devoted time and energy to feuding with Beyonce. You win, Mr. Mayor. Congratulations are not in order. For the second time in six years, South Dakota is facing a budget deficit. In 2011, Gov. Dennis Daugaard tackled a projected deficit of more than $100 million when he took office and was generally applauded for getting the Legislature to approve across-the-board budget cuts of nearly 10 percent, which rippled through the entire state. Now, we are learning that lagging sales tax collections in the first three months of this fiscal year are sending alarms through the state budget office. According to Jason Dilges, the commissioner of finance and management, sales tax revenue needs to grow by about 17 percent for the remainder of the fiscal year for the state to collect enough revenue to have a balanced budget, which our Constitution requires. In 2010, our budget problems mirrored what was going on across the nation in the wake of the Great Recession. This time, however, there is not a recession to blame even though prices for corn and cattle are down, which is not unusual for an industry that is accustomed to price fluctuations. So why is the state collecting less sales tax this year and falling short of meeting the increase in revenue state officials forecast when the budget was approved by lawmakers? While there might be other reasons to consider, it seems clear that government at every level in South Dakota has gone to the well in this case, the taxpayers pocketbooks too many times since 2010 and taxpayers are feeling tapped out. Whether it is Rapid City spending $1,700 so the mayor and 11 department heads can spend a day and a night at a Deadwood casino to discuss the pressing topic of succession planning just weeks after approving an expenditure of $44,000 to hire headhunters to help fill two openings, or Pennington County fast-tracking a $6.3 million highway office and shop after spending more than $30 million on various projects since 2011, or the Board of Regents asking the state for $113 million for new facilities even though enrollment is flat at our universities, it is the taxpayers who are bearing the load. In 2014, the Legislature passed the road and bridge spending bill that raised the gasoline tax, the vehicle excise tax and fees for license plates and required counties to either implement or raise wheel taxes to become eligible for some of that money. The county has discussed raising property taxes for the past two years even though rising property values have generated more revenue. Rapid City officials seem determined to charge $250 for a short-term rental permit, thus making it more difficult for beleaguered property owners who want to rent a room in their home on occasion. This comes in the wake of a drainage utility tax that every property owner pays, a new sump pump tax and the relatively recent need to get a building permit when hiring a roofer to shingle your home. The city also has begun charging more to dispose of those shingles at the landfill. South Dakota's elected leaders like to tout conservative values and a common-sense approach to governing, but that no longer seems to be the case if one looks at their spending practices. The reality is that wages in this state are among the lowest in the nation and residents are seeing more of their disposable income taken by government. If state, county and local officials continue on their present course, we can expect budget shortfalls to be part of an annual conversation. It cannot be denied that marijuana has medical properties. But proponents of I-182 want you to recognize the medical benefits and deny the significant negative health, social and economic consequences that it has on our communities. Marijuana is neither safe nor harmless. While well-tested pharmaceutical marijuana products may be a valid form of medication, I-182 does not responsibly grant access of medical marijuana with the oversight of medical professionals to patients who may truly benefit from it while knowing the possible risks of taking it. In the meantime Because marijuana contains psychoactive cannabinoids, substance use disorders resulting from its use are serious and a widespread health problem. Marijuana use has adverse health consequences including damage to specific organs and tissues and impairments in behavioral and neurological functioning. Marijuana is the most common drug involved in drugged driving and is a significant cause of highway crashes, injury and death. Marijuana legalization leads the public to view marijuana as less harmful which increases the rate of marijuana use in youth. While cigarette use has decreased in high school students, marijuana use has increased. Marijuana is the drug used by an estimated 61% of all Americans suffering from a substance use disorder related to drugs other than alcohol. It is not in the best interest of Montanans to once again make marijuana more widely available and more acceptable. It didnt work the first time and it wont work again. I-182 is just another attempt by the pro-marijuana advocates to normalize its use in this state. Susan Sullivan Billings It is not surprising that tourism and outdoor recreation have surpassed agriculture as the number one revenue resource for Montana. Montana has the potential for the top two economic drivers to be industries that are ultimately sustainable. These industries require natural infrastructure: pristine, natural wild land with clean rivers and streams and protected watersheds; agricultural land that is balanced with our ecosystem; ergonomic and efficient transportation systems for easy access to markets, which in turn promote preservation of agricultural land. It is irresponsible to dismantle what little remains of undeveloped and wild land and short sighted to not encourage sustainable agricultural land use. Furthermore, these top revenue drivers should be expanded wherever possible. I hear Senator Steve Daines, Congressman Ryan Zinke and candidate Greg Gianforte calling for a return to the good ole days of natural resource extraction as the main driver of our economy. I believe this direction presents a great threat to Montanas future. There is definitely a role for natural resource extraction, but that must be accomplished without polluting or sacrificing our natural ecosystem. Natural resource extraction industries will never be nor should be the biggest players in the economy of Montana. Politics are local. Look at the costly mistakes the Ravalli County Commissioners have made in their unrealistic quest to support one or two segments of the valleys economy the Legacy Ranch, the Lords Settlement, Upper Woodchuck Road as well as the Grantsdale Addition and Blood Lane proposals. Not to mention the Stamey fiasco and the Road Dept. debacle. Promoting growth without a growth policy and weakening planning regulations demonstrate this commissions lack of leadership. Manage federal lands? Who are they kidding? They cant manage the county! I am voting for Big Dave Smith for Ravalli County Commissioner. Being a third generation Montanan I have known the Smith family since before Dave Smith was born, and have known him since he was knee high to a grasshopper. Big Dave is a family man, independent contractor, outdoorsman, and farmer-rancher. He has always been fair, honest, balanced and sensible. He is not tied to any special interest. The Bitterroot needs a commissioner with vision. Big Dave Smith is a welcome change for now and into the future. Vote for Big Dave Smith for maintaining our quality of life in the Bitterroot Valley and Montana. "KK Moggie, our extraordinary lead actress, has also been a professor at Columbia University, and she mentored our students about performance in the industry," Bielinski said. "Alvah Holmes, our cinematographer from 'The Good Father,' consistently took time to explain to students what it means to compose a beautiful cinematic shot. Jason Bedard, our gaffer from Fargo, trained our students to set up the lights and gear required by each shot of the film." Much of the Bismarck and Mandan art community participated in some way. Such support was critical, according to Bielinski. Even food was catered for the shoot each day, along with period set pieces, props and costumes. "We received a tremendous amount of local recognition for our past film, 'The Good Father,'" said Bielinski, indicating that support has continued to grow. "Community members have rallied around the university taking charge of an art form hitherto unexplored in this part of North Dakota." America must return to conservative principles of less government,reduced taxes, less spending and a balanced budget! Cut,cap and balance! BEIJING: Chinas imports of North Korean coal run counter to global sanctions, a senior US official said on Saturday, adding that a US missile system deployed in South Korea should motivate Beijing to pressure Pyongyang over its nuclear program. North Koreas exports of coal to China provide a lifeline for the country and are also seen by the United States as a crucial area where Beijing has leverage over its neighbor, which has carried out a series of missile and nuclear tests in defiance of international sanctions. China announced in April that it would ban North Korean coal imports to comply with UN sanctions, though it made exemptions for deliveries intended for livelihood purposes. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken told journalists that China had reversed the burden of proof put forward under UN Security Council resolution 2270 adopted in March in response to a North Korean nuclear test. The plain language of 2270 makes it very clear that the export of coal, or the importation of coal if you are China, is prohibited unless you can demonstrate that the transaction in question goes to the livelihood of the North Korean people, Blinken said in Beijing after visits to Japan and South Korea. The Chinese have reversed the presumption and their approach has been that the trade in coal is allowed unless you can demonstrate that it is going to the weapons program. But thats not what 2270 says, he said. Coal is particularly important to the economic health of North Korea because it is one of its only sources of hard currency. China imported $1 billion worth of North Korean coal in 2015, according to Chinese customs data. Beijing fears strengthening sanctions could lead to collapse in North Korea, sending a flood of refugees across the border into China, and it also believes the United States and South Korea share responsibility for growing tensions in the region. North Koreas fourth nuclear test in January was followed by a satellite launch, a string of tests of various missiles, and its fifth and largest nuclear test in September. China has repeatedly expressed anger at the United States and South Korea for their decision to deploy the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in the South to counter threats from North Korea. Beijing worries that the systems powerful radar will compromise Chinas security. Blinken said THAAD was the latest but not the last defensive step that the US would take if the North Korean nuclear threat persists, and that hopefully it would motivate China to work with us to change the conduct of the North Korean regime. Kathmandu, Nepal: Laxmi Pooja, the third day of the Tihar or Yamapanchak is being marked by worship to the Goddess of wealth throughout the country today. The Hindus celebrate the Laxmi Pooja with delight by worshipping the cow, the symbol of goddess Laxmi, on the morning and lighting in the evening. People light butter lamps and candles inside and outside of the households to light up the path of Goddess Laxmi in order to welcome her. With the Laxmi Pooja, Deusi and Bhailo, cultural program, also begun from today. It is believed that king Bali had sent Deusi and Bhailo to visit different homes singing and dancing for the prosperity. 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History is abused because itas through history we learn about our past, and defines our present and shapes the vision of our future... Hitler lent dignity and prestige to the German government within a short time by establishing a strong administrative setup. He created the vast state of Greater Germany. He adopted a new economic policy and brought prosperity to Germany. He began efforts for the eradication of unemployment. He started constructing public buildings, providing irrigation facilities, building railways, roads and production of war materials.a This is not a quote from history book of Nazi Germany. Itas a quote from a Class 10 social science book that was taught in Gujarat between the years 2000 and 2005 under BJP chief ministers Keshubhai Patel and Narendra Modi. The book goes on to say: aHitler instilled a spirit of adventurism in the German people, but in doing so it led to extreme nationalism and caused the Second World War.a Not a word on the Holocaust, or the consequence of the war on Germany itself! This not only shows ideological inclination of the current ruling party to one of the worst dictators in human history, but also how by deliberately presenting some facts and withholding far more important ones, the government was trying to influence young minds. The book was withdrawn after the consul-general of Israel visited Gujarat in October 2005. Compare this eulogy of Hitler with the new social science textbooks for Class 8 in BJP-ruled Rajasthan, where Jawaharlal Nehru is mentioned as one-liners in two different chapters. The book is silent about his participation in the independence movement, about his immense contribution as the architect of modern India, and a simple fact that he was the first Prime Minister of independent India. Itas a shame that attempts are being made to relegate a global personality like Nehru to the footnotes of history. Like the Taliban in Afghanistan who destroyed the Bamiyan Buddha, some people are trying to demolish our own national icons. These are two glaring examples of historical negationism and revisionism. Education is one of the most potent tools to capture young minds and influence generations. Whenever an intolerant regime comes to power, there is a deliberate attempt to destroy educational and cultural institutions. History becomes the most abused discipline because itas through reading of history we learn about our past, and that in turn, defines our present and shapes the vision of our future. Historical negationism and revisionism is not reinterpreting or questioning well-established tenets from a different perspective. It is an attempt to revise past by disregarding all well-established technique and methodology of historical research, by deliberate acts of omission of historical facts to create a biased opinion, by deliberate distortion of historical records, even by creating forged documents and tampering with evidence; and making outrageous claims based on most flimsy evidence. One RSS scholar, late V.S. Wakankar, claimed that modern homo sapiens evolved and diffused from upper Saraswati region, an area held sacred by RSS vedic scholars. The basis of this assertion was the discovery of the fossil of a pre-humanoid ape, the Ramapithecus, during the British period in the region. However, the scholar failed to note that this species was not in the lines of humans, but of orangutans. Currently, books by self-proclaimed historians like Dinanath Batra, who credits everything like stem cell technology and automobile industry to the Vedic age, are being given credibility as his books are being taught in BJP-ruled states of Haryana and Gujarat. Thereas an open aggression about the way RSS ideologues are trying to capture the intellectual space. However, other subtle methods, probably far more dangerous, are at play. Last year, we saw a newly generated interest and heated debates regarding declassification of the Netaji files. A vicious atmosphere was created wherein a deliberate attempt was made to implicate Nehru and the senior leadership of Congress of a heinous make-believe crime that never happened. A host of so-called Netaji experts were given media space at the cost of serious, rational academic discourse. There were selective leaks of classified files, forged documents doing rounds on the Internet that were taken as evidence to influence the viewers. Outrageous insinuations were made. Serious academic works on the subject, including a definitive biography of Netaji, His Majestyas Opponent, by his great-grand-nephew Sugata Bose, a professional historian who taught at Harvard, were completely ignored. At no point, the Government of India through the Prime Ministeras Office or the home ministry or external affairs ministry made any statement except for announcement of a decision to declassify the files. It let its party spokespersons, cronies in the media, and some dubious aexpertsa on Netaji do the job. Itas another matter that the interest on Netaji seems to have died down after the West Bengal polls were over. This was a classic case of false propaganda being used to create false perceptions. In current age, the Internet and social media are other informal tools that are being used to spread false information, twisted interpretation of history and historical personalities. Just a cursory Google check on Nehru shows what kind of vicious and poisonous propaganda machinery is at play. In this frenzied atmosphere of intellectual dishonesty and intolerance where the RSS and the right-wing forces are trying to monopolise the dominant space in the ideological discourse, any one who falls outside this narrative is termed anti-national. In the last two and a half years, we have seen how heavily they have come down on anyone attempting to speak a language different than theirs. Whether Rohith Vemula or Kanhaiya Kumar, rationalists who were murdered or the artists and writers returning awards, are all aanti-nationalsa . Some people do not learn from history. They think that by using brute force or false propaganda they can rewrite history. They do not realise that fanaticism and falsehood do not pay dividend in the long run. Otherwise they would have remembered that the regime that carved out an empire in Europe by using brute force and false propaganda collapsed within a few years. A Reich that was supposed to last for 1,000 years crumbled to dust within a decade. India is a young nation but an ancient civilisation. The people of India will not let a few fanatics destroy India because we are guided by the millennia-old collective wisdom that said: aAsato ma sadgamaya, tamaso maa jyotir gamaya, mrityor maa amritam gamaya (Lead us from untruth to truth, from darkness to light, from annihilation to eternity).a The writer is chief spokesperson, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, and national media panelist, AICC SNc Channels: Search About Salem-News.com Oct-29-2016 18:42 TweetFollow @OregonNews In Fairness, FBI Must Quickly Reveal Facts About Newly Discovered Emails ...there is not enough time before the election for the FBI to review the emails... FBI Director James Comey (SAN FRANCISCO) - On October 28, 2016, FBI Director sent a letter to Congress "in connection with the Secretary Clinton email investigation." The emails were found on a computer used by Huma Abedin, former deputy chief-of-staff to Secretary of State Clinton, and backed up on her husband's (disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner) computer. Putting aside Comey's motives for sending such a letter eleven days before the election and nearly four months after Comey said he wouldn't recommend criminal charges because of Clinton's use of the server, his letter is devoid of facts to evaluate the significance of the emails. The letter uses such phrases as "appear to be pertinent" and "we don't know the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails." Comey later admitted that the emails had not been reviewed. For all we know, some, most, or all of these emails are duplicates of emails already reviewed by the FBI. Unfortunately, there is not enough time before the election for the FBI to review the emails and to report to the American people their significance, if any. Donald Trump is, of course, making hay over Comey's letter, "Hillary Clinton's corruption is on a scale we've never seen before," Trump said at a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire. "We must not let her take her criminal scheme into the Oval Office." Trump has said that the FBI "reopened" the investigation giving the implication that a whole new investigation would be conducted by the FBI when in truth, the original investigation was never closed. Comey's letter places Clinton in a quandary. The letter was so inartfully worded that Clinton is at a loss to respond to questions about emails she knows nothing about. She forcefully called on the FBI to release the "full and complete facts" about its review. "Voting is underway, so the American people deserve to get the full and complete facts immediately," Clinton said at a brief news conference in Des Moines, Iowa, adding it was "imperative that the bureau explain this issue in question, whatever it is, without any delay." Likewise both Republicans and Democrats have called on the FBI to quickly reveal more about these newly discovered emails. It is only fair that the FBI provide more information in the next several days. _________________________________________ Crime | United-states | Business | Most Commented on Articles for October 28, 2016 | Articles for October 29, 2016 | Shirley Contreras lives in Orcutt and writes for the Santa Maria Valley Historical Society. She can be contacted at 623-8193 or at shirleycontreras2@yahoo.com. Her book, The Good Years, a selection of stories shes written for the Santa Maria Times since 1991, is on sale at the Santa Maria Valley Historical Society, 616 S. Broadway. In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors said "maybe" to a request for its support of an effort by Central C Photos: This two story treehouse is spacious, lushand illegal, the government says On Friday the British Film Institute unveiled their upcoming Blu-ray and DVD release slate, and it promises to be a wealth of riches, including the early Scorsese classics Who's That Knocking at my Door? and Oscar winner Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore coming to Blu-ray in March for the first time anywhere in the world. January sees the dual-format release of El Sur, from Spirit of the Beehive director Victor Erice, and a 2-disc set of Charlie Chaplin: The Essanay Comedies, available in both DVD and Blu-ray editions. Charles Burnett's The Glass Shield, starring Michael Boatman, Ice Cube and Lori Petty, will also get a dual-format release, rather than the previously announced DVD only. Neil Jordan's Oscar-winning IRA thriller The Crying Game is rescheduled for a dual-format release in February, together with Isaac Juliens controversial Frantz Fanon: Black Skin White Mask, starring Colin Salmon, and classic Chinese melodrama The Spring River Flows East. Together with the two Scorsese films, March also sees the release of two classic Filipino dramas from director Lino Brocka. The World Cinema Project's new restorations of Manila in the Claws of Light (1975) and Insiang (1976) will be released together as Lino Brocka: Two Films in a 4-disc dual-format release. Check out some early draft packshots below. Seguin, TX (78155) Today Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 73F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight. Low around 60F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. New York Times editorial highlights disaffinity for felon disenfranchisement | Main | "Floridas prisons waste money and lives" October 30, 2016 Mizzou State Representative wants to consider showing repeat sex offenders to execution chamber As reported in this local article, headlined "State Rep. wants death penalty as option for repeat sex offenders," a local elected official has a notable idea for punishing certain sex offenders. Here are the details: Its the one issue in Jefferson City that State Representative Randy Pietzman says nobody likes to talk about. This is not a popular topic to talk about if youre just trying to get re-elected, he said. But thats not going to stop him from tackling it head on because he says it concerns the safety of every Missouri child. We need to change something. We need to do something to curb this problem, he said. And its especially relevant for Lincoln County, where the Republican is running unopposed for his second term this November. The rural county, about an hour to the northwest of St. Louis, has a disproportionately high number of sex offenders and sex crimes against children. If you compare us with other counties in the surrounding area, per capita, we have substantially more sex offenders, said Detective Sean Flynn with the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office. Theres something attracting them here, Pietzman said. But whatever the reason for the unwanted popularity, its having an impact on multiple levels. It seems these crimes are impacting people across the socioeconomic spectrum, Flynn said.... Its impacted the department in a way that my time is monopolized by this. Really, were at the point where we need more people to investigate, Flynn said. And some in law enforcement go a step further to say the situation might be beyond repair. Captain Michael Merkel with the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office said, I dont think stopping it is an option. I think slowing it down is something we could do. One way of going about that, he said, is to strengthen the penalties statewide for whats considered to be some of the most heinous crimes imaginable. Its not acceptable that somebody can pass a bad check and be punished more harshly than someone who has victimized a child, Merkel said. Capt. Merkel also suggests improving their ability to investigate child sex crimes. Right now, detectives in Missouri can only interview juvenile victims if their parents give permission. And the problem? What we run into is we have a parent or family member whos a suspect. And theyre the only ones who can authorize the interview, Merkel explained. Its a loophole in state law that Rep. Pietzman said could help his county, and the state, if it was closed. Were talking about our kids. If the punishment doesnt match the crime, then its going to keep continuing, he said. Thats why, following our initial report, Pietzman is working on a number of reforms, including one that would make the death penalty a possible punishment for repeat offenders. That seems cruel when you think about it," he said, "but you got to think about what these guys have done. Were talking about grown men having sex with kids as young as 3- or 4-years-old. There are several cases and states that have pushed for similar measures, but capital punishment in America right now is almost exclusively reserved for the crime of murder. Pietzman said at the very least, he hopes to start a conversation in the legislature that some in law enforcement say is long overdue. I am eager to help State Representative Randy Pietzman start this conversation about making repeat sex offenders eligible for the death penalty. The first critical point in such a conversation, however, has to be about the Supreme Court's Kennedy ruling which seemingly declared the death penalty unconstitutional for any and all crimes of rape. An argument might be developed that the Kennedy ruling applied formally addressed a first-offense child rapist, and so perhaps a capital statute focused on only the worst of the worst repeat child rapists could be legally viable (and, of course, because Eighth Amendment doctrines evolve perhaps Eighth Amendment precedents have less stare decisis force). Also important to consider here is the concern expressed by Capt. Merkel about challenges he faces investigating child sex crimes. I suspect and fear that making some sex offenders eligible for the death penalty could actually end up aggravating rather than mitigating this problem as family members fearing a capital prosecution may be uniquely unwilling to cooperate with authorities. October 30, 2016 at 10:42 AM | Permalink Comments I can't help but wonder if the fact that the CLEVELAND (OHIO) INDIANS are up 3-1 over the Cubs has put Doug in an aroused mood and this has transferred to his dormant but always present blood lust. Yes indeed 3/4 of all Americans think that felons should be allowed to vote...well, the LIVING ones at any rate...Doug eagerly desires to make the pool of living felons as small as possible, a fact he carefully fails to mention. Posted by: Daniel | Oct 30, 2016 11:29:42 AM I'm not eager for this conversation in large part since I don't think it is the best way to protect the victims of sex crimes. I think it will crowd out to some extent more useful discussions, especially given the understandable desire to punish repeat sex offenders in such harsh ways and the emotions this will engender. I don't think one necessarily has to share my "abolitionist" views to agree. I note too that Kennedy v. Louisiana cited experts concerned with the needs of children, including victims of this crime, to help decide the death penalty is not constitutionally appropriate. I would think on balance this would be true even if it was merely a question of policy left open to be done either way. Reckon there is disagreement there but the small chance a few repeat abusers will be sentenced to die does not seem to me overall to be of much assistance in the long run to deal with this horrible crime. I'm open to discussion but seems of the many things that should be discussed front and center, other things are more worth our time. Posted by: Joe | Oct 30, 2016 11:38:31 AM I don't think that Captain Merkel's comments accurately reflect Missouri law governing investigation of child sex cases. (There are circumstances in which a child can request the presence of a non-suspect parent during the interview, but law enforcement can make contact with the child at the child's school -- for example -- without notifying the non-suspect parent. Additionally, if suspect parent is in household, child can be taken into protective custody.) Even if this law were passed, I do not think that Missouri prosecutors would use it. Death Penalty cases add additional expense and complexity. Given how hard child sex cases are, I can't see any prosecutor wanting the additional problems of a death penalty case especially when higher courts would probably set aside the death sentence under current case law. Posted by: tmm | Oct 30, 2016 12:52:07 PM Daniel, what is your basis for stating that "Doug eagerly desires to make the pool of living felons as small as possible"? If you mean that I am eager for fewer people to commit fewer felonies, you are spot on. But if you are saying that I want a lot more living felons killed, you are way off base. (I do want to make the pool of felons held in cages for no good reason to be as small as possible, but that seems like a different issue.) I am happy and eager, Daniel, to discuss and defend what I believe and what I say. But, if you are talking about my views on the death penalty, you are mischaracterizing what I believe and what I say if you assert that I want lots and lots of felons executed for lots and lots of crimes. Posted by: Doug B. | Oct 30, 2016 1:37:26 PM "If you mean that I am eager for fewer people to commit fewer felonies, you are spot on." Oh come on Doug, everyone is for that, it's like being for the sun or in favor of water. The only group that I can think of that would be in favor of more felonies is anarchists and I don't think any follow this blog. The key question is HOW do we get fewer people to commit felonies and in that regard there is widespread disagreement. Your desire to be on the "right side" of the culture war against sex offenders means that more people are gonna kick the bucket courtesy of the state government and you can't dodge that truth by hiding behind arguments over incapacitation. There is no evidential support for the idea that capital punishment discourages future crimes...you know that full well. So explain your sudden blood lust for the lives of sex offenders..come on I wanna hear it. Why are sex offenders so special they deserve to die? Posted by: Daniel | Oct 30, 2016 3:14:22 PM It seems that if the money spent on convicting for repeat sex crime, leaving them on death row for years was spent on prevention it would be of better benefit. Why do we always go for the punishment instead of trying to address prevention? Posted by: Anne | Oct 30, 2016 7:07:17 PM "I am eager to help State Representative Randy Pietzman start this conversation" Stop treating the death penalty as an intellectual gaming exercise. The reality is that there is no prospect of the Supreme Court expanding the criteria of eligibility, and a far greater prospect that in line with the prevailing trend throughout the US, they will come to acknowledge that the death penalty itself defies all rational interpretation of the Cruel and Unusual and Decency provisions of the Constitution in the 21st Century. Save the games for your students if you must, with a view to sharpening debating skills, though I can think of better subjects to debate. In the real world of sentencing legislation, this is a poor distraction. Posted by: peter | Oct 31, 2016 7:47:47 AM peter: do you think the state rep here (who, it is worth noting, is running for reelection unopposed) is playing a game? I suppose you might say he is playing the "game" of politics, but that game is very important for the future of law and policy. Notably, the Gov of New Mexico played this "game" with death penalty support in order to try to shape her state's legislature and the Gov of Nebraska is spending a lot of his own money to try to win this "game." I surmise, peter, think you think that discussion of the death penalty is a (savage?) "poor distraction" from other topics covered on this blog. But you are, in a sense, like an elite sports fan who dislikes NASCAR and urges a sports page to stop covering that which a huge number of other sports fans find interesting and important. You are, of course, welcome to ignore my coverage of the topic you dislike, but calling an issue that is of interest to hundreds of millions of Americans a "distraction" reflects only your own disaffinity for a conversation on topics you dislike. Daniel: instead of trying to "shoot the messenger," you accuse me of having a "sudden blood lust for the lives of sex offenders." I sincerely do not think my eagerness to discuss the possibility of death eligibility for the worst REPEAT CHILD RAPISTS --- e.g., folks like Ariel Castro who kidnap/rape/enslave multiple teens for over a decade --- reflects any kind of "blood lust." Rather, as my response to peter is meant to highlight, it reflects a desire to discuss seriously AND WITH THOUGHTFULNESS rather than name-calling, a recent proposal put forward by a serious politician in response to a serious concern about serious crime. Posted by: Doug B. | Oct 31, 2016 9:06:49 AM We already have the registry for sex offenders, that IS a death penalty. Posted by: kat | Oct 31, 2016 9:53:33 AM @Doug who writes, "eagerness to discuss the possibility of death eligibility for the worst REPEAT CHILD RAPISTS --- e.g., folks like Ariel Castro who kidnap/rape/enslave multiple teens for over a decade" Of course you are going to frame the debate this way except (a) that is not what the state representative actually said and (b) even it were what the state representative actually said that framework cannot hold. Time and time again DP moderates like myself have been told "oh we only want the DP for the WORST of offenders, the baddest of the bad, the worst of the worst." And time and time again we have seen that as soon as our backs are turned the blood lusters come out of the woodwork and start demanding the DP for all sort of crimes that are not only not the worst of the worst they are crimes that historically were never DP eligible. Doug, to me you are pandering. You think that someone like Governor Martinez is someone who you can parley with in order to some how cabin the DP within the the bounds of reason. You are the Neville Chamberlain of the DP. The State Rep. is not a reasonable person. Nothing in his comments reflects a reasoned approach to the public policy. The harsh truth is that Doug's position has nothing to do with public policy. It has to do with the fact that he doesn't want to go into the law school faculty meetings and be given the evil eye by his female compatriots for defending sexual offenders. Doug saw what happened to Corey Young and wants no part of that shit. I kinda like that though, Neville Berman. It has a ring to it. Makes me think of the gospel singer. That's Doug, up there singing the feminist gospel thinking that maybe they will like him more when in truth they think he is a craven fool. Posted by: Daniel | Oct 31, 2016 11:22:45 AM Actually, Daniel, historically cases like Doug described were eligible for the death penalty. It is only post-Furman that the rule has been that such cases are not eligible. Since it unlikely that the Supreme Court will reconsider its cases that limit the death penalty, I see the proposed legislation as one of those "it will sound nice to the voters even if the courts later reject it" proposals that politicians are known to do. Posted by: tmm | Oct 31, 2016 11:56:41 AM Doug. There is a world of difference between discussion of the merits of the death penalty per se and with the process and environment in which it takes place, and the promotion of ideas to expand it (which in itself is clearly an exercise in futility since it will never happen). I see in your latest blog post you now say that you ".. strongly believe our death sentencing systems have become much, much more reliable and much less arbitrary as we have gotten much, much more careful about how gets subject to capital prosecution and about who ultimately gets sent to death row." Well, since the number of States and Counties actually still applying the death penalty has been somewhat reduced over the past decade, numerically you are probably correct. However a) there is clear evidence in recent reports (that you have posted and now ignore) that there continues to be great disparity geographically, racially, in terms of what qualifies for the death penalty and what does not, in the quality of defense made available by the public purse (both in terms of quality of representation and in the adequacy of resources made available), and in the degree of prosecutor zealousness for execution (to name a few points); b) there are still inmates working through appeals some 15, 20 or more years after trial, of which some at least have not had the benefit of the "improvements" you claim; and c) there are huge numbers still sitting on death row throughout the US who will never have their death sentence carried out. If you can see any sense in promoting an expansion of the eligibility of the death penalty at such a time then I can only say you are turning out to be as over-zealous as the rogue prosecutors recently named. The real debate should be how to close down this outdated and irrational system where it still exists, not play mind-games with academic and political entities to help pursue their and your own prejudices. The evidence is clear that more prosecutors, juries and the public at large are increasingly reluctant to accept that the death penalty is a necessary or appropriate punishment in 2016, and it is that which needs to be addressed .... not tub-thumping for politicians like Pietzman who see no further than their own ambition. Posted by: peter | Oct 31, 2016 12:54:35 PM Daniel: 1. I defend sex offenders all the time, and I have frequently filed expert reports in federal court stating that the federal child porn guidelines produce unreasonable sentences for those who only download child porn. To my knowledge, my female compatriots do not give me the evil eye for that reason. (My colleagues definitely give me the evil eye a lot, but that is usually because I am so a loud-mouth. And I continue to find it funny how many commentators on this blog think I do/say stuff with concern for "law school faculty meetings"; having tenure means I do not have to, thankfully, worry so much about my colleagues' glare.) 2. The so-called "blood lusters" you decry, Daniel, are hardly having much success for late. When Bill Clinton was Prez, they were getting 280+ death sentences each year. Now we are down to less than 50 per year circa 2015. Seems like I am much more like Churchill than like Chamberlain if I were just trying to figure out how to deal with those who favor capital punishment. (Even more telling is that you consider those who favor the death penalty to be modern-day Nazis. No wonder Bill Otis got fed up with some of the commentary over here -- as you now seems to be calling roughly 60% of the country to be Nazi-like in their views.) 3. Perhaps feminists (and lots of others) think I am a craven fool. I think I am always trying to speak truth to power. And my truth is that nobody should be fearful of an honest and truthful conversation about important public policy issues unless they fear that their version of the truth cannot stand up to scrutiny during such an honest and truthful conversation. peter: 1. I agree 100% that there is still "great disparity geographically, racially, in terms of what qualifies for the death penalty and what does not, in the quality of defense made available by the public purse (both in terms of quality of representation and in the adequacy of resources made available), and in the degree of prosecutor zealousness for execution." Then again, the same could be said about LWOP, and life with parole, and prison sentences of 20+ years and a whole lot of other extreme sentences, many of which get imposed without the input of judges or juries. What makes the death penalty distinctly less worrisome, practically speaking, is that nobody gets the death penalty for a non-violent crime nor do they get it unless a jury of peers have decided they should die for their crimes. 2. In other words, the limited reach of capital crime statutes + jury sentencing realities serve to greatly limit the power of "rogue prosecutors" when it comes to the application of the death penalty. Sadly, these critical safeguards do not protect the thousands of NON-VIOLENT drug offenders who are subject to LWOP sentences based on "great disparity geographically, racially .... [and] in the quality of defense made available by the public purse." 3. State Rep Pietzman is apparently running unopposed, so I am not sure why you think his proposal is about only his "own ambition." Indeed, if it is true that "more prosecutors, juries and the public at large are increasingly reluctant to accept that the death penalty is a necessary or appropriate punishment," then State Rep Pietzman's proposal would seem to hurt his political ambition, no? Posted by: Doug B. | Oct 31, 2016 4:28:45 PM @Neville Berman Your words claim that you want a serious conversation about the DP but your behavior says otherwise. Your example of Castro is a perfect example of a reductio ad absurdum argument. People who make appeals to the most extreme cases to buttress their argument have no argument, they have an extreme example and they want everyone to cower before it. I asked you a simple question, a question that you repeatedly dodged (what Bill O. used to call your "shuck and jive") about sex offenders. Not sex offenders and kidnappers and enslavers... just sex offenders. The same thing the state rep. is concerned about. Sex offenders. If you want other people to take your talking points seriously you can start by taking other people's talking points seriously. Posted by: Daniel | Oct 31, 2016 4:46:59 PM Daniel, it seems the State rep is looking at "mak[ing] the death penalty a possible punishment for REPEAT offenders," so I brought up Castro as an example of a repeat sex offender. But if you want a couple other examples, how about: Ricky Randall Rex Smith, whose repeat sex offenses included in 2000 "having filmed the sexual abuse of several minor children in his care, including a 3-year-old girl" after being a fugitive from justice for 18 years after being convicted in 1983 of sodomy of a child under 14: https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/mobile/press-releases/2010/mo032610a.htm Paul Edward Pavulak, whose most recent offense was described this way: "From September 2008 to January 2009, just months after being released from custody on his second child molestation conviction, Pavulak developed an online relationship with a young woman in the Philippines who had a two-year-old daughter. In December 2008, Pavulak traveled to the Philippines and met the woman and her daughter. Pavulak produced a sexually explicit movie of himself and the woman, and described the movie as the two-year-old girl's 'training video'." https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/repeat-child-sex-offender-sentenced-life-prison Am I wrong to think that these are the kinds of offenders that the State Rep wants to have a conversations about making "the death penalty a possible punishment"? The state rep does not seem to be asserting that these folks must get the death penalty for their repeat sex offenses --- rather he is just saying he wants to start a conversation about whether these folks ought to at least possibly be eligible for capital punishment. Do you want more example? I few minutes on google was all it took to find the two above, and sadly I am sure I can find many, many cases that are much, much worse. Posted by: Doug B. | Oct 31, 2016 5:01:21 PM Everyone is throwing around the term "sex offender" as if it means the same for everyone. Keep in mind that this ridiculous broad-stroke term covers crimes from public urination, skinny-dipping, teen-age sex, non-contact CP and kidnapping to crimes committed by true pedophiles and serial rapists. Also Detective Flynn mentions that his county has more than their fair share of sex offenders and that something must be attracting them to that area. Were these sex offenders born and raised there. Are these crimes occurring within families that have always lived there and there's always been problems? It doesn't make it right of course, but that's a lot different from "flocks of sex-offenders" decending on his county because they are attracted to something. What is he suggesting? Maybe the county needs to start with some good old public education rather than rushing to societal hysteria using terms like sex-offender and death penalty in the same sentence. Geez! Posted by: kat | Oct 31, 2016 5:22:52 PM @Doug writes, "Am I wrong to think that these are the kinds of offenders that the State Rep wants to have a conversations about making "the death penalty a possible punishment"? Yes I do think you are wrong. Your examples confuse repeat offenders of the type that the state rep is talking about with recidivist offenders. That is to say there is a difference between a repeat offender in fact and a repeat offender in law. The examples offered by the state rep do not address recidivist offenders (repeat offender in law) they address repeat offenders in fact--people who have engaged in repeated sexual conduct over time but who have never been convicted of a crime. In my view these two classes of sex offenders are not equally blameworthy. I find recidivist offenders much more blameworthy than repeat offenders for the simple reason that recidivist offenders have actually suffered punishment at the hands of the state--and do it again, anyway--whereas repeat offenders have not. In short, once again your examples are not apposite. Posted by: Daniel | Oct 31, 2016 6:24:20 PM Well, FWIW, I think only repeat in law offenders are worth discussing, and that is the discussion I would like to have. If the discussion is limited to those kinds of recidivist sex offenders --- whom you call "much more blameworthy" --- can we have a serious conversation on this topic? That is all I am seeking --- a serious conversation on a serious topic. Posted by: Doug B. | Oct 31, 2016 10:08:58 PM Doug "What makes the death penalty distinctly less worrisome, practically speaking, is that nobody gets the death penalty for a non-violent crime nor do they get it unless a jury of peers have decided they should die for their crimes." It may be less worrisome to you yet the reversal rate of such sentences remains high - through a mixture of innocence, legal error, and a re-evaluation of intent or other level of culpability. It is too often the case that only through the initial efforts of third parties (not available to all), usually voluntary non-legal and at their own expense, is evidence uncovered that leads to these outcomes. Numerically small perhaps, but then the death penalty is supposed to represent the ultimate punishment. Some years ago I proposed to you that one would expect crimes loosely capable of being represented by a pyramid and that it would be entirely reasonable to expect punishments to mirror this. It would not of course be a perfect pyramid but sentencing law broadly accepts that the worse the crime the worse the punishment. I have no difficulty agreeing with you that there are massive aberrations in the application of this principle running through the entire justice system. The only way to begin to address this is to re-impose that principle of pyramid or hierarchy at the top end of sentencing, banning all sentences above LWOP which itself should be limited to a clearly defined and limited "worst of the worst" (eg. serial and mass killers). Until persons such as yourself pursue THAT debate, you are whistling in the wind for all those other injustices that you identity and have such empathy with. It takes something special and dramatic to put the genie back in the bottle. Posted by: peter | Nov 1, 2016 6:40:57 AM In the last, say, 5 years, peter, when we have had less than 100 death sentences annually, have we had capital convictions of plausibly innocent persons? All the problems you cite were rife in the 1990s but are greatly reduced now. In other words, we have improved greatly on improving the top of your pyramid. And that is why I think it now so much more important to focus much more attention on the mass and massive injustices more common elsewhere in the system. Notably, in recent years, a number of notable capital states --- e.g., California, Georgia, Texas --- have been willing and able to improve lower parts of the pyramid without DP abolition. Posted by: Doug B. | Nov 1, 2016 7:04:47 AM Doug. My perspective is rather different being very closely associated with both past and currently problematic dp cases, yes and all of them from the late 1990's. That legacy hasn't gone away and neither have many of the inherent issues that made that period especially bad (which we have both listed). Many people from that period, who are still wasting away on death row today, are still being represented by the same tired faces going through the motions, or where there has been a change, hampered by years of missed opportunities. That means many who have appeared on death row since the 1990's are still being represented by those same people who have, by reasons not necessarily of their own making, provided inadequate defense. There is nothing systematic about your approach, no overarching proposal of structural reform. And that is at the root of the problem. You are disregarding the legacy and condemning those trapped by it. At the same time, because you see some signs of current improvement (but ignore or misinterpret the reasons for it) you are prepared to walk away, disassociating it from the wider problems of sentencing. That doesn't, I'm afraid, satisfy or inspire me. Posted by: peter | Nov 1, 2016 10:57:32 AM "In the last, say, 5 years, peter, when we have had less than 100 death sentences annually, have we had capital convictions of plausibly innocent persons?" From what I can tell, yes, you can find various accounts that suggest among those hundreds, you can at least find a few "plausibly" innocent. We repeatedly only find out about those innocent (and this to me includes any legally so) a long time down the road from the actual sentencing as well. "And that is why I think it now so much more important to focus much more attention on the mass and massive injustices more common elsewhere in the system." If we grant that, talking about EXPANDING the death penalty in this context seems to work at cross purposes even on that level. tmm's comment only helps me think that -- it again doesn't speak from an "abolitionist" standpoint. Posted by: Joe | Nov 1, 2016 11:06:11 AM Actually, peter, there is something "systematic" about my interest in expanding the death penalty NOW: everyone subject to capital charges in 2016 in the US gets a WHOLE LOT more resources spent on their defense AND gets a whole lot more attention from the courts and liberal activists. I think it is interesting to speculate whether, for example, Ricky Randall Rex Smith or Paul Edward Pavulak would have gotten LWOP sentences if they received even 50% of the defense resources (and media attention) that mass murderers like James Holmes and Dyllan Roof have received. You yourself, peter, serve as one great example of the extra attention condemned murderers get: you eloquently document on this blog all the problems that were "baked" into death sentences in the 1990s. I do not dispute those problems, but I note that a whole lot more people/lawyers/media are focused on those problems in a few hundred capital cases than the problem of many tens of thousands of persons still serving lengthy prison sentences for nonviolent (and often "victimless") drug crimes throughout the 1990s. And, as bad as the defense team/resources might have been for all those 1990s murderers still on death row, I am pretty sure the defense team/resources was even worse for all the 1990s nonviolent drug offenders. I am not eager to condemn anyone --- indeed, I am trying to do just the opposite in light of the modern reality that if one is charged with a capital crime (and especially if you are given a death sentence) in the US circa 2016, your case is going to be the focal point of extraordinary resources and attention no matter how bad your crime for as long as you are on death row. But if "only" a long prison sentence is at stake, your case is going to be, relatively speaking, all but ignored by the media and liberal activists no matter how minor your crime is. And if you are truly and deeply concerned about wrongful convictions/innocence, Joe, I will wager there are many, many, many more persons wrongfully convicted and serving a "death in prison" sentences now than persons who on death row. A quote from the national exonerations registry discussing 2015 exonerations makes the point this way: "We have reliable statistical evidence that the rate of false convictions among death sentences in the United States is about 4%, but we dont have comparable information about non-capital convictions. The rates for other types of criminal cases could be lower or higher. But even a false conviction rate of 1% translates into tens of thousands of miscarriages of justice a year, and thousands more who were convicted in past years but remain in prison. http://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Documents/Exonerations_in_2015.pdf" With only 49 capital verdicts in 2015, even a continuing 4% wrongful conviction rate in capital cases would mean only two innocent persons were sent to death row last year. (I think and hope we have now brought that error rate very close to 0% in recent capital punishment years, but I won't even use that reality in this calculation.) This would also suggest that, of roughly 3,000 persons still on death row, there may still be 60 innocent persons languishing on death row for crimes they did not commit. (Again, I think we have overturned or commuted many wrongfully capital sentences, but I won't use that reality either when running the modern numbers.) Meanwhile, according to data from the Sentencing Project "Approximately 10,000 lifers have been convicted of nonviolent offenses." If it turns out that only .5% of these persons are innocent, that means that 500 innocent persons are serving a "death in prison" sentence for nonviolent crimes they did not commit. Posted by: Doug B. | Nov 1, 2016 11:38:46 AM Doug writes, "Well, FWIW, I think only repeat in law offenders are worth discussing, and that is the discussion I would like to have." That is well and good but it is, as I have already pointed out, not the discussion the state representative wants to have. So now you are changing the subject. FWIW I am willing to have the serious discussion on the topic you want to have at the appropriate time and place. However, I don't feel the appropriate time and place is in the comment section of an article that raises an entirely different set of issues. Posted by: Daniel | Nov 1, 2016 12:14:41 PM "Actually, peter, there is something "systematic" about my interest in expanding the death penalty NOW: everyone subject to capital charges in 2016 in the US gets a WHOLE LOT more resources spent on their defense AND gets a whole lot more attention from the courts and liberal activists." That is perverse. You want more people exposed to the death penalty so that the defense bar has more profitable opportunities to engage in rent seeking? My chin is going to be sore at the end of the day from dragging my jaw off the floor. It's times like these than make me miss Supremacy Claus. Posted by: Daniel | Nov 1, 2016 12:20:55 PM Daniel, 1. The news report's headline says "State Rep. wants death penalty as option for repeat sex offenders," and the article goes on to explain that the Rep "hopes to start a conversation" about making "the death penalty a possible punishment for repeat offenders" who have "sex with kids as young as 3- or 4-years-old." Given that reporting, I really do not think my interest in having a discussion about "repeat sex offenders" is "changing the subject" to an "entirely different set of issues." In fact, I think it is having a conversation about the precise issue that the state representative, according to this article, hopes to start. I get Daniel that, for whatever reason, you do not want to talk about repeat sex offenders like Ricky Randall Rex Smith and Paul Edward Pavulak and whether they might possible get better defense representation if they were possibly eligible for the death penalty. But please do not say you will not engaging this conversation because I am somehow "rais[ing] an entirely different set of issues" when, in fact, I am trying to talk about the very issue discussed in the article. 2. Are you asserting, Daniel, that the defense bar gets involved in capital defense only to engage in "rent seeking"? I know of not a single person doing defense work who gets involved in capital cases "for the big bucks." Are you aware of anyone who is truly getting rich off this work or is really engaging in so-called "rent seeking"? I want more people exposed to the death penalty if and only when there is reason to be hopeful that doing so could help (1)reduce serious crimes and victims who have their lives destroyed by serious criminals AND (2) reduce the number of wrongful convictions AND (3) increase the quality of defense services even indisputably guilty defendants will receive. I am at least open to the possibility that, circa 2016, making the "worst of the worst" repeat sex offenders subject to capital punishment might help advance these goals. I am not certain about any of this, and thus my interest in having a serious conversation on this topic. (I surmise you would rather talk about defense bar "rent seeking" with Supremacy Claus, and that is certainly your prerogative. However, I think I recall that SC advocated for all three-strike defendants to be executed regardless of the nature of their crimes.) Posted by: Doug B. | Nov 1, 2016 1:36:59 PM Doug. Recognizing you definitely want the last word I was in two minds whether to respond yet again. However of course I feel I must, owing to the extraordinary nature of this post, and the comments made in a more recent one. So: How conflicted you are. In recent months you have argued that: - the death penalty might be brought down by the immense cost to State coffers, yet now you propose to greatly increasing that cost by extending the scope of the death penalty (I'm sure the treasury section of the Ohio legislature will be thrilled!) - you optimistically joined a taskforce to bring reform to the flawed death penalty process in your own great state of Ohio but finding the recommendations rejected, you consequentially suggest the state might better seek ways to abandon the death penalty .......... and now, suddenly, you find great encouragement and evidence that actually everyone is doing so much better and therefore the scope of the death penalty can safely be extended without the reforms you once thought so pertinent Finally, you have the gall to suggest that when it all goes pie-eyed, 68 yr old foreign Human Rights citizens and other concerned observers will gladly come along and ensure the mess is cleared up. Nice. I hope you are preparing something a little more rational and substantial for the benefit of listeners at the Northwestern JCLC symposium. I regret I won't be there but I dare say you will give us a link to the transcript. Posted by: peter | Nov 1, 2016 4:30:08 PM peter, two quick replies: 1. I have felt conflicted by the death penalty for decades: I wrote about my views, in the hope of reducing my conflicting feelings, in a high school paper before I was old enough to legally vote; I studied moral philosophy and read classic works by Kant and JS Mills and others in the hope I could figure this out before I was old enough to legally drink; I did pro bono litigation on behalf of condemned prisoners (and visited one on death row in Texas) while in private practice and won a Thurgood Marshall award for my work before I became a law professor; and I have spent the last 20 years thinking even more and writing (too much) on these topics. And yet, as you astutely note, I am still conflicted. 2. I am not conflicted, however, in my passion for the text of the US Constitution and for its commitment to democratic self-governance. And the text of the US Constitution, as it current stands, permits the people of the nation and/or of individual state to consider using the punishment of death for certain criminals. I think, generally speaking, that citizens (especially state citizens) ought to recognize that in modern America that the various costs of running a fair and effective capital punishment system, generally speaking, are greater than any benefits such a system might produce. But my commitment to democratic self-governance makes me eager to see "the people" decide this policy issue --- ideally after being informed by various informed folks about the CURRENT state of affairs. We generally do not NOW "abolish" government programs because they worked poorly 20 years ago. Critically, this is not a statement that the current DP system in Ohio (or California or anywhere else) is working perfectly --- rather it is a statement that I tend to make about any and every government program that I study closely: it tends to get a little better over time, but there are lots of ways we might make it better still. The problem is, as my most recent article was meant to showcase, those on both sides who really are passionate about capital punishment are not really at all interested in making it work "better." But I am, at least until voters say they do not want to waste time and money improving this part of government. 3. Not sure if the folks at Northwestern will consider that rational and substantial, though rarely do I see much of the advocacy around the death penalty to be truly all that rational or substantial. Posted by: Doug B. | Nov 1, 2016 6:05:29 PM Here we have another scumbag pig calling people listed on their glorious Registries "s*x offenders". F the police. I wouldn't help them if the future of the world depended on it. I will continue to work to keep them broke. Posted by: FRegistryTerrorists | Nov 1, 2016 8:24:43 PM Doug, I think that you are being taken to task for "eagerly" taking up the issue of capital punishment for sex offenders and encouraging a kind of pornography of blood lust which has come to dominate our society and sustain its limitless appetite for the salacious. As for the "worst-of-the-worst" exemplars you cite as being those problems such a discussion might address, we've all seen how that phrase inevitably comes to include those who are clearly not the "worst-of-the-worst." Whether it be super-max prisons, ludicrously savage sentences, Guantanamo detainees or sex offender civil commitment, anyone with actual experience in these areas of criminal jurisprudence knows that the phrase "worst-of-the-worst" is used as a reality distortion field to drive through ghastly policies. We expect better from you. Posted by: David Kennerly | Nov 16, 2016 11:20:36 AM Were talking about our kids. If the punishment doesnt match the crime, then its going to keep continuing. I don't know how the death penalty matches the crime, but that being said, the majority of kids are abused by family. How would the death penalty serve the child? So not only was the child abused by brother Billy, he now believes he is responsible for Billy's death. Win, Win? .... Posted by: Huh? | Dec 5, 2016 5:36:18 PM Post a comment Destiny the pit bull was so unmanageable, she was actually sentenced to die by a San Francisco judge. Luckily for Destiny, her date with death was repealed. The Precita Park regular was accused of attacking seven fellow pups and while none of the other dog owners wanted to see a dog killed, some believe it might have been necessary. Dog owner Dan Brieman told KRON, "I'm uncomfortable with it, but it might have been the best option." Destiny lives - and apparently she's at it again. Her owner, Robert Washington was instructed to keep her on a leash and muzzled. According to fellow dog owners who share Precita Park with the black pit bull, Destiny has attacked two dogs since her resurrection. "The dog won't obey the owner. There's a gathering of people trying to pull this dog off another dog," said Chris Johnson, yet another concerned dog owner. "I would have to see that as either breeded in them or he was trained that way." This March 2015 "Ask Bernalwood" post from Bernalwood (obvs) seems to mention Destiny directly in the comments. Some posters blame the owner, others blame the breed. Some think she should be killed, others oppose that option. But it's clear that Destiny has been drama for some time. San Francisco Animal Control has an open and active seizure order and has been trying to track down Destiny since May. When they do find her, it might finally be curtains for Destiny. DETROIT Lexus, Toyota and Buick are the most reliable brands in Consumer Reports' latest survey, a reward for their conservative approach to new technology. It's the fourth straight year that Lexus came in first and Toyota came in second. Two of their hybrids the Toyota Prius and the Lexus CT 200H were named the most reliable vehicles. But Buick General Motors Co.'s near-luxury marque is the first domestic brand to crack the top three since the magazine began tracking vehicle reliability in the early 1980s. Audi and Kia rounded out the top five brands. Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat and Ram all owned by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles were the worst performers. Electric car maker Tesla Motors also fared poorly. The magazine released its annual reliability survey Oct. 24. It's closely watched by the industry, since many buyers look to the magazine for recommendations. Consumer Reports predicts the reliability of 2017 model-year brands and individual vehicles based on survey responses from its subscribers. The magazine collected subscribers' comments on vehicles they own from the 2000-2017 model years. Around 500,000 subscribers responded to this year's survey. Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports' director of automotive testing, said the best performers have something in common: They tend to add new technology slowly, and bit-by-bit, rather than all at once. When Lexus introduced its new 2016 RX SUV, for example, it used an older engine and an eight-speed transmission that had already been used in another Lexus vehicle. When Buick introduced the Encore small SUV in the U.S. in 2012, it was built on a small-car platform used in prior vehicles and had a six-speed transmission, rather than the eight- and nine-speeds coming into vogue. By contrast, Honda fell in this year's survey partly because of its 2016 Civic small car, which has two new engines, a new steel underbody and a new continuously variable transmission. Cue the problems: Shortly after the Civic went on sale, it was recalled for engine failure. Consumer Reports said Civic customers also have reported problems with the car's infotainment system. "It's the choice of making such a big change," Fisher told The Associated Press. "They pay the penalty for trying to get it all right." Fisher said GM has been improving its cars and small SUVs for several years now. The Chevrolet Cruze was the top-performing small car in the survey, while the Chevrolet Trax was the top-performing small SUV. But the company continues to struggle with pickups and larger truck-based SUVs, which gets low marks for steering and suspension issues. The Cadillac Escalade large SUV is the worst performing vehicle in the magazine's survey due to its combination of transmission problems and its difficult-to-use infotainment system. Buick has no truck-based vehicles. Tesla which was added to this year's survey because the magazine had enough responses from owners suffered multiple problems with its new Model X SUV, including water leaks and issues with climate control. Fisher said Tesla should perform better than average, since electric cars have fewer mechanical parts than gasoline-powered cars. But it gets tripped up by flashy features like the Model X's glitch-prone falcon-wing doors. "The problem with Tesla has always been the gimmicks," he said. SIOUX CITY | When the first of four hand-painted fiberglass prairie dogs was unveiled in May 2002, Marcia Poole, who served as a member of the Prairie Dog Committee, said many Siouxlanders weren't quite sure what a prairie dog was. The burrowing rodents native to the North American plains became the focus of Sioux City's Prairie Dog Quest (PDQ), a public art project that marked the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial, which began in 2003. When they traveled through Siouxland in August and September 1804, Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery were fascinated by the "barking squirrel" that proved difficult to capture. The 5-foot-tall themed prairie dog sculptures were just as beloved by Siouxlanders of all ages, who pounded the pavement with maps in search of the critters. When they found the prairie dogs, they embraced them and snapped photos. "They're just kind of a quirky little animal. I think it was a lot of fun for the artists and the kids," said Poole, director of the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. "It had whimsy to it. It appealed to all ages; and it really invited a range of artists to interpret the fun of the prairie dog." More than 40 sculptures decorated by students and local artists were put on display at select locations throughout Siouxland. The prairie dogs, which also traveled to the Iowa State Fair and the State Capitol before being auctioned off in October 2003, raised nearly $100,000 for the Sioux City Art Center Association. The project received the 2002 Tourism and Arts Award at the annual Iowa Tourism Conference. Fifteen years after Sioux City Art Center staff decided to organize the public project showcasing artistic interpretations in animal form, the Journal managed to locate 10 of the prairie dogs. Some of them haven't strayed too far from their original locations, but are tucked away indoors. The Elvis-themed "I Ain't Nothin' but a Prairie Hound Dog" lives at WinnaVegas Casino Resort in Sloan, Iowa, while "Family," a prairie dog holding a pup clutching a green rattle, greets children on their way to the classroom at the Boys & Girls Home and Family Services. "Prairie Dog Tales," one the most highly photographed prairie dogs, pays homage to Siouxland's Lewis and Clark heritage. The 5-foot-tall figure stood beside the Sergeant Floyd Welcome Center more than a decade ago. The Journal found it not far away in an adjacent public restroom. The PDQ prairie dogs seem somewhat elusive, much like the real, live version. Todd Behrens, Sioux City Art Center curator, said the project spurred subsequent public arts projects in the years to come, including the Discovery Dog project, the sculpture Twigamore and Sculpt Siouxland. "Looking back at a project that began 15 years ago -- a time when there was a relatively small amount of public art in Sioux City -- we can see what a difference Prairie Dog Quest made," he said. "Prairiewether Lewis & William-Dog Clark" initially rowed their small canoe ashore at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. The two fiberglass figures were given to North Middle School, where they are permanently displayed in the library. West High School's library also houses "Peace Dog," which is adorned with images of some of the world's greatest peacemakers, including the Rev. Martin Luther King, President John F. Kennedy, Anne Frank and Mahatma Gandhi. "Corn Dog," a prairie dog designed as an ear of corn with a bumpy textile finish, is "proudly displayed" by its sponsor Wilson Trailer Company in its lobby, according to advertising manager Keith Jackson. Artist Brenda Schoenherr-Thelen recalls spending many hours painting "Corn Dog" and "Husker Dog," a prairie dog inspired by Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch. The latter prairie dog was purchased by a Walthill, Nebraska, woman. "I grew up on a farm, so I thought the idea of the 'Corn Dog' would be cool just to make the actual figure of an ear of corn," Schoenherr-Thelen recalled. Schoenherr-Thelen said "Husker Dog" was swiped by an off-duty police officer while it was stationed in South Sioux City. She said the officer put it in another police officer's yard. When she got the prairie dog back, she said she had to touch up scratched paint. The incident marred an otherwise enjoyable project for Schoenherr-Thelen. "People took photos with them. Kids loved them. It was really a lot of fun," she said. A colorful, vibrant composition of prairie dogs playing musical instruments wrapped around "Prairie Dog Blues." The 150-pound prairie dog, which sat outside LeGrand & Co. at Sixth and Pierce streets, was also stolen, only to turn up a few days later at the War Eagle Monument gouged and scratched. Ritch LeGrand, who sponsored the prairie dog, said he thought about buying it himself. "It was really popular and one of the reasons was the story behind it of being stolen and then found," he said. Although the prairie dog was popular, it doesn't seem to have had the staying power of its antecessor, the Discovery Dog, which remains much more visible in the community today. The replicas of the black Newfoundland named Seaman, who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their journey, were introduced in 2004. Poole said Seaman's sweet disposition and the story of his bravery won over hearts. She said people also relate to him because they have dogs of their own. "We have the story of how he barked and drove the charging buffalo away from the camp. There are lots of stories associated with that dog," she said. "Most of us have never even seen a prairie dog." SEATTLE Whats up with these creepy clowns? Across the nation, and even across seas, people have been calling police to report being menaced by people in clown costumes. An expert in the field of group psychology at Washington State University says there are several factors that could play into the motives of the deviant jesters. Among them are distress and anxiety, social contagion, a desire to be noticed and stand out and the well-established principle of de-individuation in which people who feel anonymous or disguised do things they ordinarily wouldnt do. The spreading of unusual behaviors is more common at times when there is a lot of tension, conflict and anxiety, said Craig D. Parks, social psychologist and assistant vice provost at WSU. You may have people who dont like the way the world is going, who feel that their economic situation is not improving or are very upset about the high-tension presidential race, Parks said. All things being equal, that could incline them toward deviant behaviors. While law-enforcement authorities say that many of the reports have turned out to be hoaxes, The New York Times reported that a dozen people have been arrested. In Kentucky, a man dressed as a clown was arrested after lurking in the woods. Children in Ohio and Texas have been charged with making clown-related threats to school classmates. A New York City teen told police a clown threatened him with a knife in the subway. In Wisconsin earlier this month, a couple was arrested after police discovered theyd left their 4-year-old child home alone while they went clowning. Parks said the clown craze is interesting, and not particularly surprising, to social psychologists. There are classic aspects to it that weve seen in the past, he said. Among those aspects is the principle of de-individuation. When people are taking part in a riot they may do things, such as set things on fire and tip cars, that they would otherwise think was wrong. Another factor thats at play could be what Parks called social contagion. Although traditionally social contagion is more likely to spread among people who have frequent physical contact with each, the internet has altered that aspect of the phenomenon. Social contagion is when somebody does something unusual, and it affects other people, said Parks. People see it and say, Wow! Im going to do that, too, he said. Copycat clowns are likely motivated by the idea of getting attention and making it into the news. If you feel that people arent paying attention to you, and you want to stand out and you see that people are being written about for dressing like a clown and jumping out and scaring people, this may be a relatively safe way to get attention, Parks said. Bill Indick, a visiting professor of psychology at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, who specializes in media psychology, agrees that attention-seeking behavior is one explanation. But at its heart, he says, the clown craze is a media phenomenon. Thats why it comes in waves, Indick said. The media propagates it, creates it, feeds it and at a certain point, gets tired of it. The media then digests it and eliminates it. And just as quickly as it started, its over. SPENCER, Iowa | Marvin Schmidt looked at his hand grenade and his New Testament Bible. "My choices were to blow myself up. I put my finger in the grenade ring, but couldn't pull it," said Schmidt. "Instead, I picked up the Bible. I hadn't ever looked at it. I read the 23rd Psalm and got through it a few times and then tried to memorize it. "I never thought I'd get out of there." Marvin Schmidt, 87, of Spencer, Iowa, was shot in Korea and left for dead on May 17, 1951. He bled and slept, floating into and out of consciousness for seven days, alone, wet and cold and at the mercy of North Korean and Chinese soldiers on patrol, enemies who poked him with their rifles, went through his pockets and, ultimately, showed mercy. One gave him a poncho and a cup of food. An enemy medic who spoke English advised him to brace for an onslaught of artillery that was sure to come. Schmidt wasn't taken prisoner, deemed too big an inconvenience as he couldn't walk, not with a right lower leg shattered, infected. So, Marvin Schmidt, a 22-year-old U.S. Army corporal lay prone near a small stream, not far from the Pusan Perimeter through which the Chinese had pushed. Using bushes for cover, he sipped water from a stream, cupping a leaf like a saucer. The shells came, and a nearby explosion shot shrapnel into his neck and jaw, tossing his body 15 feet. "I could not move my arms and felt myself starting to pass out," he said. "I thought my legs were done and that I was dying." He slid closer to the stream and awoke the following morning. That's when he felt for one of his two grenades and his Bible. For the next two days he read the 23rd Psalm. "...Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me..." "At the end of the seventh day I heard a noise and saw that it was one of our patrols," Schmidt said. "I yelled, 'Hey!'" Corporal Schmidt, who trained as a refrigeration mechanic, was given a shot of medicine and loaded onto a stretcher. A helicopter evacuated him to an aid station. Doctors cleaned his wound, flushing it of maggots before surgery. Actress Veronica Lake visited the MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) unit. He waved at her from across the room, laying on his back recuperating from a death-defying experience. Schmidt was air-lifted again to Osaka Army Base in Japan. A doctor from Storm Lake, Iowa, whose name escapes Schmidt's memory decided to save the leg. A nurse told Schmidt later that he'd been sent to this hospital to have it amputated. The doctor saved it and sent Schmidt to Brooks Army Hospital at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he stayed for two years, undergoing extensive treatment, which included a skin graft that involved sewing the bottom portion of both legs together for 21 days. He remained in bed for the first five months of his treatment and lost 1.5 inches from his right leg. "I was also treated for the shrapnel wound to my neck," he said. "Doctors found a tiny piece, about one to two square inches of cloth, in my neck. It probably came off my uniform." Schmidt earned a 60 percent disability pension in his retirement from the Army, discharged after 5 years and 10 days of service. "I was treated as if I'd served 30 years," he said. He used the G.I. Bill to study engineering at the University of South Dakota for two years, then at South Dakota State University for two years, where he earned a degree in electrical engineering. He worked for McDonald Aircraft in St. Louis, Missouri for five years. A career at Collins Radio, later Rockwell Collins, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, encompassed 23 years and allowed Schmidt the chance to see much of the world, conducting avionics seminars while contributing to projects surrounding the Apollo space program. He and his wife, Ethel Schmidt, whom he wed in 1954, raised four children, who now have their own families in communities from Colorado to Iowa to Florida. The Schmidts, who retired to Spencer in 2001, enjoy following nine grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Marvin Schmidt, a member of the Disabled American Veterans organization and the American Legion, has, in recent years, shared his his story with local Kiwanis Clubs and church groups. He recorded the events of his tour of duty, and Ethel typed it for a family history. Did service in Korea change this man? "I was always bashful and somewhat withdrawn," said Schmidt, a 1947 graduate of Everly High School in Everly, Iowa. "The military helped me to work with people, something I'd do the rest of my life while traveling the world. It became one of life's greatest joys." The 23rd Psalm continues to hold a special place in his heart, as does May 24, the date of his rescue, a convergence of luck, grit and faith that has allowed this man to count his blessings each day for the past 65 years. "We go out for dinner on May 24," he said. "It is a special date." At least one of my siblings, and some of my friends from high school, will be among the 50 million or so Americans waking up on Nov. 9 after giving their vote to a man who thinks very little of them, and even less of the country he wants to lead. Allow me one last attempt to help you avoid a hangover that will stay with you the rest of your life. If you ignored every blast of hatred from Donald Trump, every bellow from the bully, consider his low view of humanity in general. For the most part you cant respect people, he has said, because most people arent worthy of respect. This is the credo of a loveless man in a friendless world. He also says he has no heroes not a Lincoln or Mandela, a Jackie Robinson or a Capt. Chesley Sullenberger. If youre an evangelical Christian, youre about to cast your lot with someone who goes against nearly everything you believe. I have a sister in this category. Her preacher told her that electing Trump is part of Gods plan. Im not sure if the plan is apocalyptic, but that sounds like a deity whos given up on all of us. I would tell my sister and all like-minded souls to look at whether Trump has tried to live by the Ten Commandments. Hes consistently violated at least eight of them, from worshipping the God of Mammon to running up the biggest pants on fire liar score of any presidential candidate in history. True, he hasnt committed murder, but he did say he could shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue, and I wouldnt lose any supporters. If thats who you want your children looking up to, those kids will be, like Trump, bereft of heroes. If youre a member of the white working class, the poorly educated that Trump once professed to love, your sense of dislocation is real. The economic gap between the wealthiest cities and the rest of the country has widened. So has the divide between college-educated workers and those who never went beyond high school. More than 20 percent of American men younger than 65 had no paid work last year. But a trade war, which Trump proposes, and his tax and immigration policies would bring widespread pain, and do nothing to help the most economically troubled of his supporters. His tax plan, a giveaway to the rich and a budget buster, would likely lead to another recession. His overall economic proposals could cost the United States economy $1 trillion over the next five years, according to a report from Oxford Economics, a forecasting firm. Building a wall, of concrete on the southern border, or though tariffs coming from Washington is not going to bring steel mills back to Pennsylvania, or thousands of coal jobs to West Virginia. I should add that 15 million new jobs have been added under President Barack Obamas watch, and that incomes grew across the board last year, especially at the bottom. . Vice President Joe Biden has made it one of his final missions to ensure that Democrats dont forget those living in places like his hometown, Scranton, Pa. One solution is to put people to work on roads, bridges, airports and other big stuff. Hillary Clinton has at least put forth a $275 billion infrastructure jobs plan. Trump promises nothing more than a slogan on a silly hat and a pipe dream of a plan with no way to pay for it. Finally, if youre a true deplorable, I have nothing to say to you by way of persuasion. You should follow the endorsements of neo-Nazis, and current and former members of the Ku Klux Klan who say Trump is the embodiment of their beliefs. For the rest of the Trump supporters, remember that resentment is not a political philosophy and hatred is not a sustainable force for governing. Remember, also, the words of a global citizen Bono. America is like the best idea the world ever came up with, he said, but Donald Trump is potentially the worst idea that ever happened to America. STORM LAKE, Iowa | Tom Prchal hadnt been overseas four days before he found himself on the frontlines in Incheon, Korea with the Armys First Calvary Division, 7th Calvary Regiment. I found the horrors of war in a big hurry, said Prchal, who was 21 at the time. Prchal took engineering training, along with basic training, at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. He trained for combat engineering, but Prchal soon learned it didnt matter what training an individual received. Two-thousand of us came off the ship and we all went right up to the front lines no matter who we were, he said. Between the time he left Seattle, landed in Japan and then traveled to Korea, Prchal wasnt exactly sure what to expect or what his duties would be. But sure enough, he found out quickly. I went to Incheon, Korea, and three days later, Im up on the front lines with a heavy mortar company, he said. I had never seen a mortar in my life, I never trained at all for any combat, but there I am in the middle of the night, scared to death. The conditions didnt allow for calls home. Sending a letter home took two weeks, but stationary consisted of scraps or sacks and whatever writing utensil was available. That was the reality for Prchal and his fellow soldiers for the next four months, fighting Chinese and North Korean forces. The unpredictable and unknown became normal for him. We never knew where we were at over there, said Prchal, of Storm Lake. You were just up there and had no idea where you were at. Prchal said he didnt have a mindset or approach to surviving the front lines. He said there was no time or circumstance to be overly scared or worried. As a 21-year-old, I was macho, he said. I guess you just didnt think that much of it. You dont at that age. All the troops were in the same position. After four months on the front lines were up, he went to Hokkaido, Japan, where he trained to protect Japan from Russian and Chinese forces. There, he served in the motor pool taking care of vehicles. He didnt see any battle in Japan, but thats not to say danger didnt present itself. An 8.1 magnitude earthquake struck Hokkaido in March of 1952, killing 33 citizens. I was in the mess hall filling salt shakers and the generals were around drinking coffee and all of a sudden, the salts going all directions, he said. We all jumped out for safety. Prchal said no U.S. troops were killed, but they helped citizens in the areas most impacted. He said the earthquake was a bit unnerving, but almost preferable to what he had seen. It wasnt near as bad as being in Korea, he said. After Japan came another stint in Korea, this time in Busan. His duty on this trip was to provide security work for the United Nations Camp. He drove around high ranking generals and dignitaries that visited the UN during that time. On this trip to Korea, he was informed what was going on, which eased any nervousness he may have had about a return. Four months later, in April of 1953, Prchal went home to Omaha. For the next 40 years, he worked as a hardware wholesaler around Northwest Iowa and retired in 1995. Now 86, Prchal said he doesnt dwell on his service much. He said hes just happy to be home. In hindsight, I came out of there safe with a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge of how our government works. SIOUX CITY | A ban prohibiting guns and dangerous weapons inside Northwest Iowa court facilities isn't currently on the drawing board. That doesn't mean an order will never be issued, but for now decisions banning any weapons will be left up to each county's board of supervisors, said Duane Hoffmeyer, chief judge of Iowa's 3rd Judicial District, which includes Woodbury County and 15 other Northwest Iowa counties. "It has come up for discussion, but there is not an administrative order from me in place. It has been talked about from time to time. I can't say I've ruled it out. At the same time, I can't say I've ruled it in," Hoffmeyer said. Earlier this month, Kurt Wilke, chief judge of Iowa's 2nd Judicial District, issued an administrative order banning guns and other weapons in and around judicial offices in the north Iowa district's 22 counties. Law enforcement and court officers are exempt. A survey of 3rd District counties found that eight already ban guns and dangerous weapons inside their courthouses. Three others ban weapons in court areas and allow them in the rest of the courthouse. Five counties have no restrictions. In the counties that prohibit guns and weapons, only Woodbury County searches courthouse visitors. Since the county board passed a resolution banning guns and weapons in county buildings in 2011, visitors have had to pass through a metal detector at a single entrance. Visitors carrying a weapon may take it back to their vehicle or store it in a lock box at the courthouse entrance while inside the building. "I think we had one incident where a guy forgot he had (a gun) in a bag," Woodbury County Sheriff Maj. Todd Wieck said of the excellent compliance the department has seen with the weapons ban. Visitors are not searched in the other seven counties that do not allow weapons inside their courthouse. The onus is on each individual to obey signs posted at entrances. "We haven't had any issues with it. People have been respectful of it," Clay County Sheriff Randy Krukow said of the county's weapons ban in place in the courthouse in Spencer since 2011. Lyon County Sheriff Stewart Vander Stoep said signs at the Rock Rapids courthouse advise visitors that weapons are not permitted inside the courthouse. Knowing that someone could disobey the signs and bring a weapon inside, deputies provide security, including use of hand-held metal detectors, on the building's third floor, where the courtroom and court offices are located, on court action days. "I honestly can't recall a time that we've had someone come up there and be checked and had a weapon found on them," Vander Stoep said. In most cases, judges and court staff will work with individual counties to respect their policies, said Leesa McNeil, 3rd District court administrator. It's standard operating procedure, McNeil said, that when preparing for a trial or other court hearing that has the potential to become heated, the judge or court staff will ask attorneys if there are any potential security concerns. In numerous cases, McNeil said, attorneys have supplied information about someone who has made threats. In those instances, the local sheriff's office is notified. "We have made specific case requests for the sheriff to provide security at the courtroom door," McNeil said. So far, there has been no statewide order regarding courtroom weapons bans issued by the Iowa Supreme Court, though some counties in other part of the state have also banned weapons from their buildings or court facilities. Security is an ongoing discussion at the local and state level, Hoffmeyer said. Hoffmeyer said he knows there have been minor incidents involving weapons throughout the district, and that it's likely some people enter courthouses with weapons and never intend to use them. Whether a districtwide ban on weapons is needed remains to be seen. "I'm not working on any draft language right now," Hoffmeyer said. SIOUX CITY | Kim Weaver, engaged in the daunting task of unseating 14-year U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron, went where no other Democratic officeseeker had reportedly journeyed. Weaver, a Sheldon Democrat, entered a bar in tiny Colo, Iowa, in Story County. That's where she spoke with leather-clad motorcycle enthusiasts in the ABATE of Iowa organization, who typically advocate for relief from government restrictions. "They said, 'We might be kind of tough on you.' I said, 'That's OK, because if I want to be in Congress, I better be able to handle some tough questions.' And they were," Weaver said. She added, "At the end, I had three people tell me I'd earned their vote...I am pretty darn tenacious." Weaver will need that tenacity, plus a lot of factors breaking her way to defeat King, who has won seven terms, dating back to 2002. In Iowa's 4th District, Republican voters outnumber Democrats by more than 69,000. So far, no public polls have been released, but most political pundits don't see Weaver upsetting King. King, of Kiron, said he's not afraid of the challenge, contending he's a well-known lawmaker who fits well with the conservatism preferred by Iowans in the district. King said in spite of negative attacks, "there are many, many compliments" that come from Iowans he represents. He vowed to continue to fight Democratic president Barack Obama's plan to allow refugees "from the terrorist-producing parts of the world" and to repeal the 2010 Affordable Care Act, widely known as Obamacare. "Obamacare looks like it is on the verge of collapsing across the nation...The people in the 4th District ought to re-elect me, because they know they have the conscience of the conservatives serving them in the United States Congress," King said. The two candidates will not meet in a public debate, as King said there was "no up side" to taking part, since people already know his record. Weaver responded, "I find his refusal to debate incredibly disrespectful." King pulled in more campaign money than Weaver. Over the two-year election cycle through a reporting period on Oct. 19, King has contributions of $890,710, while Weaver has $146,340. In mid-October King wasn't sure how much he needed to spend. King said he may not turn to television ads. Instead of holding campaign events, he has continued with his non-election-year practice of focusing on constituent service. King, 67, was a construction company owner before he became a state senator in 1996. He said his staff members visit all 382 towns in the 4th District each year. "I am just out there doing my job. And doing my job, it turns out to be, (is) an effective effective way to campaign," King said. REPUBLICAN DOMINANCE Weaver, 51, is a long-term care ombudsman for the Iowa Department of Aging, where she makes sure people in nursing homes and assisted living residences receive quality care. She said her top two issues are finding solutions to the student debt crisis and taking action to allow senior citizens to retire in comfort. To protect Social Security, Weaver favors "scrapping the (income) cap that allows the very wealthy to pay a much smaller portion of their income into Social Security than your average working class man or woman." She also would expand Medicare to include nursing home and long-term care. According to the Iowa Secretary of State website, there are 191,720 Republicans with active voter registrations, 122,711 Democrats and 167,890 independents in the 4th District. That is the largest Republican gap approaching a November election since the new 4th District was created in 2011. Weaver is hoping to pull in independents and some Republicans who might be discontent with the party's presidential nominee Donald Trump because of his controversial statements. Weaver said she isn't making the mistake of only targeting Democratic voters. "Every day I have Republicans telling me they are going to vote for me," Weaver said. Weaver said she believes that voters who do not like Trump are open to voting for her "because of the chauvinistic things Trump has said." "Republican women under age 45 aren't inclined to vote straight party ticket," she added. REPELLED PRIMARY CHALLENGE The road to the Nov. 8 ballot was more difficult than normal for King. State Rep. Rick Bertrand, R-Sioux City, created political intrigue by running against King in the June primary. However, Republican voters overwhelmingly supported King, who received 65 percent of the vote and swamped Bertrand in all 39 counties. Weaver said the fact that King had a Republican primary opponent shows he is off his game and "pretty vulnerable." She noted that King endorsed presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who doesn't support an extension to the federal Renewable Fuel Standard for corn-based ethanol. Weaver said that undercut an important ethanol industry in Iowa. King's endorsement of Cruz was also a reason Bertrand cited for his entry as a candidate. "It is our bread and butter," Weaver said. King contended Bertrand's challenge was futile, since he supports ethanol and other key Iowa industries. He pointed to getting the endorsements of key farm group and Iowa heavyweights, such as U.S. Sens. Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst, both Republicans. Weaver said King is ineffective, since "he hasn't passed a single bill out of a subcommittee in the entire time he has been there. So it is not like he is building great coalitions with people while he is there." King pointed to machinations to pass a so-called continuing resolution to continue funding the federal government beyond Sept. 30. He said his position of fiscal restraint caused him to oppose the passed measure that was agreed to by House and Senate Republican leaders, since it got the support of many Democrats and spent too much. King authored an opposing measure, which wasn't adopted, with lower spending, and which would not fund policies that are supported by Obama. "I stand on the legislation that I've introduced. I think it remains the best path forward for the country, for the state and for the district," King said. Weaver cited King's support of a white supremacist in Germany elections, his fight to keep Harriet Tubman off a $20 bill and keeping a Confederate flag on his congressional desk. "He comes across as friendly and personable. But I don't agree with his votes and I don't agree with some of the things he says," Weaver said. King said he has never met Weaver and declined to assess her candidacy. The outcome of the presidential election will impact the nation in many ways. Who wins will shape the direction of domestic and international policy. Congress has a say, but the president still wields a lot of power. Many people are disappointed with the major candidates, Democrat Hillary Clinton and the Republicans Donald Trump. Some are so dismayed they plan not to vote or to cast their ballot for a third-party candidate. Before not voting or going with a candidate who doesnt have a chance to win or influence the election, remember the new president will try to set the direction of the country for the next four years. One way he or she will do this is through a nominee to the Supreme Court. The nominee, if approved by the Senate, will likely help decide key issues for the next few decades. For North Dakotans that involves likely key decisions on abortion, clean air, water rights, marriage and more. Those rulings could conflict with our personal beliefs and determine the future of our jobs. With the present court often divided 4-4 since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February, the new justice could be the swing vote deciding many cases. Some Republicans are suggesting they would rather leave the court seat vacant than allow Clinton to fill it if elected. Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and John McCain, R-Ariz., have hinted they would rather have an eight-member court than a full court with a liberal member nominated by Clinton. Thats a bad idea. It means circumventing the process more than has happened so far. Trying to avoid a court nominee for the term of a president could sink the Supreme Court process into political chaos. To block a nominee, Republicans must first retain control of the Senate. The best outcome will be Congress working with the new president to reach agreement on a nominee. That wont be easy unless the same party controls the Senate and presidency. North Dakota has been a Republican state and that wont change this election. The qualities most North Dakotans are looking for in a Supreme Court nominee will be best reflected in Trump. Hes offered a list of potential candidates for the court. There are many important issues in this campaign, but the Supreme Court remains one with long-reaching impact. In deciding between Trump and Clinton, how the candidate views the court should be a determining factor. For North Dakotans, that should make the choice easier. The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless. The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well. By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism. Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza. Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres. Veggie Dedication NASA A small plant growth chamber orbiting in space was remotely dedicated in Cleveland Saturday evening. At the annual meeting of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSRC) it was announced that the Veggie unit aboard the International Space Station has been dedicated to Thora Halstead and Ken Souza. A special plaque has been affixed to the Veggie hardware by Astronaut Kate Rubin. Copies of that plaque were flown in space and then returned to Earth were presented to Ken and Thoras families this evening. By coincidence the third crop of lettuce just started to grow in Veggie this past week. Before I go any further Thora and Ken were friends of mine for more than 30 years. To say that I was fond of them would be an understatement. Sadly they both left us earlier this year. Indeed, Ken died barely a week or so after Thora while he was beginning to organize a memorial for her. These back to back losses really hit the space life science community very hard. You see, they had worked together at NASA and after retirement for nearly 50 years. As a result of their hard work and dedication to foster new researchers, they leave behind hundreds of space life science professionals spanning several generations. To tell you what Thora and Ken meant to me I have to tell you my own story with NASA. It is fairly typical when it comes to how Ken and Thora mentored people. I first met Thora at NASA Headquarters in the mid-1970s. I was visiting Washington DC and called NASA to see if I could meet with a space biologist. Of course I ended up talking to Thora. It was surprising that someone so important would talk time to talk to me. She set aside quite a generous amount of time for me and left me carrying a bunch of NASA publications. A few years later, based on my initial contacts with Thora I drove from Connecticut to Niagara Falls, NY for meeting where all the space life scientists would be. A year later, while job hunting in Washington DC, I went to a follow-up of that meeting which now had its own organization, the American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology (ASGSB) the earlier incarnation of todays ASGSR. And there was Thora and even more space life scientists than I had seen a year earlier. I was hired by USRA shortly thereafter to support the Life Sciences Strategic Planning Study Committee (LSSPSC) which was doing an overlook of what NASAs life science programs were doing. In essence we went to every NASA center that had anything to do with space life science. For me it was an unexpected crash course in space life science. One of the first places we went was NASA Ames Research Center and the very first person I got to know there was Ken Souza. He decided to take a few hours off and drove me around ARC in his old blue Toyota. I saw every since piece of space hardware they were working on. Again, I was really surprised that someone like this would take this much time to educate me. I have to say that what I learned from Ken in that one afternoon shaped every space hardware project I worked on thereafter. During the course of the LSSPSC committees work inevitably much of the heavy lifting fell to the staffers (whom I managed) to actually write the report. By the time that report was put to bed I had a pretty amazing amount of stuff in my head. For a while I supported various people at NASAs life science division. Then I had a chance to work for the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS). AIBS at the time handled all of the peer review activities for NASAs life sciences division spanning the range from exobiology and SETI, to plant and cell physiology, human biomedicine, and closed life support systems. I got an intimate chance to see how people propose space research, how these things are evaluated, how program managers some times took a risk, and how they sometimes played it safe. I also learned how the proposing community operated and the dynamic between science and money. I got to know each of the program managers well especially Thora. By this point it was obvious to me that Thora was unusual she was a woman in a position of authority in an agency that did not allow to happen very often. And when she had to defend her program against others she would go one-on-one with anyone who tried to take things away. She protected all of her researchers as if they were family. I would spend hours sitting in her office staring at all of the books she had while she took each and every phone call that came in. As was the case with my younger self, she always had time to talk to someone. This became especially frustrating when budgets were being cut and we were working to make sure that everyone had enough to survive. And then someone would call about the budget. And when it wasnt a call about the budgetary issues, it was a student calling. She worried about students all the time. I have lost track of how many students supported by Thora are now prominent members in this field. The ASGSR (then the ASGSB) grew out of annual meetings Thora tried to have with all of her researchers and hardware builders. I can see that this function continues to this day. Back in the 1980s we had a lot of researchers but we were just learning how to build all of the ever increasingly complex hardware needed to answer all of the questions we sought to answer. The first time that we had an opportunity to really put it all together were the Space Life Science Spacelab missions. Ken Souza was integral to much of the hardware that was built including his own experiment that looked at fundamental aspects of how frog embryos behaved in microgravity. As the SLS missions paved the way the space station began to materialize. They were looking for life science people to help build and design things. Both Ken and Thora were helpful in getting me a job at the Space Station Freedom Program Office at NASA. Now I had a chance to take everything that I had learned from Thora and Ken and all of the other people they supported and help create an even greater research capability in space. My prime responsibility was getting the requirements in place for the 2.5 meter centrifuge facility a task I could never have accomplished without help from Ken and Thora and their staffs. The folks who worked with Ken at ARC were tasked with making the whole thing work and I, in turn, was their advocate back in the midst of the space station hierarchy. I felt like I had a cause and I can tell you that it was the direct result of having had so many people in space life sciences helping me along. Indeed, in an effort to give something back, I eventually ended up on the governing board of ASGSB, which allowed me to help further. I designed the logo for the organization, and convinced multiple astronauts to wear an ASGSB t-shirt in space, in Antarctica, etc. Alas that Centrifuge Facility was never built. NASA traded it away to defray launch costs and then cancelled it outright. But I know that a lot of the expertise that went into it continues today in another generation of space life science researchers and what flies aboard ISS. Every time I see a picture of the inside of the ISS I see something that I recognize something that I helped to develop in one way or another. As such, there is a little part of me up there. All of us who have worked on things that fly in space feel that way. Its why I walk outside on a regular basis and look up to see the space station fly over my house. You can understand why it was cool when a bunch of us inside and outside of NASA found a way to get a piece of the summit of Mt. Everest grabbed by Scott Parazynski (who I also first met at ASGSB) and some Apollo 11 moon rocks that Scott and I carried around Nepal onto a plaque and then up to the space station. They now reside within the Cupola. Another reason to look up into the sky. A few weeks ago I learned that a landmark on Mars was named after Bob Wharton, a friend of mine with whom I also worked at NASA Life Science Division in the 1980s along side Thora and others. He also wore an ASGSB T-shirt at my urging in Antarctica. Bob would be so tickled to know that this was done. A number of us had suggested a memorial like this for Bob to NASA and then waited patiently for years as the process worked itself out. It was worth the wait. Now I check images from Bobs neighborhood at Wharton Ridge almost every day to see what the weather is like. As such it should not be surprising to tell you that after Thora and Ken died I sent an email to some NASA folks suggesting that the Veggie unit be named after them. It was just a thought. I really did not expect anything to come of it. Much to my surprise, I found out a month or so later that NASA liked my suggestion and that this would indeed be happening. I am certain many, many people in the space life science community appreciate the work it took to make this dedication happen at NASA. I sure do. What a cool way to say thank you to my friends Thora and Ken. They really were trend setters in NASAs space life science research and had a strong effect upon innumerable careers. Now I have two more reasons to watch that bright star fly over my house at night and to think of the Earth life that has taken hold inside of Thora and Kens little greenhouse in outer space. Ad astra, my friends. Kate Rubin NASA NASA astronaut and Expedition 49 crew member Kate Rubins, who became the first person to sequence DNA in space, returned to Earth Saturday after a successful mission aboard the International Space Station. Rubins and her crewmates Anatoly Ivanishin of the Russian space agency Roscosmos and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, touched down in their Soyuz MS-01 at 11:58 p.m. EDT (9:58 a.m. Oct. 30, Kazakhstan time) southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan. Rubins, who has a degree in molecular biology, contributed to several new studies taking place for the first time aboard the space station, including the Biomolecule Sequencer experiment. The ability to sequence the DNA of living organisms in space could enable astronauts to diagnose an illness, or identify microbes growing in the space station and determine whether they represent a health threat. During her time on the orbiting complex, Rubins ventured outside the confines of the station for two spacewalks. During the first one on Aug. 19, she and NASA astronaut Jeff Williams installed the first international docking adapter. Outfitted with a host of sensors and systems, the adapters main purpose is to provide a port for spacecraft bringing astronauts to the station in the future. Its first users are expected to be the Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft now in development in partnership with NASAs Commercial Crew Program. During her second spacewalk Sept. 1, Rubins and Williams retracted a spare thermal control radiator and installed two new high-definition cameras. Together, the Expedition 49 crew members contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science aboard the world-class orbiting laboratory during their 115 days in space. The trio also welcomed three cargo spacecraft delivering several tons of supplies and research experiments. Rubins was involved in the grapple of Orbital ATKs Cygnus spacecraft to the station in October, the companys sixth contracted commercial resupply mission, and SpaceXs Dragon ninth contracted mission in July. One Russian ISS Progress cargo spacecraft also docked to the station in July. Rubins and Onishi have each spent a total of 115 days in space during their first mission. Ivanishin now has 280 days in space from two flights. Expedition 50, with Shane Kimbrough of NASA in command and his crewmates Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko of Roscosmos, will operate the station for three weeks until the arrival of three new crew members. Peggy Whitson of NASA, Thomas Pesquet of ESA (European Space Agency) and Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch Nov. 17 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. It was a proud day for harness racing in Ireland as Trotter Francaise, Vichy De Moem, and driver Alan Richard put in a last half-mile in :57.7 to rewrite the world record on a half-mile track for two miles at 4:05.7 on Sunday at Portmarnock Raceway. The race was for the Barney Richardson Memorial Cup with five of the best trotters in Ireland going for the world record that was set by Ake Svanstedts Clear Sign at 4:06.8 in Sweden in 2013. Sunday was closing day at Portmarnock for the 2016 season and the world record attempt was the fifth race feature on the program. A huge crowd was in attendance to see if Ireland could own its first world record. Silvano Bello and driver Donal Murphy took early commend and led the field for the first three laps, unofficially going to the first quarter in :31 as they raced Indian style to the half-mile in 1:05 and the three-quarters in 1:33.4. Then at the one-mile marker in 2:35.7, the thought was that the record was out of reach, but once they passed the teletimer at the 1.5-mile mark in 3:08, Alan Richardson came charging to the front with Vichy De Moem for the final lap. Looking strong on the lead, Vichy De Moem was then challenged in the backstretch the final time by Twist Du Layon and driver Patrick Kane Jr., of Miraculous fame, who came after the race leaders up on the outside. Those two made it a race to the finish as Vichy De Moem kicked into another gear coming down the stretch to win by one and one-half lengths. Twist Du Layon was second with Scoops Team and driver Brenda Hudson grabbing third-place. Richardson was beside himself as he brought Vichy De Moem back to the winners enclosure amidst a roaring crowd cheering the world record holders on. There were nearly 100 family members, friends and well-wishers crowding the track. What an amazing day, Richardson said as he got off the race bike. He [Vichy De Moem] is a super horse and what a huge day this is for Ireland. We finally own a world record. A seven-year-old gelding by Viraldi De Chanu, Vichy De Moem has been one of the top Trotter Francaise in the Le Trot Series in Ireland and the UK this year. (With files from Portmarnock Raceway) Driver Doug McNair swept Mohawk Racetrack's co-featured Preferred events with pacer Andreios Kardia ($7.90) and trotter Nahar ($9.90) as part of a four-win performance on Saturday night (October 29). Andreios Kardia circled a field of six to repeat in the $34,000 Preferred Pace for McNair and trainer Jeff Byron. Evenin Of Pleasure (Jonathan Drury) got the first call off the gate before Ellis Park (Randy Waples) made the lead by the first turn. However, 8-5 favourite Nickle Bag (Trevor Henry) rushed up from fifth on the way past the :27.3 first quarter mark and he cleared to command during the second panel. As he headed to the half in :56.1, McNair sent Andreios Kardia underway from the back of the six-pack and progressed to collar Nickle Bag at the 1:24 third quarter mark. Andreios Kardia forged ahead down the stretch and drew one and a quarter lengths clear before hitting the wire in 1:51.3. Nickle Bag stayed for second and Alexas Jackpot (Jody Jamieson) came on for third. Amidst a career-year, the Badlands Hanover-Nexus Seelster gelding is 10-for-22 and has earned $96,920 in his five-year-old campaign. Lifetime, he boasts 17 victories and now sits just shy of the $200,000 earnings mark for owner/breeder Ina Madill of Innisfil, Ont. McNair used opposing strategies to sweep this week's Preferreds as he sent Nahar to the lead early on in the matching top trot. The 9-5 favoured Whiskey Tax (Randy Waples) quickly crossed to command from the outside post seven before post six starter Nahar worked his way up to take over the lead through the :28 first quarter. Once in control, there was no stopping Nahar as he carved out middle splits of :56.2 and 1:24.2 en route to a five and a quarter length victory in 1:53 flat. Whiskey Tax chased the winner home in second-place and Etruscan Hanover (Mario Baillargeon) finished third. The 11-year-old Love You-Mahonny Broline gelding earned his second North American victory from six starts since arriving to compete in the Maple Leaf Trot for trainer Robert Bergh and the Sedin Stable. The 41-time career winner now has earnings in excess of $1.8 million. To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Mohawk Racetrack. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser Its rare for a challenger to unseat a sitting Superior Court judge, but local attorney Josh Baldwin thinks he has a good chance. Baldwin hopes to oust Judge Gary Bashor, who was appointed to the bench in 2011. Superior Court Judges Marilyn Haan, Stephen Warning and Michael Evans also are up for reelection, but are running unopposed. Before becoming a judge, Bashor, 58, was a court commissioner, mediator and family law attorney. On the campaign trail, he has touted his years on the bench and as an attorney, his community service, improvements he has made to the countys drug court, helping to rolling out a new court database that helps people more easily access the justice system, and maintaining the courts website. Baldwin, 36, has practiced law for the last 11 years as a Cowlitz County prosecutor, public defender and private attorney. On the campaign trail, Baldwin pitched himself as an attorney experienced in both family and criminal law who has done more work as a trial attorney than Bashor. Hes criticized Bashor for setting bail too low in some cases, and for delaying decisions and applying the law inconsistently in certain divorce, custody and dependency cases. Yet Bashor has the support of a large group of lawyers, commissioners and judges both in and outside of Cowlitz County. Baldwins been bolstered by those whove criticized Bashors decisions in family law cases and who worry that the number of affidavits of prejudice filed by the prosecutors office signal trouble. Baldwin has no formal endorsements, though Longview Police Chief Jim Duscha has vocalized his support. Its hard because if I lose, these people still have to go in front of Judge Bashor and there is some concern on their part what that would look like. Its why I didnt ask for formal endorsements from attorneys or court members, I dont want people to be in that position, Baldwin wrote in an email. Bashors supporters say Baldwin isnt ready to be judge since hes had no time on the bench. This is a small legal community. Were all kind of friends. I like Josh. I get along with him. As much as I like him, hes not ready, said Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Stephen Warning. Warning, who started the countys drug court in 1999, commended Bashors leadership of the program. He said Bashor boosted graduation rates, lowered recidivism rates and has run the program more cost efficiently while imposing less jail time as a penalty. Hes gone to huge lengths to bring the program in line with best practices and best thinking. Hes taken a very good program and made it better, Warning said. He works hard. Hes got a very inquisitive brain. When he comes up with an issue, he doesnt care if its inconvenient or not the way we do things. If he sees something thats a problem, he wants to address it. Baldwin highlighted the fact the county prosecutors office has been consistently filing affidavits of prejudice against Bashor for more than a year. Lawyers and prosecutors can bar judges from hearing cases by filing affidavits of prejudice when they believe the judge has a conflict of interest, is biased or cant render justice fairly. Between January 2015 and May 2016, for example, Bashor accumulated nearly three times the number of affidavits as the three other Cowlitz Superior Court judges combined. Prosecutor Ryan Jurvakainen said at the time his that office was filing the affidavits against Bashor because he was setting bail too low in certain cases. If you come into my courtroom and your perception is you dont think youre going to get a fair hearing, I would prefer to have someone else hear that case if theyre available. And the reason is, if you get a decision from a judge that you dont think is fair, you wont have any faith in that decision, Bashor said in a June interview. Bashor added this week that after analyzing affidavits filed between January 2015 and July 2016, he found that 55 percent were filed by one deputy attorney. Because the affidavit process is 100 percent controlled by the filing attorney, the data can be significantly influenced by only a very few attorneys, Bashor wrote in an email. Former county prosecutor and retired Superior Court Judge Jim Stonier, the head of Bashors reelection committee, said hes not worried about the number of affidavits filed against Bashor by the prosecutors office. Stonier said under former prosecutor C.C. Bridgewater, Judge James Warme was filed against frequently, and Stonier said he believed Warme was an excellent judge. One of the things that I did was terminate that policy (of filing blanket affidavit) because I think that can send the wrong message. The community has voted for this particular judge, he said. Jurvakainen said his office is not filing blanket affidavits. Retired Longview police captain Hal Mahnke supports Baldwin. Based on a personal interaction with a family friend, Mahnke said he disagreed with a decision Bashor made in a custody case. Its become personal, he said. He also worries about the prosecutors affidavits of prejudice against Bashor. Im a retired police officer and whenever I see that, it tells me the prosecution is having a hard time getting their cases heard, Mahnke said. Mahnke also said Baldwin is more qualified than Bashor. Hes done a lot of trial work, hes got a lot of court experience, Mahnke said. Even though Bashors been in there, I dont think hes grown at all. Baldwin said being younger and having no time on the bench (as a commissioner, for example) doesnt disqualify him. I knew my youth would be attacked to an extent, Baldwin said in an interview Friday. My time is not an anomaly. Its not unheard of for a person with that amount of time to become a judge. Baldwin said he has more experience as a trial attorney than Bashor. According to data the clerks office supplied to Baldwin, Bashor has never been an attorney in a jury trial in Cowlitz County. Bashor said he did one trial in 1991, but that his bench experience still outweighs Baldwins experience as a trial attorney. Bashor said hes never had a case overturned on appeal as an attorney. Baldwin originally represented Sergey Fedoruk, the Kelso man convicted of killing his brother-in-law in 2011 and whose first murder conviction was overturned in 2014. He was convicted of second-degree murder this September. The claim that I have little jury trial experience is false. I have done numerous jury trials in Superior Court in Cowlitz County as a judge, Bashor wrote in an email. More importantly, I have done thousands of trials and hearings in Superior Court from 1984 until the present as an attorney, a court commissioner, and a judge. When evaluating experience and who one should pick for such an office, you should look at not just quantity, but quality of work. Tina Day, a guardian ad litem with Cowlitz Family Advocacy Services, supports Baldwin because she said Bashor has delayed decisions in dependency and custody cases. While I appreciate Judge Bashor as a person, I can tell you that my time in the dependency court room (under his rule) was painful and difficult, Day wrote in an email. Prior to Judge Bashor, a typical out-of-home placement would consistently be 18-24 months before permanency planning was made and acted on. Under Judge Bashor, permanency planning would often wait past 36 months and in some cases simply never came. At a debate earlier in the month, Baldwin called Bashor out on the delays. I do take some time in researching and providing answers in cases, but I can tell you its the appropriate amount of time, Bashor responded during the debate. Every case that comes in front of the court is unique. Bashor said hes proud of his time as a judge. Ive helped thousands of people in my law practice and as a judge. Many of those were the most vulnerable people in the community: kids, the mentally ill, people dealing with substance abuse and financial matters, he wrote in an email. This campaign has been about connecting door-to-door with so many of these people who have told me they will never forget the things I have done to help them. Baldwin says he is ready to take the bench. Ive made tough decisions to represent the interests of my client, whether my client is the state, or a criminal client, or a client in a divorce, he said in a debate in early October. Being able to look the litigants in the eye and make the tough decisions (as a judge) I believe my practical experiences qualify me to do that. After a tumultuous period plagued by controversy, the Cowlitz PUD seems to finally be settling down. Yet there are still some major challenges ahead. And just how those challenges are resolved may depend on who voters elect to District 3 post on Nov. 8. Candidates Lonnie Knowles and Dave Quinn are vying to replace outgoing Commissioner Ned Piper, who is not seeking reelection after 24 years on the board. The utility is coping with increasing power costs and lower returns on sales of its own excess wholesale power. After a flurry of protests from angry customers earlier this year, the board will have to work to keep electric rates from escalating much higher. Within three years, it will have to comply with stricter state renewable energy mandates, and decide whether to increase its stake in the wind farms, which are losing the PUD $1 million a month. In choosing between Knowles and Quinn, voters will have to decide between a marketing-savvy community organizer or an electrical engineer with 40 years of utility experience. Quinn and Knowles emerged as winners over two other candidates in the August primary election. Quinn took home 31 percent of the votes in his district, compared to Knowles 26 percent. Lonnie Knowles Energetic and outgoing, Lonnie Knowles campaign logo conveys his personality well a smiley face with a bow tie and sunglasses. Hes well known in the town for his volunteer efforts in groups like the Salvation Army, and for his former marketing role at Stewart Title. Early this year, he stepped down from Stewart Title after suffering a stroke in February. The community rallied around him, holding multiple fundraisers for his medical bills. Knowles said the stroke didnt affect his mental capacity, but he had to relearn to walk and hes still in physical therapy. Although the stroke slowed me down a bit, Knowles said he is more than ready to take on the challenge of PUD commissioner. The Longview native says his experience working with the community will translate well into his role as a commissioner, where he hopes to reestablish public trust in the agency and improve board cohesion. My abilities and strengths have been working with all types of boards ... Ive worked with millionaires and Ive worked with the homeless, Knowles said at a candidate forum in early October. Im running for this position not as an engineer, but as a local ratepayer in this community. Im trying to be a community advocate, which I am, and a community liaison, he added. Knowles said he wants to make PUD bills easier to read, improve customer service, enhance transparency and increase ratepayers understanding of the utility. In 2010, Knowles ran against incumbent Ned Piper to protest rising rates and his perception that the commissioners werent fighting for ratepayers. However, he dropped out of the race before the primary when a third contender joined the race. Im not as angry as I used to be. Im more interested in bringing cohesion and clarity and understanding to whats going on there. Now I have the ability and time to get involved, he said in an interview in July. Although Knowles doesnt have any experience in the utility industry, he said that kind of fresh perspective is exactly what the utility needs. I dont bring any family insight or problems or 35 years of possibly doing things the wrong way ... I mean thats kind of why were here today because we need new fresh blood and new eyes on the scene, he said. Because the utility is tied to its contract with the Bonneville Power Administration until 2028, theres little the agency can do to change the cost of its wholesale power, he said. Instead, Knowles wants to better educate customers on how to make their homes more energy efficient to reduce their electric bills. In the longer term, he suggested the utility lobby lawmakers to recognize hydropower as a renewable resource to lower the cost of complying with renewable energy laws. Dave Quinn Quinn has lived in Longview for 40 years, and he said he sees similarities here with his hometown of Coos Bay, Oregon. In the 1970s, the coastal community began suffering from declining logging and fishing industries. During summer breaks from Oregon State University, he would come home to work 10-hour days on the docks to help pay his way through college. After graduation, with few job prospects back home, he sent out resumes to electric utilities across the Pacific Northwest. The natural beauty and personality of Longview impressed him. Id come from a small town I related pretty well to the people (in Longview), he said. He took a job with the PUD in 1976, and worked there until 2006. He spent the next decade working for other utilities and establishing his own consulting business. Soft spoken and analytical, Quinn said his decades of experience gives him an edge over his opponent. In an interview Saturday, Quinn said the electric utility industry is going a period of tremendous amount of change, adding: My background in the industry will allow me to hit the ground running on those issues. Some of his top priorities as a commissioner would be to boost unity in the utility and enhance its image both within the industry and the community. It was my belief that our utility was lacking leadership and that it needs to unite under a common goal and to focus on its core mission of providing the highest value in its electrical service, Quinn said. Early on, Quinn said he thought the wind farms were needed to comply with voter-approved initiative I-937. Now, he wants the utility to study the economics of the wind farms to see if buying renewable energy off the market would be a less expensive alternative in 2020 Quinn believes with enough community support and through coalitions among regional utilities, BPA can be pressured to take on more cost saving measures to control power prices. Beyond 2028, its possible the PUD could consider buying more of its power from the wholesale market as an alternative, he noted. I think BPA needs to understand the utilities in the Northwest may be looking at other options and that will help them and encourage them to do a better job, Quinn said. hidden European privacy watchdogs warned WhatsApp on Friday over sharing user information with parent company Facebook, and cautioned Yahoo over a 2014 data breach and scanning of customer emails for US intelligence purposes. The popular messaging service's recent change in privacy policy to start sharing users' phone numbers with Facebook - the first policy change since WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook in 2014 - has attracted regulatory scrutiny in Europe. The Italian antitrust watchdog on Friday also announced a separate probe into whether WhatsApp obliged users to agree to sharing personal data with Facebook. The European Union's 28 data protection authorities said in a statement they had requested WhatsApp stop sharing users' data with Facebook until the "appropriate legal protections could be assured" to avoid falling foul of EU data protection law. WhatsApp's new privacy policy involves the sharing of information with Facebook for purposes that were not included in the terms of service when users signed up, raising questions about the validity of users' consent, the authorities, known as the Article 29 Working Party (WP29), said. A spokeswoman for WhatsApp said the company was working with data protection authorities to address their questions. "Weve had constructive conversations, including before our update, and we remain committed to respecting applicable law, she said. Facebook has had run-ins with European privacy watchdogs in the past over its processing of users' data. However, the fines that regulators can levy are paltry in comparison to the revenues of the big U.S. tech companies concerned. The EU data protection authorities also wrote to Yahoo over a massive data breach that exposed the email credentials of 500 million users, as well as its scanning of customers' incoming emails for specific information provided by U.S. intelligence officials. They asked Yahoo to communicate all aspects of the data breach to the EU authorities, to notify the affected users of the "adverse effects" and to cooperate with all "upcoming national data protection authorities' enquiries and/or investigations. "The reports (about email scanning) are concerning to WP29 and it will be important to understand the legal basis and justification for any such surveillance activity, including an explanation of how this is compatible with EU law and protection for EU citizens," the watchdogs said in their letter to Yahoo. Yahoo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The regulators will discuss the Yahoo and WhatsApp cases in November. Reuters tech2 News Staff Samsung is expected to release the third generation of its Galaxy A7 series smartphone in 2017 if leaks online are to be believed. According to Android Community, the AnTuTu benchmark of a Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) with model number SM-A720F has been spotted online. The Galaxy A7 (2017) is expected to come with either a 5.5-inch or a 5.7-inch FullHD display. The processor seen is Samsung Exynos 7870 which will come with Mali T830 graphics processor. The Galaxy A7 (2017) will come with 3GB RAM and 64GB of storage space. On the camera front, you can expect a 16MP front as well as rear camera. According to The Android Soul, the device could be unveiled in December 2016 and be released by January 2017. Recently, news of the Samsung Galaxy S8 had also been released online after Twitter user Ricciolo1 shared an image of the Samsung Unpacked event at MWC 2017. In addition to the leak of the event launch poster, a video was posted on the Chinese micro-blogging website, Weibo detailing the specs of Samsung Galaxy S8. S8 will sport a 5.5-inch 4K Super AMOLED Display with 806-ppi pixel density while being powered by Exynos 8895 processor. The device will be equipped with 6GB RAM along with a 16MP and 8MP dual camera setup on the back. According to reports by ETNews Korea, S8 will do away with the signature home button and the processor will be manufactured using the newly 10-nm manufacturing process. Samsung will be producing Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 using the same process so we can expect to see the second variant with Snapdragon 830. BURNSVILLE, Minn. The family of Map Kong has filed a federal civil rights suit against the city of Burnsville and three of its police officers, who fatally shot the 38-year-old man outside a McDonalds restaurant in March. In June, a grand jury concluded that officers Taylor Jacobs, John Mott and Maksim Yakovlev were justified in using deadly force on Kong, a mentally ill man who was shot 15 times after running from his car with a knife in his hand. Kong, who lived in Chaska, died of multiple gunshot wounds. Toxicology tests later revealed that he had amphetamine and methamphetamine in his system. The four officers involved were wearing body cameras, and the videos were released by the city on the day of the grand jurys decision. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, Oct. 26, asserts that the shooting was excessive and unconstitutional because Map was in medical distress and did not present an immediate and substantial threat of bodily harm to responding officers or anyone else. The suit also alleges that the officers failed to provide medical help for Kong, who was erratically rocking back and forth in his car, flailing his arms while holding the knife and in obvious psychological distress before officers smashed a car window and shocked him twice with a Taser, then shot him. The city, meanwhile, is negligent because it failed to properly train its officers in using deadly force and responding to mental health crises, the lawsuit asserts. Kongs family is asking in excess of $2 million in compensatory and punitive damages. The attorneys representing the family also criticized Dakota Countys procedure for calling a grand jury. To avoid conflicts of interest, the county should have enacted special grand jury procedures, instead of ones that were wholly controlled by Dakota County prosecutors and were conducted in secret, attorneys Steven Meshbesher and Richard Student said in a news release. They noted the officers are primary prosecution witnesses in Dakota County criminal cases. Given all of this, the risk for bias and unfair results is unacceptable, they wrote. Such risk in this and similar cases could be eliminated by, for example, referring grand jury proceedings to other jurisdictions or to independent state-level prosecutors. Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom responded to the attorneys news release with a statement in which he denied the conflict. None of the officers involved had any ongoing or prior significant direct involvement with this office, and no involvement at all with the county attorney, he said. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. AK-22 Rifles used in Gulshan cafe came from India Staff Reporter : Assault rifles used in the city's Gulshan Holey Artisan Bakery attack were manufactured in West Bengal of India with the help of Pakistani experts. One of the six terrorists arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) of Police Kolkata in connection with the Khagragarh blast told it to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India, report Agencies. According to the arrested terrorist, Pakistani tribal gunsmiths clandestinely visited Malda district of West Bengal to train gunsmiths from Munger, who set up base in the border district to make AK-22 assault rifles. These weapons were then smuggled into Bangladesh via Chapainawabganj district. The NIA investigators suspect that the Pakistanis, who conducted the training, were from the Darra Adam Khel community that resides in a village located between Peshawar and Kohat. The community is believed to regularly help the Taliban in duplicating modern weapons. "We are not sure yet, but the language they used is spoken in and around the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan where the village is located," a senior NIA officer said. Bangladesh Police have already alleged that the weapons used in the Holey Artisan Bakery attack were sourced from across the BD-Indo border. The country's Counter Terrorism and Transitional Crime (CTTC) Unit Chief Monirul Islam had categorically mentioned Munger in this connection. Thereafter, Bihar police had launched an investigation into the matter. "The Bihar police in a communique to West Bengal police confirmed that the arms manufacturers and smugglers had set up units in Malda and other places in Bengal," an STF officer said. The NIA believes that the shipment of AK-22 rifles and pistols reached the terrorists in Dhaka a month before the Gulshan terror strike. But what has intrigued the NIA officers is the duplication of AK-22 rifles instead of the AK-47, which is more popular among both terrorists and security agencies. AK-22, a semi-automatic rifle originally manufactured in Romania, is uncommon in India, and hence, difficult to duplicate. "The uncomplicated AK-22 is a low-range weapon, easy to use by even greenhorns and has a short range. It was the perfect weapon for the youngsters who carried out the terror attack in the Dhaka Bakery," an NIA officer said. If expert gunsmiths did come from Darra Adam Khel to train men in Malda, investigation agencies have reasons to worry. For, these Pakistani tribals can copy nearly any weapon, from pen pistols and hand-grenades to automatic rifles and anti-aircraft guns. Darra gunsmiths are said to have the ability to duplicate any new rifle within 10 days. Six JMB terrorists were arrested from Assam and West Bengal in September. On October 4, a consignment of AK22 rifles and some small arms reached the militants in Dhaka, said CTTC unit chief Monirul Islam. Earlier, five pistols were used in the Gulshan attack that killed 23 people, including 17 foreigners and two police officials on July 1. Turkey fires another 10,000 civil servants in post-coup purge US orders family of Istanbul consulate staff to leave More than 35,000 people have been arrested since the failed July coup in Turkey. AFP, Istanbul : Turkish authorities have fired over 10,000 additional civil servants as the government presses a crackdown over the failed July coup, the official gazette said. A total of 10,131 government employees were removed, mainly from the education, justice and health ministries, according to announcements published late Saturday. The government also announced the closure of 15 pro-Kurdish and other media outlets. University rector elections have also been suspended, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan set to pick the winners from a pool of candidates selected by the nation's education authority. The moves came three months after the government declared a state of emergency following a failed bid by a rogue faction of the army to oust Erdogan. More than 35,000 people have been arrested since then, and many dozens of teachers, police officers and judges have either been suspended or fired. ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish authorities have dismissed more than 10,000 civil servants over their suspected links with U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for orchestrating the failed coup in July. Thousands of academics, teachers and health workers were among those removed through a new emergency rule decree published on the Official Gazette late on Saturday while 15 media outlets, almost all of which reported from the largely Kurdish southeast, were shut down. Through the decrees, elections to choose a rector at the universities have also been abolished. President Tayyip Erdogan will directly appoint the rectors from the candidates nominated by the High Educational Board (YOK). Meanwhile, the United States ordered the relatives of staff members in its consulate in Istanbul to leave the country Saturday, warning that "extremist groups" are targeting American citizens for attack. The order was announced in the second travel warning that the State Department issued for Americans in Turkey in less than a week, reflecting US concerns about "increased threats from terrorist groups." The decision to evacuate the families of staff was made "based on security information indicating extremist groups are continuing aggressive efforts to attack US citizens in areas of Istanbul where they reside or frequent." On Monday, the State Department had advised US citizens to "carefully consider the need to travel to Turkey at this time." There is also a long-standing warning against travel to the southeast of the country. China ships still at disputed shoal: Manila AFP, Manila : Chinese coastguard ships are still patrolling the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea but are not stopping Filipinos from fishing there, a Philippine defence spokesman said Sunday. The information-from fishermen who have just returned from the shoal-came despite earlier Philippine government statements that the Chinese had left the outcrop they seized in 2012. A spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte had said Saturday there were no longer signs of Chinese ships at the shoal, after Duterte visited China to repair frayed ties. However Defence Department spokesman Arsenio Andolong said the fishermen who visited the shoal on Saturday still saw Chinese coastguard ships there. "Filipino fishermen, who have been to Bajo de Masinloc, (the local name for Scarborough Shoal) say that they have observed an undetermined number of Chinese white ships in the area but (the Filipinos) were not subjected to any harassment by these vessels and they were able to fish in peace," he said in a statement on Sunday. China took control of Scarborough Shoal, 230 kilometres (140 miles) west of the main Philippine island of Luzon, in 2012. It drove Filipino fishermen away from the rich fishing ground, sometimes using water cannons. In a case brought by then-president Benigno Aquino, the Philippines won a resounding victory over China at an international tribunal earlier this year. In a judgement that infuriated Beijing, the tribunal ruled in July there was no basis for China's claims to most of the South China Sea-where several nations have competing partial claims. However Aquino's successor Duterte played down this victory in a visit to China earlier this month, putting territorial disputes on the back-burner and focusing instead on Chinese aid. Chinese President Xi Jinping told Duterte there was no reason for hostility and difficult topics "could be shelved temporarily". The Chinese occupation of the shoal has been a sore point in relations, with Filipino fishermen frequently complaining that Chinese ships drive them away from their fishing grounds. Duterte had hinted at the possibility of a Chinese withdrawal upon his return from Beijing, saying: "We'll just wait for a few more days. We might be able to return to Scarborough Shoal." Newspaper reports on Sunday also said fishermen from the northern province of Pangasinan were able to fish at Scarborough Shoal, with the Chinese watching but not interfering. SYLHET: Destiny Consumersa Association formed a human chain in Sylhet on Saturday demanding immediate release of Destiny Chairman Mohammed Hussain and Destiny Group Chairman Rafiqul Amin on Saturday. Govt urged to redirect energy subsidy to solar plants Civil Society representatives urged the government to redirect its current 13 million US dollar subsidy to renewable energy, especially to solar power generation, from conventional power plants run by fossil fuels. They said aside from more investment and policy focus on renewable energy, the government should also try its best to generate power from non-conventional sources such as cow dung, jute sticks, urban waste, paddy waste, and rice bran for local consumption. The suggestions were made on Saturday at a rally organized by two dozens of organizations in front of Jatiya Press Club in the city. Sayed Aminul Haque of EquityBD, an NGO, said the country witnessed a substantial growth in solar home installation over years, mostly because of people's interest in it. But this growth can be accelerated if incentives and subsidies from the government are passed on to renewable energy initiatives, he added. He also observed that the benefit of the current 13 million US dollar subsidy hardly reach the poor as the power generated from such subsidized plants go to the national grid and that power is enjoyed by the rich. Incentives to solar plants instead, he said, would benefit the poor living in the off-grid and remote areas. Others spoke on the occasion said the government should equally focus both on clean energy generation and energy conservation. As part of it, they said, the government should promote green building architecture that leads to less energy consumption during daytime. In addition to it, they said, the government should immediately ban the uses of florescent and tube lights and promote LED bulbs instead. All multi-storey new buildings should have self-facilities to generate at least 20 percent of energy they consume every day from solar, they said, adding Indian model could be followed in this regard. The free-trade miracle Bjrn Lomborg : Global free trade provides the greatest opportunity to improve human welfare over the next decade and a half. It has already helped lift more than a billion people out of poverty over the past quarter-century. Lowering trade barriers even more could double average incomes in the poorest parts of the world over the next 15 years. Yes, there are costs to free trade that must be better addressed; but the costs are vastly outweighed by the benefits. Yet, in rich countries today, the mood has turned against free trade. That is a tragedy. Nowhere is opposition to free trade louder than in the United States. Regardless of who wins next month's presidential election, a free-trade skeptic will occupy the White House. Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump oppose the biggest trade initiative launched by President Barack Obama's administration - the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with 11 other Pacific Rim countries - and both would revisit the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which has been in force since 1994. The other major Obama-led trade initiative, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the US and the European Union, is all but dead, crippled by opposition on both continents and by the UK's Brexit referendum result, widely interpreted as a vote for protectionism. Meanwhile, protests opposing free-trade deals are drawing political support and crowds in Germany, Belgium, Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, and elsewhere. More than rhetoric has shifted. One study found the use of protectionist policies up 50% in 2015, outnumbering trade-liberalization measures by three to one. Members of the G20 - the world's major advanced and emerging economies, representing more than four-fifths of global GDP and three-quarters of trade - were responsible for 81% of the punitive measures. Politicians in rich countries tap into understandable public fear. A trade deal creates adjustment costs concentrated in particular areas, like the US Midwest and South, where manufacturing can be costlier and less efficient than overseas. Shuttered factories serve as highly visible, totemic warnings against open borders. The far greater benefits of free trade are much less obvious. Consumers get a wider variety of goods at cheaper prices. Middle-class Americans gain an estimated 29% of their purchasing power from foreign trade. In other words, the average middle-class American can buy 29% more for each dollar than if there was no trade. The effect is even bigger - 62% - for the poorest tenth of American consumers. Trade makes exporters stronger, more efficient, and more productive. The benefits are shared among workers: Obama's Council of Economic Advisers found that, on average, US export-intensive industries pay workers up to 18% more than non-exporting firms. Opposition to free trade ignores our interconnected reality. Some 80% of trade happens along supply chains within or organized by transnational firms, according to a 2013 UN report. While some US politicians call for tariffs against Mexico, the National Bureau of Economic Research estimates that about 40% of the value of Mexican imports to the US is actually added within the US itself. These arguments are all part of the overwhelming economic case for free trade. But the strongest argument is a moral one. Cost-benefit analysis shows that freer trade is the single most powerful way to help the world's poorest citizens. Reviving the moribund Doha Development Round of global free-trade talks would reduce the number of people in poverty by an astonishing 145 million in 15 years, according to research commissioned by the Copenhagen Consensus Center. The world would be $11 trillion richer each year by 2030, with $7 trillion going to developing countries - equivalent to an extra $1,000 for every person every year in these countries by 2030. Moreover, trade also carries much broader benefits for society. Economic globalization has been shown to reduce child mortality and extend life expectancy, owing to increased incomes and better information. In the US, trade over the past half-century has increased longevity significantly. In Uganda, freer trade in the past 35 years has been shown to lengthen the average lifespan by 2-3 years. What's more, "free trade is good for the environment," to quote one academic study. This may seem counterintuitive. But, although each 10% increase in production leads to 2.5-5% more pollution, the higher income from this output drives better technology and more stringent regulations, which in turn reduces pollution by 12.5-15%. In total, a 10% increase in income results in 10% less pollution. This finding is supported by a study concluding that "trade tends to reduce three measures of air pollution." At the same time, free trade has been shown to create more jobs for women, reduce employment discrimination, and improve human-rights conditions. Of course, not everyone benefits from freer trade. Some people lose their jobs, and some of them will struggle to find other work. But it is important to have a sense of the size of the problem. One recent study suggests that free trade increases income inequality, and the cost of redistribution could erode upwards of 20% of the gains. This indicates we should be willing to spend perhaps 20% of trade benefits on helping the losers from trade deals, through job training and transitional social-welfare benefits to ameliorate the risks. But it also shows that 80% of the benefits stand - and 80% of $11 trillion is still a whopping $9 trillion in benefits to humanity - on top of a reduction in lower poverty, child mortality, and pollution, higher life expectancy, and less gender- and race-based discrimination. While the US presidential candidates have adopted protectionist rhetoric, so, too, did Obama as a candidate in 2008. Yet he became an enthusiastic advocate of free-trade deals, especially in his second term. Trade, he says, "has helped our economy much more than it has hurt." As he leaves office, he has declared this an area of "unfinished business." So it should be for us all, if we focus less on fears and more on facts. (Bjrn Lomborg, a visiting professor at the Copenhagen Business School, is Director of the Copenhagen Consensus Center, which seeks to study environmental problems and solutions using the best available analytical methods). Courtesy: Project Syndicate Ex-police source hacked to death in city Staff Reporter : A former police source was reportedly hacked to death by some unidentified miscreants in the city's Pallabi area on Sunday morning. The victim identified as Manik Mia, 45, son of Kitab Ali, hailing from Naogaon, was an informer of police, said Dadan Fakir, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Pallabi Police Station. A gang of assailants swooped on Manik with sharp weapons and hacked him indiscriminately leaving him critically injured in Kalsi of Pallabi around 4:15am, the OC said. He was rushed to the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) where doctors declared him dead at 7:00am, he said. The body had multiple deep gashes inflicted by sharp weapons, DMCH sources said. The body has been kept at the DMCH morgue for autopsy, they said. 38 civilians killed in Aleppo offensive Aleppo, Syria : Syria's regime and rebels were locked in fierce fighting Sunday on Aleppo's western edges, where 38 civilians have been killed in a two-day opposition offensive to break the government siege. Rebels and allied jihadists launched a major offensive on Friday to break through government lines and reach the 250,000 people living in the city's east. Since then, they have unleashed a salvo of rockets, artillery shells, and car bombs around the western government-controlled districts. Syria's second city, Aleppo has been devastated by some of the heaviest fighting of the country's five-year civil war, which has killed more than 300,000 people. Much of the once-bustling economic hub has been reduced to rubble by air and artillery bombardment, including barrel bombs-crude unguided explosive devices that cause indiscriminate damage. "Rebel fighters have launched hundreds of rockets and shells onto the western districts from positions inside the city and on its western edges," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Two days of such heavy rebel bombardment have killed 38 civilians, including 14 children, and wounded another 250. Fighting has also killed 30 regime and allied fighters, as well as 50 Syrian rebels, according to the Observatory. The monitor did not have an immediate death toll for foreign anti-regime fighters, many of whom have joined jihadist factions. About 1,500 rebels have massed on a 15-kilometre front along the western edges of Aleppo since Friday, scoring quick gains in the Dahiyet al-Assad district but struggling to push east since then. "The advance will be from Dahiyet al-Assad towards Hamdaniyeh," said Yasser al-Youssef of the Noureddin al-Zinki rebel faction. Hamdaniyeh is a regime-held district directly adjacent to opposition-controlled eastern neighbourhoods. Fighting lasted all night and into Sunday, with air strikes and artillery fire along the western battlefronts heard even in the eastern districts, an AFP correspondent there said. Plumes of smoke could be seen snaking up from the city's skyline. A pro-regime military source told AFP that the rebel assault was "massive and coordinated" but insisted it was unable to break into any neighbourhoods besides Dahiyet al-Assad. "They're using Grad missiles and car bombs and are supported by foreign fighters in their ranks," he said. Those waging the assault include Aleppo rebels and reinforcements from Idlib province to the west, among them the jihadist Fateh al-Sham Front, which changed its name from Al-Nusra Front after breaking ties with Al-Qaeda. Aleppo's front line runs through the heart of the city, dividing rebels in the east from government troops in the west. In late September, government troops launched their own assault to recapture all of the eastern rebel-controlled territory. It was backed by fierce air strikes from Russia, which launched its own air war in 2015 to back President Bashar al-Assad's forces. That onslaught spurred massive international criticism of both Moscow and Damascus. Last week, Russia implemented a three-day "humanitarian pause" intended to allow civilians and surrendering rebels to leave Aleppo's east, but few did so. Moscow says it will continue a halt on air strikes over Aleppo, in place since October 18. The Russian military said Friday it had asked President Vladimir Putin for authorisation to resume the raids. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin "considers it inappropriate at the current moment", adding that the president thought it necessary to "continue the humanitarian pause" in Aleppo. GILBY -- Residents of the Gilby area gathered Thursday at the town restaurant, Cliffs Lounge, for a going-away luncheon. The subject of the event wasnt present, at least not in the traditional way, but stood right next door throughout all the festivities. The people of rural Gilby were saying goodbye to their town bank. Bremer Bank announced the closure of the Gilby branch in late July and hosted the Thursday event as a way to thank the community for its long-running support. When the bank shuts its doors today, itll be for the last time. Present at the Thursday event was John Scott, whose father John W. Scott played a central role in bringing the bank to Gilby in the early 1930s after buying the charter for a failed bank in neighboring Honeyford. It had to happen, Im sure, but we hate to see it, Scott said of the banks Friday closure. Theres been a lot of history going through the bank. My dad had an office in the back of the bank when he was upstairs, and when the banker would turn down the farmer for a loan down below, theyd just go back and get money from J.W. By the 1950s, the Gilby banks deposits had grown considerably, to the point where the banks main operations expanded and moved south to Grand Forks. Along with the new turf, the bank took on a new name, rebranding itself under the less geographically specific title of Valley Bank and Trust Co. The Gilby location was kept on as a paying and receiving station and continued to serve the largely agrarian community. In 1993, Valley Bank was purchased by St. Paul-based Bremer Financial Corp. At one point, before going over to Cliffs for lunch, Scott debated with former Valley Bank President John Cook over exactly how many times the bank in Gilby had been robbed. The men recalled two for-sure instances, but decided to settle on the more impressive sounding number of three. But before any of that, Cook began working in the teller window at the bank in Grand Forks in 1961. By 1973, he was the banks president. He would stay on through the transition to Bremers ownership and retired in 1996. Changing business Cook said the Gilby closure is a part of a wider shift in the business landscape. I think its the way the banking industry has gone, Cook said. I think technology has had a lot to do with it, as a lot of that banking is now being done online. I also think the customer base shrinks with the farms getting larger. Tim Nelson, a farmer from nearby Forest River, said he opened his account at the Gilby location back in the 1970s. He said the bank in Forest River had closed about a decade ago. To Nelson, the closure of the small town banks was a sign of the times, and a sad one at that. I understand its probably not in the cards to have banks in every little town anymore, he said. Though he does most of his business in Grafton, Nelson said it had been convenient to have the Gilby bank in the area, especially for picking up cash. Im old school, dont have an ATM card, he said with a laugh, though I guess Ill get one now. Husband and wife Marvin and Susan Larson also came to Cliffs to say goodbye to the bank. Both had been longtime customers of the local branch. Marvin had a family connection. His father was one of the first original partners in the bank. I got an account there when I was 13, Marvin said. I still have the account number -- I think the checks are numbered 15,000 or something. Weve been with the bank forever. Susan said the family would be switching their business to the Bremer Bank branch in Grand Forks. She said the digital and smartphone-driven approach to banking might provide some convenience to those who can use it, but lacked a certain human element. I know I can take my check, take the picture of it and deposit it, but Ill miss the personal touch, Susan said, recalling a specific instance when that human aspect made itself apparent. My daughter went to the bank once and took out a quarter to play Pac-Man at the community center, she said with a laugh. You couldnt do that at a bigger bank, but everybody knew everyone. CJ orders quick disposal of cases filed before 2010 Staff Reporter : Chief Justice (CJ) Surendra Kumar Sinha has ordered quick disposal of the cases filed before 2010 in the High Court Division of the Supreme Court. Md Sabbir Faiz, Additional Registrar (Administration and Justice) of High Court, disclosed this information to the journalists on Sunday. He said, no one is taking initiative to hear old cases for various reasons. Sometimes plaintiffs and defendants lose their interest to handle cases, for which backlog has been created in the High Court. That is why the Chief Justice ordered quick disposal of the cases filed before 2010, said Sabbir Faiz. Accordingly, a number of cases filed before 2010 were recorded on Sunday in the various benches' cause lists. The rest of the cases will be in cause list gradually, said the additional registrar. Yet another brutal murder in N`ganj Death threat to victim`s family Staff Reporter : With the recovery of the decomposed body of Nabir Hossain, tied with 25 kg bricks from the Shitalakkha River at Rupganj in Narayanganj, a fresh panic has been created among the locals like the much-talked about brutal seven -murder of the district in March in 2014. The criminals at first killed Nabir Hossain, 35, a day-labourer and sent a Short Message Service (SMS) from his (Nabir) cell phone to Milon Miah, a former UP member. The SMS read as "Uncle Milon, I'm Nabir going by Hua Ship of Nepal from Chittagong. Don't think about me. Tell my parents that I don't have anytime to make a phone call to them right now." According to the police and locals, as the criminals had sent the SMS thinking that Nabir's body would not be found and his relatives would naturally think that he might have gone abroad. On Friday police recovered Nabir's decomposed body from Chanpara rehabilitation centre. Later, victim's relatives identified the body. Victim's brother Zakaria said on October 20 Nabir along with Uttam, son of Sukumar, left his Atlashpur house for Kanchan. "Since then Nabir had been missing. Later I filed a General Diary (GD) with the Rupganj police station," he told journalists. Later Nabir's father Abdullah Miah filed a murder case against Kabir Hossain, son of Abul Hossain, Liton, Uttam and three others unidentified persons. Police also arrested Kabir Hossain on Friday while trying to flee the country for Singapore where he used to work. The influential quarters were very active and put pressure on Nabir's family for not filing case against Kabir. Victim's father Abdullah Miah said that their family members are now under tremendous pressure from the influential quarters. "We feel helpless and insecure as the influential quarters continue to put pressure on my family members as well as issued death threat as Kabir's name was mentioned in the case," Abdullah Miah told local journalists. When contacted Jashim Uddin, Investigation Officer (IO) of Rupganj police station said Kabir is now being interrogated. Police also launched a massive hunt to net the other suspected criminals. Local said, Nabir had long enmity with Kabir over a boundary dispute. Earlier, Kabir along with his relatives launched attack on Nabir's family members and beat them up indiscriminately. Nabir had protested the attack and filed a case against the assaulters including Kabir. As a result Kabir became furious and issued death threat to Nabirs' family members. Later Kabir left country for Singapore. After Kabir returned home last month, Nabir went on missing within two days. JSC, JDC exams begin tomorrow Staff Reporter : The Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) examinations-2016 will begin tomorrow (November 1) across the country. A total of 24,12,775 examinees will take part in the examinations from 28,761 educational institutions at 2,734 centers. As many as 20,38,303 JSC examinees will appear at the examination. Of them, 9, 49,145 are males and 10,75,228 are females while 1,75,228 males and 1,99,244 female examinees will take part in the JDC examinations. The JSC and JDC examination will be held under the supervision of Education Ministry. Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said this while addressing a press briefing at the Secretariat on Sunday. Education Secretary Md Sohrab Hossain, senior officials of the ministry and chairmen of different education boards, among others, were present in the press briefing. A total of 681 students from eight overseas centres will also appear at the JSC examinations. A total of 86,842 examinees have been increased in the JSC and JDC examinations this year compared with the last year. About 23,25,933 candidates took part in 2015. As many as 14,92,802 students appeared at the JSC and the JDC examinations in 2010, 18,61,113 examinees in 2011, 19,08,365 in 2012, 19,02,746 candidates in 2013 and 20,90,692 in 2014. Nurul Islam Nahid said, "We have introduced JSC and JDC examination system for improving quality of education. After getting certificates of JSC and JDC examinations, students will be more encouraged to continue their studies." This examination system is encouraging students to remain in schools to get certificates, which will make them more enthusiastic about continuing their studies." The Minister said that except Bangla Second Paper, English First Paper and English Second Paper, examinations of all other subjects at JSC and JDC level will be held under creative question paper this year. The JSC and JDC examinations will end on November 17 and the results will be published within December 30. Khoka`s Gulshan house taken over by govt Staff Reporter : The government officially took over BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka's six-storey building in city's Gulshan area on Sunday. Earlier, the government had confiscated the building in Gulshan-2 and also 50 acres of land in Rupganj upazila of Narayanganj owned by Sadek Hossain Khoka, who was also a former DCC Mayor. The estimated price of the house on five kathas of land (Plot No 9, Road No 72), is Tk 2 crore 47 lakh and 60 thousand. On behalf of the Dhaka District Administration office, Hosne Ara, magistrate, took over the residence officially at about 12:30 pm. During the confiscation, the District Administration had asked the tenant to leave the residence immediately. But the tenant had sought one-month time to vacate the house. Later he left the building within the timeframe. According to sources, a buying house had rented the house for foreign guests. The foreign guests who used to visit Bangladesh for buying garment accessories used to reside in the building. Officials of the buying house said Sadeque Hossain Khoka has not yet returned their security money of taka 50 lakh. They contacted Sadeque Hossain Khoka on several times but did not get any response. Talking to journalists, tenant's lawyer advocate Zafrul Hassan Sharif said as one-month time expired on Sunday, they left the house The government also confiscated about 50 acres of land in Taraboo and Golakandail areas in Rupganj owned by Khoka. On 20 October last year, the Dhaka court sentenced the BNP leader to 13 years imprisonment for amassing illegal wealth and also ordered confiscation of whole of his illegal wealth. The court had declared the verdict in connection with the case filed by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) on charge of concealing information of wealth and illegally acquired assets as well as tax evasion. Khoka has been in the US since May 2014 and the trial has been held in absentia. He has been given a three years prison term and fined Tk 100,000 for providing false information on his assets. He would have to spend another month in jail if he fails to pay the fine. Another 10 years rigorous imprisonment has been awarded to Khoka for concealing wealth. He has been fined Tk 10 lakh for this offence, failing to pay which would mean another six months in jail. No dialogue with BNP now: Obaidul Staff Reporter : Ruling Awami League (AL) general secretary Obaidul Quader on Sunday brushed aside any possibility of dialogue with Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) over reconstitution of Election Commission. Speaking at a press conference at the Bangladesh Secretariat, Obaidul, also Road Transport and Bridges Minister, said, there is no need to hold any dialogue on the issue. "I don't think any dialogue is necessary right now." The tenure of the incumbent Election Commissioners is set to expire in mid February next year. "But, we will hold dialogue with them (BNP) if it becomes a national issue," he said while replying to a follow-up query on the matter. As for the EC reconstitution, the minister told the press conference that the constitution stipulates the Election Commission shall be formed through a search committee. "There shall an Election Commission for Bangladesh consisting of a Chief Election Commissioner and such number of other Election Commissioners, if any as the President may from time to time direct, and the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election commissioners (if any) shall, subject to the provisions of any law made in that behalf, be made by the President," reads article 118(1) of the Constitution. Asked whether the AL will take any initiative to bring the BNP into the next election, Obaidul Quader said, "BNP will come to the election and in a proper manner. It will not repeat its past mistakes. If they don't come, things will go on as usual. Don't they have any wish to rule the country? Many of them are spending sleepless nights. There is pressure from the youth and other pressure as well." "The new Election Commission will be formed as per the constitution under the president's guidance like it was formed in 2012. We have nothing to do with it. And we won't have any issue with it and hoping BNP won't have either," he said. BNP and different civic groups have been urging the ruling AL to consult all political parties to forge a national consensus to reconstitute an acceptable Election Commission. Traders call shutdown for November 2 Staff Reporter : Traders in Dhaka have announced shutdown of their business establishments for November 2 to press home their demands for reviewing the structures in Value Added Tax (VAT). They announced the programme at a protest rally held in front of FBCCI Bhaban in the capital on Sunday. Terming the present VAT system 'anti-business,' they urged the government to bring necessary changes on it in line with the recommendations of the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), the apex trade body of the country. Retail and wholesale traders under the banner of Byaboshayee Oikya Forum took part at the protest rejecting the current VAT system on retail and wholesale trade. "Retail and wholesale shops in the city will remain close on November 2 to protest against the current VAT system introduced in the budget for 2016-17," said Abu Motaleb, General Secretary of Byaboshayee Oikya Forum while speaking at the rally. He said: "We are not opposing the VAT. But the government introduced the VAT system in haphazard manner causing chaos in businesses." "The current VAT and tax structure has posed serious impediment to the businesses and they will not survive unless the structures are logically readjusted," said Abu Motaleb. "We earlier urged the government to enact a business-friendly VAT law as per the recommendation made by business community. But it did not pay any heed to them forcing to launch anti-VAT protest," he said. The Byaboshayee Okkya Forum leader issued the warning that if the government does not meet their demands by November 30, they will announce an uninterrupted shutdown programme across the country. FBCCI vice-president Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin, President of the Oikya Forum Abdus Salam, General Secretary of Dhaka Metropolitan Shop Owners' Association Masud Kader Mona were present at the rally, among others. Our justice system is undermined by torture in police custody Editorial Desk : According to a report in The New Nation on Saturday, a court in Narayanganj has summoned two policemen for torturing an arrestee in an alleged attempt to extract a confession. This news is an exposure of the behaviour pattern of policemen to the alleged accused in the custody. The torture was too extreme kind and that is why it came out in the open. It is reported that the OC and SI of Narayanganj Model Police Station have been ordered to appear at the Judicial Magistrate Court on November 1. The two policemen stood accused of torturing one Imrul Hassan Imran during remand granted over a motor-cycle theft case filed on September 27. Imran (25) was arrested in the case on October 22 and remanded into custody the same day. It is learned from the police source that the court had summoned the policemen over allegation that they burned Imran's genitals with cigarettes and beat his posterior with a stick. The arrestee, after spending a day in police remand, alleged torture on him before the court instead of making a confessional statement. Torture, even killing in custody is not new and unknown. It has been going for a long time. But the incidents have become more frequent and more daring. Torture is specifically prohibited by our Constitution. But the lower courts knowing that the main objective of remand is to obtain confession by using torture and yet do not refuse police remand when asked for by the police. We are being known as not pro-people, showing lack of courage. These courts are openly ignoring the Supreme Court's advice not to grant police remand easily. In fact, no remand to police custody should be granted first time. The first time, police should be asked to interrogate at the jail gate and that too in presence of a lawyer of the alleged arrestee. Police have no right in law to claim an accused to be kept in police custody for questioning. Such a claim is clear violation of the rule of law unless the situation is extreme. It is the discretion of the court to allow remand. But our courts are too obliging to treat an accused as fully helpless and do not hesitate to put him in police custody. The alleged accused is placed completely at the mercy of the police with nobody else around. The question is not asked why his lawyer will not be present so that the accused does not incriminate himself under torture. In the case under discussion, the offence is so minor that it is absurd to justify allowing the accused to be questioned by police taking him into their custody. We are obliged to ask what has happened to this nation. How cruel we want to be, how servile we should all be and call ourselves free? We are most disturbed to see inhuman brutality being practiced in the name of taking person in police remand. The courts cannot avoid the blame for such torture violating all principles of innocence and the rule of law. The learned court in Narayanganj has initiated proceedings against the police officials. This is welcome. But the public grievance is why judicial mind was not applied before granting police remand in the case of stealing a motor-cycle. Apart from torture practice by police violating a person's constitutional protection, the police are becoming brutal force. We cannot destroy our police as a dishonest indisciplined force. In our country, the persons in privileged positions do not think that they may also be subjected to these practices in police remand. They think they will always remain powerful. Otherwise, they have the money power to buy the system and save themselves. Things may not remain so wishfully such. Imagine if such a big police force engage in all such crimes and lawlessness then what that will mean to our society? The situation will be too dangerous for all. There will be anarchy all around. We cannot all be so shortsighted not to see it. The Undead Archives I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe WILLISTON A former Williston man whod admitted to shooting a co-worker and disposing of his body in a field in 2014 has been sentenced to 19 years in prison. Tovias Carrillo pleaded guilty to murder, aggravated assault and two charges of terrorizing in August for killing Juan Palacios and threatening two other men after Palacios disappeared. As part of a plea agreement, Northwest District Judge David Nelson on Thursday sentenced Carrillo to 30 years for murder, with 11 of those years suspended. He also handed down four-year sentences for the remaining charges, which will run concurrently with the 19-year term. Prosecutors credited Carrillo for the nearly three years hes served in prison since his arrest. Carrillo, 51, appeared in court in an orange jumpsuit and shackles, and remained silent during the hearing. His attorney, Steve Mottinger, told Nelson that he is satisfied with the outcome of the case. We believe its appropriate under the circumstances, he said of the agreement. After his release, he will likely be deported to Mexico, according to attorneys. Carrillo is already serving a four-year sentence at the state penitentiary for trying to conceal evidence after he attacked an inmate in 2015 in the Williams County Correctional Center. Authorities say Carrillo and Palacios, 51, worked together at a landscaping business in Williston. The two got into a longstanding argument that escalated until Carrillo met Palacios at his trailer on University Avenue and shot him in the head in January 2014. He drove the body to a field east of Williston and led investigators to the site after confessing to the killing. Carrillo also threatened to kill two other men who he knew through his job around the same time, police say. After his arrest, Carrillo earned more charges by attacking an inmate at the Williams County jail with a coffee cup and hiding bloody evidence in his cell. Last year, authorities say he attacked another inmate at the state penitentiary in Bismarck with a sharp metal object. Carrillo was charged with attempted murder and possession of a weapon in a correctional facility, and is scheduled for trial next May. Reuters Corrects: The Wounded Was Israeli | Main | From Paintball to Real Bullets May 31, 2010 More Footage of Passenger Violence on Ship Mavi Marmara Below is IDF footage, with descriptions, of attacks against Israeli troops boarding the Mavi Marmara: Posted by GI at May 31, 2010 11:06 AM Guidelines for posting This is a moderated blog. We will not post comments that include racism, bigotry, threats, or factually inaccurate material. Post a comment Pre-purchase property inspection is a relatively new thing in the United Kingdom. Its not something that most people have heard about, but it has become increasingly popular over the last few years with the rise in property prices and increased demand for high quality homes. What are the benefits of pre-purchase building inspection? What can you expect to find out when you pay someone else to inspect your home before you buy it? And what should you look for during an inspection? Many people want to know if theyre buying a house thats been well maintained or if its had any serious problems. If youve found a place on the market that seems attractive, but then discover some issues after moving in, you may not be as excited about buying it as you thought you were. Its important to do your due diligence when looking at properties. A lot goes into making a property appealing to potential buyers, from the landscaping to the flooring to the kitchen appliances. The same applies when inspecting a property there are many things that need checking over to make sure everything is running smoothly. Here are some of the benefits of performing a pre-purchase inspection: You get to see exactly what will happen to your money When you go shopping for a new car, youll probably be shown several different models. You might even be shown one that looks like a great value, but doesnt fit around all of the extra features that you want. When it comes time to actually buy the vehicle, however, you wont have seen how your money will be spent on it once you drive it off the showroom floor. Likewise, when you shop for a new home, you dont really know what youre getting yourself into until you move in. In order to get a feel for whether the home youre considering is what you want, you normally have to spend quite a bit of time inside it. This allows you to learn more about everything that youre going to be spending your hard-earned cash on. A pre-purchase building inspection gives you much the same kind of experience without having to spend thousands of dollars. Since youre paying for the service, you can expect to see exactly what youre paying for, instead of just seeing a vague idea of what you might end up with. You find out about potential major repairs Some buildings are very expensive to maintain, which means that owners often neglect them for the sake of saving money. While youre paying for a building inspection, youre also paying for a professional who knows how to spot signs of trouble and repair work that needs doing. If you notice that a particular area of your new home needs fixing right away, you can call in an expert to take care of it quickly. If you find that theres something wrong with your boiler, you wont have to wait weeks for a plumber to come over and fix it. Instead, youll have access to a solution immediately. You can save hundreds of pounds by finding out about potential problems early on One of the biggest expenses when you first buy a home is the cost of moving in. Many people dont realize this until its too late. Buying a home involves not only paying for the actual house, but also for moving costs, furniture, and other items that have to be moved along with the home. Having a good idea ahead of time of what youre likely to encounter can help you avoid these kinds of costs. If you know youll need to replace the plumbing system, for example, youll be able to put together a budget for the expense and plan accordingly. You can protect your investment by finding out if the homes been well cared for While there are plenty of people who think that houses always look better when theyre newly built, youd be surprised at how well maintained older residences can still look nice. Sometimes, though, those homes need some additional maintenance to keep them looking their best. This could involve repairs that arent so noticeable or small improvements that you wouldnt consider otherwise. Even worse, some houses have fallen into disrepair without anyone noticing. This is why having a professional perform a building inspection prior to purchasing a home is such a big benefit. Not only will it give you insight into the state of the property, but it will also give you peace of mind knowing youre not getting taken advantage of. As long as youre aware of the potential pitfalls, youll have less reason to worry about the state of your new home. You can use information gathered during a building inspection to negotiate a lower price If youre worried about buying a home because you suspect that it may need extensive renovation work, you may already have a rough idea of how much work youll need to do to bring it up to scratch. That knowledge can come in handy if you decide to buy the home. You can use all of the details that you gather during a building inspection to present a realistic picture of what the home is worth to prospective buyers. If a potential buyer thinks that the home is worth more than what you paid for it, you can try negotiating a lower price. You can sell your home faster and for more money If you decide to list your home on the market soon after buying it, youll need to price it accurately in order to attract buyers. But if youve already done a thorough building inspection, youll know exactly what work is needed and what the current market conditions are. In other words, youll be able to make a more accurate estimate of the amount of money youve invested in the home and how much its worth. If you find that youre selling your house for close to its full market value, you can use this information to convince the potential buyer that your home is worth the asking price. Even if youre planning to stay in the home for a while before you decide to sell, the fact that you did a thorough building inspection will give you more confidence when listing it. Prospective buyers will know exactly what theyre paying for. Your home will hold its value longer As mentioned earlier, the value of a home depends heavily upon the condition of the building itself. If your home is in bad shape, potential buyers wont be interested in buying it. On the other hand, if youve performed a thorough building inspection and know what sort of repairs are necessary, you can offer your prospective buyer a compelling reason to invest in your property. When you buy a home, youre essentially agreeing to have it inspected periodically to ensure that it stays in top shape. Not only does this allow you to avoid expensive repairs down the road, but it can also increase the value of your home. You can make smart decisions about property investments Buying real estate isnt as simple as just driving a couple of minutes to pick up a house. There are lots of considerations involved, ranging from location to cost. The same is true when youre investing in property. If you find a house that meets all of your requirements, youll want to make sure that you have a solid understanding of where it stands with regards to the rest of the market. If you havent spent enough time researching the area, you could inadvertently end up with a bad deal. There are lots of resources available online that can help you determine the overall level of competition in your area. They can also help you figure out if there are any properties that meet your requirements that you didnt know about. If you own rental property, you can use the information to identify tenants who might cause damage If you own rental property and youve noticed that certain tenants consistently cause damage, you can use the results of a building inspection to identify them. You can then contact them directly to let them know that youre watching them closely and that you dont appreciate the problem theyre causing. They might start taking better care of their homes, which would be good news for everyone. It could also be the case that youll find out that theyre responsible for previous damages that werent caught during a previous visit. You can make smarter decisions about hiring contractors If youve hired contractors to build or repair your home, you might want to ask them for references. However, unless you perform a thorough building inspection, you might not know exactly what to look for. For instance, maybe you only checked the roof for leaks or the walls for cracks. You might not have looked underneath the foundation for anything that could cause a future issue. By performing a building inspection, you can ensure that you hire reputable contractors who will be trustworthy with your money. You can avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition Of course, the main benefit of structural inspections perth is that it helps you avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition. Before you make the decision to buy a home, you should do whatever you can to find out about the state of the building. You can also ask your realtor about what sorts of inspections are typically recommended. Some agents say that its standard practice to check the heating system, the roof, the electrical wiring, and the floors. Others will tell you that they recommend that you check the entire structure. Either way, if you choose to hire an inspector, youll find out exactly what needs to be fixed and how much it will cost to do so. As a result, it can be concluded that a pre-purchase building inspection is highly important for the buyers because it provides transparency regarding the current conditions of the structure. Additionally, the building owner is made aware of any upgrades or repairs that are required, which could lead to a fair deal throughout the purchasing and selling process. In another serious omission, the article refers to "the Turkish Islamic Charity IHH that organised the flotilla." At no point does the article note the IHH's reported ties to the Turkish regime and terrorist organizations. The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center reported that IHH in Germany has been designated a terrorist group and that the United States also has examined the possibility of making a similar designation due the organization's "past support for global jihad," its involvement in the filed terrorist attack on Los Angeles International Airport in 2000, its extremists anti-Western and anti-Israeli Islamist character "and the support it gives to Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States." A separate AFP article yesterday, about a Palestinian ramming attack ("Palestinian attacker shot by Israeli troops: army"), leaves out key information about Palestinian fatalities in the last year of Palestinian attacks. The article ends: Since October last year, the violence has claimed the lives of 235 Palestinians, 36 Israelis, two Americans, a Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese, according to an AFP account. The story leaves out the key information included in most other AFP stories (most recently, for example, on Oct. 26) that Israel identified most of those killed as assailants: Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities. Others were shot dead during protests or clashes, while some were killed in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip. Finally, like several earlier AFP articles, this article uses the highly problematic formulation pitting "analysts" as a whole against Israel. About the causes of Palestinian violence, yesterday's article states: Analysts say Palestinian frustration with the Israeli occupation and settlements-building in the West Bank, comatose peace efforts and their own fractured leadership have fed the violence. Israel says incitement by Palestinian leaders and media is a leading cause. As CAMERA's Gilead Ini documented, it isn't only Israel that describes Palestinian incitement as a problem. Plenty of analysts do, too, as does the Quartet, John Kerry, and countless others. That's a lot of bad reporting for one Saturday from the wire service who employs as a reporter Nasser Abu Baker, the chairmen of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, the leading force for the boycott of Israeli journalists and media. President Joe Biden has decided to ban Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia's economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine. The United States generally imports about 100,000 barrels a day from Russia, only about 5% of Russia's crude oil exports, according to Rystad Energy. Last year, roughly 8% of U.S. imports of oil and petroleum products came from Russia. Gas prices have been rising for weeks due to the conflict and in anticipation of potential sanctions on the Russian energy sector. The U.S. national average for a gallon of gasoline soared 45 cents a gallon in the past week and topped $4.06 on Monday, according to auto club AAA. Should the US ban Russian oil imports over Ukraine war? You voted: The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now. Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market. In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender. India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex. Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted. But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted? Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner. If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems. I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now. I want more variation in masturbation I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own. If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end. What is sex toys for Indian? Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation. It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms. They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable. Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner. The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner. It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past. In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping. Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order. In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing. Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome. Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own. But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance. More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around. Sextoy situation in India Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years. In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India. Mumbai Kolkata Bangalore Delhi Chennai Hyderabad These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India. In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well. If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too. If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it. What are Sextoys for beginner? Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms. Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy. I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion. I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy. If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma. Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it. Advantages of using sextoy for Indians There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways. Can have stimulating sex Can develop new sexual zones If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern. However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways. You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation. Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever. There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure. This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it. When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems. It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms). For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles [Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou... Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India. Sextoy for beginner men in India So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners. For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men! The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men Masturbator Cock rings Love Doll Sex Lubricants Toys for the prostate Lets check each one in detail. Masturbator The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products. It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands. Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands. They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.) Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much. Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! ! Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa SEXToys India PR (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018 Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood. If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ... [For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien... Cock Ring A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis. It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow. It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber. In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection. Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction. It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it. Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time. Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function. Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy. You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect. [Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat... Love Doll Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex. There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women. Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price. The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true. You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste. There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice. You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls. If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to... Sex lubricants Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules. It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution. Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse. There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent. Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent. If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here. What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many... Toys for the Prostate Another sextoy for men is prostate toys. The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line. Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men. Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men. What is the prostate? The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm. You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus. By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms. Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.) The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation. Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure. sextoy for beinner women in India The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy. The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy. Vibrator. Dildo Electric Masserger Lets check out what each one is in detail. If you want to check out womens toys, click here. [BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm... Vibrators A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator. Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy. It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy. Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women. For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators. Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex. Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself. This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual. Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men. When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons. Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most... Dildo A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis. It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass. A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it. They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well. It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device. A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo. Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands. For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis. This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one. To learn more about dildo, please click here. What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th... Electric Masserger A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores. It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low. Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels. Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation. It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure. For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm. It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out. If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager? To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here. What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th... How to choose a sextoy for Indian Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one. Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points: Does the size fit you (the partner)? Does the size fit you (your partner)? Is the environment able to produce sound without problems? Price range First of all, the choice of size is quite important. Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women. For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage. Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems. Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise. If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level. Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it. Finally, there is the price range. The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest. Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy. Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy? I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance. For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics. If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out. How to buy sextoys in India The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping. For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below. Sextoy is one of them. Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping. SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India. They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry. Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card. To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy. ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal. Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on. Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture. Cautions for Indians using sextoy When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind Keep sex toys clean Watch out for electrical leakage Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone. Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there. It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case. In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness. Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful. If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it. You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly. Summary What did you think? In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India. The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future. As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values. However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health. If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try? Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women. I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it. Changing Seasons Landscape Center Co. announced this week that Carterville is the winner of the Plant It Forward tree campaign. Community members throughout the region cast their votes for their chosen community park. Carterville received the most votes, and will receive five shade trees for Cannon Park. The City of Carterville is grateful to Changing Seasons for the award of five trees for the beautification of Cannon Park," said Carterville Mayor Brad Robinson. "We are also very proud that patrons of Cannon Park visited Changing Seasons and voted for Cannon Park. Changing Seasons is working directly with park districts throughout Southern Illinois to provide education about the many benefits of planting trees. The Southern To say this has been a strange presidential election would be an understatement. Its not a good moment, says Iowa State University political scientist Steffen Schmidt. While the Republican and Democratic candidates have agricultural platforms, agriculture has not been at the forefront of either campaign. Instead, the discussion has often been about personalities and issues ranging from sexual harassment to government and business ethics. But when it comes to economic issues related to agriculture, each has some statements and stances on the record. I believe that most folks in agriculture would agree this is a pretty high-stakes election, says Tom Driscoll, director of conservation policy and education for the National Farmers Union. Generally speaking, Trump is for lower taxes. He supports eliminating the federal estate tax and dramatically lowering the federal corporate income tax. He voiced strong support for ethanol and the Renewable Fuels Standard during the Iowa caucus process. Trump has also mentioned in speeches his opposition to more federal regulation and to the EPAs waters of the United States rule. He has expressed support for the Keystone pipeline project and has said he does not believe in human-caused climate change. Trumps stance on immigration has been more hard-line, and a key part of his platform is to build a wall on the border with Mexico. While some farmers support that idea, others are concerned Trumps pledges to deport millions of people could disrupt the economy and some parts of agriculture in particular. Trump has also come out against virtually every trade deal. He has specifically opposed the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and has said he would re-negotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), something many farm groups say would severely damage the agricultural economy. On the other side of the aisle, Clinton emphasizes support for rural infrastructure and farm bill programs. Specifically, that has included ideas like creating more rural business investment companies or doubling funding for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. She has proposed an increase in the federal estate tax. That proposal would lower the individual exemption from $5.45 million to $3.5 million (both numbers would double for a couple), and instead of a flat 40 percent rate over that level, it would feature a graduated rate of up to 65 percent. Clinton has also come out against the TPP, though she has supported trade deals in the past and she has left the door open for approving more trade deals. On the issue of immigration, she supports increased border security but says the issue is complex and cant be solved by building a wall. She has also expressed strong support for renewable fuels and alternative energy. Driscoll says nuance is often important in those policy discussions. For example, while the NFU is opposed to the TPP at present, it does support trade and trade deals. And he says that while immigration is a problem, it is not one easily solved. Both candidates have offered lists of supporters in the agricultural community, and there are few surprises on those lists. The surprise this election season is in the number of Republicans who say they do not support their candidate. Former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 30 years, is one of those who says he simply cannot support Trump. My party had a failed presidential search, Leach says, adding that Trump is hawking a toxic social elixir. Leach also says Trumps language regarding Russia and foreign policy is unacceptable to him. But most important to him, he says, is the fact Trump has talked about a rigged election and has refused to say he would necessarily abide by the results. Drake University political scientist Dennis Goldford agrees that the rigged election talk is irresponsible. That really angers me, Goldford says. That is outrageously, dangerously inflammatory. Schmidt, the Iowa State analyst, agrees with Goldford on that point. Throughout the history of the nation, he says, candidates have accepted the results of the election. Even when Democrat Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the electoral vote in 2000 and went to court over the counting of ballots in Florida, he never threatened to not abide by the court ruling or the election results. It could get really ugly (if Trump doesnt abide by the results if he should lose), Schmidt says. Both analysts join former Congressman Leach in saying there has been no evidence of any kind to back up Trumps claims of a rigged election. Still, even without that talk and the concerns it raises, it is clear this has been and will continue in the final days to be a nasty, mud-throwing election season where more people seem to be voting against someone than for someone. Goldford puts it into perspective, joking that many people may find their water bills are higher this fall they may feel the need to take more showers to wash away the grime of an ugly campaign. CARBONDALE Chan San grew emotional as he flipped through pictures taken during a recent trip he made with his wife and their daughter to their home country of Laos. Look at all those innocent faces, San said. He had paused on a picture of young school children in the village of Naduang, to whom San, with the help of friends and family, delivered book bags stuffed with clothes, shoes and school supplies in September. He pointed to one of the young girls in the photo. This one, she doesnt even have shoes. For almost 30 years, San and his wife, Jenny, have owned and operated Hunan Fine Asian Cuisine, one of Southern Illinois most well-known and popular eateries. They first opened the restaurant in 1987 about 12 years after fleeing their home country of Laos in Murphysboro, and eventually moved to its current location in Carbondale. Chan and Jenny San grew up in Vientiane, the capital city of Laos, and exited with their families in 1975 after the North Vietnamese Army and Pathet Lao, a communist political movement in Loas, claimed victory in the Laotian Civil War that raged for more than two decades. San, who was 18 at the time, said he lived for two years at a refugee camp in Thailand before he was able to relocate to Canada, thanks to a church in Quebec City who sponsored him as an immigrant. After eight years living in Canada, the Sans made their way to Southern Illinois after a friend was transferred to SIU and mentioned to them it would be a great place to establish an Asian restaurant. While enjoying success in Carbondale, San said he and his wife remain acutely aware of the suffering that continues in Laos, especially among children. They have made it their mission to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Laos. In May, the couple held a fundraiser at Hunan to raise funds to assist in their efforts. They raised about $15,000 for their nonprofit, The Sans Foundation for Laotian Children, he said. In total, $20,000 was raised, because San pledged to match the largest single donation that day, which was $5,000. The people here are very, very generous and they help a lot, San said during an interview at his restaurant about the trip and fundraising efforts. San said 100 percent of all donations go directly to support the purchase of items for the people who need it in Laos. The family funds travel out of their own pockets, and the nonprofit does not have any employees on its payroll. San said he has returned to Laos three times since he fled communist rule with his family as a teenager. He made his first return trip about 10 years ago, and then returned five years ago prior to this most recent trip. A graduation trip His latest trip in September served a dual purpose of delivering goods and supplies to more than 300 children and as a graduation celebration for one of his three daughters, Natalie San, 22, who recently earned her degree in chemistry from Northwestern University. Earlier this year, we asked her, How do you want to celebrate graduation? San recalled. She said, Well, if we can go to Laos to help those kids that would be good.' San said his daughter also traveled with him 10 years ago to Laos, and the need there in the many impoverished villages they visited left a lasting impression. That girl, shes good, San said of his daughters giving spirit. She understood that had her mother and father not been able to leave the country in the 1970s, she would have grown up there in a very different life. People living in America dont truly understand what it means to be poor and take many opportunities afforded them for granted, San said. He said his family is committed to growing its nonprofit and giving back because they dont have the opportunities we have in Laos. San said he had very little when he arrived in North America, first in Canada and then the United States. America, this is the land of opportunity here, San said. I work hard but I can help them. Because Im a hard worker, I can do what Im doing. The San family spent three weeks in September in Laos, he said. They provided the stuffed book bags to about 300 school children in two villages, and also delivered supplies to people living in huts along the highway selling vegetables and other items. The latter wasnt part of the original plan, but San said he couldnt help himself after what he witnessed driving around and when they stopped to buy bananas from one of those stands. I saw a little boy, maybe 3 or 4 years old, sleeping there with his back to me, he said. And that boy doesnt even have a blanket. So I went back to the capital city and bought lots of blankets and delivered them in the truck. San described Laos as a place that seems to be stuck in time while much of the rest of the world has evolved around it. Little has changed since he left more than 40 years ago, he said. When we landed there, all those old memories came back and I felt what I used to feel when I was little, San said. And those feelings, you know, its hard to describe it. Its very difficult to describe. Need is great in Laos Poverty is everywhere, but it's more extreme in the rural areas, he said. According to The World Factbook published by the CIA, most of the population does not have access to water that is safe to drink. Thats why they chose to deliver their donations to villages in the outer parts, San said. The U.S. Embassy in Laos was helpful in providing information about where the need was greatest, he said. It was the rainy season when they visited in September, and just a short drive about 10 kilometers, or 6 miles could take upward of 45 minutes to travel because of the poor condition of the roads and the drainage systems in the villages, he said. San said the children and school staff were very grateful for the delivery. Many had never been given anything new, he said. Many wore shoes that were falling apart, and others no shoes at all. San also donated to their school a computer. The principal told them that the only way they could use a computer was to travel to a neighboring village and borrow theirs. San said he was asked to say a few words to the children, and they listened intently, he said, as he spoke to them in their native language, Lao. I told them I used to live not far from here but Im living in the United States right now, San said. I told them I was glad I could come back to help them. And I told them to study good, and contribute to your country. They were so excited." San said he hopes to be able to continue raising funds and return again soon with more aid. He also said he wanted to thank everyone who contributed during the May fundraiser to his charity and all the loyal customers who have supported his restaurant over the years so that his family can afford to give back. I have emotions. I have tears, San said while speaking of his most recent trip and the suffering he witnessed there. Where there are people who dont have anything, we should give them a little bit more. Numerous residents told HUD they didnt want to move. Dont do this. Its wrong, man, one resident told them. You dont know what were going through because you're not from here, said another, noting he has lived in Cairo since the 1950s and doesnt intend to live elsewhere. Stop moving our people out of town. Build something new here. To the Editor: Clinton wants open borders. Trump wants to protect our borders and our sovereignty. Clinton wants to appoint Supreme Court judges who follow their own will. Trump wants to appoint Supreme Court judges who follow our Constitution and law of the land. Clinton supports partial birth abortion and defends Planned Parenthood. Trump supports life for the unborn, and respects state's authority to exclude abortion providers from federal and state funding. Clinton wants to add taxes and regulations. Trump wants to decrease taxes and eliminate job killing regulations. Clinton talks one way publicly, another way privately. Trump openly and honestly speaks the same whether publicly or privately. Clinton has a progressive vision of religious freedom, not a First Amendment view. Trump stands with the First Amendment. Clinton supports the nuclear agreement with Iran (main terrorist supporting country in the world). Trump believes the Iran nuclear agreement to be dangerous to U.S., Israel, and the world. Clinton is polished politician who practices political correctness. Trump is businessman who is straight forward and not politically correct. Please be very careful for whom you vote. Our country's life is at stake. Nancy J. Burlison Marysville, Washington (formerly of Herrin) U.S. Rep. Mike Bost has learned a lot in his first term as the 12th District Congressman. Its clear from talking to Bost just how much he has learned: From the adjustment to serving counties outside of his Murphysboro home base, like Madison, Monroe and St. Clair, where the majority of the districts population lives, to balancing committee work with researching issues outside his area of expertise, to learning acronyms for government programs, to finding ways to get federal dollars to pay for repairs to the Len Small Levee after it was damaged during the recent New Years flood. C.J. Baricevic is young and bombastic, brimming with energy and passion. He loves to talk about his experience working as a lawyer in the Metro East specializing in labor law. He boasts that, if elected, he would be one of the only members of Congress with student loan debt, having finished law school at SIU in 2011. He would also be the youngest member of Congress. We find Baricevic charming. We believe young people have a place in government, especially representing a district that needs desperately to keep the best and brightest students and workers as it bleeds young, talented people thanks to the Rural Brain Drain and Illinois state-level budget problems. We appreciate Baricevics enthusiasm and passion. We think he has some good ideas, if he lacks specifics. He understands the broad issues in the district, like the need for investment of federal money in infrastructure improvements and the support of coal as well as renewable resources. But this is not his time. His youth and inexperience show. At the public debate, we cringed when as the first to speak Baricevic fiddled with the microphone and said Hello? Can you hear me? in the moment it took for his microphone level to come up. The microphone stand wobbled perilously as he messed with it, until he realized his mic was fine and launched into his opening statement. Things like this make him look unpolished next to the experienced Bost, who served in the Illinois House for 20 years before winning the U.S. 12th District seat. Baricevic will only get better with practice. We want to see him in public service. He is not ready for this seat yet. Paula Bradshaw, the perennial Green Party challenger in the 12th District this is her third time seeking the seat is a scrappy fighter who challenges both of her opponents to get money out of politics, spend less on the military, invest in renewable energy and public transportation, and advocate for equitable distribution of wealth. The idealistic Green New Deal includes some ideas we believe in. We would be glad to see people in congress lobbying for different ideas and changing up the Washington demographic. Bradshaw admitted she could not get the Green New Deal passed on her own as one potential representative from the 12th District of Illinois. But her solution is that everyone around the country should elect Green Party representatives which is unlikely to happen and elect Jill Stein as president which is also unlikely. We would like to see more third party representatives in Congress, but they must understand the challenges they will have to overcome when they get there. Bost sits on three committees: Agriculture, Veterans Affairs and Transportation and Infrastructure. His wealth of knowledge on the most dry, but most essential, issues is what impressed us the most. Bost is proud of his ability to compromise with Congressmen and Congresswomen across the aisle, and he speaks of the importance of listening to his constituents and understanding what is happening in the district. We were impressed by his spirit of compromise mostly. He explained that, while he does compromise on many issues, even sometimes angering his supporters who would rather he hold his ground, he said, there are certain things I dont compromise on. My religious beliefs. Im pro-life. Im not going to make an excuse for it. I am what I am. While we respect Rep. Bosts religion, we hope that in his next term he will respect all the religious beliefs of his constituents, including those that are different from his own, and vote according to an adherence to the Constitution, rather than his own beliefs, which a portion of his constituents do not share. Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Editors note: The opinions in this article are the authors, as published by our content partner, and do not necessarily represent the views of MSN or Microsoft. It was my third day at the Republican National Convention in 1996, and my notebook overflowed with a one-note theme: You do know that Hillary Clinton is funding the whole radical feminist agenda? She had Vince Foster killed. Shes behind many more murders than that. Its well-established that Hillary Clinton belonged to a satanic cult, still does. The consensus among Pat Buchanans supporters seemed ardent and universal, though the object of this obloquy wasnt even on the opposing ticket. One of the mysteries of 2016 is the degree to which Hillary Clinton is reviled. Not just rationally opposed but viscerally and instinctively hated. None of the stated reasons for the animus seem to satisfy. Yes, shes careful and cagey, and her use of a private email server, which the F.B.I. flung back into the news on Friday, was a big mistake. But no, shes not more dishonest than other politicians, and compared with her opponent, shes George Washington. Her policies, even where bold, are hardly on the subversive fringe. Yet shes cast not just as a political combatant but as a demon who, in the imaginings of Republicans like Paul D. Ryan, the speaker of the House, and Representative Trent Franks, would create an America where passion the very stuff of life is extinguished (the former) and where fetuses would be destroyed limb from limb (the latter). Sign Up For NYT Now's Morning Briefing Newsletter Donald J. Trump and his supporters posit their antipathy as a reaction to Mrs. Clintons accumulated record over 30 years in power. Its important to recall that she was deranging Republicans on Day 1. Understanding her demonization requires admitting her full significance in our political history, for she is not simply a pioneering woman fighting an Ur-misogyny. Mrs. Clinton faces a two-headed Cerberus, an artificial conjoining that occurred in the early 1990s, of wounded Republican invincibility and wounded male prerogative. Our current political crisis wont be resolved until those forces are separated and the Cerberus slain. Few current observers seem to recall the wrath that greeted Bill Clintons ascension. To the left, Clintonism implies accommodation and calculation. But to the right in 1992, it meant usurpation. Reaganism held almost religious significance, and its reign was supposed to be transformative and permanent. For the One True Way to be restored, Clintonism had to be delegitimized. That delegitimization ushered in the politics of party restoration at whatever cost, governance and country be damned. This led first to an attempted legislative coup in 1998 and then to a judicial coup in 2000. And to all the more recent outrages of birtherism, government shutdowns, delayed Supreme Court confirmations and, ultimately, the rise of a would-be autocrat as a party nominee. But political restoration was only one head of the Cerberus. The other wounded male prerogative was personal and sexual. The 1990s produced a generation of men who felt (and still feel) left behind by a society redefining power and success in terms of ornament and celebrity and demoting the value of industry and brawn, while simultaneously challenging mens value as family providers. Though women werent the source of mens pain, the antagonist conjured up by aggrieved men I talked with in those years had a feminine face, and very often that face was Hillarys. A startling aspect of the rage that greeted Bill Clinton was how much of it was aimed at the women he entrusted or tried to entrust with power. When I was investigating one of the early skirmishes of the Clinton years, the burning of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Tex., which right-wingers attributed to Clintons F.B.I., I was treated to the fervent rants of Patriot men, aimed not at Mr. Clinton but at what I came to think of as the Three Witches of Waco: Attorney General Janet Reno (Renos master is Satan, a Third Continental Congress militiaman told me), the gun-control advocate Sarah Brady and, most of all, Hillary Clinton. Her anti-male conspiracies were legion: redirecting their tax dollars to bankroll womens rights around the globe (She gave away a million dollars to each first lady she visited in Africa to get educated), using their Social Security to pay for abortion, and calling the shots at the White House. Republican ideological absolutism, nourished by masculine insecurity, created an amalgam corrosive to pragmatic politics. For Hillary Clinton, its meant being demonized for traits that have little to do with her character. Not only by right-wing politicians, who found the Hillary-with-horns specter a convenient recruitment tool, but by the culture at large. Even the supposedly liberal mainstream media still seek out any bit of evidence that can be chiseled to fit that prefab 1990s narrative and if she denies the caricature, shes called a liar. Her famous hiddenness is, at heart, her refusal to cop to the crime of purloined male authority. A Spy magazine story in 1995 made that theft succinct: a cover image of a grinning Hillary, her skirt billowing up as in the old Marilyn Monroe photo, to reveal male briefs bulging with a penis. Across her legs ran the headline: Hillarys Big Secret. The G.O.P.s gender grudge feeds on its own defeat. As the culture moves further away from the conservative ideal as women gain freedoms, minorities assert rights, same-sex marriage proves commonplace the monsters howls grow louder. But the howls say nothing new. This election is the decisive battle in a Thirty Years War. Were going to fight this if it takes a hundred years, one of the Patriots I met in Waco advised me. Our republics on its knees. Our throat is about to be slit. And then: Radical feminism gave the government all this power. Flash forward to October of 2016, as Trump supporters, egged on by their candidate, talk openly about getting their guns to take out the radical feminist candidate who has declared open war against men. The left needs to acknowledge what the right has long known: that its a fiction to think we can move on beyond the brawl of the 1990s without settling it and settling it requires helping Mrs. Clinton triumph once and for all against the calumnies that were created to define her. It would be a mistake to think that Mrs. Clinton, the imperfect politician, is not the right standard-bearer for this fight. She was nominated to her role not last July at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, but in 1992, when her husband destroyed the myth of Republican invincibility and Hillary Clinton was anointed the feminine face of evil. Editors note: The opinions in this article are the authors, as published by our content partner, and do not necessarily represent the views of MSN or Microsoft. It was my third day at the Republican National Convention in 1996, and my notebook overflowed with a one-note theme: You do know that Hillary Clinton is funding the whole radical feminist agenda? She had Vince Foster killed. Shes behind many more murders than that. Its well-established that Hillary Clinton belonged to a satanic cult, still does. The consensus among Pat Buchanans supporters seemed ardent and universal, though the object of this obloquy wasnt even on the opposing ticket. One of the mysteries of 2016 is the degree to which Hillary Clinton is reviled. Not just rationally opposed but viscerally and instinctively hated. None of the stated reasons for the animus seem to satisfy. Yes, shes careful and cagey, and her use of a private email server, which the F.B.I. flung back into the news on Friday, was a big mistake. But no, shes not more dishonest than other politicians, and compared with her opponent, shes George Washington. Her policies, even where bold, are hardly on the subversive fringe. Yet shes cast not just as a political combatant but as a demon who, in the imaginings of Republicans like Paul D. Ryan, the speaker of the House, and Representative Trent Franks, would create an America where passion the very stuff of life is extinguished (the former) and where fetuses would be destroyed limb from limb (the latter). Sign Up For NYT Now's Morning Briefing Newsletter Donald J. Trump and his supporters posit their antipathy as a reaction to Mrs. Clintons accumulated record over 30 years in power. Its important to recall that she was deranging Republicans on Day 1. Understanding her demonization requires admitting her full significance in our political history, for she is not simply a pioneering woman fighting an Ur-misogyny. Mrs. Clinton faces a two-headed Cerberus, an artificial conjoining that occurred in the early 1990s, of wounded Republican invincibility and wounded male prerogative. Our current political crisis wont be resolved until those forces are separated and the Cerberus slain. Few current observers seem to recall the wrath that greeted Bill Clintons ascension. To the left, Clintonism implies accommodation and calculation. But to the right in 1992, it meant usurpation. Reaganism held almost religious significance, and its reign was supposed to be transformative and permanent. For the One True Way to be restored, Clintonism had to be delegitimized. That delegitimization ushered in the politics of party restoration at whatever cost, governance and country be damned. This led first to an attempted legislative coup in 1998 and then to a judicial coup in 2000. And to all the more recent outrages of birtherism, government shutdowns, delayed Supreme Court confirmations and, ultimately, the rise of a would-be autocrat as a party nominee. But political restoration was only one head of the Cerberus. The other wounded male prerogative was personal and sexual. The 1990s produced a generation of men who felt (and still feel) left behind by a society redefining power and success in terms of ornament and celebrity and demoting the value of industry and brawn, while simultaneously challenging mens value as family providers. Though women werent the source of mens pain, the antagonist conjured up by aggrieved men I talked with in those years had a feminine face, and very often that face was Hillarys. A startling aspect of the rage that greeted Bill Clinton was how much of it was aimed at the women he entrusted or tried to entrust with power. When I was investigating one of the early skirmishes of the Clinton years, the burning of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Tex., which right-wingers attributed to Clintons F.B.I., I was treated to the fervent rants of Patriot men, aimed not at Mr. Clinton but at what I came to think of as the Three Witches of Waco: Attorney General Janet Reno (Renos master is Satan, a Third Continental Congress militiaman told me), the gun-control advocate Sarah Brady and, most of all, Hillary Clinton. Her anti-male conspiracies were legion: redirecting their tax dollars to bankroll womens rights around the globe (She gave away a million dollars to each first lady she visited in Africa to get educated), using their Social Security to pay for abortion, and calling the shots at the White House. Republican ideological absolutism, nourished by masculine insecurity, created an amalgam corrosive to pragmatic politics. For Hillary Clinton, its meant being demonized for traits that have little to do with her character. Not only by right-wing politicians, who found the Hillary-with-horns specter a convenient recruitment tool, but by the culture at large. Even the supposedly liberal mainstream media still seek out any bit of evidence that can be chiseled to fit that prefab 1990s narrative and if she denies the caricature, shes called a liar. Her famous hiddenness is, at heart, her refusal to cop to the crime of purloined male authority. A Spy magazine story in 1995 made that theft succinct: a cover image of a grinning Hillary, her skirt billowing up as in the old Marilyn Monroe photo, to reveal male briefs bulging with a penis. Across her legs ran the headline: Hillarys Big Secret. The G.O.P.s gender grudge feeds on its own defeat. As the culture moves further away from the conservative ideal as women gain freedoms, minorities assert rights, same-sex marriage proves commonplace the monsters howls grow louder. But the howls say nothing new. This election is the decisive battle in a Thirty Years War. Were going to fight this if it takes a hundred years, one of the Patriots I met in Waco advised me. Our republics on its knees. Our throat is about to be slit. And then: Radical feminism gave the government all this power. Flash forward to October of 2016, as Trump supporters, egged on by their candidate, talk openly about getting their guns to take out the radical feminist candidate who has declared open war against men. The left needs to acknowledge what the right has long known: that its a fiction to think we can move on beyond the brawl of the 1990s without settling it and settling it requires helping Mrs. Clinton triumph once and for all against the calumnies that were created to define her. It would be a mistake to think that Mrs. Clinton, the imperfect politician, is not the right standard-bearer for this fight. She was nominated to her role not last July at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, but in 1992, when her husband destroyed the myth of Republican invincibility and Hillary Clinton was anointed the feminine face of evil. NYT Sara Krulwich photo The next technical meeting of the members of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC states on oil market stabilization will be held on November 25-26, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Natig Aliyev said, Sputnik reported. On October 28-29, a Meeting of the High-level Committee of the Algiers Accord of OPEC is taking place in Vienna. "I am very happy with the results, and we are preparing for the next meeting which will be held on [November] 25-26," Aliyev told journalists. On September 28, OPEC member states agreed on cutting its oil production to 32.5-33 million barrels per day for the whole cartel, however, no exact limits for each country have been placed. The OPEC countries are set to finalize the agreement on oil output freeze at the OPEC summit in Vienna on November 30. Europe and Russia must work with Azerbaijan and Armenia to reduce the cases of escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict area, German Bundestag member Albert Weiler told "Armenian News" web site. He recalled that after the escalation in April Germany, as OSCE chairing country, held talks with the representatives of Azerbaijan and Armenia, which led to easing tension. The politicians in Germany, and he personally, are trying to hold dialogue with both parties to find a joint solution, Albert Weiler added. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. An event marking 25th anniversary of restoration of Azerbaijan`s state independence has been held in Ankara. The event was co-organized by Azerbaijan`s Embassy to Turkey, Federation of Turkish-Azerbaijan Association. The event brought together employees of the embassy, public and art scientific figures of Turkey, representatives of NGOs, and the Media. The event featured a demonstration of the documentary on restoration of state independence of Azerbaijan. Ambassador Faig Bagirov highlighted the history of state independence. Development strategy founded by national leader Heydar Aliyev today successfully continues by President Ilham Aliyev, he added. The diplomat spoke about the reforms carried out in Azerbaijan across the last years, as well as results of the foreign and domestic policy. Mr. Bagirov spoke about the importance of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipelines projects. The participants were distributed Heydar Aliyev, Ilham Aliyev publications, as well as journal, brochures, magazines about Azerbaijan. The vice chair of Turkeys main opposition party was injured in an armed attack Saturday at a restaurant in Aydin, the capital of the southwestern province of the same name, the governor said, Anadolu reported. We identified two attackers and police are searching for them. An investigation into the attack is underway, Governor Omer Faruk Kocak told Anadolu Agency. Bulent Tezcan, main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) deputy as well as vice chair, was attacked by two armed men while dining with party members in a restaurant in the city center. Tezcan was shot in the leg and rushed to a hospital for treatment. Kamil Okyay Sindir, the partys secretary general, told Anadolu Agency that Tezcan is in good condition and should recover. Genres : Crime, Drama, Mystery Starring : Armand Assante, Barbara Carrera, Laurene Landon, Alan King, and Geoffrey Lewis Director : Richard Heffron Plot Synopsis After Hammer finds his best friend murdered, he vows an oath of revenge. During the course of his search for the killer, he encounters a suspicious female doctor who runs a New York sex clinic. Based on the 1947 novel by Mickey Spillane. Cinematography by Andrew Laszlo (Rambo: First Blood, The Warriors). UAE Internal Auditors Association and Deloitte Corporate Finance recently joined forces for a seminar about forensic investigation in Dubai, UAE. David Clements, principal director of Forensics at Deloitte, was the keynote speaker and shared his expertise on the topic. He explained that the primary goal of the event was to exchange information and education about forensic investigation. Ayesha Bin Lootah, board member of IAA BOGs, said: Today we are in the era of smart governments, Gitex technological advancement is an enabler for the future of governments and we as an association thrive to drive the profession in line with our strategic and leadership direction. Khalid Farooq, assistant director of Forensics at Deloitte Corporate Finance Limited highlighted that the purpose of the event was to raise awareness about forensic services and forensic investigations and the vital role they play in todays era, specifically while major frauds are being committed around the world. In the first part of his discussion, Clements explained the distinction between internal audit and investigation and shared some important definitions. He elaborated on how Internal Auditors and Investigators, both, have the same commitments towards the health of an organization but they are fundamentally different skill sets. Internal Auditors are proactive and collaborative with the aim of business improvement. Whereas, investigators are reactive and confrontational as they investigate the series of events that took place with an agenda to reach a conclusion and suggest an after course based on their findings. In the second part of his discussion, Clements shared case studies highlighting some of the significant financial frauds around the globe including a particularly large fraud that occurred in the Middle East and how forensic investigation played a quintessential part in the discovery of fraudulent activities. We will continue to extend a hand to companies in preventing and investigating fraud in the future. We believe that we are trusted advisers and we believe that when we give an opinion or when we give a suggestion, its well-thought process and it comes from our past experiences, Farooq said. Over the years we have seen a variety of different cases all around the world being a global firm and that I think is our advantage. TradeArabia News Service Aster DM Healthcare, a healthcare network with over 293 operating facilities across 9 countries, has received the Excellence in Healthcare Sector award at the Qadat Al Tagheer Awards 2016, the inaugural awards of the 2nd UAE-INDIA Economic Forum. Alisha Moopen, executive director and chief executive officer, Hospitals & Clinics (GCC), Aster DM Healthcare received the award from Nitin Gadkari, Indias Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping. The awards honoured prominent organizations and business leaders who have transcended boundaries to create epitome of business excellence in respective sectors which helped strengthen the trade and commerce ties between UAE and India. As an organization our efforts have been dedicated towards pushing the boundaries of excellence, enabling wider access to quality healthcare in the countries that we serve. Around 30 years ago, we used to serve 100 patients per day, and today, we cater to the needs of 50,000 patients in a day. While we are a home-grown brand in UAE, our commitment is strengthened by our vision to deliver better quality and healthier life for each and every one in the community. We are glad that our efforts have successfully contributed to the development of the sector and confident that we will continue to deliver excellence in the future, while driving our promise of - Treating you well, said Alisha Moopen while receiving the award. Speaking at the UAE India Economic Forum, on the successful trade and commerce ties between the two countries, Dr Azad Moopen, founder, chairman and managing director, Aster DM Healthcare, expressed excitement about the system changes and potential in India with nearly $70 billion of investment being invited. Dr Moopen said the focus of the Indian government on infrastructure development which requires significant funding, is a huge opportunity for UAE investors. "On the other hand, key factors such as peace of mind, freedom and safety, social infrastructure, logistics and connectivity, and vision of the leadership to make UAE one of the top 3 countries in the world in terms of ease of doing business, make UAE an attractive investment destination," he said. Dr Moopen called on the UAE government to consider offering permanent residency to long-term investors and increasing foreign ownership of businesses to possibly 100 per cent. A number of high profile dignitaries, government officials and business leaders from both countries convened at the forum, hosted by the Consulate General of India in Dubai and supported by the UAE Ministry of Economy, in strategic partnership with UAE International Investors Council, Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Invest India, Abu Dhabi Global Market and Dubai Economic Council. TradeArabia News Service Abu Dhabi Polymers Company (Borouge), a leading provider of innovative plastics solutions, will be showcasing its latest polyethylene and polypropylene innovative solutions at Arabplast 2017 expo in Dubai, UAE. The leading plastics, petrochemicals and rubber industry trade show will run from January 8 to 10 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. It will see top leading plastics producers, manufacturers and convertors from the GCC and other parts of the world meet to discuss and exchange knowledge and best practices and learn about the latest technologies used in the industry, said the organisers. Borouge, as a principal sponsor for the event, will be introducing its latest innovative plastics solutions for a wide range of applications in packaging, infrastructure, energy, mobility and other economic sectors. The company will also highlight its expansion projects such as the Borouge 3 plant which more than doubles its total annual production capacity to 4.5 million tonnes of polyolefins, making the Borouge Ruwais site the worlds largest integrated polyolefins plant. On its participation, Wim Roels, the chief executive of Borouge Private Limited, said: "The event provides us with a new opportunity to highlight our significant contribution to further support and improve the plastics industry in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region and reinforce our growing position as a leading provider of innovative and sustainable plastics solutions." Arabplast is an ideal platform to showcase our unique, differentiated products, growth and investments in innovation and how we provide the market with the most advanced polyolefin solutions that meet the increasing demand due to the growing urbanisation and rapid infrastructure growth, he added. Hazeem Sultan Al Suwaidi, senior vice president - Middle East and Africa (MEA), Borouge, said: We see the event as an ideal platform for us to demonstrate our commitment to the region as the leading provider of polyolefin solutions in energy, infrastructure and advanced packaging. TradeArabia News Service More than 7,000 participants from around 69 countries are expected to attend the Seatrade Maritime Middle East 2016 Exhibition and Conference to be held tomorrow (October 31), in Dubai, UAE. The three-day event will run until November 2, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center. The event, now in its eighth edition, will be held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. This years interactive conference programme will once again bring together a panel of maritime industry leaders, influential economists and shipping analysts for an in-depth analysis of where the current industry status quo, and will also examine regional industry opportunities, along with a series of presentations and ground-breaking case studies on key maritime projects, including Egypts Suez Canal expansion, and schedule of educational technical forums, said the organisers. The opening economic forum session, to be chaired by well-known moderator and broadcast journalist, Eithne Treanor, will feature a high profile panel line-up that will set the scene for three days of successful conference discussion, it said. The events panelists include Abdulrahman Essa Al Mannai, president and CEO, Milaha; Marcus Machin, CEO, Tufton Oceanic Finance Group; Admiral Mohab Mohamed Mameesh, chairman and managing director, Suez Canal Authority; Tim Power, MD, Drewry and Tim Fox, Head of Research and Chief Economist at Emirates NBD. The second day will present an action-packed schedule, opening with the Seatrade Tanker conference at which a number of the industrys most respected experts led by Katharina Stanzel, managing director, Intertanko, will engage in a Middle East-focused discussion on the crude oil tanker market and product tanker trading, added the organisers. A brace of technical forums will dominate the early afternoon with sessions examining the critical issues facing an ever-changing seascape in terms of shipping and environmental challenges shipping and environmental challenges, followed by a lively discussion on Crewing: The vital interface, both held in association with the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMarEST), it stated. Moderated by Nikeel Idnani, honorary secretary, IMarEST UAE Branch, the panel will feature Captain Stephen Bligh, senior principal consultant, head of section, Maritime Advisory, Region South East Europe and Middle East, DNV GL and Captain Lee Chee Seong, vice president network operations, United Arab Shipping Company (SAG). Another highlight of the three-day event, is hosting the 61st annual International Shipsuppliers & Services Association (ISSA) Convention, it added. In the two years since our last event, global trade movement has faced increasingly challenging economic pressures, and the international maritime industry continues to be impacted by future oil price forecasts, the state of the Middle East economy in general and the effect of the Chinese trade slowdown - the timing of this years event couldn't be more pertinent, said Emma Howell, group marketing manager, Seatrade. TradeArabia News Service Smartworld, a joint venture between Etisalat and Dubai South, along with Cisco as its strategic partner, led a Silicon Valley Innovation delegation of CIOMajlis executives to top technology companies in the Silicon Valley in the US. During the five-day exclusive trip which ends today (October 30), the chief information officers (CIOs) of select companies in the UAE visited leading technology companies including Ciscos Executive Experience Center in San Jose, General Electric Digital in San Ramon, Oracle Customer Visit Center in Redwood, EMC Executive Briefing Center in Santa Clara and Microsoft Technology Center in Mountain View to familiarise with the best practice in digitization and innovation. CIOMajlis, an initiative powered by Smartworld, aims to contribute to realising the vision of the National Innovative Strategy with the goal of making the UAE the worlds most innovative country by 2021, works in line with the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The purpose of the tour was to gain insights into the latest global trends and best practices in innovation adopted by the leading technology companies in the world as well as to show them what we have achieved, said Abdulqader Obaid Ali, chief executive officer, Smartworld. The tour was arranged for CIOMajlis executives to help them familiarise with the latest innovation trends and form a strategic vision on the impact of disruptive technologies and emerging trends. The innovation trip helped the CIOs to learn from close quarters the culture of Silicon Valley, engage in creative discussions and presentations by influential technology experts and visionaries, said Ahmed Al Mulla, chairman of CIOMajlis. The tour was a great opportunity for our CIOs to exchange knowledge, get an idea of the ever-changing trends in Infotech innovation, which can be put to practice here. We hope our members took full advantage of their interaction with their technology counterparts in Silicon Valley, added Al Mulla. Cisco was proud to support Smartworlds initiative as a strategic partner of the CIOMajlis, and to offer this unique opportunity to host UAE delegates at our headquarters. We had series of executive interactions and high-level engagements that included John Chambers, Ciscos Executive Chairman, said ShukriEid, managing director East Region, Cisco Middle East. The program included a number of solution experiences and a custom-built country digitization, security and collaboration showcase, he added. TradeArabia News Service International law firm Trowers & Hamlins said it has expanded its private wealth offering in the Middle East region with the appointment of a new partner Alastair Glover. Glover was earlier working for Gowling WLG (formerly Wragge Lawrence Graham & Company) in Dubai where he was head of private capital (Middle East). He has significant experience in international succession planning including offshore trust and foundation structures, tax advice, immigration and family governance. His clients include high net worth individuals, families and family offices based throughout the GCC. Glover is a member of the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners and has worked closely with the Dubai International Financial Centre on the introduction of the DIFC Wills & Probate Registry in 2015. Abdul Haq Mohammed, the international managing partner at Trowers & Hamlins, said: "We are continuing to invest in our private wealth capabilities across the entire firm. Glover has UK, Middle East and broader international experience and is recognised as a leading advisor in the private wealth market. We are very pleased to welcome him to the team." On his new role, Glover said: "I am delighted to join Trowers & Hamlins. I have been very impressed with the firm's ambitions for growing the private wealth practice in the region to complement an already very compelling offering in the Middle East and beyond." Trowers & Hamlins is a city, national and international law firm with 155 partners and over 860 employees. The firm has offices across the UK, Middle East and Far East, and was the first foreign law firm to secure a licence in Malaysia in April 2015.-TradeArabia News Service RTAs Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) has signed a cooperation agreement with Careem, a leading online booking provider of taxi services, whereby DTC will operate Ladies Limo service for the first time via Careem App. The agreement also provides for DTC to run ladies-dedicated service on deluxe limo driven by highly experienced female chauffeurs. Dr Yousef Al Ali, CEO of DTC signed the agreement on behalf of DTC and Mudassir Sheikha, founder and managing director of Careem signed it on behalf of Careem. An announcement to this effect took place during a special event held at the premises of DTC in the presence of several senior officials. Launching the new exclusive Ladies Limo service is a further evidence that DTC is committed to delivering best-in-class services to customers, and enriching the 5-star experience to unprecedented levels. The service will be appealing to VIP ladies in quest for privacy & comfort aboard deluxe transit means, said Dr Al Ali. Partnering with DTC is pioneering step taken by Careem. Launching Ladies Limo service, branded as Amira, enhances the presence of Careem in Dubai through offering exclusivity to ladies and families service, said Mudassir. Launching Amira service through Careem is a game changer of customers service experience. The agreement epitomizes the directives of our leadership to transform Dubai into the smartest city in the world, and uplifts the caliber of services to live up to the Happy Dubai concept, said Abdullah Ibrahim Al Meer, director of Business Development at DTC. This initiative aims to leverage the operational efficiency of DTC by ensuring the optimal utilization of assets, and adding new services through the existing resources of DTC, he added. TradeArabia News Service UAE-based The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy, and sustainable technologies, said it has partnered with UK-based QinetiQ, a leading technology development and engineering company operating primarily in the defense, security and aerospace markets, and Swiss-based all-terrain vehicle (ATV) developer Sand-X Motors, to jointly develop an Unmanned Rover System (URS). The Abu Dhabi-based company announced this at the URS award kick-off meeting, which was hosted by the Defense Services Marketing Council (DSMC). The URS development program was conceived as part of Masdar Institute and DSMCs partnering to Achieve Innovation in Defense & Aerospace (PAIDA) Working Group. The collaborative project will integrate Sand-Xs ATV with artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to develop a purpose-built ground vehicle, to meet the UAEs URS needs. The URS program is expected to lead to the development of a UAE-manufactured unmanned tactical vehicle that will provide logistical solutions, such as route clearance and the provision of relief aid to the front lines and refugee camps safely and securely. Dr Steve Griffiths, the vice president for Research and Interim Associate Provost, Masdar Institute, said: "We are excited to leverage our state-of-the-art research facilities and highly-skilled researchers to support the development of the URS Capability Demonstrator, along with our collaborators, who are global leaders in robotic and autonomous systems, military technologies, and ATVs." "We believe that the URS program will ultimately lead to the development of disruptive technologies that will enable greater vehicle expeditionary mobility without sacrificing survivability. The collaboration builds on Masdar Institutes ambition to develop strong platform capabilities in intelligent systems that are revolutionizing multiple sectors," he noted. "Some of the capabilities of the URS ground vehicle will include remote control operation, which will allow direct human input to drive the vehicle remotely; a follow-me system, which enables the vehicle to follow the driver once he dismounts the vehicle; return home capabilities, which enables the vehicle to return by fastest means to a fixed point without driver intervention; shuttle abilities, which allow the vehicle to shuttle supplies between bases; and waypoint-follow, which enables the driver to send the vehicle ahead to the waypoint and then return to a preselected destination," he added. Under the agreement, Sand-X will provide the land systems to the URS Program, including all current background intellectual property (IP) and hardware with data packages required by QinetiQ and Masdar Institute to integrate to the existing Sand-X T-ATV 1200 Tracked All-Terrain Vehicle. Urs Eiselin, the chief executive of Sand-X Motors, said: "We are pleased to work with the DSMC, Masdar Institute and QinetiQ, and to leverage the SAND-X T-ATV 1200 all-terrain vehicle as a platform for further development of highly sophisticated and efficient ground URS vehicles." QinetiQ was selected to be the chief industrial partner by Paida on the technology development front. The UK firm was chosen based on its extensive experience developing and manufacturing cutting-edge autonomous robotic military systems, such as the QinetiQ Raider II, which has capabilities like obstacle detection, obstacle avoidance, follow-me, waypoint navigation and return to base that are achievable on the proposed URS ground vehicle. Iain Farley, the managing director (International) at QinetiQ, said the development of novel autonomous systems that optimise military platforms for operations is a core capability within the company. "We are confident that this collaborative project will build on our previous successes, and support the objectives of the autonomous ground URS program," he stated. The collaborators will enter the URS Capability Demonstrator in the Dh1-million UAE Drones for Good Award and the Dh1-million UAE AI & Robotics for Good Award. Award winners will be announced on February 11 next year.-TradeArabia News Service By now, we've all heard of or seen 'Sweeney Todd' in one form or another. The killer's tale originated in the mid-1850s and has been adapted several times. Since its 1979 debut, Stephen Sondheim's musical version has become a formidable piece of popular culture. It transcended into the theatrical world in 2007 when Tim Burton adapted Sondheim's version for the silver screen with Johnny Depp in the leading role. But between the version's 1979 inception and the 2007 film version that reinvigorated the world's obsession with the killer character, there was a limited 2001 concert version that earned a lot of well-deserved attention and praise. While the concert version has been available on DVD since then, it's only now available on Blu-ray for the first time. The revenge-fueled story of Sweeney Todd is like something that Quentin Tarantino would write. We meet Sweeney Todd in the opening scene. By boat, the dark and brooding central character enters a foggy London at night. He heads directly for Fleet Street, where he meets Mrs. Lovett, a down-and-out baker who's for-sale dinner pies are suffering due to a meat famine. Todd takes to the open woman and inquires about renting the flat above her bakery. Following that question, we first learn about the flat's tragic previous tenants. Lovett's flat was once rented by Benjamin Barker and his small family. Many years ago, with the help of a henchman named Beatle Bamford, the corrupt Judge Turpin falsly charged Barker with crimes he obviously didn't commit and had him shipped off to Australian imprisonment. Turpin then brought Barker's wife, Lucy, and her child, Johanna, into his home, where he raped Lucy. Severly traumatized by the repeatedly bad hand life dealt her, Lucy took her own life, leaving Johanna to be raised by the crooked judge. From the moment we hear Lovett recount the tale, we immediately catch on that Sweeney Todd is actually Benjamin Barker. The years of imprisonment and the loss of everything caused his hate-filled mind to become twisted and purely hellbent on doing whatever it takes to murder Turpin and Bamford. Now knowing the fate of his wife and child, his rage burns brighter than ever. By killing Turpin, he can be reunited with his sweet daughter Joanna again. Without a moral compass or compassion, Todd is completely off his rocker and unpredictable, which makes the tale even more tense as Lovett and her stray worker boy get closer and close to him. Baked with the ingredients of the blackest comedies murder, scandal, cannibalism, etc. the final product is the second-best thing next to a close shave. Although I'm frequently immersed in musicals (all thanks to my actress wife our three constantly-singing little girls), I struggle with some. The hardest to bear my way through are operettas and the biggest offender is any and every musical version of 'Les Miserables.' The non-stop melody-less talk-singing gives me anxiety. I love good long movies, but both the West End London revival and the Hugh Jackman film adaptation made me feel like a hyper, sugar-loaded 12-year-old boy with attention deficit disorder. The brilliant thing about a 'Sweeney Todd' is that it's pretty much an operetta, yet it has the polar opposite effect on me. I drink it up. Sondheim's music is brilliant. Unlike 'Les Mis,' it's not talk-singing. There are melodies and they're beautiful! The mix of gorgeous song and dark content is delightful. This concert version of 'Sweeney Todd' takes a minimalist approach to Sondheim's telling of the story by featuring a small, lightly wardrobed cast, a chorus that enters only as-needed from time-to-time, and a very unique staging that brings the orchestra out of the pit and onto the stage. After watching this recorded live performance, it's no wonder why this version carries such a great reputation. Todd, Lovett and the worker boy are each played by Tony-winning actors. George Hearn, who plays Sweeney Todd, earned Tonys for 'La Cage aux Folles' (1984) and 'Sunset Boulevard' (1995). Patti LuPone, who plays Mrs. Lovett, won Tonys for 'Evita' (1980) and 'Gypsy' (2008). And Neil Patrick Harris, who plays the worker boy Toby, earned his Tony for 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' (2014). 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street In Concert' is a must-own for all who love 'Sweeney Todd' and/or musical theatre. It's amazing to see what a great company can achieve via a minimalist production that removes staging, intricate lighting and blocking, make-up and effects. The vocal performances are outstanding. Although it shows its age via the presentation of this digitally-tranferred tape-recording, this concert production is top-notch. The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats Shout! Factory has placed 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street In Concert' on a Region A BD-50 disc. The option is presented to watch it in its original 4:3 aspect ratio, or its cropped-to-fit-the-screen 1.78:1 aspect ratio. (I recommend the 1.33:1 ratio because the 1.78:1 sampling that I did blew out the video to ugly proportions.) The disc is housed in a blue Elite keepcase that comes with reversable art that can be seen when the case is open. When you play the disc, the only video to run before the main menu is a forced Shout! Factory reel. Exxon Mobil has posted a 38 per cent decline in third quarter earnings of $2.65 billion, compared with $4.24 billion a year earlier as result reflected lower refining margins and commodity prices. ExxonMobils integrated business continues to deliver solid results, said Rex W Tillerson, chairman and chief executive officer. While the operating environment remains challenging, the company continues to focus on capturing efficiencies, advancing strategic investments, and creating long-term shareholder value. During the quarter, upstream earnings were $620 million. Volumes for the quarter declined 3 per cent to 3.8 million oil-equivalent barrels per day compared with a year ago, due to unplanned downtime, primarily in Nigeria, and field decline partially offset by increased production from recent project start-ups. Third quarter chemical earnings of $1.2 billion, comparable with prior year results, reflect higher maintenance costs, partially offset by increased specialty product sales. Downstream earnings declined to $1.2 billion primarily due to weaker refining margins. During the quarter, capital and exploration expenses were reduced by 45 per cent to $4.2 billion. The corporation distributed $3.1 billion in dividends to shareholders in the third quarter. Earnings per share assuming dilution were $0.63. TradeArabia News Service Guests travelling from New York to Abu Dhabi with UAE's Etihad Airways were treated to a surprise celebration of Diwali ahead of this weekends Hindu festival of lights. Travelling on one of the airlines flagship Airbus A380s, passengers were given specially designed lanterns to mark the festival that this year falls on October 30. As lights in First, Business and Economy were dimmed, guests of all ages raised their glowing lanterns transforming the cabins into a sea of glimmering lights to celebrate Diwali in the sky. Traditional Indian desserts such as jalebi and barfi prepared by Etihad Airways catering team were served onboard. Guests flying onwards to Mumbai, via Abu Dhabi, were also treated to celebratory lanterns, sweets and goody bags upon arrival at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport that helped brighten their journey home. Guests also have a chance during this festive period to win tickets to a destination of their choice by posting pictures at #Diwaliinthesky of their celebrations at home or in the air. Diwali spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and hope over despair. Its celebration includes tens of millions of homes, temples and other buildings being lit up in the communities and countries where the festivities are observed. - TradeArabia News Service A new anti-poaching program developed in Missoula will use the system hunters rely on to gauge trophy animals as a way to improve enforcement of hunting laws throughout the nation. All poaching is illegal and all poachers should be punished, said Tony Schoonen, chief of staff for the Boone and Crockett Club in Missoula. But poaching trophies is a special sin because it is driven by greed and potential profit. When it comes to the poaching of trophy-class animals, one of the tools we have available to us is the clubs big-game scoring system. Boone and Crockett developed the industry-standard measuring system for describing the size and significance of big game animal antlers and horns. Former Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologist Vickie Edwards has been using the system to catalog the racks seized in poaching cases to determine whether state game wardens are applying harsher penalties for trophy kills. Schoonen said many states dont differentiate between average and trophy animals in poaching cases. The result is an incentive to break the law in pursuit of more charismatic big game because the potential fine is relatively small. A nationwide survey conducted by the club in 2015 found that almost nine out of 10 hunters support higher fines for those convicted of poaching trophy-class animals. And 92.6 percent approve of generally increasing fines for all poaching cases. To date, states using the Boone and Crockett scoring system as a way to tabulate more appropriate and severe poaching fines include Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Texas. For far too long, being convicted of poaching a deer or another big-game animal has been akin to getting a speeding ticket in terms of the severity of punishment, Schoonen said. Hunters tell us they want a set of uniform guidelines to ensure punishments are equal to the value we place on our wildlife resources. The Boone and Crockett Clubs scoring system provides a respected, definitive and consistent criteria for defining a trophy animal and is not subject to the legal obfuscation employed by those desperate to avoid criminal conviction. FWP deploys 72 game wardens throughout the state. Each covers an average 2,000 square miles of territory roughly the size of Delaware. Theyre backed up by citizen whistle-blowers who make between 1,700 and 2,000 calls a year to the FWP anti-poaching hotline, TIP-MONT. The anonymous evidence-gathering program has paid out more than $15,000 a year in rewards for information leading to convictions each year. One case near Missoula is already underway. On Oct. 7 game wardens found a bull moose that was shot and left to waste on the Warnken Ranch Block Management Area northwest of Superior. The yearling bull was abandoned near the shore of Bouchard Lake. The fines for illegally killing a trophy animal in Montana can be steep: from $2,000 for an antelope to $6,000 for a mountain goat or moose; $8,000 for elk, antlered deer and a grizzly bear (for which there is no season). The highest fine is $30,000 for a trophy bighorn sheep. Montanans observing poaching incidents can anonymously report their findings to the FWP TIP-MONT hotline, 800-847-6668, or online at fwp.mt.gov/enforcement/tipmont. Gilda Lara is the executive director of the Casper Area Chamber of Commerce, a position she has held for almost three years. She came to Casper from Cheyenne, where she was director of sales at Little America Hotel and Resort for almost 20 years. Ive always been a huge believer in chambers of commerce, she said. When I was at Little America, I came to the realization that those do support a strong local economy more than any other Im aware of. Tell us about the Tribute to the Great American Cowboy on Saturday. What a great opportunity on Saturday. Its a huge opportunity to generate a tremendous amount of tourism into our community. This shoulder season is when business is of paramount importance to restaurants, hoteliers. The rodeo and concert are on Saturday at The Arena at the Fairgrounds. The rodeo starts at 7 p.m., and Chancey Williams and the Younger Brothers Band are in concert after. Tickets are available at the chamber office, the fairgrounds and at Murdochs. Tickets are $20 and $30 for the rodeo and concert, and concert-only tickets are $20. We are anticipating about 2,000 people in attendance at this rodeo and concert. Triple V Rodeo Company, Dona Vold Larsen and Bill Larsen put this on; its the 12th annual event. What I find particularly important is they have eight National Finals Rodeo contestants and six former world champions are part of that contestant base. Our own world champion Jhett Johnson is going to compete with his son, Jaden, who just turned 18 and just bought his permit card to be a PRCA cowboy. He is heading with his dad at this event, and that will be a special moment. Tell us about your shop local initiative. Were all about supporting a strong local economy on all levels, retailers and restaurants and small business. We know there is somewhat of a downturn, and in any way we can, we want to implement a shop local campaign that is very custom. Its called Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is, because we feel strongly that Casper is the heart of Wyoming. This will be a limited time shop local campaign through us and our chamber partners from Nov. 15 into December, designed to increase holiday sales, using television, radio and social media who are all assisting us in getting the word out not only to Casper but also to our feeder markets. How many members do you have? We have 1,029 members large companies like Sinclair Casper Refining Company. They are very active in supporting their community, very passionate about the chamber of commerce as well. For instance, Donells Candies is an amazing example of small business thriving through thick and thin. Ive heard theyve had their best October this year. What else does the chamber do? This type of campaign, there is great strength in numbers. With this large of a chamber membership, were working with them to promote their businesses and bring in more foot traffic, act as a voice of business to government. We do an amazing job with legislative-based luncheons. We recently sold out for our state of the nation, state of the state and state of the community luncheons. Weve taken to our larger hotels for those, our numbers are typically in excess of 150. We have our December pre-legislative luncheon and our March post-legislative luncheon. Its not unheard of to have over 200 at these luncheons. We invite our representatives and ask tough questions and get amazing answers. Has the close of the Casper Petroleum Club affected your meeting space availability? While there is no doubt the Petroleum Club was a great venue, the Lyric is a new member and we have used that, as well as the Yellowstone Garage and the Wyoming Contractors Association training center. (The closure) might open the doors for other industry to pick up those opportunities for hosting meetings. We like to spread the business around. A group representing Wyoming cities has proposed a dramatic overhaul of the states liquor license regulations. The Wyoming Association of Municipalities is asking the state to remove population-based caps on liquor licenses and allow market conditions to dictate how many bars a city can support. The recommendations were included in a larger report on municipal finance released last week. The issue of liquor licenses was included under the banner of more autonomy for local governments. The association noted that existing state liquor laws were established in the aftermath of Prohibition and had not been holistically reviewed since then. Wyoming has progressed in so many different ways; however, liquor laws have not kept pace, the report said. The reports goal is to offer suggestions for ways the Wyoming Legislature can assist local governments during the economic downturn and association presented it Monday to the Legislative Appropriations Committee in Casper. WAM executive director Shelley Simonton said the association was eager to speak with liquor distributions and bar owners, who largely oppose significant overhaul of the license regulations, about the proposed changes. We want to find out where the middle ground is and then move from there, Simonton said. These are rocks we turned over... were throwing some things against the wall and seeing what sticks. The Wyoming State Liquor Association has been staunchly opposed to removing the population-tied cap on retail liquor licenses. Retail licenses allow owners to sell both packaged and open liquor without restrictions on the percentage of sales that must come from food, as with the uncapped restaurant licenses. Supporters of the existing system say removing the population cap would hurt the investment of current license owners while leading to market saturation. Instead, the association is promoting legislation to stop the parking of liquor licenses, where owners keep the licenses for several years at a time without using them to operate a bar or liquor store. On the open market, liquor licenses can sell for up to $300,000, according to Casper City Councilman Charlie Powell. That means many owners see them as a long-term investment rather than as solely a tool to operate a bar or restaurant. But current license owners complain that removing the population-tied cap would dilute the value of their investment and lead to market saturation. Matt Galloway, whose family owns two bars in town, said he does not believe restricting the number of liquor licenses based on a citys population is hurting economic growth. I highly disagree with that sentiment, not only because I own with two licenses but because Ive talked to (Denver) and Fort Collins, Galloway said. Theyve reached actual market saturation. The WAM report argued that with the service industry, including leisure and tourism, becoming a more significant part of Wyomings economy, making liquor licenses more available will help local governments generate more revenue. In addition to removing the population-tied cap, the report called for resort liquor licenses to be granted to hotels with fewer than the existing minimum of 100 rooms. But the liquor association has opposed similar incremental reforms to license regulations in the past. During last years legislative session, the group opposed an ultimately unsuccessful bill that would have allowed civic auditoriums and similar venues to sell wine. The association touts its legislative record on its website. All the bills we supported have been signed by the Governor into law, and the bills we opposed died, the website said. In an earlier interview, Simonton said the next step was to draft bills based on the reports recommendations to present to legislators. In February, shortly before the Wyoming Senate killed a proposal to expand Medicaid to an estimated 20,000 low-income people, a lobbyist named Dave Owen walked the halls of the Legislature in Cheyenne, talking to lawmakers about the harms of the Obamacare program. Owen, who appears to live in Utah, represented the Foundation for Government Accountability, which is based in Florida and opposes Medicaid expansion. Owen presented research created by the foundations staff to lawmakers. Some of the research showed genuine concerns about Medicaid, such as evidence from expansion states that more people than expected qualified for it and the traditional Medicaid program, driving up costs. Other claims were erroneous, such as an assertion that felons would receive Medicaid before others. Opposition didnt come from the foundation alone. The Cheyenne-based Wyoming Liberty Group also lobbied against expansion. Its health care analyst, Charlie Katebi, said the group contends Wyoming shouldnt spend money expanding a program that doesnt deliver quality health care to the existing patients it serves, including the elderly, children and people with mental health needs. The lobbying worked. Lawmakers for the fourth consecutive year rejected Medicaid expansion. Yet legislators may not be representing their constituencies: A recent poll by the University of Wyoming showed the majority of Wyomingites want the state to accept the federal money attached to expansion to balance the budget instead of tapping the rainy day fund, cutting government or raising taxes. The state is facing a budget crunch due to the downturn in coal, natural gas and oil. In a small state that prides itself on folksy, personal contact between constituents and their elected officials, activist groups are gaining more power, bringing an out-of-state feel to local politics. Dark money Its called dark money. Its what activist groups that operate as corporations or nonprofits under sections 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code spend in politics when they do not reveal supporters. The public doesnt know exactly who is behind the groups, how much money theyre spending, how exactly theyre spending it and what their true motives are. Dark money specifically refers to work to elect or defeat candidates. And many of the groups funneling money to influence policy are also involved in elections, said Chisun Lee, of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, who recently wrote a report on the rise of the groups in the states. Owen refused to tell the Star-Tribune who was backing the Foundation for Government Accountability, although he insisted there was support from Wyoming. Leaders of other groups have also declined to name backers, as is the case for the libertarian-leaning Wyoming Liberty Group, or did not respond to messages, as was the case with Wyoming Gun Owners and the traditional family, pro-life organization WyWatch Family Action, which is now defunct because its leaders left the state, according to nonprofit publication WyoFile. But in a wide-ranging interview, the new leader of the Liberty Group said founder and Gore-Tex heir Susan Gore continues to generously support the organization, that a nine-month fellowship position for an attorney is paid in part by a grant funded by industrialists Charles and David Koch and that there are other supporters in addition to Gore and the Kochs, although he didnt identify them. The same refusal to disclose donors comes from the people behind ELLA WY, Forward Wyoming and Forward Wyoming Advocacy, the relatively new trio of activist groups on the left that are causing so much rancor among Republicans that the state GOP this month filed complaints against the groups with the Wyoming Secretary of State. In an interview, Jackson resident Liz Storer, the granddaughter of American broadcast pioneer George B. Storer, said she was involved with groups formations, along with other people, whom she noted the law doesnt require her to disclose. Former Republican U.S. Sen. Al Simpson said hes been concerned about the anonymity used by some political groups since he was in the Wyoming Legislature in the 1960s. He tried to get a bill passed back then to require transparency. Lawmakers would defeat his bill each year by saying, Wyoming is so small; we all know what everybody else is doing, Simpson said. I said, Dont give me that. And now its worse, he said. Political pragmatism is eroding, said former Gov. Dave Freudenthal, a Democrat. Thanks to the activist groups, Wyoming politics have become like Washingtons, in which a single vote or issue is more important than the whole, he said. Were heading to a really difficult time in Wyoming, with the changes in energy and the way things are going to unfold, he said. The problem with the single-issue groups is they essentially say, The adult behavior necessary to be pragmatic is not important. We will judge you on a single issue rather than the totality of your career. And I think that is dangerous. The groups do more than influence state policy and legislation, said Gillette Republican Tom Lubnau, who was House speaker in 2013 and 2014. People with lots of money are spending that money to influence elections, he said. But Keith Gingery of Jackson, a Republican who served in the House from 2005 to 2014, said the groups do serve a purpose by keeping lawmakers on their toes. The media cant report on every piece of legislation, he said. These groups definitely keep their members apprised of where bills are in the process that their members care about, he said in an email. So in the past, a committee chair could effectively kill a bill by just not bringing it up in committee (known as a pocket veto) or the majority floor leader could hold bills from getting to the floor... And it only takes a few emails to let a committee chairman or the majority floor leader know that someone is watching. Campaigning Earlier this month, voters in Laramie and Cheyenne received postcards showing the iconic World War II-era picture of Rosie the Riveter underneath the words, We Can Do It! In 2016, WY legislators considered a proven way to narrow the gender wage gap through increasing wage transparency in the workplace, the text read. 38 out of 60 voted NO. In one postcard, sent to voters in Albany Countys Senate District 10, the text continued: Glenn Moniz voted NO. Glenn Moniz: just another lawmaker who thinks women deserve to earn less. The mail piece then praised Monizs opponent, Democrat Narina Nunez, as understanding the disparity between mens and womens wages, which is one of Americas widest. The postcard, and others like it, prompted the state Republican Party to complain to the Wyoming Secretary of States office, which oversees elections. Republicans say the postcards break state election law. The secretarys office referred the matter to the Wyoming attorney general, said Kai Schon, the state election director. On the postcards return address is a group called Women Lead Wyoming, a project of Forward Wyoming Advocacy, a left-leaning group that Storer, the Jackson resident, said she advises, along with other people. Forward Wyoming Advocacy is involved in independent expenditures, in which organizations spend money for or against candidates. The political work is legal, as long as it is separate from candidates and their campaigns. Whether the postcards were independent of the campaigns of Nunezs and other candidates is the question before the attorney generals office. Independent expenditures increased in Wyoming and across the country after the 2010 Citizens United case in the U.S. Supreme Court. In fact, Wyoming Liberty Group staff wrote a friend of the court brief arguing in favor of the political work. Last election cycle, many Republicans benefited from independent expenditures of a sister organization to the Wyoming Liberty Group, Republic Free Choice. But Republic Free Choice came under heavy criticism by many people including Republicans who were targeted in primaries for not being conservative enough. This year, Republic Free Choice didnt get involved in any elections through independent expenditures, said Jonathan Downing, the new CEO of the Liberty Group. The Liberty Group is considering what kind of role, if any, it wants Republic Free Choice to play in future elections. Matt Micheli, chairman of the Wyoming GOP, said postcards and other campaign materials being used to attack Republican candidates this year are dishonest. They attribute positions to Republican candidates that Micheli said they do not hold from them wanting women to earn less to Republican candidates wanting to sell off all public lands. The crux of the GOP officials complaints there are now two is that there is too much intermingling among Forward Wyoming Advocacy, Forward Wyoming, which is described as an education group, and ELLA WY. Republicans argue the intermingling is illegal since many of the candidates who have hired ELLA have benefited from the postcards. The trio of activist organizations have defended themselves by providing copies of the legal advice they received from an attorney who instructed them on how to keep the work of the different groups separate, which includes some of the groups being located at a different address in Laramie, according to the documents provided to the state. That Citizens United case in the U.S. Supreme Court was the worst decision ever made, said Simpson, the former U.S. senator. Its anonymous money. Im a great believer that sunshine is the best disinfectant. Litmus tests On Sept. 18, Wyoming legislators received an email from Charles Curly, an official in the Republican Party who had worked for the Wyoming Liberty Group, informing them their performance had been scored, from a low of 1 to a high of 7. Many Republicans in Wyoming expect their legislators to adhere at least somewhat to the Republican Party Platform, the email said, although it also ranked Democrats, most of whom scored low. The score was a composite of grades from other far-right indexes, including the Wyoming Liberty Groups Liberty Index. Rep. Elaine Harvey said when she received the email, I about went through the roof. Harvey received a 2. The Lovell Republican said the constant rankings and purity tests are no measure of her core values, about which Curly never asked her. Many of the rankings are based on subjective material such as comments lawmakers make on the floor, she said. When voters look at the indexes, they accept them as sacrosanct, without considering the difficult balance lawmakers are trying to strike. People jump on soundbites such as it being time to trim the fat from state government yet they dont fully understand how some government cuts will eliminate programs that directly help their families. Indexes dont explain such nuances, she said. It makes me very irate to think they have the right to do that, said Harvey, who is leaving the Legislature at the end of the term after 14 years. And in some ways they really are influencing the outcome of elections, and yet the people of Wyoming are not going to be happy when they get a Legislature that thats far right. The Liberty Group has decided for the time being to abandon the Liberty Index, said Downing, the new CEO, because votes on bills in the middle of the legislative process dont necessarily reflect lawmakers final positions. For instance, a lawmaker may vote in favor of a bill in committee to advance it to the House or Senate floor because he thinks its prudent to have a discussion. Then he will vote against the bill. Curly has left the Liberty Group. He told lawmakers in the September email that he and a friend put together the composite score on their own time separate from the GOP and the Liberty Group and without any compensation from anyone. Power The Liberty Group started in 2008. Some of the other right-wing organizations date back to the early 2000s. The left-wing groups are newer to the Cowboy State, with the oldest dating to 2013. Its no surprise to Paul S. Ryan that most of the dark money activities have been from right-wing groups. Wyoming, after all, is a conservative state and the organizations find kinship with the public, said Ryan, a vice president of Common Cause, an organization that promotes open and accountable government. Kochs are a big player, for sure, as a major player in funding political activities on the right, he said. There are other bases on support on the right. Theres a large number of small donors, typically Christian conservatives who make up a considerable size of the base for political activity. There are also wealthy individuals like (casino owner and Republican donor) Sheldon Adelson and others like him who get involved in electoral politics, rather than issue advocacy. Lee, of NYUs Brennan Center, said she doesnt categorize the money by ideology. Some of it is over a single issue. She cited a case in Wisconsin in which a mining company targeted a state senator because he opposed mine permitting by running a slew of ads during his re-election. The ads appeared to have come from a labor union. States laws now on the books do not encourage transparency, and states have been slow to change them, she said. A lot of these laws really predate the Citizens United era, she said. There didnt used to be this much spending. Groups defense Downing, the new CEO of the Liberty Group, said his organization is working on increasing civility. He said the Liberty Group has been largely misunderstood and gets blamed for actions it played no part in. Many Wyomingites blame the Liberty Group for Republican Rep. Rosie Bergers defeat in the August primary. She would have been the first woman speaker in decades. Jonathan Downing emphasizes his group stayed out of elections this year. Downing noted his groups other political activity is allowed under the Constitution. After all, it is exercising free speech. He nevertheless declines to list donor names because critics have protested them in other states. Some of their donors had protesters in the front lawn, cars vandalized, he said. Someone broke into the offices of the State Policy Network, an umbrella organization for the Liberty Groups and like-minded organizations in other states, which is supported by the Kochs. There was vandalism, he said. Downing said the Liberty Group got involved in elections and learned lessons. The group decided to leave election work, at least for this cycle. Wyoming voters may not like negative campaigning. Politicians who are its targets detest it. Maybe the trio of left-leaning activist groups will learn the same lessons, Downing said. Heres where I am: Weve got an email list full of thousands of people and its good and all. ELLA and the other stuff has essentially been a manufactured startup, he said. I question how many members are following them. The main piece here is all our stuff has been public domain, with the exception (that) we feel its important to protect donor privacy. Storer, during her interview with the Star-Tribune, didnt criticize the Liberty Group. She said there is a difference between the Liberty Group, which is more of a think tank and a lobbying organization, and the organizations shes been involved with. ELLA and Forward Wyoming Advocacy emphasize grassroots organizing and voter education, she said. This is much more of a modest effort, needless to say, she said. But I get a sense that somehow its not legitimate for moderates and progressives to stand up for themselves, which is wrong, obviously. We need good leadership across the spectrum in Wyoming. Both of Wyomings major political parties have benefited from the groups political endeavors. After all, it was less work and fundraising that theyve had to do. But both political parties seize opportunities to criticize the groups that are ideologically opposed to them. The Wyoming Republican Party calls on all Wyoming Democrats who are trying to benefit from these false claims and misrepresentations to denounce these unscrupulous and potentially illegal campaign tactics, correct the false statements in the mailers and to come clean on the monies they have paid to this group, said Micheli, the GOP chairman. Wyoming citizens deserve better. The Wyoming Democratic Party responded: Between losing top leadership in the primaries to right-wing extremist candidates, and their steadfast support for their bigoted and amoral presidential candidate, Mr. Micheli and Wyoming Republicans have a lot to explain. And acting like crybabies while Wyomings progressives give them a taste of their Citizens United medicine may not be enough to satisfy their voters and donors. I entered the race to represent House District 56 back in May of this year. I ran on a simple principle: People needed someone that would listen to them and work hard to make life better for all Wyomingites. It was a great campaign because it was based on the people of Wyoming and civility. In the end the winner of the Republican primary was Jerry Obermueller. After the primary was well over I had the opportunity to meet Jerry and got to know him. I am impressed by the humility and honesty that Jerry possesses. He truly wants to represent the will of the people, finding common sense solutions to help people pursue happiness and maintain our God-given liberties we as a nation have the right to. He truly believes that a solution to the current healthcare crisis can be found that will benefit the people of Wyoming not just one party. Jerry is a true Wyomingite; he believes the supreme law of the land is the Constitution of the United States of America, he embodies our Wyoming cowboy ethics, and he has a strong belief that our public lands should stay public so it benefits the people of Wyoming. He wants Wyoming to honor both the values of equality and religious liberty. The worst race in Wyoming involves Liz Cheney, the Virginia resident running for House of Representatives. She announced from Virginia, her children all go to school in Virginia, she has a driver's license from Virginia, yet is running in Wyoming. Why not Virginia? She cannot win there. She claims she is a Wyomingite, all of one and one-half years in grade school. She graduated from a high school in Washington, D.C. Anyone who votes for this carpetbagger from Virginia? The joke is on you, and Liz is the one laughing. You have to be taught the way of peace, the way of love, the way of nonviolence. And in the religious sense, in the moral sense, you can say in the bosom of every human being, there is a spark of the divine. So you dont have a right as a human to abuse that spark of the divine in your fellow human being. John Lewis, U.S. Representative Can I get political with you for minute? I am not going to disparage your favorite candidate or rant about progressive liberals or tea party conservatives. But as we put the finishing touches (or blunders) on yet another election season, it seems fitting to examine the state of our political discourse specifically and, more generally, all social intercourse. And this is especially timely in light of widespread persistent angst and violence, from our own doorstep to the ends of the world stage. It is easy to play nice with our friends and those who look like, talk like, dress like, believe like and love like we do. But as these similarities fade so do our warm sentiments toward each other. We feel confused so we become prejudiced. We feel scared so we become hostile. We feel hurt so we become hateful. Instead of loving, we lash out. We resort to violence, especially in our thoughts and words. And this is where our violence becomes most systemic and difficult to root out. Overt violence is easy to recognize and blame in others. And, in its most monstrous forms, it is usually the work of a small handful of people: The vast majority of us are not shooting, beating and bombing each other. But violent thoughts and words are much more pervasive because they are easier to hide and can appear less destructive. We convince ourselves these are the safer forms of violence. And this is what makes them so destructive. Over time, these thoughts and words shape our attitudes and ideologies. And attitudes and ideologies, when full-grown, become our actions. Todays commonplace shootings, beatings and bombings did not just materialize. They are the inevitable outworkings of our thoughts and words. We eventually begin to believe and ultimately act out what we repeatedly hear, think and say. To eliminate violent acts in the world, we must first replace our violent thoughts, words and ideologies with love, especially for those who are different and with whom we disagree. In these tiresome and politically contentious times, we would do well to learn from our recently fallen friend and local hero, Brian Scott. Brian championed countless life-giving community causes and nonprofits in Casper and throughout Wyoming without comparison or restraint. But it was not just his passion and advocacy on behalf of our community, it was the tireless and generous way he went about it. Brian was not threatened by the outsider or defensive toward those with different views, political, social or otherwise. Instead he understood and practiced good listening and charitable intercourse with all, even those with whom he disagreed. Brian valued people over opinions and refused to abuse the spark of the divine in everyone he encountered. Our world would be much better if we all learned to do the same. While I cannot tell you who to vote for this election, I do implore you to support candidates who actively pursue peace-loving attitudes, charitable discourse and nonviolent actions with all people and to actively practice them yourself. My burden of proof is that these values are at the core of what it truly means to Live Well with one another. In truth, our humanity and our very survival depends on it. While this soaks in, go soak your glass in one these cold-weather winners. Widows Kiss George Kappeler, head barman at Manhattans Fifth Avenue Holland House Hotel first published the Widows Kiss (and perhaps the first Old Fashioned recipe) in 1895 in Modern American Drinks. I recommend it before or after a meal and always in front of a fireplace. 1.5 oz apple brandy (Applejack, calvados) oz Yellow Chartreuse oz D.O.M. Benedictine 1 dash Angostura bitters 1 dash Fee Brothers old-fashioned aromatic or whiskey barrel-aged bitters 1 dash Cocktailpunk smoked orange bitters Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir enthusiastically for 20 seconds. Serve up in chilled cocktail glass or in rocks glass over a large chunk of clear ice. And if cool weather makes you rambunctious, express the oil from an orange twist over the drink. The widows kiss is a high-octane elixir with a big kick and, true to its name, a prominent sweet presence accented by a slightly bitter finish. The flavors here are autumn-perfect: apple, subtle baking spice, vanilla, anise, honey, saffron and complex herbal spiciness. I am betting this will be the second-best kiss you taste the entire holiday season! Thanksgiving Special No. 2 The Thanksgiving Special or Thanksgiving Cocktail appears in 1961 in Old Mr. Boston Deluxe Official Bartenders Guide (Leo Cotton, Editor). And the nearly identical (no cherry garnish) Darb Cocktail shows up in Harry Craddocks 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book. These two printed versions are too heavy on apricot liqueur, which easily dominates the drink, and too light on the refreshing lemon juice. I prefer a second version of the Thanksgiving Cocktail that introduces a splash of black currant liqueur and have also adjusted the ratios found in the earliest printed versions to create a more complex and well-balanced drink. 1.25 oz dry (French) vermouth 1 oz gin oz fresh lemon juice oz apricot liqueur oz creme de cassis (black currant liqueur) 1 brandied cherry (garnish) Hard-shake all ingredients with ample ice for 15 seconds and double strain into a cocktail coupe over the cherry. In the mouth, this seldom-seen drink pays unmistakable homage to the martini with its proportionately high concentration of gin and dry vermouth. It never loses this martini DNA but also never become a full-blown sour either. The other small-quantity additions morph it into a uniquely brilliant hybrid. Flavors of sweet dark berries and stone fruit are present and well-balanced by bright lemon citrus and subtle juniper spice and bitterness. The dry vermouth enrobes all of this in persistent floral and herbal botanical flavors and wonderful subtle grassy minerality and salinity. This drink is tremendously delicious and getting considerable playing time in my arena this fall; I highly recommend it for your own cocktail roster. Tom and Jerry Our final drink, the Tom and Jerry, is a veritable antique, most likely dating back to the 1820s. It is widely believed to be the invention of British journalist Pierce Egan who named the drink after one of his novels two main characters to boost the books publicity (though others credit American bartender Professor Jerry Thomas with the drink circa 1850). But either way, neither the cartoon mouse nor cat contributed anything; that much is settled. This winter warmer was a watering hole mainstay throughout the U.S. for a solid century before slowly falling by the wassailing wayside. But it is certainly worth resurrecting for any size of gathering once the snow flies this year. 1 oz Cognac 1 oz dark rum 4 jumbo eggs cup powdered sugar tsp cream of tartar or white wine vinegar tsp ground cloves tsp ground allspice Separate eggs and beat whites with cream of tartar or vinegar until they form stiff white peaks. Separately, beat together yolks, powdered sugar and spices until creamy. Gently fold creamed yolks into stiff beaten whites until fully incorporated. Batter should still be light and fluffy (this is the key to a top-notch Tom and Jerry). Preheat mugs with boiling water and discard. Combine 4 to 6 ounces of batter with the spirits in a mug. Top with 3 to 4 ounces near-boiling water, whole milk or both. Stir gently and dust with freshly grated nutmeg and serve with a spoon. As a sweet batter-based rum drink the Tom and Jerry resembles hot buttered rum and, given the egg, brandy and nutmeg, it tastes similar to a hot egg nog as well. But it is lighter and less rich than either of these making it easier to enjoy several mugfuls in a single setting. Adjust the quantities of batter to your liking and experiment with either water or milk until you find your happy place. Lastly, bourbon, rye, Scotch, anejo tequila, aged sherry and more are great substitutes for the rum and brandy and offer rewarding results for the adventurous spirit. The burden of proof is now yours. Support local peace-loving organizations like The Table and our Campaign Nonviolence chapter or join Caspers International Day of Peace event next year. Embrace the call for nonviolence and learn, with time, to transform the destructive reactions of fear and anger into their creative equivalents love and compassion. Begin today by making a good holiday drink for an outsider who, with an open mind and a few measures of charitable discourse, might just become your next good friend. Genres : Drama Starring : Matthew McConaughey, Naomi Watts, Ken Watanabe, Katie Aselton, Jordan Gavaris, James Saito Director : Gus Van Sant Plot Synopsis In this powerful story of love and redemption, Arthur, an American professor, travels to Japan in the midst of a personal crisis. As he wanders through a mysterious forest with a dark past, he meets an enigmatic stranger who is lost and injured. The two embark on a spiritual, life-changing journey of friendship and survival that reconnects Arthur with his love for his wife. SEATTLE (AP) More than a dozen years ago, Tami Silicio, a native of Edmonds, took a photo of the tunnel-like interior of a cargo plane that held more than 20 flag-draped coffins of U.S. service members killed in Iraq and soon to be flown home. First published by The Seattle Times, the image quickly gained a global audience, and helped to fuel a volatile debate about a U.S. government policy that prohibited the media from taking pictures of such scenes. It also cost Silicio her job in Kuwait with a military contractor, reported The Seattle Times (http://bit.ly/2eLK7Jr). In October, the 2004 picture is included in a Time anthology book, "100 Photographs: The Most Influential Images of All Time," and will be part of a companion digital display scheduled for rollout later this fall. Though the picture would become a rallying point for those opposed to U.S. policy in Iraq, Silicio said that, at the time, she did not intend an anti-war image. The aircraft interior felt almost like a shrine, she said, and she hoped the photo would convey the respect and the dignity with which the workers went about their tasks. "I feel honored," Silicio said. "The photo was honest. It captured the respect for the dead and that's what it should have been about. That photo stirred up a whole lot of stuff around this nation. People's emotions were touched." In the Time book, Silicio's photograph is included along with images that range from a Mathew Brady photo of Abraham Lincoln to the iconic shot of the World War II flag-raising on Iwo Jima by Joe Rosenthal. The book's publication marks the 175th anniversary of photography. "This was a censored photograph published on the front page of a major newspaper in 2004 and was extremely influential," said Kira Pollack, Time's director of photography and visual enterprise. The Seattle Times first received Silicio's picture, taken with a Nikon Coolpix, from one of her stateside friends, Amy Katz, who had worked with Silicio for a different contractor in Kosovo. Silicio, at the time, was based at Kuwait International Airport for Maytag Aircraft, and took the image after boarding a plane where half a dozen colleagues labored largely in silence to secure the coffins. The photo arrived at the newspaper in early April 2004, a pivotal period in the invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq, as the death toll of U.S. troops rose amid a growing insurgency. It was also taken at a crossroads moment in technology, when photos could be easily emailed around the world, but Facebook, then only a few months old, did not yet offer an instantaneous platform to self-publish. The newspaper did not rush to release the photo, but held onto it for more than a week. In phone calls with Silicio, Barry Fitzsimmons, then a Seattle Times photo editor, said this was a potent and important image. But he warned of the potential implications of the public release, including the risk that Silicio would lose her job. "Most of my conversations were making sure she knew what she was getting into," Fitzsimmons recalled. On April 18, 2004, the photograph was published, paired with an article about Silicio's work in Kuwait and why she took the picture. "Those of us at The Times knew the picture would be important, if only because the government prohibits the press from taking such photos. But we didn't dream it would spark so much interest worldwide," wrote Mike Fancher, then The Seattle Times executive editor, in a May 2, 2004, column written after two weeks of fielding media interviews and poring through an avalanche of reader responses. Some were critical of the decision to publish, assuming political motivation. But most were positive, including several from parents of fallen service members who did not want to conceal the sacrifice their children had made. "Hiding the death and destruction of this war does not make it easier on anyone except those who want to keep the truth away from the people," wrote Bill Mitchell, father of Staff Sgt. Michael Mitchell, who was killed in Iraq just days before Silicio took her photo and whose remains may have been on the aircraft. Within days after the photo was published, Silicio was let go from Maytag for violating company and government regulations. In the years that followed, Silicio couldn't get other military-contracting jobs. Back home, she struggled financially, losing the home she had purchased in Everett to a bank, as she was unable to keep up with her mortgage payments. Now 62, Silicio says she has spent much of the past 12 years helping to raise her grandchildren. She now lives in Seattle, and says she does not regret her decision to allow publication of the photo. "I would have been better off, but I still feel like I did the right thing," Silicio said. The policy that prohibited the media from taking such pictures was put in place in 1991 during the Gulf War. In 2009, the Obama administration decided to lift the ban. "This photo absolutely had something to do with that," said Fitzsimmons, the former Times editor. "It was eye opening. It made the war more real, and the sacrifice more real. When you see it, it hits home." Today, the war in Iraq continues. The numbers of U.S. troops, numbering nearly 6,000, has once again been on the rise, although greatly reduced from a peak of more than 165,000 during the Bush administration. Oct. 20, a U.S. service member was killed by a roadside bomb. ___ Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com MEXICO CITY Mexico wants its future entrepreneurs to speak English, and its looking to Tucson to help teach them. In the next two years, Mexico plans to send more than 30,000 more students to study in the U.S. And Mexican leaders may do more to recruit professors and students from the United States. Representatives from Tucson met with federal officials in Mexico City last week to ensure the University of Arizona and Pima Community College are on their radar. Martha Navarro Albo, deputy director of academic cooperation for the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the country has sent about 70,000 students to U.S. schools in the past two years as part of the national 100,000 Strong Educational Exchange Initiative, of which she is the coordinator. The most pressing issue, she said, is for the students to become bicultural and bilingual. Less than 1 percent of the youth in Mexico speaks English, Navarro said. That is a concern. Exposure to the growing tech startup models in the U.S. could encourage students to think beyond jobs assembling widgets or components for foreign manufacturers operating in Mexico, such as the automobile and aerospace industries. The socializing is an important component to sending students to the U.S., Navarro said. Our goal is to promote new ideas in them. If finances are a barrier to students living abroad, officials proposed that PCC and UA bring professors to Mexico to help with English skills. Salvador Jara Guerrero, Mexicos undersecretary of higher education, said the two countries should explore a dual-degree program, where students could get 60 percent of their academics in Mexico and 40 percent in the U.S. He also suggested U.S. students studying in Mexico could have the positive effect of introducing the language to peers. We are exploring interest in such a partnership, PCC Chancellor Lee Lambert said. He said the college has received about 150 students from Mexico in the past three years and hopes to increase that number each semester. In a meeting with Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, Mexicos undersecretary for North America, Paulo Carreno King, said internships and twin workforce programs need to be implemented between Tucson and Mexico. He noted that Texas and California both have cross-border education initiatives. Rothschild told him the university is conducting a search for a new president and that expanding south will be a priority for the new person. That is good, Carreno said. Tucson is in my heart; it was the first U.S. city I ever visited. His fathers family is from Hermosillo, and his grandparents have a home in Tucson. I am quite familiar, Carreno said. Tucson and Mexico share a long relationship, and theres still room to grow and improve. Mexico has made increasing the number of engineering graduates a national priority, but officials say they need to have a reason to stay in Mexico and not seek employment abroad. Between 2006 and 2012, Mexico built 140 new universities with 120 of them dedicated to the science of engineering, according to the report, Engineering and Economic Growth: A Global View. A state hearing judge has called for Arizona utility regulators to end so-called net-metering for rooftop solar customers, but not quite yet. If the Arizona Corporation Commission follows the recommendation, it would mean new solar customers would initially get far less financial credit on their electric bills for the excess power they produce, and that benefit might eventually disappear altogether. In a filing in the Arizona Corporation Commissions ongoing examination of the value of rooftop solar, administrative law judge Teena Jibilian said regulators should scrap the current system of reimbursing customers with rooftop solar at the full retail rate for power. For the near future, Jibilian said, new credit rates for customers with rooftop solar panels should be based on short-term cost studies or on the cost of power from large, utility-scale solar farms. The recommendation could have far-reaching implications as the commission mulls requests by Tucson Electric Power Co. and other state-regulated utilities to increase charges on solar customers to offset an indicated cost shift to other ratepayers. In rate cases filed by TEP, Arizona Public Service and rural provider UNS Electric, the commission put off decisions on net-metering changes until the conclusion of a generic commission proceeding examining the value of so-called distributed generation customer-owned rooftop solar. The commission is expected to decide the valuation matter during an open meeting in late November. Under Arizonas current net-metering rules, customers with rooftop solar are credited for the full retail rate for excess energy they produce and export to the grid, and they can carry over, or bank, those credits. In a new recommended opinion and order, Jibilian said net-metering should eventually be eliminated and replaced with a mechanism for the direct purchase of excess solar power by utilities. In the meantime, Jibilian backed two short-term methods to value rooftop solar, to provide a gradual transition from current rates and to set compensation that reflects the actual value of rooftop solar exported to the power grid. That actual value has been the subject of more than two years of debate at the commission, which has put off deciding net-metering and related rate-design issues until the so-called generic docket on the value of solar concludes. Jibilian said the valuation of rooftop solar power exports should be based on an avoided-cost methodology essentially the cost the utility would pay to generate or purchase power from another source. But parties to the solar-valuation proceeding are pushing very different ideas of what should constitute avoided costs. Utilities including TEP say rooftop solar has only marginal net value beyond the avoided cost of fueling conventional power plants. The utilities add that because rooftop solar customers use far less grid-supplied power, they impose unrecovered fixed costs on the utilities and non-solar customers. In the solar valuation case, APS and TEP both proposed setting the value of rooftop solar based on adaptations of their own cost of service studies. TEP also proposed an alternative method that would base rooftop solar credits on the cost of the utilitys most recent power purchase agreement for big, grid-scale solar farms. APS says its initial studies show it should be paying rooftop solar customers about 3 cents per kilowatt-hour for excess power exported to the grid, compared with the full retail rate of more than 12 cents now. TEP says under its purchased-power proxy rate, it would pay about 6 cents per kWh, compared with a full retail rate of about 11 cents. But solar industry groups Vote Solar and The Alliance for Solar Choice dispute the notion that rooftop solar adds significant unrecovered fixed costs and say the utilities proposals would essentially kill off the states residential solar industry. The advocacy groups say the value of rooftop solar goes far beyond fuel, including lessening the need to construct new power plants and reducing the environmental and health costs associated with burning fossil fuels, and want any solar valuation to look out to benefits over a 20- to 30-year period. In her recommended order, however, Jibilian advocated that the utility panel approve one of two short-term valuation methods for determining the value of rooftop solar. One methodology, proposed by the Corporation Commissions own utility staff, would arrive at avoided costs by considering energy and system losses, system capacity, grid-support services, financial risk and reliability, as well as environmental and social and economic factors. The other methodology, also proposed by the commissions staff, would base solar valuation on the costs of utility-owned solar photovoltaic plants and power purchases from third-party solar farms. But the judge said either method should be based on forecasts over five years the approximate interval between electric utility rate cases to avoid including speculative benefits and costs, and reviewed in each rate case. The Residential Utility Consumer Office, a state agency that advocates on behalf of residential ratepayers, proposed a solar valuation that would add a feature offering solar customers 20-year contracts for their excess energy exports. Rates offered would be stepped down as more solar customers sign on and solar costs continue to fall. Existing rooftop-solar customers would be grandfathered at their existing full-credit rates, under current proposals. Jibilian said that any decisions to grandfather existing rooftop solar customers at their current full reimbursement rate should be made in each rate case. This is the latest in a monthly series about whats going on at the Pima County Public Library. I confess: Im a library associate and I love my job. Ive worked for the Pima County Public Library for 11 years and, as you might guess, Im an avid reader, blogger and list-maker. Have you ever been on the librarys website and been compelled to try a new book or movie because of a review or a list that caught your eye? Well, maybe its been one of mine! Theres nothing better than opening doors to new authors, books and movies for people in our community. Perhaps thats one of the reasons I love overseeing the Readrunners program, which provides books and other materials through mail and by library delivery service to homebound customers and those in care facilities. Readrunners, which operates out of the Valencia Library, includes books-by-mail and the Deposit Collection, as well as the Bookmobile, but more on that later. My primary focus is books-by-mail, a service that provides access to thousands of large-print books and DVDs housed in our collection for visually impaired customers or those who are unable to make it to the library for medical reasons. What do I love about this service? Whats not to love? I get to serve a community that craves books but would have trouble obtaining them without our help. The post office sends the books back and forth at no charge to the customer. From my desk at the Valencia Library, I correspond with the customers and help them find new books, based on their interests and favorite authors. Its not always easy, and I certainly wouldnt claim to always get it right, but I love that I get the chance to communicate with them on a daily basis. Its truly delightful to know that Im making a difference in someones life and that the end result of my work provides people who might otherwise be perfect strangers the opportunity to be entertained, educated or inspired. Often at the library, we may check out a book to someone, but never hear their opinion or be able to discuss their opinion; with Readrunners, I hear nothing but stories. Did I mention I average about five thank-you letters every week? Thats not including endless kind notes, small gifts and thoughtful phone calls from very happy customers. There is currently not a waiting list to apply for the books-by-mail program. If you or someone you know might be eligible, please call (520) 594-5416. Customers must reside in Pima County, have a visual impairment to the point they cannot read normal print comfortably for a sustained period of time or are physically unable to come to the library. I do more than just send books by mail. Along with my colleague, Brandon Milligan, I deliver donated or discarded books, CDs and movies to senior centers, nursing homes, rehabs and facilities all over Tucson. This service, called the Deposit Collection, delivers to more than 50 locations during a six-week span. Many of these facilities have few or no books and the residents may rarely have a chance to visit a library. I like to think that were doing more than just delivering materials, were bringing some joy, too. We often bring along childrens books, since this provides grandparents a chance to connect with their grandkids during visits. One thing I dont do at Readrunners is drive the Bookmobile (that requires a commercial license). I do, however, assist my Bookmobile driver and colleague, Wade Zelenak, by helping him prepare the new materials that come in, organizing the collection, and, when Im lucky, riding along to one of the many destinations (30 stops every month!) to check out books and distribute library cards to people. So many exciting things are happening on the Bookmobile! Most recently, thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Tohono Oodham Nation, it was outfitted with WiFi and laptops. So now customers, especially those in rural areas without internet access, can take advantage of the librarys many educational e-resources and tools. You can also find me working the front desk at the Valencia Library, where I love assisting customers. I imagine youve guessed this by now, but I get a real thrill out of working for the library. I get to use my own knowledge and skills to help people learn, create and read. Plus, I work on several teams, including Ravenous Readers, producing blogs and lists of great books, movies and activities for customers of all ages and abilities who enjoy the library. I also get to interact with reluctant readers and help them find the things that inspire them like Freegal, our free music program. Have you checked it out? And last but definitely not least, every day I leave work knowing that Ive given people the chance to hold, read, and cherish books from the comfort of their own homes, and thats a pretty awesome feeling. Q: Two years ago, I was scheduled to travel to Omaha, Nebraska, to stay with my mother and provide postoperative care for a week. My return flight was scheduled for a week later. My mother had complications after surgery that not only lengthened her hospital stay, but also required me to lengthen my trip to take care of her when she returned home from the hospital. I changed my return date to fly back a week later than scheduled so that I could give my mother two weeks of care at home instead of one. The cost to change my return flight was $360 a $200 change fee, plus $130 fare difference and $30 processing fee. I filed a claim with Allianz pursuant to Trip Interruption due to Nonmedical Reasons. The cause for filing the claim is stated in section two of its travel insurance policy. Per a letter submitted by my mothers physician, my mother required extended hospitalization, and she required my care upon release due to her complications. I have submitted this letter and other information to Allianz, but it just continues to ask for more information. Now Allianz wants a form completed that requires information from the hospital about my mothers surgery and complications, despite having the letter from her physician. This situation has taken up a lot of my time, and my mother is still having health problems, so I dont want to continue asking her to chase down more information. Two different Allianz agents, prior to me changing my flight, told me that I would simply need a letter from the physician explaining the situation in order to file a claim. I hope you can help get Allianz to honor what I believe is a valid claim. Tami Miller, Malvern, Pennsylvania A: Allianz should have paid this claim long ago. So why didnt it? Section two of your insurance policy says youre covered when a family member who isnt traveling with you is seriously ill or injured. It states: Specific requirement: The injury, illness or medical condition must be considered life threatening, require hospitalization, or he or she must require your care. That looks like a covered reason to you and to me. So whats the holdup? You say two representatives told you that a doctors letter would be enough to process the claim, but then another representative asked for additional details. Insurance companies are well within their rights to request this documentation, although they should also make every effort to resolve a claim in a timely manner. Two years is too long. I list the Allianz customer-service contacts at http://elliott.org/company-contacts/allianz/, my consumer-advocacy site. Reaching out to one of them in writing might have helped move your claim along. But you cant waive a paperwork requirement in the way you want. A company like Allianz must show its underwriters that it processed a valid claim. I contacted Allianz on your behalf. The titans of Tucson industry are tangling in a way weve never seen before. Eager to influence who wins the majority on the Pima County Board of Supervisors, two groups apparently dominated by local business interests are pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into outside-expenditure efforts. These outside groups, in turn, are sending out thousands of expensive mailers, posting signs, setting up websites and preparing to advertise on TV and radio. Their focus is the race in District 3 between incumbent Democrat Sharon Bronson and Republican challenger Kim DeMarco. But the broader issue is control of the board. Although both appear to be funded by so-called dark money, one side was willing to tell me a bit about its intent. Don Diamond, the legendary local land investor, helped found the group Our Southern Arizona, he told me last week. He and others are planning to fund it to the tune of get this $175,000. Their aim: to re-elect Bronson and maintain the three-member Democratic majority on the board. This amount is unheard of in local supervisors races. But it is probably being equaled if not exceeded by the other group, called America Revived PAC. Of his involvement, Diamond said he thinks county government has made some mistakes in the past, but that he is pleased with the work its been doing lately, crediting it with helping the metro area turn the corner. I made up my mind to do whatever I can do to protect Sharon Bronson and keep Chuck Huckelberry in, he said, referring to the longtime county administrator. Money is not an object, he said. The objective is good government. Plus, as he acknowledged slyly, Selfishly, I own a lot of land. Diamond is partnering with attorney and Democratic insider Larry Hecker, commercial real-estate broker Mark Irvin and others in the effort. Theyre responsible for the signs, posted next to campaign signs for DeMarco and Republican Supervisor Ally Miller, that say Shhhh.....shesgotasecret.com. If you go to that website, it describes Miller and DeMarco as erratic allies obstructing progress in Pima County. The other group was more skittish when I went seeking information . Revived America PAC has sent out thousands of mailers against Bronson. She, Diamond and others told me they believe auto dealer Jim Click, a big Republican donor, is behind the effort. Click did not return a call or email seeking comment. Earlier this year, Hank Amos, of Tucson Realty and Trust, convened a group of business owners to persuade them to work to overturn the board majority. Amos, who is also heading Steve Christys successful campaign for supervisor (he has only a Green Party general election opponent, Joshua Reilly), did not return my call seeking comment. Neither did Bill Assenmacher of CAID Industries, who is out of the country, nor David Mehl of Cottonwood Properties. America Revived registered with Pima County on Oct. 7. Charles Coolidge and Nathan Sproul of Lincoln Strategy Group in Tempe are the chair and treasurer. Sproul is a political consultant whom Click has often hired, going back to Tucson City Council races in 2003. It is likely that any money received by the PAC will have come from dark-money groups those that dont have to disclose their donors. So we may never know who donated how much. But Diamond and Bronson, looking at the money their opponents have spent so far, estimated that Revived Americas efforts will cost at least $200,000. I do not know who is behind the IE (independent expenditure) that is supporting me. But I do appreciate their help, DeMarco told me via email. They are pointing out the real issues in Pima County. The Revived America mailers criticize Bronson for tax increases the county board has passed and the debt burden the county has taken on. They also point out that she supported the bond issues that failed last November. The reason for the pro-DeMarco spending is likely that the big billfolds think they can make a difference. The results of the bond election gave many Republicans hope. Now, the few polls conducted have suggested the race in District 3 is close, Pima County GOP Chairman Bill Beard said. Every poll I have been privy to says its down to 1 or 2 points, Beard said. If true, that would be extraordinary. The most recent voter tallies show there are about 12,500 more registered Democrats than Republicans in District 3 a 12 percentage-point advantage. The stakes are high: If Christy, DeMarco and Miller are elected, they will almost certainly remove administrator Huckelberry from office as soon as possible. They could also unplug some of the economic-incentive deals that the county has made to persuade companies to locate or expand here. Likely, they would make repairing roads Millers constant refrain a top priority as well. Re-electing the Democratic majority incumbent Democrats Ramon Valadez has no challenger and Richard Elias has only a Green Party challenger, Martin Bastidas would likely mean the status quo prevails. Huckelberry would probably remain administrator for some time, and the incentive deals would stay in place as long as the courts allow them. Whats permanently been altered is our political culture. The unprecedented spending of at least $40,000 by outside groups in the Tucson Unified School District board race pales in comparison to the $400,000 or so likely to be spent fighting over control of the Pima County Board of Supervisors. In that game, only the people and groups with big bucks can play. A group of early childhood education advocates is looking to make high-quality preschool programs accessible and affordable for Tucson families. The organization, Strong Start Tucson, is working to gather support for an initiative that would pay for preschool scholarships using money generated by a proposed half-cent city sales tax. Pima County preschool programs charge an average of $7,200 a year, putting the early learning experience that research has shown to be critical out of reach for many families in a city where the median household income is about $37,000 a year. Every child in Tucson should have access to high-quality preschool because it is the best predictor of future success in school and in life, said Strong Start Tucson Chairwoman Penelope Jacks. When kids have a high quality preschool experience, their chances of succeeding all throughout their education goes up dramatically theyre much more likely to graduate high school, theyre much less likely to be incarcerated later in life. Its just in every way a boon. While a high-quality preschool program has proven to be beneficial for children, communities that get behind such an effort prosper as well, said Jacks, who previously served as director of the Southern Arizona Childrens Action Alliance before retiring. This would really set Tucson apart from other cities as a place where we value our children, where we provide for our children and where we are creating a future for them, she said, adding that would make the city more attractive to businesses, spurring economic growth. Could this pass? According to Jacks, the support is there. Strong Start Tucson has conducted polls showing vast support for a half-cent sales-tax increase and high levels of concern about all children having access to high-quality preschools, Jacks said. Were confident the support is there and past votes by Tucsonans show theyre willing to spend for education and to give every child an opportunity, she said. Many have asked us why we are not doing this as a statewide initiative, and its because we know Tucson voters are more committed to children than the rest of the state has shown itself to be. Jacks added that while Tucson would be the first Arizona city to take up such an effort, it has been successfully done in other places around the country, including Denver and San Antonio. The half-cent sales tax being proposed by Strong Start Tucson would generate about $50 million a year money that would be used to provide scholarships to as many as 8,500 children living within the city limits, said Jacks. With an estimated 16,500 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds eligible to attend preschool, that would make a significant impact. Who is eligible? Every family living within the city limits with children who have not entered kindergarten would be eligible. Priority would be given to children ages 3 to 5 years old, and scholarships would be based on income and family size. Children living in poverty could receive the full cost of tuition; other families could be asked to pay tuition that is a percentage of their income. Scholarship amounts have not yet been decided, but the idea is that families will pay no more than 10 percent of their annual income, with the majority paying 2 to 4 percent . How does it all work? To get the sales tax initiative on the ballot in November 2017, the group will first have to formally file with the city of Tucson, which it plans to do shortly after the general election on Nov. 8. Strong Start Tucson will have to collect nearly 10,000 signatures by July 6, but it is planning to collect twice as many. As long as enough valid signatures are collected, the initiative will go to voters for approval next fall. If approved, the half-cent sales tax would cost the average city household about $36 a year. For more information about Strong Start Tucson or to get involved with the initiative, go to strongstarttucson.org What if I need help paying for preschool? It wont be known until next summer whether Strong Start Tucson can gather enough signatures to get its half-cent sales tax initiative on the ballot, but there are resources albeit limited for families in need now. First Things First is a voter-approved initiative funded by tobacco tax revenues that works to help Arizona children ages 5 and younger receive quality education, health care and family support. In 2015, more than 2,600 Pima County children received scholarships through First Things Firsts Quality First program. The organization has also worked to improve the quality of Arizona child-care centers, offering training and education incentives. But the demand is great and the endeavor to increase access is not something that First Things First can do alone, says Jessica Brisson, FTF senior director of the southeast regional area. When tuition for quality early learning programming is similar to paying for college or making a mortgage payment, affordability for families with young children needing care is a significant issue, Brisson said. Its a significant workforce issue as well if families cant afford to access care and continue working, that hinders a strong workforce and a strong community. Thats why we really welcome a community conversation around young children have access to quality care and education. In addition to Quality First scholarships, the Child Care Resource and Referral program will help parents find the right child-care center to fit each familys needs, free of charge. Many have said that we're living in the Golden Age of television, thanks to the influx of so many quality series over so many different platforms (network, cable, premium, and now increasingly via streaming). That's great if you're a lover of quality material, but also presents a problem of really good work being ignored. 'Black Sails' is one of those ignored series. It's every bit as good (and in many areas even better) than shows like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead, but perhaps because its TV home is on Starz (where it's actually less popular with viewers than the inferior Outlander series), it's never gotten either the acclaim or attention it deserves. That's a shame, because 'Black Sails' is easily the best show on TV that virtually no one is watching or talking about. For those not familiar with the concept of the series, 'Black Sails' is essentially a prequel to the events of Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island', and features characters that are mentioned in that novel. However, it's also a take on real history and features many real-life pirates and historical figures as well. It's a pretty nifty mix, and although the majority of the series is fictional, the larger events that take place have their roots in fact. Season 3 deals with the aftermath of much of what happened during Season 2 of the series, most importantly the impact that those events have had on the character of Captain Flint (Toby Stephens). Flint spent much of the previous season wondering if it were possible to redeem himself...which led to disastrous consequences for him and those close to him. This time around, it's less about whether Flint is capable of redemption and more if he can hang onto his sanity, as he finds himself haunted by the events of the recent past. Most concerned about Flint's well-being is his right-hand man, John Silver (Luke Arnold, whose character finally lost his left leg in the prior season's finale), who realizes early on in the season that a mentally unstable Flint is bad news for both him and the entire crew. After a character arc that gave him little to do in prior seasons, when we last left Captain Jack Rackham (Toby Schmitz), he and his crew had recovered a vast amount of gold from a Spanish shipwreck that Flint and others had spent so much time trying to protect and obtain. But this newfound wealth isn't all it's cracked up to be, as Rackham finds himself trying to protect the gold inside an already damaged fort in Nassau where the men he tries to hire (who know he has the gold) want lots of wages and have little work ethic. Rackham has also bartered an alliance with both Flint and the pirate Charles Vane (Zach McGowan) to try and protect the island from the British, the Spanish, or anyone else who might threaten it. Season 3 isn't without its share of new faces as well, most notably Ray Stevenson joining the cast as the notorious pirate Edward Teach...who most of us know better as "Blackbeard." Teach has an uneasy history with Charles Vane, but sees the current situation in Nassau as a way for him and his own men to get a piece of the action. Meanwhile, Eleanor Guthrie (Hannah New) who had been taken prisoner by the British at the end of the last season is on her way back to Nassau alongside British Captain Woodes Rogers (Luke Roberts), who hopes to restore order (and British rule) to the island with Eleanor's help. But to do so, Eleanor may have to betray the man she once loved. Season 4 has already been announced by Starz as being the final one of the series (and will debut in January 2017), so it's probably already too late for this show to ever catch on with the viewing public. However, it's not too late to hop aboard ship and join this fantastically entertaining voyage. 'Black Sails' is a trip worth taking and deserves a look from anyone who is a fan of engaging, addictive television. The Blu-Ray: Vital Disc Stats Season 3 of 'Black Sails' walks the plank onto Blu-ray with packaging that matches the prior two season releases...in other words, really bad packaging. The three 50GB discs are tightly packed into a glossy five-sided cardboard fold-out that places the discs in sleeves. The discs are so jammed in there, it's nearly impossible to get one out without getting fingerprints on them, as well as running the risk of ripping the carboard itself. Two inserts are included here: one with a code for an UltraViolet digital copy of Season 3, and the other simply a one-sided promo ad for Season 4 (already announced as 'Black Sails' final season). The cardboard fold-out slides inside a carboard slip cover, which features a lenticular front cover. Disc 1 of this three-disc set is front-loaded with promo ads for the Starz series Power and Season 2 of Outlander. The main menu maintains the same design as prior seasons, with a montage of footage from the season covering the top part of the screen and menu selections horizontally across the bottom. The Blu-rays in this release are Region A locked. Though hes traveled around the globe the Middle East, southeast Asia, swaths of Africa, Pakistan are among the regions and countries he has visited Ibrahim Younis is not a tourist. Younis coordinates emergency relief efforts and security for the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders, as its known in English. By his count, Younis has been to nearly 50 countries with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), its official name in French, and for the United Nations before joining MSF. In his 25 years working for both international organizations, primarily with MSF, the Sudan-born Tucsonan has seen it all misery, hunger, disease and death. Yet the 44-year-old Younis, married and father to twins, continues to travel to war zones, refugee camps and places hammered by natural disasters and disease. Ive seen children hit by bullets. Ive seen civilians being killed, he said. I cant imagine. Several weeks ago he returned from the conflict in Borno State in northeast Nigeria, on Africas western coast, where the extremist group Boko Haram has waged war on the government and civilians. The group, linked both to al-Qaida and the Islamic State, has made gruesome headlines with murder and mass kidnappings. There he was responsible for assessing security for the MSF operation, and oversaw the distribution of food and nonfood items. Younis will give a public presentation about his work and that of MSF, Thursday, Nov. 10, at 1 p.m. at Pima Community College West Campus, Room J-G05. Earlier this year he coordinated emergency relief teams working with refugees in Burundi in Central Africa and in Niger in the western side of the continent. He has worked in hurricane-ravaged Philippines and war-torn Syria and Iraq, in Ethiopia, South Sudan and in North Sudan, where he is from. And where ever he works, there is one primary focus: people. Our job is to save lives, said Younis, a U.S. citizen who speaks multiple languages: his native Arabic, English, French, Dutch, Indonesian and a smattering of other languages. We look at all victims as patients first. We dont ask. The neutrality of MSF is one of the legs of the tripod of principles that the organization emphasizes. The other two are independence and impartiality. He said the elements are critical to MSFs work and ability to navigate the constant shifting political currents between warring factions and governments. MSF doctors and personnel treat all combatants, regardless of whose side they represent, he said. This and MSFs emphasis on security keeps the organizations personnel largely safe. But at times, sadly, the precautions and impartiality do not prevent MSF personnel becoming victims themselves. In August bombs killed at least 15 people, including medical personnel, in a MSF hospital in northern Yemen where a coalition led by Saudi Arabia is battling Houthi militias. A year ago this month the MSF hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, was bombed by an American gunship. Forty-two medical personnel, patients and other Afgans were killed. Proximity to war is what makes MSF effective but dangerous. Younis said he cant dwell on being steps away from mortal danger. His thoughts have to be on saving lives, repairing bodies. You make a difference, he said while we talked in a coffee shop near the university. Its hard to let go. What also makes the 45-year-old international humanitarian group effective is that it does not take money from governments. Its multi-million dollar budget is completely supported by donations from the global community, said Younis. When hes not in a refugee camp or a war zone, Younis is home, working on MSF projects and with his world-wide contacts. He also takes classes at Pima Community College. Hell transfer to the University of Arizona to finish his undergrad degree in political science. His wife, a physician, is supportive of his work. She understands its importance. She was a MSF medical coordinator in Uganda where they met. They moved to Tucson about five years ago. Younis is unsure how long hell continue to work for MSF. However, he wont leave be anytime soon. Hes driven by MSFs mission to save lives. He also wants to continue to advocate on behalf of the people he serves. Who will tell the stories of these people? Hillary Clintons emails, building the border wall and ditching Obamacare were among Republican presidential nominee Donald Trumps top talking points during his seventh visit to Arizona as a presidential candidate. Ten days before Election Day, Trump spoke for about an hour to a crowd of about 6,500 people Saturday afternoon at the Phoenix Convention Center. Trump appeared to speak largely from prepared remarks as he emphasized his usual crowd-pleasing themes, such as building the wall and eliminating the Affordable Care Act, the Arizona Republic reported. Obamacare is a catastrophe for Arizona and were going to get rid of it, Trump said. He also hit hard on Democratic rival Hillary Clintons history of corruption and her use of a personal email server while secretary of state. This is the biggest political scandal since Watergate and its everybodys deepest hope that justice, at last, will be beautifully delivered, Trump said. Hillary has no one but herself to blame for her mounting legal difficulties. Her criminal action was willful, deliberate, intentional and purposeful. Hillary set up an illegal server for the obvious purpose of shielding her criminal conduct from public disclosure and exposure, Trump continued. That was a message the crowd wanted to hear. Long before Trump took the stage the crowd chanted Lock her up! in reference to Clinton, the Republic reported. The emails again took center stage Friday when FBI Director James Comey told members of Congress that the FBI was reviewing new emails it deemed pertinent to its investigation of Clintons use of a private server. Comey this summer said criminal charges were not warranted in the case. The Clinton campaign and its supporters have ripped Comey over the timing of the announcement, less than two weeks before the Nov. 8 election, and have demanded the immediate release of all information related to the review. While homing in on Clintons emails, Trump also accused the Justice Department of doing everything it can to protect his Democratic rival, according to The Associated Press. Trump is pointing to a disagreement between the DOJ and the FBI over its handling of the new emails , the AP reported. Justice Department officials cautioned FBI Director James Comey against sending a letter to Congress informing it of the new emails, asserting that it was inconsistent with department policy intended to avoid the appearance of prosecutorial influence in elections. But Trump told the crowd in Phoenix, The Department of Justice is trying their hardest to protect the criminal activity of Hillary Clinton. Trump asked, Whats happened to the Justice Department? saying this is what he means when he says that the system is rigged. Arizona, a traditionally red state, may be on the cusp of voting for Clinton, and it is attracting the attention of both candidates and their surrogates. Clintons campaign sent her daughter, Chelsea, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and first lady Michelle Obama to Arizona last week. In warmup remarks before Trump spoke, former Gov. Jan Brewer mentioned the prospect of Arizona turning from red to blue, the Republic reported. Dont boo vote! Vote for the sake of our country! Brewer urged the crowd. What would it be like, she asked, if they could stand alongside Trump and say, Thank you, Mr. President, for defending our country. And most importantly, Thank you Mr. President, for securing our border. The crowd chanted: Build the wall! Build the wall! The Republic also reported that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a Republican in his own tough re-election fight, said Saturday was his seventh time with Trump. And Ill stand by him to the end, he said. Sheriff Chris Nanos requested more than $200,000 in transfers to a department bank account thats been the focus of an FBI investigation into misuse of seized funds, newly released documents show. Last month, the Pima County Sheriff Departments then second-in-command, Chris Radtke, was indicted on seven felony charges, including conspiracy to commit money laundering and theft of federal funds, according to the Sept. 28 federal indictment. He has since resigned from the department. FBI investigators say that from January 2011 through February 2016, Radtke and others conspired to circumvent the restrictions on the use of forfeiture funds intended for the Sheriffs Auxiliary Volunteers, spending roughly $500,000 on items not related to crime fighting or prevention. Between February 2015 and January 2016, Nanos submitted departmental requests for nearly $220,000 in transfers to the volunteers fund, according to Pima County Attorneys Office documents recently obtained by the Star through a public-records request. It is my understanding the FBI investigation is near completion, but until then, I am unable to comment, Nanos wrote in an email Tuesday. The Star has requested, but not received, records detailing how the funds were spent. After announcing Radtkes indictment and resignation in a news release Oct. 10, Nanos has said that hed ordered a review of the departments financial practices. In regards to RICO money expenditures, there is a stringent process in place with independent review from an outside agency, Nanos said in the news release, days before announcing the review. There is also an audit on the back end of all expenditures and we will continue to review all processes to make sure checks and balances are working appropriately. RICO funds come from money seized during criminal investigations under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The forfeited funds are distributed to law enforcement agencies to use for enforcement-related activities, and all requests must go through the County Attorneys Office for approval. By definition, the sheriffs auxiliary volunteers meet the requirement. According to the description in the funding request, the volunteers support residents of unincorporated Pima County by performing numerous functions vital to the overall mission of the Sheriffs Department. Examples of their services listed on the request include patrol, neighborhood watch, conducting traffic control at accidents and crime scenes, performing home security checks, providing fingerprinting services for employment and administrative support duties. Funding requests show that from August 2010 through January 2016, the Sheriffs Department received $677,000 in RICO funds, approved for transfer from the Pima County Anti-Racketeering Fund to the auxiliary volunteers account. No line-item descriptions were included in the request, simply the explanation of the volunteers duties. Nanos submitted three of the funding requests during his time as deputy chief and sheriff. He was appointed by the board of supervisors last July to finish the term of longtime Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, who retired last year. The first request Nanos made was for $27,200 in February 2015. In July of that year he submitted a second request for $150,000, and in late January, Radtke initialed Nanos request for $42,200. The FBIs investigation into the Sheriffs Department began after an October 2015 article in the Star about Radtkes niece operating cafes out of headquarters and the county jail, without a contract and rent-free. A public-records request showed that the department spent more than $30,000 on equipment and renovations for the spaces, which they initially said were paid for with RICO funds, but later said came out of the departments general fund. The indictment includes multiple allegations of conspiracy, several relating to cafe purchases, including nearly $2,000 for custom-designed chalkboards that were used as menu boards in Nikki Thompsons two cafe locations. The indictment said Radtke and persons known and unknown to the grand jury purposely misled the County Attorneys Office when requesting funds. As of Friday, no one else has been charged in the case. Radtke, who is represented by attorney Sean Chapman, has until Nov. 4 to enter a plea agreement, before proceeding to trial Nov. 22. Genres : Rock, Concert Plot Synopsis Three-time Grammy-award-winner BRIAN SETZERs new concert Blu-ray/CD, ROCKABILLY RIOT: OSAKA ROCKA! - LIVE IN JAPAN--filmed on February 18 at Namba Hatch in Osaka, Japan--is set for release November 4, 2016 via Surfdog Records. Live and loud, the concert encompasses songs from SETZERs acclaimed 2014 studio album Rockabilly Riot! All Originala sizzling rockabilly album from start to finish featuring SETZERs trademark twang and fretboard fire. Also included are classic hits from his Stray Cats days, Brian Setzer Orchestra tunes and tracks from his solo albums. In front of the wildly enthusiastic audience, Brian Setzer and his bandNoah Levy (Drums), Kevin McKendree (Piano and Guitar) and Mark Winchester (Bass)are firing on all cylinders. Every October for the past 30 years, a trio of bakers has stood around a table in the back of Tucson's La Estrella Bakery and made pan de muerto with their hands. They mix flour with sugar, cinnamon, salt and yeast to make a basic pan dulce sweet bread, with a little added citrus, whatever they have onhand at the time. When the dough is ready, they mold it into flat pucks that are decorated with strings of bumpy bones, symbolizing the deceased. They put a single sphere on top, a bone from the hand. "You need to work well with your hands," says Isabel Montano of the Franco family, which has owned the South Twelfth Avenue staple since Halloween of 1986. "You cannot have fear, because when you're tense it gets into the dough." The bakers Rafael Espinosa, Cecilio Montenegro and Isabel's uncle Guadalupe Franco then throw the bread into a large stone oven from the 1930s and leave it for about a half an hour. It emerges, brown and bubbly and crisp on the outsides, ready to be dusted with colorful sugars. La Estrella Bakery makes several hundred of these sturdy sweet breads every year during the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos today and tomorrow. Since the Francos are from Jalisco, theirs are slightly different and more colorful than the white Sonoran versions you might see elsewhere, but the tradition is the same. According to Isabel, pan de muerto shows the intersections between the indigenous origins of the holiday and the Catholic culture that has transformed it. In late October, Mexican families will use the bread in elaborate three-tiered altars in their homes, which are speckled with religious symbols and marigold flowers. The different levels symbolize the earth, limbo and the heavens. Register for more free articles. Log in Sign up "It's believed that on The Day of the Dead, that soul will come back and have what they love to eat, play what they love to play, listen to what they like to listen to, and then they're gonna be thirsty, drink their water, and then they're going to celebrate," she said. The bread is also taken to the cemetery on Dia de los Muertos, where families will get together and talk about their loved ones while they play mariachi music and drink hot chocolate. The celebrations will even continue in the home later that night or the next day. Even if you're not celebrating Dia de los Muertos with family, it's still okay to purchase and enjoy the bread, she said. Many people will take smaller versions to All Souls Procession, because all that marching makes you hungry. "There's no real right or wrong, it's just hearing the knowledge of what it's meant to represent." La Estrella Bakery, 5266 S. 12th Ave., will sell its pan de muerto until about mid-November. But if they've already sold out for the day, try one of these three other Tucson bakeries. El Triunfo Bakery, 6348 S. Nogales Highway El Rio Bakery, 901 N. Grande Ave. El Herradero Carniceria y Panaderia, 4211 E. 22nd St. Help India! By M. Reyaz, TwoCircles.net, Nagaon(Assam): A 2008 Assam serial blast accused committed suicide under huge debt and enormous mental pressure according to her family members. Support TwoCircles Mohamamd Nazmul Haque, who was accused in the case for criminal conspiracy, document forging, cheating and spreading enmity under sections 120B, 419, 420, 468, 471 and 505 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), was out on bail. As we enter the house of Nazmul, his brooding mother on wheel-chair looks at us with gleam hope. The case 2008 Serial blast: Assam was rocked by serial blast on October 30, 2008 when at least 13 bombs exploded in Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Barpeta. The blast as usual was linked to the very first day with Jihadi groups and Bangladesh based HuJI. TV News channel News Live had purportedly received an SMS the next day that is October 31, 2008 from a reliance number 9864693690 that read: We; ISF (IM) take the responsibility of yesterdays blasts. We warn all of Assam and India for situations like this in future. We thank all our holly members and partners. Aamin. ISF apparently stands for Islamic Security Force and IM stands for Indian Mujahedeen. However, soon it was discovered that the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) was behind the serial blast and that none other than NDFB chief Ranjan Daimary had hatched the plan. Nonetheless, the mobile number from which the SMS was apparently sent was traced to some Mohd. Naziruddin Ahmed of village Moirabari in Nagaon. Nazir was arrested, but it was found that documents used for the purchase of the SIM card is forged and so the next target was the mobile shop, from where the SIM was purportedly sold. Nazmul Haque had recently opened reliance mobile showroom in the locality, apparently from where the SIM was sold. As document used was forged the suspicion went on Nazmul himself. He was called by the investigating agency to the state capital, where he went with a friend. He was arrested in Guwahati. His two employees and younger brother Sowhail Mustafa too were later charge-sheeted, although Nazir was released on bail and his name did not find mention in the charge-sheet. TCN tried speaking to Nazir and his family, but they refused to say a word on record. Nazmul Haque Tragedy falls on the family: Although Nazmul too was granted bail after two months, the case dragged on and still continues. Nazmul, alias Babul ran a petrol pump, had a hardware shop and had recently started the said mobile outlet. However, soon he found himself in huge debt due to enormous cost of dragging case, lawyers fees, and frequent visits to Guwahati. The family alleges that he was physically tortured while in custody. Even after release, he was under undue pressure from the investigating agency to accept the crime. The shame that had loomed on the family distressed him as his mobile shop shut down and was forced to sell the petrol pump. Under mental distress Nazmul consumed poison on August 1, 2011. The family maintains that there was no other conflict at home or with anyone else and that the dragging case and embarrassment it had brought to the family were the only reasons for his agony. The family had so far maintained silence. TCN, however, spoke with his younger brother Sowhail Mustafa, who is himself a co-accused now, and his brother-in-law Iqbal Hussian. TCN also spoke with the Hasina Haque, widow of Nazmul, but her remorse took over her as she broke into tears. Mustafa, who was studying bachelors in hotel management at Chennai in 2008 when the incident occurred, alleges some wrong doing and believe that his family is being fabricated for no known reason. He even accuses the investigating agency for putting undue pressure on his deceased brother and on him to accept the alleged crime, something he firmly believes his brother did not commit. Mustafa also alleges that the investigating agency suspected him to be Jihadi as he is bearded and spots a skull cap. Sowhail Mustafa, younger brother of Nazmul Haque Loopholes in the case: Mustafa points to the loopholes in the police version of the case. According to the investigating agency the said SMS was sent from a particular Nokia 1209 set. The primary witness and evidence against Nazmul is the Dhing based Vinayak Telcom, the nodal showroom, responsible for verification of documents and activating SIM cards. Navin Sharma of Vinayak Telcom told police that the said Nokia phone was bought from his shop by Nazmul and that the said SIM card too was given to his outlet. However, he does not have the cash-memo or receipt of either. He told police that since mobile phone was sold in cash, he did not enter it into memo. Mustafa, however, refutes the claim. He says that his shop never bought any Nokia phone from Vinayak Telcom as they use to purchase Nokia phones from another dealer. What is more interesting is that even if Nazmul had purchased Nokia phone from Vinayak Telcom, how would a shopkeeper remember 14 digit IMEI number? The SIM card was bought on February 20, 2008 sold from the shop of Nazmul Haque in the name of Naziruddin, and activated two days later on February 22, according to Vinayak Telcom. However, neither Vinayak Telcom has any document to prove that, nor is this particular SIM details entered in the ledger of Nazmuls shop. Mustafa also tries to explain the mystery behind alleged forged documents. He says that when they got the agency for the reliance, they were also required to fulfill certain minimum sells. Mustafa says that his brother was advised by those dealers themselves to issue some cards to reach the threshold. He also raises a more pertinent issue. Mustafa says that a SIM card if not in use for over 90 days is blocked and issue to someone else by the network operator. Record shows that the said mobile number was recharged after over eight months. It was recharged the next time on October 31, 2008 the day SMS was sent. There is another interesting twist to the case that perhaps security agency overlooked. Both the time the recharge was made at Dhing and not in the Moirabari locality. Moreover, the said SMS, as per the record, was send from Dhing area network. Besides Nazmul and Mustafa, the case is also pending against his two employees. Mustafa alleges that he was also made to write similar text as in the SMS on a blank paper and forced to sign it. He says many times investigating agency put pressure on him to accept the crime. Hasina Haque, widow of Nazmul Haque. Family in grief: Meanwhile Nazmuls family has not been able to recover from the prolong case and the demise of eldest and most loving son. As we were talking, a distant away, his mother is still sitting on her wheel chair, tears rolling from her eyes she is pensively listening to us. Mustafa says, He was the eldest son and so well behaved with everyone, mother loved her more, adding, Not a day passes when after every prayer she is not whining for her deceased son. Mustafa has left his studies and work, and now stays at home to run the only hardware shop left as they are still under huge debt. He prays that the case is fast tracked so that his family name is absolved sooner, and his mother who is always in tears has something to cheer. Nazmul is survived by his wife, who is illiterate, and three young children two sons and a daughter. Mustafa pleads that the government gives suitable compensation to his deceased brothers widow. Help India! By Sheikh Qayoom , Srinagar, July 1 (IANS) While the central interlocutors report on Jammu and Kashmir is yet to find any serious takers here, Mustafa Kamal, a senior ruling National Conference (NC) leader and son of party founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah says New Delhi did not even implement the terms of 1975 Indira-Abdullah accord. The exercise of the agreement was never completed. This was also stated by former chief minister, Syed Mir Qasim, in his autobiography, Kamal told IANS in an interview. Support TwoCircles I met him in New Delhi along with my brother Tariq Abdullah. We asked him what the 1975 accord was. He said the exercise was incomplete. Two persons were appointed by Sheikh Abdullah and Indira Gandhi to discuss the laws passed in the state by amending the states constitution from 1953 to 1974 and give recommendations as to how these laws can be restored in their original form of 1953. Mirza Muhammad Afzal Beg and G. Parthasarthy worked out the formula that was to be presented to the central and the state governments. It was not the issue between two individuals, rather it was an issue between the two governments. Even if they had met and for arguments sake agreed, it had to go to the respective cabinets for approval. And then if the cabinets had approved it or otherwise it had to be sent to legislatures of both the governments. That exercise never took place. Talking to Kashmir Eye a local magazine, Kamal also said the states accession to India is conditional. Accession with India is conditional. It is absolutely not an unconditional accession and it is based on the instrument of accession of late Maharaja Hari Singh on the bases of which the constitution application order of 1950, the Delhi agreement of 1952 and article 370 of the Indian constitution were extended to the state. Accession of the state pertains to three subjects of foreign affairs, defence and communication. Kamal, who is a sitting legislator in the 87-member assembly, said after the tribal invasion of the state in 1947 the Dogra ruler sought military help from India which the latter agreed to give only after he temporarily signed the accession that would give Indias military assistance some legal basis. He also blamed the Congress party, an alliance partner in the coalition government headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, of being mischievous in its Kashmir dealings. The attitudes of the Congress and their dealings with the state right from 1953 have been mischievous. The action of dismissing a popular Prime Minister in 1953 was the first blow to the NC. From that day, four times governors rule has been invoked in the state without any justification. They stabbed Sheri-e-Kashmir (Kamals father) in the back not only in 1953 but in 1977 also. If the accord of 1975 had been agreed to by Sheikh Sahib why did they bury it by removing him within eleven months of signing of the so-called agreement? And then Mufti Muhammad Sayeed was made leader of the house. It was the constitution of the state that prevented that to happen because (then governor) L.K. Jha, despite pressure from New Delhi did not succumb. Jha said he had to defend the constitution of the state under which he had taken oath, Kamal pointed out. Kamal has termed the NCs present alliance with the Congress as unfortunate, unholy and an alliance of compulsion. Help India! By TCN News Mumbai (Maharashtra): Dr. Abdul Karim Naik, a physician and father of Dr Zakir Naik, the popular Islamic preacher and founder of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) passed away in the wee hours of Sunday morning after suffering a cardiac arrest . Support TwoCircles Dr. Abdul Karim Naik (File Photo) He was the father of Dr Zakir Naik, who has been in the center of raging storm after one of the Dhaka attackers was allegedly found to be inspired by his lectures on Islam. The central and Maharashtra state governments probe on Naiks lectures including funding sources of IRF is underway. Dr. Karim was born in Ratnagiri in coastal Maharashtra, worked as a doctor and later served as the president of the Bombay Psychiatric Society, a private organisation of mental health professionals, in 1994-95. He was active in various social and educational activities. Dr Karim was buried in a local Nariyal Wadi Kabrastaan, Mazagaon late in the Sunday afternoon. According to reports from Mumbai, Dr Zakir Naik couldnt make it to the funeral of his father, as he is out of the country since before the controversy surrounding his lectures. On October 25, thousands of Icelandic women went home at 2:38PM, after 86% of their work-days had passed, to protest the fact that they only earn 86% of their male counterparts' wages. They turned out for a mass demonstration that echoed the 1975 protests over pay equity, which saw over 90% of the country's women take to the street. Exactly how the HIV virus traveled from the Caribbean to the United States in the 1970s remains somewhat of a mystery. New cutting-edge study of archival blood samples from that era shows that Gaetan Dugas, a French-Canadian flight attendant, did not start the deadly outbreak which causes AIDS. New research conducted by a team of international scientists has been published in a recent issue of the Nature journal. Dr. Michael Worobey, co-author and professor of ecology at the University of Arizona, wrote that no one should be blamed for the origin. He added that it could have been anyone of any nationality or even stemmed from blood products, noting that in the 70s a large amount of blood products actually came from Haiti. The AIDS epidemic Even though great strides and progress have been made, there are still over 1.2 million people in the U.S. living with HIV. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention first documented cases in 1981, linking the immunodeficiency disease to sexual activity. After studying a cluster of gay men from California who were infected with HIV, researchers connected over 40 men throughout the U.S. to this network. Gaetan Dugas was among those in this network and labeled as patient O as in the letter. However, it was misconstrued as patient zero, which resulted in Dugas and his family being ostracized for years. In Randy Shilts book And the Band Played On, Dugas was referred to as the sociopath who had numerous sexual partners. Once referred as the Columbus of AIDS by the National Review, Dugas died in 1984 from AIDS-related complications. Millions of lives have been lost over at least a 30-year span due to AIDS. HIVs arrival in the United States After careful analysis of genomes, scientists were not able to find any biological evidence that Gaetan Dugas was responsible for spreading HIV in the United States. In fact, what was discovered in Dugas samples were typical of strains already in the country during that time. There is still the notion that HIV transmitted to humans after someone was infected by a chimpanzee in sub-Saharan Africa. Regardless of how HIV arrived in America or any place else, eradication of the virus must remain first and foremost the main objective. The 2016 election has delivered non-stop controversy as the American people continue to look on in disbelief. With the candidacy Donald Trump grabbing headlines on a daily basis, nothing appears to be out of bounds. After hours attack When Trump and Hillary Clinton finally met last week in the first presidential debate, no one knew exactly what to expect. At one point during the debate, Clinton referenced Trump's attack on former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, who the billionaire real estate mogul fat shamed after she gained 60 pounds following her pageant win. Trump held a pubic workout of Machado, putting her in the position of being humiliated as cameras documented her workouts. As reported by The Hill on September 30, Trump is not letting the story die, as he went on a late night Twittertiradeagainst Clinton and the former Miss Universe. Trump asks voters to "check out sex tape" of former Miss Universe: https://t.co/IzM4RdihZr pic.twitter.com/2K5YcPR8uo The Hill (@thehill) September 30, 2016 "Wow, Crooked Hillary was duped and used by my worst Miss U.," Trump tweeted out shortly after 5 p.m. on the East Coast, stating, "Hillary floated her as an 'angel' without checking her past, which is terrible!" Trump went on to accuse Clinton of "bad judgement" and being "set up by a con," in reference to Machado. Wow, Crooked Hillary was duped and used by my worst Miss U. Hillary floated her as an "angel" without checking her past, which is terrible! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016 Not stopping there, Trump then encouraged his supporters to watch Machado's leaked sex tape, while accusing Clinton of helping her earn citizenship. "Did Crooked Hillary help disgusting (check out sex tape and past) Alicia M become a U.S. citizen," Trump asked, while wondering if the former Secretary of State did so in order to use her as a talking point in the debate. Using Alicia M in the debate as a paragon of virtue just shows that Crooked Hillary suffers from BAD JUDGEMENT! Hillary was set up by a con. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016 The former host of "The Apprentice" book-ended his attacks on Machado by slamming the media, accusing them of promoting "made up lies" about his campaign. This isn't the first time that Trump has gone personal, as his campaign has often been criticized for using controversial tactics to gain an advantage. Did Crooked Hillary help disgusting (check out sex tape and past) Alicia M become a U.S. citizen so she could use her in the debate? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2016 Moving forward In less than 40 days, the next commander in chief will be selected by the American people as voters head to the polls in what is expected to be record fashion. The latest round of polling shows Clinton with a slim national lead, though Trump has pulled ahead in Florida and Ohio. Even though Trump has gained momentum as of late, his historically low approval rating with minority groups has put him in a hole that most political pundits don't believe he can climb out of. Looking at the world through the eyes of the Web France has the largest Muslim population percentage-wise in the EU. Home to nearly 6 million Muslims mostly from the previous French colonies of Africa these men and women remain a potential threat to the French. Most are peaceful but a small fringe has raised the heckles of the French by terrorist acts. On top of this, a flood of migrants, mostly maleand Muslim from Afghanistan and Somalia have entered France in the hope of reaching England. The British want none of these refugees and thus they are stranded in France. Calais camp One of the biggest camps was at Calais just 22 miles from theirdestination, England. These migrants set up a massive camp where nearly 10,000 of them lived in squalor in the hope that one day they would be able to go to the UK. With the UK not relenting a decision was taken to relocate these refugees to different parts of France in the hope that it would help them assimilate with French ethos and culture. This news was reported by CNN and NDTV. The French police descended on the refugee camp replete with trucks and transportation vehicles and therefugees were broken into batches and taken to some 100 "welcome centers" all around the country. The refugees did not resist but their hope of reaching the UK has certainly become dimmer. In addition, they remain unwelcome in France itself, which now has a morbid fear of these refugees. The fact that most of the refugees are young males adds to the problem as has been seen in Germany where there is a rise in attacks on women from migrants. The future The French decision to relocate the migrants is not welcomed by most welcome centers and the local population. In Saint-Bauzille-de-Putois there is no welcome, and the 43 migrants who are all Muslim men and single from Sudan have been welcomed with posters and graffiti with the words "Stop Migrants." The case of this village is just an example that the migrants are unwelcome. Many are incensed like the mayor of Bauzille who has resigned on this issue. The fact is the migrants are unwelcome in France. Perhaps it has something to do with the color bar as well as the religion they profess. But France will have to bite the bullet as these refugees cannot go anywhere else. You're the mustard to my ketchup. You're the Mario to my Luigi. You're the Princess Leia to my Han Solo. Couples around the country paired up this Halloween in cute matching costumes this weekend. But one couple has people outraged. Actress and former Disney star Hilary Duff has kept a drama-free life, unlike some troubled child stars, until now. The 29-year-old and her trainer boyfriend,Jason Walsh, made their couple debut at a Halloween red carpet event. Duff was dressed as a sexy pilgrim in a leotard. Her boyfriend was a Native American chief wearing a headdress and face paint. People were not pleased to say the least. One Twitter user, @Hahannah14, tweeted,"No @HilaryDuffTraditional dress is not a costume and you being dressed as a pilgrim proves to me how insensitive and ignorant you are." But @Hahanna14's comment was rated PG compared to some tweets directed to the actress and her boyfriend. Neither Duff nor her boyfriend have responded to the backlash. Hilary Duff's Halloween costume is insensitive to some groups For some, the cultural appropriation couldn't come at a worse time. Thousands of Native Americans are protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline. Demonstrators say the pipeline threatens the water supply for locals and interferes with sacred tribal grounds.Standing Rock Sioux tribal members and others including celebrities like Shailene Woodley have joined protestors. Woodley was arrested during her demonstration earlier this month. Hilary Duff isn't the first celeb to wearoffensive costume In 2010, Paris Hilton dressed up as a belly baring Native American for Halloween.Model Heidi Klum is synonymous with wearing over-the-top Halloween costumes. In 2008, she dressed up asHindu goddess Kali. Needless to say, people who practicedHinduism were not impressed. In 2012, Rihanna hosted a Halloween party and Chris Brown showed up as a terrorist. Chris Hemsworth apologizes for wearing Native American costume Many celebrities are speaking up against the Dakota Access Pipeline including actor Chris Hemsworth. He recently apologized on Instagram for wearing a Native American headdress during a New Year's Eve party. News / National by Thobekile Zhou Newly elected Norton member of parliament Temba Mliswa has revealed that he is ready to ditch the constituency as he won't seek re-election in Norton in 2018.He said he is going back to Hurungwe, a seat he held before being kicked out of Zanu-PF.He won the Norton seat two weeks ago.He said in a newspaper interview seen by Bulawayo24.com " I am not standing in Norton in 2018. I want to stand where Zanu-PF thinks its strong. I want to go for Zanu-PF, that's my point" he declared."I can stand in Hurungwe. They (Zanu-PF) never won there because there was violence."I know how to take a Zanu-PF constituency. They don't like me in Zanu-PF".Mliswa clinched the seat after amassing 8 927 votes against Zanu-PF's Ronald Chindedza who polled 6 192. News / National by Staff reporter Retired Brigadier General Gibson Mashingaidze gave a glimpse into the sexual abuse of girls during the 70s' war of liberation when he told The Mirror that as freedom fighters they fondled the breasts of every chimbwido they operated with.Mashingaidze who was commenting on his wrangle with senior Zanu PF Women's League member and prominent Masvingo business woman Namatirai Chivhanga over a five-bedroomed farmhouse in Chiredzi said all chimbwidos gave the fighters pleasure during the war.He accused Chivhanga of lying that she was a chimbwido because there was no comrade that he knew in Masvingo who "fondled" her breasts.He went further to say he knew for example that the current Minister of State for Masvingo Ben Shuvai Mahofa was a chimbwido during the war because he personally fondled Mahofa's breasts."Comrades fondled the breasts of all chimbwidos who participated in the war. I can vouch that Mahofa was a chimbwido because I fondled her breasts when we met in Gutu.'However, Chivhanga is lying that she was a war collaborator because I don't know her and I don't know of any comrade who fondled her breasts. I was the Zanla commander in Masvingo so I know this information," said Mashingaidze.Mashingaidze's remarks reinforces sentiments always made that there was sexual abuse of women during the war for freedom.Mahofa however, laughed off Mashingaidze's claims but confirmed that she operated with him as a chimbwido in Gutu and Bikita."Mashingaidze hamumuzivi here unotaurisa. (You must realise that Mashingaidze is a blubber mouth). Yes I operated with him in Bikita," said Mahofa before she laughed and turned off her phone.Chivhanga and Mashingaidze are fighting each other for a house that is at Lot 2 of Buffalo Range in Chiredzi.Both are resettled sugarcane farmers.The case arose after Chivhanga complained at a Provincial Lands Inspectorate meeting held at Masvingo Showgrounds recently that Mashingaidze was hounding her out of the farmhouse.The meeting was chaired by Deputy Commissioner General Godwin Matanga.Mashingaidze was not at the meeting but when The Mirror contacted him, he said he won the house through a court order and he is not going to leave the house to give way to a mere civilian when he was a Zanla commander for the whole of Masvingo Province during the liberation war.He accused Chivhanga of lying that she was a chimbwido and said all chimbwidos had their breasts fondled by the comrades."I was the commander here. I know that Mahofa was a chimbwido in Gutu and I fondled her breasts. Who fondled Chivhanga's breasts?" asked Mashingaidze.Chivhanga said that she got the house when she was offered a plot in Buffalo Range in 2002."Gen Mashingaidze has taken over my farmhouse because I am a widow yet he is not fully utilising the 90 hectares he was allocated. He is subletting his farm to Runinga farmers."I am appealing to this committee to help me get my farmhouse back from Mashingaidze, former Governor Titus Maluleke tried to help me with no success," said a distraught Chivhanga.The committee promised to investigate the matter and report back.Gen Mashingaidze said he got the farmhouse through a High Court ruling in 2006 presided over by Justice Rita Makarau."The truth of the matter is that the homestead in question which was owned by the Styles family was issued to me by the High Court in 2006 presided over by Judge Makarau."I was allocated the remainder of Lot 2 Division 23 together with the farmhouse and was supposed to co-exist with Styles general manager Cox but they decided to leave me in the farmhouse," said Mashingaidze.He said when Chivhanga and 22 others received offer letters in 2002 they did not show the owner of the farm their offer letters as per the law because they were afraid of confronting the white man."When I got my offer letter in 2006 I confronted the white man and told him I had 42 children and three wives yet he had one so I ordered him to give me three bedrooms so that he remains with two."I also told him that my wives cook traditional African food and they use firewood because they don't have electric stoves, I gave him the choice to teach my wives modern life so that there is no difference in the lifestyles."I also told him that I have one car and the rest are donkey drawn scotch carts which I will park alongside his fleet of cars of which my scotch carts will get preference on space."I presented all this in the court and he decided to leave me alone at the farmhouse where I have been staying ever since," Gen Mashingaidze said. News / National by Zimbabwe Vigil A leading British parliamentarian has said it is disgraceful that prominent Zimbabwean civil rights campaigners are being refused visas to visit the UK to talk about the struggle against Mugabe and his Zanu PF regime.Kate Hoey, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Zimbabwe, was speaking at the Royal Geographical Society in London on Wednesday at a meeting of the Mike Campbell Foundation which was set up to address injustices involved in Mugabe's land seizures.She said a visa had been denied to one of the speakers invited to the gathering, Gift Konjana, who had been detained more than thirty times and his home petrol-bombed for helping destitute farm workers.Other activists refused visas include Pastor Evan Mawarire, leader of the #thisflag protest, now exiled in the United States, who had been invited to address the parliamentary group as well as to speak at the London foreign policy think tank, the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House). Another excluded activist was Patson Dzamara, brother of the abducted Itai, who was also due to speak to the parliamentary group.Ms Hoey said the British government was letting in representatives of the Mugabe regime, including people who had been involved in killings, as well as other tainted people such as Joice Mujuru, but was more and more turning away seasoned campaigners for change.Kate said the British Ambassador to Harare Catriona Laing was angry at the refusal of visas and had taken the matter up with the relevant government department. The problem appeared to involve financial guarantees regarding their stay in the UK. Kate suggested people write to their MPs to increase awareness in Parliament of what was happening.A speaker from Zimbabwe who was able to get a visa was Bishop Ancelimo Magaya, founder of Grace Ablaze Ministries International, making his first visit to the UK. The Bishop, who is blind, received a standing ovation for his speech in which he said the people of Zimbabwe were 'wounded and despondent'. He spoke of abductions and a tired dictatorial leadership holding on to power by brutality. Mugabe had mastered the art of giving the impression that he allowed democratic elections but they were all rigged and people intimidated. 'Diplomats don't see this', he added.Bishop Magaya said the Church must lead the way in dislodging the dictatorship. He said 'the CIO put on dark glasses. Well I don't see them. I am blind so I am not afraid. If I die I die. That is the motivation the Church should have. We must not be silent in the face of oppression, torture, politically-motivated violence. We must declare God's judgement. Under God we will win through.' Opinion / Columnist Denial or deceit: these are the two dominant impulses between which vexed life hovers. And vexations come both by way of agonising expectations, or by way of deep fears, especially fears of hazards one would rather not acknowledge.Looking at events in Zimbabwe today, I see a bewildered interplay of both impulses, yes, see the disease of both, but the cure of neither. We are either extravagantly self-deceitful in our impossible hopes, or ridiculously in denial of severe reversals we have suffered but would rather not acknowledge. Both in history and now, Norton did and does exemplify both impulses, respectively. Political Norton, that is.Correcting Cde Mutsvangwa on historyFirst, just to correct Cde Mutsvangwa. In history Norton was not where the first salvos, the first killings, marking the onset of the First Chimurenga, were recorded. As early as March 1896, fighters in the southern part of Zimbabwe - Umzingwane specifically - had accounted for many deaths of the invaders, a trend that continued right up to June of the same year, when the invaders were able to turn the tables of resistance, thanks to reinforcements from the imperial British army.Even in Mashonaland, the Nortons of Porta Farm were not the first casualties, a native commissioner having been killed a day before, some few kilometres from Norton. But yes, political Norton has always been a locale for deceit or denial. The Nortons who coveted its rich soils, its picturesque dales and rocky hills, did not want to pay heed when messages of bloody African resistance already in the works reached their ears.The land was too good, too rich to be abandoned; the natives were too supine, too grateful for having been saved from the marauding Ndebeles to raise a spear against the "benevolent" white invader. The Nortons, wrapped in self-deceit, stayed until the spear of Mashayan'ombe washed in their blood, bringing to a grim end an early instance of human self-deceitThe invention of a saving lieEqually, the fighters who had overrun the Nortons thought the war would be swift, would be over and done with by just that one battle. Quick to unwind, slow to stock up both psychologically and materially for a protracted war of resistance, they soon found themselves embroiled in a war of no quick end, a war where men, cattle, grain and hills that provided formidable hideouts, were legitimate targets of big guns and indiscriminate dynamite.To read victory too easily, too quickly; not to read danger in time or at all, both these came and still come through political Norton. And confronting a bad truth, a horrible meaning, can be more daunting than facing a raging lion. Man builds on illusions: whether of a likely win or of an unlikely defeat.Joseph Conrad that Polish who ended up ranking among the greatest English writers introduced the notion of "a saving lie", to refer not just to a state of denial, but, much worse, to the invention of a palatable lie which make a bad situation not even look good, but which seek to banish it by a comfortable, self-deluding narrative. If Conrad saw it in mundane pursuits of man, it is even more compelling in politics where power is sought, got, challenged, lost or kept.The luggage no one will claimBut why am I even going to Poland when I have a whole Dambudzo Marechera here to quote from: that great, maverick poet-writer this nation begot in sin, and thus never acknowledged in public. That bastard our sinful society bore but buried behind incantations of righteousness. Yes, that poet-writer this nation forsook, which some kind German adulteress found abandoned, picked, flirted and fornicated with, raised, diseased and, eventually in his death, ransacked and robbed, while playing such a caring, diligent curator of tomb of the late departed.One of his otherwise lost poem left to be trampled in a pub, abandoned already thoroughly drenched in precious beer spilt in wanton scuffle which the late writer was so fond of that poem calls a Poet and possibly itself "a luggage no one will claim./The loud fart all silently agree never happened;/The sheer bad breath you politely confront with mouth-washed platitudes: "After all, it's POETRY."The bundle that couldn't lastWe now know what happened in the Norton by-election, itself very portentous for the politics of this country, present and future, but without necessarily spelling insurmountable doom for Zanu-PF, my party. The by-election arose from the dismissal from Zanu-PF of Christopher Mutsvangwa: a war veteran, a veterans' leader, a minister and now a critic of goings-on in Zanu-PF, itself the party of national liberation.I raise these multiple identities of Mutsvangwa to show how intricate and multi-layered politics and roles can be in post-independence Zimbabwe. I have never liked the notion of post-colonial; it is a concept of convenience, nay, of denial of changes and transformations still begging beneath the filling illusion of independence. In all but very limited sense, Zimbabwe, as is the rest of post-independence Africa, remains deeply colonial in spite of its independence politics and falsifying symbols of nationhood.The matter gets worse when it comes to its thinking, its values, including its language choice, a paradox which I illustrate so vividly. And Zimbabwe is streets ahead of Africa in terms of fighting continuing colonialism. Yet it still cannot be called post-colonial, except to suggest illusory movement which much of which has not taken place.He had to goCome to think of it, the dismissal of Mutsvangwa was bound to happen, sooner than later. His was an impossible bundle of roles. As a leader of the war veterans' association, he played the role of advocacy. He raised questions, prickly ones too, on behalf of his constituency. As a minister of Government, he was also expected to answer his questions. Answer himself, in other words. He was the question that was the answer; the answer that was the question. In such a peculiar role, you were either an instrument of control, or a figure soon out of control. You couldn't be both, except by pretending to be both.The motions of discipline by the ruling party were thus farcical from the very beginning, a situation dramatised by the contradictory roles of those who sought to try Mutsvangwa: quarrelling partners who sought to morph anew as justices. Clearly an imbroglio born out of peculiar deployments, exacerbated by incendiary personalities. It was bound to come. So, the significance of Norton pre-dated the by-election, itself a penultimate episode in the long unravelling.Intervening class dialecticThere are many things the party denied seeing in that whole Norton saga. Firstly, how wartime solidary cords were fast loosening before a new, emerging class dialectic. While the President of the party remained a figure whose hermit-like discipline enables him to easily commit suicide in class terms, the hierarchy in the party he leads had long sunk in the cesspool of vapid materialism.And in many cases so brazen was this search and desire for accumulation by sections in leadership that it stood them well apart from their erstwhile comrades, and all this against stiffening conditions of social challenges that suggested hard-to-answer existential questions to the disenchanted fighters. That the ex-fighters ended up singing: "Tirikuoneswa nhamo/Nemachef munyika yababa", summarised this new conflict.It is this acute disparity between fighters and current governors who were erstwhile comrades or who fed on sacrifices of the same, which created not just the Mutsvangwa role imbroglio, but also turned non-antagonistic contradictions within the party to antagonistic ones, which the President is now seeking to address and resolve. Call it a class capture of the party, followed by a class rupture in the party. No need to dodge this one, more so given how Mujuru is trying to mobilise around it, through the incendiary "tichanoguta kumusha" wartime mantra.A party in deep angstTo all this add a privately acknowledged but publicly denied fear of a Zanu-PF without a Robert Mugabe. Some foresee and fear it. Others foresee and wish it. Still others deny and will not have it. Zanu-PF is a party exhibiting deep angst over the leadership question, post-Mugabe, and it is no use pretending this is not so. Such pretences have yielded the thick-layered, duplicitous politics which today threatens the party's survival.And Norton did not begin this; rather, it simply put this in sharper, harder relief. The late Solomon Mujuru was the face of politics that sought to force the pace of leadership change past President Mugabe, even an ouster of him, both using forces and resources within the party, and forces and resources without the party. Or using a combination of internal forces and external pressure and support, where the first strategy failed.This is how 2008 and the aftermath must be read. And external meant both external in inter-party terms, and external in terms of national politics. The nocturnal drive to the house of the American ambassador was only one such instance among many, showing the mobilisation of hostile foreign governments by the Mujuru cabal.The internal and external meldThese two dynamics the internal and the external only melded into one broad bid after the general's death, but still seeking to instrumentalise his wife, Joice. But we are not looking at a different type of politics; it was the same, only vastly matured and adjusting to outlive its founder.After all, the so-called kingmaker's template never left his household: the late general was only doing it for his wife, who he envisioned as set to be assisted by a cabal of technocrats best personified by Simba Makoni, and buttressed by support from Matabeleland best personified by Dabengwa, Mujuru's erstwhile colleague in old ZIPRA, before his recruitment by Zvinavashe.Today Sipepa Nkomo is set to play such a role, clearly a poor replacement of Dabengwa. The ouster of Mujuru sought to deny this strategy an internal, Zanu-PF resource, in order to expose the dangerous external hand. This, Zanu-PF has done remarkably well so far, aided by Joice's own clumsiness. Her collaboration with external forces is no longer a matter of conjecture, external in the double sense of forces outside Zanu-PF and outside of national politics.She is the pawn Tsvangirai needed here at home to legitimise his neo-colonial, neo-liberal, non-liberation politics. Equally, she is the pawn the West needed to hide their anti-liberation, neo-colonial project here. Joice was badly outflanked and she is set to pay dearly, come 2018. That is, assuming she gets that far politically.The two enemies who mirrored each otherBut the fall of Joice and her cabal did not cure Zanu-PF of its political angst. Not cleanse it of the external hand. WikiLeaks clearly exposed that those that courted American support, or at the very least understanding, went beyond the general. They remain in Zanu-PF to this day.So, clearly, the issues were not going to go away, or be wished away. Including persons who saw themselves as fillers of the gap Joice had been tucked out of. The whole matter took even more complex, more vexatious forms, which made Norton a mere eye of the storm. The party got fractured by claims of contending factions: Lacoste and G40, both of them ironically similar by way of focus and impact on the elusive cohesion so sorely needed by and in the party.Both obliquely raised the issue of succession, while studiously denying any hand in it. Both divided the party while blaming each other for dividing it. Both professed love for the President, his sturdy defence, while their politics implied his absence from the political scene. Both sought to own him while seeking to discard him.Above all, both exaggerated their following in the party while creating perplexity and disenchantment in the broad membership of the same party which saw no value, leadership in either. Or in the whole fight.And the recruiting strategy worked through abrasive intimidation, through claims of only a two-sides choice, a false binary, in a party where the greater membership was deeply loyal to the President, while abhorring this false choice, this false dilemma created by the two, contending sides.Complex and simple at the same timeAs in 2008, this kind of superficial political schism simultaneously raised intra-party conflict at a surfacial level, while inducing broad party apathy and disenchantment within the broad catchment of the party. Above all, it created interstices for corrupt and rapacious players who found usefulness and legitimacy in choosing between these so-called factions.Not only did they steal in the name of big names leading those sub-groups; they also imported disputes picked outside Zanu-PF into the party through these groupings. Simply, Zanu-PF became both complex and simple: complex by way of medley forces and motives at play, simple by way of how such variegated interests were classified both for legitimation and/or damnation. "Haumuzivi here uyu, muG40; haumuzivi here uyu, muLacoste", so went the mantras of sustained oversimplification. Only when an intra-side fallout happened as in the case of Lumumba on one side, or Tsenengamu on the other, would the sheer complexity which this conflict in the party had wrought, become evident. And interestingly, in both cases, from both sides, the ultimate target would be the First Family!New alignmentsBut going back to corruption, if in 2013 MDC-T got punished for politics of immorality and greed, in Norton, Zanu-PF paid dearly for the show of interminable bicker and an MDC-T-like greed from within its leadership ranks. In the bicker the electorate saw a party that had soiled its will to unite and govern. In the blatant story of corruption, the electorate saw a party driven by self-aggrandisement, a party which seemed to confirm it had apprenticed the MDC-T the electorate had punished in 2013. And the fact that some of its constitutive elements, foremost some war veterans, campaigned against it in Norton, illustrated how deep the resentment of politics of primitive accumulating, politics of class differentiation, ran and have become, and how these are being used to create new thresholds of collaborative political action and amity combining erstwhile foes.Whilst this may be scary to some of us who are Pentecostal in our sense of political membership, it clearly shows how a mishandled social question can easily create new alliances that challenge and transcend those of the liberation struggle. And that the party failed to evolve a homogenous campaign strategy in Norton with those associated with so-called Lacoste faction deriving cynical joy in the party's defeat, nay baptising it a G40 defeat only shows how dangerous this whole issue of divisions can be to Zanu-PF, ahead of 2018. It is the horror of a partitioned campaign effort, sure to spell doom for the party.When one swallow does not make a summerIs Zanu-PF then in mortal danger, come 2018? Of course not. Firstly, while the party would have been happier with a Norton win, the by-election itself was a low-stakes contestation. The tussling groups which have been misnamed factions to exaggerate their command and influence in Zanu-PF, could afford to spar in Norton, which is why Zanu-PF could afford the loss.Now that the costs of such sparring are there for all to see, there will be a change of attitude towards personality divisions in the party. And as will become clear in future by-elections, this sparring which can exact significant psychological costs on Zanu-PF will not be allowed. Both the opposition and independents will not win future by-elections, as Zanu-PF will never again operate in default mode.Secondly, there is only one Temba Mliswa. And now that he is in Parliament, expect him to play a different role, indeed to gain new friends while losing old ones. There is a precedent for willing analysts to read. About this, let less be said. But Mliswa is a prickly character, which is why the Norton win will create new dynamics in his relationship with those in opposition.Significantly, he did not subordinate himself to any party colours, suggesting to use Matemadanda's scatological imagery those who joined forces with him in Norton, inhunzi dzakasangana patsvina (flies of different shades that converged on a common mount of poop). His ominous imagery of having beaten Zanu-PF's small bulls, in readiness for Zanu-PF's biggest bull President Mugabe in 2018, whilst making sensational copy, could very well hint at a swelling ego that could mislead him into launching a Mliswa party to contest 2018.Add to that his threat to desert Tsvangirai should he enter any pact with Joice Mujuru; and the rather faction-motivated belittling claim by Mwonzora that MDC-T won Norton for Mliswa, and then you have a better understanding of why Zanu-PF has a lot to profit from its Norton defeat. In MDC-T, Temba is not viewed as a faction-free player; not even as a loyal MDC-T -player. He is feared as a complex ant highly ambitious lone player who can run in any direction with the ball: inside the MDC-T; to Zanu-PF; or to himself!We are not South AfricaHis hostile stance against Joice Mujuru will be welcome by a faction in MDC-T which has always been discomfited by Joice. We all know it. It is the same faction which helped Temba, but also which stands a better chance of gaining control of a post-Tsvangirai MDC-T.Already, it has won back key cadres from Biti's PDP, but without losing sight of the dangers of loaning supporters to other parties and other causes, as did Biti. Their tact will either be to keep Mliswa on their side and in check, or to now dump him by denying him future support.Thirdly, Norton went to an independent. Unlike the ANC and South Africa, ZANU-PF and Zimbabwe has never been threatened by the spectre of independents. The political culture here is not for that kind of politics, which is why Temba may be a freak that might never recur. Even in the past, the number of independents have been too few to suggest a trajectory. Certainly not in general elections. Should MDC-T contest any by-election, the dynamic on the ground will change exceedingly. Zanu-PF will be roused.The change so sure to comeFourthly and more important, Norton was never a Zanu-PF seat historically, and Mutsvangwa should be the first to admit to this. It has always been an opposition seat, which is why 2013 was such a ringing statement against the MDC-T. We know what happened and who materialised for Mutsvangwa to win that seat, against the odds of history and his repeated failure.In other words, Zanu-PF has traditionally ruled without Norton, which is why it's gain or loss should not be overdrawn, should be viewed nonchalantly. Fifthly, the internal debate in Zanu-PF on the Norton result insofar as it raised the general question of corruption and so-called factionalism, the latter which is really about vaulting individual ambitions seeking a foothold in the party, presages key interventions and changes well before 2018, possibly well before the year.Any opposition member or party who thinks Zanu-PF's electoral make-up for 2018 is prefigured in Norton is obviously delighting in wishful thinking. The President has taken note and much is set to happen in due course. Or that the opposition which Zanu-PF is set to meet in 2018 will be significantly different and much more cohesive than it is now, even nominally as cohesive as it is now, is again to engage in self-fright or self-pleasure, depending on where you stand.Sixth and last, it is baffling that the opposition failed to claw back in 2016 when the state of the economy was bad, so bad. From where I stand, 2017 will mark the beginning of generalised economic recovery, much of it on the back of agriculture and infrastructural developments. By the time we go to the polls in 2018, the mood in the country evidently will be one of sanguineness.It is significant that the Zanu-PF Government has been able to feed the nation in times of a severe drought, the severest ever suffered. Much more, it has been able to distribute inputs for general agricultural recovery, defying all economic odds. These were real, substantive odds against it; perceptions are far easier to deal with.In fact they are beginning to be dealt with, well in time for 2018. So, yes, while the Norton swallow was grim, nevertheless its flight was both lonely in winter. Norton was not about the rains. Not even waiting for them. But it did raise lost of food for thoughts for Zanu-PF, whilst raising hardly any for the stomach. This is why the baggage must still be claimed, the fart acknowledged.Icho! Opinion / Columnist South Africa and Zimbabwe share good relations, and President Mugabe's groundbreaking visit to the southern neighbour soon after apartheid's fall remains a major highlight. Ahead of President Jacob Zuma's visit to Zimbabwe, we today publish President Nelson Mandela of South Africa's address at a banquet he hosted for President Mugabe on August 16, 1994.***HE Nelson MandelaIt is indeed a great honour and pleasure for me to host you, Your Excellency, and senior members of your Government on this auspicious occasion.Mr President, that you are the first African Head of State to visit South Africa is an indication of the good relations between our peoples. Your visit to South Africa takes place a day after the ceremony in Arusha where the Organisation of African Unity Liberation Committee was dissolved, marking the end of an era of heroic struggles for national liberation.The people of Zimbabwe and you, in particular, deserve our profound gratitude for the role you played in this national liberation effort, both as members of the OAU and in your capacity as leader and Chairman of the Front-line States. Of particular significance to us is the role you played in ensuring the removal of racial domination in South Africa.This was often at a great cost to your country and your people, given the destabilisation campaign carried out by the apartheid regime against Zimbabwe and other neighbouring countries. Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa on the Matimba Interconnector is evidence of the fact that South Africa is prepared to give its full co-operation towards the expansion of energy supply in Southern Africa and further afield.It is our desire to co-operate closely with your country, Mr President, in all matters concerning tourism. It is imperative that we develop our region as a premier tourist destination. Both Zimbabwe and South Africa have the resources, infrastructure and expertise to jointly put this into effect. The most important area of co-operation, however, is that of trade and commerce. South Africa and Zimbabwe historically have been natural trading partners.The attainment of democracy in South Africa has eradicated old constraints, making it possible to expand this trade relationship within the context of equality and our joint responsibility in the sub-continent. South Africa will on 29 August become a member of the Southern Africa Development Community. In this regard, it is our resolve to contribute towards development in Southern Africa as an equal partner.Progress and development can only be achieved through meaningful co-operation amongst the countries of the region and mutual support for our singular endeavours to consolidate our freedom and to achieve lasting political and economical stability. As far as security in the region is concerned, I can assure you, Mr President, that we have successfully started.Mr President, together, our peoples shed their blood for freedom. Together we reinforced one another during difficult negotiations in both our countries. Today, at last, we can co-operate as free nations, pursuing the true interests of our people.Zimbabwe and South Africa not only share borders, we have strong cultural and historical connections as well. It is now the time, Mr President, to give substance to our relationship and to strengthen and expand the social and historical links which form the bond between our two countries.Your visit at this time and my visit later this month to officiate at the Harare Agricultural Show on 26 August, are proof of our desire to do so. We look forward to developing our existing contacts and co-operation in the field of transport.The recent signing of the agreement to build an additional bridge over the Limpopo River at Beitbridge by a Zimbabwe Consortium, will stand as a symbol of our new relationship and provide better access to and from our harbours for the increasing road transportation traffic across our borders.Agreements between our respective national airlines as well as between Transnet and the Zimbabwe National Railways exist to serve and improve transport between our two countries. Similarly, in the field of energy and electricity supply, close co-operation between Escom and the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Commission has led to the first steps being taken to integrate the electricity supply grids in Southern Africa. The trilateral agreement signed between implementation of the integration of our armed and security forces.Zimbabwe played a crucial role to enable us to achieve this in a very short space of time. We will remain in your debt, Mr President, for the large number of officers and other ranks who were given the opportunity to attend various staff and other courses in your country to prepare them for integration into the South African National Defence Force.Our Minister of Defence, Mr Joe Modise, recently visited Zimbabwe to witness the passing out of some of our officers at a parade in Gweru and to arrange for their return to South Africa to join the National Defence Force. It is my wish that this positive gesture from your side will be reciprocated by further co-operation between our security forces.In order to maintain stability in the region, we must co-operate in dealing with the scourge of drug trafficking, the theft and smuggling of cars and other crimes. Mr President, we are in the process of redefining the parameters of the front-line states, with a view to redefining our mission towards regional co-operation on matters of security and stability.A good start is already being laid by the co-operation between Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa in our attempt to resolve the situation in Lesotho. Similarly, we should join forces to lend support to initiatives that are underway to resolve the impasse in Angola.In conclusion, Mr President, I again extend to you a warm welcome to South Africa. May you personally, and the people of Zimbabwe, continue to enjoy peace and stability in our common endeavours towards a better Southern Africa and Africa as a whole.I ask you all to rise and raise your glasses in a toast to the good relations that exist between Zimbabwe and South Africa and to the continued good health of His Excellency, President Robert Mugabe, and the people of Zimbabwe. Opinion / Columnist Starting this week, The Sunday Mail will be publishing excerpts of the biography of Group Captain Sithabile Sibanda aka Ntombiyezizweni Mhlanga. Under the working title "A Woman's Choice, The untold story of the ZPRA Women's Brigade", the book was researched and written by Tjenesani Ntungakwa. Group Capt Sibanda was been awarded the Liberation Medal (1990), Independence Medal, Mozambique Campaign Medal (1991), Ten Years Service in the Air Force of Zimbabwe (2000), Long and Exemplary Medal after 15 years of service in the AFZ (2005), Sadc Medal of the DRC Campaign (2008), the United Nations Medal (2008) after serving in The Sudan under the United Nations Mission in Sudan.***Group Capt Sithabile SibandaIn March 2016, at the time of being assisted to write this book, I got in touch with Hubert Chifumbu for one or two comments that my biographer had requested. Over a telephone conversation, Hubert opened up: "I would say that 15-year-old girl who came from a poor background exuded so much confidence."He continued, "We were so close with Sithabile. I was just a year younger than her, what we shared mostly was that she was very eager to learn English. She was so keen to learn the English language and other books".One would think that Hubert got overexcited and gave more than I had expected. Going further, he was quoted as saying, "She was just a maruzevha girl and I was more like her English teacher, very rural indeed."As a matter of detail, "maruzevha" was the corrupted English term for Reserves, expressed with Shona plural overtones. In that case, he said something like, "She was a Reserves Girl, rather of a strong rural background. I laughed when Hubert went on with his input on the phone. "However, she was very smart indeed. When she came to work for my parents, she had only two dresses to change."The urban lifestyles were what everyone really aspired for, and coming from the rural areas was something to look down upon. The assumption was that non-urban upbringing lacked some basic etiquette like bathing, using deodorised soap, lotions and the like. It was also assumed that the individual would find town to be an unfamiliar jungle and ended up getting confused by vehicles, utilities and traffic lights.At times, the person was suspected of being ignorant when it came to the choice of clothes that one had to wear for certain occasions like dinners and so forth. If it were a woman she might not have known the right options of perfumes and would have an intolerable odour. As for men, they might not have been acquainted with such clothing labels as Pierre Cardini which most of the elders at that time pronounced as "Peri Cardini". It was a laughable background that most average black urbanised Rhodesians frowned upon.For those who became domestic workers for the whites, they had become familiar with the low-density areas the "Europeans", as they were called, used to live. Such places were colloquially referred to as "emayadini". "Emayadini" was the corrupted version of "yards", expressed in a Ndebele option borrowed from English.By "emayadini" Ndebele speakers would have meant a residential area where the space was much bigger than where the generality of black people lived. Being a domestic worker in emayadini was looked up to as some kind of white collar job. The food was different, the whites had swimming pools, English was the medium of communication, the cooking had a varied outlook and life was understandably as good.Such was the scenario which determined the social classes as well tastes of that time. I got a job as a house "girl" at the Old BSAP Camp in Kwekwe. I had to leave home and be away from the others as had happened before. By the way, the BASP had been the state police force before Independence in 1980. The British South Africa Police had been associated with the British South Africa Company, the forerunner to colonial rule in Zimbabwe.Among the architects of the BASP had been Cecil John Rhodes. The politicisation we went through in the Zimbabwe African Peoples' Union left us more knowledgeable about the political history of Rhodesia. Anyway, back to the formative years that made Sithabile Sibanda the kind of person that she came to be.In March 1974, I got employed at the Old BSAP Camp at Kwekwe. I had left the Ascot Teachers Cottages around December of 1973. For about three months I stayed with my mother in Silobela. I really did not have any plans for the future except to wait and see what lay ahead. It so happened that I felt much had been done concerning housework.I had been baptised in October 1971 as a Catholic. I attended church services every Sunday without failure. The world of work had opened up more social avenues. Unlike my previous experience at Fatima, I had made some friends who were working. One of my cousins, Manokishi Mpofu who at the time of writing this book in May 2016 was Member of Parliament for Silobela had a father, Phillip Mpofu, who was among the early African entrepreneurs of that area. He owned a store.One of Phillip's employees was a young lady named Idah Songo. Idah and Marina became my most trusted friends. I used to visit the two time and again. They were famous at the shopping centre and every man who felt worth some salt would make an attempt to befriend them. We used to communicate through letters and were constantly in touch. It was normal for us to gossip about men.I was very particular when it came to the male factor in my life. It had been part of my upbringing to avoid just being carried away by some character.Given a chance, I would have preferred a suitor who wore an expensive watch, smart shoes and was of admirable height and looks. He would not have to drink alcohol or smoke.It was fun when we giggled as women after one us had turned down a guy who might have assessed himself as the best choice. I was never in a hurry to fall in love. In March 1972 another of my relatives called Joyce who was married to one Rusike invited me over to Kwekwe for a job. She was somehow associated with the wife of a senior officer of the British South Africa Police who was known as Dodd.Joyce had been very inquisitive after I left the Ascot Teachers' Cottages and she definitely wanted me to settle for some work in Kwekwe. She overhead Mrs Dodd talking about her need for a housemaid and brought the news to me. At first, I was not interested. But the fact that it meant a change of location from Gwelo to Kwekwe was central to my final decision.Having made up my mind, I prepared myself to leave for the Crossroads point and proceeded to Kwekwe with Joyce. Joyce and I travelled together to the Old BSAP Camp at Kwekwe. At the Old BSAP Camp, Officer Dodd and his wife allocated me some accommodation quarters. It made the situation very different from what I had seen in Gwelo. I had to live at the camp among the junior ranks of the force, most of whom were African males.Now I had a one-roomed cottage to myself. My salary was 14 Rhodesian dollars. The tradition had been such that as Africans we needed to have some "baptism names". Thus I was known among the Dodd's as "Ignatia". Mrs Dodd used to like calling it out loudly to which my normal response was "Yes Madam".My duties were to wash the plates as well as attend to other house chores. I had been adequately trained at the Ascot Teachers' Cottages and was thus well prepared oriented for such kind of work. It was not difficult for me to adjust to the environment that I found at Officer Dodd's place. I came up with an intelligent routine like dusting the floor, applying furniture cream and everything else was in order. It was more of a walk over.Despite being new to them, the Dodd's were a jovial couple who had friendly children. Their first born was Jeffery, who attended Kwekwe High School, and then a girl named Georgina and lastly a boy called Veridy. I usually arrived in the morning and was accorded some time off. My total span at the Old BSAP Camp was from 1974 to 1976.Once in a while I got naughty and Mrs Dodd caught me red-handed. It should be noted that having stayed at unfamiliar place for long as a housemaid, there was every reason to be wayward. One day, I was cleaning the bathroom and got attracted to some of the toothbrushes there. I opened the tap and used one toothbrush that did not belong to me. As I did that, Mrs Dodd's daughter, Georgina walked and shouted, "Ignatia what are doing?" She reported the matter to her mother.It was something that I did for the fun of it. When Mrs Dodd, came back after work she subjected me to another round of shouting. She might have lost some trust in me as a result of that incident. However, I remained a faithful houseworker who was never suspected of such misdeeds as petty theft or anything of that sort.The record of my service was straight.At the old BSAP Camp in Kwekwe, I never used to do the cooking. Mrs Dodd was a full-time house wife who preferred to cook on her own. She liked to read a lot. I had become acceptably proficient in English and could communicate effectively with the Dodd's. My day was appropriately programmed and organised.The unwritten rule was such that I never ate in the house of Officer Dodd. I was given some tea at 10 o'clock in the morning and three in the afternoon, but would have to drink it outside. The beverage usually came with slices of bread on which I spread some thick red fruit jam. I was not used to the additive but really loved it.It was something that we usually had during the festive season because my parents could not afford such extras on a daily basis. My stay at the Old BSAP Camp was the first instance which gave me some space to interact with the whites in Rhodesia. I also observed that they tried as much as possible to preserve exclusivity.To be continued. . . Opinion / Columnist This year on April 5, Ibhetshu likaZulu gave me the honour to deliver the inaugural Lookout "Mafela" Masuku memorial lecture. This year is the 20th anniversary of the untimely death of Lt General Lookout "Mafela" Masuku who passed away in 1986.Today, I am here to speak on another illustrious soldier of the Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army (Zipra), Comrade Rogers Mangena, who is more popularly known by his nom-de-guerre "Alfred Nikita".I did not ask Ibhetshu likaZulu why they chose to focus in succession on Mafela and Mangena. It is, however, significant that Mafela had a short taste of freedom and independence that he fought for in a period covering most of his adult life.He was arrested after only three years as a serving deputy commander of the national army and detained without conviction along with four others, including myself.He did not survive to come back to enjoy freedom, because he died before he was released. In the case of Mangena, he died in 1978, barely two years before independence of the country from Britain, and he thus never got to see the outcome of what he so bravely fought for.In 1965 the Zimbabwe African People's Union (Zapu), chose a group of cadres for training in Algeria where a number of radical and nationalist movements were welcomed by the legendary leader of that country, President Ahmed Ben Bella.Nikita Mangena was one of those cadres, some of whom were involved two years later in the 1967 Wankie military operations of the alliance of Zapu and the African National Congress of South Africa.Therefore, in talking about Nikita Mangena, we are talking about one of the fighters involved in the early phases of the armed struggle, who later played a pivotal role in the evolution of that struggle as the Zapu military wing developed and used a conventional capacity (Zipra) against the Rhodesian army.Masuku and Nikita Mangena trained a steady stream of our people in Morogoro in Tanzania, allowing us to deploy high-quality fighters. It is important here to point out that Masuku was in charge of political and ideological training, because part of his training was that of commissar.More than anyone else, he built up Zipra's famed record as a people-centred force that worked harmoniously with the public in our operational areas. It is no accident therefore, that from the outset, indiscriminate use of force against unarmed civilians was out of question in our ethos.After the setting up of Zipra in 1971, Masuku moved from Tanzania and became a member of the high command, as deputy commander under Nikita Mangena. In this capacity he covered all camps and prepared cadres politically before their deployment, assigning commissars to all units as they were deployed. When Mangena was sent to Mozambique to help build the Zimbabwe People's Army (Zipa) force, combining Zipra and Zanla (Zanu's military wing), Masuku was left in charge of our forces.I will not dwell on the difficulties that accompanied efforts to build a united Zipa force, but for today's talk, what is relevant is that a more political approach to unification was begun after this.I [Dumiso Dabengwa], and Masuku and a Zanla team led by Solomon Mujuru (aka Rex Nhongo) got the assignment to find out if our military wings were keen on political unity.This was a prelude to the formation of the Patriotic Front between Zapu and Zanu, formed after the release from Zambian prison of Josiah Tongogara (plus others incarcerated after the assassination of Herbert Chitepo) and political leaders (Joshua Nkomo included) previously detained by the Ian Smith regime in Gonakudzingwa, WhaWha, and other places. While the quest for unity was going on, Nkomo introduced in our Revolutionary Council (of which I was secretary) the "Turning Point" escalation of fighting and preparation for an onslaught on the racist regime's forces.Under this move, military gains would be followed by setting up administration of territory from which guerrilla operations would be launched towards towns and cities before they too would be taken over.These bridge-heads were taking shape in our operational areas in Hurungwe and Sipolilo (Chipuriro), among other areas in Mashonaland West and the Midlands.This capacity to take on and push back the enemy which we proved when the Rhodesian forces attacked our bases was a major factor in the rush towards a political settlement that followed talks in Malta and Geneva and finally Lancaster House in London.It should be noted that Jason Ziyapapa Moyo and Mangena had been killed by the time we went to Lancaster House. On the Zanu side of the Patriotic Front, the patriotic Zanla's Tongogara was killed between the end of the Lancaster House talks and our return to take over control of the country.Masuku and Mujuru were now respective commanders of Zipra and Zanla. In January 1980 I worked closely with General Peter Walls and Mujuru, deputised on my side by Mafela, to work out modalities for integration of the armies into the new Zimbabwe National Army.When we left Lancaster House, the expectation was that the Patriotic Front would take part in independence elections as a united movement. Until the last moment Nkomo did not make arrangements for a separate campaign because he believed in the Patriotic Front.The decision by Zanu-PF to go it alone was not only a surprise, but a disappointment to Nkomo because he anticipated problems and unproductive competition between the war allies. Even as the election campaigns took place, it was evident that our efforts to create conditions for peace were politically undermined.Zanu kept a sizeable portion of its seasoned fighters outside the assembly points while Zapu relied on the assurances of British administrators that where violence was used to intimidate voters and create no-go areas the election results would be annulled.No such annullment took place, with the result that even in areas previously dominated by Zipra the population was left at the mercy of Zanla that terrorised voters and restricted Zapu other campaign teams. This is a classic case of winning the war and losing the peace.Since we are in Bulawayo today, you are no doubt familiar with the clashes that took place between Zipra and Zanla forces in Entumbane because of political tensions and a rush by politicians to prematurely show the fighters prior to their integration. This happened elsewhere in places like Connemara, but the underlying problems were more politically generated by failure to create unity.I want to suggest that Nkomo's unwavering commitment to unity in the face of treachery and even personal humiliation is the main reason why this country did not go through civil war at attainment of independence.Politicians with different egos would have used the massive forces at his disposal to refuse being relegated to seats in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces when they could challenge results elsewhere in the country. We got to know even before results of the elections were announced that Zapu was not going to be allowed to have more than 30 seats.Nkomo believed in British assurances whereas the Western countries were more worried about our links with South Africa's Umkhonto weSizwe and what they saw as Soviet advantage in geo-politics.In my view, this hangover from geopolitics has continued to affect Zapu because independence of thought is wrongly seen as opposition to other people's interests.In spite of being the party whose supporters have received the most documented atrocities since independence, there is no support for our struggle to achieve true liberation as part of unfinished business of the struggle.Masuku is buried in this city at Lady Stanley Cemetery. His status as a hero is beyond question. Ironically, he took the salute here when the colonial flag was lowered in 1980, while Mujuru did that in Harare.He could not be given a place in Heroes Acre in Harare, while all sorts of people we have to look up in references are buried there. I salute the City of Bulawayo for giving us space to bury those whose massive contributions have been denied.In a way, this development allows those victimised not to be buried like captives in hostile graves whose yardstick is political loyalty to Zanu rather than what they have done for this country.May the memory of Lookout Masuku be an inspiration to young people and future generations, to appreciate that contributions to liberty live longer than us.Dumiso Dabengwa is Zapu president. He delivered this paper at the Lookout "Mafela" Masuku memorial lecture series titled Alfred Nikita Mangena: A unique Zapu Soldier The opinions expressed by "Don Quixote" are strictly his own and do not represent the opinions of Vernon Council! Because I value your thoughtful opinions, I encourage you to add a comment to this discussion. Don't be offended if I edit your comments for clarity or to keep out questionable matters, however, and I may even delete off-topic comments. Bob Spiers Vernon City Councillor Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Loading... Checking your browser before accessing the website. This process is automatic. Your browser will redirect to your requested content shortly. Please wait a few seconds. HA NOI The mass fish deaths reported in Linh am Lake in Ha Nois Hoang Mai District are not related to its water quality, Ha Noi Environment Protection Branch officials said. Sample testing of water taken from the lake showed it wasnt polluted, the branch said yesterday. They claimed no dead fish had been reported since Thursday afternoon Ha Noi Sewage and Drainage Company No 4, which is in charge of managing the lake, said no waste water had been discharged into the lake. Ha Noi Veterinary Branch had also taken samples of dead fish for testing. Earlier, a large number of dead fish were seen floating in Linh am Lake on Wednesday night, with locals claiming polluted water was the main reason. Thousands of fish including white promfret, tilapia and carp were found dead, stretching along 2km-long lake dyke area. Many of the fish had decomposed badly, exuding a bad odour. On receiving information about the mass fish deaths, the Peoples Committee of Hoang Mai District mobilised forces to collect the dead fish, weighing over 400kg, and clean up the lake. The district authorities asked relevant agencies to monitor the incident and warned locals not to use the dead fish as animal feed. This is the second time fish have died en mass in Linh am Lake. Previously, in March 2009, nearly five tonnes of dead fish were found in the north of the lake. The investigation is underway. VNS BERLIN German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is on a three-day visit to Viet Nam from Sunday, aiming at strengthening stratic partnership between the two countries. The Foreign Minister has granted an exclusive interview to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Berlin ahead of his visit to Viet Nam. Foreign Minister, how would you describe relations between our two countries today, 41 years after the establishment of diplomatic relations and, in particular, five years after the start of the strategic partnership? We do not only enjoy excellent political and economic relations with Viet Nam we are also united by a profound and sincere friendship. One reason that Germany and Vietnam are so close is because a large number of Vietnamese people live or have lived in Germany. At the same time, more and more Germans are interested in visiting Vietnam and getting to know this beautiful country. These people form a particularly strong bond between our two countries. In 2011, we launched a strategic partnership between Germany and Viet Nam in the Joint Declaration of Ha Noi. This has led to a wide ranging and closely knit network of co-operation. Trade and economic affairs are obviously a key area. We want to help Viet Nam achieve even better value added and greater sustainability in its growth model. This is why we also provide support in vocational training, energy policy and environment and resource protection. In addition, we are supporting the reform process via a rule of law dialogue in which we are focusing in particular on the legislative reforms under the new constitution and on modern criminal proceedings. Political dialogue on regional and international topics is also becoming increasingly important in our relations. I welcome Viet Nams greater foreign policy openness and growing international role this reflects the countrys increasing importance. You will travel to Viet Nam at the start of the week. What are your hopes for this visit? What can and should our two countries do in order to improve and promote the strategic partnership in the coming years, especially as regards trade and economic affairs? We enjoy close economic relations. Germany is Viet Nams largest trading partner in the EU. German companies are helping to boost the Vietnamese economy through targeted and high-quality investments. There is scope for us to expand these economic and trade relations. The free trade agreement between the EU and Viet Nam will unleash further potential. The Vietnamese Government has made good headway in the negotiations and has also shown political courage as regards further modernising and integrating the Vietnamese economy in global markets. We are keen to see this agreement enter into force soon so that both sides can benefit from better market access to goods and services. In this context, we want to achieve a further aim, that is, to set up a German Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce. This also has the goal of better market access and closer ties for both sides. From many talks with business people, I know that German companies are very interested in playing an even greater role in Viet Nam, where they appreciate peoples industriousness and ambition. At the same time, it is of course important that companies know they can rely on there being the right parameters in Viet Nam when they decide to invest. We encourage Viet Nam to continue resolutely on its reform path. We hope that a German-Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce will provide companies from both sides with information and reliability and encourage them to invest. How do you view the security situation in the Asia Pacific region, particularly as regards the latest conflicts in the South China Sea? What would you suggest as ways to resolve the disputes in the South China Sea? Unlike other regions of the world, the Asia Pacific region is fortunate not to be afflicted by wars and conflicts. Nevertheless, we view some developments in the region with a certain amount of concern irresponsible nuclear and missile tests by North Korea, tensions in the East and South China Sea, and an unmistakeable arms race increase the risks of escalation or hot conflicts. No one stands to benefit from the situation escalating in the South China Sea. We have a great interest in upholding free sea lanes, stability and peace in the South China Sea. A rules-based order which, among other things, underlines the universal applicability of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is crucial. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea has made a clear statement. A code of conduct between ASEAN and China could certainly help to defuse the situation. There was progress on this at the last ASEAN-China summit. Perhaps this can help to generate more trust. This trust and very practical cooperation in the South China Sea are vital as regards ensuring that the tensions do not increase. The European Union and Germany are providing support on this within the framework of ASEAN and would be happy to provide further guidance..VNS By Bach Lien When Nguyen Thanh An, 30, returned to Ha Noi after studying in France for two years, she made up her mind to study painting. Her limited knowledge of art, she felt, had not let her enjoy Europe fully. In France, she had often been invited by friends to visit art museums, but she realised she didnt know much about the renowned painters whose works were on display. And when her friends discussed art, she couldnt join in the discussion. Her only exposure to art had been the basic painting lessons she took in primary school in Ha Noi. She got bored and tired while visiting even Le Louvre in Paris. An is not an exception. Many Vietnamese people born in the 1970s and 80s blame the countrys education system for not teaching them anything more than the very basic lessons in arts, instead focusing only on mathematics, physics and chemistry. As a result, many people in Viet Nam are not interested in art museums and have never even visited one. Now, many adults have started taking courses in various forms of art, to understand and enjoy it, as well as to explore their own potential. Nguyen Thanh Hoai is in her 30s and started learning piano and contemporary dance a few years ago. I was curious when I got to know about Phan Y Lys contemporary dance classes Here, I have gained basic knowledge on how to appreciate a beautiful dance and how to use the body to express my feelings, After attending some classes, I became much more confident about watching contemporary dance performances as I started understanding them, she said. Dancenter opened in HCM City in 2007, with an international team, to spread the joy of dance and create a space for beginners and professionals alike, to come together and learn, have fun and, above all, dance. As contemporary dance performances become more and more popular in Viet Nams big cities, dance classes have become a trend that attracts both children and adults. Art classes for adults have received a good response, and some of the popular ones include Pi Corner, Zest Art, Cat Tuong (painting classes), Viet Nam National Academy of Music, Viet S Voice, Mr Thuongs Art Centre (music, guitar, piano classes), Blackbox and Dancenter (dance classes). The Tipsy Art projects painting classes, which started in late 2015, have attracted lots of people. Each class is for three hours and helps beginners enjoy themselves as well as learn art. We want to inspire people who have never studied art and have thought that art was not for them, said Nguyen Thu Trang, creator of the project. I believe that everyone has an artistic soul inside them, and their emotions need to be conveyed and expressed. A good way to relax and destress Adults who have taken art courses say they learn not just techniques here, but also to relax. Hoai said contemporary dance has helped her overcome her shyness and become confident while moving to music, besides teaching her to liberate energy and live life to the fullest with emotions. It helps me explore my own liberty, learn how to be creative it is lots of fun, she said. Tran Mai Lan, a retired teacher in Ha Noi, said she always enjoyed singing but had never trained to sing correctly until her retirement. A year ago, she joined the Viet Nam National Academy of Music and it feels great. Its great, the teachers appreciate my voice. I enjoy the classes. I have found new friends and now I can entertain My family is encouraging me to make a CD of my songs. Im thinking about it, she said. Doctors recommend that people pursue hobbies as they reduce stress levels. I had some patients who were depressed after personal tragedies. They are much better now, after they started attending dance and painting classes. If you feel low, try to learn something; you will become more optimistic in life, said Dr Nguyen Thanh Ha from Ha Nois Bach Mai hospital. VNS By Nguyen My Ha New sedans are parked on the slope leading to Trieu Mui Muis house, which stands beside beautiful golden terraced paddy fields. It is early in the afternoon. Weve just finished a long, ardous climb up and down Chieu Lau Thi Mountain at 2400m above sea level, now accessible only by motorbike or on foot. The road on the mountain used to be good but recent landslides and floods all but destroyed it. We are in Ha Giang Provinces Hoang Su Phi District. Winding paths: The beauty of Ha Giang draws legions of photographers, both pro and amateurs. VNS Photo Truong Vi Muis home is one of eight houses selected to be part of a community-based homestay project co-ordinated by Swiss Intercooperation, a development organisation based in Switzerland, and Helvetas, a well known non-governmental organisation that has been working in Viet Nam since 1994. The project is being implemented with the support of the Hoang Su Phi and Trung Khanh (Cao Bang Province) district administrations. We are in the final stage of the first phase, where the households have started to take in visitors since June, said Pham Chi Nhan, a district official involved since the early days of the project. The northernmost province of Ha Giang is famous for its beautiful mountains and slopes which host terraced fields of rice that are an eternal delight for photographers with their changing colours. The terraced fields are located mostly in Hoang Su Phi District. Ha Giang is also home to Lung Cu, the massive flag tower that marks Vietnamese territory and is virtually a pilgrimage spot for Vietnamese at home and abroad. Despite the magnificent grandeur that has been captured in jaw-dropping photographs, peoples lives are still hard and the local government is looking to improve it in inclusive ways, local officials told us. We want sustainable development so that everyone in the community benefits, Nhan said. The chosen host families have received training on how to interact with tourists, learnt some common English phrases and words. Tourists who come here have their guides and translators, but they still want to talk to local people, no matter how broken their (locals) English might be, Nhan said. The project has taught the hosts to keep clean bedsheets, blankets and pillows, and they need to invest in new restrooms. Something for everyone If a family cant afford new beds and rooms, they can cook food, Nhan said. If a family is too poor to be providing either service, they can still grow vegetables to sell to the households that cook food. So we want to get everyone involved and the community to benefit as a whole. Some families say they can provide accommodation and food and porter services on their own, Nhan said, but the programme officer must co-ordinate in such a way that everyone gets something to do. Over a dinner of typical local dishes like the Mong black chicken (which has black skin and sleep on the trees instead of coops) and carps raised in the rice fields, Nhan told us the long story of how it all happened. There was a project by Helvetas to grow green tea here in Hoang Su Phi. But we wanted to steer the local economy in another direction because it was getting very difficult to raise incomes from farming. Industry was out of question because of the mountainous terrain. Then we thought of tourism. After considerable to and fro, including visits by district officials to Ha Noi, a tourism conference to present the project, and tourism companies visiting the district, Helvetas decided in September 2015 to provide 500,000 Swiss francs (US$500,000) to be disbursed over the next five years. Nhan said the new project would transform locals lives. Rocking feat: Rock fences in the province have stood for years without any substance gluing them together. VNS Photo Truong Vi In his office in Ha Noi, Cao ai Hung, Helvetas project director for community-based tourism, told Sunday Viet Nam News: We would like to connect tour companies and the communities to work out a new community-based programme that draws on the failures of other community tours. The biggest setback of community-based tourism is weak market connections, and this is true worldwide. It seemed to us that the project had succeeded so far in covering most bases. Drinking customs As we took shots of the picturesque golden rice terraces in front of her house, our host Mui invited us in, dressed in a typical Dao blouse and dress. Before we began partake of the meal shed prepared for our group, she proposed a rice liquor toast. Please drink with me. This is to welcome all of you to our house. It was certainly not her first shot, as shed welcomed other guests before our group. For us, it was the fourth toast of the day. The first one was with an official from Hoang Su Phi District who led us to the top of the long-forgotten mountains, the second with a commune official, and the third with the former chairman of the district Peoples Committee on his way to take some guests around the region. By the time Mui proposed the toast, I was not in a good shape. I cant drink and I dont drink, usually. But I had to interview her for my story. I couldnt leave this place without talking to her. She was all smiles and being very nice, but I would not be able to continue the conversation in my state. You have not finished your shot and I cant shake your hand, she told me, still smiling. It is a tradition that as the host, she needs to drink with her guests first and shake hands afterwards, she explained. As we talked, though, she began to open up: Sometimes I dont like to drink. I dont want to, but I have to drink when we have guests visiting. You dont have to, when you dont want to, I told her as firmly as I could before running out to her backyard and throwing up all the shots and the food wed just been served. When I returned, another group was coming in to say goodbye. A man in his 70s introduced himself as writer and wanted another toast,. Muis husband promptly picked up his shot glass, but the provincial official, Vu The Phuong, obviously knew him from before and stopped him: Hey, you with your stomachache, do you want to kill yourself? Please get your medicinal concoction and well toast with that. It was good to see the official showing his concern for Muis husband, but I felt sorry for her, because it meant she would have to take on all the responsibilities for greeting guests. Not fair. While drinking is embedded in the mountainous culture and has some positive aspects, I could see that it could get out of hand and harm people if it was not checked. Mui and her family had barely started to benefit from the pilot tourism project, and her husband had fallen sick. Since the families cannot be tasked with informing visitors about drinking courtesies, the need for moderation should be part of tour companies guidelines. Mounting trash Another worrying aspect was the large amounts of daily trash generated by increasing numbers of tourists. There is a real threat that the local landscape would be defaced. On top of the Chieu Lau Thi Mountain, we found empty plastic bottles and snack packages. Its Vietnamese tourists who throw these, Phuong said, adding, western tourists are very careful not to trash the place. While it is the local governments responsibility to manage both the flow of tourists and the garbage that is generated, there has to be an effort from all sides to deal with the problem. Uncontrolled littering and dumping is something that has been killing other top destinations in the country, including Sa Pa and Ly Son Island. Yes, we have not given enough thought to this drinking and trash management, and we will definitely take these up, project director Hung told us. But its too early to put a limit on the number of tourists visiting Hoang Su Phi. The number is still low and we would be happy to see it grow. VNS by Nguyen inh Tu My dear Linh I was falling down, in doll-form, falling down from Room 1108 on Floor 11. I said goodbye to happiness and affection. In the cold day, white and soft flakes of snow were falling down together with me. I remember that we had to bribe the owner of the condo 500 rubles so we could rent Room 1108, Thao wrote to her lover Linh. Before that, we bought rolls of wallpaper and a crystal chandelier. We had its window painted a rosy, warm colour. Strangely, a blond haired Russian student Svetlana moved out a day before we moved in, she added. Later, Thao learned why Svetlana had left. She did not want to live beside two foreign students, although she had lived with two Russian roommates: Ola and Ira. To Thaos amazement, Ola dyed her hair a different colour almost every day. She was also pierced all over her body. On the contrary, Ira was like an Asian teenager: good-natured and kind-hearted, cheerful and bashful. Some time later, Svetlana was replaced by a sexy Mexican girl named Jeni. * * * How can I control the wild heart of a young man? Thao often asked herself. She could never find an answer. Linh, Im falling down to Room 1008, in doll-form of course, while youre busy cooking, she thought. Linh was a good cook. Every weekend they went to the market in a Vietnamese area to buy a chicken, some tubes of shrimp paste and bean curd pieces for dinner. As far as she knew, her father had also been a great cook. When Thao was a little girl, her father often made her a tasty pumpkin porridge. She had heard a saying that a man who dearly loved his children and was good at cooking would never be unfaithful. Unfortunately, her father was not that type of man! Because of his cheating, her mother became miserable, forgot about pursuing her dreams and decided to start selling jeans at the market before taking Thao to Russia. From then on, Thaos mother forbade her from contacting her father. When Thao turned fifteen, her mother took a man called Hoan home as a boyfriend. He was as strong as a horse. He could carry bales of goods that other men had to use a cart to move. Hoan was an uneducated and rude working man. One day he groped Thaos breasts. Thao had chosen Room 1108 to live because every morning she enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the little woods below. It was there she had first seen Linh by chance. * * * On a clear summer morning when she opened the window she saw a student lying on the grass of the campus. Blood was oozing out of him, drenching his shirt. That sight was not strange to any Vietnamese people in the area. Clashes between Vietnamese students and Russian skinheads were too common. For newcomers like him, the best thing to do was run away as fast as possible. Luckily, he had crawled to the campus green despite his serious stab wound. Thao happened to see him in such a terrible situation. She did her best to take him to a nearby first-aid station, then to a hospital, paid his bills and, last but not least, played interpreted for him for many months in both the local hospital and the police station. He could barely speak any Russian even though he had taken a preparatory Russian before leaving Viet Nam. She was now, in doll-form of course, falling down to the fifth floor, Room 508. She then went to the meeting hall of Block 11, a gathering place for the Vietnamese students. Its activities were in full swing because of Jenis 18th birthday celebrations. The attendees were, for the most part, hot and exciting Mexicans. Jeni had her miniskirt on, just big enough to cover her buttocks. Her crop-top showed her entire waist and part of her back. Sitting timidly in a corner, Thao slowly sipped beer. Jeni had drunk to her hearts content. Thao realised that during that party, Jeni had drank ten bottles of beer. Oddly enough, Jeni was conscious during the entire event while Thao fell into a drunken sleep on the floor even though she didnt drink much. Suddenly, Jeni appeared before Thao, red in the face and speaking strangely. Im awfully sorry because Ive fallen in love with your boyfriend, Jeni mumbled. It doesnt matter, Thao told her. Caressing her cheeks gently, Thao went on, Youre quite drunk. Go to sleep. Tomorrow youll feel fine. No, Ive slept too much. Im awake now and Im interested in your boyfriend, Jeni said, bursting into laughter. No need to apologise, friend! Im not sulky with you at all, Thao whispered. Laughing heartily, she hugged her. Thao thought that Jeni was just kidding. Moreover, Thao thought as an Asian man, Linh would hardly fall in love with a Latin American girl who was very sexy and appeared intensively hot in front to other young men. Thao thought that she would be more suitable for him than any other strange girls. I have no need to be worried! Thao said to herself. However, she was wrong. * * * My beloved Linh, now Im falling again, she wrote. When Linh left their room, it became very empty because he took all his possessions: a colour TV, the hi-fi music centre, a large fridge and more, simply to bring them back to his own room below. Amazingly, Thao did not cry. Not one tear came from her eyes. She watched him take them out without a word! Suddenly she told him, Darling, Im six-months pregnant. Are you resorting to an old trick to hold me back? Linh asked her. After so many years in Russia, youre still like an old-fashioned Vietnamese young woman. Just give birth to it. Ill help raise our baby, he blurted out. OK, it doesnt matter. Ill keep it and look after the baby with all my heart and soul, she replied, laughing bitterly. A baby boy would be greatly welcome. If its a baby girl, she will lead a miserable life like you. If that happens Ill be sad, he went on. Thao burst out crying and said, If you care about me, how can you leave me? she asked him. You should have been my little sister rather than my girlfriend. We werent suited, Linh retorted after a few minutes of silence. Thao screamed loudly. She broke down in tears. Has any girl ever treated you this way? Thao asked him. How foolish you are! she added. He did not say a word. Before leaving he told her, As to my debt of 30, 000 rubles that I owed your mother, Ill pay it gradually. * * * Without him, Thao felt lonely. If so, come back to me, Thaos mother assuaged her, when she heard of her daughters problems. However, the wicked man Hoan was now living with her mother. Would he grope Thao again? Thaos father urged her to return to Viet Nam to stay with him. Time and again, she thought of returning home forever. His new wife was a woman, so no sexual assaults would happen to her stepdaughter. Still, on second thought Thao asked herself, How can his little house be enough for his wife Vi, their little daughters Noel and La Vie together with himself, plus me? Thao made up her mind to keep on living alone in Room 1108, cold and desolate. Curiously, one day Mr Anatoli, the old man in charge of Block 11, came and knocked at her door. Thao*, are you going to jump out of the window? he asked her in an amazed voice. Oh no! Ive never thought of doing that, she answered. Then why is there a rope hanging down from this window? he added when both were stood by her window. I only want to get rid of my two dolls, Thao insisted, laughing mockingly. Why? Dont you know that weve got a bin? Why dont you put them there? he questioned her about her unusual behaviour. Sometimes I pull them up halfway Thao said. How strange. Casting away a doll or a stuffed animal every few days is a waste of money! I dont think so. My mother is wealthy. Dolls or toys mean nothing to her. To me, an old thing should be thrown away to get a new one. Anatolis daughter was one of Thaos classmates in secondary school. He regarded her as his own child. Knowing how lonely she was, he talked about Linh, Hes a bad guy. Why do you have to waste your time because of him? Youre a beautiful girl, finding a worthy partner doesnt matter, he consoled her. A year passed and Thao still felt sorrowful. Looking at the old man, she said, Dear Anatoli, he was my biggest doll that I ever let go halfway then pulled up so many times. Stop that ridiculous childs play. Drop it in the bin instead. Hes not worthy of you, he told her, gently touching her hair. Better still, let it fall to the ground, he added. Thao remained unable to throw it through the window, or to forget the happy days they had enjoyed together in Room 1108. She could not get rid of her two biggest dolls, the male doll was Linh and the other was herself. They were the most beautiful things Thao had held on to. * * * Linh and Jeni lived on the floor under hers. Day after day, the three of them often shared the same lift. He remained as good-looking and arrogant as he had been before, while his sweetheart was still extroverted, friendly and sexy. One afternoon in the crowded lift they failed to see her. They talked softly and smiled happily. Time and again he kissed her half-opened rosy lips. Thao felt her heart breaking to the point that she nearly fainted. Soon Thao became at ease. By now it was winter, with snow flakes coming down thinly. Thao made up her mind to drop both dolls through the window. They fell free to the ground and lay there. Thao remembered that Uncle Anatoli had told her one day, Thao*, youve thrown away those rubbish things through the window, havent you? She nodded her head in silence. They were two big dolls, werent they? he asked her further. Yes, I did, sir, she insisted. Very good, my dear! Hardly had the caretaker walked away when Thao called him loudly. Dear Anatoli, I dont want to stay alone any longer. Please find me another roommate. Ill keep the room key for you, she said to him. Thao, I wish you a sound sleep. From tomorrow morning, youll turn over a new leaf. By the way, pay Mrs Marina the charge for the rubbish that you dropped at random, he requested politely. Translated by Van Minh *Instead of saying Thao, he pronounces Thao because Russian has no diacritics 01:54 RBA lifts cash rate by 25 basis points to 2.85 per cent Sky News Business Editor Ross Greenwood says the Reserve Bank of Australia has lifted the cash rate by 25 basis points to 2.85 per cent. 03:30 Democrats distance from stammering and stuttering Joe Biden ahead of midterms Democrat candidates are running further away from US President Joe Biden and are turning to his former boss Barack Obama to get them across the... 03:00 Furious driver drags leftie protesters off busy road Sky News host Caleb Bond says one man in the UK tried to reason with some "lefties" before having to resort to dragging them off a busy road... 01:32 Where is Generation Zs resilience? Sky News host Caleb Bond says one "poor leftie" student in America has posted a video online complaining about having to work an entire day.... 08:51 No perfect solution to fix gas prices Assistant Minister for Treasury Andrew Leigh says there is no perfect solution to fix rising gas prices. WATERLOO Emily Schuldt was enjoying her nursing career working in the intensive care unit at UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital when one of her former professors approached her about helping teach a clinical course through Allen College. It didnt take long for Schuldt to catch the teaching bug after the initial experience. Its a passion that you have to have for helping to train and educate the new generation of nurses, and I think youll find that in any office here at Allen College, said Schuldt, who is now an assistant professor at the Waterloo nursing college. And hopefully, thats translating out into the community when we send nurses out to practice. That passion is necessary in part because an ongoing nursing shortage means many potential educators are making more money by staying in practice. But then a nursing faculty shortage is one factor in the continuing nursing shortage. Thats why Allen College and many others across the nation are offering a nurse faculty loan program. The college got the $59,752 grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration to help it recruit more nursing faculty like Schuldt. The benefits of the program also helped Schuldt with her decision to transition to teaching. The program offers partial loan forgiveness to people who graduate from a nursing education program and work full-time as nursing faculty for a period of four years. But for Schuldt, that only begins to address how beneficial the program has been. Its been fantastic; it takes a lot of stress off of thinking that youre going to have two advanced degrees worth of loans, and then to know that youre only going to owe the 15 percent, Schuldt said. Schuldt, a native of Greene, also received her masters degree from Allen College in nursing education and is currently working on a doctoral degree at Clarke University in Dubuque. Because the loan program is specific to a nursing education degree, she had to look outside of Allen College for her doctoral degree as the college doesnt yet offer nursing education at the doctorate level. Soon after Schuldt completed her masters level work, she began teaching full-time at Allen College. Once she completes four years working full-time, shell owe just 15 percent of her loan debts. Though she credits the help from the financial aid folks at Allen College, Schuldt said the paperwork for being accepted into the program was very simple. Allen College is doing its part to spread the word about the program. Recruiters share the opportunity with potential students interested in the education track, and UnityPoint Health team members often are told about continuing education opportunities. Plus, the college announced recently it received the nearly $60,000 grant to continue to offer the opportunity to future students. While there is not a faculty shortage currently at Allen College though the occupational health program is still searching for a full-time position the shortage nationwide is vast. Almost two-thirds of schools that responded to an American Association of Colleges of Nursing survey found faculty shortages. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing found 68,938 qualified applicants were turned away from nursing programs in 2014 due to an insufficient number of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, clinical preceptors and budget constraints. While thats down from nearly 80,000 qualified applicants two years ago, the need for nurses is continuing to grow. The shortage of nursing faculty is just one reason for a growing need for nurses. Theres also the fact many nurses are nearing retirement age. Theres a need for more nurses to care for the aging population, and higher stress on nurses as demand grows causes many to leave the profession, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. While the number of working nurses is expected to grow during the next 10 years, the demand and the need to replace retiring nurses will continue to grow along with it. A report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services finds that by 2025, there will be more registered nurses in Iowa than there is demand, but many Cedar Valley providers have said theres a shortage now. Plus, 43.8 percent of current nurses in Iowa are aged 50 or older. Theres a statewide shortage of registered nurses, Jerry Durham, chancellor at Allen College, said earlier this year. In the Cedar Valley, which I know more about, there are significant numbers of openings for nurses at all three hospitals. Allen associates donate money WATERLOO Associates of UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital, Allen College and the Allen Foundation combined for a gift of $781,573 to the UnityPoint Health-Waterloo capital campaign, which went public last month. The three-part $19.8 million fund drive is titled For Allen For You, and is part of an overall $48.8 million plan to address the health care and health care-education needs of the Cedar Valley. The public phase of the campaign kicked off Sept. 26 in the Pinnacle Prairie area in Cedar Falls, where it was announced that $10.4 million has already been raised. The associates gift also was announced. Campaign officials Pam Delagardelle, president and CEO of UnityPoint Health-Waterloo; Dr. Jerry Durham, Allen College chancellor; and Dee Vandeventer, chief development officer for UnityPoint Health-Allen Foundation vowed to dye their hair in campaign colors should associate participation reach the 100 percent goal this weekend when the trio will deliver thank-you treats to associates. Parade of Homes winners named WATERLOO Debra Holm received a gift certificate in Augusts annual Parade of Homes showcase, sponsored by The Courier, Home Builders Association of Northeast Iowa, Veridian Credit Union and James Hardie. Parade patrons also voted in the best of contest. Best curb appeal was a tie between LGC Homes at 4104 Wedgewood Drive and Schuerman Homes at 3006 Pendelton Drive, both in Cedar Falls. Schuerman Homes also won top honors for kitchen design and landscaping at 3006 Pendelton Drive, while LGC Homes won the most votes for master suite. LGC Homes also won best in parade honors for the Wedgewood Drive home. Sartori Hospital earns distinction CEDAR FALLS Sartori Memorial Hospital was named a Blue Distinction Center for knee and hip replacement, part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated health care facilities shown to deliver improved patient safety and better health outcomes based on objective measures that were developed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. Knee and hip replacement procedures are among the fastest growing medical treatments in the U.S. Dupaco receives No. 1 honor DUBUQUE Dupaco Community Credit Union was recognized as one of the nations Top Performing credit unions. Ranking No. 1 in its asset class, Dupaco received the Crystal Performance award. The Raddon Financial Group recognizes credit unions for their performance in several areas, including profitability, growth and efficiency. The award was based on the credit unions 2015 performance. Toy store hosts grand opening WATERLOO Stuffems Toy Shop opened at Crossroads Center mall with a grand opening set for Nov. 5. The store has a large collection of build-your-own stuffed animals along with clothing, accessories, gifts and boutique retail toys. The grand opening will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday. There are a number of promotional activities planned. C.F. store closes on Thanksgiving DAVENPORT Von Maur Department Store, which has a store in Cedar Falls, announced last week it will again be closed on Thanksgiving. For more than 140 years, Von Maur has remained closed on Thanksgiving and all other major holidays, including Easter, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Christmas and New Years Day. Wartburg earns recognition WAVERLY Wartburg College was recognized as a sustainability leader in the 2016 Sustainable Campus Index, receiving high rankings in the area of water for the second time in as many years. Recognition in the water category is based on advancements in water use and rainwater management. Wartburg tied for fifth nationally in this category, which honors efforts to conserve water and protect water quality. The college uses minimal irrigation and only waters flowering beds during times of low rainfall. The installation of water conservation devices has led to a 30 percent reduction in consumption in recent years. Rainwater management efforts, including rooftop retention, landscaping to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water, and water runoff management during rain events, also were applauded. UNI recognized for being green CEDAR FALLS University of Northern Iowa is featured in the Princeton Reviews Guide to 361 Green Colleges, ranking No. 41 among the 361 colleges considered the most environmentally responsible colleges in the nation. UNI received a green rating of 98 out of 99. In partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, the article recognizes colleges and universities that demonstrate an above-average commitment to sustainability. Ratings are based on a combination of school-reported data, student opinion, whether students have a quality of life on campus that is healthy and sustainable, how well a school is preparing students for employment in an increasingly green economy and environmentally responsible school policies. Conservation workshop slated WATERLOO Those who care about the land, water, wildlife and nature recreation in the region are invited to a free lunch workshop on Conservation Legacy Options from noon to 1:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Cedar Valley SportsPlex, 300 Jefferson St. A complimentary lunch from Subway will be served at 11:30 a.m. The workshop is sponsored by Black Hawk County Conservation Board and Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. Attorney Paul Morf of Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman and Anita OGara of INHF are featured speakers. Attorneys, financial advisers and tax preparers are encouraged to attend. Attorneys may earn continuing legal education credits at this session, and register at http://conservationlegacy.eventbrite.com or at www.inhf.org under Upcoming Events. Professionals may call Anita OGara at (515) 288-1846 with any questions. The general public also is invited. The public should register at www.BlackHawkCountyParks.com under the Events category. Interested guests may call Vern Fish at 433-7275 with any questions. DYSART Randy Luze is growing native prairie strips to slow erosion, hold nutrients in place and provide habitat for monarchs and other pollinators. Luze hosted a field day on his farm northeast of Dysart recently to show the progress of the prairie he started in 2015 and 2016. Luze, who farms with his father, Larry, in Tama County, said theyve talked for a number of years about how there are no fence rows any more. The fence lines acted as terraces 50 years ago. I started thinking about grass strips, but we dont have any livestock, so we would have no use for the forage if we were to plant grass strips, Luze said. Iowa introduced its Nutrient Reduction Strategy in 2013, and while there were easy things farmers could do to stabilize nitrogen and use cover crops, Luze could see other practices were needed for bigger results. About that time, he came across the Iowa State University Science-based Trials of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips, or STRIPS, research done at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge. That was really the eye-opener, Luze said. With strategically placed prairie, they were seeing up to 80 to 90 percent reduction in nutrient loss with about 10 percent of their acres in prairie. Those results sent Luze to the Tallgrass Prairie Center at the University of Northern Iowa. Laura Jackson, the director, was enthusiastic about finding ways to make prairie work on farms. Through its Integrated Roadside Vegetative Management Program, the center establishes prairie in difficult environments, selecting the best mix of grasses, forbs and sedges for each location. Luze has done demonstration plots on his farm using nine different combinations of tillage, no-till, cover crops and no cover crops. We grow contract seed production for Pioneer, which results in more tillage and less residue than the typical corn and soybean rotation, Luze said. Spring field cultivation is the tillage pass that creates 90 percent of our problems. Thinking about the prairie strips on 10 percent of the acres and where to put them, tools like the Agren Soil Loss Calculator helped in targeting where we could get the most bang for our buck. The prairie strips are enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, and Luze said the Benton County NRCS was helpful in designing the practice to make it easy to farm between the strips. In 2015, they laid out the strips in early April with flags going up the first grass strip. Luze started planting corn and when he got to the first strip, he used GPS to skip over 30 feet all the way across the field. In June of that year, the Tallgrass Prairie staff drilled the prairie seed. They used oats as a cover crop. Luzes father mowed the strips at least twice to keep weeds down. Prairie plants popped up pretty quickly in 2015, and this year they really started to take off, Luze said. Plant identification is a weakness of my dad and mine. We need to know what are weeds and what are prairie plants, but were learning. Three commonly used seed mixes (diversity, pollinator and economy) were examined and ways to establish successful plantings were discussed during the field day. When establishing prairie strips, farmers do need some hand holding, Luze said. I grow corn and soybeans, and this is way different, he said. There is help from the Tallgrass Prairie Center, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Iowa State STRIPS, NRCS and local nutrient reduction groups, he says. Ashley Kittle, program manager with Prairie on Farms, planted seven native prairie plantings on farms in 2015 and 2016, with two more planned this fall. This means we ordered seed, developed seed mixes specific to the site, mixed the seed, calibrated the drill, ensured proper planting conditions and planted the sites using our native seed Truax drill, Kittle said. Our main goal is to disseminate information to landowners, producers and conservation professionals on the proper methods and techniques for establishing a successful prairie planting and the maintenance and long-term management. The program has provided a plant identification workshop and promotes the Tallgrass Prairie Centers online native seed calculator, found at http://www.tallgrassprairiecenter.org/. CLARKSVILLE Two men died in a single-vehicle crash Thursday evening east of Clarksville. The Iowa State Patrol identified the deceased as Jeffrey Dewitt, 41, of Shell Rock, and Andrew Baker, 28, of Waverly. Both were passengers in the pickup being driven by Matthew Dewitt, 44, of Shell Rock. Matthew Dewitt and Baker were transported to Waverly Health Center. It was announced Friday that Baker had died. The accident was reported about 7:05 p.m. on County Road C-33 about a quarter-mile east of Willow Avenue. Troopers said the truck was eastbound on C-33, drifted off the roadway into the south ditch a struck a box culvert. The crash remains under investigation. Police investigate Waterloo holdup WATERLOO Waterloo Police are investigating a Saturday morning robbery at Kwik Star on Broadway Avenue. Police responded to the Kwik Star, 707 Broadway St., at about 6:20 a.m. after the stores holdup alarm went off. They found a robbery had occurred. The suspect entered through the front door and displayed a handgun. A description of the suspect has not been released. The incident is under investigation. La Porte City crash injures 3 LA PORTE CITY Three people were injured when an automobile hit a tree in the 600 block of Commercial Street here late Friday morning. Black Hawk County sheriffs deputies said Dean DeMoss, 42, of Hiawatha, received critical life-threatening injuries and was initially taken to Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo and later airlifted to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. A second individual, Sylvia McVay, 38, of Cedar Rapids received a minor arm injury and was taken to Covenant. Both were rear-seat passengers in a vehicle driven by Maria Motto, 49, of Vinton, who also was taken to Covenant with serious injuries. Deputies said she was northbound on Commercial, lost control of the vehicle and it left the road and struck a tree. Deputies and La Porte City police at the scene were assisted by La Porte firefighters and Covenant paramedics. Waterloo woman shot in leg WATERLOO A Waterloo woman was shot Thursday night in a domestic dispute, police said. Police were called to a west side residence Thursday night before midnight by the victim, Vickie Fristo, who told dispatchers she had been shot in the leg. She was taken to Covenant Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. According to preliminary investigations, it appears Fristo was shot in a struggle over a handgun with her husband, Michael Fristo. The weapon went off and a bullet struck Vickie Fristo in the leg. Michael Fristo was taken into custody at his home and charged with domestic assault with intent to injure, an aggravated misdemeanor that carries up to two years in prison upon conviction. Work release escapee sought WATERLOO State correctional officials are looking for a man who failed to return to a work release facility. Iowa Department of Corrections officials said Armando Adame III, 25, was placed on escape status after failing to return to the facility from employment. He was serving a 25-year sentence for first-degree burglary and possession of a firearm. He was transferred to work release June 21. He is described as a Caucasian, 6 feet tall, 177 pounds with black hair and brown eyes with several tattoos on his legs, chest and left hand and wrist and scars on his back, left forearm, right hand, neck and shoulders. Information his whereabouts should be reported to Waterloo police or Black Hawk County sheriffs deputies. Two indicted on gun charges WATERLOO A grand jury has indicted two men on weapons charges in connection with a July traffic stop. Officers found a loaded 9 mm Taurus handgun in Daytoviane Dapree McLemores shorts when they stopped a BMW 300 on July 1 on East Mullan Avenue. McLemore, 18, was a passenger, and Joshua Adam Rode, 19, was the driver. Officers also found a plastic bag with marijuana residue in the vehicle. Police allege Rode had handled the weapon and gave it to McLemore before the traffic stop. They were arrested in August on state weapons charges, and on Oct. 18, a grand jury indicted Rode and McLemore on charges of possession of a firearm by a drug user. McLemore was detained Monday, and a magistrate ruled on Wednesday he will remain in jail until trial. Rode was detained Wednesday. Badge thief pleads guilty CHARLES CITY A man accused of stealing a police badge from a plaque in the lobby of the Charles City Police Department has pleaded guilty and will be sentenced Nov. 7. Isaia Weber, 33, of Charles City, pleaded guilty Friday to misdemeanor charges of fifth-degree theft and fifth-degree criminal mischief. The state is recommending two days in jail plus a $125 surcharge and restitution on each charge, according to Floyd County District Court records. Charles City Police Chief Hugh Anderson said Weber is suspected of taking the badge from the Shelley Trefz Award plaque sometime last week. Officers recovered the badge Wednesday afternoon while searching a home in the 200 block of First Avenue. Weber was arrested earlier that day at a residence on 10th Avenue. Sex abuse brings prison sentence CHARLES CITY A Charles City woman was sentenced Friday to up to 10 years in prison for felony sexual abuse. Brittany Rae Beek, 27, who was accused by police of committing sex acts against the will of two female minors May 11 in Charles City, originally was charged with two counts of third-degree sexual abuse. A Floyd County jury found her guilty of one of those counts in August. She was found not guilty on the second count. Beek has been ordered to register as a sex offender and pay a $250 civil penalty. She also will be under supervision by the Department of Corrections for the rest of her life, with the possibility of parole, after she is released from prison. A $1,000 fine was suspended. She is to pay victim restitution to the Crime Victim Compensation program, with the amount to be determined within 30 days. Beek is to have no contact with the victims. The no-contact order will be in effect for five years unless it is modified, terminated or extended by further court order. Beek also pleaded guilty to and was sentenced to 180 days in jail and fined $315 Friday for a misdemeanor charge of assault on persons in certain occupations. She was given credit for time served in custody. While Beek was being escorted from the Floyd County Jail to a patrol car to be taken to another jail on Sept. 6, she kicked, spat and bit at three officers while in restraints, according to the criminal complaint. FLOYD A meeting to discuss proposed changes at the Avenue of the Saints intersection will be Nov. 9 in Floyd. The meeting is 5 to 7 p.m. at the Floyd Community Center, 706 Fairfield St. A formal presentation will begin at 6 p.m. Officials from the Iowa Department of Transportation will present proposed changes for Avenue of the Saints at U.S. 218 and Quarry Road. Many locals have lobbied for an an elevated interchange at the intersection, which was the site of a deadly crash in July. More than 3,000 people signed an online petition urging changes after the July crash. A delegation of North Iowans formally presented their concerns at the Iowa DOTs meeting in August in Sioux City. Iowa DOT Field Services Coordinator Pete Hjelmstad said state transportation officials considered a number of proposals for the intersection. These alternatives were detailed to the public in 2012. Through input weve taken from the public and DOT staff weve got a preferred alternative, which we will be presenting the 9th, Hjelmstad said. He would not say which of the preferred alternatives was chosen, but said it was an interchange with ramps. The elevated roadway would replace the current at-grade interchange. In a letter sent to legislators in August, the Iowa DOT said it would discuss funding the project in fiscal 2019-20 or 2021-22. Oral and written statements will be accepted at the meeting. Attendees also will be able to ask questions at the meeting. Details of the preferred alternative will be available after the meeting at www.iowadot.gov/pim. Hot beef meal today in C.F. CEDAR FALLS -- The Main Street Social Club will host a meal today featuring Jeff Gann's famous hot roast beef sandwiches at the Cedar Falls AMVETS, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The meal also includes garlic mashed potatoes, gravy and corn, and pie for dessert. There will be raffle prizes and a 50/50 drawing. This is a fundraiser for the club's Adopt A Family project. Blue Zones fetes Cedar Valley WATERLOO -- The Cedar Valley earned recognition during the second annual Blue Zones Project National Summit held in Fort Worth, Texas, Oct. 17-19. Waterloo and Cedar Falls has been involved in the wellness initiative since 2012 and became a certified Blue Zones Communities in 2014. Waterloo and Cedar Falls were the only communities to receive awards for Best Practices in School Transformation. Waterloo and Cedar Falls each have four public designated Blue Zones Schools. In addition the entire Cedar Valley Catholic Schools system and schools have been designated as Blue Zones Schools. Blue Zones Project Advisory Board members Jackie Preston and Sue Beach attended the summit as representatives of the Cedar Valley. Military PTSD subject of talk CEDAR FALLS -- Norman Ferguson, coordinator of Military and Veteran Student Services at the University of Northern Iowa, will discuss whether the origins of post-traumatic stress disorder from combat blasts are physical or psychological. The event will be from 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesday in the Oak Room in Maucker Union on the UNI campus. It is free and open to the public, and sponsored by UNI's American Democracy Project. Dollar General opening in LPC LA PORTE CITY -- Dollar General will celebrate the opening of its new location at 7722 E. Reinbeck Road at 8 a.m. Saturday with free prizes and special deals. Additionally, the first 50 adult shoppers at the store will receive a $10 Dollar General gift card and the first 200 shoppers will receive a Dollar General tote bag, among other giveaways. Deputies raise funds with beards WATERLOO -- The Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office employees will be sporting a new look in November to support a local worthy cause. In observance of No-Shave November, the sheriffs office will allow employees to violate policy and go neatly trimmed, but unshaven for the month to raise money for the Covenant Cancer Treatment Center. Upper Iowa hosts Vets Day program FAYETTE -- A Zearing native will be guest speaker of the 2016 Upper Iowa University Veterans Day program on Nov. 11. UIU Director of Military and Veteran Services Chad Cook has served the U.S. military for 24 years. While the majority of his military career has been as a traditional Guardsman and Reservist, Cooks wartime service was in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan from 2004-2005. The public event will begin at 11 a.m. in the Student Center ballrooms at UIUs Fayette campus. Fayette American Legion Post 339 will present the colors. Gordon Musel, a UIU history major from Tama, will be master of ceremonies. Musel is a Marine Corps veteran, who has served in Afghanistan. Volunteers needed for area projects WATERLOO The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is seeking help with the following: Under The Harvest Moon is a dinner and live auction to raise money for Hartman Reserve Nature Center. Volunteers are needed to assist with food prep, serving and clean up from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. on Nov. 4. Volunteers are needed to assist with the Family STEM Festival on Nov. 10 at Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center. Two shifts of volunteers needed: 3:15 to 5:15 p.m. and 5:15 to 7:30 p.m. LitCon is a festival celebrating literature, fandom and pop culture featuring presentations, contests, table-top gaming, a photo booth and local authors and artisans on Nov. 11-12 at the Cedar Falls Public Library. Volunteers will assist in making this a safe and fun event for all ages. Red kettle time for the Salvation Army is Nov. 11-Dec. 24. Volunteers are sought to ring bells at 20 retail locations throughout the Cedar Valley. Minimal training required and families and friends are welcome to volunteer together. For more information, call the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 272-2087, or go to www.vccv.org. Before you read this column, do me a favor. Go to the kitchen, open the drawer, get the scissors and some scotch tape. When done reading this, stick it on the refrigerator and then read it again Nov. 9, the day after the election. What is important on the morning after is some reflection, both in terms of what we learned and what needs to be done. Here are a few thoughts on the past and the future. The meanest election ever? Probably not. This one was mean-spirited, and we are all glad it is finally coming to an end. But in terms of temperament, others have been worse. Many years ago there was a fellow running for our highest office. Timothy Dwight, the president of Yale University, warned if this man were to win the election, it would cause our wives and daughters to be forced into legal prostitution. A prominent minister called him not just an infidel, but a hardened one. A woman of Connecticut took her Bible and asked her neighbor to keep it safe, because if this candidate won she feared he would confiscate them all. But she knew hers wouldnt be taken because her friend was a Democrat and they would never look in his house for a Bible. Despite all this denunciation, the guy won. His name was Thomas Jefferson. The author of the Declaration of Independence was subjected to a total character assassination when seeking the presidency. How did he do? His features have been carved into a mountain somewhere in South Dakota, and a trip to D.C. always includes visiting his memorial. Jefferson, when he took office, had to look forward. The same is true today, and our new president will face a host of challenges. To name just a few consider this. Robert Penn Warren described our highway system as ribbons. Concrete or cloth, they are in disrepair. Our bridges are falling, our retirement accounts face insolvency, the is deficit too high, the debt higher yet. We have income inequity, a tax code in desperate need of revision and jobs are fleeing the land. The new president will confront difficulties abroad, like the paw print of the Russian bear in the Ukraine and the Middle East, the dark clouds of nuclear armament over the Korean Peninsula, the aggressive nature of modern China. Sure, this was a tough election. But to meet the challenges we face and enhance our future, we need to come together. The common goal should not be to commence the new presidents term by making him or her the worst president ever. We should strive to make the new president the best of the modern era. Jefferson, after his election, reminded us every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. Finally, we have once again completed a remarkable transfer of power. No one awoke to the specter of tanks on the streets of the nations capital, the White House surrounded with armed troops and the nations television stations under military control. We transfer power of the government by the individual act of each citizen rendering together the collective wisdom of the nation. No nation has ever done it longer or better. You should feel a little pride this morning (Nov. 9). The greatest nation in history has just exercised freedom once again. A major development last week regarding a centerpiece Cedar Falls events center underscores the need for public bodies to fully disclose their business and for the public to stay informed. The Area Education Agency 267 board of directors approved purchase of the Park Place Events Center, also known as the Pipac Centre on the Lake, at 1521 Technology Parkway, for $4 million. The move would consolidate administrative, staff and conference space AEA now has in several buildings in the 3700 block of Cedar Heights Drive. Those buildings, appraised at $5.5 to $5.8 million, will be sold, offsetting the purchase price for the Pipac building plus another $1.5 million needed for renovation. AEA 267 officials say the Pipac Center will increase seating capacity for professional training and conferences from 180 on Cedar Heights Drive to more than 600 at Pipac, bringing more visitor business to town. Plus its a newer building, built in 2005, while some of the Cedar Heights Drive buildings date back to the early 1970s and would be more expensive to renovate, at about $3.1 million. The building was listed for sale in November 2014. In March, local restaurateur Darin Becks Barmuda Cos., which had operated Park Place Event Centre & Ferraris Ristorante at the Pipac building since 2005, decided to close both operations, honoring contracted events through the end of the year. Pipac co-owners LeaAnn and Greg Saul had said they would continue to operate the center beyond that, pending a sale. AEA 267 has been publicly discussing its need for additional space for months. In December the board hired a firm to develop a master plan for its facilities, including how facilities are utilized and possibilities for renovations or new construction to make operations more cost-effective. The study looked at AEA buildings in Marshalltown and Clear Lake, focused on the central offices in Cedar Falls and also looked at the age and physical condition of the buildings. That report was presented to the board in August, and it and recommended consolidation of the Cedar Falls offices. At that same meeting the board held a closed session, as provided under Iowa law, to discuss the purchase of property but took no action. AEA 267 spokesperson Beth Strike noted the facilities study opened up discussion about what the possibilities may be. Ultimately, the board decided to buy the Pipac building. Its bittersweet, LeaAnn Saul said of the sale. She and her husband were unable to come to terms on selling the building as an events center. But ultimately, the move may actually achieve one of the Sauls goals when they built the Pipac building bringing visitor business to town. AEA administrator Sam Miller noted the agency recently had to hold a training conference in Cedar Rapids due to lack of space here. If AEA 267 can recapture that meeting business and add to it, it will benefit the entire area. Private hotels are nearby for overnight accommodations and the Pipac building has easy access off the U.S. Highway 20-Hudson Road interchange. Nonethless, AEA 267s acquisition of the Pipac building surprised most of the general public. In hindsight, the factors leading to the transaction are clear. The Sauls wanted to sell their building, and AEA 267 had aging buildings and needed to consolidate its facilities. But it would have taken quite a bit of prescience on the part of the average citizen to predict a comparatively low-profile public-sector entity in fairly nondescript surroundings like AEA 267 moving into a high-profile, ornate location such as Pipac. The move may make economic sense to the parties involved. One thing is certain. AEA 267 will not only raise its physical public profile by moving into the building. Its actions also will command greater attention and scrutiny by the citizenry in the future. Thats the way it should be. Agency officials know that, as evidenced by the way they announced the move to the public and their staff. If some people didnt even know what AEA 267 is, they certainly will now. And agency officials, to use a term now in vogue, need to be as transparent as possible in the conduct of their business. We dont think they need to be told that. But we feel a public obligation to mention it. Vote for Trump DAVID LARSON WATERLOO -- I applaud Donald Trump and Mike Pence's stirring message of traditional patriotism, and have already voted absentee for them. The United States should not be defined by its few and uncharacteristic missteps, but instead by its abundant, massive triumphs. America stands tall as an inspirational illustration of the glories free men can accomplish when they live by their own lights, with equally available opportunity enabling their ambitions. To quote Trump, "One country, under one God, saluting one American flag." With Trump/Pence, radical Islamic terrorism would be crushed; illegal immigrants (already criminals by definition) of unknown identity and intent would no longer stream into America; laws would again be observed in Washington, and police would be encouraged to effectively dispatch murderous street thugs. The 2016 presidential election will be Americans' final opportunity to stee! r our magnificent ship back toward its historical greatness and away from the current lamentable course of weakness, incompetence, instability, and PC head-hanging. We can again be the wealthy, strong, unified nation we once were. One American people, shoulder to shoulder, with greatly more in common than not. Donald Trump isn't American voters' only presidential option this year. Just our finest one. Vote for Sadler THOMAS PENALUNA CEDAR FALLS -- As a business owner, I want to encourage you to vote for Bonnie Sadler. Bonnie is a small business owner and understands the over regulation and tax burdens being put on businesses by overreaching government. Simplification and restructuring of our tax structure will keep businesses and attract others which will provide good paying jobs and a growing economy for our future leaders. I encourage you all to get out and vote, no matter who you vote for. It is important that your voice is heard in this election season. Vote for Kroeger JEFFREY KAPLAN WATERLOO -- When we accept candidates that run campaign commercials wed rather our kids not see, when we accept political discourse that disgusts rather than uplifts, when we accept vulgarity over virtue, its time to stop accepting the unacceptable. It's time to reject candidates that lack the courage to vote for whats right over what the left or the right would have us believe. Time to reject any candidate thats received a 100 percent voting score from some liberal or conservative cause theyve already surrendered their seat anyway. Our family proudly supports Gary Kroeger for House District 60. Garys candidacy defies party labels because his only agenda is you and me. Gary not only lives in our neighborhood, he lives in reality we cant imagine Gary trying to convince this community that UNI funding levels are adequate, when we all know the university needs more support. Gary shares our belief that small businesses and family farms are the economic engine of this community and that social services and infrastructure excellence attract far more out-of-state businesses than any lavish tax incentives ever could. We are proud to call Gary our friend. Vote for Hillary PAM JOHNSON FLOYD -- Like many of you, I am so ready for this election to be over. The great part about being an Iowan is that we can get up close and personal with many of the candidates before the caucuses. In April of 2015, I was asked to sit at a table with Hillary Clinton and six other Iowans to discuss issues that are important to rural America. For 90 minutes,we talked, she listened, she acted, and our thoughts were voiced in her rural action plan. Hillary earned my respect and I am voting for her. The other choice is Donald Trump. A demagogue who preaches from his bully pulpit and listens to no one, not even his running mate Governor Pence. Throughout the caucuses, the Republican debates and the 3 presidential debates, and his tape recorded at Access Hollywood, Trump has clearly revealed the kind of man he is. He is unfit to serve as President of our United States of America. I used to be a Republican. This year the choice is crystal clear. Im voting for Hillary Clinton. Ship naming Beryl Richards NASHUA The secretary of the Navy has proposed naming a U.S. Navy ship for Harvey Milk. There is a specific criteria for naming U.S. Naval ships. Being gay or not is not in any of the requirements. It should not be reason to not give that honor, but it certainly should not be reason enough alone to be honored in this fashion. Mr. Milk had no history of great military achievement or heroism, so Im guessing this is a political statement by the outgoing administration. This seems to be a bad idea at best and a slap in the face of deserving, mostly deceased, veterans at worst. Contact your representative and ask that the standards be met for naming U.S. Naval vessels. Column response Steve Bakke WATERLOO Dennis Claysons Oct. 23rd column, Politicians cant tell the truth, delivers the unfortunate message a candidate should keep your mouth shut about potential solutions to problems. He points out anything of substance will be spun into a negative and will be ... proof positive the person is too extreme, too corrupt and just too evil to be elected. He uses the Social Security debate as an excellent example. Social Security is not solvent by any logical measure. The so-called trust fund is effectively exhausted. The system has actually run a deficit since 2010 and this will continue in perpetuity unless reforms are enacted. What tweaks are needed? Its really not too complicated but is politically very difficult. We need some combination of: Increasing SS taxes i.e. employer and employee contributions. Increasing the maximum contribution. Raising the retirement age. Limiting benefits or cost of living adjustments. Introducing a means test. Introducing an element of individual private accounts. I assure you variations of these items are on the to do list of many of those currently declaring the soundness of the Social Security system. They just havent told us yet. Its easier to just kick the can down the road one more time. Kennedys words Mike Lewis CEDAR FALLS When John Kennedy was elected president he uttered those famous words, Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. I thought, what a wonderful admonition. With election time again, it is obvious how miserably the country has failed at Kennedys charge. We hear promises that are as unrealistic as a third-grader running for class president on a platform of three-hour recess and cake, candy and pop for lunch. We are constantly bombarded with If you vote for me, Ill get you free this and provide that. Over the last 85 years, the people have continually demanded more from the government. In that period the cost of running the federal government has gone from 5 percent to 25 percent of the gross domestic product. That is one-fourth of all that is earned by all business and all individuals. This is a trend that will surely destroy the country if not stopped. Perhaps we could paraphrase Kennedys charge in a slightly simpler form: Ask not what your country can do for you, rather ask what you can do for yourself. Abortion debate Linda Kimball WATERLOO It appalls me my taxes support Planned Parenthood. What totally galls me is in its 100 years of existence, it boasts 70 million abortions. How many were partial-term? Hillary Clinton supports abortion and would appoint judges who support it also. Some babies cry and squirm right before having their heads crushed. Nov. 8 is the day to prove we do not condone abortion it is murder and nothing less. People who support abortion will be held accountable in the next life for certain. Voting for Clinton is voting for a legalized murder advocate. Regressive taxes Harold Tuchel WATERLOO I watch the commercials hammer everyone about taxes, and it reminds me under this governor we cannot properly fund schools, college tuition is raised almost yearly and there are not enough funds for a clean water effort. Yet there is a constant railing against taxes. Where are my tax dollars going, to special interests? While railing against taxes both the governor and Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett want another 3/8-cents raising of the sales tax for clean water. Both the penny tax for roads and the school improvement tax must go. They have done their jobs, but we cannot get rid of them. What Republicans are doing is shifting taxes from income or businesses to the sales tax, a regressive tax that affects middle-income and poor people the greatest. Dont fall for these lies or the sales taxes will last forever. Think, voters Margie Gage CEDAR FALLS Im just asking the voters to stop and think long and hard before voting. Weve already had the Clintons in the White House. Now they want back in. Think, think, think. Prayer for election Maxine Gleason GILBERTVILLE With the important election coming up, Ive come across a prayer I think would be so important for everyone to say. We want an honest election with a peaceful existence of all the candidates: Dear Beloved God in Heaven: Please give us a president that loves our country and everything it stands for. Please give us a president who respects you as the one true God. Please give us a president who will, with your help, restore this nation to its former glory, the way you created her. Please help us to respect what you have given to us and not take anything for granted ever again. Please God, weaken the evil and strengthen the good, both within and without. May our eyes be opened in Jesus name. Medical research Wallace Hettle CEDAR FALLS In March 2009, Barack Obama signed an executive order lifting a ban on federal funding for stem cell research. That decision was a big deal for people who suffered from a variety of illnesses, including diabetes and Parkinsons disease. Since I have Parkinsons, this issue is deeply personal. However, all of us have an interest in medical progress, whether for ourselves or our loved ones. In this election year, we have not discussed issues surrounding scientific research enough. Freedom to investigate in fields such as medical research and climate change are crucial for our country. It is worth thinking about them as we cast our ballots. New World Order? Denis Montenier HUDSON In an Oct. 25 letter, Hope Rogers stated if Democrat Hillary Clinton wins, Iowa will lose its identity, devoured by a massive world government, and only Donald Trump can save us from this calamity. As proof Rogers refers to a meeting she attended in 1973 where a highly-paid government planner displayed a map showing where Iowa would be divided into sections, part of which would be clustered around Chicago. First, in 1973 that government planner worked for a Republican administration and secondly, here we are 43 years later and last time I checked, all the maps show Iowa still in one piece, Chicago still 200 miles away. At the end of that meeting, when the planner said well its coming and you cant stop it. Rogers replied, Well, its not coming from God, and then she closed her letter implying it can be stopped Nov. 8 only by electing Trump. With all due respect to her religious beliefs, God has nothing to do with how America is governed. If Hillary Clinton is elected, the world will not end and Iowa will still be Iowa. Vote for Scheffert SANDIE SCHEFFERT WATERLOO -- In a world that praises group collaboration, individual creativity and responsibility have been pushed aside. Many of us work as teams at work, our schools emphasize teamwork and people skills is commonplace on any resume. Group work is a tremendous way to advance progressive ideas. However, the thought of dysfunctional decision-making because the alternatives were not fully assessed is a daunting one. Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors is currently made up of all one party. In the approaching election, you will have the chance to vote in a new perspective to the board. Terry Scheffert will bring a fresh lens to look at the countys issues. Many times groups of like-minded people will avoid bringing up conflict. Conflict is not always a bad thing. If there is no conflict, all alternative solutions are likely not being evaluated. Terry will work to put all of the issues into perspective for the peoples sake. The board is currently not supporting all the views on issues. Alternatives are not being evaluated; therefore the best solution could be out there somewhere. Voting for Terry will undoubtedly bring in a new perspective for the countys benefit. Do not fall victim to groupthink. Q: When is trick or treating in Waverly? A: Its Monday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., according to the city website. Q: A Call the Courier asked if it was appropriate for the governor to get free airtime to campaign for Donald Trump. Your answer said it was appropriate because that is what politicians do. So why cant a private citizen write a letter to the editor to The Courier about our political views without paying the $50 to have it published? A: The Call the Courier asked about airtime, not about letters to the editor. If the governor wants us to print a letter to the editor endorsing a candidate, hell have to pay $50 too. Q: Why dont they mow the weeds around the new womens reform building on Lafayette Street? A: The facility was landscaped with prairie grasses and ornamental plants, not weeds, which are not supposed to be mowed. Q: Is it true Muslims incorporate both the Old and New Testament in their canon of religious beliefs along with the Koran and they consider Jews and Christians people of the book? A: Heres how Al-Jazeera explains it: Islam is the religion that God taught to humans on this planet through the senior angel, Jibril (Gabriel). It was revealed to humanity in different stages when people needed guidance. Thus, the message of Islam was taught through Adam, Noah, Ibrahim (Abraham), Abrahams descendants (Ismael, Isaac, and Jacob), Moses, Jesus Christ and Muhammed, to name the most prominent of the messengers. Thus, the Old Testament (the Torah) and the New Testament are Books of Islam, too. All messengers of God are considered Muslims, and we dont differentiate among them. However, the Holy Quran, the word of God in Arabic, does not include chapters or sections of the two Books. Rather, it includes the same teachings. It completes them and gives a judgment about points of disagreement between Jews and Christians. An example of that is regarding Jesus Christ. While Jews did not believe in him, Christians believe in him as the Messiah and also the son of God. The Holy Quran has supported Christians in that he was the Messiah but did not support them in their belief that he was the son of God. God, Allah, was not born of anybody, has never given birth to anyone and there is nothing like Him. Q: I have the state quarters and wondered if there is any place in the Cedar Valley to get them gold plated? A: Gold-plated coins have been marketed on TV and online as good investments, but most coin-collecting sites say thats simply not the case. The staff at Casey Coin and Precious Metal in Cedar Falls suggests if you still want to look into gold plating that you should check with a trophy shop; they might be able to do that for you. Q: How do you know when an egg is too old? My egg carton said the eggs are good through Sept. 30. 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29 (1) Oct 01 (1) Jul 29 (1) May 11 (1) Jul 11 (1) Oct 30, 2016 | By Alec While the 3D printing hobby has been supported by a number of high profile applications, 3D printed drones have done so much to promote the technology to a huge audience. But 3D printed drones are not without their own problems, as they are big, bulky, require a large flying zone and seem to be in a constant need for repairs. But theres a solution. French startup Nano-Racing has been using 3D printing to create a very small line of drones that have all the functionality of professional-grade drones, and none of the drawbacks of the large 3D printed ones. The startup itself was founded back in 2015, with a quest to democratize the growing sport of immersion drone racing. And its growing fast: it is now even being structured into an official aerial sport in Europe, the US, and in South Korea, among others, with thousands of players all around the world. As co-founder Charles Venayre revealed, they were big fans of racing drones themselves, but were put off by their closed technological setup, their bulky size (250mm drones have quite a large fly zone) and of course the huge costs involved in racing something so delicate. Together with Christian Millot, Fabien Madore and Charless brother Maxime Venayre, he therefore founded Nano-Racing to provide a simple solution: 3D printed racing drones that are far less expensive to operate, easier to handle, less dangerous for onlookers and completely compatible with immersion software something not all 3D printed drones are. It is compatible with every type of hobbyist and professional piloting and immersion gear, which means it can be used by anyone, the French entrepreneur says. During development, the team strongly relied on Madores experience at Air France, while he was also one of the first in France to enter the drone industry. Since 2015, the group has no grown to ten employees, most of them being R&D specialists. Through the Kiss Kiss Bank Bank crowdfunding platform, they raised more than 60,000 to fund the concept, and their active mini drone racing community is growing constantly. Right now, the startup is working hard to extend their range of products, including customization options, and tackle production challenges. You can choose a drone personality using pre-set flying modes (note that each pilot has their own specific choice of settings and way of flying). Our other great particularity is that our drone is the only one in the world to be entirely assembled by interlocking: no screw, no welding. This a key advantage for customization! Venayre says. Whats more, 3D printing has been an integral part of Nano-Racing, and both Venayre and Madore were actively 3D printing ever since the Stratasys patents became public in 2009. We used it for various prototypes, I used it to make architecture models, Venayre recalls. 3D printing is an outstanding tool for prototyping and short-run production. Thats what we offered our first clients: an early bird short run of 320 products. And for us, 3D printing allowed us to do the tests, the crash tests, and adapt the product. All of this while avoiding the costs and delays that go along with injection molding: rheology tools, molds, injection, and the validations between each step. Things really took off with the help of 3D printing, especially for problem identification and solving. It happened, for example, that after a crash test we realized that a zone lacked matter. So we reviewed the design to reprint the reinforced model. We also had to think about the adapting of the parts to the motors power, Venayre recalls. Through 3D printing service company Sculpteo, they found the answers they needed and the 3D printing solutions that improved the prototypes through successive prototyping. As a result, Nano-Racing is also seriously considering entering production with 3D printing. Now that we are heading towards production in larger series, we will offer two options: a product done through injection molding, and a hacking kit that will make the drone more powerful, with 3D printed parts, the French developer reveals. The drone arms will be digitally milled for additional rigidity. While Nano-Racing is thus still a startup in every way, it does certainly act as an example on how to run a startup anno 2016. Through 3D printing and digital development, they are cost-effectively perfecting their product, while simultaneously supporting a grateful community. Mastering 3D printing means to dare more. Daring to conceive industrial products, avoiding costly and long processes, testing the market first-hand. And its becoming more and more essential. In an iterative creation process like ours, you easily make two dozen prototypes. With 3D printing you can move fast, put aside the ideas that dont work, Venayre argues. He therefore also strongly advises everyone with ideas to look into 3D printing, adding that educating yourself in the restrictions of 3D printing will greatly pay off in the long run. Try out all the 3D printing techniques to understand which ones will be most effective for your project, he advises beginning users. Everything you need to get a hand of it is on the internet! Its also important to get in touch with a fablab, a makers community, meet people, exchange. Thats how you learn. And 3D printing services like Sculpteo can play a huge role in seeing what professional-grade 3D printers can add without wasting your startup funds yourself. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: Robinson Meyer in The Atlantic: Lately Ive been thinking back to something that John Kerry told The Atlantics editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, earlier this year. Asked about the importance of the Middle East to the United States, Kerry answered entirely about the Islamic State. Imagine what would happen if we dont stand and fight [ISIS], he said: If we didnt do that, you could have allies and friends of ours fall. You could have a massive migration into Europe that destroys Europe, leads to the pure destruction of Europe, ends the European project, and everyone runs for cover and youve got the 1930s all over again, with nationalism and fascism and other things breaking out. Of course we have an interest in this, a huge interest in this. The 1930s all over againKerry was laying out a prediction in April, but it sounds a little more like description now. Even if Americas current dunderheaded demagogue loses the presidential election, the European project already falters in the United Kingdom, and Russia rumbles with revanchism. Fueled now (as then) by an ailing global economy, far-right nationalism seems ascendant worldwide. Its hard not to think of the 1930s as the catastrophe which presaged our contemporary tragicomedy. I write and report on climate change, not a pursuit that usually encourages optimism, but watching all this unfold with the atmosphere in mind has been particularly bleak. For the past few months in particular, Ive been thinking: Wow, this is all happening way earlier than I thought it would. More here. Summit Carbon files lawsuits against Brown, Edmunds counties Two South Dakota counties are facing federal lawsuits from one of the companies planning a carbon capture and sequestration pipeline. TAIPEI, Taiwan, Oct. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- TaiGen Biotechnology Co., Ltd. ("TaiGen") announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, TaiGen Biopharmaceuticals Co. (Beijing), Ltd. has signed an agreement with YiChang HEC ChangJiang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd ("HEC") to establish a new company ("Newco") in mainland China for the joint development, manufacturing, and commercialization of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) for all-oral interferon-free treatments of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the Greater China region (mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau). The Newco will be the first of its kind in a cross-strait partnership in the pharmaceutical industry. It also formalized the collaboration in the MOU signed in February 2016. Under the terms of the Agreement, the Newco will be capitalized at RMB 680 million (US$102 million). TaiGen will use the intellectual property rights of furaprevir (TG-2349) in Greater China as contribution in kind for 49% equity in the Newco. HEC will use the intellectual property rights of yimitasvir (DAG-181) in Greater China as contribution in kind and an additional cash investment in exchange for 51% equity in the Newco. TaiGen will be responsible for research, clinical development, and registration and HEC will be responsible for operation, manufacturing, sales and marketing of HCV treatment based on furaprevir and yimitasvir. Upon the establishment of the Newco, TaiGen and HEC will execute a separate share transfer agreement where TaiGen will receive from HEC a sum between US$20 to 40 million based on the Phase 2 clinical trial results. After the share transfer is complete, TaiGen will hold 40% equity and HEC 60% equity in the Newco. TaiGen's furaprevir, a HCV NS3 protease inhibitor, is completing a Phase 2 clinical trial in HCV genotype 1b patients in Taiwan. HEC's yimitasvir, an NS5a inhibitor, has completed in Phase 1 trial in mainland China. Both furaprevir and yimitasvir are DAAs, classified as Class 1.1 by CFDA, and were discovered and developed in-house by TaiGen and HEC respectively. According to the estimates from WHO and IMS, the number of HCV patients in mainland China ranges from 10-40 million making it the largest HCV market in the world. At present, less than 10% of the HCV patients are receiving treatment. This is due to low awareness of the disease and the severe and intolerable side effects of interferon-based treatment. Although all-oral interferon-free DAA-based HCV regiments are already available in many countries, none of these are currently approved in mainland China. To expedite the approval and availability of the revolutionary treatment, China's Center for Drug Evaluation has begun to grant priority review status to HCV drugs in development. Furaprevir was granted priority review in April 2016 and TaiGen is the only Taiwanese firm among the seven companies that receive priority review. Dr. Ming-Chu Hsu, Chairman and CEO of TaiGen said "Mainland China remains the largest untapped HCV market. We are confident that combining both drugs and company expertise will accelerate the development of our DAA regiment and become a formidable competitor in the Greater China HCV market. This partnership with HEC will be another significant milestone in TaiGen's history and take TaiGen to the next level." Mr. Show-Chung Ho, Chairman of TaiGen's Steering Committee commented, "TaiGen has a successful track record in clinical development and obtaining market approval in mainland China. HEC has the integrated marketing and distribution channels. The synergy that the two companies and their drugs create will bring tremendous benefits to the HCV patients in this region." About YiChang HEC ChangJiang Pharmaceutical YiChang HEC ChangJiang Pharmaceutical, a public listed company in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (1558.HK), focuses on the development, manufacturing and sales of pharmaceutical products in viral infections, endocrine, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. HEC's leading product, Kewei (oseltamivir phosphate) is the No. 1 selling influenza drug in China from 2013 to 2015. YiChang HEC is part of HEC Pharmaceutical Group. Its products are exported overseas to the US, Japan, Germany and Australia. HEC Pharmaceutical Group is part of the HEC Group with businesses in materials, healthcare, cosmetics, tourism, and hospitality. About TaiGen Biotechnology TaiGen Biotechnology, a public listed company in Taipei Exchange (4157.TWO), is a leading research-based biotechnology company in Taiwan. TaiGen's pipeline includes other in-house discovered and developed new chemical entities: Taigexyn, a novel antibiotic, is one of the first NCEs developed by a Taiwanese company that received market approval and launched in Taiwan and mainland China. Burixafor, a chemokine receptor antagonist, is in Phase 2 clinical development for stem cell transplantation and chemosensitization in the US and mainland China. For more information please contact: Peter W. Tsao, PhD, Vice President Corporate Development Tel: +886-2-8177-7072 ptsao@taigenbiotech.com.tw To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/taigen-biotechnology-to-establish-a-new-company-with-hec-pharmaceutical-in-china-for-treatment-of-chronic-hepatitis-c-300353821.html SOURCE TaiGen Unknown arsonists on Sunday set ablaze a school building in a south Kashmir village, pushing the number of educational institutes gutted in mysterious fires to 25 during the ongoing unrest. The police said the residents detected the fire in the central government-run Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Aishmuqam of Anantnag district. The fire was extinguished quickly and a major damage to the building was prevented. During the ongoing unrest in the Kashmir Valley, 25 schools, most of them run by the government in south Kashmir, have been destroyed in mysterious fires. Authorities said they have identified miscreants who were torching schools in a planned conspiracy. There has been no classwork in any school in the valley in the last 112 days of turmoil that has left at least 92 persons dead and thousands injured. The continued closure of schools has been worrying parents, especially of children studying at the 10+2 level, whose final exams were to be conducted in October-November. Children have to sit for various professional courses based on their performance in the 10+2 exams. These professional entrance exams are held throughout the country as per a fixed calendar which wont be deferred for my son, a father, whose son is studying in a Srinagar school said. The government is locked in a tug of war with separatist leaders who have been spearheading the unending series of protests and shutdown in the valley. Separatist leaders ruled out any possibility of exempting schools from their weekly protest moves. They say allowing children to attend schools in the times of turmoil would be risking their lives. However, they have distanced themselves from the acts of arson targeting schools. Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has said those involved in torching schools are enemies of the people of Kashmir. The state government has vowed to have exams of all classes conducted by end November even if schools dont open by then. Demands from students to have these exams postponed to March next year have not found favour with the authorities. Visually impaired students of a blind school in Mumbai celebrated a cracker-free Diwali by singing traditional songs. Naoseena Hatolkar, a blind student, who participated in the musical programme said, Today, is the first day of Diwali and our school celebrated Diwali for the first time. So, I am really happy. We did not burst crackers, but celebrated Diwali through songs and music. I am thankful to my friends for singing and playing instruments along with me. All my family members are present except for my father. Students and teachers were of the view that celebrating a cracker-free Diwali is a mark of respect for soldiers guarding Indias borders and to create awareness about the need to stop degrading the environment. Days after the region was hit by two earthquakes, a fresh tremor of 6.6 magnitude was felt near Norcia in central Italy on Sunday. The USGS said the quake was centred 68km (42 miles) east-southeast of Perugia. It was 108km (67 miles) deep. The quake, which also felt in Veneto, Puglia and Naples, comes after months of seismic activity in Italy, including the Amatrice earthquake in August, which left more than 250 people dead. According to the Guardian, it seems that the Basilica of St. Benedict in Norcia has been destroyed. Firefighters were seen in action in Norcias main square and in some cases were helping people including many monks and nuns in their habits from a nearby monastery running down small alleyway seeking safety. While there were no immediate reports of casualties on Sunday, damage was substantial. Live television coverage showed the collapse of a church in the centre of Norcia, a town near Perugia in Umbria. Parts of the town had already been sealed off. The tremors could strongly be felt in Rome and Naples, with people sending messages on social media about seeing the walls shaking. Television crews in Norcia showed rubble on the ground and damage to ancient structures, but it was unclear whether the damage was related to the most recent quake. Sundays earthquake followed a series of tremors to strike the country in the past five days. It was felt as far north as Bolzano, near the border with Austria and as far south as the Puglia region at the southern tip of the Italian peninsula and was felt strongly in the capital Rome. The government will need to pull up its socks and improve governance in the state says political analysts. Even though the Fadnavis government has completed two years but its performance is not up to the mark. According to political observers the government has failed to fulfil the peoples expectations and it faces a daunting task ahead of the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls scheduled to be held next year. The passing of Right to Services Act, Jalyukt Shivar Scheme and amendments of labour laws for improving the ease of business and installation of CCTV project can be touted as achievements of the government. On the other hand, the government had received flak for its inept handling of the drought situation, infighting within the party and tiff with its alliance partner Shiv Sena. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is known for his clean image but he has been criticised for his failure to take action against corrupt ministers. Fadnavis (46) was sworn in on October 31, 2014 with the BJP emerging as the single largest party, though short of absolute majority, in Assembly polls. The BJP and Sena had parted ways on the eve of polls and the Ministry was offered outside support by Sharad Pawar-led NCP. Sena, however, returned to the alliance a few months later. Even though Fadnavis has been handling administration well but the performance of his ministers are poor. Unlike some of his ministerial colleagues, Fadnavis has remained untouched by allegations of misconduct. Virtual No 2 in the Cabinet, Eknath Khadse, had to quit after coming under the cloud of allegations earlier this year. Even though the BJP had termed itself as a party with difference but it has been unable to fulfill the expectations of the people. The government also will face an acid test over the Maratha reservation issue as the community has been holding dharnas across the state demanding quota in education and employment. Pressure is also mounting on the government to fast track the Kopardi rape case which has created a rift between Marathas and Dalits, said a political analyst. The government will really need to pull up its socks and improve governance. It will have to keep its alliance partner Shiv Sena happy and arrive at consensus with it on issues affecting the states development. The comments made by Shiv Sena against the state government too have dented its image, he added. One major issue over which the BJP and Shiv Sena had frequent face-off was the Vidarbha statehood demand. While the BJP favours smaller states, the Sena is opposed to bifurcation of Maharashtra to create a separate Vidarbha state and often took sharp dig at Fadnavis, who hails from that region. In a veiled reference to the Vidarbha issue, Sena MP Sanjay Raut said that the Government should implement the agenda for united Maharashtra and not the partys (BJP) political programme. The elections to urban and rural local bodies will show how people react to various decisions taken by the Fadnavis government. Aiken, SC (29801) Today Areas of patchy fog early. Sun and clouds mixed. High 74F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 54F. Winds light and variable. This 2012 photo shows cranberries in a field in South Haven, Mich. In a study published Thursday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, cranberry capsules didn't prevent or cure urinary infections in nursing home residents. The research adds to decades of conflicting evidence on whether cranberries in any form can prevent extremely common bacterial infections. October 30, 2016 Aoun, Hariri deal a "rare opportunity" Gen. Michel Aoun, the leader of the largest Christian bloc in the Lebanese parliament and an ally of Hezbollah, is expected to assume the presidency Oct. 31 in a deal that would see Saad Hariri, the leader of the Future Party, return as Lebanons prime minister. Lebanon has been without a president since May 2014. The new arrangement offers the prospect of more effective governance and, despite the familiar faces, reflects a potential sea change in Lebanons political landscape. In regional terms, Hariris decision to cut a deal with Aoun and Hezbollah will be seen as a victory for Iran and a loss of Saudi influence. Ali Hashem reports, Hariris move stirred controversy among his political movement and within his popular base, prompting several members of parliament from his parliamentary bloc to declare openly that they oppose their leaders decision, and will not be voting for Aoun. Former Saudi diplomat Abdullah al-Shammari told Hashem, This is an implication of the change in relations with Saudi Arabia, mainly with the new leadership that deals with Lebanon reasonably and not passionately. Shammari added, Maybe this is good for Hariri. It is time for him to take his decisions by himself after all these years of addiction to Saudi money and staying at his palace in Riyadh; it is time for him to gain strength and return to his popular base. Hashem explains that the former Saudi diplomat was referring to the financial crisis Hariri is facing, and the attempts to convince the Saudi royal family to save him from this crisis. Hariris main company, Saudi Oger, had failed for months to pay the salaries of its employees due to serious financial setbacks influenced by the economic situation in Saudi Arabia and the shaken personal relationship between Hariri and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. Hariri, Hashem writes, found himself at a crossroads either he goes for an all-in political gamble, or he preserves the status quo until the situation changes in the region. Hariri felt the heat after several serious developments, one of which was the municipal elections in May. The election results, mainly in Tripoli, showed Hariri losing popularity to new competitors from within his political movement. Ashraf Rifi, the resigned justice minister and a hawk who links himself to 'Harirism,' but not to Saad Hariri was the man whose list defeated all political movements allied together in Tripoli. If Hariri does not return to the government as prime minister and re-establish ties with the grassroots community, his political future might be in tatters therefore there was a need for a shock. It did not really matter whether the shock was positive or negative; the most important thing was to shake the status quo and head toward a new chapter. This is a chapter that Hariris opponents within his movement see as gloomy; still, this may not be the case, putting aside the political impact of Aouns election. Hariris return as prime minister may represent a rare opportunity, concludes Hashem. The position of prime minister is still the most powerful post in Lebanons government. Being left without a regional caretaker (Saudi Arabia), the young politician is going to do business alone with his rivals without any burdens. It is true that he will sometimes weigh decisions with regional scales, but he will have enough flexibility to build a record as an experienced self-made statesman, adds Hashem. Syria rejects Russian plan for Kurdish autonomy Al-Monitor broke the news of a Russian-mediated effort last month to broker an autonomy arrangement for Syrian Kurds, which was rejected by the government of Syria. Mahmut Bozarslan reports that a Russian delegation came to Syria Sept. 17 with a draft memorandum of intent regarding the possibility of the Syrian government's granting Syrian Kurdistan special status within the framework of Syria. The delegation was tasked with finding a solution to the Kurdish issue in Syria by having the parties agree to the memorandum. Salih Gedo, the secretary-general of the Democratic Party of Syrian Kurds, attended the meeting. "The Russians had a document ready. It was in our favor. They wanted federalism in Syria while reinstating the rights of Kurds. We accepted all of the [stipulations] and suggested some additions. According to Gedo, the Syrian government's delegation did not accept the agreement, saying it would split the country, and Damascus would not agree to start a dialogue about an autonomous administration. Bozarslan adds, Some political figures in the region have wondered why Turkey has kept silent about Russia's blatant support for the Kurds. Another Kurdish official who was involved in the Khmeimim meeting said, Of course the Turks know exactly what transpired in the meeting. They also know the Syrian regime is not going to accept the Russian plan for an autonomous Kurdish entity. So why should Ankara react and upset Moscow for an illusion that's not likely to work? Another reason is that Russia is giving top priority to resetting its ties with Turkey, including over Syria policy. Amberin Zaman wrote last week that Russia may have offered a "green light" to Turkeys recent military offensive against the Peoples Protection Units (YPG), while seeking Ankaras assistance to eject Jabhat al-Nusra fighters from Aleppo. The removal of Jabhat al-Nusra fighters is part of the UN plan for Aleppo, as this column has reported. US plans to "isolate" Raqqa The US Defense Department is discussing an imminent military operation to isolate the Syrian city of Raqqa, the so-called capital of territory occupied by the Islamic State. Although the Raqqa operation may be weeks away, according to US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, there is uncertainty about which armed groups will be in the lead, as Laura Rozen reports. Unlike in Iraq, where the United States coordinates its anti-Islamic State strategy, including the battle of Mosul, with the Iraqi government, the United States has no comparable partner in Syria. The United States considers the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to be the most effective armed group, but the SDF, which is composed overwhelmingly of YPG forces, is a red line for Turkey. "We do not need terrorist organizations like the PYD/YPG, Erdogan said he had told Obama in their phone call [on Oct. 27]. I said, 'Come, let's remove [IS] from Raqqa together. We will sort this out together with you.' We have the strength, reports Rozen. The YPG, Rozen writes, may also not be that interested in diverting its forces from territories it holds elsewhere in Syria, thereby making them vulnerable to Turkish attacks. There is also the matter of Salafi rebel groups that blend easily with Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaedas affiliate in Syria, and share the same brutal commitment to Sharia as IS, such as in Idlib and Aleppo, as has been well documented by Amnesty International and this column. The United States may also have to account for a Russian, Syrian and Iranian role in Raqqa. During a meeting in Moscow Oct. 28 with his Syrian and Iranian counterparts, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made clear that Russia and its partners are concerned about the flight of terrorists from Mosul to Syria and are unlikely to be passive observers to US-led coalition plans in Raqqa. We are interested in taking measures together with Iraqi colleagues to prevent an exodus of terrorists with weapons and vehicles from Mosul to Syria, which will of course lead to the escalation of the situation in Syria. We think it is important to prevent that; we will discuss this issue with the United States and other members of their coalition, Lavrov said. October 28, 2016 In the final stretch, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are going all in campaigning hard in the battleground states that will decide this election. Although Clintons lead in the RealClearPolitics polling average nationally ranges roughly between 4 and 5 percentage points a seemingly comfortable margin with less than two weeks to go both camps are keenly aware that politics can be unpredictable. One possibility is that this election is tighter than the polls indicate. One potential factor being discussed is the shy Trump voter phenomenon. This is actually a theory, not a proven fact, but the notion that Trump has been marginalized by elites in the media has spawned a concern among Democrats and hope among Republicans that The Donald will outperform his numbers. Then theres the prospect of an October surprise that changes the equation at the last minute. Such a revelation occurred in 2000, days before voting, when George W. Bushs old drunk-driving arrest was unearthed by a Fox television station in Maine. Bushs vote totals almost certainly dropped because of this well-timed little bombshell. This years equivalent may or may not have come Oct. 28 when the FBI announced it is reopening the investigation into Clintons emails that she sent and received on a private server when she was secretary of state. "In connection with an unrelated case, the FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to this investigation," FBI Director James Comey wrote in an unexpected letter to Congress. Comey did not say how long this phase of investigation would take or whether the new information was significant to the previously closed investigation of whether Clinton mishandled classified information with her use of the private server. Although it is unlikely an investigation would be completed or have any new announcements before the Nov. 8 general election, Trump jumped on the news. Hillary Clinton's corruption is on a scale that we have never seen before, he said at a rally in New Hampshire. We must not let her take her criminal scheme into the Oval Office. I have great respect for the fact that the FBI and the Department of Justice are now willing to have the courage to right the horrible mistake that they made. Finally, a potential hurdle blocking Hillarys return to the White House is the American method of choosing presidents: winner take all, state by state, with each states votes in the Electoral College being determined by the size of its population. The possible glitch here and it happened in that Bush-Al Gore race in 2000 is that the winner of the popular vote can lose in the Electoral College. This is why both campaigns are concentrating on the closely contested battleground states. Trump held three rallies in three different states Oct. 28. He began the day in New Hampshire, where Clinton leads by more than 5 percentage points in the RCP polling average. He next went to Maine, where Clinton is also leading by more than 5 points, and he ended his day in Iowa, where he is ahead by less than 2 points. He planned to spend the weekend in western swing states: Colorado (Clinton up more than 5 points), Arizona (Clinton up by 1.5 points) and Nevada (Clinton up by 1.6 points). Running mate Mike Pence will spend this time in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. During the same time frame, Clinton and her surrogates are fanning out to Iowa, Florida, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Ohio, Michigan and North Carolina thats seven battleground states in three days. On Oct. 27, the camp rolled out perhaps its biggest gun in Michelle Obama. The highly popular first lady campaigned with Clinton for the first time, drawing a large crowd to Wake Forest University in North Carolina. RealClearPolitics Caitlin Huey-Burns has more details here. And organized labor is pulling out all the stops in its effort to put Clinton in the White House, Alexis Simendinger reported. Stumping is an important part of the two things that can make or break a campaign: ground game and money. A big part of the former is get-out-the-vote efforts, including a push for early voting, and NBC News reported that 13.7 million people have already cast their ballots, which includes 7.5 million in 12 battleground states. Which candidate they voted for wont be known until Election Day, but the NBC News campaign embeds (reporters assigned to each campaign) note that they dont see volunteers signing up people to vote at Trump events, but do see this activity at Clinton rallies. Then, of course, theres money the mothers milk of politics. Clinton has more than 2 times the amount that Trump has generated, Politico reported. Her campaign committee, the joint committees with the Democratic Party and the pro-Clinton super PACs have $172 million in the bank, compared with $73 million for Team Trump and the GOP. In the first three weeks of October, Clinton and her team brought in $120 million compared with $65 million for Trump. The Republican standard-bearer, meanwhile, told CNN he would give his campaign $100 million. That hasnt happened yet. Trump did wire $10 million into his campaign bank account on Oct. 28, the Wall Street Journal reported, bringing his total investment in the contest to $66 million. At this point in the cycle, campaigns are required to report contributions to the Federal Election Commission within 48 hours, so filings for the Trump campaign should reflect this soon. October 28, 2016 The nomination of Antonio Guterres, former prime minister of Portugal, as the next secretary-general of the United Nations did not come as a surprise for those acquainted with his international activity. Guterres, a great believer in multilateralism, served for a decade as the high commissioner for refugees of the UN (2005-2015) in charge of the most burning issue on the international agenda. His efforts to alleviate the suffering of Iraqi and Syrian refugees were possibly without precedent worldwide. Guterres is very much a champion of collective diplomacy to bring peace to the Middle East. He is well-known to some Israeli Labor Party leaders, as he served as the secretary-general of Socialist International from 1999 to 2005, and he was a close friend of late President Shimon Peres. Guterres will undoubtedly bring to the office of the UN secretary-general some innovative approaches, both on the international refugee crisis and in the field of conflict resolution, especially regarding Syria and the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Indeed, he has strong views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He is a friend of Israel, historically inspired by Israels dramatic nation-building since its establishment. He is fully opposed to the occupation of the West Bank and to Israeli settlement policies. He believes Israels security can only be assured by a fair two-state solution guaranteed by the international community. Terje Roed-Larsen, the president of the International Peace Institute, was one of the initiators of the Oslo peace talks in the early 1990s while serving as a Norwegian diplomat and was later appointed UN undersecretary-general on the situations in Lebanon and Palestine. He told Al-Monitor that Guterres will bring to the table out of the box thinking on conflict resolution and will most probably be a very proactive secretary-general, not giving in to the traditional US pressure on the UN to stay out of international conflict resolution. His nomination still fresh, Guterres has already started consulting international think tanks on different conflict-resolution perspectives. A diplomatic source told Al-Monitor that such an initiative was recently proposed to Guterres by UN policy planners and New York-based international think tanks. The idea is to enhance the role of the UN in an Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution process, expanding the UN role on the issue beyond serving as a platform for international resolutions at the General Assembly and Security Council. This proposal, which is currently being studied by Guterres aides, seeks to advance Israeli-Palestinian conflict resolution by proposing to create a UN support mission on Palestine to foster the establishment of a Palestinian state, structured somewhat like the UN special mission on Libya, which deals with institution building, human rights and the rule of law, the security sector and international aid. Its purpose would be to work with the Palestinian Authority (PA) on the establishment of a state, leaving the negotiation on permanent status to the parties and the Quartet (of which the UN is a member). According to a UN policy planner who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, such a plan can be conducive to a two-state solution with the international community working with the Palestinian leadership and officials on different aspects of statehood, without changing the existing status quo on the ground. The mission would be conducted by experts in governance, economics and security from various UN member states to be decided by the Quartet. According to the plan explored by these UN policy planners and international New York-based brain trusts, the special mission for Palestine would deal with four issues. The first would be democratic transition to statehood the development of modern democratic Palestinian state institutions based on the existing governmental, parliamentary and judicial structures of the PA. The second would be rule of law and human rights, according to the UN charter. This would include formulating a Palestinian Constitution in complete respect of the Palestinian sovereign right to make its own decisions. Another issue would be that of security. The UN under US leadership would train PA security personnel in anti-terror policies. The fourth issue handled by the mission would be international assistance for Palestinian state building, coordinated by the European Union. The EU partners would reach out to the international donor community to financially assist the state institution-building process. The UN policy planners told Al-Monitor that such a plan would demand extensive deliberations and could be decided upon by the UN General Assembly. The next US administration would have to give its greenlight. Such a mission, monitored by the Quartet, could only take place in parallel to permanent status negotiations between the parties. Asked about these propositions, a Palestinian senior official told Al-Monitor that the Palestinian leadership would accept such a proposal only if coupled with clear terms of reference and a timeline for permanent status. On the Israeli side, the reaction is negative and condescending. A senior Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told Al-Monitor that the UN could have no role in Israeli-Palestinian conflict resolution because of the UN anti-Israel bias. In any case, there is little doubt that the next UN secretary-general will be a diplomatic activist when it comes to the Middle East, and he will make a genuine effort to convince the international community to engage in a multilateral two-state solution process. October 28, 2016 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip The recent rapprochement between Hamas and dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan and the "Democratic Reformist Current," which Dahlan formed with some Fatah leaders after his dismissal in 2011, was predicted. Dahlan has been repeatedly praising Hamas most recently during an interview with Dream TV Egypt on Oct. 23 when he implied that rapprochement with Hamas is the solution to all of Gazas problems. In light of the escalating hostilities between the head of Fatah, President Mahmoud Abbas, and his rival Dahlan, the latter began to seek rapprochement with Hamas. First, he started making contact with Hamas in the Gaza Strip in order to implement humanitarian projects in Gaza that he financed, such as collective weddings and taking care of the poor, and he coordinated with Egypt to open the Rafah crossing. Speaking to Al-Monitor, Abdul Hamid al-Masri, a Fatah leader and member of Dahlans current, denied any rapprochement between Dahlan and Hamas, saying, There are talks about how to manage the citizens affairs and coordinate in some humanitarian projects brought by Dahlan to Gaza in order for Hamas not to impede their implementation. But this coordination has always existed between the two. He stressed that channels of communication between Dahlans current and Hamas are open, noting that it all falls within the framework of implementing relief projects. If there were a full coordination, we would not be ashamed to advertise it as long as it falls under national relations and serves the interests of citizens. However, there is no normalization of relations, he said. The relationship between Hamas and Dahlan seems illogical for many, given the historical rivalry between the two that first emerged in the mid-1990s when Dahlan was head of the Preventive Security Service in Gaza, which Hamas accused of arresting and torturing its leaders. Al-Monitor contacted Hazem Kassem, Hamas spokesman in the Gaza Strip, to talk about the rapprochement with Dahlan, but he refused to discuss this topic, saying that his movement is not part of Fatahs internal conflicts. Although Hamas had previously declared that its leader and member of the Shura Council Ahmed Yousef does not speak on behalf of the movement, Al-Monitor asked Yousef to provide information about Hamas internal action, given his high-ranking position. In this context, Yousef told Al-Monitor, We are going to start hearing about Dahlan in the framework of political positions, relief projects, ideas and solutions for the Gaza Strip. Politics are all about interests, and [our] policy can change while maintaining our moral values and principles. He added, Dahlan will always be present on the political scene. The number of youths endorsing him is significantly increasing, and their number exceeds those Fatah members in Gaza. As Fatah senior leaders continue to show incompetence, the newer generation including Dahlan Fatah leader Samir Masharawi and others, will end up in charge. Yousef believes that some Hamas members may not accept Dahlan at the moment given their history with the Preventive Security Service. He said this is understandable, although Dahlan has been improving his discourse toward Hamas and the situation in Gaza by the day, saying, This is what we have recently experienced after Dahlan coordinated with Egypt to open the Rafah crossing. The truth is that Dahlan has gotten better at politics, and he is trying to win over all Palestinian factions in hopes of unifying Fatah, although all Arab efforts to achieve reconciliation between him and Abbas have failed. Yousef expects Dahlan and his wife to carry out a significant number of activities in Gaza in the coming months. He also noted that people will not be surprised by this since Hamas needs to consider all options to alleviate the suffering of Gazans. We welcome all offers of support and assistance to our people in the Gaza Strip, and we thank all those who seek to repair the relationship with our brothers in Egypt in order to put an end to the tension and facilitate the movement of students, patients and employees at the Rafah crossing, he explained. Dahlan has been on good terms with the Egyptian regime, particularly since his dismissal from Fatah in 2011, and visits Cairo on an almost regular basis. Meanwhile, Egypt allows him to carry out political activities in Cairo, such as holding many conferences on the Palestinian cause. Speaking to Al-Monitor, political analyst Hussam al-Dajani said Dahlans current and Hamas are denying all efforts of rapprochement for several reasons. He explained that one of the main reasons was the interlocking alliances between Arab and regional parties, which requires keeping the course of this rapprochement quiet, although it was illustrated in clear practical steps. Most important among these is the release of Zaki al-Sakani, a leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatahs armed wing, who was detained by Hamas in Gaza for 8 years, and Dahlans statements praising Hamas and calling it an important component in the Palestinian political system. In addition, some of Dahlans supporters were allowed to cross through the Rafah crossing to attend the Ain Sokhna conference held by the Egyptian National Center for Middle East Studies. He added, Yes, there is rapprochement, but not an alliance. We stand at a crossroad where Dahlan and Hamas meet, and certain steps to build trust should be taken to achieve the interests of both parties. Dahlan has a goal to return to the Fatah movement and compete for its presidency, in preparation for the presidential elections, and he cannot achieve this without first being on good terms with Hamas in Gaza. Dajani believes Hamas hopes to achieve several objectives out of this rapprochement with Dahlan, and said, Relieving the blockade imposed on Gaza and working on solving the electricity crisis and opening the Rafah crossing will benefit Hamas. In addition, the rapprochement will help the movement mend its relationship with Egypt, let alone revive the reconciliation process with President Abbas. This action would put pressure on Abbas, which Hamas could use to make Abbas meet its demands out of the reconciliation, most notably is the integration of the Hamas-appointed government employees, whose number exceed 40,000. The rapprochement between the two historical rivals, Hamas and Dahlan, is proof that the only constant in politics is interests while everything else changes according to circumstances. October 30, 2016 BAGHDAD On Oct. 7, Iraqi authorities executed Saudi prisoner Badr Ofan al-Shamri, making him the third Saudi prisoner to be executed during 2016 in Iraq, following Abdullah al-Shanqeeti and Abdullah Azzam. Nine other Saudis on death row are scheduled to be executed in November. They are Fahad al-Anzi, Mohammed al-Obeid, Majid al-Buqami, Faisal al-Faraj, Battal al-Harbi, Ali al-Shahri, Ali al-Qahtani, Hamad Yahya and Abdulrahman al-Qahtani, all in al-Hoot prison in Nasiriyah. Saudi media outlets reported anonymous sources as saying that Shamri had been extremely tortured during his 13-year detention, perhaps so much so that one of his legs had to be amputated. Shamris family has accused the Iraqi authorities of torturing their son and vowed to sue the Iraqi government. In this context, Shamris brother Salman said Oct. 11, "The signs of torture were visible on my brothers body and the Iraqi government will be sued for this. The issue of Saudi prisoners in Iraq is one of the most sensitive outstanding issues between the two neighboring countries, and one of the reasons behind their deteriorating relationship. Saudi Arabia keeps calling for the need for new trials for its nationals detained in Iraq and objects to the executions of Saudi citizens. Iraq says the Saudi prisoners formed part of terrorist organizations operating in Iraq since 2003. On Oct. 3, Ali al-Qarni, a spokesman for Saudi prisoners in Iraq, said in a press statement, Almost 25 Saudi prisoners in Iraq have either completed their sentences or [should be released] under conditional parole according to a court decision, but none have been transferred to the Saudi Embassy in Iraq to be sent back home. It is said that the guillotine used in the execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is the same one being used to execute Saudi prisoners; if true, it is not whether this is a coincidence or a carefully calculated move by the Iraqi authorities. Saudi Arabia is seeking to persuade Iraq of the need for new trials for Saudi prisoners in Iraq or at least convince the Iraqi authorities to transfer the prisoners to Saudi Arabia to serve the rest of their sentences. However, Iraq is refusing to answer the Saudi demands. Saudi Arabia has accused the Iraqi government of not releasing six Saudi prisoners who completed their sentences in Iraqi prisons in Nasiriyah, Rusafa and Muthanna airport in Baghdad. On Aug. 14, Saudi prisoner Ali Mohammed al-Habbabi died at the age of 22 in the fourth Rusafa prison in Baghdad. His father said that his deceased son had a mental illness, but that Iraqi authorities did not provide treatment. Salman Ansari, the chairman of the Saudi-US relations committee, told Al-Monitor, There are 60 to 85 Saudi prisoners in Iraq, and Saudi Arabia has the right to look after its nationals around the world and Iraq is no exception. There is an opportunity for the Iraqi government to mend its relationship with its Arab brethren, particularly Saudi Arabia, and coordinate with it in order to transfer Saudi prisoners and allow them to serve the rest of their sentences in their country. He added, I am personally angered by reports proving that there have been unfair trials and sectarian discrimination against Saudi prisoners in Iraq. Whatever the charges for their detention, they have a right to a fair trial in which their human dignity is respected. Saudi Arabia seems to be making a significant diplomatic effort for Saudi prisoners to serve the rest of their sentences in their country, but this would likely cause a public and political commotion in Iraq. It seems very unlikely that the Iraqi government would take such a step displeasing its citizens. The issue of Saudi prisoners in Iraq has long been quite critical for Iraqi politicians; when former Saudi Ambassador Thamer Sabhan visited al-Hoot prison in Dhi Qar province in southern Iraq in June, a number of Iraqi politicians expressed their opposition to Sabhan's visiting prisoners the politicians considered to be terrorists. Several Iraqi political blocs called for an Iraqi version of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) that recently was passed in the United States. Iraqi parliament members are saying Saudi Arabia should be sued for its role in supporting terrorism, accusing it of facilitating the way for Saudi and non-Saudi extremists to cross into Iraq to carry out terrorist acts. On July 12, Aws al-Khafaji, the head of the Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas faction, threatened to execute Saudi and non-Saudi prisoners detained in Iraq on terrorism charges if the Iraqi government was unable to execute them itself. The issue of Saudi prisoners in Iraq remains a critical matter in Saudi-Iraqi relations, which do not seem to be heading in a positive direction in the short term in light of Saudi Arabias demands that Saudi prisoners be transferred to Saudi prisons while Iraq insists on carrying out the death sentences. This disagreement over Saudi prisoners, despite the serious charges against them, adds fuel to the fire and widens the gap between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, aggravating other conflicts over regional issues as well as each countrys internal problems. Over 140 costumed revelers strutted across the stage of the Alabama Theater at the 21st annual Rocky Horror Masquerade Ball Saturday night. The annual event raises money for the Alabama Theater. The theater was packed to capacity as contestants showed off costumes that ranged from scary to sexy, from home made to elaborate. After the masquerade ball, the theater showed the cult classic, Rocky Horror Picture Show. The event has become a Birmingham Halloween tradition. While the Clinton campaign focuses on getting voters out, a Trump official talks of voter suppression operations. Its the latest twist in this campaign the FBIs discovery of more emails that Hillary Clinton may never have sent but which have given Donald Trump renewed faith in what he calls the rigged system. A twist that raises new fears in the Clinton campaign that some of her potential voters may now decide just to skip election day. At least 20 million people, though an estimated 10 percent of the electorate have already cast their ballots in early voting and Clintons camp is encouraged by strong turnout rates among her key demographic groups in Florida and Nevada. Clinton has been credited with building a much stronger machine than Trump assigned to GOTV Get Out The Vote. As for Trump, whos still trailing in most polls, a senior campaign official says the plan is to implement voter suppression operations aimed at discouraging Clintons base: idealistic white liberals, young women and African Americans. For what Americas boasting leaders call the oldest democracy in the world, the concept of minimising the electorate may seem strange. But the US has never taken the necessary steps to assure the highest possible turnout. In participation as a percentage of its voting-age population, the US ranks 31st among the 35 OECD members most of them highly developed, democratic countries. In the 2012 presidential election, only 57.5 percent of eligible citizens voted. In its most recent national election, more than 90 percent of Australias eligible voters turned out, as did those in Belgiums last vote. Of course, voting is compulsory in those and a few other countries. That has never been seriously considered in the US, where voting is thought of as an individual option rather than a civic duty. In 2008 Barack Obama was first elected thanks to the highest turnout rate in 40 years 63.5 percent. Young African American voted in high enough numbers to exceed the white turnout rate for the first time; black women topped every other racial, ethnic and gender group. But that fell far short of the record modern highs at 80 percent near the turn of the 20th century, prior to womens suffrage and decades before the voting age was lowered to 18. Since then, a generational shift has altered the political preferences of Americas age groups, forcing both Democrats and Republicans to recalculate their turnout formulas. Democrats who had counted on a double-digit advantage with senior voters when Bill Clinton rode to victory in 1992 have seen Republicans become the slightly more popular party among voters aged 65 and older. And while Trump is depending on a big showing of seniors, his campaign is hoping that millennials, who favour Clinton by 2 to 1, will sit out the election. Diverging voting laws In that respect, the jumble of voting laws across the 50 states may well give Trump an edge. While North Dakota reliably Republican has no advance registration requirement, swing state North Carolina passed its registration deadline two weeks ago. And while most of the states that are safely in Clintons column dont require identification at the ballot box, others where Trump is struggling, such as North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Virginia and Florida, demand a photo ID. Republicans in control of those states legislatures who say their motive is to prevent voter fraud have also acknowledged that the effect is to hold down turnout by blacks and Hispanics who lean Democratic. READ MORE: North Carolina voters flood polls after voting battle In three states ballot boxes have been abolished altogether Oregon, Washington and Colorado have converted to exclusively vote-by-mail. Whether that change actually promotes participation is still under study. The US does, however, have a nationally designated presidential voting day the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. A regular working day. It may have been chosen for convenience back in 1845 when it didnt conflict with the Biblical Sabbath or with market days for the (male) farmers who made up most of Americas eligible voters. But a century and a half later, perhaps the time has come for to give Americans some easier ways if not a better reason to vote. Each day over the past week saw between 70 and 80 asylum seekers arriving in Paris as the Calais Jungle was cleared. Paris, France Its a jungle in the heart of Paris. Located in the citys 19th arrondissement, hundreds of tents surround the Stalingrad and Jaures metro stations, stretching down Avenue de Flandre as far as the eye can see. As night falls, refugees shelter from the drizzle under rickety shelters made of tarpaulin and old shower curtains, congregating on dirty mattresses, clapped-out sofas and unfolded cardboard boxes. Fatah Rahman al-Hazeen has just arrived from Calais, one of a steady flow of refugees into the makeshift camp, who slipped through the net of last weeks mass evacuation from the Calais jungle. The 22-year-old from Sudan decided to strike out for Paris rather than boarding a bus to one of the countrys 450 reception centres. They were saying they were coming to save us. I did not know the situation. I had to escape. I thought it was better to stay on the streets until going to Britain, Hazeen says. Still, he wonders if he should have come here at all. Maybe it was a mistake to leave. I will go back to Calais. I am waiting to hear from friends. In Pictures: Flames, fear and football as Calais Jungle cleared As desperate as Hazeen may be for a warm place to sleep, he does not want to place himself in the hands of the French authorities. His big worry is that he may end up being sent to Italy, where he was registered last year in Naples. Under the Dublin Regulation , an EU law, migrants can be sent back to the country where they were first fingerprinted for their applications to be processed. They [the Italians] forced me to give my fingerprints, he says. They told me it was for all of Europe. There were two policemen. They took me on each side, took my finger and made me Dublin. Hazeen claims the police in Italy beat him and attacked him with an electric prod. We came here because we need freedom from war. But nobody cares about our situation, he says. After they take all the people from Calais, then I will go when it is quiet. Evacuations and emergency centres Most of the people in the camp who spoke with Al Jazeera came from the south, mainly from Italy. But, numbers have risen substantially in the week since the demolition of the Calais Jungle. According to official figures, 5,596 people were evacuated from Calais out of an estimated total of 7,000, which suggests that hundreds are yet to be accounted for. Reports on the figures vary, but Julian Mez from legal support group the Bureau dAccueil et dAccompagnement des Migrants (BAAM), says that numbers around Stalingrad and Jaures have risen from 2,000 to 3,000 in the past week alone. The estimates, he says, are based on refugees seeking advice from BAAM and reports from local associations that distribute tents and clothes. Estimates at Paris city hall are more conservative. Spokeswoman Melanie Rigaud says that reports from social workers and associations indicate there have been 70 to 80 new arrivals each day in Paris over the past week, as opposed to 50 to 60 each day the week before. In the coming weeks, the city authorities will open a new refugee centre in nearby Porte de la Chapelle, with 400 places for male newcomers. After a period of five to 10 days during which shelter and medical and legal help will be provided the refugees will be sent to accommodation centres run by the central government. But the centre will only take in new arrivals, rather than the people who are already in the city. With this in mind, city hall has asked the central government to evacuate the Stalingrad camp and provide refugees with shelter before the refugee centre is opened. Rigaud expects this to happen soon. The French media reported on October 27 that the evacuation could take place in the next 10 days. Number or people evacuated and rehoused in operations on Stalingrad, Jaures and surrounding streets since June 2015 June 2, 2015: Boulevard de La Chapelle 477 February 4, 2016: Boulevard de la Chapelle 398 March 7, 2016: Stalingrad 393 March 30, 2016: Stalingrad 985 May 2, 2016: Stalingrad 1,615 June 16, 2016: Boulevard de la Chapelle 378 July 22, 2016: Boulevard de La Villette/Quai de Jemmapes 2,598 August 17, 2016: Stalingrad 796 September 16, 2016: Avenue de Flandre 2,083 Source: La Prefecture de Paris et dlle-de-France It wouldnt be the first evacuation. On September 16, 2,083 refugees were evacuated from Avenue de Flandre, according to La Prefecture de Paris et dlle-de-France, the regional police authority. In total, since June 2015, there have been nine evacuations from the area (see table). On each occasion, new tents have sprung up to replace the old. According to Mez, around a quarter of evacuees tend to return. Bussed to emergency accommodation centres, many have to travel long distances to file paperwork and register with the local prefecture. Its not unusual, he says, for people to end up sleeping rough while they are away, losing their place at the centres if they are away for more than three nights. Emergency centres do not provide the structural support that refugees need, says Mez. They do not provide assistance with applications, language classes or even tickets to get to the places where their applications are being processed. He believes asylum seekers should be given places at specialised centres, known as Centre daccueil de demandeurs dasile ( CADA ), where they can be given proper support. As long theres no political will to provide a long-term solution, these camps will continue to exist, says Mez. He believes the new city hall refugee centre is like simply sticking a plaster onto the problem. Its allowed city hall to say theyre doing something, while allowing the police to conduct their evacuations, he says. At Stalingrad camp At lunchtime on Avenue de Flandre, the smell of Tiep rises through the air. A long line of Ethiopians, Eritreans and Sudanese shuffle forward to receive the plastic containers. All the talk is of Calais. Ahmed Mourtada, 18, from Nyala in Sudan, limps to the queue. He injured a toe on his right foot, which is now wrapped in a bandage. He arrived from Italy two weeks ago, planning on reaching Calais so he could join his brother in Manchester in the UK. In three days, I will go, when my foot is better, he says. Mario Oliveira, director of local Adventist charity ADRA, says that most want to reach Britain, whether to join family or because they already speak English. Over the past two days, the charity, which is supplied with meals and sandwiches by restaurants and volunteers, has served an average of 200 more meals a day over the past week, taking the total to 1,300 meals. With the recent influx of newcomers from Calais, he expects a new evacuation to happen at any time. But theyll be back, he believes. Two days after Septembers evacuation, the charity found itself providing 600 meals. Its a question of networks and applications, Oliveira says. Its in their interests to stay here. In any case, ADRA is in it for the long haul, planning to invest in a food truck so volunteers can heat food over the winter months. This problem is not going to go away anytime soon, says Oliveira. That night, a group of men huddle in their tent, listening to Ethiopian jazz through speakers connected to a phone. Temesghen Zeray, 24, from Asmara, Eritrea, is another new arrival from Calais. After four months in the Jungle, he left as soon as he got wind of the evacuation. Those buses were only good for underaged, he says, expressing fears that, as an adult male, he would more than likely have been deported. Frightened, he walked and hitched to Paris. It took him four days to reach here. I thought it would be better to wait here, then go back to Calais later, he says. He is waiting to hear from friends before making another attempt to cross the Channel. I left Eritrea because of the conflict, the dictatorship. I wanted a safe life, he says. France is no good. Language is too difficult. Theres no food, no place to shower, no clothes. He waves a hand at the squalid conditions in the camp. READ MORE: Underage refugees in Calais running out of options More raids and displacement Over at the Jaures station, Afghan refugees have been sleeping beneath the railway bridge and across the road by the Saint-Martin Canal. One man at the makeshift camp is belting out a tune on a battered guitar, while others bang on the bins and dance wildly for no particular reason. Its because its not raining, says one person. A group of men tell of a police raid that took place here just last week. The tents by the canal were destroyed, leaving many sleeping in the rain in front of Ofpra, the government agency that handles asylum requests, just across the road from Jaures. The Prefecture de Police, which is charged with security in the city, says that they have no record of this. But a local support group, Le Comite de Soutien des Migrants de La Chapelle, uploaded a video of the incident, which took place on October 20, on its Facebook page. Local volunteer Jale Gokcen arrived on the scene while police were still there. Gokcen is part of an online network of locals that puts out calls on Facebook for donations. We needed to find new tents and jackets for them, she says. Its getting tiring replacing things after the raids. Interest comes in spurts, but sometimes it wanes and tents are harder to find, she says. Ali Husseini, 21, from Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan, is hanging out outside the metro station, waiting with friends to see if food will arrive. He got here three weeks ago with his younger sister and brother. He was studying electrical engineering at Shiraz University in Iran when he lost his father in a Taliban bombing. I had to return to take my family to safety, he says. As members of a Shia Muslim minority group, their lives were constantly under threat. I am now the father of the family. I brought them here so they would not be killed, says Husseini. And they say that Afghanistan is safe now, he says. After a journey that saw him and his siblings cross 10 countries over one year, he is now anxious to apply for asylum in France as soon as possible. Under a controversial EU deal with Afghanistan , unveiled at the beginning of October, more than 80,000 asylum seekers could be sent back to the war-torn nation. READ MORE: Greece: Afghan refugees in Greece face deportation Rahman Safi, 28, from a village in Afghanistans Kapisa province, has been here around two weeks. He says he fled from the Taliban a year ago after receiving death threats, almost drowning in a dinghy on the way to Greece and strapping himself under a truck to reach Italy. Having reached here without leaving any fingerprints anywhere else in Europe, he is now applying for asylum in France. Eager to obtain asylum as soon as possible, he travelled outside Paris to the small town of Limay, where he heard applications were being processed faster. Now he has to report to the Versailles prefecture, which is on the outskirts of the city, next month. He is currently trying to raise money for train and metro tickets. According to Ofpra, 31.5 percent of asylum applications were successful in 2015, an increase on the previous year, but still well below the European average of 52 percent. Ofpra declined to fulfil Al Jazeeras request for a breakdown of figures on failed asylum claims, whether based on being classified as economic migrants or as a result of the Dublin Regulation. In the wake of the French governments large-scale operation in Calais, people have a sense that doors are closing fast. Safi hopes its not too late to squeeze through. Maybe I arrived in time, he says. This is my last chance. As construction of the border wall continues, so does the flow of undocumented migrants hoping for a better life. On the night of Halloween in 2000, Carmen Caballero, who was then eight, and her three-year-old sister put on witches costumes and met their aunt for a trick-or-treat excursion in their native city of Juarez, Mexico. They piled into their aunts car and left. When the girls got out, they were in El Paso, Texas. At their parents wishes, their aunt had crossed the border and taken them to the US, where they still live today as undocumented immigrants. We came here tricked, says Caballero, who is now 26. She only learned of her illegal status some 10 years later when the fact that she didnt have a social security card meant that she couldnt apply for a scholarship to attend college. When I turned 18 people asked me Why arent you going back? and I couldnt answer that, because I dont know Juarez, she says. My life is here. Today Caballero is one of the nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the US, according to the Center for Migration Studies. Like her, about 1.5 million reside in Texas. Caballero lives in El Paso, the nations largest border city and a high traffic corridor for illegal crossings. About nine miles from the city centre, a new border wall is in the works. Last August, in neighbouring New Mexico, the US Border Patrol began replacing the current fence in the last stretch of unwalled urban borderline with an 18ft-tall steel structure. An agency spokesperson did not immediately respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment, but according to a report by the Albuquerque Journal, the Border Patrol says the new fence is just a replacement of the old chain-link one. WATCH: Walls of Shame The US-Mexico Border Wall Immigration in the US: A welcoming land? Human rights activists, however, see it as yet another example of an increasingly strict immigration policy. Essentially, for nearly three decades, the United States only position towards migration has been that we are going to deter it without looking at creating a legal visa system that would meet our needs as a country, says Brian Erickson, a border policy strategist for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Walls are not the solution to this immigration system that is broken by Gabriela Castaneda, Mexican mother The deterrence strategy described by Erickson began with the toughening of immigration laws in the mid-1990s and was furthered as the immigration enforcement system was expanded after the 9/11 attacks. People that are not from the US tend to think the US [immigration] laws are humanitarian, that were the land that welcomes people, says Melissa Lopez, a lawyer and executive director of the Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services , which provides legal services to immigrants in Texas and New Mexico. After 1996, with the enactment of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, those laws became more punitive, says Lopez. This makes it incredibly difficult for people to obtain immigration benefits lawfully, she adds. Such policy has contributed to tearing immigrant families apart and keeping people like Caballero in a state of legal limbo. Every time I think about it, its really hard, says Caballero, whose undocumented status means living in constant fear of being separated from her children, who are American citizens. Al Jazeera first met Caballero at a class put on by the Border Network for Human Rights, a local organisation that helps immigrants who live along the southern border. READ MORE: Deadly human trafficking business on Mexico-US border She was one of 11 undocumented women who gathered in a one-bedroom apartment in the suburban neighbourhood of Agua Dulce last September to learn their basic rights and how to deal with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, or ICE . Their teacher was Gabriela Castaneda, a Mexican mother of three and a former undocumented immigrant. These are people who have a really undignified life because on a daily basis they fear that they may be stopped by a sheriff or that the neighbour is gonna call border patrol, says Castaneda, who hopes the next administration will adopt an immigration policy based on integration. Walls are not the solution to this immigration system that is broken, she says. Risking death to be with your child Since 9/11 there has been a huge increase in funding for domestic surveillance, immigration detention and border security, including the 2006 congressional act requiring 700 miles of fencing along the US-Mexico border. The US Customs and Border Protections budget has increased [PDF] from $568m in 1996 to $3.8bn in 2015, with the goal of combating emerging threats posed by an increasingly sophisticated network of transnational terrorism and crime [PDF] , according to the agency. The budget allocated to ICE, the federal law enforcement agency tasked with running the immigration detention system, has also surged to $6.2bn this year [PDF] . The consequence has been a mass increase in the number of immigrants detained and deported in the past two decades, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security. Under Obama some 2.5 million (predominantly male) people have been deported, more than under any other president in history, according to the data. Castanedas husband is one of those men. He has been deported four times and is currently serving a four-year sentence in prison for illegal re-entry, a felony. Once released, he has no chance of ever being able to enter the US legally, says Castaneda, who despite the economic and emotional strains of being separated from her husband, says she will stay in the US for the sake of her three children all American citizens. I dont want them to have the life I have in terms of poverty, in terms of not having a career, she says. I want to be able to offer them something better than I have right now. According to ACLUs Erickson, these stories are common as the chance of a better life continues to bring immigrants into the country, regardless of how difficult, dangerous or costly it is to cross the border. The interest of being with your US citizen child or the need to put food on the table for your family, will always outweigh the threat of desert temperatures, incarceration and ultimately of death, he says, referring to how the border wall and fences have forced people deeper into the desert, with deadly consequences . It has been proven throughout history that walls are not a good way to enforce our immigration laws, but for whatever reasons our government continues to believe that they are, says Lopez. We need bridges, not walls The current election cycle has brought the immigration issue to the forefront, with presidential hopeful Donald Trump guaranteeing more walls and deportations if elected. As a protest against such a promise, last August the Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR) organised an event in an area by the Rio Grande, the river that is also the natural border between Mexico and the US. The event, called Hugs Not Walls , was meant to reunite albeit briefly 120 divided families from El Paso and Juarez, many of whom, according to BNHRs director Fernando Garcia, hadnt seen each other in years. We brought them together [to] hug and embrace, says Garcia, describing the event as a message about the consequences of our current immigration policies. There was a lot of love and a lot of pain, he says. It was here that Caballero met her Mexico-based relatives for the first time. At the event, her mother, Isabel Hernandez, was overwhelmed with emotion when she hugged the sisters she hadnt seen for 17 years. We couldnt talk, she says. It was three minutes of crying, crying, crying. Hernandez felt joyful and helpless at the same time, she explains. I dont know if Ill ever be able to go back to Mexico but I hope one day well hug each other again. Castaneda, who hasnt seen her father in 20 years, helped organise the event. Even though she wasnt able to meet any of her relatives, she rejoiced in seeing so many others embrace their loved ones. But for Castaneda this event was above all else a political protest. Unfortunately this harsh border policy is taking us apart, she says. What we need is family reunification, what we need is bridges, not walls. Official policies slowly changing with new democratic victories, but landmines persist as major hazard to civilians. Yangon, Myanmar After serving in the army for 23 years, U Thant Zin feels he has blood on his hands. Hes responsible for laying countless landmines in conflicts that have engulfed Myanmar for decades. From his home in Yangon, he recalls his time in Myanmars army, the Tatmadaw. Everywhere we marched we carried landmines and used them to counterattack the enemy. At that time I had not noticed how dangerous it was for the people, but when I became a commander I saw too many civilian casualties and deaths. Nine of Myanmars 14 states are contaminated by landmines and millions of people here are in danger. Many had hoped the situation would radically change after the first democratic election in more than five decades of military rule as, once-persecuted Aung San Suu Kyi led her party to an overwhelming victory last November. Dr Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan, Landmine Monitor researcher, however, explains that mine warfare continues, but at a lower level compared with five years ago in Myanmar. There has been no mine clearance. None, he says. With a mountain of issues to deal with, Suu Kyis National League for Democracy has been fighting an uphill battle against a weapon that has become ubiquitous in Myanmar. Cheap weapon of choice The Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor has reported that between 1999 and 2014, 3,745 people fell victim to landmines including those killed and injured, with 251 in 2014 alone. According to figures provided to Al Jazeera by UNICEF, which has been working in collaboration with Myanmars national Mine Risk Working Group, only 101 casualties were recorded in 2015, with the same number recorded so far in 2016. They rank the country third after Colombia and Afghanistan for the highest landmine casualty rates in the world. Moser-Puangsuwan says that Myanmar has not signed the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, and is the only country where mines have been used by state forces, every year, since [the treaty] came into force. There is a long history of landmine use, Zin explains. After losing his leg to a landmine he set up the Peace Myanmar Aid Foundation, which campaigns for demining in the country. He says that the civil war in Myanmar, which started in 1948, has forced the outnumbered ethnic armed groups to use guerilla warfare tactics, and landmines are one of the most effective ways to engage in that. Melissa Andersson, programme manager at Norwegian Peoples Aid, a humanitarian organisation that also works on landmine clearance, further explained that eventually landmines became entrenched in the culture, approach to conflict and perceived need for protection. Look at the places that have larger contamination problems, such as Colombia and Afghanistan and the similarities arise: a long-running, complex civil war, and a cheap weapon of choice that creates the status quo, Andersson said. Theyre cheap, easy to produce and they work. It becomes part of the problem. A lifetime of trauma Fighting continues in the northern states of Shan and Kachin, while conflict has in the past month flared up in the south-eastern state of Karen. NGOs working in the region believe landmines are still being laid and continue to threaten the lives of innocent civilians. The damage caused by landmines is not only physical for the unfortunate victims. Their families and society at large also suffer a burden as a result of the debilitating injuries. Poe Toe Toe is one such victim. He has lost a leg and his family is left on the verge of destitution because he can no longer work as before to support them. At a rehabilitation clinic run by the Myanmar Red Cross in Hpa-An, a town in Karen, Toe practises walking on a prosthetic leg. Theres no government support. I cant provide for my family any more, Toe explains, saying that he feels guilty he cannot support his family. I used to earn 6,000 kyat ($4.73) a day collecting vegetables, but since I lost my leg I cant access the remote areas and can make just 500 kyat a day by selling chickens from my home. My children are suffering because I cant send them to school, and they have lost their friends because theyre scared of my injury, he tells. Another landmine victim, Kyaw Win, lost his leg in 2007 in his village in the Eastern Bago region, a former conflict front. He recalls the trauma he has experienced since he triggered a landmine that blew off his left leg. Because I lost my leg my children had to take responsibility for me. Theyve had to leave their home and go to Thailand to work to earn more money to support us, he explains. But Win knows hes one of the lucky ones, thankful for having received help at the rehabilitation clinic, while an unknown number of people in the country are out of reach of any support. But the trauma is a part of his daily life. Im embarrassed to even go out as people look down on me, and its impossible to see a positive future, he says. War and peace and landmines But, it seems discussions of large-scale demining may be delayed until the fighting stops and the ceasefire negotiations yield results. If theres to be a solution to clearing landmines it has to be in partnership with the army, government and ethnic armed groups, Andersson says. So clearing mines, which are laid in the most contested areas where the conflict has been, is still linked to the long-term peace process. The problems that need to be resolved are huge; landmines are a smaller drop in a larger ocean. Ultimately, Andersson says, the delay comes down to a lack of trust between the warring factions. As a former participant in the fighting, Zin adds that the conflict between the government and ethnic groups has been going on so long, there is still a lot of hatred toward each other, so nobody wants to be the first to take a step back. Its a stalemate and it wont be easy. But there has been progress. Back in 2012, the government officially denied that there were landmines, according to Matthew Walsh, programme manager at Danish Church Aid, another humanitarian organisation with demining projects. Now the position has shifted and the government acknowledges the existence of the problem, he says. IN PICTURES: Violence in northern Myanmar overshadows peace process The fact that at meetings, including the 21st-Century Panglong Conference, there have been high-ranking staff in uniform from both the armed groups at the same table as the Tatmadaw to discuss issues is quite impressive, all things considered, says Walsh. You can say there hasnt been much tangible progress made in terms of demining, but when history is considered it is a monumental step. Earlier this month the Tatmadaw proposed setting up Karen as a pilot area for the removal of landmines, with ethnic armed groups in agreement. This is a hugely significant step that hasnt happened before, Zin says. Aung Sun Suu Kyi, ministers, MPs and the people all want demining. The army is the last player, so their suggestion is momentous. As a former army colonel, Zin is optimistic about change, believing the most significant progress has come since April, when the new government took over. UNICEF believes the pilot scheme provides an opportunity to start tackling landmines. In states such as Karen, where parties signed the 2015 ceasefire and where trust has been gradually built among different stakeholders, there could be an opportunity to act more immediately, compared with in Shan and Kachin, where armed groups did not sign the ceasefire. In Kachin and Shan, the areas with most documented victims this year, and where demining is not likely to happen in the short term, we have started to scale up mine risk education and victim assistance. But where possible, regional demining should be considered, explains Bertrand Bainvel, UNICEF representative to Myanmar. But for many like Zin, Toe and Win this progress is too slow to come and the trauma and stigma of their experience will define the rest of their lives. As Iraqi forces close in on Mosul, the possibility of chemical weapons use looms large. It feels like this is the beginning of the end of the campaign to liberate Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and some seem to be predicting that ISIL fighters will drift away at some stage to fight another day in Syria. Those more than 100 suicide bombers seen in the first week of the assault and those who set light to al-Mishraq chemical plant would suggest this is not the case and that ISIL (also known as ISIS) will throw the kitchen sink at the coalition to stave off losing Mosul. With ISILs Iraq strongholds gone, so is most of the caliphate, no doubt with a final battle in Raqqa but the war hinges on Mosul. Chemical weapons expert discusses ISIL chlorine attack In this forthcoming apocalypse ISIL will fight with every means available, and this will include the use of their extensive chemical weapons capability. Built up over the past two years, ISIL has been making mustard agent and fashioning toxic industrial chemicals into improvised weapons, which it has been testing by attacking the Peshmerga of Iraqi Kurdistan. More than 20 times in the past 12 months ISIL has fired mortars and rockets at Peshmerga troops in the Makhmour area containing the blister agent mustard gas and chlorine, a choking gas. Chlorine and mustard gas were first developed in World War I as chemical weapons and both can be fatal if gas masks are not used. These chemicals have killed few but injured many, and as General Sirwan Barzani, commander of the Peshmerga Black Tigers of Sector 6, told me in August near Gwer: I know chemicals are not as dangerous as bombs and bullets, but my men have few gas masks and they fear chemicals. A toxic legacy The Kurds know all about chemical weapons; it was Saddam Hussein who tried to exterminate them in the 1980s in the Anfal campaign, killing up to 100,000; and most notably 5,000 in a single day at Halabja on March 16, 1988, using the deadly nerve agent sarin. Bashar al-Assad used the same chemical weapon in Ghouta on August 21, 2013 to horrific effect. It is now Saddams Baathist scientists who are developing ISILs chemical capability. On both occasions the death toll was very high because it was innocent civilians who were attacked who had no way or knowledge to save themselves. To underestimate ISIL's capacity for terror is an error, and to underestimate its ability to conduct chemical warfare would be very unwise. by The Ghouta attack in Syria helped Assad to stay in power for three years, and prevented Damascus from falling. His forces have also prevented ISIL from taking the strategic military base at Deir Az-Zor for the past two years with the use of chlorine barrel bombs. This, I believe, has had a profound effect on ISIL when planning their defence of Mosul. The first element of the defence of Mosul was seen last week when ISIL set fire to al-Mishraq chemical plant 30km south of Mosul. This is putting huge amounts of deadly hydrogen sulphide and sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere, which is mixing with poisonous fumes from oil fires to produce a deadly cocktail. OPINION: Remembering Halabja chemical attack To date, several are reported dead and 1,000 injured. The cloud is currently sitting over the military base Qayyarah, forcing the United States military personnel into gas masks and others indoors. From a military perspective this is a good move by ISIL, as it cuts through the advancing Iraqi army, not all of whom have gas masks, as they march towards Mosul. If this toxic cloud were to move eastwards to more populated areas this could be of grave concern. Saddam Hussein set fire to Mishraq in 2003, as the US coalition advanced into Iraq. It burned for two months, caused thousands of casualties, and allegedly burned a hole in the ozone layer. The capacity for terror To underestimate ISILs capacity for terror is an error, and to underestimate its ability to conduct chemical warfare would be very unwise. ISIL scientists have developed an extensive if crude chemical arsenal including mustard agent, chlorine and other toxic industrial chemicals. OPINION: The battle for Mosul The beginning of the end Chemical weapons are extremely effective for defending built-up areas and cities, as they put attackers into gas masks which make fighting hand-to-hand exceedingly difficult. And if they dont have masks, as some Peshmerga and Iraqi army dont, chemical weapons could make them think twice about entering the city. It is the psychological effect of these abhorrent weapons which is of most use to the defender; and it is this fear which must be overcome by the attacker. This could be achieved by good training and leadership, which the coalition must continue to provide to Baghdad and Erbil. Even if this fear is overcome and Mosul is conquered militarily, the final battle will not be won unless we invest into a vast humanitarian programme. The millions of souls left who have had to endure two years of ISIL brutality will not thank us if we cannot feed and clothe them, give them water and electricity, and prevent a potential environmental disaster left behind as ISILs toxic legacy. Executing these vital tasks will involve the support of NGOs and those right behind the frontlines. There will undoubtedly be all types of toxic nasties left behind by ISIL, and we must ensure that these NGOs have the wherewithal to deal with them. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon is a chemical weapons adviser to NGOs working in Syria and Iraq. He is a former commanding officer of the UK Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment and NATOs Rapid Reaction CBRN Battalion. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. Brexiteers underestimate the level of spite European negotiators are willing to display. Theres a rumour going round our post-Brexit Britain that the United Kingdom government has a say in the Brexit negotiations. Theres an even more quaint idea that this is going to be a negotiation not a bulldozer of a deal that European trade negotiators have become so adept at rolling out against lesser nations. Some are even deluded enough to think that the Brexit quartet International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Prime Minister Theresa May, and the Secretary for Brexit itself, David Davis are in charge of Brexit negotiations. They arent, we arent, but the Europeans most definitely are. Fundamentally different perceptions By Europeans, I mean firstly the powerful European Peoples Party (EPP), a transnational alliance of centre-right politicians wielding enormous influence across the European Commission and the domestic politics of many European countries. The EPP is a pro-European conservative grouping most Britons probably havent heard of, but it plays an immensely important role in European life. The EPP currently monopolises nearly every serious position within the European Union establishment, has been the largest political party operating within the Union since 1999, and is increasingly independent from its principal sponsor Angela Merkel. The EPP also, crucially, despises the same British Tory party that just engineered Britains exit from the EU because in theory the two parties should be natural allies, and now theyre marked enemies. The EPP are centre-right, like the Tories, but the Tories flounced out of the EPP in 2009 because David Cameron, who the EPP deride as a political coward for not standing up to the Eurosceptics, thought the EPP was too pro-European (or at least his backbench MPs did). Britain is the 28th kid in a very large family, throwing a tantrum during the school run, and Mama Brussels simply doesn't have time for it. by Good news, then, that the chief negotiator for the Commission will be Michel Barnier the vice president of the European Peoples Party. So insistent is he that Britain must be made to sweat that he has demanded the negotiations be conducted in French. Then you have the idea were entering into any normal trade negotiation where normal rules apply. In a rare moment of clarity, Brexit Secretary and hardliner Eurosceptic David Davis acknowledged at the Conservative Party conference earlier this month that the EUs understanding of the bloc and the British understanding of it remain fundamentally different. We need to appreciate and respect what the European Union means to them, he said. They view it through the prism of their own history sadly a history often of invasion and occupation, dictatorship and domination. The prism of sovereignty Britain, on the other hand, has always and will always see the EU as a matter of money and trade alone not a matter of stability, national security or essential freedoms. The Poles, perhaps the most ardently nationalist, pro-sovereignty, anti-immigration, and certainly the most pro-EU public you will find, are exemplary. OPINION: Three paths to European disintegration They, if anyone in Europe, understand the meaning of losing sovereignty. It actually happened to them, many, many times, as their sovereignty was repeatedly subsumed by their neighbours. And yet still the Polish public overwhelmingly love this supposed juggernaut of sovereignty stripping the EU. I was in Poland during and after the referendum; and Brexit continues, as it did then, to dominate the Polish news agenda. It does so because for many Poles, Brexit possibly means the EU, at some point, falling apart. And guess who is also playing a key part in the Brexit negotiations. Donald Tusk, president of the European Council and yes, a Pole a former prime minister, no less. Worse still, guess which party Tusk hails from? You guessed it the European Peoples Party. OPINION: After David Cameron we are left only with mistakes Politicians living next to Vladimir Putin or on the borders of the Middle East and North Africa currently feel under immense pressure. The refugee crisis is collapsing the Balkans, Greece and Italy into chaos, the Syrian civil war could last for years to come, and the level of resentment that the UK generated by creating another problem for the EU elite, at a time of such massive crisis, cannot be underestimated. Britain is the 28th kid in a very large family, throwing a tantrum during the school run, and Mama Brussels simply doesnt have time for it. Bulldozing Britain That Brussels is willing to bulldoze Britain is now becoming fact. Theresa Mays first EU summit in late October demonstrated this well. Her Brexit speech was pointedly timetabled for the very end of dinner, and was met with stony silence. The EPP bigwig and European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker threw his hands in the air and muttered pfft, when asked how May had performed. May insisted before her departure that she wanted Britain to play a full role until we leave, but 27 member states will now meet without Britain in Malta next year. Marching orders are being given. Dispatch Britain as quickly as possible. Give them a bloody nose so nobody else thinks they can get a better deal out than in, and move on to dealing with the more serious issues. Britain might as well end the national debate which is consuming the airwaves about whether were going to get a hard or soft Brexit. As Donald Tusk himself put it when he visited May; its either hard Brexit or no Brexit. Alastair Sloan is a London-based journalist. He focuses on injustice and human rights in the UK and international affairs, including human rights, the arms trade, censorship, political unrest and dictatorships. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. UN appalled with at least 17 children among those killed, while some 1,500 rebels mass along Aleppos western edges. Syrian government troops and rebels were locked in fierce fighting on Sunday on Aleppos western edges, where at least 41 civilians have been killed over the past three days. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said the death toll included at least 17 children, adding hundreds of mortars had been fired. The northern city of Aleppos frontline runs through the heart of the ancient city, dividing rebels in the east from government forces in the west. Rebels, in an opposition offensive to break a devastating siege, have unleashed car bombs and salvos of rockets and mortar shells to break through government lines. Syrian state media on Sunday accused opposition fighters of firing shells containing toxic gas into government-controlled districts. The rebels denied the allegations. It was impossible for Al Jazeera to independently verify the claim. State news agency SANA reported 35 people were suffering from shortness of breath, numbness, and muscle spasms after toxic gases hit the frontline district of Dahiyat al-Assad and regime-held Hamdaniyeh. United Nations Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said he was appalled and shocked by the high number of rockets indiscriminately launched on civilian suburbs of government-held Aleppo. Those who argue that this is meant to relieve the siege of eastern Aleppo should be reminded that nothing justifies the use of disproportionate and indiscriminate weapons, including heavy ones, on civilian areas and it could amount to war crimes, de Mistura said. The head of Aleppo University Hospital, Ibrahim Hadid, told state television: Thirty six people, including civilians and combatants, were wounded after inhaling toxic chlorine gas released by terrorists. Rebels deny accusations The head of the political office of the Aleppo-based rebel group Fastaqim denied the reports. This is a lie, said Zakaria Malahifjim of Fastaqim. Syrias second city, Aleppo has been ravaged by some of the heaviest fighting of the countrys five-year war, which has killed more than 300,000 people. In a new death toll on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory said fighting had killed at least 55 government troops and allied fighters, as well as 64 Syrian rebels. About 1,500 rebels have massed on a 15-km front along the western edges of Aleppo since Friday, scoring quick gains in the Dahiyat al-Assad district, but struggling to push east since then. The advance will be from Dahiyat al-Assad towards Hamdaniyeh, said Yasser al-Youssef of the Noureddin al-Zinki rebel faction. Hamdaniyeh is a government-held district directly adjacent to opposition-controlled eastern neighbourhoods. A state TV presenter, Shadi Halwi, said in a video post on his Facebook page that for the first time in government-held Aleppo, the sound of clashes is strong, very loud. OPINIONS: Aleppo and the myth of Syrias sovereignty Chris Doyle, from the Council for Arab-British Understanding, a London-based advocacy group, said the failure to end the siege of Aleppo has unified the disparate rebel groups, with hardline fighters taking the lead. They have won the narrative. Theyve said, look the United States, Turkey these other countries arent going to help you, you have to work with us, he told Al Jazeera. The situation for Aleppo residents on both sides of the frontline was bleak, he added. Civilians have been weaponised in this war. Both sides, but particularly the regime, have decided to use civilians as a tool, as a way of conducting the war. Instead of attacking military targets, theyve attacked hospitals, schools. And were seeing now some among the opposition fighters doing the same, said Doyle. Russia and the Syrian government have halted air strikes on the eastern rebel-held part of Aleppo since last week to allow the evacuation of wounded civilians. But no evacuation took place and efforts to allow medical and food supplies into the besieged area also faltered. Meanwhile, government troops kept up a ground offensive against rebel areas. Ibrahim al-Haj a member of the Syrian Civil Defence, or White Helmets, which operates in rebel-held Aleppo said air strikes on Sunday on districts near the frontline caused material damage. He also said government artillery shelling killed three people and wounded seven. Massive, coordinated assault A government military source told AFP news agency the rebel assault was massive and coordinated, but insisted it was unable to break into any neighbourhoods beyond Dahiyat al-Assad. Theyre using Grad missiles and car bombs and are supported by foreign fighters in their ranks, he said. Those engaged in the assault include Aleppo rebels and reinforcements from Idlib province to the west, among them Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, which changed its name from al-Nusra Front after breaking ties with al-Qaeda. Much of the once-bustling economic hub has been reduced to rubble by artillery and air bombardment, including barrel bombs crude unguided explosive devices that kill indiscriminately. In late September, government troops launched an assault to recapture all of the eastern rebel-controlled territory, backed by air strikes from Russia, which began an air war in 2015 to support President Bashar al-Assads forces. That onslaught spurred massive international criticism of both Moscow and Damascus. The law would permanently ban legal visits to the country for asylum seekers arriving by boat. Australia on Sunday announced plans to ratchet up its tough policy against refugees by banning any asylum seeker who attempts to reach its shores by boat from ever visiting the country. A previous government introduced a policy on July 19, 2013, banning refugees who arrive by boat from Indonesian ports after that date from ever being resettled in Australia. Under legislation to be introduced to parliament next week, thousands of asylum seekers who have returned to their homelands in the Middle East, Africa and Asia would be banned for life from ever travelling to Australia as tourists, to do business or as an Australians spouse, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said. Australian PM denies Nauru prison camp claims You need the clearest of clear messages, Turnbull told reporters. This is a battle of will between the Australian people, represented by their government, and these criminal gangs of people-smugglers. You should not underestimate the scale of the threat. Rights advocates have criticised Turnbulls plan, said Al Jazeeras Andrew Thomas, reporting from Sydney. One prominent human rights lawyer in Australia has already condemned these proposed new laws as introducing a lifelong sentence on victims of persecution and another dangerous precedent, said Thomas. But for Malcolm Turnbull this is as much about domestic politics as anything else. He needs to get this legislation through a Senate in Australia which he does not control. He would need the support of minor parties or the Labor opposition to get this through. A punitive approach Australia has paid the poor Pacific nations of Nauru and Papua New Guinea to keep asylum seekers in camps since the 2013 policy came into force. Graham Thom, refugee coordinator for Amnesty International in Australia, told Al Jazeera that the new law would be an extraordinary measure. They can already stop people from coming here and that is their stated policy. So this is really just a punitive approach from the government, trying to send signals, many of them domestic as well as international, said Thom. Its going to have a real consequence for those on Nauru at the moment. We know those people are suffering. Their mental health decline is just endemic at the moment, self-harm is very chronic, he said. READ MORE: Naurus detention centre Many of us think of suicide Thom also added that the new law is unlikely to act as a deterrent to those who hope to enter Australia irregularly. All its going to do is harm the mental health of those already in Nauru, said Thom. The new policy would apply to all asylum seekers who have attempted to reach Australia since July 19, 2013. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said asylum seeker children would be exempt from the visa ban and he would have discretion to make exceptions for adults in cases where to do so was in the public interest. Daniel Webb, director of legal advocacy at the Human Rights Law Center, said the change would permanently separate families and entrench the limbo for asylum seekers and refugees on Nauru and Papua New Guinea. More than 51,000 asylum seekers arrived in Australian waters by boat during the six years the former centre-left Labor Party government was in power from 2007 until 2013. More than 20,000 arrived in 2013. No boat smuggling operation has succeeded in delivering asylum seekers to Australia since July 2014 under Turnbulls Conservative government. But human rights groups have accused Australia of abrogating its responsibilities to refugees as a signatory to the United Nations Refugee Convention. Labor spokesman Brendan OConnor said the opposition would have to read the legislation before deciding whether it would support it in the Senate, where the government does not hold a majority of seats. With any legislation you want to look at it, see whether in fact it is fair and reasonable and is consistent with our own commitments internationally, OConnor told Sky News Television. Fears are growing over a regional showdown over Mosul as the military operation against ISIL enters its third week. The battle for Mosul is galvanising regional powers into actions that might upset the present balance of power in the region, analysts warned. We cannot predict if there will be a [regional] clash or not, but things are heading to the worse and there will be big surprises, said Muaayad al-Windawi, a retired Iraqi army officer and political analyst at the Iraqi Center for Strategic Studies in Amman, Jordan. As the battle to take Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant fighters (ISIL, also known as ISIS), enters its second week, Turkey, one of the key regional players, is facing a difficult challenge, according to analysts. These moments are decisive It will be a real test for Turkey. Erdogan warned the Shia militias [Popular Mobilisation Units, or PMUs] from entering Mosul or the town of Tel Afar, which has a Sunni Turkmen population, now the [PMU] forces are headed there, Windawi told Al Jazeera. Recently, Turkeys relation with Iraqs central government turned sour, triggering a war of words over the Turkish military presence in Bashiqa, east of Mosul, to train Iraqi forces, including Sunni tribal fighters and Kurdish Peshmerga, to fight ISIL. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi described the Turkish presence as an occupying force, with hundreds of soldiers coming in with tanks and artillery, plotting to create divisions among Iraqis. READ MORE: Why Iraq needs more than military victory in Mosul We by Muaayad clash or not but things are heading to the worse and there will be big surprises.] Analysts say the dispute between Ankara and Baghdad could threaten to derail the plan to retake Mosul from ISIL. On Friday, US officials said they were scrambling to end the dispute between Ankara and Baghdad. There is a lot of tension, and the public rhetoric has gotten a bit out of hand, a senior US administration official said. Its an extremely troubling scenario. Turkeys policy shift in Syria and Iraq, according to analysts, is closely linked to the failed coup attempt that took place last July. Turkey has changed after the failed coup attempt it got rid of the military generals that are refusing government policies if it doesnt act now, it will be too late, says Resul Serdar Atas, a Turkish journalist and commentator. Turkey, explains Atas, realised that it made a mistake by its inaction in Syria and Iraq over the last five years, thus allowing the armed Kurdish group, PKK, to create a semi-state on Turkeys border. Now, Turkey is flexing its muscle in Syria, is pushing towards al-Bab [in northern Aleppo] to clear it from ISIL Turkish military presence in Iraqs Bashiqa camp is a guarantee to Sunnis and Kurds who mistrust the Hashed [PMUs] and the federal government, adds Atas. It will intervene if this force advances to Tel Afar or enters Mosul and commits collective punishment against Sunnis. Despite the tense situation, a direct military confrontation between Turkey and Iran, the two regional archrivals, remains unlikely, according to Atas. Turkey and Iran can be destructive to each other. There will be too much to lose for both; it will be an increased proxy war, he says. Turkey will shift the balance of power and will take care of its own security and could face the militias in Iraq directly or indirectly. In terms of the regional balance of power, Iraq remains the weakest in this crisis. The government is struggling to maintain ethnic, social and political unity while trying to end ISILs presence and curb the sectarian violence that gripped the nation since the US-led invasion of 2003. Despite the Iraqi-Turkish dispute, Baghdad is well-aware of Turkeys redlines in Mosul. Prime Minister Abadi said only Iraqi army and police would enter Mosul. However, these forces, according to one analyst, are heavily infiltrated by Shia militias and has been accused by Sunni politicians and residents of being too sectarian. Baghdad is working to impose the law of the victor and vanquished in Mosul, said Hisham al-Hashimi, head of the antiterrorism unit at the Baghdad-based Akad Center for Strategic and Future Studies. The ethnic components will share power there the victor will impose its conditions, and all the Sunni politicians who are loyal to the government will follow, Hashimi told Al Jazeera. On Sunday, PMUs said they had launched an assault to the west of Mosul, opening up a new front in the battle to drive ISIL from the countrys second city and the groups last major bastion in the country. A spokesman for the coalition, Ahmed al-Asadi, told a news conference that seven hours into the operation 10 villages had been liberated from ISIL. The Hashed [PMUs] will head to the western front to stop Daesh [ISIL] fighters from leaving Mosul and going into Syria. They will also clear the road for the Shia factions coming from the province of Salaheldin, Tel Afar, Raqqa and Aleppo. That is also what both Russia and Iran want. READ MORE: Mosul battle could cause a human catastrophe Iran, Iraqs main political and military ally, has welcomed the Mosul operation and called for an end of terrorist groups. Liberating Mosul for the Iraqi government is like Aleppo for the Syrian government, said Ali Akbar Velayati, a former foreign minister and adviser to Irans supreme leader. He added that his country has military advisers helping Iraqi armed forces defeat terrorists. Irans military involvement in Iraq, Syria and Yemen over the last few years has infuriated Iraqs neighbours. Statements and actions made by Iraqi leaders with close ties to Iran are deepening the regional divide, say analysts. Iraqs vice president, Nouri al-Maliki, who was prime minister when ISIL overran Mosul in 2014, said in a conference held in Baghdad that after Mosul, there will be other regional battles. Operation Coming Nineveh [military name for the operation to retake Mosul] also means that we are coming Raqqa, We are coming Aleppo and we are coming Yemen, said Maliki as he sat next to Velayati. Such statements, according al-Windawi, are irresponsible and would increase the sectarian tensions in the region. While Saudi Arabia welcomed the Iraqi governments military operation against ISIL, it also warned of a bloodbath if PMUs entered the city. On Saturday, the Turkish president raised concerns about the advance of the PMUs towards the Tal Afar district of Iraqs Mosul province. Tal Afar is a totally Turkmen city, with half Shia and half Sunni Muslims. We do not judge people by their religious affiliation; we regard them all as Muslims. But if Hashed al-Shaabi terrorises the region, our response would be different. Erdogans statements raised fears of a possible regional showdown over the Mosul battle. The Americans and the Russians agree on ending the Sunni rebellion [in Iraq and Syria ], said Hashimi. Russia and the US dont want to fight these groups [ISIL and others], so they rely on the Shia factions to do just that. Omar Al Saleh is a former Al Jazeera correspondent and an analyst on Middle East affairs. A previous version of this article claimed that WFP had withdrawn from the town of Kaga Bandora. This is not the case. At the end of September, UNOCHA in a statement said that the "departure of humanitarian organisations will affect negatively 120,000 people who are food insecure, and rely on assistance, 35,000 displaced persons who may not receive food aid from the WFP". Renewed deadly violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) has forced more than 20,000 people to flee to a UN base to seek safety and shelter. Tensions in the town of Kaga Bandero, in northern CAR, have also risen to such an extent that humanitarian workers have suspended relief efforts in the area, leaving thousands vulnerable. The prevailing insecurity makes the work of humanitarian partners more difficult in terms of access to the vulnerable population as it narrows down humanitarian space, Yaye Nabo Sene, spokesperson at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the capital Bangui, told Al Jazeera on Sunday. The suspension of some humanitarian activities because of security concerns will affect 120,000 food insecure people and 35,000 others living precariously in surrounding camps for internally displaced people. Kaga Bandero has been hit by a barrage of attacks by armed groups since September. The departure of humanitarian workers follows a string of incidents, including armed robberies. The UN says between September 9-16, more than 16 security violations were registered. Houses have been razed and three sites for internally displace people have been attacked, forcing civilians to seek help at the UN stabilisation mission base (MINUSCA) in the area. Sene said local authorities had allocated land for those now living in and around the base, and they would be relocated within a week. At least 65 people have been killed over the past four weeks in violence across the western, eastern and central parts of the country Creating instability Last week, 25 people were killed in two days of violence in and around the town of Bambari. Earlier in the month, 40 people including three school teachers were killed when Kaga Bandero town was attacked, allegedly by ex-Seleka rebels. The UN repelled the attack, killing 12 fighters. Vladimir Monteiro, MINUSCAs spokesman in Bangui, told Al Jazeera the violence over the past month and a half has been perpetuated by armed groups who have been manipulated. Some of the actions are being fuelled by politicians who are against the government. Eleven out of the 13 armed groups are in talks with government, but there are others who are looking to create instability in the country, Monteiro said. He added with the end of the rainy season, not all the violence was political, with some likely stemming from conflict over cattle. CAR has struggled with political insecurity ever since the Seleka rebels, a Muslim-led armed group, overthrew the government in a 2013 coup, leading to a series of atrocities and then reprisal attacks by a viglante group called the anti-Balaka, made up of Christian and animist fighters. More than 400,000 people have been displaced internally and almost half a million others have fled to neighbouring countries. French troops to leave CAR On Sunday, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is expected in Bangui to formally end French military intervention, known as Operation Sangaris, that began in December 2013. There are currently 350 French troops in the country. Montiero said a small contingent of French military officials would assist with intelligence gathering. Jan Eliasson, deputy secretary-general of the United Nations, will visit Bangui on Tuesday to reiterate the commitment of the UN organisation and the international community in the Republic Central. His visit will come a week after protests broke out against MINSUCAs presence in the country, when many accused the stabilisation mission of failing to protect civilians. MINUSCA has been in the spotlight for the past 18 months after scores of allegations of child rape and other sexual abuse by its peacekeepers. French troops have also been accused of committing sexual abuse against civilians, including minors. There are some critics and we do recognise that we have to do better. But we do believe that our presence is paramount to stabilising the country, Monteiro said. Currently 12,000 peacekeepers operate in CAR. Since President Faustin Touadera was elected in February, violence between rebels groups has eased. But attacks over the past month have raised concerns of a return to instability. Both anti-Balaka and Seleka groups have been accused of widespread human rights abuse against civilians, including murder, sexual violence, and mass displacement. Follow Azad Essa on Twitter: @azadessa After being held up by objections from Belgian farmers, controversial deal marks first EU agreement with a G7 country. The European Union and Canada signed a historic free trade agreement on Sunday that is promised to generate jobs and economic growth on both sides of the Atlantic. Critics, however, denounced the deal as a power-grab by multinational corporations. Some 100 anti-globalization protesters clashed with police outside the venue in Brussels, trying to break down barriers in front of the main entrance and hurling red paint. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed the treaty along with the heads of EU institutions, a step that should enable a provisional implementation of the pact early in 2017 with the removal of most import duties. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreements (CETA) passage has not been smooth. French-speakers in southern Belgium a minority within their own small country and accounting for less than one percent of the 508 million EU consumers likely to be affected by CETA raised objections that held up the deal until a breakthrough on Thursday, confirmed by regional parliamentary votes on Friday. Alls well that ends well, said European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. We have 20 ongoing negotiations and today we are fixing the global standards the European Union and the European Commission want others to accept. Very long process The deal must still clear some 40 national and regional parliaments in Europe in the coming years to enter fully into force. Nick Dearden, of the UK-based group Global Justice Now, told Al Jazeera the agreement was a ticking time bomb. I wouldnt be too sure CETA is out of the woods. CETA isnt a traditional trade agreement. It isnt mostly about reducing tariffs. Its mostly about giving big business more power over our legal system, over our democratic standards and regulations, over every aspect of our life. And thats why theres been such huge opposition to it here in Europe. The CETA agreement is seen as a springboard to a larger EU deal with the United States, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Treaty (TTIP), which has been the target of labour unions and environmental and other protest groups. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said TTIP talks were not dead, contrary to what some politicians in Germany and France have said, but would need to wait for the next US president taking office in January to resume. Supporters say CETA will increase Canadian-EU trade by 20 percent and boost the EU economy by 12bn euros ($13bn) a year and Canadas by C$12bn ($9bn). WATCH: What is the TTIP and why do we know so little about it? For Canada, the deal is important to reduce its reliance on the neighbouring United States as an export market. For the EU, it is a first trade pact with a G7 country and a success plucked from the jaws of defeat at a time when the blocs credibility has taken a beating from Britains vote to leave. This has been a very long process. A huge majority of people in Europe are in favour of Europe, but there are concerns and we need to engage with them, Malmstrom said. The Commission cannot do that alone. Emergency services checking for any casualties after a 6.6 magnitude quake rocks central Italy. A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 has rocked central Italy, sending already quake-damaged buildings crumbling after a week of tremors that have left thousands homeless. There were no immediate reports of injuries or death. Residents already rattled by a constant trembling of the earth rushed into piazzas and streets after being roused from bed by Sundays 7:40am quake. Nuns rushed out of their church in Norcia as the clock tower appeared about to crumble. We are definitely seeing some damage [already], journalist Seema Gupta, reporting from Rome, told Al Jazeera. We are seeing images of smoke covered over buildings that have crumbled to the ground, she added. Many are centuries-old buildings not built to modern standards. The quake measured 6.6 according to the US Geological Survey and was centred close to the Umbrian town of Norcia, where the historic Basilica of St Benedict was badly damaged. The Survey also said the quake was centred 132km northeast of Rome and 68 km east of Perugia, near the epicentre of last weeks trembols. It reportedly had a depth of 1.5km, a relatively shallow quake near the surface but in the norm for the quake-prone Apennine Mountain region. The earthquake was the biggest since almost 300 people were killed in central Italy on August 24 by a quake that levelled several small towns. Egypts former chief auditor Hesham Genena went on trial after exposing corruption totalling $75bn in 2012-15. A rare TV interview with Egypts former chief auditor who went on trial for spreading false news after publicly alleging massive government corruption has been banned, the former official said. Hesham Genena, who was fired by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi after he spoke out against corruption, told The Associated Press news agency on Sunday that Al-Mehwar TV network cancelled the entire episode of the 90 minutes talk show without giving any reasons. Al-Mehwar has been airing promos for the interview for several days, and it was due to be aired on Saturday night. Instead the network replaced it with a soap opera. READ MORE: Walking into a trap How I ended up on trial in Egypt Genena said before recording the three-hour-interview that he asked producers to get security clearance, knowing he could be blacklisted because of his anti-government positions. He said he only gave the interview after getting assurances that there were no objections. In the interview that was banned, Genena said he spoke about the role of anti-corruption watchdogs and the need for transparency and freedom of information. Maybe this is what upsets them, to say the public has the right to know. The relationship between the ruled and the ruler is based on accountability, he said. What is happening is really sad. Sami Abdel-Radi, chief editor of the programme, said: All I could say is that it has been banned. He denied reports that the host resigned in protest. A campaign to silence Genena, who was the head of the Central Auditing Organisation, has been in the making since the military ousting of President Mohamed Morsi in 2013 and the subsequent election of Sisi in 2014. OPINION: Egypts economic policy See no evil, hear no evil Sisi issued a decree last year giving himself the power to remove heads of independent bodies, such as Genena, despite their constitutional immunity. Then remarks by Genena in December that corruption had siphoned off about $75bn in 2015 alone stirred debate. He later said he was misquoted that the figure covered four years and it was arrived at following an exhaustive study. A presidential commission was quickly formed and accused him of misleading the public. In March, he was removed from his post and a court sentenced him to one year in prison for spreading false news. While appealing the verdict, Genena is also challenging President Sisi in court, saying his removal was unconstitutional. The banning of the interview also comes at a time when Sisi has continued to voice intolerance towards the medias handling of internal and foreign affairs. Last week, he accused the media of harming Egypt, big time, without intention. Since Sisi was elected in 2014, several TV hosts especially those critical of the government were either suspended, fired, or deported while the ownership of private TV networks were changed. The measures come hand-in-hand with heavy security measures against dissent, from either Islamists or pro-democracy advocates, with thousands killed and imprisoned under the banner of fighting terrorism and preserving Egypts stability. Iceland looks likely to steer away from Pirate Party government as voters favour the incumbent Independence Party. Support for Icelands Pirate Party in parliamentary elections was lower than expected, making it less likely the anti-establishment party will be part of a new government, early results have showed. On Sunday, with roughly half of votes counted from the previous days election, the Independence Party had about 30 percent of ballots and the Pirate Party about 14 percent, putting them in third place behind the Left-Green movement. It was a worse result for the Pirates than some polls suggested, and a better performance than predicted for the Independents, who have governed as part of a coalition since 2013. Coalition governments are the norm in Icelands multi-party system. READ MORE: Iceland may become first nation ruled by pirates It was not immediately clear whether the Independents would be able to assemble a coalition with other centrist and right-wing parties or whether the Pirates and other opposition forces would get the numbers to govern. Independence Party leader Bjarni Benediktsson said he was extremely happy with the early results. He said that given the partys strong showing, it would be extremely hard to not include us in the next government. Saturdays election was held amid widespread public discontent with Icelands traditional elites, with debate focusing on the economy and voters desire for political reform It was called after then-Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson resigned in April during public protests over his offshore holdings, revealed in the Panama Papers leak. The tax-avoidance scandal outraged many Icelanders, who suffered years of economic upheaval after the countrys debt-swollen banks collapsed during the 2008 global financial crisis. The chief victim of voters wrath was Gunnlaugssons Progressive Party, which looked set to lose more than half its seats. A kingmaker in government negotiations could be Vidreisn, or Renewal, liberal party, formed this year, which advocates Iceland joining the European Union. It looks set to gain a handful of parliament seats. The Pirate Party, founded four years ago by an assortment of hackers, political activists and Internet freedom advocates, drew international attention as its support surged among Icelanders fed up with established parties after years of financial turmoil and political scandal. Some polls had given the Pirates the support of a fifth of voters, potentially poised to become the biggest group in the volcanic island nations parliament, the Althingi. Pirate cofounder Birgitta Jonsdottir said the early results were in line with the partys own prediction of between 12 and 15 percent up from the 5 percent it secured in 2013. READ MORE: Panama Papers Iceland names new PM amid poll calls If we get more than 15 percent, we will be deeply thankful, she said. Were just amazed that well possibly maybe triple our following from last time, and its only three years. The Pirates campaigned on promises to introduce direct democracy, subject the workings of government to more scrutiny and place the countrys natural resources under public ownership The party also seeks tough rules to protect individuals from online intrusion. Jonsdottir, the Pirates most prominent voice, is a former ally of WikiLeaks who has called on Iceland to offer citizenship to US National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden. Opponents claim the inexperienced Pirates could scare off investors and destabilise an economy that is now recovering, with low unemployment and high growth. A wind-lashed volcanic island near the Arctic Circle with a population of 320,000, Iceland has become known in recent years for large street protests that ousted one government after the 2008 financial crash and dispatched another in April. Fifth attack on Iraqi capital in a day hits Shia neighbourhood as brief respite from violence in Baghdad ends. A parked car bomb exploded in Baghdads northwestern neighbourhood of Hurriyah on Sunday, killing at least 10 Iraqis and wounding 34 others, police said. The bombing, which hit a popular fruit and vegetable market in a commercial street of the predominantly Shia neighbourhood, was the fifth blast of the day in Iraqs capital. The days casualty toll from the attacks in Baghdad was 17 dead and more than 60 wounded. Earlier, improvised explosive devices killed three people and wounded 10 others at a popular market in the Shaab neighbourhood in northern Baghdad. Another two blasts at traders markets in the Topchi and Zataria areas killed four and injured 16. A fourth bomb, planted in a microbus in the poorer Sadr City district, caused no deaths but wounded six. READ MORE: Death toll from Baghdad blast rises to more than 281 The officials police and medical sources who confirmed the bombings spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorised to brief reporters. The attacks come just a day after a suicide bomber from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group targeted an aid station for Shia pilgrims, killing at least seven and wounding more than 20. No one claimed immediate responsibility for Sundays bombings but ISIL, also known as ISIS, often targets Iraqs Shia Muslims. Attacks in the capital have been rare since last summer. The renewed violence in Baghdad comes as several forces try to take the northern city of Mosul, ISILs last major urban bastion in Iraq, from the hardline group. Many Lebanese remain sceptical that the new government will confront the countrys major security and economic issues. Beirut Lebanon is on the brink of filling its presidential vacuum after two-and-a-half years without a leader. On October 20, Saad Hariri, the leader of the Future Movement, endorsed his political opponent, former general Michel Aoun, for president. Hariri the son of former prime minister Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated in 2005 said that his endorsement was made in the interest of Lebanons overall well-being. But some of his partys most notable figures quickly condemned Hariris endorsement of Aoun, whom Hezbollah has supported from the beginning. The endorsement signals a weakening of the Future Movement. The next parliamentary session to elect a president will be held on Monday. If Aoun moves into Baabda Palace as president, what will that mean for Lebanon? With a president finally in place, will the Lebanese government be able to take a more proactive role in confronting the major security and economic issues facing the country? INTERACTIVE: Lebanon at the crossroads Many Lebanese citizens say no. Julia, a Beirut resident and owner of a small family business, is not optimistic that having a president will improve Lebanons fragile and indebted economy. Lebanons rulers have been changing alliances and making different kinds of deals, said Julia, who did not provide a last name. Its what we expect from them. I dont see a new president leading to the improvement of the economy at least not for ordinary people. Like Julia, political activist Rana Khoury believes that it will be business as usual with a new president. The cake would be once again divided between sectarian leaders, and the people are always paying the price, she said. My guess is that, in the coming months, we are going to witness an intensification of this crisis. by Bassel Salloukh, professor of political science at the Lebanese American University in Beirut Nor would having a president necessarily put an end to Lebanons ongoing political crisis. Bassel Salloukh, a professor of political science at the Lebanese American University in Beirut, said the recent developments reflect Lebanons post-war politics, characterised by perpetual crises. According to Salloukh, the endorsement is symptomatic of a crisis within Lebanons sectarian elite: My guess is that, in the coming months, we are going to witness an intensification of this crisis. For instance, the election of a president could be followed by another struggle over forming a new cabinet. Allocating ministerial positions in such a way that maintains political and sectarian balance could take months. In some respects, Lebanon has been lucky: The current presidential vacuum has not appeared to majorly harm the country. Aside from Lebanons rubbish crisis, the result of an emergency plan implemented in 1997, no new domestic political issues have emerged since former President Michel Suleimans term ended in 2014. Lebanon experienced a much more severe political crisis in 2008 during its last presidential vacuum. That May, violent clashes broke out between Hezbollah and its allies against opposing militias, the most intense fighting since the end of the civil war. It was not until an agreement was signed in Doha that Suleiman was chosen as a consensus presidential candidate. The country was relieved, and the Doha Agreement and Suleimans election put an end to the clashes. OPINION: Lebanese oligarchy preserves its interests once again While many doubt that having a president will lead to any real change, some civil society activists worry that Hariris endorsement and its political repercussions could actually make their position worse. Last year, Lebanons garbage crisis sparked months of anti-establishment protests by groups unaffiliated with political parties. Activist Samer Abdullah said that during this time, relations between Lebanons two rival political factions the March 8 Alliance and the March 14 Alliance thawed somewhat, and a new narrative emerged: The people versus a single political establishment. However, the new web of alliances and rivalries created by Hariris endorsement could bring about a return of ruling and opposition factions within the establishment. With political leaders like [Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt] and [Amal leader Nabih Berri] opposing Aoun as president, there is now a more defined political opposition, Abdullah said. This, he believes, may shrink the political space available for independent movements and threaten the momentum they had achieved. Twenty-seven years ago, when the Taif Agreement was signed to put an end Lebanons brutal 15-year civil war, Lebanon had the potential to thoroughly rebuild itself from the ground up. And it has been rebuilt in a physical sense, with the rubble left by the fighting in downtown Beirut replaced by skyscrapers. But many Lebanese sense that the countrys political establishment remains largely the same even when new alliances form between politicians once entirely at odds with each other, such as Saad Hariri and Michel Aoun. Steve McCurry, who famously photographed the green-eyed Afghan girl in the 1980s, speaks to Al Jazeera about her plight. Award-winning photographer Steve McCurry in 1984 captured what would become one of the worlds most recognised photos of human struggle. The striking gaze and piercing green eyes of Sharbat Gula who became known as The Afghan Girl captivated the world when it appeared on the cover of National Geographic. Her face reflected the hardships of refugees fleeing war. McCurry first photographed Gula by chance at the Nasir Bagh refugee camp near Peshawar, Pakistan. Eighteen years later, he found her and again captured her image, this time living in Afghanistans mountainous Tora Bora region. This past week the Afghan woman was again catapulted into the spotlight, only this time as a criminal. She was arrested by Pakistani authorities for falsifying identification documents. She is one of tens of thousands of Afghan refugees in Pakistan being told to return home. Afghanistans ambassador to Islamabad, Omar Zakhilwal, recently released a statement expressing optimism about Gulas release as she awaits a court hearing in early November. Al Jazeera spoke with McCurry, from Munich, Germany about the plight of the girl he introduced to the world. Steve McCurry, photographer Al Jazeera: You famously photographed Sharbat Gula twice in two decades. What do those images represent? Steve McCurry: The photo in 1984 showed her dignity, innocence, heart, fortitude and perseverance. She humanised the true struggle for war refugees globally with no words spoken, simply her face. I think there was a bit of defiance in her expression. Her face defined the collective refugee feeling and the struggle. I think all Afghans have a common feeling that theyre in a difficult life, but were going to power through this and preserve. Her face was troubled, but her head was held high. When we found her again back in 2002, she was a mother, continuing her struggle to try to make ends meet for her family. We saw an evolution of difficulty transcend on her face. She looked hardened because of the climate, anxiety, lack of proper hygiene, poor nutrition. Despite all shes endured, shes still going. I want to continue to help this person whos been part of my life. I feel we do have this connection. Al Jazeera: Do you ever wonder why Gula was so captivating in the Western world? McCurry: Ive never been able to nail that down to one reason, depending on who you ask. Its not just her eyes; there are many components to the photograph. You can say people in the West feel a certain way about how people on the other side of the world should look. In seeing this current global refugee crisis, its almost like people in Europe and the US are scared of refugees. Or they simply dont want the burden of hosting them. But we forget none are actually more scared than the refugees themselves. They are forced from their country, their homes. Desperate people do desperate things. Sharbat is a widow trying to raise her children. She lost her parents, her husband, one of her daughters, and her brother. There is a lack of compassion for refugees. Al Jazeera: The world has seen her, but how do you think she sees the world? Does she truly understand how iconic youve helped her to become? McCurry: I think she was mystified with all the interest, but she understands the interest. She would want the best for her children, for them to have the best opportunities and have a healthy life, like any parent would. Even though shes been offered to relocate to a safer country, theres no place like home. She wants to be near her relatives, this is all she knows. If she had gone to another country, she would have had a very different life. But she chose not to. She remains humble to her life and to her struggle. We keep in touch periodically through my contacts on the ground. The world sees the humanity in her. She wants the same things we do, but she lives in another part of the world. Al Jazeera: Having lived nearly her whole life impoverished, has she profited at all from this global attention? McCurry: Yes, the details are confidential I cant get into specifics. It was an agreement reached between her and her husband at the time, as thats how things are done in the culture. Al Jazeera: Will you try to photograph her again? McCurry: The only thing I want is for justice to be done, and for her to be treated in a respectful and dignified way. When I finally found her back in 2002, I couldnt stop thinking about the thousands of people who wrote letters to me, who wanted to know who she was and how they could help her. People wanted to adopt her, marry her, send her money. Personally for me, I was so curious as to who she was. Back then, I was the number one person who wanted to find her. She embodies humanity. Theres an empathy we feel with her. The first time I found her, she had a torn dress. This was a girl who was haunted, but has light. Her humanity, dignity, and character is something we can all identify with and appreciate. Theres something written on her face that we can relate to. Its a positive feeling, but a very sad reality. She had a haunted gaze that was so authentic. I took the genuine story I was given. She represented all refugees at that time, and I think will continue to do so. President Park Geun-hye accepts resignations as influence-peddling scandal deepens and protesters call for her to go. South Korean President Park Geun-hye has accepted the resignations of her top presidential aides, including the chief of staff, the presidential office has said, amid a deepening political crisis. Sundays departure of the top presidential officials comes as Park is grappling with a recent influence-peddling scandal involving an old friend, Choi Soon-sil. Choi returned to South Korea from Germany on Sunday as the political crisis engulfed Park over allegations that she allowed Choi to use her friendship to exert improper influence and benefit personally. Jeong Yeon-guk, a spokesman for the presidential office, announced on Sunday that three long-time Park aides had also stepped down. Park has been facing calls to reshuffle her office and cabinet after acknowledging on Tuesday that she provided longtime friend Choi Soon-sil drafts of her speeches for editing. Theres also media speculation that Choi, who holds no government job, meddled in government decisions on personnel and policy and exploited her ties with Park to misappropriate funds from nonprofit organisations. Al Jazeeras Harry Fawcett, reporting from Seoul, said that the assumption was that these appointments may have been influenced by Choi, and one of them is under investigation for being the means in conveying important government documents with national security implications to this person who has no government position or security clearance. That is the essence of why there is so much anger and disbelief that someone totally unelected can have so much influence over the state of affairs. Thousands protest The resignations come after thousands of South Koreans took to the streets on Saturday evening calling for Park to step down. Holding candles and signs reading Whos the real president? and Park Geun-hye step down, the protesters marched through downtown Seoul after holding a candlelight vigil near City Hall. Police estimated about 9,000 people turned out for the biggest anti-government demonstration in Seoul in months. Park has lost her authority as president and showed she doesnt have the basic qualities to govern a country, Jae-myung Lee, from the opposition Minjoo Party and the mayor of the city of Seongnam, told the protesters from a stage. Despite Sundays resignations, there are still more protests planned over the next few days, Fawcett reported. Parks ruling party has also considered calling for a national unity government, which would effectively sideline their own president. Just getting rid of a few aides and secretaries today is not going to stem the tide, Fawcett said. Prosecutors on Saturday widened their investigation by searching the homes of presidential officials suspected of interacting with Choi and receiving their office files from the Blue House the presidential office and residence. Shia militia groups open new front west of ISIL-held city, blocking off potential escape routes to Syria. Iraqi Shia militia groups have launched an operation to retake the town of Tal Afar from ISIL and cut the armed groupss supply lines from Mosul to Syria, a spokesman said. Forces from the Popular Mobilisation Units, a paramilitary umbrella organisation dominated by Iran-backed Shia militias, had largely been on the sidelines since the operation to retake Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group was launched almost two weeks ago. The operation aims to cut supplies between Mosul and [ISILs de facto capital of] Raqqa, and tighten the siege of [ISIL] in Mosul and liberate Tal Afar, militia spokesman Ahmed al-Asadi was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying. Asadi said the operation, which began on Saturday, aimed to retake the towns of Hatra and Tal Abta, as well as Tal Afar. The operation could bring the fighting perilously close to the ancient city of Hatra, northeast of the town of the same name, a UNESCO world heritage site that has already been vandalised by ISIL. The fighting so far has mainly involved Kurdish Peshmerga forces, pushing from the east and northeast, and the Iraqi military and specialised counterterrorism units, pushing from the southern front. The involvement of Shia militia groups in the Mosul operation has been a source of contention. Rights groups have accused them in the past of committing atrocities when entering Sunni-majority towns, although some of the top militia commanders insist they do not plan to enter the largely Sunni Muslim city of Mosul. Iraqi Kurds and Sunni Arab politicians have opposed their involvement, as has Turkey, which has a military presence east of Mosul despite repeated demands by Baghdad for the forces to be withdrawn. On Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan assured that Turkey would not look favourably on an attack by the militia groups on Tal Afar. The president also warned them against attacking Turkmen residents of Tal Afar during their offensive. If the Hashed al-Shaabi [Arabic term for Popular Mobilisation Units] sow terror there, then our response will be different, Erdogan said, in comments carried by the state-run Anadolu news agency, without specifying what measures would be taken. Tal Afar was a Shia-majority town of mostly ethnic Turkmen before ISIL overran it in 2014. Relations between the militias and the US-led coalition fighting ISIL are also tense, but they do enjoy support among Iraqs Shia Muslim majority. Wildcard Michael Pregent, Middle East analyst and a former US intelligence officer who served in Iraq, told Al Jazeera the militias move was not sanctioned by Iraqs government. He said the hope by Baghdad and Washington was that ISIL would use the western route to flee Mosul for a final battle later in its Syrian bastion of Raqqa. The Shia militias are operating outside the control of the Iraqi government. Theyre not responsive to US requests not to participate, said Pregent. The military operation wasnt to encircle Mosul, it was to force ISIL out into Syria. The Shia militias are blocking that now. It sounds like a good military tactic but its not synced, its not coordinated. And the Shia militias remain a wildcard, based on what theyve done in Ramadi and Fallujah. The Mosul offensive involves tens of thousands of soldiers, federal police, Kurdish fighters, Sunni tribesmen and Shia militias. Many of the militias considered to be backed by Iran were originally formed after the 2003 United States-led invasion to fight US forces as well as Sunni fighters. They were mobilised again, and endorsed by the government, when ISIL swept through northern and central Iraq in 2014, capturing Mosul and other key towns and cities. Post-coup crackdown continues as government fires thousands of employees and closes down 15 pro-Kurdish media groups. Turkey has dismissed another 10,000 civil servants and closed 15 more media outlets over suspected links with terrorist organisations and US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for orchestrating a failed coup. More than 100,000 people have already been sacked or suspended and 37,000 arrested since the July coup attempt, in an unprecedented crackdown the government says is necessary to root out all coup supporters from the state apparatus. Thousands more academics, teachers, health workers, prison guards and forensics experts were among the latest to be removed from their posts through two new executive decrees issued late on Saturday. The latest Decree aims at silencing the Kurdish press completely. The government wants to keep the people uninformed. HDP English (@HDPenglish) October 29, 2016 Opposition parties denounced the continued crackdown, which has also raised concerns over the functioning of the state. What the government and [President Tayyip] Erdogan are doing right now is a direct coup against the rule of law and democracy, Sezgin Tanrikulu, an MP from the main opposition Republican Peoples Party, said in a Periscope broadcast posted on Twitter. Fifteen more newspapers, wires, and magazines that report from the largely Kurdish southeast were shuttered, bringing the total number of media organisations closed to nearly 160. READ MORE: Turkey shuts down TV channel over terror propaganda In another move, the ability of universities to elect their own rectors was also abolished. President Erdogan will now directly appoint nominees. The extent of the crackdown has worried rights groups and many of Turkeys Western allies, who fear Erdogan is using emergency rule to eradicate dissent. The government said its actions are justified following the coup attempt on July 15, when more than 240 people died. Erdogan has said authorities need more time to wipe out the threat posed by the coup plotters, as well as Kurdish armed groups that have waged a 32-year insurgency that has killed about 40,000 people. Ankara wants the United States to detain and extradite Gulen so that he can be prosecuted in Turkey on a charge that he masterminded the attempt to overthrow the government. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, denies any involvement. Speaking to reporters at a reception marking Republic Day on Saturday, Erdogan said he wants the reinstatement of the death penalty, a debate that emerged following the coup attempt. READ MORE: Fear grows as Turkey introduces state of emergency I believe this issue will come to the parliament, he said, repeating he would approve it a move that would sink Turkeys hopes of European Union membership. Erdogan shrugged off such concerns, saying much of the world had capital punishment. The Council of Europe warned Turkey against re-establishing the death penalty on Sunday. Executing the death penalty is incompatible with membership of the Council of Europe, the 47-member organisation, which includes Turkey, tweeted. Turkey abolished capital punishment in 2004 as the nation sought accession to the EU. Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz added to the councils warning, denouncing Turkey for considering a move that would slam the door shut to the European Union. The death penalty is a cruel and inhumane form of punishment, which has to be abolished worldwide and stands in clear contradiction to the European values, Kurz told the Austrian Press Agency. Ankara threatens to step in if Shia groups battling ISIL commit abuses in Tal Afar, a town with strong ties to Turkey. Turkey has warned it will intervene if Shia militias pushing towards ISILs stronghold of Mosul commit atrocities in a northern Iraqi town with strong ethnic ties to the country. Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan on Sunday said Ankara which already has a military presence in Iraq would act if forces from the Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU) abuse civilians in their fight for the town of Tal Afar. Also known as Hashid Shaabi, PMU is paramilitary umbrella organisation dominated by Iran-backed Shia militia. Erdogan said Turkish forces would step in if the militias unleash terror on Tal Afar, which they are preparing to seize from ISIL fighters. Tal Afar is inhabited by Turkmen an ethnic group with strong cultural and historical links to Turkey. Tal Afar is a very sensitive issue for us. We definitely do not regard it [Shia militia involvement] positively in Tal Afar and Sinjar, Erdogan said. Tal Afar is a totally Turkmen city, with half Shia and half Sunni Muslims. We do not judge people by their religious affiliation, we regard them all as Muslims. But if Hashid Shaabi terrorises the region, our response would be different. Turkeys parliament voted last month to extend the deployment of an estimated 2,000 troops across northern Iraq by a year to combat terrorist organisations. Ankara has repeatedly warned about the risk of sectarian conflict if Shia militias are allowed to enter Sunni-majority Mosul. In other parts of Iraq retaken from ISIL such as Fallujah and Ramadi there have been allegations of Shia fighters mistreating Sunni civilians. Although it reports officially to Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi, the Shia militia coalition is mostly made up of groups trained by Iran. They have close ties with General Qasem Soleimani, commander of Irans Quds Brigade, the extra-territorial arm of Irans Revolutionary Guards. Soleimani was seen touring the frontlines around Mosul last week. READ MORE: Fallujah fallout: More than 700 Sunni men missing There was a sense of resentment among some Shia fighters on the battlefield on Sunday that the PMU have been misrepresented and their sacrifices unappreciated. We fight to help people return to their villages and they call us militias, said Ali Khiali, a 40-year-old fighter affiliated with the Badr Organisation. Is that fair? The flying of Shia flags by the militias and also some regular army and police units in the mostly Sunni region around Mosul have been a cause of concern for local officials. But coalition fighters have not been linked to any sectarian incidents so far in the campaign, which started on October 17. Karim al-Nuri, a faction of PMU, and Jaafar al-Husseini, a spokesman for the Hezbollah Brigades, another member group, said a total of about 15,000 Shia fighters were participating in the battle for Mosul. The Iraqi military confirmed the figure, which including army units, militarised police, and special forces brings the total number of anti-ISIL fighters in the offensive to more than 40,000. Anticipating the offensive on Tal Afar, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant fighters have been reinforcing the town in the past 48 hours, an Iraqi security official said. Two waves of reinforcements were deployed, including cadres who had fought in neighbouring Syria and had experience in using anti-tank missiles. Intelligence reports show that the Daesh [ISIL] groups have entered TOW missiles systems into Tal Afar. Its obvious they are making preparations for a long, protracted battle, the official from the provincial military operation command centre told Reuters news agency. READ MORE: HRW Ban militias with abuse records from Mosul fight His comments could not be independently verified but a resident of Mosul, speaking to Reuters by phone, said relatives in Tal Afar reported seeing increasing numbers of ISIL fighters in the town, some of them patrolling on motorbikes. Since launching their advance towards Tal Afar on Saturday, the Popular Mobilisation forces have taken over several villages. Meanwhile, the Kurdish Peshmerga said in a statement on Sunday they had cleared at least 28 villages north and east of Mosul since the start of the offensive. Peshmerga Forces have cleared more than 500 square kilometres from ISIL, it said, adding they have dealt a devastating blow against ISIL terrorists, killing dozens. At least 60 people killed when prison facility bombed by Arab coalition in port city of Hodeidah. Arab coalition fighter jets have hit a prison facility run by Houthi rebels in western Yemens Hodeidah city, killing at least 60 people, including inmates, officials and medics said on Sunday. Sixty people in total were killed and dozens were wounded, a local health official told AFP. The rebel-controlled Sabanews.net also gave a toll of 60 killed and 38 wounded, adding that dead bodies are still being retrieved from under the rubble. Abdel-Rahman al-Mansab, a security chief of the district of al-Zaydia, said most of the dead were prisoners. They were among a total of 115 inmates serving jail terms for misdemeanor crimes or who were still in pretrial detention. Al-Mansab also said that the complex has two prisons, one for women and one for men, but there were no female inmates at the time of the attack. When I went there, I saw a pile up of charred bodies beyond recognition. They were burned to death, he said. The Saudi-led alliance that conducted the raid said it struck a central security building used as a military command centre by the Houthi rebels it is fighting. Local officials said the prison lies within a security complex but that only prison guards were present during the air strike. This building is used by Houthi militia and the forces of the deposed president as a command and control centre for their military operations, a statement by the coalition said, referring to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, a Houthi ally. The coalition forces leadership stresses that targeting protocols and procedures were followed fully, the statement said. Abdel-Rahman Jarallah, director of Hodeidah health office, told DPA news agency that all the people killed were civilians. He said a search operation was ongoing for more victims trapped in the rubble. READ MORE: My children are starving to death Hodeidah, a port city on the Red Sea, was captured along with vast majority of the country, including the capital Sanaa, by Houthi rebels and their allies in late 2014. The Arab coalition has been fighting the rebels since March 2015 to try to restore to office internationally recognised President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was ousted by the group. International efforts to agree to a ceasefire have so far been unsuccessful, amid a mounting humanitarian crisis. On Saturday, Hadi rejected a proposal to end the turmoil submitted by Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the United Nations special envoy to Yemen, saying the deal would reward the rebels and penalise the Yemeni people and legitimacy. The attacks come two days after the coalition said they had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis at the Saudi city of Mecca, one of Islams holiest places. The Houthis have denied that. More than 100 people gathered in the capital Sanaa for a funeral were killed earlier this month in a coalition air raid. The Arab-led alliance blamed that bombing on wrong information from its Yemeni allies. Elsewhere on Saturday, strikes on residential buildings killed 17 people and wounded seven in the battleground town of Salo, southeast of Yemens third city Taez, said rebel-controlled media. The conflict has killed nearly 7,000 people, mostly civilians, according to the UN, which has been struggling to convince the warring parties to implement a ceasefire and revive a stalled political process. In Mexico, one woman dreams of reuniting with her family in the US legally as she supports other deported mothers. Filmmaker: John Dickie Every year, more than 400,000 people are deported from the US. Yolanda Varona is one of them. After living in San Diego for 17 years, tragedy struck one day when she was arrested and deported to Mexico five years ago. Because her children are US citizens, she left them behind with their father. Its like waking up from the American Dream and discovering a nightmare, she says. She is trapped in Tijuana, Mexico, her life in limbo, but she is fighting to reclaim her life and her family. Once in Tijuana, she discovered other women in the same predicament, and together they founded a support group called Dreamer Moms. Through it, they are fighting for the right to return to the US and reunite with their children. READ MORE: Deported mothers fight to reunite with their children Addis Ababa, 29 October 2016: On behalf the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Commissioner, H.E. Ambassador Smail Chergui, the AU Liaison Office in NDjamena, handed over 15 different vehicles, 30 motor cycles and 8 different electrical generators to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against Boko Haram terrorist group. These items were procured using the United Kingdoms (UK) fund donated to the AU Peace Facility to augment the efforts of the Troop Contributing Countries of the MNJTF. This support is the first batch of a support package while procurement of other is ongoing. The support is aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the MNJTF operations. We use cookies on our website and mobile app to improve content display and overall user experience. The cookies we use do not store personally identifiable information nor can they harm your computer. We intend to provide you with the right knowledge on-demand at the right time and in the appropriate format to ensure that you engage the African Union constructively in your specific role. If you have any questions please contact directly PSD Knowledge Management Specialist and web Administrator at Kodjot@africa-union.org America must choose between two political parties that are really cartoons. The Democrats are the party of the smartass, the smooth-talking donkey in Shrek, while Republicans are Dumbo, the clumsy elephant that may or may not fly. Yes, its a generalization and even a bit of an exaggeration, but heres the rule: Democrats pick people to get the job; Republicans pick people to get the job done. Democrats prefer candidates attractive enough to get the job: tall, good-looking guys with good hair (though not always with much inside the head) Bill Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry, John Edwards, or identity candidates like Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, who can be counted on to bring a certain voter bloc. If the looks and the hair are a little weak, they can always get a little help from plastic surgery, Botox or hair-transplants etc. Just ask Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. Republicans usually go for the Dumbo factor -- the somewhat ponderous even clumsy guys who have bad hair or no hair but can think and even think outside the box, like Donald Trump or Dick Cheney or Mitt Romney or Donald Rumsfeld. GOP pachyderms often pick unpolished politicians like George W. Bush or John McCain, honest and decent men, who have a sense of service. They do not pick sweet talkers for top executive posts but guys who were governors, held jobs in industry, or commanded men in battle: people who get results. Sometimes, the GOP selectees make mistakes, but they do not whine like a bunch of overpaid lawyers or former law professors (e.g. Obama, Clinton, Clinton, Kerry, Edwards). Terror and national health care are classic examples of how this pattern plays out: Barack Obama has a fine appearance and great voice, but fighting terror or building new health care takes more than a national narrator. Obama and his crew think its all about the narrative -- about talking the talk, not walking the walk. George W. Bush, who often spoke in mangled sentences, and Cheney (who, sadly, rarely spoke) had many accomplishments. They brought the country together after 9/11 and helped keep America safe from additional terror. Bush also kept the economy in shape after a terrific blow to New York and Washington, using a tax cut stimulus. The market meltdown of 2008 has many fathers, but pumping the housing market with easy mortgages for people who could not pay -- Democratic Party policy -- was a major cause. Yet, reporters did not ask Barack Obama about the tremendous donations he and other Democrats got from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, who sparked the crisis. Despite criticism of the war in Iraq -- much of it justified -- George W. Bush, in his own plodding, pachydermic manner, won the war and established a nascent if imperfect democratic process in Iraq. This was not a miracle, but a hard-won victory. Bush made mistakes, but compare the costs and the results to, say, Lyndon Johnsons Vietnam. We saw what a surge looked like under Bush in Iraq: it got the job done. We saw what surges look like under Obama in Iraq and Afghanistan. Obama snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Obama wanted to please his voters and keep his job, not get the job done. The hollow president surged in, then surged out, with a bang and a whimper. Hillary Clinton likes to speak of an intelligence surge, whatever that means. One hopes she is not referring to a torrent of secret data from her communications. If Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry, or John Edwards had been president on 9/11, they would have dealt with the attack on America the way they dealt with issues like Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, domestic terror and immigration reform. They would have launched an army of slogans and a platoon of platitudes. Then, after failing, todays Democrats would blame Republicans, rapidly deploying an extrication force of excuses and euphemisms. That is far cry from the way Democratic presidents Harry Truman, John Kennedy, and Lyndon Johnson governed during their crises: WWII, Korea, the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam. None of them passed the buck, or kicked the can down the road. Truman lived with his tough decision to use the atomic bomb in Japan, and he took the heat for the stalemate in Korea. Kennedy admitted error in the Bay of Pigs. Lyndon Johnson really took responsibility for Vietnam by leaving the White House. Compare that to the way Obama-Clinton take responsibility for Libya or anything else. Obama-Clinton-Kerry have dealt with their debacles in a different way. Just listen to Obamas warped and illogical claims about health care or terrorism. The world and America are better than ever before, says Obama, and when he is shown that things are not as he claims, then, says the Big O, its the fault of the Republicans. When Russia invades Ukraine or Syria, enabling the use of chemical weapons by the brutal Assad regime (killing hundreds of thousands), thats not a red line for Obama, but when Democrat emails get leaked, then its time to go to nuclear alert against the sinister Russian plot teaming up with a vast, right-wing conspiracy. In this season of media hypocrisy, where debate moderators demand apologies from all who doubted Obamas credentials and background, I am waiting for Obama, Clinton, and Saturday Night Live to apologize to Sarah Palin who correctly warned in 2008 about Russias intentions in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Obama-Clinton have not apologized to Mitt Romney for ridiculing him in 2012 for concern about Vladimir Putin, to whom Obama promised great flexibility. Yes, the current election has become a cartoon experience. Electing someone should demand more than scanning their marital or sexual history, but if you study Barack Obamas campaign for Senate in Illinois in 2006, you know that is exactly how Obama beat his primary opponent and then his election opponent. Chicago Rules. So much for the Michelle Obama claim about taking the high road. If you want a project completed, lets say national health care or rebuilding a modernized army, and you want it done on time and under budget, would you put your money on the carefully coiffed Nancy Pelosi or John Edwards of the $600-haircut? Or would you bet on a Trump, a Rumsfeld, a Romney, Ben Carson or Carly Fiorina? Would you bet on Obama, a good-looking and great-sounding community organizer who touts going to Columbia but hides his grades, who brags about going to Harvard Law School and being on the law review but who never wrote an article? If Americans chose their presidents with as much care as they choose their plumbers or dentists -- based on professional results -- they might pick a person the media love to hate or to caricature: a Romney, a Palin, a Cheney, or a Trump (the butt of the late-night comedians and media outlets some of whom even compare them to Hitler). No politician is free of error, and no human is free of mistakes, even sins, but voters have to decide whether it is a better bet to choose a person or party who learns from mistakes or the one that ignores them and repeatedly tries to cover them up. This years cartoon election brings us the Democrat smartass versus Dumbo the Elephant. Lets hope Dumbo -- the party and the candidate -- learn how to fly. And a message to all conservatives or Republicans who want to stay home or throw their vote away on a marijuana candidate: if we end up with the donkeys again, lets not cry out loud and say Aint that a kick in the head. That would be so Hillary, or maybe Hillary-ous. Dr. Michael Widlanski is the author of Battle for Our Minds: Western Elites and the Terror Threat (Threshold/ Simon and Schuster). He teaches at Bar-Ilan University, was strategic affairs advisor in Israel s Ministry of Public Security, and was the Schusterman Visiting Professor at Washington University in St. Louis 2007-8 and at the University of California, Irvine for 2013-14. FBI director James Comey really stepped in it. He should have known that cleaning up one of Hillary Clinton's messes would be just like wiping that proverbial dog poop off your shoe. You think you've got it, but there is always some left over in the tread that you track into the house. The wife yells, and then you're on your hands and knees with the carpet cleaner while your oversized Rottweiler puppy tries to eat the filthy rag. Welcome to my life...but I digress. Over a long career, Comey carefully cultivated a reputation for smarts and probity. Perhaps it was truly earned, more likely the result of basic competence combined with clever politicking and strategic sycophancy. Either way, it earned him his current job and, as standing in D.C. goes, an enviable combination of power and respect on both sides of the aisle. Comey was no stranger to Hillary's machinations. He was part of the team that investigated Whitewater only to recommend that no charges be filed. Confronted with Hillary Clinton's email corruption, Comey tried to be too clever by half. He accompanied his legally and bureaucratically inappropriate exoneration of Clinton in July with a public tongue-lashing intended to preserve his Boy Scout image while letting Clinton, himself, and his agency off a sharp political hook. He rather spectacularly failed. Comey's letter to the Senate last Friday announcing that the FBI was reopening the email investigation that he closed so confidently in July has placed the nation into a constitutional crisis regardless of what the emails actually say, or the outcome of any further investigation or criminal proceedings. The mere fact that FBI agents found problematic emails on at least one computer owned by Huma Abedin (Hillary's closest aide) and her estranged pederast husband, former Democrat New York congressman Anthony Weiner, after voting in the election has begun, ensures that regardless of outcome, the result will not be accepted as legitimate by a significant portion of the American public. The political and media hyperventilation over Donald Trump's refusal to commit to accepting the November result now appears doubly hypocritical and misplaced. Hillary and her allies are already lambasting Comey their erstwhile former hero for inserting himself into the race less than two weeks before Election Day. Are Hillary and her supporters now prepared to accept the election result if Trump pulls out a come-from-behind win thanks in part to public misgivings over the renewed investigation? And should Hillary win, it goes without saying that Trump and Republicans in general will have legitimate reasons to question a result that makes a person under active criminal investigation President-Elect. Given all this, it is a disaster no matter what the emails found on the Abedin-Weiner computer(s) actually say. The best case for Hillary, implied to some degree in Comey's letter, is that the emails are just more of the same, which in typical Clinton form will dismissed just like that. Comey has already put Clinton in the clear for disseminating the most highly classified material over her home-brewed server, including Special Access Protocol (code word level) documents. Further classified emails might look bad, but based on Comey's and Loretta Lynch's prior determinations, Clinton will not be in legal jeopardy. This is clearly what Clinton and her team believe (no doubt Abedin has assured them there is nothing more incriminating), which is why they are pushing for disclosure of the documents. Just as certainly, this will not satisfy Trump or Republicans who disagreed with Comey's and Lynch's actions in the first instance. In the worst case, the emails may contain information more obviously incriminating than those produced so far. That would mean not merely more classified documents, but rather some of the 30,000-plus documents Hillary thought she'd destroyed. These documents may prove active criminal conspiracies regarding influence-peddling at the State Department, obstruction of justice, or who knows what Hillary, her cronies, or her husband got up to. This seems unlikely, given Hillary's call for the documents' release, but perhaps she and her team are just playing chicken with Comey, calling for release but figuring it can't happen before November 8. Something in between is Huma Abedin's criminal liability. She's far more exposed than Hillary. It's highly likely that when the FBI interviewed Abedin, they asked her for all the devices (or at least an accounting of the same) that might have contained any classified information. The devices just uncovered obviously were not turned over to the FBI and almost certainly were not accounted for by Abedin. At a minimum, she appears to have lied to the FBI, which supposedly is the one thing you cannot do ask retired Marine general James Cartwright or David Petraeus. I don't doubt that Huma would happily take a fall for Hillary to be handsomely recompensed later if it came down to that. But that still means that Hillary would enter office with her top aide under felony indictment. Even Nixon had breathing space of a couple of years before that happened. What is plainly obvious is that this election will never be accepted by a substantial portion of the American electorate. The chief malefactor is Hillary Clinton, who placed the country in this position thanks to her insatiable ambition, mendacity, and unrepentant criminality. But Comey had a chance to obviate that situation and incredibly made it worse. Comey took it upon himself, stepping into a politically charged situation he could have avoided simply by doing his duty as a federal policeman. Comey could have referred the case to Justice for Loretta Lynch to take the embarrassing step of refusing to empanel a grand jury, or simply resigned on principle if he was pressured to do otherwise. Instead, he tried to have it both ways, trying to accommodate Clinton, Loretta Lynch, and the president by finding clever excuses to overlook Hillary's obvious criminality while excoriating her ethically. For a time, at least on the left, he looked like a Solomonic hero. Now that baby has come back to bite him and the country he supposedly serves. He is a victim both of his own hubris and of that destructive machine called Clinton. Count one more under the Clinton bus. It's getting crowded down there. Obviously, this election cycle has evolved into a circus of corruption. The mud-slinging is interminable, filled with duck and run operations, outright fraud, and lawlessness. In a little over a week, by hook or crook, we will know the winner of the presidential election. The question is, will it be fair, or is the voting rigged? In the State of Washington, it is hard to tell. There are so many avenues for potential dishonesty. This week, I took the time to personally carry my "mail-in ballot" to the local voting office in King County, Washington. The state instituted its slick new balloting system several years ago. However, the way they handle ballots is extraordinarily disturbing. Here's what happened. Entering the building, my husband and I were met by a cadre of temporary employees steering citizens to various areas. The woman who approached me appeared stern, as if I wasn't supposed to be there, and asked what my business was. I replied, "I would like to hand-deliver my ballot to the election office." Her response was, "Oh, that's unnecessary. All you have to do is drop it in the repository in the parking lot." Aware of this practice, I balked. A large steel box has been placed at the end of the parking area (over 50 yards from the front door), abutting the freeway, near a far corner of the building. Guiding me to the window, she pointed out a large white and blue steel container with a slot in it, somewhat like an oversized U.S. Postal Service mailbox. I turned to her and said, very patiently, "No...I want to hand-deliver it to an election official. I am not comfortable with drive-by voting." She banally replied, "But that's the way we are set up to collect ballots." Again: "No. There isn't anyone monitoring the boxes." Rolling her eyes and looking for backup, she brought my persistence to the attention of another employee at a desk in the lobby, who spoke in a loud, admonishing voice. "That's the way that it is done now." Perturbed, I asked to speak with a supervisor who had been listening all the while. He hustled over to engage me. I repeated, "I insist on handing my ballot in to a proper voting official." He replied as if on script: "If you put it in the box outside, it will be picked up at the end of the day by our staff." Again, I explained that I did not feel that it was proper to leave ballots sitting in a parking lot unattended. He finally relented and allowed us to hand our ballots to someone behind the counter, assuring me that the ballot would be stored in the facility's steel security cage until processing began. The biggest problem with their "drive-by" voting system is there are multiple box locations all over the county, such as the library near my home. All are unattended and vulnerable to tampering or mayhem. They are placed in public places and unprotected by day and by night. The heavy steel boxes have built in forklift skid slots for transport and placement. My point is, if these boxes are unattended, anyone with the proper equipment could come in at night, pick them up, and load them into a truck. In such unattended locations, ballots may be tampered with or simply stolen. Or another possible scenario might be malicious incineration of the boxes where the votes would be lost. The State of Washington is not taking voting seriously. They are making it a convenience and fiscal issue. After I finally handed over my ballot, another high-level superior who had been alerted by my noisy insistence pulled us aside to ask if we would like to take tour of the facility. She was a pleasant woman, and I believe she was trying to assuage our concerns about the election process. The tour was instructive, but my insecurities were not satisfied. She explained all the processes by which ballots were collected and secured. During early voting, the boxes are checked only once a day. Upon collection, an army of temporary workers inspects each ballot to validate the voter's signature with a computer database from previous elections. One must sign the envelope on the outside flap before mailing. This means your signature is displayed to postal workers at USPS and anyone else who handles the ballot. I'll let readers imagine what might happen, given such a stupid decision by lawmakers. If your signature doesn't match the previous one on file, your vote can be challenged. If you don't respond to the challenge, then your vote goes unrecorded. What used to be a secret ballot now passes through many hands and is loaded into a computer database which I was assured was internal only and not connected to the internet! Yup, I believe that one. The processing facility is divided into various sections, filled with all sorts of computers and fancy equipment designed to sort ballots by district. As they pass through one of the two electronic sorting machines (which processes 41,000 ballots an hour), the top is sliced off so that the ballot can be removed and run through another machine by hand to register your selections. A barcode is assigned to each ballot by address. After the election, the original ballots along with digital copies are stored up to 22 months in a warehouse off site. Of course, this was very informative, but it appears that the larger privacy and veracity issues are no longer a concern for state officials. How can they be sure who actually filled out the ballot? Was the vote legitimate and legal? For example, how many old folks' homes are receiving ballots? Is the proprietor filling them out and returning them? How many dead people are voting? Our guide had no answers to these contentious questions. However, she went on to mention that there was one woman whose job it was to cull the dead folks from the voter rolls using obituaries and vital statistics records. If all the states are doing this, then how is it that so many dead voters are cropping up and sometimes voting more than once? The final question is this: when did big government decide that it is their right to change the old system requiring people to physically go to the polls to cast their secret and sacred votes? If a voter takes his responsibility as an American citizen seriously, he should proudly show up at the polls and participate in the process. Unfortunately, we in the State of Washington no longer have polling places only a mail-in vehicle to register choices. We were told that it is more economical for the state. I find that hard to believe. Nowadays, accuracy is more important than ever. State and federal governments are shirking their duty by streamlining the vote for their own convenience. What happened to training community members to come together and participate in the democratic process of electing our leaders? The smoke and mirrors of the electronic age are ominous to a free and just society. Is it too late to wake up and start rattling the cages of a complicit government? Colonel Allen West has some great points to add in an article on his website. This is a must-read for every American. Unless a political earthquake of cataclysmic proportions strikes presently, in just a few days one of the most notoriously corrupt and immoral candidates ever nominated for the office will be elected the 45th President of the United States. Somehow the architect of arguably the most disastrous foreign policy tenure in American history -- one that included the clumsy withdrawal from Iraq, the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood and ISIS, bewildering support of disastrous international coups, the fall of Mosul, Irans dangerous influence in the Middle East, Russias unchallenged belligerence against Europe, and nuclear proliferation in rogue states -- is poised to become Madame President. What seemed unthinkable a year ago appears all but accomplished today. So how did this happen, and who is to blame? Since this national catastrophe has been unfolding like a slow-motion civilizational train wreck, it allows us the unique opportunity to consider a pre-election post-mortem. So let me begin with the group I have been associated with: the #NeverTrump movement. The frustration from Trump-supporting Republicans is understandable as they shout, How can you live with yourself knowing that you didnt do all you could to prevent a Hillary presidency? The truth is, all of us opposed to Hillary are doing all our consciences will allow us to do in that regard. For some, that includes voting for Trump -- one of Hillarys financial backers that many of us believe threatens the long-term efficacy and viability of the conservative movement far more than Clinton ever could; for others of us, we cant do it. If we #NeverTrumpers have failed to stop Hillary, that happened in the primary season when we couldnt stop the Republicans from nominating the one man seemingly capable of losing a national election to Hillary Clinton. We are no more to blame for this calamity than those who supported Donald Trump when there were at least 15 better primary options. But I dont feel much like blaming Republicans who just wanted to win. I can sympathize with conservatives who were fed up with the status quo, tired of mealy-mouthed politicians who recited rehearsed and poll-tested lines, who were afraid to bluntly confront serious problems for fear of alienating voters. While I contend that it wasnt wise to let those understandable passions lead us to nominate an unprincipled lifelong Democrat who confuses conservatism with authoritarian nationalism, I get the frustration and dont ultimately fault the desperation Republican primary voters felt to pick a candidate who they thought would aggressively fight the Democrat-media cabal. So then, whose fault is it that we now face the almost assured prospect of a Hillary presidency? The fault lies squarely on the shoulders of any American debased enough to cast a vote in favor of this criminally unfit Democrat nominee. It rests in the hands of those who are so divorced from moral integrity that they willfully proclaim, Im with her. While much has been made of the fissure that has developed on the right with the rise of the #NeverTrump crowd, there is an unasked question that deserves attention. Why is the modern left in America so bare of principle that a #NeverHillary movement failed to manifest? Even the so-called Feel the Bern purists smoldered into a worthless nothingburger willing to shill for an agent of corporate greed and Wall Street cronyism. Further, why bemoan Trumps misogyny when you are willing to vote for a woman who threatened an alleged rape victim into silence, who referred to victims of sexual abuse as trailer trash, narcissistic loony toons, and bimbos, and who even victim-blamed a 12-year-old rape survivor for having a tendency to seek out older men? How can you complain about the Donald Trumps of the world when you elevate the women who empower them? If Trump supporters are expected to morally justify their vote, Hillary supporters bear the same burden. The fact that only the political right is experiencing moral reticence about their nominee is the surest sign yet that the left has given itself over completely to a depraved pursuit of political power as the only virtue worth possessing. That is unquestionably the road to tyranny. If youre willing to morally affirm that with your vote, Donald Trump is the least of your concerns. Peter Heck is a speaker, author and teacher. Follow him @peterheck, email peter@peterheck.com or visit www.peterheck.com. You have to hand it to the Clintons. They bring sex into politics over and again -- and not in the lame fake way people like Gloria Allred bring up accusers against Republican candidates, but instead with real evidence that cannot be dismissed so easily. The press has looked the other way through countless administration and Hillary scandals, downplaying if even reporting such things as her breaches of national security, the pay-to-play Clinton foundation slush fund, Hillarys malfeasance and lies about the Benghazi slaughter, her close connection to the political thugs and election hijackers, the thousands of Wikileaks establishing the gangster nature of her operation. Throw in a little sex though and the mainstream media briefly halts emailing mash notes to Hillary and files the story. Oddly enough, the latest scandal sounds awfully like the beginning of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Bills tale where he lied and said he did not have sex with that woman. Even bombing an aspirin factory couldnt kill that story. This time, Anthony Weiner, former Congressman, failed mayoral candidate, and husband without portfolio of Hillarys closest, round-the-clock aide, Huma Abedin, insisted that the claim that he sexted a minor was a hoax. The capable and incorruptible U.S Attorney Preet Bahara looked into the claim, along with FBI and New York Police Department officers. In the course of their investigation it appears that they found on the computer Weiner shared with his estranged wife some email material the existence of which theyd previously been unaware. This induced FBI chief James Comey to make the astonishing announcement, eleven days before the election, that he was compelled to reopen the investigation into Hillarys handling of classified materials on a private server because of newly discovered evidence. The announcement came amid a series of revelations -- some clearly from inside-the-department leaks -- which established how poorly handled the initial investigation was. The whole thing was so shoddy. As Holman Jenkins at the Wall Street Journal reminds us: The reality is that Mr. Coneys Clinton probe has been a kid-glove exercise all along. Only days before he prematurely ended the investigation and proclaimed that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case -- a decision for the Justice Department, not the FBI -- Bill Clinton met with Attorney General Loretta Lynch on a Phoenix airport tarmac. When the FBI later released its investigation summary and interview notes on the Friday before Labor Day weekend, they showed Mrs. Clinton telling agents that she could not recall or did not remember specifically key details and events 27 times. The interview wasnt taped, and Mrs. Clinton wasnt put under oath, though it is a crime to lie to the FBI. Recent revelations include the immunity deals extended to Clinton aides Cheryl Mills and Heather Samuelson to get them to surrender their laptops. The FBI could have sought a subpoena or search warrant to do as much, but Justice didnt empanel a grand jury. Ms. Mills and Ms. Samuelson were allowed to serve as lawyers for Mrs. Clinton at her FBI interview, despite being material witnesses. Their deals specified that the laptops would be destroyed, meaning they cant now be re-searched and cross-checked against Mr. Comeys new information. This week we learned that Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe steered more than $675,000 to the political campaign of the wife of FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, who oversaw the Clinton investigation in the FBIs Washington D.C. field office. Mr. McAuliffe is a longtime Clinton friend who is under FBI investigation himself over campaign finances. As is his wont, Iowahawk describes the initial FBI investigation in far fewer words: FBI: what does this email mean? Clintonite: I want immunity FBI: you got it. What does -- Clintonite: I plead the 5th FBI: OK you're free 2 go The real danger to Hillary is probably not the immediate pre-election legal consequences of the inquiry. Doubtless we will in time find further evidence of what we already know: she and her aides carelessly handled and transmitted classified information (some of it exceedingly sensitive and to be protected) in completely careless ways in violation of the law. Ed Rollins, who served on the ill-fated and scandal-tainted Teneo Corporation at the same time as Huma (wearing one of her many hats simultaneously) surmised in a TV interview that she had such information as well as the Teneo material on her home computer and probably assumed that when Teneo scrubbed old emails it covered the Clinton private emails as well. Whatever the reason, something is there. Carl Bernstein says it must be really big: We don't know what this means yet except that it's a real bombshell. And it is unthinkable that the Director of the FBI would take this action lightly, that he would put this letter forth to the Congress of the United States saying there is more information out there about classified e-mails and call it to the attention of congress unless it was something requiring serious investigation. So that's where we are... Hillarys minions and spinners were temporarily thrown off guard. She was on a flight to Iowa when the announcement was made, a flight reportedly with no wi-fi so that she didnt know until the plane landed what had happened, Back home dozens of her staff must have worked frantically to prepare remarks for her after her scheduled rally appearance. They vet almost every of her public utterances. (At the rally, a giant fly perched on her forehead. This is the second time that has happened he recent weeks. Her rallies may be ill attended but I dont want to hear ever again anyone saying she could not draw flies.) In the video of her very brief conference you can see her continue her pattern of lying, projecting in a way thats almost satirical. She tars Comey by suggesting only Republican Congressmen received the Comey letter in which he stated his reasons for reopening the investigation, Actually all the committee chairs (Republicans) got it as did all the ranking members (Democrats). Then she demanded that Comey release all the emails he found immediately, prompting two more priceless Iowahawk tweets: I gotta say this "the FBI needs to answer these questions!" gambit has to be the Clintoniest thing ever. "I am not going to sit here while you badmouth the United States of America! Gentlemen!" The truth is Huma was on the plane with Hillary -- all she had to do is (a) ask her what was in that material on her home computer and (b) tell her to release it publicly -- she doesnt need the FBI to do it. Powerline agrees: This evening in Iowa, Hillary Clinton made a brief statement to the press about the FBIs decision to reopen its criminal investigation into her email scandal. She even deigned to take three questions. The best question, as is almost always the case, was a simple factual one: Have you spoken to Huma Abedin about this development? Clinton did not answer. Instead, she said she doesnt know any more than anyone else about the matter. Like virtually every utterance Clinton makes, this statement is false. Abedin reportedly is traveling with Clinton. Regardless of whether she is, there can be no doubt that as soon as Team Clinton got the news about the investigation [snip]she asked her closest aide what might be of interest to the FBI on her device and those of her husband. [snip]From Abedin, Clinton must have learned more than the rest of us know about what has piqued the FBIs interest. Her claim to be totally in the dark surely is a lie. During the press conference, Clinton called on Director Comey to tell the public what the newly recovered emails say. She insists that the public, which has already started voting, has the right to know. Comey isnt in a position to discuss the emails at the outset of his expanded investigation, but Hillary Clinton is. In the interest of the publics right to know, Clinton could describe for us, to the best of her understanding, the nature of the emails Abedin sent and received on the devices in question. Alternatively, she could have Abedin do it. Whether anyone would believe Clinton or Abedin is another matter. During the press conference, Clinton also complained that the FBI acted so close to the election. Naturally, the timing has Clinton seething, but she has no valid complaint about. The timing, I assume, is a function of when the FBI obtained Abedins device. If Abedin turned it over sooner, the FBI presumably would have acted sooner. Theres lots of speculation about what prompted the dramatic turn of events. Ive never thought much of Comey myself. When he as acting attorney general I thought his refusal at the eleventh hour to reauthorize the NSA surveillance program was a preposterous drama queen act. Seven years later when Comey was nominated for the post of FBI head, the Wall Street Journal noted the effusive Democrat outpourings of support for the nomination of this Republican, suggesting the praise was unwarranted if one scrutinized his record -- and then proceeded to make its very solid case. Doubtless, Hillary now wishes her party had heeded this warning. A terminally blinkered Jennifer Rubin thinks the reopening is a plus for Hillary: @JRubinBlogger The Weiner thing is actually helpful for HRC, turning this all into farce and a punchline. Everyone else, including her campaign operatives, acknowledge its a disaster for her. Another source the Democrats might have paid more attention to was Donald J. Trump, who as early as August of 2015 wrote on twitter. It came out that Huma Abedin knows all about Hillarys private illegal emails. Humas PR husband, Anthony Weiner, will tell the world. My best estimate of the rationale behind this breathtaking decision is that besides the reported furor in the FBI ranks about his earlier decision to give Hillary a pass; leaks and the released FBI report which underscored the unserious, corrupted nature of the initial investigation, the presence of Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and the NYPD meant that the Washington FBI and Attorney General Loretta Lynch no longer had a monopoly on how to conduct the investigation and were unable to lock up from scrutiny what criminality was found. Others have advanced plausible theories. Thomas Lipscomb asks, Andrew McCarthy, Judge Napolitano and others have posited that once it became clear that Obama had lied and was totally implicated in the Hillary e-mail scandal, Comey was not allowed to go forward with an indictment.WHAT IF The Weiner-Huma-Hillary evidentiary route has no such problem? And Jerome Corsi questions why Hillary Clinton sent marked classified information to a nonsecure Abedin account. Huma Abedin sent tens of thousands of emails to her home unsecured home account and, hints there might have been espionage. Jerome Corsi @jerome_corsi Hillary aide HUMA ABEDIN emailed to herself at humamabedin@yahoo.com CLASSIFIED State Dept DOCS unsecured http://www.wnd.com//hillary-sent-marked-classified-info-t/ ESPIONAGE? In the meantime, the networks were forced to cover the story, headlines writers are having a field day Dickileaks, Stroking Gun, and bloggers are displaying their creativity. If on January 20 at high noon Hillary Rodham Clinton puts her hand on a bible an historic hypocrisy will occur. It may start the nation to shatter. Read the oath of office: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. The So help me God part isnt required. But since Hillary will make a spurious claim to faithfully execute the office of president, why not make a pledge to God? After all, Gods unimportant to Alinsky acolytes, Hillary counted among them. Lest we forget that Alinsky pays tribute to Lucifer in his manual. Saying God might not be any more relevant to Hillary than saying fruitcake. Hillarys claim to serve faithfully is a sham because? The staggering accumulating evidence of wrongdoing by herself and her husband, Bill. Thats just in the last 18 months or so. Right now, Hillary is indisputably the most corrupt presidential candidate in the nations history. As Newt Gingrich has pointed out, the criminality that Hillary and Bill would bring to the White House alone makes anything that happened during the Grant, Harding, and Truman administrations pale by comparison. And for the record, those three presidents werent the centers of corruption. That occurred among appointees and others. Since Hillary failed to faithfully execute the office of Secretary of State, why expect her to do otherwise as president? She who compromised national security by running highly classified information on her private servers? A grave criminal offense, which shes avoided consequences for because the DOJ either strong-armed or enticed (or both) FBI Director James Comey. Theres the Clintons pay-to-play scheme, decorously called the Clinton Foundation. Its foundational to the Clintons and their cronies getting rich. If you wanted time with Secretary of State Hillary, it didnt hurt to drop some rubles in Clinton Foundation coffers. Quite a few rubles, actually. WikiLeaks just revealed the Doug Band memo that discloses Bill Clinton leveraging the foundation for perks. Hillary took her skim. Decades of patterns of ethical violations and criminality are going to vanish if Hillary assumes the presidency? When you talk like a duck and walk like a duck youre a duck. Lord knows what other sordid matters lie deeply buried under the Clinton Library and Massage Parlor (hat tip, Rush). Years of escaping consequences for her crimes must give Hillary an Olympian sense of entitlement. She must feel invincible. Her highhandedness, pathological. This makes for a very dangerous mind. Its the stuff of hubris on the scale of a Greek tragedy. A Hillary disaster has the potential for national disaster. What happens if Hillary wins on November 8? It becomes an election without resolve. It means one battle ends and another begins immediately. The stark truth about the Clintons wont go away. Theyre evading justice wont disappear. Tens of millions of Americans wont ever trust Hillary. Nor will the grassroots accept congressional Republican leadership. Paul Ryans blather about working with Hillary for the nations good isnt sailing, particularly when Ryans agenda is at odds with most conservative and Trump voters aims. Compounding Hillarys towering conceit is a flawed leftist worldview that she shares with Obama. Obamas reflexive leftism is proving now to be wholly ill-equipped to meet the dangers growing overseas and challenges at home. Despite the propaganda, the economy is moribund. The Federal Reserve has pretty much used up its bag of tricks to soften a major recessions blow. ObamaCare is an abject failure. Racial unrest festers and promises to burgeon. Keeping open the floodgates to Third Worlders, legal or not, a la Angela Merkel, means spreading social strife. Putin, in response to Obamas baiting and missteps about Syria, saber-rattles. Mishandling of relations with the Philippines by Obama has moved a strategic asset to the PRCs corner, thereby emboldening the Chinese in their grab of the East and South China Seas. War on both fronts is possible. But appeasement by Hillary is also possible. After all, if you can be paid off, why not pay off? Obama paid ransom to the Iranians. But what does history teach about appeasement? The appeased are rarely satisfied, expecting more. Appeasement leads to subjugation or war. A continuance of Obamas policies (and once Hillarys) in the Middle East will do nearly nothing to destroy ISIS, its allies, and offshoots. Protracted, indecisive conflict with these enemies means American blood and treasure squandered. Expect more and stepped up terrorism on these shores. Obama continues to wink at Irans nuclear weapons development. North Korea continues its missile development. Theres Obamas social agenda to transform America into Brazil. Brazil, where the corrupted elite live their lives in gated communities and travel with security, while citizens are left to grapple as best possible with economic stagnation, disease, and crime. Get creative about defending yourself, because guns will be harder to get in Hillarys America and the cops will have been neutered. The Democrats are all-in, so why wouldnt Hillary continue down this road? As a Hillary presidency unravels, the nation will face a multiplicity of brutish realities that will grant few average Americans immunity. What do we say to those who scold us, We must honor the results of the presidential election. Our reply: Well certainly abide by the results. Hillary is president. But we most certainly dont have to honor the person, she of low character and dishonorable actions. We will not. We will oppose her and her allies with renewed vigor. No honeymoon will come for the vixen Hillary, notwithstanding calls for such from Washington insiders and MSM pundits. Hillarys thoroughly rotten. Her agenda and motives are poison to liberty; her leadership will pilot us into more perilous waters. If Trump loses -- Heaven forefend -- the movement comprised of tens of millions of passionate, God-fearing citizens remains. Wrote Bruce Heiden in a superb analysis for American Thinker: But without minimizing the importance of who actually becomes the next president, it should not be so difficult to recognize that Trumps campaign has always had a second dimension. It combines features of both a presidential campaign and a protest movement. And this: The success of this protest campaign is not measured by the margin of popular votes on Election Day, or the Electoral College votes, but rather by the people who join the protest to make themselves heard, by casting votes or in other ways. [Snip] They are manifestations of immense popular discontent to which Trumps candidacy and issues have given concrete form. Democrats, the left, and the establishment (that includes insider Republicans) presume that should Hillary win, the millions of Americans who came out for Trump will disappear after Election Day. Or they can be shunted to the margins. They have grossly underestimated the convictions these Americans hold and the passions that have been aroused after years of affronts and abuses to their liberty and values. If a corrupt candidate becomes a corrupt president on November 8, the nations woes will only begin. God only knows where the new FBI intervention will take us. I don't know for sure, but I can safely say it is not the Clintons' destination of choice. Since this private server story broke in 2015, I have asked the same question: how can the Democratic Party allow this woman to get nominated? Didn't someone at the party headquarters connect the dots and realize what Mrs. Clinton did? After all, we are talking about a secretary of state using an unapproved server to conduct the diplomatic business of the U.S. So why didn't a group of senior Democrats go to the Clintons' residence and quietly call on Mrs. Clinton to drop out? Remember when a group of GOP senators paid a visit on President Nixon in the summer of 1974 and told him to resign? Instead, the party circled the wagons and invested itself in a Clinton, or the first female presidency. Even Senator Sanders, who should have argued the national security risks of a private server, just said he was sick and tired of hearing about the emails. Where are the Democrats today? First, Mrs. Clinton's judgment is under the microscope again, from the private server to surrounding herself with people with little regard for national security issues. Have you seen what they say of Mrs. Clinton in these leaks? My guess is that Bush 41 or Bush 43 staffers were not speaking that way of their bosses. Second, the Democrats are now victims of their focus on identity politics: a) Not one of them had the courage to call out President Obama on Obamacare. They had to know that the numbers would never add up. b) Not one had the courage to call on Mrs. Clinton to drop out over her total disregard for national security. Why didn't one Democrat stand up against Obamacare or call on Mrs. Clinton to put country over party? The answer is identity politics. They were afraid of criticizing the first black president's signature legislation or call on the first potential female president to drop out. Forty-one years ago this month, Bill Lee, who was known as a junk ball pitcher, gave up a three-run home run to Tony Perez in game 7 of the 1975 World Series. Bill said later that he lived by the junk pitch and would die by the junk pitch. Let's paraphrase Lee and say this: the Democrats live by identity politics and will now die by identity politics. The Democrats put race and gender over common sense and now have to live with high premiums and a candidate no one trusts. P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. I've never envied the rich or thought they owed me anything. In the short list of unalienable rights, nowhere is it written that I have a claim to property of another. My moral code resists that idea, and the criminal code prohibits it. Moreover, if those on the higher rungs of the economic ladder owe me something, it follows that those on the lower rungs have a similar claim against me. My enlightened self-interest resists that idea. This whole entitlement mentality makes me uncomfortable. Coercive taking by the state and redistribution to favored political constituencies are inexorably replacing the voluntary good works of charities, churches, friends, and neighbors as the primary means of providing a safety net for the needy. This change in methodology may appear to be a distinction without a difference, but the real-world effects on giver, recipient, and society as a whole are deeply disturbing. To illustrate, a small bakery owner and I once belonged to the same loosely knit community group. We met weekly. One day he arrived with a tray of pastries. I don't know if his intent was to relieve the tedium of the reading of the secretary's and treasurer's reports, but relieve the tedium they did. The surprise treat morphed into a weekly affair. Attendance grew. Members arrived with coffee in hand and smiles on their faces. A sense of unity, purpose, and accomplishment filled the air. Then, one week, he wasn't there. Members strode to the table only to look up in dismay when they discovered the cupboard bare. Nevertheless, all agreed that his absence was likely due to a sudden emergency (the flu, perhaps) and that he would return the following week. Well, the following week came and went, and the week after. Each week, grousing about "our" pastries grew, and concern about their purveyor diminished. Interestingly, no one called to thank him for his generosity or to inquire about his well-being. No one thought to stop at a Dunkin Donuts to fill the void. In short, I witnessed the birth of the entitlement mentality on a micro-economic scale. It is that sense of entitlement, of demanding something for nothing that is spreading, virus-like, through our culture, infecting and affecting everyone and everything. I recently overheard a retired steel worker complain that his retirement is insufficient to live on. Blaming "inflated corporate salaries and costs," he railed that "greed runs the wealthy. The more some people have, the more they desire." Rather than pointing fingers, I suggested that he look in the mirror and ask himself how his greed had contributed to his economic downturn. For three decades, he enjoyed high wages, job security, and generous benefits in a heavily unionized industry. During those halcyon days, how often did he buy another "toy" snowmobile, second vacation rather than setting something extra aside for a day he knew was coming? Did he expect the gravy train to never end? Did he avail himself of tuition reimbursement to better himself and his earning capacity? Moreover, did he counsel restraint at contract time, when his union leaders brought unreasonable demands to the negotiating table while turning a deaf ear to management's warning that lack of competitiveness in a world economy would force plant closings and drive jobs overseas? When were unions satisfied with what they had? Personal responsibility, enlightened self-interest, and caring for each other are not incompatible. To the contrary, they are indispensable to a prosperous, just, and peaceful people and nation. It is only when, as now, the scales tilt in favor of individuals self-interestedly demanding rights without attendant responsibilities coupled with a government self-interestedly striving to satisfy those "rights" by means of income redistribution that tyranny, disintegration, and division begin. On Nov. 8, voters can begin to restore the balance. What can Jews and Israel expect from a Hillary Clinton administration should she become president? Since becoming secretary of state, she has taken a number of anti-Jewish and anti-Israel actions, including the following: 1. Called for Increased Muslim Immigration. Hillary has called for increased immigration of Muslims to the United States. According to polls conducted by the Anti-Defamation League, about 55% of the Muslims in Europe and 75% of the Muslims in the Middle East and North Africa have anti-Jewish attitudes. Anti-Jewish terrorism by Muslim immigrants has been forcing Jews to leave Europe for Israel. 2. Excluded Israel from the Global Counterterrorism Forum. As secretary of state, Hillary organized the Global Counterterrorism Forum, presumably to oppose terrorism around the world, but she excluded Israel from membership. At the kick-off of the forum, she decried various terrorist acts and the groups that committed them. But she did not condemn acts of terrorism against Israel, nor did she condemn Hamas, the chief sponsor of terrorism against Israel. 3. Allied the United States with anti-Jewish Islamists. During her term as secretary of state, Hillary waived congressional restrictions in order to give financial aid to Muslim Brotherhood-controlled Egypt and Hamas-controlled Gaza. She also bypassed the Defense Department in order to give covert military aid to the Islamist rebels in Libya and in Syria. And she also laid the groundwork for the treaty with the virulently anti-Israel government of Iran. 4. Picked Tim Kaine for Vice President. When an Israeli prime minister speaks at the United Nations, Arab countries walk out, not willing even to listen to what he has to say. Similarly, when Israel's prime minister spoke to a joint session of Congress in March 2015, Senator Tim Kaine was one of the eight senators, out of 100, who refused to attend. Sixteen months later, Hillary chose him as her running mate. 5. Takes Money from Arab Governments. Hillary and her husband have personally benefited from payments to them by Arab governments. Their charitable foundation received huge contributions, and they have received direct payments from Arab governments. Her campaign made a decision in April 2015 to accept contributions from registered agents of foreign governments, including those of Arab governments. In contrast, Republican candidate Donald Trump has called for extreme vetting to keep intolerant Muslims out of the United States. As he made clear in his 2016 speech to AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee), he supports Israel and understands that the United Nations is no friend. He supports the Jewish nation, even promising to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Dr. Howard Richman and his father, professor emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh Raymond Richman, are members of a reform Jewish congregation in Pittsburgh. Hillary Clinton is saying it is unprecedented that the FBI would inject itself this close to Election Day and many of her media supporters just go along as they do with everything else she says or does. Hillary knows full well that special prosecutor Lawrence Walsh actually indicted Casper Weinberger four days prior to Bill Clinton's election in 1992. As with almost everything Hillary does, she lies. As for unprecedented: Never before have we had a presidential candidate who: - As Secretary of State used a private server and broke the nation's security laws by trafficking classified documents on non-secure devices - Unilaterally decided which E mails to dump. Does anyone actually believe that the number she destroyed was only 33,000? These E Mails were bleach bitted after a Congressional Subpoena. Does anyone believe only personal E mails were destroyed? - As Secretary of State approved the sale of uranium reserves to the Russians and diverted money from the Haitians to her friends and family. She has taken kickbacks throughout her adult life starting with the $100,000 for cattle futures almost 40 years ago. - When answering questions to the FBI and Judicial Watch her most favorite go-to answer was I do not recall. This has been her favorite answer throughout her adult life. She is repeatedly described as extremely intelligent. Did she actually not recall or did she lie? If she didn't lie does anyone want anyone with that poor a memory as President? - Had a White House, State Department, Justice Department and others who also violated security laws and therefore spent their time protecting the Presidential candidate instead of working for the American people. - Had subordinates, who like her, were willing to commit perjury to protect themselves and her. - Had an FBI director and Attorney General who essentially admit that she violated the law but decided that she might not understand the law so wouldn't charge her. That is mind-boggling. - Had a media that was so in the tank that they have never cared what she actually did or said. Can anyone imagine the reporting on WikiLeaks if it were her opponents secrets being revealed? Now, all of a sudden this candidate who has spent her entire adult life hiding and lying demands pretends that she wants complete transparency from the FBI. The media, Democrats and Hollywood knew who they were getting with Hillary, a law breaker, perjurer and serial liar, and they always looked the other way. But now they are outraged that someone in Government might actually do their job because they want power, nothing else. The news media knew most or all of this before they endorsed her. They have made a great effort to keep the public uninformed on what Hillary has said and done. They should be embarrassed that they endorsed her. Now they are essentially saying the election is rigged because the FBI might actually do its job. Earlier this summer, Clinton aide Huma Abedin said in a sworn affadavit that she turned over all devices in which her emails from her time at the state department were stored. But the FBI discovered a trove of emails on her soon to be ex-husband Anthony Weiner's laptop. Authorities have yet to read those emails, but it seems clear that Abedin has opened herself up to charges of perjury if it can be established she knowingly hid those emails from investigators. Daily Beast: On June 28, 2016, Abedin said under oath in a sworn deposition that she looked for all devices that she thought contained government work on them so the records could be given to the State Department. (These records were subsequently reviewed by the FBI.) How did you go about searching for what records you may have in your possession to be returned to the State Department? Attorney Ramona Cotca for Judicial Watch asked her. I looked for all the devices that may have any of my State Department work on it and returned returned gave them to my attorneys for them to review for all relevant documents. And gave them devices and paper, Abedin answered. Cotca then asked Abedin specifically what devices she gave her attorneys. If memory serves me correctly, it was two laptops, a BlackBerry, and some files that I found in my apartment, Abedin said, adding the BlackBerry was associated with her Clintonemail.com account. Abedin maintained that she was not involved in the process of what records on her devices would be given to the State Department. I provided them [her attorneys] with the devices and the materials and asked them to find whatever they thought was relevant and appropriate, whatever was their determination as to what was a federal record, and they did. They turned the materials in, and I know they did so. Abedin was asked whether she supplied her login, password and other credentials to her Clintonmail.com account so that her attorneys could eyeball all of the emails that were on that account Abedin said she had. Pressed how she was sure, Abedin said, I cannot answer that question. Abedin said her practice was to rely on her State Department email through her laptop and BlackBerry for the vast majority of my work but acknowledged her personal account was a de facto business account too. I used that for the Clinton family matters and, frankly, I used it for my own personal e-mail, as well, she testified. Abedin has told friends she is unsure how her emails ended up on her husband's computer. But that doesn't ring true. Those emails didn't just magically materialize on Weiner's computer. Someone had to type in the address and either forward the email or send it directly. That someone had to have access to Abedin's email accounts. The Washington Post is reporting that investigators found "thousands" of emails on Weiner's laptop that may be relevant to congressional and federal investigators. Many may be duplicates of emails already released by the State Department or the FBI. But it's logical to assume that there was a reason Abedin was using her husband's laptop to exchange messages and subsequently failed to turn the device over to the State Department, or even mention that she was using the laptop. That reason may put Abedin in jail for lying to investigators. Thomas Lifson adds: I think Rick is probably wrong here: Those emails didn't just magically materialize on Weiner's computer. Someone had to type in the address and either forward the email or send it directly. That someone had to have access to Abedin's email accounts. Yesterday, I cited Adam Yoshida, who explained that it is quite possible that an archive of emails was inadvertently and unknowingly created by Huma Abedin. 1) Either that Huma signed in her e-mail account at one point and, presumably, it being Exchange or IMAP, dumped the whole account onto the computer and that account has plenty of e-mails between her and Clinton that were deleted. Or - 2) Theres mention of Huma having a Yahoo account to which she would forward things for printing purposes. This struck me right away because, of course, printers are often difficult to configure as are e-mail accounts. It struck me as strange, yet very believable, that she mentioned that shed forward stuff to that Yahoo account to print them. I mean, printing in theory should be platform agnostic, but - if youre technically unsophisticated - you might have serious problems trying to setup an e-mail account or a printer on a device. Thus I imagine a scenario where she has a portable machine that either she cant (or cant be, for some reason) configured to use her home printer and a desktop machine (I imagine an slightly-older iMac here) thats physically connected to the printer that serves as a shared family computer or whatever. She either cant setup the e-mail account on that computer (perhaps it requires a VPN or something like that) or doesnt want to, so she forwards everything that she wants to print to the Yahoo account that she does have setup on that computer. The FBI takes this computer as part of the Weiner investigation and, bam, they find thousands of e-mail messages - again, evidence of what was destroyed earlier. This accidental creation hypothesis is fully supported by what Huma is telling her associates, via the Washington Post: Top Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin has told people she is unsure how her emails could have ended up on a device she viewed as her husbands computer, the seizure of which has reignited the Clinton email investigation, according to a person familiar with the investigation and civil litigation over the matter. The person, who would not discuss the case unless granted anonymity, said Abedin was not a regular user of the computer, and even when she agreed to turn over emails to the State Department for federal records purposes, her lawyers did not search it for materials, not believing any of her messages to be there. The Clinton camp, if they believe Huma, now faces a gut-wrenching moment. It is quite possible those 33,000 emails have escaped the memory hole thanks to the tech ignorance of Huma and her former hubby. Hillary knows what is on those emails. No wonder her eyes are out of sync. The Obama Justice Department, led by Loretta Lynch, opposed FBI director James Comey's decision to inform Congress of his reopening the investigation of Hillary's email scandal on the basis that the Justice Department doesn't take steps to influence an election. This is the same Loretta Lynch who met with Bill Clinton the day before Hillary was questioned by the FBI, and then the FBI decided not to recommend indicting Hillary four days later. Obama and Michelle Obama have been campaigning every day to help Hillary and viciously attack Trump. Talk about "not taking steps" to influence an investigation. Comey must have concluded that the new emails and documents provide substantial evidence of Hillary's guilt; otherwise, he would not have reopened the investigation ten days before the elections. Since Comey gave Hillary the benefit of the doubt in July, after Lynch's meeting with Bill Clinton, we can assume that he was predisposed to again give Hillary the benefit of the doubt. But he could not because of the contents of the emails. The Washington Post reported on October 29, 2016: "Senior Justice Department officials warned the FBI that Director James B. Comey's decision to notify Congress about renewing the investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server was not consistent with long-standing practices of the department, according to officials familiar with the discussions. Comey told Justice officials that he intended to inform lawmakers of newly discovered emails. These officials told him the department's position "that we don't comment on an ongoing investigation. And we don't take steps that will be viewed as influencing an election," said one Justice official who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the high-level conversations. "Director Comey understood our position. He heard it from Justice leadership," said the official. "It was conveyed to the FBI, and Comey made an independent decision to alert the Hill. He is operating independently of the Justice Department. And he knows it. The Obama Justice Department warned Comey? Comey heard it from Justice leadership? In plain English, this means Loretta Lynch. And in even more plain English, this means Obama, because Lynch would not warn Comey or oppose his decision without the approval of Obama. It is beyond belief that the Obama Justice Department would interfere with an FBI decision on an important issue such as this. But this is the Obama Justice Department and Hillary, so all the traditional rules and traditions are gone. Obama did not want this investigation, but since Comey decided to investigate, then Obama wanted it quiet so we would not know before the election. He knew that this would hurt Hillary in her bid to win his third term. But if it was kept quiet until after the election then and Hillary won, then Obama and Hillary would say it was an FBI decision and blame Comey for not informing Congress and the public. Comey did not play ball with Obama and Hillary this time. So now look for the Clinton Smear Machine to attack Comey as the messenger of Hillary's scandal. From the archives of Amusing Planet. Located at 701 LaSalle Street in downtown Wichita Falls, Texas, is the Newby-McMahon Building, a smallish structure 10 feet by 18 feet in area and four-story in height. Since 1920, this Neoclassical style red brick and cast stone building has been referred to as the worlds littlest skyscraper a sobriquet it received from Ripley's Ripley's Believe It or Not! because of the buildings amusing origins. At a country where the death rate is 1.6 million per year, death is a booming market in Japan, and one Yokohama businessman named Hisayoshi Teramura is trying to tap into it by offering a hotel exclusively for the dead. Mr Teramura who already has a business of graves and funeral homes opened up this bizarre inn opposite an innocent noodle shop in a Yokohama suburb in 2010. Tree shaping is the practice of training living trees and woody plants into artistic shapes by carefully orchestrating how the tree and the branches grow. Techniques such as grafting, bending, creasing, framing, weaving, twisting, braiding, pruning and ring barking are employed to archive the unnatural shapes. A unique and distinguishing feature evident in many examples of the work is the purposeful inosculation of living trunks, branches, and roots to form artistic designs or functional structures. Lena's Pillars, also called Lenas Stone Forest, is a natural rock formation about 60 km upriver from Yakutsk, in Russia. The amazing stone structures towers over 150 meters in height and extends along the river for about 80km. Lombard Street in San Francisco is best known for the one-way section on Russian Hill between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets, in which the roadway has eight sharp turns (or switchbacks) that have earned the street the distinction of being the most crooked street in the world. The switchback's design was born out of necessity in order to reduce the hill's natural 27% grade, which was too steep for most vehicles to climb. Curiously though, the street is reserved for one-way traffic traveling downhill. For over three years photographer James Mollison photographed fans outside different concerts. His stunning panoramic portraits of pop concert fans emulating their idols are collected in an addictive volume called The Disciples. Featured bands and stars include Madonna, Marilyn Manson, 50 Cents, Sex Pistols, Spice Girls, Iron Maiden, Rod Stewart and more. Says James Mollison. German science photographer Volker Steger, in his book BUZZ: The Intimate Bond Between Humans and Insects, published microscopic photographs of insects that crashed into the windshield of his car. He collected the dead bugs from his cars bonnet and ran them under a scanning electron microscope. Steger actually taped plastic foil to the hood of the car, so that fallen bugs didnt stick to the hood, and drove his car hitting as many insects as possible. In Japan, there are many amusement parks that are lying in the state of neglect; their owners abandoned them because they became too expensive to run and tearing them down would cost them more. In one such park called "Nara Dreamland", located near the ancient city of Nara, is a massive rollercoaster made out of wood. Though significantly out of date by todays technical standards, the wooden roller coaster called Aska was one of the key attraction of the park. The park was opened in 1961 and closed in 2006. A Rape on Campus: a non-apology apology as the libel trial progresses with no sign of the real victims Rolling Stone magazine publisher Jann S. Wenner should not have deleted the 2014 story on Jackies alleged gang rape at the University of Virginia. There was no proof whatsoever Jackie had been raped. The Columbia University Journalism School called the story a failure of journalism. Wenners been talking a libel trial brought by Nicole Eramo, a former associate dean of students at the university. She claims the magazines story portrayed her as the chief villain. Shes seeking a modest $7.5 million in damages. We did everything reasonable, appropriate up to the highest standards of journalism to check on this thing, says Wenner, as quoted in the NY Times. The one thing we didnt do was confront Jackies accusers the rapists. Confront? Surely ask for their version of events. As journalism goes, offering the accused a right to reply is pretty standard stuff. The paper adds. Wenner said there was nothing a journalist could do if someone is really determined to commit a fraud. You could err on the side of caution. But this was an agenda-driven story. He said that while the magazine rightly retracted the Jackie stuff, he disagreed with the decision to retract the entire article in the wake of a damning report on it in April 2015 by The Columbia Journalism Review. He said the bulk of the article detailed ways that the University of Virginia could improve its treatment of victims of sexual assault. I stand by the rest of the article: personally, professionally and on behalf of the magazine, Mr. Wenner said. Mr. Wenner added: You just want to be double careful, and by and large we are. We are deeply committed to accuracy in a humanistic philosophical pursuit of the truth. Heads have rolled. Mr. Wenner testified that he knew there was a problem when he came to work the first Friday in December 2014 and found his managing editor, Will Dana, distraught. The deposition also provided Mr. Wenners fullest account of his decision to terminate Mr. Dana and the reporter who wrote the article, Sabrina Rubin Erdely. She had just begun a $300,000 writing contract. Mr. Wenner said that the quality of their work had slipped, in part because of fallout from the article. I cannot run the company with devastated, traumatized people, he said. Some irony that one traumatized womans alleged trauma was their undoing. Cant work with that state of mind amongst the staffers but can use it as a subject matter. And as for trauma, what about what of the accused? The New York Post has more from Werner: Im very, very sorry. It was never meant to ever happen this way to you, Wenner told Nicole Eramo in taped testimony played at the $7.85 million defamation trial. And believe me, Ive suffered as much as you have, he said. And I know what its like. I hope that this whole thing hadnt happened but it is, and its what we live with. The Daily Beast provides a neat summing up of the alleged crime and notes Wenners apology: He insisted that then-managing editor Will Danas retraction was inaccurate We do not retract the whole story, and that the magazines biggest mistake was not corroborating Jackies account with her alleged attackers. Indeed, had Erdely and her editors even attempted to do so, they would likely have arrived at a similar conclusion as Charlottesville police did after a five-month investigation: that there was no party at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity on Sept. 28, 2012, the night that Jackie claimed she was brutally raped by eight men; and that they found no evidence that Jackie was assaulted at Phi Kappa Psi or any other fraternity at UVA. And now for that apology: We screwed up. Bring it on. We suffered, Wenner said, before going on to apologize to Eramo. It was never meant to happen this way to you. And believe me, Ive suffered as much as you have. But please, my sympathies. And the accused men? No word. Karen Strike Posted: 30th, October 2016 | In: Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink The trucker who caused a fatal accident is mostly Romanian It all began when the Labour government made Bulgarian and Romanians second-class citizens of Europe. Well, maybe it began way before that. But the point is that when the Daily Mail spotted an accident and that one driver had been on his mobile, the paper made nationality an issue. Seconds before four-car pile-up,. Romanian truck on his mobile, observes the headline. Would it have been less newsworthy had the driver been British? Reporter Rebecca Camber twice more mentions that driver Razman Rusu is Romanian. The Telegraph only mentions the now jailed drivers nationality once, when it becomes relevant to the story: Rusu, a Romanian national living in the UK, returned to his home country but was arrested on his arrival back in the UK. The Mirror mentions it once and not in the headline. The GetWestLondon website doesnt mention it all, but does note: Rusu had been living in the UK but left the country for Romania after the crash. The Sun reports: DASHCAM DUMMY JAILED Terrifying moment lorry driver causes pile-up on M1 while staring at his mobile phone Razvan Rusu, 30, will serve eight months behind bars after being convicted of dangerous driving. That Rusu is Romanian is mentioned once. The Express however trumps even the Mail. JAILED: Romanian lorry driver who caused M1 pile-up while distracted by his phone A ROMANIAN lorry driver fled the country after ploughing into motorway traffic while distracted by his mobile phone. No police report mentioned the mans nationality being a factor in the crime. Paul Sorene Posted: 30th, October 2016 | In: Reviews, Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink Autumn 2016 in the inland Pacific Northwest is one rainstorm after another amid the glory of leaves turning color and painting the landscape. Here we see maple leaves outside Rifftides world headquarters. Among songs that sing the praises of the fall season, Henry Nemos Tis Autumn was a sizeable success for Woody Herman in 1941. Other notable performances of the song are on recordings by Nat Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Bob Dorough, Carmen McRae, Chet Baker with Bill Evans and Ella Fizgerald with Joe Pass. In 1985, on a visit to Sweden, Zoot Sims played Tis Autumn in an informal session with bassist Red Mitchell and guitarist Rune Gustafsson. It reminds us that Zoot played beautifully virtually to the end of his life. He died in March of 1985. Whether its wet or dry where you are, have a good weekend and a lovely autumn. Jason Markk Repel Might Just Be A Force Field For Sneakers Can This Stain Repellent Really Protect Your Favorite Sneakers? We Tried It Out The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. Every sneaker collector, nay, every human who wears shoes and cares about their personal style knows the struggle: You buy a fresh pair of shoes be it sneakers, boots, brogues, oxfords, sandals and on the first day you take them to the streets, they look dusty, scratched and slightly faded. Just like that, there goes their fresh aesthetic. If youre anything like us, this fear of destroying your footwear generally means leaving them safe in the box for months, until the newness wears off and you can afford to take the risk of dirtying them. Sound all too familiar? Well, its about time you met Jason Markk Repel. This simple-as-can-be, water-based sneaker protector formula is self described as a force field for shoes. With those kinds of claims, we knew we had to test it out on our most-loved kicks, pronto. Who Its For Best For: Anyone looking to increase the lifespan of their new shoes. Investing in a new pair of fall or winter shoes? Youre in luck: Repel also works just as well on suede, leather or canvas leather boots. Why We Love It Any sneaker collector knows the perils of trying to keep that fresh-out-of-the-box aesthetic for as long as possible. Jason Markk Repel might not keep them looking out-of-the-box forever, but it certainly increases the longevity and fresh look of a new pair of sneakers twofold. Shoe collectors, rejoice. Hands On We asked two of our resident sneakerheads to test out Repel on their favorite sneakers for a month of drunk antics and muddy adventures. Heres what they had to say. Tester #1: Kaitlyn, senior commerce editor Working at a mens lifestyle publication pretty much requires having an ample sneaker arsenal and like any sneaker fan, my rotation would just not be complete without a basic pair of bright white kicks. That said, do you have any idea how hard it is to keep a pair of white sneakers white? I know you know. Its near impossible. Ive gone through two pairs of Stan Smiths in the past year alone. Not only is it expensive to keep purchasing new sneakers, its discouraging especially when you acquire a rare spin off. When my equally sneaker obsessed colleague introduced me to Jason Markk Repel, I admit I was intrigued, yes, but also highly skeptical. Could something as simple as a shoe repellent really save my precious white sneakers? The answer is a resounding yes. After a week of stomping through the dirty city streets on my commute to work, another week of getting lost and drunk in Europe, topped off with a muddy weekend in the Canadian countryside, my white kicks look well worn, sure, but they still retain that bright hue that attracted to me in the first place. I dare say Repel is the secret weapon I needed to add to my arsenal. To celebrate this sneaker longevity breakthrough, please excuse me while I add a rare pair of bright white hologram Stans to my cart. Tester #2: Sean, newsletter editor I have a thing with white sneakers. I either need them to be perfectly pristine or so covered in scratches, stains and creases that knowing that they were originally white has become a secret shared only between myself and the pair in question. Given the option, Id always pick the former kind to wear, but as yet, Ive pretty much come to expect my rotation of sneakers to fall under the latter category. To that end, I usually make sure to wear any fresh new pair immediately (and somewhere theyre likely to get a little f*cked up) to avoid their out-of-the-box unsullied whiteness be an excuse to put off wearing them save for only in the most controlled setting. Time to test some shoe protection... #jasonmarkk #fallfootwear #wearerbeware #nike #jordans #aj1 #ajko #timelesscanvas A photo posted by Sckersh (@sckersh) on Sep 8, 2016 at 1:26pm PDT So when given the chance at testing out the Jason Markk Repel, I jumped on it as a way to break in a new pair. I figured: it doesnt work, Ive kept to my rule about wearing my recently acquired Air Jordan 1 KOs right away, but if DOES work, Ive just solved my anxiety issues surrounding a love for the lighter-shade sneakers. I had heard some good things about the Jason Markk cleaning solution, even coming close to getting the set that came in a limited edition J Dilla Doughnut Box (still regret it), so I had high hopes for the protective coating. I diligently coated them 3 times, giving it a good 12 hours between coats to ensure maximum protection then I promptly got stinking drunk with a couple colleagues, and wandered around until the wee hours of a slightly muddy night. The result? Pretty decent. Nike wont be calling a hit out out on Jason Markk a la The Man in the White Suit because no one will ever need to buy a fresh pair again, but they certainly seem to hold up to the elements a lot better and are way way easier to clean on the now-rarer occasions you do manage to get a light stain or scuff. The Drawbacks Most likely, the Jason Markk Repel formula wont leave your shoes 100% hydrophobic a lot of this has to do with how the spray is actually applied. Did you give it full coverage? Did you leave it to set for the right number of hours? How many coats did you apply? Was it particularly humid that day? Its not foolproof but then, nothing is. Where To Buy It You can pick up your own bottle of Jason Markk Repel for $16.95 at Amazon.com. Related Reading Best Casual Dress Shoes 5 Dress Shoe Styles AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use. A lawsuit brought against Australian law firm Maurice Blackburn by financial advice company IOOF has been resolved with both parties agreeing to walk away without costs.The Supreme Court action resulted from documents provided to the media by a whistle-blower which resulted in a collapse of the IOOF share price on the ASX.The law firm began a class action against IOOF on behalf of shareholders but was sued by the financial firm for disclosing the documents; none of the media outlets was sued.We have long argued that whistle-blower laws in this country are completely inadequate, and this legal process has made that point very clearly, said Maurice Blackburn principal Jacob Varghese.He added that the government should make it clear that whistle-blowers can communicate with class action lawyers acting for victims of corporate misconduct.As part of the agreement between the two parties, Maurice Blackburn says it has regretfully agreed to no longer pursue the shareholder class action.Law firms and lawyers in mainland China will face a new threat to their independence when two directives come into force on Tuesday 1November.Human Rights Watch says that the Chinese Ministry of Justice will curb lawyers right of free expression and ability to comment on cases; and require them to support the leadership of the Communist Party.The new Justice Ministry rules basically tell human rights lawyers that their successful legal tactics are now prohibited, said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch. Peoples rights cant be robustly defended when their lawyers cant draw attention to, or even publicly discuss, their cases.Four partners have resigned from the EMEA partnership of King & Wood Mallesons hampering its planned recapitalization.King & Wood Mallesons can confirm the resignations of London partners Michael Halford, Jonathan Pittal and Andrew Wingfield. Rob Day has also indicated his intention to resign. These resignations do not impact our employees, a spokesman told The Lawyer. Hello! My wife is applying for 402 occupational trainee visa with me included in the application. She will work as post-doc at university for 6 months starting mid 2017. Could you explain what is the insurance which is necessary for our stay? May we use Overseas Student Health Cover? Could you also let me know about the costs and explain me how it works? Thanks in advance! EV The current Prius , which is in its fourth generation, is available in both full hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions. For zero-emission driving, Toyota offers the worlds first production hydrogen FCV, which is called Mirai.While other automakers have offered hydrogen cars in the past, Toyotas model is considered a world premiere because it is available on a global scale, while the early Hydrogen Fuel Cell cars from its competitors were limited to California or Japan, for instance.When the Mirai was launched, Toyotas officials stated that they do not want to focus on electric vehicles , choosing hybrid and hydrogen technology for its Eco-friendly offering. A few things have changed since then, and the changes come in the form of more electric cars available on the market.While hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are currently the best option when it comes to Eco-friendly vehicles that can be refueled as fast as internal combustion automobiles, electric cars benefit from a significant advantage infrastructure.Even if the network of charging stations for electric vehicles is not as developed as the one for conventional vehicles, hydrogen fueling stations are rare when compared to electric charging points.This difference might affect hydrogen cars in the future, because they might get discontinued in the long run if the infrastructure for them will not be as developed as the one for electric vehicles.At the same time, battery technology is advancing at a rate that should bring consumers a comfortable level of range even in mainstream models.While Teslas top-tier models do achieve sufficient levels of range for day-to-day travel and occasional road trips, volume automakers have not managed to match their numbers with more affordable models.Toyotas next Prius might fit the bill for this task, because the Japanese automaker could choose to follow Hyundais idea in the field, which was launched in the form of the Ioniq . The model we are referring is available with three powertrain options: plug-in hybrid, all-electric, and a "conventional" hybrid.Toyota will probably keep the hydrogen fuel cell solution for the Mirai and its successor, while the next Prius could be available in an all-electric variant to suit this market segment. Thanks to this idea, Toyota will have a fullin the range of top of the RAV4, which was discontinued.A look on Toyotas web page concerning the electric RAV4 states that the brand is already advancing the next generation of battery technology, so Evs are in plan for Toyota. The 2018 Porsche Panamera Shooting Brake was spotted testing at the Nurburgring tracks. The new Panamera expected to debut at the Geneva Motor Show is said to be developed on a new modular platform which will be the basis of all new Panamera. Watch how it is made below. 2018 Porsche Panamera Shooting Brake Porsche already warned recently that the new Panamera will be built on the new modular platform and highly adaptable to new models and versions. And so it looks it will as the new Porsche Panamera Shooting Brake was spotted testing at the Nurburgring - where the Panamera Porsche normally carried out much of its development - sporting something new and powerful. Spy photos show a rather long, extended version of the current model. A model that will stand out for having more space and versatility for customers who demand it. Of course, despite its larger size, it did not lose any sportiness in it. It also has a new rear spoiler and some design changes in the back as well as a retractable appendix at the end of the roof. It will still be long before the new Porsche Panamera will debut and will probably not arrive until mid to late next year. For now, we discovered how the new Porsche Panamera is made. How The New Porsche Panamera Is Made The new Panamera will be the basis for future derivative models that are already beginning to develop. One of them is the Porsche Panamera Shooting Brake that we see in spy photos reported by MotorAuthority and in the video below, one can see how it is made. Manufactured at the Porsche plant in Leipzig, these units will be shipped to the US after being tested on a special track. The new Porsche Panamera is manufactured with a metal skeleton including parts of the body that only weighs 379 kg and with a separation between its exterior components 450 not far outstrips the 0.5 mm, except between the doors, which are 1.5 mm. In this installation, Porsche produced only 650 cars a day, three models in one and the same line at a rate three Cayenne, Panamera and three other Porsche Macan. Watch the video below: The Canadian government has begun laboratory testing of two unleaded aviation fuels that the FAA is also testing as possible replacements for 100LL. Canadas National Research Council (NRC) is using its altitude chamber at its Ottawa research complex to put Swift 102 and Shells candidate fuel through its paces. Pervez Canteenwalla, the researcher heading up the project, said the NRC has already finished benchmark testing of 100LL in the chamber and preliminary comparative testing of one of the other fuels (he wouldnt say which). Swift and Shell were chosen as finalists in the FAAs Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative to assess their potential as a drop-in replacement for 100LL. The Canadian research is independent from the FAAs program and Canteenwalla said the issue is important to Canadian aviation since piston aircraft make up a large segment of the countrys personal and commercial aircraft fleet and are particularly important to serve far-flung northern communities. Although the NRC and the FAA are testing the same things, Canteenwalla said the use of the altitude chamber in Ottawa gives the NRC some advantages. Canteenwalla said the altitude chamber is able to duplicate all of the conditions to which an engine and its fuel will be exposed in the controlled environment of the lab. The air pressure can be adjusted to duplicate altitudes from sea level to beyond the 30,000-foot ceiling of most piston engines. Temperature can be set anywhere between -40 to +40 degrees Celsius and humidity can also be adjusted. That ensures the entire system is subject to conditions that will be encountered during normal operations, said Canteenwalla. FAA testing is limited to varying the density of the combustion air fed to the engine. The NRC tests are being done on a Continental TSIO 520 engine, which is turbocharged but doesnt have an intercooler. That means it normally operates near its upper temperature limits so it represents the extreme performance required of fuels in nasty environments. In real life, the engine is used mostly on Cessna 402C aircraft that toil as light freight haulers and commuter aircraft. Canteenwalla said results from the preliminary tests will be released by the end of the year and the full test program will be completed by next summer. Slovenia-based Pipistrel has signed a $550 million deal with Sino GA Group Co. of China to build its Alpha Electro electric trainer and hybrid-powered Pantera high-performance aircraft in China. And while thats significant in itself, its Pipistrels plans for the money it will earn in the project that is bound to raise eyebrows. Pipistrel will use a part of the mentioned amount also for the development of a new, very innovative zero emission 19-seat aircraft, powered by hybrid electric technology and hydrogen low temperature PEM fuel cells, planned for public transport between the cities in China and all over the world, Pipistrel CEO Ivo Boscarol said in a news release. In a statement ahead of the International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Boscarol said the seven-year deal involves construction of an airport and factories capable of building 500 aircraft a year. The project will include technology transfer and the granting of exclusive rights to Sino GA to build the aircraft in China. Pipistrel will get things started by building 50 each of the aircraft for Sino GA to sell while the factories are being built. At the same time it will train production staff at its facilities in Slovenia and supervise the Chinese production to ensure quality standards are maintained. The value to Pipistrel is about $385 million and it will draw its investment money for the commuter plane from there. AVwebs Paul Bertorelli flew the electric airplane in Slovenia in 2014 and prepared the video below. 30 October 2016 11:49 (UTC+04:00) Officials from OPEC and non-member oil producing countries met on Saturday aiming to build support for an OPEC plan to reduce output one day after OPEC members were unable to agreed on how to implement the deal, Reuters reported. Arriving for the meeting with OPEC's High Level Committee of exporters, only the representative of non-OPEC Azerbaijan made comments supportive of the need for producer action to help prop up prices. "Today we will discuss the recognized positions of countries, first of all the OPEC countries," Azerbaijan's energy minister Natig Aliyev told reporters outside OPEC's headquarters. "Just one week ago we met with the president of Venezuela," he added, in reference to the south American OPEC member which has been pushing for measures to support prices. "Venezuela and Azerbaijan agree that some measures will be taken to stabilize the market. We agreed the price of oil can be around $60 per barrel." Oil LCOc1 is trading closer to $50 a barrel, less than half its price of mid-2014, weighed down by persistent oversupply and squeezing the incomes of exporting nations. Other non-OPEC officials did not mention joint producer action. The deputy minister for Kazakhstan, asked what he hoped the meeting would achieve, said: "We just hope the price will react and it will increase." Brazil's representative said his country was attending only as an observer. "Brazilian production will increase in the next few years," said Brazilian official Marcio Felix. Russia, which is one of the world's top producers and has been supporting action with OPEC to prop up prices, is also attending the meeting, so far without making public comment in Vienna. Two OPEC sources said Russian energy officials told the gathering that Moscow was still willing to freeze its output levels if OPEC agreed to cap its production. "Russia is ready but they want to see in detail figures agreed for yesterday," one of the sources said. Another source said Russia would freeze if OPEC agreed to reduce output. On Friday, an OPEC-only meeting of officials to work out the details of a plan to reduce oil production failed to reach agreement after hours of talks amid objections by Iran which has been reluctant to even freeze its output levels, sources said. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed last month in Algiers to reduce OPEC oil production to between 32.50 million and 33 million barrels per day, OPEC's first output cut since 2008, in an effort to help prop up prices. The OPEC High Committee does not decide policy but will make recommendations to the next OPEC ministerial meeting on Nov. 30. Other non-OPEC nations sending representatives to Saturday's talks are Mexico, Oman and Bolivia. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 30 October 2016 12:15 (UTC+04:00) Iran's oil export to Asian countries in October rose up 92 percent in comparison with the preceding period last year, IRNA reported. Removal of sanctions on Iran and efforts of Petroleum Ministry to regain the Iranian market share led to get closer to Iranian share of Asian market before the sanctions. During sanctions, Iran could sell maximum one million barrels a day to its customers, but now it allocated more than 2.5 million bpd crude oil for export and the Asian countries are still major customers. According to the latest statistics, destination of 63 percent of Iran's oil is Asian states, which are the big hub for oil consumption in the world. Iran's share of Asian market is more than 1.6 million bpd and Japanese oil firm 'Marubeni' is one of Iranian traditional oil customers. --- Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today Sunshine this morning. Becoming mostly cloudy with showers developing this afternoon. High 71F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Cloudy. Periods of rain early. Low near 50F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%. N. Oregon Coast Oyster Tour Provides Rare Inside Glimpse - and Samples Published 10/29/2016 at 6:41 PM PDT - Updated 10/29/2016 at 6:51 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Tillamook, Oregon) If you enjoy oysters from the Oregon coast, or if you've ever wondered where they came from, one event in Tillamook County is your ticket to seafood nirvana. The oyster industry of this area is important to the economy of the county and the state. It includes a number of oyster farms, such as Pacific Seafood operating out of Bay City, and one of the largest oyster hatcheries in the country, Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery located along Netarts Bay. (Above: the famed shipwreck at Pacific Oyster in Bay City). If you are interested in understanding where the tasty critters on your dinner plate come from or just curious about oysters of the Oregon coast in general, you'll want to take the Oyster Tour on Sunday, November 6. This yummy little journey includes a stop at Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery, a walk along the docks in Garibaldi to tour Pacific Seafood Oyster boats, and it ends at a secret location for some samples of oysters. The tour is a rare opportunity to learn about the these facilities, the state of the art scientific research going on at the hatchery, and the issues faced by the shellfish industries and wild shellfish along the Pacific Northwest. The tour is also part of the Explore Nature series of hikes, walks, paddles and outdoor adventures. Hosted by a consortium of volunteer community and non-profit organizations, these meaningful nature-based experiences highlight the unique beauty of Tillamook County and the work being done to preserve the areas natural resources and natural resource-based economy. Find out more at www.TBNEP.org The tour is supported by Friends of Netarts Bay WEBS, Oregon Community Foundation/Salty Dog Fund, Tillamook EcoAdventures, LLC, Whiskey Creek Shellfish Hatchery, Pacific Seafood and Visit Tillamook Coast. It runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The cost is free, but tax-exempt donations to Friends of Netarts Bay WEBS to enable programs like this are encouraged, yet not required. A free shuttle service is provided by co-sponsor Tillamook EcoAdventures, LLC (additional details provided with reservation) for the first 10 participants. Larger groups are encouraged to carpool in their own vehicle. The estimated duration of the tour, including travel, is about four hours. Organizer say to be prepared for all weather. Your feet will get wet and muddy, said an event spokesperson. Please wear boots or other appropriate closed-toe footwear. Oyster shells are sharp. Please do not wear flip-flops or sandals. Preregistration required at EVENTBRITE.COM If you have questions, contact [email protected] or call 541-231-8041. Oregon Coast Lodgings for this event - Where to eat - Map and Virtual Tour More about these areas below: More About Pacific City, Oceanside, Netarts, Tierra Del Mar 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 To continue following the latest news and information for Bedfordshire and surrounding areas, simply enter your full postcode below Long queues formed at Asda stores across the country due to the card machine problem A supermarket chain has apologised to customers after a problem with its card machines led to long queues at checkouts across the country. Asda said it has resolved the issue in the majority of its stores after scores of shoppers took to social media to complain about the delays. People posted photos of cashiers using old-fashioned card-readers, while others said stores were only accepting cash. Gordon Carr from Gateshead wrote on twitter: " Thanks very much Asda I have lost my 'extra' hour today waiting at Boldon store as tills stopped working! 45 minutes with no explanation." Jim Bentley tweeted: "N o backup, no redundancy system. We're just stood here like cattle waiting for your systems to start working again. On Sunday." Graeme Barbour wrote: " Seems to be technical issue at Asda - no tills taking card payments, only cash. Customers requested to draw cash from ATM." The retailer said it was "aware of an issue" with their card payments and were "working to fix it asap". They added: "We're sorry for any inconvenience caused." An Asda spokeswoman said earlier: "We're continuing to process payments as quickly as we can but apologise to our customers for the inconvenience this has caused." President Andre Antoine asks the members of the Walloon parliament to vote on the free trade deal (AP) The European Union will sign a long-delayed trade pact with Canada on Sunday after a Belgian region finally endorsed the agreement. Ambassadors from the EU nations meeting in Brussels late on Friday paved the way for the signature of the deal and for it to be provisionally applied until all 28 member states have legally ratified it. European Council President Donald Tusk said an EU-Canada summit with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would be held on Sunday to sign the accord. "I am delighted to confirm that the EU is ready to sign the comprehensive economic and trade agreement with Canada. It represents a milestone in the EU's trade policy and our commitment to it," said Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose country now holds the bloc's rotating presidency. The move came after parliamentarians in Belgium's French-speaking region of Wallonia voted by 58 votes to five, with no abstentions, to support the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. Regional Parliament President Andre Antoine said that "Europe must also pass by Wallonia". Wallonia blocked the deal between more than 500 million EU citizens and 35 million Canadians for several weeks, deeply embarrassing the bloc. The EU needed unanimity among all its 28 members and Belgium needed the backing of all its regions to approve the pact. Mr Trudeau had been due to sign CETA with EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday, but was forced to cancel his flight. Work on the agreement was launched in 2009 and the text was actually finalised two years ago but sat in limbo awaiting endorsement. Mr Antoine thanked the parliamentarians for working in "real democratic transparency". He said: "This closes two years of work." Politicians in Wallonia had argued that the proposed deal would undermine labour, environment and consumer standards and allow multinationals to crush local companies. Supporters said it would yield billions in added trade through customs and tariff cuts. AP Theresa May will praise the "extraordinary" achievements of the country's "unsung heroes" when she attends the Daily Mirror's Pride of Britain Awards. The Prime Minister, who will be joined by the Prince of Wales and a host of famous faces at the ceremony on Monday,will pay tribute to a host of winners due to be honoured. She will say: "Their achievements are extraordinary. But not only that, through what they have done, they have also shown the tremendous bravery, decency and compassion that exists in our communities up and down the country." Charles, who will present his Prince's Trust Young Achiever Award, will say he is "tremendously proud" of the winners and offer his "most heartfelt thanks for the noble contributions they have made to the lives of others". Founded in 1999 and now in their 18th year, the glittering annual ceremony will be hosted by Carol Vorderman at central London's Grosvenor House. The awards celebrate the achievements of the country's unsung heroes. With award categories including special recognition, emergency services, child of courage and TSB community partner - the winners come from across the country and from all walks of life. Professor Stephen Hawking will be presented with the lifetime achievement award by the Prime Minister to honour his work as the world's most influential scientist and his extraordinary refusal to let motor neurone disease dictate the terms he lives by. And Britain's Olympic and Paralympic athletes will be bestowed with a special recognition award after they rewrote the history books at the Rio Games, sending records tumbling and surpassing all expectations. Team GB finished second on the medal table after winning 67 medals, including 27 gold and 23 silver - two more than won in London. The Paralympians picked up the winning baton as they finished with 147 medals - 27 more than they won in London and way above the target of 121. Their haul included 64 golds. Newlywed gold medal winning cyclists Laura Trott and Jason Kenny will be among medallists on stage to receive the award on behalf of Team GB. Other award winners include eight-year-old child of courage winner, Tilly Sawford, who has endured more than 500 operations after falling into a bath of scalding water as a baby - suffering 86% burns. And 24-year-old outstanding bravery winner, William Edwards, who risked his own life to save pensioner, Anne Wade, who was trapped inside a burning car. The winners were chosen by a judging panel made up of celebrated figures in national life. Organisers received tens of thousands of nominations from the public while researchers discovered "remarkable individuals". Lord Sugar surprised one award winner who had been told she was going to meet an art dealer, but was instead greeted by the billionaire businessman who handed her an official invite to this year's ceremony. Rhea Kara, 11, has painted hundreds of pictures to raise 13,500 for research into Rett Syndrome, a debilitating condition that mainly affects young girls. She will be honoured as the Good Morning Britain Young Fundraiser for her work. "I am really happy that I won the award, and I was really surprised that Lord Sugar told me I was winning the award," the aspiring fashion designer told the Press Association. This year's star-studded guest list includes Sir Cliff Richard, Sir Tom Jones, Dame Joan Collins, Dame Maggie Smith, Sir Chris Hoy, Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger, Louis Walsh, Dermot O'Leary and the X Factor finalists. Take That, Mary Berry, Jamie Oliver, the stars of this year's Strictly Come Dancing, Jess Glynne, Richard Hammond, Jamie Redknapp and Harry Kane will also be in attendance, along with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Lib Dem leader Tim Farron. :: The Pride of Britain Awards will be screened on ITV at 8pm on Tuesday November 1 The American senator who brokered the peace deal which ended the Troubles has said border controls between Northern Ireland and the Republic would be a backwards step. Senator George Mitchell said the ability to cross the frontier between north and south was important. Prime Minister Theresa May has promised no return to the borders of the past following Brexit but there are concerns of the implications of a hard exit for the movement of people and goods in Ireland. Following a Brexit the UK's only land border with an EU state would be in Northern Ireland. Senator Mitchell said: "I believe that the restoration of a militarised border with strict controls limiting traffic back and forth would have an adverse effect on relations within the island of Ireland. "The ability to move back and forward across the border that has existed for the past several years has been very helpful in increasing commerce and also in reducing stereotypes on both sides. "I think that that would be a step backward for that to occur." Senator Mitchell , who was was President Bill Clinton's special envoy to Northern Ireland, told the BBC's The World This Weekend he did not want to prejudge any deal that may be done on the border, but hoped "constructive and thoughtful leaders on all sides" could reach an agreement that would "permit open access". Senator Mitchell helped clinch the 1998 Good Friday Agreement between the British and Irish governments and the parties at Stormont which largely ended decades of conflict. Asked if Brexit was a breach of the Agreement, Senator Mitchell said the deal "plainly contemplates the possibility of a vote under certain circumstances" that change Northern Ireland's constitutional position. "The agreement plainly provides that the political status of Northern Ireland can be determined or changed only through a vote - and it's the informed consent through a vote - of the people of Northern Ireland," he said. He added: "I'll leave those arguments to the people of Northern Ireland and the UK." Senator Mitchell also said Britain and Ireland's membership of the European Union had helped create the conditions for the peace process. Arlene Foster made the comments on Brexit while addressing her first DUP annual conference as leader A former Stormont employment minister has accused the First Minister of preaching fantasy economics over Brexit. Arlene Foster described the leave vote as presenting the biggest economic opportunity for the UK in decades. She was addressing her first DUP annual conference as leader on Saturday. The Alliance Party's Stephen Farry said: "This type of rhetoric reflects fantasy economics and it is frankly disturbing that the First Minister is articulating this. "It is one thing to call for people to respect the Brexit referendum, but it is an entirely different matter to pretend that this opens up a new world of milk and honey. "The essence of the Brexit vote was about prioritising control of borders, restricting immigration, and trying to recapture some long-since expired notion of sovereignty in a globalised world at the expense of economic interests. "Brexit is a massive self-inflicted economic wound." He said the overall UK economy has already shrunk in size, and experts were reassessing the prospects of long-term economic growth. "Whatever trading outcome emerges will inevitably bring some form of obstacles or barrier to Northern Ireland companies doing business. "Despite the good work of many people over the past few years, the Northern Ireland economy remains structurally weaker than the UK as a whole. And the UK itself continues to have several disadvantages relative to its competitors, in areas such as productivity. "The tragedy of Brexit, is that it comes at a time when the local economy was on the brink of a real lift-off. Now, with uncertainty over market access, it is going to be more difficult to attract investment." The DUP campaigned for a leave vote in the June referendum. Mrs Foster said that she respected those who wanted to remain but insisted it was time to move on. "That debate is over. Rather than talking up the challenges, we should be looking forward to the opportunities. "Brexit represents the biggest economic opportunity for this country in decades. "But, the only way we can ensure that Northern Ireland's interests are best served is if we are united and determined." US secretary of state John Kerry will be presented with the Tipperary International Peace Award for 2015 Charlie Flanagan expressed his concerns during a press conference with US secretary of state John Kerry Ireland's Foreign Minister has said he is very concerned and surprised about allegations that government officials in the Republic were poaching foreign investment from Northern Ireland. Stormont First Minister Arlene Foster levelled the claim at her Democratic Unionist Party conference on Saturday and also said concerns in Dublin about Brexit were driven by political instability. Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan said he rang the Northern Ireland Economy Minister and Ms Foster's party colleague Simon Hamilton to raise the accusation. "I'm very concerned at these remarks," he said. Mr Flanagan also said he was "very concerned at the claim that representatives of the Irish Government where allegedly talking down the Northern Ireland economy". He added: "I'm concerned that allegations of representatives of the Irish state were in any way poaching business." In her speech to the DUP faithful Ms Foster said relations with Dublin were as good as they ever had been but she warned ties with the EU were not as important as the benefits of being in the UK. Mr Flanagan addressed the row after holding talks with US secretary of state John Kerry as the key White House figure collected the Tipperary International Peace Prize for 2015. Mr Kerry warned about risks to the Northern Ireland peace process if there are changes to the border with the Republic on the back of Brexit. "People need to be really careful with downstream consequences, that one choice can have an impact on other aspects and whatever happens to the border, how that border access is managed," Mr Kerry said. "It's really critical that it be done very thoughtfully and very sensitively so that it does not have any impact." Mr Kerry declined to discuss the revived FBI investigation into emails linked to Hilary Clinton just days out from the US presidential election. He said he had not been notified of the new inquiry in advance and that he had not been asked for information. "As an American citizen and former nominee of the party, there is a lot I'd like to say about what is going on, but I can't and I am just going to remain out of this," he said. The US Secretary of State also raised the war in Syria and said he hoped peace talks could begin in the next few months. "I want to be very, very careful with any kind of prediction," he said. "But broadly put, is it possible? "Yes it's possible. Provided Russia and the Iranians and the regime itself are willing to accept a reasonable approach put on the table by all sides, by all the other parties, in the hopes of being able to move toward that political discourse. "We are not going to stop, not for one day, without any shame whatsoever in saying that." Mr Kerry said the alternative was bombs on kids, schools and hospitals. "We have a fundamental responsibility to try to push the process forward," he said. "My hope is that over the course of the next two or two-and-a-half months we might be able to find a way to get to the table and begin some kind of legitimate and long overdue conversation." Mr Kerry travels on to London for talks tomorrow on the situation in Libya. He also defended the war on Islamic State. "It isn't easy to say but I know I speak for my country when I say we don't wander the world in search of enemies," he said. "There are times when enemies come at us. "Peace is not sustainable I'm afraid so long as a group like Daesh (Islamic State) about which there is nothing to negotiate. "It is not a war between civilisations. It is a war by a nihilistic group against civilisation itself and so we have to stand up and never bow down to the doctrines of hate. "And so in Iraq and Syria today we have to continue this fight." On collecting the Tipperary award, Mr Kerry said: "I'm really incredibly touched, moved, very, very grateful." Previous winners include Nobel peace prize winners Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai, UN general secretary Ban Ki-moon, former president Mary McAleese and her husband Martin, and Bob Geldof. Five groups involved in the anti-war movement in Ireland - Galway Alliance Against War, the Irish Anti-War Movement, the Peace and Neutrality Alliance, Shannonwatch and Veterans for Peace - criticised the selection of Mr Kerry for a peace award. Mr Kerry said he was accepting the award on behalf of America, staff in the State department and White House "who labour for peace every single day". "And for all those desperate people for whom peace can be so often be so elusive and so passionately yearned for. They are ultimately our inspiration." Laura Whitmore admitted that she felt she had let people close to her down, including her professional dance partner Giovanni Pernice (BBC/PA) Laura Whitmore has confessed to never having cried so much as she did when she was forced to pull out of last weekend's Strictly Come Dancing due to an ankle injury. The TV presenter, 31, also revealed her upset over letting people down for missing the show and that she felt like a "failure". She said that she "didn't stop crying" and that she has "never cried so much in my life" after being struck down with a repetitive strain injury on the joint. Instead, Whitmore - who was given a bye through to the following week's show - stayed away from the studio to watch the episode on TV. She said: "Watching it at home with my mates eating a Chinese curry, it did seem like - knowing I should be there - it was really hard to watch it. "I wanted to watch it and support the other contestants and make sure Giovanni (Pernice) wasn't having too much fun without me." Whitmore admitted that she felt she had let people close to her down, including her professional dance partner Pernice. She said: "My best friend had flown over from Dublin to watch the show. Giovanni had spent a long time choreographing a beautiful dance, and taught it to me, and then I wasn't able to do it. "There are people who give up so much to be on that show. I'm lucky to be able to be on it and then to not dance felt like a little bit of a failure." She explained how she was told by doctors - of which she has seen three in recent days, including a physiotherapist - not to dance for five days. This meant she started learning her tango routine for this weekend just four days before the live show on Saturday. But instead of having fears over being behind the other contestants, who Whitmore said can train up to "triple the minimum 12-hour amount" per week, she was confident that she had rehearsed to her best ability. She and Pernice put in around 12 hours of training on their dance to Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones for the Halloween special episode, despite still being in pain. Whitmore said: "We worked really hard within that time. "Sometimes Giovanni jokes with me that you can be in the studio 40 hours but not really be there in your head, so if you're there for 12 hours and fully committed, that can be just as good. "I tried to concentrate a little bit more. Because of last week and how upset I was, it kind of makes you or breaks you. It gave me a little bit of determination. "And I didn't want to let anyone else down because I felt like I did last week." Michael Gove and his wife Sarah Vine attended a function to celebrate the end of the Cheltenham Literature Festival Michael Gove and his wife left their young son at a bed and breakfast while they partied the night away with celebrities, it has been reported. The 11-year-old is said to have preferred to stay in and watch TV rather than go to the function where his father was later spotted on the dance floor. Government guidelines advise that children under 12 are not left alone for a long period of time and if they are harmed in their absence parents can be prosecuted, however the "mature" boy was left under supervision by staff. Mr Gove, the former education secretary and chief whip, notoriously launched a failed bid to lead the Tory party in the wake of the referendum that saw him betray his Brexit ally, Boris Johnson. After keeping a low profile since the debacle the MP, 48, stepped out earlier this month with journalist wife Sarah Vine to attend the event celebrating the end of the Cheltenham Literature Festival. According to the Sunday Mirror they entrusted staff at the 250-a-night guesthouse to look after the youngster, returning at 1.30am the following morning. Later that day comedian Dom Joly tweeted: "Amazing party at @131TheProm celebrating end of Chelt Lit Fest- only slightly ruined by the sight of the loathsome Michael Gove dancing..." A spokesman for the family told the Sunday Mirror: "Michael and Sarah's son is a mature and confident secondary school pupil. He preferred to watch TV rather than go out to dinner. "He was perfectly fine and staff at the 13-room hotel were happy to supervise. "The hotel where Michael, Sarah and their son were staying would know how to get in touch with them if anything distressing had occurred." An NSPCC spokesman said: "It can be a difficult decision to decide when children are old enough to be left alone and there are a whole host of things to think about. Parents need to consider whether a child would know what to do if something went wrong, and talk to their child and see if they are comfortable and confident about being left by themselves." The NSPCC advises that children under 12 are not left at home alone for a long period of time because they are "rarely mature enough to cope in an emergency" and that children under the age of 16 are not left alone overnight. Parents and carers can contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 for help and support when deciding whether to leave a child alone. Moldovans have started voting for a president in an election that could move the former Soviet republic closer to Europe or push it back into Russia's orbit. It is the first time in 20 years citizens have directly voted for their president in a country where many are angry about high-level corruption. Both the European Union together with the US and Russia seek to have more influence over the impoverished agricultural landlocked nation of 3.5 million, located between EU member Romania and Ukraine. Polls opened at 7am and close at 9pm local time, with the first results expected two hours later. After two hours of voting, some 5% of the electorate had cast ballots. The favourite of the nine candidates running for the post is Igor Dodon, a pro-Moscow figure who heads the Socialists' Party and who has tapped into widespread dissatisfaction with the pro-European government. Ex-World Bank economist Maia Sandu is the preferred option for those who want Moldova to join the European mainstream. If no candidate wins a majority, there will be a run-off on November 13. The president appoints judges and sets out foreign policy but other major decisions need the approval of parliament. The popular election, however, could bring the post more influence and authority. Moldova was thrown into political turmoil in 2014 with the disappearance of more than 1 billion dollars from the banking system. Weeks of street protests followed and six prime ministers took office in one year. Since then, Moldova's parliament has passed anti-corruption laws, forcing public officials to disclose their assets and making the misuse of EU funds a criminal offence. AP The wife of a suspected Real IRA informant has vowed to stand by her man. Tish Murray told Sunday Life that her husband, convicted bomber Paddy Murray, is moving back to Antrim town in November. She rubbished reports that the 46-year-old is a high-level Special Branch informant, saying that if he was she would leave him in the morning. The mother-of-three also revealed that Murray has turned his back on politics and wants to lead a quiet life. Paddy is coming home to Antrim in November once he finishes his prison sentence in England, revealed Tish. He's not an informant, if he was I would leave him in the morning. When he gets home he will face down all the lies being spread about him. Paddy Murray was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 1994 for possession of an IRA bomb. After being released early under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement he began working for Sinn Fein. However, he fell out with the party and joined the Real IRA. Murray later pleaded guilty to kidnapping and assaulting Kevin Gillen and was sentenced to four years in jail in February 2008. He spent one month in Maghaberry before being secretly moved to a jail in England. Prison bosses were concerned that his life was under threat amid claims he was working as a police informant. Murray's fingerprints were on fire-bombs found by police in a Ballymena house in February 2005. He was never charged with any offence, creating suspicion in Real IRA ranks that he was an informant. Dissident republican sources told Sunday Life that Murray would be a target if he returned to Antrim. However, the threat of revenge attacks does not worry his wife. I'm not worried about the house being attacked when Paddy comes back. If anyone calls him a tout I will ask them to prove it, said Tish Murray. Tish also denied claims Murray was moved to an English jail for his own safety. She added: He was being held in 23-hour lock up at Maghaberry. He asked the screws to talk to the OC of the republican wing to see if he could move there, but they refused. They told Paddy they could move him in with the ordinary criminals or on to the paedophile wing. But he told them where to go so the only option left was to move him to a jail in England. That's where Paddy will be for the next few months until he gets out and comes home to me and the kids in Antrim. ein Google-Unternehmen Google-Dienste anzubieten und zu betreiben Ausfalle zu prufen und Manahmen gegen Spam, Betrug und Missbrauch zu ergreifen Daten zu Zielgruppeninteraktionen und Websitestatistiken zu erheben. Mit den gewonnenen Informationen mochten wir verstehen, wie unsere Dienste verwendet werden, und die Qualitat dieser Dienste verbessern. neue Dienste zu entwickeln und zu verbessern Werbung auszuliefern und ihre Wirkung zu messen personalisierte Inhalte anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen personalisierte Werbung anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen Wenn Sie Alle ablehnen auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies nicht fur diese zusatzlichen Zwecke. Nicht personalisierte Inhalte und Werbung werden u. a. von Inhalten, die Sie sich gerade ansehen, und Ihrem Standort beeinflusst (welche Werbung Sie sehen, basiert auf Ihrem ungefahren Standort). Personalisierte Inhalte und Werbung konnen auch Videoempfehlungen, eine individuelle YouTube-Startseite und individuelle Werbung enthalten, die auf fruheren Aktivitaten wie auf YouTube angesehenen Videos und Suchanfragen auf YouTube beruhen. Sofern relevant, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auerdem, um Inhalte und Werbung altersgerecht zu gestalten. Wir verwenden Cookies und Daten, umWenn Sie Alle akzeptieren auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auch, umWahlen Sie Weitere Optionen aus, um sich zusatzliche Informationen anzusehen, einschlielich Details zum Verwalten Ihrer Datenschutzeinstellungen. Sie konnen auch jederzeit g.co/privacytools besuchen. On the cusp of Halloween, property company PropertyFox decided to do some digging to uncover the four spookiest houses in South Africa. The four they found are all eerily similar in appearance and in the experiences reported by those who have seen and heard things while staying there Ashley James, co-founder of PropertyFox, says, For those of you currently property hunting, it is worth looking out for a few tell-tale signs that the house you are viewing may be haunted: excessive amounts of sage hanging in the window is always a big clue, as is a cat watching something invisible across the room, and a feeling that you and the person showing you the house are not alone. He says that whether you believe in ghosts or not, the stories behind South Africas most haunted houses, still make for good reading. 1. Room 10 at the Nottingham Road Hotel KwaZulu Natal Built in the 19th century, this hotel is home to a ghost named Charlotte, who is rumoured to have worked as a prostitute during the Boer War. Legend has it that she fell madly in love with a soldier, but her love was unrequited and she ended her life by throwing herself off the balcony of her favourite room, Number 10. Shes a particular sort of ghost and has been known to rearrange flower displays and move mirrors around to her liking. Guests who stay in her room have woken to find their clothes neatly folded and even heard her chatting to one of her many clients. Dont believe it? We dare you to go and stay in Room Number 10 to find out! 2. The Jac Loopuyt House - Cape Town Named after the Dutch ambassador for whom the house was built, this Edwardian residence, also known as the Rondebosch ghost house or The Spook House, is rumoured to have housed an evil cult in the early 1970s. Reports of doors and windows being opened and then banging shut are quite common and it has also been said that a transparent elderly man roams the grounds. 3. Richly House Port Elizabeth Built in 1906, Richly House has served as a nursing and maternity home, a WW2 brothel, as well as a boarding house. People have had encounters with a nun and heard the chilling cries of an unseen baby. There have also been reports of an angry former male resident stomping through the dining room and rattling pots and pans in the kitchen. Scariest of all is the ghost in the domestic quarters who reportedly tries to strangle the staff! 4. Turffontein House Johannesburg In the 1920s, serial killer Daisy De Melker quietly killed two of her husbands by poisoning them with arsenic at their home in Turffontein. She was hanged in 1932 and her ghost still haunts the Supreme Court in Johannesburg where she was convicted of murder. Her house in Club Street still stands and she can sometimes be seen there, peering out of her upstairs window, patiently waiting for one of her husbands to return home. Passers-by have seen the curtain moving and a ghostly figure standing at the window upstairs at around six oclock every evening! James says that if you get a feeling the house you are interested in buying may be haunted, you are in a very good position for negotiation. The owners may well be looking for a quick sale! So if you are okay with sharing your new home with some slightly creepy roomies, you really could land yourself a great deal *Disclaimer: the information in this release was gathered via desktop research into the most frequently mentioned haunted houses in South Africa. PropertyFox acknowledges that there is an element of subjectivity in the selection of these four properties and that the ghost stories associated with them are based on hearsay rather than hard facts. The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival is in full swing, and the streets are filled with music. Videographer Dan Linehan took to the streets to get a feel for the atmosphere in Cork city today, and he met the Lamarotte jazz band and the OhnO band from Holland. The American senator who brokered the peace deal which ended the Troubles has said border controls between Northern Ireland and the Republic would be a backwards step. Senator George Mitchell said the ability to cross the frontier between north and south was important. British Prime Minister Theresa May has promised no return to the borders of the past following Brexit, but there are concerns of the implications of a hard exit for the movement of people and goods. Following a Brexit, the UK's only land border with an EU state would be in Northern Ireland. Senator Mitchell (pictured) said: "I believe that the restoration of a militarised border with strict controls limiting traffic back and forth would have an adverse effect on relations within the island of Ireland. "The ability to move back and forward across the border that has existed for the past several years has been very helpful in increasing commerce and also in reducing stereotypes on both sides. I think that that would be a step backward for that to occur." Senator Mitchell , who was was President Bill Clinton's special envoy to Northern Ireland, told the BBC's The World This Weekend he did not want to prejudge any deal that may be done on the border, but hoped "constructive and thoughtful leaders on all sides" could reach an agreement that would "permit open access". Senator Mitchell helped clinch the 1998 Good Friday Agreement between the Irish and British governments and the parties at Stormont which largely ended decades of conflict. Asked if Brexit was a breach of the Agreement, Senator Mitchell said the deal "plainly contemplates the possibility of a vote under certain circumstances" that change Northern Ireland's constitutional position. "The agreement plainly provides that the political status of Northern Ireland can be determined or changed only through a vote - and it's the informed consent through a vote - of the people of Northern Ireland," he said. He added: "I'll leave those arguments to the people of Northern Ireland and the UK." Senator Mitchell also said Britain and Ireland's membership of the European Union had helped create the conditions for the peace process. Minister for Foreign Minister Affairs Charlie Flanagan has said he is very concerned about allegations that government officials are "poaching" foreign investment from Northern Ireland. Stormont First Minister Arlene Foster made the claim at her Democratic Unionist Party conference yesterday. Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan (pictured) said: "I'm very concerned at these remarks." Mr Flanagan also said he was "very concerned at the claim that representatives of the Irish Government where allegedly talking down the Northern Ireland economy". He added: "I'm concerned that allegations of representatives of the Irish state were in any way poaching business." Mr Flanagan said he had talks last night with Northern Ireland Economy Minister Simon Hamilton to express his concerns. Ms Foster also used her speech at her party conference to claim that concerns in Dublin about Brexit were driven by political instability in the Republic. Mr Flanagan addressed the row after holding talks with US secretary of state John Kerry as the key White House figure collected the Tipperary International Peace Prize. Mr Kerry warned about risks to the peace process if there are changes to the border on the back of Brexit. "People need to be really careful with downstream consequences, that one choice can have an impact on other aspects and whatever happens to the border, how that border access is managed," Mr Kerry said. "It's really critical that it be done very thoughtfully and very sensitively so that it does not have any impact." Mr Kerry also held talks with Mr Flanagan on Syria. He declined to discuss the revived FBI investigation into emails linked to Hilary Clinton just days out from the US presidential election. Mr Kerry said he had not been notified of the new inquiry in advance and that he had not been asked for information. On Syria, the US Secretary of State said he hoped peace talks could begin in the next few months. "I want to be very, very careful with any kind of prediction," he said. "But broadly put, is it possible? "Yes it's possible. Provided Russia and the Iranians and the regime itself are willing to accept a reasonable approach put on the table by all sides, by all the other parties, in the hopes of being able to move toward that political discourse. "We are not going to stop, not for one day, without any shame whatsoever in saying that." Mr Kerry said the alternative was bombs on kids, schools and hospitals. "We have a fundamental responsibility to try to push the process forward," he said. "My hope is that over the course of the next two or two-and-a-half months we might be able to find a way to get to the table and begin some kind of legitimate and long overdue conversation." Mr Kerry travels on to London for talks tomorrow on the situation in Libya. He also defended the war on Islamic State. "It isn't easy to say but I know I speak for my country when I say we don't wander the world in search of enemies," he said. "There are times when enemies come at us. "Peace is not sustainable I'm afraid so long as a group like Daesh (Islamic State) about which there is nothing to negotiate. "It is not a war between civilisations. It is a war by a nihilistic group against civilisation itself and so we have to stand up and never bow down to the doctrines of hate. "And so in Iraq and Syria today we have to continue this fight." The lawyer representing a woman who took a case to the United Nations over Ireland's abortion laws, says the case will only be settled when the Irish Government undertakes the necessary reforms. Amanda Mellet took a case to the UN's Human Rights Committee after she travelled to the UK for an abortion when her baby was diagnosed with a fatal foetal abnormality in 2011. In June of this year, the committee found that Ms Mellet suffered discrimination and anguish over the fact that she had no other option than to travel to the UK for a termination. Its report said Ireland's laws needed to be addressed after Ms Mellet was subjected to "severe emotional and mental pain" after being denied an abortion here. The Citizens' Assembly is due to meet next month to discuss the prospect of a referendum to change our laws on abortion. Ms Mellet's lawyer Leah Hoctor, who is also the regional director for Europe at the Centre for Reproductive Rights, said that although the Irish Government has acknowledged the UN's ruling, it has not yet taken the necessary steps to comply with its recommendations. She said: "The committee held that Ireland is obliged under international law to make full reparations to Amanda for the violation she suffered. This means it must remedy those violations, must pay compensation to her...and offer rehabilitation to her through psychological treatment. "(It also means) it must undertake law reform measures to ensure non-repitition of the violations Amanda endured." The Irish Government has until December 6 to report back to the UN's Human Rights Committee about its abortion laws. 'Cruel, inhumane, degrading' In 2011, while more than 20 weeks pregnant, Amanda Mellet visited the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin, where she was told the foetus she was carrying had a fatal foetal abnormality and would die in utero or shortly after birth. A doctor and a midwife both told her she could carry the baby to term, or she could travel. Ms Mellet went to the UK for an abortion, and returned home 12 hours after the procedure as she could not afford to stay longer. The UN committee ruled that this was a fundamental breach of her human rights, saying it was "cruel, inhumane, degrading treatment". By David Raleigh A teen who savagely attacked another teen with rocks and a hurley in Limerick, has been sentenced to 18 months detention. The victim, who did not speak English, had arrived Ireland 13 days previously with his family after fleeing war in the Middle East. Following the unprovoked attack, the victim's parents wanted to return home given the violent nature of the attack, Limerick circuit court heard. The defendant who was 16 at the time, chased and beat the victim unconscious after beating him about the head and body in an unprovoked assault. He also floored the youth a second time when he hit him with a rock following the initial attack. Another youth not before the court also took part in the savage assault. Judge Tom O'Donnell described it as a "vicious and cowardly assault", and added, "this was a case of the alleged Ireland of a thousand welcomes meets A Clockwork Orange." On July 13, 2015, the two teens armed themselves with hurleys and chased and cornered the victim, who was barefoot, into a cul de sac and beat him several times on the head and body. In a victim impact statement the boy's father wrote: "I was fearful for my family's safety in my home country, so we moved here... then my son was attacked and beaten here." He said his son "did not speak for four days afterwards", adding, "my wife was very upset and wanted to return with our children to (Middle East)." "I did not think that when I moved my family to Ireland that they would not be safe," he said. Judge Tom O'Donnell said the defendant went on a "frenzy of crime" over a week in November 2015, breaking into houses and stealing cars, while high on drink and drugs. The youth was refused bail at Limerick Children's Court after being charged with the assault on the boy, as well as 34 other offences, including 17 counts of criminal damage; nine counts of theft; six counts of burglary; and two counts of stealing cars. Despite garda objections, the defendant was granted High Court bail on December 7, 2015. Three days later, while on bail, he attacked and seriously injured a 24-year old man in Debenhams, in the centre of Limerick. The man had to undergo surgery for a fractured cheekbone. Gardai described the defendant as the "ringleader" of the group, and that he showed "little remorse for any of his victims". Taking into consideration the boy's guilty pleas, and his lack of any previous convictions, the judge imposed a two-year detention sentence for the first assault; a consecutive one-year sentence for the second assault with the last 18 months suspended. He also imposed a concurrent 12-month detention sentence on the other charges. Given the level of violence used by the defendant, State prosecution counsel John O'Sullivan said it was in the public interest that the defendant be named, even though he would not be 18 until December. He advised the court it could "dispense with (the defendant's) entitlement to anonymity" under Section 93 of the Children's Act, "as it would be in the public interest, as to the gravity of the offences, that the public should be aware of who committed them." Noting this, judge O'Donnell decided "to let the status quo remain in light of the accused having no previous convictions". Hillary Clinton lashed out at the FBI's handling of a new email review, leading a chorus of Democratic leaders who declared the bureau's actions just days before the election "unprecedented" and "deeply troubling". Emboldened Republican rival Donald Trump seized on the reignited email controversy, hoping to raise new doubts about Mrs Clinton's trustworthiness. Rallying supporters in Florida, Mrs Clinton pressed FBI Director James Comey to put out the "full and complete facts" about the review into a cache of recently discovered emails. Clinton backers criticised Mr Comey's letter to Congress about the new emails as severely lacking crucial details. "It is pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election," Mrs Clinton said, telling Mr Comey: "Put it all out on the table." She accused Mr Trump of using the issue to confuse and mislead voters in the final leg of the campaign for the November 8 election. Mrs Clinton appeared at an outdoor concert in Miami with singers Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, and she urged voters not to let Mr Trump get away with "stoking fear" and "insulting one group of Americans after another". The controversy over Mrs Clinton's email practices at the State Department has dogged her for more than a year. Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said there was "no evidence of wrongdoing" in the new email review and "no indication this is even about Hillary". But Mr Comey, who enraged Republicans in the summer when he announced the FBI would not prosecute Mrs Clinton for her handling of official email, in fact said the new trove appeared to be "pertinent" to the Clinton email investigation. A government official told The Associated Press that the Justice Department had advised the FBI against telling Congress about the new developments in the Clinton investigation because of the potential fallout so close to the election. Justice officials concluded the letter would be inconsistent with department policy that directs against investigative actions that could be seen as affecting an election or helping a particular candidate. The email issue threatened to undermine an advantage built by Mrs Clinton over Mr Trump and raised the possibility that the Republican might be able to seize late momentum. He told a crowd in Golden, Colorado, that the FBI's email review raises "everybody's deepest hope that justice, as last, can be properly delivered". His crowd cheered Mrs Clinton's email troubles, which Mr Trump has taken to calling the biggest political scandal since Watergate. The FBI is looking into whether there was classified information on a device belonging to Anthony Weiner, the disgraced ex-congressman who is separated from Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Mr Comey, in his letter to Congress on Friday, said the FBI had recently come upon new emails while pursuing an unrelated case and was reviewing whether they were classified. DOHA: With just under two weeks to go until the opening game, AFP Sport runs the rule over the eight stadiums which... WASHINGTON: The United States said Tuesday it was raising with Saudi Arabia a prison sentence handed to a US citizen... When the security and comfort Marjorie Woollard planned for her retirement was threatened, she fought back - and won. But instead of feeling victorious, the 89-year-old and her family are wondering why it was so hard to seek justice. Marjorie Woollard, 89, with her daughter Marjorie Bertrand, found taking her landlord to VCAT an exhausting ordeal. Credit:Simon Schluter Mrs Woollard moved into her demountable unit at Dromana Lifestyle Village six years ago, thinking the former caravan park, with its mix of retirees and holidaymakers, would have "a bit more life" than a regular retirement village, her daughter Marjorie Barrand explains. She agreed to pay $38 a week to maintain communal facilities, after buying a 99-year lease on her lot. Beijing: Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop has confirmed the detention of a fourth Australian in China in connection with the nationwide blitz on Crown Resorts' activities on the Chinese mainland. The fourth Australian is not a Crown employee but is being held along with the 18 staff detained on "gambling crimes" earlier this month, three of whom are Australian nationals. "There are now four Australians involved, three are Crown employees and a fourth person we have learnt is not a Crown employee but is detained along with them," Ms Bishop told the ABC on Sunday. She said it had taken time to negotiate consular access for some of the Australians detained because they held more than one passport. We're all too often told we live in the Asian Century. Business leaders implore us to take advantage of the growing economic opportunities in the region. Politicians never fail to pay lip service to engaging Asia. And yet Australians are not so focused on our neighbourhood, perhaps because we're besotted by American affairs. Kim Beazley is fond of saying more Australians are highly engaged with US politics than Americans. He's probably right. As Peter Hartcher has observed, Australian TV and radio are giving the US election campaign double the coverage they gave our own in June. Jim Pavlidis Donald Trump largely explains this fixation. And as somebody who makes a living commenting on the US, I'm the last person to complain. But a sense of proportion is required. When another populist septuagenarian one who's actually in power caused mischief on the global stage, as Rodrigo Duterte did this month, the controversy attracted relatively little coverage here. The Philippines is America's oldest and one of its closest allies. But in a move that could threaten the Asia-Pacific peace, which US strategic pre-eminence has primarily guaranteed for generations, its provocative President announced an ominous "separation" from Uncle Sam. Former trade minister Andrew Robb has accepted a job with the Chinese company that has a 99-year lease of the Darwin Port. Mr Robb was appointed to the role described as a "high-level economic consultant" in a ceremony in September. However, his job only came to light on Sunday when the ABC commissioned a translation of a September 2 statement by the Landbridge Group. According to the ABC, the translated statement reads: "The process of internationalisation of the Landbridge Group and the results achieved had greatly impressed him [Mr Robb]." Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says a cashless welfare card could be rolled out to more communities across the country as poker machine use, arrests for public drunkenness, domestic violence reports and ambulance call-outs all fall in the trial site of Ceduna, South Australia. Mr Turnbull's visit to the fishing town of Port Lincoln was cancelled for the second time in a month because of high winds but he made it to far-flung Ceduna, on the first day of a three-day swing through regional, remote and Indigenous communities in South Australia that will take him to the APY lands on Monday. The visit came as a report on the first six months of a cashless welfare card trial was released. As Manmeet Sharma's state of Punjab, India celebrates Diwali, the festival of light, his brother and close family friend are calling for justice. Long time family friend Winnerjit Goldy and Manmeet's older brother Amit Sharma, also known as Amit Alisher, flew into Brisbane early Sunday morning and as they sat in a home in Brisbane's south east later today with the curtains drawn, they were physically and emotionally exhausted. They had just been to visit the spot where their brother and friend had been burned to death as he sat behind the wheel of a bus at Moorooka on Friday. Mr Goldy said neither he nor Amit had slept since learning of Manmeet's death, which had rocked them to their core. A community recovery expert has been appointed by Dreamworld's management to provide advice on the Dreamworld and Gold Coast community recovery process following the recent disaster. Inspector Mike McKay accepted the position offered by Ardent Leisure, the operator of Dreamworld, on Sunday to work closely with the park's CEO Craig Davidson to provide advice on the Dreamworld and the Gold Coast community recovery following the death of four adults on one of the theme park's rides on Tuesday. Ardent Leisure CEO Deborah Thomas said Inspector McKay, the recipient of the Australian Police Medal for his 41-year contribution to policing in Queensland, was appointed on the personal recommendation of the state's Police Commissioner Ian Stewart. Mr McKay said his first order of business was understanding the logistics of the tragedy which claimed four lives, with a long-term goal to restore international trust. Two paramedics have been left with minor injuries after a woman they were treating allegedly lashed out in Cairns on Saturday night. Police said just before midnight a White Rock woman allegedly assaulted two Queensland Ambulance officers in the back of an ambulance outside of a Redlynch address. Police have arrested and charged a 24-year-old woman after she allegedly assaulted two paramedics on Saturday night in Cairns. Credit:Glenn Hunt She was taken to Cairns Base Hospital where she allegedly fled the scene, but was later located and arrested by police. The paramedics, a 39-year-old woman and 48-year-old man, both sustained minor bruising as a result of the incident. Hillary Clinton goes on the attack at a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida. Credit:AP "We don't want it to knock us off our game. But on the second-to-last weekend of the race, we find ourselves having to tell voters, 'Keep your focus; keep your eyes on the prize'," said Donna Brazile, the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta told reporters: "By providing selective information, [Comey] has allowed partisans to distort and exaggerate to inflict maximum political damage. Despite pushing for Hillary Clinton to be locked up during the campaign, Trump has since back-pedalled on this plan. Credit:Bloomberg "There's no evidence of wrongdoing, no charge of wrongdoing, no indication that this is even about Hillary." Attempting to go over Comey's head, a group of Democratic senators wrote to US Attorney-General Loretta Lynch, nominally Comey's boss, demanding details of the investigation, of the number of emails uncovered and an explanation of the extent to which they duplicate emails examined in Comey's earlier, year-long investigation. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who railed against the FBI's July decision not to recommend charges against Clinton, can hardly believe his good fortune. Credit:AP "Just 10 days before a presidential election, the American people deserve more disclosure without delay regarding the FBI's most recent announcement," the senators wrote. "Anything less would be irresponsible and a disservice to the American people." Critical to the counter-attack was Comey's admission in an all-staff email circulated in the FBI on Friday that the agency had no sense of "the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails". Federal law enforcement officials uncovered the new emails after seizing devices belonging to top Clinton confidante Huma Abedin and her estranged husband Anthony Weiner. Credit:AP Justice Department officials revealed that the FBI director had been warned by senior officials, before sending his letter, that it was contrary to a long-standing policy requirement that information on investigations not be disclosed, particularly in the context of an election campaign. "Director Comey understood our position. He heard it from Justice leadership," a Justice official said. "It was conveyed to the FBI, and Comey made an independent decision to alert the Hill. He is operating independently of the Justice Department. And he knows it." Hillary Clinton speaks with Huma Abedin aboard the campaign plane to Iowa on Friday. Credit:AP FBI officials countered, saying that Comey fully understood the policy, but he saw it more as "guidance" than an iron-clad rule and not applicable to the "extraordinary situation" in which he found himself. Insiders explained that Comey does not consider himself bound by the conventions of the Washington chains of command, all the more so because while Lynch is his boss, she was obliged to defer to the recommendations of the FBI after she had a controversial meeting with former president Bill Clinton in her departmental aircraft on the tarmac at an Arizona airport, in the days before Comey cleared Hillary Clinton back in July. "There's a longstanding policy of not doing anything that could influence an election," George Terwilliger III, a deputy attorney-general under George W Bush, told The New York Times. "Those guidelines exist for a reason. Sometimes, that makes for hard decisions. But bypassing them has consequences [and] there is a difference between being independent and flying solo." Michael Vatis, a former senior Justice Department official, ventured that Comey might have been attempting to be transparent, but he added: "Transparency is not the foremost value in investigations. Fairness is. "His statement has, quite predictably, been blown out of proportion and twisted into a signifier of some momentous discovery, when in fact, the new emails may turn out to reveal nothing new at all. That's not fair to Clinton." Stephen Gillers, an expert on legal ethics at New York University, said he was disturbed by Comey's conduct during this election season. "Comey's July press conference was wrong, and now he has doubled down," he said. "The FBI's job is to gather information for and make a recommendation to [Justice Department] lawyers, not to hold press conferences and characterise the evidence. Tolerating that conduct from an FBI director sets a terrible precedent." What might happen next is shrouded in mystery. Legal experts in government and in private practice could only pose questions: would Comey offer a blow-by-blow account of the FBI's steps up to and after the election? Would he bother to explain himself? Or did he believe that having thrown a bomb, he could remain silent? Some of his own staff were perplexed that he had revealed his hand, given the very preliminary nature of the investigation of the emails that were found to be in a computer owned by Antony Weiner, a disgraced former congressman and the estranged husband of Huma Abedin, a close aide and confidante of Hillary Clinton. The emails inadvertently came to light in an investigation of Weiner's sexual liaison with a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina. The FBI has yet to obtain court authority to gain access to the contents of the computer and so are not aware if any of the thousands of emails on the device were classified, whether or not any of them were sent by Clinton or if they were new or duplicates of the thousands of emails already examined by the FBI. And FBI officials told reporters it was impossible that the Clinton aspect of the investigation would be resolved before the November 8 election. Further complicating matters, Abedin has told people she is unsure how her emails could have ended up on a device she viewed as her estranged husband's computer. Abedin had said she was not a regular user of the computer, and even when she agreed to turn over emails to the State Department for federal records purposes, her lawyers did not search it for materials, not believing any of her messages to be there, The Washington Post reported. Loading Trump could not resist how the story had come back to Weiner's sordid hang-up on computer sex. Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams In 20 years they can tell it to their therapist is a line parents hear and say a lot. Especially in New York. Most of us somewhat jokingly, somewhat earnestly believe that our kids are keeping track of all the little things weve said and done wrong, and will someday divulge these while free-associating on a couch. If only we could be raising our kids with the expert wisdom of the real child experts: Psychiatrists. Well, a new book should make us all breathe a little easier. Great Psychologists as Parents by David Cohen looks at 10 towering shrinks and child-development experts, including Freud and Dr. Spock, and finds that their track record is, well, mixed. In fact, the British Cohen told me in a phone interview, the shrinks odds of raising happy, well-adjusted offspring were not very different from the rest of ours. The idea that if you study child psychology you become a better parent? Historically, theres no evidence for it, said Cohen. To illustrate, he added, I went to a funeral not long ago and met the son of a very famous British psychologist and I said to him, You must miss your dad. And he said to me, You must be joking! Which makes me feel kind of good. Not that I want any child to suffer a traumatic upbringing! I just like knowing that there isnt necessarily a cheat sheet that the experts get that the rest of us dont. And I say this as someone sometimes described as a parenting expert myself, since I write the blog Free-Range Kids. (I always say Im not an expert on how to parent, Im an expert on how we got so afraid for our kids.) So anyway: How did Freud fare as a papa? He was very close with his daughter Anna perhaps too close, writes Cohen. He actually analyzed her. And since Freudian analysis deals with childhood sexuality and fantasies, you have to assume this was awkward. These days, theres no way a father could ethically analyze his own child. But back then it was all new Freud basically founded the field so you cant hold it against him. And rather than castigate her dad, Anna followed in his footsteps and became another distinguished psychoanalyst. The same dynamics are not found in the Klein family. Melanie Klein was a student of Freuds who became famous for her work on play therapy the idea that children express their fears and frustrations through play. (For instance: a toddler angrily punishing her doll for being a bad girl.) Like the Freud family, Mama Kleins daughter also went in the family business. That meant that mother and daughter were sometimes at the same psychoanalytic conferences, where theyd be shrieking at each other. They didnt speak for 20 years, and when the mom died, daughter Melitta refused to go to her funeral, and wore special red shoes to celebrate. Darwin and his children go on the other side. Although Darwin was not really a psychologist, since the field had not yet been invented when his kids were born in the mid-1800s, he was a keen observer of species, including his own. He lost three of them, but the children who survived felt very warmly toward him, and were at his bedside when he died. Not so the kids of John B. Watson, one of the first scientific psychologists, as well as one of the founders of modern advertising. Watson wrote a book on the psychological care of the infant that was hugely influential in the first half of the 20th century. And yet, he was a harsh disciplinarian who only shook hands with his kids. In fact, says Cohen, He accused American mothers of hugging their children and making them homosexual a good reminder that accepted truths in one generation do not always last into the next. Nor do parenting books. When Dr. Spocks Common Sense Book of Baby and Childcare came out 1946, it quickly supplanted Watsons as the most popular guide around. Thats in part because it sounded so much more gentle even though Spock, too, was a quite severe father. Spocks book famously begins: Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do. Maybe he should have added, And we dont really know what were doing either. Democrats saw a surge in new voters in Pennsylvania as midterms near Why do people keep leaving their cars unlocked in NJ? We asked Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app. Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006. Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more. Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them. 26 years of website archives. If you are an expecting parent and live in a nuclear family, with no support system to fall back on, there is a start-up you can look up to for advice and support during pregnancy and raising your child. BabyChakra is a social discovery parenting platform for young parents for pregnancy and childcare. With N Chandrasekaran, CEO and managing director of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), being reportedly considered as one of the contenders for the role of chairman, there is talk about who will replace him at TCS, the $16-billion revenue IT services provider. Vedanta, the global natural resources major, has been battling debt problems, as it was caught on the wrong end of the down-cycle in commodities. Its operating profit declined 18.4 per cent a year in the past five years. Its interest costs surged 41 per cent a year during this period, while return on capital employed fell from 21.8 per cent in FY12 to 0.3 in FY16. Kitchen appliances major TTK Prestige, part of TTK Group, is looking at how the post Brexit scenario in Europe is developing, in order to formulate correct strategies to grow its market in the region. The National Trade Union Steel Coordinating Committee (NTUSCC), comprising trade union representatives of Community, Unite and GMB, have strongly opposed proposals made by Tata Steel UK's management and has asked Tata Group Chairman to clarify the company's stance on the same. Britains National Trade Union Steel Coordinating Committee (NTUSCC) has said it doesnt endorse the proposals made by the Tata Steel UK management with regard to changes in the pension scheme and future capital investment. NTUSCC, which comprises trade union representatives of Community, Unite and GMB, had met Tata Steel UK management on October 28. Diwali, also referred to as Deepavali or the festival of lights, is one of the most popular Hindu festivals in India. The word Deepavali means a 'row or u series of lights. is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs to mark historical events, stories or myths, but they all spiritually mark the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, hope over despair. Ever since the Indian Army carried out surgical strikes across the border on September 29, targeting terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Pakistan has been violating ceasefire along the line of control (LoC) on a daily basis. So far, five Indians, including four security personnel, have lost their lives, while 34 others have been injured. Dubbing the arrest of an aide of Samajwadi Party leader Munawwar Salim in connection with the espionage racket case as extremely unfortunate, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday asked the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh to initiate action against the lawmaker. "It is extremely unfortunate that a person sitting on the constitutional post.who is the MP of an important political party has links with spying. The Samajwadi Party itself should take action against the MP," BJP leader Prem Shukla told ANI. Farhat, the personal assistant of Salim, was arrested by the Delhi Police on Saturday in connection with the espionage ring run by a Pakistani High Commission official, which was exposed earlier this week. Farhat has been sent for police remand and is currently being interrogated. On Wednesday, the police caught Pakistan high commission official Mehmood Akhtar along with two Indians identified as Maulana Ramzan and Subhash Jangir at the Delhi Zoo while they were exchanging sensitive defence documents. They were running a spy ring for Pakistan's spy agency ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence). Akhtar was asked to leave the country within 48 hours. Subhash and Maulana were arrested on charges of sharing of sensitive information, defence documents and deployment details of the BSF along the India-Pakistan border, with the ISI. The two were sent to 12-day police custody. Another accomplice of Akhtar, a Jodhpur-based passport and visa agent named Shoaib, was arrested near Jodhpur on Thursday evening. Shoaib was responsible for recruiting Subhash and Maulana in the module. On the list of the worlds 20 most polluted cities, a majority are Indian, and the situation might just get worse. Delhi has lately been witnessing cold mornings, and, according to the special Diwali forecast of System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the pollution level in the city during this years Diwali could be worse than those during 2014 and 2015. This is attributed to a combination of adverse meteorological factors like slow wind speed and moisture in the air a major hindrance in the dispersion of suspended pollutants. Operations of the traditional black and yellow (kali pili) taxis have welcomed the draft Maharashtra City Taxi Rules but pleaded that the loophole for surge pricing by aggregator services be stopped. Private equity (PE) has emerged as a means of raising funds for small and mid-sized companies, but when Kolkata-based recently said it got PE investment of Rs100 crore from Motilal Oswal, it was seen as an aberration. Denying allegations that corruption was done in the Rs 1,761-crore steel flyover project in Bengaluru, the construction of which was stayed by the Green Tribunal, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said there was total transparency in the project. The recent World Bank annual ranking of countries on Ease of Doing Business used surveys in Delhi and Mumbai to rank India 130th of 190 countries. RITA RAMALHO, the Washington-based manager of the Banks Doing Business programme, explains the basis and related matters to Indivjal Dhasmana. Edited excerpts: Critics say the Bank surveys only Mumbai and Delhi to give a ranking to India. Doing Business focuses on regulations that affect small and medium-size enterprises in 190 economies across 11 areas. For most economies, the data refer to the largest business city. For 11 economies with a population of more than 100 million as of 2013, Doing Business also collects data for the second largest business city. It is correct that in the case of India, data are collected for Mumbai and Delhi. Life Insurance, one of the first in the segment to get the foreign shareholder stake hiked to the new 49 per cent cap from the earlier 26 per cent, says it is moving towards profitability. DEEPAK MITTAL, managing director and chief executive, talks to M Saraswathy. Edited excerpts: The foreign direct investment (FDI) stake hike has been completed. Where will these funds be utilised? The FDI demonstrates long-term commitment of our partner, Tokio Marine, to the business in India. We are one of the fastest growing in the sector and continue to invest in the business to drive growth. The funds will be used for business expansion and to fulfill our growth aspirations. PM celebrates Diwali with jawans, people, near India-China border in Himachal Pradesh The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today visited Sumdo near the India-China border, in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, to celebrate Diwali with the jawans. He interacted with jawans from the ITBP and the Indian Army, and offered sweets to them.Addressing the jawans, he said he had been visiting armed forces personnel every year on Diwali since 2001.He mentioned the tremendous response from people across the country, to his appeal for sending messages to soldiers as part of the #Sandesh2Soldiers campaign.The Prime Minister said that giving One Rank One Pension to ex-servicemen was a promise that he had made, and he was happy that he had been able to fulfil it.The Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Dalbir Singh, was present on the occasion.While returning from Sumdo, the Prime Minister halted briefly at a nearby village - Chango. He exchanged Diwali greetings, interacted with the people there, and offered sweets to children. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Migrants, most of them from Eritrea, jump into the water from a crowded wooden boat as they are helped by members of an NGO during a rescue operation at the Mediterranean sea Canadian Prime Minister and European Union leaders on Sunday finally signed a landmark trade deal seven years in the making, after it was nearly torpedoed by a small region of Belgium. US presidential frontrunner has declared that the FBI's decision to announce a renewed probe into her use of email just ahead of voting was "unprecedented" and "deeply troubling." "It's pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election," the Democratic nominee yesterday complained, addressing cheering supporters at a rally in the must-win state of Florida. Clinton remains the favorite to win the keys to the White House in the November 8 vote, but her momentum was slowed on Friday when FBI director James Comey made a shock announcement. In a letter to congressional committee chairs, the agency chief said agents were investigating a newly discovered batch of emails linked to Clinton, to see if they contained classified material. A previous FBI probe was declared finished in July, after Comey's agency found no evidence that Clinton had broken any laws through her controversial use of a private email server while secretary of state. News reports citing FBI sources said the emails were found on a laptop used by Clinton's aide Huma Abedin and her husband Anthony Weiner, who is subject to an unrelated investigation for sending explicit messages to a minor. But it is not clear whether the emails had any connection to Clinton's work at the State Department, and Comey's statement said only that investigators were studying to see if they are "pertinent" to the server probe. Clinton's opponent Donald Trump, however, has seized gleefully on the statement, and her Democratic allies have reacted with fury, arguing that Comey had been so vague in his letter that he was feeding unproven conspiracy theories. "It's not just strange, it's unprecedented," Clinton told the Daytona Beach rally. "And it is deeply troubling because voters deserve to get full and complete facts. So we've called on Director Comey to explain everything right away, put it all out on the table. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, is leading her Republican rival Donald Trump by two points, according to the latest tracking poll said. The ABC News/Washington Post in its latest tracking poll on Saturday said the 69-year-old former secretary of state has support of 47 per cent of likely voters as against 45 per cent for the 70-year-old real estate tycoon. This is a significant drop from last week's tracking poll when Clinton's lead was by 12 points. Since then, Trump has gained by seven points and Clinton has slipped by three points. The latest tracking poll was conducted a day before the Federal Bureau of Investigation's announcement to reopen the investigation into the former secretary of state's alleged email scandal. "From a 50-38 per cent Clinton lead over Donald Trump in the tracking poll's first four days, October 20-23, it's a 47-45 per cent contest in the latest results," said ABC News/The Washington Post. In the RealClearPolitics average of polls, Trump is trailing behind by 4.6 percentage points. Philippines President late last week said that he had promised God that he would desist from using profanities, the BBC reported. Britain will aim to achieve tariff-free trade with Europe for the auto industry and other manufacturers after the country leaves the European Union, Business Secretary Greg Clark said on Sunday. An initial public offer (IPO) is the first sale of shares by a company to the public. It could be an old or a new company which decides to be listed on the stock exchange. If a company has never issued equity to the public, it's known as an IPO. The special session on Sunday to mark the beginning of Samvat 2073, the Hindu new year, ended with marginal losses for the benchmark stock indices as investors remained cautiously optimistic about the near-term market direction. Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense (MoD) said Sunday that at least 25 insurgents were killed in an airstrike carried out in eastern Nangarhar province. According to the MoD, the airstrike was carried out targeting a group of the Taliban insurgents in Sherzad district of Nangarhar, reports Khaama Press. However, there has been no comment on the reports by the Taliban militants so far. Earlier, the local officials in Nangarhar claimed that at least 13 loyalists of ISIS terrorist group were killed in an airstrike in Pacher Agam district. At least 27 ISIS loyalists have been killed during the latest counter-terrorism operations in this province, the ministry said. Regular raids are being conducted by Afghan forces and the US forces in Afghanistan against the Taliban insurgents and ISIS loyalist in the districts where they are conducting insurgency activities. Airstrikes have been increased by the US forces against the Taliban insurgents and ISIS loyalists after the Barack Obama administration earlier this year granted a broader role to the American forces. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) International Taste and Quality Institute based in Brussels has rated the Afghan saffron as the best in the for the third consecutive year. The rating was given after collecting around 300 saffron samples from around the by the institute International, reports the Khaama Press. The institute founded in 2003 has been testing and recognizing different food products across the globe. Afghan saffron carrying the ISO Certification mark is exported to Europe, United States and Gulf countries. It costs around $2,000 per kg. An increase of 17 percent in the outcome of saffron cultivation in the country was reported by the Ministry of Agriculture Irrigation and Livestock. This year 4,675 kgs kilograms of saffron was produced in Afghanistan in comparison to 4,000 kgs last year with majority of this being produced in western Herat province. Distribution of saffron crocus bulbs, equipment and training of 335 students with regards to plantation and collection of saffron, as well as the presence of expert advisory board have been identified as the main reasons for the increase, the ministry said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In addition to playing the role of Dr. Stephen Strange in his recently released movie, Benedict Cumberbatch also plays 'Dormammu' the perennial foe of the arrogant surgeon. Unbeknown to many of the fans who flocked to see 'Doctor Strange' after it opened in the UK last night, Cumberbatch also had another 'secret' role in the movie, as evil cosmic entity Dormammu, reports the Telegraph. At one point in the film, Dormammu materialises as a giant humanoid face - and the 40-year-old actor supplied the facial motion capture needed for this scene. Director Scott Derrickson, in an interview, said, "We knew [Dormmamu] was an all CG character, but as we were in production Benedict brought it up as an idea. He said, 'What would you think about me doing it?' I said, 'Let me think about it, you know.'" According to Derrickson , the casting decision also helped adding an interesting edge to the scene by creating a symbolic connection between Strange and the monstrous, world-devouring Dormammu. "The more I thought about it the more I liked the idea. Because no one understood Dormammu better than Benedict did. I also wrote that role to be a kind of ultra-inflated version of Strange," the director shared, adding, "There's something about that worked well, and I didn't think anybody [could interact better] with Benedict than he, himself." In the particular scene, Strange manages to trick his adversary, manipulating time to trap them both in a never-ending loop- Dormammu is given a choice to either leave the Earth alone or endlessly live out the same few seconds again and again. Based on the Marvel character by the same name, 'Doctor Strange' follows an adventure of a former neurosurgeon who learns the mystic arts from the 'Ancient One' after a career-ending car accident. The movie releases in India on November 4. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after Rahul Gandhi accused Narendra Modi of lowering the morale of armed forces by creating hurdles in the implementation of One Rank, One Pension (OROP) scheme, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday retorted that the Indian armed forces dwell in the Prime Minister's heart and asked the Congress vice-president not to waste his time with something he is not concerned about. "In the Prime Minister's 'Mann Ki Baat' speech, he dedicated this Diwali to our soldiers. His effort was to reach to the army's heart. So, Rahul Gandhi need not worry about the welfare of our army. The Indian Army resides in Narendra Modi's heart. Since Independence, Congress did not do anything for the welfare of the army. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's prime concern is to redress the concern of our armed forces," BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain told ANI. In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister yesterday, Gandhi asserted that the decisions taken over the last few weeks by the government have adversely affect the morale of the armed forces, adding that it was the government's duty to show the soldiers, who risk their lives each day to defend the nation, that they are cared for. "Just days after our soldiers conducted the surgical strikes, the disability pension system was converted to a new slab system, that in many instances drastically reduces the pension received by these brave men in case of a disability. The roll out of the 7th Pay Commission continues to keep our defence forces at a disadvantage and further exacerbates the disparity between them and civil employees," the letter read. Further accusing the government of downgrading the status of military officers vis a vis their civilian counterparts in a letter dated October 18, 2016, Gandhi stated the OROP implemented by the ruling dispensation does not fully meet the genuine demands of the ex-servicemen, adding they have been forced to come out on the streets to make their voice heard on this vital issue. "As a responsible democracy we must make sure that the brave soldiers who put their lives on the line for each one of us, feel the love, support and gratitude of 125 crore people. I, therefore, urge you Prime Minister to ensure that our soldiers get their due whether it is regarding compensation, disability pension or parity with civil employees," he said. The Congress vice president also emphasized that the anomalies in the 7th Pay Commission must be addressed at the earliest, as soldiers should not have to struggle to claim what is surely due to them on behalf of a grateful nation. "As we celebrate Diwali, and rejoice in the victory of light over darkness, let us send this message to our soldiers that our gratitude is expressed both in words and in need. This is the very least we owe to those who give up their today to secure our tomorrow," the letter concluded. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bob Dylan, who has finally responded to his Nobel Prize win after a long silence, recently stated that he would "absolutely" go to the ceremony if "at all possible". Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, the 75-year-old musician said, "Absolutely [I will go to the ceremony]. If it's at all possible." A couple of weeks ago, Dylan was announced the winner of 'Nobel Prize for Literature' for having "created new poetic expressions with the great American tradition". However, he caused controversy after he failed to speak publicly about it and reportedly refused to answer any calls from the Nobel committee. By the award, the 'Blowin in the Wind' hitmaker will receive a cheque for 7,50,000 pounds from the King of Sweden, King Carl XVI Gustav. "It's hard to believe. [It's] amazing, incredible. Whoever dreams about something like that?" he said. Meanwhile, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy Sara Danius has compared the works of the 'Like a Rolling Stone' artist to that of the ancient Greeks. "If you look back, far back, 2,500 years or so, you discover Homer and Sappho, and they wrote poetic texts that were meant to be listened to, they were meant to be performed, often together with instruments, and it's the same way with Bob Dylan," she said. "But we still read Homer and Sappho. and we enjoy it, and same thing with Bob Dylan. He can be read, and should be read," the secretary added. The official ceremony for the prize distribution will take place in Stockholm, Sweden, on December 10. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid the escalating tension between India and Pakistan, the (BSF) will not be exchanging sweets with the Pakistan Rangers at the Attari-Wagah Border today on the occasion of Diwali. This move by the BSF is in protest to the growing incidents of ceasefire violations across the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border. Ever since the Indian Army on September 29th carried out surgical strikes targeting terror launch pads in PoK, ceasefire violations are a daily norm along the LoC and five Indians, including four security personnel, have been killed and 34 injured since. The Indian Army yesterday launched retaliatory fire assaults at Pakistan Army positions, inflicting massive damage across the border by destroying four Pakistani posts in a massive assault across the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran Sector of Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir. An Indian soldier was also killed on Friday and his body was mutilated by terrorists in an attack near the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. The army had said "the incident will be responded to appropriately", adding the attackers had fled into Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir "under the cover of heavy firing by Pakistan army". Sepoy Mandeep Singh, who died in the attack, was 27 years old. The attack took place under cover fire provided by the Pakistan Army. One terrorist was killed in the strike. On October 21, the BSF killed seven Pakistan Rangers and a terrorist in Kathua and on October 25, around three Pakistani Army personnel were reportedly killed in retaliatory firing by Indian troops in the Noushera sector of Rajouri district. Lauding the Indian Army for retaliating aggressively to the multiple attacks along the Line of Control and international border, the Congress Party on Sunday said there is a need to be vigilant to ensure that terrorists do not infiltrate into India. Congress leader Sandeep Dixit said the ceasefire violations take place when Pakistan wants their terrorists to infiltrate into Kashmir or India. "I completely trust that our army is vigilant and whatever firing is being done in retaliation is being done well. Our army has always given a befitting reply to the ceasefire violations by Pakistan," Dixit told ANI. The Congress leader stated that the Indian side should remain vigilant in the wake of the escalating tension at the Line of Control. "We should remain vigilant so that the terrorists do not enter India through such disguises as these are age-old tactics used by them. Since ceasefire violations have been going on for a long time, I appeal to the Government of India to ensure that we move towards peace," said Dixit. The Army on Saturday launched retaliatory fire assaults at Pakistan Army positions, inflicting massive damage across the border by destroying four Pakistani posts across the LoC in Keran Sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district. The Indian forces retaliated after Pakistani Rangers violated ceasefire repeatedly in Kathua and RS Pura sector along the International Border on Saturday. A Border Security Force (BSF) soldier was killed in Pakistani firing in Machil Sector. An Indian soldier was also killed on Friday and his body was mutilated by terrorists in an attack near the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. The army has said "the incident will be responded to appropriately", adding the attackers had fled into Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir "under the cover of heavy firing by Pakistan army". Sepoy Mandeep Singh, who died in the attack, was 27 years old. The attack took place under cover fire provided by the Pakistan Army. One terrorist was killed in the strike. The attack came hours after the Border Security Force (BSF) said 15 Pakistani soldiers had been killed in retaliatory firing by the Indian troops after ceasefire violation along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has assured the nation that BSF and army are giving a befitting reply to Pakistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An encounter is presently underway in Drugmulla of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district. At least two terrorists are believed to be hiding in the area. No casualties have been reported so far. Earlier on Saturday, an Indian Army soldier lost his life and a terrorist was neutralized in an encounter close to the Line of Control in Machhal sector of Kupwara district. During the encounter, a terrorist mutilated the body of the soldier before fleeing into Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), supported by covering fire from Pakistan Army posts. Earlier on Thursday, a BSF head constable was killed and seven civilians injured as the Pakistan Rangers continued firing mortar shells and small arms in R S Pura and Arnia sectors. The Pakistani Army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation along the LoC in Sunderbani, Mendhar and KG sectors. Ever since the Indian Army on September 29th carried out surgical strikes targeting terror launch pads in PoK, ceasefire violations are a daily norm along the LoC and five Indians, including four security personnel, have been killed and 34 injured since then. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Days after Indian jawan Mandeep Singh lost his life in the ceasefire violation in Machhal sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday announced a compensation of Rs. 50 lakh and government job to one family member of the slain solider. "We all stand along with their families, Rs. 50 lakh will be given as compensation and a government job will be offered to one family member of the solider," said Khattar. Khattar said the sacrifice of the soldiers will not go in vain, adding a befitting reply will be given to Pakistan for their act. "We will help the family in every possible manner. The government in order to ensure that Mandeep's sacrifice is always remembered will do all suggested by the family members of the braveheart. We will not let the sacrifice of these soldiers go in vain," he said. 27-year-old Singh was killed in an attack in Machhal sector near the Line of Control on Friday. The terrorists mutilated his body before crossing into Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) under the cover of firing provided by the Pakistan Army. One terrorist was also killed in the attack. Mandeep's sacrifice came within a week after a BSF constable Sushil Kumar was martyred in Jammu district. He also hailed from Kurukshetra district. Kumar was killed as the Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire, resorting to heavy shelling and firing from automatic weapons in several sectors along the International Border in Jammu district earlier on October 24. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Sunday said that former information minister Parvaiz Rasheed has been made a scapegoat, adding the nation "demands much more". The PTI boss made this remark after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif asked Rasheed to step down from his post. Hitting out at Rasheed, the PTI chief invoking a metaphor said, "The nation wants the sacrifice of a horse, not a mule," reports the Dawn. He was speaking to reporters outside his Bani Gala residence. Facing stiff resistance, Rasheed had been asked to step down as the government was forced to launch a probe into Dawn's story "Act against militants or face international isolation, civilians tell military" which reported details of a high-level civil-military meeting discussing the issue of Pakistan's banned outfits. An action was demanded by the military as it viewed the leak from the meeting as a "break of national security". This move has given Khan, a strong critic of Sharif, another opportunity to hit out at the incumbent government as his party is all set for the protest of Islamabad on November 2. The PTI chairman said, "Rasheed could not speak without a signal from "his masters" to do so. He could not dare to anything on his own. He just obeyed instructions." "People are not ready to accept the sacrifice of an associate," he said. "We want to know who was the one from the 'royal family' who directed this entire drama," he added. Continuing his outburst against the government for their actions in the days leading up to his scheduled November 2 protest, Khan said that it has "gone out of its way" to restrain the party from exercising its constitutional right of protest. According to the PTI chief, the credibility of judiciary was at stake as the government was violating laws and had committed contempt of court. Khan yesterday said that a corrupt leader is controlling the country's institutions for justice. In an apparent reference to shipping containers that have blocked routes to Islamabad despite an order by the Islamabad High Court to keep the city open, he said "What will people think? You passed orders but everyone can see what is going on. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior fellow and head of the Nuclear and Space Policy Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Dr. Rajeswari Rajagopalan on Sunday said India's NSG entry and Beijing's technical hold on Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar will be at the core of the meeting between Security Advisor Ajit Dival and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi. She said the discussion gains importance as New Delhi failed to gather consensus in the BRICS Summit on Pakistan sponsored terrorism. "If we look at BRICS, it was not a great moment for India, as it could not get a consensus view on terrorism and further isolating and pointing to the fact that much of the terrorism in the recent years that India has faced with has come from Pakistan, again it showcase how China is shielding Pakistan in many ways," Rajagopalan told ANI. Rajagopalan said that there has been growing dissatisfaction in India on how much of destructive role it has played in both the bilateral and multilateral especially in context of NSG and terrorism. "Unless we don't have a common or selective approach to terrorism, this is going to be a problem which may bite back China in some way or the other," she said. She said that India needs to make a last minute ditch on the NSG issue in the meeting. "We have to take that one last effort to convince China to do the right thing by letting India into the grouping, China is not losing anything at all, if at all it would gain some sort of sympathy from India," Rajagopalan added. Commenting on China's technical hold on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar from branding him a global terrorist, Rajagopalan said, "It is strange that we have Jaish-e-Mohammad listed as a terrorist organisation but its chief cannot be. Moreover, it is unclear as to why the technical hold is still place upon him." Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart will meet in Hyderabad in the first week of November. The meeting comes in the backdrop of Beijing blocking India's admission into the NSG and China putting a second technical hold on New Delhi's move to bring about a UN ban on Masood Azhar. India has also expressed its apprehensions on the 51 billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With tensions between India and Pakistan soaring by the day as the stream of ceasefire violations continue resulting in casualties on both side, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday asserted that war of any kind should be the last option Talking about the spree of ceasefire violations and shellings which have resulted in the death of several defence personnel, Akhilesh stated that a solution is deliverable for every crisis. "Every problem has a solution. The process of talks and dialogue should not be belittled, as it has great potential for solving issues. War and loss of lives should be the very last option," he said here. The Chief Minister's statement comes with Indo-Pak ties on a hostile level as never before, as both nations continue to battle it out on an international level, accusing each other of human rights violations and espionage. A day after an Indian soldier's body was mutilated by Pakistan-based terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC), the Army on Saturday launched retaliatory fire assaults at Pakistan Army positions, causing massive damage across the border. The Army said at least four Pakistan Army posts were destroyed in a massive fire assault in the Keran sector alone on Saturday and that heavy casualties among Pakistani soldiers)were inflicted in this assault, a statement issued by the Northern Command based in Udhampur said. The Army had earlier sworn revenge after terrorists, helped by covering fire from Pakistani Army, mutilated the body of a soldier, Manjeet Singh of the Sikh Regiment, at the Macchil sector on Friday. Even though tensions are on an all-time high since the Army conducted surgical strikes against terror launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) on September 29, matters as become worse in the past week with casualties increasing. Four Indian Army jawans, three BSF personnel and a few civilians have been killed in the fresh spree of attacks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Days after the region was hit by two earthquakes, a fresh tremor of 6.6 magnitude was felt near Norcia in central Italy on Sunday. The USGS said the quake was centred 68km (42 miles) east-southeast of Perugia. It was 108km (67 miles) deep. The quake, which also felt in Veneto, Puglia and Naples, comes after months of seismic activity in Italy, including the Amatrice earthquake in August, which left more than 250 people dead. According to the Guardian, it seems that the Basilica of St. Benedict in Norcia has been destroyed. Firefighters were seen in action in Norcia's main square and in some cases were helping people - including many monks and nuns in their habits from a nearby monastery - running down small alleyway seeking safety. The tremors could strongly be felt in Rome and Naples, with people sending messages on social media about seeing the walls shaking. Television crews in Norcia showed rubble on the ground and damage to ancient structures, but it was unclear whether the damage was related to the most recent quake. The Janata Dal (United) has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government to give a befitting reply to Pakistan both at the border as well as diplomatic-level in the wake of the escalating ceasefire violations. JD (U) spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan told ANI the nation stands with the Indian Army. "The Indian Army is the best army in the world. The entire nation has lauded the Indian Army post the surgical strikes. The country backs the Indian Army and the government," he said. The JD (U)'s reaction came after an Indian soldier was killed and his body mutilated by terrorists in an attack near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. Sepoy Mandeep Singh, who died in the attack, was 27 years old. The attack took place under cover fire provided by the Pakistan Army. One terrorist was killed in the strike. The attack came hours after the Border Security Force (BSF) said 15 Pakistani soldiers had been killed in retaliatory firing by the Indian troops after ceasefire violation along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singht has assured the nation that BSF and army are giving a befitting reply to Pakistan. Stating that India will not be let down, he said the people are being able to celebrate Diwali only because of the jawans. Four Army and three BSF personnel have been killed in the latest escalation along the boundary with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The mortal remains of jawan Mandeep Singh, who lost his life in an encounter near the Line of Control, were brought to his hometown in Kurukshetra, Haryana, on Sunday. Thousands gathered as the mortal remains of Mandeep reached his hometown in Antahedi village. 27-year-old Mandeep was killed on Friday and his body was mutilated by the terrorists. The army has vowed to respond appropriately to Pakistan. The attackers fled into Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir "under the cover of heavy firing by the Pakistan Army" after committing the act. Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has announced a financial assistance of Rs. 50 lakh to Mandeep's kin. "We all stand along with their families. Rs. 50 lakh will be given as compensation and a government job will be offered to a family member. The government in order to ensure that Mandeep's sacrifice is always remembered will do all suggested by the family members of the braveheart. We will not let the sacrifice of these soldiers go in vain," he said. Mandeep's sacrifice came within a week after a BSF constable Sushil Kumar was martyred in Jammu district. He also hailed from Kurukshetra district. Kumar was killed as the Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire, resorting to heavy shelling and firing from automatic weapons in several sectors along the International Border in Jammu district earlier on October 24. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Defence expert Qamar Agha on Sunday claimed that the ceasefire violation from the other side of the border was a desperate attempt by Islamabad to divert the attention from the conflict between the civil administration and Pakistan Army. He said Pakistan is hell-bent in creating problems but added that the hostile Asian neighbour won't succeed in its game plan. "The problem is that what we have seen is whenever the internal situation deteriorates then they try to divert the attention on the border and this time also in Pakistan at the moment intense power struggle is going on between the civilian administration and the army," he said. "These activities are going on for a very long time and Pakistan is hell-bent in creating problems. But they are not able to achieve any of their objectives and in future also I don't think so they will succeed in their game plan," he added. A day after an Indian soldier's body was mutilated by Pakistan-based terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC), the Army on Saturday launched retaliatory fire assaults at Pakistan Army positions, inflicting massive damage across the border. At least four Pakistan Army posts were destroyed "in a massive fire assault" in the Keran sector alone yesterday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the auspicious occasion of Diwali today met jawans of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Indian Army and Dogra Scouts in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. "Spent time with our courageous @ITBP_official & Army Jawans at Sumdo, Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh. Jai Jawan! Jai Hind!," Prime Minister Modi tweeted. "Made unscheduled stop at Chango village, close to Somdu, to wish people on Diwali. Was deeply touched by the impromptu reception & their joy," he added. Showering his praise on the armed forces guarding the nation, Prime Minister Modi earlier today dedicated this year's Diwali to the jawans. Addressing the nation in the 25th edition of his 'Mann Ki Baat' radio programme, the Prime Minister said that he was flooded with messages full of wishes and love for the jawans. "Dedicate this Diwali to our soldiers. #Sandesh2Soldiers hashtag was used so much by everyone and we were flooded with well wishes and love for jawans from citizens. Be it BSF, CRPF etc, our jawans are on duty and guarding us; that is why we are celebrating Diwali joyfully," said the Prime Minister. Prime Minister Modi had earlier spent Diwali with soldiers of the Indian Army posted at the world's highest battlefield of Siachen as well as the Dogra war memorial at Amritsar. He also made it a point to be in Srinagar before his visit to Siachen in 2014, in solidarity with the flood victims in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier last week, Prime Minister Modi launched a campaign named "Sandesh for Soldiers" to send Diwali greetings to those serving on India's borders. "I sent my #Sandesh2Soldiers. You could also do the same. Your wishes will certainly make our forces very happy. This Diwali, let us remember our courageous armed forces who constantly protect our nation. Jai Hind. When 125 crore people stand with soldiers, their power increases by 125 crore," he tweeted then. Prominent celebrities like film actors Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar as well as several Union Ministers have sent messages tagging Prime Minister Modi during the course of this campaign. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior advocate KTS Tulsi on Sunday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have spoken about the grievances of the armed forces rather than speaking his own mind. "The Prime Minister spoke really well. He has lauded the efforts and sacrifices of the armed forces but still Prime Minister Modi narrated his own Mann ki Baat. It was necessary for him to consider also as to what is Mann ki Baat of the armed forces and what are the issues irking them as they need clarification," he said. "OROP is an issue, which affects those who are retired and those who are going to retire. Similarly, the rank is irking the officers of the armed forces and the parity of rank which has been downgraded that need to be rectified. I wish Prime Minister would have spoken about these issues," he added. Amid the escalating tension between India and Pakistan on the border, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised the valour and sacrifices of the Indian soldiers. Addressing the nation in the 25th edition of his 'Mann ki Baat' programme, the Prime Minister dedicated the festival of Diwali to the jawans guarding the border. "Our jawans have been sacrificing their lives in the last last few months. We should celebrate this Diwali in their name," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Defence expert Praful Bakshi on Sunday held the political instability in Islamabad responsible for the increasing ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and alleged that Pakistan Army Chief General Raheel Sharif was making desperate attempts to improve his reputation so that he gets an extension. Commenting on the Indian Army's retaliation to Pakistani multiple attacks along the LoC and the international border, Bakshi said the surgical strikes have unnerved the establishment in Islamabad. "The tension between India and Pakistan has increased after the Uri strike where we lost 17 brave soldiers. After that we conducted surgical strikes and the surgical strikes unnerved Pakistan. Pakistan's political situation is such that their Prime Minister is not on stable political grounds," he added. The defence expert held the Pakistan Army Chief responsible for the increasing cross border infiltration. "Raheel Sharif, the Army Chief, is going to retire. He is seeking an extension and he has got the stigma on himself of facing the surgical strikes of the Indian forces. He wants to improve his image. Probably he wants an extension and for that he conducted these raids on close to 50 to 60 border forces," said Bakshi. "Our forces retaliated in the most appropriate manner, in the right manner, in the sense, that they gave them a solid reply," he added. The Indian Army on Saturday launched retaliatory fire assaults at Pakistan Army positions, inflicting massive damage across the border by destroying four posts across the LoC in Keran Sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district. The Indian forces retaliated after Pakistani Rangers violated ceasefire repeatedly in Kathua and RS Pura sector along the International Border on Saturday. A Border Security Force (BSF) soldier was killed in Pakistani firing in Machil Sector. An Indian soldier was also killed on Friday and his body was mutilated by terrorists in an attack near the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. The army has said "the incident will be responded to appropriately", adding the attackers had fled into Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir under the cover of heavy firing by the Pakistan Army. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 40 people, including prisoners and Houthi rebels, were killed in an airstrike by the Saudi Arabia-led Arab coalition on a Yemeni prison on Sunday. Security sources told Efe news that the alliance aircraft bombed a prison in Mulhaq situated in a police complex near the Al Hodeida port on the Red Sea. The aircraft launched three attacks that shattered the Houthi-controlled security facilities including the prison situated north of the port. According to sources, at least 120 people were held in the jail at the time of the bombing. The attack comes a day after Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi rejected a new United Nations peace initiative, which he said would only lead to more war and destruction. Arab coalition aircraft, fighting on the side of President Hadi, have frequently targeted civilians in their fight against the Houthi rebels trying to seize control of the country. On October. 8, coalition units bombed a funeral, reportedly killing 140 people. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Colonialism, even in its heyday, had its detractors as well as defenders, but the view now is of unbridled and universal disparagement, with what were deemed to be its benefits being questioned. This approach's validity may be debatable, but what it definitely does is to obscure some remarkable historical contributions. Like of this prodigious British adventurer who founded a kingdom in Southeast Asia that lasted over a century and saved scores of peaceful people from piracy and decapitation. Even by standards of his extraordinary times, Sir James Brooke (1803-1868), the White Rajah of Sarawak, had an exceptional and unprecedented career, which was being retold right from his own lifetime, and is still of interest. A particular favourite in boys literature (at least till empire-building was regarded positively), due to his own boyish looks and staggering achievements, he also inspired Rudyard Kipling, Joseph Conrad, Nicholas "The Cruel Sea" Monsarrat, and "Sandokan" creator Emilio Salgari (who however made him an antagonist), while actor Errol Flynn wanted to make a film on his swashbuckling life. Born near Calcutta to a judge and raised in Benares, Brooke was sent to Britain to study but ran away from school. Later returning to India, he joined the army and distinguished himself during the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-26). He was however grievously wounded in action in 1825 and needed five years' convalescence. Returning too late to rejoin his unit, he had to resign his commission. With his formal military service cut short, he spent his inheritance to buy a schooner, came to Southeast Asia in 1838 and happened to help the Sultan of Brunei quell an insurgency. Made governor of Sarawak (on Borneo -- the largest island in Asia), he was recognised as an independent ruler in 1841. Ruling a kingdom which eventually grew to the size of England, he fought successfully against pirates "although virtually without resources and with only a handful of adventurers and reformed head-hunters to help him", and provided better administration and justice. He allowed his subjects to retain most of their customs, save slavery and head-hunting, and successfully opposed both missionary activity and commercial exploitation. But Brooke didn't have an easy time. Accused by some British MPs of excessive force against natives under the guise of anti-piracy operations, he faced a Commission of Inquiry in Singapore. Its proceedings swiftly degenerated into farce -- one questioner, who asked if the head-hunting Dyaks kept any account of the number of heads taken from each other and sought to balance numbers, was told they were "very bad accountants". Though the Commission acquitted him, the experience embittered him. Added to his bad health and issues over the succession, (Brooke remained unmarried, was suspected to be homosexual, and there was confusion over his Burma injury with some accounts saying he was hit in the lungs, and other saying the genitals which made him impotent), his last years were far from peaceful. He died at home in Britain. But his younger nephew (the elder nephew was disinherited amid acrimony) and grand-nephew would continue to rule Sarawak, till the latter ceded it to the British crown after World War II. It eventually became part of Malaysia but the legacy of the White Rajahs is still recognised and honoured in their former domain. Brooke has been well served by biographers. The earliest were by Gertrude L. Jacob "The Raja of Sarawak: An Account of Sir James Brook", 1876) and Sir Spenser St. John "The life of Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak", 1879). Both are based on Brooke's own papers and correspondence, but St John, who was his longtime aide, added his own perspective too. Then there is Emily Hahn's 1953 biography, Nicholas Tarling's in 1982, and Nigel Barley's "White Raja" in 2002. But one of the best depictions is in George Macdonald Fraser's "Flashman's Lady" (1977), the sixth in the series but third by plot chronology. Though the lecherous arch-cad is liable to view all through a jaundiced and uncharitable eye, Flashman is impressed, despite himself, by Brooke who not only saves him from a murder attempt but mounts a major expedition for freeing his kidnapped wife from pirates. Though Flashman provides a vivid description of Brooke and his eccentricities (playing leapfrog, keenness to grow English roses, read aloud Jane Austen, fondness for theological discussions and the like), but also his courage and resolve, it is Fraser who sums him up better. Brooke, he says, "was one of the Victorians who gave empire-building a good name, whose worse faults, perhaps, were that he loved adventure for its own sake, had an unshakable confidence in the civilizing mission of himself and his race, and enjoyed fighting pirates. His philosophy, being typical of his class and time, may not commend itself universally today, but an honest examination of what he actually did will discover more to praise than to blame". With this example in mind, we may need to think if condemning a whole swathe of history is not a little too excessive? (Vikas Datta is an Associate Editor at IANS. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in) --IANS vd/vm/ky (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Border Security Force (BSF) retaliated a fresh ceasefire violation by Pakistan Rangers on the International Border (IB) in Jammu district's R.S. Pura sector on Saturday night, officials said on Sunday. No one suffered injuries in over five hours of intermittent firing that started from the Pakistan side between 9.15 p.m. on Saturday and 3 a.m. on Sunday. "It was fire of small arms as well as mortar shells in small quantity but not effective. BSF retaliated appropriately," BSF spokesperson Subhendu Bhardwaj told IANS. The official said that Pakistan also started firing with small arms and mortar at around 2 a.m. in Hiranagar and Samba Sector which continued till 8 a.m. intermittently. "So far no loss and injury of BSF personnel or civil has been reported," the officer said. --IANS rak/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Chinese commercial vessel joined the search for the Chinese sailor Guo Chuan who has been missing for nearly five days while trying to break the record for crossing the Pacific alone. The ship, named "Ruian City" from China COSCO Shipping Group, was on its routine route between Hawaii and Japan when it received messages for help on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported. "I received calls both from Guo Chuan's team and the China Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, asking for our assistance in searching for Guo Chuan," said Ruian City captain Ding Jianwu. At the request, five more lookout positions were added on the ship while the ship already scoured several spots where the 51-year-old mariner could possibly drift to. Guo was suspected of falling overboard on October 25, 900 km off Hawaii. "We are using every possible tools, the radar and our naked eyes in a bid to find Guo. We will spare no effort in the search of the captain," said Ding, adding "I hope there will be a miracle and pray for Captain Guo." Guo's support team and his family were desperate on looking for other ways to keep the search going after the US Coast Guard suspended their efforts on Thursday. The USCG located Guo's trimaran and then sent a boat and crew aboard the vessel but found no trace of Guo except his life jacket. The team said a travel company in Hawaii has offered to provide five to 10 helicopters to search the missing sailor, but they need larger ships with helipads. "These helicopters can fly 500 km without stopping but the site of the accident is 900 km off Hawaii. We need large ships which have helicopter platforms and equipment to refuel the choppers." Before the accident, Guo was attempting to sail from San Francisco to Shanghai in 20 days or less for a new solo trans-Pacific world record. Guo already had a world record to his name for a 138-day solo non-stop circumnavigation in 2013. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Diwali, the festival of lights, was celebrated with traditional fervour across the national capital on Sunday with people lighting up their houses with lamps and candles while dazzling firecrackers lit up the evening sky. People visited neighbors and relatives and distributed sweets and exchanged greetings. By late evening, hundreds of thousands of traditional earthen lamps and electric lights brightened homes, shops and work places. Devotees prayed to Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi at home and in temples while children and youth burst firecrackers. The festival of lights marks the triumph of good over evil, and is widely believed to mark the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya after vanquishing the demon king Ravana. President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal greeted the people on the occasion. Dedicating the festival to the armed forces, Modi celebrated Diwali with soldiers in a remote and strategic area in Himachal Pradesh, adjoining the Chinese border. Meanwhile the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) has put up elaborate arrangements and is ready with 1,500 fire fighters across the city to handle any emergency. Besides canceling the Diwali leave of all its employees, the DFS has set up 22 fire centres in addition to the existing 59 fire stations. Incidentally Diwali this year in Delhi is expected to be significantly more polluted than in the previous two years. According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) of the Ministry of Earth Science, the air quality in the National Capital Region will be "severe" on October 30 and 31 and "worst" on October 31. --IANS and/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday wished the nation in his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' on the occasion of Diwali, and said this is a festival associated with cleanliness. "Diwali is a festival that is also associated with cleanliness. Everybody cleans their homes," Modi said. In his Mann Ki Baat remark, the Prime Minister said Diwali gives the message to move from darkness to light. Addressing the nation over radio in his 25th Mann Ki Baat talk, Modi said Diwali, the festival of lights, has been inspiring the world community to move from darkness to light. "Diwali is a festival that is being celebrated world over," Modi said. Wishing the citizens well on the occasion, Modi said "India is a country where festivals are celebrated on all 365 days". --IANS rak/sm/vt (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from fish may help to remove metabolites, including amyloid-beta peptides which is one of the factors that lead to Alzheimer's, finds a study conducted by researchers from the University of Macau. The research published in the FASEB Journal suggested that Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) found in fish oil could improve the function of the glymphatic system, which facilitates the clearance of waste from the brain. To make this discovery, scientists first used transgenic fat-1 mice, which express high endogenous Omega-3 PUFAs in the brain, to investigate the effect of Omega-3 PUFAs on the clearance function of the glymphatic system. Compared to the wild-type mice, the fat-1 mice with enriched endogenous Omega-3 PUFAs significantly promote the clearance function of the lymphatic system, including the amyloid-beta clearance from the brain. Wild-type mice were supplemented with fish oil, which contains high concentrations of Omega-3 PUFAs, and found that fish oil-supplemented mice also improved the clearance function of the glymphatic system compared to the control mice without fish oil supplementation. Omega-3 PUFAs help maintain the brain homeostasis, which may provide benefits in a number of neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain injury, and sleep impairment, among others. "The brain is an extremely vascularised organ, while we might also bear in mind that Omega-3 fatty acids may impact neurons, glia, and astrocytes themselves," said Thoru Pederson, Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. --IANS som/ask/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Golden Temple complex, where the holiest of Sikh shrines, 'Harmandar Sahib' is located, was illuminated on Sunday and fireworks display took place to mark the 'Bandi Chhor Diwas' and Diwali. There was festive spirit at the shrine complex in this Sikh holy city as tens of thousands of people came here to offer prayers and seek blessings. With millions of lights around, the whole complex presented an attractive look. However, due to environmental and pollution concerns, the fireworks display by the shrine management was a reduced one. "We had less fireworks this year due to pollution concerns. But all traditional and religious rituals were followed. There were concerns about damage to the sanctum sanctorum and other buildings from chemicals of fireworks," said a Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) official. The domes, buildings and floors of the shrine complex were cleaned for the festive occasion. The shrine complex wore a new look on the outside as the whole market and residential area around the shrine has been renovated and given a fresh look. "Dal roti ghar di, Diwali Amritsar di (food from home and Diwali of Amritsar) is the popular saying. Lakhs of people have come to mark the occasion. There is festive spirit," said SGPC member Manjit Singh. The day is celebrated in Sikh as 'Bandi Chhor Diwas' (prisoner liberation day) as on this day in 1619, the sixth guru of Sikhs, Guru Hargobind, returned to Amritsar after being released along with 52 princes by Mughal Emperor Jahangir from Gwalior prison. The guru and the princes arrived in Amritsar during Diwali festivities. Since then, the Bandi Chhor Diwas and Diwali celebrations coincide at the Golden Temple complex. Elsewhere in Punjab, markets wore a festive look on the occasion of Diwali. Hundreds of people thronged various markets in Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala and other towns. The festival spirit for Diwali could also be seen in Chandigarh and towns and cities in Haryana. --IANS js/vd A (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With online portals offering a lot of deals on luxury products, there are chances that they may not be real. Smita Jain, Authentication Expert at Envoged.com (an online website for pre-owned luxury brands), lists certain pointers to check the authenticity. * Quality: Authentic brands do not compromise on the quality of the material for their merchandise. Cheaper alternatives like synthetic materials and sloppy workmanship are signs of a fake substitute. Its always best to be familiar with the material used in the product. For example, Michael Kors bags are rigid and sturdy and will stand stiff and retain their shape comfortably, while the fake will be sloppy with collapsing sides. *Colour: Whether you are buying a new or a pre-owned item, the originality of the brand can be ascertained through its high crafted colour options. Always check the inner lining for inside threads, colour staining on labels and pocket bags. *Writing: Be a smart shopper and always examine the tags and belt for misspellings and font style. Every brand has a certain typeface and style of writing it and most of them do not list details on the product accessories either. Example, if an LV dustbag has anything more written on it except for "Louis Vuitton" or the monogram "LV", it is bogus. In case of MK, the two letters are very close together and the engraving is neat and clear. * Weight: Counterfeit are normally lighter than original to ensure affordability. that are true to the original, have some weight to them and feel strong and substantial. For example, a Gucci belt or a Rolex watch not only bear a solid touch, but are made of solid metal that are engraved with a high quality finish. Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) on Sunday called for a sit-in at the varsity's Administration Block to pray for the safe return of missing student Najeeb Ahmed, who is missing now for the last 16 days. A symbolic protest Light a Ray of Hope for Najeeb will be organised for the safe return of Ahmed, who was brutally assaulted by an at least 20-strong mob of students on the intervening night of October 14-15 at the Mahi-Mandvi hostel. "Najeeb's mother and his sister will also come at the protest. We will light candles and a torch to remind people of an innocent student who was brutally beaten and then made to disappear," Rama Naga, Ex-General Secretary of JNUSU told IANS. The sit-in will commence at 9 p.m. "Every year students celebrate Diwali with a fervour equivalent to the rest of the nation but this year, the festival will be low-key because of this sad incident," Naga added. The hostel committees at various hostels of prepare for the celebrations for Diwali and JNUSU hasn't asked the students to refrain from not celebrating it this year. " students will be celebrating Diwali, but this time there's a sadness prevalent in all of us. We all keep thinking about Najeeb and the kind of state he would be in," Rahul Sonpimple, a member of the Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association (BAPSA), told IANS. "At the sit-in we will discuss the methods which we could adopt to put pressure on police and the university administration in finding Najeeb," he added. Scientists had long ago proposed that common swifts, a medium-sized migratory bird, might spend most of their lives in flight, but it is only now that it is proved that these birds can actually fly for 10 months straight. "This discovery significantly pushes the boundaries for what we know about animal physiology," lead author Anders Hedenstrom of Lund University in Sweden, said in a statement on Saturday. "A 10-month flight phase is the longest we know of any bird species -- it's a record." Previously, scientists have found frigate birds and alpine swifts can remain in flight for up to seven months. The new findings were published this week in the US journal Current Biology. For this study, the researchers followed 13 individual birds, some of them for two years in a row, using a microdata log that was attached to each bird in southern Sweden. These data loggers enabled the researchers to determine whether the birds were in the air or not, their acceleration, and where they had been at any given time after leaving their breeding site in August for a migration to Africa and before returning for the next breeding season 10 months later. The results showed that some of the birds landed during short periods at night, sometimes during an entire night. But even these birds spent more than 99.5 per cent of their 10-month migration and hibernation period in the air. Data from other birds showed that they did not land a single time in 10 months. The birds' flight activity often appeared lower during the day than at night, most likely because the birds spent their days soaring on warm air currents, the researchers said. Despite the high energetic costs associated with all that flight, common swifts also manage to live surprisingly long lives, contrary to popular notions about living hard and dying young. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed happiness over the progress being made in all states of India to make the country Open Defecation Free (ODF). Addressing the nation in his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat', Modi praised people helping their respective areas to become ODF. The Prime Minister talked about an incident where an army personnel donated thousand of rupees to help make his village Open Defecation Free. "Vikas Thakur of ITBP, who was on a holiday in a village in Himachal Pradesh, came to know that some people in his village were unable to build toilets in their homes because of want of money. He immediately gave Rs 5,700 to village Pradhan asking him to help build toilets for 57 families in the villages," he said. Modi also expressed satisfaction over other states like Kerala, Haryana and others for their efforts to become ODF states. Modi also wished countrymen on the occasion of Diwali. --IANS sk/sm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, in a telephonic conversation with his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull, expressed concern over the death of an Indian-origin man who worked as a bus driver in Australia. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi, telephoned Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia, today to wish him Diwali greetings," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. "Prime Minister Modi also conveyed a sense of concern being felt in India over the recent brutal killing of Manmeet Alisher, a person of Indian origin, in Australia," it said. Alisher, who was well-known among the Indian diaspora in Australia, died after an "incendiary device" was thrown at him while he was letting passengers on at Moorooka area in Brisbane, capital of the Australian state of Queensland, on Friday morning. Australia is home to over a 450,000-strong Indians and Alisher's death has come as a shock to the community. According to the External Affairs Ministry statement, during Sunday's conversation with Modi, Turnbull "expressed shock at the killing and conveyed that the matter is being investigated". Modi also reiterated his invitation to Turnbull for a visit to India in 2017, the statement added. --IANS ab/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday celebrated Diwali with soldiers in a remote and strategic area in Himachal Pradesh, adjoining the Chinese border, and said he had kept the promise of implementing "one rank, one pension" for ex-servicemen that was hanging fire for the last over four decades. Modi also later made an unscheduled trip to a village, Chango, and said he was "deeply touched by the impromptu reception and their joy". Dressed in olive green and donning a local cap with a green flap adorned with dry flowers, the Prime Minister interacted with men from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Dogra Scouts and the army at Sumdoh. Sumdoh, some 330 km from Shimla, is located on the border of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts. Official sources said the Prime Minister reached Sumdoh around 11 a.m. and spent more than three hours at Sumdoh and Chango. He was accompanied by the Army chief, General Dalbir Singh. The Prime Minister also met personnel of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), a wing of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) that maintains highways, at Sumdoh, an official said. Addressing the soldiers, he said he had been visiting armed forces personnel every year on Diwali since 2001. He mentioned the tremendous response from people across the country to his appeal for sending messages to soldiers as part of the #Sandesh2Soldiers campaign. Without naming Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who questioned the implementation of the "one rank, one pension" scheme, Modi said it was a promise made to ex-servicemen 40 years ago and that he was happy he fulfilled it. Mingling freely, Modi went up to the soldiers holding a plate of sweets. At least one soldier offered him a sweet in return, much to the joy of everyone. While returning from Sumdo, the Prime Minister halted briefly at nearby Chango village. He exchanged Diwali greetings, interacted with the people there and offered sweets to children. Modi then spent some time with the locals in Chango village in Kinnaur district, known for its delicious apples. Villagers taken aback by the Prime Minister's arrival raised slogans hailing him. Dressed in warm clothes, Modi spent time with the residents of the village, including women and children. He also posed with everyone in a group photograph, with the mountains providing a majestic background. BJP MP Ram Swaroop Sharma told IANS: "It's a historic moment for the locals of the remote village adjoining China to interact with the Prime Minister." "This is the first visit of any Prime Minister in this area and this would ensure development in the area," Sharma said. This was Modi's second visit to the Mandi parliamentary constituency this month. Earlier, he visited Mandi town on October 18 to inaugurate three hydropower projects and address a public rally. The Lahaul-Spiti district, spread over 13,835 sq km, is a place of remote, untouched beauty with just 31,528 people. The climatic conditions are harsh as much of the land falls under a cold desert where the mercury drops below minus 20 degrees Celsius during winter. The Prime Minister had celebrated his first Diwali after coming in power in 2014 with soldiers posted in Siachen. In 2015, he was at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. --IANS vg/sar/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian equity markets ceded their initial gains during the special "Muhurat" trade session on Sunday to close on a negative note. The special trade session was held to mark the start of the Hindu New Year - Samvat 2073. The annual one-hour special session was held between 6.30 p.m and 7.30 p.m. Its trade began on a positive note. However, caution ahead of key global events' risks, negative international cues and profit booking subdued investors' sentiments. The 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed lower by 12.30 points or 0.14 per cent at 8,625.70 points. The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE which opened at 28,066.32 points, closed at 27,930.21 points (at 7.30 p.m.) -- down 11.30 points or 0.04 per cent from the previous day's close at 27,941.51 points. The Sensex touched a high of 28,095.71 points and a low of 27,890.14 points during the intra-session trade. In contrast, the BSE market breadth was tilted in favour of the bulls -- with 1,938 advances and 520 declines. "Lower global crude oil prices and negative global cues subdued the benchmark indices. However, mid-cap segment rose with healthy gains," Anand James, Chief Market Strategist, Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services, told IANS. The special trading session held every year on Diwali is considered to be auspicious for stock market trading. It is believed that the "Muhurat" trading on this day brings wealth and prosperity throughout the year. This ritual has been observed for ages by the trading community. On Friday, the last trading day, the equity markets had closed on a flat-to-positive note, even as negative global cues, foreign fund outflow and profit booking subdued investors' sentiments. The barometer index inched-higher by 25.61 points or 0.09 per cent to 27,941.51 points, while the NSE Nifty gained 22.75 points or 0.26 per cent to 8,638 points. In Samvat 2072, the barometer index had gained 2,074.56 points or 8.02 per cent, whereas the NSE Nifty had swelled by 813 points or 10.38 per cent. --IANS rv/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Border Security Force (BSF) on Sunday refused to exchange sweets and greetings with Pakistani Rangers along the international boundary on the occasion of Diwali. The BSF move in the wake of the recent heightened tension between the two countries. India has accused Pakistan of supporting terrorists from its soil who carried out an attack on an army base camp at Uri last month and unprovoked ceasefire violations along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir in recent months. Border guards of both countries have for the past several years followed a tradition of exchanging sweets on major religious festivals like the Eid and Diwali, and also during Independence Days of both countries. The BSF is on maximum alert in Punjab following recent ceasefire violations and Pakistan-backed terrorism incidents in neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir. In the past 2-3 years, border guards have skipped the exchange of sweets on a few occasions. The exchange ceremony is mainly held at the Attari-Wagah joint check post, 30 km from Amritsar, on the International Border. Punjab has a 553-km barbed wire fenced border with Pakistan. --IANS js/sar/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least 60 prisoners were killed and 38 others injured when Saudi-led air strikes hit a prison in Yemeni Red Sea port city of al-Hodayda on Sunday, authorities said. The targeted prison, located in al-Zaydiya district of al-Hodayda, was bombed to the ground in a series of air strikes that began at dawn and lasted hours, Xinhua news agency reported. Rescue teams were still searching for survivors at the site. The health office of al-Hodayda sent an emergency call to people to donate blood to save the injured. It was the latest in a series of air strikes that targeted civilians in Yemen since the war began in March last year. On Saturday, the coalition warplanes killed a total of 27 civilians, mostly children and women, in three Yemeni provinces of Saada, Marib and Taiz, according to residents, medics and local officials. Earlier this month, the air strikes hit a funeral hall in the capital Sanaa, killing 140 mourners, including children, and wounded over 600 others. Saudi Arabia intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March last year to restore its ally President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government to power, after Houthis and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh fought a revolution against "Hadi government corruption" and drove Hadi with his cabinet out of power to flee into exile. The Saudi-led coalition has ever since failed to restore Hadi or recapture northern provinces from the allied Houthi and Saleh forces which have also controlled the capital Sanaa. The Saudi-led air strikes and ground combat have killed over 10,000 Yemenis, mostly children and women, and forced more than two million to flee their homes. --IANS sm/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Singapore Navy ship reached Vishakhapatnam on Sunday to participate in the India-Singapore joint naval exercise, said an official statement. RSS Formidable, a multi-role stealth frigate commanded by Lt. Col. Khoo Aik Leong Albert, will participate in the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercises 'SIMBEX-16'. A senior Singapore Navy delegation headed by Col. Aaron Beng, who commands the 185 Squadron, is also visiting Vishakhapatnam-headquartered Eastern Naval Command (ENC) during the period, said the Defence Ministry statement. During the visit, the seniors Singaporean Navy commanders will call on ENC's commander-in-chief, Vice Admiral H.C.S. Bisht and Eastern Fleet commander, Rear Admiral A.B. Dasgupta. In the exercise, Indian Navy will be represented by guided missile destroyer INS Ranvijay, indigenous anti-submarine warfare stealth corvette INS Kamorta, a Sindhugosh class submarine, along with number of maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters. A Fokker 50 maritime patrol aircraft of the Singapore Navy will be operating from Port Blair. The SIMBEX series was first formalized when Singaporean Navy ships began training with the Indian Navy in 1994. Simbex-16, being held in the Bay of Bengal region, is 23rd in the series and is aimed to increase interoperability and to develop common understanding and procedures for maritime security operations. The thrust of exercises at sea this year would be on anti-submarine warfare, integrated operations with surface, air and sub-surface forces, air defence and surface encounters. --IANS rs-vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 41-year-old trader was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Manipur's border town of Moreh, the state police said. "At 7.32 p.m. on Saturday evening, Dhamendra Mabik and his wife Chanda were preparing dinner in their house adjacent to his electronics shop when the assailants barged in and fired shots at close range. The husband was hit in the head and chest while the wife was hit in the upper chest. We are exploring possible extortion bid from militants," the police said in a statement. Chanda, who was 24 weeks pregnant, is battling for her life in a hospital in Imphal. Intelligence sources told IANS on Sunday that there was a possibility of business rivalry. To protest the gun attack, the Chamber of Commerce of Moreh shut down all shops and business establishments at the town on the border with Myanmar. Tourists and traders were stranded since they could not go on shopping at Namphalong across the international border. --IANS il/ksk/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Trinidad was lit up on Saturday night as the Hindu community celebrated Diwali, the annual festival of lights, across the country. Trinidad has been officially celebrating the Diwali holiday since 1966. For the past several days, there were celebrations at government offices including the official residence of Prime Minister Keith Rowley. In an address, President Anthony Carmona noted that Diwali was another opportunity to bring about unity. "We need to eradicate the social negatives of crime and sometimes our racial and political intolerance and disharmony. The celebration of Diwali is but one strong example of the religious harmony and unity that exist in our country. The key is for us to ensure that this harmony continues beyond Diwali festivities," President Carmona added. Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar called on the people to drive away darkness with light. "The enemies we seek to banish are hate, betrayal, jealousy, greed, lust, sickness and mental decay," Bissessar said. Newly-accredited Indian High Commissioner Bishwadip Dey said Diwali "gives us an expression of happiness and a sense of attainment. As we light rows of diyas, it is believed we attain good health, wealth, knowledge, peace and happiness. Darkness represents ignorance, and light is a metaphor for knowledge." One of the highlights of this year's 'Diwali Nagar' was the opening of a booth by the Indian High Commission which attracted thousands of patrons seeking information on visas, Know India Programme, non-resident Indian and person of Indian-origin cards, and this was the first by any diplomatic mission here. India's Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Villas Paswan, who was visiting Trinidad, addressed the assembly on Wednesday night. Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Dookeran said that Diwali is a moment for "spiritual renewal of mankind", as spirituality in the world is on the downward spiral. "Diwali must counteract this decline with urgency." The Indian diaspora here comprises descendants of some 148,000 people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, brought here by the then British rulers between 1845 and 1917 to work on enhancing local agricultural capacity. The Indian diaspora now forms some 42 per cent of the 1.3 million population of Trinidad and Tobago. (Paras Ramoutar can be contacted at paras_ramoutar@yahoo.com) --IANS paras/ksk/vt (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army on Pakistani terror camps along the Line of Control (LoC) seem to have had no sobering effect on the Pakistan Armys sinister designs. If anything, incidents of ceasefire violations across the LoC have only increased, with casualties not only in the security forces but also among civilians. Children, too, are not spared by Pakistans intermittent shelling. A Bihar-type Mahagathbandhan is being considered in Uttar Pradesh where Assembly polls are due in 2017. If the Congress is to tie up with Ajit Singhs Rashtriya Lok Dal, the point of contention would be who to project as the alliances chief ministerial face. The humble radio is now at the centre of a storm in Jharkhand. Members of the Tana Bhagat community, a tribal community in Jharkhand, were given FM radio sets to listen to the Prime Minister's Mann Ki Baat. Close inspection showed that these radios were manufactured by one Phillips mind you, not the Dutch technology company Philips which is an assembler of brown goods with parts sourced from China. At a time when there are campaigns seeking boycott of Chinese-made products, these radios have become a source of embarrassment for Bharatiya Janata Party's Raghubar Das-led government in the state. But while opposition parties are crying foul, the state government has decided to maintain radio silence. Last week, the Supreme Court refused to stay an order from the Allahabad High Court that prevented the builder of the toll bridge connecting Delhi and Noida from collecting user fees from commuters. The operator of the flyway, the Noida Toll Bridge Company, had argued that the Allahabad High Court had not taken into account the sanctity of the contract signed in 1993 between the Noida authorities and the builder. According to the contract, the company could continue to collect toll until it had recovered a 20 per cent internal rate of return but the company claimed it had not even recovered its costs as yet. The Noida Residents Association, which is the plaintiff in the case, argued that the company had already collected Rs 2,300 crore in toll and that the auditing of its costs was in any case disputed. Meghalaya and Manipur appear to be the bright spots while Assam and Arunachal Pradesh continue to be difficult terrain in the north-east (N-E) region where the is trying to recast its strategy. At least 50 families, comprising mostly teenagers, across the UK have been taken to family courts as part of Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism drive, a senior Metropolitan Police officer said today. Mark Rowley, assistant commissioner for specialist operations at the Met Police and head of the UK's national counter-terrorism policing, said in many cases children seen at fear of radicalisation were taken into social care. "The most extreme cases that end up with children being made wards of courts or care proceedings is real tricky stuff because we've never had to deal with national security issues before in a family court. We had never done [a case] before 2015 but the fact that it's [now] into 40 or 50 cases is illustrative of the scale of the problem," Rowley told 'The Sunday Times' in an interview. "Now we're seeing young children and teenagers who have been influenced by propaganda and who need support. Sometimes, frankly, their parents are part of the problem and sometimes it's happening despite their parents' best efforts - there's both types of examples out there," he said. Some of the cases involved infants and young teenagers who had been made wards of court after their parents tried to take them to Syria to join terrorist groups, the report said. More than 700 British people are believed to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join groups such as Islamic State (ISIS) since 2014 but the figure is now on the decline. "We've taken the view that we're better off confronting the problem and dealing with it rather than pretending it's out of sight, out of mind. If they're a British citizen going off to kill people overseas and potentially in the future to return to the UK more hardened, dangerous and difficult, that's not something we want," Rowley said. "So we intercept them now, but we don't see that interception as a solution in itself. It's the start of solving it," he said. Rowley said Scotland Yard was "closing" about 50 investigations a month into young people who had been thought at risk of radicalisation and praised the greater willingness of teachers and social workers to alert police to their suspicions about youngsters. "Even if only 10 of those were to become more hardened and start to move towards violent terrorism, that's five people [we're stopping] a month," he said. His interview comes a week after Neil Basu, the Indian-origin deputy assistant commissioner at the Met, had said that 10 terrorist plots had been foiled in the past two years and the security services are tackling 550 "live" cases at any one time. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Six terrorists and four soldiers were killed during army operations in Egypt's extremism-infested North Sinai, military officials said today. Three militant hideouts, two vehicles and three unlicensed motorcycles used by them in their attacks against police personnel were also destroyed, military spokesperson Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said in a statement. A number of suspected militants were also arrested during the army operations in Al-Arish, Rafah and Shiekh Zwayed in North Sinai, it said. The army operations are part of the retaliation campaign launched to avenge the recent attack that killed 12 soldiers in the region. Egypt has witnessed a series of terrorist attacks which targeted policemen, judges and military personnel in different parts of the country. Since the 2011 revolution that toppled ex-president Hosni Mubarak, North Sinai, which is the base of a number of extremist outlaw groups, became the main stage of many violent attacks by takfiri gunmen. The attacks even increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 following massive protests against his rule. Over 700 security personnel have been reported killed since then. The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik, who was yesterday released after four-months of detention, today claimed the ongoing agitation in Kashmir was "indigenous" and "spontaneous" and would continue till people support it. "The situation in Kashmir after the killing of (Hizbul Mujahideen commander) Burhan Wani was a spontaneous reaction. It surprised India and the world but there was nothing surprising in it," he told reporters here. "People of Kashmir had opted for peaceful means for resolution of the Kashmir issue during similar agitations in 2008, 2009 and 2010. But the military response of the government forced the likes of Burhan Wani to take up arms," he said. "Burhan Wani and his associates never went to Pakistan but still joined militancy after they realised that the peaceful means for resolution of the Kashmir issue was being crushed by the government," Malik said. He claimed the burning of schools in Kashmir was a conspiracy to defame separatist leaders. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BJP and CPI-M activists today staged separate black flag protests against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as he arrived at Udupi to lay the foundation stone for a new district children's women's hospital, to be built in place of the existing government hospital. They were protesting against the government's decision to enter into an agreement with NRI entrepreneur B R Shetty for construction of the new hospital on Public Private Participation (PPP) basis. The BJP workers staged their protest at Ajjarakadu, while the CPI-M activists, led by party district secretary Balakrishna Shetty, staged a black flag demonstration near the Clock tower in Udupi, police said. The protesters were later removed by police. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) German auto components major Bosch is all set to tap the opportunities to be generated by the government's Smart Cities initiative, a top official said today. "We expect the RFPs (request for proposals) to be released in next few months time and when they come, we would definitely participate in the tender process to tap the opportunities expected to be generated by the Smart Cities initiative launched by the union government," Bosch India Smart City Head Dhiraj Wali told PTI here. India plans to have 100 such cities by 2022. Sixty have been chosen, including 20 in January and 13 in May. The remaining will be picked by 2018. Meant to change the way urban India lives, smart cities will enjoy uninterrupted power and water supply, internet connectivity, e-governance along with quality infrastructure. Wali, however, said Bosch will not focus on all the 100 cities, but on 10 to 11 sites, including Chennai and Bengaluru. "We have not focused ourselves on all cities, but identified some cities. For example we are focusing on six cities in Karnataka. We are also focusing on Pune, Coimbatore, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Kochi. Right now, we are focusing on ten to eleven cities," he said. The company, before the announcement of the actual tenders and contracts, has chalked out smart cities solutions, focusing on intelligent traffic management, transport system, parking management and citizen safety and security, Wali said. "For instance, the pilot project is ready and has been implemented in Bengaluru," he said. Wali said the company is not a novice in building smart cities. "Bosch is not new in the smart city domain. We have been doing projects worldwide at various places. We have done a pilot in Monaco, Singapore, a city in Austria, Stuttgart in Germany and few other places," he said. However, these solutions may not work in India as the country has problems in variance with other countries round the globe, Wali said. Bosch has also been in touch with the government to identify problem areas, Wali said. A 'smart city' is an urban region that is highly advanced in terms of overall infrastructure, sustainable real estate, communications and market viability. It is a city where information technology is the principal infrastructure and the basis for providing essential services to residents. There are many technological platforms involved, including but not limited to automated sensor networks and data centres. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A car ramming in the occupied West Bank today lightly wounded three Israeli police officers, and the Palestinian attacker was shot dead, Israeli police said. The incident occurred in the Beit Ummar area near the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron as border police were conducting an operation, police said. Officers then shot the Palestinian. A wave of Palestinian knife, gun and car-ramming attacks began a year ago, but the violence has signficantly declined in recent months. Since October last year, the violence has claimed the lives of 236 Palestinians, 36 Israelis, two Americans, a Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese, according to an AFP count. Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out attacks, according to Israeli authorities. Others were shot dead during protests and clashes, while some were killed in air strikes in the Gaza Strip. Human rights groups have accused Israeli security forces of using excessive and often lethal force in certain cases. Internal reviews by the army of two fatal shootings of attackers earlier this month found that the use of deadly force could have been avoided, public radio reported last week. Many analysts say Palestinian frustration with the Israeli occupation and settlement-building in the West Bank, comatose peace efforts and their own fractured leadership have helped feed the unrest. Israel says incitement by Palestinian leaders and media is a leading cause. Most of the attacks have been carried out by lone-wolf assailants, many of them young. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) in Islamabad and some parts of Punjab province ahead of the party's November 2 planned lock down of the capital aiming to unseat Sharif. Imran also said Sharif and his brother Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif were using the whole state machinery to save a corrupt prime minister. According to former Punjab governor and PTI leader Chaudhry Sarwar, so far Punjab and Islamabad police have arrested 1,000 Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf workers. He said police was not only arresting the PTI workers heading to Islamabad but also from their homes. The Punjab government has started blocking all entry points leading to the federal capital. The government's decision was causing immense inconvenience to commuters. Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said the government had closed roads near Attock to check the movement of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf workers into Punjab because they are planning to head towards Islamabad. However, he said no other roads in the province had been blocked "completely" though snap-checking of all those heading towards the federal capital was being carried out. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spokesman Mushtaq Ghani said that the federal and Punjab governments had converted the province into a prison by placing barriers on roads. He said Prime Minister Sharif could "punish" the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf workers but he had no right to create hardship for the people of the entire province. The Peshawar-Islamabad motorway has also been closed at one point while barricades have also been placed at Mardan and Nowshera roads. Heavy contingents of police have been deployed on various roads leading to Islamabad while transporters had been warned against facilitating the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf supporters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) is the best bet for the Indian community in the US, India-born American entrepreneur Frank Islam said on Sunday, asserting that the recent outreach by her Republican rival Donald Trump will do very little to impress the influential Indian-Americans. "I believe she (Clinton) is the only safe bet for Indian Americans, Americans and the world. Her opponent is a risky bet in that he has no real track record of experience or expertise in public policy, government and international relations," Islam, a philanthropist and top Indian-American fund raiser for the Clinton Campaign, told PTI. Among one of the top bundler's for Clinton, Islam said a number of Indian-Americans are playing key roles in her campaign in different capacities. "Many of us are raising money for the campaign. I believe nearly a dozen Indian-Americans have raised significant dollars for the secretary's historic campaign," said Islam, who is also a member of Clinton's finance committee and has himself donated one million dollars to the campaign. He is also participating on a South Asian work group and is providing input to the campaign on issues and areas such as small business and economic development where he has experience and expertise. "The overriding issue out of the box must be what to do to address the populist outcry in both parties to ensure that the US is a fair place for individuals on all rungs of the socio-economic ladder," he said. Responding to a question on US-India relations, Islam said most Indian-Americans expect the next president to take the ties between the two nations to the next level. "They want the US to build on the commitments that Clinton made to India when she was Secretary of State and President Barack Obama's vision of India and the US being 'indispensable partners' in the future," he said. When asked about the impact of Trump's recent address to an Indian-American charity event in New Jersey and his daughter-in-law attending a Diwali event in a Virginia Hindu temple, he said this is unlikely to have much of an impact. "I believe his recent outreach will do very little to move the needle among Indian-American voters," Islam said. "Trump has participated in an event hosted by the Republican Hindu Coalition and he is now running ads speaking in Hindi. But, I think that is too little too late," he said. A recent survey showed that 67% of Indian-Americans would vote for Clinton, whereas a mere 7% supported Trump. In comparison, 16% Indian-Americans had supported Romney in 2012, he noted. "The bottom line for me personally is that none of my Indian-American acquaintances (Muslim or Hindu) have expressed a willingness to vote for Trump. He has very high 79% unfavorable rating among Indian-Americans," he said. "I firmly believe that Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric may be attracting some Indian-Americans, but it is also repelling most Indian-Americans," Islam said. Nearly 25 lakh devotees have so far taken a holy dip in Mandakini river during Diwali at Chitrakoot, a holy place associated with Lord Ram. "Around 25 lakh devotees have taken a holy dip in the river in Chitrakoot since the evening on 'Dhanteras' (on Friday). Fifteen lakh more devotees are expected to bathe in next two days," Satna Collector Naresh Pal told PTI today. According to mythology, Chitrakoot is the place where Lord Ram had spent a significant part of his 14-year exile. Chitrakoot falls in the northern Vindhya range of mountains spread over the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. "A large chunk of devotees took the dip on Diwali day (today). A sea of faithfuls flocked Mandakani river on the occasion. Devotees are camping in every nook and cranny of Chitrakoot," Pal said. He said the devotees come mainly from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. "On Diwali day, people also perform 'deep daan' in Mandakini river and do 'parikrama' (circumambulate) of sacred Kamadgiri mountain," the Collector said. Over 2,000 Madhya Pradesh police personnel have been deployed at Chitrakoot, apart from government officials, a team of doctors and emergency workers, for ensuring safety of the pilgrims. Uttar Pradesh administration has also deployed police personnel, doctors and authorities at the place. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Meeting of officials of Mizoram-Tripura border Mamit district, Assam border Kolasib district and south Mizoram's Lunglei district bordering Bangladesh tomorrow would set the stage for final preparatory meeting of the proposed Bru repatriation scheduled to begin from Wednesday, a senior home department official today said. Additional Secretary for the state home department Lalbiakzama told PTI that the meeting would be held in Mamit town. Lalbiakzama said that the officials to conduct identification of bonafide residents of Mizoram in the Kaskau relief camp would leave Mizoram-Tripura border Mamit town on Tuesday and would begin the identification process from 9:30 AM on the next day to be concluded on November four. He said that identification process at Khakchangpara relief camp would be conducted on November seven and at Hamsapara relief camp on November 9 and 10. "The officials conducting the identification for the first three relief camps adjoining Mizoram would be camping at the Tripura border Kanhmun village while the three teams conducting three other relief camps situated further inside Tripura would be camping at the Dak Bungalow in Kanchanpur town of North Tripura," he said. Identification process at Asapara relief camp would be conducted during November 11 to 14 while it would be conducted at Naisingpara, the largest relief camp during November 15 to 18. Identification at the last camp - Hazacherra relief camp would be conducted on November 21. As per the proposal, 2,594 repatriated families would be resettled in Mamit district while Assam border Kolasib district and south Mizoram's Lunglei district would host 628 and 223 Bru families respectively. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As fireworks lit the sky and earthen lamps dotted houses across Punjab and Haryana, and their joint capital Chandigarh, on Diwali, people at several places paid tribute to soldiers who laid down their lives. In Kurukshetra's Antehri, the native village of army jawan Mandeep Singh, who was killed by terrorists in Macchil sector of Jammu and Kashmir, 'diyas' were lit in each house in his memory. The villagers decided not to celebrate Diwali as a mark of respect to Singh's supreme sacrifice. Besides, in many places across the states, people paid tributes to soldiers who laid down their lives by lighting 'diyas' in their memory. Diwali revelry started in the evening with people exchanging greetings and sweets, and bursting firecrackers. In Chandigarh, Diwali was a bit different this time as cracker shops across the city saw a decline in buyers with most opting for a 'green Diwali'. "We decided to celebrate 'green Diwali' this time to protect our environment as most firecrackers cause air and sound pollution," Shivam, a class VI student in Chandigarh, said, adding an awareness campaign was also held in his school. Security was heightened across Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, especially in and around vital installations, markets and places of worship, officials said. Devotees made a beeline at temples and gurdwaras to offer prayers. The Golden Temple, the holiest Sikh shrine, in Amritsar glittered with lights and traditional 'diyas'. It witnessed a huge rush of devotees who took a dip in its holy tank and offered prayers at the sanctum sanctorum. Langar (community kitchen) arrangements were made for more than four lakh devotees who will stay in the temple all through Diwali night. Meanwhile, 'Bandi Chhor Divas' (Prisoner Release Day) was celebrated in Punjab, to mark the historical release of the sixth Sikh guru, Guru Hargobind, from the Mughal prison along with 52 kings in 1620. Guru Hargobind after his release directly reached the Golden Temple, whereupon the holy city was illuminated and decorated and people lit earthen lamps to celebrate his release. This year, the outer area of the temple was also given a festive look. Punjab Government showcased the plaza, developed at a cost of Rs 250 crore at the temple's main entrance. A giant LED screen has been installed on way to the temple to screen 'live gurbani' (recital) everyday for an hour. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dozens of prisoners and security personnel were feared dead after Saudi-led airstrikes battered two prisons inside a security headquarters in a western port city, security and medical officials said. The airstrikes yesterday bombed the al-Zaydiya security headquarters in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida. The building contained two prisons, and many prisoners along with security forces were been killed in the strikes, the officials said. The city is under control of Yemen's Shiite Houthi rebels who seized the capital and much of the northern region in 2014. The Houthis' TV network al-Masirah said that 43 people were killed in the airstrikes but it was not immediately possible to verify that account. The airstrikes came hours after warplanes rained bombs on houses of civilians in the western city of Taiz, killing at least 18 people, including children, earlier in the day. The latest airstrikes also come at a time Yemen's president-in-exile has turned down a UN peace deal aimed at ending the country's devastating conflict, saying it "rewards" Yemen's rebels. The proposed peace deal gives the Houthis who seized the capital Sanaa in 2014 and eventually forced President Abed-Rabbo Mansour Hadi out of Yemen a share in the future government. It also reduces some of the president's powers in exchange for a rebel withdrawal from major cities. Hadi made his remarks during a visit by the UN envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, yesterday. "The Yemeni people have condemned these ideas and the so-called road map out of belief that the deal is a gateway to more suffering and war," a statement by the presidency quoted Hadi as saying. "The ideas presented ... Carry the seeds of war," he added. "It rewards the coup leaders and punishes the Yemeni people at the same time." The statement said Hadi told Ahmed that peace will be attainable only when the rebel "coup" is reversed, based on a UN Security Council resolution that stipulates the rebels must lay down their weapons and withdraw from cities as a precondition to any peace agreement. A presidency official said Hadi has come under heavy pressure to accept the deal. He said that ambassadors of the United States, France, China and Russia have held meetings with Hadi and his prime minister in the past 24 hours to press him to accept the deal. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. Authorities in El Salvador arrested the country's ex-president Elias Antonio Saca and several other former officials today for alleged embezzlement and money-laundering, the attorney general's office said. Saca, 51, and six other former officials from his government were detained in the early morning "on charges of various crimes," it said on Twitter. Saca is a member of the conservative Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA). He was president of El Salvador from 2004 to 2009. He is accused of embezzlement, money-laundering and links to illegal groups, the prosecutors' office said. It give no further details of the accusations for the time being. A self-made businessman, Saca became a well-known journalist before becoming president. He was seen as a strong ally of the United States during his time in power. The other suspects arrested include former public waterworks official Cesar Funes, 46, and ex-presidential communications chief Julio Rank, 65. El Salvador is a Central American country of six million people, bordered by Guatemala and Honduras. It is stricken by poverty and violent crime involving drug gangs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Musician Elvis Presley has broken the record for the most number one albums in the UK after his recently released album "The Wonder Of You" flew to the top of the charts. Presley is the most successful solo artist of all time in the UK. The late King of Rock 'n' Roll, who died in 1977, has dethroned Madonna after his latest LP "The Wonder Of You: Elvis Presley With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra" flew to the top of the official Album Charts on Friday, making him the only solo musician to have 13 Number One albums across England, Scotland and Wales. Producer Nick Patrick, who worked on the reworking of Presley's hits, said, "Madonna will be weeping into her cornflakes. She will be frantically calling up her record label saying, 'Get me another album now I need to get this back.' It would be gracious [if Madonna gave him a nod on Twitter]. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An encounter broke out between militants and security forces in forest area of Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, the army said here. Security forces launched an anti-militancy operation in the forest area of Kupwara this morning following information about the presence of militants in the area, an army official said. He said some gunshots were exchanged at the start of the operation which was continuing when the last reports were received. Further details are awaited, he added. Germany's European Commissioner today defended his use of the term "slitty eyes" for Chinese people which triggered outrage after they were revealed in a leaked recording of a speech to business leaders. Oettinger - the commissioner for digital economy who was last week named to the more powerful post of budget commissioner - also made disparaging remarks about women and gay marriage. In the comments, secretly filmed at a Hamburg event earlier this month, he mocked a delegation of Chinese ministers, "their hair combed from left to right with shoe polish". Anonymous YouTube user "Sebas Travelling", who uploaded the clip on Friday, said Oettinger had used the words "slitty eyes" and "chiselers" to refer to Chinese people. "That was a somewhat sloppy expression that was not meant in any way disrespectfully towards China," Oettinger told Die Welt newspaper yesterday. The comments were made during a speech focusing on EU relations with China, the world's second largest economy. "Nine men, one party. No democracy, no female quota, and no women - which follows logically," he said, referring to the delegation which had recently visited the Commission. Oettinger insisted to Die Welt that his comments were taken out of context and that he had "received a lot of positive reaction" to the speech. In his comments to the Hamburg forum, he also took aim at the political agendas of domestic German politicians, including more generous pensions and child benefits, a controversial road toll for foreign vehicles, and "soon to come, compulsory gay marriage". "I have nothing against same-sex marriage," he said on SWR public radio today. "But while we're all talking and arguing about that, there is no time for other, critical questions, which would keep Germany and Europe ahead in a dynamic world." In the secretly-recorded speech, he said Germany and other EU nations were allowing Chinese firms to buy up European companies and their valuable know-how and intellectual property, while China did not allow Europeans to invest there as freely. "The same rules should go for China and for Europe. We should open our markets to one another to the same extent," he told Die Welt. The comments come at an embarrassing time as they emerged just after European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker announced Friday he had tapped Oettinger to take over the budget portfolio from Bulgaria's Kristalina Georgieva. As the BJP-led government in Maharashtra sails into third year in office, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's clean image is widely seen as its single most positive aspect despite many internal and external challenges it faces, including frequent taunts by ally Shiv Sena and the campaign by Maratha community for reservation. Most political observers preferred to rate the performance of the Government in the last two years as "mixed". Despite his good intentions and development thrust, Fadnavis's efforts have not yielded desired results for want of proper support and push from his team. Fadnavis (46) was sworn in on October 31, 2014 with the BJP emerging as the single largest party, though short of absolute majority, in Assembly polls. The BJP and Sena had parted ways on the eve of polls and the Ministry was offered outside support by Sharad Pawar-led NCP. Sena, however, returned to the alliance a few months later. Unlike some of his ministerial colleagues, Fadnavis has remained untouched by allegations of misconduct. Virtual No 2 in the Cabinet, Eknath Khadse, had to quit after coming under the cloud of allegations earlier this year. Opposition Congress and NCP, however, declined to set great store by Fadnavis's personal charisma and unsullied reputation, alleging he has been shielding some of his colleagues facing allegations. Observers point out that another plus point of Fadnavis is he enjoys the trust and confidence of the BJP's central leadership, as was demonstrated by the Khadse episode. Though some of his BJP colleagues in the Ministry like Vinod Tawde and Pankaja Munde nurse Chief Ministerial ambitions, they are no real threat to Fadnavis, they added. "BJP calls itself a party with difference, but it has not been able to show that its first ever government in Maharashtra is a Government with a difference. They also said Fadnavis should not have given clean chit to Ministers facing allegations," they said. One major issue over which the BJP and Shiv Sena had frequent face-off was the Vidarbha statehood demand. While the BJP favours smaller states, the Sena is opposed to bifurcation of Maharashtra to create a separate Vidarbha state and often took sharp dig at Fadnavis, who hails from that region. In a veiled reference to the Vidarbha issue, Sena MP Sanjay Raut told PTI that the Government should implement the agenda for united Maharashtra and not the party's (BJP) political programme. Another front that Government had to face attack from the farm sector distress, caused mainly by the grim drought faced by Marathwada and other parts of the state in the previous years. The agrarian crisis is also seen to be one of the factors that prompted the predominantly rural Maratha community to hit the streets across the State in the form of 'silent marches' seeking reservation in job and education besides a slew of other demands. "Farmers' situation has not improved in two years. This year rains have been good but the government cannot take credit for the same. Social equations have suffered and the government has failed to stop the attempts to disturb social harmony. There have never been such caste tensions earlier," Raut said. Sentiments of Marathas in organising silent morchas should have been considered. Instead, similar morchas of non-Maratha communities are being organised in different parts of the State, he said. Fadnavis, however, is not seen to be facing any big challenge from within his party or ally, despite occasional hiccups, especially since he enjoys a good personal rapport with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. "Uddhav Thackeray is fully supporting the Chief Minister," Raut said. More recently, Fadnavis came under a grim attack from various quarters for mediating between Raj Thackeray and Karan Johar to facilitate the release of "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil", after MNS threatened to block it for featuring a Pakistani actor. Fadnavis's camp, however, justified his act, saying his intentions in brokering a truce were genuine since he felt there should be no tensions during the festival season. The main take of Congress-NCP against Fadnavis has been that he is pursuing "double standards" on corruption, as BJP, while in Opposition, had unleashed fierce attack on the previous administrations on that issue. BJP had levelled allegations against Ministers in the Congress-NCP Government and even on basis of perception, Congress had sacked its Chief Minister and ministers, Congress leader Anant Gadgil told. Hillary Clinton today assailed America's top cop FBI director James Comey over the timing of relaunching a probe into her use of a private email server while secretary of state, saying the move just ahead of the presidential polls was "unprecedented" and "deeply troubling". The development, that comes in the final leg of the campaign for the November 8 election, had the Republican presidential nominee and real estate tycoon Donald Trump seize on to the reignited controversy as he stepped up attacks on his Democratic rival. At an election rally in Florida, Clinton told cheering supporters: "It is pretty strange. It's pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election. In fact, in fact, it's not just strange. It's unprecedented." "And it is deeply troubling because voters deserve get to full and complete facts," she added as she called on Comey "to explain everything right away, put it all out on the table" and accused Trump of already "making up lies" about the development in the final leg of the campaign. "He is doing his best to confuse, mislead, and discourage the American people. I think it's time for Donald Trump to stop fear mongering, to stop disgracing himself, to stop attacking our democracy. We can't let him get away with this, can we?" Clinton said. An emboldened Trump, at his own rally in Colorado, accused the Justice Department of trying to protect Clinton. "You're supposed to give your emails. The process and the legal process has been taking a long time. It's very sad that it's taken so long. And now it's reported today this morning that the Department of Justice was fighting the FBI and that's because the Department of Justice is trying so hard to protect Hillary," the 70-year-old real estate tycoon alleged. During a rare press conference yesterday, Clinton said she is "confident" the new FBI probe will not change its original finding that she should not be prosecuted. The Clinton Campaign also questioned the agency's motive behind its decision taken days before the November 8 election. "The extraordinary letter that was long on innuendo and short on facts that Director Comey sent yesterday to eight Republican committee chairs. 24 hours after that letter was sent, we have no real explanation of why Director Comey decided to send that letter to congressional leaders," Clinton Campaign chairman John Podesta told reporters. Podesta alleged the FBI director, by providing selective information, has allowed partisans to distort and exaggerate in order to inflict maximum political damage. In a statement, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) said that by releasing a letter within 60 days of the presidential election, Comey broke with long-standing department tradition that is meant to prevent any influence on the electoral process. "The letter did not offer enough detail that would allow Americans a full understanding of the development and whether or not it is even significant, which has led to speculation on the part of the media and irresponsible claims by Republican leaders. The FBI must move quickly to release additional clarifying information," DNC demanded. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Georgia voted in the second round of contested parliamentary polls today, with the ruling Georgian Dream poised for a landslide victory, prompting opposition parties to cry foul. Led from behind the scenes by billionaire ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream is running against the main opposition United National Movement (UNM), founded by exiled former president Mikheil Saakashvili. Today's vote, which works on a first-past-the-post basis, will decide the fate of a third of the mandates in the 150-seat legislature. In the first round, which was held on October 8, Georgian Dream won 48.68 percent of the vote in a proportional ballot, while UNM came second with 27.11 percent. For the first time in Georgia's post-Soviet history, the first round also saw a small anti-Western party, the Alliance of Patriots, clearing the five-percent threshold needed to enter parliament. According to the first round result, Georgian Dream will take 67 seats, UNM 27 seats, and Alliance of Patriots six seats in the new parliament. With the remaining 50 seats up for grabs in today's runoff, Georgian Dream was expected to win almost all of them. Should the party win a total of at least 113 seats, as expected, it would be able to form a new cabinet and pass constitutional amendments. Turnout was 37.5 percent when polls closed at 1600 GMT, the Central Election Commission said. Preliminary results are expected to be released by tomorrow morning. Georgia's Western allies are watching closely to see if the strategic nation -- praised as a rare example of democracy in the former Soviet region -- can cement gains after its first transfer of power at the ballot box four years ago. After both the first round ballot and today's runoffs, opposition parties cried foul, accusing the government of massive vote rigging -- a claim flatly rejected by the authorities. "Georgians were denied their right to make free electoral choice," one of the UNM leaders, Giorgi Baramidze, told AFP. "The scale of electoral violations, pressure on voters and opposition activists, vote buying, is appalling." But the Central Election Commission said the ballot was "held in a calm atmosphere and voters were able to express their will freely." The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, a local watchdog which deployed some 700 observers at polling stations, said it has registered procedural violations such as multiple voting and problems with marking ballot papers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Defending champion Lewis Hamilton grabbed pole position for the Mexican Grand Prix and then said his best lap came during his worst session of the weekend. "On long runs we were really strong and practice was really good," said the three-time champion who is 26 points adrift of Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg with three races remaining. "So strangely Q3 was actually my worst session of the whole weekend so far." Rosberg, who had struggled to be within half a second of Hamilton for most sessions, managed to close to two-tenths on his final run to take second place on the grid. Hamilton added that he was not worried that rivals Red Bull were third and fourth on the grid and set to start the race on the super-soft tyres. "It is always a tough battle to pull out perfect laps when it counts, especially on these tyres, but going into this race we have the right strategy and the car is in a good place for the long runs. "We have had a lot of pace and that is why we believed it was possible to progress on the soft tyres - and we did our long run on the soft tyres. "The super-soft was a bit of a mess. It may not be for them (Red Bull), but it was for us. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Iceland was gearing up today for tough horsetrading over its next government after the anti-establishment Pirate Party and its allies gained ground against the ruling centre-right in a vote triggered by the Panama Papers scandal. Prime Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson announced his resignation after his centrist Progressive Party -- which had been governing in a coalition with the conservative Independence Party -- suffered a drubbing in yesterday's vote. Final figures from the election, called after Johannsson's predecessor was forced out over revelations in the Panama Papers of a hidden offshore account worth millions, pointed to a deadlocked outcome. The Independence and Progressive parties together won 29 seats in the 63-member parliament or Althingi, down nine from the outgoing assembly. The Pirates and its three centre-left allies won 27 seats, reaping gains from a wave of popular anger with the establishment parties but falling short of a majority. Johannsson, an unpopular figure over his perceived closeness to business, said he will remain in office until a new government is formed in the volcanic island nation. President Gudni Johannesson is set to task Finance Minister Bjarni Benediktsson of the Independence Party, which won 21 seats, with trying to form a new government. Pirate Party co-founder Birgitta Jonsdottir said she was "thrilled" after the movement created by anarchists, hackers and activists picked up 10 seats, more than tripling its representation. "We will carry on no matter what's going to happen in the next few days," she told a conference, saying her party is "open to compromise". The Left-Green Movement also picked up 10 seats, the Social Democrats three, and the centrist Bright Future Movement four. The centrist Regeneration Party, which won seven seats, could determine the fate of coalition talks but negotiations with the Independence Party could be tough. The two parties fell out over holding a referendum on resuming the nation's EU membership talks which were stalled by the incumbent government. "We have not been negative towards other parties or how governments should be formed," Regeneration leader Benedikt Johannesson told AFP. The election was triggered after the Panama Papers revealed in April that 600 Icelanders including bankers, business leaders and cabinet ministers, including the then premier, had holdings stashed away in offshore accounts. The episode revived the seething public anger that erupted during the 2008 financial crisis, which wrecked Iceland's banking industry and plunged the country into recession, prompting it to seek a humiliating IMF bailout. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 56-year-old Indian-origin woman used a steel chair to fight off machete-wielding thieves who tried to rob her shop in north-west England, earning praise for the brave act. Hamalata Patel was confronted by two robbers with faces hidden behind balaclavas while working at her K and L Newsagent store in Winsford, Cheshire, last week. "The shop was empty when two lads walked in holding the machetes. They were shouting at me and I just told them 'if you need it then take it' but one of them banged the machete on the counter and started to damage the shop so I just lost the plot," Patel said. "We have a chair that we leave out for some of our older customers so I picked it up and chased them out of the shop while I shouted at them, 'okay, if you ask for it then you are going to get it and I'm coming for you'," she said. Her husband, 63-year-old Dhirubhai and granddaughters - four-year-old Zuri, and two-year-old Emi - were also in the back of the shop at the time. "They [robbers] ran out of the shop and my husband who was in the back came out to see that I was okay. Word of what I've done is starting to get around the area, everyone knows what I'm like - I help out with people and charities and I care for people in the local area, but don't ever cross me," she said. Her brave act was caught on CCTV, showing the thieves fleeing from the shop empty-handed. Patel has owned the shop with her husband since 1984 and said she had never experienced an incident like it in her shop before. "In a sense, I feel sorry for the two who came in but they have done wrong. I've been here for more than 30 years and I've never had anything like this before. We had an incident in 2011 when someone tried to break into the cash machine outside the shop when we had it. But no one was in the shop at the time so this was a lot worse," she said. A spokesperson for Cheshire Police confirmed two teenagers, aged 16 and 14, have been arrested and released on bail until October 19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and Sri Lanka will hold the ministerial-level talks in New Delhi this week to resolve the fisheries dispute, a media report said today. A 10-member Lankan fishing association delegation will leave for New Delhi on Wednesday and the ministerial-level talks will be held on Saturday, the Sunday Times reported. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will meet her Lankan counterpart Mangala Samaraweera and Lankan Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera. These talks are to be preceded by talks between the fisher associations of the two countries, the paper said. Lankan fishing organizations have protested recently over an alleged give in by their government wherein Indian fishermen doing illegal fishing in the Lankan waters would be allowed to do fishing limited to a given number of days per week, the paper said. The government has denied the accusation, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The last rites of army jawan Mandeep Singh, who was killed by terrorists in Macchil sector of Jammu and Kashmir, were held with full state honours today, even as his family and villagers demanded that Pakistan be given a befitting reply for its repeated misadventures. The jawan's body, wrapped in the tricolour, was brought in a bedecked army vehicle to his native village here as a large number of people including from neighbouring areas paid their last respect. The martyr whose body was mutilated by the terrorists, was given a gun salute by the army, which sounded the last post. Mandeep's father lit the funeral pyre. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, senior army officers, officials from the district administration were present on the occasion. Villagers who kept chanting "Shaheed Mandeep Amar Rahe" also raised anti-Pakistan slogans. The 30-year-old soldier was scheduled to return to his village to celebrate Diwali and for a ceremony in connection with the family's newly constructed house here, but instead he returned in a coffin, his family and local villagers, all of whom were inconsolable, said. Mandeep's family and villagers demanded the Centre avenge the sacrifice of soldiers and teach Pakistan a lesson. People of his village said they will will not be celebrating Diwali today as a mark of respect to the martyr's supreme sacrifice. However, each household has decided to light a "diya" (earthen lamp) in his memory. Mandeep's sacrifice is the second loss to the district within a week after BSF constable Sushil Kumar, who belonged to Pehowa here, was martyred in Jammu district. Antehri is famous as a village of soldiers. Several youths from here are serving in the armed forces. There was anger among the people here over the barbaric incident at the Line of Control in Kashmir as the body of the jawan was mutilated by the terrorists, who were aided by the cover fire by Pakistan army. Mandeep had joined the 17th Sikh regiment as a sepoy in 2008. He had got married in 2014. Consoling the martyr's family, Khattar while responding to their demand that stern action be taken against Pakistan for harbouring terrorists and its repeated misadventures, said that "we will teach them a lesson". "We will avenge this. Pakistan will be taught a lesson," Khattar said. He also said, "The martyr laid down his life for the nation's sake. In this hour of grief, we are standing solidly behind the family. We will give whatever assistance they require. (REOPENS DEL 13) Meanwhile, interacting with reporters here, Khattar described the killing of soldier Mandeep Singh as a cowardly act by the terrorists. Khattar said that such nefarious designs of evil forces would not succeed. "The martyrdom of Mandeep Singh will inspire many others to protect our motherland," Khattar said. The Chief Minister said that a financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh would be given to the next of kin of the martyr. To a question, he also said that the state government will consider raising a memorial or naming a road after the martyr. "Whatever his family wants, we will consider it," he said. A pall of gloom descended on the Antehri village after the body of the jawan reached here. People thronged the martyr's house to pay their last respect before the coffin was carried in a bedecked vehicle for the last rites. The Chief Minister and others laid a wreath on the martyr's body. Mandeep's widow Prerna is a Head Constable with Haryana police and posted at Shahbad Markanda here. Prerna said Pakistan must be taught a lesson for harbouring terrorists. "We cannot see our soldiers dying daily," she said breaking down into tears several times. Mandeep is the youngest of three sons of Phool Singh. Singh said rmy should be given a free hand to deal with nefarious designs of Pakistan. The martyr's brother Sandeep said that he wants to join the Army to avenge the killing of our soldiers. The martyr's neighbours described him as a "go getter" who always had a smile on his face. Mandeep's sacrifice came within a week after Sushil Kumar (47), a BSF constable was martyred in Jammu district. He also hailed from Kurukshetra district and belonged to Pehowa town here. Kumar was killed as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire, resorting to heavy shelling and firing from automatic weapons in several sectors along the International Border in Jammu district on October 24. (REOPENS DES2) Earlier today, the martyr's body was flown to the Kurukshetra University helipad from Ambala cantonment in a helicopter. The body was placed at a newly constructed house, in which he had planned to move in this Diwali. His elder brother Sandeep said,"Mandeep had started construction of his new house in the village last year, and had planned to move in on Diwali." "A 'puja' had started at the house on Thursday. Mandeep had called to inform that he would not be able to come home as his leave had been canceled," he said. "He asked us to go ahead with the 'greh pravesh' (house warming) ceremonies and move into the new house. Now, his body has arrived in a coffin," he said breaking into tears. During the cremation, at a ground near the house, his wife, Prerna, fainted when the pyre was lit by the martyr's father. She was helped back on her feet by a few army men. A kin of the martyr claimed that Chief Minister Khattar had also announced a government job to a member of the bereaved family. The Justice Department discouraged the FBI from alerting Congress to the unexpected discovery of emails potentially related to its investigation of Hillary Clinton's private email server, given the proximity to the presidential election and the potential for political fallout, a government official said. Justice Department officials who were advised of the FBI's intention to notify Congress about the discovery expressed concern that the action would be inconsistent with department protocols designed to avoid the appearance of interference in an election. In an apparent departure from the wishes of top Justice Department leaders, FBI Director James Comey acted independently when he sent several members of Congress a letter about the emails on Friday, according to the official, who was not authorised to discuss internal deliberations and spoke on condition of anonymity. The move creates the potential for a divide between the Justice Department and Comey, who has served in government under both Democratic and Republican presidents. And it provides political fodder for Republican nominee Donald Trump. Speaking at a rally in Phoenix yesterday, where the crowd cheered "Lock her up!" at the mention of Clinton's name, the billionaire accused the Justice Department of doing everything it can to protect the Democratic nominee in another example of what he claims is a "rigged system." "Now it's reported that the Department of Justice is fighting with the FBI. That's because the Department of Justice is trying their hardest to protect the criminal activity of Hillary Clinton," Trump said, offering no evidence for the assertion. It was not immediately clear what the emails were about or what significance, if any, they carried to the email investigation. Nor was it clear when agents would complete the process of reviewing the recovered emails, and Comey made no guarantees that would happen before Election Day. The newly discovered emails were on a device seized during a sexting investigation of disgraced former New York congressman, Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of Huma Abedin, one of Clinton's closest aides. A person familiar with the investigation, who lacked authority to discuss the matter publicly and insisted on anonymity, said the device that appears to be at the center of the new review was a computer that belonged only to Weiner and was not one he shared with Abedin. As a result, it was not a device searched for work-related emails at the time of the initial investigation. The person said it is "news to (Abedin)" that her emails would be on a computer belonging to her husband. Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Issac today backed Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) K M Abraham, whose house was recently inspected by vigilance in connection with a disproportionate assets case, saying the officer had an impressive track record against corruption. "The track record of Abraham, a former board member of the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and who had investigated the high profile Sahara case was impressive, which is clear from the stand he had taken in various corruption cases," Issac told reporters. He had taken a strong stand against corruption while working under the Central Government and later with the state government, he said. For corruption during the previous UDF regime in the state, it is not officials, but those ruling who were responsible, he added. Vigilance had recently conducted an "inspection" of his house here against which the official had complained to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. In his complaint, Abraham had alleged that Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau Director Jacob Thomas was acting "vengefully" against him. "Jacob is acting vengefully against me in retaliation for having recommended disciplinary action against him in the finance Inspection report for irregularities committed by him and causing loss to public exchequer when he was the port director", Abraham had said. The minister said if there were any lapses in the vigilance inspection, the chief minister would look into it. When the matter figured in the Assembly, Vijayan had informed the House that government would also examine whether all procedures had been followed while conducting the inspection of Abraham's residence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maharashtra Government has decided to set up a committee under the chairmanship of a top bureaucrat for the implementation of a Rs 4,000-crore project on climate resilient agriculture. The programme aims to reduce farmers' dependence on unpredictable weather cycles and enhance resilience of agriculture to climate change and vulnerability through research and use of technology. The seven-member panel, headed by the Principal Secretary (Agriculture), has been set up with a target of selecting 4,000 drought-prone villages for the implementation of the project, according to a Government Resolution (GR) issued two days ago. The committee would select 3,000 villages from eight districts of Marathwada region, while the remaining 1,000 will be chosen from six districts of Vidarbha, it said. The panel has been asked to select indicators related to weather, agriculture and social status of the villages from Marathwada and Vidarbha based on which they would be ranked. "The Marathwada and Vidarbha regions have been at the receiving end of climatic variations. Erratic showers and heavy spells have damaged crops very often in the last few years," a senior officer of Agriculture Department told PTI. "A climate resilient cropping pattern could be useful to minimise loss of crops. Unless there is a scientific approach to climatic variations, farmers can not sustain themselves," the officer said. The Vice-Chancellors of Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Agriculture College, Parbhani, and Akola-based Panjabrao Deshmukh Agriculture University, State Agriculture Commissioner and Director General of Groundwater Surveys will be the among members of the committee. Director of the Project on Climate Resilient Agriculture would be the Member-Secretary, while Randhir Savarkar, MLA from Akola (East) would be the only non- administration member of the panel, the GR added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Chhattisgarh's 16th foundation day celebrations in Naya Raipur on November 1 during his visit to the state. He will also launch 'Saur Sujala Yojana' which aims to provide solar pumps to 51,000 farmers for irrigation in state. "Prime Minister Modi will grace the inaugural ceremony of the five-day 'Chhattisgarh Rajyotsav'- the statehood celebration to start from November 1," Chief Minister Raman Singh said in a statement here. "On the occasion, he will also launch the ambitious Saur Sujala Yojana which will benefit lakhs of farmers all over the country, particularly from those areas where traditional electricity is yet to reach," he said. The five-day event will be held at the sprawling 'Rajyotsav Sthal' at Naya Raipur, the upcoming new capital of Chhattisgarh. Besides, Modi will also dedicate the state's first man-made jungle safari developed in an area of 320-hectares and Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) at Naya Raipur. Hewill also unveil a statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya at 'Ekatm Path', the release said. Earlier, Chhattisgarh had sent a proposal on 'Saur Sujala Yojana' to the Centre which was appreciated by Modi, who later decided to implement the scheme across the country, it said. Expressing happiness that the Prime Minister has selected Chhattisgarh for launching the scheme, Singh said, under the 'Saur Sujala Yojana', 51,000 farmers from Chhattisgarh will be benefited. As many as 51,000 solar powered irrigation pumps of 3HP and 5HP capacity worth Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh respectively, will be distributed among equal number of farmers by March 31, 2019. The farmers will get these pumps at subsidised price, he said. The scheme will be given priority in those areas where electricity connection has not reached yet, he added. The Prime Minister will arrive here at Swami Vivekanand airport on November 1 at 11.15 AM and after taking part in series of programmes, he will leave for Delhi at around 2:50 PM, the statement said. Home Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to attend the valedictory function of the 'Rajyotsav' on November 5. Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in November, 2000. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) No matter who wins the presidency, women and minorities are poised to make gains in the next Congress. The offspring of two pillars of the Washington establishment former Vice President Dick Cheney and ex-CIA Director Leon Panetta have a good chance to resume their families' service in Congress. The number of women in the Senate could increase by four or more above the current 20, with as many as three female minorities. It would be the highest number of women in the Senate in history, but nowhere near the percentage of females in the general population. A record 167 women are running for the House. While outcomes are uncertain, analysts predict the number of women in the House for the 115th Congress that convenes Jan. 3 will exceed the current 84. Racial minorities are expected to make historic gains, although Congress is likely to remain overwhelmingly white, male and middle-aged. The new Congress could have some familiar names, with several former members seeking their old seats. Twenty women now serve in the Senate, a total likely to rise next year. Kelly Dittmar, an assistant professor at Rutgers University and a scholar at the Center for American Women and Politics, said female candidates may benefit from running with Hillary Clinton at the top of the ticket and from sexist comments made by Donald Trump. But she said the major boost is from Clinton's standing. Twelve of the 16 women running for Senate this year are Democrats. "Democratic candidates will be helped by a strong Democrat on top of the ticket," Dittmar said. She cited Deborah Ross in North Carolina, Katie McGinty in Pennsylvania and Rep. Tammy Duckworth in Illinois as likely beneficiaries of possible Clinton coattails. There are two states where a woman is guaranteed to win: New Hampshire, where incumbent Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte faces Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan, and California, where two Democrats state Attorney General Kamala Harris and Rep. Loretta Sanchez square off. "Pennsylvania has a lot of work to do" to elect more women, Dittmar said, including better recruitment of female candidates at all levels. "They are still contending with a bit of a boys' club in Pennsylvania." Former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, the first African-American woman elected to the Senate, said she was thrilled to see "people running for office who don't fit the traditional role of wealthy, white and male." Braun and Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, are only the minority women who have served in the Senate. Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto, who is running for an open seat in Nevada, joins Sanchez in seeking to become the nation's first Latina senator, while Duckworth could become the Senate's second Asian-American woman. Harris, the daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica, could become just the second black woman elected to the Senate and the first with South Asian roots. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Niger Delta militants have claimed an attack on a gas pipeline in protest at upcoming talks between the Nigerian government and leaders from the oil-producing south. In a statement, the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate group yesterday said it would not support the talks being held by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and representatives from the Niger Delta to end the oil infrastructure sabotage. Attacks on pipelines by militant groups have slashed Nigeria's oil production helping to tip the country into recession as it struggles to adapt to the low price of crude globally. "...In furtherance of the Operation Hammurabi Code, our Akuma strike team struck and brought down the 32-inch Effurun-Otor delivery line," the militant group's spokesman Aldo Agbalaja in a statement. "This is not ending soon, we shall fulfil our promise of uprooting your entire assets in our land." The Effurun-Otor pipeline feeds the Utorogu gas plant that powers Lagos, a megacity of around 20 million people. The militants dismissed the forthcoming talks in Nigeria's capital Abuja on Tuesday, saying they would "never get our support." "Like we said before now, the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate is not opposed to a genuine dialogue between the federal government and real representatives of the various nations of our region," said the statement. "We are collecting names from the nations in the region, those who will sincerely and equitably represent our various peoples." A security source confirmed the attack. "Yes, a pipeline conveying products to the Utorogu gas plant was attacked by some hoodlums," a Department of State Security official said. Divisions between rival militant groups will make it hard for the Nigerian government to strike a lasting peace deal. A 2009 amnesty deal with militants helped end sabotage in the oil-producing southern swamplands, but the violence reignited after Buhari's cash-strapped government temporarily ended amnesty payments and arrested a prominent ex-militant for corruption. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Taking a leap further to enhance its services, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has developed two online applications making the process of grievance redressal and building permission less hassle free for citizens. At present, a total 23 applications of Maharashtra government are there on civic body's website, but the two applications, started about three months back, has bore good results among Navi Mumbai residents, NMMC Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe told PTI. Mundhe is currently in the middle of a political stir after corporators passed a no confidence motion against him. Navi Mumbai Mayor accused Mundhe, popular for his drive against illegal constructions in the region, for "autocratic style of functioning and disrespecting corporators." He said NMMC's two online applications -- e-grievances redressal and building permissions feature -- have proved to be a success and are monitored on real time basis. Under the e-grievances redressal which is the complaint module system, Mundhe said, citizens can simply go to civic body's website and select what category of complaint and post their complaint. From there, it automatically reach to the department concerned and its chief is expected to act on it within 24 hours. The commissioner then gets the details of the status and analysis of the complaint. "After the complaint is addressed and issue resolved, citizens are also required to evaluate the result through satisfaction index option. If a worker fails to resolve the issue and sleeps over it, then his ranking will fall and it is reflected with a negative scoring in the service record and annual appraisal," Mundhe elucidated. He said so far they have achieved 90 per cent success in this category. Talking about the building permission application, Mudhe said in this process the number of documents that are required have been brought down from 36 to 7 and NOCs from 7 to 2. The waiting time has also been reduced considerably and if the applicants fulfil all the conditions and submit the documents required, they get the permissions within a stipulated time-frame. "This I would say is the step towards 'ease of doing business'. For achieving this business process re-engineering, we held discussions with several stakeholders," he added. Mundhe also said that two applications can be replicated in other civic corporations as well. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Denying allegations that corruption was done in the Rs 1,761 crore steel flyover project in Bengaluru, the construction of which was stayed by the Green Tribunal, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today said there was total transparency in the project. Talking to reporters here, he said opposition BJP was "spreading lies" on the project, "which was initiated during their rule in 2010." "Many BJP legislators were in support of the project", he claimed. "BJP did not oppose the project when it was announced in the 2014 budget. The party was raising objections now for reasons best known to them," he said. The implementation of the project would largely solve traffic problems in the capital city, he said. The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal in Chennai had on October 28 restrained the Bengaluru Development Authority from proceeding with the flyover project for four weeks. The tribunal granted interim stay on petitions from Citizen Action Forum and others. The petitions opposed the project on environmental grounds. The project was to construct a 6.72km long, six-lane steel flyover between Basaveshwara Circle and Hebbal to decongest traffic. The project had faced opposition as it allegedly involved felling of over 800 trees. Farmers too had opposed the project. (Reopens MDS4) Siddaramaiah said adequate security had been arranged across Karnataka for the 'Tipu Jayanthi' celebration on November 10. "Hindu outfits including the RSS were spreading communal hatred by opposing the celebrations," he said. To a question on RSS worker Rudresh's murder, he said stringent action would be taken against the culprits. Four persons had already been arrested in the case, he said, adding, the role of Popular Front of India in the murder had not yet been proved. Rudresh was hacked to death by two motorcycle-borne men on Kamaraja Road in Bengaluru on October 16 when he was with his friends, after attending a Sangh event. He said a meeting had been called on November 3 to discuss the proposal for a separate sand policy for coastal districts. Normal life remained affected in Kashmir for the 114th consecutive day on Sunday due to the separatist-sponsored strike over the recent civilian killings and in support of their demand for right to 'self determination'. Although there were no curbs imposed by the authorities, normal activities remained badly affected due to the strike called by the separatists. A large number of street vendors had set up their stalls at the weekly flea market, known locally as Sunday Market here, while a fair number of private cars and auto-rickshaws were seen plying in the city. Shops, petrol pumps and business establishments were shut, but are expected to open this evening as the separatists have announced relaxation in the strike from 5 pm onwards. Security forces have been deployed in strength at vulnerable spots and along the main roads as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order as well as to instill a sense of security among the people to carry out their day to day activities without fear. The separatists, who are spearheading the ongoing agitation in support of their demand for right to self determination, have been issuing weekly protest calendars since Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8. As many as 85 people, including two cops, have been killed and several thousand others injured in the ongoing unrest in the Valley. Around 5,000 security forces personnel have also been injured in the clashes. Thousands of youth, including some top separatist leaders, have been arrested by police over the past three months in an attempt to break the impasse. Over 300 people have been booked under Public Safety Act. A reboot of the classic 1980s action franchise "Rambo" that starred Sylvester Stallone is being developed. Brooks McLaren has been tapped to pen the script and Ariel Vromen to direct the feature, said The Hollywood Reporter. Titled "Rambo: New Blood", the new reboot would not see Stallone return as the action hero, like he did in the 2008 outing, but would see a younger actor inhabit the role. The company is looking at Rambo as a character akin to James Bond. Rambo was the lead character in a 1972 novel by David Morrell titled First Blood. Hollywood adapted the book into the hit 1982 movie that starred Stallone in a story that despite its action trappings looked at issues facing disaffected Vietnam War vets. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actress Rebecca Ferguson is set to star in biopic "The Lady and the Panda". Ferguson, 33, will play Ruth Harkness in the historical adventure, reported Variety. Filming is expected to begin next month in China in the Sichuan region in the foothills of the Himalayas. The movie is a UK/Chinese co-production, produced by Laura Bickford and Michelle Qi, CEO of Europe China Picture Group. Harkness was the first person to bring a live panda from China to the United States. She was a New York socialite whose wealthy explorer husband died unexpectedly in 1936. Harkness took over his expedition to China, joined forces with Chinese guide Quentin Young, and traveled into the uncharted Himalayas, where, against all odds, they rescued an orphaned baby panda. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The first installment of nearly Rs 5,500 crore has been paid for implementing the OROP scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, said while asserting that he has "fulfilled the promise" he made to ex-servicemen on the issue that has been hanging fire for the last 40 years. The Prime Minister, while celebrating Diwali with army and ITBP personnel in Sumdo here, over 270 km from state capital Shimla, also lauded the role of the security force personnel guarding and protecting the country. "Spent time with our courageous @ITBP_official & Army Jawans at Sumdo, Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh. Jai Jawan! Jai Hind!," he tweeted. Earlier in his 'Mann ki Baat' programme on All India Radio, he saluted the valour of the armed forces and lauded their sacrifice while dedicating the festival of Diwali to them. "The OROP was not about just Rs 200 or Rs 500 crore, but Rs 10,000 crore... After I became the PM, and decided that I had to do (implement) it, the entire government lost sleep over it... It was not possible for the government to pay in one go, so I requested the ex-servicemen to accept it in four instalments. "The money will reach them in four installments. Nearly, Rs 5,500 crore has been paid as the first installment," Modi said. He said the issue had been pending for "40 years" as certain people in the previous governments "did not know" about OROP (scheme), and therefore "only Rs 500 crore was allocated" for the purpose. Modi also said that many people thought that if the scheme was not implemented, a section of "ex-servicemen would turn against the government". The Prime Minister, on his way to Sumdo, met civilians at Himachal's Chango village, close to the Sino-Indian border. "Made unscheduled stop at Chango village, close to Somdu, to wish people on Diwali. Was deeply touched by the impromptu reception & their joy," Modi tweeted. "The Prime Minister spent time with ITBP jawans and personnel of Dogra Scouts of army at Sumdo on border of Kinnaur and Spiti, and distributed sweets to them," an official said. Modi also met personnel of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), a branch of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), entrusted with construction and maintenance of border roads and also executing the Rohtang Tunnel project, the official said. After coming in power in 2014, the Prime Minister had celebrated his first Diwali with soldiers posted in Siachen, and in 2015, he celebrated it at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said Rs 5,500 crore has been paid for implementing the OROP scheme, an issue that has been hanging fire for the last 40 years, even as he lauded the valour and sacrifice of the armed forces amid tension on the border with Pakistan. Dedicating this Diwali to the armed forces personnel, he said he has "fulfilled the promise" he made to ex-servicemen on the one-rank-one-pension scheme. Modi said the issue had been pending for "40 years" as certain people in the previous governments "did not know" about OROP, and therefore "only Rs 500 crore was allocated" for the purpose. He also said many people thought that if the scheme was not implemented, a section of "ex-servicemen would turn against the government". He made these remarks while celebrating Diwali with army and ITBP men in Sumdo in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district. "Spent time with our courageous @ITBP_official & Army Jawans at Sumdo, Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh. Jai Jawan! Jai Hind!," he tweeted. Earlier, in his monthly "Mann ki Baat" programme on All India Radio, Modi asked the people and the state governments to find ways of forging unity across the country and work to defeat separatist tendencies and mentalities. He hailed the people including celebrities for sending overwhelming messages to his "Sandesh2Soldiers" campaign. In the wake of ongoing unrest in Kashmir Valley, he said, "Unity in diversity is our strength. It is the responsibility of every citizen and all governments to forge unity and curb separatist tendencies to save the country." In an apparent reference to tension on the Indo-Pak border, Modi credited the soldiers for maintenance of peace and security in the country and called upon everyone to remember their gallantry while celebrating Diwali. "In the wake of recent events, our soldiers have been sacrificing their everything for the safety and security of the country. Their dedication and labour has overwhelmed me completely. Let us dedicate this Diwali to our armed forces. "I had invited everyone to participate in the Sandesh2Soldiers campaign and I have been humbled by the response. From students, villagers and traders to political leaders and sportspersons, everyone has sent a Diwali message for our soldiers," he said while referring to the jawans who are stationed in deserts and on the icy heights of the Himalayas and security personnel who are guarding our industries and airports. In a veiled reference to the unrest in Kashmir Valley, the Prime Minister also called for forces of unity to be strengthened and those of separatism to be defeated. "Unity in diversity is the strength of our country. Every citizen and every government must work to find ways of forging unity and defeating separatist mindset and tendencies," he said as he remembered Sardar Patel who strived hard to forge unity in the country and bind it together. The Prime Minister, while on his way back from Sumdo, met civilians at Himachal's Chango village, close to the Sino-Indian border. He exchanged greetings, interacted with the people there, and offered sweets to children. "Made unscheduled stop at Chango village, close to Somdu, to wish people on Diwali. Was deeply touched by the impromptu reception & their joy," Modi tweeted. "The Prime Minister spent time with ITBP jawans and personnel of Dogra Scouts of army at Sumdo on border of Kinnaur and Spiti, and distributed sweets to them," an official said. Modi also met personnel of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), a branch of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), entrusted with construction and maintenance of border roads and also executing the Rohtang Tunnel project, the official said. After coming in power in 2014, the Prime Minister had celebrated his first Diwali with soldiers posted in Siachen, and in 2015, he celebrated it at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. On the OROP issue Modi said, "The OROP was not about just Rs 200 crore or Rs 500 crore, but Rs 10,000 crore... After I became the PM, and decided that I had to do (implement) it, the entire government lost sleep over it... It was not possible for the government to pay in one go, so I requested the ex-servicemen to accept it in four instalments. "The money will reach them in four installments. Nearly, Rs 5,500 crore has been paid as the first installment," Modi said. He said implementation of OROP was his "dream", which has been "fulfilled". Rahul Gandhi had yesterday questioned the Modi government's resolve to work for soldiers' welfare, asking the Prime Minister to first implement OROP in a meaningful way and redress their pay anomalies and other grievances. The Congress Vice President had written to Modi saying he was saddened at the decisions of the government taken in the last few weeks "which are far from reassuring the soldiers and has caused them pain instead". Chief of Army Staff Gen. Dalbir Singh was present on the occasion. A severe drought is looming large over Kerala as the state has receiveddeficient rainfall during the south-west monsoon. There has been a sharp decrease of rainfall to the tune of 34 per cent during the south-west monsoon, according to figures released by the Indian Meteorological Department here. From June 1 this year to September 30, Kerala received 1352.3 mm rains against the normal rainfall of 2039.7 mm, a deficiency of 34 per cent. There has been no rain in October and if this situation continues, there will be drought-like situation, IMD, Thiruvananthapuram Director S Sudevan, said. "If the North East Monsoon fails then there will be problems in different sectors-- Agriculture, Power etc", he told PTI. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has also said that the state was heading for a "severe" drought as Kerala had received deficient rains in the south-west monsoon. Though the north-east monsoon was yet to set in, the state had not received pre-monsoon showers, he said. "A huge danger is lurking in the state in the form of drought as the south west monsoon was deficient", Vijayan had said at a function yesterday. "If this situation continues, the state is heading for a severe drought. We need to take precautions," he had said. To tackle the situation, the government was also keen to encourage rain water harvesting, he said. There has been an average reduction of 22 per cent water in the state's dams when compared to the water storage in September last year. The state was also gearing up to take measures to tackle scarcity of drinking water which is likely to be faced by the state due to deficient monsoon, according to Water Resources Minister Mathew P Thomas. The government also has plans to rejuvenate at least 10,000 private temple ponds of the total 40,000 in the state. The Chief Minister had convened a high level meeting on Oct 13 to work out plans to meet the impending drought situation. Kerala is now pinning all hopes on the north east monsoon which is yet to set in, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sri Lankan authorities have blocked a Tamil language website over a complaint that it had carried critical of the judiciary. The access to NewJaffna.Net from Sri Lanka has been blocked on a justice ministry order, Telecommunications Regulatory Commission said. The website had reportedly been critical of the Jaffna magistrate. Director Information Ranga Kalansuriya said investigation on the website would be made available soon and until then the website's access will be blocked. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) was commemorated for the first time at the United Nations, with the world body's imposing headquarters here lit up especially on the occasion of the Indian festival of lights. The facade of the UN headquarters was lit in bright hues and the words 'Happy Diwali', along with the image of a traditional 'diya', projected onto the building. "Lighting up. @UN lights up for # for 1st time," India's Ambassador to the UN Syed Akbaruddin tweeted. "Happy Diwali! @UN celebrates for 1st time. Thank you @UN_PGA for this initiative," Akbaruddin said in another tweet, thanking General Assembly President Peter Thomson for the initiative. Happy Diwali!@UN celebrates Diwali for 1st time. Thank you @UN_PGA for this initiative. pic.twitter.com/vPNaZojCj0 Syed Akbaruddin (@AkbaruddinIndia) October 29, 2016 He also tweeted a picture of passers-by clicking photographs of the building as well as being themselves clicked against the illuminated UN headquarters in the background. The #Diwali selfie spot in New York on 30-31 October evening is @UN Headquarters. Share your photos #Diwali@UN pic.twitter.com/BrVga3YViO Syed Akbaruddin (@AkbaruddinIndia) October 30, 2016 Thomson also tweeted a picture of the UN building lit up in bright blue for Diwali and said "Light over darkness, hope over despair, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil - the UN lights up. Happy Diwali!" Light over darkness, hope over despair, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil - the UN lights up. Happy Diwali! pic.twitter.com/muA23nFWZZ Peter Thomson (@ThomsonFiji) October 30, 2016 The UN Secretariat building will be lit up for Diwali from October 29-31. It is for the first time that the Indian festival of lights is celebrated at the world body after the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in December, 2014 that acknowledged the "significance of Diwali". Noting that the festival is observed in many UN member states, the resolution had called on UN bodies to avoid holding meetings on Diwali, declaring it a no-meeting day. From 2016 onwards, Diwali was made an optional holiday for the UN, India's Permanent Mission to the world body said in a special video message. Earlier in June, the UN building was lit up on the occasion of the International Yoga Day, with images of Yoga postures projected on the imposing headquarters. Nepal has re-appointed Deep Kumar Upadhyay as its envoy to India, nearly six months after he was recalled by the previous K P Oli-led government over charges of 'non-cooperation' and indulging in 'anti-government' activities. Nepalese President BidyaDevi Bhandari yesterday appointed Upadhyay as Ambassador to India while also naming Leela Mani Paudyal as envoy to China, according to a statement issued by the President's Office today. Upadhyay would enjoy the diplomatic ranking of a Cabinet Minister, according to the statement. Upadhyay, who was serving as Nepal's Ambassador to India since April 2015, was suddenly recalled by the erstwhile Oli government on May 6. The Oli-led government had levelled three charges against Upadhyaya to justify its decision to recall him and officials had said he was working 'against national interest'. Upadhyay, a leader of Nepali Congress, was seen as the first casualty of the cancellation of Nepalese President Bhandari's planned visit to India. Paudyal is a former Chief Secretary of the government of Nepal. The Council of Ministers on September 1 hadrecommended the duofor the key diplomatic outposts in Nepal's neighbourhood. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "You either support the policy or you don't, and the silence of Labor Party members in the face of the overwhelming evidence of the devastating impact of indefinite offshore detention can only be interpreted in one way; as support for the policy," he said. "You need to have something that people notice, not overwhelm you, that you feel confident in and gives you confidence to go on and do whatever you need to, whether it's in parliament or on the world stage, those are the elements that I try to put into every garment." [Your Business Name] Contact Info Phone: Fax: Email: Web: CAPITOLHILLCUBANS.COM Business Overview Geographic Area Line of Business Brands We Carry Products and Services Discounts Offered Additional Information Business Hours Timezone We Accept Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. A powerful earthquake struck Italy on Sunday in the same central regions that have been rocked by repeated tremors over the past two months, with more homes and churches brought down but no deaths reported. The quake, which measured 6.6 according to the U.S. Geological Survey, was bigger than one on Aug. 24 that killed almost 300 people. Many people have fled the area since then, helping to avoid a new devastating death toll. With thousands already made homeless, a leading seismologist warned that the earthquakes could go on for weeks in a domino effect along the central Apennine fault system. The latest quake was felt across much of Italy, striking at 7.40 a.m. (0640 GMT), its epicenter close to the historic Umbrian walled town of Norcia, some 100 km (60 miles) from the university city of Perugia. Panicked Norcia residents rushed into the streets and the towns ancient Basilica of St. Benedict collapsed, leaving just the facade standing. Nuns, monks and locals sank to their knees in the main square in silent prayer before the shattered church. This is a tragedy. It is a coup de grace. The basilica is devastated, Bishop Renato Boccardo of Norcia told Reuters. Everyone has been suspended in a never-ending state of fear and stress. They are at their wits end, said Boccardo, referring to the thousands of tremors that have rattled the area since August, including two serious quakes on Wednesday. Italys Civil Protection unit, which coordinates disaster relief, said numerous houses were destroyed on Sunday in the regions of Umbria and Marche, but either they were deserted at the time or most of the residents managed to escape in time. Civil Protection chief Fabrizio Curcio said no deaths had been reported and around 20 people were injured, none of them critically. He said it was too early to say how many more people had lost their homes. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi promised a massive reconstruction effort regardless of cost and took advantage of the disaster to resume his frequent criticism of the European Unions public finance rules. We will rebuild everything, the houses, the churches and the businesses, he told reporters. Everything that needs to be done to rebuild these areas will be done. He said he would have no regard for technocratic rules and would consider all money spent to make Italys schools and hospitals earthquake-proof to be outside EU limits on budget deficits. Local authorities said towns and villages already battered by Augusts 6.2 quake had suffered further significant damage. This mornings quake has hit the few things that were left standing. We will have to start from scratch, Michele Franchi, the deputy mayor of Arquata del Tronto, told Rai television. Experts said Sundays quake was the strongest here since a 6.9 quake in Italys south in 1980 that killed 2,735 people . Artistic Loss The destruction of the Norcia basilica was the single most significant loss of Italys artistic heritage in an earthquake since a tremor in 1997 caused the collapse of the ceiling of the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, which is 80 km to the north. The frescoed basilica, which is the spiritual, historic and tourist heart of Norcia, was built over the site of the home where the founder of the Benedictine order and his Sister St. Scolastica were born in 480. The basilica and monastery complex dates to the 13th century, although shrines to St. Benedict and his sister had been built there since the 8th century. Benedict founded the Benedictine order in Subiaco, near Rome. He died in 530 in the monastery at Monte Cassino, south of Rome, which was destroyed during World War Two. That monastery was later rebuilt. A number of other churches were also ruined on Sunday, Italian media reported, including Norcias Cattedrale di Santa Maria, which was built in the 16th century, while the town hall belltower had deep cracks running through its walls. However, most of Norcias homes appeared to have withstood the prolonged tremor, with residents praising years of investment by local authorities in anti-seismic protection. In the nearby city of Rieti, patients were evacuated from a hospital to allow experts to check on structural damage, while hillroads across the region were littered with fallen rocks. Sundays earthquake was felt as far north as Bolzano, near the border with Austria and as far south as the Puglia region at the southern tip of the Italian peninsula. It was also felt strongly in the capital, Rome, where transport authorities shut down the metro system for precautionary checks. Authorities also toured the citys main Roman Catholic basilicas looking for possible damage. Italy sits on two geological fault lines, making it one of the most seismically active countries in Europe. Its deadliest quake since the start of the 20th century came in 1908, when a tremor followed by a tsunami killed an estimated 80,000 people in the southern regions of Reggio Calabria and Sicily. (Writing by Crispian Balmer and Philip Pullella; Additional reporting by Steve Scherer, Gavin Jones and Mark Bendeich.) Photo: Contributed Serving industry staff in Kelowna will be tipping out a little extra this November. A project started by three Moxies servers last year is gaining momentum in 2016. The concept is to tip out one per cent of total cash out sales from each shift and donate the money to the Central Okanagan Food Bank. Lauren Boss, Robin Kalnins and Madaline Swordy sparked the initiative last December in their own restaurant but are taking it city wide this fall. The Industry Project is similar to tipping out the kitchen staff and bartenders at the end of each day, said Swordy. Our way of looking at it, is it is affordable, its not asking to donate $100. Its $2 or $3 a day and at the end of the month you might make a sizeable contribution. The women are encouraging other restaurants to get on board with the project. Each server that decides to participate can wear a special button that has The Industry Project logo. The button is a way to get recognized in the community for what they are doing, explained Swordy. Because there is more than one restaurant involved, people who go out to eat might start recognizing the buttons and the charity on its own. Last years project was a success and the servers hope more in the industry will want to get involved. At the end of the month the money collected with go directly to the Central Okanagan Food Bank. The Industry Project starts Nov. 1 and runs until Nov. 30. Those looking to participate can contact [email protected] and use the hashtag #theindustryproject throughout the month. To keep the conversation around suicide awareness and mental health going, Castanet has joined forces with The LifeLine Canada Foundation for the month of October. Local restaurants will bring the message of positive mental health to the dinner table during Food For Thought. Today, we are featuring Earls in downtown Kelowna and their Bibimbap, a super-popular Korean dish you might have heard about already. It's a hot stone rice bowl, with carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, a soft poached egg and sesame chili sauce and it's full of mental health benefits. Check back now through Oct. 30 to find out which restaurants are featuring delicious meals with unique mental-health benefits. Dozens of zombies lurched their way around Stuart Park Saturday afternoon, as Michael's Jackson voice rang out around the area. Studio9 School of the Arts held their second annual Thrill the World event on the ice rink surface at the Kelowna Park. The local event tied in with similar events held around the world, where Jackson's song Thriller is celebrated with dance. At 3 p.m., dozens of young dancers rose from the dead and performed the iconic choreographed dance to the classic song. Studio9 was also accepting donations to the Salvation Army Food Drive at the event. Photo: CTV First Nations say they're afraid that diesel fuel spilled from a sunken tug off British Columbia's central coast is affecting their food supply and other wildlife. They point to the discovery of dead animals in the area. The tugboat Nathan E. Stewart was carrying over 200,000 litres of diesel when it ran aground and sank about 28 kilometres from Bella Bella on Oct. 13. A situation report says the volume of the spill is still being calculated based on what has been recovered or cleaned up, but current estimates show 105,000 litres of fuel leaked. The report says wildlife assessment teams have spotted a dead humpback whale, a seal, a sea otter and crabs in the past week. Kelly Brown, director of the Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department, says it is "disturbing" to see the community's food and marine life being so severely affected. But the situation report says no wildlife covered in oil or fuel have been documented, and some of the dead species have been collected for testing to determine what specifically caused their death. Photo: CTV Hundreds of bikers gathered at Fraserview Hall in South Vancouver Saturday afternoon to celebrate the life of a Hells Angel who was killed earlier in the month. Bob Green, a longtime member of the Hells Angels, was gunned down at a party in Langley on Oct. 16. Hells Angels members from as far away as Ontario met in South Vancouver to pay their respects to the 57-year-old Green, along with bikers sporting logos from the Jesters, Veterans, Throttle Lockers and others. He was a good guy, a good poker player, and a hell of a Hells Angel, said Gary Cahill, who said he had known Green for 16 years. Its a huge loss for all of us. Police have charged 27-year-old Jason Wallace, a member of the 856 gang, in Green's death. Green had been a mentor to the 856 gang. Eleven days after Green's death, police discovered the dismembered body of 856 associate Shaun Clary on a Langley road. Police monitored Saturday's funeral closely. The Hells Angels are a criminal organization, said Randy Fincham of the Vancouver Police Department. Our officers are there as a result of public safety concerns. - With files from CTV Vancouver Photo: YouTube - Daily Hive The New Westminster Police Department have been called in to investigate an incident on Oct. 27 between Coquitlam RCMP and an elderly couple. Police were called to the Best Western on North Road in Coquitlam at 10:30 p.m. after a strata meeting reportedly went bad. Initial reports suggested some people were fighting at the meeting. A video has surfaced online showing several RCMP officers attempting to arrest two elderly people at the hotel some time after the officers' arrival. At one point in the video, it appears an officer drags the elderly man down a flight of stairs, as a small child screams in the background. There appears to be a language barrier between the two parties during the arrest. As with every investigation, our Major Crime Unit will conduct themselves fairly and impartially while they look at all the evidence which includes speaking with witnesses, speaking with the parties involved, examining video surveillance and following up on any other investigational lead they require, said Jeff Scott, with the New Westminster Police Department. Were aware of the sensitivity of this investigation, and well be providing a Korean speaking police officer to speak with those involved, and any other care that we have available to ensure a fair and through investigation is completed. Photo: trailforks.com Rescuers scoured trails on North Vancouver's Mount Seymour Saturday evening, in search of two missing hikers. North Shore Rescue reports conditions were extremely foggy on the mountain. Eleven people left on the day hike, but two became separated from the group. Two of the group went back up the mountain to look for the missing hikers and became lost in the fog themselves before being found by search crews. Searchers were still combing the mountain at 7 p.m., but CTV tweeted about 9 p.m. that they had been found. The missing hikers were not prepared for the conditions, were dressed lightly and did not have head lamps. with files from CTV Vancouver Photo: Google Street View The deaths this year of five people in custody at the Winnipeg Remand Centre is a big red flag and should be investigated in a wide-ranging inquest, says a prisoners rights group. "I've been in this position for eight years, and I've never been aware of five deaths in a short period of time, all from the same centre," said John Hutton, executive director of the John Howard Society of Manitoba. "It's an indication to me and to my organization that there could be some systemic problems might be related to supervision, to staffing levels, to whether the medical units are being properly supported." Manitoba Justice does not release details of such deaths when they occur. The province's chief medical examiner is required to order an inquest into custodial deaths of a violent or unexpected nature. But the inquests are optional when the deaths are related to medical issues or other causes. The inquests are also narrow in scope, focusing only on each specific incident. The most high-profile death this year was that of Errol Greene, a 26-year-old man who was being held on a mischief charge. His common-law wife, Rochelle Pranteau, has said Greene died May 1 after remand centre staff denied him his epilepsy medication and he suffered a seizure. He was taken to hospital where he died. The Justice Department has launched internal reviews into all five deaths, and the chief medical examiner has been charged with determining whether an inquest is needed in each case. Hutton said the system is generally secretive internal reviews are never made public and, in cases where inquests are not called, Manitobans have no insight into what happened. "The only way they're likely to know is if the results of the internal in-house investigations are released, and if there's an inquest, and we'll be calling for a (combined) inquest into all five deaths." The union that represents Manitoba correctional officers said there are shortcomings that need to be addressed, including over-crowding at facilities across the province. "Our correctional officers say there is an urgent need for better training in a number of areas including recognizing mental-health issues and dealing with fentanyl users," Michelle Garownsky, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union, said in a written statement. "Our officers need new equipment and technology, so they can see if someone is trafficking contraband into the facility. Inmates need more access to programs to help address mental-health issues ... and, above all else, we need the government to act on the serious overcrowding in all our provincially run facilities." The remand centre houses about 300 people. There have been two deaths in total this year at Manitoba's six other adult jails. Photo: The Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has finally signed Canada's free trade deal with the European Union reached after seven arduous years of negotiation. The presidents of the European Council and European Commission, Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker, joined the prime minister at Sunday's formal signing of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, known as CETA. "The fact that throughout people were asking tough questions of a deal that will have a significant impact on our economies, and giving us the opportunity to demonstrate that that impact will be positive, is a good thing," Trudeau told a news conference following the signing. The road ahead to full ratification remains long, but Trudeau and his EU counterparts took a moment Sunday to revel in the milestone. Trudeau had initially expected to sign the deal in Brussels days ago, but the restive Belgian region of Wallonia nearly killed it because of its opposition to the pact's investor-state dispute settlement mechanism. International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland accompanied Trudeau to Belgium and called it a great day for Europe. "It shows that Europe can do trade deals," Freeland quipped to reporters as she entered the European Council after the prime minister. More than a week ago, Freeland walked out of talks in Belgium, saying it appeared the EU was incapable of signing an agreement. "OK we did it!" she said during a photo opportunity following the signing ceremony. The deal's supporters say it will boost trade by billions through cuts in tariffs across a broad swath of sectors including agriculture, pharmaceuticals and the auto industry. But simmering opposition among anti-trade activists and left-wing political parties in some European countries has been fierce and nearly blocked the deal. On a sleepy Sunday morning in the largely shuttered EU capital, Trudeau's entourage was greeted by a small but vocal group of protesters at the European Council that banged drums and threw red paint at EU staffers. The prime minister's long anticipated journey to Brussels got off to a bumpy start, with a mechanical problem forcing his plane to return to Ottawa about 30 minutes after it took off Saturday night. After more than an hour on the ground, the flight left again and continued on to Belgium without further incident. Photo: The Canadian Press After three decades being known as one of Canada's top UFO experts, Chris Rutkowski doesn't mind a bit of good-natured ribbing now and then. "People will sometimes give me Marvin the Martian toys for Christmas," says Rutkowski, who researches unidentified flying objects in his off time from his day job as a University of Manitoba's communications co-ordinator. Rutkowski, who is with Winnipeg-based Ufology Research, has long been fascinated by reports of mysterious lights and unusual objects in the sky that defy easy explanation. "There is a real phenomenon I think is worth scientific study," he says. "It's something I think people should be talking about. It's a wonderful way to think of the universe, our place in the universe." His interest was first sparked in the 1970s when he was studying astronomy and calls came in about UFO sightings. "My colleagues in astronomy were simply not interested. They thought it was simply pointless, or hallucinations, or people were just seeing things, spots before their eyes. "I was curious what people were actually seeing and experiencing so I took the calls." Eventually Rutkowski, 57, came to be considered "Canada's UFO guy," giving lectures and penning several books about the phenomenon. He says there are more than 1,000 UFO reports in Canada a year. He figures about 95 per cent of the sightings he investigates can be explained. The strange objects often turn out to be airplanes, satellites, fireballs or more recently drones. For the rest, there's nothing to suggest that otherworldly visitors are responsible as tempting an explanation as that may be for some. "There's no incontrovertible evidence that aliens are visiting us, although it's a wonderful theory." Lately, Rutkowski has been hearing more reports from people claiming they've been in contact with aliens. "There's no proof of that and it's very, very prevalent that people are believing things that seem very, very far-fetched." Rutkowski says those sorts of claims tend to spike during tumultuous times in world history amid mounting Cold War anxieties in the 1950s, for instance. "The world seems so overwhelming and life seems so impossible. People are worried about what will happen in their lives ... (so) they're looking for creatures from elsewhere to come and save them," he says. "That's wonderful wishful thinking, but it's not really helping the scientific analysis of this phenomenon." Photo: The Canadian Press Dr. Onowa McIvor, assistant professor in Indigenous Education at the University of Victoria. There's a generation of indigenous people across Canada who were once shamed for speaking their own language. Now, people who didn't learn their mother tongue from their parents are key to saving and revitalizing the languages, British Columbia researchers say. Two University of Victoria indigenous languages experts whose own parents did not speak their aboriginal languages at home are moving to bridge the language gap with a mentor-apprentice program that teaches adults. "There were generations of people, my parents and grandparents, who were sent to residential school and forbidden to speak their language and beaten and shamed and ridiculed and punished in all sorts of awful ways for speaking the language," said Peter Jacobs, a UVic linguist and fluent speaker of his Squamish Nation language. "A lot of those people who came out of that school system chose not to teach their children the language," he said. "My dad doesn't speak Squamish as his first language for that very reason even though both his parents were fluent speakers. That caused a big disruption." There are almost 60 indigenous languages spoken in Canada, with B.C. leading the country with 34. A November 2014 report by British Columbia's First Peoples' Cultural Council found a decline in fluent indigenous language speakers but an increase in semi-fluent speakers. The study looked at 129,000 people in B.C. who speak an indigenous language and found 60 per cent of fluent speakers are aged 65 and older, while one in three semi-fluent speakers are under the age of 25. Onowa McIvor, director of UVic's indigenous education department, said she and Jacobs are compiling three years of data from 67 participants in the mentor-apprentice program. The participants range in age from young adults who recently completed high school to people in their 50s. "Their parents were growing up in a Canada where it wasn't cool to be Indian," she said. "In fact, most indigenous people thought they were doing right by their kids and doing better for their kids by not teaching them the language." McIvor said she believes the researchers' work is "a tangible example of reconciliation in action." 10/31/2022 Registration is now open for the 10th Annual Stuffing Strut Run/Walk. This years event will begin at 8:30 am on Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 24, at Chester Frost Park. The Stuffing Strut is ... more Photo: Getty Images Canada has a long-standing program that allows eligible federal inmates to have private visits with family members. These typically take place in separate facilities within the penitentiary grounds for periods lasting up to three days. Correctional Service Canada keeps track of how many such visits occur. Here are the statistics covering the past three years: ----- The number of scheduled private family visits, regardless of how many visitors took part in each: 2015-16: 4,481 2014-15: 4,822 2013-14: 5,281 ----- The number of individual offenders who had at least one private family visit: 2015-16: 1,879 2014-15: 1,938 2013-14: 2,097 --- source: Corrections Service Canada Photo: The Canadian Press Lee Chapelle has fond memories of spending afternoons with his wife in the mid-1990s, barbecuing in a small yard while his young children played in the grass and mimicked the cows' moos as the animals grazed in a nearby field. Were it not for the five-metre, barbed-wire penitentiary fence interrupting the view, the scene could easily have been mistaken as an everyday family experience. Between 1991 and 2010, Chapelle spent about 15 years behind bars for property theft. On more than a dozen occasions over that period, his young family was able to spend as many as three days at a time living with him. The stays, which remain a part of the Canadian correctional system, are linked to a long-standing program aimed at increasing the chances of inmates successfully reintegrating into society after their release. "It was a really big motivation to come home to my family to be able to spend time with my newborn baby and realize just how much was out there and just how much I wanted to be with them," Chapelle said. "I had a family that needed me and that I loved and that I wanted to be with." Some experts say Canada's so-called private family visit program, which began in 1980 as a pilot project, plays an important role in rehabilitating offenders, and also provides corrections officers with a useful tool for encouraging good behaviour from inmates. The program has received recent attention after a media report that Kelly Ellard, a notorious killer in British Columbia, is eight-months pregnant following a conjugal visit from her boyfriend. Lisa Kerr, a law professor at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., said the program recognizes that the majority of federal inmates will be released and that it is in society's best interest to make that process as successful as possible. "Close personal relationships are part of what makes people have hope about their future and gives them reason to invest in their correctional programming and move towards a release plan," she said. Canada's longtime correctional investigator, Howard Sapers, said conjugal visits have been around for as long as he can remember. He cited research showing inmates who are allowed to maintain close family bonds have a lower likelihood of reoffending. There is nothing in Canada's private family visit legislation that discriminates between gender or sexual orientation. The stays typically happen in a more private section of the prison within small living units complete with kitchens and a yard, which Chapelle said inmates commonly refer to as "trailers." There are strict guidelines around who qualifies, both as an inmate and a visitor, and families pay for any food during the stay, which can last up to three days. The program is only in place in federal institutions. Photo: Castanet Staff RCMP are investigating a suspicious house fire early this morning. At about 5 a.m., the Kelowna Fire Department responded to a 911 call for house on fire on the 400 block of McPhee Street in Kelowna. When fire crews arrived they found half the exterior of a house engulfed in flames, said platoon captain Steve Wallick. The home suffered extensive damage, but the fire crews were successful in protecting many of the possessions inside. Wallick said residents were home at the time and got out safely. The heat from the fire also damaged the outside of a neighbouring house and RV, added Wallick. It appears that the fire is suspicious. RCMP will be in charge of the investigation with the assistance of Kelowna Fire Department investigators. This fire is the same approximate location and block of another suspicious fire just last week. Wallack said KFD responded with 15 personnel in three engines, one rescue truck and a command vehicle. Ambulance and RCMP also attended. Photo: Google Street View UPDATE: 12:45 p.m. Carl's Jr. corporate, CKE Restaurants Holdings, has issued the following statement. "We confirm that our franchisee, Jove Franchise Development Corporation, has closed its three restaurants in Okanagan. Their fourth restaurant in Kelowna remains open." To clarify, the three restaurants shut down are Penticton, Vernon and Kamloops. ORIGINAL: 9:30 a.m. If you want a Carls Jr. burger, youre going to have to head to Kelowna. Carls Jr. on-site staff confirmed Sunday that the company has closed all of its Okanagan locations with the exception of the Kelowna location. Castanet is still waiting to hear from the company on the closures and will provide more details once they become available. Photo: Getty Images UPDATE: Oct. 31 Kelowna RCMP have confirmed they responded to a report of animal cruelty in Ellison over the weekend. On Oct. 27 at 7:57 a.m., Cpl. Jesse O'Donaghey says RCMP received a report of a suspected animal cruelty matter where several privately-owned farm animals were located deceased on a property on the 5000 block of Farmers Drive. There is a belief that the animal deaths were not related to a predator attack. The incident appears to be isolated, said O'Donaghey. The BC SPCA has been advised of the incident and is prepared to provide assistance to investigators if needed. The RCMP investigation is ongoing at this time. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300, remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, leaving a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net or by texting your tip to CRIMES (274637) ktown. ORIGINAL: Oct. 30 A disturbing Facebook post in Kelowna is getting a lot of attention online today as it claims animals were brutally killed in Ellison. Odette Baumgartner put a warning out on Facebook after she said her neighbour's farm animals were killed in Ellison. A very horrific and sickening tragedy has happened to an Ellison resident's ducks and chickens, wrote Baumgartner on behalf of her neighbours. Someone came on to their property in the night, went into the completely-enclosed pen and killed all but a few who were not locked up. She wrote that the owners know it was not another animal as the birds heads were smashed with a nearby rock, found the next day. Baumgartner went on to say a goats neck was also sliced open. We used to live in a safe neighbourhood. Please be cautious with your animals, she added. Kelowna RCMP said they would not be issuing any comment on the alleged incident until Monday. Castanet will have more information on this incident as it becomes available. Send news tips, photos and video to [email protected] If you have just started your journey in an online casino or are looking for a new site to play,... Legends of Jazz: Tribute to Billie Holiday and Lester Young with Kelle Jolly and Will Boyd will be at Barking Legs Theatre on Thursday, Nov. 3, at 7:30 p.m. Review for Kelle Jolly and Will Boyd: Vocalist Kelle Jolly and saxophonist Will Boyd were two of the reasons the Knoxville Jazz Orchestras recent Barking Legs show was such a rousing success, and they return for this KJO sponsored tribute to two of jazzs greatest legends. The utterly unique voice of Billie Holiday is iconic, and tenor saxophonist Lester Younga titan known by most simply as Prezwas her greatest partner. Tickets are $15 in advance and at the door and available here. To encourage voting, the Marion County Democratic Party is offering rides to the polling stations for Marion County residents who need transportation on election day, Tuesday, Nov. 8. To secure a ride, call Anita Tipton in South Pittsburg at 228-0126 or Bill Longwell in Monteagle at 931.924-8486. This service is available to all voters in Marion County. The Tennessee Supreme Court will be traveling across the state over the next 10 days to swear in some of Tennessees newest attorneys. More than 450 people passed the July 2016 bar exam and hundreds of them choose to be sworn in to the practice of law by the Tennessee Supreme Court. The schedule is as follows: Wednesday, Nov. 2, 8:30 a.m. Supreme Court Building #6 Highway 45 By-Pass Jackson, TN 38301 Thursday, Nov. 3, 10 a.m. Memphis City Hall Council Chambers 125 N Main St. Memphis, Tennessee 38103 Monday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m. Main Assembly Room, City/County Building 400 Main St. Knoxville, TN 37902 Tuesday, Nov. 8, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. War Memorial Auditorium 301 6th Ave N., Nashville, TN 37243 For a list of the successful applicants to the Tennessee bar, visit the Board of Law Examiners site. See photos from previous swearing-in ceremonies. Chinese photographers have so far entered some of the most stunning photographs to the Hamdan International Photography Award (HIPA) contest, Ali Bin Thalith, secretary general of HIPA said here on Saturday, as the 5th season annual contest is drawing near. Bin Thalith pointed to a large number of past Chinese contributions to the contest, especially the 3rd season Grand Prize winner Zhou Fuyang's memorable photograph describing a classroom in rural China. He said the photo has become "an iconic image worldwide." The secretary general encouraged all Chinese photographers to participate in the HIPA competition. "It would be a great opportunity to test themselves on an international level against other talented photographers and demonstrate the talents of Chinese photographers to the rest of the world," he said. On the future of HIPA, Bin Thalith said the participation of non-Middle Eastern countries such as China is important. "Our aim for the future is to continue to grow HIPA as per the vision of His Highness the Crown Prince of Dubai and hope to gain more international recognition and acclaim within the arts community in the coming years through our continued support of the art of photography," he said. The total prize money in this season's contest amounts to 423,000 U.S. dollars, which will be distributed to 23 photographers in five categories. Catholic Family News A Monthly Journal Preserving our Catholic Faith and Heritage Home Latest Archives Subscribe CFN Media - videos Contact Us CFN Bookstore Oltyn Library Services 2017 CFN Daily Blog Originally started as a daily Blog update of news reports on the Papal Conclave and ongoing news on Pope Francis, it is now a general Blog updated daily on traditional Catholic topics Updated Regularly Book mark this page click here Luxury hotels in the historic center for a Catholic family. Only luxury hotels can provide a paradisiacal vacation for a big Catholic family. A high-level vacation for families, children and not only. The gorgeous views, divine service, and the best location are all luxury hotels. Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, and more. Everyone will find their place in this corner of paradise. 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Its also home to a wide variety of attractions, including world-class golf courses, vibrant nightlife, and interesting cultural experiences. Here are five places to visit in Naples, Florida: Naples Pier: Stroll along the pier and enjoy panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico. Fifth Avenue South: This popular shopping and dining district is home to eclectic boutiques, award-winning restaurants, and lively bars. The Ritz-Carlton, Naples: This luxurious resort is set on 26 acres of pristine waterfront property and offers superb amenities, including a world-class spa and championship golf course. The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens: This zoological park is home to more than 700 animals representing 150 species, including flamingos, lemurs, and tigers. Tin City: This eclectic shopping and dining district is housed in a series of restored waterfront warehouses and features eclectic shops, galleries, and award-winning restaurants. Naples Luxury Hotels Naples Luxury Resorts Louisville, KY, United States Louisville is in the heart of Kentucky and is known for being the home of the Kentucky Derby. There are a lot of great places to visit in Louisville, including the Louisville Zoo, the Muhammad Ali Center, and the Frazier History Museum. There are also a lot of great restaurants and bars in Louisville, and it's a great place to visit for a weekend getaway. Louisville Luxury Hotels Galveston, TX, United States Galveston is a Texas coastal town that is rich in history and offers visitors a variety of places to visit and things to do. Some of the most popular attractions include the Moody Gardens, Schlitterbahn Waterpark, and Historic Downtown. There are also a number of museums and other historical landmarks, as well as plenty of shopping and dining options. Galveston Luxury Hotels Galveston Luxury Resorts Omaha, NE, United States The birthplace of Warren Buffett, Omaha, Nebraska, is a great place to visit. There are plenty of things to see and do in Omaha, from touring the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium to visiting the Durham Western Heritage Museum. Other popular tourist destinations in Omaha include the Joslyn Art Museum, the Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium, and TD Ameritrade Park. Omaha Luxury Hotels Columbus, GA, United States Columbus is a charming small town in Georgia that is worth a visit. There are several places to visit in Columbus, including the Riverwalk, the Chattahoochee River, the National Infantry Museum, and the Coca-Cola Space Science Center. The Riverwalk is a beautiful walkway along the Chattahoochee River that is perfect for a relaxing stroll or a bike ride. The Chattahoochee River is a great place to go fishing, swimming, or kayaking. The National Infantry Museum is a museum dedicated to the infantry of the United States Army. It is a must-see for history buffs. The Coca-Cola Space Science Center is a museum dedicated to space science. It is perfect for kids and adults alike. Columbus Luxury Hotels Anchorage, AK, United States Anchorage is a great place to visit if you're looking for an adrenaline rush. From skiing and snowboarding in the winter to rafting and fishing in the summer, Anchorage has something to offer everyone. In addition to its outdoor activities, Anchorage also has a variety of cultural and historical attractions, including the Anchorage Museum and the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. Anchorage Luxury Hotels Portland, OR, United States Portland is a city that is located in the US state of Oregon and it is known for its art scene, food, and coffee. There are a lot of interesting places to visit in Portland, such as the Portland Art Museum, where you can see a variety of art from all over the world. Another place to visit is the Powell's City of Books, the largest independent bookstore in the world. If you're looking for a place to eat, Portland has no shortage of amazing restaurants, such as Pok Pok, which serves Thai cuisine, and Le Pigeon, which serves French cuisine. And, of course, no trip to Portland would be complete without trying some of the city's famous coffee, such as Stumptown Coffee Roasters. Portland Luxury Hotels Florence, Italy No trip to Italy is complete without a visit to Florence. This historic city is home to some of the country's most famous attractions, including the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, and Michelangelo's David. There's also plenty to see and do outside of the city center, including the picturesque Tuscan countryside and the vibrant university town of Arezzo. Florence Luxury Hotels Florence Luxury Villas Asheville, NC, United States Asheville is a city in western North Carolina. It is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Buncombe County. Asheville is home to the Biltmore Estate, the largest private home in the United States. The city of Asheville proper had a population of 84,236 in 2010. The city is known for its art deco architecture, mountain scenery and outdoor activities, and as the birthplace of American novelist Thomas Wolfe. It is also home to the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, the second largest craft brewery in the United States. Asheville Luxury Hotels Asheville Luxury Cottages Long Beach, CA, United States There's plenty to do in Long Beach, California without ever having to leave the city limits. If you're looking for a little adventure, head to the Aquarium of the Pacific for a glimpse of the ocean's creatures or take a walk on the boardwalk at Rainbow Harbor. If you're more of a history buff, the Queen Mary is a must-see. This retired ocean liner is now a hotel and museum with plenty of stories to tell. And no trip to Long Beach is complete without a visit to the iconic Vincent Thomas Bridge. Long Beach Luxury Hotels Long Beach Luxury Villas Cincinnati, OH, United States Cincinnati is a city located on the Ohio River in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Ohio. The city was founded in 1788 and named after the Society of the Cincinnati, an organization of Revolutionary War officers. Cincinnati is a major U.S. city and the metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million people. The city is well-known for its German heritage, Oktoberfest celebration, and its variety of chili dishes. Cincinnati is home to three major sports teams: the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals, MLB's Cincinnati Reds, and the NBA's Cincinnati Cavaliers. The city is also home to the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University. The city's historic neighborhoods include Over-the-Rhine, Mount Auburn, and Hyde Park. Cincinnati is a popular tourist destination and offers a variety of attractions and places to visit, including the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, the Newport Aquarium, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Cincinnati Luxury Hotels Laughlin, NV, United States Laughlin, Nevada is a great place to visit if you're looking for a fun and affordable vacation. There are plenty of casinos and resorts to choose from, as well as plenty of outdoor activities and attractions. Be sure to check out the local nightlife, and don't forget to take a trip down the mighty Colorado River. Laughlin Luxury Hotels Laughlin Luxury Resorts Anaheim, CA, United States Anaheim, California is home to both Disneyland and California Adventure Park. The parks are just a short walk away from each other, and make for a great day of exploration. Anaheim is also home to the Anaheim Angels and the Anaheim Ducks, so there's always a game to catch. If you're looking for something a little more low-key, Anaheim has a great shopping district and a variety of restaurants to choose from. Anaheim Luxury Hotels Santa Cruz, CA, United States Santa Cruz is a great place to visit! There are so many places to see and things to do. Some of my favorite places to visit are the Boardwalk, the wharf, and the University of California, Santa Cruz. The Boardwalk is a great place to go for a walk, ride on the amusement park rides, and eat some of the delicious food. The wharf is a great place to go for a walk, eat some seafood, and listen to the street performers. The University of California, Santa Cruz is a great place to visit to learn about the history of the area and to see some of the beautiful architecture. I highly recommend visiting Santa Cruz if you are looking for a fun and interesting place to visit!. Santa Cruz Luxury Hotels Eugene, OR, United States Eugene, Oregon is a great city to visit with a lot of places to see and things to do. One of the most popular attractions is the University of Oregon campus, which is home to a number of museums and a large football stadium. The city also has a vibrant arts scene, with a number of theaters and art galleries. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy the dozens of parks and hiking trails in the area, and there are also a number of wineries and breweries in the area. Eugene Luxury Hotels Branson, MO, United States There's plenty to see and do in Branson, Missouri, from state parks and amusement parks to theaters and shopping. Here are some of the most popular places to visit: Silver Dollar City is a theme park with rides, shows, and craftsmen demonstrations. is a theme park with rides, shows, and craftsmen demonstrations. The Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Theatre puts on a variety of shows, including "The Legend of the Shepherd of the Hills" and "The Catfish Fry." puts on a variety of shows, including "The Legend of the Shepherd of the Hills" and "The Catfish Fry." Table Rock State Park has fishing, swimming, and hiking trails, as well as a nature center. has fishing, swimming, and hiking trails, as well as a nature center. The Titanic Museum features a half-sized replica of the ship, along with exhibits about the history of the Titanic. features a half-sized replica of the ship, along with exhibits about the history of the Titanic. Branson Landing is a shopping and entertainment complex on the waterfront. There's something for everyone in Branson, Missouri come visit and see for yourself!. Branson Luxury Hotels Panama City Beach, FL, United States The white sand beaches and emerald waters of Panama City Beach, Florida, are a popular tourist destination. The city is home to numerous hotels, resorts, and restaurants, as well as amusement and water parks. Visitors can also enjoy fishing, kayaking, and surfing. Panama City Beach Luxury Hotels Panama City Beach Luxury Resorts Monterey, CA, United States Monterey is a coastal city in Monterey County, California, United States. It stands at the southern end of Monterey Bay, on the Pacific coast. The city is also the home of the Naval Postgraduate School. Monterey is the largest city in the Central Coast region of California. The main attractions in Monterey are the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Fisherman's Wharf, Cannery Row, and the downtown area. Monterey Luxury Hotels Norfolk, VA, United States Norfolk, Virginia is a great place to visit for its historical places and military bases. Some places to visit in Norfolk are the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk Botanical Garden, and the Norfolk Naval Station. Norfolk Luxury Hotels Palm Springs, CA, United States Palm Springs is a vibrant city located in the Coachella Valley and is known for its year-round sunshine, resort atmosphere and Mid-Century Modern architecture. Top places to visit include the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Palm Springs Art Museum, Indian Canyons and Moorten Botanical Garden. For a truly unique experience, be sure to check out the Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale the worlds largest vintage furniture and design event. Palm Springs Luxury Hotels Palm Springs Luxury Resorts Palm Springs Luxury Villas Rochester, NY, United States Rochester is a city in western New York State and is the county seat of Monroe County. Rochester is known for its annual festivals, including the Rochester International Jazz Festival, the Rochester Fringe Festival, and the Holiday Folk Fair International. Places to visit in Rochester include the George Eastman Museum, the Strong National Museum of Play, the Rochester Museum and Science Center, and the Seneca Park Zoo. Rochester Luxury Hotels Pigeon Forge, TN, United States Visit the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge for a unique experience. This museum is dedicated to the Titanic, one of the most infamous ships in history. Tour the ship and learn about the passengers and crew who were on board. You can even see the actual artifacts recovered from the shipwreck. If you're looking for a little more excitement, head to Dollywood. This amusement park is home to roller coasters, a water park, and plenty of other rides and attractions. Plus, the park is themed around the life and music of Dolly Parton. No trip to Pigeon Forge is complete without a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains. These mountains offer a variety of activities, including hiking, fishing, and horseback riding. Plus, the natural beauty of the area is simply breathtaking. Pigeon Forge Luxury Hotels Jacksonville, FL, United States Jacksonville is less than an hour's drive from the beaches of Amelia Island and St. Augustine, and a little more than two hours from Orlando. The city has a lot to offer visitors, including a riverwalk, museums, and a vibrant arts scene. Jacksonville is also home to the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team. Jacksonville Luxury Hotels Minsk, Belarus Minsk, the capital of Belarus, is a city that has something for everyone. If you're looking for a little history, Minsk has plenty of it, with churches and monuments dating back to the 12th century. If you're looking for a lively nightlife, Minsk has that, too, with plenty of bars, clubs, and restaurants. And if you're looking for a little nature, Minsk has parks and gardens to enjoy. Here are just a few of the places you can visit in Minsk: The Holy Spirit Cathedral, one of the oldest churches in Minsk, is a must-visit for history buffs. The National Library of Belarus is a huge library with more than 18 million items in its collection. The Opera and Ballet Theatre is a beautiful building that hosts performances of both opera and ballet. The Victory Park is a large park with a war memorial, a children's playground, and a lake. And for a little bit of nature in the heart of the city, the Botanical Garden is a great place to relax and take a break from the hustle and bustle of Minsk. Minsk Luxury Hotels Jaipur, India Jaipur is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. It is the capital of the state of Rajasthan and is known for its palaces, forts and temples. Some of the places to visit in Jaipur include the Amber Fort, the City Palace, the Jantar Mantar Observatory and the Hawa Mahal. Jaipur is also a great place to shop for traditional Indian handicrafts. Jaipur Luxury Hotels Chicago, IL, United States Chicago is a city full of culture and history. There are plenty of places to visit, such as the Willis Tower, Buckingham Fountain, and the Lincoln Park Zoo. Chicago is also home to many restaurants and bars, so there is something for everyone. Chicago Luxury Hotels Auckland, New Zealand Auckland is a beautiful city located on the north island of New Zealand. There are many places to visit in Auckland, including the Sky Tower, the Auckland War Memorial Museum, and the Auckland Domain. The beaches in Auckland are also worth visiting, especially Karekare and Piha. Auckland is a great place to visit, and I highly recommend it!. Auckland Luxury Hotels Auckland Luxury Villas Amsterdam, Netherlands If you're looking for a city that's got it all, Amsterdam should be your go-to destination. From the city's lively and vibrant nightlife to its charming and quiet neighborhoods, Amsterdam has something for everyone. Be sure to check out the Anne Frank Huis, the Rijksmuseum, and the Van Gogh Museum, as these are some of the most popular attractions in the city. And if you're looking for a little bit of nature, be sure to take a walk or bike ride through Amsterdam's many parks. Amsterdam Luxury Hotels Berlin, Germany There are so many great places to visit in Berlin that it can be hard to know where to start. From the iconic Brandenburg Gate to the fascinating Reichstag Building, there's something for everyone in this vibrant city. If you're looking for a bit of history, make sure to check out the Berlin Wall Memorial or the DDR Museum. And for those looking for a bit more fun, there's always the Alexanderplatz Christmas Market or the Zoologischer Garten. No matter what your interests, Berlin is a city you won't want to miss. Berlin Luxury Hotels Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok is a city of contrasts with its gleaming temples and skyscrapers, chaotic markets and tranquil canals. While it's a popular tourist destination, Bangkok is a city that can be enjoyed by visitors of all ages. Some of the top places to visit in Bangkok include the Grand Palace, Wat Arun, the floating markets and the Chatuchak Weekend Market. Bangkok Luxury Hotels Bangkok Luxury Resorts Bangkok Luxury Villas Bruges, Belgium Bruges is a city in Belgium that is worth visiting. It is full of medieval charm and there are a lot of things to see and do. Some of the places to visit include the Markt, the Belfry, and the Begijnhof. Bruges Luxury Hotels Brussels, Belgium Brussels is a city in Belgium that is best known for its chocolate, waffles, and beer. But there is much more to see and do in Brussels than just indulge in the local cuisine. There are a number of interesting historical landmarks to visit, such as the Grand Place and the Atomium, as well as a variety of parks and gardens. And, of course, Brussels is also a great city to explore on foot. Brussels Luxury Hotels Budapest, Hungary Budapest, Hungary's capital, is a city of thermal baths and medival, baroque and art nouveau architecture. Crowded with tourists, the city is bisected by the Danube River into the hilly Buda and the more developed and flat Pest. Among the main places of interest are the neo-Gothic Parliament, the Chain Bridge linking Buda and Pest, the Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion on the Buda bank, and the State Opera House and Heroes' Square on the Pest side. Budapest Luxury Hotels Playa del Carmen, Mexico Home to some of the best beaches in Mexico, Playa del Carmen is a favorite tourist destination for visitors from all over the world. With its lively nightlife, gorgeous coastline and ample shopping opportunities, there's something for everyone in this tropical paradise. Don't miss the opportunity to visit some of the area's most popular attractions, such as the ancient Mayan ruins of Tulum and Coba, or the eco-friendly Turtle Beach. With its friendly people, delicious food and stunning scenery, Playa del Carmen is a place you'll never want to leave. Playa del Carmen Luxury Hotels Playa del Carmen Luxury Resorts Playa del Carmen Luxury Villas Denver, CO, United States Denver is a great city for visitors. There are so many places to see and things to do. Some of the top places to visit include the 16th Street Mall, the Denver Botanic Gardens, the Denver Art Museum, and the Colorado State Capitol. There are also plenty of great restaurants and shops to explore. Denver is definitely a city worth visiting!. Denver Luxury Hotels Dublin, Ireland Dublin is a city located in Ireland. It's a city full of culture, with plenty of places to visit. Some popular tourist spots are the Guinness Storehouse, Trinity College, and the Dublin Castle. There are also plenty of pubs and restaurants to discover. Dublin Luxury Hotels Dusseldorf, Germany Dusseldorf, Germany is a city with many different places to visit. The city has a mix of old and new buildings, and a variety of activities to do. The best places to visit in Dusseldorf are the Konigsallee, the Rhine Tower, and the Oktoberfest. The Konigsallee is an open-air shopping mall that has many high-end stores. The Rhine Tower is the tallest building in the city and offers great views of Dusseldorf. The Oktoberfest is a week-long festival that celebrates German culture and food. Dusseldorf Luxury Hotels Edinburgh, United Kingdom Edinburgh, Scotland is a beautiful city to visit. The architecture is very old and unique, and there are plenty of historical places to visit, like Edinburgh Castle. There are also plenty of parks and gardens, and lots of shops and restaurants. Edinburgh Luxury Hotels Rome, Italy Rome is a city rich in history and filled with beautiful places to visit. Make sure to stop by the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and the Pantheon. Also be sure to visit St. Peters Basilica and the Sistine Chapel while in Rome. If youre looking for a little more nature in your trip, head to the Villa Borghese gardens or the Janiculum Hill for some wonderful views of the city. And of course, no trip to Rome is complete without a gelato!. Rome Luxury Hotels Rome Luxury Villas New York, NY, United States There are many amazing places to visit in New York State. Some of my favorites are the Niagara Falls, the Adirondack Mountains, and the Finger Lakes. If you're looking for a city break, New York City is definitely worth a visit. There's endless things to see and do, from touring the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to visiting world-famous museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History. No matter what your interests are, you'll be able to find something to enjoy in New York State. New York Luxury Hotels New York Luxury Villas London, United Kingdom London is a city rich in history and full of amazing places to visit. Some of my favorite places are Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and the Tower of London. There is so much to see and do in London, you could spend weeks here and never run out of things to do. If you're looking for a city full of culture and history, London is the place for you. London Luxury Hotels London Luxury Cottages Madrid, Spain Madrid is one of the most beautiful and culturally rich cities in the world. From the Royal Palace to the Prado Museum, theres plenty to see and do in Madrid. If youre looking for a little bit of nature, Madrid has plenty of parks, like the Buen Retiro Park, to relax in. And dont forget to try some of the delicious tapas and wine while youre in town. Madrid Luxury Hotels Memphis, TN, United States The birthplace of rock 'n' roll, Memphis is a city rich in history and culture. From Graceland to Beale Street, there are plenty of places to visit in Memphis. Be sure to check out Sun Studio, where rock 'n' roll was born, and the National Civil Rights Museum, which tells the story of the African-American civil rights movement. Memphis is also home to some amazing food, so be sure to try some of the city's famous barbecue and soul food. Memphis Luxury Hotels Miami Beach, FL, United States There is much to explore in Miami Beach, from the famous Art Deco district to the vast beaches and crystal-clear waters. Outdoor enthusiasts will love the opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and paddleboarding, while history buffs can explore the ancient burial mounds at Miami Beach. Shoppers and foodies will find plenty to keep them busy, with vibrant neighborhoods like Lincoln Road and Ocean Drive offering unique boutiques and award-winning restaurants. And of course, no trip to Miami Beach is complete without a visit to world-famous South Beach. Miami Beach Luxury Hotels Miami Beach Luxury Resorts New Orleans, LA, United States You can't visit New Orleans without trying some of the local food. Beignets, Po' Boys, and gumbo are just a few of the must-try dishes. While you're in town, be sure to check out the French Quarter, Jackson Square, and St. Louis Cathedral. If you're looking for some nightlife, Bourbon Street is the place to be. And, of course, no trip to New Orleans is complete without a visit to Mardi Gras!. New Orleans Luxury Hotels Milan, Italy Milan is a city located in the Lombardy region of Italy. It is a popular tourist destination because of its historical and artistic heritage. Some of the places you should visit while in Milan are the Duomo, La Scala, and Castello Sforzesco. Milan Luxury Hotels Naples, Italy Naples is one of the most beautiful and historic cities in Italy. There are countless places to visit, such as the Royal Palace, the Museum of San Martino, and the Church of Gesu Nuovo. Naples is also home to excellent shopping and dining options. Be sure to enjoy a cup of coffee at one of the city's many cafes and take a stroll through the picturesque streets. Naples Luxury Hotels Paris, France Paris is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. It's home to iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum, as well as a thriving nightlife and restaurant scene. If you're looking to explore all that Paris has to offer, here are some of the top places to visit: The Eiffel Tower: This iconic landmark is a must-see in Paris. Climb to the top for stunning views of the city, or take a ride on the elevator to the bottom for a closer look at the structure. The Louvre Museum: This world-famous museum is home to some of the most famous works of art in the world, including the Mona Lisa. The Notre Dame Cathedral: This beautiful cathedral is one of the most famous landmarks in Paris. Make sure to climb to the top for some amazing views of the city. The Champs-Elysees: This famous avenue is a popular destination for shopping and dining. Be sure to wander down the street and take in all the sights and sounds. The Arc de Triomphe: This towering arch is another iconic landmark in Paris. Climb to the top for some amazing views of the city. Paris Luxury Hotels Paris Luxury Villas Prague, Czech Republic Prague is a city rich in history and culture. There are plenty of places to visit, including the Prague Castle, the Charles Bridge, and the Old Town Square. There are also plenty of restaurants and bars to enjoy, and the nightlife is vibrant. Prague is a truly unique city and a must-visit for anyone traveling to the Czech Republic. Prague Luxury Hotels Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Located on the easternmost tip of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana is known for its beautiful beaches and turquoise waters. This paradise is a favorite destination for travelers looking for a Caribbean getaway. Punta Cana is home to a wide variety of resorts and activities, from enjoying the sand and surf to golfing, spas, and shopping. Nature lovers can also explore the areas jungles, caves, and waterfalls. Punta Cana Luxury Hotels Punta Cana Luxury Resorts Punta Cana Luxury Villas Marbella, Spain If you're looking for an idyllic and luxurious Spanish escape, look no further than Marbella. Located on the country's Costa del Sol, Marbella is home to stunning beaches, top-notch resorts, world-class golfing, and much more. A visit to Marbella is the perfect way to experience all that Spain has to offer. Marbella Luxury Hotels Marbella Luxury Villas Marrakesh, Morocco Marrakesh is a city in Morocco that is full of culture and history. There are several places to visit in Marrakesh, including the Palace of the Bahia, the Ben Youssef Madrasa, and the Saadian Tombs. The souks (markets) are also a must-see, where you can find everything from souvenirs to spices to traditional clothing. Be sure to enjoy a meal in one of the many restaurants or cafes in Marrakesh; the food is delicious and the atmosphere is always lively. Marrakesh is a wonderful city to explore and definitely worth a visit!. Marrakesh Luxury Hotels San Francisco, CA, United States San Francisco is a popular tourist destination, and for good reason. There are plenty of things to see and do in this vibrant city. Here are some of the top places to visit: 1. Fisherman's Wharf: This neighborhood is home to a variety of shops and restaurants, as well as a popular pier where you can enjoy views of the bay. 2. The Golden Gate Bridge: This iconic bridge is a must-see for any visitor to San Francisco. 3. Alcatraz Island: This former federal prison is now a popular tourist attraction. It's a must-see for fans of history and crime dramas. 4. Chinatown: This colorful neighborhood is home to some of the best food in San Francisco. Be sure to check out the Dragon Gate entrance. 5. The Mission District: This trendy neighborhood is home to hip restaurants, bars, and art galleries. San Francisco Luxury Hotels Moscow, Russia Moscow, Russia is a beautiful city with plenty of places to visit. Some of the most popular tourist attractions are the Kremlin, Red Square, and Saint Basil's Cathedral. Other great places to see include the Bolshoi Theatre, Gorky Park, and the Tretyakov Gallery. There are also many churches and other historical buildings to explore. Moscow is a lively city with a lot of culture and nightlife. There is something for everyone to enjoy in Moscow. Moscow Luxury Hotels Venice, Italy Venice is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The city is built on a lagoon in northeast Italy and is known for its canals and gondolas. There are many places to visit in Venice, including the Grand Canal, St. Marks Square, and the Rialto Bridge. Venice is also home to many museums, including the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Venice Luxury Hotels Vienna, Austria Vienna, Austria is a city with a long and rich history. There are many places to visit in Vienna, including the Hofburg Palace, the Ringstrasse, and St. Stephen's Cathedral. Vienna is also home to some of the world's best shopping, including the Karntner Strasse and the Graben. Finally, no visit to Vienna is complete without experiencing the city's world-famous nightlife. Vienna Luxury Hotels Zurich, Switzerland Zurich is a marvelous city located in the heart of Switzerland. It is a city that has something to offer for everyone. From amazing restaurants and beautiful architecture to exciting nightlife and gorgeous parks, Zurich has something for everyone. Some of the most popular places to visit in Zurich include the Bahnhofstrasse, which is the city's most famous shopping street, the Lindenhof, which is a beautiful park with amazing views of the city, and Grossmunster, which is a stunning Romanesque church. Zurich is also home to some of the best museums in the world, including the famed Museum of Art and the Swiss National Museum. With its mix of old-world charm and modern amenities, Zurich is a city that is definitely worth exploring. Zurich Luxury Hotels Acapulco, Mexico If you're looking for a Mexican vacation spot with plenty of history and culture to explore, Acapulco is a great option. From the archeological wonders of the ancient city to the stunning coastal views, there's something for everyone in Acapulco. Plus, with its temperate climate, it's a great escape from colder winter weather. Acapulco Luxury Hotels Acapulco Luxury Resorts Acapulco Luxury Villas Nashville, TN, United States One of the United States' most interesting places to visit is Nashville, Tennessee. There's plenty to see and do there, from the Grand Ole Opry to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Music is a big part of the city's history and culture, so be sure to catch a show while you're in town. Other popular attractions include the Ryman Auditorium, the Parthenon, and the Jack Daniel's Distillery. Nashville is also a great place to eat, with a wide variety of restaurants serving up everything from barbecue to Mexican food. So if you're looking for an exciting and diverse city to visit, be sure to add Nashville to your list. Nashville Luxury Hotels Nashville Luxury Villas Atlanta, GA, United States What's not to love about Atlanta? From the iconic Georgia Aquarium to the World of Coke, from the Fox Theatre to Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta offers a wealth of destinations for tourists. Sports fans will want to check out the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and history buffs will enjoy the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. Braves fans can take a tour of SunTrust Park, and shoppers will enjoy the many boutiques and malls in the city. There's also a great restaurant scene in Atlanta, and music lovers will want to check out the many venues offering live music. Whether you're looking for a fun family vacation spot or a place to explore on your own, Atlanta is a great choice!. Atlanta Luxury Hotels Miami, FL, United States The Magic City is a top tourist destination for a reasonthere are endless things to do in Miami! From exploring the trendy neighborhoods and dazzling beaches to soaking up the Latin culture and nightlife, Miami is jam-packed with amazing places to visit. Here are a few of our favorites: 1. Wynwood Walls: This outdoor art exhibit is a must-see for any art lover. The colorful murals are awe-inspiring and definitely Instagram-worthy. 2. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens: This estate is dripping with luxury and opulence, from the grandiose architecture to the expansive gardens. It's the perfect place for a day of relaxation. 3. South Beach: This world-famous beach is a must-visit for any sun-seeker. The crystal-clear water and soft sand make for the perfect day-long beach getaway. 4. Little Havana: Experience Cuban culture at its best in Little Havana. From delicious food to lively music and dance, there's something for everyone in this vibrant district. 5. Art Deco District: This district is home to Miami's most iconic architecture. Take a stroll down the charming streets and admire the colorful buildings that make Miami so unique. Miami Luxury Hotels Miami Luxury Villas Tokyo, Japan Tokyo is a must-see destination in Japan. There are endless places to explore in this city - temples, shrines, gardens, and more. The Shinjuku district is a great place to start, with its neon-lit streets and myriad shops and restaurants. For a taste of traditional Japan, visit the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa or the Imperial Palace. Nature lovers will enjoy the Hamarikyu Gardens or the Hama-rikyu Teien Garden. And for a unique experience, take a trip to Mount Fuji. Tokyo Luxury Hotels Tokyo Luxury Villas Buenos Aires, Argentina There are plenty of places to visit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Some popular tourist destinations include the obelisk, the Casa Rosada, and the Puerto Madero district. Every barrio (neighborhood) has its own unique culture and flavor. San Telmo, La Boca, and Palermo are some of the most popular barrios. There are also many parks and plazas, such as Plaza de Mayo and Plaza de la Republica, that are worth checking out. Buenos Aires Luxury Hotels Hamburg, Germany One of the most popular tourist destinations in Germany is Hamburg. From the lively and colorful harbor district to the grandiose City Hall, there is plenty to see and do in Hamburg. Some of the other popular places to visit include the Reeperbahn district with its pubs and nightlife, the Planten un Blomen botanical gardens, and the architecturally stunning Rathausmarkt square. Hamburg Luxury Hotels Lisbon, Portugal The capital of Portugal, Lisbon is a city of fascinating contrasts. From its coastal location, visitors can enjoy stunning ocean views, while its hilly, narrow streets are home to a maze of charming traditional homes and lively nightlife. A city of 7 hills, Lisbon is a bustling metropolis with something for everyone. Here are some of the top places to visit: The Belem Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of Lisbons most iconic landmarks. This 16th-century fortress and lighthouse is a must-see for visitors. The Alfama district, with its winding streets and tile-roofed homes, is the oldest district in Lisbon. This is the perfect place to get lost and explore the citys history. The Lisbon Zoo is a great place to enjoy a day out with the family, with over 2,000 animals from around the world. The Christ the King statue, located atop a hill in the suburb of Almada, offers impressive views of Lisbon and the river Tagus. The Lisbon Oceanarium, located in the Parque das Nacoes district, is home to more than 12,000 marine creatures and is one of the largest aquariums in Europe. Lisbon Luxury Hotels Lisbon Luxury Villas Malaga, Spain Malaga is an attractive seaside city in southern Spain with a long history. There are many places to visit in Malaga, including the Gibralfaro Castle, the Alcazaba fortress, and the Malaga Cathedral. Malaga is also home to a variety of museums, including the Picasso Museum. The city is well known for its beaches, and there are many delightful places to relax and enjoy the sun and the sea. Malaga Luxury Hotels Malaga Luxury Villas Munich, Germany When planning a vacation to Munich, Germany, be sure to include these top places to visit: The Marienplatz is a must-see square in the city center, featuring a beautiful Glockenspiel show and the Old and New Town Halls. The Englisher Garten, Europes largest city park, is a great place for a relaxing stroll or a picnic. OlympiaPark is home to the famous 1972 Olympic Stadium as well as a huge amusement park. The Frauenkirche is a stunning church in the old town with a Glockenspiel of its own. Beer lovers will want to visit the Hofbrauhaus, the worlds most famous beer hall. For a bit of history and culture, check out the LudwigMaximilians-University and the Deutsches Museum. There is so much to see and do in Munich these are just a few highlights!. Munich Luxury Hotels Granada, Spain Granada is a city in southern Spain that is known for its Moorish architecture and history. The city is home to the Alhambra, a palace and fortress that was constructed in the late 1300s. Visitors can also enjoy the citys many churches, including the Cathedral of Granada. Granada is also a convenient base for exploring the other cities and towns in Andalusia. Granada Luxury Hotels Bucharest, Romania Bucharest is a city full of history and culture. There are many places to visit, such as the Palace of Parliament, which is the world's largest civilian building. Other places to visit include the old city center, which is full of charming streets and buildings, and the Botanical Garden, which is the largest botanical garden in Romania. Bucharest Luxury Hotels Bologna, Italy Bologna, Italy is a beautiful city with plenty of places to visit. Some popular tourist destinations include the Piazza Maggiore, the Tower of Asinelli, and the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca. There are also plenty of museums and churches to explore, and the city is full of charming restaurants and cafes. Bologna is an excellent destination for a vacation, and there is something for everyone to enjoy in this amazing city. Bologna Luxury Hotels Porto, Portugal Porto is a port city in Portugal that is well known for its wine. It's also a city with a long and rich history. There are many places to visit in Porto, including the old city center, the Dom Luis I Bridge, and the Clerigos Tower. Porto is also home to the famous Port wine caves, which are a must-visit for wine lovers. Porto Luxury Hotels Cologne, Germany Cologne, located on the Rhine River in western Germany, is a city well worth visiting. The city has a long and rich history, dating back to the time of the Roman Empire. Some of the city's most popular tourist attractions include the Cologne Cathedral, Hohenzollern Bridge, and the RheinEnergieStadion. Additionally, Cologne is home to a wide variety of museums, shops, and restaurants. In fact, the city has been ranked as one of the best places to live in Germany. So, if you're looking for a great European city to visit, be sure to add Cologne to your list. Cologne Luxury Hotels Istanbul, Turkey If you're looking for an exotic and affordable vacation destination, look no further than Istanbul, Turkey. Filled with historical places to visit and bargains to be found, Istanbul offers something for everyone. Be sure to visit the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and the Blue Mosque while you're there. Don't forget to bargain for the best prices when shopping in the bazaars, and enjoy some delicious Turkish cuisine while you're at it. Istanbul is sure to leave you with a lasting impression. Istanbul Luxury Hotels Istanbul Luxury Villas Dubai, United Arab Emirates Dubai is a fascinating and exotic city that offers visitors a mix of traditional Middle Eastern culture and modern, cosmopolitan life. There are plenty of places to visit in Dubai, from the towering skyscrapers of Downtown Dubai to the luxury shopping malls and luxurious hotels of the Palm Jumeirah. Don't miss a chance to experience an Arabian night out on an epic dhow cruise, or take a trip out into the Arabian Desert to see the stunning sand dunes. Dubai Luxury Hotels Dubai Luxury Resorts Dubai Luxury Villas Antwerp, Belgium Antwerp is a city located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital of the province of Antwerp and has a population of over half a million people. Antwerp is a popular tourist destination due to its many historical buildings, museums, and art galleries. Some of the most popular places to visit in Antwerp are the Cathedral of Our Lady, the City Hall, the Rubenshuis, and the Antwerp Zoo. Antwerp Luxury Hotels Lyon, France Lyon is a beautiful city in the south of France that is full of culture and places to visit. Some of the most popular places to visit in Lyon are the Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere, the Place Bellecour, and the Vieux Lyon. The Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere is a beautiful cathedral that is a must-see when visiting Lyon. The Place Bellecour is a large square in the heart of Lyon that is full of restaurants and cafes. The Vieux Lyon is a district in Lyon that is full of old buildings and is a great place to wander around and take in the sights. Lyon Luxury Hotels Athens, Greece If you find yourself in Athens, there are definitely some spots you won't want to miss. The Acropolis, Parthenon, and Olympic Stadium are all essential stops, but there are plenty of others, too. If you're looking for a bit of history, the National Archaeological Museum is a must-see, while nature lovers will enjoy a visit to the botanical gardens. If you're looking to relax, take a walk along the beach in Glyfada or head to the Plaka district for a charming and picturesque setting. No matter what you're interested in, Athens has something for you. Athens Luxury Hotels Athens Luxury Villas Helsinki, Finland While in Helsinki, make sure to visit these popular tourist destinations: The Senate Square and Lutheran Cathedral The Sibelius Monument Ateneum Art Museum Market Square Helsinki Zoo. Helsinki Luxury Hotels Vilnius, Lithuania The capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, is a picturesque city with a rich history. The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is full of charming churches, narrow streets, and pretty squares. There are also lots of museums and other places of interest to visit, including the Hill of Crosses, Gediminas Tower, and the Presidential Palace. Vilnius is a great city to explore on foot, and there are plenty of cafes, restaurants, and bars to enjoy in the evening. Vilnius Luxury Hotels Reykjavik, Iceland A city of remote beauty, Reykjavik is teeming with interesting places to visit. One of the worlds most northern capitals, Reykjavik offers stunning landscapes and a wealth of cultural experiences. From the iconic Hallgrimskirkja church to the popular Golden Circle tour, theres plenty to see and do in Reykjavik. Be sure to check out the citys lively nightlife scene, too you wont be disappointed!. Reykjavik Luxury Hotels Glasgow, United Kingdom Some of the most popular places to visit in Glasgow include the Gallery of Modern Art, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the Riverside Museum, and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre. There are also many wonderful parks and gardens to explore, including the Botanic Gardens and Glasgow Green. For those interested in history and architecture, there are many fascinating old buildings to see, such as the Glasgow Cathedral and the University of Glasgow. And for those looking for a lively nightlife, Glasgow has no shortage of pubs, clubs, and restaurants. Glasgow Luxury Hotels Los Angeles, CA, United States As the birthplace of Hollywood and home to some of the world's most recognisable landmarks, there's no shortage of places to visit in Los Angeles. Start by exploring the city's iconic neighbourhoods like Beverly Hills and Hollywood, then venture out to attractions like the Griffith Observatory, Venice Beach and Disneyland. And don't forget to savour the city's world-famous cultural scene, with its abundance of museums, theatres and restaurants. Los Angeles Luxury Hotels Los Angeles Luxury Villas San Diego, CA, United States San Diego is a city located in California and is a major tourist destination. One of the main reasons people visit the city is for its many beaches. Coronado Beach, Mission Beach, and Pacific Beach are some of the most popular and are all within close proximity to the city center. Other attractions in San Diego include the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld San Diego, and the USS Midway Museum. Restaurants, bars, and shopping can be found throughout the city, and world-renowned museums, like the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, are also located in San Diego. San Diego Luxury Hotels San Diego Luxury Resorts San Diego Luxury Villas Washington, DC, United States Washington, D.C. is a city full of history and places to visit. Some popular places to visit are the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, and the Smithsonian. D.C. is also home to a number of monuments and memorials, like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial. There are also a number of museums in D.C., like the American History Museum and the National Air and Space Museum. Washington Luxury Hotels Cancun, Mexico Cancun is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Mexico. Aside from its beautiful beaches, there are plenty of places to visit and things to do in Cancun. Some of the most popular attractions include the ancient ruins of Chichen Itza, the eco-park Xcaret, and the nightclubs and bars in the resort district. Cancun Luxury Hotels Cancun Luxury Resorts Cancun Luxury Villas Virginia Beach, VA, United States Virginia Beach is one of the top tourist destinations on the East Coast. From the Virginia Beach Boardwalk to the miles of sandy beaches, there's something for everyone to enjoy. There are also plenty of restaurants, shops, and other attractions to keep visitors busy. Some of the most popular places to visit in Virginia Beach include: The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center : This aquarium is home to more than 20,000 animals, including sharks, dolphins, and rays. : This aquarium is home to more than 20,000 animals, including sharks, dolphins, and rays. The Virginia Beach Boardwalk: This 3.5-mile boardwalk is one of the most popular attractions in Virginia Beach. It features a wide variety of shops, restaurants, and amusements. This 3.5-mile boardwalk is one of the most popular attractions in Virginia Beach. It features a wide variety of shops, restaurants, and amusements. First Landing State Park: This park offers miles of hiking and biking trails, as well as a beachfront area for swimming and sunbathing. This park offers miles of hiking and biking trails, as well as a beachfront area for swimming and sunbathing. Cape Henry Lighthouse: This lighthouse is one of the oldest in the country and offers stunning views of the Chesapeake Bay. There are plenty of other things to do in Virginia Beach, including dolphin and whale watching tours, kayaking, and golfing. Whether you're looking for a fun family vacation or a romantic getaway, Virginia Beach is sure to please. Virginia Beach Luxury Hotels Virginia Beach Luxury Resorts Beijing, China If you're looking for an amazing cultural experience, be sure to add Beijing, China to your travel bucket list! With beautiful temples, charming hutongs (traditional alleyways), and a lively food scene, there's something for everyone in this bustling city. Plus, Beijing is home to some of the most iconic attractions in China, like the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City. So if you're looking for an unforgettable East Asian adventure, be sure to add Beijing to your list!. Beijing Luxury Hotels Seoul, South Korea Seoul is a metropolitan city that is home to over 10 million people. It is a city full of culture, history, and a vibrant nightlife. There are plenty of places to visit in Seoul, including the Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, and N Seoul Tower. The Jeongdongne district is a must-see for anyone interested in art and culture, and the Itaewon district is a great place to go for a night on the town. Seoul Luxury Hotels South Lake Tahoe, CA, United States Known for its dramatic lake and mountain scenery, South Lake Tahoe offers visitors plenty of places to visit and things to do. Some of the most popular attractions include floating down the river on a tube, hiking the trails in the summer and skiing or snowboarding the slopes in the winter. The city also has a variety of restaurants and nightlife options, as well as casinos for those looking to try their luck. South Lake Tahoe Luxury Hotels South Lake Tahoe Luxury Resorts Daytona Beach, FL, United States Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. It is approximately 40 miles northeast of Orlando, and 85 miles southeast of Jacksonville. The city is known as "The World's Most Famous Beach." Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Fun Coast region of Florida. The Daytona Beach area is a popular tourist destination. It is well known for its beaches, sports events, and motorsports. Daytona Beach was the birthplace of NASCAR and home to its first track, Daytona International Speedway. Dayton Beach also features a large number of tourist-oriented businesses, such as motels, restaurants, and bars. Daytona Beach Luxury Hotels Rio de Janeiro, Brazil The coastline of Rio de Janeiro is breathtaking, and the views from Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf Mountain are unforgettable. Rio's world-famous beaches are the perfect place to relax and enjoy the sun and the surf. The city's rich culture and history can be experienced in its many museums and in the lively nightlife. Rio is also a great place to shop for souvenirs. Rio de Janeiro Luxury Hotels Rio de Janeiro Luxury Villas Jaco, Costa Rica Jaco is a town on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. It's about an hour drive from San Jose and is a popular spot for surfers, sunbathers, and tourists. There are a number of beaches in the area, as well as restaurants, bars, and hotels. If you're looking for a place to relax and enjoy the Costa Rican sun and beaches, Jaco is a great option. Jaco Luxury Hotels Oslo, Norway Oslo, Norway is a city with plenty of places to visit. You can find the peace and tranquility of nature parks and green spaces, experience the city's vibrant nightlife, or take in the historical and cultural sights. Here are a few of the top places to visit in Oslo: The Royal Palace: Oslo's Royal Palace is the official residence of Norway's king and queen. The palace is open to the public year-round, and offers a glimpse into the lives of the royal family. Oslo's Royal Palace is the official residence of Norway's king and queen. The palace is open to the public year-round, and offers a glimpse into the lives of the royal family. Vigeland Park: Considered one of Oslo's most popular tourist destinations, Vigeland Park is home to over 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland. The park is a great place to spend a sunny day outdoors. Considered one of Oslo's most popular tourist destinations, Vigeland Park is home to over 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland. The park is a great place to spend a sunny day outdoors. The Maritime Museum: This museum is home to a variety of exhibits on Norway's maritime history. Visitors can explore everything from Viking ships to modern submarines. This museum is home to a variety of exhibits on Norway's maritime history. Visitors can explore everything from Viking ships to modern submarines. The National Gallery: The National Gallery is Norway's largest art museum, and home to a vast collection of paintings and sculptures from the country's most famous artists. The National Gallery is Norway's largest art museum, and home to a vast collection of paintings and sculptures from the country's most famous artists. Aker Brygge: Aker Brygge is a popular waterfront district in Oslo, home to a variety of bars, restaurants, and shops. The area is a great place to people watch and enjoy the view of the Oslo Fjord. Oslo Luxury Hotels Lima, Peru If you're looking for a city that's bursting with culture and flavor, Lima, Peru is the place for you! This vibrant destination is home to some of the most amazing places to visit in all of South America. From ancient ruins to lush rainforests, there's something for everyone in Lima. Here are just a few of the must-see attractions in this amazing city: The Larco Museum is one of Lima's top tourist destinations. This incredible museum is home to one of the largest collections of pre-Columbian art in the world. The Historic Center of Lima is a must-see for any history lover. This vibrant area is home to some of the oldest architecture in Lima, including the iconic San Francisco Monastery. If you're looking for a little bit of jungle in the city, head to the Parque de la Reserva. This lush park is home to beautiful gardens, a zoo, and even a butterfly farm! No trip to Lima would be complete without a visit to Machu Picchu. This ancient Inca citadel is one of the most iconic sites in all of South America. Lima Luxury Hotels Ankara, Turkey Ankara is the cultural and political center of Turkey. The city is home to many museums, including the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, and is a popular destination for tourists. The Citadel, the Ataturk Mausoleum, and the War of Independence Museum are all popular tourist destinations in Ankara. The city is also home to a vibrant nightlife and is a popular destination for students. Ankara Luxury Hotels Birmingham, United Kingdom There are plenty of great places to visit in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Some of the most popular places to go include the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and the Black Country Living Museum. These places are all great for tourists, as they offer a variety of attractions, including beautiful gardens, interesting art, and a recreation of an old-fashioned town. Additionally, there are plenty of other great places to visit in Birmingham, such as the Jewellery Quarter and the German Christmas Market. Birmingham Luxury Hotels York, United Kingdom With a rich history that spans back over 1,000 years, York is a must-visit destination in the United Kingdom. Explore the city's medieval architecture and narrow cobblestone streets, or enjoy a leisurely walk along the River Ouse. Visitors can also enjoy a variety of cultural experiences, such as the York Minster cathedral, the Jorvik Viking Centre, and the National Railway Museum. There are also plenty of shops and restaurants to enjoy in York. York Luxury Hotels Inverness, United Kingdom Inverness, Scotland is a must-see destination on any traveler's list. Filled with rolling green hills, historical sites, and plenty of outdoor activities, there's something for everyone in this charming town. Start by exploring the city center, which is home to a variety of shops and restaurants. Make sure to check out the Inverness Castle, which offers commanding views of the area, and the Inverness Cathedral, a beautiful example of medieval architecture. Outside of the city center, there are plenty of other attractions to explore. The Loch Ness Monster is said to make its home in the loch here, and visitors can take boat tours to hunt for the mythical creature. If you're looking for a more active adventure, take a hike in the hills or go fishing on the loch. No matter what you choose to do, Inverness is a beautiful and welcoming town that is sure to charm you. Inverness Luxury Hotels Marseille, France The Vieux Port (Old Harbor) is the oldest port in France. It is a beautiful place to visit with its sailboats, restaurants, and cafes. The Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica is also worth a visit. It offers stunning views of the city. If you're looking for a more lively atmosphere, head to the La Canebiere. It's a wide avenue with plenty of shops and restaurants. Marseille Luxury Hotels Marseille Luxury Villas Honolulu, HI, United States Honolulu is a city located on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, United States. It is the most populous city in the state of Hawaii and the county seat of the City and County of Honolulu. Honolulu is the cultural, commercial, and financial center of Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is one of the most famous beaches in the world and is located in Honolulu. Other places to visit in Honolulu include Diamond Head, the USS Arizona Memorial, and Hanauma Bay. Honolulu Luxury Hotels Honolulu Luxury Resorts Honolulu Luxury Villas Bar Harbor, ME, United States Famous for lobster and stunning ocean views, Bar Harbor is a popular destination in Maine. There are plenty of things to do in the town and its surroundings, including hiking, biking, whale watching, and exploring Acadia National Park. Bar Harbor Luxury Hotels Colorado Springs, CO, United States There are many places to visit in Colorado Springs. Garden of the Gods is a popular park with beautiful rock formations. Pike's Peak is a 14,115 foot mountain that offers great views and outdoor activities. The Broadmoor is a world-renowned resort with lovely gardens and a championship golf course. Royal Gorge Bridge is the world's highest suspension bridge and a popular tourist spot. Colorado Springs Luxury Hotels Fort Myers Beach, FL, United States Just an hours drive from the Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach is a popular tourist spot, especially in the winter when the snowbirds migrate down. The seven-mile-long beach is known for its white sand and clear water and is a popular spot for swimming, sunbathing, fishing, and kayaking. There are also a number of restaurants and bars in the area, as well as a few stores. Fort Myers Beach Luxury Hotels Biloxi, MS, United States There are plenty of places to explore in Biloxi, Mississippi from the citys iconic Beaches to the picturesque Bay Saint Louis. Venture into the citys downtown area to check out the many shops and restaurants, or take a walk along the shoreline. No matter what you choose to do, youre sure to have a great time in Biloxi. Biloxi Luxury Hotels Palermo, Italy If you're looking for a city with a rich and diverse history, Palermo is the place for you. This coastal city in Italy is teeming with medieval architecture, churches, and cathedrals. Be sure to check out the Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house in Europe, and the Palazzo dei Normanni, the seat of the Sicilian government. Don't miss out on the city's vibrant nightlife and vast array of restaurants that serve up some of the best food in the country. Palermo Luxury Hotels Palermo Luxury Villas Manila, Philippines The capital of the Philippines, Manila is a fascinating city with a rich history and a vibrant culture. There are plenty of places to visit in Manila, including the walled city of Intramuros, the Rizal Park, and the Manila Bay. The city is also home to a large number of churches, including the Manila Cathedral and the San Agustin Church. Manila is a great city to explore on foot, and there are plenty of restaurants and shops to enjoy. Manila Luxury Hotels Zermatt, Switzerland Zermatt is an alpine village in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is famous for its ski resort, mountaineering and hiking trails. The views of the Matterhorn from Zermatt are iconic. The village is car-free, making it a cyclists' and pedestrians' paradise. There are many places to visit in Zermatt, including the village's beautiful churches, impressive museums, and great restaurants. Zermatt Luxury Hotels Basel, Switzerland Basel is a city located in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine. Basel has a population of about 176,000 and is the third most populous city in Switzerland. Basel has many interesting places to visit, including the Basel Munster, the Basel Rathaus (town hall), the Basel Zoo, and the Munsterhof, the old town square. Basel also has a number of art museums, including the Kunstmuseum Basel, the Fondation Beyeler, and the Schaulager. Basel is a great city to visit, and I highly recommend it!. Basel Luxury Hotels Copenhagen, Denmark There are a number of places to visit in Copenhagen, Denmark. Some of the most popular tourist destinations include Tivoli Gardens, Nyhavn, and the Rosenborg Castle Gardens. Tivoli Gardens is a beautiful amusement park that has something for everyone. It is perfect for a day of fun with family or friends. Nyhavn is a charming canal district that is popular for its brightly colored houses and lively atmosphere. Visitors can enjoy a relaxing cruise down the canal or take a seat in one of the many cafes and restaurants. The Rosenborg Castle Gardens are home to a majestic castle as well as beautifully landscaped gardens. There is plenty to see and do in Copenhagen, Denmark. Copenhagen Luxury Hotels Steamboat Springs, CO, United States Steamboat Springs is located in northwestern Colorado. The town is named for the steamboats that traveled up the Yampa River in the 1800s. Today, the town is a popular tourist destination, known for its skiing, snowboarding, hiking, and rafting. Steamboat Springs Luxury Hotels Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and is home to many tourist attractions. Some popular places to visit in Abu Dhabi include the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Ferrari World Theme Park, and the Yas Island Waterpark. There are also a number of museums and shopping malls in Abu Dhabi, making it a great destination for those looking for a mix of culture and leisure. Abu Dhabi Luxury Hotels Abu Dhabi Luxury Resorts Abu Dhabi Luxury Villas Bogota, Colombia There's a lot to see and do in Bogota. Some of the top places to visit include the historical La Candelaria district, the cobblestone streets of Plaza de Bolivar, the Monserrate mountain, the Bogota Botanical Garden, and the Gold Museum. La Candelaria is home to many brightly-colored colonial buildings, churches, and plazas. Plaza de Bolivar is the center of Bogota and is surrounded by important landmarks like the Presidential Palace and the National Capitol. The Monserrate mountain is a popular tourist destination due to its stunning views of Bogota. The Bogota Botanical Garden is the largest in Colombia and features a wide variety of plants and trees. The Gold Museum is home to the largest collection of Pre-Columbian gold artifacts in the world. Bogota Luxury Hotels Cebu, Philippines Due to its location and its rich history, there are plenty of places to visit in Cebu. Some of the most popular tourist destinations include the Cebu Taoist Temple, the Fort San Pedro, the Yap-San Diego Ancestral House, and the Magellan's Cross. Cebu Luxury Hotels Cebu Luxury Resorts Lagos, Portugal Lagos is a small town in Portugal with a population of around 22,000. It's located in the Algarve region and is a popular tourist destination. Some of the places to visit in Lagos are the beaches, the old town, and the Marina. The beaches are beautiful and there are a lot of them to choose from. The old town is a maze of narrow streets and alleyways with lots of shops and restaurants. The Marina is a great place to walk around and watch the boats. Lagos Luxury Hotels Medellin, Colombia Some places to visit in Medellin, Colombia are: the Botanical Garden, the Ethnographic Museum, the Jardin Botanico, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Park of Lights, and the San Pedro Claver Church. Medellin Luxury Hotels Genoa, Italy While there are many places to visit in Genoa, one of the must-sees is the city's cathedral. Dedicated to San Lorenzo, the church features an intricate Gothic facade and a Renaissance interior. If you're looking for a place to take in some stunning views, head to the Genoa Aquarium, which is located on the promenade stretching along the city's harbor. Genoa Luxury Hotels Hoi An, Vietnam Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Vietnam. Its a bridge town thats best explored on foot. The narrow streets are a mix of Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese architecture. There are tailors, artisans, and lantern shops galore. The food is also some of the best in Vietnam. Be sure to try the local specialties, like Cao Lau and White Rose dumplings. Hoi An Luxury Hotels Hoi An Luxury Resorts Baku, Azerbaijan Baku, Azerbaijan is a city with a lot of culture and history. There are a lot of places to visit, like the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower. There are also a lot of great restaurants, like the Flame Club, which has a great atmosphere and delicious food. Baku Luxury Hotels San Luis Obispo, CA, United States San Luis Obispo is a city located in the central coast of California. It's known for its natural beauty, relaxed vibe, and abundance of things to do. Some of the top places to visit in San Luis Obispo include the Madonna Inn, Hearst Castle, and the Paso Robles wine country. The city is also home to a variety of beaches, parks, and other attractions. In addition, San Luis Obispo is a great place to live, with plenty of restaurants, shops, and other amenities. San Luis Obispo Luxury Hotels Colombo, Sri Lanka Colombo is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. The city is located on the west coast of the island and is the administrative, commercial, and industrial center of Sri Lanka. Colombo is also the center of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, with numerous Buddhist temples. There are a number of places to visit in Colombo, including the Galle Face Green, the Dutch fort, the Pettah Bazaar, and the Sri Lankan National Museum. Colombo Luxury Hotels Yogyakarta, Indonesia The city of Yogyakarta in Indonesia is home to some of the most stunning temples and historical landmarks in the country. The city is also a great place to enjoy traditional Javanese culture and cuisine. Some of the must-see places in Yogyakarta include the Borobudur Temple, the Prambanan Temple, and the Sultan's Palace. Yogyakarta Luxury Hotels Cefalu, Italy Looking for a beautiful and historic place to visit in Italy? Look no further than Cefalu. This town is teeming with history and stunning architecture, and its location on the coast makes it the perfect place to relax and take in the stunning scenery. Don't miss the Duomo di Cefalu, a 12th century Norman church that is definitely worth a visit, or the Palazzo dei Normanni, a former royal palace. Cefalu Luxury Hotels San Jose, CA, United States San Jose, California, is home to a variety of tourist destinations. Some popular places to visit include the Winchester Mystery House, the Tech Museum of Innovation, and the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. There are also a number of lovely parks, such as Kelley Park and Plaza de Cesar Chavez, that are well worth a visit. San Jose is also home to a number of great restaurants, so be sure to check out the local cuisine. Whatever your interests, San Jose has something to offer visitors. San Jose Luxury Hotels Hong Kong, China Hong Kong is one of the most popular destinations for tourists in China. There are many places to visit in Hong Kong, including the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Victoria Peak, and the Temple Street Night Market. Hong Kong is also a great place to shop, with many high-end malls and markets. Hong Kong Luxury Hotels Hong Kong Luxury Resorts Orlando, FL, United States Orlando is a city in the central region of Florida, in the United States. The city is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the metropolitan area also known as Greater Orlando. Orlando is well known for its theme parks, including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, and SeaWorld Orlando. Other tourist destinations in Orlando include the Holy Land Experience, the Orlando Science Center, and the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art. Orlando is also home to the University of Central Florida, one of the largest universities in the United States. Orlando Luxury Hotels Orlando Luxury Resorts Orlando Luxury Villas Philadelphia, PA, United States If youre looking for a place thats rich in history and culture, Philadelphia is the place for you. The city is home to numerous iconic landmarks, including the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Theres also a great variety of museums and other attractions to explore, such as the Philadelphia Zoo and the Please Touch Museum. And, of course, Philly is the birthplace of Americas favorite sandwich, the cheesesteak. So why not visit Americas most historic city and see for yourself what all the fuss is about?. Philadelphia Luxury Hotels Nice, France France is known for its many beautiful places to visit, and Nice is no exception. With its stunning coastline and mild climate, Nice is a popular tourist destination. Some of the most popular places to visit in Nice include the Promenade des Anglais, the Castle Hill, and the Old Town. There is also a wide variety of shops and restaurants to enjoy in Nice. If you're looking for a beautiful and relaxing place to visit in France, Nice is definitely worth considering. Nice Luxury Hotels Nice Luxury Villas Singapore, Singapore Singapore is a popular tourist destination, brimming with cultural and natural attractions. From award-winning restaurants to serene gardens and pristine beaches, there is much to explore in this diverse city-state. Here are some of the top places to visit in Singapore: 1. Marina Bay: This iconic waterfront district is home to stunning architecture, world-class landmarks, and a vibrant nightlife. 2. Gardens by the Bay: These stunning gardens feature a mix of plants from around the world, as well as towering sculptures and a biodome. 3. Chinatown: This lively district is home to traditional Chinese shops and restaurants, as well as vibrant street markets. 4. Little India: This neighborhood is known for its vibrant culture and colorful temples. 5. Sentosa Island: This resort island is home to sandy beaches, lush rainforests, and a variety of entertainment options. Singapore Luxury Hotels Singapore Luxury Resorts Nottingham, United Kingdom Nottingham is a city in the East Midlands of England. It is one of the United Kingdom's major cities, with a population of over 321,000. The city is home to two universities, Queen's Medical Centre, and seven football grounds. Nottingham is known for its lace-making and bicycle manufacturing. The city has a rich history, dating back to the Bronze Age. There are plenty of places to visit in Nottingham, including the Nottingham Castle, the Sherwood Forest, and the National Ice Centre. The city also has a lively nightlife, with a variety of pubs and bars. Nottingham Luxury Hotels Cannes, France Cannes is a city located in the south of France. Some of the places to visit in Cannes are the Palais des Festivals et des Congres, the Boulevard de la Croisette, and Le Suquet. Cannes Luxury Hotels Cannes Luxury Villas Park City, UT, United States Park City, Utah, offers visitors a wealth of places to visit and things to do. Main Street, with its charming shops and restaurants, is a must-see. The Park City Museum tells the town's fascinating history, and the Park City Utah Temple is a beautiful sight. For outdoor enthusiasts, there's plenty of skiing and snowboarding in the winter and hiking and mountain biking in the summer. And don't forget to visit the Olympic Park, where the 2002 Winter Olympics were held. Park City Luxury Hotels Park City Luxury Resorts Port Angeles, WA, United States If you're looking for a quaint, small town to visit in the US, Port Angeles is worth a stop. Located in the state of Washington, it's right on the Pacific coast with stunning views of the Olympic Mountains. There's plenty of things to do in the area, from hiking and fishing to whale watching and enjoying the local restaurants and breweries. Port Angeles Luxury Hotels Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States If you're looking for a fun-filled Florida getaway, look no further than Fort Lauderdale! With its miles of pristine beaches, world-famous shopping and vibrant nightlife, there's something for everyone in this seaside city. Here are some of the top places to visit in Fort Lauderdale: Las Olas Boulevard: This popular shopping and dining district is home to some of Fort Lauderdale's most upscale boutiques and restaurants. The Beach: With its wide, sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters, Fort Lauderdale's beach is a major draw for visitors. The Everglades: Just a short drive from Fort Lauderdale, the Everglades are home to an abundance of wildlife, including alligators, bald eagles and manatees. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts: This world-class performing arts center is home to a variety of theater, dance and music performances. So what are you waiting for? Book your trip to Fort Lauderdale today!. Fort Lauderdale Luxury Hotels Fort Lauderdale Luxury Resorts Myrtle Beach, SC, United States Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is a popular tourist destination. There are plenty of places to visit in the area, including amusement parks, beaches, and golf courses. Myrtle Beach also has a lively nightlife, with plenty of bars and restaurants. Myrtle Beach Luxury Hotels Myrtle Beach Luxury Resorts Salzburg, Austria Salzburg is one of the most visited places in Austria. It is a city rich in history and culture. There are many places to visit, such as the Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Mirabell Palace, and the Salzburg Cathedral. There are also many hiking trails and parks to enjoy. Salzburg Luxury Hotels Pattaya, Thailand Pattaya is an amazing city with plenty of places to visit and things to do. One of the most popular tourist destinations in Thailand, Pattaya offers something for everyone. There are lovely beaches, interesting temples, great shopping, and exciting nightlife. With its moderate climate and affordable prices, it's no wonder Pattaya is a favorite destination for tourists from all over the world. Pattaya Luxury Hotels Pattaya Luxury Resorts Pattaya Luxury Villas Dallas, TX, United States Dallas is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the ninth most populous city in the United States and the third most populous city in the state of Texas. Dallas is also the main city of the fourth most populous metropolitan area in the United States. The city's prominence arose from its historical importance as a center for the oil and cotton industries, and its position as a major transportation hub for the South. Dallas is home to the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. The city's economy is primarily based on banking, commerce, telecommunications, technology, energy, healthcare and medical research, and transportation. The city is home to the world's largest airline hub and the third largest cargo airport in the United States. Dallas Luxury Hotels Kolkata, India Kolkata, also known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. The city is located on the east bank of the Hooghly River. It is the second most populous city in India, after Mumbai, and the third most populous metropolitan area in India, after Mumbai and Delhi. The city is notable for its colonial architecture, art and culture, and for its overwhelming poverty. Kolkata is home to the Indian Museum, the Calcutta Stock Exchange, the National Library of India, and the Indian Statistical Institute. Kolkata Luxury Hotels San Antonio, TX, United States San Antonio is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Texas. There are plenty of places to visit in this city, from the well-known River Walk to the exquisite Spanish missions. If you're looking for a fun place to spend the day, you can't go wrong with San Antonio. San Antonio Luxury Hotels Seattle, WA, United States There are many wonderful places to visit in Seattle, Washington. Some of the most popular attractions include Pike Place Market, the Seattle Space Needle, and the Museum of Pop Culture. There are also many parks and gardens, such as Volunteer Park and Seattle Chinese Garden, as well as plenty of restaurants and shops. Located on the other side of the world, Western Australia is a great place to visit for those looking for something different. Some of the most popular attractions include Rottnest Island, the Margaret River region, and Monkey Mia. There are also plenty of beautiful parks and gardens, such as Kings Park and Botanic Garden, as well as restaurants and shops. Seattle Luxury Hotels Liverpool, United Kingdom Liverpool is a city located in North West England and is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom. The city is known for its football teams Liverpool and Everton, The Beatles, and its maritime history. Liverpool is a popular tourist destination and is home to various tourist attractions including Mersey Ferry, Liverpool Cathedral, and Albert Dock. Liverpool Luxury Hotels Malmo, Sweden Malmo is Sweden's third largest city with a population of over 310,000. It is located in the province of Scania on the country's southern tip. Malmo is a vibrant city with a strong arts and cultural scene. There are plenty of places to visit in Malmo, including the Malmo Castle, the Botanical Gardens, and the Turning Torso skyscraper. Malmo is also home to a large shopping district and a lively nightlife. Malmo Luxury Hotels Gothenburg, Sweden Goteborg, Sweden's second largest city, is a major port on the country's west coast. It's a popular tourist destination, known for its lively nightlife, beautiful architecture and delicious seafood. Some of the city's highlights include the Liseberg amusement park, the Botanical Garden, and the charming old town district. Goteborg is also home to a large number of museums, including the Volvo Museum, the Maritime Museum and the Universeum science center. Gothenburg Luxury Hotels Ljubljana, Slovenia Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia and is a city full of culture and history. There are many places to visit in Ljubljana, such as the castle, the old town, and the cathedral. The city is also home to many museums, art galleries, and parks. Ljubljana is a great city to explore on foot, and there are many restaurants and cafes to enjoy. Ljubljana Luxury Hotels Sydney, NSW, Australia Australia is a vast country with plenty of stunning places to visit, but Sydney is undoubtedly one of the most popular tourist destinations on the continent. From the iconic Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge to the beautiful beaches and lush national parks, there's something for everyone in this lively city. There's also a thriving food and nightlife scene, so you'll never run out of things to do in Sydney. Sydney Luxury Hotels Sydney Luxury Villas Melbourne, VIC, Australia There's a lot to love about Melbourne its lively arts and culture scene, its parks and gardens, its diverse range of restaurants and cafes, and its stunning architecture. Here are some of the best places to visit in Melbourne: - Federation Square: This iconic square is a great place to people-watch and take in the city's impressive architecture. It's also home to a number of museums and galleries, including the Australian Centre for the Moving Image and the National Gallery of Victoria. - Queen Victoria Market: This vibrant market is a must-visit for foodies and shoppers alike. It's the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere, and offers a vast array of fresh produce, meat, seafood, and souvenirs. - Melbourne Cricket Ground: If you're a sports fan, be sure to check out the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which is the largest cricket stadium in the world. It's also home to the Australian Football League, and has hosted a number of major sporting events, including the Commonwealth Games and the Rugby Union World Cup. - Royal Botanic Gardens: These beautiful gardens are a great place to relax and take in some of Melbourne's natural beauty. They're home to a number of different gardens, including the Australian Garden, the Sculpture Garden, and the Japanese Garden. Melbourne Luxury Hotels Melbourne Luxury Villas Vancouver, BC, Canada The top places to visit in Vancouver are Stanley Park, Granville Island, Gastown, and Chinatown. These are all must-see attractions that offer an array of activities, scenery, and history. Stanley Park is a world-famous urban park that features greenery, beaches, gardens, and a stunning view of the North Shore Mountains. Granville Island is a vibrant neighbourhood with unique shops, restaurants, and art galleries. Gastown is the city's oldest neighbourhood and is home to charming cobblestone streets and funky boutiques. Chinatown is one of the largest and most vibrant Chinatowns in North America and offers delicious food, interesting history, and vibrant culture. Vancouver Luxury Hotels Toronto, ON, Canada From the CN Tower and Hockey Hall of Fame to the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Distillery District, there are plenty of amazing places to visit in Toronto, Canada. With something for everyone, Toronto is a great city to explore. So what are you waiting for? Start planning your trip today!. Toronto Luxury Hotels Montreal, QC, Canada Montreal is a vibrant city with something for everyone. There are plenty of places to visit, including the Notre Dame Basilica, the Olympic Stadium, and Mount Royal. The city is also home to a lively arts and culture scene, with theatres, art galleries, and music venues. Montreal is a great place to visit year-round, with festivals and events happening throughout the year. Montreal Luxury Hotels Seville, Spain Seville is one of the most visited places in Spain for a plethora of reasons: its stunning architecture, tapas bars, flamenco and great weather. The Giralda Tower is a must-see when in Seville as is the Plaza de Espana. Andalusian culture is heavily present in the city and is best experienced by wandering the narrow streets and alleyways, popping into a lively tapas bar for a drink and some snacks or enjoying a flamenco show. Seville Luxury Hotels Seville Luxury Villas Ocean City, MD, United States Ocean City is a seaside resort town in Worcester County, Maryland, on the Atlantic coast. It is well known for its long promenade, its fishing, and its crab cuisine. There are plenty of places to visit in Ocean City, including the boardwalk, amusement rides, shopping, and restaurants. You can also visit the Assateague Island National Seashore, which is home to wild horses, or head to the nearby town of Berlin for more shopping and dining options. Ocean City Luxury Hotels Cambridge, MA, United States If you're looking for a quintessential New England town to visit, Cambridge, Massachusetts is the place for you. With its elaborate architecture and Colonial history, Cambridge is a lively town with plenty of things to see and do - perfect for a weekend getaway. Some of the places you won't want to miss include the Harvard University campus, the charming and lively shops and restaurants in Harvard Square, and the leafy paths of the Cambridge Common. Cambridge Luxury Hotels Laguna Beach, CA, United States Laguna Beach, California is a place known for its stunningly beautiful coastline, excellent restaurants, and art galleries. But there's more to Laguna Beach than meets the eye. Here are some of the best places to visit in Laguna Beach: Crystal Cove State Park: This state park is known for its coves, tidepools, and bluffs. It's a great place to go hiking, swimming, and snorkeling. Heisler Park: This park is a great place for a walk or a picnic. It's also home to some of the best views of the Pacific Coast. Downtown Laguna Beach: This charming downtown area is home to art galleries, boutique shops, and excellent restaurants. Aliso Beach: This beach is known for its excellent surfing and swimming conditions. It's also a great place to take a walk or enjoy a picnic. Laguna Beach Luxury Hotels Hot Springs, AR, United States In downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas, you'll find historic buildings, antique shops, and art galleries. For nature lovers, there are also plenty of places to visit, including the Garland County Arboretum, Ouachita National Forest, and Hot Springs National Park. Spa enthusiasts can enjoy a relaxing day in one of the area's hot springs. And no trip to Hot Springs is complete without a visit to the world-famous Bathhouse Row. Hot Springs Luxury Hotels Sedona, AZ, United States There are many places to visit in Sedona, Arizona. Among the most popular are the Chapel of the Holy Cross, Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, and Boynton Canyon. The town's unique red-rock formations and ancient ruins offer plenty of photo opportunities. Visitors can also enjoy hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Sedona is a great place to relax and take in the natural beauty of the Southwest. Sedona Luxury Hotels Sedona Luxury Resorts Boulder, CO, United States Boulder, Colorado is a breathtaking city nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The city is home to stunning views, ample outdoor recreation, and a lively arts scene. Outdoor enthusiasts will love exploring the city's many trails, parks, and open spaces. History buffs will enjoy checking out the city's museums and historic sites. Culture seekers will appreciate the city's many theaters, art galleries, and restaurants. No matter what your interests, you'll find something to love in Boulder. Boulder Luxury Hotels Key West, FL, United States Key West is a small island off the coast of Florida that is filled with history, charm, and fun places to visit. Its lush tropical setting and the laid-back vibe of the island make it a popular destination for those looking for a relaxing getaway. There are plenty of places to explore in Key West, from the charming historic district to the crystal-clear waters of the Florida Keys. Here are some of the top places to visit in Key West: -The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum: This iconic museum is dedicated to the life and work of Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway, who lived in Key West for over 20 years. -Duval Street: This lively street is the heart of Key West's nightlife and is home to many bars and restaurants. -The Southernmost Point: This landmark is located at the end of Duval Street and is the southernmost point in the continental United States. -The Key West Lighthouse: This picturesque lighthouse is a popular spot for tourists and offers stunning views of the island. -The African American Heritage House: This museum is dedicated to the history and culture of African Americans in Key West. -The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory: This attraction is home to over 2,000 butterflies and a variety of other tropical plants and animals. Key West Luxury Hotels Key West Luxury Resorts Key West Luxury Cottages Key West Luxury Villas Stockholm, Sweden Stockholm, Sweden is a city with many places to visit. One place is the Vasa Museum, which is home to a ship that sunk in 1628 and was raised from the ocean floor 333 years later. The ship is preserved and on display in the museum. Another place to visit is the Royal Palace, the official residence of the Swedish monarch. The palace is open for tours, and visitors can see the royal apartments, the throne room, and the Hall of State. Stockholm Luxury Hotels Destin, FL, United States Looking for a place to visit in Florida? Look no further than Destin! This city is home to beautiful beaches, wonderful restaurants, and plenty of places to shop. No matter what you're looking for, you can find it in Destin. Be sure to check out the Destin Harbor and the fishing pier for amazing views and plenty of things to do. If you're looking for a place to relax, head to the beach and enjoy the sun and sand. There's something for everyone in Destin, so be sure to visit this amazing city!. Destin Luxury Hotels Destin Luxury Resorts Ashland, OR, United States There are many places to visit in Ashland, Oregon. Some of the most popular places are the Shakespeare Festival, Lithia Park, and Mt. Ashland. The Shakespeare Festival is a great place to see some of the best plays in the world. Lithia Park is a beautiful park with a river running through it. Mt. Ashland is a great place to go skiing in the winter. Ashland Luxury Hotels Seaside, OR, United States One of the most beautiful places on the Oregon Coast is Seaside. With its wide, sandy beach and majestic promenade, Seaside is a popular tourist destination. There are plenty of places to eat and shop, and the Seaside Aquarium is a must-see. Visitors can also enjoy fishing, whale watching, or just taking a leisurely stroll along the beach. Seaside Luxury Hotels Newport, RI, United States Newport is a picturesque town located in southern Rhode Island that is home to some of the most visited tourist destinations in the United States. The city is known for its miles of beaches and historic mansions that line the coast. Some popular places to visit in Newport include the Cliff Walk, the Breakers Mansion, the Museum of Yachting, and the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Newport Luxury Hotels Siena, Italy Siena, Italy is a popular tourist destination, thanks to its well-preserved medieval city center. The city is famous for its art, food, and wine. Siena is located in the heart of Tuscany, making it the perfect base for exploring this beautiful region of Italy. Don't miss the Duomo (cathedral), the Piazza del Campo, and the Torre del Mangia. Siena Luxury Hotels Reno, NV, United States Home to the University of Nevada, Reno and a wide variety of cultural and natural attractions, Reno is a great place to visit. Some of the top places to see in Reno include the Nevada Museum of Art, the Fleischmann Planetarium and Science Center, and the Reno Events Center. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy hiking and skiing at Lake Tahoe and biking and kayaking on the Truckee River. In addition, Reno is home to a diverse array of restaurants and nightlife venues. Reno Luxury Hotels Atlantic City, NJ, United States Atlantic City is a popular East Coast tourist destination, known for its boardwalks, beaches and casinos. There are plenty of places to visit in Atlantic City, from the Boardwalk Hall and the Absecon Lighthouse to the Atlantic City Aquarium and Lucy the Elephant. For a more thrilling experience, head to one of the city's casinos, where you can try your hand at blackjack, slots, roulette and more. Atlantic City also offers a wide variety of restaurants, from seafood spots to pizza places, so you're sure to find something to your taste. And if you're looking for some nightlife action, the city has you covered there too. Atlantic City is definitely a place worth visiting!. Atlantic City Luxury Hotels Atlantic City Luxury Resorts Lake George, NY, United States Looking for a place to visit in upstate New York? Look no further than the stunning Lake George. This picturesque locale is located in the heart of the Adirondacks and is known for its pristine beauty and terrific recreational opportunities. Visitors can enjoy hiking, biking, boating, fishing, and skiing, among other activities. Don't miss the chance to take in the spectacular views from the summit of Prospect Mountain or from the water's edge. Lake George Luxury Hotels Buffalo, NY, United States If you're looking for a city that has it all, Buffalo is the place to be. From its vibrant downtown district to its abundance of parks and nature preserves, there's something for everyone in Buffalo. Here are some of the top places to visit in Buffalo: 1. The Buffalo Zoo - One of the top zoos in the country, the Buffalo Zoo is a must-visit for animal lovers of all ages. 2. The Albright-Knox Art Gallery - Buffalo's answer to the Louvre, the Albright-Knox is home to some of the world's most famous paintings and sculptures. 3. The Buffalo-Niagara Heritage Village - This living history museum offers a glimpse into what life was like in Buffalo in the 1800s. 4. The Buffalo River - Take a walk or bike ride along the Buffalo River, one of the city's most picturesque areas. 5. Delaware Park - This large park is home to a variety of attractions, including a zoo, a golf course, and a nature preserve. Buffalo Luxury Hotels Rochester, MN, United States Rochester, Minnesota is a city with plenty of places to visit. There's the Mayo Clinic, the Apache Mall, and several other shopping areas, as well as a variety of restaurants. There are also a few parks and golf courses. For those who love the outdoors, Rochester is also close to several state parks and the Mississippi River. Rochester Luxury Hotels Duluth, MN, United States If you're looking for an amazing place to visit, Duluth, Minnesota should definitely be at the top of your list. This city is home to some of the most beautiful scenery in the United States, and there are plenty of things to do here that will keep you entertained for days on end. Some of the most popular places to visit in Duluth include the Aerial Lift Bridge, the Glensheen Mansion, and Chester Creek Park. Additionally, there are a number of excellent restaurants and shopping areas in the city, so be sure to explore everything that Duluth has to offer. Duluth Luxury Hotels Maputo, Mozambique Maputo is the capital of Mozambique and a city full of culture and history. There are many places to visit in Maputo, such as the Jose Eduardo dos Santos Museum, the Maputo Cathedral, and the Rua da Independencia. Maputo is also home to the Maputo Bay, which offers beautiful beaches and great seafood. Maputo Luxury Hotels Barcelona, Spain Barcelona, located on the northeast coast of Spain, is a renowned tourist destination and one of the most popular cities in the world. There are plenty of places to visit in Barcelona, such as the Gothic Quarter, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Parc Guell, La Sagrada Familia, and more. The city is also home to a lively nightlife and some of the best restaurants in the country. Barcelona Luxury Hotels Barcelona Luxury Villas Split, Croatia Split is a city on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. It is the second-largest city in Croatia and the largest city in Dalmatia. It has a population of over 200,000 inhabitants. The metropolitan area, which includes the City of Split and the surrounding towns, has a population of over 330,000. Split is a popular tourist destination and is the home of the Diocletian's Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other popular tourist destinations include the Riva, the Peristyle, the Cathedral of Saint Domnius, and Sustipan. Split Luxury Hotels Split Luxury Villas Dubrovnik, Croatia Dubrovnik is a city on the Adriatic Sea in Croatia. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, a seaport and the administrative center of Dubrovnik-Neretva County. Dubrovnik is nicknamed "The Pearl of the Adriatic". Dubrovnik Luxury Hotels Dubrovnik Luxury Villas Byron Bay, NSW, Australia Byron Bay is a magical place. It's no wonder that it's one of the most popular destinations in Australia. The town is set in a beautiful location, surrounded by rolling green hills and the bright blue ocean. There's plenty to do in Byron Bay, whether you're looking for a relaxing beach holiday or an adventure-filled trip. Some of the top places to visit in Byron Bay include the iconic lighthouse, the stunning beaches, and the lush rainforest. There's also a great nightlife and plenty of restaurants and cafes to enjoy. If you're looking for an amazing Australian getaway, be sure to add Byron Bay to your list!. Byron Bay Luxury Hotels Wellington, New Zealand If you're looking for a little slice of heaven on earth, look no further than Wellington, New Zealand. With its gorgeous landscape and plethora of activities, there's something for everyone here. Whether you're a nature lover or a city slicker, Wellington has something special to offer. Top Wellington attractions include the Zealandia eco-sanctuary, the cable car up to the Botanic Gardens, and the sprawling Te Papa museum. For those who love getting out into the great outdoors, there are plenty of hiking and biking trails, as well as lovely seaside towns and villages to explore. And of course, no trip to Wellington would be complete without trying some of the delicious local cuisine be sure to sample a traditional Maori hangi feast! So what are you waiting for? Book your flight to Wellington today and start planning your perfect holiday!. Wellington Luxury Hotels Saint Louis, MO, United States If you're looking for a fun place to visit with a rich history and plenty of things to see and do, look no further than Saint Louis, Missouri. This vibrant city is home to a variety of interesting attractions, including the Gateway Arch, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. There's also no shortage of restaurants and shopping options in Saint Louis. So, whether you're looking for a place to explore new cultures and cuisines or you're just looking for a place to have some fun, Saint Louis is a great option. Saint Louis Luxury Hotels Bloomington, IN, United States The city of Bloomington, Indiana is home to a variety of attractions and places to visit. The Indiana University campus is a popular destination, as is the city's historic downtown district. Monroe County Courthouse 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. In a nightmarish sort of custody battle for New Yorkers money, Airbnb and New Yorks government are again at odds, this time arguing over who gets the kids. Or, more accurately, how far the city is allowed to go in order to enforce residency laws and collect rental fees from the thousands of people listing their apartments for rent on the Airbnb site. Its no secret that a number of websites have jumpstarted the so-called gig economy, allowing normal people to earn side cash by using their car as a personal taxi or picking up freelancing work on top of their day jobs. As companies like Airbnb and Uber disturb the longstanding status quo, theyre bound to make a few enemies along the way. In Airbnbs case, that includes players like the behemoth hotel industry and governments including Amsterdam, San Francisco, and New York City. New York recently passed a law that increases the fines for anyone who rents out their property for less than 30 days. Now, if someone is caught in the state renting out their entire property while they spend a week at the beach, they can be fined $1,000 for the first offense, and up to $7,500 for a third offense and any instances afterward. (The typical home-sharing model is still allowed, if youre renting out a room in your apartment while you continue to live there.) Since Airbnb makes its money from fees for each rental, along with expanding the number of rental properties available, crackdowns like this could end up hurting its business especially considering the fact that New York City is now its largest rental market in the United States. In a lawsuit the company filed not long after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the law, Airbnb claimed that the legislation will impose significant immediate burdens and irreparable harm on the business. The real issue at hand, however, is that New Yorkers will ultimately be the ones to pay the price. And the issue could extend to rentals in other areas, if more cities follow New Yorks lead. New York: Stopping Airbnbs black market hotels In reality, New Yorkers have not been allowed to rent out entire apartments for less than 30 days since 2010, the New York Times reports. Some tenants have ignored this rule (and landlords have looked the other way) often in cases where the tenants are going on vacation and are looking to subsidize their trip with cash from Airbnb rentals, Slate reports. However, theres another side to the rental market that government officials claim is much more insidious. In the worst case, commercial vendors buy up empty apartments and turn them into full-time listings on Airbnb, never having a tenant in the first place. Politicians argue that pseudo-hoteliers are decreasing the number of rentals available for New York residents, driving up rent prices. One 2014 report from New Yorks attorney general insinuated that platforms like Airbnb are fueling a black market for unsafe hotels, saying that at the time, about 72% of the rentals listed for New York locations on the site were illegal. For many New York residents, this claim probably strikes close to the heart or at least the wallet. The rental market in many neighborhoods of the city are astronomically high, and securing a rent-controlled apartment is like striking gold. But like it or not, the home sharing economy is growing, both in size and legitimacy. A recent report studying business travel trends found that business-related bookings increased 56% from 2015 to 2016 across all home sharing platforms, with travelers often staying a few nights longer at in-home rentals compared to hotels. That, and the entire market at large, is a business Airbnb will fight to protect. Airbnb: Were legit, and were protected by law According to the New York Times, Airbnb renters in New York City generated $1 billion in revenue last year, of which the company takes a cut. To lose out on the largest rental market in the U.S. would be a swift kick, especially if wary renters start delisting their rooms. In the lawsuit it filed, Airbnb argues that the new law violates its right to free speech and due process, along with the protections it is given by the Communications Decency Act. That act states that websites cannot be held accountable for information its users post in this case, entire apartments for rent while the tenants are away. The harm to the company comes in the form of extra manpower to monitor those postings, the company claims. Airbnb claims it has already taken sufficient action against the illegal postings referenced in the 2014 attorney generals report. It said it has removed almost 3,000 commercial operators from its site. According to CNN Money, Airbnb also recently disclosed that 96% of its users in New York have only one rental listing on the site. Slate reports that the median number of nights rented out for a property in New York is 44 nights per year certainly not suggesting that a commercial operator is listing it full-time, in most cases. Follow the money, and see where it goes It can be argued that this is an issue of special interests, not one of whats right for New Yorkers. Airbnb was quick to point out that the powerful hotel lobby in the city has been whispering in Cuomos ear for years, hoping to clamp down on the growing rental competition. In typical fashion, Albany back-room dealing rewarded a special interest the price-gouging hotel industry and ignored the voices of tens of thousands of New Yorkers, said Josh Meltzer, head of Airbnbs New York public policy. Despite growing competition, New Yorks hotel industry doesnt appear to be hurting. A 2016 report from the states comptroller shows that visitors spent $11.6 billion on lodging in 2014, and the industry has continued to add thousands of rooms each year to keep up with demand. The report shows that another 26,500 rooms are expected to be added by 2019. However, the report does mention Airbnb specifically as an area of vulnerability, representing the lot of nontraditional competitors. If youve got the lobbying dollars to secure yourself against that threat, why not use them? Legislators who advocated for the law, including bill author Linda B. Rosenthal, were quick to return the finger-pointing. Airbnb put a lot of pressure on Governor Cuomo and spent millions, so Im gratified that he stood up for the cause of affordable housing and protecting tenants, she said. Its safe to say that the city also has a vested interest in cracking down on Airbnbs business, however. CNN reports that the city can be denied tax revenue when rental listings are handled on channels like Airbnb. Theres a reason a hotel is listed for $100 per night but the final cost is more like $200 local taxes swoop in on that final tab. Airbnb gives its renters information on collecting an occupancy tax, and in cities like San Francisco and Portland, it collects it automatically for the renters. However, the site makes no mention of doing the same in New York City, so its unclear how many rental properties are collecting the required taxes and sending them to the tax authority on their own. Who loses? New Yorkers Whether the law was enacted to protect hotels, the citys tax revenue, or altruistically to fight rising rent prices, New Yorkers using sites like Airbnb are ultimately on the losing end. If theyre renting a room while continuing to live there, theyre in the clear. But any time they rent out their space and they arent living there, they face hefty fines. The city of San Francisco enacted a similar law, but as Slate points out, it targets the fines at Airbnb itself, not the people renting out their properties. In similar cases, the government tends to shield third-party sites from liability, which means San Francisco might not be successful with its levies. New York has a better chance of recouping its fines, but at the expense of regular residents. It might look like a smart move now, but could turn ugly if normal residents not commercial renters are stuck with the tab. Whats more, it could become a problem for more people across the country if other cities follow New Yorks lead. More from Culture Cheat Sheet: In the years since pop-punk stalwarts Good Charlotte last released an album, co-frontman Benji Madden has set up a music management company (MDDN), become a judge on "The Voice" (the Australian version), and married a movie star (Cameron Diaz). Until recently, no one was particularly optimistic about the future of Good Charlotte, formed by Madden and his twin brother, Joel, in 1996. The band had hit big in the early 2000s, but in recent years, fans and the Maddens themselves had seemed to lose interest. Advertisement In July, Good Charlotte released "Youth Authority," its first album since 2010, and hit the road for a 20th anniversary tour, which arrives Friday at the Riviera Theatre. With that in mind, Benji Madden got on the phone to talk about band life, married life, and the permanent impermanence of Good Charlotte. "We're fine with it being something that happens only every once in a while," he said. MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR Advertisement The following is an edited transcript of that conversation with Benji Madden: Q: You don't know, during your long hiatus, what's waiting for you when you come back, right? A: You just don't know. It had started where everywhere we went, whether we were at an airport or a restaurant, some 16- or 17-year-old kid would come up to us and say, "Oh my God, you're in Good Charlotte! You guys are legends. You guys stopped playing before I was ever able to see you live." This was happening all the time, everywhere. We always just said, "Oh, that's nice." Joel had said he was never gonna do it again. Not in an angry way or a bad way, he just said, "I have to do what I feel sincere about, and I can't do Good Charlotte if I don't really feel sincere about it. I think I've just moved on." We had worked with a few bands amazing young guys, and I think Joel started to get some of that energy back. One day he was just like, "I wanna do it." Q: If my band was the only thing I knew and my brother told me he didn't want to do it anymore, I'd be terrified. A: We share an interesting relationship. I actually manage my brother, I manage our band, so I've worn a bit of a different hat. It's a little bit less emotional. It really didn't bother me at all. I felt the most important thing was protect the sincerity of the brand, which had gotten a bit watered down. We'd lost a little faith in ourselves and had (put) some of the decision-making into other people's hands, and they didn't treat it with care. We got talked into doing certain things for the money. We had to learn the hard way, when it comes to your band and your music, you can't give anyone else the responsibility like that. You''ve gotta go with your gut. I was happy with the time off; during that time we became completely independent. We'd finally taken our band back. Q: And the fact that you're coming back in the middle of a pop-punk renaissance is lucky too. Were you thinking you wanted to reclaim your throne? Is there a level of competitiveness? A: Not quite. I don't know if we sat on a throne. We were certainly at the podium, that's for sure. Q: Do you look at your older songs, some of them dealt with hopelessness and despair, and say to yourself, "I'm 37, I'm in a happy marriage to a famous actress, I can't relate to the person who would sing those songs?" Advertisement A: I actually just have compassion for that kid. I actually love those songs even more than I ever had. If I didn't try to do any excavating and any personal growth when you grow up and you get married and you have a relationship, hopefully you are growing. That's what relationships are all about. That's the most amazing thing about marriage is that it forces you to grow, and you get to know yourself even better. For me, when I look at those songs, I understand them better than I ever have, even when I wrote them. Q: You've said you can't see doing Good Charlotte in your 40s. Is there a way to have the band make sense as you get older? A: I think this record is a good start. We're very optimistic guys now. I'm sure a lot of people would look at our lives from the outside and go, "Of course you are." But we didn't get where we are today both me and my brother have a great relationship with our band, we have amazing friends, and No. 1 we have the most incredible wives who are our best friends. That isn't achieved without doing work, without working every day to try to understand yourself better, to try to be a better version of yourself, to try to understand where you come from, what you've gone through. All the music we've created throughout the years was a pathway. ... I don't know how long we'll do this, but we'll never break up. Allison Stewart is a freelancer. onthetown@chicagotribune.com Twitter @chitribent Advertisement When: 6:30 p.m. Friday Where: Riviera Theatre, 4746 N. Racine Ave. Tickets: $29.50; 773-275-5000 or www.ticketfly.com RELATED STORIES: A classical concerto? Mike Mills still wants it to rock K. Flay is making up for lost time Advertisement Guitarist Samantha Fish has soaring career and signature ax Watch the latest movie trailers. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox) Reporting from Washington Ever since federal agents concluded this summer that they had no case against Hillary Clinton over mishandling classified information, FBI Director James B. Comey has been in a bind. He could either take the traditional approach of keeping mum or publicly explain his reasoning. A man unafraid of the spotlight, Comey decided then to address the matter head-on, as he did again Friday in telling lawmakers that agents were reviewing newly discovered emails that may be pertinent to the investigation. Advertisement Comey, confidants say, wanted to maintain transparency in the face of multiple pressures: from both political parties, agents, former agents and his bosses at the Justice Department. But by making such a move just 11 days before the election, he also thrust the FBI into a glare as harsh as klieg lights and influenced a presidential race more deeply than the bureau ever has. "He has been trying to thread this needle between keeping things close to the vest, like we typically do, and explaining matters to the public because this is such an unusual and public case," said a colleague who requested anonymity to speak freely. "It is a really narrow window. And he would acknowledge it hasn't always worked out the way he hoped. He was going to be damned if he did, and damned if he didn't." Advertisement And damned he was. Democrats reacted with frustration and anger over both the announcement and its vague nature. "It's not just strange. It's unprecedented, and it's deeply troubling," Clinton said Saturday at a rally in Daytona Beach, Fla. "Voters deserve to get the full and complete facts." Four Senate Democrats, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California and Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, demanded a briefing from Comey by Monday. Even some Republicans condemned Comey for stepping into the race, though most expressed glee that Clinton's emails were suddenly a dominant topic again at this late stage. "Hillary has nobody to blame but herself," GOP nominee Donald Trump said before thousands at a packed livestock arena in Golden, Colo. Comey, who served in Justice Department posts in the George W. Bush administration, learned of the new developments in the investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server on Thursday from agents, law enforcement officials said. He was told that investigators found a trove of emails related to Clinton's server during their separate probe into whether Anthony Weiner, a former New York congressman and the estranged husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedin, had violated federal law while sexting a teenage girl in another state. The emails were on a laptop jointly used by Abedin and Weiner. A cursory review indicated no emails were sent to or from Clinton, but some were forwarded messages from Abedin to herself and others were emails between her and other Clinton aides, a law enforcement official said. In briefing Comey, agents said further investigation was needed to determine whether classified information had ended up on Weiner's device, a law enforcement official said. Advertisement Though agents had seized the laptop with a judge's authorization, that order did not grant them permission to examine Abedin's correspondence because it only applied to the investigation into Weiner. To review the contents of Abedin's emails, agents told Comey they needed another court order, a request he granted. Such an order would also need approval from the Justice Department, and officials there were weighing how to respond, a law enforcement official said. No evidence has emerged that the emails had been withheld by Clinton or her aides, law enforcement officials said. Comey consulted with senior Justice Department officials and was urged not to disclose any developments in light of long-standing guidelines, according to two officials briefed on the matter. Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch was not involved in the discussions, they said. The FBI and Justice Department rarely discuss details of ongoing investigations, and they are urged to avoid even the appearance of politically motivated investigations. "Law enforcement officers and prosecutors may never select the timing of investigative steps or criminal charges for the purpose of affecting any election, or for the purpose of giving an advantage or disadvantage to any candidate or political party," former Atty. Gen. Eric Holder wrote in a 2012 memo. Advertisement But Comey concluded he had to go public because he had told the world in July that the probe was completed. He strongly echoed those comments in sworn congressional testimony and was concerned that if the bureau waited until after the election, it would be accused of playing politics and withholding information from the electorate. "Of course, we don't ordinarily tell Congress about ongoing investigations, but here I feel an obligation to do so given that I testified repeatedly in recent months that our investigation was completed," Comey wrote in an email to bureau employees Friday. "I also think it would be misleading to the American people were we not to supplement the record." Comey's step was set in motion months ago, some close to him suggested, when Lynch drew sharp criticism over allowing former President Bill Clinton to come aboard her plane on an Arizona tarmac for a chat. Lynch conceded the meeting "cast a shadow" over the department and announced she would accept the recommendations of career agents and prosecutors investigating the case, as well as the FBI director. "That was the tipping point," said a second Comey colleague. "He didn't have a choice after that. He kind of had to take a bullet for her if the government had any chance to prove the case was not shaped or altered by politics." Though most agents, especially those investigating the Clinton case, agreed with Comey's decision not to recommend criminal charges, they continue to grapple with him stepping so boldly into the public fray, according to interviews with current and former agents. "I was shocked by it," Ronald Hosko, a former top agent, said in describing Comey's public approach to the case. "But I understand why he did it. In his mind, he had no choice. It was such an unusual and public case, and he had to be transparent. But by going public like that, being transparent, now he can't stop doing that. He has to keep talking about it. I struggle with the decision he made. Was it the right call? I think so. But it wasn't an easy one." Advertisement Hosko and other former agents were concerned that the decision ultimately could undermine the bureau's reputation for being an apolitical law enforcement agency, especially in such a highly partisan climate. Comey, who took the top FBI job in late 2013, replaced the low-key Robert Mueller, who likely would have "written up his findings and shipped them across the street to be announced by the Justice Department," according to a top FBI official. But Comey who stands 6 feet, 8 inches is far from low-key. He regularly addresses reporters and relishes being the bureau's public face. He also isn't afraid of confrontation, as evidenced most notably by his refusal in 2004 as deputy attorney general to reauthorize the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program. Comey has acknowledged that his approach has no precedent, telling Congress in September that "there's never been this kind of transparency in a criminal case, ever." With seven more years in his 10-year term, he knows he will continue to be dogged by questions about the case, even if he is growing tired of answering them. He sarcastically told a think tank in September that "obviously I want to talk about the email investigation while I'm here." Later, he quipped to the same audience that "my children, again, discipline me not to go on Twitter because apparently people say bad things about me on Twitter." Times staff writers Chris Megerian in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Lisa Mascaro in Golden, Colo., contributed to this report. Advertisement del.wilber@latimes.com Follow @delwilber on Twitter ALSO: FBI says emails found in Anthony Weiner's sexting scandal may have links to Clinton probe Trump has made a lot of women mad. Clinton hopes to turn that into a surge of votes for Democrats How Michelle Obama became more than just another political voice Advertisement UPDATES: 7:40 p.m.: This story was updated with more details on a court order investigators sought. 6:40 p.m.: This story was updated with details on the investigation. 4:45 p.m.: This story was updated with Senate Democrats demanding a briefing from Comey. 4:05 p.m.: This story was updated with comments from Clinton and Trump. This story was originally published at 1:10 p.m. Two years ago, I was scheduled to travel to Omaha, Neb., to stay with my mother and provide postoperative care for a week. My return flight was scheduled for a week later. My mother had complications after surgery that not only lengthened her hospital stay, but also required me to lengthen my trip to take care of her when she returned home from the hospital. Advertisement I changed my return date to fly back a week later than scheduled, so that I could give my mother two weeks of care at home instead of one. The cost to change my return flight was $360 a $200 change fee, plus $130 fare difference and $30 processing fee. I filed a claim with Allianz pursuant to "Trip Interruption Due to Nonmedical Reasons." The cause for filing the claim is stated in Section 2 of its travel insurance policy. Per a letter submitted by my mother's physician, my mother required extended hospitalization, and she required my care upon release due to her complications. Advertisement I have submitted this letter and other information to Allianz, but it just continues to ask for more information. Now Allianz wants a form completed that requires information from the hospital about my mother's surgery and complications, despite having the letter from her physician. This situation has taken up a lot of my time, and my mother is still having health problems, so I don't want to continue asking her to chase down more information. Two different Allianz agents, before I changed my flight, told me that I would simply need a letter from the physician explaining the situation in order to file a claim. I hope you can help get Allianz to honor what I believe is a valid claim. Tami Miller, Malvern, Penn. A: Allianz should have paid this claim long ago. So why didn't it? Section 2 of your insurance policy says you're covered when a family member who isn't traveling with you is seriously ill or injured. It states: "Specific requirement: The injury, illness or medical condition must be considered life threatening, require hospitalization, or he or she must require your care." That looks like a covered reason to you and to me. So what's the holdup? You say two representatives told you that a doctor's letter would be enough to process the claim, but then another representative asked for additional details. Insurance companies are well within their rights to request this documentation, although they should also make every effort to resolve a claim in a timely manner. Two years is too long. Advertisement I list the Allianz customer-service contacts on my consumer-advocacy site: www.elliott.org/company-contacts/allianz. Reaching out to one of them in writing might have helped move your claim along. But you can't waive a paperwork requirement in the way you want. A company like Allianz must show its underwriters that it processed a valid claim. I contacted Allianz on your behalf. "We have been waiting for her to send us the required documentation we need to finalize her claim," a representative told me. "The No. 1 reason that claims are delayed is lack of proper documentation. In this case, we have decided to approve Ms. Miller's claim based on the documentation we have." Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine and the author of "How to Be the World's Smartest Traveler." You can read more travel tips on his blog, elliott.org, or email him at chris@elliott.org. RELATED STORIES: Radisson swaps room reservations, then won't accept gift certificate Advertisement Who's winning the U.S. business class cabin showdown? Worst airports for layovers A 78-year-old man who was found bound, gagged and severely beaten in 2007 died last week of his injuries, the Cook County medical examiner's office determined Saturday. Robert Bishop, who was 69 at the time of the attack, had been living at the Symphony at Aria long-term care facility since some point after the home invasion on May 8, 2007, on the 5100 block of South Calumet Avenue about 1:55 a.m. Bishop died of complications of traumatic brain injury from a remote assault, the medical examiner's office determined. Bishop died Monday, and his death was ruled a homicide on Saturday. Advertisement Terry Hood, 61, was arrested for the attack and indicted July 2, 2007, on charges of attempted murder, home invasion, aggravated battery, aggravated unlawful restraint and aggravated battery of a senior. Bishop said in a deposition played at Hood's trial that he lived on the first floor while Hood lived on the second or third floor, and that he had had occasional money problems with Hood, according to court documents. Bishop also said he had lived with Hood in the past. Advertisement Bishop said Hood hit him in the head twice with a hammer in Bishop's bedroom, according to court documents. During the trial, Bishop's neighbors said they heard arguing between the two men before the attack, a witness said Hood had admitted to the crime, and DNA evidence implicated Hood, according to court documents. Hood was sentenced to 22 years and is serving his sentence in the Pinckneyville Correctional Center. The Illinois Appellate Court granted Hood's appeal in July 2013, reversing his conviction and saying that the admission of a video deposition of Bishop into evidence violated his right to confrontation under the Sixth Amendment. However, the Illinois Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the appellate court September 2016. A Chicago police spokesman said the Office of News Affairs had not yet been notified of the man's death. During the Illinois senate debate on Oct. 27, 2016, Rep. Tammy Duckworth spoke about her family's history of involvement in the U.S. military. U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk rebutted by saying, "I had forgotten that your parents came all the way from Thailand to serve George Washington." (Internet - Fair Use) The Human Rights Campaign, a leading national gay-rights organization, and a gun-violence prevention organization co-founded by former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, on Saturday revoked their endorsements of Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk over his questioning of Democratic challenger Tammy Duckworth's family heritage and military legacy. The moves by the HRC and the Americans for Responsible Solutions political action committee represent serious blows to the first-term Republican senator who had used their backing to portray himself as a moderate social independent who was unafraid to cross party lines. Advertisement On Friday, Kirk apologized for his questioning of Duckworth's family military lineage during a Thursday debate in Springfield after she called herself a "daughter of the American Revolution" and noted she had "bled for this nation." "I had forgotten that your parents came all the way from Thailand to serve George Washington," Kirk responded at the debate. Advertisement Sincere apologies to an American hero, Tammy Duckworth, and gratitude for her family's service. #ilsen Mark Kirk (@MarkKirk) October 28, 2016 On Friday, he used Twitter to say on his campaign's official site: "Sincere apologies to an American hero, Tammy Duckworth, and gratitude for her family's service." About five hours later, Duckworth responded on her official campaign Twitter site to Kirk's campaign tweet. In accepting the apology, she tweeted, " Thanks, Sen. Kirk. Let's honor my family's service and your own by sticking to the issues for the final week." Duckworth was born in Bangkok to a mother of Chinese heritage and a father of British descent. She is a member of the Illinois chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and said members of "my family serving on my father's side (have fought) since the American Revolution." Kirk's debate comment quickly drew national attention, including criticism from the campaigns of the major political party's presidential nominees as well as the White House. Kirk's Senate seat was once held by President Barack Obama, who has assisted Duckworth's campaign. Kirk is widely viewed as the most vulnerable Republican senator seeking re-election in the nation, largely due to Illinois' tradition of voting Democratic in presidential years. Kirk is a retired Naval reservist while Duckworth served in the Iraq War and lost her legs after the helicopter she co-piloted was felled by a rocket-propelled grenade. The Human Rights Campaign had come under criticism for backing Kirk, the first-term Republican senator, over Duckworth but had noted he was the first Republican to back the comprehensive proposed Equality Act and was only the second sitting GOP senator to support marriage equality. But Saturday, the president of the group, Chad Griffin, released an open letter that said the HRC's board is bipartisan but had for the first time in its 36-year history moved to revoke an endorsement, by taking it away from Kirk and awarding it to Duckworth, a two-term congresswoman from Hoffman Estates. "Leadership is about more than the legislation one sponsors and the votes one casts. On Thursday night, Sen. Kirk's comments about his opponent's heritage were deeply offensive and racist. His attempt to use Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth's race as a means to undermine her family's American heritage and patriotism is beyond reproach," Griffin wrote, adding that Kirk's tweeted apology "failed to adequately address the real harm and magnitude of his words." Advertisement Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, answers questions during the first televised debate with Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, in what's considered a crucial race that could determine which party controls the Senate, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016, at the University of Illinois in Springfield, Ill. (Seth Perlman / AP) "The diversity of our movement is our greatest strength, and Sen. Kirk's remarks were an affront to our most fundamental values. We have therefore voted to endorse Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth," he said. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Kirk had used the group's endorsement as a symbol of his moderate Republican stance on social issues. Throughout his campaign, he has called the issue of gay rights the major civil rights issue facing the country. Only hours later, the Americans for Responsible Solutions political action committee, the gun violence prevention organization founded by Giffords and her husband, retired NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, took away its endorsement of Kirk. "Sen. Kirk's racist attack on Congresswoman Duckworth is unacceptable and represents a low point, even in this election season," the PAC's executive director, Peter Ambler, said in a statement. "While we believe the path to responsible change and communities safer from gun violence must include Republican champions, we cannot continue to support Sen. Kirk. A man who is not worthy of your vote cannot be worthy of our endorsement. As Gabby and Mark wrote in August, Congresswoman Duckworth is an American hero and a powerful voice for stronger gun laws. She will be an exceptional United States senator," Ambler said. Giffords was a Democratic Arizona congresswoman who survived an assassination attempt in 2011. Her husband commanded the last flight of the space shuttle Endeavour. She resigned from Congress in 2012. Advertisement rap30@aol.com Twitter @rap30 A member of the Iraqi special forces Counter Terrorism Service patrols in Mosul's al-Jazair neighbourhood as they look for Islamic State fighters on Jan. 17, 2017. (Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP/Getty Images) BAGHDAD Thousands of fighters flocked to join Iraq's state-sanctioned, Iran-backed Shiite militias on Sunday, advancing to cut off Islamic State extremists holed up near Mosul in northern Iraq while bombers killed at least 17 people in Shiite neighborhoods of Baghdad. Militia spokesmen said that some 5,000 fighters had joined their push to encircle from the west the country's second-largest city of Mosul, the IS militants' last bastion in Iraq, which is linked by road to territory it holds in Syria. Advertisement Karim al-Nuri of the militias' umbrella group, known as the Popular Mobilization Units, and Jaafar al-Husseini, a spokesman for unit member the Hezbollah Brigades, said that a total of some 15,000 Shiite fighters were now participating in the battle. The Iraqi military confirmed the figures, which, including army units, militarized police, special forces and Kurdish fighters would bring the total number of anti-IS forces in the offensive to over 40,000. Advertisement The two-week-old offensive to drive IS from Mosul had been long-anticipated, since the Sunni extremists stormed into the city in 2014 and drove out a much larger Iraqi force, albeit one that was demoralized from neglect and corruption. Troops are now converging on the city from all directions, although most fighting is still taking place in towns and villages on Mosul's outskirts. The operation is expected to take weeks, if not months. The Popular Mobilization Units say they will not enter Mosul itself and will instead focus on retaking Tal Afar, a town to the west that had a Shiite majority before it fell to IS in 2014. They acknowledge having help from Iranian military advisers. Iraqi forces moving toward the city have made uneven progress since the offensive began on Oct. 17. They are four miles (six kilometers) from the edge of Mosul on the eastern front, where Iraq's special forces are leading the charge. But advances have been slower in the south, with government forces still 20 miles (35 kilometers) from the city. The U.S. military estimates IS has 3,000 to 5,000 fighters inside Mosul and another 1,500-2,500 in the city's outer defensive belt. The total number includes around 1,000 foreign fighters. In the hours following the announcement of Shiite reinforcements, five explosions rocked predominantly Shiite neighborhoods of the capital, Baghdad, killing at least 17 people and wounding over 60, police said. Police officials said the deadliest of the bombings, a parked car bomb, hit a popular fruit and vegetable market near a school in the northwestern Hurriyah area, killing at least 10 and wounding 34. Other attacks hit the northern Shaab neighborhood, as well as traders' markets in the Topchi and Zataria areas as well as the poorer Sadr City district. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief reporters. Advertisement There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blasts. But IS has stepped up its attacks in response to the offensive in Mosul, and it was possible the group was targeting Shiite areas in retaliation for the Mosul offensive. Meanwhile, the Iraqi air force said it had landed a C-130 transport aircraft at Qayara air base, on the southern approach to Mosul, opening a key resupply route. IS forces had been leaving explosive booby-traps to slow the advance on Mosul, and the announcement suggested the airstrip was now cleared of such danger. Earlier, Turkey's president warned that his government will be closely monitoring the Shiite militias' behavior in northern Iraq and seek to safeguard the rights of ethnic Turkmens there. In statements carried by the state-run Anadolu agency, Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters that the militia group could prompt a Turkish response if it "terrorizes" the Iraqi-Turkmen town of Tal Afar, where it is headed in its push around Mosul. "Tal Afar is an entirely Turkmen town. If Hashd al-Shaabi starts terrorizing it, then our response will certainly be different," Erdogan said, referring to the militia umbrella group in Arabic. The involvement of the Iranian-backed Shiite militias has raised concerns that the battle for the Sunni-majority city could aggravate sectarian tensions. Rights groups have accused the militias of abuses against civilians in other Sunni areas retaken from IS, accusations the militia leaders deny. Advertisement At a camp on the outskirts of Kirkuk, some 100 miles (160 kilometers) from Mosul, around 600 displaced Sunni Turkmen families from Tal Afar were anxiously hoping IS will be driven from the city so they can head home soon. "I escaped because of IS," said Hussna Abbas, 75, who was comforting her grandson as residents reported IS was firing intermittently toward their camp, known as Yahyawa. "They took one of my sons and they killed another one," she said. "God willing, God will return us to our homes." Associated Press Reporting from Daytona Beach, Fla. Arizona was supposed to be the biggest news for Hillary Clinton on Friday. Aboard a flight to Iowa, top campaign officials told reporters she would travel to the state in a fourth-quarter gambit to turn it from red to blue. Advertisement It was the kind of move that could reshape the electoral map, but it wasn't the strangest twist of the day. After the announcement, reporters flipped open their laptops to file their stories, struggling with balky Wi-Fi. I established a brief connection, long enough to open Twitter and see a headline: FBI Director James Comey was taking a new look at emails related to the Democratic presidential nominee's private server. Advertisement The tweet said something about reopening the investigation, and I immediately flagged Nick Merrill, a Clinton spokesman, who was standing at the end of my row. Did he have any comment? Merrill looked at me like he had been slapped. The investigation was supposed to be finished Comey had announced months ago that he wouldn't recommend criminal charges. Merrill hadn't heard anything about a new probe, nor had anyone else in the campaign. As reporters started buzzing, Clinton's top advisers at the front of the plane scrambled to figure out what was going on. No one had a solid Internet connection. The people who were physically closest to the candidate knew the least about what was happening. It wasn't until the plane landed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, about an hour later, that they could get clearer details about how the FBI was examining additional emails they had discovered during an unrelated investigation. Now there was a new question when to tell Clinton herself? They hadn't yet told the nominee, who had spent the flight with a childhood friend. Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin onboard the campaign plane. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) Famed photographer Annie Leibovitz was onboard, and she was supposed to spend a few minutes taking pictures of Clinton once the plane landed. When Leibovitz finished, staffers broke the news to their boss. Campaign officials said Clinton took the news in stride "like a champ," one said. If she was bothered, she was determined not to show it when she stepped off the plane. Reporters standing under the wing shouted questions, but she just smiled and waved before stepping into an SUV and being whisked to her first rally of the day. Clinton didn't say a word about the FBI investigation in Cedar Rapids, nor did she mention it at a second event at a Des Moines school. Advertisement By now, new details had emerged. The FBI review was tied to a separate investigation into Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of close Clinton aide Huma Abedin, over whether he broke the law by sending sexual text messages to a 15-year-old, a sordid case now merging with the long-running drama over Clinton's private email server. As she often does, Abedin was traveling with Clinton on Friday. I spotted her from a distance outside the rally in Des Moines, a stricken look on her face as she held a phone to her ear. Once the event was over, reporters were ushered out of the gymnasium and into another room that had been decorated with flags and campaign signs. Clinton would make a statement and take a few questions. Although she was criticized last year for a leaden response as the controversy over her emails began to swirl, Clinton and her campaign were determined to stay on top of this story with a little more than a week until election day. She urged the FBI to release more details to clarify the situation, which the public was learning about only through Comey's vague letter to Congress and the media's anonymous sources. The next day, top campaign officials held a conference call with reporters, again applying pressure to Comey. Asked how the news would affect the campaign, chairman John Podesta said, "We're not going to be distracted, and Hillary's not going to be distracted in the final days of this campaign over nothing." Clinton, however, would address the issue again in Florida on Saturday. In Daytona, she mentioned the letter Comey sent to Congress, and the crowd booed. Advertisement "It is pretty strange to put something like that with so little information right before an election," she said. "It's not just strange. It's unprecedented, and it's deeply troubling. Voters deserve to get the full and complete facts." It was a little more than 24 hours since she was told of the FBI investigation, and there were 10 days left before election day. chris.megerian@latimes.com Twitter: @chrismegerian PHOENIX Donald Trump's campaign manager on Sunday forcefully disavowed a supporter as "deplorable" for chanting "Jew-S-A!" at a weekend rally, the latest incident of anti-Semitic rhetoric used by some of the GOP nominee's backers. "[The man's] conduct is completely unacceptable and does not reflect our campaign or our candidate. Wow," Kellyanne Conway said during an interview on CNN's "State of the Union." "That man's conduct was deplorable. And had I been there, I would have asked security to remove him immediately." Advertisement The Saturday afternoon incident in Phoenix, which was captured on video, revived long-standing anxieties about xenophobic and white supremacist rhetoric used by a fringe faction within the GOP nominee's base. An unidentified man confronted reporters at the rally with shouts and a three-fingered hand gesture that resembled hate symbols flagged by the Anti-Defamation League. "You're going down! You're the enemy!" the man yelled. As the rest of the crowd broke into a chant of "USA! USA!," the man repeatedly chanted, "Jew-S-A! Jew-S-A!" Advertisement The man, who wore a "Hillary for Prison" T-shirt, also asserted that Jews control the media, a common theme among white supremacists. Conway agreed on Sunday when CNN's Jake Tapper asked whether the man's behavior was "deplorable" - a reference to controversial comments made by Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who last month was criticized for casting "half of Trump's supporters" as a "basket of deplorables." Clinton later expressed regret for suggesting that half of all his supporters were racist or xenophobic. Conway said "tens of thousands" of supporters gather at rallies who do not engage in such behavior. "And these are USA-loving Americans who just want their country to be prosperous and safe again," she said. Anti-Semitic slogans and language have become common among self-identified members of the "alt-right," a fringe conservative movement that fashions itself as a populist and anti-establishment alternative to the mainstream Republican Party. Many within the alt-right have enthusiastically embraced Trump's campaign message, which has included calls for mass deportations of undocumented Latino immigrants and barring foreign Muslims from entering the United States. Many of Trump's critics have accused him and his campaign of stoking racial grievances as a political tool. Those accusations have intensified since Stephen Bannon stepped away from running Breitbart News - which he has called a "platform for the alt-right" - to become the Trump campaign's chief executive. "I wouldn't want to tar and feather every Trump supporter with the anti-Semitic comments of one person, but it is the case that the Trump campaign has been embraced by the radical right in an unprecedented way this season," said Richard Cohen, the president of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Cohen added that he has been troubled by Trump's embrace of the alt-right and pointed to Bannon's role on the campaign in particular, but he added that Conway did the right thing in disavowing Saturday night's chant. He said white supremacists like former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke who embrace Trump - and Trump's often lackluster disavowals of those endorsements - "say something about the man." Advertisement "Look, I don't want to comment on the machinations of the campaign. Miss Conway seems like a smart cookie, and she said the right thing," Cohen said. "I think Trump has been slow to distance himself from the radical right and in fact he seems to embrace the person who has created a platform for them online." Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADL's director and chief executive, said that Conway's response Sunday was a positive step for the campaign. But he said he remained troubled by the pervasiveness of such rhetoric. "It's troubling in the first place that someone would feel comfortable to spout anti-Semitism at a political rally. But we're heartened that Kellyanne Conway immediately spoke out in a clear and forceful manner," Greenblatt said. "Too often intolerance has been given a pass during this campaign, so this was an important step," Greenblatt added. "We hope this approach of quickly condemning hate will be the new norm for the candidates and for all public figures, not just in the remaining days of the campaign, but in the future long after this election." Greenblatt has raised concerns about the rise of anti-Semitic language among Trump supporters in the past, expressing fears that Trump's speeches have at times carried tropes and stereotypes that have been historically used to demonize Jewish people. Greenblatt said that Trump's claims in a speech earlier this month that "a global banking elite are trying to destroy U.S. sovereignty" was reminiscent of historical anti-Semitic language. "I'm not saying that the candidate is intentionally doing this, but whether it's the speechwriters or his supporters, we're seeing tropes and stereotypes about Jews dominating the global banking system," Greenblatt said after that speech. Advertisement Trump came under fire over the summer for retweeting an image of rival Hillary Clinton alongside $100 bills and a Jewish star bearing the words "most corrupt candidate ever!" Trump later claimed it a was a sheriff's star. Trump's son, Donald Jr., also drew attention for doing an interview with a white-nationalist radio host earlier this year; he later told Bloomberg News that he did not realize the interviewer was going to be looped into the conversation. He was also blasted for posting an image on social media he said he got from a friend that included Pepe the Frog, a figure that has been appropriated by white supremacists. He told ABC News that he did not know about the association. Trump routinely bashes members of the news media at his rallies, labeling them "dishonest" people who are part of a "rigged" system that he claims is working against him. The crowd usually piles on with boos. In recent weeks, Trump has intensified his anti-media rhetoric at his rallies. His crowds have followed his lead, booing and taunting reporters when the GOP presidential nominee complains about the press. PHOENIX Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump declared Saturday that "the silent majority is back," as he predicted victory in a presidential race roiled by new questions of Democrat Hillary Clinton's legal jeopardy over her use of a private email system. Trump seized on FBI Director James Comey's announcement Friday that he is at least temporarily continuing an inquiry he had previously declared closed. Democrats frantically demanded answers about the scope of Comey's additional inquiry and questioned the timing and motives of his announcement. Advertisement "As you've heard, it was just announced yesterday that the FBI is reopening their investigation into the criminal conduct and the illegal conduct of Hillary Clinton," Trump said. That was a broad overstatement. Comey recommended in July that Clinton not be charged in the case and his letter to Congress on Friday said that it is unknown if the emails now being reviewed are significant. Advertisement But the crowd at the Trump rally roared. "Hillary has nobody but herself to blame for her mounting legal difficulties," he said. "Her criminal action was willful, deliberate, intentional and purposeful," he continued. "Hillary set up an illegal server for the obvious purpose of shielding her criminal conduct from public disclosure and exposure," he said, "knowing full well that her actions put our national security at risk." Trump floated his own theories, shifting focus away from his own controversies in the hope of scoring a last-minute surge in an race that even his staff admits he's losing. He said the only explanation for the FBI move is that "very, very serious things must have been found." Trump stuck closely to a theme that has held resonance throughout the long presidential campaign - the idea that the nation's political system is corrupt and weighted toward those who already have power and money. "Hillary Clinton's corruption is corrosive to the soul of our nation and it must be stopped," he said. A supporter holds up a mask representing Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton before a rally with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Oct. 29, 2016, in Phoenix. (John Locher / AP) He invoked the history of scandal or controversy attached to Clinton and her husband former President Bill Clinton. Advertisement "Haven't we had enough drama with the Clintons?" he asked. As he did earlier in the day in Golden, Colorado, Trump congratulated himself for suggesting that former U.S. congressman Anthony Weiner's connection to Clinton could trip her up. "I had no idea it was going to be that accurate," he said. According to two people familiar with the situation, the newly discovered emails were found on a computer seized during an investigation of former U.S. congressman Anthony Weiner. Weiner is separated from his wife, top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Before Trump took the stage, Carl Mueller, whose daughter Kayla Mueller was taken captive and killed by the Islamic State, spoke at the rally support of Trump. At one point during Trump's remarks, a man in the back off the crowd tuned toward the press, who were working in a dedicated area at the rear of the venue, and loudly chanted: "Jew-S-A!" Advertisement Guy chants "Jew-S-A" in front of press pen pic.twitter.com/2yqgA6dD4k Nick Corasaniti (@NYTnickc) October 29, 2016 The crowd also cheered Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, whose hard-line stance on illegal immigration has made him a folk hero for some and a symbol of racism or intolerance for others, and former Republican governor Jan Brewer. "When Hillary's lips are moving, what is she doing?" Brewer called, as the crowd shouted back: "Lying!" Amid chants of "Lock her up!" Brewer went on. "The bombshell that was dropped yesterday - looks like she was just too reckless even for FBI Director Comey," Brewer said, mispronouncing the name. "Hillary thinks Arizona is in play in November, and Arizona will turn from a red state to a blue state," Brewer said, as the crowd began to boo. "Don't boo, vote!" Brewer said, laughing. It's a line also used frequently by Clinton and first lady Michelle Obama. Advertisement Democrats see Arizona as an opportunity to expand the map of battleground states this year, owing largely to Trump's high unpopularity with women and Hispanic voters, or at least to force him to spend money and time defending the state. Clinton will campaign in Phoenix on Wednesday. Earlier Saturday, Clinton demanded answers about what she suggested is a politically motivated renewal of the previously shuttered federal inquiry into her email with just days to go in the presidential election. "It's pretty strange to put something like that out with so little information right before an election," Clinton said as a supportive crowd cheered her on and booed the mention of Comey's name. Other Democrats went much further, issuing scathing assessments of Comey's motives and timing, as the potential for new legal jeopardy involving the Democratic nominee roiled an already tumultuous campaign. The assault signaled a decision to go fully on offense against Comey and confront the email issue and Republican attacks head on. The congressional black and Hispanic caucuses organized a news conference to denounce Comey, at least three Democratic senators drafted a letter of complaint Saturday and the Democratic National Committee issued a tartly worded statement. Advertisement "By releasing a letter within sixty days of the presidential election, Comey broke with long-standing department tradition that is meant to prevent any influence on the electoral process," the DNC statement said. "The letter did not offer enough detail that would allow Americans a full understanding of the development and whether or not it is even significant, which has led to speculation on the part of the media and irresponsible claims by Republican leaders. The FBI must move quickly to release additional clarifying information." Polls had begun to tighten even before the FBI development, and it is unclear what effect it will have. In his letter, Comey said, "The FBI should take appropriate investigative steps designed to allow investigators to review these emails to determine whether they contain classified information." Comey said it is unknown if the information "may be significant." "In fact it's not just strange, it's unprecedented and it's deeply troubling," Clinton said Saturday. "We call on Director Comey to explain everything right away and put it all out on the table." Jenna Johnson contributed to this report. Susan Ollis, of Joliet, wore a period dress as a representative for the National Society Daughters of the Union 1891-1865 at a dedication Saturday for 17 new Civil War headstones erected at Riverside Cemetery in Montgomery. (David Sharos / The Beacon-News) Dozens of people came out Saturday afternoon to witness the dedication of 17 new headstones placed on unmarked graves in the historic Riverside Cemetery in Montgomery. The ceremony was a joint effort arranged through the Philip H. Sheridan Camp of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, the Montgomery Historic Preservation Commission and the cemetery. Debbie Buchanan, an employee for the village of Montgomery and staff liaison to the preservation commission, said the dedication was the third and final part of a three-phase operation that started last year and included researching and documenting the identity of Civil War veterans buried at the site, installing new grave markers and cleaning others at the cemetery. We didnt want to do (the dedication) last year when all the physical work was being done and people were tired and sweaty, Buchanan said. Our plan was to have a dignified and respectful ceremony and invite dignitaries as well as members of the community to attend. The dedication featured a rifle salute by the 10th Illinois Infantry followed by an artillery salute by Mulligans Battery. The program also included the Sons of Union Veterans national chaplain Jerome Kowalski offering an invocation and inspirational message and by remarks from U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D-Naperville), local dignitaries, representatives from the Illinois National Guard and Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, and leaders of Civil War heritage groups. Back in the time of the war, the village here had about 300 living in it and sent 17 soldiers away to various units that fought in the Civil War, local historian Gene Michaels said. Montgomery was also the host community to 36 Illinois volunteers. This was their encampment. It was called Camp Hammond and at the time, Montgomerys economy was tied to the mill industry, powered by the Fox River. Its role in the war was no bigger than that of a lot of other towns, but it did its share. Dave Bailey, past department commander for the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, said his organization has been active in the west and southern suburbs and to date has completed 17 projects like the one in Montgomery, including the replacement of 230 to 240 headstones. We are a lineage group and the majority of the 50-plus members we have in our chapter have traced their ancestors back to the Civil War, Bailey said. Following the Civil War, veterans formed this Grand Army of the Republic and as they aged out and died off, their sons took over and that eventually led to the Sons of Union Veterans group we have now. The project weve competed here is pretty typical of the others weve done in terms of the time it has taken to complete it. Many local residents who came to pay their respects, with some dressed in costumes reflecting the mid-1800s. Susan Ollis, of Joliet, wore a long dress of the time period. Im representing a member of the National Society Daughters of the Union 1891 to 1865, and we are a lineage society, Ollis said. Im thrilled that the work here is done and I believe we need to pay more attention to history. Too often, things about our past important things are swept under the rug. Rick Williams, of Joliet, said he was in the U.S. Navy in 1977 and wanted to come out to honor deceased veterans who he said need to be recognized for their service. Im a bit of an ancestry buff and I do some research on my own using websites like Find a Grave, which give you the location of grave sites as well as information about who is buried there, Williams said. Too often, graves of soldiers have been broken or found lying on the ground. Im glad work like this is being done. Montgomery resident Carolyn Wortham had a personal interest for attending Saturdays ceremony. Her husband passed away two months ago and was also buried at Riverside Cemetery. My husband Cecil was in the Navy, and if he were here, hed say this all turned out well, she said. Like many in the audience, Foster acknowledged the long overdue recognition of the soldiers who were being remembered Saturday. We owe it to each generation who has served in war to honor their service while they are alive as well as take care of their families, he said. The significant headstones that have been restored here will now be in our memories forever. Thanks to the internet, well not repeat the mistakes of forgetting our heroes that we once lost in time. David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News. The vintage Cubs logo design took first place in Saturday's best decorated pumpkin contest. (Erin Sauder / The Courier-News) The Chicago Cubs won early Saturday, at least in East Dundee's Great Pumpkin Contest. Resident Tracy Herrera took first place with her pumpkin carving of a vintage Cubs logo during the Dundee Township Visitor's Center's 18th annual event. Advertisement Herrera's was the only gourd sporting a Cubs design at the contest, held at the Visitor's Center, 319 N. River St., in East Dundee. "I also expected to see some Clintons and Trumps," said Bill Zelsdorf, manager of the Visitor's Center. "But I love all the designs." Advertisement For the contest, area businesses donated about $900 in prizes for winners in two categories: heaviest (by weight) and best decorated/carved. The top three vote getters in each category were awarded prizes. Second place in the latter category went to Katie Feldbusch, with her centipede design. Vincent Fane took third with his pumpkin painted as a web, complete with a large fake spider on top. Blake and Zoe Brewer nabbed a first place win in the heaviest category, with their pumpkin weighing in at 235 pounds. Second place went to Ron Rudd, whose gourd weighed in at 79 pounds, and third place went to the 76-pound submission by Steve Jones. Sleepy Hollow Village President Stephan Pickett was one of the 10 judges for the best decorated/carved category during Saturday's event. He wouldn't say what he looks for in a design. "I like to keep them guessing," he said with a laugh. Herrera, a Cubs fan, is excited about the first place win for her design. "With all the excitement surrounding the wonderful season the Cubs are having it just seemed like a no-brainer," she said. Erin Sauder is a freelance reporter for the Courier-News. From left: Zion resident Antonette Lewis hugs Waukegan resident Margo Leonard after the Walking for a Cure event honoring their daughters on Saturday. (Yadira Sanchez Olson / Lake County News-Sun) Walking in honor of her daughter, who died of brain cancer Aug. 8, was bittersweet for Margo Leonard during the Walking for a Cure fundraiser in Beach Park on Saturday. The one comfort the Waukegan mother had was Antonette Lewis, a Zion resident who lost a daughter to breast cancer in 2011. Advertisement The organization Inspirational Women Involved N Nurturing, Women of Destiny Lake County and the motorcycle club Northern Illinois 4 Star Hooligans organized the walk in hopes of making the event an annual fundraiser benefiting Lake County families. The three community organizations partnered to show support for the two mothers, honor their daughters and help spread awareness about cancer. Advertisement On Saturday, decked out in colors representing the fight against various types of cancers, more than 70 walkers from throughout the community showered Leonard and Lewis with affection. Their grief, the two women said, was briefly healed by the caring show of support. "It makes me feel hopeful that there's going to be a cure someday," Leonard said. After self-publishing two books about her fight against cancer, Leonard's daughter, Jameka, died at age 29. Margo Leonard said Jameka left a beautiful 9-year-old daughter who has her mother's spirit and that it's for her that Leonard is looking forward to the future. The 3-kilometer walk invited politicians to hear the plight of those who are dealing with cancer in one form or another, whether they've been diagnosed or know someone who has. It also allowed grieving family members to speak. "I still struggle with this, but I know God called her home, and she's in a better place," Lewis said of the death of her 36-year-old daughter, Denise Lear. The Walking for a Cure inaugural event raised money for cancer and underprivileged families in Lake County on Saturday. (Yadira Sanchez Olson / Lake County News-Sun) This was Lewis' second time walking to honor her daughter. It felt good, she said. Lewis took the opportunity to advise women in attendance to be vigilant about their own health. Advertisement "Check-ups are important. You shouldn't put off going to the doctor to see if you're healthy," Lewis said. Lear's cancer was caught too late, as it was already at stage 4 when she was diagnosed, Lewis said. Waukegan resident and 4 Star Hooligans member Bev Heyward said her participation in the event was more than just a show of support by her organization. "I lost my mom to pancreatic cancer, so this is very personal," Heyward said. "I love that somebody here in Lake County is doing something like this. There's a wealth of information available, and it's just a great way to bring unity in the community." Before the walk, goody bags filled with pamphlets of information on healthy habits and resources in the community were handed out to those who attended Saturday's Walking for a Cure event. The proceeds will go in part to the Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Midwestern Regional Medical Center and to 150 families receiving winter clothing during a December holiday event hosted by the Zion Park District. Advertisement Yadira Sanchez Olson is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun. Miranda Harris, Carlie Sherman and Anne Lorentzen star in 9 to 5: The Musical at North Central College. The play runs Nov. 10-13. (Photo courtesy of North Central College) For anyone who's ever wanted to kidnap and torture their boss while taking over his company, this one's for you. North Central College presents "9 to 5: The Musical." Four performances will be staged at 8 p.m. Thursday, at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11-12 and at 2 p.m. Nov. 13 in the College's Pfeiffer Hall. Advertisement Based on the hit 1980 hit movie "9 to 5," the play is about three female co-workers who come up with a plan to get even with the original horrible boss. It features music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. The student musical is directed by Jeff Award-winning, Chicago-based director Scott Weinstein with musical direction by Jermaine Hill. It combines a cast of North Central students that are both veterans and new to the stage. Advertisement Of the three actresses playing the leads, only senior Anne Lorentzen from Sequim, Wash., was familiar with the movie, thanks to parents that were fans of both the movie and of Dolly Parton. She plays Violet. "The role of Violet in particular offers so much of the comedy because she comes from such a dry, sarcastic place. My initial reaction was just excitement that I would get to play this sarcastic person who definitely has this journey in the show," she said. "I have come to love Violet. She's spunky and super-intelligent, but in her work environment has never been given the chance to show all that she has to offer. I love that we kind of see this bitterness in her, but in the end she gets to really develop and use all her talents and kind of becomes this whole new person." She thinks adults who love the movie and students who've never heard of it will both enjoy the play, even though it takes place in the late 1970s when anachronisms like typewriters and smoking in the workplace were common. Sadly, discrimination in the workplace is still an issue. "It's still fairly relevant today, and I think millennials will appreciate that," Lorentzen said. "To get reminded of how long we've been working for that and how important it is, is really good." Carlie Sherman, a sophomore from Kansas City, Kan., plays Doralee. "I absolutely adore Doralee. I think she's so complex and there's so much to her. She really kind of fools the audience, I think. She is able to make people think she's sort of ditzy and unintelligent but she's really very aware of what's going on around her even though people don't see." Advertisement Sherman loves the play as well. "Going into it, I had no idea what a beast it is. It's a big show, there's a lot to it. The ensemble is in like every number, it's so crazy. It's so big and it has just so much life to it. It's been really incredible to be a part of. It's wonderful." Sherman said she thinks audiences are going to be wowed, as well. "The guest artists we have coming in and directing and choreographing they're unreal. They're incredible. The cast is amazing. They're really going all-out to make it the best that it can possibly be. I think we're working really hard also to make it not just a comedy. We've been trying really hard to make it unique and meaningful." Miranda Harris, a senior from Normal, is playing Judy. She was thrilled to get the role. "There's something about Judy that really resonates with me," Harris said. "To be able to tell her story is really special to me. I'm really excited because not only is the show wonderful, we have this amazing production team. And the cast is so amazing it still feels unreal." Advertisement She hadn't seen the movie until she auditioned, and then she became an instant fan. "I think that it's super timeless. It's important because the fact that the themes in the movie are themes we're still encountering today make it super relevant," Harris said. "I'm glad that movie is so funny. They were able to make light of it which makes it a lot more accessible and makes it something more people will want to see. But it's a super upsetting topic and an upsetting movie at its core." She loves Judy because she makes a bad first impression she's a nervous, frazzled mess, Harris said. Her marriage is ending, and she's out on her own for the first time. "To see her go from that point to where she is by the end of the story, where she's a strong, empowered, confident woman who doesn't need to rely on anyone else for her success and for her happiness it's such a great arc that she goes through during the story," she said. She said she thinks audiences will enjoy the show because it's funny and yet poignant, Harris said. "There are these moments in the show that are so tender and so genuine and empowering. It goes through such a range. There's so much to it. I think everybody is going to find something they're going to love." Advertisement Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. '9 to 5: The Musical' When: Nov. 10-13 Where: Pfeiffer Hall at North Central College, 310 E. Benton Ave., Naperville Tickets: $10-$15 Information: 630-637-7469 or www.northcentralcollege.edu/show Conductor Troy Webdell will lead the South Shore Orchestra in a Veterans Day salute titled "Let Freedom Ring." The concert is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, at the Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso. (South Shore Orchestra / Handout) A symphonic salute to military service is set for the Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso. The South Shore Orchestra is presenting a 7:30 p.m. Veterans Day concert called "Let Freedom Ring." Advertisement The Nov. 11 event is intended to pay homage to those "who have sacrificed so much," according to Pete Brannen, president of the orchestra's board of directors. The selections on tap at the historic opera house have a grand sweep. Advertisement "We're doing a really nice overture that's based on the National Anthem," Brannen noted. Additionally, there will be a suite from the 1950s television series "Victory at Sea." Showcasing U.S. naval warfare during World War II, the series featured the work of Broadway composer Richard Rodgers, known for staples such as "South Pacific" and "The Sound of Music." Originally airing on NBC, the Emmy Award-winning "Victory at Sea" was complemented by Rodgers' deft melodic touch. "The music is really, really incredibly well written," Brannen said. "It's very descriptive." Another offering will recognize the different branches of the military with music that represents individual service bodies, such Air Force, Navy and Marines. "We're doing the 'Armed Forces Salute,' " said Brannen, a resident of Liberty Township near Valparaiso. Those with military experience who attend the concert are scheduled to be given attention and recognized for their contributions. Advertisement Brannen believes the nature of the orchestral event on Nov. 11 is especially meaningful. "It's just too important for us not to do it," the orchestra official said. In a press release, Brannen said "we are all deeply moved" by members of the armed forces who endure "lengthy separations" from families and "long term effects of brutal war experiences." Brannen's wife, Kathleen, is a principal clarinetist in the orchestra, which will feature about 55 members at the Nov. 11 performance. A special part of the Friday night program will be a presentation of Michael Schelle's "Resilience," a commissioned work that recognized the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. "It's the Indiana premiere of this piece," said Valparaiso's Troy Webdell, the orchestra's conductor and music director. Advertisement "It's a double concerto," Webdell added. "It's really historically significant." Highlighted will be violist Zoie Hightower and cellist Josh DeVries, a Chesterton native. They will be accompanied by the orchestra. Born in Philadelphia and raised in New Jersey, Schelle has had his music commissioned and performed by prestigious American and international orchestras. "Resilience" conveys suffering and perseverance as it touches on the human experience at the Nazis' dreaded Dachau concentration camp that operated in Germany during World War II. Such a somber, powerful work helps give "Let Freedom Ring" a varied texture. "This is not the basic pops patriotic concert," said Webdell, an orchestra teacher at Crown Point High School and Robert A. Taft Middle School, also in Crown Point. Advertisement Although the Veterans Day salute will provide serious fare with direct historical ties to World War II, classic flag-waving material will not be forgotten. John Philip Sousa's ebullient "The Stars and Stripes Forever" will stir the audience in a venue that dates back to the 19th century. "Let Freedom Ring" is expected to be approximately 90 minutes long. Parking for the concert is available in the lot on the east side of the building and on the corner of Indiana Avenue and Michigan Street. 'Let Freedom Ring' Where: Memorial Opera House, 104 E. Indiana Ave., Valparaiso Advertisement When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11 Tickets: Adults $21, senior citizens and students $18, military (with ID) $11; processing fee of $2 added to cost of each ticket; group rates available Information: 219-548-9137, www.memorialoperahouse.com Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng (R) meets with Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko in Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 29, 2016. Trade ministers of China and Japan, meeting on the sidelines of the 11th China-Japan-South Korea economic and trade ministers' meeting Saturday, exchanged views on a number of trade issues.(Xinhua/Hua Yi) Trade ministers of China and Japan, meeting on the sidelines of the 11th China-Japan-South Korea economic and trade ministers' meeting Saturday, exchanged views on a number of trade issues. Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng, noting that China and Japan are close neighbors and trade partners and have made significant achievements in economic cooperation since normalization of bilateral ties, called for bringing into full play the constructive role of economic cooperation to improve bilateral relations. He said that Chinese and Japanese economies are deeply complementary, and the two countries should explore new cooperation areas and expand practical cooperation as China has entered a "new normal" of medium-to-high-speed growth. He also said that the two nations should enhance communication on regional and multilateral trade issues and work together to promote the implementation of the G20 Hangzhou Summit outcomes, and to push for reaching an early agreement on China-Japan-South Korea free trade zone and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko, for his part, said that Japan, attaching great importance to Sino-Japanese economic relations, is willing to help Japanese enterprises to adapt to the new economic situation in China and to expand investment and cooperation in service sectors and other areas. He also said the Japanese side thinks highly of China's effective role in promoting trade and investment as the G20 chair and Japan is willing to enhance communication and coordination with China to make contribution to regional and world economic development. You are here: Home The now-concluded second "Dubai Week in China" has witnessed 11 deals signed between China and the United Arab Emirates.[Photo: thepaper.cn] A delegation of 80 Dubai government officials and business leaders has concluded a three-day promotional visit to Shanghai. The visit is part of the second annual "Dubai Week in China", a government-sponsored event aiming to draw Chinese investment to the United Arab Emirates, or UAE. The event, which attracted over 250 Chinese officials and business people, has witnessed 11 agreements sealed between the two sides. Officials from the UAE suggest Dubai plays a critical role in enhancing Chinese investment and trade along the China-proposed "Silk Road Economic Belt", as the city boasts strategic access to markets in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. The two sides are also mulling over measures to help Chinese companies go public in Dubai. The United Arab Emirates has the largest stock market in the Middle East. Dubai's non-oil trade with China hit nearly 50 billion US dollars last year. Around 42-hundred Chinese companies are running businesses in the UAE at this point. The first "Dubai Week in China" was held in Beijing in May last year. Shanghai Gold Exchange and Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange signed an agreement on Friday in Shanghai which makes the DGCX the first foreign exchange to use the SGE's renminbi-denominated gold benchmark. The SGE is in talks with other exchanges about similar cooperation, according to an SGE circular. SGE is the world's largest physical bullion exchange. The renminbi-denominated gold benchmark, also known as Shanghai Gold was launched in April this year. It is one of China's efforts to earn more say over pricing of the precious metal and increase its influence in the global gold market. China is among the world's largest producers, consumers and importers of gold, and it deserves pricing power that matches its position. It should have more say in an industry long dominated by London, which sets global spot prices, said analysts. In an industry meeting last week in Singapore, Jiao Jinpu, president of SGE, said the exchange would collaborate with various exchanges and authorities so that external exchanges will start using the Shanghai Gold benchmark as a basis for developing derivatives. "The world is looking to the East and we are looking to the future," Jiao said. By the end of September, SGE's international bourse has had transactions of 7,838 metric tons of gold with a combined value of 1.96 trillion yuan ($289 billion). Although the number of SGE's current international members is not big, just 67, the best of the members have already gained significant yields from the opening up of China's gold market, said Jiao. The agreement between SGE and DGCE also marks a milestone for Shanghai Gold to become a truly inclusive and globally-used tool in the world gold market, said analysts. "There is a quite obvious trend that the focus of the gold market has been shifting from the West to the East, with increasing demands for investment gold products and increasingly active trading of gold futures and other derivatives in Asia, particularly in China. More use of the Shanghai Gold benchmark globally means that China has a better say in pricing," said Yang Fei, an analyst with Seawonder Precious Metal Investment Co. A Communist Party of China (CPC) official has briefed non-Communist party leaders on the recently concluded CPC meeting, according to an official statement on Saturday. It is an important political task for the united front to study and implement decisions made at the sixth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, especially the speech by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, according to Sun Chunlan, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the CPC Central Committee United Front Work Department. Sun gave the briefing to the central committees of democratic Parties, heads of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and personages without party affiliation. Sun called on non-Communist parties to keep their thoughts, politics and acts in line with the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core. Sun expressed her hope that non-Communist parties would perform their function of democratic supervision, and watch over CPC agencies, officials and members in implementing the two key documents approved at the meeting, namely the norms of political life within the Party in a new situation and a regulation on intra-Party supervision. Non-Communist parties were encouraged to carry out theoretical research in the field of democratic supervision. China's Minister of Water Resources Chen Lei applauded the Yellow River management commission at a forum in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, on Saturday. Yellow River, China's "mother" river, runs 5,464 km across the country from west to east before emptying into the Pacific. The Yellow River Conservation Commission founded in 1946 to manage and protect the river celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. "We achieved unprecedented feats as the Communist Party of China lead the people in managing the Yellow River. Such efforts are good example for management and protection of large rivers around the world," said Chen. In the last 70 years, the lower reaches of the Yellow River have withstood 12 great floods, ensuring the safety of over 120,000 square kilometers of buffer zones for flood control and the livelihood of 130 million people. About 12 percent of China's population live along the river. There are 568 hydropower stations along its main stream and tributaries, according to the commission. By the end of 2015, a total of 1.1 trillion kilowatt hours of electricity had been generated, saving 390 million tonnes of coals equivalent and a reducing one billion tonnes of carbon emissions. Over the past 70 years, soil erosion has been harnessed on 210,000 sq km of area thanks to ecological conservation efforts, blocking more than 19 billion tonnes of sand from rushing into the river. You are here: Home Six people are missing after a Chinese fishing boat collided with a Greek oil tanker in the sea off East China's Zhejiang province, maritime authorities said on Saturday. The Taizhou city maritime rescue center said they received report of the accident around 10 pm Friday that the Greek oil tanker Australis, had hit a Zhejiang fishing boat off the coast of Taizhou. Six people on board the fishing boat fell overboard and have been missing since then. A rescue operation is being hampered by strong winds. Cause of the collision is being investigated. Students from the Chinese mainland are making up the major share of international students in primary and middle schools of English speaking countries. According to a report released by education site, eol.cn, the number of mainland students tops the international students' population in 8 countries. Mainland students make up a third of the international students in the US and Canada and around a quarter in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Around half of the international students in both Japan and South Korea come from the Chinese mainland. The report also sees a trend of younger Chinese students, aged between 7-18, studying abroad. In 2015, the number of Chinese mainland students attending primary and middle schools in the US had a double-digit growth. Knews, a local Chinese media outlet, says more Chinese parents are sending children under 17 to school overseas. "[Education there] would focus more on students' personal development. They will not place too much focus on scores, ranking or exams," a mother told Knews, as she looked for a British primary school for her child. Amid their parents' enthusiasm about studying abroad, some students have differing opinions. "My mother wants me to go to Britain. But I don't want to go because I don't like it," said a 6-year-old girl. Her parents are searching for a good primary school in the UK. "If I went to a faraway place such as Britain, leaving my parents would be very challenging for me. But I think I will get used to it," said another boy to Knews. Police lifted the reward from 50,000 RMB to 200,000 RMB in search for the fugitive Xiong Yunshi. [Photo: news.qq.com] Local police in central China's Jiangxin province are offering a reward of 200,000 RMB, that's almost 30,000 US Dollars, for information leading to the capture of a man wanted for the killing of a police officer, and the wounding of two neighbors. The homicide happened in Yongxiu County, at about 11am on Saturday, when police officer Huang Fugui was walking down the street, and was suddenly attacked by the suspect who stabbed him to death. According to witnesses, the suspect then returned home, where he stabbed two of his neighbors, with whom he had had disputes in the past. The two victims were later taken to a hospital and are reportedly still in a critical condition. 40 year old suspect Xiong Yunshi has already been jailed twice for intentional injury and theft. The investigation continues. Flash At least 27 civilians, mostly children and women, were killed on Saturday in three Yemeni provinces by airstrikes from a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, officials and residents said. Early Saturday morning, the Saudi-led air strikes hit residents' homes in two villages of al-Sharaf and Mabaran in al-Salo district of the southwestern province of Taiz, killing 10 villagers on the spot and flattering several mud-brick houses to the ground, according to the local officials and the residents. The death tool later the day rose rapidly up to 17, mostly children and women, and seven others were fatally injured, said the officials and residents. "The hospital receiving the injured lacked medicine and necessary equipment, so the death toll is more likely to increase in the next hours," a local official told Xinhua by phone. In the far north province of Saada, officials and residents witnessed an airstrike targeting a car driving on a public road in Bani al-Sayyah area of Razih district on Saturday, killing a family of five members, including their infant. The witnesses said the family was trying to flee the heavy air raids on the province, which is the stronghold of dominant Shiite Houthi movement. In the central province of Marib, another family of five were all killed when the Saudi-led airstrike targeted their car in Habbab valley in east of the province on Saturday afternoon, local officials, residents and witnesses. An official told Xinhua that the family was escaping the intensified air strikes on the villages and farms of Marib. Local officials and residents also reported dozens of other air attacks on several regions across northern Yemeni provinces, most of the strikes burned farms and destroyed villagers' houses. Dozens of cows and livestock of the villagers were also killed in the Saturday air strikes according to local authorities' reports to the agriculture ministry, a ministry official told Xinhua. Saturday's air strikes against civilians were the latest in a series of raids carried out by the U.S.-backed Saudi-led coalition. Earlier this month, the airstrikes hit a funeral hall in the capital Sanaa, killing 140 mourners, including children, and wounded over 600 others. Saudi coalition spokesman general Ahmed Asiri said the strikes were based on wrong information, apologizing to the families' victims. Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen conflict in March last year to restore its ally President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government to power, after Houthis and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh fought a revolution against "Hadi government corruption" and drove Hadi with his cabinet to flee into exile. The Saudi-led coalition has ever since failed to restore Hadi or recapture northern provinces from the allied Houthi and Saleh forces which also control the capital Sanaa. The Saudi-led airstrikes and ground combat have killed over 10,000 Yemenis, mostly children and women, and forced more than two million to flee their homes. The latest round of peace efforts by the United Nations appeared to fail to end the 19-month long war in Yemen after apparently both rival, Houthis and their foe Hadi, rejected latest UN peace plan presented by UN Yemen envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed last week. Flash Asylum seekers who use people smugglers to illegally come to Australia by boat will be given a lifetime ban from entering the country, under a government plan set to be put to Parliament next week. Even if they are found to be legitimate refugees, those who employ the use of illegal people smugglers to make their way to Australia will never be allowed into the country, even as a tourist. According to the government, the lifetime ban will extend to those who have been sent to Australian detention centers on Nauru or Manus Island since July 19, 2013, however the laws will not affect children. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the law was a follow-up to former Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's pledge in July 2013 that any asylum seeker who comes to Australia by boat without a visa would "never be settled in Australia". "They must know that the door to Australia is closed to those who seek to come here by boat with a people smuggler," he told the press on Sunday. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the laws would send a "tough message" not only to people smugglers, but to those thinking of coming to Australia illegally. "This is a tough message we are sending to the people smuggling syndicates and those who pay people smugglers to try and enter Australia," Bishop told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Sunday. "They will not be settled in Australia and they won't be visiting Australia." Meanwhile Immigration Minister Peter Dutton told News Corp the Labor opposition should have "no excuses" not to support the laws in Parliament, as it was Rudd - a former Labor PM - who first announced such a plan. He added that Australia would continue to fight the illegal people smuggling trade which has resulted in hundreds of "deaths at sea". "This puts into law that crucial aspect which has been central to stopping the boats and stopping deaths at sea," Dutton said on Sunday. "It sends a clear message to people smugglers that the government's resolve in protecting Australia's borders is as strong as it has ever been." As the temperature has dropped, flocks of swan geese arrived at Poyang Lake in East China's Jiangxi province on their southbound migratory route on Saturday. The lake is China's largest freshwater lake. Swan goose is a rare large goose breed with their natural breeding range located in Mongolia, northeastern China and southeastern Russia. [Photo/IC] The Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge is closed on Oct 28, 2016 for a major revonation project. [Photo/Xinhua] NANJING -- Few bridges in China, or anywhere else, raise emotions like the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge. Built in 1968, the bridge was hailed an engineering breakthrough and became the pride of the nation. It was the first modern bridge across the river to be wholly designed and built by Chinese talent and labor. School textbooks chronicle its construction and it appears in tourist souvenirs. On Friday night, a major renovation project began. The work is projected to take 27 months, and cost about 1.1 billion yuan (about $160 million). Hundreds of tourists have been arriving to take photos at the bridge before it changes forever. "Decades ago, China was technologically isolated from developed countries. The bridge was highly symbolic of our national struggle and its completion raised the national spirit," said Zhang Zhenshan, who worked on the construction 48 years ago. "I get excited every time I cross the bridge," said Wu Zifan, 28. "It was a truly great sight, with big ships crossing under the bridge, trains rumbling by and a never-ending stream of cars. One of my fondest memories was trying to count the side lamps along the bridge, but there were so many and it was easy to lose count." Years of heavy traffic have taken their toll on the bridge, said Chun Qing of the Southeast University and one of the leaders of the renovation project. The bridge will be strengthened structurally. There are large cracks on the cement highway and along the rails. Ornamentation needs to be renovated and the drains also need to be repaired. "We will try our best to retain the original look of the bridge," said Chun. While the bridge is closed, commuters will have to use ferries, the second Nanjing Yangtze bridge, completed in 2001, or tunnels below the river. "Repairing the bridge is the preservation of history. I hope that after 27 months, the bridge will be more magnificent yet," said Zhang Heng, a Nanjing resident. Guo Chuan returns to Qingdao from a 15-day voyage on Sept 27, 2015. [Photo/IC] BEIJING -- A Chinese commercial vessel joined the search for the Chinese sailor Guo Chuan who has been missing for nearly five days during a solo non-stop trans-Pacific adventure. The ship, named "Ruian City" from China COSCO Shipping Group, was on its routine route between Hawaii and Japan when it received messages for help on Saturday. "I received calls both from Guo Chuan's team and the China Maritime Rescue Coordination Center, asking for our assistance in searching for Guo Chuan," said Ruian City captain Ding Jianwu. At the request, five more lookout positions were added on the ship while the ship already scoured several spots where the 51-year-old mariner could possibly drift to. Guo was suspected of falling overboard on Oct. 25 Beijing time 900 kilometers off Hawaii and his team said he might wear life jacket then. "We are using every possible tools, the radar, binocle and our naked eyes in a bid to find Guo. We will spare no effort in the search of the captain," said Ding. "I hope there will be a miracle and pray for Captain Guo." Guo's support team and his family were desperate on looking for other ways to keep the search going after the U.S. Coast Guard suspended their effort on Thursday. The USCG located Guo's trimaran and then sent a boat and crew aboard the vessel but found no trace of Guo except his life jacket. The team said a travel company in Hawaii has offered to provide five to 10 helicopters to search the missing sailor, but they need larger ships with helipads. "These helicopters can fly 500 kilometers without stopping but the site of the accident is 900 kilometers off Hawaii. We need large ships which have helicopter platforms and equipment to refuel the choppers." Before the accident, Guo was attempting to sail from San Francisco to Shanghai in 20 days or less for a new solo trans-Pacific world record. Guo already had a world record to his name for a 138-day solo non-stop circumnavigation in 2013. China cemented its status as a leading international force in financial technology this year, claiming five of the top 10 spots in the annual list of the world's major companies in the sector. The list was compiled by the United Kingdom-based advisory firm KPMG and Australian investment company H2 Ventures. China's Ant Financial, which owns and operates the country's largest online payment platform, Alipay, topped the 100 Leading Fintech Innovators 2016 list, which was released on Oct 24. Alipay was joined by four other Chinese companies. Student microloan site Qudian, formerly known as Qufenqi, was second; internet-based lending and wealth management platform Lufax ranked fourth; online insurance business ZhongAn was fifth; and internet financial services provider JDFinancewas 10th. Established financial technology companies are ranked based on four factors: total capital raised, rate of capital raising, location and degree of subindustry disruption. In the first quarter of the year, financial technology companies in China attracted $2.4 billion from venture capital companies in nine deals, or 49 percent of the $4.98 billion in investment recorded globally within the sector. Oliver Thew, assistant programs manager at the Official Monetary and Financial Institutes Forum, a London think tank, says that "there is a rise in demand for financial inclusion as China's middle class continues to expand." It's evident in the significant increase in peer-to-peer companies that have filled gaps in the market left by state-owned banks that prefer lending to larger companies, or state-owned ones. In April, Ant Financial raised a record $4.5 billion and announced two new partnerships in the United States. Funding has continued to rise for the sector worldwide, with companies on the list attracting an additional $14.6 billion in capital since last year's report, an increase of more than 40 percent. Last year, two Chinese companies made the Top 10. ZhongAn claimed No 1, while Qufenqi, an electronics retailer that lets buyers pay in monthly installments, was fourth. This year, eight Chinese companies were in the top 100, compared with seven last year. The US was the most represented region, with 24 companies on the list, three of those in the top 10. angus@mail.chinadailyuk.com China Institute for Urban Governance, a think tank that gathers a talented pool of people and provides a high-level platform for international communication and collaboration in the urban governance sector, was set up in Shanghai on Sunday. With the support from the municipal government, the institute will be run by Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the Development Research Center of Shanghai government. The institute was unveiled at the Global Cities Forum held at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University. By 2040, Shanghai will become a global city of excellence, innovation, humanity and ecology, Yang Xiong, mayor of Shanghai, said in his address to the Global Cities Forum. The forum has provided a premium platform for enhancing the exchange and cooperation for urban management. According to the United Nations' 2014 World Urbanization Prospects Report, half of the world's 7 billion people lived in urban areas that year. In China, more than 80 percent of its total economic output is generated in cities, with over 50 percent of the population living in urban areas. But in recent years, a number of problems, including pollution, traffic congestion, health care, emergency management, have become a challenge for city management. Given the urgent needs for talented people, the institute will gather wisdom from experts from the university, government and consulting firms, and provide training for people in the city governance sector. The institute has started preparing for an academic journal, Journal of Urban Governance, a big data research center and a case study center focusing on topics like urban public security, habitability, public service and creating smart cities. The Global Cities Forum gathered scholars and industry insiders from UN-HABITAT, World Bank, Development Research Center of State Council, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and other organizations. It focused on the discussions of urban governance innovation, economic transformation and development, traffic management innovation, ecological management and cultural protection and heritage. Miss Colombia Michelle Gomez (center), crown this year's Miss Earth Air, raises her crown while other contestants greet her during the Miss Earth 2016 International coronation night at a mall in Pasay city, metro Manila, Philippines, Oct 29, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] Temperatures in northern China are set to plummet as a new round of cold air sweeps across the region, according to the China Central Meteorological Observatory. The observatory said that due to this round of cold air, there will be light to moderate wind and rain in central and northern areas of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, most parts of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, and other central and eastern parts of northwestern China, as well as northern and northeast China. Meanwhile, the temperature in these areas will drop by 8C at most. Prior to that, the cold weather hit Shaanxi and Gansu provinces on Tuesday, bringing down the temperatures there. Residents of Yan'an, a city in Shaanxi, and the Gansu city of Pingliang felt the chill as temperatures there dropped by an average of 15C. Meteorological monitoring by the observatory showed that on Wednesday, the temperature in the northeastern part of Northwest China, the northern part of North China, most parts of Northeast China and Inner Mongolia was no more than 10C, a sharp drop from Tuesday. Apart from strong wind and low temperature, some places in these areas, including Beijing, Tianjin and the northern part of Hebei province, also encountered light to moderate rain on Wednesday. Beijing had a temperature drop of 10C, while some places in southeastern Inner Mongolia even had sleet or snowfall. As the National Day holiday is drawing to a close and people will soon return home, the observatory warned that people in northern China should pay close attention to the changes in weather and temperature, in order to avoid catching a cold. By contrast, people in southern China may envy the north, as the temperatures there are still high, the observatory said, adding that many will seek to cool themselves to avoid sunstroke. People attend a rally asking for the resignation of South Korean President Park Geun-hye in Seoul, South Korea, Oct 29, 2016. Over the past week pressure has been mounting on South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who has been suspected of letting her longtime friend to intervene in state affairs. [Photo/Xinhua] SEOUL - The woman at the centre of a deepening political crisis around South Korean President Park Geun-hye will cooperate with prosecutors investigating allegations that she had improper control over state affairs, her lawyer said on Sunday. Choi Soon-sil returned to South Korea early on Sunday from Germany, where she had been staying, her lawyer told reporters. "Choi has expressed through her attorney that she will actively respond to prosecutors' investigation and will testify according to the facts," Lee Kyung-jae, her lawyer, said on Sunday morning. "She is deeply remorseful that she had caused frustration and despondency among the public," Lee said. Choi left Europe on a flight from London to avoid media camped out in Germany, Lee said. She would make herself available for questioning by prosecutors, he said. Choi was under intense pressure to return to South Korea as the political crisis engulfed Park over allegations that she allowed Choi to use her friendship to exert improper influence and benefit personally. Thousands of South Koreans rallied in Seoul on Saturday night demanding Park's resignation over the scandal. Angry Koreans say Park betrayed public trust and mismanaged the government, and has lost a mandate to lead the country. The protest came as prosecutors investigate presidential aides and other officials to determine whether they broke the law to allow Choi to wield undue influence or gain financially. Park said last week she had given Choi access to speech drafts early in her term and apologised for causing concern among the public. In an interview with South Korea's Segye Ilbo newspaper published on Thursday, Choi said she received drafts of Park's speeches after Park's election victory but denied she had access to other official material, or that she influenced state affairs or benefited financially. Park is in the fourth year of a five-year term, and the crisis threatens to complicate policymaking during the lame-duck period that typically sets in toward the end of South Korea's single-term presidency. Opposition parties have demanded a thorough investigation, but have not raised the possibility of impeaching her. Park's office said late on Friday she ordered her senior secretaries to tender their resignations, and she will reshuffle the office in the near future. Her chief of staff separately offered to resign earlier, the office said. The crisis has sent Park's public support to an all-time low. In one opinion poll, more than 40 percent of respondents said Park should resign or be impeached. Choi was seen in photographs with Park from 1979 when Park, as eldest daughter of then-President Park Chung-hee, was filling in as first lady for her mother who had been killed five years earlier by an assassin intending to kill her father. Park's father, who took power in a military coup in 1961, was shot dead by his disgruntled spy chief later in 1979. Choi was someone "who gave me help when I was going through a difficult time," Park said in a brief televised address on Tuesday. The 2nd Investing in Africa Forum opens in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Sept 7. More than 300 leaders and representatives from 38 African countries, including South African President Jacob Zuma, Chinese Vice-Premier Ma Kai, World Bank executives and academics, took part. Liang Xu / Xinhua China and World Bank unite in their commitment to helping continent thrive in years ahead A somewhat rainy Guangzhou, a city with historic trading ties to Africa, was the venue for a major conference on investment in the emerging continent. Leaders and representatives from 38 African countries, including South African President Jacob Zuma, Chinese Vice-Premier Ma Kai, World Bank executives and academics, descended on the city's White Swan Hotel for the 2nd Investing in Africa Forum. The two-day meeting - as with the first forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, last year - was seen by many as another key staging post in the evolution of China's relationship with Africa. As China's trade with the continent has increased from $10 billion in 2000, on course for $400 billion by 2020, when its investment stock is also predicted to be $100 billion, the world's second-largest economy has been seen by some as a challenge to the old order. This was seen as the Washington Consensus, under which institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, had imposed their prescriptive recipe of encouraging more private sector development on the continent since the 1990s. The forum - organized by the Guangdong government, China Development Bank and the World Bank Group - was a marker of the closer cooperation between China and the Washington international financial institution on African development issues. Haleh Bridi, director of partnerships and external communications for the Africa Region at the World Bank, said at the conclusion of the forum that it was important now for China and the World Bank to work together. "China is one of the biggest trading partners and one of the biggest investors in Africa, as well as a major aid provider. Similarly we, through our International Finance Corporation arm, are also a large investor, as well as a major aid provider and source of guidance to African countries. Given that, it is surely natural we would want to work together and organize a triangular partnership with African countries." The forum, which will hold its next meeting in Dhaka, Senegal, next year, shared some of the agenda of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which held its second summit in Johannesburg in December. It was there that Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a tripling of aid to the continent to $60 billion, which many saw as the world's second-largest economy reaffirming its commitment to the continent. Liang Huijiang, director-general of the international finance department at China Development Bank, the China policy bank with a major role in Africa, says it is important to work with the World Bank in three key areas. These are producing a joint development plan for upgrading the African economy, fostering industrialization and providing financial support and expertise. The new cooperation will be combined with a doubling of the resources available to the CDB's China Africa Development Fund to $10 billion and increasing loans to African small and medium-sized enterprises from $1 billion to $6 billion. "We are going to work closely with the World Bank to support the industrialization of Africa," he says. Okechukwu Enelamah, Nigeria's minister of industry, trade and investment and a speaker at the forum, says he welcomes the cooperation of all parties in African development. He believes China has played a crucial role on the continent, particularly over the past 15 years. "What it has done has been more important than any other country. It has been very committed to working with us, particularly in the infrastructure space, and if you look at a lot of the high-profile infrastructure projects we are doing, quite a lot of them have Chinese content, if not entirely financed by Chinese partners." Guang Zhe Chen, senior director of Water Global Practice at World Bank Group, also believes it is important for his institution and China to work together. He says China's relationship with the continent has often been unfairly criticized, particularly in the Western media. He believes this was particularly the case in relation to Chinese companies importing Chinese labor to work on infrastructure projects and being reluctant to recruit and train local Africans. "I think this was a misconception. Chinese private enterprises and state-owned enterprises all operate on a commercial basis. If they could find skilled or semi-skilled workers in the local environment they would, since the local workers would be a seventh or an eighth the equivalent cost here," he says. "Where Chinese enterprises have been working in Africa for a long time, like one state-owned enterprise I know which has been operating in Ethiopia for 25 years, they train local workers." "Some of the media were exaggerating this. Yes, it was happening, but it is not for profit reasons. The Chinese companies were doing it simply out of necessity." One of the key issues at the forum was what development model Africa should pursue. Some have argued that it should skip the manufacturing stage and move directly from primary industries like agriculture and mining straight to services, which would suit its young and increasingly educated demographic. This would be completely contrary to China becoming the workshop of the world in the 1990s after first reforming its agricultural base. Vera Songwe, regional director for western and central Africa for International Finance Corp, the World Bank Group's investment arm, insists it has to develop both manufacturing and services. "Africa is 1.1 billion people, and the idea you can put 1.1 billion people to work without mass manufacturing is not credible. I think right now people talk about services because that is what is happening faster. The service sector is a much larger part of GDP in most countries than manufacturing." Enelamah, the Nigerian industry minister, believes that manufacturing is also vital. "I think the argument we can go straight to services is flawed. Manufacturing is key because it provides jobs, brings in foreign exchange and is a way of copying and transferring knowledge. You don't have to be inventive, and a large part of our population does not have the high level of skills needed for services." He says he argues this despite Nigeria being home to Nollywood, the third-largest film industry in the world after Hollywood and Bollywood. "We supply movies to the whole of Africa and the black diaspora, and it's an example of why services are also important. Our service sector provided balance to the economy when we were hit by the commodity price recession." One of the focuses of the forum was whether Africa could copy China's model of building industrial parks and enterprises like the Special Economic Zones along China's southern and eastern coasts that kickstarted development in the 1980s. There is one major example of it being replicated in Africa: China's Eastern Industrial Park development just outside Addis Ababa, which is home to Huajian, the shoe manufacturer, one of the most successful examples of Chinese manufacturing on the continent. Abdoulaye Magassouba, minister of mining in Guinea, believes this is easier said than done. "It is not about copying, per se. It is about learning about what they have done and applying it to our circumstances. It is no good just setting up something and calling it an industrial zone. This will not bring success. You need a comprehensive approach to make sure the park has all the right infrastructure, not just power but the right management as well." He believes there is no reason why Africa could not be a major manufacturing center within a matter of decades. "Asia did it in about 30 or 40 years. There is no reason why Africa should not be able to do it. We have a lot of potential, with all this human capital, much of it young and dynamic, and all these natural resources as well." The forum also focused on the role of vocational training in developing the skilled workforce necessary for manufacturing. Richard Jabo, executive director of the Uganda Free Zones Authority, based in Kampala, believes it is vital. "Vocational training is key to providing proper quality and sustainable jobs. You need skilled workers to transform society in the longer term," he says. He argues that industrial parks also have a role to play in delivering vocational training. "You are close to the manufacturing unit, and you can do it on-site and you have this advantage of being closer to industry," he says. Chen at the World Bank dismisses those who argue that Africans do not have the same work ethic as Asians and cannot adapt easily to manufacturing jobs. "The first 20 to 30 years of the industrialization process in Guangdong was about turning a lot of rural migrants into workers. Typically, they had just a primary school background and you had to give them skills," he says. "We now have a problem with vocational training in China. With the one-child policy, people don't want their kid to be a blue-collar worker. So, as a result, China's economy is having to become more service-sector orientated." Where both Chinese investment and the World Bank have been playing a major role in the continent has been in building infrastructure. Africa has a huge deficit in all aspects of infrastructure, from power capacity, with some of the most expensive electricity in the world, to a lack of highways, with trade between neighboring countries and region sometimes almost impossible. Many places remain in desperate need of modern ports, airports and basic facilities. It is estimated by the World Bank that lack of infrastructure wipes up to 4 percent off the continent's GDP. Tony Oteng-Gyasi, managing director of Tropical Cable and Conductor, based in Tema, Ghana, believes Africa can go nowhere without proper infrastructure. "Infrastructure is critical. Without it there can be virtually no development," he says. He believes the Chinese have been far more effective in delivering infrastructure projects than the World Bank and other institutions. Sino Hydro built Bui Dam, a 400-megawatt hydroelectric project that began operating in 2013, and took just four years to do it. "It was completed in record time with Chinese money. It had been on the drawing board since the 1950s, but the Chinese came here and within months the project was off the ground," he says "The Chinese have a much faster decision-making process and I think that is a major difference (between them and the World Bank)." "Their projects always come with finance and contractors, and fewer people are involved in the final decision as to whether a project goes ahead." Joseph Onjala, senior research fellow at the University of Nairobi, agrees that the Chinese have had an impact on infrastructure, particularly on new roads easing congestion in the often gridlocked city where he is based. "The problem is that a lot of it is grand and nice looking but when you go back five or 10 years later you find it not very well maintained," he says. "Some the roads are not well designed, even those funded by the World Bank and other agencies. They are meant as bypasses, but eventually the traffic finds its way back into the city center." A number of other initiatives were launched at the forum, including the Investing in Africa Think Tank Alliance aimed at fostering the intellectual resources of the CDB's Research Academy and the World Bank. "Knowledge is a very important part of this partnership, taking it beyond just investment," adds Bridi from the World Bank. "I hope it will underpin some of the investments with research, so hopefully making these investments better. We would also like to use the knowledge and experience of the Chinese academic think tank to strengthen the research of African universities in this area." Jiang Haiyan, deputy secretary-general of the Guangdong government, said at the final news briefing that the forum provided the opportunity to link with the World Bank and coordinate with wider initiatives such as China's Belt and Road Initiative and the development agenda set by both FOCAC and the G20 summit in Hangzhou in September. "A new consensus has been reached for cooperation. Through experience sharing and we must take advantage also of the momentum created by these other major initiatives," she says. andrewmoody@chinadaily.com.cn (Photo : getty images.) European Union antitrust regulators on Friday opened second phase of investigation into the proposed bid to takeover of Swiss based Syngenta AG by Chinese state owned ChemChina. This means the fate of the multibillion dollar deal will now be decided next year. Advertisement European Union antitrust regulators opened on Friday the second phase of its investigation about the proposed takeover of Swiss-based Syngenta AG by Chinese state-owned ChemChina. This means the fate of the multibillion dollar deal will now be decided next year. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Syngenta's chief executive officer Erik Fyrwald already confirmed on Tuesday that the deal has been extended till the first half of 2017. Justifying the second phase of investigation, EU regulators said the takeover could adversely affect the competition in the region through its subsidiary firm Adama Agricultural Solutions (ADAM.N). It claimed that the firm had overlapping portfolios in the production of crop protection products, such as herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and plant growth regulators. "This deal would lead to the combination of a leading crop protection company with one of its main generic competitors," said Margrethe Vestager, EU Competition Commissioner. "Therefore we need to carefully assess whether the proposed merger would lead to higher prices or a reduced choice for farmers." The regulator will now decide whether or not to approve the deal by March next year. ChemChina has reportedly said it is ready to offer more concessions to EU clinch the multi-billion dollar deal. EU's hesitance in giving a fast approval to Chemchina- Syngenta deal has surprised many, given that the mega deal was approved by US regulators in August without any major conditions. Meanwhile, Mr. Fyrwald clarified to Reuters on Tuesday that the deal is not effected by talks of possible merger between ChemChina and Chinese peer Sinochem. "We talk to ChemChina regularly on a range of issues, as you can imagine, and they have repeatedly assured us that they are not in any discussions about merging with Sinochem," Fyrwald said via a telephonic interview. The successful takeover of Syngenta is immensely crucial for ChemChina's longstanding global ambitions. The takeover, which would cost ChemChina $43 billion, is the largest foreign direct investment by a Chinese firm till date. Advertisement TagsChemChina, syngenta, ChemChina Syngenta Deal, china (Photo : https://pixabay.com/en/airshow-fighter-jets-aerobatic-440510/) The airshow is the part of week-long 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition. Advertisement China will debut its J-20 stealth fighter jet at the Zhuhai airshow, which is part of the week-long 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition. It is set to start on Tuesday and will feature various other new aircraft units to be inducted in the Chinese air force. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) said the production of the stealth fighter is going as scheduled. It is expected to enter service "in the near future." The J-20 stealth fighter jet of China is considered as a "fifth generation" jet fighter. Currently, only the United States has the fifth generation jets in its combat service. These jets are the F-22 and the F-35. However, various countries are currently working on developing this type of aircraft. China, Japan and Russia already have flyable prototypes of the jet. The said fighter jet will offer a flight demonstration at the air show. Apart from J-20 stealth fighter jet, the exhibition is also expected to feature the Xi'an H-6K strategic bomber, the Chengdu J-10B multirole fighter and the Shaanxi KJ-500 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft. Earlier in 2014, China had demonstrated another Generation 5 prototype, Shenyang J-31. Another star attraction of the exhibition is the CH-5 Medium-Altitude Long Endurance drone, which comes with one ton payload capacity. This drone weighs 3.3 ton and has endurance period lasting for up to 40 hours, which was introduced in 2015. The Xian Y-20 military transport aircraft is also expected to perform at the airshow. Meanwhile, the PLAAF said the J-20 stealth fighter jet will help in ensuring the national security in China. Advertisement TagsPeople's Liberation Army Air Force, J-20 stealth fighter jet, Xian Y-20 military transport aircraft (Photo : US Army) Test firing the 30 mm cannon on a Stryker Dragoon. Advertisement The U.S. Army has begun field testing the first prototype of its new Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) upgraded with a more lethal and long-range 30 mm cannon meant to confer fire superiority on combat units battling Russian Army forces in a future conflict. The "XM1296 Infantry Carrier Vehicle" nicknamed "Dragoon" mounts a Kongsberg MCT-30 mm Weapon System on a remotely-operated, unmanned weapons turret. The turret also deploys a new, fully-integrated commander's station Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Arming Strykers with the rapid fire 30 mm cannon will not interfere with one of the ICV's main missions: transporting a nine-man infantry squad onto the battlefield. The 30 mm autocannon will increase the Stryker Dragoon's lethality against Russian light armor vehicles such as the BPM-97 armored personnel carrier while preserving its wheeled mobility advantages. The Stryker Dragoon will next go through a test phase before entering full production. This weapon will reach U.S. troops in Europe by May 2018. The Army has greatly boosted its combat power in Europe since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. The U.S. has also deployed more of its soldiers and equipment to Europe to assure America's NATO allies and deter further Russian aggression. The U.S. armed forces now have over 33,000 soldiers deployed to Europe. In addition, the Army has begun rotating an armored Brigade Combat Team for a full nine-month deployment to Europe. The 30 mm autocannon is dual-fed from two ammunition boxes, each containing 150 30 mm rounds for armor piercing or anti-personnel work. Test firings of Kongsberg's 30 mm autocannon showed increased lethality and accuracy over the standard .50 caliber machine gun at ranges at ranges from 600 meters to 1,550 meters. Stryker Dragoons are expected to give U.S. infantry greater fire superiority so they can end firefights quicker. The 30 mm autocannon can smash targets at a range over 2,000 meters. The Army in 2015 approved equipping 81 of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment's Strykers with 30 mm autocannons after the unit requested the upgrade. The 2nd Cavalry Regiment put in an Urgent Operational Needs Statement to fast-track an upgraded version of the Stryker Dragoon. Advertisement TagsXM1296 Infantry Carrier Vehicle, Stryker Dragoon, Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle, U.S. Army, Kongsberg MCT-30 mm Weapon System (Photo : Getty Images ) The armed forces from China and United States will carry out a six day military drill next month, the Chinese military said. Advertisement The armed forces from China and United States will carry out a six-day military drill next month, the Chinese military said. The drill, slated on Nov. 13 to 18, will be conducted at a training base of the Peoples' Liberation Army (PLA) in the Southern Theater Command in Kunming, Yunnan Province. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The US military is expected to send some 90 personnel from its Pacific Forces to take part in the drill aimed at strengthening the readiness of forces in case of disaster. A total of 134 personnel from People's Liberation Army (PLA) will take part in the drill. "Chinese and US Armies will stage a joint military drill featuring rescue and disaster alleviation in southwest China from Nov. 13 to 18," spokesperson Wu Qian told reporters, according to state run Xinhua news agency. "The drill will be carried out in line with the consensus reached by the two armed forces, and the participants will undertake humanitarian rescue and disaster reduction operations at high altitude," Wu added. The joint military exercise comes at the height of the South China Sea dispute. Last week, a US-guided missile warship, the USS Decatur, sailed near Paracel islands in the disputed region. China described the incident as "illegal" and "provocative" before it conducted a "surprise" drill in the contested waters this week. Back in July, an international tribunal had ruled in favor of the Philippines and found no merit in Beijing's "historic" ownership claim over the South China Sea. Beijing, however, refused to recognize the ruling. United States, a close ally of the Philippines, has repeatedly urged China to abide by the ruling. Advertisement Tagschina, US, PLA, Joint Military Drill, South China Sea (Photo : https://pixabay.com/en/roulette-casino-black-red-dealer-1264078/) The minister revealed that there is another Australian detained by the Chinese authorities. Advertisement Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop offered updates about the ongoing dispute over the detention of Crown Resorts employees in China. The minister revealed that there is another Australian detained by the Chinese authorities. However, the fourth person is not employed by Crown. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Speaking with ABC on Sunday, Bishop said there are now four Australians involved in the case. It was noted, though, that the fourth person, believed to be a man, is not an employee of Crown, but is being held along with the Crown employees. The minister also stated that it took considerable time to negotiate consular access for the detainees as some of them held more than one passports. Eventually, it was agreed that the four employees will be regarded as Australian citizens. Bishop said there is no information about the potential charges which may be faced by the detainees. The minister elaborated that the Chinese law allows for the maximum detention of 37 days, without charges. It is believed that mainland China authorities have obtained information about the movement of huge amounts of currency by seizing phones, laptops and computers from the detainees. According to the Australian minister, the detention may be "part of President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign involving government officials." China is currently carrying out massive anti-corruption campaign in the mainland, which targets illegal cross-border flow of currency, mainly through casinos. Gambling and its promotion is illegal in China. The organizing of trips with 10 or more people to foreign casinos for gambling is also deemed illegal in the country. Advertisement TagsAustralia, Crown Resorts, Julie Bishop (Photo : https://pixabay.com/en/analysis-pay-businessmen-meeting-680572/) China has made noticeable investments through acquisitions in Germany. Advertisement German politicians are becoming more vocal about China's increased business activities in the country creating a market influence. China has made noticeable investments through acquisitions in Germany. However, the takeover spree by Chinese companies has reportedly caused apprehension and resistance among Germans. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Sigmar Gabriel, Geman Economy Minister, recently accused China of having double standards. He said the country is acquiring key technologies in Germany, but is using "discriminatory requirements" for protecting its own companies against takeovers by foreign companies. In a guest column for Die Welt newspaper, the German politician asked the European Union to adopt a tougher stance with China. Gabriel further stated that Europe cannot be expected to accept such tactics. He urged the EU to ensure a fair playing field. He accused China of hampering foreign takeovers by subjecting them to discriminatory regulations. The German minister is scheduled to visit China next week. Germany recently withdrew its approval of takeover of Aixtron, a German semiconductor equipment company, by a Chinese group. The withdrawal was allegedly caused by a US intervention in the matter. The US is believed to have told Germany that the technology may be used for military purposes. In Germany, the government may only block acquisitions if they threat defense, financial or energy security stability. In an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Gabriel added that China will be required to change its regulations if it wants to obtain the market economy status. He also added that the world's second largest economy may otherwise be not granted the coveted status under the rules of the World Trade Organization. The EU is currently deliberating about bestowing the status upon China in December. Advertisement TagsAixtron, Germany, Sigmar Gabriel (Photo : Getty Images) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to travel to Japan to attend an annual summit Advertisement India and Japan are expected to strengthen military ties to counter China's increasing assertiveness in disputed territories when Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays a visit to Tokyo for an annual summit next month. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement India's foreign ministry said on Friday that Modi would conduct talks with Emperor Akihito as well as with his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, in a two-day visit starting November 11. China reportedly continues to increase its naval presence in the South and East China Seas, parts of which are also being claimed by several countries including Japan. Border dispute India also has a longtime territorial dispute with China with the militaries of both countries involved in a major standoff at the border two years ago. Japan is likewise locked in a bitter feud with China over the sovereignty of the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands, known as Diaoyu Islands in Chinese, in the East China Sea. Tokyo and New Delhi have reportedly established an "unusually" close relationship since Modi assumed his position in 2014. In-depth exchanges "The meeting would be an occasion for the two leaders to have in-depth exchanges on bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest," the Indian foreign ministry said in a statement. Part of the agenda laid out for both countries include discussions on future joint military exercises and enhancement of defense and security ties between the two sides. Earlier, Japan urged India to make a stand and speak out on the South China Sea dispute. Analysts said that was Japan's way of recognizing the growing reputation of New Delhi as a regional power. Strongly-worded statement Analysts say Tokyo is hoping that India would craft a strongly-worded statement on the South China Sea dispute believing that the statement would have an impact on China. China has repeatedly declared that disputes in the South China Sea region should be resolved among the claimant countries without interference from outsiders. Japan claims that Chinese vessels have been sailing in its territorial waters near Tokyo's Senkaku Islands. Tokyo protested to Beijing in August after the Chinese Coast Guard and the more than 200 Chinese vessels entered Japanese waters in the East China Sea. Japan has expressed concern that China's aggression in the South China Sea might spill over to the East China Sea prompting Tokyo to seek the support of other regional powers to stop China. Advertisement TagsTokyo, New Delhi, annual summit, Emperor Akihito, East China Sea, Senkaku Islands, India, china, India (Photo : US Army) PSRL, the "Americanized RPG," being tested by U.S. Army soldiers. Advertisement The U.S. Army is apparently still interested in fielding its own copy of the fabled Russian RPG-7 shoulder-fired, anti-tank, anti-personnel rocket-propelled grenade launcher for use by infantry units. The "Americanized RPG" is being pushed by AirTronic USA, Inc. as part of the Army's annual Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment (AEWE). Based in Texas, Airtronic describes itself as "an electromechanical engineering design and manufacturing company focused on innovative military-based manufacturing solutions." Like Us on Facebook Advertisement In 2015, the Army evaluated AirTronic's RPG called the Precision Shoulder-fired Rocket Launcher (PSRL) system. AirTronic touts its PSRL as a much superior version of the iconic RPG-7 with better accuracy, enhanced lethality, longer range and durability. PSRL, however, is very different from the Russian weapon. Its tube is made from 4140/4150 ordnance grade barrel steel and it features several sections of rail for attaching optics. It also has an M4-style pistol grip and buttstock. It weighs about 14 pounds unloaded and without optic. AirTronic claims PSRL offers a "safe, reliable and effective solution, enhanced by a custom-design sighting system resulting in significantly improved accuracy." AirTronic this year said it developed two more RPG designs slated for production: PSRL-1 and PSRL-2. PSRL-1 interlinks a new sighting system, which includes an illuminated reticle for use in low light situations. The second design, PSRL-2, builds on PSRL-1 but features a new innovative design, improved durability and extending the lifecycle of the launcher. AirTronic said integrating its custom-designed optical sight into a unified system enabled PSRL-1 to achieve 90% hit accuracy at 800 meters, more than twice the distance of competitor systems, and far better than the Russian RPG-7. The Airtronic RPG is now a program of record in U.S. Special Operations Command. The weapon did perform well when company representatives fired it at targets between 900 and 1,200 meters away, said Harry Lubin, chief of the Experimentation Branch at the Maneuver Battle Lab of the Maneuver Center of Excellence. "The accuracy seemed to be very good," said Lubin. Advertisement TagsAmericanized RPG, Precision Shoulder-fired Rocket Launcher, PSRL, AirTronic USA, Inc., U.S. Army, RPG-7 (Photo : Ejercito Mexicano) Men of the Ejercito Mexicano or Mexican Army. Advertisement China and Mexico have pledged to strengthen military cooperation and elevate mutual ties to a new level. The pledge was made during a meeting between Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission Fan Changlong, and visiting Minister of National Defense Salvador Cienfuegos and Minister of the Navy Vidal Francisco Soberon from Mexico on Oct. 28. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Fan spoke of China's willingness to develop military cooperation and relations with Mexico to a higher level and to enrich their comprehensive strategic partnership. Cienfuegos and Soberon acknowledged China's impressive development achievements. They also hope both nations will jointly advance the new type of military relationship via closer communication and stronger cooperation. Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan later held talks with the two Mexican senior military officials. "China and Mexico have maintained good communication between their defense ministries and the two militaries," said Chang. He pointed out that China is willing to work with Mexico for a military relationship compatible with the two countries comprehensive strategic partnership. Chang also briefed the Mexican visitors on the 6th plenary session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which was held from Oct. 24 to 27 Cienfuegos and Soberon said Mexico was willing to learn from China's experience in governing the country and the military, and boost mutual cooperation in military operation, logistics, personnel training and peace-keeping. Advertisement TagsMexico, china, Minister of National Defense Salvador Cienfuegos, Minister of the Navy Vidal Francisco Soberon, Fan Changlong, Defense Minister Chang Wanquan (Photo : Sina) Chinese-made C-802 ASM on an Iranian Air Force attack helicopter Advertisement The two anti-ship missile (ASM) attacks on the USS Mason (DDG-87) early this month in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off southern Yemen will likely be repeated on other U.S. Navy warships that will face missiles made in Russia, China and Iran. The Navy should prepare for a future operating environments marked by the global proliferation of ASMs. The presence of more of these deadly weapons will make attacks on Navy warships more commonplace, believes Vice Admiral Joseph Mulloy, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Integration of Capabilities and Resources. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement "USS Mason down there off the coast of Yemen -- we can't prove anything right now, but I guarantee that Yemen by itself is not going to produce a Silkworm missile, a bunch of different radars. It just isn't going to happen in a third-world country," said Adm. Mulloy. "It's coming from somewhere, and the propagation of the selling of this stuff. I mean Iran is trying to get more advanced stuff from Russia and they're selling it on the secondary market. "So what is amazing is, in the next few years, everywhere the Navy goes, if you're not in a submarine, you better watch out because every crappy country will be able to launch high-speed missiles at you and the propagation of that is going to be amazing. "What it indicates is, if you want to be there initially to check what's going on, you better either have a fabulous set of radar and missiles, or you better be a submarine and be able to watch what's going on." Naval experts now agree Chinese-built C-802 (NATO reporting name CSS-N-8 Saccade) were used in the unsuccessful attacks on the USS Mason. Iran has supplied C-802 to its Houthi allies fighting to overthrow the Yemini government backed by Saudi Arabia. The C-802 is the export version of China's YJ-8 ASM that carries a 190 kg warhead to a distance of 120 km. The YJ-8 arms China's Xian H-6 strategic heavy bombers. Advertisement Tagsanti-ship missile, USS Mason, yemen, Vice Admiral Joseph Mulloy, C-802, Iran, Russia (Photo : Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology) A prototype of SAPAN, Turkey's first railgun. Advertisement Turkey has released the first photos of its new electromagnetic railgun that will arm the Turkish Navy's TF-2000-class anti-air warfare frigates currently undergoing development by the Turkish Naval Institute. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The EM railgun named "TUBITAK SAPAN" is a 14 megajoule (MJ) weapon using technology similar to that of railguns produced by the U.S. Navy. Military railguns rely on electromagnetic forces to generate very high kinetic energies that fire specially-made projectiles towards targets at speeds of up to 3,500 meters per second. Tubitak Sapan is Turkey's first domestically engineered railgun. The word "sapan" is Turkish for sling. "Tubitak," is an acronym for the state-run "Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey." It's a national agency whose goal is to conduct research, technology and development studies in line with "national priorities." Tubitak has been conducting extensive research into inertial confinement fusion technology over the past decade and the Sapan railgun is merely a by-product of that research. Tubitak also develops "science, technology and innovation" policies; support and conduct research and development, and to "play a leading role in the creation of a science and technology culture" in Turkey. Turkish media said Sapan uses electromagnetic currents rather than high explosives to fire projectiles at speeds much higher than those of conventional weaponry. Sapan, which was first tested in 2014, will allow Turkey to compete with U.S-based and U.K.-based defense companies, the only two countries in the world that develop railguns, claims Turkish media. Photos of the new railgun's prototype were made public by Faruk Ozlu, Minister of Science, Industry and Technology. The Turkish Navy's TF-2000 class frigate will provide survivability against modern aerial threats and also support combat functions such as command, control and communications, reconnaissance, early warning, surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and electronic warfare. The navy plans to build eight of these warships, all of which will be armed with full-scale, combat-ready versions of Sapan. Advertisement TagsTurkey, TUBITAK SAPAN, SAPAN, TUBITAK, Railgun, TF-2000-class anti-air warfare frigates, Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey home World EU Parliament passes resolution to protect religious minorities in Iraq after ISIS falls The European Parliament has voted to pass a resolution that will protect religious minorities including Christians and Yazidis after ISIS is driven out of Iraq. The resolution, tabled by the European People's Party Group, was passed on Thursday with 488 votes in favor, 100 abstentions and 11 in opposition, Christian Today reported. The motion condemned the mass executions committed by ISIS and noted the report of those who escaped from Mosul that people in the city are starving and just waiting to be liberated. It also acknowledged that the Nineveh Plain, Tal Afar and Sinjar regions have been "the ancestral homeland of Christians (Chaldeans/Syriacs/Assyrians), Yazidis, Sunni and Shia Arabs, Kurds, Shabak, Turkmen, Kaka'i, Sabaean-Mandeans, and others." It pointed out that the different minority groups have lived in those regions in relative stability and cooperation for centuries. The resolution warned that the extinction of these minorities could result in destabilization of the region. Several groups acting on behalf of religious minorities have called for the creation of an autonomous province in the Nineveh Plain. Lars Adaktusson, who initiated the resolution, was happy with the results and the support exhibited by the Parliament. "The important issues the resolution is dealing with have been highlighted. We need on the European side to take responsibility and do what we can in order to stabilize the situation [in Iraq] and make it possible for refugees and IDPs to return to their homelands," he told Christian Today. He noted that the resolution is non-binding but he said that it would "mean a lot" to the religions minorities in the region. "I also think it's necessary to underline that if we want to preserve the Christian heritage, if we want to keep the Christian tradition within this region, it's essential that these groups will be able to return, and that's not possible without international support," he added. Iraq was home to around 1.5 million Christians before 2003. It was reported in 2015 that less than 500,000 remain in the country. 9-Year-Old Christian Boy Accused of Burning Quran Freed But Only After Being Tortured A nine-year-old Christian boy in Pakistan narrowly escaped death after he and his mother were arrested and jailed last week after being accused of burning the holy book of Muslims, the Quran. The boy, Inzam, was accused of this offence while at school on Oct. 20, according to the London-based charity British Pakistani Christians Association. As a result, he and his mother Shakil who works at Civil Hospital in Quetta in the western province of Balochistan were arrested the following day and charged with blasphemy, based on the testimony of an unnamed Muslim witness. In Islam, the penalty for blasphemy is death. Politicians and humanitarian groups expressed alarm at the arrest of the mother and her son, seeing it as an attack on the Christian community. News of the Christians' apprehension sparked tension in the community, prompting the police to go on alert. Due to mounting cries of injustice and the clamour for the release of the arrested Christians, Inzam and Shakil were released from police custody on Tuesday. Police officers handling their blasphemy cases later admitted that they found no evidence linking the mother and son to the alleged desecration of the Quran. Despite their innocence, the two imprisoned Christians revealed upon their release that they were interrogated and tortured during their four days in prison, saying their interrogators tried to force them to confess to a crime they did not commit. The interrogators, however, failed to get any confession from them. A separate report from the Pakistani Christian Post credited lawmakers and the leadership of the Sunni political party Jamiat Ulema Islam (F) for the release of the Christian boy and his mother from detention, and the dismissal of the blasphemy cases against them. The Muslim lawmakers reportedly worked with their Christian counterparts from the Provincial Assembly of Baluchistan to secure the release of the Christian mother and her son. At Least 1,131 Christians Martyred by ISIS in Middle East: Many Killed in Front of Their Families It is an undisputed fact that the Islamic State (ISIS) has been waging a campaign of genocide on Christians as part of its grand scheme to conquer the world. But there has been no exact accounting of the number of Christians who lost their lives at the merciless hands of the Islamist jihadist and terrorist groupuntil early this year. In a report submitted to the U.S. State Department, the Knights of Columbus and the humanitarian group In Defense of Christians provided the numbers. According to their report based on documented cases, between 2003 and June 9, 2014, at least 1,131 Christians identified by name and place of death had been murdered by ISIS, according to CNS News. During that same period, the report said at least 125 Christian churches were also attacked or destroyed by ISIS. They include Saint George Church in Mosul, which was blown up on March 9, 2015; Virgin Mary Chaldean Church, which was attacked by car bomb on June 9, 2008; and the Armenian Church in Mosul, burned on Jan. 25, 2015. More Christians were reportedly murdered by ISIS militants in 2015 and 2016, but the names and places of death of the victims have yet to be compiled in one document, CNS News reported. This report became the basis for the official declaration by U.S. State Secretary John Kerry that the ISIS's ongoing actions against Christians, Yazidis, and other religious minorities constituted genocide. Britain, the European Parliament, the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Iraqi and Kurdish governments have also declared that ISIS's actions genocide. "Murder of Christians is commonplace" in Iraq, Syria, and Libya, and that "many have been killed in front of their own families," the report states. During the ISIS takeover of Mosul, the second biggest city in Iraq next to Baghdad, some 500 people were killed by the jihadis, it says. "In Syria, where the organization Aid to the Church in Need has reported on mass graves of Christians, Patriarch Younan estimates the number of Christians 'targeted and killed by Islamic bands' at more than 1,000," the report adds. The report submitted by the Knights of Columbus and In Defense of Christians lists the names and place and "date of martyrdom" of 1,131 Christians who were murdered by ISIS. For instance, it says Alicia Nour was martyred in Mosul on Feb. 1, 2005. Ashoor Younan Botros was murdered in Baghdad on June 24, 2013. On July 1, 2015, Qays Abd Shaaya was martyred by the Islamic State in Baghdad. Christian Bakers Who Lost Appeal Against Gay Activist Say Their Faith Is Stronger Than Ever: 'God Is In Control' Christian bakers Daniel and his wife Amy McArthur, who run Ashers Baking Company, lost the appeal they made against a judgment that said they discriminated against gay activist Gareth Lee. The McArthurs are saddened by this development, but despite all the upheavals they're facing, their faith in God remains strong. "We never meant to cause anyone any offence, but at the same time, as Christians, we've certainly felt victimised by the Equality Commission of Northern Ireland," Daniel told Sky News. "We're disappointed with the way it went. They didn't consider how much our conscience affects us as Christians, in how we run our business, but we still believe that God is in control," he added. Daniel said Christians are often branded as "discriminatory or homophobic" because their religious views don't support the homosexual lifestyle and same-sex marriage. But Daniel believes these critics don't understand the whole picture of their faith. "I think whenever we've been called those names, the people calling them maybe don't fully grasp the arguments and what's at stake," he said. "Or that as Christians, how our beliefs affect every part of our lives, including running our business, and the decisions that we make in our business." Meanwhile, some people find it surprising how the McArthurs managed to stand firm on their beliefs, adamantly refusing to bow down to their persecutors. Daniel said they did not relent because God's teachings on marriage have not changed, no matter what society might be dictating. "Many other Christians our age ... believe that as well," he said. For her part, Amy said they always have God on their side, so there's no challenge too big for them to face. "I think it's fair to say it's been a hard time, but God has been our rock, and it's just through our trust in Him that we've been able to be unshaken and unmoved by it," she said. "He's really used this time to strengthen our faith in Him, and that's only been a good thing for us as individuals, for our marriage and for our family." Church raps Austria's far-right presidential candidate for invoking God Austria's Protestant church has criticized the far-right candidate for president for using the phrase "so help me God" on his campaign posters, saying his party's anti-immigrant stance ran against Christian principles. Norbert Hofer, the anti-immigrant Freedom Party's (FPO) presidential hopeful, uses the line in the hope it will help persuade voters to make him the European Union's first far-right head of state in a run-off election on Dec. 4. The result of a previous run-off in May, which the 45-year-old eurosceptic narrowly lost to former Green Party leader Alexander Van der Bellen, 72, was annulled due to irregularities in counting postal ballots. Hofer is a former Catholic turned Protestant who has said he would not swear in a female minister wearing an Islamic headscarf. "God cannot be instrumentalised for one's own intentions or for political purposes," the three branches of the Protestant churches in the Alpine republic said in a joint statement. Austria is a traditionally Christian country where two-thirds of the 8.7 million population are professed Catholics and about four per cent are Protestant. While a spokesman for the Austrian Bishops' Conference the highest body of the Catholic church said the church would not comment on Hofer's campaign, the Protestant church said Hofer had misused Christianity for narrow political ends. "We do not get involved in party politics, but if Christian principles are violated we have to take a...stand," said Thomas Hennefeld, superintendent of the Protestant Reformed Church. Hofer's direct invocation of God for political purposes was the first of its kind in Austria for 10-15 years and was inappropriate given the FPO's politics, Hennefeld said. "We stand for a Biblical understanding of God, a universal God who is there for the weak, the strangers, the refugees the opposite of what the FPO stands for." Austria has taken in over 115,000 migrants from the Middle East, Africa and Asia since last year. After initially welcoming the refugees, more and more Austrians fear it will be difficult to integrate the newcomers and have become receptive to the FPO's message that mass immigration threatens security and jobs. FPO head Heinz-Christian Strache dismissed the Protestant churches' criticism, arguing that "so help me God" was also part of the presidential swearing-in vow. "I simply cannot understand how it is necessary to justify oneself when it comes to one's core values," Strache said. 'Criminal Minds' season 12 episode 5 spoilers: dark reality of bullying in next episode; Prentiss visits 'Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders' The next episode of "Criminal Minds" season 12 will see Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) and the team deal with one of the most horrifying faces of bullying. Titled "The Anti-Terrorism Squad," episode 5 will see the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) investigate the murders of two families that a couple of high school students escaped alive and well. The synopsis for "Criminal Minds" season 12 episode 5 suggests that bullying had something to do with the tragedy. However, the promo warns that everything is not as it seems. "Every clue is a deception and every victim is not who you think they are," the voiceover warned. In fact, as complicated as it already is, the BAU is just dealing a tip of a "really big iceberg." Prentiss will once again lead this investigation, although fans can also expect her in the second season of "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders." Brewster's character will turn to the International Response Team of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in closing open serial murder cases with ties to Taiwan. "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders" star Alana De La Garza tweeted a photo of her and Brewster behind the scenes during the filming of the episode in question. It turns out that fans will be seeing a lot more of the character. Not only is she basically taking over for Hotch (Thomas Gibson) in "Criminal Minds" season 12, she will also pop by the spinoff. Originally, Brewster was signed up for several episodes in this season of "Criminal Minds." However, with her show "Grandfathered" canceled and Gibson fired from the show, she ends up in a much bigger role. For "Criminal Minds" season 12 episode 5, she will once again lead the team in bringing justice to the massacred family and knowing who is responsible. The promo suggests that either the victims may not be as innocent as they are being shown or the killer planted clues to frame these poor kids with the root cause being a horrible case of bullying. "Criminal Minds" season 12 episode 5, "The Anti-Terrorism Squad," will air on Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. U.S. Woman Who Co-Pastored Christian Church in Saudi Arabia Had Breakdown Before Finding Strength In Jesus When Misty Macal first learned that her husband Brandon had accepted a job in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as a military adviser to the Royal Saudi Air Force, she was furious. "I was so mad," Misty told Tulsa World. "I never expected to find myself going to a place where the Bible is banned and open Christian worship is banned. I thought I was going to a place where I would be miserable." For a while, Misty's prediction became true. She was forced to give up several of the things she took for granted in the United States, such as expressing her personal fashion choices and driving a car. "As a woman, I had to wear an abaya, a full-length black gown with a head covering, whenever I was out of the house, and my daughter did, too, once she was older than about 11. It was very hot. And I couldn't drive," she said. By her third week in Riyadh, Misty could not take more of the culture shock and she had a breakdown. "I was sitting on a curb to eat a powdered doughnut because women weren't allowed in the doughnut shop. White sugar was dropping on my abaya. I was crying like a baby. I didn't realise that this would be my life." But as horrible as Misty felt, she had a change of heart. She started to think that Jesus wouldn't put her in Riyadh just to feel miserable, so she started a mission for Him. Misty and Brandon got involved with a small group of expatriate Christians in Riyadh. Their monthly meetings soon became weekly, and the Macals soon formed a church in their Riyadh home. After a year, their small group ballooned to 100 participants, and they were forced to stop meeting in the house because the authorities might get upset. To solve the problem, the Macals decided to rent a building in Riyadh for their Friday morning meetings. "It's on our visa that we are non-Muslims," said Brandon, "so we decided we were going to be who we are. If we get kicked out of the country, we'll hold our head high." Their church gatherings posed a problem because Christian services in Saudi Arabia are only allowed in foreign embassies and compounds. But the Macals braved on. Brandon became the church administrator for Grace Outreach Riyadh, while Misty became their worship pastor. They believe it's the only openly worshipping Christian church in Saudi Arabia. From 100 members, the church grew to 1,200 people. All of them are expatriates from Asia and Africa, with a few Westerners from the United States, Europe, and Australia. Saudi locals were not allowed to attend for their own safety. Brandon said they only have had minimal difficulty with authorities. He thinks it's because they've been very open about what they're doing. "We don't hide what we do. We're very transparent, very honest," he said. The Macals are proud of what they've accomplished, and every time Misty reflects on what has happened in her life, she is always brought back to the time when she was crying on a curb with a doughnut in hand. "Here you see God's love; you are directed by God. You have fellowship with all these people. It is just an extension of God's love that brings us together. This is what heaven is going to be like," she said. Tuesday Job Search 101: 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 3300 Chimney Rock Suite 102. Topic: Developing a plan. Cost: Free. Reservations: http://js101.org, 832-834-3324 or js101info@gmail.com. Wednesday Job Search 101: 1-3 p.m., 3300 Chimney Rock, Suite 102. Topic: Working with staffing companies and recruiters. Cost: Free. Reservations: http://js101.org, 832-834-3324 or js101info@gmail.com. Thursday Employment Law Update: Presented by Holland & Knight and hosted by Houston West Chamber of Commerce. 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Norris Conference Centers-Houston CityCentre, 816 Town & Country Blvd. Cost: $60 members; $75 non-members. Reservations: Stephanie@hwcoc.org or 713-785-4922. Job Search 101: 10:15 a.m.-1:30 p.m., 3300 Chimney Rock, Suite 102. Topic: LinkedIn strategies Cost: Free. Reservations: http://js101.org, 832-834-3324 or js101info@gmail.com. Friday International Tax Symposium: Sponsored by the Houston TSCPA Foundation. 8:45 a.m.-5 p.m., 777 Post Oak Blvd., No. 500.Cost: $275-$325. Information: 713-622-7733 or www.houstoncpa.org. Rice Energy Finance Summit: 8:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m., Rice University, McNair Hall's Shell Auditorium, 6100 Main. Speakers: Vicki Hollub, president and CEO of Occidental Petroleum; Jeremy Thigpen, president and CEO of Transocean; Ali Moshiri, president of Chevron Africa and Latin America Exploration and Production Co.; Rob Franklin, president of ExxonMobil Gas and Power Marketing Co.; and Robert Herman, executive vice president of midstream at Phillips 66. Presentation: "Energy Outlook: Navigating Changes in an Evolving Market." Cost: $40-$95. Registration: http://business.rice.edu/rice-energy-finance-summit-2016. Monday Chamberlain Hrdlicka Annual Tax and Business Seminar: 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Westin Houston Memorial City, 945 Gessner. Keynote speaker: Stephen Klineberg, founding director, Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University. Keynote presentation: "Prophetic City: Houston at the Cusp of a Changing America." Cost: $150 in advance; $175 on-site. Reservations: www.chamberlainlaw.com/news-eventsrsvp-205.html. Both Precinct 1 constable candidates observed heavy early voter turnout last week. And while the days count down and ballots continue to be cast, they plan to keep up the work until the very end. Montgomery County Sheriff's Lt. Philip Cash, 54, knocked out five Republican Party candidates in the primary elections last spring to become the GOP candidate, while Thomas "T" Mack ran unopposed in the Democratic Party primary to earn his spot on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. Cash, a 27-year veteran of the Sheriff's Office, earned 54.6 percent of the votes (2,756) to retired MCSO Capt. Ike Fluellen's 45.4 percent (2,295 votes) in the May primary runoff. Cash remains confident he's the right man for the job. Cash believes he is the "most qualified candidate" with a mission and vision that will benefit Montgomery County and Precinct 1, where he has spent his entire career learning about the problems in the community. He said he already has been working on those problems through his role at MCSO and plans to continue to do so with a proactive stance in the Precinct 1 office and making the community safe as his top priority. "I wouldn't be in it if I didn't think I was going to win," said Cash, who has observed very few undecided voters at this stage of the race and plans to work the polls through the elections. "We are not going to give up. We are not going to slow down. We are trying to get the word out still." While Montgomery County Republicans typically dominate the majority of votes cast, 39-year Houston Metro Police Officer and Willis resident Mack said he is receiving positive feedback from Republicans and Democrats seeking "new blood" and "new ideas." "I can work across party lines to get the job done," Mack said. "That's what we need. Somebody who will listen, be able to cross party lines to get to the real goal, and that's to serve the public ." As Constable, a major task will be dealing with Lake Conroe safety issues. Both candidates feel boater education is key to reducing accidents on Lake Conroe and express an interest in more man power. Cash offered his ideas in the primary, including boat safety checks during the weekends. Mack, 63, said he would inquire into incentive options such as insurance discounts for those who take boater safety courses. The candidates each have idea for more training when dealing with mental health. Cash wants every officer to be certified to handle mental health patients and addressed the rise in veterans dealing with mental issues. As the son of a veteran, Cash said he has firsthand experience. Mack supports increased first aid training to provide services during natural disasters and help patients while awaiting transport. He also intends to have employees cross trained in each others jobs to be able to rotate from mental health, the lake, serving papers etc. In addition to community policing to encourage residents and children to get more comfortable with law enforcement, he plans to listen -- which he believes makes him the best candidate. "I want their voice to be heard to rectify and make it better for the community," he said. "And if they elect me constable, my main goal is to listen to the voice of people and be the best constable I can possibly be." From Oct. 24-28, there were 71,915 early votes cast in Montgomery County, including 6,274 in Willis and 8,531 in Montgomery. "I think the presidential races is so important," Cash said. "It is bringing voters out that we haven't seen before and hopefully it will help with the local races. Historically, this is a Republican county; and what I've seen at the polls, I don't think it's going to change. I don't know about the state, but this county is a Republican county." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD Board of Trustees met in a regular session on Monday, October 24, 2016. The following items were presented: Public Hearing Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) Business Manager Adam Jenke reported that COCISD received the highest ranking under the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST), the state's financial accountability system. The rank of "A" for "Superior" rating was based on an analysis of staff and student data reported for the 2014-15 school year, and financial data for the 2015 fiscal year. The "Superior" rating is the state's highest, demonstrating the quality of COCISD's financial management and reporting system. For details on the full report, visit the district website at www.cocisd.org. Spotlight on Excellence Coldspring Intermediate School Student Council President Luc Butler and GT student Tionna Bennett led the Pledge of Allegiance. The two fifth-graders were given special recognition by Interim Superintendent Dr. Leland Moore, and each received a new book from Barnes & Noble. For going Above & Beyond by displaying outstanding acts of good citizenship and kindness, Coldspring-Oakhurst High School 11th-grade student Darren Muirhead and third-grade teacher Matthew Ritchey were honored. Dr. Moore and the Board of Trustees commended COCISD's principals and assistant principals as part of October's Principal Month. Also given special recognition were the following 4-H and FFA students who won or placed in the top three of their categories at the San Jacinto County Fair & Rodeo: Lincoln Junior High, 4-H Market Swine Pigs 1st Place Cole Woodruff 2nd Place Stran Foxworth Reserve Grand Champion 3rd Place Karis Peachee Brelynn Ellisor Reserve Grand Champion, Grand Champion Showmanship Chickens Broilers Chase Stephens Grand Champion Replacement Heifers 3rd Place Skarlett Higginbotham Ashley Adams Grand Champion Showmanship Breeding Heifers 3rd Place Colton Rudloff Market Goats 3rd Place O'Shai Burnett Hayden Ferguson Reserve Grand Champion Goat, Grand Champion Showmanship Rodeo 2016-2017 SJC Fair and Rodeo Queen Jacelynn (JASE-lyn) Head Coldspring-Oakhurst High School FFA: -- Fair Parade: Grand Champion Parade Float Coldspring FFA -- Educational Barn: Grand Champion Floral - Katelynn Johnson Reserve Grand Champion Floral - Kate Gomez Grand Champion Fine Arts (photography) - Jacqueline Richards Reserve Grand Champion Fine Arts (painting) - Symore Thompson Grand Champion Foods "Caramel Apple Cake"- Brianna Sparks Reserve Grand Champion Foods "Canned Salsa"- Garrett Richardson Best of Show - Brianna Sparks First Place Club Exhibit - Coldspring FFA -- Poultry Show: 3rd overall - Eddie Cross -- Goat Show: 2nd in class/4th overall - Rylee Rudloff 3rd in class Trenton Thompson Reserve Grand Champion Sr. Showmanship - Rylee Rudloff -- Pig Show: Grand Champion Market Swine - Macie Martin 1st in class - Sarah Heflin 2nd in class - Bret Carter 2nd in class - Aubrey Heflin Grand Champion Sr. Showmanship - Bret Carter Reserve Grand Champion Sr. Showmanship - Gage Tyson -- Replacement Heifers: Reserve Champion Showmanship & 2nd in class - Peyton Ferguson -- Breeding Heifers: Reserve Champion Heifer - Garrett Richardson 2nd in class - Dustin Harrison Grand Champion Sr. Showmanship - Garrett Richardson -- Market Steers: Grand Champion Sr. Showmanship - Bret Carter -- Ag Mechanics - (hay trailer, fire pit, wood rack, hay ring, hay rack): Reserve Grand Champion Team Dustin Harrison Eddie Cross Dawson Bennett Dakota Street Timothy Snook Dominique Ritchie Jared Birmingham Preston McGinnis Jack Patrick -- Steer Saddling: Grand Champion Steer Saddling Team (Coldspring FFA won all 4 heats) James Thompson Kenneth Brown Jaret Turner -- Queen's Contest : 2nd Runner up & Miss Photogenic - Macie Martin In other business, the Board voted unanimously to approve the following items: District and campus improvement plans. Campus target improvement plans The purchase of 77-passenger school bus. The appointment of a facility study committee. The next regular meeting of the COCISD Board of Trustees is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 28, at the Jones Educational Complex. As a single mother of two, Chippewa Falls resident Christiana Wald knows raising children can be difficult. Especially if those children have already gone through the trauma of divorce and separation. Her daughter suffers from severe anxiety so bad Wald said she used to literally tear rooms apart, or throw tantrums in public spaces. People would look at her and think, oh, theres a naughty kid, Wald said. Yeah, shes behaving in such a manner, but shes not really a naughty kid. Shes suffering from something shes not able to express in a way thats constructive. What shes suffering from is an adverse childhood experience, which Wald thinks is from her daughters father being incarcerated, along with other issues that arose when her children were younger. Its also something Chippewa County officials and community members are hoping to address and reduce. On Thursday, the Chippewa County Children, Youth and Family Committee held its second annual Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Summit on building resiliency, and 110 officials from county departments, school districts, hospitals, youth advocates and community members attended. Last years summit addressed what ACEs are, CYF member Tina Buhrow said. This year, the goal was to figure out how to pool resources and create a plan of action to address childrens needs. Getting your ACE score in itself is just a starting point to self-reflection as an adult, and also areas we need to look at as a community to help prevent these experiences for our youth, Buhrow said. If these experiences arent recognized, it leads to generational trauma, meaning parents will traumatize their kids, who will traumatize theirs, until someone recognizes it. In order to become a resilient community, we have to get past our own judgment of childrens behaviors and begin to understand whats beneath them, she said. Whats beneath them many times is ACEs. Within the last decade, ACEs have been found to affect everything from a persons weight, to health issues like diabetes, a stroke, heart disease as well as behavioral and mental health issues, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In Wisconsin, research from the Behavioral Risk Factor Survey found 58 percent of adults surveyed between 2011-13 reported one or more ACEs. The eight ACEs studied include emotional abuse, substance abuse in household, separation/divorce, physical abuse, violence between adults, mental illness in household, sexual abuse and an incarcerated household member. The more ACEs a person has, the higher the risk for negative health outcomes. Keynote speaker Monica Wightman of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction shared eight protective factors to overcome ACEs at Thursdays summit: Caring relationships, meaningful participation, positive and high expectations with support, mastery, real talk, creative expression, service to others and cultural identity. After her presentation, attendees participated in breakout sessions with their tables to discuss how to implement them into their own work, into their own lives as adults and how to discuss unexamined stress with coworkers or peers. Kim Senn, another CYF member, said the summit was encouraging because it showed her, while there is a great need for the community to step up and invest in children, there are a lot of people who are willing to help make that happen. We all benefit from a competent and healthy society, and that starts with our kids, giving them opportunities and showing them they are valued and important, Senn said. Investments are always monetary. We really need to shift that to our children, our best investment. If we put them first, it will affect all of us when we can no longer make decisions for ourselves. Another thing she noticed is important is recognizing peoples differences, and seeing children as human beings instead of problems. One way Buhrow thinks Chippewa County can improve is by inviting people who have been affected by ACEs to join committees and boards. In regards to the opioid epidemic, Buhrow suggested inviting an ex-meth addict to participate. They have lived experience we cant have, Buhrow said. Ive never used hard drugs, and I cant tell you what would make me want to. But I bet if you asked ten that have, we would find a theme, and the theme comes from this community. Buhrow said these conversations are important, and she is happy the community is having them. But until theres a safe space be it a caring relationship, a community forum or otherwise for people to speak openly, and have their experiences respected, nothing will change. No matter how great the information given, if positive connections are not created for children and families, change will not occur, Buhrow said. In Wards case with her children, those relationships were everything. Ward, who moved back to Chippewa from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, enrolled her children in the Chippewa Falls School District and attended church, and the connections her son and daughter made there have improved their mental health tremendously. Her son goes to ball games and fishing with another church member, while her daughter has formed relationships with her teachers. That connection is so huge, not just for them, but for me, Ward said. To have people who are willing to step up and say Im not in this alone is so meaningful. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The topic of comp time within the San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office was brought up once again during commissioners court on Oct. 25. Despite the lengthy discussion, the issue was once again unresolved. Chief Deputy Joe Schultea brought the issue before the court during its Sept. 27 meeting to change the 80-hour pay period for jailers and patrol officers to an 84-hour pay period in order to reduce comp time. "The jail's been putting four hours of comp time on their book per pay period," said Schultea during the Oct. 25 meeting. The court discussed the issue at great length during the Oct. 25 meeting noting that this issue was addressed in the past with the inclusion of six new deputies to reduce the comp time among the entire staff. However, Schultea noted in the past meeting that the workload has since increased. "We have already capped new personnel at 80 hours," said Schultea during the Oct. 25 meeting. Pct. 4 Commissioner Mark Nettuno said that the comp time and work hours for the sheriff's office were not brought up for the new budget for the 2016-2017 fiscal year. "All we can do is kind of work within our means," he said. Schultea disagreed and stated that the issue was addressed during the budget meetings. He further stated that his recommendations are nothing more than a means to save the county money. "We've adopted a bad overtime problem," he said. "We're paying people to stay home." The overtime problems at the sheriff's department are also causing issues regarding the need to keep a certain amount of personnel available to patrol the county. "I'm trying to manage the resources that y'all have given us in the most frugal way," Schultea said. County Treasurer Amanda Washburn said she wants to make sure that by law the county can do an 84 hour pay period for the sheriff's office. A point addressed in the previous meeting regarded the fact that the salaries for the officers may increase. Pct. 3 Commissioner Thomas Bonds addressed this again in the more recent meeting and stated that doing so required an action such as raising taxes. Although Bonds said he is not opposed to raising taxes, he pointed out that doing so would impact the citizens of the county. "The people need to know that we're increasing them," he said. Pct. 2 Commissioner Donny Marrs made a motion to approve the 84-hour pay period. The motion died for lack of a second. The item is expected to be addressed again in a future meeting. 911 addressing coordinator Ashley Segovia brought a number of streets before the court with two in particular causing controversy. The roads include Oak Ridge Road and Fomby Road, the latter of which Segovia says was never put on her map. Citizens of Oak Ridge Road, which is located in Precinct 3, were present during the court meeting and stated displeasure over an issue involving a sign placed on a telephone pole near the property of the Ferguson family. The sign states that the road the Fergusons live on is called Fomby Road. "The Fergusons don't want the Fomby sign hanging on their fence," said Bonds. The citizens stated that their primary concern was straightening out the issues regarding the addresses for EMS purposes. The sign was allegedly placed on the telephone pole by a member of the Fomby family and is described as being chained and welded to the pole. The court said they could not interfere in the matter as it is a law enforcement matter. Schultea and other law enforcement personnel stated they cannot interfere either unless the owner of the telephone pole files a complaint. The court concluded that one of the streets in the area of Oak Ridge Road is named Fomby Road. Bonds made a motion to delete the name Fomby, which Lovett seconded. Pct. 1 Commissioner Ray McCoppin further discussed the issue and asked how they are supposed to address the street and the situation due to the confusion of the matter. The motion did not pass due to all four commissioners and Lovett abstaining from the vote. At about 3 a.m. Sunday, Rabbi Yossi Lazaroff left Texas A&M University's Chabad Jewish Center, driving an hour and a half to take his son to Houston's Hobby Airport. Minutes after he left College Station, video footage shows an unknown man kicking and hitting the student community center's outdoor sign until it fell off its hinges, later removing the maroon-and-white sign from the premises, Lazaroff said. Lazaroff returned at about 7:30 a.m. to see empty space between the two white signposts outside the building. "This was damage, this was vandalism," Lazaroff said Sunday. Campus Chabad centers, like Hillel organizations, host events for students like weekly dinners and holiday celebrations. Lazaroff said the center aims to be a "home for students the entire time they're here." College Station Police are investigating the crime as a theft, not a hate crime, said Sgt. Roy Shelton. He said surveillance video was not helpful in identifying the suspect. Lazaroff described the figure as a tall, skinny man. The act has led to online outcry among Jewish students and administrators, especially after an August incident in which a blue-and-white 13-foot Hillel welcome banner was stolen and then quickly returned in August. A senior A&M student launched a crowdfunding page Sunday to raise money to replace the sign. Lazaroff said the next iteration will be bigger, lit and ready to welcome students. "When things like that happen, you feel violated," he said. "It's a violation of what rightfully belongs to us." A dispute over cigarettes left one man dead after gunfire broke out in a southwest Houston convenience store Saturday night, according to authorities. Just before 8:30 p.m., a male in his 40s strolled into Sunny's Food Mart at West Orem and Townwood and asked for a pack of smokes - but got mad when the employee wouldn't give it to him on credit. Saturday's yoga class was off to a different start with two gray kittens darting around in the corner as other felines sipped water and snacked on cat food. Pia Das' human class participants were dressed in the traditional yoga attire, but some wore colorful cat ears and attached tails to their yoga pants. "This combines all of my favorite things," Das said as class began. She was talking about cats, yoga and Halloween. El Gato Coffehouse, a cat cafe in Houston set to open in spring 2017, hosted the Halloween cat-themed yoga class at the Houston Humane Society. It's one of several pop-up events being held this fall to raise money and promote the business, which will provide patrons the chance to play with rescued cats that are up for adoption. "I'm a huge animal-rescue person. I'm constantly fostering animals," said Das, a lawyer who also teaches yoga. "I got involved because it's two of my passions: yoga and animal rescue. I think it's a great way of introducing animals to potential adopters." This is the cat cafe's third cat yoga class. Classes are usually held monthly at the Houston Humane Society or Sharespace in downtown. Renee Reed, 37, founder of El Gato Coffehouse, said she got the idea for the class from other cat cafes. Vita Brawley, 33, dressed in leopard print, does yoga regularly, but said having the animals around was an added benefit. "It's going to make going back to my regular yoga studio kind of sad," Brawley said. "I really enjoyed having the cats here. They kind of make the practice a bit more fun." On Saturday, Reed said she was surrounded by all of her favorites - cats, coffee and yoga. Dressed as a stereotypical "cat lady," she wore a pink robe with cats attached, hair rollers and smudged lipstick. Das led the class of 16 people through traditional yoga exercises, throwing in some cat puns along the way. The cats did their own version of yoga: running between participants' legs and playing with scattered toys. Afterward, participants could visit with the cats at the Humane Society and eat Halloween-themed treats. El Gato plans to host another cat-themed yoga class next month at Sharespace. Reed said they're also planning to hold an art class with cats around. As the class ended, Das folded her hands together and the cats puns continued with the class saying together, "Meow-maste." A spokesperson with the Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office said Sunday that a Texas State University female student was found dead Saturday in the 600 block of Dupuy Ranch Road. According to GCSO the woman was about 19-or-20-years old, but is withholding identification until her family can be notified. The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p. One more week, give or take. It seems nearly impossible that an election season that began approximately four years ago is nearing its end. After almost two years of speeches, rallies and raunch, this presidential campaign has become just another sound in the white noise of life. Like Groundhog Day, or perdition, it seemed it never would end. Ever. Now, suddenly, only days remain before we vote. Wait, no, Im not ready! Wheres the one I want to vote for? Can it be true that either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States? For real? Is this really all weve got? Next, dread settles in. OMG, I have to vote. Yes, of course, you have to vote. And yet, and for whom? Anxiety is up, meditation is in. Depression is commonplace. Disenchantment is pervasive. All congeal into a sort of cataclysmic sense that the best of times are behind us. Where, we wonder, is the individual who compels us to cheer for the good that unites us, the virtue that defines us, the strength that sustains us and the faith that tomorrow will always be better? Where is the sunny, aspirational leader who understands the frustrations of Trump supporters and the sense of left-behindness of people on both left and right? It is sad but true that none comes to mind. More disturbing, we have to understand that great leaders may forever be in short supply given that decent people decide public service isnt worth the total surrender of ones autonomy and privacy. Who can blame them? Thus, our next president will be chosen not with the enthusiasm of a well-informed electorate but with the forlornness that comes of having no better option. Surely, there are many who find either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump satisfactory. Those who would embrace a third term of Barack Obama, or who have longed to witness a woman become president, may manage to summon a spring to their step. Those who see Trump as the answer to political gridlock, the menace of terrorism and an economy that benefits only the lucky few, may be able to muster more than a slog to the ballot box. But for the countless millions in the middle, who can find neither solace nor excitement in the prospect of either candidate, Election Day approaches as a sunset without the promise of a sunrise. Morning in America has become mourning in America. No wonder. Already House Republicans have promised to immediately initiate yet more investigations into whatever remains unexplored in Clintons life. Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz, chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, says he has enough material for at least two years worth of taxpayer-funded witch hunting. This was even before the FBI announced Friday that it was investigating more emails recently retrieved from Clinton associates. Some Senate Republicans have promised to thwart any and all Supreme Court nominations from a President Clinton. This, when they ought to be holding hearings on Judge Merrick Garland, nominated by Obama in March, while theres still time. Not only would Republicans demonstrate (for a change) that theyre serious about governance, and not just obstruction, but theyd be wise to accept a relatively moderate judge while the option remains. Clinton, meanwhile, shouldnt presume to have a mandate if she wins. Shed owe more than a slice of her victory to Trump, who offended so many potential voters that she benefited big-league by the comparison. Rather than winning, shed be accepting the triumph of Trumps defeat. She also should make haste to keep her promise to be the president for all Americans and address the concerns that caused Trump supporters to rise out of their despair and rally for a reality TV star. Theres no use repeating her campaign quip that America is already great. As for Trump, he seems to have recognized that its time to move to the next item on his bucket list, possibly as king of a new media empire from which hell come combed to judge the quick and the dead. He has already stopped major-donor fundraising, as well as ceased spending his own lucre, and he spent vital time last week at the grand opening of his new hotel here rather than go stumping in swing states. He and his cohort of family members, all poised with great big scissors to snip a red ribbon for the gawking crowd, seemed to be players in a muted celebration for the ringmaster of razzle-dazzle presaging, perhaps, what appears likely to come. 5 Braves land All-Lakes; 6 on All-Academic Cherokee finished atop the Lakes Conference volleyball standings this fall at 5-0 and claimed its first volleyball league title in... Raptors on to finals with win over Titans HOLSTEIN - The Class 2A #15-ranked Ridge View volleyball team hosted South Central Calhoun for the Class 2A Region 2... Warriors end season with win over Rebels SIOUX RAPIDS - The Alta-Aurelia football team traveled to face Sioux Central for their final game of the season and... Cherokee takes down Generals to finish season CHEROKEE - The Cherokee football team hosted Sibley-Ocheyedan on Friday and won 35-28 to finish out their season. The... Hillary Clinton was resting, running out the clock, sitting on a supposed large lead, and hoping that the election was sooner than later. Now after the latest Weiner disclosures, she is crisscrossing the country, terrified of collapsing polls, and wishing that she had three more weeks rather than just one. With the Clintons, farce is the desert to scandal: the profiteering Clinton Foundation as a humanitarian treasure; Hillary the former corporate attorney as child and little-guy crusader; Bill Clinton, both sexual predator and feminist hero. Hillary didnt just delete e-mails under congressional subpoena; she insisted that some 33,000 e-mails were mostly about yoga and Chelseas weddingsort of like saying that one can beat 31 trillion-to-one odds of turning $1,000 into a $100,000 cattle-futures profit in no time by merely reading the Wall Street Journal. Until Friday, FBI director James Comey, in Hillarys eyes, was a sober and judicious public servant who had rightly seen insufficient cause for her indictment. Now she believes that he is a rank Republican politico seeking to rob her of her presidency. Clinton thought that she had survived Wikileaks, the Project Veritas ambush tapes, the hacked Colin Powell e-mails, the DNC disclosures, and so onmostly because of Donald Trumps self-inflicted wounds, some vicious-if-clever Democratic Party operatives, and a series of Democratic-planted IEDs about Trumps foul mouth that exploded at preplanned and opportune moments. Yet no one thought discredited deviant Anthony Weiner could much harm Hillaryexcept of course conspiratorial Donald Trump. He warned months ago that Clinton aide Huma Abedin might have been passing on classified materials to her dissolute husband. Because Weiner couldnt repress his electronic libido with young girls, he ended up on the FBIs radarand by extension his smartphones, tablets, computers, and by further extension supposedly his estranged wifes confidential communications. It was thought that Weiner might have stopped his sexting addiction when he lost his House seat, when he lost his mayors race, when he lost his wife, when he lost his jobsor, at the very least, before he might lose Hillary (who supposedly fixed Abedin up with Weiner) her election. Hillarys team dared Comey to put up incriminating e-mails or shut up about investigating Hillary, hoping that the Obama Justice Department might quash any request for court-ordered warrants. But that demand assumed that Weiner is a loyal Clintonista and will put his fealty to Hillary and the Democrats above his own fear of federal prison and its supposed cultural intolerance for supposed predators. For now, the Clinton attack on the FBI might be not only futile but stupidantagonizing her inquisitor, without the ability to apply pressure to silence himif Weiner voluntarily surrenders his warrant-less communications to obtain some sort of deal. Should we laugh or cry when Barack Obamas Department of Justice warns about mixing politics with the Weiner investigation, after Attorney General Loretta Lynch had stealthily met on the tarmac with Bill Clinton while her office was supposedly investigating his spouse? Normally the nations lesser federal prosecutors dont have chats about grandchildren on airport runways with the husbands of suspects under investigation. Should we weep or smile when Hillary and John Podesta decry a federal officials 11th-hour disclosure of possible criminalitythis from a party that rejoiced over Special Prosecutor Lawrence Walshs indictment (later dismissed) of Reagan cabinet official Caspar Weinberger a week before the 1992 election, won by Bill Clinton. As far as last-minute election surprises go, Democrats themselves have turned it into an art form. In 2000, it was the leaked George W. Bush DUI arrest; in 2004, it was the fake but accurate forged National Guard Memos. Experts and Clinton officials dismiss the Weiner disclosures as either insignificant or not significant enough to affect the election. But that assumes that Weiner was loyal, sane, and ever committed to his marriage with Huma Abedin. There is no evidence that any of those three assumptions is true. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Several hundred voters marched to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections on Sunday to cast ballots and protest the limited number of in-house early voting locations in Ohio. The marchers departed at 2:30 p.m. from the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and traveled a half-mile to the Board of Elections headquarters on Euclid Avenue. Greater Cleveland Congregations and the Amalgamated Transit Union organized the event to encourage Cuyahoga County residents to vote early before the general election on Nov. 8. But the march also highlighted the fact that ballots cast in person before the election must be filled out at the Board of Elections. The marchers feel the state should provide multiple locations for early voting, organizer Khalilah Worley said. "The fact that the only place they can vote early is at the Board of Elections is a reflection on the priority the state gives this issue," Worley said. U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, a Democrat representing a Northeast Ohio district that includes Cleveland and Akron, attended the gathering at Trinity Episcopal Church that preceded the march. "I think it's always important to support any event that encourages people to be involved in their community," Fudge said. "I just wanted to come here and say thanks to everyone who participated." Mayor Frank Jackson and others greeted the marchers and other voters arriving at the Board of Elections. Early voting is available at the Board of Elections through Nov. 7. Hours can be found on the Board of Elections website. Donald Trump This man has spent most of his adult life making money and trying to entertain people. Why do so many Americans want to punch him in the face? (Chris O'Meara / Associated Press) The man who destroyed Donald Trump's star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame last week said he is "proud" of his behavior. Jamie Otis, heir to an elevator fortune, described his Thursday morning assault on Trump's star with a sledgehammer as an act of "civil disobedience" and "freedom of expression." The vandalism was anything but an act of civil disobedience. It was a petty crime, which warrants some serious community service if not a few days in the slammer. The assault on Trump's star was no different than the actions of the vandal who spray-painted "Black Lives Matter" on an entryway to the Trump International Hotel, which opened last week in Washington, D.C. These recent displays of obnoxious, criminal petulance raise questions, however: Why does Donald Trump seem to bring out the worst in people? Is it because of the way he treats people? Is it because he's an adult bully? Or is it something much more complex? Trump is clearly one of the most polarizing cultural phenomena of modern times. But, why do so many of his fellow citizens seem to want to get physical with him - or with things associated with him? More than half of Americans admitted they'd like to punch Donald Trump in the mouth, according to a national online survey published in March. Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama came in a far distant second and third on the WalletHub/Survey Monkey poll conducted even before Trump won the GOP nomination. Now that he's the Republican nominee for president, the sentiment apparently remains unabated. At a Clinton campaign rally last week in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, Vice President Joe Biden got in on the action. While addressing lewd comments regarding women that Trump was heard making on videotape, Biden, 73, said he'd also like to take a swing at the 70-year-old Trump. "The press always asks me: don't I wish I were debating him," Biden said. "No, I wish we were in high school -- I could take him behind the gym. That's what I wish." At an early time in American history, Biden's words constituted the type of statement that would have incited some men to settle their differences in a duel. But America is supposedly now more civilized. So, Trump did what many suspected he would: he fired back at Biden with his own juvenile insult. "Did you see where Biden wants to take me to the back of the barn?" Trump said at a rally of his supporters in Tallahassee, Florida. "I'd love that. I'd love that. Mr. Tough Guy. You know he's Mr. Tough Guy. You know when he's Mr. Tough Guy -- when he's standing behind a microphone by himself. That's when. He wants to bring me to the back of the barn, ohhh." This is what's being offered as statesmanship in the stretch run of the 2016 presidential campaign. This is how far we've fallen since Sen. Ted Cruz called Trump a "sniveling coward" in March after Trump insulted Cruz's wife, Heidi, about her looks. At the time, the ugly exchange between Trump and Cruz, then the leading GOP presidential contenders, was considered a low point in a rapidly coarsening campaign. But Cruz didn't threaten Trump with physical harm, although many Americans would have likely understood if he had. As this election season heads toward a merciful end, the same restraint cannot be said of legendary actor Robert De Niro. In a recent over-the-top rant for what was supposed to be a get-out-and-vote video, De Niro laid into Trump with vitriol seldom heard publicly from a leading citizen other than Donald Trump himself: "He's a punk. A dog. He's a national disaster; he's an embarrassment to this country. It makes me so angry that this country has gotten to this point that this fool, this bozo, has wound up where he has." The multiple Oscar winner was just warming up. "He talks about how he'd like to punch people in the face?" said De Niro, referring to a statement Trump made about a protester at one of his rallies. "Well, I'd like to punch him in the face." America finds itself in a strange place with less than 10 days to the presidential election. Federal and state law enforcement officials are said to be on heightened alert for potential violence if Trump loses or refuses to accept the vote as legitimate. Given the caustic tenor of the entire election campaign, the concern is not without merit. Then, after the election, we're all going to have to live with results that will guarantee anger and division -- no matter who wins. It feels as if America is about to punch itself in the face. It might be with the right hand; it might be with the left. And we might have it coming. Captain Fantastic Ben's six kids are literate, fit, thoughtful, self-reliant and growing up off the grid. Raising them in an idyllic Washington state wilderness, he imbues them with his carefully cultivated alternative lifestyle. They know the Bill of Rights but have never tasted cola. "Poison water," he calls it. He shields them from technology but not taboo subjects. In this enthralling drama from July, Viggo Mortensen turns Ben into the kind of idealistic, nurturing father some aspire toward but deem impossible. Conflict inevitably arises when his sheltered brood makes its first contact with society. Ben comes to ask himself if his parenting has been a huge mistake, a question that audiences must decide for themselves. Matt Ross' direction won a prize at the Cannes Film Festival for this poorly named film. R, 120 minutes. Extra: a featurette. From Universal. Released Oct. 25 on DVD and Blu-ray; Nov. 22 on Netflix mail and Redbox. Nerve Emma Roberts stars as a high school senior swept up in a popular online game of truth or dare in this exciting crime thriller from July. Based on Jeanne Ryan's young-adult novel, it co-stars Dave Franco (James' brother) and Cleveland's Machine Gun Kelly. PG-13. From Lionsgate. Released Oct. 25. The Apostate An unhappy Spanish man finds it isn't so easy to formally renounce his faith and leave the Catholic Church in this absurd 2015 existential comedy. It stars Alvaro Ogalla, who co-wrote the screenplay based on his personal experiences. From Breaking Glass Pictures. Released Oct. 25. Lights Out Teresa Palmer stars as a young woman taking on an evil entity that haunted her in her childhood and now is terrorizing her little brother. This Japanese-influenced horror thriller from July relies heavily on jump-cut shocks and the creepy concept of an imaginary friend. PG-13. From Warner Home Video. Released Oct. 25. Skiptrace Hong Kong detective Jackie Chan and American gambler Johnny Knoxville team up to fight a Chinese gangster in this action comedy from September. It was directed by Renny Harlin, whose last good film was 1993's "Cliffhanger" and who used to be married to Geena Davis. PG-13. From Lionsgate. Released Oct. 25. Tales of Poe What happens when you combine the writing of Edgar Allen Poe and the acting of five legendary screen queens? It adds up to a three-part anthology film of modest proportions in this 2014 horror thriller. Caroline Williams, Amy Steel, Adrienne King, Debbie Rochon and Lesleh Donaldson star. Poe classics "The Tell Tale Heart," "Dreams" and "The Cask of Amontillado" provide the macabre material. From Wild Eye Releasing. Released Oct. 11 on DVD and Digital HD. Papa Hemingway in Cuba Giovanni Ribisi stars as a young journalist who visits his idol, legendary novelist Ernest Hemingway (Adrian Sparks), in Havana in 1959. This 2015 bio-drama, set against the backdrop of the Cuban revolution, is the first Hollywood film to be shot in Cuba since 1959. Joely Richardson and Minka Kelly co-star. From Fox. Released Oct. 25. Shopkins Chef Club Inanimate objects come to life and have all sorts of adventures in this children's animated movie based on a popular toy line. From Universal. Released Oct. 25. The Id A woman tries to break free from her abusive father's tyrannical control. Amanda Wyss stars in this low-budget 2015 psychological horror thriller, which won Best Thriller at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival. From Hutson Ranch Media. Released Oct. 25 on Blu-ray. Living in the Age of Airplanes We take air travel for granted, but it wasn't that long ago that flying in planes was merely a wild dream of crazy inventors. This 2015 documentary narrated by Harrison Ford reminds us how the airplane has changed the world while showing us gorgeous tourist locations that can only be reached from the air. From National Geographic. Released Oct. 25. Email Chris Ball at cball@plaind.com On Twitter @ChrisBall99 North Royalton officer involved shooting.JPG A North Royalton officer fatally shot a man Friday after the man stabbed his partner at a condominium on Independence Drive, police said. (Evan MacDonald, cleveland.com) NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio - The man accused of stabbing a North Royalton police officer before another officer fatally shot him had a history of mental illness, his sister said. Jun Wang, 45, died Friday after an officer shot him at a condominium on Independence Drive. Officers had gone to the condo to serve a probate order and take him to St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, police said. Wang became defiant during the encounter, grabbed a knife and stabbed an officer's face and leg, police said. The officer's partner then shot Wang. Wang had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and spent time in mental health hospitals, his sister Julia Rielinger said Saturday in a phone interview with cleveland.com. "He was not a bad person," she said. "It was the illness." Wang had not been taking his medication at the time of the shooting, Rielinger said. Wang had been staying at her condo but she sought a probate order to get him medical treatment. Wang and Rielinger grew up in China before emigrating to the U.S. Wang primarily speaks Mandarin Chinese and the language barrier made it difficult for him to communicate with the officers during the encounter, Rielinger said. Rielinger believes her brother became scared when the officers arrived. Wang then ran upstairs and grabbed the knife, she said. The wounded officer is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at MetroHealth, police said. The officer is expected to be on medical leave from the department for a "long while," Detective Dave Loeding said Saturday. The officer had been aware of Wang's mental health issues due to the probation order, Loeding said. The officer who shot Wang has been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure after officer-involved shootings, Loeding said. The Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department is handling the investigation into the shooting. If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Saturday's crime and courts comments section. kasich.budget1.jpg Ohio Gov. John Kasich signs Ohio's current $71.2 billion, two-year operating budget into law June 30, 2015. Kasich's budget proposal for the two years starting July 1, 2017 is expected to include a still-undefined fix for a Medicaid managed-care sales tax worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Ohio that must be eliminated or altered under a new federal mandate. The editorial board writes that the fix Kasich chooses must protect the threatened revenue for Ohio counties and public transit systems. (Jay LaPrete, Associated Press) A federally required fix in the way Medicaid managed-care companies are taxed could hit Ohio and Greater Cleveland particularly hard if state law isn't adjusted wisely to accord with the new federal mandate. The mandate requires affected states either to broaden or eliminate the Medicaid managed-care sales tax. But if the tax is eliminated, Cuyahoga County stands to lose $20 million a year in sales tax revenue and the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority faces a potentially "catastrophic" loss of revenue starting next year, cleveland.com's Karen Farkas and The Plain Dealer's Ginger Christ have reported. Luckily and laudably, an Ohio fix is in the works. Its exact outlines are still unknown -- and likely won't be resolved until the end of this year or early next year when final decisions are made about the state budget that Gov. John Kasich plans to propose in January for the two years beginning July 1. The governor likely will include in that budget proposal to lawmakers a mechanism to protect this chunk of sales tax both for Ohio counties and transit authorities. The fix should be as expansive and comprehensive as possible. At issue is the sales tax on services provided by Medicaid managed-care organizations (MCOs). The sales tax, in effect, helps draws millions of additional dollars to Ohio in matching federal Medicaid funds. But federal Medicaid administrators want Ohio, and other states that tax MCOs in this manner, either to broaden the sales tax to cover all MCOs, or to charge another type of tax. About our editorials Editorials express the view of the of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer -- the senior leadership and editorial-writing staff. As is traditional, editorials are unsigned and intended to be seen as the voice of the news organization. * Talk about the topic of this editorial in the comments below. * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions or comments about the editorial board to Elizabeth Sullivan, opinion director for cleveland.com. The challenge is that a non-sales-tax would hurt county budgets and transit systems. But extending the sales tax to all MCOs would likely be fiercely opposed by insurance lobbyists. What other states are doing to preserve this revenue while still complying with the federal requirement is instructive; it can be done. But it needs to be done speedily. Ohio effectively has waited until the last minute, since the fix needs to be in place by July 1. California Gov. Edmund (Jerry) Brown Jr. signed a legislative package March 1 that extends that state's tax on Medi-Cal (California Medicaid) MCOs to all MCOs. In a trade-off, California's legislation gives insurers a $371 million break on corporate or gross premium taxes, according to California Healthline. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill Dec. 28 replacing that state's gross receipts tax on Medicaid MCOs with a $13.48 per month per member assessment on all MCOs. In Ohio, Medicaid MCOs are currently taxed statewide at the regular sales tax rate of 5.75 percent; that money goes to the state treasury and helps fund Ohio's budget. On top of that, Ohio counties have varying but additional sales taxes the state collects and remits to each county. In Cuyahoga County, the MCO tax is part of a 1.25 percent piggyback sales tax that helps fund county government and a separate 1 percent sales tax that funds RTA. Whatever plan Kasich proposes must protect this revenue. Have something to say about this topic? Use the comments to share your thoughts, and stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the Notification Settings (in blue) just below. trumpgeneva.jpg Supporters of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump cheer during a campaign rally, Thursday in Geneva, in Ashtabula County, Ohio. Trump's frequent visits to Ohio suggest his campaign believes he can take the state, writes Thomas Suddes, outlining some factors that could help make that happen. (Evan Vucci, Associated Press) If Team Trump didn't think it could carry Ohio, it wouldn't be visiting here so often. Either that, or Donald Trump and his entourage think that storming the Buckeye State distracts Hillary Clinton. The Big Picture People can take it from there. But for Trump to win Ohio, two things must happen. First, Democrats must stay home; that is, turnout by Ohio Democrats must be so-so. Second, Trump must woo votes from as many Ohio Republicans as possible, including those mainstream Ohio Republicans who might need to hold their noses before they can vote for Trump. "When we (Democrats) turn out, we win," 20-year Ohio House Speaker Vernal G. Riffe, a Scioto County Democrat, often said. It helped, of course, that the late Riffe had perfected, and passed on to the Republicans who run the Statehouse today, the joys of drawing your own General Assembly districts. There are three classic factors that could limit turnout by Ohio Democrats. First, Democrats may consider staying home if they think one of their candidates is a slam dunk to win. That's not often the case for Democrats in closely divided Ohio, but it can happen (e.g., John Glenn's huge victory margins in his 1974 and 1980 U.S. Senate races). Or Ohio Democrats can stay home because they're discouraged that a statewide GOP candidate is virtually certain to win. (Examples: In 1994, the GOP's George Voinovich vs. Democrat Rob Burch, and in 2014, Republican Gov. John Kasich vs. Democrat Ed FitzGerald.) Or, third, Republicans in the General Assembly can ... reform ... Ohio's election laws to make it easier, for nitpicking reasons, to throw out Democratic voters' ballots. In plain English, as opposed to Statehouse English, that's called voter suppression. The Ohio Constitution says that "all political power is inherent in the people." But some of Ohio's Republican legislators evidently believe political power should belong only to the right people. If you thought the Civil War and the 15th Amendment (backed by Ohio Republicans - at the time) had settled that question 150 years ago, you thought wrong. But even if some Democrats don't vote, Trump wouldn't be home free in Ohio. Republicans privately hint that Clinton is trouncing Trump in some usually Republican suburbs. That's why Trump needs to capture every Ohio Republican vote he can find. Based on how Trump bested Kasich in the primary in Appalachian counties (exceptions: Athens, Holmes, Muskingum, Ross), Trump can expect to do reasonably well there. But where Trump really needs to mobilize Republicans is in western and southwestern Ohio, defined roughly as those counties south of lines drawn straight west and south from Franklin (Columbus) - roughly, the Miami and Scioto valleys. Although that area encompasses Dayton, Springfield (where Trump campaigned recently) and Cincinnati, it includes seven of Trump's Appalachian counties (some of them essentially Cincinnati suburbs) plus Clinton (Wilmington), Darke (Greenville) and Preble (Eaton) counties. Those three counties also supported Trump in the Ohio primary, as did Logan County (Bellefontaine) just north of the imaginary Columbus-to-Indiana east-west line. Some of those counties, including populous Butler, Clermont and Warren counties, cast more of their votes, percentage-wise, for anti-civil-rights Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace in 1968 than Wallace drew statewide. Wallace, running as the American Independent Party's nominee, drew 11.8 percent of Ohio's statewide vote but 25 percent of Warren's, 24 percent of Clermont's and 19 percent of Butler's. Wallace's campaign was mostly about race. But he also appealed to some Ohioans for populist reasons, as Trump does and Ross Perot did. Trump has to attract such anti-establishment voters, many in Ohio's southwestern corner. That's where to look, on election night, for clues about whether Clinton or Trump will likely carry Ohio. Thomas Suddes, a member of the editorial board, writes from Athens. To reach Thomas Suddes: tsuddes@cleveland.com, 216-999-4689 Have something to say about this topic? Use the comments to share your thoughts, and stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the Notification Settings (in blue) just below. trumpphoenix.jpg Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally Saturday in Phoenix. David G. Arredondo of the Lorain County Republican Party writes that Trump must be the voters' choice for president because Hillary Clinton is not qualified for the job. (Evan Vucci, Associated Press) David G. Arredondo, executive vice chairman of the Lorain County Republican Party. Every four years, we are told that our presidential election is the most important of our lifetime. Without a doubt, this election is the most important of our lifetime. We are compelled to right the course of our nation by voting for and electing Donald Trump, and not Hillary Clinton, as our next president. Although Trump is flawed in some ways, he does have a lifetime of achievement in building a multibillion-dollar business. He is an experienced leader who has worked with business people and leaders throughout the world for more than 40 years. His leadership includes selecting experienced, knowledgeable, talented individuals -- both women and men (his campaign manager is Kellyanne Conway, a woman) -- to help with his enterprises. Months ago Trump submitted a list of conservative jurists whom he said he would consider for appointment to the Supreme Court. The No. 1 difference in a Trump or Clinton presidency is the future composition of the Supreme Court. Clinton would pack the court with left-wing ideologues for whom the Constitution is fungible. Trump would appoint conservatives similar to Antonin Scalia, who adhere to the Constitution as written. Equally important are federal judicial appointments at the circuit and district court levels. Control of the federal bureaucracy matters, too. Although Congress writes the laws and some of the regulations, federal agencies often are left to enforce laws as they see fit. We cannot survive another eight years of left-leaning regulations as well as noncompliance with laws the Congress has written. Trump may not be the ideal president for many of us, but he certainly reflects the mood of a large segment of the country from coast to coast -- well over 40 percent of the electorate at this point. Voters do not necessarily support him for who he is, but for what he is -- a leader who is unafraid to say and do things from which many politicians have retreated. Unlike his opponent, Trump has never been the subject of an FBI investigation or a State Department inquiry. Clinton is disqualified from serving as president for multiple reasons, primarily for being unfit to be commander in chief of the armed forces. The No. 1 principle of our military is: "Never leave a fallen comrade behind." Yet Clinton and President Barack Obama never came to the aid of the staff of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. Their inaction cost the lives of four brave Americans, including our ambassador, Christopher Stevens. In the aftermath, Clinton lied to the families of the fallen as to why they were attacked. Lying is nothing new to Clinton. She stated that, in 1996, while she was visiting Bosnia as first lady, she had come under sniper fire. That was untrue. FBI Director James Comey has testified to numerous instances in which Clinton falsely claimed that, as secretary of state, she never sent or received classified material on her private email account. And now, the FBI has announced that additional emails have surfaced in an unrelated case and that it is taking steps to determine whether they contain classified information, as well as to assess their importance to its investigation. By setting up a private email server to cover up questionable activities, Clinton may have exposed classified information to our enemies -- information which could possibly be used to blackmail her if she becomes president. Clinton has an arrogant contempt for many Americans. She has said Trump supporters (more than 40 percent of the electorate) could be placed in a "basket of deplorables." She has described Bernie Sanders voters as "living in their parents' basement." And this individual wants to be the president of a majority of the population that she holds in such disregard? Election Day is Nov. 8, but you may already cast your ballot early at the Board of Elections or vote by absentee ballot. This election is far from over. Donald Trump can win Ohio. He can win the election. Fellow citizens, I urge you to join me in voting for Donald Trump for president of the United States of America. David G. Arredondo is the executive vice chairman of the Lorain County Republican Party. ******** Have something to say about this topic? Use the comments to share your thoughts, and stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the Notification Settings (in blue) just below. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As the Year of Mercy ends, the Cleveland Catholic Diocese will formally close the Holy Doors at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes on Oct. 30 and those at St. John's Cathedral on Nov. 13. Catholics seeking to pass through the doors at the Shrine in Euclid will have until the end of 9:30 a.m. Mass this Sunday. The chapel's location is 21281 Chardon Road. Pope Francis called for individuals to make a pilgrimage through the Holy Doors during a proclaimed Year of Mercy, in part "to contemplate God's mercy and adopt it as [a] lifestyle." The pope opened a Holy Door of Mercy at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City last Dec. 8. Other locations worldwide were added, including the two in the Cleveland diocese. The Year of Mercy will conclude in Rome on Nov. 20. A Vatican document explaining the Jubilee of Mercy makes an appeal for followers to perform such works of mercy as feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers and comforting the afflicted. Patience and forgiveness are called for. A ceremony before the 10:30 a.m. Mass at St. John Cathedral on Nov. 13 will officially close the last set of Holy Doors in the Cleveland diocese. Bishop Richard Lennon will preside on the steps of the Cathedral at 10:15. Attendees are encouraged to arrive by 10 a.m. The center door at the East Ninth Street entrance of the Cathedral, designated as the Holy Door, can be entered any time that the Cathedral is open. At the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, doors open at 7 a.m. for the 8 a.m. Mass on Sunday. After passing through a Holy Door, according to the diocese, Catholics seeking a full experience should go to confession, receive communion and pray for the intentions of the Pope. For the diocese resource guide on the Year of Mercy, click here. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Fans at Progressive Field for the official watch party had many moments to celebrate, but the final three outs of Game 4 brought the loudest noise of the night. Thanks to big plays from Carlos Santana, Jason Kipnis, Corey Kluber, and more, the Indians were victorious in Game 4 of the World Series. They now lead three games to one. Watch the video above to see the reaction from the crowd at Progressive Field as Dan Otero throws the final three outs! Gonzalo Higuain scored the winner against his former club Napoli as Juventus extended their winning home run in Serie A to 22 matches. Juves 2-1 win lifted them five points clear of closest rivals Roma at the top of the table, while it was Higuains first goal against Napoli since his move to Turin for 75 million in July. Leonardo Bonucci had fired Juve into the lead early in the second half when he lashed home a spectacular volley after Napoli had made a hash of clearing a corner. Napoli responded quickly and were level four minutes later when Jose Callejon caught the Juventus defence flat-footed to calmly slot the ball beneath Gianluigi Buffon, but Argentina international Higuain had the last word, firing home a rebound inside the area in the 82nd minute. Juves last league defeat on home soil was on the opening day of the 2015-16 season when they lost 1-0 to Udinese. In the days other clash, Nikola Kalinics first-half penalty secured Fiorentina a 1-0 win at 10-man Bologna and extended their unbeaten run to five games in all competitions. Bologna were a man down for an hour after defender Daniele Gastaldello had been shown a straight red card for hauling down former Blackburn striker Kalinic, who picked himself up to place his 31st-minute spot-kick into the bottom corner. The death of Thailands King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Oct. 13 will not mean that notes bearing his portrait will be pulled from circulation, Bank of Thailand officials have confirmed. Private banks in the nation, however, are rushing to offer earlier commemorative notes in special new packaging to mark the occasion. The death of Thailands King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Oct. 13 unleashed a torrent of currency news. First, the Bank of Thailand had to give assurances that the current bank notes will continue to be used despite his passing. The governor of the bank had to assure people that, contrary to rumors that they would become obsolete, notes with the kings portrait on them would remain legal tender, even when those with the new king are issued. Connect with Coin World: Sign up for our free eNewsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Next, said a report in the Pattaya Mail of Oct. 21, an issue of 800,000 commemorative 100-baht notes for the deceased kings seventh lunar cycle birthday anniversary would begin Oct. 25. The story says that the Bangkok Bank was preparing these notes with special packaging and that the Government Savings Bank would offer a similar service for 100 baht over face value beginning Oct. 26, and that it was preparing 200,000 to 300,000 commemorative bills. The 100-baht note is equivalent to $2.87 in U.S. funds. There has been no confirmation of a new 100-baht note from the Bank of Thailand and there is no mention of any new notes on its website. On May 30, it released 20 million 70-baht notes commemorating the same birthday celebration, and it is doubtful that it would issue another commemorative note for the same event. It seems that the private banks are taking current 100-baht notes in their stock and putting them in commemorative packaging so, as the newspaper said, the general public has the opportunity to have a valuable keepsake of their beloved monarch. October 29, 2016 The first astronaut to sequence DNA in space is now back on Earth, together with her two space station crewmates. Astronaut Kate Rubins, a molecular biologist who became the 60th woman to fly into space, returned home from the International Space Station Saturday (Oct. 29) with Anatoli Ivanishin of Roscosmos and Takuya Onishi with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The three crewmates landed on the steppe of Kazakhstan at 11:58 p.m. EDT (0358 GMT; 9:58 a.m. Oct. 30 Kazakh time) on the first of Russia's modernized spacecraft, Soyuz MS-01. Their parachute and retro thruster assisted landing concluded 115 days in orbit for the trio since their launch to the space station on July 6. "I think time is a very interesting and not fully understood phenomena. I have the feeling that we came to the station just yesterday," said Ivanishin on Friday during a change of command ceremony aboard the orbiting laboratory. Kate Rubins, Anatoli Ivanishin and Takuya Onishi after landing on Soyuz MS-01 in Kazakhstan on Oct. 29, 2016. (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Ivanishin's, Rubins' and Onishi's departure from the space station on Saturday at 8:35 p.m. EDT (0035 GMT Oct. 30) marked the official end of Expedition 49. At the time of the undocking, Expedition 50 began aboard the space station under the command of NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough. Kimbrough, with cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrei Borisenko of Roscosmos, will operate the station for three weeks until the arrival of NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, Oleg Novitsky of Roscosmos and Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency, who are scheduled to launch on Soyuz MS-03 on Nov. 17. "You guys have done a lot," Kimbrough said to Ivanishin, Rubins and Onishi during Friday's ceremony. "You've done record breaking science and research, spacewalks, robotic operations [and] many vehicles coming and going, so you guys have done a lot and you should feel very proud of your accomplishments." During their four months aboard the station, the Expedition 49 crew members contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical and Earth science. Soyuz MS-01 departs from the International Space Station. (NASA) Rubins, who has a doctorate in cancer biology, contributed to several new studies taking place for the first time aboard the station. By managing the Biomolecule Sequencer, she became the first person to sequence DNA in space. "This was truly an experiment, in all senses of the word," said Rubins in a conversation with Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, on Oct. 18. "We did not know if it was going to work the first time." "We were able to show that we can successfully do [DNA] sequencing in space and we've sequenced over one billion base pairs at this point, so we have this capability now in low Earth orbit," she said. This ability to sequence DNA could enable astronauts to diagnose an illness or identify microbes growing on board the space station and determine whether they represent a health threat. A space-based sequencer could also be an important tool to help protect astronaut health during long duration missions into deep space, to the moon and Mars, according to NASA. The Soyuz MS-01 mission patch. (Roscosmos/spacepatches.nl) The Expedition 48/49 crewmates also oversaw the arrival of three resupply spacecraft, including a Russian Progress spacecraft, a SpaceX Dragon capsule and an Orbital ATK Cygnus freighter. Rubins joined Expedition 48 commander Jeff Williams on two spacewalks totaling 12 hours and 46 minutes outside the space station. The two installed the first international docking adapter for use by future U.S. commercial crewed vehicles, retracted a thermal radiator and added the first of several new high-definition television cameras planned for the station's exterior. This was Rubins' and Onishi's first time in space. Ivanishin previously served as an Expedition 29/30 flight engineer in 2012. He now has spent a total of 280 days in space. The three crewmates traveled a total of 48.6 million miles (78.2 million km) completing 1,840 orbits of the Earth. "Two Years Later..." will chart the steps that have been taken as a result of the protests as well as identify those that still need to be taken. 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. MoDOT seeks more public input on 70/63 connector plans A public meeting from MoDOT seeks more information from the public regarding plans for the I-70/U.S. 63 connector in Columbia. Your Ultimate Investing Toolkit Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools: Portfolio Monitoring Top Stock Lists Premium Reports Stock Screeners Live News Feed Premium Support Free for your first month. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. owns and leases freight railroads. It operates through three segments: North American Operations, Australian Operations, and U.K./European Operations. The company transports various commodities, including agricultural products, autos and auto parts, chemicals and plastics, coal and coke, food and kindred products, lumber and forest products, metallic ores, metals, minerals and stone, petroleum products, pulp and paper, waste, and other commodities. It owns or leases 122 freight railroads, including 105 short line railroads and 2 regional freight railroads located in the United States, 8 short line railroads located in Canada, 3 railroads located in Australia, 1 railroad located in the United Kingdom, 1 railroad in Poland and Germany, and 2 railroads in the Netherlands with a total of approximately 16,200 miles of track. The company also operates 6,200 additional miles of track that is owned or leased by others. In addition, it operates deep sea maritime containers and provides bulk haulage, including coal, aggregates, cement, and infrastructure services. Further, the company provides rail service at approximately 40 ports; rail-ferry service in North America, Australia, and Europe; and contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Darien, Connecticut. Before the age of combines, wheat, oats, rye and barley were harvested with a threshing machine. My earliest memory of threshing grain is with a steam engine and wooden threshing machine. In those days the farming was done with horses and mules. The men all wore overalls and straw hats. Threshing was very labor intensive. Several neighbors would get together and form a threshing crew when it was time to harvest. The farmer who owned the threshing machine would invite his neighbors to a meeting at which he would explain the cost of his services and the order in which the farms would be threshed. The next year those who had been last were first. My dads crew had eight neighbors. When I was 10, dad (Alex Drozd) bought a brand-new 1942 Farmall M. These newer tractors had rubber tires, a road gear and hydraulic lifts. This was the beginning of the end for the horse-farming era, but we still used horses for a few more years. At 10 years of age I began riding the grain binder. The M pulled it and the binder cut the grain and tied it into bundles. My job was to dump the bundles off the bundle carrier in a windrow with a foot pedal when it had eight to 10 bundles on it. The bundles were then put into shocks with 10 to 12 in a shock with the grain heads up so the grain could dry and be ready for threshing. Every neighbor brought his own team of horses and hayrack. As the crew went from one neighbor to the next, they would pick up the shocks onto hayracks then go to the threshing machine to pitch the bundles in. The threshing machine would separate the straw from the grain. The straw was blown onto a straw pile, and the grain was hauled to a granary and scooped in for future use. The women at the farm where the threshing crew was working would fix some of their finest dinners. All the farm wives helped each other with the cooking. I remember delicious fried chicken and there was always dessert. Lunch was also served in the afternoon. I always felt sorry for the ladies because they cooked the meals on kerosene or wood stoves, and the heat was almost unbearable. The windows were kept wide open in an effort to cool the house. Our threshing crew always served beer after the day's work. During World War II the only beer available was All-American, which was brewed at the Columbus Brewery. Big beer brands were shipped overseas to the armed forces. After the war, when you bought a supply of All-American at the brewery they would serve you a complimentary ice-cold copper mug of beer. Threshing was always a much-anticipated and exciting time for everyone, but eventually threshing machines were replaced with combines. My dad's last year of threshing was 1953. We still have the M. Those were good times spent hauling bundles and visiting as neighbors worked together to bring in the harvest. 1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war. 2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war. 3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength. 4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war. 5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites. 6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination. 7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N. 8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N. 9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress. 10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N. 11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.) 12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party. 13. Do away with all loyalty oaths. 14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office. 15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States. 16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights. 17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks. 18. Gain control of all student newspapers. 19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack. 20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions. 21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures. 22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms." 23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art." 24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press. 25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV. 26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy." 27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch." 28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state." 29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis. 30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man." 31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over. 32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc. 33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus. 34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities. 35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI. 36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions. 37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business. 38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand. 39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals. 40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce. 41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents. 42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems. 43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government. 44. Internationalize the Panama Canal. 45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike. Count me among those who dont like Saudi Arabia. It treats women like children. (Legally, they are minors.) It underwrites Islamic terrorism. It exploits migrant labor to the point of slavery. With scimitars, it beheads poets. (Really.) It has enormous control over American lives, as it remains the biggest oil producer in the world, and therefore the strongest member of OPEC, the worlds most powerful business cartel. It challenges U.S. sovereignty. In the early years of the Obama administration, the success of solar energy and hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) moved the U.S. toward real energy independence, weakening our demand for Saudi crude as well as the Kingdoms influence on American foreign policy. That opened a space for the Obama administration last year to negotiate with Iran to stop its nuclear weapons program. The Saudis, who see Iran as an enemy and who depend on oil exports for 80 percent of its revenues, were none too pleased. So, months ago, it opened up the spigots wide, sending global oil prices tumbling and nearly idling the U.S. fracking industry. Like I said. I dont like Saudi Arabia. But the times they are a-changing. The king is dead, and with him died the dream of Arabian oil flowing for a millennium. Saudi Arabia has a new monarch searching for a new future, a future that may present a business opportunity for a state on the lookout for them. It also seems to be an opportunity for Connecticut, in a round-about way that includes turning a profit, to loosen oils grip on the globe. Ill get to that in a minute. First, consider this: $2 trillion. Twelve zeroes. And a 2. Over 15 years. Thats the sum Saudi Arabia is planning to spend to diversify its economy by 2030. And thats the sum that perked perked! the ears of attendees at a University of Bridgeport trade forum Monday featuring a member of the royal family traveling in Connecticut to attract international investment and trading partners in the U.S. His Royal Highness Prince Turki Bin Mohammed Bin Nasser Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (yes, his real full formal name) told a Yale audience Tuesday he envisions Saudi Arabia as a kind of Wal-Mart Bazaar, buying goods made in the U.S. before selling them at a profit to eager middle-class consumers in the Middle East. The Saudis are understandably playing both sides. They are drumming up business in China, too, which has its own grand business scheme modeled after the ancient Silk Road running from China to Mediterranean Europe. That fits the Kingdoms thinking, as it realizes now its reliance on oil exports, especially to the U.S., has the potential for a national security crisis. You may think: How can Connecticut compete with China? Even Americans dont buy stuff made in America. They buy stuff made in China. Whats the appeal for Saudi Arabia? Good question. Fact is, we still make stuff. Just not consumer products as much as we used to, like buttons and bikes. Mostly, we make sophisticated stuff, like engines for jet fighters. When it comes to advanced manufacturing, Connecticut can compete. Which brings me to my own business scheme. Connecticut boasts about 145 companies that make, install or service solar panels. These include, to name three at random, Abet Technologies in Milford, Momentive Performance Materials in Wilton, and Optical Energy Technologies in Stamford. The state is in the early stages of achieving optimal renewable energy, but so far, about 36,000 homes function on solar power alone. Thats a solid foundation. Now may be the time to scale up. Assuming demand is there, and why wouldnt it be? Given that the Arabian peninsula is mostly desert, there seems to be room to grow. Wouldnt it be amazing if our solar companies exported panels to a sun-drenched nation seeking to reduce its dependence on cash from oil exports? I believe thats what people in the biz call synergy. I dont know if a diversified economy, thanks to advanced manufacturing imports from Connecticut, will lead to a humane Saudi Arabia: whether it would grant equal rights to women, stop outsourcing extremism, pay migrants a living wage or for the love of God cease using a giant knife to execute criminals. No one can know. But I do know Connecticut could play a small role in that transformation, and turn a tidy profit at the same time. That might be a Saudi Arabia I like. Might. John Stoehr is a lecturer in political science at Yale and the 2016 Koeppel Journalism Fellow at Wesleyan. He is a contributing writer to Washington Monthly and U.S. News & World Report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Cynthia Chuang / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Caitlin Burch / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Margaret Wozniak / Contributed photo Show More Show Less 5 of 5 Shoppers will have an opportunity Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 5-6, to get a jump on their holiday gift-giving list at the 41st annual Westport Young Womans Leagues CraftWestport, featuring more than 175 artists and crafters from throughout the country. The event is billed as Connecticuts largest indoor fine crafts festival, which raises funds for Fairfield County charities. BRIDGEPORT The federal Environmental Protection Agency has awarded money to help the city reduce the amount of wasted food. The Center of Ecological Technology was awarded $20,000 for its Dont Waste Bridgeport project. The project seeks to reduce the quantity of wasted food by working with public and private schools, grocers, health care facilities, colleges and others to reduce, donate and compost as much wasted food as possible. BRIDGEPORT Gov. Dannel P. Malloy will be in the city Monday to sign a bill that will keep Sikorsky Aircrafts worldwide headquarters in Stratford until 2032. The legislation passed by the General Assembly in September enables Sikorsky to retain and grow approximately 8,000 direct jobs. Under the deal, the state agreed to provide the helicopter maker $220 million in grants and tax exemptions over 14 years; the company agreed to build nearly 200 CH-53K King Stallion helicopters in Connecticut and double its current annual spending of $350 million among in-state suppliers. . U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., winding down an impressive first term in Washington, deserves to return. Yes, the 70-year-old Greenwich resident has his eyes on many targets as his opponent, Republican Dan Carter likes to say, everything from shark fins to saline solution. But while his interests are widespread, the senator has kept his focus and his not inconsiderable muscle on the big issues, including, but not limited to, gun safety, rail safety and fighting for the middle class and consumers by continuing the work he began as attorney general in Connecticut. He also has shown his independence in, among other things, opposing President Barack Obama on the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal. Blumenthal is also in good position to represent Connecticuts interests as a member of the Armed Services Committee, which among other responsibilities, oversees the Department of Defense and its spending on materiel, including Connecticut-made submarines, helicopters and engines. In Washington, he has continued an effort that began when he was attorney general in Connecticut, and substantively transformed that office from a low-profile bureaucratic job to a very high-profile consumer advocacy post. Now, his critics have alleged that his high-profile posture was as much for political gain as anything else. (The line that just wont go away: Q: Wheres the most dangerous place in Connecticut? A: Standing between Dick Blumenthal and a television camera.) But there is no dispute that his aggressive 20-year stint in that office raised not only his political profile, but that of the many issues he took on, including Big Tobaccoin the late 90s. He was one of the leaders of a 46-state lawsuit against the tobacco industry that claimed it had deceived the public about the dangers of smoking. The result was a $246 billion national settlement, of which Connecticut got about $3.6 billion. Carter, 49, a Republican state legislator, brings a number of compelling qualities to the table, a refreshing forthrightness developed in part during his service as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, and a facility with complex issues that shows he does his homework. As a legislator, he cleared the way for introduction of the growler, a take-out container for beer, a development that has helped the states fledgling microbrew industry thrive and bring $2 million into state coffers. Its a testament to Carters common-sense approach to eliminating regulations. But wed like to see Richard Blumenthal representing our interests for another six years. Canada, guest of honor at Havana Intl. Book Fair 2017 Canada has been chosen as guest country of honor at the Havana International Book Fair 2017, announced organizers on October 27, via the event Facebook page. Fifty years of the Canadian Confederation will also be celebrated during the fair. Canadas diversity and vibrant culture will be exhibited for all to enjoy, while participants will also have the opportunity to explore the countrys diversity and heritage, as well as celebrate the long-standing friendship between Cuba and Canada, reads a message posted on the event Facebook page. Some of the countrys most famous authors include Emily Carr (1871-1945), whose work focuses on the indigenous cultures of that land, and feminist issues; as well as Margaret Laurence (1926-1987), on of the countrys top novelists. Meanwhile, the generation that broke onto the nations literary scene in the 1960s is one of the most significant, with names such as Michael Ondaatje, Leonard Cohen, Eli Mandel, Margaret Avison, and Margaret Atwood, whose works have been published in Cuba. Last years 25th International Book Fair was dedicated to the Republic of Uruguay, and saw the participation of some of the countrys most important literary figures. (Granma) Democrats saw a surge in new voters in Pennsylvania as midterms near politics Theresa May should have given the order to crush Zac Goldsmith. Just one simple instruction select a candidate for Richmond is all it would have taken. Yes, Goldsmith benefits from some local political sex appeal. But such affections would not have withstood a concerted pincer movement from an official Conservative challenger and a Liberal Democrat boosted by an anti-Brexit backlash, in a constituency that voted 70-30 for Remain. Some of Goldsmiths colleagues think thats what the rudderless former mayoral candidate was secretly hoping for. In need of a lesson: The PM should have faced down her naughty schoolboys, Boris Johnson (left) and Zac Goldsmith (right) Zacs had enough, one Conservative MP told me. The contest with Sadiq broke him. He really just wants to get out of politics now. But May chose to be merciful. Or, rather, she chose to be tactical. Downing Streets thinking in not standing against him was that it would be better to have Goldsmith returned as an independent than hand the seat to the Lib Dems. It basically means losing half a seat, said one Government insider. Maybe it does. But she should have crushed him anyway. In her first 100 days as Prime Minister, Theresa May has successfully defined herself as the politician who is not a politician. She does not do spin or stunts, or work the political angles. Mr Goldsmith now wants out of politics according to a Conservative MP. Pictured, Mr Goldsmith sampling a beer with Mr Johnson (right) Until last week. I dont like it, one Tory MP told me. You stand a candidate, they stand a candidate, you fight it out and then the people choose. Thats how the system works. You dont start playing games with the voters like this. Im told similar concerns were expressed at last weeks meeting of the influential Conservative backbench 1922 committee. In recent years it has become fashionable to decry old-school machine politics. The days when burly men in crumpled suits patrolled the corridors of Westminster, ensuring the party line was adhered to on pain of political excommunication. Or just pain. Theresa May has successfully defined herself as the politician who is not a politician But now we appear to be entering the era of a la carte politics, where ambitious MPs are free to pick and choose which elements of their partys platform they support, depending on which way the political wind is blowing on any given day. And Zac Goldsmith is an especially slender reed. If you were being charitable, you could say he has taken the honourable course and stood by his principles. Or you could just be honest and say that hes a spoilt little boy whos throwing a giant political strop. Goldsmith isnt supposed to be an environmental protester, but a Conservative member of parliament. If hed truly been honest to his principles, hed have initially stood as a candidate for the Greens. But he didnt, and he didnt because that would not have provided a fast-track to Parliament and a shot at becoming London mayor. Political children like Zac Goldsmith should be sent to bed without any dinner, not indulged. But instead Theresa May has chosen to indulge him. Someone else she has chosen to indulge is Boris Johnson. Before his elevation to Foreign Secretary, he famously pledged to lie down in front of the bulldozers if Heathrow was approved. Mrs May and JCB should have put that commitment to the test. But again, she ducked a confrontation by suspending Cabinet Responsibility over Heathrow. From Brexit to major infrastructure projects, vital national decisions, which should be taken collectively by the elected government of the day, are now at the mercy of the whim, ambition and ego of individuals. Meanwhile, Britains traditional party structures are fracturing. Under Jeremy Corbyn, Labour have been reduced to a rabble. The partys leader cannot even adhere to his own party line, and attempts to exert what minimal control he has via the threats and intimidation of his thuggish activists. As Ukips implosion continues, their thuggery extends beyond the activists through to its elected representatives. The Lib Dems have been reduced to a psephological rounding error. But the Conservatives were supposed to be different. Theresa May was we were told the grown-up in the room. Messing around: Zac Goldsmith (left) on a Brompton Bike and Boris Johnson (right) on the new square at King's Cross Station She should act like it, and she should demand those around her act like it. Zac Goldsmith should have been called into Downing Street in advance of the Heathrow announcement and told: If you want to resign, fine. But we will stand against you, and you will lose. Again. Then she should have called in Boris Johnson and given him an ultimatum: Boris, Im afraid its the runway, or the highway. Brexit. The Syria crisis. The global terror threat. This is a time for serious leadership, not posing on the streets of Richmond. Its all very well lauding the rise of the great parliamentary mavericks. But if MPs feel free to resign and force a by-election every time they are confronted with a policy that jars, or Ministers are granted licence to openly stand against the policies of the Government they serve, it heralds the onset of political anarchy. This week Theresa May has chosen to be merciful. In the weeks to come, she will regret it. Some people had been hoping last weeks NEC report detailing the threats and intimidation being directed at Labour MPs would spur Jeremy Corbyn into taking action against the excesses of his supporters. But Im told that those hopes have proved groundless. Its worse than ever, one MP reported to me. I got a call from someone last week who said, What are you complaining about? No ones physically attacked you yet. Yet another example of the kinder, gentler politics. Veteran Commons brawler Eric Joyce once had to be dragged out of Westminster 'sports and social karaoke' by half a dozen policemen House of Commons staff are reeling from the news that an iconic Westminster event the traditional first Thursday of the month sports and social karaoke has been axed. Its been cancelled till further notice, a stern-sounding Commons official informed me. The Thursday night sing-along obtained a legendary some might say infamous place in Palace of Westminster folklore. Veteran Commons brawler Eric Joyce once had to be dragged out by half a dozen policemen, and Speakers wife Sally Bercow was photographed in a tired and emotional state after one vigorous sing-along. It used to be a bit like the bar from Star Wars, one MPs staffer recalled wistfully. The three wise men who made May Theresa Mays ascendancy to the premiership is littered with landmarks. The dramatic rise and spectacular fall of Andrea Leadsom. Michael Goves Brutus-like assassination of Boris Johnson. But Im told one major waypoint has been overlooked. The most important moment came just at the start of the year, a friend of the Prime Minister recounts to me. Three of her backbench supporters, Kris Hopkins, George Hollingbery and Simon Kirby, asked for a meeting with her. And they told her, Theresa, theres a real chance the referendum could be the end of Cameron. You have to be ready to run. You can win. It was the first time she really began to think seriously of standing for the leadership. Not many people know Kris, George and Simon. But basically, they were the start of it all. Remember the names Hopkins, Hollingbery and Kirby. Theyre destined for the history books. Jeremy Corbyn's (pictured) team suspect PMQs preparation has been undermined by spies withing Labour camp There have long been suspicions within Jeremy Corbyns team that their PMQs preparation has been undermined by spies within the Labour camp. Back in June, Corbyns chief spinner Seumas Milne confided to a documentary crew that he believed some of their questions were being leaked in advance to Downing Street, a claim that was dismissed at the time as just another conspiracy theory from within the Labour leaders Lubianka. But I now understand some of these fears may not have been entirely groundless. We did used to get some help from the Labour benches at PMQs, a former David Cameron aide admitted to me this week. Remainers have had long enough to get used to the idea that, in the words of Theresa May: Brexit means Brexit. The referendum is over, the people have spoken and the shock should have passed for those who advocated Remaining. So it was preposterous to see Tony Blair trying to unpick the result of the referendum last week by suggesting it could be rerun or undone. He and his fellow Remainers have had long enough to get used to the idea that, in the words of Theresa May: Brexit means Brexit. The British people have spoken decisively and so loudly that not even Remoaners with the hardest of hearing can pretend not to have heard them. As with many key aspects of his time in office, Blair is in denial about his record on the EU. If he had not made disastrous decisions such as allowing unrestricted immigration from Eastern Europe, the EU may have been less unpalatable for the British people. At least Jack Straw, his former colleague in Government, has had the decency to apologise over that disastrous open borders policy. If Blair wishes to be taken seriously on this issue, he should copy Mr Straw and issue the same fulsome mea culpa to the British people. So, frankly, Blair needs to get over his EU hang-up, especially as it is becoming ever clearer that Britain is going to get a good deal out of Brexit. It is obviously in all our interests to have the closest, friendliest relationship possible with the European Union after leaving. The referendum is over, the people have spoken and the shock should have passed for those who advocated Remaining However and my fellow Brexiteers may be surprised to hear me say this we may have to pay to seal the deal, and I believe we should. Britain is the third-largest contributor to the European Unions annual budget, even after it gives us back our rebate. In 2015, we paid 13 billion into the EU budget. Of this, only 4.5 billion was subsequently spent in the UK, on things such as funding scientific research at our universities and on subsidies for farmers. So, even once you take away every penny of what the EU spends in the UK, the European Union will be missing out on an 8.5 billion British contribution to its budget. This is a big blow for them, and part of the reason why they have taken Brexit so badly. Our taxpayers now foot more than 12 per cent of the organisations cost and the EU cannot just go on without British money. It was preposterous to see Tony Blair trying to unpick the result of the referendum last week by suggesting it could be rerun or undone Europe desperately needs our contribution to fix its various messes. Whether it is the euro itself, the refugee crisis or banking concerns in Italy and Germany, the EU has problems to tackle and it needs money to fund the solutions. But, even after we leave, it is in our interest for the EU to solve its problems. We want to be a friendly, co-operative and benevolent neighbour to a strong and stable Europe. Further political or economic distress on the continent will damage us too. I was one of those who campaigned to leave, but the Government should be absolutely clear that our motive is not for the European Union to fail we just dont think it is right for us. That is why we should pay a proportion of the 8.5 billion that we will save through leaving back into its budget. We should help bridge some of the EUs funding gap, but only on the condition that the EU delivers our demand of providing British businesses with tariff-free access to the single market. There is a desire on the continent, which we often underestimate, to preserve the European Union project at whatever cost, which is why they wish to deter others from following us out of the door. We must allow them to point to the example of Britain paying into the European Union budget in return for single market access. The cost would be high enough to deter other smaller countries from leaving, but it would be easy enough for us to bear considering our current budget contributions. Although we would contribute to the EU budget, we would deliver the ability to control our borders and direct immigration toward the skills shortages in our economy. We would be able to set our own tax policies, including for VAT, and we would be set free to trade with the world, no longer having to take part in the doomed endeavour of pleasing every economic sector and every geographical section of all 28 member states. Crucially, this arrangement will keep us out of the interfering grasp of the European Court of Justice. The only issue to negotiate is how high our payment would be in return for single market access, and that must be left to our negotiators. But whatever we pay, up to and including the 8.5 billion we will save through leaving, would be worth it. By the way, there is some concern about what happens to the infrastructure funds currently administered by the EU when we say farewell. There neednt be. Theresa Mays Government has already promised that this spending which, after all, is British cash which goes to Brussels and is then simply re-distributed over here will be guaranteed post-Brexit Theresa Mays Government has already promised that this spending which, after all, is British cash which goes to Brussels and is then simply re-distributed over here will be guaranteed post-Brexit. Ultimately, this is a commercial transaction, and we all benefit from preserving our current trading position. Our negotiating hand is strengthened because our economy is strong and growing. If I were still CEO of polling firm YouGov, I would be investing in the UK just as Nissan did last week. We import more from the EU than we export and, most importantly, we do not wish to create a completely new trading relationship we want to preserve the status quo. BRITAIN has already adopted every single European Union law and regulation. This legal conformity will be preserved through the Great Repeal Act, which sends a powerful message to Japanese and other foreign businesses that they will still only have to comply with one set of rules when we leave. As the Chief Executive of the World Trade Organisation said last week, Britain will have a smooth exit from the EU no matter what, but we should ensure that the process is as smooth as possible. We must deliver on the demands of the British people to leave the EU, regain sovereignty and control immigration, but we must preserve our old trading and political relationships too. There is no need to create unnecessary instability. It would not be good for the EU and it wouldnt be good for us either. Relationships are strange, aren't they? One minute you are cuddling in bed. The next? You're calling the cops. On Monday night, my boyfriend and I had a row about the fact he doesn't clear up as he goes along when he's cooking. The next morning his mood hadn't improved, so he left for London. That night, I realised one of my cats was missing. I searched for hours, until my torch ran out. By Wednesday, still no sign, so I walked along lanes for miles, terrified of finding her dead body. I printed out Lost posters, and taped them to trees. I called until I was hoarse. Liz Jones at a cat shelter in Canning Town, London. She claims her (ex) boyfriend 'kidnapped' her cat Prudence I have had Prudence, who is white with a tabby bottom and tail, for three years, ever since the aforementioned boyfriend brought her to my house in the Yorkshire Dales for Christmas, and left her. She came to live with me with terrible sores on her tummy, which meant she was at the vet on day two. Since then, she has flourished. She has made friends with my other cats and sleeps on my bed. I was out of my mind with worry. On Thursday, and still no sign, I began to wonder if my boyfriend had taken her. I checked the number of cat baskets in the garage: phew, all present. Liz Jones and her pet cat, Sweetie He wouldn't take her without a cat basket, it's not safe, and he's far too fond of his new Jag to travel with her loose for six hours. Anyway, he wouldn't have taken her without at least telling me first, as he knows I'm paranoid about the safety of my animals. His flat is on a busy road. In the three years I've had her, he has never once paid her vet bills, or sent a penny for her food (I buy her only the best). The one time he bought cat food was last Sunday, when I expressly asked him to go into the Co-op and get some. I texted him. 'Bad news. Pru is missing. I've spent the last two days and nights searching. 'It's worrying, as she never goes far. Can you text me her microchip number?' I got this by return: 'She's with me.' I texted him the 'c' word, and it wasn't 'cat'. What kind of man would take a much-loved pet from his girlfriend's house, a cat she has owned for three years, without a word? It's worse than having an affair. It's kidnapping a member of my family. It shows he is not to be trusted (what should I do, check his boot before he leaves?), while to use a defenceless animal as a pawn (I fed her prawns, too) is cruel. I asked him to return her. Silence. I texted him the 'c' word, and it wasn't 'cat' And so, on Friday morning, I called the police. How sordid did it sound when I told my story out loud. 'Is he an ex?' the policewoman asked. 'Well, he is now.' 'What happened during the row?' 'I told him off for not clearing up. Where does the law stand on boyfriends taking cats?' 'Basically, it's theft,' she said. There was no appointment available at Leyburn police station until Saturday (bloodshed at the Nell Gwyn tea rooms, apparently). Feeling increasingly worried by Friday afternoon, I dialled 101 again. What kind of man would take a much-loved pet from his girlfriend's house, a cat she has owned for three years, without a word? 'Has he been questioned yet? Do you want a photo of the cat?' 'No, not yet. If you're worried about her safety you should call the RSPCA.' 'It's not a welfare case, although he will breathe secondhand smoke on her. I'll see you tomorrow.' At the station yesterday, an officer took my statement. He was sympathetic but was not sure that what happened was theft. He promised to ring the boyfriend to get his side. 'And if he won't give her back?' 'You may have to hire a solicitor.' 'But he dumped her on me three years ago and has never paid for her care. I wasn't fostering her.' He agreed it was morally wrong to just bundle her in a car without letting me know. What has the world come to that I have to do a head count of members of my own family every time a man leaves? 'But you can't go and get her,' the policeman added. 'I'm worried you'll rip his throat out.' PS: Last week I used Barclays online banking to send an estate agent 3,850 for a property rental plus deposit. The agent, Ann, had sent me the firm's bank details using her usual email address, but on Friday morning I got another email from her saying their bank wasn't able to process my payment. I checked online, and the money was indeed back in my account. Then she sent me another email asking me to send the money to a different bank. Suspicious, I called her. Ann hadn't sent the emails, even though they came from her address. At 23 weeks pregnant doctors told Nadine Shelley that she should abort her son. Weeks earlier they discovered there was no amniotic fluid surrounding him in the uterus, and he was given less than a 15 per cent chance of surviving until birth. Determined to fight for her son, Ms Shelley gave birth to her son Brayden at 27 weeks and spent the next 76 days by his side as he fought for his life in the NICU. Six months on from the ordeal, his mother has penned an emotional post on Facebook to share their experience. 'The boy who lived': Mother Nadine Shelley penned an emotional post about her birth experience after doctors recommended she abort her son Brayden 'Give him that chance': Mrs Shelley (pictured) said all she could do was give baby Brayden (left) the best chance at survival. He is pictured with older sister Elsie (right) In the post, the registered nurse and mother-of-two, from Utah, described why she felt it was not her choice to decide whether Brayden would die. 'I personally did not feel like it was my decision to decide whether or not Brayden had the strength or capability to live,' she wrote, adding that she is aware there are people who don't share the same opinion. 'Brayden would decide that. All I could do was give him the best chance to live, and that was to keep him inside of me as long as possible. 'Everything we chose was to give him that chance.' Touching: The rest of Ms Shelley's post can be found here The complications first arose when Ms Shelley was 17 weeks, with doctors finding there was little to no amniotic fluid surrounding her son. There was nothing doctors could do because Brayden had not reached 'a viable age' so Ms Shelley waited until she was 23 weeks when it was confirmed her water 'had truly broken. 'Choosing to fight isn't easy. We almost lost Brayden the day he was born. The terrified mother was admitted to hospital on bedrest and at 27 weeks and six days, Brayden was born - almost 10 weeks early. Brayden then spent the following three months in the neonatal intensive care unit - his mother by his side. 'I had to wait almost two weeks to hold my baby, my head rested on the outside of his incubator for hours upon hours,' Ms Shelley continued. 'Choosing to fight isn't easy. We almost lost Brayden the day he was born. 'But my courage and determination in those moments are what gave Brayden life. He is my boy who lives.' Ms Shelley, a Harry Potter fan, referred to the series in the post and likened herself to Lily Potter, whose love saved the life of her son. 'He is our fighter': Although Brayden was still struggling with some small health complications, mother Nadine was confident he would go on to do amazing things 'Now, I did not die for my son. As complicated as my pregnancy was, I never came close. Even though I (as my specialist put it) "lost A LOT of blood." My life was never at great risk,' she continued. I gave my life for him. I gave up my everyday life and laid in a hospital bed for five weeks to give him the opportunity to live. 'People can argue that I put my own health at risk in fighting for him, and that's true. I bled almost every day from my second trimester until I delivered Brayden, some times in very scary amounts. 'Although I did not die for my son as Lily Potter did, I gave my life for him. I gave up my everyday life (including raising our 2 year old daughter) and laid in a hospital bed for five weeks to give him the opportunity to live. 'And that gave him protection. The best possible protection, inside of me and receiving a mother's love. That love also carried over into his 76 day NICU stay.' Ms Shelley said choosing to fight wasn't easy, in fact, it was one of the hardest things she has ever done. 'A fight worth fighting': Ms Shelley said she wanted to share her journey to inspire other mothers going through difficult times. She is pictured with husband Garrett 'But my courage and determination in those moments are what gave Brayden life. He has hopes and dreams and a whole life ahead of him,' she said. 'This little boy that has insanely cute hair callicks, dark green eyes, and one of the biggest toothless grins I have ever seen! You look into his eyes and he looks back, there is a deep connection there. 'His unconditional love and forgiving spirit speak to me through his eyes every day. It is the most rewarding feeling I have ever felt.' It has been six months since Brayden was discharged from hospital, but his mother said there was still be a rocky road ahead of him. 'He won't go on to live a life defeating dark wizards, playing Quidditch, attending Yule Balls and going to Hogsmeade like I would have hoped,' she wrote, again referring to the book series. 'But he will have a life full of trials and growth. 'Brayden will have a good quality of life. It's true that he is six months and only about 13 lbs, still requires oxygen and will probably need physical therapy for a couple of years. 'He is our fighter and will go on to do amazing things.' Inspirational: Ms Shelley was sharing her story to give hope to other mothers experiencing difficult times Ms Shelley said she was sharing her inspirational story to give hope to other mothers going through difficult pregnancies. She also stressed that she was not seeking to spark debate about the pros and cons of abortion. 'I am sharing my experience to spread joy and hope,' she wrote. 'I want to spread hope to all mothers going through difficult times with their children,' she wrote. 'Whether it be a high risk pregnancy, a child fighting in the hospital, cancer, genetic disorders, depression, anxiety etcThere is hope. 'Life is hard, and things won't always go the way we want. But my message is, if I took those statistics at face value and chose to abort, I 100% would not have my Brayden to cuddle every night. 'But we chose to fight against all odds to give him a life. I would go through all that pain again to bring another life into this world. Ivanka Trump brushed off her family's latest controversies over the weekend with a spot of archery. The 34-year-old mother-of-three shared a video on Instagram Saturday showing herself at the Gotham Archery range in New York, taking aim at targets in style. The video shows Ivanka in a short printed dress with long sleeves and wearing a pair of knee-high boots as well as a quiver full of arrows hitched around her waist. Taking aim: Ivanka Trump fired off arrows at a New York archery range in a new video share on Instagram on Saturday All smiles: Ivanka sports a short dress and knee high boots in addition to a quiver around her waist in the video In the short video, she draws an arrow from the quiver, pulls it onto the bow and fires it towards the target. 'Channeling my inner Katniss,' she wrote in the caption, referring to the character from the famous Hunger Games series. After a quick smile for the camera, she does the same again. The camera, however, doesn't show just how sharp a shooter she was on the target. On Friday, Ivanka kicked off the weekend with another video, this time featuring her five-year-old daughter Arabella singing her heart out to Sia's hit Cheap Thrills. 'Friday night, hit the dance floor,' Ivanka wrote in the caption. Mini songstress: On Friday Ivanka also shared a clip of five-year-old daughter Arabella singing along to Sia's Cheap Thrills 'Friday night, hit the dance floor': The little girl belts out the lyrics while riding in the car Earlier in the week, Ivanka broke her silence about the push by some to boycott her brands, revealing she has no desire to try and speak with or communicate with those women. 'The beauty of America is that people can do what they like, but I'd prefer to talk to the millions, tens of millions of American women who are inspired by the brand,' said Ivanka on Thursday morning as she and her siblings appeared on Good Morning America. 'The message that I've created - my advocacy of women, trying to empower them in all aspects of their life - started long before this presidential campaign did. I've never politicized that message.' Ivanka then added: 'People who are seeking to politicize it because they may disagree with the politics of my father, there's nothing I can do to change that.' She did not however acknowledge the fact that the boycott is not in response to her father's political beliefs, but rather his alleged sexual assault of over 10 women and the comments he made in a 2005 Access Hollywood interview with Billy Bush. Moving on: Ivanka addressed the boycott of her brands by women upset by her father's misogynistic comments and allegations of sexual assault Criticism: 'People who are seeking to politicize it because they may disagree with the politics of my father, there's nothing I can do to change that,' said Ivanka Ivanka said at the top of the interview how happy she was for her father as they neared the election, saying: 'We are very proud of our father and what he's accomplished. He's amazing.' She and her brothers Eric and Donald Jr. also said they would stay on at Trump even if their father wins the election. The talk also turned to the possible problems facing the family's own brand in the wake of this election, with some reports claiming Donald's political views have angered and upset many of his upscale and wealthy customers. 'I think we have the hottest brand in the world right now,' said Eric Trump, dismissing reports that profits were down. When asked about the current movement by one building in new York City to have 'Trump Towers' removed from the structure, Donald Jr. said: 'I think the brand is much more than New York City, this is a global brand.' He then said that the brand was not what was important at this juncture. 'When you look at the people that he is touching on a daily basis. The presidency, fixing America, is so much bigger than any of that regardless,' said Donald Jr. Donald himself then added: 'I think the brand is hotter than it's ever been but it doesn't matter to me. It doesn't matter to me, I don't care. I don't care about the brand, I care about the country.' Tiffany was also present for the interview, and said that she was applying to law schools. bros: She and her brothers also revealed in an interview on Thursday that they would stay at Trump even if their father wins the presidency (Eric and Donald Jr. above) Rare appearance: Tiffany (above) also joined her siblings in the interview and said she is applying to law school Shannon Coulter, the woman behind the boycott of Ivanka's brands, spoke about the movement in an interview with The Guardian last Friday. She started the hashtag #GrabYourWallet earlier this month on Twitter, asking that women boycott not just Ivanka's brands but stores that sell her eponymous lines of clothing, footwear, jewelry, perfume and accessories. It was in direct response to Donald's Access Hollywood comments, and Ivanka's support of her father and defense of his misogynistic remarks in the past, even though she did call what he said on Access Hollywood 'offensive.' 'It was a feeling of recoiling. It was emotional, visceral. Then I had a pounding headache for a few days. I was filled with nausea,' said Coulter of hearing Donald's words on the audio from his hot mic. Coulter then explained that this was because she too had been in a similar position in the workplace. 'I was in an office belonging to a firm I was working for in Silicon Valley and my bosss boss came breezing through,' said Coulter. 'Suddenly he came up behind me and pressed himself right up against me and said "Why is it you always look so good?" He had a colleague with him and it was so humiliating.' Coulter then added: 'And when I heard Donald Trump talking on that tape, I recognized in his words the same feeling that I had that day of being nothing more than an object. No matter how smart you are or how hard you work, they can do that to us.' A third of holidaymakers are solo travellers and many companies offer trips without penalising single supplements and which offer opportunities to make new friends. RHINE RIVER CRUISING The Rhine is the ideal location for a luxurious solo cruise. Begin in Cologne, before stopping at picture-perfect destinations such as Rudesheim (famous for Riesling and coffee laced with brandy) The Rhine is the ideal location for a luxurious solo cruise. Begin in Cologne, before stopping at picture-perfect destinations such as Rudesheim (famous for Riesling and coffee laced with brandy). INSIDER TIP: Mingle with fellow passengers at the on-board cocktail party or ask a solo host to arrange outings and games. DETAILS: 829 for five nights full-board, saga.co.uk. Departing June 5, 2017. SIGHTS OF RUSSIA This cultural tour for lone travellers includes St Petersburgs magnificent Catherine Palace and St Basils Cathedral (pictured) in Moscows famous Red Square A perfect country for solo exploration. This cultural tour for lone travellers includes St Petersburgs magnificent Catherine Palace and St Basils Cathedral in Moscows famous Red Square. INSIDER TIP: Opera tickets can be arranged for the historic Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg or for Moscows Bolshoi Theatre. DETAILS: The six-night trip costs from 1,295, April 25 to May 1, 2017, coxandkings.co.uk. SUNBATHE IN MAURITIUS Embrace the relaxed atmosphere, swaying coconut trees and clear waters of coastal Bel Ombre. Sip cocktails on the beach or try your hand at snorkelling or kayaking Embrace the relaxed atmosphere, swaying coconut trees and clear waters of coastal Bel Ombre. Sip cocktails on the beach or try your hand at snorkelling or kayaking. INSIDER TIP: Black River Gorges National Park, the islands largest, is near. Spot rare bird species on a remarkable hike. DETAILS: The 13-day, all-inclusive trip, staying at the four-star Tamassa Resort, starts from 3,099, solosholidays.co.uk. A few months back I was chopping vegetables for supper, sauteing chicken, uncorking wine, when my partner Iain gave me one of his eye-rolling looks. But were going out to eat. The tables booked. Tonight. Remember? Actually I didnt remember; not a word, in fact, of the conversation that we were supposed to have had a couple of days earlier about eating out. Frances Hardy (pictured), 59, suffered poor memory, lack of focus, lethargy, ballooning feet and exhaustion Perhaps, I reassured myself, it was because I lead such a hectic life: exacting deadlines, unpredictable hours, long working days Ive been a journalist for 38 years. Maybe the forgetfulness was a reminder that advancing years were blunting my mental acuity. Then there was the young man who stood up for me on the Tube. No one had ever accorded me such courtesy before, not even when I was pregnant. Are young men getting more polite or am I just getting older? I flumped down into the seat, exhausted and mightily relieved to be resting my poor swollen feet. Next year I will be 60. I am on the cusp of three score years, but there have been days when, frankly, Ive felt 80. Another symptom of my age was what I had come to call the Sleep Paradox: though restive and wakeful at night, I had developed a singular capacity for falling asleep in the day. She went to see Dr Roked, 35, a specialist in integrative medicine, who promised to turn the clock back decades in just six months I could drop off at any time and in the most unpropitious of circumstances on trains as they sped past my stop, as soon as I collapsed on to the sofa in the evening to watch TV. The theatre low lights, lulling voices, comfortable warmth was an infallible soporific. In February, I slept through an entire production, gripping though it doubtless was, of Alan Bennetts Single Spies at Chichester Festival Theatre. This, I figured, was normal for my age: poor memory, lack of focus, lethargy, ballooning feet and exhaustion. That is why I found myself in Dr Sohere Rokeds consulting rooms in Knightsbridge, London. Opposite Harrods, she instructed me, which gives you the measure of the smartness of Omniya Clinic. Dr Roked, 35, is a GP, a specialist in integrative medicine (so she looks at the whole patient and enlists an array of therapies) and one of the UKs leading holistic doctors. And she made me an extraordinary promise: in just six months of following her advice, she assured me she could turn the clock back decades. Dr Roked, 35, a GP, made me an extraordinary promise: in just six months of following her advice, she assured me she could turn the clock back decades With a few tweaks, some fine-tuning of my hormones, and supplements, she could restore my vigour, sharpen my mind, improve my sleep reverse the ageing process, in fact. Dr Roked is at the vanguard of a new movement in health, the science of anti-ageing, which has become a boom industry. The global anti-ageing market is worth more than 150 billion and likely to rise to 216 billion by 2018. We are all living longer, but which one of us wants to be old; to slump and shuffle and drool? Dr Rokeds patients not only want to look young, but also to turn back their biological clocks and be healthier for longer much longer. During the course of three weeks, Frances had her hormone levels checked, genes mapped, bone density screened, cardiac health monitored and blood tests taken Fifty years ago, women reared their children and then slid into sedentary old age, says Dr Roked, whose clients include royalty, celebrity and CEOs as well as a host of middle-class career women. Now theyre still in the workforce in their 50s and 60s; theyre having successful second careers and they want to inspire others and to function at optimal level. They dont want to feel exhausted, depressed, out of sorts. They want to restore the pizzazz and sparkle they had in their youth. Historically, they might have bought a new handbag, a nice frock, had some Botox. Now they are also investing in their wellbeing. Ive had patients who have said: Instead of having a lavish summer holiday, Im coming to see you. But theyre covert about it. They dont want to admit theyve had help. So here I am, a blank canvas, primed for the most exhaustive health check of my life. I dont smoke, I drink little and exercise moderately, and Ive weathered the menopause without HRT. Ive never taken so much as a vitamin supplement. Once or twice a year, I succumb to a paracetamol. I adhere to the tough it out school of self-help. Dr Roked prescribed a low dose of bio-identical HRT, the adrenal hormone DHEA, a daily thyroid supplement, the natural cholesterol-lowering supplement red yeast rice and probiotics for gut health Ive never had a facial, let alone Botox or fillers. My beauty routine is haphazard. I barely moisturise my face. But Dr Roked is a woman fired by her mission to make me young again. During the course of three weeks, I have my hormone levels checked, my genes mapped, my bone density screened and cardiac health monitored. Blood tests are taken. I spit into phials and pee into pots. Im tested for food intolerances (I have none) and nutritional deficiencies (ditto). Im lacking in vitamin D, but this can be remedied with a simple over-the-counter supplement. The cost of this gold standard overhaul is not insignificant: 300 for the first consultation with Dr Roked; six-weekly follow-ups between 150 and 200. Then the tests come in at an extra 2,390 a total of 3,490. The findings are revelatory, however. The most staggering initial one is my telomere test. Telomeres fit on to the end of our chromosomes like the plastic caps on shoelaces and protect our genetic data. If the caps get frayed, the telomeres become shorter and this process is associated with ageing, cancer and a higher risk of death. I am apprehensive. Do I want to know if Im destined to kick the bucket prematurely? Dr Roked reassures me. Even if my telomeres are as short as a cheerleaders skirt, new research has shown this can be reversible. We can regenerate our telomeres with lifestyle changes: by drinking less, eating more nutritiously, reducing stress. But hurrah! My telomeres, it emerges, are in very good nick. In fact, theyre the second best Dr Roked has seen. Im in the top 5 per cent of the population and the chances of my living to 100 are 81 per cent. I feel quite smug until my friend Helen observes sardonically: I hope youve got a good pension and it doesnt mean you wont get run over by a bus. Which is true. But the telomere result made the other tests more pressing: if Im blessed with a long life, I want it to be a productive and healthy one. After all, who wants to be consigned to a wing-backed armchair in a twilight home watching endless episodes of Emmerdale for their final two decades on Earth? There was more good news and some less good news to come. Tests showed my oestrogen level was zero normal for a post-menopausal woman of 59 and my progesterone was also average for my age. The changes, to begin with, were small and incremental. Frances' sleep quality improved and she no longer woke at 3am to while away vast tracts of the small hours reading (stock image) My bio-available testosterone the amount of the hormone available for my body to use was similarly in line with my chronological age. A modicum of testosterone is a good thing for a woman, Dr Roked assures me. It is associated with good muscle tone, dynamism, equability. Though an excess of it might produce a beard not a good look. There is one school of thought that believes hormones should not be tampered with, that nature intended us to endure stoically the adverse effects of the menopause the hot flushes, night sweats, depleted energy and mood swings and that the risks of taking HRT outweigh the benefits. Dr Roked believes otherwise. She prescribed a low dose of bio-identical HRT, so called because it mimics the chemical structure of our own hormones including oestrogen and progesterone. I started running up escalators. I steamed through my gym routine and exercise classes unhampered by my usual lethargy The adrenal hormone DHEA, which is produced naturally by our bodies, also declines with age and my level was a sub-optimal 3.3. This is normal for your age, says Dr Roked. But my patients dont want to be average. They want to be firing on all cylinders. DHEA is known as the vitality hormone. Doesnt everyone want more? The potential benefits of DHEA seem endless. It can build muscle mass, aid weight loss, protect against depression and cognitive decline and boost sex drive. Is it the fountain of youth? It seemed exactly what I wanted. Dr Roked prescribed a small daily dose. Tests showed my thyroid was not functioning as it should: my bodys immune system was attacking the thyroid cells as if they were foreign bodies. In response my thyroid gland had become sluggish which, said Dr Roked, could account for my depleted energy levels and forgetfulness. This condition, apparently, is neither unusual nor especially worrying. But Dr Roked wanted to remedy it. She prescribed a daily thyroid supplement. My biggest cause for concern was my cardiovascular health. My arterial index, which measures the health of my arteries closest to the heart and their vascular age, was that of someone in their early 60s. More concerning was my cholesterol: a perturbing 7.7 when it should be 5 or lower. Rather than statins, Dr Roked prescribed the natural cholesterol-lowering supplement red yeast rice. Finally, there were probiotics for gut health because, and this was news to me, serotonin, a chemical responsible for producing well-being and happiness, is produced in your gastro-intestinal tract. A deficit can cause depression, so if your gut is unhappy, you can be too. The progesterone in the bio-identical HRT (pictured) was the reason for her improved sleep; it was also combating fluid retention and imparting a dewy texture to her skin I signed up for another daily pill. In all, I had five to take every day, as well as the oestrogen bio-identical, which comes in the form of a topical gel. Of these medications, the red rice yeast and probiotics can be bought over the counter, while the hormones and thyroid tablets are prescription only. Every woman experiences a decline in her hormones in mid-life, it is as inevitable as death and taxes, but each persons symptoms and levels of decline will be different, which is why it is vital to be medically assessed. A surfeit of hormones can be as risky as a deficit. And so began the six-month experiment to discover if I could not merely halt the march of time, but turn back the clock. The changes, to begin with, were small and incremental. My sleep quality improved. I no longer woke at 3am to while away vast tracts of the small hours reading. Whole weeks, then months, went by when I did not succumb to my habitual 20-minute afternoon power nap. I ceased to feel the constant weariness that besieges the chronically sleep-deprived. The throbbing and swelling in my poor old feet abated. My flagging libido revived; my waking dreams, like those of a teenager, were often erotic. I'm pleased to impart that I now have the DHEA level of a 20-year-old, which, given that it is known as the vitality hormone, basically means Im full of beans The progesterone in the bio-identical HRT (Dr Roked calls it a girls best friend) was the reason for my improved sleep; it was also combating fluid retention and imparting a dewy texture to my skin. On May 23, two months into my new regimen, I noted in my diary that I had slept soundly all night and woke feeling a power surge of energy. I started running up escalators. I steamed through my gym routine and exercise classes unhampered by my usual lethargy. Im habitually even-tempered, but I felt a lightening of mood. I started to feel a new joie de vivre. What was happening? Had I now got a 49-year-olds heart? Pre-menopausal hormone levels? A young womans thyroid function? Last week, after six months, I returned for the final, revelatory tests and the results ranged from gratifying to frankly staggering. Im pleased to impart that I now have the DHEA level of a 20-year-old, which, given that it is known as the vitality hormone, basically means Im full of beans. The DHEA has also kick-started my testosterone production, which has risen to that of a typical woman in her mid-30s. Frances said: 'While a small bit of my heart remains obdurately in its early 50s, the vibrant hormones of a twentysomething are also zinging around my almost 60-year-old body, elevating my mood, increasing my energy and sharpening my memory' (stock image) My oestrogen and progesterone levels are also higher and now equate with a pre-menopausal 45-year-olds. My thyroid is thrumming along nicely now, as it would in a fit 30-year-old. My weak spot, my cardiovascular system, is healthier, too. My arterial index, helped by the dilatory effect on the blood vessels of progesterone, is now typical of a 52-year-old. And my cholesterol is lower; down from a worrying 7.7 to a respectable 5.4. For me to sustain this improvement Ill have to keep taking the tablets, which cost a hefty 250 a month. But this is the price of eternal youth, and a minor miracle has been wrought. While a small bit of my heart remains obdurately in its early 50s, the vibrant hormones of a twentysomething are also zinging around my almost 60-year-old body, elevating my mood, increasing my energy and sharpening my memory. If I dont actually look younger, I definitely feel it. Last Friday, after a 12-hour day working in London, I sprinted across the concourse at Victoria station just in time to catch the train home to Sussex, enjoyed supper with relatives, then went to Chichester Festival Theatre again, this time to see James Grahams This House. The camera then alerts nurses doing away with needing to do the rounds British scientists have developed a device which detects small changes A new has been British scientists have created a sophisticated new web camera that could revolutionise how patients are monitored doing away with routine ward rounds. It is not connected to the patient but fixed above the bed where it records the way light waves bounce off the patients skin and tiny movements made as the patient breathes. Computer software analyses the images and converts it into clinical measurements such as pulse rate, blood oxygen levels and respiratory rates. Nurses may no longer have to do the rounds with the invention of revolutionary new patient-monitoring cameras This is transmitted to the nurses monitoring station, and could be accessed by doctors anywhere on a mobile device. Trials have shown the measurements are as accurate as those taken by nurses or NHS equipment. Respiratory specialist Prof Sir Malcolm Green described the technology as the future of patient monitoring in the 21st century. Bridget Jones actress Sally Phillips, whose son Oliver has Downs, branded the suggestion as dark Doctors have accused a medical body of suggesting that unborn babies with Downs syndrome should be aborted because it will cost too much to care for them. More than 100 doctors, nurses and other medics have signed a letter attacking the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists for saying the NHS should calculate the cost effectiveness of supporting those with the condition. Bridget Jones actress Sally Phillips, whose son Oliver has Downs, also branded the suggestion as dark. The row erupted following a consultation over a new, more accurate prenatal blood test for Downs that the NHS is expected to approve. The College called for a rigorous economic analysis, including the lifetime costs of caring for those with the condition. The letter from doctors accuses the College of advocating that women with a prenatal diagnosis of Downs syndrome should end their pregnancy. Advertisement Every child is captivated by their first trip to the airport, where they can peer out the big glass windows and watch as planes take off from the tarmac and into the sky. That joy for watching jets cut through the clouds never left Mike Kelley, who just spent two years photographing planes at more than a dozen different airports around the world. But what makes Kelley's shots even more incredible is the final product: A sky littered with aircraft, each frozen in different moments of takeoff or landing, all in one photograph. Mike Kelley became a viral sensation after his photo Wake Turbulence, which captured planes taking off throughout an entire day at Los Angeles International Airport, made its way on the internet and captured the nation's attention After Kelley saw the photo's success, the photographer wrote 15 airports on the back of a napkin and decided he would take 'airportraits' at each one of them (pictured is Amsterdam Airport Schipol) One of the trickiest pictures to capture was Tokyo's Haneda Airport (pictured), because Kelley wanted to capture Mt Fuji in the background of the planes taking off in the picture It all began with an experiment that instantly became viral, and suddenly landed Kelley's name in museums and bookstores across the globe. Kelley's original image of an entire day's worth of planes taking off at LAX, a photo he dubbed Wake Sensation, captured the nation's attention and earned the title of one of the best images of 2014. But the photographer, who was working by day taking pictures of houses, hotels and resorts in Los Angeles, had just meant for the picture to be a proof-of-concept to see if the idea had any merit to it, he told Daily Mail Online. 'One day I was just out there with a friend of mine and after an hour of taking pictures I looked at the back of the camera and I'd scroll through and see all the pictures flashing up and thought, this could be a really good idea.' 'I got horribly sunburned, didn't go to the bathroom - a stroke of inspiration hit me out there.' It took Kelley 16 hours to compose all the planes from the day together into one image. He had no idea that picture would alter the 'entire course of my life', he writes on his website. The Ipswich, Massachusetts native hit most of his spots in the summer of 2015, visiting Sao Paulo in Brazil, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Tokyo, Sydney (pictured) and Auckland, New Zealand in the same successive trip It was the perfect change in routine for the photographer, who had been taking pictures of architecture in Los Angeles for five years straight (pictured isSao PauloGuarulhos International Airport) And it was a challenging one - something as simple as the direction of the wind could alter hours of work for Kelley, as it forced the planes to take off from different runways (as pictured here in Zurich Airport) After a few months passed, Kelley came up with his master plan. He would go around the world, photographing planes at 15 airports, and make an entire series of 'airportraits', as he called them. It was the perfect change in routine for the photographer, who had been taking pictures of architecture in Los Angeles for five years straight. 'Honestly, I needed a break,' he told Daily Mail Online. 'I needed something that would give me a break from architecture but also take me out of my comfort zone and help my career.' Kelley wrote down 15 airports he wanted to visit on the back of a napkin and booked his first ticket 'without really thinking'. The Ipswich, Massachusetts native hit most of his spots in the summer of 2015, visiting Sao Paulo in Brazil, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Tokyo, Sydney and Auckland, New Zealand in the same successive trip. Some were picked on the basis that Kelley knew they had big airports, while others were selected for more personal reasons. Kelley had studied abroad in Auckland and wanted to go back, and had never been to Australia. It was his girlfriend who made sure Kelley went to Heathrow International Airport, and he visited Dubai on a separate trip. Kelley's shots show a thrilling variety of scenery, from farms to beaches to highways and city streets (pictured is Frankfurt) One of Kelleys' trickiest shots was at London Heathrow International Airport (pictured). His first shot was a total bust when it nearly rained for 17 days straight in the spring, forcing him to make a second trip to the UK in the fall It was easy to get close to the planes at Munich Airport in Germany (pictured), where Kelley was joined by planespotters There were other airports he visited where Kelley just wasn't able to get the image he wanted, including Boston's Logan Airport - where the wind always blew in the wrong direction and the weather was never right. And Kelley's first trip to Tokyo was a complete bust due to the fact he arrived at a time when the summer heat was so intense and the smog so thick one couldn't even seen their own hand in front of them. Kelley had dreamed of photographing Mt Fuji in the background of Haneda airport, but after a week he still hadn't captured the right picture. But the photographer was determined, and when Kelley saw that he had the perfect weather window in Japan one day in March 2016 he bought a $700 round-trip ticket 24 hours in advance to give the shot a second chance. Kelley got into Tokyo at 11pm and was on a boat charter he had arranged through Google translate just four hours later. There, rocking in the middle of the Tokyo Bay in nearly freezing temperatures at 6.30am, Kelley got his picture. Kelley also needed to make a repeat trip to London after it nearly rained for 17 days straight during his first attempt in the spring of 2016. The photographer returned to Heathrow in September 2016, where he happened to capture a perfect week of weather as he took pictures of the morning rush of international arrivals, the planes all bathed in golden sunlight. As Tokyo and London proved, there were many factors that went into capturing the perfect shot, more than Kelley ever imagined when spent that first 'deceptively easy' day at LAX. But planespotting was illegal at Dubai's airport (pictured) and Kelley had to enlist the help of employees to get hit shot Kelley said LAX (pictured), where he is based, was the easiest airport to shoot thanks to California's perfect weather There were some airports Kelley chose for personal reasons like Auckland (pictured), because he had studied abroad there years ago and wanted to return Unlike California, most of the countries' weather was constantly changing throughout the day. This would change the 'exposure and shadow' on the planes, making it harder to paste them all together in one cohesive image. Wind could also ruin nearly a day's worth of work. If it changed directions in the middle of the day, the planes would have to change runways. This was all in addition to the fact that not every airport was as accessible as LAX. There were some cities where Kelley had to spend days scouting for the perfect unobstructed spot to take his shots, and others where he needed to get help from employees - especially in Dubai, where planespotting is illegal. Then came what Kelley is quick to admit was the worst part of the project, the post-production. Kelley had loved sitting outside for hours to watch and photograph the planes, not to mention traveling the world, meeting all kinds of people and finding himself in crazy situations. Now he had to narrow down 15,000 pictures of planes for each shot and create something beautiful. But the sheer mass of photos he had at his fingertips also allowed Kelley to be inventive. Kelley was quick to admit that the worst part of the project was actually putting the pictures together in post-production There was hours of coloring, composting, and retouching to make the photo look interesting but still seem realistic After two years of visiting airports, tracking wind patterns and spending countless minutes, hours and days thinking about planes, Kelley said it was without a doubt the most challenging project he had ever done 'What's really great about the photos is their both artistic and scientific,' he said. 'I could really get creative with the feeling of the movement in the shot.' There was hours of coloring, composting, and retouching to make the photo look interesting but still seem realistic. 'Every plane in every picture was actually right in front of me at that point in time, and they are all exactly where they were relative to other planes in the frame,' he said. 'If you went to some of these spots, youd see the exact same thing that I saw.' Kelley did take artistic liberty for the landing images, due to the fact that in real life each plane follows a 'pre-determined glideslope down the runway', he explains. 'In order to make these landing images more interesting, I had to spread the planes out just a little bit so they could breathe.' 'Without doing that, there simply wouldnt be a picture, as the planes would all be on the same plane and they'd all be piled on top of each other.' After two years of visiting airports, tracking wind patterns and spending countless minutes, hours and days thinking about planes, Kelley said it was without a doubt the most challenging project he had ever done. 'But the whole thing was a giant adventure,' he said. 'One I'd not hesitate to go on again.' Former Met Police commander Bob Broadhurst (pictured) criticised the plan to have armed police with guns on the Tubes The Met Police commander who headed up security for London 2012 has criticised the move to have armed police officers with guns on the Tubes saying 'it will actually make the public feel less secure'. Bob Broadhurst, who was also in charge of security for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, said it was crucial that police were seen to react to threats, such as last week's bomb scare. But he said, while bolstering security was essential in the short-term, in the long-run it becomes counter-productive and could unnerve the public. He was speaking after it was announced armed police officers will travel on London Tubes as a counter-terror measure following a station bomb alert. Officers will move between jobs on the Tube instead of cars for the first time. The thinking behind the move is that their presence in the carriages will reassure the public. Officers will travel between jobs on the Tube for the first time as a counter-terror measure But Mr Broadhurst, who served in Met Police for 36 years, was unconvinced by the plan. Speaking to MailOnline, he said: 'Police have to react to things like we saw last week [in North Greenwich]. 'I have no doubt, in the short time, that having more patrols and firearms officers is the right thing to do. 'But in my opinion it only works in the short term before it becomes counter productive and actually makes the public feel less secure unless there is a here and now threat. 'It would have to be reviewed regularly to see if it were working.' Dog units from BTP will also use the Tube to get around London rather than using vans Armed police were deployed on the Tube in the wake of the 7/7 London bombings in 2005 but it was only a temporary measure. He explained: 'We had a similar thing after the 7/7 bombings. 'We had thousands of officers around the underground for a few days, but in less than a week people were asking why there were so many officers if there was no imminent threat.' Mr Broadhurst, who is now a Special Advisor to the Security & Counter Terror Expo, said there might also be problems with armed officers on the Tube from a practical view. 'Police will still need to have mobility above ground and there are issues with them carrying firearms when they are with other passengers on the Tube', he added. 'You can imagine the fuss if you had to clear space to let officers on with firearms. 'From the officers' view, they don't like people up close to their weapons. People could grab their weapons. 'I don't imagine they will be able to travel during peak times [on crowded tubes] which could also lessen their impact. 'Londoners are pretty savvy. I think people would be reassured with having officers with no firearms. 'Officers could instead be placed in crowded places, on the concourse, in busy bits of London or other places where there might be a threat, or pop up in random locations which is good as well.' Former police commander Bob Broadhurst said the public would be happy having officers with no firearms The measure was revealed in the wake of the bomb alert at North Greenwich Tube station last week. British Transport Police (BTP) deputy chief constable Adrian Hanstock said: 'They will stand out and people will see them. We hope they will provide a reassurance threat and there are able to respond to whatever the threat may be.' He admitted members of the public might be alarmed by the sight but said it was a 'risk we are prepared to take'. Dog units from BTP will also use the Tube to get around London rather than using vans as they do now. BTP chiefs will hold final talks with the Mayor of London and Transport for London before any change is made. North Greenwich station was closed last Thursday while a bomb squad carried out a controlled explosion on the device. Damon Smith, 19, appeared in court today charged with sparking the security alert. He spoke only to confirm his name and address when he stood before senior district judge Emma Arbuthnot at Westminster Magistrates' Court. He entered no plea to the charge of unlawfully and maliciously making or possessing an unspecified explosive substance with an intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property. A drive-by shooting in North Carolina has left a 12-year-old girl dead and a three-year-old child fighting for his life, police said. Jalinda Campbell and Kyleigh Graham were shot as they as on the porch of a home around 4pm on Friday, Southern Pines Police Chief Bob Temme said. Jalinda died in FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Kyleigh Graham was flown by helicopter to Duke University Medical Center after he was shot in the neck. Jalinda Campbell (pictured), 12, was shot and killed in a drive by shooting in North Carolina on Friday Kyleigh Graham, a three-year-old, was also shot in the neck, but is expected to survive his injuries His condition has reportedly stabilized since arriving at the hospital. The two children are not related. One witness told ABC 11, she counted at least six shots fired at the time the children were hit. 'It was like pow-pow-pow! I know I counted maybe six, but it was more than that,' Keisha Miller told the station. Miller said she ran over to help the children after the shooting. 'The baby, his eyes were wide open. He was looking very alert, obviously very scared. The girl was trying to get up, but we were trying to keep her still,' Miller said. Police don't believe the children were the intended targets and believe two guns were used in the shooting. Police don't believe the children were the intended targets and believe two guns were used in the shooting Police said they believe they know who the shooter's target was but they are not releasing the person's identity They also said they know who the intended target was but they are not releasing the person's identity. No suspects are in custody yet. Police say they are looking for two men in connection with the shootings. 'We don't know the total number of suspects, but based on the two different calibers of shell casing we recovered, we believe there were two different guns that were used,' Temme said. A statement put out by the department said: 'The families of Jalinda Campbell and Kyleigh Graham are suffering an overwhelming grief and heartache. 'The Southern Pines Police Department shares the pain and sorrow felt by these families, as does our entire community.' A homeless Donald Trump supporter fell over in an ugly confrontation with bystanders who harassed her for standing guard over his Hollywood Walk of Fame star with inflammatory signs. In videos posted on social media, one man appeared to physically intimidate her, while others ripped up her signs, which criticized Obama and read 'F*** Mexico'. While the crowd jeered at her even after she fell and lay prone on the sidewalk, the Los Angeles Police Department said the woman incited the crowd with racial slurs. But police are now looking to interview her so they can write a misdemeanor battery report on her behalf, and Trump attorney Michael Cohen was trying to track her down because the Donald 'has a gift for her'. Repairs on Trump's star had been underway after millionaire activist James Otis, 52, wore a construction outfit and smashed the stone with a pick-ax. A homeless Donald Trump supporter stood over his Hollywood Walk of Fame star with inflammatory signs that criticized Obama and declared 'F*** Mexico' In videos posted on social media, one man appeared to physically intimidate her, while others ripped up her signs The crowd jeered at her even after she fell and lay prone on the sidewalk, but the Los Angeles Police Department said the woman incited the crowd with racial slurs "TOLERANT LIBERALS" This is the lady I was defending 2 days ago. We are trying to find her. If you are in Los Angeles & see her pls dm me. pic.twitter.com/UU7FcG4ix1 josh is a (@JoshLeCash) October 29, 2016 Trump attorney Michael Cohen was trying to track her down suggesting the Donald wanted to reward her for her support The woman protecting the star, whose name has not been released by the Los Angeles Police Department, displayed a sign that read: 'Donald Trump - keeping it real'. One sign stated twenty million illegals and Americans sleep on the streets in tents while another read: 'U motherf***ers know!!! Take care home first. F*** Mexico' Yet another declared: 'Obama threw our black a**es under the bus.' In one video posted by the DJ Josh LeCash, several people surrounded the homeless woman, calling her a b**** while others threw her signs on the ground and ripped them up. She tried to collect her belongings in a rolling cart when she fell over and remained on the ground while numerous people continued yelling at her. Some suggested she was acting hurt, while another man warned: 'Don't touch her! Let her be!' Another man knelt down and lectured: 'Didn't I tell you five minutes ago, that somebody was going to walk by here and no, I wasn't going to defend you. 'Because you spewed hate, and you got hate. You got exactly what you were dishing out,' he said. Several members of the crowd started yelling, 'Where's Donald at?' taunting her over her support for the presidential candidate. But Trump attorney Michael Cohen tweeted his followers in an attempt to find the homeless woman, suggesting the presidential candidate wanted to reward her for her support. DJ Josh LeCash, who claims to have 'studied winning' at Trump University on Facebook, shared his account of the incident on social media Repairs on Trump's star had been underway after millionaire activist James Otis, 52, wore a construction outfit and smashed the stone with a pick-ax Repairs had been underway and tensions reached a boiling point when the homeless woman LeCash, who claims to have 'studied winning' at Trump University on Facebook, wrote that he tried to defend the woman. He said: 'Earlier tonight on Hollywood and Highland, I went to go check out the vandalized Donald Trump Walk of Fame star. 'When I got there, there was a huge crowd surrounding a black homeless woman (mob-mentality fashion) berating and making fun of her. THEY EVEN MADE FUN OF HER HOMELESSNESS. 'I tried defending her and hit the crowd back with some questions / facts (when does that ever matter?) No the crowd weren't a bunch of redneck white trash racists. 'They were a group of young diverse millennial liberals who couldn't handle a black homeless female Trump supporter. I thought they were supposed to be tolerant of other people's beliefs?' Otis was arrested for felony vandalism and is due in court on November 18, authorities said Otis told reporters a short time after he was released from jail on $20,000 bail that he did it to show support for women who have accused Trump of groping them The video prompted angry calls to police asking why they didn't intervene. LAPD Officer Tony Im said Friday that the woman incited the crowd with racial slurs and police at the scene 'kept the peace.' The LAPD will look for the woman to interview her, with Im adding: 'If she's a victim, she has a right to come forward.' Koali Fikator, who posted videos of the incident on YouTube that have since been removed, said the woman eventually got up and made a new sign disparaging Mexicans and urging people to vote for Trump. Jamie Otis, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of felony vandalism and released on bail. A Labour council has been branded 'publicity seeking' after demanding migrants be sheltered in their area - then refusing to house them or foot the bill when they arrived. Hammersmith and Fulham Council, in wealthy West London, pledged to take in more migrants from Calais. But after 'posturing' the council has organised for the newcomers to stay outside their area, and demanded that the UK government foot the bill for their relocation. Some unaccompanied minor migrants leave the Calais Jungle camp, which has now been levelled. An estimated 1,500 unaccompanied children are believed to be in the area Cllr Harry Phibbs, a Conservative member of Hammersmith and Fulham, has blasted the 'hypocrisy' of his opponents. He said: 'There has been a lot of talk of being moral and caring but there's been very little practical action. 'In a way the main point would be the hypocrisy, they are saying 'we've got to show how moral and caring we are, but when it comes down to it we won't do anything practical to help'. 'I think it's political posturing and publicity seeking.' The Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council's policy to welcome more unaccompanied child migrants was prompted by its leader visiting the Jungle camp in Calais. Council Leader Stephen Cowan pledged to shelter vulnerable migrants in his West London borough after seeing first hand their terrible living conditions. It is believed that so far Hammersmith and Fulham have welcomed five newcomers to the council area - and they have been put into foster care elsewhere. The government rather than the council will now pay for the housing, healthcare and education of the new arrivals. Cllr Cowan has said the challenge is now to find a home for 'every single one' of the 1,500 children in Calais, after being moved by their plight. His council has pledged to help 15 individuals stranded in France. A council spokeswoman has denied that the authority has refused to house immigrants from the Jungle camp in the borough. She said : 'Claims that Hammersmith & Fulham Council has refused to house children from Calais are simply not true. Cllr Stephen Cowan, left, was moved to bring migrants to Hammersmith and Fulham after visiting the camps in Calais. Cllr Harry Phibbs has criticised the 'hypocricy' of the council 'We've never refused to house refugee children from Calais and there is no evidence to support the claim that we have. 'In fact, the Home Office has confirmed that it received our letter confirming we will take an additional 15 refugee children from the Calais camp on top of those refugee children that we already take under the government's voluntary National Transfer Scheme. 'It is also not true that we have asked the government to fund the cost of moving any children. 'The chaos in the government's assessment processes and their administration of this crisis is the only reason there are still hundreds of unaccompanied children in Calais and the only reason we don't currently have more Calais children being cared for by Hammersmith & Fulham. We are ready and waiting to take more.' Conservative Cllr Harry Phibbs has rebuked the 'virtue signalling' of the council. He said: 'It's like these all these celebrities you get going to Calais which is not very far to go - they have taken hardly any people after demanding more be taken, for all their posturing. 'Also, rather than more publicity stunts perhaps we should be taking them from the camps in Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey - where they have been driven out by ISIS. There been a lot of virtue signalling about how caring they are, but not much being done.' In another incident, the girl was told to dress like a colonial for excursion The class was shown a video of a dead Aboriginal man She said the girl was upset when she was told to sit outside of history class The mother of an Aboriginal girl has taken racial discrimination action against her 10-year-old daughter's private school. The mother, who is also a teacher, lodged a complaint against a teacher and staff member from Ipswich Girls Grammar School with the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal. She said her daughter was embarrassed when she was told by her teacher to sit outside during a history class because of a YouTube video that showed a dead Aboriginal man,The Courier Mail reported. The mother of a 10-year-old Aboriginal school girl has taken racial discrimination action against Ipswich Girls Grammar School (pictured) The teacher said she was trying to be accommodating of the girl's culture of not naming the dead and gave her the choice to watch the video. 'We, her parents, had never given the school any indication that (our daughter) is unable to participate in any academic or school activities for cultural reasons,' the mother said in a statement. The teacher also refuted any claims she bullied the student by submitting a card she gave her that read: 'thank you for a great year in your class.' Ipswich Girls Grammar School denies any claims of racial and cultural discrimination at the school and by the teacher. However, the parents claim their daughter has been subject to racial discrimination and a culturally insensitive curriculum for the past six years. The parents claim their daughter has been subject racial discrimination and a culturally insensitive curriculum. The case is to be heard at the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (pictured) In another incident, the mother said her daughter was teased when she did not dress 'like a colonial' for a history class excursion. The girl's father said the colonial era represented 'massacres, displacement and genocide' of the Aboriginal people. 'Asking an Aboriginal student to dress like a colonial was offensive, racist and discriminatory,' the mother said. The news that Nissan has decided to stay put in Sunderland will have been greeted with a huge sigh of relief, not just by those in the North East, but by all those whose jobs depend on a thriving car industry in Britain. As Trade and Industry and later Business Secretary, I fought as hard as anyone to land Japanese, American and Indian investments and secure their expansion over many years. These companies located here because Britain is a good place in which to do business, and offers major advantages for onward trade into the rest of Europe. Lord Mandelson shares his views on business in Britain after this week thousands of jobs were saved when Japanese car manufacturer Nissan decided to keep its base in Sunderland The trade unions could not have co-operated more whole-heartedly and the British taxpayer helped make these investments happen in a number of direct and indirect ways. I am not against government financial support if that is ultimately what is necessary to keep Nissan in Britain. But what about other companies and sectors of the economy threatened with higher costs and trade barriers as a result of Brexit? If the taxpayer is called upon repeatedly, the NHS, schools and other services will go short. Let me be very clear: Brexit was not the result I wanted. Today I feel torn between head and heart. In my head I respect the decision to leave the EU. My heart, though, is in turmoil because I do not think it is in Britains fundamental national interest for exactly the reasons Theresa May spelled out in private when talking to business leaders before the referendum. Theresa May (pictured) was clear if leaving the EU meant no longer being in Europes 500-million-consumer single market, we had to stay in Mrs May was clear: if leaving the EU meant no longer being in Europes 500-million-consumer single market, we had to stay in. We are leaving the European Union because there is a mandate to do so. The terms on which we leave, however, have no clear mandate. For the sake of our economy and future growth, we should stick to the Prime Ministers original prescription and do everything we can in the first instance to find the best terms on which to continue being in the single market. Yes, this would mean continuing to accept many of the costs and conditions of this trade although these would be negotiable but we would no longer be bound by Europes political union. For the Brexit zealots this is unacceptable. They are not just sceptical of the EU, they hate it. For them, a very different future for Britain beckons. Shorn of Europes labour, social and environmental laws, they think we should become a low-tax, de-regulated paradise which would attract businesses because, pretty much, they could do what they like without the standards that apply elsewhere in Europe. They believe that if we undercut everyone else, business will flourish and people around the world will buy goods from us because production costs, including wages, will be lower. This is certainly at odds with the sort of Britain Mrs May said she wanted when she addressed the Conservative Party conference, putting herself on the side of ordinary, working-class families who are just managing. The Prime Minister also praised the single market during the referendum campaign because she knows that it is not just a massive free trade area, it is also a vast factory floor upon which companies manufacture high-value goods across national borders. Tens of thousands of small and medium-sized companies, many of them British, supply these value chains without having to face cumbersome customs procedures, expensive tariffs or regulatory conflicts. Britain has the option of retaining all these advantages outside the EU if we negotiate in the right way. Compromises would have to be made on both sides. There are going to have to be realistic conversations about financial contributions. Nissan: For the sake of our economy and future growth, we should stick to the Prime Ministers original prescription and do everything we can in the first instance to find the best terms on which to continue being in the single market Serious discussions are needed about how to interact with the European Court and resolve disputes around the markets rules. And we will have to negotiate the terms under which we allow mobility of labour between our country and the rest of Europe, much of which we need. For some this is simply a price not worth paying. But if they think we can just dispense with Europe and its single market and rely for our trade on China, India, Latin America and Africa, I say this: be careful what you wish for. Ditch the EU? Just be careful what you wish for We have relatively low levels of trade with these countries precisely because their markets are more inward-looking and protected than Europes, and it will be a long time before their openness to trade with us will compensate for what we risk losing in Europe. These terms of departure from the EU are going to shape our country for the next generation and more. Now the people have spoken, Parliaments job is to reflect the balance of opinion expressed in the referendum and subject these terms to intense analysis, scrutiny and debate. Brexit Secretary David Davis once said, if a democracy cannot change its mind, it ceases to be a democracy Anybody asking questions about our future relationship with our biggest trading partner is dismissed as a Bremoaner. I have been called worse in my time. Daring to claim that the referendum vote doesnt automatically necessitate leaving the worlds largest marketplace results in a torrent of accusations of wanting to deny the democratic will of the British people. BUT as Brexit Secretary David Davis once said, if a democracy cannot change its mind, it ceases to be a democracy. It might not be possible to have our cake and eat it, but lets first find out what we can negotiate with our erstwhile partners before we settle for an inferior arrangement. The public and their elected representatives need to be fully involved. Tony Blair was right to say last week that it would be unacceptable for the Government to turn around in two years, present the country with a fait accompli and expect Parliament and the people to roll over in the face of a bad deal for Britain. The woman bidding to end Zac Goldsmiths political career has launched an outspoken attack on her rivals wealth saying it means he never has to worry about the post-Brexit price of Marmite. Liberal Democrat Sarah Olney is fighting Mr Goldsmith in the by-election he triggered by resigning as a Tory MP after the Government backed a third runway at Heathrow. In her first newspaper interview, Ms Olney took aim at her arch-Brexiteer rival over the millions he inherited from his father, the billionaire financier Sir James Goldsmith. Liberal Democrat Sarah Olney is fighting Mr Goldsmith in the by-election he triggered by resigning as a Tory MP after the Government backed a third runway at Heathrow Mr Goldsmith, now running as an independent, is determined to make the Richmond Park contest all about the nearby airport, but Ms Olney hopes to put the focus on Brexit. In the hard-hitting interview, she: Welcomes Ukips toxic backing for Mr Goldsmith; Urges him not to play dirty, as she says he did in the London mayoral campaign; Warns him not to use the Tory Party machine to help him win; Pledges to help vote down the Governments Brexit plans if she wins. Her attack is the first salvo against her eurosceptic rival in what will be a two-horse race. The Tories are not fielding a candidate, and there is negligible Labour support in the area. Ms Olney said of Mr Goldsmith: The damaging impact of Brexit doesnt matter as much to him as to ordinary people. With his family wealth stashed all over the world in trusts, he is cushioned from the effects. The area needs an MP who understands what it means to families when things like the price of Marmite goes up. Marmites Anglo-Dutch owner, Unilever, has raised the cost of the spread by more than ten per cent, blaming the pounds fall since Junes vote to leave the EU. The jibe is particularly pointed, since Marmite was once owned by Sir James, the founder of the eurosceptic Referendum Party. While both candidates share locals fury over the new runway, Mr Goldsmiths antipathy to Brussels is at odds with the 70 per cent of Richmond voters who backed Remain. In her first newspaper interview, Ms Olney took aim at her arch-Brexiteer rival over the millions he inherited from his father, the billionaire financier Sir James Goldsmith The two candidates could not be more different in background and outlook. Unlike Mr Goldsmith, who was expelled from Eton at the age of 16 after drugs were found in his room, Ms Olney went from a Surrey comprehensive to Kings College London. The 39-year-old accountant lives with her husband Ben, a town planner, and their two children, Isabel, seven, and Rufus, three, at their semi-detached house in North Kingston. Both children attend local state schools. Their second child, Felix, was born in 2011 but tragically died when only a few hours old in his mothers arms. Mr Goldsmith, 41, lives with his second wife, Alice, and their two children in a four-storey property in Barnes worth 3 million. He also has three children with his first wife Sheherazade. He has always refused to discuss his childrens education. The odds are stacked in Mr Goldsmiths favour. He is cushioned by a majority of 23,000 and a poll published on Friday put him 27 points ahead. However, Ms Olney has been handed a publicity coup by Ukips backing of Mr Goldsmith, which led her to brand him the Brexit candidate. Marmites Anglo-Dutch owner, Unilever, has raised the cost of the spread by more than ten per cent, blaming the pounds fall since Junes vote to leave the EU Fridays poll also found that Brexit was a more important issue for local voters than the Heathrow runway. Ms Olney said: Ukip has made sure that it is going to be a Brexit by-election. He is now the Conservative-Ukip candidate. Goldsmith must have his head buried in his hands thinking, God, this is one toxic endorsement I could do without. Who will back him next, Donald Trump? Although popular locally, Mr Goldsmith was trounced by Sadiq Khan in this years London Mayoral contest. His campaign was condemned as racist for linking Muslim Mr Khan to Islamic terrorists. Ms Olney said her party was anticipating him fighting dirty again, and said: I would appeal to his better nature and hope that he would run a clean campaign. She also warned: He cant be using any canvassing data collected by the Conservatives because hes not officially their candidate. If she does win, she will join a rebel alliance of pro-Remain MPs. She said: If the voters return me, I think I would absolutely have a mandate to vote against Article 50 [which triggers EU withdrawal]. They [the Brexiteers] promised cake, and they promised we could eat it. So far I havent seen much cake. She was convicted of the brutal murder of Tracy Muzyk in 1996 A convicted murderer has been found dead weeks after she went missing from her pre-release program. Tara Kehoe, 37, was found dead in Adelaide's southern suburbs of Saturday morning after she went missing from a work program run by the women's prison. Kehoe had been taking part in a pre-release program at a distribution centre in Northfield, north of Adelaide, when she was reported missing on October 7, The Advertiser reported. Tara Kehoe, 37, was found dead on Saturday morning in Adelaide's southern suburbs. Her death is not being treated as suspicious The investigation into her death is still in the early stages, however, it is not being treated as suspicious. Her relatives have been notified. Kehoe was considered to be a low-risk inmate who was eligible for release. In December 1996, Kehoe and four others were charged with the brutal murder of 18-year-old Tracy Muzyk. Kehoe and four others were charged with the brutal murder of 18-year-old Tracy Muzyk in December 1996 She was sentenced to 15-and-a-half years after her original punishment was reduced from 18-years Ms Muzyk suffered cigarette burns, burns from boiling water and beaten with a rock. She was stabbed with a fence post and found dead four days later in West Lakes High School oval. Michael Gove's 11-year-old son was found wandering the corridors of a bed and breakfast after the axed minister left him alone for six hours to party with celebrities, it emerged today. The former secretary of state and his wife Sarah Vine are said to have handed responsibility for their boy over to hotel workers and told them they would be back from the glitzy party by 9.30pm. But when they didn't return, the 11-year-old searched the hotel for them and he was found by a night porter. Boris Johnson's sister Rachel confirmed the story today but defended the Goves, insisting their son wasn't alone but was looking after the family's two dogs. Michael Gove's 11-year-old son is said to have been found wandering the corridors of a bed and breakfast after the axed minister reportedly left him alone for six hours to party with celebrities The couple are said to have failed to answer calls, and The Sunday Mirror reported they didn't show up until 1.30am. Ms Johnson, a newspaper columnist, admitted she was with the couple partying until the early hours. She told the Andrew Marr Show today: 'Can I just say in their defence, the only reason they left their son is because he was babysitting their two dogs. 'They left the dogs as well. I think it's absolutely fine.' Explaining the circumstances, Ms Johnson added: 'We were both invited to the Sunday Times Cheltenham Literary Festival where we did a very jolly event together.' The former secretary of state and his wife Sarah Vine handed responsibility for their boy over to hotel workers and said they would be back from the glitzy party by 9.30pm She revealed she and the Goves danced together to Robin Thicke's controversial hit Blurred Lines. A source close to Mr Gove told the Sunday Mirror that they didn't see what the fuss was about as they had felt their son had been perfectly safe and said he had been happy to stay in the B&B while his parents went out. Ms Johnson admitted she was partying with the Goves at the party until around 1. It is believed Mr Gove had ben spotted dancing at the celebrity party after comedian Dom Joly tweeted: 'Amazing party at @131TheProm celebrating end of Chelt Lit Fest only slightly ruined by the sight of the loathsome Michael Gove dancing.' Also among the other guest was writer of political comedy The Thick Of It Armando Iannucci who is understood to have given a talk at the festival the following day and where he name-dropped Mr Gove and his moves on the dance floor. Mr Gove and Ms Vine had been staying at the 250-a-night No.38 in Cheltenham, and a source told The Sunday Mirror the couple had gone out between 6pm and 7pm. They had checked in on October 14 and the party was the following night. Boris Johnson's sister Rachel confirmed the story today but defended the Goves, insisting their son wasn't alone but was looking after the family's two dogs The Government's own guidelines state under-12s should not be left to fend for themselves for a long period of time due to them 'rarely being mature enough'. However, the law does not specify an age children can be left on their own, although parents can be prosecuted but only if an unsupervised child is placed in a position 'in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to health'. An official spokesman told the Mirror tonight they believed their son to be a mature and confident secondary school pupil and that he was happy to stay in the hotel room under staff supervision because he preferred to watch TV than go out for dinner. He added they had no mobile phone reception because they were in the basement bar and that staff knew how to get hold of them in an emergency. None of the emails were exchanged directly between Abedin and Clinton FBI is determining if classified information obtained by Abedin could have been accessed on her computer or forwarded on to unprotected accounts Abedin said her attorneys were the ones who determined 'what was federal record' and needed to be turned into the State Department She gave two laptops, a Blackberry and some paper 'files' from her apartment to her attorneys to review Abedin said in June 2016 she looked for all devices she may have used to send and receive emails while working for Clinton at State Department Huma Abedin swore under oath that she had given up all the devices she believed contained State Department emails on them, it has been revealed. The information came to light just a day after it was revealed the FBI found government-related emails on a laptop Abedin shared with her disgraced husband, Anthony Weiner. If Abedin did lie, she could be charged with perjury, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. Detectives seized the laptop, which contains 'tens of thousands of emails', in a separate investigation involving alleged sexts Weiner sent to a 15-year-old girl. In June 2016, Abedin said she had looked for all the devices she may have used to send and receive emails while working for Clinton at the State Department. She sat for hours of depositions last summer as part of the civil lawsuit filed against the State Department by Judicial Watch. Huma Abedin swore under oath that she had given up all the devices she believed contained State Department emails on them, it has been revealed The information came to light just a day after it was revealed the FBI found government-related emails on a shared laptop Abedin shared with her disgraced husband, Anthony Weiner Abedin said she then gave the devices - two laptops, a Blackberry and some 'files' found in her apartment - to her attorneys 'for them to review all relevant documents', according to the Daily Beast. The devices were requested as part of a lawsuit by the conservative watchdog Judicial Watch and were later reviewed by the FBI. Abedin then told Judicial Watch attorney Ramona Cotca that she was 'not involved in the process' of selecting what documents on her devices would be given to the State Department. She said she asked her attorneys 'to find whatever they thought was relevant and appropriate, whatever was their determination as to what was a federal record'. 'And they did,' she added. 'They turned the materials in, and I know they did.' Abedin, one of Clinton's most trusted aides, said she conducted 'the majority' of her work at her computer and Blackberry but also gave her attorneys the login and password to her personal 'Clintonmail.com' account. She said she relied on her State Department email for the 'vast majority' of her work, but admitted there were occasions she used the Clintonmail.com account for 'State-related matters'. The FBI is determining if classified information obtained by Abedin could have been accessed on her computer. None of the emails were exchanged directly between Abedin and Clinton 'As I said, I wasn't perfect,' Abedin said. 'I tried to do all of my work on State.gov. And I do believe I did the majority of my work on State.gov.' 'And many of the instances where I was on Clinton email, it was because I had forwarded something from a State.gov account into Clinton email.' 'In other instances, from my Clinton email I was communicating with somebody who was on a State.gov account and it was captured from there. Detectives seized the laptop in a separate investigation involving alleged sexts Weiner sent to a 15-year-old girl 'I did the best I could to do everything right.' Abedin said she rarely deleted emails from either of the accounts. 'The emails on my State Department system existed on my computer, and I didn't have a practice of managing my mailbox other than leaving what was in there sitting in there,' she said. 'I didn't go into my emails and delete State.gov emails. They just lived on my computer.' John Podesta, Clinton's campaign chairman, said on Saturday Abedin had the campaign's full support. 'Huma completely and voluntarily complied with and cooperated with the investigation. She sat for a hours long interview. 'She turned over and went through with her lawyers all of the emails that might possibly be relevant and turned them over to the state department and investigators. 'Theres absolutely nothing shes done that we think calls into question anything that shes done. Shes been fully cooperative. We of course stand behind her,' he told DailyMail.com. The FBI must now determine if classified information obtained by Abedin could have been accessed on her computer or forwarded on to unprotected accounts. None of the emails were exchanged directly between Abedin and Clinton. FBI Director James Comey gave no indication of how long the revived investigation would last as he made his announcement on Friday. John Podesta, Clinton's campaign chairman, said on Saturday Abedin had the campaign's full support. Meanwhile, Clinton has slammed James Comey for not releasing more information He was slammed by peers for releasing it publicly with 11 days to go before the election. In a memo to staff, however, he said he had chosen to disclose the decision so as not to 'mislead the American people'. 'I feel an obligation to do so given that I testified repeatedly in recent months that our investigation was completed. 'I also think it would be misleading to the American people were we not to supplement the record. At the same time, however given that we don't know the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails, I don't want to create a misleading impression. 'In trying to strike that balance, in a brief letter and in the middle of an election season, there is significant risk of being misunderstood, but I wanted you to hear directly from me about it.' Abedin has not been as yet accused or charged with any crime and the revived investigation does not suggest she has committed any. A Tory crime tsar has provoked anger by taking a selfie with a fire chief in front of the blaze that has destroyed Englands oldest hotel. Alison Hernandez was photographed posing with Lee Howell, the Chief Fire Officer for Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, as the ancient Royal Clarence Hotel in Exeter burned behind them. Mr Howell, who is seen in full protective gear in the picture, was in charge of fighting the blaze which broke out on Friday and was finally contained yesterday. The Royal Clarence, which dates back to 1769, was devastated by the fire. Alison Hernandez was photographed posing with Lee Howell, the Chief Fire Officer for Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, as the ancient Royal Clarence Hotel in Exeter burned behind them As Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon & Cornwall, Mrs Hernandez has no responsibility for live operations so had no need to be at the scene of the blaze, which also destroyed an art gallery and threatened other historic buildings near Exeter Cathedral. Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw said: Im not sure this is appropriate behaviour for our Police and Crime Commissioner. Taking selfies with senior fire officers during such a tragedy when they may have more important things to do is not in the best of taste. Im sure Mrs Hernandez will reflect on this and apologise. Her actions were branded utterly contemptible in a Twitter post by the former mayor of nearby Dawlish, Howard Almond. Other Twitter users accused her of rubbernecking. Mrs Hernandez did not post her photograph on social media but did upload two pictures of workers at the scene, writing that some had been on duty for 12 hours. She said she had gone down to the scene of the fire in Exeters Cathedral Green to give thanks to the emergency services. The Royal Clarence, which dates back to 1769, was devastated by the fire She added: It is an extremely sad day for Exeter, so this is not an appropriate time to respond to Mr Bradshaws comments. Mrs Hernandez, who is paid 85,000 a year, has been under investigation since she took up her role in May over claims that she failed to declare expenses fully as a Conservative agent at last years General Election. Leading Brexit campaigner Michael Gove is today revealed as the man falsely smeared by Theresa Mays Cabinet enforcer as having had a gay affair. Tory Chief Whip Gavin Williamson, who was an aide to former Prime Minister David Cameron, is also accused of having described Mrs May as a charisma free b****. The Mail on Sunday has been informed that Williamson said in Downing Street that Gove had had a homosexual relationship with personal and political ally Dominic Cummings, chief strategist of the Leave campaign in the EU referendum. Tory Chief Whip Gavin Williamson, who was an aide to former Prime Minister David Cameron, is also accused of having described Mrs May as a charisma free b****' Both Gove and Cummings are happily married with children and this newspaper understands the allegation to be totally baseless. Asked to respond to the claim that he said Gove and Cummings had had a gay affair, Mr Williamson said last night: I do not comment on malicious rumours. He categorically denied calling Mrs May a charisma free b****, adding: She is doing a fantastic job and I am proud to be a member of her Cabinet. Williamsons alleged insult against Mrs May is said to have occurred after her speech to the Tory conference last year, when her comments on immigration angered some of Camerons allies. The Mail on Sunday first reported Williamsons alleged gay smear last week, without identifying Gove and Cummings. It led to several Tory MPs approaching this newspaper to accuse Williamson of bullying. One said: He is a thug with a nasty streak. Others defended him. One said: A Chief Whip has to be tough, those who dont like it should grow up. In an unexpected move in his column in The Times on Friday, Gove publicly stated that he was the unnamed Minister in our report albeit with tongue in cheek. He wrote: Last week, The Mail on Sunday reported the rumour that a former Minister, a prominent Leave campaigner, had shocked his wife by falling in love with a married man. The paper said the allegation was untrue. They were wrong. The rumour is true. The ex-Minister is me. Mischievous Gove, who did not name Williamson as having made the remark, went on to say the man he was in love with was former Labour MP Ed Balls for his exploits on Strictly Come Dancing. Williamsons alleged smear of Gove and Cummings was made when he was Camerons parliamentary private secretary his Commons eyes and ears at the height of the EU referendum campaign this year. The controversial but successful tactics deployed by Gove and Vote Leave chief strategist Cummings caused fury in No 10. Asked to respond to the claim that he said Gove and Cummings had had a gay affair, Mr Williamson said last night: I do not comment on malicious rumours Cameron was livid with close friend Goves betrayal over Brexit. And there is a long-standing mutual loathing between Cummings, Goves adviser as Education Secretary, and Cameron. Cummings has made no secret of his contempt for Cameron, who initially banned him from working for Gove when he was Education Secretary, where they formed a powerful partnership. Cameron called Cummings a career psychopath. Cummings volatile personality led to frequent rows in the Vote Leave camp, but even critics concede his mad genius was a vital factor in its success. Despite his low profile, Williamson is one of the most powerful members of Mrs Mays Cabinet, showing her the same fierce loyalty he displayed to Cameron. When Cameron resigned as Prime Minister after the referendum, Williamson switched sides to back Mrs May. When she became Prime Minister, he was rewarded with the plum job of Chief Whip and he is the only Cabinet Minister to attend her daily morning meeting at No 10 with her inner circle. As Chief Whip, Williamson is responsible for enforcing discipline among Ministers and Tory MPs and guarding against potential scandals. The influential Conservative Home website compared him to Francis Urquhart, played by actor Ian Richardson, the fictitious villainous Chief Whip in the 1980s British TV series House Of Cards. But his rapid promotion together with claims of wild remarks has earned him backbench Tory enemies. One said: There is great resentment that a man who only became an MP in 2010 and has never spoken from the Commons dispatch box as a Minister, now lords it over everyone in such an arrogant fashion. He shoots his mouth off and is very rude. When he eventually returns to the backbenches, he will be a very lonely man. Since being condemned for sabotaging his Vote Leave ally Boris Johnsons Tory leadership bid, Gove has tried to rehabilitate his political reputation. It led to a bruising encounter on Sky TV last week with newsman Adam Boulton, who said he had made a prize idiot of himself, goading the MP: What was your biggest mistake, supporting Boris, knifing Boris or thinking you were fit to be Prime Minister? Gove admitted he made a mistake in abandoning Johnson. But Gove received a major boost when he was elected by fellow Tory MPs to serve on the high-powered Commons Brexit committee, beating outspoken Brexit critic, ex-Conservative Minister Anna Soubry. A senior Tory MP said: It is time to give Michael a second chance. For all his flaws, he remains hugely popular, is likeable and very talented. Taking his punishment like a man in TV interviews shows courage and humility. Mr Gove declined to comment. Mr Cummings could not be contacted. A Downing Street spokesman said of the alleged Theresa May remark: Gavin has made clear he didnt say this. A man who survived a shooting in March that was unintentionally captured on Facebook Live was killed on Friday. Brian Fields, 30, was sitting in his car at a gas station in Chicago, Illinois, with Chiquita Ford, also 30, when a man approached the vehicle and gunned them down in a double homicide, police said. Just months before, Fields was filming himself in the West Englewood neighborhood when he was suddenly shot in the jaw, back, stomach and legs in a video that was broadcast live on social media. Brian Fields, 30, was sitting in his car at a gas station in Chicago, Illinois, with Chiquita Ford, also 30, when a man approached the vehicle and gunned them down On Friday, Fields was shot in the chest, while Ford, a mother of two, was struck in the side, according to police. Both Fields and Ford were pronounced dead on the 1900 block of West Garfield Boulevard, with photos showing the white two-door car with cloths draped over the windows. No one has been arrested so far, and an emotional crowd including friends and family of the two victims gathered at the scene. Domonique Walton, Ford's best friend of more than 20 years, remembered her as a caring and real person, she told the Chicago Tribune. Walton also said Ford had planned to move to Pennsylvania with her daughter, nine, and son, four, in the upcoming days to shield them from Chicago's violence. Fields, who was known by his friends as Sugar Ray, had survived a brutal shooting in March before he was killed by more gun violence. In the Facebook Live video, Fields aimed his cell phone camera at himself while standing outside a closed convenience store at the intersection of 56th Street and Hoyne Avenue. Fields, who was known by his friends as Sugar Ray, had survived a brutal shooting in March that was accidentally captured on Facebook Live Fields was standing outside a closed convenience store when shots rang out and his phone dropped to the ground, capturing a man with a gun (pictured left and right) He joked that he needed it to open to give him 'somewhere to duck and hide for cover' in the West Englewood neighborhood which is populated by gangs. When Fields spun around, the camera captured a few people standing behind him when gunshots suddenly rang out. The phone dropped to the floor, and a man wielding a gun with two arms was captured standing over it as he continued firing at least 16 shots. Fields' mother told the Tribune he was shot in the jaw, back, stomach and legs, and needed a ventilator in the intensive care unit at Mount Sinai Hospital. Anthony Guglielmi, chief spokesman for the Chicago police, said at the time that the shooting was either gang related, or an act of retaliation against Fields, who was convicted of murder in 2009. Ministers are planning a new wave of 100,000 prefab 'modular homes' in an attempt to solve the housing crisis. The scheme's aim is to help Theresa May's Government hit its ambitious housing target of building 1million houses by 2020. It is understood the buildings, known as 'modular homes', will be aimed at youngsters looking to get their feet on the property ladder. A crane is pictured constructing a prefab property in London's Camberwell. Architects PCKO used the Buma system for this colourful block of flats on Wyndham Road, built for the Hyde Housing Association A solitary man can be seen walking in the road adjoining an estate of pre-fabs in Stone Yard Lane, Poplar. They are located near to the railway line The boom in prefab houses will draw comparisons to the scenes seen in Britain in the wake of World War Two The boom in prefab houses will draw comparisons to the scenes seen in Britain in the wake of World War Two. Housing minister Gavin Barwell will make the announcement later today in what is described as a 'huge opportunity' for manufacturers, according to the Telegraph. The Cabinet has already hinted at the prefab houses, announcing earlier this month it would be funding 'accelerated construction' of homes using new developers and pre-built homes to double the speed of building work. Chancellor Philip Hammond said: 'There has been a housing shortage in this country for decades, and this Government is determined to take action to tackle it. 'We'll use all the tools at our disposal to accelerate housebuilding and ensure that over time, housing becomes more affordable, that is why we are committing 2 billion of additional investment towards this.' Theresa May has pledged to build 1million new homes by 2020. Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said earlier in the month: 'If the Government wants to solve our country's housing crisis they will have to do much, much more than the level of investment announced today. 'Experts say we need to be building 300,000 homes a year- double what we currently build. There is a huge task ahead and this announcement is a drop in the ocean. 'Without the Government giving councils and housing associations the ability to borrow more to build by lifting the cap, we simply won't have the new homes we need for the next generation and those in need of affordable housing will lose out. The Option House from WeberHaus can be erected in a day and decorated in a week for just 84,000. German company WeberHaus will show its range of prefab homes for the first time in Britain at the Homes & Property Show Picture of a Guinness Trust 'prefab' house, made in association with George Wimpey Sajid Javid launched a 5billion fund to help build more than 250,000 new homes on October 3. The Communities Secretary wants to build homes on abandoned shopping centres, in run down town centres and other brownfield sites. Two billion of the cash will be spent on building roads and other infrastructure so new building can go ahead. The remaining 1billion of the Home Builders Fund will go in loans to small building companies to kick-start construction. In 2010, Joel White's girlfriend broke up with him and in a bid to win her back, sent her a series of audio recordings he now calls 'crazy' and says make him sound like a 'serial killer'. The couple had left Sydney for Berlin for a fresh start to repair their year-and-a-half old relationship but a month in she left him to return home for a tattooed barista. Devastated and heartbroken, Mr White began making what he called 'audio postcards'. Scroll down for audio Former Sydney man Joel White is revealing the 'audio postcards' he sent to his ex girlfriend after they broke up Mr White has decided to reveal the recordings for everyone to hear so people can learn from his mistakes In one, he said: 'guess who it is. I'll give you a hint. Apparently I've got a really good penis'. A further recording reveals him saying while eating pizza: 'I'm sitting here, wearing your socks that you left behind'. In another he discusses how much water he is drinking and in others he tried to pretend lyrics from the band Pearl Jam were poetry he'd written. After sending his ex about 90 minutes worth of audio, he even flew back to Sydney to try and win her back - to no avail. Now, he is able to look back and realise just how bizarre his behaviour was. He said after receiving the audio - only replying to him a couple of times - his ex probably thought she'd 'dodged a bullet'. Nowadays, Mr White, who lives in London, realises how inappropriate his messages were n a statement to Daily Mail Australia, he said: 'The Berlin Patient is a black box recording of a break up, you get to hear the heartbreak and shame in real time. It's rare' And he's revealing it to the world in a podcast, The Berlin Patient, in a bid to show people 'what not to do' following a break-up. He decided to get some friends, comedians and a therapist together to help analyse his behaviour - and learn a few things along the way. In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, he said: 'The Berlin Patient is a black box recording of a break up, you get to hear the heartbreak and shame in real time. It's rare. It shows the lengths and torment we go through when we're broken up with and why we do what we do because all of us have a stupid break-up. '[It] is mostly a comedy but it also explores all of the mechanics of relationships and breakups, how they affect us, and deals with both the funny side through to the darker side dealing with your mental health when we go temporally insane and do things that aren't rational. 'Not that many people publicise shame or embarrassment. I found these recordings on my laptop at my parents' house and the first time I listened to them I didn't know who that person was talking, because it seemed so foreign. And then I listened to them a little bit later and thought 'people need to hear this,' he told the ABC. 'The thing is, as we discuss in the show, when you're going through a breakup, it does send you temporarily insane. You don't think straight. Looking at it now, years later, on paper, it's literally the worst thing you could ever do to somebody.' 'Everyone has been though a breakup and we all deal with it in different ways. My guests and I analyse what happened and discuss how I could have handled it better,' he told the Daily Telegraph. 'Their main insight is to never do what I have done because I've done it for them. Some other insights include that I'm condescending, I'm resorting to emotional blackmail, and that I sound like a serial killer.' Dealing with the lighter - and darker - sides of his breakup in such a public way, Mr White hopes people will relate to some of it and learn from it. In a statement he said: 'I've been overwhelmed by the response this podcast has been getting. I guess it's because no matter who you are, absolutely everyone has their own breakup stories and I think for that reason it's been something people can really relate to. It shows that breakups, oddly, bring us together'. A young girl got off a school bus last Wednesday and shot herself with a gun on the back porch of her Cable, Ohio, home. Bethany Thompson's mother Wendy Feucht believes the 11-year-old, who earlier survived brain cancer, had been bullied, the Columbus Dispatch reported. Feucht said in an interview with the news outlet: 'I think that she was just done. She didn't feel like anybody could do anything to help her. 'People need to know that even the littlest things can break someone.' Bethany Thompson, pictured, got off a school bus last Wednesday and shot herself with a gun on the back porch of her Cable, Ohio, home. She was 11 years old The day Bethany shot herself - October 19 - she spoke to a female friend, the Columbus Dispatch reported. Feucht recalled: 'She told her she loved her and that she was her best friend forever, but that she was going to kill herself when she got home.' The mother also said that her daughter's friend informed her several peers had frequently teased them. It's unclear who the gun belongs to, the Dispatch reported. Bethany's father and Feucht's ex-husband Paul Thompson told the newspaper in an interview that his daughter went through brain cancer in 2008. Bethany is seen with her mother, Wendy Feucht, in this Facebook photo He said that his daughter's uneven grin was caused by a tumor that was removed. The father said fellow students noticed and several bullied Bethany, explaining: 'I think that's why she took [her life].' Bethany had attended Triad Middle School. Superintendent Chris Piper told the Columbus Dispatch that Bethany was bullied the previous year and it was settled, saying: 'There was no evidence of a pattern of bullying this year.' Piper revealed there are endeavors 'to change the school climate ... and re-evaluate our anti-bullying educational side so that we are able to determine when things go from normal misbehavior to a pattern of bullying and to deter and stop misbehavior'. Bethany's father and Feucht's ex-husband Paul Thompson (pictured with his daughter) said that Bethany's uneven grin was caused by a tumor that was removed An online obituary for Bethany said: 'She was born December 17, 2004 in Marysville, Ohio. Bethany was currently a sixth grader at Triad Local Schools. 'She enjoyed swimming, coloring, shopping - especially Goodwill, music, Super Heroes and Pokemon. 'Every year, she looked forward to attending vacation Bible school and church camp. She loved all animals, horseback riding and her family.' A driver forced to swerve away from another car veering into its lane has crashed into a third vehicle on a busy motorway. Dash cam footage captured and shared by the Patient Truckie shows the moment a white vehicle in the middle lane crosses over into the right lane on the M4 motorway, in western Sydney. As the white vehicle crosses into the right lane, the blue Mazda sedan can be seen veering away from it and into the median strip ditch, trying to avoid a collision. The driver of a blue Mazda swerved out of the way of a white vehicle that crossed over into the right lane from the middle lane The driver of the blue car then tries to steer away from the ditch, but instead looses control and rams into a vehicle in the left lane. The Mazda can be seen crashing into a silver Toyota Tarago in the left lane, just missing the white car that had swerved into the right lane. Both the silver and blue vehicles end up in the left embankment and the driver of the blue car can be seen getting out. The Mazda avoided colliding into the white vehicle, but lost control while trying not to crash into the median strip ditch. Instead it crashed into a silver Toyota Tarago According to the truck driver who uploaded the video, the white car that caused the dramatic collision did not stop. The truck driver also added that those involved in the accident were uninjured. British troops have been warned against using internet fitness apps over fears that IS terrorists could use them for information to mount a sickening Lee Rigby-style attack British troops have been warned against using internet fitness apps over fears that IS terrorists could use them for information to mount a sickening Lee Rigby-style attack. In a series of secret briefings, soldiers based in Britain have been told how jihadists are trying to find out about their running habits so they can plan where and when to target them. Service personnel are among the many joggers who share their favourite routes on websites such as MapMyRun. It has databases of users pictures, times and dates of runs and maps of favourite routes. The details are available to members of MapMyRun and anyone can join the site simply by providing an email address or a link to a Facebook account. The warning comes as troops remain on high alert after the attempted seizure of an airman near RAF Marham, Norfolk, in July. He fought off two men who tried to pull him into a vehicle when he was running alone. A military source said: Apps such as MapMyRun are very popular with troops. But they need to ask themselves if telling the world that they jog along an isolated lane or through a densely wooded area at the same time each week is such a good idea. At a briefing in London, Welsh Guards were told how a security exercise had been staged to illustrate the threat. A source said: Apparently British Special Forces managed to capture a soldier after studying his uploads on a fitness site about where and when he went running. The message was understood loud and clear. Nobody can afford to be flippant about uploading their training routes on these sites. Troops have also been advised to run in pairs. Under cover of darkness, a small group of men armed with rifles and the latest night-vision equipment walk steadily through the heart of the Somerset hills on the edge of Exmoor.Their task? To shoot and kill badgers as part of a Government-backed cull. But they, too, are hunted. Sometimes their paths are blocked or booby-trapped with barbed wire. Fences and gate posts are smeared with faeces by activists desperate to stop their work. The marksmen are incognito, driven through the dark countryside in battered family saloons by former servicemen, picked up and dropped off with military precision. Badgers are being shot as part of Government-backed cull but now the marksmen are also being hunted by activists against the killings Assaults are a constant risk after all, the badger culling programme, aimed at reducing the spread of tuberculosis from the animals to cattle, is one of the most contentious and bitterly disputed issues in the countryside today. Animal rights lobbyists, including celebrities such as guitarist Brian May and conservationist Bill Oddie, refuse to accept that shooting one of our best-loved wild animals is the answer. They say, instead, the cull means the wanton slaughter of a still endangered species. There is at least consensus that something must be done. Over the past decade, the Government has spent 500 million trying to control the problem of bovine TB and the badgers that spread it. English farmers have been forced to destroy 227,835 infected cattle since 2008, putting entire livelihoods at risk. The Badger TB vaccination programme at Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust's Greystones Farm Nature Reserve near Bourton-on-the-Water For activists, the answer is the needle not the bullet a programme of vaccination. But here they have a problem. Because today, The Mail on Sunday can reveal that in key vaccination trials, the number of infected cows has not reduced at all but has in fact risen dramatically. Yet new Defra figures show that in the 12 months to the end of July 2016 the number of cattle culled in Wales as a result of TB was 7,380, an increase of 25 per cent on the same period to July 2015.West Wales is a bovine TB hot spot, but for the past four years badgers in the area have not been shot they have instead been injected. It is a key experiment for the vaccination programme. 400,000 - current badger population across the UK 227,835 - English cattle destroyed due to bovine TB since 2008 3,943 - Badgers culled between 2012 and 2015 6,775 - What is cost to kill each badger Advertisement The heavy losses were equivalent to 20 cattle killed every day of the week. What went wrong with vaccination, a method that, on the face, of it sounds so appealing? There are many possible answers. Some studies suggest that as many as 50 per cent of badgers in high-risk areas carry bovine tuberculosis, which means vaccinating them is pointless. Experts at Strathclyde university say that of the remaining badgers, inoculation is only effective in up to 76 per cent of cases and that it can be as low as 54 per cent Then there is the problem of perturbation, which is to say that vaccinations could disrupt badger setts, forcing the them to disperse and spread the disease. Certainly this seemed to be the pattern at a small-scale vaccine trial, carried out by the National Trust at Killerton, one of its properties in Broadclyst, near Exeter in Devon, between 2011 and 2014. Then, 14 out of 18 tenanted farms covering nearly eight square miles of the estate took part. Six of them contracted the disease, probably due to perturbation, the movement of badgers unsettled by trapping and injection. One dairy farmer, who lost 30 animals, said: We have done everything we possibly can. We have put up special fencing to prevent badgers coming in from outside. I think we have gone too far down the road of inaction because of political sensitivities surrounding the issue. A neighbouring pedigree beef farmer, who also asked not to be named, had only suffered one case of TB in his herd in the previous decade. But he suffered nine cases between July and September. The news is unlikely to persuade the animal rights activists, who point to studies suggesting that the cull, too, is flawed and want the killing of badgers to end come hell or high water. One marksman, who wishes to remain anonymous, has published a rare account of the nightly battle he faces. There are currently around 400,000 badgers across the UK The antis sussed my vehicle which made life difficult. So, we had to use a taxi service which involved cull security men, ex-Royal Marines, driving around in a run-of-the-mill vehicle which we changed every week, he says. Pick-ups and drop-offs were carried out with the vehicle barely stopping before they were away again. It worked a treat. We had the law, the Government and the farmers on our side. When I did come face to face with a bunch of sabs their aim was to square up and try and intimidate you by calling you names and shining a light in your face. They wanted a response and wanted you to lash out, to behave like a mindless thug. Animal rights lobbyists, including celebrities such as guitarist Brian May (pictured) and conservationist Bill Oddie, refuse to accept that shooting one of our best-loved wild animals is the answer Did they save any badgers? Not in my experience. A lot of people in a lot of villages were hounded and harassed. There had been farm gates smeared with human excrement and urine and barbed wire wrapped around gate catches but we accomplished everything we had been tasked with. We hit our targets. And the indications are that he is right. Following the annual six-week culls in West Somerset and Gloucestershire, a leading cattle expert, vets, and farmers have all said that bovine TB rates are falling. It seems some herds are now TB-free for the first time in a generation. They are supported, too, by the latest set of Defra figures for the year ending July 2016 which show that the number of new cases of bovine TB in high-risk areas is down three per cent. The number of new incidents of the disease where official TB free status had to be withdrawn is down by 11 per cent in high-risk areas. Now, with the four-year experimental cull finally coming to an end, Ministers must make a decision as to how bovine TB and the damage it wreaks can be controlled. It is no easy task. They will no doubt take account of the powerful and emotive forces ranged against any resumption of the shooting. Vocal animal rights groups have high-profile backers. Actresses Joanna Lumley and Jenny Seagrove and poet Benjamin Zephaniah as well as Brian May and Bill Oddie and their many followers have all expressed passionate disapproval. We all want to defeat bovine TB, says Oddie. Killing badgers is not the way. We must not be over-ruled by a misguided and arrogant minority. This is NOT about politics, it is about living creatures including humans. Family of badgers in garden in Harpenden, Hertsfordshire I have never known an issue which has provoked such wide-spread disapproval and disgust from NGOs, scientists, the public and indeed many farmers and politicians. For a majority of those working the land, however, the solution is no longer in doubt: and however distressing, it means eradicating infected setts at the barrel of a gun. One cattle vet who works extensively in the cull zone in West Somerset, said: Before the cull started about 90 per cent of the herds were infected but since the cull started that figure has dropped by up to two-thirds. I was appalled at the level of suffering in cattle, and the number being slaughtered because of bovine TB was unacceptable. We had to do something. I know it wont be popular but the figures are now speaking for themselves. There are also anecdotal reports of the numbers of hedgehogs being on the increase in this area now and the number of groundnesting birds, such as skylarks, which were preyed on by badgers, is also rising. Bill Oddie is also campaigning for the killing to stop For Roger Blowey, a farm animal vet who has spent 47 years tackling bovine TB in west Gloucestershire and an acclaimed animal scientist, the answer is clear. He said: Vaccination as a strategy has been shown not to have worked anywhere in the world. Not one badger can be proved to have been protected by being vaccinated. All it does is retard the disease. You could argue it prevents a badger becoming a super excretor, an animal so riddled with the disease it is highly infectious. But there is another side to that. It can live a lot longer and is therefore able to infect cattle, albeit at a lower rate, but for far longer. I am of the opinion that all the scientific studies which have been carried out on cattle have failed to show any significant benefits from vaccination. The Welsh are now abandoning it too and starting to cull. A recent study suggests we will not see the peak effect of the current cull until 2023, but these figures appear to show something is at work already. Despite the constant harrassment, the marksman, too, is confident about the results. What is clear is that the cull has been a success and all of us that took part are happy to have played a part in such a crucial project, he says. I think the cull company, the Government and the farmers union got it right. We had the best advice, the best support and the best equipment. The antis might have made their point but Im not sure anyone is still listening. If I could do it all again I would and if I get asked to go to another zone I will go happily. Uber driver Westagne Pierre is facing kidnapping and assault charges An Uber driver is facing kidnapping and assault charges after taking an unconscious female passenger to a motel instead of dropping her off at home, police said. Westagne Pierre picked up a passenger on October 18 who had blacked out after her friend ordered an Uber to drive her from a bar in Washington DC to her home in Fairfax County, Virginia, charging records state. Pierre took her home before he drove to the Budget Inn in College Park, Maryland, where surveillance footage showed him carrying the passenger into a room, the Washington Post reported. Police said the Uber driver first drove east from the District to the woman's home, before going 20 miles in the opposite direction to the motel. Surveillance video showed Pierre first entering the motel's lobby to pay for a room, before he pulled the woman from the back seat of the car, according to charging documents cited by the Post. Pierre made sure the passenger's feet were not touching the ground when he carried her into the room, the documents state. They remained inside until he made a trip to a 7-Eleven, where he used the woman's American Express card to make a $14 purchase, FOX reported. Pierre was arrested after police matching surveillance images to his driver's license, and his was released on $250 bond. Surveillance video showed him carrying the woman into a room (general view of Budget Inn in College Park, Maryland) His attorney Esteban Gergely denied there was a lack of consent telling the Washington Post: 'Shes saying she doesnt remember anything. 'If she doesnt remember anything, she certainly doesnt remember saying, "I dont want these things to happen."' He also added: 'The facts of the case are very peculiar and they fall extremely short of being incriminating.' Uber removed Pierre as a driver on the app when the woman reported him on October 19. A pioneering female hedge-fund manager was found dead in her $1.6 million condo at Trump Plaza in West Palm Beach, Fla., hours after police responded to a loud domestic dispute with her husband, a Wall Street financial guru who has often appeared on CNN, CNBC and Bloomberg TV. DailyMail.com has learned that E. Lee Hennessee, 64, was found by her husband and business partner, stock markets media pundit and millionaire Charles Gradante, when he returned home Saturday allegedly after spending the night at a local hotel. The 71-year-old Gradante, according to a law enforcement source, left the condo for the night late Friday after Hennessee called West Palm Beach Police during a domestic spat. Tragedy: E. Lee Hennessee, 64, was found dead by her husband Charles Gradante (pictured together earlier this year) Cops responded to their 24th floor condo. When cops arrived, they saw no sign of violence but noticed Hennessee appeared to have been drinking heavily. The source said Hennessee was so drunk that the police officers worried about her health and called a West Palm Beach Fire Rescue ambulance. Paramedics checked on Hennessee in the apartment but did not take her to the hospital. Hennessee was allegedly left alone for the night. When Gradante returned about noon Saturday, he reported finding her dead on the floor of the living room. Her body was taken to the Palm Beach County Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy. Final results wont be known for several weeks. West Palm Police Spokeswoman Lori Colombino confirmed a woman was found dead at Trump Plaza but didnt identify her. She also said the death is not considered suspicious. Family spokesman Chase Scott confirmed Hennessee passed away and said Gradante was her partner in all senses of the word. 'It wasnt just a marriage,' Scott said. 'They were partners in life and business and in their outreach to help those experiencing strife and prejudice. Lee was a Christian and a true woman of faith.' Domestic dispute: Gradante (pictured left), according to a law enforcement source, left the condo for the night late Friday after Hennessee (right) called police during a domestic spat Gradante and Hennessee were married in 1992. For each, it was a second marriage. Soon, they partnered in the business world as well and created the Hennessee Group, which in the late 1990s, ran a hedge fund with $1.6 billion in investors money. Hennessee made her place in a mans world of high finance at a time when women rarely became hedge fund managers. By 2007, she was named one of New Yorks 50 most powerful women by New York magazine. Hennesse was also involved in charities as well as politics. She was the campaign chair of Republican presidential candidate Elizabeth Dole in 1999. Hennessee and Gradante were spending an increasing amount of time in the Palm Beach area since they sold the company in 2012. They first bought in the luxury West Palm condo building once owned by presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2001, according to records. An Alabama A&M University student has started a food pantry at the school to help classmates struggling with hunger. Justin Franks, 20, is the full-time student running the donation-based pantry at the school. Franks, who works three part-time jobs including serving as a desk assistant in his dorm, said he begun collecting items after he noticed students were going to bed hungry. 'They didn't have any food. The cafeteria here closes pretty early, and a lot of students here don't have the money to go outside of campus to eat. I wanted to cater to those students,' Franks told ABC News. Justin Franks (pictured), an Alabama A&M University student, started a food pantry at the school to help classmates struggling with hunger Franks, who works three part-time jobs including serving as a desk assistant in his dorm, said he begun collecting items after he noticed students were going to bed hungry Franks started the pantry out of his own pocket. He spent $40 on instant noodles and Capri Sun He says he specifically runs the pantry after the cafeteria closes - at 6pm - until 11pm. 'A lot of students are busy and might not have time to get to the cafeteria before it closes, but it's important they still get to eat,' he said. Franks started the pantry out of his own pocket. He spent $40 on instant noodles and Capri Sun. Since his first generous donation, others have followed suit. He posted about the pantry on Facebook and said dozens of people began bringing him items, including members of Greek life, alumni and other community members. He posted about the pantry on Facebook and said dozens of people began bringing him items, including members of Greek life, alumni and other community members 'A lot of students are busy and might not have time to get to the cafeteria before it closes, but it's important they still get to eat,' he said Franks said the reception to the food pantry has been outstanding and many students have approached him to tell him how grateful they are The donations are being kept in an old mail room, which has meals, snacks, drinks and personal hygiene products. Franks said the reception to the food pantry has been outstanding and many students have approached him to tell him how grateful they are. Billy Bush has returned to social media nearly two weeks after first confirming he was leaving The Today Show. The scandalized host lost his gig at the NBC talk show after he was caught on a hot mic conversation with Donald Trump during a 2005 Access Hollywood interview. Bush now appears to be back in his old stomping grounds of Southern California, posting a selfie on Instagram while hiking with his wife Sydney Davis. 'Hiking with lady long legs,' he wrote in the caption. 'Nice to get out.' Billy Bush has returned to social media nearly two weeks after he first confirmed he was leaving the Today Show, posting a hiking selfie with his wife Sydney Davis Although Bush seems to be back on social media, he has not yet changed his Instagram bio It was the first photo Bush, 45, had shared on Instagram in three weeks. His last picture had showed the smiling host surrounded by Today Show viewers and holding a plate of bacon. 'If you invite the viewers in and give them bacon they will watch you forever,' he wrote in the caption. 'That's my strategy.' Although Bush is back on social media, he has not yet changed his Instagram bio, which still reads: 'William Bush Philanthropist. Cyclist. Botanist. Centrist. Zoologist. Today Show 9am anchor.' Bush, who worked at Access Hollywood for 15 years, had only held his new job at Today for two months when he was given the boot following the Trump scandal. Matt Lauer confirmed Bush's contract had been terminated 'effective immediately' on an episode of the Today Show last week. 'NBC News announced last night that Billy Bush would be leaving the Today Show effective immediately, noting that he was a valued colleague and longtime member of the broader NBC family,' said Lauer, reading from a teleprompter. The scandalized host lost his gig at the NBC talk show this month after he was caught on a hot mic conversation with Donald Trump during a 2005 Access Hollywood interview It seems Bush has been busy trying to return to life in Los Angeles, even putting up his luxury Manhattan townhouse on the market for $8.2million Lauer closed out by saying: 'All of us here at Today wish Billy the very best.' Tamron Hall also acknowledged Bush's departure later in the show, saying: 'As a longtime member of the NBC family, we wish Billy all the best as he moves forward.' Bush said in a statement following the announcement that he was 'deeply grateful' for the conversations he'd had with his three teenage daughters. 'I look forward to what lies ahead,' he added. Although speculation has swirled regarding where Bush might go next - including to the rumored future Trump TV - he has not yet confirmed his next step. Instead it seems Bush has been busy trying to return to life in Los Angeles, even putting up his luxury Manhattan townhouse on the market for $8.2million. Bush had purchased the building for $8.8million just last December. It was initially reported that Bush walked away from NBC with $10million, but both his lawyer and additional sources said the figure was inaccurate. Instead it is believed NBC would only pay some of the remainder of Bush's $3million-a-year contract, according to CNN Money. Exact details of the settlement are not known at this time but sources said the contract does not include a non-compete clause, meaning Bush can look for jobs at rivals stations. Bush's attorney Marshall Grossman spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the interview with Trump, saying that Bush would have been risking his job if he had not laughed at Trump's statements and made lewd comments of his own. 'If Billy had been passive or responded "Shut the f*** up" to Trump, Billy would have been out of a job the next day,' said Grossman. That was not the case, however, according to Trump's wife Melania, who said that Bush 'egged' her husband on and got him to say 'dirty and bad stuff' in an interview with Anderson Cooper that aired the night Bush's firing was announced. According to TMZ, NBC had been sitting on the tape in hopes of releasing it before the second debate on Sunday to have the biggest possible impact on the election. Many executives at the network have an 'open disdain' for Trump according to the report. That plan was changed however with Hurricane Matthew and the tape release was pushed back to Monday, a move that reportedly made at least one individual inside the organization so angry that they decided to leak the audio to The Washington Post. A source at NBC told DailyMail.com that the network at no point tried to edit Bush out of the damning tape, despite reports to the contrary that have emerged earlier this month. Bad move: Hot mic caught him joking with Donald Trump about groping women and saying that Days of Our Lives soap star Arianne Zucker was 'hot as s***' (Trum;, Zucker and Bush above) In the tape, Bush can be heard calling actress Arianne Zucker 'hot as s***,' and also saying nothing while Trump makes lewd comments about his co-host Nancy O'Dell. 'I did try and f*** her. She was married,' Trump tells Bush on the tapes, the transcript of which was first published by The Washington Post earlier this month. 'And I moved on her very heavily. I moved on her like a b****, but I couldnt get there. And she was married.' 'Then all of a sudden I see her, shes now got the big phony tits and everything. Shes totally changed her look.' Bush later apologized, but according to one insider that was not enough for the network. 'What is stunning is how self-important Billy is. He bragged about this in Rio and many people believe Access Hollywood management knew about this for much longer than they are saying and they were protecting Billy while not doing the right thing and informing NBC News,' the source told DailyMail.com. Bush released a statement shortly after the 2005 tape surfaced three weeks ago. A gunman is on the run from police and four people are being questioned by police after a brazen daylight shooting at a home in Melbourne's north-east. The male victim, in his 40s, was shot in the shoulder at a home in Malahang Parade, Heidelberg West, just before 9am on Sunday morning. He was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, but is refusing to cooperate with police or provide his name. The offender is believed to have fled the scene in a car and remains on the run from police. A gunman is on the run from police after a brazen daylight shooting at a home in Melbourne's north-east The male victim, in his 40s, was shot in the shoulder at a home in Malahang Parade, Heidelberg West, just before 9am on Sunday morning Police believe that the two men know each other. The victim is believed to have given police a false name and is refusing to co-operate with their inquiries. 'We're still trying to establish what has occurred here this morning,' Detective Paul Topham told media on Sunday afternoon. 'No one has actually told us what occurred at this address at this point in time. 'We believe the offenders, if more than one, and the victim are known to each other. 'I want to reiterate we do believe the incident wasn't random.' Detective Topham said the victim was choosing to not cooperate with police. 'At this point in time he hasn't even told us his name,' Detective Topham said. Victoria Police spokeswoman Leonie Johnson confirmed in a statement that the Armed Crime Squad was investigating the incident. She told Daily Mail Australia that the alleged shooter was still at large as of 2pm on Sunday afternoon. Aerial photographs revealed a heavy police presence at the street on Sunday morning, with cars parked on the street and a number of officers. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Four people were reportedly removed by police from the home where the shooting took place (pictured) Floridians spooked by clown sightings are planning to arm themselves with guns while trick-or-treating this October 31. Kimberly Kersey said she will be carrying a gun while accompanying her sons in Palm Bay on Halloween, while Pam Metz said she would carry a bat just in case. Several clown sightings have been reported across the country since August, sparking fears that they were armed or hoping to lure children into dangerous situations. Police departments have already issued warnings trying to dissuade people from dressing up as clowns for fear that the costume will scare people and provoke a nasty backlash. Scroll down for video Floridians spooked by clown sightings are planning to arm themselves with guns while trick-or-treating. The unusual sightings began in August and have been reported in 20 states Clown incidents caused schools to shut down and people feared they were armed or trying to lure kids into dangerous situations. Pictured, a YouTube prankster who was pistol whipped after he tried to scare a man in Stockton, California The unusual sightings began in August with reports of people in South Carolina dressed as clowns trying to lure children into the woods. The appearances soon spread across the country with reported incidents in 20 states, although most have turned out to be hoaxes or unverified threats. Even the White House weighed in on the phenomenon earlier this month, with spokesman Josh Earnest advising local authorities to review any 'perceived threats'. Kersey told CBS: 'I'll be carrying for sure. I'm terrified of clowns already and if one messes with me or my kids it'll be to the hospital or morgue they go.' Pam Metz told the news website she didn't own a gun, so she would protect herself with a bat instead. Fearing that clowns will provoke violent clashes, police are trying to discourage people from dressing up in the costumes this year. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office tweeted earlier this month: 'Did you know that you could be arrested for wearing a clown mask with the intent to disturb the peace?' Palm Bay policeman Mike Bandish also warned a clown costume could lead to 'someone getting shot', while the Miami police released a video depicting a boy fleeing a shadowy clown in the dark. The boy was run over by a car as a result, and the video concluded: 'These pranks can have serious or even tragic ends.' In one video posted last week, YouTube prankster Sadiq Mohammad dressed as a clown in Stockton, California, only to be pistol whipped by a man he tried to scare. Police departments have already issued warnings trying to dissuade people from dressing up as clowns for fear that the costume will scare people and provoke a nasty backlash (file photo) Miami police spokeswoman Yelitza Cedano Hernandez said while it is not prohibited to dress like a clown, 'if this prank leaves someone injured, the prankster is going to be arrested and the victim's family can take the person to court.' In Kemper County, Mississippi, clown gear has been expressly banned until after Halloween, and authorities will slap a $150 fine on any violators. Meanwhile a number of US school districts - particularly in New Jersey, Connecticut and Colorado - have banned clown costumes in Halloween parades. Not everyone is listening, and staff at the Halloween Megastore in Miami said that clown masks, along with superheroes from the film 'Suicide Squad' and the US presidential candidates, are hot sellers this season. Armando Santana, who performs as a scary clown in a haunted house in Miami, Florida, says he no longer wears his costume in public after 'creepy clown' sightings spread across the US The hysteria has had surprising repercussions for many, such as Armando Santana, a 22-year-old actor who performs as a scary clown in a popular Miami horror house. He says he would no longer dream of leaving his job without ditching the costume. 'It means that by the end of the night I have to wash my face. I can't drive my car with this on, just in case I get stopped,' he said. Even a building in Miami Beach warned its residents ahead of the Halloween door-knocking: 'You must be extra careful with anyone wearing clown masks.' Burger chain McDonald's meanwhile has scaled back public appearances of its clown mascot Ronald McDonald, citing 'the current climate around clown sightings.' Seven courts in Victoria alternate each week hearing the sex based crimes For almost 10 years a special courtroom has heard some of Australia's most heinous sex crimes. The Sex Offences List operates in seven courts across Victoria, including Melbourne, Geelong, La Trobe Valley and Ballarat, the cases alternate between them each week Courtroom 12 of the Melbourne Magistrates Court was standing room only and heard cases with offenders as young as old as 80-years-old on Friday, The Age reported. The Melbourne Magistrates Court (pictured) is one of seven courts in Victoria that alternate hearing cases on the Sex Offences List Some of the cases presented in the court dealt with sexual assaults, rapists, child pornographers, as well as cyber stalking and harassment, from both male and female offenders. The Sex Offences List began as a pilot program in December 2006 to specifically handle the high volume of sexually based offences in the state. Magistrate Belinda Wallington, who presides over the list said: 'because of the shame attached to sex offending and the possible consequences of a finding of guilt imprisonment or sex offender registration there is a great deal of denial and avoidance.' As a result, cases on the Sex Offences List are closely managed and have time restraints on different stages of the matter. This is so cases move quickly through the court system and the victims suffer less distress as a result delays. The Sex Offences List began as a pilot program in December 2006 to specifically handle the high volume of sexually based offences such as rape, cyber stalking and harassment and child pornography in Victoria (stock image) The way each of the parties involved in the 'sex court' approach their function is also different. Sergeant Kirei Wall, who leads the Victoria police prosecution team, said the convictions are rigorously debated because of the life changing ramifications, such as being listed on the sex offenders register and employment. 'The public has a really high expectation that the courts and police are taking it really seriously,' Sergeant Wall said. A ten-year-old child whose mother watched as the girl was raped, murdered and dismembered by her boyfriend was memorialized during a Saturday service. Victoria Martens was remembered by family, friends, community members and strangers at Copper Pointe Church. They shared memories of her life and tried not to think of her horrific death. Motorcycles escorted a white hearse carrying a symbolic casket to the church at 11am. Victoria's body has not been released to her family yet due to her brutal murder. People wearing purple, Victoria's favorite color, filled the church, singing songs of worship in memory of the little girl who had a contagious smile and a love for music. Victoria Martens, who was brutally murdered by her mother's boyfriend in August before being dismembered, was remembered by family, friends and community members at Copper Pointe Church on Saturday People wearing purple, Victoria's favorite color, filled the church, singing songs of worship in memory of the little girl who had a contagious smile and a love for music Her godmother remembered her as a 'borrowed angel' who loved gymnastics and running around her grandparent's lawn Victoria (pictured) was dosed with meth, raped, strangled and stabbed on August 23, a day after her tenth birthday. Her dismembered body was found wrapped in a burning blanket Her godmother remembered her as a 'borrowed angel' who loved gymnastics and running around her grandparent's lawn. A mother of one of Victoria's friends told KRQE: 'She was just such an amazing girl and Im so blessed and happy that we got to meet her and got to know her.' People who attended were given purple teddy bears and doves were released as the service finished. Governor Susana Martinez, Attorney General Hector Balderas and APD Chief Gorden Eden spoke at the service on Saturday, according to KRQE. People who attended were given purple teddy bears and doves were released as the service finished (pictured, mourners on August 25) A mother of one of Victoria's friends told KRQE : 'She was just such an amazing girl and Im so blessed and happy that we got to meet her and got to know her' Governor Susana Martinez, Attorney General Hector Balderas and APD Chief Gorden Eden spoke at the service on Saturday (pictured, mourners on August 25) 'Let us strengthen our resolve to look out for each other, to take care of each other, watch out for those who cannot take care of themselves,' Eden said. Earlier this month, Michelle Martens admitted that she sat back and watched her daughter, Victoria, be killed by her boyfriend Fabian Gonzales and his cousin, Jessica Kelley, in August. She then allegedly had sex with Gonzales 20 minutes later. The claims emerged across three interviews with police during which Martens told a series of conflicting accounts, KRQE reported. Forensic reports said the girl had been dosed with meth, raped, strangled, stabbed and dismembered. Victoria's mom, Michelle, initially claimed she didn't see the killing, but eventually told cops that she watched her daughter be raped because she enjoyed it, police transcripts claim Fabian Gonzales (left) and his cousin Jessica Kelley (right) were guilty of the attack, Martens claimed - but the mom admitted she did nothing to help her begging daughter Interview transcripts obtained by the station go on for more than 100 pages before Martens, 35, admits that she sat back and watched as her daughter was assaulted and killed at around 5pm on August 23, the day after her 10th birthday. She initially claimed that she and Gonzales, 31, had been attacked by Kelley, a convicted rapist, in the night, and had no idea what had happened to Victoria. 'Jessica comes into our bedroom and asks me if I believe in God,' she said. 'She kept hitting me, hitting me, hitting me, punching.' As she fled the scene, Martens claimed, Kelley shouted 'You daughter's dead!' Victoria Martens, seen above in Facebook photos, was killed at around 5pm on August 23, the day after her 10th birthday Michelle Martens, seen above in a Facebook photo, initially claimed that she and Gonzales, 31, had been attacked by Kelley, a convicted rapist, in the night, and had no idea what had happened to Victoria But during the course of the interviews, that story changed: She then told cops that she and Gonzales had left Victoria alone with Kelley, and that the girl had died after taking some meth that she found. Martens said Gonzales and Kelley disposed of Victoria's body - which was found dismembered and wrapped in a burning blanket - and that they threatened to kill her if she told on them. Police, doubting her tale, tricked her into believing that Gonzales was giving up the truth in another room. Ultimately, she admitted the truth: That she had sat back and watched Gonzales and Kelley rape and murder her daughter, even though the girl begged for mercy, KTLA reported. Michelle Martens admitted that she'd watched the pair rape Victoria on at least three other occasions in the days before she was killed. Victoria is seen above in Facebook photos The trio are seen above in a still from court during a bond hearing in August. Their trials are expected to take place next year. From left, Martens, Gonzales and Kelley More action from inside the courtroom is seen above. Michelle Martens is seen cuffed and with a bloody face, left And that wasn't the first time, either - she admitted that she'd watched the pair rape Victoria on at least three other occasions in the days before she was killed, and that she thinks Gonzales had been abusing her for a month while she was at work. Martens even had sex with Gonzales 20 minutes after the killing, KTLA said. She told cops she enjoyed watching her daughter be violated, and had let two other men have sex with her in the six months before the murder. Arrested: Initially Martens claimed that Kelley had murdered the girl in the night, then that she had killed her while alone with the girl during the day. But eventually she broke and confessed Accused: Gonzales also said Kelley committed the murder and said he was innocent, police interview transcripts show. Martens said she watched him abuse Victoria prior to the killing The mom, who also has a son, named both men, but police have not confirmed if they are being investigated. Martens admitted using dating website Plenty of Fish to look for men to have sex with Victoria. At one point a detective asked: 'This time she died and you weren't ready for the type of animals (Gonzales and Kelley) were?' 'Yes,' said Martens, 'but I should have stopped it.' Sibling: Martens also has a son (pictured). She had invited men to rape her daughter while she watched over the preceding six months, but said she didn't expect the girl to be murdered Gonzales had been interviewed for eight hours, initially mirroring Martens' claim that they were attacked by Kelley. However, he then changed his claim, saying he had discovered Kelley with Victoria's body and had helped dispose of the corpse. Kelley asked for a lawyer, but did inquire as to what evidence police had. Police discovered Victoria's body in August, wrapped in a burning blanket in an apartment owned by Martens. Some of her remains were found in a plastic bag in a hamper near the kitchen, reported The Albuquerque Journal, citing court records. Trial: Martens (seen above), Kelley and Gonzales are all expected to go to trial next year. All face child abuse and kidnapping counts, and Gonzales and Kelley face rape counts Investigators also sought DNA evidence from the suspects, as well as multiple electronic devices and a camcorder they believed may have been used for sexual exploitation of children. Martens faces charges of kidnapping and child abuse resulting in death; Gonzales faces those same charges as well as child rape. Kelley, who according to CNN had been staying at the Martens home in Arroyo Villas apartments after being released from jail, has been charged with kidnapping, child abuse resulting in death and child rape. She had attempted to flee the apartment in Albuquerque when police went to arrest her and jumped off the balcony injuring her foot. She was seen during an initial court appearance in a wheelchair. Kelley, seen above, has been charged with kidnapping, child abuse resulting in death and child rape Kelley is seen at a previous hearing in a wheelchair. She injured her foot after jumping off the balcony when cops tried to arrest her Victoria had just started fourth grade at an Albuquerque elementary school and was due to have a birthday party on the day she died. She had an older half-brother who was not at home at the time of her killing. Victoria's half-brother, seen above with her, was staying with his father on the night she was killed Her brother's father Jason Oetting issued a statement after Victoria's killing saying the way the custody schedule was in place he had their son on the night Victoria died. It said: 'Drug abuse and substance abuse had never been an issue, and Michelle seemed to be a normal person. 'It's by the grace of God he wasn't with Michelle that night.' His attorney William E. Hoskovec said: 'This tragedy has left my client in disbelief. He's cooperating with investigators in every way in this matter. He is and will do everything he can do to protect his son. 'She's never been a monster, she got mixed up with the worst kind of people and that contributed to a downward spiral from what we can tell.' Their trials are expected to take place next year. They are all being held on $1million cash bonds. Forty years ago, an 18-year-old Baltimore teenager was sentenced to life in prison after killing a cop and injuring five other police officers. Today one of those officers is fighting for his freedom. Roland Miller, 58, still remembers every detail of the day he watched John Earl Williams walk out of an apartment building after raining bullets on the policemen on Good Friday in 1976. Miller had been shot in the arm. He had witnessed the moment his fellow officer, 31-year-old Jimmy Halcomb, was killed after being struck in the neck. Forty-three minutes passed by until Williams finally surrendered. When the night first started, he had wanted to die - pledging to shoot until he was finally killed. Scroll down for video Forty years ago, John Williams (left) shot at Roland Miller (right) and five other cops, killing one of them. Now Miller is fighting for his release from prison after forging an unlikely friendship Miller watched in the courtroom as Williams was sentenced to jail for the rest of his life. Thirty-five years later, he would be Williams' first visitor in prison. It all began five years ago, when Miller's daughter Dana needed a topic for her senior thesis. Miller said his idea to contact Williams came 'out of the blue'. He told Dana she should interview the gunman about his childhood and family and the world that he was raised in, rather than the shooting itself. Then, he continued, she should walk right up to the very house Miller watched him walk out of on that tragic day, and interview the family inside. It would be a chance to compare and contrast the families' two lives, and see if anything had changed in Baltimore in more than three decades. Miller predicted there would be more similarities than differences. He himself had quit the police force after growing weary 'of arresting young black men who had very few opportunities in life'. 'I came to believe that the destiny of most of these folks was determined at conception,' Miller wrote in his letter of support for Williams' release, which were obtained by WBFF Fox 45. Williams was 18 when he shot the Baltimore policemen from an apartment window, raining bullets down them on Good Friday in 1976 Williams was sentenced to life in prison. It would be thirty-five years before he got his first visitor - Roland Miller 'I was not helping anyone. I had become part of the system I didn't like. I resigned.' Williams was willing to participate in the thesis but the prison at first refused to grant Miller's request for a contact visit, fearing he was out for revenge. But that initial correspondence bloomed into a friendship, one that first began on light discussions about books, the Baltimore Ravens, and Williams' regret. Miller said Williams would bring up his grief about that fateful April night during every call, telling the former cop there wasn't a day that went by that he didn't think about how he could 'make things right with his victims' or at least apologize. Williams told Miller that he had refused to participate in a parole hearing until he served for 41 years, the age he had thought Officer Halcomb was when he was killed. Miller eventually told Williams he didn't believe it was 'healthy for either of us to relive the incident every time he called'. Then one day Williams asked Miller what his daughter had wanted to focus her thesis on. When Miller revealed Dana wanted to learn about Williams' childhood, the prisoner began to open up about the horrors of his young life. Surveillance video captured the shootout, one of the bloodiest in the department's history Williams, who surrendered, initially said he wanted to die that night - and wouldn't stop shooting until he was killed There was his alcoholic and physically abusive father, who once sent his brother to the hospital and stabbed him in the leg with a knife. Williams' grandfather sexually abused him from the age of six to 11. His mother abandoned him on a park bench when he was eight, never to return. John grew into his teenage years with no parent support or guidance, Miller's wife Donna wrote in her own letter of support. Talking with John he has minimal, if any, remembrances of a happy and fulfilling home life with family. Halcomb (pictured) was 31 years old when he was killed that night This was a time in his life that John wanted to die. The Millers, who now talk to Williams on a regular basis, soon learned of the man he had grown up to become behind bars. He had earned two Bachelor's degrees in sociology and theology, graduating as Valedictorian and currently working towards his Master's degree in theology. Williams has also become a devout Catholic, is a member of the prison's group of trusted inmates - known as the 'honors unit' - and mentors his fellow inmates. John has been incarcerated for a very long time, certainly the majority of his life,' Miller wrote in his letter. 'He has done everything as an inmate that he could have done to rehabilitate himself. Johns sorrow often consumes him. I believe John is a sincere decent human being. Miller added that Halcomb was a friend and a policeman he wanted to 'emulate', but said he did not believe he was betraying the officer's memory by advocating for Williams' release. 'I believe I am simply taking a correct moral position,' he wrote. But other officers who worked with Miller at the Baltimore Police Department have said they don't understand his friendship with the man who killed the married father-of-three. One officer, retired Lt Joe Key, said he hopes 'Williams rots in prison'. How do you reach out to someone that killed a cop, a decorated war hero?' he added. Some officers who worked with Miller at the Baltimore Police Department have said they don't understand his friendship with the man who killed the married father-of-three 'What is it in you, that makes you go and extend a hand to him in friendship? The worst thing I think that could happen is if, for whatever reasons, John Earl Williams walks out. Williams, who has also written a letter pending his December 20 hearing, said that he still thinks about Halcomb every single day. There has not been a day that has passed during these 40 years that I have not had to face the fact that I have taken the life of another human being,' he wrote. Mr Halcomb did not deserve to die, if anyone should have died, it should have been me. 'At the time of my arrest, I belonged in prison. I committed a horrific and, in the eyes of many, an unforgivable crime.' But Williams said he has changed in the last 40 years. 'I have had the time to examine my life and learn about the wrongs I have done. I have learned to better myself and change, even when I have though that I will die in prison of old age. But Miller (pictured) said Williams has changed, earning two Bachelor's degrees and becoming a devout Catholic in his 40 years behind bars Miller, who is retired, has pledged that if Williams is released he will 'commit to doing everything in my power to help him assimilate back into society', he wrote. I now have the time to help him find a place to live, a job,open a bank account, find a church, etc. I believe the one and only thing John can do to truly redeem himself is to live out his years as a productive law abiding citizen. But Williams wrote that if his sentence is not modified, he knows his effort to change over the last 40 years will not be in complete vain. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said message had to be 'loud and clear' The federal government will ban asylum seekers who tried to come to Australia by boat from entering the country for life - even as a tourist or on legitimate business. 'That absolutely unflinching, unequivocal message has to be loud and clear,' Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters in Sydney on Sunday. 'The door to Australia is closed to those who seek to come here by boat with a people smuggler. It is closed.' Scroll down for video The federal government wants asylum seekers who tried to come to Australia by boat to be banned for life from entering the country. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters the message that they were not welcome had to be 'loud and clear' The government will ask parliament to ban everyone who was sent to Nauru or Papua New Guinea's Manus Island for offshore immigration processing after July 19, 2013 - the date Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd declared: 'As of today, asylum seekers who come here by boat without a visa will never be settled in Australia.' The ban would apply whether or not they were found to be refugees and extends to all types of visas, including tourist and business categories. Asylum seekers aged under 18 at the time they were sent to Nauru or Manus Island would be exempt. The minister would also have power to lift the bar if they believe it's in the public interest for someone to be allowed in to Australia. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton described the plan as one of the government's strongest moves, building on the success of its border protection policies over the past three years. It sent a clear message that Australia was not an option. 'There are still people, advocates in Australia and elsewhere, who are messaging to people on Nauru and Manus, that at some stage you'll come to Australia,' Mr Dutton said. 'Those people are living in false hope and it cannot continue.' Asylum seekers sent to Manus Island (pictured) or Nauru since July 19, 2013, will be banned from ever applying for Australian visas The legislation would reflect the coalition's long-standing policy and what it understood to be Labor's position, Mr Turnbull said. He expects the opposition will give 'unequivocal support' to the move. Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek said it was too soon to determine if Labor would support the bill. 'It's a distraction from Peter Dutton's hopeless mismanagement of his portfolio,' she told reporters on the Gold Coast. 'It is extraordinary that, three years on, the government has not found third countries to resettle those people who are in limbo on Manus Island and Nauru.' A young boy is among five people who all suffered significant burns when a boat exploded and caught on fire on Sunday morning. The speedboat went up in flames off Queensland's South Stradbroke Island near Tipplers Beach around 10am. The family jumped overboard when it caught fire close to shore and were rescued by a nearby cruiser that became a triage centre. Scroll down for video. A young boy is among five people who all suffered significant burns when a boat exploded and caught on fire on Sunday morning A boat exploded off Tipplers Beach, Queensland on Sunday morning, causing a fire Those burned in the blaze are treated before airlifted and driven to hospital Boaties tried to treat the serious burns, including dousing them with seawater, until paramedics arrived to take over until two rescue helicopters flew in. Meanwhile, jet ski riders tried to put out the flames by spraying water onto the boat before bystanders grabbed fire extinguishers. Children even tried to splash water onto the fire with their bare hands. 'The boat was on fire out there and people were just scrambling out of it, it was just frightening stuff,' a witness told 9 News. A victim is treated ashore before being taken to hospital on Sunday A scene from the accident on Sunday morning when a boat caught on fire and the occupants jumped into the ocean to escape Jet ski riders tried to put out the flames by spraying water onto the boat Bystanders grabbed fire extinguishers to put out the flames and children even tried to splash water onto the fire with their bare hands Nearby witnesses rushed to help put out the fire after it started near shore One of the victims strapped into a stretcher after paramedics treated them at the scene The victims were shuttled to the island before being taken to hospital Two woman aged 19 and 22 were taken to Gold Coast University Hospital by ambulance with minor burns while the more seriously injured were airlifted The station reported that the boat's engine exploded when the family tried to restart it. The cause is under investigation. The five-year-old boy was taken off the craft wrapped in glad-wrap and space blankets and airlifted with his injured grandfather, aged in his 50s, to hospital. He was later said to be in a stable condition at Lady Cilento Children's Hospital but with serious burns to his face and chest. His grandfather suffered lower leg burns and a 29-year-old woman with chest and leg burns was taken to Royal Brisbane Hospital. Two woman aged 19 and 22 were taken to Gold Coast University Hospital with minor burns, according to the Gold Coast Bulletin. Those injured in the blaze are treated on Sunday before being taken to hospital One of the two rescue helicopters which transported the injured to hospital While some of the injured were transported by helicopters, others were taken by ambulance New South Wales premier Mike Baird has been labelled 'arrogant' for a photo he posted on social media on Sunday, posing in front of mural of himself in Sydney. In the post, which Mr Baird published to coincide with Graffiti Removal Day in NSW, he is seen pointing at the mural on the side of inner-city hotel The Lord Gladstone in Chippendale. The caption on Mr Baird's photo read: 'Did you know that NSW has an official 'graffiti removal day'? Well it does. And it's today. Just saying'. Scroll down for video New South Wales premier Mike Baird (pictured) has been labelled 'arrogant' for a photo he posted on social media on Sunday, posing in front of mural of himself in Sydney The mural shows the Premier holding a doner kebab in one hand, a glass of red wine and a cigarette in the other, with stacks of casino chips and a clock reading 1.31am. His post has been shared more than 1,500 times and attracted more than 3,000 comments, which are overwhelmingly negative. Among other things, people have labeled Mr Baird as 'arrogant', 'a peanut' and 'an idiot' for the photo and the comment. One Facebook comment inquired if there was a day the Premier could be removed instead Another person accused the Premier of not only ruining the city's music scene with the lockout laws, but now the art scene with his suggestion the mural be removed This comment agreed with the earlier post, supporting a new Premier in Mr Baird's place Another person tried to clarify to the Premier that the mural wasn't graffiti, instead it was art One person said: 'So when's the NSW Premier Removal Day?'. Another commented: 'So take our music and our art. Thanks Sydney' while someone else said 'The quicker you go, the better this state will be.' Another person pointed out the mural was a commissioned piece of art painted on private property, and it was ridiculous to suggest it should be removed. This Facebook user accused the Premier of being 'petty' and 'childish' by posting the photo and comment in the first place Another person made fun of the Premier's comment 'Just saying' by suggesting the mural of him might make itself more popular around the city This person referenced the irony of the post, and mentioned how the controversial lock out laws in Sydney had contributed to it becoming 'a ghost town' One person on Twitter also pointed out the mural was painted over months ago, meaning it wasn't even a recent photo of the Premier In May, Pedestrian TV reported Mr Baird had been spotted taking a photo of himself in front of the mural. The Lord Gladstone's manager Julian Shaw told Daily Mail Australia he couldn't confirm the exact date, but said the mural had been painted over a few months ago. Mr Shaw declined to comment any further on the Premier's Facebook post. This means the Premier would have had to save the photo for five months before choosing to post it online. The mural was originally painted in April this year by visual artist Scott Marsh in response to the city's controversial lockout laws. The mural was painted in April by visual artist Scott Marsh in response to the introduction of Sydney's controversial lockout laws It shows the Premier holding a doner kebab in one hand, a glass of red wine and a cigarette in the other, with stacks of casino chips and a clock reading 1.31am Earlier this year Scott Marsh told Daily Mail Australia: 'The mural was inspired by my marching in the Keep Sydney Open marches a month or so ago, I have met so many people who have been impacted by the lockouts, not just the obvious impact on the culture and nightlife of Sydney but people who have lost theirs jobs.' Despite the political nature of the mural, he said: 'I'm not a very political guy but the lockouts are affecting people around me and the city I love.' The Premier has been criticised for his role in the city's lock out laws which many say have damaged business, culture and the reputation of Sydney as in international city. Mr Baird posted the image of himself in front of the mural of him (pictured being painted by Scott Marsh) to coincide with Graffiti Removal Day in NSW on October 30 Comments on Mr Baird's Facebook post on Sunday were overwhelming negative, labeling him as 'obnoxious' and 'arrogant' People who leave or are ejected from licensed premises after 1:30am are not allowed to re-enter. Bottle shops cannot sell alcohol after 10pm while licensed premises cannot serve alcohol after 3am. The laws cover the city's popular nightlife spots including Kings Cross, Darlinghurst, Cockle Bay, the Rocks and Haymarket. The Star casino in Pyrmont is exempt from the laws, hence the pile of casino chips featured in the mural, and the Premier's nickname 'Casino Mike'. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Baird's office for a comment on the photo. Daily Mail Australia has also been in touch with Mr Marsh for a comment on the Premier's Facebook post. The Lord Gladstone Hotel told Daily Mail Australia the mural (pictured) had been painted over months ago, meaning Mr Baird would have had to save the photo for this particular occasion A popular waterfront esplanade was evacuated on Sunday following a major gas leak. Residents at Wynnum in Brisbane's east were also ordered to leave their homes. The gas main rupture was discovered shortly before noon in the Queensland capital. A major gas leak at Wynnum (pictured) led to the evacuation of residents in nearby streets The Moreton Bay suburb is normally popular with families on Sundays however much of this area became a no-go zone during lunchtime, as police declared an emergency situation. Authorities evacuated residents on Cedar and Walnut streets, which lead down to the water. A Queensland police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia all of Walnut Street and half of Cedar Street were cleared. 'We don't have official numbers,' he said. Wynnum Esplanade and The Esplanade were also part of the no-go zone, which covered 37 blocks in the suburb that overlooks North Stradbroke Island. Cars and pedestrians were barred from the area, until police and firefighters deemed the area to be safe about 1.35pm. Wynnum train station was unaffected despite being at the edge of the exclusion zone, a Queensland Rail spokesman told Daily Mail Australia. A gas rupture led to the evacuation of two streets in Wynnum and a no-go zone nearby The elderly parents of murdered bus driver Manmeet Alisher still don't know he's dead, because his family fear the news could kill them too. Mr Alisher, 29, was burned to death in an alleged 'senseless' attack by passenger Anthony O'Donohue as he drove a bus through the streets of Brisbane on Friday morning. While the shocking incident made headlines in Australia it's been revealed his parents, who live in India, haven't been told of his death because their family fear it may cause his mother to have a heart attack, SBS reports. Scroll down for video Manmeet Alisher, 29, was burned to death by a passenger as he drove a bus through the streets of Brisbane on Friday Mr Alisher's (left) parents have not been told of his death at the wheel of a bus (right) because his family are scared it may cause his elderly mother to have a heart attack 'We have just said there was an accident, he's in a coma,' a family spokesperson said. 'When we take the body to India, then we will break the news.' Mr Alisher's distraught brother arrived in Brisbane on Sunday morning and will take the body back to India. It comes as Aguek Nyok, the hero taxi driver who kicked in a back window of the bus and freed passengers trapped inside, has been told he'll be nominated for a bravery award. Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has said Mr Nyok's heroic actions deserve national recognition. 'What a hero,' Ms Palaszczuk said. 'I'm more than happy to put his name forward for a bravery medal - he saved 11 lives that day... he put his own life at risk.' Anthony O'Donohue, 48, has been charged with Mr Alisher's murder, arson and also 11 counts of attempted murder. Taxi driver Aguek Nyok (pictured) will be nominated by Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk for a bravery award after he kicked in a back window of the bus and freed passengers trapped inside Anthony O'Donohue (pictured), 48, has been charged with Mr Alisher's murder arson and also 11 counts of attempted murder O'Donohue, a former accountant, was a 'loner who became increasingly erratic' before the attack. The Queensland Punjabi community, of which Mr Alisher was a prominent member, has banded together in the wake of his death. A collection to raise money in support of his family has been set up by members of the community and the Rail Tram and Bus Union. For more information on how you can donate click here. A sixteen-year-old girl who started taking opioids at age 12 to deal with chronic pain has described the unbearable withdrawal symptoms she experiences as she tries to stop taking the drug. Brooke Peterson, who is from Toongabbie in New South Wales, has Freiberg's infraction disease and has been taking the drugs since she was 12 years old to manage the chronic pain, reported the Sydney Morning Herald. But after four years she has become immune to the drugs' effects and has been trying to wean herself off - amid growing concerns children who are given the drugs from a young age could develop a life-long dependence. 'In the process of trying to slowly withdraw from them I got bad stomach pains, sweats and chills, really bad withdrawal symptoms,' she said. Brooke Peterson, 16 (pictured), from Toongabbie, has been taking opioids since she was 12 years old to manage chronic pain. She has now become immune to them and has spoken of her withdrawal symptoms One in three children who present to pain specialists are being prescribed opioids and almost one in five take this medication on a daily or regular basis. Opioids are drugs that act on the central nervous system to reduce pain and include heroin, morphine, methadone, pethidine and oxycodone (OxyContin and Endone). The data in question covers 628 children with the average age for girls sitting at 12.6 years and 12 years for boys, focusing on those who had been referred to a pain clinic in the past six months. Many children in Australia are being prescribed opioids to help them deal with chronic pain, fueling concerns it's preparing them for a lifetime of dependency (stock image) Pain Australia chief executive Lesley Brydon told the Sydney Morning Herald the figures were 'extremely worrying'. She said using opioids to treat pain in children carried huge risks as it was against all clinical guidelines. 'We believe GPs are prescribing medications like opioids rather than referring to non-pharmaceutical therapies, which there's very good evidence to show can be more helpful than drugs in managing chronic pain,' Ms Brydon said. The data was released by the Electronic Pain Persistent Outcomes Collaboration, a pain program which aims to help improve services and outcomes for patients suffering with chronic pain through benchmarking of care and treatment. The program is a collaboration between the University of Wollongong Australia's Faculty of Pain Medicine, Pain Australia and other organisations in the pain sector. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Pain Australia for a comment. Neighbours fear a contentious mosque could be built on a property owned by a former mayor in western Sydney. Property developer Ronney Oueik has won approval to rebuild his heritage-listed bungalow at Homebush. The former mayor of Auburn has permission to add a gym, home cinema, in-ground swimming pool and underground car parking for 10 cars, The Sunday Telegraph reports. Residents fear an Islamic prayer hall will be built at Camden Lodge after Mr Ouiek threatened he would turn the bungalow into a mosque in 2012, following objections to his original plans to tear it down. Camden Lodge in Homebush (pictured) could become a mosque with council approval Salim Mehajer (pictured left) and Ronney Oueik (right) as Auburn councillors and friends Former mayor Ronney Oueik (left) with NSW Premier Mike Baird (right) during the 2015 state election campaign before he sacked Auburn council Strathfield Municipal Council's green light to rebuild the heritage house and add a new building at the back comes six years after they refused Mr Oueik's earlier proposal to demolish the Federation-era, grand home built in 1916. Residents are upset with the decision to redevelop the house, which a fire destroyed in 2012. 'It has the potential to be far more than a private residence and perhaps the community organisation previously mentioned by Mr Oueik are still interested,' a neighbour B.D. Davis said in a submission to the council cited in the News Corp report. 'The proposed works are of such a large scale that they will destroy the heritage value of Camden Lodge and we have concerns the intended use of the new building will not simply be residential.' Mr Oueik is also a friend of controversial socialite and former deputy mayor of Auburn Salim Mehajer. Strathfield mayor Andrew Soulos hasn't ruled out the site becoming a mosque if Mr Oueik lodged a separate development application. 'Each development will be assessed on its own merits,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'I'm not saying it could, I'm not saying it couldn't. 'This is a sensitive issue, I don't want to comment further on what I've said.' Strathfield mayor Andrew Soulos (pictured) says a mosque application would be looked at if Mr Ouiek made one Mr Soulos acknowledged there was community concern about a mosque possibly being built at 102 Burlington Road near Homebush train station. 'There's concern about traffic, parking and general hours of operation,' he said. The New South Wales government earlier this year sacked Mr Oueik, a property developer, and his socialite friend Mehajer as it suspended the dysfunctional Auburn council. Mr Oueik ran unsuccessfully as a Liberal candidate against state Labor leader Luke Foley, in the seat of Auburn, at last year's state election. The Lakemba mosque (pictured) in south-west Sydney Worshipers (pictured) at the Lakemba mosque during a visit last year by federal politicians A man aged in his 50s was killed when he was thrown from his jet ski in Botany Bay, Sydney, on Sunday. He was riding the blue Yamaha jet ski at about 3.15pm when it crashed, causing him to hit his head and drown. The man was spotted in the water by a passing boat who hauled him from the water near the Captain Cook Bridge. A man aged in his 50s was killed when he was thrown from his jet ski (pictured) in Botany Bay, Sydney, on Sunday A passenger (pictured) on the jet ski, also aged in his 50s, was interviewed police after the accident and was uninjured in the crash Its occupants rushed him to Botany Bay Water Police station, where officers performed CPR to no avail. A passenger on the jet ski, also aged in his 50s, was interviewed police after the accident and was uninjured in the crash. Police were investigating and will prepare a report for the coroner. He was riding the blue Yamaha jet ski at about 3.15pm when it crashed, causing him to hit his head and drown Its occupants rushed him to Botany Bay Water Police station, where officers performed CPR to no avail Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a knife attack on a young couple in Hamburg, which claimed the life of a teenager and left his girlfriend injured. The incident, which was not widely reported, happened late in the evening of October 16 when the victim, 16, and his girlfriend, 15, were sitting down beneath the Kennedy Bridge in the Germany port city. The suspect remains at large and his identity is unknown. News of the stabbing comes just a day after four people were stabbed at a railway station in Frankfurt, although the motive behind the attack remains unclear. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old boy beneath Kennedy Bridge in Hamburg prompting fears he is the first victim of the terror group on German soil According to police investigating the stabbing in Hamburg, a man approached the couple from behind and suddenly stabbed the boy - identified only as Victor by police - several times. The attacker then pushed the girl into the Outer Alster Lake before fleeing. The girl managed to escape from the water and alert emergency services, but Victor died a short time later in a city clinic from multiple stab wounds. On Saturday, the ISIS news agency Amaq claimed responsibility for the murder. 'A soldier of the Islamic State stabbed two individuals in Hamburg on the 16th of this month. He carried out the operation in response to calls to target the citizens of coalition countries,' Amaq said in a statement. If true, the killing would be the first lethal attack carried out by the terror group on German soil. Tributes have been left at the scene by those who knew the victim. 'Victor - we miss you', reads one, while another tribute is written on a banner: 'Our beloved friend, we think of you and miss you.' An Afghan refugee who pledged allegiance to the terror group attacked passengers on a train with an axe in July and was killed by police, but his victims survived. A sign reading, 'Victor - we miss you', has been placed at the site of the stabbing in Hamburg Another tribute to Victor on a banner reads: 'Our beloved friend, we think of you and miss you' People walk past a memorial to the 16-year-old victim, who was stabbed earlier this month A week later, a suicide bomber killed himself with a home-made bomb outside a cafe in Ansbach, injuring 19 people, with no fatalities. Hamburg police said they are looking for a man of 'southern' appearance, is estimated between 23 to 25-years-old and 5ft 9in to 6ft 2in tall. He has stubble and short, dark hair. The authorities have not commented on the possible terrorist link. It remains unclear whether four people stabbed at a Frankfurt railway station on Saturday were targeted as the result of a random attack or an Islamic radical. Children are being removed from families and taken into care over fears their radicalised parents plan to carry out terror attacks. Mark Rowley, head of national counter terrorism policing, said up to 50 radicalised families have been taken to court since last year. The police boss said parents had tried to take teenagers and even young children to Syria to join ISIS and other terror groups. Teenagers (from left) Amira Abase, Kadiza Sultana, and Shamima Begum, walk through Gatwick airport, before catching a flight to Turkey last year to join Syrian extremists Last week a couple were arrested on suspicion of attempting to fly their five children to Syria from Luton airport. Since 2004, more than 700 British people have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS. Rowley told The Sunday Times: 'The most extreme cases that end up . . . with children being made wards of courts or care proceedings is real tricky stuff because we've never had to deal with national security issues before in a family court . . . We had never done [a case] before 2015 but . . . the fact that it's [now] into 40 or 50 cases is illustrative of the scale of the problem. 'Now we're seeing young children and teenagers who have been influenced by propaganda and who need support. Sometimes, frankly, their parents are part of the problem and sometimes it's happening despite their parents' best efforts there's both types of examples out there.' Around 50 young people are investigated by Scotland Yard a month over fears they are being radicalised. Rowley said teachers and social workers were now more proactive in informing police of concerns they had. Mark Rowley, head of national counter terrorism policing, said up to 50 radicalised families have been taken to court since last year He commented on the 'awful' case of the London teenagers Amira Abase, Kadiza Sultana, and Shamima Begum, who flew to join Syrian extremists last year. The girls, from Tower Hamlets, kept the plans secret from their parents and told them they were going out for the day before they fled on the flight to Turkey. Scotland Yard has a team of 400 detectives, language and computer experts who work proactively to stop vulnerable children being radicalised. Police launched the National Digital Exploitation Service last month to track terrorist groups targeting children. Rowley, who is tipped to apply to be Metropolitan Police commissioner, said the force seizes around 700 devices, like laptops and smartphones, used to publish terrorist plans and propaganda, a month. British Airways has suspended a pilot after pictures emerged of a man in stockings appearing to pleasure himself at the controls. Although father-of-one Colin Glover denies he is the person in the photos, the airline that has employed him for 26 years has seen fit to temporarily relieve him of his duties. The snaps, believed to be taken on at least two different planes, show the stocking-clad figure with his legs up on the steering controls, while others include a man exposing himself in the toilets, and a pornographic magazine on the dashboard. Airline expert Chris Yates told the Sun: 'This is very dangerous if the plane is in mid-flight. British Airways has suspended a pilot after pictures emerged of a man in stockings appearing to pleasure himself at the controls 'If you are flying, you can fly into serious turbulence.' A BA spokesman told MailOnline: 'We are taking this matter very seriously and are investigating.' Mr Glover's LinkedIn profile says he has longhaul and shorthaul experience, on B737-200/400, B747-100/200, B747-400, B757, B767, and B777-200/300 aircraft, and it is the photographs appear to be taken in a 777. The photos are the latest in a number of serious incidents to plague BA in recent years. They come just months after two British Airways pilots were placed under investigation after allegedly getting into a bar room brawl. Senior first officer Sean Murphy, 39, and pilot Paul Lytollis, 43, were enjoying an evening out at a bar in Houston, Texas, with other staff during a stopover when they reportedly came to blows. And last year Matthew Underwood, a worker who delayed a flight for passengers who were running late has been suspended amid allegations he was taking backhanders from celebrities and rich businessmen. A Boeing 777 cockpit, similar to the one in which the lurid photographs were taken in (file image) A drunken cabin crew ran amok while off-duty on a flight sparking angry complaints from passengers in 2013. Stewards and stewardesses were seen downing bottles of champagne and red wine in front of stunned onlookers in First and Club premium cabins on a flight from London to Washington. The British tramp found dead with ham on his naked buttocks and his genitals in a tuna can may have been targeted following a row over food, investigators now believe. Steven Allford was found face down and bound to a bench near Malaga airport on October 21. A specialist prosecutor had agreed to investigate the bizarre case after a homeless group said it could be a hate crime based on victimisation of vagrants. But the arrest of a giant Finnish vagrant on suspicion of Mr Allford's manslaughter has led to new clues which investigators are pursuing in the hope of unraveling the bizarre end to his life. Police are waiting on the results of a post-mortem but suspect he may have been choked to death as Spanish police carry his body away Steven Allford, 51, was discovered bound to a bench in a landscaped area by an airport train stop with his trousers and pants pulled down Acquaintances of the 51-year-old Brit, who slept rough at Malaga Airport where he was found tied to a bench, have told police he made several enemies by refusing to share meals with other vagrants but expecting their food when it came their way. Investigators believe the ham and tuna may have been a crude message left by those he had upset. He had his trousers pulled down, a slice of ham on each of his exposed bottom cheeks and his genitals inside the empty tuna can when he was found face-down on a bench early on October 21 near the main Malaga Airport terminal and a train stop well-used by tourists. His hand and a leg had been tied to opposite ends of the bench. Murder squad detectives are probing the mysterious death of a British man at Malaga Airport A Finnish national aged around 50 and described as a 'well-built giant' was arrested last Wednesday on suspicion of manslaughter and remanded in custody pending an ongoing judicial probe following a private court hearing. Further arrests have not been ruled out. A post-mortem showed tragic Mr Allford, who had done prison time in Spain for fraud, had probably choked to death on his own vomit after a heavy drinking session. Further tissue tests are yet to take place. A source close to the case said: 'The judicial investigation is ongoing and several theories are still on the table, including the suggestion the food and ties were put on him while he was sleeping off a hangover as part of a sick joke. 'But the idea that he was targeted as part of a hate crime because he was a vagrant makes no sense when you discover the suspect was also sleeping rough. 'The man who is being held in custody has denied any involvement in Mr Allford's death or the desecration of his body. 'But acquaintances of the pair have told investigators the dead man had had fallouts with other vagrants because he expected to share their food but wouldn't reciprocate when he had something to eat.' They were today seeking to establish what he was doing at the airport and whether he had missed a flight home or was sleeping rough Another insider added: 'The authorities believe there was a message behind the food that was left on him which was: "Stick the ham up your a*** and the tuna in your gonads." 'Potentially it was the last meal he had tried to eat himself while others he slept rough with went hungry. A profile on an internet dating website claimed Stanikzai was 22 years old His LinkedIn profile claims he is in the third year of an accounting degree He told UK authorities he was 16 years of age but had no documentation Haris Stanikzai was among the first 14 children to arrive from the Jungle A row has blown up over a migrant who came to Britain as a 'child refugee' but has since been accused of being 22 and having a LinkedIn profile. Haris Stanikzai was among the first 14 child migrants to arrive in London from the Calais Jungle on October 17. Reports over the weekend showed the youngster's beard in a photograph on online business network LinkedIn as well as a dating website account which claimed he was 22. Stanikzai's family deny the allegations he had lied about his age and insist he is willing to be tested to prove he was just 16. After his arrival in Britain, Stanikzai has said he was 16 but he had been given an 'official' date of birth that makes him 17. The Afghan, who does not have a birth certificate, said the Home Office told him that he was born on January 1, 1999. Scroll down for video Haris Stanikzai, pictured on his Google+ account, told UK authorities that he was 16 when he was evacuated from the Jungle camp in Calais, although social media accounts claim he is 22 Stanikzai, left, this image, right on his LinkedIn page claiming to be a university student Speaking through is uncle in south London, as he has very poor English, Stanikzai said his brother Hamid, who died last year, had used the photograph on the dating profile because he was better looking. His uncle Jan Ghazi, 37, denied reports that his nephew, Haris Stanikzai, who he claims is 16 or just turned 17, enrolled in accounting and finance at Jahan University in Afghanistan more than three years ago. Ghazi, who works at a pizza takeaway in south London, said: 'I spoke to Haris's mum, Adela, who is still in Afghanistan, she said to me that he was in the university. 'But she said that two years ago, he went to one of Jahan's campuses to go to English classes around two years ago. 'It was a night school. But after two or three lessons, they didn't let him get admission into those classes because it is not safe to travel through the night. 'That's the story that his mum told me on the phone. His mum says it was about two years ago. 'The Home Office found his age as 17. They have three hours of interviews, they say he is 17, but from my side, he is less than 17, the reason why this is because you have to convert the UK calendar to the Afghan calendar it is different. 'I believe he is 17 or nearly 17. In Afghanistan we don't have a genuine certificate to show the year and month.' Stanikzai, left, pictured hugging his uncle Jan Ghazi, right, was given a document from the Home Office claiming he was 17, and was one of the first 14 migrant children to arrive last week Stanikzai, left, pictured with his uncle Jan Ghazi, right, at his new home in South London Stanikzai was one of the first child migrants to arrive in Britain following the deal with French authorities after the Dubs amendment to fast-track the claims of unaccompanied minors. However, as soon as Stanikzai and his fellow migrants arrived, there was considerable controversy as many appeared to be far older than children. Ghazi, who lives with his wife, their three young children and Haris in Wallington, south London, said: 'The Sunday Times reporter said he had contacted the University and that he was in his seventh semester. 'I said I had to talk to my sister to get all the information.' Ghazi claims he has contacted Jahan University himself and that an official told him they had no records of Haris Stanikzai enrolling in accounting and finance. Addressing the other allegations of the LinkedIn account and dating profiles, Jan claims Haris's older brother, Hamid, who died in Afghanistan, around a year ago, when he was 22. He said this was because Haris was the more attractive sibling and that Hamid may have made a mistake by accidentally putting his brother's name on the account as a joke. Ghazi said: 'He [Hamid] put in his brother's picture to impress women, because in the family he is the only one who looks nice. A lot of people like his eyes for some reason. This is not unusual in Afghanistan. 'His brother's social media accounts are all linked in together by one email, so that is why they are all the same. 'The name might have been a mistake. It might have been a joke.' But he was unable to say whether Hamid had studied the university courses advertised on the Linkedin profile, responding: 'I don't think so, know. I haven't asked his mum. 'If you have a child from Afghanistan 14 or 15 years old and a child from the UK of the same age, you will see a lot of difference in how they look. 'A child in Afghanistan has grown up in the war, they have spent their lives scared of bombs, their families have died. 'Haris's siblings have all died. He's been through a lot of problems, he's been walking in the mountains and in the jungle. 'When you look at him, he will look older because he has been through a lot of trauma. He's been beaten by smugglers, not given food to eat. 'You might think he looks 20. I'm extremely shocked that people have said he is older than he is. 'When I came to this country I was very happy with the people. 'When I went to the Home Office at Lunar House, it had been a dream and now it was real. 'It was shocking when they said he was over 18, it was shocking, because people from my country would say he was 16.' Stanikzai, pictured on his Twitter profile, right, insists he is 16 and has been given documents from the Home Office to state that he was born on January 1, 1999 in line with UN policy Gesturing to his four-year-old son, he said: 'Maybe tomorrow, they will say he is over 18.' Asked whether he would be happy for Haris to have dental checks to prove his age, Jan said: 'Absolutely, I would. 'It is not humane, it will make me more angry and more upset, but if they want obviously, I am not saying no. 'This is something for them, if they want to do it. 'I'd be willing to put him through that to show he is 16 or 17.' However Ghazi admitted some of the migrants seen in pictures, looked older than children. Ghazi, pictured at his new home, must report on a fortnightly basis to an immigration centre He said: 'I have seen some of the child refugees who look older, some of them do look older. 'It's not my job to say whether they are older, I can't tell.' Ghazi says he is preparing a form to help his nephew claim asylum which is due in mid-November. He says he has not received a call from the Home Office since today's allegations were published. After asking Haris how he felt, Ghazi said: 'He says 'I am very sad when I read about it. 'He wants to be a doctor when he is older. 'He can't go to school at the moment until the Home Office forms are sorted.' Stanikzai, is among almost 300 migrants who have benefited from the Dubs amendment French officials confirmed Britain has so far accepted almost 300 child migrants since they started to demolish the Jungle camp. The Home Office told MailOnline that they do not comment on individual cases. According to an agreement drawn up between French and British authorities, physical appearance and demeanour will be assessed to identify an individual's age in the absence of documentary evidence. In cases where there is no documentary evidence, but the individual is judged to be a minor, they will be assigned the date January 1 in the year of their birth on all offical documentation in accordance with UNHCR rules. If a migrant is found to be over the age of 18, they will be processed through the adult system. Under the current system, unaccompanied minors who do not qualify for asylum are granted leave to remain for 30 months - or until they reach 17 and a half if there is no 'safe and adequate' arrangements in their home country. The Muslim Arbitration Tribunal has been accused of persuading the CPS to drop domestic violence charges and encourage women to return to abusive partners A top sharia court has been accused of using its position to 'sabotage' criminal charges brought against men accused of domestic violence. The Muslim Arbitration Tribunal (Mat), based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, was set up in 2007 to help resolve civil and family disputes in accordance with Islamic law. According to the Mat website, the body cannot deal with criminal offences, but 'where there are criminal charges such as assault within the context of domestic violence, the parties can ask Mat to assist in reaching reconciliation. 'The terms of such a reconciliation can then be passed on to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) through the local Police Domestic Violence Liaison Officers with a view to reconsidering the criminal charges.' But Southall Black Sisters, a women's rights group, argues that Mat is effectively 'sabotaging criminal proceedings' against men accused of domestic violence by asking the CPS to 'reconsider' any charges. As part of written evidence submitted to a home affairs inquiry launched in July into sharia courts, the Southall Black Sisters questioned the role of tribunals like Mat. In a statement, the group wrote: 'The Mat, for example, actively involves itself in criminal proceedings on domestic violence, despite stating that it is unable to deal with criminal offences. 'It uses its position of power to persuade the CPS to drop charges and to encourage women to reconcile with abusive partners without reference to court orders they may already have or to risk assessments and safety planning.' Sharia Courts have advised the Muslim community on religious matters in the UK since 1982 It added: ' Sharia councils and the Mat hold themselves out to be courts of law but they are in fact highly arbitrary decision making forums that use dominant, patriarchal and authoritarian interpretations of Muslim codes which are passed off as sharia laws.' The inquiry on sharia councils, of which there are now about 80 in Britain, is due to hear evidence from a number of witnesses on Tuesday. A home affairs inquiry has begun on sharia councils, of which there are around 80 in Britain Lord Macdonald, former director of public prosecutions, told The Sunday Times: 'When a formal criminal charge is laid it is not appropriate for an extrajudicial institution to bring the victim and her alleged attacker together to seek a 'resolution' beyond the control of the UK courts and certainly not where that institution itself has a questionable approach to the rights of women and to their supposed place in society.' Britain's Special Forces are being left behind by their American counterparts on key missions against Islamic State terrorists, because they are so scared of being prosecuted. According to the Sunday Express, British forces are feeling increasingly reticent about missions after several SAS officers were told they are being investigated over operations in Iraq. A source told the Sunday paper: 'The Americans are seeing a reticence that did not exist before. We have always stayed within the box, but we used to work things out as we went along. SAS soldiers are now so concerned about prosecution that US counterparts are leaving them behind on key missions, according to reports 'The feeling now is that its not enough. We know each and every one of us can suddenly come back to Hereford and find our names on an investigations list. Or it could happen many months, or even years later. 'So while we check and double check orders, work things out to the smallest detail, the window of opportunity to act on an HGV gets smaller. 'The delay is causing impatience with the Americans.' Elite troops trying to find the killers of the six red caps above now face action. Above: Sergeant Simon Hamilton-Jewell, Corporal Russell Aston, Corporal Paul Long, Corporal Simon Miller, Lance-Corporal Benjamin John McGowan Hyde and Lance-Corporal Tom Keys Special forces troops who hunted those responsible for the 2003 ambush now face charges. Here one of the ambushed men is brought home with military honours The incidents are said to have happened recently as the Special Forces carried out a high profile campaign to undermine ISIS resistance near Mosul. Earlier this month the Daily Mail revealed that several British troops who tried to find the killers of six British Red Caps were facing prosecution. Ministry of Defence police will hand a file to the military's prosecution service in November, recommending soldiers should be charged with assaulting Iraqi policemen. As many as 40 elite troops, including a former SAS commander, could face charges of actual bodily harm or grievous bodily harm. If found guilty, they could be jailed. Last night, special forces said the difficult nature of their work means they face and take different risks to other army colleagues. A source said: 'Everyone knows that there is no need for parliamentary consent to deploy us. So, while regular regiments stick to training Iraq or Syrian troops, which is important of course, we deploy to directly undermine the enemy. 'I ncreasing red-tape and bureaucracy will hinder us. BHS could return to the high street thanks to a Qatari-based group owned by Janet Jackson's husband who have bought one of the company's few profitable arms. When the stores went into administration in April, its successful online operation and international stores were snapped up by the Al Mana group, run by business magnate Wissam Al Mana. They then relaunched the site as BHS International with many of the company's former employees but stress they have no links whatsoever to ex-BHS owners Sir Philip Green or Dominic Chappell. BHS could return to the high street thanks to a Qatar-based group owned by Janet Jackson's husband who bought one of the company's few profitable arms The site went live last month and is starting with a 'small number' of men's and women's items, but will be 'significantly ramped up' later, with a children's range launching on November 11. And if the site proves to be a success for the company, they could begin opening stores once again on British high streets. BHS's successful online operation and international stores were snapped up by the Al Mana group, run by business magnate Wissam Al Mana, who is married to Janet Jackson Managing director of BHS International David Anderson told the Sunday Express: 'Retail is a very fast moving business and I would definitely not rule out opening stores in the UK. 'The vast majority of my team are ex-BHS and everyone wants to make a point. 'I don't think it is a toxic name but we are looking at everything.' The Al Mana group now has an 84-strong team working in London on BHS International and has recently opened a logistics hub in Dubai. The company are launching a flagship store in Qatar at the end of year and are planning further shops across Europe, Africa and the Gulf, using the BHS name. It comes following the launch of their online collection which is continuing to sell old BHS favourites such as 'mix and match' tailoring in womenswear along with homewares and lighting. The website has also launched two Christmas ranges and kitchen and dining products since it opened for business at the end of last month with solely UK suppliers. BHS, a staple of British shopping, went into administration in April and the company was wound down when a buyer could not be found. The new BHS website went live last month and is starting with a 'small number' of men's and women's items, but will be 'significantly ramped up' later The website is continuing to sell old BHS favourites such as mix and match womenswear, lighting, left, and homewares, right The collapse of BHS affected 11,000 jobs, 22,000 pensions, and sparked a lengthy parliamentary inquiry. Retail billionaire Sir Philip Green, who owned BHS for 15 years before selling it to serial bankrupt Dominic Chappell for 1 in 2015, has borne the brunt of the public fallout, with MPs unanimously recommending he is stripped of his knighthood. He has come under fire for taking more than 400 million in dividends from the chain, leaving it with a 571 million pension deficit and for selling it to a man with no retail experience. PC Rathband was shot and blinded by fugitive Raoul Moat in 2010 The widow of tragic PC Rathband, who was shot in the face and blinded by fugitive Raoul Moat, has remarried in an intimate ceremony. Kath Rathband tied the knot with prison officer John McGee on Saturday in a lavish ceremony attended by 75 guests, including her two children by the deceased police officer. They married at the South Causey Inn in Stanley, County Durham. The happy couple. Kath Rathband tied the knot with prison officer John McGee on Saturday Kath had sworn she would never find love again after she separated from PC Rathband who was having an affair with a survivor from London's 7/7 terror blasts. The police officer hung himself in 2012 just months after the split, seemingly unable to cope with the life changing injuries he obtained in 2010 after Moat went on a shooting spree. Raoul Moat wounded his ex girlfriend, killed her new boyfriend before firing at PC Rathband who was sat in his police car In an interview with the Sunday Mirror Kath, 46, said: 'I'm happier now than I ever have been and I'm absolutely sure David would be happy for me.' The medical sales manager found love again with John who didn't realise that Kath had been part of one of the most horrific police stand offs ever in UK history when they first started dating. She plucked up the courage to tell him she was the wife of PC Rathband on the couple's second date and to Kath's relief he still wanted to continue seeing her. John said: 'I was quite taken aback as it was a high profile story. But it didn't affect me wanting to see Kath again not in the slightest. 'I don't want to see her get ground down by any bullying but she is a very strong woman and she has kept her dignity because she's had to be strong for her children. That's what I love about her.' McGee moved into the Rathband family. Photos of PC Rathband still adorn the walls Ten months later, John moved into the home Kath had once shared with David in Cramlington, Northumberland. Kath says pictures of the deceased officer still adorn the family home's walls and her children Mia, 18, and Ashley, 24, constantly reminisce about him. Kath said: 'Of course we still talk about David. He is the children's dad and I was with him for a long time. John totally respects that.' John said: 'I wouldn't understand if I didn't have children but I'm a father, so I do.' PC Rathband was shot by serial offender Moat as he sat in his patrol car in Newcastle. The criminal had gone on the run after wounding his ex-girlfriend Samantha Stobbart and killing her new boyfriend Chris Brown. Moat died during a police stand off five days later after a frantic manhunt. PC Rathband wasn't expected to survive the shooting but miraculously pulled through the ordeal. PC Rathband and Kath pictured with their son Ashley in 2011. The couple separated after the police officer started having an affair with a 7/7 survivor Kath married her previous husband in 1992 at a Stafford registry office before a reception at a working man's club. Speaking on the eve of her wedding to her new beau Kath revealed: 'When things were really bad, I could not envisage being as happy as I am now. 'I met David when I was very young and I loved him completely but we had a lot of challenges within our marriage. 'It was complex because we had two children. There were lots of invisible threads holding us together. New York Times bestselling author Ed Klein has just published his fourth book about the Clintons since 2005, Guilty as Sin. Klein had told how Bill Clinton enjoyed foot rubs, massages and romps in his presidential library with female interns and has described new details about Hillary's medical crises. Guilty as Sin is available in bookstores and for order from Amazon. James Comey's decision to revive the investigation of Hillary Clinton's email server and her handling of classified material came after he could no longer resist mounting pressure by mutinous agents in the FBI, including some of his top deputies, according to a source close to the embattled FBI director. James Comey has revived the investigation of Hillary Clinton's email server and her handling of classified material (Clinton at a campaign rally on October 29, 2016 in Daytona Beach, Florida) Comey's decision came as he could no longer resist mounting pressure by mutinous agents in the FBI, including some of his top deputies, according to a source 'The atmosphere at the FBI has been toxic ever since Jim announced last July that he wouldn't recommend an indictment against Hillary,' said the source, a close friend who has known Comey for nearly two decades, shares family outings with him, and accompanies him to Catholic mass every week. 'Some people, including department heads, stopped talking to Jim, and even ignored his greetings when they passed him in the hall,' said the source. 'They felt that he betrayed them and brought disgrace on the bureau by letting Hillary off with a slap on the wrist.' According to the source, Comey fretted over the problem for months and discussed it at great length with his wife, Patrice. He told his wife that he was depressed by the stack of resignation letters piling up on his desk from disaffected agents. The letters reminded him every day that morale in the FBI had hit rock bottom. Comey's decision to reopen the case was more than an effort to heal the wound he inflicted on the FBI. He was also worried that after the presidential election, Republicans in Congress would mount a probe of how he had granted Hillary political favoritism 'He's been ignoring the resignation letters in the hope that he could find a way of remedying the situation,' said the source. 'When new emails that appeared to be related to Hillary's personal email server turned up in a computer used [her close aide] Huma Abedin and [Abedin's disgraced husband,] Anthony Weiner, Comey jumped at the excuse to reopen the investigation. 'The people he trusts the most have been the angriest at him,' the source continued. 'And that includes his wife, Pat. She kept urging him to admit that he had been wrong when he refused to press charges against the former secretary of state. When new emails that appeared to be related to Hillary's personal email server turned up in a computer used by Huma Abedin (left) and Anthony Weiner (right) Comey jumped at the excuse to reopen the investigation, sources say 'He talks about the damage that he's done to himself and the institution [of the FBI], and how he's been shunned by the men and women who he admires and work for him. It's taken a tremendous toll on him. 'It shattered his ego. He looks like he's aged 10 years in the past four months.' New York Times bestselling author Ed Klein has just published his fourth book about the Clintons since 2005, Guilty as Sin But Comey's decision to reopen the case was more than an effort to heal the wound he inflicted on the FBI. He was also worried that after the presidential election, Republicans in Congress would mount a probe of how he had granted Hillary political favoritism. His announcement about the revived investigation, which came just 11 days before the presidential election, was greeted with shock and dismay by Attorney General Loretta Lynch and the prosecutors at the Justice Department. 'Jim told me that Lynch and Obama are furious with him,' the source said. As I revealed in my latest New York Times bestseller Guilty As Sin Obama said that appointing Comey as FBI direct was 'my worst mistake as president.' Britain has 'questions to answer' after a series of job adverts inferred US military personnel are operating drone strikes from the UK. Human rights group Reprieve says the roles are proof that the UK has been secretly involved in drone warfare, which critics say violates international law. As reported in The Observer, vacancies at RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire include 'full motion video analysts' to study drone footage, as well as for an 'all source analyst' to support US operations in Africa, which involves the use of tools for 'advanced targeting' and GPS guided weapons. Human rights group Reprieve claims a series of job adverts at RAF bases prove Britain has been secretly involved in America's drone program, used since 2011 for targeted killings American consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton is recruiting at the same base for a 'maritime multi-level targeting analyst' who will 'support the client targeting cycle in order to answer intelligence questions and provide recommendations for further action or collection.' The Ministry of Defence has categorically denied any suggestion the US is operating drones from the UK. A spokesman said: 'There are no circumstances under which UK military assets, including those bases made available to the US, could be used operationally by the US without the agreement of Her Majesty's government.' But critics say the existence of the job roles indicates otherwise. Jennifer Gibson, staff attorney at Reprieve, said: 'Simply to say that drones are not flown from the UK is missing the point, if it is personnel on British soil that are at the top of the so-called 'kill chain' and British agencies who are feeding targets into those lists. 'The British government has questions to answer over its own involvement in this secret war.' Critics of US drone operations, which have been used since September 11, 2001, say it has resulted in hundreds of innocent civilians being killed and has fuelled a hatred of the West Critics also point to the fact that staff from RAF Molesworth are set to be transferred to RAF Croughton, near Milton Keynes - the chosen location for a new US intelligence-gathering hub known as the Joint Analysis Centre. A $300million renovation is due to start next year at the site, which will reportedly play a significant role in future US drone operations. Questions over the UK's involvement in the US drone program have been raised in recent months. In April it was claimed Britain had been secretly helping the US to carry out drone strikes in Yemen for six years. Special Forces from the UK are said to have systematically co-operated with the Americans to take out Al Qaeda operatives with targeted strikes by providing intelligence to draw up 'kill lists'. At that time, Reprieve said it showed beyond dispute the UK was working hand in glove with the Americans to kill in secret. Reyaad Khan (left) and Ruhul Amin (right), who both had links to ISIS, became the first British citizens killed by their own government with a remotely piloted aircraft in Raqqa, Syria, in 2015 The US government began to use drones for assassinations in Pakistan and Afghanistan after the September 11 2001 attacks, but their use has since spread around the world. The programme, dubbed America's secret war, is credited with weakening Al Qaeda but critics say it has also killed hundreds of civilians and fuelled a hatred of the West. UK forces have also carried out their own drone strikes in Iraq and Syria, which last August killed two Britons citizens linked to ISIS. Advertisement Thousands of civilians fled towns surrounding the ISIS stronghold of Mosul where the terror group have been murdering people who refuse to act as human shields. Men, women and children traipsed across the desert and through the front lines as several new fronts opened in the operation to retake Mosul. More than 17,500 have left their homes in the past few days according to the United Nations with credible reports of ISIS executing more than 250 people who refused to act as human shields. Scroll down for video Thousands of Iraqi civilians have fled ISIS-held areas surrounding Mosul as the Hashed al-Shaabi militant group joined the fight against the terror organisation near Al Qayyarah, which is south of the besieged stronghold This man leads his family towards a refugee camp outside al Qayyarah, south of Mosul having escaped the city ISIS has been kidnapping civilians in the area around Mosul to force them to become human shields to prevent air strikes ISIS has tried to use civilians as human shields to prevent US-led aircraft from pounding their positions in support of the Iraqi forces. The two-week old offensive has seen villages liberated from around the strategic city. In the past 24 hours, Iraqi paramilitary forces have begun attacking Al Qayyarah, which is south of Mosul. The town is part of the vital supply route for ISIS between Iraq and Syria. Forces from the Hashed al-Shaabi, a paramilitary umbrella organisation dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militias, have largely been on the sidelines since the launch of the operation to retake Mosul. But on Saturday they began a push on the town of Tal Afar on the western approach to the city, the only side where ground forces, which have advanced from the north, east and south, are not yet deployed. The United Nations believe that more than 250 civilians have been murdered by ISIS since the Mosul offensive begun This family escaped on the road between Makhmour and al Qayyarah. Their vehicle was struck by a bullet in the windscreen The United Nations claimed some 17,500 refugees have fled ISIS held areas in the past two weeks alone Hashed al-Shaabi spokesman Ahmed al-Assadi said: 'The operation aims to cut supplies between Mosul and Raqa and tighten the siege of ISIS in Mosul and liberate Tal Afar. Assadi said the operation was launched from the Sin al-Dhaban area south of Mosul and aimed to retake the towns of Hatra and Tal Abta as well as Tal Afar. The drive toward Tal Afar could bring the fighting perilously close to the ancient city of Hatra, a UNESCO world heritage site that has already been vandalised by ISIS. Though it was not mentioned by name, the operation may also pass near the ruins of Nimrud, another archaeological site that has previously been attacked by ISIS. The involvement of Shiite militias in the Mosul operation has been a source of contention, although some of the Hashed's top commanders insist they do not plan to enter the largely Sunni city. Many have abandoned their homes with only the clothes on their back to escape from the impending assault The UN High Commission for Refugees described ISIS as 'cowardly' for using civilians as human shields in Mosul The Iraqi army has currently paused its operation in Mosul to regroup and re-equip its front line troops according to the US Iraqi Kurds and Sunni Arab politicians have opposed their involvement, as has Turkey, which has a military presence east of Mosul despite repeated demands by Baghdad for the forces to be withdrawn. Relations between the Hashed and the US-led coalition fighting ISIS are also tense, but the paramilitaries enjoy widespread support among members of Iraq's Shiite majority. Tal Afar was a Shiite-majority town of mostly ethnic Turkmens before the Sunni extremists of ISIS overran it in 2014, and its recapture is a main goal of Shiite militia forces. As the Hashed push on Tal Afar got under way, Iraq's federal police advanced into Al-Shura, an area south of Mosul with a long history as a militant bastion that has been the target of fighting for more than a week. Federal Police commander Lieutenant General Raed Shakir Jawdat said: 'Federal police units raised the Iraqi flag. Police are now chasing terrorists fleeing towards the north.' The offensive operations came despite an assertion from the US-led coalition on Friday that Iraqi forces were temporarily halting their advance on Mosul for a period expected to last 'a couple days'. Colonel John Dorrian confirmed the Iraqi troops were regrouping for advancing further. 'They are pausing and repositioning, refitting and doing some back clearing.' Some of those who are trying to remain in their homes scavenge for wood and metal in the streets of al Qayyarah Refugees are forced to queue up and carry water in saucepans in a UN camp just outside the town of al Qayyarah The Iraqi Army has posted guards outside the refugee camp outside al Qayyarah to protect civilians from ISIS An Iraqi military statement, apparently issued in response to Dorrian's remarks on the halt, said that 'military operations are continuing' and proceeding on schedule. More than 17,500 people have fled their homes toward government-held areas since the Mosul operation began, the International Organisation for Migration said on Saturday. Numbers are expected to soar as Iraqi forces close in. Civilians are suffering even more in jihadist-held territory, with the United Nations saying that there are credible reports of ISIS carrying out mass executions and seizing tens of thousands of people for use as human shields. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said ISIS's 'depraved, cowardly strategy is to attempt to use the presence of civilians to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military operations'. The United Nations believe the number of refugees fleeing the ISIS-held territory around Mosul He said the jihadists are 'effectively using tens of thousands of women, men and children as human shields.' The UN cited reports indicating ISIS has forcibly taken civilians into Mosul, killing those who resist or who were previously members of Iraqi security forces. It said more than 250 people were executed in just two days earlier this week. The jihadists have also launched a series of diversionary attacks since the operation began, including one in the city of Kirkuk that sparked multiple days of fighting and left dozens dead. A woman is in a critical condition and fighting for her life after she was allegedly hit by an unsupervised learner driver. The woman, 50-year-old Deb Arnold was hit by the woman in North Adelaide on Saturday night, reported Nine News. Police said the crash took place on Currawong Crescent near Dulkara Avenue in Craigmore, a northern suburb of Adelaide, about 9pm on Saturday. Deb Arnold, 50 (pictured), is in a critical condition and fighting for her life in hospital after she was hit by an alleged unsupervised learner driver SA Police said Major Crash Investigators attended the scene. The 23-year-old driver from Elizabeth North is believed to have been driving solo when she hit Ms Arnold. Ms Arnold was rushed to Royal Adelaide Hospital in a critical condition. Ms Arnold was hit by the 23-year-old on Saturday night about 9pm on Currawong Crescent (pictured) in Craigmore in north Adelaide The driver has been reported for causing serious harm by dangerous driving, failing to stop at a collision and breaching learner's conditions. She will be summonsed to appear in court at a later date. The number of cases in Australia jumped 250 per cent to 11,000 in 2015 Ms Mouatt was left wondering if she ever really knew the man she married A woman has told of the moment her world flipped upside down when she found her husband's addiction to child pornography on his computer. Leah Mouatt from Penrith, Sydney, suspected her husband of six years Phillip John Vellio may have been cheating on her in late 2014. And so Ms Mouatt, 34, logged on to his computer, but instead of finding any confirmation of an affair she instead discovered his profile on a child pornography site - leaving her wondering if she really ever knew the man she married. 'How could I be with someone for so long and not know?' Ms Mouatt told 60 Minutes. Scroll down for video Leah Mouatt's, 34, life came tumbling down one night in 2014 when she found child abuse material on her husbands computer The 34-year-old (right) was left wondering if she ever really knew her husband of six years Phillip John Vellio, 33 (left) 'At the end of the day there wasnt anything that would tell me what he was really doing, not anywhere in the realationship.' In an effort to discover what had changed in the life of her 'funny' husband, Ms Mouatt made the logical step of looking on his computer. After searching around she found a pornography site that mentioned his regular online username. But not only was she disturbed by what he was viewing, but also the fact that he had uploaded photos to the site - including some of the young daughter of one of Ms Mouatt's friends. 'What he'd written underneath this photo told me what the reality was,' she said. 'I knew quite quickly after I saw what I saw that the police had to be called. 'Things happen to these children that we could never dream of - and he was looking at that stuff.' Police seized more than 32,000 images and 854 videos from Vellio's laptop among which were photos of babies, toddlers and teenagers in various sexual acts with other children and adults. Vellio was convicted on two counts of being in possession of child pornography and received a 12-month good behaviour bond. 'Things happen to these children that we could never dream of - and he was looking at that stuff,' Ms Mouatt said. After discovering what her husband was looking up and sharing online she said she knew the reality of the type of man he was Police seized more than 32,000 images and 854 videos from Vellio's laptop including many photos of children committing sexual acts with other children Use of child pornography sites and sharing of images has seen a major rise in Australia over recent years, with more than 11,000 cases reported by police in 2015. Jon Rouse, the head of child pornography Task Force Argos, said the rise was concerning. 'If you achieve sexual gratification from viewing the image of a child being sexually abused, it cannot be such a quantum leap that you would not take your online sexual fantasies into the real world,' Mr Rouse said. The alarming increase in child pornography cases was exacerbated by the growing trend of Australians streaming live videos of child sex abuse from the dark web. NSW and Victoria have hardened their stances on child abuse material and increased the maximum imprisonment penalty to 10 years. Vellio was convicted on two counts of being in possession of child pornography and received a 12-month good behaviour bond While Ms Mouatt was incredibly emotional when talking about the children people like her ex-husband pry on, she too is a victim herself. After outing her husband she lost her friends, family, home and family. A heterosexual couple who have been living together for the past six years will demand the right to a civil partnership this week. Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan argue that they are victims of discrimination under the present law, which gives gay couples the option of marriage or a civil partnership but denies the latter to heterosexual couples. Earlier this year the high court ruled against the couple's legal challenge to the Civil Partnership Act 2004. Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, where they argued that the Government's position on civil partnerships is "incompatible with equality law" for heterosexual couples This Wednesday they launch their appeal against the ruling in the high court, with judgment expected to be reserved. Should Steinfeld and Keidan get knocked back again they say they are willing to take the case to the supreme court and the European Court of Human Rights. 'A civil partnership would reflect who we are,' Keidan told the Observer. 'It's a modern social contract that doesn't have the associations of marriage but would give the protection that we and other cohabiting couples crave.' The Civil Partnership Act, which was passed in 2004, states that such partnerships will provide legal rights and obligations to couples regarding children, property and pensions would be available to 'two people of the same sex'. It was passed after gay rights campaigners demanded legal recognition for unions between same-sex couples. And in 2013 same-sex married for was legalised, in a landmark ruling, giving gay couples the right to marriage or a civil partnership. But the former continues to be denied to heterosexual couples. According to Equal Civil Partnerships campaign there are nearly three million opposite sex couples living together in the UK, and almost four in 10 have dependent children. The Observer notes that although many people believe that people in common law marriages have rights over children and property protection, there is no such provision in law. 'The fastest growing families in the UK are people who choose not to get married,' said Keidan, who has a 17-month-old daughter, Eden, with Steinfeld. Homosexual couples such as Elton John and David Furnish entered civil partnerships soon after the Civil Partnership Act was passed by parliament 'It would be a really straightforward thing for the government to extend civil partnerships to couples like us.' Steinfeld added: 'For many people, marriage is a very meaningful way to express their love. But there are also many reasons why people don't want to get married. It's not for the government to dictate, but to ensure that couples are legally protected.' The couple have made wills, but will not have automatic rights to pensions or couples' inheritance tax allowances. Their legal battle has been funded by their own savings, donations from philanthropic organisations and crowdfunding which raised 35,000. After their case was rejected by the court in January the government said that changing would be 'costly and complex'. More UK heterosexual couples are not getting married. 'The fastest growing families in the UK are people who choose not to get married,' said Keidan However Steinfield claims that government can't maintain the 'unfair status quo'. 'The costs of changing the law pale into insignificance compared to the costs of dealing with the consequences of relationship breakdown where there is no legal protection,' she added. The couple say there is growing support for a change in the law and more than 70,000 people have signed an online petition. While Conservative MP Tim Loughton has introduced a private member's bill in parliament. Same sex couples can enter a civil partnership in Isle of Man, which is a crown dependency but not part of the UK, after the law was passed earlier this year. Adeline Cosson and Kieran Hodgson became the first opposite-sex couple on the island to enter into a civil partnership earlier in October. Gare du Nord station has been evacuated after a World War shell was discovered. Two Eurostar trains bound for London have been delayed as a result of the find, described as a 'souvenir', which was reported earlier this morning. The check-in area at the transport hub was evacuated as a precaution, a spokeswoman for Eurostar has confirmed. Gare du Nord station has been evacuated after a World War shell was discovered It is not known how or specifically where the shell was discovered or why it was in the station. The Keep Calm and Carry On was actually banned amid fears it would make war time Britain worry there was actually something to panic about It is the wartime slogan that that in recent years has been splashed across cards, mugs and cushions and generated thousands of parodies. But the Keep Calm and Carry On poster that was coined by government speech writer Sir Percival Waterfield was actually banned amid fears it would make war time Britain worry there was actually something to panic about. Around 2.5million copies of the poster with the slogan were printed in 1939, but they were never distributed and only a few survived before they were all destroyed. It comes after it has been revealed that one of the only posters not to have been destroyed was discovered to have made its way to a research laboratory in Bedfordshire. The poster was hung in the facility during the war and it is believed to have been one of the first sent out before it was banned, reports the Telegraph. The slogan, Keep Calm and Carry On was based on an early draft, also written by Sir Percival, of King George VI's rousing address the nation at the outbreak of the Second World War. However, after creating it, he doubted it would catch the national mood, saying the word were 'too commonplace to be inspiring'. He even said: 'It may even annoy people that we should seem to doubt the steadiness of their nerves. The slogan now is splashed across a whole host of merchandise and has generated parodies Also at the time, Mass Observation, a social research organisation, found more people disapproved of the poster than approved. The Ministry of Information decided it had struck the wrong note and it was put in storage in November 1939. Only a few authentic topies of the original poster exist, with even the Imperial War Museum failing to own one. It was only 16 years ago, when second-hand booksellers Stuart and Mary Manley discovered a copy in their shop in Alnwick, Northumberland, that the slogan became iconic. Since it was discovered it has been adopted as the unofficial motto of the recession, sparking a host of merchandise from cufflinks to doormats and other memes Since then it has been adopted as the unofficial motto of the recession, sparking a host of merchandise from cufflinks to doormats. The poster has graced the walls of the Prime Ministers strategy unit at 10 Downing Street and David Beckham is said to own a T-shirt. Advertisement Icelandic winds will blast in from the north and bring a 'major change' next week as temperatures crash down to daytime highs of just 50F (10C). After weeks of unseasonably pleasant weather and days of sunshine the nation is set for a cold end to October. The forecast, like the clocks going back, marks the beginning of the descent from autumn into winter. After weeks of unseasonably pleasant weather and days of sunshine the nation is set for a cold end to October Canary Wharf in London is shrouded in mist, obscuring the top of the building. The South, like the rest of the country, is set for a fall in temperature A man walks his dogs along Whitley Bay, Northumberland, earlier today before sunrise. Tomorrow temperatures in the South could reach highs of 62.6F (17C) and cities in the North will only be marginally worse at 57.2F (14C) A robin was photographed sitting in the bare branches of a bush in the afternoon sunshine in Test Valley, Hampshire, today Three walkers were spotted strolling through the Thetford Forest in Norfolk and were surrounded by autumnal colour A woman was photographed walking through leaves while being surrounded by autumnal colours in Thetford Forest, Norfolk Autumnal colours in the afternoon sunshine in The Test Valley Hampshire Seasonal weather, The Test Valley, Hampshire, Emilie and Sophie Rhodes from Cambridge walk along a pathway surrounded by autumnal colour in Thetford Forest, Norfolk (left) while two people were spotted walking through the same part of the forest (right) A man walks past abstract poppies representing the Army, Navy and Air Force by artist Mark Humphrey as part of the Remembrance Art Trail in Canary Wharf, London Tomorrow temperatures in the South could reach highs of 62.6F (17C) and cities in the North will only be marginally worse at 57.2F (14C). But by Tuesday temperatures will have fallen by around 7C (44.6F) to just 10C (66.2F). Tom Crocker, forecaster for the Met Office, described how winds from Iceland will cause temperatures to come tumbling down. 'We have got a major change in the type of weather which begins from really Monday night and into Tuesday,' he said. 'What will happen on Monday into Tuesday is high pressure from the Atlantic which will squeeze out the high pressure we already have. 'The North West high pressure becomes more dominant and brings with it cooler air from further north, Icelandic air. 'Its a change quite significant as we could see 17C in London, the South East and some other places across the south on Monday. For late October the maximum is usually around 11-12C, so that's a lot midler than normal.' 'Then from Tuesday the temperature will be much lower probably 12-13C. I think in southern central areas it will be 5C cooler on Tuesday than Monday and likewise Wednesday will be a touch cooler at 11-12C.' Temperatures will also fall overnight, from 50F (10C) to only 41F (5C), which is around average for the time of year. Boats are covered by mist in Poplar Basin, London. High pressure will squeeze out the mild conditions on Monday night and into Tuesday morning The swing bridge in Canary Wharf, London was obscured by mist and fog as walkers made their way across Early morning fogs greeted British Airways planes at Heathrow Airport this morning before it cleared as the day progressed High pressure from the North West will become dominant and bring with it cooler air from Iceland, pushing out the milder conditions The days will be 'crisp' and 'autumnal' and will freshen up the mild conditions. There was some early drizzle across central parts of England and Wales this morning. Outbreaks of rain are continuing across parts of Scotland. Early morning fog in southern England cleared before lunchtime. 'We are going back to normal for the time of year but it will be a noticeable change for people who will probably need to turn the heating up or on, if they haven't done already,' Mr Crocker added. The colder conditions will also bring snow flurries over Scottish mountains and The Pennines but there is no chance any could settle at lower ground, the forecaster said. Donald Trump initially offered New Jersey Governor Chris Christie the No. 2 slot on his ticket, but eventually bowed to pressure from his campaign advisors and family who pushed him to tap Indiana Governor Mike Pence. Just days before the Republican convention in Cleveland this past summer, Trump had finalized the list of running mates to Christie, Pence, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Many of Trump's top aides as well as his two oldest sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, wanted him to take Pence, the New York Post reported. Trump was having difficulty winning the support of the evangelical wing of the Republican Party, and having Pence on the ticket could shore up that base of support, they said. Scroll down for video Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump (right) and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (left) are seen on the campaign trail in Columbus, Ohio, on March 1, 2016 Privately, however, Trump was undecided. Christie, seeing this, decided to lobby Trump for the job. The New Jersey governor hoped that the close relationship he had developed with the real estate mogul would tip the balance in his favor and he may have been right. 'Trump cares about who's the most loyal and who kisses his a the most, not who's the most qualified and what's the best political decision,' a source close to the campaign told the Post. 'If it was up to him, it would have been Christie.' Christie had apparently endeared himself to Trump, much to the dismay of the candidate's top advisers, chief among them campaign manager Paul Manafort. Trump was persuaded by Christie to name him as his running mate, but his two eldest sons, Eric (left) and Donald Jr. (center), urged him to pick Indiana Governor Mike Pence (right) While Trump was considering Christie, Manafort was working to bring Pence on to the ticket by arranging meetings between the candidate and the Indiana governor. The critical moment came on July 12, when Christie reportedly told Trump what he wanted to hear. 'Yeah, sure I'm giving it to you.' Trump is reported to have told Christie. The next day, Trump was due in Indiana to meet Pence. Manafort wanted the two men to come to agreement on Pence's joining the ticket then fly to New York the next day to make the official announcement. Trump (left) was persuaded by Christie to pick him, but his campaign manager, Paul Manafort (right), argued that the New Jersey governor was tainted by the Bridgegate scandal After Trump's meeting with Pence, Manafort told him that the plane had a mechanical problem, forcing them to stay in Indiana another night. That gave Manafort and other Trump aides time to convince their boss that picking Christie would have been politically unsound given the Bridgegate scandal. In 2013, Christie aides colluded among them to shut down lanes at the main toll plaza on the upper level of the George Washington Bridge in order to create traffic jams in Fort Lee, New Jersey. The move was believed to be retaliation against the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, Mark Sokolich, for his refusal to support Christie in the 2013 race for governor in New Jersey. Indictments were issued against Christie aides for intentionally causing traffic on the George Washington Bridge (above) as retribution against the mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey, who declined to support Christie's 2013 election bid The investigation resulted in indictments against two aides. Christie denied ever having knowledge of the plan to shut down the traffic lanes. Had it not been for the scandal, Christie may have been Trump's pick, not Pence. 'Trump had wanted Christie but Bridgegate would have been the biggest national story,' a source close to Trump told the Post. 'He'd lose the advantage of not being corrupt.' Trump told Christie that he would pick Pence because not doing so would 'tear my family apart.' In an interview with MSNBC, Christie said he was displeased with the decision. 'If you're a competitive person, like I am, and you're used to winning, like I am - again, you don't like coming in second, ever,' the New Jersey governor said. A key piece of evidence in the case of missing Melbourne mother Karen Ristevski has been sent to the US to be examined by experts. Victoria Police reportedly sent the evidence in the hope technical experts can determine what happened to the missing 47-year-old, reported the Herald Sun. Detectives has also re-examined hours of CCTV footage to determine what happened. A key piece of evidence in the case of missing Melbourne mother Karen Ristevski (pictured) has been sent to the US to be examined by experts Ms Ristesvki (left) has been missing from Oakley Drive in Avondale Heights since June 29. her husband Borce (right) told police she want for a walk to clear her head after they had an argument about money Ms Ristesvki has been missing from Oakley Drive in Avondale Heights since June 29. Her husband Borce Ristevski, 47, told police she went for a walk to clear her head after the pair had an argument about money. That was the last time anyone saw her, and she has not used her mobile phone or accessed her bank accounts since. Land and air searches of an area north-west of Melbourne have so far failed to produce any clues to her whereabouts. Police reportedly believe Ms Ristevski met with foul play and her body has been hidden. Ms Ristevski's daughter Sarah, 21 (left), has reportedly stopped helping the police with their investigation, following what she says has been unfair treatment of her father (right) Last week police are believed to have spoken to Ms Ristevski's stepson Anthony Rickard about his dealings with her, but it's understood they believe he wasn't involved in her disappearance. They also spoke to Mr Ristevski again but did not formally interview him. Ms Ristevski's daughter Sarah, 21, has reportedly stopped helping the police with their investigation, following what she says has been the unfair treatment of her father. Buying wine from this guy was sure to give you a hangover. John Fox, revealed in August to be the 'Bernie Madoff of wine,' ran a $45million wine Ponzi scheme for 23 years. Fox, a dealer who headed up the California-based Premier Cru wine club, offered his members some of the most exclusive wines in the world at a 10 to 30 percent discount. Wealthy collectors eager to scoop up rare vintages at the cut prices would pay before the wine was even bottled, and then wait six months to two years for delivery. But Fox was not buying the wine for his latest customers - he was instead putting the money towards buying the orders of his earlier customers. Collectors of high end wines, such as the Chateau des Tours above, ended up being bilked of millions 'If a guy sent $1 million, Daniel Posner, owner of Grapes the Wine Company, told the New York Post, 'Fox would ship wine to 20 of his $50,000 guys.' In August, Fox pleaded guilty to wire fraud and could receive six-and-a-half years in prison at his sentencing December 14. He also was reportedly buying more than wine. After funneling money to bank accounts under fake names, Fox spent $165,000 on a Ferrari and $900,000 on women - all allegedly with client money. Around 9,000 clients lost money in Fox's apparent scheme, including Former Credit Suisse chief Adebayo Ogunlesi, who was stripped of $479,000, and Hong Kong financier Lawrence Wai-Man Hui who gave up nearly $1million to Fox. He only received one bottle of wine in return. Manhattan resident George Zicarelli, who used to work as an editor at 60 Minutes, said he lost $250,000 thanks to Fox. Fox's California flagship store, Premier Cru, opened in 2011 Zicarelli got into the business of buying wines at a discount from Fox and then flipping them for a profit. Before he knew it, he was $600,000 in debt and when the 2008 economic crash hit, and there were a few seasons of bad grapes, Fox slowed way down on delivering his wines. Eventually, Fox stopped returning phone calls and Zicarelli said he left him a voice mail telling him he'd 'ruined his life.' Zicarelli cashed out his 401K and an insurance policy and sold some wine to try and clear his debt, but he still owes credit card companies money. One high-powered Wall Streeter, who spoke to the Post anonymously, said he lost $30,000 in Fox's so-called wine Ponzi scheme. 'I was extremely skeptical but the prices were too good for me to not buy in. It was a classic Ponzi scheme that hit all the triggers: Value, wine, the collector mentality. Im bummed about losing my money but also about not getting my wine,' he said. A young Australian woman has been forced to flee Indonesia after allegedly being bashed and having all her possessions stolen by her boyfriend. What should have been an enjoyable Bali getaway for Tammie Wilkinson turned into a week from hell at the hands of a former partner and who she claims repeatedly attacked and harassed her. Only once back in her homeland on Sunday did she feel comfortable to reveal the true toll of her cut eyes and bruised and battered face. Taking to Facebook to share the disturbing photos of her face and tell of her horrifying experience, Ms Wilkinson warned others to watch out for the man who runs a tour business. Tammie Wilkinson (pictured) has suffered a week from hell in Bali after she was allegedly repeatedly bashed and robbed by a man who she claims was her boyfriend Once back in Australia the young woman took to Facebook to share disturbing photos of her bruised and battered face. Ms Wilkinson warned others to watch out for the man who runs a tour business 'It's disgusting how a man can not only mentally abuse a woman and say nasty things which have no truth behind them but physically abuse her as well,' Ms Wilkinson wrote. 'I have spent this last week in Bali scared of this man... (who) not only repeatedly punched me but stole my money, phone and bank card. 'He even broke into my hotel room at 3am in the morning and started yelling and trying to attack me. Then proceeded to steal my room key.' Ms Wilkinson told Daily Mail Australia she'd reported the incidents to police, but had been told that they could only take action if she stayed in Bali. Ms Wilkinson says the man 'punched' her, while also breaking into her hotel room in the early hours of the morning, forcing her to flee to another hotel Messages between the two show Ms Wilkinson's outrage as she accuses him of abusing her. The alleged attacker replies saying he is 'so sorry' for his actions Not willing to chance her safety, she was left with no choice by to flee back home, only able to confront her alleged attacker via message. After Ms Wilkinson told him 'hitting a girl is the worst thing you could ever do', he appeared to feign some remorse. 'I'm so sorry,' the man wrote. In a Facebook comment on her post, Ms Wilkinson described the man to a friend as her 'ex-boyfriend'. Ms Wilkinson claims her terrible experience has 'changed her view' about Indonesia as a popular holiday destination for Australians. 'If you are going to Bali avoid him at any cost he is very dangerous,' she warned. 'I have waited to post this till now because I feel safe now I'm back here in Australia. 'He can proceed to call me a sl** a c**t and run me down on social media but all my true friends know who I am. 'Please don't let this happen to anyone else traveling to Bali and share his photo.' Ms Wilkinson said she plans to report the man to the Australian embassy in Bali. A Democratic House of Representatives candidate reportedly attacked his Republican opponent in front of his family at a festival in North Carolina. Tim Benton confronted Brenden Jones, his Republican rival for the seat in District 46, at the entrance to the annual Beast Fest in Bladenboro on Saturday. Benton was accusing Jones of being the one behind fliers linking him to the group, witness Woody Hester told the Bladen Journal. Mr Benton kept nudging him with his shoulder the whole time they were walking across, and then he just stepped back a little and coldcocked him, Hester said. Tim Benton and his Republican opponent Brenden Jones (left) brawled at a festival in North Carolina on Saturday He also added that Benton had left a child in a stroller to walk across the street. If Mr Joness [companion] hadnt caught her, the child would have rolled into the street, he added. The North Carolina Republican Party said Jones has filed criminal assault charges and that he has called on the Democratic Party to remove Benton from the race. In a statement, the party claimed Benton was apparently angry about recent NCGOP mailers comparing him to Hillary Clinton. We are just thankful that Brenden Jones, his wife and nine-year-old daughter, who were all with him at the time, did not suffer serious injuries, North Carolina Republican Party spokesman Kami Mueller said. Benton (left) was accusing Jones of being the one behind fliers linking him to a white supremacist group The Democratic Party of North Carolina should join us in seeking Tim Bentons removal as a candidate immediately. In a post on Facebook, Jones wrote: Friends, by now you have likely heard about an unfortunate incident that happened in Bladenboro tonight. Please know that I did my best to defuse the situation. Police were called to the scene, but Bladenboros police chief said his officers didnt witness anything, the Journal reports. He added that both Benton and Jones left the scene saying they were on their way to the magistrates office to file charges against each other. According to an article from the Fayetteville Observer in 1994, Benton had been accused of being involved in distributing Ku Klux Klan membership applications at a school. It is feared a blind eye may be being turned towards Australia's worst terrorists as they radicalise their children to be the next generation of Muslim extremists. Some of Australia's leading jihadi masterminds have reportedly never been visited by government authorities, despite their history of violent behaviour. One jihadi family has seemingly been overlooked by the Department of Family and Community Services despite their teenage stepson's history of violent and worrying behaviour, the Daily Telegraph reports. Just weeks ago the 16-year-old was arrested in western Sydney armed with a bayonet, while in 2012 he was pictured in public holding a sign saying 'Behead all those who insult the prophet'. Scroll down for video The young son of Australia ISIS fighter Khaled Sharrouf (pictured here holding the head of a Syrian soldier) Sharrouf (far right) is pictured here with young children wielding automatic guns after he took his family to Syria The lack of effort to prevent the children of these children from being radicalised has been slammed. 'These children are the victims of their parents and the victims of authorities not acting earlier,' Dr Jamal Rifi, a leader of the Muslim community said. A doctor who knew Sharrouf (left) said early intervention was the only way to save children from being radicalised. One of his young children is pictured (right) holding a sub machinegun in war-torn Syria Dr Rifi, who knew Khaled Sharrouf, said early intervention was a better idea than simply waiting for these kids to commit a crime. He said it was important that children in potentially troubled families were put first and that other Muslim families were supported to raise the alarm on others. 'We should be able to intervene in the lives of these kids well before they end up in prison,' he said. 'Its not about whether the families welcome this intervention. 'They should be forced, welcome or not.' It comes after Australian ISIS fighter Khaled Sharrouf fled to Syria with his five children - and has since been killed. Sharrouf's seven-year-old son was pictured holding the severed head of a Syrian soldier, and his teenage daughter Zaynab married and fell pregnant to another jihadi Mohamed Elomar, who is also now dead. No charges have yet been filed It's unclear how the child got the gun or who it belonged to Several children were inside of the house being babysat The three-year-old was rushed to the hospital but died Police found the toddler, Tyrne Hoskins, with a gunshot wound inside a house in Toledo, Ohio A three-year-old boy has died after police say a seven-year-old found a gun inside of a house with several other children and accidentally shot the toddler. Police identified the victim as Tyrne Hoskins and said that while an investigation is ongoing, so far it is not clear how the child got the gun and no charges have yet been filed, according to ABC 13. The tragedy happened at a yellow home with a porch on the tree-lined 100 block of Rockingham Street near Cherry Street in central Toledo, Ohio. Cops (above) were called to the yellow house on Rockingham Street in Toledo Saturday afternoon around 1pm Inside, police found children who were being babysat along with a three-year-old who had reportedly been killed by a seven-year-old Cops were called to the home around 1pm on Saturday. The three-year-old was found with a gunshot wound, and several other children were in the home being babysat, according to the outlet. The child was rushed to Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical but pronounced dead. Authorities say the case is being investigated but as yet no charges have been filed Several people were interviewed at the Safety Building. Vladimir Putin is preparing to deploy robot tanks that can climb walls as part of his re-equipment of Russian military forces. Among the new weapons showcased is a robotic caterpillar capable of carrying 300kg of equipment at speeds up up to 17mph. The MCP-300 is being evaluated by the Ministry of Defence Robitics works. The Russian military has been testing a new remote control robotic caterpillar-tracked device which can be used as an offensive weapon as well as an all-terrain rescue vehicle Russian newspaper Izvestia claims the new machine is able to work in hostile territories even after a nuclear, chemical or a biological welfare attack without risking the lives of soldiers According to the Russian newspaper Izvestia, the new machine can work in hostile territories, even after nuclear, chemical and biological attack. It can be fitted with weapons, sensors and arms to load and unload itself. Military expert Oleg Zheltonozhko said: 'For rescue, demining and chemical reconnaissance robots working amid the rubble of a combat damaged city, high cross-country capacity is of paramount importance.' According to Tass news agency, Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin admitted the nation's Soviet era equipment was obsolete. This has been demonstrated by the Syrian conflict. The machine can be equipped with arms to collect soil samples or even load and unload itself He told reporters: ' Much has been done, we have made major technological progress. But everything that has been made was designed in the Soviet era. I can feel it in my bones that we wont be able to advance using only innovations of the past. 'Even the Syrian campaign has shown that the future belongs to robotics and unmanned aircraft.' Rogozin told students at a meeting in Tomsk, in Siberia that Russia's territory is so large, they do not have the population to patrol the area. An Iraqi-born Sydney woman says she tried to tell police that several of her friends as young as 12 were being sold off as child brides, but she was completely ignored. Bee al-Darraj went to al-Faisal High School in Auburn, in Sydney's inner-west, and claims her teenage friends and relatives were often sent out of Australia to be married. The 24-year-old reportedly plead with the Australian Federal Police to intervene, but despite her best efforts told The Australian nothing was done. Bee al-Darraj (pictured) says she tried to tell police that several of her friends and relatives, some as young as 12, were child brides but she was completely ignored '(One girl was) 14 when she gave birth in a public hospital, with a 28-year-old father signing the birth certificate,' Ms al-Darraj said . 'She was still in school but nothing was done until he started to beat her, and then she was put in a safe house.' Ms al-Darraj claimed some of the girls who attended her school would not be dropped off by parents, but rather husbands twice their age. She said the lack of action taken by the police left her completely astounded. The now 24-year-old attended al-Faisal High School (pictured) in Auburn, in Sydney's west, and claims her teenage friends and relatives were often sent out of Australia to be married 'They would come to school, a 15-year-old getting dropped off by her 30-year-old husband,' Ms al-Darraj said. 'Its child trafficking, and they know its wrong, but its like they have no idea what to do, and if the girls have already left Australia, they cant do anything.' The AFP told The Australian they were unable to help the girls who Ms al-Darraj brought to their attention because they'd been married prior to 2013. The revelations come just one month after the New South Wales government declared child marriage a major problem. Brad Hazzard, the NSW Family and Community Services Minister, admitted the problem of child marriage was rife across Australia. Last year the number of reported cases of child marriages more than doubled, rising from 33 to 69. Buckling under the weight of an 108-tonne lorry, this concrete bridge collapsed onto the road below, crushing a pensioner in his car. Disturbing footage shows the structure give way beneath the vehicle, leaving rubble and twisted fencing littered on the dual carriageway near Lecco in northern Italy. But ANAS, the company who run Italy's road claim the death of Claudio Bertini, 68, might have been avoided if bureaucrats had heeded warnings to close the bridge. The lorry, which weighed 108, crosses the bridge on the dual carriageway running between Lecco and Milan The concrete structure gives way underneath the vehicle, sending it crashing onto the dual carriageway below ANAS said it 'repeatedly requested the immediate closure' of the structure from 2pm onwards on Friday afternoon. But the local government insisted this be put in writing, a step that required a formal inspection of the site. An inspector was on the way when the structure collapsed three hours later. Ten others were injured in the resulting crashes and police said it was remarkable the rush hour accident had not caused more fatalities. The province of Lecco denied that it had allowed an obsession with paperwork to compromise public safety. 'ANAS's account of what happened does not accord with the information we have about what happened,' it said in a statement. The white car that was crushed by the collapsed bridge on State Highway 36 Ten others were injured in the resulting crashes and police said it was remarkable the rush hour accident had not caused more fatalities The minister of infrastructure has ordered a review of the accident and a preliminary criminal investigation has been opened. Italy is famed for its bureaucracy with even the most basic services requiring extensive form filling. Excessive red tape is regularly cited as a significant barrier to investment and growth. Legislation has been welcomed by some British MPs, dealing with Calais migrants The Australian Prime Minister has said that asylum seekers who try to sneak into Australia by boat will never be able to enter the country again - even as a tourist. The federal government is set to ban illegal immigrants under new legislation and will only bend the rules if it is in the public interest. The ban would apply whether or not they were found to be refugees and extends to all types of visas, including tourist and business categories. Scroll down for video The federal government wants asylum seekers who tried to come to Australia by boat to be banned for life from entering the country. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters the message that they were not welcome had to be 'loud and clear' The Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said: 'That absolutely unflinching, unequivocal message has to be loud and clear. 'The door to Australia is closed to those who seek to come here by boat with a people smuggler. It is closed.' The government will ask parliament to ban everyone who was sent to Nauru or Papua New Guinea's Manus Island for offshore immigration processing after July 19, 2013. That was the date then-Labour Prime Minister Kevin Rudd declared: 'As of today, asylum seekers who come here by boat without a visa will never be settled in Australia.' Asylum seekers aged under 18 at the time they were sent to Nauru or Manus Island would be exempt. Asylum seekers sent to Manus Island (pictured) or Nauru since July 19, 2013, will be banned from ever applying for Australian visas The Australian government face a similar dilemma to the British authorities as many migrants in living in northern France at the former 'Jungle' camp try to sneak their way into the UK. Some try to climb on the back of UK-bound lorries in order to cross the English Channel from Calais and make it into Britain illegally. The camp has been the source of tension between the British and French authorities and was last week destroyed and migrants forced to go elsewhere. And after hearing of the new Australian legislation, some Conservative MPs said they supported the move. The Australian government face a similar dilemma to the British authorities as many migrants in living in northern France at the former 'Jungle' camp try to sneak their way into the UK Some unaccompanied child migrants leave the Jungle camp in Calais after trying to sneak into Britain Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgend told MailOnline: 'Yes , if you are caught entering the UK illegally then you should face a lifetime ban. 'Those trying to cheat the system must face the consequences.' It comes as the Australian immigration minister, Peter Dutton described the new plan as one of the government's strongest moves, building on the success of its border protection policies over the past three years. Mr Dutton said: 'There are still people, advocates in Australia and elsewhere, who are messaging to people on Nauru and Manus, that at some stage you'll come to Australia. 'Those people are living in false hope and it cannot continue.' Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek said it was too soon to determine if Labor would support the bill. Dreamworld hired former cop Mike McKay to help repair reputation The park will not reopen until funerals are over, which can now begin Post mortems of four people dead in Dreamworld disaster are complete Post mortems on the four people who died in the Dreamworld disaster are complete and their bodies finally returned to their families. Kate Goodchild, 32, her brother Luke Dorsett, 35, his partner Roozi Araghi, 38, and Cindy Low, 42, were crushed and drowned to death after a suspected malfunction on the Thunder River Rapids ride flipped their raft on a conveyor belt on Tuesday. Grieving families can now prepare for their loved ones funerals, and the theme park has pledged to stay closed until they are over. Scroll down for video Post mortems on Kate Goodchild (left), 32, and Cindy Low (right), 42, who died in the Dreamworld disaster are complete and their bodies returned to their families Ms Goodchild's brother Luke Dorsett (on right) and his partner Roozi Araghi (left) were also killed and their bodies too are with family awaiting burial Dreamworld would also not run any of its rides until a safety audit of all its attractions was complete to prevent any other malfunctions. The park has also hired former 41-year veteran Queensland police inspector Mike McKay to help it deal with the tragedy and rebuild its reputation. He ran the 2011 flood recovery in Grantham and will work with the families, theme park, authorities and the broader Gold Coast community. Dreamworld has hired former 41-year veteran Queensland policeman Mike McKay (pictured) to help it deal with the tragedy and rebuild its reputation 'There is no one person more qualified than Mike (R) to help us with this process,' Dreamworld chief executive Craig Davidson (L) said He ran the 2011 flood recovery in Grantham (pictured) and will work with the families, theme park, authorities and the broader Gold Coast community Mr McKay was hired at the recommendation of Queensland police commissioner Ian Stewart. 'There is no one person more qualified than Mike to help us with this process,' Dreamworld chief executive Craig Davidson told the Courier Mail. 'He is one of Queenslands foremost community and disaster recovery experts. Its great to have Mike on board and we will be working with him closely.' Mr McKay said the recovery was going to be a long-term process. 'Its a very hard and long process and its still very raw, not only with the families but with the staff here at Dreamworld. They are suffering,' he said. Mourners lay flowers at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast following the death of four people on Tuesday Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett, Roozbeh Araghi and Cindy Low died after a malfunction on the Thunder Rapids ride on Tuesday afternoon Under-fire Ardent Leisure chief executive Deborah Thomas finally visited the park on Friday as she apologised for her poor handling of the tragedy The Queensland Government launched a 'safety blitz' across all of the state's theme parks in response to the four deaths at Dreamworld, with inspectors visiting the park on Saturday. Other Queensland attractions - Movie World, Wet'n'Wild, Sea World, Aussie World and Australia Zoo - will be visited by inspectors over the month. Employment and Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace, who visited the floral tribute outside Dreamworld on Friday, said the crackdown was necessary to restore public confidence in the theme park industry ahead of the Christmas holidays. Ms Grace said the inspections would be wide-ranging. The Queensland Government has launched a 'safety blitz' across the state's theme parks, starting with Dreamworld where four people died this week (Movie World pictured) Other Queensland attractions - Movie World (pictured), Wet'n'Wild, Sea World, Aussie World and Australia Zoo - will be visited by inspectors over the month 'They'll be looking at records inspection, maintenance and repair and manufacturer documentation in our theme parks,' she said. 'Ride operator training and procedure records, along with controls and processes for taking out and returning equipment to service will also come under the spotlight in these safety audits.' The audits are expected to be completed by the end of November. Sea World (pictured) will be visited by inspectors this month as part of the state governments 'safety blitz' Visitors at Wet'n'Wild on the Gold Coast- Safety inspectors will this month visit all Queensland theme parks Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced at the Labor party state conference on the Gold Coast on Saturday that her government would also be undertaking an audit of Queensland's workplace health and safety laws. Ms Palaszczuk told delegates her government wants to propose tougher penalties and introduce a new charge of gross negligence causing death to the laws. 'It is simply not enough for us to be compliant with our current laws, we need to be sure our laws keep pace with international research and new technologies,' Ms Palaszczuk said. Dreamworld, which remains closed as police continue to investigate the accident site, announced on Saturday a permanent memorial will be established within the park. A dolphin show at Sea World on the Gold Coast Four trees will be planted, one for each victim, as Dreamworld chief executive Craig Davidson announced no customer or guest would be left out-of-pocket during the park's closure. Mr Davidson added all park staff would continue to be paid during the park's closure and staff will be invited to return to work on a non-compulsory basis from next week. Federal opposition leader Bill Shorten paid his respects on Saturday, laying flowers at the park's entrance. Mr Shorten had earlier spoken of the 'shadow' that hung over the state party conference during his keynote address, where delegates observed a minute's silence before proceedings began on Saturday. The Queensland Government launched 'safety blitz' of state's theme parks Inspectors will visit Aussie World (pictured) as party of a theme park safety blitz sparked by four deaths at Dreamworld 'Let us spare a thought for those families trying to make some sense of what is simply a nightmare,' he said. 'And all our hearts go out in grief and sympathy to those in the middle of this horrible tragedy.' Fundraising efforts for the victims continue to grow. A fund set up to assist the partner and two children of victim Kate Goodchild has topped $48,000. The mycause.com.au fund established by family friend Sandra Brookfield had raised $48,200 by Saturday afternoon. Another $100,000 has been donated by 10 Gold Coast-based organisations through a separate fund at givit.org.au. A former FBI official described the Clintons as a 'crime family' days after the bureau reopened its investigation into Hillary's personal email server. James Kallstrom, the former assistant director of the FBI, spoke out against the Clinton family on Sunday in a radio interview with host and Greek-American billionaire businessman John Catsimatidis on 'The Cats Roundtable'. 'The Clintons, that's a crime family. It's like organized crime, basically. The Clinton Foundation is a cesspool,' Kallstrom said. 'It's just outrageous how Hillary Clinton sold her office for money. Scroll down for video James Kallstrom (left), the former assistant director of the FBI, spoke out against the Clinton family (Bill and Hillary pictured right) on Sunday. He described them as a 'crime family' 'And she's a pathological liar, and she's always been a liar. And God forbid if we put someone like that in the White House.' Kallstrom, who is best known for leading the investigation into the explosion of TWA flight 800 in the late 1990s, also went after the FBI in the interview and said the initial investigation into the email server was 'never a real investigation.' 'They never had grand jury empaneled. And the reason was that Loretta Lynch would not go along with that,' Kallstrom said. 'So this investigation was without the ability to serve subpoenas, serve search warrants, and obtain the evidence that they ended up begging for. It was just ludicrous what went on.' Kallstrom said the Clinton Foundation is a 'cesspool' and claimed that Hillary (right) is a 'pathological liar. He said: 'And God forbid if we put someone like that in the White House' He added that the FBI 'left so much stuff on the table'. Kallstrom did defend the agents who were tasked with investigating Clinton. 'This is not the FBI agents who's to blame for this fiasco going on. This is the leadership. This is Jim Comey The agents are furious with what's going on. I know that for a fact,' he said. Mei Ling wrestled with intruder then rolled over, allowing man to escape A tourist wrestled with a giant panda after sneaking into its enclosure in an attempt to impress two female friends. The man, in his 20s, was having a tour of the zoo in southeast Chinas Jiangxi province with two women when crossed the 10ft-deep ditch into the panda house. He woke the 260lb animal, Mei Ling, who lunged at his leg and clenched it tightly. But when the intruder tried to get away, the animal wrestled him to the floor. The man, in his 20s, was having a tour of the zoo in southeast Chinas Jiangxi province with two women when he entered the panda house and woke the slumbering beast Mei Ling lunged at his leg and gripped it tightly. But when the intruder tried to get away, the animal wrestled him to the floor The pair continued rolling in the grass for several minutes before Mei Ling rolled over and the man made his escape. The foolhardy visitor, whose surname is Chen, was examined by medics after the incident on Thursday and found to be unharmed, The People's Daily reported. Mei Ling was also said to be unharmed. Although giant pandas may appear timid, they can cause serious injuries with their sharp claws and teeth when agitated. Wardens at the zoo said they avoid entering the enclosure for safety reasons. The pair continued rolling in the grass for several minutes before Mei Ling rolled over The husband of Jo Cox fought back tears today as he spoke of his failure to explain to his children why their mother Jo was killed in the summer. Brendan Cox said Cuillin and Lejla 'talk about mum every day' and revealed that on the day of Jo's funeral his son had said: 'I knew lots of people loved Mummy but didn't realise this many people did.' Jo died after being shot and stabbed in the street of her Batley & Spen constituency a week before the June 23 EU referendum. He said the referendum was 'clearly a moment of heightened tension that sometimes got out of control but insisted her death had 'nothing to do with the 52 per cent of people who voted for Brexit'. Scroll down for video Brendan Cox, the husband of former MP Jo Cox fought back tears today as he spoke of his failure to explain to his children why their mother Jo was killed in the summer. Brendan Cox published a picture of Jo Cox on her wedding day as he spoke about the 'shock and disbelief' he still feels over her tragic death He said: 'Jo was always very clear this was a completely legitimate choice and there were good reasons for staying and there were good reasons for going.' Brendan also revealed that Jo had found it difficult to deal with the 'torrents of abuse' she received after she criticised Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour party and when she refused to vote against air strikes in Syria last year. He said politicians in the centre-ground had been 'too complacent' in combating the increasing aggressiveness of the far-left and far-right of British politics. 'Jo and I thought about this a lot and we talked about it a lot,' he said. Brendan Cox told Andrew Marr that the EU referendum was 'clearly a moment of heightened tension that sometimes got out of control but insisted her death had 'nothing to do with the 52 per cent of people who voted for Brexit' Former Coronation Street actress Tracy Brabin (pictured in the red dress alongside Jeremy Corbyn, left) was elected Mrs Cox's successor as Labour MP for Batley and Spen with an overwhelming 86 per cent of the vote at a by-election earlier this month 'We had always been very optimistic people optimistic in our own lives, optimistic about politics, about the future of our country and I think in the last couple of years we started to feel that something was going wrong not just in the UK but I think if you look at the rise of Trump in the US, Le Pen in France, AfD in Germany there's this focus on what divides us rather on what brings us together, which I don't think we've seen in this form really since the 1930s. 'We felt very strongly but I think Jo also felt it personally, [especially] when she, for example, criticised Jeremy Corbyn for his leadership, the torrents of abuse that she got from that, or when she voted a different way from some of the rest of her party on Syria, again the amount of abuse she got Angela Eagle got a similar unbelievable amount of abuse for standing against Jeremy Corbyn. 'There is something which is stirring that I think at the moment the political centre is too complacent about.' Brendan, a charity worker, said he was 'still in shock' about Jo's death and said his family was still having 'dark and difficult' moments over coming to terms with the tragedy. Brendan Cox also revealed that Jo had found it difficult to deal with the 'torrents of abuse' she received after she criticised Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour party and when she refused to vote against air strikes in Syria last year Brendan Cox told Andrew Marr that his children Cuillin and Lejla 'talk about mum every day' and revealed that on the day of Jo's funeral his son had said: 'I knew lots of people love Mummy but didn't realise this many people did' He said one of the most frequent questions from his young children both under the age of 6 was: 'Why would someone do this?' But Brendan said he had found it 'very hard to explain,' adding: 'I haven't really found a convincing answer for that and I don't think they have understood why somebody would do it.' Jo's death had been 'harder than anything could ever hit you', he added. But he said had decided to tell his young children what happened to their mother so they didn't find out from others. Jo Cox was pictured on the River Thames the day before she was shot and stabbed in her Batley & Spen constituency a week before the EU referendum Brendan Cox said Jo (pictured in the House of Commons last year) struggled to cope with the 'torrents of abuse' directed at her after refusing to vote against Syria air strikes in December Brendan, a charity worker, said he was 'still in shock' about Jo's death and said his family was still having 'dark and difficult' moments over coming to terms with the tragedy Asked what he felt about the outpouring of support from the public following her death, Mr Cox said: Its been an amazing thing to behold, the level of public support and compassion from people who knew Jo, which youd expect but so many thousands of people, both from the constituency, from around the UK and from around the world who have been in touch just to offer their support and their love. 'And that matters to me and I feel that it matters to me because of the way in which Jo helped the country. She always thought the best of our country and I felt at a moment like this this country has shown some of its best. And also for the kids one of the big pieces of advice from the beginning was helping them understand that other people are feeling some of the pain that theyre feeling. In this case that has been so visual whether its the thousands of people in Trafalgar Square and around the world as well, whether its the people who were lining the streets of Batley & Spen when we had the funeral.' Former Coronation Street actress Tracy Brabin was elected Mrs Cox's successor as Labour MP for Batley and Spen with an overwhelming 86 per cent of the vote at a by-election earlier this month. Luke Rhoden died during a stag do trip to Ibiza after he was restrained by Spanish police A former holiday rep has told how police involved in the Ibiza death of Luke Rhoden warned her: 'You'll be next'. Ex-Thomson employee Annabelle Smith, 24, recorded footage on her mobile of Guardia Civil officers restraining Mr Rhoden, 25, before he died in the street outside her apartment. Earlier this week an inquest jury in Bolton, Greater Manchester, found that Mr Rhoden had died of asphyxiation caused by the excessive restraining methods adopted by the Guardia Civil and an adverse reaction to drug use. Among the evidence the jury saw was phone footage taken by Ms Smith on the night of the tragedy and the coroner Kevin McLoughlin praised her and other independent witnesses for coming forward. Ms Smith only stopped filming after a Guardia Civil officer visited her apartment overlooking the death scene outside the Ibiza Rocks Hotel in San Antonios West End and warned her to switch the phone off or she would be next. Annabelle Smith, pictured left attending the inquest, and right was filming the incident on her phone when police told her 'you'll be next' Stills from the video taken by Miss Smith on her phone show the last moments of Mr Rhoden's life She heard the holidaymaker shout 'they're going to kill me' as she filmed from the balcony of her apartment Miss Smith, from Liverpool, said: That same night while it was happening police questioned me and other people in my building. They knew where I lived and I could honestly have been next. They literally said "you will be next". That is why I stopped filming. I thought I had better stop I live here. Somebody I worked with had been beaten up by the police, she was a girl, so I knew they used violence.' She also claimed she knew Oliver Sebastian, a DJ who has been beaten a few weeks before Mr Rhoden died. Ms Smith was working as a holiday rep at the time but now works as an events organiser for a club in Liverpool. She told the jury in Bolton that she had seen police use batons on Mr Rhoden Of the horrific attack on Mr Rhoden, Ms Smith, who now works as a party organiser for Vodka Revolution in Liverpool, said: Luke had a black eye and blood coming down his face. 'I remember them using the batons on Luke. I remember a silver looking baton and one of them was digging it into Lukes back. Another looked like he was sitting on his legs. The ambulance came and they attached him to a drip on his leg, but they had a heart machine and that started to go off. They took off his handcuffs and the band round his legs and were massaging his chest. I was looking down from my apartment and I could see quite clearly that Luke had died. He had changed colour. The batons were used with a lot with force and should never have been put to somebodys neck. I saw him hit more than five times and less than 10. Ms Smith told the inquest she saw Mr Rhoden get hit with the batons between five and 10 times while being restrained in Ibiza Mr Rhoden's father and the lawyer representing him have warned young people not to go on holiday to the party island after what happened. Above, a clip from the video taken by Ms Smith Mr Rhoden with his girlfriend Katie Quillian on holiday. Mr Rhoden died ofsphyxiation caused by the excessive restraining methods adopted by the Guardia Civil and an adverse reaction to drug use Luke was shouting "they are going to kill me". I thought he meant the police. I never in a million years thought it would end up the way it did end. Mr Rhodens father Norman, of Wigan, and his solicitor Nick Turner are urging youngsters not to visit Ibiza until those officers are routed out. Both say they are grateful to Ms Smith for coming forward. Mr Turner said: This is not the end of the matter, this is the beginning of the fight for justice in Spain. We have two other strong cases of Guardia Civil brutality in San Antonio that have left British citizens literally fighting for their lives. We would urge other parents to ensure their children and loved ones avoid Ibiza until this rogue police unit in San Antonio has been identified. We have no names of the officers involved, but that is due to a cover up by the Spanish authorities. It is appalling what has happened here and they have intentionally snubbed British justice by not attending the inquest. We know the reason for the non-attendance is simple, because there is no defence for what they did to Luke. Luke's father Norman Rhoden, girlfriend Kate Quillan, stepmother Jeannette and cousin, who all attended the inquest into his death in Bolton Every witness to that incident on the footage shown in court could see those officers were killing Luke, but despite being asked to stop countless times they continued until he was dead. We have to thank Annabelle for her bravery after being warned off filming, yet still coming forward with the evidence in order for justice to be done. Mr Rhoden was in Ibiza for a stag do in September 2014 Among the other Brit revellers almost killed by San Antonio cop on the lawyer's books are DJ Oliver Sebastien, 28, of Faversham, Kent, who was beaten after a birthday night out at the Ocean Beach Club - which featured in the Rhoden inquest - and youth worker Samuel Kennish, 26, of Stroud. The attack on Mr Kennish happened the month after Mr Sebastien was released from hospital after suffering horrendous injuries following an alleged Guardia Civil beating. Mr Kennish's wounds and suffering was almost a carbon copy of the extensive beating that Mr Sebastien suffered and his attack happened in August just a month before Mr Rhoden was killed after Guardia Civil officers restrained him with a baton to the neck. Mr Turner added: The Samuel Kennish beating is almost a copy of what happened to Oliver Sebastien with both young men beaten to within an inch of their lives. Both had to spend a week in intensive care and both were knocked unconscious and ended up in comas. 'The last thing we need is somebody whos a loose cannon' New New York Times poll has Trump leading 46 to 42 in Florida Clinton is campaigning throughout Florida Sunday as new polls show her race against Donald Trump tightening there On Saturday night, Clinton attended a lively concert in Miami where Jennifer Lopez touted her candidacy in an an eye-popping show On Friday, the FBI dropped a bombshell when it revealed it was reviewing emails in connection with its earlier investigation of her Hillary Clinton joined worshippers at New Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday After attending a lively performance in Miami when where pop sensation Jennifer Lopez delivered an eye-popping routine while dressed in fishnet stockings, Hillary Clinton went to church on Sunday for worship and prayer and warned that 'suffering' is part of God's plan. 'Scripture tells us to rejoice in our sufferings knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,' Clinton told worshippers at New Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Ft. Lauderdale. 'Think about the disappointments weve had in our own lives and how we were able to overcome them,' she said. Hillary Clinton spoke at a Baptist church in Ft. Lauderdale Sunday, a night after she attended a lively concert in Miami with Jennifer Lopez Clinton spoke about setbacks after the stunning news broke Friday that the FBI was reopening its look at her email scandal. The news immediately rocked her campaign, and Clinton has begun going after 'Everyone, everyone is knocked down in life. And as my mother told me and showed me, what matters is whether you get back up,''And those of us who are people of faith know that getting back up is part of what we are called to do for ourselves, for those around us,' Clinton said. Clinton spoke at New Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Ft. Luaderdale Hillary Clinton cranked up her celebrity appeal to a new level on Saturday night as singer Jennifer Lopez headlined a free concert for her supporters in Florida. Clinton is pictured above with Lopez and singer Marc Anthony A scantily-clad Lopez danced around the stage in fish-net tights and knee high level boots during the Miami concert During the packed outdoor concert on a rain-soaked night in Miami, Lopez put on a dramatic performance Then, Clinton delivered remarks that included what amounted to denunciations of Donald Trump and his campaign. 'The last thing we need is somebody whos a loose cannon,' Clinton said. Citing scripture that without vision, the people perish, Clinton said, 'Where there is a negative hateful, divisive vision, the people also perish.' She vowed to 'repair the breaches that have been created. Clinton got the crowd on her feet when she vowed, 'I am going to defend president Obamas legacy. When she brought up her debate performance and Trump's refusal ' to say he would respect the outcome of the election,' a congregant yelled out 'Sociopath!' Clinton brought along 'longtime friend' and congressional black caucus member Rep. Alcee Hastings, who she said recommended the church, which has a congregation almost entirely African American and features a soulful multi-piece band. LOVE THY NEIGHBOR: Clinton embraces Jennifer Lopez Saturday night after an outdoor performance in support of Clinton in Miami 'It doesnt matter how much money they have or what their profession is or what their background has been we are commanded to love one another as we love ourselves,' Clinton said. 'I hope we will keep that in mind because we are called to treat each other with acceptance, because every one of us has value.' Pastor Marcus Davidson told the congregation, 'God has a way of making all of his Christians live out everything they say.' Last Sunday, Hillary Clinton was enjoying a 12 point advantage over Donald Trump in the ABC New/Washington Post tracking poll, but seven days later, that lead has shrunk to just one point. Additionally, about one-third of likely voters told pollsters they're now less likely to support the former secretary of state because of James Comey's announcement that the FBI was again looking into the Democrat's emails. Even before this news, the battleground state of Florida was looking very much in play, with a new New York Times - Siena College poll showing Trump four points ahead and the Real Clear Politics polling average stating that Clinton and Trump are tied in the Sunshine State. Scroll down for video Hillary Clinton's (left) 12 point lead dissolved to just 1 point over Donald Trump (right), says an ABC News/Washington Post poll, which clocked the latest email developments One week ago, Hillary Clinton was a full 12 points ahead of Donald Trump, now she's just 1 point ahead of her rival with just nine days to go before voters head to the polls Other battleground state polls contains better news for the Democrat, who had a fairly smooth week on the campaign trail, until Friday's news put her campaign in disarray. The ABC News/Washington Post poll reflects voters' views on the most recent email controversy, which stems from a separate investigation of Anthony Weiner, who DailyMail.com reported had been sexting with a 15-year-old girl. Comey wrote a letter to lawmakers on Friday informing them that emails relevant to the probe of Clinton's private email server had been found. Today CNN reported that the Justice Department and the FBI are in talks with lawyers for Weiner's estranged wife, Huma Abedin, a top Clinton aide, seeking permission to go through emails relevant to the Clinton investigation, found on the disgraced ex-congressman's computer. On Sunday evening, NBC reported that the FBI now has a warrant to read the thousands of emails. Sixty-three percent of likely voters said this latest development will make no difference in how they vote. Donald Trump is making gains in Florida, with a New York Times poll showing him 4 points ahead and an NBC poll showing him just 1 point behind Hillary Clinton Those who said the email reveal made it less likely for them to vote Clinton are overwhelmingly Trump supporters, pollsters noted. The new polling also shows that there's a chance third-party hopefuls Gary Johnson, the Libertarian, the Jill Stein, from the Green Party, could indeed have a 'spoiler' effect, with Clinton leading Trump by one point 46 percent to 45 percent in a four-way race, with Johnson receiving 4 percent and Stein garnering 2 percent. However, when it comes down to just Clinton and Trump, she has a 3 point lead over the Republican nominee, the ABC News/Washington Post tracking poll found. Looking at individual battleground states, the New York Times - Siena College poll shows Trump 4 points ahead in Florida, while NBC's Sunshine State poll has Clinton 1 point ahead, 45 percent to Trump's 44 percent. In a NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist Florida poll taken earlier this month, Clinton had been ahead by 3 points in a four-person race. Trying to make up for lost ground, Clinton appeared last night in Miami with Jennifer Lopez and the pop star's ex-husband Marc Anthony and has made a number of campaign stops in the state today. NBC News also conducted polling in North Carolina, a state that went for President Barack Obama in 2008, but his Republican challenger Mitt Romney in 2012, and found Clinton to be a more comfortable 6 points ahead, 2 points higher than she was up by last month. In a four-way race, Clinton now receives 47 percent of the North Carolina vote, compared to Trump's 41 percent. Before Friday's revelations, Clinton's appearance in North Carolina with first lady Michelle Obama brought the campaign a lot of positive headlines. Bill Clinton was also in the eastern part of the state engaging in a two-day bus tour. CBS News also polled North Carolinians and found Clinton to be ahead, but by only 3 points. CBS News polling also found that Clinton was up by 8 points in Pennsylvania, a state that Trump had hoped to turn blue thanks to its many white, working class voters. She's also up in Colorado by 3 points as well. Arizona, usually a reliable red state that looked like it could be turning blue, is for the moment still in the Trump column, according to the CBS News poll, which showed Trump 2 points ahead. Interviewing for these surveys was done before Comey's letter was sent to congress, thus reigniting Clinton's emails as a political issue in the presidential campaign. CBS also interviewed voters from 13 battleground states more broadly about the email developments. Hillary Clinton, photographed campaigning in Florida today, is trying to get her groove back in the Sunshine State, amid email controversy chaos Word traveled quickly, pollsters found, with eight in 10 voters saying they had heard about it by Saturday. And as quickly as word traveled it became a partisan affair, with Republicans suggesting that bad things would be found in the trove of new emails, while Democrats suggested that the story was being overblown. About one-third of Democratic battleground state voters, considered the FBI's moves to again probe Clinton on her emails a bad thing, but it wasn't bad enough for them to change their votes to Trump, who they believed to be far worse. Just 5 percent of Democratic voters say it could make them less likely to vote Clinton on election day. Among voters overall, 71 percent said the news would not change their thinking. Similar to the ABC News/Washington Post poll, the majority of those who said they would be less likely to vote for Clinton over the email news were Republicans and thus Trump backers anyway. Fifty-two percent of battleground state voters expected that the emails would contain 'more of what we already know,' while 48 percent expected the emails would reveal damaging things about the Democratic nominee. The latter group was largely made of Republicans. Finally, USA Today produced a new poll, in conjunction with Rock the Vote, of the youngest demographic of voters, those 18 to 34-years-old. While millennials' support for Clinton over Trump is still robust, she lost ground in the last two weeks, going from 68 percent to 62 percent. Trump, in the meantime, gained 1 point with the voting bloc. Millennials' support for the two candidates is interesting in that Clinton has an edge with voters of all races. In the greater electorate, she overwhelmingly wins the support of black and Latino voters, but trails behind Trump by a handful of points. White millennial voters, according to the new poll, support Clinton 57 percent to 27 percent. Black millennial voters support Clinton 84 percent to Trump's 6 percent. While Latino millennial voters support Clinton 66 percent to 19 percent. Additionally, Asian millennials supported Clinton 67-to-15 percent. Hillary Clinton is a hit among millennial voters, polling finds, winning a majority of every race of young people and even winning more support from young men than young women Thirty-four percent of millennials said that President Barack Obama's endorsement of Democrat Hillary Clinton was 'very important' to them, while just 10 percent said the same thing of Paul Ryan and Rudy Giuliani's support for Republican Donald Trump The youth vote doesn't demonstrate the 'gender gap' on display in the rest of the electorate either, with Clinton actually earning a higher percentage of support from young men, 56 percent, to 43 percent of young women. In an effort to rally her supporters and ensure good turnout on election day, the Clinton campaign is deploying a number of surrogates to swing states over the next week. President Obama will campaign for his former secretary of state in Ohio and North Carolina, which is noteworthy because millennials suggested his endorsement has impressed them the most. Thirty-four percent of millennial voters ranked Obama's endorsement of Clinton to be 'very important,' which ranks higher than the 31 percent of millennials who said their parents endorsement of a candidate was 'very important.' Sen. Bernie Sanders, Clinton's Democratic primary rival, is scheduled to make campaign stops in New Hampshire and Maine. Twenty-six percent of millennials surveyed said Sanders' support of Clinton was very important, which was higher than the 24 percent surveyed who suggested their friends' support of a political candidate matters a lot. Trump, on the other hand, doesn't have surrogates who necessarily compel young voters to support the Republican nominee. Just 10 percent of millennials found the endorsements given to Trump by House Speaker Paul Ryan and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani to be 'very important.' South Korean president Park Geun-hye is facing resignation calls over claims the daughter of a millionaire pastor has undue influence over her and her cabinet. Park, who is four years into her five-year term as president is accused of letting Choi Soon-sil have too much influence over her decisions and even gets to edit her speeches before delivery. Choi's father was Choi Tae-min, who is described as being a 'Rasputin' character. According to a diplomatic cable leaked by WikiLeaks: 'Rumors are rife that the late pastor had complete control over Park's body and soul during her formative years and that his children accumulated enormous wealth as a result.' Park Guen-hye, South Korea's president, pictured, is facing calls to resign over allegations concerning the influence held over her by the daughter of 'Rasputin' Pastor Choi Tae-min who according to US diplomatic cables had 'complete control over Park's body and soul' Thousands of South Koreans have taken to the streets to demand Park's resignation Park is four years into her five-year term as president and cannot seek re-election according to the South Korean constitution which imposes a strict one-term limit on candidates Choi, who has known Park for many years, has said she will co-operate fully with prosecutors investigating the growing scandal. Her lawyers said Choi had returned to South Korea from Germany to answer any questions. Her lawyer Lee Kyung-jae said: 'Choi has expressed through her attorney that she will actively respond to prosecutors' investigation and will testify according to the facts.' 'She is deeply remorseful that she had caused frustration and despondency among the public,' Lee said. Choi left Europe on a flight from London to avoid media camped out in Germany, Lee said. She would make herself available for questioning by prosecutors, he said. Choi was under intense pressure to return to South Korea as the political crisis engulfed Park over allegations that she allowed Choi to use her friendship to exert improper influence and benefit personally. Thousands of South Koreans rallied in Seoul on Saturday night demanding Park's resignation over the scandal. Angry Koreans say Park betrayed public trust and mismanaged the government, and has lost a mandate to lead the country. The protest came as prosecutors investigate presidential aides and other officials to determine whether they broke the law to allow Choi to wield undue influence or gain financially. Protesters clashed with police on the streets of Seoul as demands for action increased Park said last week she had given Choi access to speech drafts early in her term and apologised for causing concern among the public. In an interview with South Korea's Segye Ilbo newspaper published on Thursday, Choi said she received drafts of Park's speeches after Park's election victory but denied she had access to other official material, or that she influenced state affairs or benefited financially. Park is in the fourth year of a five-year term, and the crisis threatens to complicate policymaking during the lame-duck period that typically sets in toward the end of South Korea's single-term presidency. Opposition parties have demanded a thorough investigation, but have not raised the possibility of impeaching her. Park's office said late on Friday she ordered her senior secretaries to tender their resignations, and she will reshuffle the office in the near future. Her chief of staff separately offered to resign earlier, the office said. The crisis has sent Park's public support to an all-time low. In one opinion poll, more than 40 percent of respondents said Park should resign or be impeached. Choi was seen in photographs with Park from 1979 when Park, as eldest daughter of then-President Park Chung-hee, was filling in as first lady for her mother who had been killed five years earlier by an assassin intending to kill her father. Park's father, who took power in a military coup in 1961, was shot dead by his disgruntled spy chief later in 1979. The student who went to prom with the accused University of Wisconsin-Madison rapist has revealed that he was forceful with her and once threw her onto a pool table in his basement. Megan Couture said she went to prom two years ago with Alec Cook when the pair attended Edina High School together. He was forceful with her back then and she was afraid of him because he's 'big and powerful,' she told Inside Edition in an interview that aired on Friday. Cook, 20, of Edina, Minnesota, is charged with sexually assaulting five women since early 2015. Scroll down for video Alec Cook's high school prom date Megan Couture (pictured together at the event in 2014) has spoken out to reveal the accused rapist was forceful with her 'He definitely tried to persuade me to get in the mood to have sex with him when I didn't want to,' Couture said, adding he once 'threw me on a pool table in his basement. She added that he had a reputation for making unwanted sexual advances to girls, so much so that students came up with a nickname for him which she did not reveal. She said: 'He is a big person. I am 5 ft 2. He is well above six foot. He's just big and powerful.' On Cook's alleged crimes, she added: 'What he is doing is atrocious. It's disturbing and I think he needs to be locked up.' Police in Edina said that they only came into contact once with Cook since he became an adult, the Star-Tribune reports. Juvenile records are not typically public record. That encounter involved a party at Cook's house that involved underage drinking in April 2014. On Thursday, the charges against Cook went from nine counts involving one woman to 15 involving five, from incidents spanning from March last year to this month. Couture (right) revealed that Cook had a reputation in high school for making unwanted sexual advances They consist of seven counts of second-degree sexual assault, three counts of third-degree sexual assault, two counts of strangulation, two counts of false imprisonment and one count of fourth-degree sexual assault. Cook has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody. In the complaint filed on Thursday, prosecutors said one of the women was assaulted multiple times during a ballroom dancing class she was attending with Cook this past spring. His other accusers are: a woman he met at a party in March 2015; a woman he met in a human sexuality class in February; and a woman he met during a psychology class experiment in August. Cook was charged last week with sexually assaulting a woman in his apartment the night of October 12 after the two had studied together. Cook and Couture attended Edina High School together. Above, the pair at prom Media reports of those charges have driven dozens of women to report to police their encounters with Cook, police said. Officers searching Cook's apartment found a black book listing women he'd met and documenting his 'sexual desires' and including the word 'kill' without explanation, authorities said. Dane County Circuit Court Commissioner Brian Asmus set Cook's bail at $200,000 cash during a brief hearing on Thursday. Cook made no statement at the hearing. His attorneys, Jessa Nicholson and Chris Van Wagner, told reporters after the proceeding that they believe the ballroom assaults never happened, noting the complaint didn't cite any witnesses. The rest of the encounters, they said, were consensual. Van Wagner showed reporters a page from Cook's book with the word 'Killed?' written at the top and said it's unclear what it means. He said Cook has been vilified on social media but the prosecution's case is 'just dust.' Women are coming forward because they've seen social media postings about Cook and have become frightened, he said. 'He's been painted as the face of evil,' Van Wagner said. 'That's wrong.' According to the complaint, the accuser from the October 12 incident says she went to his apartment after studying with him at a campus library. The University of Wisconsin-Madison student appears at Dane County Circuit Court in Madison, Wisconsin, after being charged with multiple counts of sexual assault Chris Van Wagner, attorney for suspended University of Wisconsin-Madison student Alec Cook, said he's been painted as the 'face of evil' She said he assaulted her for more than two hours, maintaining what she described as a 'death grip' on her arm or body. Cook told police the woman never told him to stop, according to the complaint. Another woman came forward two days after charges were filed in that case. She said she met Cook at her friend's birthday party in March 2015. Two weeks later she visited his apartment, where he began kissing her forcefully, then sexually assaulted her. The same day that Cook was charged with the October 12 assault, two other women reported being assaulted by him. One woman told police she was in a ballroom dance class with Cook during the spring 2016 semester. She accused him of repeatedly touching her breasts and buttocks while they were dancing despite her telling him to stop. The touching occurred 15 to 20 times over the semester, she said. The class instructor told investigators she got an email from the woman saying she was uncomfortable with how Cook touched her. The instructor responded by speaking to the class about appropriate contact during dances. She said no other students complained about Cook. Another woman told police that she met Cook during a human sexuality class and began dating him in January, the complaint said. She said he assaulted her at his apartment in February. She told police at one point she told Cook 'OK, let's just have sex' but she believes she said that to make herself feel as if the assault was consensual, the complaint said. Another woman told police on Monday that she met Cook during a psychology class experiment. They had consensual sex at his apartment in August, the woman said, during which he tried to choke her. An opera buff from Dallas who was eager to attend a show at the Metropolitan Opera in New York's Lincoln Center on Saturday instead caused a terrorism scare by scattering the ashes of his dead friend inside the orchestra pit. Roger Kaiser, a 52-year-old jeweler, forced the cancellation of a matinee performance of Guillaume Tell, a French libretto based on the play William Tell, after he approached the orchestra pit during the second intermission and sprinkled a white powder inside. Those in attendance at the show did not know of the incident until they saw a large contingent of police officers enter the theater, the New York Post reported. At that point, a Met employee informed audience members that the rest of the show as canceled, prompting some angry fans to demand their money back. Roger Kaiser (left) holds two tickets to Guillaume Tell, which was playing at The Metropolitan Opera. At right, he places an apple on his head in homage to the protagonist, William Tell Kaiser had traveled to New York from Dallas to attend the show and to scatter the ashes of a friend 'Everybody kind of slowly walked out,' said Dylan Hayden of Toronto. 'As we were exiting the building, I noticed the counterterrorism unit going into the building.' Hayden, who was seated in the 11th row back, added, 'The idea that they said that it was a technical error, when I was maybe 15 feet away from a potential dangerous substance, that kind of irks me a little bit. But at no point did I feel an actual threat.' Micaela Baranello, a musicologist at Smith College in Massachusetts, said some audience members booed when the cancellation was announced and one man chanted, 'I want my money back, I want my money back.' NYPD units arrive at Lincoln Center after the ashes were scattered on Saturday. The show was canceled and police launched an investigation Gelb said people who had Saturday tickets to either opera should call the Met and make arrangements to see a later performance. Baranello, who spoke by phone from a train headed back to Massachusetts, said that's not so easy for opera fans who don't live in New York. 'It's too bad because most of the best music in "Guillaume Tell" is in Act 4, in my opinion,' she said. Kaiser initially fled the opera house in Lincoln Center but police later said they knew who he was and were reaching out to him. Police said on Saturday that it was unlikely criminal charges would be brought against Kaiser since there was no demonstration of any malicious intent On his Facebook page, Kaiser posted a photo of himself holding two opera tickets. In another post, he photographed himself with an apple on his head. In Germanic folklore, Tell shoots an apple off the head of an Austrian noble. Authorities also noted that disposing of ashes in an opera house may violate the city health code, but said police do not see 'any criminal intent here.' 'As a safety precaution, the Met canceled the remainder of the performance,' Met spokesman Sam Neuman said in a statement. It also canceled the evening's performance of L'Italiana in Algeri while the authorities investigated the incident. Audience members at the matinee performance of Guillaume Tell described confusion as the intermission went on longer than usual. A Met representative at first announced that a technical issue was causing the delay, then returned a few minutes later to announce that the fourth act would not be performed. The audience was told to go home. NYPD officials said the disposal of ashes at an opera house may violate city codes but, 'I don't believe at this point that we see any criminal intent here.' Ministers are planning a new wave of prefabricated homes in a drive to solve Britain's housing crisis. Pictured, a general view of the ZEDpod model Ministers are planning a new wave of prefabricated homes in a drive to solve Britain's housing crisis. More than 100,000 pre-packed 'modular' homes could be constructed as the Government looks at ways to meet its target to provide one million new homes by 2020, according to reports. A Government white paper due out next month will include measures to encourage banks to lend to firms which construct the homes off-site before delivering them to their final destination. It comes as the influx of migrants is being blamed for the crisis, with 30,000 new social housing lettings given to immigrants in 2015, according to Government figures. Pressure group Migration Watch - chaired by Lord Green of Deddington, said the crisis and its costs would continue to grow unless a 'sustainable' level of migration is achieved. A statement on its website said: 'There is a long standing controversy over the granting of social housing to immigrants. This has not been helped by local authorities reluctance to publish the relevant information. 'Some immigrant groups have very low use of social housing whereas others are more likely to be in social housing than the UK born. There is absolutely nothing in the rules that state that immigrants should get preferential treatment. Pre-fab houses sprung up across the country post World War Two, such as this one here pictured in Watford, as a demand for housing grew 'However, priority for social housing is largely determined by need and so some high need immigrant families will gain access to housing over longer standing local residents deemed to be of lower need. This can be contentious.' It added: 'In the future, any housing strategy must address both supply and demand. Immigration is a major part of housing demand. 'Unless net migration is reduced to a manageable and sustainable level a large house building programme will have to continue indefinitely, with all the costs and loss of amenities involved.' As previously reported by Mail Online, politicians including former Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith have warned that immigration is 'pricing young people out of the housing market' in Britain. Housing and planning minister Gavin Barwell (pictured) said offsite construction could provide a 'huge opportunity' to increase housing supply in the UK It is believed that there are now 2.1million EU workers in the UK. Some 800,000 citizens arrived last year, many more than previously thought. The pre-made homes can be built off-side in as little as a day and take just 48 hours to install on-site. The initiative recalls the reconstruction drive which followed the Second World War as ready-made homes - dubbed 'prefabs' - sprung up across the country as the government sought to house families bombed out of their homes by the Germans. While the prefab nickname of the 1940s homes was often a byword for poor quality, improvements in technology mean that such concerns are no longer an issue. The Sunday Telegraph reported that ministers were impressed by the fact that some of the new generation of prefabs could be put up on site in as little as 48 hours, as well as the potential cost advantages. Iain Duncan Smith, pictured, previously warned immigration was 'pricing young people out of the housing market' in Britain The Sunday Telegraph quoted a Government source as saying: 'The first and most obvious advantage is speeding up the building of housing. There is pretty good evidence that if you did it at scale it is cheaper.' Ministers are understood to be considering a range of offsite construction methods made possible by modern materials and manufacturing techniques. Housing and planning minister Gavin Barwell said: 'Offsite construction could provide a huge opportunity to increase housing supply and we want to see more innovation like this emulated across the housebuilding sector. The EU finally signed a landmark free trade deal with Canada today after seven years of talks in an agreement that boosts hopes for Britain's free trade future. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew into Brussels to put pen to paper on the deal that removes 99 per cent of tariffs on goods. The deal could be vital for Britain when it leaves the EU as Canadian ministers have signalled they will allow the UK to trade on the same terms as Ceta after Brexit. But the lengthy delays with the Canada deal has raised concerns that Britain could face similar problems when it comes to negotiating its own deal with the EU. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement known as Ceta was on the brink of collapse last week after a Belgium region threatened to boycott the entire deal and violent clashes between protesters and EU security guards risked derailing today's agreement. Scroll down for video Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew into Brussels to put pen to paper on the deal that removes 99 per cent of tariffs on goods. Pictured, Mr Trudeau with European Council President Donald Tusk (left) and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (right) Around 250 demonstrators dressed in white boiler suits covered in red paint stormed into the EU Council building foyer. Last-ditch talks at the end of last week managed to salvage the deal and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement known as Ceta. Theresa May hailed the deal today, saying: 'I welcome the signature today of a trade agreement between the EU and Canada. 'The UK has long been a powerful and positive force for free trade and we will continue to be one. Indeed, I want Britain to be the global champion for free trade, recognising the opportunities of such trade deals for businesses and customers around the world.' Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (pictured in Brussels today, left) said the Ceta deal would herald 'meaningful economic growth' in Canada and Europe while Theresa May (right) hailed the new deal as crucial for Britain's free trade future European Council president Donald Tusk said the deal heralded a 'new chapter' in relations between the EU and Canada, which he said could open new opportunities for 'more than half a billion people on both sides of the Atlantic'. And Mr Trudeau said: 'Canadians and Europeans share the understanding that in order for real and meaningful economic growth, we need to create more good, well-paying jobs for our citizens. 'Progressive trade agreements like the one signed today, will do just that.' The Walloon region in French-speaking southern Belgirum threatened to derail the deal after it refused to approve it due to concerns it would harm their farmers and undermine welfare standards. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau embraces EU Trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom as he signed the landmark free trade deal with Brussels today The region accounts for less than 1 per cent of the EU's 500 million citizens but was still able to delay the deal. It shows the inflexible nature of the EU's decision making process and signaled the difficulty Britain could face in agreeing its own free trade deal with Brussels. But European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker dissmissed these concerns. 'I don't see any relation between what we are signing today and the Brexit issue,' he said. Expressing relief that the deal had finally been signed after the last minute delays European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said: 'All's well that end's well.' More than 5,000 children have been strip-searched by police in the past two years, figures have revealed. Thirteen forces across England and Wales have carried out 113,000 searches between 2013 and 2015 on youngsters aged 17. Officers usually to resort to such searches defined as the removal of more than a suspects outer clothing - to find weapons, drugs or other illegal items hidden about someones person. But many forces have been unable to say whether the intrusive searches led to charges. Scroll down for video More than 5,000 children aged 17 were strip searched by police forces across the UK between 2013 and 2015 (file picture) Georgia Wood, right, pictured with mother Karen Archer, said she was strip searched when she was 12 years old and described the experience as 'horrible and demeaning' The figures were obtained in a BBC Radio 5 Live investigation in which all 45 forces were asked for information, but only 13 responded. Of the 5,000 searches, more than 4,000 were carried out by the Metropolitan Police in London. The services to respond were Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, City of London, Cleveland, Cumbria, Essex, Hertfordshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, the Met Police, Northamptonshire, North Wales and Nottinghamshire. The figures have been described as very troubling and distressing by Labour MP Yvette Cooper, who chairs the Home Office Select Committee, while others have criticised the police for their actions. Georgia Wood said she was strip searched in south Wales when she was 12 years old after her mother Karen Archer was suspected of possessing drugs. Miss Wood, now 20, told the BBC the experience was horrible and demeaning. She said: They didn't explain to me until we got to the police station. And they literally just said this is what's going to happen and we're going to do it. For someone to just be so horrible and demeaning, I just thought well, if I'm meant to respect my elders, aren't my elders meant to respect me? South Wales Police did not charge Ms Archer with an offence and later admitted officers mistakenly carried out the search without an appropriate adult, with action taken against two officers. The Met Police has previously been accused of not carrying out searches properly. A woman, known only as Marion, said she was handcuffed, pinned to the floor and had all her clothes cut from her body by a female officer at a London police station, before being paraded through the station in a paper suit. Marion said she was taken into custody after coming to the aid of a man being arrested and that when she was strip searched by female officers there were male officers standing at the open door, and also accused officers of making jokes about her situation. After being found not guilty of obstruction and assaulting a police officer, she made a complaint and the Met Police said two officers had been disciplined under misconduct regulations. On the searches, a Met Police spokesman said: The number of juveniles stripped searched as a proportion of the total number of juveniles arrested is less than half the proportion of adults who are stripped search (5.1 per cent compared to 12.2 per cent in 2015). Strip-searching is a vital power in police custody to not only identify and seize evidence but also to ensure the safety and security of all detainees and staff. Each search must be based on an objective assessment of the need and proportionality to search the person to that extent. Legal safeguards are applied to ensure the welfare needs of the detainee are considered and met. The spokesman added: It is acknowledged that being strip searched can be an unpleasant experience for all, and officers should do their best to maintain the dignity of the person being searched. Strip searches must not take place in view of other detainees, members of staff or anyone else who has no reason to be present. Safeguards are provided for vulnerable detainees by the appropriate PACE Code of Practice. Following changes to PACE Code C which came into effect from 26 October 2015 the safeguards afforded to juveniles (10-16 year-olds) were extended to include 17 year-olds. More than 4,000 of the searches were carried out by the Met Police, which defended the procedure as a 'vital power' (file picture) As a result people who are under 18 years of age or who are mentally vulnerable must have an appropriate adult present during the search, unless an urgent search is needed due to the risk of serious harm. It may also be conducted without the appropriate adult being present if the person being searched objects to the presence of the appropriate adult and the appropriate adult agrees. The decision on whether to carry out a strip search is made by the Custody Officer and the search must be conducted by at least two officers of the same gender as the detainee. According to police rules, it is based on the necessity to remove an item that a detainee would not be allowed to keep and the officer reasonably considers the detainee might have concealed such an item. A spokesman for the Home Office added: 'We are committed to giving the police the necessary tools to do their job but the use of all powers warrants proper accountability and transparency. We are currently considering whether additional safeguards are required when police conduct searches requiring the removal of more than outer clothing. The Home Office has also set up an Intrusive Searches and Accountability Working Group after an investigation found that forces 'did not have sufficient data to demonstrate the fair, effective and adequately supervised use of strip search powers'. Turkey is on high alert for a giant cloud of acid rain after ISIS set fire to a sulphur plant south of Mosul. Turkey's deputy prime minister has sought to assure the nation that Turkish citizens will not be affected by the toxic gas that experts have warned could burn through the region's plants. Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak said Turkey's meteorology and disaster management departments are working on multiple scenarios to prevent any accidents. Turkey is on high alert for a giant cloud of acid rain after ISIS set fire to a sulphur plant south of Mosul. Pictured, a map of the sulphur plume spread from earlier this week Turkey's deputy prime minister has sought to assure the nation that Turkish citizens will not be affected by the toxic gas. Pictured, smoke rises after the al-Mishraq sulphur plant attack Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak said Turkey's disaster management departments are working to prevent any accidents. Pictured, Iraqi forces wear gas masks for protection Kaynak said 'the worst scenario predicted by the Meteorology Directorate is that the toxic cloud will pass by our Hakkari borders and proceed directly to the Caspian Sea.' He was referring to Turkey's southeastern border province. Meteorology editor of Turkish broadcaster NTV, Gokhan Abur, said: 'Starting from October 27, winds will blow from the southeast bringing the toxic smoke along with rainclouds,' according to Iraqi News. He added: 'The rain will increase humidity in the area, so when water merges with sulphur dioxide and water vapour, it will form the acid known as sulphuric acid. 'These raindrops will be loaded with acid, and will burn the plants in the region.' ISIS blew up the al-Mishraq sulphur plant earlier this month to hamper the advance of Iraqi forces. The fighters have also used concealing tactics - setting oil wells, tyres and in this case a sulphur plant on fire - to provide cover from aerial attacks. The United Nations said Iraq's health directorate has treated more than 1,000 cases of suffocation in several locations south of Mosul, mostly in nearby Qayyarah. IS blew up the al-Mishraq sulphur plant earlier this month to hamper the advance of Iraqi forces. Pictured, this NASA satellite image shows the plume of sulphur dioxide ISIS fighters have also used concealing tactics - setting oil wells, tyres and in this case a sulphur plant on fire - to provide cover from aerial attacks The UN environment agency condemned 'what appears to be a scorched-earth policy employed by retreating' ISIS militants. Pictured, the effects of acid rain (File photo) The UN environment agency condemned 'what appears to be a scorched-earth policy employed by retreating' ISIS militants. 'This is sadly just the latest episode in what has been the wholesale destruction of Iraq's environment over several decades,' said UNEP chief Erik Solheim. 'This ongoing ecocide is a recipe for a prolonged disaster. It makes living conditions dangerous and miserable, if not impossible. It will push countless people to join the unprecedented global refugee population,' he said. An elderly California woman who had gone missing for five days was rescued alive Saturday after crashing in the Mojave Desert. Officials in San Bernardino County received reports of a rollover in Adelanto about 6:15pm after a red Hummer H3 crashed off Torosa Road, just west of Highway 396. Police said someone 'driving off-road in the area' found the vehicle rolled off a cliff in the mountains. It took about an hour for first responders to secure the victim, 69-year-old Barbara McPheron, and rescue her from the vehicle. Officials in San Bernardino County received reports of a rollover in Adelanto about 6:15pm after a red Hummer H3 crashed off Torosa Road, just west of Highway 396 It took about an hour for first responders to secure the victim, 69-year-old Barbara McPheron (pictured), and rescue her from the vehicle She was taken to the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center for treatment with injuries described as serious but non life threatening. McPheron, 69, was reported missing under 'suspicious circumstances' out of Ridgecrest, which is located some 80 miles north of where she was found. Police received a report Monday from McPheron's car's OnStar feature saying: 'ditch on Highway 395, Stater Bros and Kashmir St,' Ridgecrest officials said in a statement. McPheron was taken to the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center for treatment with injuries described as serious but non life threatening She had been reported missing under 'suspicious circumstances' out of Ridgecrest, which is located some 80 miles north of where she was found An intensive search for her in the area including helicopter fly-overs came up with no results. Ridgecrest detectives tried using her car's OnStar feature to get reverse coordinates but could also not locate her, police said in a statement. It is unclear if McPheron spent five days in that location or if she crashed more recently, a police source told DailyMail.com. The FBI now has a warrant to access emails found on Anthony Weiner's laptop that they believe are connected to their previous probe of Hillary Clinton's private server - but their search will last beyond the presidential election. Investigators are now able to read the emails - which number around 650,000 and may include some deleted from Clinton's private server - to determine whether she unlawfully transmitted classified information,NBC said. However, it could still take until well after the November 8 presidential election for agents to conclude their investigation. Scroll down for video Federal agents are seeking a search warrant to see the exact contents of Huma Abedin's (left) emails. FBI director James Comey (right) announced on Friday that he was revisiting the Clinton server probe after Abedin's emails showed up on her husband's laptop Agents had previously been held back because the emails - which appear to come from Abedin's accounts - were found during a separate federal investigation into lewd texts Weiner sent to an underage girl. Because their warrant only pertained to Weiner, the agents dealing with that case could only look at metadata - which shows when, where and to whom emails are sent - and not the content of the emails themselves. Abedin's lawyers will most likely want to discuss spousal privilege legal protections for their client. These protections grant individuals the right to decline to testify against his or her spouse. Hillary Clinton (seen here Sunday campaigning in Florida) was investigated for a year by the FBI over her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state Initially, the bureau was interested in finding child pornography on Weiners hard disk, following a Dailymail.com report detailing his relationship with the teen in late September. In early October, investigators in New York had notified the FBI's deputy director, Andrew McCabe, that they had stumbled upon hundreds of thousands of emails, many of which were from Abedins accounts. The Wall Street Journal reported that many of these emails did not come up during the FBIs probe of Clintons private server. Last week, senior Justice Department officials and FBI agents realized that they could not probe the newly discovered emails without first obtaining a warrant. When the agents investigating Weiner conferred with the investigators of the Clinton server, it was decided that the newest emails potentially had relevance to the case. When they updated McCabe's boss, James Comey, the FBI chief decided to go forward with the renewed probe and notified Congress to that effect. Weiners laptop is said to contain about 650,000 emails, The Wall Street Journal reported. Investigators will have to scour them in order to determine which of them were sent to and from Clintons private server while she was secretary of state. It could take weeks just to figure out which emails were sent and received and whether those emails were duplicates of those that have already been reviewed by the FBI thus far. Abedin's lawyers met with the Justice Department and FBI on Sunday to discuss the emails found on her sexting husband's laptop - two days after the FBI dramatically announced it had reopened the investigation into Hillary's handling of classified material. Questions are mounting over Abedin's future on the Clinton campaign as she remains in New York on Sunday while her boss campaigns in Florida. Abedin's emails were discovered during a federal probe of her husband, Anthony Weiner (above), who sent lewd text messages to an underage girl She has reportedly pleaded ignorance about how the emails ended up on her husband Weiner's laptop and were subsequently found by FBI agents after DailyMail.com exposed him sexting a 15-year-old girl. Reports have emerged over the weekend indicating that Comey made the announcement without ever actually seeing the contents of Abedin's emails. 'He had no idea what was in the content of the emails,' a government official with knowledge of the probe told Yahoo. The FBI wants to know whether the Abedin emails found on Weiner's hard drive contain any classified information. In a letter to senior lawmakers, Comey said that he did not know 'how long it will take us to complete this additional work.' The FBI spent about a year investigating Clinton's use of the unauthorized server at her home in Chappaqua, New York, while she was secretary of state after classified government secrets were found in some of her emails. Comey said in July that while 'there is evidence of potential violations of the statutes regarding the handling of classified information, our judgment is that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case.' Although Comey recommended no criminal charges be brought against Clinton, Trump has repeatedly said her email practices are criminal and should disqualify her for office. He seized on Friday's development at rallies in Maine and New Hampshire. 'This is the biggest political scandal since Watergate, and I'm sure it will be properly handled from this point forward,' Trump told a crowd in Lisbon, Maine. Trump and other Republicans have seized on the Comey letter as an indication that the Abedin emails found on Weiner's computer could have a significant impact on the Clinton probe. That premise appears to be premature, though, since the FBI director told his subordinates that he had revisited the matter based on the 'recommendation' of investigators 'with respect to seeking access to emails that have recently been found in an unrelated case.' There is a belief among investigators that the newly recovered emails will include messages that were deleted from the Clinton server before the FBI got a hold of it during its earlier probe of the former secretary of state. Abedin swore under oath that she had given up all the devices she believed contained State Department emails on them. If Abedin did lie, she could be charged with perjury, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. Detectives seized the laptop, which contains 'tens of thousands of emails', in a separate investigation involving alleged sexts Weiner sent to a 15-year-old girl. In June 2016, Abedin said she had looked for all the devices she may have used to send and receive emails while working for Clinton at the State Department. She sat for hours of depositions last summer as part of the civil lawsuit filed against the State Department by Judicial Watch. Abedin told federal investigators in April that she used several email accounts for her work, including a Yahoo email, according to a summary of the interview released by the FBI in September. She said it was difficult to print from the State Department's email system so she routinely forwarded documents to her private accounts when she needed to print them out, according to the summary. Philip Hammond has been warned by rival Cabinet ministers not to go on a spending spree in next month's mini-Budget Philip Hammond has been warned by rival Cabinet ministers not to go on a spending spree in next month's mini-Budget. The Chancellor is understood to want to use next month's Autumn Statement to give the economy a cash stimulus by investing in transport infrastructure and other projects in a bid to protect Britain from any Brexit shocks. But pro-Brexit Cabinet ministers fear that doing so could generate panic over Britain's future, harming the economy and putting Britain in a weak position ahead of the start of EU departure talks next spring. The revolt, led by International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, signals deepening divisions at the top of government on its strategy for leaving the EU. They have told Mr Hammond not to impose a Brexit 'revenge Budget' planned by his predecessor George Osborne. The Sunday Times reported that Mr Fox told friends: 'There is no need for any economic stimulus in the autumn statement. 'The economy is in good shape. The last thing we need is a George Osborne-style emergency budget. We want a steady-asshe-goes autumn statement. 'We need common sense not hyperbole and panic. There's no reason to panic. If you go on a spending spree people will think there's a reason to panic.' Mr Fox's view is understood to be backed by Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary. He has told allies that 'talking down the economy is a self-inflicted wound' and is worried about sending the wrong message to the public on the future of the economy. Mr Hammond has already abandoned Mr Osborne's austerity agenda and scrapped plans to eliminate the deficit before 2020. Pro-Brexit Cabinet ministers such as Boris Johnson (left) and Liam Fox (right) fear that giving the economy a cash stimulus would generate panic, harming the economy and putting us in a weak position for the start of talks with the EU Some expect him to unveil up to 20billion worth of new infrastructure spending in his Autumn Statement on November 23. He is understood to be privately concerned that economic growth next year could slow down to 0.8 per cent - much lower than the official prediction of 2.2 per cent predicted in March's Budget. But growth figures have so far confounded the Treasury's Project Fear forecasts since June's Brexit vote. Last week the Office for National Statistics revealed that GDP grew by 0.5 per cent in the three months since the EU referendum vote, despite forecasts by the Treasury that Britain could slip into a recession by the end of this year. Revealed at last: Ministers will fight for tariff-free trade with the EU in Brexit negotiations AND get rid of crippling Brussels red tape Britain will pursue a tariff-free deal for the car industry in Brexit negotiations with the EU, Business Secretary Greg Clark revealed today. He let slip about the Government's Brexit strategy as he revealed the assurances that had persuaded Nissan to stay in the UK. Mr Clark said the car giant decided to pour new investment into its Sunderland plant after he reassured its board last week that the Government will be seeking a 'constructive and civilised dialogue' with the other 27 EU member states'. He said his objective would be to secure a deal 'without tariffs and without bureaucratic impediments' for the automotive industry. Britain will pursue a tariff-free deal for the car industry in Brexit negotiations with the EU, Business Secretary Greg Clark (pictured on the Andrew Marr Show) revealed today Appearing on the Andrew Marr Show, he finally confirmed he had set out the Government's approach to Brexit in a letter to Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn. He reiterated he did not offer any financial incentives to stay in the UK, acknowledging World Trade Organisation rules barred the Government from offering compensation even if tariffs are imposed. Mr Clark, 49, said the assurance he gave Nissan included commitments to make funds available for skills and training, to 'bring home' elements of the supply chain which had migrated overseas, to support research and development, and to keep the UK car industry competitive. 'It is simply not possible to compensate for any future risks so the intention of keeping the sector competitive was important,' he said. 'In the motor industry we have a very long track record of investment, in skills in innovations and research and development. But these things are independently reviewed, we can't guarantee them. I hope that they [Nissan] will succeed. They have to apply as companies in the sector have to do.' But his revelation that Britain would fight for a tariff-free deal for the automotive industry has already sparked demands from Scottish nationalists for Theresa May to grant a special deal to let Scotland stay in the EU's single market. Ministers are coming under renewed pressure to explain what assurances were given to the Japanese car giant Nissan Ministers have been under pressure to explain what deal the company was given following Nissan's Mr Ghosn announced it was to build two new models in Sunderland after receiving 'support and assurances' from the Government. Labour went as far as to question whether Mr Clark had offered Nissan 'bribes' to stay in the UK after Brexit. REVEALED: 42,000 UK JOBS WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST IF NISSAN LEFT BRITAIN Nissan employs 6,000 at its Sunderland plant, but the report warned that tens of thousands more jobs were at risk A bombshell report warning that 42,000 jobs would be lost if Nissan pulled out of Britain was handed to Ministers just before the Japanese car giant announced last week it was staying. One source who saw the contents said hair went up on end when the Government saw the findings. Nissan employs 6,000 at its Sunderland plant, but the report warned that tens of thousands more jobs were at risk. Companies supplying Nissan in the UK employ 27,000 people mostly in the North East. Other jobs indirectly dependent on the Sunderland plant took the total to 42,000. The report, written by Professor Garel Rhys, Emeritus Professor of Motor Industry Economics at Cardiff Business School, was shown to Ministers two weeks ago. The source said: The Government couldnt actually take the risk of calling Nissans bluff. The balance of probability is that they could have stayed. But you cant guarantee that and it would be an economic catastrophe in the North East. Advertisement But giving details about the assurances given to Nissan, Mr Clark told the Andrew Marr Show: 'What I said was that our objective would be to ensure that we would have continued access to the markets in Europe - and vice versa - without tariffs and without bureaucratic impediments and that is how we will approach those negotiations. 'For the continental European car manufacturers, they export a lot to us, we export a lot to them, components go backwards and forwards. 'If you conduct the negotiations in a serious, constructive and civilised way there is a lot in common that we can establish. 'I was able to reassure Nissan - and other manufacturers - that that is the way we are going to approach it.' Mr Clark's comments suggest the Government is looking at the possibility of keeping certain industries - including the automotive sector - in Europe's single market. It contradicts statements by other government ministers, including Scotland Secretary David Mundell, who told Scottish lawmakers last week: 'If we are leaving the EU, we are leaving the single market.' The SNP's Mr Russell said today: 'David Mundell [said] there would be no special deal for Scotland - but he has been completely undermined by Theresa May's actions over the Nissan deal. 'It can't be right for the UK government to conclude backroom deals with some specific companies ... while pursuing a course of action that will cost many thousands of Scottish jobs.' But Mr Clark is still under pressure to disclose the terms of any deal struck with Nissan and Labour says it will request an emergency debate in the House of Commons tomorrow to try and force ministers to reveal any guarantees given to the car maker. Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer told ITV's Peston on Sunday show: 'There may be a financial element to it - I accept that. They say no money is changing hands. 'I don't know. We need to know and I'm going to try and raise this in Parliament tomorrow because something has been said. 'It's good Nissan are investing, of course it's good, but there are other businesses up and down the country of every size and every sort that need (reassurance).' Advertisement With candles, lanterns and fireworks, millions of devotees around the world gathered today to celebrate Diwali. The festival of lights was observed from Amristar, India, to Leicester, UK, as communities came together to offer their prayers in a riot of bright colours. Lights of all shapes and sizes are illuminated to guide Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, to the homes of worshipers, who also leave their doors and windows open so she can enter their houses. The festival, which also marks the new business year, celebrates the triumph of good over evil, and light wiping away the darkness of the world. As part of the festival, new clothes are bought and the home is cleaned to welcome in the new year and pray for an auspicious 12 months. On the same day Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas or Diwali to mark the return of the Sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind Ji, who was freed from imprisonment and also managed to release 52 political prisoners at the same time from Gwalior fort by Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1619. Jains celebrate Diwali as a festival of light, a symbolic representation of the knowledge that was given by Lord Mahavira for the peace and welfare of all living beings. Devotees light candles near the sacred pond of the illuminated Golden Temple, the holiest of Sikh shrines in Amritsar, India Three young children are entranced by firecrackers as they celebrate Diwali in Alllahbad, India, on Sunday night Indian Sikh devotees watch a fireworks display during Bandi Chhor Divas, or Diwali, at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India A woman holds earthen oil lamps while taking part in a ceremony to celebrate Diwali festival at Krishna temple, in Lahore Glittering against the night sky, the homes of Mumbai, India, shine bright with lights and lanterns as the city marks Diwali A Hindu woman lights a firecrackers with her daughter to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights on Sunday night Devotees at a Gurdwara, or Sikh temple, during celebrations to mark Bandi Chhorh Divas on the same night as Diwali An elderly woman listens to religious hymns while visiting the Golden Temple, the holiest of Sikh shrines, in Amritsar, India Devotees walk near the illuminated Akaal Takhat Sahib building at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, on Sunday A woman from the Hindu community holds an earthen oil lamp while taking part in a ceremony to celebrate Diwali in Lahore Indian Sikh devotees lighting candles during Bandi Chhor Divas, or Diwali, at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India A family gathers outside their home in Leicester as their children celebrate Diwali by playing with balloons on the street Worshipers gather at the Golden Temple, the holiest of Sikh shrines, on the Diwali festival and Bandi Chorh Diwas in Amritsar Playing with a firework, a girl stands in a doorway draped with fairy lights during Diwali festival in New Delhi, India Fireworks explode above the Madan Mohan Malviya stadium in Allahabad, India, as the world gathers to celebrate Diwali A Pakistani Hindu family offers prayers and light candles as they mark Diwali, the Festival of Lights, in Lahore Children beam with excitement as they play with sparklers to mark the festival of Diwali in Allahabad, India Strings of light and lanterns are displayed outside a home in Mumbai, India, as they celebrate the festival of Diwali Brightly coloured dishes are seen in front of the idol of Lord Swaminarayan that are kept as offerings by Hindu devotees Sikh devotees lighting candles during Bandi Chhor Divas, or Diwali, at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India Donald Trump said Sunday that a trove of 650,000 emails found on disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner's personal computer could be 'the mother lode' that sinks Hillary Clinton's presidential aspirations. But he stopped short of declaring during a Colorado rally FBI investigators would find a smoking gun when they sift for work-related messages Clinton failed to hand over on her own. 'I would think they have some real bad ones, but we're going to find out,' Trump told about 3,000 people gathered in the University of Northern Colorado's basketball arena. 'Hey maybe not. Maybe not.' Donald Trump said Sunday in Colorado that 650,000 emails housed on disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner's computer could contain 'the mother lode' of lost messages that Hillary Clinton ordered her lawyers to destroy The Republican presidential candidate rallied thousands at the University of Northern Colorado's basketball arena, saying: 'This could be the 30,000 that are missing!' Hours earlier in Nevada, the Republican White House nominee cast the latest wrinkle in the Weiner saga as a twist of fate. 'We never thought we were going to say "Thank you" to Anthony Weiner!' he exclaimed in Las Vegas. The afternoon Colorado speech his second stop in a three-state day leaned heavily on vocabulary the Greeley mining community would immediately understand. 'They found 650,000 emails in the current investigation of somebody else,' Trump said, referring to Weiner without name-checking him. 'You know, in the diamond business and the coal business, it's called Don't worry, we're putting your miners back to work! Clean coal! Clean Coal! They call [it]: This could be the mother lode.' 'This could be the 33,000 that are missing!' Trump said, referring to the emails his Democratic rival has acknowledged that she ordered her lawyers to destroy. 'This could be the 20,000 that are missing. This could be the 15,000 that are missing. Three weeks ago they're missing a big box of emails.' Trump suggested that no one person could receive and send 650,000 emails, meaning that the trove on Weiner's PC would have been collected from others' accounts Trump delivered a swift kick to Weiner in Las Vegas on Sunday morning, thanking him for preserving the emails that could bring Hillary down Trump seemed to suggest 650,000 emails were too many for any one person to accumulate, meaning they would have to have been collected from elsewhere. 'Think of it 650,000!' he said. 'What do you have to do, to do 650?' 'Just, if you sat there and did like this one, two, three you'd be there for weeks! How can you have 650,000 emails?' 'If she'd never heard the word "email," do you think she'd be a very happy woman today?' he asked. In Las Vegas, an exuberant Trump delivered Weiner a swift kick by thanking him for preserving the emails that could bring Clinton down. He told more than 7,000 people packed into a casino ballroom that he believes the FBI has recovered some of Clinton's 33,000 deleted emails. 'I have a feeling they just found a lot of them,' he said, before calling out the name of Weiner's estranged wife Huma Abedin. 'Huma! They just found a lot of them!' he boomed. The Republican known for confounding conventional wisdom held up this 'LGBTs for Trump' flag proudly and posed for pictures on stage before he began his speech in Colorado A day earlier in Arizona, the real estate billionaire used the 'pervert' Weiner's proximity to power as Exhibit A in his case that the Clintons have poor judgment and can't be trusted with the levers of power. 'As Podesta said, she's got bad instincts,' he said, quoting Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta's stinging admission in a hacked email published by the WikiLeaks anti-privacy group. 'Well, she's got bad instincts when the emails are on Anthony Weiner's wherever,' Trump quipped. 'Ooh. He's bad.' In addition to being the long-suffering spouse of the infamous sexting Weiner, Abedin has served Clinton for decades as a key aide and is now the vice-chair of her White House campaign. For more than a year, Trump has seeded his comments about Clinton's email scandal with loose accusations that Abedin had access to classified documents of the sort that his Democratic rival is accused of storing on an unsecured email server. A 'pervert' like Weiner sharing Abedin's bed, he has suggested over and over, represented an unacceptable national security risk. News reports on Friday first described a cache of Clinton-related emails found on a laptop the married couple shared. Trump has branded Weiner a 'pervert' and insists he is a national security risk The Clinton campaign raced to persuade reporters that there was no evidence the messages weren't duplicates of what the FBI had already reviewed when it decided not to recommend prosecution under the U.S. Espionage Act. But Trump was merciless to Weiner, whose computers were seized in an investigation prompted by a DailyMail.com story describing his online affair with a 15-year-old girl. 'I don't know if anybody saw my comments on Anthony Weiner,' he said Saturday in Phoenix. 'I had no idea I was going to be that accurate!' 'Hillary has nobody but herself to blame for her mounting legal troubles. Her criminal action was willful, deliberate, intentional, and purposeful,' he said Sunday at the Venetian resort, owned by his friend, fellow billionaire and political donor Sheldon Adelson. 'She set up this illegal server knowing full well that her actions put our national security at risk, and put the safety and security of your children at risk.' An emcee at the Nevada rally told his surging crowd that there was 'a fleet of black buses waiting in the valet parking area' to drive them to early voting locations.' The Silver State's Hispanic-heavy demographics reflected on the crowd, with homemade 'Latinas for Trump' signs rivaling professionally printer 'Women for Trump' placards for space. Midway through Trump's speech, he spotted one in the crowd and invited the Mexican-American woman holding it to come on stage. 'I'm very proud to vote for Mr. Trump because he's for law and order,' she said. 'You have to come into this country legally!' Trump invited a woman on stage to speak whom he spotted waving a homemade 'Latinas for Trump' sign in Las Vegas The real estate billionaire used the 'pervert' Weiner's proximity to power as Exhibit A in his case that the Clintons have poor judgment and can't be trusted with the levers of power The woman complained about illegal immigrants who reflect badly on her community and sap the U.S. treasury though benefit payments and public services. 'It costs $115 billion a year to support them' in Nevada, she said. Trump praised her: 'She's better than me! I never did it that well!' 'We are going to do so well with the Latinos!' he yelled. Trump's pre-show warmup acts whipped the Las Vegas crowd into a frenzy. Right-wing radio talk show host Wayne Allyn Root drew screams of 'Lock her up!' when he promised that a conservative revolution was figuratively descending on America's political elites 'with pitchforks, jackhammers and blowtorches.' 'We're coming to tear it up,' he said, directing his fire at Clinton. 'We're coming to kick your ass. And we're coming to put you in prison!' 'Hillary and Huma have been done in by a leaking Weiner,' he mocked. 'Huma! They just found a lot of them! [emails]' he boomed. 'We never thought we were going to say "Thank you" to Anthony Weiner!' Root said a recurring dream-sequence in his head consists of 'Hillary's run for the border with Huma in a white Ford Bronco,' dredging up images of O.J. Simpson's slow-speed chase with police in 1994. Only his story has a more abrupt ending: 'When they make the run to Mexico there's nowhere to go, because President Donald J. Trump has built a big, beautiful wall! 'Pawn Stars' king Rick Harrison declared that he 'can't imagine the world with Hillary Clinton as president.' 'She really believes in the socialist paradise,' Harrison said, shaking his head as he added that socialism is 'like a really bad drug.' A mother is trying desperately to solve the mystery of why her toddler son was suddenly paralyzed with a polio-like condition after doctors were baffled. Erin Oliveras youngest son was ten months old when he started crawling unusually in 2012. One leg was dragging behind the other and soon, he wasnt able to move his legs at all or even lift his head, so she took him to hospital in Los Angeles. Other symptoms included the left side of Luciens smile drooping and his muscles continuing to weak, but doctors werent able to treat his condition. Despite weeks of tests in hospital, there was still no diagnosis and it left Olivera, a mother-of-four, feeling helpless. How can I make a decision for him when I dont even know whats wrong? she told the Los Angeles Times. What can I do to help him? Erin Olivera cheers on her son Lucian Olivera as he uses a walker to get around inside their home in Moorpark, California In July 2012, she took her son home to Ventura Country with a mysterious condition that has since afflicted hundreds of children across the country. Through physical therapy, Lucien regained movement in most of his limbs, but couldnt move his left leg at all. Olivera, a registered nurse, went online looking for something to shed light on the illness and found an article that mentioned Dr Keith Van Haren, a Stanford University child neurologist who diagnosed many of the other cases. Van Haren had treated a case around the time Lucien first got sick of a girl whose symptoms made him think of polio, which was eradicated decades ago in the United States. Hed never come across it, but we know about it through history books, he said. Lucien Olivera is pictured in his father's arms with his mother and three siblings) The girl was vaccinated against polio, but with the help of Dr Carol Glaser at the California Department of Health, they found the cause: enterovirus D-68, a cousin of poliovirus. So after minutes of seeing Lucien in 2014, Dr Van Haren diagnosed him with polio-like paralysis likely caused by enterovirus D-68. He told Olivera she should persist with Luciens physical therapy, but there was no cure. In the summer of 2014, enterovirus D-68 which news reports called a rare virus that causes colds, began sending kids to the ER with problems breathing and then a number of them became paralyzed. In October, Van Haren said that when he asked a group of 300 child neurologists at a convention if theyd seen these kinds of cases, more than half said yes. The phenomenon was given a name - acute flaccid myelitis and 120 children in 34 states were diagnosed with it before August 2014 and January 2015. Olivera hoped it would mean a cure would soon be found for her son, but doctors say there is often some irreversible paralysis involved. Lucian Olivera, center, touches the face of his brother, Nikolas, with his cold hand after touching a bag of ice Physical trainer Kelsey Stewart cheers on Lucian as he successfully knocks over a fake brick with a ball during a session at the Simi Valley Hospital Child Development Center Heartbreakingly, the youngster asked his parents for an injection to fix his condition recently and Olivera was forced to tell him again his condition is permanent. Itll fix my leg and itll be like Nikos, he said, using his pet name for his brother Nikolas. The condition remains a medical mystery and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has a team on acute flaccid myelitis, are now concerned that another outbreak like the one in 2014 is in progress after 30 children in the US were paralyzed between June and August without a reason why. Now, Olivera often works 64 hours a week to make ends meet after her husband Israel stopped working to take care of Lucien. Now four years after he was first hospitalized, Lucien lives with braces on both of his legs one is decorated with pictures of Spider-Man, the other with skulls. Despite his condition, he was excited to be starting kindergarten this year. On his first day, his father accompanied him to school and had permission to stay to help son through it. Guenther Oettinger (pictured) was heard making disparaging remarks A German politician has claimed he meant no offence when he was secretly recorded using the term 'slitty eyes' to describe Chinese people. European Commissioner Guenther Oettinger was also heard making disparaging remarks about women and gay marriage. In the footage, secretly filmed at a Hamburg event earlier this month, he mocked a delegation of Chinese ministers, 'their hair combed from left to right with shoe polish'. Anonymous YouTube user Sebas Travelling, who uploaded the clip on Friday, said Oettinger had used the words 'slitty eyes' and 'chiselers' to refer to Chinese people. 'That was a somewhat sloppy expression that was not meant in any way disrespectfully towards China,' Oettinger told Die Welt newspaper on Saturday. The comments were made during a speech focusing on EU relations with China, the world's second largest economy. 'Nine men, one party. No democracy, no female quota, and no women - which follows logically,' he said, referring to the delegation which had recently visited the Commission. Oettinger insisted to Die Welt that his comments were taken out of context and that he had 'received a lot of positive reaction' to the speech. In his comments to the Hamburg forum, he also took aim at the political agendas of domestic German politicians, including more generous pensions and child benefits, a controversial road toll for foreign vehicles, and 'soon to come, compulsory gay marriage'. 'I have nothing against same-sex marriage,' he said on SWR public radio on Sunday. 'But while we're all talking and arguing about that, there is no time for other, critical questions, which would keep Germany and Europe ahead in a dynamic world.' European Commissioner Guenther Oettinger has claimed he meant no offence when he was secretly recorded using the term 'slitty eyes' to describe Chinese people In the secretly-recorded speech, he said Germany and other EU nations were allowing Chinese firms to buy up European companies and their valuable know-how and intellectual property, while China did not allow Europeans to invest there as freely. 'The same rules should go for China and for Europe. We should open our markets to one another to the same extent,' he told Die Welt. The comments come at an embarrassing time as they emerged just after European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker announced Friday he had tapped Oettinger to take over the budget portfolio from Bulgaria's Kristalina Georgieva. Juncker and German Chancellor Angela Merkel should 'impose an adequate punishment in the face of this behaviour unworthy of a member of the European Commission', French activist group SOS Racisme said in a statement Sunday. An Indiana teenager originally sentenced to 25 years in prison for helping kill a friend's stepfather when he was 12 could now be released in about three months. Paul Gingerich, now 18, was resentenced Friday to 300 days of incarceration after spending nearly six years behind bars. With good behavior and participation in a community transition program, he could be released after 90 days in a medium-security adult prison. Paul Gingerich (pictured two years after his first sentence) was arrested in 2010 as a baby-faced sixth-grader for his part on the 2010 death of Phillip Danner, the stepfather of his accomplice Colt Lundy, then 15 With good behavior and participation in a community transition program, he could be released after 90 days in a medium-security adult prison Gingerich was arrested in 2010 as a baby-faced sixth-grader for his part on the 2010 death of Phillip Danner alongside Danner's stepson, then-15-year-old Colt Lundy. The two had a plan to drive out west. When Danner tried to stop them, Lundy found a couple of handguns in his home and the pair killed him with four bullets. Lundy, now 21, has spent his entire sentence in adult prisons. He will be in prison for at least another six years. Under the new sentence, Gingerich, who is currently in a juvenile facility, would spend one year in home detention followed by 10 years of probation. Gingerich (pictured at 14) was arrested in 2010 as a baby-faced, 14-year-old middle schooler Gingerich (pictured) and his accomplice, Lundy, had a plan to drive out west. When Danner tried to stop them, Lundy found a couple of handguns in his home and the pair killed him with four bullets Gingerich is believed to be the youngest person in Indiana to be sentenced as an adult. He was resentenced under a state law that allows alternative sentences for juveniles who commit serious crimes. 'I know I committed a truly horrible crime and I am sorry for that,' Gingerich said in court Friday, the Indy Star reported. 'I will never stop being sorry and I know sorry will never be enough.' Gingerich was resentenced under a state law that allows alternative sentences for juveniles who commit serious crimes Gingerich's attorney, Monica Foster, said he has spent the last five and a half years bettering himself. He has earned a high school diploma and mentored other inmates, Foster said. He has also completed counseling programs for juvenile offenders, the Indy Star reported. Danner's family didn't speak at the sentencing Friday, but rather sent in victim impact statements to the court. In a previous appearance, the victim's sister, Kim Wilson, said she was yet to hear an apology from Gingerich or his family. Orhan Idriz, 38, (pictured) has been jailed for six months after harassing three blonde customers at the salon where he worked A hairdresser has been jailed for six months after harassing three blonde customers he had become 'infatuated with' because he said all women in his native Bulgaria had dark hair. Orhan Idriz, 38, met the women when he worked as a hairdresser at Jacob's Barbers and Tanning Salon in Maidstone, Kent. He became 'fixated' by three blonde customers and 'constantly hounded' them between December 2015 and January this year. Idriz offered them free haircuts and tanning salons and Maidstone JPs heard that he told police he 'like blondes' as all women from Bulgaria were dark-haired. The court heard Idriz would 'stare at them' when they were in the changing rooms of the tanning salon. When the customers left the salon, Idriz would follow them onto trains, regularly pursuing them between local railway stations. Idriz would also loiter outside their places of work and try to chat them up if he met them in the street. While on the trains, Idriz would peer at the women between the seats, and on occasion would approach them, when he would try to look up their skirts and even 'flick chewed up balls of newspaper at them' to get their attention. One one occasion, a victim he was pursuing ended up sobbing as she spoke to a ticket inspector when she told him about Idriz following her. On another, Idriz sat opposite one of his victims with his legs open as he 'rubbed his thighs', the court heard. Idriz, 38, met the women when he worked as a hairdresser at Jacob's Barbers and Tanning Salon in Maidstone, Kent (pictured) The court was told how Idriz - who denied the charges - pestered the women when they were on nights out in the town and would wait outside their work to offer them free treatments at the salon. The barber, who lives in Maidstone, Kent, was arrested by police and was charged with three counts of harassment without violence in January this year. After a two-day trial last month - in which his three blonde victims gave evidence against him - he was found guilty of all three counts and released on bail ahead of sentencing, where he was jailed for six months. A Thai sex attacker who brutally assaulted an American backpacker after she fell 150ft down a cliff has been jailed for five years - to the anger of her parents. Hannah Gavios, 23, broke her back and lay helpless trapped on rocks while Apai Ruangwong, 28, subjected her to hours of sexual assault. Gavios - who has waived her right to anonymity - was rescued the next morning on September 2 but had lost all feeling in her legs - and is still in hospital in New York having physiotherapy. Hannah Gavios pictured in hospital after she broke her back in Thailand. Her mother is raising money for her medical care Hannah Gavios (pictured), 23, from New York, broke her back and lay helpless trapped on rocks while Apai Ruangwong, 28, subjected her to a ten hour ordeal Apai Ruengvorn (pictured) was made to reenact the assault by Thai police Twisted Ruangwong was sentenced to ten years earlier this month but that was halved after he pleaded guilty to the obscene behavior and causing serious injury, according to the New York Times. Miss Gavois' mother Gwen Gavois - who is currently raising money for her medical care - slammed the sentence. She said: 'I am dismayed that it is automatically cut down to five years because of a guilty plea.' Gwen added that 'Hannah will suffer the consequences of the attack for the rest of her life'. The 23-year-old had been teaching English in Vietnam when she took a holiday to Railay Beach in the resort of Krabi, Thailand Miss Gavois still has no feeling in her ankles, feet and backside and is learning to walk again with crutches and leg braces. The 23-year-old had been teaching English in Vietnam when she took a holiday to Railay Beach in the resort of Krabi where she arrived on September 1. She became lost on the pitch-black beach and went into a local tourist shop asking for help back to her hotel. Hired-help worker Ruangwong offered to show her the way but instead led her into the jungle where they started climbing a mountain. Miss Gavois, who was still tired after arriving in Thailand just the day before, innocently followed him before realising she was in danger. The man pinned her down and tried to rip off her clothes - but Miss Gavois bravely fought back and bit off part of his ear. She then fled but blindly ran off the edge of a cliff edge in the darkness fractured her spine and smashed her head on the way down before she landed crippled at the bottom of the cliff. After falling down the cliff the attacker scrambled after her and repeatedly sexually molested her for several hours as she lay helpless. On September 1 she became lost on the pitch-black beach and went into a local tourist shop asking for help back to her hotel. Hired-help worker Ruangwong offered to show her the way but instead led her into the jungle where they started climbing a mountain and she realised she was in trouble Ruangwong pinned her down and tried to rip off her clothes but Miss Gavois bravely fought back and bit off part of his ear. He reportedly has no job but often offers to act as a guide for tourists Ruangwong left but then returned later with other people who raised the alarm and Miss Gavois was rescued and taken to hospital. Miss Gavois said at the time: 'I honestly thought I was going to die. 'I hit my head a few times and landed on a big bump. I was screaming in pain. It was the most painful thing ever,. 'I felt like a total vegetable. I felt completely vulnerable. I couldn't move anything. She ran off but fell off a cliff in the dark and was left calling for help and hoping Ruangwong wouldn't find her But he scrambled to her and assaulted her for hours before going to get her help 'I was stuck with this crazy person. I was in the woods in the bushes with wild snakes crawling on me while he was still continuing to harass me. He got on top of me. 'He didn't rape me but he did everything else.' Miss Gavois was taken to hospital and later flown back to her home in Queens, New York, where she is still undergoing intensive treatment. Her mother Gwen and father Aaron have already spent thousands visiting Miss Gavois at her bedside and now need to raise up to $200,000 to help her walk again as expenses are not covered by her insurance. She said she thought she was going to die as she lay in a vegetable state Mrs Gavois added: 'We're raising funds to pay for medical bills, medical equipment, psychotherapy, and physical therapy which will not be fully covered by our insurance company. 'Hannah's recovery period is expected to last up to two years or more, and many of the expenses, such as physical therapy will not be covered after several months. 'We may have to make changes to our home, including a remodeling of our bathroom to accommodate Hannah's disabilities. We are expecting out of pocket costs to be at least $50,000 and could be as much as $200,000. Rescue workers carefully carried Ms Gavios down the remainder of the cliff on a stretcher The 23-year-old American tourist was not located until daybreak on Friday when the search team found her lying on a rock 15 metres down the 45-metre deep cliff She is now undergoing long term recovery and her family are raising money for health care 'We have an immediate need for these funds as we have already incurred significant out of pocket costs. 'It is so meaningful to us that our family and friends want to help us in our time of need. We are forever grateful to anyone who wants to help.' Somchai Buakiri, a provincial prosecutor in Krabi, said the verdict will become final after 30 days. Dozens have been killed in a Saudi-led airstrike on a prison complex in Yemen that has reduced the building to rubble. Yemeni security chief Abdel-Rahman al-Mansab says the death toll has risen to 58 as aid workers continue to search through the debris for survivors. Mr al-Mansa, who represents the district of al-Zaydia in the Red Sea port of Hodeida, said most of the dead in Saturday's airstrike were prisoners. Dozens have been killed in a Saudi-led airstrike on a prison complex in Yemen that has reduced the building to rubble. Pictured Yemeni security chief Abdel-Rahman al-Mansab says the death toll has risen to 58 as aid workers continue to search through the debris for survivors Mr al-Mansa, who represents the district of al-Zaydia in the Red Sea port of Hodeida, said most of the dead in Saturday's airstrike were prisoners. They were among a total of 115 inmates who were serving jail terms for misdemeanor crimes or who were still in pretrial detention They were among a total of 115 inmates who were serving jail terms for misdemeanor crimes or who were still in pretrial detention. The city is under control of Yemen's Shiite Houthi rebels, who seized the capital and much of the northern region in 2014. Other officials, speaking under the condition of anonymity, said at least 20 of the victims were anti-Houthi political detainees. The bombing comes after Huthi rebels today opened the door to peace, saying that a new UN plan was a 'basis for discussion', despite containing 'fundamental flaws'. They criticised UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed's plan because it did not include a 'total, permanent ceasefire' or the removal of blockades against areas they control. The Huthis said that they would put their objections to the UN envoy when he visits Sanaa in the coming days. The prison (pictured) is in a city is under control of Yemen's Shiite Houthi rebels, who seized the capital and much of the northern region in 2014 Other officials, speaking under the condition of anonymity, said at least 20 of the victims (pictured) were anti-Houthi political detainees Aid workers were seen dragging the prisoners away in sheets, using anything they could to help in the rebel-held area The rebels and their allies - forces loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh - are fighting those who back the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. The President is backed by a Saudi-led coalition, which hopes to stop rebels defeating the Sunni government, which is under attack from numerous groups - some Sunni and some Shiite. The conflict has killed nearly 7,000 people since the coalition launched military operations in Yemen in March 2015, according to the United Nations. A previous round of peace talks held in Kuwait collapsed in August. Hadi rejected the peace proposal on Saturday, saying it 'only opens a door towards more suffering and war and is not a map for peace'. The contents of the roadmap, which the envoy presented to the rebels on Tuesday, have not been made public. The bombing (pictured) came at a crucial point in talks between the government and the rebels, as a UN peace process is being considered The bombs reduced large parts of the building to rubble and it is not known how many of the prisoners are still trapped But informed sources say it calls for agreement on naming a new vice president after the rebels withdraw from Sanaa and other cities and hand over heavy weapons to a third party. Hadi would then transfer power to the vice president who would appoint a new prime minister to form a government in which the north and south of Yemen would have equal representation. Hadi said the new plan was an 'explicit departure' from the UN Security Council's resolution 2216, which calls on rebels to withdraw from territory they have captured since 2014. The Huthis demand an end to coalition air strikes. A Denver police officer was arrested on Friday after he was filmed by his own body camera while stealing $1,200 from a suspect at a crime scene. Julian Archuleta, a 48-year-old officer, is seen in the footage taking cash from the suspect's clothing after it was removed by paramedics during an Oct. 7 shooting investigation, according to an arrest affidavit. The officer had been called to take photographs of the scene and the suspect's vehicle, which had crashed during a pursuit. Archuleta's body camera was on for more than 24 minutes as he searched the suspect's car and clothing. It shows him finding a stack of cash with a $100 bill on top, according to the arrest report. This undated photo provided by the Denver Police Department shows Julian Archuleta, a Denver police officer filmed by his own body camera stealing $1,200 from a suspect at a crime scene When it came time for Archuleta to take inventory of the evidence, he did not note that there was a $100 bill, even though another detective had already written down recorded it as evidence. When investigators viewed Archuleta's body cam footage, they saw him stealing the cash. Archuleta faces charges of theft, official misconduct and tampering with physical evidence. He was being held in jail Friday. Archuleta, on the job since 2004, has been suspended without pay, police officials said. The department refused to release the body camera footage, citing it as evidence in the ongoing criminal case. After Archuleta was called into internal affairs, he contacted a police union representative to let him know he was being investigated for theft. The police report says he offered to 'check his war bag' to make sure the missing money hadn't slipped into a crevice in the suspect's car. Archuleta contacted the union representative again an hour later to say he had found $1,200 that 'must have fallen in his bag,' the report says. Advertisement A handful of Christians celebrated their first Sunday mass at a local burnt-out church in two years after their town was recaptured from ISIS. Those living in the Christian town of Qaraqosh made their way to the church despite the chaos continuing around them as the Battle for Mosul enters its third week. The bell tower at the Grand Immaculate Church was damaged, statues were decapitated and missals strewn across the nave floor. A statue of Jesus on a cross was damaged and the church is still covered in soot from the fire the jihadists lit when they retreated just days earlier. Iraqi priests hold the first Sunday mass at the Grand Immaculate Church since it was recaptured from Islamic State in Qaraqosh, near Mosul, Iraq A cross is seen on the damaged altar of the Grand Immaculate Church after it was recaptured from Islamic State in Qaraqosh, near Mosul, Iraq The bell tower at the church in Qaraqosh, near Mosul, was damaged, statues decapitated and missals strewn across the floor Archbishop Yohanna Petros Mouche of Mosul leads the Sunday mass at the Grand Immaculate Church (pictured) Iraqi Christian forces inspect the damage at the Grand Immaculate Church (pictured) in the town of Qaraqosh on Sunday The church was severely damaged after the jihadists retreated just days before the first mass was held there in two years But some of the crosses have already been replaced and a new icon was laid on the main altar, where armed Christian militiamen took turns to light candles. Yohanna Petros Mouche, the Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Mosul who led the mass, said: 'After two years and three months in exile, I just celebrated the Eucharist in the cathedral of the Immaculate Conception the Islamic State wanted to destroy.' It comes as Iraqi forces said on Sunday that they had recaptured a series of villages surrounding jihadist-held Mosul as the operation to retake the city from Daesh neared its third week. Meanwhile, huge plumes of thick black smoke could be seen from inside damaged buildings with smashed windows after ISIS tried to prevent Iraqi forces from retaking cities and towns around Mosul. One local resident living in Al Qayyarah - 40 miles south of Mosul - looked out of his window and saw the devastation outside after members of ISIS set fire to nearby oil wells. Tens of thousands of Iraqi troops and Kurdish peshmerga fighters have been advancing on Mosul from the north, east and south after the launch on October 17 of a vast offensive to retake IS's last stronghold in the country. After standing largely on the sidelines in the first days of the assault, forces from the Hashed al-Shaabi - a paramilitary umbrella organisation dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militias - began a push on Saturday towards the west of Mosul. The ultimate aim is the recapture of Tal Afar, a town west of the city, and the severing of jihadist supply lines between Mosul and Syria. In a series of statements on Sunday, the Hashed's media office announced it had retaken at least four villages southwest of Mosul. An Iraqi Christian police officer attended the first Sunday mass at the church in Qaraqosh since it was recaptured from IS An Iraqi priests hold the first Sunday mass at the church since it was recaptured from Islamic State in Qaraqosh, near Mosul Iraqi Christian soldiers attend the first Sunday mass at the church since it was recaptured from Islamic State a few days ago The floor is still covered in soot from the fire the jihadists lit when they retreated from the area just days earlier An Iraqi Christian soldier guards the church of Saint Barbara after it was recaptured from Islamic State in Qaraqosh, near Mosul Members of Daesh set oil wells on fire to limit coalition forces pilot's eyesight following the Iraqi army's operation to retake the town of Al Qayyarah (pictured) Al-Imraini, one of the recaptured villages, is 27 miles from Tal Afar, according to the media office. The drive toward Tal Afar could bring the fighting perilously close to the ancient city of Hatra, a UNESCO world heritage site, and the ruins of Nimrud - two archaeological sites that have previously been vandalised by IS. Forces from Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region also announced gains on Sunday, saying that they had recaptured six villages north and east of Mosul. Kurdish units are effectively operating on the opposite side of Mosul from the Shiite militiamen, with whom relations are tense. The involvement of Shiite militias in the Mosul operation has been a source of contention, though the Hashed's top commanders insist they do not plan to enter the largely Sunni city. Iraqi Kurds and Sunni Arab politicians have opposed their involvement, as has Turkey which has a military presence east of Mosul despite repeated demands by Baghdad for the forces to be withdrawn. Relations between the Hashed and the US-led coalition fighting IS are also tense, but the paramilitaries enjoy widespread support among members of Iraq's Shiite majority. The Hashed has been a key force in Iraq's campaign to retake areas seized by IS in mid-2014, when the jihadists took control of large parts of Syria and Iraq and declared a cross-border 'caliphate'. The wells in Al Qayyarah were set on fire so they would be out of service while the Iraqi forces try to retake Mosul from Daesh Local residents are forced to live in harsh conditions in the heavily damaged area and look out of broken windows to see the smoke rising Iraqi forces said Sunday that they recaptured a series of villages surrounding jihadist-held Mosul as the operation to retake the city from the Islamic State group continued Smoke rises above the severely damaged town in northern Iraq on Sunday afternoon as ISIS try to prevent Iraqi forces from retaking cities and towns around Mosul Children play football as smoke rises from oil wells, which were set on fire by ISIS to limit coalition forces pilots' eyesight The youngsters continued to play football despite the huge plumes of black smoke in the town of Al Qayyarah (pictured) But the paramilitaries have been repeatedly accused of human rights violations during the war against IS, including summary killings, kidnappings and destruction of property. Tal Afar was a Shiite-majority town of mostly ethnic Turkmens before the Sunni extremists of IS overran it in 2014, and its recapture is a main goal of Shiite militia forces. The US-led coalition - which has been assisting federal forces and Kurdish peshmerga with air strikes, training and advisers for two years - said Friday that Iraqi forces were observing a pause in the two-week-old offensive. In Bartalla, a Christian town just east of Mosul, army and counter-terrorism forces were consolidating their positions, unloading cases of weapons from trucks and organising ammunition stocks. More than 17,600 people have fled their homes toward government-held areas since the Mosul operation began, the International Organization for Migration said on Sunday. Numbers are expected to soar as Iraqi forces close in on the city, which is home to more than a million people. The UN says there have been credible reports of IS carrying out mass executions in the city and seizing tens of thousands of people for use as human shields. It cited reports indicating IS has forcibly taken civilians into Mosul, killing those who resist or who were previously members of Iraqi security forces. It said more than 250 people were executed in just two days earlier this week. One footballer runs away from two other players - just yards from the huge fire which was started by ISIS The children played football despite the nearby oil wells being set on fire by ISIS near the northern city of Mosul A youngster takes a break from playing football and sits down as the smoke billowed up into the sky near Mosul, Iraq In Qaraqosh, an Iraqi Christian police officer puts his head on the damaged altar during the first Sunday mass in two years Yohanna Petros Mouche (pictured) said: 'After two years and three months in exile, I just celebrated the Eucharist in the cathedral of the Immaculate Conception the Islamic State wanted to destroy' What the FBI officials used to make their determination that Clinton emails were on the laptop was the metadata The late October surprise currently plaguing Hillary Clinton's campaign could have come at an earlier, less politically destructive time of the month, reports say. The Washington Post reported that FBI officials knew in early October that emails from a computer belonging to Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of Clinton's top aide Huma Abedin, could be connected to the Clinton email case, but didn't inform the bureau's director James Comey until Thursday. Comey, in turn, informed members of Congress of the emails existence on Friday, igniting a political firestorm so strong it could change the course of the presidential election. Before even knowing about this timeline, Democrats were angry at Comey's admission, suggesting he was interfering with presidential politics too much. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, according to the Wall Street Journal, said that Comey may have violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits government officials from using their position to influence elections. Scroll down for video Hillary Clinton's presidential bid is being put in peril as the FBI announced that it would be looking at a new set of emails from her secret server found on a laptop belonging to sex pest Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin, a top aide FBI Director James Comey is coming under fire from Democrats for telling Congress about a new trove of emails related to the Hillary Clinton probe, which he has not yet seen The estranged husband of Hillary Clinton's top aide Huma Abedin - spotted in New York today leaving Clinton campaign headquarters - is responsible for this latest chapter in the Democratic nominee's email drama 'I am writing to inform you that my office has determined that these actions may violate the Hatch Act,' Reid was writing in a letter to Comey. 'Through your partisan actions, you may have broken the law.' Furthermore he accused Comey of sitting on 'explosive information about close ties and coordination between Donald Trump, his top advisors, and the Russian government.' Additionally, four top Senate Democrats wrote a letter to Comey and Attorney General Loretta Lynch demanding that more information be made public, according to the Los Angeles Times. Talking to CNN's Jake Tapper this morning on 'State of the Union,' Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta expressed his disgust. 'So, to throw this in the middle of the campaign 11 days out just seemed to break with precedent and be inappropriate at this stage,' said Podesta. 'If they're not significant, they're not significant,' Podesta said of the emails. 'So, he might have taken the first step of actually having looked at them before he did this in the middle of a presidential campaign so close to the voting,' Podesta continued. Tapper quarreled with Podesta over whether the emails had been read. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (right) suggested that FBI Director James Comey may have violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits government officials from meddling with elections Reid delivered a scathing rebuke. In addition to his letter, four top Senate Democrats wrote to Comey and Attorney General Loretta Lynch demanding that more information be made public Anthony Weiner's sexting with a 15-year-old girl inspired the investigation. Weiner then handed over a laptop to the FBI that he and his wife, Clinton aide Huma Abedin, had used and that laptop's metadata showed the existence of Clinton emails 'Do you know that, Jake? Do you know that?' said the campaign chairman, whose own emails were hacked and have been made public each day by Wikileaks, another headache for the Clinton campaign. 'We don't know anything.' What is known about the new cache of emails is that New York-based FBI officials recovered a laptop belonging to Weiner in early October holding 650,000 messages, according to the Wall Street Journal, many of which were from Abedin's email account. Officials were looking for child porn after DailyMail.com broke the story that Weiner, embroiled in a third sexting scandal, had exchanged lewd messages with a 15-year-old girl. When performing this initial review of the laptop, the metadata showed that many of the messages, in the thousands according to the Wall Street Journal, were sent to or came from Clinton's private email system, which was the focus of the original FBI investigation into the former secretary of state's emails. Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta said today on 'State of the Union' that James Comey's decision was 'inappropriate' and 'seemed to break with precedent' The Weiner investigators were given a green light to further examine the metadata on the computer and report back. Then, at a meeting early last week between Justice Department and FBI officials, the Wall Street Journal found out that a senior member of the Justice Department's national security team asked to be briefed on the current status of the Weiner laptop. That's when officials realized that nobody had gotten a warrant. McCabe then brought together those who had investigated Clinton's emails and those investigating Weiner to see if the contents of the laptop could be useful for those who worked on the original Clinton probe. Comey was briefed on the matter, according to the Wall Street Journal, once the teams agreed that the Weiner emails were pertinent to the previous investigation, which had seemingly concluded in July when Comey briefed the press, telling reporters that the FBI couldn't recommend charges to the Justice Department because no reasonable prosecutor would try to make a case against Clinton. Riling up Republicans, Comey also tsk-tsked Clinton and her aides for being so careless with classified information, comments that Trump allies say reveal how the FBI director really felt about the case. Trump and his supporters have long suggested that Attorney General Loretta Lynch was pressured by Bill Clinton to not go after his wife and thus pressured Comey to back off. There's no evidence to suggest that this is what actually happened. Now, Republicans are saying that the FBI's announcement that it's looking into this new cache of emails is righting the previous wrong. 'What the decision this week showed is even 11 days before an election, no one is above the law,' Donald Trump's running mate Mike Pence told John Dickerson on 'Face the Nation.' 'The FBI director has stepped forward, kept his word to the Congress and the American people and told us, "There's more information. And an investigation is now reopened."' In the war-ravaged town of Mosul, a teddy bear or truck is a rare treasure to a child. But these innocent-looking toys are actually the trigger for sinister booby traps that detonate as soon as they are touched. The ploy marks a sickening new low for Islamic State, who currently hold Iraqs second largest city, as they can only be intended to target children. Adults would walk straight past them. These and other cunningly disguised improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have been put on display at a training centre for locally-trained bomb disposal experts as 40,000 soldiers, state-sanctioned militia members and other fighters prepare to encircle Mosul to cut off IS forces from outside help. Disguise: This seemingly harmless toy truck is actually a trigger for an explosive device Sickening: An innocent-looking teddy bear is actually a bomb meant for Iraqi children Colonel Nawzad Kamil Hassan, an engineer with the Kurdish forces, told the Observer: Why would Isis use something nice, like a bear or a rabbit? They used this toy because they know the peshmerga [Kurdish fighters] will not touch it but children will. He added: They are not even animals. They are worse than animals. His unit has cleared 50 tonnes of explosives in two years from areas once controlled by militants, including five tonnes from a single school in Sinjar city to the west of Mosul. The city, around 250 miles north of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014. The offensive to take it back is the largest deployment of Iraqi forces since the 2003 invasion by the U.S. and coalition forces. The U.S. military estimates IS has up to 5,000 fighters inside Mosul and between 1,500 and 2,500 in a defensive belt around the city. Of these, around 1,000 are believed to be foreign fighters. Other IEDs, including some with detonators attached to playing cards, watches and lengths of hosepipe, have been laid out to slow the encroaching forces and delay recovery should they succeed in seizing control. A spokesman for Popular Mobilisation Units, an umbrella group for the militias, yesterday confirmed around 15,000 Shiite fighters would be participating in the offensive. ISIS fighters behind the bombs have been described as 'worse than animals' (file picture) The involvement of Iranian-backed Shiites has raised concerns about sectarian tensions becoming inflamed in the mainly Sunni city. The militias have been accused of committing abuses against citizens in other Sunni areas taken back from IS. Turkeys president warned their behaviour would be closely monitored to safeguard ethnic Turkmens in Iraq. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said a Turkish response could be triggered if militias terrorise the Iraqi-Turkmen town of Tel Afar during the push around Mosul. The womans identity will be released once her family has been notified is expected to be performed The Guadalupe County Sheriff's department says it's investigating and an A Texas college student was found dead on Saturday at concert venue after a party was held there. A representative from Texas State University in San Marcos confirmed that the body found was of a female student between 19 and 20-years-old, WOAI reported. The Guadalupe County Sheriff's department says it's investigating after the student was found dead at Cool River Ranch in Martindale. A Texas State University in San Marcos college student was found dead on Saturday at Cool River Ranch in Martindale (above) after a party was held there A college party was held at the venue, where people can also go tubing or kayaking in the San Marcos River. It's unclear if the student's body was found in the river or on land. Authorities spent several hours at the scene looking for evidence as to what caused her death. An autopsy is expected to be performed in the coming days. The womans identity will be released once her family has been notified. Hilary Duff and her boyfriend sparked outrage for their couples Halloween costume: a sexy Pilgrim and a Native American chief. Duff, 29, wore hot pants, fishnets and a black and white sweater with a pilgrim collar while boyfriend Jason Walsh wore face paint, a headdress and an elaborate outfit to a Halloween party in Beverly Hills on Friday. Twitter users quickly blasted Jason Walsh for his offensive costume and Duff for approving it. I cant believe Hilary Duff looked at her boyfriend and thought yes this costume is perfect and not offensive, one person wrote. Hilary Duff and her boyfriend sparked outrage for their couples Halloween costume Another noted the costumes were particularly insensitive considering the contentious relationship between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. No @HilaryDuff Traditional dress is not a costume and you being dressed as a pilgrim proves to me how insensitive and ignorant you are, another Twitter user wrote. Another person pointed out that the choice of costumes came at a particularly sensitive time as protests are underway in North Dakota against the construction of a pipeline that could destroy thousands of miles of sacred grounds. They tweeted: On any given day this is disgusting but considering what literally JUST happened at #NODAPL this is especially evil. Twitter users were quick to call out Duff and her boyfriend for their offensive costumes Amid the wave of criticism, Duff took to Twitter to apologize. I am SO sorry to people I offended with my costume," she wrote. It was not properly thought through and I am truly, from the bottom of my (heart) sorry. The couples appearance together at the Casamigos Halloween party on Friday night was their first as a couple. The actress, who currently stars in Younger, only recently confirmed they were in a relationship with a picture of them kissing on Instagram. Amid the wave of criticism, the 29-year-old actress took to Twitter to apologize Babies born to surrogate mothers are being handed to their new parents in hospital car parks because of humiliating rules, campaigners say. The emotional moment cannot always take place on NHS property as health bosses fear being caught up in legal cases should disputes arise between the surrogate and the intended family. The law states the surrogate is the legal parent, with the new mother and father only gaining custody after applying to a court once the baby is six weeks old. But families have spoken of their anguish at not being allowed to meet their child in hospital. Babies born to surrogate mothers are sometimes being handed to new parents in hospital car parks over fears of disputes arising between the parties on NHS property (file picture) One mother who used a surrogate said she felt like she was stealing a baby. The Government said the situation was unacceptable but lawyers claimed the practice was common. Some hospitals ban on-site handovers in the hope of avoiding involvement in legal disputes for example if the surrogate decides she wants to keep the baby. Campaigners insist the law should be changed to make it clear who the legal parents are from birth. Some 214 surrogate babies were registered with the courts in 2014-15, up from 138 in 2011-12. Natalie Smith, a trustee of campaign group Surrogacy UK, said: Its almost as though they are being made to feel less of a parent just because they havent been able to give birth themselves. Many of these women have gone through cancer or had medical conditions where they werent able to conceive, or gone though years and years of failed IVF or recurrent miscarriages. 'No new parents should have to start their journey being made to feel demeaned and ignored, especially at such a life-changing, joyful and vulnerable time. Describing her childs birth using a surrogate, one woman told The Independent: [Hospital staff] took us off the premises. They got the surrogates husband to come and escort us out. Surrogacy UK trustee Natalie Smith, pictured, said such a hand-over means mothers and fathers are 'feeling less of a parent' 'He physically carried the baby out of the hospital and handed us the baby in the car park. The unnamed mother added: We felt like we were stealing a baby ... theres an overwhelming sense youve done something wrong by having a child through surrogacy. 'Were good law-abiding people and we were treated like wed done something wrong. Natalie Gamble, a lawyer specialising in fertility cases, said: This is relatively common, since hospitals do not wish to be involved in the handover of a child [to people] who are not legal parents. Its just one example of how the lack of legal recognition of surrogacy in the UK makes those involved feel what they are doing is somehow illegitimate or murky. Surrogacy is legal in England and Wales as long as mothers are not paid more than fair expenses. Former Labour MP Julie Hilling, who has spoken about the issue in Parliament, condemned rules meaning some parents have to resort to car park handovers. It makes surrogacy into something like a dirty secret, when actually its a very positive choice for would-be parents, and for the woman who is prepared to carry a child, she added. More people are considering surrogacy, so clearly we have to do something to ensure ridiculous things like that dont happen. A Department of Health spokesman said: It is unacceptable that some families feel they are being forced off NHS premises after the birth of children. Julie Bishop and Tanya Plibersek are now the preferred leaders for their respective parties, according to a new poll. A survey by Roy Morgan of 552 voters shows Foreign Affairs Minister Ms Bishop overtaking Malcolm Turnbull as the coalition's preferred leader with 34 per cent approval compared to the prime minister's 25 per cent. Deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek remains well ahead of her boss Bill Shorten, with 25 per cent approval compared to Mr Shorten's 14 per cent. Shorten even lags behind front bencher Anthony Albanese, who scored on 24 per cent. Scroll down for video Tanya Plibersek is the preferred Labor leader ahead of Bill Shorten according to a survey by Roy Morgan Ms Plibersek has been the preferred Labor leader in the last four polls. Both Ms Bishop and Mr Turnbull have a sizeable lead over former prime minister Tony Abbott, on 14 per cent. But support for Mr Abbott is at its highest since he was ousted in a Liberal party room vote last year. Among coalition voters Mr Turnbull is still the favourite, and Mr Shorten holds a one per cent lead over his deputy when only Labor voters are considered. Julie Bishop has overtaken Malcolm Turnbull as the coalition's preferred leader But support for the former prime minister is at its highest since he lost the top job last year Morrissey has called on Barnaby Joyce to end Australia's live-export trade in a scathing letter as he wraps up his tour of the country. The legendary British musician and animal advocate urged the Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister to stop the 'slow boat to hell'. 'You can deny it until you are red(der) in the face, but the industry is dying,' Morrissey, formerly of The Smiths, said in a letter released through PETA on Monday. WARNING: Distressing images Scroll down for video Morrissey (pictured in the 1990s) has called on Barnaby Joyce to end Australia's live-export trade in a scathing letter as he wraps up his tour of the country 'You can deny it until you are red(der) in the face, but the industry is dying,' Morrissey told Mr Joyce, who has recently had skin cancer removed from his face The reference to being red-faced was not citing skin cancer recently removed from the Minister's face, a PETA spokesperson said. 'I believe it was a reference to the fact that the Minister is usually quite red-faced. After all, Johnny Depp did famously say Mr Joyce was "inbred with a tomato",' the spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. Morrissey said the 'horrific cruelty' was 'enough to sink a ship'. 'Yet you insist on condemning millions of animals to this face every year,' the letter continued. 'Your recent dismissal of the need for an animal-welfare office in your department shows that you are currently on the wrong side of history. Morrissey is pictured performing on Saturday night in Wollongong, NSW 'If meat is murder, live export is the slow boat to hell. Please help pave the way towards a kinder future by putting the live-export industry out of its misery immediately.' On Saturday night, Morrissey brought his gig to a halt and threatened to walk off after a fight erupted at the front of the stage mid-performance in Wollongong, NSW. About 45 minutes into his set, the 57-year-old singer stopped his band and handed the microphone to a girl in the crowd to explain what had happened, Sydney Morning Herald reported. She told in detail how she 'punched in the head' another fan who had spent the gig loudly chatting about the day's horse races the Victoria Derby was run on Saturday as part of Melbourne's Spring Carnival of racing. 'Do you want us to go?' a confused Morrissey then asked her. For a moment it looked like he wasn't joking, but to the relief of everyone he continued. Another woman later fainted as graphic images of animals being slaughtered was shown during the song 'Meat is Murder' - Morrissey's vegan anthem. Earlier this year, an 'abhorrent' video showing Vietnamese workers bludgeon what appears to be Australian live-export cattle with sledgehammers was released He passed the mic to a female fan who admitted she'd 'punched in the head' another fan Mr Joyce's department declined to comment when approached by Daily Mail Australia. However, the minister took to Twitter on Monday afternoon to say the live-export trade was a $2 billion industry for farming families. 'Mightn't be a big fan of The Smiths, but I am a great fan of families,' Mr Joyce wrote on Twitter. 'Record cattle prices for families in regional Australia - sorry I don't cut it at Splendour in the Grass, but I accept that.' The call to end Australia's live-export erupted earlier this year. An 'abhorrent' video showing Vietnamese workers bludgeon what appears to be Australian live-export cattle with sledgehammers was secretly obtained by Animals Australia investigators in June. Mr Joyce described the footage as 'totally abhorrent' but ruled out a live-export ban when the footage was released The film shows a cow repeatedly beaten over the head with a sledgehammer before it fell to the ground and was clubbed a further four times before dying. Further video shows a bull fall to the ground in 'terror' before he has even been struck after watching the fate of his pen mates. Mr Joyce described the footage as 'totally abhorrent' but ruled out a live-export ban when the footage was released in June this year. The abattoir at the centre of the most serious allegations was not approved to have Australian cattle under the strict Exporter Supply Chain Assurance system rules, Mr Joyce said. Australia exports millions of animals overseas in trips that can take weeks in 'searing heat', according to PETA. Another woman later fainted as graphic images of animals being killed was shown during the song 'Meat is Murder' - Morrissey's vegan anthem The letter from Morrissey to Mr Joyce was released through PETA on Monday 'Many die of dehydration, starvation, or disease before they reach their destination, and those who survive are subjected to abuse and methods of slaughter that would be illegal here,' the animal advocacy group alleged. Morrissey's final performance of his Australian tour is in Newcastle on Monday night. His tour only visited Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, Newcastle and Wollongong, bypassing Sydney after playing four shows in the city at last year's Vivid Festival. Morrissey has not played in Brisbane since he was heckled there in 2012. Dave Clark's new love is New York advertising executive Lynn Anderson (pictured) It's the worst feeling in the world for any woman catching a first glimpse of your ex's new girlfriend. So Princess Beatrice, look away now! I can reveal that Dave Clark's new love is New York advertising executive Lynn Anderson. And if Bea, 28, was hoping her rival was an ogre covered in warts, I'm afraid she's going to be sorely disappointed. Instead, Lynn is a stunning leggy model-type with flowing blonde locks and an enviable washboard stomach. Bea and Dave, 32, who were together for ten years, split up after he refused to marry her when she issued an ultimatum over the summer. Since then, Prince Andrew's eldest daughter has been trying to take her mind off the rejection by working with chums on a new app, focusing on her charity commitments, and even taking part in a triathlon in Italy. Last week Dave flaunted his new relationship by treating Lynn to dinner at the Chiltern Firehouse, perhaps London's least low-key restaurant. Lynn is a stunning leggy model-type with flowing blonde locks and an enviable washboard stomach Bea and Dave (pictured), who were together for ten years, split up after he refused to marry her when she issued an ultimatum over the summer The pair met in the US, where Dave is an executive for cab app Uber. Until recently, Virginia-born Lynn, 31, was director of partnerships and portfolio products at NBC Universal in New York. She joined the media conglomerate in 2007 after graduating with a degree in finance. Lynn, who lives in the trendy Tribeca district of Manhattan, is also on the committee for Matt's Promise, a charity which raises money for those with terminal illnesses. Says my source: 'Dave is smitten. Lynn isn't working at the moment, so is spending 100 per cent of her time with him.' Dave and Beatrice never ruled out a reconciliation when they split in July, but Lynn's presence would seem to have ruined any chances of that. Bachelorette's Cameron Cranley and Nikki Gogan are fuelling the rumour mill after bumping into each other at Melbourne's Derby Day 2016. Posted to Tiffany Scanlon's Instagram story, the pair were seen chatting to a group of fellow Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants before running into one another. In a video, Tiffany is heard yelling at Nikki and Cam to 'hook up' after rumours emerged of a budding romance post watching the Bachelorette finale together. Scroll down for video 'Hook up, hook up!': Cameron Cranley (L) and Nikki Gogan (R) spark romance rumours as they are encouraged to 'hook up' and pose for cute snap making their hands into a love hear at Melbourne's Derby Day 2016 'It's Cam and Nikki, It's Cam and Nikki! Oh my god hook up! Hook up, hook up! Oh my god!' yelled Tiffany, sound tracked by Daft Punk's song One More Time. Nikki looked extremely uncomfortable with the suggestion to 'hook up' on camera, waving her hand in front of her and mouthing the words, 'no'. Cam looked eager to please Tiffany's wishes nodding and smiling at Nikki as he gestured with a love heart. The pair were then seen posing for a cute snap which saw them creating a love heart with their hands and smiling. Budding romance? Nikki looked extremely uncomfortable with the suggestion to 'hook up' on camera, waving her hand in front of the camera and mouthing the words, 'no' while Cam looked eager to please Tiffany's wishes and smiled at Nikki as he gestured with a love heart 'Oh my god it's Nikki and Cam': The video was posted to Tiffany Scanlon's (second from right) Instagram story. Cam joined her and Megan Marx in a snap Nikki and Cam were joined by fellow Bachelorette and Bachelor contestants Todd Jesson, Megan Marx, Tiffany Scanlon, Courtney Dober, Ben Llyal, Clancy Ryan, Matt Dunne. Also at the races were Bachelor couple Alex Nation and Richie Strahan who were seen packing on the PDA as they cut elegant figures in the race day ensembles. Meanwhile, Nikki was spotted watching The Bachelorette finale with a string of contestants from both The Bachelor and it's sister show. Taking to Instagram 26-year-old Cameron, who finished fifth on The Bachelorette starring Georgia Love, shared a group snap of the finale viewing session. Bring out the boys! Nikki and Cam (back right) were joined by fellow Bachelorette contestants (from left to right) Courtney Dober, Clancy Ryan, Matt Dunne, Todd Jesson and Ben Llyal What would Nikki say? Also at the races were Bachelor couple Alex Nation and Richie Strahan who were seen packing on the PDA as they cut elegant figures in the race day ensembles 'Was amazing to meet the rest of the WA Bachie fam last night to watch the final episode together,' he began the caption. 'Congratulations to @leeroyelliott and @georgiealove you both deserve the happiness that follows! Matty J so much respect for how you held yourself. 'It takes guts to live your life with your heart on your sleeve like that but it will only bring you great things in the future.' Finale time: The Bachelor's Nikki Gogan (far right) watched The Bachelorette finale with eliminated contestant Cameron Cranley (left, back row) Hint: The fire fighter also made special note of the fact that he had now met Nikki, adding in his caption: '(And yes i met @nikki_gogan )' The fire fighter also made a special note that he'd finally had the chance to meet fan favourite from Richie's season of The Bachelor Nikki. He added the caption: '(And yes i met @nikki_gogan )'. Fans were quick to note the special reference, with one commenting: 'The part in brackets is the best'. The Bachie family: Other familiar faces featured in the group snap included The Bachelor's Tiffany Scanlon, Rachael Gouvignon and Natalie Nazzari and The Bachelorette star Ryan Palk Meanwhile another penned: 'Cam if you don't swoop queen @nikki_gogan up then Matty J might try'. Other familiar faces featured in the group snap included The Bachelor's Tiffany Janes, Rachael Gouvignon and Natalie Nazzari. Meanwhile Cameron's Bachelorette co-star Ryan Palk was also there. Reality stars: Nikki appeared on The Bachelor earlier this year, while Cameron tried to win Georgia Love's heart on The Bachelorette this season Tiffany shared another group photo, along with the caption: 'One rose to rule them all, one rose to find them, one rose to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. 'The Bachelor, bringing people together since 2013! Watching @thebacheloretteau finale with the WA bachie fam (minus Megan)'. During Thursday night's episode of The Bachelorette Georgia Love revealed she had fallen in love with Lee Elliot in the dramatic finale, leaving Matty devastated. Lord Ashcroft has set Twitter alight not with more salacious stories about David Cameron but with his choice of restaurant. The former Tory deputy chairman revealed he has dined at racy chain Hooters, where waitresses wear low-cut tops and skimpy orange hotpants. The billionaire took to Twitter to praise Hooters' service charge policy, and unsurprisingly attracted a frenzy of interest. 'Any chance you also visit Stringfellows?' one asked. Ashcroft, 70, replied: 'Have done.' And when another called him a 'saucy old minx', he tweeted: 'Wings, wings, wings!' a nod to Hooters' famous chicken dish. The next day, he deleted all of them. Funny that! Former Tory deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft (pictured) revealed he has dined at racy chain Hooters It's been three weeks since lyricist Sir Tim Rice became a father for the fourth time, but he is yet to meet his adorable daughter Charlotte. Although Tim, 71, intends to provide for her financially, he is said to have decided to keep his distance from her mother Cambridge lecturer Dr Laura-Jane Foley, 34 for the time being. However, after seeing my picture of the baby having her first piano lesson, he might want to change his mind and get acquainted with Charlotte. Surely it's only a matter of time until they are working on a musical together? The American Horror Story actors are used to playing creepy characters. And Emma Roberts stuck with what she knows, showing up as a ghoulish skeleton on Friday night for Kate Hudson's annual star-studded Halloween bash. The 25-year-old starlet attended the glamorous LA party with on-again-off-again boyfriend, ex fiance and former cast mate Evan Peters, who wore a hilarious pregnant woman costume. Freaky Friday: Emma Roberts attended the glamorous LA party with on-again-off-again boyfriend and ex fiance Evan Peters, who wore a hilarious pregnant woman costume Emma's last-minute look could be attributed to her busy day. Earlier on Friday, Roberts was hard at work, filming for Scream Queens. She then ran from the Scream Queens set in Los Angeles to have her hair done at Nine Zero One salon. Hair done: The actress rocked her freshly-done ombre'd blonde tresses split in the middle and wavy The actress rocked her freshly-done ombre'd blonde tresses split in the middle and wavy. The hustling actress barely had time to get a costume together - she opted to have her face painted into a creepy skull by her artist friend Jason Garofolo. Understated: To 'liven up' the look a bit, the We're the Millers actress added a few thin braids into her blonde locks Boo: The Scream Queen star put together a last minute Halloween costume for Hudson's star-studded bash Keeping the rest of her look simple, Emma - who is the neice of Julia Roberts - donned a silky black top and a black structured coat. To 'liven up' the look a bit, the We're the Millers actress had her blonde locks half plated. The simple ensemble got the job done. Creative friends: The Scream Queen actress had her artist friend paint her skull makeup Guest list: The couple seemed eager to get inside the celebrity-packed event Meanwhile, her boyfriend and castmate Evan Peters arrived dressed as a red-headed pregnant woman, complete with a baby bump, an eyesore of a dress, and a curly red wig. The AHS couple seemed eager to get inside the celebrity-packed event. Emma Roberts and Evan Peters have an extremely sporadic relationship. Rollercoaster romance: The American Horror Story actors have an extremely sporadic relationship The two have broken up, gotten engaged, broken up again, and have just recently rekindled their rollercoaster romance again in early October. The duo joined the likes of Jessica Alba, Kendall Jenner, Katy Perry, and Nicole Richie at Hudson's VIP party. Hudson hosts the extravagant event every year, and this year she wore a sexy western outfit with a white corset and glamorous hair and makeup, complete with a peacock feather decorating her blonde curls. Political affair: Katy Perry came as Hillary Clinton, complete with Bill Clinton and secret service in tow Meanwhile, Katy Perry, who is known to be very dedicated to Halloween festivities, came as Hillary Clinton, complete with Bill Clinton and secret service in tow. Last September, she announced she was pregnant and planning their upcoming marriage. And over one year later, Ben McKenzie and Morena Baccarin have welcomes their bundle of joy, but have yet to set a wedding date, but are still going strong. And on Saturday, the duo were spotted out in New York's West Village, looking well put-together despite Morena's obvious tiredness. Couple's day out! Ben McKenzie, 38, and Morena Baccarin, 37, were spotted out in New York's West Village on Saturday, looking well put-together despite Morena's obvious tiredness Morena layered a grey sweater underneath a black, leather jacket. The mum-of-two added a pair of wide leg trousers and a pair of heeled boots. The pretty brunette's look was complete with a lavender scarf. Ben bundled up with a dark sweater layered underneath a puffer jack. He added a pair of grey trousers, dress shoes and a newsboy cap to complete his look. Weather prepared: Morena layered a grey sweater underneath a black, leather jacket Gentleman's attire: Ben bundled up with a dark sweater layered underneath a puffer jack. He added a pair of grey trousers, dress shoes and a newsboy cap to complete his look It most surely was a date, as the couple's daughter and Morena's son were not present. On March 2, the Homeland star gave birth to the couple's daughter, Frances Laiz Setta Schenkkan, following a bitter divorce battle with her then-husband, Austin Chick. Her producer-director ex is the father of her first child Julius, three. Alone time: It most surely was a couple's only date, as the couple's daughter and Morena's son were not present While still married to Austin, Morena allegedly had an affair with her Gotham co-star Ben. In September of last year, she revealed in court documents that she was expecting a child with him and intended to marry him. Two weeks after her daughter was born, her divorce from her ex-husband became official. She made headlines for her plunging dress at the AFL Brownlow Medal count last month. But Jessie Habermann, 26, cut a decidedly different figure as she attended Derby Day at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on Saturday. The busty blonde, who is set to marry Carlton captain Marc Murphy, opted for a pitch black one piece jumpsuit which clung to her slender frame. Scroll down for video Elegant: Jessie Habermann attended Derby Day at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on Saturday The model-turned-blogger looked stunning in the elegant number, which boasted an oversized sleeve on her right arm, while fully exposing the other. 'All about the sleeve!' she wrote alongside a photo she shared with her 152,000 Instagram followers. Styled by Melbourne-based Elena Nardone, she completed her look with a chic boater hat. New look: The chic number boasted an oversized sleeve on her right arm, while fully exposing the other All smiles: Styled by Melbourne-based Elena Nardone, she completed her look with a chic boater hat As always, her square-cut sparkler engagement ring was hard to miss. It was a markedly different look to the eye-popping outfit she sported at this year's AFL Brownlow Medal ceremony. The baby blue gown, which matched her eyes, was a custom design for the petite starlet and featured a million hand beaded pearls. 'All about the sleeve!' The blonde beauty shared photos from the day with her 152,000 Instagram followers All class: It was a markedly different look to THAT outfit she sported at this year's AFL Brownlow Medal ceremony Head-turner: Jesse made headlines for her plunging dress at the AFL Brownlow Medal count last month She showed off her extreme cleavage in the plunging neckline in the Oglia Loro Couture number, which took three months to make. Meanwhile, the blonde beauty runs successful blog C'est Vogue, in which she discusses everything from fashion trends to celebrity style, health, fitness and travel. It would appear she is often paid by beauty brands keen to advertise their products to her growing online following. Busty display: The blonde bombshell's ample assets were in full view in the plunging dress One of her favourite labels seems to be Chanel - if her prolific Instagram page is anything to go by. The blonde beauty boasts a host of the coveted brand's handbags as well as a pair of Chanel emblazoned runners. Her AFL star beau proposed last September and the loved-up couple are set to wed on December 29. Instagram star: It would appear Jessie is often paid by beauty brands keen to advertise their products to her growing online following Stunner: The blonde bombshell regularly takes to social media to keep her fans updated Last year, Jessie took to social media to announced she said yes to the Carlton captain. 'Dinner last night escalated to this... engaged to the man of my dreams... I'm still in so much shock!!' The nuptials will be held at the Luminare hotel in South Melbourne. She has never been afraid to document her pregnancy on social media. And Stephanie Davis was clearly keen to show off her new maternity fashion on Saturday, as she uploaded an array of stylish posts to her Instagram for fans. The 23-year-old actress looked stunning in the new photos, which saw her show off her bump in two chic jumpers as she prepares for Autumn - and her new arrival. Scroll down for video Winter chic: Stephanie Davis, 23, uploaded an array of stylish posts to her Instagram for fans - showing off her natural sense of style and blossoming baby bump The former Hollyoaks star first posed in a baby pink ribbed jumper, which clung tightly to her blossoming baby bump. The star looked incredibly comfortable despite her ever-growing little one as she posed in the cosy knitwear - which she paired with black leggings to flaunt her slender legs, even in pregnancy. Maintaining her usual hint of glamour, the stage star styled her hair into a trendy bouffant at her crown, before letting the rest hang into soft, loose waves. Put-together: The star ensured her hair was perfectly styled and face contoured and bronzed in both snaps - not letting her glamorous side falter during pregnancy In a following snap the former CBB housemate took to the great outdoors to fully embrace the chillier weather in a chunky knit mini dress. The mauve number fell to her mid-thigh and featured a soft bardot neckline, giving a sophisticated glimpse of skin. However covering up further on the autumn day Stephanie paired the frock with a pair of beige thigh-high heeled boots, which hugged her slim pins with their suedette material. Facing her side profile to the camera, Stephanie's perfectly contoured face was clear to see in both shots, enhancing her naturally pretty features - before she finished the glamorous look with dark lipstick and heavy false lashes. The stunning snaps come three days after the star distanced herself from rumours she was in a relationship with a mystery businessman in her OK! column. Setting the record straight: Stephanie Davis, 23, further distanced herself from claims she's dating a mystery businessman in her latest OK! column The actress wrote: 'I know I'm in the public eye and I've been quite open about my life but it frustrates me when I see things written that simply aren't true. 'It's not fair on me and I 'm tired of having to defend myself to be honest. It can be very upsetting. 'I haven't been dwelling on it too much though. I have grown up a lot over the past few months and that's a very good feeling. I'm really at peace with myself and I try not to invest my energy on anything negative.' She added that she was currently in a good place and that carrying her son had taught her what her priorities should be. Sick and tired: The actress said she was 'fed up' having to defend herself amid rumours she's moved on from ex Jeremy McConnell Single: Stephanie shared new pictures of her blossoming bump with fans this week An insider previously told Closer magazine that Steph believes being pregnant helped her solve her romantic problems and that she had been dropping cryptic clues about her new status on social media. But Stephanie wrote on Twitter: 'Due to reports in the press today I'd just like to reiterate that this is yet again another story of fiction.' Adding: 'What I will say is this. My only focus and priority are with my son one hundred percent xx.' Following her posts, Stephanie shared a new picture of herself holding her blossoming bump on the social media site. The smiling actress looked lovely in a loose cotton dress which had a 70s strapless neckline. Tough times: Stephanie is expecting her first child with ex Jeremy McConnell (pictured) although he doesn't believe the baby is his Not true: Stephanie took to Twitter on Tuesday to hit back at claims that she has a new man and to say she is focused on her unborn child Teasing? Stephanie has been keeping her fans guessing with a series of cryptic Instagram posts including the one above There for her: Stephanie has also been sharing pictures of her male friend who has supporting her throughout her pregnancy The day before, her ex, Jeremy McConnell appeared to compare Stephanie to Britney Spears during her breakdown on his Instagram page last week. But choosing not to respond, she flaunted her burgeoning bump in a skimpy orange bikini for fans - writing a gushing message beside it, which expressed her huge excitement at her new arrival. Posing with one leg cocked in a vibrant orange bikini, the reality star looked incredibly confident and proud to show off her blossoming bump. Cute: The day before, Stephanie shared a picture of herself flaunting her bump in an orange bikini With the skimpy bottoms cutting high up her thigh and the strapless top secured by a zip down her bust, the brunette put on a sexy display in the snap, showing off her slender legs and leaving her dark tattoos on show. Posting the throwback shot from a recent holiday, Stephanie wrote in the caption: 'Me and my boy on our holidays. Take me back!' However not stopping there, the former Hollyoaks actress continued to express her excitement at the prospect of becoming a mother. Online attack: Fans noticed on Thursday morning that Jeremy McConnell posted a meme on his Instagram account, which he swiftly deleted, where he appeared to compare his ex Stephanie Davis to Britney Spears during her 2007 breakdown She gushed beside the photo: 'Not long now little one, time has gone so fast I can't believe I'm now counting down the days and were in 2 digits now not three. It's scary but so exciting! I just can't wait to hold you in my arms!' Before finishing: 'I'm so lucky, my dreams came true, my perfect little boy, wow.... Just craziness! Counting down... hope it hurries.' Stephanie announced she was pregnant earlier this year following her split from fellow CBB star Jeremy McConnell, who she claims is the baby's father - something he staunchly denies. However after keeping a low profile in the summer, the Irish hunk seemingly launched another online attack at his pregnant ex girlfriend on Friday - his second in a week. According to The Sun, fans noticed on Thursday morning that the CBB star posted a meme on his Instagram account, where he appeared to compare Stephanie to Britney Spears during her 2007 breakdown, before he swiftly deleted the post. Stephanie, who is expecting Jeremy's child, meanwhile hit back following another attack from Jeremy made earlier in the week. The Sun claim Jeremy, 28, shared the mocking meme on Thursday morning, which showed a photo of Britney from 2007 after she shaved her head. The caption allegedly posted by Jeremy reads: 'Great having a laugh with the ex last ni' alongside a bald-headed emoji. A representative for Jeremy has been contacted by MailOnline for comment. Keeping mum: Steph tweeted on Thursday night that she no longer wished to give her ex any attention following his online attacks this week The meme follows another post still on Jeremy's Instagram profile in which the reality star mocked Steph's claims that their relationship caused her hair to start falling out. Sharing a picture of his former love, 23, he wrote: 'Aw stop I'm in knots, not cause you dye it white blonde from dark brown. 'Any time I see an attention seeking article that makes me laugh I'm posting it.' Steph tweeted on Thursday night that she no longer wished to give her ex any attention, writing: Ouch: The meme follows another post still on Jeremy's Instagram profile in which the reality star mocked Steph's claims that their relationship caused her hair to start falling out 'I have no desire publicly or otherwise to discuss that any further. I wish him all the best.' 'Contrary to reports earlier this week any mention of my previous relationship was in response to questions asked.' The former Hollyoaks star is set to welcome her first child in January with her ex-beau and confessed that her blonde hair from earlier this year was a wig helped to disguise thinning. The actress made the revelations as she spoke about the pros of pregnancy hormones on her OK! blog stating: Back and forth: Jeremy wrote of Steph's claims: 'Aw stop I'm in knots, not cause you dye it white blonde from dark brown' 'Ive been working hard to repair my hair as when I was "blonde Steph, my hair snapped a lot and it also started to fall out with all the "stress I was under". 'My hair went really thin and I went in total shock which was really upsetting. Everyone always said one of my best features was my long dark hair that was all natural and here it was falling out. 'If I touched it, it would just come out in my hands and I was told it was all the pressure I was under. I had a cry about it quite often because I didnt feel like myself. It makes you feel womanly in a sense. 'A lot of people don't know this but when it was long and blonde it was actually a wig because my hair was just done for, I'd lost so much.' 'I looked ill without it': She started wearing a wig after strands of locks would continuously shed in her hands Not a care in the world: Jeremy was soon back to his old partying ways, and headed out for a night on the town with a pal Brunette beauty: The hair loss was hard for Stephanie to deal with as people always told her that her dark locks were her best features And justifying the enhancement, Stephanie explained, 'I looked ill without it and just didn't feel human. 'It's in much better condition now and obviously with the pregnancy it's growing back a bit but I've just found out it can fall out again after giving birth! I'm dreading it.' Meanwhile, Stephanie has been taking pregnancy in her stride and showed off her best 'baby bump pose' as she took to Instagram on Tuesday. Clad in a figure-hugging grey jumpsuit, the mum-to-be displayed her pregnancy curves before sharing a snap of her own yummy mummy, sending her followers wild. Working her angles: She's gearing up to welcome her first child in January. And Stephanie showed off her best 'baby bump pose' as she took to Instagram on Tuesday Posing with her hands clutching her bobble hat beanie, the former Hollyoaks actress crossed her legs and arched her back to show off her blossoming bump. 'Mummy to be and [baby emoji] baby bump pose!' she wrote alongside the snap. And whilst her fans went wild for the sweet snap, it was a picture of her youthful looking mother Pauline, 50, that really whipped them up into a frenzy. Yummy grand-mummy to be! Whilst Stephanie's fans went wild for the sweet snap, it was a picture of her youthful looking mother Pauline, 50, that really whipped them up into a frenzy She captioned the sweet snap: 'Took this little cutie for some food and laughs before I see my fave cuz xx' And her fans immediately flooded the pair with compliments, with one fan writing: 'Your mum is so beautiful, can see where you get your looks from, and it's lovely to see the bond you two have #precious.' Another added: 'your like sisters your mum looks so young [sic]', whilst one commented: 'your mum looks stunning, your just like her.' One fan said that good looks must run in the family, as they commented: 'You've got good genes! Your Mam looks amazing! X' Youthful: Fans were full of praise for Stephanie's mother, with several pointing out the striking resemblance between the beautiful pair Stephanie also spoke further of her ex Jeremy, stating she doesn't want him at the birth. She told OK! magazine: 'He doesnt deserve to be there. I dont think he wants to be there either. I dont think I could ever forgive him for how hes been. Stephanie - who fell for the inked hunk during a whirlwind romance in Celebrity Big Brother at the beginning of the year - insists she is happy to be just a unit with her baby boy after the tattooed reality star cut off all contact with her. She adds: 'I used to send him scan photos but he doesnt care and he never has. Its just me and my son now. I never thought hed be that type of guy.' Its the addictive thriller series about a girl who returns to her family after disappearing years before and more than five million viewers are tuning in each week hoping to work out what happened to her. But the second series of the BBC1 drama The Missing has also left many fans scratching their heads as they struggle to follow a complex storyline jumping across three different timelines. The series stars David Morrissey and Keeley Hawes as the parents of Alice Webster, who goes missing from a British Army base in Germany where they live. Its the addictive thriller series about a girl who returns to her family after disappearing years before and more than five million viewers are tuning in each week hoping to work out what happened to her But the second series of the BBC1 drama The Missing has also left many fans scratching their heads as they struggle to follow a complex storyline jumping across three different timelines When she apparently returns there are doubts if she really is the same girl. The drama shifts back and forth between the events surrounding her disappearance, her return, and the present day by which time she is dead. Fans have taken to social media to share their frustration. One posted: Well this is intense... I have no idea whats going on. The series stars David Morrissey and Keeley Hawes as the parents of Alice Webster, who goes missing from a British Army base in Germany where they live Another said: Absolutely confusing but incredible. And another wrote: Head is baffled. Even the cast admit its tough going. French actor Tcheky Karyo, who plays detective Julien Baptiste, said: This series is like a rollercoaster. 'It will provoke the audience and keep them on the edge of their seat. If its all become too much for your baffled head, here we pose ten crucial questions and provide answers that, hopefully, will penetrate the mysteries of The Missing. (Spoiler alert: If youre recording the series to watch later, you may not wish to read on.) (Spoiler alert: If youre recording the series to watch later, you may not wish to read on.) 1) Why does Alice Webster look so much like the the demonically possessed child played by Linda Blair in The Exorcist? It is an entirely appropriate look for a very dark soul who is determined to wreak havoc on anyone who crosses her path. Our initial sympathies for Alice dissipated very quickly when doubts about her true identity emerged. As things stand at the moment Alice is almost certainly Sophie Giroux, a French schoolgirl who was abducted at the same time as Alice. 2) Why dont Alices parents demand a DNA test when doubts about who she is begin to emerge? Alices mother Gemma, played by Hawes, does demand a test but she is over-ruled by her soldier husband Sam (Morrissey) who thinks his daughter has suffered enough. Sam, who is a staff sergeant in the British Army, says: Do you not think I know my own daughter? Stop it. After everything she has been through. Of course, the absence of a DNA test does sustain the mystery, and getting a sample may now be impossible after the girl claiming to be Alice apparently burned to death in a fire she almost certainly started herself. 3) Who are the people who appeared in episode three hidden behind the bizarre animals masks? In a heart-stopping moment, these thugs brutally attacked Nadia Hertz, the former army officer who is the wife of the prime suspect in Alices disappearance, butcher Kristian Hertz. Could Alices brother Matthew be one of the attackers? He has been keeping company with some very unpleasant local thugs. The drama shifts back and forth between the events surrounding Alice's disappearance, her return, and the present day by which time she is dead 4) What is the significance of the red camper van fleetingly glimpsed at the start of episode three? Spotted by a child playing I spy during a family holiday to Switzerland, this now seems to be the vehicle used to abduct school girl Alice from her home in Germany. Viewers got a glimpse of a yellow van creeping up on Alice as the series began and a botched paint job cant hide the vans sinister past. 5) Why does Julien Baptiste sport two such very different hair styles? This is the programmes oh-so-subtle way of emphasising the fact that the drama is unfolding across different time lines. When we see Baptiste and his trademark grey hair we know that the action is set around the time of Alices return in 2014. When we see him with shaved head we know the character is in the present day when he is also battling cancer. 6) What happened to the character played by Roger Allam? Isnt his Brigadier Adrian Stone meant to be a good guy? Yes he was but only for about ten minutes. The Army officer, who helped with the original hunt for the girls, is also hiding a dark secret. Shortly after her return, Alice confronts Stone and asks him: How can you live with what youve done? Stone now has dementia so his recall of the past is not as it once was. 7) Why is butcher Hertzs wife Nadia seen with a pair of false teeth? Nadia appears to be dealing with the aftermath of the brutal attack on her. She is paying the price for standing by her husband who is the local butcher. In addition to protesting his innocence she has destroyed incriminating photographs which display the couples passion for sado masochistic sex. If its all become too much for your baffled head, here we pose ten crucial questions and provide answers that, hopefully, will penetrate the mysteries of The Missing 8) Why are we suddenly in a war zone? Detective Baptiste travels to Iraq to find British soldier Daniel Reed, who has gone AWOL, after learning that Reeds late father Henry may have been connected to both girls abductions. Daniel tells Baptiste that Henry was regularly transferring money to the bank account of a particular individual. Baptiste becomes convinced that Henry and the bank account are connected to the original disappearance of the two girls. 9) It cant really be the butcher, can it? Perhaps all too predictably, given his profession, butcher Kristian Hertz is the prime suspect. But though he is behind bars now the case against him is on very shaky ground. In episode three Alices brother Matthew visited the prison and passed on her apologies for falsely naming him as her abductor. 10) The story already has plenty of twists and turns did we really need the rollercoaster ride scene in episode three? Shortly before her death, Alice shares a happy memory of her time spent on a rollercoaster ride. Her family is chilled to the bone by the recollection because it is not a memory they know anything about. Alice is in fact recalling a day out she enjoyed with her abductor. Gemma tracks down a photograph from the fairground which shows two teenagers on the ride. She recognises both. One is the real Alice, the other is the girl who is claiming to be Alice. Bachelorette's Matty Johnson has admitted that he still carries a flame for Georgia Love despite a brutal dumping on national television in the show's finale. Speaking to Pop Sugar, Matty revealed that although he has strong feelings for Georgia he still wishes the new couple luck on their relationship. The 29-year-old hunk from Sydney added that he has been in contact with fellow contestant and winner Lee Elliot but thinks speaking to Georgia could be 'awkward'. Scroll down for video 'I still love her': Bachelorette's Matty Johnson has admitted that he still carries a flame for Georgia Love despite a brutal dumping on national television in the show's finale 'I've spoken to Lee a couple of times, and I messaged him to congratulate him. I considered, like, "Do I message Georgia?" but I think it's too soon. 'I do hope in the future we can get to a point where if we're at an event and we bump into each other, it's not awkward.' Matty said that the boy's in the mansion form a special bond and although he is a 'jealous' of Lee they're still each other's support network through the bizarre ordeal. When questioned about his feelings towards Georgia, Matty made no attempt to conceal that there were still very strong emotions there. 'I can't help but be a bit jealous ': Matty said that the boy's in the mansion form a special bond and that Lee and he are still friends post Georgia dumping him 'Uh . . . As hard as it is to say this, my feelings towards Georgia haven't changed at all really. I still miss her. I still love her. It's hard.' But since the show's finale, Matty admitted it has been nice to talk about his feelings so he can 'finally move on'. Matty was left heartbroken after being brutally dumped by the former news anchor during the show's finale filmed in Singapore. 'I'm so sorry because you are so amazing. And I've really genuinely loved every single moment that we've had,' said Georgia holding back tears. 'I'm so sorry': Matty was left heartbroken after being brutally dumped by the former news anchor during the show's finale filmed in Singapore 'I really don't want to let you go': With his hands resting on his thighs, Matty struggled to breathe as Georgia gently explained that she had instead chosen fellow contestant Lee Elliot 'You deserve someone who's gonna give you back everything that you give and more,' she added. Viewers watched the charming reality star lean over in agony as he struggled to process Georgia's words. With his hands resting on his thighs, Matty struggled to breathe as Georgia gently explained that she had instead chosen fellow contestant Lee Elliot. 'I really don't want to let you go. See you, Georgia Love,' said Matty softly. See you, Matty J,' she said between sobs. Finale: Georgia chose Lee over Matty when the two reached the finale which was filmed in Singapore Bachelorette's Lee Elliott has broken his social media silence following the show's grand finale, during which he won the heart of Georgia Love. Taking to Instagram on Friday morning, the 35-year-old mechanical plumber revealed that although he found his 'soul mate' he was having mixed emotions. Celebrating his ability to share his love publicly, Lee said the occasion was bitter sweet because of Georgia's mother Belinda's cancer diagnosis. Scroll down for video 'I wish this was a very different post': Bachelorette's Lee Elliott has broken his social media silence following the show's grand finale, during which he won the heart of Georgia Love 'Words cannot express just how much I truly wish this was a very different post. Today is such a mix of emotions. 'It's actually not possible for me to be any happier to finally tell the whole world that I have found my soul mate, my best friend and the love of my life in you Georgia. 'You are my everything and my world!' Speaking of the struggle that his new partner's family was going through Lee continued the post stating he couldn't imagine what they are going through. First selfie: Georgia also shared a selfie featuring boyfriend Lee on Instagram, after The Bachelorette finale talking about her mother's cancer diagnosis 'But at the same time I could not be any more saddened by what you and your family are going through right now. 'It most certainly puts everything else into perspective and has only reiterated just how much I absolutely want to be there for you & be your rock as you have been mine today and always!' He went on to say: 'I feel truly blessed to have finally been able to meet the absolutely extraordinary woman who is your mother. Opening up: The 28-year-old revealed she's lucky 'to have found the love of my life' through the reality television experience, before admitting that behind the pair's happiness lurks some personal pain - her mother's battle with an aggressive pancreatic cancer GEORGIA LOVE BREAKS HER SOCIAL MEDIA SILENCE AFTER BACHELORETTE FINALE 'It's so hard to know what to say in this instance. What I'd originally thought I'd be posting today was a gushy message all about love, butterflies, fireworks and just how happy @leeroyelliott makes me every day and how lucky I feel to have found the love of my life through this crazy experience. And while all of this couldn't be more true, it's not the most important thing to say right now. What should be one of the most exciting weeks of my life has instead turned into one of the hardest with my family going through something no one ever wants to face. But a small solace I can find in this extremely difficult time is that I have this amazing man by my side and for that I feel so lucky. He's been so incredibly supportive and loving and managed to make me smile and laugh every day despite everything else. Thank you to everyone who's supported us and followed my story. The messages of love and support have been overwhelming and so so humbling. Thank you thank you, from the bottom of my heart.' Advertisement 'I can certainly now see where your strength, love for life, sense of humour and beauty both inside & out come from!,' he finished. The post was written beside a picture of Georgia posed with her mother and smiling and comes just one day after the grand finale on October 27. Meanwhile, just hours earlier Georgia too posted a message breaking her silence admitting that although she found 'love' it wasn't the most important thing right now. Cancer struggle: Earlier this week Channel Ten confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that Georgia's mother Belinda (far left) had been admitted to palliative care LEE ELLIOTT BREAKS HIS SOCIAL MEDIA SILENCE AFTER BACHELORETTE FINALE Words cannot express just how much I truly wish this was a very different post. Today is such a mix of emotions. It's actually not possible for me to be any happier to finally tell the whole world that I have found my soul mate, my best friend and the love of my life in you @georgiealove You are my everything and my world! But at the same time I could not be any more saddened by what you and your family are going through right now. It most certainly puts everything else into perspective and has only reiterated just how much I absolutely want to be there for you & be your rock as you have been mine today and always! I feel truly blessed to have finally been able to meet the absolutely extraordinary woman who is your mother. I can certainly now see where your strength, love for life, sense of humour and beauty both inside & out come from! Advertisement Earlier this week, Channel Ten confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that Belinda had been admitted to palliative care. She was receiving chemotherapy while Georgia filmed season two of the popular reality series. Georgia recently revealed that she, unlike other contestants, had been given permission to speak to her mother while she filmed the show due to her ill health. Finale: On Thursday Georgia revealed she had fallen in love with Lee as she picked him as her final rose receiver in a dramatic Bachelorette finale that left Matty Johnson heartbroken She just landed a new hosting job all about driving. But Mischa Barton was in full walkies mode on Saturday. The 30-year-old brought her pair of pet pooches on a visit to the nail salon in Beverly Hills. Pedi-gree chums! Mischa Barton brought her pair of pet pooches on a visit to the nail salon in Beverly Hills on Saturday The former OC star and her dogs ran a few errands around LA in her baby blue Cadillac, before parking up and continuing on foot. Dressed in a cute blue and green dress and a pair of flat black shoes, she looked in fine form, smiling as she strolled. Mischa came prepared, kitted out in a heavy black purse, a coffee, shades of course, and the vital poop bags. Rolling start: The former OC star and her dogs ran a few errands around LA in her baby blue Cadillac, before parking up and continuing on foot Cheery: Dressed in a cute blue and green dress and a pair of flat black shoes, she looked in fine form, smiling as she strolled Ziggy - her Pomeranian-Shih Tzu mix - and Charlie - her mixed breed rescue dog who surely has some Welsh corgi in him - looked a bit knackered and were probably glad to reach the salon. They relieved themselves on a parking meter and Mischa had a smoke before the trio headed inside. Earlier this month Deadline revealed the actress is to be one of four celeb hosts of the new Esquire Network show, Joyride. Tired: Ziggy - her Pomeranian-Shih Tzu mix - and Charlie - her mixed breed rescue dog who surely has some Welsh corgi in him - looked a bit knackered and were probably glad to reach the salon Kitted out: Mischa came prepared, kitted out in a heavy black purse, a coffee, shades of course, and the vital poop bags She will join fellow auto fanatics rapper T-Pain, professional race car driver Brian Vickers, actor Oliver Trevena as they compete against each other to find the best new and vintage cars in a number of different categories. The six half-hour episodes will include Best Classic Truck, Best British Car, Best 80s Car, Best Car for a First Time Driver, Best Muscle Car of the 1960s and Best Midlife Crisis Car. The contract is for six episodes, so she will definitely stick around longer than last season of Dancing With The Stars, where she only managed to hang on for two weeks. Advertisement Alessandra Ambrosio looked like a vision in lavender. The 35-year-old Victoria Secrets model had floral applique on the straps and down the front of her fluffy dress as she attended the LACMA Art + Film Gala on Saturday. The dress on the mother of two - her partner is Jamie Mazur - also showed off her toned bare back. Move over girls:Alessandra Ambrosio looked like a vision in lavender. The 35-year-old Victoria Secrets model had floral applique on the straps and down the front of her fluffy dress as she attended the LACMA Art + Film Gala on Saturday Nice touch: The 35-year-old Victoria Secrets model had floral applique on the straps and down the front Lovin' the spin you're in: Silver strappy heels matched her diamond bracelet Silver strappy heels matched her diamond bracelet. She is 44-years-old and has two children - Apple and Moses. But Gwyneth Paltrow looks at least a decade younger than that. On Saturday the Oscar winner showed off an impressive figure in a short black dress. She's still got it: Gwyneth Paltrow looked like a cool drink of water as she hit the Gala Good choice: The Iron Man star wore an unusual dress that had long sun blade on the neck and shoulders in brown green and red The Iron Man star wore an unusual dress that had long sun blade on the neck and shoulders in brown green and red. The red of the number looked like your average LBD. The blonde Vogue cover darling also wore gold peep toe heels with an ankle strap. A black clutch added even more elegance. Nailed it: The blonde Vogue cover darling also wore gold peep toe heels with an ankle strap. A black clutch added even more elegance Goldilocks: The GOOP founder had her flaxen locks parted in the middle and worn straight The GOOP founder had her flaxen locks parted in the middle and worn straight. She also went to town on her glam with black eyeliner and heavy blush. The Shakespeare In Love star seemed to be solo, as in without her longtime beau, AHS producer Brad Falchuk. Also at the splashy art event was Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in a pink gown that looked as feminine as can be. It was not only plunging in the front, showing off a tanned chest, but it came in at the waist with a tiger themed belt. The looker held onto a matching clutch and wore some very long earrings. Like a bon bon: Also at the splashy art event was Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in a pink gown that looked as feminine as can be What a catch! It was not only plunging in the front, showing off a tanned chest, but it came in at the waist with a tiger themed belt Courtney Love looked remarkably well put together. The rocker had on a team gown that made the most of her slender figure. It was plunging with a frilly neckline and had a smart black belt. Too bad she had small stains on the front. Purple satin shoes added polish as did a gem necklace. Fun look: Zoe Saldana wore a crowd pleasing pink dress with a snake on front Cute hubby: And the Star Trek star had a nice accessory with her: her French husband Marco Perego, with whom she has twin children Wait for me babe: The Avatar standout didn't seem to want to be without her Parisian prince Zoe Saldana wore a crowd pleasing pink dress. There appeared to be a snake down the front with ladybugs and butterflies. And the Star Trek star had a nice accessory with her: her French husband Marco Perego, with whom she has twin children. Room actress Brie Larson wore a refreshing light turquoise blue. So summery: Room actress Brie Larson wore a refreshing light turquoise blue They make a nice couple: The blonde beauty was joined by her beau Alex Greenwald The gown was light as a feather and looked inspired by the 1960s, like something a cast member of Valley Of The Dolls would wear. The blonde beauty was joined by her beau Alex Greenwald. Salma Hayek came with her husband Henri, who oversees Gucci under his massive fashion umbrella. And the Friday actress posed with Demi Moore, who wore a smart white and red gown. They are so in love: Model Kate Upton brought as her date fiance and baseball star Justin Verlander So happy together: Salma Hayek came with her husband Henri, who oversees Gucci under his massive fashion umbrella Two good to be true: And the Friday actress posed with Demi Moore, who wore a smart white and red gown Love it! Courtney Love looked remarkably well put together. The rocker had on a team gown that made the most of her slender figure The finishing touches: Purple satin shoes added polish as did a gem necklace Always tops: Melanie Griffith glowed in this plunging black gown with peep toe heels and a beaded purses that looked like it was from the 1920s Melanie Griffith glowed in this plunging black gown with peep toe heels and a beaded purses that looked like it was from the 1920s. Actress China Chow - who looks remarkable for age 42 - wore what looked like a royal blue piece of material tied in front. Black heels and purse looked like perfect choices. Oddly, the icon seemed to be wearing only one earring. Sylvester Stallone looked like a gentleman in a black tux with bow tie and white shirt. His beard was almost entirely grey and his hair was salt-and-pepper. His date was his gorgeous model wife Jennifer Flavin who looked toned in a black halter dress and gold clutch. Classy couple: Sylvester Stallone looked like a gentleman in a black tux with bow tie and white shirt. His date was his gorgeous model wife Jennifer Flavin who looked toned in a black halter dress and gold clutch She has held up very well: Kelly Lynch from the old Tom Cruise movie Cocktail looked like a heavenly drink of something in this electric floral dress with hot pink heels that had diamond bead work. Her dated was longtime spouse, producer Mitch Glazer Kelly Lynch from the old Tom Cruise movie Cocktail looked like a heavenly drink of something in this electric floral dress with hot pink heels that had diamond bead work. Her dated was longtime spouse, producer Mitch Glazer. The two posed arm in arm. The newlywed show: Music man Jimmy Iovine and Liberty Ross looked pleased as punch Unusual: Actress China Chow wore what looked like a royal blue piece of material tied in front They could wear garbage bags and make them look amazing. But the models lined up for the 2016 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show still have to make sure everything fits properly. A bevy of beauties including Irina Shayk, Lily Donaldson and Georgia Fowler were spotted headed into the model fittings in New York ahead of the illustrious annual event. Measuring up: Irina Shayk was among the models heading in for fittings on Saturday ahead of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show While their outfits on Saturday were a little more demure than what they will likely showcase on December 5, each oozed style nonetheless. Irina rocked a pair of knee-high leather boots with her tight black leggings and a green bomber jacket. She finished the look with a snazzy brown suede Yves Saint Laurent handbag. Sexy: Irina rocked a pair of knee-high leather boots with her tight black leggings and a green bomber jacket Vital: She finished the look with a snazzy brown suede Yves Saint Laurent handbag Lily Donaldson matched her leggings but opted for a more comfortable pair of trainers, pairing it with a cozy black sweater and a heavy black coat. Georgia Fowler meanwhile was the only one to show any skin in a sexy leather skirt, which she wore with black pumps and a long green trenchcoat. Also spotted heading in for a fitting was Liu Wen, looking toasty in heavy biker boots, a denim shirt and a thick white fleece coat. laid back: Lily Donaldson matched her leggings but opted for a more comfortable pair of trainers, pairing it with a cozy black sweater and a heavy black coat New spot: For the first time, the Victoria's Secret show will be held this year in Paris Wow: Georgia Fowler meanwhile was the only one to show any skin in a sexy leather skirt, which she wore with black pumps and a long green trenchcoat Jordana Elizabeth looked like she was heading straight for the catwalk rather than just a fitting, in gorgeous brown ankle boots, jeans, and a fitted turtleneck sweater, beneath a stylish tweed coat. Instead of the usual tiny clutch, her suitcase plus carry-on accessories suggested she had flown straight in to get fitted. For the first time, the Victoria's Secret show will be held this year in Paris. Cosy: Also spotted heading in for a fitting was Liu Wen, looking toasty in heavy biker boots, a denim shirt and a thick white fleece coat She celebrated her return to the social circuit with a few bubbling champagnes in a svelte figure hugging white dress at Melbourne's Derby Day 2016. And Rebecca Judd, 33, stunned her 574,000 Instagram followers again with a poolside snap posing in a black full-piece swimsuit to promote her tanning mousse. She appeared all smiles as she lounged on a deck chair in the black swimwear which had a rectangular cut-out detail and flaunted her slender recently tanned pins. Scroll down for video Wow! Rebecca Judd, 33, flaunts her post pregnancy body in a black one-piece swimsuit to promote tanning mousse after celebrating her return to the Melbourne social at Derby Day Smiling at the camera, it is hard to believe that just four weeks ago she gave birth to her twin sons, Tom and Darcy. The brunette beauty wore a pair of dark shades as she propped herself up in the summery picture. Rebecca had minimal accessories including a wrist band and a thin necklace for the picture. Meanwhile, the 33-year-old enjoyed a day away from her bubs with her husband Chris Judd, sister Kate and brother-in-law Matt Seal at Flemington racecourse. 'Our first bubbles since December and January respectively': Rebecca Judd and her sister Kate pose with champagne at Melbourne's Derby Day 2016 after recently giving birth Loved up: Rebecca embraced Chris as they posed together at the Flemington racecourse The honeycomb-tressed beauty stepped out in an elegant white figure-hugging dress which highlighted her slender post-baby body. She celebrated the event with a post to Instagram with sister Kate and wrote: 'Our first bubbles since December and January respectively- we've bloody earned these.' The pair appeared to be all smiles as they posed for the snap which commemorated their first sip of champagne since recently giving birth. Slide me Family outing: Rebecca gave birth to her children last month, while her sister Kate and husband Matt welcomed their son Levi Samuel Seal in August Rebecca gave birth to her children last month, while her sister Kate gave birth to her son Levi Samuel Seal in August. In a picture posted to Instagram prior to the races, Rebecca was joined by Kate and Matt who opted for darker colour palettes for their outfits. Kate was seen wearing a black dress and small beaded head band while husband Matt wore a grey suit, black tie and dark sunglasses. She's was busy watching her X Factor acts perform just hours earlier. But Nicole Scherzinger didn't let her busy schedule get in the way of a good party as she attended Kelly Osbourne's 32nd birthday party in London on Saturday night. The 38-year-old former Pussycat Doll showed off her bountiful curves in a rocker-inspired outfit as she left Mayfair's The Arts Club alongside the birthday girl and her X Factor panel pals Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh. Scroll down for video Party time! Nicole Scherzinger didn't let her busy schedule get in the way of a good party, as she attended Kelly Osbourne's 32nd birthday party in London on Saturday night Going braless in a plunging black bodysuit, the judge put on a busty display. And wearing a pair of leather-effect trousers over it, she showed off her toned thighs. Weaving purple extensions into her halo braid, the raven-haired beauty channelled rock chic. And matching her jacket to her trousers she braved the cool autumnal chill. Work do! The 38-year-old former Pussycat Doll showed off her bountiful curves in a rocker-inspired outfit she left Mayfair's The Arts Club alongside the birthday girl and her X Factor panel pals Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh Racy! Going braless in a plunging black bodysuit, the judge put on a busty display Despite the presumably heavy night of partying, Nicole's make-up was in an impressively good condition. Opting for bold cat eye eyliner with a touch of Halloween-inspired silver glitter, the Hawaiian-born beauty accentuated her pretty peepers. And paying attention to detail the star matched her glitzy multi-strap bangle to her intricate drop earrings. Gym bunny! And wearing a pair of leather-effect trousers over it, she showed off her toned thighs Feeling nippy? And matching her jacket to her trousers she braved the cool autumnal chill In the true Halloween spirit, she opted for vampy burgundy nails and a Gothic black pedicure, complemented by her strappy black sandals. Adding nude lipstick and a dash of highlighter, the Don't Hold Your Breath star's outfit was complete. And Nicole looked like she had a whale of a time, blowing kisses at the photographers as she left before having a good chinwag with the birthday girl. Merry: Nicole looked like she had a whale of a time, blowing kisses at the photographers as she left before having a good chinwag with the birthday girl Attention to detail: In the true Halloween spirit, she opted for vampy burgundy nails and a Gothic black pedicure, complemented by her strappy black sandals Kelly donned a floor-length polka-dot dress, teaming it with a blazer and a top hat. Flaunting her quirky style she had the sides of her head shaved low with a just a tuft of lilac hair peeking out beneath her hat. Rocking a bold red lip and drop earrings, she giggled with Nicole as she left the venue. Quirky: Kelly donned a floor-length polka-dot dress, teaming it with a blazer and a top hat Ready for bed: Nicole arrived back at her hotel at 3:30am Proud mum Sharon, 64, was also in attendance looking ever youthful. With her trademark flame-coloured hair, she rocked a more tame floral-inspired ensemble. And X Factor top dog Simon Cowell also put in an appearance with partner Lauren Silverman. The judges will be back on the panel on Sunday night- perhaps suffering a little hangover, as they watch their acts sing for their places in the show. Need a hand? Nicole looked like she may have a struggle on her hands to undo her hairstyle He's had a stressful week with his sick son getting rushed to hospital. But the show went on for The X Factor Australia's Davey Woder, who got a makeover as planned and performed on the Sunday night's Live Shows. The contestant impressed the judges when he ripped off his signature bandanna and belted out Ed Sheeran's Small Bump. Scroll down for video Concerned: The X Factor's Davey Woder had a stressful week with his sick son being rushed to hospital but still managed to he perform on Sunday night's Live Shows with his new makeover Before his performance, judge and mentor Guy Sebastian said how hard Davey has been working and how family is his 'priority.' 'He loves them. This is why he's here. He's doing the show for them,' Guy said. Davey told the viewers about his sick son, saying: 'I have a sick little boy at home. It's really hard. This is really hard. I know that my son's in pain.' 'If you're a father you're supposed to be there. That's it.' After singing, he said his son was doing 'good' and that 'everything is ok.' 'He's doing the show for them': Guy Sebastian said he was proud of Davey and said his family was Davey's 'priority' Struggles: Davey told the show's viewers about his sick son, saying: 'I have a sick little boy at home. It's really hard. This is really hard. I know that my son's in pain' Judge Iggy Azalea- who didn't seem to be a fan of Davey at the beginning - said she had changed her mind. 'I think you are a testament to what can happen when you never give up. You came on the show and you have become the real under dog in the competition.' 'I'm glad that you decided to give this a go Davey because I'm really impressed.' Judge Adam Lambert also said he loved the performance while mentor Guy said he was proud of his contestant. However, he didn't quite garner the same reaction from Mel B. 'You're an underdog': Judge Iggy Azalea - who didn't seem a fan of Davey at the beginning - said she had changed her mind about Davey What a change! The contestant impressed the judges when he ripped off his signature bandanna and belted out Ed Sheeran's Small Bump 'You know what I'm going to be honest,' she said. 'It wasn't perfect. It was a little bit pitchy a little bit flat.' 'You know what, I didn't care. I like you and when you get it right and I can actually hear you're vibrato and the tones in your voice I am like "oh my god." As part of makeover week, Davey got some styling and he wore his long locks out and over his shoulders for the performance, removing his signature bandanna. Iggy loved the Gold Coast tyre fitter's new look. Makeover week: One of the more dramatic transformations was of duo Brentwood, consisting of siblings Isla and Finley Suits you! Isla had her long curly locks chopped and dyed a darker red It was makeover week for the remaining contestants, who had their looks transformed - from the way they dress to their hairstyles. One of the more dramatic transformations was of duo Brentwood, consisting of siblings Isla and Finley. Isla had her long curly locks chopped and dyed a darker red. 'I'm just nervous about what they're going to do to my hair because if they cut it really short it's going to be terrible it's going to be an a affro,' Isla admitted. But she later confessed she loved her new do. Will they win? On Sunday, the pair sung Disclosure's Latch but Guy wasn't a fan and said he prefers them to keep to their folk roots On Sunday, the pair sung Disclosure's Latch but Guy wasn't a fan and said he prefers if they keep to their folk roots. 'Do you honestly, honestly think that that song gives you guys a home run and highlights your voice and what you are capable of?,' he quizzed the pair, igniting a squabble with their mentor Iggy. They said they didn't want to 'pigeonhole' themselves by always singing a slow song with a guitar. Adam and Mel agreed the dance song didn't suit them and Iggy came to their defence. 'The question these three are asking is why electro songs for Brentwood? 'Because they like them and I like them singing them. I wanted to push them as far as they could go,' she said. Derby Day is traditionally a black and white fashion event trackside. So, celebrity chef Curtis Stone and radio presenter Andy Lee may have thought they would stand out of the crowd in their charcoal, large check suits. However, the handsome pair probably didn't expect another celebrity to be in the exact same design. Twinning: Celebrity chef Curtis Stone (left) and radio presenter Andy Lee (right) both attended Derby Day at Flemington racecourse on Saturday in matching MJ Bale charcoal check suits but appeared to avoid an awkward run in as they enjoyed separate marquees Arriving in the Emirates Marquee, LA-based Australian chef and MasterChef guest judge, Curtis, flashed his pearly whites as he posed in the MJ Bale design. Accessorising his ensemble, the 40-year-old added a black tie with white diagonal stripes and a chic tie-pin. Matching his crisp white shirt, the father-of-two added a white pocket square and a chunky watch to round out the ensemble. Sporting a subtle beard and his signature spikey hair, Curtis also made his way to the GHMumm tent, where a host of international celebrities were for the day. And it seems he avoided an awkward run in with the similarly dressed Hamish & Andy co-host, who was seen laughing away inside the Myer marquee with Kris Smith. Keeping it classy: Accessorising his ensemble, the 40-year-old added a black tie with white diagonal stripes and a chic tie-pin, as well as a white pocket square Suits you! Arriving at both the Emirates Marquee and the GHMumm Marquee, the LA-based Australian chef flashed his pearly whites as he posed in the charcoal design Andy styled his large check suit also with a crisp white shirt but added a plain black tie. However, the recently single 35-year-old appeared to add a pop of colour with a navy pocket square sticking out. While his curly black locks were parted to the side and slicked down. Both gentleman added very similar style black leather lace-up shoes to complete their ensembles. Having a laugh: It seems the boys avoided an awkward run in with their similarly dressed counterpart, with the Hamish & Andy (left) co-host seen laughing away inside the Myer marquee with Kris Smith (right) Zoolander would be proud! As the 35-year-old posed up a storm for the cameras, he showed off his slicked down side-part hair-do for the day Simple statement: The recently single personality added a pop of colour with a navy pocket square sticking out Andy shared a moment with The Bachelor contestants Megan Marx and Tiffany Scanlon and even posed for photos with the sexy pair, who are now a couple themselves. However, the girls were left slightly red-faced after he didn't recognise the blonde beauties. Tiffany captioned the black and white shot of the trio: 'When you meet your idol and think he might know who you are and he's like I don't watch the bachelor, that's Hamish...doh' He's not hidden his heartbreak following The Bachelorette finale, where he was dumped by the woman he had fallen in love with. And despite Matty Johnson revealing he still has feelings for Georgia Love, he's also been vocal about wanting her to be happy. The 29-year-old returned to Instagram on Sunday, and used it as an opportunity to wish his former flame all the best in her future with former love-rival Lee Elliott. Scroll down for video 'Both of you deserve nothing less': The Bachelorette runner-up Matty Johnson returned to Instagram on Sunday to wish former flame Georgia Love and her chosen guy Lee Elliott all the best 'I wish Lee and Georgia all the happiness with their future together, especially during this difficult time. Both of you deserve nothing less,' he captioned the image in part. While the Sydney-based marketing manager came second-best to the Melbourne-based mechanical plumber, he still labelled him as part of the 'great guys' he met in the mansion. 'I had the most incredible time and I'm so glad I got to share it with some of the best guys I've ever come across,' he said. His support network: In the Sydney-based marketing manager's post, he also thanked his mother and sister for guiding him through his 'unique experience' of being brutally dumped on national TV as part of the matchmaking series In recent interviews he admitted it's been hard reliving the Bachelorette experience, to the point where he once pulled a TV plug out of the socket when a promo for the show aired. However, in his recent upload he took the opportunity to pay tribute to his mother and sister for helping him through the tough time. 'Credit to these two amazing women who have helped guide me through one of the most unique experiences of my life,' Matty wrote as he sat between the pair, along with his beloved nephew George. 'I still love her': Bachelorette's Matty Johnson has admitted that he still carries a flame for Georgia Love despite a brutal dumping on national television in the show's finale Speaking to Pop Sugar, Matty revealed that although he has strong feelings for Georgia he still wishes the new couple luck on their relationship. The hunk from Sydney added that he has been in contact with fellow contestant and winner Lee but thinks speaking to Georgia could be 'awkward'. 'I've spoken to Lee a couple of times, and I messaged him to congratulate him. I considered, like, "Do I message Georgia?" but I think it's too soon. Blossoming romance: Matty fell in love with Georgia over the course of season two of The Bachelorette where they enjoyed single dates together including one driving in a vintage car 'I do hope in the future we can get to a point where if we're at an event and we bump into each other, it's not awkward.' Matty said that the boys in the mansion form a special bond and although he is a 'jealous' of Lee they're still each other's support network through the bizarre ordeal. When questioned about his feelings towards Georgia, Matty made no attempt to conceal that there were still very strong emotions there. 'I can't help but be a bit jealous ': Matty said that the boy's in the mansion form a special bond and that Lee and he are still friends post Georgia dumping him 'Uh . . . As hard as it is to say this, my feelings towards Georgia haven't changed at all really. I still miss her. I still love her. It's hard.' But since the show's finale, Matty admitted it has been nice to talk about his feelings so he can 'finally move on'. Matty was left heartbroken after being brutally dumped by the former news anchor during the show's finale filmed in Singapore. 'I'm so sorry because you are so amazing. And I've really genuinely loved every single moment that we've had,' said Georgia holding back tears. 'I'm so sorry': Matty was left heartbroken after being brutally dumped by the former news anchor during the show's finale filmed in Singapore 'I really don't want to let you go': With his hands resting on his thighs, Matty struggled to breathe as Georgia gently explained that she had instead chosen fellow contestant Lee Elliot 'You deserve someone who's gonna give you back everything that you give and more,' she added. Viewers watched the charming reality star lean over in agony as he struggled to process Georgia's words. With his hands resting on his thighs, Matty struggled to breathe as Georgia gently explained that she had instead chosen fellow contestant Lee Elliot. 'I really don't want to let you go. See you, Georgia Love,' said Matty softly. See you, Matty J,' she said between sobs. Saturday evening may well have been dedicated to ghouls and ghosts, but Tara Reid appeared to be thinking ahead as she made a rather memorable entrance at a Halloween party in Los Angeles. The American actress, 40, opted for a Christmas themed bralet and micro-skirt an outfit that once again drew attention to her worryingly slight frame during an appearance at the annual Trick or Treats magazine bash. Revealing a pair of slender legs and super slim waistline, Tara inevitably caught the eye as she climbed from the rear of her car and made her way inside. Scroll down for video Happy Halloween! Tara Reid opted for a Christmas themed bralet and micro-skirt for an appearance at the annual Trick or Treats magazine bash in Los Angeles on Saturday evening A jaunty Santa Claus hat completed her look, while wedge heels with distinctive transparent straps rounded things off. Adding a splash of colour to an already vibrant ensemble, the American Pie star opted a generous layer of hot pink lipstick and heavily applied eye-liner. Accessorizing tastefully, Tara carried a small leather handbag in her right hand, while a love-heart pendant worn around her neck gave the overall look a focval point. Evidently in high spirits, the blonde star gave onlookers a beaming smile while mingling with fellow revellers on the sidewalk. Forward thinking: Saturday evening may well have been dedicated to ghouls and ghosts, but Tara appeared to be thinking ahead in her Santa themed ensemble Not happy: 'I'm just a small-boned girl. I eat, I eat, I eat,' she told TMZ at the time. 'Some people that eat too much, you yell at them that they're fat. You want to get mad at me because I'm skinny? Great, get mad at me. I am what I am' Hard to miss: Revealing a pair of slender legs and super slim waistline, Tara inevitably caught the eye as she climbed from the rear of her car and made her way inside the annual bash Santa baby: A jaunty Santa Claus hat completed her look, while wedge heels with distinctive transparent straps rounded things off In 2014 Reid hit back after social media commentators slammed her for being 'too skinny'. 'I'm just a small-boned girl. I eat, I eat, I eat,' she told TMZ at the time. 'Some people that eat too much, you yell at them that they're fat. You want to get mad at me because I'm skinny? Great, get mad at me. I am what I am.' Upbeat: The actress was in high spirits as she mingled with guests outside the venue Finishing touches: Accessorizing tastefully, Tara carried a small leather handbag in her right hand, while a love-heart pendant worn around her neck gave the overall look a focval point Season's greetings: The star put on another eye-catching display for onlookers on Saturday night Earlier this year the star did her bit for charity as she helped raise cash for those affected by the recent devastating floodings in Louisiana. The blonde star signed autographs at Geek'd Con in Shreveport, reportedly donating a portion of her $30 ticket price to help those affected by the tragedy. To prep for her event, the Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars standout took to Instagram to announce her relief efforts. Sharing a news clip from 99x The Rock Station, she wrote: 'Please pray for the #louisianaflood2016 victims.' Centre of attention: The actress attracted a small crowd as she idled on the sidewalk She's had an incredible year, breaking sales records and signing a 90million record deal. But things could get even better for Adele as she's reportedly agreed to marry long-term beau Simon Konecki, 42. The Hello hitmaker, 28, has been dating the father of her four-year-old son Angelo since 2011 and the couple are said to be keen to get engaged. Scroll down for video Here comes the bride: Adele has reportedly agreed to marry long-term beau Simon Konecki, 42 According to the Mirror, a friend said: 'They've decided it's the right time to think about making that step. 'They won't make a big song and dance about it, that's not the way either of them are, and you won't see Adele walking around with a huge diamond on her finger flaunting it. 'But they're ready to take the next step and both very excited about the prospect. Adele has been touring her album 25, which has sold more than 20million copies, for the past 10 months. Her friend added that she's now looking forward to spending some quiet time at home with her family. MailOnline has contacted Adele's representatives for comment. Tying the knot? The Hello hitmaker, pictured at Glastonbury this year, has been dating the father of her 4-year-old son Angelo for five years Adele, who signed a record-breaking deal with Sony in May, recently celebrated her fifth anniversary with Simon. During a concert in Nashville, Tennessee in October, the charity boss penned heartfelt messages on thousands of pieces of confetti that fell from the ceiling at the end of her show. The confetti that showers the audience at the end of each show is normally white and boasts a song lyric on each piece of paper. Lucky lady: Adele's boyfriend Simon Konecki surprised her with an incredibly romantic gesture to celebrate their fifth anniversary at her concert in Nashville, Tennessee But Simon switched things up by including special pink notes with messages including, 'I love you', 'You are an angel' and 'Happy anniversary'. During her rendition of Rolling in the Deep, Adele interrupted her set to exclaim, 'Weve got pink confetti tonight!'. Talking about their romance in a rare interview last November, the superstar revealed she had found 'the ultimate love story.' 'Being in such an amazing relationship with someone that's so there for me and so loyal and is really part of my core now, that's what made me write about everything I've ever done, because I've got his love,' she revealed. 'I know that sounds a bit like I'm trying to write a Hollywood movie but it's only because of him and our kids and stuff that I'm all right.' Adele and Simon have properties in London, LA and Brighton, although Simon's work for water charity Drop4Drop means he frequently travels. They all met on the latest series of The Bachelor when they tried to find love with Richie Strahan. And even though they didn't win his heart, the girls have remained close, with Sasha Zhuravlyova, Tiffany Scanlon, Megan Marx, Georgia Tripos and Rachael Gouvignon enjoying a catch up in Melbourne over the weekend. Model Sasha shared a shot of the group at a restaurant, captioning part of the shot: 'Mini reunion with these legends.' Scroll down for video Fancy seeing you here! The Bachelor's (L to R) Sasha Zhuravlyova, Tiffany Scanlon, Megan Marx, Georgia Tripos and Rachael Gouvignon enjoyed a catch up in Melbourne over the weekend Sasha was dressed to impress in a white slip dress, while Tiffany wore a grey long sleeve crop top that bared her washboard abs. Her girlfriend Megan meanwhile put on a very busty display in a low cut black dress while Georgia look stylish in a grey plunging dress and a leather jacket. Rachael also wore a similar look in a black leather jacket with a black dress underneath. Trackside: It comes after Megan and Tiffany enjoyed a day out at the races on Saturday It comes after Megan and Tiffany enjoyed a day out at the races on Saturday. While there, the new couple posed for images with the likes of former Bachelor stars Anna Heinrich and Tim Robards. It was only last week that Megan and Tiffany took their new found romance public. Saying hello: While there, the new couple posed for images with the likes of former Bachelor stars Anna Heinrich and Tim Robards Megan confirmed their relationship status in a gushing post dedicated to Tiffany, who was celebrating her 30th birthday. After admitting they met in a 'strange' situation, Megan revealed her true feelings for Tiffany on Instagram as they holidayed on the Albrolhos Islands. She wrote: 'From that first cocktail party, it was like this instant calibration between souls, as if we had known each other once before. 'Friendship ripened into something bolder, trust in a very strange situation was formed, and now every adventure we have rivals the other - and continues to make plans for itself.' Telling the world: Megan confirmed their relationship status in a gushing post dedicated to Tiffany, who was celebrating her 30th birthday Tiffany continued the heartfelt theme, describing Megan as her 'favourite person in the world'. She wrote: 'Meeting Megan this year felt like destiny. 'The past few months with her in her hometown of Geraldton have been bliss and today's adventure was the cherry on top. 'I know we will have many more adventures for many years to come and when she turns 30 I will have to try to top this!' She concluded the post with: 'Happy Birthday Tiffany. I love you.' It has enjoyed a long running association with rural Australia since its inception and subsequent launch more than 15-years ago. But as endurance based reality show Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here prepares to return for a sixteenth series in December, its long-term future on its current site is reportedly in doubt following an alleged dispute with its owner. Craig Parker, who owns Dungay Creek on the hilly border between New South Wales and Queensland, is said to be refusing a new contract that will secure the former banana plantation used each year by celebrity camp-mates after clashing with ITV producers. Scroll down for video Trouble in paradise: As endurance based reality show Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, hosted by Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, prepares to return for a sixteenth series, its long-term future on its current site is reportedly in doubt following an alleged dispute with its owner 'The relationship between Craig and the bosses has badly broken down, a source told The Sun on Sunday. Hes always found hosting the show on his land frustrating, but in the past has considered it worth the money they throw at him But this years different. There have been lots of small squabbles in which he feels his opinions have been totally ignored. He is sick and tired of having the cast and crew there. He can pretty much name his price. But so far he is adamant he will not be changing his mind. Rural: Far from being remote, the show is filmed in lush rain-forest just north of provincial New South Wales town Murwillumbah, which boasts a population of 7,000 The source claims locations in South Africa, where the Australian version of the show is filmed at Kruger National Park, have since been scouted, but time differences reportedly make the move unfeasible. ITV have since dismissed claims of a disagreement with Parker, telling MailOnline: 'We have a good relationship with the owner and we're currently in our 15th series on the same site.' Far from being remote, the show is filmed in lush rain-forest just north of provincial New South Wales town Murwillumbah, which boasts a population of 7,000. Coming soon: I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! will return to ITV in December Residents have previously voiced their displeasure with the show's proximity to the town and the influx of production staff who set up home in Murwillumbah during its three week run. Speaking in 2004, Janice Bostok - a writer and resident of the town for more than 40-years - told The Guardian: 'No one here's really angry about it. People think it's more of a joke. Soon she will be stripping to her underwear and storming the catwalk while filming the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. But first, Bella Hadid gave the world a preview of her enviable super model physique while posing in her skivvies for V Magazine. The 20-year-old beauty looked sexy as she flashed her underboob and flaunted her taut tummy in a white bra and tiny black panties. Scroll down for video Confident lady: Bella Hadid gave the world a view of her enviable supermodel physique while posing in her skivvies for V Magazine Seeing multiple: The 20-year-old beauty looked sexy as she flashed her underboob and flaunted her taut tummy in a white bra and tiny black panties The younger sister of Gigi Hadid was scantily clad as she posed for her longtime friend and photographer Alana O'Herlihy. Bella looked relaxed and comfortable as she stood in front of the lens in nearly nothing. The brunette beauty swept her long locks high on top of her head in a bun and left her short bangs down to frame her face. Her make-up looked glamorous and gave off a Cleopatra vibe as her eyes were lined with a thick black cat-eye. Details: The younger sister of Gigi Hadid was scantily clad as she posed for her longtime friend and photographer Alana O'Herlihy Boudoir babe: A sexy shot in the bedroom revealed more of Bella's enviable figure and exposed her trim runway thighs Bella added a rosy pink lip shade to her pout and pinned pieces of her hair back with a silver barrette. Many of the images were captured in a bathroom as she was surrounded by white tile and appeared to be in the shower. Another image, taken in black and white, shows the model in the same bra and panty set as she moved into the bedroom. The sexy shot revealed more of Bella's enviable figure and exposed her trim runway thighs. Cleopatra vibes: The brunette beauty swept her long locks high on top of her head in a bun while her bangs framed her face. Her make-up featured a thick black cat-eye Skivvies: Bella looked relaxed and comfortable as she stood in front of the lens in nearly nothing Photoshop: A few of the photos were edited to show Bella's image manipulated so the eye sees multiple images of the model overlaid into the same picture A few of the photos were edited to show Bella's image manipulated so the eye sees multiple images of the model overlaid into the same picture. Another candid shot shows the model in a robe on a breezy balcony while puffing away on a cigarette. This comes soon after it was revealed that Bella will be making her Victoria's Secret runway debut this year. Cigarette break: Another candid shot shows the model in a robe on a breezy balcony while puffing away on a cigarette Big news! This comes soon after it was revealed that Bella will be making her Victoria's Secret runway debut this year A Victoria's Secret fashion show will be held in Paris this year, and Bella recently announced that she had been cast to walk the runway in a gushing Instagram post. Taking to social media on Thursday, she wrote: 'I can't believe it !!!!! There is no better feeling than being confirmed for the @victoriassecret fashion show !!! 'What a dream come true..I feel so appreciative and excited! Thank you for this opportunity to walk next to some of the most inspiring and incredible women in the world! 'Thank YOU from the deepest part of my heart @ed_razek @johndavidpfeiffer @10magazine #MonicaMitro thank you @gothamgym for whipping me into shape and @imgmodels @annemarieleonie for supporting me always !! So much love !!!! #VSFashionShow.' Traditionally, Halloween is supposed to be the stuff of nightmares. But Millie Mackintosh refused to be haunted by the messy fallout from her failed marriage to Professor Green at the weekend, instead posting about a blissful time spent with new beau Hugo Taylor. On Friday, Millie's ex-husband - the artist otherwise known as Stephen Manderson - released a break-up track detailing the issues in his marriage to Millie and went on to post a grovelling sarcastic video about trouble with an ex on Friday night. Scroll down for video Blissful: Millie Mackintosh cuddled up to her beau Hugo Taylor over the weekend, as she celebrated Halloween amidst the haunting fallout of her marriage to Professor Green In the latest video post, Stephen appeared to act out an apology, captioning a humorous video that he posted on Instagram, with the words: 'When you're in sh*t with the other half #OneEyeontheDoor' In it, he says: 'Babe, look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry but when I said I'd be home at six, I didn't specify AM or PM or today or tomorrow. 'I'm sorry and I didn't realise it would cause you so much upset, my battery died and you know I didn't know there was a charger and I forgot to ask. A grovelling apology: Stephen issued a grovelling apology on Instagram on Friday night, just hours after the words from his new song One Eye On The Door were released Saying sorry: The video is a sarcastic insight into a relationship with an ex but it follows the lyrics of his latest song that rip into ex Millie 'I had a couple of drinks, you know. Ok, maybe a bit more than a couple of drinks. Look, I'm sorry...' While it's not clear who Pro Green was issuing his apology to, the musician had only just released his tell-all about ex-wife Millie that day. In the track, the musician suggests that Millie regularly kicked him out of the marital home in south-east London, suggesting that he regularly found himself in trouble, during his marriage. Turning a blind eye: Millie and Hugo stayed quiet on the subject of Pro Green He also suggests that she would only allow him back in if he returned with a gift of material significance. Elsewhere on social media, Millie was rising above, choosing instead to parade her love for former fellow Made In Chelsea star, Hugo, who she began dating one week after her marriage was dissolved, in May. After attending a Halloween-themed party together on Friday night, she posted a sweet, loved-up kissing snap with the entrepreneur writing: 'You will be the death of me' beside a love heart. Ouch! This comes after Professor Green let rip at his ex-wife Millie in his explosive new single, One Eye On The Door The couple were dressed in Mexican Day Of The Dead costumes; Millie stunning in a floral headdress and a pretty lace ensemble. She's yet to comment on her ex-husband Professor Green's explosive new single, One Eye On The Door. And besides spending quality time with Hugo, Millie returned straight to work, shooting for her fashion range on Friday and Sunday. In one shoot picture, the former 27-year-old exuded glamour in a plunging trouser suit, going braless underneath the black blazer and in a more recent one, she's dressed in an autumnal outfit, complete with oversized sunglasses. Back to work: Millie was back to work over the weekend, shooting some fashion and sharing the shoot on Instagram Posing up a storm: Millie proved she is above the drama when she took to social media on Friday to post a glamorous picture of herself No doubt Professor Green's not-so-subtle jibes won't have escaped Millie's attention, this weekend. The artist raps about the former couple's lack of sex life and his drug use in the new track and even hints that cheating was a factor in the demise of their two-and-a-half-year marriage. One Eye On The Door is the hitmaker's first musical offering since 2014 album Growing Up In Public. Honest: The musician, 32, raps about the couple's lack of sex and his drug use in the new track, which hints that cheating was a factor in the demise of their two-and-a-half-year marriage Professor Green takes a number of thinly veiled swipes at his reality star ex-wife by suggesting their short-lived union was far from idyllic. Lamenting an apparent lack of action between the sheets in the opening verse, the rapper suggests he and Millie spent most of their time watching box sets. He spits in the track: 'Me an the Mrs we are getting along/Till I do something wrong - then it's another domestic/People wanna know what my life's like. 'Behind closed doors what's my wife like/It gets crazy in bed - We watch a couple episodes/Of a box set and and then it's night night/When she hears this s**t it's lights out/I'll probably get kicked out of my house/Till I come back with a brand new Chanel bag.' A second verse finds Pro Green's protagonist wrestling with his conscience; on the one hand fretting about divorce, while on the other putting his wife's feelings to one side while he parties with pals. Referring to his use of drugs, he raps: 'One minute it was one, the next it was six/S**t I'm dead - I don't know where the time went. 'Where's my phone? S**t sixty-one missed calls/A divorce is on the cards if I don't split/And get my a**e in gear - I'm asking for it. 'A b****rd ain't I - auf wiedersehen/Better get my a**e in gear and get a car quick though, if I'm already gonna get my a**e kicked? 'Then pass it/What's one more half, what's one more spliff/What's one more glass/What's one more line, what's one more toke/I'm already a dead man when I get home.' In happier times? Professor Green - real name Stephen Manderson - takes a number of thinly veiled swipes at his ex-wife by suggesting their short-lived union was far from idyllic TIMELINE OF THEIR ROMANCE November 2011: Couple enjoy their first date at the Groucho Club in London after Professor Green sees Millie's sexy FHM cover shoot February 2012: They go public at the BRIT Awards March 2013: Pro Green proposes in Paris September 2013: Couple wed at Babington House in Somerset July 2015: Millie and Pro Green reported to have a huge row in Istanbul. January 2016: They have a make-of-break holiday in Florence, Italy. February 2016: Couple announce their separation. Advertisement MailOnline has contacted a representative for Millie Mackintosh for comment. The couple's two-and-a-half-year marriage was dissolved in just 30 seconds in May. They were granted a decree nisi at Central London Family Court with Millie citing 'unreasonable behaviour' as the reason for their split. Just one week after their divorce was finalised, the beauty, 27, went public with her ex-boyfriend Hugo Taylor and has been documenting their romance across social media ever since. Millie and Professor Green split in February after just over four years together. In a statement at the time, they said: 'It is a mutual decision, we still care deeply about each other and would like it to be known that it is on amicable terms and we wish each other well.' Wedding bells: The couple tied the knot in a lavish ceremony at Babington House in Somerset in September 2013 Millie and Stephen started dating in November 2011 after the rapper saw her on the cover of men's magazine FHM. The rapper contacted Millie through her agent and they had their first date at the Groucho Club in Soho. They went public at the Brit Awards in February 2012, with Stephen proposing on holiday in Paris just over a year later. The couple tied the knot in a lavish ceremony at Babington House in Somerset in September 2013. Speaking to The Sun, Professor Green admits he's nonplussed about her ex-wife's potential reaction to the revealing new track. 'I think she'll probably say, "Well at least he's being honest about that. That definitely happened once or twice." Unlikely pair: Millie and Stephen started dating in November 2011 after the rapper saw her on the cover of men's magazine FHM Red carpet debut: Millie and Stephen went public at the Brit Awards in February 2012, with Stephen proposing on holiday in Paris just over a year later New track: One Eye On The Door is out now He added: 'It's a song that was probably written after a time I got in trouble. I wrote that over a year ago. 'The whole song is just about when you say, "Yeah, I promise I'll be home early, I promise," then your mates go, "Come on, stay for one more drink."' When they first started dating, Millie and Professor Green acknowledged they came from very different backgrounds. Millie was educated privately at Hanford Boarding School in Dorset and her family invented Quality Street, although sold the business years ago. Meanwhile Stephen grew up in an impoverished area of East London and survived being attacked in the neck with a broken bottle in a Shoreditch nightclub in 2009. Moving on: Just one week after their divorce was finalised, the beauty, 27, went public with her ex-boyfriend Hugo Taylor Lisa Curry and beau Mark Andrew Tabone have confirmed they are set to wed. Sharing their wonderful engagement news with New Idea magazine, the couple revealed that Mark popped the big question on July 1 during their holiday in Malta. 'I planned exactly how I was going to do it and booked a yacht, a swim in the Blue Lagoon and a sail along the cliffs,' 50-year-old Mark told the publication. Scroll down for video Engaged: Lisa Curry and beau Mark Andrew Tabone have confirmed they are set to wed With a romantic dinner at sunset, complete with plenty of roses, Mark asked Lisa to marry her, and she accepted while shedding tears of joy. In August the couple spoke to Daily Mail Australia about that same holiday in Malta - where Lisa was introduced to Mark's family. 'Mark had a couple of shows in Canada and then we decided to go to Malta to see his family,' Lisa said. Exciting times: Sharing their wonderful engagement news with New Idea magazine, the couple revealed that Mark popped the big question on July 1 during their holiday in Malta 'He had a school reunion over there as well. It was really nice to see everyone.' For Lisa, who separated from Grant Kenny in 2009 after tying the knot in 1984, this engagement marks a significant new chapter in her life. 'When I found myself single, I became quite happy doing my own thing and honestly thought I would never find anyone worth loving again,' she admitted to New Idea. Meant for each other: The pair first crossed paths back in June 2015 at a charity walk How he popped the question: 'I planned exactly how I was going to do it and booked a yacht, a swim in the Blue Lagoon and a sail along the cliffs,' 50-year-old Mark told New Idea It would seem the breakdown of Lisa and Grant's marriage has not compromised their strong and supportive friendship. They often appear on Instagram together alongside their grown-up kids - daughters Jaimi, 28, and Morgan, 26, and son Jett, 21 - and seem enjoy a healthy bond since their break-up. Performer: Mark works as an Elvis Presley impersonator In love: Lisa confirmed she was dating Mark back in December, just weeks after splitting with boyfriend of five years Joel Walkenhorst, 33 Lisa confirmed she was dating Mark back in December, just weeks after splitting with boyfriend of five years Joel Walkenhorst, 33. Meanwhile, it was confirmed in April that Grant had fathered a child with radio personality Fifi Box, 39, after several years of speculation. Mark on the other hand ended a 25-year marriage before meeting Lisa. Family: Lisa has daughters Jaimi, 28, and Morgan, 26, and son Jett, 21, from her previous marriage with ironman Grant Kenny They fell in love on The Bachelorette. And for Georgia Love, walking down the aisle with her handsome tradesman beau Lee Elliott is certainly on the cards as she discusses future plans. 'I definitely want to get married,' the 28-year-old told Woman's Day. Scroll down for video Loved-up: Georgia Love has revealed she's looking forward to marrying her love Lee Elliott following The Bachelorette And the feeling is mutual, with 35-year-old Lee adding: 'I can see us getting married, and we will.' Georgia also revealed she would love to tie the knot in a huge party with all her friends and loved ones in attendance. But as romantic as their love story has been, the couple's new life together comes at a tough time for Georgia, whose mother is in palliative care while battling cancer. Wedding bells: Lee, 35, shares the same dream for his future with Georgia, admitting he sees them getting married one day For Lee, who was not allowed to see the former newsreader without Channel Ten's approval prior to the finale going to air, it was frustrating to say the least. 'It got to the point where I phoned the network and told them I was going to go to the hospice whether they were going to help me or not,' the mechanical plumber revealed, adding he wanted to 'be there' for Georgia. Meanwhile, despite her current health situation, Georgia's mother Belinda has been fully supportive of the lovebirds. 'Mum's very happy for me that I've found someone wonderful,' the Melbourne native told the publication. Supportive: The Bachelorette's mother Belinda is thrilled for her and Lee, despite her current health battle Last week, both Georgia and Lee broke their silence on social media following the intense finale. Celebrating his ability to share his love publicly, Lee said the occasion was bitter sweet because of Belinda's cancer diagnosis. 'Words cannot express just how much I truly wish this was a very different post. Today is such a mix of emotions. Mixed emotions: Last week, Channel Ten confirmed that Belinda had been admitted to palliative care after having received chemotherapy while Georgia was filming the series 'It's actually not possible for me to be any happier to finally tell the whole world that I have found my soul mate, my best friend and the love of my life in you Georgia. 'You are my everything and my world! 'But at the same time I could not be any more saddened by what you and your family are going through right now. 'It most certainly puts everything else into perspective and has only reiterated just how much I absolutely want to be there for you & be your rock as you have been mine today and always!' 'Truly blessed': Lee broke his social media silence following the finale last week, gushing about his newfound love as well as showing his support for her family He went on to say: 'I feel truly blessed to have finally been able to meet the absolutely extraordinary woman who is your mother. 'I can certainly now see where your strength, love for life, sense of humour and beauty both inside and out come from!' he concluded. Last week, Channel Ten confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that Belinda had been admitted to palliative care. She was receiving chemotherapy while Georgia filmed season two of the popular reality series. Forever after: The Melbourne natives met and fell in love during the popular reality series They have been battling a range of mixed emotions over the last week. Now, Bachelorette Georgia Love has opened up about the first time she introduced her beau Lee Elliott to her mum, Belinda by her hospital bedside. Speaking to TV Week magazine, the 28-year-old gushed about witnessing her reality TV boyfriend 'perk up' her ill mother, who is currently battling aggressive pancreatic in palliative care. Scroll down for video Support: Bachelorette Georgia Love has gushed about witnessing her beau Lee Elliott 'perk up' her ill mother Belinda, who is currently battling aggressive pancreatic in palliative care 'It was amazing to see how much he perked her up,' she told, adding: 'She was sitting up talking and laughing with him, which she hadn't been able to do all day. 'It was obviously an awful place and reason to be meeting.' Last week, Lee revealed to the Daily Telegraph, Georgia's mother gave him the seal of approval from her hospital bed after the finale aired on Thursday evening. Thankful: The 28-year-old told: 'It was amazing to see how much he perked her up. She was sitting up talking and laughing with him, which she hadn't been able to do all day' After Belinda told him she didn't think he'd be picked, Lee said: 'I was like, 'That doesn't sound good!' But he added, she said, 'No, you were my favourite and that's why I didn't think Georgia would choose you.' He also took to social media and said the occasion of revealing his relationship with Georgia was bitter sweet because of Belinda's cancer diagnosis. 'Words cannot express just how much I truly wish this was a very different post. Today is such a mix of emotions,' he wrote on Instagram. Mixed emotions: Last week Lee took to Instagram and said the occasion of revealing his relationship with Georgia was bitter sweet because of Belinda's cancer diagnosis 'It's actually not possible for me to be any happier to finally tell the whole world that I have found my soul mate, my best friend and the love of my life in you Georgia. 'You are my everything and my world! But at the same time I could not be any more saddened by what you and your family are going through right now. 'It most certainly puts everything else into perspective and has only reiterated just how much I absolutely want to be there for you & be your rock as you have been mine today and always!' Sadden: He explained: 'Words cannot express just how much I truly wish this was a very different post. Today is such a mix of emotions...I want to be there for you & be your rock' He went on to say: 'I feel truly blessed to have finally been able to meet the absolutely extraordinary woman who is your mother. 'I can certainly now see where your strength, love for life, sense of humour and beauty both inside & out come from!,' he finished. Georgia gushed about Lee's support during an interview with KIIS FM's Kyle & Jackie O Show last week. 'The only thing I'm really thankful for is that I've finally got Lee to be by my side through all of this because it's been extremely difficult going through all this,' she told. Tough: Network 10 confirmed last week that Belinda had been admitted to palliative care after she received chemotherapy while Georgia filmed season two of The Bachelorette 'Just having him on the other end of the phone...We've got a lot of difficult times ahead.' Network 10 confirmed to the Daily Telegraph last week that Belinda had been admitted to palliative care. She was receiving chemotherapy while Georgia filmed season two of the popular reality series. Ivory Coast votes on divisive new constitution Ivory Coast goes to the polls on Sunday to vote on constitutional changes that President Alassane Ouattara says will help to end years of instability and unrest linked to the vexed issue of "Ivorian-ness". The draft constitution put forward by Ouattara -- which parliament overwhelmingly approved earlier this week -- would also create a vice president picked by the president and a senate, a third of whom would be nominated by the head of state. The controversial package of changes has succeeded in both alarming opposition leaders and leaving much of the electorate confused. People with placards reading 'Referendum October 30, 2016 - I vote yes' cheer during a rally organised by Ivory Coast's president Alassane Ouattara, at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium in Abidjan, on October 22, 2016 Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File) "All this, it's madness! What concerns us is the cost of living and getting out of poverty. The rich get richer and the poor stay poor," said Bamory Kone, a mechanic in Adjame, an area that mostly supported Ouattara's run for the top job in 2015. "The constitution won't change anything. I won't be going to vote," he added. The draft constitution notably suppresses a clause on national identity -- the so-called "Ivorian-ness" clause which took effect in 2000, and also stipulates that both parents of a presidential candidate must be born on Ivorian soil and not have sought nationality in another country. The issue has contributed to years of unrest, including a coup in 1999, a civil war in 2002 that split the country between its north and south and a violent post-election crisis in 2010. The most recent crisis led to months of post-poll bloodshed with then-president Laurent Gbagbo refusing to step down. Some 3,000 people died and Gbagbo is now on trial in The Hague for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Ouattara hails from central Ivory Coast but his father was born in neighbouring Burkina Faso and the issue of identity raised a hurdle in his bid for the presidency. He eventually overcame this obstacle through a decree Gbagbo was pressured to sign by the international community. - Voters none the wiser - The proposed new constitution also calls for the creation of the post of vice president, who would appear on the ballot with presidential candidates. For the government, it would ensure continuity if the head of state died or was incapacitated. But critics have speculated that he is trying to line up a successor for when his term ends in 2020. The opposition sees the change as a "monarchistic tactic". The draft also establishes a new legislative chamber in the form of a senate, two-thirds of whose members would be elected, with the remaining third appointed by the president. Ouattara "is treating Ivory Coast as if it were his personal property. What he is offering is less than a constitution. It is a will and testament designed to distribute his country to his successors so it stays in the family," said the head of the Ivorian Popular Front, the opposition party founded by Gbagbo. US-based Human Rights Watch has warned that despite campaigning many Ivorians are still none the wiser about what they are voting for. "There is little engagement," said researcher Meite Mamoudou who, like many observers, expects that many people simply will not bother to vote. Some 6.3 million people are eligible to vote. The country's 20,000 polling stations will open from 0800 GMT and close at 1800 GMT. An electoral commission source said the counting should be finished "by the end of Monday, Tuesday at the latest". A supporter of the Ivorian Popular Front (IPF) party holds a sign reading 'No to the new constitution', in Port-Bouet, a commune of Abidjan, on September 17, 2016 Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File) Tunisia looks to branch out into wine tourism Although Tunisia's tourism industry seems to be going through an unending chill, Mohamed Ben Sheikh is convinced there are good days ahead thanks to the nation's vineyards. Standing on a hillside on his land, he says, "Our country is rich in local produce." Among these assets, the ancient culture of winemaking is undergoing something of a revival in this overwhelmingly Muslim-majority country which has a reputation of being one of the most liberal in the Arab world. A new tourist route from Tunis to Cap Bon will tap Tunisia's 2,800-year wine tradition, to boost tourism revenue Fethi Belaid (AFP/File) For decades, Tunisia has relied heavily on tourism but almost exclusively targeting beachgoers and sun worshippers. But the instability that followed its 2011 Arab Spring uprising has sparked a major crisis, forcing the north African country to rethink its strategy. And one of the possibilities is attracting wine enthusiasts. "Wine is a premium product which relates to both land and history. It is a way of promoting Tunisia," says Ben Sheikh, president of the chamber of alcoholic drinks producers. At the Neferis vineyard in Grombalia, perched on hills overlooking the Mediterranean some 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of Tunis, Ben Sheikh is trying to develop a wine route as an "alternative" form of tourism which he is hoping to be able to offer tour operators next year. Besides wine-making Tunisia is home to many archaeological sites, he adds. "We should create cultural tourism." - 'Rome's wine cellar' - Tunisia is no newcomer to vineyards. It has been producing wine for at least 2,800 years, Ben Sheikh says. "Carthage was the granary of Rome but it was also its wine cellar. It had a great agronomist, Magon, who was the first to write treaties on winegrowing," he explains. The idea is to develop a tour stretching from the capital Tunis to the nearby Cap Bon peninsula, mixing archaeology with visits to local vineyards. And it is the wine aspect which is most likely to surprise. Following a post-independence decline partly due to Europeans buying their own produce, according to industry veteran Belgacem D'Khili, Tunisia's winegrowing industry experienced something of a revival in the 1990s. At the time, the government promised to reclaim public land and bring in foreign investment in a step which saw the emergence of seven companies for agricultural development. Twenty years on and the bet seems to have paid off. Tunisian wine, which relies on old grape varieties such as Carignan, is branching out into newer varieties such as Chardonnay, Viognier or Verdejo. To date, it counts seven AOCs. For that, "we need investment in new technologies, and cooling the wine at controlled temperatures during fermentation," says Rached Kobrosly, who is in charge of quality control at the Neferis winery. Spread over 450 hectares (about 1,100 acres), Neferis produces 1.2 million bottles every year and Kobrosly says they compare among the world's best. He cites as examples Italy's typically rich red wine Amarone and classified French wines such as Saint-Emilion and Pomerol, both from the Bordeaux region. Kobrosly says the 32 million bottles emerging from Tunisian wineries -- and almost all of it consumed domestically -- "has a very great chance of being exported" and sold in overseas markets. - 'No image' - But despite the optimism the figures remain modest. Although the sector earns approximately 80 million euros ($87 million) annually and contributes 25 million euros to state coffers in taxes, revenues from wine exports do not exceed 10 million euros. This is partly due to the limited scale of vineyards -- only 15,000 hectares on a national level -- and a near total absence of any marketing strategy. "The problem with Tunisian wine is not one of a bad image but the fact there's no image!" says Kobrosly. "To reinforce its touristy appeal, events have to be launched around grape harvests and wine cellars," says Tahar Ayachi, a journalist specialising in heritage and tourism. "There was a time when one celebrated harvests and where one pressed grapes in village squares," Ayachi adds. D'Khili, who has for years headed the "Vignerons de Carthage" wine cooperative, says there is "long-term work" ahead. But with "the revolution in quality in the last 20 years, we have the tools to succeed." D'Khili, who is trying to promote Shadrapa, a picturesque domaine nestled on the banks of the Medjerda river about 70 kilometres west of Tunis, says the site could become a huge tourist draw. "We are close to Dougga, one of the most beautiful archaeological sites and we are working in tandem with some of the bed and breakfast places in the area," he says. "Viticulture is the sector of the future." Tunisia hopes to lift its tourism industry out of its slump with a tourist route that takes in local vineyards and archeological sites Fethi Belaid (AFP/File) Bishoo, Gabriel derail Pakistan in third Windies Test Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo and fast bowler Shannon Gabriel shared seven wickets between them to stop Pakistan from posting a big total on the opening day of the third and final Test in Sharjah on Sunday. Pakistan were cruising along nicely at 230-4 when West Indies grabbed four quick wickets to put Pakistan on the back foot at 255-8 by close of play at the Sharjah stadium. At close, tail-enders Mohammad Amir was batting on six and Yasir Shah on one as West Indies will look to bowl out Pakistan early on day two. West Indies' spinner Devendra Bishoo (R) bowls Pakistani batsman Sarfraz Ahmed (L) looks on during the first day of the third and final Test at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah on October 30, 2016 Aamir Qureshi (AFP) Pakistan, who won the toss on a batting-friendly pitch, saw opener Sami Aslam (72), Misbah-ul-Haq (53), Younis Khan (51) and Sarfraz Ahmed (51) all reach half centuries. Ahmed and Misbah had added 80 for the fifth wicket but Pakistan lost four wickets in the space of 18 runs to slump to 248-8, with Bishoo registering figures of 4-74 and Gabriel 3-58. "We are in a good position to get them out (under 300)," said Bishoo, who took a career best 8-49 in the first Test. "We must build on this good bowling performance by posting a good total and that will strengthen our position." That slump could hurt Pakistan's chances of whitewashing West Indies 3-0 after winning the first Test by 56 runs in Dubai and the second by 133 runs in Abu Dhabi. Misbah had started his record 49th Test as captain -- bettering Imran Khan's feat of 48 Tests as captain -- on a good note when he won the third straight toss and instantly decided to bat, but his batsmen played reckless shots. Misbah was himself guilty as he gloved a reverse sweep off Bishoo after hitting three fours and a six. - Aggrieved - Misbah was lucky to survive a close leg-before decision after West Indian captain Jason Holder took a review against Australian umpire Paul Rieffel's not out decision, but television umpire Richard Illingworth backed up the on-field official on the basis of sound, which could have been an edge off the bat. That left West Indian players aggrieved. Aslam, who added 106 for the third wicket with Younis, also fell to an irresponsible reverse sweep off Bishoo after looking set for his maiden hundred, having hit seven fours and a six in his 172-ball knock. Younis, who hit four boundaries and a six off Chase in completing his 31st Test half century, also played a rash shot and was caught off Roston Chase. Ahmed, who hit five fours, was bowled by Gabriel while at the other end Bishoo had Wahab Riaz for four. Earlier, it was Gabriel who jolted the Pakistan innings at the start with the wickets of Ali and Shafiq in the very first over of the match. Ali, who scored a career-best 302 not out in the first Test, edged a lifting delivery from Gabriel to slip after Sami had taken a single off the first ball. Asad Shafiq also survived just one delivery before being trapped lbw as that time Holder successfully challenged Reiffel's not out decision. Pakistan brought back pacemen Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz -- rested for the second Test -- in place of Sohail Khan and Rahat Ali. West Indies also made two changes from the Abu Dhabi Test, with fit-again wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich replacing Shai Hope and paceman Alzarri Joseph coming in for Miguel Cummins. Central African militias gather as French troops prepare to leave French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian heads to the Central African Republic on Sunday to formally end Operation Sangaris, begun three years ago to halt mass killings there but which failed to disarm militias terrorising the population. The formal end to the French mission comes as a fresh wave of bloodshed shook the troubled nation, spearheaded by rival Muslim and Christian militia groups. "France is not giving up on Central Africa," Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Thursday, highlighting the presence of more than 10,000 UN peacekeepers from the MINUSCA mission. French Sangaris forces patrol in Bangui, Central African Republic in February 2016 as people vote in presidential elections hoping to bring peace after the country's worst sectarian violence since independence in 1960 Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File) But many Central Africans are worried about the departure of the French troops, who were urgently deployed following a wave of bloodshed in December 2013. "Armed groups are getting ready. And I'm afraid they will start an all-out offensive when the French have left," a senior political figure told AFP, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject. "The militias fear the French troops but not the UN force." In recent weeks, people have been living in fear as armed groups have resumed their acts of violence in the interior of the country, leaving dozens dead. On Thursday and Friday alone, at least 25 people were killed, among them six members of the security forces following clashes in the central town of Bambari and the surrounding area, MINUSCA said. - Mass killings - Armed groups have flourished over the years given the weakness of the state. Among the main culprits are factions from the mostly-Muslim former Seleka rebel force, and the Christian anti-Balaka militias. But there are also vigilante groups made up of nomadic Fulani herders, who are predominantly Muslim as well as others which specialise in highway robbery. One of the world's poorest countries, the Central African Republic has scarcely emerged from the chaos of civil war which erupted in 2013 following the overthrow of then president Francoise Bozize, a Christian, by Muslim rebels from the Seleka coalition who installed their own leader. Christians who comprise about 80 percent of the population then organised vigilante units -- dubbed "anti-Balaka" in reference to the machetes used by the rebels -- which then began to target Muslims, plunging the country into a crisis. According to Human Rights Watch, the Seleka and anti-Balaka groups committed widespread abuses against civilians, including killings, sexual violence, and destruction of private, public and religious properties, causing mass displacement. French troops backed by a UN mandate arrived in December 2013. A month later, the Seleka president was forced to step down following massive international pressure over his failure to end the violence. - 'A success' - Despite this explosive cocktail, France, the former colonial power, decided earlier this year to end its mission in the country with Le Drian telling parliament earlier this month that the operation had been "a success". "We stopped the mass killings... allowed a process of intercommunal reconciliation, the reconstitution of the state, a presidential election, and legislative elections," he said during a debate. "Even if stability has not been entirely restored, it is important now... that this role be handed over to the Central African forces and the UN mission." Around 350 French troops, equipped with observation drones, will remain present, around 100 of whom will be deployed with the UN, the French government says. - Allegations of child rape - The French operation has not been entirely smooth, with its troops coming under intense pressure since July 2014 over allegations of child rape. Despite the troubling claims, fears of a return to violence have triggered concern among Central African civilians over the imminent pullout. "I think there is a sense of unfinished business which risks plunging the country back into a much worse situation," said a teacher called Edgar Ngbaba. "I don't believe in this withdrawal at all," said Marie Ndoinam, a trader. And the worry of Bangui residents is only fuelled by news filtering through from the interior of the country. According to several Central African sources contacted by AFP, several hundreds of heavily-armed Seleka gunmen from rival factions have begun gathering in Batangafo, some 350 kilometres (220 miles) north of Bangui. French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (L) and President Francois Hollande pictured during at a meeting of coalition defence chiefs at the Defence Ministry in Paris, on October 25, 2016 Charles Platiau (POOL/AFP/File) French President Francois Hollande R) said French troops would remain in Central African Republic as long as necessary, but Operation Sangaris was not designed to last Stephane de Sakutin (POOL/AFP/File) Car ramming in West Bank, Palestinian attacker killed: Israel police A car ramming in the occupied West Bank on Sunday lightly wounded three Israeli police officers, and the Palestinian attacker was shot dead, Israeli police said. The incident occurred in the Beit Ummar area near the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron as border police were conducting an operation, police said. Officers then shot the Palestinian. The Palestinian health ministry identified the man killed as Khaled Ahmad Ekhlail, 23, from Beit Ummar. A Palestinian man was shot and killed when he rammed his car into Israeli police, injuring three of them, in the Beit Ummar area of the West Bank October 30, 2016, in an incident similar to this one shown November 27, 2015 Hazem Bader (AFP/File) A wave of Palestinian knife, gun and car-ramming attacks began a year ago, but the violence has signficantly declined in recent months. Since October last year, the violence has claimed the lives of 236 Palestinians, 36 Israelis, two Americans, a Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese, according to an AFP count. Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out attacks, according to Israeli authorities. Others were shot dead during protests and clashes, while some were killed in air strikes in the Gaza Strip. Human rights groups have accused Israeli security forces of using excessive force in certain cases. Internal reviews by the army of two fatal shootings of attackers earlier this month found that the use of deadly force could have been avoided, public radio reported last week. Many analysts say Palestinian frustration with the Israeli occupation and settlement-building in the West Bank, comatose peace efforts and their own fractured leadership have helped feed the unrest. Israel says incitement by Palestinian leaders and media is a leading cause. Cambodian fishermen return after pirate ordeal Four Cambodian fisherman freed after a nearly five year ordeal as hostages at the hands of Somali pirates returned to Phnom Penh Sunday to be reunited with their families. The men, wearing Cambodian chequered scarves, were flanked by police as they arrived and were whisked away in a van through the waiting press pack. They are among 26 hostages freed from the crew of Naham 3 seized south of the Seychelles in March 2012, the second longest hostage-taking ever by Somali pirates. Cambodian seafarers released after being held hostage by Somali pirates are surrounded by media after arriving at Phnom Penh International Airport on October 30, 2016 Tang Chhin Sothy (AFP) In brief comments before he was hustled into the van one man, who did not want to give his name, told reporters he was "very happy... so glad" to be free. The men are expected to be reunited with their families on Monday. The Naham 3's crew, which also included seafarers from China, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan. The captain of their Omani-flagged vessel died during the hijacking and two other crew members passed away due to sickness during the hostage drama. First mass in two years held in Iraq's main Christian town A handful of faithful gathered in a burnt out church Sunday for the first mass to be celebrated in two years in Qaraqosh, which was once Iraq's main Christian town. Iraqi forces retook Qaraqosh from the Islamic State group days earlier, as part of a massive offensive to wrest back the country's second city Mosul. "After two years and three months in exile, I just celebrated the Eucharist in the cathedral of the Immaculate Conception the Islamic State wanted to destroy," Yohanna Petros Mouche, the Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Mosul, said. Archbishop Yohanna Petros Mouche of Mosul (L) gives communion as he leads a mass at the Church of the Immaculate Conception on October 30, 2016 in the town of Qaraqosh, 30 kms east of Mosul Safin Hamed (AFP) "But in my heart it was always there," Mouche, who officiated with four priests, told AFP. IS jihadists took over swathes of Iraq in June 2014, also taking Mosul where the prelate was based. He moved to Qaraqosh, a town with a mostly Christian population of around 50,000 that was controlled by Kurdish forces and lies east of Mosul in the Nineveh plain. But a second jihadist sweep towards Kurdish-controlled areas two months later forced around 120,000 Iraqi Christians and members of other minorities to leave their towns and villages. "We had no other choice but to convert or become slaves. We fled to preserve our faith. Now we're going to need international protection," Father Majeed Hazem said. Donning a resplendent chasuble and stole, Mouche led mass on an improvised altar in front of a modest congregation mostly made up of members of the Nineveh Plain Protection Units (NPU), a local Christian militia. - 'Damaged but still standing' - "I can't describe what I'm feeling. This is my land, my church," said Samer Shabaoun, a militiaman who was involved in operations to retake Qaraqosh. "They used everything against us: they shot at us, they sent car bombs, suicide attackers. Despite all this, we're here." Shortly before Sunday's mass, the soldiers now guarding Qaraqosh were surprised to find two elderly women in a bouse, one of them bedridden. "We stayed the whole of the occupation by the Islamic State, from the first day. Sometimes they would bring us food," one of them said. The bell tower of the church was damaged, statues decapitated and missals strewn across the nave floor, which is still covered in soot from the fire the jihadists lit when they retreated. But some of the crosses have already been replaced and a new icon was laid on the main altar, where the armed militiamen took turns to light candles. "This church is such a powerful symbol that if we hadn't found it like this, damaged but still standing, I'm not sure residents would have wanted to come back," Mouche said. - Christmas in Mosul? - "But the fact that it's still here gives us hope," the blue-eyed prelate, who wears thin-rimmed glasses and sports a neatly trimmed white goatee, said as he surveyed the damage in Qaraqosh after mass. It could be months before former residents return to a town that needs to be cleared of explosive devices left behind by IS and whose infrastructure suffered badly. The seminary library was completely burnt down and the ashes were still warm. "This is barely a few days old -- the jihadists torched it when soldiers started entering the town," Mouche said. In the course of his visit to Qaraqosh, the archbishop recited ritual phrases to "purify" various buildings, holding a cross in one hand and swinging a thurible of incense with the other. Jihadists appear to have used the cloister-like back yard of the cathedral for target practice. The ground was littered with casings, the pillars riddled with bullet impacts and IS instructors even left behind a board detailing the workings of a Kalashnikov assault rifle. The Iraqi offensive on Mosul launched two weeks ago has yet to reach the city borders, and commanders have warned it could last months but Mouche was optimistic: "I hope to celebrate a Christmas mass in Mosul cathedral." Archbishop Yohanna Petros Mouche (C) of Mosul leads a mass at the Church of the Immaculate Conception on October 30, 2016 in the town of Qaraqosh, 30 kms east of Mosul, after Iraqi forces recaptured it from the Islamic State Safin Hamed (AFP) Iraqi Christian forces inspect the damage at the Church of the Immaculate Conception on October 30, 2016 in the town of Qaraqosh, 30 kms east of Mosul, after Iraqi forces recaptured it from the Islamic State Safin Hamed (AFP) Egypt marks anniversary of Russian Metrojet plane bombing Egypt on Monday marked with a church service a year since jihadists bombed a Russian airliner carrying holidaymakers from a Red Sea resort, an attack that crippled the Arab country's economy. The Islamic State group claimed it brought the plane down on October 31, 2015, saying it had smuggled explosives into the aircraft before its departure from the resort of Sharm El-Sheikh. All 224 people on board were killed when the bomb went off minutes after the Metrojet A-321 had taken off for the Russian city of Saint Petersburg. Russian ambassador to Egypt Sergei Kerbachenko (3L) attends a mass on October 31, 2016 at the al-Sammaeen cathedral in Sharm el-Sheikh marking a year since jihadists bombed a Russian Metrojet airliner carrying holidaymakers Mohamed El-Shahed (AFP) At a service in a cathedral in the resort on Monday attended by Egyptian officials and Russia's ambassador, priests read out prayers next to an alter on which flowers had been placed. In Saint Petersburg, relatives of some of the 244 people killed attended ceremonies to mark the disaster. Mourners lit candles at a service at the northwestern city's Holy Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral and held a minute of silence at 7:14 am (0414 GMT), the exact time when the plane disappeared from the radar. The central Saint Isaac's Cathedral also tolled its bells 224 times, while a memorial concert was set to be held in the city later in the day. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, led prayers for the victims in Moscow. Russia reacted to last year's disaster by cancelling all flights to Egypt, and Britain also cancelled flights to the resort town, badly affecting a tourism sector already battered by unrest following the country's 2011 revolution. On November 17, President Vladimir Putin said Russian investigators had found evidence of a bomb on board, and vowed to punish those responsible. In February, his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi acknowledged for the first time that "terrorism" caused the crash, although the government has not yet issued an official report on its cause. Sisi had previously dismissed as "propaganda" the IS claim that it downed the airliner. - Russian tourists 'to return' - On Sunday, Egypt's aviation minister and Russian ambassador attended a ceremony in Sharm el-Sheikh in memory of those killed in the disaster. The minister, Sherif Fathy, reiterated the Egyptian government's condolences to the relatives of victims, expressing "our feelings of sorrow and sadness over the lives we have lost". Russian ambassador Serge Kirpichenko said the "sadness is ongoing and will never go away". The envoy said he was confident flights from Russia would soon resume. "We are certain the day and time are approaching, and quickly, for the return of Russian tourism to Egypt," said Kirpichenko. "We are working on this day and night." The ban on flights had severely impacted Egypt's struggling economy, denting its tourist revenues at a time it faces a shortage of dollars. Citizens of Russia and Britain make up about 40 percent of foreign tourists to Egypt. In February, Prime Minister Ismail Sharif told state television the North African country had already lost up to $1.3 billion since the disaster. Egypt is still battling the Islamist State group's Egypt branch in the Sinai Peninsula. Security services have not announced any arrests relating to the airliner bombing, or publicly disclosed how the bomb was brought on board the plane at Sharm el-Sheikh airport. In August, the military announced it killed the head of IS in Sinai Abu Doaa al-Ansari. The group's large-scale attacks against police and army checkpoints and barracks have become less regular in 2016, but they have kept up a campaign of roadside bombings in Sinai. People march in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh on October 30, 2016 to mark the first anniversary of the 2015 Russian Metrojet plane crash Mohamed el-Shahed (AFP) Some 224 people were killed when a Metrojet Airbus plane flying from Sharm el-Sheikh to Saint Petersburg crashed in the Sinai desert on October 31, 2015 Seliman al-Oteifi (EGYPTIAN PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE/AFP/File) Georgia's governing party seeks constitutional majority TBILISI, Georgia (AP) The governing party in the former Soviet republic of Georgia aimed to win a constitutional majority of parliament seats in the second round of national voting Sunday, which was marked by low turnout. Only 37.5 percent of eligible voters took part in the runoffs, which will choose a third of the country's parliament members, the central elections commission said. It also said no complaints of major violations were reported. In voting three weeks ago, the Georgian Dream party took 67 of the parliament's 150 seats. But 50 seats needed to undergo Sunday's runoff vote because no candidate received a majority. Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, left, is greeted by a Georgian woman outside a polling station during a parliamentary election runoff in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016. The governing party in the former Soviet republic of Georgia aims to win a constitutional majority of parliament seats in the second round of national voting Sunday. (Leli Blagonravova/Presidential Press Service Handout Photo via AP) Georgian Dream candidates polled the largest support in most of those races in the first round, but the likelihood of its winning the 46 seats needed for a three-quarters constitutional majority are unclear. In most districts, substantial first-round vote shares went to independents or candidates from a score of small parties. Both Georgian Dream and main opponent the United National Movement are pro-West, seeking better relations and possible eventual membership in NATO and the European Union. But Georgian Dream has tried to balance these aspirations with developing better relations with Russia. Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said Sunday that Georgia will continue to pursue "the principle of integration with the EU and NATO, at the same time reducing tensions with Russia." Russia and Georgia fought a short war in 2008 that ended with Georgia losing all control of two Russia-friendly separatist regions. Former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili was a vehement critic of Russia and detested by the Kremlin. Although Saakashvili was stripped of his citizenship after becoming governor of Ukraine's Odessa region, he is still a key figure in the opposition UNM, which denounces the governing party as the creation of a Russian oligarch. Georgian Dream was started by tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili, who made his fortune in Russia. He later became prime minister, but even after stepping down from the post he is still seen as the party's dominant influence. If Georgian Dream gets the three-quarters majority in parliament that would allow it to change the constitution, an early move is likely to be an amendment to make the presidency a position appointed by parliament. "We already know what (Ivanishvili) wants to do -- he wants to take away our right to elect the president directly," said Giga Boleria, foreign affairs secretary for UNM. Georgian Dream executive secretary Irakli Kobakhidze justifies the proposed change as "the opportunity to improve the constitution to strengthen the parliament as the main constitutional body in the country and to secure the principle of separation of powers." Aside from the 27 seats won by UNM in the first round, only one other political bloc entered the new parliament the Russia-tolerant Alliance of Patriots, with six seats. Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili leaves a voting booth, during a parliamentary election runoff in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016. The governing party in the former Soviet republic of Georgia aims to win a constitutional majority of parliament seats in the second round of national voting Sunday. (Leli Blagonravova/Presidential Press Service via AP) A man leaves a voting booth during a parliamentary election runoff in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016. The governing party in the former Soviet republic of Georgia aims to win a constitutional majority of parliament seats in the second round of national voting Sunday. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov) A man fills his ballot papers in a voting booth during a parliamentary election runoff in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016. The governing party in the former Soviet republic of Georgia aims to win a constitutional majority of parliament seats in the second round of national voting Sunday. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov) A woman holding her child leaves a voting booth during a parliamentary election runoff in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016. The governing party in the former Soviet republic of Georgia aims to win a constitutional majority of parliament seats in the second round of national voting Sunday. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov) Pool workers wait for voters at a polling station during a parliamentary election runoff in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016. The governing party in the former Soviet republic of Georgia aims to win a constitutional majority of parliament seats in the second round of national voting Sunday. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov) Voters collect their ballot papers at a polling station during a parliamentary election runoff in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016. The governing party in the former Soviet republic of Georgia aims to win a constitutional majority of parliament seats in the second round of national voting Sunday. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov) Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili casts his ballot during a parliamentary election runoff in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016. The governing party in the former Soviet republic of Georgia aims to win a constitutional majority of parliament seats in the second round of national voting Sunday. (Leli Blagonravova/Presidential Press Service via AP) Powerful quake rattles Italy; no deaths immediately reported ROME (AP) A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 on Sunday rocked the same area of central and southern Italy hit by quake in August and a pair of aftershocks last week, sending already quake-damaged buildings crumbling after a week of temblors that have left thousands homeless. The head of Italy's civil protection agency, Fabrizio Curcio, said there were no immediate reports of deaths, but that some people had suffered injuries as numerous buildings that had resisted the previous temblors collapsed. He said authorities were responding with helicopters as many roads were blocked from rockslides. Residents already rattled by a constant trembling of the earth rushed into piazzas and streets after being roused from bed by the 7:40 a.m. quake. In this image made from video, firefighters clean rubbles fallen from a damaged building in Norcia, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 after a powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 rocked central and southern Italy following a week of temblors left thousands homeless. (Sky Italia via AP) Many people still had been sleeping in cars or evacuated to shelters or hotels in other areas after a pair of strong jolts on Wednesday. Curcio said 1,300 had been evacuated to the coast, and more would follow. The quake struck a cluster of mountain towns, many of historic significance, already reeling from last week's pair of aftershocks to an August earthquake that killed nearly 300: Norcia, Visso, Castelsantangelo sul Nero and Preci. The head of the civil protection authority in Italy's Marche region, Cesare Spuri, said there were reports of buildings collapsing in many cities. "We are trying to understand if people are under the rubble," Spuri said. In the ancient city of Norcia, famed for its Benedictine monastery and its cured meats, witnesses said the 14th century St. Benedict cathedral crumbled, leaving only its facade standing. Television images in the minutes after the quake showed nuns rushing out of their church and into Norcia's main piazza as the clock tower appeared ready to fall. One nun had to be carried by firefighters, while another was supported as she walked. Later, priests and nuns prayed in the square amid the rubble. "It's as if the whole city fell down," Norcia city assessor Giuseppina Perla told the ANSA news agency. The town closest to the quake's epicenter, Norcia is the birthplace of St. Benedict, the father of monasticism and has suffered a series of earthquakes over its history. The cathedral was built over Benedict's birthplace. The monks of Norcia confirmed the collapse of the St. Benedict cathedral in a letter launching an immediate fundraising campaign to rebuild. The current superior, who signed the letter to supporters as the Rev. Benedict, reported the cathedral was "flattened," and that monks were combing the city to help where needed. "May this image serve to illustrate the power of this earthquake, and the urgency we monks feel to seek out those who need the sacraments on this difficult day for Italy," he wrote. The deputy mayor of Norcia, Pierluigi Altavilla, said his house remained standing, but everything inside had been toppled. "It seemed like a bomb exploded inside the house," he told Sky TG24. The hilltop town of Camerino, some 60 kilometers from Ancona, suffered new building collapses but no reports of injuries. City spokesman Emmanuele Pironi said the main fire hall had been rendered uninhabitable and that they had transferred to a warehouse. "An hour and a half after the quake, we can be reassured," Pironi told The Associated Press. Pironi said most of the area's 9,000 university students had left after the town's historic center was closed due to danger of collapses last week, and some of the 7,000 residents had been moved to hotels near the coast or to shelters nearby. Few remained in their homes. The mayor of quake-hit Ussita said a huge cloud of smoke erupted from the crumbled buildings. "It's a disaster, a disaster!" Mayor Marco Rinaldi told ANSA. "I was sleeping in the car and I saw hell." In Arquata del Tronto, which had been devastated by the Aug. 24 earthquake that killed nearly 300 people, Arquata Mayor Aleandro Petrucci said, "There are no towns left." "Everything came down," he said. New collapses also were reported in Tolentino, where the news agency ANSA said three people were extracted from the rubble. The quake was felt throughout the Italian peninsula, with reports as far north as Bolzano near the Austrian border and as far south as Bari in the Puglia region. Residents rushed into the streets in Rome, where ancient palazzi shook, swayed and lurched for a prolonged spell. Austria's governmental earthquake monitoring organization said the quake was felt to varying degrees in the east and south of the country and all the way to the city of Salzburg. It says that at its strongest, residents in upper floors noticed a swaying sensation and a slow swinging of hanging objects. The quake sent boulders raining onto state highways and smaller roads, forcing closures throughout the quake zone that was impeding access to hard-hit cities such as Norcia. Traffic was being diverted to other roads. The Salaria highway, one of the main highways in the region, was closed at certain points as it was after Wednesday's quakes. In addition, Italy's rail line said some local lines in Umbria and Le Marche were closed as a precaution. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center put the magnitude at 6.6 or 6.5 with an epicenter 132 kilometers northeast of Rome and 67 kilometers east of Perugia, near the epicenter of last week's temblors. The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at 6.6. The German Research Centre for Geosciences put the magnitude at 6.5 and said it had a depth of 10 kilometers, a relatively shallow quake near the surface but in the norm for the quake-prone Apennine Mountain region. ___ Barry reported from Milan. In this image made from video, firefighters stand in front of a damaged building in Norcia, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 after a powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 rocked central and southern Italy following a week of temblors left thousands homeless. (Sky Italia via AP) In this image made from video, firefighters clean the road blocked by rubbles fallen from a damaged building in Norcia, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 after a powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 rocked central and southern Italy following a week of temblors left thousands homeless. (Sky Italia via AP) In this image made from video, residents who fled from their houses gather in a square in front of a damaged church in Norcia, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 after a powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 rocked central and southern Italy following a week of temblors left thousands homeless. (Sky Italia via AP) In this image made from video, residents who fled from their houses gather in a square in front of a damaged church in Norcia, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 after a powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 rocked central and southern Italy following a week of temblors left thousands homeless. (Sky Italia via AP) In this image made from video, priests and nuns escaped from their church join residents in a square in front of a damaged church in Norcia, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 after a powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 rocked central and southern Italy following a week of temblors left thousands homeless. (Sky Italia via AP) In this image made from video, people walk through a street scattered with rubbles fallen from damaged buildings in Norcia, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 after a powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 rocked central and southern Italy following a week of temblors left thousands homeless. (Sky Italia via AP) In this image made from video, bricks fallen from a damaged building block a street in Norcia, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 after a powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 rocked central and southern Italy following a week of temblors left thousands homeless. (Sky Italia via AP) In this image made from video, a damaged church stands in Norcia, Italy, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 after a powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 rocked central and southern Italy following a week of temblors left thousands homeless. (Sky Italia via AP) Cambodia's first post-Khmer Rouge prime minister dies at 80 PHNOM PEHN, Cambodia (AP) Former Cambodian Prime Minister Pen Sovann, who was installed then imprisoned by the Vietnamese after they defeated the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, has died. He was 80. Pen Sovann was the country's first post-Khmer Rouge prime minister, holding the office from June to December 1981, when it was known as the People's Republic of Kampuchea. He died Saturday night from an illness in his hometown in southern Takeo province. In late 1981, Pen Sovann was removed from power by the Vietnamese in an ouster triggered by his calls for the withdrawal of Vietnam's forces from Cambodia. He was imprisoned for 10 years in Hanoi. FILE - In this April 23, 1997 file photo, Pen Sovann arrives at a news conference in Phnom Penh. Former Cambodian Prime Minister Pen Sovann, who was installed then imprisoned by the Vietnamese after they defeated the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, has died. He was 80. Pen Sovann was the country's first post-Khmer Rouge prime minister, holding the office from June to December 1981, when it was known as the People's Republic of Kampuchea. He died Saturday night, Oct. 29, 2016, from an illness in his hometown in southern Takeo province. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File) Pen Sovann founded the Cambodian National Sustaining Party, which took part in the 1998 election but did not win a seat in parliament. In 2012, he joined the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party and won a parliamentary seat in the last general election in 2013. Pen Sovann was part of a group of self-exiled former Cambodian communists who fled Cambodia after becoming disenchanted with the Khmer Rouge. He later returned amid the Vietnamese military invasion that toppled the Khmer Rouge. He was also the bitter rival of current longtime Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. In a statement Sunday, the Cambodia National Rescue Party said it was joining Pen Sovann's family in organizing a funeral for Pen Sovann. Montenegro's election commission declares final results PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) Montenegro's state election commission has declared the final results of the Oct. 16 parliamentary election despite a walkout by opposition representatives who have alleged irregularities during the vote. The commission late Saturday confirmed the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists won 36 seats in the 81-member parliament, followed by opposition Democratic Front with 18 seats and the Key Coalition with nine. The remaining seats went to smaller groups. Opposition parties have insisted the election was marred by irregularities, including a ban on popular WhatsApp and Viber messaging services. The election was also marked by the arrest of 20 people suspected of planning armed attacks and the capture of pro-Western Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic. Next Congress: Perhaps a Cheney, Panetta, more minorities WASHINGTON (AP) No matter who wins the presidency, women and minorities are poised to make gains in the next Congress. The offspring of two pillars of the Washington establishment former Vice President Dick Cheney and ex-CIA Director Leon Panetta have a good chance to resume their families' service in Congress. The number of women in the Senate could increase by four or more above the current 20, with as many as three female minorities. It would be the highest number of women in the Senate in history, but nowhere near the percentage of females in the general population. A record 167 women are running for the House. While outcomes are uncertain, analysts predict the number of women in the House for the 115th Congress that convenes Jan. 3 will exceed the current 84. FILE - In this May 31, 2016, file photo, Nevada Democratic Senate candidate Catherine Cortez Masto meets with people at a campaign event at a restaurant in Las Vegas. Masto could be the first Latina while women could have a record number in the Senate, though nowhere near the number of the population at large. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) Racial minorities are expected to make historic gains, although Congress is likely to remain overwhelmingly white, male and middle-aged. The new Congress could have some familiar names, with several former members seeking their old seats. A look at how the demographics of Congress may change following the Nov. 8 elections. ___ WOMEN ASCENDANT Twenty women now serve in the Senate, a total likely to rise next year. Kelly Dittmar, an assistant professor at Rutgers University and a scholar at the Center for American Women and Politics, said female candidates may benefit from running with Hillary Clinton at the top of the ticket and from sexist comments made by Donald Trump. But she said the major boost is from Clinton's standing. Twelve of the 16 women running for Senate this year are Democrats. "Democratic candidates will be helped by a strong Democrat on top of the ticket," Dittmar said. She cited Deborah Ross in North Carolina, Katie McGinty in Pennsylvania and Rep. Tammy Duckworth in Illinois as likely beneficiaries of possible Clinton coattails. There are two states where a woman is guaranteed to win: New Hampshire, where incumbent Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte faces Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan, and California, where two Democrats state Attorney General Kamala Harris and Rep. Loretta Sanchez square off. Not all the news for women is positive, said Dittmar, who has written research briefs outlining the prospect for female candidates in the House and Senate. Based on current polls, Maryland's 10-member congressional delegation is likely to revert to all-male, which Dittmar called especially notable because Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., holds the record as the longest-serving woman in Congress. Rep. Donna Edwards is retiring after losing a bid for the Senate. Maryland could join more than a dozen states with all-male delegations in Congress. If elected, McGinty would be the state's first woman to serve in the Senate and could find herself the lone woman in Pennsylvania's 20-member congressional delegation. "Pennsylvania has a lot of work to do" to elect more women, Dittmar said, including better recruitment of female candidates at all levels. "They are still contending with a bit of a boys' club in Pennsylvania." ___ MORE MINORITIES Former Illinois Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, the first African-American woman elected to the Senate, said she was thrilled to see "people running for office who don't fit the traditional role of wealthy, white and male." Braun and Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, are only the minority women who have served in the Senate. Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto, who is running for an open seat in Nevada, joins Sanchez in seeking to become the nation's first Latina senator, while Duckworth could become the Senate's second Asian-American woman. Harris, the daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica, could become just the second black woman elected to the Senate and the first with South Asian roots. In the House, Democrat Pramila Jayapal of Washington state has a shot at becoming the first Indian-American woman to serve in Congress, while former Delaware Labor Secretary Lisa Blunt Rochester is likely to become the first woman and first African-American to represent her state in Congress. In New York, Democratic state Sen. Adriano Espaillat could become the first native of the Dominican Republic to join Congress. ___ READY FOR A COMEBACK Former Sens. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin and Evan Bayh of Indiana, both Democrats, are trying to win back their old seats, while a few ex-House members are also running for their former jobs: Democrats Colleen Hanabusa of Hawaii, Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire, Brad Schneider of Illinois, Joe Garcia of Florida and Pete Gallego of Texas. ___ NEXT GENERATION Republican Liz Cheney of Wyoming is widely expected to win her father's old House seat, while Democrat Jimmy Panetta is running for an open seat in California representing the same region once served by his father, who had a long career in Washington as congressman, budget director, White House chief of staff, CIA director and defense secretary. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is expected to easily win re-election to a Senate seat once held by her father, Frank Murkowski. ___ Follow Matthew Daly: http://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC Troops kill bomber outside camp of refugees from Boko Haram MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) Troops shot and killed a man with explosives boldly showing strapped to his torso Sunday, as he tried to enter a refugee camp in northeastern Maiduguri city where another suicide bomber killed five people a day earlier. The Sunday morning bombing is the fifth explosion in three weeks in Maiduguri, the birthplace of the Boko Haram Islamic extremist group blamed for the bombings. Maiduguri is also the headquarters of the military campaign to halt the insurgency. The recent bombings have created a new wave of fear at Bakassi camp, which houses more than 16,000 people terrorized by Boko Haram into fleeing their homes. People clear debris after an explosion in Maiduguri, Nigeria, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. Twin explosions from female suicide bombers suspected to be with Boko Haram killed nine people and injured more than 20 in Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri on Saturday morning, officials and witnesses said (AP Photo/Jossy Ola) "Why are they not ready for us to enjoy peace?" asked resident Usman Ado. Another, Abubakar Gajibo, said he saw the bomber "clearly displaying the strapped explosives on his body." Residents alerted soldiers who tried to persuade the man to surrender. But when he started running toward the camp gate, they shot him. One explosive blew up immediately and a second was safely detonated, Gajibo said. The military said there was no blast and soldiers had to detonate the explosives. On Saturday, a female suicide bomber blew herself up at the camp entrance, killing five men and injuring 11 women. A second blast 30 minutes later came from a tricycle taxi driven by a suicide bomber carrying two passengers. A bomb blast on Oct. 12 killed eight refugees in a taxi-van just outside Maiduguri. In February, two female suicide bombers walked into a crowd of refugees at Dikwa camp, 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Maiduguri, killing 58 people and injuring many more. Boko Haram has stepped up attacks after a months-long lull caused by a leadership struggle. Nigeria's home-grown insurgency has killed more than 20,000 people and forced some 2.6 million people from their homes. ___ Associated Press writer Haruna Umar contributed to this report from Maiduguri. People clear the scene after an explosion in Maiduguri, Nigeria, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. Twin explosions from female suicide bombers suspected to be with Boko Haram killed nine people and injured more than 20 in Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri on Saturday morning, officials and witnesses said (AP Photo/Jossy Ola) Animals cross a street as debris is seen on a vehicle, after an explosion in Maiduguri, Nigeria, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. Twin explosions from female suicide bombers suspected to be with Boko Haram killed nine people and injured more than 20 in Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri on Saturday morning, officials and witnesses said. (AP Photo/Jossy Ola) Days of cheap gas coming to a sad end in New Jersey JACKSON, N.J. (AP) The end has come for a long-celebrated tradition for Pennsylvania and New York drivers: Starting Tuesday, cheap gas in New Jersey is a thing of the past. Cheap gas has long been the siren that lured drivers in neighboring states to New Jersey. And since residents there pay the highest property taxes in the nation, drivers have always seen the low fuel prices as one of the ways to keep down the cost of living in the nation's most densely populated state. But after New Jersey ran out of money to pay for transportation projects, Republican Gov. Chris Christie and the state's Democratic-led Legislature agreed to raise the gas tax by 23 cents. It will go from 14.5 cents per gallon to 37.5 cents, marking the first time it has been raised since 1988. In a photo taken Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016, an attendant at Shell gas station pumps gas for a motorist in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J. Cheap gas has long been a benefit of living in New Jersey and the siren that lured drivers there from neighboring states. But that will come to an end Tuesday, Nov. 1, when a 23-cents-per-gallon state gas tax increase takes effect. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Rather than the second-lowest gas taxes in the nation behind Alaska, New Jersey will catapult to sixth highest. For Pennsylvania drivers like Richard Dworkin, that means the end of savings on the other side of the bridge. He said he enjoys frequent trips to visit friends or to eat seafood at the Jersey shore, but admits the best perk of his frequent visits is the state's cheap gas. "You can save 20 to 40 cents (per gallon) by filling up there, and that adds up after a while," the Lower Makefield Township man said. "New Jersey has a lot to offer, but those low prices are the best draw for people like me." The steady traffic at New Jersey pumps has long provided an economic boon to gas station owners in New Jersey, especially during the summer tourism season. Industry officials and drivers alike think there are still enough incentives for out-of-staters to travel to New Jersey, though they admit it's not clear how much of an impact the higher tax rate will have in the coming months and years. Tracy Noble, spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said a continued savings of 10 to 22 cents per gallon will continue to drive out-of-state residents to fill up in New Jersey, especially those that commute in for work. The increase also will provide a much needed investment in the state's transportation infrastructure, making roads and bridges safe and improving those commutes. The gas tax increase is being sued to restore the state's transportation trust fund. "Obviously, it was great having one of the lowest gas taxes in the nation for all these years, but I always knew that someday we would have to pay the piper, and that day is November 1," said Bob Kippinger, from Manchester, New Jersey, as he filled his tank at a station in Jackson. He said he would have preferred the increase be phased in, but it's something that has to be done to stop passing the buck on transportation spending. Sal Risalvato, executive director of the New Jersey Gasoline, C-Store and Automotive Association, said he has been preparing association members for the last two years about the inevitability of some kind of tax increase. But he noted that even with the hike, New Jersey will still have a 13-cents tax advantage over Pennsylvania and a 5- to 10-cents advantage over New York. "We've just resigned ourselves that this it's a bitter pill for us, but it could have been more," he said. The gas tax increase is part of a deal between the governor and lawmakers that includes an 8-year, $16 billion transportation trust fund and cuts to the estate and sales taxes. The deal passed with bipartisan support but also faced strong opposition from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. And two Republican state senators Kip Bateman and Mike Doherty have recently introduced a measure seeking to repeal the increase, saying people were shocked to learn the 23-cent a gallon increase could rise in the future if revenue targets are not met. International court hit by planned exit of 3 African states THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) When the treaty creating the International Criminal Court was opened for signatories in 1998, Egyptian-born legal scholar Mahmoud Cherif Bassiouni called it "a triumph for all peoples of the world." Fast-forward 18 years, and the lofty ideal of establishing a court that would end impunity for atrocities and deliver justice to victims is reeling from the announced departures of three African member states: Burundi, South Africa and Gambia. Never before has one of the court's 124 member states quit. Now three have. Concerns are growing that more African countries will leave. FILE - In this file photo dated Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016, Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda waits for the start of the trial against former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. The court has long has been accused by some African leaders of bias against their continent, and now three African member states; Burundi, South Africa and Gambia, have announced their departure from the court, although Bensouda, herself a Gambian, was defiant this week and insisted as do other observers that the court will weather the crisis. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, FILE) The court, which this year moved into a new headquarters in The Hague, long has been accused by some African leaders of bias against their continent. At first glance, it's easy to see why. Since the Rome Statute treaty creating the court came into force in 2002, the ICC has convicted only four people of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Three were from Congo and one from Mali. The court so far has indicted only suspects from Africa, ranging from notorious Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi. It currently has 10 full-scale investigations underway, with nine in Africa and the other in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. But Alex Whiting, a professor at Harvard Law School and former ICC prosecution coordinator, said the court shouldn't be blamed for the Africa focus. In six cases, the African countries themselves asked the ICC to investigate, and two others were referred to the court by the U.N. Security Council. "Could the ICC really have declined to move on these cases?" Whiting said. Supporters of the court say more is at play, including fears in Burundi and Gambia that ICC prosecutors could target rulers there. The court's chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, herself a Gambian, was defiant this week and insisted as do other observers that the court will weather the crisis. "I don't think we should feel we are defeated and that the court will close tomorrow," Bensouda told a seminar in The Hague. "No, the court will have its challenges. We will counter those challenges. We will confront them and move forward." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he hopes that South Africa will reconsider its decision to leave the ICC when speaking to South Africa President in a phone call, according to a release by the U.N. press office on Sunday. The African departures have highlighted broader criticisms of the court, which employs some 800 staff and has a proposed budget next year of just over 150 million euros ($164 million). Most notable is its failure to tackle crimes outside the continent, such as the litany of atrocities in Syria's brutal civil war. "It is understandable that countries that have voluntarily submitted themselves to the ICC wonder why there is no accountability in places like Syria, and why the Security Council has not acted to refer Syria to the ICC or construct a tribunal for Syria," said Whiting. "That's why I think that the criticism of the African countries should be aimed at the international community rather than the ICC." Syria's civil war is largely out of reach of the ICC prosecutors because the country is not a member of the court. A resolution by the U.N. Security Council to refer the Syrian war to the ICC was vetoed in May 2014 by Russia and China. Another longstanding criticism that feeds into African discontent is the fact that global powers such as the United States, Russia and China are not members. Theo van Boven, an honorary professor of international law at Maastricht University who led the Dutch delegation at the Rome conference that created the ICC, said the absences hurt the court. "It would be helpful indeed if major powers ... would join and contribute to the representative character of a judicial institution that is standing for universal values of an imperative nature," Van Boven wrote in an emailed response to questions by The Associated Press. The court's focus has begun shifting further afield. It is currently conducting 10 so-called preliminary examinations probes to establish whether to open a full investigation in countries including Afghanistan, Ukraine and Colombia, as well as the Palestinian territories and alleged crimes by British forces in Iraq. While the court has had high-profile failures in Africa the collapse of the case against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and the inability to have Sudan's president arrested it also has registered successes. ICC judges have delivered convictions for using child soldiers in conflict and for horrifying sexual crimes that long have gone unpunished. They recently convicted an Islamic militant for destroying historic mausoleums in the Malian desert city of Timbuktu. It is still possible that South Africa, a staunch supporter of the court under former President Nelson Mandela, will reverse its decision to leave the court, Prof. Michael Scharf, dean of the law school at Case Western Reserve University, said. The decisions by South Africa, Burundi and Gambia to leave also might be a wake-up call for the court, he said, "inspiring a serious re-examination of ICC-African relations and ultimately leading to reforms in the ICC's approach to Africa." The global human rights umbrella organization FIDH slammed the countries' departures as damaging the lofty goals of the court. "We believe that withdrawing from the ICC puts a premium on impunity," the group said in a statement signed by 106 rights groups, including many from Africa. "Withdrawal poses a threat to one of the greatest advances in justice of the 21st century, at a time when genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes are perpetrated regularly and rampantly worldwide." Two teenagers have been killed in the parking lot of an apartment complex during an early-morning shooting spree. The shooting, which took place in Capitol Heights, Maryland, left another in a life-threatening condition in hospital. Todd Webb, 14, who lived at the apartment and Brian Davis, 18, from north-west Washington, were killed in the shoot-out which occurred around 2.45am on Sunday. Prince George's County police have not yet identified any suspects or detailed a motive. Todd Webb, 14, (pictured) who lived at the apartment was killed in the shoot-out on Sunday The shooting, which took place in the 6800 block of Walker Mill Road in Capitol Heights, Maryland, left two teenagers dead and one in critical condition in hospital Ervin Goodall, Davis' grandfather, told Fox 5: 'I'm really hurting because he was a good kid. Due for graduation in June. Just recently he had expressed to his mom that what he wanted to do is join the military. '(This is) one of the toughest days of my life. The call I got at the time I got it. The phone kept ringing, and I didn't want to answer because I knew something was wrong that time of day. 'You never think it will be at your doorstep. And when that happens, I don't care how tough you are, how manly you are, how anything you are, it hits you like a ton of bricks.' The second victim, Todd Webb, lived at the apartments where the shooting happened. A family friend, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'I know his family are grieving right now. Whoever did this, I hope they find him.' Police said a total of six people had been shot during the incident in the early hours of Sunday Keisha Goodwin, who lives at the apartment, told CBS: 'I was a little confused because this is a tight knit community so everybody pretty much knows each other. For something like this to happen, is just crazy to me.' Police said a total of six people had been shot during the incident. The other three victims had non-life-threatening injuries, and two have already been released from the hospital. David Coleman, Prince George's County Police Lieutenant, said: 'There's evidence techs still collecting evidence. We have witnesses we're still interviewing but it's pretty massive. 'There's a lot of parts that are moving right now. We're hoping it all falls into place as quickly as possible,' Police are offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment. Pope tweets for Christian unity on eve of Sweden visit LUND, Sweden (AP) Pope Francis hopes that his upcoming visit to Sweden on the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation will help in uniting Christians. The pontiff, who is heading to the largely Lutheran country in Scandinavia, tweeted Sunday: "I ask you to please pray that my journey to Sweden might contribute to the unity of all Christians." The pope's two-day visit on the celebration that marks Martin Luther's challenge to the Catholic dogma is widely seen as the Vatican's efforts to mend ties with other Christians. Pope Francis delivers his blessing during the Angelus noon prayer he celebrated from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) Israeli police: Palestinian driver killed after car attack JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli police say a Palestinian driver has rammed a car into a group of officers, injuring three before he was shot dead. Police spokeswoman Luba Samri says the driver sped into paramilitary border police forces near the West Bank town of Beit Ummar. Palestinian officials and media identified the alleged assailant as Khalid Ikhlayel, a 23-year-old university student. The attack was the latest in a year-long wave of violence. Palestinian attackers have killed 36 Israelis and two visiting Americans in stabbings, shootings and vehicular rammings. At least 222 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in that period. Money pours in for anti-pipeline protest, but will it last? CANNON BALL, N.D. (AP) The crowdsourcing goal was modest: $5,000, enough to help a few dozen people camping in North Dakota to protest the nearby construction of the four-state Dakota Access oil pipeline. The fund has since topped a staggering $1 million. The fund is among several cash streams that have provided at least $3 million to help with legal costs, food and other supplies to those opposing the nearly 1,200-mile pipeline. It may also give protesters the ability to prolong their months-long encampments that have attracted thousands of supporters, as the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe pursues the fight in court. And as the number of protest-related arrests increased this week, so did contributions the funds raked in more than $200,000 between Thursday and Friday alone. Dakota Access Pipeline protesters sit in a prayer circle at the Front Line Camp as a line of law enforcement officers make their way across the camp to remove the protesters and relocate to the overflow camp a few miles to the south on Highway 1806 in Morton County, N.D., Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016. (Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune via AP) But demonstrators are quick to note that the amount of money raised and what they have left isn't the same. "It still feels unreal sometimes because it is such an astronomical figure to me," said Ho Waste Wakiya Wicasa, the protester who set up the GoFundMe account that has raised more than $1 million mostly for operating expenses at the camp, which took root in April. "The money goes as quickly as it comes, but without it having been as much as it is, we certainly wouldn't have been able to be as productive as we have been in the fight," he said. For months now, opponents of the $3.8 billion pipeline which is slated to move oil from North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois have been camping near the confluence of the Missouri and Cannonball rivers. They worry the project will disrupt cultural artifacts and hurt drinking water sources on the Standing Rock Sioux's nearby reservation and farther downstream because the pipeline will cross the Missouri River. The Texas-based company building the pipeline, Energy Transfer Partners, insists the project is safe. The tribe is fighting the pipeline's permitting process in federal court. Since the number of protesters soared in August in North Dakota, donations started rolling in more frequently and more than 400 people have been arrested including more than 140 on Thursday when officers evicted protesters camping on private land recently acquired by Energy Transfer Partners. But running a camp and readying it for North Dakota's brutal winter isn't cheap. The account Wicasa set up has only about $100,000 left as of Friday night, according to LaDonna Brave Bull Allard, a tribal historian and preservation employee. She provided family land for use in the original camp, Sacred Stone, in April and still houses demonstrators. The money has been used for grocery store trips every two days that cost about $2,000 each, 20 yurts purchased for $160,000, and around $7,000 for bail money. It has also paid for a storage area, composting toilets, tiny houses, tepees, a medical area and generators powered by solar panels and wind. A bookkeeper and an accountant now keep track of the crowd-sourced money. "I got people to take care of," Brave Bull Allard said. "I got to provide homes for people and blankets, thermal wear, socks, hats and gloves, and food. Right now, we are feeding 670 people." One online legal defense fund has raised more than $655,000 for "the legal defense of warriors protecting land, water and human rights." Meanwhile, much of the money the tribe is using for the legal fight is from at least $1.3 million in direct donations, tribal chairman Dave Archambault recently told The Associated Press. He declined to say how much tribal officials have spent so far, saying that could give their opponents an advantage in the legal case. Energy Transfer Partners also has declined to provide an estimate of its legal expenses. The tribe is pursuing appeals after losing in lower courts. The Standing Rock Sioux didn't solicit money, Archambault said, but asked other tribes for letters of support or formal resolutions. He said it was only after other tribes, including the Red Lake Nation and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in Minnesota, inquired about financial contributions that leaders decided to accept money for legal costs. And as the protests continued, the tribe decided to also use part of the money for waste-management services for protesters, he said. "I know the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is not alone; we have overwhelming support," Archambault said, adding that his tribe would in return help other tribes "in their fight against corporations." Among the donors to online fundraisers is southern New Hampshire resident Carol DiPirro. She gave $30, motivated in part because of a fight her community waged against a natural gas pipeline. "They are saying the same thing: This is our water supply. You run a pipeline through it and it leaks, you are poisoning us. That's exactly what I spent two years of my life saying," DiPirro said. "This really, really struck a chord with me." ___ Follow Regina Garcia Cano on Twitter at https://twitter.com/reginagarciakNO Dakota Access pipeline protester and law enforcement officers who are trying to force them from a camp on private land in the path of pipeline construction stand off, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016 near Cannon Ball, N.D. Soldiers and law enforcement officers dressed in riot gear began arresting protesters who had set up a camp on private land to block construction of the Dakota Access oil pipeline. (AP Photo/James MacPherson) A burned-out truck sits on Highway 1806 near Cannon Ball, N.D., on Friday, Oct. 28, near the spot where protesters of the Dakota Access pipeline were evicted from private property a day earlier. Authorities say protesters burned several pieces of construction equipment and other vehicles Thursday during a chaotic confrontation with law enforcement. (AP Photo/James MacPherson) An unidentified Dakota Access Pipeline protester is arrested inside the Front Line Camp as law enforcement surround the camp to remove the protesters from the property and relocated to the overflow camp a few miles south of Highway 1806 in Morton County, N.D., Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016. (Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune via AP) Malian jihadist group agrees to cease-fire demanded by imam BAMAKO, Mali (AP) Members of an al-Qaida-linked Islamic militant group have agreed to a cease-fire in Mali at the behest of an influential imam. A statement attributed to the group's leader Iyad Ag Ghaly appeared on the Malijet website Sunday saying that his Ansar Dine fighters would abide by the request. Ansar Dine, which is linked to al-Qaida, is one of the most prominent jihadist groups operating in Mali, where a French-led military operation in 2013 forced the militants from power but failed to eliminate them completely. Ag Ghaly said his group would respect a cease-fire on Malian soil, but added that they rejected all those who don't follow their strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law. Police: 1 arrested for break-in at Florida Holocaust Museum ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Authorities say a man has been arrested after a break-in at the Florida Holocaust Museum. According to a St. Petersburg Police report, officers responding to an alarm at the museum early Sunday quickly detained and arrested 23-year-old Christopher Michael Venegas of Clearwater. The police report says surveillance video showed Venegas kicking and breaking an electronic keypad and call box at one of the museum's doors before he entered the building. According to police, Venegas was inside the building for several minutes but nothing else in the museum was damaged or taken. Venegas was charged with commercial burglary. He was released on $5,000 bail. Pinellas County jail records did not show Venegas' phone number or whether he had an attorney. 17 injured after church van, SUV collide on NC highway STOKESDALE, N.C. (AP) More than a dozen people are recuperating after a church bus from Virginia crashed into an SUV headed in the wrong direction on a North Carolina highway. The State Highway Patrol said 17 people ranging in age from one month to 90-years-old were injured in the crash early Sunday. Troopers said most were aboard a 15-passenger, rented van carrying members of a Jehovah's Witness congregation from Martinsville, Virginia, to Salisbury, North Carolina. The State Patrol says in a news release the SUV's driver was charged with driving while impaired, careless and reckless driving, misdemeanor child abuse and other charges. Troopers say 35-year-old Diadra Rachel Shaffer of Stokesdale was driving with her infant in the back of the SUV. A Los Angeles police chief has fractured his pelvis in an off-road motorcycle accident, authorities said. Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck was riding in the Tehachapi Mountains north of Los Angeles with friends on Saturday when he fell on a rocky trail. The 63-year-old was able to ride back to his truck and went to the hospital after driving home, the city's police department said in a statement on Sunday. Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck (pictured earlier this month) has fractured his pelvis in an off-road motorcycle accident, authorities said The avid motorcyclist may have surgery on Monday and is expected to have a full, speedy recovery,' returning to the office within a week, the statement said. On Twitter, the married father-of-three thanked everyone for their support and concern. 'Thank you all for the outpouring of concern and support,' he tweeted on Sunday. 'A terrible accident happened while doing something that I love very much.' 'I'll be actively involved in day-to-day operations as I continue to heal. See you soon,' he added. Beck, an avid motorcyclist, is expected to have a full recovery. He is pictured here in 2013 as he unveils the department's environmentally-friendly motorbikes Beck was riding in the Tehachapi Mountains north of Los Angeles with friends on Saturday when he fell on a rocky trail Beck, who oversees the third largest police department in the US, said he is in contact with police commanders as he recuperates. His most recent injury is not his first from a motorcross accident. In 2012, he suffered a broken collarbone for the third time following a motorcross accident and underwent surgery, according to The Los Angeles Times. The police chief has competed in various forms of off-road racing for more than four decades, including regularly competing local motocross events. He is a past Police and Fire Motocross National Champion and has won several medals in state, national and international competitions, his biography on the department's website says. On Twitter, the married father-of-three thanked everyone for their support and concern Bangladesh claim famous win as England collapse in Dhaka Mehedi Hasan ruthlessly exploited England's top-order deficiencies against spin to inspire Bangladesh to the most famous Test victory in their history. The teenager made a mockery of his inexperience to run through England's fragile top order, taking five wickets as the tourists dramatically collapsed from 100 without loss to 139 for six after tea in an ultimately fruitless pursuit of 273. Shakib Al Hasan took four wickets before Mehedi fittingly wrapped up proceedings as Bangladesh won by 108 runs inside three days in Dhaka for just their eighth Test success in 95 matches and first over England in 10 attempts. Alastair Cook's England side were bowled out for 164 in their second innings A pulsating, see-saw series therefore finished all-square with one win apiece - and England will now move on to a five-Test series against India with serious question marks over their ability to play in subcontinent conditions. Several of their batsmen have looked ill-at-ease against the turning ball, most notably Gary Ballance, who was out for his fourth consecutive single-figure score as England were all out for 164, losing all 10 wickets inside a session. England's spinners were also considerably outperformed by their Bangladesh counterparts, and most notably Mehedi, who took 12 wickets in just his second Test with five-fors in both innings. Mehedi started the carnage with the first ball after tea following Alastair Cook and Ben Duckett's century stand during the afternoon session, which had given England hope of chasing down their highest successful fourth innings total in Asia. Duckett had used the reverse sweep to excellent effect to reach a deserved maiden Test fifty but he was castled by one that kept low before Joe Root was pinned in front by Shakib in the next over. Cook had been strong with more orthodox sweeps behind square and he overturned being given out off an lbw decision to reach his fifty before losing Ballance, who top-edged to mid-off, and then Moeen Ali as he was pinned in front four balls later. Mehedi was rampant and he next snared Cook for 59 as the England skipper dabbed to silly point to seemingly end any hopes his side had of escaping with a memorable win and a series triumph. Mehedi had another five-for when Jonny Bairstow's inside edge looped to slip and, although Ben Stokes provided a couple of lusty blows, he was bowled by Shakib, who gave a salute reminiscent of the one the Durham all-rounder received from West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels last year. It was the start of three wickets in four balls as Shakib accounted for Adil Rashid and Zafar Ansari before Mehedi had Steven Finn trapped in front to start jubilant - and deserved - celebrations from Bangladesh. Their only previous victories had come twice against an under-strength West Indies and five times over Zimbabwe, while they had lost all nine previous Tests against England, so this achievement is without doubt their finest hour. They had earlier lost six for 58, following on from their collapse of nine for 49 in the first innings, as they were all out for 296 - although their total proved more than enough. England had proved wasteful in the field on the third morning, with four drops of varying degrees of difficulty. They received a boost on Sunday morning when Root took to the field following a stomach upset although the Yorkshireman failed to hold onto a sharp chance at slip to dismiss Imrul Kayes, who had earlier been dropped by a diving Cook at leg slip. Imrul, given let-offs on 67 and 74, finally departed on 78 after missing a sweep off Moeen, who rapped Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim on the pads early in their innings, although England opted not to review the decisions that would have been overturned. The Bangladesh batsmen were both given an additional life. Shakib should have been dismissed on 23 but a slog sweep was put down by Duckett in the deep while Finn could not hang on to a difficult chance back-pedalling from mid-off. Shakib was finally dismissed for 41 when he chopped a sharply-turning delivery from Rashid onto his stumps before a fired-up Stokes saw off Mushfiqur, who edged to first slip. Sabbir Rahman and Shuvagata Hom added some vital runs before Rashid trapped the former in front off the last ball before lunch and then had Mehedi caught at slip after Taijul Islam had edged Stokes behind. Guardiola hopes Manchester City have learned from Messi's demolition job Pep Guardiola hopes his players will have learned from the harsh lesson dished out by Lionel Messi in the Nou Camp when Manchester City take on Barcelona again in the Champions League. Messi, whom Guardiola managed at Barcelona for four years, appeared to be having a quiet night after opening the scoring early on 11 days ago, at times seemingly just strolling around the pitch. But the FIFA World Player of the Year had lulled City into a false sense of security with what Guardiola describes as his "X-ray" awareness, and he ended up scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 victory for the Spanish champions. Lionel Messi celebrates scoring against Manchester City earlier this month Guardiola thinks Messi is most dangerous when he is standing still and has warned his City players to take heed ahead of the return match at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night. "Messi spends the match making a mental X-ray of every space, every moment," said Guardiola. "It looks like he's walking. It seems like he is alone - detached. Or when he sees the defenders are watching him, he will wander off into a space of his own. "It looks like he's just ambling around and maybe he's the guy who runs least in the Spanish league but, boy, when that ball reaches him he knows the complete time-space X-ray of who is where. Then... pow!" After picking up only one point from their last two Champions League games away at Celtic and Barcelona, City need a positive result on Tuesday with only the top two teams in the group progressing to the knock-out stages. Borussia Monchengladbach could leapfrog Guardiola's side into second spot if they beat Celtic at home and City still have to go to Germany. Guardiola made the surprise decision to leave out Sergio Aguero in the Nou Camp - for tactical reasons. The striker underlined his importance to the City team with a terrific display, and two goals, in the 4-0 win at West Brom on Saturday and Guardiola revealed the Argentina international will start against Barcelona this time. "I think so. But I'm not going to tell you in which position he's going to play!" joked Guardiola, who then went on to explain why Aguero did not start in Spain. "I have already said I thought to play one more man in the middle. I wanted more control and I decided I wanted players to arrive in the box, not stay in the box, that's the reason why. I t was a tactical decision." West Brom boss Tony Pulis felt his players suffered from an inferiority complex against City on Saturday and plans to address the problem with his players ahead of next week's trip to face Premier League champions Leicester. "You try to convince the players they are good enough to be on there (with City)," said Pulis. "Obviously the team sheet comes through and you see the players City have got and they're fantastic players. But you've still got to be up for it and in their faces. Dominika Cibulkova caps remarkable turnaround in Singapore with title upset Dominika Cibulkova stunned world number one Angelique Kerber to win the biggest title of her career at the WTA Finals in Singapore. Cibulkova, ranked eighth in the world, was rewarded for her aggression and survived a dramatic final game to win 6-3 6-4. The Slovakian looked down and out after losing her opening two matches at the round-robin tournament. Dominika Cibulkova recovered from losing her opening two matches to win the WTA Finals in Singapore (AP) Her only hope to reach the semi-finals was to beat Simona Halep in straight sets and hope Kerber did the same against Madison Keys. That was exactly what transpired and Cibulkova repaid Kerber, who had reached the last four before facing Keys, for her generosity by denying her the perfect end to a remarkable season. The Australian Open and US Open champion was the clear favourite but Cibulkova went on the attack from the off and even Kerber's powers of defence were not enough. Cibulkova, the Australian Open finalist in 2014, did not wobble until the final game, when she double-faulted on her first match point and saw two others slip away. But she saved two break points and then took her fourth match point when her shot dribbled over the net, the 27-year-old collapsing to the court in tears. Cibulkova was making her debut at the tournament and capped a memorable year, which included marriage to Michal Navara in July, with her fourth title of 2016. The Slovakian said on court: " I have no words, coming here for the first time, the biggest tournament of my life. I still don't know how I won, I put the ball over the net and it went in. It's the happiest moment of my life. "It wasn't easy to go on the court after two losses but I was mentally very strong and I knew I played well in the first two matches, I was just a little bit unlucky. Then at the end I was lucky." Cibulkova will reach a new career-high ranking of world number five on Monday. Lib Dems pick candidate to fight Zac Goldsmith in Richmond Park by-election The Liberal Democrats have announced Sarah Olney as their candidate to vie for a spectacular electoral victory against Zac Goldsmith in the Richmond Park by-election. Relative unknown Ms Olney currently represents the party in the south-west London seat, and is seen as the main threat to the former Tory MP in the contest to be held on December 1. Her selection comes in spite of speculation that the Lib Dems would parachute in a high-profile party figure to shore up their prospects of seizing a constituency they think is winnable. Sarah Olney outside the Grey Court School in Richmond Leader Tim Farron previously admitted the party had a "mountain to climb" to overturn Mr Goldsmith's 23,000 majority from last year's election, but intends to battle him on a pro-EU ticket. Speaking outside Grey Court School in Richmond, where the Lib Dems unveiled her as their selected candidate, Ms Olney said she was confident she could overcome Mr Goldsmith's majority. She told the Press Association: "I think on paper it obviously looks a bit daunting, but I think one of the things is that Mr Goldsmith isn't standing as a Conservative this time, so it remains to be seen how much of that support he carries with him as an independent. "Secondly, we've just come from the most fantastic swing in Witney of about 19% and, with a similar size swing, we'd actually defeat Mr Goldsmith - we've got lots of reasons to be optimistic about our chances in this election." Despite being cast from Government into the parliamentary wilderness after a hammering in the General Election last year, the Lib Dems were heartened by a strong performance in David Cameron's former constituency this month, finishing second. The former London mayoral candidate forced the contest by ditching the Conservatives to stand as an independent in protest over the decision to give the go-ahead to a new runway at Heathrow Airport. He was branded a "rich boy playing fast and loose with the electorate" by a Tory MP furious the Conservatives were not contesting the Richmond Park by-election. Alec Shelbrooke, the Tory MP for Elmet and Rothwell, told Sky News his party was making a mistake by not selecting a candidate to battle for the seat. He said: "I have said quite openly that I think it's a big mistake the Conservative Party is not putting forward a candidate." He added: "The first time I think since 1963 we don't have a candidate and if Zac Goldsmith thinks that this campaign is just going to be about Heathrow, well, the Lib Dem candidate only has to pop up and say, 'yes, I also won't vote for Heathrow' and they can do that from the Commons and then it can be about a whole host of other issues. "I'm afraid this really is a rich boy playing fast and loose with the electorate and actually a by-election costs the electorate hundreds of thousands of pounds." Mr Goldsmith's decision to trigger the contest was also questioned by Ms Olney, who told Sky News she was "not entirely sure" what he was "trying to achieve". She said: "It is going to cost the taxpayer a great deal so it does seem to be a bit of a waste of time although we are obviously pleased to have the opportunity to put our positive messages to the voters." Burkina police kill jihadist in firefight in capital OUAGADOUGOU, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Burkina Faso's police chief said on Sunday that his forces shot dead a jihadist overnight in Ouagadougou and were searching for two others in the latest sign of growing insecurity in the West African country. The incident was the first deadly clash with Islamist militants in the capital since an attack on the Splendid Hotel in January that killed 30 people and was claimed by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Witnesses said there was a brief exchange of gunfire between police and a group of men early on Sunday morning in the northwestern suburb of Kilwin. "The group were Burkinabe and our forces killed one jihadist," said police chief Lazare Tarpaga, adding that police were still seeking at least two other missing men. He said that the group was suspected of recruiting for Islamist militant groups operating in the north of the country or elsewhere in the Sahel region, without naming a specific organisation. Public prosecutor Maiza Compaore said an investigation into the recruitment networks had been opened and that important clues had already been found, including several telephones. Burkina Faso shares its western border with Mali, whose lawless desert north serves as a base for range of secular militias, al Qaeda-linked groups and a new body pledging allegiance to the Islamic State. President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, elected in November after order was restored following a six-day coup attempt, is facing a rising number of attacks in remote border areas. Fatal measles complication more common than thought -U.S. study By Bill Berkrot Oct 28 (Reuters) - A deadly complication of measles in young children that strikes years after infection may be more common than previously thought, according to a study presented on Friday that stressed the importance of vaccinations against the highly contagious disease. The risk of acquiring the always fatal neurological disorder, subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), was believed to be about 1-in-1,700, based on an earlier German study of children under five years of age infected with measles. The new research, looking at children who got measles during a large California outbreak around 1990, found the rate of SSPE to be 1-in-1,387 for those infected before the age of five. It rose to about 1-in-600 for babies infected before their first birthday. "That is a very frightening surprise," said Dr. James Cherry, a research professor in pediatric infectious diseases at UCLA, who was part of the study team. "The answer is good public health. You need to vaccinate everybody and create herd immunity so that you protect those most vulnerable to measles and those at greatest risk of SSPE," Cherry said in a telephone interview. Herd immunity would protect infants too young to get the measles vaccine and people with compromised immune systems ineligible for vaccination. The average age of SSPE diagnosis was 12, but the range was from three to 35, researchers said. The findings were presented at an infectious disease meeting in New Orleans known as ID Week. The presentation included an account of a mother whose five-month-old got measles after a trip to Disneyland during an outbreak last year. "She says 'Now I have to worry about this for the next 10 years.' It's kind of sobering," Cherry said. Merck & Co and GlaxoSmithKline are among the main manufacturers of measles vaccines. Researchers hope the data will raise alarms with parents who refuse vaccines for their children, despite science confirming their safety and benefits. They also cautioned parents about traveling with unprotected children to countries where measles is endemic. "No child should go to Europe or the Philippines who hasn't had two doses of measles vaccine. It's just too risky," Cherry said. Dr. Peter Hotez, an infectious disease expert from Houston who was not involved in the study, said a growing anti-vaccination movement in Texas could lead to measles outbreaks there. "Once vaccination coverage rates start going below 90 to 95 percent, because it's so highly infectious, that's when you start to see measles. It's going to come back and it's not a benign disease," Hotez said. Even without SSPE, measles can kill or cause encephalitis. Multinational crew leaves space station, returns to Earth By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Oct 30 (Reuters) - A joint U.S., Russian and Japanese crew left the International Space Station on Saturday aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule and landed back on Earth, leaving behind three crew mates who arrived at the orbiting outpost just last week. Station commander Anatoly Ivanishin, with the Russian space agency, NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and Japan's Takuya Onishi climbed inside the capsule and left the station at 8:35 p.m. EDT/0035 Sunday GMT, a NASA TV broadcast showed. The trio made a parachute landing in Kazakhstan at 11:58 p.m. EDT/0358 Sunday GMT, wrapping up a four-month mission that included the first use of a DNA sequencer in space and installation of a parking spot for upcoming commercial space taxis. "I'm kind of reluctant to close the hatch," Ivanishin said during a change-of-command ceremony on Friday. "The time is very special here ... I didn't have time to know what's going on our planet, and maybe it's for the better. On the space station, you live in a very friendly, very good environment." Ivanishin turned over command of the space station, a $100 billion orbiting research lab, to newly arrived U.S. astronaut Shane Kimbrough. Kimbrough and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko reached the outpost on Oct. 21. "We're sorry we're only here a week with you," Kimbrough told the departing crew after taking command on Friday. "You guys have trained us well though." Multinational crew leave space station and head back to Earth By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Oct 29 (Reuters) - A joint U.S., Russian and Japanese crew left the International Space Station on Saturday and headed back to Earth in a Russian Soyuz capsule, leaving behind three crew mates who arrived at the orbiting outpost just last week. Station commander Anatoly Ivanishin, with the Russian space agency, NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and Japan's Takuya Onishi climbed inside the capsule and left the station at 8:35 p.m. EDT/0035 Sunday GMT, a NASA TV broadcast showed. The trio were due to make a parachute landing in Kazakhstan at 11:59 p.m. EDT/0359 Sunday GMT, wrapping up a four-month mission that included the first use of a DNA sequencer in space and installation of a parking spot for upcoming commercial space taxis. "I'm kind of reluctant to close the hatch," Ivanishin said during a change-of-command ceremony on Friday. "The time is very special here ... I didn't have time to know what's going on our planet, and maybe it's for the better. On the space station, you live in a very friendly, very good environment." Ivanishin turned over command of the space station, a $100 billion orbiting research lab, to newly arrived U.S. astronaut Shane Kimbrough. Kimbrough and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko reached the outpost on Oct. 21. "We're sorry we're only here a week with you," Kimbrough told the departing crew after taking command on Friday. "You guys have trained us well though." New earthquake rocks Italy, buildings collapse but no deaths reported By Isla Binnie NORCIA, Italy, Oct 30 (Reuters) - A powerful earthquake struck Italy on Sunday in the same central regions that have been rocked by repeated tremors over the past two months, with more homes and churches brought down but no deaths reported. The quake, which measured 6.6 according to the U.S. Geological Survey, was bigger than one on Aug. 24 that killed almost 300 people. Many people have fled the area since then, helping to avoid a new devastating death toll. With thousands already made homeless, a leading seismologist warned that the earthquakes could go on for weeks in a domino effect along the central Apennine fault system. The latest quake was felt across much of Italy, striking at 7.40 a.m. (0640 GMT), its epicentre close to the historic Umbrian walled town of Norcia, some 100 km (60 miles) from the university city of Perugia. Panicked Norcia residents rushed into the streets and the town's ancient Basilica of St. Benedict collapsed, leaving just the facade standing. Nuns, monks and locals sank to their knees in the main square in silent prayer before the shattered church. "This is a tragedy. It is a coup de grace. The basilica is devastated," Bishop Renato Boccardo of Norcia told Reuters. "Everyone has been suspended in a never-ending state of fear and stress. They are at their wits' end," said Boccardo, referring to the thousands of tremors that have rattled the area since August, including two serious quakes on Wednesday. Italy's Civil Protection unit, which coordinates disaster relief, said numerous houses were destroyed on Sunday in the regions of Umbria and Marche, but either they were deserted at the time or most of the residents managed to escape in time. Civil Protection chief Fabrizio Curcio said no deaths had been reported and around 20 people were injured, none of them critically. He said it was too early to say how many more people had lost their homes. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi promised a massive reconstruction effort regardless of cost and took advantage of the disaster to resume his frequent criticism of the European Union's public finance rules. "We will rebuild everything, the houses, the churches and the businesses," he told reporters. "Everything that needs to be done to rebuild these areas will be done." He said he would have "no regard for technocratic rules" and would consider all money spent to make Italy's schools and hospitals earthquake-proof to be outside EU limits on budget deficits. Local authorities said towns and villages already battered by August's 6.2 quake had suffered further significant damage. "This morning's quake has hit the few things that were left standing. We will have to start from scratch," Michele Franchi, the deputy mayor of Arquata del Tronto, told Rai television. Experts said Sunday's quake was the strongest here since a 6.9 quake in Italy's south in 1980 that killed 2,735 people . ARTISTIC LOSS The destruction of the Norcia basilica was the single most significant loss of Italy's artistic heritage in an earthquake since a tremor in 1997 caused the collapse of the ceiling of the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, which is 80 km to the north. The frescoed basilica, which is the spiritual, historic and tourist heart of Norcia, was built over the site of the home where the founder of the Benedictine order and his Sister St. Scolastica were born in 480. The basilica and monastery complex dates to the 13th century, although shrines to St. Benedict and his sister had been built there since the 8th century. Benedict founded the Benedictine order in Subiaco, near Rome. He died in 530 in the monastery at Monte Cassino, south of Rome, which was destroyed during World War Two. That monastery was later rebuilt. A number of other churches were also ruined on Sunday, Italian media reported, including Norcia's Cattedrale di Santa Maria, which was built in the 16th century, while the town hall belltower had deep cracks running through its walls. However, most of Norcia's homes appeared to have withstood the prolonged tremor, with residents praising years of investment by local authorities in anti-seismic protection. In the nearby city of Rieti, patients were evacuated from a hospital to allow experts to check on structural damage, while hillroads across the region were littered with fallen rocks. Sunday's earthquake was felt as far north as Bolzano, near the border with Austria and as far south as the Puglia region at the southern tip of the Italian peninsula. It was also felt strongly in the capital, Rome, where transport authorities shut down the metro system for precautionary checks. Authorities also toured the city's main Roman Catholic basilicas looking for possible damage. Italy sits on two geological fault lines, making it one of the most seismically active countries in Europe. Its deadliest quake since the start of the 20th century came in 1908, when a tremor followed by a tsunami killed an estimated 80,000 people in the southern regions of Reggio Calabria and Sicily. Turkey has sacked another 10,000 of its civil servants and shut down 15 more media outlets they claim supported a failed military coup in the country earlier this year. The government has dismissed the officials and closed down the organisations saying they have suspected links to terrorist organisations and US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara has blamed for the failed uprising. More than 100,000 people had already been sacked or suspended and 37,000 arrested since the failed coup, in an unprecedented crackdown the government says is necessary to root out all supporters of Gulen from the state apparatus. Turkey has sacked another 10,000 of its civil servants and shut down 15 more media outlets they claim support US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, pictured, who Ankara has blamed for the failed uprising Thousands more academics, teachers, health workers, prison guards and forensics experts were among the latest to be removed from their posts through two new executive decrees published on the Official Gazette late on Saturday. Opposition parties described the move as a coup in itself and the continued crackdown has also raised concerns over the functioning of state. Sezgin Tanrikulu, an MP from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), said in a Periscope broadcast posted on Twitter: 'What the government and Erdogan are doing right now is a direct coup against the rule of law and democracy.' The decrees have ordered the closure of 15 more newspapers, wires and magazines, which report from the largely Kurdish southeast, bringing the total number of media organisations closed since the emergency rule in July to nearly 160. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said the authorities needed more time to wipe out the threat posed by Gulen's network as well as Kurdish militants who have waged a 32-year insurgency In another move set to anger President Tayyip Erdogan's opponents, the ability of universities to elect their own rectors was also abolished. Erdogan will from now on directly appoint the rectors from the candidates nominated by the High Educational Board (YOK). The extent of the crackdown has worried rights groups and many of Turkey's Western allies, who fear Erdogan is using the emergency rule to eradicate dissent. The government says the actions are justified following the coup attempt on July 15, when more than 240 people died. Lale Karabiyik, another CHP lawmaker, said the move was a clear misuse of the emergency rule decrees and described it as a coup d'etat on the high education system. Pro-Kurdish opposition said the decrees were used as tools to establish a 'one-man regime'. The government extended the state of emergency imposed after the coup attempt for three months until mid-January. People wave Turkey's national flags during the Democracy and Martyrs Rally after the failed coup in July Erdogan said the authorities needed more time to wipe out the threat posed by Gulen's network as well as Kurdish militants who have waged a 32-year insurgency. Ankara wants the United States to detain and extradite Gulen so that he can be prosecuted in Turkey on a charge that he masterminded the attempt to overthrow the government. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, denies any involvement. Speaking to reporters at a reception marking the Republic Day on Saturday, Erdogan said the nation wanted the reinstatement of the death penalty, a debate which has emerged following the coup attempt, and added that delaying it would not be right. "I believe this issue will come to the parliament," he said, and repeated that he would approve it, a move that would sink Turkey's hopes of European Union membership. IS claims responsibility for fatal stabbing in Hamburg BERLIN, Oct 30 (Reuters) - A follower of Islamic State was responsible for a stabbing attack on two youths in the German city of Hamburg two weeks ago, the militant group's Amaq news agency said on Sunday. In the incident, the unknown perpetrator attacked a young couple sitting under a bridge at the Alster river in downtown Hamburg. He stabbed the 16-year-old man repeatedly from behind and kicked his 15-year-old female companion into the river. The stabbing victim died of his injuries shortly afterwards in hospital while the young woman managed to escape. "A soldier of the Islamic State stabbed two individuals in Hamburg city on the 16th of this month," Amaq said. "He carried out the operation in response to calls to target the citizens of coalition countries." A police spokeswoman in Hamburg declined to comment on Islamic State's claim and only referred to an earlier statement the police issued shortly after the attack. According to that statement, the attacker was of "southern appearance", aged between 23 and 25 years and had a designer stubble. The background of the act is unknown and the subject of investigation, police said back then. Experts say it is not clear how close the connection is between groups and individuals proclaiming allegiance to the Islamic State militant group. Al Shabaab seizes town from Somali government MOGADISHU, Oct 30 (Reuters) - The Islamist group al Shabaab seized a town northwest of Somalia's capital from government forces on Sunday, the latest small centre taken by the militant group trying to topple the country's Western-backed government. Al Shabaab, which once ruled much of Somalia, has been fighting for years to impose its strict interpretation of Islam on Somalia. African Union and Somali troops have driven it from major urban strongholds and ports, but they have often struggled to defend smaller, more remote areas from attacks. "Many al Shabaab fighters attacked us this morning and after brief fighting we left the town for tactical reasons," Somali army Major Hussein Edin told Reuters from the nearby town of Baidoa. One Somali soldier was killed, he said. Goofgaduud lies about 250 km (160 miles) northwest of Mogadishu, the capital. Al Shabaab's military operations spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, confirmed the group had captured the settlement. He said seven Somali soldiers were killed. Al Shabaab's casualty figures and those announced by officials often differ. Bahrain blocks exit of activist's wife, son, rights groups say DUBAI, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Bahrain authorities prevented the wife of a Bahraini dissident and their infant son, a U.S. citizen, from boarding a flight to London after he staged a protest against a visit by the Gulf state's king to Britain, human rights groups said. Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, director of advocacy at the UK-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, was one of two activists briefly detained by police in London when they shouted at the king's car as it approached Prime Minister Theresa May's office on Wednesday. Hours later, the exile's Bahraini wife, Duaa, 25, and their 19-month-old son were detained for seven hours at Bahrain airport as they tried to fly out of the kingdom to join him in London, rights groups said. "Duaa Alwadaei has now been banned from leaving Bahrain, although she has UK residency," UK legal charity Reprieve said, adding Bahraini police and members of the public threatened Seyed Ahmed Alwadaei and his family in recent days. Alwadaei said it was not clear to him how long his wife would be prevented from leaving. "The last words of the authorities to her were that 'leaving Bahrain will be in your dreams'," he said in brief remarks to Reuters. Bahrain's Sunni Muslim-led government has come under criticism from its Western allies and rights groups for its handling of dissent. Activists say a major crackdown is underway targeting Shi'ite and secular opposition. Bahrain's Shi'ites say they suffer discrimination, though the government denies this. Manama accuses Shi'ite power Iran of fomenting unrest on its soil, a charged Tehran denies. The Bahrain government and its embassy in London did not immediately reply to queries from Reuters about the case. The Guardian quoted a statement by Bahrain's London embassy as saying Duaa Alwadaei was briefly detained for questioning, searched and released. "At no time was she abused or mistreated by authorities," it said. Alwadaei lives in exile in London with his wife and child. His wife and son were on a short family visit to Bahrain when the incident took place, Reprieve said. "While King Hamad is receiving the red carpet treatment in the UK, his goons in Bahrain are terrorising Sayed Alwadaei's wife and their infant son, preventing them from leaving the country, and issuing unveiled threats against their families," said Nicholas McGeehan, a Bahrain researcher at Human Rights Watch. The U.S. State Department said on Friday it was looking into reports that a child with U.S. citizenship was prevented from leaving Bahrain, according to the State Department website. Violence and low turnout in Ivory Coast's constitutional referendum By Joe Bavier and Loucoumane Coulibaly ABIDJAN, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Violence erupted at around 100 polling stations in Ivory Coast on Sunday as voters decided whether to approve a new constitution that President Alassane Ouattara argues will ensure peace in the wake of years of political turmoil. Elections worker Nandi Bamba was preparing to open the voting when a group of young men, some of them armed with clubs and machetes, attacked her polling station in Abidjan's Yopougon neighbourhood. "They demanded we stop working because the new constitution wasn't for the people. Then they smashed the ballot boxes, scattered the ballots. They broke everything," she said. Under Ouattara, Ivory Coast has made an impressive recovery since a 2011 civil war capped a decade-long crisis. The International Monetary Fund projects it will be Africa's fastest growing economy this year. However, despite five years of peace, Ivorians remain deeply divided along political and ethnic faultlines. And both they and the investors who are now flooding in crave the stability that will allow the world's top cocoa grower to cement its status as the continent's rising star. Opposition parties called for a boycott of the vote, arguing that the new text was designed to further entrench Ouattara's political coalition. Some called upon their supporters to act to stop the referendum from being held - and a low turnout could rob what is expected to be a "Yes" vote of legitimacy in the future. Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said security had to be reinforced in some areas after violence erupted at around 100 polling stations in Abidjan and western Ivory Coast. "We think there's a group going from zone to zone that is truly well organised, which has as its mission to disrupt the vote as much as possible," he said, adding that the incidents were not expected to have an impact on the result. LACKING TRANSPARENCY? The current constitution, drafted under military rule after a 1999 coup, was at the heart of Ivory Coast's prolonged unrest. In its most controversial clause, it says presidential candidates' parents must both be natural-born Ivorians - a swipe at northerners, many of whom, like Ouattara, have family ties that straddle the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali. The new constitution scraps that rule, which was used to disqualify Ouattara from a poll in 2000, and now only one parent must be Ivorian. It also creates a post of vice president and a senate. The president says all these new measures will guarantee more political stability. "It's an opportunity but also a duty," Ouattara said after voting in the commercial capital Abidjan. "Turning the page on the crisis born of the constitution of 2000 is essential for the future of our nation." The new text also allows future changes to the constitution to go ahead without a referendum and with a two thirds majority in parliament - a body now dominated by Ouattara's allies. Turnout in Abidjan was visibly lower than during last year's presidential election when 54.6 percent of eligible voters cast ballots, a fact that opposition leader Pascal Affi N'Guessan said demonstrated the text's rejection by the people. "Either he withdraws the proposed constitution and sets up a commission in which all Ivorians can participate and write a new, more consensual constitution, or he assumes the consequences of his policies and resigns," he said. The process of drafting the text and submitting it to a plebiscite was criticised by some civil society groups and diplomats as rushed and lacking transparency. Voters have had just two and a half weeks to review the 184-article charter. Old enemies set to elect Aoun as Lebanon's president By Tom Perry and Laila Bassam BEIRUT, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Twenty-six years after being forced from Lebanon's presidential palace and into exile by the Syrian army, Michel Aoun is set to be elected head of state on Monday, backed by many of his old enemies. Barring a surprise, many of Lebanon's sectarian politicians will back the 81-year-old Christian leader in the parliamentary vote. Aoun can rely for support on Iranian-backed Hezbollah, with which he has been allied for a decade. But he will fulfill his long-held ambition thanks to the unlikely endorsement of Sunni leader Saad al-Hariri, who waged political war for years against the Shi'ite Hezbollah movement and its allies with Saudi backing. Hariri is to become prime minister under the new deal which he hatched with Aoun. Aoun's election would end a 29-month-long vacuum in the presidency, part of a political crisis that has paralysed Lebanon's government and raised concerns over its future as civil war rages in neighbouring Syria. However, doubts remain over his ability to forge the cross-community consensus needed to make his administration succeed. "I do not know to what degree he will be able to reconcile the great contradictions that his rule will group together," said Nabil Boumonsef, a political commentator at An-Nahar newspaper. An Aoun victory would mark a remarkable turn of fortune for the former general who fought two wars in the late 1980s at the end of Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war - one against Syria and the other against rival Christian forces. His subsequent alliance with Hezbollah backed by its Syrian and Iranian patrons helped to cement divisions in the once dominant Maronite Christian community. But it also angered the United States, which views Hezbollah - a heavily armed group and Syria's strongest Lebanese ally - as a terrorist organisation. His election will also be viewed as a victory for Hezbollah, Tehran and Damascus over Hariri's Sunni allies in Riyadh at a time when Saudi Arabia has appeared to retreat from Lebanon as it prioritises fighting Iran in the Gulf. It will also raise questions over Western policy towards Lebanon, whose army depends on U.S. military aid. Triggered by financial misfortune, Hariri's concession is seen as the last resort to secure the political survival of a man who has accused Syria of killing his father, Rafik. Hariri's standing in Lebanon has been hit by the financial crisis caused by troubles at his Saudi-based construction firm. UNLIKELY SPECTRUM Parliament is due to convene at noon (0900 GMT) on Monday to elect the president. If Aoun doesn't secure the two-thirds majority required to win in the first round, he seems certain to prevail in a second, where he needs 65 votes in the 128-seat chamber. His opponent is Suleiman Franjieh, a fellow Maronite Christian, who is unlikely to command much support. Under Lebanon's sectarian system of government, the presidency is reserved for a member of this community. Aoun, who headed one of two rival governments in 1988-90, has long coveted the post. His victory would mark a new phase in Lebanese politics, and the final collapse of the Saudi-backed alliance that had struggled against Hezbollah and its allies since the 2005 assassination of Rafik al-Hariri. Hariri and his allies initially accused Syria of killing Rafik. A U.N.-backed tribunal later charged five Hezbollah members over the killing. Hezbollah denies any role. Aoun inspires both adulation and enmity in Lebanon, where he made his name as a combatant in the 1975-90 civil war, like many Lebanese politicians. With Aoun heading the biggest Christian party in parliament, it will be the first time since the war that one of Lebanon's main Maronite leaders becomes president. The unlikely spectrum of support for his candidacy includes civil wartime enemies Samir Geagea, a rival Christian, and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt. But he still has powerful adversaries opposed to his election, foremost among them the influential Parliament Speaker and Shi'ite leader Nabih Berri. Hezbollah's steadfast backing for Aoun has been critical to getting him this close to the presidency. Last year Hariri proposed Franjieh, another Hezbollah ally, for the position. But rather than ditching Aoun, Hezbollah declared him "the obligatory path" to the presidency. Aoun is a controversial figure abroad as well as in Lebanon, with a reputation for erratic decision-making. After lobbying for years against Syria from exile, he returned to Lebanon in 2005 after Syrian forces withdrew from the country in the wake of the Hariri killing. Aoun received a hero's welcome from supporters in Beirut's Martyrs Square. Less than a year later, he struck his alliance with Hezbollah, positioning himself squarely in the pro-Damascus camp that later mobilised to try to topple the U.S.-backed government at the time. Aoun's move to Hezbollah drew anger from the United States which believed he had given political cover for it to keep its weapons and "moved a long way" from his support for a U.N. resolution that sought the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon, according to a U.S. diplomatic cable published by Wikileaks. In the 2006 cable, then U.S. ambassador Jeffrey Feltman concluded Aoun's presidential ambitions were "overriding any other concern". Aoun told the Americans the alliance was an attempt to draw Hezbollah into the political mainstream. TWO WARS In the final years of the Lebanese war, Aoun led one of two rival governments and set up his administration at the presidential palace at Baabda, southeast of Beirut. In that period, he fought the "War of Liberation" against the Syrian army and the "War of Cancellation" against the Christian Lebanese Forces militia. The Maronites lost much of their political power in the deal that ended the war - an agreement Aoun had initially opposed. Aoun visited Syria in 2009, where he met President Bashar al-Assad. In a 2014 interview, Assad said he would welcome Aoun's election as president, calling him a believer in "the resistance" - a reference to Hezbollah. Hezbollah is fighting in Syria in support of Assad. Al Shabaab seizes town from Somali government MOGADISHU, Oct 30 (Reuters) - The Islamist group al Shabaab seized a town northwest of Somalia's capital from government forces on Sunday, the latest small centre taken by the militant group trying to topple the country's Western-backed government. Al Shabaab, which once ruled much of Somalia, has been fighting for years to impose its strict interpretation of Islam on Somalia. African Union and Somali troops have driven it from major urban strongholds and ports, but they have often struggled to defend smaller, more remote areas from attacks. "Many al Shabaab fighters attacked us this morning and after brief fighting we left the town for tactical reasons," Somali army Major Hussein Edin told Reuters from the nearby town of Baidoa. One Somali soldier was killed, he said. Goofgaduud lies about 250 km (160 miles) northwest of Mogadishu, the capital. Al Shabaab's military operations spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, confirmed the group had captured the settlement. He said seven Somali soldiers were killed. Al Shabaab's casualty figures and those announced by officials often differ. In a separate incident, Somali forces in the semi-autonomous Galmudug region north of Mogadishu freed a Kenyan woman, Loise Njoki Weru, who officials said was held by pirates since 2015. Galmudug Vice President Mohamed Hashi said she was now in safe hands after security forces rescued her and had spoken to her family, but he did not say when she would be repatriated. Earlier this month, 26 Asian sailors were freed after more than four years of captivity in a small fishing village in Somalia after being held by pirates. Iran-trained militias join U.S-backed campaign on Mosul, flying Shi'ite flags By Babak Dehghanpisheh AIN NASIR, Iraq, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Gun trucks and humvees streamed north on a highway heading to Mosul on Sunday flying the banners of Shi'ite militias along with Iraqi flags while blaring religious songs. The convoys were the first clear sign of a new player on the battlefield in the U.S.-backed offensive to retake Mosul from Islamic State: Hashid Shaabi or Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a coalition of Shi'ite militias. Although it reports officially to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, the coalition is mostly made up of groups trained by Iran and loyal to its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They have close ties with General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Quds Brigade, the extra-territorial arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. He was seen touring the frontlines around Mosul last week. Among the banners that could be seen flying from artillery cannons, communication towers and buildings recently retaken from Islamic State were those of Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, two of the main Iranian-backed groups, alongside the Badr Organization, considered the largest. Dozens of holes dug on the side of the highway for several kilometres indicated how heavily mined the highway had been only a couple of days before and the efforts the force had gone through to clear the road. One of the first villages retaken by the PMF since announcing combat operations on Saturday was Ain Nasir, some 30 kilometres south of Mosul. One fighter who participated in the battle to retake the village on Saturday night said that Islamic State had put up little resistance and that fighters had taken several villagers hostage during their retreat, using them as human shields. "We are fighting to push Daesh out of Iraq," said Adel Khiali, 26, a PMF fighter affiliated with the Badr Organization who was formerly an Iraqi army soldier. Daesh is an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. MORTAR FIRE The Iraqi army and federal police came in to help clear the area after the PMF, Khiali said. Still, as Khiali spoke, at least one mortar round hit the village, indicating that the area was not yet secure. There was a sense of resentment among some fighters on the battlefield on Sunday that the PMF have been misrepresented and that their sacrifices have not been appreciated. "We fight to help people return to their villages and they call us militias," said Ali Khiali, a 40- year old PMF fighter affiliated with the Badr Organization. "Is that fair?" Adel and Ali Khiali are brothers. The U.N in July said it had a list of more than 640 Sunni Muslim men and boys reportedly abducted by Shi'ite militiamen in Falluja, a former militant stronghold west of Baghdad, and about 50 others who were summarily executed or tortured to death. Abadi's Shi'ite-led government and the PMF say a limited number of violations had occurred and were investigated, but they deny abuses were widespread and systematic. But Amnesty International says that in previous campaigns, the Shi'ite militias have committed "serious human rights violations, including war crimes" against civilians fleeing Islamic State-held territory. The flying of Shi'ite flags by the militias and also some regular army and police units in the mostly Sunni region around Mosul has been a cause of concern for local officials. But the Popular Mobilization forces have not been linked to any sectarian incidents so far in the campaign that started on Oct 17 with air and ground support from the U.S.-led coalition. "It's not right what they say about us," Adel said. "When they call us militias it's like they are insulting us." Though Sunday was only the second day that the PMF had officially joined the battle against Islamic State, the banners and slogans of the organization made it clear that theirs is a pan-Shi'ite cause that may not end at Iraq's borders. Tens of thousands of Iraqi Shi'ite militia fighters have crossed the border to fight on behalf of the government of President Bashar al-Assad with backing from Iran, but the PMF is not officially involved in the fighting there. This could change after Mosul. The Shi'ite paramilitary coalition said it plans to fight then alongside Assad's forces. "We are fully ready to go to any place that contains a threat to Iraqi national security," Ahmed al-Asadi, a PMF spokesman, told a news conference in Baghdad on Saturday, mentioning Syria as the main "arena" for the fighting. Black graffiti on the wall of an office of the Badr Organization in Qayyara on Sunday read: "Baghdad to the gates of Damascus." A few kilometers away on the highway between Qayyara and Mosul, a stall serving food to PMF fighters had a large portrait of Sheikh Nimr Baqer Nimr, the Saudi Shi'ite cleric executed by the Saudi government in January, outside. Turkey sacks 10,000 more civil servants, shuts media in latest crackdown By Humeyra Pamuk ISTANBUL, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Turkey said it had dismissed a further 10,000 civil servants and closed 15 more media outlets over suspected links with terrorist organisations and U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for orchestrating a failed coup in July. More than 100,000 people had already been sacked or suspended and 37,000 arrested since the abortive putsch in an unprecedented crackdown President Tayyip Erdogan says is crucial for wiping out the network of Gulen from the state apparatus. Thousands more academics, teachers, health workers, prison guards and forensics experts were among the latest to be removed from their posts through two new executive decrees published on the Official Gazette late on Saturday. Opposition parties described the move as a coup in itself. The continued crackdown has also raised concerns over the functioning of the state. "What the government and Erdogan are doing right now is a direct coup against the rule of law and democracy," Sezgin Tanrikulu, an MP from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), said in a Periscope broadcast posted on Twitter. A Turkish court on Sunday formally arrested Gultan Kisanak and Firat Anli, co-mayors of the largely Kurdish southeastern city of Diyarbakir on charges of membership of a terrorist organisation after five days in detention, sources said. Earlier police used rubber pellets to break up several hundred protesters marching against their arrests. The internet has been largely down in the city for several days, witnesses said. Turkey's southeast has been rocked by the worst violence in decades since the collapse last year of a ceasefire between the state and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. The local prosecutor had said Kisanak, a lawmaker before becoming Diyarbakir's first female mayor in 2014, and Anli had given speeches sympathetic to the PKK, called for greater political autonomy for Turkey's estimated 16 million Kurds and incited violent protests in 2014. MISUSE The extent of the crackdown has worried rights groups and many of Turkey's Western allies, who fear Erdogan is using the emergency rule to eradicate dissent. The government says the actions are justified given the threat to the state posed by the coup attempt, in which more than 240 people died. The executive decrees have ordered the closure of 15 more newspapers, wires and magazines, which report from the largely Kurdish southeast, bringing the total number of media outlets and publishers closed since July to nearly 160. Universities have also been stripped of their ability to elect their own rectors according to the decrees. Erdogan will from now on directly appoint the rectors from the candidates nominated by the High Educational Board (YOK). Lale Karabiyik, another CHP lawmaker, said the move was a clear misuse of the emergency rule decrees and described it as a coup d'etat on higher education. Pro-Kurdish opposition said the decrees were used as tools to establish a 'one-man regime'. The government extended the state of emergency imposed after the coup attempt for three months until mid-January. Erdogan said the authorities needed more time to wipe out the threat posed by Gulen's network as well as Kurdish militants who have waged a 32-year insurgency. Ankara wants the United States to detain and extradite Gulen so that he can be prosecuted in Turkey on a charge that he masterminded the attempt to overthrow the government. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, denies any involvement. Speaking to reporters at a reception marking Republic Day on Saturday, Erdogan said the nation wanted the reinstatement of the death penalty, a debate which has emerged following the coup attempt, and added that delaying it would not be right. Singapore's DBS pounces on ANZ assets to extend Asia private banking push By Jamie Freed and Saeed Azhar SYDNEY/SINGAPORE, Oct 31 (Reuters) - DBS Group plans to buy Australia and New Zealand Banking Group's wealth and retail businesses in five Asian markets - part of a big private banking push for the Singapore lender and the first significant retreat from Asia for ANZ. The businesses in Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Indonesia, will be sold for around S$110 million ($80 million), in a deal that underscores how smaller players in private banking are being squeezed out due to lack of scale. Where ANZ said it would have needed to invest further in branches and digital capacity to build up those businesses, Singapore's biggest lender noted it already had the advantage of existing infrastructure in those markets and would not have to deploy much capital. "Further investments do not make sense for us given our competitive position and the returns available to ANZ," said Shayne Elliott, chief executive of Australia's third-largest lender by market value. Elliott, who announced a review of ANZ's Asia strategy in May in a departure from his predecessor's "super-regional strategy", stressed the bank was not turning its back on Asia but would focus on its institutional banking business. Clarifying earlier remarks, Elliott said ANZ would also look to exit its retail and wealth assets in the Philippines and Vietnam, but there were no plans to sell similar assets in Cambodia and Laos. Elliott told Reuters in a separate interview ANZ plans to return to growth in its institutional business in Asia after the sale of its wealth and retail businesses. ANZ's institutional business involves services such as trade financing, foreign exchange and cash management, mostly for corporate clients. "It's very different from the retail business, we have already got scale. So we just want to do more of that," Elliott said.. PICKING UP THE PIECES For DBS, which recently became the fifth biggest player in private banking in Asia-Pacific, the deal is part of aggressive attempts by Singapore banks to pick up assets as some Western wealth managers depart from the region unable to compete with dominant players like UBS and Credit Suisse. Driven by the emergence of more millionaires in China and India, Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing wealth region in the world and has nearly 5 million individuals with $1 million in liquid assets. Sources have said DBS is weighing a bid for ABN AMRO's Asian private bank, a deal estimated to be worth at least $300 million. Earlier this year, it lost out to domestic rival Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp in bidding for Barclays wealth units in Singapore and Hong Kong. DBS said the ANZ transactions will be completed over 15 months and are set to add S$200 million to income in 2017 and S$600 million the year after. "This adds on and complements our Singapore and Hong Kong base quite nicely," DBS CEO Piyush Gupta told a news conference. The news comes as DBS posted a slight increase in third-quarter net profit, in line with expectations, although bad debt provisions rose sharply due to its exposure to the troubled oil and gas sector. ANZ said it would take a loss of A$265 million on the sale, including writedowns and added the sale was expected to increase its Tier 1 capital ratio by 15 to 20 basis points. The losses are set to be booked in the first half of the current financial year. "Overall, the deal looks good since it releases a bit of capital," said Omkar Joshi, an investment analyst at Watermark Funds Management. The latest losses will come of top of A$360 million in one-off charges that will be booked in the year just ended. Those earnings are due to released in full on Thursday. In 2009, ANZ acquired the Royal Bank of Scotland's retail, wealth and commercial businesses in Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong as well as institutional businesses in Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam for $550 million. Sri Lanka and Nepal may have turned their backs on protracted and bloody conflicts but the fault lines that fuelled these wars have not gone away. One key challenge now facing political elites is that of constitutional reform. But long-standing centralperipheral tensions threaten to resurface in constitutional debates and shape contentious politics in both countries. In Sri Lanka, former President Mahinda Rajapaksas 10 years in office came to a sudden end last year with a defeat in both presidential and parliamentary elections. Nepals previous Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Olis Communist Party of Nepal-led government was also forced out in May 2016 and replaced by the Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal or Prachanda. The latter now heads a new coalition with the Nepali Congress and Madhesi parties based along the southern border with India. Both these newly elected governments are struggling to craft new constitutional agreements. In Nepal, Prachanda is seeking to amend the 2015 constitution to appease Madhesi demands. In Sri Lanka, the government is hurriedly drawing up a new constitution, which it plans to finalise before the end of the year and put to a public vote in 2017. This is a high stakes game, with the future character of the state and its administrative arrangements up for grabs. At one level, this is a struggle involving elected politicians and lawyers to ensure a fair and legal division of powers and representation. But beneath the formal structures and official debates is a multi-layered struggle involving networks of actors animated by the drive to capture, control and distribute power and resources. New political elites jostle with older established elites in order to gain access to power and resources. In other words, constitutional reform has as much to do with extending patronage networks as democratising the state. These tensions have a strong spatial dimension, as claim-making from the periphery intersects with patronage politics at the centre. For political parties that have emerged from the state periphery, entering mainstream party politics has been a disorientating experience. Clear-cut narratives of the centre against the periphery and friend-foe distinctions of justice-seeking rebels have been replaced by the murky worlds of political coalitions, alliance making and dirty patronage politics. Both Maoists in Nepal and ex-LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) aligned nationalists in Sri Lanka have found that in renouncing violence and entering debates on constitutional reforms, they have been unavoidably sucked into the deal making of normal politics. This new cartography of power is much harder to navigate than the old wartime landscape. The new politics involves surprising alliances, hybrid institutional arrangements and blurred zones all of which create a promising environment for middlemen or brokers who are able to navigate it, find new pathways and make new connections. During periods of rupture or flux, these fixers can jump the synapses between political networks and parties to form surprising alliances and policy positions. Power re-spatialisation Muslim politicians in Eastern Sri Lanka, for example, have sought to balance the demands of their constituents in the periphery against the need to extract resources from the centre. Madhesi political leaders in Nepal have both engaged with and challenged the central government, tapping into state power by joining mainstream parties only to switch allegiances and orchestrate violent protests at the border. Post-war transitions have led to a re-spatialisation of power. Constitutional talks bring into sharp focus these tensions between centripetal forces of state building and centralised patronage and centrifugal political forces of rebel governance and minority claim-making. These centreperiphery dynamics are made visible in multiple ways for example, through the creation in Sri Lanka of a constitutional sub-committee for centreperiphery relations, or in Nepal in the initiation of border development programmes in the Tarai. New patterns of claim-making from the margins in turn impacts central government agendas. In Nepal, since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2006, marginalised tribal groups (the janajati) and Madhesi parties have played a decisive role in politics. In Eastern Sri Lanka, the leading Muslim party the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress is being confronted by a more assertive regional identity movement called the Rise of the East. In Northern Sri Lanka, new groups such as the Tamil Peoples Council are drawing attention to a range of issues they feel are neglected in public debate about the new constitution, such as ongoing state-sponsored colonisation of the North, war crimes and the need for a federal solution. There is also an important international dimension to this scalar manoeuvring. Indias backing of Madhesi demands was instrumental in the partys successful inception of power at the centre, while Chinas support undergirded the Rajapaksa governments war-time and post-war strategy. Yet, these international forces and the domestic responses to them are continually shifting. Both the new Prachanda-led government in Nepal and Sirisenas government in Sri Lanka are now seeking to distance themselves from previous regimes over-reliance on China. Despite these international pressures, what sets Nepal and Sri Lanka apart from many other countries is that their post-war transitions have been primarily domestic affairs. To a large extent, political leaders have successfully kept the international peacebuilding industry at bay. This has helped create the space for vibrant, contentious and unpredictable political encounters between centres and peripheries in the two countries. (Courtesy East Asia Forum) (Jonathan Goodhand is a Professor in Conflict and Development Studies at the SOAS South Asia Institute, University of London. Oliver Walton is a Lecturer in International Development at the University of Bath) There might be fundamental changes to economy, when the South is industrialised, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Saturday. The Prime Minister made this remark at the Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka Tea Factory Owners Association over the weekend. When the Mattala Airport development plans get going, some may let off tea and move to other crops. Therefore there may be fundamental changes due to the industrialising of the South. He said the government would have to look at the Tea Board, the Tea Research Institute and Tea Small Holders. The present structure is inefficient. We have to bring the industry back into it. How do we train planters? There is no college to train them, no diplomas. Tea must become an agribusiness for it to survive. Lets look at the radical changes once the budget is produced. In the short term you can expand the market but remember the long term measures should also come into focus, he said. Going back to the topic of changes that might come up as a result of Southern Region Development he said there would be a migration of labour, especially towards Hambantota. He said there was going to be a high competition for labour in all parts of the country. When the Chinese and the Government implement the new public-private agreements for airport and the port, they are planning to start a large number of industrial estates on 15,000 acres. Other types of industries will also come in as a result other than tea. We will promote high value tourism in the South. South will be connected to Mattala and the Katunayake Airports. This means there is going to be a migration of labour. Tea smallholders and plantations will have to compete. Those who are working in the plantations may move down to Hambantota from Badulla. Smallholders may think it is better to go and work there and abandon plantations. How are you going to work with this cost factor? I am going to ask you this when I summon you all, he added. . When it comes to short term issues, especially with regard to tea industry, the Prime Minister said Sri Lanka would go into new markets. Commodity market is down throughout the world. It is so in the case of oil. Saudi Arabia is slashing the salaries including domestic worker salaries. Chinese steel makers are driving European and Western steel makers out of business. Therefore all the commodity prices are coming down, he said. It had also affected tea. We have other competitors whose prices have been more attractive than ours. Our focus has been in the Middle East and former Soviet Union (Russia and Ukraine). In 2002 we tried to push it more into Europe and to the other areas but it was not done. The Russian economy is coming under pressure by the West. Ukraine is in a mess. Middle East is coming apart -be it Libya, Syria or Iraq. Our main markets have got affected. We are trying to get new markets namely, Turkey. But there was some new issues. We are talking with Iran, after the US lifted the sanctions, and with Pakistan, India and China. The population of China requires more tea. Let us try and expand where the markets are, he said. (Yohan Perera) By Zahara Zuhair Noting that the relationship between Sri Lanka and Norway started with links to the maritime sector, Norway Ambassador Thorbjorn Gaustadsaether, said that they would like to partner Sri Lanka in conserving and using the oceans, seas and marine resources in a sustainable way, under the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) no - 14. Being a costal nation, Norway has a strong emphasis on the oceans for sustainable economic growth, and is engaged in the blue economy discussions and SDG no - 14 Life under water. We would like to partner with Sri Lanka in achieving this SDG, and also strengthen maritime business cooperation between our two respective countries, he said at the reception held at the Sorlandet sail ship recently. Going back to history, he said that the Asian region has for 150 years been important for their shipping industry and Colombo being one of the first. This industry was of significant importance when we got our independence from the union with Sweden. Ship owners had been complaining that the Swedish consulates did not take care of Norwegian ships. They hence wanted their own Norwegian consulates, which became very instrumental when we pushed for and gained independence in 1905. The new independent Government immediately started diplomatic activities and a number of consulates were opened. And Colombo became among the first in 1906. This was before cities like Karachi, Mumbai, Chennai and Calcutta, he said. He said that maritime contact has been part of their relations ever since and a number of Norwegian ships have called on Colombo. We had a whaling base in Trincomalee and Norwegian sailors have signed off and on from Colombo. And during the Second World War, a Norwegian ship was destroyed during air strikes on Colombo, he said. He said that there are few maritime companies still operating in Sri Lanka, such as Wilhelmsen which is well established and DNV- GL which also is well into the maritime sector. In the meantime, he said that Norway is today the worlds sixth largest shipping nation and controls one of the largest merchant fleets and the industry accounts for a substantial part of their GDP. He said Norway is one of the very few nations in Europe with a complete maritime cluster, including ship building. He said that shipping is increasingly integrated into a complex international logistics network, requiring sophisticated databases, surveillance systems and communication systems. He added that financial services, brokers, research and education institutions are also important actors in the cluster, hoping that the cluster approach will also be useful in meeting future challenges. As Norway will launch its new ocean strategy in 2017, he noted that one of the challenges will be the development of environmental-friendly and sustainable transport solutions. Today experiments are going on with ships being driven by solar power, and in 2015 the first LNG-powered short sea break bulk /cargo vessel was put into production. As well as the first battery-powered car ferry came into production, he said. President Maithripala Sirisenas comment during a speech at Sathviru Heritage function at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI) organized to transfer ownership of houses and properties to the security divisions on October 12 and the subsequent events which included the resignation of Bribery Commissions Director General Dilruskhi Dias Wickremasinghe created a quiet a stir in the political and civil circles. The most shocked sections were the members of the civil rights groups who worked tirelessly even with a risk to their lives to bring President Sirisena to power. Dailymirror spoke to widely respected human rights lawyer J. C. Weliamuna, one of the leading activists who worked to defeat the Rajapaksa regime on January 8, 2015 about the after effects of the Presidents speech and reaction of the civil society groups. Excerpts; Q When you look back do you feel happy about the change that took place on January 8, 2015? We are quite satisfied but the civil society would not be fully satisfied. There are huge positive steps in the direction of democracy. And we had a few things that we struggled to achieve such as the 19th Amendment. Then we have the Right to Information Act. There are a large number of changes in overall governance factors. But there are also areas where we have serious concerns. Overall I would say there no reason to be unhappy. Q Does that mean you dont have any regrets in working to bring Yahapalanaya government? No. Q As someone who worked hard to bring defeat to the former regime, how do you see the speech made by the President recently? Does the content in that speech contradicts some of the promises made when this government came into power? Does the speech challenge the most important concept of good governance and separation of powers? In my view the speech was ill advised. No question about it. I believe when the Head of State speaks, it could be subjected to different interpretations. But we have to understand that the people are also intelligent and they have their own interpretations. So that is why there are lot of stories about leaders speaking anywhere in the world. Even if a head of state wants to withdraw or tender an apology, that will have lot of ramifications. We have to understand that it was a leaders speech. As I said earlier, it was ill-advised. There may be reasons for it, but it was ill-advised in the sense that January 8 victory or change was mooted by the civil society and the people in the Opposition and there were also certain basic changes people wanted. Those basic changes were the rule of law, democracy and civilian rule. We wanted to have reconciliation and on the whole a decent society. Those are the changes we wanted. One interpretation is whether the speech has challenged those co-values. That is why the civil society is agitated. It has a right to be agitated. It has contributed to the change. In my view, there are three forces that had made the change. One was the political force, particularly the UNP, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and all the smaller political parties which nominated the common candidate. That was from the political force. Secondly, the civil society force. I think they were the section which mooted the idea, particularly late Ven. Sobitha Thera. Thirdly, the peoplle. They wanted a change because what took place in the Rajapaksa era was horrendous. I mean the murders, the abductions and so on... QAre you referring to what took place during the war? I think the post-war era was worse than the war era, because if we look at the post-war era, it was a consolidated effort. The Rajapaksa family tried to consolidate its power and ruined the democratic institutions. They had the golden opportunity to make this country a heaven. Instead, they did everything possible to consolidate power and made Sri Lanka a corrupt State. Q Did the civil society groups which worked for the victory of President Sirisena have any agreement prior to the election? There was a common agreement among these forces, be it written or unwritten. Among them were re-establishing democracy, the rule of law and fighting corruption. I think the civil society must have felt hurt. Q You repeatedly said that the Presidents comments were ill-advised. Does that mean that his comments were not spontaneous but pre-planned? Why is the civil society overall supporting the government? That is for a common agenda. They want some major reforms. So long as reforms are intact, I have no doubt the civil society would criticize but would support the government. We still feel we could move the reform agenda. So, when this type of situation arises, we must understand that this is a coalition government. No unity government could work without issues. These are the two different ideologies of different political leaders. So when we look at the practical aspect of it, the reform agenda to be achieved and delivered with one pre-condition, that is the UNP and UPFA leadership, I would narrow it down to the President and the Prime Minister must read the same language. But one could see these political leaders are pressurised by people with vested interests, political interest and private agendas. What we must understand is that the civil society is closely monitoring these two. I have no doubt that there are so many factions which want to create a split and we want to make sure at least the civil society as well as I, will do everything possible within the circle of my civil power to ensure these two stick together. That is not because of the love for them but because without that we cannot achieve the reform agenda. It has to be achieved. With the 19th Amendment, parliament cannot be dissolved for four and-a-half years. Political stability is important though at present it seems to be a little chaotic. Q Once this government came in to power lot of attitudanal changes took place among the international community with regard to Sri Lanka. How will the Presidents comments be read by the international community? Doesnt this statement affect the country? Unfortunately you are right. That is why I said when the politicians talk, there are multiple ramifications. They are interpreted by local actors, politicians within and outside parliament and the international community. It was US President Eisenhower who said As a leader I knew only one thing, that is my strength. I knew what and what not to talk. Eisenhower was one of the greatest leaders ever. He was a General during the World War II. If he started talking about secrets of the war and all that what would have happen to America? That does not mean that you should not use your strength to streamline the organization. That is a different mechanism. I still think that these ramifications can be addressed if the President and the Prime Minister are serious about it. Now I heard about another discussion going on among some intellectual groups, including a few foreigners. They were referring to three criminal investigations into abduction and killing of journalists and trying to say that the suspects were serving in the military. Because they were war heroes, and investigating them would tarnish the countrys image in the international arena. I really dont know which way it would progress. I only hope it will not go out of proportion. Because we all want this country to be back on the track, at least where good governance is concerned. On the other hand, after a long pause, Sri Lanka has been politically recognised by the international community. We also see potential of investments. We can get direct foreign investments when there is political stability. Now these features are showing signs of political instability. Ultimately those who do not want the reform agenda would be benefited. Q One of the reactions following Presidents speech was the resignation of Director General of Commission to Investigate Bribery or Corruption. It gives a bad message on the independence of the Commissions. What is your view? I personally think the DG should not have resigned. If she remained, it would not easy to remove her under the present context and the Executive could do nothing about it. But the remarks would have hurt her. She should not have resigned although she has all the rights to do so. I hope there would be a good, brave and equally capable replacement. What I see with regret is a mud-slinging campaign against her. whichis totally unacceptable. This was exactly what they did to former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake when she was impeached. Q From here, where does the civil society go? Should it withdraw from political engagements? I must say MRs group that were in the extremely nationalistic political ideology would criticize the civil society on matters of principles. What it must do in my view -- just like another January 8 where there was a push by all segments. We must have another similar revolution to see that the President and the Prime Minister stick together and deliver the reform agenda. True, they can criticise the political leaders. While doing so, we should motivate them. The civil society invested their energy and time to make a political change not for personal gain. They were clear that MR should not be back, they were not supporting the President and the PM blankly. They wanted them to deliver a reform agenda which should include abolition of the executive presidency and create reconciliation. They want institutions to be reformed so that corruption could be fought. Who would do this if the civil society give it up? It would be another turmoil and the economy would be immensely affected as would be the future. Q But there is a complaint by the public about a delay with regards to the investigations; especially against politicians? We had never experienced political investigative units which are capable of going into complex financial crimes of this magnitude. Secondly, there was never a huge political need backed by the civil society for such investigations before. Thirdly, when the government came to power, the entire State mechanism was under State capture. This particular group has captured the entire institutions from parliament to police, military to investigators, judiciary and to everyone. Since the small number of top officials in the public sector had interest in the previous government and had vested interest in the previous regime they blocked all the investigations. The public servants should have come forward and supported the investigation. But that did not happen. What happened therefore, is that the investigations have become slow. Secondly, they had to initiate different kinds of investigative agencies. The Bribery Commission and the FCID were formed in March, however, the CID became fully operational after it recruited and trained around 70 investigators around June or July. What these investigations were all about? According to what was transpired, most of the transactions had occurred abroad and they became multi-jurisdictional transactions. Even the USA or Britain, it would take about four to five years. Our investigators have been trained in different countries. If you put together, there are about 300 investigators. Is it physically possible? When it comes to judiciary, there could be more issues due to delay in processing. When a suspect is remanded and put in a cell, some of the ministers in this government would visit them and the gang of imprisoned suspects enjoy their stay in the prison hospital. In one of the CID reports oresented in court recently, it was stated that some of those in prisons were being given food by the military intelligence officers. My personal view is, it is unfair to say that the investigations are slow. Q There is an allegation that some of the genuine cases such as abduction and murder of journalists are also getting delayed? Some of the allegations may be justified. If we take the Ekneligoda case, the investigation started in 2010 and then they were entrusted to DIG Anura Senanayake but he allegedly swept matters under the carpet. When the government changed, the probe was given to the CID in March 2015. From then on the investigations are underway. In these investigations some government officials and some military intelligence officers are not cooperating. Initially court had to give orders to military to provide necessary information and materials. Because of this, the case has been dragging on for 16 months after the fresh inquiry was initiated. According to what was reported to courts, some of the crucial investigations and crimes particularly with regard to abducting of journalists, military intelligence was allegedly involved. And surely our intelligence are not unskilled, they did their best during the war. After the war, they were used as political scapegoats. There are some honest officers who had contributed their skills during the war. After the war ended they became part of MRs forces and had vested interest in that. Do you think military had any need to abduct journalists? Unfortunately they got involved in this mess and as a result of this, they dont want to cooperate in the investigation. During the court inquiry, some politicians and members of the Bodu Bala Sena went and protested opposite courts. We saw the bad precedence of naming and shaming the investigators in public. As a human rights lawyer for 28 years, I have appeared mostly against police investigators but had never made allegations against them. We are living safely because of these investigators. Q There is a minister who criticize the FCID and said he had advised his officials to avoid FCID if they are called. What are your views on this? He is violating the law and he should have been reported to court for obstructing investigations. How can a minister say that? He should not have been a minister in this government. Q We also saw in the media that another minister was critical of Prof. Sarath Wijesuriya, leader of the National Movement for Just Society... All what I would like to say is, any politician who attacks the civil society leadership, would stand exposed one day. Thats all I can say at the moment. Q President has in a way justified his comments saying that he needed two thirds majority to make the necessary Constitutional changes which is also a demand by the civil society. In that sense, was he right? The President was right in saying that he needed two thirds to achieve certain types of reforms. To achieve a Constitutional change, you must have two thirds. That is important and that is why I say this marriage is vital. Otherwise you could go on with a simple majority. So, the President is right. Now there are about 200 cases being reported by the three main institutions; the Bribery Commission, the FCID and the CID. Unlike the previous regime, these investigations are related to politicians. Earlier the politicians had never been investigated. Political leaders and others should have a clear mindset that we must allow investigations to go ahead whether they are big or small, or we would find it difficult to achieve our goal. Secondly, my understanding about the police, they are more progressive than the politicians. Despite all these hurdles, the police had gone to that extent of even questioning powerful politicians without any hindrances. They are public servants and they undertook some of the toughest and difficult investigations. There might have been political justification with regard to certain investigation. Let us be frank with it. But those could be sorted out. When there are open criticism of the investigative agencies, then the ramification would be different. Wrongdoers might think they are now protected by this. When making this statement one has to carefully analyse that the President did not want to protect them. However, these wrongdoers would get together and would say the President is on their side and that the investigators cannot touch them. In a developed country, it could have been a different story. But in Sri Lanka, since these agencies have never experienced investigating powerful politicians, it could take some time. Q Now that MR himself says that it was not he, but President Sirisena himself confirms the FCID is politically motivated. How do you see this? That is why I say when a politician makes a statement there are multiple ramifications. A set of wrongdoers, who were waiting to attack the political investigators would have got a good dose in their favour and they can use it. And I can tell you that already there are some cases where Presidents speech was cited in courts. In the case of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda, the lawyer appearing for the suspect says it. In Lasanthas murder case, the lawyer appearing for the suspect says all these investigations are politically motivated. I dont think the President intended that. That is why I say it is ill-advised. I personally think that the President does not want to stop these investigations. Pix By Kushan Pathiraja The two ships of the Sri Lanka Navy; SLNS Sayura and SLNS Suranimala which were on an a training and goodwill visit to India, arrived at the Port of Colombo yesterday (29) after a successful visit. On their way home, the two ships also conducted a few training exercises, such as the Man Overboard Exercise, Station Keeping by Distance Line Exercise and Towing Exercise.(Pix by Navy Media) By Shabiya Ali Ahlam Determined to stay abreast with the global shipping and logistics industry, Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) is said be in the middle of a detoxification process that has human resource and information system reforms at the core. Stressing the importance of urgent reforms in terms of operations and processes, SLPA Chairman Dhammika Ranatunga pointed out the institution is looking at improving key areas so it can compete with its regional peers, and eventually progress to be a hub. As a government institution, there are certain areas we need to address if we want to keep up with private sector progress. For that we are paying attention to the HR aspect of the staff and giving due emphasis on improving our information systems, said Ranatunga. With regard to HR, the SLPA has sought the assistance of private sector trainers to improve productivity and performance. According to SLPA officials, activities in this regard that kicked off mid last year have resulted in trimming the idle time of workers by 40 percent. In the area of information systems the Ports Authority has sought the assistance of a US entity, which Ranatunga refrained from naming, to facilitate an information system audit. The process, which is yet to kickoff, is expected to go on for a period of five to six weeks. This is good for us since we need to look at every segment that we can look at and improve, said Ranatunga. He added that the SLPA is bringing in disciplined financial models and due to such efforts it is in a position of identifying each port as a profit centre. While in 2014/2015, the countrys ports witnessed a growth rate of 5.7 percent, for the first half of the 2015/2016 period the SLPA has managed an average of 10 percent growth across its activities. That is a good sign at a time when the industry is not doing so well. Primary reason for this is the reforms we are introducing. That is a great achievement. These activities will result in investor confidence and they will want to work with us, he said. It was also stated that SLPA is focusing on cruise passengers not only in Colombo, but also in Galle, Hambantota, and Trincomalee. Ranatunga stressed that possible setting up of cruise terminals will receive serious attention, as cruise tourism is identified as a steady income generating avenue. Norway reaffirms technical support for SLs ports, maritime sectors In a bid to bolster economic ties with Sri Lanka, Norway reaffirmed its commitment to support Sri Lankas shipping and logistics industries, noting it will extend technical support to boost the current status of the island nations ports. Noting it is an area that can be used to connect, Norway Ambassador to Sri Lanka Thorbjorn Gaustadsaether said Norways maritime expertise is an element Sri Lanka could make use of. It is a tough competition out there and we see that in the industry there is a downturn. It is important for Sri Lanka to strategize and see how they can find the niche in this new market. We have had the connection for many years and our maritime experience at large is something we could share with Sri Lanka, so you can not only develop your shipping industry but also develop the ports and be the hub to be in this region, said the ambassador. Opining it is a complex affair, Gaustadsaether stressed that there still is potential for Sri Lanka due to its strategic location. You have a location which is fantastic, but you also have to think about how you are going to fill that potential in between the East and West, said Gaustadsaether. The envoy added that it is not only about how the ports are developed, but also the specialties it would offer in terms of technology. Norway is looking to develop cooperation with Sri Lanka in the fishing industry where it has been asked to assist in policy making. President of the Switzerland National Council Christa Markwalder said Switzerland stands ready to assist in strengthening parliamentary democracy in Sri Lanka including providing technology, training and capacity building. She said this during the official meeting with the Sri Lankan parliamentary delegation led by Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva, at the Switzerland National Parliament in Bern recently. During the meeting, the Swiss delegation explained the Swiss parliamentary structure and its functions to the Sri Lanka delegation. Meanwhile, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva briefed the Swiss delegation regarding the steps taken to strengthen the parliament through constitutional amendments in recent times including the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, paving the way for the establishment of the independent commissions, as well as the proposed Constitution and the electoral reforms currently under deliberation. Noting the close bilateral relations between the two countries, Minister de Silva called for cooperation between the two parliaments in the years ahead. A huge spat has emerged between Chief Justice TS Thakur and the government. A bit of background. In 2014, the Constitution was amended and a legislation passed for a National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC). On October 16, 2015, by 4:1 the NJAC was rightly struck down by the apex court, restoring the Supreme Court-dominated collegium which was invented to avoid political domination instrumented through law ministers. Anyway, the Justice Kehar NJAC Constitution Bench made a colossal blunder in NJAC-II of December 16, 2015, allowing the government to propose the Memorandum of Procedure (MOP). Authority NJAC II should have let the SC prescribe the MOP, and not created a problem looking for a solution. As a historian said: Never was conquest so easy. Never, too, was it so easily squandered away. The MOP of the government was rejected by the Supreme Court. Amendments were exchanged, rejected, exchanged. By July-August, Chief Justice Thakur was worried and frustrated. At a function attended by Thakur and Modi, Thakur wept publicly. On Independence Day, Thakur made an inappropriate remark as to why Modi had not mentioned the needs of the judiciary from the ramparts of the Red Fort - to be given a strong reply by minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The Chief Justice found himself getting short tempered in court. On October 22, 2016, the Chief Justice said to an unruly lawyer: Shut up, Shut up I say, I will get you thrown out. The authority of a CJI does not need to shut up in judicial vocabulary. Oddly, Justice Thakur, sitting in Court No 2 was the epitome of calm, courtesy, firmness and humour. What happened? Acting on the judicial side, judges can coerce the mighty state by passing judicial orders. But dealing with them on the administrative side can be irksome on two fronts: finance and appointments. Many high courts have resolved financial issues adroitly, but not always. The Supreme Courts first big break on this came in the Chandrachud Senior era (1978-85). This government obviously realised it could stall the emotionally overcharged CJI over the MOP. My suspicion is that the gang of four from the government were the PM (as advised), Arun Jaitley, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi. They wanted the power to appoint high court and Supreme Court judges, just as the Congress did in the 70s, 80s and 90s. A Hindutva judiciary. There are already four in the SC with Hindutva biases. Soon the die was cast. The media turned against the judiciary calling it a self-selecting elite. The litany of distrust increased. On September 20, a petition to restore the collegium was peremptorily dismissed. But the government upped the ante. As Thakurs judgments became more obsessive by refusing to hear any arguments, his manner did not win him many friends in public. He declared: Fall in line or well make you. He was joined by Ex-CJI Lodha whose committee Thakur endorsed. The Centres response on October 5 was that the appointment of judges was the governments top priority. (Photo credit: India Today) Negotiations Thakur had no choice but to negotiate. On September 20, Thakur declared the MOP issues with the government would be resolved in the next two weeks. The next day he went for a heart check but mercifully was fine. The appointment ball started rolling. On September 17, five high court CJs were designed for appointment. The news was Thakur met Modi in Ahmedabad and praised Gujarat even though Gujarat had 5,13,254 cases (22 per cent of all) pending. But if because of the Modi meeting Thakur sounded hopeful on September 22, on that date the government was sitting on the appointment of 75 high court (HC) judges. The next day two Jharkhand appointments were cleared. This did not prevent Thakur from threatening the BCCI to fall in line (end September). Resolution By October 1, 2016, Thakur wanted the Centre to relieve overburdened courts on legal services, chastising it for sheer apathy indifference or incapacity. The Centres response on October 5 was that the appointment of judges was the governments top priority. The day before nine additional judges were made permanent in Calcuttas High Court and 17 more HC judges were in the fray for Calcutta and Madhya Pradesh. On October 28, the CJI in court warned the Centre. Our tolerant approach seems not to be working. If you go on like this, we will reconstitute the five-judge bench (to prevent the government) scuttling judicial appointments till it frames a new law. We will summon secretaries of the department of justice and the PMO. Diwali intervened. Thakur retires on January 4. He has 30 working days. Was Thakur a good judge? History will decide. Was he a good Chief Justice? History will not speak necessarily in his favour. Will he be able to resolve the appointment issue before retirement? Decidedly not. As the CJI dealing with the government, he has been undiplomatic, threatening, frustrated and ineffective. The original NJAC struck down by the SC was biased and hopeless. We do need a new rigorous, transparent and effective NJAC. The government has played a waiting game with Thakur and succeeded by thwarting the Supreme Courts judgment. His badly thought out strategy has been reduced to ashes leaving him burnt out. The governments behaviour is atrocious. Sadly, it has the upper hand. India is celebrating Diwali today. "Patriotic" Indians are buying India-made lights and crackers, even paying 30 to 40 per cent more than they would for the Chinese equivalents. The festival of lights signifies the victory of good over evil and of light over darkness. However, this year, the festival is turning out to be a parade of patriotism and a scary show of strength vis-a-vis neighbouring Pakistan and China. A Pew Research Centre report, which came out in September 2016, confirms that most Indians are seriously worried about the growing China-Pakistan friendship. This is not a new development. Bilateral cooperation between the two countries has been travelling in an ascending trajectory for past 65 years since they established their formal diplomatic relations on May 21, 1951. China describes Pakistan as its only all-weather strategic cooperation partner and has openly described the Chinese-Pakistani friendship as sweeter than honey and stronger than steel. Pakistan is not only the largest recipient of investment from China, it is also the largest recipient of Chinese arms. Besides support from the Islamic world, Pakistan now has absolute backing from China to confront India. (Credit: Reuters) Since Rajiv Gandhis historic lengthy handshake with Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in December 1988 in the Great Hall of the People in the centre of Beijing, India was developing a mutually-beneficial relationship with China through continued high-level dialogue, increasing economic and commercial ties and regular people-to-people exchanges. However, under the Modi regime, the relationship between the two countries with the two largest populations in the world is worsening rapidly and the mutual suspicion is probably as great is it has ever been. Since coming to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not left any chance to ruffle Chinese feathers. He invited the prime minister of the Tibetan government in exile to his inauguration knowing very well that it will annoy China considerably. That did not stop Modi and he even publicly criticised China when he went to Japan in September 2014. In spite of a series of provocations, the Chinese leadership had hoped that Modi will continue the previous UPA government policy of balancing ties between the US and China. But that was not to be. Modi, in his blind pursuit of making India the leading global power and ignoring the geo-strategic reality, has gone ahead in pursuing a closer relationship with the United States in the assumption that it will put Delhi in a stronger position vis-a-vis Beijing. The signing of the LEMOA, increased cooperation with the US Navy in patrolling Indian Ocean and direct confrontation with China over the NSG membership have not made India any more powerful, rather, these steps by the Modi government have made the archenemy Pakistan stronger by bringing it closer to China. The UPA governments policy of balancing ties between US and China had forced China to maintain a balance of its ties between India and Pakistan. A radical change of foreign policy direction by Modi by going all the way in cozying up to the United States has left China with no other option but to go all out in its support to back Pakistan openly. After Uri attacks, Indias attempts to diplomatically isolate Pakistan too have not achieved any success, rather the overt obsession has helped the enemy regain open support from some of its old friends. Modi governments failure to bring peace and normalcy in Kashmir has forced most of the Islamic countries to openly back Pakistan. Besides, the support from the Islamic world, Pakistan now has absolute backing from China to confront India. The strengthening of China-Pakistan axis in the region has serious implications, particularly when tensions between India and Pakistan are hitting a boiling point. For political gains. Modi decided to openly boast the success of Indian Armys post-Uri revenge "surgical strike". This has failed to browbeat Pakistanis to submission. Rather, since then cross-border firing between Indian and Pakistani forces has become a regular feature. Even on the eve of Diwali, an Indian soldier has not only been killed inside Indian territory, but also beheaded. Given continued provocation from the Pakistani side, there are not many options available for Modi to react in a politically surcharged post-"surgical strike" period. The way he and his party colleagues have stirred up the nationalist fervor in the country, unless the situation changes dramatically, the two countries could even go through another war against each other in the near future. A war between India and Pakistan will be first ever direct war between two nuclear-armed states and this, in itself, holds a devastating prospect. However, in the case of a war between India and Pakistan, it is highly unlikely that China will stay out of it. Modis impulsive foreign policy adventurism has brought the strategic interests of China so close to Pakistan that it is a real possibility India may have to fight a two-front war against Pakistan and China simultaneously. As if fighting a war with one nuclear-armed country was not risky enough. In March this year, the vice chief of the Indian Air Force, air marshal BS Dhanoa, had openly admitted that India will not be able to fight a two-front war involving Pakistan and China. If Modi has decided to confront Pakistan, the smart strategy would be to do all he can to maintain and promote a healthy relationship with China. Instead, Modi is doing what he could to infuriate China further. Inviting the US ambassador to visit Arunachal Pradesh and allowing Dalai Lama to visit that state early next year are nothing but hotheaded steps in that direction. In addition, his party colleagues are openly calling for boycotting Chinese goods. 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Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, SEEPEX, Seepex (M) SDN, Seepex Australia Pty Ltd, Seepex Beteiligungs-Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung, Seepex France S.a.r.l., Seepex GmbH, Seepex Inc., Seepex India Private Ltd., Seepex Italia SRL, Seepex Japan Co. Ltd., Seepex Nordic A/S, Seepex OOO, Seepex Pumps (Shanghia) Co. Ltd., Seepex UK Ltd., Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Shanghai Ingersoll-Rand Compressor Limited, Shenzhen Bocom System Engineering Co., Superay, Syltone, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, Tamrotor Marine Comp AS Norway, Tecno Matic Europe s.r.o., Thomas Industries Inc., Trane Technologies, Tri-Continent Scientific Inc., Vacuum and Blower Systems division, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zaxe Technologies Inc., Zeks Compressed Air Solutions Llc, Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, Zinsser NA Inc., and crayon interface. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Clean Harbors: Ace/Allwaste Environmental Services of Indiana LLC, Altair Disposal Services LLC, Aquilex Finance LLC, Aquilex Intermediate Corporate Holdings LLC, Aquilex Intermediate Holdings LLC, Aquilex LLC, Baton Rouge Disposal LLC, Bridgeport Disposal LLC, CARBER Holdings Inc., CB Canada Acquisition Inc., CB Canada Holdings Inc., CB US Holdings Inc., CH International Holdings LLC, Car-Ber Investments Inc., Clean Harbors Andover LLC, Clean Harbors Aragonite LLC, Clean Harbors Arizona LLC, Clean Harbors BDT LLC, Clean Harbors Baton Rouge LLC, Clean Harbors Buttonwillow LLC, Clean Harbors Canada Inc., Clean Harbors Caribe Inc., Clean Harbors Chattanooga LLC, Clean Harbors Clive LLC, Clean Harbors Coffeyville LLC, Clean Harbors Colfax LLC, Clean Harbors Deer Park LLC, Clean Harbors Deer Trail LLC, Clean Harbors Development LLC, Clean Harbors Disposal Services Inc., Clean Harbors El Dorado LLC, Clean Harbors Energy Services ULC, Clean Harbors Energy and Industrial Services Corp., Clean Harbors Energy and Industrial Services LP, Clean Harbors Energy and Industrial Western Ltd., Clean Harbors Environmental Services Inc., Clean Harbors Exploration Services Inc., Clean Harbors Exploration Services LP, Clean Harbors Exploration Services ULC, Clean Harbors Florida LLC, Clean Harbors Grassy Mountain LLC, Clean Harbors India LLP, Clean Harbors Industrial Services Canada Inc., Clean Harbors Industrial Services Inc., Clean Harbors Innu Environmental Services Inc., Clean Harbors Kansas LLC, Clean Harbors Kingston Facility Corporation, Clean Harbors LaPorte LLC, Clean Harbors Laurel LLC, Clean Harbors Lodging Services LP, Clean Harbors Lodging Services ULC, Clean Harbors Lone Mountain LLC, Clean Harbors Mercier Inc., Clean Harbors Pecatonica LLC, Clean Harbors Production Services ULC, Clean Harbors Quebec Inc., Clean Harbors Recycling Services of Chicago LLC, Clean Harbors Recycling Services of Ohio LLC, Clean Harbors Reidsville LLC, Clean Harbors San Jose LLC, Clean Harbors San Leon Inc., Clean Harbors Services Inc., Clean Harbors Surface Rentals Partnership, Clean Harbors Surface Rentals ULC, Clean Harbors Surface Rentals USA Inc., Clean Harbors Tennessee LLC, Clean Harbors Westmorland LLC, Clean Harbors White Castle LLC, Clean Harbors Wichita LLC, Clean Harbors Wilmington LLC, Clean Harbors of Baltimore Inc. (DE Corp.), Clean Harbors of Braintree Inc., Clean Harbors of Connecticut Inc. (DE), Confined Space Services L.L.C., Cousins Waste Control LLC, Crowley Disposal LLC, Cyn Oil Corporation, Debusk Industrial Services Company LLC, Disposal Properties LLC, Emerald Services Inc., EnviroSORT Inc., EnviroSORT Inc., Eveready, Evergreen Holdings, GSX Disposal LLC, Global Vapor Control Inc., Green View Technologies Inc., HPC PetroServ Inc., Hilliard Disposal LLC, HydroChem Canada ULC, HydroChem Industrial Cleaning LLC, HydroChem LLC, HydroChemPSC, IISG Central Region LLC, IISG Gulf Coast LLC, IISG Real Estate LLC, Industrial Service Oil Company Inc., Inland Industrial Services Group LLC, Inland Waters Pollution Control Services LLC, Inland Waters of Ohio LLC, Jesco Industrial Service LLC, LJ Energy Services Holdings LLC, LJ Energy Services Intermediate Holding Corp., Lonestar Sylvan Inc., Lonestar Vacuum Inc., Lonestar West, Lonestar West Enterprises LLC, Lonestar West Inc., Lonestar West Services LLC, Murphy's Waste Oil Service Inc., Northeast Casualty Insurance Company, Omnichem LLC, PMS Industrial Services LLC, PSC Industrial Holdings Corp., PSC Industrial Inc., PSC Industrial Outsourcing LP, PSC Industrial Outsourcing of Michigan LLC, PSC LDAR Services LLC, Peak Energy Services, Philip Services/North Central LLC, Plaquemine Remediation Services LLC, Power Vac Construction L.L.C., RMF Aquilex Corp., Roebuck Disposal LLC, Romic Environmental Technologies, Rosemead Oil Products Inc., SK D'Incineration Inc., Safety-Kleen, Safety-Kleen Canada Inc., Safety-Kleen Envirosystems Company, Safety-Kleen Envirosystems Company of Puerto Rico Inc., Safety-Kleen Inc., Safety-Kleen International Inc., Safety-Kleen Systems Inc., Safety-Kleen of California Inc., Sawyer Disposal Services LLC, Seaport Environmental LLC, Service Chemical LLC, Speed Industrial Corporate LLC, Speed Industrial Service Catalyst LLC, Speed Industrial Service LLC, Speed Industrial Service of Beaumont LLC, Speed Industrial Services of Lake Charles LLC, Speed Industrial Services of Louisiana LLC, Speed Industrial Services of Texas LLC, Spring Grove Resource Recovery Inc., The Solvents Recovery Service of New Jersey Inc., Thermo Fluids, Thermo Fluids Inc., Tri-vax Enterprises Ltd., Tulsa Disposal LLC, Universal Environmental, Veolia North Americas U.S. Industrial Cleaning Services Division, Versant Energy Services Inc., Versant Energy Services LP, and Vulsay Industries Ltd.. Read More ALLETE, Inc. operates as an energy company. The company operates through Regulated Operations, ALLETE Clean Energy, and Corporate and Other segments. It generates electricity from coal-fired, biomass co-fired / natural gas, hydroelectric, wind, and solar. The company provides regulated utility electric services in northwestern Wisconsin to approximately 15,000 electric customers, 13,000 natural gas customers, and 10,000 water customers, as well as regulated utility electric services in northeastern Minnesota to approximately 145,000 retail customers and 15 non-affiliated municipal customers. It also owns and maintains electric transmission assets in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois. In addition, the company focuses on developing, acquiring, and operating clean and renewable energy projects; and owns and operates approximately 1,000 megawatts of wind energy generation facility. Further, it is involved in the coal mining operations in North Dakota; and real estate investment activities in Florida. The company owns and operates 158 substations with a total capacity of 10,066 megavolt amperes. It serves taconite mining, paper, pulp and secondary wood products, pipeline, and other industries. The company was formerly known as Minnesota Power, Inc. and changed its name to ALLETE, Inc. in May 2001. ALLETE, Inc. was incorporated in 1906 and is headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota. ESCO Technologies Inc. produces and supplies engineered products and systems for industrial and commercial markets worldwide. It operates through Aerospace & Defense, Utility Solutions Group, and RF Shielding and Test segments. The Aerospace & Defense segment designs and manufactures filtration products, including hydraulic filter elements and fluid control devices used in commercial aerospace applications; filter mechanisms used in micro-propulsion devices for satellites; and custom designed filters for manned aircraft and submarines. It also designs, develops, and manufactures elastomeric-based signature reduction solutions for U.S. naval vessels; and mission-critical bushings, pins, sleeves, and precision-tolerance machined components for landing gear, rotor heads, engine mounts, flight controls, and actuation systems for the aerospace and defense industries. The Utility Solutions Group segment provides diagnostic testing solutions that enable electric power grid operators to assess the integrity of high-voltage power delivery equipment; and decision support tools for the renewable energy industry, primarily wind and solar. The RF Shielding and Test segment designs and manufactures RF test and secure communication facilities, acoustic test enclosures, RF and magnetically shielded rooms, RF measurement systems, and broadcast and recording studios; and RF absorptive materials and filters, active compensation systems, antennas, antenna masts, turntables, electric and magnetic probes, RF test cells, proprietary measurement software, and other test accessories to perform various tests. It also provides services, such as calibration for antennas and field probes, chamber certification, field surveys, customer training, and various product tests. The company distributes its products through a network of distributors, sales representatives, direct sales teams, and in-house sales personnel. The company was incorporated in 1990 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri. Telefonica, S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services in Europe and Latin America. The company's mobile and related services and products comprise mobile voice, value added, mobile data and Internet, wholesale, corporate, roaming, fixed wireless, and trunking and paging services. Its fixed telecommunication services include PSTN lines; ISDN accesses; public telephone services; local, domestic, and international long-distance and fixed-to-mobile communications; corporate communications; supplementary value-added services; video telephony; intelligent network; and telephony information services, as well as leases and sells handset equipment. The company also provides Internet and broadband multimedia services comprising Internet service provider, portal and network, retail and wholesale broadband access, narrowband switched access, high-speed Internet through fibre to the home, and voice over Internet protocol services. In addition, it offers leased line, virtual private network, fibre optics, web hosting and application, outsourcing and consultancy, desktop, and system integration and professional services. Further, the company offers wholesale services for telecommunication operators, including domestic interconnection and international wholesale services; leased lines for other operators; and local loop leasing services, as well as bit stream services, wholesale line rental accesses, and leased ducts for other operators' fiber deployment. Additionally, it provides video/TV services; smart connectivity and services, and consumer IoT products; financial and other payment, security, cloud computing, advertising, big data, and digital telco experience services; virtual assistants; digital home platforms; and Movistar Home devices. It also offers online telemedicine, home insurance, music streaming, and consumer loan services. The company was incorporated in 1924 and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain. WASHINGTON The FBI agents investigating Hillary Clintons use of a private email server knew early this month that messages recovered in a separate probe might be germane to their case, but they waited weeks before briefing the FBI director, according to people familiar with the case. FBI Director James B. Comey has written that he was informed of the development Thursday, and he sent a letter to legislators the next day letting them know that he thought the team should take appropriate investigative steps designed to allow investigators to review these emails. That missive ignited a political firestorm less than two weeks before the election. Almost instantly, Comey came under intense criticism for his timing and for bucking the Justice Departments guidance not to tell Congress about the development. Senior Justice Department officials warned the FBI that Comeys decision to notify Congress about renewing the investigation into Clintons private email server was not consistent with long-standing practices of the department, according to officials familiar with the discussions. FBI officials who work closely with Comey on Thursday contacted attorneys at the Justice Department. Their message: Comey intended to inform lawmakers of newly discovered emails potentially connected to the Clinton email investigation. Justice officials reminded the FBI of the departments position that we dont comment on an ongoing investigation. And we dont take steps that will be viewed as influencing an election, said one Justice Department official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the high-level conversations. Director Comey understood our position. He heard it from Justice leadership, the official said. It was conveyed to the FBI, and Comey made an independent decision to alert the Hill. He is operating independently of the Justice Department. And he knows it. It is unclear why given the Clinton email team knew for weeks that they might have cause to resume their work they did not tell Comey sooner. People familiar with the case said they had known about it since soon after New York FBI agents seized a computer related to their investigation into former congressman Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., who is alleged to have exchanged explicit messages with a 15-year-old girl. Weiner is the estranged husband of longtime Clinton aide Huma Abedin, and federal law enforcement officials said they believe the computer was used by both of them. A public revelation in early October might have been less politically damaging for Clinton than one coming less than two weeks before the Nov. 8 election. It is also unclear what agents have been doing in the intervening time for instance, whether they were trying to learn more about the emails before notifying Comey. An FBI spokesman declined to immediately provide a statement. A Washington Post-ABC News tracking poll found more than six in 10 likely voters said the FBIs announcement would make no difference in their vote. A little more than three in 10 said the news made them less likely to support Clinton, though about two-thirds of those were Republicans or Republican-leaning independents. Comey wrote in his letter to Congress, we dont know the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails, and federal law enforcement officials have said in recent days that investigators on the Clinton email team still had yet to thoroughly review them. They would need a warrant to do so, and Yahoo! News reported Saturday that they had not yet acquired one. Officials familiar with the case said the messages number in the thousands and include correspondence of Abedin and Clinton though it was unclear if Clinton was the sender of any emails. Abedin has told people she is unsure how her emails could have ended up on a device she viewed as belonging to her husband, according to a person familiar with the investigation and civil litigation over the matter. Comey in July announced he was recommending the probe into Clintons use of a private email server while she was secretary of state be closed without charges though he said investigators had found classified information on the server and characterized Clintons and her aides conduct as extremely careless. Provided they get the legal authority to do so, investigators will now be looking at whether the newly uncovered emails contain classified information or other evidence that could help advance the Clinton email probe. It is possible, though, that the messages could be duplicative of others already recovered elsewhere, or that they could be a collection of benign, personal notes. Legislators on both sides of the political aisle are likely to raise questions about why the team investigating Clintons private email took so long to brief Comey. Clinton and her backers have pushed aggressively for the bureau to release more information about its findings and criticized the agency for making its work public without knowing more. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has called the matter the biggest scandal since Watergate and suggested that the case against Clinton was now so overwhelming. With almost four decades of experience, Charlottesville Police Maj. Gary Pleasants is one of the most well-known faces in the department, and when Chief Al Thomas realized he needed a right-hand man, he knew just who to choose. In January, Pleasants will become Charlottesvilles very first deputy chief of police. Over his 37 years of service, Pleasants has already built a remarkable legacy that includes solving some of Charlottesvilles worst crimes, protecting innocent lives and escorting presidents and visiting dignitaries. Now, in the twilight of his career, he will help steer the helm of the department that has been his home for years. Pleasants was just 8 years old when his mom heard him say he wanted to be a police officer. With three cousins already working at the Charlottesville department, it was no wonder, he said, that he wanted to join the ranks. After becoming a police explorer when he was 14 years old, he was hired just before his 21st birthday. It was always going to be here, Pleasants said. Pleasants, 58, spent the next 28 years on the evening shift in various roles, including patrol officer, detective, sergeant and lieutenant, before leading the Neighborhood Services division and then attaining the rank of captain. But no matter what position he has held, Pleasants said its all about the satisfaction of helping people. I tell my detectives, When you arrest a person who has committed a fairly heinous crime, you have no idea who you might have saved because there will be no future victims from this person, Pleasants said. That person can never hurt another innocent person. There probably would have been future victims that youll never meet and thankfully so. * * * For the people who have worked closely with him over the years most under his leadership Pleasants has always been a solid leader and a fun officer. Even as he started climbing the ranks, Charlottesville Lt. Cheryl Sandridge remembers Pleasants participating in as many pursuits and searches as he could. He was a fun sergeant, Sandridge said, who has worked with Pleasants her entire career. He liked to do things with us and be out with us, answering calls. Hes also a very good leader in that he knew what to do, how to tell you and when to tell you [if] you needed guidance. Remembering one particular night, Sandridge said she, a couple of other officers and Pleasants were in a car together, looking for a suspect. When they finally spotted him, he took off running and the officers tried to follow. At least two of us fell on our faces as we jumped out of the car, Sandridge said, laughing. I actually got caught on a wire and the other guy fell, so Gary caught the guy. Pleasants was so good at spotting and catching burglars that he earned himself a nickname Hawk Pleasants according to Detective Sgt. Brian ODonnell. Even when he became a lieutenant, he was always someone who liked to be out in the field, ODonnell said. He was still running around and trying to catch burglars up in the University [of Virginia] area. He had a knack for catching burglars. Lt. Steve Upman, who has also worked with Pleasants since he began at the department, said even when Pleasants is in the middle of the action, he still finds time to provide support for the officers beneath him and make the important decisions. Even when he was a lieutenant, he still enjoyed getting in the mix, the police spokesman said. Hes one of those leaders whos not afraid to make a decision, and even if its the wrong decision, you go with the flow, do the best you can and learn from it. For the officers who work with him, Pleasants enthusiasm for the job is often contagious, Upman said. Although hes on his 37th year in law enforcement, he still gets excited about stuff, Upman said. You still see that gleam in his eye. That makes it fun for us, Sandridge added. I know, for me, Ive learned a lot about how to be a supervisor from him and about loving the job. Hes like a big kid when we get a big case were all like that, thats why we do this job. But as long as hes been here, hes still like that. For his son Detective Bradley Pleasants, going into the family business took on a whole new meaning when he told his father he wanted to join him at the police department. Between the two of them and their cousins, the Pleasants family has given more than 150 years of service to the Charlottesville Police Department, Bradley Pleasants said. A lot of people tell me that our personalities are similar besides looking alike, he said. He always does a good job of staying hands-off and letting me be me. Im proud of him and Im glad he got to be the first deputy chief, he added. When I found out that the job was coming available, I thought he deserved it. For those who know him best, the deputy chiefs new position just feels natural. From his level-headedness and steady leadership to his enthusiasm and experience, those around him are excited for the change. Im excited that he gets to be the first one, Sandridge said. Hes been here the longest and he has a lot to bring to that position, especially since hell be paving the way for how it will look in the future, I think his tenure and experience will be very helpful in mapping that out. Hes the perfect person for that. I think hes compassionate; he has the best interests of the people in his command all the time, added ODonnell. And hes able to make decisions. Ive seen him in really tense positions and he takes charge and directs things to get the most favorable outcome that you can. Ive seen him in large disorders and he keeps his cool, thinks things through and gets it done. * * * While chasing down bad guys and solving tough crimes is part of what makes the job fun, Pleasants said, his time with the department has also brought unique opportunities to meet a wide range of interesting people, including the Queen of England and the Dalai Lama. Every sitting president since Gerald Ford has been to Charlottesville and Ive been involved in many of them, Pleasants said. Ive had something to do, in some capacity, with every single one of them. When President Ronald Reagan came to UVa in the late 1980s, Pleasants was a young sergeant and said Reagan waved to him. When President George H.W. Bush came to town, he saluted Pleasants as his limo went by. And when he helped with Charlottesvilles film festival some years ago, actors Gregory Peck and Jimmy Stewart walked right in front of him. Those are just some of the things that the job has let me see and be a part of that are the noncriminal, fun side of the job, Pleasants said. When Thomas joined the police department as chief earlier this year, he said he noticed Pleasants was responsible for a lot of people and units. Thinking about how to streamline the work and make it easier for commanders to focus more attention on their units, Thomas said he wanted to create the new position of deputy chief and add a third captains position. The new captains will oversee the field operations division, criminal investigations and support services. But when it came time to choose his right-hand man, Thomas said Pleasants stood out as the obvious choice. It was an honor to promote him, Thomas said. He is well respected in the department and he is well respected in the community. He has more than three decades of experience and he has an excellent track record. Im excited, Pleasants said. This is a brand-new job one weve never had before, so the chief and I are working together to make it what we want it to be, so I can be the first one and then leave it for my replacement. Thats exciting. Hopefully, it will do wonders with building up what we and what Chief [Timothy J.] Longo built up over many years to be one of the best departments around, by far. Over the past 37 years, Pleasants said the department has never been anything but warm and supportive toward him. Looking forward to maneuvering into his new role, Pleasants said he knows he can always count on his brothers and sisters in blue to be there for him. This is my second family well, in my case, its real family, with my son here now, Pleasants said. Were here to make sure we work together, keep an eye on each other and help each other when we need it we just take care of each other. Pleasants is married to Lori Pleasants and has two sons, Brad and Jacob, as well as two daughters, Christi and Lauren. He also has a 13-year-old granddaughter, a 2-year-old granddaughter and a 1-month-old grandson. Local developer Alan Taylor, known for numerous residential and commercial projects from Charlottesville to Crozet, is banking on a harder-to-spot asset to build his business. Riverbend Development, of which Taylor is president, this year began installing solar panels at some of its properties. Taylor also has helped to start a solar energy firm to install arrays of photovoltaic panels. Gordonsville Mayor Bob Coiner was elected president of the Virginia Municipal League during the groups annual conference held this month in Virginia Beach. Representatives from more than 200 of Virginias cities, towns and counties voted Coiner into office. He is the first mayor of Gordonsville and in Central Virginia to serve as VML president in the 111-year history of the league. Im very appreciative of this honor and the support Ive received through the years from Virginias cities, towns and counties, Coiner said in a statement. Working with the Virginia Municipal League and various health organizations, Ive announced a community health initiative that I hope will positively impact the health of all Virginians in the coming years. I will also be working with the governor and the General Assembly to protect localities and local taxpayers from unfunded mandates and other attempts by the state to shift state-level responsibilities to the localities. Coiner, who has served on the Gordonsville Town Council since 2000 and was first elected mayor in 2004, has served on VMLs executive committee since 2009, when he was elected chairman of the VML town section. The VML is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association of city, town and county governments that seeks to aid local governments through legislative advocacy, research, education and more. CULPEPER The Civil War Trust recently launched an online petition drive seeking to ignite legislative interest in and support for a Civil War battlefield state park in Culpeper County at Brandy Station and Cedar Mountain. Advocates of the proposal are asked to visit BSCMstatepark.com and click on sign and send a letter at the bottom of the page to voice their support to state legislators considering the proposal during the 2017 session. Were hoping to build momentum with the letter-writing campaign, said Mark Coombs with the Civil War Trust. This proposal stands out from your typical park proposal because, in this case, there are only two landowners involved, both of which are eager to work with the state to make it as smooth a transition as possible. The Civil War Trust and Brandy Station Foundation own about 1,400 acres at the two battlefield sites. In addition to a potential grant of the land to the state park system, the Civil War Trust has agreed to manage the land for five years after its transfer. We hope this would give the state time to begin to look at creating the state park but not have to worry right away about managing it and to give time for the budget situation to take shape, Coombs said. He referred to the Culpeper County state park proposal as a turn-key opportunity with parking areas and more than three miles of interpretative trails already in the place at the two locations. Its a unique situation in which once they put the big brown state park sign there, it would be largely good to go, Coombs said. The trust and its 10 partners comprising the Brandy Station & Cedar Mountain State Park Alliance believe the battleground sites are among the most significant of the American Civil War. According to the online petition drive letter, The Battle of Cedar Mountain, fought on Aug. 9, 1862, marked the first and bloodiest battle in Culpeper during that conflict. Separated by less than a year and fewer than 15 miles, the Battle of Brandy Station waged on June 9, 1863 was the largest cavalry battle fought in North America, commencing the wars storied Gettysburg Campaign. The sites today comprise verdant fields, farmland, biologically diverse woods, rolling hills and scenic landscapes that are iconic to Culpeper and the Virginia Piedmont, the petition letter reads. Open space and opportunities for outdoor recreation abound here, augmented by the battlefields close proximity to the Rappahannock and Rapidan rivers, according to the letter. About two dozen members of the state park alliance recently canoed on the Rappahannock to view specific historic locations where, for example, the Union cavalry forded the river and met the Confederates sooner than expected prior to the Battle of Brandy Station. Distinctive stone formations in the river still mark the ford spots, Coombs said, discussing potential river tour sites in the state park. Pontoon bridge sites related to the Battle of Rappahannock Station are still identifiable, as well as the site of a crossing of fugitive slaves who followed Union troops in August 1862. State park alliance partner PresqIsle a circa 1815 estate whose name is French for almost an island hosted participants after the recent river float. The historic house was witness to battle action during the Civil War, served as a Union headquarters and still features two slave cabins. Meg Martin with the Civil War Trust said anyone can sign the petition letter. We are looking for support from the whole country lots of people come for heritage tourism purposes to visit Virginia and we want to show that Virginia residents are supporting it, too, she said. Here are Jesus words to Donald Trump, as quoted by St. Matthew and translated into English by King James scholars: And why beholdest thou the mote that it is in thy brothers eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? The most egregious example of this behavior is Mr. Trump calling Hillary Clinton crooked and untruthful. The organization PolitiFact carefully checks the statements of politicians for their truthfulness, placing them in one of six categories: true, mostly true, half true, mostly false, false, and finally pants on fire for truly outrageous lies. According to its analysis (politifact.com/personalities/), as of this writing 53 percent of Trump's statements and 13 percent of Hillarys statements are lies. Statements that were fully true were told by Trump 15 percent of the time, compared with 50 percent for Clinton. Hillary Clinton was also found to be more truthful than Mike Pence, Paul Ryan, Sen. Mitch McConnell and every one of the people who ran for the Republican nomination for president. The facts are therefore quite clear. If honesty and truthfulness are important factors in your choice of a presidential candidate, you will vote for Hillary Clinton. However, the current drivers of the Republican Party during this presidential campaign the invincibly ignorant, tea party, far-right fringe are not concerned with facts. Lacking substantive issues with which to persuade people to vote for their candidate, their strategy consists of lies, smears, gerrymandering and making it harder for minorities to vote. At least since Richard Nixons presidency, that extremity has been a significant but, until this year, not a dominant part of the Republican Party, and it has become apparent that this group does not want a functioning government. Thus, its support of someone as ignorant, corrupt and dishonest as Mr. Trump may be its chosen way to throw a monkey wrench into governmental machinery. In any case, it is profoundly disheartening to realize that our educational system has failed so miserably in teaching the principles upon which this country was founded that maybe as many as 40 percent of the electorate might vote for Donald Trump. Clive Bradbeer Charlottesville The horrors of the Bataan Death March were magnified by the fact that nearly all the POWs were sick with malaria, dysentery or both. By the time Sgt. Hayne W. Dominick reached the barbed-wire enclosure at Camp ODonnell on April 20, 1942, he was dizzy with exhaustion. He also was starving to death, and the lack of water was torturous. When the surviving Americans arrived at the camp, there was only one water tap. Dangerously dehydrated, they had to stand in line for hours to get one canteen of water. One day, after inching along in the water line for what seemed like an eternity, Dominick was the 10th man from the faucet when the Japanese cut the water off. His fellow soldiers shared their water with him. Once at the camp, the POWs started receiving sparse rations of rice and beans. But most of the men couldnt eat the beans, because it made their diarrhea and dysentery worse. There was no place for the men to even wash their hands, much less their filthy clothing. Dominick said a hurried trip to one of the slit trenches used as latrines was a painful, nauseating experience. During the first weeks in the camp, 50 to 75 Americans were dying every day. Although Dominick was sick and weak, he helped bury at least 100 men. The dead were buried in graves just three feet deep, because if they went deeper, the graves would fill with water. The conditions in the camp were so deplorable that the Japanese wouldnt enter it. When Dominick was sent to a new camp at nearby Cabanatuan on June 1, 1942, he hoped for better conditions. The new camp was as awful as the first. For three months, Dominick helped bury 30 to 50 soldiers a day. He estimated that in total he helped bury at least 2,700 men. When the Martinsville man became ill with cerebral malaria, it seemed certain he would end up in the cemetery outside camp. The Japanese provided no medical care or supplies, and Dominick slipped into delirium and then unconsciousness. Only the care from an American doctor, and a small supply of quinine he had hidden from the Japanese, saved Dominicks life. He never fully recovered, and this illness led to his coming down with what was diagnosed as beriberi of the cardiac in April 1943. For months, the Virginian fought for his life, and he somehow managed to survive. After being returned to a work detail, he was almost beaten to death by a guard who gave him an order in Japanese he didnt understand. When two POWs escaped from another work detail, the Japanese executed 10 Americans in reprisal. One of the doomed men had a brother in camp, and the Japanese forced him to watch the killing of his sibling. The surviving brother later told Dominick what happened. He told me how Ross and the nine other boys came to attention before the Japanese firing squad, saluted and shouted with unwavering voices in ringing unison: God bless America, Dominick related years later. He said he heard Ross call to him: Take it easy, Jack. Ill be all right. And take care of Mother. As he told me the story from a seared soul, Jack Betts said simply, I was so choked up, Dominick, I couldnt even answer him. In June 1944, Dominick was packed with other Americans into a railroad boxcar that carried them to Manila. Once there, he and about 1,000 other POWs were thrown into the hold of a cargo ship bound for Japan. Conditions in the fetid, sweltering hold were even worse than the squalid POW camps. Periodically, a few dozen POWs were allowed topside for a breathing spell, and to use the crude latrine attached to the ships railing. The prisoners were given two canteen cups of rice and two cups of water a day. When Dominick became a POW, he weighed about 160 pounds. When he went into the hold, he weighed 120 pounds, but was down to 110 pounds by the time the ship reached Japan. The ordeal had lasted 62 days and nights. Once on the mainland of Japan, the men were forced to work in a coal mine. The brutality of the Japanese didnt lessen, and, by October, the POWs were having to deal with the cold. Dominick later said the cold turned out to be something of a blessing, because most of the ill effects of malaria disappeared. By reading between the lines of stolen Japanese newspapers, the POWs were learning that Japan was nearing defeat. Starting in July 1945, they began hearing the thumping from distant bombing raids. The camp Dominick was in was just 30 miles from Hiroshima. Because it was shielded by terrain, he didnt know that the city had been obliterated on Aug. 6, 1945, by an atomic bomb. The effect of that bomb, and one other dropped on Nagasaki three days later, ended the war. On Aug. 22, three American bombers flying just above the treetops dropped food, clothing, medical supplies and other necessities to their countrymen below. One of the former POWs made an American flag, and it was raised above the camp after the Japanese flag was torn down. Airdrops of supplies continued until Sept. 13, when a train arrived to take the Americans to a seaport town for evacuation back home. After 1,216 days as a POW of the Japanese, the war was over for Dominick. His lasting act of devotion to those who had suffered and died at his side was to bear witness to the countless atrocities they had endured. The economic recovery has been one of the most sluggish in decades. Concurrently, economic mobilitythe ease with which people can improve their standard of livinghas stagnated. Many factors account for those phenomena, from the quality of the public schools to global economic tides. One factor of particular interest to Virginia also is one that can be easily addressed: occupational licensing. Half a century ago only one job out of 20 required some kind of government certification. Today the number is roughly one in four. Even the Obama administration, which is more regulation-friendly than any in recent memory, finds this unacceptable: Excessive licensing, it says, can artificially create higher costs for consumers and prohibit skilled American workers like florists or hairdressers from entering jobs in which they could otherwise excel. . . . In addition, the patchwork of state-by-state licensing rules leads to dramatically different requirements for the same occupations depending on the state in which one lives, burdening workers who aim to move across state linesincluding, for example, military spouses who move frequently. That seems intuitively correct, and now policy experts have uncovered data that support the intuition. Research from the Brookings Institution shows that those working in licensed professions are much less likely to move, especially across state lines. This holds particularly true for younger workers. Those under 35 are 20 percent less likely to move between states when they work in a heavily licensed occupation. Society might find such a nonmonetary cost of regulation acceptable if occupational licensing protected the public from harm. Steves Lawn Mower Repair and Pediatric Brain Surgery probably is not the health-care model most Americans aspire to. But the sort of licensing that has proliferated in recent years has little if any connection to public safety. As the Arlington-based Institute for Justice has reported, the average cosmetologist spends 372 days in training to obtain certificationas opposed to only 33 for the average EMT. Very often, practitioners of certain occupations ask the government to impose the regulations as a means of stifling competition. There is no public-safety rationale for circumscribing who can make caskets, for example, or who can be an interior decorator or florist. This not only impairs economic vitality by impeding those who want to move across state lines. It also sharply reduces competition within a state. Virginia is generally thought of as a low-regulation state, and one that is friendly to business. But that impression is mistaken when it comes to occupational licensing. The commonwealth ranks as the eighth most burdensome state in the country for occupational licensing. For instance, pesticide handlers need no license in 39 states. In Virginia, they need a year of training. The commonwealths rules require 28 days of instruction for an EMT, but 117 for a massage therapist. Virginia even licenses upholsterers, which only six other states do. And while Virginia has stopped licensing hair braiders, that change represents an exception to the general trend. In recent years it has imposed licensing requirements for, among other occupations, body piercers, landscape architects and time-share resellers. No doubt someone can conceive of a rational basis for such regulation; even legislators rarely do something for an intentionally bad reason. But the burden of proof ought to rest on those seeking the restrictions. Moreover, the burden should be substantialbecause the costs of over-regulating the labor market are substantial as well: reduced economic mobility, reduced economic growth, and limited life opportunities, especially for young workers of modest means. If Virginia wants to kick-start its economy, it should begin by cutting much of the red tape tying people down. Mumbai: Sidharth Malhotra and Jacqueline Fernandez have been having a ball shooting for Raj and DK's upcoming directorial across the globe. The film touted to be an action entertainer, has been in the news, mainly owing to the status surrounding its title, and the rumours around it being a part of Sidharth Anand's 'Bang Bang' franchise. The film, which has Sid in a double role, also has Suniel Shetty returning from his hibernation, to star as the young actor's on-screen father. The two, who have been shooting all guns blazing for the film, took to Twitter, to wish their followers on Diwali. However, the two fumbled in their excitement almost revealing the well concealed title of the film. Trying to make amends, they then go on to credit Fox, the producers, Raj and DK, the directors, and also emphasise on the plot to deviate attention from the goof-up. However, the charming lead-pair, being themselves, we're willing to forgive them this once, and patiently wait a tad longer for them to reveal the title. Watch the video here: Mumbai: After watching filmmaker Karan Johars film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, the actor is all praise for the film. Bollywoods Mr. Perfectionist think Anushka, Ranbir and Aishwarya Killed it in the film. Not only that but Aamir also went ahead and called Ranbir the best actor. He also praised Karan Kohar. Aamir Khan took to his official Twitter account to react on the film. He tweeted, Just saw Ai Dil... WHAT a film!!! I just LOVED it! Karan has hit the ball out of the stadium... Ranbir, Aishwarya and Anushka have just killed it. Ranbir is the best actor! Period! A must see! Last evening, we spotted Karan Johar and his 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' stars Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma along with Ayan Mukherji arriving at Aamir Khan's house for diwali bash. After dating her beau for a year, Lisa Haydon tied the knot with Dino Lalvani on Friday, October 29th in a hush-hush wedding. On September 27, the Chennai-born model turned actress, Lisa had made the marriage announcement on her Instagram account by sharing a picture of the two kissing with caption, Gonna marry him. Dino, son of Pakistan-born British entrepreneur Gullu Lalvani, proposed to Lisa and the gorgeous actress said yes. Without wasting any further time, the couple sealed the deal with a kiss on Friday as they said their vows. The couples wedding ceremony was an intimate affair and attended by family and close friends. The wedding was held at a private beach. The couple, who are very much in love, looked breathtakingly charming together in their wedding pictures which were shared on Instagram by Lisas sister Malika Haydon. Mumbai: In addition to playing the role of Dr. Stephen Strange in his recently released movie, Benedict Cumberbatch also plays 'Dormammu' the perennial foe of the arrogant surgeon. Unbeknown to many of the fans who flocked to see 'Doctor Strange' after it opened in the UK last night, Cumberbatch also had another 'secret' role in the movie, as evil cosmic entity Dormammu, reports the Telegraph. At one point in the film, Dormammu materialises as a giant humanoid face - and the 40-year-old actor supplied the facial motion capture needed for this scene. Director Scott Derrickson, in an interview, said, "We knew [Dormmamu] was an all CG character, but as we were in production Benedict brought it up as an idea. He said, 'What would you think about me doing it?' I said, 'Let me think about it, you know.'" According to Derrickson , the casting decision also helped adding an interesting edge to the scene by creating a symbolic connection between Strange and the monstrous, world-devouring Dormammu. "The more I thought about it the more I liked the idea. Because no one understood Dormammu better than Benedict did. I also wrote that role to be a kind of ultra-inflated version of Strange," the director shared, adding, "There's something about that worked well, and I didn't think anybody [could interact better] with Benedict than he, himself." In the particular scene, Strange manages to trick his adversary, manipulating time to trap them both in a never-ending loop- Dormammu is given a choice to either leave the Earth alone or endlessly live out the same few seconds again and again. Based on the Marvel character by the same name, ' Doctor Strange' follows an adventure of a former neurosurgeon who learns the mystic arts from the 'Ancient One' after a career-ending car accident. The movie releases in India on November 4. The Jenners sure do know how to raise the odd, spooked eyebrow. Mumbai: 19-year-old reality star Kylie Jenner has taken a massive nostalgia trip down millennial lane by dressing up as Christina Aguilera for Halloween. A photo posted by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Oct 30, 2016 at 12:03am PDT Diiiiiirty @xtina A photo posted by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Oct 30, 2016 at 12:03am PDT The Keeping up with the Kardashians star made a remarkable cosplay session out of her Halloween party by turning up raunchily as Christina from her Dirrty music video. Can I be XTINA forever A video posted by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Oct 30, 2016 at 3:06am PDT XTINA A video posted by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Oct 30, 2016 at 12:06am PDT Kylie arrived at the venue with her beau Tyga, who himself dressed up as Juelz Santana. Jenner turned up in a quintessential Halloween getup, mastering a skeleton look, painting herself spooky white. thanks for joining our dinner tonight A photo posted by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Oct 29, 2016 at 12:44am PDT A video posted by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Oct 28, 2016 at 9:24pm PDT Donning the American flag for a bandana paired with a quirky vest, the man himself was no less than his partner, swanked by other Halloween revellers. Now when they see Cam and his boy they say damn Oh Boy Santana's that Boy that squeeze hammers OH Boy A photo posted by Tyga / T-Raww (@kinggoldchains) on Oct 30, 2016 at 3:21am PDT Todays a new day, got the boo lay up in the suitcase Go uptown to Harlem, tell 'em that I sent ya A photo posted by Tyga / T-Raww (@kinggoldchains) on Oct 30, 2016 at 4:03am PDT On both occasions, the famous teen opted for teasingly revealing outfits, unabashedly flaunting her physique. #kingkylie A photo posted by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on Oct 30, 2016 at 12:54am PDT Kylie was also accompanied by sister Kendal. yum A photo posted by Kendall (@kendalljenner) on Oct 28, 2016 at 9:45pm PDT Well, the Jenners sure do know how to raise the odd, spooked eyebrow. Two women, two countries lying oceans apart and one dream a movie. Uma Kumarapuram from Kerala and Nicole Donadio from Los Angeles, two young filmmakers, met online out of their passion for filmmaking two years ago. Today, these two dreamers have decided to embark on a journey no filmmaker has attempted in the past. Why dont we make a full on experimental movie, was a question they asked each other a year ago. Today the question has materialised into something bigger called Across the Ocean. Earlier this week, Nicole and Uma shared a video on their social network pages introducing the public to their dream. Through the video the filmmakers spoke about their movie in a nutshell and appealed to the crowd to support them in all ways possible to help them bring out the final product. The video has even garnered the attention of senior directors and other biggies of Malayalam industry. Nicole Donadio So what is Across the Ocean all about? The movie is about two women who are in no way connected but hold their dreams close to their heart and are trying to fulfil them. The Malayalam version will be shot by me here and the English version will be shot by Nicole there, says Uma, who is currently working as the chief associate cameraperson for Mammooty-starrer The Great Father. I am trying to make time somehow. My contribution right now is to share as much information as possible about the project on social media. Nicole is monitoring the campaign right now, she explains. Speaking more about the crowd-funding campaign for the project, Uma says, There is a campaign open at Kickstarter, worlds largest funding platform. A parallel campaign to collect funds for the Indian version will be started at Wishberry, another crowd-funding platform. This is for those who are finding it difficult to pay via Kickstarter. Uma at work, for an earlier film So how did the friendship begin? Nicole says, I have made many short films over the years, but recently there came one of my favourites and through which Uma found me online The Women of Wall Street. It was a short parody trailer, taking on the film The Wolf of Wall Street. Uma adds, I found it interesting and messaged her online commending her work and surprisingly, she responded. From that day onwards, our communication grew, we became friends. And then one day, we hit on the question Why dont we take a full on experimental movie? Although Nicole was interested in the idea, she was busy with other projects and backed out. But six months later, I received a mail asking me if the experimental movie plan was still on? Says Nicole, I was really excited when we eventually decided to team up to make this movie. I dont think anything like it has ever been done before, with two different filmmakers from two different countries, and both women! I felt like this could be a very special project to be a part of. Uma elaborates about their scripting, There were a lot of email exchanges discussing what the movie should be about and its genre. We were very particular that it has to be female-centric. Since most female-centric movies come under the emotional-drama genre, we wanted to change that and make it humorous. So we zeroed in on a story about two girls. I can easily write a story about a Malayalee girl and Nicole can write about a girl in LA. From there, we started sharing the stories we wrote which were put through quite a few corrections. That went on for one year. Nicole at work for the 2010 film, A Strong FacadeNicole adds, The script is locked, locations secured, but the one thing I havent done yet is casting. One of the reasons Im looking to raise money through Kickstarter is primarily to pay for these expenses. Before I offer anyone a role, I want to make sure I can pay them each a reasonable amount. Casting from my end is done, says Uma. Sija Rose will be playing the lead Nila in the Malayalam movie. Muthumani Somasundaran, Sriram Ramendran, theatre artistes Mohan Angamali and Thankam Mohan are also part of the movie. A teaser trailer is ready from here awaiting editing and Nicoles teaser will also be shot soon. As soon as the funding is ready, we will begin shooting. Emotions are running high for both the women, majorly because they are yet to meet each other in person. Uma and I havent met yet, which is crazy! Im actually hoping to take a trip to India this winter, so hopefully we will finally meet. Overall, it has been a very easy process making this film with Uma. We work together very well and have similar interests and ideas, which makes it all very easy. I think the only small issue is our 13-hour time difference! Lucky for us, emails, and social media keep us in touch regularly, Nicole says. Ohio: People have been known to have different sexual fetishes which involve finding satisfaction in the weirdest sexual acts. But some people take things to another level when their sexual desires lead to incidents that can be described as nothing less than shocking. A man from Ohio seems to have done the unimaginable as he has confessed to having sex with a red van parked in a street, after being arrested and charged with public indecency. Witnesses said that the 35-year-old pulled down his pants and swung on a stop sign before going for the vehicle. The man named Michael Henson put his penis in the front grill of the van and started humping it as if he was having sexual intercourse with the vehicle. He then passed out in a nearby park and appeared to be under effect of narcotics. Henson has been sentenced to 60 days in prison and will spend a year on community control along with mental health counseling. Kasaba police investigating the case said from the CCTV footages, they have a clear indication about suspects and where they went. KOZHIKODE: Police spread their nets on the three riders who came on a bike and robbed more than Rs 17 lakh from employees of a foreign money exchange in Kozhikode. On Friday evening, the trio had robbed off Rs 17, 45,000 from two employees, who were carrying money to the owners house in Thondayad. The police initially doubted a foul play as the same firm, Samrood Money Exchange Private Limited, Oasis Complex, MP Road, had experienced looting to the tune of Rs 50 lakh ten months ago, and just two days later it was recovered from its employees. Its owner Hyder Khan said he had entrusted the job to his trusted staff and he suspected no foul play. The CCTV footage available from Mavoor Road shops shows they were followed by the trio for some time and were waiting for a chance to pounce on. The staff had taken a shortcut to avoid the traffic and was attacked in an alley, he said. After knocking down the staff, one of the gang members rode the scooter and abandoned it near Puthiyara. Meanwhile, Kasaba police investigating the case said from the CCTV footages, they have a clear indication about suspects and where they went. They allegedly barged inside the chamber of school Principal Balasavitri, while she was in a meeting with the staff. BENGALURU: A gang of 20 people, posing as officer-bearers of a human rights organisation, were arrested by J.P. Nagar police for allegedly intimidating and trying to extort money from a school management, by questioning their CBSE affiliation. According to the police, the alleged incident took place at Narayana E-Techno School at Puttenahalli in J P Nagar on Friday. The AGM of the school, A. V. Narayana Reddy, had filed a complaint stating that a group of around 25 people entered the school premises without permission in eight cars around 10 am on Friday. They allegedly barged inside the chamber of school Principal Balasavitri, while she was in a meeting with the staff. Police said the group claimed they were the office bearers of Corruption Eradication & Human Rights Protection Committee (Registered). They said they had received complaints from several parents that the school was teaching CBSE syllabus without any affiliation and demanded that relevant documents be produced before them. Based on the complaint, the police swung into action and arrested 20 members. Advocate K.V. Dhananjay demanded a criminal investigation from CBI against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Bengaluru development minister George, to initiate and feed a corrupt project, fooling the citizens of Bengaluru. BENGALURU: The contractor of the controversial steel flyover by L&T Limited should have been blacklisted for 5 years in the state, as per the recommendation of the 21-member Karnataka State Joint Legislative Committee headed by Dr Hemachandra Sagar in 2009. But this was not done because of pressure from the Bangalore Vision Group, revealed former IAS man and whistle blower M.N. Vijay Kumar. Addressing media persons on Friday, Mr Vijay Kumar said, For the sub-standard works executed by L&T at Bangalore International Airport Limited, which created crores of rupees loss to state exchequer, the above committee insisted on blacklisting the firm for 5 years. He continued, The World Bank in its order dated 7th March 2013, had barred L&T from doing any business with it or any work on the projects funded by it, as the bank found large-scale fraud in the health project taken up by L&T in Tamil Nadu", Mr Vijay Kumar said. Mr Vijay Kumar also alleged that L&T Limited jointly bid for the steel project along with Nagarjuna Constructions Limited, which is also a blacklisted firm. Nagarjuna Constructions is another tainted company and is known for its poor quality of work. It was blacklisted by the Puducherry government in 2012. The Telangana government is contemplating blacklisting Nagarjuna Construction, as pipes laid by the firm to supply water from the Godavari, developed large-scale leaks, he alleged. In Agartala, Tripura, Rs 300-crore bridge work taken up by the firm failed the load test and collapsed, Mr Vijay said and questioned the motives of the state government in awarding projects to 'tainted and blacklisted companies'. He said, The letters I wrote to private companies L&T Limited, STUP Consultants, BDA and the state government, requesting all details of the controversial steel flyover to be made public, have not received any reply. I intend to formally lodge a complaint with ACB and will write to the World Bank Integrity Vice President to take appropriate action against the tainted firms. He added that he would write to the Registrar General of the High Court of Karnataka listing the above details, to be placed before the bench hearing the PIL on the steel bridge. Advocate K.V. Dhananjay demanded a criminal investigation from CBI against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Bengaluru development minister George, to initiate and feed a corrupt project, fooling the citizens of Bengaluru. He said that they are exploring the options of filing a separate PIL against the execution of the project. Notices slapped New Delhi: Espionage ring accused Shoaib was arrested on Friday after he was brought to New Delhi from Jodhpur, with the police claiming he was in touch with expelled Pakistan high commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar for three to four years and had visited Pakistan six times. Sources said the module that Akhtar ran was planning to carry out a strike similar to the 2008 Mumbai attack somewhere on Indias west coast. There have been intelligence inputs that Pakistans ISI was planning to send terrorists through the sea route to carry out a Mumbai-type terror attack in India. Akhtars activities and his interest in gathering information about the west coast buttress the intelligence inputs, an official said. Akhtar was trying to get information on security forces along the west coast, Sir Creek and Kutch, and military installations in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa, a home ministry official said. Investigators said they would try to recover data from a phablet which Shoaib had tried to damage when he was detained in Jodhpur on Thursday. The Bihar government had on Gandhi Jayanti notified the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act 2016 banning manufacture, trade, storage, transportation, possession, sale and consumption of liquor. (Photo: Representational Image) Ara (Bihar): Seventeen cartons of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) were seized today and four persons arrested in this connection from outside Koilwar railway station in Bhojpur district. The cartons that were seized outside Koilwar railway station were brought from Haryana by train, Superintendent of Police Kshatraneel Singh said. The Bihar government had on Gandhi Jayanti notified the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act 2016 banning manufacture, trade, storage, transportation, possession, sale and consumption of liquor and foreign liquor. As per the new liquor law, those found indulging in unlawful import, export, transport, manufacture, possession, sale, intoxicant or liquor could attract a minimum 10 years of jail term which may extend to imprisonment for life besides a minimum fine of Rs 1 lakh which may extend to Rs 10 lakh. New Delhi: In an attempt to upgrade the Armys strategy on border surveillance, the Indian government is planning to acquire Israeli combat-drones that can conduct surgical strikes across the border. According to a report in India Today, the top secret project, titled Project Cheetah is estimated to cost the Indian Air force around Rs 10,000 core. The drones can take down terrorists and their hideouts both within India and if required, across the borders, causing greater damage than what the troops can inflict. The improved technology of the Israeli-made Searcher and Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will intimate the surveillance units about any terror launch pads that will be active, and can specifically come to use in the high altitude and areas difficult to navigate. Currently, Searcher and Heron UAVs are used for surveillance and snooping. The report added that the Army has taken inspiration to convert surveillance vehicles into killer drones from the American forces which regularly use unmanned drones to eliminate terrorists in deep and difficult areas in Afghanistan, Pakistan and in the fight against ISIS in Syria. Unlike India Pakistan also uses the American AH1 Cobra gunships. The government is also considering roping in Indian companies such as the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to upgrade the UAVs, and the project has been mulling on the project for quite a while, the report concluded. Mehmood Akhtar, the Pakistani spy who posed as a High Commission official (left), and two informants (right). (Photo: ANI Twitter) Mumbai: The four men arrested for spying for Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) last week used unique code language to carry out their operations. According to a report, terms like eating pizza or having a burger were the kind of language used by the spies. Eating pizza meant a rendezvous at the Ansal Plaza amphitheatre, and having a burger meant a meeting at Pitampura mall in Delhi, the report said. Whats more, the spies exchanged documents and received payments in the open in crowded places, often passed as they brushed past each other. The drop points include metro stations, where the stolen paper would be left on the staircase from where the receiver retrieved them. Both ISI spy Mehmood Akhtar and his Indian associate Shoaib have revealed that they used a special USB device that extracted data from government computers in a jiffy. Ravindra Yadav, joint commissioner (Crime), was quoted as saying that Shoaib and his associates arranged group tours to Pakistan and arranged the logistics for them for around Rs 1 lakh. The list of aspirants was given to Akhtar, who shortlisted some names. Shoaib would then visit the homes of the aspirants and enquire if there was a government servant in the family. If there was, the name would be marked in a separate register for ISI operatives to try to cultivate. The spies were also taught how to sustain their cover. Farhat Khan, aide of Samajwadi Party MP Munnavar Saleem, who was arrested on Saturday, worked for 20 years without being busted. He has confessed to leaking documents from the time he was assisting MP Munawwar Hasan, who was killed in a car accident in 2008. Earlier, it was reported that Khan had been working with 4 MPs since 1996, some of whom were members of parliamentary committees. Khans main role was to steal Parliament related documents, committee reports and other information from the MPs and pass them on to ISI. He received between Rs 10,000 and 1 lakh for his activities, depending upon the sensitivity of the documents. Khan was in touch with Mehmood Akhtar over the phone as well as in person. He also worked with Akhtar's predecessors, identified as Shamshad and Fayyaz, at the High Commission. Police are also investigating if some individuals in the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) passed on information to Khan. Pune: Nitin Subhash Koli, the BSF jawan who was killed in ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in the Macchil sector along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, was planning to visit his family in his native village in Maharashtra after Diwali. 28-year-old constable Koli, hailing from Dudhgaon village in Sangli, was martyred on Saturday morning in firing by Pakistani security forces. He was supposed to come home after Diwali and even wished his family 'Happy Diwali' over phone on Friday, a close relative of the jawan, said. "On Saturday morning, the news came in about his martyrdom and the entire family as well as the village received a rude shock," he said. After the news broke out, the villagers decided not to celebrate Diwali, even as a pall of gloom descended on the village. The villagers decided to not burst fire crackers during the festival and also brought down the lanterns, hung atop their homes. Koli had joined BSF in 2008 and is survived by his wife and two sons aged four years and two years. His mortal remains are likely to reach the village on Sunday. Congress leader Sandeep Dixit said the ceasefire violations take place when Pakistan wants their terrorists to infiltrate into Kashmir or India. (Photo: AP) New Delhi : Lauding the Indian Army for retaliating aggressively to the multiple attacks along the Line of Control and international border, the Congress on Sunday said there is a need to be vigilant to ensure that terrorists do not infiltrate into India . Congress leader Sandeep Dixit said the ceasefire violations take place when Pakistan wants their terrorists to infiltrate into Kashmir or India . "I completely trust that our army is vigilant and whatever firing is being done in retaliation is being done well. Our army has always given a befitting reply to the ceasefire violations by Pakistan ," Dixit told ANI. The Congress leader stated that the Indian side should remain vigilant in the wake of the escalating tension at the Line of Control. "We should remain vigilant so that the terrorists do not enter India through such disguises as these are age-old tactics used by them. Since ceasefire violations have been going on for a long time, I appeal to the Government of India to ensure that we move towards peace," said Dixit. The Army on Saturday launched retaliatory fire assaults at Pakistan Army positions, inflicting massive damage across the border by destroying four Pakistani posts across the LoC in Keran Sector of Jammu and Kashmir 's Kupwara district. The Indian forces retaliated after Pakistani Rangers violated ceasefire repeatedly in Kathua and RS Pura sector along the International Border on Saturday. A Border Security Force (BSF) soldier was killed in Pakistani firing in Machil Sector. An Indian soldier was also killed on Friday and his body was mutilated by terrorists in an attack near the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir . The army has said "the incident will be responded to appropriately", adding the attackers had fled into Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir "under the cover of heavy firing by Pakistan army". Sepoy Mandeep Singh, who died in the attack, was 27 years old. The attack took place under cover fire provided by the Pakistan Army. One terrorist was killed in the strike. The attack came hours after the Border Security Force (BSF) said 15 Pakistani soldiers had been killed in retaliatory firing by the Indian troops after ceasefire violation along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir . During the last edition of the programme, the Prime Minister had said that nation's armed forces are fully equipped to foil any nefarious designs. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: On the 25th edition of Mann Ki Baat on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished the people of India a happy Diwali. Speaking about the importance of the festival, Modi said that all forms of darkness, both inside us and around the world, can be fought with the deep of Deepavali. Our festivals are linked closely to nature - the food, weather, everything about a festival is so symbiotic, Modi said. Indian festivals are fixed based not only on the phases of the moon but also the mood of the people, Modi said. Stating that everyone cleans their homes for Diwali, the PM said that world leaders like British PM Theresa May were also celebrating the festival this year. Diwali is now not just celebrated in India, but all over the world. Diwali is a festival which is bringing people together around the world, the PM said. The Prime Minister called on the people of India to celebrate Diwali in the name of jawans who were sacrificing their lives on the border every day. Be it BSF, CRPF or other units, our jawans are on duty and guarding us. That is why we are celebrating Diwali joyfully, the PM said. People from all walks of life sent messages of love and encouragement for our jawans, just as they lit candles for their well being, Modi said. Modi requested parents to keep a watch on their children and accompany them while the latter burst crackers. Speaking about the campaign to make India open-defecation free, Modi said Kerala will soon become the first state in the country to achieve this milestone, while Gujarat has also gone a long way towards achieving that goal. "There are many government schemes which are redundant. While we have gas subsidy, there is also subsidised kerosene," the PM said denouncing black marketers and those who used the benefit of subsidy despite not needing it. " Haryana is working hard to free itself from kerosene. This will save the government money but it will hurt the black marketers," he added. The Prime Minister reminded the people that it was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary on Monday. It is also the death anniversary of Indira Gandhi, he said. "Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel worked to bring everyone together, he worked for unity, fought for unity and brought unity among people," said the PM. However, he added, 'history remembers how Sikhs and 'Sardars' all over the country faced violence and pain - in an oblique reference to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which began immediately following then-PM Indira Gandhi's death on October 31. Modi had earlier requested people to share their thoughts and inputs for the forthcoming programme on the Narendra Modi App and MyGov Open Forum. During the last edition of the programme, the Prime Minister had said that nation's armed forces are fully equipped to foil any nefarious designs. He said there are many opportunities to talk for political leaders and they do talk, but the Army does not talk, they speak through their valour. Speaking on Swachhata Abhiyan, Prime Minister Modi had said the citizens have now become more aware on cleanliness. Mehmood Akhtar, the Pakistani spy who posed as a High Commission official (left), and two informants (right). (Photo: ANI Twitter) New Delhi: Samajwadi Party MP Chaudhary Munawwar Saleem's personal assistant, who was arrested on Saturday on charges of stealing Parliament-related documents and selling them to Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI, had been doing so for 20 years. According to a report, Farhat Khan had been leaking information at the High Commission to ISI handlers for two decades, and investigating officers are now determining what other links he may have to the secret agency. Saleem, who sacked Khan, denied any knowledge of his activities. The MP said he would commit suicide along with his family if probe agencies found any evidence of his involvement in the espionage ring. But police said Khan had been working with 4 MPs since 1996, some of whom were members of parliamentary committees. Khans main role was to steal Parliament related documents, committee reports and other information from the MPs and pass them on to ISI. He received between Rs 10,000 and 1 lakh for his activities, depending upon the sensitivity of the documents. Khan was in touch with Mehmood Akhtar, the Pakistani spy apprehended by Delhi Police, over the phone as well as in person. He also worked with Akhtar's predecessors, identified as Shamshad and Fayyaz, at the High Commission. Akhtar first told investigating agencies of Khan's involvement in the spying scandal. In a video recorded statement, he said he met Akhtar at least once a month at Mandi House metro station, which was close to the MP Saleems Ferozeshah Road residence. After a search of Khans quarters at the MPs residence, several incriminating documents were found. Akhtar also named at least four officials at the commission who were part of the espionage racket. However, his claim that he received information from an employee of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are still being verified, said the report. A Border Security Force (BSF) person during a night patrol near the fence at the India-Pakistan International Border. (Photo: PTI/ Representational Image) Jammu: Pakistan violated ceasefire at 2 am on Sunday morning in Samba and Hiranagar sectors of Jammu and Kashmir. According to reports, the firing continued till 8 am intermittently. The Pakistani army fired small arms and mortars during the attack. Ceasefire was also violated along the International Border in Jammu. The firing started from the Pakistani side in RS Pura and continued till 3 am. The Border Security Force (BSF) responded in a befitting manner, said reports. There were no casualties, either of BSF men or civilians in the firing. Army on Saturday said it has destroyed four Pakistani posts in a massive assault across the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector of north Kashmir's Kupwara district. "Four Pakistani posts have been destroyed in a massive fire assault in Keran Sector," an army official said. Heavy casualties have been inflicted on the Pakistani side, he said, without giving further details. The firing assault came in retaliation to ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops in the Keran sector earlier on Saturday in which one BSF jawan and a civilian woman were injured. On Friday, BSF said it had killed 15 Pakistan Army personnel over the past week in retaliation to ceasefire violations, a claim that Pakistan rubbished. There have been over 40 ceasefire violations by Pakistan since India conducted surgical strikes across the LoC in the wake of the Uri terror attack. Mumbai: In a significant revelation in the wake of CBI questioning the senior IPS officer Rakesh Maria in the Sheena Bora murder case, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the former Mumbai police commissioner had stated that the media baron Peter Mukerjea was not guilty. Maria was shunted out as Mumbai police chief last year in the middle of Sheena murder probe which he was supervising personally. It was speculated that the government was not happy that he was taking so much interest in the case. CBI later took over the case and arrested Peter Mukerjea. According to the charge sheets filed in the case, Peter's wife Indrani Mukerjea, her former spouse Sanjeev Khanna and her ex-driver Shyamvar Rai strangled Sheena, her daughter from another relationship, in April 2012. All three were arrested by police; Peter was arrested by CBI later. "During a police briefing, Maria came to us and said Peter is not guilty. And now we find CBI has made him an accused. CBI is investigating on the lines that Peter is part of the conspiracy," Fadnavis, who handles the home portfolio himself, said. "It is something to think about as to how a police officer who was deeply involved in the case thought this way," Fadnavis said, speaking to reporters at his official residence 'Varsha' here. CBI earlier this week questioned Maria, now Maharashtra's Director General (Home Guards); Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner (Law and Order); and Satya Narayan Choudhary, Deputy Commissioner of Police, because they were part of the initial probe team. Mumbai: Ratan Tata and sacked Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to brief him of the upheaval in the $100 billion salt-to-software conglomerate. According to reports, Mistry, who was unceremoniously removed as chairman of Tata Sons by its board earlier this week, met Modi on Thursday and explained his view of the events. Subsequently, Tata met the Prime Minister on Friday and in a 20-minute chat, briefed the PM about the board level changes in the company. According to reports, Tata also called finance minister Arun Jaitley on the day the Tata Sons board sacked Cyrus, and apprised him of the circumstances of the sacking. Mistry had levelled allegations of poor decision-making costing Tata firms billions of dollars and virtually accused Ratan Tata of not allowing him a free hand. The Tata Sons board named a five-member search committee, which includes Tata, to choose a successor to Mistry within four months. Meanwhile, Tata is temporarily back as the chairman. Kinnaur (HP): The first instalment of nearly Rs 5,500 crore has been paid for implementing the OROP scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said while asserting that he has "fulfilled the promise" he made to ex-servicemen on the issue that has been hanging fire for the last 40 years. The Prime Minister, while celebrating Diwali with army and ITBP personnel in Sumdo here, over 270 km from state capital Shimla, also lauded the role of the security force personnel guarding and protecting the country. "Spent time with our courageous @ITBP_official & Army Jawans at Sumdo, Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh. Jai Jawan! Jai Hind!," he tweeted. Earlier in his 'Mann ki Baat' programme on All India Radio, he saluted the valour of the armed forces and lauded their sacrifice while dedicating the festival of Diwali to them. "The OROP was not about just Rs 200 or Rs 500 crore, but Rs 10,000 crore... After I became the PM, and decided that I had to do (implement) it, the entire government lost sleep over it... It was not possible for the government to pay in one go, so I requested the ex-servicemen to accept it in four instalments. "The money will reach them in four installments. Nearly, Rs 5,500 crore has been paid as the first installment," Modi said. He said the issue had been pending for "40 years" as certain people in the previous governments "did not know" about OROP (scheme), and therefore "only Rs 500 crore was allocated" for the purpose. Modi also said that many people thought that if the scheme was not implemented, a section of "ex-servicemen would turn against the government". The Prime Minister, on his way to Sumdo, met civilians at Himachal's Chango village, close to the Sino-Indian border. "Made unscheduled stop at Chango village, close to Somdu, to wish people on Diwali. Was deeply touched by the impromptu reception & their joy," Modi tweeted. "The Prime Minister spent time with ITBP jawans and personnel of Dogra Scouts of army at Sumdo on border of Kinnaur and Spiti, and distributed sweets to them," an official said. Modi also met personnel of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), a branch of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), entrusted with construction and maintenance of border roads and also executing the Rohtang Tunnel project, the official said. After coming in power in 2014, the Prime Minister had celebrated his first Diwali with soldiers posted in Siachen, and in 2015, he celebrated it at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. Modi also said that implementation of OROP was his "dream", which has been "fulfilled". Noting that everyone wants to celebrate Diwali with their loved ones and that is why he had come in Sumdo, he said after the Gujarat earthquake in 2001, he celebrated Diwali at that time with the quake victims. "So it is not that I am doing this after becoming the Prime Minister," he said. Lauding the role of the personnel of various services, Modi said that while other people look for career, they (the services personnel) look for an opportunity to face the enemy. "When you (jawans) are awake, they (the people) sleep. If you do not keep awake, the people will not be able to sleep (peacefully)," he said, adding that the forces make the nation proud. Sepoy Mandeep Singh's father said the Indian Army should give a befitting reply to Pakistan. (Photo: File) Antehri (Haryana): The last rites of army jawan Mandeep Singh, who was killed by terrorists in Macchil sector of Jammu and Kashmir, were held with full state honours on Sunday, even as his family and villagers demanded that Pakistan be given a befitting reply for its repeated misadventures. The jawan's body, wrapped in the tricolour, was brought in a bedecked army vehicle to his native village here as a large number of people including from neighbouring areas paid their last respect. The martyr whose body was mutilated by the terrorists, was given a gun salute by the army, which sounded the last post. Mandeep's father lit the funeral pyre. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, senior army officers, officials from the district administration were present on the occasion. Villagers who kept chanting "Shaheed Mandeep Amar Rahe" also raised anti-Pakistan slogans. The 30-year-old soldier was scheduled to return to his village to celebrate Diwali and for a ceremony in connection with the family's newly constructed house here, but instead he returned in a coffin, his family and local villagers, all of whom were inconsolable, said. Mandeep's family and villagers demanded the Centre avenge the sacrifice of soldiers and teach Pakistan a lesson. People of his village said they will not be celebrating Diwali today as a mark of respect to the martyr's supreme sacrifice. However, each household has decided to light a "diya" (earthen lamp) in his memory. Mandeep's sacrifice is the second loss to the district within a week after BSF constable Sushil Kumar, who belonged to Pehowa here, was martyred in Jammu district. Antehri is famous as a village of soldiers. Several youths from here are serving in the armed forces. There was anger among the people in Antehri over the barbaric incident at the Line of Control in Kashmir as the body of the jawan was mutilated by the terrorists, who were aided by the cover fire by Pakistan army. Mandeep had joined the 17th Sikh regiment as a sepoy in 2008. He had got married in 2014. Consoling the martyr's family, Khattar while responding to their demand that stern action be taken against Pakistan for harbouring terrorists and its repeated misadventures, said that "we will teach them a lesson". "We will avenge this. Pakistan will be taught a lesson," Khattar said. He also said, "The martyr laid down his life for the nation's sake. In this hour of grief, we are standing solidly behind the family. We will give whatever assistance they require." Swedi, whose real name is unknown, is the first ISIS recruiter to have actually met an Indian fighting for the terror group. (Photo: AFP/ Representational Image) Chennai: A Swedish national has emerged as the main recruiter of Subahani Haja Moideen, the Tamil Nadu resident who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for terrorism earlier this month. Moideen was arrested when he returned home from Mosul in Iraq, where he had been a part of the Islamic State (ISIS). According to a report in DNA, Moideen, during interrogation, said an ISIS fighterwho goes by the nom de guerre of Abu-Hafz-Al-Swediwas his main contact person and helped him make the journey from India to Raqqa in Syria. NIA is likely to contact Swedish authorities to seek information on Swedi, since his name has cropped up for the first time during the crackdown against ISIS sympathisers in India. Swedi, whose real name is unknown, is the first ISIS recruiter to have actually met an Indian fighting for the terror group. Moideen was introduced to Swedi in Tell Abyad, Syria, where he was given training in arms as well as lessons on Sharia enforcement. He was then given a two-week combat training session during which he was injured. Moideen was given the job of a security guard, for guarding tents of ISIS militants on a salary of $100 per month. The salary was paid to him by Abu-Hafz-Al-Swedi. Moideen fled Mosul when the Western and Russian forces bombarded the region. But he claims that after he saw the brutalities perpetrated by ISIS in Mosul, he began asking his superiors to allow him to leave the group. Following this, he he was imprisoned in a jail managed by ISIS. Moideen managed to escape Mosul and travel to Turkey. In Istanbul, he contacted the Indian consulate and told them that he had lost his passport. He was returned to India via Mumbai on September 22, 2015. But on returning, he went to Kerala and got in touch with ISIS handlers again, after which he was discovered and arrested. Patna: Calling for an apt response to the killing of BSF jawan Jitendra Kumar Singh, his family on Sunday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make another effort in teaching Pakistan a lesson. BSF head constable Singh was killed when Pakistani Rangers violated ceasefire along the International Border and the Line of Control in the Jammu region on Thursday. His body was creamted in his native village in Raxaul, Bihar, on Saturday. Speaking to India Today, Archana Singh, eldest of martyr Jitendra Kumars three children, said, All we want is revenge from Pakistan for our father's death. She also expressed hope that the Prime Minister would come forward and take care of the family, while requesting for financial assistance from the government for their well-being. Requesting that the members of her family be provided with jobs in the BSF, Archana said: After my father's death, only PM Modi is my father now and we are hopeful he will take care of his children. We want financial help from the government. Our family is very poor and to sustain ourselves, Prime Minister Modi should provide us job in the Border Security Force. I promise that if I get job in the BSF, I will take my revenge from Pakistan for my father's death. Remembering how his father taught him to be brave and fear nothing, Kumars 9-year-old son Rohit said: My father always taught me that one should not fear anyone and always move ahead in life. He dreamt of sending me to the BSF as well, so that I could serve the nation. The children called for appropriate action against Pakistan, such as a surgical strike, and avenge their fathers death. Mangaluru: Stoutly denying allegations that there was corruption in the controversial Rs 1,761 crore steel flyover project conceived for Bengaluru, the construction of which was stayed by National Green Tribunal (NGT) for four weeks, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claimed there was total transparency in the project. Talking to reporters here, he said the opposition BJP was "spreading lies" on the project, "which was initiated during their rule in 2010." "Many BJP legislators were in support of the project", he claimed. "The BJP did not oppose the project when it was announced in the 2014 state budget. The party is objecting now for reasons best known to them," he said, adding the project will largely solve traffic problems in the capital city. The southern bench of NGT in Chennai had on October 28, restrained Bengaluru Development Authority from proceeding with the flyover project and granted an interim stay on petitions filed by Citizen Action Forum and others. The petitions opposed the project on environmental grounds. The project was to construct a 6.72 km long, six-lane steel flyover between Basaveshwara Circle and Hebbal to decongest traffic and allegedly involved felling of over 800 trees. The CM also said adequate security had been arranged across Karnataka for Tipu Jayanthi celebrations on November 10. Hindu outfits including RSS are spreading communal hatred by opposing the celebrations, he said. Mangaluru: Finally the government has decided to make appointments to the state-run boards and corporations. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told reporters that the appointments to the boards and corporations would be done in two days. The appointments had to be postponed as we had intervening holidays. We will do the appointments in two days, the Chief Minister, who was in Mangaluru to attend the inauguration of Bantawalada Buntara Bhavana on Sunday told reporters. He dismissed the political moves by former minister Srinivas Prasad who had quit the Congress party recently. Let him join BJP or JD (S), we are not bothered about which party he joins, he declared. On the Rudresh murder case and the demand made by RSS to ban Popular Front of India (PFI), Siddaramiah wondered about the activities RSS affiliates were indulging in. Declaring that the government will celebrate Tipu Jayanthi this year too, the Chief Minister assured that steps would be taken to maintain law and order during the event. He expressed his anger against the BJP for confusing people about the steel bridge project in Bengaluru. The BJP had planned this project in 2010. A detailed project report too was prepared. The BJP was in power then. They never opposed it when there was a discussion in the Assembly in 2014. Now they are lying, he added. Protests, black flags greet Siddaramaiah Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who arrived in Udupi to lay the foundation stone for the new building of a government hospital, was greeted by protests and black flags. The government has come to an understanding with NRI businessman B.R. Shetty for the construction of the new building of the hospital in Udupi. This move has been severely criticized by various organisations and political parties who claim it to be privatization of government hospitals. Former MLA U.R. Sabhapathy went on a hunger strike against privatization of the hospital while CPI(M) activists displayed black flags near Udupi bus stand. Janata Dal (Secular) workers held a procession against privatization and were arrested by the police. Police arrested BJP leader Raghupathy Bhat, MLA Sunil Kumar and MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary too, who have opposed the project. Speaking to reporters Mr Siddaramaiah denied privatization of the hospital. There is opposition by some due to lack of information. The problem is because people are 'extra intelligent,' here," the Chief Minister said sarcastically. Though the government has the ability to undertake the work, Mr B.R. Shetty himself has volunteered to renovate the hospital, he said. Kozhikode: Two migrant labourers who were taken into custody by Kuttiady police on the suspicion that they were keeping rotten meat to be sent along with ingredients for 'shawarma' in nearby hotels, were released on bail on Saturday. Both of them, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, had to remit an amount of Rs 25,000 each as cash surety at the court for bail. However, the owner of the shelter, where the labourers processed the meat, said that the meat was solely meant for using as manure in his field and the rest were to be sold outside for various purposes including cosmetics. A.P. Moidu, from Jathiyeri, Nadapuram said that he would sue the health officials and the locals who spread panic. The health department stressed that they were informed of the 'shawarma' link by the labourers themselves and more investigation was needed into the seizure. On Friday, more than 200 kg of rotten meat was seized from two migrant labourers in Irutty, Vilangad. Shahasad Ali (25), son of Rasaqat Ali and Nadeem (25), son of Abdul Majeed were taken into custody. MAHE: Mahe will become the first region and enclave of Puducherry to become open defecation free (ODF). The Regional administration has already constructed the targeted 55 toilets and also renovated a community toilet. The Regional Administration is planning to declare the status during the visit of Puducherry Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi to the Union Territorys enclave in Kerala. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Mahe Regional Administrator S Manicka Deepan said that apart from the toilets constructed based on a survey conducted, the administration also had renovated a community toilet. We are also planning to construct 12 community toilets in different parts of the Mahe municipality soon, he added. During a review meeting held on October 8, the Lt. Governor had set a deadline for different regions of Puducherry to achieve the ODF tag. According to the timelines, Mahe has to become ODF by October 31, 2016. The farmers of the Cauvery Delta are excited that the monsoon has set in at last. (Respresentational image Chennai: After a short delay of a week, North East monsoon has set in over Tamil Nadu on Saturday night-Sunday morning, without spoiling the festive mood. The monsoon, which brought heavy rains in interior districts and intermittent showers at Chennai, will yield moderate to heavy rains to the state on November 5 and after the second week of the month, suggest global forecast models. The farmers of the Cauvery Delta are excited that the monsoon has set in at last. But they could be in for a shock if the prediction about a weak NE monsoon that is coming in now is true. The state has already borne the brunt of a weak South West monsoon, which affected coffee plantations in the Western Ghats this year. The news now about a possible weak NE monsoon may singe the hopes of farmers, who worry about the depreciation of ground water levels. Going by the models, director of Regional Meteorological Centre, S. Balachandran said that the state would receive normal rains this monsoon, which might not exceed 44cm. The prediction only indicates a weaker monsoon this year as the state has received over 100cms of rain during the previous monsoon. In the past 24 hours, Thanjavur received 7cm, whereas Tholudhur, Perambalur and Valangaiman noted 6cm, said Balachandran. According to data from Indian meteorological centre, Nungambakkam received 0.32cm. On the formation of systems in the Bay of Bengal, the weather blogger, S. Bhaskaran said, We are closely watching the movement of the system in the Bay that is expected to pick up from November 5. Moderate rains could be witnessed till first week of December, as another system is expected in the latter part of November. KOZHIKODE: The state with poor fire and safety checks and infrastructure for fighting a major fire tragedy could anytime expect an accident similar to the Bhubaneshwar Medical College tragedy that claimed 21 lives, say top officials who conducted a probe there. Department of Fire and Rescue Services, Kerala, deputed two assistant divisional officers to be part of the detailed inquiry in Odisha and compare the situations and steps for similar conditions here. The officers, Arun Bhaskar (Kozhikode) and T. Rejeesh (Kasargod), completed their investigation in Bhubaneswar from October 25 to 27. They are expected to present their report to Fire and Rescue DGP A. Hemachandran in a week, to immediately install emergency machinery including the sky-lifts. A skylift approximately costs Rs 8 crore. We have visited the Odisha Fire and Emergency Services for a comparative study and an enquiry into the major hospital fire at Bhubaneswar. Odisha service is highly equipped for firefighting and disaster management and is much ahead of Kerala with three sky-lifts at Bhubaneswar station with a height of 55 to 72 m for operations in multi-storeyed buildings, said Mr Arun. The department had earlier reported that in Kozhikode less than six hospitals comply with the fire and rescue norms and others put the life of ordinary people in danger as they are places where the maximum number of people arrive every day. In the backdrop of the Bhubaneshwar fire, a week-long re-inspection was carried out in hospitals in Kozhikode. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Kerala for gearing up to become open-defecation free state on November 1. In his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat on Sunday, Mr Modi said that Kerala needs to be appreciated for its efforts in attaining open defecation free (ODF) status. The efforts by students to set up toilets even in the first tribal panchayat Edamalakudy in Idukki district got a special mention in the Prime Minister's address. The Prime Minister said that Kerala will become open defecation free by November 1, after Sikkim and Himachal. I would like to appreciate the youth for making Kerala ODF. A group of NCC cadets, NSS volunteers and students of an engineering college set up toilets in Edamalakudy, which is a remote tribal village where people hardly go. One has to travel through forest for a full day to reach there. The students carried construction materials themselves and built the toilets and made it ODF. Thats how Kerala could attain ODF status, the Prime Minister said. Kerala will be formally declared as an ODF state on November 1 at a function to be held at Central stadium here at 4 pm. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will make the declaration. Though the state invited the Prime Minister to the event, he could not turn up. Minister for rural development and sanitation Narendra Singh Tomar would be attending the function. The state had implemented the Centre's ODF project within three months by constructing 1.75 lakh toilets. BSF personnel salutes at the coffin of Constable Nitin Subhash, who was killed last evening when an explosion inside the chamber of the long range weapon led to reciol while he was firing in retaliation across the LoC in Machil. (Photo: PTI) Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Sunday announced Rs 15 lakh financial aid to kin of BSF jawan Nitin Subhash Koli who was killed in ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in Macchil sector along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. 28-year-old constable Koli, hailing from Dudhgaon village Sangli in Maharashtra, was martyred yesterday in firing by Pakistani security forces. Koli had joined BSF in 2008 and is survived by his wife and two sons aged four years and two years. "I salute our brave martyr Nitin Koli from Sangli who lost his life protecting our nation. We stand by his family in their tough time," Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said earlier in the day. "We have taken a decision to provide financial aid of Rs 15 lakh to the family of our martyred soldier," he said. After the news broke out of Koli being killed, villagers from Dudhgoan yesterday decided not to celebrate Diwali. Chennai: The DMDK has not given up its hopes in the democratic exercise. The party faced a total rout in the Assembly polls in May, which it contested in an understanding with alliance partners in the PWA. While the major parties comprising the PWA MDMK and VCK - have decided to boycott the November 19 byelections, Captains party has chosen to contest the election and has nominated its candidates. The DMDKs decision to remain the poll fray should go towards making the contest all the more interesting. The elections to the three seats Thanjkavur, Aravakurichi and Tirupparankundram would witness five- cornered contests as the BJP and PMK are also in the fray along with the Dravidian majors AIADMK and archrival DMK front in which Congress is an ally. This is a clear sign that the Captain is willing to keep his faith in the battle for the ballot. It remains to be seen if Captain will manage to steer his party to emerge as a formidable force or at least create ripples in the bypolls, which are usually known to favour the ruling party. The DMK and BJP besides the ruling AIADMK have already announced their candidates. Former Union shipping minister and TMC founder G. K. Vasan has however decided to stay away from the November 19 election. Neither Vijayakanth's popularity nor the strength of an alliance in Vaiko's PWA (which also included CPI, CPI (M) the VCK) created any impact in the May 16 poll. The front failed to secure a single seat with all the Assembly seats declared going to AIADMK or the DMK alliance including the Congress. Announcing his battle preparedness, Vijayakanth on Sunday named Aravai M. Muthu as the DMDK's candidate for Aravakurichi Assembly constituency. He also announced that V. Abdullah Sait would contest from Thanjavur while T. Thanapandian would contest from Tirupparankundram. Elections to Thanjavur and Aravakurichi constituencies were cancelled in May following complaints of large-scale bribing of voters. Tirupparankundram is facing a bypoll necessitated by the death of ruling AIADMK legislator Seenivel who was admitted to hospital before the poll date and was said to be not even aware that he had won his seat when he passed away. A Russian Soyuz space capsule has landed in Kazakhstan, bringing back three astronauts from the United States, Japan and Russia. A Russian Soyuz space capsule has landed in Kazakhstan, bringing back three astronauts from the United States, Japan and Russia back to Earth from a 115-day mission aboard the International Space Station. The landing took place Sunday morning near Dzhezkazgan on the treeless Central Asian steppes. Kate Rubins of NASA, Japan's Takuya Onisihi and Anatoly Ivanishin of Russia were removed from the capsule and sat on the steppes still in their capsule seats while they readjusted to the forces of gravity after nearly four months in weightless conditions, then were taken to a nearby medical tent for initial examination. Andrei Borisenko and Sergey Ryzhykov of Russia and NASA astronaut Robert Shane Kimbrough remain aboard the space station. They arrived on Oct. 22 after a two-day voyage. The trip back to Earth was much quicker for the three returnees on Sunday, about 3 ? hours from undocking until landing. The capsule landed as scheduled and was closely tracked by helicopters as it wafted through partly cloudy skies under a parachute marked in red and white concentric circles. The craft landed upright, which made the extraction of the astronauts quicker than when capsules land on their sides. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Google to add new themes to Allo soon Google has brought about a few major changes to its Allo app with the latest update that was introduced a few days ago. Now a report published by 9to5Google suggests that the company might be planning on introducing new chat themes to its app apart from its Monochrome version. The upcoming themes come in a variety of colours including shades of blue, yellow, pink and white. Users can pick a theme every time a new conversation is initiated. These themes can be changed any time. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Sony had been relatively silent about those complaints about the PSVR. Sony has believed that they are in a strong position in the electronic devices space. However, when it comes to the PSVR, there have been a few hitches and issues as several users have been complaining about the performance of the device in certain situations since it hit the market. As of now, Sony has been relatively silent about those complaints. Earlier this week, they have finally admitted that there are some problems, including the issue about the image drift. The company said, in a new trouble shooting article that it believes using wired controllers is the problem. Sony has stated players should play their games wirelessly and it went so far as to say how far away from the console and the PSVR device they should be when they are playing those games. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. United Nations: Russia failed to win re-election to the United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday, beaten out by Hungary and Croatia, following lobbying by rights groups against Moscow's candidacy because of its military support for the Syrian government. In a secret ballot by the 193-member UN General Assembly, Hungary received 144 votes, followed by Croatia with 114 votes and Russia with 112 votes. Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Moscow had faced good competition. "It was a very close vote," Churkin told reporters. "Croatia, Hungary - they are fortunate because of their size they are not as exposed to the winds of international diplomacy; Russia is quite exposed." "We have been there a number of years, I'm sure next time we're going to get in," he said. Russian air power has been backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces in the country's nearly six-year war. A recent offensive to capture eastern Aleppo - the rebel-held half of Syria's largest city - has sparked international outrage. Russia's three-year term on the 47-member Geneva-based Human Rights Council will finish on Dec. 31. It had been competing for a second three-year term. Council members cannot serve more than two consecutive terms. "UN member states have sent a strong message to the Kremlin about its support for a regime that has perpetrated so much atrocity in Syria," said Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch. The United States, Egypt, Rwanda, Tunisia, Iraq and Japan were elected to the body, while Saudi Arabia, China, South Africa and Britain won a second terms. Their candidacies were uncontested but needed to win a majority vote. In the other competitive slate, Cuba and Brazil beat out Guatemala. "The re-election of China, Cuba and Saudi Arabia - regimes which systematically violate the human rights of their citizens - casts a shadow upon the reputation of the United Nations," said UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer." A Saudi Arabia-led military campaign in Yemen has been criticized for killing civilians. UN sanctions monitors have accused the Saudi-led coalition, Houthi rebels and Yemen government troops of violating international humanitarian and human rights laws. Kihn Par Thaing, 30, of Indianapolis was arrested in February this year on felony abuse and neglect charges after a teacher discovered her 7-year-old son's injuries. (Photo: YouTube Screengrab) Indianapolis: An Indiana woman who was accused of brutally beating her seven-year-old son with a coat hanger walked free from court after pleading guilty to a battery charge. According to a report, the accused's attorney got the charges dropped using the state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act. She will be sentenced to a year of probation. Kihn Par Thaing, 30, of Indianapolis was arrested in February this year on felony abuse and neglect charges after a teacher discovered her 7-year-old son's injuries. Thaing is accused of beating her son with a coat hanger, leaving him with 36 bruises and red welts. Her attorney, Greg Bowes, argues in court documents filed July 29 that the state shouldn't interfere with Thaing's right to raise her children as she deems appropriate. He cited Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act as part of her defense, saying it gives her the right to discipline her children according to her beliefs, The Indianapolis Star reported. Court documents cite biblical Scripture and state that a parent who "spares the rod, spoils the child." Marion County Deputy Prosecutor Matt Savage said in an Aug. 5 response that the boy's beating went "beyond these religious instructions" and said Indiana's compelling interest in preventing child abuse outweighs religious protections in state law. Indiana's religious objections law, signed by Republican Gov. Mike Pence last year, prohibits government entities from substantially burdening religious liberties, unless by the least restrictive means to further a compelling government interest. But nothing in the law specifically mentions parenting and the statute hasn't yet been substantially tested in the courts. Bowes also cites in his client's defense a 2008 Indiana Supreme Court decision that affirmed the parental right to discipline children in ways parents consider appropriate, even when others could deem that behavior as excessive. According to court documents, Thaing said she stopped her son from dangerous behavior on Feb. 3 that would have seriously harmed his 3-year-old sister and hit both children with a plastic coat hanger before telling them to pray for forgiveness. Child welfare officials took the children into their care in February, but it's unclear where they are now. Bowes' attorney and a spokeswoman for Marion County's prosecutor said they could not comment on the children's whereabouts. Thaing, who faces an Oct. 19 trial, is a refugee from Myanmar, a Southeast Asian nation also known as Burma, and was granted political asylum in the U.S. She cited cultural differences between the two countries as part of her defense. Elaisa Vahnie, the executive director of the Burmese American Community Institute in Indianapolis, said what might be seen as a crime in Indiana may be considered typical parenting in Myanmar. "Sometimes you use a stick to correct them (in Myanmar). That's very normal," she said. Stratford : A court in Connecticut , the United States , on Friday awarded a two-year jail term and 10 years of probation to a special education female teacher for forcibly having sex with a 12-year-old student. According to a report in Daily Star, the teacher, identified as 29-year-old Michelle Sulzicki, sexually abused the minor boy when she used to visit his home to teach him. The boy said she had sex with him at least 20 times in the last two years. She also forced him to perform oral and anal sex. She would also give gifts and clothing to the boy, and did not charge his family for tuitions. The abuse came to light when the boy told a social worker about the ordeals he was going through. A police complaint was later filed by school chiefs. Sulzicki, who was employed at Chapel Street School , Stratford , was arrested in October last year and fired from the school two days later. While delivering the verdict on Friday, judge Robert Devlin said, This whole thing came up when you learned this 12-year-old boy was looking at pornography. That should have been a teaching moment but instead that is what triggered this sexual activity. All teachers are hurt when one does a bad thing, Devlin said. I just want to apologise for all the pain and suffering I have caused, said Sulzicki, who was married to Thomas, a music teacher. Washington: On January 20, 2017, Barack Obama's successor will take the oath of office on the Capitol steps in Washington for a four-year term. As always, the first 100 days for any American president are paramount. Democrat Hillary Clinton has released a detailed policy platform, but a successful start for an eventual Clinton administration depends on a number of variables -- notably who is in control of Congress. "We'll begin to get to work right away and reach out to everybody that we can possibly touch to start talking about what we can do together," Clinton said on October 22, recalling her efforts to work with Republicans as a first lady and senator. "And I think there's a big agenda where we can find common ground." Economy and immigration Clinton has pledged to put forth two bills in her first 100 days in office: one on immigration reform and the other a major infrastructure investment plan. These two major legislative initiatives should dominate the start of the 69-year-old's mandate. In the past, they have been issues that have earned bipartisan support. "A potential Clinton administration will see immigration as a very, very high priority in 2017," Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, said. To fulfill her campaign pledge to offer a pathway to "full and equal citizenship" to millions of immigrants without legal residency, Clinton will need to make compromises with Congress -- and thus with Republicans. Republicans are likely to maintain control of at least the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate as well. The Senate adopted immigration reform legislation in 2013, but it died in the House, due to pressure from the Republican Party's ultra-conservative wing. Current House Speaker Paul Ryan is open to some kind of immigration reform, but one that unfolds in stages: first, a toughening of border controls, followed by an overhaul of the legal immigration system and, eventually, some form of a way forward for undocumented migrants. "It's going to be difficult for Republicans to do nothing and continue to be obstructionist," said Carmel Martin, executive vice president for policy at the Center for American Progress, a think tank that is close to Clinton. Martin says Democrats hope a Trump loss on November 8 could strengthen the Republican Party's more moderate faction. According to Doris Meissner, an expert at the Migration Policy Institute, "it does come down to what the struggle within the Republican Party will be, on how they interpret the election result if they in fact lose the presidency." Another major decision awaits the next president: the eventual nomination of a Supreme Court justice to replace the late Antonin Scalia, a stalwart conservative. Obama nominated Merrick Garland, but his candidacy has stalled in the Senate amid partisan stonewalling. If the Democrats win a majority in the chamber, that could change quickly. What to do about Syria and Putin Foreign policy headaches will pile up on the desk of Obama's successor, but none are as big as the crisis in war-wracked Syria. Clinton should quickly set up her national security team, and is likely to pull at least some of her picks from the ranks of Team Obama. Some posts, like secretary of state and Pentagon chief, require Senate approval. A review of American policy in Syria is "inevitable," according to Jeffrey Rathke, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Rathke, an expert on Europe, also said it would be "necessary" to review US policy towards the Old Continent, and towards Russia, in order to reinforce US ties with both the European Union and NATO. "It's important for the new administration to take a leadership role in ensuring that not only do we support a country that's under pressure from Russia, but to be sure that we are prepared to react if there are further attempts by Russia to intimidate or coerce European countries," Rathke told AFP. A European ambassador in Washington said it would be vital for the next president to organize a US-EU summit as quickly as possible. A NATO summit is set to take place in Brussels next year, but a specific date is not set. A Group of Seven summit is on the cards for May 2017 in Italy, as well as a G20 summit in July in Germany. The next US leader also may want to consider attending the annual Munich Security Conference in February, less than a month after taking office. As for a first presidential trip abroad, Clinton's entourage declined comment to AFP as to whether she would respect the tradition followed by the last five presidents, who headed first to either Canada or Mexico, America's neighbors. : On January 20, 2017, Barack Obama's successor will take the oath of office on the Capitol steps in Washington for a four-year term. As always, the first 100 days for any American president are paramount. Democrat Hillary Clinton has released a detailed policy platform, but a successful start for an eventual Clinton administration depends on a number of variables -- notably who is in control of Congress. "We'll begin to get to work right away and reach out to everybody that we can possibly touch to start talking about what we can do together," Clinton said on October 22, recalling her efforts to work with Republicans as a first lady and senator. "And I think there's a big agenda where we can find common ground." Economy and immigration Clinton has pledged to put forth two bills in her first 100 days in office: one on immigration reform and the other a major infrastructure investment plan. These two major legislative initiatives should dominate the start of the 69-year-old's mandate. In the past, they have been issues that have earned bipartisan support. "A potential Clinton administration will see immigration as a very, very high priority in 2017," Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, said. To fulfill her campaign pledge to offer a pathway to "full and equal citizenship" to millions of immigrants without legal residency, Clinton will need to make compromises with Congress -- and thus with Republicans. Republicans are likely to maintain control of at least the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate as well. The Senate adopted immigration reform legislation in 2013, but it died in the House, due to pressure from the Republican Party's ultra-conservative wing. Current House Speaker Paul Ryan is open to some kind of immigration reform, but one that unfolds in stages: first, a toughening of border controls, followed by an overhaul of the legal immigration system and, eventually, some form of a way forward for undocumented migrants. "It's going to be difficult for Republicans to do nothing and continue to be obstructionist," said Carmel Martin, executive vice president for policy at the Center for American Progress, a think tank that is close to Clinton. Martin says Democrats hope a Trump loss on November 8 could strengthen the Republican Party's more moderate faction. According to Doris Meissner, an expert at the Migration Policy Institute, "it does come down to what the struggle within the Republican Party will be, on how they interpret the election result if they in fact lose the presidency." Another major decision awaits the next president: the eventual nomination of a Supreme Court justice to replace the late Antonin Scalia, a stalwart conservative. Obama nominated Merrick Garland, but his candidacy has stalled in the Senate amid partisan stonewalling. If the Democrats win a majority in the chamber, that could change quickly. What to do about Syria and Putin Foreign policy headaches will pile up on the desk of Obama's successor, but none are as big as the crisis in war-wracked Syria. Clinton should quickly set up her national security team, and is likely to pull at least some of her picks from the ranks of Team Obama. Some posts, like secretary of state and Pentagon chief, require Senate approval. A review of American policy in Syria is "inevitable," according to Jeffrey Rathke, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Rathke, an expert on Europe, also said it would be "necessary" to review US policy towards the Old Continent, and towards Russia, in order to reinforce US ties with both the European Union and NATO. "It's important for the new administration to take a leadership role in ensuring that not only do we support a country that's under pressure from Russia, but to be sure that we are prepared to react if there are further attempts by Russia to intimidate or coerce European countries," Rathke told AFP. A European ambassador in Washington said it would be vital for the next president to organize a US-EU summit as quickly as possible. A NATO summit is set to take place in Brussels next year, but a specific date is not set. A Group of Seven summit is on the cards for May 2017 in Italy, as well as a G20 summit in July in Germany. The next US leader also may want to consider attending the annual Munich Security Conference in February, less than a month after taking office. As for a first presidential trip abroad, Clinton's entourage declined comment to AFP as to whether she would respect the tradition followed by the last five presidents, who headed first to either Canada or Mexico, America's neighbors. A 56-year-old Indian-origin woman used a steel chair to fight off machete-wielding thieves who tried to rob her shop in England. (Photo: YouTube screengrab) London: A 56-year-old Indian-origin woman used a steel chair to fight off machete-wielding thieves who tried to rob her shop in north-west England, earning praise for the brave act. Hamalata Patel was confronted by two robbers with faces hidden behind balaclavas while working at her K and L Newsagent store in Winsford, Cheshire, last week. "The shop was empty when two lads walked in holding the machetes. They were shouting at me and I just told them 'if you need it then take it' but one of them banged the machete on the counter and started to damage the shop so I just lost the plot," Patel said. "We have a chair that we leave out for some of our older customers so I picked it up and chased them out of the shop while I shouted at them, 'okay, if you ask for it then you are going to get it and I'm coming for you'," she said. Her husband, 63-year-old Dhirubhai and granddaughters - four-year-old Zuri, and two-year-old Emi - were also in the back of the shop at the time. "They [robbers] ran out of the shop and my husband who was in the back came out to see that I was okay. Word of what I've done is starting to get around the area, everyone knows what I'm like - I help out with people and charities and I care for people in the local area, but don't ever cross me," she said. Her brave act was caught on CCTV, showing the thieves fleeing from the shop empty-handed. Patel has owned the shop with her husband since 1984 and said she had never experienced an incident like it in her shop before. "In a sense, I feel sorry for the two who came in but they have done wrong. I've been here for more than 30 years and I've never had anything like this before. We had an incident in 2011 when someone tried to break into the cash machine outside the shop when we had it. But no one was in the shop at the time so this was a lot worse," she said. A spokesperson for Cheshire Police confirmed two teenagers, aged 16 and 14, have been arrested and released on bail until October 19. In response to French finance minister Michel Sapin's charge, authorities in Geneva insisted they had cleaned up their act and suggested he come and check things out for himself. (Representational Image/ AP) Geneva: When a leading French politician said Switzerland's free ports were helping terrorists hide stolen assets, Swiss officials offered a blunt rebuke. In response to French finance minister Michel Sapin's charge, authorities in Geneva insisted they had cleaned up their act and suggested he come and check things out for himself. "Had (the comments) been made several years ago, we could have taken them seriously. Today, they are simply unacceptable," Pierre Maudet, economics chief in Geneva's cantonal government, told Switzerland's One FM. Maudet's chief of staff, Patrick Baud-Lavigne, added that "a letter has been sent to Mr. Sapin inviting him to come make an on-site inspection." Sapin's supposed insult was made at a G20 meeting earlier this month. He called free ports a "weak link" in countering terrorist financing as they helped Islamic State group (IS) sympathisers traffic artistic and archaeological treasures stolen from Iraq and Syria. "These free ports exist in certain countries. I am referring in particular to Switzerland," he said. A place to hide loot? The original concept behind free ports was to provide places to store goods in transit, protecting them from excessive tariffs and bureaucracy. Perhaps not surprisingly, highly secured warehouses where basically anything could be stashed tax free with few questions asked became increasingly attractive to nefarious operators. Switzerland became a free port hub, mirroring the country's banking system which has long been known as a place to store enormous wealth with little scrutiny on the origins of funds. The Geneva free ports, established in 1854, now include two separate heavily guarded facilities where endless rows of valuable wine are kept alongside thousands of works of art including Picassos, Van Goghs and Monets -- assets likely worth billions of dollars. In recent years, questions have been raised about some of the goods held at Geneva's secretive warehouses. In April, port authorities sequestered Amadeo Modigliani's painting "Seated Man With a Cane", which had allegedly been looted from a Jewish art dealer by the Nazis and has been valued at $25 million (23 million euros). Questions about the piece emerged after the Panama Papers leaks uncovered the identity of its owner. There has, however, been no public confirmation of Sapin's suggestion that treasures looted by jihadists had been kept in Geneva. Baud-Lavigne said "there is a little bit of fantasy and misunderstanding around the free ports." But officials have conceded the Geneva facilities had previously been used to traffic archaeological goods and have implemented a series of transparency measures. New rules Geneva free ports chief Alain Decrausaz said these new rules should ease concerns about the facility being exploited for terrorist funding. Federal government guidelines approved earlier this year require the name and address of merchandise owners be mentioned on inventory lists, he said. And last month, new systems for the "control of archaeological antiquities" were adopted, requiring anyone transporting such goods be approved before arriving at the port. If there any doubts as to the provenance of any item, international auditing giant KPMG can ask for more information or conduct a "complete inspection" of the cargo, Decrausaz explained. One unresolved issue is customs agents. Decrausaz said he has repeatedly asked for more, but the federal government claims that with 1.3 million migrants and refugees pouring into Europe over the last two years, Switzerland can't afford to take staff away from border controls to beef up customs at the port. Aden: Saudi-led coalition air strikes hit a rebel-held security building in Yemens west on Saturday, killing at least 30 prisoners and insurgents, military officials said. The two air strikes destroyed the building in Zaidia, north of the western port city of Hodeidah, which houses a prison holding more than 40 inmates, most of them opponents of the Houthi rebels in charge there, a military source close to the insurgents said. A number of rebels inside the building were also killed in the attack, the source added. Yemeni protesters carry placards bearing portraits of Gulf leaders during a demonstration in support of Saudi Arabia, after the Saudi-led coalition said Yemeni rebels launched a ballistic missile that was shot down near the holy city of Mecca. (Photo: AFP) Aden: Saudi-led coalition air strikes on rebel-held security buildings in western Yemen have killed at least 60 people, many of them inmates buried under the rubble of their detention centre. The strikes late Saturday came just hours after other coalition raids hit three residential buildings in the southwest of the country, killing 17 civilians. Yemens President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi on Saturday rejected a UN peace proposal aimed at ending his country's 19-months conflict against the Shia Huthi rebels and their allies. Forces loyal to Hadis government have been locked since 2014 in deadly battles with the rebels, who seized the capital Sanaa late that year. The conflict escalated in March 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition launched a military campaign to push back the rebels, after they advanced from the capital including towards the coastal province of Hodeidah. In the latest deadly strikes in Hodeidah, which the rebels have controlled since late 2014, coalition warplanes hit a rebel-held security compound in the town of Zaidia. Sixty people in total were killed and dozens were wounded, a health official said. Most of the victims were anti-rebel detainees who were being held among 100 inmates in two cells at the detention centre, he said. It remains unclear why the coalition would hit a detention centre holding anti-rebel inmates. TV footage from the site showed the bloodied limbs and bodies of the victims covered in dust and buried under the rubble as sirens wailed nearby. The media wing of Pakistan Army, Lt Col Shahid and Major Jalal were travelling from Rawalpindi to Nowshera in a military convoy last night. (Photo: YouTube Screengrab) Lahore: A senior Pakistan army officer died, while another suffered serious injuries after falling into a ditch on the Rawalpindi-Peshawar Motorway near Hazro in Punjab province. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of Pakistan Army, Lt Col Shahid and Major Jalal were travelling from Rawalpindi to Nowshera in a military convoy last night. "Since the routes were blocked with containers, both officers got down from vehicles and were on foot to find an alternate route for the convoy," a statement by ISPR read. "In the dark of the night both officers fell from the road edge into a ditch along the motorway near Hazro. Due to the incident, Shahid died on the spot, while Jalal sustained serious injuries," the ISPR statement said. The PML-N government has placed hundreds of containers on different roads leading to Islamabad from Punjab to Khyber Pakhtaunkhawa provinces in order to stop the supporters of PTI chairman Khan from reaching there on November 2 on his call to lock-down the capital from the rest of the country. Both the army and opposition Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) indirectly and directly blamed the Nawaz Sharif government for the death of Lt Col Shahid. Khan held the government responsible for blocking roads which led to the death of the army officer. "Saddened to learn of the death of Lt Col Shahid and sustaining of serious injuries by Maj Jalal on Motorway because of the government blockade by containers," he tweeted. He has demanded either accountability or resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for having off-shore holdings revealed by Panama Papers. "If Nawaz Sharif does not accept our one of the demands, his government will be sent home," he said. Sharif said since the Supreme Court has taken up the Panama case there is no justification of lock-down of the capital by the PTI. Meanwhile, after Islamabad the government has also imposed ban on public gathering in Punjab province. File photo of Abdul Wahid Baloch who was allegedly taken by security forces in Balochistan. (Photo: Twitter) Lahore: Family members and civil society representatives staged a protest outside the Lahore press club on October 28 to demand the release of Abdul Wahid Baloch,who went missing from Balochistan in July. Hani Baloch, the daughter of Abdul Wahid Baloch, joined the demonstration and demanded the safe release of her father. Hani said that in these conditions where her father is missing, can the authorities understand that she is protesting here only due to her father. She said that her grandmother, who is in hospital, has been told that Baloch is at the police station. My mother has blood pressure issues and my sister is in shock. In such circumstances, I am lying to them and protesting. I dont have any interest in politics, nor, do I want people to know who Hani Baloch is. If my father has done anything wrong, they should tell us. They should follow the constitution and tell us why he is in custody, said Hani. Abdul Wahid Baloch is a social worker and a publisher who lives in Chakiwara, Lyari, in Balochistan. He went missing on July 26 and his family alleges that he was taken by law enforcement agencies. A one-time telephone operator at the Civil Hospital in Karachi, Abdul Wahid was a book lover and helped Baloch authors publish their works. He also assisted activists in printing posters. Baloch activists have since launched #SaveWahidBaloch campaign and are protesting in various cities across Pakistan to demand the release of Wahid Baloch. Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sacked Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid for the "lapse" on his part to stop a "false" report on a rift between the government and the powerful army from being published in national interest, a senior minister said on Sunday. Addressing a press conference a day after Rashid was fired by Sharif, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said: "Pervez Rashid should have told the journalist concerned that the story is incorrect, and should not be published in national interest...Upon resistance he could have asked the editor of the newspaper, not to run the story." Buckling under pressure from the army, Sharif sent his information minister packing after preliminary investigations established a "lapse" on his part. The Dawn newspaper had published a report on October 6 about a rift between the civilian and military leaderships on support to banned terror groups in the country. Nisar said, "Some documented and undocumented records involving Pervaiz Rashid say the reporter contacted him for comments about a story regarding (Punjab Chief Minister) Shahbaz Sharif and the ISI chief." "Pervaiz Rashid called the reporter into his office. Through my entire investigation... I reached the conclusion that Pervaiz Rashid should have told the reporter that this story is wrong, 'Do not publish this story in view of national interest'," Nisar was quoted as saying by the Dawn. "He should have spoken to (Dawn Editor) Zaffar Abbas, Dawn's management or the government. So there is a lapse. He had a duty as information minister when these decisions (his resignation) were made... He should have understood the implications of the story and stopped it." Nisar maintained that all information given to Dawn about an altercation between Shahbaz Sharif and the ISI chief, or the foreign secretary's comments that Pakistan stands isolated in the world are all false. The Dawn has stood by the story, saying it was "verified, cross-checked and fact-checked". The report of the high-profile security meeting has forced the government to initiate an inquiry to identify the person responsible for its leak. Nisar said that Prime Minister Sharif and Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif were briefed regarding a probe into the story when all three met in Quetta a day after the police academy attack, where the interior minister shared details regarding the probe. "I shared with him (the PM) the details and recommendations. The PM asked me some questions and in principle approved the recommendations. He asked me to share them with the COAS. Ishaq Dar was also there in the meeting, so was Shahbaz Sharif." "We made a call and went to Army House. Not in secret. It was no late-night clandestine meeting," Nisar clarified. "As usual, the meeting with COAS was very pleasant. There were reports of it being strained and tense." "Because this is a high-profile probe, senior officials have to initiate this. A legal team, led by our law minister, was also complying. The Federal Investigation Agency and Islamabad police are all complying," he said. A high-level inquiry committee comprising intelligence officials and other senior officials will be finalised by the prime minister. "The story says there was a bitter exchange between the ISI chief and CM Shahbaz. This is not true. There was no such meeting... Where the foreign secretary made a briefing. The next day, there was a meeting and I was in the meeting. The foreign secretary gave a briefing in this meeting, but there was no bitterness," he emphasised. "When it comes to non-state actors, there has been no contradiction. There has always been consensus," Nisar claimed. "The foreign secretary is a competent person. He did say India is trying to isolate Pakistan, but never said Pakistan is isolated. His words were distorted and broadcast to the whole world. The country's national interest has been compromised," Nisar said. "I told the PM, whoever is responsible,I will get to the bottom of it. I agree there should be an inquiry, but I am not cut out to be an investigator." "There is a unanimous agreement: whoever has leaked this false news should be brought in front of the nation. Who has leaked this story? Who fabricated this? Pakistan's national narrative is being compromised by a false report," he claimed. "Do not politicise this case. The hand behind this story should be exposed," he said. A travel ban on Cyril Almeida, the journalist who wrote the story, had sparked massive criticism of the government and the military from media houses, journalist associations and civil society. Almeida's name was put on the Exit Control List but the ban was later lifted after the backlash against the government. Colombo: Sri Lankan authorities have blocked a Tamil language website over a complaint that it had carried news critical of the judiciary. The access to NewJaffna.Net from Sri Lanka has been blocked on a justice ministry order, Telecommunications Regulatory Commission said. The website had reportedly been critical of the Jaffna magistrate. Director Information Ranga Kalansuriya said investigation on the website would be made available soon and until then the website's access will be blocked. India's financial crime-fighting agency will look into Tata Sons' ousted chairman's allegations related to the mismanagement of the group's aviation ventures, India Today reported on Saturday citing a source. Cyrus Mistry was removed as chairman of the 148-year-old Tata group this week in a move that stunned corporate India. Mistry has since accused his predecessor Ratan Tata of thwarting his attempts to restructure the $104 billion Indian conglomerate. In a leaked letter to the Tata board, Mistry said he was opposed to Tata's aviation partnerships with Malaysia's AirAsia Bhd and Singapore Airlines. In the case of Air Asia, a forensic investigation had found "fraudulent transactions" of 220 million rupees ($3.29 million) involving "non-existent parties", Mistry alleged in his letter. That allegation had prepared the ground for an "examination" of the case, the India Today report said, citing an unnamed official at the Enforcement Directorate. Officials at the agency were not immediately available to comment. Tata Sons said it was unaware of any such probe. An AirAsia India spokeswoman said she did not have an immediate comment. An investigation by the agency, if confirmed, would come at a time when India's capital markets regulator has already started looking into Mistry's allegations related to violations of corporate governance rules at Tata. Nepal has re-appointed Deep Kumar Upadhyay as its envoy to India, nearly six months after he was recalled by the previous K P Oli-led government over charges of 'non-cooperation' and indulging in 'anti-government' activities. Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari yesterday appointed Upadhyay as Ambassador to India while also naming Leela Mani Paudyal as envoy to China, according to a statement issued by the President's Office today. Upadhyay would enjoy the diplomatic ranking of a Cabinet Minister, according to the statement. Upadhyay, who was serving as Nepal's Ambassador to India since April 2015, was suddenly recalled by the erstwhile Oli government on May 6. The Oli-led government had levelled three charges against Upadhyaya to justify its decision to recall him and officials had said he was working 'against national interest'. Upadhyay, a leader of Nepali Congress, was seen as the first casualty of the cancellation of Nepalese President Bhandari's planned visit to India. Paudyal is a former Chief Secretary of the government of Nepal. The Council of Ministers on September 1 had recommended the duo for the key diplomatic outposts in Nepal's neighbourhood. The controversy over genetically modified crops has long focused on largely unsubstantiated fears that they are unsafe to eat. But an extensive examination by The New York Times indicates that the debate has missed a more basic problem genetic modification in the United States and Canada has not accelerated increases in crop yields or led to an overall reduction in the use of chemical pesticides. The promise of genetic modification was twofold: By making crops immune to the effects of weedkillers and inherently resistant to many pests, they would grow so robustly that they would become indispensable to feeding the worlds growing population, while also requiring fewer applications of sprayed pesticides. Twenty years ago, Europe largely rejected genetic modification at the same time the United States and Canada were embracing it. Comparing results on the two continents, using independent data as well as academic and industry research, shows how the technology has fallen short of the promise. An analysis by The Times using UN data showed that the US and Canada have gained no discernible advantage in yields food per acre when measured against Western Europe, a region with comparably modernised agricultural producers like France and Germany. Also, a recent National Academy of Sciences report found that there was little evidence that the introduction of genetically modified crops in the US had led to yield gains beyond those seen in conventional crops. At the same time, herbicide use has increased in the US, even as major crops like corn, soybeans and cotton have been converted to modified varieties. And the US has fallen behind Europes biggest producer, France, in reducing the overall use of pesticides, which includes both herbicides and insecticides. One measure, contained in data from the US Geological Survey, shows the stark difference in the use of pesticides. Since genetically modified crops were introduced in the US two decades ago for crops like corn, cotton and soybeans, the use of toxins that kill insects and fungi has fallen by a third, but the spraying of herbicides, which are used in much higher volumes, has risen 21%. By contrast, in France, use of insecticides and fungicides has fallen by a far greater percentage 65% and herbicide use has decreased as well, by 36%. The industry is winning on both ends because the same companies make and sell both the genetically modified plants and the poisons. Driven by these sales, the combined market capitalisations of Monsanto, the largest seed company, and Syngenta, the Swiss pesticide giant, have grown more than sixfold in the last decade and a half. The two companies are separately involved in merger agreements that would lift their new combined values to more than $100 billion each. When presented with the findings, Robert T Fraley, chief technology officer at Monsanto, said The Times had cherry-picked its data to reflect poorly on the industry. Every farmer is a smart businessperson, and a farmer is not going to pay for a technology if they dont think it provides a major benefit, he said. Biotech tools have clearly driven yield increases enormously. Regarding the use of herbicides, in a statement, Monsanto said, While overall herbicide use may be increasing in some areas where farmers are following best practices to manage emerging weed issues, farmers in other areas with different circumstances may have decreased or maintained their herbicide usage. Figures from the US Department of Agriculture show herbicide use skyrocketing in soybeans, a leading GM crop, growing 2.5 times in the last two decades, at a time when planted acreage of the crop grew less than a third. Use in corn was trending downward even before the introduction of GM crops, but then nearly doubled from 2002 to 2010, before levelling off. Weed resistance problems in such crops have pushed overall usage up. To some, this outcome was predictable. The whole point of engineering bug-resistant plants was to reduce insecticide use, and it did, said Joseph Kovach, a retired Ohio State University researcher who studied the environmental risks of pesticides. But the goal of herbicide-resistant seeds was to sell more product, he said more herbicide. Farmers with crops overcome by weeds, or a particular pest or disease, can understandably be GM evangelists. Its silly bordering on ridiculous to turn our backs on a technology that has so much to offer, said Duane Grant, chairman of Amalgamated Sugar Co, a cooperative of more than 750 sugar beet farmers in the Northwest. He says crops resistant to Roundup, Monsantos most popular weedkiller, saved his cooperative. Feeding the world With the worlds population expected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050, Monsanto has long held out its products as a way to help meet the food demands of these added billions, as it said in a 1995 statement. That remains an industry mantra. Its absolutely key that we keep innovating, said Kurt Boudonck, who manages Bayers sprawling North Carolina greenhouses. With the current production practices, we are not going to be able to feed that amount of people. But a broad yield advantage has not emerged. The Times looked at regional data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, comparing main genetically modified crops in the US and Canada with varieties grown in Western Europe, a grouping used by the agency that comprises seven nations, including the two largest agricultural producers, France and Germany. For rapeseed, a variant of which is used to produce canola oil, The Times compared Western Europe with Canada, the largest producer, over three decades, including a period well before the introduction of GM crops. Despite rejecting genetically modified crops, Western Europe maintained a lead over Canada in yields. While that is partly because different varieties are grown in the two regions, the trend lines in the relative yields have not shifted in Canadas favour since the introduction of GM crops, the data show. For corn, The Times compared the US with Western Europe. Over three decades, the trend lines between the two barely deviate. And sugar beets, a major source of sugar, have shown stronger yield growth recently in Western Europe than the US, despite the dominance of genetically modified varieties over the last decade. Jack Heinemann, a professor at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, did a pioneering 2013 study comparing trans-Atlantic yield trends, using UN data. Western Europe, he said, hasnt been penalised in any way for not making genetic engineering one of its biotechnology choices. Biotech executives suggested making narrower comparisons. Fraley of Monsanto highlighted data comparing yield growth in Nebraska and France, while an official at Bayer suggested Ohio and France. These comparisons can be favourable to the industry, while comparing other individual US states can be unfavourable. Michael Owen, a weed scientist at Iowa State University, said that while the industry had long said GMOs would save the world, they still havent found the mythical yield gene. A major fire broke out at a commercial complex near Dream Land theatre in south Mumbai this evening, fire brigade officials said. The blaze erupted on the first floor of the four-storeyed 'Mehta Mansion' in Girgaon at around 8:15 PM, they said. The fire then spread to the second floor of the complex, the officials said, adding no casualty or injury to anyone has been reported in the incident so far. According to them, eight fire tenders have been pressed into service. Earlier in the day, a fire broke out in a residential building on P D'Mello Road. However, no one was injured in the incident. The blaze had erupted on the first floor of the ground plus three storey building 'Sai Niwas' near Kaisar Hind Hotel at around 3:45 PM, a fire brigade official said. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and the Modi government exchanged blows on the welfare of armed forces on Deepavali. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, Rahul listed out the reduction in disability pension and anomalies in the One Rank, One Pension scheme as decisions of the government that have caused pain to soldiers. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hit out at Rahul for being wrong on facts, but within hours the government issued a statement putting on hold its decision to introduce a new slab system in the payment of the disability pension to ex-servicemen. Just days after our soldiers conducted the surgical strikes, the disability pension system was converted to a new slab system, that in many instances drastically reduces the pension received by these brave men in case of a disability, Rahul stated in his letter to the prime minister. Implementation Rahul also flagged issues related to the implementation of the One Rank, One Pension scheme for ex-servicemen, a section of which is expected to relaunch their protests here from Tuesday. OROP must be implemented in a meaningful way soldiers should not have to struggle to claim what is surely due to them on behalf of a grateful nation, the Congress vice president said. He said the issue of parity of armed forces with their civil employees, too had, adversely affected the morale of the men in uniform. As a responsible democracy we must make sure that the brave soldiers who put their lives on the line for each one of us, feel the love, support and gratitude of 125 crore people, Rahul said. Meanwhile, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, in a statement to PTI on Saturday, asked Rahul not to subject the army to petty politics. He said the parity of armed forces vis-a-vis their civilian colleagues has been the same as it has been in force since 1998-99. There is no new policy initiative undertaken by the Narendra Modi government in this regard, he said. On the disability pension issue, Prasad said the government will continue to pay pension as per the old rules on percentage- basis till the anomaly committee makes its recommendations. Ravi Shankar Prasad: The parity of armed forces vis-a-vis their civilian colleagues has been the same as it has been in force since 1998-99. There is no new policy initiative undertaken by the government in this regard Seventeen grand chefs of the worlds most exclusive gastronomic society Le Club Des Chefs Des Chefs believe that Indian dishes are more than simple recipes. The only woman chef of the club, Cristeta Pasia Comerford, chef of US President Barack Obama, believes that Indian cooking is more than a philosophy. Speaking to DH at Rambagh Palaces Suvarna Mahal, the former palace ballroom designed in 18th Century decor, she said, Indian recipes are straight from the heart. Its more about mixing of fragrances and tastes. Whenever any official visits the White House, we try to make him/her feel at home by preparing tea from Indian leaves. Indian masala tea is a popular beverage in the White House. Cristeta is the first woman and first person of Asian descent to hold the post of the White House executive chef since 2005. For the host chef, Montu Saini, chef of the President of India, it is a dream come true to make top chefs of the world visit India for the first time in the societys 40-year history. Saini told DH, One of the aims of Club des Chefs des Chefs is to develop friendship and cooperation among its members who have similar responsibilities in their respective countries. Saini believes that India has a variety of cuisines and combination of flavours like its culture, and the world class chefs could understand it after visiting spice markets in Delhi, Jaipur and Agra. They now understand that Indian cuisine is beyond recipes.... its more about fragrance of spices. Oldest dishes Speaking about the preservation of oldest dishes, he said, We are concerned about the preservation of oldest dishes and for that, their documentation is must. The beauty of India is that we dont have a specific national cuisine. Even the utensils have their own importance. The handi (earthen pot used for cooking) is primitive but has its own importance... heat comes back to food. The chefs from Monaco, Finland, Germany, France, Italy, USA, Great Britain, Estonia, Denmark, China, Galson, Sweden, Luxembourg, Iceland and Spain attended the meet. Gilles Bragard, founder of Club des Chefs des Chefs, said, The purpose of the club is to pay tribute to the chefs of heads of states; these legendary figures who work behind the scenes, are aware of the role that they play in international diplomatic relations. The BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra will successfully complete two years in office on Monday. But for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis the coming year is going to be crucial. Over the last two years, despite several challenges, Fadnavis not only managed to keep the BJPs oldest ally in good humour, but had also been able to handle the fire from the Opposition Congress and NCP. The biggest challenge before him is to ensure that the results of the civic polls to nearly 230 local bodies, including big corporations like Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik and Nagpur between November 2016 and February 2017 do not have an adverse impact on his government and its relations with the Sena. Also, how he handles the crucial Maratha reservations issue will be closely observed. The ensuing Winter Session of the Maharashtra legislature is going to be an acid test for him. The Congress plans to bring a no-confidence motion and breach of privilege against him on the Maratha quota issue, the Bombay High Court is expected to hear the matter when the House is in session and a massive rally of the Maratha Kranti Morcha has been planned, coinciding with the proceedings. Fadnavis was sworn in as the chief minister on October 11, 2014, with a small ministry, but the equations changed on December 5 after the Sena moved out of the Opposition benches and joined the government. I am stable... I am going to be here for five years, Fadnavis told reporters at Varsha, the official residence of the chief minister at Malabar Hill, coinciding with Deepavali festivities. Successful projects The chief ministers pet project Jal Yukta Shivar was considered to be successful for the alliance, and the monsoon had helped the Marathwada region pull out of back-to-back drought for four years. Maria misled me on Sheena murder probe Speaking for the first time on the unceremonious shunting out of Mumbai Police chief Rakesh Maria in the Sheena Bora murder case, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the senior IPS officer seemed to be protecting media tycoon Peter Mukerjea, DHNS reports from Mumbai. Fadnavis, who had promoted Maria to the rank of director general of police, had moved him out as commissioner and appointed him as the director general (Home Guards) and commandant general (Civil Defence). He also decided to take the case from the Khar police station and hand it over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Samajwadi Party Rajya MP Munawwar Saleem has denied any involvement in the spy ring for Pakistans intelligence agency ISI, a day after his personal assistant was arrested on espionage charges on Saturday. Farhat (45) was picked up from Saleems residence on Friday night for questioning. This makes him the fourth accused and third Indian spy for ISI. Pakistan high commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar, along with Indians Maulana Ramzan and Subhash Jangir, was arrested on Wednesday when they were exchanging secret documents related to Indias defence network at the Delhi zoo. The police detained another accused, Shoaib Nagaur of Rajasthan, in Jodhpur and brought him to Delhi on Thursday, where he was arrested. It is said that Nagaur had deleted all the data from his phablet, but the police are trying to retrieve it. Akhtar had mentioned Farhats name during interrogation, police said. According to Akhtar, he used to meet Farhat at public places, including the Mandi House Metro station here. They used code words to communicate, police said. Network of spies In this network of spies, Akhtar was the one who paid the others, police said. Police sources said Nagaur formed a network of seven or eight spies, excluding Maulana and Jangir, on the direction of Akhtar. Akhtar, in a TV interview, named Syed Farruq, Khadim Hussain, Shahid Iqbal, Iqbal Cheema and a few others, claiming that they were also staffers of the Pakistan high commission. However, this is yet to be investigated, police said. The Singapore navy ship RSS Formidable arrived in Visakhapatnam on Sunday for a week-long exercise with the Indian Navy in the Bay of Bengal. The Indian side would be represented by INS Ranvijay, INS Kamorta and one Sindhugosh class submarine in the mock drill, which would start on Monday and continue till November 5. In addition, naval patrol aircraft P8I and Dornier as well as advanced jet trainer Hawk would provide the aviation component from the Indian side. Singapore will have its Fokker 50 aircraft, which will operate from Port Blair. This years Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) the 23rd in the series is aimed at increasing the interoperability between the two navies, besides developing common procedures for maritime security operations, an Indian Navy spokesperson said. The left thumb impression of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who has been in hospital since September 22, affixed on Form B submitted along with the nomination papers of AIADMK candidates in the Aravakurichi, Thanjavur and Thiruparankundram Assembly constituencies, was considered by the Election Commission. As her right hand is inflamed due to a recent tracheostomy, the chief minister is temporarily unable to affix her signature. The thumb impression was attested by Dr P Balaji, professor, Madras Medical College, while Dr Babu K Abraham of the Apollo Hospitals signed as a witness. The signatory (J Jayalalithaa) is presently hospitalised at Apollo Hospital, Greams Road, Chennai. Since the signatory has undergone a tracheotomy recently and has an inflamed right hand, shes temporarily unable to apply her signature. Hence, she has affixed her left thumb impression on her own in my presence, read a written statement from Dr Balaji. The fact that Jayalalithaa had affixed her thumb impression came to light when the contesting AIADMK candidate submitted the Form B along with his nomination papers before authorities at Thiruparankundram constituency. Though some political parties made a ruckus over whether the thumb impression was valid, the Election Commission, in a letter, stated that it has considered the matter in view of the position explained by the AIADMK. Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo Hospital following fever and dehydration. At present, the chief minister is showing steady improvement and is constantly monitored by a panel of specialists. A few days ago, the AIADMK supremo had deputed 24 senior functionaries, including 18 ministers, to oversee election work in the three Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu and a lone constituency in Puducherry, which will go to polls on November 19. DMDK list out Vijayakanth-led DMDK on Sunday announced its candidates for Aravakurichi, Thanjavur and Thiruparankundram elections in Tamil Nadu. It will be a five-cornered contest with other major parties, including the ruling AIADMK, DMK, PMK and BJP, in the fray. With the much expected Northeast monsoon commencing on Sunday, heavy rain lashed many districts of Tamil Nadu, even as a low pressure area still persists over the Bay of Bengal. The Northeast monsoon has commenced over the southeastern peninsular region on Sunday with marginally less than expected activity. The low pressure area over southwest Bay of Bengal off north of the Tamil Nadu coast now lies as a trough of low at mean sea level, an official from the regional meteorological centre told DH. He said the first spell of the Northeast monsoon hit many parts of Tamil Nadu, while widespread rain has not yet been recorded. Central districts of the state recorded moderate rain. Heavy rain is expected over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala over the next 48 hours. The delta districts of Thanjavur, Trichy and Nagapattinam received good rain during the last 24 hours, he said. As the sea was rough since Saturday evening, fishermen from Tamil Nadu and the neighbouring Puducherry did not venture into the sea. Weather officials also said this Northeast monsoon is expected to bring 10% less rain. They said it has been forecast that the Northeast monsoon will be slightly deficit this time as rainfall of 39-44 cm is expected. Northeast monsoon occurs in spells of about three-four days. Spells exceeding four days are much less (20%). For Tamil Nadu, this is the main rainy season, accounting for about 48% of the annual rainfall. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to the nation to dedicate this Diwali to the soldiers guarding the borders. When we are celebrating Diwali, someone is there (guarding the borders) in the desert (of Rajasthan), while someone is at the Himalayan peaks protecting our nation. Dedicate this Diwali to them. We must remember them, especially when we are in a festive mood. This will fill them with new strength, he said, during his monthly radio programme Mann ki Baat. Modi, for his part, spent the festival with the army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police troops in Sumdo in Himachal Pradeshs Kinnaur district. Saluting the valour and sacrifices of the Indian soldiers, the prime minister also urged the nation to dedicate this Diwali to the security forces deployed to protect industries and other vital establishments, including airports. Look at the responsibility they have undertaken and are fulfilling in the service of the nation. Just one message to them on festivals will renew their capacity and strength, Modi said. The prime minister, who recently launched a special campaign through which citizens could send Diwali greetings to soldiers, expressed his gratitude to the public for sending out messages in various forms, including painting, poetry and slogans. During the radio talk, Modi expressed regret over the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, while remembering legendry leader and freedom fighter Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a day before Gandhis death anniversary and the birth anniversary of Patel. While it is the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, a living legend, on October 31, it is also the death anniversary of Gandhi. We pay tribute to our great leaders, Modi said. It is painful that on the birth anniversary of Patel, who dedicated his life for the unity and integrity of the country, thousands of Sikhs were killed after Gandhis murder, he added. Sorry, the page you are looking is no longer available. Click here to go to Home Amid massive protests by various organisations and political parties, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the Government Koosamma Shambhu Shetty Haji Abdullah Memorial Maternal and Children hospital here, which would be developed by the Abu Dhabi-based B R Shetty Ventures Pvt Ltd. The company owned by NRI businessman B R Shetty will establish a super-speciality hospital and develop the existing government community health centre on public-private partnership basis. The company has come forward to invest Rs 200 crore and, the Health department will give its 3.80 acres to the firm on lease for 30 years. Cutting across party lines, the BJP, the JD(S), the CPM and various apolitical forums in Udupi resorted to protests to condemn the handing over of the government maternity and children hospital to the company. People vented their ire by holding protests throughout the day. They also staged flag demonstrations. BJP leader and former MLA Raghupathi Bhat said the district incharge minister had entered into a multi-crore deal with B R Shetty to facilitate the project. Karkala MLA V Sunil Kumar (BJP) said that through this deal, the state government was snatching away the facilities available for the poor patients. He demanded that the government invest in the development of the hospital and ensure that it remains a government institution. The police took the protesting BJP workers into custody. In another protest, former Congress MLA U R Sabhapathi and psychiatrist P V Bhandary staged a silent protest from 8 am to 6 pm condemning the privatisation of the hospital. Sabhapathi ridiculed that government for its bankruptcy as it is unable to invest in the hospital development. The district unit of the CPM also raised its voice against the move. The Left party said the government should not deprive the poor of free health care facilities. The agitators tied black ribbons to their hands and shouted slogans against the project. The JD(S) members staged a protest rally and shouted slogans against state government and the chief minister. JD(S) District President Dakshath Shetty and party workers were arrested for showing black flags on the occasion. After laying the foundation, Siddaramaiah said the government is totally against privatisation. He said that those who are opposing the project are either ignorant of its intention or it is purely political antagonism. He said that though the government is against privatisation, it has no regrets over joining hands with private companies and organisations to ensure better living conditions for the poor and downtrodden. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reiterated on Sunday that the steel flyover project in Bengaluru was the most transparent one. He was speaking to mediapersons at the Mangalore International Airport.Responding to accusation by Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda that the project was meant for making money in the name of decongesting traffic, the chief minister said that the charges were far from the truth. The project was initiated in 2010 when the BJP was in power. The detailed project report was prepared when Sadananda Gowda was the chief minister, Siddaramaiah said. He said he had announced the project in the budget for 2014-15, after taking over as chief minister. The details of the project were uploaded on the website and public opinion was collected. 73% supported During the opinion poll, 73% of the respondents supported the project, the chief minister said. The project is the most transparent one. Global tenders were invited and L&T company bagged the work for being the lowest bidder. So, where is the scope for money swindling? The BJP is opposing the project as it doesnt want the Congress government to take credit. Why were BJP leaders, Suresh Kumar and others, silent when the tender was finalised? Why didnt the BJP leaders oppose the project when it was announced in the budget? Siddaramaiah asked. On one hand, BJP leaders are making politically motivated charges and on the other, they say the traffic situation should be improved, he said. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has acquired more than half-an-acre belonging to Virginia Developers in Ramagondanahalli near Whitefield in eastern part of the city for widening the road, but the fate of the project now seems uncertain. The road near Varthur lake in Ramagondanahalli is about 75 feet wide, which the BBMP intends to widen to 150 feet to ease traffic near the Virginia Mall where three roads join. On June 9, the developer transferred 21,575 sq ft to the BBMP by way of a relinquishment deed. The deed says that the rights over the Schedule B property have been released for the formation of a proposed 45-metre- (150-foot) wide road as per the Revised Master Plan-2015. Three months after the relinquishment deed was signed, the BBMP joint director (Town Planning-North) wrote to the chief engineer of BBMP's Major Roads division asking him to take up widening of the road. The request was supported by a letter by the traffic police inspector of Whitefield traffic police station. However, the BBMP is now backtracking on the project. BBMP executive engineer (major roads special division) Prabhakar said, There is no scope for any road widening as of now. We are currently upgrading the footpath. Widening of the road would require acquisition of a large number of properties, which has not happened. Prabhakar added that the Virginia Developers property was acquired by issuing Transferable Development Rights (TDR). He added that till the time widening takes place, the land will remain with the developer. When contacted, M B Thippanna, joint director of BBMP Town Planning division, said that widening the road will not be possible as it might require acquisition of a huge number of properties from Virginias property to Whitefield, a distance of about five kilometres. The BBMPs change of decision has raised many questions. A resident of Whitefield said the BBMP should come clean on this matter. Requesting anonymity, he sought to know, Why has the BBMP acquired land from Virginia Developers when it was not planning to widen the road immediately? How will the BBMP compensate for the loss of TDR issued in advance? If the widening does not take place, how will the BBMP compensate for any development of land, which compromises the Floor Area Ratio? Clement Jayakumar, another resident of Whitefield, said widening of the road near the Virginia Mall intersection is urgently needed to clear the bottleneck. The police have arrested 20 people, including the president of an anti-corruption forum, for attempting to extort money from the principal of a private school in JP Nagar on Friday. The arrested are K Dasharath, 42, Veerappa, 41, Harish, 47, Prasanna Kumar, 35, Arun Kumar, 40, S J Sainath, 57, Jataram, 34, Krishnaram, 28, Elumalai, 54, Arun Kumar, 27, V Srinivas, 42, Kumaraswamy, 25, Dharmendra, 27, M Manjunath, 36, Sathyanarayan, 34, Satish, 32, Gopal, 24, Siddappa, 50, Shivappa, 41, and Ravish, 33. Dasharath is the president of the Committee for the Elimination of Corruption and Protection of Child Rights, while the rest are the office-bearers. The suspects barged into the Narayana E-Techno School, Ashwathnarayana Layout, Puttenahalli, JP Nagar, 7th Phase, and met principal Balasavithri. They introduced themselves as office-bearers of the committee. They claimed that they had received a lot of complaints from the public, especially parents, that the school was running the CBSE programme without affiliation to the board concerned. They asked the principal to produce the affiliation letter, a teacher said. Dasharath said he had informed the Education department about this and requested senior officers to act against the school management. He demanded that the staff call the members of the board of management for a discussion immediately, the teacher said. Dasharath and the office-bearers said that the members of the board hailed from Andhra Pradesh. They started schools in Bengaluru only to make money. He threatened that he would teach them a lesson. The principal informed the assistant general manager of the school A V Narayan Reddy about the incident. Reddy lodged a complaint with the police. The police seized their cars as they were parked on the school premises without permission. It is said that the suspects attempted to extort money from the staff by levelling charges against the school. The suspects were produced before the 44th ACMM court and the judge remanded them in A Uber cab driver on Saturday abducted a 15-year-old boy, a student of Delhi Public School (DPS), from Varthur and demanded ransom from his father. However, in a swift action the police rescued Sai Ashik and handed him over to his parents. The police said that on Saturday afternoon, Ashik booked a Uber cab to go to tuition. The cab reached his house within 15 minutes and Ashik got into the car. Some time later, the cab driver called up the boys father and told claimed that he had abducted Ashik. He demanded money to release Ashik. Ashiks father immediately contacted the police, who constituted a team to trace the boy. Based on mobile phone call details, the police rushed to a particular location and spotted a car parked on roadside with Ashik inside it. The driver had abandoned the car with Ashik, the police said. We did not question Ashik as he was shocked. We handed him over to his parents. We are on the lookout for the driver, said a senior police officer. Couple killed in accident A couple was killed on the spot and their two children injured in an accident on the National Highway 209 in Kanakapura on Sunday. The deceased are Kumar, 40, and his wife Rudramma, 35, residents of Jaraganahalli. The children have been identified as Purnima and Kiran, who are undergoing treatment for fractures at a private hospital, in Benglauru. Kumar was an employee with the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board. According to the police, the accident occurred when Kumar and his family were on their way to the Kabbalamma temple in their new car. Kumar lost control over the vehicle and crashed into another car coming from the opposite direction, near a rice mill. Kumar and his wife were killed on the spot while the children sustained injuries. Yadav,19, a resident of Bengaluru, who was in the other car, has also sustained injuries. The police are likely to question the office-bearers of Popular Front of India (PFI), Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KDF) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in connection with the recent murder of RSS worker R Rudresh on Kamaraj Road near Shivajinagar. The investigation carried out so far has indicated that Mohammad Sadique, Mohammad Mujibullah, Waseem Ahmad and Irfan Pasha were active members of PFI and SDPI. Irfan Pasha is a rowdy-sheeter in KG Halli and was involved in a murder case. Questioning of the office-bearers of these organisations may throw more light on the murder, said a senior police officer monitoring the probe. There are reports that a few organisations based in Kerala and coastal regions of Karnataka funded a group of youths to attack a set of persons. The four arrested for Rudreshs murder have links with such organisations. It is not yet clear why these organisations want to eliminate a set of people in Karnataka, the officer said. Mujibullah told the police that Rudresh would often provoke him over petty issues. Some two months ago, Rudresh threatened Mujibullah that he would teach him a lesson and send his body to Pakistan. He lost cool over certain remarks by Rudresh and decided to attack him, the officer added. Senior police officers are tight-lipped on the identity of the people whom the suspects wanted to murder. It is said that they wanted to kill a few leaders, including BJP Yuva Morcha state president and Mysuru-Kodagu MP Prathap Simha. But, nothing of that sort has come out during the interrogation, so far. The suspects did not have a list of their targets as has been mentioned in a section of media, the officer said. People suffering eye injuries is a common occurrence during Deepavali and this year is no exception. Akash, 11, suffered a major injury on his left eye. Doctors at the Narayana Nethralaya said that the eye was completely ruptured and it would be difficult for them to restore it. Akash is expected to undergo surgery on Monday. A 17-year-old boy from Banashankari has also suffered a major eye injury. There have been at least 20 cases of eye injuries reported in Narayana Nethralaya alone. Though less crackers than usual were burst this year, on the first and second day of Deepavali, eye injuries were reported in major eye hospitals. The government-run Minto Eye Hospital reported four cases of eye injuries on Sunday with a 28-year-old man from Ramamurthynagar suffering from Berlins edema and an eight-year-old girl from Bapujinagar suffering from minimal hyphema. Both the patients were bystanders injured by crackers. A six-year-old boy from Gandhinagar and a 10-year-old boy from Chintamani (Chikkaballapur district), who suffered eye injuries while trying to burst crackers, also underwent treatment at the hospital. Dr Sweekruthi from Minto Hospital said, on Saturday evening, the hospital treated a 10-year-old boy from Shantinagar, a three-year-old girl from Saraswathipuram and a 39-year-old man from Kallahalli with eye injuries. She said, in one of the cases, there was injury in the corneal epithelium, whereas the other two cases had epithelial defect along with hyphema. All the three were bystanders injured by fireworks. Narayana Nethralaya received seven cases of eye injury due to fireworks and Samprathi Eye Hospital received one case. Why J.D. Vance is crucial to GOP's U.S. Senate hopes While the GOP deals with unpredictable races in states such as Pennsylvania, Republicans hope Ohio will show up for Senate candidate J.D. Vance. Over 2.6m has been allocated to bring Local Authority housing back into use in Donegal. The funding has been allocated to Donegal County Council for the Voids and Derelicts programmes and 163 housing units were submitted for funding, with 153 units having been approved for funding so far under this allocation. The Voids programme, which commenced in 2014, provides funding support of up to 30,000 per unit. The Derelicts programme was introduced in 2016 to provide additional support to Local Authorities in remediating more seriously derelict social houses. The allocation has been welcomed by Fine Gael Minister of State Joe McHugh. Returning vacant local authority housing to use is a key plank of Minister Simon Coveneys radical new housing plan Rebuilding Ireland and it is crucially important in helping to tackle our homelessness problem, he said. In addition, the Housing Agency is also being provided with 70 million of capital funding to engage with banks and investment companies to acquire properties for social housing nationally, which will deliver 1,600 units over the period to 2020. Other measures include a new repair and leasing initiative to allow local authorities to provide financial assistance to property owners to bring vacant properties up to standard which can then be leased for social housing. Capital provision of 6 million in 2017 will deliver 150 units under this new initiative. A new Buy and Renew initiative will also support Local Authorities and approved housing bodies to purchase private housing units in need of remediation, renew them and make them available for social housing use. An initial capital provision of 25 million will be available for this initiative in 2017. As a Minister for Donegal, I am working hard to ensure that this governments innovative housing plan delivers for County Donegal and meets the housing needs of our people. Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. Dear Editor: I have dedicated my career to public service, and protecting families and taxpayers, and I believe that experience uniquely qualifies me to serve as the next senator from the Pennsylvania's 31st District. After a short time as a teacher, I started my law enforcement career as a deputy U.S. marshal. In 2002, I was nominated by President George W. Bush, and confirmed by the United States Senate, to be the U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. During my tenure, and through the hard work of our staff, we increased felony fugitive arrests by 300 percent and received the highest audit program review score of any of the 94 districts in the country. During my two-terms as a state representative, I have a proven record as a fiscal conservative who stopped billion-dollar tax increases, held the line on taxes and supported balanced budgets that put families first. We dont have a money problem, but a spending problem. I am working hard to help solve the complicated issue of pension reform to honor the commitment made to those currently in the system, while protecting the taxpayers who are ultimately responsible for the costs. In fact, we recently passed real pension reform legislation through the House and Senate only to have it vetoed by Gov. Wolf. We must continue to work in a bipartisan manner to fix this serious financial crisis impacting our state. At the heart of protecting taxpayers is ensuring fiscal discipline and reforming Harrisburg. I have never taken per diems or a state car. I want greater openness and transparency to government and rank among the lowest in office expenses of all 203 Members. In the senate, Ill continue the fight to reform state government and protect our tax dollars. I kindly ask for your vote. Mike Regan Carroll Township, York County One in three pieces of sashimi is from fish caught by Taiwanese fishing vessels. If you eat imported seafood, chances are youve eaten Taiwan caught fish, so when were talking Taiwanese seafood, were talking about an industry that has an impact on all of us. Tuna transshipment on the high seas in the Indian Ocean. Photo credit: Jiri Rezac / Greenpeace In a race to make as much profit as possible, Taiwans fishing industry has long been linked to environmental abuse. But what is becoming clearer is that where there are environmental abuse, human rights abuses followand thats what weve found in Taiwans fishing industry. A year long investigation released by Greenpeace East Asia has painted a terrifying image of what happens when a industry is virtually given free rein on the high seas. Here are three things you need to know: 1. Shark Finning There are an estimated 100 million sharks killed each year. Sharks get caught almost every time a longline is set (more than 90 percent of the time), regularly making up 25 percent of the catch in tuna longline fisheries and as much as 50 percent of the catch in some billfish longline fisheries. In our most recent investigation, Greenpeace East Asia found at least 16 illegal shark finning cases in one port alone, in a three-month periodthats approximately five cases per month. We can only imagine the scale of the practice across the whole tuna fishing fleet. Frozen carcasses suspected to be sharks found in Dong Gang, Taiwan. Fins are not allowed to be separated from shark carcasses under legislation Taiwan passed in 2012, but in a single three-month investigation in just one port in Taiwan, Greenpeace East Asia uncovered 16 illegal cases of shark finning. Photo credit: Greenpeace And sadly this seems to be happening right under the noses of Taiwanese authorities. One Taiwanese vessel, revealed to be illegally fishing, transhipping and involved in illegal shark finning, continued to behave unlawfully, even after Greenpeace alerted authorities. 2. Human Rights Abuses With up to 160,000 migrant workers working on Taiwans distant water fishing vessels, the industry appears beset by issues of human trafficking and forced and debt-bonded labor. Fishermen haul in their lines on tuna longliner in the South Pacific albacore tuna fishery. Photo credit: Mark Smith / Greenpeace Recent high profile cases implicate Taiwanese vessels and companies in shootings at sea, human trafficking and illegal fishing and a complete picture emerges, that of an industry urgently needing reining in. 3. Exploitation Interviews with dozens of foreign workers on Taiwanese fishing boats reveal a culture of exploitation, bullying and violence. Frozen carcasses of fish suspected to be sharks in Dong Gang, Taiwan. Photo credit: Greenpeace The report exposes Taiwans distant water fisheries abusive treatment of foreign crew. Interviews with South East Asian crew members reveal delayed and withheld payments, along with horrendous working conditions, exploitation by recruiting agents, verbal and serious physical abuse and death at sea. So What Can Be Done? We all knew there was a problem: six months ago, EU issued Taiwan a yellow card, warning of trade sanctions, but we didnt have the full picture. To date, Taiwan government appears to be moving towards the right direction by proposing new laws and adopting necessary revisions to the old ones. The problem is, you can make anything you dont like illegal, but unless you police it and enforce it, its pointless. Its time to spread the news far and wide that Taiwans fisheries industry is tainted by environmental and human rights abuses. We can demand our supermarkets, sushi bars and stores buy from brands that can tell us where our tuna comes from and guarantee were not supporting human rights abuse, shark finning and illegal fishing if were buying seafood. Check out our tuna guides here. A lot of this tuna ends up in the supply chain of companies like Thai Union, from where it is marketed across the world. Join us in demanding Thai Union cleans up its supply chains. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Is the Seafood You Eat Caught by Slaves? 3 Most Environmentally Damaging Habits You Might Be Able to Change How an Army of Ocean Farmers Is Starting an Economic Revolution USDA Silences Its Own Scientists Warnings About the Dangerous Effects of Pesticides on Bees Monk Martin Luther nailed to the door of church in the German town of Wittenberg on Oct. 31, 1517 a document with 95 arguments against what was going wrong in the Catholic Church at the time. His act triggered a series of history changing events along with the Protestant Reformation and centuries of bloodletting and persecution between Catholics and Protestants in different countries. But on Oct. 31, 2016 in southern Sweden something remarkable will happen. An ecumenical service attended led by Pope Francis and leaders of the Lutheran World Federation in a joint commemoration of the Reformation on 31 October 2016 in Lund, Sweden. Along with Francis, Bishop Munib Younan, LWF president and Rev. Martin Lund, the general secretary of the federation will lead the service. King Karl XVI Gustav and Queen Silvia of Sweden will attend the service. The Monday service will be the first time in living memory that a prayer service organized jointly by Catholics and Lutherans at the global level is being held in the Cathedral in Lund. For local Lutheran and Catholic leaders, the thousands of practical details needed to prepare for the event do not diminish the personal and potential local impact on the churches. 'DREAM COME TRUE' "It's been a long-standing dream of mine that different traditions in the churches can show a greater respect for one another. This meeting is therefore a dream come true," says Johan Tyrberg, Lutheran Bishop of the Diocese of Lund since 2014. "It's all about ending a conflict that has lasted for 500 years," Tyrberg noted. "The last 50 years we have been discussing how to make peace. "It is in this spirit that the leaders of the Catholic and the Lutheran Church are meeting in Lund. It is an important step and part of the process of reconciling with the past and moving forward together." Dominican Father Johan Linden of St. Thomas Aquinas Church and Catholic parish in Lund, said, "The joint commemoration will offer an opportunity to grow in the understanding of the reformation, to understand what happened then and what the consequences are today. We share a common heritage and history." He told a Church of Sweden interviewer the hope is that future generations can reap what is now being sowed for renewed initiatives, a deeper understanding and more respect for the differences in Catholic and Lutheran traditions. As one of the two local Catholic coordinators, Linden notes, "It is also mutual opportunity to repent, to convert ourselves and ask for forgiveness. The mutual and clear exchange of forgiveness is what the whole event implies and signals. "What we have seen in the past few years is that Pope Francis is putting a lot of effort into the ecumenical dialogue with other Christian churches and denominations. The [quest] for unity is very apparent in his pontificate. This is close to Pope Francis' heart." LA CIVILITA CATTOLICA Ahead of his trip to Sweden, Pope Francis granted a lengthy interview to the editor of the Swedish Jesuit magazine, Fr. Ulf Jonsson, that was carried in the journal La Civilta Cattolica. Francis noted how at the beginning of the Reformation Martin Luther's intention when he nailed his 95 theses to the church door was to reform in a "in a difficult time for the Church." "Luther wanted to remedy a complex situation," said the Pope, explaining that the gesture "also because of the political situations... became a 'state' of separation, and not a process of reform of the whole Church, which is fundamental, because the Church is semper reformanda (always reforming)." When it comes to Scripture, the Pope said Luther did an important thing by putting the Word of God into peoples' hands, adding that "reform and Scripture are two things that we can deepen by looking at the Lutheran tradition." In Sweden the humanitarian and development arms of the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic churches will make a new commitment to responding together to human need throughout the world. The Lutheran World Federation's World Service and Caritas Internationalis will participate in the Joint Catholic-Lutheran commemoration of the reformation in Lund and Malmo on Oct. 31. Caritas and LWF World Service will sign a Declaration of Intent, with the objective to strengthen the collaboration of the two organizations, both of which engage strongly in humanitarian work and with refugees. "Diakonia or service is an area where we have already and continue to be able to find each other easily. It is a central calling to all Christians," LWF World Service Director Maria Immonen said. "Our joint action unites and gives a deeper meaning to the slogan 'Together in hope'. We work together, side by side, as we are called to do. It is outward looking the face of the church to the world at large and open to collaboration with each other as well as other actors working for justice and peace." According to this new information the Russians have known about alien civilizations for several decades, to many this comes as no surprise,... In an attempt to restructure and streamline the legal education system in the country and keep it aligned with University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, the postgraduate Master of Law (LLM) is now a one-year intensive programme. Most premier law institutions have introduced this scheme in which they incorporate a range of law courses, seminars and exercises to help expand research and teaching abilities. Also, the course is planned in such a manner that it includes special events to give students practical experiences through internships and training. To enrol on the course, a candidate must have completed a three- or five-year LLB course with at least 50% aggregate marks from any university recognised by the UGC in India or abroad. Universities and institutions providing this Masters programme have a flexible curriculum with the option to specialise, allowing a student to select his/her area of interest and pursue a comprehensive blend of law subjects. Lets look at some of the specialisations: Constitutional and administrative law: The relevance of these two subjects hardly needs any emphasis. They are the most relevant areas of law pursued in every aspect of the legal arena, public policy and law-making. This specialisation may be designed to include papers such as fundamental rights, comparative constitutional law, administrative law, media law and centre-state relations, among others. Corporate and commercial law: The specialisation is designed for students who intend to practise in the area of corporate law. The subjects range from fundamental papers to academically relevant areas of global importance such as international trade law, commercial arbitration and corporate governance. Human rights and environmental law: This course is designed to provide students with the knowledge required to deal with various aspects of environmental and human rights concerns at the national and international level. Also, the course helps to hone practical skills towards the making of effective law and policy through subjects such as international environment law, environmental law and policies in India and human rights international perspective. Criminal law: Criminal law and justice underpin many contemporary debates in todays society. These include the constitutionality of the death penalty, treatment and punishment of sex offenders, and legality of assisted death. The Masters programme covers the key concepts and theories related to criminal law and criminal justice, and their practical relevance. It includes subjects such as comparative criminal procedure, juvenile justice and law related to women, crime and justice, penology and treatment of offenders. Career avenues There are many career avenues open after the successful completion of the LLM programme. Most students with the degree go on to become academicians, lawyers, bureaucrats and corporate advisers. To join academia, you need to clear the National Eligibility Test (NET) or SLET and expand your career options. Becoming a research scholar by pursuing a PhD is another option. Lawyers already in practice, with further specialisation, can become leading practitioners before higher courts or be legal advisers in their areas of specialisation to multinationals or other corporate houses. Graduates can enter judicial and legal services by clearing competitive exams conducted at the centre and state level by the public service commissions. Researchers can also be absorbed into NGOs the work of which has a legal bearing or is policy matter sensitive. Pay potential On successful induction into any of these career avenues, a graduate may earn Rs 3 lakh-5 lakh per year. I did not grow up thinking of myself as a potential law yer. I was shy, sporty, did a lot of thinking and loved reasoning things out. So, logically I took up the sciences. I was analytical and eventually judgmental. Logic drove my curiosity more than the softer pleasures of the arts. As a result, I came out of the Doon School looking for a first degree in science which I earned at St Stephens College, University of Delhi (DU). By the time I graduated from college, it was well established that I enjoyed arguing with anyone and everyone around me. This was long before I had even contemplated marriage. Law was thus considered a good choice. Selecting a Degree I applied to several colleges and was admitted to Queen Marys College, London, for an LLB with a specialisation in commercial law. I was also relieved to be admitted to two postgraduate courses at DU: law, and operational research. I must confess that apart from law, I was drawn towards other pursuits, courses and careers at the time. There were no lawyers in my family and I wasnt sure about what I could do with myself. So, I also applied for an MSc in Business Administration and Computer Science (a strange but exciting combination) offered by Kings College, London. I was admitted and thought that receiving a Masters degree in one year was a rather quick-fix solution to my immediate worries about lack of employment. That was when the Oxford admission filtered in. My mother, a teacher and principal, always respected her father for having travelled to England (around the time of World War I) and teaching himself English and the mannerisms of the English before he enrolled himself in the Imperial College of Science & Technology. It was thus almost impossible for her to contemplate the possibility of surrendering an opportunity to read anything (not necessarily law or jurisprudence) at the University of Oxford. She freely expressed her views to a somewhat receptive and pliable son. My father might have preferred a business degree, having earned one himself in the US, but the opportunity to go up to Oxford meant a lot. So, the die was cast and off I went to the Honour School of Jurisprudence, or in simple terms, a first degree in law, at Oxford. Theory to Practice Three years at Oxford taught me much of what I practise even today. The art of analysis, the ability to read a long judgment in less than 10 minutes, the concept of an objective moral standard that guides the law and, therefore, my intuition about it were slipped into our sub-conscious practically unnoticed till we were tested in practice years later. We were shaped by serious academicians in this wonderful place that was a paradise of its own. Oxford offered every opportunity, facility and more than adequate support for any academic pursuit. You only had to exploit its potential. In 1992, this education allowed me to become a lawyer, who could plunge into practice at the old law firm, JB Dadachanji & Company, under the legendary man who had been involved in almost every significant judgment of the Supreme Court for over a quarter of a century. I had studied international trade under professors GH Treitel, FMB Reynolds and RM Goode who shaped the commercial world of law. I studied this subject which was, in fact, an advanced form of contract law based on shipping with the thought that I could handle cases involving sale of goods, particularly on the high seas. When I returned to Delhi, it might sound humorous but there was little or no business for a shipping specialist in a landlocked city. So, apart from litigation, I took to aviation law and the law of carriage in general. Other specialisations like company, competition and arbitration law followed and many were accidental, fortuitous or consequent to some other lawyer having given up the brief. Making of a Lawyer For a budding lawyer, a good test to check if you can live this life comfortably is to mentally slip into the body of a good lawyer and feel your way around. See if you can readily connect logical principles with the facts. The profession today is crowded. Several thousand new lawyers qualify every year. Some of them are competent, intelligent and even hard-working, with the right ingredients for successful practice. But they may not have been instructed properly and legal reasoning sometimes eludes them. These gaps can be filled by reading. But, in my experience, young lawyers seldom read books by authors like Nani Palkhivala, Seervai, Fali Nariman, Denning, Alan Dershowitz, Dworkin or Posner to learn how to think and connect. Even if you dont agree with the writings of a particular author, you must know what these great thinkers thought about the law. The law is a challenge. If you decide to pursue it, you need commitment from the beginning: It is either bed and no roses, or roses and no bed. (The author is founder and managing partner of ILA Pasrich & Company) The legal profession is all about ethical responsibility and a means to initiate progressive social change. This sums up my life story. Pursuing law was a normal course of education for me. My father was a deputy magistrate. Having completed a Masters, I went on to assist a senior advocate at the Calcutta High Court for a year. That was my initiation into the professional world. Later, I moved to the Alipore Court as a junior to yet another senior advocate. After six years, in 1978, I began practising on my own. Soon, I realised some hard truths of life. The legal profession could be what you make of it. It could be no brief, no money; brief without money; brief and money or no brief but all money. It is the ethical side of a lawyer to choose what suits him/her best. Serve society Some incidents have allowed me to use my knowledge as a criminal lawyer while serving society. Through timely intervention, I was able to end a trafficking nexus with Bangladesh and save 12 girls confined to a house at Jadavpur in South Kolkata. Their blessings gave me all I did not have to charge a fee. It is a lawyers duty to be aware of social aspects. A turning point in my life came in 1992 when I worked with Mother Teresa (now Saint Teresa of Calcutta). I managed to secure safe custody for about 600 inmates from the Presidency Correctional Home. Those stray girls and victims of sexual assault were given shelter at Shanti Dan, a home Mother had opened for such girls. My association with Mother and her work has never ended since then. I have handled innumerable criminal cases, have been practising at the high court and am a member of the Bar Council. But this did not stop me from going on non-official jail visits. Today, I am content I could bring in social justice in cases more than once. There was an accused, Ajay Ghosh, who got justice after 38 long years. He was in jail without even his trial starting. I had him released and Mother gave him shelter. There are many more such cases. After 35 years in the profession, on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees request, I joined as the chief public prosecutor of the City Sessions Court Calcutta. Deep knowledge The initial six years of my profession were full of apprehensions, common to newcomers. I fumbled often and used to be intimidated by seniors. So, for budding lawyers, it is essential that they know the subject in depth. They need to be honest with clients, and understand them well. It is important that lawyers expose their skill sets. This adds to their credibility. For any criminal proceeding, you should be fully aware of the date and time of occurrence of a crime. Criminal lawyers should be armed with wit. They should try and weaken the opposing lawyers argument; once that is done, you can turn the case in your favour. To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Carl Bildt (European Council on Foreign Relations) Throughout its entire existence, Istanbul, a city on the banks of the Bosphorus Strait separating Europe from Asia, has been the focus point of the relations between the West and the East. It will very likely retain this role as the relationship between the Christian Europe and the vast Muslim world is gaining significance. The Turkish political life has always been stormy and marked by conflicting visions or aspirations, achievements and obstacles. Nonetheless, during the last two centuries, Turkish reformers have looked up to Europe as the main source of inspiration. The first Turkish president, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, drew on this tradition and today he is followed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has managed to become a formidable personality in world affairs over the past 13 years. However, the negative attitude of some states regarding Turkeys membership in the European Union was disappointing for many Turks. This has caused a division in the society, which feels rejected by Europe that it uses as a kind of reference point. Moreover, since 2013 the society has led a silent war between Erdogans Justice and Development Party and its former allies, the Gulen movement and the Islamic community, led by the preacher in exile Fethullah Gulen. This silent war revealed itself to the world back in July, when a failed coup attempt took place, which was, according to many, staged by the followers of the Gulen movement. Had the coup been successful, Turkey would have been plunged into a civil war with no good prospects for its end and the democratic hopes would have vanished. However, every cloud has a silver lining and the coup attempt has also brought about the unification of the hitherto divided democratic political parties. However, the lack of the Wests empathy in these difficult times is astonishing for the Turks. It cannot be in the interest of any Western country that the Russian president was the first to meet Erdogan after such dramatic events had taken place. Nobody should be surprised that Turkey is trying to remove the Gulenists from their positions of power every country facing an internal uprising would have done the same. Turkey is now at a historic crossroads, but it is still too early to say where it is heading. If the previous trends of polarization and authoritarian-ism prevail, this will only have dire consequences for the country, but if national unity based on democratic principles prevails, this could lead to improvements in the political climate in Turkey. The study can be downloaded here: Cantabria Reducen a un hombre tras entrar con un hacha en un hospital de Santander en busca del cirujano que le habia operado Over the last few years I have grown increasingly alarmed at the push in euthanasia circles not just to legalize assisted suicide, but to force dissenting doctors and medical institutions to be complicit in the killing, a phenomenon I have branded medical martyrdom. We now see that in Switzerland a Christian nursing home has been threatened with the loss of charitable tax status if administrators refuse to permit assisted suicide on the premises. From the Christian Post story: A Christian nursing home run by the Salvation Army in Switzerland has been told that it must either allow assisted suicide despite its religious beliefs, or lose its charitable status. The nursing home mounted a legal challenge against the countrys new assisted suicide rules which require charities taking care of the sick or elderly and to offer assisted suicide when a patient asks for it, Catholic Herald reports. But a Swiss court ruled against the nursing home earlier this month. Other Christian charities across Europe, including a separate case in Diest, Belgium, have also been fined and punished for refusing to allow euthanasia on their grounds. I hope the home stays true to its Christian calling. Just because something is legal, that doesnt make it right. Accepting the martyrdom that comes from standing firm in virtue or faith in a society that has lost both is not only required of believers, for the good of their own souls, but can send a salutary message that saves lives. Dont think that forced participation in medicalized homicide/suicide wont come here if assisted suicide is widely legalized. Conscience is already under attack with regard to abortion and contraception. Should assisted suicide become broadly accepted, purveyors of the culture of death will see religious liberty as no more than an impediment. Photo: Matterhorn from the Domhutze, by Zacharie Grossen (Camptocamp.org) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons. Cross-posted at The Corner. Politics, books, history, foreign affairs, Caribbean, Middle East, Palestine, Israel, Iraq, China, Britain, United Nations, Oil For Food, Bush the Deserter, sex and rum and 1776 and tequilla and lots of fun things from someone who has more columns than the Parthenon. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The San Antonio Express-News was recognized this week with two first-place national awards for best news website and best online investigative/enterprise feature. Editor & Publishers annual EPPY Awards honored ExpressNews.com, the papers subscriber website, for its digital storytelling, and a narrative story about a man and his familys battle with ALS, known as Lou Gehrigs disease. ExpressNews.com is a site that aims to immerse viewers in the full range and depth of the news organizations journalism, with expanded takes on the days news. The site is overseen by Express-News Managing Editor Jamie Stockwell and led by Nan Keck, LeAnna Kosub, Greg Anglin and Lindsey Gawlik. Our goal is to make ExpressNews.com the go-to site in San Antonio and beyond for authoritative, immersive journalism, Stockwell said. This national recognition confirms our efforts to create an engaging experience online for our subscribers. Reporter Melissa Fletcher Stoeltjes story Trapped in a dying body: How ALS robbed Walter Root with photographs by Lisa Krantz won in the online feature category under Enterprise Editor Audrey Lee. The story followed the final months of Dr. Walter Roots life. Through Melissas words and Lisas photographs, the story of Dr. Root gave voice to everyone suffering from an incurable disease, Lee said. Our thanks goes to the Root family for allowing us to witness their anguish, sadness and love as they came to terms with letting go. Editor and Publishers EPPY Awards, in its 21st year, is a premier national competition for media websites. The panel of prestigious judges picked the winners for each of the 31 categories out of a pool of more than 300 entries. The two wins were in the division for sites with under 1 million unique monthly visitors. Two other Express-News pieces also made it into the finalist round: The Next Million, by lead reporter Vianna Davila, which delved into the effects of growth in San Antonio and the region; and Death of a Jurist, the story of Supreme Court Judge Antonin Scalias unexpected death in West Texas that the Express-News broke nationally by Gary Martin, Vianna Davila and Richard Marini. sfosterfrau@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Ten days until the Nov. 8 election, with soaring turnout in early voting, Bexar Countys political forces were in full deployment Saturday to get the vote out. GOP volunteers from across Texas were here on special duty to help U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, in his close race with Democrat and former U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine. But Gallego called in ground support as well, appearing at a spirited West Side rally with Housing Secretary Julian Castro; his brother, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio; and Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa. In the field, volunteers for those and other campaigns took advantage of another day of good weather to blockwalk and work the polls as 43 early voting sites operated until 8 p.m. The early voting continues Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., and Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Though Saturday, more than 200,000 Bexar County residents had voted, and the high turnout is expected to continue throughout the week. Voting on Election Day is predicted to be heavy as well, and local political leaders say its due to the presidential race as well as a few competitive downballot contests. Both major parties contend theyre benefitting from the record turnout, but the GOP has been playing catch-up to match an early surge from Democrats, Bexar Republican Chairman Robert Stovall said Saturday. We did see early on that the Democrats were coming out in bigger numbers than we were for the first few days, but now were starting to see the turnout in Republican precincts catching up, Stovall said. The partys efforts are focused on three close races the Hurd-Gallego rematch and heated races in Texas House Districts 117 and 118, Stovall said. More outside help arrived Friday, another team of GOP volunteers known as the Mighty Texas Strike Force, here to blockwalk and phone-bank for Hurd. Meanwhile, more than 100 Democrats joined a get-out-the-vote rally at the Hillary Clinton headquarters before hitting the streets to woo more votes. They use daily-updated voter lists that narrow the search for those who havent voted including Republicans disenchanted with Donald Trump. The volunteers and campaign workers have been at it for months, said Bexar Democratic Chairman Manuel Medina. One of our first objectives was to register, register and register more people, and we got an historic number, Medina said. Registrations stood at 1,049,485 on Friday, a record. Now the volunteers are helping to get out the record turnout. Weve always said, the more people vote, the better our chances are of winning as Democrats, and were very encouraged by the turnout, Congressman Castro said. People want to come out and vote this time, and we know why. First, we have a great candidate (Clinton), but also, their candidate, Donald Trump, has made this election season so ugly, so divisive, has tried to stoke peoples fears and resentments, Castro said. I cant remember an election that Ive wanted to be over more than this one. Castro said Trump wasnt nominated by accident but was the partys choice, and he chided Hurd for not speaking out against Trump when Trump denegrated our service members with PTSD. Petes opponent was silent and didnt say a word, he said. Local veterans deserve more than silence, Castro said. After the Castros event, Hurds campaign communications director Eliezer Flores issued a statement saying Gallego was being supported by career politicians who, like Pete, back Hillary 100 percent. But his campaign isnt talking to the people of the 23rd District, he claimed. Meanwhile, our (Hurd) campaign is actually doing hard work, knocking on hundreds of thousands of doors, making tens of thousands of calls weekly, and continuing to stay in touch with the real voters of the district. And were not slowing down," Flores said. jgonzalez@express-news.net Twitter: @johnwgonzalez This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Touring a dozen San Antonio neighborhoods Saturday that the city may target for its first-ever affordable-housing bond, home builder Jim Leonard realized something big. There is a whole lot of blight in this city. You see these kind of vacant buildings and boarded-up buildings and empty sites for sale, said Leonard, who is co-chairman of a citizens committee that will recommend what areas should be included in the housing bond in May. Now the city must convince San Antonio voters that at least some, or even all, of these neighborhoods are worth revitalizing, to find a way to put these properties back to work and turn them into something more positive, Leonard said. Housing is one of five categories that make up the citys proposed $850 million bond, the biggest ever put to San Antonio voters. But the $20 million housing bond is a most unusual request. Typically, the city asks residents to support very specific projects: a certain amount of money for improvements on these streets, in these parks or for these libraries. For the housing bond, officials will instead select general geographic areas across the city where the money could be spent. However, they wont put a price tag on individual projects, wont identify specific properties that could be redeveloped and wont know how many houses or apartments could be built. That work will be done after, and if, voters approve the entire bond package next spring. Now, a group of 30 citizens serving on the citys so-called Neighborhood Improvements committee must get down to recommending a final list of areas that are blighted enough to warrant attention but also have the potential to attract housing developers, for-profit and nonprofit. These next steps are critical: City staff has said numerous times that they need this bond program to be successful if future housing bonds are to pass. I would rather see us do 100 percent of something well and really do it successfully, committee member Beverly Watts-Davis said at a recent meeting. Saturdays bus tour was that opportunity for committee members to see what the city is proposing and where. More than half the committee members visited 12 of the 15 sites the city has identified. Jennifer Gonzalez, chairwoman of the Housing Commission to Protect and Preserve Dynamic and Diverse Neighborhoods, also attended. The tour was eye-opening, said member Akeem Brown, director of operations for San Antonio for Growth on the Eastside. Most of us pretty much stay in our (council) districts and our communities as much as we can, Brown said. We dont get that close glimpse of what the community looks like in terms of planning and development. Members of the citys planning staff, as well as City Manager Sheryl Sculley, were also on the tour. Those planning staffers identified ongoing and potential developments in the various neighborhoods, Brown said, so committee members had an idea of whats possible with more investment. The members also got a chance to see the sharp changes in development patterns as one moves across the city, such as more dense and industrial development on the East Side, compared with far more open space in certain parts of the South Side, said Richard Keith, assistant director of the citys Department of Planning and Community Development. Whats next? In their upcoming meetings, the committee members can propose amending the boundaries of the sites, adding an area the city didnt consider or deleting one altogether. Their main focus will be to rank the projects in terms of greatest need and opportunity, said Leonard, the committee co-chairman. Ultimately, the City Council will decide whether to take the committees recommendations or ignore them. The city has identified at least one redevelopment area in all 10 council districts. Most are inside Loop 410. The sites are vastly different, but all are considered distressed by state standards. The city has avoided areas with a lot of single-family homes, unless the neighborhood included a supply of vacant lots, because that might mean displacing residents. The city has also rated the areas based on a list of bonus criteria: For example, are they near a transit station, are they city-owned, are they in a tax-incremental reinvestment zone that might increase an areas readiness for redevelopment. While the housing bond is unlike any San Antonio has ever attempted, supporters say the program is a necessary first step in addressing the citys growing crisis in affordable housing, as home prices and rents go up and income gaps in the city remain wide. Leonard noted that two of the sites are near the South Texas Medical Center. The bond might be one of the only ways, he said, to provide more affordable or lower-cost housing in that area. The committee is working on an expedited timeline, compared with other bond committees: It must present its recommendations to the council by Dec. 14, whereas the council wont vote on the rest of the bond until January. The council will authorize which areas to include in an urban renewal plan Dec. 15. Then the city will hold a state-required public hearing on the plan Jan. 18. The council will adopt the final plan Feb. 2. That plan is what will be on the ballot in May, in addition to all the other bond propositions. If approved, city staff will recommend properties for purchase and/or redevelopment. The council will review and approve those acquisitions. Then the citys urban renewal agency, OUR SA, will buy the properties. Thats because San Antonios current charter doesnt allow the city to issue bond dollars for housing; only the urban redevelopment agency can do so. The city might not do work in all 15 areas, or it could do the work in phases over a period of years. The areas must be part of the citys adopted urban renewal plan the plan that will go to voters in May if bond dollars are ever to be spent in those sites. The goal is to do as many sites or do impactful sites as possible, Deputy City Manager Peter Zanoni said. The more geographic area we have, we feel, the better. Itll help with competition in terms of pricing when we try to buy properties. Once OUR SA buys a property, the city will prepare the land for redevelopment. That could mean installing utilities, putting in sidewalks, razing old properties that cant be redeveloped or even doing environmental remediation work. Then the city will put out a request for proposals for projects in specific areas. The city will sell the properties to a nonprofit or for-profit housing developer at a fair price, one that would encourage or induce development, Zanoni said. The idea is that developers will save money, because the city has already prepared the land, and so the housing prices can be lower. However, nothing in the law requires all the projects to be entirely affordable or residential: The developer could also do mixed-use, with both residential and commercial, or mixed-income projects. Lots of questions Before Saturdays tour, some committee members had already expressed skepticism about the bond and its lack of detail. Why are we doing this process? asked committee member Ricardo Jimenez at the groups first meeting Oct. 6. He represents District 10 on the committee and works for former District 10 Councilman Carlton Soules. The districts current councilman, Mike Gallagher, has also expressed skepticism about the housing bond. Its the city. Im sure you have a gigantic tool box, he said. Zanoni answered that the one tool the city hasnt been able to use for affordable housing is bond dollars. Many other Texas cities, including Austin, have taken such steps. At the committees second meeting, Oct. 20, members again pressed city staffers for more details, such as why so little is being spent on housing in the bond and why no specific properties were identified. Members wondered if the staff had consulted existing neighborhood and community plans when compiling the list of sites. This has been an ongoing issue since the summer, after a number of neighborhood associations accused the city of failing to include them in the development of San Antonios new master plan, SA Tomorrow. City staffers have compared the housing bond to San Antonios Edwards Aquifer Protection Program, which authorizes the city to buy conservation easements over the aquifer recharge zone. Voters have approved that program four times, though the city never identifies specific locations or properties on the ballot. Leonard hopes that Saturdays tour might have helped address some of the committees outstanding questions. The only time the tour bus actually stopped Saturday was at the East Meadows housing development, the site of the former Wheatley Courts public housing project. East Meadows celebrated its grand opening this month. Many committee members had never seen the new development. The visit gave them a preview of the kind of projects that could be possible. This is the kind of stuff the staff is talking about, Leonard said. This is how to reuse these properties. vdavila@express-news.net Twitter: @viannadavila This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Less than two weeks before Election Day, the Democratic presidential nominee chastised her opponent for his hard-line stance on immigration. By the way, one-half of undocumented workers pay federal income taxes, which means they are paying more federal income taxes than Donald Trump pays, she said. Experts told us Clintons claim is grounded in educated estimates about undocumented immigrants and knowledge of Trumps past tax practices. But theyre still just estimates. There is no official count of undocumented workers who pay federal income taxes. But Clintons claim that half of all undocumented workers pay federal income taxes is an educated assumption that many experts use, said Kim Rueben, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. As far as we can vet it, it is true, Rueben said. For reference, the Tax Policy Center estimates that 56 percent of the entire population pays federal income tax, while 44 percent doesnt. Social Security is one way we know undocumented workers pay federal income taxes. The Social Security Administration estimated that in 2009, 3.1 million unauthorized workers paid into Social Security via payroll tax, even though most will not be able to collect those benefits. In addition to Social Security, payroll taxes also withhold federal income taxes from a workers paycheck. Theres also the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or ITIN, which people who are unable to obtain Social Security numbers use to pay income taxes, regardless of immigration status. In 2013, 4.3 million people filed tax returns using ITINs. ITIN filers paid $9 billion in payroll taxes in 2014. Most people with an ITIN are undocumented immigrants, said Ruth Wasem, a public policy professor at the University of Texas at Austin. The number of people signing up for ITINs and paying taxes that way has grown over the past few years, particularly because many immigration-reform proposals require undocumented immigrants to prove they have been paying taxes in order to qualify for some sort of legal status, Wasem said. Between those who contribute via ITIN, others who have taxes withheld from their paycheck, and any overlap between the two groups, Wasem said Clintons claim that half of all undocumented workers pay federal income taxes is likely a low-ball estimate. Donald Trump While experts can make educated guesses about how many undocumented workers pay federal income taxes, theres still too much we dont know about Trumps tax returns to speculate how much he presently pays in federal income taxes. Going against decades of tradition for presidential nominees, Trump has so far refused to release his tax returns. We know there have been at least a few years Trump didnt pay federal income taxes and that tax write-offs are generally beneficial to real estate developers like Trump. Three pages of Trumps 1995 tax returns, uncovered and verified by the New York Times, show its possible he was able to legally avoid paying federal income tax for as much as 18 years. A tax provision known as net operating loss allows people to report business losses on their personal tax returns as a deduction. So if a persons reported net operating loss is equal to or larger than their personal income, that person does not have to pay income taxes. Trumps $916 million loss reported in his 1995 tax return could counteract any income he earned that year and beyond, up to 18 years total under IRS rules in 1995, according to the New York Times. Going back a few more years, a 1981 report by New Jersey gambling regulators analyzed five years of Trumps finances as part of his efforts to get a casino license for a proposed casino-hotel complex. The report says Trump paid federal taxes for three of those five years, 1975-77, but he did not pay federal income tax in 1978 and 1979. So in the years Trump paid zero federal income taxes, undocumented immigrants who paid any federal income taxes presumably would have paid more than he did. But Clintons claim is phrased in the present. Without Trumps current tax returns, we simply dont know what his tax burden is today. So in the most recent tax year, we dont know who paid more in federal income tax, Trump or an undocumented worker. Our ruling Clinton said, One-half of undocumented workers pay federal income taxes, which means they are paying more federal income taxes than Donald Trump pays. While there is no official figure, experts estimate that about half of all undocumented workers pay federal income taxes, if not more. So in a year when Trump does not pay federal income taxes, which has been the case in the past, undocumented immigrants who do federal pay income taxes would pay more than him. But Clinton makes it seem as if this is a present state, and we dont know anything about Trumps current tax situation because he has not made his tax returns public. For that reason, we have no way of comparing Trumps federal income tax payments with those of any given undocumented immigrant. We rate Clintons claim Half True. Shropshire A Full-Time position is available for an assistant herdsperson on a family dairy farm in mid Shropshire. We have a 250 dairy herd rearing own replacements together with a b... Over 60 lawyers from common-law countries around the world have urged Pakistans President to halt the execution of a severely mentally ill man next Wednesday (2nd November). A series of medical assessments have confirmed that death row prisoner Imdad Ali is insane, and a government psychiatrist who has been treating him for eight years has confirmed that there is no doubtthat he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. Despite this, last week Pakistans ministry of the interior confirmed that the authorities plan to hang Mr Ali this Wednesday (2nd). Mr Alis lawyer at Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), Sarah Belal, has said that Mr Ali is unable to understand that he faces execution. In a letter sent to the President of Pakistan, Mamnoon Hussain, 65 lawyers who are experts on capital cases from the USA, UK, India, Singapore, Nigeria, Botswana and Malawi wrote that: "[We] note with some dismay the impending execution of Imdad Ali. If ever there were a case where mental illness was obvious to people ten thousand miles away, this is the one. Mr. Ali himself has a long history of paranoid schizophrenia, recognised by the prison staff, and everyone who has contact with him. Article 45 of Pakistans Constitution grants the President powers to grant pardon, reprieve and respite, and to remit, suspend or commute death sentences, and under international law, the President has a duty to review death penalty cases. In their letter, the lawyers urge the President to use his power to grant mercy to Imdad, saying: The very purpose of executive clemency is to provide a last fail safe to prevent executions in cases such as this one where there are clear and compelling reasons to remit an execution. They add: Mr. Alis case is precisely the kind of case which warrants executive clemency. The man is so unwell that he doesnt understand the notion that he is to be executed We strongly urge you to accept Imdad Alis mercy petitionallowing him to live. UN human rights experts, Pakistani psychiatrists and parliamentarians have called on the government to halt Mr Alis execution, while the UKs Foreign Office has said it is very concerned over the case. Nearly 30,000 people have signed a petition calling on Pakistans President, Mamnoon Hussain, to grant mercy to Mr Ali. Commenting, Maya Foa, a director at international human rights organisation Reprieve, said: If the Pakistani authorities go ahead with Imdad Alis hanging next week, they will be committing a grave, irreversible breach of Pakistani and international law. As the 65 expert lawyers have noted in their letter, President Hussain has the power to grant mercy to Imdad. Not to do so would be an abdication of his constitutional duties - and Imdad's execution would be an irremovable stain on Pakistan's justice system and reputation in the world. The lawyers' letter is available on request or from Reprieve's website Source: Reprieve, October 30, 2016. Reprieve is an international human rights organization. The European Commission has opened an in-depth probe to assess whether the proposed acquisition of Syngenta by ChemChina is in line with the EU Merger Regulation. The Commission will assess whether the deal may reduce competition in crop protection products and the supply of certain input chemicals. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: "This deal would lead to the combination of a leading crop protection company with one of its main generic competitors. Syngenta and ChemChina each have strong partially overlapping portfolios of crop protection products "Therefore we need to carefully assess whether the proposed merger would lead to higher prices or a reduced choice for farmers". The proposed merger would combine Syngenta of Switzerland, one of the main global seeds and crop protection companies, and ChemChina of China, which controls Adama, the largest supplier of generic crop protection products in Europe. The transaction would take place in an industry that is already relatively concentrated. The Commission's preliminary concerns European Commission Syngenta and ChemChina, through Adama, each have strong partially overlapping portfolios of crop protection products, including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and plant growth regulators. These products are used for the cultivation of several of the main crops grown in Europe, including cereals, cotton, corn, fruits and vegetables, oilseed rape, soybean, sugarbeet and sunflowers. The Commission's initial investigation identified preliminary concerns in a number of these crop protection markets and suggests that the parties have relatively high combined market shares in many of these markets, and that at least some of each party's products may compete directly with those of the other. Adama may be an important generic competitor of Syngenta in many of these markets. And for a company that focuses on generic crop protection products, Adama has a broad portfolio of products, wide geographic coverage and good access to downstream distributors. The Commission therefore has preliminary concerns that the proposed merger could reduce competition on these markets and that this in turn could have an impact on price and choices for farmers. As well as looking into crop protection markets, the in-depth investigation will also verify whether the merger may negatively affect Syngenta's and ChemChina's supply of active ingredients. These are the key chemical input for other manufacturers to make crop protection products. The transaction was notified to the Commission on 23 September 2016. The Commission now has 90 working days, until 15 March 2017, to take a decision. The opening of an in-depth inquiry does not prejudge the final result of the investigation. Given the worldwide scope of Syngenta's and ChemChina's activities, the Commission is cooperating closely with other competition authorities, notably with the Federal Trade Commission in the US and the antitrust authorities of Brazil and Canada. Where can you get free diapers in Cumberland County? Dozens, if not hundreds, of criminal convictions in Ohio could be in jeopardy because a longtime forensic scientist at the state crime lab now stands accused of slanting evidence to help cops and prosecutors build their cases. The credibility of G. Michele Yezzo, who worked at the Ohio attorney generals Bureau of Criminal Investigation for more than three decades, has been challenged in two cases in which men were convicted of aggravated murder. One has been freed from prison because of her now-suspect work. A review of her personnel records by The Dispatch shows that colleagues and supervisors raised questions about Yezzo time and again while she tested evidence and testified in an uncounted number of murder, rape and other criminal cases in the state. Their concerns included that she presented evidence in the best light for prosecutors instead of objectively, used suspect methods while examining trace evidence from some crime scenes, and made mistakes that, as one former attorney general put it, could lead to a substantial miscarriage of justice. Yezzo, 63, of West Jefferson, told The Dispatch that the accusations about her work being biased are wrong and that she approached her work objectively. I have never done anything to overstate analysis of evidence, nor have I done anything, for lack of better a word, to taint the evidence, Yezzo said. No, I didnt appease prosecutors and law enforcement. I bent over backwards to try and find out whatever evidence was there, and thats the best I can tell you. But two former attorneys general, defense attorneys, a judge, a former BCI superintendent and a nationally renowned forensic expert from the FBI all say that Yezzo has credibility issues that may have poisoned cases she touched. Lee Fisher, who served as attorney general from 1991 to 1995, and Jim Petro, who served as attorney general from 2003 to 2007, both said they didnt know of Yezzo when they were in office, but they now have concerns about her work. I would call for an investigation into every case where her findings and conclusions were instrumental in the final result of a case, Fisher said. We have an obligation to the integrity of the criminal-justice system to investigate every case. We have to determine whether her findings or conclusions were suspect. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said Friday that his office was alerted to the concerns about Yezzo in 2015 and has since conducted two separate reviews of her work. One involved examining 100 criminal cases where Yezzos evidence analysis played a role in a conviction. DeWine said they found no issues with her work. Moving forward, DeWine, who did not serve as attorney general during Yezzos tenure, said he has no plans for an internal investigation into Yezzos history, but he will have open discussions with defense attorneys on a case-by-case basis if they raise questions. He said the BCI, which handles about 37,000 cases a year, has a long history of doing good work and has received the highest level of accreditation. More than 800 pages of Yezzos personnel records paint a disturbing pattern of behavior that started shortly after she walked in the BCI doors in 1976. The concerns escalated over time until she resigned in 2009. Over the 32 years that Yezzo worked in the crime lab, her bad behavior intensified to the point that colleagues questioned her mental health. In the records, colleagues and supervisors described these concerns about Yezzo: She threatened to use a gun to shoot her co-workers and herself. She threw a 6-inch metal plate at one co-worker. She exposed her breasts to BCI agents at a bar, flipped off her boss and acted in a hostile manner to almost every lab employee, according to records. She was accused of calling an African-American scientist a racial slur, something Yezzo denies. She frequently broke into crying spells for no apparent reason. Forensic scientists quit because of her erratic behavior. At one point her union, the Fraternal Order of Police, refused to back her. Yezzo admits to the majority of the behavior described in her personnel file. She attributed her erratic and sometimes abusive actions to intense pressure within the BCI to handle an enormous caseload as its lead forensic analyst. She said the bureau was usually short-staffed and had difficulty keeping up with the workload. She also said she was having problems in her personal life. Those issues related to the loss of her sister and her mother moving in with her after the death. She doesnt believe her behavior affected her work. Yezzo received numerous verbal reprimands and was suspended in 1993. But her analysis of evidence continued to be used in many high-profile felony cases despite the concerns about her work and behavior inside the states crime lab in London, where forensic scientists examine and analyze evidence from crime scenes across Ohio. Source: The Columbus Dispatch, Mike Wagner, Jill Riepenhoff, Lucas Sullivan & Earl Rinehart, October 30, 2016 | Report an error, an omission; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; send a submission; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! Actress Lisa Haydon got married to her beau Dino Lalvani after the two dated for a year. Lalvani is the son of Pakistan-born British entrepreneur Gullu Lalvani. Lisa and fashion designer Malini Ramani took to their Instagram accounts to share a few images from the ceremony. Captioning the image in which Lisa is seen kissing Dino, Lisa posted: "Just Married". Clad in an off-white flowing gown with a long veil cascading behind her, Lisa walked the aisle for the ceremony -- which seems to have taken place on a beach in Thailand. In the photographs, the couple and the wedding guests are seen holding onto their champagne glasses, cheering for the bride and groom. The groom looks dapper in a white shirt teamed with a matching off-white blazer and trousers. "Its love...Wedding bliss. Congratulations Dino and Lisa," Ramani captioned one of the photographs, where she is seen posing with the newly-wed couple. The 30-year-old, who was last seen on the big screen in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, last month announced her plan of marrying Dino. BRASILIA, Brazil, Oct. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Michel Temer, President of Brazil, cordially met with XCMG chairman Wang Min, vice president of XCMG Machinery and chairman of XCMG Brazil Wang Yansong and the XCMG delegations on October 25 at the Presidential Palace in Brasilia, Brazil. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161030/434059 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161030/434060 At the positive talk on Chinese enterprise taking root in Brazil and helping to improve the infrastructure of Brazil, President Temer expressed his appreciation of XCMG's investments in Brazil and contributions to the local economy in the country, praising the company's achievements in Brazil to have set a good example for more Chinese enterprises that are willing to invest in Brazil. "This is the second time to meet with Mr. Wang after G20 Hangzhou Summit, China keeps its economic growth at a higher level, which provides valuable experience for the world," said President Temer. "The Summit can bring 'China Mode' to more countries, and the Brazil economy in the recovery period has more need for China's experience." XCMG manufacturing base in Brazil is not only the company's largest overseas manufacturing base, but also the first and largest construction machinery industrial park in Brazil built by Chinese construction machinery industry. The factory has brought more values to XCMG's local clients as well as pushing the economic development in Brazil. Wang explained XCMG's strategy of rooting in Brazil and further influencing South America is persistent and will hold fast to the promise during the economic downturn Brazil is going through, and the company is confident in investing in Brazil. After the talk, Wang presented President Temer with a XCMG crane model and invited him to visit XCMG's factory in Pouso Alegre at an appropriate time, which President Temer readily accepted. Wang has carried out his field survey of XCMG's manufacturing base in Brazil since he and the XCMG delegations arrived on October 22, meeting with XCMG employees in Brazil and overseeing production departments and assembly lines, making an important remark that XCMG needs to adhere to its strategy and goals in becoming a world class brand. About XCMG: XCMG is a multinational heavy machinery manufacturing company with a history of 73 years. It currently ranks ninth in the world's construction machinery industry. The company exports to more than 176 countries and regions around the world. For more information, please visit:www.xcmg.com, or XCMG pages onFacebook,Twitter,YouTube,LinkedInandInstagram. QUEBEC, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 10/30/16 -- Anticipation is in the air as we approach the official opening ceremony of the JCI World Congress Quebec 2016 that takes place today at the Quebec City Convention Centre. "We are very proud to finally be able to see over a year's work and planning in action. This congress is an incredible opportunity for the participants to broaden their business networks and to promote their products and services on an international scale", proclaims Mr. Jean-Simon Deschenes, Congress Director and Chief Executive Officer of JCI Quebec 2016. Some 3000 participants from the four corners of the world are expected to attend the biggest business conference ever hosted in Quebec City. On the agenda till November 4th, is a series of training sessions, first-rate conferences, company visits, networking events, galas, and more! Countries including Japan, India, France, and Germany will make up a large part of the congress turnout. "It's a window of opportunity for the Capitale-Nationale region, Quebec City, and Canada. With an economic impact estimated at more than 7 million dollars for the region, this will be a unique chance for Quebec City's business community to share its dynamism and to talk with representatives from around the world", states P.-Michel Bouchard, President and CEO of the Quebec City Convention Centre, which will be hosting this event. A MODEL ORGANIZATION On top of being the crossroads for business people under 40 from around the world, JCI sets itself apart by offering development opportunities that allow them to grow on not only a personal and professional level, but also as citizens involved in their respective communities. "Using the strength of its network, JCI pursues its long term objective of becoming the organization that brings all sectors of society together to create a sustainable impact. This year, JCI's actions were inspired by the campaign Peace is Possible, a theme that truly represents the values of an organization that has worldly influence in a changing geopolitical landscape", explains Mr. Deschenes. CONFERENCE HEADLINERS Delegates will have the opportunity to attend a variety of presentations given by our keynote speakers, one of which, the highly anticipated keynote by astronaut Chris Hadfield, First Canadian Commander of the International Space Station. The congress will also welcome Alexandre Bilodeau, the first athlete in Canadian history to win a gold medal on Canadian soil at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. With the title Control and Risk Taking, his keynote will cover key factors that led him to win his second Olympic medal. On top of their financial support with JCI, brothers Andrew and Geoff Molson will co-deliver a keynote about their entrepreneurial path. Last but not least in this impressive line-up, President and CEO of Quebec International, Carl Viel will be addressing the delegates. AN ELEVATOR PITCH OF GREAT STATURE The organizing committee is proud to present the first ever World Elevator Pitch Competition, presented in collaboration with the Quebec City chamber of commerce and industry (CCIQ). Each entrepreneur or young leader participating will go before their peers in an activity that compels them into efficient communication. They will each have the chance to sell their business model or ideas to potential partners or investors. The final round will take place in front of a jury and congress attendees on November 2nd. COMPANY VISITS Over the course of the congress, participants will be able to take advantage of four days of visits from reputable companies in the region. In fact, The Desjardins Group will open the doors to its Cite de la Cooperation Desjardins Tower in Levis on Monday October 31st. The following day, Tuesday November 1st, visitors will be able to go on a guided-tour of the Quebec Metro High Tech Park with stops at Arcane Technologies, Optel Vision, INO, and TeraXion. On Wednesday, November 2nd, those interested can visit the Museum of Ingenuity J. Armand Bombardier and Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) to discover the ingenuity found in the transportation business. Finally, on Thursday November 3rd, congress delegates will feel the extent of dynamism in Quebec City's videogame industry by dropping in on companies such as Squeeze Studio, Cortex Media, business incubator and accelerator LE CAMP, as well as Beenox and Frima Studio. The full congress program can be found here: http://jciquebec2016.com/ ABOUT JCI QUEBEC 2016 Created by the Junior Chamber of Commerce Quebec (JCCQ) and Junior Chamber International (JCI) Canada, the JCI Quebec 2016 committee is responsible for JCI World Congress Quebec 2016. Founded in 1915 by Henry Giessenbier in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, JCI oversees close to 5,000 Junior Chambers around the world and brings together more than 175,000 young business people and active citizens aged 18 to 40 in nearly 125 countries. JCI Canada is committed to being the leading development organization for youth under 40 years of age and includes all Junior Chambers from Vancouver to Halifax. The Junior Chamber of Commerce Quebec joined JCI Canada in 2002. With more than 500 members, JCCQ is the world's second largest local chapter of JCI. Contacts: SOURCE: JCI Quebec 2016 www.jciquebec2016.com FOR INFORMATION AND INTERVIEW: Raphaelle Cyr-Lelievre C 418 580-0040 Annie Fernandez C 418 806-8438 OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 10/30/16 -- Tonight, Canada's Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist communities celebrate Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas. This holiday is also called the "Festival of Lights." It is a joyous time when family and friends come together to light diyas, share meals and decorate their homes with colourful candles and lights. Celebrated on the night of the new moon, the Festival signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair. I want to wish a very happy Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas to all Canadians celebrating the Festival of Lights! Stay Connected Follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Flickr. Contacts: Pierre-Olivier Herbert Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage 819-997-7788 In order to support local businesses, Finance Wales has launched a new 136m fund. The new fund, backed by Welsh Government and the European Regional Development Fund, would offer 136m worth of flexible funding solutions to businesses based in Wales to accelerate their plans for investment and domestic and international growth over the next seven years. It will make debt and equity packages available from 50,000 up to 2 million to SMEs. Part of more than 700m of funds managed by the Finance Wales Group, the new fund will be complemented by the evolution of Finance Wales into a Development Bank for Wales. Last financial year, the Government led investment firm invested 45m into Welsh SMEs, leveraging an additional 64.6m in private sector investment. FinSMEs 30/10/2016 Gridiron Capital, a New Canaan, Connecticut-based private equity firm, closed its third fund, at $850m in capital commitments. Gridiron Capital Fund III raised capital in North America, Europe, and Asia with limited partners including endowments and foundations, insurance companies, public and private pension funds, fund of funds and high net worth individuals. It will acquire controlling interests in middle-market niche manufacturing, business service, and specialty consumer product companies in the United States and Canada. Co-founded by Managing Partners Tom Burger and Eugene P. Conese, Jr., Gridiron Capital works closely with management teams to develop strategies for portfolio companies, as well as providing resources to execute business plans and build companies. The firm invests in companies showing a history of profitability with EBITDA of $8m to $50 and EBITDA margins in excess of 10%, haing solid franchises or being market leaders with a clear competitive advantages. FinSMEs 30/10/2016 Nikkhil Advani's P.O.W: Bandi Yudh Ke is making waves even before its small screen premiere. The story of two Indian soldiers who are held as prisoners of war in Pakistan for 17 years, the show is the official remake of the Israeli TV series Hatufim (which, translated, means Prisoners of War). Incidentally, the critically acclaimed series Homeland (starring Claire Danes) is also an adaptation of Hatufim. For Gideon Raff, the creator of Hatufim, the subject of prisoners of war in Israel was unexplored territory. Speaking from the sets of Bandi Yudh Ke in Mumbai, where director Nikkhil Advani had called him over to have a look, he tells us about the missing in action soldiers in Israel. "I was researching prisoners of war and I realised there is a whole world of drama that hasnt been tapped into. In Israel we are obsessed with prisoners of war, with captivity. When one of our soldiers is captured by a terrorist organisation or country, we go out to the streets. The people strongly demand that the government pay a high price to bring them back. " And Israel in particular is very sensitive to the topic of MIA soldiers. Raff elaborates, "Israel is a very small country and a very small community, the army is mandatory. When something happens to a soldier, we feel something happens to us. We dont even treat them as soldiers, we treat them as our kids. That is why the topic of prisoners of war is so personal; it's not about a country being nationalist or anything, it's just about how tiny the community is now. But once these missing in action (MIA) soldiers are brought back, no one wants to hear about them anymore." This was fascinating for Raff, who had spent three years in the army before moving to the US to learn filmmaking. He says, "I tried to begin to research on what happened to some of these prisoners who were released from captivity. People who disappeared and came back. So when I started talking to prisoners of war, people who had been in captivity and came back, I realised this: coming back is the beginning of a very hard, hard, journey for most of them, if not all of them. It is a taboo. Nobody talked about it." He tells us how talking to to two Israeli prisoners of war got him thinking of turning his research into a concrete TV series. "Two of the people I met, who affected me very much, were Ehud Goldwasser and Hezi Shai. Hezi Shai was captured by the Abu Jibril terrorist organisation for five years. He was tied to a radiator in a bathroom and was kept in a very,very small room. He was sold from one organisation to another for interrogation, and for the first three years of his captivity they didnt admit that they had him, so Israel told his wife that he is dead." He says, "But Hezi Shai's wife didn't believe he was dead. She always had this hope. The journey that he went through very much affected the story writing for Hatufim." He tells us about his journey directing the series, and the how he and the lead actors Yoram Toledano and Ishai Golan did their best to portray prisoners of war who might have intense post traumatic stress disorder because of their time in captivity. He tells us the first rule of portrayal is that it's impossible to correctly portray the immense mental torture that the soldiers went through. But their mastery over the craft of acting held, Raff says. He says, "They interacted with many prisoners of war. Then on sets, they werent allowed to be with all of us. Even between takes and scenes they were not involved in they would sit in separate dark rooms. We would call them only when we wanted them. Then they had to lose weight which had a big effect on their psyche." On choosing the rather odd time period of 17 years instead of a decade or two, Raff tells us, "I wanted to portray how a lifetime had passed. I wanted to show Dana and Hatzav who were born when their father Nimrod Klein was kidnapped to be all grown up when he came back. And 17 is a number in years where no one in Israel has ever come back. We do have one prisoner of war who has been missing for 30 years, but he is presumed dead. I got to thinking how his life would look like if he came back. But I wanted 17 because I wanted the lifetime." With Nikkhil Advani's P.O.W Bandi Yudh Ke, he was a strong guiding point. "We had calls and Skype sessions for the show," Raff says. He has seen the pilot of the series, and he is extremely happy with the adaptation. With Homeland too, he worked closely with the American team for the first season, which drew parallels between Hatufim and the show. The similarity of the situation across the world helped fuel the popularity of the Israeli series and American series. Will the current political climate in India, its tense relationships with Pakistan also fuel the popularity of the show? Tune in on 7 November on Star India to find out. Nwolfe35 said: You have never offered any kind of evidence that you are any kind of expert in these discussions. Just your same BS accusing others of using Google or taking things out of context. Why should any of us think that you have any kind of meaningful education/knowledge? Until you provide a reason for us to think otherwise I'll just do what you do and cry about how you do nothing but google the stuff that agrees with you. Click to expand... According to science, theres no such thing as a perpetual motion machine. Nothing can run forever with no input. There are laws of thermodynamics that prevent it.But the American media is not composed of scientists.You start with the assumption that Hillary Clinton is corrupt. And if she's corrupt, then we definitely need to investigate her. Virtually everything she does is suspect. Any mistake she makes can't simply be an accident or a lapse in judgment; there must be some criminal intent behind it. It doesn't matter how many millions of taxpayer dollars or thousands of man-hours it takes in FBI investigations and congressional hearings. No price is too high.And when you investigate endlessly, you find evidence. ...And with all that suspicious evidence, the conclusion is clear:Hillary Clinton is corrupt.And if she's corrupt, we have to investigate her.And if we investigate her, we'll uncover evidence.And if we find evidence, it must be suspicious.So she must be corrupt.So we have to investigate her.How much information did the FBI release on Friday related to Hillary Clinton? None. How much media energy did it unleash? Enough to shove the planet out of orbit. What will it take to do it again? Nothing at all.With zero information about what is in those e-mails, zero information about any connection to Clinton, zero new allegations of wrongdoing, the Times and much of the media treated this story with the kind of wall-to-wall coverage usually reserved for the first moon landing. By Robert-Jan Bartunek and Philip Blenkinsop | BRUSSELS BRUSSELS The European Union and Canada signed a free trade agreement on Sunday that aims to generate jobs and growth though it must still clear some 40 national and regional parliaments in Europe in the coming years to enter fully into force.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed the treaty along with the heads of EU institutions, a step that should enable a provisional implementation of the pact early in 2017 with the removal of most import duties.The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement's (CETA) passage has not been smooth.French-speakers in southern Belgium, a minority within their own small country and accounting for less than 1 percent of the 508 million EU consumers likely to be affected by CETA, raised objections that held up the deal until a breakthrough on Thursday, confirmed by regional parliamentary votes on Friday."All's well that end's well," said European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. "We have 20 ongoing negotiations and today we are fixing the global standards the European Union and the European Commission want others to accept."The Canada agreement is seen as a springboard to a larger EU deal with the United States, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Treaty (TTIP), which has been the target of labor unions and environmental and other protest groups.EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said TTIP talks were not dead, contrary to what some politicians in Germany and France have said, but would need to wait for the next U.S. president - taking office in January - to resume. Supporters say CETA will increase Canadian-EU trade by 20 percent and boost the EU economy by 12 billion euros ($13 billion) a year and Canada's by C$12 billion ($9 billion). For Canada the deal is important to reduce its reliance on the neighboring United States as an export market.For the EU, it is a first trade pact with a G7 country and a success plucked from the jaws of defeat at a time when the bloc's credibility has taken a beating from Britain's vote in June to leave after 43 years of membership."This has been a very long process. A huge majority of people in Europe are in favor of Europe, but there are concerns and we need to engage with them," Malmstrom said. "The Commission cannot do that alone."Some 100 anti-globalization protesters clashed with police outside the venue in Brussels, trying to break down barriers in front of the main entrance and hurling red paint. A Reuters photographer saw police detain some people. NOT THE LAST ACT Sunday's signing will not be the last act.Assuming the European Parliament gives its assent, CETA could come into force partially early next year. However, full implementation, which would include a contentious investment protection system, will ensue only after clearance by more than three dozen national and regional parliaments. The Belgian experience shows this outcome is no given. The main focus of protests against CETA and TTIP remains the system to protect foreign company's investments. Critics say its provision for arbitration panels to rule on disputes with states can be abused by multinational companies to dictate public policy, such as on environmental standards.The EU and Canada say their investment protection system guarantees the right of governments to regulate, make use of independent judges and be more transparent. The deal will eliminate tariffs on almost 99 percent of goods. The beneficiaries would include, for example, carmakers or the EU textile sector, for which Canadian duties of up to 18 percent can be imposed at present.Service companies could also benefit and EU companies would be able to tender for public contracts at Canadian provincial and municipal level, the first time Canada has offered this.Canada would be able to send larger quotas of pork, beef and wheat to the EU market, and EU dairy producers would be able to export more than double the current amount of "high quality" cheeses to Canada. (Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek, Philip Blenkinsop and Francois Lenoir; editing by Mark Heinrich) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. SRINAGAR The Indian army said it had destroyed four Pakistani military posts on Saturday along its contested border, the latest escalation of tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.The attack comes a day after India and Pakistan traded accusations that each had killed civilians in cross-border shelling in the Kashmir region, which is claimed in its entirety by both countries but controlled in part by each."Four Pak posts destroyed in massive fire assault in Keran Sector. Heavy casualties inflicted," the Indian army's Northern Command said in a statement on its Twitter account late on Saturday.The Indian army gave no further details of the assault, but an officer, who asked that his name not be used, confirmed that troops on both sides had been exchanging mortar fire in and around an area known as the Keran sector since Saturday morning. Pakistani military officials were not immediately available for comment on Saturday evening.On Friday, a Pakistani official said three civilians were killed as Indian troops shelled villages along the Line of Control in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Indian officials, meanwhile, said two civilians died when Pakistani shells hit India-administered Kashmir. The Indian army on Friday said in a statement that militants at the border mutilated the body of an Indian soldier they had killed before crossing back into Pakistan. The army had warned that the "act will invite an appropriate response", saying the militants were "supported by covering fire from Pakistan Army posts". Shelling by both sides in the divided and disputed Himalayan regions has been going on since gunmen killed 19 Indian soldiers in September at an army camp in Kashmir, an attack India blamed on Pakistan-based militants. (Reporting by Fayaz Bukhari with additional reporting by Drazen Jorgic in Islamabad; Writing by Aditya Kalra, editing by Tom Lasseter and Richard Balmforth) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Isla Binnie | NORCIA, Italy NORCIA, Italy A powerful earthquake struck Italy on Sunday in the same central regions that have been rocked by repeated tremors over the past two months, with more homes and churches brought down but no deaths reported.The quake, which measured 6.6 according to the U.S. Geological Survey, was bigger than one on Aug. 24 that killed almost 300 people. Many people have fled the area since then, helping to avoid a new devastating death toll.The latest quake was felt across much of Italy, striking at 7.40 a.m. (0640 GMT), its epicenter close to the historic Umbrian walled town of Norcia, some 100 km (60 miles) from the university city of Perugia.Panicked Norcia residents rushed into the streets and the town's ancient Basilica of St. Benedict collapsed, leaving just the facade standing. Nuns, monks and locals sank to their knees in the main square in silent prayer before the shattered church."This is a tragedy. It is a coup de grace. The basilica is devastated," Bishop Renato Boccardo of Norcia told Reuters."Everyone has been suspended in a never-ending state of fear and stress. They are at their wits end," said Boccardo, referring to the thousands of tremors that have rattled the area since August, including two serious quakes on Wednesday.Italy's Civil Protection unit, which coordinates disaster relief, said numerous houses were destroyed on Sunday in the regions of Umbria and Marche, but either they were deserted at the time or most of the residents managed to escape beforehand."No deaths have been reported, but there are a number of people injured," said Civil Protection chief Fabrizio Curcio, adding that just one person was in a serious condition.Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said Italy was living through extremely difficult times, but promised a massive reconstruction effort in the years ahead regardless of any possible objections from the European Union over the eventual costs."We will rebuild everything, the houses, the churches and the businesses," Renzi told reporters. "Everything that needs to be done to rebuild these areas will be done." Local authorities said towns and villages already battered by August's 6.2 quake had suffered further significant damage."This morning's quake has hit the few things that were left standing. We will have to start from scratch," Michele Franchi, the deputy mayor of Arquata del Tronto, told Rai television.Experts said Sunday's quake was the strongest here since a 6.9 quake in Italy's south in 1980 that killed 2,735 people. ARTISTIC LOSS The destruction of the Norcia basilica was the single most significant loss of Italy's artistic heritage in an earthquake since a tremor in 1997 caused the collapse of the ceiling of the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, which is 80 km to the north.The frescoed basilica, which is the spiritual, historic and tourist heart of Norcia, was built over the site of the home where the founder of the Benedictine order and his Sister St. Scolastica were born in 480.The basilica and monastery complex dates to the 13th century, although shrines to St. Benedict and his sister had been built there since the 8th century.Benedict founded the Benedictine order in Subiaco, near Rome. He died in 530 in the monastery at Monte Cassino, south of Rome, which was destroyed during World War Two. That monastery was later rebuilt.A number of other churches were also ruined on Sunday, Italian media reported, including Norcia's Cattedrale di Santa Maria, which was built in the 16th century, while the town hall belltower had deep cracks running through its walls. However, most of Norcia's homes appeared to have withstood the prolonged tremor, with residents praising years of investment by local authorities in anti-seismic protection.In the nearby city of Rieti patients were evacuated from a hospital to allow experts to check on structural damage, while hillroads across the region were littered with fallen rocks.Sunday's earthquake was felt as far north as Bolzano, near the border with Austria and as far south as the Puglia region at the southern tip of the Italian peninsula.It was also felt strongly in the capital Rome, where transport authorities shut down the metro system for precautionary checks. Authorities also toured the city's main Roman Catholic basilicas looking for possible damage.Italy sits on two geological fault lines, making it one of the most seismically active countries in Europe. Gianluca Valinsese, a scientist at Italy's National Institute for Geophysics and Vulcanology, warned the latest series of quakes could continue for weeks in a domino effect along the central Apennine fault system.Italy's deadliest quake since the start of the 20th century came in 1908, when a tremor followed by a tsunami killed an estimated 80,000 people in the southern regions of Reggio Calabria and Sicily. (Writing by Crispian Balmer and Philip Pullella; Additional reporting by Steve Scherer, Gavin Jones and Mark Bendeich; Editing by Mark Heinrich) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. BRUSSELS The completion of a trade deal with Canada will have no impact on negotiations between the European Union and Britain, which in June voted to leave the bloc, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Sunday.The European Union held a summit to sign a trade deal with Canada that was seven years in the making and had exposed some of the difficulties of sealing a trade pact. The Canadian deal was held up for weeks, most notably due to obstruction from regional governments in Belgium. Supporters of Brexit have said Britain will be much more nimble in trade talks once it has left the EU and some have said that it could use the Canadian agreement as a framework for a future deal.However, Juncker told reporters on arrival for the signing ceremony that he did not think the Canadian deal would have any impact on future Brexit negotiations."I don't see any relation between what we are signing today and the Brexit issue," he said before greeting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said the Canadian deal had exposed concerns among European citizens over how such deals might affect their daily lives, and called for EU government to be more transparent about future negotiations. She too said the deal with Canada had nothing to do with the EU's talks with Britain."I draw no conclusions for Brexit from this," she said. British Prime Minister Theresa May has said Britain would commence formal Brexit negotiations by the end of March.However, it must first settle future economic relations with the bloc, a process that could drag on longer than the formal two-year transition period. (Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; editing by Philip Blenkinsop and Clelia Oziel) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. A day after an Indian soldier's body was mutilated by terrorists who escaped back into Pakistani side under covering fire from Pakistani troops, the Indian army said on Saturday it had hit back, destroying four Pakistani posts and inflicting "heavy casualties". The posts were destroyed in a massive fire assault in Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara, said the army's Northern Command. "Heavy casualties were inflicted on the other side," it said. Sepoy Mandeep Singh, who was killed in the gunfight with the infiltrators on Friday, was beheaded by the terrorists who fled back to Pakistan-administered Kashmir under covering fire from Pakistan Army. The Indian Army had said an "appropriate response" will be given. Mortal remains of soldier Mandeep Singh (who lost his life in Machil encounter) brought to his hometown Antahedi Village, Kurukshetra pic.twitter.com/px3N0MBSPk ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 Mortal remains of soldier Mandeep Singh (who lost his life in Machil encounter) brought to his hometown Antahedi Village, Kurukshetra pic.twitter.com/XyzvOCDBfZ ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 Kurukshetra: ML Khattar meets family members of soldier Mandeep Singh (who lost his life in Machil encounter) pic.twitter.com/9ygsFzZfFL ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 #WATCH: Villagers raise anti-Pak slogans just as mortal remains of Mandeep Singh arrives his hometown Antahedi Village, Kurukshetra pic.twitter.com/qdI8V5ren5 ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 The barbaric incident sparked an outrage even as a pall of gloom descended on Mandeep Singh's native village in Haryana. Union Minister Jitendra Singh condemned the mutilation of the soldier's body as "atrocious" while senior Congress leader Manish Tewari called it "depraved behaviour". The jawan's family members demanded that Pakistan be taught a lesson for harbouring terrorists while former Army officers expressed their sadness. His brother Sandeep Singh demanded that the family wanted 10 Pakistani heads for the price of one. The family members of the 30-year-old soldier were inconsolable. Several women from Aantehri village in Kurukshetra reached the soldier's house and tried to console Mandeeps widow. The couple had got married two years ago, family members said. Mandeep's widow Prerna is a Head Constable with Haryana police and posted at Shahbad Markanda in Kurukshetra. Mandeep's father said the Indian army should give a befitting reply to Pakistan. "It was his duty, he has done it. He sacrificed his life. We should give a befitting reply to Pakistan," he said, adding that he got the news of his son's death when army personnel visited him at his home at 1am. Prerna said Pakistan must be taught a lesson for harbouring terrorists. "Pakistan should be taught a lesson once for all so that no other family of a soldier has to go through such pain," she said breaking down several times. She said that Mandeep had come for vacation six months back. "He was supposed to visit home again on Diwali but his leave was cancelled in view of the tension on the border at Machil sector." Kurukshetra's Deputy Commissioner Sumedha Kataria also visited the jawan's home and offered her condolences. Mandeep's neighbours described him as a "go-getter" who always had a smile on his face. Subhash, husband of the Sarpanch of the village, said Mandeep was a helpful person who always offered help to anyone who approached him in need. "There can't be anything more atrocious than this (on terrorists mutilated the body of a soldier)," Jitendra Singh told reporters in Jammu. "I am always of the view that the human rights of soldiers should enjoy precedence over human rights of anybody else", he said. "These are acts of cowardice and these are happening at the time of desperation of the part of the Pakistan army as well as Islamabad. Indian forces are capable of standing up to this challenge." Tewari while condemning the mutilation as "absolutely depraved behaviour" said it "violates you as a human being". "There are certain rules of engagement and conduct even in a conflict situation. Pakistan is expected to respect the rules of engagement," he said. "I am very sad being a soldier. It is a very sad mentality to take your anger on an injured or dead person," said Maj Gen (retd) BC Khanduri. This is not the first time Pakistan has mutilated the bodies of Indian soldiers. During the Kargil war in 1999, Captain Saurabh Kalia, Sepoys Arjunram Baswana, Mula Ram Bidiasar, Naresh Singh Sinsinwar, Bhanwar Lal Bagaria and Bhika Ram Mudh of 4 Jat Regiment were captured by Pakistani troops and brutally tortured. The soldiers had their ear drums pierced with hot iron rods, eyes punctured and genitals cut off. The autopsy of the bodies also revealed that they were burned with cigarettes butts. Their limbs were also chopped off, teeth broken and skull fractured during the torture. Even their nose and lips were sliced off. In another incident, on 8 January, 2013, Pakistani soldiers entered Indian territory in Krishna Ghati sector of the border and killed two Indian soldiers - Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh. Indian officials said both the bodies were mutilated, and Hemraj's body was decapitated. Just before retiring, former army chief General Bikram Singh, who headed the Indian Army when the incident happened, had said India gave a "befitting reply". General Dalbir Singh, just after taking over as the Army chief, had then said if a similar incident occurred the Indian Army's response "will be more than adequate in future". Article 4 of the Third Geneva Convention protects captured military personnel, some guerrilla fighters, and certain civilians. It applies from the moment a prisoner is captured until he or she is released or repatriated. One of the main provisions of the convention makes it illegal to torture prisoners and states that a prisoner can only be required to give his name, date of birth, rank and service number if applicable. With inputs from agencies As the Kashmir unrest entered 113th day, a Kashmiri poet has posted a letter on Facebook asking India Prime Minister Narendra Modi to find a solution to the protests in the Valley. In a letter addressed to the PM, Kashmiri poet and cultural activist Dr Liaqat Jafri, asks the Modi government to directly address the Kashmiri protesters with love and respect and not with bullets or pellets that have killed over hundreds and blinded many since July. "Kashmir has been shut for over four months now... Schools, playgrounds, streets, and mountains lakes, everything is deserted but hospitals.... You see crowd only in places where there's police, CRPF and the Army are face-to-face with the Kashmiri youth," Jafri writes. Calling the current unrest a youth agitation without any leader or party backing it up, the writer says that the Kashmiri youth is "angry, frustrated, and sees no future for itself. It has anger against his family, against India and Pakistan, and against the Hurriyat. This is a generation suffering from identity crisis; one month it grows along with India, but the next month it sees hope in Pakistan. One day it sings songs of freedom, and the very next day it's ready to take arms like Burhan Wani". "These youth throw petrol bombs in a police chowki, but they also save the Army when caught in an accident. They also donate blood, and saved tourists during the recent flood. They also gave shelter to Amarnath yatris till the stone-pelting stopped, and they are also the youth who are carrying the dead to the cemetery and dance in the wedding of a Hindu girl," it says. Drawing reference to popular culture the letter points out the mask-wearing Kashmir youth who are throwing stones at the Army hate India, but they also have complaints with Syed Shah Geelani, and Pakistan. "These are T-shirt and jeans-wearing smart kids whose role models are Shahrukh Khan, Parvez Rasool and IAS topper Shah Faisal. They have grown up listening to songs of Arijit, Rahet Fateh Ali. They are angry because they know that everyone have wasted his time". The letter also urges Modi to start a direct dialogue with the Kashmiri youth, stating that their support for Wani is an extension of the need for a leader who could help safeguard their future. "It has found that in a 21-year-old engineer, who had an AK-47 in his hand instead of an iPhone, whose mujahid brother was killed by the Indian Army, who was sharing videos on YouTube unafraid, and who was killed with deception...," it says. Zafri says that the age of the protesters is between 15-20 years, and several of them have grown up hearing stories of how illegal encounters, and kidnappings by the police. "You should try speaking with the SHOs and imams in these areas too, and not rely on official reports alone," he says. It also warns the government of depleting support for India in the valley post the killing of Burhan Wani. It says that after the death of Burhan Wani and the Kashmiri boys, a "large part of the non-Kashmiri population, which stood with India, has sided with the Kashmiri protesters. The whole Pir Panjal district, Muslim districts of Chenab Valley, Jammu and Ladakh, they all talk the voice of a Kashmiri protester... In fact, India has lost support of even the Nationalist Muslim forces like the Gujjars, Pahari, Dogri and Kashmir who were with India till now. These are the same people who helped BJP win 25 seats in Kashmir. The same people who stood with the Indian Army during the Kargil War, are now protesting the death Kashmiri youth. Modiji, you have lost the ground very quickly, and it's alarming situation for India." The letter encourages the PM to take a bold step and solve this problem once and for all, for, even though the Kashmir Youth don't want to say Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Kashmir is a safe option for them. "For a common Kashmiri, India is still a safe option, but it's not an India where Mulsim are afraid of talking. It's not the India where Mulsims are asked to submit a certificate of patriotism at every step. You are standing at a beautiful moment in history... Please stop this nude dance of death. You know the situation. Please resolve it. if you lose the chance, India will be thrown years back in its path of development," it says. The letter got many shares on social media, including former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju. Read the full letter here: Amid tension on the border with Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday saluted the valour of the armed forces and lauded their sacrifice while dedicating the festival of Diwali to them. "From last few months our jawans (soldiers) are sacrificing their lives, we should celebrate this Diwali in their name," Modi said while speaking on Mann Ki Baat, his monthly radio address. Modi also applauded Indian soldiers for their undying love and sacrifice for the country and said that this Diwali dedicated to them. "Every citizen of the country is proud of our soldiers," he said. He hailed the people, including celebrities for sending overwhelming messages to his "#Sandesh2Soldiers" campaign. "People from walks of life sent messages of love and encouragement for our jawans (soldiers), just as they light candles for their well-being,' he added. "Our forces endure grave hardships for our security. Someone is stationed in a desert, someone on the Himalayas, someone is guarding our industrial installations and someone is protecting our airports. Everyone is fulfilling a mighty responsibility. If we remember them while being in a festive mood, our remembrance will give them strength and renewed energy. I thank everyone for responding to Sandesh2Soldiers," Modi said in over half-an-hour address on the occasion of Diwali. Modi also urged all citizens and state governments to find ways of forging unity across the country and working to defeat separatist tendencies and mentalities. In the wake of ongoing troubles in the Kashmir Valley, he said, "Unity in diversity is our strength. It is the responsibility of every citizen and all governments to forge unity and curb separatist tendencies to save the country." In an apparent reference to tension on the Indo-Pak border, Modi credited the soldiers for maintenance of peace and security in the country and called upon everyone to remember their gallantry while celebrating Diwali. "In the wake of recent events, our soldiers have been sacrificing their everything for the safety and security of the country. Their dedication and labour has overwhelmed me completely. Let us dedicate this Diwali to our armed forces. "I had invited everyone to participate in the Sandesh2Soldiers campaign and I have been humbled by the response. From students, villagers and traders to political leaders and sports persons , everyone has sent a Diwali message for our soldiers," he said while referring to the jawans who are stationed in deserts and on the icy heights of the Himalayas and security personnel who are guarding our industries and airports. The Prime Minister lauds the courage of our Jawans and is talking about #Sandesh2Soldiers. Hear. https://t.co/Iy8hu3vQmx #MannKiBaat PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 30, 2016 Recognising the works of the Armed forces, Modi said, "Be it BSF (Border Security Force), CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force), Assam Rifles, ITBP (Indo Tibetan Border Police), Navy, Air Force, our jawans are on duty and guarding us. That is why we are celebrating Diwali joyfully," the Prime Minister said. Modi also said that when we remember our soldiers on festivals we give a message that we are with them. More than 10 lakh messages have arrived for soldiers from across the nation. Modi also urged people to mark Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary and remembered the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. "Tomorrow we are celebrating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary. He worked to bring everyone together, he worked for unity, fought for unity and brought unity amongst people and we all must remember it," Modi said. Modi also said, "History remembers how Sikh people and 'sardars' all over the country faced violence and pain" after 31 October when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated. Remembering Sardar Patel's contribution, Modi said: "He gave us a united India and to keep it united is our responsibility." "Sardar Patel has a rich contribution in strengthening the cooperative movement in India. He was always dedicated to farmer welfare," Modi added. Speaking on Guru Nanak's teachings, Modi said they are the guiding principles not only for Indians but for the entire humanity. The PM recalled how Guru Nanak's life and teachings hold a message for people even today. "Kartik Purnima is celebrated as the Prakash Parv or birthday of Guru Nanak Devji. His teachings are the guiding principles not only for Indians but for the entire humanity. "Principle of service, truthfulness and welfare of all are the core of his teachings," he added. "Peace, unity and tolerance is the basic principle. To free the society of discrimination, blind faith and other evils was the campaign of Guru Nanak's life. "At the time when casteism and untouchability were at its peak, Guru Nanak Dev chose Bhai Lalo as his companion," Modi added. Bhai Lalo was a carpenter by profession and Guru Nanak chose food from his house over food from a rich government official. Drawing a parallel between Guru Nanak's teachings and his government's motto, Modi said: "Guru Nanak Dev's teachings inspire us to shun discrimination of all kind. 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas' is the way forward and no one can be a better guide than Guru Nanak Dev." With inputs from agencies Editor's note: This is the first in a four-part travelogue series on South America A dismissive wave of the hand, a musical Na da follows every Obrigada. It has a ring of Dont be silly, saying your thanks and all is that how you treat your friends? That was our first impression of Brazil, as we landed in Sao Paulo airport for a 5-month trip (we didnt know so at the time) through South America. Right from the staff at the airport, who guided us perfectly well without a word of English to the airport express bus, a girl who let us use her mobile phone at the metro station like whats the big deal about giving your phone to two haggard (it was a 21-hour flight!) strangers, to Steven, who had agreed to host us in his home through the Couchsurfing network and was coming to pick us up at the metro station near his house. A home to stay at and a family to stay with made it easy for us to absorb all the newness around. Also, the easy familiarity of Sao Paulo helped a megapolis, the financial capital, home to 10 million and its fair share of the homeless all the signs of home to anyone from Mumbai. What wasnt familiar was the street art. A narrow winding street called Beco do Batman (Batmans alley yeah, thats its name!) in Vila Madalena has walls after walls filled with some trippy work from artists all over Brazil. They are not just artists, they are all moralists all their work has a message, we were informed. Once an artist makes his work, that becomes his space, no one else can touch it! While Beco do Batman itself is one big open air art gallery, all along it, are actual galleries exhibiting these artists works. What an ecosystem for art to thrive use the city space to create your art and earn your livelihood doing it! They call Sao Paulo the cultural capital of Brazil. Which shouldnt come as a surprise at all, considering one of the many museums (each day wed hear of a new museum) is run by a bank! Brazils oldest bank started Itau Cultural, to preserve the banks art collection and tell the story of Brazilian history. They even have a museum for the Portuguese language. It isnt one of those starved for patrons rundown shack. A plush multi-storeyed facility, in Luz the grand old railway (and now also the metro) station in Sao Paulo with interactive digital displays, touch screen kiosks, and auditorium. We saw people turn teary eyed when works of the Brazilian writers and poets were being read out. Such a wonderful, in-touch-with-the-present solution for preserving the national language. Liberdade is the Japanese neighbourhood (the highest population of Japanese, outside of Japan is in Sao Paulo!). We went for its popular weekend flea market. A sight we remember from that market is this: in one of the stalls in this Brazilian-Japanese neighbourhood, an African origin lady was selling idols of Lord Ganesh to the French tourists! If Sao Paulo was cosmopolitan, Rio de Janeiro was international. Where else would you see people from across the world congregate on a platform to take selfies with the Christ? Christ the Redeemer, standing high above the Corcovado mountains with his arms spread out, seems to be telling Rio: 'Go on, live life to the fullest, I have your back'. Or the Selaron steps, a colourful collage of what might be the biggest collection of tiles. These steps are covered with tiles from every country in the world. We wondered what we would find from India and werent surprised to see the Gods! Our first visit to this city of sun and sand was a washout, however. It rained the entire week. All we got during that first visit was a glimpse of the Atlantic from the world famous beaches which make Rio de Janeiro world famous Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon. The exclusivity of the beach facing properties also increases in this order. While one end of this beach life was for the rich and famous, the other was where the local Carioca hung out. Men and women from 7 to 70 with fit, healthy bodies running on the beach in tiny shorts and tinier bikinis. Or using one of the many open-air gyms by the beaches. Or surfing and kiting. Even a yoga session. After which, you could energise yourself with a freshly made tapioca or a creamy chocolatey brigaderio. Even better a bowl of sweet nutrition laden heaven the acai! And when done, rollerblade back home! We didnt realise how much we had fallen in love with Rio, until we came back 4.5 months later, on our way out of South America. The moment we breathed in the air of Rio, it felt like we had come back home. We navigated the BRT system and the metro like we had always lived here. We were among the same friendly Cariocas, always eager to strike up a conversation; who, when asked for directions, made every possible effort to make sure youve got it right. Who dance wild on the streets of Lapa on a Saturday night those girls with their stilettos and fast-paced samba with the potential to drive anyone crazy! This time the weather didnt disappoint. Many hours were spent in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, getting our last bit of tan from South America. We had come a long way when we came back into Rio by our only flight in the 5 months we spent on this continent. By a four hour flight, over an aerial distance of 4000 km, from Manaus. It is the capital of the state of Amazonas. If you look at Google Maps, itll show Amazonas covered in the darkest green. It is exactly what the name indicates it is the Amazon rainforest. Before getting to the Amazon, when we would look at the map of Brazil, Manaus would appear to be this city in the midst of the forest, far away from anywhere we knew how to reach. It felt like the remotest place we could get to. Except that, we had got to Manaus, by a cargo boat, through the Amazon river. We had come from beyond the remote. After a few days in the cargo boats in the Peruvian Amazon, we had crossed the Amazonian border into Brazil. This was the remotest, laziest border crossing we had been to. A few more days in the cargo boats, and we had reached Manaus. So essentially, when we got to Manaus, we were coming back to civilisation and to land after a long long time. The wonder of Manaus is based on numbers. It is a major port of South America. The goods imported into the port of Manaus go across the entire continent. And yet, this port is at a distance of 3000 km from the sea! In the heart of the Amazon. It is the farthest port from the sea, in the entire world. The city itself, had no signs of the Amazon rainforest giveaway. Broad roads, flyovers, sprawling malls, commercial complexes, big hotels, and a sea river link it has it all. To understand what this means everything comes from over 3000 km away. By boat. Even now, Manaus doesnt have road connectivity much beyond the state of Amazonas. It was the birthday of Manaus the day we got there. We knew we were back in Brazil, by the way the celebrations were on. People had gathered in the main square. Friends, families children, grannies et al. A live band was performing. People were singing, dancing, talking, laughing, and drinking beer. Once we got a bottle of Skol and a glass of caipirinha in our hands, we were comfortable. Manaus reeks of old money. In the early 1900s, the Amazon rubber industry was in boom and Manaus became home to many rubber barons. They built grand houses here. The public buildings in Manaus also reflect this grandeur. The biggest symbol of this glory is Teatro Amazonas, the opera theatre. A guide giving us a tour of the theatre told us with great pride that it wasnt any less than the opera theatres of Europe. From the red cushioned seating, marble pillars, wooden stairs, and delicate carved mirrors it was almost a paradox, seeing it all right in the middle of the forest (A fact well concealed by Manaus!). A city that doesnt speak of old money is Curitiba, a city in the south of Brazil. It is a city which probably no one plans to visit. We ended up in Curitiba by a mishap. We had reached the Sao Paulo bus station after a blissful five days on an island. We wanted to head to the Iguacu waterfalls, which straddle the Brazil-Argentina border. Visit the Iguacu waterfalls, exit Brazil, and enter Argentina that was our plan. It was 10 pm when we stood in the queue for tickets to Foz do Iguacu, only to be told that the bus was full. We had to go somewhere, why not head in the direction of Iguacu waterfalls, to wherever the buses were available? Curitiba turned out to be this wherever. This was our chance to see a regular, non-touristy city in Brazil. At an altitude of 1000 meters, it is one of the highest places in Brazil, and the coldest it gets here. At 5 am, the city welcomed us with chilly pangs. A warm cafeteria, cups of coffee, and tickets to Foz do Iguacu later, we deposited our bags in the cloak room and set out exploring the city. Big red buses thats the first thing we saw when we stepped out. Curitiba has one of the best public transport systems in the world. Spanning around 70 feet, with three compartments, they are the longest buses in the world. That, and urban planning Curitiba is a textbook example for architecture students globally. Public spaces are dominated by parks. On that crisp winter afternoon, we saw many locals come out for a run. Older people were using the open air gyms. These parks were all well maintained and clearly a huge part of the daily life of the Curitiba people. Gyms and yoga houses they were everywhere we went that day. In Curitiba, people did take their fitness seriously! Like the southern parts of Brazil, Curitiba is mainly white. Parts of the city are old Italian and German neighbourhoods. We had read that people here were less friendly than in northern Brazil. Hesitantly, we asked a group of people in the park about a bus we could take to get around. They discussed this among themselves. Then a lady who knew the bus, walked us to the bus stop, waited for the bus to come, gave instructions to the driver, told us what to tell him in Portuguese (just in case we needed to communicate), and waved us good bye only after we were safely in the bus! If this is less friendly, well, well take less friendly! Sandeepa and Chetan are full-time travel bloggers and photographers. You can follow their work here. They've been travelling long-term since 2013. Read parts two and three of the South America travel diary here. Barely 10 days after the present government was sworn in May 2014, national dailies headlined "PMO tells MoD, MHA: Get forces involved in policy", elaborating that in an attempt to improve the working environment for the armed forces and other internal security outfits, the Prime Ministers Office has directed the home and defence ministries to ensure that decisions, especially those relating to the uniformed forces, should be taken only after detailed consultations with their top officers. The news item elaborated that PMO strongly believed matters relating to the armed forces should not be decided by civilian bureaucrats sitting in North and South Block and that the military leadership should be involved more in decision-making. Above report further added Prime Minister Narendra Modi had signaled: key decision cannot be left to the bureaucrats; forces must be involved at every stage as they have firsthand experience of what is happening on the ground; entire process of procurement of weapons and equipment was deeply influenced by bureaucrats who have virtually no experience in this field. The news report quoting a senior official added that any new welfare scheme for armed or paramilitary forces gets drafted by a joint secretary or director-level officer will now change and actual operations officers from the forces will have a greater say. Was that a lip service or did it get lip-locked by the mafia? It is often asked who are the mafia, for which no simple definition may apply. But remember the open letter by Anil Manibhai Naik, CEO of L&T to the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that amongst other things said, "And the defence production (ministry) joint secretaries and secretaries of the defence ministry are on the boards of all public sector - sickest of sick units you can think of who cannot take out one conventional submarine out for 15 years now with the result that the gap is widening between us and China and bulk of the time we resort to imports out of no choice," adding, "The whole (defence) industry which could have really flowered around very high technological development and taken India to the next and the next level of technological achievement and excellence is not happening." Of course, Manibhai would not know that while he lamented about submarines, 15 years were being taken to produce an assault rifle that was no match to top ten of its class available globally. If you think that was long ago, witness the meeting on 24 October 2016 called by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to meet ex-servicemen wherein he indicated at the outset his hurt at the various mails derogatory towards the "bureaucracy" and requested the veteran community from using such language. Perhaps he is right and the bureaucracy should be placed on the pedestal given the fact that despite joint secretary's of Ministry on Defence on all boards of the DRDO, DPSUs and Ordinance Factories, India has continued to import 70 percent of its defence needs past several decades. Do you understand now why the reorganisation of MoD and injecting military professional doesnt happen, why HQ IDS cannot be merged with MoD, why users (military) are not at the design, planning and decision making levels of governmental defence-industrial set up, and why the military must be put down any which way with welfare and prestige of serving, veterans, widows, disabled be damned. The Defence Ministers insistence to Service Chiefs to immediately implement 7th CPC that brings military below the CAPF, Service Chiefs decision to wait for the anomalies to be resolved first, MoDs 30 September letter bringing the disability pension of military drastically down from what was earlier vide 6th CPC and MoD eventually forced to refer the issue to the Anomalies Committee has been in the news. Of course, one part of the forked tongue is tweeting disability pension as per 6th CPC for military personnel have been restored. But whom do you believe and how come the anomalies committee has become so very efficient? Had we become so administratively efficient, even World Bank would not have slammed us for ease of business. The government versus judiciary feud is in the news, but past several months the Armed Forces Tribunals (AFT) are lying defunct because the post of civilian judge to head AFTs are lying vacant. But with the type of mischief against the military being engineered anyway, why bother about any justice by AFTs. But look at the misinformation campaign launched about government letter No A/24577/CAO/CP Cell dated October 18 that equated: civilian Group B section officer with army captain; civilian joint director with full colonel (earlier equated with Lt Col); civilian director with brigadier (earlier equated with full colonel); principal director with major general (earlier equated with brigadier). According to media, not only did this letter have MoD approval, objections by armed forces were overruled by the Defence Minister - in a note to MoD in August-September this year, army had categorically objected to the systematic downgrading of defence officers in status/equivalence vis-a-vis civilian officers. Following above expose, another media report emerged quoting MoD officials that the October 18 letter in question downgrading the military ranks vis-a-vis civilian officers was only due to functional reasons (also stated by the Defence Minister) which is a very poor excuse because it does downgrade military ranks. Will the Defence Minister explain what is the functional reason and what are the non-functional part of the military-civil relationship, or is it because the military is the only government service that has been deliberately denied the NFU while the balance government services including the civilian defence employees are enjoying the same? Additionally, while MoD denies any reduction in the militarys status (without cancelling the October 18 letter) and that existing functional equivalence as clarified in 1991 and further reiterated in 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2005 has only been re-affirmed, another media report states that all these letters cited by MoD were superseded in 2009 by a Group of Ministers report (formally equating army colonels with civilian directors) which was approved by the government. So, does the Defence Minister have the foggiest idea that he is being led up the gum tree by his ministry with the explicit aim to create discord in the military establishment through deliberately downgrading military ranks vis-a-vis civilian defence officials? Now MoD has struck again with approval of Defence Minister by creating two new civilian positions of Additional Director General (ADG) to look after engineering projects in Armys Northern and Eastern Commands. This policy decision has been taken arbitrarily by MoD - whatever happened to the PMO missive to involve forces in policy decisions? Leave aside consulting the Engineer-in-Chief and concerned Commands, even Service Chiefs were ignored. Without doubt these ADGs will show two fingers to Army Commanders Northern and Eastern Commands; already there have been cases where civilian officers object to official meetings chaired by the Commanding Officers stating they draw more pay and hence it is they who should chair the meeting. That is why these new ADGs are being placed at Jammu and Guwahati instead of being co-located with respective Command HQ. And you guessed it - Guwahati because 7th CPC grants Rs 75,000 monthly hazard allowance to a civilian government official posted at Guwahati and perhaps the guy at Jammu will be quietly given double that amount with Pakistan shelling villages in vicinity of LoC. Frankly, this whole exercise of creating to civilian ADG posts in Northern and Eastern Commands stinks about money getting control of funds with (MES) offices and Chief Construction Engineers (CCE) reporting now to these civilian ADGs. There will be automatic setback to functionality and operational requirements of the military as decisions will be taken by bureaucrats sitting in MoD - exactly what PM Modi referred to above. Take the case of the Border Roads directly under MoD and the recent brouhaha of road construction in Arunachal Pradesh. It is all about connecting the villages close to the border. Little is happening about road construction to forward army posts where soldiers still have to walk two-three days to reach them. With the MES offices and Chief Construction Engineers (CCE) going under the civilian ADGs, matters will get worse. There is fresh news that government is appointing a three-member committee to look into the issue of pay and rank parity with regard to the military. Obviously it would have no military member perhaps all bureaucrats under the weird logic that if all the anomalies were on behest bureaucrats, they would be best suited to resolve them. The Reddy Commission on OROP anomalies submitted its report to the government three days back; what surprise it holds is not known. But if the government is really serious about resolving the civilian versus military pay and rank parity, the solution is actually very simple combatize the civilian defence employees; give them military training and make them part of the military. This will also beef up security. NDA-I is considered by far the best for armed forces. Which way NDA-II is heading, readers can decide. The author is veteran Lt Gen of Indian Army. JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 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 Mumbai: As the BJP-led government in Maharashtra sails into its third year in office, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's clean image is widely seen as its single most positive aspect despite many internal and external challenges it faces, including frequent taunts by ally Shiv Sena and the campaign by Maratha community for reservation. Most political observers preferred to rate the performance of the government in the last two years as "mixed". Despite his good intentions and development thrust, Fadnavis's efforts have not yielded desired results for want of proper support and push from his team. Fadnavis, 46, was sworn in on 31 October, 2014 with the BJP emerging as the single largest party, though short of absolute majority, in Assembly polls. The BJP and Sena had parted ways on the eve of polls and the Ministry was offered outside support by Sharad Pawar-led NCP. Sena, however, returned to the alliance a few months later. Unlike some of his ministerial colleagues, Fadnavis has remained untouched by allegations of misconduct. Virtual No 2 in the Cabinet, Eknath Khadse, had to quit after coming under the cloud of allegations earlier this year. Opposition Congress and NCP, however, declined to set great store by Fadnavis's personal charisma and unsullied reputation, alleging he has been shielding some of his colleagues facing allegations. Observers point out that another plus point of Fadnavis is he enjoys the trust and confidence of the BJP's central leadership, as was demonstrated by the Khadse episode. Though some of his BJP colleagues in the Ministry like Vinod Tawde and Pankaja Munde nurse Chief Ministerial ambitions, they are no real threat to Fadnavis, they added. "BJP calls itself a party with difference, but it has not been able to show that its first ever government in Maharashtra is a Government with a difference. They also said Fadnavis should not have given clean chit to Ministers facing allegations," they said. One major issue over which the BJP and Shiv Sena had frequent face-off was the Vidarbha statehood demand. While the BJP favours smaller states, the Sena is opposed to bifurcation of Maharashtra to create a separate Vidarbha state and often took sharp dig at Fadnavis, who hails from that region. In a veiled reference to the Vidarbha issue, Sena MP Sanjay Raut told PTI that the Government should implement the agenda for united Maharashtra and not the party's (BJP) political programme. Another front that Government had to face attack from the farm sector distress, caused mainly by the grim drought faced by Marathwada and other parts of the state in the previous years. The agrarian crisis is also seen to be one of the factors that prompted the predominantly rural Maratha community to hit the streets across the State in the form of 'silent marches' seeking reservation in job and education besides a slew of other demands. "Farmers' situation has not improved in two years. This year rains have been good but the government cannot take credit for the same. Social equations have suffered and the government has failed to stop the attempts to disturb social harmony. There have never been such caste tensions earlier," Raut said. Sentiments of Marathas in organising silent morchas should have been considered. Instead, similar morchas of non-Maratha communities are being organised in different parts of the State, he said. Fadnavis, however, is not seen to be facing any big challenge from within his party or ally, despite occasional hiccups, especially since he enjoys a good personal rapport with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. "Uddhav Thackeray is fully supporting the Chief Minister," Raut said. More recently, Fadnavis came under a grim attack from various quarters for mediating between Raj Thackeray and Karan Johar to facilitate the release of "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil", after MNS threatened to block it for featuring a Pakistani actor. Fadnavis's camp, however, justified his act, saying his intentions in brokering a truce were genuine since he felt there should be no tensions during the festival season. The main take of Congress-NCP against Fadnavis has been that he is pursuing "double standards" on corruption, as BJP, while in Opposition, had unleashed a fierce attack on the previous administrations on that issue. BJP had levelled allegations against Ministers in the Congress-NCP Government and even on basis of perception, Congress had sacked its Chief Minister and ministers, Congress leader Anant Gadgil told PTI. But, half the members of present Ministry are facing allegations of corruption and the Chief Minister has refused to act, he said. "Eknath Khadse's removal from the Cabinet had more to do with internal politics of BJP rather than probity in public life," Gadgil said. Questioning the Government's claim on the development front, he said though many MoUs had been signed under the Make in Maharashtra initiative not even 10 percent employment has been generated. Though there is no immediate threat to his position, for Fadnavis coming months are going to be crucial as the stage is set for local body polls across the State, seen as a "mini general election." In all, 212 municipal councils and nagar panchayats, 27 zilla parishads and 10 municipal corporations, including that of Mumbai, will go to polls in the next few months. Much to the dismay of Opposition, the BJP and Sena have already clinched a pact on civic polls, though the two parties are yet to work out the arrangement for the crucial BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, the biggest and richest civic body in the country boasting of an annual budget of over Rs 37,000 crore. Etah: Six people including a Zila Panchayat head were on Sunday injured in a stampede at a Janata Durbar programme of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at his ancestral village of Saifai here. Additional SP Ram Kishan Yadav said a large crowd had gathered outside the PWD Guest House where the CM was holding the programme. The main gate had to be closed to keep the crowd away. But when it was opened to allow a VIP car, people rushed inside causing the stampede, he said. Six people, including Kannauj Zila Panchayat head Santosh Yadav, were injured in the melee. One person suffered a head injury. Eyewitnesses said when the chief minister was meeting people and exchanging pleasantries with them, the crowd surged towards him and in the stampede-like situation some fell down and got hurt. Some media persons covering the event were also injured, police said. All the injured people were rushed to a hospital in Saifai, they said. This was Akhilesh Yadav's first visit to Saifai after the recent Samajwadi Party family feud became public. As news of his arrival spread, thousands of people gathered at the venue to wish him on the festive occasion of Diwali. Police had a tough time trying to manage the crowd as the Police had a tough time trying to manage the crowd as the number of people who turned up at the event was far beyond their expectation. Akhilesh also interacted with people and listened to the their woes before directing officers to take action. Akhilesh had driven down to his ancestral village Saifai to celebrate Diwali with his extended family. A large number of people greeted the CM along the 200 km route from Lucknow to Safai as he stopped at various places to meet them on the soon-to-be-inaugurated state-of-the-art Lucknow-Agra Expressway. The Supreme Court (SC) observed on Wednesday that religion or caste is a key part of India's political discourse, and asked whether seeking votes in the name of religion is an evil and corrupt practice. The apex court questioned whether a political party or a candidate, seeking votes in the name of religion, caste or tribe by promising that it would help protect and improve the voters as a community would amount to "corrupt practice", under the election law. As reported in the International Business Times, the SC said: "People get affected by appeals in the name of religion. It would only be proper if an appeal for votes in a secular country is based on principles of secularism. We cannot encourage the practice of asking for votes in the name of religion, Political agitation advancing the cause of religion with intent to garner votes is not permissible," the SC said. The SC statement comes in the backdrop of a rather unprecedented political development. With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections right around the corner, the fledgeling Muslim parties have created a political coalition, called the Ittehad Front, which is based on religious convictions rather than on principles of secularism. According to media reports, a number of political Islamist outfits, having a limited base among Muslims in Uttar Pradesh, have formed the front. These Muslim parties, which aim at saving the secular votes in the state, are: The Rashtriya Ulama Council, the Peace Party, Muslim Majlis, Muslim Mahaz, the Indian Muslim League, the Parcham Party, the Welfare Party of India and the Social Democratic Party of India. Though this unprecedented initiative in the Indian political history was championed by Ismail Batliwala, the national president of the All India Muslim Mahaj, the leadership of this Muslim front remains in the hands of the Peace Party national president, Ayyud Khan, a surgeon-turned-politician who founded his party in 2008. The Peace Party, currently at the helm of affairs of this coalition, has clearly stated the reasons behind the formation of the front. A joint campaign would instill confidence among Muslim voters who feel the need to evolve their own leadership rather than depend on non-Muslims to address their concerns, the Peace Party leader said. Similarly, the state president of the Indian Muslim League, M Mateen, stressed on the need for a Muslim political coalition, saying that, In the past two years, Muslims have been in the firing line after the Muzaffarnagar riots, even though the community bore the brunt of the violence. From all this, it is not difficult to gauge that the newly-formed Ittehad Front of the Muslim political parties in Uttar Pradesh is garnering votes on the basis of religion. A fresh instance of how they are arousing the religious passions of Muslim voters during the UP election process could be seen in the latest political promos of the Peace Party, published in several Urdu newspapers. For example, an advertisement published on the front page of the leading Urdu daily, the Inquilab, read: The six points of Hazrat Maulana Ilyas Kandhlawis revolutionary movement tahrik-e-iman (movement of faith) are: (1) iman (faith), (2) namaz (Islamic prayer), (3) ilm-o-zikr (the knowledge and remembrance of Allah), (4) ikraam-e-Muslim (respect for Muslims), (5) ikhlas-e-niyyat (sincerity of intention) and (6) tafarrugh-e-waqt (the sparing of time for Islamic preaching and proselytisation). In fact, these are the core teachings of the largest movement of Islamic preaching in South Asia, with strict adherence to the Deobandi sect of Islam. The rationale behind these six points or principles of the Tabligh Jamaat, as mentioned in its textbook Fazail-e-Aamal (the virtues of actions), is that, Muslims are in a constant state of spiritual Jihad in the sense of fight against evil. Their weapon is dawa (proselytisation) and their battles are won or lost in the hearts. The Peace Partys full-page advertisement further read: There are five actions for the protection of iman (faith) and survival of the spiritual environment: (1) the principle of consultation (known as Shura in the Islamic terminology) (2) education at home and in the mosques (3) taking the Islamic messages door to door for the sake of faith (4) Holding meetings for half an hour (5) The sparing of time (three days in a month) to serve in the path of Allah. At this juncture, one cannot forget what senior advocate Kapil Sibal had said recently, while asking the SC to put an end to the religion-based politics in the country. Arguing for one of the respondents in the case, he said: Politicians have become hardened and learnt the art of garnering votes on the basis of religion and caste and this practice should must stop. Going by the 2011 census, Muslims constitute 3.84 crore of the population in UP, which is almost 19 percent of the total population of the state. Around 38 districts in UP have an overwhelming Muslim population, while the state Assembly has 64 Muslim legislators, cutting across party lines. Muslim affairs in UP are worsening day by day. Given this fact, the formation of Ittehad Front will certainly create problems for parties like SP and BSP. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will also bear the brunt of it as, like the SP, its calculation also relies on Muslim support for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state. The problems in the state are growing exponentially, especially since leaders of Muslim parties have started ranting against all non-Muslim parties. All the nine Muslim parties in UP are primarily concerned with the resolution that they will not let the BJP benefit from the division of Muslim votes. This has also led to an interesting debate in the community about the political motives of the Ittehad Front. A considerable number of the Ulema, and the clergy who rule the roost in UP, have endorsed the formation of the Ittehad Front, if it can cater to the Muslim cause at the regional level. Many Muslims, however, still doubt this proposition and are of the view that they need not form any political party as the regional ones are pushing their case. Amidst such a political turmoil in the community, several leaders of the secular parties have dismissed this Muslim political venture as a losing proposition. A Samajwadi Party leader, for instance, has castigated the formation of the Ittehad Front as inconsequential. Such parties appear during elections and then disappear because voters never trust them, he said. Beyond all this, a strong debate is also emerging among the Ulema and the Muslim clergy over the legality of the participation in an un-Islamic system of governance in India. Democracy is akin to shirk (polytheism) and kufr (infidelity) in the view of the Islamist clerics in India, like Maulana Maududi, the founder-ideologue of the Jamat-e-Islami. In his book Jihad in Islam, Maulana encouraged Muslims to fight democracy and secularism as an evil and devote their life, possessions, powers, wealth and health in the fight against such evil forces of the world. Several other maulanas in the country also agreed with Maududis view that Muslims should never recognise the constitution, parliament, Supreme Court, Law Commission etc. as sovereign. For they believe that these are all antithetical to the sovereignty of Allah, which implies the supremacy of the religion, in particular, the Shariah law, over all other governance systems. This is the institution of the Caliphate that symbolises the supremacy of the religion over the State and public life. Recently, a Hyderabad-based Maulana, Abdul Aleem Islahi, a cleric of the Ahle-Hadith sect, urged Indian Muslims to pray for the Islamic State. He cited the following reason: They (ISIS militants) have tried to fulfil the dream of a large section of Muslims and their determination has infused a new life into the concept of Caliphate. Their announcement (of caliphate) has surpassed Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Maulana Abul Ala Maududis powerful writings and speeches about the Caliphate and has realised the concept practically, This has sparked a new life in the dormant political life of Islam and this might have certainly heartened religious Muslims, as more or less after one hundred years the Caliphate has come to existent (sic). In other words, Islamic Caliphate is no longer a concept but seems to have become a reality, Islahi said. Islahi has also written a book in Urdu, Taqat Ka Istemal Quran Ki Raoshni Men (Use of Force in the light of Quran), in which he writes: A group of Muslims can form a front against the enemies anywhere in the world. For this, a government based on Sharia headed by an Amirul Mumineen or Caliph of Muslims is not necessary If today, any group establishes its Deen (religion) in any forest, mountain or any other place and targets the enemies of the Deen and the Millat (Muslim community), how can it be wrong? Islahi wrote in his book. In an earlier Firstpost article, it was noted that the call for the Islamic state or Sharia governance is not new in India. It echoed in a number of the countrys Urdu Islamic magazines, freely circulated among the Indian Muslims. One of the most fervent mouthpieces of the Sharia in India is the Urdu monthly Allah Ki Pukar (the call from Allah), edited by Maulana Khalid Ali Hamidi. Scores of editorials in this magazine are devoted to explain that the Indian democracy is akin to kufr (infidelity) and that participation in the elections and voting is shirk (polytheism, the gravest sin in Islam). Given the above clerical pronouncements, the Ittehad Front of the Ulema, Muslim leaders and politicians would be deemed un-Islamic if they participate in the Indian democratic system of governance and the upcoming elections in UP. The author is a scholar of Comparative Religion, Classical Arabic and Islamic sciences, cultural analyst and researcher in Media and Communication Studies. Views are personal. He tweets at @GRDehlvi. Email: grdehlavi@gmail.com By Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Tom Perry | AMMAN/BEIRUT AMMAN/BEIRUT Syrian rebels opened a new front in Aleppo as fighting spread on the third day of a major insurgent counter-attack to break the government's siege of the opposition-held part of the city, and each side accused the other using poison gas.The rebels, including both Free Syrian Army factions and jihadists, are seeking to end the siege by seizing government-held areas of Aleppo, in an effort to link the city's rebel-held east with rebel-held rural areas to the west of the city.Syrian state media said militants had fired shells containing chlorine gas at a residential area of the government-held western part of the city, al-Hamdaniya. Rebels denied that, and said government forces had fired poison gas on another frontline.State media cited an Aleppo hospital director saying three dozen people - civilians and soldiers - had suffered suffocation in the alleged rebel gas attack, but did not report any deaths.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based organisation that reports on the war, said it had confirmed reports of suffocation among government fighters in two frontline areas shelled by rebels, but it did not know if chlorine gas was the cause.The rebels said the army had shelled rebel-held Rashideen district with chlorine and shared videos purportedly showing victims with respiratory problems.Aleppo, Syria's biggest pre-war city, has become the main stage of conflict between President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Iran, Russia and Shi'ite militias, and Sunni rebels including some supported by Turkey, Gulf monarchies and the United States. The city has been divided for years between the government-held western sector and rebel-held east, which the army and its allies put under siege this summer and where they launched a new offensive in September that medics say has killed hundreds.The Observatory said at least 38 people including 14 children had been killed in rebel shelling of government-held areas of Aleppo in the last 48 hours.Jaish al Fateh, a rebel alliance including powerful Islamist and jihadist factions, said in a statement they were now moving into a second stage of the offensive after taking several areas with the goal of "ending the siege". They called on residents of government-held areas in western Aleppo to stay at home or in underground shelters as they spread their offensive, saying they were coming to "liberate" their land. They urged the fighters not to harm anyone who did not carry arms. Rebels and pro-government sites said most of Sunday's fighting concentrated on the 3000 Apartments housing project in the al-Hamdaniya area. Capturing it would bring the rebels to within several kms of the heart of the government-controlled area.Rebels said the attack had started with preparatory shelling earlier in the day, while Russian planes resumed heavy bombing of their locations in west Aleppo - the latter also cited on pro-government sites.There were conflicting accounts of the outcome of the fighting, however, with rebels saying they had taken some buildings in the residential area as they seek to penetrate heavily populated areas under state control. The Observatory said suicide bombers were deployed on the outskirts of the neighbourhood, a tactic used on Friday when insurgents seized Dahiyet al-Assad, a cluster of villas once occupied by top army officers about a square kilometre on the southwest corner of the city. Since launching the large scale assault on Friday, the rebels have deployed numerous suicide car bombs and heavy shelling of the city's western edge from bases in the countryside outside Aleppo."There are heavy street battles and the regime is now retreating from the area. Its only a matter of time and we will announce its liberation," Abu al Ansari, a fighter from Failaq al Sham, said in a Whatsapp message.Fateh al-Sham, a jihadist group formerly known as the Nusra Front, played a big part in a rebel attack in July that succeeded in breaking the government siege on eastern Aleppo for several weeks before it was re-imposed. (Editing by Tom Perry and Clelia Oziel) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. DUBAI Bahrain authorities prevented the wife of a Bahraini dissident and their infant son, a U.S. citizen, from boarding a flight to London after he staged a protest against a visit by the Gulf state's king to Britain, human rights groups said.Sayed Ahmed AlWadaei, director of advocacy at the UK-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, was one of two activists briefly detained by police in London when they shouted at the king's car as it approached Prime Minister Theresa May's office on Wednesday.Hours later, the exile's Bahraini wife, Duaa, 25, and their 19-month-old son were detained for seven hours at Bahrain airport as they tried to fly out of the kingdom to join him in London, rights groups said.In a statement, the Bahrain government said it briefly detained Duaa AlWadaei for questioning and a search, saying the king's presence in Britain and the discovery in Bahrain in recent times of weapons and explosives meant "precautionary security measures were necessary". UK legal charity Reprieve said Duaa AlWadaei had been banned from leaving Bahrain, even though she had UK residency, adding Bahraini police and members of the public threatened Sayed Ahmed AlWadaei and his family in recent days.In brief remarks to Reuters, AlWadaei said it was not clear to him for how long his wife would be prevented from leaving. But the government said without elaborating that after the questioning, Duaa AlWadaei had been released "to make her onward destination". "With regards to the specific allegations of mistreatment, at no time was Mrs AlWadaei subjected to any form of mistreatment or violence. Allegations that her child was also 'detained' are false; he was simply allowed to remain with his mother." Bahrain's Sunni Muslim-led government has come under criticism from its Western allies and rights groups for its handling of dissent. Activists say a major crackdown is under way targeting Shi'ite and secular opposition.Bahrain's Shi'ites say they suffer discrimination, though the government denies this. Manama accuses Shi'ite power Iran of fomenting unrest on its soil, a charged Tehran denies.AlWadaei lives in exile in London with his wife and child. His wife and son were on a short family visit to Bahrain when the incident took place, Reprieve said. The U.S. State Department said on Friday it was looking into reports that a child with U.S. citizenship was prevented from leaving Bahrain, according to the State Department website.King Hamad, a close ally of Britain, was making his first visit to the country since May became prime minister in July. (Reporting by William Maclean; Editing by Alison Williams) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Michael Nienaber | BERLIN BERLIN Germany is looking into a claim by Islamic State that one of its followers was responsible for a fatal stabbing in the German city of Hamburg two weeks ago in which a young couple were attacked.A spokesman for the Federal Public Prosecutor said on Sunday investigators were checking the claim in a statement published by the militant group's Amaq news agency over the weekend."We are looking into this and are evaluating the credibility of the content," the spokesman said. He noted that it appeared a bit unusual that the claim was published two weeks after the attack. "This differs somewhat from the pattern," he said.The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, which is responsible for investigating crimes concerning national security, will decide in coming days if it has grounds to take over from local authorities, he added.In the attack, an unknown perpetrator set upon a young couple sitting under a bridge at the Alster river in central Hamburg. He stabbed the 16-year-old man repeatedly from behind and kicked his 15-year-old female companion into the river.The stabbing victim died of his injuries shortly afterwards in hospital while the young woman managed to escape. In its claim of responsibility, the group said: "A soldier of the Islamic State stabbed two individuals in Hamburg city on the 16th of this month. He carried out the operation in response to calls to target the citizens of coalition countries."A police spokeswoman in Hamburg said local investigators were checking the statement and its credibility, but she added that the claim of responsibility raised a number of questions."At this point, it is important to point out that the murder squad is still investigating in all directions," she said. In a statement issued shortly after the attack, police had said the attacker was of "southern appearance", aged between 23 and 25 years, with stubble. They added the background of the attack was unknown.Experts say it is not clear how close the connection is between groups and individuals proclaiming allegiance to the Islamic State militant group.The Islamist organisation is increasingly under pressure from regional and international forces in its Middle East heartland of Syria and Iraq. In July, the group claimed responsibility for two attacks in the German state of Bavaria - one on a train near Wuerzburg and the other at a music festival in Ansbach that wounded 20 people.In mid-October, police arrested a Syrian refugee suspected of planning a bomb attack on an airport in Berlin. The 22-year-old man committed suicide in prison shortly after his arrest.Officials said Jaber Albakr spoke to a member of Islamic State in Syria by telephone about a possible target a day before German police discovered explosives in his apartment. (Reporting by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Susan Fenton and Alexandra Hudson) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Mahdi Talat | QARAQOSH, Iraq QARAQOSH, Iraq Surrounded by charred walls and in front of a ruined altar, dozens of Iraqi Christians celebrated mass at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Qaraqosh on Sunday for the first time since it was recaptured from Islamic State.Church bells rang out in the town on the southeastern approaches to Mosul where Iraqi troops, backed by U.S.-led air and ground forces, have been driving back the Sunni Muslim jihadists ahead of a battle for the city itself."Today Qaraqosh is free of Daesh (Islamic State)," Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Mosul Butrus Moshe told worshippers.Islamic State has targeted the adherents and religious sites of minority communities in both Iraq and Syria. When it seized control of Mosul two years ago it issued an ultimatum to Christians: pay a tax, convert to Islam, or die by the sword. Most abandoned their homes and fled towards the autonomous Kurdish region, abandoning one of Christianity's earliest centres."Our role today is to remove all the remnants of Daesh," the archbishop said. "This includes erasing sedition, separation and conflicts, which victimized us," said the archbishop, who was born in Qaraqosh. "Political and sectarian strife, separating between one man and another, between ruler and follower, these mentalities must be changed, he said.Christianity in northern Iraq dates back to the first century AD. The number of Christians fell sharply during the violence which followed the 2003 overthrow of Saddam Hussein, and the Islamic State takeover of Mosul two years ago purged the city of Christians for the first time in two millennia. It was from a Mosul mosque that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a "caliphate" in 2014, spanning northern Iraq and eastern Syria. The recapture of the city would mark the effective defeat of the Iraqi wing of that domain. (Writing by Bushra Shakshir and Stephen Kalin; Editing by Dominic Evans) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Tom Perry and Laila Bassam | BEIRUT BEIRUT Twenty-six years after being forced from Lebanon's presidential palace and into exile by the Syrian army, Michel Aoun is set to be elected head of state on Monday, backed by many of his old enemies.Barring a surprise, many of Lebanon's sectarian politicians will back the 81-year-old Christian leader in the parliamentary vote.Aoun can rely for support on Iranian-backed Hezbollah, with which he has been allied for a decade. But he will fulfill his long-held ambition thanks to the unlikely endorsement of Sunni leader Saad al-Hariri, who waged political war for years against the Shi'ite Hezbollah movement and its allies with Saudi backing. Hariri is to become prime minister under the new deal which he hatched with Aoun.Aoun's election would end a 29-month-long vacuum in the presidency, part of a political crisis that has paralysed Lebanon's government and raised concerns over its future as civil war rages in neighbouring Syria.However, doubts remain over his ability to forge the cross-community consensus needed to make his administration succeed. "I do not know to what degree he will be able to reconcile the great contradictions that his rule will group together," said Nabil Boumonsef, a political commentator at An-Nahar newspaper.An Aoun victory would mark a remarkable turn of fortune for the former general who fought two wars in the late 1980s at the end of Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war one against Syria and the other against rival Christian forces.His subsequent alliance with Hezbollah backed by its Syrian and Iranian patrons helped to cement divisions in the once dominant Maronite Christian community. But it also angered the United States, which views Hezbollah - a heavily armed group and Syria's strongest Lebanese ally - as a terrorist organisation.His election will also be viewed as a victory for Hezbollah, Tehran and Damascus over Hariri's Sunni allies in Riyadh at a time when Saudi Arabia has appeared to retreat from Lebanon as it prioritises fighting Iran in the Gulf. It will also raise questions over Western policy towards Lebanon, whose army depends on U.S. military aid.Triggered by financial misfortune, Hariri's concession is seen as the last resort to secure the political survival of a man who has accused Syria of killing his father, Rafik. Hariri's standing in Lebanon has been hit by the financial crisis caused by troubles at his Saudi-based construction firm. UNLIKELY SPECTRUM Parliament is due to convene at noon (0900 GMT) on Monday to elect the president. If Aoun doesn't secure the two-thirds majority required to win in the first round, he seems certain to prevail in a second, where he needs 65 votes in the 128-seat chamber.His opponent is Suleiman Franjieh, a fellow Maronite Christian, who is unlikely to command much support. Under Lebanon's sectarian system of government, the presidency is reserved for a member of this community.Aoun, who headed one of two rival governments in 1988-90, has long coveted the post.His victory would mark a new phase in Lebanese politics, and the final collapse of the Saudi-backed alliance that had struggled against Hezbollah and its allies since the 2005 assassination of Rafik al-Hariri.Hariri and his allies initially accused Syria of killing Rafik. A U.N.-backed tribunal later charged five Hezbollah members over the killing. Hezbollah denies any role. Aoun inspires both adulation and enmity in Lebanon, where he made his name as a combatant in the 1975-90 civil war, like many Lebanese politicians. With Aoun heading the biggest Christian party in parliament, it will be the first time since the war that one of Lebanon's main Maronite leaders becomes president.The unlikely spectrum of support for his candidacy includes civil wartime enemies Samir Geagea, a rival Christian, and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt. But he still has powerful adversaries opposed to his election, foremost among them the influential Parliament Speaker and Shi'ite leader Nabih Berri.Hezbollah's steadfast backing for Aoun has been critical to getting him this close to the presidency. Last year Hariri proposed Franjieh, another Hezbollah ally, for the position. But rather than ditching Aoun, Hezbollah declared him "the obligatory path" to the presidency.Aoun is a controversial figure abroad as well as in Lebanon, with a reputation for erratic decision-making.After lobbying for years against Syria from exile, he returned to Lebanon in 2005 after Syrian forces withdrew from the country in the wake of the Hariri killing. Aoun received a hero's welcome from supporters in Beirut's Martyrs Square.Less than a year later, he struck his alliance with Hezbollah, positioning himself squarely in the pro-Damascus camp that later mobilised to try to topple the U.S.-backed government at the time. Aoun's move to Hezbollah drew anger from the United States which believed he had given political cover for it to keep its weapons and "moved a long way" from his support for a U.N. resolution that sought the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon, according to a U.S. diplomatic cable published by Wikileaks.In the 2006 cable, then U.S. ambassador Jeffrey Feltman concluded Aoun's presidential ambitions were "overriding any other concern". Aoun told the Americans the alliance was an attempt to draw Hezbollah into the political mainstream.TWO WARS In the final years of the Lebanese war, Aoun led one of two rival governments and set up his administration at the presidential palace at Baabda, southeast of Beirut.In that period, he fought the "War of Liberation" against the Syrian army and the "War of Cancellation" against the Christian Lebanese Forces militia. The Maronites lost much of their political power in the deal that ended the war - an agreement Aoun had initially opposed.Aoun visited Syria in 2009, where he met President Bashar al-Assad. In a 2014 interview, Assad said he would welcome Aoun's election as president, calling him a believer in "the resistance" - a reference to Hezbollah.Hezbollah is fighting in Syria in support of Assad.Aoun has defended Hezbollah's role in Syria, saying that it was defending Lebanon and Lebanese Christians from the threat of jihadist militancy. Hezbollah's Lebanese opponents say its role there increases the risks to the country. (Writing by Tom Perry; editing by David Stamp) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Aziz El Yaakoubi | RABAT RABAT Thousands of outraged Moroccans held protests in several cities on Sunday after a fishmonger in the northern town of Al-Hoceima was crushed to death inside a garbage truck as he tried to retrieve fish confiscated by police.The death on Friday prompted a frenzy of angry postings on social media against "Hogra", a Maghreb term referring to official abuse and injustice. Sunday's rallies were called by activists from the February 20 movement, which organised demonstrations during the Arab unrest of 2011.In an effort to calm tensions, King Mohamed, currently on a tour of Africa, ordered the interior minister to visit the victim's family and present royal condolences.The interior and justice ministries also promised an investigation.Such large-scale protests are rare in Morocco, where the king still holds ultimate sway. Morocco calmed Arab Spring-style protests in 2011 with reforms, spending and tougher security while leaders in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya were swept from power. "I have never seen such a crowd in the last few years, since 2011 at least," said Houssin Lmrabet, an activist from the town of Imzouren where thousands took part in the funeral of the victim and protests that followed. "Everyone feels crushed by that garbage truck here."Mouhcine Fikri had fish confiscated by police on Friday after he bought it at the port. Local authorities have banned swordfish sales in this season.According to local media and authorities, Fikri jumped inside the trash truck that police used to destroy the confiscated fish in a desperate attempt to recover it when he was caught inside the crusher. Protests were held in Al-Hoceima and other towns in Rif region, long seen as a hotbed of dissent, and also in Casablanca and the capital Rabat, where hundreds gathered chanting "Mohcine was murdered, Makhzen is to blame" in a reference to the royal establishment and its allies.Fikri's death has echoes of how Tunisia's uprising began in 2011, triggering similar revolts across the region after a young man set himself on fire in desperation because police confiscated fruit and vegetables he was selling. Activists accused police officers of ordering garbage men to crush Fikri, but the Moroccan police (DGSN) denied those accusations in a statement on Sunday. Moroccan authorities heavily police protests, nervous over popular unrest since the 2011 protests. During those protests the king devolved some of his authority to an elected government in a constitutional reform. Governments in North Africa are wary of protests tapping into pent up frustrations among unemployed youth. Tunisia has seen rioting twice this year in its south over jobs and unions are warning over the government's new austerity plans. (Editing by Patrick Markey and Raissa Kasolowsky) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. New York: Republican Donald Trump pounced on Hillary Clinton's email woes on Saturday to make ground in key battleground states, while Democrats blasted FBI Director James Comey for smearing Clinton with oblique innuendoes and violating long-standing Justice Department rules against taking steps that could influence a US election outcome. The Clinton campaign said FBI director Comey's widely publicized letter to Congress on newly found emails was 'long on innuendo' and 'short on facts.' Its pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election. In fact, its not just strange; its unprecedented and it is deeply troubling, Clinton said at a rally in Florida. Comey's letter dispatched to Congress on Friday flies in the face of a clean chit the FBI gave Clinton in July. Just four months ago, the FBI said it had finished its investigation into why Clinton had thought it was alright to use a private server while secretary of state. At the time, Comey called Clinton "extremely careless" for the way she handled confidential information, but indicated there would be no criminal charges filed in the case. Beleaguered Clinton accused Trump aided by the FBI of painting the email issue in the darkest terms to "confuse and mislead" voters. There's no doubt that the email saga is going to take a toll on Clinton: potentially jettison loosely affiliated Republican undecided voters that were leaning towards her as they found Trump intolerable. "The New York Times" pointed out that it was "deeply worrying" for Democrats: "Clintons advisers expressed concern that the FBIs renewed attention to emails relating to the nominee would turn some voters against her, hurt party candidates in competitive House and Senate races, and complicate efforts to win over undecided Americans in the final days of the election." Before Friday's reignited email controversy, Democrats were not only confident of winning the presidency but the four seats required to retake control of the Senate. However, a lot has changed this week with Trump playing significant catch-up to tighten the race. Clinton and Trump are now separated by only two percentage points in a new Washington Post/ABC News tracking poll which showed likely voters split 47 percent for Clinton and 45 percent for Trump. Trump Milks Controversy Trump is having a field day with his "Crooked Hillary" theme as the FBI looks into whether there was classified information in Clinton emails on an electronic device belonging to Anthony Weiner and his estranged wife, top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. As John Podesta said, Clinton's got bad instincts, a resurgent Trump told voters at a noisy rally on Saturday in Colorado. Well, shes got bad instincts when her emails are on Anthony Weiners wherever, Trump added suggestively. Trump also warned voters about rampant corruption. "The Department of Justice is trying so hard to protect Hillary," Trump declared. "There are those and I happen to be one of them who think Hillary Clinton offered Loretta Lynch a reappointment as attorney general." "Folks, we're living in a third-world country. This has never happened before. This is the lowest point in terms of our judicial system. This is the lowest point in the history of our country. Remember that. And when I talk about a rigged system, let's see what happens," he added. Undoubtedly, Trump has been handed a political gift from the FBI in the run-up to the 8 November elections. According to political analysts, Trump just needs to keep his head down and avoid his trademark faux pas to keep the spotlight firmly on Clinton's troubles in the campaign's final days. CNBC suggested the email probe could hand the election to Trump. "This news definitely improves on Trump's chances to win...With both main candidates struggling with record high unfavorable ratings, nothing can come too late to affect millions of voters who could finally find one candidate or the other simply too unlikable to bother to vote for," Jake Novak wrote in an op-ed piece published by CNBC. Washington: On Saturday Donald Trump accused the US Department of Justice of trying "hard" to protect Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton in the email controversy, a day after the FBI launched a probe into a new cache of emails just days ahead of the 8 November election. "Now it's reported today that the Department of Justice was fighting the FBI and that's because the Department of Justice is trying so hard to protect Hillary," Trump, 70, told his supporters at an election rally in Colorado, adding that such things happen only in third world country. "We are living in a third-world country. This has never happened before. This is the lowest point in terms of our judicial system. This is the lowest point in the history of our country. On 8th November, we are going to change things," he said. At another rally in Phoenix, Arizona, Trump said a vote for Hillary is a vote to surrender our government to public corruption, graft and cronyism that threatens the survival of our Constitutional system itself. "What makes us exceptional is that we are a nation of laws, and that we are all equal under those laws Hillary's corruption shreds the principle on which our nation was founded," he said. "When the outcome is fixed, when the system is rigged, people lose hope they stop dreaming, they stop trying. When the powerful can get away with anything, because they have the money and the connections to rig the system, then people lose confidence in our laws and in our future," he said. Americans, he said, have one ultimate check on Hillary's corruption and that is the power of voting. The Republican candidate for the White House also said that Clinton has nobody to blame but herself for her mounting legal troubles. "Hillary has nobody to blame but herself for her mounting legal troubles. Her criminal action was willful, deliberate, intentional and purposeful," he said. Calling the email scandal, "the biggest political scandal since Watergate" Trump alleged that Hillary set up an illegal server for the obvious purpose of shielding her criminal conduct from public disclosure and exposure. Trump made the comments after FBI director James Comey announced to reopen Hillary's email probe after the agency discovered a new batch of emails linked to her, to see if they contained classified material. A previous FBI probe in the matter was declared finished in July. Hillary, who is still the favourite to win the presidential election on 8 November, has called the FBI's decision "unprecedented" and "deeply troubling." "It's pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election," she has complained at a rally in Florida. The problem is that the American people dont want either of the two candidates as their president. That is the inherent danger in the two-party system. You cannot have a coalition. There is no third choice. There is also a sneaky feeling that after a first Afro-American President, getting a first woman president back to back is far too much of breathless experimentation. Its fine for the record books but couldnt it wait a little? Add to this sense of voter ennui and you have the FBI opening up the files on Hillarys email saga and you wonder how with an incumbent from the same party sitting in the White House what happened to the system of check and balances. With ten days to go in this melodramatic election is this a fair one? Opening an investigation so close to the big day goes against the grain totally and might elicit sympathy for Hillary as much as it might generate suspicion that they do not want another Richard Nixon at 1600 and certainly not another Watergate even before the first term gets underway. The other scary element in the 49 to 44 point lead that Hillary has over Trump is that his sexual shenanigans have become murky water under the bridge and now there are beauty contest title holders turning him into the incarnation of the Duchess of Kent (for a touch of class) and St Teresa (for virtue). As memory fades in the frail human mind, the undecided voter who does not want to be publicly identified as a Trump supporter but privately over his beer and hot dogs likes the mans moxy and his bring your guns to town, boy attitude might well in the confines of the ballot room permit that macho instinct to tick the box. Over this week, we should see the point spread either widening perceptibly in which case the Clintons can come back home because that will show she has not been hurt by the ill-timed FBI initiative and is pulling ahead. If the fight gets closer and turns into a 46 to 44 or less with a 10% undecided then prejudice and racial profiles will intensify their role in the vote pattern and we will watch the Trump juggernaut gather speed as it fuels up on specific vote banks. But it is not likely to be enough to block the 270 electoral votes she needs. They are almost in the bag. With 14 million people having already voted, Hillary, for now, is holding sway in all the important states. While early voting patterns do not always hold good as indicators it does not look like Donald has the time to catch up. Trump has to win swing states like North Carolina and Florida or the party is over and indicators show he is trailing in both. According to a Vox survey Hillary has stayed steady in blue states plus Michigan, Wisconsin, Virginia, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire so really, it is almost a done deal with the odds on Hillary winning stand at 90% at this moment. Does Trump have a rabbit left in his hat and I dont mean a bunny. By Andrew Cawthorne and Daniel Kai | CARACAS CARACAS Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro was to sit down on Sunday with opposition representatives and foreign mediators, a gesture his foes suspect is a time-wasting tactic to ease pressure on the unpopular socialist leader.The opposition Democratic Unity coalition has stepped up protests since authorities scuttled its push for a referendum this year on Maduro's rule, which polls showed he would have lost, triggering a presidential election. Critics say 17 years of socialist rule have wrecked the OPEC nation's economy and crushed democracy, while the government says a U.S.-backed elite is seeking a coup.Maduro has said he will personally attend Sunday's meeting, expected to take place in Caracas, while coalition secretary-general Jesus Torrealba will represent its nearly 30 different opposition political organizations.Also due to attend were a Vatican envoy, representatives of the Unasur regional bloc, and three former heads of state from Spain, Panama and the Dominican Republic. Torrealba, in a blog, said top of the opposition's agenda would be resuscitating the plebiscite, freeing political prisoners, helping victims of Venezuela's "humanitarian crisis", and demanding respect for the opposition-led legislature. "There could be important conclusions that enable a scaling-down of the conflict, a return to the electoral route, and a distancing of the storm-clouds of violence," he said. "There's no denying: there is skepticism and mistrust."BUYING TIME? Various opposition leaders have distanced themselves from the talks, saying Maduro has become a dictator who is only promoting dialogue to entrench himself."Everyone knows that President Nicolas Maduro and his regime normally use dialogue as a mechanism to evade constitutional responsibilities and buy time," 15 coalition parties said in a letter urging Torrealba to use Sunday's meeting only to negotiate Maduro's exit this year. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said Maduro, 53, had stayed away from Saturday's Ibero-American summit in Colombia to prepare for Sunday's meeting.Senior Socialist Party official Jorge Rodriguez, who is expected to attend Sunday's talks, said the opposition needed to renounce violence in the streets and to reject neo-liberal economics like those being applied in Argentina and Brazil. "I think the president has called for a national dialogue more than 50 times," he told local TV."The only ones who have not sat down to talk are the opposition sectors due to those internal fights they have, their battle for the eventual (presidential) candidacy," he said, referring to the next presidential vote due in late 2018.Sunday's planned meeting follows massive opposition marches and a partially successful national strike last week.The opposition is also planning a march on the Miraflores presidential palace for Thursday, drawing government accusations they want to reprise a short-lived 2002 coup against Maduro's predecessor Hugo Chavez. He allowed and won a recall referendum. (Editing by Mary Milliken) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Taking a quick look at Suncor Energy's (SU 2.02%) most recent earnings release, you can barely notice the fact that it shut in large swaths of production after Fort McMurray was ravaged by wildfires in the second quarter of this year. Rather, the company had quite possibly the best quarter it could have, considering the oil and gas market. Let's look at the numbers for this most recent quarter and where the company will probably go from here. By the numbers Metric Q3 2016 Q2 2016 Q3 2015 Revenue $5,704 $4,612 $5,688 Net income $302 ($573) ($286) Earnings per share $0.18 ($0.36) ($0.20) Operational cash flow $1,524 $672 $2,106 Before making too many comparisons between this quarter and the prior one, just remember that the the company's overall production was significantly hampered from wildfires. For the most part, though, things went exactly as they have at other oil and gas companies this past quarter: Slightly higher price realizations coupled with lower operational costs have improved upstream results, while refining margins narrowed and affected downstream profits. The highlights Total production from both oil sands and conventional production increased to 778,100 barrels of oil equivalent per day, a 29% jump from the same quarter last year. The noticeable jump in production was attributed mostly to the increased stake in Syncrude that added more than 150,000 barrels per day to overall production, but there were also some modest gains in its exploration and production division thanks to an optimization project at its Terra Nova platform and new wells at its Hibernia facility. Just about all facilities in the Fort McMurray region were up and running at 100%, despite the wildfires that drastically curbed production in the prior quarter. Operational costs across its oil-sands facilities were $22.15 per barrel, the lowest they have been in over a decade. Cash costs at Syncrude also declined from $41.65 per barrel this time last year to $27.65 per barrel. Refinery throughputs also increased thanks to higher utilization, improved reliability, and less maintenance. The overall results for the segment decreased because of lower refining margins, though. Investors can expect a decline in refining this coming quarter, as planned maintenance will result in downtime at Suncor's Montreal and Sarnia refineries. Suncor sold a 49% working interest in its East Tank Farm Development to both the Fort McKay and Mikisew Cree First Nations for $497 million. The tank farm is being built in conjunction with Suncor's Fort Hills oil-sands project. Fort Hills is now 70% complete and is on track for first production in late 2017. What management had to say Suncor has been very aggressive over the past year or so regarding mergers and acquisitions. As a result, it has built up a decent-sized debt load that has some investors worried. As a result, there have been rumors flying around that the company is looking to shed some assets and shore up its financials. On the company's conference call, CEO Steven Williams quickly put the kibosh on those rumors: Rumors and speculation will always be with us, but what I would say is simply judge us by our record. We're not out to build an empire or growth for the sake of growing. Our goal is always to add long-term value for our shareholders. We'll continue to evaluate every opportunity that comes along. But to be clear, I think with prices recovering to a $50 level, there's beginning to be less pressure on sale, and the window of opportunity may well be closing. Certainly for Suncor, this is likely to be the case because we will not chase deals. And to be very frank, we don't need to do any further M&A. With our increased stake in Syncrude already generating strong returns and Fort Hills and Hebron are progressing to completion, Suncor is growing both quickly and profitably. We expect to significantly exceed 800,000 barrels per day of production by 2019, and that's over 40% growth in just four years and represents a 6% per share compounded annual growth rate between 2015 and 2019. It's also a growth that significantly increases our leverage to oil prices, and we expect it to put us among the industry leaders on free cash flow yield forward strip crude prices. What a Fool believes Suncor seems to be pushing all the right buttons when it comes to handling an industry downturn. It has been very aggressive in making acquisitions on the cheap and has done a commendable job of lowering operational costs to generate some form of profit and cash flow despite operating mostly oil sands -- a traditionally higher-cost source of oil. There is a little concern that the company may have stretched itself too thin with all of these acquisitions and aggressive capital spending programs, but the company's debt levels aren't that far out of whack from other oil majors. Also, with its lower cost structure, a modest uptick in oil and gas prices could fix a lot of those issues pretty quick. This was supposed to be the year that things finally turned around for Weatherford International (NYSE: WFT). The company had started taking the necessary steps of drastically reducing its work force, cutting its debt load, and starting to work toward generating gobs of free cash flow. Unfortunately, this third quarter the company took some major steps back in that regard. But although the results weren't that great, management was surprisingly chipper about the company's future. Let's take a quick look at the results to see what went wrong, and why management seems much more optimistic than the numbers might indicate. By the numbers Q3 2016 Q2 2016 Q3 2015 Revenue $1,356 $1,402 $2,237 Operational income ($111) ($66) $80 Net income ($1,780) ($565) ($170) Earnings per share ($1.98) ($0.63) ($0.22) One thing to keep in mind with these results is that there are some considerable asset writedowns in that net-income number, so from a continuing operations standpoint, things aren't as bad as they look. For the quarter, management booked $1.43 billion in charges, of which $719 were asset impairments and inventory writedowns and another $683 million in tax valuation allowances. Last year, management had said it didn't foresee any further non-cash charges to the balance sheet, but then again, it also thought that it would generate $650 million in free cash flow this year. To the company's credit, it has continued to cut costs throughout this down cycle. This quarter the company announced that it had let go 8,000 employees to lower its cost base, as well as shut down five operational facilities. On an annual basis, the head-count reduction should save the company $500 million annually. The biggest issue has been that revenue declines have outpaced those gains. Only in North and Latin America did Weatherford's operational efficiencies lead to improved results: The other discouraging point about Weatherford's results is the continued cash burn that is setting the company back yet again. This quarter, operations burned through $106 million, on top of the $41 million in capital investments, net sales and insurance recoveries. For the year, the company has burned through $519 million in cash and has, as a result, needed to tap the debt markets yet again. At the end of the quarter, net debt stood at $7.05 billion -- $1.26 of which is convertible debt that it used to refinance its debt coming due between now and 2018. What management had to say Even though the numbers across the board didn't look good for the company, CEO Bernard Duroc-Danner sounded surprisingly optimistic in his earnings release statement. His positive spin on everything came down to the fact that the market is starting to show signs of life that indicate it is recovering: Our third quarter results represent the first period of revenue growth ex-Zubair, following seven consecutive industrywide quarters of declining activity and pricing. Given that the industry bottomed during the second quarter, the worst of the historical downturn is behind us, and the market is slowly turning. ... Leading market indicators continue to show a tightening of the global supply and demand balance, and we anticipate these trends will steadily accelerate. In addition to these fundamentals, potential production discipline by OPEC and Russia should further underpin the strengthening of oil prices, giving rise to increased spending by our customers next year. We are encouraged by our revenue performance in the third quarter and the fact that our operating income margins improved modestly. With these positive signs, a low cost structure and a repaired balance sheet, we are increasingly confident about our future. Technology and service quality will drive our path forward. Operations is our entire focus. Through innovation, we are further integrating our product line disciplines, which will improve productivity and result in higher capital efficiency. Duroc-Danner isn't alone in this opinion, but his views do paint a rosier picture than most. Schlumberger's CEO Paal Kibsgaard also noted in his company's press release that he expects activity across the industry to pick up in 2017. But it will be a very muted recovery because the financial statements of producers ranging from the small mom-and-pop operations to the national oil companies in the Middle East look absolutely dismal right now, and companies will need to pay off some debts before going full-bore again. What a Fool believes It seems that no matter what Weatherford tries to do to lower its cost structure, the oil and gas market dips even lower. This puts the company so far behind its strategic plan from last year that it had to throw that plan out the window and refinance its debts, rather than pay them down with free cash flow. Management believes that it is in a great position to capture the benefits of a market rebound and estimates a rapid return to profitability. Based on statements from other oil-services executives, though, that recovery may not be as robust as Weatherford is hoping for. Plus, with so many spending gaps that need to be filled, Weatherford still has a lot of work to do before investors should seriously consider it. We're finally in the home stretch of what has been a divisive, acrimony-filled election year. While most of us will be glad when it's finally over, win or lose, there are important issues on the ballot along with the candidates, even if you're not actually pulling a lever for them. Whoeverfollows President Barack Obama into the Oval Office is going to need a plan to address these issues. And one of those issues that has been polarizing the country is access to firearms. Democratic Party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Image source: Flickr via U.S. Embassy. Because the next president will be appointing a Supreme Court justice to fill the vacancy created by the death of Antonin Scalia, the nominee's vote will certainly tip the balance one way or the other. In all likelihood, either current gun ownership rights will remain, or access to firearms will be restricted as a means of curbing gun violence. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton believes she has that prescription for America. This time around, we're going to take a facts-only look at her nine-point plan to address the gun issue. 1. Comprehensive background checks.Hillary Clinton argues that as many as 40% of all gun purchases in the U.S. are done without a criminal background check being performed on the buyer. And since the Brady Bill was signed into law by her husband Bill Clinton in 1993, more than 2.4 million prohibited gun purchases have been blocked. Putting those two data points together, Clinton calls for an expansion of the background check program, a move she says is supported by 90% of the U.S. population. The Pew Research Center largely backs up her claim for widespread support, finding that even three quarters of supporters of Republican nominee Donald Trump endorse further criminal investigations, though the policy institute pegs total support slightly lower, at 83%. 2. Close the Charleston loophole.Under federal law, licensed gun dealers can transfer a firearm to an individual after three days even if the criminal background check hasn't been completed. Dylan Roof, who killed nine people in a South Carolina church, had ostensibly obtained his weapon under such circumstances. Although his drug possession charge wasn't a federal drug charge, as alleged, a crime that would have automatically precluded him from obtaining a firearm (rather it was a misdemeanor offense under state law), it's still possible the FBI examiner would have flagged it. Image source: Flickr via M&R Glasgow. 3. Close the gun show loophole.Similarly, Clinton wants to expand the definition of who needs to be licensed to sell firearms to include those selling large volumes of guns. The so-called "gun show loophole" is an imprecise term since all federally licensed firearms dealers are required to conduct criminal background checkswhether at gun shows or not. And individuals not "in the business" of selling firearms are not required to do so, also regardless of whether they are at a gun show or not. While some may argue the "high-volume gun sellers" Clinton wants to include are already covered by existing federal statutes since anyone regularly selling a lot of guns is already required to be licensed, she says if Congress won't act on it, she will issue executive orders to do so. 4. Hold gunmakers responsible for crimes committed with a gun.Acknowledging that while most manufacturers and gun dealers are responsible and safe actors, Clinton wants to repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act that prevents businesses from being held accountable for crimes that are committed with guns. If a store is robbed by a criminal using a gun, or someone is murdered by a firearm, she wants the gun store that sold the gun or the manufacturer that made it to be held responsible. Clinton voted against the bill in the Senate in 2005 and declares she "will lead the charge to repeal it as president." Image source: Flickr via Vlad Butsky. 5. Revoke licenses of dealers that sell to criminals.Clinton charges that gun stores are allowing illegal firearms to "flood our communities." As a result, they are the leading cause of death for black males between the ages of 15 and 24. The problem, she says, is that the agencies responsible for conducting checks of gun shops do not have the funding necessary to follow up on all the stores, so she will provide them with the money needed to carry out their function. Anyone found illegally selling guns will have their federal firearms license revoked. 6. Prohibit domestic abusers from buying or owning guns.While domestic abusers who are married are currently prohibited from owning or buying firearms under federal law, Clinton says the protections such bans offen are not extended to those in dating relationships or convicted of stalking. She will push to expand the gun ban to any domestic abuser, married or otherwise, and include stalkers, too. 7. Make "straw purchases" a federal crime.Buying a gun with the intent to turn around and sell or give it to someone else is called a "straw purchase." When you fill out the application to purchase a firearm, Form 4473, you're asked whether you are the "actual buyer," meaning you intend to own it and not give it to someone else. Lying on the form, as the Supreme Court decision inAbramski v. U.S. made clear, is a federal crime, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.Clinton deems the offense to be simply a "paperwork violation" and wants to change the law. Gun purchasers are required to complete Form 4473 before being able to buy a firearm. Lying on any of the questions is a federal crime subject to a substantial fine and prison term. Image source: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. 8. Improve existing mental health laws.Pointing to the Virginia Tech mass shooting, Clinton calls for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives to "finalize its rulemaking to close loopholes" so that mentally ill people who are involuntarily committed to outpatient treatment will not be able to purchase guns. 9. Ban assault weapons.Declaring "military-style assault weapons" a danger to law enforcement and our communities, Clinton says they do not belong on our streets and she will push for legislation that bans them. Will they work? Of course, the big question is whether her proposals would lead to the reduction in violent crime she is seeking. On the one hand, the number of mass shootings that have captured headlines has increased dramatically in recent years, and a common denominator of many of them appears to be the mental health issues of the perpetrators, as well as their taking antipsychotic medications. Image source: Flickr via Aaron Vowels. At the same time, the FBI says the number of violent crimes committed have dropped to decades-long lows. Many law-abiding citizens may feel her prescriptions are a shotgun approach to a problem that may have more narrowly defined limits. Implementing her policies will undoubtedly escalate the fractious debate that already swirls around the gun control issue. Are Hillary Clinton's policies the right ones to fix the problem that seems to have a nexus between crime and guns? In less than two weeks, you'll have the chance to help swing that debate one way or the other. A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early, in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Image source: Disney. There's no denying that Disney's (NYSE: DIS) least-visited theme park in Florida will be a gem in a few years, but Disney's Hollywood Studios might be a pretty incomplete experience to visitors until Toy Story Land and Star Wars Land open. Several attractions and dining experiences have closed over the past two years to clear the space that will be used by the two expansions, which will total roughly 25 acres. But help is on the way, at least on the dining front. PizzeRizzo -- the Muppets-themed pizzeria that will replace the old Pizza Planet arcade and pizzeria -- now has a Nov. 18 opening date. The Toy Story-fashioned Pizza Planet closed 10 months ago; it was lousy timing on Disney's part. The lengthy makeover happened just as Disney was closing off swaths of its park, including a popular stunt show, an immersive playground, and -- perhaps more importantly in this case -- the only other major counter-service eatery near that area of the park. The permanent closure of the Studio Catering Co. outdoor food court in April, paired with what will be a 10-month rehab at the new PizzeRizzo, created a void in dining options. If Disney World's attendance hadn't fallen through the first half of the year, it likely would have also created much longer lines elsewhere in the park. In hindsight, the PizzeRizzo makeover would've made more sense last year, while the Studio Catering Co. was still open, but the theme-park giant doesn't always get it right. Mighty mouse A rat-themed Italian restaurant may sound like a lousy idea, but it's perhaps a nod to Pixar's Ratatouille. Rizzo is also one of the more colorful characters in the Muppets arsenal, and the arrival of a historically charged stage show at Disney's Magic Kingdom a few weeks ago is proof that the media giant is still committed to the franchise, despite nixing its prime-time show on ABC earlier this year. When it opens next month, PizzeRizzo's menu will be nearly identical to the old one at Pizza Planet, down to the same meatball sub, antipasto salad, and four types of personal-sized pizzas. The desserts and beverage options are being updated, but most of the changes will be cosmetic; the video-game arcade will be replaced by a Muppets-themed pizzeria, complete with a banquet hall upstairs in the middle of a never-ending wedding reception. The park will need the high-volume eatery, just as it entertains peak holiday crowds. PizzeRizzo isn't the only new food hall in the works. Disney announced on Wednesday that it's taking down the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame Plaza -- featuring busts of TV icons -- to make way for a food and beverage marketplace. Food for thought Disney's Hollywood Studios became Disney World's least-visited park long before the rides and attractions started to close. It's been in need of something fresh for a long time, and that will come when Toy Story Land, and more importantly Star Wars Land, open. Disney has yet to offer up a timeframe for either area to open, making it likely that it could be as early as 2018 and as late as 2021, when Disney World turns 50. The park will also likely change its name at that point, shaking the "Studios" from its moniker. This has been a difficult year for Disney in terms of turnstile clicks at its Florida resort, but revenue and operating profits continue to move higher for Disney's theme parks division. Price hikes, increased in-park spending, and higher hotel rates have helped Disney's finances, but those same factors may also be weighing on overall theme-park attendance. We'll know more about Disney's theme-park business in a few days, when the media giant steps up with its latest quarterly results. However, at least we can see Disney start to address the dining-capacity deficiency at its most problematic park. It will have to do more than just that, of course, to become a theme-park darling. A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here. Rick Munarriz owns shares of Walt Disney. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Walt Disney. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Image source: Getty Images. It can rightly be said that without Social Security income America's seniors would probably struggle to make ends meet. Data from the Social Security Administration shows that nearly half of all elderly married couples receiving benefits, and just shy of three-quarters of all unmarried elderly persons, are counting on Social Security to account for at least half of their monthly income. Because Social Security income is so vital, protecting the viability of the program is viewed as one of the most important issues facing our next president. The concern for recent retirees and pre-retirees is that Social Security isn't in the best shape. Two major demographic shifts -- the retirement of baby boomers which is lowering the worker-to-beneficiary ratio, and lengthening life expectancies -- are weighing on the program, with the latest Social Security Board of Trustees report calling for Social Security to exhaust its more than $2.8 trillion in spare cash by the year 2034. Should this extra cash be exhausted, Social Security would essentially become a budget-neutral program, paying out in monthly benefits what it receives. This could necessitate an across-the-board cut in benefits of up to 21%. Not a pretty pictures if you're among the elderly married couples or unmarried individuals relying heavily on Social Security income during your golden years. It's up to lawmakers on Capitol Hill to find an amicable solution that either generates more revenue, cuts benefits, or offers some combination of the two. Despite at least 15 solutions at the ready, a fix for Social Security remains elusive. Image source: Getty Images. The most popular Social Security fix Taking into account the public's opinion, the most popular Social Security "fix" is to raise the payroll tax earnings cap. The Social Security payroll tax works out to 12.4% of earned income between $1 and $118,500, as of 2016. Typically this tax is split down the middle between you and your employer, unless you're self-employed, at which point you'll owe the entire 12.4%. Any earned income above and beyond $118,500 is free and clear of taxation in 2016. The reason raising the payroll earnings tax cap is such a popular option is that only about one in 10 Americans earns more than $118,500 a year. Workers are already paying into Social Security on every dollar they earn, so the prevailing view is that the rich should do the same. An informal poll from The Washington Post in 2014 found that of 12 Social Security fixes readers could choose from (and readers were allowed to select as many as they'd stand behind), raising the payroll tax was chosen by nearly seven in 10 readers. That was 25% higher than the second-place solution, raising the retirement age. Raising the payroll tax cap has been one of the most championed policies of Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton. Clinton has proposed raising a number of taxes on the wealthy, one of which is to reinstitute the Social Security payroll tax at $250,000. In other words, Clinton would provide a tax moratorium on earned income between 2016's (or a future) payroll tax level ($118,500) and $250,000, upon which the 12.4% tax would be reinstituted on any earned income above $250,000 with no limit. Of course, as of now it's uncertain if Clinton would be able to get such a reform through Congress if she's elected president. Image source: Getty Images. The rich are about to pay more into Social Security However, even if Clinton isn't elected president (Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has no plans to alter the payroll tax cap), the rich are going to be paying more into Social Security beginning on Jan. 1, 2017. Last week, the Social Security Administration announced its annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), which worked out to the lowest increase on record at 0.3% (note that three of the past eight years have included no COLA). But the SSA also announced an updated payroll tax cap level of $127,200 in 2017, up $8,700, or 7.3% from 2016's levels. Depending on whether you're employed by someone else and splitting the payroll tax liability, or self-employed, and earning in excess of $127,200, you'll be forking over an extra $539, or $1,079 (rounded to the nearest whole number) in 2017. For the numerous Americans who support raising the payroll tax cap, this substantive increase has to make them happy. Yet all Americans should understand that simply raising the payroll tax cap, or even eliminating it entirely and exposing all earned income to the payroll tax cap, doesn't resolve Social Security's long-term budgetary shortfall. According to the Centers for Retirement Research at Boston College, removing the payroll tax cap resolves only about 30% of the budgetary shortfall. Don't get me wrong -- this would be a step in the right direction to generating more revenue for the program, and it would probably push the Trustees' spare cash exhaustion estimate out beyond 2034. But, when all is said and done, future generations of retiree could still be in danger of seeing their benefits reduced. What additional measures should be considered? That's up to lawmakers in Washington, but the fact remains that Social Security needs fixing. The $15,834 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $15,834 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after.Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies. Sean Williamshas no material interest in any companies mentioned in this article. You can follow him on CAPS under the screen nameTMFUltraLong, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle@TMFUltraLong. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter servicesfree for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe thatconsidering a diverse range of insightsmakes us better investors. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy. Image source: Getty Images. By most accounts, the marijuana industry is growing like a weed.Since California became the first state to legalize medical cannabis in 1996, two dozen additional states have also legalized medical pot, and four states -- Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska -- along with Washington, D.C., have legalized the sale of recreational marijuana. This is pretty exceptional considering that public support for the nationwide legalization of marijuana stood at just 36% in 2005. Today, according to Gallup's most recent poll, 60% of Americans approve of the idea of fully legalizing marijuana. The industry and state governments appear to be benefiting, as well. A recently released financial report from Cowen & Co. estimated that legal pot sales are currently worth $6 billion, with the investment bank predicting that legal sales could explode to $50 billion by 2026. For you math-phobic people, that's a compounded annual growth rate of nearly 24% over the next decade. In Colorado, the government wound up adding $135 million in marijuana tax and licensing revenue to its coffers in 2015, with sales of legal weed topping $1 billion on a trailing 12-month basis. Looking ahead, the November elections will feature nine states voting on a marijuana initiative, five of which are looking to legalize recreational pot. California, one of the five states voting on recreational cannabis, is of particular importance because the state itself represents the eighth-largest GDP in the world. If approved, California could generate approximately $1 billion in extra revenue per year thanks to recreational marijuana tax revenue. Yet, in spite of this seemingly rapid growth, the cannabis industry could be facing a Catch-22 that ensures it struggles to expand no matter what the future holds for the drug. Image source: Getty Images. If the status quo continues... It might seem as if the cannabis industry would be just fine if the status quo were to continue. However, the industry is facing a number of inherent disadvantages that could make long-term success a major challenge. As a refresher, earlier this year the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency rejected two petitions that had called for a rescheduling of marijuana from its current schedule 1 (i.e., illicit) status to something less stringent. The DEA claimed in its rejection of the petitions that marijuana had no medical benefits, no clear studies to back up any claim of medical benefits, and that the chemical composition of marijuana was still largely unknown, making the safety of cannabis-based medicines difficult to understand. Because of this rejection, and the fact that the DEA often takes years to review marijuana's scheduling (this wasn't the first request to reschedule marijuana), it's likely the drug will remain as schedule 1 for some time to come. What does this mean? To begin with, it relegates expansion to statewide ballot initiatives, referendums, or the legislative process. This is a potential problem given that 14 of the 25 states that haven't legalized medical cannabis don't have the initiative and referendum process available. Half of these states tend to lean Republican -- which is a party that often opposes marijuana's expansion -- while the legislatures in the remaining seven states are politically divided, meaning expansion in more than a dozen states may be unlikely. Additionally, most financial institutions want nothing to do with the pot industry because they fear future prosecution from the federal government. Even though most legal states have extensive workarounds that banks can use to offer basic banking services, such as checking accounts and lines of credit, to cannabis-based businesses, just 3% of the nation's roughly 6,700 financial institutions are currently working with the cannabis industry. This forces most marijuana companies to deal solely in cash, which is both a security concern and an expansion inhibitor. Pot businesses also face a big disadvantage come tax time. U.S. tax code 280E disallows businesses that sell illicit substances from taking normal business tax deductions. In other words, as long as marijuana remains a schedule 1 substance, the businesses that sell legal marijuana products are almost assuredly going to be unable to take any corporate income tax deductions, requiring them to pay tax on their gross profits instead of net profits. This, too, constrains industry expansion. Image source: Getty Images. If marijuana is rescheduled... But the real Catch-22 becomes apparent when examining what would happen if the DEA adjusted its scheduling on marijuana and moved it to schedule 2. In one respect, a schedule 2 status would recognize cannabis as having medical benefits, which is something the medical marijuana community has fought for over a long period of time. However, it would also open Pandora's Box. Moving pot to schedule 2 would push a potential laundry list of regulations on the medical marijuana industry by essentially putting the drug under the tight control of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A schedule 2 drug is considered to be highly addictive, and would therefore be closely regulated by the FDA. For example, the FDA would be able to approve and regulate the labeling and packaging of marijuana, which could include changes to the manufacturing and marketing process for cannabis companies to ensure it stays out of the hands of minors and is not misidentified as something else (edible marijuana products vs. non-marijuana foods, as an example). The FDA could also closely monitor the growth and processing of marijuana as it does in a similar fashion with the manufacturing of pharmaceutical products. But the biggest potential issue if marijuana is rescheduled is that the FDA could require cannabis businesses to demonstrate via FDA-approved studies that medical cannabis provides the benefits that the industry has implied. There have been smaller clinical studies examining cannabis that have shown benefits in treating epilepsy, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and Alzheimer's disease, to name a few ailments -- though none of these studies were to the standards that the FDA will accept. Most have been conducted by researchers at universities or hospitals. If the cannabis industry is forced to run expensive clinical trials, it could run most small players out of business. Image source: Getty Images. Investors can't win under either scenario No matter what the future holds for the cannabis industry, barring a full de-scheduling of the drug, investors are likely to lose out. If the status quo continues -- which should be expected for at least a few years after the DEA recently declined to reschedule marijuana -- marijuana companies will likely face major tax disadvantages and ongoing financing and expansion concerns. The status quo does have the benefit of allowing small businesses to thrive, but there's very little in the way of viable investment opportunities for investors to consider since most businesses are quite small. If the drug is de-scheduled, big companies could prevail, but they'd still probably struggle with tight regulations and higher costs. These costs are expected to be passed along to the consumer and would probably widen the cost disparity between the legal marijuana market and the black market. As long as this Catch-22 exists, marijuana remains an investment opportunity best left untouched. A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here. Sean Williamshas no material interest in any companies mentioned in this article. You can follow him on CAPS under the screen nameTMFUltraLong, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle@TMFUltraLong. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter servicesfree for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe thatconsidering a diverse range of insightsmakes us better investors. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy. When Nabors Industries (NYSE: NBR) introduced its PACE rig to the market a few years ago, it was an immediate hit with the shale drilling industry because it did exactly what they wanted: delivered high horsepower and the ability to easily navigate a drilling pad to quicky move from well to well. When you look at the company's earnings, though, it's hard to find its impact. Let's take a look at the company's most recent results and figure out what's keeping these rigs from leading Nabors to new heights. Image source: Nabors Industries investor presentation. By the numbers Data source: Nabors Industries earnings release. The one promising note that can come from these results is that Nabors was able to significantly pare down its operational losses, while only seeing a rather significant decline in revenue compared to this time last year. The biggest reason for this was a reduction of G&A and other ancillary costs that saved the company $265 million. It also helps that the company is no longer carrying losses from its equity interest in C&J Energy Services, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the second quarter. In just about every business segment, adjusted operating losses widened from both the prior quarter and the same time last year. While the company did note that the total amount of rig activity -- as measured in rig years -- increased compared to the second quarter, lower rig margin took a bite out of earnings. The most notable was in its U.S. operations, which saw rig margin decline from $12,274 per day this time last year to $8,480 per day this past quarter. Data source: Nabors Industries earnings releases. Chart by author. From a cash flow and balance sheet perspective, the company didn't really hurt or help its situation much. Nabors reduced its total debt load ever so slightly to $3.47 billion, but it mostly dipped into its cash reserves to do so. With that added to the losses that take a bite out of shareholder equity, its debt metrics did creep up a little. Considering the operating environment for rig owners, though, we can probably call this a win for the company. What management had to say If there was one bright spot for the company, it's that new producers are lining up to use its new rigs. According to CEO & executive chairman Anthony Petrello, demand for its PACE rigs is extremely high. All of this sounds great, but it does raise the question of what it will do with the rest of its fleet that can't be upgraded. Today, there are about 47 rigs that aren't even AC power capable, and only two of them are active. With every passing day, demand for these rigs diminishes. It would seem that the best course of action would be to retire them and focus the entire company's efforts on these higher-demand rigs. What a Fool believes There are some signs of a very effective, profitable company inside Nabors Industries. The problem is that it's buried under a bunch of legacy equipment, a heavy debt load, and some misplaced investments. If the company were to start ridding itself of some of its legacy equipment that doesn't have much use in today's market and trim its debt load, then Nabors would be worth a look as an investment. Based on the results it's putting out today, though, it's probably best to take a wait-and-see approach because there are still some things the company needs to figure out. A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here. Tyler Crowe has no position in any stocks mentioned.You can follow him at Fool.comor on Twitter@TylerCroweFool. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. It was a beautiful August morning in Winston Salem, North Carolina, three years ago when my wife, Rebecca, then age 59, and I were engaging in our morning ritual of sipping coffee on the back porch. Without warning, the awful moment I had long dreaded finally arrived: Rebecca, diagnosed with Alzheimers disease (AD) six years earlier, looked at me and said, I have no idea who you are. Her blank stare confirmed she really meant it. But Sweetie, I am your husband, Ed, I replied. You are my wife. Weve been married for 33 years. The pain of that moment drove me from the porch into the house. I tearfully stood before a recent family portrait, looking into the faces of our adult daughters Erin, Leah and Carrie. I wondered how 37 years of a relationship and a third of a century of marriage could disappear from Rebeccas memory overnight. I also wondered how, in the absence of her knowing us, the girls and I would be able to convey our love to her moving forward. The 5 Love Languages came to mind. Authored by pastor and marriage counselor Dr. Gary Chapman, the book The 5 Love Languages describes how individuals communicate and receive emotional love using the metaphor of literal languages. The 5 Love Languages include: 1.) Words of Affirmation: unsolicited words of affection and appreciation 2.) Quality Time: giving someone your full, undivided attention 3.) Gifts: a visible symbol of love such as a purchased, handmade, or found tangible gift 4.) Acts of Service: doing helpful things for another person to lighten their load 5.) Physical Touch: deliberate touch conveying your presence to another For couples and families on the AD journey, The 5 Love Languages provide tools that make it possible to sustain an emotional connection with a memory-impaired person. With progressive cognitive decline, the person with AD gradually loses the ability to manage his or her side of the relationship, yet their deep human need for love does not disappear, and their ability to experience love is retained until the end of the journey. However, the healthy partner must repeatedly make intentional, sacrificial love by choice decisions that exceed what is required in relationships unaffected by dementia. Each member of our family had a special way of communicating our love to Rebecca during her AD journey. Erin loved spending quality time sitting with her and sharing a cup of coffee. Leah would play her guitar and sing to Rebecca words of affirmation. Carrie deployed physical touch while enjoying a snuggle with her mom and resting her head on Rebeccas shoulder. Although Rebecca never was a person who valued material gifts, she expressed great joy when receiving an ice cream cone from me for dessert every night, evidenced by a yum she had few intelligible words late in the journey and a toothy grin. Rebecca lost her battle with AD a few months ago. But because of The 5 Love Languages, our family has many memories of sharing our love with her. I hope Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade: The 5 Love Languages and the Alzheimers Journey, a book I co-authored with Dr. Chapman and health education specialist Debbie Barr, M.A., enables other families experiencing AD firsthand to enjoy the rewards of staying emotionally connected to loved ones with dementia. Edward Shaw, M.D., M.A. was a practicing radiation oncologist for 23 years and a world-renowned brain tumor expert. Inspired by Rebeccas journey, his medical interest shifted from cancer to dementia diagnosis and treatment. With additional training in mental health and grief counseling, he founded the Memory Counseling Program at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade: The 5 Love Languages and the Alzheimers Journey, a new release from Northfield Publishing, is available on Amazon.com. Most pregnant women know that a birth ball or an exercise ball can make labor more comfortable and can open up the pelvis to help it progress but a peanut-shaped exercise ball is a new tool thats gaining popularity in hospitals and birthing centers across the country and it may even reduce the high C-section rates. Mary Su, a 39-year-old mom from Modesto, California, used a peanut ball in April while in labor with her fourth child. I ended up using it a lot because it was something that I could do to make myself more comfortable and keep things productive while I was laying down, she said. Although Su was in labor for 36 hours, she said it was shorter than her previous VBAC delivery of her third child, which was 46 hours. It was comfortable. The only time my labor kind of stalled was when we werent using the peanut ball, she recalled. A new trend Three years ago I never met a nurse that knew what these were and today, everyone is running to steal them for their patients on the labor and delivery floor, Allie Sakowicz, a certified birth doula in Chicago. said. Traditionally, physical therapists use peanut balls to help patients with strength, balance and stability. That changed when a labor and delivery nurse at Banner University Medical Center Phoenix suggested that, since birth balls helped women without epidurals have faster labors, why not bring the ball into bed for all women in labor? Emily Botsios, the nurse, brought her idea to Christina Tussey, a clinical-nurse specialist. Since this method had never been done, the two decided to conduct their own study. It basically opens up the diameter of the pelvis to give the baby more room to descend and progress in labor, Tussey said. Their findings, published in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing in 2011, showed the peanut ball shortened the first stage of labor by 90 minutes and the second stage by 22 minutes. The study also found a reduction in the use of forceps and vacuum-assisted deliveries. Its some pretty significant findings for something you can pick up for $20 at a sporting goods store, Sakowicz said. The peanut ball can also help women on bed rest or those whose babies are in a posterior position, with the head facing the mothers abdomen, which is also more likely with an epidural. This gives a baby enough room to turn if they need to so that they can come out into the pelvis quicker, Tussey said. Using the peanut ball during labor also has the potential to significantly reduce the C-section rate in the U.S., which remains high at 32.2 percent. In 2015, the Banner team conducted another study and found that 21 percent of study subjects who did not use the peanut ball went on to require a C-section, while only 10 percent of subjects who used the peanut ball needed a C-section. You really want to prevent the first C-section because almost 90 percent of women who get their first C-section have a repeat C-section, Tussey said. More and more hospitals are catching onto the idea and now offer peanut balls, but if you want to use one for labor, make sure its the right one for your height and weight too small and it wont be as effective, too large and it could cause hip pain. Although peanut balls are safe, its a good idea for women to check with their providers especially if they have had hip surgery or another problem, Tussey said. We would love all our patients to have vaginal births as much as possible and I think if there is an opportunity to have something that will enable that woman to have the best results with a vaginal birth with a simple intervention, why not use it, Tussey said. This is just a distraction, Democratic pollster Mark Mellman says of the news the FBI is reexamining the Clinton email case. During a press conference which lasted all of three minutes Hillary Clinton herself said, I think people a long time ago made up their minds about the emails. I think thats factored into that people think and now theyre choosing a president. But for people in the intelligence community -- including disgruntled FBI agents and even former officials in the Pentagon, its not that easy. WEINER, CLINTON AND THE FBI'S CHANCE AT REDEMPTION =AN ELECTION NIGHTMARE The revival of the Clinton email scandal reminds them of just how exposed Clinton left highly classified information. Last September, an FBI report noted the bureau couldnt find proof her private email server was hacked into by adversaries. But it noted that the private server had to be shut down repeatedly because of hacker attacks and a successful attack wasnt likely to have left fingerprints. Also, some "hostile foreign actors" were able to break into the personal email accounts of Clintons close aides, obtaining a treasure trove of emails exchanged with her personal account. Note that so far none of the WikiLeaks revelations have come from Hillarys personal account. That could mean it wasnt hacked, or it could mean that hostile actors are waiting to make use of them. Given the growing suspicions that the Clinton Foundation may have exchanged favors with the Clinton State Department, her private server could be of great interest in establishing such links. In short, we have to acknowledge the danger that Hillary Clinton could be the target of international blackmail in the White House. Consider what happened the first time the Clinton couple was there. Bill Clintons involvement with the intern Monica Lewinsky had national security implications and also subjected him to possible blackmail. Secret Service agent Gary Bryne reported in his book Crisis of Character that U.S. intelligence agencies had concluded that Russia, the U.K. and Israel had intercepted phone calls between Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. In 2000, Insight magazine, after a one-year investigation by a team of reporters, claimed that the Israeli government had penetrated four White House telephone lines and was able to relay real-time conversations on those lines from a remote site outside the White House directly to Israel for listening and recording. Boris Yeltsin, the former Russian president, wrote in his memoirs that Russian intelligence had picked up on Clintons predilection for beautiful young women. From agreeing to talk with the insecure Lewinsky on short notice to making sure she had a job to her liking at the Pentagon (with a security clearance!) President Clinton did a great deal to keep Lewinsky quiet. Nonetheless, she ended up discussing her affair with 11 people. One of those was Linda Tripp, a Pentagon official who recorded their talks. But what if Tripp or someone else had taken those tapes to Chinese or Iranian diplomats instead of Kenneth Starr, the special prosecutor? Indeed, in his book Clinton, Inc., journalist Daniel Halper reports that there was a blackmail attempt against Bill Clinton. In October 1998 in a bid to gain the release of Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard, an Israeli team led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to blackmail President Clinton with tapes of Clinton and Lewinsky. When Clinton brought Israels request for Pollards release to CIA Director George Tenet, Tenet threatened to resign on the spot should Clinton cave and release Pollard. Clinton ultimately declined the Israeli request, though he would consider it once again before the end of his term. In fact, Clinton was all too aware of the security risk the Lewinsky relationship represented. The Starr Report, released in September 1998, reveals that Clinton told Lewinsky that "he suspected that a foreign embassy was tapping his telephones, and he proposed cover stories" if they were ever questioned about their relationship. The president and Lewinsky had "phone sex" 10 to 15 times, so Clinton told Lewinsky that, if asked, she should say "they knew their calls were being monitored all along, and the phone sex was just a put-on." This laughable "explanation" wouldn't have helped much if a foreign power had intercepted the explicit calls. "I'm just horrified to think the commander-in-chief is conducting himself with such reckless disregard for his responsibilities, making himself part and parcel of every blackmail threat that one can imagine," retired Marine Lt. Gen. Charles Cooper told the Washington Times in 1998. The Code of Federal Regulations (Title 32, Chapter 1, Part 147) makes clear that a person may lose a security clearance for "concealment of information that may increase an individual's vulnerability to coercion, exploitation, or duress, such as engaging in activities which, if known, may affect the person's personal, professional, or community standing or render the person susceptible to blackmail. Presidents have enforced such laws by issuing edicts such as Executive Order No. 12968 in August 1995. It states that individuals eligible for access to classified material must have a record of "strength of character, trustworthiness, honesty, reliability, discretion, and sound judgment, as well as freedom from conflicting allegiances and potential for coercion." It was signed by President Clinton. Three months later he began a relationship with an intern named Monica Lewinsky The American people will have to decide if, after 20 years, the Clintons have really changed the way they operate and can be trusted to retake control of the Oval Office. Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin reportedly has said she does not know how tens of thousands of emails related to the FBI investigation of her boss' personal server were found on a laptop she shared with her now-estranged husband, former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner. The Washington Post reported that Abedin was not a regular user of the laptop in question. The paper also reported that Abedin's lawyers did not bother to search the device for work-related emails after she agreed to turn over such messages to the State Department. On Saturday, a senior law enforcement official told Fox News that the laptop contained "five digits," or at least 10,000, emails of interest to investigators. The source also told Fox News that law enforcement officials think it's highly unlikely that all of the newfound emails are duplicates, as the Clinton campaign has suggested. The Post reported, citing former FBI officials, that investigators would likely use a computer program to weed out duplicate emails before examining the remaining messages for possible criminality. Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that several Clinton allies have suggested the Democratic nominee distance herself from Abedin, who has had a professional relationship with Clinton for two decades. In that capacity, Clinton's team defended an unusual employment arrangement in which Abedin was paid by the Clinton Foundation, a consulting firm called Teneo and the State Department all at once. Clinton also stood by Abedin when Weiner's first online sex scandal cost him his seat in Congress, and when his second imploded his bid for New York mayor. When Abedin announced her separation from Weiner earlier this year, it was Clinton's campaign that sent her statement to reporters. Others suggested to the Times that the latest twist in the email investigation would make it impossible for Clinton to make Abedin part of her White House team if she is elected president next month. The paper also reported that Abedin did not travel with Clinton on a swing through Florida Saturday, instead working out of the campaign's Brooklyn headquarters. "We of course stand behind her," Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta told reporters, adding Abedin has "completely and voluntarily complied with and cooperated with the investigation." The Post reported that Abedin gave a sworn deposition this past June, saying that she had "looked for all the devices that may have any of my State Department work on it and ... gave them to my attorneys for them to review for all relevant documents." Two months earlier, Abedin told the FBI that her attorneys had asked the State Department about how to conduct a review of work messages from her personal laptop and Blackberry, but received no response. The FBI announced Friday that it had restarted an investigation into emails Clinton sent on a private server system while secretary of state, as a result of a probe into Weiner's, sexting, or sending sexually-suggestive electronic messages, to a teenage girl. The FBI conducted a roughly two-year investigation into Clintons use of a private server system, finding several emails marked as classified and concluding that she had been extremely careless. However, the agency did not find evidence that Clinton had been criminally negligent and did not recommend criminal charges to the Justice Department. Fox News producer Jake Gibson and the Associated Press contributed to this story. FBI Director James Comeys decision to revisit the Hillary Clinton email-private server case was triggered by the discovery of Clinton-related emails in a separate sexting investigation involving ex-New York Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner, a government source told Fox News on Sunday. The source said an analysis of the metadata on Weiners computer has turned up positive hits for state.gov and HRC emails, which led Comey to revisit the FBI investigation into Clinton using a private email server system while secretary of state. A second law enforcement source confirmed the account. Weiner is the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. He resigned from Congress in 2011, after a sexting scandal. That Clinton-related emails were on Weiners computer, which he purportedly shared with Abedin, was reported first by The Wall Street Journal. The Clinton campaign since the announcement Friday of the new emails has argued that Comey has not said whose names are on the documents or emails, reportedly in the thousands to hundreds-of-thousands. Investigators did not need to physically read the emails because the metadata identified the state.gov and Clinton accounts on the laptop device. Comey restarted the case after being briefed by agents. He subsequently told Congress, and Capitol Hill Republicans promptly boasted that the FBI had reopened its investigation into Clinton using a private Internet server system while secretary of state. Multiple sources now suggest that Comey knew about the existence of the Weiner laptop and the emails prior to last week. In July, Comey wrapped up the one-year FBI investigation into Clinton using the private server, saying she was extremely careless and that some of the emails off the server included classified information. However, he said investigators had not found enough evidence that Clinton had mishandled classified information to recommend criminal charges. Fox News was also told Sunday that a subpoena for Weiners computer was issued in late September and that the device was made available about a week later. On Sunday, the FBI obtained a warrant to begin reviewing new emails potentially tied to the Clinton case. Weiner purportedly is cooperating in the case that allegedly involves an underage female and has given investigators the laptop device. The FBI NY team working on the Weiner case has a sophisticated system to detect emails because it was their focus was child pornography and issues related to the sexting case, one of the sources told Fox News. However, the team was not authorized at the time of discovery to expand the search. Fox was also told the FBI obtained a warrant to collect evidence, as part of standard procedure. A law enforcement source told Fox News earlier Sunday that the New York team told agents involved in the investigation into Clinton using a private server system while secretary of state: We think we've come across some documents pertinent to your investigation." Weiner is still married to top Clinton aide Huma Abedin, and a laptop connected to the sexting case was purportedly shared by the couple. Comey was further compelled to review the documents based on two factors: the volume of documents and his commitment under oath to Congress to review any new and substantial information, the source also said. The new probe comes 9 days before Election Day in a closely contested White House race between Clinton, the Democratic nominee, and Republican nominee Donald Trump. Clinton has been the frontrunner for the entire campaign. But the FBI investigation and others, including several in the GOP-controlled Congress, have contributed to Americans eroding trust in her. Several sources told Fox News this weekend that thousands to tens-of-thousands of new documents emerged in the sexting case. However, it remains unclear whether any of them belong to either Clinton or Abedin, as the Clinton campaign has argued over the past few days. Everyone wants to have answers, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook told Fox News Sunday. Comey should put out answers. This letter is innuendo. Anonymous sources report that there is no evidence that the newly discovered emails on the computer involve Clinton. However, if the sexting case involves a laptop used by Abedin and the new-found documents include Abedin emails related to her time at the State Department with Clinton, she faces serious consequences. In June, Abedin said under oath in a Judicial Watch deposition that she searched through all her devices for government emails so they could be turned over to the State Department. Abedin could be charged with perjury if she lied under oath and as a result would face up to five years in prison. She also signed a State Department document stating that she no longer maintained classified information, as part of her official exit from the agency. Workers at Democratic Party headquarters in Warren County, Ohio had to deal with a stinky situation Saturday after a load of manure was dumped outside the building. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that the Warren County Sheriff's Office informed party officials of the dump at around 7:45 a.m. Deputies met with party officials later in the day to review security video. "What reasonable person thinks this is OK???" party chair Bethe Goldenfield posted on a local politics Facebook group. "I won't be responding to anyone who thinks this is acceptable behavior. It is ILLEGAL!" Goldenfield said the same thing happened four years ago. Warren County Republican Party chair Jeff Monroe told the paper his organization had nothing to do with the dung drop and offered to help with the clean-up. Warren County, in suburban Cincinnati, is a deep-red part of the state. Mitt Romney won 69 percent of the vote in the 2012 presidential election and no Democrat has been elected to county-wide office in 40 years, according to the Enquirer. Click for more from Cincinnati.com. The White House race appears to be tightening with Election Day just nine days away -- as Republican nominee Donald Trumps campaign tries to capitalize on the FBI now reviewing new documents related to the Hillary Clinton email controversy and the Clinton campaign suggesting a politically-motivated act while demanding answers on behalf of voters. Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, made no mention Sunday at a rally in battleground state Florida of the new documents, after saying Saturday that FBI Director James Comeys decision to review the emails was strange, unprecedented and deeply troubling. However, on Saturday she again focused her attack on Trump, her Republican rival, accusing him of fear mongering by overplaying the FBI review to confuse, mislead and discourage the American people. Earlier in the day, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook hinted he believed the new FBI review was politically motivated. Ten days out from an election, (Comeys) come under intense criticism from former Justice Department officials who said this is entirely a breach of protocol, he said on Fox News Sunday. That Director Comey sent this unprecedented letter shortly before the election when he doesn't even know what the information is -- that's disturbing. And we're just asking him, get everything out there that he knows. On Friday, the public learned about Comeys decision to review documents related to the investigation of former New York Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner allegedly "sexting" an underage female. Weiner is the now-estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. And a laptop reportedly related to the case was also used by Abedin, who worked with Clinton when she was secretary of state. Comey concluded his investigation this summer into Clintons use of a private Internet server system while running the State Department from 2009 to 2013. He has said Clinton was extremely careless in her actions and that some emails on the system contained classified information. However, Comey said he had not found enough evidence that Clinton mishandled such information to recommend criminal charges. Mook said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that he was "absolutely" confident that Abedin fully complied with the FBI during its original investigation into Clinton's private server. Also on Sunday, Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said on Fox News that Clinton and her team miscalculated in choosing to attack Comey. Terrible strategy to go on a full assault on the director of the FBI, Conway said. Her strategy has always been to shoot the messenger. Conway also vowed that Trump -- whose off-message remarks have hurt his outsider campaign -- will in the final days of the White House race address the new emails but also focus on his promises, if elected, to create jobs, defeat ISIS, repeal and replace ObamaCare and implement tax and regulation reform. Hours later, Trump said at a rally in battleground state Nevada that Clinton has nobody but herself for blame for the ongoing emails scandal, considering she set up an illegal server knowing full well that her actions put national interests at risk. Trump also called Clinton's actions criminal, deliberate and intentional, but only after vowing to end and replace ObamaCare, which he called a catastrophe. A new poll released Sunday shows more than 30 percent of likely voters say they are less inclined to support Clinton now that the FBI has announced its review of the newly-discovered emails. The ABC/Washington Post tracking poll was conducted from Tuesday to Friday, which means the surveys 1,781 respondents could only be asked on the final day about the revelations regarding the new emails. Still, the poll found 34 percent of the respondent were less likely to vote for Clinton and that she now leads Trump by just a single percentage point, 46-to-45 percent, in a four-way White House race, with Election Day on Nov. 8. The other two candidates are Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who, respectively, got 4 percent and 2 percent of the vote. Clinton leads Trump by 4 percentage points, according to the most recent averaging of polls by RealClearPolitics. Clinton had increased her lead in several polls after the release in early October of a 2005 audiotape in which Trump is heard boasting about his celebrity status allowing him to kiss and fondle women without invitation. Clinton on Sunday also cited a Washington Post report that Trump attended a fundraiser for young children with HIV but never donated money. "Who does that?" she asked. Trump's wife, Melania, will be making a rare appearance on the campaign trail with just days to go before Election Day, delivering a speech Thursday in suburban Pennsylvania. It will be her first appearance on the campaign trail since her speech at the Republican National Convention. The speech was well received, but the applause was quickly overshadowed by allegations that she had plagiarized sections from a speech given by first lady Michelle Obama. The Associated Press contributed to this report. I have no idea if the U.S. Capitol is haunted. It may be. But take your pick of most historic, cavernous, ornate, 200-year-old buildings and youre bound to find a tale or two of the macabre. Craggy castles in Scotland. Opulent opera houses in Paris. Drafty churches in New England. The U.S. Capitol is no different. Its the time of year when the press posts stories about phantasms that supposedly inhabit the Capitol. And were not talking about former Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., either. Theres the apparition of the Demon Cat. The frightening feline usually shows up before a national tragedy. People observed the demon cat before the assassinations of Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy. Theres the shadow of President and House member John Quincy Adams supposedly lurking around Statuary Hall as though trying to give a speech. Soldiers are sometimes spied marching around the same room -- which doubled as a hospital during the Civil War. One may hear the sound of Sen. Boies Penrose, R-Pa., in a squeaky rocking chair echoing throughout the Senate wing of the Capitol as he culls through legislation -- despite having passed away in 1921. You may even spot the late Rep. Preston Taulbee, D-Ky., lurking around a House stairwell, searching for a newspaper reporter who shot and killed him near that spot in 1890. Taulbees blood stains are supposedly visible on that marble staircase. Usually, its politicians who want to shoot the reporters. True or not, these tales from the Capitol crypt add to the allure of Congress at Halloween. As former colleague Todd Zwillich pointed out in a series of radio reports some years ago about congressional myths, the people who perpetuate the yarns are none other than the U.S. Capitol Police and lawmakers themselves. Lets look for a moment at non-ghost stories in the Capitol, many of which are embroidered with hyperbole. There is a legion of stories about the time the British burned the Capitol. The British soldiers were supposedly such skilled horsemen that they even guided their steeds up a circular stairwell near the Speakers Office. No one knows if thats true. An inspection of the stairs makes it hard to believe. But, its a great story. People today refer to that turret stairway as the British steps. An elegant chandelier hangs in the mini Rotunda near the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. There are all sort of narratives about the history of the chandelier. People speculate it hung on a pirate ship or in a brothel. The reality is that it came from an opera house in Baltimore. But who wants to let the facts get in the way of a good story. The same applies to the Capitols ghost stories. After all, this is what we do in Washington. Spin. Embellish. Exaggerate. Anything to make the story more appealing. People on Capitol Hill are masters of these skills. It doesnt matter whether theyre talking about a piece of legislation or a ghost story in the Capitol. And, like many other things in Washington, its hard to discern between whats fact or fiction. Could it possibly be any other way? Especially at Halloween? You know that weird scratching sometimes heard inside the Capitol walls? Well, thats the spirit of a stonemason who got sealed up in the foundation in the late 18th Century as they built the place. That strange scent of soap that emanates from the old Senate baths? Thats likely Vice President Henry Wilson -- preparing some suds when stricken by a case of pneumonia before he died in his Capitol office. Maybe your olfactory nerves dont detect anything, but you hear whizzing and sniffling. Yep, thats also Wilson, stricken with his croup. This is the allure of attractions like this almost everywhere. People flock to haunted houses this time of year because they want to be surprised. Spooked. Have Leatherface jump out from behind some corner and chase you with a chainsaw. You dont know specifically where or when this will happen. You just know that it will. And you will be scared. Visits to the Capitol dont quite work that way. OK, OK. Time for everyone to chortle and insert some line about the halls of Congress resembling a haunted house, too. You know, all of the ghouls who work there and frighten the American people. But seriously, the Capitol is a living museum. Its been there for a while. A lot of American history. And some grisly history, too. This merely enhances the allure of the Capitol. It stands as this citadel of democracy -- and yet its home to bizarre lore which is somehow out of place. At the end of the day, the Capitol is an old building. And old, historic structures accumulate supernatural mythology after a while. One of the reasons people enjoy haunted houses is because its exhilarating to be scared in a safe situation. A well-done haunted house makes people feel like there is risk -- but there really isnt. The Capitol is an extremely, safe environment. Its well-guarded. Lots of police. Professional, educated people with decades of expertise in policy areas work there. Its an imposing, physically impressive structure. Most of what goes on inside the Capitol deals with the mundane mechanics of government and legislation. So when visitors, aides and lawmakers hear about congressional ghost stories, they rationalize. How bad can it be really? Its the seat of government. They debate and make law there. There may be ghosts. But this isnt some abandoned, dilapidated old house out in the countryside somewhere. The Capitol is a known quantity. So, the threat posed by any of the Capitols ghosts is limited. By the same token, reports of hauntings at the Capitol defy nature. Ghosts arent supposed to be there. But the Capitol cant be that scary because its a known, bustling structure. The activity that unfolds inside is 180 degrees away from anything paranormal. The report of ghosts somehow doesnt fit. That simultaneously contributes to the intrigue. So its impossible to determine if the U.S. Capitol is haunted. Maybe it is. Maybe it isnt. And even if its not, haunted, it makes for a good story. And that always works in Washington. A van carrying a Virginia church group crashed into an SUV that crossed into its lane on a North Carolina highway early Sunday, sending 17 people to hospitals, the State Highway Patrol said. The injured ranged in age from a one month to 90-years-old, and two had to be flown by emergency helicopter for hospital treatment, the State Highway Patrol said. There were no fatalities as of Sunday afternoon. Fifteen of those hurt were aboard a rented van carrying members of a Jehovah's Witness congregation from Martinsville, Virginia, to Salisbury, North Carolina, troopers said in a news release. The van was traveling southwest on U.S. Highway 158 near Stokesdale at around 7 a.m. when a northbound Chevrolet Blazer crossed the road's centerline, troopers said. The scene was about 30 miles north of Greensboro. The SUV's driver, Diadra Rachel Shaffer, was charged with driving while impaired, careless and reckless driving, misdemeanor child abuse and other charges, the State Highway Patrol said. Shaffer, 35, of Stokesdale, was driving with her month-old infant in the back seat, troopers said. Both seatbelts and child restraints were used by Shaffer and her baby, state patrol said. Shaffer did not have a listed home telephone number and her family could not be reached for comment Sunday. The road was closed for about six hours to clean up gasoline spilled from the Ford van driven by James Martin, 60 of Martinsville, Virginia, troopers said. A Fairbanks, Ak. police officer who was shot earlier this month died Friday of complications from surgery related to his injuries, officials said. Sgt. Allen Brandt, an 11-year veteran, had been hospitalized Thursday for a scheduled procedure to have shrapnel removed from his eye. Fairbanks Acting Police Chief Brad Johnson told reporters that Brandt had "suffered complications afterward which continued to deteriorate throughout the day and from which he was unable to recover." "Fairbanks lost a hero today," an emotional Johnson said. Brandt, a married father of four, was shot five times Oct. 16 while responding to a report of gunfire. Prosecutors said the officer was struck twice in the right leg, once in the left leg and once in the right foot. A grazing wound hit his right knee. Body armor stopped a shot to the chest, but at least two bullet fragments entered his right eye. The suspect in the shooting, 29-year-old Anthony George Jenkins-Alexie, confessed to the shooting and wrote a letter of apology to Brandt. "I am mental just a little bit," the letter read in part. "You didn't deserve it. I was seeking vengeance from [Fairbanks Police] for taking my relatives lives and closest friends. I was wrong." According to prosecutors, Jenkins-Alexie took Brandt's gun from the officer's hand while he was lying on the ground. He tried removing ammunition from Brandt's duty belt but could not. He then stomped on Brandt's head. Brandt struggled to stand and tried to get away. Jenkins-Alexie followed, mocking him, then got into the patrol car and drove away, prosecutors said. Jenkins-Alexie has been charged with attempted murder, assault, theft of a firearm, theft of a patrol car, evidence tampering, possession of a firearm as a felon and firing a gun at a building. Fairbanks District Attorney Greg Olson said late Friday that his office was considering upgrading the attempted murder charge against Jenkins-Alexie to murder after Brandt's death. Brandt initially was released from an Anchorage hospital in time to address a Fairbanks city council meeting Oct. 24. "The night that I was shot I had my four kids and my wife on my bed and I read them a story, like I do," Brandt said in an address to the council. "After the story I told them 'I think I'm going to get shot tonight.' And in the middle of a gun battle that's all I could think about." The Associated Press contributed to this report. Click for more from the Fairbanks News Miner. Police found Yonatan Daniel Aguilar dead in the bedroom closet of his family's Los Angeles home in Augustand authorities say the malnourished boy, who was 11 years old but weighed just 34 pounds, had been hidden away in locked closets for three years. He was last seen publicly in 2012, at which time teachers reported that he had come to school with a black eye and seemed hungry. After that, his 39-year-old mother, Veronica Aguilar, told almost everyone, including Yonatan's stepfather, that she had sent the boy to an institution in Mexico, the Los Angeles Times reports. Yonatan was reportedly autistic and had issues with soiling himself. Authorities say that only his three siblings knew Aguilar was keeping him sedated with sleeping aids and locked in closets, some of them so small he couldn't stretch out his feet, per Fox 59. In the years prior to his vanishing from public life, Yonatan's family had been reported to DCFS six times for possible abuse or neglect; Yonatan's risk of abuse at home was gauged as "high" four times in the three years before he disappeared. But social workers never opened a case, and Aguilar, who volunteered at her kids' school, apparently convinced everyone nothing was amiss, CBS LA reports. Click for more from Newser. An Army vet who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan claims in a lawsuit that American Airlines refused to let her board a plane with her service dog. The Army Times reports that Lisa McCombs, of Gulfport, Miss., brought the lawsuit, saying she was humiliated last year when airline staff refused to let her fly home with the dog who helps her deal with her disability and has the papers to prove it. McCombs left the Army as a captain in 2009 after four years of service. The dog is a chocolate Labrador retriever named Jake. The Army Times reported that it tried to interview McCombs about the lawsuit but she referred a reporter to her attorney. The paper reported that when it reached the attorney he declined to comment. The lawsuit says Jake wasnt allowed to fly with McCombs even though the airline says it welcomes service dogs on flights. It took McCombs and Jake two days to fly home. WLOX-TV reported that the lawsuit says American Airline agents were rude and condescending to McCombs in Kansas. The lawsuit says agents asked her Are you trying to fly with that? and What is your disability anyway? according to the station. Her lawusit claims violations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and seeks unspecified damages. American Airline spokesman Matt Miller told the Army Times that Jim Palmersheim, the airlines senior manager of Military and Veterans Programs, spoke to McCombs immediately after the incident. He also said the airline had no comment on the lawsuit. Two people were killed and four people were injured during an early morning shooting in Maryland's Prince George's County. News reports quote Prince George County's police department as saying that officers found six victims at 2:45 a.m. Sunday. Police did not release the identities of the victims. The police department said on its Twitter account that at least one teenager was among the victims. Detectives are working to identify suspects. An Uber driver was arrested in Prince Georges County, Maryland, after allegedly kidnapping and assaulting a female passenger who blacked out at a DC bar. Police say one of the victims friends called Uber to take her home after she had too much to drink, and the driver, 29-year-old Westagne Pierre, picked her up but didnt drop her off at home. Detectives believe Pierre, of Greenbelt, picked up the victim at a bar in DC on the night of October 18, and first drove her to her home in Virginia. But instead of dropping her off there, he then drove her to the Budget Inn in College Park. Once there, police say he checked into the hotel using his own information, lifted her out of the car and carried her to the hotel room. After some time, Pierre allegedly left the room and went to a nearby 7-Eleven, where he used the victims American Express card to make a $14.00 purchase. Pierre was arrested on Thursday, and is charged with kidnapping, assault and for fraudulently using the victims credit card. Click for more from Fox 5. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plane has returned to Ottawa shortly after taking off because of mechanical issues. A spokeswoman for Trudeau said late Saturday the plane landed without incident and they will be departing for Europe again as soon as possible. Trudeau is heading to Belgium where he is to sign a free trade agreement with the EU. next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 The European Union and Canada are preparing to sign a landmark trade pact, ending days of drama after a small Belgian region refused to endorse the agreement and deeply embarrassed the EU. The long-delayed Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement was bedeviled by yet another hold up early Sunday when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plane had to return to Ottawa due to mechanical issues. The scheduled two-hour EU-Canada summit is now due to start in Brussels at 1100 GMT. Trudeau will sign the pact with European Council President Donald Tusk, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency. Politicians in Belgium's Wallonia region argued the deal would undermine labor, environment and consumer standards and allow multinationals to crush local companies. The Islamic State terror network on Saturday claimed responsibility for a deadly stabbing attack earlier this month in Germany that left one teen dead and another undergoing psychiatric treatment. "A solider of the Islamic State stabbed 2 individuals in Hamburg city on the 16th of this month. He carried out the operation in response to calls to target the citizens of coalition countries," a "source" told the ISIS-related media outlet Amaq. MANHUNT FOR SUSPECTS AFTER STABBING AT GERMANY TRAIN STATION German police couldn't independently verify the claim, which differs from actual events in that only one person was stabbed. "We are aware of the statement and have to check the content thoroughly in regard to its reliability," said a spokesman for the prosecutor's office who spoke on condition of anonymity. Two teenagers, a 16-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl, were sitting on the waterside of a Hamburg lake on Oct. 16 when a man approached them from behind, stabbed the boy several times with a knife and then pushed the girl into the water. The attacker fled afterward. The boy was taken to a hospital where he subsequently died. The girl who was pushed into the water wasn't injured, but was taken to a hospital for psychiatric treatment after the attack. FOURTH PERSON DIES AFTER BLAST AT GERMAN CHEMICAL PLANT Hamburg police are still looking for the attacker, whom they have described as a male from 25 to 30 years old. In the last two weeks a homicide division had investigated the murder, but they had not taken terrorism into consideration. The attack at Aussenalster lake, which is a popular leisure time destination, had shocked the citizens of Hamburg for its cold-bloodedness. The spot where the attack took place has been decorated by friends of the teenage couple with flowers, red memorial candles and balloons. Hamburg police spokesman Timo Zill said it was too early to speculate about the possible attacker and his motive, but added that the city's security officials were to meet Sunday to discuss the possible new dimension of the case. In July, two attacks carried out in Germany by asylum seekers were claimed by ISIS. Five people were wounded in an ax rampage on a train near Wuerzburg and 15 in a bombing outside a bar in Ansbach. Both of the attackers were killed. Earlier this month, a 16-year-old German-Moroccan girl went on trial for allegedly stabbing and wounding a police officer in Hannover at the behest of ISIS. A Syrian migrant who was suspected of planning to carry out a bomb attack killed himself in prison two days after being arrested this month in Leipzig. Germany's top security officials have long warned that the country is in the crosshairs of terror attacks by Muslim extremists. The Associated Press contributed to this report. German police are hunting a crazed knife gang who stabbed four people at train station in Frankfurt. The attack occurred at Hauptwache station and cops have confirmed that all four victims are in the hospital. GERMANY CHECKING IF FATAL HAMBURG STABBING WAS ISIS-RELATED A motive for the gruesome assaults has not been established but police are reportedly hunting several suspects. Local police tweeted: There was a knife assault at the #Hauptwache in #Frankfurt. That's why so many colleagues [police officers] and rescue workers there. The aftermath of the frenzied attack was captured on video and posted online. FOURTH PERSON DIES AFTER BLAST AT GERMAN CHEMICAL PLANT Other pictures show one of the victims being loaded into an ambulance. Police also tweeted out a warning to Frankfurt residents cautioning them not to panic. The tweet read: "We are asking to refrain from speculations over the incident at the Hauptwache. "You are scaring your fellow citizens. There is NO DANGER." Local radio station FFH reports that none of the victims sustained life-threatening injuries but have not yet been questioned by investigators. The attack reportedly started on level C of the station before moving down to level B. Hessenschau reports that traces of blood were found in both levels of the travel hub. The station is located in the heart of Germany's fifth biggest city. This comes as German anti-terrorist police swooped in five states in raids directed against suspected Chechen asylum seekers linked to ISIS. Thirteen properties in the country were searched and at least one arrest made. A number of computers, notebooks and other material relating to Jihadism were seized. Earlier this month, an asylum-seeker arrested on suspicion of plotting a massive ISIS bomb attack in Germany committed suicide in police custody. Officials confirmed reports that Syrian national Jaber Albakr had been found hanged in his cell in Leipzig on Wednesday evening. It is thought the 22-year-old who is suspected of plotting an atrocity at Berlin airport had been under round-the-clock surveillance over hunger strike fears, according German daily Der Speigel. This story first appeared in The Sun. next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 A Russian Soyuz space capsule has landed in Kazakhstan, bringing back three astronauts from the United States, Japan and Russia back to Earth from a 115-day mission aboard the International Space Station. The landing took place Sunday morning near Dzhezkazgan on the treeless Central Asian steppes. Kate Rubins of NASA, Japan's Takuya Onisihi and Anatoly Ivanishin of Russia were removed from the capsule and sat on the steppes still in their capsule seats while they readjusted to the forces of gravity after nearly four months in weightless conditions, then were taken to a nearby medical tent for initial examination. Andrei Borisenko and Sergey Ryzhykov of Russia and NASA astronaut Robert Shane Kimbrough remain aboard the space station. The State Department is ordering family members of employees posted to the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul to leave because of security concerns. In a statement issued Saturday, the State Department says the decision is based on security information indicating extremist groups are continuing aggressive efforts to attack U.S. citizens in areas of Istanbul where they reside or frequent. The Consulate General remains open and fully staffed. The order applies only to the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, not to other U.S. diplomatic posts in Turkey. The travel warning issued Saturday updates a warning last week of increased threats from terrorist groups throughout Turkey. U.S. citizens were advised to avoid travel to southeast Turkey and carefully consider the risks of travel to and throughout the country. The State Department said international and indigenous terrorist organizations in Turkey have been targeting U.S. as well as other foreign tourists. Anti-American sentiment runs high in Turkey despite its status as a NATO ally and a member of the anti-ISIS coalition. In addition to the terrorist threat, friction between Washington and Ankara has increased since a failed July coup in Turkey, which Turkish officials blame on a U.S.-based cleric who lives in self-exile in Pennsylvania. Turkey has requested his extradition, but the U.S. has yet to make a decision. RV Filled With Marijuana-Laced Candy Catches Fire, West Palm Beach Drug Rehab Comments ( October 28, 2016 ) West Palm Beach, FL -- CBSNews reports that a large fire on Delaware Memorial Bridge was caused by an RV loaded with marijuana-flavored candies. The vehicle, which is owned by "Weed World Candies" and was travelling the country to promote legalization of marijuana, caught fire while heading toward New Jersey. Firefighters responded quickly and no one was injured. While West Palm Beach Drug Rehab is a leader in providing drug rehab in West Palm Beach, they also recognize the economic and medical potential of legalizing marijuana. Additionally, legalized marijuana will help to rectify the overcrowding of our prison system. A representative of West Palm Beach Drug Rehab comments, "We are glad to hear that no one was injured in the RV fire in Delaware. While we understand that this cause is important to many people across the country, it is certainly not worth putting lives in danger. Legalization of marijuana has the potential to boost our economy and provide medical breakthroughs that help millions of people improve their qualities of life. It also stands to help us address the issues within our legal system surrounding marijuana possession and other non-violent drug crimes. On the other hand, marijuana abuse and addiction is real and we also need to address that as the country moves toward marijuana legalization." About West Palm Beach Drug Rehab 45789: West Palm Beach Drug Rehab offers a peaceful and calming atmosphere to facilitate recovery from substance abuse in sunny South Florida. Serving people from across the United States, West Palm Beach Drug Rehab utilizes a combination of holistic and traditional methods personalized to meet the individual needs of client. Group dynamic therapy begins as early as the medically-assisted detoxification stage of treatment, fostering a supportive, healing community. Additionally, West Palm Beach Drug Rehab provides individual therapy sessions, art and animal therapy options, yoga, meditation, and acupuncture, as well as access to a full gym and spa services. For more information about West Palm Beach Drug Rehab visit http://westpalmbeachdrugrehab.org/ or call (561)513-5749. For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Matteson Partners Taking On New In-House Legal Recruitment Clients (Mon 29th May 17) Huong Nghiep A Au Vocational Guidance School Launches New Major (Thu 25th May 17) FSP unveils new Industrial and Gaming power solutions at COMPUTEX 2017 (Wed 24th May 17) The Best Free Keylogger of 2017 Has Been Announced by the Official Remote Keylogger (Tue 23rd May 17) The Remote Keylogger Development Team Announces An Update to the Official iPhone Keylogger (Thu 11th May 17) CaptureStream Announces its New Streaming Video Recorder and Downloader (Mon 8th May 17) Switchgear Market worth 144.41 Billion USD by 2021 The top players in the switchgear market include ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), TE Connectivity (Switzerland), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan), Siemens AG (Germany), Alstom (France), General Electric Company (U.S.), Crompton Greaves Ltd. (India), and Eaton Corporation (Ireland). -- The report "Switchgear Market by Voltage (52 kV), by End-user (Transmission & Distribution Utilities, Manufacturing & Process Industries, and Commercial & Residential Infrastructure), and by Region - Global Trends & Forecast to 2021", The switchgear market is expected to grow from an estimated USD 89.40 Billion in 2016 to USD 144.41 Billion by 2021, at a CAGR of 10.07% from 2016 to 2021. Increasing investments in transmission & distribution network development and growing need for efficient & reliable power are driving the global switchgear market. Browse 73 market data Tables and 51 Figures spread through 159 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Switchgear Market " Download Free PDF Brochure: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=1162268 Increasing preference for low voltage switchgear of capacity <1 kV The <1 kV switchgears are used to control power supply and protect low voltage equipment in an electrical circuit. These switchgears are extensively used in commercial, residential, and industrial applications for various purposes; therefore, the demand for low voltage switchgears is in-line with industrial and urban developments, globally. Transmission & distribution utilities is the largest end-user segment Switchgears reduce the risk of losing costly instruments and equipment, due to current and voltage fluctuations in the power network systems. They are used for switching the power supply given to the equipment or the circuit during the event of a fault. With increasing electricity access worldwide, the number of substations would increase, which in turn would raise the demand for switchgears. Asia-Pacific is the dominant market for switchgears In this report, the switchgear market has been analyzed with respect to five regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and the Middle East & Africa. The Asia-Pacific region holds the largest market for switchgear, driven largely by the number of transmission & distribution line upgrades and developments in China, India, and the ASEAN countries. The region would continue to dominate the market during the forecast period, due to strong smart grid initiatives, high investments in transmission & distribution infrastructure upgrade, energy efficiency measures, and renewable projects. The switchgear industry is fragmented and offers several opportunities for consolidation and growth in efficiency through an increase in economies of scale. The industry has low entry and exit barriers. The top players in the switchgear market include ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), TE Connectivity (Switzerland), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan), Siemens AG (Germany), Alstom (France), General Electric Company (U.S.), Crompton Greaves Ltd. (India), and Eaton Corporation (Ireland). Dominant players are trying to penetrate developing economies and adopting various methods to grab the market share. The scope of the report aids market participants to identify high growth markets and help managing key investment decisions. The report segments the market on the basis of voltage range -52 kV; end-user - transmission & distribution utilities, manufacturing & process industries, commercial & residential infrastructure, and others (mining, marine, offshore power generation, and transportation); and region - Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, South America, and the Middle East & Africa. Each region has been further studied on the basis of its important country markets. Free Sample Pages: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsample.asp?id=1162268 The original equipment manufacturers of switchgear include ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), Eaton Corporation (Ireland), GE (U.S.), Schneider Electric SE (France), and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan) among others. The end-users include United States National Grid (USNG) (U.S.), State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) (China), Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL) (India), Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency (ANEEL) (Brazil), and Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) (Malaysia) among others. Target Audience: Switchgear manufacturers, dealers, and suppliers Transmission and distribution utilities State and national regulatory authorities Power generation plants Consulting companies and associations in the energy and power sector Government and research organizations "Study answers several questions for the stakeholders, primarily which market segments to focus on in the next 2-5 years for prioritizing the efforts and investments". Available Customizations: With the given market data, MarketsandMarkets offers customizations as per the client's specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report: Product Analysis Product Matrix which gives a detailed comparison of the product portfolio of each company Regional Analysis Further breakdown of the Rest of Asia-Pacific switchgear market into South Korea, Malaysia, and Indonesia among others Further breakdown of the Middle East & Africa switchgear market into Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Nigeria, and Algeria among others Company Information Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (Up to 5) Speak to Analyst: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalyst.asp?id=1162268 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. 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For more information, please visit http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/switchgear-market-1162268.html Contact Info: Name: Rohan Organization: MarketsandMarkets Source: http://marketersmedia.com/switchgear-market-worth-144-41-billion-usd-by-2021/141901 Release ID: 141901 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global Accounting Software Industry 2016 Analysis and Opportunities Market Report 2021 WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On -"Global Accounting Software Industry 2016 Analysis and Opportunities Market Report 2021". -- Global Accounting Software Market 2016 Accounting software is a foundational technology for many companies, and as a business grows having a powerful, effective accounting solution becomes increasingly critical. Most accounting software packages offer the same basic features necessary for managing finances: accounts receivable, accounts payable, general ledger, billing and invoicing, purchase and sales orders, and reporting. Beyond basic functionality, the top accounting solutions offer additional features to give users more power, flexibility and customization. Oftentimes accounting solutions are closely integrated with other key software solutions. Most ERP solutions include an extensive accounting module, but buyers should also consider best-of-breed, standalone accounting software. Accounting solutions target four segments. Entry Level software is the least expensive and with the least number of features and functionality. This segment is now split into desktop applications and online solutions. The Market is separated into Small to Medium Business (SMB) and Small to Medium Enterprise (SME.) Finally, there are the major Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions that are typically deployed in Fortune 500-size companies. In this report, the focus of this article is small to medium sized businesses, so I will not deal with the ERP solutions. This Report Presents Product Specification, Manufacturing Process and Product Cost Structure. Request For Sample Report @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/609095-global-accounting-software-market-forecast-to-2021 For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.com Scope of the Report: This report focuses on the Accounting Software in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application. Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers Intuit, Sage, SAP, Oracle (NetSuite), Microsoft, Infor, Epicor, Workday, Unit4, Xero, Yonyou, Kingdee, Acclivity (AccountEdge), FreshBooks, Intacct, Assit cornerstone, Aplicor, Red wing. Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) Latin America, Middle and Africa Market Segment by Type, covers Online Solutions Accounting Software Desktop Solutions Accounting Software Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into Manufacturing Services Retail Complete Report Details @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/609095-global-accounting-software-market-forecast-to-2021 Table Of Contents - Major Key Points Global Accounting Software Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2021 1 Manufacturers Profiles 1.1 Intuit 1.1.1 Business Overview 1.1.2 Accounting Software Type and Applications 1.1.2.1 Type 1 1.1.2.2 Type 2 1.1.3 Intuit Accounting Software Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share 1.2 Sage 1.2.1 Business Overview 1.2.2 Accounting Software Type and Applications 1.2.2.1 Type 1 1.2.2.2 Type 2 1.2.3 Sage Accounting Software Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share 1.3 SAP 1.3.1 Business Overview 1.3.2 Accounting Software Type and Applications 1.3.2.1 Type 1 1.3.2.2 Type 2 1.3.3 SAP Accounting Software Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share 1.4 Oracle (NetSuite) 1.4.1 Business Overview 1.4.2 Accounting Software Type and Applications 1.4.2.1 Type 1 1.4.2.2 Type 2 1.4.3 Oracle (NetSuite) Accounting Software Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share 1.5 Microsoft 1.5.1 Business Overview 1.5.2 Accounting Software Type and Applications 1.5.2.1 Type 1 1.5.2.2 Type 2 1.5.3 Microsoft Accounting Software Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share 1.6 Infor 1.6.1 Business Overview 1.6.2 Accounting Software Type and Applications 1.6.2.1 Type 1 1.6.2.2 Type 2 1.6.3 Infor Accounting Software Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share 1.7 Epicor 1.7.1 Business Overview 1.7.2 Accounting Software Type and Applications 1.7.2.1 Type 1 1.7.2.2 Type 2 1.7.3 Epicor Accounting Software Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share 1.8 Workday 1.8.1 Business Overview 1.8.2 Accounting Software Type and Applications 1.8.2.1 Type 1 1.8.2.2 Type 2 1.8.3 Workday Accounting Software Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share 1.9 Unit4 1.9.1 Business Overview 1.9.2 Accounting Software Type and Applications 1.9.2.1 Type 1 1.9.2.2 Type 2 1.9.3 Unit4 Accounting Software Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share 1.10 Xero 1.10.1 Business Overview 1.10.2 Accounting Software Type and Applications 1.10.2.1 Type 1 1.10.2.2 Type 2 1.10.3 Xero Accounting Software Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share 1.11 Yonyou 1.11.1 Business Overview 1.11.2 Accounting Software Type and Applications 1.11.2.1 Type 1 1.11.2.2 Type 2 1.11.3 Yonyou Accounting Software Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share 1.12 Kingdee 1.12.1 Business Overview 1.12.2 Accounting Software Type and Applications 1.12.2.1 Type 1 1.12.2.2 Type 2 1.12.3 Kingdee Accounting Software Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share 1.13 Acclivity (AccountEdge) 1.13.1 Business Overview 1.13.2 Accounting Software Type and Applications 1.13.2.1 Type 1 1.13.2.2 Type 2 1.13.3 Acclivity (AccountEdge) Accounting Software Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share 1.14 FreshBooks 1.14.1 Business Overview 1.14.2 Accounting Software Type and Applications 1.14.2.1 Type 1 1.14.2.2 Type 2 1.14.3 FreshBooks Accounting Software Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share 1.15 Intacct 1.15.1 Business Overview 1.15.2 Accounting Software Type and Applications 1.15.2.1 Type 1 1.15.2.2 Type 2 1.15.3 Intacct Accounting Software Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share 1.16 Assit cornerstone 1.16.1 Business Overview 1.16.2 Accounting Software Type and Applications 1.16.2.1 Type 1 1.16.2.2 Type 2 1.16.3 Assit cornerstone Accounting Software Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share 1.17 Aplicor 1.17.1 Business Overview 1.17.2 Accounting Software Type and Applications 1.17.2.1 Type 1 1.17.2.2 Type 2 1.17.3 Aplicor Accounting Software Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share 1.18 Red wing 1.18.1 Business Overview 1.18.2 Accounting Software Type and Applications 1.18.2.1 Type 1 1.18.2.2 Type 2 1.18.3 Red wing Accounting Software Sales, Price, Revenue and Market Share 2 Global Accounting Software Market Competition, by Manufacturer 2.1 Global Accounting Software Sales and Market Share by Manufacturer 2.2 Global Accounting Software Revenue and Market Share by Manufacturer ........CONTINUED For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.com Enquiry Before Buying Report @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/609095-global-accounting-software-market-forecast-to-2021 ABOUT US: Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. 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Address: Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar Pune - 411028 Phone: +1-646-845-9349 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/global-accounting-software-industry-2016-analysis-and-opportunities-market-report-2021/142052 Release ID: 142052 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global Graphite Market Analysis, Growth, Share, Industry Trends and Analysis, Forecast, Supply Demand and Sales to 2027 Global Graphite Market, by form (Natural graphite and Synthetic graphite), by Application (Electrode, Refractory, Lubricant, Foundry, Battery, Others)- Global Forecast 2027 -- Market Synopsis of Graphite Market Market Scenario Graphite refers to the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions. It is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity and is also a very good lubricant. Graphite is very slippery and is one of the softest minerals on Earth. This report covers graphite market based on form and application areas. The report examines factors affecting the market movement. "Ask for your specific company profile and country level customization on reports." Request a Sample Copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample-request/global-graphite-market-research-report-forecast-to-2027 Key Players o Triton Minerals Limited, o Northern Graphite Corporation, o Focus Graphite Inc, o Alabama Graphite Corp, o Flinders Resources Limited, o Energizer Resources Inc., o Mason Graphite Inc, o Lamboo Resources Limited Study Objectives of Graphite Market o To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next ten years of the various segments and sub-segments of the global Graphite market o To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth o To Analyze the Graphite market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. o To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW) o To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective o To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by Type, Applications, End Users and its sub-segments. Segments Segmentation by Form Segmentation for Graphite market involves the following forms: Natural graphite and Synthetic graphite (Graphite electrode, Carbon fibre, Graphite blocks, Graphite powder, others) Segmentation by Applications involves the following applications: Electrode, Refractory, Lubricant, Foundry, Battery, Others) Regional Analysis of Graphite Market North America is one of the prominent markets for graphite. Growth in demand for various end-use products of graphite such as electrodes, lubricants, batteries used in electronic products, and automobile parts are driving the growth of the graphite market in North America. The European graphite market is growing due to increasing demand for graphite in refactories, steel, battery, and automotive industries. Europe is the second-largest graphite market in the world. "Analysis also includes consumption. Import and export data for Regions North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India." Request TOC, Tables, Figures and Companies mentioned @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/request-toc/global-capacitive-sensor-market-research-report-forecast-2027 Table of Content 1 Report Excerpts 2 Market Definition 2.1 Scope of the study 2.2.1 Research Objectives 2.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations 2.2 Market Structure 3 Research Methodology 3.1 Research Process 3.2 Primary Research 3.3 Secondary Research 3.4 Market Size Forecast 3.5 Forecast Model 4 Forecast Indicators 4.1 Drivers 4.2 Restraints 4.3 Opportunity 4.4 Trends 4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators 5 Market Analysis 5.1 Value Chain/Supply Chain Analysis 5.2 Porters' Five Forces Analysis 5.3 Pricing Analysis in (2014-2024) 5.4 Hitorical Market Analysis (2010-2015) 6 U.S.& Global Graphite, Market Value & Volume Forecast (2011-2024) (USD $Million) Continued.......... The market is divided into the following segments based on geography: North America o US o Canada o Mexico Europe o Germany o France o Italy o U.K o Rest of Europe Asia- Pacific o China o India o Japan o Rest of Asia-Pacific RoW o Brazil o Argentina o Egypt o South Africa Others If you have any query @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/global-capacitive-sensor-market-research-report-forecast-2027 Reasons to Purchase this report: From an insight perspective, this research report has focused on various levels of analyses--industry analysis (industry trends), market share analysis of top players, supply chain analysis, and company profiles, which together comprise and discuss the basic views on the competitive landscape, emerging and high-growth segments of the Global Graphite Market. High-growth regions, and market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. Key questions answered in this report o What will the market size be in 2027 and what will the growth rate be? o What are the key market trends? o What is driving this market? o What are the challenges to market growth? o Who are the key vendors in this market space? o What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors? o What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors? Related Report Global Wireless Power Receiver Market Research Report- Global Forecast 2022 Growing smartphone industry and increasing consumer awareness are few factors which is driving the market of Wireless Power Receivers. Global Wireless Power Receiver Market has been valued at US $XX million in the year 2015 and as the shipments around the world for the end products are increasing, it is expected that market will reach the market size of US $XX million by the end of forecasted period. Know more about this report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/global-wireless-power-receiver-market-research-report-global-forecast-2022 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions. For more information, please visit https://www.marketresearchfuture.com Contact Info: Name: Ruwin Mendez Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Organization: Market Research future Address: Hadapsar, Pune - 411028 Phone: +1 (339) 368 6938 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/global-graphite-market-analysis-growth-share-industry-trends-and-analysis-forecast-supply-demand-and-sales-to-2027/142004 Release ID: 142004 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) IC Media Direct - Reveals New Reputation Management Strategies at ASW IC Media Direct used its time at ASW 2016 to focus on one of its core capabilities: online reputation management strategy. -- The global innovator in online Reputation Management, IC Media Direct has recently launched its latest digital marketing strategies at the Affiliate Summit West (ASW) 2016. Held in Las Vegas, NV, the ASW is a renowned conference for affiliate marketers to share current field developments, attend educational sessions, and engage with other industry professionals. A leading PR visionary, the New York based firm was added to the 2016 lineup to share its unique insight on importance of online reputation management and strategies to implement with other seminar participants. IC Media Direct used its time at ASW 2016 to focus on one of its core capabilities: online reputation management strategy. The full service PR firm has earned worldwide recognition for creating effective digital branding campaigns for businesses in every vertical. One of the organization's marketing specialists shared that staying ahead of search engine trends plays a major role in the company's continued success. "When it comes to building any brand, first impressions are everything. Even one negative search result about your company can tarnish your corporate image and dilute consumer loyalty. We use our Internet marketing experience to your advantage, leveraging the very latest Google algorithms. Our job is to consistently modify tactics to yield maximum results for our clients." The ASW offers more than a chance to share data with colleagues. Each year the conference also offers exhibitors, panelists, and attendees invaluable networking opportunities as participants from virtually every industry convene to develop and strengthen professional partnerships. These interactive sessions also prove a critical component to the PR firm's cumulative achievements. One team member believes that the organization's affiliate grid has helped catapult the company into the online reputation spotlight. "Successful reputation management isn't about spinning wheels with as many online outlets as possible. It requires working with the biggest web contributors for the greatest impact in the shortest amount of time. Our clients reap the benefits of our wide-reaching professional relationships. We work directly with corporations such as MSN, Yahoo, and Google to quickly repair and boost any brand." Founded in 1996, IC Media Direct is a global online marketing force that specializes in online reputation management and brand repair capabilities. As a proven digital advertising innovator, the company develops customized campaigns using a comprehensive media mix for long-term, sustainable results. A renowned affiliate marketer, the firm is constantly broadening its professional network by consulting and presenting at worldwide industry conferences, including ad:tech, LeadsCon, and SES. IC Media Direct - PR and Marketing News: http://icmediadirectnews.com ICMediaDirect.com - Google Reputation Management - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/icmediadirect ICMediaDirect.com -- Reputation Management -- IC Media Direct to Attend New York ad:tech 2016: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/icmediadirect-com-reputation-management-ic-041656580.html For more information, please visit http://www.ICMediaDirect.com Contact Info: Name: ICMD Email: pr@icmediadirect.com Organization: ICMediaDirect.com Phone: 1.800.595.0821 Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3QHOeY8qAM Source: http://marketersmedia.com/ic-media-direct-reveals-new-reputation-management-strategies-at-asw/142135 Release ID: 142135 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Boutique UK Press Release Agency Northern Periphery Media Launch New Website Boutique UK press release and Northern Periphery Media has launched a new website with the backing of Sydney based Ztue Marketing. -- Northern Periphery Media is an on-line platform specalising in United Kingdom business announcements for small and medium sized businesses. It is held in high regard by media agencies using the service and is looking to expand into other social media offerings in coming months. Mr Tony Adams, founder of Ztue Marketing said, "We have acquired a controlling stake in the UK press release agency to cement a strategic relationship with the company and compliment our portfolio of on-line marketing services." Clients range from small motel operators looking to promote their business through to medium sized United Kingdom companies making use of the extensive media reach Northern Periphery Media is able to achieve online. Mr Adams said, "we have done an extensive search for a suitable media opportunities in this field and have been doing due diligence for some time to ensure the alliance is a good fit for both parties." He went on to say, "We are delighted with the acquisition which was completed on friendly terms and for an undisclosed sum." The synergies of Ztue and Northern Periphery Media are numerous and are expected to add to add greatly to growth and enhanced services to existing clients. To learn more Northern Periphery Media visit: http://www.northernperiphery.net About Northern Periphery Media: Northern Periphery Media is a London based media agency and has an online press release platform specalising in United Kingdom business announcements for small and medium sized businesses. The company and its services are held in high regard by media agencies and business clients using the service and is looking to expand with other online social media offerings shortly. The growth of on-line press release media syndication agencies is explosive in recent years by any measure. This is due to the need for business owners to find a fast way to announce changes to their businesses that are longer lasting than social media platforms are able to offer. Ztue Marketing identified Northern Periphery Media as at the forefront of this trend in the UK and has become a majority shareholder in recent months. For more information, please visit http://www.northernperiphery.net Contact Info: Name: Tony Adams Organization: Northern Periphery Media Address: Berkeley Square House Berkeley Square, Mayfair, Release ID: 142227 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Transcription 1 Office Of Health Care Access Certificate of Need Application Final Decision Hospital: Docket Number: Project Title: Statutory Reference: The Hospital of Central Connecticut CON Proposing to Purchase the Novalis Stereotactic Radio Surgery System Section 19a-639 of the Connecticut General Statutes Filing Date: May 3, 2007 Decision Date: August 10, 2007 Default Date: Staff Assigned: August 16, 2007 (15 Day Extension) Diane Duran Paolo Fiducia Project Description: The Hospital of Central Connecticut ( Hospital ) proposes to purchase the Novalis Stereotactic Radio Surgery System ( Novalis SRSS ) at a total capital expenditure of $5,800,000. Nature of Proceedings: On May 3, 2007, the Office of Health Care Access ( OHCA ) received a Certificate of Need ( CON ) application from The Hospital of Central Connecticut to purchase the Novalis Stereotactic Radio Surgery System at a total capital expenditure of $5,800,000. The Hospital is a health care facility or institution as defined by Section 19a-630 of the Connecticut General Statutes ( C.G.S. ). A notice to the public concerning OHCA s receipt of the Hospital s Letter of Intent was published on December 6, 2006, in The Herald. OHCA received no responses from the public concerning the Hospital s proposal. Pursuant to Section 19a-639 of the Connecticut General Statutes ( C.G.S. ) three individuals or an individual representing an entity with five or more people had until May 24, 2007, the twenty-first calendar day following the filing of the Hospital s CON Application, to request 2 Final Decision, Docket Number CON Page 2 of 10 that OHCA hold a public hearing on the Hospital s proposal. OHCA received no hearing requests from the public by May 24, On July 13, 2007, the Hospital requested a waiver of hearing pursuant to Section 19a of OHCA s Regulations. The request was made based on the grounds that the CON application is non-substantive as defined in Section 19a (3) of OHCA s Regulations. OHCA determined that the CON application was eligible for consideration of waiver of hearing pursuant to Section 19a of OHCA s Regulations. A notice to the public concerning OHCA s receipt of the Hospital s request for waiver of hearing was published in The Herald on July 13, 2007, pursuant to Section 19a-639, C.G.S. OHCA received no response from the public concerning the Hospital s request for waiver of hearing. On July 27, 2007, OHCA determined that the Hospital s request for waiver of hearing be granted based upon the reason specified by the Hospital. OHCA s authority to review, approve, modify, or deny this proposal is established by Section 19a-639, C.G.S. The provisions of the sections, as well as the principles and guidelines set forth in Section 19a-637, C.G.S., were fully considered by OHCA in its review. Findings of Fact Clear Public Need Impact of the Proposal on the Hospital s Current Utilization Statistics Proposal s Contribution to the Quality of Health Care Delivery in the Region Proposal s Contribution to the Accessibility of Health Care Delivery in the Region 1. The Hospital of Central Connecticut ( Hospital ) is an acute care hospital located at 100 Grand Street, New Britain, Connecticut. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, pages 1) 2. The Hospital s primary service area includes the following towns: Berlin New Britain Southington Plainville (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 3) 3. The Hospital s secondary service area includes the following towns: Bristol Burlington Cheshire Crowell Farmington Meriden Newington West Hartford (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 3) 4. On December 5, 2002, under The Office of Health Care Access Docket Number , the Hospital received authorization for the replacement of the Hospital linear accelerator. (December 5, 2002, OHCA Docket Number , Final Decision) 3 Final Decision, Docket Number CON Page 3 of The Hospital proposes to purchase the Novalis Stereotactic Radio Surgery System ( Novalis SRSS ), at a total capital expenditure of $5,800,000. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 1) 6. The Hospital indicates that the Novalis SRS technology would augment its current repertoire of neurological and radiation oncology procedures. (December 4, 2006,Letter of Intent, page 1) 7. The Hospital states that it currently has two rooms that perform radiation therapy. One is the newer room which has Intensity Modulated Radiation therapy ( IMRT ) capability. The second room does radiation therapy and is also utilized to perform High Dose Rate ( HDR ) exams. (July 31, 2007, Additional CON Information Submitted, page 1) 8. The current capacity of the existing Radiation Therapy is as follows: Table1: Existing HCC Radiation Therapy Capacity Linear Accelerator 35 Treatments/Day IMRT 12 Treatments/Day HDR 3 Treatments/Day Total Days 12,500 Treatments Per Year (August 1, 2007, Additional CON Information Submitted, page 1) 9. The following table shows the actual and projected number of treatments for HCC s current setup: Table 2: HCC Radiation Therapy Treatment Current and Projections FY 04 FY 05 FY 06 FY 07 FY 08 FY09 Existing HCC Radiation Therapy Setup 7,686 7,170 8,171 8,125 8,750 9,375 (July 31, 2007, Additional CON Information Submitted, page 1) The assumption is that the current setup will experience a 5% increase from the current capacity per year over the next three years. This results in reaching 75% of capacity in year The Hospital states that the Novalis SRS System can back up the IMRT, but is limited to lesions no larger than 10cm in size. The Novalis SRS System will allow HCC to perform more precise treatment of lesions as compared to the existing linear accelerator. It does this through the utilization of highly precise shaped beams of radiation currently not attainable. (July 31, 2007, Additional CON Information Submitted, page 1) 11. The Hospital determined the need for stereotactic radiosurgery 1 through referrals from its affiliated neurosurgeons and from the growth of cancer cases in the Hospital s service area. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 2) 1 The stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is strictly defined as radiation therapy delivered via stereotactic guidance with ~1 mm targeting accuracy to a cranial lesion in a single fraction. For information regarding multiple fraction cranial lesion treatment and extra cranial treatments, refer to the Practice Guideline for the Performance of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy. 4 Final Decision, Docket Number CON Page 4 of The Hospital stated the two neurosurgeons are referring patients who are candidates for stereotactic radiosurgery out of the area at a rate of 50 each per year, which equates to a total of 100 cases per year. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, pages 2 and 3) 13. The Hospital states that the American Cancer Society predicted 19,780 new cancer cases in the state in The same report states for 2003, the prevalence rate of cancer per 100,000 is and for females and males respectively. This indicates that up to 2,700 out of the 441,857 people in the Applicant s service area as diagnosed with cancer. The Novalis SRS affords the Applicant the ability to treat a portion of these patients using shaped beam computer guided treatment. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 2) 14. The Hospital also based the need on the following: The Novalis SRSS affords the Hospital the ability to treat a good portion of the patients using shaped beam computer guided treatment if needed or it can function as a traditional linear accelerator; The Novalis SRSS will primarily treat lesions that call for precise treatment without exposing surrounding areas to unnecessary doses of radiation; and The Novalis SRSS increases access to state of the art non-invasive treatment of lesions and select neurological disorders such as neuralgia. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, pages 2,3 and 7) 15. The Hospital stated that the Novalis SRSS brings to the Hospital s service area the ability to perform brain surgery in about 20 minutes without a scalpel. This reduces complication and recovery time for the patients. The system can treat lesions in one visit, compared to other units like the Cyber Knife or traditional linear accelerators that require multiple visits exposing patients to more doses of radiation. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 7) 16. The Hospital stated candidates for stereotactic radiosurgery are currently treated with less precise equipment, which exposes larger areas of the body to radiation. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 5) 17. The Hospital performed 8,171 treatments at its American Savings Foundation Oncology Treatment Center in fiscal year (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 5) 18. The Hospital projected the units of service for the Novalis SRSS from discussions with the Hospital s affiliated neurosurgeons regarding their best estimate of what cases they currently see that can be treated using the Novalis SRSS equipment. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 5) 19. The Hospital stated it anticipates serving 100 patients (70 SRS + 30 SRT) in the first full year of operation with an additional 15 treated with IMRS/IMRT for a total of 115 patients in year 1. Thereafter, the Hospital projects a 10% growth rate in the number of patients treated. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, pages 3 and 5) 5 Final Decision, Docket Number CON Page 5 of The following table shows the projected number of patients that will be served in the next four years: Table 3: Projected number of visits for the next four years Implementation Year March 2008 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Number of Patients SRS Number of Patients SRT Number of Patients IMRS/IMRT Total Number of Patients (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 22) 21. The Hospital stated in order to ensure stereotactic radiosurgery procedures to the patients of the Hospital, the Department of Radiation Oncology will employ the practice guidelines delineated by the American College of Radiology. The guidelines will be used in assisting practitioners in providing appropriate radiologic care for their patients. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 9) 22. The Applicant states that it has a skilled team consisting of physicians, dossimetrists and radiation therapists for the proposed service. The team has prior experience at running CT simulations and providing IMRT services; therefore there will be minimal training needed since the system relies on these technologies to operate. (August 6, 2007, Additional CON Submission, page 1) 23. The Applicant states that it will rely on the expertise of its radiation oncology physician to develop the treatment plan for patients who would be better served by SRS. The neurosurgeons will provide consultations and will be involved in the treatment plan. The majority of the patients referred to the Novalis SRS system will come from the Hospital s affiliated neurosurgeons. (August 6, 2007, Additional CON Submission, page 2) 24. The Hospital s American Saving Foundation Oncology Treatment Center, where the Novalis SRSS equipment will be housed, is open every weekday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 4) 6 Final Decision, Docket Number CON Page 6 of 10 Financial Feasibility and Cost Effectiveness of the Proposal and its Impact on the Hospital s Rates and Financial Condition Impact of the Proposal on the Interests of Consumers of Health Care Services and the Payers for Such Services Consideration of Other Section 19a-637, C.G.S., Principles and Guidelines 25. The total capital expenditure for the Novalis Stereotactic Radio Surgery System and associated construction and renovations are given below: Table 4: Total Capital Expenditure Item Cost Medical Equipment $3,300,000 Non - Medical Equipment 80,000 Construction/Renovation 2,420,000 Total Capital Expenditure $5,800,000 (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 14) 26. The Hospital will finance the proposal through its operating funds and short term investments. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 17) 27. The construction/renovation costs consist of the following: Table 5: Construction/Renovation Costs Item Cost Total Building Work $1,700,000 Total Site Work 500,000 Total Contingency 220,000 Total $2,420,000 (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 15) 28. The Novalis SRSS will be housed in a vault adjacent to the American Savings Foundation Radiation Oncology Treatment Center. The current building will have a 3,210 square foot addition on its western side. The site of the addition is currently occupied by two parking spaces and mechanicals. The 1 st phase of the project will be the relocation of the mechanicals to the roof of the existing center. It will be followed by the actual addition including the concrete vault with walls 3-6 feet thick for shielding of radiation. The additional two offices, an exam room, a break room, a control room, a dosimetry station, hazardous material storage and a room for related mechanicals. The final phase will be the renovation of 290 square feet of the existing center and porting utilities and mechanicals to pass through. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 15) 29. The construction is scheduled to being in July 2007 and be completed in November They will begin operation of the Novalis SRSS in March (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 16) 30. The Hospital stated that the proposal is cost effective and it allows treating patients that need precise treatment of a tumor with the Novalis SRSS rather than the current linear 7 Final Decision, Docket Number CON Page 7 of 10 accelerator complement at the New Britain General campus. It frees up the current linear accelerator for more appropriate cases. Additionally the Novalis SRSS can be used as a traditional linear accelerator if there is any downtime of the existing equipment. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 20) 31. The current and projected payer mix for the Novalis SRSS are listed in the following table: Table 6: Projected Payer Mix for Novalis SRSS Current Payer Mix (May 3, 2005, Completeness Response, page 18) FY 2008 Projected Payer Mix FY 2009 Projected Payer Mix 32. The Hospital projects an excess of revenues incremental to the proposed service of $492,966, $874,081, $1,041,465, and $1,332,783 in FYs 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively. Implementation of the proposal will have no impact in FY (May 23, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 2) 33. There is no State Health Plan in existence at this time. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 3) 34. The proposal is consistent with Hospital s long-range plan. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 8) 35. The Hospital s proposal will not change the Hospital s teaching or research responsibilities. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, 13) 36. There are no distinguishing characteristics of the patient/physician mix with regard to the proposal. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 13) 37. The Hospital has improved productivity and contained costs through energy conservation, group purchasing, reengineering, and the application of technology. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, page 10) 38. The Hospital has sufficient technical and managerial competence to provide efficient and adequate service to the public. (May 3, 2007, Initial CON Submission, pages 9 and Attachment F) 39. The Hospital s rates are sufficient to cover the proposed capital expenditure and operating costs. (May 5, 2005, Completeness Response, page 5) FY 2010 Projected Payer Mix Payer Medicare 46.7% 46.7% 46.7% 46.7% Medicaid 5.9% 5.9% 5.9% 5.9% Total Government 52.6% 52.6% 52.6% 52.6% Commercial Insurers 46.2% 46.2% 46.2% 46.2% Uninsured 1.2% 1.2% 1.2% 1.2% Total Non- Government 47.4% 47.4% 47.4% 47.4% Payer Mix 100% 100% 100% 100% 8 Final Decision, Docket Number CON Page 8 of 10 Rationale The Office of Health Care Access ( OHCA ) approaches community and regional need for the proposed service on a case by case basis. Certificate of Need ( CON ) applications do not lend themselves to general applicability due to a variety of factors, which may affect any given proposal; e.g. the characteristics of the population to be served, the nature of the existing services, the specific types of services proposed to be offered, the current utilization of services and the financial feasibility of the proposed services. The Hospital of Central Connecticut ( Hospital ) proposes to purchase the Novalis Stereotactic Radio Surgery System ( NSRSS ) to augment its current repertoire of neurological and radiation oncology procedures. The Hospital determined the need for stereotactic radiosurgery through referrals from its affiliated neurosurgeons and from the growth of cancer cases in the Hospital s service area. The Hospital s two affiliated neurosurgeons currently refer their patients who are candidates for stereotactic radiosurgery out of the area at a rate of 50 each per year, which equates to a total of 100 cases per year. The Hospital performed 8,171 treatments at the American Savings Foundation Oncology Treatment Center in fiscal year The Hospital states that it currently has two rooms that perform radiation therapy. One is the newer room which has IMRT capability. The second room does radiation therapy and is also utilized to perform HDR exams. The current capacity of the existing Radiation Therapy is 12,500 treatments per year. The Hospital states that the Novalis SRS System can back up the IMRT, but is limited to lesions no larger than 10cm in size. The Novalis SRS System will allow HCC to perform more precise treatment of lesions as compared to the existing linear accelerator. It does this through the utilization of highly precise shaped beams of radiation currently not attainable. The proposed Novalis SRSS affords the Hospital the ability to treat patients using shaped beam computer guided treatment if needed or it can function as a traditional linear accelerator. It primarily treats lesions that call for precise treatment without exposing surrounding areas to unnecessary doses of radiation, and increases access to state of the art non-invasive treatment of lesions and select neurological disorders such as trigeminal neuralgia. In order to effectively utilize the treatment capabilities of the Novalis SRS System it requires a highly trained and skilled radiation oncologist working as a team with neurosurgeons that have experience with this technology. The Hospital of Central Connecticut meets these requirements. Based on the foregoing reasons, OHCA finds that the CON proposal will improve accessibility of an important treatment modality to the Hospital s patients. The CON proposal s total capital expenditure of $5,800,000 will be funded by current operating funds of cash and short-term investments. The Hospital is projecting incremental earnings from the operation of the proposed service of $492,966, $874,081, $1,041,465, and $1,332,783 in FYs 2008, 2009, and 2011, respectively. Implementation of the proposal will have no impact in FY2007. The volume and financial projections upon which the proposal is based appear to be both reasonable and achievable. 9 Final Decision, Docket Number CON Page 9 of 10 In summary, the acquisition of the Novalis Stereotactic Radio Surgery System will improve patient care and enhance the quality of the neurosurgical and radiation oncology services that are currently provided by the Hospital. 10 Final Decision, Docket Number CON Page 10 of 10 Order Based upon the foregoing Findings and Rationale, the Certificate of Need application of The Hospital of Central Connecticut ( Hospital ) to purchase the Novalis Stereotactic Radio Surgery System at a total capital expenditure of $5,800,000, is hereby GRANTED, subject to the following conditions: 1. This authorization shall expire on August 10, Should the Hospital s new system not be operational by that date, the Hospital must seek further approval from OHCA to complete the project beyond that date. 2. The Hospital shall not exceed the approved capital expenditure of $5,800,000. In the event that the Hospital learns of potential cost increases or expects that final project costs will exceed those approved, the Hospital shall notify OHCA immediately. 3. The Hospital shall perform stereotactic radiosurgery procedures that have been approved for the operation of the Novalis Stereotactic Radio Surgery System by the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ). Should the Applicant fail to comply with any of the aforementioned conditions, OHCA reserves the right to take additional actions as authorized by law. All of the foregoing constitutes the final order of the Office of Health Care Access in this matter. By Order of the Office of Health Care Access August 10, 2007 Signed by Cristine A. Vogel Commissioner CAV:dd The mainstay sire in Danish pig production the Duroc boar has had its credentials confirmed after being put head-to-head with the Pietrain breed by leading Danish researchers. Litters by Duroc boars out of Landrace-cross Yorkshire Large White sows are 0.2 piglets bigger at weaning (21 days), despite having smaller liveborn litters than the Pietrain, according to an 18-month study started in 2014. This allayed fears that growing interest in the Pietrain breed, which has larger litter sizes and leaner meat content, should prompt a review of Danish breeding strategy. German Pietrain interest Germany is biggest buyer of Danish piglets About 12 million pigs exported to Germany and Poland each year from Denmark Genomics show Duroc has 0.25 pigs/litter weaned Pietrain semen recently at a premium in Germany The 60,000-sow trial by Denmarks Agriculture and Pig Research Centre (Seges) reassured Danish breeders that Duroc genetics are best suited to meeting the industry target of getting farm piglet mortality below 20% by 2020. Seges geneticist Bjarne Nielsen stresses that, while Germans pay more for Pietrain boars, Danish farmers are wise to spend on Duroc inseminations. This is because of better survivability, despite lower initial litter size, which meant Duroc-sired sows had 0.2 more piglets reared at 21 days, Mr Nielsen told the Herning Congress. At 21 days, Durocs had weaned 14.7 piglets, while Pietrains had weaned 14.5. We confirmed that the Pietrain increases litter size but a Duroc has a lower piglet mortality, said Mr Nielsen, adding that finishers see higher weight gains (+100g/day) from Duroc progeny compared to Pietrain finishers. In addition to the benefits seen by the finisher, which vary from about 80-120g/day weight gain, the Danish sow herds biggest priority is reducing mortality and increasing litter size. Transcription 1 Invest in the Greek Renewable Energy Market Pragalou Demetra Investment Promotion Manager 18 November, 2 1 Why Greece? 3 Greece is at the forefront of positive changes Crisis Opportunity Reforms Trade Investments 2 4 Why Greece?: 1. Strategic Location Europe Access to high growth-rate markets of SE Europe: -GDP > 1trill $/year -Consumers > 140 mill Business & Cultural Tights Africa Middle East Network Greek Companies > Greek Banks Network -branches> SE market share >20% Greek Companies 1/3 top companies is Greek Greece is ideal for regional headquarters to support growth in European Union, South East Europe, Middle East and North Africa 3 5 4 Why Greece?: 2. Attractive public projects 6 Why Greece?: 3. Supportive investment climate PPPs PPP legal framework introduced in companies have completed PPP projects to date 22 projects with a total budget of approximately 2bn, expected to be tendered in 2011 Spurring economic activity Simplification of all procedures of business start ups (from 16 steps-38 days to 1 step -1 day), through the use of an electronic registry for enterprises (Law 3852/2010) New framework to promote investments in the Renewable Energy Sector (RES) (New RES Law 3851/2010) New Law for the lifting of cabotage rights in cruise tourism (Law 3872/2010) New Laws to be introduced by the end of the Year New Law for accelerating licensing procedures, which aims to reduce to 3 months all required procedures for large-scale investments New law for the Industrial Zones which will enhance their development New law for the liberalization of the closed professions New Investment Incentives Law (to be voted) 5 kinds of incentives: cash grants, long term debt repayments, equipment leasing subsidies, wage subsidies Special Tax Regime Provisions for big investments Incentives can reach 50% of the investment cost Expected to be ratified by Parliament by December 7 7 Green Investments in Greece 8 The Greek RES market has shown strong performance Evolution of Share of RES in electricity production hydro excluded- Source: RAE 10 9 and has reached a considerable percentage of electricity production Electricity Production, 2009 Share of all Sources in Electricity Balance Electricity Production, 2010 Source: RAE 11 10 with RES spreading throughout Greece Epirus A B C West Macedonia A B C Thessaly A B C Central Macedonia A B C Eastern Macedonia &Thrace A B C Ionian Islands A B C Central Greece A B C West Greece A B C ATTIKI A B C Peloponnese A B C South Aegean Islands A B C A: Licenses at different stages (MW) B: Licenses at the stage of Supply connection (MW) C: Units in Operation (MW) 11 and different RES Sources penetrating in Every Region Central Macedonia: Wind: 27 MW Solar: 20 MW Small Hydro: 53 Biomass: 8 Other: 45 MW Eastern Macedonia - Thrace Wind: 197 MW Solar: 4,6 MW Small Hydro: 2MW Other: 63 MW 13 Epirus: Wind: 80 MW Solar: 4MW Small Hydro: 46 MW Ionian Islands Wind: 71 MW Solar: 0,2 MW Peloponnese: Wind: 213 MW Solar: 18MW Small Hydro: 3 MW Cyclades: Wind: 3 MW Solar: 2 MW Each area has different features to offer, depending on the RES to be deployed Central Greece: Wind: 212 MW Solar: 20 MW Small Hydro: 59 MW Biomass: 2 MW Other: 4 MW Evia: Wind: 216 MW Attiki: Wind: 2 MW Solar: 1 MW Biomass: 40 MW Small Hydro: 1 MW Other: 30 MW 12 Wind Energy. The Big Players in Greece* Company NAME Capacity (MW)* Market Share Rokas Renewables (Iberdrola) 287,60 20,6% EDF EN SA & Co 149,35 13,7% Terna SA 141,97 12,1% Enel 86,23 7,9% Ellhnikh Texnodomikh SA 76,70 7,1% Eunice 46,00 4,2% Babcock & Brown 42,00 3,9% PPC Renewables 39,25 3,6% Acciona 34,85 3,2% Source: ELETAEN * Capacity of the company s wind projects operating or currently under development 18 13 Solar Energy. The Big Players in Greece The top five (5) of Companies with Production License * The top five (5) of Companies with Operation License * A/A Company Name Capacity (MW) A/A Company Name Capacity (MW) 1 PPC Renewables 50 1 Iktinos SA 4,5 2 Aktina S.A 24 2 Rokas Solar II LLC 2 3 Selected Volt SA 10 3 Zafeiratos Energy EE 3 4 International Airport of Greece -Eleftherios Venizelos 8 4 Anemos SA 2 5 EDF EN SA 8 5 Tekom A.B.E.T.E. 2 * Source: RAE 19 14 Investments in RES, approved for funding through the Investment Incentives Law 78 projects, 2 billion, 215 new working places Investments realized during the period Wind Photovoltaic Manufacturing Facilities 5 projects, 270,65 mil. 672 new working places 14 15 20 Success Stories 16 Success Stories Iberdrola Rokas Wind Farm in Evoia Mytilinaios Wind Farm in Thrace 21 17 28 The Greek Investment Proposal & Selling points 18 The strengths of the Greek Renewable Energy market create a very attractive business opportunity Bound by EU regulations and Kyoto Protocol agreements National target for RES at 20% of electricity production by 2020 Increased domestic demand for electrical energy, to surpass 80,000 GWh in 2020 from about 70,000 GWhin 2009 High feed-in tariffs through 20 year PPA (power purchase agreement) 44 Billions Euros Investment Projects with strong cash flows and attractive Returns on Investment new Jobs Ideal conditions for wind and solar energy Decrease of RES production cost, attractive investment incentives 29 19 Greece s attractiveness in RES (Ernst & Young, August 2010) 20 The National Renewable Energy Action Plan has the targets for all RES In MW out of 3 MW should come from RES The infrastructure cost to meet targets represents 1/3 of the penalty to be paid by Greeks in case the targets are not met As reported by YPEKA, in the latest National Renewable Energy Action Plan 33 * Estimated Capacity for end of 2010 21 The Renewable Energy Sources sector in Greece has various opportunities to offer Wind Greenfield investments in wind farms Cooperation with existing firms Light manufacturing PV Greenfield investments in PV parks Light manufacturing Geothermal Greenfield investments in geothermal power plants Biofuels Greenfield investments in Biofuel plants Biorefineries Hydro Greenfield investments in small hydro plants 34 22 1 Feed in Tariffs as an Investment Incentive 23 RES Feed-in Tariffs (1) Feed in tariffs under the new law. Electricity Production from: Interconnected System (Euro/MWh) Non interconnected Islands (Euro/MWh) Onshore Wind Farms > 50kW 87,85 99,45 Wind Energy 50kW 250 Hydro < 15MW 87,85 PV 10KWon rooftops 550 Solar Thermal 264,85 Solar Thermal with storage system which 284,85 ensures 2 operational hours. Geothermal energy of low enthalpy 150 Geothermal energy of high enthalpy 99,45 15 24 RES Feed-in Tariffs (2) Feed in tariffs under the new law. Electricity Production from: Interconnected System (Euro/MWh) Biomass 1MW 200 1MW < Biomass 5MW 175 Biomass > 5MW 150 Biogas 2 MW 120 Biogas > 2 MW 99,45 Biogas out of biomass 3MW 220 Biogas out of biomass >3MW 200 Non interconnected Islands (Euro/MWh) Co-generation 87,85 99,45 16 25 PV Feed-in Tariffs Feed in tariffs under the new law. Tariffs ( /Wh) Year Month Interconnected System >100 KW <=100KW Non interconnected Islands 2010 August February August February August February August February August Year n from 2015 onwards SMC = System Marginal Cost 1.3*SMCn-1 1.4*SMCn-1 1.4*SMCn-1 17 26 Comparative European Feed-in-Tariffs Source: European Renewable Energies Federation (EREF), Report 2009 27 1 New Legislation as an Investment Incentive 28 22 The new RES Law 3851/2010 29 New Flexible framework for RES Main Points (1) National targets for RES for the year a) Contribution of the energy produced from R.E.S. to the gross final energy consumption by a share of 20%, b) Contribution of the electrical energy produced by R.E.S. to the gross electrical energy consumption to a share of at least 40%, c) Contribution of the energy produced by R.E.S. to the final energy consumption for heating and cooling to a share of at least 20%, d) Contribution of the energy produced by R.E.S. to the gross energy consumptionin transportation to a share of at least 10%. Land planning for RES. The installation of RES power plants must be in compliance with the General and Special Framework for Land Planning and Sustainable Development for RES. Electricity production is Permitted in agricultural land of high productivity, provided that the land is covering no more than 1% of all farmland in the specific prefecture. 23 * Please refer to the full text of the new Law 3851/2010 for detailed and analytical information 30 New Flexible framework for RES Main Points (2) Cases excluded of the production license issue. Geothermal stations with capacity less than 0.5 MW, biomass, biogas and biofuel production with capacity less than 1 MW, PV or solar thermal stations with capacity less than 1 MWp and wind parks smaller than 100 KW, combined cyrcle stations with capacity less than 1 MWe, stand alone RE or combined circle stations not connected with the grid- with capacity less than 5 MWe. RES in Buildings. The use of RES in new buildings is mandatory. There is also a provision for energy savings in the building sector. One stop shop for RES. An Independent Service for RES is introduced in the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change which will act as an one-stop shop and will be responsible for providing information to all potential investors who are interested in RES. 24 * Please refer to the full text of the new Law 3851/2010 for detailed and analytical information 31 Offshore Wind Farms: the light just turned on According to the new RES Law 3851/2010: The installation of wind farms for the production of electrical energy within the national sea territory is allowed. The exact location of off shore wind farms, the sea area they occupy, and their maximum installed electrical capacity is determined by the Ministries in charge. For the construction and the operation of each off shore wind farm, the contractor follows the procedure of environmental Approval. After the issue of the installation license, an open public tendering is announced, for the execution with financing or self-financing of the construction works of the off shore wind farm and its connection to the network. The Independent Office of RES, which belongs to the Ministry of Environment & Climate Change (YPEKA) is responsible for the planning and the coordination of offshore wind farms. 25 The potential is tremendous for many areas of the country 32 Offshore Wind Farms: Proposed Areas The proposed areas* for the development of offshore wind farms, according to the preliminary report conducted by the Independent Office for RES, are the following: Alexandroupolis Fanari Thassos Samothraki Limnos Kymi Petalion Kerkyra Please note that the evaluation of the proposed areas is under progress. 26 33 Licensing Procedure & Time Saving Licensing Procedure - Steps Time Needed Production License 3 months (a) (b) (c) (a) (b) (c) connection offer, Approval of environmental terms, forestal license Installation License contract for connection contract of purchase of electric power 4 months 4 months Operation License Total Time Needed 1 month 12 MONTHS 27 34 22 The Fast Track Law 35 Pillars of the new Law: The new perspective The Government through its new Law, introduces for the first time a special, flexible, transparent, objective, and successful framework of rules, procedures and administrative framework, for the realization of big private and public projects. The new framework complies with the government environmental policy and aims at the development of infrastructure, modern networks and quality services for the public. A Large Investment Project is objectively identified and based on the importance and range of its positive effects to the National Economy. A new integrated framework of rules, procedures and obligations of the public sector is being introduced -associated with binding deadlines for review and approval -as a new highway for supporting and implementing public and/or private investment plans. 23 36 Fast Track Law (1) A new law that accelerates the licensing procedure for large scale investments will be voted till the end of the month Qualification Prerequisites he total value of the investment must exceed 200 million Euro, OR he value of the investment must exceed 75 million Euro and, concurrently, the investment must provide for the creation of 200 new jobs, OR The investment value must be at least 1 million Euro per annum in advanced technologies and innovation projects. 6 Invest in Greece Agency plays a key role in the Fast Track process 37 Fast Track Law (2) The inclusion of investment plans under the provisions of the new framework is decided by the Interministerial Committee for Large Projects and Infrastructure. The supervision, coordination and everyday monitoring is assigned to a new three-member Interministerial Coordination Committee. The approval of this bill will offer to both the Greek and the international investment community a stable, transparent, solid and therefore effective investment framework. This will serve as a tool for disengagement from the lingering habits of the past, exploiting at the same time the possibilities and opportunities that the country offers. 23 38 7 Invest in Greece mission and services 39 We provide full services, so you establish yourselves and expand in Greece 1. Governmental Legal Entity 2. Incorporation and operation as one-stop shop for the facilitation of investors since Business Units: Investment Promotion Unit Investor Services Unit Policy and Planning Unit Finance and Administration Unit Communication and Public Relations Unit Invest in Greece provides support throughout the entire business cycle 52 40 Development of Investment Opportunities Portfolio Constantly revised E-book Public Projects Private Projects - Promotion of mature public projects, in sectors where the country has competitive advantages. - Cooperation with the relevant Ministries and the local authorities for finding projects which can attract private investments. - Development of a portfolio of mature private projects, after performing due-diligence of legal documents such as (eg. Ownership titles, concession contracts etc) from the Legal Department of Invest in Greece. - Promotion to foreign Investors 53 41 E-book: a valuable investment tool customized to the needs of each investor E-books, with a brief description of all investment proposals, are created for all E-books are customized per target-country, the missions of Invest in Greece and all the sector or region of each country. All e-books official delegations of the Greek will be posted on Invest in Greece web-site in government abroad. the section e-library. To satisfy the specific needs of this forum, Invest in Greece prepared 3 E-books,whose links are included in the key for Investments in Greece which contain: -Sector Presentations -Specific Investment Proposals (per Sector) - Investments Legal Framework 54 42 Your Investment Partner in the region 3 Mitropoleos St Athens, Greece t f e. 55 WhatsApp User Data Sharing With Facebook Halted; Details of the Investigation. Sharing messaging app data with social media may not be safe for all users on both parties. This is according to privacy experts who are currently investigating a sharing user data' that took effect just recently. WhatsApp was bought by Facebook back in 2014 for $19 billion which makes the latter its parent company. In August, WhatsApp disclosed that more data information will be shared. However, the European privacy watchdogs have cautioned the messaging app in regards to sharing user data with Facebook. The changes that the messaging app made in its privacy policy leads the regulators to investigate further because they have "serious concerns" about it. The European privacy experts wrote a letter to the messaging firm asking to cease sharing data with Facebook until it's clear that the privacy rules is not breached, reports BBC News. The privacy policy change was defended by the messaging firm stating that it would be "more relevant" if the users would see suggestions about whom they should connect with. Many have opposed to its privacy policy change since WhatsApp have previously assured that it will stay independent from Facebook. The decision provoked data protection federation across Europe to further investigate. The collective association of data watchdogs, Article 29 Working Party said that there's a lot of work to get done to guarantee that there's no infringement of the regional rules governing privacy when information is handed down from one firm to another. When Whatsapp users initially signed up, the sharing of user data was not in the privacy policy which means that it could be a violation of the privacy rule. "We've had constructive conversations, including before our update, and we remain committed to respecting applicable law", said a WhatsApp spokesperson. WhatsApp Messenger is a proprietary, cross-platform, encrypted instant messaging client for smartphones which needs internet connection to send text messages, documents, PDF files, GIF images, video, user location and audio messages. It was acquired by Facebook Inc.on Feb. 19, 2014. Samsung S8 Release Date, Specs, Latest News & Update: Limited Units Only? First Ever Environment-Friendly Phone, With Solar Panels? 2016 is not going great for Samsung. Ever since the Samsung Note 7 received major backlash from its consumers because of the exploding issues, the trust for the tech giant has not been the same. Reports say that Samsung is planning to release the Samsung S8. Will this be able to counter the inevitable downfall of Samsung? Samsung S8 - No White Flag? Apple is undeniably one of Samsung's biggest, if not the greatest competitor. A few lawsuits here and there have contributed to the rocky pot-hole filled competition of Apple and Samsung up to present time. Apple has released their newest flagship gadget, the iPhone 7, which was the world's first phone with no headset jack. With this in mind, Samsung is most probably holding an ace in their cards if they push through with the Samsung S8. Samsung S8 - Trust Issues For the past years, Samsung has fared well in their sales and profits. It has even been considered as the most worthy opponent of Apple in terms of smartphones and gadgets. However, the faulty Samsung S7 units has undeniably changed the minds of its users. Will the Samsung S8 bring back Samsung's dignity back to pieces? Majority of the loyal Samsung users have reportedly broken their loyalty to the South Korean tech company. Experts in the industry believe that Samsung's decision to create and release a Samsung S8 will be a big and very risky decision for the company. Samsung S8 - Make Or Break A lot of money is expected to be spent by Samsung if it decides to push through with the development and release of the Samsung S8. This move is quite risky because Samsung is under fire and receiving a bunch of worldwide backlash because of reported explosion cases of Samsung Note 7. For Samsung to regain its spot in the tech industry, they must pull out all the stops with the Samsung S8. Design, performance, camera and new features must be more than impressive to catch the attention of the consumers. The price of the Samsung S8 is expected to be on the same range with the Samsung S7 units. As of writing, Samsung has yet to set the Samsung S8 release date. Do you think the Samsung S8 will be a big hit? Share your thoughts in the comments section below! iPad Pro 2 versus Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Release Dates, News & Update: Impressive Specs & Features Under The Hood Revealed Several reports have emerged all over the Internet suggesting that the highly anticipated iPad Pro 2 tablet could be launched in November. According to the reports, the device is going to be Apple's main bet against the new Microsoft Surface Pro 5 from Microsoft. Although the two have yet to have scheduled release dates, rumors about its specs and features have already surfaced online. According to a report by PC Advisor, the new iPad Pro 2 will run on Apple's new A10x processor paired with 4 GB of RAM. Although the new iteration brings a lot of improvements from its predecessor, the tablet might not have the same impressive specs of the much awaited Microsoft Surface Pro 5. The new Microsoft hybrid tablet will run on Intel's latest Kaby Lake processor paired with 8 GB of RAM. Rumor has it that the high-end version of the new Microsoft Surface Pro 5 might carry 16 GB of RAM. The new device from the Redmond-based company certainly has all the advantage as it is more of a laptop than it is a tablet. However, there are speculations suggesting that the new A10 chipset from the Cupertino based company is way faster than the standard PC set up. If rumors prove to be true, the new iPad Pro 2 will definitely give the upcoming Microsoft Surface Pro 5 a run of its money. There are reports saying that the new iPad Pro 2 from Apple might come out in three variants, which all will differ in sizes - 9.7-inch entry level model, 10.5-inch variant, and the top-tier variation with a 12.9-inch display. On the other hand, the new Microsoft Surface Pro 5 is expected to arrive in two models and both will differ in display technology. According to reports, the standard set up of Microsoft Surface Pro 5 has 2K viewing capability, while the high-end version supports 4K. Meanwhile, according to Macworld, both the iPad Pro 2 and Microsoft Surface Pro 5 might arrive early next year. Samsung Galaxy S8 News & Update: Upcoming Smartphone to Feature Advanced AI, Optical Fingerprint Recognition; Arriving February 2017? Following the massive fiasco of exploding Galaxy Note 7's and the recall that followed, it seems that the South Korean electronics giant is rushing to unveil the Samsung Galaxy S8. The latest news surrounding the next generation of smartphones from Samsung is that it may be revealed early next year. According to BGR, Samsung is now keeping busy marketing the new Galaxy S8 following the massive recall of Galaxy Note 7. Users can recall that many reports surfaced of the Galaxy Note 7 exploding because of a faulty battery. This caused the U.S. authorities to warn airline passengers not to bring their mobile phones on board or keep it in luggage. It seems that the new Galaxy S8 will be announced in February 2017 after the negative press received by the company. Aside from negative press, Samsung experienced a 96% decrease in mobile operating outfit this quarter, which is why they may have decided to announce the Galaxy S8 this February. Interestingly, Samsung hinted at advanced AI as one of the upcoming smartphone's features. It will have an improved camera as well. Users are hoping that aside from revamping its features, the company would also address the dangers of the exploding batteries. The Samsung Galaxy S8 is said to be fearing optical fingerprint recognition as well, according to Forbes. This new information comes from leaks that indicate an edge-to-edge screen display, a digital on-screen Home button, as well as a 4K resolution screen with a dual lense camera. Sources claim that the new Samsung Galaxy S8 will be powered by Exynos 8895 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 chipsets. The optical fingerprint recognition feature in the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 is also said to be "faster and sharper than ultrasonic fingerprint recognition." Whether or not this is the same technology that Apple has already had in the iPhone 6 remains to be seen. Now that fans are expecting the Samsung Galaxy S8 to feature advanced AI and optical fingerprint recognition, will Samsung be able to finally put the exploding battery issue behind them? We will have to wait and see in February 2017 when the brand unveils the Samsung Galaxy S8 during the Mobile World Congress event. Microsoft Surface Pro 5 Release Date, News & Update: Early 2017 Launch with MacBook Pro 2016 Confirmed? Specs, Features & Price Revealed Tech fans are definitely disappointed after Microsoft failed to announce the highly anticipated release of Microsoft Surface Pro 5 during its company event on Oct. 26. The Redmond-based company showcased a few of their upcoming devices during the affair including the new Surface Studio and the impressive Surface Book i7. Although the much awaited Microsoft Surface Pro 5was a no show during the event, many fans are still confident that the company will make the hybrid laptop/tablet early next year. However, several reports have surface following the event on Oct. 26 that Microsoft Surface Pro 5 will come out during springtime of 2017. Nonetheless, all reports without confirmation from the American tech giant should be taken with a grain of salt. Until the company decides to make the device official, these reports must be taken as rumors and speculations. Despite the lack of official details from Microsoft, several fans and critics have shared their own predictions on what to expect once the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 becomes available. According to the report, the new laptop will feature a full 4K support with 3860 x 2560p display resolution. Fans also expect the device to carry a hefty price tag because of its top-of-the-line features According to a report by iDigitalTimes, the new Microsoft Surface Pro 5 will definitely run on Intel's new generation core processor, the Kaby Lake. There are speculations suggesting that one of the reasons why Microsoft decided not to release the laptop this year is because Intel will wait until the end of the year before rolling out its new processor. Apart from its powerful chipset, the device is also expected to run on Windows 10 Redstone 2. Meanwhile, the upcoming Microsoft Surface Pro 5 will arrive in the market along with Apple's MacBook Pro 2016. The two devices are expected to dominate the hybrid laptop market in 2017. Stay tuned for more news and updates about the development and release of Microsoft Surface Pro 5. Wentworth Season 5 Air Date, Rumors, News & Update: Show Confirmed Not Cancelled! Liam Hemsworth To Guest Star? "Wentworth" season 5 was surrounded with cancellations rumors after the key character died in the previous season. However, these speculations are slowly put to rest as the cast and crew seemed to confirm the production for season 5. What's more exciting perhaps is the appearance of Liam Hemsworth next season! 'Wentworth' Season 5 Not Canceled "Wentworth" season 5 is definitely in production as previously reported by GameNGuide. Kate Jenkinson - who portrays the role Bea Smith's romantic partner Allie Novak - revealed to After Ellen that production is currently on schedule as they are targeting a 2017 air date. However, the actress refused to disclose further information as it may jeopardize the story of the upcoming season. "Wentworth" season 5 will pick up from Bea Smith's (Danielle Cormack) death. This major death prompted speculations that the series will get canceled. Just like Poussey in "The Orange Is The New Black," Bea is one of the fan-favorites that you don't want to see dead There were also speculations of fans calling for Bea to return, else cancel the show. As most TV series go, "Wentworth" season 5 will continue even without Bea. However, this should be compensated by the presence of the "Independence Day: Resurgence" star Liam Hemsworth. REGRAM @tammy__macintosh @katejenko @_daniellecormack_ #Wentworth A photo posted by Wentworth (Prison) (@wentworth__prison) on Sep 28, 2016 at 1:07am PDT 'Wentworth' Season 5 Guest Stars Liam Hemsworth Liam Hemsworth expressed his desire to guest star in the Australian drama series "Wentworth" season 5 per FXNewsCall. He also admitted that he's an avid "Wentworth" fan. He said that he would love to appear in at least two episodes. This may be one of this efforts to help other Australian stars make it to Hollywood. The producers of "Wentworth" season 5 are reportedly open to the idea of "The Hunger Games" actor to guest star. With a big star such as Liam Hemsworth, it Bea Smith's death could be forgiven by fans. However, there are no further developments regarding his role. Stay tuned for more "Wentworth" season 5 updates. Currently, the series is in the pre-production stage. The Australian crime-drama series is expected to return sometime in 2017. Rotary got started in Long Beach in 1917 when seven local businessmen met with a New York Rotarian who talked about his club there. PHILOMATH The people who occupied the federal wildlife sanctuary during an armed standoff last January had a fundamental misunderstanding of government-owned Western lands, according to retired Oregon State University professor William Robbins. Robbins, OSU's emeritus distinguished professor of history, spoke Saturday afternoon before a standing-room-only crowd of nearly 150 people at the Benton County Historical Museum. Titled The Malheur Occupation and Public Lands in the West, his presentation addressed the 41-day takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge that has become the focal point of the debate on federal lands in the West. The talk came two days after a jury Thursday acquitted seven defendants of all charges in the Malheur occupation in federal court in Portland Robbins talk, which had been planned for several weeks, didnt delve deeply into the verdict's legal implications, but it did offer a great deal of historical context to the occupation and called into question the militants argument that the federal government should hand over the refuge to local officials. What bothers me as a historian is the fact that they knew very little about the 130 years of history of grazing in Harney County, they knew little about the large cattle empires, they knew nothing about the creation of the refuge, Robbins said. Its also true that they emasculated the constitutional and legal grounding for the refuge and federal lands in the American West. Robbins talk detailed the unique geography of the Harney Basin, the rise of the cattle barons in the 1870s, the eventual sale of those large cattle properties to the federal government during the Great Depression, the gradual restoration and rehabilitation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and the Sagebrush Rebellion of the 1970s and '80s. The militants demands were anti-federal government demands to restore what I call a 'mythical past' to right the wrongs of the people in Harney Countys population, Robbins said. Most of them carry pocket-sized copies of the American Constitution. They raise nothing new about protests about federal land and the American West, but timeworn historical complaints about access to land. Robbins said it was important that present-day arguments and discussion consider the history of the area. Some people are uninformed and dont know how the federal government came in control of land, he said. So when the occupiers talk about turning the refuge or federal lands over to county government, thats something that Ive been interested in for a long time. These are federal lands, and the federal government bequeathed to the state these lands, not the other way around. Robbins said much of the disputes in the West came about in similar fashion to ideas expressed in Australian historian Geoffrey Blainey's book The Tyranny of Distance, which explored how that country's geographical remoteness was central to shaping its history, identity and future. Thats an apt metaphor for Harney County, because its so distant from everywhere else, Robbins said. No one in the federal government is, in my view, overreaching in Harney County. The federal government has been a positive and the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is a good example of that. Kimberly Jensen, a professor of history at Western Oregon University who was on hand for the talk, said it was crucial that people consider historical context on complex issues such as land ownership and rights. Until we have the historical context, we cant make those crucial decisions that we need to make as citizens, she said. And I think its terrific that we had such a huge audience here because it shows that a lot of people are interested in understanding the roots of this controversy. Robbins received applause throughout his presentation, but there were some in the audience who called into question his understanding of federal laws and the positions of those who occupied the refuge. Robbins, whose talk is based on an article he's set to publish in the Oregon Historical Quarterly later this year, said he takes care to research every element of his findings. Ive been told I dont know anything and I need to read the Constitution, he said. What the pocket constitutionalist spout is these arcane notions of the Constitution. No Supreme Court has ever touched this stuff because its beyond the pale. Robbins was asked after the talk about his opinion on the implications of the verdict and the notion that it could embolden other militant groups to act. My advice is historians should never predict the future, he said. Transcription 1 Summary CSO response to the CAO investigation into IFC investment in Corporacion Dinant, Honduras International and Honduran CSOs, including Movement of Unified Campesinos in Aguan Honduras, Movimiento Madre Tierra Honduras, CIFCA, FIAN, Plataforma Interamericana de Derechos Humanos, Democracia y Desarrollo, Oxfam, ActionAid International, Rights Action, Trocaire, Greenpeace International, Asociacion Interamericana para la Defensa del Ambiente, the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO), Global Witness, Urgewald, the Bretton Woods Project, CLOC-La Via Campesina, Global Campaign for Agrarian Reform, the Center for International Environmental Law, APRODEV, Forest Peoples Programme, Bank Information Center, COFADEH (Honduras), Accountability Counsel, Transformasi untuk Keadilan Indonesia, GRAIN, Federation internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme, MISEREOR (Catholic Bishops Organisation for Development Cooperation, Germany), ASTM - Third World Solidarity, Grupo Sur - European Advocacy Network - EU Latin America and Caribbean, Latin America Working Group, Rel-UITA, Latindadd, BankTrack, Inclusive Development International, The Corner House, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Re:Common, Fundacion de Estudios para la Aplicacion del Derecho El Salvador, Friends of the Earth US, Habitat International Coalition Latin America Office (HIC-AL), ARTICLE 19, Global Campaign for Free Expression and Information, Health Poverty Action, Institute for Policy Studies Climate Policy Program, Carbon Market Watch, Rettet den Regenwald, Yayasan SETARA Jambi, erlassjahr.de/jubilee Germany, Ulu Foundation, Eurodad, World Family UK, Food First/Institute for Food & Development Policy, Centre national de cooperation au developpement CNCD , International Human Rights Clinic, Indigenous Peoples Links, GMB, Honduras-Forum Switzerland, Ecologistas en Accion, Robin Wood, Both ENDS, Biofuelwatch UK/US, Finance & Trade Watch Austria, HondurasDelegation, Jamaa Resource Initiatives Kenya, ECA Watch Austria, the Norwegian Coalition for Debt Cancellation, MiningWatch Canada, the Social Justice Committee of Montreal Canada, KOSID and Mani Tese, condemn the response of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to the highly critical findings of the Compliance Adviser/Ombudsman regarding the IFC s investment in Corporacion Dinant in Honduras 1, which has been associated with extensive human rights abuses, including the killing, kidnapping and forced eviction of farmers. The investigation is one of the most damning ever issued by the internal watchdog and concludes that the Bank s private sector lending arm, the International Finance Corporation: Failed to adhere to its own policies meant to protect local communities, and continued to allow the company to breach those safeguards over the past five years to the present; Either failed to spot or deliberately ignored the serious social, political and human rights context in which this company is operating or where it did, failed to act effectively on the information; Failed to disclose vital project information, consult with local communities, or to identify the project as a high-risk investment, despite public information that was widely available at the time the investment was made. The CAO found that these failures arose, in part, from staff incentives to overlook, fail to articulate, or even conceal potential environmental, social and conflict risk 2, and that staff felt pressured to get money out the door 3 and discouraged from making waves 4. 1 See the CAO investigation here: and the IFC s response here: 22 CAO investigation p CAO investigation p. 26. 2 The CAO investigation reveals one of the most egregious investments in the IFC s history. Such findings should rightly provoke shockwaves at the institution, and an admission of fault, a commitment to root and branch investigation and reform, and apology and remedy to affected communities who have suffered at the hands of IFC s client. However, despite the CAO s evidence of serious and sustained failures in IFC s handling of the case, the IFC s official response is superficial and its proposed actions totally inadequate. In the face of CAO-compiled evidence which points to systemic problems and could indicate malpractice on its part, the IFC not only refuses to address these systemic issues, but compounds them with further attempts to cover up its wrongdoings. In its response, the IFC rejects some of the CAO s findings, without specifying which ones or providing evidence to support this rejection. IFC also states that the Action Plan is contingent on Dinant s agreement. 5 Of grave concern is that the IFC continues to deny that human rights abuses may have been committed by its client in the Aguan Valley, and to deny that the root cause of these abuses is a long standing conflict over land. CSOs are now calling for: An admission by IFC CEO Jin Yong Cai of the many failures documented in the CAO investigation; The immediate withdrawal of the Action Plan and IFC response. In its place, set up a consultation mechanism that involves the farmers organizations in the development and implementation of a much stronger and more comprehensive action plan to correct the deficiencies highlighted by the CAO; The suspension of any further disbursements to Corporacion Dinant, including the pending second $15 million tranche, and abstain from resuming funding until a) the material and intellectual authors of the crimes and human rights violations committed against organised farmers and their supporters in the Aguan Valley have been brought to justice. If Dinant is found to be responsible for any of these crimes and human rights violations, then the IFC should terminate its relationship with Dinant immediately; and b) a comprehensive, just, peaceful and sustainable resolution is provided to the conflicts over land between the Corporacion Dinant, the state of Honduras and the local farmers movements; President Kim to commission an independent investigation of the underlying systemic reasons identified by the CAO for the repeated and serious failures to adhere to standards by IFC staff. This investigation should also propose measures to address and rectify these systemic failures, which are not limited to this case alone. 6 It should also propose measures that incentivise IFC staff to work towards the two corporate goals of ending extreme poverty and promoting shared prosperity and not just getting money out of the door. In particular it should address what the CAO calls the risk averse culture at the IFC, where accountability for results defined primarily in financial terms may incentivize staff to overlook, fail to articulate, or even conceal potential environmental, social and conflict related risks ; 7 4 CAO investigation p The IFC response states, In addition, we will seek Dinant s agreement to undertake that the following actions are undertaken in the next 12 months p See also the recent Tata Mundra case, and the appraisal for the Ficohsa case: 7 CAO investigation p. 10. 3 A commitment to carry out human rights impact assessments in high risk countries and those with a documented culture of impunity, and a commitment to consider in these assessments the findings of UN human rights monitoring bodies as well as regional human rights systems. A full list of CSO demands can be seen at the end of this document. 4 The CAO findings and IFC response a summary and reaction from CSOs The CAO investigation exhaustively documents failures at every stage of the investment process at IFC: assessment, supervision and evaluation. 1. Assessment Phase Failures At the assessment phase, the CAO catalogues failures by the IFC in all its formal procedures: environmental and social due diligence, the Integrity Due Diligence review, project categorisation, and processes of consultation and information disclosure. The more serious failures include: Ignoring available evidence: CAO s own investigators conducted news searches using the same parameters mandated by the World Bank's rules; these revealed allegations about the company available at the time the investment was made including: (a) misuse of political influence; (b) involvement in the murder of an environmental activist; (c) [the company CEO] having been the subject of warrant for arrest in relation to environmental crimes; (d) involvement in multiple land disputes, and (e) the use of his properties as a staging post for drug trafficking. 8 CAO concludes that "IFC staff either knew about these allegations and perceptions and failed to deal with them" or did not conduct required news searches. 9 Breaching policies on disclosure and consultation: The CAO finds that the IFC was and continues to be in breach of its policy on information disclosure. 10 In addition, CAO found no evidence that the communities living most proximate to Dinant s properties were consulted during the preparation of the E&S Assessment 11, again in breach of its policies. The IFC s response: In the face of clear evidence to the contrary presented by the CAO, the IFC s response last week continues to claim that in 2008 there was no evidence of land claims. More worryingly, in an initial response to the draft CAO investigation in summer last year, the IFC attempted to pressure CAO into covering up its own findings: In making these findings CAO notes IFC s request that discussion of IFC s integrity due diligence as it was applied to Dinant be removed from the report. 12 Such denial in the face of clear evidence to the contrary is then compounded by an attempt by the IFC to force CAO to conceal its own findings. This verges on malpractice. The IFC does not respond to the CAO s finding that it continues to be in breach of its own information disclosure requirements. The IFC s response is that Dinant will carry out a comprehensive stakeholder mapping and socio-economic baseline survey in January It is unacceptable that the IFC fails to admit or correct its wrong-doing on information disclosure, especially considering the CAO s discovery that the client s translation of the Environmental and Social Review Summary was modified 13. It is unacceptable that despite the CAO s findings that community consultation 8 CAO investigation p CAO investigation pp IFC s failure to disclose the Dinant E&S Assessment was not compliant with its Policy on Disclosure of Information (para. 13). IFC remains non-compliant on this point. See p. 7: I-R9-Y12-F161_ENG.pdf 11 CAO investigation p CAO investigation p CAO investigation p. 33. 5 should have occurred back in 2008, the IFC does not acknowledge the fact that Dinant s plans to consult communities come six years too late. The information gathered from the consultation was to have been used to determine if IFC would invest in the project. The IFC s response also refers to other international financial institutions which also conducted their own due diligence prior to IFC and subsequently obtained approval from their respective Boards of Directors. The IFC s reference to other banks in this way is disingenuous as it then fails to mention that both the Deutsche Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG) and the Inter-American Development Bank decided not go ahead with their investments in Dinant because of concerns around human rights and land conflicts Further, the IFC promotes its Performance Standards as a global benchmark 16 in the field of development finance. If that were true, then the IFC should not rely on the due diligence of other institutions. 2. Supervision phase failures At the supervision phase, the CAO again finds significant flaws in the IFC s actions at all phases: including sustained failure to enforce its own loan agreement Conditions of Disbursement; failure to supervise Dinant s compliance with key Performance Standards such as that relating to the use of force by security guards; and failure to exercise remedies when non-compliance continued. These include: Breach of Performance Standard 4 (PS4) on Security: The CAO writes that as Dinant employed a security force of more than 300 persons, it was a requirement under PS4 that the client assess the risks ( ) posed by its security arrangements, and consider issues such as good international practice in terms of hiring, rules of conduct, training, equipping and monitoring such personnel. However, the CAO finds no indication that IFC supervised its client s PS4 obligations: (a) to investigate credible allegations of abusive acts of security personnel; or (b) that the use of force by security personnel would not be sanctioned other than for preventative and defensive purposes in proportion to the nature and extent of the threat. 17 Sustained failure to bring the project into compliance: An IFC site visit post-disbursement in March 2011 found Dinant s Environmental and Social (E&S) management system to be poorly developed" with Dinant being given an "unsatisfactory" Environmental and Social Risk Rating. The same unsatisfactory rating is maintained in the next visit in April 2012 with the additional note that Dinant has significant gaps with Honduran E&S legal requirements and little progress has been made on the social aspects including stakeholder engagement and security forces practices. The next visit in January 2013 finds that only eight of the 28 outstanding commitments are completed and the IFC is forced to ask Dinant to "move faster on ESAP [Environmental and Social Action Plan] implementation". 18 At no point does this non-compliance trigger any kind of consequence regardless of the fact that it is in violation of Dinant s contractual obligations with IFC. The IFC s response: 14 A IDB spokesman told the Financial Times, In the case of Dinant, there was a significant shift in a number of matters surrounding the project that led us to reconsider. The political turmoil Honduras experienced in 2009 was one of the aspects affecting this decision. Other considerations included changes in Dinant s credit profile and its involvement in a controversy over real estate ownership. See: 15 See: _agu/ 16 President Kim Responds to Civil Society s Concerns on Private Sector Investments, Dec. 9, 2013, available at: 17 CAO investigation p CAO investigation pp 6 In its response to the CAO s findings on its failure to supervise compliance with PS4, the IFC prescribes more of the same in its Action Plan: more training of staff, screening of security guards, more corporate social responsibility projects, and the setting up of a grievance mechanism. For example, the Action Plan says that Dinant will continue to collaborate with proper authorities to investigate any credible allegations of unlawful or abusive acts of its security personnel. This is in a context of total impunity where not one of the deaths associated with the land conflict in the Aguan Valley has resulted in a successful prosecution. As Human Rights Watch 19 has put it, the IFC is leaving the job to the fox that raided the chicken coop in the first place. 20 The Action Plan merely re-states what the IFC is anyway obliged to require by Performance Standard 4, but has failed to meet to date: PS4 also provides that the client will investigate any credible allegations or abusive acts of security personnel, take action (or urge appropriate parties to take action) to prevent recurrence, and report unlawful and abusive acts to public authorities where appropriate. Nor does the IFC acknowledge the documented issues with Dinant s contracted security company. The report from the UN Working Group on Mercenaries 21 states that one of the firms hired by Dinant is Orion. As per paragraphs 38 and 39 of the report, Orion s security guards are allegedly those responsible for the murders of five farmers at El Tumbador in November 2010, and that witness accounts state that they were using prohibited weapons (AK47s and M60s). An Action Plan which proposes more of the same engagement with Dinant on security issues that has been proven to fail to date is not acceptable in such a volatile and sensitive context. Human lives are at stake, yet the IFC is refusing to take its human rights obligations seriously. In its response to the CAO s overwhelming evidence of IFC s sustained negligence over Dinant s failure to comply with its standards, the IFC merely proposes to increase the number of monitoring and supervision discussions rather than committing to enforce the company s compliance. Furthermore, the response s mention of "intensified supervision" with visits in 2011, 2012 and 2013 sidesteps the issue as to how it took the IFC over a year and a half to react to a crisis that had been worsening significantly since The response also omits mention of the highly unsatisfactory findings from these visits in terms of Dinant s non compliance with its obligations. To say that Dinant had taken "significant strides forward" is contradicted by its own supervision reports, cited by the CAO 22, which show Dinant failing again and again to comply. The IFC s response to its repeated failures to bring Dinant into compliance is at best disingenuous and at worst deliberately misleading. More frequent monitoring and supervision will achieve nothing if the IFC does not enforce compliance with its own standards. 3. Systemic issues uncovered in the CAO investigation The CAO finds that the problems at IFC which led to the failures it documents stem not from deficiencies in its policies, but from a lack of their implementation. The CAO states that while the overall approach outlined in the Sustainability Framework is one which CAO finds to be applicable in conflict and non-conflict scenarios 23, IFC non compliance identified in the report are due in large part to problems with the interpretation and application of existing policies and procedures The CAO notes that the IFC failed to require an adequate root cause analysis in relation to the serious incidents that were occurring around the project (ESRP 6. v.5, para 2.2.). At a minimum, the IFC should commit to conduct such an analysis See CAO investigation pp CAO investigation p. 10. 7 These problems arise because: The combination of client relationship, operational and compliance functions within project teams can generate conflicts of interest and conflicting incentives for staff and management. 25 The CAO finds a culture of risk aversion at the Bank : In a risk averse setting, accountability for results defined primarily in financial terms may incentivize staff to overlook, fail to articulate, or even conceal potential environmental, social and conflict related risks. 26 Staff at the IFC recounted to CAO an institutional culture that encouraged lending at the expense of social and environmental impacts: there was pressure to grow the agribusiness portfolio at the time the Dinant investment was processed and that the investment department was thus highly motivated to get money out of the door with little regard for E&S concerns. The same interviewee noted that this was leading to investments in clients who were very weak from an E&S perspective. 27 Anonymous interviews carried out by CAO with IFC staff revealed they (rightly) feared for their jobs if they raised concerns: E&S staff who make waves are disadvantaged when it comes to decisions around promotions and pay increases. 28 Indeed the lead social and environmental specialist on the Dinant case was replaced for raising compliance concerns: When a more compliance based approach to the supervision of the Dinant investment was thus raised, CAO finds that this elicited push back from the IFC portfolio manager as a result of which the lead environmental specialist working on the project was replaced. 29 Crucially, CAO found that although staff knew about problems they did not feel able to raise them: One interviewee said that IFC knew from experience that "land is the number one issue in most palm oil investments"; and that "they all [oil palm investments] have unresolved land issues, it is just a matter of looking." But that staff did not feel as though they could rely on support from their management in addressing contentious issues 30 The IFC s Response: The IFC s response does not acknowledge or address these issues of systemic failure and instead claims that under the new 2012 Performance Standards, many of the findings of the CAO are addressed. The IFC s claim that recent policy changes could address many of the failures identified by the CAO is without basis in fact. The CAO s findings are clear in concluding that it is not policy failures but rather 24 CAO investigation p CAO investigation p CAO investigation p CAO investigation p CAO investigation p CAO investigation p CAO investigation p. 26. 8 failures in their implementation that is at fault so further policy changes would make little to no difference if staff will not implement them. On the contrary, the IFC s response fails to address even one of the 15 systemic underlying causes for the failures identified by the CAO. 31 Without acknowledging what went wrong, the IFC cannot hope to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future. 4. Failures not limited to this case The CAO investigation also uncovered further IFC support to Dinant, and triggered the announcement on 4 December 2013 of a second investigation into IFC s conduct. Despite IFC s knowledge of the land conflicts and human rights violations and abuses in the Aguan Valley, it went ahead with a further loan to one of Dinant s main investors, Banco Ficohsa. The CAO s appraisal of the case found that IFC documentation around this investment does not reveal reference to violent conflict around Dinant properties, of which IFC was aware at the time. 32 IFC began its investment in Ficohsa in 2008 and directly in Dinant in By 2010, the conflict and allegations surrounding Dinant s involvement in the Aguan Valley were in the public eye, and in early 2011, the head of IFC sent a letter to Honduran President Lobo regarding the situation with Dinant. Five months later, however, in May 2011, IFC made a $70 million investment in Ficohsa, despite knowing Dinant s role as its third largest client and the deteriorating situation surrounding Dinant on the ground. IFC investment in financial intermediaries like Ficohsa has come under recent scrutiny. In February 2013, the CAO published an audit 33 showing that IFC knows very little about the environmental and social impacts of its lending to financial intermediaries such as private equity funds and commercial banks, which amount to around half of IFC s total lending. The CAO investigation on financial intermediaries demonstrated that IFC doesn t know where its money is going. But this latest revelation about Ficohsa shows that even when the IFC does know the risks, it turns a blind eye to the impacts of its lending. The IFC knew that Ficohsa was financing Dinant, it knew that Dinant was caught up in a land conflict and yet it continued to invest in Ficohsa. CSO demands In the light of CAO s findings, international and Honduran CSOs, including Movement of Unified Campesinos in Aguan Honduras, Movimiento Madre Tierra Honduras, CIFCA, FIAN, Plataforma Interamericana de Derechos Humanos, Democracia y Desarrollo, Oxfam, ActionAid International, Rights Action, Trocaire, Greenpeace International, Asociacion Interamericana para la Defensa del Ambiente, the Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO), Global Witness, Urgewald, the Bretton Woods Project, CLOC-La Via Campesina, Global Campaign for Agrarian Reform, the Center for International Environmental Law, APRODEV, Forest Peoples Programme, Bank Information Center, COFADEH (Honduras), Accountability Counsel, Transformasi untuk Keadilan Indonesia, GRAIN, Federation internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme, MISEREOR (Catholic Bishops Organisation for Development Cooperation, Germany), ASTM - Third World Solidarity, Grupo Sur - European Advocacy Network - EU Latin America and Caribbean, Latin America Working Group, Rel-UITA, Latindadd, BankTrack, Inclusive Development International, The Corner House, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Re:Common, Fundacion de Estudios para la Aplicacion del Derecho El Salvador, Friends of the Earth US, Habitat International Coalition Latin America Office (HIC-AL), ARTICLE 19, Global Campaign for Free Expression and Information, Health Poverty Action, Institute for Policy Studies Climate Policy Program, Carbon Market Watch, Rettet den Regenwald, Yayasan SETARA Jambi, erlassjahr.de/jubilee Germany, Ulu Foundation, Eurodad, World Family UK, Food First/Institute for Food & 31 For a full list of these underlying causes, see CAO investigation pp See 9 Development Policy, Centre national de cooperation au developpement CNCD , International Human Rights Clinic, Indigenous Peoples Links, GMB, Honduras-Forum Switzerland, Ecologistas en Accion, Robin Wood, Both ENDS, Biofuelwatch UK/US, Finance & Trade Watch Austria, HondurasDelegation, Jamaa Resource Initiatives Kenya, ECA Watch Austria, the Norwegian Coalition for Debt Cancellation, MiningWatch Canada, the Social Justice Committee of Montreal Canada, KOSID and Mani Tese, call on the IFC to: 1. Halt any further disbursements to Corporacion Dinant, including the pending second $15 million tranche, and abstain from resuming it until a) the material and intellectual authors of the crimes and human rights violations committed against organised farmers and their supporters in the Aguan Valley have been brought to justice. If Dinant is found to be responsible for any of these crimes and human rights violations, then the IFC should terminate its relationship with Dinant immediately; and b) a comprehensive, just, peaceful and sustainable resolution is provided to the conflicts over land between the Corporacion Dinant, the state of Honduras and the local farmers movements; 2. Commit to address affected communities concerns, including by requiring its client, Dinant, to halt all violence directed at local farmers and to find a peaceful and sustainable resolution to conflict over land; 3. Implement a consultation mechanism that involves the farmers organizations in the development and implementation of a much stronger and more comprehensive action plan to correct the deficiencies highlighted by the audit; Commission an independent investigation on the security firm which is contracted by Dinant and being trained under the IFC action plan, as it has allegedly been involved in human rights abuses in other areas of Honduras.In addition, the farmers organisations from the Aguan Valley demand that the World Bank does not continue to fund corporations and projects that result in the monopolisation of natural resources and the displacement of communities and indigenous peoples. We regard this as a test case for President Kim s commitment to learn from past mistakes. While we welcome Kim s assurance that he will personally monitor the IFC s action plan 34 and commitments in this case, the IFC s proposed action plan is totally inadequate in relation to systemic failures identified in the CAO investigation. In response to a similar CAO investigation in also about IFC s investment in a palm oil company, which revealed systemic failures at the IFC, then-president Robert Zoellick reacted swiftly and decisively to enact reforms. Announcing a World Bank Group-wide moratorium on palm oil investments, Zoellick told CSOs: I share your concerns about the detrimental effects of palm oil development when sound environmental and social practices are not followed...i agree that the CAO audit highlighted important deficiencies in IFC's past approach. I have directed IFC management to take all necessary steps to ensure that the problems identified in the CAO audit are not repeated. 36 We therefore call on President Kim to ensure the IFC learns lessons from the systemic failures identified in the investigation and enacts specific systemic reforms so that future IFC investments do not result in breaches of this gravity. In particular: This action plan should immediately be withdrawn and re-written to address the serious failures in IFC s due diligence processes highlighted in this investigation, and include: 10 1. Commissioning an independent investigation of the underlying systemic reasons identified by the CAO for the repeated and serious failures to adhere to standards by IFC staff. In particular this would address what the CAO calls the risk averse culture at the IFC, where accountability for results defined primarily in financial terms may incentivize staff to overlook, fail to articulate, or even conceal potential environmental, social and conflict related risks. 37 This investigation should also propose measures to address and rectify these systemic failures; 2. An admission from IFC CEO Jin Yong Cai of the multiple failures identified by the CAO; 3. Staff responsible for these failures, the continuing breaches of IFC policies, and the malpractice identified by the CAO should be held to account; 4. A commitment to carry out human rights impact assessments in high risk countries and those with a documented culture of impunity; 5. A commitment to consider in their assessments, the findings of UN human rights monitoring bodies as well as regional human rights systems; 6. Credible consultation with affected communities, including Free, Prior and Informed Consent where applicable for projects taking place on or with impacts on their lands; 7. A commitment to conflict-sensitive investments that promote long-term peace and reconciliation. 37 CAO investigation p. 10. On a clear and mild morning with puffs of white clouds floating above the oaks and freshets of water trickling down the ridges onto a muddy, leaf-strewn logging road the new oak woodland in the Timberhill area made its debut. Smoke from smoldering slash piles drifted lazily toward the clouds, with the odor reminiscent of a campground morning before the days first fire is lit. Friday morning Jonathan Pywell, the Corvallis Parks and Recreation Departments urban forester, gave a Gazette-Times reporter and photographer an exclusive tour of the restyled forest that includes parts of the Chip Ross and Timberhill natural areas and a piece of Oregon State University research forest property. The first thing you notice at the Lester Avenue Trailhead is that your sightlines have completely changed. Before, there was a thick blanket of tree cover carpeting the hillside and obscuring all but the first few feet of the trails that angle west and north of the parking lot. Now the view is open and expansive. Most of the Douglas firs which had been crowding the oaks are gone, along with many big-leaf maples and some of the oaks. The remaining Oregon white oaks have been blessed with space space to grow and thrive in a way that was the norm in the Willamette Valley until early in the 20th century. Space for wildlife, for hikers and bikers and for stunning views that previously did not exist. This is the biggest project ever done in Corvallis in a natural area, said Pywell of the $285,000 mixture of selective logging and invasive species reduction. The three-month restoration on 103 acres was paid for by an Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board grant and timber revenues. Pywell said that the city had spent less than they expected and that the volume and quality of the logs meant about $40,000 more in revenue from the work by Trout Mountain Forestry. Budget in black The upshot is that the city will have plenty of money left to continue to work on invasive species well into the future. In addition, the Parks and Recreation Department will be grading and leveling some of the trails, bringing in rock and gravel to improve footing and adding culverts to route water under trails that used to be rainy-season bogs interspersed with water bars. We want to use the pitch of the road to help with drainage, Pywell said. And well use a larger diameter of gravel so it doesnt wash away as easily. The second thing you notice are the literally dozens of slash piles that as of Friday, when the trails re-opened, were still smoldering or exhaling smoke plumes skyward. Occasional flames were visible, along with the attendant crackling sound. These piles will smolder for a couple of weeks, perhaps as long as a month, Pywell said. And there is no chance the fires will escape because of the rainfall we have been getting. Pywell strongly emphasized that park users should keep their kids and pets away from the piles until they are stabilized. The trails are safe, and we want people to be able to see the process. How hot are the piles? They are campfire hot, Pywell said. You could bake a potato in there. Wildlife impact On our climb to the summit we see a pair of deer down a ravine and two scrub jays alighting onto a 75-foot-tall oak. The wildlife visibility is vastly improved, Pywell said. We are seeing a lot more deer since all of the trees have been removed. The birding opportunities have been dramatically improved also. Also on the way to the summit we see a trailside geocache plus a marker honoring Willi Unseold, the Oregon State University graduate who in 1963 was part of the first American expedition to scale Mount Everest. The marker had been difficult to see before the restoration work because of the dense underbrush. At the summit on what Pywell called "a perfect fall day were thrilling views of Marys Peak, adorned with a beard of clouds, Bald Hill and Fitton Green. To the east the spiked summits of the Three Sisters could be seen fighting their way through the morning haze. People have been champing at the bit to get in here," said Pywell, who spent Friday afternoon posting signs in the natural areas that note which trails are open and warn park users about the slash piles. People are annoyed that we closed it in the summer, which is completely understandable," he said. "Its the only time we could have done the work. Well have to close trails when we do the road work, but the reset of the park will remain open. Trail discovery New trails will be added as well. During the tree thinning an old logging road was discovered on the back side of the summit ridge that the Parks and Recreation Department hopes to link with a deer trail that also emerged during the work. Pywell said the new trail ultimately will merge onto Jackson Creek Road, with the opening perhaps two years out, depending on the level of volunteer help. In addition to the logging and invasives work city crews used $23,000 of the money to spread 800 pounds of native grasses and forbs to carpet the hillsides. Which is another reason why the city wants park users to stay on the rails. We dont want any of the baby plants to get stomped on, Pywell said. The 11-plus inches of rain that washed through the mid-valley this month left the trails near the Lester trailhead a bit gooey, but the farther up the ridge you go the firmer the footing. Pywell said that the planned roadwork might have to wait for the spring unless we get a hard freeze. A second section of slash pile burning also might be required next fall. Were expecting some hate mail because in many ways the park is in terrible shape, Pywell said. People are going to have emotional responses to this and thats completely understandable. By spring it will have softened. In a couple of years it will look like it is supposed to look. And in 10 years it will look like we were never here. United Nations : Happy Birthday to the UN in Bonn Mayor Ashok Sridharan and the choir from Bonn International School open the festivities. Foto: Alexander Grantl Bonn Bonn celebrated United Nations Day and 20 years as a UN city on Saturday. A choir from Bonn International School opened the festivities. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Outside the Old Town Hall on Saturday morning, Ashok Sridharan started his message of greeting in English. The lord mayor wished international guests: Happy Birthday UN in Bonn. The fact the UN has relocated 19 of its organisations to Bonn is a gain for the city and also for the region, the state of North Rhine Westphalia and for Germany, said Sridharan. The United Nations has had offices in Bonn since 1951. Since 1996, Bonn has developed into an ever more important location. At that time the Federal Government made the Haus Carstanjen available to the UN as office space and further UN organisations came to Bonn, including the United Nations Volunteers Programme. The city marked this 20 year anniversary on Saturday with a public celebration. Over 30 organisations were represented in nine tents in the Marktplatz, including non-government and development aid organisations that work together with the UN. They presented their work and offered hands-on activities. The youth choir from Bonn International School opened the celebrations in the morning performing on a stage in front of the Old Town Hall. Various music groups appeared here all day, including the inter-cultural music group You Shall Rise. United Nations Day is always a special day, said Jakob Rhyner, who had come to the celebrations on behalf of the United Nations. The vice-rector of the UN University said that Bonn was an important location for the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The agenda for these should ensure sustainable development at an economic, social and ecological level by 2030. The campaign will be steered from Bonn. Elvira von den Hoff, who came across the celebrations by chance while wandering round the town, said: I dont have a lot to do with the UN, but the celebrations have aroused my interest. She wanted to visit the tents and learn more about the work of the United Nations. Another visitor really liked the almost 90 metre long paper band stretched across the ground on the Marktplatz. People had written on it in blue pen their thoughts on the question How we live? Transcription 1 AFTER THE MISSIONS: UNDERSTANDING NEW ZEALAND S SECURITY FUTURE WHY PARTNERS MATTER The purpose of my paper is to demonstrate why partners matter. Timor, Solomon Islands and Afghanistan highlighted the importance to New Zealand of maintaining a range of effective defence partnerships. We can t operate without partners. They add both legitimacy and capacity. Our participation had the welcome outcome of further strengthening a range of partnerships in ways that will be of significant benefit as we look to the future. As I note later in this paper there is more that can be done in this respect. TIMOR LESTE For the first phase of the initial intervention mission in Timor known as INTERFET, Australia had the full range of military capabilities, the will and the funding to assume leadership of the multinational coalition. New Zealand could not have done so, but we did provide a wider range of capabilities than any of the 15 other countries which participated. We also brought to the table a common doctrinal basis for operations and command and control. Our efforts then and since underlined to Australia the important role New Zealand is able to perform in support of our interests in securing peace and stability in and beyond our region. General Peter Cosgrove, the Commander of INTERFET, and subsequently Australia s CDF, commented in his autobiography that the Australians were able to rely on Kiwis to the same extent as their fellow Australians. Our efforts were a timely reminder to Australia and others that the NZDF s professionalism had not declined in the wake of the ANZUS rupture more than a decade earlier. 1 2 The successful trans-tasman defence partnership in Timor and in Solomon Islands was not only a major factor in restoring stability in both countries. It prompted new initiatives to further strengthen the ability to operate together. In 2011, the ANZAC South Pacific-focussed Ready Response Force was established for joint emergency response in the region. In 2012, the Australian and New Zealand Defence Ministers launched a new Australia/New Zealand defence relationship framework. The framework identifies practical measures to deepen defence cooperation. The objective is more effective combined responses to a variety of potential problems in a now more complex operating environment. Australia s new defence white paper notes that New Zealand is the most likely partner for operations in Australia s region. It should not be assumed, however, despite these welcome developments, that Australia and New Zealand will now always march in lockstep especially in respect of operations beyond the Pacific basin. We did not, for instance, join the ADF in deploying to Iraq in the absence of a Security Council mandate. The ADF, unlike the NZDF, avoided significant involvement in the United Nations mission in Bosnia. There were other positive outcomes from Timor. New Zealand is accustomed to making niche contributions to missions abroad. In Timor, we provided the means through attachments to our battalion for Singapore, Canada, Ireland, Nepal and Fiji to make their own niche contributions to INTERFET. Singapore s attachment of a 70 strong infantry combat group to our battalion was its first commitment of ground troops to a peacekeeping mission. Singapore had other deployment options. Their decision to work with the NZDF reflected their comfort level with our style of peacekeeping. This commitment reflected the long association between the NZDF and its Singapore counterpart both through the Five Power Defence Arrangements and bilaterally. It signalled the growing maturity of the relationship characterised by an ability to work together effectively in an operational setting. 2 3 Singapore subsequently attached engineers and medical personnel to our Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamyan, and the two Navies have worked together in counter-piracy patrols. Our growing operational cooperation was marked in 2009 with the signing of a defence cooperation arrangement formalising the close defence ties between New Zealand and Singapore. Moreover, and very importantly for New Zealand, through our work together in Timor, Singapore effectively provided our exit strategy by replacing our Iroquois helicopter squadron, and in conjunction with Thailand, replacing our battalion when we had reached the point where another rotation was simply not doable. AFGHANISTAN Turning now to Afghanistan, the challenging roles performed by the SAS which earned the unit a citation presented by President Bush, and the work of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamyan, undoubtedly contributed to the United States decision to establish a new strategic partnership with New Zealand. Prior to Afghanistan, the United States largely defined its defence and security relationship with New Zealand by our differences on nuclear matters. But the scale and duration of New Zealand s commitment to Afghanistan and the professionalism of those who served there, reminded Washington that there was a significant identity of interest across a broad spectrum of security issues which merited more substantive recognition. The Wellington and Washington Declarations brought to a formal end the lengthy suspension of most forms of defence cooperation following the ANZUS rupture. Defence Minister Coleman commented after signing the Washington Declaration that it recognises the significant security cooperation that exists between New Zealand and the United States within the context of our independent foreign policy, and seeks to build on that cooperation in the years ahead. 3 4 Seeking to improve the relationship with the United States was not, however, a major motivating factor for making those commitments. Those commitments were about making a New Zealand contribution to the international community s campaign against terrorism. That said, there is an interesting parallel with the Korean War. A year after New Zealand deployed troops to the Korean Peninsula, the ANZUS Treaty was signed. The Afghanistan commitment also led to a strengthening of New Zealand s relationship with NATO, first developed through our commitment to Bosnia. In 2012 Prime Minister Key and NATO Secretary-General Rasmussen signed an agreement on an individual partnership and cooperation programme which includes political dialogue on important security issues and opens up additional training opportunities for NZDF personnel. Secretary General Rasmussen noted that NATO wanted to be more closely connected with countries willing to contribute to global security, where we all have a stake. Our role gave New Zealand a seat at the table when NATO Defence and Foreign Ministers met to review progress in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan commitment, including the New Zealand police contribution to the European Union s police capacity building programme in Bamyan, also gave New Zealand a higher profile among those European countries which were leading contributors to operations in Afghanistan. This was reflected in visits recently to New Zealand by Denmark s Minister of Defence and Germany s Parliamentary Secretary for Defence. Mention must also be made of Malaysia s attachment of a 40-strong contingent to our Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamyan. Like Singapore this reflected our close defence relationship with Malaysia both bilaterally and through the Five Power Defence Arrangements. Our decision to encourage Malaysia to join us was warmly welcomed by a number of Muslim countries. They could see not only the practical benefits of a contingent that 4 5 included female Muslim doctors, better able to interact with Bamyan women. They also were quick to point to the symbolic value of a Muslim and a non-muslim nation working closely together in a country deeply fractured by ethnic and sectarian tension. This attachment has added value to this longstanding defence relationship. SOLOMON ISLANDS I have already noted the centrality of Australia s role in the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands. RAMSI would not have succeeded in restoring stability, however, had it just been an ANZAC mission. Wide-ranging Pacific participation in, and oversight of RAMSI by the Pacific Islands Forum community was the key to RAMSI being seen as a genuine South Pacific solution to a South Pacific problem. A Forum Ministerial Standing Committee was established to provide oversight and guidance to RAMSI operations, and a Solomon Islands Government- RAMSI Partnership Framework was put in place. The partnership framework is like a strategic work plan. It provides a sense of joint ownership. It was negotiated jointly and progress made under it is assessed jointly. It could serve as a model for any future intervention in the region and possibly beyond. The Tonga Defence Services and the Papua New Guinea Defence Force made important contributions to RAMSI s Combined Task Force, as did the Fijians until they sadly once again subverted their democratic process. Our longstanding Mutual Assistance Programmes with Tonga and PNG had established important links with both Forces over many years, and facilitated their participation. The participation of each of the South Pacific Police Forces was also critical to RAMSI s effective policing role. 5 6 A NEW ZEALAND INC APPROACH Mention should also be made of the whole-of-government approach New Zealand adopted in all three Missions. The New Zealand Police played a key role in Timor and Solomon Islands and their involvement in Bamyan supported PRT objectives. The missions highlight the importance of close collaboration between the NZDF and the Police when preparing for overseas missions given that most peacekeeping missions now include a policing component. The importance of the NZDF s partnership with NZ AID was also demonstrated in all three missions. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE We are now better placed to work with Australia and the United States in future peacekeeping and peace support missions. But the last decade has demonstrated that we can work well with a wider range of partners. Attention needs to be given as a matter of urgency to lifting our United Nations peacekeeping profile. That profile is almost non-existent. We are currently ranked 92 nd on the list of countries contributing to UN peacekeeping. That places us narrowly ahead of Samoa which doesn t have a defence force and is able only to provide police officers. We no longer have the excuse of significant commitments to non UN missions. This is not a good space to be in as we bid for a seat on the Security Council. I support remarks Terence O Brien made in his recent testimony to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade. Terence called for the NZDF to examine the scope for joint peacekeeping operations with those Asian countries active in UN peacekeeping as a means of balancing and aligning our UN and Asian interests more astutely. 6 7 We should build on what the NZDF accomplished as co-chairs with the Philippines of the expert working group on peacekeeping operations established under the ASEAN Defence Ministers Plus forum framework. In this role we sought to support the development of peacekeeping capabilities amongst the 18 forum member countries. Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are all now significant UN peacekeeping contributors. Indonesia has established a state of the art peacekeeping training centre, superior to any comparable facility in Europe, according to a senior member of the International Red Cross. The UN now regularly uses the Indonesian centre to conduct seminars for senior mission leaders. There are opportunities for partnerships not only with Indonesia, but with other ASEAN countries. We need to be looking at how we seize these opportunities. We need also to deepen cooperation with South Pacific defence forces, excluding Fiji for the time being. This would recognise the role they can play in regional contingencies that is disproportionate to their size and capabilities. The commitment made at the inaugural meeting of Australian, New Zealand and South Pacific Defence Ministers earlier this month to deepen cooperation between regional defence forces, is therefore very timely. A new framework for cooperative military exercises in the region is being put in place. This commitment reflects the important lessons learned during the RAMSI mission and the need to build on that experience to bolster regional security. Paul Sinclair Centre for Strategic Studies {Note. This paper was prepared for the After the Missions seminar jointly hosted by the Centre for Strategic Studies and NZIIA} 7 Transcription 1 Last Updated: October 2013 RHODE ISLAND GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLES Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C. Susan Leach DeBlasio, Steve Geanacopoulos, and Hans Lundsten Table of Contents 1. The Sarbanes-Oxley Good Governance Principles 2. IRS Encourages Good Governance Policies 3. Good Governance Under Rhode Island Law 4. Resources Following revelations concerning the Enron and WorldCom scandals in , the issue of corporate governance rose to the top of the national agenda in the United States. To curb the practices that led to these and similar scandals by publicly held corporations, Congress enacted the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of Moreover, since nonprofit organizations also had their share of scandals involving conflicts of interest, self-dealing by insiders, excessive compensation and the like, several states have proposed laws to extend Sarbanes-Oxley-type provisions to nonprofit entities, with California being the first to actually enact such legislation and several states doing so shortly after. As of the date of this writing, no such legislation has been enacted in Rhode Island. Given this legal landscape, organizations devoted to positive social change should institute and maintain good governance practices, including transparent decision making, accurate financial reporting and accepted auditing practices. In the discussion below, we outline the good governance principles embodied in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and in state legislation applicable to nonprofit social sector entities. 1. The Sarbanes-Oxley Good Governance Principles Except for provisions concerning document destruction and whistleblower protection, the governance provisions required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act apply only to public companies and thus do not apply to social sector organizations. Nevertheless, the reforms prescribed by the Act have become the de facto standard for the governance of all entities. Consequently, most social sector entities, both for-profit and nonprofit, are voluntarily incorporating Sarbanes-Oxley principles into their own governance structures as a way of instilling confidence and trust among their members, donors/grantors and other constituents. 1 Page 2 In 2005, the ABA Coordinating Committee on Nonprofit Governance published a Guide to Nonprofit Corporate Governance in the Wake of Sarbanes-Oxley in which it set forth 10 general principles worthy of consideration for the governance of nonprofit organizations. Those principles, which may or may not be appropriate for a particular social sector organization, are summarized as follows: a. Role of Board: The organization s governing board should oversee the operations of the organization in such manner as will assure effective and ethical management. b. Importance of Independent Directors: The independent and non-management board members are an organizational resource that should be used to assure the exercise of independent judgment in key committees and general board decision-making. For suggestions on how to form an independent, effective board please visit: c. Audit Committee: An organization with significant financial resources should have an audit committee composed solely of independent directors that should assure the independence of the organization s financial auditors, review the organization s critical accounting policies and decisions and the adequacy of its internal control systems, and oversee the accuracy of its financial statements and reports. d. Governance and Nominating Committee: An organization should have one or more committees, composed solely of independent directors, that focus on core governance and board composition issues, including: the governing documents of the organization and the board; the criteria, evaluation, and nomination of directors; the appropriateness of board size, leadership, composition, and committee structure; and codes of ethical conduct. e. Compensation Committee: An organization should have a committee composed of independent directors that determines the compensation of the chief executive officer and determines or reviews the compensation of other executive officers, and assures that compensation decisions are tied to the executives actual performance in meeting predetermined goals and objectives. f. Disclosure and Integrity of Institutional Information: Disclosures made by an organization regarding its assets, activities, liabilities, and results of operations should be accurate and complete, and include all material information. Financial and other information should fairly reflect the condition of the organization, and be presented in a manner that promotes rather than obscures understanding. CEOs and CFOs should be able to certify the accuracy of financial and other disclosures, and the adequacy of their organizations internal controls. 2 Page 3 g. Ethics and Business Conduct Codes: An organization should adopt and implement ethics and business conduct codes applicable to directors, senior management, agents, and employees that reflect a commitment to operating in the best interests of the organization and in compliance with applicable law, ethical business standards, and the organization s governing documents. h. Executive and Director Compensation: Executives (and directors if appropriate) should be compensated fairly and in a manner that reflects their contribution to the organization. Such compensation should not include loans, but may include incentives that correspond to success or failure in meeting performance goals. i. Monitoring Compliance and Investigating Complaints: An organization should have procedures for receiving, investigating, and taking appropriate action regarding fraud or noncompliance with law or organization policy, and should protect whistleblowers against retaliation. j. Document Destruction and Retention: An organization should have document retention policies that comply with applicable laws and are implemented in a manner that does not result in the destruction of documents that may be relevant to an actual or anticipated legal proceeding or governmental investigation. Many of these principles now intersect with, and to some extent overlap with, the IRS Form 990 policies and procedures disclosures described below. 2. IRS Encourages Good Governance Policies The IRS is encouraging improved nonprofit governance in various ways. It is expanding the types of information that must be reported on non-profits annual filings (Form 990) with the IRS. It is adopting a checklist to help IRS examiners determine whether an organization s governance practices affect its tax compliance and is training its employees on how nonprofit governance affects determinations and rulings. The IRS is also attempting to utilize the information it receives on the Form 990 filed by non-profit entity to determine whether it has a proper system of governance in place. For example, the IRS might use that information to determine whether the entity has adopted proper procedures for setting compensation of senior employees or if it has adopted proper policies to address conflicts of interest and/or excess benefit transactions. More information and resources regarding the IRS and good governance are available at: 3 Page 4 3. Good Governance Under Rhode Island Law The Rhode Island Nonprofit Corporation Act, Rhode Island General Laws through 108 (the Act ) which governs nonprofit corporations in the state of Rhode Island contains certain provisions regarding potential conflicts of interest. The Act provides that no contract or other type of transaction between a corporation and one or more directors or officers or between a corporation and another organization in which one or more of its directors or officers are directors or officers or have a financial interest is void or voidable, nor are the directors or officers liable, solely because the director or officer is present at or participates in a meeting of the board of directors or a committee of the board of directors which authorizes the contract or transaction, or solely because his or her votes are counted, if: i) the material facts of his or her interest are disclosed or known to the board of directors or committee, and the contract or transaction is approved or ratified by the affirmative votes of a majority of the disinterested directors (even if less than a quorum); ii) the material facts of his or her interest are disclosed or known to the members entitled to vote, and the contract or transaction is approved or ratified by vote of the members; or iii) the contract or transaction is fair and reasonable to the corporation. In addition, loans by the nonprofit corporation to its directors are expressly prohibited. 4. Resources ABA Coordinating Committee on Nonprofit Governance, Guide to Nonprofit Corporate Governance in the Wake of Sarbanes-Oxley (American Bar Association, Section of Business Law, 2005). Form 990 Filing Tips: Governance (Part VI) IRS Training Materials-Governance Governance and Tax-Exempt Organizations Examination Materials Guidebook for Directors of Nonprofit Corporations, Second Edition (Committee on Nonprofit Corporations, Section of Business Law of American Bar Association, Section, edited by George W. Overton and Jeanne Carmedelle Frey, 2002) 4 Page 5 Jacobs, Association Law Handbook, 4 th edition (ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership, 2007) The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and Implications for Nonprofit Organizations (BoardSource and Independent Sector) (2003 updated 2006). U.S. Office of Personnel Management, CFC Glossary, available at Ellis Carter's Top 10 Non-profit Governance Mistakes (And 5 More) Nonprofit Law Blog, 5 Page Here's How You Can Watch Apple MacBook Pro Event Live Tonight News oi -Pallabi Apple is going to unveil its new range of MacBook Pro in its Cupertino head office at 10AM San Fransisco time. Watch it in India at 10PM tonight. Apple's much-anticipated invite-only press conference is just hours away to refresh the MacBook Pro lineup. The Cupertino-based tech-giant is going to unveil its new range of MacBook Pro with the Magic Toolbar mini display as well as an updated 13-inch MacBook Air today in its headquarters at 10AM (PDT) according to San Francisco time. Over the past few weeks, you might have heard and seen a lot of rumors around the upcoming range, but tonight all will be unfolded. Although it is an invitation-only event, it still can be watched online from anywhere in the world. If you are still wondering how to watch the launch, then you should probably read on. SEE ALSO: Reliance Jio: All the Hidden Secrets of the 4G SIM You Need to Know What Time? The Apple event is scheduled for 10AM (PDT) in San Francisco live. That means in India you can watch at 10:30PM in India. Such event always starts on time, so ensure you don't miss out. Where Can You Watch? The event can be watched from any Apple device. To be specific- -> Safari browser on iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad running iOS 7 or later. -> Safari browser on a Mac running OS X 10.8.5 or later. -> Microsoft Edge browser running on Windows 10. -> Streaming on Apple TV is supported, but only on a second, third or fourth generation device running software 6.2 or later. You need to download Apple Events app in the App Store to view the event. -> Tune in to the live stream of the event via Safari on Mac or Edge on Windows 10 at http://apple.co/live Unofficially Watch on Android If you don't have an iOS device, you can watch it on Android as well, but with a few tweaks. You need to Download VLC on Android or Linux. Then head to Media>Network Stream>enter the URL for the keynote. However, the URL will not be available till the event starts. So, keep an eye on Apple's Twitter handle.. Click Here for New Smartphones Best Online Deals Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Improved Camera One of the major improvements on the cards is an improved camera. According to the ongoing rumours, the OnePlus 3T may feature a 16MP Sony IMX398 sensor which is a significant upgrade from the existing IMX298 sensor. Apart from the improved sensor, rest of the features which include OIS, EIS, PDAF, f/2.0 aperture, and support for 4K video recording will remain unchanged. Optic OLED display panel is here to stay for a while A few rumours suggested that OnePlus will move back to LCD panels owing to the shortage of Optic OLED panels. However, Carl Pei, CEO of OnePlus, confirmed that the company is not planning to move back to the LCD panels anytime soon. Additionally, rumour has it that the OnePlus 3T may feature a 2K resolution display to offer support for Google's DayDream technology. Click Here for New Android Smartphones Best Online Deals Internals may receive an upgrade The OnePlus 3T is expected to come equipped with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC. That said, at this point of time, it's unclear if the device will retain the same 6GB of RAM. Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box The OnePlus 3T is expected to come with Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box along with a layer of company's Oxygen OS on top of it. Pricing and availability As far as the pricing is concerned, the smartphone is expected to bear a price tag slightly higher than its predecessor. Evan Blass (@evleaks), a famous leakster recently tweeted that the OnePlus 3T will be priced USD 80 higher than the OnePlus 3's price. Meaning expect the upcoming flagship killer to be priced somewhere around USD 480 which translates to Rs. 32,000 (approximately). Click Here for New Smartphones Best Online Deals Pay Rs. 199 for Jio 4G SIM and LYF phone This is one of the earlier scams related to the Jio SIM. There were reports circulating all over the internet that you can get an LYF phone and Reliance Jio SIM card at a price of just Rs. 199. This is clearly a scam as the starting price of an LYF phone is Rs. 2,999. Reliance Jio SIM to be delivered to your doorsteps Though there wasn't any amount of money involved in this rumor, it was stated that the service provider would soon start the home delivery of the Reliance Jio SIM card to avoid the users interested in the service from standing in long queues to get the SIM card. Website claims to offer free JioFi device A fake website popped up a few weeks back and it claimed to offer the JioFi Wi-Fi hotspot device for free. It was listed to arrive with a free Jio 4G SIM as well. The website required the personal details of the users and required them to share the message on WhatsApp to avail a coupon code. Buy Jio SIM from online Likewise the JioFi device scam, another fake website was spotted sometime recently. The website claimed that it will deliver the Jio 4G SIM card right at your doorsteps. But, you has to pay Rs. 199 for the delivery and it was an advance payment option. Also, there was no cash on delivery option to pay for the SIM card. This website was soon taken down. Stay away from such scams These are Reliance Jio SIM related scams that have come to the spotlight. There could be many more. To stay away from such scams, make sure you trust information that is posted only on the official Reliance Jio website. Also, make sure you don't reveal your personal details and pay believing any such scams. Somali Officials Vow to Retake Puntland Town By Harun Maruf October 28, 2016 Somali regional authorities in Puntland are vowing to retake a town captured by pro-Islamic State militants this week. The president of the region, Dr. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, said his administration would push back against the militants, who faced little opposition when they took over Qandala. "Puntland always defended itself, and is going to defend itself," he said. "Daesh cannot hold on to Qandala; they will not maintain control. That is a pledge I make to you," he said, using an Arabic term (Daesh) to refer to the Islamic State group. Military officials in Puntland, an autonomous region in northeastern Somalia, were caught by surprise when the militants seized Qandala, a traditional symbol of staunch resistance to foreign occupation. They are discussing how to respond to the threat by the militant group that apparently was taken lightly by Somali administrations. Qandala is 90 kilometers east of Bosaso, Puntland's main port and the economic hub of Puntland. Since it lies between rugged mountains and the Gulf of Aden, it is seen more vulnerable to attack from the sea. Since Qandala was captured, Puntland security officials have deployed gunboats to the area to intercept any shipments by militant groups in Yemen, military sources said. Weapons from Yemen A leading security and intelligence expert says militants allied with Islamic State chose Qandala because the small fishing port is just a few hours from the coast of Yemen. A former director of the Puntland Intelligence Agency, Abdi Hassan Hussein, says there was "strategic planning behind the capture." "They constantly receive experts or trainers from Yemen, and shipments of weapons and other materiel. This is why they selected that strategic area," Hussein said. "It's tough to reach by land, it's a mountainous area, and it's not suitable to drive there," the intelligence expert added. "Sheikh Mumin's tribe lives in that area, and they may get more support from the clan. Proclaiming that he wants to establish an Islamic region in the whole of Africa may get him some sympathizers or supporters." Sheikh Abdulkadir Mumin is the leader of the pro-IS group that captured the town. Last month the United States designated him as a global terrorist. A year ago Mumin pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Militancy growing During the past year, Mumin's group has been busy evading attacks by rival militants from al-Shabab, while also seeking recruits and finding a space to grow. Hussein believes that they have achieved that. "One year is complete; they are marking the anniversary. They had very few numbers but right now they have 200 to 300 fighters," he said. Mumin defected from an al-Shabab camp that controls a small hideout in a mountainous area known as Galgala, southwest of Bosaso. Despite several military offensives and defections, al-Shabab's fighters are still in Galgala, so the emergence of pro-IS militants on the other side of Bosaso in Qandala expands the war and Puntland's front lines against militancy. "Fighting Daesh will be tougher than fighting al-Shabab," Hussein said. "Potentially there is more of a threat coming from this group [led by Mumin]. They are more active than al-Shabab, and they may get more recruits and more funds than al-Shabab," he added. "As we learned from the al-Shabab units fighting in Galgala, they started with few numbers and right now have increased. It's very tough to defeat these militants, given the limited resources available to Puntland." Qandala's historical significance Qandala dates back to the 1850s, according to Somali historians. It has a beautiful beach, 20 kilometers of sand dunes along the sea, and rich fishing grounds. The former Somali government built one of its biggest fish factories in the town. The pro-IS militants entered the town Wednesday, forcing government officials and a small number of forces to flee. Video taken by the militants purported to show a fighter hoisting a black flag on top of a historic building erected by Italian colonial rulers early in the last century. The same building served as a prison for a Somali rebel who was arrested by Italian soldiers in 1914 for lowering the Italian flag and burning it. That freedom fighter of the last century, Ali Fahiye Gedi, became known as "the flag-burner" and a symbol for other Somalis who fought against Italian colonial rule. The militants' video of pro-IS fighters entering Qandala Wednesday showed them being greeted by an elderly, obviously frightened man. The town's schools closed the next day, and for the first time in Qandala's history, its residents fled, leaving the town on foot and by boat. It may take the emergence of another "flag-burner" to stop the threat of militancy in Somalia. Ismail Mohamed contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Spanish parliament ends deadlock, votes conservatives in Iran Press TV Sat Oct 29, 2016 9:22PM Spain has put an end to 10 months of political deadlock, with lawmakers voting to put the acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative Popular Party (PP) back into power. On Saturday, MPs voted 170 for Rajoy and 111 against, while 68 members of the Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) abstained. After Rajoy won the parliamentary confidence vote, he vowed to carry on on with his economic policies, despite heavy criticism from opposition groups who blame his austerity measures for deepening inequalities in the country. "I am now simply committed to defending the general interest, being aware of the difficulties many people are still experiencing. I think we are a great nation and a great country and I hope this does not remain as simply an investiture session but that we are able to govern and work together, like in other European countries where nobody has a majority," he said. "Our commitments with Europe and the world must be maintained because, I insist, it's not a matter of the government, but of Spain. It's not related to any party but to Spain and everyone must understand it as such," he added. Rajoy only won thanks to the Socialists' abstaining. Last week, they decided to stand aside and lift their long-standing veto against the conservatives, paving the way for them to form their minority government. The move came after Pedro Sanchez, the then leader of the Socialists, resigned on October 1, after losing a party vote. He had been heading a long-running standoff with Rajoy's party and was particularly blamed for the 10-month impasse that paralyzed institutions and threatened to derail Spain's economic recovery. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemen's Hadi rejects UN peace proposal to end war Iran Press TV Sat Oct 29, 2016 4:35PM The resigned president of Yemen, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, has rejected a peace proposal by the United Nations special envoy for Yemen aimed at ending the 19-month war on the impoverished Arab country, saying the plan "rewards" the Houthi Ansarullah movement, which is backed by Yemeni people. Hadi, who resigned and fled the capital, Sana'a, in March last year, made the remarks during a meeting with the UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Saturday. "The Yemeni people have condemned these ideas and the so-called road map out of belief that the deal is a gateway to more suffering and war," a statement from Yemen's Saba news agency quoted Hadi as saying, adding that the peace plan "only carries the seeds of war." Details of the roadmap, which include security and political arrangements, have not been made public, but according to informed sources, the proposed peace roadmap gives the Houthis, who are in control of large swathes of the country, including Sana'a, a share of the future government. The plan also shrinks the president's powers in exchange for the Houthis' withdrawal from several major cities, including the capital, and the handover of their heavy weapons to a third party. The president must also transfer power to the vice president, who in return appoints a new premier to form a new government, in which the Houthi-controlled north and the pro-Hadi south would have equal representation. The Houthis are yet to comment on the peace proposal. The UN envoy submitted the peace plan to Yemeni warring sides during a three-day visit to Sana'a, with aims to end the conflict. Ahmed has also held meetings with the Houthis and the General People's Congress to get their support for a return to a cessation of hostilities to allow aid deliveries. Peace talks, which were held between Yemen's opposing parties in Kuwait, ended in deadlock in August. The Riyadh regime resumed its deadly airstrikes on Yemen on October 23, hours after a three-day truce in the conflict-ridden country expired. The Houthi fighters took state matters in their own hands after the resignation and escape of Hadi. In support of Hadi, the Saudi military has been pounding its impoverished southern neighbor since March last year to undermine Houthi Ansarullah movement and restore power to Hadi. More than 10,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed in Riyadh's military aggression, which lacks any international mandate. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Two Indian soldiers killed in ambush near Kashmir borderline Iran Press TV Sat Oct 29, 2016 10:39AM Two Indian soldiers have been killed during battles with Pakistani troops and suspected militants along the tense borderline in the disputed Indian-controlled Kashmir region, military authorities say. An Indian army officer stated on Saturday that one of the soldiers was killed during an overnight ambush on a military patrol, further alleging that Pakistani troops "provided covering fire" for the armed assault near the Line of Control dividing the disputed region between India and Pakistan, AP reported. Indian troops then opened retaliatory fire, killing a suspected "insurgent," the reported cited the unnamed officer as saying, noting that he spoke on condition of anonymity since he was not allowed to speak to media. The report further cited the officer as alleging that the militants "mutilated" the body of the Indian trooper before fleeing to the Pakistani side of the border. The second Indian soldier, according to the report, was killed after the militant ambush prompted a cross-border exchange of fire between the rival nuclear-armed neighbors at a number of border posts. Indian-controlled Kashmir has been the site of near daily violence since July, when Burhan Wani, a major figure in the pro-independence Hizb-ul-Mujahideen group, was killed in a shootout with Indian soldiers in the region's Kokernag area. Since then, at least 90 people, most of them young protesters, have been killed and more than 12,000 wounded during clashes in the disputed territory. Thousands more have also been taken into custody. Schools, shops and most banks have remained shut while authorities have suspended mobile phone and Internet services in the restive region. Kashmir lies at the heart of a bitter territorial dispute since India and Pakistan became independent in 1947. New Delhi and Islamabad both claim the Himalayan region in full, but rule parts of it. India and Pakistan have fought two wars over the territory. The rival nations agreed to a ceasefire in the disputed region on November 26, 2003, and launched a peace process the following year. Since then, there have been sporadic clashes, with the two sides trading blames of violating the truce along their de facto border dividing the disputed region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Moldovans Brace For Close, Contentious Presidential Vote RFE/RL October 29, 2016 Moldovans weary of a major banking crisis and worried about Russia's influence will head to the polls to choose a new president who faces a tug-of-war over where the ex-Soviet republic's political and economic ties lie. The small country of 3.5 million is one of Europe's poorest, a situation only worsened by the turmoil that erupted last year when nearly $1 billion -- around 10 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) -- disappeared from three banks. Igor Dodon, a Socialist, wants to reverse the country's move toward European integration, which included a historic Association Agreement signed in 2014 despite bitter opposition from Russia. Dodon is leading in many opinion polls but may not garner enough votes to win outright in the October 30 vote. Maia Sandu, a former World Bank economist and education minister, is Dodon's leading challenger. She has warned about the danger of a closer economic relationship with Russia, which is Moldova's leading energy supplier. On October 28, one of the country's leading church figures, Metropolian Vladimir, of the Moldovan Orthodox Church, publicly backed Dodon in a sermon. It's the first time in years that the church has waded into electoral politics at this level. Though Moldovans are overwhelmingly Orthodox Christian, the Moldovan Orthodox Church competes for influence in the country with the Romanian Orthodox Church, a rivalry that mirrors the country's linguistic, ethnic, and cultural divide. Russia also has thousands of troops stationed in the disputed, mainly Russian-speaking territory of Transdniester, which broke away following a short war in 1992 that killed some 1,000 people. Russia still keeps a contingent of troops, ostensibly as peacekeepers, in the territory. Also lurking in the background is tycoon Vlad Plahotniuc, who is considered Moldova's most powerful businessman and who critics say has an outsized influence on domestic politics. Polls show the 2015 banking crisis sapped many Moldovans' enthusiasm for European integration. It also prompted the European Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to suspend financial aid, though the IMF recently said it would resume its program. The vote is the first since 1997 where the president will be elected by national balloting instead of by parliament. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and RFE/RL's Moldovan Service Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/moldova -presidential-election-close- contentious/28082659.html Copyright (c) 2016. 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 Transcription 1 Postgraduate Studies Programme . Archaeology and History of Art Presentation: Prof. Th. Stefanidou-Tiveriou 2 Postgraduate Studies: Master s Degree 1. Courses (Seminars) 1.1. Organisation First Unit: Series of seminars conducted by the professors, participation of students with short presentations or discussion. Second Unit: Presentation of students essays, discussion. Visits to museums and archaeological sites. Submission of written essays. Evaluation. 3 Postgraduate Studies: Master s Degree 1. Courses Titles examples by specialty Prehistoric Archaeology: The beginning of agriculture and animal husbandry in Greece. Osteoarchaeology: Study of human bones. Classical Archaeology: Ceramic workshops outside Attica Epigraphy: Sacred laws of classical period. Byzantine and Middle Byzantine Archaeology: Issues on Constantinople s Topography. History of Art: Issues on contemporary Art. 4 Postgraduate Studies: Master s Degree 1. Courses Content-Discussion Combination of theoretical, empirical and technological approach. Issues of typology, chronology; materials, technology, archaeometry; commerce/transportation of products, cultural relations. Issues of ideology, politics, history, social relations. 5 Postgraduate Studies: Master s Degree 1. Courses Methodology Teaching of theory. Study of the object itself or from visual material. Visits to museums, collections, workshops. Laboratory examination (stereomicroscope). Seminars offered by other professors or scholars. 6 Postgraduate Studies: Master s Degree 1. Courses The syllabus of a course (CL 860) Greek sculpture of the Roman period in Greece (focusing mostly on the production of two main centers: Athens and Thessaloniki) 1st week: Getting familiar with the audience through written exercise and discussion. 2nd week: Discussion following the study of two articles on the artistic production of Athens from the late Hellenistic/Republican period to late antiquity. Special emphasis on terminology. 3rd week: Visit to the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. Study of the imported sculpture from Attica, especially the sarcophagi. 7 4th week: Greek (especially Attic) portraits of the Roman imperial period. Their dependence on the Roman models and their particularities. 5th week: Introduction to the sculpture of Macedonia during the Roman period. Appearance, influences and special features. Attic and Asia Minor imports. 6th week: The workshop of Beroia. Its Hellenistic origins and influence in the funerary art of Macedonia. 7th and 8th week: Thessaloniki and its artistic production I-II. Funerary stelae and reliefs of traditional character. 9th week: Thessaloniki: honorific and cult statues in public spaces. 10th week: General discussion on the Macedonian sculpture and its differences from the Attic one. 11th week: Dr. Eleni Papagianni presents the topic Imitations of Attic sarcophagi in Greek workshops outside Attica. Discussion. 12th week: Dr. Natalie Kazakidi presents the topic Honorific statues from their appearance to the Roman period. Discussion. Appendix: Bibliography 8 Postgraduate Studies: Master s Degree 2. M.A. Thesis 2.1. Selection of topic Free-will selection in collaboration with the supervisor. Theses in Archaeology: a common criterion is the access to unpublished material. Various approaches depending on specialty. Originality of subject desirable but not necessary. 9 Postgraduate Studies: Master s Degree 2. M.A. Thesis Subjects Spatial organisation, town planning, architecture Artistic production, pottery in particular Technology, with applications in archaeometry Issues on artists, works of arts Iconography Issues on ideology, cult etc. Issues on private life, economy, numismatics Issues on archaeobotany and osteoarchaeology Issues on theoretical aspects 10 Postgraduate Studies: Master s Degree 2. M.A. Thesis Size, Quality, Publication Size: words (including catalogues). In several cases: originality of the topic and conclusions. Usually: publication of results in form of an article. Abstracts of M.A. thesis in the Egnatia. 11 Example of a published M.A. thesis: D. Terzopoulou, Funerary monuments of Macedonia featuring depictions of mortals in the guise of gods, Egnatia 14, 2010, Grave Relief, Thessaloniki The deceased is visually assimilated to Aphrodite 12 D. Terzopoulou, Funerary monuments of Macedonia featuring depictions of mortals in the guise of gods, Egnatia 14, 2010, Structure (in summary) History of research and terminology Identification of individuals depicted as gods Representations of mortals in iconographic types of Aphrodite, Herakles, Artemis, Hermes, Eros and other deities Dissemination and duration of theomorphic depictions of mortals in Macedonia Interpretation of the depictions of mortals as gods Catalogue of monuments 13 M.A. Theses by specialty ( ) 14 Postgraduate Studies: Ph.D. Degree 1. Definition of the dissertation subject and supervision of the writing progress Free-will selection in collaboration with the three-member committee and with the main supervisor in particular. Submission of research proposal. As required: the originality of subject and application of proper methodology. Submission of an annual progress report. In completion of the doctoral dissertation, an analytic recommendation report is submitted by the three-member supervision committee and a seven-member examination committee is appointed. 15 Postgraduate Studies: Ph.D. Degree 2. Topics Approximately similar to those for the Master s Degree. Examples of Ph.D. dissertation topics: Spatial Organisation and Use of Space in Neolithic Settlements of Central Macedonia Farmhouses of Classical and Hellenistic Period in Mainland Greece Commercial Amphoras from Ancient Akanthos and the Local Workshop. [continued] 16 Sanctuaries and Cults in Lower Macedonia Mosaics with Pictorial Representations in Roman Imperial Baths Paradise in Post Byzantine Art. Serres. 14 th -16 th Century: Structures and Transformations. The work of Christos Kapralos Greek and European Symbolism, 19th 21th Century. Late Bronze Age Early Iron Age Pottery in Central Macedonia. Interdisciplinary approach of its technology. 17 Postgraduate Studies: Ph. D. Degree 3. Qualitative features, publications. Ph.D. dissertation topics in relation to M.A. thesis topics: greater geographical or chronological range and often of interdisciplinary nature. More synthetic and/or theoretical approach and conclusions of greater originality and strength. Publication: 1. Abstracts 2. Articles 3. Monographs 4. Electronic publication. 18 Example of a Ph.D. dissertation with technological approach and interdisciplinary character, also published as monograph: A. Koukouvou, . From the Quarries in Asomati/Beroea to the Buildings of Macedonian Kings. Study on Stone Extraction in Antiquity (Thessaloniki 2012). 19 A. Koukouvou, . From the Quarries in Asomati/Beroea to the Buildings of Macedonian Kings. Study on Stone Extraction in Antiquity (Thessaloniki 2012). I. Ancient quarrying activity II. Chalkstone (Poros) as building material in antiquity III.Chalkstone quarries in Greece IV.Ancient quarries in Beroea district V.Extraction and organisation of production VI.From the quarry to the monument VII. General conclusions Catalogue 20 Ph.D. Theses by specialty ( ) UN mission condemns killings and increased violence in the Central African Republic 29 October 2016 Denouncing recent violence and increasing tensions in parts of the Central African Republic (CAR), in particular the town of Bambari, resulting in the deaths of 25 individuals, the United Nations mission in the country has called for an end to the attacks and reprisals as well as appealed for dialogue to resolve the situation. In a news release issued today, the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) also called on local population to exercise restraint and to avoid any escalation of violence. According to the information received by MINUSCA, six security personnel and four civilians were killed yesterday in an ambush on the Bambari-Grimari road. On Thursday, some 15 people were killed and many others wounded in clashes between anti-Balaka and ex-Seleka elements near Bambari, a town located in the central part of the country, about 375 kilometres from Bangui, the country's capital. Further in the release, MINUSCA also condemned an attack by anti-Balaka fighters against its personnel while they were travelling to the airport in Bambari. A seven-year-old child was injured in the attack and is being treated by Mauritanian peacekeepers, the mission added. MINUSCA further noted that it has reinforced its patrols in Bambari town and surrounding areas in response to the situation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ivory Coast - Government Voters in Ivory Coast went to the polls 30 October 2016 to decide on constitutional changes. But the package being voted on by the 6.3 million voters left many confused, and turnout was low, but it secured a majority. The country has been relatively stable since 2011 when former President Laurent Gbagbo was arrested after a year-long civil war that killed hundreds of Ivorians. Gbagbo was being tried at the International Criminal Court in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity. Ivory Coast voters approved the new constitution, the electoral commission announced 01 November 2016. However, the opposition which had called for a boycott contested the 42 percent official turnout as inflated and, therefore, not legitimate. After two days of tallying the votes, the electoral commissions official results showed 93 percent of voters were in favor of the new constitution. President Alassane Ouattara's revised 2016 constitution, which parliament overwhelmingly approved, would create a vice president picked by the president and establish a Senate in which a third of legislators would be nominated by the head of state. The post of vice president was included in the new constitution to help ensure a smooth succession of power in the event the sitting president dies or is incapacitated while in office. It was seen as a vehicle to allow Ouattara to groom a successor for when he finished his second and final term in 2020. The new constitution also ended a clause - the so-called "Ivorian-ness" clause from 2000 - which stipulates that both parents of a presidential candidate must be born on Ivorian soil. Ouattara is from central Ivory Coast, but his father was born in neighboring Burkina Faso. The president said the changes would help end unrest linked to issues of national identity. Violent episodes include a coup in 1999, a civil war in 2002 that split the country between its north and south, and a postelection crisis in 2010. The most recent violence led to months of bloodshed, with then-President Laurent Gbagbo refusing to step down. Critics speculated that Ouattara is trying to line up a successor for when his term ends in 2020. The opposition saw the change as a "monarchistic tactic." Ivory Coast voted in a constitutional referendum on 30 October 2016. President Alassane Ouattara backed the initiative, which would create a senate and a new post of deputy president, but the opposition did not share his enthusiasm. One of the main reasons to reform the current constitution, Ouattara has said, was to remove a contentious article on nationality that played a role in years of civil war in the West African nation. Ouattara's political opponents used the article on nationality to block him from several presidential elections in the past, claiming his parents were not born in Ivory Coast, and he was thus not eligible. The US-trained economist was elected head of state in 2010 and took office the following year, after months of unrest involving supporters of his predecessor as president, Laurent Gbagbo. When the president announced details of the planned change creating a new post of deputy president, and adding a senate as a second legislative branch of the government - they immediately aroused controversy. President Alassane Ouattara said the creation of the post of a vice- president will ensure peace and stability in case there is a power vacuum in the west African nation. The vice president would finish the mandate if the president died or was incapacitated while in office. With regards to the senate, the president said that it will be composed of former state workers of exemplary qualities. A third of senators would be appointed by the president, while the remaining two-thirds would be chosen in an indirect election process, the details of which would be determined in a separate law. The new constitution also removed the age limit of 75 for presidential candidates. All three of Ivory Coast's main political figures Ouattara and former presidents Laurent Gbagbo and Henri Konan Bedie will be older than 75 in 2020, when the next elections are due. The new constitution also also makes it easier to change the constitution. It lowered the number of votes required for revisions submitted directly for approval by parliament to two-thirds of MPs from four-fifths, and removed a clause requiring a public referendum for any changes to presidential mandates. In the program that was announced, the National Assembly would be allowed to see and debate the Constitution for three days before the referendum. It was a bit strange that the Constitutional change had been announced for over one year, but the text itself turned into the biggest national secret in the country. The suspicion was that the sole reason for the "new" Constitution was the creation of the post of Vice President as a stratagem for President Outarra to get out of a power shift he had made. The speculation was that appointing a party confidant as Vice President would prevent the expected power shift. Ivory Coast's parliament has approved changes to the constitution that ease a presidential eligibility requirement at the center of a political crisis that turned deadly. The majority of parliament members 11 October 2016 voted in favor of a new draft saying candidates must claim Ivorian nationality exclusively and have an Ivorian-born father or mother. Under the existing constitution, both parents of presidential candidates must be Ivorian. Cote d'Ivoire's constitution of the Second Republic (2000) provides for a strong presidency within the framework of a separation of powers. The executive is personified in the president, elected for a 5-year term. The president is the head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces, may negotiate and ratify certain treaties, and may submit a bill to a national referendum or to the National Assembly. According to the constitution, the president of the National Assembly assumes the presidency for 45-90 days in the event of a vacancy and organizes new elections in which the winner completes the remainder of the deceased president's term. The president selects the prime minister, who is the head of government. The cabinet is selected by and is responsible to the prime minister. The President of the Republic is the Head of State. He is elected for five years by direct universal suffrage. He is re-elected only once. In case of vacancy of the Presidency of the Republic by death, resignation, absolutely prevented, the Acting President of the Republic is provided by the Speaker of the National Assembly for a period of 45 to 90 days during which he must elect a new President. The President of the Republic is the supreme commander of the Armies. He presides over the High Council of Defence. He is the guarantor of the independence of the judiciary and chairs the Supreme Council of Magistracy. The President of the Republic is the sole holder of executive power. He appoints the Prime Minister Head of Government, the Presidents of the Institutions of the Republic, with the exception of the President of the National Assembly. On the proposal of Prime Minister President of the Republic appoints the other members of the Government. As the Head of Administration, he appoints civil and military posts of the State. The President of the Republic ensures respect for the Constitution; it ensures the continuity of the State. He is the guarantor of national independence, territorial integrity, respect for international treaties and agreements. He initiates laws concurrently with the members of the National Assembly. He ensures the execution of laws and court decisions. The President of the Republic has the right to pardon. He determines and conducts the policy of the Nation. He chairs the Council of Ministers. When he is absent from the national territory, the President shall deputize for the Prime Minister. The unicameral National Assembly is composed of 225 members elected by direct universal suffrage for a 5-year term, normally concurrently with the president. It passes on legislation typically introduced by the president, although it also can introduce legislation. The National Assembly does not have the political clout needed to pass any real legislation of substance. Proposed laws and regulations are not published in draft form for public comments. The National Assembly debates most legislation. The Government often holds public seminars and workshops to discuss proposed plans with trade and industry associations. While the National Assembly seems to operate in the mindset of business as usual, the international community did not recognize the National Assembly's validity. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1633 of October 21, 2005 noted that the mandate of the National Assembly would end by December 16, 2005. On December 16, 2005, the Constitutional Council decreed that the National Assembly would stay in office. On January 15, 2006, the International Working Group took note of the end of the National Assembly's mandate. A new parliament building in Yamoussoukro (Chinese funded) is under construction. The judicial system culminates in the Supreme Court. The National Assembly is the only room of the Ivorian parliament. It derives its heritage from the colonial period. It was instituted by the Ivorian constitution on 31 October 1960 and made November 27, 1960 with a staff of seventy members elected every Ivorian. In Ivory Coast, the legislative power is exercised by the single chamber whose members, members are appointed by district, the list majority system blocked a tour without preferential vote or splitting. The powers of this institution expire at the end of the second ordinary session of the fifth year of his mandate. It is then fully renewed by putting in competition any citizen who wishes, provided he is twenty-five years at least and he never renounced Ivorian nationality. In rural areas, traditional institutions often administer justice at the village level, handling domestic disputes and minor land questions in accordance with customary law. Dispute resolution is by extended debate, with no known instance of resort to physical punishment. The formal court system is increasingly superseding traditional mechanisms. The High Court of Justice is competent to try government officials for major offenses. There is also an independent Constitutional Council which has seven members appointed by the president that is responsible for, inter alia, the determination of candidate eligibility in presidential and legislative elections, the announcement of final election results, the conduct of referendums, and the constitutionality of legislation. Judicial reform is essential. Cote dIvoire has many well-qualified lawyers and judges, but the judicial system has become tremendously polarized and politicized. One area where the Ivorian justice system should play a central role is in the creation of improved systems of economic governance and financial accountability. For administrative purposes, Cote d'Ivoire is divided into 19 regions and 90 departments. Each region and department is headed by a prefect appointed by the central government. In 2002, the country held its first departmental elections to select departmental councils to oversee local infrastructure development and maintenance as well as economic and social development plans and projects. There are 196 communes, each headed by an elected mayor, plus the city of Abidjan with 10 mayors. The number of operational sub-prefectures increased in 2014 from 358 to 422 following the nomination of members of the prefectural corps in January, but the effectiveness of local administrations remained hampered by poor infrastructure, limited resources and a lack of technical and professional capacity, which undermined service provision. The Peacebuilding Fund continued to support the rehabilitation of some public infrastructure in the west. Fiscal administration was not restored in most areas, while customs services and border surveillance remained inadequate owing to coordination and resource constraints. Despite the lifting of the zone of confidence which had physically divided the country and prevented the free movement of people and the delivery of goods and services between the north and the south, by 2010 Cote dIvoire was still a divided country, with the Forces nouvelles maintaining a parallel administration, economy, treasury, judicial system and security structures in the north. While all prefets and sousprefets had been redeployed to the areas controlled by the Forces nouvelles, the so-called structures paralleles of the infamous comzones (commandants de zone - zone commanders), and Forces nouvelles-appointed mayors and other local authorities continued to exercise real authority and collect revenues in the north. No progress had been made with regard to the redeployment of Customs officials to the north, and all border crossing points in the north remain staffed by the Forces nouvelles. A few tax agents were redeployed at the regional level, but they remained largely non-operational. Similarly, regional representations of line ministries had been established, but remained largely non-operational. The problem of parallel commercial and fiscal structures run by former warlords was one of the key issues complicating the relationship between the authorities and the population. In the North, the challenge was the effort to reacquaint residents with the institutions of the Ivoirian state, even with the very idea of the state. Following the 2007 Ouagadougou peace agreement, some authorities had already returned to Forces nouvelles-held areas: the first Prefet returned to Bouake in June 2007, and other officials followed. But power remained in the hands of the rebel commandants de zone. State institutions were devoid of any real security or fiscal authority and provided no real services to the population, which in turn disregarded them. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iceland - Politics Is Iceland bigger than a breadbox? Probably not. Iceland has a total population of about a third of a million people, less than half the total population of a single Congressional District in the United States. Icelanders are an informal people, with everyone from the bus driver to the highest government official addressed by their first name and never their last name. Most Icelanders are related to one another. All politics is local. Icelandic politics have traditionally been dominated by three main cleavages: class, centre-periphery, and foreign policy. The result has been a party system somewhat uncharacteristic of northern Europe. Iceland thus has a strong conservative party (the Independence Party, IP), a united centre dominated by the Progressive Party (PP), and a fragmented and electorally weak left. The differences between the two largest left-wing parties, the Peoples Alliance (PA) and the Social Democrats (SD), have been significant, especially in the field of foreign policy. Iceland became a free and sovereign state on 1 December 1918, when the Union Treaty with Denmark came into effect. That day may be seen as one of the most important landmarks in Iceland's campaign for self-determination, which had then been in progress for nearly a century. Following a referendum in 1944, the independent Republic of Iceland was established. During World War II, allied troops were stationed on Icelandic soil. The Icelandic NATO membership of 1949 and the defence treaty with the United States have been important conflict dimensions in Icelandic politics in the post-war period. Membership of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) was formalized in 1970. From 1959 to 1971 Iceland was governed by a coalition of the Independence Party (IP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The following two decades produced a range of rather short-lived coalition governments, most of which comprised two or three parties. In June 1980 Vigdis Finnbogadottir, a non-political candidate who was favoured by left-wing groups because of her opposition to the US military airbase at Keflavik, achieved a narrow victory in the election for the office of president. She took office on August 1,1980, becoming the worlds first popularly elected female head of state. Finnbogadottir remained in office until 1996. The left forces of Icelandic politics unified in the local elections of 1994 and together with the centrist PP deprived the IP their customary majority in the local council in Reykjavik. However, left-wing fragmentation persisted in the 1995 parliamentary elections and altogether four left-wing parties were represented in the Althing . Following the decision by Finnbogadottir not to seek re-election as President in 1996, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, a former leader of the PA, was elected president. He began a second term in office in August 2000, his candidacy being unopposed. In the run-up to the 1999 election, four left-wing parties united in the Social Democratic Alliance (SDA). The four parties included SD, PA, the Womens Alliance, and the National Movement. The 1999 parliamentary elections thus saw four major political forces. The two main winners were the IP and the Left-Green Movement (LGM), a splinter of PA. PP lost some ground in the election, but the main loser was the newly formed SDA (the Alliance). Whereas the four parties combined polled 37.7 percent of the vote in 1995, the Alliance managed only 26.8 percent in the 1999 election. Even when combining its votes with those obtained by LGM, it was clear that the political left lost ground. In the 2003 elections, the left regained some of its lost support: SDA obtained 31 percent of the votes and combined with LGM they polled altogether 39.8 percent. Also the Liberal Party (LP), established in 1998, made important gains. IP received its worst outcome since 1987 but the IP-PP coalition government retained its majority in the Althingi. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cabinet told to conform to CPC Central Committee with Xi as "core" People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 11:02, October 29, 2016 Premier Li Keqiang has called upon the leading Party group of the State Council, China's cabinet, and various departments to keep their thoughts, politics and acts in line with the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core. Li made the remarks on Friday at a meeting of the leading Party group of the State Council on following calls made at the sixth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, which was held from Monday to Thursday. Two documents, namely the norms of political life within the Party under the new situation and a regulation on intra-Party supervision, were approved at the session, which focused on the strict governance of the Party. Li urged various State Council departments to strictly follow the Party's political discipline and regulations, improve supervision, resist corruption and withstand risks, and foster a team of civil servants that have firm beliefs, obey rules and are diligent and honest. The State Council's leading Party group and various units under the cabinet were also told to become more aware of the need to uphold political integrity, keep in mind the bigger picture, follow the CPC as the core of the Chinese leadership and act consistently with CPC Central Committee policy. They were also told to voluntarily conform to the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core in thoughts, politics and acts, and more resolutely safeguard the authority of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core," Li said. Li's remarks echoed a call included in a communique released on Thursday after the four-day plenary session that all its members should "closely unite around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core" and resolutely safeguard the authority of the CPC Central Committee and its central, unified leadership. Li noted that identifying Xi as the core of the CPC Central Committee is of great significance to safeguarding the authority of the CPC Central Committee, the Party's unity and leadership as well as the Party and country's prosperity and long-term stability. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Navy flotilla docks at Tanzanian port IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Oct 29, IRNA -- Iran's 44th naval fleet docked at Tanzania's Port city of Dar es Salaam on Saturday in line with the country's strategy of increasing its naval presence in high seas. The flotilla, comprising of Alvand and Bushehr warships, berthed at the African port aimed at conveying the Iranian nation's message of peace and friendship to East African countries, particularly Tanzania. The Iranian naval flotilla left for the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab Strait in line with the country's policy of safeguarding naval routes for vessels in the region in early October. Iran's 44th naval fleet would stay in Tanzania for three days and then would depart for South Africa. In line with international efforts against piracy, the Iranian Navy has also been conducting patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008 in order to safeguard merchant containers and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran or other countries. Iran's Navy has managed to foil several attacks on both Iranian and foreign tankers during its missions in international waters. 9060**1771 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Experts Doubt Many High-level IS Leaders Are Staying in Mosul By Jeff Seldin October 28, 2016 There is a growing sense that by the time Iraqi forces finish wresting control of the key city of Mosul from Islamic State fighters, few if any of the terror group's top leaders will be there. The consensus by a variety of current and former intelligence officials comes despite persistent claims in recent weeks from Iraqi officials that IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is holed up in a bunker or tunnel somewhere in the city. In contrast, U.S. military and intelligence officials have been cautious about discussing the IS leader and his whereabouts. Still, they say it is clear some IS leaders have left Mosul and emphasize a string of strikes in recent months have dealt "significant blows" to the terror group. "The intelligence community has made great strides in developing practices, tradecraft and information to methodically target and eliminate key ISIL figures," a U.S. counterterrorism official told VOA, using an acronym for the terror group. Tradecraft refers to espionage techniques and technologies. IS spokesman killed One of the biggest blows against IS leadership came August 30, when a U.S. airstrike targeted and killed IS spokesman and external operations planner Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, one of several high-value IS members the U.S. had been tracking at the time. Since then, U.S. and coalition airstrikes have killed several other mid- to high-level IS officials, targeting dozens in Mosul alone. "You might say the most dangerous job in Iraq right now is to be the military emir of Mosul," U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in prepared remarks before the opening of an anti-IS coalition meeting in Paris Tuesday. "Our hope and our belief is that it has had an effect on their ability to command and control their troops," a defense official told VOA, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. But the official added that many of the IS leaders being targeted are tactical commanders who would be responsible for staying in the city to direct its defense. Additionally, former intelligence analysts argue that the IS terror group's history would suggest top officials, such as Baghdadi, will not unnecessarily put themselves in harm's way. "If you look at ISIS, if you look at al-Qaida, AQI, the predecessor organization whenever there's a huge battle, usually the major leader, like [Abu Musab al-]Zarqawi, they're never around," former CIA analyst Aki Peritz said. "The leaders are not in the martyrdom business," said Peritz, now a senior fellow at George Washington University's Center for Cyber and Homeland Security. "They hold on to their lives much more dearly than they do [the lives] of their colleagues." Not consistent with messaging Officials and analysts add keeping key, high-level leaders in a place like Mosul, the self-declared caliphate's Iraqi capital, would also be inconsistent with the terror group's messaging, which has been urging followers not to come to Iraq and Syria but to instead take up arms wherever they are. "They understand the inevitability that their caliphate is going to fall," said Daveed Gartenstein-Ross with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. "They've moved on to being an insurgency or a terrorist group." Losing Baghdadi, the group's most recognizable and charismatic figure, as Mosul falls could hurt IS over the long term, leaving the remnants of the group in Iraq and Syria, as well as its affiliates, without a central figure around which to rally. For now, though, it is likely that rumors that Baghdadi is hiding in Mosul will endure, if only for Iraqi propaganda purposes. "People who have lost family members fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers to the depredations of Islamic State, they want to go after them. They want vengeance or justice," Peritz said. "If you know a great evil, a person that's responsible for so much suffering in your country, is in this one city, it might actually psych up your troops to go after him." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi forces, allies inch closer to Daesh-controlled Mosul Iran Press TV Sat Oct 29, 2016 4:24PM Iraqi government soldiers, backed by allied fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, have recaptured more areas and villages around the strategic northern city of Mosul in a large-scale offensive aimed at ending the control of Daesh militants there. On Saturday, the media bureau of Iraq's Badr Organization announced that the Popular Mobilization Units had liberated the region of Ayn Nasir southwest of Mosul, located some 400 kilometers north of the capital Baghdad, from the grip of Daesh terrorists. The pro-government forces also established control over the road linking Hammam al-Alil region to Albu Hammad village. Additionally, Iraq's Joint Operations Command (JOC) announced that the 9th Division of the Army and units from Nineveh Liberation Operations Command had taken control of the villages of al-Hamidiyah, al-Shorouq, al-Mokhlat and Jayaf southwest of Mosul, and raised the national Iraqi flags over a number of buildings there. Iraqi security personnel also freed al-Dawajel region and nearby villages on Saturday. Moreover, Iraqi fighter jets carried out a precision airstrike against an area in Ta'an region, east of Mosul, and destroyed an arms depot and a bomb-making workshop belonging to Daesh terrorists. In another Saturday development, Iraqi forces wrested full control over the al-Shoura region, located 45 kilometers south of Mosul, and flew the national flag above several buildings in the area. Moreover, fighters from Popular Mobilization Units established control over Abu al-Aris and Zuwairaj villages southwest of Mosul. Popular Mobilization Units also kicked off an operation on Saturday to retake the city of Tal Afar, which is situated 63 kilometers west of Mosul and serves as a supply line between Daesh's main stronghold in Iraq and neighboring Syria. "The operation aims to cut supplies between Mosul and Raqqah, and tighten the siege of in Mosul and liberate Tal Afar," the spokesman for the volunteer forces, Ahmed al-Assadi, said. Assadi said the operation was launched from the Sin al-Dhaban area south of Mosul, and aims to liberate the ancient city of Hatra as well as the cities of Tal Abta and Tal Afar. There are reports that about 50,000 Iraqi ground troops are involved in the Mosul offensive, including 30,000 army troops, 10,000 Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and the remaining 10,000 from police and Popular Mobilization Units. Iraqi forces have so far liberated nearly 80 towns and villages ever since they began the decisive battle on October 17. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hashd al-Shaabi fighters launch operation west of Mosul Iran Press TV Sat Oct 29, 2016 7:55AM Volunteer fighters from Iraq's Hashd al-Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilization Units, have begun an offensive to take back Mosul from Daesh terrorists. Ahmad al-Assadi, a spokesman for the forces, said Saturday the operation aims to cut supplies between Mosul and Raqqah in Syria and tighten the siege against Daesh and liberate the town of Tal Afar. The operation is part of a large-scale offensive which the Iraqi army, volunteer Shia and Sunni fighters, and Kurdish forces launched last week to retake Mosul. The offensive, however, had left the western part of Mosul on the Turkish border open, potentially enabling Daesh terrorists to move to neighboring Syria as Iraqi forces close in from the north, east and south. Iraqi sources had earlier reported that the terrorists were leaving Mosul in droves and heading to Syria. Now with the start of operations by Hashd al-Shaabi fighters in western Mosul, the city has come under a full siege. So far, troops have liberated nearly 80 towns and villages since they began the decisive battle last week. Iraqi volunteer forces liberated the al-Taybah and al-Farsiyah hills southwest of Mosul on Saturday. Al-Shura liberated Meanwhile, Iraqi army and federal police units have liberated the region of al-Shura, 30 kilometers south of Mosul, and advanced further toward Tal Afar on Saturday. At least four Daesh terrorists were killed during the operation in Shura. The Iraqi forces also killed 10 members of the Takfiri group in southwestern Mosul. US coalition aircraft kill Iraqi soldiers In Nineveh Province, at least four Iraqi soldiers were killed in airstrikes carried out by the US coalition, which targeted their position in the Talkif district on Saturday. The United States and some of its allies have been carrying out airstrikes in Iraq since June 2014 allegedly targeting Daesh terrorists in the northern and western parts of the Arab country. More bomb attacks in Baghdad Meanwhile, at least 10 people have been killed in the latest series of bomb explosions in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. On Saturday a bomber targeted a mourning ceremony for the third Shia Imam, Imam Hussein (PBUH), killing eight people and wounding 17 others. Two people were also killed and six others sustained injuries in a booby trap explosion near a market north of Baghdad. No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the attacks yet, but the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group is highly suspected. Separately, in western Anbar Province, an Iraqi soldier, who had been unable to see his family for three years after Daesh took control of his hometown of al-Baghdadi, has reunited with his family. Video of his reunion with his family after three years has gone viral on the Internet. Walid has participated in a recent operation by the Iraqi forces to liberate the town. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Shi'ite Militias Join Battle for Mosul By VOA News October 29, 2016 Iraqi forces advanced into a town south of Mosul Saturday as an Iraqi Shi'ite militia joined the offensive by opening up a new front to the west. Iraqi troops approaching Mosul from the south advanced into Shura after a wave of U.S.-led airstrikes and artillery shelling against militant positions inside the town. Commanders said most Islamic State (IS) fighters withdrew earlier this week, using civilians as human shields, but that U.S. airstrikes had disrupted the forced march, helping some civilians to escape. Iraqi soldiers and Kurdish forces, known as peshmerga, are advancing on Mosul from the south, east and north, capturing villages and disarming Islamic State booby traps. To the west of the city, Iraq's state-sanctioned Shi'ite militias, backed by Iran, have launched an assault aimed at driving IS from the town of Tal Afar to try to secure the western border with Syria. That could cut-off critical weapons and supply routes between Mosul and the Syrian city of Raqqa, an IS stronghold. There are concerns the militias could inflame sectarian tensions in the Sunni-majority city, but commanders have said they will not enter the city itself. According to U.N.-cited reports IS has forcibly taken civilians into Mosul. The reports say that in just two days earlier this week, IS-fighters killed more than 250 people who resisted or who were previously members of Iraqi security forces. More than 17,500 people have fled their homes toward government-held areas since the Mosul operation began, the International Organization for Migration said Saturday. That number is expected to sharply rise as the battle continues. Iraqi forces launched a massive offensive to retake militant-held Mosul last week, Iraq's second-largest city, home to more than 1 million people. The battle for Mosul is expected to take weeks, if not months. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rights groups urge probe into new Myanmar abuses against Rohingya Muslims Iran Press TV Sat Oct 29, 2016 8:54AM Rights groups have called for an independent investigation into reports that Myanmar forces are killing, raping and torturing villagers in the restive Rakhine region, home to Rohingya Muslims. Accounts of severe abuse by Myanmar troops - including sexual violence, summary executions and the torching of villages - have been widely reported on social media following a recent military raid in the state. The reports are difficult to confirm since the East Asian country's military does not allow rights organizations and journalists to visit the remote region bordering Bangladesh. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) joined calls for an impartial investigation into such allegations, which the United Nations has described as "alarming and unacceptable." "If Myanmar's security forces are not involved in any human rights violations as the authorities claim, then they should have no trouble granting independent observers access," Amnesty's Rafendi Djamin said on Friday. Northern Rakhine has been under a military lockdown since an alleged attack on the country's border guards three weeks ago left nine police officers dead. The government has accused Rohingyas of waging the armed assault and an army search for the perpetrators has led to the killing of over 30 people and arrest of dozens more, according to official reports. The government has claimed that the October 9 border raid was carried out by hundreds of Rohingya fighters linked to what it referred to as "Taliban-trained" militants. On Friday, dozens of Rohingya women told the Reuters news agency that government forces had committed acts of rape or sexual assault against them. Government spokesman Zaw Htay dismissed a "mass rape" in a Rohingya village, saying "there was information that some attackers were kept in that village." "So security was taken very seriously and (the search team) was very careful about being safe and would not think to rape up to five women," he wrote in a Facebook post. Rights groups say Myanmar troops have gone on a rampage, which has forced terrified civilians to flee their homes. The Rakhine region, where Rohingya Muslims form the majority population, has been the scene of communal violence at the hands of Buddhist extremists since 2012. Hundreds of people have been killed and tens of thousands more have been forced to flee their homes and live in squalid camps in dire condition within Myanmar and other countries - including Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. According to the UN, Rohingyas are one of the most persecuted minorities cross the globe. The government denies full citizenship to Rohingya population, branding them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, even as many trace their lineage in Myanmar back generations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Transcription 1 WK 32 WK 33 WK 34 WK 35 WK 36 WK 37 WK 38 WK 39 WK 40 WK 41 WK 42 WK 43 WK 44 WK 45 WK 46 WK 47 WK 48 WK 49 WK 50 WK 51 WK 52 WK 53 WK 54 WK 55 WK 56 WK 57 Destination of Households relocated from the Anse-a-Pitres Settlements - IOM 2016 Overview This document represents a summary snapshot of monitoring activities conducted by IOM and border monitoring partners at the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The monitoring was put in place following the movements observed at the border before and after the 17 th June 2015 expiration of the registration component of the National Plan for the Regularization of Foreigners (PNRE 1 in Spanish), established in the Dominican Republic. Monitoring of border movements began as of the first week of June Up until the 16 th of June, figures are based on partial observations of border crossing points. The network was 100% operational as of July CUMULATIVE HIGHLIGHTS 2 68,933 households representing 120,646 individuals have crossed the border into Haitian territory 35.0% were female while 65.0% were male 1,641 presumed unaccompanied minors were identified 4,618 households declared having been registered in the PNRE corresponding to 9,378 individuals 74,528 individuals declared having returned spontaneously to Haiti 21,907 individuals claim to have been deported 23,861 3 individuals were officially deported at the three official border crossing points of Ouanaminthe, Malpasse, and Belladere and have been voluntary registered. IOM Dominican Republic facilitated the Assisted Voluntary Returns and Reintegration (AVRR) of 152 households (350 individuals) on February 25 th (169 individuals) and June 8 th 2016 (181 individuals). IOM Haiti assisted via the rental subsidy program a total of 579 households (corresponding to 2,320 individuals) who had settled six (6) settlements in Anse-a-Pitres Graph 1: Breakdown by Claimed Place of Birth Dominican Republic 16.5% Haitian 85.3% Graph 2: Movement trends observed per week in AVR DIRECTLY SPONTANEOUS RETURNS DETENTION CENTRE OFFICIAL 1 Plan Nacional de Regularizacion de los Extranjeros 2 All figures in this SitRep reflect information gathered on a voluntary basis from returnees, and therefore may not be representative of the totality of returns. 3 The figures of official deportations are as of 15 th August The figures used in the graph are based on data entry already completed and reflect partial movements observed solely during the year 2016. 2 Pregnant or Lactating Chronic Illness Single Headed Households Visual Disability Physical Disability Unaccompanied Minors Sex Breakdown Of the 120,646 individuals monitored by the border monitoring network, 35.0% were female and 65.0% were male. Graph 3: Breakdown of returnee population by sex 65.0% 35.0% Documentation 33.0% (39,794 individuals) of the returnees interviewed reported having Haitian Documentation, while 2.0% (2,420 individuals) reported having Dominican documentation. A reported 65.0% (78,432 individuals) did not possess any type of documentation. Graph 6: Returnee documentation status Spontaneous Returns Deported: Official With ID 74.3% 5.7% 27.4% With No ID 55.0% Age Breakdown The majority of the returnee population reported being between the ages of years old, with individuals from this age group representing 65.3% of the overall returning population. A reported 29.6% are aged 0-17 years old and 5.1% falls into the category 50 years and above. Graph 4 : Breakdown of returnees by sex and age No Data Types of vulnerabilities Among the persons crossing the border, the network encountered 1,641 cases of presumed unaccompanied minors (UAMs). After referral to the relevant government authorities (IBERS) and their partners (UNICEF), 1,006 of the potential caseload referred were identified as UAMs and the appropriate actions were taken to assist them: 646 were reunited with their parents 192 were reunited with other relatives 14 are still awaiting family reunification. (please refer to the UNICEF Flash Update on Bi-National situation - June 2015 to June 2016) Graph 5: Most common vulnerabilities identified. 1, , ,641 Deported: 20.1% 17.1% The most common ID document returnees claim to possess continues to be the Haitian Birth Certificate, corresponding to 72.4% of the individuals with documentation. The second most common document is the Haitian ID (CIN or NIF) which represents 20.7%. Graph 7: Types of documents Haitian Passport 1.1% DR Birth Certificate 4.1% DR Passport DR ID 1.2% Haiti ID 20.7% Haitian Birth Certificate 72.4% Occupation The most common occupation within the DR held by returnees is agriculture (32,492 households), followed by construction (16,421 households) and commerce (8,018 households). declared occupations fall within transportation, hotel, maintenance, security, students, among others. Graph 8: Types of occupation 0.1% 0.7% 0.9% 1.5% 1.6% COMMERCE 13.3% AGRICULTURE 53.9% CONSTRUCTION 27.3% AGRICULTURE CONSTRUCTION COMMERCE DOMESTIC WORKER RESTAURANT TRANSPORT HOTEL GRAD STUDENT SECURITY ANIMAL HUSBANDRY 3 Entry on Haitian Territory Of all 120,646 individuals interviewed, 74,528 individuals declared having returned spontaneously to Haiti. While 21,907 individuals claimed to have been deported into Haitian territory by various DR authorities (Immigration, CESFRONT, Military etc.), 23,861 individuals have been officially deported by DR Immigration (DGM). 350 individuals were Assisted voluntary Returns (AVR) carried out by IOM (Dominican Republic) Military 7.0% Graph 9: Total returns by Authority Civilian 1.2% Police 1.6% Destination and Intentions When questioned regarding their intended destination, the following three communes have been most commonly indicated by returnees: Cornillons/Grand Bois as indicated by 7,061 households Anse-a-Pitres as indicated by 4,901 households Fonds-Verettes as indicated by 3,938 households With Friends With Family/Rela Rent a house NO Data In a settlement/ I have no where to go CESFRONT 5.4% 0.3% Graph 10: Intended Destination 139 2,205 6, , , ,176 2,522 13,224 11,221 23,218 Irrespective of the type of returns, the trends observed during previous Sitrep s remain the same. The returnees have, most commonly, provided the following answers: Intention to stay with relatives (70.3%) Intention to rent a house (13.8%) Intention to stay with Friends (7.4%) Having nowhere to go (3.5%) Intention to go to into a settlement/camp (1.3%) Individuals born in the Dominican Republic Of all returnees, 8,282 households (corresponding to 32,589 individuals) have at least one member who was born in the DR. More specifically, this corresponds to a total of 17,781 individuals born in the DR, 11,017 of which were born before January 26 th Subsequently, 1,582 individuals were verified by UNHCR as being born in the DR before January 26 th 2010 and as such will fall within UNHCR s mandate. (Please refer to the UNHCR Statistical Update - dated May 6 th 2016). Immigration 84.4% 50,785 OFFICIAL CLAIMED DEPORTED SPONTANEOUS RETURNS Graph 11: Age and sex breakdown of individuals born in the DR No Data s Family remaining in the Dominican Republic When asked about remaining family members in the DR, 76,474 individuals (13,309 claimed deportees, 49,000 spontaneous returnees, 13,968 officially deported individuals and 197 assisted voluntary returns) have indicated still having family members remaining in the DR. Further questioning regarding the status of these remaining families has revealed that 76.3% are Haitians without visa, 13.2% are Haitians with visa and 6.1% are Dominican citizens or have a Resident status. Graph 12: Status of returnee s family members remaining in the DR With Visa 8.4% 39.4% Without Visa 48.4% Resident/ Citizen 3.9% Registration in the PNRE Of the 68,933 households interviewed by the network, 4,618 households (representing 6.7% of the returnee population) declared having been registered in the Dominican PNRE. Of these 4,618 households, 87.1% returned spontaneously to Haiti, 9.9% claimed to have been deported and 3.0% has been officially deported into Haitian territory. Graph13: Registration in the PNRE by return status OFFICIAL 3.0% DIRECTLY 7.6% DETENTION CENTRE 2.2% SPONTANEOUS RETURNS 87.1% 4 OFFICIAL DEPORTATIONS: PROFILING A total of 23,861 persons (22,473 households) have been officially deported at the official border crossing points of Ouanaminthe, Malpasse and Belladere and have been voluntary registered. Most of these deportations were conducted by DR immigration authorities (DGM). The majority of returnees are individuals and not households/families. Table 1: Official Deportations per official BCPs Official BCPs Households Deported Individuals Deported Belladere 4,994 5,025 Malpasse 8,148 8,177 Ouanaminthe 10,331 10,659 Breakdown by gender and Age Of all the 23,861 individuals officially deported, 94% were male and 6% were female. The majority of the officially deported individuals have reported being between the ages of years, individuals from this age group representing 91.8% of the deported population. A reported 6.3% are aged between 0-17 years old and a mere 1.9% falls into the 50 year plus category. The average age of officially deported individuals is years old. Graph 15: Age breakdown by sex and age of officially deported individuals Vulnerabilities Assessed among Officially Deported Among the people officially deported, 971 were presumed unaccompanied minors (UAM). These presumed UAMs were referred to the relevant government authority (IBERS) and their partners for appropriated care and status determination. Graph 16: Most common vulnerabilities assessed among official deported individuals Deportation Procedures Of all official deportations, 23,581 have reportedly been carried out by the General Directory of Migration (DGM in Spanish), 210 by the CESFRONT and 70 by the military. Graph 17: Authority carrying out official deportations CESFRONT 210 Military 70 When questioned about the location from which they were deported, the respondents have indicated the following: 20,975 individuals apprehended in the street 1,629 were apprehended in their residence 1,114 were apprehended in their place of employment. Graph 18: Location where officially deported individuals were apprehended residence 13 Public place 69 At Work 1,114 My residence 1,629 3 Immigration 23,581 In the streets 20,975 Family remaining in the Dominican Republic A reported 13,712 of officially deported individuals have indicated still having family members remaining in the DR. They have indicated the following: 10,823 have relatives remaining 1,434 have children (daughter/son) remaining in DR 1,049 have their spouse (husband/wife) still in DR Graph 19: Returnees family status in the DR Spouse 7.7% Prison 21 Children(s) 10.5% Relatives 78.9% Pregnant or Lactating Single Headed Households Unaccompanied Minors Parents 3.0% 5 WEEKLY REPORT: Border monitoring activities from June 24 th to 30 th This section presents an overview of border monitoring activities and movement trends observed during the week of June 24 th to 30 th WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS 1,514 5 individuals were observed crossing the border into Haitian territory this week, which is a below average number this week the average number of individuals observed crossing into Haiti since July 2015 is 2,080 individuals. 27 presumed unaccompanied minors (UAMs) were identified during this week which constitutes a below average number for UAMs this week, the average number of presumed UAMs identified since July 2015 being 28. These UAMs were referred to the relevant authority for follow up; 16 of these presumed unaccompanied minors were officially deported into Haitian territory. 787 individuals declared having returned spontaneously to Haiti representing a below average number of spontaneous returnees the average of spontaneous returnees since July 2015 being 1,284 individuals. 201 individuals claimed to have been deported into Haitian territory; this is considered an above average in the number of claimed deportations as the average of claimed deportees since July 2015 is 185 individuals. Official deportations continue to be carried out at the official border crossing points of Ouanaminthe, Malpasse and Belladere; a reported 747 individuals were officially deported into Haitian territory this week of which 526 individuals accepted to be registered voluntarily by the enumerators at the various official BCPs. This constitutes an above average for this week considering that there has been an average of 508 individuals being officially deported into Haiti since August OBSERVED MOVEMENT TRENDS Movements this week (1,514 returnees) compared to the previous week (1,836 returnees) shows a slight decrease; Overall weekly deportations (Claimed Deportations 201; official deportations 526 are slightly lower than spontaneous returns of 787 individuals). Spontaneous returns continue to be mainly assessed in unofficial border crossing points. This week 156 Individuals interviewed at unofficial border crossing points have claimed being deported directly into Haitian territory, while 45 persons claimed to have spent time in a detention center before being forcefully returned to Haiti. Table 1: Summary of monitored movements for this week 6 Entry Status Number of Returnees Deported: 201 Deported: Official 526 Spontaneous Returns 787 Assisted Voluntary Return 0 Official Deportations This week, a total of 526 individuals officially deported were registered at the three border crossing points of Ouanaminthe, Malpasse and Belladere. Most of these deportations were carried out by the DR Immigration authorities (DGM). The majority of returnees are individuals rather than households/families. Indeed a total of 513 households, corresponding to 526 individuals were officially deported this week were registered by enumerators present at the border. Table 2: Official Deportations per official BCPs this week Official BCPs Households Individuals Deported Deported Belladere Malpasse Ouanaminthe Deportation: The act of a State in the exercise of its sovereignty in removing an alien from its territory to a certain place after refusal of admission or termination of permission to remain (Glossary on Migration, p 18, IOM) Spontaneous (migration) return: An individual or groups who initiate and proceeds with their migration plans without any outside assistance. (Glossary on Migration, p 62, IOM) Official Deportations: Government organized returns which are carried out at the official Border Crossing Points between the hours of 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM (border schedule). Before official deportations, relevant returnees receive an official notification regarding the impending deportation. Furthermore, information regarding the time and point of deportation are communicated to the Haitian authorities (Haitian Embassy/consulate). Official deportations are mostly carried out by the DR Immigration (DGM). This report has been made possible through the funding support received from the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). 5 The difference in figures between the current and previous SitRep is due the fact that the data reflects the date of entry into Haiti and not the date of the data entry into the database. 6 The figures represented in this table correspond to the individuals who voluntarily accepted to be registered between the period from Thursday 23 rd to Wednesday 29 th June 2016. Thousands protest in S Korea, demand president resignation over leaking scandal Iran Press TV Sat Oct 29, 2016 6:52PM Thousands of people in South Korea have staged a protesting rally against President Park Geun-hye, calling on her to resign over allegations that she leaked important official documents to a close friend and allowed her to interfere in important state affairs. About 8,000 angry people took part in the rally that was held in the capital, Seoul, on Saturday, amid a deepening crisis sparked by allegations that depicted Park as a betrayer of her people's trust and incapable of managing the government. The demonstration was organized by a number of left-leaning civic groups that said up to 30,000 people had participated in the rally through the capital. The street protest came a day after Park ordered 10 of her senior secretaries to step down in a bid to reshuffle her cabinet. This comes as prosecutors are interrogating presidential associates and other officials to determine whether they violated the law to allow Park's longtime friend, Choi Soon-sil, to exert unjustified influence and gain financially. They also have widened their investigation into the case by raiding the homes and offices belonging to Choi and some of her aides. Park came under fire after she acknowledged on Tuesday that she had given drafts of her speeches for editing to Choi and made a public apology for sharing "certain documents" with her. The 64-year-old leader admitted that Choi, who holds no post in her administration, advised her on speeches and public relations issued during the 2012 presidential election campaign and continued to assist her for a period after the 2013 inauguration. There is also speculation that Choi meddled in government decisions on personnel and policy and exploited her ties with the president to misappropriate state funds for her personal use. According to the latest nationwide survey by pollster Realmeter, Park's popularity stands at 17.5 percent, with 43 percent of respondents demanding her resignation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Embattled S Korean president urges top advisers to resign Iran Press TV Sat Oct 29, 2016 5:45AM South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who stands accused of leaking official state documents to a close friend, has ordered 10 of her senior secretaries to step down in a bid to reshuffle her cabinet. Park's office issued the decree late on Friday hours before planned anti-government protests in the capital, Seoul, on Saturday. Over the past few days, Park has been facing calls to shake up her office after she made a public apology for sharing "certain documents" with longtime friend Choi Soon-sil, who is alleged to have peddled influence over the leader. Park admitted that Choi, who holds no post in the South Korean government, advised her on speeches and public relations issues during the 2012 presidential election campaign and continued to assist her for a period after the 2013 inauguration. There is also speculation that Choi meddled in government decisions on personnel and policy and exploited her ties with the president to misappropriate state funds for her personal use. Local media and opposition parties accuse Choi of having forced big local conglomerates to donate millions of dollars to two foundations she had supposedly set up. Choi's lawyer Lee Gyeong-jae said on Friday that his client is currently in Germany and is willing to return to South Korea if prosecutors summon her. In an interview with a South Korean newspaper, Choi admitted receiving presidential documents in advance, but rejected accusations of intervening in state affairs or pressuring companies into donating to certain foundations. The scandal has sapped Park's support to an all-time low. According to the latest nationwide survey by pollster Realmeter, Park's popularity stands at 17.5 percent, with 43 percent of respondents demanding her resignation. Should Park resign, it would inflame political uncertainty in Asia's fourth-largest economy. In the last few days, prosecutors widened their investigation into the case by raiding the homes and offices belonging to Choi and some of her associates and also the offices of the Mir and K-Sports foundations. Woo Byung-woo, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, and Ahn Jong-bom, top secretary for economic affairs are among Park's aides ordered to quit. Lee Won-jong, Park's chief of staff, had also tendered his resignation on Wednesday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Envoy Cries Foul, Vows To Regain UN Rights Council Seat RFE/RL October 29, 2016 Russian officials have cried foul at being voted off the United Nations' Human Rights Council and vowed to regain Moscow's seat in a bid next year. "We need a break," said Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin on October 28 after the vote, noting that Russia was beaten out by Croatia and Hungary. "Croatia and Hungary, fortunately because of their size, they are not as exposed to the winds of international diplomacy. Russia is quite exposed," Churkin said. Moscow's diplomat took solace from the fact that the vote was close, with Croatia getting 114 votes compared to Russia's 112 and Hungary's 144. The three countries were competing for two regional seats on the council, which monitors and investigates rights violations worldwide. "It was a very close vote," he said. "We have been there a number of years, I'm sure next time we're going to get in." Some Russian lawmakers interviewed by Russian media blamed the unexpected ouster on the United States and its allies in Europe, saying they worked behind the scenes to deal a diplomatic blow to Moscow as part of a campaign to punish Russia for its actions in Syria and Ukraine. While U.S. officials have not claimed responsibility for the move, they privately told reporters they were pleased at the message it sent to Moscow. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry thanked UN members for including the United States among the 14 countries elected to the council, and said: "As with all fora, the Human Rights Council is only as strong as its members." More than 80 human rights groups had made no secret that they were targeting Russia, and expressed satisfaction with the vote. "UN member states have sent a strong message to the Kremlin about its support for a regime that has perpetrated so much atrocity in Syria," said Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch. Despite also being targeted by human rights groups for an ouster like Russia, Saudi Arabia won reelection to the council. China, Cuba, and Egypt -- three other countries often cited for having dubious rights records -- also won seats. "The non-election of Russia shows that the nations of the world can reject gross abusers if they so choose. This makes the election of Saudi Arabia, China, and Cuba even more preposterous," said UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer. With reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa, and TASS Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/russian-envoy- cries-foul-vows-regain-un-human-rights- council-seat-next-yar/28081944.html Copyright (c) 2016. 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 Syria fights off massive Takfiri assault for 2nd day Iran Press TV Sat Oct 29, 2016 10:26AM Syrian troops are battling a fresh push by foreign-backed militants to break an army siege over the strategic city of Aleppo after repelling their initial offensive on Friday. A mix of militants belonging to Saudi, Turkish and US-backed Takfiri groups launched what they called a "big battle" on Friday, setting off car bombs and launching grad rockets and shells that killed at least 21 civilians. A British-based monitoring group, sympathetic to militants, said on Saturday fighting was continuing on the western outskirts of Aleppo, where the terrorists have allegedly been making advances. Militants used a US-Russian ceasefire to break the siege in early August, opening up a new route into the city from the south, but government forces quickly closed it. The current assault comes in the wake of a unilateral "humanitarian pause" declared by Syria and Russia in the city. Moscow said President Vladimir Putin has rejected a request for airstrikes to resume. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin wanted humanitarian efforts to continue in northwest Aleppo and the US to separate the so-called "moderate" militants from other terrorists there. "In case of extreme necessity to prevent provocative actions on the part of terrorist groups, the Russian side reserves the right to use all means at its disposal to provide an appropriate level of support to the Syrian armed forces," Peskov said. Russia also said its embassy in the Syrian capital, Damascus, had come under mortar shelling by "anti-government" militants, inflicting damage to the mission but causing no casualties. Militant groups involved in the attack include Turkey-backed FSA and Ahrar al-Sham and Jaish al-Fatah, an alliance of terrorist factions actively supported by Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Right said the attack has been mostly launched by militants from outside the city against government forces that hold its western districts. It said more than 1,500 militants from the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib to the west were attacking government-controlled districts of the city along a front stretching for 15 kilometers. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian jet flew close to US fighter in Syria: Officials Iran Press TV Sat Oct 29, 2016 1:5AM A Russian fighter plane has dangerously flown close to a US warplane over eastern Syria, US defense officials say. According to US Air Force Lieutenant General Jeff Harrigian, the "near miss" occurred late on October 17, when the Russian fighter that was escorting a larger plane maneuvered near the American jet. The Russian jet came to "inside of half a mile" of the US jet, Harrigian said Friday, noting that such incidents could lead to serious mishaps. "I would attribute it to not having the necessary situational awareness given all those (planes) operating together," Harrigian said. "It was close enough you could feel the jet wash of the plane passing by," another official said, according to AFP. Apparently, the American pilot tried to contact the Russian jet via an emergency radio channel, but the attempt was unsuccessful. On the following day, US officers used a hotline to ask Russia about the incident, and the Russians said "the pilot didn't see" the American plane, the official said. The hotline was set up with Russian counterparts last year to discuss the approximate locations and missions of planes out of fear for a mishap. The number of similar incidents has increased during the past six weeks, Harrigian said, adding that the Americans and their Russian counterparts stay in touch over such issues. "We'll make sure they know we are concerned about that and try to get an understanding of why they felt the need to do it," Harrigian said. In a similar incident in September, a Russian fighter jet came within 10 feet (3 meters) of a US spy aircraft over the Black Sea. Russia has been engaged in an anti-terror campaign in war-stricken Syria since September 30, 2015, based on a request from the Damascus government. US has also been conducting airstrikes in Syria to purportedly target terrorist groups like Daesh (ISIL) since 2014, but they openly fund and equip militant groups who are waging war against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The foreign-sponsored crisis in Syria, which began in March 2011, has claimed the lives of more than 400,000 people, according to an estimate by UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syria: Security Council strongly condemns attacks against schools and shelling of Russian Embassy 29 October 2016 The United Nations Security Council has condemned in the "strongest terms" an attack yesterday on the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Syria's capital Damascus as well as the widely reported recent attacks on schools in the country, according to separate statements issued late yesterday. In the first statement, condemning the mortar shelling of the Russian Embassy, that caused "significant material damage," the Council members recalled the principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises, and the obligations on host Governments to take all appropriate steps to protect these premises against any intrusion or damage, and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of these missions or impairment of their dignity, and to prevent any attack on diplomatic premises, agents and consular officers. Also yesterday, the 15-member body issued a second statement, condemning the widely reported attacks on a school complex in Haas village, Idlib governorate, on 26October, which killed at least 22 children and teachers, and on a school in the western part of Aleppo on 28 October, which killed a number of children, and called for impartial investigations. "The members of the Security Council expressed outrage at all attacks against civilians and civilian objects, and indiscriminate attacks throughout Syria," noted the statement. The Council members also recalled all obligations under international humanitarian law must be respected in all circumstances by all parties and in particular, the obligation to distinguish between civilian populations and combatants and the prohibition against indiscriminate attacks and attacks against civilians and civilian objects, the statement added. Reaffirming the primary responsibility of the Syrian authorities to protect the population, the Council members reiterated that parties to the armed conflict may not make civilians the object of attack or use them as human shields. They further reiterated that that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed and called on all parties to take measures to avoid harm to civilians. In the statement, members of the Council also reaffirmed the need for all States to combat by all means, in accordance with the UN Charter and obligations under international law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. The members of the Security Council also reiterated that the only sustainable solution to the current crisis in Syria is through an inclusive and Syrian-led political process with a view to the full implementation of the Geneva Communique, which was adopted after the first international meeting on the issue on 30 June 2012, and since endorsed by the Council. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Airstrikes, Fighting Continue in Aleppo By VOA News October 29, 2016 Syrian government forces and their allies launched a counteroffensive Saturday under the cover of airstrikes trying to regain control of areas they had lost to insurgents the day before in the northern city of Aleppo, activists and state media said. The government had reported it pushed back a large attack on the south and west of the city, but the rebels and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said insurgents had taken control of an entire suburb in the southwest corner of the city. Syrian rebels continued their efforts Saturday to shake Aleppo from the government's siege, as airstrikes hit the edges of the divided city. Rebel commander Abu Mustafa told the French News Agency, "In just a few days, we will open the way for our besieged brothers." The Observatory said Friday rebel shelling in west Aleppo killed 15 civilians and wounded 100. On Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an investigation into an airstrike on a school in Syria that killed nearly 30 people, most of them children. Former British prime minister Gordon Brown, who is the U.N. special envoy for education, also called for a war-crimes investigation of the incident. "It really is now incumbent on the Security Council to investigate this, to prosecute if there is a war crime, to get the International Criminal Court on board for this, and to have an investigation," Brown told VOA in an interview. Warplanes carried out six strikes Wednesday on a village in rebel-held Idlib and hit a school complex, leaving six teachers and 22 of their students dead, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Either Russia or Syria to blame Both the observatory and the White House have said that either the Syrian or Russian governments were responsible for the attacks. "We don't know yet that it was the Assad regime or the Russians that carried out the airstrike, but we know it was one of the two," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. Russian defense ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Russian warplanes were not in the airspace over the school at the time in question. Russian news agencies also quoted him as saying that images of the damaged site photographed by a Russian unmanned aircraft indicated the damage was not due to an airstrike. Western diplomats at the United Nations backed calls for an independent investigation. "It's an appalling attack. We condemn it," British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft told reporters. "It is a good idea to establish a proper investigation. I hope the whole of the Security Council would be able to support that, and I hope the whole the Security Council would also support proper accountability for whoever is deemed to have been responsible for such an outrageous attack," he added. 'Barbarian acts' "If this is not a war crime, frankly, what is a war crime?" French Ambassador Francois Delattre asked reporters. "We must hold the perpetrators of those barbarian acts accountable. We will be firm on that. We will also keep up the pressure on the Syrian regime and its allies to stop the bombing." The United Nations says some two million Syrian school-aged children are out of school and 52,000 teachers have left their jobs. Since January, there have been up to 40 attacks on schools in the war-torn country, and one-third of all schools are unusable because they have been damaged, destroyed or occupied. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Erdogan govt. to submit proposal reviving death penalty to parliament Iran Press TV Sat Oct 29, 2016 6:8PM Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his government intends to reintroduce the death penalty as a way of punishing those behind a failed mid-July coup. Erdogan said Saturday that the government would submit a proposal to parliament to revive the death penalty two years after the country abolished the capital punishment to accelerate its bid for joining the European Union. "Our government will take this (proposal on capital punishment) to parliament. I am convinced that parliament will approve it, and when it comes back to me, I will ratify it," Erdogan said in a ceremony to inaugurate a high-speed train station in the capital, Ankara. One day after the July 15 coup against Erdogan was declared over, Turkey began to launch a massive crackdown on those believed to have played a role in the abortive attempt. Official data show that more than 35,000 people have been arrested while at least 80,000 have been suspended or sacked from their positions in military and public institutions. The large-scale crackdown has sparked criticism, especially from the EU governments which say Turkey has acted beyond the rule of law in its hunt for the plotters. Ankara rejects the allegations, saying it will continue the purge until it finds every single person tied to Fethullah Gulen, a cleric based in the United States whom Turkey accuses of masterminding the coup. In his Saturday remarks, Erdogan dismissed EU's calls and said reviving the punishment was a popular demand as people were increasingly urging the government to bring the putschists to justice. "The West says this, the West says that. Excuse me, but what counts is not what the West says. What counts is what my people say," he said. "Soon, soon, don't worry. It's happening soon, God willing," Erdogan added, amid chants of "We want the death penalty!" by the crowd. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK to open permanent military base in Bahrain: Report Iran Press TV Sat Oct 29, 2016 3:24PM The United Kingdom will open a massive permanent military base in Bahrain and deploy warships in the Persian Gulf, a new report has revealed. The military base, which is the first such facility being opened by Britain in 40 years in the Persian Gulf region, will be launched next month, Britain's Express newspaper reported on Saturday. Britain will station around 600 military forces at the Royal Navy Facility and will deploy its warships to patrol the surrounding waters and guard oil and gas shipments in the waters. The base located in Bahrain's Mina Salman Port, will also be used by Special Forces, Navy destroyers and frigates to launch operations against the Daesh takfiri terrorist group in the region, according to the report. "The project could save the Ministry of Defense millions because they won't have to travel back to the UK," the newspaper quoted unnamed diplomatic sources as saying. The base, which will be used as a weapons store, will allow Britain to take part in any possible emergency operation if any country tries to block UK commercial ships from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, said a Navy source. "If we miss out on too much oil and gas then the lights will start to go out," the source added. When Britain kicked off the project in 2014, Defense Secretary Michael Fallon described it as "a permanent expansion of the Royal Navy's footprint" in the Persian Gulf. "It will enable Britain to send more and larger ships to reinforce stability in the [Persian] Gulf," he said. Critics, however, raised concerns over the legality of the base, saying the project had not been discussed in Bahrain's parliament. Human rights campaigners criticized the plan at the time, arguing that the Royal Navy named HMS Juffair, is reminiscent of the colonial era because it's named after a previous naval base, Britain maintained in the country during colonial times. Opposition activists also said Britain's move strengthens the ruling al Khalifah family which, has long been carrying out crackdown on human rights activists in the kingdom. Scores of people have been killed and hundreds of others injured or arrested in the Bahraini crackdown on the anti-regime activists, who have been holding protests on an almost daily basis since February 14, 2011. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Objekt 4202 / Yu-71 / Yu-74 Russia is developing some sort of hypersonic warhead for use on its new Sarmat heavy ICBM. This is advertised as an effective countermeasure to American anti-missile interceptors. The Russians are working hard to put the hype back into hypersonic, but it is unclear precisely how this new warhead is expected to evade missile defense interceptors. As best as one can imagine, the vehicle would perform a trans-atmospheric trajectory in which the flight altitude was typically too deep in the atmosphere for exo-atmospheric kill vehicles to conduct an intercept. The hypersonic vehicle would be initially boosted to high speed by an ICBM, and then continue under its own power, skipping along the top of the atmosphere. Yu-71 Extremely maneuverable, ultra-fast and elusive, the hypersonic Yu-71 can break through any missile defense system, military experts said. Russia has reportedly carried out four tests by June 2015. Russia is test-launching a new hypersonic attack aircraft that can carry nuclear warheads and penetrate missile defense systems, US media said citing a report by Janes Information Group. The development of the Yu-71 vehicle took several years, and Russia reportedly conducted the most recent test flight on 26 February 2015, with an SS-19 missile trying to deliver the Yu-71 to space. The new hypersonic aircraft is part of Moscows plans to modernize its Strategic Missile Forces. It is said that the Yu-71, a secret missile program codenamed 'Project 4202', has probable speed of up to 11,200 kmh (7,000 mph) and is extremely maneuverable, which makes it an incredibly dangerous and a hardly targetable weapon. Thanks to its speed and unpredictable trajectory, Yu-71 can evade an enemy's missile defense systems. 'This would give Russia the ability to deliver a guaranteed small-scale strike against a target of choice; if coupled with an ability to penetrate missile defenses, Moscow would also retain the option of launching a successful single-missile attack.' The Jane's authors assume that Russia may put into service up to 24 nuclear-capable Yu-71 aircraft between 2020 and 2025. Moreover, by that time Russia may have developed the Sarmat - a new ICBM that will carry the new hypersonic device. The report also said that Russia's next generation strategic stealth bomber PAK DA will carry hypersonic cruise missiles. China had tested its hypersonic strike vehicle Wu-14 at least four times since January 2014, seriously alarming the Pentagon, as the device may reportedly neutralize the US anti-missile shield. The United States was also engineering a similar device AHW (Advanced Hypersonic Weapon) as a part of its Prompt Global Strike program, which is not covered by the 2010 New START Treaty with Russia. Jane's experts predicted that Moscow may use the new hypersonic aircraft as an ace in the sleeve during arms control talks with Washington. Yu-74 According to analytical website Ostkraft.ru, in 2016 Russia successfully tested its experimental Yu-74 hypersonic glide vehicle. The Yu-74 was carried by the intercontinental-range RS-18A (NATO codename: SS-19 Stiletto) ballistic missile system. The glider was launched from the Dombarovsky missile base in the Orenburg region and hit a target located at Kura Missile Test Range in northern Kamchatka region, the Russian Far East. The Yu-74 system specification as well as the details of the test remains top secret. Reportedly, the gliders are developed to be loaded onto Russia's RS-28 Sarmat (SS-X-30 by NATO classification) the state-of-the-art heavy liquid-propelled intercontinental ballistic missiles which are currently being developed for the Russian army. Reports that the new ICBM was designed to carry up to 24 nuclear-loaded Yu-74 gliders seem far fetched, and this may refer to the total number of ICBMs to be equipped with these warheads. It was claimed that each Sarmat ballistic missile will be able to hit any target located within a 6,200 mile radius in one hour. Each Yu-74 glider can be equipped with a nuclear warhead, electronic warfare (EW) applications or false target simulators. "These features guarantee penetration of any existing and prospective missile defense system of a potential adversary. By adopting such systems Russia's Strategic Missile Forces will significantly increase their efficiency," Russian analysts emphasize. The website also called attention to the fact that the project aimed at creating Russia's hypersonic air-launched cruise missiles has also entered its final phase. Reportedly, new hypersonic cruise missiles will be in many respects similar to the Yu-74. Ostkraft analysts emphasize that the Yu-74 gliders would not only evade NATO's missile defense systems but will be also capable of penetrating through the US THAAD shield. The analysts argue that while the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is effective in intercepting outdated R-17 Elbrus tactical ballistic missiles, it is potentially vulnerable to the threat posed by advanced missile systems. Objekt 4202 The Russian military has successfully tested a new hypersonic weapon, currently known as "object 4202." Defense analyst Victor Litovkin told Radio Sputnik 29 October 2016 that the cutting-edge warhead is expected to be fitted onto the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). "This was the second test of hypersonic warheads for the Sarmat. The first was carried out several months ago on the Kapustin Yar site," he said. Litovkin explained that the latest test was conducted using the R-36 Voevoda ICBM. In case of successful completion of Russias leading development work 4202" for the development and creation of hypersonic aircraft, created by the US global missile defense system would be meaningless. This was announced on 22 July 2015, by a source familiar with the situation. If Russia will have an aircraft that has already gained fame as object 4202", capable of hypersonic speed to maneuver the pitch (vertical plane) and yaw (horizontal plane), our country will be able to solve the problem of guaranteed overcome any prospective missile defense system, the source said. The Sarmat liquid-fueled, MIRV-equipped, super-heavy thermonuclear armed ICBM is meant as a replacement for the R-36 family. The first image of the new missile was unveiled earlier this month. "Technical characteristics of the [new hypersonic weapon] are classified, but I can assume that there are up to 20 independently targetable warheads. Each of them has its own flight program. They fly like cruise missiles but at hypersonic speeds," he detailed. "People in Siberia mistook them for meteorites." The new Russian-made weapon is capable of accelerating to a maximum speed of 15 Mach (7 kilometers per second). It is intended for the most advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles in Moscow's arsenal. The warhead was created using solely Russian-made components, including on-board equipment, electronic components and the guidance system, an unnamed source at the Roscosmos State Corporation told Izvestiya. Litovkin further said that "object 4202" has been in development since the Soviet era, but initial concepts and ideas were not completed before the end of the Cold War. "The fact that all of this has been restored, that it is working is great. We are standing on the shoulders of giants. It's great that we have these founders and we can use their research to ensure national security," he said. The defense analyst pointed out that Russia is spending ten times less that the United States on defense, including research and development. "Nevertheless, we have produced weapons that bring the entire US missile defense system to nothing," he said. "Today we have new means of penetrating air defense complexes that we can be proud of. Not a single missile defense system [in the Pentagon's arsenal] will be able to withstand our missiles. Let Americans, if they want, throw money down the drain," he said. Russian defense analyst Vladimir Tuchkov noted "As for Project 4202, it appears that this system will be able to meet and surpass the speeds discussed by Tactical Missiles Corporation's director. This missile too is being developed by the NPO Machine Building plant. To be more precise this is not an independent missile, but rather a warhead onboard an intercontinental ballistic missile, which, after separation from the launch vehicle, acts like a hypersonic cruise missile would, maneuvering freely to determine direction and pitch." According to informed estimates, Project 4202 is capable of speeds between Mach 7 and Mach 12. For this reason, Tuchkov noted, the system can overcome "not only modern means of US missile defense, but even those systems which American engineers have not even begun to develop yet." The testing of Russia's hypersonic gliders is taking place using the tried and true RS-18B 'Stiletto' silo-based ICBMs, used to accelerate them up to the appropriate speed. "After being adopted by the military, Project 4202 will be installed aboard the new RS-28 Sarmat, and on future Russian ICBM designs. This is expected to take place between 2020 and 2025. When the expected first batch of 20 supersonic warheads is rolled out, it will effectively make the US missile defense system pointless. Every Sarmat will feature three hypersonic combat gliders." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump didn't, but most serious political campaigns do an opposition research look at their own candidate in order to be ready for likely attacks. At the end of 2013, as his campaign was preparing for re-election, they took a look at Patrick Murphy from how they thought his opponents might see him. The report leaked-- and, if you know anyone as stupid as Rachel Maddow yelling about saving the seat for Team Blue, please make sure they see it. Keep in mind, it was primarily written from the point of view of defending against an attack from the right, not much from the left, which is where Murphy is most vulnerable, since he's far more conservative (and corrupt) than should be acceptable to informed voters. For example, the paper accuses him of voting against offshore drilling, although he eventually wound up voting right along with the Republicans for offshore drilling. Similarly, the paper accuses Murphy of voting to approve Keystone XL when in reality he voted with the Republicans to back it and even voted with them to unconstitutionally take Obama out of the decision-making process. Same Old Story: Outsider To Insider Quickly Patrick Murphys story is a familiar one: a political outsider was elected on promises of cleaning up Washingtons finances and working together in practical ways to find commonsense solutions. However, as soon as he took office, and particularly as soon as he took his seat on a powerful House committee and the money started flowing in, he began to look like any other politician, quietly doing the bidding of rich and powerful corporations behind the scenes at the expense of the people who elected him, while raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars from PACs and party bosses. Millions of Dollars from Outside Liberal PACs Elected A Wealthy Carpetbagger The PAC contributions were nothing new, however, as Murphy owes his slim margin of victory in 2012 to the millions of dollars in outside super PAC money that funded his ad campaigns and lent boots on the ground and logistical support, even as he campaigned on getting the gross super PACs and their millions out of elections (and thanking the liberal House Majority PAC for its $2.4 million in assistance in a January 2013 testimonial video). Those outside millions, including more than half a million given to them by Murphys own wealthy father, elected an outside candidate, a carpetbagger who did not live in the district until the year he was elected. ...And Its Starting Again Given that Murphy has been targeted by the DCCC for priority support in 2014 and is already taking tens of thousands of dollars from them and from party bosses such as Nancy Pelosi, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Steny Hoyer, and Democratic budget author Chris van Hollen, and that his seat is considered vulnerable, voters in the 18th District can expect another flood of outside liberal PAC money and additional appearances by top Democrats such as Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, who stumped and raised money for him last time. Token Bipartisanism The millions of dollars from liberal PACs and party bosses speaks for itself, but Murphys campaign promise of bipartisanship also begins to look like typical candidate lip service given that it does not extend to the big ticket items that must be addressed to rescue the nations finances and pay down the debt. His colleagues across the aisle have noted that his bipartisan votes have been only soft votes, not bellwether votes. Typical Liberal Tax-And-Spender Murphy said on the campaign trail that he would have voted for President Obamas 2009 stimulus, and that posture has extended to his votes and calls for all of the typical kinds of tax-and-spend liberal big ticket items such as tax hikes to Clinton-era levels, an endlessly-rising debt ceiling, a trillion dollar farm bill, billions for food stamps, disregarding sequester spending limits, and ever-increasing Medicare benefits and votes against reforming it. He has also embraced other heavy handed liberal standards such as co-sponsoring a gun control bill with over 100 other Democrats. He also voted to let the government keep collecting the phone records of every American even when theyre not under suspicion or investigation. Team Obama: Obamacare Additionally Murphy has sung the praises of Obamacare for its alleged savings and efficiencies and has defended it since before taking office, making only minor critiques while endorsing it overall. On multiple occasions he waived the opportunity to reach across the aisle to repeal or defund it, even as the rollout went off the rails and even as the presidents lie about letting covered Americans keep their preferred plans under Obamacare was revealed, even when bipartisan compromise on the matter could have ended the harmful government shutdown. As a fan of food stamps and other chronic forms of government handouts and entitlements, his vote to allow Obamas plan to hand out Obamacare subsidies to plan applicants claiming low-income status without verifying their income can be seen as consistent. Team Obama: Death by EPA and the War on Affordable Energy Murphy has also walked in lockstep with Obama on his extreme environmental agenda and has waved the flag of global warming. By voting against offshore drilling, he voted to block the country from finding and tapping its own vast oil resources to achieve energy independence. He sponsored legislation to rescind the price supports in the oil & gas industry that allow his constituents to pay reasonable prices at the pump, among the cheapest in the world, and has attempted to redirect that money to renewable energy technologies that cant yet meet a fraction of the nations energy needs. He has voted to use the blunt instrument of the EPA to attempt to regulate the coal industry and others out of business with a stream of punishing billion-dollar rules that kill jobs. He has rejected proposals to route EPA and other government agency regulations through Congress for commonsense impact analysis on jobs and the economy before dropping them on industry. And he has voted not to make use of the nations vast forest reserves to rob forest fires of extra fuel and provide benefit to local communities, and to block mining for minerals of strategic importance to the country. Got Nothing Done in Washington District 18 voters should compare what Candidate Murphy said he was going to do in Washington and what Congressman Murphys record to date actually shows to see if they got someone who has made any difference. He has sponsored only six bills to date and not one has made it to the House floor for a vote. Of the 160 bills he had co-sponsored by the middle of November, only 13 passed the House, and only four of those became law. Three of those were commemorative gestures and one has to do with people lying about combat medals. Nothing on the deficit and nothing on any of the other problems he pledged to solve in Washington. Should the 18th District return a junior Congressman in the minority party to Washington? Or would they be better served by sending a Republican who can actually get things passed in a Republican-controlled House? Too Generous to Fail Perhaps the most alarming thing about Murphys brief tenure in office is the way he has quietly sold out regular working Americans to the same financial industries whose irresponsible and predatory behavior sparked the global financial collapse of the late 2000s. He has raked in piles of money from financial sector in the first three quarters of 2013 and it shows in his systematic attempts to undermine the reforms that were put in place to prevent the industry from doing it to us again. The collapse exposed systemic weaknesses and reckless standards in the financial industry that left banks and other financial institutions large and small unable to cope with the backlash from the housing crash and credit crisis and the toxic assets, evaporated equity, and unmet obligations it left behind. Regular Americans and small businesses were left to bail out the financial industry while themselves having to endure skyrocketing unemployment, plunging home values, decimated retirement funds, shuttered banks, frozen capital, and an economy on life support. Politicians were on the hook to explain how they and the nations laws could have let this happen, and particularly why banks and other financial institutions that were able to reap such immense profits during the bubble were somehow too big to fail and had to be paid even more money out of Main Streets pocketbook, including $140 billion in bonuses. In response, legislators put forward numerous reforms, primarily the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform And Consumer Protection Act. Many of the regulations stemming from the Act are still being finalized in federal regulatory agencies, yet they have been under attack by legislators, lobbyists, and paid Congressional allies of the financial industry since before the reform bill even passed. Campaign Cash for Watering Down Dodd-Frank Reforms Regrettably, Murphy has proven to be one of those paid attackers, and more acutely so from his perch on the powerful House Financial Services Committee. In addition to taking more money from the banking and investment industry than any other freshman Member of Congress, at least $77,000 in the first three quarters of 2013, and at least $135,000 from the financial sector as a whole, he has repeatedly voted to water down the Dodd-Frank reforms by exempting one group or industry or financial instrument after another from regulations designed to fix the specific things that allowed the financial collapse to happen in the first place. These industries will not rest until they have exempted themselves entirely from as many of the new regulations as possible. Murphy appears to be an eager partner in this regard as his sponsorships, co-sponsorships, votes, and committee votes demonstrate. Helping Citibank Write Laws for Itself Murphy voted, for example, both in committee and on the House floor, for a bill known to have been written by Citigroup to exempt broad swaths of swap derivatives from Dodd-Frank regulations, allowing bailed-out banking giants to hedge their risk with derivatives at the same levels as before the collapse. And since they are not any smaller than they were before, they will need to be bailed out by regular taxpayers once again if the same practices leave them exposed to some future economic shock equivalent to the credit crisis and burst housing bubble. He also voted to exempt foreign branches of banks from swap regulation, allowing them to shift their riskier investments to less regulated countries, but with all the same risks to the parent company and the economy as if the branches were domestic. Helping Securities Brokers Masquerade as Impartial Investment Advisers Murphy has also co-sponsored, voted in committee and voted in the full House for a bill to hamstring proposed requirements emerging from Dodd-Frank that securities broker- dealers be regulated as fiduciaries-- that is, as people legally bound to give their clients financial advice based on the client best interests and ahead of their own or any others. Currently brokers and dealers operate as salespeople. Their job is to push investment products that make them and their companies the most money possible, even if those products have high costs and poor performance relative to better performing products. So there is a conflict of interest in regard to giving impartial investment advice, yet most regular Americans of middle income are not financially savvy enough realize that people calling themselves financial advisers would give them advice pursuant to anything other than their best interests. It has been estimated that this conflict of interest costs retirement investors $1 billion per month. Putting the Nations Retirement Savings at Risk At stake in the broker-dealer fiduciary debate is the $10.5 trillion in IRA and 401(k) retirement funds that these securities brokers control, and from which they extract their fees. This is the nations retirement savings and it has a steady leak. The industry has issued ominous warnings that the requirements and expenses of maintaining fiduciary status (for example carrying fiduciary insurance) will cost so much that it will cause companies to exit the individual advice market, leaving Americans stranded with little access to personalized investment advice. Then again, they have a similar story for every other regulation. Always these stories make the claim that the industry is only acting in the best interest of their clients, which is ironic given the particular nature of the regulation theyre trying to avoid in this case. No Fiduciary Requirement for Private Equity Funds Either Murphy also co-sponsored legislation to exempt private equity fund advisers from this fiduciary standard for the same reasons and with possibly even greater risks given that their entire business model is based on leverage... Allowing Same Overleveraging & Undercapitalization as in the Financial Collapse Leverage is important because it was not only one of the key culprits in the financial collapse, and one of the key targets of reform afterwards, but is another of the areas of reform and regulation Murphy is taking money from the financial industry to hamstring and undermine. Prior to and during the financial collapse, banks and other financial institutions were so highly leveraged and so undercapitalized that they were unable to absorb the shock of the credit crisis when the chickens of the housing bubble came home to roost. Many of the bad subprime mortgages lenders made irresponsibly to people who could never pay them back, many of the collateralized debt obligations built on those toxic assets and on good mortgages gone underwater, and many of the opaque, under collateralized credit default swap derivatives insuring them went south, leaving overleveraged, undercapitalized banks unable to cover the defaults, and unable to lend to anyone else in the economy who depended on them for capital. When credit froze in this manner and money couldnt move, the country and world entered financial crisis. The Dodd-Frank reforms and other global voluntary standards such as the Basel Accords targeted this problem of leverage thresholds, capital adequacy, and market liquidity risk, creating safer thresholds for financial institutions, more ability to withstand financial shock, and better monitoring capability so that collectively these institutions and industries would present less risk to clients and investors and less risk of systemwide collapse as they had done before. Murphy has co-sponsored multiple bills to exempt industries from these new regulations and thresholds designed to protect ordinary individuals, the institutions themselves, and the entire economy. He co-sponsored a bill that would let more and larger financial institution holding companies carry higher levels of debt and maintain less capital than Dodd-Frank and other reforms had set. He co-sponsored two bills that would bog down federal regulators attempts to implement Basel III capital requirements and rules concerning liquidity, risk management, governance, transparency, and disclosure. Allowing Riskier Mortgages By Degrees Other tweaks to Dodd-Frank are smaller but the issue is always the same. Financial industries do not want to be regulated because it interferes with their ability to reap maximum profit. Murphy co-sponsored a bill to not count escrowed home insurance payments when calculating points and fees on a mortgage for the purposes of disclosing points and fees to the customer and staying under the maximum 3% point- and-fee threshold to qualify as a Qualified Mortgage under the Consumer Financial Protection Bureaus Qualified Mortgage Rule. This rule aligns with the Ability-to-Repay rule in the Dodd-Frank reforms. Its purpose is to avoid one of the major causes of both the housing bubble and its bursting, namely the reckless extension of mortgage credit to people who were in poor position to ever pay it back, often with predatory terms that came back to bite the borrower. The Qualified Mortgage rule prohibits high-risk products and features such as balloon payments and higher points and fees in exchange for a degree of protection against borrower lawsuits. By not counting escrowed home insurance payments when calculating points and fees, it is like the opposite of placing ones thumb on the scale-- it misrepresents the true cost of the mortgage, meaning that mortgages with higher effective points and fees than intended can still qualify. Allowing Cozy Relationships Between Big Public Companies And Their Auditors Murphy also co-sponsored a bill to preemptively block the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board from ever issuing a rule that would require that audits for a particular public company be conducted by a specific auditing firm or that public companies must rotate auditing firms. The average relationship between an auditing firm and a top 100 US public company is 28 years. Some have lasted much longer, such as KPMGs engagement as GEs auditing firm. Regulators are concerned that such lucrative long term relationships may compromise auditing firms willingness to issue anything other than a clean audit opinion, as major collapses and associated accounting scandals in the new century have suggested. For example, PricewaterhouseCoopers gave MF Global a clean audit opinion in 2011 five months before the company entered the eighth largest bankruptcy in US history after segregating hundreds of millions of dollars of its customers assets. Major accounting firms have been similarly exposed as compromised and as complicit in other major financial scandals, such as the former Arthur Andersen in the 2001 Enron scandal, and other scandals involving Tyco International, Adelphia, Peregrine Systems, and WorldCom. These abuses prompted the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that Murphy voted to weaken in this case to ensure continued cover for major public corporations and major accounting firms like his former employer and current campaign benefactor, Deloitte, which contributed to his nearly $45,000 haul from the accounting firms and other financial industry corporations who lobbied on this bill. This might be less of an issue except that the companies concerned are public. And when accounting trickery, rubber stamped by complicit auditors, gives a false impression of the health of a public company to boost share value, and then leads to share price collapse once exposed, it is the shareholders - the public - that gets hurt, such as when Enrons stock dropped from $90 to nearly nothing over the course of its scandal. The Sarbanes-Oxley reforms were put in place for those and other reasons and Murphy voted to weaken them as he has voted to weaken other regulations that chafe large corporations but protect average Americans. Payday Lender Payday Murphy also took money from the payday lending industry and co-sponsored a bill to regulate online payday lenders separately and less rigorously than brick and mortar payday lenders. On the other side of the lobbying table were groups that advocate for consumers and underserved populations that are often the target of predatory payday lenders. A Little Sugar From Big Sugar Goes A Long Way Another industry that has given Murphy money is the sugar industry. The sugar industrys role in the restorations efforts in the Everglades has been a complicating one. Sugar is farmed in the agricultural area south of Lake Okeechobee, where water used to flow south naturally. Since it can no longer do that, excess water from the lake must drain somewhere else when high volumes threaten the integrity of the dike around the lake, since failure would put area homeowners at risk (think New Orleans). So the water is released to the west and to the east via canals. The C-44 canal drains east into District 18 and empties into the south fork of the St. Lucie River, which then flows into its estuary, which flows into the Indian River Lagoon, which stretches 156 miles north along the coast. Water in Lake Okeechobee and the surrounding area is polluted with septic tank seepage, fertilizer runoff, and pesticides. When this dirty water is released into the St. Lucie river, it not only brings its pollutants, but also its nitrogen-rich nutrients and low salinity. The combination kills everything in the river, the estuary, and beyond, either due to the salinity, the toxic algae blooms it fosters, or the poisons. Tens of thousands of acres of sea grass have been lost, oyster beds have been destroyed, massive fish kills have occurred, dolphins and manatees have died in large numbers, and the water has become so polluted with visible and invisible pollutants and bacteria that residents were warned to keep away from it. Murphy has been working with local, state and federal officials to find funding to better manage the releases and clean up the pollution. But while environmentalists and activists continue to point the finger at Big Sugar for its role in this ongoing problem, not only to the east, but farther south into the Everglades where the industry adds pollutants of its own to the Everglades system, Murphy has been what one journalist described as wishy washy in taking the industry on. When given the opportunity to get rid of the Depression-era price supports for the sugar industry, for example, something he campaigned on doing across all industries, he balked. He voted for the 2013 farm bill, which left the subsidies in place and which the CBO said would cost American consumers an extra $374 million over the next decade. All told, because the price support program artificially sets the price higher than the actual market price, the program costs Americans $3.5 billion per year. He also voted against an amendment to that same farm bill that would have specifically cut the sugar price supports. Murphy said of his support for sugar, "I don't want to single out one crop, especially one that is in my district. And when the DSCC forces this kind of garbage candidate on Democrats, this is what the Republicans can run against him All Talk, No Action On Passing A Budget From his first month in office in January 2013 through to the October government shutdown, Murphy issued repeated calls for solutions to the budget crisis and shutdown, pleading for bipartisan cooperation, even attaching the consequence of shutting off Congressional pay if Congress did not pass a budget. Yet when it came time to vote on budgets, he voted against every one that was proposed. He voted against two Republican budgets that would save trillions, bring entitlements under control, and cut and simplify taxes. And he voted against three Democratic budgets that would invest in infrastructure, replace the harmful sequester with smarter cuts, reduce the deficit, grow jobs, and protect societys most vulnerable. Additionally when Murphys ostensible partners across the aisle proposed a bipartisan and bicameral fiscal working group to negotiate an end to the shutdown, he voted against it. Bad for Business (from the right) Murphy campaigned as a pro-business moderate, and a businessman himself, who would work across the aisle to create jobs to get the economy moving. But in his third month in office, he voted to raise the minimum wage almost three dollars, which any business owner would say would cost jobs. When given the opportunity to freeze the National Labor Relations Board until it could fill enough seats to form a quorum, and to overturn decisions it has made without a quorum, he stayed firmly on his side of the aisle and voted with every Democrat not to. He also campaigned as someone who would attack the deficit by finding and eliminating duplicative and wasteful programs. Yet when a bill came up to streamline Workforce Investment efforts by eliminating and consolidating 35 programs, including 26 that the GAO had found to be ineffective or duplicative, he again stood with Democrats to vote against it. Bad For Workers (from the left) Murphy has twice targeted overtime pay, part of 75 year-old protections in the Fair Labor Standards act. First he wrote to the OMB to protest the Department of Labors attempt to apply the maximum weekly hours protections (overtime) in the FLSA to caregivers who provide home care to the elderly and disabled. Then he co-sponsored legislation to exempt from FLSA overtime protections for two years any insurance adjuster who evaluates claims resulting from or relating to a major disaster. Republicans have a special hatred for federal employees, many of whom belong to public sector unions that support Democrats, and have effectively declared war on them, targeting them with bill after bill to erode their job quality and job security. Despite having promised federal workers on the campaign trail that he would not demonize them in that way or freeze or cap their pay or benefits, Murphy joined Republicans in several of these bills in the first three quarters of 2013. He voted keep their pay frozen, to limit bonuses due during sequestration, allow citizens to record their phone calls with them, putting confidential information at risk, to allow them to be terminated immediately for misconduct instead of allowing them their right to due process, and to bar the hiring or continued federal employment of anyone who had a seriously delinquent tax lien. Bad For Workers (from the right) Murphy voted against the Working Families Flexibility Act, which would have given workers the option of paid time off in lieu of overtime pay for hours worked in excess of 40 per week. Billions More For Wealthy Farmers, Billions Cut For The Poor And Hungry Murphy voted for the nearly $1 trillion 2013 farm bill, which among many other provisions would pour billions into subsidized insurance programs and other giveaways to wealthy farmers and milk processors (and also voted specifically to retain those insurance programs), while cutting $20.5 million from funding for food stamps for people who cant otherwise get enough to eat. It also replaced a dairy safety net with an insurance program that gives milk processors cheap, subsidized milk at the expense of dairies with no drop in prices on store shelves. Preserving His Congressional Perks Murphy also voted to hold on to his own perks. By hanging his party out to dry by voting with only 27 other Democrats against the House Democratic alternative budget for FY2014, Murphy also voted to retain the many special perks that members of Congress are afforded, including the House gym and spa, the House barber shop, the House salon, the House dining room, and authorization to use taxpayer dollars to buy first class air travel and to lease corporate jets. He also voted to retain a special perk for Congress and its staff that no other American will get. Irrespective of income levels, the federal government will subsidize the cost of Obamacare health insurance for members of Congress and their staff. In a vote in which could either hold on to this subsidy and to Obamacare or end the government shutdown, he chose Obamacare and his Obamacare subsidy. Broken Promises: Keystone, Medicare, DREAM, Abortion, Overtime, Workers Murphy said on the campaign trail that he did not support the Keystone XL pipeline but then voted to bypass the president and approve it. Murphy said on the campaign trail that he would leave Medicare untouched, but once elected, he said it was on the table to negotiate in exchange for tax concessions from Republicans. Murphy said on the campaign trail that he supported a path to citizenship DREAMers, but voted instead to start deporting them again. Murphy said on the campaign trail numerous times that he firmly supported a womans right to choose but then voted to block funding for abortions for detained immigrant women. Murphy said on the campaign trail that he would work to protect overtime pay but instead went out of his way to try to exempt home care workers from FLSA overtime/maximum hours protections and also to exempt insurance adjusters working on disaster areas for two years after the disaster. Murphy said on the campaign trail that he would not demonize federal workers or try to manage them by capping or freezing their wages and benefits. But then he voted to freeze and cap their wages, erode their rights to due process, and target ones that were having financial problems. Consultant Jailed For 2012 Election Fraud Worked For Murphys 2012 Campaign Murphys 2012 campaign hired consultant Jeffrey Garcia, who pled guilty, was convicted, and was jailed for election fraud involving submitting phony and illegal absentee ballot requests for another campaign in 2012. He is also under investigation for possibly having funded a fake Tea Party candidate in 2010 to siphon conservative voters away from his clients opponent. Working To Keep Carcinogens Unregulated Murphy co-sponsored an amendment to exempt premium cigars from FDA regulation. Cigars are as harmful as any other form of tobacco. The lobbying picture for this bill was the tobacco industry on one side and doctors and major public health and cancer organizations on the other. Don't vote for Murphy and don't vote for Rubio-- just say no Mass media in the US often portray Donald Trump as an American version of Putin, if not his puppet. But it makes sense to take a closer look at the essence of Trumps and Putins appeal to their respective populations. Lets recap three broad topics: foreign policy, domestic policy, and the economy. Both Putin and Trump focus on foreign policy populism trying to sell the idea of great power resurgence. Showing the West Kuzmas Mother has been Russias operative battle cry since Khrushchev didnt slam his shoe at the UN General Assembly in 1960. Russias current leadership is carefully executing this master plan, starting with cyber-attacks and finishing with nuclear missile deployment In Kaliningrad. On the other side of the pond, apart from were gonna win so much, you may even get tired of winning and the whole make America great again rhetoric, the Trump campaign has voiced admiration for Saddam Hussein, Bashar Assad and Kim Jong-un, complaining that Obama failed to show real leadership. I guess, bombing the shit out of ISIS as well as praising genocidal maniacs is his way of showing Kuzmas mother to the rest of the world. Why this is necessary is a whole other question. On the domestic politics front, things are not looking so good either. Trump has voiced so many racist and divisive statements, its a wonder if there is one social group he has not insulted yet. With a possible future president inciting racial profiling the recent Oregon militia acquittal looks particularly galling. One might ask whether the results of the trial would have been the same with non-white militia members. It is not even necessary to hypothesize what would have happened had another ethnic group been involved: native Americans protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline have been mass arrested and attacked by riot police. Russias fixation on enemies is not necessarily motivated by race (although inter-ethnic relations are rather strained). For instance, Russia has its own blacks people who come from the North Caucasus and Central Asia and who are also subjected to racial profiling. The Moscow center for the monitoring of xenophobia Sova has noted the decline in race-motivated crime and a re-orientation towards the so-called fifth column: perceived traitors of the Russian state, i.e., critics of the Putin regime. Similar tendencies are visible at the legislative level: the foreign agent law and anti-Western sanctions eclipsed attempts to introduce stricter internal migration rules. A big part of both leaders appeal is their promise (Trump) and perceived experience (Putin) in fixing the economy. In Russia, after the economic hardship of the 90s most people welcomed the (oil price fueled) prosperity of the early 2000s. In the minds of Russians, those fat years are directly linked to Putins leadership. So much so, that a lot of Putins support is even explained with the so-called sausage patriotism (legitimacy based on economic achievement): well-paid jobs, the ability to afford a bank loan for a car, international travel, and food delicacies seem to be much more tangible and more important than that elusive value of freedom of speech. In the last couple of years, the sausage dream has been replaced with cheese, since fancy French and Dutch varieties have been banned from Russian supermarkets by the government to retaliate against Western sanctions over Ukraine. Trump cannot boast of a spotless economic record, but even his bankruptcies work for him: he seems to be the living embodiment of American resilience and the American dream (despite a small $ 14 million loan from his father). The cleverly framed status of blue-collar billionaire was a perfect catchphrase to embrace the understanding of America being a nation of haves and soon-to-haves. Thus, even though Trumps tax plan is supposed to benefit the top of the income distribution, his blue-collar support is unwavering: they just believe they will soon be in that top 1% taking advantage of those tax cuts. Putins regime is going to last until people in Russia look more at their fridges than their TVs. What is wrong with American fridges that people want to vote for Trump? After the polls closed in the 1992 city council election, some precinct workers incorrectly read election returns off some voting machines. F.W. Bill Townes III lost his seat; he promptly congratulated the winners. The next day, the error was discovered and Townes learned he actually had won another four-year term on Danville City Council. One of the strengths of American democracy is that the winners and losers of our elections are willing to support the system. Politicians fight long, tough and often expensive campaigns. When the results come in, though, its time to rally around the winners and move forward. Townes died in 2002. We can only imagine what he would have felt about a major party presidential candidate who tells his supporters that the system is rigged or that hell only accept the results if he wins. In this country, Democrats and Republicans work together to monitor elections all the way down to the precinct level. With the two major parties so well represented in the electoral process, its hard to imagine how anyone could say that the system is rigged. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump may not like the news stories about him and his campaign. He may be frustrated that reporters are asking him about things he said or did weeks, months or even years ago. Hes not the first candidate to disagree with the polls. Those complaints are certainly fair game. But polls and political stories arent the foundation of our democracy. It is the electoral process that is the most important thing because that is the true will of the American people. Cast doubts on that system, and you better have facts to back up your claims. It is very, very uncommon, Geoffrey Skelley, associate editor for Larry Sabatos Crystal Ball forecast site said. Multiple studies have found zero or miniscule cases of in-person voter fraud, which is the type that many politicians and voters seem to be most worried about. This is the time when serious presidential candidates work to make sure their voters get to the polls. The can concentrate on that because both parties have worked so hard to ensure that the system works honestly. Townes actions on election night in 1992 were similar to what nearly every other political candidate has done when the results come in and the voters chose the other guy. Is it asking too much for Donald Trump to show the same level of respect for the American political system that Bill Townes did 24 years ago? Even though the oil and gas industry remains in a tough economic climate, some leading companies believe that better days are ahead. One of those companies is the world's largest oil field service company, Schlumberger. Just last week Schlumberger said it sees recovery in many regions of the world. "The only place where we don't see any signs of recovery at this stage is in Asia," Chief Executive Paal Kibsgaard said. Schlumberger said it expects "solid growth" in 2017 in the Middle East, Russia and North America. In Texas, some economic signs of stability were insufficient to halt the decline in the Texas Petro Index, a composite index of economic indicators in Texas. The TPI declined for the 22nd consecutive month to 149.0, two-thirds of its value in September 2015. "I was hoping the TPI was going to post its first monthly increase in September," economist Karr Ingham, the author of TPI, said. "But the upstream recovery remains a slow process." Ingham said that absent a rapid expansion of demand that would help absorb the current crude oil oversupply, any solution to market imbalance must come from the supply side of the ledger. With OPEC members and Russia apparently unable to agree on a plan to curtail oil output, U.S. production needs to continue declining to provide upside support to crude oil prices, he said. "The response of upstream investment to current prices and cost structures will set the stage for a sustained recovery at some point in the future," Ingham said. "We may want the recovery to be faster, but that probably isn't the best outcome right now." Ingham said that crude oil production in Texas totaled an estimated 92.6 million barrels, 9.6 percent less than in September 2015. Texas produced an estimated 663.8 billion cubic feet of natural gas in September, a year-over-year monthly decline of about 8.2 percent. The Baker Hughes count of active drilling rigs in Texas averaged 244, 33.5 percent fewer units than in September 2015 when an average of 367 rigs were working. Drilling activity in Texas peaked in September 2008 at a monthly average of 946 rigs before falling to a trough of 329 in June 2009. In the most recent economic expansion, which began in December 2009, the statewide average monthly rig count peaked at 932 in May and June 2012. The Texas Railroad Commission issued in September 746 original drilling permits compared to 906 in September 2015, a decline of 17.7 percent. From January to September, the RRC has issued 5,576 drilling permits, a decrease of 34.9 percent from the same period last year. Employment in the upstream oil and gas industry is down 16 percent compared to September 2015. An estimated 203,525 Texans remained employed. There are signs that a recovery is on the way, but some obstacles remain. Alex Mills is President of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers. The opinions expressed are solely of the author. Although laws have been passed to improve the use of eminent domain in the Lone Star State, many landowners still experience abuses by the entities that exercise this extreme power, according to a news release from Fort Worth-based Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. A voter-approved amendment to the Texas Constitution in 2009 prohibited the taking of private property for economic development, and Senate Bill 18 in 2011 made changes to the condemnation process, but eminent domain remains at the forefront of concerns for Texas landowners. Owners continue to struggle with an unbalanced set of laws that are at odds with a state known for private-property rights. Despite past efforts, condemning entities continue to hold an unfair advantage over landowners, who are forced to sell their property without truly being compensated thereafter. "Landowners feel they're not getting a fair shake and that their rights are being ignored," Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening told a recent hearing of the Senate Committee on State Affairs. He said high-stakes negotiations and lowball offers occur too often during eminent-domain proceedings in Texas. The current law favors for-profit companies, giving landowners few options in a fight for their property. About 95 percent of land in Texas is privately owned, which places the needs of the public in direct conflict with the rights of Texas property owners. When conflicts arise, there are no willing-buyer and willing-seller transactions, and events often play out in expensive, time-consuming, stressful and unfair situations, resulting in bad outcomes for the property owners. The state population is on the fast track with rapid growth; therefore, there is an increasing need for more property to build infrastructure for the utilization of natural resources and to address transportation needs. While property owners recognize these demands, they also realize that their property rights must be better protected, Boening said. "Our family has had more than one experience where an entity condemned our property and did not act in good faith to take our land," said TSCRA director Leslie Kinsel. "In one case, a court awarded compensation that was over 600 percent more than the condemning entity's first offer. In another, the condemning entity settled for approximately 10 times its first offer, but only after we had incurred tens of thousands of dollars in legal expenses to challenge the taking," Kinsel said. In Austin last week, TSCRA was joined by 14 other Texas-based organizations to form Texans for Property Rights, a coalition focused on a grass roots initiative for meaningful reform to state eminent domain laws. The coalition comprises TSCRA, Texas Farm Bureau, Texas Wildlife Association, Texas Forestry Association, South Texans' Property Rights Association, Texas Poultry Association, Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers' Association, Independent Cattlemen's Association, Texas Grain Sorghum Association, Plains Cotton Growers, Inc., Corn Producers Association of Texas, Riverside & Landowners Protection Coalition, Texas Land & Mineral Owners Association, Texas Association of Dairymen and Texas Cattle Feeders Association. Property rights are the cornerstone of Texas' freedom, and they are worth the fight. It is for this reason these grass roots organizations have formed the Texans for Property Rights coalition, Boening said. For more information or to get involved, call Laramie Adams at the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association at 512-922-7328 or Gene Hall at Texas Farm Bureau at 254-751-2246. Jerry Lackey is agriculture editor emeritus. Contact him at jlackey@wcc.net. New research shows women are now drinking nearly as much alcohol as men. (Dreamstime) SHARE By Gabriella Dunn The Wichita Eagle (TNS) New research shows women are now drinking nearly as much alcohol as men. Older studies showed as much as a 12-fold difference between men and women. MedlinePlus Health, a product of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, summarized the findings from a study published Tuesday in a journal called BMJ Open. To create a worldwide picture of drinking between men and women, researchers at the National Drug and Alcohol research Center at the University of New South Wales in Australia pooled data from more than 4 million people who were part of 68 international studies between 1980 and 2014. The sample included people born as far back as 1981. The study found the rise in drinking amongst women also brought a rise in the number of women who experience health effects from excessive drinking. What the research showed The gender gap for excessive drinking fell from 3 times higher for men to 1.2 times. The gender gap for harms associated with drinking fell from 3.6 times higher for men to 1.3 times. Men born between 1891 and 1910 were twice as likely as their female counterparts to drink. Men and women born between 1991 and 2000 were about equally likely to drink. Tim Slade, the lead researcher of the study and an epidemiologist with the National Drug and Alcohol Research Center at the University of New South Wales in Australia, told MedlinePlus that drinking has likely become more socially acceptable for women as theyve joined the workforce, obtained higher education and became more financially independent. Other researchers said older statistics might have underestimated the number of women who drank, and how much they drank, because some hid drinking before it was socially acceptable. Some also pointed to pressures on women to be a professional in the workforce along with a housekeeper and mother as potential reasons for the increase. SHARE Kristen O'Meara, 40, with her daughters Natasha, 6, center and twins Aine and Lena, 4, right, at their home on Sept. 29, 2016 in Palos Park, Ill. Kristen O'Meara once refused to vaccinate her three young children. After several factors, including a nasty bout of rotavirus, O'Meara changed her mind and now her daughters are fully vaccinated. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune/TNS) By Kate Thayer Chicago Tribune (TNS) CHICAGO It took a family bout of rotavirus, a measles outbreak tied to Disneyland and stricter school enrollment rules to get Kristen OMeara to take a harder look at and eventually switch her once-defiant stance against vaccinations for her children. But the 40-year-old Palos Park, Ill., mom said if a doctor had taken the time to educate rather than scold her, she might have changed her mind sooner. And her family, including three young daughters, might have avoided being sick for days with the nasty intestinal bug. Childhood immunizations remain a deeply divisive issue. And though studies purporting to link vaccines to autism have been widely discredited, pockets of parental resistance persist: According to surveys by Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based American Academy of Pediatrics of its member physicians, more doctors in 2013 than in 2006 reported encountering vaccine-hesitant families. In a report released in September, the academy also revealed that as parents decline to have their children vaccinated, more pediatricians are turning such families away in the name of safeguarding the health of other patients. The academy, in newly released guidelines for pediatricians, said excluding families who refuse to vaccinate their children can be an acceptable option if used as a last resort in areas where doctors are not scarce, and only after several attempts to educate and quell concerns. The report details reasons why some parents are skeptical of vaccines and suggests ways to address them. Some local pediatricians had already made it their policy not to accept new patients who are not vaccinated; other doctors have severed ties with existing patients. But other health-care professionals say keeping unvaccinated patients and their parents under their wing is better for public health, offering the best shot at swaying their views. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with the pediatrics academy, recommend a schedule of vaccinations for children unless a medical reason, like cancer treatment that suppresses the immune system, dictates otherwise. The new AAP report stresses the need for further education for parents even before their children are born. We have to talk to our patients, our parents and make sure they understand, said Dr. Kathryn Edwards, a Vanderbilt University pediatrics professor who co-wrote one of the AAP reports. You need to listen to what theyre asking, answer their questions and give them (websites) that will help. The decision to dismiss a family who continues to refuse immunization is not one that should be made lightly, nor should it be made without considering and respecting the reasons for the parents point of view, the report states. Nevertheless, the individual pediatrician may consider dismissal of families who refuse vaccination as an acceptable option. Edwards said research points to a few main reasons why parents question vaccines: They wrongly believe that the diseases the shots protect against arent serious, they question the safety of vaccines or they think any requirement to vaccinate is an infringement on personal rights. That skepticism was behind OMearas hesitancy. As a first-time mom six years ago, she worried about the potential side effects of vaccines. But instead of discussing and trying to allay her concerns, one pediatrician simply shamed her, OMeara said. He didnt bring me into the fold. He really wanted to point his finger at me, said OMeara, a Chicago Montessori schoolteacher and mother of 4-year-old twins and a 6-year-old. I didnt expect to be treated that way. The encounter, OMeara said, left her angry and only heightened her mistrust of the mainstream health-care industry. She soon found a nontraditional doctor who supported her decision against vaccines. It was the measles outbreak that spread through Disneyland visitors starting in 2014 that initially gave OMeara and her husband second thoughts, leading her to start researching scientific papers on the topic. Then, in March 2015, the entire family got sick with rotavirus, including OMearas mother, who regularly cared for the children. When I realized it was rotavirus, I thought, Huh, theres a vaccine for that, OMeara said. It was eye-opening. (I thought), Were not as protected as I thought we were. Maybe I need to do more research. Maybe we just suffered through something that we didnt have to. Around the same time, the preschool OMearas oldest daughter attended stopped accepting unvaccinated children. And OMeara learned that Illinois had made it more difficult for parents to receive waivers from school vaccination requirements based on religious objections. I thought to myself, I might as well take them in and vaccinate them, because theyre cracking down, anyway, OMeara said. A month later, OMeara found a new pediatrician, and inquired about a catch-up schedule of vaccines for all three children. Since earlier this year, theyve been fully vaccinated and have had no bad reactions, OMeara said. Now she wishes shed had more guidance from physicians who could have pointed her to the science earlier. It was just a whole bunch of things that happened during that time, she said. It wasnt only that we had gotten sick. It was the catalyst. Dr. Don Seidman, an Elmhurst pediatrician and chair of pediatrics for DuPage Medical Group, said its doctors will continue to treat unvaccinated patients while trying to persuade their parents to have them immunized. Seidman said in his experience, and according to one AAP study, about half the parents who are hesitant about vaccines change their minds after discussions with a doctor. And sometimes the prospect of losing their pediatrician will be enough to change parents minds. Its worth it to make the effort, Seidman said. Simply turning parents away because they dont want to vaccinate their children is a lazy way out, he said. Its dumping (the pediatricians) responsibility to do this greater good for our community, and hoping another decent practitioner will make the effort. I say that with clear recognition of how exhausting and frustrating that process is, he added. That frustration, Seidman said, stems from time spent repeatedly explaining the science behind vaccinations, and trying to debunk myths some stemming from the opinions of celebrities. Advocate Medical Group, one of the Chicago areas largest, recently established a policy not to admit new patients who arent vaccinated into its pediatric or family medicine practices. Existing patients are allowed to stay but will continue to receive education. Other area doctors groups have drawn harder lines. After a measles outbreak in Palatine last year, McHenry County-based Centegra Physician Care decided to treat only vaccinated patients, according to a news release on its website. Families were given a month to find a new doctor. It was a very difficult decision to make, said Dr. Frank Belmonte, a pediatrician and a vice president for Advocate Childrens Hospital. Advocate doctors were seeing both an increased number of unvaccinated patients and a growing concern from other parents about unvaccinated patients. As a result, Advocate spent 18 months developing the new policy, which took effect this past June, Belmonte said. New patients are told upfront. If they are willing to receive information on vaccines, the parents have three visits to begin the immunization process, he said. If they still resist vaccines, they are dismissed. Our goal is to work with families, educate them and give them every opportunity to follow the guidelines, but if we come to an impasse, and theres a lack of trust with the provider, at that point, we terminate the relationship, Belmonte said. We will do everything in our power to convince a family to do this but there comes a time when you say, Ive given you all the education. The Advocate group discussed extending the policy to existing patients but, given its size, decided such a measure could be too drastic. The policy will, however, be reexamined in a year, he said. At Pediatric Health Associates, which has offices in Bolingbrook, Naperville, Plainfield and West Chicago, parents are given the first several visits to consent to having their children immunized. If they refuse, theyre discharged, said founding pediatrician Dr. Tim Wall. The policy was developed because of a concern for the other children in the practice, especially those who are immune-suppressed and cannot receive vaccines, Wall said. In many cases, parents either are convinced after further education, or return to the practice after theyve left and then come to the conclusion to vaccinate on their own, he said. SHARE Dove Creek VFD crew work to extinguish a roadside grass fire near the south entrance of the state park in August of 2015. - photo by Ken Grimm By Rashda Khan, Rashda.Khan@gosanangelo.com / @Rashda_SAST While a burn ban isn't in effect in Tom Green County at the moment, county officials are worried. "I have been to Houston back and forth twice last month, and nothing in the state is getting mowed. I mean, it's 4 feet tall," Precinct 4 Commissioner Bill Ford said at last week's Commissioners Court meeting. "I'm really concerned about bar ditches are just full of fuel and getting dry." Ford's concern centers on the bar ditches the Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining because of right-of-way designation an area of about 3,000 acres. The department is responsible for maintaining state roads and the areas around them, which include the loop and highways in and around the city. Ford referenced a recent fire in Schleicher County. "If there'd been any wind at all, we'd have had a problem," Ford said, adding that area volunteer fire departments are also worried. Steve Mild, emergency management coordinator for the county and the city of San Angelo, agreed that the situation is scary. "The thing that really scares me about it is exactly what you're talking about right there," said Mild, who tracks fire trends. "The fuel load we have out there ... we're actually set up for a worse fire season statewide than what we had in 2011." Texas and the San Angelo area experienced numerous fires that year, including the Wildcat Fire, which originated near Robert Lee and spread into Tom Green County, forcing some residents to evacuate. "We can knock down a bar ditch (fire) if it's 6 inches high, but 4 feet high is a different story," Ford said. "We get calls and it's not our turf. We really need some help on that." Tom Johnston, director of operations in the San Angelo district of TxDOT, said the state does two rural mowing cycles a year. Generally, TxDOT prefers to wait until the first frost so the grass is not as likely to grow back. "In an average year, two mowings take care of it (the weeds) perfect," he said. "The weeds are taller right now than normal. We don't want that dry grass sitting there, so the contractors will start mowing about mid November whether first frost happens or not." R & M Inc. will mow 707 acres inside the San Angelo city limits, and Eggemeyer Mowing will mow 2,267 acres in the county areas outside. Johnston expects both to be done by mid-December. In other business, Reece Albert, Inc. is working on a TxDOT roadwork project on the northbound U.S. 87 highway around 19th street. One lane of traffic was closed while roads crews prepared the area for a pavement overlay. "Once the prep work is done, they'll start working at night," Johnston said, adding that the crews will start about 6 or 7 in the evening and work until about 5 a.m. He expects the project to be completed in three weeks. "This project will fix the aging pavement and the bottleneck that's been a problem in the area," he said. "We're adding another lane at 19th street, by the Whataburger." SHARE Early voting well ahead of 12 across state By John C. Moritz, USA TODAY Network Austin Bureau Texas voters appear more plugged in and engaged during the 2016 election than in any time in recent memory, with much of the excitement coming out of the state's largest population centers, an analysis of the first several days of early voting trends suggests. "There is an energy out there among the early voters. You can just feel it," said Lisa Wise, the elections administrator for El Paso County. There, as the first week was coming to a close, early voting was running nearly 80 percent higher this cycle than during the 2012 presidential election. "They're waiting in long lines, but they're not worked up about it. It's like this is something they really want to be a part of." A USA TODAY Network analysis of numbers from Texas' 15 most populous counties and select rural countries around the state shows early voting running well ahead of the 2012 pace in virtually every part of Texas. Unclear still is whether the uptick in early voting signals the beginning of Texas emerging from its place among states with the lowest voter participation. Among the state's largest counties, eye-popping gains in early voting turnout have been clustered around the capital city of Austin, in El Paso County and in the Dallas area. Hidalgo County along the Texas-Mexico border is seeing turnout nearly 50 percent higher than four years ago, and Nueces County along the Coastal Bend reported a 32 percent jump as the first week was coming to a close. In Galveston County, which had the second-largest participation rate with 27 percent of registered voters casting early ballots in the first five days, elections administrator Bill Sargent called turnout "phenomenal." He wasn't alone. "This presidential election will probably see the largest turnout in Travis County history," said elections administrator Dana DeBeauvoir, whose county was far outpacing the rest of Texas with a 101 percent jump from 2012 through five days. Her neighbor to the north, Williamson County, was seeing a boost of more than 80 percent. In Harris County, the state's largest, early voting was up about 44 percent. Tarrant County, Texas' only urban county that went Republican in 2012, ended the week with an early voting increase of 32 percent. Analysts and partisans were reluctant to read too much into the numbers past this election cycle that has so far been dominated by the unconventional freewheeling campaign run by Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton's bid to become the nation's first female president. "As you look at it by county, I think there are reasons for Democrats to feel like something good is happening in the Democratic majority counties, including El Paso," said Jim Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas. "On balance, if you're looking at these numbers, you're probably happier if you're a Democrat than if you're a Republican, at least thus far." But many of the big turnout gains in the Democratic urbanized counties were matched by just as big numbers in the Republican-friendly large suburban satellites around Dallas and Houston. Less clear, perhaps, is what numbers foretell for heavily Democratic but historically low-participation counties in South Texas. Bexar County, in President Obama's column four years ago, is seeing a turnout increase of less than 30 percent. In Cameron County, dominated by the city of Brownsville and heavily Democratic, the turnout jump also was about 30 percent. Many of the more rural counties that went heavily for Republican Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election are reporting solid, though less dramatic, early turnout gains so far. McLennan County, home of Waco, is seeing 40 percent gains so far. In deep East Texas Smith County, the jump is 31 percent. The increase in nearby Bell County, which includes the mammoth Fort Hood Army post, was topping 45 percent. In the Republican stronghold of Midland County, the bump was 37 percent so far. Early voting turnout in Republican Lubbock County was running a more modest 17 percent increase from four years earlier, but elections administrator Dorothy Kennedy called the participation rate encouraging. "Right now, we're doing great," Kennedy said. "We're seeing a great turnout. Every day we've broken a new record for the same days in 2004, 2008 and 2012." Henson said polls showing the presidential race tighter in Texas than they've been in decades is helping fuel the early vote turnout. But he sees little chance that Clinton can move the state into the Democrats' column. "I think the idea, just based on the evidence we have right now, that Texas is a tossup state, is a slight misreading of the polling data," he said. "If we were to say that this is really a tossup state, what we want to see in the polling is at least a number of polls in which Hillary Clinton is in the lead." Hector Nieto, a veteran Texas Democratic operative, said his party has reason for encouragement in the early voting numbers even from regions outside of its base. The party is hoping the Clinton candidacy coupled with Trump's lagging support among female voters will present an opportunity to make inroads with Republican-leaning women in the Texas suburbs. "The fact that we are expanding the universe of voters means that there's a lot of potential for Democrats," Nieto said. "If we want them to come back in 2018 and 2020, we must start communicating with them earlier and continue that communication into the election cycle." Robert Moore and Zahira Torres of the El Paso Times contributed to this report. SHARE No, there is no evidence that noncitizens are illegally voting in large numbers By Joseph Tanfani, Tribune Washington Bureau (TNS) WASHINGTON As Donald Trump maintains his incendiary attacks on the legitimacy of the election, one of his favorite themes has been the claim that the results will be tainted by the votes of millions of people in the U.S. illegally. They are letting people pour into the country so they can go ahead and vote, he said this month, in a meeting with the head of the union representing border patrol agents. And believe me, theres a lot going on, Trump said at a rally. People that have died 10 years ago are still voting. Illegal immigrants are voting. Part of the Republican-led crackdown on supposed voter fraud, battles over measures to guard against noncitizen voters have percolated for years in election offices, state legislatures and federal courtrooms. Records in these fights show that small numbers of noncitizens do end up registered, and a few have cast votes. However, no one has uncovered evidence of thousands of noncitizen voters and no evidence has emerged to support Trumps theory of a coordinated effort to throw an election by stuffing the voting rolls with ineligible immigrants. What we have seen are errors, said Dale Ho, director of the voting rights project of the American Civil Liberties Union. Theres not a horde of people trying to break into this country so they can vote. The rule on voting eligibility is simple: Except for a handful of cities that permit noncitizens to vote in local elections, everyone who casts a vote in America is supposed to be a citizen, either by birth or by naturalization. And although the distinction is sometimes lost in the loud debates over undocumented immigration, even green card holders, who are legal permanent residents, also are ineligible to vote until they become citizens. In most places in the U.S., the question is handled solely on the honor system. When people register to vote, they check a box attesting that they are U.S. citizens. Election administrators verify identity by looking at drivers license or Social Security numbers, for example, but under federal guidelines, they may not ask for proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport. Four states Arizona, Kansas, Georgia and Alabama have passed their own citizenship verification rules, but those requirements have been tangled up for years in lawsuits by progressive and voting rights groups, who argue that they present an unfair burden on minority voters. Thus far, they have prevailed, although the battles continue. Georgia and Alabama havent been enforcing their requirements, but in the other two states, the fights over proving citizenship have led to unusual results. Arizona now recognizes a second class of voters 6,328 for this election who can vote for federal offices, like president, but not for the governor or other state offices, because they havent provided proof of citizenship. This month, a federal appeals court forced Kansas to accept the registrations of people who had signed up to vote at motor vehicle offices, without providing proof of citizenship. Emergency notices were mailed to these voters, telling them in all capitals to PLEASE DISREGARD prior warnings that they werent eligible to vote. But nearly 9,000 others, because they signed up using Kansas own form, still are considered ineligible to vote in this election by state officials unless they come up with citizenship proof by Election Day, Nov. 8. County election officials have scrambled to keep up. It is a mess, and thats the predicament that the judge ultimately put the election system in, said Desiree Taliaferro, spokeswoman for Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who oversees elections. Its crazy. Another case on a similar issue is still pending in federal court in Washington, D.C. Among the leaders of the conservative push for more citizenship checks is lawyer J. Christian Adams. While working at the civil rights section of the Department of Justice, he filed a voter intimidation case against two members of the New Black Panther Party in Philadelphia; when the department refused to prosecute most charges, the case became a favorite example among conservatives. Now president of the conservative Public Interest Legal Foundation, Adams has pushed this year for measures to find and purge noncitizens from the voting rolls. As one step, hes sought to show that its too easy for noncitizens to register to vote. Eight Virginia counties provided records showing that more than 1,000 people had been removed from the rolls since 2011 because they were not citizens, the foundation said. In Philadelphia, a city that has been a focus of Trumps warnings of potential election fraud, 86 people were removed from the rolls after they turned out not to be citizens, and 40 of them voted at least once. These are only the people who are caught, Adams said. It frightens me to think what the actual number is in Virginia. Thats the problem here theres no verification after the box gets checked. The League of Women Voters, progressive groups and others counter by saying that the document rules would unfairly keep out many legitimate voters to deter a few noncitizens. Most people see this for what it is: xenophobia masquerading as election integrity, said Ho of the ACLU. One elections administrator in Philadelphia also blamed registration drives, where those hired to register voters can, perhaps inadvertently, mislead people who dont know the law. Some prospective voters are not proficient in the English language, and theyre told out on the street, Yeah, you can register to vote, its no problem, said Tim Dowling, deputy commissioner of elections. If they check theyre 18 and a U.S. citizen, we have to accept that. We err on the side of enfranchising the voter. Past claims that large numbers of ineligible noncitizens are lurking on the voting rolls have fizzled. In 2012, Floridas Republican governor, Rick Scott, pushed for a purge of noncitizen voters. An initial list of 180,000 names was whittled to 2,600, then sent to county election supervisors to check. But the smaller list also turned out to be filled with errors, and in the end, only 85 people were removed from the rolls. Trump has cited one study by three Virginia academics that estimated that more than 6 percent of noncitizens illegally voted in 2008 enough to sway a close election, like the Senate race in Minnesota that year in which Al Franken was elected by a 312-vote margin. The study arrived at the result by considering responses from a survey of voters, some of whom said they were not citizens. But the findings have been attacked by other researchers, who say they found evidence that many people gave wrong answers to the citizenship question and that therefore the correct number of noncitizens who voted was probably zero. In any case, experts say, its unlikely that anyone could find enough noncitizens on the voter rolls to challenge the results in a typical presidential election. In 2012, President Barack Obama won Pennsylvania by 310,000 votes and Virginia by 149,000. The closest margin was in Florida, where Obama won by 74,000 votes. Illegal voting is rarely prosecuted, but it can have severe consequences. Someone in the country illegally who is caught voting would be declared ineligible to become a citizen and could even be deported. Lori Edwards, elections supervisor in Polk County, Fla., said she rarely encountered such cases in the 16 years shes held the job. If you were here as an undocumented person, or even someone who has a green card, she asked, why would you risk that status for what would be a minimal benefit? A man works at a production line of Hanoi Beer Corporation (Habeco) in Hanoi. Photo by Reuters Negotiators will be sitting down next week, maybe over a beer, to iron out the details. Danish brewery giant Carlsberg is looking to increase its current stake of 17.08 percent in state-owned Vietnamese brewer Habeco, a senior trade official said at a cabinet meeting on Saturday. The Ministry of Industry and Trade will negotiate the stake deal with Carlsberg, said Deputy Minister Hoang Quoc Vuong. Habeco, which is the third largest brewer in Vietnam with 20 percent market share and the market leader in the north, remains 81.79 percent state-owned and is under the management of the trade ministry. Being the only strategic shareholder in Habeco, the Danish brewer has priority purchase rights in the local brewer, the government official added. The negotiations will start on Monday October 31, Vuong told the press. Carlsberg has signed an agreement to have priority rights to purchase any Habeco stake on offer. Habeco shares, currently floated on the secondary stock market under the code BHN, soared 40 percent on its debut on Friday. Shares in local brewers Sabeco and Habeco have long been sought after by investors who want to buy into an area of high potential growth with an estimated annual output increase of 25 percent by 2020. The trade ministry said dominant player Sabeco, which controls 40 percent of the local beer market, will follow in Habecos footsteps in the first quarter of next year. Successful exits from Sabeco and Habeco will put about $2 billion into the nation's coffers. Related News: > Vietnam to rake in $7 billion from massive divestment push > Vietnam brewer Habeco soars 40 pct on stock listing debut > Brewery giant Carlsberg sneaks into the big leagues in Vietnam's market Donald Trump waves to cheering supporters at a Trump rally at Sanford Orlando International Airport in Sanford, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016. Trump is pledging to bolster the government's investment in the space program, a boon to the Space Coast of Florida. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP) SHARE By Sahil Kapur, Bloomberg News (TNS) Election analysts overwhelmingly expect Donald Trump to lose the presidential race in less than two weeks, but his strongest supporters believe just the opposite will occur. They find solace in the candidates fiery attacks on rigged polls and buy his theories of a wide-ranging conspiracy between Democrats and the media to fix the Nov. 8 results. If he loses, yes, Ill know it was rigged, said Robin Chason of Quincy, Fla. Some believe there could be violence and unrest if Trump followers believe he lost amid foul play. Its going to be I dont want to say anarchy but something close, said Tony Bynum, 55, of Panama City, Fla. Trumps going to win. The media is lying, Bynum said. Im afraid to think whats going to happen if he loses, he said, floating a very distinct possibility there wont be a peaceful transition of power. President Barack Obama is helping rig the election on behalf of Democrat Hillary Clinton, said Larry Meots, 65, of Jacksonville, N.C. Hes has a lot to do with the cover-up, he said. Conversations with dozens of Trump rally-goers this week in Florida and North Carolina revealed that Trumps disaffected base, united by a belief that U.S. elites have forgotten them, is revved up by their candidates conspiratorial warnings about mischief against them at the highest levels of society. I think it could get ugly, said Caleb Zufall of Tallahassee, who works in law enforcement. My biggest concern is with the media. If Trump wins, Im afraid theyre going to absolutely refuse to get behind him, refuse to report it. Theyre going to incite violence. Trump backers are quick to dismiss polls showing Clinton with a consistent lead in enough states to win her the presidency, which have caused forecasters to rate her odds of victory at 86 percent or higher. I think its a bunch of bullsh propaganda, said Fred Jones, 71, of Atlanta, Georgia. I dont believe it. You just cant believe that crap, said Russell Taylor of Thomasville, Georgia, a Trump campaign co-chair. Trumps gonna win. Hes gonna blow her out, he said, citing a panoply of pro-Trump yard signs and more enthusiasm for him than for Clinton in his personal conversations. You get a feel for things. At an outdoor rally on a chilly Tuesday evening in Tallahassee, Trump fed his fans the red meat they find so exhilarating. His first mention of Clinton prompted lock her up! chants a now-consistent feature at his rallies. We have a nasty, nasty election. But we have the facts on our side, he said to cheers. Were leading a movement the likes of which has never ever been seen in this country. Trump soon turned his attention to the assembled press, who were fenced-off from the crowd and protected by security guards, accusing them of colluding with Democrats and stacking the deck against his candidacy. There is nothing more corrupt than those people, said Trump, who has called for changing U.S. libel laws to make it easier to win lawsuits against news organizations. Lock em up! one man nearby yelled, before letting out a chuckle. A recent Morning Consult poll found that 81 percent of Trump supporters believe the election could be stolen from them as a result of pervasive voter fraud, even though studies find examples of it to be extremely rare. Trump has fanned the flames by becoming the first major party nominee in the modern era to refuse to commit to conceding the election if Clinton is deemed the winner. The Marxists in this country have taken over our mainstream media, said Ron Childress, 76, from the Atlanta area said at the Tallahassee rally. Theyve infiltrated our education and institutions to the point where, if we dont win now, we become either a banana republic or a Marxist regime. Nearby, a middle-aged women waved a sign that read, Hillary Sucks, But Not Like Monica. A man near her pointed and told her in a gentle tone, I like the sign. Childress believes Obama is helping Clinton steal the election, and sees the presidents Christian faith as a cover. Hes closet Muslim, and I think thatll come out when hes out of office, he said, adding that Clinton is a sympathizer of Muslims who also wants to force Americans to give up their guns. Either that or she will make it almost impossible to buy a gun by raising taxes on ammunition, he said, evoking proposals that have never been in Clintons platform. Given that 41 percent of Republicans in a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday said they thought Clinton would win the election versus 40 percent who said Trump, the voices heard at the candidates rallies may not be reflective of the average party member or even the average Trump voter come Election Day. But theyve proven to be larger, angrier and more dedicated to him than the partys consultant class imagined, making him invincible in the GOP primary. Now theyre turning some of their anger toward party leaders like House Speaker Paul Ryan, whose support of Trump has come with caveats of biting criticism. Paul Ryan he was my guy. I think now hes just a lot of talk. I want him out, said 19-year-old Gus Wollaeger, a student at Florida State University. Ryan needs to go to jail. Hes basically a traitor, said Craig Boyd, 47, of Tallahassee. He has sold us out. Hes a backstabber. Hes bought and sold by the left. And Clinton? Hillarys trying to steal it, Boyd said. How? Rigging voting machines, rigging polls, tearing up Trump ballots, he said unsubstantiated assertions that Trump has legitimized among followers. Joe Fogleman of New Bern, N.C., doesnt believe the vote count will be gamed, win or lose. But he sees mischief of another kind. Its rigged in the sense that theres no doubt theres a lot of collusion between the Democrats and the White House and the press to push charges against Trump that are baseless, he said. Clinton, for her part, labeled Trumps conspiracy theories about a fixed election disturbing, dark, dangerous, divisive during a Wednesday campaign stop in Lake Worth, Fla. Some of Trumps supporters recognize hes the underdog. Rachel Henderson, a 25-year-old receptionist in Tallahassee, confessed that she believes Clinton has an advantage in the race. Two-thirds of American voters expect Clinton to win the election, and a similar number say they have confidence the votes will be accurately tallied, according to a CNN poll released Tuesday. Still, I am sort of a conspiracy theorist, Henderson said. I dont trust the government. I dont trust any of them. She said shed accept a Clinton victory, but sounded less confident that her fellow Trump supporters would when asked if she worries there will be violence. Maybe, she shrugged. Were the ones with guns. SHARE By John C. Moritz AUSTIN With recent polls showing the presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump tightening to within 3 points with just about 10 days to go until Election Day, some Democrats are daring to dream that the state could land in the blue column for the first time in 40 years. Yes, it is true that Texas backed Jimmy Carter in 1976, but the Texas Democratic Party back then was hardly blue, as we presently understand the shorthand term, back then or pretty much ever before that. If you were to assign it any color at all in those days, it would probably be yellow. That's yellow as in "Yellow Dog Democrat," a description that by 1976 had been in use for a century when Texans and other Southerners rebelling against the post-Civil War Republican-led Reconstruction took pride in boasting they'd sooner vote for a yellow dog than align with the GOP. In fact, the biggest vote-getter on the 1976 Texas ballot was U.S. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, a Democrat with tight ties to the oil and gas, banking and insurance lobbies and the son of the owner of one of the largest ranches in South Texas. That's a pedigree that most modern Texas Democrats do not share. Six years earlier, with the backing of the party establishment, Bentsen won his first term by knocking off Sen. Ralph Yarborough in the Democratic primary. Yarborough, who all these years later remains a hero to Lone Star liberals, would be as at home in today's Texas Democratic Party as Bentsen and his allies might be baffled by it. In the years since '76, much of the Bentsen wing of the party rural, socially conservative, business-minded and Anglo has migrated over to the once badly outnumbered Republicans. The Democrats who remained faithful, by and large, were with the ones who historically had been marginalized. So if and it remains very much an if Texas does turn blue Nov. 8, it would be a shade of blue that has never colored the state political map before. Having said all that, it's time for the reminder that you only have until Friday if you plan to cast an early vote. And whether you vote early or on Election Day, you won't encounter any observers from Russia at your polling station. The Texas Tribune reports that Texas Secretary of State Carlos Cascos has denied a request from the Russian consul general in Houston for permission to visit polling sites Nov. 4 to study the American voting process. Cascos explained to the consul general that anyone not authorized by law to be inside a polling station could be charged with a crime under Texas law. Officials with the American Civil Liberties Union also won't be inside the polling stations, but they want to hear from anyone who thinks they might unjustly be denied a ballot because of the way local election officials interpret the state's voter ID law. The ACLU can be alerted by calling 888-507-2970 or emailing letmevote@aclutx.org. For questions about what you need to be in compliance with the voter ID law and the court order that is in effect, visit VoteTexas.gov. CPS update Following up on the report about Texas' beleaguered Child Protective Services agency posted online Wednesday and published in the paper Thursday, the fix is looking far more expensive than most in the Capitol had expected. CPS chief Hank Whitman, an ex-lawman brought on board six months ago to right the ship, said in a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman Jane Nelson the agency will need more than $80 million more during the present budget cycle to add hundreds of caseworkers and investigators. During a lively and sometimes bitter hearing before Nelson's committee Wednesday, Whitman said more than 2,000 at-risk kids identified by CPS have not yet been contacted. Nelson, the Senate's most senior Republican who has taken a back seat to no one during her more than 24 years in office when it comes to pinching the state's pennies, gave no indication that Whitman's spending request was dead on arrival. "I have received the plan and am reviewing it," she said in a written statement. "Time is of the essence, so our workgroup is moving quickly to review the new recommendations. I have also asked the agency for daily updates on their efforts to address this crisis." Look for this issue to remain front and center when lawmakers return to Austin in January. There might be more to come on the CPS front in the week ahead, but much of the Capitol community will likely be caught up in election-related matters in the sprint toward Nov. 8. Follow John C. Moritz on Twitter @JohnnieMo. Michael Gerson is a Washington Post columnist. Contact him at michaelgerson@washpost.com. SHARE LONDON Donald Trump his fickle god of polling having generally turned against him now looks for inspiration across the pond. "I think we're gonna have a Brexit situation," he has said, claiming Britain's unexpected vote in June to leave the European Union as an example of poll-defying right-wing populist intensity. Presented with this comparison, Michael Gove, a member of Parliament and one of the architects of Brexit, emphasized the dissimilarities. Gove told me that the Brexit majority did include "nationalists concerned with sovereignty" and working-class voters who blame stagnant wages on unskilled migration. But there were also "free-market liberals" focused primarily on the "regulations and tariffs" imposed by the E.U. Euroskepticism, Gove argued, is broader than working-class populism. "The most ardent free traders are the most opposed to the E.U.," he noted. "A closer analogy," he said, "is 1776," in which the colonists resented "paying for a distant, inaccessible empire that bossed them around." This spirit of revolt against an unresponsive bureaucracy is different from Trump's authoritarian populism. For its breadth, Gove also compared Euroskepticism to "the Cold War coalition, which included everyone from Ayn Rand to John Paul II." Because of this diversity, Brexit may "mean free trade, or much less trade; it is an open question." The political comparison between the Trump movement and the Brexit coalition is weak. (And the idea that polls in Britain did not register the strength of Brexit support is a myth.) But center-right parties in both countries are facing similar ideological pressures. Many Western nations are experiencing an intense reaction against economic globalization and multiculturalism by voters who feel forgotten. In Britain, according to Gove, this involves a sense that "those who take (economic) decisions are insulated from the outcomes." That certainly has a trans-Atlantic resonance. But Britain's Conservative Party has two great advantages over the Republican Party. While the success of Brexit brought down Prime Minister David Cameron (who staked his reputation on the fight against it), his party did not turn to an unelectable demagogue. The new prime minister, Theresa May, was notable for spending much of her career unnoticed. She rose by laying low. She speaks rarely, with the authority that accumulates in the silences. And she has turned out to be a subtle politician, putting the most vocal advocates of Brexit in charge of the Brexit negotiation process. If the result is a disaster (as it may well be), the public will know who deserves the blame. The Conservative Party's other advantage over the GOP is the fact that its ideological opposition has essentially collapsed. The British Labour Party was so intent on rejecting Tony Blair and all his works that it chose as its leader a socialist ideologue with an expiration date of 1945. The field is essentially clear. Members of Parliament joke that May's biggest opposition is the value of the pound. So how does May intend on repositioning her party in the aftermath of Brexit? In her first statement as prime minister, she spoke directly to people who are "just managing." "I know you're working around the clock," she said. "I know you're doing your best, and I know that sometimes life can be a struggle. The government I lead will be driven not by the interests of the privileged few, but by yours." May has gotten the values part right a conservatism that speaks to wage workers facing profound economic rupture but the appropriate policies are yet to be determined. People involved in her policy development process variously talk of "Mayism" as the promotion of social mobility, as the development of an "industrial policy" that includes a "massive skills step-up," and as the pursuit of social reform on issues such as human trafficking and mental health. In Britain, the center-right party has been sobered into self-reflection. In America, it is on the verge of being destroyed. Instead of doing something essential and difficult finding creative ways to help the "just managing" working class without alienating rising minorities Republicans are working out internal grudges and dealing with the demons of a narcissistic misogynist. And there is little hope that Election Day will end the bitterness. A recent poll found that Republicans, by a majority of 51 percent to 33 percent, believe Trump to be a better representative of GOP views than House Speaker Paul Ryan. Only a leader larger than both is likely to turn the GOP toward necessary tasks. And he or she may be quieter than we imagine. Michael Gerson is a Washington Post columnist. Contact him at michaelgerson@washpost.com. More than 100 square meters were engulfed by the blast. Four female workers were killed and 11 others injured when steam boilers and gas cylinders at a manufacturing plant in the Red River Delta province of Thai Binh exploded on Sunday morning. The wounded workers have been sent to local hospitals for treatment. 19 employees were working at the plant in Thuy Hai Commune, Thai Thuy District when the blast ignited at around 10 a.m. Only four of them managed to escape safely, a source said. The scene of the blast. Photo by VnExpress/CTV The plant processes seafood to produce fish powder. The explosion destroyed the plant and damaged a number of houses nearby, according to local police. Related news: > Hydrogen balloon explosion injures 10 in central Vietnam > Coach explosion kills eight Vietnamese in Laos > Mine clearance worker killed in explosion in central Vietnam UTSA bounced back after its opening set loss to take the last three sets and defeat UAB 3-1 (20-25, 25-13, 25-18, 25-16) Friday night at Bartow Arena.led the team with a season-high 16 kills and added four digs, while Marijeta Rujic registered a .500 hitting percentage on 14 kills and 26 attempts.Meanwhile,led the team in digs with 10 and notched a season-best of four aces that contributed toward the team's total of 12, which matches a season-high for the Roadrunners.As a team, UTSA hit .336 and hit .300 or better in three of four sets over the course of the match. The Roadrunners had five players notch a .300 or better percentage.Helping the Roadrunners offense wasas she tallied 39 assists and chipped in with three kills, eight digs and a pair of blocks.After UTSA (16-5, 7-2 C-USA) dropped the first set 25-20, the team started the second stanza on an 8-2 run that caused UAB to use its first timeout. The Roadrunners lead held the rest of the way for a 25-13 win.Momentum carried into the third set as the Roadrunners quickly jumped to an 11-5 lead on the second straight kill by Kiefer. UTSA got to set point on a block byand Waldrip but was held off until three rallies later as Runjic secured the win on a kill.UAB (11-15, 3-7 C-USA) did not go down without a fight as they took an early lead in the fourth set at the 5-1 mark. UTSA called for a timeout that would work in its favor as the Roadrunners scored seven of the next 10 points to tie the score at eight.The Blazers eventually came back to tie the score at 10-all but an 8-1 run by UTSA put the Roadrunners up 18-11 for a lead that would hold the rest of the way.UTSA will close out the weekend in Ruston, La. as the Roadrunners face Louisiana Tech (10-15, 1-8 C-USA) on Sunday, Oct. 30, at 1 p.m. Toto Wolff insists he can still work two of the most important F1 personalities of today and tomorrow. The first is F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who has not been shy in the last year to heavily criticise both Mercedes and its Austrian chief. For instance, Ecclestone's latest accusation is that, unlike great bosses like Frank Williams and Ron Dennis, Wolff is primarily in it for the money. "Bernie's probably annoyed that because of our success he has to pay more out of his pot to Mercedes," Wolff smiled to Bild am Sonntag newspaper. And the pair have showed they are civil in Mexico: Wolff attended Ecclestone's 86th birthday party, and then sat down for a joint interview with Bild. "I understand Bernie," said Wolff. "He wants the best possible competition and to sell F1, but I want the best team." Another potential problem relationship for Wolff is with Ross Brawn, the former Mercedes chief who in his new book admitted he left the team because of a lack of trust. And now, a British newspaper claims Brawn could be returning from retirement to oversee the sporting side of F1 for new owners Liberty. "Yes, I read the article," Wolff said. "To start with, the book he wrote is talking about the change in team management, which is never painless," he insisted. "However, for me personally, there is no problem and in fact we are still in contact," said Wolff. "We maintain a healthy relationship." Wolff even said Brawn would be a good candidate for a top F1 job. "Ross has vast experience and knowledge, and is a suitable candidate to potentially contribute to the further development of formula one. "If I need to vote for the return of Ross, then I am ready to do that," he said. (GMM) Race organisers insist the Brazilian grand prix remains on track for the future. Earlier, F1 authorities cast a shadow over the race by giving the Interlagos round mere provisional status on the 2017 calendar. But Sao Paulo mayor Fernando Haddad on Saturday inaugurated the latest building works at the track, while promoter Tamas Rohonyi insisted the race's future is secure until 2020. "We will fulfil our contract," Brazilian media quotes him saying. "The race is confirmed until 2020, as it is in our contract," Rohonyi added. On Saturday, Tamas was with mayor Haddad to reveal the latest finished buildings as part of Interlagos' renovation works. It is believed delays were behind F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone's decision to give the 2017 race an asterisk. Mayor Haddad said: "Our challenge was to carry out the necessary work to keep the race in Sao Paulo. We have managed to do that." (GMM) The humanitarian and human rights situation in Aleppo is dire. Secretary of State John Kerry described the situation in Syria as one of "the largest humanitarian disasters since World War II." U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has described Aleppo as a slaughterhouse. "The brutal facts," said U.S. Deputy Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Theodore Allegra, "must shock us still further. Over 275,000 people remain trapped in eastern Aleppo." Russia and the Syrian regime's recent assault have killed 400 people, including 100 children in markets, in bakeries, in schools, at water stations, in mosques, and even in hospitals. Thousands are wounded and cannot access medical care. The people are starving and drink contaminated water. The handful of brave doctors and first responders who remain in Aleppo work tirelessly to save lives even as they face continued assaults. The few remaining hospitals are overwhelmed; people with serious wounds are left on the street in body bags to make room for others who can be treated more quickly. "Airstrikes by Russia and the Asad regime are the cause of this devastation, and they are the cause of this suffering," said Deputy Representative Allegra. "And let me emphasize, no pause can be a substitute for a genuine end to the violence and full access for humanitarian aid. So Russia and the regime owe the world much more than excuses. Why do they keep hitting hospitals and medical facilities, and why do they keep targeting children and women?" "These shocking acts in Aleppo," he said, "beg for an appropriate investigation and those who commit them must be held accountable." The United States reiterates its call for an immediate end to all violations and all abuses. Furthermore, the U.S. calls for accountability for those who perpetrate them especially the egregious, the widespread, and the persistent human rights and humanitarian violations committed by the Asad regime against the Syrian people. Its been more than 100 years since Mark Twain walked among us, but people still share his witty observations. He weighed in on everything from heaven to hell, saying each had its advantages Heaven for climate, hell for society. Yes, you can count me among his admirers the Twainiacs. Ever since I moved to Connecticut in the 1980s, Ive felt Twains presence. Redding, his last address, was the first town I covered as a journalist. Its also home to the Mark Twain Library, which he started with books that wouldnt fit on his own shelves. On a recent visit to his Hartford mansion, where he lived from 1874 to 1891 and wrote some of his best-loved works, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, I felt as if I were communing with a long-lost friend a friend who was also an international celebrity. So popular in his day, Twain sometimes disguised himself to keep from being mobbed. While traveling in Berlin, people gawked to the point that his daughter Jean said, Why papa, if it keeps going on like this, pretty soon there wont be anybody for you to get acquainted with but God. The Mark Twain House & Museum has restored his cathedral-like home so we all can see where he slept, played with his children and entertained guests with his wife. The Tiffany-decorated residence is gorgeous, although slightly spooky with its dark wood and ornate carvings. Tour guides insist you dont touch anything. But you can hold the bannister Twain used as he climbed the steps to his third-floor study, where he wrote Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Also known as the billiard room, its main feature remains a grand billiard table. (Every good writer needs a break now and then.) Twains study was his private domain, or as some say, the original man cave. Open books and notes tacked on a wall there suggest he was a tad messy. But he liked a sense of order, too. The wooden headboard in his bedroom, purchased during a trip to Venice, features elaborately carved angels atop its twisted columns. The walnut angels were removable and his daughters were allowed to play with them, provided they returned them to their proper posts at night. More Information Mark Twain House, 351 Farmington Ave., Hartford. Sunday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., house tour and museum, $16 age 65 and up; $19 age 17-64; $11 age 6 to 16, free for 5 and younger. 860-247-0998, marktwainhouse.org See More Collapse Surely if Twain were still alive, hed be all over social media, sharing news of his family and travels. He does have a Twitter feed, @MarkTwain. Someone shared this line there that Lies can spread around the world while the truth is putting on its slippers. At way under 140 characters, perfect for Twitter. Im sure hed also have a top-of-the-line iPhone because he loved cutting-edge technology. When living in Hartford, he was one of the first people in the country to have a phone. Twain turned down Alexander Graham Bells request to invest in what was then a newfangled gadget. But he still had to have one, even though the service was poor and he was regularly cut off during conversations. Twain scholar Steve Courtney, author of The Loveliest Home That Ever Was: The Mark Twain House in Hartford, said theres a famous story about Twain cursing and complaining on the phone because he thought the operator was on the line, but it turned out to be his doctors wife. When he realized his mistake, he left briefly and then returned, apologizing for his butlers rude behavior. He threw his butler under the bus, Courtney said. Twain wasnt known only for his writing, Courtney said, he was a public intellectual a person who was sought to comment on current events. We already know how he would have responded to the controversy over Barack Obamas birthplace: Why waste your money looking up your family tree? Just go into politics and your opponents will do it for you. And if he were asked to advise presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, I bet hed offer this quip: Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest. lkoonz@newstimes.com; Twitter: @LindaTKoonz Waking up at the crack of dawn to poke around a dark, abandoned building isnt the way most people would choose to spend their day off. But it became clear by looking inside why Daniel Recinos, Donaven Doughty, Gary Judkins and Recinos brother, Josue, found it so appealing: walls made into canvases for colorful graffiti murals; ceilings transformed into abstract paintings of peeling paint, rust and water damage; factory floors, once bustling centers of industry, now great halls swirlin g with sun-sparkled dust. The Bridgeport natives went to this crumbling former factory on the citys West Side, as they have many times, to preserve a sacred place. It might not be around much longer. The building is slated to be made into a school, apartments and retail space. Doughty imagined a Whole Foods or Trader Joes moving in. Once that happens, its really over, he says. Have you seen the last season of South Park? In that season, a blighted section of the quaint mountain town undergoes a tastelessly posh redevelopment. Despite their reservations about Bridgeports urban renewal, Daniel and Josue Recinos, Doughty and Judkins accept it as part of the natural evolution of the city. They also accept that the vacant West Side building, and others like it, wont be around forever. And rather than save them in their physical form, a near impossibility, they want to preserve the structures and the beauty inside through photography. They created #100Shots. Launched last spring, it is an ongoing series of the photographers images and videos, mostly displayed on social media (and, occasionally, exhibition spaces), which document urban decay sites throughout the Park City. Initially a hobby, the work has collectively garnered thousands of views on YouTube and Instagram, sparking a discussion about the integrity of Bridgeports cultural identity in the face of redevelopment. That discussion took on greater urgency when, earlier this year, the graffiti murals on abandoned buildings in the citys Downtown North section were summarily erased. Alarmed by the disappearance of the iconic artwork, Daniel Recinos produced #100Shots, a popular six-minute documentary capturing his, Doughty and Judkins emotional exploration of Bridgeports modern-day ruins. Obviously, Bridgeport has more to offer, but this is something we like and we want to give you a peek before it goes away, he says in a voice-over to the video. This is where we grew up and where we have our best memories. Where most people see structures waiting to be demolished, artists see spaces welcoming creativity. The vacant buildings, though technically off-limits, are de facto open-access studios for graffiti artists to paint, and for photographers to capture color, line, form and mood. Theyre treated as nature preserves and art galleries. Leave no trace and Dont touch the art are unwritten rules that many visitors obey. Since this artwork went up, no one has messed with it, Doughty says, referring to murals painted in the vacant West Side building by artists known as Duck and Sketch. To the casual observer, this code of conduct might seem odd, given the precarious condition of Bridgeports blighted structures. Take the empty industrial building on the citys West Side. Once the site of long-gone factories, it was struck by a five-alarm blaze that sent shards of glass, wood and brick crashing down. Still, for Daniel and Josue Recinos, Doughty and Judkins, the West Side building holds special significance. We wouldnt be here if it wasnt for this building; it changed our lives, gave us a place to hone our craft, says Daniel, whose visual media and marketing company, Recinotes LLC, took off after #100Shots. This is where we started our friendship; this is our home, in a weird, sick sense. Recinos has since created visual media and marketing campaigns for Viacom, Telemundo, X-Rite and Point Motion Control. Adds Judkins, who has landed his own share of gigs through 100 From The Line, a company he founded with Doughty: Were literally building on top of our nostalgia every time we do bigger things in our lives. However, Daniel insists, This work isnt about us its for the residents of Bridgeport. Daniels video raises the point that maintaining our cultural identity should work hand-in-hand with revitalization efforts, says Marcella Kovac, a local artist and co-founder of Bananaland, a marketing agency, and B:Hive, a coworking and community space. Id prefer to see historic buildings rehabilitated or restored while the public art remains intact. Call me an idealist, but I think its possible to have the best of both worlds retain the soul and diversity, while introducing new purpose. The Recinos brothers, Doughty and Judkins have mixed feelings about Bridgeports urban renewal. On one hand, they want to see the city, which has long suffered from anemic development, thrive; on the other, theyre wary of unsavory forces of gentrification and corporatization that could come with new businesses and housing. Regardless of how Bridgeports redevelopment shakes out, the photographers will continue to play the part of archivists, archaeologists, artists and historians of Bridgeports artistic and architectural heritage. The buildings, and the street art inside, may not be around forever. But the images of these spaces and the mythology that surrounds them will live on. We try to show the beauty within the destruction, Judkins says. But also, its about the time we live in now and preserving that right now. Theres a lot of people who arent going to see this stuff in person, ever. At least we can give them this. Scott Gargan is a freelance journalist who has covered the arts in Fairfield County for seven years. He lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., but misses Connecticut dearly. GREENWICH Ghost stories in towns as old as Greenwich are a given. Most stories are passed down through generations mostly by word of mouth. In Greenwich, a few have been collected, written down and safeguarded in the archives of the library as part of the Oral History Project, which sends volunteers out to interview residents and record local history. Among the oral history books is one mans account of his experience in a mansion on Conyers Farm, a house at the top of a hill that is the highest point around. The original transcript of this interview between Gary Pishkur and Penny Bott called The Conyers Farm Legend,can be found stored in the main branch of Greenwich Library. It has been summarized here in honor of Halloween. - When Gary Pishkurs mother told him about the estate she played on as a child, he felt drawn to it. It was posted private property by the time he was old enough to venture there on his own, but he couldnt resist the urge. I just saw these buildings in the background and they seemed vaguely familiar but, you know, I didnt really know how to place it, Pishkur told interviewer Penny Bott in 1974. But I just felt that Im going to get back here, and so I did. On one of those trips, he stumbled upon an old manor and something clicked. He was certain he had never been there before, but standing outside the house he felt an uncanny familiarity with the way the home was laid out. Its like I knew what it was, I knew what it was about, Pishkur said. And strangely enough when I got inside, I knew where I was going. The first time Pishkur went into the abandoned building, he went with two friends, Jesa Damora and Margo Smith. I had told everyone before that I knew exactly where I was going and knew I had been there a thousand times before and Id never been inside, he said. They went in through the front door, and Pishkur described the feeling of the home as cold and damp. Much of it had been stripped by looters, and the home was dark but for light leaking through the boarded up windows and Pishkurs lone flashlight. It was kind of in shambles, nothing the way it really is now, Pishkur said. Pishkur led the girls from room to room. He knew what was around every corner, despite never having laid eyes on it before. Eventually they made their way to the second floor, and Pishkur was intrigued by a pitch black hallway with the windows boarded over. He was more gung-ho than the girls, but he was able to convince them to follow him. Well, we got to go down this way, because there are other bedrooms at the other end of the hall that Id like you to see, which are, you know, on the same scale as the ones on this end of the house except the bathrooms and everything are not that elegant, because they arent master bedrooms, Pishkur told the girls. By the way, Pishkur said to the interviewer. This was not under any influence of any drug or any kind of hysterical person. They made their way down the hallway in a line, Pishkur in front with Smith behind him and Damora behind her. Immediately, the flashlight grew dim. Soon after, it went out altogether, stranding the threesome in the darkness. We saw a little light coming from the end of the hallway, so we figured that it must be a crack in a door or something, so we proceeded to go down the hallway, he said. At the end of the hallway was a locked door with a round ball of light shining on it from nowhere they could see. Perched in the light was a large spider, which sent the girls running back downstairs and Pishkur following after them. They regrouped in the living room. I really think that the house ... houses some kind of force, whether it be just the house being old or a spirit, or call it what you will. Its in the place. But there definitely is something there, he said. Pishkur wanted to forge on and explore the basement. Smith refused and stayed behind, but Damora followed Pishkur down what he guessed was the servants staircase, each with one hand touching lightly on the iron hand railing. When we got to the bottom, the basement was all tiled in this very, very kind of wet, sleek, white tile. Kind of like a mortuary, Pishkur said. The place really smelled dank and just kind of like very, very dead. Pishkur said Damora was petrified and couldnt walk, so he had to push her along. There was no light, and they continued down dark halls. Finally I had become so obsessed and involved in walking that I had forgotten that I had lost hold of Jesa, he said. And she must have stayed back, you know, maybe six or seven yards and I kept walking. He was only a stones throw in front of her when he was hit by a cool draft and a sickeningly sweet odor he described as sweet blacktop that reminded him of darkness. Finally unnerved, Pishkur screamed and reached out for Damoras hand because I felt something just kind of pressing against the fromt of my body, and I wanted something to hold onto in the black you know ... but I found that Jesa wasnt there. He turned and ran to find her halfway up the stairs. I just kept swearing at her, Why did you leave? Pishkur said. And meanwhile, before I could even get up the stairs to get within, you know, the immediate vicinity of her and Margo, this thing was whatever it was, I dont know, maybe it was just hysteria on my part was kind of like clutching or kind of like gripping on the back of me. And I just turned around as I was going up the stairs, running from this thing, I looked up and ... on the ceiling ... there were stalagtites starting to form off of the top of the ceiling and I said OK, this is enough. Pishkur and the girls escaped the house, but soon Pishkur was drawn back again. Soon, he said, the old house began to feel like home. Even the smell. On a later night, Pishkur brought two other girls there and made it through the doorway, but none of them wanted to walk up the front stairs and they left almost immediately, he said. But on the way down the circular driveway, where they could see the house up on the hill, the three heard a rustling in the pricker hedge that kept the drive enclosed. We turned our flashlight on and (tried) to see what was going on. We could hear all these noises and steps and everything going through the bushes, he said. And all of the sudden we heard this laugh ... this laugh was the most hideous sounding thing Ive really ever heard, Pishkur said. The girls heard the laugh too. They told me that it was me laughing, Pishkur said. I broke out in a cold sweat and started crying and they couldnt do a thing with me. And it just went away. And we just walked out. And that was the end of that. I didnt go back there for a while after that, Pishkur said. Other Greenwich hauntings These short stories are from a blog post compiled by local history Librarian Carl White. An young Irish immigrant woman was working in a mansion in Belle Haven in the late 1800s when she fell in love with a man who worked as a servant in another mansion nearby, the story goes. He would serenade her with a flute, charming her into spending a lot of time in the area near Bruce Mansion. They made plans to marry. One day, however, the man disappeared. Heartbroken, the woman returned to Ireland on a ship but died of tuberculosis soon after. In the early 1900s, people in the Bruce Park area reported seeing two ghostly apparitions near the current site of the Bruce Museum. One was a man playing a flute, the other a young girl. ..... In the early 1800s, the Homestead Inn of Belle Haven had a ships figurehead on the porch, a woman with rosy cheeks, black eyes and a flowing white robe over a hoop skirt. It was carved in 1830 by the captain of the Lady Lancashire, who lived next door to the inn. It was removed from the prow for maintenance before Lady Lancashire left port one time but was never put back: the ship sank on its figurehead-less voyage. The carving was given to the Mead family, who placed it on the front porch of the inn. Over the years, guests would report strange noises coming from the bridal suite on the second floor, pacing footsteps that would last through the night. In the Grooms room of the hotel, one woman claimed she saw the figure of a ghostly woman dressed in an old fashioned white dress. The woman was at the window directly overhead the figurehead, gazing as if waiting for a sailor to come home. - One family from Cos Cob had a more violent confrontation with the unknown. A son of the family woke up from a sound sleep and erupted into screams and tears. The boy was covered in scratches and shaking uncontrollably. He claimed a man had come into his room and tried to drag him away, repeating the words Johnson Maddey. The boy said the mans face looked like it was on fire. pfrissell@hearstmediact.com; @PeregrineFriss Halloween is just around the corner and that means that ghosts and goblins will be taking to the streets of our local community. The American Red Cross wants to encourage families and drivers to stay safe this Halloween and offers these tips. Costume Safety Whether the little one wants to be a ghost, a princess or a superhero, parents can help keep them safe by following some costume advice: Add reflective tape to costumes and trick-or-treat bags. Have everyone wear light-colored clothing to be seen. Use flame-resistant costumes. Use face makeup instead of masks, which can cover your eyes and make it hard to see. SAFE TRICK-OR-TREATING To maximize safety, plan the route ahead of time. Make sure adults know where children are going. If the children are young, a parent or responsible adult should accompany them as they make their way around the neighborhood. Make sure trick-or-treaters have a flashlight to see where they are going and be seen by drivers. Visit only the homes that have a porch light on. Accept treats at the doornever go inside. Walk only on the sidewalks, not in the street. If no sidewalk is available, walk at the edge of the roadway, facing traffic. Look both ways before crossing the street, and cross only at the corner. Dont cut across yards or use alleys. Dont cross between parked cars. Its not only vampires and monsters people have to look out for. Be cautious around animals, especially dogs. WELCOMING THE KIDS If someone is manning the candy giveaway at their house, they can make sure its a fun night for all by doing the following: Make sure the outdoor lights are on. Sweep leaves from the sidewalks and steps. Clear the porch or front yard of any obstacles that a child could trip over. Restrain the pets. Use a glow stick instead of a candle in the jack-o-lantern to avoid a fire hazard. Use extra caution if driving. The youngsters are excited and may forget to look both ways before crossing Traditionally, editorial page endorsements close with the reveal, the naming of the institutions preferred choice for elected office, but this time we need to say immediately and unambiguously: We support Hillary Clinton for president. Sonic blasts of rancor from Donald Trump have obscured communication in recent months. Trump has been the funhouse mirror version of a candidate, but the lights are about to be shut down on this carnival and were a little queasy from the ride. Throughout his bombastic campaign, Trump has routinely offered reminders that he is woefully unfit to hold this office. Though Clintons critics have occasionally mined sexist reasons to shove her aside, there have also been profound reasons for voters to challenge her past conduct, including the latest revelations about her dubious handling of classified emails. Despite this, she is more than merely the lesser of two evils; more than the president voters will be forced to settle for. She has the experience and potential to hold our highest office with distinction. Americans should embrace her possibilities. Take a moment to consider the last century of presidents and ponder which ones had job training comparable to that of Clinton. She knows the Oval Office from the inside as first lady, congressional chambers as senator, and leaders of the world as secretary of state. Young women deserve to live in an America where a woman serves as president. Young men deserve it too. At times, Clinton has been her own opponent, reckless with classified emails; and less than transparent in her approach to dealing with colleagues, the public and media. These missteps will not be easily overlooked as she is scrutinized during her administration. She needs to become less insulated, and should sever her ties to the Clinton Foundation during her term. Her resiliency in the face of Trumps repugnant taunts revealed the mettle she will surely need to summon as she is held to higher standards than previous commanders in chief. What Clinton lacks in charisma she makes up for as a policy wonk. This should make her a better president than a candidate. She has plans to help seniors and the impoverished with medical expenses; students with debt; parents with child care costs; small business with taxes; and our planet with progressive environmental policies. She strives to craft a humane version of immigration reform and reasonable gun safety laws. She may be too traditional a policymaker during a time when the people of American are starving for change, but she has demonstrated an ability to work with rivals to mend breaches. We hope her years at Yale Law School and as a senator just over the state line forged a sensitivity to Connecticuts needs. She also has a strong working relationship with U.S. Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, who was her law school classmate. Elizabeth Esty was first elected to represent the 5th District in Congress the month before the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in 2012. That event, more than any other, has shaped her abiding mission to fight for sensible gun violence prevention laws. As a vice chair on the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, she is positioned for influence. It has been frustrating with Republican House leadership refusing to bring any gun bills to a vote, but Estys resolve is steeled by Orlando, Santa Barbara and too many other mass shootings to list here. Esty is not a one-cause politician. She has worked effectively to increase funding for STEM education and training, and helped craft the five-year transportation bill, which will bring $3.6 billion to Connecticut over that time. The needs of the district are diverse. The 5th contains a string of gritty cities from Danbury to Waterbury, Meriden to New Britain, pockets of suburbs and rural areas to the north along the Massachusetts border. Esty understands this and has advocated for farmers as well as manufacturers. Clay Cope, the Republican challenger and first selectman of Sherman, laudably has made it his goal to visit each of the 41 municipalities in the district. It has been an uphill battle for Cope, who has raised far less money than the incumbent and has turned to social media to get his name and positions on issues known. Cope has managed the small town of Sherman well, maintaining an enviable financial stability through his pay-as-you-philosophy to town projects. His honesty is evident in his openness as a gay man in a committed relationship. Given Copes sensibility and calm demeanor, it is surprising that he refuses to distance himself from the top of the ticket, Donald J. Trump. Though he repudiates Trumps rhetoric on religious and ethnic intolerance and crudeness with women, Cope still supports him as the partys candidate. Esty exhibits more depth on the issues, informed in part by her four years in the House of Representatives. Earlier she showed her mettle when, as a state representative, she voted to abolish the death penalty despite the horrific triple homicide in her hometown of Cheshire. Esty stands up for what is right, works hard for the various needs and interests of the district, and is the candidate to carry on the quest for gun violence prevention. We enthusiastically endorse Elizabeth Esty for a third term representing the 5th District. Suicide bomb-wielding terrorists killed 61 and injured more than 100 cadets in a training academy in Quetta, Pakistan. The United States condemns the terrorist attack on the police training center and extends its condolences to the victims and their families. The cadets at the academy were asleep at the time of the attack and had no guns with which to fight back. Home Minister of Balochistan province Sarfraz Bugti, said three attackers were killed in the assault on Quetta. More than 260 cadets were rescued during the operation. Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has strongly condemned the attack on Police Training Center in Quetta and directed the federal and provincial authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice as soon as possible. Quetta has been the site of numerous terrorist attacks over the years. A devastating attack in August killed more than 72 people and was claimed by both ISIL and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a Pakistani Taliban splinter group, designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The police academy itself has been struck twice before by terrorists. In 2006, six policemen were killed in five powerful explosions, and then again, in 2008, gunmen fired rockets into the academy grounds. Over the years, terrorist groups have targeted educational institutions in Pakistan, especially those linked to state security. In 2014, the terrorist organization Tehreek-e-Taliban perpetrated the countrys deadliest assault ever when it attacked the Army Public School in the northwestern city of Peshawar, massacring more than 140, most of them children. The United States stands with the people and government of Pakistan at this difficult hour. The U.S. will continue to work with Pakistan and across the region to combat the threat of terrorism. The Xiaomi Mi Mix is the single most interesting smartphone we've seen in a while, no doubt about that. Sure, the iPhone 8 may be rumored to be all display next year, but we can have that now in the Mi Mix, sort of. It does have a chin, and it will only be available in China for the time being, but those are details. A more conventional offering, the Mi Note 2 from Xiaomi is official as well - itself a proper flagship, even with a dual-curved display like a certain Note7 we sadly won't be seeing much of. Xiaomi's high-profile announcements aside, this week also saw the birth of another BlackBerry, the beautifully named DTEK60. And that about covers all the new phones. Plenty of rumors though, including the ongoing stream on the Huawei Mate 9. The Chinese company itself is teasing the upcoming phablet every now and then, but we won't know the full scoop until November 3. Samsung is still investigating the Note7's flaws, meanwhile offering incentive to those who stay on-board with the company by opting for an S7 or S7 edge. Rumors put an optical fingerprint sensor inside the Galaxy S8, which will feature a slick design and an improved camera - that last anyone can tell you. Those are just a few of the top stories this week, make sure to click through the links below for more. Xiaomi announces Mi MIX with borderless display 91.3% screen-to-body ratio and Snapdragon 821 make this a truly impressive phone. Huawei releases first Mate 9 teaser It appears the flagship phablet won't be delayed after all. 32GB Google Pixel XL costs around $285 to make That's more than the Samsung Galaxy S7 as well as the Apple iPhone 7. T-Mobile CEO has BIG news about Google Pixel John Legere says he's got news tomorrow about the Google Pixel on T-Mobile, what could it possibly be? Google's new Pixel phones to go on sale in India starting tomorrow In a tweet this past weekend, the Indian subsidiary of the company revealed that the devices will be released in the country starting October 25. The BlackBerry DTEK60 is officially out with a $499 price tag The handset is based on Alcatel's IDOL 4S shell, but with a few notable software and hardware improvements. Samsung announces upgrade program for Galaxy Note7 users Under the program, those trading in their Note7 unit for either a Galaxy S7 or S7 edge will be able to upgrade to a Galaxy S8 or Note 8 next year. Samsung is planning "significant changes" to quality assurance after Note7 drama The Korean giant didnt go into any detail, but still reassured shareholders that such an incident will not happen again. Samsung still clueless about what caused Galaxy Note7 fires There have been reports that even members of the Galaxy S8 development team have now been tasked to find out the root cause of the problem. Samsung Galaxy S8 to feature an optical fingerprint sensor The sensor will be beneath the screen and allow for a truly full-screen device. Apple unveils three new MacBook Pro models starting at $1,499 As expected, Apple finally announced some new MacBooks at its special event today. The MacBook Pro line has received a much needed refresh. The new MacBook Pro laptops still come in 13" and 15" sizes,... Motorola Moto M leaks again with specs and a release time frame The mid-range offers looks quite promising with its efficient Snapdragon 625 SoC and huge battery. Even more live images showing the upcoming Moto M leak out The device will hopefully become official soon, as it's been in the rumors for months now. Video calling comes back to WhatsApp beta on Android A few months ago, WhatsApp nixed video calling from the Beta version of the App on Android. Users that had the correct version of the WhatsApp beta were able to make calls, until the feature was disab... ELKO Helen Hankins and Mike Mauser have completed their trek of the ancient Christian pilgrimage route, the Camino de Santiago. They started in France, crossed the Pyrenees Mountains, and followed a 500-mile route traveled by millions of pilgrims over hundreds of years. Hankins and Mauser began their journey at St. Jean de Pied de Port, France, on Aug. 26. After walking westward 39 days, Mauser and Hankins arrived at the Atlantic Ocean. For most pilgrims, the Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way of Saint James, ends at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. According to legend, the cathedral is the repository of the remains of Saint James. But for Hankins and Mauser, they continued walking another 60 miles until they reached Cape Finisterre, known during Roman times as The End of the Earth. We were told this last bit was a bit more difficult because there were fewer places to eat and stay, but it was one of the most interesting parts of the journey, Mauser said. I particularly enjoyed seeing all the stone work. It seemed like everything was made with quarried granite, houses, bridges, even fence posts. This part of Spain is famous for its stone masons. For many hikers, the walk is a religious pilgrimage. Yet for others, it is time away from work or a personal challenge. Everyones camino is their own, Mauser said. Hankins and Mausers trek served as a fundraiser with Rotary International, and as a humanitarian pilgrimage to help end polio. Our goal was to raise awareness of the need to complete the work to eliminate polio from the world, Hankins said. We wanted to raise funds for this effort. We talked with hundreds of people from around the world and raised over $12,000 for Rotarys PolioPlus Program, so we feel we accomplished our goal. Rotary International, in partnership with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, Centers for Disease Control and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has been a leader in the fight to eradicate polio worldwide. Reflecting on their journey, Mauser said he enjoyed being outside and exploring. Hankins said she enjoyed meeting people from around the world and the changing landscapes. They passed through numerous rural villages, crossed many valleys, shared lodging and meals with diverse groups of people. Although the journey was a challenge, Hankins and Mauser were prepared. We walked a lot before the trip, Hankins said. But the days we hiked 18 miles or more wore me out. Mauser added, I thought I might get bored, just walking, he said. But I found that I was very much involved in seeing everything, talking with other people occasionally, and just thinking. A big thanks to Viking Ocean Cruises for inviting us along and providing this adventure through the Viking Homelands! Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Poland, Germany, Denmark, and Norway. As always, all opinions are our own. We began the day greeted by a rainbow as we enjoyed breakfast on our stateroom balcony while the ship pulled into port of Helsinki, Finland. With Somewhere Over the Rainbow popping into our heads, we prepared for our trek into the Emerald, no wait, they call this the White City of the North, confident in the belief that there would be no wicked witch encounters awaiting. The rainbow proved to be a good omen, since the skies cleared just in time for us to head into the city from the docks. This Church Rocks! Our first stop was the unique Temppeliaukio Kirkko (Rock Church), which is carved into a block of underground granite and covered by a domed copper roof. The idea for the church was first proposed in 1939, but the project wasnt finished until 1969. The end result was something that definitely came from an imagination out of this world, and it looks to be tornado proof too. Leaving the temple we came across a more normal landmark with a quick drive by of the Olympic Stadium. The arena was originally built for the 1940 Olympics, but those games were cancelled due to World War II, so the field became the site of the 1952 Olympics. Music as Art Our detour from the whimsical didnt last long though, since our next stop looked as if it could have been right out of Oz. The Sibelius Monument, with its conglomeration of six hundred pipes reminiscent of an organ, is dedicated to Finlands most famous composer Jean Sibelius. Oddly, he didnt play organ, but the twenty-four ton sculpture has been embraced by Fins as a fitting tribute to the man who became a national hero when his music helped to inspire Finlands fight for freedom from Russia. Senate Square We spent the rest of the day exploring the center of the city on foot, beginning at the massive Helsinki Lutheran Cathedral. As we walked toward its gleaming white with gold topped emerald domes, it certainly made us feel as if we might have wandered into the land of Munchkins and flying monkeys. The stunning church is flanked by matching mirror images of the University of Helsinki and the Government Palace buildings. These form the outline of Senate Square, surrounding a statue of Czar Alexander II. The Russian ruler, who became known in Finland as The Good Czar, is credited with building Helsinki into the grand city that it is today after Russia took control in the early eighteen hundreds. No word on whether he arrived by balloon or ever hid behind a curtain. What has to be the Most Surprisingly Elegant Burger King on the Planet Working our way out from the square, we were stopped in our tracks by the Helsinki Central railway station. Its no wonder that this was chosen as one of the worlds most beautiful railway stations by the BBC. The impressive exterior concealed a curious secret we never expected, a Burger King. Not that strange you say? It is to find a fast food joint with such elegance and style. A huge fresco designed by Eero Jarnefelt dominates the wall above the counter. The entire restaurant project was done in cooperation with the National Board of Antiquities, taking special care to protect the artwork from kitchen grease and fumes with powerful air conditioning. The idea was to preserve as much as possible from the original historic building, including no structural changes and incorporating some of the original furniture into the decor. Like Dorothy and friends drawn to the wizard we returned to Senate Square, but noticed a magnificent golden domed structure perched on a hill across a small bridge. We followed the road, sans yellow bricks, and discovered that it was the Eastern Orthodox Uspenski Cathedral. Built a hundred years ago, this is the largest Orthodox church in Western Europe. The red bricks, taken from the Bomarsund Fortress after it was destroyed in the Crimean War, provide a striking contrast to the thirteen green and gold onion domes representing Christ and the twelve apostles. Now we were really starting to think that they should have nicknamed this the emerald and gold, city. Finnish Street Food! Below the cathedral on the edge of the harbor we found a big open air market set up in the very aptly named Market Square. Since we arrived in the short summer season, fruits and vegetables were the big attraction and the vendors were happy to offer free samples. We snacked on fresh cherries, strawberries, and peas while strolling through the rows of stands. Clothing and trinkets were popular too, but food tents seemed to be the big favorites of tourists and locals alike. The choices ran the gamut of traditional Norse country comfort foods, such as reindeer steaks and sausages, moose (which they are known as elk in these parts), and a wide variety of seafood. One curiousity we spied at several booths was a local specialty called muikku, fried whole small fish. Acting as adventurous as always, we ordered a plate, along with some salmon soup, before bothering to ask exactly what sort of fish they were. Luckily they were a delicious little fresh water variety known as vendace, a cousin of the salmon, but basically a sardine. Pan fried and served with garlic sauce, they are considered a summer-time delicacy in Finland, eaten basically like French fries. With the afternoon slipping away our brains told us that it was time to make our way back to the ship, but our hearts didnt want to go, so we had to summon our courage to bring ourselves to walk back. Along the way we comforted ourselves by deciding that we wouldnt want to stay here forever, but Helsinki certainly challenged the notion that theres no place like home. David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com See all of our adventures in Finland! A big thanks to Viking Ocean Cruises for inviting us along and providing this adventure through the Viking Homelands! Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Poland, Germany, Denmark, and Norway. As always, all opinions are our own. Haiti - Agriculture : Privert concerned about the threat of famine Thursday at the National Palace, the de facto President Jocelerme Privert met with key national and international actors involved in the agricultural sector. This meeting, to which took part in partucular the ministers Pierre Guytho Laurore (Agriculture), and Yves Bastien Romain (Economy), was intended to present the assessment of damage caused by the passage of Hurricane Matthew on the country, particularly on the south coast and the North-West. Several representatives of international donors participated in this important meeting, among others, the Ambassador of Switzerland in Haiti, Jean-Luc Virchaux, of the Spanish Agency Coordinator for International Cooperation and Development (AECID), Carmen Rodriguez Aice, Michael Wyzan of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Bruno Jacques of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Ambrosio Barros of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Aloys Niziqiyimama of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Massimo Scalorbi, Head of Cooperation of the European Union. The Head of the State concerned "by the famine threatening the country" following the devastating passage of Hurricane Matthew on the agricultural sector in Haiti, called for "a frank collaboration of all partners to avoid the worst..." While opting for interventions to a medium and long-term recovery, he insisted for immediate responses be given to relieve the population living in rural areas and prevent mass migration to urban centers. The various speakers at the meeting expressed their willingness to make every effort to support and strengthen the agricultural sector and rural development. According Privert, they are committed to "facilitate access to agricultural inputs, to support fishermen and farmers, so that they can resume their activities as soon as possible." HL/ S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Humanitarian : Distribution of aid, of communities remain inaccessible... Friday, the Ministry of Interior and Territorial Communities (MICT) informed that the two vessels flying the Dutch flag "The Pelikaan" and "Holland" and the Colombian ship "ARC 7 Argusto" made available to the Government of Haiti have completed a first phase of their mission of humanitarian supplies on the coast of the great South. Nearly 370 tons of humanitarian aid, consisting mainly tarpaulins, food, water and medicine were delivered. The Ministry of Interior stressed that "the Government will continue supplying the local structures by sea and air until the stability of the demand." "From 17 to 26 October 2016, the three ships and their crew, with the support of the Haitian technical staff on board, have supplied local structures among others to Petit-Trou de Nippes, Grand Boucan, les Basses, Corail, Jeremie, Abricots, Clisan, Bonbon, Dame-Marie, Anse-D'Hainault, les Irois, Petite Cahouane, Tiburon, Nan Sable, Jean Jacques and Tapion. Communities like Fond Tortue, Cunnonbois, Grand Boucan, Paraclet, Poban, Nan Georges, have also been served from helicopters of the fleet," says the Ministry. The Ministry also explained that "These local structures and others were supplied according to the needs assessment established by local authorities and members of the civil protection committees and also depending on availability. These distributions were carried out in strict respect for the dignity of families." However, it is good to remember that 169 localities are still inaccessible by land and are deprived of humanitarian assistance according to a declaration of de facto President Privert earlier this week... HL/ S/ HaitiLibre Published on 2016/10/30 | Source Nearly half of the country's workers believe that artificial intelligence and advanced technologies threaten their jobs, according to a poll released on Monday. Advertisement In the poll of 1,006 workers in various fields by the Korea Employment Information Service, some 44.7 percent of respondents said jobs will vanish in their sectors due to AI and other technologies. Some 13 percent said there will be more jobs, while 42.3 percent said the number of jobs will stay the same. Fears were especially widespread in finance and insurance (81.8 percent), the chemical industry (63.6 percent), and materials (61.4 percent), which are strongly affected by automation. But in the welfare and the religious sector only 13.6 percent in said their jobs will disappear. Published on 2016/10/30 | Source The vast majority of Koreans believe the economy is in a state of emergency, a poll suggests. Advertisement In the poll by Research and Research for the Chosun Ilbo and Korea Economic Research Institute, 51.4 percent of respondents said there is a serious economic emergency underway, and 39 percent a slight emergency. Together that accounts for a whopping 90.4 percent. "The economy keeps slowing and shows no signs of recovery, while troubles at Samsung and Hyundai deepen the sense of crisis", said Bae Sang-keun at KERI. The respondents also gave low marks to the government for its handling of the economy. Asked what areas of the economy the Park Geun-hye administration has improved, 55.8 percent said none. The government blames the National Assembly for filibustering key economy-boosting policies, but more respondents blamed the government (33 percent) than lawmakers (29 percent). The poll was conducted among 800 adults last week. Published on 2016/10/30 | Source A victim of Japanese sex slavery (center) on Saturday wipes the face of a statue set up in Shanghai to commemorate women forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. /Yonhap Advertisement Activists have set up two statues in Shanghai commemorating women forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army in World War II. The statues represent a Korean and a Chinese woman and are the first such monuments in China. They were set up on the campus of Shanghai Normal University on Saturday by the International Solidarity Commission. Similar statues already exist in Korea and areas with large Korean communities in Australia, Canada and the U.S. One sits in front of the Japanese Embassy in downtown Seoul. Two survivors, Lee Yong-soo (88) from Korea and Chen Liancun (90) from China, attended the unveiling in heavy rain. Lee wiped the rain off the faces of the statues, saying, "Now they won't feel lonely". Chen said, "I'm sick at heart whenever I think of that time". A permanent exhibition commemorating the atrocity also opened at the university, where historical records, photos and other objects are displayed. Tokyo has expressed concern over the statue through diplomatic channels, the Sankei Shimbun newspaper Sunday. As the 2016 White House race unfolded, the Facebook home of one of Princeton Universitys best-known scholars was packed with cries for help. The battle lines were clear. Religious conservatives wanted to know if they had to choose between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Was picking the lesser of two evils still evil? Was it morally wrong to refuse to choose? Robert P. George made his own convictions clear. If you truth bomb Trump but go silent on Clinton, shame on you, wrote George, an outspoken Catholic and distinguished professor of jurisprudence at Princeton. If you truth bomb Clinton but go silent on Trump, shame on you. Whole truth! In another salvo, he added: A ghastly choice for Catholics and others: One will taint and bring disgrace on our moral values. The other will wage unrelenting war on them. With Election Day drawing near, George finally republished a note from June, pleading for charity in these arguments. Friends, we are in a terrible fix here. And it is putting some of us at each others throats. It must not be permitted to do that. Donald Trump is dreadful. Hillary Clinton is horrible. One called for the killing of the innocent family members of terrorists. The other promises to protect the killing of unborn babies up to the point of birth, he wrote. For some of us, it just isnt obvious which of these two scoundrels would do greater harm in the long run, he argued. Whatever happens, those who believe in limited government, constitutional fidelity and the rule of law, flourishing institutions of civil society, traditional principles of morality, and the like are going to have profoundly important work to do. And we will need to do it together. Yes, Republicans face what many are predicting will be a civil war between Trump insurgents and the party establishment, said George in an interview. Its also hard to know what will happen to the religious right after some of its elders backed the New York billionaire to the bitter end, no matter how lurid the evidence of his wild past. What really matters is what happens to people in traditional faiths, including activists who never fit into old organizations led, in most cases, by evangelical Protestants, he said. Do the math. It will be hard for the Washington, D.C., establishment to completely ignore conservative Catholics, Orthodox Jews, Southern Baptists, Eastern Orthodox Christians, traditional Muslims, Pentecostal Christians and others if they form coalitions on key issues. Its not too late to make a serious effort to combine religious groups into some kind of effort to defend religious liberty, said George, former chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. The faithful are not going to flee to monasteries and abandon public life. ... If the Republican Party falls apart, then they will look for some other vehicle in the future, perhaps another political party that emerges out of the wreckage of this election. It has happened before. While its easy to focus on White House executive orders and U.S. Supreme Court decisions, George acknowledged that religious believers face new challenges. For starters, its clear that leaders of some major corporations think Google, Apple, Microsoft and others have decided to back the evolving doctrines of sexual liberation over the convictions of those defending centuries of religious teachings and traditions. It will be hard to push back against the Chamber of Commerce, especially in debates among Republicans. However, religious leaders will, at the very least, need to plead with corporate elites to remain neutral on issues affecting religious freedom, he said. That may sound idealistic. However, its important to learn from the past even the recent past. George noted, for example, that Trump successfully attacked Republican orthodoxy on trade and corporate issues, but then claimed he had abandoned his history of support for abortion rights. Think back to the years after Roe v. Wade, when it appeared there was no way religious conservatives could win on abortion in battles with corporate interests and the Republican Party donor class, he said. Who won those debates inside the GOP? ... This time, Trump knew he couldnt challenge what the Republican platform says on abortion and on religious liberty. He didnt even try. Thats important. Reno Geothermal Power Plant Operator Enters Into $5.5 Million Settlement With DOJ Over Grant Fraud Allegations News Release from US DoJ, October 28, 2016 LAS VEGAS, Nev. Several Reno companies that operate geothermal power plants in Nevada, California, Hawaii and elsewhere, have agreed to pay the United States $5.5 million to resolve civil fraud allegations that they unlawfully applied for and received millions in federal clean energy grants, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden for the District of Nevada. (NOTE: Ormat's 8-K report to SEC Aug 30 says $11M.) Ormat Technologies, Inc., Ormat Nevada, Inc., Puna Geothermal Venture II, L.P., ORNI 18, LLC, and Puna Geothermal Venture, G.P. (hereinafter referred to as Ormat), and the United States entered into the agreement to avoid the delay and uncertainty and expense of protracted litigation. The agreement states that it is neither an admission of liability by the defendants nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well founded. The False Claims Act is an effective civil tool to ferret out fraud in federal taxpayer-funded programs, said U.S. Attorney Bogden. The settlement monies announced today will be deposited into a federal fund used to help crime victims and for a variety of other law enforcement purposes. The settlement agreement, effective this week, arises out of a civil lawsuit filed on Feb. 4, 2013 by Tina Calilung and Jamie Kell against Ormat alleging that they violated the civil False Claims Act by submitting false applications for federal clean energy grants to which they were not entitled. The defendant companies are based in Reno, Nev. Calilung and Kell are former employees of Ormat Technologies. The lawsuit alleged that the federal government had claims against the defendant arising from the submission of applications for and receipt of grants under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009, related to the 8MW Puna Geothermal Power Plant and Puna KS-14 Well, both on the island of Hawaii, and the North Brawley Geothermal Power Plant in Imperial County, Calif. Since January 2009 and through the end of federal fiscal year 2015, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $26.4 billion from cases involving fraud and false claims against the government. The False Claims Act is the governments primary civil remedy to redress false claims for government funds and property under government contracts, including national security and defense contracts, as well as under government programs as varied as Medicare, veterans benefits, federally insured loans and mortgages, highway funds, research grants, agricultural supports, school lunches, and disaster assistance. In 1986, Congress strengthened the Act by amending it to increase incentives for whistleblowers to file lawsuits on behalf of the government. Most false claims actions are filed under the Acts whistleblower, or qui tam, provisions that allow individuals to file lawsuits alleging false claims on behalf of the government. If the government prevails in the action, the whistleblower, also known as the relator, receives up to 30 percent of the recovery. Whistleblowers filed 638 qui tam suits in fiscal year 2015 and the department recovered $2.8 billion in these and earlier filed suits this past year. Whistleblower awards during the same period totaled $597 million. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-recovers-over-35-billion-false-claims-act-cases-fiscal-year-2015. Assistant United States Attorney Roger Wenthe handled the case on behalf of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Nevada. ### 2015: Former Employees Sue Ormat: Geothermal Firm Lied to Get Stimulus Cash 2015: Lawsuit: Puna Geothermal Plant at Center of $122M Federal Grant Fraud Getting away with your friends doesnt just have to be about celebrating big milestones. Why not plan the perfect weekend getaway just because? Who were the top Washington County football performers in Week 9? Big plays and turnovers were plenty as the winners overwhelmed the losers in the final week of Washington County's regular season. BY KEVIN GRIFFIN Hickory- The Catawba County NAACP held its 38 th annual awards banquet Saturday night at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Honorees included Mother of the Year winner Bertha Turner, and runners-up Willie Catchings, Christina Garcia, Corrine Allison and Janice Moore. This years awards included scholarship awards to seven people: Jalyn Ramseur, Jordan Easter, Darius Malbon, Alexis Hunt, Marissa Bumgarner, Matthew Coulter and DeAndra Easter. Wynona Farrer received the William M. Turner Award, the highest honor given by the Catawba County NAACP. The award is named for the first president of the Catawba County NAACP. Catawba County NAACP President Jerry McCombs praised Farrers work in the community. Anything that I could think of that we asked this person to do, they were always willing to do it with a humble heart and ready to go the extra mile, McCombs. At times, speakers touched on political and racial issues. Wake County District Judge Vince Rozier, who is running for the North Carolina Court of Appeals, spoke on the need for both North Carolina and the United States as whole to live up to their foundational promises. Rozier criticized certain laws and policies in North Carolina, including the state's recently over-turned voter ID law and House Bill 2, that he sees as representing a departure from the states historical commitments. Discussing the United States more broadly, Rozier said work is still needed for the United States to fulfill its founding promise of justice for all people. It is time to embrace the spirit of the founding of this country. Weve moved beyond three-fifths. Were a whole people, were a part of the people, Rozier said. Rozier praised the NAACP's work fighting for a more just, fair society. As someone who has been able to reap the benefits of what this organization has done, it may not have been all of us, but we are all a part of the benefits, Rozier said. McCombs ended the ceremony with remarks which included reiterating the Catawba County NAACPs commitment to continue fighting the display of the Confederate flag in the Soldiers Reunion parade. I also want to remind you that the Confederate flag is still on board, McCombs said. HICKORY Whether she is driving hours away to rescue dogs from high-kill animal shelters, fostering dogs at her home, or working for Hickory Public Schools as the director of communications, Beverly Snowden loves to help others. Snowden has multiple awards on the state and national level for "communication excellence" and saw national recognition as one in the top five for "excellence in writing," from the National Schools Public Relations Association. Born in Champaign, Illinois, to a Captain in the United States Navy Snowden saw much of her youth moving from coast to coast. She has always been patriotic she said, military service is prevelant in her family she said. Her passion for animals began at a young age in California where she would bring home all sorts of animals she would find, and eventually her family got a pet dog. Unfortunately, right before her family was scheduled to move, the dog ran away. It was not until she got older and graduated college until she got another dog. Since then, she has had numerous pets, and has spent a majority of her free time helping save the lives of animals. The song by The Carpenters, Bless the Beasts and the Children, speaks to Snowdens personal philosophy she said. Snowden says she tries to be the voice for those who do not have one. She attended high school in McLean VA, and eventually attended Mars Hill College where she majored in education. Although her major was education, she minored in theater and hosted childrens specials for an ABC affiliate in High Point as well as interning with ABC in Washington D.C. for the evening news as well as Nightline. Snowdens passion for acting and theater remained a part of her life and she participated in local as well as larger theater productions. When Snowden was younger, she was in a car accident causing her to miss the first semester of college. I decided to go to summer school and I liked it so much I was able to finish a year early, she said. Snowden started her career as a teacher in Charlotte where she quickly realized her passion for children. The school she worked for was not in the best area, she said, and she even saw her classroom vandalized at one point. People said to me, why didnt you leave teaching right then? I guess that was my challenge, I said I am not going to leave those kids. If this is what these kids are living with and this is their neighborhood, than this is where I need to be, she said. Snowden began working for Hickory Public Schools seven years ago, but has worked with children in the area for many years. She worked as the director of public relations at Lenoir-Rhyne University, Catawba County Schools system as a public information officer, and as a teacher from fifth grade all the way up to higher education, she said. Snowdens roll as the Director of Communications is not a typical nine to five job, her mornings start as early as 5:00 a.m. when she takes care of her dogs, and then scans the internet for stories relating to the Hickory Public Schools or education in general, she said. Then she proceeds to add posts to social media for the school system and helps promote events for the schools. Everything Bev does demonstrates her commitment to excellence. She will put in the time until the job is done right by her high standards. Although she is so skilled at bringing recognition to others, she never calls attention to herself, said Drew Daniels, a history teacher at Hickory High. There are nine schools in her district, and she helps promote the accomplishments of the students as well as the teachers. She rarely has a full weekend off, she said, as she is always on call ready to help with anything that needs to be done. Bev is absolutely tireless in her role. Each week she reports on so many positive developments, at all nine schools, the central office, and throughout our community. She is a wonderful asset for Hickory Public Schools, Daniels said. When she is not working to promote the school system, she chooses to spend her time working with pets, performing multiple services for animals, not just in the area but nationwide. Currently, she is fostering a dog that came all the way from Texas that was close to being euthanized, she said. Snowden volunteered to take two dogs from the rescue, and thanks to the help of other volunteers, the dogs arrived at her doorstep only a few days later. Snowden volunteers to drive animals in need of rescue up to two hours one-way, just to help save the life of a dog or cat. A recent event Snowden volunteered for was with the rescue group Pilots N Paws. The group flew almost 300 dogs from kill shelters in Georgia to rescue groups across the region. The planes stopped briefly in Hickory where they were loaded onto secondary aircraft and flown to their new homes and safety. Snowden has two children who she remains close to, and when life presented unforeseen circumstances, she said her children and herself became like the Three Musketeers. Her relationship with her children and her grandchild are integral parts of her life. My faith has grown through the years I feel like God has pulled me through challenges in my life and obviously he still had a purpose for me, Snowden said. That purpose she believes is to help children and to help animals. Snowden says she has no intentions of retiring and plans to continue working for what she calls, the best school system in the country. She also has no intention of stopping save the lives of animals, recently, she has started writing and researching the torture of dogs in China and hopes to help bring awareness to the cause. I first met Akhilesh Yadav in the winter of 2010-11 at a Hindustan Times symposium in Lucknow. There was another young politician, Jayant Chaudhury -- the 32-year-old grandson of the late prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh -- who outshone most speakers with his bilingual oratory. But there was something that set Akhilesh apart. He exuded enormous confidence as a politician who could navigate the complex social matrix of the countrys most populous state; a leader proficient in speaking the language of both the haves and the have-nots; a reformist who could be a bridge between traditional social values and modern economic aspirations. My first impression wasnt out of place. A year later, the Samajwadi Party won a landslide victory with 224 seats in the 403-member assembly and a young leader -- Akhilesh was then 38 years old -- took over the reins of a huge and unwieldy state. Image grabs of newspaper headlines after Akhileshs poll victory in 2012 Uttar Pradesh was at a crossroads. It could forge ahead on the path to economic prosperity and social harmony or it could stay on the ruinous one of political conservatism that impedes the progress of its people. Looking back now, it is evident the SP and the state chose the latter. From being the biggest hope of change, Akhilesh has come to be known as the weakest chief minister UP has ever had. Within weeks of taking charge as the youngest CM of the state, he was hemmed in by party seniors and elders in the family. Uncle Shivpal Yadav and father Mulayams close aide Azam Khan managed a lions share in the state cabinet for themselves and their cronies, which they would leverage later to revive their clout and the sectarian politics they stood for. Akhilesh could do little to stop that as he carried the burden of repeating the electoral success of 2012 in the parliamentary elections of 2014. Corruption and nepotism returned to make headlines, so did social strife and communal polarisation, which was exacerbated by hardline Hindu affiliates of the Bharatiya Janata Party. As a recent investigation by Hindustan Times revealed, communal incidents witnessed a sharp spike across the state, with the number of instances reported to the police rising from 394 in 2011 to 2,872 in 2014 and 3,707 in 2015. The ruling SP turned a blind eye to these, as many of its leaders hoped the polarisation would help their party too. They were proved wrong as a resurgent BJP under its new leader Narendra Modi walked away with a record 71 of the 80 seats in the state in the Lok Sabha elections of 2014. The loss underscored how quickly the SP had been discredited among the voters, whose expectations of good governance and development from Akhilesh Yadav remained unrealised. Yet, there was an opportunity for the young Yadav leader to assert himself with the brand of politics he fashions. He took a bit too long, however, and chose a time that could have waited until the assembly elections early next year. The family feud that has dominated news over the past several weeks has come at a time when Akhilesh appeared just about getting his act together. Reports from the ground at the time pointed to a contest that was equally balanced between the ruling SP, a resurgent BSP and a formidable BJP. But in no time, the tables have turned. The support base of the SP now stands scattered and confused. The BJP has moved quickly and smartly, winning every move in containing and curtailing its rivals. Most political observers believe it is breakout time for Akhilesh. That he has the broadest support within the party and will eventually have the party patriarch on his side. That the ongoing crisis will see him emerge stronger and help Samajwadi Party get in sync with modern-day politics. In the immediate context, though, the damage has been done. For now, it is advantage BJP. The author is the chief content officer at Hindustan Times. He tweets as @rajeshmahapatra Full coverage: Yadav family feud SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON They admit to having a special connect with Diwali, and Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma have reasons for an equally special Diwali this year as well, as their big-ticket venture Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, directed by Karan Johar, hits theatres. Both actors say they are happy that fewer people are opting to burst firecrackers every year. Here are excerpts from a chat with the two stars. What does Diwali mean to you? Ranbir: Diwali means love, family and celebrations. This is the second time that a film of mine, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, has released before Diwali. The first one was Saawariya (2007). It has been an amazing nine-year journey for me. I hope I can reciprocate all the love and support that I have received over the years by delivering good films. I hope people have a super happy Diwali and a prosperous new year. Ranbir Kapoor remembers getting smacked by his father, Rishi Kapoor when he was 8-9 year old. (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO) Anushka: Diwali is a time to celebrate with your family, since everybody is together. Right from the beginning, 2016 has been hectic for me. I wrapped up three films this year, and I havent had a lot of time to spend with my parents. So, I will be happy to spend time at home now. Also, its the time to eat great food and to make the house look pretty. I love to decorate my home. How do you remember celebrating Diwali as a kid? Ranbir: I remember one particular Diwali incident. It was the only time when my father (Rishi Kapoor) shouted at me. I was around eight or nine years and the Lakshmi puja was being held at RK Studios, Chembur. I forgot to remove my shoes before entering the prayer area, and since my father is religious, he got upset that I had entered the puja place with my shoes on. I remember him giving me a tapli (smack) on my head. And my fathers tapli is like a box from Arnold Schwarzenegger. I remember I cried a lot that Diwali Anushka Sharma says her father used to be away from home on festivals because he was in the army. (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO) Anushka (to Ranbir): And ever since, you never entered the Puja area with your shoes on (smiles)? Ranbir: Yes. Anushka: My father used to be away from home on festivals because he was in the army. But Diwali was the time when he would come home. That was always special, because my mom would be very happy with my father being around. So, it felt like we were all together as a family. For me, if I am with my family on Diwali, it gives me a lot of joy. So, whichever Diwali my father used to be with us are my most memorable ones. Do you feel the fervour and the madness that are usually associated with Diwali have reduced? Ranbir: In terms of people going easy on firecrackers, thats a great thing, as there has been a huge dip in the noise levels around Diwali time. Earlier, people would start bursting firecrackers a month before Diwali. Thats a good thing, as it means lesser air and noise pollution. I feel Diwali is a personal festival; you celebrate it with your family and friends, so I dont think the fervour will ever diminish. Ranbir Kapoor feels that the only downside of having a festive release is that one has to promote it, which doesnt leave much time for family bonding. (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO) Anushka: Yes, the excitement wont lessen and firecrackers have nothing to do with it. I am campaigning to sensitise people towards not bursting firecrackers, but not just because of animals and birds that suffer, but also for the environment. As an evolving society, we must be aware of that. Even Ranbir has very kindly done a video for me to raise awareness for the issue. And I think one can see the effect in the air quite literally. People arent bursting as many firecrackers as they used to. Earlier, they would even burst them days after the festival, to finish the leftover firecrackers. I also remember there used to be way too many shops selling firecrackers, which isnt the case now. Thats a good sign. Its the festival of lights, and that also stands for the enlightenment of human beings. When it comes to your careers, is Diwali a special festival for you? Anushka: Yes, Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) was a Diwali release. Ranbir (to Anushka): So, this is your second Diwali release too? Anushka: Yes, sir (smiles). This is my second festival release this year after Sultan, which released on Eid. Ranbir (to Anushka): You should put out a film on Christmas too (laughs). Ranbir: The only downside is that when your film is releasing [during the festive season], you also promote it. So, you get less time to enjoy the festival. You want to chill and have fun with your family and friends for the two-three day break that you get for Diwali. With a movie coming up, theres a different kind of excitement. But you miss the bonding time with your family. Anushka: Thats just one downside of it, but the upside is that with a film release around Diwali, more people are going to be able to watch it. Watch: Ae Dil Hai Mushkil trailer Any special plans this year? Ranbir: We are in the middle of our movies release, and then we are also travelling for promotions. Diwali day will be a good one to reflect on the process we have gone through during the making of this film. Today, we all will hopefully enjoy (Amitabh) Bachchan saabs Diwali bash. He and Sonam (Kapoor) have invited us for Diwali. Its a good time to catch up with friends and colleagues. Anushka: I might be out of town, but if Im not, then I will also be going for the same parties [as Ranbir]. Any special messages for your fans on Diwali? Anushka: The reason I started the campaign is because I feel everyone knows that one isnt supposed to harm other living beings. But sometimes, the awareness isnt enough. Diwali is a beautiful festival, and you can celebrate it with other things, and not just with firecrackers. In fact, this is the first Diwali for Ranbirs pets, and I am sure he realises its a scary time for them. I feel its my duty to use my influence to do my bit for a cause I feel strongly about animal welfare. Ranbir Kapoor says this is his pets first Diwali, and so, he is quite scared for them. (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO) Ranbir: I have two dogs a French Mastiff, Leo, and an English Mastiff, Guido. They are both nine-months-old. This is their first Diwali, and I am quite scared for them. Dogs become part of your family. You feel protective and want them too to have good time and be happy. So, I hope the campaign Anushka has started, raises awareness and people become more sensitive. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Actor Kiara Advani who is basking in the glory of success, post her latest release MS Dhoni says, this Diwali is going to be super special for her as the film has done so well. Though its going to be regular celebrations with the family this year, the actor says, One thing I like about this festival is lighting up my entire house. I just love diyas, making rangoli outside and doing flower decoration. Its the prettiest festival. My room is the cleanest on Diwali (laughs). Kiara reminiscences of her younger days and reveals that earlier she used to attend a lot of parties with friends but from last few years, its only been with family. A day before Diwali, we have friends and relatives over but everyone likes to have their own family time on Diwali, she says. Actor Kiara Advani always looks forward to spending Diwali with her family; Location Courtesy: Vivanta by Taj, Dwarka. (Shivam Saxena/HT PHoto) (Shivam Saxena/HT Photo) About celebrations and Puja at home, the actor says, While my grandparents do the prayers at home, my mom takes the charge when we do the Puja at dads office during the day, where his entire staff, our house help and everyone else gets together. Kiara admits that binge eating is something that she cant avoid during festivities. I just cant ignore all the sweets around me. Its the only time I give in to pedas and besan ka ladoo. But then I get back to my routine and workout without skipping it for even a day, she says. Firecrackers are an absolute no-no for Kiara. I am very scared of crackers. I dont like anything that messes up things around, whether its the building parking or surrounding areas. I prefer not to play with fire crackers. Id urge people to not burn crazy amount of crackers. Sometimes fireworks are pretty, so I like looking out of my window and watching that, but I am a little bit of darpok (scared) when it comes to crackers, she quips. According to Kiara, Diwali is the best time to sport your best looks. I always set aside a bucket of some beautiful outfits that I wear around and on Diwali. I just love to dress up in Indian clothes during festive season, she shares. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Most B-town stars will be celebrating Diwali with their family and close ones, but actor John Abraham plans to file a petition to recognise the efforts and dedication of the Indian Army and the jawans fighting at Indias borders. Addressing the army, John said in a text message, My hearty greetings to the Indian Army. You are the real heroes for us. While we will be celebrating the festival of lights with our loved ones, these heroes wont even get a chance to meet and greet their families this festive season. We as a nation are indebted to you. Thank you for your courage, patriotism and selflessness to make sure we all sleep peacefully in our homes. Jai Hind! I am ready. I am thrilled. And I am back with twice the force!!#Force2 A video posted by John Abraham (@thejohnabraham) on Oct 5, 2016 at 1:50am PDT A source adds that the actor will also be visiting Amar Jawan Jyoti in New Delhi next month to pay his respects to martyrs. He also wants to raise awareness about soldiers whose efforts havent been recognised as well as the armys contribution. John will be launching a petition addressing the government. The petition aims to have the names of these unsung heroes get the recognition they deserve, the source. The actor was last seen in Dishoom co-starring Varun Dhawan and Jacqueline Fernandez. He will next be seen in Force 2 along with Sonakshi Sinha. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A major fire broke out at a three-storey residential-cum-commercial building in Girgaum on Sunday night. No casualties were reported at the time of going to press, while efforts were on to contain the fire. The fire broke at Mehta Mension building at Tribhuvandas road near dreamland theatre at around 8pm. The fire is confined to the electric wiring installation on the first and second floor of the building. The fire has spread till the third floor, said a fire brigade officer. Authorities stated that since it was a Sunday, they expect that there were lesser number of persons in the building than regular days. The fire brigade has pressed in to service several fire engines and tankers. The fire brigade and the police have cordoned off the area to ensure that there are no hindrances in dousing the fire. Another fire incident was reported at Sai Niwas building on P DMello Road around 3.42 pm on Sunday. The fire was brought under control within no time, and no casualties were reported in the mishap. As per fire brigade officials, 13 vehicles including eight fire engines and five tankers, were pressed into action. Investigation is on to ascertain what started the fire. Another major fire broke out in Thane at a cotton waste godown at at Kalyan Shil Phata road on Sunday morning. The fire was huge enough to engulf the entire godown. The locals alerted the fire brigade and police, who rushed to the spot. The blaze was brought under control within a couple of hours. Two fire engines and two water tankers were wheeled in to douse the flames. No injuries were reported. An official from Regional Disaster Management Cell - Thane said, The whole godown, which had cotton and wooden blocks, was burnt . The fire was brought under control and the reason for the fire is still unknown. In addition to playing the role of Dr Stephen Strange in his recently released movie, Benedict Cumberbatch also plays Dormammu the perennial foe of the arrogant surgeon. Unbeknown to many of the fans who flocked to see Doctor Strange after it opened in the UK last night, Cumberbatch also had another secret role in the movie, as evil cosmic entity Dormammu, reports the Telegraph. At one point in the film, Dormammu materialises as a giant humanoid face - and the 40-year-old actor supplied the facial motion capture needed for this scene. Director Scott Derrickson, in an interview, said, We knew (Dormmamu) was an all CG character, but as we were in production, Benedict brought it up as an idea. He said, What would you think about me doing it? I said, Let me think about it, you know. According to Derrickson , the casting decision also helped adding an interesting edge to the scene by creating a symbolic connection between Strange and the monstrous, world-devouring Dormammu. The more I thought about it the more I liked the idea. Because no one understood Dormammu better than Benedict did. I also wrote that role to be a kind of ultra-inflated version of Strange, the director shared, adding, Theres something about that worked well, and I didnt think anybody (could interact better) with Benedict than he, himself. In the particular scene, Strange manages to trick his adversary, manipulating time to trap them both in a never-ending loop- Dormammu is given a choice to either leave the Earth alone or endlessly live out the same few seconds again and again. Watch the trailer of Dr Strange Based on the Marvel character by the same name, Doctor Strange follows an adventure of a former neurosurgeon who learns the mystic arts from the Ancient One after a career-ending car accident. The movie releases in India on November 4. The alumni association of a prominent college said it will give gold coins to the civic authorities that kill the maximum number of stray dogs till December 10 in Kerala, where four people have lost their lives and over 700 have been injured in canine attacks in the last four months. The outfit had hit headlines recently for providing air guns at subsidised rates to deal with violent dogs. In the wake of the increasing stray dog menace in the state, office bearers of the Old Students Welfare Association of Pala-based St Thomas College said the gift would be given to the heads of panchayats and municipalities across the state where most stray dogs are killed. Read | 40 strays culled in Kerala after dogs maul 90-yr-old to death Earlier, cash incentives were also offered by a state-based industrialist for culling dogs. We are planning to give the gift to panchayat presidents and municipality chairmen in the state who lead in killing maximum number of stray dogs. Our aim is to ensure the safety of people from violent canines, James Pambaykkal, association general secretary, told PTI. Accusing the government of inactivity on the stray dog issue, he said the association was attempting to end the menace with the participation of people. Read | Political party workers kill stray dogs, parade carcasses in Kerala The gold coins would be bought with the contributions of the representatives of the 1,200-member association, he said. The weight of the coins would be decided according to the total amount collected, James, a physics post-grad who passed out from the college in 1984, said. He said the civic authorities who apply for the gold coins should submit day-to-day figures of the culled dogs. The stray dog issue in the state came into the limelight after the gruesome killing of 90-year-old Raghavan, who was mauled to death by a pack of street dogs at Varkala on October 26. Read | Subsidy offer for guns to tackle Keralas stray dog menace According to government figures, four people were killed in the last four months in stray dog attacks and 701 people, including 175 children, were injured across the state. This year, 53,000 people were treated for dog bites in government medical college hospitals alone. As many as 88,172 suffered dog bites in 2013 while it was 1,19,119 in 2014 and 47,156 in 2015 in the state, the figures added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded on Sunday the courage of soldiers and thanked the nation for sending them Diwali messages. He also had some other messages for the nation. Take a look at them. Vallabhbhai Patel, anti-sikh riots Modi urged people to mark Sardar Vallabhbhai Patels birth anniversary as he remembered the scars of the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. Tomorrow (Monday) we are celebrating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patels birth anniversary. He worked to bring everyone together, he worked for unity, fought for unity and brought unity amongst people and we all must remember it. Modi also said, History remembers how Sikh people and sardars all over the country faced violence and pain after former PM Indira Gandhi was assassinated on October 31, 1984. Guru Nanaks teachings Modi remembered Guru Nanak and how his life and teachings hold message for the people of today. Principles of service, truthfulness and welfare of all are the core of his teachings, he said. Modi, co-relating the teaching of Guru Nanak and his governments motto, said: Guru Nanak Devs teachings inspire us to shun discrimination of all kind. Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas is based on the same mantra of non-discrimination, given by Guru Nanak Dev. Chhaths message Modi highlighted the importance of Chhath festival, saying it is the only festival when people worship the setting sun. Chhath is a very big festival in eastern India and it is celebrated with great fervour and it goes on for four days, he said. As it happened: PM Modis Mann Ki Baat There is a saying across the world that people worship the shining sun, but Chhath is the only festival in which people offer arghya (offering water) to the setting sun, which gives a great social message, he said. The Chhath Puja is performed in order to thank lord Sun, who is considered the god of energy. Sun is worshiped to promote well-being, prosperity and progress. Diwali is festival of cleanliness Modi wished the nation on the occasion of Diwali, and said this is a festival associated with cleanliness. Diwali is a festival that is also associated with cleanliness. Everybody cleans their homes, Modi said. The Prime Minister said Diwali gives the message to move from darkness to light. Diwali is a festival that is being celebrated world over, Modi said. Open defecation-free India He expressed happiness over the progress being made in all states of India to make the country Open Defecation Free (ODF). Modi praised people helping their respective areas to become ODF. The Prime Minister talked about an incident where an army personnel donated thousand of rupees to help make his village Open Defecation Free. Vikas Thakur of ITBP, who was on a holiday in a village in Himachal Pradesh, came to know that some people in his village were unable to build toilets in their homes because of want of money. He immediately gave Rs 5,700 to village Pradhan asking him to help build toilets for 57 families in the villages, he said. Modi also expressed satisfaction over other states like Kerala, Haryana and others for their efforts to become ODF states. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on his Mann ki Baat programme on All India Radio on Sunday. Here are the live updates on what he said: * Our festivals are linked closely to the nature...the food, weather, everything about a festival is so symbiotic. * The festival of Diwali is celebrated across the world. * All forms of darkness are to be fought with a deep (lamp) of Diwali ..Deepawali gives the message of journey to light from darkness. Diwali is a festival that is also associated with cleanliness. Everybody cleans their homes: PM @narendramodi #MannKiBaat PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 30, 2016 * World leaders are celebrating Diwali and sharing their memories and pictures on different social media platforms. * I also have to thank the citizens of the nation for their support and love for our security forces and soldiers protecting us. From last few months our jawans are sacrificing their lives, we should celebrate this Diwali in their name: PM Narendra Modi #MannKiBaat ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 * #Sandesh2Soldiers hashtag became popular and people flooded us with the love for soldiers. * Our soldiers acts reflect their love for the country. * We have to address the aspirations of the poor...We should rid the country of discrimination against women. * Tomorrow (Monday) we are celebrating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patels birth anniversary. He worked to bring everyone together, he worked for unity, fought for unity and brought unity. * But on Sardars birthday, history remembers how Sikh people and sardars all over the country faced violence and pain after Indira Gandhis assassination. Sardar Patel has a rich contribution in strengthening the cooperative movement in India. He was always dedicated to farmer welfare: PM PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 30, 2016 * Unity in diversity is our strength. We have to cruise ahead. * I pay tributes to Guru Nanak Devji. If we want to follow the motto of saabka saath, saabka vikas, who else will be a better guide? The 25th edition of the monthly radio address coincided with the festival of Diwali. PM Modi had requested people to share their thoughts and inputs for the forthcoming programme on the Narendra Modi App and MyGov Open Forum. In the last edition of the programme, Modi said the nations armed forces were fully equipped to foil any nefarious designs, apparently hitting out at Pakistan in the wake of an attack on an Indian Army base in northern Kashmir that killed 19 soldiers in September. He said the army does not talk, they speak through their valour. His October address comes against the backdrop of increased hostilities at the border. The army said on Saturday it destroyed four Pakistani posts in a massive assault across the Line of Control in north Kashmirs Kupwara district, ratcheting up the offensive a day after an Indian soldiers body was mutilated by militants, who were believed to have been helped by Pakistans cover fire. (With agency inputs) Indian Army soldier Mandeep Singh, whose body was mutilated by militants near the de facto border with Pakistan was cremated on Sunday in his village in Haryana with full military honours. Mandeep, a soldier of the 17th Sikh Regiment, was killed in a gunbattle with the militants in near the Line of Control (LoC) in Macchil sector of Kupwara area of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday night. He was from Antehri village in Kurukshetra district, about 100 km from Chandigarh. Hundreds of people gathered to pay their last respects to the soldier. The people raised slogans of Long live Mandeep. Mandeeps body was brought to Ambala on Saturday and handed over to the family a day later. Read: PM Modi dedicates Diwali to soldiers, lauds their courage Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar visited the village on Sunday morning. He announced a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the family and a government job for one of the members. Senior officers of the army, district administration and the police were present at the cremation. Residents said Diwali will not be celebrated in the village as a mark of respect to the fallen soldier. We are proud of the sacrifice of our son. Pakistan must be taught a lesson for its inhuman actions, Mandeeps father, Phool Singh, said. Mandeep, who was married in 2014, leaves behind his parents and widow Prerna, who is a constable in the Haryana Police. Our government should take decisive action to finish Pakistan. We cannot let our soldiers die like this, an inconsolable Prerna told the media. The slain soldier was to celebrate Diwali with his family at his village this year. The Indian Army, in an official statement on Saturday, said the soldiers body was mutilated, and added that the force will retaliate with an appropriate response. The army later said it destroyed four Pakistani military posts along the border. It gave no further details of the assault, but an officer, who asked that his name not be used, confirmed that troops on both sides had been exchanging mortar fire in and around an area known as the Keran sector since Saturday morning. As the tension between the nuclear-armed neighbours escalated, the Border Security Force decided not to exchange sweets with the Pakistan Rangers at the Attari-Wagah Border on the occasion of Diwali, ANI reported. Relations between India and Pakistan have hit a new low after four militants attacked an Indian Army base in northern Kashmirs Uri in September, killing 19 soldiers . India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the assault, a charge Islamabad promptly denied. What the ninth-standard students of Maharaja Harishchandra Inter College in Moradabad districts Macharia village were expecting on the morning of October 14 was a zoology lesson. What they got, instead, was a lesson in the new brand of nationalism. It was only 15 days left until Diwali. If a neighbour of ours steals even an inch of our land, he becomes our enemy, we almost want to kill him for it. Tell me, kids, have you heard of China? You know what extent of Indias land it has encroached on -- 38,0000 square kilometre. Are you aware we fought a war with China? Tell me this: if a neighbour of yours gets into a fight with you, steals your land and sets up a shop in the neighbourhood, would you buy things from his shop? Read | Make in India ideology takes over Delhi-NCR markets this festive season A definitive no echoes through the classroom. Its not enough to satisfy Rajeev Kumar, a 45-year-old Moradabadi, however. As the convenor of the districts chapter of Swadeshi Jagran Manch, an economic outfit linked with the right-wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, his aim is to drill the fear of China into the minds of everyone old enough to enter a shop. So, Kumar goes on for the next 30 minutes attributing all of Indias problems-- from the Maoist menace to the mosquito-borne chikungunya -- to the countrys biggest rival in the global market. Pakistan se bhi khatarnaak jo bharat ka shatru hai, woh Cheen hai. Ye baat jaan lo acchhi tarah se (If India has an enemy more dangerous than Pakistan, its China. You should know this once and for all). A hundred years after Mahatma Gandhis call for embracing of Swadeshi products, a new version of consumer nationalism has emerged in the Indian imagination. And this time it seems to be a response to different triggers: rising unemployment, falling profits for small and medium businesses, the slowdown of Indias manufacturing sector and the threat to its status as an Asian superpower. The new nationalist blames all of Indias failures on one villain: China. Between 2010-11 and 2014-15, Chinas share in Indias import economy swung from 11.8% to 13.5%, according to trade reports. Its currently the largest exporter to India -- of products ranging from socks to smartphones. We are not interested in the Mahatma Gandhi way of swadeshi patriotism, says Kishore Dev Mishra, the IT head of the outfit in eastern Delhi. The Swadeshi Jagran Manch has its presence all over the country, with branches spreading along the line of state-district-tehsil-kasba. The so-called Swadeshi movement 2.0 isnt ideological, but economic, Mishra said. We cant fight against globalisation itself, but we can find a way for our country to stand within the system. How much can you achieve with burning bonfires of foreign goods? We are working on churning Indian society from the inside. Read | China warns that boycott of its goods will hurt ties, investments with India Central to this strategy is the mobilisation of anti-China hatred from the ground up. It may seem that these self-proclaimed nationalists are targeting Chinese firecrackers ahead of every Diwali, but their real game plays out in places such as Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh throughout the year. On its frontlines are people of every age and ideology who live in fear of China. If the government wont protect our interests, we would have to do it ourselves, says Kapil Naranga, a patron of the so-called Swadeshi movement and the owner of the tyre factory from where the outfit operates. The 29-year-old belongs to a business family that has a good reason to shout slogans against China. India has lost between 25% and 30% of its rubber tyre business to China. The irony is they import the rubber from India. Same thing with my brothers toy factory. China has claimed 50% of Indias market for toys. They are making everything for kids -- cars, guns, American superheroes. Its the same story with Kavya Rastogi, 40, owner of a hosiery factory and a leading member of the movement. Both India and China buy their material from Malaysia. But China trumps us by buying advanced sewing machines from Japan because their government gives them an interest-free loan to do that. China doesnt have to bother with any guidelines about minimum wages, either. Together it makes up for a 10% gap in manufacturing cost. And then it evades import duty to India by smuggling the socks and undergarments through the Nepal border. Between 2011 and 2016, my factory has seen a 50% drop in profits. Read | After PM Modis desi Diwali message, sales of Chinese lanterns dip in Mumbai A variety of such businessmen came together under the banner of concerned citizens of Moradabad on the afternoon of October 14 to talk about their issues. Also present in the auditorium were luminaries from every field of life in Moradabad: writers, activists, professors, chartered accountants and grizzled freedom fighters. The event was given a touch of inclusiveness by the representation of every religion: a Hindu saint, a Sufi poet, a pastor and a Sikh philanthropist. We have to stand together at this difficult time, an Urdu writer said, ...like we did to root out the culture of Valentines Day from the city. Our youth continues to celebrate it, but not without the fear of repercussion. Many narrated the history of India-China enmity in varying detail. The brawny leaders of Swadeshi mobs called for a surgical strike. Someone proposed the example of Japan: in the 90s, he said, the resurgent country had retaliated against Americas nuclear bombing by rejecting the American import of apples. The next person invited to the podium told the same story, but the fruit had by then transformed into oranges. At the end, everyone took an oath not to buy Chinese firecrackers this Diwali. They also vowed to further cut down on Chinese products in their daily lives. Life for most of them means never entering a supermarket without the Swadeshi Bible: a pamphlet listing the names of Indian brands in the consumer market. Bathing soap -- Santoor, Nirma, Mysore Sandal; ice-cream Amul, Nirula, Mother Dairy; electronics Videocon, BPL, Onida; mens undershirts: Lux, Rupa, VIP. Every decision is a moral minefield. You can buy a Micromax phone, but can you ensure that the parts its made up of are not from China? Kapil Dev Mishra asked himself aloud in his living room in Burari. Read | This time, Swadeshi movement against Chinas anti-India moves The answer, a young Swadeshi told his compatriots in Moradabad, is to stick to the iPhone. The Americans may be paying China to produce it, but an Indian buying an iPhone is only paying the Americans. The other way he suggested of dealing the collective consumer guilt was to build an effigy of China and hang it till death in front of the whole town. Someone else at the meeting pointed to the technical improbability of a public execution. Moradabads young Swadeshis were forced to go with the second-best option: build the figure of a man using bamboo sticks, stuff the frame with straw, dress it in shirt and jeans, carry the effigy to the main market, wrap it with the Chinese flag, light a matchstick and watch it burn. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pakistan opened fire at the International Border on Saturday night and met with a strong response by the Border Security Force. Last night at IB of Jammu, firing started from Pakistani side at 9.15pm in RS Pura Sector and continued intermittently till 3am on Sunday. It was fire of small arms as well as mortars shells in small quantity but not effective. BSF retaliated appropriately, said BSF Jammu Frontier DIG Dharmender Pareekh. He said around 2am Pakistan also started firing with small arms and mortars in intervals in Hiranagar and Samba sub-sectors, and the intermittent firing continued till 6am. No loss of life or injuries were reported on the Indian side. There are apprehensions that Pakistan may target villages on the Indian side to spoil Diwali festivities. On Saturday, the army said it destroyed four Pakistani posts across the Line of Control in north Kashmirs Kupwara district. The Indian strike is seen as a retaliation to ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops in the Keran sector earlier in the day, in which one BSF jawan and a civilian woman were injured. The de-facto border with Pakistan has remained tense since a militant attack on an army camp at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir in September left 19 soldiers dead. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Rage, grief, fear and helplessness flit across the face of 13-year-old Rahul Norge when he talks about September 17, the day he claims he saw the police beat his father to death at Mumula police station. The memories of his cowering father, Satish Norge, a Dalit, haunt him and the tears flow. Fansi deni chahiye (they should be hanged), said Rahul, referring to the police personnel allegedly involved in the fatal beating as well as several upper caste members of the neighbourhood with whom his father had an argument a few hours before his death. I want to study law and fight for Dalits, he added. The death of Satish has become a rallying point for Dalits in and around Janjgir-Champa district of Chhattisgarh and they are preparing to fight injustices and discrimination that they say are heaped on them. The problem is graver than in Una of Gujarat, claimed Goldy George, a local Dalit rights activist. Unlike Una, where the public flogging of four Dalit youths in July on the suspicion of cow smuggling hit the headlines and triggered national outrage, Satishs death received little coverage. Atrocities on Chhattisgarh Dalits never got media attention, hence no one cared about them, George added. Fed up of the indifference, Dalits leaders say the community has decided to take matters into own hands. They say meetings have already been held against upper caste domination and atrocities across Janjgir-Champa, Bilaspur, Korba, Raigarh and Baloda Bazar and Mungeli districts. A mass movement against atrocities on Dalits will follow, said Guddu Lahere, an officer-bearer of Dalit Mukti Morcha. Some leaders are also toying with the idea of floating a party of their own. A majority of Dalits in this region of Chhattisgarh belong to Satnami Samaj. At the meetings being held now, the focus is on galvanising their arms-less army known as Satnam Sena. Satish was from the Satnami Samaaj. Janjgir-Champas population comprises more than 50% Dalits. This is where Kanshi Ram, the late founder of Bahujan Samaj Party, fought his first Lok Sabha election in 1984. Though he lost, he is credited with consolidating the Dalit vote. Dalits of the region still call him Messiah. According to an estimate, the region has more than 800,000 people of Satnami Samaj, apart from around 200,000 other Dalits. After the killing of Satish Norge, the Satnami Samaj has organised many meetings. The other Dalits are also with us now, said Lahere. After the death of Satish, the arrest of Satnami leader Vikas Khandekar in Mungeli district over a Facebook post on Goddess Durga too has united the Dalits, said activists. Following Khandekars arrest, the Satnami Samaj alleged that Hindu right-wing activists threw stones at his house in police presence and even attacked his family members. The Satnami Samaj also alleged that slippers were thrown their Jaistambh (a monument symbolising peace and truth) in Mungeli. We lodged a complaint with the police that our sentiments were hurt after the attack on Jaistambh and the family members of Vikas, but no FIR was registered, said Lahere. Dalit organisations in the state are now focusing their energies on meetings, campaigning for proper investigation leading to convictions in cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and building up to a possible statewide yatra. Dalits allege that the police are hand in glove with upper castes and cases of atrocities on them rarely result in conviction. The numbers that matter Most of the custodial deaths reported in the state are either of Dalits or Adivasis, said Dalit rights activist Goldy George. National Crime Records Bureau data for Chhattisgarh shows 242 cases were registered for crimes against persons belonging to Scheduled Castes in 2013, and 1,066 in 2014. The increase of about 340% is the highest among states. Data released by National Commission for Scheduled Castes this year shows crimes against Dalits in Gujarat went up from 27.7% in 2014 to 163.3% in 2015. In Chhattisgarh, it spiked from 32.6% in 2014 to 91.9% in 2015. The proportion of Scheduled Castes in Chhattisgarh increased from 11.6% in 2001 to 12.8% in 2011. There are 10 SC MLAs nine from the BJP and one from the Congress in the 91-member House (One member is nominated). The Bahujan Samaj Party has one seat (OBC legislator). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said Rs 5,500 crore has been paid for implementing the one rank one pension (OROP) scheme, an issue that has been hanging fire for the last 40 years, even as he lauded the valour and sacrifice of the armed forces amid tension on the border with Pakistan. Dedicating this Diwali to the armed forces personnel, he said he has fulfilled the promise he made to ex-servicemen on the one-rank-one-pension scheme. Modi said the issue had been pending for 40 years as certain people in the previous governments did not know about OROP, and therefore only Rs 500 crore was allocated for the purpose. He also said many people thought that if the scheme was not implemented, a section of ex-servicemen would turn against the government. He made these remarks while celebrating Diwali with army and ITBP men in Sumdo in Himachal Pradeshs Kinnaur district. Spent time with our courageous @ITBP_official & Army Jawans at Sumdo, Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh. Jai Jawan! Jai Hind!, he tweeted. Today PM @narendramodi also visited Chango village, interacted with citizens and took part in Diwali celebrations. pic.twitter.com/LwuRLF5tqh PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 30, 2016 Earlier, in his monthly Mann ki Baat programme on All India Radio, Modi asked the people and the state governments to find ways of forging unity across the country and work to defeat separatist tendencies and mentalities. He hailed the people including celebrities for sending overwhelming messages to his Sandesh2Soldiers campaign. Read: Lets dedicate this Diwali to our soldiers: PM Modi appeals to nation In the wake of ongoing unrest in Kashmir Valley, he said, Unity in diversity is our strength. It is the responsibility of every citizen and all governments to forge unity and curb separatist tendencies to save the country. In an apparent reference to tension on the Indo-Pak border, Modi credited the soldiers for maintenance of peace and security in the country and called upon everyone to remember their gallantry while celebrating Diwali. Read: Diwali, Sardar Patel and more: What Modi said in Mann Ki Baat address It is not unusual for the ruling Yadav clan of the Samajwadi Party (SP) to visit their ancestral village Saifai in Etawah district for the Diwali celebrations. But what is different this time is the UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadavs solo trip here. Akhilesh came to the village on Saturday evening but was unable to meet even his partymen, who were waiting outside for hours, as he was tired after a long drive on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway. In his own polite way, he asked everyone to come on Sunday, promising to meet everyone. Despite his request, one or two people sneaked in and were able to shake hands with him. In a hush-hush tone, everyone kept talking about why Netaji (SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav) and state SP president Shivpal Yadav was conspicuously absent. But no one dared ask these questions out loud. Read | Family feud triggers guessing game about Yadavs Diwali celebrations The first thing Akhilesh did on Sunday was to visit the residence of his uncle Ramgopal Yadav, who was expelled from the party last week during the ongoing political feud in the family. The meeting between the two lasted about 45 minutes. Both emerged from the meeting looking happy and relaxed but refused to say anything on camera. After that, the chief minister met a gathering of locals at the PWD guesthouse, where people had gathered in large numbers. The chief minister later met his uncles Rajpal Yadav and Anant Singh in Etawah. He also enquired about the condition of lions at the Lion Safari. He then returned to Saifai, where a large crowd was waiting to meet him at the PWD auditorium. Having learnt their lesson from the stampede-like situation on Sunday morning, the security personnel regulated the crowd with an iron fist. Read | 6 hurt in stampede at CM Akhileshs Janata Durbar in Saifai Akhilesh distributed sweets alone. Nevertheless, Saifai residents loyalty to the Samajwadi Party was evident, despite the entire Yadav family not being together. For us, Akhilesh is the successor of Mulayam Singh and we will go by that, said Bisheshwar, a resident of a nearby village. Malti, a resident of Etawah, who came with an application said, He is a replica of Netaji. In the evening, Akhilesh returned to Lucknow by helicopter, first going to his official residence at 5 Kalidas Marg and then to 4 Vikramaditya Marg, where he currently resides. Shivpal Yadav was reported to have reached Etawah later. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday that he would be happy if his colleague and former revenue minister Eknath Khadse returned to the cabinet. Khadse was forced to resign in June after his name cropped up in a string of controversies, including a dubious purchase of industrial land at Bhosari in Pune district, for which he allegedly misused his position.The industries department had termed the deal illegal as it was owned by the department. Fadnavis said it was possible Khadse could return soon but refused to specify a timeframe. While interacting with reporters at his official residence Varsha at Malbar Hill, he said, I will be happy if Khadse can join the cabinet again. He added, however, that Khadses comeback would depend on the findings of the committee set up to probe various allegations against him, including the Pune land deal, in which he faces charges of conflict of interest. Earlier this year, Pune-based realtor Hemant Gavande claimed Khadse had misused his position as revenue minister to purchase a three-acre industrial plot at Bhosari in the name of his wife and son-in-law. Gavande accused the minister of grabbing the MIDC plot for a paltry Rs 3.75 crore, well below its market value of Rs 40 crore. The probe committee, led by former high court judge N Zoting, sought an extension in September to complete the probe. The report is now expected by the end of December. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The plane taking Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Belgium to sign a major trade deal suffered mechanical problems and had to turn back to the airport before taking off again late on Saturday. The Toronto Star newspaper reported that Trudeaus flight to Brussels, which was delayed some 90 minutes, experienced mechanical issues involving the wing flaps about 30 minutes into the flight and had to return to the Ottawa airport. News reports said the plane took off again a short time later, and Trudeau was still expected in Brussels on Sunday to sign the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the European Union -- a deal seven years in the making. The accord removes 99% of customs duties between the two sides, linking the single EU market of 500 million people with the worlds 10th largest economy and a member of the G7 club of industrialized powers. Spains parliament voted conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy back into power on Saturday, ending a rollercoaster, 10-month political crisis despite bitter opposition and lingering divisions. One hundred and seventy lawmakers voted for Rajoy, 111 against, and 68 abstained -- all Socialist MPs, in line with the partys reluctant decision to let its arch-rival govern rather than trigger a third round of elections in the poll-weary country. Rajoy pledged to plough on with economic policies deeply unpopular with the opposition, which blames austerity measures taken in his first term for rising inequality. Do no expect me to... damage economic recovery and job creation, the 61-year-old told lawmakers in a tense pre-vote session, referring to Spains return to growth under his watch following an economic downturn. There is no sense in getting rid of all reforms. They dont represent us The Socialists decision to abstain drew stinging criticism from its rivals including far-left Podemos, and divided the party so seriously that Socialist chief Pedro Sanchez was ousted earlier this month. Hours before the vote, Sanchez himself gave a tearful statement to the media, announcing he was quitting as a lawmaker so he would not have to abstain and allow his staunch rival Rajoy to govern. Hundreds of protesters gathered near parliament amid a heavy police presence, unhappy about corruption and sweeping spending cuts during Rajoys first term, shouting: They dont represent us. Its going to be the same government, or similar, (as in) the past four years, which was disastrous for Spain, said Carmen Lopez, a 65-year-old retired computer technician. People carry a 'NO' signs during a demonstration against Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and the Popular Party in Madrid, Spain. (AP Photo) In the pre-vote session, party leaders strongly criticised Rajoy and one another -- just as they have done for the past 10 months as the country went through two inconclusive elections. This unstable period saw Spain go from jubilation after polls last December that ended the two-party hold on power as millions voted for two upstart parties -- to disillusion following polls in June that returned inconclusive results once again. Rajoys Popular Party (PP) won both elections but without enough parliamentary seats to govern alone. As no political grouping was able to agree on a viable coalition, Spain looked set for more elections. That changed last weekend when the Socialists opted to abstain in Saturdays confidence vote after weeks of in-fighting that saw Sanchez ousted. Turbulent term Rajoys party will only have 137 out of 350 seats in parliament and will face huge opposition, forcing him to negotiate every bill. He originally came to power in 2011 with an absolute majority. You are in the clear minority and under tight surveillance of this lower house. The Socialist party will devote itself to monitoring your every step, Antonio Hernando, the Socialists parliamentary spokesperson, told Rajoy. Among Rajoys priorities will be the 2017 budget, which may need at least five billion euros ($5.5 billion) in spending cuts to reduce the deficit in the face of EU pressure. But further cuts are likely to face stiff opposition both in parliament and on the street. He will also face rising separatist sentiment in the northeastern Catalonia region. Some thousands arrive to Sol square after marching during a demonstration against Spain's acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. (AP Photo) After the vote, Rajoy sought to strike a conciliatory tone. If we all make an effort, we can reach agreements and we have to try and turn this difficult and complex situation into an opportunity, he told reporters. Political analyst Pablo Simon said his term in office would be the most turbulent ever in Spain and could prompt Rajoy to call early elections if he faces gridlock in parliament. But he predicted it would not be as difficult for Rajoy as some have anticipated. The Socialists will need time to regroup and will not want early elections, knowing they would fare badly after their very public breakdown, he said. The PP also has a majority in the senate, and may be able to form pacts with smaller parties in the lower house to see laws through, Simon added. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Sunday said that former information minister Parvaiz Rasheed has been made a scapegoat, adding the nation demands much more. The PTI boss made this remark after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif asked Rasheed to step down from his post. Hitting out at Rasheed, the PTI chief invoking a metaphor said, The nation wants the sacrifice of a horse, not a mule, reports the Dawn. He was speaking to reporters outside his Bani Gala residence. Facing stiff resistance, Rasheed had been asked to step down as the government was forced to launch a probe into Dawns story Act against militants or face international isolation, civilians tell military which reported details of a high-level civil-military meeting discussing the issue of Pakistans banned outfits. An action was demanded by the military as it viewed the leak from the meeting as a break of national security. This move has given Khan, a strong critic of Sharif, another opportunity to hit out at the incumbent government as his party is all set for the protest of Islamabad on November 2. The PTI chairman said, Rasheed could not speak without a signal from his masters to do so. He could not dare to anything on his own. He just obeyed instructions. People are not ready to accept the sacrifice of an associate, he said. We want to know who was the one from the royal family who directed this entire drama, he added. Continuing his outburst against the government for their actions in the days leading up to his scheduled November 2 protest, Khan said that it has gone out of its way to restrain the party from exercising its constitutional right of protest. According to the PTI chief, the credibility of judiciary was at stake as the government was violating laws and had committed contempt of court. Khan yesterday said that a corrupt leader is controlling the countrys institutions for justice. In an apparent reference to shipping containers that have blocked routes to Islamabad despite an order by the Islamabad High Court to keep the city open, he said What will people think? You passed orders but everyone can see what is going on. Herb Dhaliwal became the first Indo-Canadian minister when he was given the revenue portfolio in 1997. Though retired from politics now, he pays special attention to the Justin Trudeau government and enjoys sharing this anecdote: Somebody was telling me, when he walked into a NATO meeting, one person remarked they didnt know India was part of NATO. He was referring to Canadas national defence minister Harjit Sajjan, one of four Indo-Canadians Trudeau appointed to his Cabinet last November. In the year since, it has become even more evident that those appointments went beyond symbolism. Sajjan is tasked not only with dealing with Canadas role in the Iraq-Syria theatre but its expanded peacekeeping ambitions at the UN and in Africa. Navdeep Bains, minister of innovation, science and economic development, has emerged as the de facto liaison between Ottawa and New Delhi. As Trudeau looks at investing $1 trillion in infrastructure, the importance of infrastructure and communities minister Amarjeet Sohi becomes clear. And small business and tourism minister Bardish Chagger was elevated to Leader of Government in the House of Commons this year. Satwinder Bains, director of the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies at the University of Fraser Valley in British Columbia, said: These were very thoughtful and very meaningful appointments and they were done with real confidence in their skill sets and not pandering to political communities. Dhaliwal added: They have performed well. Its a credit to Trudeau to have confidence in these people who had not been in the cabinet before. He said this is a trend that will be emulated in future by the opposition Conservatives and New Democratic Party. It generally sends a very good message. I think others will follow. In fact, messaging is important. Last month, as racist anti-Sikh posters appeared at the University of Alberta, Sajjan tweeted: Proud to be Canadian, proud of my service to Canada, proud of my turban. That was retweeted by Trudeau. That showed a sense of purpose, Bains felt. I felt very empowered by his tweet, she said. As the presence of Indo-Canadians in the cabinet becomes normal, the process of mainstreaming is enhanced. Theyre sitting at the table, setting the agenda, writing up the policies. Thats huge, Bains said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A follower of Islamic State was responsible for a stabbing attack on two youths in the German city of Hamburg two weeks ago, the militant groups Amaq news agency said on Sunday. In the incident, the unknown perpetrator attacked a young couple sitting under a bridge at the Alster river in downtown Hamburg. He stabbed the 16-year-old man repeatedly from behind and kicked his 15-year-old female companion into the river. The stabbing victim died of his injuries shortly afterwards in hospital while the young woman managed to escape. A soldier of the Islamic State stabbed two individuals in Hamburg city on the 16th of this month, Amaq said. He carried out the operation in response to calls to target the citizens of coalition countries. A police spokesperson in Hamburg declined to comment on Islamic States claim and only referred to an earlier statement the police issued shortly after the attack. According to that statement, the attacker was of southern appearance, aged between 23 and 25 years and had a designer stubble. The background of the act is unknown and the subject of investigation, police said back then. Experts say it is not clear how close the connection is between groups and individuals proclaiming allegiance to the Islamic State militant group. The Islamist organisation is increasingly under pressure from regional and international forces in its Middle East heartland of Syria and Iraq. When a leading French politician said Switzerlands free ports were helping terrorists hide stolen assets, Swiss officials offered a blunt rebuke. In response to French finance minister Michel Sapins charge, authorities in Geneva insisted they had cleaned up their act and suggested he come and check things out for himself. Had (the comments) been made several years ago, we could have taken them seriously. Today, they are simply unacceptable, Pierre Maudet, economics chief in Genevas cantonal government, told Switzerlands One FM. Maudets chief of staff, Patrick Baud-Lavigne, added that a letter has been sent to Mr Sapin inviting him to come make an onsite inspection. Sapins supposed insult was made at a G20 meeting earlier this month. He called free ports a weak link in countering terrorist financing as they helped Islamic State group (IS) sympathisers traffic artistic and archaeological treasures stolen from Iraq and Syria. These free ports exist in certain countries. I am referring in particular to Switzerland, he said. A place to hide loot? The original concept behind free ports was to provide places to store goods in transit, protecting them from excessive tariffs and bureaucracy. Perhaps not surprisingly, highly secured warehouses where basically anything could be stashed tax free with few questions asked became increasingly attractive to nefarious operators. Switzerland became a free port hub, mirroring the countrys banking system, which has long been known as a place to store enormous wealth with little scrutiny on the origins of funds. The Geneva free ports, established in 1854, now include two separate heavily guarded facilities where endless rows of valuable wine are kept alongside thousands of works of art, including Picassos, Van Goghs and Monets assets likely worth billions of dollars. In recent years, questions have been raised about some of the goods held at Genevas secretive warehouses. In April, port authorities sequestered Amadeo Modiglianis painting Seated Man With a Cane, which had allegedly been looted from a Jewish art dealer by the Nazis and has been valued at $25 million. Questions about the piece emerged after the Panama Papers leaks uncovered the identity of its owner. There has, however, been no public confirmation of Sapins suggestion that treasures looted by jihadis had been kept in Geneva. Baud-Lavigne said there is a little bit of fantasy and misunderstanding around the free ports. But officials have conceded the Geneva facilities had previously been used to traffic archaeological goods and have implemented a series of transparency measures. New rules Geneva free ports chief Alain Decrausaz told AFP these new rules should ease concerns about the facility being exploited for terrorist funding. Federal government guidelines approved earlier this year require the name and address of merchandise owners be mentioned on inventory lists, he said. And last month, new systems for the control of archaeological antiquities were adopted, requiring anyone transporting such goods be approved before arriving at the port. If there any doubts as to the provenance of any item, international auditing giant KPMG can ask for more information or conduct a complete inspection of the cargo, Decrausaz explained. One unresolved issue is customs agents. Decrausaz said he has repeatedly asked for more, but the federal government claims that with 1.3 million migrants and refugees pouring into Europe over the last two years, Switzerland cant afford to take staff away from border controls to beef up customs at the port. Moldovans began voting on Sunday for a president in an election that could move the former Soviet republic closer to Europe or push it back into Russias orbit. It is the first time in 20 years citizens have directly voted for their president in a country where many are angry about high-level corruption. Both the European Union together with the US and Russia seek to have more influence over the impoverished agricultural landlocked nation of 3.5 million, located between EU member Romania and Ukraine. Polls opened at 7am and close at 9pm, with first results expected two hours later. After two hours of voting, some 5% of the electorate had cast ballots. The favourite of the nine candidates running for the post is Igor Dodon, a pro-Moscow figure who heads the Socialists Party and who has tapped into widespread dissatisfaction with the pro-European government. Ex-World Bank economist Maia Sandu is the preferred option for those who want Moldova to join the European mainstream. If no candidate wins a majority, there will be a runoff on November 13. The president appoints judges and sets out foreign policy but other major decisions need the approval of Parliament. The popular election, however, could bring the post more influence and authority. Moldova was thrown into political turmoil in 2014 with the disappearance of more than $1 billion from the banking system. Weeks of street protests followed and six prime ministers took office in one year. Since then, Parliament has passed anti-corruption laws, forcing public officials to disclose their assets and making the misuse of EU funds a criminal offence. When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau formed his government on November 4 last year, the mandate letter issued to international trade minister Chrystia Freeland said he expected her to focus on expanding trade with large fast-growing markets, including China and India. Over the first ten months since Trudeau replaced Stephen Harper, he had multiple encounters with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including a bilateral on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington in April. Beyond those interactions, other planned high-level contacts, including a proposed visit by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, were postponed, pointing to a possible lost year in revving bilateral relations. That changed over the past two months. Natural resources minister Jim Carr led Canadas first official visit and trade mission to New Delhi in September. By the end of that month, commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman held a comprehensive dialogue with Freeland in Toronto. Finance minister Arun Jaitley soon followed her to Toronto and met his Canadian counterpart Bill Morneau and Freeland, while two more Canadian cabinet ministers are likely to fly to India in the weeks ahead. It was a slow start but the engines driving the equation appear to be gunned. Bear in mind, youve got a new government, Peter Sutherland, former Canadian envoy to New Delhi, pointed out. It was just a matter of getting time to deal with it. That was the clear signal at the outset that they intended to move forward. Sutherland is confident the Trudeau government will give new impetus to a relationship that already had momentum after Harper broke the ice, first with former premier Manmohan Singh and then with Modi, who in April last year, made the first bilateral visit to Canada by an Indian prime minister since 1973. Its a continuation of a process. The best part is there is this strong commitment cutting across political lines in both countries. Regardless of politics, it is strengthening and that is a very good yardstick to judge the calibre of a relationship, Indian high commissioner Vishnu Prakash said. The groundwork is being laid for what could be a significant year ahead. As Rana Sarkar, national director for high growth markets and India for KPMG Canada, said: There are many aspects where the relationship could get even deeper. Practical things are starting to take place. What were really looking at is taking the relationship from episodic to institutional, to deepen that out. Last year, in the background was very busy between the two countries. It may take a short while to move from the background to the forefront and the reason for that could be a visit by Trudeau to India next year. I think that if you look at the architecture of Trudeaus visits in the first year, weve been using his brand power to better relationships that are critical to Canada but may have been either neglected or we could have been doing better it. Theyre certainly looking for dates for the PM, theyre in midst of trying to coordinate calendars (of the two prime ministers). In the interim, theyve had strong meetings on the margins of international forums, said Sarkar, who was a foreign policy advisor to Trudeau during the 2015 federal election campaign. While discussions on strategic and security issues are pending, economic ties have gained muscle. Prakash said, Look at the trade flows. Last year trade grew nearly 30%. Last 24 months, more than $12 billion of Canadian investments have gone into India, including portfolio investments. India is now ready to invest about $4 billion in the Pacific NorthWest energy project. Practically in every parameter, we are doing well. That optimism is shared by Sutherland: In my view, its important theres a genuine commitment on both sides to keep them going forward and make sure there are regular visits at the ministerial level, to keep the files at the top of each countrys inbox, so to speak. A Trudeau visit in 2017 will certainly accomplish that. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Family members and civil society representatives staged a protest outside the Lahore press club on October 28 to demand the release of Abdul Wahid Baloch,who went missing from Balochistan in July. Hani Baloch, the daughter of Abdul Wahid Baloch, joined the demonstration and demanded the safe release of her father. Hani said that in these conditions where her father is missing, can the authorities understand that she is protesting here only due to her father. She said that her grandmother, who is in hospital, has been told that Baloch is at the police station. My mother has blood pressure issues and my sister is in shock. In such circumstances, I am lying to them and protesting. I dont have any interest in politics, nor, do I want people to know who Hani Baloch is. If my father has done anything wrong, they should tell us. They should follow the constitution and tell us why he is in custody, said Hani. Abdul Wahid Baloch is a social worker and a publisher who lives in Chakiwara, Lyari, in Balochistan. He went missing on July 26 and his family alleges that he was taken by law enforcement agencies. A one-time telephone operator at the Civil Hospital in Karachi, Abdul Wahid was a book lover and helped Baloch authors publish their works. He also assisted activists in printing posters. Baloch activists have since launched #SaveWahidBaloch campaign and are protesting in various cities across Pakistan to demand the release of Wahid Baloch. The Pakistan government removed information minister Pervaiz Rashid because he failed to stop a false news report regarding a high-level security meeting from being published, interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on Sunday. Pervaiz Rashid should have told the journalist concerned that the story is incorrect, and should not be published in the national interest and upon resistance he could have asked the editor of the newspaper not to run the story, Khan told a news conference a day after the information minister was sacked. The October 6 report in the Dawn daily about a rift between the civil and military leadership on tackling terrorist groups had created a storm in Pakistan. Giving in to pressure from the military, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday ordered a probe to establish who had leaked information to Dawn journalist Cyril Almeida. Khan described the events quoted in the report - including a dispute between Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, the younger brother of the premier, and the ISI chief over action against non-state actors - as absolutely baseless. Read | Pak newspaper questions govts inaction against Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed There has always been a consensus between the civil-military leadership on non-state actors, said Khan, who is himself considered close to the military. He said the decision to remove the information minister was taken after initial findings of a probe into the matter, with the army being taken into confidence. A complete inquiry is till pending, he added. A high power committee will probe the Dawn leaks and those responsible will be exposed. No one should attempt to hide behind the right to information act and the right to protect sourcesThis is a matter of national security, Khan said, suggesting Almeida will be questioned by the inquiry committee. Khan said he was assured by representatives of Dawn that Almeida will be available for questioning. Else, the law will take its course, he said. Referring to a planned lockdown of Islamabad on November 2 by Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf (PTI) party, the interior minister said the opposition party intended to shut down the federal capital. Read | Pak military skewer fabricated Dawn story, say it breached national security What sort of message will this send out to the world if the capital of a nuclear power is locked down, he questioned. This would be a crime not just against the government but a crime against the state. The interior minister recalled that Islamabad was closed for four months because of a sit-in by Imran Khans party in 2014. The protesters are planning to overrun the Pakistan Secretariat , he said, questioning how a mob of 12,000 people from a province can run over the capital and destroy everything. The interior minister said the government intended to keep everything up and running. Reacting to the interior ministers news conference, Imran Khan said there was a need to find out all those responsible behind the security leak. Pervaiz Rashid cannot be so innocent to just forward a story without asking anyone about it, he said. There is a need to find out if Rashid was all alone in his act or was backed by some people of the Sharif family. Imran Khan added, The security leaks put forth a stance similar to Narendra Modis rhetoric against Pakistan in order to please the Indo-Israel lobby. Read | Triple-checked facts of Pak civilian-army leaders rift story: Cyril Almeida Arab coalition warplanes bombed a security complex near the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, killing 60 people including inmates of a prison on the site, a regional official, relatives and medical sources said on Sunday. The prison in the citys al-Zaydiyah district was holding 84 inmates when it was struck three times late on Saturday, Hashem al-Azizi, deputy governor of the Houthi rebel-controlled Hodeidah province of the same name, told Reuters. Local officials said the site lies within a security complex for the area guarded by Houthi militiamen but that only prison security guards were present during the night-time air strike. The Saudi-led coalition has been fighting Yemens armed Houthi movement since March 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognised President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was driven into exile by the Iran-allied group in late 2014. A Reuters witness at the security complex said the entire building was destroyed and medics pulled about 17 bodies away - many of them missing limbs - while others remained stuck under the rubble. One of the strikes directly targeted the building, the witness added, bringing it down over the heads of the prisoners, while two others hit the gate of the complex and nearby administration buildings. A spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The air attack was one of the deadliest among thousands of bombings which have largely failed to dislodge the Houthis from the capital Sanaa but have repeatedly hit schools, markets, hospitals and homes, killing many civilians. Hadi rejects peace plan Rights groups have said the raids may amount to war crimes, but an investigative body set up by the coalition largely defended its methods in an August report which concluded that Houthi rebels regularly deploy to civilian sites. The Houthis deny this, and a top official in the movement criticized the United Nations and the Saudis key ally and arms supplier, the United States, for not doing enough to hold the kingdom accountable for its air strikes. We condemmn the position of the international community and the UN for providing cover for the crimes of Saudi Arabia against Yemenis, and they are subject to the wishes of America, Saleh al-Samad said in a statement late on Saturday. The bombing may signal a renewed uptick in violence a day after Hadi rejected a new UN peace proposal to end the turmoil in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country, saying the deal would only be a path to more war and destruction. Speaking after meeting U.N. envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed in Riyadh, Hadi said the agreement would reward the rebels and penalise the Yemeni people and legitimacy, according to the government-controlled Saba news agency. According to a copy of the proposal seen by Reuters, the plan would sideline Hadi and set up a government of less divisive figures. Hadis opponents accuse him of commanding only a small support base in Yemen and of being unable to bring its warring factions together given that he invited the Saudi-led coalition to intervene in the civil war. It must be beefing season. With DC4 finally arriving yesterday, the hip-hop world was reminded of Meek Mills ongoing beef with Drake, who, also yesterday, received a threatening tweet from Kid Cudi. Responding to Drake dissing him on Two Birds One Stone, Cudi told the OVO boss to come see him once he gets out of rehab. That same tweet inspired Lupe Fiasco, an old foe of Cudis, to clown him for beefing while attempting to rehabilitate. And it didnt end there. Late last night, a feud commenced between Lil Yachty and Soulja Boy, whom Boat has idolized for much of his career. The beef started over a model named India Love. Soulja began posting photos of himself and Love on his Instagram, professing his love for her in the process. That prompted Lil Yachty, who claims to be dating the same woman, to text message Soulja about the IG posts. Soulja took a screenshot of the convo, which he posted to IG, and went on to call Yachty a groupie. Soulja went continued to stir up the beef on social media, while Yachty stayed calm, simply tweeting, fuckin wit da boat you gone sink. Period. Now Yachty has clapped back at Soulja Boy in a big way. Earlier today, while performing at the Mala Luna Festival in San Antonio, TX, Yachty performed a high-energy Soulja Boy diss track. He gets the crowd chanting fuck Soulja Boy, and hits him with bars like, Fuckin on yo bitch, I know that you mad / Its Lil Boat bitch, Im so glad. The freestyle looks to be something that Boat cooked up on the spot, so its unknown if hes putting this song out. Even so, the raps are now being used as ammo, so things could get interesting. Watch the rowdy performance below. Footage has also surfaced of Yachty vehemently shit-talking Soulja Boy. It has now been confirmed, via DJ Akademiks, that Yachty wore a shirt to todays performance that reads Pray 4 Soulja on the front and R.I.P. 2007-2016. And heres a backstage video of Yachty eating pizza and counting his show money, offering some remarks on his opponents behavior. I guess when you washed up, you getta go to desperate measures. I will never know what thats like. Lil Yachty This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRUSSELS - The European Union and Canada signed a far-reaching trade agreement on Sunday that commits them to opening their markets to greater competition, after overcoming a last-minute political obstacle that reflected the growing skepticism toward globalization in much of the developed world. Canada's prime minister, Justin Trudeau, had been forced to call off an earlier trip to sign the deal after Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium, used its veto to withhold Belgium's approval of the deal. The pact required the support of all 28 countries. On Friday, Wallonia, which has been hit hard by deindustrialization and feared greater agricultural competition, withdrew its veto after concessions were made by the Belgian government, including promises to protect farmers. Hours later, they announced that the deal was back on track. Trudeau signed the pact on Sunday, joined by Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, which represents the leaders of the member states; Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia, which holds the rotating presidency of the body that runs the bloc's ministerial meetings; and Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, the bloc's executive arm. The deal will help to demonstrate that "trade is good for the middle class and those working hard to join it," Trudeau said at a news conference in Brussels. Trudeau said he wanted to "make sure that everyone gets that this is a good thing for our economies but it's also a good example to the world." But the Walloon intransigence has underlined the extent to which trade has become politically radioactive as citizens increasingly blame globalization for growing disparities in wealth and living standards. Across Europe and the U.S., opposition to trade has become a rallying point for populist movements on the left and the right, threatening to upend the established political order. A compromise among the regions of Belgium, which persuaded Wallonia to drop its veto, called for language to clarify the handling of trade complaints brought by Canadian or European companies. Belgium pledged to refer the arbitration system to the Court of Justice of the EU, where judges can assess its legality. Nonetheless, several dozen anti-trade activists held a rowdy protest on Sunday outside the building where Trudeau signed the pact, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. The protesters splashed red paint on the forecourt of the building and condemned a planned Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between Europe and the U.S. That much larger deal, known as TTIP, has already stalled amid opposition from large numbers of Europeans, including many Germans and Austrians. The protesters see the Canadian deal as a warmup for a much larger battle. The spectacle of tiny Wallonia with just 3.6 million people holding up a deal that affects more than 500 million Europeans and 35 million Canadians and prompting leaders to delay a summit meeting has rattled Western leaders. "In the end, people who favor free trade survived to fight another day," said Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. "Now that we see the Canadian deal has made it over the finish line, the Atlantic trade deal still has a fighting chance," he said. "But it won't be easy. TTIP could similarly threaten traditional farming interests and arouse knee-jerk European suspicions about common trans-Atlantic health and environmental standards." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The first ones were simple: ostrich, unembellished. Twelve pairs later, James Painter can illustrate his life's highlights by lifting a pant leg. The Louisiana State University logo stitched in purple and gold. Oil rigs. And the Lone Star flag, sewn onto the boots he had made for his wedding day. His enthusiasm began nearly two decades ago, when the executive vice president of Cobalt International Energy found himself in need of custom cowboy boots to accommodate the quirks of aging feet. A friend offered a single suggestion: Maida's. "I've been in love with Maida's boots ever since," Painter said. For years, Houston's six-generation bootmaker has crafted footwear in a workshop where lifelong artisans pull premium hides over custom-made lasts. Many of its customers, like Painter, have had money to spend, concepts in mind and word-of-mouth recommendations to visit a bright, leather-clad showroom in a nondescript industrial area near Spring Branch. RELATED: Houston's boot makers share the secret to buying the perfect boots Now, Maida's is working to broaden its appeal to those less familiar with the gratification of custom footwear. It's in the midst of opening two design shops, in Rice Village and the River Oaks area, where more casual shoppers will be likely to encounter a concept wholly different than that of ready-to-wear shoe retailers. "If we don't do it, we'll lose this business," said Sal Maida, who now runs the business with help from his father and son. "We've been waiting on that guy to make that decision, and that's not going to work. We have to put it in their face." The Rice Village shop opened last month, and Maida said he expects the River Oaks location to open around Thanksgiving. Both locations will offer fitting services and virtual design consultations using video technology. It's all part of an effort to keep the decades-old business alive as its craftsmen grow older. Interest in custom cowboy boots has endured for generations among those who can afford them, but there now are relatively few people who practice the craft, said Maida's son, also named Sal. "It's a dying art," he said. "The world has changed, and the footwear industry has changed dramatically." RELATED: Texas Junk Company is moving to Moulton Maida's began more than a century ago, in the 1880s, when an Italian immigrant named Sam Maida began making shoes in downtown Houston at a time when most footwear was custom fit. He sent for his son, John, who traveled to the U.S. and took over the business after Sam's death at the turn of the century. By then, mechanization had upended the craft of custom production with a cost-effective process that produced shoes more quickly. To capitalize on the changes, John established the Houston Shoe Hospital to repair cheaper, mass-produced shoes and ran that business alongside his custom shop. Upon his death, his son inherited both businesses just as the boot-clad cowboy actors of the 1930s became cultural icons. Western film stars such as Tom Mix, Roy Rogers and Gene Autry popularized splashes of color with their custom designs and embellishments. "Those three marketed the boot," Maida said. The business, passed from father to son twice over the remainder of the century, continued to carve for itself a niche in the industry as shoe manufacturing migrated overseas. Instead of instant gratification, it promised a perfect fit and decades of wear. Today, the boot workshop encapsulates the company's history. Its walls bear photos of Autry and other cowboy greats who bought Maida's boots, and its aging machines have worked longer than some of the bootmakers. At 75, Ramiro Gonzalez is the oldest craftsman in the shop. His seasoned hands expertly tool sturdy soles and pricey leathers. Like others who work there, he learned the craft in Mexico, a country with its own storied tradition of bootmaking. "He is the best in the industry," Maida said. "He is never, ever fearful of change or creativity on the artistic side of what we make." But Gonzalez is among a dwindling number of artisan bootmakers. Maida's son Sal said he and his father are working to find an apprentice to learn the profession as the older generation phases out. "No one does it anymore, and you've got to find people who really want to learn," he said. It's labor-intensive work. At Maida's, a pair of custom boots requires an average of 65 hours to make. The boots start at $2,000 and last for years. Under Maida's guidance, the business has intensified its focus on design, and many of its boots cost thousands of dollars more as a result. Customers can choose leather from animals as docile as calves or as predatory as alligators, and from there, the design options have few limits. "People love anything that's couture or high end," Maida said. "We gravitate, even if we can't afford it, to the beauty and essence of high quality." The appeal of custom boots, deeply rooted in Texas, has continued to support other craftsmen throughout the state. Generational businesses such as Houston's Wheeler Boot Co., Fort Worth's M.L. Leddy's and San Antonio's Little's Boots have cultivated loyal followings. "Texas has such a long tradition of bootmaking and boot wearing," said Jennifer June, a cowboy boot expert who has written a book on custom designs. "Custom boots are not about what style is in or out, it's about what you want." Recognizing this, Maida said the newest shops, meant to make the luxury of custom boots more accessible, will emphasize that idea. Painter, who has designed new boots for himself almost every year since slipping his feet into that first ostrich-skin pair, said he hadn't expected to be so involved in the process. "It's a piece of art that you wear every day and for men, we don't wear a lot of it," he said. "I probably won't get any this year, but I have a hard time thinking I won't get any next year." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The sign outside The Pit Room, a new barbecue joint in Montrose, advertises "handcrafted barbecue." "Handcrafted" or just "craft" is a descriptor that gets thrown around a lot these days in the barbecue world. It's used to indicate that a pitmaster employs traditional and time-consuming techniques to produce a high-quality product, rather than the automated and lower-quality techniques used in the 1990s. However, craft barbecue is a broad term. On one end of the scale, some barbecue joints are still mostly automated but justify using "craft" because they add smoke flavor to meat otherwise cooked with gas. On the other end are joints that make every dish on their menu from scratch and use only all-wood-burning pits to flavor and cook their meat. Only a handful of joints in Texas qualify for the latter definition of craft barbecue. The Pit Room is one of them. "From the beginning, I knew I wanted everything we serve to be made from scratch," says managing partner Michael Sambrooks, who co-owns the restaurant with members of his family. Easier said than done. Cooking barbecue on the custom-built, offset firebox, barrel-style pits that Sambrooks uses requires almost constant attention from his team of pitmasters. More Information The Pit Room 1201 Richmond 281-888-1929 See More Collapse "Our pits run 24 hours a day," he says. Similarly, the vast majority of barbecue joints either buy commercially packaged sausage or have the sausage made to their recipe by a local butcher or meat distributor. Very few actually make the sausage in-house. The Pit Room does. "It's a three-day process," Sambrooks says. "We butcher the meat one day, grind and stuff it into the casings the next, then smoke the sausage on the final day." The three types of handmade sausage at The Pit Room may be the best at any Houston barbecue joint. There's a "Czech-style" all-beef sausage loaded with mustard seeds and other spices. The pork sausage features big chunks of fresh jalapeno peppers and melty cheese. And the venison sausage could be the standout of the bunch - dense, smoky and peppery. Sambrooks and executive chef Bramwell Tripp employ a dedicated crew of chefs and cooks to produce the sausage as well as the other handmade menu items, including side dishes and desserts. They are well prepared for the trials and tribulations of the restaurant business, often intensified in the smoky, hot haze of a pit room. Sambrooks grew up in Kingwood, attended Baylor University and later the Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston. He then worked at high-profile restaurants such as Reef, Stella Sola and, most recently, Goode Co. Barbeque. He met Tripp a few years ago, when they both worked at Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette in River Oaks. Later, as Sambrooks was getting the idea for The Pit Room off the ground, he ran into his old colleague at Revival Market, where he was working as a sous chef at the time. Tripp joined The Pit Room soon thereafter. Though The Pit Room has been open only a few weeks, it is producing some of the best barbecue in Houston. Besides house-made sausage, I can recommend the excellent brisket and pork ribs. Sambrooks and Tripp say they are still figuring things out and testing new menu items. They recently started serving dinner and took over the bar next door (formerly Jackson's Watering Hole, now called The Patio on Richmond) for extra seating. They're also committed to producing Houston-influenced barbecue, which for Sambrooks means a Tex-Mex/Mexican influence. To that end, the menu offers brisket, pulled pork and chicken tacos with flour tortillas made in-house using fat collected from trimming briskets. The tacos - tortillas redolent of beef fat and piled high with smoky meat, cheddar cheese, sour cream and salsa roja - are a welcome sight. Just like The Pit Room itself, which represents a significant evolution in the quality and craft of barbecue in Houston. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate First, let's get the obvious out of the way. There is only one best Halloween candy, and that's the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. It is the most sublime amalgam of the Holy Trinity of salt, fat and sugar ever made by the hand of man. Choosing the worst candy, though, is harder, because candies can be awful in so many ways. To get it out of the way, let's deal with old-timey candy. If your grandparents were the grumpy sort, think about how they grew up and the candy they had to deal with. Could anything be more soul-crushing than rock candy? It's pretty, but it tastes like a broken window. Those candy buttons on paper, perfect for flies to sit on: to Grandpa, that was a treat. And I remember my profound shock and sadness when 5-year-old me bit into marzipan for the first time. How could anything so beautiful taste so terrible? My mother sometimes bought a brown, cough-syrup-tasting candy called horehound. Now there's a name that was insufficiently focus-grouped. But on to actual name brands. Some folks would nominate the venerable Necco wafer, a roll of chalky discs with a limited flavor profile. But really, the brownish and grayish ones aren't so bad. (Also not focus-grouped: gray candy.) If you even consider giving out Dum-Dums on Halloween, you might want to google "how to get egg off house siding." They are so bottom-of-the-bag they even offend the dog. See also: little boxes of raisins, stickers, dimes, pencils, religious pamphlets. An online poll on influenster.com last year said that the favorite Halloween candy of Texans is candy corn. Seriously? As a state, people, we can do better. You might make a case for liking little Tootsie Rolls - if you had never eaten real chocolate, ever. I used to live in a town that had a Fourth of July parade. One of the local plumbers would sit on a toilet on the top of his truck and throw Tootsie Rolls to the kids. I rest my case. Werther's Originals are something you take to Great-Grandma in the home. Don't give them to any kid under 90. Butterscotch is, in general, an underappreciated flavor, but these babies aren't doing anything for the image. I now come to my own personal worst candy ever. I'm pretty sure they have justly fallen out of favor, but they still exist: Nik-L Nips. For the uninitiated, a Nik-L Nip is a tiny enclosed wax bottle filled with a syrup that looks like hummingbird food. You bite the head off the bottle, drink the syrup and then chew the bottle. Idiot children also swallow. You can take all the Garbage Pail Kids, circus peanuts, Bazooka, Twizzlers, Lemonheads, random hard candies covered in lint, Jujubes, Dots found under a movie seat and Pixy Stix in the whole world, and they will not be as bad as one Nik-L Nip. Don't do that to a kid. kyrie.oconnor@chron.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate They call it Village Night. It's just a casual get-together the members of Our Lady of the Cedars Catholic Church put on during an October night to honor the Virgin Mary. But by about 6 p.m., an event that began with Mass and a procession out of the sanctuary looked more like an energized carnival than an intimate gathering of faith and cultural heritage. Several hundred people packed the church parking lot where the sweet smell of hookah smoke wafted in the air. Traditional Lebanese music played - attendees would head to the dance floor in a few hours - and a few families broke out backgammon boards. Others waited in line for Lebanese food: freshly made garlic chicken wraps, yogurt sandwiches and honey-soaked desserts. At the heart of this celebration was their Maronite faith, a branch of the Catholic church that originated in Syria and is now rooted in Lebanon, a country 7,000 miles away on the Mediterranean coast. "I love the culture. That's why I'm here," Ferris Sadek said. The 22-year-old Ohio native of Lebanese descent found Our Lady of the Cedars via Google when he was searching for a place to get his Lebanese fix after moving to Houston for an internship. That's a common refrain from this eclectic group of congregants who are bound by their shared culture and a faith that holds masses in Arabic. Our Lady of the Cedars conducts 9:30 a.m. Sunday services in Arabic and at 11 a.m. another in Arabic and English. The attendees are a varied group: young professionals who moved to Houston for jobs in the oil business or medical center, 30-somethings who grew up going to the church and want their toddlers to have the same community, and families of Lebanese-born parents with Houston-born children. Maroun Sawma, who was DJing during Village Night, moved from Lebanon to Houston because of the city's diversity. He found out about the church because its priest was a family friend. "I have about 60 cousins out here," Sawma said, gesturing at the packed picnic tables. They all attend Our Lady of the Cedars. Missing their liturgy Our Lady of the Cedars didn't always draw crowds numbering in the hundreds. The church is young enough that some of its members recall when they had to drive to San Antonio to attend a Maronite service. Others in Houston's Maronite community attended local Roman Catholic churches instead. It wasn't the same. "People miss their own liturgy," said Nabil Joubran, a native of Lebanon who helped found the church and now runs its educational programming. "They miss their Maronite heritage and Maronite traditions." Efforts to start a Maronite church in Houston began with a handful of families in the '80s. They went as far as selecting a priest and purchasing land for their santcuary, but then politics got in the way. At the time, Lebanon was in the midst of a civil war that lasted until 1990. Despite their common religion, the Maronite community in Lebanon split between political parties. That same divide split Houston's Lebanese expatriate community, which couldn't overcome its differences to form a church. That changed in 1992, when the Maronite church in Lebanon sent a new priest, Milad Yaghi, to Houston. Yaghi is still the church's priest today. A Beirut native, Yaghi thought he was headed for South Africa. Instead, he wound up in Houston, learning English as fast as he could and living in and running the church out of a one-bedroom apartment donated by a member. One of his first duties was putting an end to any discussion of politics in the church. That doesn't political divisions have gone away from the Houston Maronite community. But at Our Lady of the Cedars foreign politics were pushed aside to allow this church to flourish. When conflict comes, "We pray for the peace, not only in Lebanon, but everywhere," Yaghi said. Shortly after Yaghi's arrival, the church bought land off of West Bellfort. "It was a dump," Joubran said. "Tons of tires and debris. This was not just trash, this was hazardous trash." The few dozen families involved in the Church members cleared the site and raised funds for the building. Now, about 700 families attend Our Lady of the Cedars, the largest membership of a Maronite church in the 34 western states. The 5-acre campus includes a church, event hall, classroom space and a rectory. There also has been an uptick in membership from Iraqis and Syrians, who aren't Maronite but want to attend Christian services in Arabic, Yaghi said. The Maronite mass strongly resembles a Roman Catholic service, as the church is one of 22 Eastern Catholic churches. Maronites have the same relationship to the pope as Roman Catholics do. They have their own patriarch, who lives in Lebanon, and four Maronite saints. The most notable difference in the Maronite ritual is the liturgical language, which is in Syriac, a language of ancient Syria. During the 11 a.m. service at Our Lady of the Cedars, the liturgy has a few lines in Syriac, including the consecration. Like members of its congregation, who hold the occasional crawfish boil on the premises, the church's building feels uniquely Lebanese, but also quite Texan. The stained glass was made in Fredericksburg. The 12 stations of the cross are from France. The mosaics that flank the altar are from Rome. Statues of two Maronite saints outside of the building were imported from Lebanon, as was the church bell that rings when churchgoers leave mass to socialize in the event hall. And just down the road are other signs of Houston's diversity: a Hindu temple, a Pentecostal church and a Chinese Christian church. Typical assignments for Maronite priests are for six years. Yaghi has been at Our Lady of the Cedars for nearly 15. There was always a project that kept him in Houston, like building the hall or the church, Yaghi said. How it all turned out was beyond expectations. "It was dream," Yaghi said. "We did not know we were going to be here today." Understanding home As it neared 9 p.m. on Village Night, people were dancing. A mix of ages from tweens to senior citizens clasped hands while stepping and jumping during dabke, a traditional Arab circle dance that's the default for weddings, birthdays and other celebrations. They wound their way around the parking lot, past picnic tables where a group of Iraqis were chatting, past the event hall where toddlers and their parents headed for a respite from the heat. They would dance until midnight. In the hall, Bernadette Fadel, watched her nearly 3-year-old daughter playing on the carpet. Because of conflict in Lebanon and the surrounding countries, Fadel has never been able to visit. But here at Our Lady of the Cedars, where differing factions of Lebanese people come together despite the differences of their homeland, she's been allowed to understand more of the country her extended family calls home, albeit in the most diverse city of Texas. margaret.kadifa@chron.com twitter.com/margaretkadifa This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Peak season for the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses has come and nearly passed without a single confirmed case of Zika transmitted in Texas. Time to breathe a sigh of relief? "No, quite the opposite, I think," said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the national school of tropical medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and one of the world's foremost Zika experts. For months, Hotez has been warning that without an aggressive federal strategy to fight the spread of the virus, Zika likely would spread to Houston and other areas along the U.S. Gulf Coast. Now, the most critical period in that effort has passed, with Congress still deadlocked on approving funding. On a conference call with reporters last week, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas touted the latest proposal by Republicans to end the months-long partisan stalemate over passage of Zika funding legislation. The $1.1 billion proposal part of a broader stopgap appropriations bill to keep the federal government operating beyond Oct. 1 comes seven months after President Barack Obama requested $1.9 billion from Congress to combat the virus. The vote on the revised measure, which is expected this week, will coincide with the official end of the peak season for mosquito-borne illness in Houston and along the Gulf. The timing couldn't be better, Hotez said, sarcastically, on Friday. "The money will go to great use," he said. "Next year." Most of that money would go toward developing a Zika vaccine and to eradicating mosquitoes in Florida and along the Gulf. The funding still isn't a sure thing; some Senate Democrats have signaled they won't support a bill that doesn't also allocate federal aid to address the lead-contaminated public water system in Flint, Mich. Cornyn, who visited Houston a few weeks ago to observe mosquito-control efforts, said he's hopeful the long-overdue Zika funding finally will come through. "Unfortunately, time has now run out," he said. "So we need to get this done." Without the federal money for ramped-up mosquito control and patient screening, Hotez worries the virus has been allowed to spread here in the Houston metro area for weeks, unchecked and undetected. "The problem with Zika is it's what I call a 'delayed epidemic,'" he said. "So we're not going to know if we've had local Zika transmission until seven or eight months from now, when babies are born with microcephaly. Only then, will we begin to understand the scope of this thing." Microcephaly a birth defect characterized by an abnormally small head and incomplete brain development has become the most identifiable consequence of a virus that's proven exceptionally difficult to detect. It's estimated 80 percent of Zika patients experience no obvious symptoms; many of the rest develop only a minor fever or rash and don't bother seeing a doctor. In early August, Harris County health officials said a baby born here died from microcephaly, the first and only confirmed Zika-related death in Texas. The mother had traveled to Latin America during her pregnancy. If doctors aren't actively testing the patients who do come in Texas, only those who've traveled out of country are routinely tested the only way to detect Zika is through serendipity, Hotez said. That's what happened with a patient in Miami last month, where health officials have since confirmed about 100 others have contracted the illness from mosquito bites. In the aftermath, officials have stepped up mosquito control and patient screenings. "This same series of events is likely going on in multiple cities on the Gulf Coast, including Houston, but the stars just haven't aligned for a serendipitous diagnosis," Hotez said. "That's why I say we won't know the extent of this Zika outbreak until next April or May, when the first babies are born." The consequences could be tragic. Researchers are still working to understand the damaging effects of the virus, which has been linked to neurological disorders in young children. Without federal money, Zika prevention efforts have been left to state and local health departments. In Harris County, that's meant spraying for mosquitoes and encouraging residents to prevent standing water from pooling on their property. The county also has been trapping and testing mosquitoes for Zika, but have yet to find the virus. Dr. Catherine Troisi, infectious disease epidemiologist at UTHealth School of Public Health in Houston, said that offers some reason for hope. In Miami, mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus. "Maybe it hasn't spread here," Troisi said. "If 80 percent of cases are asymptomatic, that means 20 percent are, and we haven't seen those. Maybe that's good enough." Area health officials aren't banking on it. At Baylor, researchers have begun working with the National Institutes of Health on a study of people infected with Zika. A few locals who've tested positive for the virus after traveling abroad already have agreed to participate, said Dr. Shital Patel, the principal investigator on the project. The goal is to study how the human immune system responds to the infection and help the development of a Zika vaccine. "We're trying to fast track the work so we can address this issue," Patel said. In Texas, state officials have confirmed about 200 cases of Zika, almost exclusively among people who'd traveled to countries where Zika is prevalent. Two people who were diagnosed had sexual contact with travelers. About 75 of the cases have been reported in greater Houston, which is more at risk due to the number of residents who travel internationally, experts say. "Remember, that's how many have been diagnosed," said Baylor's Hotez, who estimated the actual number of travel-related Zika cases in Texas at between 2,000 and 10,000. Odds are, he added, some percentage of those people were bitten by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the species that carries the virus. The way Hotez sees it, the question isn't if Zika has spread locally, but how extensively. "It's hard to believe that we're not going to have Zika transmission in Texas," he said. This month, the first group of babies in Puerto Rico known to have been exposed to the Zika virus in their first trimester are being born. Pediatricians do not know what to expect. "This is not like any other outbreak or epidemic," said Dr. Fernando Ysern, a pediatrician in Caguas, Puerto Rico, who is the president of the Puerto Rico chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. In the pediatric field, Zika looms as a kind of developmental doomsday virus, attacking the vulnerability of early brain development, striking at the neurological basis of human potential. While Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, will experience the first wave of children affected by Zika, the rest of the United States is bracing for the spread of the virus. As of Friday, the Puerto Rico Department of Health reported 22,358 cases of Zika exposure, including 1,871 pregnant women. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's latest statistics, as of Sept. 15, list 1,348 pregnant women with "any laboratory evidence of possible Zika virus infection" in U.S. territories and 749 in the United States. Exposure to Zika while pregnant does not mean a child definitely will be born with microcephaly, an unusually small brain and head, or have Zika-related health problems. But the risk is real, and pediatricians are trying to figure out how to follow these children, and how to take care of the ones who do have problems. While nobody knows the actual risk of Zika exposure to a fetus, studies have suggested that between 1 and 13 percent of pregnant women infected with Zika in the first trimester will have a child with microcephaly, but more could have children with more subtle developmental problems related to in utero exposure to the virus. The American Academy of Pediatrics this month announced a $350,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to create a network of pediatricians prepared to deal with a generation of children with Zika-related health problems. The babies will need medical care and their families will need support. But how do you prepare for a new and evolving and still poorly understood clinical challenge? Pediatric experts got together over the summer to talk about it. The meeting was convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics, and it brought together a range of pediatric subspecialists, from neonatology and neurology, infectious diseases and developmental behavioral pediatrics, rehabilitation medicine, ophthalmology and orthopedics and more. There's so much we don't know. Dr. Peter Jay Hotez, dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said several big questions need to be answered. How does the virus do its damage? What is the full spectrum of damage, from the clearly visible microcephaly to less visible neurological changes? And what happens to babies exposed to Zika after birth, when the brain is still developing? The meeting yielded interim guidelines, published in the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. "Initially at CDC, our biggest goal was to make sure pregnant women didn't get Zika," said Dr. Sonja Rasmussen, a pediatrician and clinical geneticist who is the director of the Division of Public Health Information Dissemination at the CDC. "This meeting was really trying to make sure those babies have the best chance to reach their fullest potential." For the children born with microcephaly, whose fetal brain growth has clearly been disrupted by the virus, the recommendations draw on the very recent and quickly evolving experience of doctors in Brazil. These babies are at risk for seizures, feeding problems, tightly contracted joints, thyroid problems, eye problems, and developmental delays. They need regular neurological examinations, hearing tests, vision tests, hormone tests and lots of medical backup. To provide decent care for these children, to support their families, requires subspecialists, coordination, and a profound commitment to complex care. That kind of care is not always available, especially for children from less advantaged homes, and there's a concern that Zika, like so many other diseases, may play out along the lines of privilege, with poor people more likely to be exposed, either because of less protected living situations or jobs that keep them outside. We're tracking the spread of a virus across the map, followed by a generation of babies born with their nervous systems irrevocably damaged, their lives and potential scripted prenatally by the infection. We know they will need extra care over their whole life spans. It's quiet in here. And dark. And feels so very tiny. Sometimes, that would set me on edge. But as my body floats inside a space-aged pod with the lid closed, I feel oddly tranquil. I take a deep breath, letting my belly expand, the way yoga teachers always tell me I should inhale, and hold it for a moment. I'm inside a float tank at MIZU Integrative Medicine Clinic & Float Center, which opens on Friday in Tanglewood. The tank is about the size of a compact car, long enough that J.J. Watt could fit in here with extra space - Houston's favorite defensive end is reportedly a fan of float therapy - and just wide enough to turn sideways when I put the soles of my feet together and bend my knees into the butterfly position. Eventually, after swirling slowly for a half hour or so, I lose my bearings. Am I facing north? South? Do I care? I don't. "It's really meditation in a way," Hannah Badrei told me, a few minutes before I popped into the tank. She owns the new clinic with her husband, Mahyar Badrei, a doctor at Memorial Hermann. "But the difference here is you're meditating in a zero-gravity environment, which really changes everything than just going into a guided meditation session. And I think your body kind of loses itself. Because you have no idea whether you're north or south, you're literally floating in space, it changes the way you meditate. You can quickly get into a meditative state." That's a good thing, says her husband, who keeps a mental list of floating's benefits ready at all times. More Information MIZU Integrative Medicine Clinic & Float Center Where: 5161 San Felipe Phone: 832-767-4312 Web: mizumed.com Price: Introductory floats cost $95; after that, one session is $120. See More Collapse "Floatation therapy itself is old. It really started in the 1950s," he says. And while it's trendy right now, with advocates like Watt and other elite athletes (Tom Brady, Stephen Curry), Mahyar Badrei says it's more than hype. There's scientific evidence that supports its benefits. "It seems that 60 minutes of disconnection from sensory bombardment allows your brain to reset," he says. "Your brain has a body map, and with sensory overload, that body map gets distorted. With your phone, computer, people, that interaction - we really don't have the luxury any more of just being by ourselves." I understand that, I think, as I float in the water, reflecting on all the science the Badreis have stuffed my brain with. Then I try to push away the thoughts. Ruminating over the benefits of meditating in saltwater is the exact opposite of meditating, and I try for a moment to focus on not focusing. It's hard, though. So instead I hope that even though it's likely my crowded brain won't get all those disconnection benefits the Badreis mention, maybe I'll see some of the physical results. The pod is filled with saltwater that has a roughly 30 percent concentration of magnesium sulfate. This turns the water into a zero-gravity environment. I'm floating without having to constantly remind my body to be still, since the water is doing the work for me. This means there's no pressure on my joints or limbs. This is also great for athletes, since it allows for full circulation, which helps spur quick recovery. I'm hoping this means I'll get some relief on the permanent crick in my neck. Mahyar Badrei is a medical doctor, but he's careful to point out that while floating techniques are being evaluated on a medical level, they're not currently considered a medical treatment. "It's not a cure-all," he says. "Will someone with clinical depression come here and use this machine and feel good? Probably. Will it cure them of their clinical depression? No. At that point, you need medication. But it's an ancillary that will help you better deal with your stress." After an hour in the tank, a canned voice alerts me that my session is over, and I raise the lid before heading to the private shower in my float room, where I rinse the goopy magnesium-infused water off my skin. I gladly notice that my limbs feel a bit rubbery. But alas, the next day, I awake to that familiar crick in my neck. maggie.gordon@chron.comtwitter.com/MagEGordon This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate When Aaron Kingston was in fourth grade, his teacher sent home a note requesting that he stop bringing snakes for show-and-tell. "She said I was scaring all the girls," he remembered with a grin. More than three decades later, the Beaumont native is still toting around his slithery friends - but now he makes a living with them. Crown Royal Pythons, which 43-year-old Kingston co-owns, was among dozens of reptile-centric vendors featured at this weekend's Repticon in Pasadena. Vendors touted everything from $25 geckos to $750 snake tanks, filling the floor with creepy-crawly wares well-suited for the Halloween weekend. When Repticon started in 2003, it was a small string of local events in Florida. Now, as reptile-collecting has grown, the convention series has hatched into more than 100 gatherings a year hosted everywhere from California to North Carolina. "It's becoming more of a mainstream hobby than it used to be," said Repticon operating manager Skip Peel. In a back corner of the Pasadena Convention Center, Sarah Hames' family seemed to be solid evidence of that. "That little guy is calling to me," Emma Hames, 8, said as she pointed to a tiny gecko. Emma already has six geckos. Her older brother Nathan, 12, has a bearded dragon and a python, while 15-year-old Arwen boasts an even larger collection, including a blue-tongued skink and a 4-foot Brazilian rainbow boa. "She really wanted a snake," Sarah explained, gesturing to Emma. "So I took them to a reptile store and they each bought one. And then it kind of snowballed from there." Despite their enthusiasm for expanding their scaly menagerie, the Pasadena convention was the Houston family's first - and they walked away all smiles, with at least one new snake each. Vendor Caroline Gouldin - whose geckos entranced Emma - made Saturday her first convention, too. Earlier this year, the Texas A&M University-Kingsville student launched Serendipity Exotics to peddle little lizards in the Houston area. "It's basically living art. Look at all the colors and gene combos and eye pigmentation traits," the 21-year-old said, gesturing to the table full of geckos she bred over the summer. Geckos - as well as other reptiles and amphibians - are popular first pets because they're easy to take care of, Gouldin said. Toward the middle of the floor, Scott Polchow, 40, stood behind a table stocked with pets even easier to care for - but considerably less cute. The former pet store owner said he drove 10 hours from Kansas to sell spiders, scorpions and all manner of thoroughly un-cuddly creatures at the two-day exposition. "They take hours to eat and liquefy their food and suck it back in," he said, pointing to a tiny scorpion with a bug lodged in its mouth. Although the stinging arachnids are venomous, most of the creepy-crawlies displayed were not, as their sellers were quick to point out. Kingston, whose business focuses only on ball pythons, oozed affection for the slithering beasts he claims are "really gentle." But of course, with 28 snakes of his own and dozens more for the business, he's gotten a few nibbles over the years. "I have probably been bit 1,000 times, but mosquito bites hurt worse than ball pythons," he said as he lovingly handled one of his slinky friends. "You hurt your hands worse picking blackberries," he added as the snake vanished into his bushy beard. AUSTIN - More than half of the 511 Texas children most at risk of abuse and neglect who had not been visited promptly by state child-protection caseworkers have been contacted by a state police task force, two state lawmakers confirmed Saturday. Of the total, a state tally showed that 260 of the children had been seen by late Friday, with one child taken on emergency to a safe place and 259 others left at their homes. Still, 165 of the children need to be contacted for the first time, a task Texas Department of Public Safety investigators said they hope to complete by next week. No specifics were available Saturdayon how many of the 161 children deemed at highest risk in Harris County now were visited by authorities. The state backlog of 2,853 high-risk children not visited promptly by state Department of Family and Protective Services caseworkers came to a head this week, when members of the state Senate Finance Committee demanded that state police be immediately dispatched to locate the children and validate their safety. Child-protection agency employees had not seen them purportedly due to staff shortages. State Sens. Paul Bettencourt and John Whitmire, both finance committee members, provided the updated information on the highest risk kids Saturday after they received it Friday from state family and protective services officials. A spokesman for the state agency on Friday told the Houston Chronicle there was no update on the number of highest risk children contacted that day. "This is titanic mess, and you can quote me on that," Bettencourt, a Houston Republican, said Saturday. "The farther we get into this, the more significant the problems that we're finding." Of the 511 "missing," or unaccounted for, highest risk children who had been reported to the state by hospitals and other official police sources as likely victims of abuse and neglect, none had been visited by DFPS caseworkers for weeks afterward - even though they are supposed to be contacted within hours or a few days, depending on the severity of the reports. Of the these children, 55 have been waiting to be seen by state caseworkers for more than two months. Whitmire, a Houston Democrat, said state police started Thursday sending a plain-clothes criminal investigator and a uniformed state trooper to the home of each child among those most at risk of abuse. They are verifying the child's condition and safety, then photographing the child for DFPS files. He said they are also inspecting conditions of the children's homes and documenting that information. The day that effort began, DFPS officials said 86 of those 511 children most at risk of abuse indeed had been visited by caseworkers between Oct. 15 and Thursday. Whitmire is a part of a five-member working group named by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, to draft an expedited plan to ensure that abused and neglected Texas children are properly cared for amid the child-protection agency's continuing operational problems. High turnover rates among employees and management has exacerbated the agency's problems, state lawmakers said. SHURA, Iraq - State-sanctioned Shiite militias joined Iraq's Mosul offensive on Saturday with a predawn assault to the west, where they hope to complete the encirclement of the Islamic State-held city and sever supply lines from neighboring Syria. Other Iraqi forces aided by U.S.-led airstrikes and heavy artillery meanwhile drove ISIS from the town of Shura, south of Mosul, where the militants had rounded up civilians to be used as human shields. The twin thrusts come nearly two weeks into the offensive to retake Iraq's second largest city, but most of the fighting is still taking place in towns and villages far from its outskirts, and the entire operation is expected to take weeks, if not months. The involvement of the Iranian-backed Shiite militias has raised concerns that the battle for Mosul, a Sunni-majority city, could aggravate sectarian tensions. Rights groups have accused the militias of abuses against civilians in other Sunni areas retaken from ISIS, accusations the militia leaders deny. The umbrella group for the militias, known as the Popular Mobilization Units, says they will not enter Mosul itself and will instead focus on retaking Tal Afar, a town to the west that had a Shiite majority before it fell to ISIS in 2014. Ahmed al-Assadi, a spokesman for the group, told reporters in Baghdad that the militias had retaken 10 villages since the start of the predawn operation. But there was likely still some fighting underway, and he said forces were removing explosive booby-traps left by ISIS to slow their advance. Jaafar al-Husseini, a spokesman for the Hezbollah Brigades, said his group and the other militias had advanced 4 miles toward Tal Afar and used anti-tank missiles to destroy three suicide car bombs that were heading toward them. He said the U.S.-led coalition, which is providing airstrikes and ground support to the Iraqi military and Kurdish forces known as the peshmerga, is not playing any role in the Shiite militias' advance. He said Iranian advisers and Iraqi aircraft were helping them. In Baghdad, meanwhile, an ISIS suicide bomber targeting an aid station for Shiite pilgrims killed at least seven people and wounded more than 20, police and hospital officials said. Domestic abuse Regarding "NFL drops ball again on domestic abuse" (Thursday, Page B1), headlines from the presidential campaign trail have ignited conversations across the country about domestic and sexual violence. And last week, Josh Brown's release from the New York Giants for abusing his wife, has again highlighted the insidious epidemic of domestic violence. According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men have experienced sexual assault, and 1 in 4 women experience domestic abuse at the hands of a current or former partner. Media outlets could increase awareness of available resources for victims, such as the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-SAFE (7233). In Houston, we have effective resources for survivors and perpetrators of sexual assault and domestic violence. For example, the Houston Area Women's Center and The Bridge offer hotline numbers, counseling and shelter services. AVDA provides legal advocacy for victims and batterer intervention for abusers. We can debate whether or not appropriate behavior is being modeled on the campaign trail, but our behavior at home and in our communities will have the greatest impact on our children. We cannot tolerate sexual or domestic violence and we should not accept being "helpless bystanders." Dr. Joslyn Fisher, associate professor of medicine and medical ethics, Baylor College of Medicine Voting lessons Regarding "Rigged election fears rejected" (Page A3, Thursday), I have been reading about the complaints some people have about the electronic voting machines not counting, or changing, their votes. Reports on this say these problems have all been due to user error. It would be a great idea for each polling place to have a demonstration voting machine, along with an election official to show voters how to use it, so that voters unfamiliar with the electronic voting machines could learn, or relearn, how to use them before casting their votes. Wayne Fluke, Stafford Democracy lives Regarding "Fewer justices on high court?" (Page A1, Friday), Ted Cruz's pitch for a smaller U.S. Supreme Court is even more irresponsible than Donald Trump's claim of a rigged election. A successful democracy is a fragile thing. We are fortunate in the United States to have a democracy that works and is stable. Divisiveness is a serious threat to a democracy. The Muslim world is a political mess because of religious sect divisiveness. Venezuelans are suffering from the democracy-versus-socialism standoff. If we start attacking the pillars of our democracy, it may not be long until we have political warlords waging battle in our streets. Jim Varnon, Kingwood Public trust Regarding "Trump-inspired anger will persist awhile" (Page A13, Tuesday), I have to take issue with Esther Cepeda's column in no small way. She writes, "Trump's insinuation of rigged elections and his call for his supporters to monitor polls for fraud ... are eroding what little public trust in government is left." I can hardly see how Cepeda can cast aspersions on Trump when Hillary Clinton is knee-deep in controversy over her private server, State Department dealings and getting deeper by the day. John M. Massey, Dodge Founders would be aghast Regarding "Fewer justices on high court" (Page A1, Friday), it defies reason to think that Senators Ted Cruz, John McCain, R-Ariz., (and Gov. Greg Abbott although he has no vote) can publicly state they will not do their jobs in order to "save the Constitution." If they worked anywhere but government they would be fired for insubordination. The irony that seems lost on Cruz el at. is that the very document he espouses to support requires him to do that which he refuses to do. This sort of political activism is most certainly not what the drafters of the U.S. Constitution contemplated or envisioned would ever occur. Perhaps the most disappointing part of all of this is that Cruz and Abbott as attorneys know better. Thomas Bickham, Houston Funding a campaign Regarding "Trump blasts spikes in ACA. GOP nominee ends big-money fundraising events" (Page A1, Thursday), it takes a lot of money to fund a campaign and there has traditionally been certain parameters of monetary donations, which have fluctuated with different methods of donating. The whole dark-money aspect derives from business tycoons or other people who have large sums of money to donate to an election. Large sums of donated money retain the power to dictate elections. The IRS has not manifested rules to donors of these large amounts, which becomes an issue that contends with the candor of the election. Thomas Edwards, Houston Intervention benefits Regarding "Special education" (Page A18, Friday), as a 26-year veteran special-education teacher in a private special-education school, I am absolutely, literally sick to my stomach over the cap placed on the number of special students that can be served in Texas. I have seen first-hand what early and targeted intervention can do to unlock the potential of these children. I thank you for exposing the cap, and I just want to know where the outrage over the "no comment" response by Governor Abbott is? Even Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick has voiced his concern. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. Terri Garth, Houston Welcome to America Regarding "New citizen moved to tears" (Page A3, Friday), these types of stories seem to be getting rarer and rarer these days. Lost amid all the rhetoric appears a simple story of following the rules, doing it the right way without demanding and expecting special treatment and rule-bending. Congratulations to Areli Torres, et al, and welcome to America. I am proud to acknowledge new fellow-citizens. Evan Truettner, La Marque. Trademark squabble Regarding "Law school relents on name" (Page A3, Thursday), most brand-name challenges involve similar names that might cause confusion for potential consumers. If I were to introduce a soft drink and name it Boca-Cola, I would expect a phone call rather quickly from the other soft drink company. I would like to think that a college graduate considering law school would have no problem determining the difference between a school on the University of Houston campus and another in downtown Houston, even if the names were similar. Maybe I'm wrong, though. Maybe it should be re-named "The Law School in Downtown Houston, Texas, on The Corner of San Jacinto and Clay." Mike Marshall, Houston WASHINGTON - One more week, give or take. It seems nearly impossible that an election season that began approximately four years ago is nearing its end. After almost two years of speeches, rallies and raunch, this presidential campaign has become just another sound in the white noise of life. Like "Groundhog Day," or perdition, it seemed it never would end. Ever. Now, suddenly, only days remain before we vote. Wait, no, I'm not ready! Where's the one I want to vote for? Can it be true that either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will be the next president of the United States? For real? Is this really all we've got? Next, dread settles in. OMG, I have to vote. Yes, of course, you have to vote. And yet, and for whom? Anxiety is up, meditation is in. Depression is commonplace. Disenchantment is pervasive. All congeal into a sort of cataclysmic sense that the best of times are behind us. Where, we wonder, is the individual who compels us to cheer for the good that unites us, the virtue that defines us, the strength that sustains us and the faith that tomorrow will always be better? Where is the sunny, aspirational leader who understands the frustrations of Trump supporters and the sense of left-behindness of people on both left and right? It is sad but true that none comes to mind. More disturbing, we have to understand that great leaders may forever be in short supply given that decent people decide public service isn't worth the total surrender of one's autonomy and privacy. Who can blame them? Thus, our next president will be chosen not with the enthusiasm of a well-informed electorate but with the forlornness that comes of having no better option. Surely, there are many who find either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump satisfactory. Those who would embrace a third term of Barack Obama, or who have longed to witness a woman become president, may manage to summon a spring to their step. Those who see Trump as the answer to political gridlock, the menace of terrorism and an economy that benefits only the lucky few, may be able to muster more than a slog to the ballot box. But for the countless millions in the middle, who can find neither solace nor excitement in the prospect of either candidate, Election Day approaches as a sunset without the promise of a sunrise. Morning in America has become mourning in America. No wonder. Already House Republicans have promised to immediately initiate yet more investigations into whatever remains unexplored in Clinton's life. Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz, chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, says he has enough material for at least two years' worth of taxpayer-funded witch hunting. This was even before the FBI announced Friday that it was investigating more emails recently retrieved from Clinton associates. Some Senate Republicans have promised to thwart any and all Supreme Court nominations from a President Clinton. This, when they ought to be holding hearings on Judge Merrick Garland, nominated by Obama in March, while there's still time. Not only would Republicans demonstrate (for a change) that they're serious about governance, and not just obstruction, but they'd be wise to accept a relatively moderate judge while the option remains. Clinton, meanwhile, shouldn't presume to have a mandate if she wins. She'd owe more than a slice of her victory to Trump, who offended so many potential voters that she benefited big-league by the comparison. Rather than winning, she'd be accepting the triumph of Trump's defeat. She also should make haste to keep her promise to be the president for all Americans and address the concerns that caused Trump supporters to rise out of their despair and rally for a reality TV star. There's no use repeating her campaign quip that America is already great. As for Trump, he seems to have recognized that it's time to move to the next item on his bucket list, possibly as king of a new media empire from which he'll come combed to judge the quick and the dead. He has already stopped major-donor fundraising, as well as ceased spending his own lucre, and he spent vital time last week at the grand opening of his new hotel here rather than go stumping in swing states. He and his cohort of family members, all poised with great big scissors to snip a red ribbon for the gawking crowd, seemed to be players in a muted celebration for the ringmaster of razzle-dazzle - presaging, perhaps, what appears likely to come. Parker's email address is kathleenparker@washpost.com. Mary Jane had just gotten the diagnosis. Breast cancer. Advanced. Treatment included massive doses of a powerful chemotherapy. The drug's job was to kill the cancer cells. It would also devastate many other normal cells in Mary Jane's body. The cancer had spread and without the treatment, Mary Jane had little chance of surviving. Unfortunately, she was pregnant. First trimester. If she was going to be treated for her cancer, she had to end her pregnancy. If you talk to the anti-abortion crowd, they don't talk about Mary Jane. Or Sarah, whose father started raping her when she was 9 and now, at 13, she is pregnant with her own sibling. Or Rose, who had six children and an unemployed husband when she found out she was pregnant with the seventh. Or Lucy, whose fetus has been exposed to the Zika virus and is at high risk for devastating birth defects. The list goes on. Every woman who makes the wrenching decision to end a pregnancy is an individual with a personal story behind her choice. According to much of the anti-abortion rhetoric, these are promiscuous women who want to end a pregnancy that was the result of wanton, sinful sex. Women who, according to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, should be punished for their abortions. Planned Parenthood has stood as a bulwark against these kinds of laws for 100 years. As the organization marks its centennial anniversary this month, it is instructive to revisit the organization's beginnings, when Margaret Sanger set out to give women control over their bodies, their reproductive health and their families. Her goal then wasn't to provide safe, legal abortions; it was birth control. She had grown up one of 11 children. When she was 19, her mother died an early death brought on, Sanger believed, by too many pregnancies - 11 births and seven miscarriages in 22 years. For much of her life, Sanger fought laws that criminalized birth control. Just a year before she died, the U.S. Supreme Court in 1965 overturned the laws that made birth control illegal for married couples. Today, American women take for granted the right to choose whether to have seven children. Whether to give up their lives to preserve a pregnancy that might not survive their cancer. Whether to carry the fetus of a rapist. But it is a right under siege by forces as determined to take it away as Sanger was to win it. Their claim is that Planned Parenthood must be destroyed because it provides abortion services. But we all know the facts. Only 3 percent of the organization's resources goes toward these services, and by law, no federal dollars can be used to pay for abortions. The other 97 percent of Planned Parenthood's activities provide family planning and birth control, screening for cancer and STDs - basic reproductive health care. It is the largest single provider of contraception in the country. So the attack on Planned Parenthood isn't only or mostly about abortion. It's about control. If women are going to have sex in ways deemed inappropriate, then they must suffer the consequences. Pregnancy and babies are, to the anti-abortion crowd, punishment for bad behavior. Or in the words of Rush Limbaugh, women who take birth control pills are "sluts and prostitutes." A more consequential proof of the motives behind the war on Planned Parenthood can be found in the legislative history of the most powerful Republican officeholder in the country today: Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Paul Ryan. In 2013, he co-sponsored a bill that would give fetuses full personhood rights at the moment of conception, a law that would have criminalized some forms of birth control. He voted to defund family-planning programs, i.e. contraceptive information. He also supported a bill that would have given hospitals the right to refuse emergency abortion care even if it would cost the woman her life; it was nicknamed the "Let Women Die" bill by Democrats. These actions should obliterate any pretense that these zealots are interested in women's well-being. As the likelihood of overturning Roe v. Wade - the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that made abortions a constitutionally protected right - has begun to fade, and polls consistently show more than 60 percent of Americans support Roe v. Wade, anti-abortion forces have moved their efforts to state legislatures where they can use their authority to regulate the local health care industry to push for laws targeting abortion providers. Texas lawmakers have found these Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers, or TRAP laws, fertile ground for their anti-abortion efforts, passing legislation that forced about half of the state's 40 abortion providing clinics to close. Had the U.S. Supreme Court not overturned the Legislature's 2013 legislation (HB-2), even more would have been shuttered. It took Margaret Sanger and her organization almost 50 years to achieve their goal of giving women control over their own bodies. If we aren't diligent in guarding her legacy, it will take less time than that to undo her achievement. Smith is a Houston writer. On May 5, I sat outside in the Medical Center enjoying the sunshine when I saw plumes of black smoke billowing toward the sky. Over the next two days, on social media, I saw images of Spring Branch Creek running red from chemicals released during the Spring Branch fire I had witnessed. This was not an isolated incident. Evacuations and calls to shelter in place occur regularly in our region, and with a recent spate of chemical accidents, I'm glad to see that the city of Houston is finally getting serious about the reality of chemical hazards in our communities. Mayor Sylvester Turner and city officials are putting together an action plan by early November to examine the chemical inventories of over 6,000 area businesses. As chemical safety expert Sam Mannan said in the Houston Chronicle's "Chemical Breakdown" series, "We are literally running from disaster to disaster without a well thought-out plan." This lack of a plan is a serious issue for residents of affected communities. The organization I work for, Public Citizen, is part of the Healthy Port Communities Coalition, which advocates policies to improve public health and safety while encouraging economic growth. We agree that comprehensive, up-to-date chemical inventories are essential to protecting the public. We're encouraged that Turner has taken the first step. Providing the public with necessary information must be balanced against the need to protect us from those who would do America harm. But our governor and attorney general have moved too far in the wrong direction by using security concerns to justify withholding basic information from the public. Their version of a right-to-know law is "go-and-ask." That's not good enough. We deserve to know that we might be in harm's way, and we shouldn't have to beg for the information. Turner should work with state agencies, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and industry to ensure that the public maintains its right to know what's in the air we all breathe. We also recommend continued outreach to families on the importance of disaster preparedness, and for now, also encouraging them to sign up for alerts from local emergency management offices until opt-out systems are in place. This interagency cooperation might be challenging at times because the exchange of information between levels of government quickly becomes complicated. In the minutes and hours after a chemical disaster, the agencies that are notified or tasked with notifying the public include: emergency responders, local emergency commissions, local offices of emergency management, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security. Although residents are in various ways alerted to the danger and the recommended action via sirens and loudspeaker announcements, reverse-911 calls, text messages, emails and emergency broadcasts on television and radio, those messages can be inconsistent, haphazard and ineffective. There is a better way. Modern technology allows real-time, geo-targeted messages to be sent across media platforms, similar to Amber Alerts. Sophisticated wireless emergency alerts (WEAs) captured the nation's attention in September when they were issued to notify New York City residents to be on the lookout for bombing suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami. If Houston were to use WEAs during chemical disasters, emergency responders could target people within the area most immediately affected in order to get people out of harm's way and reduce their exposure to cancer-causing and otherwise dangerous chemicals. The WEAs also could provide a link to information detailing procedures for sheltering in place. Because WEAs operate on an opt-out basis rather than opt-in, their reach is broader than the current systems in place. You have a right to know if your health will be affected, and the Texas Legislature needs to develop policies that require the appropriate agencies to make wireless emergency alerts available. In a recent poll, 92 percent of people surveyed in Houston supported this idea. In Spring Branch, access to an up-to-date chemical inventory would have helped the Fire Department effectively fight the fire. WEAs would have given neighbors crucial information about immediate risks and the safety of their air and water. We must also remember that while accidents like what happened in Spring Branch catch our attention, communities in Houston are exposed regularly to harmful pollution. Turner did the right thing in turning his attention to chemical safety and security. Now he should ask state lawmakers to ensure that Houstonians have a reliable and consistent way like wireless emergency alerts to immediately know when their health, safety and lives are threatened. But his voice alone won't get legislation passed. Call your legislators in support of opt-out alerts. We have a right to know when harmful emissions are in the air. Thomas, Ph.D., is an organizer with Public Citizen and the Healthy Port Communities Coalition, which includes Air Alliance Houston, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services and the Coalition of Community Organizations. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Victoria's Secret is one brand that has not exactly hopped on the body positive train. Some big names in fashion and lingerie are making efforts, like including models with a variety of body shapes, like Target, or opting out of retouching photos, like Aerie. But Victoria's Secret hasn't deigned to join them, until now. Advertisement Sorta. The lingerie brand released some behind-the-scenes shots of Jasmine Tookes' photo shoot modelling the 2016 Fantasy Bra. And right along with the jeweled undergarments, and Tookes' sultry stare, are the model's stretch marks for all to love! No squinting or magnifying glass needed. Advertisement The 24-year-old struck a pose, poked out her behind and showed off the bra's matching emerald green bottoms. And it's easy to see, Victoria's Secret opted out of retouching the tiny lines hugging her curves. The final edit of these photos also left her birthmarks right where they should be and didn't bother to smooth her thighs to waxy perfection. Earlier this year, a former retoucher came out and revealed the gritty details of the brand's usual photo manipulation techniques. This is a rare move for the brand that has become notorious for altering images of their models. And we're all here for it. So glad Jasmine Tookes got the Fantasy bra! Reppin' girls of color and wearing her stretch marks proudly!! Me, the Queen (@jadorelacouture) October 26, 2016 Advertisement Jasmine Tookes has stretch marks and will be wearing the fantasy bra at VSFS yes yes yes pic.twitter.com/KnWAk0y6a5 Ani (@fabturtleneck) October 28, 2016 This photo of Jasmine Tookes is now my favorite of any Victoria's Secret Angel ever because you can see stretch marks AND THAT SHIT IS REAL! pic.twitter.com/hK5O5UbAcz Tyler McCall (@eiffeltyler) October 26, 2016 The news that Tookes would be modelling the $3-million Bright Night Fantasy Bra was announced Thursday. She'll also be the first black model in a decade to wear the coveted garment. Victoria's Secret has not released a statement regarding the pictures, so it's not clear whether going light on photo manipulation was intentional. But Tookes did share a photo from the shoot, that went through the usual retouching process and zapped her lines. Advertisement A photo posted by Jasmine Tookes (@jastookes) on Oct 26, 2016 at 3:02pm PDT Whether intentional or not, it's still an empowering visual to see a woman looking fabulous, "flaws" and all. Also on HuffPost CHANDAN KHANNA via Getty Images Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is the biggest block to the realisation of women's rights. It forces women to live their lives in fear - fear of stigma, fear of reprisals, fear of more violence. It causes health problems including physical and emotional trauma, and discourages or stops women from accessing opportunities such as education and work. A particularly shocking statistic is that globally, one in three women experience physical or sexual violence (source: UN Women), which shows there is a universal problem in how women are treated. No society is free from violence against women. But this statistic fails to acknowledge that women rarely suffer violence as a one-off and that it is intrinsically connected to other forms of gender-based discrimination. This isn't just sexism - these discriminations are bound to attitudes and beliefs (or norms) about what it means to be a woman in a specific society and what is appropriate or acceptable. These norms are sometimes reinforced by violence to punish individuals and serve as a warning to others. Advertisement Where women are seen as less than human, men are seen as superior and entitled to control women, their clothes, their activities, their bodies. Sexual violence against women is therefore part of these wider discriminations. In situations of conflict, all forms of violence against women increase as pressures, tensions and violence rise. Sexual violence in conflict can happen as a result of the general lawlessness in conflict, as well as rising levels of tensions and pressures which correlate with increased levels of domestic violence and early and forced marriages, which can have violent aspects in the bedroom. Conflict-related sexual violence is commonly associated with the phrase 'rape as a weapon of war', which indicates that it is used by armed groups (combatants) and often as a political or military target such as the sexual enslavement of thousands of Yezidi women and girls by ISIS, to dehumanise them and destroy the Yezidi ethnic group. The UN recognises this as an act of genocide. Advertisement Seve is a Yezidi woman who fled from ISIS after experiencing sexual violence. She is living as a refugee with her six children in northern Iraq. Photo: Alison Baskerville / Women for Women International From a legal perspective, it can make sense to treat conflict-related sexual violence as part of genocide or other international crimes (standing it apart from other forms of VAWG). But the lived reality for women survivors of sexual violence in conflict who Women for Women International works with is rarely so stand-alone. We do not accept that violence against women and girls occurring in conflict is fundamentally separate from more everyday 'normal' forms of VAWG (like domestic violence). It all comes back to the way women are treated in society, with a premium placed on women's sexual purity as part of wider controls and discrimination on women's bodies, behaviour and appearance. We have had cases of women, in various countries, who have been forced to marry their abusers (including soldiers) to save them and their families from shame. Women survivors are ostracised from their families and communities, making them more isolated and vulnerable to further abuse. In Afghanistan, there are substantial numbers of cases of women subjected to 'honour killings' after being raped. To prevent sexual violence in conflict, we must challenge and change the harmful social norms that drive and tolerate all forms of violence against women and girls. We recognise the importance and strength in bringing together women survivors of conflict - some of whom are survivors of sexual violence by combatants, some of whom have survived other forms of violence. We support the most marginalised and the most vulnerable women to reconnect and build networks of support with other women in their communities. These connections provide support for women survivors of all forms of VAWG to come forward and get help, work together in cooperatives and saving groups, and advocate for change. Spaces Images via Getty Images Almost as quickly as Zac Goldsmith announced his resignation this week, talk turned to the other parties in the race: should they clear the way for a candidate with a better chance of beating him? Within hours we had articles about 'progressive alliances' - pacts of left-of-centre parties standing aside to give the Liberal Democrat candidate to a clear run. There were spats, open divisions and public calls for Labour and the Greens to stand aside - both from within and outside the parties. Advertisement Both the Greens and Labour had to have serious (leaked) talks about whether they should step down in order to avoid 'splitting the vote'. And on Wednesday, three key Labour figures - Clive Lewis, Lisa Nandy and Jonny Reynolds - wrote: "If there is any chance of kicking Goldsmith out of Parliament, the vote against him must not be split. That's why we think Labour should consider not standing a candidate in this by-election." The Greens were briefing similar sentiments: "Jonathan [Bartley] and Caroline [Lucas] are longstanding advocates of progressives working together to beat the Conservatives." But it's an invidious position to be in. No party really wants to stand aside. And why should they? Voters deserve a choice, and pacts along the lines of 'I'll step aside here if you step aside there' can come across as stitch-ups to voters. Whether you're a senior party figure - or even just a supporter - you want your party's vote to be high. You want to stand everywhere. And you want to stand out as unique, not a watered-down or beefed-up variation of another party. Advertisement Both parties - Labour and the Greens - have now, after some rancour, decided to stand. If the Liberal Democrats lose by a small margin, they may well be blamed. It's absurd. But it's also depressingly understandable given the nature of our voting system. In most modern democracies, the concept of 'splitting the vote' is totally alien. It's what happens when you have a winner-takes-all electoral system - one that too often forces people to vote for 'lesser evils' rather than the party they most agree with, namely for fear of 'letting x party in'. Perhaps ironically - given that Labour doesn't (yet) back electoral reform - it's First Past the Post that has led to this centre-left malaise and hand-wringing over Richmond. There is, obviously, a solution. While the Alternative Vote isn't the best electoral system for electing a whole Parliament, when it comes to by-elections it's the fairest system. Allowing people to rank candidates by preference totally abolishes the 'need' for parties to stand down for another. Tactical voting is a scourge on 21 century British democracy: it's what happens when a formerly two-party system breaks open, as it has done in the UK, but the electoral system can't cope. Advertisement With a proportional system for national elections, and AV for by-elections, that problem is massively reduced. You don't have to 'hold your nose' and vote for the Lib Dems if you're a Labour voter: you give your first preference Labour and your second preference to the Lib Dems. If Labour don't have enough support to win, your vote is moved to the Lib Dems instead. It's not hard. No more accusations of parties being 'spoilers' and handing the seat to x, y or z. This isn't new to the UK. Scotland has seen a number of AV by-elections this month alone. And, lo and behold, a number of centre-left parties stood, and far from splitting the vote - centre-left parties won in both instances. Northern Ireland, which also uses PR for its Assembly, like Scotland uses AV for its by-elections. It's time we put paid to the awkward and unnecessary debates about 'spoiler' candidates. The way to do that is to have a voting system where it's always OK for voters to vote for their party. That, surely, is not such a radical idea. I am positive that I am speaking on behalf of millions when I say how excited I am to see the new Warner Bros. film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them next month. To escape and delve into J.K. Rowling's magical world once again has me giddy with anticipation! Now imagine watching it before anyone else at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York City on November 12th (flights and hotel included) with the cast in attendance, and Award winner Eddie Redmayne and J.K. Rowling herself In conversation onstage. How you may ask? Well, it's simple really. By supporting Lumos -- Jo's incredible charity that I have the honor of being an ambassador for. The details of how to enter the ongoing global sweepstakes and have the chance to win other prizes are explained at the bottom of my post but for now, let me tell you more about Lumos and its work in Haiti. Advertisement Most of you would have heard of the recent Hurricane Matthew that devastated Haiti last month leaving more than 900 dead and at least 500,000 without homes. Lumos started its Haiti program back in 2015 and has been working with the government to close down orphanages with terrible living conditions. Research and studies have found that these poor conditions harm children physically, and cause deficits in brain development, creating shocking behavioral patterns in the children due to lack of stimulation, among other things. I traveled to Haiti with Evanna Lynch in July to visit and experience first-hand the extent of the situation, and I was shocked and saddened to see the conditions the children were living in. There were up to three children sharing a bed, with no space to play or do their school work -- which it was unlikely that they were attending. But it was their emotional and behavioral characteristics that shocked me the most. In one orphanage the children didn't even turn their heads or interact with us as we entered their space with camera equipment and noise. The children in the next orphanage that we visited reacted drastically differently upon our arrival and ran towards us for hugs not thinking to ask who we were. The most shocking truth is that a lot of the children are not orphans and do in fact have living parents or relatives that could be looking after them in healthier family environments. However, due to broken communities and poverty, they have been forced or persuaded to give their children to an institution with the false promise of a better life and future. This is not right. Children must grow up in families not in the orphanages I witnessed. During our time in Haiti we sat down with parents who had been reunited with their children through the work of Lumos. Listening to one mother recall the day that she was reunited with her son was heartbreaking. She had no idea where her son had ended up or how to track him, so had lost faith that he was still alive. The shame she felt as a mother for being in such a destitute situation that she was forced to effectively give up her son to a corrupt and shocking form of trafficking was harrowing. I was so inspired by the courage she showed in telling her story and how beneficial her honesty will be for the development of Lumos' work. Advertisement Listening to these stories highlighted the urgency of Lumos' work, and now with the chaos of Hurricane Matthew, the need to help these children is urgent. We must act fast. Especially in situations of disaster, traffickers take advantage of vulnerable children in orphanages. Lumos' work to safeguard these children is so critical. Working with Haiti's Anti-trafficking Committee, Lumos is coordinating an emergency prevention strategy learning lessons from Nepal where government and civil society coordinated efforts when the earthquake hit last year. That system in Nepal rescued hundreds of children from traffickers. Now the most vulnerable of all children in Haiti need our support. We must make sure children and communities can protect the nurturing family structure we are all born into. We have that right and so must they. B O N N I E W R I G H TDirector - www.bonbonlumiere.com Bonnie Wright, who played Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter films, is an actor, director and writer. She also is an Ambassador for J.K. Rowling's non-profit organization Lumos, which is dedicated to ending the institutionalization of children worldwide. Enter to win a trip to New York City to see the special advance screening of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them and meet members of the cast by clicking the button below. No payment or donation is necessary to enter. My aunt who is dying of ovarian cancer chose to enter hospice today after her third trip to the emergency room in the last two weeks. The hospital sent her home in an ambulance saying there was nothing more they can do. Today my father met her in her apartment in Brooklyn to move around her furniture to get it ready for the hospital bed, wheelchair, walker, oxygen tank, IV pole, and countless vials of morphine. My father, the 67-year-old younger brother, did anything and everything with his small yet powerful body to help her through the transition. He carried her to the bathroom, he lifted her onto the bed, he sat with her, tenderly holding her hand, wiping her tears when she said, "I'm so scared," to him. Her own son and husband looked at her and tried to appease her, "don't be scared they said, we're here," but she locked eyes with my father and only wanted him. He's the muscle; he's the one who yells at the doctors to get things done. He's her eternal driver, the one who picked her up from chemo and the one who drove her to and from the E.R. He's the one who brought her to America 25 years ago to live with us. My father missed both of his parents' deaths (but attended both funerals). When his father died, my dad was in the Soviet army. When his mother died, 20 years later, my father was already with my family living in America, his mother having stayed behind in Kiev. My father still feels guilty for not being there when his parents died and he may be channeling all of this into his dying sister. Advertisement Throughout my life whenever my sister and I have fought, at times not speaking for days, my father always shook his head and said, "I don't understand. It's your SISTER. I've never fought a day in my life with my sister." And he hasn't. Even when he has not agreed with her way of doing things or with how she chose to live her life, he never offered up opinions and always supported her choices. She did exactly the same for him. Throughout the last few weeks, my family has been trying to mentally prepare ourselves to say goodbye to a major player in our life. Our hearts feel perforated; a piece is about to break off. We're all coping in different ways, somehow trying to ready ourselves for the inevitable, the unwavering finale. My father's grief is affecting him severely. He calls me several times a day and I try to be a stable sounding board as I hear him crumbling, like the cracking ice. "She can't walk without falling, she can't go to the bathroom by herself, she passes out whenever she tries to stand up," my father tells me all the details. "It's not a pretty sight. I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack, my blood pressure must be through the roof. It's awful." I try to be understanding and supportive all while holding back a lump in my throat. I feel guilty for not going to see her, but she insists she does not want to see anyone. I can't imagine what five years at war with your body does to the brain and how miserable life must feel to beg for a shot to die. My father said he'd carry her to the airport right then and there and bring her to California where it was legal, but she shook her head, relenting to despair. Advertisement I think about my father peering into his dying sister's eyes as she tells him she's scared to die, terrified of the process to get there or what it will feel like. I know it will be years, if ever before this image releases its grip on him. By Wendy Justice, InternationalLiving.com "The best part of living here is that it is just a five-minute walk to the beach. We walk to the beach every day," says Erin Scholnick-Lee, who lives in Da Nang, Vietnam. "Who doesn't want to live five minutes from the beach?" Chua Buu Dai Son Pagoda in Da Nang, Vietnam Vietnam has more than 2,000 miles of coastline--which means a lot of beaches to choose from. But Erin and her husband Ed think the beach in Da Nang is one of the best around. "The water is calming. The sand is soft. During the autumn and winter you have the beach to yourself. It really is like being on a deserted island," she says. "We have a spectacular view of the Lady Buddha at the end of the peninsula. She is glorious! She is over 200 feet tall and she's our guiding light." Erin and Ed also love Da Nang's low cost of living. They live on a quiet, residential street in the An Thuong neighborhood, on the east side of the Han River, which bisects Da Nang. They rent a one-bedroom, serviced apartment in a new building, and pay just $350 a month. That includes laundry, cable TV, water, WiFi, and cleaning three times a week. The only bill not included is electricity. Eating out is inexpensive and convenient, but "we try to eat out no more than once a day," Erin says. "But it's so easy to do that. A meal for the two of us, with one baguette and a rice bowl apiece, costs us just over $3. So it's really easy to eat every meal out if we don't want to cook at home. Dragon Bridge over Han River in Da Nang, Vietnam "Excluding our health insurance, the biggest part of our $1,200- to $1,500-a-month budget comes from taking taxis when it's too far to walk or ride the bikes, since we aren't comfortable driving a motorbike. The bus service is supposed to expand to this part of Da Nang shortly, so we are very interested to see how that will work." Advertisement Erin and Ed made the move to Southeast Asia just over a year ago. After spending a month in Cambodia and two months in Thailand, where they earned their TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificates, they decided to visit a friend of theirs in Da Nang. "The cost of living in San Francisco was just too high," says Erin of their decision to relocate. "And we wanted to live the life of travelers." They had never imagined themselves living in Vietnam. "It wasn't even on our radar! But once we came to Da Nang, we just knew that we could live here, and it was very easy to get work, too." They teach English two evenings a week. They spend the rest of their time enjoying the beach and all that Da Nang has to offer. "We wanted to keep working because we can, and we enjoy doing it," she explained. "We started teaching in September. We're not making a lot of money, but it pays the rent." Long Stretch of Beach in Da Nang, Vietnam The couple lives much like their Vietnamese neighbors. "The owner of our apartment supplies bicycles for their tenants, which we can use whenever we want. We enjoy riding the bikes to the local market, where we buy all our produce and meat. Everything we've seen there has been very fresh and clean." Vietnam has surpassed their expectations. "We didn't realize how easy Da Nang would be. We didn't anticipate how easy it has been to get around, to buy food, to go to the beach -- the things that make it so livable. Advertisement Everything is so easy here -- it's remarkable. Vietnam has been so gracious, so forgiving, and so welcoming to us. We really do love it." This article comes to us courtesy of InternationalLiving.com, the world's leading authority on how to live, work, invest, travel, and retire better overseas. Earlier on Huff/Post50: WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 28: F.B.I. Director James Comey testifies before the House Judiciary Committee September 28, 2016 in Washington, DC. Comey testified on a variety of subjects including the investigation into former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's email server. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) James Comey's decision to inform Congress that the FBI had discovered emails on a laptop belonging to disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner that may be relevant to the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private server has roiled the presidential campaign with days to go before the election. His letter provided little details about the emails, leaving the ambiguous discloser subject to interpretation and wild speculation by Trump supporters. At a Friday rally, Donald Trump hailed the news as "bigger than Watergate," even though all of the emails may be just copies of those released earlier to the FBI. Trump, who has fallen behind Clinton in the polls, now has an issue to exploit to take attention away from charges against him of sexual assault that have hurt his campaign in recent weeks. Advertisement The Clinton campaign has criticized Comey for breaking with Justice Department protocol by commenting on an ongoing investigation, and doing anything that could be viewed as influencing the election. A Justice Department official confirmed to The Washington Post that they advised Comey. "It was conveyed to the FBI, and Comey made an independent decision to alert the Hill," the official said, "He is operating independently of the Justice Department. And he knows it." Comey had received sharp criticism last July from Republicans when he announced that he recommended no criminal charges be brought against Clinton for her use of a private email server. Comey is a Republican. In his letter to Congress, Comey said he feared that word of the newly found emails would leak and suggest a cover-up. The Washington Post reported that FBI agents knew weeks ago about the latest emails and waited until recently to brief Comey. This raises further questions about the FBI's handling of this matter. Clinton spoke of the revelations at a Saturday appearance in Daytona, Florida. "Of course Donald Trump is already making up lies about this," she said. "He is doing his best to confuse, mislead and discourage the American people." Clinton campaign manager Robby Mock called on the FBI to release the emails. "Just get it all out there and the voters can judge for themselves," he said on Fox News Sunday. Before the disclosers, polls showed the race between Clinton and Trump had been tightening. Trump has enjoyed the ardent support of his loyalists despite his many gaffes and recent charges of sexual abuse from 12 women. He was recorded on an NBC's Access Hollywood video talking about sexual abuse. He later described it as "locker room" talk, and has threatened to sue the women and NBC. During his campaign Trump has humiliated his opponents, he has disparaged war heroes, and he has consistently insulted women, Mexicans and Muslims. Trump has refused to release his tax returns, which is standard practice for recent presidential candidates, and many of his business dealings have faced serious scrutiny. Trump has fought back by blaming the "dishonest media" for his transgressions. Advertisement Trump has consistently displayed a lack of understanding of foreign policy. He has advocated the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and the possible dissolution of NATO. He has often praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a strong leader, he has invited Russian hackers to go after Clinton's emails, and he has claimed he has a secret plan to eliminate ISIS. He has also attacked fellow Republicans, like House Speaker Paul Ryan, and he has caused a huge rift within the Republican Party. Recently, he has supported efforts to suppress votes, especially in urban areas that are heavily populated by traditional Democratic voters, like African Americans and Hispanics. Both Clinton and Trump have low favorability ratings among a majority of likely American voters. But, despite her trust issues, and the fact that she should not have used a private email server, Clinton is one of the most experienced candidates to seek the presidency. Yet the winds of change are blowing heavily in favor of Trump, as they often do after one party holds the White House for two terms. So even the hint of an additional problem with Clinton's emails can drive independents voters, as well has some soft Clinton supporters, away from the voting booth, while firming up Trump's support with doubtful Republicans. As Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta observed, "There's no evidence of wrongdoing, no charge of wrongdoing, no indication that this is even about Hillary." But there may be enough misinterpretation to confuse voters on Election Day. The surge of Right Wing populism in the last year has shocked many in mainstream politics throughout the West . The broad Left (political parties and activists), however, should see it as part of a timely opportunity to shake up the political debate. Support has leached from the centrist mainstream to movements like Trumpism in the US, Brexit/UKIP in Britain and One Nation in Australia. This reflects a wave of anti-establishment anger throughout the West, a wave which the Left should be more adept at riding than the Right. Disillusioned people are already looking for targets for their outrage. The Left needs to point them in the right direction, away from the current scapegoats and toward the economic roots of their suffering. And this time, the Left has the momentum. Back in the day, in many countries it was the Left that was associated with populism. It may sound strange in today's Orwellian political world, but at one time the angriest parties were the ones that represented those who had the most to be angry about - the poor. Economics was central. In the US, this changed in the 1960s and 70s with the Republicans deploying the 'Southern Strategy' to exploit the white working-class backlash against Civil Rights concessions by the government. Over decades, the Republicans successfully ensured the most emotional debates were confined to the social rather than economic realm, issues for which they could rely on populist momentum - abortion, law and order, 'family values', religion etc. These formed the ground upon which the Right dictated that political battles be fought, and the (increasingly centrist) Democrats capitulated, resigning themselves to targeting socially liberal voters. As the public looked away, the Right began dismantling its despised welfare state and helping inequality crawl out of its 1950s trough to creep back in the direction of the 18th century laissez-fair wonderland where workers' rights are a luxury. Advertisement In Australia, the rise of John Howard and Pauline Hanson in the 1990s rode a similar working-class backlash, focusing on social issues like immigration and indigenous affairs. But today is not a repeat of the 90s. The GFC, social media alternatives to the corporate press, and the passage of time have all helped lift the fog. Many are beginning to see the connection, through an albeit hazy lens, between their crummy situation and the economic system. In the US, establishment Right-Wingers like Ted Cruz were trounced by Donald Trump. Both appealed to working-class nationalists. But while Cruz relied on time-tested talking points proclaiming social conservatism and Christian values, Trump tapped the rising anger at economic exclusion, solidifying his anti-establishment credentials with angry irreverence toward established norms of conduct and policy. In Australia, the Coalition seems increasingly willing to permit Barnaby Joyce to spout protectionist rhetoric and appeal to those left behind by globalisation. Trump even shared some views with Bernie Sanders - the unashamed democratic socialist (within the context of Trump's trademark inconsistency). Both went after policy traditions that had been unquestioned for decades in the mainstream, such as open markets and foreign military interventionism. Trump's support base also had a demographic overlap with Bernie's: white, low-income and anti-establishment. This was reflected in numerous polls during Sanders' run revealing he was more competitive against Trump than Clinton. NBC polling showed Bernie beat Donald by 15% while Hillary only beat him by 3%. Similarly, in Australia, many voters who support One Nation and other Right Wing minor parties are working-class and anti-establishment - at one time the almost exclusive domain of Labor. Advertisement Right Wingers worldwide, while offering inadequate responses to the real economic causes of people's problems, make up for it by trumpeting more overt bigotry than mainstream sensibilities are accustomed to. Despite pro-battler rhetoric, One Nation backed welfare cuts and will likely support the anti-union Australian Building and Construction Commission. Such parties still wrap their arms around those shafted by the economic system and whisper to them that they should avert their gaze from the big end of town and instead, hone in on minority scapegoats. To win people back, the Left needs to harness the existing momentum, clean the public's lens, and redirect this indignation. Trump, like Hanson, rails against 'political correctness', mainly the variety that prevents the verbal 'punching down' by those with racial, gender or other privilege, against those who have long suffered disadvantage. Left Wing parties in Australia could further their populist appeal by more forcefully rejecting 'Right Wing political correctness', something Bernie did successfully. He rejected the brand of correctness that had led to the mainstream debate being, until relatively recently, void of serious questioning of economic preferences like 'trickle-down theory', privatisation, welfare cuts, deregulation and ever-increasing tax cuts; ideological dogmas sold as objective, incontrovertible science. In line with the public mood, the Australian national debate is finally re-focusing on inequality - which should be the Left's home turf. This is timely. While not nearly as bad as the US, our wealth and income disparities are failing to abate, and in some cases increasing. Findings show 13.3% of the population living below the after-housing poverty line, compared to 11.8% in 2003-04. This is coupled with epidemics of loneliness and mental illness, thanks partly to a hyper-selfish economy of isolated individuals and families, disconnected from a sense of community or society. The public are craving real change and the Left should be the one to provide it. Mainstream Right parties have had a continuous stream of ideologues raging against liberal straw-men for decades. The mainstream Left, in contrast, has been starved of such passion. Perhaps a legacy of the Cold War, Left Wing parties in the West had become cowed over decades, fearfully restricting any display of zealousness to pre-defined social issues. Positive signs of change include the ALP pushing the Banks Royal Commission and highlighting that inequality is the worst in 75 years, channelling public attention in the right directions. In dispersing a populist message, the broad Left movement have a major advantage of an extremely fired-up base, as seen with the re-politicization of thousands in the US and UK, and the massive millennial-filled rallies held by the likes of Bernie and Jeremy Corbyn. The base will likely grow as humans reconnect with their needs as social beings, wanting more from life than going to work, buying stuff and retreating into our homes. This provides an army of volunteers for the all important ground-game; something deployed effectively by the ALP at the last election. Advertisement Hilary (Brenda Meaney) and Spike (Dan Clegg): What's on their minds? God and math. Photos by Kevin Berne Can everything in human life, or in existence of any sort, be explained by higher math and supercomputers? Some scientists believe it can, though that secular grail is yet to be reached. Are there qualities of life that defy reduction to numbers, such as consciousness and altruism? Some scientists believe there are, as do the millions who attend churches and synagogues and mosques, along with nonbelievers who doubt the infallibility of science. Those puzzles and responses hardly sound like grist for something theatrical, but Tom Stoppard is hardly a commonplace playwright. Since 1966, when he turned Hamlet inside out into the tragicomedy Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, he has been charting new directions for the theater. With The Hard Problem, which is receiving its West Coast premiere at the Geary Theater in San Francisco, he has outdone himself by delving into philosophical concepts that encompass biology, computer science, math, ethics, survival strategies, the value of prayer, the dynamics of hedge funds and more. Oh, also, he didn't ignore love and sex, both heterosexual and homosexual. Advertisement That's obviously a huge load to pack into one hour and 40 minutes, with no intermission, but he hasn't attempted to prove any of the assertions. Rather, he has assembled them into a play that nimbly introduces concepts through characters, opens many avenues for thought and argument, and leaves deeper scholarship to anyone who cares to pursue it. The play's brisk and expert direction was provided by ACT artistic director Carey Perloff, whose cast of 10 is generally admirable. If cerebral theater is your thing, don't miss it. If you prefer to head home with a smile or a teary eye, skip this one. The play opens with a bedroom scene involving biology student Hilary (Brenda Meaney) and her math tutor, Spike (Dan Clegg). Their rapid-fire wordplay is certainly like none that has ever been uttered between characters who have just made love. One tiny example: Hilary: "You believe a thermostat has consciousness potential, but you find God a bit of a stretch?" Spike: "Uh, huh, but you should stick with God ... your way with an equation would need his collaboration." Advertisement His tutoring is designed to help her land a research position at the high-powered Krohl Institute for Brain Sciences. She prays frequently, for a reason that has nothing to do with career advancement and all to do with the unknown fate of a daughter that she bore at age 15 and gave up for adoption. Hilary's introduction to the institute involves conversation with another job applicant, name Amal (Vandit Bhatt), a mathematician who derides her pursuit of psychology as a worthy subject for study at Krohl. But she lands the job, thanks in no small part to her personal and intellectual attractiveness to her future boss (Anthony Fusco). Ditto for Amal, thanks to his statistical genius. Time for a toast: from left, Dan Clegg, Safiya Fredericks, Narea Kang, Stacy Ross, Brenda Meaney, Vandhit Bhatt Even with frequent undercurrents of erotic relationships, most of the dialogue skims across the esoterica of scientific concepts, especially explorations of consciousness and attempts to forecast the directions of financial markets. That last pursuit is crucial to Jerry Krohl, who founded the brain institute primarily as a way to make gazillions as a hedge fund operator. He hires brilliant number crunchers to fulfill that goal. Jerry (Mike Ryan) embodies Stoppard's approach to one of the play's major concerns: altruism. Does it flow from an urge to do good or from hopes of receiving a valuable return of some sort. We see him as a no-nonsense businessman who deals constantly, commandingly and cryptically via multiple cellphones; we also see him as a philanthropist and as the gentle father of an adopted daughter. Whether those traits stem from nature or nurture is among the play's quandaries, though it's obvious that Stoppard leans toward the humanist answer. Advertisement Others at the institute, which seems to operate like a Silicon Valley high-tech campus, include pilates instructor Julia (Safiya Fredericks), her lover Ursula (Stacy Ross), mathematician Bo (Narea Kang) and Jerry's pre-teen daughter Cathy (Carmen Steele.) Andrew Boyce's set, with thick floor-to-ceiling panels lining both sides of the stage and a coffered ceiling that contains lights but no decoration, looks stark before the play begins. That impression quickly vanishes as those panels slide in from left and right, along with furnishings that clearly establish an array of venues, from intimate to institutional. The moods receive excellent support from Russell H. Champa's varied lighting patterns. For Perloff, who has worked with Stoppard for more than two decades, nothing about the production suggests that this latest play -- his first in nine years -- was a hard problem to tackle. It may not offer easy going to every viewer, but it should be amply rewarding to anyone willing to meet Stoppard and his challenges half way. This story was produced through a partnership between OpenSecrets Blog and The Boston Globe's Spotlight team, and was published by both outlets. Michael Thornton and his wife made more than $1 million in campaign contributions between 2009 and 2014; he received "bonuses" covering most of it. (Globe photo) By: Andrea Estes and Viveca Novak Jon Tester didn't come all the way from Montana for the scrambled eggs and bacon. The senator, virtually unknown in Boston, was in a conference room at the Thornton Law Firm that June morning to cash in at one of the most reliable stops on the Democratic fundraising circuit, a law firm that pours millions into the coffers of the party and its politicians. Advertisement Tester, a massive, jovial man who raises livestock on his family farm, was more compelling than many of their other breakfast guests, all of them political candidates the firm hoped would defend the interests of trial attorneys. But the drill was basically the same. The personal injury lawyers listened politely for a few minutes, then returned to their offices. And Tester walked away with $26,400 in checks. But a striking thing happened the day Tester visited in 2010. Partner David C. Strouss received a payment from the firm labelled as a "bonus" that exactly equaled his $2,400 contribution to Tester's campaign, the maximum allowed. A few days later, partner Garrett Bradley -- until recently the House assistant majority leader in the Massachusetts legislature -- got a bonus, too, exactly matching his $2,400 gift to Tester. This pattern of payments -- contributions offset by bonus payments -- was commonplace at Thornton, according to a review of law firm records by the Spotlight Team and the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based non-profit that tracks campaign finance data. From 2010 through 2014, Strouss and Bradley along with founding partner Michael Thornton and his wife donated nearly $1.6 million to Democratic party fundraising committees and a parade of politicians from Senate minority leader Harry Reid of Nevada to Hawaii gubernatorial candidate David Ige to Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Over the same span, the lawyers received $1.4 million listed as "bonuses" in Thornton Law Firm records; more than 280 of the contributions precisely matched bonuses that were paid within 10 days. Advertisement That payback system, which involved other partners as well, helped make Thornton the 11th-ranked law firm nationally for political contributions in 2014, according to data analyzed by the Center, even though the firm is not among the 100 biggest in Massachusetts, much less the U.S. Thornton, through a spokesman, said its donation reimbursement program was reviewed by outside lawyers and complied with applicable laws. Campaign finance experts said that without reviewing the firm's records, they cannot say the payback system breaks the law, but it raises numerous red flags. That's because reimbursing people for their political donations is generally illegal, several experts said. When political donors are repaid for their donations, it can conceal the real source of contributions, and enable the unnamed source of the funds to exceed state and federal contribution limits. And in some states -- Massachusetts among them -- political donations to state candidates from corporations and partnerships such as Thornton Law Firm are flatly illegal. Reimbursing donors is "among the most serious campaign violations in the view of both the Federal Election Commission and the Department of Justice," said Daniel Petalas, an attorney who served as acting general counsel of the FEC until September. "Using straw donors to make contributions is illegal," said Larry Noble, general counsel of the Washington-based Campaign Legal Center and a former general counsel of the FEC. "People can go and have gone to prison for this." Advertisement Thornton officials declined to comment, instead hiring a former federal prosecutor to respond to the Globe's questions. The ex-prosecutor, Brian Kelly, said that the bonuses should not have been called bonuses at all because they were paid from the lawyers' own money. He said an accountant deducted the payments from their equity, or ownership, in the firm. When lawyers leave Thornton Law and cash in their equity, he said, their financial settlement with Thornton would be reduced by the amount of the bonuses. Kelly provided a written statement from Michael Thornton saying that "an error made internally" led to the payments being called bonuses. Thornton said he changed the way they were labelled after several years in 2015 when he discovered the mistake. "It's obviously not a crime to make lots of donations to politicians and they certainly did that," said Kelly. "But their donation program was vetted by prior counsel and an outside accountant and the firm made every effort to comply with all applicable laws and regulations." However, campaign finance experts were skeptical about the system Kelly describes, saying it could allow partners to go years before repaying the firm for the bonuses. Regulators could view the bonuses as open-ended loans, they said, making them hidden -- and illegal -- contributions from the law firm. Advertisement "I think they need to be very careful," said James Kahl, former deputy general counsel of the FEC. "The big red flag is monies being advanced and the truing up doesn't happen for many years." Kelly, who gave varying explanations of the reimbursement policy since first being asked about it in July, declined to provide a copy of a legal opinion that he said justified the repayment program. He also declined to say whether lawyers who left the firm were required to pay when the bonuses they received exceeded their equity in the firm. But one thing is certain: The policy was so complicated that at least some lawyers at the firm didn't understand it, said former employees. They were just happy to get their money back. *** Michael Thornton, a former Marine who served in Vietnam, made his name in the law by becoming a national leader in handling asbestos-related cases, especially those in which victims suffered mesothelioma, a rare but deadly cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Thornton lawyers have handled thousands of such cases, made millions, and even helped to underwrite research into mesothelioma. But that pipeline of profits was threatened just over a decade ago when some leading politicians, including President George W. Bush, moved to limit damages in class action lawsuits and to allow the victims of asbestos exposure to file their claims for compensation directly to a national trust fund -- bypassing lawyers who typically receive a third of any award. Advertisement That's when Thornton learned the power of political donations. The firm's partners contributed heavily to mostly Democratic politicians who, they hoped, would thwart efforts to create the trust fund. "If it passed, the firm would close," said a former employee who feared retaliation if his name were used. 'Hence the beginning of the political donations." They gave more and more each year, from $257,300 to federal candidates and the Democratic party in the 2003-2004 election cycle to nearly $1.1 million a decade later, according to the Center -- quadrupling their contributions. Thornton is a small firm -- usually 10 or fewer equity partners -- but the lawyers punch well above their weight in political fundraising. In the two year election cycle ending in 2014, for example, lawyers at Thornton Naumes, as the firm was then called, donated more than much larger multi-national firms such as Greenberg Traurig a Miami-based law firm that claims 38 offices and 2,000 attorneys. Over the course of three election cycles -- 2010, 2012 and 2014 -- Thornton partners contributed more than $3.4 million to candidates and the party nationwide, especially Democratic Senate candidates who opposed overhauling the asbestos litigation system. Advertisement The partners have been major benefactors to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the party's Senate fundraising arm. From 2007 through the middle of this year, Thornton partners gave the DSCC, which has higher contribution limits than do candidates, more than $1.5 million. Just one Republican senator has collected contributions from Thornton's lawyers. Lindsey Graham, an idiosyncratic South Carolinian and former trial lawyer himself, received $62,800 over the last decade. Graham helped peel away enough GOP support in the Senate to ensure the trust fund bill's death on Valentine's Day, 2006, according to former Senate aides. Thornton's lawyers were especially generous to Vice President Joe Biden, one of Washington's strongest advocates for trial lawyers, contributing more than $78,000 to his campaigns from 2003 to 2008. During President Obama and Biden's reelection campaign in 2012, Michael Thornton hosted a fundraiser for the Obama Victory Fund at his house in Cambridge where Biden was the guest of honor. Some of the biggest donors -- some Thornton partners gave $20,000 -- were escorted into a private room and offered the chance to be photographed with Biden, said someone who was there. Thornton records show the lawyers were reimbursed for those donations. Vice President Joe Biden was a favorite of Michael Thornton's. Biden collected $78,000 for his campaigns from 2003 through 2008. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Advertisement Thornton declined to speak to the Globe and the Center, but he has been vocal about his support for Biden, who once chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee and twice helped block legislation that would have established the asbestos trust fund. "Sen. Biden has been a trial-lawyer advocate for many terms in the Senate," Thornton was quoted as saying in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 2008. "We represent victims, we think it's in the best interest of our clients if they have an opportunity to go to court. Sen. Biden agrees." Once Michael Thornton's willingness to raise large amounts of money became known among lawyers and politicians, the American Association for Justice, the trial lawyers' Washington-based lobbying group, increasingly turned to the firm's lawyers for help, even for little known candidates running in states far from Boston. "At first it happened every three or four months, and then it was sometimes three or four times each month," even though the threat of asbestos litigation reform had faded, said the former employee who requested anonymity. As the number of fundraisers started piling up, partners began to grouse. Even though Thornton called the contributions "voluntary," partners felt pressured to give, according to the former employee. After all, Michael Thornton was the firm's lead partner with enormous sway over what the other partners were paid. Advertisement So, according to three former employees, Thornton Law Firm adopted the donation reimbursement system. Bonus checks that were reviewed by the Globe made clear that the payments were for political donations, with notations giving the name of the politician the partner had donated to. The Globe and the Center for Responsive Politics reviewed records covering payments to three senior partners -- Thornton, Bradley and Strouss -- who are among the top shareholders in the firm. Then, the Globe and the Center matched the bonuses against federal, state and local campaign records. Campaign contribution and law firm records from 2010 through 2014 show that Thornton donated the most, and the firm gave him bonuses that matched not only his donations, but at least 33 made by his wife, Amy, who runs an investment fund. The couple donated just over $1 million between 2010 and 2014 and Thornton received $862,450 in off-setting bonuses. Michael Thornton, through a spokesman, denied that the law firm reimbursed his wife's donations. Bradley made donations of $340,535 and received almost as much in bonuses -- $339,000 over that period, the records shows. Advertisement David Strouss gave $205,150 over the five years and received almost the same amount in bonuses -- $197,150. By donating as individuals, lawyers for the firm were able to collectively give far more to individual candidates in a single year than the firm could have donated directly under federal law. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York received $52,000 from Thornton partners over a 10-day period in 2013. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP) Over a 10-day period in 2013, for example, Thornton partners gave $52,000 to Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, a subcommittee chairman on the Senate Judiciary Committee -- 20 times as much as the $2,600 that the partnership itself could have donated. (Corporate contributions are illegal under federal law, but partnership contributions are not.) In 2012, the lawyers gave Warren $42,200, 16 times as much as the firm could have given her directly. Advertisement Thornton lawyers also donated more than $260,000 to state and local politicians in Massachusetts from 2010 to 2014. If those donations were determined to have actually been made by the firm -- because the lawyers were reimbursed -- they would be illegal since political contributions from corporations or partnerships are prohibited in Massachusetts. There's no indication that any of the politicians who received Thornton donations knew anything about the law firm's questionable reimbursement system. *** The Federal Election Commission does allow partners in a law firm to donate to political campaigns, but only if the funds clearly come from the partner's own money. According to FEC rules, a partnership can contribute on behalf of its partners, but then must promptly deduct the amount of the donation from the next profit sharing payments to the partners called "partnership distributions." That's not what Thornton did. Brian Kelly, Thornton's outside counsel, said the firm's practice is legal because, at the end of each quarter, the firm's accountant deducts the political donations from something called the "capital account" of each partner with the firm. The capital account is a way for the accountant to keep track of the partners' share of equity in the firm. The deductions from the capital account are on paper only, Kelly acknowledged. When partners leave the firm, they may be entitled to a payment from the capital account that Kelly says is reduced by the amount of reimbursements received. Advertisement But reimbursing partners out of their equity in the firm -- as Kelly said Thornton did -- is likely illegal, said Brett Kappel, a Washington D.C. lawyer who specializes in campaign finance. "If they were legitimate contributions, they should have been deducted from their partnership distributions," Kappel said. Senior partner Bradley abruptly resigned his position as assistant majority leader in the state House of Representatives on June 27 after the Globe had begun asking questions about his firm's business practices. His decision stunned colleagues, coming so late in the election cycle that there was no time to take his name off the November ballot. Bradley explained at the time that Michael Thornton was retiring and he was being promoted to managing partner of his law firm. As a result, he wanted to focus on his legal work. Thornton is now chairman of the firm. "I wouldn't have the time to do this (legislative) job the way it should be done" because of the promotion, Bradley explained to Statehouse News Service. "It's bittersweet for me." Advertisement Some campaign finance experts say they expect Thornton's reimbursement system is likely to raise suspicions among regulators and law enforcement officials alike. "The use of the word 'bonus' for these payments combined with the fact that they so closely matched the amounts and timing of the donations would certainly capture the attention of the general counsel's office at the FEC -- and given how much was involved, the public integrity section at the Department of Justice," said Kappel, the Washington campaign finance lawyer. The Globe and the Center could not find another law firm that used a similar reimbursement system -- Thornton itself stopped the reimbursements when the Globe and the Center began asking about it. "I've been a partner at two law firms and have made many political donations," said Leonard Kesten, a partner at Brody, Hardoon, Perkins and Kesten in Boston, "but I've never seen anything like this. It seems very peculiar." Meanwhile, in the Senate, measures to change the asbestos litigation system continue to pop up. Earlier this year, the Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act passed the House, but ran into opposition from Schumer of New York, a top recipient of Thornton donations. Advertisement There comes a point in her Act II monologue when the Kostelnicka, the moral guardian of a turn-of-the-century mill town in Moravia and the step-mother of the titular Jenufa, imagines how the villagers will decry her and her stepdaughter when they find out about Jenufa's illegitimate child. "Look at her! Look at her! Kostelnicka!" Well, with the white-knuckled Karita Mattila playing the upright, deeply conflicted Kostelnicka, it simply isn't possible to look away. Leos Janacek's Jenufa premiered in Brno in 1904 and returned to the Metropolitan Opera on Friday for the first time in ten years. The bleak opera is a fascinating and elegantly-proportioned psychological study that elevates the thorough development of themes of jealousy, shame, and love into an airtight and believable case study. Taken from the play Her Stepdaughter by Gabriela Preissova, the plot revolves around the young, thoughtful Jenufa who falls in love with and is pregnant by Steva, the heir to a mill. But when her childhood friend Laca slashes her face out of jealousy, Steva abandons Jenufa, and her image-conscious stepmother, the Kostelnicka, shelters her until the baby is born. Terrified that the baby will stigmatize Jenufa, the Kostelnicka drowns it in the ice while Jenufa sleeps and tells her the baby died. The Kostelnicka then brokers the marriage of Jenufa and Laca, but the body of the baby is discovered by the villagers in the thawing river on the day of the wedding. The Kostelnicka succumbs to her guilt, admits to the deed, and is taken to prison, while Jenufa, humiliated, tries to release the insistently-committed Laca. The characters all end up about as unhappy as they were at the start of the opera and humdrum village life assumedly goes on. Advertisement Returning to the Met for the first time in 5 seasons, Mattila made a tremendous and extraordinarily-paced house-role debut as the crumbling sexton's widow. At age 56, Mattila still commands an easily-produced, soft-grained soprano with a distant pinch that she imbues with an extraordinary intensity, dramatic alertness, and attention to the Czech text. She isn't afraid to cry out or let the voice go white for a moment for effect and the shocking lines of her Act II monologue were both enunciated and screamed to a chilling result as she resolves to kill Jenufa's son. Her high notes were effortlessly produced and her low notes were impressively secure in what was a welcome and overdue return for the undiminished Finnish soprano. Unfortunately, though, Mattila was matched nowhere else in the cast, least of all by the Jenufa of Ukranian Oksana Dyka. Dyka's voice has turned from steely, laser-like focus to an edgy, strident wobble. Though her upper range is more intact and she can still ride the breath effectively, her lower range sounds dull and curdled and she didn't lend the music any of the pastoral lyricism is demands despite attempts at sincere delivery. Not a natural actress, she was majorly undercut by Olivier Tambosi's lackluster-but-inoffensive production that had her spend most of the evening posing near the stage-dominating rock. This Jenufa wasn't so much a layered, tormented young woman as much as a baleful, shrieking village girl with a penchant for literacy. Her suitors fared better. Daniel Brenna's forceful heldentenor might not have been an ideal fit for Laca, but he sang with a youthful rambunctiousness and acted with commitment to the production which imagined him as more of a playground bully than a predator. Joseph Kaiser took some time to warm up as Steva, but once he did, his singing was confident and his negotiation of Czech even more so. He did sometimes compete to be heard with the orchestra, though, which conductor David Robertson lead with great attention to the intricacies of Janacek's orchestral writing. The village scenes have a lot of moving parts, and Robertson managed them with ease and even scaled down his approach for the intimate Act II. That said, his conducting was taut, exciting, and tense the entire evening. The superb Metropolitan Opera Orchestra adroitly responded accordingly and the Chorus sounded in top shape. Other standouts of the cast included the indispensable Ying Fang whose distant, pearly soprano was a delight as Jano, Hanna Schwarz who sang with commitment and worn tone as the Grandmother Buryja, and Bradley Garvin who balanced generous phrasing and beautiful tone in his short appearance as the foreman. Frank Philip Schlossmann's geologically-inspired sets and subdued costumes got the job done. Advertisement Jenufa runs through November 17 at the Metropolitan Opera and you'd be silly to miss Karita Mattila doing what she does best (besides the splits). Tickets available here. The electoral compass indicates today that Hillary Clinton is set to return to the White House as the first female president in US history. Yet the political compass suggests this ambitious woman whose career spans decades will not spend a comfortable next four years in power. Her tenure could be burdened by careful calculations, but also a lot of second-guessing and attempts to harass her over both small and big mistakes. Hillary, the candidate who has been lacking in charisma and popularity, will not become overnight President Hillary around whom the American people shall rally. A significant segment of Americans do not trust her, and see her as the offshoot of the establishment, which comprises major civilian and military interests, and who are also loath to having the Clintons in the White House once again. Divided America could become more divided if the results are close between Clinton and Donald Trump, the Republicans' begrudged candidate. If the elections produce a landslide for Hillary, then her presidency will enjoy a mandate and perhaps she will be spared some of the bitterness otherwise lying in wait for her. In this case, Hillary will be a president bent on restoring US superpower decisiveness and prestige on the world arena, which had taken a hit under Obama whose policy was marked by appeasement in an era of eroded principles and moral superiority. Hillary's presidency will not be isolationist like Obama's, as there are signs she intends to reshuffle the deck with Russia though not to the point of confrontation. Clinton will want to let Putin know that America the infirm, as the Russians characterized Obama's USA, will rejuvenate itself and disallow further belittling from the Kremlin. Hillary Clinton's expected policies towards the Arab Gulf region may revive traditional axioms, with a view to repair some of the tensions that have soured historical relations between the two sides. However, one must not expect a full reversal of Obama's policies, which bet everything on having historically different relations with Iran. It will not be easy for Hillary to convince Egypt that she no longer backs the Muslim Brotherhood; in the view of the administration in power in Egypt, she had played a key role in the rise of Islamists to power. Mistrust of Hillary Clinton and her team, at least at the start of her tenure, will likely continue as Egypt's leader el-Sisi continues to develop strategic ties with "anti-Islamist" Putin. Raging wars also await Clinton. Syria's opposition is yearning for a new American policy, while the regime is seeking together with its allies in Moscow and Tehran to benefit from the "extra time" before her inauguration to impose military facts on the ground, especially in Aleppo. Turkey is preparing itself to prove how sharp and valuable its instruments are in Syria and Iraq. The US-led international coalition is seeking victory in Mosul against ISIS and then Raqqa, in the hope of concluding Obama's tenure in the White House with a historic achievement before the successor takes over. The whole world has its eyes set on the results of the US elections. They watched the campaign sometimes with glee and others with horror, as it dawned on everyone what it meant for Donald Trump to capture the presidency. But today, the White House will most likely be occupied by a grandmother, and the first female president of the United States.It's still not impossible for Trump to win. However, bar a major surprise, the majority of observers agree that Clinton is almost certain to win. In Washington, deliberations have already started regarding which names to appoint for top posts. For example, Michelle Flournoy is being touted as the next defense secretary, and the first woman ever in the post. Other names include Admiral Jones Sevrides or General John Allen for secretary of state, or veteran diplomat Bill Burns while one of the two military men would instead be appointed national security advisor. In other words, Washington is already gearing up for a new Democratic administration after Trump spoiled any chance for a Republican administration to take over.Donald Trump's failure to take the White House will annoy Putin, who has not concealed his biases. Russia has even been accused of interfering with US elections against Hillary Clinton, drawing the ire of many Americans included those opposed to her.US-Russian relations under Clinton will not turn into a hot war or eve a cold war. But they will not follow the same truce-like if not appeasement pattern seen under Obama, especially in the interactions between Sergei Lavrov and John Kerry on Syria. Hillary Clinton's relationship with Lavrov when she served at the state department underwent a number of crises most notably over Libya, when Moscow saw NATO's intervention there as cynical misinterpretation of a UN Security Council mandate and an affront to Russia's prestige. Thus began the bad blood between Lavrov and Clinton, after which Russia's ties with the West deteriorated, as nationalist sentiment was stoked in Moscow to the point of seeking revenge through Syria.Russia stands accused nowadays of perpetrating war crimes in Aleppo, where it is a party to the civil war fighting alongside the regime and Iran-backed forces and militias. Britain and France want to take Russia and the Syrian regime to the ICC to hold them accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Turkey is fighting the war in Syria and backing moderate rebels, and is seeking to create no-fly zones and safe humanitarian zones, a bid opposed by Moscow. Russia has turned the Syrian tragedy from a war between regime and opposition into a war on the Nusra Front and moderate rebels simultaneously.Hillary Clinton has expressed willingness to support safe zones in Syria, but it is not clear if this includes the unlikely prospect of establishing a no-fly zone. Either way, this suggests she has a different policy from Obama, who washed his hands clean from Syria. Yet this does not mean she is willing to send US troops to Syria, except through the coalition against ISIS and similar groups like Nusra. There will never be US ground forces in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, or Libya, because this is what the Americans' mood imposes today and in the near future. What's different here is that Hillary will not let Russia continue its policies in Syria without a pushback, through Turkey and traditional allies in the Gulf, and without accountability for crimes by supporting European allies in their bid to activate the ICC.Because Hillary Clinton will have realistic relations with the Arab Gulf nations, her policies in Syria could be more pragmatic relative to Obama's. This means she will be more willing to allow delivery of new weapons to the rebels in Syria to confront regime and Russian assaults. Still, it is unlikely Clinton will antagonize Assad's other ally Iran and hold it and its militias accountable, because she will be keen to undermine the new page Obama has opened with the Islamic Republic through the nuclear deal.Clinton might instead reconsider that dangerous investment in sectarian tensions between Sunnis and Shias. Indeed, the Obama administration has been accused of unshackling the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the Qods Force led by Qassem Soleimani in Iraq and Syria, as a necessary partner in the war on ISIS. Hillary Clinton could decide it is in the US interest now to extinguish the fires of sectarian strife, and that the time has come to dismantle the bid to replace regular armies with militias a la Popular Mobilization, meant to defend the Assad regime or the governments of Haidar al-Abadi or Nouri al-Maliki in Syria and Iraq respectively. This is one common trait between Iran and ISIS in the Arab region, as both parties want to tear apart the Arab nation states. The rise of the militias and paramilitaries is a threat not only to the Arab region, but has implications that extend to Europe and beyond, including the US. Furthermore, the vicious cycle of Shia and Sunni vendettas counters Western and US values. For this reason, the best thing Hillary could do is reconsider this policy and decide to put a stop to fueling sectarian extremism and Sunni-Shia strife, and open a new page in Arab-Iranian-American relations.Some of the above are wishes rather than forecasts. But the political logic in this historic juncture in the history of the US presidency makes it necessary to think outside the box. Most likely, the next president will inherit enough problems to require radical solutions. Translated by Karim Traboulsihttp://www.alhayat.com/Opinion/Raghida-Dergham/18187942/%D8%B1%D8%A6%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A9-%D9%87%D9%8A%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A7-%D8%B5%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%A7-%D9%88%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%87%D8%A7 Sometimes, employees have the best of intentions but just don't have the time or flexibility to volunteer. How can you engage all of your employees in volunteering so that everyone feels that they're part of your corporate culture of giving back? Employee volunteer and giving isn't a one-size fits all proposition, so the same "done in a day" experience that suits some employees to a T isn't going to work for everyone, for reasons ranging from availability to interest. Successful volunteer programs offer a broad array of cause engagement for employee involvement, and this includes opportunities offered within the four walls of your office. Instead of giving up on employees who can't or don't want to travel to a volunteer opportunity, get innovative about ways to offer opportunities that come straight to your employees. Myriad possibilities for in-office volunteering exist, but here are three key categories to consider when it comes to convenient and impactful cause engagement on your own doorstep. Advertisement 1. On-Site Volunteering Events A range of organizations now specialize in packaging volunteering opportunities as a fun group employee experience that can be enjoyed on site, en masse, while helping the organization serve others. For example, consider International Medical Corps, an organization that works with companies to mobilize employees as first responders to international crises and natural disasters around the world. IMC responds to crises in over 30 countries by delivering emergency health care, providing training and offering health related services to those affected by natural disasters, conflict, famine and disease, no matter the location or conditions. So how can a company help International Medical Corps with international relief work without sending employees to far-flung corners of the earth - or even out the front door at all? By participating in hygiene kit assembly events, which includes items that most of us take for granted but that provide essential supplies to people in need, such as toothbrushes and soap. Kitting events usually kick off with a speaker from International Medical Corps who offers context for where these kits are going and why this work is so important, and International Medical Corps works with companies to develop a co-branded social media and communication strategy around the event to highlight their good work. "Kitting is an employee engagement strategy that we have found to be quite popular," notes IMC Vice President Rebecca Milner. "It allows employees to do something hands-on to have a tangible experience with people in need and bring meaning to their work." Advertisement Companies such as TOMS and JP Morgan Chase have arranged for kitting events at their offices, and Walmart even made kitting a part of their annual shareholders meeting, with 1500 kits assembled by 1000 people. The event offers a perfect way to bring people together who don't see each other on a daily basis and bridge a connection through cause. "Assembling hygiene kits has proved hugely popular as an employee engagement strategy," notes International Medical Corps Vice President Rebecca Milner. "It allows employees to do something hands-on, to have a tangible experience that connects them with people in need - and brings meaning to their own work." Causecast client Optimizely also experienced the goodwill of the International Medical Corps kitting event firsthand, when 60 Optimizely employees gathered to assemble 500 kits to be sent to Nigeria, as part of International Medical Corps' polio vaccination program. "For folks who want to give back who might be really busy and stressed out, the kitting event was perfect," says John Leonard, program manager of Optimizely, which is making a concerted effort to integrate social impact into the culture and business strategy of its organization. The International Medical Corps kitting event was just one of many impact activities offered as a part of Optimizely's Impact Week, with volunteer opportunities ranging from cleaning up a park to serving meals at a soup kitchen to a hackathon, all serving 13 different nonprofits. International Medical Corps' kitting event was the final event of the week, the shortest in duration, and the largest in terms of participation. "We arranged it so the event took place over lunchtime," Leonard explained. "Employees were able to grab lunch, listen to the presentation, do the kit assembly, and still be done in time for their 1pm meeting. It was a way for us to involve people who may not be able to take that much time out of their day, and a terrific way for us to drive overall participation in our Impact Week." Advertisement Another example of this kind of in-office volunteer event is offered by The Pack Shack, which creates "Feed the Funnel" parties that supply provisions and opportunities for underserved communities. Meals packed at Feed the Funnel parties are donated free of charge to local organizations, such as food banks and food pantries, for them to distribute to people and/or other organizations in their area. On average, Pack Shack says that 30-40 people can pack 10,000 meals in just 2 hours, and they request that organizations set minimum goals to pack 5,000 to 10,000 meals, depending upon the location. Whether it's team building, holiday parties or a volunteer opportunity for trapped employees - any occasion can be turned into an on-site party for good. His own gentle face will make you smile as you look at him, but then watch his giant sculptures, and shriek! Just on time for some Halloween scares, let's have a look at the animals Mr. Mach creates and fabricates with the most unusual of materials. For example, his spiky cheetah and a tiger are entirely built with wire hangers. Are they still called sculptures or recycled masterpieces? In any case, they are frightening-looking, the kind one expects to see in an horror movie or a post-apocalypse scenario where strangely evolved beasts lurk in dark corners - maybe also have eaten all the humans on the planet. Advertisement But I digress. Part of a series baptized "Coathangers," the life-size beasts are made of metal/wire hangers, which has their pointed metal hooks sticking out of the "skin" of the animals. The slightly scary looking cacti-like creatures are created from a plastic mold, covered with the hangers, and finally coated in nickel. The final products resemble magnificently aggressive porcupines layered in quills nobody wants to pet! His "Silver Back" measures 7-ft by 9-ft by 5-ft and is made of 7,500 metal coat hangers. It took 2,705.6 man-hours to create, and it first went on display at the FIAC art fair in Paris. Advertisement David Mach calls his work "Big on gesture and big in proportion, it demands your attention and gets it." The 60-year old Scotsman works out of his London studio with unlikely material recycled from the streets and the dumpsters. Wood, pipes, tires, bricks and furniture are used as well. His piece "A hundred and one Dalmatians" has flying washing machines incorporated in the sculpture. His "Out of order" line sculpture is made of red British phone booths. His version of the ancient Greek Parthenon, a familiar sight when looking at pictures of Greece, was perched on top of shipping containers to recreate the height of the hill in the actual setting of the ruin. For the artist, British-ness is well represented by bottles of HP sauce (a brown version of the American BBQ sauce), so he once requested the public's help to collect some 2,000 of such empty bottles to built a piece of art. The result was a weird version of the Union-flag. Advertisement Michael Douglas/Gordon Gekko also has its very own rather prickly-looking version in a head collage made of postcards and cash. Scary stuff indeed! Happy Halloween! ____________________________________________________________________________ On November 26 and 27, David Mach will have an open studio at 8 Havelock Walk, London, SE23 3HG, UK. Tel: 44-0-208-699-5659. Master classes in drawing and collage will be held at the studio during extended weekends from Nov. 18th to January 22nd. Shivshankar Menon is a distinguished fellow at the Brookings Institution, a think tank. Ambassador Menon previously held various positions with the Indian Foreign Service and served as India's National Security Advisor from 2010 to 2014. This interview has been edited lightly. Your book "Choices: Inside the Making of India's Foreign Policy" has just been published. Would you tell us a little bit about it? It is a book about five major foreign policy choices that the government of India made in the recent past, and what they say about India's present and future behavior as a great power. The choices include the first border-related agreement on pacifying the border with China, the civil nuclear negotiations with the U.S. which helped transform the India-U.S. relationship, and the decision not to use overt force against Pakistan after the Mumbai terrorist attack. Why did you decide to write this book? The idea of the book came to me from a study group that I took at Harvard University in the spring of 2015, when I realized that there was considerable interest in how these choices were made by governments, not just among foreign policy wonks, but among those studying other disciplines as well. I then thought it worth putting down recollections of why and how these decisions were made. What are a couple key takeaways that you hope will resonate with policymakers? This is really a practitioner's account. It reflects the reality that governments make national security and foreign policy choices in the fog of events, and that there are seldom black or white, true and false, right and wrong, choices. Instead much of the time we are trying to maximize gain and minimize harm. The book also reflects the reality (that IR [International Relations] theory sometimes underestimates, and crime fiction overestimates) that personalities matter in decision making. Policymakers might find it reassuring to know how others dealt with some of the dilemmas that they face. What sort of feedback have you gotten thus far? Have there been any comments or observations that have surprised you? The most surprising comment I heard was that the book is "shockingly readable." I assume that was a compliment. Overall the reaction has been generous and complimentary so far. Advertisement The book came out in the U.S. just when India-Pakistan tensions were high after cross-border terrorist attacks, and when India decided to act across the Line of Control against terrorist launch pads. Since the book had predicted this it was natural that the Pakistan chapter attracted considerable comment. How long did it take to write? Do you have a writing routine? These were decisions that I was associated with so I suppose the book has been a long time in the making. But the actual writing was relatively quick, taking about a year, once the ideas had been clarified through discussions in the study group and with friends and colleagues. This is my first book so I cannot say I have a writing routine yet, though I prefer writing early in the morning. Do you have any literary influences? I would hesitate to claim any literary merit for what I write. I have always admired historical writing that displays clarity and simplicity while explaining complex ideas, like Isaiah Berlin's writings and E.H. Carr's "Twenty Years' Crisis". What do you read for fun? Fiction by Elmore Leonard, Indian authors like Amitabha Ghosh and Vikram Seth, and Chinese authors like Qiu Xiaolong and Ha Jin. What's the best book you've read this year? Naming just one book is an impossible task for me. I enjoyed Srinath Raghavan's "India's War" about India in the Second World War. Another was "The Gunpowder Age" by Tonio Andrade, a fascinating account of the spread and use of military technology that stands traditional views on their head. Prasannan Parthasarathi's "Why Europe Grew Rich and Asia Did Not" was a stimulating read. There are around 12,000 sex workers in Israel. www.shutterstock.com How should the selling of sex be treated? What should law do about it, if anything? What kind of links are there between prostitution and sex trafficking? Such questions ignite vigorous controversies around the world, and Israel is no exception. While Israel unflinchingly joined the transnational effort to enforce the anti-sex trafficking regime that became one of the most consensus-driven global projects of the past two decades, the approach toward prostitution in the country is far from settled. Sex trafficking is a criminal offence in Israel. In 2012, the country was promoted to a Tier-1 ranking in the US State Department's Trafficking in Persons report, meaning that adequate efforts to address the problem have been made. Advertisement Public opinion, government policy and the law courts, cooperating in rare accord, unwaveringly reject sex trafficking. But when the discussion shifts towards prostitution, the unanimity evaporates, and a highly polemic discourse takes its place. Two views of paying for sex As in many other countries, the two main battling ideas are the sex-work narrative and the prostitution-as-harm narrative. According to the sex-work narrative, selling and buying sex are legitimate practices. They are framed as manifestations of human rights when deriving from free choice. Amnesty International adopted this position in 2015. According to the prostitution-as-harm narrative, women are harmed by the practice of selling sex, in a way that must be addressed by law. A legal model often linked to this narrative was introduced by Sweden in 1999, and is widely known as the Nordic model. This model abolishes prostitution and criminalises the men who buy sex rather than the women who sell it. The prostitution-as-harm narrative is supported by worldwide research. Compared to those who are not involved in prostitution, a much higher percentage of women in prostitution fall victim to a range of threats from rape to armed robbery, assault and defamatory speech. Advertisement A series of physical problems typify prostitution: from sexual transmitted diseases to gynaecological problems, dental health issues and more. Women in prostitution are more frequently diagnosed as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Additionally women in prostitution face social infamy, which means humiliation, contempt and harm to dignity - a toll exacted from all women in prostitution, even from those who manage to avoid physical and emotional abuses or trauma-related harms. In my view, separating prostitution from sex trafficking, for instance on the basis of choice and agency, fails to recognise the harms of prostitution at large and the duty to address them. The situation in Israel The existing Israeli law basically supports the sex-work narrative. Buying and selling sex in Israel is legal and can even be advertised under certain constraints, though pimping and running brothels are illegal. Not surprisingly, prostitution seems to flourish in Israel, though often hidden from the public eye. The first-ever government survey into prostitution found that there were around 12,000 people working in prostitution in the country, 95% of them female. Each had in average 660 clients a year. But during the last decade, there has been growing demand for legal reform that will adopt a version of the Nordic model. In the past few years, a number of bills proposing the adoption of such a model have been brought to the Israeli parliament. Advertisement All the efforts were aborted, but now a new bill is being promoted, and the Justice Ministry has formed a committee to evaluate whether legal reform is due. A growing backlash Meanwhile, an intense debate goes on, echoed across different media platforms. One notable example is a project by Tali Koral, an Israeli anti-prostitution activist. Koral's two blogs, When He Pays and When He Pays Me, present testimonies of women relating their experiences in prostitution alongside real quotes of Israeli men reviewing and ranking women in prostitution, taken from Hebrew portal, Sex Adir (Great Sex). The project, intended to raise awareness to what Koral refers to as the "real face" of prostitution in Israel, gained wide public attention, and raised protests from Johns (men who pay for sex), who claimed the posts humiliated them and demanded their removal. Following such complaints, Facebook blocked Tali Koral's account several times, facing angry counter-complaints, which accused Facebook of supporting Johns. Owing to insistent campaigns led by activists, alongside an increasing number of cultural representations that depict prostitution as a highly precarious practice, a backlash against the sex-work narrative is growing. Two such influential representations are Keren Yedaya's 2004 film, Or (My Treasure), which depicted two generations of Israeli women caught in prostitution, and Blue Natalie, a 12-part TV drama by Avner Bernheimer and Guy Sidis from 2010, that focused on sex trafficking. Advertisement Joining the club Awareness of the social infamy suffered by women in prostitution, as well as the trauma many of them suffer is growing in Israel. State responsibility to alleviate these harms inevitably comes to many minds when thinking of a solution. Still, it is difficult to decisively predict whether Israel will introduce legal reform addressing the harms of prostitution. Public opinion appears to be wavering: according to a 2015 poll, 54% of Israelis were in favour of some kind of legislation against the clients of prostitution, but only 42% thought clients should actually be punished. Yet, a harm-focused perception of prostitution is growing. There is a reasonable chance that Israel will eventually join the small club of countries that have embraced the prostitution-as-harm approach and reformed their law accordingly. Such a process might be sluggish, and will depend on modifications of the law, education policies and budget allocations. Nevertheless, it might be on its way. Dakota Access Pipeline protesters square off against police between near Standing Rock Reservation and the pipeline route outside the little town of Saint Anthony, North Dakota, U.S., October 5, 2016. REUTERS/Terray Sylvester Notes from Indian Country By Tim Giago (Nanwica Kciji - Stands Up For Them) In the past few weeks I have heard some of our young people say that the peaceful protests up on the Standing Rock Reservation that are attempting to stop the construction of the pipeline are just like the protests at Wounded Knee. WRONG! It is apparent that some of them have learned their history of Wounded Knee 1973 from oral propaganda and have not bothered to read all of the books, pro and con, discussing those days of occupation. Advertisement First of all the peaceful village of Wounded Knee was invaded by heavily armed, mostly outsiders, in February of 1973 in the middle of the night. The occupants, mostly Lakota, of the community were rousted from their homes and the elderly couple that had been owners of the Wounded Knee Trading Post before selling it were tied to chairs. Clive Gildersleeve, a white man, was in his 80s as was his wife Agnes, an Ojibwe woman. They were terrified to death as the invaders made threats to them and waved loaded weapons at them. During the 73-day occupation of the village fighting, drinking and drugs were in common usage in the camp and an African American man named Perry Ray Robinson was murdered within the camp. There are rumors of other acts of violence among the occupiers against each other and against new arrivals at the camp. No my friends, it was not a peaceful protest beginning with day one. Back then it was mostly Indians against Indians because the supporters of the tribal government also took up arms against the occupiers. My fear now, and it is also the fear of some of the protestors at the camps on the Standing Rock Reservation, is that there will be violence leading to the loss of someone's life. The protectors, as they are known, must not resort to violence no matter how much they are provoked by the pipeline contractors or the law enforcement officers. It has always been my contention that when the American Indian Movement first started in the early 1970s they would have had the support of nearly every Native American in America if they had not started to resort to violence. They failed to follow the successful example of Martin Luther King, Jr. where his followers, although under severe attacks by the police armed with clubs and attack dogs and water cannons, did not resort to violence themselves. Instead they carried out their protests peacefully while maintaining their dignity. Advertisement Right now the protectors in North Dakota have national and international support. They have it because thus far, aside from the sad episode of setting cars on fire, they have continued to protest in a peaceful fashion and they are protesting a cause that is at the heart of all peace loving people, protecting our water. They are right when they shout out that water is life. And that is the goal they should follow because all of America except those who believe that "oil is life" will support them. Standing Rock Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault II, has called out to them repeatedly to keep the protest non-violent. The chairmen of all the Sioux Tribes have done likewise. Most of them were young men when Wounded Knee was occupied in 1973, but they have learned enough about its history to know they do not want the same kind violence to tarnish a worthy cause. The white people of Bismarck, North Dakota objected to the pipeline passing above their city and so it was moved and where better place to move it, at least according to the oil barons, than through the lands of an American Indian Tribe. America will never know the true history of how the sacred lands of the Sioux tribes were nearly destroyed by the great dams that were constructed on their lands many years ago, mostly without their consent. Towns and funeral grounds were submerged beneath the rising waters of the Missouri River when the flow of the river waters was contained by the dams. The dams were not constructed on the lands of the white settlers, but instead the Indian reservations were once again chosen for this project because the federal government knew there would be little opposition because the Indian people were poor and had little or no political clout to stop them. This time it is different because the Indian people say "NO" you cannot build something that will contaminate our drinking water and how long ago was it that a similar oil pipeline burst in Montana contaminating the drinking water of nearly 6,000 Montanans? Advertisement The protectors of the water should follow the example of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mahatma Gandhi and they will continue to have the support of most Americans and the support of the rest of the world. But please to not think that this peaceful protest is anything like the violent takeover of Wounded Knee because it is not and we pray that you do not make it into one. Local officials discussed, rejected law enforcement consolidation in past Voters are being asked to consider a constitutional amendment on the Nov. 8 ballot that would enshrine the election of sheriffs into constitution . Patrick Ryan Founded in 2010 by industry legend Patrick G. Ryan, Ryan Specialty Group has become a global force in just a few short years. Headquartered in Chicago, RSG has about 1,700 employees across North America and the UK. IBA recently talked with Patrick Ryan about the growth and acquisitions that have helped RSG become a global player in such a short time. Thorvald Stoltenberg (second, left), Dybdahl Ragnhild (cenre), Kjell Arne Nielsen (first, left) and Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai (second, right) pose for a photo at the ceremony (Photo: VNA) The presentation, held by the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK on October 27th, was attended by Deputy Speaker of the Norwegian parliament Svein Roald Hasen, State Secretary Tone Skogen, officials of Oslo city, and representatives of diplomatic corps in Oslo. Vietnamese Ambassador to the UK Le Thi Tuyet Mai said her country always keeps in mind the valuable support given by the Norwegian people and Government throughout history, as well as outstanding Norwegian persons contributions to the reinforcement of bilateral friendship and cooperation. Reviewing Stoltenbergs devotion, she said he actively engaged in a movement protesting the US-waged war in Vietnam in the late 1960s and the early 1970s. In June 1970, as a member of an international delegation, Stoltenberg and another representative of Norway visited the North Vietnam and Vinh Linh tunnel in central Quang Tri province, and witnessed the USs war crime against the Vietnamese people. After returning to Norway, he submitted an 80-page report proposing policies on the war in Vietnam. The Norwegian Government later agreed on the establishment of an information office of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the South Vietnam in Oslo in 1970. It set up the diplomatic relationship with Vietnam in November of the following year. On different positions such as Foreign Minister (1987-1989 and 1990-1993) and head of the Norwegian Red Cross (1999-2009), Stoltenberg strongly assisted Vietnams rebuilding efforts and Vietnamese expatriates integration into Norways society, Mai noted. At the ceremony, certificates of merit from Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh were also presented to Dybdahl Ragnhild, who served as Deputy Head of Mission of the Norwegian Embassy in Hanoi from 2011 to 2015, and Kjell Arne Nielsen, who was the Commercial Counsellor of the Norwegian Embassy between 2009 and 2012. On behalf of the recipients, Stoltenberg thanked the State and people of Vietnam for recognising their contributions to the foundation and development of the countries relations. He also expressed his delight at the enormous socio-economic attainments and growing stature in the world of Vietnam./. Residents review plans for the project on display in the Board of Selectmen's Meeting Room. A half-mile stretch of Water Street (Route 43) in Williamstown is on track to be rebuilt. A slide from the MassDOT presentation gives a sense of the redesigned Water Street. PreviousNext Williamstown Water Street Project on Track for 2018 Filbert Yee of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, center, conducts the public hearing held on Oct. 19. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. The long-anticipated reconstruction of Water Street is expected to get under way in spring 2018. Officials from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and engineering firm Greenman-Pedersen came to Town Hall this month for a public hearing on the project, which is 100 percent designed and ready to go to bid in August 2017. "We've been working on it on and off with [Williamstown's Guntlow & Associates] for the last seven years," Greenman-Pedersen Project Manager James Noyes said. "Part of the delay was trying to get it onto the TIP. That caused a delay of a couple of years." The $2.8 million project finally earned its way onto the Transportation Improvement Plan of the Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization. When finished, a half-mile section of Water Street (Route 43) will be reconstructed and widened with 25 spaces for on-street parking, a bike lane on each side of the road and 5-foot wide cement sidewalks and granite curbing on each side. "The town is looking at it as an extension to all the work being performed at Williams College in that part of town," Noyes said. "The goal is to create a pedestrian-friendly, bicycle-friendly feel for this roadway. There is only a 40-foot wide strip the state owns. Trying to get cars, pedestrians and bicycles in there is a challenge. We also wanted to address the lack of on-street parking for businesses." The roadway itself also has deteriorated. "Any roadway will deteriorate over the years," Noyes said. "There are inadequate shoulder widths and markings, inadequate drainage. There are sidewalks but no definition in terms of curbing and no on-street parking." Town leaders have long talked about Water Street's condition as a stumbling block to economic development along that corridor as well as the creation of a link between the new apartments at Cable Mills and the Spring Street commercial district. The improvements will require "some minor, small permanent takings" of privately owned land, Noyes said. "They're in the vicinity of 20- to 50-square feet," he said. A right-of-way compliance officer from MassDOT was on hand at the Oct. 19 public hearing to address any concerns about either permanent takings or temporary easements that will be required for construction work. Email IC Arizona at azpoliticalintel-at-yahoo.comIC Arizona is a subsidiary of IntellectualConservative.com The bilingual book titled Evidence of China-Vietnam friendship (Photo: daidoanket.vn) The book was compiled on the basis of books published by the Nguyen Van Troi Military Cultural School under the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam Peoples Army by researchers of Chinas Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences. Major Bui Quang Vinh from the Nguyen Van Troi Military Cultural School said the school was founded in 1965 and ran for five years to educate children of officials who were fighting in battlefields, along with those of families rendering services to the nation. Due to the fierce war, the school was moved to Guilin in Chinas Guangxi province. During their 20-month stay in Guilin, the schools teachers and students received special spiritual and material support of locals. During 1965-1970, the school trained nearly 1,200 students of the fifth to tenth grade. To recall years when they were in Guilin, the schools teachers and students published several books which were then compiled into the Evidence of China-Vietnam friendship book. Addressing the ceremony, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan, who once studied at the Nguyen Van Troi Military Cultural School, reminisced about his years in Guilin. He described the book as a valuable contribution to the friendship between Vietnam and China./. Many overseas Vietnamese and Japanese friends donate to support residents in the Central region (Photo: vov.vn) Addressing the ceremony, Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong informed the participants about the recent storms in the central provinces as well as their havoc in property and lives of the locals. Calling for support to help flood victims in rebuilding efforts, the diplomat said the embassy has received suggestions for assistance from Japanese organisations and individuals. Kanagawa Governor Kuroiwa Yuji underlined the friendship between Japanese and Vietnamese people. Affected by many natural disasters like the earthquake and tsunami in 2011 and the latest earthquake in Kumamoto prefecture, Japanese people understand difficulties faced by the Vietnamese victims, he said. The Governor promised to call on Japanese people to raise fund for the Vietnamese during the Vietnam Festival programme in the prefecture from October 29th-30th. Earlier, Vietnamese embassies in other countries like Cambodia and Mexico also launched fundraisers for the flood victims. Up to 29 people were killed and went missing in the recent downpours and flood, and nearly 200,000 houses and infrastructure facilities were under water and damaged in Vietnams central region. Losses are estimated at trillions of VND./. Chief of Naval Personnel Visits the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet Manama, Bahrain - This week, the Navy's top personnel officer is visiting Sailors assigned to the Navy's U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in the Middle East. "It is really important to me that Master Chief April Beldo and I meet with Sailors to listen to their concerns and also help explain some of the Navy's recent personnel announcements and initiatives," said Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Robert Burke. "Sailors are our asymmetric advantage in an increasingly complex world and we're working hard to ensure that we train and develop them in the most effective way possible." During this trip, Burke and Beldo will meet with Sailors assigned to commands at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, the U.S. 5th Fleet's headquarters, and units operating at sea within the region, including USS Eisenhower (CVN 69). While here, they will discuss the Navy's enlisted rating modernization plan, Sailor 2025, and other personnel initiatives during a series of all hands calls and meetings with Sailors. "Hearing from Sailors is the number one way we can make the Fleet better," said Burke. "I want Sailors to know that we're working on their behalf as we modernize our personnel system, and their input helps makes our programs and policies the very best they can be." This visit marks the first time Burke will meet with Sailors in the U.S. 5th Fleet as CNP. As the Chief of Naval Personnel, Burke answers to the Chief of Naval Operations on matters of the Navy's manpower readiness. He also serves as the deputy chief of naval operations (Manpower, Personnel, Training, Education / N1) and oversees the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Navy Personnel Command, Naval Education and Training Command, and Navy Recruiting Command. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Van Gogh's 1888 work 'The Bedroom' has always offered the art world a rare, intimate look at an artist's life; the simple dwellings of a creative genius tucked away in Arles, Provence. The bed depicted in the famous work is now thought to have actually survived the passing decades, as revealed by art historian Martin Bailey in a new book (via The Art Newspaper). Bailey has traced the bed to a descendant who donated it to a community near Arnhem in the Netherlands after its liberation in 1945. Van Gogh originally purchased the bed in September 1888, alongside a guest bed for the cost of 150 francs each, preceding the arrival of fellow artist Gaugin for a stay with him at the Yellow House in Arles; producing 'The Bedroom' as a kind of proud document of his first home. After his suicide in 1890, the bed eventually passed to his brother's widow Jo, who brought the bed back to Holland to utilise in a small guest house she established. Recommended Read more Van Gogh paintings to be scored with trance The trail ran cold here, until Bailey uncovered a letter from 1937; a response to a request to borrow paintings, written to Jo's nephew (also called Vincent) in advance of a potential museum established in the Yellow House, with the reply that: "I could give you the bed which appears in the painting of the bedroom." The museum never came to be, with the building later hit by Allied bombs in 1944 and then demolished. Bailey, therefore, contacted the son of Jo's nephew in 2015, Johan van Gogh, then aged 93; he recalled the bed had been donated to inhabitants near Arnhem in 1945, later tracked down as the small town of Boxmeer, which Bailey believes may be where the bed still survives to this day, with its owner likely completely unaware of its history. Van Gogh painted three versions of 'The Bedroom', with the 1888 version hanging in Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum, while two later versions painted in 1889 are on display at the Art Institute of Chicago and Paris' Musee d'Orsay. In response to Bailey's discoveries, the Van Gogh Museum told Dutch broadcaster NOS that it, "would be interesting if the bed is actually found". "We'll closely follow the investigations," the museum said. The event attracts a large number of local people (Photo: VNA) This is the biggest Vietnamese festival in Japan jointly held by the Vietnamese Embassy and Kanagawa prefecture. In his opening remarks on October 29th, Kanagawa Governor Kuroiwa Yuji said the festival, in its second edition, is expected to break the record number of nearly 400,000 visitors reported in the first edition last year. He underscored the need to enhance cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Vietnamese and Japanese people as the number of Vietnamese in Kanagawa is increasing rapidly. Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong noted his hope that the festival will give residents of Kanagawa prefecture and Japanese in general an insight into the Southeast Asian nation. It is also expected to bring Vietnamese closer to Kanagawa and motivate them to cooperate with the prefecture. Of note, the Vietnamese Association in Japan set up a booth highlighting Vietnams sovereignty in the East Sea. Another booth was established enabling Japanese people and Vietnamese expats to raise fund for flood victims in Vietnams central region. The festival will run until October 30th./. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} New York Citys Metropolitan Opera was forced to cancel a Sunday afternoon performance of Gioachino Rossini's Guillaume Tell after a member of the audience sprinkled what police believe to be cremated ashes into the orchestra pit, according to Reuters. An individual from out of town... indicated that he was here to sprinkle ashes of a friend, his mentor in opera, during the performance, John Miller, deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism told reporters. The Met Opera stated on its Facebook page that the performance was cancelled during the second intermission because of a disturbance by an audience member, in which an unindentifed substance was sprinkled into the orchestra pit. The post also states that the evening performance of LItaliana in Algeri was additionally cancelled while authorities investigated the incident. There are no reports of any injuries or negative reactions triggered by the substance among the audience, though the theatre was evacuted while the New York Police Department dispatched a special unit to investigate, stated officer Tiffany Phillips. The unidentified suspect fled the scene and no arrests have been made. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson, the Icelandic Prime Minister, has resigned after his party lost votes to the Pirate Party in Saturdays general election. Mr Johannsson made the announcement on national television after his centre-right Progressive Party saw its vote share and number of parliamentary seats more than halved. This was in accordance with the constitution, to hand in my resignation and then be asked to stay in office until a new government has been formed, Mr Johannsson told a news conference. His party's electoral thumping came at the hands of the Pirate Party, whose populist, anti-establishment message has gained traction in recent months. Polls had suggested the party was on course to win the election but it eventually finished second, behind the Independence Party that had formed part of Mr Johannssons coalition government. The Pirate Party won 10 seats in the 63-seat parliament up from the three it won at the 2013 general election while the Independence Party finished with 21 seats. The governing Progressive Party won just eight seats, down from 19 in 2013. The result means the ruling centre-right parties fell short of the overall majority needed to form a government, raising the prospect of a left-wing coalition including the Pirate Party. However, Independence Party leader Bjarni Benediktsson is expected to first be given the opportunity to try to assemble a coalition. Mr Johannsson had been Prime Minister since April, when his predescessor, Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, was forced to quit after being implicated in a tax avoidance scandal revealed by the release of the Panama Papers. Reports that Icelands political and financial elite had sheltered money in offshore accounts compounded public anger following the 2008 financial crisis, which led to a huge financial collapse in which many Icelanders lost money. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty The Pirate Party was formed in 2012 to campaign against strict copyright laws. It has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the past year, winning over Icelandic voters with promises to fight corruption, give voters a direct say over policy and decriminalise drugs. Accepting the bitcoin currency and granting asylum to US whistleblower Edward Snowden were among other policy pledges. Despite her party falling short of expectations, Pirate Party leader Birgitta Jonsdottir said she was happy with the result. Whatever happens, we have created a wave of change in the Icelandic society, she said. Our internal predictions showed 10 to 15 per cent, so this is at the top of the range. We knew that we would never get 30 per cent. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Justin Trudeaus plane has returned to Ottawa due to mechanical problems after taking off late on Saturday. According to The Toronto Star, the Canadian Prime Ministers office said there were mechanical issues with the plane involving the flaps so it flew back to Ottawa around 30 minutes after it took off. The plane then landed without problems. The flight was initially delayed by roughly 90 minutes past the scheduled takeoff time. Mr Trudeau was to meet with European Union leaders in Brussels on Sunday in order to sign a free trade agreement with the EU which has already been plagued with delays. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is a comprehensive wide-ranging deal that has been in the process of being drawn up for seven years. A Sneak Peak At Justin Trudeau's Marvel Debut Show all 4 1 /4 A Sneak Peak At Justin Trudeau's Marvel Debut A Sneak Peak At Justin Trudeau's Marvel Debut Marvel A Sneak Peak At Justin Trudeau's Marvel Debut Marvel A Sneak Peak At Justin Trudeau's Marvel Debut Marvel A Sneak Peak At Justin Trudeau's Marvel Debut Marvel Recommended Read more Prince George leaves Justin Trudeau hanging after he tries high five The ceremony was initially intended to take place on Thursday but was delayed after Wallonia, a staunchly socialist french-speaking area in southern Belgium with just 3.6 million people, voted against the terms of a deal. Wallonia was opposed to the deal because of fears local workers would be laid off if the agreement were to lead to cheaper farming and industrial imports and concerns Ceta favoured big corporations over small businesses and would erode environmental standards. Wallonia managed to withstand significant pressure from various sides until it achieved concessions - for regional farming interests and guarantees that international investors will not be able to force governments to change laws. This permitted Belgium to sign the deal late Friday and thus allowed Donald Tusk and Mr Trudeau to set a new date. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Rachel Johnson has revealed she danced to controversial hit single "Blurred Lines" alongside Michael Gove and his wife until 1.30 in the morning while they left their son at a bed and breakfast. The Conservative MP and his wife Sarah Vine left their 11-year-old son at a hotel into the early hours of the morning while they attended a party, it was reported on Saturday. The 11-year-old is said to have preferred to stay in and watch TV rather than go to the event. The Sunday Mirror claimed his son was found by a night porter at 1.30am asking where his parents were. Johnson, a journalist who is the sister of Boris Johnson, defended the Goves decision to leave their son at home, saying he had been babysitting their dogs. Oh goodness I should never admit to this but I was with Michael and Sarah until 1.30, Johnson told The Andrew Marr show. People news in pictures Show all 18 1 /18 People news in pictures People news in pictures 7 October 2015 Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in an ice hockey match between former NHL stars and officials at the Shayba Arena in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Vladimir Putin spent his 63rd birthday on the ice, playing hockey with NHL stars against Russian officials and tycoons EPA People news in pictures 6 October 2015 German designer Karl Lagerfeld (R) and model Cara Delevingne (C) appear at the end of his Spring/Summer 2016 women's ready-to-wear collection for fashion house Chanel at the Grand Palais which is transformed into a Chanel airport during the Fashion Week in Paris, France Reuters People news in pictures 5 October 2015 Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne addresses the Conservative party conference in Manchester. The Chancellor argued that reducing the payments to people in low paid jobs would give them economic security by reducing the Governments spending deficit Getty Images People news in pictures 4 October 2015 Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston takes a moment in the centre of the field with his daughter Frankie Thurston, holding dark-skinned doll, after winning the 2015 NRL Grand Final match between the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. The image quickly became the talking point of Australias National Rugby League Final and provoked a strong reaction on social media, with many praising Thurston for giving his child a toy that promotes inclusiveness and diversity Getty Images People news in pictures 3 October 2015 Pope Francis gives a thumbs-up as he greets people at the end of an audience to the participants of a meeting organized by the "Food Bank" at the Paul VI audience hall in Vatican Getty Images People news in pictures 2 October 2015 Britain's Finance Minister George Osborne (L) throws an American football as he meets with former American football players Dan Marino (2nd R) and Curtis Martin (not pictured) at 11 Downing Street in London, ahead of the New York Jets playing against the Miami Dolphins at London's Wembley Stadium on 4 October Getty Images People news in pictures 1 October 2015 An honor guard opens the door as Russian President Vladimir Putin enters a hall to attend a meeting with members of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia People news in pictures 30 September 2015 Former Mrs America Lisa Christie, who alleges misconduct by Bill Cosby, holds up photos of her younger self during a news conference at the law office of attorney Gloria Allred in Los Angeles People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Matt Damon has defended himself against claims that he instructed gay actors to remain in the closet. He had said I think youre a better actor the less people know about you and sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether youre straight or gay, people shouldnt know anything about your sexuality but an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show said, I was just trying to say actors are more effective when theyre a mystery. Right? Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Marion Cotillard has said that there is no place for feminism in Hollywood. Speaking to Porter magazine, she saidFilm-making is not about gender/ You cannot ask a president in a festival like Cannes to have, like, five movies directed by women and five by men. For me it doesnt create equality, it creates separation. I mean, I dont qualify myself as a feminist." Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Paul Walkers daughter, Meadow, is suing Porsche over her fathers death in a lawsuit that claims he was trapped in the burning car because of design flaws and the seat belt. The Fast and Furious star was killed when the Porsche Carrera GT he was a passenger in hit a pole in California in 2013. The driver, his friend Roger Rodas, also died when the vehicle burst into flames. AP People news in pictures 28 September 2015 Robert Mugabe waits to address the United Nations General Assembly. The leader of Zimbabwe reportedly exclaimed 'We are not gay!' as he criticised Western nation's "double standards and attempts to prescribe new rights that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions and beliefs. In 2013 he described homosexuals as worse than pigs, goats and birds. Reuters People news in pictures 28 September 2015 South African comedian Trevor Noah hosts the first 'Daily Show' since taking over from Jon Stewart as host. Stewart had presented the US satirical news show since 1999 and was described by Noah during the show as a 'Political father' 2015 Getty Images People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Sir Elton John may have received a phone call from the real Vladimir Putin. Mr Putin's spokesman announced he had made contact weeks after the singer was duped by pranksters pretending to be the Russian President. Getty People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was mistakenly declared as the artist who produced the Mona Lisa by Fox News anchor Shepard Smith. It was in fact Leonardo da Vinci. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 A new biography claims Donald Trump expected to be dead by 40 and never marry. The Guardian says the a new book also claims that in 1980, Mr Trump manufactured a fake vice-president of his real estate conglomerate, whom he called John Baron. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 The Dalai Lama has said that Britain's policy towards China is just about 'Money, money, money.' And asked 'Where is morality?' People news in pictures 24 September 2015 Puff Daddy secured the number-one spot on the Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings list, with the publication calculating he made an estimated $60million (39m) between June 2014 and June 2015. Can I just say in their defence their son was babysitting their two dogs. They left the dogs as well. I think its absolutely fine." Johnson explained they had both been invited to the Sunday Times Cheltenham Literary Festival where they did a very jolly event together. She then recalled the moment she decided to put Robin Thicke's controversial song "Blurred Lines" on. He was on the dance floor so I decided to ask the DJ to put on "Blurred Lines" which of course got the whole place up. So there were some blurred lines when it comes to the Johnson/Gove rapprochement there. She commended the former Education Secretary and chief whip's dancing technique, saying he was a shoe-in for Strictly Come Dancing next year. Thickes song was criticised by a UK rape charity and online commentators for appearing to trivialise and glorify sexual violence and objectify women. Around 20 university unions banned the song at the time. Government guidelines advise children under the age of 12 are not left alone for a long period of time and state parents can be prosecuted if they leave a child unsupervised in a manner likely to cause [them] unnecessary suffering or injury to health. NSPPC also advise this because they say children under 12 are rarely mature enough to cope in an emergency. They advise children under the age of 16 are not left alone overnight. A spokesman for the family told The Sunday Mirror: Michael and Sarah's son is a mature and confident secondary school pupil. He preferred to watch TV rather than go out to dinner. He was perfectly fine and staff at the 13-room hotel were happy to supervise. The hotel where Michael, Sarah and their son were staying would know how to get in touch with them if anything distressing had occurred. After the festival, comedian Dom Joly tweeted: Amazing party at 131TheProm celebrating end of Chelt Lit Fest only slightly ruined by the sight of the loathsome Michael Gove dancing... Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Apple has apologised to a customer they refused to give a refund to unless he could prove he was not Saddam Hussein. Sharakat Hussain, a 26-year-old from Birmingham, bought a 799 iPhone 7 for his sister but decided to return it a month later. He was told hed receive a refund but, instead, a few weeks later he recieved an email asking him to prove he was not the deceased Iraqi dictator. I thought the email was spam, I was stunned to learn it was real. I was furious to be linked to Saddam, Mr Hussain told The Sun. Mr Hussain, who works as a driver, was informed that due to his surname he was on a Governments Denied Parties list which means he wasnt allowed to be sold an iPhone. The process was triggered by a requirement to check large refunds against the international sanctions list but a human error resulted in Mr Hussain being mistaken for the former president of Iraq. 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 An Apple spokesperson told The Independent: "We offer our sincerest apologies to Mr Hussain. Though we are required to check identity while processing a refund, the letter he received was an error and should not have been sent." The tech giant has reportedly agreed to sort out the refund for Mr Hussain as soon as possible. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Two Eurostar trains bound for London were delayed and a station evacuated after a "World War souvenir" was discovered. Police were called to Paris Gare du Nord station after the find, which was reported to be a shell, was made on Sunday morning. The check-in area at the transport hub was evacuated as a precaution, a spokeswoman for Eurostar said. The Paris to London service at 08.13am (07.13 GMT) was delayed by 20 minutes, while the 09.13 (08.13 GMT) was held back for half an hour. More follows Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Specialist officers were called in to control a riot at a notorious east Sussex jail after prisoners went on the rampage for six hours. Cells and offices were damaged in the disturbance at Saturday at Lewes prison, said Prison Officers Association chairman Mike Rolfe. Mr Rolfe blamed poor management and severe shortage of staff for the incident at the prison, which began at 10.30am and continued until 4:30pm. He told the BBC: There were only four staff on that wing and all four retreated to safety after threats of violence and the prisoners went on the rampage. Lewes prison was at the centre of a scandal two years ago when a serving officer alleged that severe staff shortages and a drug-smuggling problem meant it resembled a warzone. Kim Lennon, who was later dismissed from her position, told The Argus in August 2014 she feared a prisoner or prison officer would be seriously injured due to dangerously low staffing levels. The Ministry of Justice confirmed that a national response unit had to be brought in to control the prisoners during the incident. The end of innocence: Inside Britain's child prisons Show all 6 1 /6 The end of innocence: Inside Britain's child prisons The end of innocence: Inside Britain's child prisons The end of innocence: Inside Britain's child prisons GETTY IMAGES The end of innocence: Inside Britain's child prisons GETTY IMAGES The end of innocence: Inside Britain's child prisons The end of innocence: Inside Britain's child prisons PA The end of innocence: Inside Britain's child prisons PA A Prison Service spokesperson told The Independent: Specially trained prison staff have resolved an incident involving a small number of prisoners on one wing at HMP Lewes. We are absolutely clear that prisoners who behave in this way will be punished and could spend significantly longer behind bars. Earlier this year, The Argus reported an MP had asked for a meeting with the prisons minister to raise concerns about conditions at Lewes Prison. The newspaper alleged that a 19-year-old was found dead in a suspected suicide and that there had been 10 seizures of a drug known as Spice a type of synthetic cannabis from prisoners. Syrian Refugee and chef Roudi Chiko was given a years sentence at Lewes prison for using a false Canadian passport to travel to the UK in 2012. He told The Guardian he had seen many terrible things in Syria but his time in the prison brought him to tears for the first time. There was a lot of fighting and violence in the prison, he told the newspaper. I saw many terrible things in Syria, but the first time I cried was when I was in Lewes prison. It was horrible to see all the violence there." Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A woman has described being strip-searched by police when she was 12 years old. Georgia Wood, now 20, said the officers were horrible and demeaning and the incident had really affected her life, leaving her lacking confidence and suffering panic attacks. Ms Wood was taken into police custody in south Wales eight years ago with her mother, who was suspected of possessing drugs. No illegal substances were found on Ms Wood or her mother, Karen Archer, who wasn't charged with an offence. According to figures acquired by the BBC from 13 police forces in England and Wales, more than 5,000 children aged 17 and under were strip-searched between 2013 and 2015. More than 4,000 of those searches, supposed to detect drugs or concealed weapons, were carried out by the Metropolitan Police in London. The BBC's 5 Live Investigates asked all 45 police forces in the UK for strip-search figures, but only 13 responded with information. In total across all age groups, the same 13 forces carried out 113,000 searches in the last three years that involved the removal of more than a suspect's outer clothing which is the precise definition of a strip-search. As well as the Met, they were Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, City of London, Cambridgeshire, North Wales, Bedfordshire, Nottinghamshire, Cumbria, Essex, Cleveland, Hertfordshire and Lancashire. Ms Wood said she had gone with her mother to look after their horses when police pulled the pair over, initially claiming there was a problem with a tyre on Ms Archer's car. The mother and daughter were separated and driven in two different cars to a police station about 10 miles away. I got to the police station and Georgia was already in the custody suite waiting to be searched, Ms Archer told the BBC, and I said you cant search her, shes 12 , and they said yes, we know, and she said you cant search me, Im 12 and they just said well, youre going to be searched, and they took her away. I was told to be quiet and sit down. After the incident, Ms Wood said her mother became over-protective. It has really affected my life. I dont really go out, Ms Wood said, describing the ordeal as life-changing, before starting to cry. What they did that day changed everything. Everything, Ms Archer said. Shes not the child that we started off with that morning. Ms Wood said she took off her clothes when the two female officers ordered her to, and turned to face the wall to avoid them seeing her front. One of the policewomen reached round and touched the front of me just to make sure there was nothing concealed, she said. An appropriate adult is supposed to be present when anyone under the age of 18 is strip-searched. That should be someone chosen by the child, who they feel safe and comfortable with. In Ms Woods case, her mother was not allowed to stay with her. Data gathered by the Childrens Rights Alliance of England from five UK police forces found an appropriate adult was not present in almost half of strip-searches of children between 2008 and 2013. Aside from being alone, Ms Wood said the most traumatic part of her ordeal was not being told what was going on and not being treated with respect. They didn't explain to me [that they were going to conduct a strip-search] until we got to the police station, Ms Wood told the BBC. And they literally just said: this is what's going to happen and were going to do it. For someone to just be so horrible and demeaning, I just thought well, if I'm meant to respect my elders, aren't my elders meant to respect me'? And I really didn't feel respected in that situation. Samuel Genen, a lawyer at Ahmed Rahman Carr solicitors in London, has legally challenged policy relating to strip-searching women in custody, particularly in prison. He said changes need to be made to the way in which strip-searches are conducted and the circumstances in which they are deemed appropriate. Strip-searches are often extremely damaging to women and girls, Mr Genen told The Independent. Women who have mental health problems or are victims of sexual abuse can be particularly traumatised by the procedure. He described strip-searching as endemic in police custody and prison, and said he knew one woman who had ended up sectioned because she had had an emotional breakdown after being strip-searched. He said: For a 12 year old girl to go through that, of course its going to scar you for life, isnt it? He said police officers should explain to people what exactly they intend to do and why, and they should do risk assessments before conducting searches. I think it really helps women to understand, to have it explained why its happening, because then you can rationalise it, he said. If the search was not being done for a good reason, he said it should not be done at all. If you hand something over, why do you still need to go through the search? Thats the question which I always ask. I think the other thing that is really concerning to me is [the lack of] a risk assessment before and after," he said. Its not super onerous to do a tickbox exercise just to say is this person at risk of suicide, does this person have any medical issues, or health issues, or mental health issues or sexual abuse issues? Like Ms Lambe, Mr Genen worried strip-searching was often just a display of power. He said: The biggest problem, the thing the police wont tell you and [the] prison [service] wont tell you is how often things are actually found, the reality is almost never, so then what does it [strip-searching] become? Its just a show of force, that can be very very easily equated to a show of violence for these women. The Met said 5.1 per cent of children arrested in 2015 were strip-searched compared to 12.2 per cent of adults. The force told the BBC: Strip-searching is a vital power in police custody to not only identify and seize evidence but also to ensure the safety and security of all detainees and staff. Each search must be based on an objective assessment of the need and proportionality to search the person to that extent. Legal safeguards are applied to ensure the welfare needs of the detainee are considered and met. Labour MP Yvette Cooper, who chairs the Home Affairs Select Committee, described the figures as very troubling. I think this is quite concerning because we know so little about why so many strip-searches are taking place, she said. It's really distressing for people and I think the thing about a strip-search is, it is so intrusive, for especially if you're talking about children or teenagers. That's why this should never be done lightly and the police need to understand the impact this can have on individuals and why it has to be justified. The Home Office has set up a working group to establish whether extra safeguards are needed to ensure that strip-searches are being carried out fairly and with adequate supervision. A spokesman told the BBC it was committed to giving the police the necessary tools to do their job. But the use of all powers warrants proper accountability and transparency. We are currently considering whether additional safeguards are required when police conduct searches requiring the removal of more than outer clothing. Ms Wood was eventually awarded 17,000 in compensation by South Wales Police, and Ms Archer 1,000. South Wales Police said officers admitted they had mistakenly carried out a strip-search without an appropriate adult present and two officers had received management action. But Ms Wood said the ordeal had changed her life for the worse. The end of innocence: Inside Britain's child prisons Show all 6 1 /6 The end of innocence: Inside Britain's child prisons The end of innocence: Inside Britain's child prisons The end of innocence: Inside Britain's child prisons GETTY IMAGES The end of innocence: Inside Britain's child prisons GETTY IMAGES The end of innocence: Inside Britain's child prisons The end of innocence: Inside Britain's child prisons PA The end of innocence: Inside Britain's child prisons PA I dont really trust anyone, Ms Wood said. I have little to no respect for the police because at that time they had no respect for me. I dont trust that they know what theyre doing, that theyre trained properly or even that they know the law. I feel like theyre people who have just got their qualifications and just been let loose on the general public to do what they want, she said. Thats not right. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Home Office has declined to comment on whether it will investigate claims that one of the refugee children brought to the UK from the Calais Jungle camp is over 18 years old. Questions have been raised about the age of Haris Stanikzai, who arrived in England under the landmark Dubs amendment last week claiming to be aged 16, following an investigation by The Sunday Times. The newspaper said it had found several online profiles for the Afghan refugee, including a dating profile suggesting he is aged 22 and another claiming he was previously enrolled at a university in Kabul. Haris was transferred to London from Calais on 17 October with at least four other people, under an initiative allowing child refugees with relatives already in Britain to enter the UK. The Home Office said the group consisted of boys aged 14 to 17. Calais Refugee Children arrive in UK Show all 9 1 /9 Calais Refugee Children arrive in UK Calais Refugee Children arrive in UK A coach carrying the first group of unaccompanied minors from the Jungle migrant camp in Calais to be brought to Britain arrives at an immigration centre in Croydon, south London Reuters Calais Refugee Children arrive in UK A Catholic priest chats to Muslim Imans as they wait for the arrival of the coach carrying the first group of unaccompanied minors from the Jungle migrant camp in Calais to be brought to Britain arrives at an immigration centre in Croydon, south London Reuters Calais Refugee Children arrive in UK Fourteen migrant children from the 'Jungle Camp' in Calais are due to arrive in the UK today to be reunited with relatives Getty Calais Refugee Children arrive in UK Young men are escorted after stepping off a coach at the Home Offices Lunar House Getty Calais Refugee Children arrive in UK A boy is escorted after stepping off a coach at the Home Offices Lunar House after arriving from the Calais 'Jungle Camp' Getty Calais Refugee Children arrive in UK UK Border Force staff escort the first group of unaccompanied minors from the Jungle migrant camp in Calais to be brought to Britain as they arrive at an immigration centre in Croydon, south London Reuters Calais Refugee Children arrive in UK A young boy arrives on a coach at the Home Offices Lunar House after leaving the Calais 'Jungle Camp.' Fourteen migrant children from the 'Jungle Camp' in Calais are due to arrive in the UK today to be reunited with relatives Getty Calais Refugee Children arrive in UK British former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, center, flanked by Bethany Gardiner-Smith, left, from the Citizens UK charity and Bishop of Croydon Jonathan Clark speaks to the media about the 14 migrant children who will be resettled in the UK, outside Croydon Minster church in Croydon, south London AP Calais Refugee Children arrive in UK Asif Khan whose brother Aimal Khan was one of fourteen migrant children who arrived in the UK, speaks to the media outside Lunar House in Croydon, south London. The 25-year-old chef has been living in the UK for 11 years, having fled Afghanistan himself. His brother Aimal Khan, 14, also from Afghanistan, had been stranded in the Jungle for six months PA He does not hold a passport or birth certificate and was taken to live with his uncle Jan Ghazi in south London. The Home Office issued Haris with a date of birth of 1 January 1999, making him 17. The Sunday Times said two university officials had separately confirmed that Haris had enrolled on a bachelors degree in business administration (BBA) at Jahan University about three and a half years ago. One of the officials said he was young and under-18 when he started the BBA course. Mr Ghazi said there had been a big misunderstanding about his nephews academic history and he was certain he was not registered at the university. A Home Office spokesperson said: We do not routinely comment on individual cases. It added that all individuals referred to the UK authorities by the France terre d'asile are interviewed by French and UK officials. The spokesperson said that where credible and clear documentary evidence of age is not available, criteria including physical appearance and demeanour are used as part of the interview process to assess age. If somebody is determined to be a minor but is not able to provide documentary evidence of a specific date of birth, they are assigned a year of birth based on their age. Where further information about an individuals age comes to light it will be thoroughly investigated, the Home Office said. If an individual is subsequently found to be over 18, they will be processed through the adult system. The UK has received 274 refugees according to French officials; however, the French President has urged British authorities to do their part to settle 1,500 migrant children left in Calais. Young refugee reunited with his brother after months in Calais Jungle Francois Hollande said the minors, most of whom are living in shipping containers in the remains of the Jungle, would be transferred very quickly to other centres. His comments come two days after Home Secretary Amber Rudd reminded French authorities of their duty to properly protect children, amid reports that youngsters were forced to sleep rough around the smouldering remains of the camp. French officials declared the clearance of the Jungle camp complete on Wednesday, with 5,596 people evacuated from the site since the operation began on Monday. But humanitarian organisations and volunteers on the ground have said refugees, including children, are still sleeping on the site of the camp. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} British people overwhelmingly want Theresa May to immediately guarantee the rights of EU citizens living in the UK, an exclusive poll has revealed. The BMG Research study for The Independent reveals two-thirds of people would back a move to guarantee rights now, giving certainty to EU citizens who have no idea if they can still live and work here after Brexit. Such a move would enjoy majority support across every age and social group, and among the supporters of every political party except those backing Ukip. In total 66 per cent said the Government should guarantee EU citizens rights immediately if other EU states were prepared to do the same for British citizens living abroad. So far Ms May has signalling that any guarantee should be undertaken as part of formal Brexit negotiations, which do not begin until next March a timetable that could leave millions of EU and British nationals in limbo for years. Comments by the International Trade Secretary Liam Fox that the EU citizens rights are one of the UKs main cards in Brexit talks have caused further consternation. 100 days of Theresa May: Six key moments from her time as Prime Minister Pressure is now mounting on the Prime Minister to act, with former Tory leader Michael Howard even calling on Ms May to make a unilateral guarantee on EU rights now, as evidence suggests high-skilled EU workers are turning their backs on Britain amid ambiguity over their future. BMG questioned a representative sample of UK adults, initially asking them if the Government should guarantee the right of EU citizens to continue living and working in the UK post-Brexit. In response, 58 per cent said yes, 28 per cent said no and 14 per cent said they did not know. They were then asked: If EU countries are willing to immediately guarantee the rights of British citizens living and working in those countries to continue post-Brexit, should the UK Government also immediately guarantee the right of EU citizens living and working in the UK? A large majority of 66 per cent backed the move; just 21 per cent said no and 14 per cent said they did not know. Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty Dr Michael Turner, head of polls at BMG Research, said: Peoples views on immigration shape their support for this proposal. For those who say that immigration is the most important issue facing society, just 51 per cent say that May should guarantee EU nationals right to stay, compared to 70 per cent of those who think another issue is more important. However, although these groups are least supportive of the proposal, they are also most receptive to reciprocation by the EU on the right for residents to remain. For instance, those who think immigration is the most important issue, and those who identify as very right-wing, see the largest increases in support as the question context changes, with rises of 16 per cent and 21 per cent respectively. Support for the move soared to 71 per cent among the ABC1 social group, but dipped to 59 per cent, still a large majority, among C2DE groups, which include low-skilled workers and manual labourers. Dividing the sample by employment status, the move to immediately guarantee rights had majority support among every group except the unemployed revealing where anxiety about EU immigration is at its highest. Supporters of almost all the major parties, including the Conservatives, also backed guaranteeing rights now. Only among people planning to vote Ukip at the next election was there a majority (51 per cent) against. Legal experts have said that the British Government does have the unilateral power to grant the three million EU citizens in the UK the right to continue to live, work and retire here post-Brexit. According to Ruvi Ziegler, a law lecturer at the University of Reading, their rights are not bound to those of the 1.5 million British living abroad. Lord Howard recently called on Ms May to end the dreadful uncertainty around the issue and lead by example to guarantee EU citizens rights, rather than waiting for EU nations to make the first move over assurances on the status of British citizens living abroad. The French Ambassador to the UK, Sylvie Bermann, has said that since the EU referendum her country's citizens have suffered abuse in Britain and feel like foreigners where they once felt at home. She added that many of the 300,000 French nationals in the UK, including highly skilled workers, are now reassessing their future in Britain. Earlier this month the Romanian Ambassador appealed to the Government not to pile bureaucratic hurdles in the way of his country's people living here, claiming that they feared administrative harassment even if they are eventually given permission to stay. Home Office statistics confirmed that in July, the month after the referendum, the number of hate crimes leapt to 5,468, some 41 per cent higher than the same time the previous year. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Greg Clark, the Business Secretary, has revealed the Government told Nissan it would seek a tariff-free deal with the European Union for the car sector in Britain. It comes after the Government faced intense pressure to disclose assurances provided to the Japanese car giant behind the scenes at Downing Street earlier this week. To the delight of ministers, the manufacturing company decided it will continue investing in Britain after Brexit and promised to build its new cars at its flagship Sunderland plant. But Mr Clark revealed on Sunday the company announced its intentions after receiving assurances the Government was committed to securing continued tariff-free access to EU markets. Asked whether tariffs would disadvantage Nissan on the BBCs Andrew Marr Show, the Business Secretary, responded: Of course if there were tariffs in a market which is very international theres a lot of trade from the continent of Europe to the UK so the supply chain is integrated. Recommended Read more Labour calls for all manufacturers to get same Brexit deal as Nissan So one of the assurances I was able to give is that our intention, our negotiating remit when it comes to the discussions with our European partners is to have a constructive and civilised dialogue to look for the common interest. So what I said is that our objective would be to ensure that we have continued access to the markets in Europe and vice versa without tariffs and without bureaucratic impediments. And that is how we will approach those negotiations. Appearing moments after on ITVs Peston on Sunday, the shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer, however, attacked the Governments lack of transparency and demanded the correspondence between the Business Secretary and the Japanese country be made public. Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty But when told about Mr Clarks announcement, he appeared irritated, adding: To learn of this in an interview this morning is the wrong way to prepare for these negotiations. On Saturday John McDonnell, the shadow Chancellor, welcomed the decision by Nissan to back the hard work and dedication of the workforce at the Sunderland plant. But there are other plants in the car industry whose workers will be holding their breath hoping that their jobs are also safe following the Tories shambolic handling of Brexit. He added: The trade unions are right to demand clarity from Government. It is unforgivable that the Tories can clearly act to safeguard jobs in our manufacturing industries, as proven by their deal with Nissan, but are refusing to do so. This is something that is deeply concerning many thousands of dedicated workers as we approach the Christmas period. Mr Clark who acknowledged World Trade Organisation rules meant the Government could not offer to compensate Nissan if tariffs were imposed confirmed he had set out the Governments approach in a letter to Mr Ghosn. It included commitments to continue to make funds available for skills and training, to "bring home" elements of the supply chain which had migrated overseas, to support research and development, and to keep the UK car industry competitive. It is simply not possible to compensate for any future risks so the intention of keeping the sector competitive was important, he said. In the motor industry we have a very long track record of investment, in skills in innovations and research and development. But these things are independently reviewed, we can't guarantee them. I hope that they [Nissan] will succeed. They have to apply as companies in the sector have to do. Ministers were elated after Nissan announced it would build its next-generation Qashqai in Sunderland, as well as add production of the new X-Trail SUV model. Prime Minister Theresa May also hailed it as fantastic news, adding: This vote of confidence shows Britain is open for business and that we remain an outward-looking, world-leading nation. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May and her Cabinet ministers are pursuing a "make it up as they go along" strategy for Britains exit from the European Union, according to John McDonnell. The comments from the Shadow Chancellor follow the disclosure by the Business Secretary Greg Clark, on television, that the Government had told the Japanese car giant Nissan it would seek a tariff-free deal with the European Union for the car sector in Britain. Downing Street had been under intense pressure to reveal the terms of its agreement with Nissan following the companys announcement last week it would continue to invest in Britain after Brexit and build its next-generation Qashaqi X-Trail SUV model in Sunderland. Recommended Read more Labour calls for all manufacturers to get same Brexit deal as Nissan But while the Shadow Chancellor welcomed the decision by Nissan, he told The Independent that the worrying aspect of the Governments approach is that we are seeing a make it up as they go along strategy delivered in the TV studios and not debated in Parliament. This means that it leaves more questions than answers and puts the UK economy in a position of being hostage to fortune rather than deciding its own destiny, he added. It also means workers will be worrying this Christmas about their futures when they dont have to be if the Government was straight with them. Its time the Tories simply admit they had no plan for Brexit and consult others so we can finally get clarity rather than confusion from the Government. Theresa May's Brexit strategy like a plan from Baldrick - Corbyn Former Labour leader Ed Miliband added on Twitter: "Government says Nissan must know its Brexit plan (fine) but Parliament can't know or vote on it due to secrecy. Totally unsustainable position." Speaking on the BBCs Andrew Marr show, Mr Clark said: What I said was that our objective would be to ensure that we would have continued access to the markets in Europe - and vice versa - without tariffs and without bureaucratic impediments and that is how we will approach those negotiations. "For the continental European car manufacturers, they export a lot to us, we export a lot to them, and components go backwards and forwards. If you conduct the negotiations in a serious, constructive and civilised way there is a lot in common that we can establish. "I was able to reassure Nissan - and other manufacturers - that that is the way we are going to approach it." Government reveals it is seeking tariff-free access to EU markets However, Mr Clark did not elaborate on how he intends to retain a free trade relationship, which bares similarities to the single market especially as the Prime Minister is aiming to drastically reduce immigration levels. Following the Business Secretarys interview Labour, however, continued to question whether there was a "financial element" to the agreement with the company following speculation of a sweetheart deal Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty Appearing moments after Mr Clark on ITVs Peston on Sunday Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit Secretary, attacked the Governments lack of transparency and demanded the correspondence between the Business Secretary and the Japanese car company to be made publicly available. But when told about Mr Clarks announce, he appeared irritated, adding: To learn of this in an interview this morning is the wrong way to prepare for these negotiations. Mr Starmer added that he intended to seek an urgent question in the Commons on Monday to try and compel ministers to reveal any guarantees they may have given to the car manufacturer. They say no money is changing hands I dont know. We need to know and Im going to try and raise this in Parliament tomorrow because something has been said. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} One of Ukip's leadership candidates has claimed two of his rivals wish Nigel Farage was dead and that one of them is trying to put Mr Farage in a position where his "life is on the line". Raheem Kassam has accused rival Paul Nuttall of meeting with another MEP in an attempt to depose Mr Farage as co-president of the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy group of Eurosceptic parties in Brussels. This, according to Mr Kassam in an interview with The Sunday Times, would mean Mr Farage would lose his security team. It means that Nigel would not have an income. It means that Nigel would not have a security team. Theyre basically trying to have Nigel Farage put in a position where his life is on the line, he said. Mr Kassam went on to say that Mr Nuttall and the third candidate for the party's leadership, Suzanne Evans, wish Mr Farage "was dead". The controversial Mr Kassam has received the backing of insurance tycoon and Ukip donor Arron Banks, who has declared him the brightest candidate by a long way. He is Mr Farages former chief of staff and editor-in-chief of Breitbart London, the UK bureau of a right-wing American news and opinion website. His Facebook profile lists an Islamophobe of the Year award from 2014 and he advertised Brits for Trump shirts which he said he had made in response to requests from friends. In the summer, Mr Kassam quit Ukip declaring it was full of rag-tag, unprofessional, embarrassing people who let Nigel down at every juncture but he then rejoined. Mr Nuttall has dismissed the accusation and was adamant it was absolute nonsense. "There is no plot, nor any plans to depose Nigel Farage as President of the EFDD group in the European Parliament," he said. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty The accusations come as all three candidates announced Mr Farage could receive a peerage if the party is given seats in the House of Lords. The Independent was unable to reach Ms Evans, who according to The Sunday Times outrightly rejected any claims of disloyalty towards Mr Farage. Mr Nuttall, Mr Kassam and Ms Evans, have said they will look to secure him a peerage. "If Ukip are offered positions in the House of Lords, the first name on the list will be Nigel Farage," Mr Nuttall said. "If Nigel wants a seat in the House of Lords, I will campaign like stink for that," Ms Evans added. Mr Farage resigned from his position as leader of the party in July after Britains historic vote to leave the European Union. He returned to the post to serve as acting leader following the resignation of Diane James - who was in the position for only 18 days. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Hillary Clintons huge lead over Donald Trump among millennials is narrowing ahead of the presidential election. Ms Clinton is still winning significantly among people aged between 18 and 34, according to a new USA Today poll. But that lead which is a central part of the reason that she has until now been looking like the almost certain winner of the election next week is getting smaller. In the last two weeks a period which has seen new reports of an investigation into Hillary Clintons emails, among other stories Ms Clintons lead among millennials has dropped six points, from 68 per cent to 62 per cent. What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Show all 9 1 /9 What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Mr Trump denying claims from a number of women that he sexually assaulted them This is all fiction, all fictionalised, probably or possibly started by her and her very sleazy campaign. I didn't even apologise to my wife who is sitting right here because I didn't even do anything Getty What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Mr Trump claiming the Russian leader had no respect for Mrs Clinton She doesn't like Putin because Putin has outsmarted her every step of the way. He has no respect for her. He has no respect for our President." Getty What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Mr Trump interrupting Mrs Clinton with one of his most scathing personal attacks yet as she explained her policy on social security Such a nasty woman Getty What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Mr Trump claiming Mrs Clinton shouldn't have been allowed to run for presidency and that the election is rigged She should never have been allowed to run. Shes guilty of a very very serious crime. She should not be allowed to run. And just in that respect, I say its rigged. Getty What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Mr Trump voicing his pro-life stance during the abortion debate Based on what she's saying ... you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb in the ninth month, on the final day, and that's unacceptable Getty What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Mrs Clinton suggesting this is not the first time Mr Trump has claimed results against him have been rigged There was even a time when Trump didn't get an Emmy for his TV programme three years in a row and he started tweeting that the Emmys were rigged Getty What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Mrs Clinton responding to Mr Trump's lewd comments about women Donald thinks belittling women makes him bigger. He goes after their dignity and self-worth Getty What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Mrs Clinton implying Mr Trump is a puppet of Russian president Vladimir Putin He'd rather have a puppet as president of the United States Getty What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Mrs Clinton comparing her political experience to Mr Trump's former television role On the day I was in the situation room monitoring the raid that brought Osama Bin Laden to justice he was hosting the Celebrity Apprentice Getty Ms Clintons lead has been strong among young people for the entire campaign. She has been helped out by high-profile backing from figures including Bernie Sanders and Barack Obama, who younger people rank as the most important endorsements along with those of their parents. Millennials said that the support of Barack Obama was very important to 36 per cent of them. And Bernie Sanders who initially ran against Ms Clinton but has been active in encouraging people not to vote for Mr Trump was seen as very important by 26 per cent of people. Recommended Read more Donald Trump just one point behind Hillary Clinton in latest poll Young voters who had backed Mr Sanders said that they thought it significant that he had given Ms Clinton his backing. Among people who supported Mr Sanders, 43 per cent said that it was very important that he had endorsed Ms Clinton. Mr Trump is backed by only 21 per cent of young voters, and the endorsements that he has been able to make public are far less likely to make an impact. He hasnt been able to deploy a single high-profile supporter outspoken backer of Mr Trump Rudy Giuliani is very important to only 10 per cent of young Americans, according to USA Today. The support for Ms Clinton is still holding strong among young black and Latino voters. He is supported by one 6 per cent of black Millennials, a historic low, and 19 per cent of young Latinos. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Two teenagers have been shot dead and several others injured as a gunman opened fire at a Halloween party in New York state, it has been reported. The suspect fled the scene after opening fire around 1am at the loft apartment in Newburgh, New York - ABC7 reports. Omani Free, an 18-year-old high school student at Newburgh Free Academy, was killed in the shooting. Her father Omar Free told CBS New York: "She was just at a party, and the next thing I find out, I get a phone call saying my daughter got shot. "Im devastated right now. Its hard. Shes my oldest daughter." The second victim has not yet been identified. Witnesses have claimed another seven people were recovering in hospital from gunshot wounds. 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 Local residents claim the loft hosts large parties on a monthly basis with people waiting outside in their costumes before this Halloween event began. The mother of one of the shooting victims said a few days previsuly flyers for the party were handed out on the Academy campus. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A woman in Iowa has been arrested on suspicion of voting twice in the general election, court and police records show. Terri Lynn Rote, a 55-year-old Des Moines resident, was booked on Thursday on a first-degree charge of election misconduct, according to Polk County Jail records. The charge is considered a Class D felony under Iowa state law. Rote was released Friday after posting $5,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 7. The Des Moines Register reported that Rote is a registered Republican who cast two ballots in the general election: an early-voting ballot at the Polk County Election Office and another at a county satellite voting location, according to police records. Rote hadnt planned on voting twice but said it was a spur-of-the-moment thing when she walked by the satellite voting location, she told The Washington Post in a phone interview on Saturday. I dont know what came over me, Rote said. Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Show all 16 1 /16 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump E Jean Carroll Author Carroll alleges that Trump pinned her against a wall and forced himself upon her in the changing rooms of a Manhattan department store in the mid-90s Getty Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Kristin Anderson Anderson alleges that Mr Trump touched her genitals while at a club in the early 1990s Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jessica Leeds Leeds told the New York Times that Mr Trump groped her on an airplane in the 1980s BBC Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Natasha Stoynoff Stoynoff alleged that Mr Trump forcefully kissed her before an interview at his Mar-A-Lago estate in 2005 Everipedia Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Karena Virginia Virginia alleges Mr Trump groped her in 1998 outside of the US Open tennis tournament BBC News Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Temple Taggart Taggart claims Mr Trump gave her a kiss without consent during a rehearsal for a 1997 Miss USA pageant Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Summer Zervos The former Apprentice contestant alleged that Mr Trump kissed and groped her at a Beverly Hills hotel in 2007 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Alva Johnson A former staffer for Trump's campaign, Johnson alleges that Trump forcibly tried to kiss her after a rally in August 2016 MSNBC Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jennifer Murphy The former Apprentice contestant said Mr Trump "surprise kissed" her - but she said it did not bother her Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jill Harth The makeup artist accused Mr Trump of "attempted rape" while in his daughter's room in 1997 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Mindy McGillivray McGillivray alleges Mr Trump groped her at Mar-A-Lago in 2013 AP Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Rachel Crooks Crooks says that kissed her on the cheeks and mouth when she introduced herself to him in 2005 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Mindy McGillivray McGillivray claims that Trump grabbed her backside at Mar-a-Lago in 2006 CNN Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Cassandra Searles The former Miss Washington alleges that Trump repeatedly grabbed her backside and invited her to his hotel room Getty Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jessica Drake Drake claims that when she and two other women arrived to Trump's hotel room at his invitation, he arrived at the door in pyjamas and tightly hugged and kissed each of the woman without permission Getty Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Ninni Laaksonen The former Miss Finland claims that Trump squeezed her behind before they appeared together on the Late Show with David Letterman in 2006 EPA She added she has been a supporter of Donald Trump since early in his campaign, after Republican candidate Mike Huckabee dropped out of the primary race. Rote told Iowa Public Radio that she cast her first ballot for Trump but feared it would be changed to a vote for Hillary Clinton. The polls are rigged, Rote told the radio station. Leigh Munsil, an editor for the Blaze, noted on Twitter that Rote was the same woman who had caucused for Trump earlier this year. In addition to Rote, the Polk County Auditors Office reported two other people to police last Wednesday on suspicions of voter fraud, the Des Moines Register reported. In the other two cases, those people cast mail-in ballots and also voted in person at one of the states early-voting locations, according to the paper. No arrests were made in the two other cases, the paper reported. Polk County Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald told the Register that it was the first time in 12 years he could remember having to report possible voter fraud. I think it shows that our voting system works in Iowa, that were able to catch it, Fitzgerald told the paper, adding that the reported instances could have been honest mistakes but thats not for me to decide. Polk County is the most populous county in Iowa with 430,640 residents, and it includes Des Moines, the states capital. Early voting in Polk County began Sept. 29. Fitzgeralds office has been posting regular updates on Twitter about the progress of early voting in the county. Trump says voter fraud is 'okay' if the votes are for him Embed Share Play Video1:20 While railing against voter fraud during a rally in Cleveland, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said that maybe people registered in more than one state will vote for him and he's "okay" with that. (The Washington Post) Polls show an extremely close race between Clinton and Trump in Iowa, a traditional swing state. According to a Quinnipiac University poll released two days ago, Clinton and Trump are now tied in Iowa with 44 percent of the vote each. In September, the same poll had showed Trump leading Clinton, 44 percent to 37 percent. In the closing weeks of the 2016 presidential race, Trump has repeatedly claimed in speeches and on Twitter that the election process is rigged, presumably against him. The Republican candidates surrogates, too, have amplified those allegations. Two weeks ago, former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani insisted that Democrats overwhelmingly engage in voter fraud because they control the inner cities. Last week, Eric Trump said on ABCs This Week that his father would accept election results, but only if it was a fair election. He backed his statement up with statistics that the Trump campaign has often used to claim that there is widespread voter fraud. Numerous outlets, including The Washington Posts Fact Checker, have debunked such claims. Though there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud occurring in U.S. elections, nearly half of Americans believe that voter fraud occurs at least somewhat often, according to a Post-ABC News poll released in September. Both candidates made appearances Friday in Iowa in an effort to gain crucial votes in the battleground state. After two campaign rallies, Clinton held a brief news conference in which she criticized FBI Director James B. Comey for not disclosing more details about why the agency was making a new inquiry into her private email server. We are 11 days out from perhaps the most important national election of our lifetimes, Clinton said in Des Moines. The American people deserve to get the full and complete facts immediately. Later Friday, Trump held a rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he cheered the FBIs decision. The system might not be as rigged as I thought, Trump told the crowd. Copyright: Washington Post Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Never mind the shuttered windows and the criss-cross metal grill behind the glass of its front door, Freedom Firearms in Battle Creek, Michigan, is a gun shop where everyone knows your name. Grandpas take turns in the firing range out back next to mums with their six-year-olds. Like Courtney Hayes, 29, a diminutive single mother, whose recent purchase of an equally petite revolver was driven by the same impulse that brings so many others into the shop: a desire to have the firepower to defend herself and both of her boys nine-year-old Jadin and his little brother, Holden, just turned six in case the worst should ever happen. If the floor, with its counters crammed with handguns, from semi-automatic Glocks from Austria to American-made Kimbers, some in shades of blue and pink for female shooters, and its racks bristling with sporting rifles, is especially busy now, it is not just because of people fearing for their safety in Battle Creek. Its also has to do with a certain Democrat candidate for president. If Hillary Clinton gets elected its going to be all hands on deck and its going to be a crazy day, says Jared Fulton, who founded Freedom Firearms with his brother, Joel, in 2002, shortly after Michigan passed a new concealed-carry law allowing any adult to carry weapons on their person as long as theyre out of sight. Its going to be several crazy days, in fact. The Gun Shop: Owner shows how he would handle someone pulling a gun on him Two things tend to impact traffic at their business, which plays the starring role in a new Channel 4 documentary, Gun Shop, to be aired in Britain on 3 November just five days before America votes: election campaigns, which inevitably pit gun-rights advocates against those asking for stricter gun-control laws, and, secondly, tragedies in the news, especially mass shootings. Recent cases of police shootings of African-Americans have also boosted trade, including from among black members of the community nervous of encountering white police officers. Few of these events were more troubling to Ms Hayes than the rampage last February of an Uber driver in Kalamazoo, a mere 20 minutes to the west. Over five hours one evening, he killed six people and wounded two others before being apprehended; half the victims came from Battle Creek. It was so close to home, you never know these days, Ms Hayes said in an interview in her tidy detached home last week, admitting that what happened in Kalamazoo was a huge part of why she went looking for a weapon at Freedom Firearms. Its also why she decided to take both her boys along with her, even to the firing range at the back where Jadin competed with his mother to see who could hit the bullseye more often. (He turned out to be the better shot.) Ms Hayes, who is training to be a nurse, keeps her gun in a bedside table with a false top the boys dont know can be opened. She has sat them down and drilled them on what to do if a gunman invades the home, including shooting him themselves in the event that she goes down. Buying a gun implies a willingness to use it to kill another human being. If it came down to it, with my kids, I wouldnt hesitate one bit, Ms Hayes insisted. If it was just me, I might hesitate. Do I really need to pull the trigger to kill? Thats a little intimidating, but my kids need their mum. She admitted that innocence is a victim of her decision to involve the two children in her preparations. I do see that and it saddens me. I didnt have to worry about that growing up, my parents didnt have to worry about that. But again, its just me and the boys, so I would rather them know what to do instead of losing their lives. For Mr Fulton, it is giving customers the protection they think they need and having the facilities to train them how to use guns safely that persuades him that whatever the image gun shops may have, his business offers the community an important service. The Gun Shop: Young black woman 'terrified' of being stopped by police Our goal is to change hearts and minds when it comes to the benefits of firearms and to educate everybody, he said, speaking to The Independent in a classroom also at the back of the shop reserved for the one-day courses that are mandatory if you want the state to issue you a conceal-carry permit. Are we a force for the good? Yes, I do believe so, he added. It is a stance that the head of the police department in Battle Creek, known as the Cereal Capital of America with both Kellogg and Post calling it home, would mostly acknowledge. I welcome the opportunity to have gun stores in our community, police chief Jim Blocker said in an interview. We feel like violence is all around us, so I do understand purchasing a firearm, to want to have the capacity to protect your family. Though he added: I wonder, do they have the capability in that high-stressed scenario accurately put rounds where they need to go? Chief Blocker, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, has views on strengthening some of the regulations governing gun ownership, but is no choirboy for the gun-control lobby. Here in America we significantly believe that if it is something that you really want to do, then you should have the right to do so, so long as it doesnt do harm to others, he offered. Thats just an American tradition and only a step away really from what was a British tradition. Back at the shop, the Fulton brothers were digesting a text message from one of their wholesalers saying it was seeing a run on ammunition linked to fears of Ms Clinton being elected and moving to overturn the second amendment to the constitution that guarantees the right to bear arms (something she insists she has no intention of doing). In just a few hours, the supplier had sold 40,000 boxes of bullets thats more than a million rounds. It might seem reasonable to ask if they wouldnt want Ms Clinton to win on 8 November, given the impact that would have on their tills. Man, you dont want to tell me to vote my wallet, because its going to be the liberal democrat every single time, Joel Fulton responds with a wheezy laugh. Id put a Democrat in the White House every single time. But that, of course, is not what either he or his brother will do, because defending the second amendment and leaving their customers free to buy whatever gun they fancy whenever they want assuming they intend to use them responsibility trumps all, including profit. I would give up everything that I have right now if it meant helping to ensure the longevity of the freedoms that I have and maybe to get some of our freedoms back that we have lost, Jared responded. I would give it all up in a heart-beat for that. The only person more conflicted than the Fulton brothers may be Joels son, Dave, 25. An employee at the shop for six years, he was once a Bernie Sanders supporter but feels unable to switch allegiance to Ms Clinton, believing she would indeed move to dismantle the second amendment. So he will be joining the family club and vote for Mr Trump. The Gun Shop airs on Channel 4 on 3 November at 9pm Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Hillary Clinton has described the timing of new FBI disclosures regarding the investigation into her private email server, just days before the US presidential election, as strange, unprecedented and deeply troubling. Speaking at a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida on Saturday, the Democratic nominee said the letter sent on Friday from FBI director James Comey to Republican congressional committee chairs, informing them of developments in the email investigation, was deeply troubling, because voters deserve to get the full and complete facts. In the letter, Mr Comey said only that the bureau was reviewing a newly discovered cache of emails, which appear to be pertinent to the long-running probe of Ms Clintons use of a private email server during her tenure as Secretary of State. The emails were discovered in connection with an unrelated case, the FBI director wrote. FBI director James Comey's letter to congressional committee chairs It subsequently emerged that the emails were found on a device shared by Clinton aide Huma Abedin and her estranged husband, former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner, who is under investigation for allegedly sending explicit electronic messages to a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina. Ms Clinton urged Mr Comey to provide more detail about what the emails contained. The FBI director has been criticised by Department of Justice officials, Democrats and Republicans alike for releasing such a vaguely worded letter at the risk of influencing the outcome of the election on 8 November. Mr Comey, a Republican appointed by President Obama, wrote in an email to FBI employees on Friday that he had felt an obligation to inform Congress of the new developments, given that I testified repeatedly in recent months that our investigation was completed. But Clinton campaign chair John Podesta told reporters on Saturday that Mr Comeys letter was long on innuendo, short on facts and contained no evidence of wrongdoing. No charge of wrongdoing. No indication this is even about Hillary. Before the letter become public, Ms Clinton was enjoying a comfortable lead over Republican Donald Trump, though the polls had tightened in recent days. We cant let this election in the last 10 days be about the noise and the distraction, Ms Clinton insisted on Saturday. It has to be about the country we want for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren. Mr Trump, who has described the email controversy as the biggest political scandal since Watergate, declared on the stump in Arizona on Saturday that very, very serious things things must have been happening for the FBI to be revisiting its investigation. The property developer said he respected Mr Comey for coming back to the case after having cleared Ms Clinton of any criminal wrongdoing earlier this year. Hillary Clinton's corruption is corrosive to the soul of our nation and it must be stopped, he added. But in Florida, Ms Clinton slammed her opponent for making up lies about the significance of Mr Comeys letter. Its time for Donald Trump to stop fear-mongering, to stop disgracing himself, to stop attacking our democracy, she said, to cheers from the crowd, adding: We cant let him get away with this, can we? Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} There are signs that the race for the White House is tightening amid continuing fall-out from the 11th-hour announcement by FBI director James Comey that he was assessing new emails potentially related to the use of a private email server by Hillary Clinton while Secretary of State. Most notable were two new polls showing that her Republican rival, Donald Trump, may be finding a way back into the contest by becoming newly competitive in Florida, a key state with a large trove of Electoral College votes, without which he would have no plausible path to victory. Additionally, a new Washington Post/ABC poll showed Ms Clinton leading Mr Trump by a perilously close two points nationally in a four-way race including Green Jill Stein and Libertarian Gary Johnson at 47 per cent versus 45 per cent, which is inside the margin of error. The same poll had Ms Clinton enjoying a huge 12-point lead just six days earlier. But it is the movement in his favour in Florida that will particularly encourage Camp Trump. A New York Times Upshot/Siena poll released on Sunday had the GOP nominee up four points in Florida in a four-way race, 46 percent to 42 percent. While Ms Clinton has various ways to reach the 270 Electoral College votes necessary to clinch final victory even without Florida, that is almost certainly not the case for Mr Trump. He has to win it. All the new polls were conducted before Friday when Mr Comey dropped his new emails bomb, the precise impact of which remains uncertain. However, the anxiety it has created in Ms Clintons circle is tangible as one after another of her allies called on Mr Comey to clear up the confusion over what the new emails may or may not contain. Their existence came to light in a brief letter sent by Mr Comey on Friday to leading members of Congress. It was extremely scant on detail, saying nothing beyond the fact that they may be pertinent to the investigation into her email server which the FBI formally concluded in July. While it is now known that the new emails were found in devices shared by Huma Abedin, one of Ms Clintons closest aides, and her husband, from whom she is estranged, Anthony Weiner, there has been nothing more from Mr Comey on why they may be of interest. It even appears that many may be duplicates of emails the FBI has already analysed. "We never thought we were going to say thank you to Anthony Weiner," Mr Trump declared at a rally in Las Vegas on Sunday, virtually taunting the Clinton campaign on the issue. "Corruption is corrosive to the soul of a Democracy, and it must be stopped. We have one ultimate check on Hillarys corruption, and that is the power of voting. The only way to beat the corruption is to show up and vote by the tens of millions, including millions of people voting for the first time in their entire lives." Adding to Democrat frustration has been confirmation that before he sent the letter, Mr Comey was strenuously advised to desist by the Justice Department which argued it would violate long-existing groundrules about not doing anything close to an election that could change its course. US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Show all 12 1 /12 US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump shakes hands with Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at the conclusion of their first presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York Reuters US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures President Barack Obama embraces Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton on stage at the party's convention in Philadelphia US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Donald Trump's wife Melania delivered a speech at the GOP convention in Cleveland that was later found to have been cribbed in part from Michelle Obama's 2008 convention address AP US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Hillary Clinton talks to reporters aboard her new campaign plane on Labour Day, 5 September, her first 'press conference' since 2015 (Getty Images) US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Donald Trump held a joint press conference with Mexican leader Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City in August, hours before reiterating his harsh immigration plans at a campaign rally in Arizona Reuters US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Bernie Sanders officially endorsed Hillary Clinton, saying his progressive vision for a transformed America would be best served by the defeat of Donald Trump Reuters US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Khizr and Gazala Khan appeared at the DNC to slam Trump for his stance on Muslim immigration, citing the case of their son Humayun Khan, who was killed in combat while serving as a Captain in the US Army in Iraq US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson is doing better in polls than any third party candidate since Ross Perot, 20 years ago Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Green Party candidate Jill Stein (centre) marches with supporters in Colorado AP US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Hillary Clinton and Virginia Senator Tim Kaine at a rally in Kaine's home state in July, days before Ms Clinton tapped him to be her running mate Getty US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Trump on the campaign trail with his vice presidential pick, Indiana governor Mike Pence AP US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage appears at a Trump rally in Mississippi in August, where he told the crowd that he 'wouldn't vote for Hillary Clinton if you paid me'. It seems that Mr Comey may not even have seen the emails in question. In a subsequent email message to FBI employers on Friday, he said, we dont know the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails. Meanwhile, if he does decide to re-open his investigation, any new findings may not emerge until after election day. As far as we know now, Director Comey knows nothing about the content of these emails. We don't know whether they're to or from Hillary at all, Tim Kaine, her running mate, said on Sunday. He added that if Mr Comey hasn't seen the emails, I mean they need to make that completely plain. Then they should work to see the emails and release the circumstances of those once they have done that analysis. Ms Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta, said the directors handling of the matter was inappropriate. He also urged Mr Comey to be more transparent because the disclosure came in the middle of the presidential campaign so close to the voting. Late on Saturday, meanwhile, a group of four Democratic senators Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Dianne Feinstein of California, Thomas Carper of Delaware and Benjamin Cardin of Maryland wrote to Mr Comey and Attorney General Loretta Lynch demanding a full explanation of the FBIs actions by Monday at the latest. We request you provide us with more detailed information about the investigative steps being taken, the number of emails involved, and what is being done to determine how many of the emails are duplicative of those already reviewed by the FBI, they wrote. The first sign of Mr Trump closing the gap with his Democratic rival in the Sunshine State came in the middle of last week, when a Bloomberg News poll gave him his first lead there for several weeks. Sunday also saw the release of an NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll that had them essentially tied in Florida with Ms Clinton at 45 per cent and Mr Trump at 44 per cent. Ms Clinton was in Miami this weekend. On Saturday night she joined Jennifer Lopez on stage at a concert held in support of her campaign and on Sunday she visited a Miami restaurant to urge Democrats to vote early. As patrons ate Sunday brunch, she said she wanted to get them fuelled up to head directly to early voting stations and cast their ballots. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump by 15 percentage points among early voters in the US presidential election, according to a new poll. The Reuters/IPSOS States of the Nation survey, released 11 days before polling day, shows the Democratic nominee is ahead of Republican candidate Mr Trump among people who have already voted in key swing states such as Ohio and Arizona. Mrs Clinton also holds an early lead in some core Republican strongholds, including Georgia and Texas, although Mr Trump is still forecast to win these states once all votes are counted. The survey does not include early voter data for every state. Hillary Clinton attacks FBI handling of email review Around 19 million Americans up to 20 per cent of the electorate have already voted in the election, according to the University of Floridas United States Election Project. The survey suggests Mrs Clinton is likely to win 47 per cent of the overall vote, compared to 40 per cent for Mr Trump. That would give her 320 electoral college votes taking her over the threshold of the 270 needed to win the White House. Mr Trump would win 174 votes in the electoral college, the analysis suggests. The huge lead among early voters will be a boost for the Clinton campaign after it suffered a potential setback on Friday when the FBI announced it was examining newly uncovered emails sent by Huma Abedin, a close adviser to Mrs Clinton. The emails were discovered during an investigation into whether former congressman Anthony Weiner, who is Ms Abedins estranged husband, sent explicit messages to an underage girl. The Reuters/IPSOS survey was conducted before news of the new FBI investigation broke. While the full impact of the announcement on the balance of the race remains unclear, the poll suggests some states that were previously leaning towards Mrs Clinton were now too close to call. The Democrats lead was reduced in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Colorado, Iowa and Nevada. Another, Ohio, is also on a knife-edge. Mrs Clinton, however, is still reported to be ahead in key marginals of Florida and North Carolina. Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Show all 16 1 /16 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump E Jean Carroll Author Carroll alleges that Trump pinned her against a wall and forced himself upon her in the changing rooms of a Manhattan department store in the mid-90s Getty Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Kristin Anderson Anderson alleges that Mr Trump touched her genitals while at a club in the early 1990s Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jessica Leeds Leeds told the New York Times that Mr Trump groped her on an airplane in the 1980s BBC Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Natasha Stoynoff Stoynoff alleged that Mr Trump forcefully kissed her before an interview at his Mar-A-Lago estate in 2005 Everipedia Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Karena Virginia Virginia alleges Mr Trump groped her in 1998 outside of the US Open tennis tournament BBC News Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Temple Taggart Taggart claims Mr Trump gave her a kiss without consent during a rehearsal for a 1997 Miss USA pageant Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Summer Zervos The former Apprentice contestant alleged that Mr Trump kissed and groped her at a Beverly Hills hotel in 2007 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Alva Johnson A former staffer for Trump's campaign, Johnson alleges that Trump forcibly tried to kiss her after a rally in August 2016 MSNBC Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jennifer Murphy The former Apprentice contestant said Mr Trump "surprise kissed" her - but she said it did not bother her Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jill Harth The makeup artist accused Mr Trump of "attempted rape" while in his daughter's room in 1997 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Mindy McGillivray McGillivray alleges Mr Trump groped her at Mar-A-Lago in 2013 AP Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Rachel Crooks Crooks says that kissed her on the cheeks and mouth when she introduced herself to him in 2005 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Mindy McGillivray McGillivray claims that Trump grabbed her backside at Mar-a-Lago in 2006 CNN Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Cassandra Searles The former Miss Washington alleges that Trump repeatedly grabbed her backside and invited her to his hotel room Getty Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jessica Drake Drake claims that when she and two other women arrived to Trump's hotel room at his invitation, he arrived at the door in pyjamas and tightly hugged and kissed each of the woman without permission Getty Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Ninni Laaksonen The former Miss Finland claims that Trump squeezed her behind before they appeared together on the Late Show with David Letterman in 2006 EPA The FBI has previously investigated Mrs Clinton for using a private email server when she was US Secretary of State. It closed its investigation in the summer, determining that no criminal charges should be brought but criticising Mrs Clinton for being "extremely careless". The timing of the latest FBI announcement was condemned by a Clinton campaign spokesman, who said he was confident the candidate would be cleared of wrongdoing. But with the outcome of the enquiry unlikely to be announced before the 8 November election, the announcement could narrow the race after weeks in which Mrs Clinton appeared to have pulled ahead. Polls have given the Democrat a lead of between four and seven points over Mr Trump after the Republican was hit by a series of accusations - denied by the candidate - that he had sexually assaulted several women. Mr Trump has repeatedly claimed the use of private emails shows Mrs Clinton is untrustworthy and seeks to avoid transparency. The latest investigation was bigger than Watergate, he said. He has previously threatened to put his rival in prison if he becomes president, adding that her email use amounted to "criminal action [that] was wilful, deliberate, intentional and purposeful". . Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} FBI Director James Comey has been accused of ignoring the advice of senior US Justice Department officials in making public the latest investigation into emails relating to Hillary Clinton. Mr Comey announced on Friday 11 days before polling day in the US presidential election - that the FBI was investigating emails sent by Huma Abedin, a senior aide to the Democratic presidential candidate. The unprecedented move was strongly condemned by the Clinton campaign and shocked legal experts - and now it has emerged that the Justice Department had also warned that making public the new information was against long-standing FBI protocols relating to interference in elections. An unnamed Justice Department official sold the Washington Post they had made clear to Mr Comey it was standard practice that we dont comment on an ongoing investigation. And we dont take steps that will be viewed as influencing an election. Director Comey understood our position. He heard it from Justice leadership, the official said. It was conveyed to the FBI, and Comey made an independent decision to alert the Hill. He is operating independently of the Justice Department. And he knows it. FBI officials responded that they were aware of Justice Department policy but considered it to be guidance rather than firm rules. Mr Comey, who is a Republican appointee of President Obama, said he felt he had an obligation to make the new information publicly having previously sworn under oath that the investigation into Mrs Clintons email usage was completed. Sources close to the Director said he also feared the information would leak and spark accusations of a cover-up. Hillary Clinton email probe: Donald Trump hails decision to investigate new emails Legal experts joined Democrats in expressing their shock at Mr Comeys decision. You dont do this, one former senior Justice Department official told the New Yorker. Its aberrational. It violates decades of practice. The decision of the FBI director to overrule the wishes of his boss, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, in a matter relating to a US presidential candidate was unprecedented, the official added. George J. Terwilliger III, a deputy attorney general under President George Bush, told the New York Times: Theres a longstanding policy of not doing anything that could influence an election. Those guidelines exist for a reason.Bypassing them has consequences. Matt Miller, a former Justice Department spokesman, said Mr Comeys mistakenly thinks the rules dont apply to him. He has come to believe that his own ethics are so superior to anyone elses that his judgment can replace existing rules and regulations. That is a dangerous belief for an FBI director to have. The FBI had previously completed an investigation into Mrs Clintons use of a private email server during her time as US Secretary of State. It closed the case in the summer after concluding that no criminal charges should be brought, but criticised what it called Mrs Clintons extreme carelessness. The decision to make public the new inquiries came after what sources called a vigorous discussion between 10 senior FBI officials and lawyers. The Clinton campaign reacted furiously to the announcement. John Podesta, her campaign chairman, said Mr Comeys email was long on innuendo and short on facts. Mrs Clinton later told a rally in Florida: It is pretty strange to put something like that out, with such little information, right before an election. In fact, its not just strange, its unprecedented and it is deeply troubling. Mr Comey announced the new inquiry in a letter to Republican congressional committee chairs Some Republicans have also expressed concern at the timing of the announcement. Texas Senator John Cornyn, tweeted: Why is the FBI doing this just 11 days before the election? And Senator Ron Johnson, the Republican chair of the Senates Homeland Security Committee wrote to Mr Comey demanding he release more information. Mr Trump, however, immediately leapt on the new development, saying it was bigger than Watergate and accusing his rival of wilful, deliberate, intentional and purposeful illegal activity. There are suggestions the announcement could narrow the poll lead that the Mrs Clinton has gained over her rival in recent weeks. The newly discovered emails came to light as part of an investigation into whether former congressman Anthony Weiner sent explicit images to an underage girl. Mr Weiner was previously married to Ms Abedin, who is believed to have been unaware that her personal emails were stored on her husbands computer. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A British tourist has been killed in a sectarian attack on a Shia Muslim gathering in Pakistan's largest city of Karachi, The Independent has learned. Naiyyar Mehdi Zaidi, 60, from London, and two of his brothers were shot and killed when two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire at a Shia Muslim gathering in the Nazimabad suburb. Another man and a woman were also killed and six other people injured in the attack. Mr Zaidi's daughter-in-law Qaisra Khan told The Independent the group was standing outside a Shia ladies prayer meeting when gunmen drove past and tried to gain entry to where the women had gathered. After guards closed the gates to prevent the gunmen from entering, they reportedly opened fire on the men. Pakistani security officials inspect the scene of an attack on Shia Muslims in Karachi, Pakistan, 29 October, 2016 (EPA) Ms Khan said those killed included her father-in-law Mr Zaidi, a UK citizen, Nasir Abbas Zaidi, 45, a US citizen visiting from Seattle, and Baqir Abbas Zaidi, 40, a third brother from Karachi. Two of Mr Zaidi's other brothers were also severely injured in the attack but Ms Khan has been told they are now in a stable condition. "Two attackers on a motorbike opened indiscriminate fire on the participants coming for the gathering," senior police official Tayyab Muqaddas Haider told AFP. The attackers fled the scene after the assault, he added. Ms Khan, who is a Sunni Muslim, said the prayer meeting had been specifically targeted in a sectarian attack. "I think they're just targeting every minority gathering," she said. "It's indiscriminate. It's a Shia gathering and therefore it was targeted." Paramilitary soldiers gather at the site attack in Karachi, Pakistan, Saturday, 29 October, 2016 (AP) The Sunni militant organisation Lashkar-i-Jhangvi al-Alami claimed responsibility for the attack. A group of outlawed Lashkar-i-Jhangvi has been active in the city and the threat will persist until their arrest, Karachi police chief Mushtaq Mahar said. Mr Zaidi had travelled to Karachi to prepare for another son's wedding next summer. He was due to return to the UK on 7 November. Ms Khan described her father-in-law, who worked at Habib Bank AG Zurich before retiring around a year ago, as "peaceful, highly intelligent and well loved in the community". "He always had advice for people and support. He was full of compassion and love for everyone around him. At the moment I know there are people around the world thinking about him." She said his brothers were similar, adding that "they were a very open minded, tolerant family". Naiyyar Mehdi Zaidi (left), 60, from London, was killed along with his brother Nasir Abbas Zaidi, 45, from Seattle, USA, in Karachi, Pakistan, on 29 October, 2016 (Qaisra Khan) She said she hoped reports of the attack would draw attention to sectarian killings. "I often saw these reports and you never think it will happen to you. It's made me realise how destructive these kind of attacks are and how they must stop." The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said they were not yet aware of the death of Mr Zaidi. FCO advice for tourists visiting Pakistan warns there is a high threat from terrorism, kidnap and sectarian attack throughout the country. Sectarian violence, in particular by Sunni hardliners against Shia Muslims who make up roughly 20 per cent of Pakistan's 200 million people has claimed thousands of lives in the country over the last decade. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} When large numbers of children and young people needlessly sleep rough for days in a developed European country such as France, even those most staunchly opposed to the Jungle camp have to take a moment to pause and consider the actions of the governments involved. The words in this article tell a grim story, but make no mistake, it is one. This article isnt an attack on the authorities; it is an honest account of what has actually been happening in the Jungle over the past few days, what many minors have been subjected to and words from the volunteers overseeing their relative safety. You would hope that the young and most vulnerable people of the camp sleeping in such a way would be under guard from the police or the gendarmes at this time. According to some accounts, not a single person from the French authorities was dispatched to directly watch over them. The dismantlement of the camp has been talked about for a long time now, and the question is how did such a large undertaking go ahead with such little planning? The volunteers remaining in the camp were left to deal with the children and banded together to stay with them. It turned out only a handful of volunteers, most of them young women, slept rough with them. And sleep they did not. With reports of fascist vigilantes circling the camp assaulting people, fires blowing around the camp and plenty of worried children to reassure and organise, they have all been on shifts for days with little to no sleep. A child doing his homework the morning after having slept rough (Photo: Emily Garthwaite) A makeshift bed where a minor slept (Photo: Alan Schaller) Help Refugees co-founder Josephine Naughton told me: The authorities demonstrated a clear lack of preparation or contingency plan for the most vulnerable in Calais. We were shocked that though the safety was in their hands, many children were forced to sleep rough. Our volunteers on the ground were forced to provide the care and support that the state failed to deliver. There are more than 1,000 children who still need access to the legal process. We implore both the British and French authorities to fulfil their moral and legal responsibility to these children. The registration system for the children was disorganised and chaotic from the start to the present day. Confusion regarding who was meant to register where was not aided by the lack of Arabic translators. Exhausted children were sent back and forth between various checkpoints and queues. I was told they did so bravely and calmly despite the carnage enveloping them. Residents of the camp we spoke to expressed their bewilderment regarding where they were meant to be at any given time, with some thinking the buses for the children were buses to the UK. Volunteers explained to us about the huge amount of pressure this put them under because naturally they were seen as the authoritative figures, and had to actually deal with informing the people with what little they knew. Information, correct or not, spreads quickly in the camp and many turned up to the wrong queues in the confusion. The majority of the minors were moved to the shipping containers in fairly squalid conditions, but, none the less, much better than the streets or out on the remains of the camp. About 150 were left on the streets or at the mercy of the Jungle, which has been being demolished and burnt down. I was told there was room for the extra minors but the volunteers present were wildly overstretched as it was and could not control the situation. A volunteer giving a minor guidance and reassurance (Photo: Alan Schaller) A child painting the morning after also sleeping rough at the school (Photo: Emily Garthwaite) It has been reported that many children and young people in the camp have gone missing over the past few days. Being surrounded by fire, riot police armed with tear gas and with no access to shelter has terrified many into fleeing. One of the volunteers, Elizabeth Cragg, told me about an example of these disappearing children: I was aware of a 17-year-old Afghan boy in the camp whose family have all been killed back home. His only living relatives are his aunt and uncle who live in London. He has been in the camp for three months now and has been waiting for his legal right for asylum to be processed since. He had friends in the same circumstances who have now all left the camp, and just by sheer bad luck he found himself in this position. He stood in the registration line for three days and hadn't got through. I saw him last night, but today he hasnt been seen by anyone. Hes not here. I think he has given up hope in the legal process and has left. The school is bulldozed later that afternoon (Photo: Emily Garthwaite) A minor visits the church in the camp for the last time before it is razed (Photo: Alan Schaller) Of the volunteers staying with the children during the nights, only one young volunteer called Noha Al-Maghafi could speak Arabic and soon found herself as a kind of information point, on top of the care she was providing. She told us children and youths were coming up to her and asking for information and explanations. Remember these volunteers are young people who are largely not formally trained for processes such as these. It is above and beyond the call of duty and the fact that any responsibility for the well-being and decision-making about the childrens immediate futures has been placed on their shoulders is a regrettable display of the failure of the authorities. One volunteer told me: We [the volunteers] are doing the work of two governments. The stress and lack of sleep is visible on their faces, and many have admitted they are close to breaking point mentally and physically. Last night, when it became clear there were certain children in the camp who had not yet made it onto buses, Al-Maghafi took the responsibility for finding them along with some members of the youth refugee service. The authorities were not helping in this process in fact, they appear to have been actively hindering it. She told me: To get there faster I borrowed a bike from one of the minors. Before I could get to the children I was stopped by the police. They told me the bike I was on was stolen and I was put in a cell for the night. I was not well treated and the conditions were horrendous. There was faeces on the walls, it was not heated and I was given a carton of orange juice for the night. They wouldn't let me make a phone call. She was released on Saturday morning and allowed to return to the camp. Being the only Arabic translator present, her absence will have undoubtedly put a lot of unnecessary strain on the volunteers remaining in the camp. Three young men waiting to find out where they are heading (Photo: Emily Garthwaite) (Photo: Alan Schaller) The gendarmes guarding the way to the buses (Photo: Emily Garthwaite) We witnessed a group of young people and children being taken from the camp where they had been sleeping rough to buses. It began when a man, whose organisation and identity was unclear and unannounced, turned up at the makeshift school in the Jungle where many minors had been sleeping overnight and announced: If you want to come this way there will be a bus. You are free to come or to stay here. As you wish. He then drove off and more confusion ensued. A group of around 100 people we were with began asking for a translation and clarification. Once again the responsibility of getting the people to the buses, and informing them was left to volunteers. Three of them, including Noha who was required to translate, gathered the minors around and informed them of the process. This is what the volunteers who addressed the group of minors told them at this point: We have been told by the police that there will be buses coming to the bridge. We are not sure where they are going so we cannot give you this information. We must make four groups. One group will be for people who are 14 and under. The second group will be for 15-18. We have been told all will have a chance to be assessed. There will be two groups for any adults. One for adults who want asylum in France, and one for those who dont. As volunteers some of have worked and lived here for over a year. Today we cannot do anything more than help you organise yourselves peacefully and calmly as you ask for the French states help. You need to help the children get separated into those groups and onto the buses. One thing I would advise you as a human, not a lawyer, is that we have been told that people who lie about their age today may have problems later on. Three minors playing a game waiting for their turn to board (Photo: Alan Schaller) Charlotte Maxwell (volunteer) talking with the police chief Patrick Visser-Bourdon (Photo: Emily Garthwaite) The bus. The long wait is over, but the destination is unknown (Photo: Alan Schaller) The volunteers then escorted the group across the south side of the camp to the bus site where they were met by authorities. When the group arrived at the site where buses were indeed waiting, the four groups were assessed and then one by one filed towards the buses through a barricade of gendarmes. Of all the authorities present, police chief Patrick Visser-Bourdon has been the most pragmatic. On the day he kept his word when he gave it, and was calm in the deplorable situation before him. He listened to us today, he was not aggressive like some others have been, but despite this, and I hope despite his best intentions, not much has been done up to now. I can personally attest to the fact that when he was present things seemed to run smoothly, and certainly in front of the press and the chief, the police did their jobs properly and politely. I think he is trying to shift through the chaos to reach a solution and would be dismayed to hear of Nohas arrest over the stolen bike incident. The process of the all the minors being taken onto the buses was orderly and over within a couple of hours. There are still children left in the camp today, however, and I fear the volunteers of the Jungle will be needed for more nights to come. View more of Alan Schaller and Emily Garthwaites photography here and here. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Germany's EU commissioner has been accused of racism after he described Chinese people as "slit eyed". Speaking to businessmen in Hamburg last week, Guenther Oettinger used the term "Schlitzaugen" ("slit eyes") to describe visiting Chinese businessmen, Reuters reports. He said the congregation consisted of "nine men, one party, and no democracy". "All of them in suits, single-breasted, dark blue jackets," he added. "All of them had their hair combed from left to right, with black shoe polish on their hair." World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty In an interview with German newspaper Die Welt, Mr Oettinger defended his comments. "That was a somewhat sloppy remark that was in no way meant to be disrespectful to China," he said. He added: "You have to see the broader context in which I made my remarks. In my speech, I wanted to warn Germany of too much self-confidence." In his speech, Mr Oettinger also joked about gay marriage. After criticising Germany's welfare system and Chancellor Angela Merkel's liberal policies, he said "perhaps compulsory gay marriage will be introduced". His remarks were criticised by the German Federation of Lesbians and Gays (LSVD). LSVD spokeswoman Stefanie Schmidt said: "An EU commissioner must be able to convincingly represent the European values of non-discrimination and not put the case for racist and homophobic prejudices." Mr Oettinger has previously expressed doubts over whether the UK will leave the EU, saying he would not "place any major bets on Brexit". Mr Oettinger accepted the Brexit referendum vote was "binding" but told German newspaper Bild: "It is possible that public opinion will tip if the economic situation in the wake of the Brexit vote worsens. In any case, I wouldn't place any major bets on Brexit." For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Pirate Party has come third in Icelands general election, but no single party or coalition has won the overall majority necessary to form a government. Tense negotiations are now expected after the political group, which was founded four years ago by internet activists, and its allies won 44.3 per cent of the vote, equating to 28 seats in parliament, four short of the 32 needed to command an overall majority. The incumbent Independence Party polled better than expected with 29.8 per cent of the vote, and its coalition partner the Progressive Party collected 10.2 per cent, according to prelimary results released by national broadcaster RUV. The Pirate Party won 13.5 per cent of the vote, coming in just behind their allies the Left Green Movement, which got 15.8 per cent. The Pirate's other left-of-centre partners, the Social Democratic Alliance and Bright Future, collected 15 per cent of the vote between them. Some polls predicted the anti-establishment party and its allies would win the election, after discontent with the existing government saw their popularity soar. Documents leaked from the law firm Mossack Fonseca in April, known as the Panama Papers, showed Progressive Party leader and then-Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson had previously held an undeclared stake in an offshore company, which caused widespread anger in the Nordic country. Mr Gunnlaugsson denied any wrongdoing but resigned and was succeeded by ally Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson. Shortly after the scandal, the Pirate Party, which advocates for more direct democracy and greater internet freedom, had shot up to more than 40 per cent in opinion polls. But on Saturday, a left-wing alliance failed to gain a majority, leaving the pro-European Reform Party, which had 10.1 per cent of the vote, in the position of possible kingmaker. The liberal party did not take sides ahead of the election, but some analysts said it was unlikely to form an alliance with a Pirate-led coalition and would probably favour the current government as its economic policy leans rightwards. RUV said the preliminary results were based on 50,669 votes cast. Iceland had 246,515 registered voters for Saturdays ballot. As half of a governing coalition with the centrist Progressive Party, the ruling Independence Party said during its campaign that recent progress on the economy had earned it a renewed mandate, the Wall Street Journal reported. Iceland's economy was destroyed by the 2008 financial crisis, but growth in the fishing and tourism sectors means the economy is expected to grow by about five per cent this year, much faster than the European average, according to the central bank. There is currently just over three per cent unemployment. Yet, in the run-up to the vote, Icelanders showed growing discontent with the political establishment. The Pirate Party won just five per cent of votes and three of 63 seats in Icelands 2013 general election, but after revelations about Mr Gunnlaugsson's involvement in off-shore companies, the party, which takes a strong anti-corruption stance, made unprecedented gains in opinion polls. The group's election campaign is partly crowd-funded, they have promised to grant asylum to US whistleblower Edward Snowden and accept the bitcoin currency. Looser copyright rules and the decriminalisation of drugs are among other policy pledges. The breathtaking photos of Icelandic ice caves Show all 14 1 /14 The breathtaking photos of Icelandic ice caves The breathtaking photos of Icelandic ice caves Icelandic ice caves in Vatnajokull Mikael Buck/Sony The breathtaking photos of Icelandic ice caves Icelandic ice caves in Vatnajokull Mikael Buck/Sony The breathtaking photos of Icelandic ice caves Icelandic ice caves in Vatnajokull Mikael Buck/Sony The breathtaking photos of Icelandic ice caves Icelandic ice caves in Vatnajokull Mikael Buck/Sony The breathtaking photos of Icelandic ice caves Icelandic ice caves in Vatnajokull Mikael Buck/Sony The breathtaking photos of Icelandic ice caves Icelandic ice caves in Vatnajokull Mikael Buck/Sony The breathtaking photos of Icelandic ice caves Icelandic ice caves in Vatnajokull Mikael Buck/Sony The breathtaking photos of Icelandic ice caves Icelandic ice caves in Vatnajokull Mikael Buck/Sony The breathtaking photos of Icelandic ice caves Icelandic ice caves in Vatnajokull Mikael Buck/Sony The breathtaking photos of Icelandic ice caves Icelandic ice caves in Vatnajokull Mikael Buck/Sony The breathtaking photos of Icelandic ice caves Icelandic ice caves in Vatnajokull Mikael Buck/Sony The breathtaking photos of Icelandic ice caves Icelandic ice caves in Vatnajokull Mikael Buck/Sony The breathtaking photos of Icelandic ice caves Icelandic ice caves in Vatnajokull Mikael Buck/Sony The breathtaking photos of Icelandic ice caves Icelandic ice caves in Vatnajokull Mikael Buck/Sony The Pirate Party also tried to secure the youth vote by asking the developers of Pokemon Go to turn polling stations into Pokestops locations where players can collect the items needed to catch Pokemon. Even the party's founder, a 49-year-old poet, web programmer and former WikiLeaks activist, said she was shocked by the rise of the group. No way, Birgitta Jonsdottir told journalists, when asked whether she could have envisioned her party governing the country so soon after its launch. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The EU and Canada have signed a landmark trade pact, ending days of drama after a small Belgian region refused to endorse the agreement and deeply embarrassed the EU. The long-delayed Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement, known as Ceta, was bedevilled by yet another hold-up early in the day when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus plane had to return to Ottawa because of mechanical issues. The deal was signed in Brussels by Mr Trudeau and other EU officials. The signing ceremony had initially been planned for Thursday but had to be cancelled after Wallonia, a region in Belgium, vetoed the final proposals and forced concessions. What patience, exclaimed European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker as he embraced Mr Trudeau at the EU headquarters in Brussels. The process leading up to the signing of Ceta will have been watched closely by Downing Street officials as they prepare to enter negotiations with the other 27 EU member states once the Prime Minister triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. The delay, caused by the Belgian region, could raise concerns about how difficult an ambitious free trade deal over Brexit could to be. Article 50, the untested protocol for a member state leaving the EU, allows for a maximum of two years to negotiate a deal. If an extension is required, then it has to be ratified by every other member state in the bloc. Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty According to Reuters news agency, Mr Juncker told reporters he did not think the Canadian deal would have any impact on future Brexit negotiations. I don't see any relation between what we are signing today and the Brexit issue," he said. Welcoming the trade agreement Theresa May said:The UK has long been a powerful and positive force for free trade and we will continue to be one. Indeed, I want Britain to be the global champion for free trade, recognising the opportunities of such trade deals for businesses and customers around the world. Negotiations on the agreement, signed today, were launched in 2009 but the process has been beset by delays. The EU says Ceta will remove 99 per cent of tariffs and boost trade with Canada by 12bn (10.8bn) a year. This is an important day for the EU and Canada too, because we setting international standards which will have to be followed by others with whom we are in negotiations as far as free trade is concerned, Mr Juncker added. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Irans justice minister has said the country should execute fewer people and revise its death penalty laws, local media reports. These last years, the quantity of executions has not been effective. As a result, there must be a revision of the death penalty law, said Mostafa Pourmohammadi, AFP reports citing Tasnim news agency. The judiciary as a whole shared this opinion, he added. Mr Pourmohammadi called for alternative penalties, but said it was impossible to abolish capital punishment all together because there are corrupt people in the country for whom there is no alternative to execution. Around 1000 people were executed in Iran last year, according to a report from the United Nations investigator Ahmed Shaheed. The unofficial number is believed to be higher. It said execution rates peaked between April and June, resulting in an average of four executions a day during that time period. Convictions for murder, rape, armed robbery and adultery can all carry the death penalty in Iran, but a large majority of executions are linked to drug trafficking. Irans justice system is based on Sharia law, which does not make capital punishment compulsory for drug crimes. Human rights attacks around the world Show all 10 1 /10 Human rights attacks around the world Human rights attacks around the world China Escalating crackdown against human rights activists including mass arrests of lawyers and a series of sweeping laws in the name of national security. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Egypt The arrest of thousands, including peaceful critics, in a ruthless crackdown in the name of national security, the prolonged detention of hundreds without charge or trial and the sentencing of hundreds of others to death. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Gambia Torture, enforced disappearances and the criminalisation of LGBTI people; and utter refusal to co-operate with the UN and regional human rights mechanisms on issues including freedom of expression, enforced disappearance and the death penalty. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Hungary Sealing off its borders to thousands of refugees in dire need; and obstructing collective regional attempts to help them. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Israel Maintaining its military blockade of Gaza and therefore collective punishment of the 1.8 million inhabitants there, as well as failing, like Palestine, to comply with a UN call to conduct credible investigations into war crimes committed during the 2014 Gaza conflict. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Kenya Extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances and discrimination against refugees in its counter-terrorism operations; and attempts to undermine the International Criminal Court and its ability to pursue justice. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Pakistan The severe human rights failings of its response to the horrific Peshawar school massacre including its relentless use of the death penalty; and its policy on international NGOs giving authorities the power to monitor them and close them down if they are considered to be against the interests of the country. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Russia Repressive use of vague national security and anti-extremism legislation and its concerted attempts to silence civil society in the country; its shameful refusal to acknowledge civilian killings in Syria and its callous moves to block Security Council action on Syria. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Saudi Arabia Brutally cracking down on those who dared to advocate reform or criticise the authorities; and committing war crimes in the bombing campaign it has led in Yemen (pictured) while obstructing the establishment of a UN-led inquiry into violations by all sides in the conflict. Getty Images Human rights attacks around the world Syria Killing thousands of civilians in direct and indiscriminate attacks with barrel bombs and other weaponry and through acts of torture in detention; and enforcing lengthy sieges of civilian areas, blocking international aid from reaching starving civilians. Getty Images The deputy head of the judiciary, Mohammad Bagher Olfat, said in August the death penalty had not had a dissuasive effect on drug trafficking through Iran, which is one of the main routes from Afghan heroin heading for Europe. Sadly, the volume of trafficking, its diversity and the number of people involved have all increased, he told Tasnim. A bill to revise the use of capital punishment has been put before parliament one of the first since elections this year reduced the number of conservative MPs but it has not yet been discussed. Human Rights Watch says that although "Iran elected a moderate candidate, Hassan Rouhani, to be president in 2013, the country has seen no significant improvements in human rights". Iranian nuclear scientist hanged for treason In August, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the hanging of 20 people in Iran in one week for alleged terrorism-related offences, claiming a grave injustice had been done by the countrys judicial system. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said in a statement received by The Independent that there were serious doubts about the fairness of the trials, respect for due process and other rights of the accused, most of whom were believed to be Sunni Muslims from the Kurdish community. On 2 January, 47 people were put to death in the country after they were convicted of terrorist offences. They included a prominent Shia cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, whose death sparked international condemnation. In 2012, the UN General Assembly called on countries to establish a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, to reduce the practice with the view toward its eventual abolition. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} More than 300 Isis child soldiers have reportedly been killed in the two weeks since Iraqi government forces and their allies launched an offensive to retake the northern Iraqi city of Mosul currently held by the terror group. The UK-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR) has been informed the bodies of 40 Isis members killed in Mosul have been taken to the group's de facto capital, Al-Raqqah in the last 24 hours. The watchdog said the majority of those returned are child fighters known as the "Caliphate Cubs". At least 480 Isis fighters have been killed since the Battle of Mosul began, SOHR estimates. The watchdog said on its website: "This will raise the death toll to at least 480 Syrian fighters killed in the ranks of the Islamic State since the start of the battles in the Mosul area, among them more than 300 child soldiers from the lion cubs of the caliphate." The United Nations has stated at least 232 civilians have been slaughtered by Isis last week alone. In pictures: Mosul offensive Show all 40 1 /40 In pictures: Mosul offensive In pictures: Mosul offensive A doctor carries an Iraqi newborn baby at a hospital in Mosul, Iraq July 18, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi girls play at a yard of a school in Mosul, Iraq July 18, 2017alal Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A woman on crutches who is a relative of men accused of being Islamic State militants is seen at a camp in Bartella, east of Mosul, Iraq July 15, 2017. Picture taken July 15, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A displaced girl, who fled from home carries a doll at Hamam al-Alil camp south of Mosul, Iraq July 13, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi federal police members and civilians celebrate in the Old City of Mosul on 9 July 2017 after the government's announcement of the "liberation" of the embattled city. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office said he was in "liberated" Mosul to congratulate "the heroic fighters and the Iraqi people on the achievement of the major victory" AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A picture taken on 9 July 2017, shows a general view of the destruction in Mosul's Old City. Iraq will announce imminently a final victory in the nearly nine-month offensive to retake Mosul from jihadists, a US general said Saturday, as celebrations broke out among police forces in the city. AFP In pictures: Mosul offensive Members of the Iraqi federal police raise the victory gesture as they ride on a humvee while advancing through the Old City of Mosul on 28 June 2017, as the offensive continues to retake the last district held by Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Smoke billows as Iraqi forces advance through the Old City of Mosul on 26 June 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district held by the Islamic State (IS) group. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi man wearing the green scarf of the Shi'ite faith kisses an Iraqi Army soldier on safely reaching the Iraqi forces position as Iraqi civilians flee the Old City of west Mosul where heavy fighting continues on 23 June 2017. Iraqi forces continue to encounter stiff resistance with improvised explosive devices, car bombs, heavy mortar fire and snipers hampering their advance. Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A picture taken from the inside of an Iraqi forces armoured vehicle shows residents walking through a damaged street as troops advance towards Mosul's Old City on 18 June 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district still held by the Islamic State (IS) group. Military commanders told AFP the assault had begun at dawn after overnight air strikes by the US-led coalition backing Iraqi forces. They said the jihadists were putting up fierce resistance. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi Army soldiers advance in a destroyed street after an Iraqi forces airstrike targeted an Islamic State sniper position 17 June 2017 in al-Shifa, the last district of west Mosul under Islamic State control. IS snipers, as well as car and suicide bomb attacks continue to hinder the Iraqi forces efforts to retake the final district. A series of airstrikes by Iraqi helicopter gunships attempted to hit multiple Islamic State sniper positions in al-Shifa. Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier frisks a displaced Iraqi man at a temporary camp in the compound of the closed Nineveh International Hotel in Mosul on 16 June 2017 which was recovered by Iraqi troops from Islamic State group fighters earlier in the year. A screening centre set up in the compound's fairgrounds sees a constant stream of Iraqis fleeing the battle for Mosul, awaiting their turn to be checked by the Iraqi forces who are searching for suspected Islamic State (IS) group members. The small fairground lies at the end of a pontoon bridge across the Tigris recently opened to civilians that is the only physical link between the two banks of the river. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqis staying at the al-Khazir camp swim in a river near the camp for internally displaced people, located between Arbil and Mosul on 11 June 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi government forces drive on a road leading to Tal Afar on 9 June 2017, during ongoing battles to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi policeman carries a poster bearing an image of Mosul's iconic leaning minaret, known as the "Hadba" (Hunchback), on 22 June 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqis stand in line to receive food aid in western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood on 7 June 2017, during ongoing battles as Iraqi forces try to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. Living conditions in Mosul have again deteriorated since the start of the Iraqi government's offensive on the city in October in which they retook a large part of the west of the city. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Displaced Iraqis carry lightbulbs and sacks as they evacuate from western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood as government forces advance in the area during their ongoing battle against Islamic State (IS) group fighters on 13 May 2017 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) flashes the victory gesture as he patrols in western Mosul's al-Islah al-Zaraye neighbourhood on 13 May 2017 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi army soldiers from the 9th armoured division on a truck flash the sign of victory as they drive back from Mosul to the town of Qaraqosh (also known as Hamdaniya) Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Members of Iraqi forces flash the sign of victory on their vehicle as they advance towards Hammam al-Alil area south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi security forces gestures in Hammam al-Alil, south of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi children, one flashing the sign of victory, greet Iraqi army's soldiers from the 9th armoured division in the area of Ali Rash, adjacent to the eastern Al-Intissar neighbourhood of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Peshmerga forces look at a tunnel used by Islamic State militants near the town of Bashiqa, east of Mosul, during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier takes a photograph with his phone as his comrade stands next to a detained man, whom the Iraqi army soldiers accused of being an Islamic State fighter, who was fleeing with his family in the Intisar disrict of eastern Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iranian Kurdish female members of the Freedom Party of Kurdistan (PAK) hold a position in an area near the town of Bashiqa, some 25 kilometres north east of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi families, who fled their homes in Hamam al-Alil, gather on the outskirts of their town Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Displaced people walk past a checkpoint near Qayara, south of Mosul, Iraq AP In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi families who were displaced by the ongoing operation by Iraqi forces against jihadists of the Islamic State group to retake the city of Mosul, are seen gathering in an area near Qayyarah In pictures: Mosul offensive A boy who just fled Abu Jarbuah village is seen with his family at a Kurdish Peshmerga position between two front lines near Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi child eats a pomegranate upon the arrival of Iraqi forces in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive People who just fled Abu Jarbuah village sit as they eat at a Kurdish Peshmerga position between two front lines near Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A couple who just fled Abu Jarbuah village are escorted by Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Women carry a boy over a wall as civilians flee their houses in the village of Tob Zawa, Iraq AP In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier and a civilian ride a motorbike as smoke rises behind them, on the road between Qayyarah and Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi forces, wearing a skull mask, waits at a checkpoint for people fleeing the main hub city of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier sits at a checkpoint in an area near Qayyarah Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi men prepare food portions for Iraqi forces deployed in areas south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi forces celebrate upon the arrival of vehicles bringing food to them Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi childen smoke cigarettes upon the arrival of Iraqi forces in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi forces distributes drinks to children in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters: "Last Wednesday 232 civilians were reportedly shot to death. "Of these there were 190 former Iraqi Security Forces officers. These reports have been corroborated to the extent possible." Pro-government Shia militants have just opened a new front on Mosul with the aim of cutting off Isis' escape route to Syria. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Three Russian submarines armed with cruise missiles have reportedly joined a naval battleforce heading towards Syria. The Royal Navy and Nato have been tracking the two Akula-class submarines and a diesel-powered Kilo-class sub as they travelled to join the fleet of Russian ships headed by the Soviet-era aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. The Russians now have submarines in the Med, a senior naval source told The Sunday Times. It is feared the submarines may be armed with Kalibr cruise missiles and could be used to support the final assault on the besieged city of Aleppo. In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Show all 19 1 /19 In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrian boys cry following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian defense ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov speaks to the media in Moscow, Russia. Konashenkov strongly warned the United States against striking Syrian government forces and issued a thinly-veiled threat to use Russian air defense assets to protect them AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrians wait to receive treatment at a hospital following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Alepp Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov speaks at a briefing in the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia. Antonov said the Russian air strikes in Syria have killed about 35,000 militants, including about 2,700 residents of Russia AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Jameel Mustafa Habboush, receives oxygen from civil defence volunteers, known as the white helmets, as they rescue him from under the rubble of a building following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civil defence members rest amidst rubble in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A girl carrying a baby inspects damage in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members look for survivors at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members carry an injured woman on a stretcher at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Volunteers from Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, help civilians after Russia carried out its first airstrikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria The aftermath of Russian airstrike in Talbiseh, Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Smoke billows from buildings in Talbiseh, in Homs province, western Syria, after airstrikes by Russian warplanes AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Air Forces carry out an air strike in the ISIS controlled Al-Raqqah Governorate. Russia's KAB-500s bombs completely destroy the Liwa al-Haqq command unit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia claimed it hit eight Isis targets, including a "terrorist HQ and co-ordination centre" that was completely destroyed In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A video grab taken from the footage made available on the Russian Defence Ministry's official website, purporting to show an airstrike in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A release from the Russian defence ministry purportedly showing targets in Syria being hit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia launched air strikes in war-torn Syria, its first military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979. Russian warplanes carried out strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft as Putin seeks to steal US President Barack Obama's thunder by pushing a rival plan to defeat Isis militants in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria, a thousand kilometres away. The targets include ammunition factories, ammunition and fuel depots, command centres, and training camps A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis The battlegroup includes the Admiral Kuznetsov, Pyotr Veliky (Peter the Great) battlecruiser, the Vice-Admiral Kulakov destroyer, Severomorsk destroyer and several supply vessels.On Tuesday, Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg warned the Syria-bound fleet could be used to target civilians in Aleppo and to launch more air strikes. However, senior Russian Foreign Ministry official Andrei Kelin dismissed his statement as "absurd". "The concerns are not based on anything as our planes have not come near Aleppo for nine days," he told the RIA news agency. "Our battle group is in the Mediterranean. Our ships have always had a presence there. Why make some spurious suggestions and then make some political recommendations based on them? It is of course absurd." The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has questioned Russia's statements about a moratorium on bombing Aleppo, saying the city has been hit by strikes since a lull in fighting ended on Saturday International Waters: Russian submarine launches missiles against IS for first time Russia previously released footage of its submarines launching missiles against Isis targets in Syria. According to the Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, Kalibr cruise missiles were launched from a Rostov-on-Don submarine and successfully hit two terrorist positions in Raqqa, about 160 kilometres east of Aleppo. Syria's regime and rebels were locked in fierce fighting on Sunday on Aleppo's western edges, where 38 civilians have been killed and 250 wounded in a two-day opposition offensive to break the government siege. Among those killed over the two-day period were 14 children, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Rebels and allied jihadists launched a major offensive on Friday to break through government lines and reach the 250,000 people living in the city's east. Since then, they have unleashed a salvo of rockets, artillery shells, and car bombs around the western government-controlled districts. Additional reporting by AFP For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} It was the rain that should have told us. High-altitude jets had flown over Aleppo the previous evening and, just occasionally, we heard their bombs exploding, far away in the countryside beyond the city. Then a soft, warm shower drifted over the ruins downtown and coated the streets and apartment blocks of western Aleppo with drizzle, and there was for this city, at least a strange silence. Dawn brought a brown, overcast sky through which no Russian or Syrian pilots could see the ground unless they chose to fly at low level through the downpour, which they never do. And that was when the bombardment of western Aleppo began. The mortars and shells broke across the city in a steady and growing rumble of sound that left only one question in our minds. Amid the ruins of eastern Aleppo, with its tens of thousands of trapped civilians, where on earth did its few thousand largely Islamist fighters, get all this ammunition? Syrian army long-range artillery, high on the hill behind the old Meridien hotel, banged away at the eastern horizon where smudges of grey smoke began to curl into the dun-coloured sky. It was not quite the storm of steel that the media many in far-away Beirut would have the world believe. The battle for divided Aleppo has been fought for too long and its people besieged and then rebesieged in both east and west that the front lines have congealed into the square miles of dust and ruins that are now almost impassable. You might join the chorus of exaggeration about Srebrenica or Grozny, but Stalingrad this is not. Yet it shook both the civilians and the regime in the west of the city. Just after breakfast, as I was gazing eastwards through the rain towards the ancient citadel, there was a sudden clap of sound as a shell bashed into the governors modern office block. I saw bits of the side of the building flying into the air. The Aleppo governor, whose residence is itself sealed off by anti-car-bomb concrete barricades, was safe in Damascus where he was meeting Bashar al-Assad and other regional leaders. Others were not so fortunate. Recommended Read more The strange case of the Scottish ambulance found in Aleppo By midday, Syrian radio was announcing seven dead a little, almost insignificant figure when you remember the new graves in the packed cemeteries of this place but the bombardment had a dramatic effect in the streets. The loudspeaker on the minaret of a mosque scarcely 100 yards away clicked the electrical click and hiss of the sound system is the prelude to every supercharged prayer across the Middle East and a voice shouted: They are attacking. They are attacking. They are coming from the north, from Zahra, from Bin Yamin and towards al-Hamadaniyeh. And this was the first indication anyone in the streets was given that the incoming fire was not only arriving from eastern Aleppo but from south-west of the city, from the fields and ruined factories and broken sewage farms where Nusra and some of its Islamist allies still hold territory that snakes all the way north to the Turkish frontier from which weapons regularly arrive to increase this feast of violence. Syrians carry their belongings as they leave the southwestern frontline neighbourhood of Dahiyet al-,Assad (Getty) Wars inspire their own Hollywood version of reality and, in a darkened Baath party headquarters with the rumble of explosions outside, I was to hear another rumour of war that will surely acquire its own mystique in the days to come. American planes had been seen dropping arms supplies into eastern Aleppo, Syrian jets had warned them off but some parachutes had been seen. I think there is a video, an otherwise extremely rational and intelligent official added. There was, of course, no video there never is nor are Syrian MiGs in any position to challenge US air power. Washington is not going to provoke Russia by sending its fighter-bombers from Turkey over Aleppo. Besides, given the American propensity for inaccuracy, any parachutes would surely have missed their target. In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Show all 19 1 /19 In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrian boys cry following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian defense ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov speaks to the media in Moscow, Russia. Konashenkov strongly warned the United States against striking Syrian government forces and issued a thinly-veiled threat to use Russian air defense assets to protect them AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrians wait to receive treatment at a hospital following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Alepp Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov speaks at a briefing in the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia. Antonov said the Russian air strikes in Syria have killed about 35,000 militants, including about 2,700 residents of Russia AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Jameel Mustafa Habboush, receives oxygen from civil defence volunteers, known as the white helmets, as they rescue him from under the rubble of a building following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civil defence members rest amidst rubble in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A girl carrying a baby inspects damage in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members look for survivors at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members carry an injured woman on a stretcher at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Volunteers from Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, help civilians after Russia carried out its first airstrikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria The aftermath of Russian airstrike in Talbiseh, Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Smoke billows from buildings in Talbiseh, in Homs province, western Syria, after airstrikes by Russian warplanes AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Air Forces carry out an air strike in the ISIS controlled Al-Raqqah Governorate. Russia's KAB-500s bombs completely destroy the Liwa al-Haqq command unit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia claimed it hit eight Isis targets, including a "terrorist HQ and co-ordination centre" that was completely destroyed In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A video grab taken from the footage made available on the Russian Defence Ministry's official website, purporting to show an airstrike in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A release from the Russian defence ministry purportedly showing targets in Syria being hit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia launched air strikes in war-torn Syria, its first military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979. Russian warplanes carried out strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft as Putin seeks to steal US President Barack Obama's thunder by pushing a rival plan to defeat Isis militants in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria, a thousand kilometres away. The targets include ammunition factories, ammunition and fuel depots, command centres, and training camps A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis But how else to account for the sudden profligate use of so much ammunition? Tunnels, a Syrian army man was to mutter later. In Homs, Damascus and other Syrian towns, the tunnellers have proved they can move men and guns in and out of sieges. But then came the Grad rockets, showers of them, from the south-west from miles outside the city new missiles with an extended range of 40km according to the Syrian military, among the first of which struck a car in the Hamadaniyeh district, killing the driver and wounding his wife. At the airport south-west of the city, which exists in a bubble of government-held territory almost surrounded by Nusra fighters hiding in four-year old ruins, I was shown the impact of the Grad rockets on the runways, not far from the small MiG fighter base. No one there was in any doubt that the missiles had just come from Turkey which is quite possible since they clearly didnt arrive from Brazil or Uruguay and by noon next day, Syrias version of Rommel, the tactically brilliant but equally ruthless General Suheil Tiger Hassan, arrived from Hama to take charge of the battle. Hassan commands only the most dangerous battles in Syria and he had been forced to leave an equally violent some might say more strategically important conflict in Hama province to the south where some 7,000 armed men have been confronting the Syrian army and trying to break the desert road and main supply route to Aleppo, which is the only way for soldiers, supplies, food and civilians to reach the west of Syrias largest city. It was General Hassan who smashed open this new road almost three years ago, destroying dozens of villages as he did so. He wasnt going to let it fall now. A rebel fighter gestures with a girl who fled areas of conflict while they ride a pick-up truck in Dahiyet al-Assad (Reuters) For the rebels that amorphous word that covers a multitude of sins and whom the Syrian government always calls terrorists with Blair-like enthusiasm were trying to surround the regime forces in western Aleppo who still surrounds the rebels/terrorists/fighters/ Islamists (delete as required) in eastern Aleppo. By Saturday, the Syrian government was quoting alleged rebel broadcasts and social media to the effect that up to 500 fighters opposed to the government had been killed which sounded about as realistic as the American general who was boasting at almost exactly the same time that between 800 and 900 Isis fighters had been killed around Mosul. In Aleppo, there were also reports of 5,000 wounded. And there was an exodus from the suburbs close to the airport as civilians sought shelter with relatives deeper inside western Aleppo. And then the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees and its Syrian staff and their dependants turned up at the old Meridien to seek shelter from the shells that were falling around their compound, children in arms, packed suitcases dragged through the metal detectors at the door, another little exodus to remind us all that another little chapter in the Aleppo war had just been opened. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Q What happened to the Russian aircraft? At 5.50am local time on 31 October 2015, Metrojet flight 9268 departed from Sharm el Sheikh airport, destination St Petersburg. On board were 17 children, 200 adult passengers and seven crew. Twenty-three minutes later, the Airbus A321 broke up over the northern Sinai Desert and crashed. All on board lost their lives. It was Russias worst aviation disaster. Five days later, the British Government banned UK airlines from flying to and from Sharm el Sheikh with the exception of rescue flights to bring holidaymakers home. That ban remains in force. Q What caused the crash? Officially, that is still an open question. Under international aviation rules, Egypts Aircraft Accident Investigation Central Directorate is investigating. It has not formally reported its conclusions. But the aircraft is widely believed to have been downed by an improvised explosive device placed aboard the aircraft at Sharm el Sheikh airport. Islamic State claimed responsibility shortly after the attack, saying that the blast was caused by a bomb disguised as a soft-drink container that had been smuggled onto the plane. Within days, American and British intelligence agencies had concluded an insider threat attack a device placed on board by an IS sympathiser working at the airport was indeed responsible. And on 16 November, Alexander Bortnikov, director of Russias Federal Security Service, told President Putin that traces of foreign-made explosives had been found in passengers personal belongings and fragments of the plane, and concluded: We can say with confidence that this was a terrorist act. Russian plane crashes in Egypt Q How did the British ban come about? On 4 November, as a result of intelligence reports, the Government took the unprecedented step of banning UK airlines from flying to Sharm el Sheikh except for carefully controlled rescue flights. The Foreign Office said at the time: Theres a significant possibility that the crash was caused by an explosive device. As a precautionary measure, we are now advising against all but essential travel by air to or from Sharm el Sheikh. The bulletin made clear that the resort of Sharm el Sheikh itself was deemed to be safe, but that British officials were not happy with security standards at the airport. With an estimated 20,000 British people in the resort, an air lift was organised. Security staff were flown out to Sharm el Sheikh to supervise the search, and aircraft holds were sealed with baggage carried back separately to the passenger flights. The last rescue flights operated on 17 November. Q What has happened since? Egypt has spent over 20m on improving airport security standards, which are now believed to be higher than in many African countries. The Government in Cairo has been working with the British security firm, Control Risks, and a new aviation security programme includes recruiting and training 7,000 more staff at airports across Egypt. Sir Gerald Howarth MP, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Egypt, has written to the Prime Minister asking for a swift reversal of the ban. But the Foreign Office is still not happy. It says: We will continue working with the Egyptian Authorities to enable regular flights between the UK and Sharm el Sheikh to resume. A Department for Transport security team is looking at the passenger-screening process and baggage handling procedures, and assessing the effectiveness of background checks on airport staff. The Government also says: We are also liaising with travel companies so that they are able to resume flights and holidays in Sharm el Sheikh as soon as appropriate security arrangements are in place. Q When will the ban be lifted? That, of course, is what Egyptian tourist industry and British travel businesses want to know. Airlines and tour operators (including Thomson and Saga), hoteliers and Nile cruise companies have joined forces to create the Travel Industry Egypt Advisory Group, aimed at overturning the ban. They are frustrated by the continuing restrictions, given that planes are once again flying from Germany, Belgium and other European nations into Sharm el Sheikh. Rasha Azaizi, Director of the Egyptian State Tourist Office in London, says: No other country apart from Russia still has a flight ban on flights to Sharm el Sheikh." Q Who has been affected? The tourist economy has been traumatised, with added harm from the widespread misapprehension that all of Egypt is off-limits. In fact, flights from Britain to all other Egyptian airports are flying normally, and earlier this month Egyptair re-started services from Heathrow to Luxor on the Nile. The effect on employment and earnings in Egypt has been severe. British visitor numbers to the country in 2016 have fallen by 70 per cent compared with a year earlier. Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians depend on tourism for their livelihoods. The opportunity cost to UK holidaymakers is of a much lesser magnitude, but still significant. The British have not been able to travel to Sharm el Sheikh and, more widely, to Egypts Sinai Peninsula. It is an enticing destination for holidaymakers, with high-grade accommodation, world-class diving and guaranteed winter sun, at prices well below most Mediterranean destinations. Had the ban not been in affect, it is likely that around half-a-million UK citizens would have flown in to Sharm el Sheikh for holidays in the past year. Q What if I choose to travel to Sharm el Sheikh anyway? Its relatively easy. To visit without transgressing Foreign Office advice, you can fly to Hurghada on the west side of the Red Sea and take the ferry across to Sharm el Sheikh. Alternatively, the three main airlines are Turkish Airlines and Pegasus via Istanbul, and Egyptair via Cairo. If you choose to fly in and out of Sharm el Sheikh, against Government advice, your travel insurance will not be valid for the actual journey through the airport, but it will apply while you are on the ground. Q If and when the ban is lifted, will all the airlines want to go straight back in? No. For the airlines, Sharm el Sheikh has traditionally been a lucrative destination; it works particularly during the quiet winter season, extracting high productivity from aircraft and crew. But airlines plan their schedules several months in advance. At present some are selling seats to Sharm el Sheikh for the February 2017 half-term onwards, but if there is no change in the UK Governments stance those planned departures then those will be axed, in line with the rolling cancellations that have been practised ever since the ban took effect. British Airways has decided to abandon completely its route from Gatwick to Sharm el Sheikh a link which it once served with a wide-bodied Boeing 777. And Monarch announced two days before the anniversary of the ban that it is "cancelling all flight and holiday bookings to Sharm El-Sheikh for the foreseeable future". The Chief Executive, Andrew Swaffield, said: "Much hard work has been done by the UK and Egyptian Governments, along with the travel industry, to improve safety measures at Sharm El-Sheikh Airport and it is very disappointing that it remains closed. If and when the airport does reopen then we will assess whether we start flights and holidays again. Click here to view the latest travel offers, with Independent Holidays. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} More Alastair Campbell diaries, you say? And from so long ago? Yet they are endlessly fascinating even, I suspect, if you think the Blair government is ancient history. Indeed, Campbells personal story is as engrossing as the political one. The most moving parts of these diaries are his fathers death and his own struggle against depression. The book covers the time from when he left Downing Street after the Iraq war until the 2005 election, when he came back to work full-time on the Labour campaign. In between, he was half in and half out hence the title Outside, Inside still advising Tony Blair but technically not working for him. He is an unflinching and plain writer, and I mean plain as the highest praise. The reader never has to stop to re-read a sentence to try to work out its meaning. And he is an extraordinary diarist. The sheer volume of words is remarkable, coming from someone who was so often so absorbed in the total war of politics, and in so much other writing during the day. In this volume this produces a peculiar effect, because one of the big tasks on which he was engaged was transcribing and editing his diaries from the time he started working for Blair in 1994, so we have the diary of a diarist working on his diaries. He comments on how the same themes keep coming back from years before. Indeed, the reader notices that Neil Kinnock is always angry; everyone is always tired, or looks tired; immigration and asylum are always difficult, a premonition of the EU referendum more than a decade later (and the central European countries joined the EU only in 2004). Recommended Read more Andrew Adonis on the evolution of Blairism Above all, there is the endless groundhog problem of the relationship between Blair and Gordon Brown. It is on this subject that this book makes history. Campbells diaries are a unique document, as such a voluminous contemporary record from someone so close to the Prime Minister. Unlike Blairs own memoir, or the more recent one of Ed Balls, one of the chief players on the other side, Campbell provides testimony from the day things happened unedited by memory and hindsight. This time, there is a distance between Campbell and Blair because they are not in each others company every day. Which means that, just as the Blair-Brown drama reaches its crisis, there is a muffled quality to the story. Campbell didnt appear to know at the time about the dinner in November 2003 hosted by John Prescott, at which Blair promised to hand over to Brown the following year if the Chancellor were more supportive. Prescott didnt tell Campbell about it until January 2004. It wasnt until April that Blair himself admitted to Campbell that: the only way I was able to get him [Brown] to come into line last November tuition fees, foundation hospitals etc was to say that I wasnt sure whether I was going to stand next time. Campbell noted: He did that thing he does, to indicate he may have been devious, when he appears to raise both eyebrows, the left one slightly more than the right, and smile. By this point, Blair needed Campbell to help him to tell Brown that he had decided to stay on and fight the 2005 election after all on the grounds that Brown had failed to fulfil his side of the bargain, by diddling and obstructing Blairs policies. The rest we know: Brown was furious, saying to Blair in words that damagingly became public: There is nothing that you could say to me now that I could ever believe. Or, as Brown put it to Campbell: You can only take so many lies from someone. But then Campbell helped to persuade Brown to come out of his sulk to work with Blair one last time in the 2005 election campaign in return for the promise of keeping his job and for Blair endorsing him as his successor. What we didnt know, though, was how close Blair came again to sacking Brown in January 2005. At one point Prescott was signed up for the plan: Sack GB, then force a [Labour leadership] contest partial or full. Then election. But it dribbled away, and by the beginning of March Campbell wrote: It was pretty clear that no matter how often we discussed it, TB was not going to put him out, and so it was vital we brought him into the centre of the campaign. Another new disclosure is of Browns attempts to lure Campbell away from Blairs side. He praised Campbell inordinately, suggested he should become an MP, or a minister in the House of Lords. I despair for progressive politics and so do you, I am sure of it, Brown told Campbell at one meeting. At the next, at Browns home in Kirkcaldy, he said: We still have the right wing setting the terms of the debate, and that was one of the things we used to talk about changing when you were at the Mirror and I was writing for the Record. We have not shifted the country leftward when we had the chance. We raised tax for the NHS but we then wasted the opportunity the debate gave us I dont expect you to reply but I think you are disappointed too, that we havent reshaped things as we hoped. Campbell didnt reply but he didnt agree he felt things had changed: the Conservatives were now afraid of promising to cut public spending and were pretending to support the minimum wage. But he was tempted by opinion polls that suggested Labour would do better if Blair gave way to Brown before the election. He asked Blair if he should stand down. Blair was annoyed and said, I would honestly go if I thought it would help. But I dont, and Im not sure you do. Instead, Campbell persuaded Brown to sign up for a joint election campaign, a deal which carried Labour to its third successive victory. In his introduction Campbell writes that TB-GB is one of those political relationships historians, political students, writers and film-makers will look at for a long time to come. Should Blair have sacked him? Even having had a ringside seat, and with the benefit of hindsight, I still dont have a settled view. Some days I think he should have done. Other days I dont. But he rightly observes that in that relationship we can perhaps see the seeds of Labours current difficulties under Corbyn. Browns positioning of himself just to the left of Blair, constantly implying that Blair was untrue to Labour values, paved the way for his own failure, and then for the failures of his successors. But Blair let him do it. Outside, Inside: Diaries, Volume 5, 2003-05, Alastair Campbell (Biteback 25) Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} British troops are to be stationed in Estonia from May 2017, as part of a Nato plan to improve the defences of its front-line states. This is a small but essential step to discourage possible assertive moves by Russia. The geography of the Baltic means that being in place before a crisis is essential because after it begins is too late. Russia has been practising for years at blocking access to the region, and for Nato to fight its way through to protect its allies would be vastly harder than simply being present to start with. Local populations in the host countries are pleased to see Nato troops arrive as a concrete demonstration of commitment to their security. According to Estonias defence minister, British commitment to European security and collective defence feels stronger after Brexit. Russian warships move through English Channel under Royal Navy watch The international units also serve as a concrete indicator of the commitment to European security by Natos North American members. A change of government in Canada had led to questions over the depth of this commitment but Canadian leadership of the battalion to be stationed in Latvia has resolved these questions. But forward deployment also exposes UK and other Nato soldiers to a wide range of new threats and challenges. In the event of a conflict, they would face Russian forces re-equipped and re-trained based on operational experience in Ukraine and Syria. Russias exercises involving huge numbers of its troops have been accompanied by intensive practice for war in Syria. This includes using as many weapons systems there as possible in order to test them, even when they are not the most suitable or efficient for the job. For instance, sailing the carrier Admiral Kuznetsov to the eastern Mediterranean instead of using local airbase facilities. Many member states are now once again realising the importance of high-end fighting for territorial defence, following 20 years of running down their armed forces and focusing on expeditionary warfare. But as a first step towards Nato defending the front-line states, size is not the only thing that matters. Critically, a multinational presence in these states make it far more complicated for Russia to take any military action against them without immediately involving the rest of Nato. Although the redeployment of Nato troops most directly affects the host countries and Russia, other states in the region will feel the side effects. Sweden and Finland are continuing their long-running debate over whether they would be safer within Nato or remaining outside. But one key argument against greater Nato involvement in the region concern that new military deployments there could be provocative has receded in the face of Russia's intensive drive for mobilisation and militarisation. New Russian moves like the deployment of Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad, or the arrival in the Baltic of Russian corvettes with cruise missiles, mean that Sweden and Finlands desire to appear peaceful and unprovocative has been overtaken by reality. When Russia has already made threats of using nuclear weapons in the region, some in Sweden now feel that defensive preparations could hardly make the situation worse. Belarus, meanwhile, looks at both Russias and Natos military moves with alarm. Unlike Russia, whose claims of being encircled by Nato are based on fantasy, for Belarus this is already a fact: the landlocked country is already surrounded by military buildup and conflict on all sides. How Belarus will respond to this, and to Russian offers of protection from Nato, make for another worrying potential flashpoint in eastern Europe. Fears of Russian escalation in response are misplaced. Natos actions have been signalled so far in advance that Russia has had plenty of time to already massively out-escalate Nato, which in turn is now only beginning to catch up. What is important is putting in place counter-measures to the Russian military potential that already exists in the region, in order to reduce the number of options for assertive military action which are available to Russia. There is no shortage of scenarios and candidates for where Russia might next choose to exercise its growing military potential. But discussion of where and when this might happen often overlooks the fact that Russia is unlikely to initiate any direct confrontation just because. What is needed is both an opportunity for Russia to take action unchallenged, and some form of crisis that triggers this action. These new defensive measures by Nato, as and when they take place, will be an important step toward reducing Russias opportunities. In this way they make northern Europe a safer place. Charlie Flanagan expressed his concerns during a press conference with US secretary of state John Kerry The Foreign Minister has said he is very concerned and surprised about allegations that government officials in the Republic were poaching foreign investment from Northern Ireland. Stormont First Minister Arlene Foster levelled the claim at her Democratic Unionist Party conference on Saturday and also said concerns in Dublin about Brexit were driven by political instability. Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan said he rang the Northern Ireland Economy Minister and Ms Foster's party colleague Simon Hamilton to raise the accusation. "I'm very concerned at these remarks," he said. Mr Flanagan also said he was "very concerned at the claim that representatives of the Irish Government where allegedly talking down the Northern Ireland economy". He added: "I'm concerned that allegations of representatives of the Irish state were in any way poaching business." In her speech to the DUP faithful Ms Foster said relations with Dublin were as good as they ever had been but she warned ties with the EU were not as important as the benefits of being in the UK. Mr Flanagan addressed the row after holding talks with US secretary of state John Kerry as the key White House figure collected the Tipperary International Peace Prize for 2015. Mr Kerry warned about risks to the Northern Ireland peace process if there are changes to the border with the Republic on the back of Brexit. "People need to be really careful with downstream consequences, that one choice can have an impact on other aspects and whatever happens to the border, how that border access is managed," Mr Kerry said. "It's really critical that it be done very thoughtfully and very sensitively so that it does not have any impact." Mr Kerry declined to discuss the revived FBI investigation into emails linked to Hilary Clinton just days out from the US presidential election. He said he had not been notified of the new inquiry in advance and that he had not been asked for information. "As an American citizen and former nominee of the party, there is a lot I'd like to say about what is going on, but I can't and I am just going to remain out of this," he said. The US Secretary of State also raised the war in Syria and said he hoped peace talks could begin in the next few months. "I want to be very, very careful with any kind of prediction," he said. "But broadly put, is it possible? "Yes it's possible. Provided Russia and the Iranians and the regime itself are willing to accept a reasonable approach put on the table by all sides, by all the other parties, in the hopes of being able to move toward that political discourse. "We are not going to stop, not for one day, without any shame whatsoever in saying that." Mr Kerry said the alternative was bombs on kids, schools and hospitals. "We have a fundamental responsibility to try to push the process forward," he said. "My hope is that over the course of the next two or two-and-a-half months we might be able to find a way to get to the table and begin some kind of legitimate and long overdue conversation." Mr Kerry travels on to London for talks tomorrow on the situation in Libya. He also defended the war on Islamic State. "It isn't easy to say but I know I speak for my country when I say we don't wander the world in search of enemies," he said. "There are times when enemies come at us. "Peace is not sustainable I'm afraid so long as a group like Daesh (Islamic State) about which there is nothing to negotiate. "It is not a war between civilisations. It is a war by a nihilistic group against civilisation itself and so we have to stand up and never bow down to the doctrines of hate. "And so in Iraq and Syria today we have to continue this fight." On collecting the Tipperary award, Mr Kerry said: "I'm really incredibly touched, moved, very, very grateful." Previous winners include Nobel peace prize winners Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai, UN general secretary Ban Ki-moon, former president Mary McAleese and her husband Martin, and Bob Geldof. Five groups involved in the anti-war movement in Ireland - Galway Alliance Against War, the Irish Anti-War Movement, the Peace and Neutrality Alliance, Shannonwatch and Veterans for Peace - criticised the selection of Mr Kerry for a peace award. Mr Kerry said he was accepting the award on behalf of America, staff in the State department and White House "who labour for peace every single day". "And for all those desperate people for whom peace can be so often be so elusive and so passionately yearned for. They are ultimately our inspiration." Ardmore Studios has told potential buyers that earnings in the current year will take a hit due to the postponement of a 100m-plus movie production and filming for Penny Dreadful coming to an end. However, the Co Wicklow studios, owned by former U2 manager Paul McGuinness and accountant Ozzie Kilkenny, expect earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) to go from 1.4m this year to around 2.3m next year. This is as a result of new shows going into production and income from 47,000 sq ft of extra space. It is understood that an information memorandum prepared by IBI Corporate Finance has outlined how additional stage space could boost revenue and profits in the coming years. Potential investors could increase Ebitda by investing 5m in the expansion of its capacity. This would have the potential to bring in additional earnings of 1m a year. There are also plans to further develop Ardmore with the possibility of developing a tourist facility at the site being flagged, according to sources close to the process. The site's location in a prime area of Leinster is also highlighted with the potential for alternative uses raised. IBI believes that recent improvements to the section 481 tax breaks for the film industry will place Ardmore in a good position to attract international interest. Sources said that a multiple of 10 times Ebitda would be expected for an asset such as Ardmore, suggesting a price of 15m. However, with management expecting bigger profits next year, the sellers may be seeking a higher price. The company had been close to closure in 2012 but has turned its financial position around over the past three years under the management of Siun Ni Raghallaigh. She is a shareholder in Troy Studios, a newly-opened facility in Limerick. Ardmore has housed a number of major productions including The Tudors and Braveheart. Productions currently on site include The Professor and The Madman, and Into the Badlands, while in its statement the company said a "healthy number" of potential productions are in the pipeline. With the pound and the euro values coming closer to parity these days due to the threat of Brexit, there should be solid opportunity for southern farmers to get some bargains across the border in the North. As e1 equals 0.90, farm machinery, livestock equipment and animal feeds are much more attractive in the north and could save local farmers a lot of money. With southern registered vehicles filling the shopping centre car parks of border towns, Brexit, even though it hasn't happened yet, is sending shopping trends spiralling. But does Brexit, or the threat of it, have the same effect on farmers? The Farming Independent contacted a number of outlets in the North and asked if they were experiencing any increase in business from the south. Most reported that there was some increased activity but highlighted that it did not always mean any extra business. However, some companies are indeed enjoying new business from the south. One elephant in the room though, that did emerge, was that although there are plenty of customers from the Republic of Ireland expressing a wish to purchase, the stumbling block was credit. It appears that some banks based in the Republic of Ireland are reluctant to loan money for major purchases in the North but won't give any real reason for it. One Kerry farmer who wanted to buy a pickup in the North was told the risk of lending to purchase a machine in the North was too high as the future under Brexit was so uncertain. Seems very strange but overall, with farming returns as low as they are, there is a trend appearing that there isn't enough free capital on farms to make any major purchases in the North, even though the exchange rate is very attractive. Mackin's Animal Feeds, Newry, Co Down Mackin's Animal Feeds is a family business that has been in existence for over 30 years and is run by Peter Mackin. The business supplies animal feed to a number of livestock sectors and is based on the Dublin Road just outside Newry. Peter Mackin said: "We have always supplied customers in the south and have endured many currency fluctuations, even from the time the punt was in circulation. "But over the past two months and due to the weaker pound, we are experiencing more business from the south. "We have quite a few inquiries from farmers from as far away as Cork who are buying livestock drinkers and troughs, items that can be easily sent by courier. They are taking advantage of the weak pound and are prepared to pay the delivery fee on top, without hesitation. "We would deliver animal feed as far south as Drogheda which - due to the excellent road network - is easier for us to travel to than some areas closer to us in the North. "Brexit certainly has increased our business. We have been offering 90 pence to the euro and it is definitely boosting business for us. We also have enquiries from Kerry livestock equipment as well," he said. Nelson Alexander Tractors, Toomebridge, Co Antrim Alexander Tractors has been importing and exporting farm equipment and tractors since 1975. Today the business stocks around 150 quality used tractors and sells them all over the world. "We are seeing a bit more interest from farmers in the south enquiring about tractors and pickups but the end business is nothing like it should be given the currency rates," said James Alexander. "Historically, we have been dealing with customers in the south for a number of years but it hasn't changed that much since Brexit was announced. "We thought there would be more southern tractor customers coming this way. We do sell a lot of pickups into the southern market though, to customers who, even with the VAT and VRT are still saving money. About 75pc of our pickup sales are to customers in the south. "However, there may be a desire to make purchases but obtaining credit in the south seems to be an issue. We had one customer from Kerry who wanted to buy one of our used pickups but the bank would not lend him the money as the purchase was in the north. Tractors are selling to other destinations though. Last week we sold some New Holland tractors into Thailand and into Iraq via Turkey as demand there is picking up." NC Engineering, Hamiltonsbawn, Co Armagh NC Engineering manufactures a number of agricultural machinery products since 1976 including various trailers, slurry tankers and pumps, and telehandlers. Joint director Wilfred Carson said: "It's really strange as we haven't noticed any huge impact from the weaker pound as yet. The phones are ringing off the hook from people in the south but there isn't a noticeable increase in business being done since Brexit was announced. "We already sell good numbers of dump trailers, low loaders and some handlers to the south, but sales of slurry pumps would be slightly higher as they are more affordable. "For the past two years there has been huge problems for farmers in the south obtaining credit and it's no different today," he said. Sean McGivern, straw dealer, Annaclone, Co Down Sean McGivern has been dealing in straw for years and is always out on his lorry picking up loads and delivering. He normally receives around three calls per week from straw buyers in the Republic looking for bales but now he could receive three calls a day from southern customers. "Big bales of straw are in big demand but the normal trend is for farmers in the north buying it from the south. However, this year's yields are down and there just isn't the same tonnage of straw around. "In fact, come January or February there will be none for sale such is the short supply. "This is pushing up prices but it is in big demand. I had a call from Cork this week wanting 1,000 big bales of straw which is a tall order to fill." Trailers from NC Engineering in Co Armagh and (below) James Alexander of Nelson Alexander Tractors in Co Antrim. Both firms say credit has been an issue for farmers wanting to buy in the North. The new owner of the Clerys building is expected to submit proposals this week in response to a demand from Dublin City Council that it promote local employment both during and after the redevelopment of the historic department store. The Sunday Independent understands OCS Properties, which is headed up by businesswoman Deirdre Foley, will inform Dublin city planner Mary Conway that it intends to work with local groups and politicians to offer retraining to former Clerys workers who remain unemployed. The company is also expected to offer apprenticeships to youths living within Clerys' immediate environs. It is not anticipated that any commitment will be given to employ former Clerys workers at the redeveloped Clerys premises however, as those decisions will be solely within the gift of the building's new office and retail tenants. It is understood OCS Properties will provide employers taking space at the former department store with a list of the names of former Clerys employees for their consideration when hiring. OCS Properties is also expected in its submission to express its willingness to discuss its plans for the Clerys redevelopment with Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor. The offer is expected to be made in the context of the Taoiseach's commitment to a 10-year plan for the regeneration of Dublin's north inner-city area. The Irish Government does not normally involve itself in litigation battles in the United States. Nor does the US government normally seek to take part in litigation in Ireland. Yet, in the past two years, both of these things have happened in a way which shows how significant Ireland has become to the global internet. In 2014, the Government applied for permission to take part in a case brought by the US against Microsoft in New York that sought to force the firm to disclose customer data held in Dublin. The Government argued that it would be improper for a US court to make an order affecting data held in Dublin, and said US investigators should instead make a request to the Irish Department of Justice for access to the data under an existing treaty. This application reflected the importance of technology firms to the Irish economy - as well as the fears of those firms that European customers might abandon them if the US government can assert control over data held in Ireland. In June this year, the traffic was in the opposite direction, with the US government coming to the High Court in Dublin to seek permission to take part in litigation brought by the Data Protection Commissioner against Facebook. The Facebook litigation follows on from a case brought by Austrian lawyer Max Schrems challenging the transfer of personal data to the US. A central part of that case was the finding that US law provided almost no protection to European users against state surveillance. By taking part in the Facebook litigation, the US government sought the opportunity to claim before the Irish court that its law has been misrepresented. The US government made the argument that European concerns were addressed by reforms following the Snowden revelations, particularly by providing new remedies for "non-US persons". Commercial motives are again at the core - the profitability of Silicon Valley is threatened by rules that require data to be stored within Europe. Neither of these cases is yet concluded but between them they neatly encapsulate the challenges of applying principles of privacy and territoriality to a borderless internet which is largely run by multinational corporations. These cases also highlight how Ireland - quite by accident - has become a central, if reluctant, participant in the global debate on online privacy and surveillance. The data at stake goes far beyond Microsoft and Facebook: Ireland is home to headquarters of almost all the internet giants and Irish law affects the privacy of users worldwide. Our legal system has stepped up to this challenge to a limited extent. Prompted in large part by the Schrems case, the Government has given adequate resources to the Data Protection Commissioner following years of underfunding. Steps have been taken to adopt a national cybersecurity strategy and to establish a cybersecurity centre. A Cyber Crime Bureau has finally been established. Despite this, many fundamental areas of cybersecurity and privacy law are still neglected. Ireland signed the 2001 Convention on Cybercrime but there is no sign of legislation that would allow it to be ratified. And Ireland has failed to implement multiple EU laws on cybercrime, putting us in breach of our international duties. Irish law on the interception of communications has not been updated since 1993 - and proposals from the Department of Justice would extend this Act to the web without reform. If these proposals go ahead, the internet communications of millions of people would be exposed to surveillance based only on the signature of the Minister for Justice, with no judicial authorisation required and no effective oversight after the fact. The extent of user data based in Ireland makes Dublin an appropriate venue for the 2016 Info Sec conference. But it should prompt us to ask if Irish law is up to the job of protecting those users. Currently, the answer is no. The failure to update cybercrime law has left firms and users exposed and a failure to update surveillance laws means user data stored here does not have adequate protection against State surveillance. Reform is needed if Irish law is to be worthy of trust. TJ McIntyre is a lecturer in the UCD Sutherland School of Law, and is chair of Digital Rights Ireland For information: www.independent.ie/infosec2016 Tony ORiordan returns to New Ireland as cfo Some 25 long-serving employees at New Ireland Assurance have been made redundant in recent weeks, prompting concerns among staff that further cuts to the company's workforce may follow. New Ireland has announced several changes at management level over the past number of months. Interim managing director Mick Sweeney was appointed to the company at the beginning of this month and last week New Ireland announced a number of key appointments. Dave Roberts, previously the company's head of finance, is to take up a new role as commercial director. Tony O'Riordan will return to the firm as chief financial officer having spent over four years at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Dave Swanton, currently product director will lead a dedicated unit focused on pension products for SMEs. This follows the earlier announcement that Deirdre Flannery will move from her role as the internal auditor of Bank of Ireland to New Ireland's chief operations officer. Mr Flannery's appointment followed the imposition of a fine on New Ireland earlier this year by the Central Bank. The company was fined 650,000 in July for breaches of the Consumer Protection Code. The fine was imposed after regulators discovered New Ireland had provided incomplete information to consumers regarding New Ireland's investment products, including the performance of those products. The breaches occurred between July 1, 2012 and November 30, 2014. The Central Bank said the firm had accepted the breaches. The management reshuffle follows the resignation of Sean Casey as managing director in April. Non-executive director Rob Bowe also departed from his role on the board after nine years of service. Casey's resignation came as a shock to staff when it was announced in April,bringing to an end a 16-year career at the firm. New Ireland said it "does not comment on staffing matters". New Ireland Assurance provides life assurance, pension and investment solutions to individual and corporate customers. It has more than 500,000 policyholders and funds under management of over 15bn by the end of March 2016. The death of Gerald B Scanlan, known as Gerry, has gone largely unremarked outside his own family circle. Scanlan went from a counter clerk to chief executive and deputy chairman of Allied Irish Banks (AIB), and presided over the bank when it overtook Bank of Ireland to become the largest financial institution in the State. Unlike many of his predecessors, he was a Christian Brothers-educated boy at a time when the executive floor was populated by the products of private Catholic colleges. Scanlan started work as a teller in a busy branch in Dame Street, Dublin, at the age of 18. His first job was to rubber-stamp cheques. He did this with such enthusiasm that the rat-a-tat-tat of his stamping gained him the nickname Bongo. He worked his way up through the branch network to manager, before being elevated to the executive floor. He was there when the Munster & Leinster Bank merged with the Provincial Bank of Ireland and the Royal Bank of Ireland to become Allied Irish Banks. Scanlan was also a rising figure when the bank moved into its shiny new Bankcentre in Ballsbridge, Dublin, in 1977. He was directly involved in trying to recover 1.4m that Fianna Fail politician Charlie Haughey had racked up as an overdraft in the 1970s. Scanlan told the Moriarty Tribunal that Haughey was regarded in the bank as a key business influencer and was courted as a customer. However, Haughey refused to give back his chequebook when he was writing cheques to the value of 2,500 a week on a salary of 140. It was only when he became Taoiseach that a "dig-out" was organised by Haughey's accountant Des Traynor. Even then, a 350,000 debt of honour was never honoured. Scanlan told the Moriarty Tribunal it was a "dream relationship which turned into a banker's nightmare". He became chief executive of Allied Irish Banks in 1984 and within months had to deal with the first of several major crises to engulf the bank - the collapse of its insurance arm Insurance Corporation of Ireland. With unsustainable losses threatening to bring down the bank, Scanlan and his deputy Dermot Egan, after careful preparation, approached the government on the Friday of a bank holiday weekend. Shane Ross wrote in his book, The Bankers: How the Banks Brought Ireland to Its Knees: "Scanlan was the rough diamond of the pair - robust and brash." Then Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald and his minister for finance "blinked" and the government took over the liabilities of the Insurance Corporation of Ireland, in return for a levy imposed on all the banks. AIB then astonished its saviour weeks later by posting profits of 85.4m and paying a hefty dividend to shareholders, including Scanlan. Within a few years, AIB had overtaken its arch rival Bank of Ireland to become the country's biggest group. Scanlan was, along with AIB's then chairman Peter Sutherland, embroiled in the Dirt scandal in the early 1980s when the bank's internal auditor, Anthony Spollen, conducted an investigation which revealed that the bank had 600m bogus non-resident accounts on its book. This time it was Revenue Commissioners which blinked - and AIB assumed it had an amnesty if it promised to crack down on such illegal accounts in its branch network. Following an investigation by the Sunday Independent, and a report by the Comptroller & Auditor General, the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts conducted public hearings in 1999 that led to testy exchanges between Scanlan and Spollen. Scanlan told Sean Doherty TD over Spollen's calculations: "It is a back-of-beyond calculation and not one on which I, as chief executive, would form a value judgement." He added that in the corporate battle that followed "it was his job or mine". Spollen left the bank with a settlement but told the committee that he was in no way the "troublemaker" portrayed by Scanlan. Scanlan lived in Glenageary, Co Dublin, and never gave interviews. He kept a low profile and stayed away from the social scene. His main interest outside his family and work was horse racing. When he retired from the bank in the early 1990s, aged 60, he became senior steward of the Turf Club, the governing body for racing. Scanlan also became the first chairman of the newly independent Irish Stock Exchange, and was appointed to the boards of a number of public companies, including the fruit importer Fyffes. He died in Dublin aged 82 after a long illness. His funeral took place prior to his death being made public. He is survived by his wife, Nora, and their three children. We are doing everything we can to make sure the money we are spending is being spent in the right ways, says RTE boss Dee Forbes RTE has restructured its commercial division, consolidating its television, radio and digital sales into a single team as it faces up to significant losses for the current year. Dee Forbes, the new director-general of RTE, said that the organisation has created One RTE, a new merged commericial division, in response to demands from advertisers. Until recent days, RTE's television, radio and digital commercial divisions had operated separately. "I think the power of One RTE is really strong," Forbes told the Sunday Independent. "We are doing it in the commercial area because it makes sense for the advertisers and the agencies." Forbes said that 2016 was "without a doubt" proving more difficult than had been anticipated, due in large part to the impact of Brexit on London advertisers. "We were always going to have a deficit due to 1916, the Olympics and so on and that has been added to by the commercial pressures. "I think the commercial area is going to continue to be volatile given that the UK will trigger article 50 in March." She said costs across the organisation are under scrutiny. "Every manager here is being very prudent around the cost base. We are doing everything we can to make sure the money we are spending is being spent in the right ways," said Forbes. In her first interview since taking over the role in August, Forbes said that, like other media organisations, RTE would have to "re-engineer and re-think the shape of the organisation and delivery of output". RTE would be a very different organisation in five years' time, she added. "We do need to adapt and really get the organisation ready for this world we are now in. "What the financials look like? All to be determined. But it's got to be a national broadcaster that is equipped to face the future. I do think it is a big job ahead to figure it all out." Forbes is also focusing on content and scheduling across RTE television and radio. "We have to put the audience at the centre of everything we do. An early observation for me that RTE is so strong on current affairs, and it needs to be and should be, that I think to the general public they see us only through that lens. "Our remit at RTE is very wide. We have to cover everything from culture to arts and life in general, we are a reflection on modern Ireland "That is something we are looking at, how can we engage audiences more on those areas." Dee Forbes has made some very noticeable changes to the director-general's office in RTE. In place of the old school, brown wooden desk, she has opted for a standing desk. It's the type of office furniture more commonly seen in the trendy tech firms around Dublin's Silicon Docks. But Forbes clearly likes to be on her feet. Just three months in the job, she has spent much of her time getting to know RTE first-hand. "It's important I get a sense of it for myself," she says. "I really believe in knowing the temperature in an organisation. It doesn't matter how many good people you have around you, I personally want to feel that for myself." The former head of Discovery Networks in Northern Europe came from left-field when her appointment was announced last summer. A highly-regarded television executive, there had been little to suggest she would be lured back to Ireland. However, she has long been intrigued by RTE, despite working in London for 26 years. For Forbes, the DG job was an exciting and challenging opportunity at a time of immense change. "I came into a strong RTE - strong output and very good people - but also an RTE that is part of this media world where, quite honestly, we are all trying to grapple with what the future might look like," says Forbes, who is wearing one of her signature monochrome outfits. "That for me felt like quite a meaty challenge and one I feel quite privileged to do." The challenge may be greater than she originally anticipated. Despite getting 180m in licence fee income annually (a sum other media groups look upon with envy) and significant commercial revenues, the organisation is under pressure. RTE was always going to lose money in 2016 due to the high cost of events such as the Olympics and the 1916 Rising commemorations. It became apparent in the early part of the year that advertising would be weaker than expected but the effect of Brexit has also had a significant impact on advertising in recent months. "A lot of the big advertisers have cut back out of London or stopped it completely," says Forbes. She says that local market is OK, but adds that the organisation "is heavily dependent on London - it's a large chunk of advertising". "It's having a wider impact than I think people foresaw," she says. Some ad agencies say spending on TV will be down by between 15pc to 20pc in the later months of this year, but Forbes thinks it's too early to say. "Because we are still in critical times. November and December are critical months." However, the year has "without a doubt" been more difficult than had been anticipated. "We will have a deficit this year. We were always going to have a deficit due to 1916, the Olympics, etc - and that has been added to by the commercial pressures." She doesn't see the commercial environment changing next year. "The commercial area is going to continue to be volatile, given that the UK will trigger Article 50 in March." RTE is also unhappy with public funding via the licence fee. A long hoped-for broadcasting charge has been shelved. Forbes says she was encouraged by plans by Minister Denis Naughten to tackle licence-fee evasion. "Not only is it not good that this money is not being collected, it's not good for the wider creative industry." A crackdown on evasion may bring in several million euro in extra revenue, but the financial picture will remain difficult - as Forbes knows all too well. "The world of media and broadcasting is changing and what we have to do, and every media organisation has to do, is look at where they are right now and re-engineer and rethink the shape of the organisation and delivery of output. "For a period I need to delve into what does RTE look like in five years' time and what do we need to do to ensure that the national broadcaster is strong and is vibrant and is that creative cultural beacon for national Ireland." "I'm three months in and have a lot to figure out still, but that is where we have to get to." Five years ago, Forbes would not have considered moving back to Ireland, although she always kept close ties to her native Cork. From Drimoleague, she attended school locally in Clonakilty as a boarder and went to UCD where she did a BA in history and politics. She immersed herself in college life and was auditor of the politics society. "It was really in my time in UCD that I began to get a love for the world of the media and advertising. And I was very involved, as you are, in college societies, in having to raise money for some production or ball or whatever. I had to regularly go and talk to whatever bank or drinks company to sponsor various things." After college, she spent a few weeks in a Dublin agency before going to London, where she landed a media planning and buying role in Young and Rubicam. Her job was to plan and buy the ads slots for campaigns across Europe for large clients such as AT&T, Johnson & Johnson and Colgate. Forbes was specialising in the European media scene but realised she needed to better understand the British TV buying system, which is notoriously complex. Instead of going into an agency, she joined Turner Broadcasting, the company behind CNN and the Cartoon Network, as a sales executive, building awareness of cable and satellite TV stations. She went on to spend "an amazing 14 years" at the company. She greatly admires Ted Turner, the American media mogul behind Turner Broadcasting. "Hugely entrepreneurial, hugely inspirational, he literally ran a trail through Europe," she says. Forbes went on to head up the UK division of the group before joining Discovery, where she spent six years. It was a period of great expansion for Discovery and great change in media. During her time there, it acquired Eurosport, successfully bidding for the rights to the Olympics. Although based in London, she bought a house in Glandore, Cork 16 years ago. Her family are in Cork and her partner also lives in West Cork, so commuting was part of her life. In recent years she joined the board of the Irish Times (which she has now left), the commercial board of Munster Rugby and a digital hub project for Skibbereen. "It all began a renewed love affair with Ireland but from a business context." Forbes had asked herself, what would she do if she came home. "I had said to myself a few times if I ever come back it had got to be to run RTE, but always in the future. And then it happened." Forbes says she came to the job with the knowledge that media is in a challenging place at the moment. But she adds that changes in media and audience demands means that she "also really saw the opportunity and next chapter of RTE". Forbes says that the first few months have been a learning experience. "My first few weeks I was out and about constantly, trying to find my way around firstly," she quips, a reference to the sprawling nature of the campus. This will of course change as the site is repackaged for sale, with a reconfigured RTE planned for a smaller portion of the land. It will raise up to 50m, most of which will be used for capital investment, particularly in technology. A self-confessed media junkie, some RTE insiders see Forbes as a commercial animal. There was concern in some quarters that she would not be as strong on the content side of the organisation. Forbes dismisses this suggestion, referencing her role in leading content at other organisations. "I don't think you can be in a management position in any media company without having an appreciation of content." Indeed, scheduling and content are getting her attention at present and she has very strong views around RTE's output. "I'm really getting under the skin of the shows, the broadcasts, how we're doing things, what's good and not so good. "There are many facets to the organisation and it is important that, as editor-in-chief, I am as close as possible particularly to the news and current affairs side. I think it is my role to question, to interrogate, to make sure we are asking the right questions and make sure we are delivering that impartial coverage." She says that RTE's current output is already yielding good results, with RTE One and RTE Two delivering 5pc increases in audiences this year. The 1916 programming and a strong, albeit expensive, summer of sport helped. "Likewise, radio is in a great place." But she would like to see a greater emphasis on cultural output. "We're so strong and there is a very strong connection through news and current affairs, that I would like the connection to be as strong in the cultural aspects." She says she is looking at those areas to see if they could be addressed through more drama, the arts and music. Drama is expensive, however, and while many in the organisation would love to produce more indigenous programming, the funding has always been a barrier. Forbes believes that co-funding programming is key to the future. She points to The Fall, which is co-produced with the BBC, as an example. "Attitudes have changed. There may have been a time where RTE would go it alone for everything. The reality means that that doesn't happen any more. It can't happen." She says that new funding models have to be considered. "That is something we are exploring and is reaping some great rewards already." "Yes there are financial challenges at the moment and yes we do have to look at things a little bit differently but, ultimately, we have a remit to serve the nation." She believes technology will have an important role in doing things more efficiently. Forbes predecessor Noel Curran had indicated that if further financial difficulties faced RTE, the organisation would have little choice but to consider cutting back on services. Outsiders would see loss-making 2fm as a candidate for disposal, given that its targets a well-served audience. Others would question RTE's need for two orchestras. Forbes says it is too early to make any calls on services. "I think our services are strong and for me its about the piece around how we are delivering them at this point and then more to come. "It's too soon to say we're going to cut services, we're not going there because it is very much exploratory for now." Staff have already been warned that cost-cutting may be coming down the tracks. "We are managing cost incredibly tightly," she says. "We are being responsible because the world is changing around us. Every manager here is being very prudent. We are doing everything we can to make sure the money we are spending is being spent in the right ways. Everyone is aware it is a challenging time," she says. "The fact that we are looking at how we can do things differently and if they can be done more efficiently is the right thing to do." It may be early days for Forbes but she is clearly mulling over some significant changes for RTE. Does this mean RTE may be a smaller organisation in the future, in line with smaller revenues? "It's fair to say RTE will be a different organisation but in what respects?," she says. "Still to be determined." 'I love spending time in West Cork...' The last book I read... Churchill and Ireland by Paul Bew The best career advice I ever got... When in a room meeting new people, make sure you walk away with at least two dates in the diary for coffee that could enhance your business My favourite TV show is.... The Fall with Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan On my time off I like to... Spend time with family and friends in beautiful West Cork You could still be paying over the odds for your electricity or gas, however, if you haven't taken a few simple steps. Here's how to slash your energy bills by 700 over the next year. Another energy price war could be about to erupt, after Flogas became the latest supplier to announce a price cut. Flogas will reduce its gas prices for all customers by 3pc from the start of December. This comes after a series of price cuts from most of the big energy players. You could still be paying over the odds for your electricity or gas, however, if you haven't taken a few simple steps. Here's how to slash your energy bills by 700 over the next year. Switch: Save 450 You could save 450 or more a year on your electricity and gas by switching to a cheaper supplier. Should you have been with the same provider for two or more years (or even as little as a year), you may be able to get a better deal elsewhere. Electricity discounts of as much as 32pc are up for grabs - while gas discounts of up to 20pc are available. It is new customers who get the best deals, so be prepared to move if you've been with the same company for between one and three years - or more. (Flogas is the exception as it will renew a discount for you when your original contract expires - as long as you enter a new contract). The best discounts are offered to new customers who pay their bills by direct debit, receive their bills online and who sign a contract for at least a year - so be ready to do all these things. You may also have to sign up to a Budget plan, where the cost of your energy is evenly spread out throughout the year. You may secure a better discount through a price-comparison website such as Bonkers.ie or Switcher.ie than by going direct to an energy company. For example, one of the best electricity offers is the 32pc discount from Energia - but this is only available on Bonkers.ie and Switcher.ie. With this offer - Energia's Clever Electricity plan - your electricity bill for the year would come to 919.30, according to Bonkers.ie. That's assuming you're an urban customer who uses the same amount of electricity a year as the average household (5,300 units). You could easily pay 250 more a year for your electricity with another supplier that offers a lower (or zero) discount. Should you not go through Bonkers.ie or Switcher.ie for Energia's Clever Electricity plan, you'll pay 131 more a year for your electricity because the discount is lower if you go to Energia directly, at 19pc. Similarly, you can get a 25pc electricity discount with SSE Airtricity - but only if you go through Bonkers.ie or Switcher.ie. Electric Ireland offers the cheapest gas deal (with its 5pc or 5.5pc discount and 150 cashback offer), followed by Flogas (with its 20pc discount), assuming your gas usage is about average. Your gas bills could be as much as 200 more expensive a year elsewhere. Remember you will usually only get the value of a cashback deal for one year - so move elsewhere once the year is up. Most suppliers offer discounts to existing customers - but these discounts are usually a fraction of the ones available to new customers. "You will almost certainly get a retention deal from your supplier if your account is in good standing - but the deal is never usually as good as the one you'll get as a new customer," says Simon Moynihan, co-founder of Bonkers.ie. Insulate your walls: Save 185 "In a typical home, most of the heat is lost through the walls, so improving the insulation on the walls will save you money on your energy bills," says Eoin Clarke, managing director of Switcher.ie. You will face upfront costs to insulate your home of course. The insulation bill could be anything from 700 to 20,000, depending on the type of walls. "Insulation can be pumped into cavity walls relatively easily," says Clarke. It is this cavity-wall insulation that could cost between 700 and 1,000. "However, if you have solid walls (common in older homes), you'll need internal or external insulation, which is more expensive," says Clarke. "Internal insulation on an average-sized home will cost from 7,000, while external insulation could cost up to 20,000 and may require planning permission." You'll save between 15pc and 20pc on your heating bills with wall insulation, according to Clarke. This could put between 139 and 185 a year back into your pocket - assuming you have an average gas bill of 924. So the savings you make should eventually pay for the cost of the insulation - as long as the insulation bill hasn't run into the tens of thousands. Get a Nightsaver meter: Save 30 Although electricity costs half as much during the night with a Nightsaver meter as it does during the day, the savings with such a meter aren't as phenomenal as you might expect. You pay a higher standing charge for a Nightsaver meter than a standard meter - and this will eat into any savings you make on electricity consumption charges. The standing charge on a Nightsaver meter could be 50 more a year than a standard meter. Furthermore, you're typically charged more for the electricity you use during the day with a Nightsaver meter than a standard meter. You could still save 30 a year on your electricity by switching to a Nightsaver meter though should your family's electricity usage be about average - but the savings could be much smaller if you're living in the country. Let's say that you use the same amount of electricity a year as the average household. You get a Nightsaver meter and switch 30pc of your electricity consumption to the night. Should you be an electricity customer of Bord Gais Energy who is being charged for electricity at the standard rate, you'll save 31 a year with Nightsaver if you live in the city - but you'll only save 10 a year if you're a rural customer. Should you be an electricity customer of SSE Airtricity who qualifies for the company's 20pc electricity discount, you'd save about 27 a year with a Nightsaver meter if you live in the city - and about 24 if you live in the country. The savings will be higher if you use more electricity than the average household - or if you move more than 30pc of your electricity consumption to the night. Be realistic, however, about how much of your electricity usage you can switch to the night. "If you can move at least 30pc of your electricity consumption to the night, you'll save money with a Nightsaver meter," says Moynihan. "It's now much easier to run appliances overnight as most modern appliances have built-in timers." To hit your 30pc target, heat your hot water and run your washing machines, dryers and dishwashers overnight, says Moynihan. It's free to move from a standard meter to a Nightsaver meter, but should you decide to move back to a standard meter, you will be charged for doing so. So before switching to Nightsaver, do the sums and check if you'll make any meaningful savings by doing so. Move to the city: Save up to 54 Rural dwellers pay as much as 54 more a year in electricity standing charges than their urban counterparts. Those with Nightsaver meters are penalised most. Energia has a standing charge of 251.88 for rural customers with a Nightsaver meter - 54 more than the 198 charge paid by their urban cousins. Electric Ireland's standing charge is 197.61 for city dwellers with a Nightsaver meter, but rural dwellers pay 248.61 - 51 more. Electric Ireland charges its rural customers 46.50 more a year in standing charges for a standard electricity meter than it does its urban customers, while Energia charges its rural customers 43 a year more. Bord Gais charges its rural customers 38 more for a standard meter and 47 more for a Nightsaver meter. As well as having higher standing charges for rural customers, Bord Gais charges such customers more for a unit of electricity than it does its urban customers. Bord Gais is the only major electricity supplier (that is, of Electric Ireland, Bord Gais, SSE Airtricity and Energia) to do so. Suppliers argue that rural standing charges are higher because it costs more to supply electricity to properties further from the network. That's small comfort to anyone in the countryside struggling to chop their bills. The Fair Deal scheme and a property tax that is not high enough on empty homes are among the reasons why there are so many vacant houses in Ireland. Trinity assistant professor in economics Ronan Lyons said these were among a number of trends now affecting the property market, and particularly the problem of vacant homes. But he suggested that resolving such issues would not necessarily provide a "silver-bullet'' solution to the many vagaries affecting housing supply in Ireland. "The solution to Ireland's vacant homes is not one silver bullet, but rather a host of smaller measures - ones that should only be taken when we have a full assessment of what is vacant and why,'' he added. Under the Fair Deal arrangements, people who move into a nursing home have the majority of their disposable income taken to cover the cost of their care. But Prof Lyons said this meant that they and their next-of-kin had no financial incentive to rent out their former home. There are an estimated 25,000 people in nursing home care and a large number of those are covered by the Fair Deal scheme. This 'catch-22' scenario may inadvertently be contributing to the high number of vacant family houses dotted around Ireland. Prof Lyons said another factor contributing to the number of vacant homes in many locations was the lack of a more comprehensive property tax. In most other developed countries, this tax means there is a reduced incentive to retain an empty house indefinitely. One of the reasons people hang on to such properties could be the hope of making a capital gain by way of a sale in the longer term. Prof Lyons suggested that a further complication in the Irish property market was the legal and conveyancing system. In Ireland, the typical amount of time taken to finalise a sale is around twice that in England. There can be further, extensive delays if there are any issues around title and ownership. The process can be complicated if probate is involved - as is the case when there is an executor's sale. Meanwhile, under-staffing in the Dublin Probate Office means that many homes are lying vacant for longer periods than necessary. Prof Lyons said this year's Census revealed that there were almost 260,000 homes vacant around the country - representing almost 15pc of the total housing stock. In rural areas, an average of one in five properties is vacant, while in the rural parts of some counties, such as Kerry and Limerick, the figure is almost one in three. But even in towns and cities, more than 10pc of homes are vacant, with the figure smallest in and around Dublin. "Given the acute shortage of housing that has emerged over the past five years, it is surprising that roughly 15pc of urban homes in Waterford, Carlow and Galway lie empty," Prof Lyons added. A chain of Irish-owned ice cream stores has secured 75,000 in funding from an online lender, in what is thought to be Ireland's largest peer-to-peer (P2P) loan ever. The funds were raised through online lending platform Linked Finance in less than 48 hours and will be used to help finance the fit-out of a new shop and show factory in Dingle. Founded in Kerry in 2000, Murphy's Ice Cream has since expanded to four stores - in Dingle, Killarney, Dublin, and at the Cliffs of Moher. In May, the firm began exporting its Dingle-produced ice cream to Majorca. Linked Finance has raised over 2.5m for more than 80 Irish firms since launching its fixed rate loan product in August. The online platform aims to lend more than 350m to SMEs by the end of 2019. (Xinhua) 09:23, October 30, 2016 VIENNA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- OPEC discussed with non-OPEC producers on Saturday in Vienna over a potential crude output cut. Six non-OPEC countries attended the meeting with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC) here. However, the talk yielded little information about the promise of oil output. OPEC failed to reach an agreement over an output ceiling in the past serval meetings in Vienna, while the oil price was at a low level. The group said in a press statement after the talk that the meeting was constructive, but no information is implying an output cut accord has been reached. The ministers of OPEC are set to meet by the end of November, trying to reach an agreement on curbing the group's output. There was good news last week for environmentally conscious, fashion-forward motorists with confirmation that billionaire maverick Elon Musk is bringing his Tesla electric car to Ireland. The futuristic - and eye-wateringly expensive - vehicles will go on sale in 2017, with special "supercharging" stations rolled out at strategic locations (it is estimated the entry-level Model S coupe will retail at upwards of 60,000). The announcement comes at a high-stakes moment for Musk, who has been hailed as Silicon Valley's answer to superhero Tony Stark - aka Iron Man. While Musk doesn't fly through the air in a rocket-powered suit - not to our knowledge, anyway - he has pushed at the limits of human endeavour, with plans for affordable private-sector space transport and, eventually, a colony on Mars. But on terra firma the outlook is less positive as his project to place a solar roof on every home in America encounters delays and the German government clashes with Tesla over the company's use of "autopilot" to describe its advanced cruise-control technology (an investigation is underway in Florida into the death of a motorist driving with the Tesla autopilot engaged). Far from buckling under the pressure, however, 45-year-old Musk appears to enjoy a multitude of challenges. An over-achiever since adolescence, he does not seem to fear the white heat of the spotlight. If anything, those who know him suspect he rather enjoys it. As is often true of larger-than-life moguls, Musk also has a colourful personal life, having twice married and separated from Talulah Riley, an actress 14 years his junior whom he met months after divorcing his first wife Justine, mother of his five children. "Elon's central relationship is with his work," Justine said in an interview after their split. On their wedding night, she claims he told her "I'm the alpha in this relationship" She added that: "No matter how many highlights I got, Elon pushed me to be blonder. 'Go platinum,' he kept saying, and I kept refusing." After one row, he is said to have informed her: "If you were my employee, I would fire you." Tragedy struck early in their marriage when their first child, Nevada, died at 10 weeks. "He was very much in the mode of stiff-upper-lip, the-show-must-go-on, let's-get-it-over-with," Justine later said. "He doesn't do well in the dark places." Following IVF, they went on to have triplets and twins. An incident-packed private life has done little to detract from his cult status in tech circles, where he is regarded as a crusading genius in the tradition of late Apple supremo Steve Jobs. Musk certainly talks big, speculating reality is in all likelihood a Matrix-style simulation and telling American talk show host Stephen Colbert that the quickest way to render Mars fit for human habitation was to nuke its polar regions - a scenario straight from a Marvel comic book. Thus, even by the messianic standards of Silicon Valley tech evangelists, Musk enjoys thinking large and making bold claims. "You basically have superpowers with your computer and your phone," is merely one among many extravagant pronouncements. "You have more power than the president had 20 years ago." "He wants to put people on Mars, he wants electric cars, he wants solar roofs on every house in America," says John Kennedy, editor of Irish tech site Silicon Republic. "He is seen as a Tony Stark type. If you ask any men involved in a start-up who their hero is, they'll say Elon Musk or Steve Jobs." Yet, like Jobs, Musk is more cheerleader than tech savant. He didn't design the Tesla or the experimental rockets with which he hopes to slash the cost of space commerce. Rather, he is an ambassador for these ideas, both to the public but, equally importantly, to the investment community. "He isn't inventing any of this stuff. He isn't the guy who created the lightbulb, he won't go down as an inventor. He is very good at sweet-talking investors. He will go down as the guy who persuaded investors to open the wallets." As with Jobs, adopted and raised in a blue-collar neighbourhood, he is also a quintessential outsider. Musk grew up in Pretoria, moving to Canada aged 17. He was 21 before he finally fulfilled his lifelong ambition of living in the United States, though he dropped out of prestigious Stanford University (the campus where Google was born) after just a few days to establish his first start-up. Working with his brother - they would sleep in the office and shower at the local community centre - he established a media platform called Zip2, which was sold to hardware manufacturer Compaq for $300m. Musk sank his proceeds into an obscure online payment company called PayPal - netting $160m when it was bought by eBay. However, his constant desire to push forward has placed him in occasionally precarious financial positions, too. At the Web Summit in Dublin in 2013, he confessed to having come close to ruination as the 2008 economic crash threatened to drag Tesla under. "Personal bankruptcy was a daily conversation," his brother Kimbal would comment. "He threw everything he had into keeping Tesla alive." The choppy waters quickly receded and Tesla is today valued at $25bn, with Musk himself said to be worth around $8bn. Nonetheless, in the fast-moving tech industry few things are enduring - fame and popularity least of all. "He's at a dangerous point in his career," says Kennedy. "Germany has sought to ban him from using the term autopilot for the Tesla. He's not without chinks in his armour. That said, he's still quite young. He's achieved more in a relatively short span than most people in their entire lives." Germany's finance minister has proposed shifting some of the task of enforcing Eurozone budget rules away from the European Commission, which has repeatedly given way to governments' pleas to be allowed to break fiscal limits. Wolfgang Schaeuble said the commission's "political" nature made it difficult to impose compliance on governments - and that the job of enforcement should be instead partly handed to the European Stability Mechanism, the Eurozone bailout fund. Germany, and especially Schaeuble himself, have shown long-term frustration with the commission's leniency towards France, which has been in breach of the rules for years, as well as Spain, Italy and Portugal. The EU body has repeatedly backed away from imposing tough sanctions on governments. "Normally, implementation is the job of the European Commission. The current Commission has chosen to be more political and it has every right to do so," Schaeuble told a conference in Bratislava. "But this makes it more difficult to impose compliance," he said. "Perhaps the European Stability Mechanism could play a role in partial compliance in those cases where the Commission can't." EU Economic and Financial Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici, sitting on the same panel, disputed Schaeuble's idea. He said the commission had a democratic mandate, given its relation to the European governments and the European Parliament, delivered results and took its decisions in accordance with existing rules. "I think this should still be in the commission," Moscovici said. "I think we are getting better equipped with the fact that we will have a European fiscal board which will advise us and that will be established by next week." EU countries are supposed to keep budget deficits below 3pc of gross domestic product and limit debt to 60pc of GDP. Moscovici said the Commission had been effective in reducing average budget gaps across the Eurozone in recent years. It was also better placed to be flexible in dealing with the specific circumstances of individual countries than a purely technical body like the ESM, he said. "It's clear we need to take into account some circumstances, structural reforms, investment, natural phenomena, earthquakes, fight against terrorism, all the work, and integration of refugees," Moscovici said. "This explains why the EU fiscal rules pact is no more a rigid, stupid, pro-cyclical tool. It has become much more subtle and intelligent - but I think we always need flexibility." Reuters Is Ireland's 12.5pc tax rate under siege? Tough new international rules from the EU and the OECD, along with political changes in the US and the UK, are threatening to gut the low-tax regime, on which a quarter of all private-sector jobs in this country depend. On Tuesday, the EU Commission rolled out a revised version of its Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base proposals. The new CCCTB will, if adopted, result in simpler corporate tax rules in Europe, while at the same time cutting down on tax avoidance by multinationals, according to EU Taxation Commissioner Pierre Moscovici. With the new CCCTB, the Commission aims to do two things. Firstly, it seeks to create a common European tax base. This is basically an agreed common set of rules as to how companies in each of the 28 EU member countries calculate their taxes, which expenses are tax-deductible and which are not. Secondly, the Commission hopes that the CCCTB will lead to the consolidation of European corporate taxes with companies' taxes being apportioned to different countries by a pre-agreed formula, which would take their sales, tangible assets and workforce in each country into account. This would be achieved by all companies, starting with those whose annual sales exceed 750m, filing one EU tax return, which would be available to the tax authorities of every EU member country. This would be reinforced by the mandatory sharing of tax rulings between member countries. Coming less than three months after its ruling in the Apple case, where the Commission decided that the tech giant had under-paid its Irish taxes by up to 13bn and that two tax rulings by the Revenue Commissioners amounted to illegal state aid, one wouldn't have to be completely paranoid to wonder if the EU was targeting Ireland's 12.5pc corporate tax regime. That's not how they see things in Brussels. Commission sources point to other developments such as last year's base erosion and profit-shifting (BEPS) rules from the OECD and the recent Lux Leaks and Panama Papers, as evidence that there is now a momentum behind the CCCTB proposals. They also point out that setting corporate tax rates remains the responsibility of member countries. "CCCTB has nothing to do with rates. It is a sovereign right to set rates. It is not within our competence." While Commission sources may stress that the CCCTB has nothing to do with tax rates, others see things differently. "If both parts of the CCCTB [the common tax base and consolidation] go through then it will be a very large revenue grab by the large countries. That can only be to the detriment of Ireland", says Joe Tynan, head of tax at accountants PWC. He is sceptical of the distinction being drawn between these two parts arguing that, if we agree to the first [a common tax base] it is difficult to disagree with the second [consolidation]. "A common tax base forces countries to give up sovereignty. It means that there can be no competition using fiscal policies for investment. For a country that depends as much on foreign direct investment as Ireland that would not be a good thing". If Tynan is correct then our 12.5pc tax rate is under pressure. CCCTB follows up on the October 2015 BEPS rules from the OECD. The BEPS rules oblige multinationals to file a tax return with every country in which they operate. They also cracked down on transfer pricing, where companies maximise profits in low-tax countries such as Ireland and minimise them in high-tax countries such as the United States (which has a 35pc corporate tax rate) or France (34pc). However, it isn't only moves against multinational tax avoidance by organisations such as the EU or the OECD that should have us in this country worried. There is also clear evidence that the climate of opinion has changed. Both of the major party candidates in next month's US presidential election have promised to crack down on multinational tax avoidance. Meanwhile, the UK has reportedly threatened to halve its corporate tax rate to 10pc if it doesn't get the Brexit deal it wants from the EU. Not only would this be significantly lower than the Irish rate but a post-Brexit UK could also ignore the EU's state aid and CCCTB rules. This is a clear and present danger to Ireland. There are almost 175,000 people directly employed by IDA-supported companies with as many more working in supplier companies. That's 350,000 jobs, almost a quarter of all private sector employment. The good news is that all EU member counties must agree to tax decisions. While the Commission is optimistic about the securing agreement on a common tax base, even it accepts that getting a deal on tax consolidation will be far more difficult. And Ireland won't be the only with objections. We have been here before. In 2011 the last version of the CCCTB ran into the sands with some of the large car-exporting countries realised that they would be among the losers. We in this country must hope that history repeats itself. Halloween is almost upon us, and the Irish Film Institute's annual Horrorthon is in full swing. Every year the IFI's festival of creepiness showcases some of the best and most innovative horror films from around the world, and this year is no exception. The event opened on Thursday with a very fine Korean horror film called Train to Busan in which a father's trip south with his daughter coincides with the outbreak of a zombie plague. It's a lot of fun, and is also getting a cinematic release. Other highlights over the next three days include: The Chamber, Ben Parker's claustrophobic thriller about the crew of a submersible that get trapped underwater; The Autopsy of Jane Doe, a brooding horror from Andre Ovredal starring Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch as father and son coroners who get more than they bargained for when they take charge of a beautiful young 'Jane Doe'; Egomaniac, Kate Shenton's witty comic chiller charting a histrionic film-maker's attempts to finish a zombie film; and Headshot, a well-regarded Indonesian gore-fest. The psychological need for horror films and scary stories runs deep, and there's something very satisfying, even cathartic, about being scared witless in the comparative safety of a cinema. But horror tends to divide audiences as no other genre does, and can mean very different things to different people. There are those, for instance, who love gore and can even find blood-letting humorous: then there are others, myself included I'm afraid, who are on the squeamish side. All of which must inform my choice of the best horror films ever, and some will no doubt be disappointed that such genuine classics as Tobe Hooper's Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Sam Raimi's Evil Dead are not included in my list. But the horror films I like are the ones that use visual style and brooding atmosphere to create a tension worse than anything that actually happens. These are my personal favourites, and while some of them are very old, all are fine examples of the way in which great horror films can use sight and sound to tap into our deepest fears. The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920) This stylised study in madness made a virtue of its small budget and used theatrical sets and outlandish acting to create a grandly sinister tone. The town of Holstenwall is plagued by a series of grisly murders, and a young man called Francis becomes obsessed with finding out who's behind them. He meets the fairground performer Dr Caligari, who works with a somnambulist by the name of Cesare who can tell the future and predict the exact moment of your death. When his best friend is murdered, Francis begins to suspect Caligari and his stooge, but there are plenty of surprises at the end of Robert Wiene's boldly original film. Vampyr (1932) Expand Close Vampyr (1932) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Vampyr (1932) There's something mesmerising about the dreamlike images that permeate Carl Theodor Dreyer's Weimar-era classic. The Danish director originally intended Vampyr to be silent, and only added dialogue during production, but his film is all about a succession of haunting images that accumulate into an extended gothic nightmare. Dreyer partly based his film on the stories of Dublin writer Sheridan Le Fanu, and used a cast largely composed of non-professionals to tell his dark tale of a European village preyed on by a malevolent vampire. It's an extraordinarily vivid film, full of deeply disturbing scenes, from a character's dream of being buried alive to the famous shot of an old man ringing a bell with a scythe on his shoulder. Les Diaboliques (1955) Video of the Day Henri-Georges Clouzot's grim masterpiece is said to have inspired Hitchcock's Psycho, and is one of the most intelligent horror films you'll ever see. The director's wife, Vera Clouzot, plays Christina, the abused spouse of a sadistic headmaster who's also having an affair with one of his teachers (Simone Signoret). The two women get together and decide to rid themselves of their tormentor, drowning him in a bathtub and dumping the body in a swimming pool. But when the body subsequently disappears and the women hear reports that Michel has been sighted alive, they begin to panic. Definitely worth a look if you've never seen it. Psycho (1960) Expand Close Psycho (1960) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Psycho (1960) The film that launched the slasher-genre craze is so much better than anything it inspired. Alfred Hitchcock was forced to use his own money to make Psycho after Paramount refused to finance it, and shot in black and white to keep his budget down and make his famous shower scene look aesthetic rather than grotesque (imagine all that gushing blood in Technicolor). Janet Leigh plays a young woman on the run who pulls into the wrong motel, and Anthony Perkins is Norman Bates, the mother-obsessed psychopath based on real-life serial killer Ed Gein. Considered shocking in its day, Psycho is still not the kind of film you'd watch on your own last thing at night. Peeping Tom (1960) Michael Powell's innovative and fearless horror film was so badly reviewed when originally released in 1960 that it effectively ended his directorial career. It told the chilling story of Mark (Carl Boehm), a studio technician who spends his spare time working on a film he calls his "documentary". It's actually a record of all the women he kills with a spike concealed in his camera, and Mark lovingly savours the fear in his victims' faces as he watches it back. Powell intended the film as a critique of voyeurism, but critics couldn't take this kind of horror from the maker of the Red Shoes. It's now considered a groundbreaking classic. The Innocents (1961) By far the best of the films inspired by Henry James's ghost story The Turn of the Screw, Jack Clayton's 1961 chiller is an elegant and near flawless classic. Deborah Kerr plays Miss Giddens, a prim governess who takes a job looking after the orphaned niece and nephew of a wealthy bachelor, played by Michael Redgrave. It seems like an ideal appointment until Miss Giddens begins to notice the children behaving oddly. The boy is expelled from school, and he and the little girl whisper together and seem to be communing with invisible forces. There are no flashy effects or cheap thrills in The Innocents, which uses atmosphere and clever camera work to explore controversial themes. Rosemary's Baby (1968) Expand Close Rosemary's Baby (1968) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Rosemary's Baby (1968) A young Mia Farrow endures the original pregnancy from hell in Roman Polanski's magnificently unsettling 1960s chiller. She is Rosemary Woodhouse, a naive young bride who's delighted when she moves into a plush apartment in uptown New York with her husband Guy, a struggling actor. But the neighbours are on the sinister side, and when Rosemary gets pregnant, she realises she's carrying the spawn of Satan. It's a weird, woozy and brilliantly directed masterpiece, and John Cassavetes is excellent as the devious Guy, who, it turns out, sold his wife to the devil for a part in a Broadway show. That's actors for you. Don't Look Now (1973) There are a small number of what one might call adult horror films that, if watched in the wee small hours, will give you the creeps no matter what age you are. Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now is one such, a gothic thriller based on a story by Daphne du Maurier. Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie play a couple who move to Venice for a change of scene after their child is killed in a terrible accident. Initially, the change seems to do them good, but when the wife meets a strange pair of elderly sisters and starts thinking she's seeing her dead child walking in dark side streets, things get good and weird. The Exorcist (1973) Expand Close The Exorcist (1973) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Exorcist (1973) William Friedkin's Exorcist caused mass hysteria among audiences back in 1973, and rumours abounded of an on-set curse. Friedkin claimed he asked a priest to bless the set after a mysterious fire, but whatever about that, the great director used all his skill to build and sustain a powerful atmosphere of dread that makes this one of the most frightening films ever made. Ellen Burstyn is a busy actress who becomes worried about her teenage daughter's increasing erratic behaviour. When the girl begins having spasms and speaking in tongues, the priests are called, and a long and painful exorcism begins. It's chilling stuff, charged with tension and full of ghastly twists and turns. The best horror ever? Expand Close Spooky: Danny Torrance rides his bike in Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece, The Shining. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Spooky: Danny Torrance rides his bike in Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece, The Shining. Stanley Kubrick's 1980 chiller The Shining is the Citizen Kane of horror films, if you ask me, but not everyone would agree. The great New Yorker critic Pauline Kael described Jack Nicholson's windy performance as "tiresome, a mixture of Richard III and the Big Bad Wolf", and Stephen King wasn't too happy either. He hated Kubrick's adaptation of his 1977 novel, and resented the film-maker's high-handed approach to his text. But old Stanley knew exactly what he was doing, and used imagination and technical innovation to turn King's story into an unforgettable horror epic. Nicholson plays Jack Torrance, an aspiring writer who takes a job as winter caretaker of a remote hotel in the Rockies with his wife, Wendy and young son, Danny. During a long winter he develops a severe case of cabin fever, and ghosts from the hotel's past emerge to make things even more unpleasant for all. Kubrick broke with convention by shooting his ghost story in blinding neon brightness, making it harder to dismiss the horrors you saw as illusions. And he used Steadicam to create some truly mesmerising sequences, like the one where young Danny rides his bike around the empty hotel corridors and runs into those creepy twins. Scary. In the opening scene of The Young Pope (Sky Atlantic), the new pontiff is standing naked in front of a mirror as he prepares to address the devout hordes in St Peter's Square. Then, fully garbed in papal white, he appears on the balcony and tells them of the virtues of masturbation, contraception, abortion and gay marriage. Three cardinals standing behind him faint on the spot. It's only a dream, of course, but then anyone who's seen the movies of creator-director Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty, Youth) will be familiar with his sumptuously visual surreal scenarios, though his art-house tendencies are somewhat reined in here by the need for a coherent storyline that will sustain a 10-part television series. I've only seen the first two episodes but so far, and without sacrificing his trademark cinematic flourishes, he's succeeded brilliantly, aided by his own spikily amusing screenplay and by a commanding central performance from Jude Law, whose startling good looks have always caused him to be underrated as an actor. Here he plays Pius XIII, elevated from his American orphan origins to the papacy and dismissed by conniving cardinals as a "telegenic puppet" who can be manipulated. He's anything but, icily telling an over-familiar old nun that "friendly arrangements are dangerous" and warning his treacherous clerical underlings that "I'm intransigent, irritable, vindictive, and I have a prodigious memory". Law clearly revels in the role, playing up the coldly autocratic side of the character (there's a terrific scene in which he witheringly deals with the Vatican's pushy marketing woman), while also suggesting the ambiguities that make him so unpredictable both to his inner circle and to the viewer. It's all tremendous fun and with arresting turns from Diane Keaton as the now elderly nun who raised him, Silvio Orlando as the corrupt Cardinal Voiello and a host of subsidiary players, it looks set to be another winner for HBO and Sky Atlantic. Indeed, I found it much more satisfying than HBO's other current blockbuster, the dystopian Westworld, the opening episodes of which I thought as confusing as they were sinister. Charlie Brooker, of course, has long been a connoisseur of dystopia and in the two Channel 4 seasons of Black Mirror he offered creepy visions of a robotic world dominated by malign technologies. And now, on Netflix, he's back with six new episodes of Black Mirror to unsettle your viewing week. The critical response has been mostly rapturous, with reviewers banging on about the current series as if it's the greatest thing since sliced bread, which it really isn't. Indeed, while there's no denying the imaginative leaps and the teasing notions dreamt up by Brooker and his co-writers, the five episodes I've so far watched have been uneven both in quality and in logic. And it's hard not to wonder if storylines that are based on new technologies will soon seem very dated in an era when these technologies are developing at such a rate that a previous decade's exciting new invention suddenly seems so antiquated as to be positively quaint. Who now buys iPods, DVDs or non-smartphones? That said, the series has some brilliant episodes and if you so far haven't dipped into it, try the opening, Nosedive, with Bryce Dallas Howard seeking to survive in a society where everyone is officially rated for their likeability and ostracised if their rating falls below a certain level. Facebook, how are you. Or watch the haunting San Junipero, in which dying elderly people can live in their idealised youth forever with the person they love. Idealism, though, didn't feature in Rural Addiction (RTE2), where the most that could be hoped for by the chosen interviewees was an escape from the drug addictions that had blighted their lives. The individual stories were interesting, especially that of middle-aged Mick, who had been married with three children in England but who had lost his business after returning alone to Mullingar and now slept under a bridge near the town. But, beyond the reflections and observations offered piecemeal by the interviewees, no context, whether social or personal, was provided by Tuesday night's opening hour, and no real sense, either, of how or why these unfortunates had become addicted - or, indeed, of the extent to which the towns and villages of rural Ireland are now blighted by drug dependence. Indeed, all the viewer was invited to feel was the awfulness of it all. Perhaps the second instalment, screened the following night, provided that basic information, but the opening hour had been so remiss about offering any perspective or shaping narrative that I didn't feel compelled to learn further. Video of the Day So far, Pat Kenny Tonight (UTV Ireland) has essentially been the same presenter's The Front Line, which RTE1 had inexplicably axed, only to replace it with Claire Byrne Live, an identikit show with a different presenter. Suffice to say that Kenny is still as commanding and fluent in the UTV variant. And after more than a decade, David McWilliams is back with Agenda (TV3), the Sunday lunchtime current affairs programme that had kickstarted his TV career. It remains just as lively, this week featuring a report from Harlem's 125th Street in which McWilliams had a spirited exchange with local black pundits about a Hillary Clinton who "doesn't care" and a Donald Trump who was "the enemy". In Living with Lucy (TV3) Lucy Kennedy was staying with Jedward and declared that "the longer I spend with them, the more I love them". I'll say nothing. 'Wojciech Gendarz (38) appeared at a special District Court sitting yesterday evening where he was charged with trafficking a woman for the purposes of sexual exploitation' (stock photo) A man has been charged under human trafficking legislation with bringing a woman to Ireland to work in the illicit vice trade. Wojciech Gendarz (38) appeared at a special District Court sitting yesterday evening where he was charged with trafficking a woman for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Gendarz was arrested in Dublin earlier yesterday afternoon after travelling from Poland. A Garda who gave evidence of the arrest and caution said the defendant denied the charge when put to him. An application by Gendarz's lawyer to exclude the media from proceedings was denied by Judge John Coughlan, who said: "Justice must be seen to be done." Gendarz was remanded in custody with consent to bail set at 10,000 with an independent cash surety of 10,000. Gardai sought a number of bail conditions including that the accused is not allowed direct or indirect contact with any person connected with the investigation. Gendarz must also sign on at a Garda station three times a week, surrender all travel documents and provide gardai with a mobile phone number at which he can be contacted. He was remanded to appear at Cloverhill District Court on November 3. Wholesale and indefinite school closures are becoming increasingly likely, as the teachers' pay dispute shows no sign of being resolved. On Thursday, 507 schools shut for the day. But concern is mounting that up to 500 schools may not reopen at all after the mid-term break if a deal is not brokered. The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), of which Ed Byrne is president, was steadfast to its position after a meeting on Friday. And Education Minister Richard Bruton appeared resolute in making no further concessions to the ASTI over and above deals agreed with other unions. Senior Department of Education officials and ASTI leaders will hold meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, after the bank holiday weekend. Meanwhile, schools intending to appoint parents and members of the public in supervisory roles, in the event of an extended teachers' strike, have been advised to check their insurance cover. A Department of Education spokeswoman said it was the "understanding" of the department that insurance cover will continue during the industrial action. She added: "Insurance cover is a matter for individual schools." Insurance Ireland recommended that school managers check with their provider over any "material change" to their cover. From on high: Alexander 'Monkey' Campbell Morgan and some of his spectacular aerial shots of Dublin and around the country During a period when wartime pilots were seen as the heroes of the skies, aviator Alexander Campbell Morgan stood out. The RAF wingman was not regarded as your typical wartime pilot - not only because of his down-to-earth manner, but because he went to war in an unarmed aircraft. Expand Close Crumlin Photo: Independent Aerial Photographic Collection / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Crumlin Photo: Independent Aerial Photographic Collection A quiet and unassuming character, Morgan was nicknamed 'Monkey' during his school days and the name stuck because of his knack of always appearing elegantly dishevelled. After World War II, the Londoner set up shop in Ireland, founding a light aircraft and photography business. He roamed the skies above Ireland, documenting towns and villages across the 32 counties before dying in an air accident in 1958. Many of the images were bought up by Independent Newspapers which continued to use them after his death. Expand Close Salthill Photo: Independent Aerial Photographic Collection / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Salthill Photo: Independent Aerial Photographic Collection However, as Ireland developed and the urban areas sprawled and grew, many of the images became dated and the negatives were eventually donated to the National Library of Ireland. There, they remained untouched in a box before being rediscovered by Independent Newspapers image expert Michael Hinch, who was archiving digital material for a series of magazines. Among them were 300 images captured by 'Monkey' Morgan from Ireland's skies between 1951 and 1958 as he zoomed across the country in his plane. They are now included in a new hardback book, Ireland from the Air - Independent Archives 1951-1958. Expand Close Killarney Photo: Independent Aerial Photographic Collection / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Killarney Photo: Independent Aerial Photographic Collection "I realised that there was a goldmine of images of Ireland in its formative years as a nation," said Michael Hinch. "Until I scanned them, I had no idea of what they contained or what areas they covered. I was elated by what we found. "Images of old towns and villages caught in time mixed with new housing estates sprouting up around our cities. Places that were once little villages have today developed into sprawling towns surrounding Dublin. Belfast at the Albert Bridge in the 1950s looks nothing like it does today, with a factory, railway yards and a power station replaced by hotels and the Central Station," he said. Among them are the images included here, of Crumlin, Rosslare Harbour, Ballyjamesduff, Killarney, Salthill and Killiney. Expand Close Ballyjamesduff Photo: Independent Aerial Photographic Collection / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ballyjamesduff Photo: Independent Aerial Photographic Collection "This book is a crystal ball into our past," he said. "The images are of such high quality that the detail just leaps out. Every time I look at them, I see something new." 'Ireland from the Air - Independent Archives 1951-1958', compiled by Michael Hinch, is published in hardback by the Collins Press, priced 29.99. It will be available in all good bookshops next week, and online from www.collinspress.ie. Reader offer: Get 15% off at www.independentarchives.com with code BOOK15 (Xinhua) 10:57, October 30, 2016 CANBERRA, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Asylum seekers who use people smugglers to illegally come to Australia by boat will be given a lifetime ban from entering the country, under a government plan set to be put to Parliament next week. Even if they are found to be legitimate refugees, those who employ the use of illegal people smugglers to make their way to Australia will never be allowed into the country, even as a tourist. According to the government, the lifetime ban will extend to those who have been sent to Australian detention centers on Nauru or Manus Island since July 19, 2013, however the laws will not affect children. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the law was a follow-up to former Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's pledge in July 2013 that any asylum seeker who comes to Australia by boat without a visa would "never be settled in Australia". "They must know that the door to Australia is closed to those who seek to come here by boat with a people smuggler," he told the press on Sunday. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the laws would send a "tough message" not only to people smugglers, but to those thinking of coming to Australia illegally. "This is a tough message we are sending to the people smuggling syndicates and those who pay people smugglers to try and enter Australia," Bishop told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Sunday. "They will not be settled in Australia and they won't be visiting Australia." Meanwhile Immigration Minister Peter Dutton told News Corp the Labor opposition should have "no excuses" not to support the laws in Parliament, as it was Rudd - a former Labor PM - who first announced such a plan. He added that Australia would continue to fight the illegal people smuggling trade which has resulted in hundreds of "deaths at sea". "This puts into law that crucial aspect which has been central to stopping the boats and stopping deaths at sea," Dutton said on Sunday. "It sends a clear message to people smugglers that the government's resolve in protecting Australia's borders is as strong as it has ever been." Gardai discovered a total of 45 cannabis plants in a grow-house set up in a residential property. The raid took place in Co Cavan on Saturday morning. A 24-year-old man was arrested at the scene and taken to Cavan Garda Station. A Garda spokesperson said: A male (24 years) was arrested and taken to Cavan Garda station where he was detained under the provisions of section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 as amended. He was released that evening and a file is being prepared for the DPP. The plants have an estimated street value of 36,000, pending further analysis to determine their worth. It is understood the house is also used as a residence. The house in Glenlara, Cavan, was searched as part of Operation Thor by Gardai from the Crime/Drugs Unit. Patients in University Hospital Limerick called the Fire Services last weekend when they became concerned that overcrowding in the A&E posed a serious danger to patients lives. The fire officer was called by distressed relatives of a patient waiting on a trolley last Sunday night, October 23, and expressed concerns that the resuscitation area, where patients are treated for cardiac arrest, was blocked by trolleys. A source at the hospital told the Sunday World: There were patients waiting between the double doors on the way in to A&E from the ambulance bay. To the left is the resuscitation area, it should be clear. If a patient in the middle of the A&E had a cardiac arrest there was no way for the doctors to attend because the patient couldnt be brought into the resuscitation area, the source continued. The number of patients on trolleys at UHL was in the above 40 all week. It is understood hospital staff couldnt bring some patients in from the ambulances because there were no more trolleys available. Nurses at UHL are described as being "under so much pressure" and there are worries the situation will worsen over the winter months. University Hospital Limerick confirmed to the Sunday World that the Chief Fire Officer visited the Emergency Department and expressed their concerns last Sunday. "UL Hospitals Group has long acknowledged that the emergency department at UHL is simply too small for the volumes of patients attending and is not fit for purpose, a hospital spokesperson told the Sunday World. There are currently plans for a new state-of-the-art emergency department to open in May 2017. Horse Racing Ireland's chairman told the Department of Agriculture he would be "gobsmacked" if his fellow board members did not unanimously support the reappointment of its controversial CEO, just 24 hours before his colleagues raised concerns about the process. Correspondence seen by the Sunday Independent shows HRI chairman Joe Keeling spoke with the Department of Agriculture's assistant secretary general the day before the board considered the CEO's position at a meeting. Internal emails from the department show officials had been reassured the HRI board would vote to reappoint CEO Brian Kavanagh. It is also apparent the officials knew that the board were unaware the appointment had been approved, despite Mr Keeling making representations on its behalf without its knowledge. The reappointment had already been approved by Agriculture Minister Michael Creed and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe. It had not been put to the HRI board. Referring to parliamentary questions in the Dail about Mr Kavanagh's reappointment, Assistant Secretary General Brendan Gleeson wrote to two colleagues in the Department of Agriculture this July. "I spoke to the [HRI] chairman this morning and he indicated that he would be 'gobsmacked' if a proposal to reappoint the CEO did not receive the unanimous support of the board," he said. "I understand from the chairman that he wishes to put this to the board tomorrow, if we communicate with him formally on the matter." The HRI board discussed the reappointment the following day and Mr Keeling was forced to apologise for his role in the matter. Board members said they were concerned about succession planning and the reappointment process. Mr Kavanagh's reappointment was approved and carried by a majority of board members but it was not unanimous, despite Mr Keeling's previous claims that it would be agreed to by all members. A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture told the Sunday Independent that the internal emails refer to Mr Keeling's willingness to inform the board that both ministers had "formally consented to the CEO's reappointment". Public Expenditure minister Paschal Donohoe had previously said he did not agree with the terms of Mr Kavanagh's contract before performing a U-turn and approving the reappointment. Mr Kavanagh began an unprecedented third successive term as CEO last month, and is expected to waive his right to a contract of indefinite duration before leaving HRI in 2021. That will be his 20th year as CEO despite Government guidelines stating the CEO of a commercial state body can only serve one term of seven years. He retained his 190,773 salary which is more than 26,000 above the specified range for his position. Other documents seen by the Sunday Independent show the government had already changed statements as it attempted to manage media reports into the scandal. A statement from minister Donohoe in reply to a parliamentary question previously included the line: "I sanctioned the contract based on the strength of the business case presented and in line with current guidelines on the appointment of CEOs for commercial state bodies." However, it was later removed from press releases after it was reported the reappointment breached government guidelines. US Secretary of State John Kerry will receive the prestigious Tipperary International Peace Award at a gala ceremony today. Mr Kerry will be welcomed to Ireland by Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan amid tight security provided by armed Garda units and the US Secret Service. The two men will stage a bilateral meeting at which the UK's Brexit decision will dominate discussions, before they attend the awards event in the Glen of Aherlow. The US had urged the UK to remain within the EU and Mr Flanagan is expected to focus on the implications for the Republic and Northern Ireland of a hard Brexit, which could involve changes to arrangements around cross-border trade. Other issues expected to be raised include immigration and the ongoing crisis in Syria. Mr Flanagan, speaking ahead of the discussions, said he was delighted by the visit. He added: "While I have had the opportunity to meet with Secretary of State Kerry on several occasions, this is my first opportunity to welcome him to Ireland, and to the beautiful Glen of Aherlow, for bilateral discussions. "We will be discussing developments in the Northern Ireland peace process, and I'm pleased Secretary Kerry will be joined at the meeting by Senator Gary Hart, his special envoy to Northern Ireland. "We will also talk about the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union and will be discussing developments in the Middle East, specifically in Syria. "As regards bilateral issues between Ireland and the US, I intend raising the issue of immigration reform in the US, including relief for the undocumented Irish and greater opportunities for Irish citizens to migrate to the US." Mr Kerry has been US secretary of state for the past four years. He has been recognised by the peace convention for his work to bring an end to conflicts around the world. Previous recipients include the former South African president Nelson Mandela, secretary general of the UN Ban Ki-moon, Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, and Live Aid organiser Bob Geldof. Four families have been forced from their homes following an arson attack in Co Down in the early hours of Sunday. Police confirmed the blaze at Bracken Avenue, Newcastle was being treated as deliberate. Nobody was hurt. A wheelie bin is believed to have been set on fire and pushed against oil tanks causing them to ignite. Substantial damage was caused to the nearby flats and fencing, the PSNI said. SDLP MP Margaret Ritchie said: "Four families have been forced from their homes and are now picking up the pieces from this senseless and deplorable act of destruction. "I'm sure it has caused them great distress and our thoughts will be with them in the time ahead. "The local community stand in solidarity with them and I'm sure they will assist in any way possible as they get back on their feet. I'm pleased to hear that at least three of the have found temporary accommodation with friends and family." She said this was not the first time that this has happened, and it was very fortunate that nobody was harmed. Ms Ritchie added: "That their lives were put in danger is utterly shameful and beyond the danger posed to the families, the deliberate destruction of social housing at a time when waiting lists are so long is deeply disappointing." Police confirmed officers were investigating the report of a suspected arson attack at the property. The fire service attended at around 1.30 am and extinguished the blaze. 'Last night Garda representative sources said anything short of a 3,000 to 4,000 salary increase would mean industrial action would go ahead' (stock photo) Members of An Garda Siochana were last night said to be "determined" to act on a threat to withdraw labour in what will be an unprecedented development that is likely to pose a significant risk to the rule of law. In a move that will prove deeply unsettling for the public, and possibly cause serious damage to the reputation of the force and the country, around 12,000 members of the Garda this weekend looked set to take effective strike action on Friday for the first time in the history of the State. Last night the chances of a deal being reached to end potential industrial action in the next 48 hours were feared by both sides to be receding. The Department of Justice, the Garda Representative Association (GRA) and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) will this week engage in what Government sources expect to be "intense" negotiations at the Work Place Relations Commission (WRC). But gardai were last night said to be "determined" to withdraw their labour regardless of the outcome of the talks. Failure to reach agreement will give rise to fears of a series of unprecedented consequences, such as the potential for an upsurge in crime, gridlock throughout the courts system and the crippling of access into and out of the country at airports and ports. Read More The Garda Commissioner is expected to activate a national contingency plan by Tuesday if the two associations have not called off or announced the curtailment of the planned withdrawal of service by then. Once the contingency plan is activated, the Garda will seek talks with the GRA and the AGSI for derogations in sufficient numbers to allow it to provide minimum policing cover. Garda management have also discussed the option of ordering striking gardai to report for duty, or face disciplinary action. It is understood that many gardai will turn up if ordered to do so by the Commissioner. Last night Garda representative sources said anything short of a 3,000 to 4,000 salary increase would mean industrial action would go ahead. The Government is understood to be offering to pay gardai extra money for periods of time before their shifts begin. Read More Talks so far are understood to have focused on allowances and some form of compensation to gardai for extra productivity. The Government has insisted that any pay deal must stay within the limits of the Lansdowne Road Agreement on public sector pay. However, a Garda representative source said: "Members are determined to go on strike and talks without real money on the table won't avert that." And they dismissed the Government's move to allow talks at the WRC as a "last minute stroke". However, the Government remains determined this weekend to hold out against demands for a direct salary increase, although there is scope of increased pay under the complex allowance scheme available to gardai. Government sources were again adamant last night that any deal would be within the parameters of the existing Lansdowne Road Agreement on public sector pay, to which 23 other unions are signed up. Read More It is understood an offer under consideration would boost pay for recently recruited gardai, as well as increasing the hourly rate, and potentially overtime payments for all members of the force; the re-introduction of a 4,000 payment, the equivalent of a rent allowance, for recently recruited gardai is also under discussion. However, the feeling on the Government side is that some Garda representatives "want their day in the limelight now". A Government source said: "They have invested a lot of political and personal capital in this campaign so they may feel the need to go out for one day regardless of what's on the table. If this goes ahead there will be very serious consequences. For a police force to strike in a civilised country is something that generally doesn't happen. The reputation risk is massive. "You can have all the contingency plans you like but if the majority of the police force doesn't show for work, you can't magic them up," the source said. However, there was no progress in resolving the dispute last night. All sides took yesterday to consider their approach to WRC talks which are understood to be beginning in earnest today. Read More One association source told the Sunday Independent there were concerns that certain garda divisions will embark on industrial action even if the GRA leadership calls for a suspension of the four days of strike due to take place next month. The WRC initiative, which was being hailed as a "major" move by senior Government sources, is a step closer to allowing trade union status for Gardai - something which has been historically opposed by the Department of Justice. In relation to the move towards the WRC, a Government source said: "This is what the associations have been looking for. This is a test for them and their own level of professionalism now. The WRC are the consummate professionals when it comes to negotiation and compromise. The associations are on the big pitch now so they need to step up to that. They have to give ground which they are not very good at." Senior Garda sources said that the contingency planning has been kept under the radar to allow "space" for the associations' negotiations with officials from the Department of Justice on pay. Read More The plan was drafted by Assistant Commissioner Eugene Corcoran and will include details of policing cover for institutions. "The reality is that the focus is on actually trying to solve this issue. That is obviously the main priority," said one source. However, failing that, he said, the contingency plan "would actually have to be activated by Tuesday at the latest". Three airport authorities in Dublin, Cork and Shannon are under huge pressure to make alternative arrangements in the event of the mass withdrawal of service going ahead. The airports in Cork and Shannon may have to close if immigration garda, who operate passport control, withdraw their services. Dublin Airport hires civilians to operate passport control in Terminal 1, but may have to consider closing Terminal 2, where immigration gardai do the job. The unprecedented planned mass withdrawal of service has the potential to expose the security of the State, and threatens the safety of citizens. Unless talks this weekend avert it, the strike will run over four Fridays in November, running for 24 hours from 7am, beginning this week. The Sunday Independent understands that senior officers from the rank of superintendent upwards are quietly supporting the strike. None is known to have issued any threats to members over the illegality of strike action. Noel Rock: 'not elected to be a popular person among TDs' Photo: Tom Burke A Fine Gael TD has said he expects to be unpopular among some of his colleagues after deciding to decline a 2,700 pay increase. Dublin North West TD Noel Rock has become the first government backbencher to refuse the controversial pay rise, which is due next April. Ministers are expected to agree to turn down pay restoration worth almost 4,000 in 2017 when they hold a Cabinet meeting next week following a considerable public backlash. However, Mr Rock is only the second TD to indicate that he will sacrifice the money, following in the footsteps of Independent TD for Roscommon Michael Fitzmaurice. Sinn Fein and the Social Democrats have both called on the Government to formally stop the pay rises for politicians. Mr Rock's decision is likely to put pressure on his colleagues to take a similar stance, but he said: "I'm not elected to be a popular person among TDs." The first-time TD said it was his own "personal decision". "I believe that in a time when young gardai, young nurses and teachers are fighting for partial pay restoration themselves, it's not befitting for me as a young TD representing them to take such a large pay increase myself." Expenses The 28-year-old previously gave back any expenses that were available to him as a member of Dublin City Council. He said: "We're not out of the woods yet as a country and I think the idea of a young TD like myself taking a pay increase at this stage is unpalatable. Now I realise that isn't the case for many of colleagues. "Many TDs from different parties have different personal circumstances, maybe they need the pay increase for whatever reason." Asked about the controversy as he opened a new constituency office for Dublin-Rathdown TD Josepha Madigan, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the matter of ministerial pay "will come before Government next week". He noted that the ministers in the previous Fine Gael/Labour Cabinet had agreed to waive increases allowed under the Lansdowne Road Agreement. Politicians' pay is linked to that of a principal officer in the public service, meaning TDs will get a pay rise of 2,707 next year and again in 2018. Ministers are entitled to a hike of 11,735 in three tranches between next April and January 2019. Fine Gael has indicated that it will not instruct TDs to waive their increases, noting that the "pay of politicians should be far removed from political influence". Similarly Fianna Fail said the current system of linking pay to the civil service helps to "ensure transparency". The chairman of the Oireachtas Health Committee, Dr Michael Harty, has backed a family's campaign for medicinal cannabis to be licensed in Ireland. Ava Barry (6) suffers from Devant Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy that has seen her suffer terrifying seizures several times a day. However, her mother Vera Twomey said these attacks have drastically reduced since she began taking a form of medicinal cannabis, Cannabidiol (CBD), and it has been "life-altering". She said that while CBD can be bought here legally she wanted it licensed for prescription by doctors. Dr Harty has met Ava's parents and has arranged for the matter to be discussed by TDs and senators on his committee next month. They are to produce a report for Health Minister Simon Harris to consider. Dr Harty told the Sunday Independent that while he didn't think CBD should be the first treatment to ease the symptoms of neurological conditions, it should be an option for specialists to offer when all else failed. He said it was licensed in Colorado and the Netherlands and did not have the psychotropic effects associated with cannabis. He said it had potential beneficial effects to relieve the symptoms of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. It was "unfortunate" that it was known as medicinal cannabis, the Clare TD said. "It's not that we want to legalise cannabis in any way," he added, saying that CBD wasn't smoked and "it's not going to give you a high". It comes in the form of an oil that is taken orally in droplet dosages. He said: "We would be seeking a licence for it to be made available through specialists who would vouch that they had tried all known treatments and they weren't getting satisfactory results." Eleven forms of treatment were tried with Ava, from Co Cork, and none were successful. Her mother said that CBD was the "last resort". Ms Twomey learnt it could be legally purchased here only in September. The family were able to buy the product - called Charlotte's Web - from a hemp shop in Dublin. Ms Twomey said Ava had previously suffered up to 23 seizures in a 36-hour period, but since taking two CBD doses a day had had only six attacks in October. "The colour in her face is better... she's more aware, she's smiling at us more," Ms Towmey said. She said CBD should be licensed for use here so that doctors could prescribe it. A spokeswoman for minister Harris, said he wanted policy on medicinal cannabis to be reviewed "with the best medical advice and expertise". The spokeswoman said the minister had met Ms Twomey and other patients and was "very sympathetic to the awful situation they are in". (Xinhua) 10:58, October 30, 2016 Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, speaks at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, in Beijing, capital of China. The meeting was held from Oct. 24 to 27 in Beijing. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) BEIJING, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- As China has entered a crucial stage in the building of a "moderately prosperous society in all respects", a strong core leadership is needed to ensure the development and prosperity of the nation. A key meeting of the Communist Party of China (CPC) this week has called on all its members to "closely unite around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core." It is believed that such a call is of great importance to maintaining the unity of the Party and upholding the authority of the CPC Central Committee and its central, unified leadership. Also, it will enhance the cohesiveness of the Chinese nation and encourage the Chinese people to overcome difficulties and challenges and move forward. China's reform campaign has entered a "deep-water zone". The CPC, as the ruling party of China, faces unprecedented tasks regarding reform, development and stability, as well as unprecedented risks and challenges. In this situation, it is even more urgent to make sure that all Party members act in conformity and the entire country maintains solidarity. To uphold the authority of the CPC Central Committee and ensure all Party members firmly follow what the CPC Central Committee advocates and firmly implement what the CPC Central Committee decides will matter to the destiny of both the Party and the state. Such efforts are also where the fundamental interests of the people of all ethnic groups in China lie. The CPC members should become more aware of the need to uphold political integrity, keep in mind the bigger picture, follow the CPC as the core of the Chinese leadership and act consistently with CPC Central Committee policy. It is also pivotal for them to keep their thoughts, politics and acts in line with the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi as the core, so that the Party will always remain in unity and powerful. A powerful and consolidated CPC with a strong core leadership is capable of leading the entire nation forward in the "new long march." Noel Rock was at the Dail bar, eating a toasted sandwich, when a now former senator walked over. "You're f**king it up for the rest of us," they spat. At the time Noel was a Dublin City Councillor and had just declined 600 per month in tax-free unvouched expenses. This week the 28-year-old was once again getting it in the neck, having refused the TD's pay rise. One high-profile party Fine Gael colleague marched over and said: "It's easy for you, Noel. You don't have kids." (He says that his bank manager laughed at him when he enquired about buying a home. He was turned down because the Government is too unstable.) But with a basic salary of 87,000 before expenses, the Dublin North-West TD is still grateful for his pay. When we meet in the Fallon & Byrne last Thursday afternoon and I baulk at the figure, I get a very honest response. "It's a mad amount of money," he replies. "The reason I didn't take the increase is because I am not driven or obsessed by money." This can perhaps be traced back to a time when he had nothing. The eldest son of a single mother he grew up in Ballymun flats - where he was raised with boisterous twin brothers. The four lived in one room with barred windows for 12 years. When Noel was just six months old his father died, aged 23. For family reasons he chooses not to speak about it - only to say it was "tragic circumstances". "At the time I was told it was an accident." After the death, his paternal grandparents co-raised Noel. For the "99pc of good people," Noel admits, Ballymun was a very tough environment. He points to a scar at the side of his eye: "I was seven years old when I was set upon on my way home from school. It was unprovoked. I think it could have been a rock. It took a chip out of my skull." Drugs were a constant. His walk home from school was punctuated by dealers asking if he was interested. By the age of 12, he said: "Schoolmates would show up for school and their head wouldn't be quite there." At 14, one classmate started using heroin and he died of an overdose a few years later. I ask what made the difference between him and many of his peers. "A lot were smarter, more articulate, but the difference between achieving and failing is largely down to circumstance," he said. His guardians were instrumental. His grandparents were teetotallers, "great savers" and funded a lot of his education. "My grandfather still works at 73 and gets up every day at 5am. He travels the country as a market trader." Both he and his grandmother insisted Noel stayed in school and - with the help of his teachers - he was pushed into breakfast clubs and after school clubs. "I always wondered why I was being made to stay longer than everyone else and the reality was because they wanted to look after me." He says it is one of the factors, which informed his decision not to take a pay increase, while teachers are fighting for equal pay. In his life, he says, teachers made "a huge difference". They introduced him to a world of books and encouraged him to go to university. At 16 he worked at McDonald's and Domino's Pizza to earn money, adding to a small student grant to fund his third-level education. And in DCU he developed a deeper interest in politics, which had first took hold as a youngster growing up in Ballymun's notorious towers. "I remember nobody called to our door. Nobody was interested in us. Nobody cared. Whether an election came or went. Nobody asked my mother for her vote. Up to the age of 16 I don't think we ever saw a politician." Within a year of his studies he was offered the chance to work on Hillary Clinton's Democratic nomination against Barack Obama in Washington. He returned home with a greater passion for politics, but at parties and gatherings in south Dublin, he was still made acutely conscious of his roots. One evening at an embassy party fundraising event, a fellow guest asked where he was from. When told, she spun him around by the shoulders and loudly announced it to the others. "You are conscious that you are wearing your only suit, your only tie, you are doing your best to be polite, and talk about things that - in a lot of cases you wouldn't really know about - like theatre," he says. "And then that happens and you just kind of want to get out. I left soon after." But Noel became more determined. When he finished college he became the youngest Dublin city councillor, then the youngest Fine Gael TD, securing the first seat for the party in the Dublin North-West region. He also took it upon himself to invite every schoolkid in his constituency to visit him in the Dail. "I am very conscious I am their TD and that I am there for them. I want them to know that. It's too easy to become this distant figure in Leinster House who pops up on Prime Time every now and again." Politics, he believes, is a tough game which has become "very negative and personalised". Appearances on Vincent Browne have led to hurtful commentary on social media about his appearance. "They say I have 'stupid red skin' but it's a skin condition called rosacea. I can't help that," he shrugs. "Bertie Ahern had the same, it's the reason he spent so much on make-up." What's more pertinent, he explains, is that behind closed doors there is still an awful lot of class discrimination in Ireland. "There absolutely is," he says. "Every now and again [other TDs] forget where I have come from and let their guard down. "And I know people who have to change the address on their CV because they come from certain areas." He is not phased by the ructions over his refusal to take the pay increase and has a clear vision on how he sees the political landscape shaping up: "I would be very proud to see Leo Varadkar become the next Taoiseach," he says. "I would say next year at some stage." He is hopeful Enda will partake in a "peaceful transition." In the meantime he is travelling to Hillary Clinton's campaign headquarters next month to be with her team on election night. I ask the best advice she has ever given him. "Never leave any stone unturned and always get back to people," he says. Perhaps just not to emails on your home server. Tributes have been paid to a young woman who lost her life at a party on Friday, after which three people were arrested on drugs related offences. Police are now investigating the sudden death of the victim, named locally as Amy Reid (21), from Coolnafranky Park in Cookstown. Another man was taken to hospital after the party in a flat in the village of Coagh, Co Tyrone. Police said the three people - two men, aged 26 and 39, and a 32-year-old woman - have been arrested in connection with drug-related enquiries. They have since been released on bail pending further enquiries. Peter Cassidy, a neighbour of the young woman, who was one of five siblings, said that the community was shocked by the news of Amy's sudden death. "It's a terrible tragedy," he commented. "It's another young life lost. She was just a 21-year-old with her whole life ahead of her. The people who live round and about her are really stunned," the neighbour said. One friend paid tribute to the young woman online, writing; "You will be sadly missed by all uv pulled on a lot of heart strings u little rascal.. watch over ur family... may u rest in peace... we all love you... this girl had a heart of gold and Lola will miss u too [sic]." Another wrote; "Another life gone too young. Thoughts and Prayers are with the Reid Family." Cookstown SDLP Councillor Tony Quinn extended his condolences to the family, describing it as a "terrible tragedy", and expressed his sadness that a young life had been lost. Cllr Quinn said: "This tragic death of a young person in our community has caused a deep sense of shock and sadness. "I wish to offer my prayers and condolences on behalf of myself and the community to Amys friends, her family and the wider family circle." There is a sense of deja vu about the current ASTI dispute. The union has made a bit of a habit of marching its members up a hill in search of a new horizon but, once the fog lifts, often they have observed nothing more than the dawn of reality. Over the past 16 years, ASTI has found itself at odds, not only with government generally regarded as a badge of honour for unions but outside the fold of the wider union family, and on a different track from the other teacher unions. Back in 1999, some ASTI activists, led by then union president Bernadine OSullivan, felt they had had enough of the social partnership approach to pay negotiations, which they saw as far too cuddly an arrangement between union leaderships and government. It was at the height of the dotcom bubble, when those new kids on the block, the techie graduates, were being snapped up on big salaries and Ms OSullivan argued that the teachers who had got them to their Leaving Certs were entitled to more than what national wage agreements were delivering. It culminated in ASTI walking out the Irish Congress of Trades Unions in January 2000 and running a solo pay campaign for a 30pc pay rise. Ultimately, members accepted the terms agreed in the national deals and, by 2006, ASTI was back in the ICTU fold. ASTI will claim that advances made along the way were thanks to it stirring things up from outside, but other unions give short shrift to any such notion, pointing to the hours they will have put into quiet and steady negotiations. It is accepted that action by ASTI brought about an increase in the hourly rate that was eventually agreed for supervision and substitution, although the principle had been conceded around the table. The financial crash hit in 2008 and, with it, government deals with public service unions that no one liked, but swallowed with difficulty and an air of resigned acceptance. ASTI turned its energies to resisting proposed junior cycle changes, most particularly the notion that teachers would assess their own students for a State certificate. The union actually did win that battle, and succeeded in setting a new horizon for teacher limits, but then fell into a familiar pattern, and rejected it anyway. At that point, a fork opened in what had been a joint campaign between ASTI and the other second-level union, the TUI. TUI members and their students are now happily implementing the changes. The permanent and heightened state of unrest which ASTI has been in for more than a decade is exactly where a small, but influential, group of hardliners on its executive have directed it and want it to stay: settling nothing. The hardliners wanted the current two-pronged action involving both a series of one-day strikes and withdrawal from supervision and substitution split. They hoped to continue the disruption after Christmas by delaying the supervision and substitution stoppage until then. More moderate voices won the day, presumably in the hope that a short, if very sharp, dispute, will bring about a settlement. Katherine Donnelly is the Irish Independent Education Editor Sam Keeley believes you are defined as an actor by what you say no to. Photo: Fran Veale For a young man who made his acting debut just six years ago, Sam Keeley sometimes finds himself in the position where he gets offered a lot of money for a new project - yet feels compelled to turn it down. It's not that the 25-year-old from Tullamore, Co Offaly, is rolling in cash, but more that he can't bring himself to say yes to a project that he has no regard for. "I got one recently for a kind of period, warrior film thing," he says. "It was quite a bit of money for a very short amount of work. But the script was awful - so bad I was cringing turning the pages." The tall, rangy figure sitting in a bland room in the Gresham Hotel is too polite to say who was responsible for the script, but he says rejecting such an offer is much more difficult at his stage of his career than it might be for an established star with a beach-front mansion in Malibu. Expand Close Sam Keeley believes you are defined as an actor by what you say no to. Photo: Fran Veale / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sam Keeley believes you are defined as an actor by what you say no to. Photo: Fran Veale "It's hard as an actor [to turn that sort of opportunity down] because everyone, no matter how successful they are, is thinking, 'I'm never going to get work again!' I keep thinking someone is going to tap me on the shoulder and say, 'OK, we've figured you out. The game is up.'" Surely there's part of him going, 'Just take the money - it'll allow me to do the poorly paid independent projects that all actors love'? "A huge part of me is thinking that," he says. "The person inside you that wants to be safe and secure wants me to do those jobs, but I am stubborn and I have very good representation. They'd go, 'Did you read that?' and I can be honest with them." Keeley believes it's a policy that's paid off to date. "I've done a lot of work, and it's been stuff I've wanted to do," he says. "I think as an actor, you're more defined by the stuff you say no to. And I've said no to a lot of stuff. I want to be very careful. I want to put my footing in the right place. I've a clear vision for my career. I know what I want to do. I want to play roles that mean something to me. I want to feel it in order to be able to portray the role properly." Keeley is an actor going places fast. He can currently be seen playing a sniper in The Siege of Jadotville, which tells the little remembered story of 150 Irish peacekeeping soldiers in the Congo in 1961, who found themselves under sustained attack by thousands of local militants. "I'm ashamed to say I hadn't known about the story," he says, "but I was very struck by the script. It really came alive to me when I met two veterans of the conflict from my home county and I could appreciate what they went through, and how outnumbered they were. Very often we associate these kind of stories with American war heroes - it's very Black Hawk Down-esque - but this happened to men from just up the road." The film, made for Netflix, and starring Jamie Dornan, was filmed outside Johannesburg. "They put us through bootcamp for two weeks to get us to bond, to know our roles, to get us to march to learn how to fire a gun," he says. "At the end of the day, you're sending 12 lads down to the desert, so you're going to have fun. They built a full-scale village of Jadotville, too, and then just blew it up week by week." Expand Close Sam Keeley as Bill (Sniper) Ready in The Siege of Jadotville, picture Netflix / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sam Keeley as Bill (Sniper) Ready in The Siege of Jadotville, picture Netflix It's not the first time he has acted alongside Dornan. Both appear - along with Cillian Murphy - in Anthropoid, a recently released thriller based on another true life story, the attempt by Czech assassins to kill top Nazi Reinhard Heydrich. "It was a small roll for me, but I sensed as soon as I heard about it that it was going to be a special film. And it meant working with Jamie right after Jadotville." Keeley and Dornan - and Murphy, too - really hit it off thanks to a shared love of music. All three entertained rock star dreams when in their teen years and, in Keeley's case, a music career really did look more likely while still a teen. "My dad is a musician and I grew up with that life," he says. "I sang in pubs and played guitar and wanted to be a rock star." Video of the Day Today, he looks every inch the frontman of a white-hot band thanks to a battered leather jacket, ripped, skinny jeans and unlaced boots. The long fringe keeps falling over his eyes and there's a dusting of whiskers on his jaws. He was so serious that he threatened to drop out of Leaving Cert year in order to make an album. "My guidance councillor teacher [at Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore] was an amazing woman called Theresa Burke and I sat in her office for a week and talked about what careers I could do and eventually she said to me, 'What about a drama degree?' And I thought, 'Why not?' even though I hadn't thought about it before. But then I started thinking, 'Well, I love film - I'd a mountain of DVDs at home. I was binging on movies all the time, so she managed to really hit on something." His teacher helped set up an audition at drama school. "I learnt off a two-minute monologue from Philadelphia, Here I Come! because it was the play we'd been studying that year - I'd never read a play before in my life. And once I got in, I was bitten by the bug, and I became obsessed, and I realised I had been studying all my life." He was in acting school just six months when he got offered his first job. "I had been trying to negotiate time to go and shoot the film while staying on at college, but they gave me an ultimatum - either stay on the course or take the job. I'm instinctual, and I knew what was right for me - I took the job and I learnt more about acting on that week of shoot than I had in the previous six months." Expand Close Sam Keeley (centre) with fellow Burnt cast members, from left: Daniel Bruhl, Sienna Miller, Uma Thurman and Bradley Cooper / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sam Keeley (centre) with fellow Burnt cast members, from left: Daniel Bruhl, Sienna Miller, Uma Thurman and Bradley Cooper There's an underlying edge when he says those words, especially as he recalls that one particular drama teacher didn't seem to believe in him. "I was told I wasn't cut out to be an actor," he says, simply. "Those sort of words help motivate you, believe me." Soon, Keeley seemed to be everywhere. First he popped up in RTE's restaurant-set drama series, Raw, then he played the part of the victim in Lenny Abrahamson's acclaimed What Richard Did. The latter was an adaptation of a book that was loosely based on the notorious case of a private school student who was killed at Anabel's nightclub, southside Dublin. At the time, Abrahamson spoke glowingly of both Keeley and Jack Reynor (who played the perpetrator of the attack) and of how the two young men looked destined for great careers. Keeley is quick to return the compliment. "Lenny's an amazing filmmaker, and I wasn't one bit surprised that he went on to win an Oscar [actress Brie Larsson bagged an Academy Award for her performance in Abrahamson's Room]." He has fond memories of the Richard shoot. "I was only acting for less than two years when I shot that film and I learned so much," he says. "I met Jack through the auditioning process and we really hit it off. I had a sense when we were making it that there was a really big weight of responsibility on our shoulders. I was inadvertently representing the person who had been killed [at Anabel's]. I had an agency here at the time and they kept getting phone calls from random journalists. Lenny made all of that go away." The Internet Movie Database lists 23 film and TV projects that Keeley has either made or is currently in the process of filming. Many of them are independent productions like The Siege of Jadotville, but there are some big Hollywood pictures there too. Burnt - starring a galaxy of big-name talent - gave him an insight into what it's like to work on a massive, no-holds-barred project. "Burnt was a bit surreal," he says with a laugh. "You're on a set and Bradley Cooper is there and Uma Thurman is there, Sienna Miller is there. Omar Sy, too. Jamie was on it as well. It's funny because at no point does it not feel like a big film. I look up to Bradley, big time. He's an amazing guy and an incredible actor and to have him come up to you at the end of a scene to compliment you is a great feeling. "I think there'd be something wrong if you are on a Hollywood film and you're working with those kind of people and you're not pinching yourself every now and again. Yes, it's amazing I'm here, and yes these people are great, but I'm here for a reason too. I'm good enough to be here and I'm going to do my damnedest while I'm here." He insists that he has remained grounded and he certainly appears to be. There's little of the thesp about him, but when he talks about his work there's no doubting his passion. He's not afraid to talk about his limitations, either. "I really admire theatre actors," he says, "but I personally don't think I have it [what they have]. It doesn't interest me - maybe I'm afraid of it, I don't know." He says film is the medium that works best for him and it's hard not to agree, especially when he's just come off the back of 18 months' non-stop movie work. "People are going to be sick of me in the next 12 months," he chuckles, mentioning that of the upcoming releases it's A Measure of A Man that he is most proud of. "It was made by Jim Loach, Ken's son. He's going to be an incredible filmmaker. It's based on a book called One Fat Summer and it's about a kid who's trying to lose weight over the course of a summer in 1960s upstate New York, although we shot it in Providence, Rhodes Island. "I worked with Donald Sutherland and Luke Wilson and another young actor called Beau Knapp. He and I played the bullies. It's very much in the vein of Stand By Me. I think it's going to be a beautiful little film." Keeley devotees will have to wait for spring 2017 before they can see the fruits of that particular labour. Right now, some down-time beckons, and for Keeley that means a return to Iceland, a country that has become something of a home-from-home over the past year. "When I haven't been working, I've been there," he says. "I spent time there from Christmas to February/March and whenever I've had time off I go back. "I've been wanting to go to Iceland for a very long time. My mum's maiden name is from the Old Norse, Grimes, and that set me on a journey. First time I had time off I thought, 'Let's do it.' I got rid of the flat I was renting in Dublin - I was never there anyway - and got an Airbnb in Reykjavik and just fell in love with the place." He's learning the language. "I've actually taken to it easier than I thought I would," he says. "It's not too different to Irish. The ultimate artsy dream would be to become fluent in the language and shoot a film there." Such aspirations are for the future. For now, Keeley is keen to ensure that he makes the right choices - and continues to turn down the dross. "Very often, I think the actors who've had longevity are the ones that have really had to work for it. Sometimes, those for whom success comes too easily can turn out to be flashes in the pan." 'The Siege of Jadotville' is on Netflix now Portraits by Fran Veale The Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe likes to repeat the mantra that the Lansdowne Road agreement on public service pay is the "only show in town". In the coming days and weeks, as gardai, teachers and quite possibly other workers go on strike, we may see if Paschal's "only show in town" ends up as a harrowing tragedy, or dismal farce. Nearly six months after the hotchpotch of a Fine Gael government entered office, we are now facing the possibility of the worst winter of industrial unrest in three decades. The Lansdowne Road agreement, signed by Donohoe's predecessor Brendan Howlin last year and aimed at an orderly restoration of public service pay, seems to be unravelling at alarming speed. Howlin, now Labour leader, tells Review that the Government's handling of public service pay has been a "disaster". By Thursday of this week, with the start of a teachers' strike and a garda strike looming for next week, we faced the possibility of schools shutting down for an indefinite period - idle teenagers staying in bed all day or wandering the streets, and calls to gardai going unanswered in emergencies. Expand Close Education Minister Richard Bruton talks to the media about the second-level school strike Photo: Tom Burke / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Education Minister Richard Bruton talks to the media about the second-level school strike Photo: Tom Burke As one seasoned observer of union affairs put: "The idea of gardai going on strike is historic and unprecedented. We have never seen anything on this scale before." Some public sector unions, angered by severe wage cuts in the recession, have been emboldened by the large pay rises given to Luas and Dublin bus workers after strikes. And the sense of grievance has been heightened by a worsening housing crisis, which is making many in low-to-middle income jobs struggle to keep a roof over their heads. As the teachers took to the picket lines on Thursday, there were familiar gripes from the public about pampered public servants, fat pensions, secure jobs and long holidays. Expand Close Pay fight: Orla Quinlan, of Kilkenny, at a teachers' protest outside the Dail earlier this month Photo: Arthur Carron / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pay fight: Orla Quinlan, of Kilkenny, at a teachers' protest outside the Dail earlier this month Photo: Arthur Carron Other public sector workers such as gardai and nurses attract more sympathy. Perhaps, deep in our psyche, we all have an unhappy memory of a bad teacher. According to Government sources, there are much greater concerns about the dispute with the gardai, and the danger that unrest will spread across the public sector if they cave in, leaving little cash to spend on public services. Expand Close Transport Minister Shane Ross Picture: Tom Burke / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Transport Minister Shane Ross Picture: Tom Burke The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has signalled its intention to take industrial action if bed numbers and services are not cut to match the number of staff available. And the nurses' union has also called for the immediate acceleration of pay and pension restoration. Junior doctors are also airing their grievances and warn that they could take industrial action if a "living-out allowance", paid to cover accommodation costs, is not restored. If the crisis worsens, and the contagion of industrial unrest spreads to hospital wards and beyond, there may be attempts by ministers to point the finger of blame elsewhere. But at least part of the blame lies with the politicians in the government, who heightened expectations of income rises during the election campaign. Expand Close Teachers on the picket line at Pobalscoil Neasain in Baldoyle, Dublin Photo: Mark Condren / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Teachers on the picket line at Pobalscoil Neasain in Baldoyle, Dublin Photo: Mark Condren In hindsight, we can now see just how disastrous the Fine Gael slogan "Let's keep the recovery going" was. It not only failed to win the party votes, but according to Bill Roche, Professor of Industrial Relations at UCD, it helped to ramp up the demands of workers in the public service. "In the run-in to the election, politicians talked up economic recovery and the need to share in it, adding to growing impatience in the public service," Prof Roche tells Review. Regardless of the botched election campaign, Prof Roche believes that concerns over public service pay were likely to bubble to the surface at some point. We are now seeing a pent-up fury that has built up since the height of the recession being released. The crash came as a traumatic blow to public servants, whose financial security seemed rock solid. Until then, wages only seemed to increase. Not long before that, former teachers' union boss Joe O'Toole likened doing a benchmarking deal with the government to "walking up to an ATM machine". Expand Close Class war: Teachers on the picket line at Pobalscoil Neasain, Baldoyle, on Thursday. Photo: Mark Condren / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Class war: Teachers on the picket line at Pobalscoil Neasain, Baldoyle, on Thursday. Photo: Mark Condren How times have changed. Now, a clerical officer in the civil service starting on little more than 20,000, is barely earning above the minimum wage. Blair Horan, former general secretary of the Civil, Public and Services Union (CPSU), says: "On 20,000 a year, someone would find it hard to rent in Dublin, never mind buy a house." Those in the private sector may still look with envy at the security of public sector jobs and the gilt-edged pension, but the cuts in take-home pay for public servants were unprecedented. Prof Roche says the cuts to public service pay were between 8pc for lower paid workers to 20pc for those on higher salaries. There was similar trauma in the private sector, of course, but that came mostly through redundancies rather than swingeing pay cuts. At the peak of the recession in 2009, an estimated 23pc of private firms cut pay, according to Prof Roche, while 34pc cut staff numbers and 29pc cut hours worked. "Pay cuts, though by no means insignificant, were not pervasive across the private sector, and nothing like the generalised pay cutting experienced in the public sector," says Prof Roche. The pay affairs of private sector workers do not attract headlines, but provided that their employer is on a sound financial footing, many have quietly received annual pay rises of 1-2pc since 2011. Last year, under Howlin's Lansdowne agreement, it was agreed that public service workers would receive pay rises that will work out at around 2,000 by 2018. Particularly aggrieved in many of the unions are the younger entrants, whose pay was slashed by 10pc in 2010. Teachers also lost qualification allowances worth up to 5,000 and new gardai lost rental allowance of 4,000. As she went on the picket line at Muckross Park College in Dublin, teacher Breda Ryan told Review: "We are striking for justice for lesser paid teachers. It seems to be the only way to force the Government to listen to us." The Government has offered to restore some of the pay for new entrants as well as allowances for those in some unions, but the deal has been rejected by ASTI and the Garda Representative Association. While most unions accept the Lansdowne Road deal, including the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI), some groups seemed to have become more radicalised in recent months, and sometimes this militancy has come from unexpected quarters. Having initially accepted a deal, the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors - hardly a hotbed of Trotskyism - rejected it, taking industrial action in pursuit of a 16pc pay rise. Horan says there is no particular reason why ASTI and the gardai should be striking, rather than other public service workers. "It is hard to put your finger on it and say that the groups that are now going into the frontline are uniquely disadvantaged compared to the rest of the public service." Horan says in the past, ASTI has tried to make the running ahead of the other teachers' unions. Critics believe ASTI's strategy has been deeply flawed, and that they should have accepted improvements to pay and conditions, while negotiating a better deal later on. The fact that the teachers are disunited on the issue, with other unions accepting the government deal, makes their case less convincing. While ASTI militancy is par for the course, Horan says the action by the gardai is a development that nobody was really expecting. "I wouldn't like to predict what the outcome will be, because the dynamic can change so much." There are severe dangers for both sides in these strikes, particularly if they continue for a prolonged period. As they prepare to strike, gardai may have a lot of public sympathy, but how long will that last if something goes wrong and there is loss of life? "I have been involved in difficult disputes where farmers could not sell their cattle, or people couldn't get passports to go on holidays," says Horan. "You have to be prepared to take the flak for it. "The one thing you can't do is put people's lives at risk - 'life and limb' we call it." If a disaster happens during a garda strike, there is also a possibility that the Government will be blamed for not settling the dispute. "If the Government decides to tough it out," says Prof Roche, "they will hope that public opinion will turn against the strikers and they will be isolated." On the other hand, a prolonged period of widespread dispute could create a sense of malaise that permanently tarnishes the image of the Government and makes it look political ineffective. Prof Roche adds that the Government will want to avoid a situation similar to that in Britain in 1978-1979. In terms of industrial relations, that was the original 'Winter of Discontent'. There was a spate of industrial disputes that brought the country to a standstill with oil tanker drivers, railway workers, rubbish collectors and even gravediggers coming out. The spate of strikes is believed to have contributed to the defeat of Jim Callaghan's Labour government in the 1979 general election. But the outcome was not a happy one for the trade unions, with the election of their nemesis, Margaret Thatcher. If the Government decides to reach a deal by significant restoration of pay, there is a danger that it will blow a hole in the Lansdowne Road agreement. Other public sector workers would inevitably make similar demands and this would affect government finances. Education Minister Richard Bruton said this week it would not be fair to conclude sectoral deals with particular groups of public servants to the exclusion of others. "To do so would also mean that we do not have the money left in the public purse to provide increases in social welfare payments for vulnerable groups, tax reductions for people at work, or investments in improvements in public services." Most union bosses seem to want to negotiate pay rises through national agreements, covering all public sector workers rather than particular groups. This week, Bernard Harbor, head of communications with the union Impact, said it was unacceptable that some groups of public servants would be favoured with accelerated pay increases at the expense of the rest. It remains to be seen if Minister Donohoe is up to the job of dampening down industrial unrest, while at the same time keeping a lid on public service pay demands. The public mood was not helped by the choreography at the time of the Budget, when it emerged that TDs would get a 5,000 pay rise, and ministers would also receive substantial hikes. The Government had to backtrack and announce that ministerial pay would be frozen. Critics of the Government wonder whether Labour's involvement in the last administration gave them a better handle on public service pay. As a Labour minister, Howlin had better lines of communication and contacts in the unions. In government from 2011, he pushed through some of the most extensive cuts to public service pay ever implemented. "There is no doubt that my familiarity with the trade union movement and its leaders was an important part of building trust for an agreement," says Howlin. "I kept in touch with them constantly." He adds that this Government does not have the same feel for dealing with unions. The Labour leader argues that the issue of public service pay was mishandled by this Government from the start. "Shortly after the election, the Government should have invited the public sector unions in for a co-ordinated discussion about a new pay agreement, so that they didn't allow powerful unions to make the running. "This would continue the payback to the public servants in an orderly and affordable way." According to Howlin, the Government is involved in bi-lateral discussions with individual groups. If there is any leeway given, there will be a disorderly queue of others making demands. For the Government, the stakes are huge as we face into a Winter of Discontent. Howlin says he's been told by a senior minister that if the Lansdowne Road pay deal collapses, as unions ramp up pay demands, the Government will collapse with it within two or three days. In Garda Headquarters in the Phoenix Park, Assistant Commissioner Eugene Corcoran, the man who previously ran the Criminal Assets Bureau, is co-ordinating a national emergency plan of a kind never seen before in Ireland: how to secure and police the country in the event of around 12,800 rank and file gardai, sergeants and inspectors going on strike. The unprecedented planned mass withdrawal of service has the potential to cause incalculable chaos, to seriously expose the security of the State, and threatens the safety of its citizens. Unless talks this weekend avert it, the strike will run over four Fridays in November, running for 24 hours from 7am, beginning on Friday. The Garda Representative Association (GRA) and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) want their pay restored to pre-austerity levels and the right to negotiate pay deals for their members - they are currently barred from doing so and it is also illegal for them to strike. Read More They say they are a special case - different to other public sector workers because of the risk to life and health that comes with their job description - and have snubbed the existing public sector pay mechanism, Lansdowne Road. As talks drag on, some government ministers and senior gardai said privately that a garda strike simply couldn't happen. Hopes were bolstered on Friday, when the Garda Representative Association agreed to talks with Department of Justice officials, mediated by the Workplace Relations Commission. The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors followed suit, having initially said its members were offered nothing worth talking about. Talks begin in earnest today and will continue tomorrow. The talks are said to be extremely "sensitive". But planning for this potential security crisis is also delicate. Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald has refused to talk about contingency planning, saying the focus must be on reaching a deal. According to one source, talking about contingency plans might "spook" the pay talks. Feverish talks on contingency planning have been going on below the radar for weeks now. The talks have involved senior garda management, the Courts Service, airports and ports, the prison service, right down to security for VIPs, including Taoiseach Enda Kenny and President Michael D Higgins. The AGSI and the GRA have been asked to supply personnel for a skeletal contingency policing plan. So far, only the GRA has coughed up, agreeing to provide derogations for members of the armed response units, and technical officers. According to sources, garda management circulated a document last week to both associations listing their priority policing areas in which they will be seeking further derogations. The national contingency plan will detail the policing priorities. A draft plan has been drawn up. Activating it is the "nuclear option" according to one source. If the GRA and AGSI do not call off or curtail the withdrawal of service next Friday, the national contingency plan will have to be activated by Tuesday at the latest. Once the plan is activated, the AGSI and GRA will come under enormous pressure from senior garda management to give sufficient free passes to their members so the number of gardai will match the number needed to provide a minimum policing cover. Senior Garda management say that without substantial derogations for members, policing the State would simply be unworkable. Failing that, senior managers have considered ordering gardai to report for duty, or face the disciplinary consequences. These are some of the policing priorities: Airports and ports Airports could be forced to shut down on the four strike days. If they remain open, it is likely that the authorities will have to restrict the number of incoming flights. Ports don't have a permanent garda presence, and so are expected to remain open but with additional deployments of customs officials. Courts Courts may not close, but ongoing criminal trials may be disrupted and rafts of other courts could be adjourned. If a garda is summonsed to appear as a witness on a strike day, he or she will have to show up or risk contempt of court. Criminal cases and some District Court cases are likely to be adjourned. How many gardai will be working on strike days? If the strike goes ahead, about 220 senior officers will be responsible for policing the country. The GRA has agreed derogations for the armed garda support units - the Emergency Response Units and the six Regional Support Units. Technical officers will be on standby. Add to that around 700 probationary gardai, and some of the 800-strong Garda Reserve force to be shared out between every garda division. Even at that, there are limits to the duties they can perform; civilian reservists can only go on patrol in the company of a qualified guard, for instance. One senior garda source said these numbers are simply not enough to ensure the security of the State. In one Midlands garda division, a force of five senior officers and 20 probationary gardai would be responsible for policing two counties in the event of a strike. What happens in the event of a serious crime? Emergencies will be prioritised with life-threatening and violent crimes. In every division, crimes such as murders, suspicious deaths, serious assaults and aggravated burglaries involving threats to safety will be top of the list. How are Gardai preparing on the ground? Chiefs in a number of divisions are prioritising security needs. Briefings have been held with local enterprises. Pubs and nightclubs are being advised to take on extra security personnel; Friday nights are among the worst for public order offences. Some divisional chiefs have recently sent probationary gardai to complete the two-day driving courses that qualifies them to drive patrol cars. Road traffic accidents and drink-driving The aim is for each division to have forensic road traffic investigations, on standby. Patrols and checkpoints will be severely curtailed, if non-existent in some divisions. The big issue facing Enda Kenny over the garda strike will be at the point at which he picks up the phone to tell the chief-of-staff of the Defence Forces to deploy soldiers. It may never happen but the need could arise, and quickly. Empty garda stations could come under attack in areas where there are sufficient numbers of disaffected young people. In an escalating situation, demonstrations infiltrated by republican or other subversive elements could coincide with the absence of gardai seeking better pay. Either the State chequebook or the Army will need to be brought out. Calling out the Army is not a decision easily made by any civil administration. Mr Kenny's predecessor, Garret FitzGerald, agonised and dithered over the decision in July 1981 when the State faced a frontal assault by the IRA horde trying to sack the British embassy in Ballsbridge. FitzGerald was finally on the point of picking up the phone to the Army when the decision was taken from him by the gardai, who had suffered more than 100 casualties from heavy and sustained stoning on Merrion Road. On that afternoon, gardai drew batons and chased and beat the rioters back into Dublin city centre in a fashion none of the northern Provos had ever encountered on the streets of Belfast or Derry. Those were tough times, and tough action was taken. But the guards did their duty and prevented the intervention of soldiers, whose only means to stop violent demonstrators is to shoot them dead. It's the image of soldiers on the streets that must exercise the minds of politicians. Only those who seek to damage the State can welcome this situation - and there are quite a few of those people around. If the dispute becomes prolonged and worsens, army units might have to be deployed and build billets in garda stations. Weapons seized by gardai in the past year have included modern military rifles, exactly the same type the Army normally encounters only on its dangerous UN missions in the Middle East. It will be a very difficult issue for government PR gurus to spin and could have a huge downside as, if someone starts shooting, someone else nearby will inevitably capture it on a camera phone and the Irish meltdown might go viral. But any potential Mad Max types should bear in mind what happened the last time the gardai went on the blue flu strike in May 1998. An IRA gang decided to use the opportunity to carry off a container lorry heist on the N11 near Ashford, Co Wicklow. Unfortunately for the gang, there were some gardai not on strike that day. Armed plain-clothes detectives, mainly Special Branch, were on duty supported by the Army Ranger Wing. One of the gang, Ronan MacLochlainn, from Ballymun, north Dublin, was shot dead and three others were arrested, charged, tried and jailed. Fortunately for the Government, the vast majority of Irish people are law-abiding. There could be trouble in working-class areas of Dublin but the Hutch gang on the north side of the Liffey has been beaten into near submission, and members of the Kinahan gang on the south side are hanging their heads in shame since they murdered innocent council worker Trevor O'Neill in front of his family in Mallorca in August. Aside from the nightmare scenarios, there are other extremely urgent issues in the force that the Government needs to actually address. Members of the GRA and AGSI admit that while the single main issue is pay, there are far deeper problems in the force that desperately need to be looked at and fixed. GRA sources speak of an overarching dysfunctional and nepotistic management; "numpty desk jockeys"; police work being made impossible by rigorous and wasteful adherence to nonsensical human resource and roster systems; and outdated technology. Most young people join An Garda Siochana with the intention, not only of safe employment, but of helping citizens in times of need. They very often find they are unable to do so because of strictures, mismanagement, a lack of resources and a fear of being hauled up before the Garda Ombudsman or of facing an often brutal internal disciplinary regime. Most frontline gardai are now under some form of investigation or other. The stance taken by many is to simply back off and not try to do their duty. Hence, the attraction of the "desk-jockey" roles, with possibly one-quarter of the force now tied to clerical work or to the motor revenue collecting work that is carried out by local government officials in the UK but is allocated to gardai in this State. This is the fault of poor garda management and also the fault of successive governments' indifference to and ignorance of how they should be providing proper policing. This is a historic occasion, the first time an illegal strike has been called by gardai, and that in itself should already have been enough to focus governmental minds. Any pay increase to offset a strike, but which is not predicated on fixing what's wrong in An Garda Siochana, is just not a solution. Lynn Boylan's much-publicised Report on the Concentration of Media Ownership in Ireland tells us little we didn't already know about the newspaper, radio and television market here. But it patently fails to tell people much about what they should know about the wider media sector. As far as the report - commissioned, but not written, by the Sinn Fein MEP on behalf of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left group in the European Parliament - is concerned, the elephant in the room is Denis O'Brien. Specifically, his ownership of newspapers and radio stations in this country. Yes, O'Brien is a major media player here, with control over some key elements of the so-called traditional media. That can't be disputed. But is that fact the most pertinent point with regard to plurality in the media in Ireland today? Because the irony is that the analysis in this report largely ignores a massive behemoth of its own - the enormous, and growing, influence of new media (blogs, YouTube) and social media. The report describes Ireland as one of the most concentrated media markets of any democracy in Europe. But all the evidence suggests that Irish people have never had such a multiple of news sources available to them. Thirty or 40 years ago, people got their news from a small number of media outlets - RTE (just a couple of times a day, mind), the Press Group, Independent Newspapers, the Irish Times - and perhaps the Cork Examiner group if you lived in Munster. Fleet Street newspapers had barely penetrated the public consciousness outside of the east coast. There was no competition in TV or radio. Today, the influence of the traditional, old-style domestic media is seriously diluted. Around two-thirds of people have a Facebook account - 74pc of them use it daily and around half use it as a source for news. Mark Zuckerberg might claim Facebook is a tech, rather than a media, company. But, all the evidence suggests otherwise. It mightn't create its own news content but, in today's world, control over distribution is just as important as actually creating the content. For better or worse, Facebook is arguably the most powerful media company in the country right now (yes, more so even than RTE). Virgin Media, with its strong broadband presence in Dublin - not to mention its ownership of television channels, including TV3 and UTV Ireland - falls into a similar category. Yet curiously neither company gets a mention in Boylan's report. It doesn't stop with Facebook or Virgin Media. One in 10 people says social media is now their primary news source, with over half getting at least some news through social media sites. The rates are higher the further down the age demographic you go. My 14-year-old son doesn't read a newspaper every day. But within minutes of the story of the Paris attacks breaking last year, he had picked up on it on Snapchat and was texting me about what had happened. For now, TV remains the big beast when it comes to accessing news, with three quarters of people getting their news this way. But given that many of the younger generation barely watch traditional TV, it remains to be seen how long this dominance will last. Even for those who see the obvious merits of sticking with the traditional media companies, they can now access news for free on a range of domestic and international websites. Many liberal urbanites here will use the Guardian website as their first port of call for the US presidential election. The Irish edition of timesonline has emerged as another significant player in the Irish market. On the face of it, the level of choice couldn't be greater, yet there are strong grounds for believing that more choice, particularly online, doesn't necessarily bring the kind of plurality of opinions that might be expected. The reality is that in many cases people go to websites or blogs for views that reflect their own. Social media has created a whole new way for people to find, share and talk about news stories. But the choice of news that you see there is influenced by your online circle of friends or indeed by past behaviour on the site. The tendency therefore is for people to read content that reinforces their existing viewpoint - as opposed to potentially challenging it as the best columnists on a traditional news site do. Plurality is not just about media ownership. The tendency towards group-think is not confined to social media sites. On the issue of the repeal of the Eighth Amendment for example, there's not a huge amount of plurality in evidence in the traditional media - with the exception of some, admittedly high-profile, anti-repeal columnists - and that's nothing to do with the extent of concentration of ownership of media organisations. And we in the media need to be honest enough to face up to that regardless of what our views might be. That might be outside the remit of the report commissioned by Boylan, but it's arguably no less important. That report declares that "we need a media that holds those in powerful positions to account, one that seeks the truth and ensures that the public has access to the truth". That, of course, is hugely important, but it's also something of a truism. Who would disagree? However, are there really grounds for concern here? There are of course many conspiracy theorists who believe the establishment, including the media, is closing ranks and conspiring against the people. But are there really grounds for arguing there's a danger our traditional media outlets are not currently holding the institutions of the state, and "those in powerful positions", to account? There is always cause for vigilance on these grounds. But the issues and the challenges facing the Irish media go far, far deeper than any Commission of Inquiry into media plurality - as earnestly suggested by the report. Leave aside the fact that we need yet another Commission of Inquiry like a hole in the head, the way we consume media is changing so fast that any such commission would be like a fire engine trundling along to the wrong fire. There should indeed be "extremely grave concerns" about the Irish media sector. But it is about how good, no-nonsense journalism - consisting of hard news reporting and well-researched/sourced analysis of depth - can continue to prosper in the new world of tweets and Snapchat. Perhaps Sinn Fein might have commissioned a report into that - instead of focusing its attention on O'Brien. But then, as we know, such reports tend to be commissioned with a view to getting the required result. Last Saturday, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin expressed disappointment that so much media coverage of The Joy of Love - a document on love in the family published by Pope Francis six months ago - focused exclusively on discussions about the ban on giving Holy Communion to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics. As it happened, I was on a personal visit to Rome that weekend and on Sunday attended the Vatican where, for the first time in almost 30 years, I sought what is called the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation - or what is more commonly referred to as Confession at St Peter's Basilica. Dr Martin made the comment above, and further remarks, in his capacity as president and host of the World Meeting of Families 2018, which will be held in Dublin and will be attended by Pope Francis. Also, as it happened, the Sunday Independent reported last weekend that Enda Kenny was said to want to still be Taoiseach when Pope Francis visits Ireland. This weekend, I do not intend to write about the continued leadership intentions of Kenny, other than to remark that he has shown leadership qualities at their finest on the issue of child sex abuse within the Roman Catholic church here, Ireland's relationship with the Vatican, and on related issues, such as the treatment of the women of the Magdalene laundries. Other than to say, if Enda Kenny were still to be Taoiseach for the visit of Pope Francis, at a time that may for some, and may not for others, herald the beginning of reconciliation between church and State here, or between the people and the Roman Catholic church, it could be reasonably argued that there would be no more fitting Taoiseach when his leadership to date on this issue is fully taken into account. Instead, this weekend I would like to write in a more personal capacity on that comment by Dr Martin related to divorced and separated people in the Catholic church. To do so, it will be necessary to go into some personal aspects of my life which are relevant to the topic. This is something I no longer feel comfortable doing. However, the issue of marriage and family, - or what we might call modern family life - is important and will become more widely discussed as the visit of Pope Francis approaches. I should say at the outset that on reading an account of Dr Martin's address in Drumcondra last Saturday, I sought out the Pope's post-Synodal apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, or rather a detailed summary which was published by the Vatican last April, which I intend to quote from later in this article. I should also say at this stage that I found the document to be well considered, indeed wise, to be compassionate, comforting and hopeful, but ultimately I am left with this thought to consider: am I to be denied absolution on my deathbed? Before I get into something of a description of my confession at St Peter's, it might also be useful to give a little background of my upbringing in a Catholic household, aspects of which will be familiar to most people, including many of the 130,000 or so divorced and 120,000 or so separated people in Ireland; that is, the quarter of a million denied full access to the sacraments of the church in which they are brought up. At home, we attended Mass every Sunday and on what are called Holy Days of Obligation; we attended throughout Easter week, at Christmas and for the early part of my life on what was called 'First Fridays', that is the first Friday of each month, a practice which seems to have generally waned. We also attended when 'The Missions' came to town, usually the fire and brimstone Redemptorists, and on all other occasions when it was deemed necessary. I was also an altar boy for two years, which involved service at Mass every day for a full week every six weeks or so, including Devotions on Sunday evenings, another practice which seems to have waned. At a young age, we attended confession every Saturday, but less so as we got older. There were also occasional Rosaries at home, and the Angelus was recited at 6pm every evening, although we did not always stand upright for that. We were educated by both the Carmelites and the Christian Brothers. My brother is a Catholic priest. All of this may seem excessive to some readers, and perhaps it was, but it was expected at the time and was not uncommon throughout Ireland in the 1970s and 1980s. For all that, or perhaps because of that, I became a less frequent practising Catholic when I moved from home, to the point that, as I have said, I have not attended Confession for almost 30 years. Again, that is not necessarily uncommon among people now aged around 50, but I would say that I had moved further from the church than did most of my contemporaries, although I still occasionally attended, usually for specific events such as funerals and weddings. I was also married in the Church, almost 20 years ago and 11 years ago, that marriage ended in a legal separation but as of yet not divorce. In chapter six of The Joy of Love Pope Francis deals with the preparation of the engaged for marriage; with the accompaniment of couples in the first years of married life, including the issue of responsible parenthood; and also with certain complex situations and crises, knowing that "each crisis has a lesson to teach us; we need to learn how to listen for it with the ear of the heart". He also analyses some causes of crisis, among them a "delay in maturing affectively". I have found much of what he has to say in this regard to have a certain resonance. More recently, I have been attending Mass again - related to the preparation of a young girl for her First Holy Communion next year - and have found that experience to be personally rewarding. Like many, my distance from the church coincided with revelations of child sex abuse, but I could not truthfully say that was the sole reason. I drifted away is the best way to put it, and stayed away. I would also say that the recent recession, and the impact that it has had on people I know and more generally on society, has brought me back somewhat to the church, which culminated at one point in contact with the St Vincent de Paul to act as a volunteer. The effects of the recession have undoubtedly shifted my political views, and perhaps also - come to think of it now - may also somewhat account for my tentative return to the church. St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican is an impressive sight from a distance, and even more so when you enter the building, which I did on Sunday with my partner, whose marital situation closely resembles that of my own. We had organised the break last summer, the intention not necessarily to attend the Vatican, but the fuller sights of Rome during a romantic weekend away, which happened to coincide with Archbishop Martin's speech on Saturday which referred to the Pope's The Joy of Love document. That document expressly does not refer to the so-called "nuclear family" because, it states, it is "very aware of the family as a wider network of many relationships" but it does refer to the "irregular" situations, of which there are many. For the purpose of this article, I will continue to concentrate on what the summary document refers to as "divorced and separated persons." The Pope states: "There is a need 'to avoid judgments which do not take into account the complexity of various situations' and 'to be attentive, by necessity, to how people experience distress because of their condition'". And he continues: "It is a matter of reaching out to everyone, of needing to help each person find his or her proper way of participating in the ecclesial community, and thus to experience being touched by an 'unmerited, unconditional and gratuitous' mercy". And further: "The divorced who have entered a new union, for example, can find themselves in a variety of situations, which should not be pigeonholed or fit into overly rigid classifications leaving no room for a suitable personal and pastoral discernment". In his document, the Pope also regrets "that ordained ministers often lack the training needed to deal with the complex problems currently facing families". However, I found the opposite to be the case when I attended confession at the Vatican last Sunday. Around 50 people had gathered in a section of the Basilica at 3.15pm for confessions which were due to begin at 3.30pm. We attended St Peter's that day, not knowing whether we would actually go to confession, but having discussed it beforehand, not ruling out the possibility either. On reflection, it was always inevitable that we would attend. Confessions are heard in different languages, and as it happened we found ourselves at the head of the queue at the 'English' box. So I was the first in. Having been relatively calm until that moment, I found myself to be most anxious when I realised I was about to enter the confession box. I knelt down and looked through the grill in the stand alone confession box. There was a young priest inside, younger than I, with perfect English. I began: "Bless me Father for I have sinned. It is around 30 years since my last confession...so this is difficult for me." I am told I emerged 30 minutes later, blinking into the light and looking slightly disorientated. I found it to be an utterly exhausting experience, but also a positive one. I did not fully know what to expect, but when the priest said he would be unable to give me absolution, while not unexpected, still came as something of a blow. He was a kind and generous man, however, and seemed to be moved by my presence: "It is a miracle," he repeated three times of my attendance throughout the half hour. In my disorientation I forgot to ask, specifically, why I was to be denied absolution, but imagine it related to my marital separation and subsequent relationship. A sizeable portion of the confession also consisted of sound practical advice from this most excellent, non-judgmental priest. I find myself to be in agreement with Pope Francis when he states that general rules set forth a good which can never be disregarded or neglected, but in their formulation cannot provide absolutely for all particular situations. At the same time he has also said, precisely for that reason, what is part of a practical discernment in particular circumstances cannot be elevated to the level of a rule. He also states that the "divorced and civilly remarried need to be more fully integrated into Christian communities in the variety of ways possible, while avoiding any occasion of scandal"; "Their participation can be expressed in different ecclesial servicesSuch persons need to feel not as excommunicated members of the church, but instead as living members, able to live and grow in the church" That is well and good, but on reflection since the weekend, I believe this still may not bring much comfort on a deathbed. However, the debate has begun in earnest and I look forward to the visit of Pope Francis in 2018. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 30 Trend: The State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) aims to soon lift its cap on investment in stocks, including private equity, from 15 percent to 25 percent, SOFAZ Deputy CEO Israfil Mammadov said in an interview with The Nikkei Veritas. SOFAZ had $33.7 billion in assets under management at the end of June, of which bonds and short-term financial instruments made up roughly 80 percent. He added that SOFAZ plans to increase the share of its portfolio devoted to real estate to 10 percent from the current 5.5 percent. SOFAZ acquired Kirarito Ginza, a shopping mall in Tokyo's ritzy Ginza district, from Japanese leasing giant Orix last year for 52.3 billion yen ($496 million at current rates). SOFAZ has also invested in funds involved in Japanese real-estate development, including logistics facilities and properties in outlying cities, Mammadov said. According to the message, SOFAZ's assets swelled 24-fold in dollar terms in the decade since 2006, though the pace has slackened since 2012. With the slump in crude oil prices, the fund is being forced to add more risky assets to its portfolio. SOFAZ was established in 1999 with assets of $271 million. Based on SOFAZ's regulations, its funds may be used for construction and reconstruction of strategically important infrastructure facilities, as well as solving important national problems. The main goals of the State Oil Fund are accumulation of resources and placement of the Funds assets abroad in order to minimize the negative effect on the economy, prevention of "Dutch disease" to some extent, promotion of resource accumulation for future generations, and supporting current social and economic processes in Azerbaijan. People start the week asking me to reveal my secrets of a happy marriage. I am reminded of Valentine's Day every year when I am asked about romance, and I destroy feature articles left, right and centre by saying I am not romantic. This week, however, it's all my own fault for coming up with the perfect headline for a book title. Once a journalist, always a journalist. My favourite bit of advice is a joke: 'Never go to bed on an argument. Stay up and fight.' Priceless. This is not the answer anyone wants, though. So here it is - marriages are like fingerprints: each one is different. Nobody knows what goes on in anyone else's marriage. Nobody has all the answers. The best you can do is be kind, loving and respectful to each other. And hug. Lots of hugs. ***** Respectful is not a word you could use about US presidential wannabe Donald Trump. As Hillary Clinton has said, her campaign has been about ideas and his about insults. His campaign is like a car crash featuring the Real Housewives of Orange County crossed with a virulent off-shoot of the KKK, who don't like women, black people, Muslims, Mexican people, disabled people or anyone who doesn't own an assault rifle. Since Trump's infamous conversation where he discusses groping women, my blood pressure skyrockets at the sight of him. The only Trump I can bear to watch is on the Saturday Night Live skits of the debates. The Tom Hanks version of the third debate, which I watch on Tuesday, is marvellous. At least Alec Baldwin's strutting Trump doesn't yell that he knows how to defeat Isil. How, exactly, Donald? Are you going to tweet them to death? Perhaps when he loses, Trump might take some time out to read a book. But then, perhaps not: most books contain a Chapter Eleven. ***** On Tuesday, I go into Today FM where presenter Anton Savage introduces me early for sheer devilment at the precise moment when I have just bitten into a mouthful of Donal Skehan's chocolate banana cake. It's one of those rare moments when I am lost for words. It is entirely my own fault for telling darling Anton he can't embarrass me. Game, set and match to him. We discuss books, Unicef and how hard it is to watch one crisis after another unfold. Aleppo, Syria in general, Putin, Assad. When I get off air, I talk to Unicef about Haiti, where people are at risk of dying of cholera. In disaster zones, this medieval-sounding disease has a mortality rate of 50pc. In Haiti, 1.3 million people were affected by Hurricane Matthew. Half-a-million of those people are children. Those kids would love a bit of chocolate cake, fresh water and some hope. ***** Thursday, I'm doing what we in the book trade call the M50 tour. This involves a complex mission of visiting as many bookshops as possible in the city centre and along the M50, landing in on top of lovely booksellers to sign copies of my new book. In the WHSmith shop at the airport, a gorgeous Armagh woman - just off the plane from Basle - gets me to sign a copy for her newly engaged daughter, an exquisite, red-haired girl whose photo we admire. Eventually, myself and fabulous Siobhan, from Orion, have to belt along to the next terminal, where we and Donna, from the bookshop, discuss girls growing up and the importance of books like Louise O'Neill's Asking For It for young people of both sexes. By half four, we're in Eason in Dundrum, I have not yet lost my pen (a miracle), many, many hundreds of books have been signed, all legibly, and I am not sure what my name is. I toy with the idea of getting groceries before I throw myself exhausted into the car, but I am on Ireland AM in the morning, I need to organise myself, do emails and do my favourite thing: lie on the couch with my family and three dogs. I head home to do just that and watch Modern Family, home of fabulous marriages and the sharpest writing on television. * Cathy Kelly's new book 'Secrets of a Happy Marriage' is out now If there's one word or phrase that comes to most voters' minds when they think of Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, it's probably "IRA". He is indelibly associated with the Troubles in Northern Ireland, despite claiming to have played no part in any actual violence. The one word that comes to mind when thinking of Mary Lou McDonald is surely "austerity". She's risen to prominence as a result of her opposition to economic cuts. The place most associated with Adams, likewise, isn't even part of the State; it's Belfast, despite the fact that he's been TD for Louth since 2011. For Mary Lou, obviously, it's Dublin, heart of the country's political and economic life. So when, in last week's Millward Brown poll for the Sunday Independent, Mary Lou McDonald was named as the clear favourite among SF voters to succeed Adams when, or if, he ever steps down - with a massive 65pc support - it's not unreasonable to interpret that as a sign of a desire among grassroots supporters to shift away from the continuing fixation on figures and affairs from a sordid past and towards more broadly based, left-wing issues. In that same poll, only half said they want a united Ireland at all, despite the heightened emotions around the 1916 centenary celebrations, and despite Brexit. So why keep harping on about a united Ireland? There may be a small number of people whose first thought on waking up is about reuniting the four green fields, just as there are some obsessed with abortion to the exclusion of all else, but they are always going to be a cultish minority. SF used to direct its message squarely at such old school Catholic Nationalists. Only when it stopped doing so did it start to grow. The national question is still foremost in Gerry's mind, though. Even after the Brexit vote, his first reaction was how it could bring a united Ireland closer, rather than the more urgent economic threat it posed. That's the sort of backward-looking mindset that lay behind last week's unveiling, inside Leinster House, of a portrait of IRA hunger striker Kieran Doherty, who was elected briefly to the Dail in 1981 on an Anti H-Block platform in Cavan/Monaghan. The picture itself is a tacky bit of folk art - crude, gaudy, sentimental, and about as subtle as a gable end on the Falls Road. No surprise that it was painted by former prisoner turned mural artist Danny Devenny, who says of his creation in a video released by Sinn Fein: "There was no real thought put into it at all." It shows. The painting by the Belfast man depicts the dead IRA member kneeling by lilies, one of which has blossomed into a dove. Doherty didn't plant flowers. He planted bombs. Of course Mary Lou was there at the unveiling, having her picture taken next to the portrait and hailing how "proudly" it hung on the wall. Which is all very well, but flaunting these hangovers of a paramilitary past is hardly consistent with a party which regularly berates its critics in the media for not accepting that Sinn Fein has moved on. The picture of Kieran Doherty is a reminder that the party, for all its protestations of progress, is still tied to the apron strings of Northern Irish hard men more interested in "normalising" the armed struggle within southern opinion than in building a bridge and getting over it. Doherty had nothing to do with southern politics, not really. At the time of his election, SF actually had an absentionist policy and did not even recognise the legitimacy of the elected Dail. There's no way of knowing whether Doherty, had he lived, would even have wanted his portrait in a place that, while he did live, he opposed. Any suggestion of what he might have thought now has all the authority of a wild guess. But this is what SF does. It appropriates history and iconography and claims the right to exploit it in perpetuity. It should learn the real lesson of that history. Doherty may have been elected in 1981, but he only got 15pc of the vote and it took him to the seventh count to get across the line, and all this at the height of passions over the hunger strikes. SF's own vote promptly halved at the next election only eight months later. It was not until 1997 that it returned to the same level in the constituency, and another five years before it started winning further seats. As with the party's vote in the North since the ceasefires, every advance has been a reward for leaving the past behind, not a retrospective endorsement of it. Disquiet at this attempt to ride two horses is what lies behind SF's continuing unattractiveness to supporters of other parties, as revealed in last week's poll. The party remains toxic not only to 61pc of Fine Gael's supporters and 54pc of Fianna Fail's, but to 43pc of the supporters of independents and other parties too - the very forces with which SF needs to make common cause if it's serious about ever holding office. The party is more than twice as toxic overall as the Anti-Austerity Alliance. The disquiet might also help to explain other curious aspects of the poll, which found that 76pc of party supporters claim to be satisfied with how Adams is doing his job as leader, but only 56pc want him to stay. If he's that effective and popular, why do 44pc of his party's own voters either want him to stand down or otherwise refuse to back him? If half of FG supporters wanting Enda Kenny to go is a crisis, why is it not a crisis in SF when only half of supporters want him as leader? Far from challenging the culture which wants to keep SF as a heritage park for the worship of dysfunctional idols, many deputies join in with the general idiocy. Caoimhghin O Caolain, the first SF TD to actually take a seat in the Dail, was soon waxing lyrical about "the cause" and promising that "the republican struggle, the struggle for which Terence McSwiney, Bobby Sands and Kieran Doherty gave their lives, and all who stood with them, is in very safe hands". This language might tickle the fancy of ageing republicans, but it is irrelevant and anachronistic in today's political climate. Some of it was even silly to the point of absurdity. At one stage, O Caolain referenced "Bobby Sands MP" adding that he was, "to me, Bobby Sands TD". Rarely has a more ridiculous statement ever been made by a public figure. To call Sands a TD is literally meaningless. To whom is this nonsense meant to appeal? Certainly there's no evidence in last week's poll of a yearning for a return of "Troubles chic". SF's appeal, such as it is, has nothing to do with some untapped well of longing for a united Ireland; it comes from discontent at austerity. The people whose support they need are those in our poll, not ghosts from the North. Once SF learns that lesson, it can finally stop playing silly buggers and get serious. On Thursday many secondary school students got a welcome day off. They might have been able to do something useful instead, like rest. They may have missed the class in which they cover Yeats's poem, September 1913. Most remember the lines about Romantic Ireland being dead and gone. When they get them back the teachers will no doubt tell their charges to interpret the lines, 'But fumble in a greasy till, And add the halfpence to the pence' as the poet's charge against the employers locking out unionised workers, while they were busy counting their profits. In any industrial dispute, or strike, people normally have an instinctive reaction of which side they're on. Without having to think about the details of the issue, some will wave support to the picketers. Others, like Pavlov's Dogs, will exclaim against them before finding out what the dispute was about. The ASTI strike last week is a dispute that is more complex and more important than either side realises. It is neither the teachers' nor the Government's fault, but the outcome will have an impact on both the teaching profession and the State's finances. A deal will inevitably be done on 'Croke Park hours' and supervision. Arguably the more important aspect is that whatever side 'wins', both the unions and the Government are continuing down a road of de-professionalising the teaching profession that will only damage teachers and their students. The Government is approaching it, understandably, from its role as an employer seeking to minimise the costs. The country is still running a deficit, and full pay restoration would be as unsustainable today as it was in the mid-2000s. The teachers' union involved in the dispute claims there are two disputes. The strike on Thursday was about pay equality. A government decision in 2011 meant that new entrants to the public service were paid significantly less than those who started working in the public sector before that. The union is right to demand that workers be treated equally and put on the same pay scale. When the Government changed the rules for new entrants, it was targeting those who had no power to say no. It is more unfair because it hits the young, those people who are affected most by the housing crisis. The trade unions were acquiescent; they didn't agree to it, but nor did they offer anything to stop it. The Government says it is addressing the issue over time, the ASTI says it is not doing enough. The second dispute is more prosaic - on the restoration of pay for supervision and substitution. This threatens to close schools indefinitely from November 7. Though the ASTI likes to claim the disputes are separate, on Thursday the head of the ASTI, Ed Byrne, said the union would be willing to do a deal on one if they could get agreement on the other. The origins of the dispute actually go back to the early 2000s. As part of Benchmarking or as it should be known, The Great Bertie Buy Off, pay for public sector workers was increased at regular intervals. The government decided it should be seen to get something in return for the extra money so it started a managerial drive, in which public sector workers submit themselves to something called a Performance Management Development System. This was agreed by the government and unions, neither of which seemed to display any knowledge of what many public servants actually did. Many sensibly ignore it, many others possibly can't. Under The Great Bertie Buy Off, teachers started to get paid extra to do the jobs that they had always done. Supervision at break times and substitution for colleagues out sick were activities teachers regarded as part of their job. Training days were now negotiated. Teachers' hours were calculated, and curriculums were determined for them. By counting every hour, and measuring what teachers were to do, the government, with union support, de-professionalised a profession. It took away the freedom teachers had to treat students differently according to their needs, to develop their own curriculum, to try out new methods. If we look at the education system that seems to work well, that of Finland, we see teachers are well trained, well respected and well paid. Finland avoids large-scale reforms, and instead teachers have freedom to experiment. They train each other. They try to keep up with developments in education themselves. They want their students to succeed, not because it is being measured, but because they are interested in being good educators. The Great Bertie Buy Off mistook managerialism for progress, and the unions went along for the ride. The unions sold out professional autonomy for extra money. The State didn't realise that many of its employees are professionals, and true professionals don't count their hours, they want to do their job well. For professionals the most powerful management system is the desire to be respected by their peers. It has the advantage in that it is more or less constant and it's free. Performance management systems are fine for those doing menial tasks that are easy to measure, but they don't make sense for many jobs. It is not just in schools, it's in the health service, and the civil service. Counting hours encourages presenteeism - people turning up for work, but not really doing their job. Of course there will be shirkers - the lazy ones who take advantage of the autonomy. But they are usually small in number, and imposing restrictions on the majority to deal with this minority will do more to damage to the education system or health system than improve it. The teachers' unions and the Government should think about the teaching profession when it is negotiating changing pay and conditions. Fumbling in the till, looking for an extra few pence for every additional task, and counting hours does teachers and teaching a disservice. We can always count on the Swedes to promote progressive social ideas. Jantelagen - the philosophy that we are all equal - is their prevailing ethos, while the Goldilocks ideal of "just the right amount" - lagom - is an everyday endeavour. They're also best in class when it comes to paternity leave, elderly care and space-saving bookcases (the BILLY, from IKEA). But what really makes me want to pack up my bags and move to Stockholm is their refreshingly open-minded approach to modern relationships. Generally speaking, when you use the words "open-minded" and "relationship" in the same sentence, you're about to explore the pros and cons of polyamory, which is fairly closed-minded when you really think about it... But, I digress. Anyway, I've recently discovered that the Swedes have terms to describe the entire spectrum of modern human relationship - both romantic and platonic - and I think we should start using them, too. Are you in a long-term relationship and living together, but not married? In Ireland, that makes you the talk of the local shop ("Sure he's walking the feet off her!"). In Sweden, it makes you a sambo - 'samman' meaning 'together', and 'boende' meaning 'accommodation'. Sambo is a little bit like our common law marriage; or acknowledgement that you don't necessarily need a ring when you've already made the biggest commitment you can make to another person - sharing a bathroom. This isn't to undermine the relationships of those who don't live together. There's a word for them too: sarbo. This is for those who find the words boyfriend/girlfriend a touch juvenile, and 'partner' a little too formal. In other words, sarbo is what your parents mean why they describe a couple as "doing a strong line". The Swedes aren't in the cult of the romantic relationship. They understand that, at varying points in life's journey, our most intimate relationships can be completely platonic. The room-mate who is essentially your wife (save for a sexual relationship)? The Swedes call that a kombo. They also understand that an adult living with a parent can be a choice and not a circumstance. In Sweden, they're called mambos, unlike in Ireland where they tend to be known as 'saddos'. Let's not stop there. We need more words to reflect the diversity of modern relationships. Can I propose the word 'Limbo' for relationships that reach an impasse around the second or third date? Neither party is willing - or particularly bothered - to negotiate the power struggle, and the relationship remains in a perpetual fog of unknowing until one party does the decent thing and ghosts the other. Next we have the 'Beepo'. Have you ever asked a friend about the guy she's seeing and she says, "Oh, we're just texting"? It should be noted that she isn't speaking figuratively. They are literally just texting. Beepo relationships are initiated online and can go on for months without real-life interaction. It's a bit like dating Siri, except his name is 'Ronan, 32'. Elsewhere, we have what is known as the 'Go on, so'. This is the guy who is absolutely perfect for you, if you can overlook the lack of chemistry, the dearth of common interests and the questionable footwear. You generally don't discuss him around your loved ones and, if you do, you use the same tone of voice you would employ to describe the second-hand laptop you bought on Donedeal. Don't worry, it's not a nervous breakdown. You're just really, really desperate. The best way to avoid the 'Go on, so' is to have a 'Secondo'. This is a platonic friend of the opposite sex who you can spoon (fully clothed, I hasten to add) the morning after the night before. The Secondo is essentially a surrogate boyfriend who provides you with the tenderness of a romantic relationship, and the support of a wingman should the situation arise. Maybe he's gay. Maybe he's straight. Whatever. This is Sweden. The Secondo can also prevent you from ending up in what is known as a 'Shambo'. This is the married couple who have bought wholesale into the 'sunk cost fallacy' and haven't had sex in seven years. The woman standing in the IKEA car park, staring wistfully at the airplanes piercing the skyline, as her husband tries to fit the BILLY into the boot of the car? That's a Shambo. Finally, we have the 'Dodo' - the boyfriend who exists entirely in your head, who you use as a benchmark with which to measure every one of your failed relationships. He's a white tablecloth, red roses kind of guy - a throwback to a time when 'DTF?' meant an invite to the Dublin Theatre Festival and a late-night-supper in the Trocadero. Just remember that the Dodo isn't real - his breed was driven into extinction by Tinder. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry: 'Meghan has come along at the right time' Prince Harry is said to be dating American actress and model Meghan Markle, best known for her role in Suits. Sources close to the Prince told the Irish Daily Star that he is happier than he has been for years with the actress, who plays Rachel Zane on the popular US legal drama. Ms Markle has made several trips to London, and was seen in the royal box at Wimbledon on June 28th and July 4th. Hes in a very relaxed period of his life and Meghan has come along at the right time, a source told the Daily Star. Expand Close Actress Meghan Markle at the One Young World 2014 Summit in Dublin. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Actress Meghan Markle at the One Young World 2014 Summit in Dublin. They are taking each week as it comes and just enjoying each others company but its fair to say that they love seeing each other and theres a definite chemistry between them. Ms Markle and the Prince have not been seen in public together, but sources say she has been out for dinner with his friends, and even met William and Kate. Harry likely met Ms Markle in May when he was promoting the Invictus Games for disabled servicemen in Toronto, where Markle lives and Suits is filmed. Ms Markle was born in Los Angeles and spent time on film sets as a child because her father worked as a lighting director. She graduated from Northwestern University and spent time as a freelance calligrapher before landing her big break in 2002 on General Hospital. Expand Close Prince Harry / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Prince Harry Ms Markle works with UN Women and the HeforShe campaign, and sources say they have bonded over their humanitarian work: Harry loves to hear about her humanitarian work and he thinks shes doing a fantastic job. Harry has been single since his split from actress Cressida Bonas in 2014. Expand Close Prince Harry and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attend part of a military-led vigil to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Somme at the Thiepval memorial to the Missing in Thiepval, France / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Prince Harry and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attend part of a military-led vigil to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Somme at the Thiepval memorial to the Missing in Thiepval, France A man changed his name to secure an iPhone 7 A Ukrainian man has officially changed his name to iPhone 7 after an electronics store offered the latest Apple product to the first five people who do that. The 20-year old iPhone Sim (Seven) got the coveted prize Friday. He said he might change it back to his original name, Olexander Turin, when he has children. The price of phone starts at 850 US dollars (697) in Ukraine, while the name changes costs the equivalent of 2 dollars (1.60). Sim's friends and family were shocked at first but eventually supported the idea. His sister, Tetyana Panina, said "it was difficult to accept that and hard to believe it's true". She added: "Each person in this world is looking for a way to express himself. Why not do that in this way?" AP Malcolm Turnbull said it was a battle of will between the Australian government and criminal gangs of people smugglers Refugees who try to reach Australia by boat will be banned from ever visiting the country, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said. He announced plans to ratchet up his tough policy against asylum seekers, saying: "You need the clearest of clear messages." A previous government introduced a policy on July 19 2013, banning refugees who arrive by boat from Indonesian ports after that date from ever being resettled in Australia. Under legislation to be unveiled next week, thousands of asylum seekers who have returned to their homelands in the Middle East, Africa and Asia would be banned for life from ever travelling to Australia as tourists, to do business or as an Australian's spouse. Mr Turnbull said: "This is a battle of will between the Australian people, represented by their government, and these criminal gangs of people smugglers. You should not under-estimate the scale of the threat." Australia has paid the poor Pacific nations of Nauru and Papua New Guinea to keep asylum seekers in camps since the 2013 policy came into force. The new policy would apply to all asylum seekers who have attempted to reach Australia since July 19 2013. Immigration minister Peter Dutton said asylum seeker children would be exempt from the visa ban and he would have discretion to make exceptions for adults in cases where to do so was in the public interest. More than 51,000 asylum seekers arrived in Australian waters by boat during the six years the former centre-left Labor Party government was in power from 2007 until 2013. More than 20,000 arrived in 2013. No boat smuggling operation has succeeded in delivering asylum seekers to Australia since July 2014 under Mr Turnbull's conservative government. But human rights groups have accused Australia of abrogating its responsibilities to refugees as a signatory to the United Nations Refugee Convention. Labor spokesman Brendan O'Conner said the opposition would have to read the legislation before deciding whether it would support it in the Senate where the government does not hold a majority of seats. "With any legislation you want to look at it, see whether in fact it is fair and reasonable and is consistent with our own commitments internationally," he O'Connor said. AP A car bomb parked in a shopping street in Baghdad has killed at least 10 and wounded 34 A car bomb parked in a shopping street in Baghdad has killed at least 10 and wounded 34, Iraq police said. The bombing, which hit a popular fruit and vegetable market in the predominantly Shiite neighbourhood of Hurriyah, was the fifth explosion in the capital on Sunday. The day's casualty toll from the attacks in Baghdad now stands at 17 dead and over 60 wounded. Earlier in the day improvised explosive devices killed three people and wounded 10 at a market in the Shaab district, northern Baghdad. Another two explosions at traders' markets in the Topchi and Zataria areas killed four and wounded 16. A fourth bomb, planted in a microbus in the poorer Sadr City district, caused no deaths but wounded six. The attacks come just a day after an Islamic State suicide bomber targeted an aid station for Shiite pilgrims, killing at least seven and wounding more than 20. No one claimed immediate responsibility for Sunday's bombings, but the Sunni extremist group often targets Iraq's Shiite majority, which it views as apostates deserving of death. Attacks in the capital have been rare since last summer. The officials - police and hospital authorities - spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief reporters. EU and Canadian flags are adjusted prior to a summit at the European Council building in Brussels (AP) European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, right, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have signed the agreement (AP) The European Union and Canada signed a landmark trade deal on Sunday - following days of uncertainty due to opposition in Belgium. As protesters gathered outside EU headquarters in Brussels, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico - whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency - put an end to the suspense by signing the Comprehensive Economic and Trade agreement. "This accord is the product of long discussions. Frank discussions, but which have always taken place in respect, among partners that share common values," Trudeau told reporters afterwards. The EU needed unanimity among all its 28 members and Belgium needed the backing of all its regions to approve the pact, known as CETA. Trudeau had been due to sign it on Thursday, but was forced to cancel his flight when Belgium couldn't sign on because of opposition from the Wallonia region. Smaller than the US state of New Jersey, Wallonia defied hopes for a deal between more than 500 million EU citizens and 35 million Canadians for weeks. Politicians there argued that CETA would undermine labour, environment and consumer standards and allow multinationals to crush local companies. After several rounds of talks late into the night last week Belgium formally gave its endorsement on Saturday morning. Even Trudeau's plane appeared to have conspired to hold up the signing ceremony as it turned back to Ottawa overnight with mechanical problems. But Trudeau, who made it to EU headquarters only two hours late, said he welcomed the challenge posed by Wallonia. "The fact that throughout people are asking tough questions of a deal that will have a significant impact on our economies, and giving us the opportunity to demonstrate that that impact will be positive, is a good thing," he said. Juncker lauded the agreement as "the best and most progressive that we have ever signed." He added that "we are grateful to Canada for being as patient as it has been". But Juncker said: "Belgium should reflect on the way it functions when it comes to international relations." On the other side of EU headquarters, a rowdy group of around 250 anti-CETA protesters gathered to block the front entrance as riot police watched. Red paint was smeared on the building and some demonstrators entered the foyer. Police took away 16 people, but did not break up the protest, spokeswoman Ilse Van de Keere said. The EU says CETA will remove more than 99 per cent of tariffs and boost trade with Canada by 12 billion euros ($13.2 billion) a year, creating economic growth and jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. It insists the deal will not prevent governments from moving to protect environmental and social standards if they believe action is needed, despite concerns in Wallonia and elsewhere that big companies would have free rein. "We are setting international standards which will have to be followed by others with whom we are in negotiations as far as free trade is concerned," Juncker said. Work on the agreement was launched in 2009 and the text was actually finalized two years ago but sat in limbo awaiting endorsement. The delay has raised troubling questions about the EU's ability to seal big trade agreements. Work on a similar pact with the US, dubbed TTIP, has barely advanced this year and little progress is likely before a new US president takes office in January. "There is no realism in concluding TTIP right now," EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said Sunday, noting the US election campaign. None of it bodes well for the trade talks that Britain will need to have with its 27 EU partners once it leaves the bloc. AP Undated handout photo issued by West Midlands Police of eight-year-old Saros Endris and Leanor, aged six, who died after a suspected arson attack on their home in Hamstead, Birmingham. Family handout/PA Wire Undated handout photo issued by West Midlands Police of eight-year-old Saros Endris and Leanor, aged six, who died after a suspected arson attack on their home in Hamstead, Birmingham. Family handout/PA Wire Undated handout photo issued by West Midlands Police of eight-year-old Saros Endris and Leanor, aged six, who died after a suspected arson attack on their home in Hamstead, Birmingham. Family handout/PA Wire Police have named a brother and sister who died after a suspected arson attack on their home. Eight-year-old Saros Endris and Leanor, aged six, were pulled from their burning house in Hamstead, Birmingham, at around 3.40am on Friday by neighbours who tried to give first aid. They were said to have been "lifeless on the lawn" when emergency services arrived and were pronounced dead shortly after arrival at hospital. West Midlands Police said post-mortem examinations on the children have taken place but added that further tests will need to be carried out to establish a full cause of death. Expand Close Undated handout photo issued by West Midlands Police of eight-year-old Saros Endris and Leanor, aged six, who died after a suspected arson attack on their home in Hamstead, Birmingham. Family handout/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Undated handout photo issued by West Midlands Police of eight-year-old Saros Endris and Leanor, aged six, who died after a suspected arson attack on their home in Hamstead, Birmingham. Family handout/PA Wire Their father, a man in his 40s, remains in a critical condition in hospital after he was discovered in a burnt-out car on Friday, just hours after the house fire. He was discovered in a Vauxhall Insignia about 35 miles from the scene in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire at around 7.15am. The mother of Saros and Leanor, 36-year-old Penil Teklehaimamot, is being treated as a witness and did not suffer serious injuries in the fire, West Midlands Police said. Detective Inspector Justin Spanner, from Force CID, said: "This is an absolutely tragic set of circumstances and my thoughts are with everyone who has been affected. Expand Close Undated handout photo issued by West Midlands Police of eight-year-old Saros Endris and Leanor, aged six, who died after a suspected arson attack on their home in Hamstead, Birmingham. Family handout/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Undated handout photo issued by West Midlands Police of eight-year-old Saros Endris and Leanor, aged six, who died after a suspected arson attack on their home in Hamstead, Birmingham. Family handout/PA Wire "We are still at the early stages of understanding exactly what happened and why - but at this time I can confirm we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this investigation. "I am still keen to hear from anyone who was in the area in the early hours of yesterday morning and who has not yet spoken to us, please do get in touch." Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 30 Trend: OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo received Azerbaijani Minister of Energy Natig Aliyev and Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna, Galib Israfilov, World Energy News reported. Non-OPEC countries were invited to join in talks following the Algiers Accord, reached in Algeria on 28 September 2016. Natig Aliyev said that Azerbaijan is very interested in closer contact with OPEC, adding he wants to increase his knowledge of OPECs efforts to stabilize the oil market and find out which role non-OPEC countries can play, including Azerbaijan. He said OPEC and non-OPEC countries share the same challenges and should seek common solutions, adding that Azerbaijan depends financially on the oil and gas industry. The development of a roadmap is an important next step for Azerbaijan, he said. "Venezuela and Azerbaijan agree that some measures will be taken to stabilize the market. We agreed the price of oil can be around $60 per barrel", Natig Aliyev told Reuters. One mandate of the Algiers Accord is to work out a framework for permanent cooperation, Mohammad Barkindo said at the meeting with Natig Aliyev, which could include dialogue and joint actions. The evolving relationship between OPEC and non-OPEC needs to be upgraded within a permanent framework in a structured and timely fashion as mandated by the Algiers Accord, he added. Six non-OPEC countries participated in the technical meeting on 29 October, including Azerbaijan, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Oman and Russia. Mr Gove and his wife, Sarah Vine, said their son had said he would rather stay in and watch TV (Photo: Getty) Michael Gove and his wife left their young son at a bed and breakfast into the early hours of the morning while they attended a party, it has been reported. The 11-year-old is said to have preferred to stay in and watch TV rather than go to the function. Government guidelines advise that children under 12 are not left alone for a long period of time and if they are harmed in their absence parents can be prosecuted, however the boy, described by a spokesman for Mr Gove as being "mature", was left under the supervision of staff. Mr Gove, the former Education Secretary and chief whip, notoriously launched a failed bid to lead the Tory party in the wake of the referendum that saw him betray his Brexit ally, Boris Johnson. After keeping a low profile since the debacle the MP, 48, stepped out earlier this month with journalist wife Sarah Vine to attend the event celebrating the end of the Cheltenham Literature Festival. According to the Sunday Mirror they entrusted staff at the 250-a-night guesthouse to look after the youngster, returning at 1.30am the following morning. Later that day comedian Dom Joly tweeted: "Amazing party at 131TheProm celebrating end of Chelt Lit Fest- only slightly ruined by the sight of the loathsome Michael Gove dancing..." A spokesman for the family told the Sunday Mirror: "Michael and Sarah's son is a mature and confident secondary school pupil. He preferred to watch TV rather than go out to dinner. "He was perfectly fine and staff at the 13-room hotel were happy to supervise. "The hotel where Michael, Sarah and their son were staying would know how to get in touch with them if anything distressing had occurred." Hillary Clinton and Jennifer Lopez at a Get Out The Vote performance in Miami (AP) Hillary Clinton's campaign has put pressure on FBI Director James Comey to release more details about the emails he says could be related to the investigation into her use of a private email server. They demanded to know whether Mr Comey had even reviewed them himself. Tim Kaine, Mrs Clinton's running mate, said Mr Comey owed it to the public to be more forthcoming about the emails under review by the FBI with only 10 days remaining before the election. Mr Kaine's message aimed to counter Republican rival Donald Trump, who has seized on the reignited email controversy in hopes of sowing fresh doubts about Mrs Clinton's trustworthiness. "As far as we know now, Director Comey knows nothing about the content of these emails. We don't know whether they're to or from Hillary at all," Mr Kaine said. He said if Mr Comey "hasn't seen the emails, I mean they need to make that completely plain. Then they should work to see the emails and release the circumstances of those once they have done that analysis". Mrs Clinton's campaign chairman, John Podesta, said Mr Comey's handling of the matter was "inappropriate" and urged him to be more transparent. The FBI is looking into whether there was classified information on a device belonging to Anthony Weiner, the disgraced ex-congressman who is separated from long-time Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Mr Comey, in a letter to Congress on Friday, said the FBI had recently come upon new emails while pursuing an unrelated case and was reviewing whether they were classified. Mrs Clinton's team tried to make it cases on the Sunday news shows, joining Democratic leaders who have said it was "unprecedented" for such FBI action so close to an election. Her campaign has called on Mr Comey to release all the facts known so far, and they have criticised his letter because, they contend, it lacks crucial details. Mr Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said Mr Comey was in "an impossible spot" when he acknowledged the FBI was looking into the messages. "Had he sat on the information, one can argue that he also would be interfering in the election," by failing to disclose the review, Ms Conway said. Mrs Clinton said in Florida on Saturday that it was "pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election" and accused Mr Trump of using the issue to mislead voters in the final leg of the campaign. But Mr Trump told a crowd in Golden, Colorado, on Saturday that the FBI's review of the email practices raises "everybody's deepest hope that justice, as last, can be properly delivered." The controversy over Mrs Clinton's email practices while she served as secretary of State has dogged her for more than a year. Four senior Democratic senators have urged the Justice Department and the FBI to provide more detailed information by Monday about what investigative steps are being taken, the number of emails involved and what is being done to determine how many of the emails are duplicative of those already reviewed by the FBI. AP In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Mrs Clinton attended a service at a predominantly black church. She did not mention the FBI inquiry but said scripture reminded them that "suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces hope". Mr Trump visited a non denominational church in Las Vegas, where he swayed and clapped along to the music. Later a law enforcement official told the Associated Press that FBI investigators in the Anthony Weiner sexting probe knew for weeks about the existence of the newly discovered emails that might be relevant to the Clinton email investigation. Mr Comey said he was briefed on Thursday about that development and then told Congress on Friday that investigators had found emails that were potentially relevant to the Clinton investigation. The emails were found on a device that belonged to Weiner, the estranged husband of close Clinton aide Huma Abedin. AP A view of a damaged church after a week of quakes in central Italy left thousands homeless (AP) Residents who fled from their houses gather in a square in front of a damaged church in Norcia, Italy (Sky Italia via AP) Italy was rocked by another powerful earthquake on Sunday, destroying homes, businesses and ancient buildings. With a preliminary magnitude of 6.6, it was the strongest earthquake to strike the country in nearly 36 years. People throughout the mountainous region north-east of Rome were still on edge after a pair of aftershocks last week and an August quake that killed nearly 300. There were no reports of fatalities in the latest quake, largely due to the fact that thousands had left their homes for shelters and hotels after the earlier tremors. Despite the new collapses, the head of the civil protection agency, Fabrizio Curcio, said there was no indication that anyone was missing or buried under rubble. Earlier, three people were extracted from rubble in Tolentino. "These earthquakes are bringing all of central Italy to its knees," Tolentino Mayor Giuseppe Pezzanesi said. Premier Matteo Renzi pledged that wrecked homes, churches and businesses would rise again, saying they were part of Italy's national identity. The government last week earmarked 40 million euros (36m) for rebuilding. "We will rebuild everything," Mr Renzi said. "We are dealing with marvellous territories, territories of beauty." Residents already rattled by a constant trembling of the earth rushed into the streets after being roused from bed early on Sunday by the quake. It was felt as far north as Salzburg, Austria, and all the way down the Italian peninsula to the Puglia region. "It is not since 1980 that we have had to deal with an earthquake of this magnitude," Mr Curcio said, referring to a 6.9-magnitude quake near Naples that killed some 3,000 people in November 1980. Some 20 people suffered minor injuries. Authorities responded with helicopters to help the injured and monitor collapses, as many roads were blocked by landslides. Around 3,600 people had already been relocated, many to the coast, following last week's quake, and Mr Curcio said more would follow. Closest to the epicentre was the ancient city of Norcia, famed for its Benedictine monastery and for the birthplace of St. Benedict, the father of Western monasticism. Witnesses said the 14th century St Benedict Cathedral collapsed in the quake, with only the facade still standing. "It's as if the whole city fell down," Norcia City Assessor Giuseppina Perla told the ANSA news agency. The city's ancient walls sustained damage, as did another famous Norcia church, St Mary Argentea, known for its 15th century frescoes. Television images showed nuns rushing into the main piazza as the bell tower appeared on the verge of collapse. Later, nuns and monks knelt in prayer in the main piazza. A firefighter appealed to a priest to help keep residents calm in an effort to prevent them from looking for loved ones. The town's deputy mayor, Pierluigi Altavilla, said his house remained standing, but everything inside had been toppled. "It seemed like a bomb exploded inside the house," he told Sky TG24. The quake came during a long holiday weekend in Italy ahead of Tuesday's All Saint's Day, when Catholics remember the dead. The head of the church in Umbria, Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, urged priests not to hold Masses inside churches but in open spaces for fear of further collapses, ANSA reported. Mayors in some towns, including Castelsantangelo sul Nera, said coffins had been pushed out of their resting place inside cemeteries, which in Italy are typically walled structures. "The scene is indescribable," Mayor Mauro Falcucci told ANSA. The quake struck a cluster of mountain towns, many of historic significance, already reeling from last week's pair of aftershocks to last August's deadly quake, including Visso, Castelsantangelo sul Nero and Preci. The hilltop town of Camerino sustained new building collapses, but there were no reports of injuries. The mayor of Ussita said a huge cloud of smoke erupted from the crumbled buildings. "It's a disaster, a disaster," Mayor Marco Rinaldi told ANSA. "I was sleeping in the car and I saw hell." In Arquata del Tronto, which had been devastated by the deadly August earthquake, Mayor Aleandro Petrucci said, "There are no towns left." "Everything came down," he said. The quake sent boulders tumbling onto major roads, forcing closures throughout the quake zone that impeded access to hard-hit cities such as Norcia. T he quake forced the temporary closure of some of Rome's most important tourist sites, including the presidential palace, so authorities could check for damage. AP Email trail: Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and long-term aide Huma Abedin on the campaign trail. A laptop Abedin shared with her former husband, Anthony Weiner, is thought to have triggered the latest furore Photo: AP Photo/Charles Dharapak It was an announcement that was supposed to provide clarity and transparency. Instead it threw the whole election campaign into chaos. With 11 days until the United States votes to choose its next president, the letter from James Comey, the FBI director, informing Congress that more information had been found relating to Hillary Clinton's email scandal sent the country into a frenzy. Donald Trump could barely contain his glee - describing the saga, which began in 2009 when Clinton was appointed secretary of state, as "worse than Watergate". Clinton was furious, and demanded that the FBI provide more details. Comey only referred to "emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation", when he wrote to inform Congress of the fresh evidence. Clinton and her team insisted they were in the dark. "We want to know the facts, which is why we are calling on the FBI to release all the information it has," she said on Friday afternoon, insisting she had found out about it through the media. The state department was said to be "stunned", and was not given advance notice. "We've heard these rumours, we don't know what to believe," Clinton said. "And I am sure there will be even more rumours. Even FBI director Comey admitted it might not be significant, so let's get it out." Yesterday sources were providing more detail about the "pertinent" emails - which were connected to the investigation into Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of the Democratic candidate's top aide Huma Abedin. "Oh God, Anthony Weiner," said Joe Biden, the vice-president, with a groan yesterday, when asked about the story. "I should not comment on Anthony Weiner. I'm not a big fan. I wasn't before he got in trouble. So I shouldn't comment on Anthony Weiner." In September, Weiner, 52, a former high-flying politician who disgraced himself with a series of sexual scandals, was alleged to have been sending explicit messages to a 15-year-old girl. His wife left him, and he now faces up to 30 years in prison. Once seen as a rising Democratic star, Weiner was forced to resign from Congress in 2011 after he sent a picture of his penis to a 21-year-old student via Twitter. After he initially denied involvement in the messages, further pictures sent by Weiner emerged and he stepped down, at the urging of Barack Obama. An attempt to become mayor of his hometown, New York City, gained traction in 2013, with several polls showing he had a decent chance of beating the long-time Clinton ally Bill de Blasio, the man who would eventually get the Democratic nomination and win the election in a landslide. However, Weiner's campaign was wounded after he admitted taking a picture of his penis and sending it to a 22-year-old woman. He had made contact with the woman after leaving Congress, using his now infamous alias "Carlos Danger" in his interactions with her. Abedin initially spoke out in defence of Weiner but the former congressman's election hopes were further tarnished after he admitted sending sexually explicit messages to several other women. Another low point arrived when Weiner was repeatedly asked "What is wrong with you?" during an excruciating live interview with the MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell. As shown in an eponymous fly-on-the-wall documentary released earlier this year, Weiner refused to bow out of the race despite the anguish of his staff and Abedin, who often looked on in silence as her husband attempted to extricate himself from the scandal. Abedin (40), who has become an increasingly public figure in her own right as vice-chair of the Clinton presidential campaign, announced her separation from Weiner in August "after long and painful consideration and work on my marriage". Weiner and Abedin have a young son. The split was expected to mark the end of the saga but, in what Clinton will view as a cruel irony, Weiner's communications have become an issue at the worst possible time for the former secretary of state. Prosecutors in Manhattan, it is believed, seized Weiner's mobile phone and iPad. They also took a laptop computer which he shared with his ex-wife - and it is this device which is believed to have sparked Comey's announcement on Friday. Yesterday, it was reported that the laptop contained tens of thousands of emails - and that, with such a significant body of fresh evidence, Comey had no choice but to make the news public. Given the spotlight under which Clinton's email practices have been for the past two years - since the select committee investigating the deadly attack on the US consulate in Benghazi discovered her private email server - it does seem remarkable that Abedin would not have handed over the laptop. The Clinton campaign say they cannot comment until they are told what the "pertinent" emails are. But it is thought the computer contains information showing how Clinton's emails were managed by Abedin - who has acted as Clinton's "gatekeeper" for years, ever since starting work for the then-first lady as a 19-year-old intern. Abedin, according to Newsweek, maintained four email accounts - an unclassified state department account, another on her private server with the clintonemail.com domain, and a third on Yahoo. The fourth was linked to her husband's account, which she used to support his activities when he was running for Congress. Abedin has said that she did not know Clinton used a private server for her emails. She told the FBI in April that she used the account on the clintonemail.com domain only for issues related to Clinton's personal affairs, such as communicating with her friends. For work-related records, Abedin said she primarily used the email account provided to her by the state department. Crucially, Clinton never had an official state department email. Clinton, 69, has repeatedly insisted she preferred printed material to emails. "I did not conduct most of the business I did on behalf of our country on email," she, told a panel investigating the 2012 Benghazi attack, in which Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans died. I conducted it in meetings, I read massive amounts of memos, a great deal of classified information, I made a lot of secure phone calls, I was in and out of the White House all the time." Abedin's laptop is believed to show how Abedin would move emails around from one account to another, then print them out so they could be delivered to Clinton in a diplomatic pouch by a security agent. It is not clear whether she ever transferred official emails to the account she used for her husband's campaign. If the FBI determines that any of the documents that ended up on the shared device were classified, Abedin could be deemed to have mishandled them. If the documents were not classified, no crime was committed. In order to prove that was a criminal offence, however, investigators would have to establish that she had intended to disclose the contents of those classified documents, or that she knew she was mishandling that information. And yet the damage to Clinton has been significant. Despite the FBI's efforts to use a chisel to clarify and update the investigation, at this most sensitive time, the impact has been that of a sledgehammer. Sean Spicer, chief strategist of the Republican National Committee, yesterday brandished a document in an interview with CNN to argue that the Clinton team could not be trusted. The document, Form OF-109, was signed by Abedin in August 2013, when she officially ended her work with the state department. "She signed it saying she understood it was her obligation to turn over emails relating to her work," said Spicer. "And there is this pattern; what they said they did is not true. It's this pattern of lying and obstruction. "This is what we can expect from a Clinton presidency. A zebra can't change its stripes. We've seen it for 30 years." While there is no evidence the emails involve Clinton as a sender or recipient, the new investigation has allowed Donald Trump to pounce. Last year, the Republican nominee said Weiner was a "perv" and a security risk due to his proximity to Clinton, through Abedin. On Friday, a gleeful Trump told a rally that he welcomed the new FBI investigation and that the system "might not be as rigged as I thought". The developments have helped bolster Trump at a time of plummeting poll numbers that have provoked wild claims by the real estate tycoon that the election is being fraudulently taken from him. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] I don't know what it all tells us about the decline and fall of civilisation as we know it. Maybe not a lot. But it feels bigger than politics, as if the train has entered a long tunnel at the end of decades of financial recklessness, military adventurism, cultural debasement and rampant narcissism. We have a battle for the most powerful office in the world dominated by the ravings of a self-misogynistic race baiter - a man who frequently exudes contempt for democratic norms - and a politician who used her private email server to send thousands of job-related emails. This would be a fine point if only those emails were not those of the Secretary of State of the United States of America, an individual sworn to uphold not only the letter of the law but the spirit of open government that defines the American constitution. There is much else to be said about Hillary and her attitude to power. This has nothing to do with her being a woman and all to do with the idea of high office being an entitlement that shields the holder from essential scrutiny. But in the past few weeks, aided by her opponent's staggering awfulness, Hillary seemed to have done enough to mute Trump's chorus of 'Lock Her Up' and the wider sense that she was shifty and secretive. She saw off the Russian espionage operation which provided Wikileaks with - guess what? - thousands of her campaign emails. Surging at last in the polls, she had convinced enough potential voters that the alternative to President Clinton was a vista that could not be contemplated. Then along comes a guy called Weiner... This is where the culture and the politics of the age meet head on, splattering us all with their toxic spray. Wiener was a rising star of the Democratic Party until his penchant for sending sexual texts and photographs to other women - and now possibly a 15-year-old girl - derailed his bid for the mayoralty of New York City. Weiner was, until earlier this year, married to and living with one of Hillary's top aides, Huma Abedin. Although Weiner was still under investigation, the Clinton campaign assumed he had slithered safely into obscurity. That was until Friday when the FBI director, James Comey, wrote to congressmen telling them they were investigating Clinton-related emails found on the seized phones of Weiner and Abedin. If they are found to contain classified information she could be in serious trouble. But they may contain nothing of significance. The problem for Hillary is that she is unlikely to know either way until the election has been held. Clinton partisans have accused the FBI of irresponsiblility in releasing the information so close to Election Day. Wrong. Comey would have been damned if he hadn't. The Trump campaign has already accused him of letting Hillary off the hook in the original investigation. It was the absence of information and context in his statement that was outrageous. The prospect now is of a Clinton presidency undermined by a high-profile legal process that could drag on for months, if not years. Sound familiar? Little wonder Bill has been looking so gaunt and strained in recent weeks. Even if Comey gives Hillary the all clear in the next week, the latest allegations will reinvigorate the Trump campaign. They will not win - but they will claim moral justification for refusing to accept her victory. The poison is now flowing too freely through the system. The great hope that the Republicans would see the folly of bitter partisanship is a pipe dream. I expect American politics to get more vicious and polarised. A President Clinton will not unite the nation because too many Republican voters loathe her, and too few Democrats love her. America is in a dark place. The extremes are no longer the extremes. In much of the western world, a view has taken hold on the farther reaches of right and left that only breaking up the political system will create a world free of corruption. We know how such Utopian fantasies end up. We are left, as so often these days, to imagine what might have been. Just as a many Republican grandees now mourn the ascendancy of Trump, there are surely Democrats who wish that solid figure of Vice President Joe Biden was their candidate. At his age of 73, he would almost surely only serve one term - but long enough to create some stability. He and Michelle Obama have turned out to be the star performers during this campaign, by turns thoughtful and passionate. Now there is a ticket to ponder! ***** I am in West Kerry and just back from a walk around Slea Head in this glorious mild weather. The Blaskets still turn my heart inside out every time I see them come into view. Dingle is buzzing and full of foreigners. It is a relief to be in Ireland. I love London and it is my home - but the atmosphere of the city feels changed. Hardly a day goes by without some racist incident or hate crime being reported. A man is struck in the face on the tube because he has brown skin. Muslim women have hijabs pulled from their faces. Many others find themselves verbally abused and told to 'go home'. The usual liberal voices express outrage. But there is a sense that all of this is happening without the necessary outrage on the part of the wider public. I always inclined to George Orwell's belief, expressed in The Lion and The Unicorn, that the English would never be hijacked by extremism. They were too stolid, essentially mistrustful of ideology, to be swept up by the kind of angry passions that currently convulse America. Perhaps it is so. But the ugliness in the air right now makes me fearful. In Ireland, 30 years of The Troubles, and the memory of the Civil War that gave birth to our State, makes us disdain political extremes. The negative side of that is you end up with a system where for too long debate about issues was replaced by the politics of the pocket calculator. That and a still lingering culture of cronyism. We were driven to economic catastrophe not by atavistic passion but by greed and stupidity. I am thankful for our ingrained suspicion of grand ideological projects. Now all we need are some ideas fit for the challenges of Brexit and a polarised world scene. This island might just offer a calm example to John Bull. Fergal Keane is a BBC special correspondent Hillary Clinton has led a furious Democratic party backlash against the FBI's decision to investigate a new batch of her staff's emails just 10 days before the presidential election - a move that has breathed new life into the faltering campaign of her rival, Donald Trump. James Comey, director of the FBI, yesterday faced a torrent of criticism for his dramatic late intervention, which broke the FBI's usual protocol of keeping its ongoing inquiries quiet at a time when they could change the trajectory of a presidential race. He stood accused of betraying the bureau's political neutrality, and was last night under growing pressure to make public all he knows about the emails. The Clinton campaign was said to be livid with the director - while a jubilant Trump seized on a potential lifeline, describing the Democratic candidate's handling of classified information as a scandal "bigger than Watergate". In a bombshell announcement on Friday, Comey said the FBI was looking into whether there was classified information on a device belonging to Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of Huma Abedin, one of Clinton's closest aides. The bureau uncovered the emails during an investigation of Weiner, a disgraced ex-congressman accused of sending sexually explicit text messages to a teenage girl. In July, the FBI closed an investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server when secretary of state. Comey said Clinton and her aides had been "extremely careless" but not criminal in using the system for communications about government business. An angry Clinton told a press conference in Des Moines, Iowa, on Friday night: "The American people deserve to get the full and complete facts immediately. The director himself has said he doesn't know whether the emails referenced in his letter are significant or not." The content of the messages is unknown - and may well not be before election day. "Right now, your guess is as good as mine, and I don't think that's good enough," Clinton said. The decision by Comey, a Republican appointed by Barack Obama three years ago, appears to contradict department of justice guidelines that discourage any actions close to an election with potential to influence the outcome. The New Yorker magazine's website reported that Comey went against the advice of Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Matthew Miller, who served at the department of justice under Attorney General Eric Holder, told the Observer: "It was an unacceptable breach of years of department of justice practice and precedent. The department goes out of its way not to take any action close to an election that could influence the outcome. The FBI's reputation for independence and integrity is really at the core of their ability to do their job." Comey's decision to make an unprecedented televised statement at the end of the Clinton investigation was "the original sin here", he said, but this was "by far the most serious breach of all". Washington's political establishment was said to be stunned at the timing of Comey's letter informing Congress of additional "investigative steps". Howard Dean, former Democratic national committee chair tweeted: "Comey tried to do what he thought was right. He botched the presentation and may have destroyed the credibility of the FBI forever." In a reference to the alleged role of Russia's President Putin in hacking Clinton campaign emails, Dean added: "Ironically, Comey put himself on the same side as Putin." Dianne Feinstein, the Democratic senator for California, said: "The FBI has a history of extreme caution near election day. Today's break from that is appalling." Some commentators speculated that Comey felt caught in a bind: if he waited until after the election, or if it leaked through back-channels, he would have been accused of a cover-up. In an internal email to FBI staff, he said he was trying to strike a balance between keeping Congress and the people informed and not creating a misleading impression about the emails, whose significance is yet unknown. "In trying to strike that balance, in a brief letter and in the middle of an election season, there is significant risk of being misunderstood, but I wanted you to hear directly from me about it," he wrote. It was unclear if his announcement will affect the election outcome. Early voting is under way in 37 states, and nearly 17m votes have already been cast. Clinton has a healthy lead in most opinion polls. "I think people a long time ago made up their minds about the emails," she said at her press conference. "And now they are choosing a president." But Carl Bernstein, who with Washington Post colleague Bob Woodward broke the Watergate story that brought down Richard Nixon, told CNN: "We don't know what this means yet - except that it's a real bombshell. "And it is unthinkable that the director of the FBI would take this action lightly, that he would put this letter forth to the Congress of the United States, saying there is more information out there about classified emails, unless it was something requiring serious investigation." Trump, whose own campaign has been plagued by one scandal after another, pounced on the FBI's disclosure, accusing Clinton of corruption "on a scale we have never seen before". He said: "This is bigger than Watergate... we must not let her take her criminal scheme into the Oval Office... Perhaps, finally, justice will be done." He added: "The FBI would never have reopened this case unless it was a most egregious offence." Observer Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 30 Trend: Europe and Russia must work with Azerbaijan and Armenia to reduce the cases of escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict area, German Bundestag member Albert Weiler told "Armenian News" web site. He recalled that after the escalation in April Germany, as OSCE chairing country, held talks with the representatives of Azerbaijan and Armenia, which led to easing tension. The politicians in Germany, and he personally, are trying to hold dialogue with both parties to find a joint solution, Albert Weiler added. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. A Russian Soyuz MS space capsule lands about 90 miles from the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan (AP) US astronaut Kate Rubins calls her relatives shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS space capsule (AP) A Russian Soyuz space capsule has landed in Kazakhstan, bringing three astronauts from the US, Japan and Russia back to Earth from a 115-day mission aboard the International Space Station. The landing took place on Sunday morning near Dzhezkazgan on the treeless Central Asian steppes. Kate Rubins of Nasa, Japan's Takuya Onisihi and Anatoly Ivanishin of Russia were removed from the capsule and sat on the steppes still in their capsule seats as they readjusted to the forces of gravity after nearly four months in weightless conditions. They were then taken to a nearby medical tent for initial examination. Andrei Borisenko and Sergey Ryzhykov of Russia and Nasa astronaut Robert Shane Kimbrough remain aboard the space station. They arrived on October 22 after a two-day voyage. The trip back to Earth was much quicker for the three returnees on Sunday, less than four hours from undocking until landing. The capsule landed as scheduled and was closely tracked by helicopters as it wafted through partly cloudy skies under a parachute marked in red and white concentric circles. The craft landed upright, which made the extraction of the astronauts quicker than when capsules land on their sides. A car exploded in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, killing three people including a political activist close to a powerful general, hospital and security officials said. The explosion on Saturday rocked the Benghazi district of al-Kesh which is lined with busy cafes, killing Mohammed Bougages and two others. At least 12 others were wounded, some of whom were in critical condition. Mr Bougages is a political activist and a fiery TV host of a daily talk show called Frankly, which is aired on state TV. H e has been an outspoken supporter of General Khalifa Hifter, who has led a campaign against extremists in Benghazi since 2014. AP CONCORD Habitat for Humanity of Cabarrus County Executive Director Dave Zablotny will be retiring on April 1, according to the board of directors. Current Resource Development Director Katie Page will assume the role as executive director at that time and Zablotny will remain in an advisory role reporting to the board of directors until June 30. According to Board Chair Doug Stafford, Zablotny approached the executive committee about early retirement earlier this year. This was a difficult decision for Dave but one that he felt he needed to address for personal and family reasons, said Stafford. Under Zablotnys leadership since July of 2011, the organization has made significant progress, according to a press release. With a focus on fiscal responsibility and transparency, the affiliate paid off all interest bearing debt in 2014 ($1 million), and built reserves in case of market instability such as what happened in 2008. Additionally, staffing was stabilized and the focus shifted to serving families in other ways than just building new houses. The affiliate consistently serves over 40 families each year through new construction, critical home repairs and transitional housing. The year prior to Zablotnys arrival, the affiliate served less than 10 families. In recent years, Habitat Cabarrus has also nurtured existing partnerships and established new partnerships to help build its volunteer and donor base with church groups, the cities of Concord and Kannapolis and local businesses. Zablotny was a 15 year volunteer with Habitat for Humanity Buffalo before becoming their first Executive Director in 2008. He served there for 3 years before he was hired at Habitat Cabarrus in 2011. Prior to that, he had a 25 year career in financial services with HSBC Bank, also in Buffalo, NY serving in credit management, operations management, finance and Human Resources roles. Incoming Executive Director Katie Page As we considered our succession plan, the first question we asked ourselves was about the important traits needed in our next leader, said Stafford. Simply put, we felt we needed a person who could continue to lead Habitat Cabarrus forward in building on those strengths that have brought us success over the past several years and also provide a level of continuity someone who is passionate about our work, is well respected and engaged in our community and is a strong fundraiser and relationship builder. It was clear to Dave and the Committee that Habitat Cabarrus already had that person in Katie Page. Page joined Habitat Cabarrus in 2014 as the Resource Development Director and was recently recognized as one of Business Today NCs 2016 Top Women in Business. Page is passionate about a career in the nonprofit sector and furthered her knowledge this year by receiving a certificate in Business Essentials for Nonprofit Organizations from Wake Forest University as well as a certificate in Principles & Techniques of Fundraising from the Indiana University Lily School of Philanthropy. Page has been an active part of the community since 2010, previously working at United Way and ACN. She serves on the board at Concord Rotary Club and chairs the community service committee. She also graduated from the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerces Leadership Cabarrus class in 2015. During her six years in Cabarrus County she has also participated in Big Brothers, Big Sisters mentor program, delivered Meals on Wheels, participated in the Junior Charity League, raised funds for and walked in the Alzheimers Association Walk to End Alzheimers, served on the Coltrane LIFE Adult Day Health Services board, participated in a corporate build day with Habitat Cabarrus (while at ACN) and continues to attend countless fundraising, chamber and networking events throughout the community. Whats Ahead for Habitat Cabarrus Habitat Cabarrus is coming off another highly successful year which was accented by the very popular Women Build that engaged hundreds of women volunteers from all over the community. The affiliate is looking forward to a major milestone this spring - building the 150th Habitat home in Cabarrus County. Habitat Cabarrus is currently finalizing its second Tiny House which was recently featured on WTVI PBS Charlotte. Habitat Cabarrus is the only Habitat for Humanity affiliate in North Carolina building tiny houses for families. The affiliate will also be dedicating a home in November sponsored by Thrivent Financial. Habitat Cabarrus was one of only three North Carolina affiliates to be awarded the very competitive matching grant from Thrivent Financial this year. Actress Drashti Dhami is finally back from Austria after shooting for her upcoming show, ' Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil '. The actress mentioned about how she was homesick and desperately wanted to be back. Now that she is back, it seems she is in full spirits already. With Diwali round the corner, Drashti has been gearing up for the festival. The actress is sporadically active on social media, but posts important updates. However, recently, the actress posted a video in which she was all smiles, but, was hugging a mystery man. In fact, the video has the caption of 'Mystery Man' too. OMG! Even Drashti and the person taking the video kept saying and wondering that 'Who is this Mystery man' after all! Featured Video Well, while we couldn't see the face, it was needless to say that the mystery man is none other than Drashti's husband, Neeraj Khemka. And we are not just assuming that, as the video was just a teasing prank for the fans and one where Drashti mentioned about Neeraj too. It is a treat for all the Drashti fans who got to witness her playful side too. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 30 By Maksim Tsurkov Trend: Azerbaijan will become a big transit hub in the region, Aboubaker Omar Hadi, chairman of Djibouti Ports and Free Zone Authority (DGZ), said in an exclusive interview with Trend in Baku. Hadi noted that Azerbaijan has a very important geographical location at the crossroads of different countries and regions. "Azerbaijan is located on the shore of the Caspian Sea. Russia is located to the north, Iran to the south, Turkey and Europe to the west and China to the east," he said. It is not surprising that the Great Silk Road was passing through Azerbaijan, noted Hadi. Hadi also said he has visited the Baku International Sea Trade Port and is satisfied with what he has seen. The port is very big and good, and despite the fact that the construction continues, the port already receives and sends vessels, he said. Hadi also noted that the main purpose of his visit to Baku is to establish relations with the management of the Baku Port. "We wanted to establish relations, discuss how we can develop our relations, how we can cooperate," said Hadi. "We intend to sign a memorandum of understanding in order to develop the cooperation with the Baku Port." "Prospects of our cooperation in the near future are very promising," he added. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov Tehran, Iran, October 30 By Mehdi Sepahvand Trend: The United Nations has failed to fulfill its commitments under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) program in Iran, Irans Vice President for Environment Masumeh Ebtekar told the UN Day conference in Tehran. Expressing sadness over shortcomings in UN activities in Iran, she urged stronger will from the UN to help Iran under the GEF which, being a solely environmental issue, cannot be done away with under the vibe of political or economic restrictions, Trend correspondent reported from the event October 30. We have expectations from the UN, Ebtekar stressed, noting that Iran has already seen the consequences of climate change, including 1.5 to 1.8 degrees Celsius rise in average temperature. The Iranian environment chief went on to stress the need for the settlement of regional security issues as a prerequisite for the fulfilment of the UNs sustainable development goals (SDG). In the recent past Iran has been the country to warn the world of impending threats, whose neglect has caused great affliction for all. One example of this was President Hassan Rouhanis call for World against Violence and Extremism (WAVE) just before the Islamic State (aka IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) sprang up. The other was former president Mohammd Khatamis call for Dialogue among Civilizations before the 9/11 catastrophe. The Islamic State has inflicted heavy damages to environment, Ebtekar recently said during signing a cooperation document with the Defense Ministry. Self-styled critic Kamal R Khan is like an eclipse on Bollywood. Not only does he creates controversies out of nothing, he has this very bad habit of getting involved in the most unpredictable things. For instance, he became involved in an ugly fight with director Karan Johar and actor Ajay Devgn when he started bad-mouthing the latters film Shivaay even before its release. ibtimes Whats more, he even announced that he had received Rs.25 lakh from Devgns business partner Kumar Mangat to praise the film and put in some good words before its release. KRK then stooped to another level and released the first scene of Shivaay and later said terrible things about the film. He wrote, Let me clear, #Shivaay is story of prostitution problem in Bulgaria, so what Indian audience has to do with it? Why will Indians watch it? Youtube Story started by 9 years old memory and Since last 15 minutes Ajay Devgan Sahab is jumping in the mountains! #Shivaay, read is other tweet. Amid all this, twitterati couldnt help but discuss his love for Karan Johar. Why, you ask? Well, for starters Shivaay and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil locked horns this Friday and secondly, KRK hasnt stopped praising KJo's romantic saga. This inspired the people of twitterverse to come up with something unthinkable! The internet saw the birth of some of the most hilarious memes with captionKARAN JOHAR WEDS KRK. Dont believe us? Check them out for yourself: Karan Johar Should Say Sorry To @iamsrk For Divorce KARAN JOHAR WEDS KRK pic.twitter.com/XKwVFvCCaq Angry Boy (@Being_Angry) October 27, 2016 So He is just fulfilling his promise! KARAN JOHAR WEDS KRK pic.twitter.com/WMZdrenmUS .Gaurav Manju (@coolpkhoon) October 27, 2016 leaked pic of the pair KARAN JOHAR WEDS KRK badhaiyaaa.... pic.twitter.com/knZFFShMd8 Shivank Tyagi (@imshivanktyagi) October 27, 2016 KARAN JOHAR WEDS KRK is Tomorrow. So everyone are requested to attend the marriage ceremony and no gifts required. Only ur blessings matters Swati Sinha (@MeSwati001) October 27, 2016 Heartbroken SRK's reaction after seeing KARAN JOHAR WEDS KRK trending. pic.twitter.com/3F77c9CjqW Pataakha Popat (@miyaanmiththoo) October 27, 2016 A few days ago, a video titled Fastest cashier of the world' went viral on Facebook with more than 14 million views and 200K shares. The video shows a lady cashier counting cash and depositing money at a really slow pace. This video went ballistically viral and the lady was mocked mercilessly online. Turns out, this elderly lady has suffered 2 heart attacks and paralysis stroke and so she is working at her own pace. Her story is so inspiring that it will make you regret mocking her. It is very easy to make fun of someone when you don't know about their struggle and their back story. Activist Kundan Srivastasa took to Facebook to explain why Premlata Shinde works at this pace and mocking her is not funny. Premlata Shinde works with Bank Of Maharashtra in Pune, who has suffered 2 heart attacks and a paralysis stroke and has recently resumed work after a long medical leave. She's retiring in February 2017, and has enough leaves to stay at home. But she rather chose to come to work and retire with honour. Seeing her medical condition and her wish to work, the bank has provided her with a special computer and an additional cash counter. The video of her struggle was mocked online with knowing the real reason behind it. Premlata has lost her husband and her only son lives abroad. She is working hard to live a dignified life. Not everything you see on the internet is the truth. We salute her for inspiring us! A meeting of IIT directors and experts on Project Vishwajeet that seeks to make IITs world class institutes decided to modernize five laboratories each in seven IITs. They will be made at par with the best in the world. BCCL IIT directors presented detailed requirements to turn the dream of Vishwajeet into a reality. Five laboratories each at IIT Kharagpur, Bombay, Madras, Delhi, Kanpur, Guwahati and Roorkee will get funding from proposed Higher Education Finance Agency, directly from government and industry. "Now it is for the ministry to decide how it can be implemented," one official said. BCCL/representational image IITs also said they want to bring teacher-student ratio to 1:10 from current 1:15. The HRD ministry has asked them to hire faculty, even foreigners, and said it is working out modalities to ease the process. As for expansion of student strength to one lakh in IITs, directors said the bulk of expansion will take place in post-graduate and Ph.D. Even foreign students will be taken. Already, Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) has centres outside India in Saarc nations (except Pakistan) and in Ethiopia. BCCL/representational image In the meeting there was a clear division on the issue of breaking into top 100 ranking done by foreign agencies. Many directors felt that IITs should rather concentrate on improving themselves and expand the number of courses being taught including humanities. Air India's in-flight magazine Shubh Yatra has mentioned in one of its article that Sri Jagannath Temple at Puri serves non-vegetarian dishes which is wrong. maadurgawallpaper It's article headlined 'Devotion can be delicious' said, "Said to be the largest in the country, the Jagannath Temple's kitchen in Puri since its inception has had an army of 500 cooks and 300 helpers to serve 1,00,000 people every day, round the clock - which means almost 285 varieties of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes every day." This article has created hue and cry in the state. Intellectuals and devotees of the Lord Jagannath condemned this. Jagannath Sena, a social organisation, staged demonstration in front of the Puri Jagannath temple protesting the wrong information published in the magazine published by the Central government. topnewstoday/representational image Jagannath Sena demanded stringent action against Union civil aviation minister and state's tourism and culture minister. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik expressed concern about the wrong information. "I think that is most unfortunate. We will take it strongly with appropriate authorities," he added. Odisha tourism and culture minister Ashok Chandra Panda said it is very unfortunate incident that a magazine run by the central government published such wrong information about a world famous shrine without cross-check. "The article's Jagannath temple paragraph is based on wrong and misleading information. It pained us. We will write to Air India authority regarding this unfortunate incident," said Panda. Here's a happy thought - Cat biryani. Chennai police and animal rights activists raided roadside eateries based on a tip off that they were keeping the animals for their meat. The raid, in Pallavaram was carried out after Volunteers from People For Animals (PFA) convinced police that pet cats were being trapped, abducted and skinned for their meat around the Pallavaram area. They had in fact befriended local youths involved in sourcing cat met, and filmed them cutting the animals for their meat. This video footage convinced police to act, and rescue the cats. The cats were found in a cage without water, and were being killed by being put into boiling water. G Venkatesan, a local police official confirmed that they had received several complaints abou pet cats being stolen for meat. "When the PFA volunteers approached us for help, our team went and rescued the cats," Venkatesan told the Times of India. The rescued cats were sent to in the PfA shelter in Red Hills. PfA co-founder Shiranee Pereira said the rescued cats were visibly shocked and dehydrated. They were not fed regularly. This was evident from their aggressive behaviour. "It will take at least a month for the cats to recover from the shock and behave normally," she said. A day after an Indian soldier's body was mutilated by Pakistan-based terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC), the Army on Saturday launched retaliatory fire assaults at Pakistan Army positions, inflicting massive damage across the border. AP/representational image The Army said at least four Pakistan Army posts were destroyed "in a massive fire assault" in the Keran sector alone on Saturday. "Heavy casualties (among Pakistani soldiers) were inflicted in this assault," said a statement issued by the Northern Command based in Udhampur. #JKOps. Four Pak posts destroyed in massive fire assault in Keran Sector. Heavy casualties inflicted @adgpi NorthernComd.IA (@NorthernComd_IA) October 29, 2016 The Army had earlier promised that the beheading of its soldier (Manjeet Singh of the Sikh Regiment) by terrorists, who were helped by covering fire from Pakistani Army at the Macchil sector on Friday, would not go unpunished. Sources said the battalion commanders all along the LoC have been given directions to "effectively retaliate with full force" to any provocation or ceasefire violation by the Pakistan Army. Indian Army soldiers conducted "sustained fire assaults" through mortars, light and heavy machine guns and rockets at several Pakistan Army posts all throughout Saturday. "The firing was carried out with the aim to destroy targets like Pakistani posts and bunkers with pinpoint accuracy. But no estimates of casualties on the side can be given," said a senior officer. AP/representational image Though the operational situation on the western front has been tense ever since the Army conducted surgical strikes against terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir on September 29, it has become worse over the last few days. While Pakistani soldiers and rangers have suffered much more casualties, four Indian Army jawans, three BSF personnel and a few civilians have been killed in the fresh bout of hostilities. As reported by TOI earlier, the assessment is that Pakistan Army chief General Raheel Sharif has given the green signal for BAT (border action team) operations against Indian posts on the LoC in the run-up to his slated retirement next month. AP/representational image But artillery guns have not come into play from either side, which would indicate a marked escalation in the ongoing hostilities, till now. "Both sides are using 82mm mortars and machine guns as of now," said an officer. Summer capital Srinagar witnessed significant improvement in public transport on Thursday even as normal life elsewhere in the Valley remained affected due to the strike called by separatists. AP/representational image Many people have started defying the separatist-sponsored strike over the past week, as they are slowly picking up the threads of their lives affected by the nearly four-month-long strike, officials said. While there is increased movement of private traffic in the summer capital, the city has also witnessed a significant improvement in the public transport, except buses, they said. Also Read: Curfew-Like Restrictions In Srinagar Ahead Of Separatists' March in Kashmir The officials said the inter-district transport has also improved as many cabs were plying on the routes connecting Srinagar with other districts like Anantnag and Baramulla. They said as the traffic in the city has significantly increased, additional traffic police personnel have been deployed at some intersections to ensure smooth flow of traffic. BCCL/representational image Many shops were also open in the civil lines and the outskirts of the city, while many street vendors set up stalls at many places around the commercial hub of Lal Chowk. However, normal life continued to remain affected in the rest of the Valley due to separatist-sponsored strike. While there were no curbs on the movement of people anywhere in Kashmir, the officials said restrictions on assembly of four or more people were in place throughout the Valley for maintaining law and order. Also Read: Shut Down All The Schools In Kashmir, Except For The One Where My Grandchild Is Studying, Hurriyat Chief Gilani's Logic They said security forces have been deployed in strength at vulnerable spots and along the main roads as a precautionary measure. Security forces have also been deployed at many market places to instill a sense of security among the public to carry out their day-to-day activities, the officials said. AP/representational image Shops, business establishments and fuel stations remained shut and are not expected to open this evening as separatists have not given any relaxation. The separatists, who are spearheading the agitation have been issuing weekly protest calendars since Hizbul Mujahideen Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8. They have extended the strike till November 3. The ongoing unrest in Kashmir, apart from business and tourism, has also affected education as schools, colleges and other educational institutions continue to remain shut in the Valley. As many as 85 people, including two cops, have been killed and several thousand others injured in the ongoing unrest in the Valley. Around 5000 security forces personnel have also been injured in the clashes. Antahedi village, Kurukshetra was the scene of grief on Diwali morning as Mandeep Singh's family welcomed him back in a coffin. A truck driver's son, Mandeep joined the army at 2009. He married Prerna, now a Haryana Police Head constable, in 2014. For his last rites, thousands have visited from across the village, and nearby areas. Instead of Diwali celebration, the entire village will light one lamp in every home in his memory. In a firm reply to the terrorists which Pakistan's army supported, the Indian army destroyed Pakistani border posts, scorching them to the ground in J&K's Keran sector. #JKOps. Four Pak posts destroyed in massive fire assault in Keran Sector. Heavy casualties inflicted @adgpi NorthernComd.IA (@NorthernComd_IA) October 29, 2016 Mandeep was beeaded by terrorists, aided by the cover fire by Pakistani Army, and his head was reportedly taken back across the border. His brother Sandeep Singh demanded that the family wanted 10 Pakistani heads for the price of one. Shat Shat Naman to Martyr Mandeep Singh. Pls do light a lamp for our martyrs today. Least we can do for men who selflessly serve our country pic.twitter.com/J11TuVbRqH Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) October 30, 2016 Terrorists, aided by the cover fire by Pakistani Army, crossed the Line of Control (LoC) on Saturday night and killed sepoy Mandeep Singh and mutilated his body in Macchil sector of Kupwara district. CM ML Khattar meets family members of jawan Mandeep Singh who lost his life in Machil encounter Images: ANI pic.twitter.com/QI9OxKCyTl News18 (@CNNnews18) October 30, 2016 The family members of the 30-year-old martyr were inconsolable. No one will celebrate Diwali this year, our entire village mourns the death of Mandeep Singh: Subhash Chandra (Sarpanch, Antahedi Village) pic.twitter.com/FLgzpOPtkU ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 Several women from Aantehri village in Kurukshetra reached the martyr's house and tried to console the martyr's widow Prerna. The couple had got married two years ago, family members said. Prerna is a head constable with Haryana police and posted at Shahbad Markanda in Kurukshetra. Mandeep's father said the Indian Army should give a befitting reply to Pakistan. "It was his duty, he has done it. He sacrificed his life. We should give a befitting reply to Pakistan," he said, adding that he got the news of his son's death when Army personnel visited him at his home at 1am. 'Eating pizza', or alternatively, 'having a burger' meant much more than fast food to the four men arrested for spying for Pakistan on Wednesday. Technical information, corroborated by the interrogation of the men, has revealed these to mean rendezvous at the Ansal Plaza amphitheatre and a Pitampura mall, respectively. 'Coffee peena hai aaj' translated into a meeting at a Preet Vihar mall. timesnow But there was more to their ploys than just camouflaged meetings. They exchanged documents and received payments in the open in crowded places, often passed as they brushed past each other. The drop points include metro stations, where the stolen paper would be left on the staircase from where the receiver retrieved them. BCCL/representational image Both ISI agent Mehmood Akhtar and his Indian associate Shoaib have disclosed that the spies used a special USB device that extracted data from government computers in a jiffy. According to police, the device had a program that automatically extricated information from the computer. DCP Bhisham Singh and ACP Sanjay Sehrawat have been deputed to unravel all the facets of the espionage operation. AFP Ravindra Yadav, joint commissioner (Crime), said that Shoaib and his associates arranged group tours to Pakistan and arranged the logistics for them for around Rs 1 lakh. He gave the list of aspirants to Akhtar, who shortlisted some names. Shoaib would then visit the home of the potential travellers and enquire about their kin and find out if there was a government servant in the family. If there was, the name would be marked in a separate register for ISI operatives to later try to cultivate. The spies were also taught how to sustain their cover. Farhat Khan, aide of MP Munavvar Saleem , who was arrested on Saturday, dodged the cops for a good two decades. He has confessed to leaking documents from the time he was assisting MP Munawwar Hasan, who was killed in a car accident in 2008. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Oct. 30 By Demir Azizov Trend: The US leadership is interested in consistent and stable development of multifaceted relations with Uzbekistan, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon, who is on a visit to Uzbekistan, said. Shannon made remarks at the meeting with Uzbek acting president Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Uzbek national news agency (UzA) reported. During the meeting, Mirziyoyev and Shannon stressed the successful development and strengthening of the Uzbekistan-US relations based on principles of mutual respect and trust, the message said. According to the message, Mirziyoyev and Shannon highly appreciated the level of mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, investments and high technologies. The purposeful activity of the American-Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce contributes to the development and expansion of full-scale economic cooperation, the message said. The US and Uzbekistan exchange views on a wide range of issues on the bilateral agenda, including security and stability in Central Asia, as part of the annual political consultations. Special attention is paid to the processes of peaceful settlement of the situation in Afghanistan and assistance in the social-economic recovery of this country. According to the message, Mirziyoyev and Shannon stressed that Uzbekistan and the US have all opportunities and the potential required for sustained strengthening and expanding of partnership and cooperation in all promising areas, corresponding to the long-term interests of the two countries. During the visit, Shannon attended the National Paralympic Association of Uzbekistan and congratulated the Uzbek athletes on excellent results at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, the message said. According to the message, Shannon also visited Samarkand, where he laid a wreath to the grave of Uzbek first President Islam Karimov. Shannon also met with Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov, the message said. The sides discussed current state and prospects of bilateral relations in political, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian and other spheres, according to the message. According to the message, Kamilov and Shannon also exchanged views on cooperation in the C5+1 format, specific issues of the international and regional agenda. The C5+1 format was created in 2015. The US Secretary of State John Kerry had a meeting with foreign ministers of all five Central Asian countries in New York in September 2015. This Diwali, residents of Anthedi village in Kurukshetra will neither burst crackers, nor decorate their residences with hanging lights. Instead, they will only light a single 'diya'(oil lamp) at their respective homes. ANI The diya will be in the memory of sepoy Mandeep Singh, a native of the village who was killed and then beheaded by terrorists near the LoC in Macchil sector of Kupwara, Jammu & Kashmir on Friday. The villagers have decided not to celebrate Diwali to share the grief of Mandeep's family. Also Read: Wife Of Martyred Soldier Beheaded By Pakistan Wants Revenge Subhash Chand, sarpanch of the village, said even children have decided not to burst crackers. "There is no point of celebrating Diwali. Even neighbouring villages are mourning with us," resident Gyan Singh Nambardaar told TOI. twitter Mandeep's elder brother Sandeep said, "We have built a new house and had planned to organise a house-warming ceremony during Mandeep's visit this Diwali. Our family is now shattered. Now, I want to join the Army to avenge the death of my brother. I appeal to the PM to take action against those who kill our soldiers." Mandeep's wife Prerna, a head constable with Haryana police posted at Shahabad, has been inconsolable since the news her husband's death came in. ANI Mandeep is the second soldier from Kurukshetra to be killed in the ongoing cross-border violence. His body reached Ambala military hospital on Saturday evening. His last rites will be performed on Sunday morning. Saddam Hussain was a former Iraqi dictator who was killed years ago. Sharakat Hussain is a man who lives on in Birmingham. For some reason, Apple customer care was firmly convinced that it was the man who America had executed in 2006 who was attempting to return his 799 iPhone and get a refund. The 26-year-old received an email from Apple, telling him that he was on the 'Government's Denied Parties list', and hence couldn't be sold an iPhone in the first place. Hussain had bought the phone for his sister, and attempted to return it when she didn't want the gift. Apple, instead of swiftly refunding the phone, made him wait for weeks before emailing him, asking him to prove his identity. jsnsndr flickr Mr Hussain told the Sun: 'I thought the email was spam, I was stunned to learn it was real. I was furious to be linked to Saddam.' We'd heard of the Chinese selling kidneys to buy iPhones, what this Shenzhen lady is ridiculous, even by China stands. Xiaoli, a young Chinese woman, managed to buy a house, yes a country side house, by convincing 20 boyfriends to buy her an iPhone 7 each. She in turn sold the iPhones on a Chinese website, earning about 14 lakh rupees; that help her put down a deposit for the home. A source told local media that Xiaoli's mother is a housewife, and her father is a migrant worker. "Her parents are getting old and she might be under a lot pressure hoping to buy them a house... But it's still unbelievable that she could use this method!" On Chinese social media Weibo, a woman commented: 'I can't even find one boyfriend. She can actually find 20 boyfriends at the same time and even get them to buy her an iPhone 7. Just want to ask her to teach me such skills.' If that was weird, here is a flashback from China, 2014: A young Chinese programmer spent over $82,000 (or two years of his salary) to buy 99 iPhones which he arranged in a cheesy heart shape while confessing his love to a girl. The world's most famous fictional British spy, James Bond, would never have been hired by Britain's security services in the real world due to his 'morally dubious character', the boss of MI6 has said. AFP In a rare interview with Black History Month website, Alex Younger said: "We know that if we undermine British values, even in the name of defending them, then we have failed. Our staff are not from another planet. They are ordinary men and women operating in the face of complex moral, ethical and physical challenges, often in the most forbidding environments on earth. Bond's 'morally dubious character' would rule him out as a real-life MI6 spy despite his tenacity and patriotism, he added. Younger said: "In contrast to James Bond, MI6 officers do not take moral shortcuts. In fact, a strong ethical core is one of the first qualities we look for in our staff. 007 "It's safe to say that James Bond wouldn't get through our recruitment process and, whilst we share his qualities of patriotism, energy and tenacity, an intelligence officer in the real MI6 has a high degree of emotional intelligence, values teamwork and always has respect for the law... unlike Mr Bond." The chief of the UK's Secret Intelligence Service, which is referred to as MI6, also used the interview to appeal to the youth to join the ranks. "My ultimate goal is for more people to consider a career in MI6 and to get rid of the myth that it's all about having studied at Oxford or Cambridge or having advanced hand-to-hand combat skills. That stereotype really couldn't be further from the truth," he said. forbes "What is true is that our work at MI6 is exciting, intellectually challenging and it matters. We are Britain's secret frontline, operating upstream in the shadows to keep our friends, families and fellow countrymen and women safe," Younger added. Bond's character, created by Ian Fleming, has proved the most enduring image of British spies around the world. However, it seems the promiscuous vodka martini enthusiast made famous in a series of film adaptations has very little to do with the real world. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 30 By Fatih Karimov Trend Iran and the Hungarian multinational oil and gas company MOL have launched a new round of negotiations to sign a long-term oil deal. Mohsen Qamsari, director of international affairs at the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) has visited Budapest to talk with the MOL officials, Mehr news agency reported. Besides negotiating crude oil and oil products export to Hungary, the two parties will also negotiate investment in Irans upstream and downstream oil sector. According to traders and shipping data, MOL has commissioned a cargo of 140,000 tons of Iranian heavy crude oil for Oct. 23. The cargo will be delivered from Iran's Kharg Island terminal to Croatian port of Omisalj. Meanwhile, Qamsari, said Oct. 1 that the NIOC finalized a deal to export a 1-million-barrel oil cargo to Hungary the next month. Negotiations for crude export to Hungary launched in early 2016. In mid-July, Qamsari said the MOL called for importing 40,000 barrels of light crude oil per day from Iran. However, at the time, he said Tehran was not ready to provide MOL with light crude. Prior to sanctions, France, Italy, Spain and the UK were among Iran's traditional customers in Europe. Nonetheless, since sanctions were terminated last January, East European states have also submitted proposals to purchase oil from Iran. E' di 10 morti e 30 feriti il bilancio di un incidente stradale che si e verificato in Ghana nella serata di domenica primo ottobre. L'incidente Secondo quanto riferito dalle autorita, un bus privato per il trasporto interregionale della compagnia cinese Yutong, con a bordo 54 passeggeri, e uscito dalla sua carreggiata, forse in un tentativo di sorpasso. Il mezzo e poi finito contro il rimorchio di un camion che proveniva nella direzione opposta. L'incidente si e verificato nel tratto di strada che collega la citta di Kumasi, 250 chilometri a nord ovest della capitale, con Accra. Arrestato il conducente La polizia stradale ha fermato il conducente dell'autobus perche l'incidente sarebbe stato causato dalla sua condotta poco prudente. L'uomo, che non ha riportato nessuna ferita, e ora in custodia della polizia locale. Nel frattempo, i corpi delle vittime sono stati trasferiti nella camera mortuaria dell'Holy Family Hospital di Nkawkaw. Anche gli altri passeggeri, rimasti feriti nell'incidente, sono stati trasportati nella stessa struttura ospedaliera per ricevere le cure del caso. La Yutong e un'azienda di trasporti cinesi che ha esportato in Ghana piu di 1.000 autobus dal 2000 ad oggi. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 30 By Fatih Karimov Trend The Iranian parliaments National Security and Foreign Policy Commission has issued a report on the status of implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) over the past six months, the parliaments ICANA news agency reported Oct. 30. The report which was read out in the parliaments open session Oct. 30 morning includes six parts covering implementation of the commitments by the Islamic Republic, P5+1(US, UK, France, Germany, China and Russia) and the status of sanctions removal, as well as violation of the treaty by the US. According to the report, the Islamic Republic has fulfilled all the commitments under the nuclear deal, meanwhile the US administration has partly violated the deal, not keeping its word. Imposing sanctions against 11 individuals and entities, approval and implementation of the US Visa Waiver Program, which imposes some restrictions on foreigners intending to visit the US, the US Supreme Courts order on seizure of Irans $2 billion worth of assets frozen in the US are among the claimed violations of the nuclear deal which was signed last year. The report also argues that signing a decree on emergency situation against Iran by President Barack Obama, barring Iran from USD transactions and continuing ban on cooperation of major international banks with Tehran, a US court order on turning over of $ 2.8 million worth of Irans assets to terror victims, delay on licensing aircraft purchase, sanctions related to the Islamic Republics defense capabilities and human rights pretexts are also listed as violation of the nuclear treaty by the US. ICANA also reported that Irans foreign ministry has given a written report to the parliament on the process of implementation of the nuclear deal. The report, which is the foreign ministrys third report, was submitted to the parliaments National Security and Foreign Policy on Oct. 30. According to a law that requires the Iranian administration to safeguard the nations achievements and nuclear rights, the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission has a duty to monitor the proper implementation of the JCPOA, and is required to submit a report on the issue to the presiding board of the parliament every six months. The foreign ministry also should submit a report to the parliament regarding the nuclear deal implementation every three months. The battle to reduce the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is still being fought. Despite numerous avenues explored and implemented, ultimate carbon emission solutions haven't been reached yet. Now, a new proposal by the Washington state could cause a significant impact on this global problem. A first in the country, the state of Washington is to propose in the November ballot what is being called Initiative 732. This initiative will put a stable and increasing tax on the price of carbon with the collected revenue going to those who are mainly affected by the problem. Experts in both climate and economic sectors have long argued that imposing a tax on carbon emission is one of the most effective ways of dealing with the ever-increasing levels of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. Tax Initiative To Gradually Increase In The Coming Decades And this claim does have precedent. In 2008, British Columbia put in place a carbon tax on polluters which resulted in decrease greenhouse gas emission from five to 15 percent. But the climate isn't the only facet that benefited from this as the Canadian province, among the first to adopt this maneuver, also saw a rapid growth in its economy compared to other places in the country. The I-732 will kickstart the price at $15 per metric ton next year, $25 a ton in 2018, and would steadily climb over the next decades until it reaches $100 a ton. A car typically produces around five metric tons of CO2 in a year. The collected money of the initiative will be siphoned towards lowering state sales tax, effectively removing a business tax on manufacturers while providing low-income residents with $1,500 in tax credits, Yes Magazine reported. Furthermore, through this initiative businesses and manufacturers will be forced to switch from fossil fuel to renewable energy making it one of the most progressive carbon emission solutions. And the shift isn't even going to financially hurt this sector as technology surrounding green energy has seen a significant decline in prices in recent years. In fact, numbers are showing that solar energy is becoming the go-to energy source than its fossil fuel predecessor, with coal seeing financial losses as the tech in the energy industry is turning greener. New Carbon Emission Solutions Blocked By Multiple Groups Of course, the initiative is being obstructed by the fossil fuel industry, the NY Times reported. But what's surprising is that I-732 is also opposed by a lot of environmental, labor, and minor groups reasoning that although the initiative is sound it doesn't invest its revenue directly towards renewable energy as it's mostly geared towards lowering sales tax. These criticism does have merit as a better initiative would be to place the revenue towards investing in programs designed to encourage and ease the shifting to a low-carbon economy. A Recent poll on the state showed that 42 percent of voters are backing the initiative, 37 percent opposes it, and 21 percent remains undecided. While this new carbon emission solution does have a lot of room for improvement, it is one of the ways that could reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere. It could also set an example for other states to follow in the future helping the United States in reaching its goal regarding the Paris Agreement that was recently implemented. The conflict between Russia and the United States have long been a cause for concern among the citizens of both countries. Although the current situation remains neutral, the two superpowers have strengthened their military prowess through years of developing technology that is used in wars waged today. One such innovation has been recently unveiled that will help the Russian military in conflicts that it's presently engaged in. Caterpillar Bot Capable of Scaling 1.5-Meter Barriers Taking a page from mother nature, Russia designed a "caterpillar" bot intended to be used during rescue missions in disaster-stricken regions or help Russian military in war zones. The bot, called MRP-300, is a two-meter long vehicle capable of lugging hundreds of kilos worth of rescue gears. It can accelerate to 25 kilometers per hour and is able to scale 1.5-meter barriers. The country's Defense Ministry's Main Robotics Research and Test Center and the scientific-research center ROKAD are two sectors responsible for creating the machine. It's compared to the leaf-eating insect as the MRP-300 is equipped with flexible wheels allowing it to move similar as to how a caterpillar would. According to Russian newspaper Izvestia, the two-meter long bot is being mass produced in factories which will run until the end of the year. Russian Military Could Potentially Use 'Caterpillar' Bot In Syrian Conflict Aside from the above-mentioned capabilities, the MRP-300 will also be fitted with cameras for operators to see its surrounding, as well as gas and radiation analyzers in the case of nuclear fallout. Its robotic arms will allow the bot to collect contaminated materials and defuse explosives. Because of its wheels, the machine will be able to operate in deep snows, sand and swamp with relative ease, the Mirror reported. "For rescue, demining and chemical reconnaissance robots working amid the rubble of a combat-damaged city, high cross-country capacity is of paramount importance," said military expert Oleg Zheltonozhko. While the country is saying that the main purpose of the bot is for rescue operations, Vladmir Putin's men can potentially use it in conflicts like Syria, the Daily Star reported. The Russian military has been doubling its effort in Syria of late and some of the country's ships weren't allowed to Dock in a Spanish port as NATO voiced concern that planes on the carrier could be used to attack the rebel-held city of Aleppo. The iconic 19th century novel of Mary Shelley has created one of the most memorable nightmares that persisted in the modern world. People would normally call the monster as Frankenstein, but that is actually the scientist who created it. In the novel, the monster was only referred to as the "Creature." A recently published study shed some more light on the science fiction work and argued that the gothic book is anchored by a fundamental principle of biology. The study's core was directly aimed at a critical part of the story where the Creature asked Victor Frankenstein to create a female counterpart as cure for its loneliness. The monster went on to add that they would tread down to the wilds of South America, which convinced the young scientists as the pair would have few encounters with humans in the region. "Frankenstein" Novel Predicts Fundamental Concept In Modern Biology However, Frankenstein reversed his decision when he considered the possibility of the creature's reproduction and how it would ultimately lead to human extinction. This concept is coined as competitive exclusion formally defined in 1930s. Given that the novel was published in 1818, the science fiction essentially predicted this key idea in modern biology. Frankenstein denying the creature a mate basically saved the human race from extinction; an end that he himself would've ushered in. Scientists then wanted to find out how fast the proliferation of the creature's kind would have been. "Given Shelley's early command of this foundational concept, we used computational tools developed by ecologists to explore if, and how quickly, an expanding population of creatures would drive humans to extinction," said professor Nathaniel Dominy, an anthropologist at the Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. Frankenstein's Monster Would've Ended Humanity Within 4,000 Years The study's author then designed a mathematical model based on the density of human population in 1816 factoring in the advantages the creatures possess such as healing factors and its capacity of eating a vast array of food compare to humans, the ABC reported. The study found that the pair would've proliferated in a huge number in South America ultimately driving mankind to extinction in the span of 4,000 years. While the study is merely a thought experiment it bears real-world implications regarding our understanding of invasive species in biology. Another expert added that previous scholars who dissected the gothic novel "Frankenstein" mainly focused on Mary Shelley's knowledge of resurrection, alchemy, and physiology, Phys reported. The genius of the writer lies in the way she repackaged scientific debates for the invention of the genre of science fiction, according to Justin D. Yeakel. The assistant professor added that their recent published work solidified Shelley's legacy by showing the public that her novel accurately predicted basic concepts in ecology and evolution by several decades. Microsoft's Surface Pro 5 was not revealed during Microsoft's recent event, leaving some of the fans disappointed. But some tech enthusiasts say it was expected and understandable because of 3 possible reasons. According to a written article at i Digital Times, it was not a surprise that Microsoft did not include the Surface Pro 5 in the recent event and it is almost a sure thing that the Surface Pro 5 will indeed be release in early 2017. The article further states that based the bulk of Microsoft's reveals, the gadgets were related to Redstone 2, now called the Creators Update. About the 3 possible reasons for the Surface Pro 5 release being delayed, a list of 3 possible reasons was listed at a written article at The Bit Bag. Here are the 3 possible reasons: Kaby Lake processor The first main reason for the delay of Microsoft's Surface Pro 5 is the "Kaby Lake" processor. It is confirmed by various sources that Microsoft is waiting for the new Kaby Lake processor which is supposed to be available by the end of the year. With this reason, Microsoft has no option but to wait for said device if the Microsoft really plans to give the Surface Pro 5 some serious upgrade and features compared to its predecessor. Redstone 2 The second reason is the Redstone 2. The Redstone 2 is believed to support the new line of Surface devices of Microsoft. Looking at the newly revised Surface Book and the new Surface Studio desktop, it essentially tells fans and critics that Microsoft must be planning something else for the delaying the Surface Pro 5 release. New And Unique Features The third reason is that Microsoft is taking its time to answer back to Apple's latest features. With Microsoft's Surface Studio desktop, it was clear that Microsoft really took its time in developing it and succeeded. Now with Apple's latest gadgets, especially the 2016 MacBook Pro, it is also clear the Apple has kicked it up a notch and is now planning to answer back to Microsoft's Surface Studio with its upcoming iMac. Though it is a no-brainer that companies are competing in this area, tech enthusiasts believe that Microsoft had to reconsider its plans for the Surface Pro 5 answer Apple's latest features like the Touch bar. Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 30 By Khalid Kazimov Trend: Iran has called on the world to seriously fight against terrorism without setting any preconditions. We believe that the whole world must confront terrorism without setting any preconditions, IRNA news agency quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying. Saying that EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherinis recent visit to Tehran was aimed at exchanging views regarding Syria, he added that the sides on Oct. 29 exchanged views on ending conflicts in Syria, as well as finding political solutions to the crisis during the one-day visit. At the meetings with Mogherini, the Iranian side expressed the Islamic Republics views on the need for combating terrorism, as well as finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis, Zarif added. According to Zarif, Iran has called for considering Syrians will in finding the solution. Zarif further touched upon Mogherinis meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and said that the sides had proper talks on the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA/nuclear deal) and the measures which the Europeans must take regarding the JCPOA. Mogherini arrived in Tehran October 29. Mogherini met with Zarif in two separated sessions in the morning and afternoon. She also attended a meeting with President Rouhani on the same day. Mogherinis visit to Tehran came following Zarifs intensive talks with his Russian and Syrian counterparts, Sergey Lavrov and Walid Muallem. The EU official is slated to visit Saudi capital, Riyadh on Monday. Iran and Saudi Arabia have opposite positions in the Syrian conflict. Iran supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whereas Saudi Arabia pushes for his removal. Modesto, California - Deborah Giannecchini was recently awarded $70 million as payment for the damages that has been caused to her after allegedly using a talcum powder produced by the Johnson & Johnson Company, which has triggered ovarian cancer. Giannecchini, 63 years of age, claimed that she had been using the talcum powder for 40 years as part of her feminine hygiene, but has recently stopped after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, three years ago. The 63-year-old was reported to firmly believe that Johnson & Johnson should be blamed for her condition due to negligence with the production process and marketing of the said product. Despite having series of treatments, doctors are now saying that Giannecchini has an 80 percent chance of dying in the next two years. In one of their statements reported by Daily Mail, Atty. Jim Onder said that they are pleased after receiving the jury's decision of doing the right thing. Giannecchini's camp are said to be reaffirming the need to provide cautionary measures to the public with the use of Johnson & Johnson and the health risks that it brings. On the other hand, as per MSN, spokesperson to Johnson & Johnson's Carol Goodrich has claimed that they are currently on the move in making an appeal with regards to the verdict. Goodrich said that their products are all guided by science which supports the safety of Johnson's Baby Powder. Earlier this year, reports have it that there are also two other lawsuits in St. Louis which ended in a jury verdict with a combined worth of $127 million. However, these two lawsuits from New Jersey are said to be dismissed by a judge who claimed that there wasn't much of reliable evidence that can prove that the use of talcum powder can lead to ovarian cancer. According to reports, Johnson & Johnson was allegedly ordered to pay $65 million to the 63-year old Giannecchini as part of the inflicting damages and another amount of approximately $2.5 million for the medical bills, pain and suffering. Imerys Talc America, co-defendant and supplier of the talc for Johnson & Johnson's has also been ordered to pay a total amount of $2.5 million as part of the punitive damages as well. Residents of the Austrian cities in Graz and Vienna were in a state of shock after reports had circulated online claiming that an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) were allegedly seen to be hovering around the skies. The said incident happened on Oct. 29 which caused a massive panic for most of the people living in the said cities. Numerous footage of the said UFO sightings were then uploaded on various social media platforms showing the bright flying object wandering through the skies. Others were said to be doubtful of said happening while some believe that an alien invasion is already starting to take place. As per RT, authorities are yet to release their statement regarding the incident. However, although skeptics claim it as the start of an alien invasion, experts are convinced on the other hand that it was in fact just a small remote controlled helicopter. According to a report released by the Sunday Express, the incident was not new for Austrians anymore as they have already been startled by a mysterious flying object earlier this year. It was said that during a New Year's eve celebration where a certain student has captured a video clip of an alleged UFO which apparently is being struck by a lightning at the time in one of the lower areas of Austria, in Mostviertel. A recent report had once again gone viral after claiming that a possibility of an alien invasion in Halloween has quickly spread online. Experts, though, have immediately dismissed the allegations since it was believed that news and stories about these extraterrestrial life forms as well as UFO's are found to be a huge hit during this season. As of the present time, authorities are advising the public not to believe everything they hear without further investigating it as it can also cause a massive hysteria. 2016 started as a favorable year for Samsung, with the Galaxy S7 series earning critical praise but the contrast with where we are now, couldn't be utter. The South Korean company will have to overcome the disastrous rollout of the exploding Galaxy Note 7. Essentially, the teaser reveals what many anticipated, the launch will take place in Barcelona to coincide with the MWC 2017 expo there, it'll be a Samsung Galaxy Unpacked branded event kicking off at 7pm local time on the aforementioned February 26 date. Ricciolo1 seems to be implying this is the originally planned launch date, however, as the source says "no early announcement", according to Know Your Mobile. there are a few rumors circulating about what kind of power the S8 may have. So let's check it out. Reported from Pocket-lint, On the back, there's said to be a whopping 30-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization while a 9MP snapper will be on the front for those all-important selfies. We've previously seen rumors suggesting the S8 will have a dual-lens camera, so we're not holding out for a 30MP sensor just yet. Some sources asserting that it might be the first mainstream smartphone maker to incorporate a 4K display. Although a 4K display for a mobile phone may seem to exaggerate, the company is looking to boost the use of VR technology through the exquisite display. Along with this the screen of the S8 is expected to be curved and Samsung may ditch flat screens completely. Not only could this device be Samsung's first bezel-less phone, but it would also be the first to have rear dual cameras and increased with a 'full screen', pictures and videos should be much clearer and even go so beyond as to produce a 3D effect. Well, Samsung's next flagship smartphone will have to be the powerful one it's ever produced. Stay tuned for more updates. The U.S. presidential elections have been characterized as being one of the most controversial in history, since both the Republican and Democratic party elected Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as their representatives. Given this situation, social media became the candidates weapon of choice to make any kind of announcement, statement and thought regarding a particular event. However, there were many cases in which Trump and Clinton committed such embarrassing mistakes through their social media accounts that the elections became a parody where the candidates were the main joke. Here are the three most hilarious cases so far. 3. When Trump Made Fun Of Iowans Intelligence Back in 2015, when everyone said that Trumps running for president was so outstandingly crazy that he wouldn't even get elected as the Republican nominee, todays presidential candidate made one of his most ridiculous mistakes in social media, making fun of Iowans' Intelligence when he knew that Ben Carson was getting ahead in the polls. In short, Trump asked if a bunch of Monsanto in the the corn could create brain issues, considering that the medic was leading Iowas polls. The best part of this blatant insult is that corn is the Iowa No. 1 export, as reported by The New York Times. Donald Trump, getting it done today Insult corn to Iowans pic.twitter.com/3nQhVavWav pourmecoffee (@pourmecoffee) 22 de octubre de 2015 This crazy moment also had an unforgivable epilogue, since the Republican candidate made something that he rarely does: walking back from a statement. However, if you thought that this guy apologized, you better think again, since he actually blamed an unnamed intern who apparently wrote those tweets. The young intern who accidentally did a Retweet apologizes. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 22 de octubre de 2015 2. When Hillary Changed Her Twitter Avatar To Rosa Parks Rosa Parks was one of the most important figures in civil rights movement in the U.S., and was mainly remembered for being arrested for not giving her seat to a white man and refusing to sit at the back of the bus in 1955, when racism was at its peak of violence and hostility against black people. Rosa and her legacy are both above this. Nah. I'm not feeling it for *any* candidate. pic.twitter.com/F4CoLEMzVV Brittany Packnett (@MsPackyetti) 1 de diciembre de 2015 On the 60the anniversary of this historical event, Hillary Clinton wanted to make a tribute to Parks on her social media by putting her on the campaign logo, but things went too far and the tribute ended up being an insult to Parks' heroism, since she was seated at the back of an H-shaped bus, which is Clintons logo. 1. When Trump Used A Photo Of Nazi Soldiers To Thank American Troops Sometimes, reality is way more bizarre than fiction, and Trump has provided the best example of this fact with some posts on his social media. However, one of the craziest was when he literally published a photoshopped image of the American flag, and the white house, some dollars, his face, and 5 soldiers on it. No one knew what was wrong with that picture until someone noticed that the soldiers were wearing Nazi outfits. This created a huge controversy that Trump closed in the bravest and intellectual manner: the post was deleted and his campaign members told that the image was posted by an intern. Trump campaign responds: An intern did it. pic.twitter.com/oZBJAtwffl Eric Geller (@ericgeller) 14 de julio de 2015 Bonus Track: When Bernie Sanders Wanted To Commemorate Bloody Sunday, But Used A Photo From The Movie "Selma" When people say that the U.S. presidential elections couldn't have more craziest candidates, they forget about the populist who proposed a $19.6 trillion tax increase over the next decade and praised Fidel Castro and the Soviet Union. Thats right, if Bernie Sanders had won the Democratic primaries, the elections could have been something similar to a "South Park" chapter for sure. In addition to his irrational ideas, Bernie Sanders is going to be remembered for commemorating Bloody Sunday just as the Indian Billboard made its tribute to Nelson Mandela when he died, using an image of Morgan Freeman. Believe it or not, instead of using one of the hundreds of pictures you can find of the march, he mistakenly used one of the movie "Selma" in his social media. Just as Trump, he just replaced the image with two tweets, because why not? The right to vote is at the heart of freedom and equality in America, and the effort to suppress it must be met by fierce resistance. Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) 7 de marzo de 2016 When OnePlus 4 was announced to be released on 2017, people felt excited by the launch of a smartphone that promised to be a great device that will compete against phones such as the iPhone 8, the Galaxy Note 8 or even the Galaxy S8. Definitely, many are expecting this mobile device to be flagship killer once again. However, there are some details that could represent a huge setback for the companys interest, considering that when a product is released, there are many details that divide the success of the failure, even when it is a popular product before its creation. 3. OnePlus' Short Time In The Market When a product is relatively new, more than the products quality or background the most important detail is the companys name, giving the fact that customers tend to incline for something well known than something that is not, which is obviously an injustice that the small company has to face in its first years. This is precisely Onepluss case, since its time in the market is very short - it was founded in 2013 - , and it has to compete against giants such as Apple or Samsung, which have decades of experience behind them. Although its mobile devices haven't been precisely a failure, the OnePlus 4 have to face the companys short time, in a moment when the greatest smartphones are expected. 2. OnePlus Doesn't Have An Extremely Stable Reputation Yet Many users think that OnePlus phones are very good, and in addition to great specs and features, the best detail about these mobile devices are their prices, considering that they have been known for being of the cheapest smartphones in the market. This is a nice strategy that can create many customers and even loyalty, but the thing is that the company doesn't have a good reputation at all. One huge problem that the company had to face and has harm its image is not releasing its products on time because of different kinds of mistakes, to the point where OnePlus One and OnePlus 2 ended up being delayed, and the company had to apologize to the public because this problem, as reported by Android Central . Also, it was known that even the OnePlus 3 got delayed in the U.K., which was a so annoying situation for the customers that the phone didn't meet the expectations in British countries. According to Baseline, another huge issue about Onepluss reputation is that the founders apparently lied about the companys roots, which is those kinds of problems that make customers walk away from anything related to it. 1. OnePlus 4 Will Have To Face Samsung And Apples Next Releases Think about the two reasons just told, and it would be reasonable to think that the OnePlus 4 will have a lot of trouble having to face the next smartphones of hi-tech against Samsung and Apple. In fact, it is probably that the OnePlus 4 cant even be so extraordinary as the iPhone 8 or the Galaxy Note 8, which is a difference that a cheap price it isnt likely to solve. Also, it is important to remember that Samsung is betting a lot for its new mobile devices in 2017, in order to recover from the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, which means that the South Korean company will use all its power to be the real deal. Although it is not known what will happen, the OnePlus 4 will have a hard time to be a huge success next year. Samsung is planning to release the Galaxy S8 next year. It is believed to be the company's flagship, but can it deliver? According to a written article at Tech Crunch, the Korean tech giant, Samsung is moving on from its extremely, prolonged and costly mistake. Though this was not a year for the company, Samsung believes that next year will be a good year for them. Lee Kyeong-tae, Samsung's vice president, was proud to announce that a Samsung Galaxy S8 is coming. The upcoming phone is said to have a new design, a better camera and "an enhanced artificial-intelligence service." The announcement was followed early in the week after Samsung announced that the company will offer South Korea Note 7 buyers who traded their device for an s7, the ability to trade up for an s8 or note 8 when the devices launch. Can The Samsung Galaxy S8 Deliver? It believed that Samsun is making major improvements with the specs and features for the Galaxy S8. So it is expected to be a great phone to have. What About The Profit? Critics believe that Samsung may have to lower the price of the Galaxy S8. Even with the swap trade program that they have launched, it will be not enough for people to be convinced to buy the Galaxy S8. Samsung must really win back its credibility. It is also believed that Apple will most likely launch its iPhone 8 next year. Though there is still no specific date when will Apple launch its iPhone 8, tech enthusiasts believes that it will likely be released at the same month with Samsung's Galaxy 8. The Galaxy S8 Price Tag Dilemma It will be too late. With so many phone manufacturer companies releasing phones every month, it is unlikely that the public will buy an expensive Galaxy S8 knowing how dangerous it predecessors used to be. Only the most devoted fans will be the ones to purchase it. Here are some of the possible key specs of the Samsung Galaxy S8 listed at GSM Arena: Display: 1440 x 2560 Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors 5.1 inches Platform: Android OS, V7.0 Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 Camera: Rear 12mp Front 8mp Battery: Non-removable Li-Ion battery Color cases: Black, White, Gold, Silver, and Pink Gold. Features: Sensors: Iris scanner, fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, heart rate, SpO2 Messaging: SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM - Fast battery charging - Qi/PMA wireless charging (market dependent) - ANT+ support - S-Voice natural language commands and dictation - MP4/DivX/XviD/H.265 player - MP3/WAV/eAAC+/FLAC player - Photo/video editor - Document editor Voting at the second round of Georgias parliamentary elections is over as all the 2,229 polling station in 50 one-seat constituencies closed at 20:00 local time on Sunday, local media reported. "The voting process proceeded in a peaceful, calm atmosphere in all the 50 constituencies. No serious violations were reported," Ani Mikeladze, a spokeswoman for the Georgian Central Election Commission, told journalists. According to the Central Election Commission and local non-government organizations monitoring the voting, certain procedural, technical and other minor violations were reported in a number of constituencies. Get unlimited access to all content and features at ivpressonline.com with our Full Online Access Subscription. Read our E-Edition, the digital replica of the print newspaper online, access content in exclusive sections including Family, Teen, Business, Databases, Farm and more. This option does not include daily home delivery of the Imperial Valley Press newspaper. For home delivery service, please select Premium or Premium Plus. The Iraqi security forces on Sunday retook control of 11 villages from the Islamic State (IS) group around the group's stronghold of Mosul, as major anti-IS offensive continued to seize more ground around the city, a security source said, Xinhua reported. The paramilitary units of Hashd Shaabi continued their operation launched on Saturday to advance in the vast rugged land in southwest of Mosul toward the town of Tal-Afar, some 70 km west of Mosul, a statement by the Hashd Shaabi's media office said. The paramilitary units backed by the Iraqi aircraft managed during the day to free eight villages located in southwest of Mosul after sporadic clashes with IS militants, according to the statement. The operation to regain control over Mosul began in the morning of Oct. 17. In addition to Iraqs government forces, local Peshmerga paramilitaries participate in the operation. The operation is supported by international anti-terrorism coalition air force. Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq with a population of 1.3 million people, has been under the IS control for more than two years. Mosul was surrendered almost without a fight during the extremists attack in June 2014. The Islamic State considers Mosul as its main stronghold in Iraq. 21 People were injured at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, an American Airlines Boeing 767 caught fire as it departs the runway last Friday. Crew members were prompted to evcauate the passengers the right-side of the plance continues to be on fire. All 161 passengers and 9 crew members, safely withdrawn from the aircraft received no critical injuries. None of the injuries were from the fire incident, about 21 people were delivered to the hospital for minor bruising and injured ankle from evacuation emergency slides. Calmness reigned the passengers, there was no large commotion as reported by Reuters. Distress, only caused some minor shouting as they went on the emergency slides. The fog in the cabin area and breathing hazard fueled the anxiety. Boeing 767 was bound for Miami, the plane fully loaded with 19,000 kg of fuel headed down the runway at 2:30pm last Oct. 28. Timothy Sampey,Airport fire Chief Timothy Sampey, mentioned that the No. 2 engine was the one caught on fire. It had stopped the plane's departure they noticed the smoke billowing and called distress signal. Federal officials discussed on The Weather Channel that, the caused of the fire was an isolated case, it is the only time a serious case of engine failure happened. The malfunction caused the engine parts to break apart and burst out. The pieces posed harm as it became sharpnels, it was the caused of the aircraft's damage. "This could have been absolutely devastating if it happened later," Chief Sampey added on CNN. The fire repondents can't hide their happiness, the leaking fuel from the airplane could have been a massive disastrous problem if it was caught on by the fire. More unimaginable circumstances were nightmare for everyone, it was a blessing that the fire didn't reach the fuel. After 130 departing flight and 170 inbounding flight delays, the operations in Chicago O'Hare Airport's north-side resumed the operation. Here is a live-video of the incident: Syrian army and militia forces eliminated 500 and injured 1,000 terrorists in Aleppo, after repulsing an offensive in the south-eastern Aleppo, local media reported Saturday, citing a source, Sputnik reported. According to the Al Mayadeen channel, the militants were killed during the first wave of the terrorists offensive on the government forces, which was launched on Friday. No official data has been provided by the Syrian army. On Saturday, the terrorists started the second stage of the offensive on Al-Zahraa, which the army and militia forces managed to repulse. According to the data by intelligence agencies, over 8,000 militants were redeployed to some Khan Tuman and Kafr Hamrah districts during the humanitarian pause. The terrorists attempt to breach the blockade of the eastern Aleppo. Shooting at a Halloween party in Newburgh, New York, left two young women dead and five others injured, Associated Press reported. Several hours later, the search for a gunman, or gunmen, remained underway, Newburgh police stated in a release. Police identified Tabitha Cruz, 20, and Omani Free, 18, both from Newburgh, as the two victims who were fatally shot at a building on Broadway. The five other shooting victims are expected to recover from their injuries, police said. GREENSBORO Police exchanged gunfire Saturday with a man with an assault rifle who barricaded himself inside an apartment. Police were eventually able to arrest 34-year-old Vit Da Ha, who has no permanent address, after an hours-long standoff at the Carolina Woods Apartments on North O. Henry Boulevard. Also known as Davit Daha or Davit Ha, he was wanted in connection with the Oct. 18 armed robbery of Hicone Stop, 4710 Hicone Road. In an unrelated incident, he was also charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and assault by pointing a gun. Several agencies had warrants for his arrest, according to Greensboro police Chief Wayne Scott. Greensboro police have identified Ha as a suspect in convenience store robberies on Tuesday and Wednesday. High Point police obtained arrest warrants against Ha on two charges each of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and possession of a firearm by a felon in connection with shootings on Sept. 25 and on Tuesday. The Greensboro Police Departments Street Crimes detectives developed leads shortly after midnight that Ha was in Carolina Woods Apartments at 3431 N. O. Henry Blvd., Scott said. Ha fired at officers at least four times during the standoff, police said. They returned fire each time, Scott said. Eventually, officers decided to go in and search. We went in and found him hiding in a rear room, Scott said. He had some scratches and cuts. We took him to a hospital for an evaluation. Guilford County jail records show Ha is being held on several charges, including first-degree murder and attempted murder. No information was available on those charges. His bail is $2 million. Diggs Gallery displays work of nine artists Do You See Me? an exhibition at Winston-Salem State Universitys Diggs Gallery, brings together nine emerging artists who are questioning the dominant narratives and imagery associated with black male identity. The artists works will be displayed through March 1. The Diggs Gallery is free and open to the public. The exhibition showcases the works of artists from across the United States and Canada. The artists are Davion Alston, Jordan Casteel, John Edmonds, Ivan Forde, Aaron Fowler, Zun Lee, Terence Nance, Chris Watts and Lamar Whidbee. Endia Beal, the gallerys director, who also curated the show, said her goal was to create an exhibition that speaks to the experiences of students, the community and the nation. What does it mean to be seen? To be viewed, treated and loved as a human being? she said. Wilkes college renames program Wilkes Community College has announced that its human resources development program is now the career and talent development program. The name change better reflects the actual work we do in the program, said Chris Robinson, the colleges vice president of workforce development and community education. We are here to assist people looking for new jobs and career opportunities and, most importantly, to assist them in developing new skills and talents to meet the demands of an ever-changing job market. The program focuses on helping students learn the necessary skills to be competitive in seeking vacant jobs, the college said. Students are exposed to many strategies to enhance their job search, plus they learn self-sufficiency skills, upgrade their employability skills, and develop strategies to reach their employment and educational goals. The colleges CTD courses are offered at no cost to people who are unemployed, working part-time, or have been told they are going to be laid off. Course offerings include assistance with resumes, job searches, interview preparation, basic computer skills, career planning and skills assessment. career and talent development services are offered in Alleghany, Ashe and Wilkes counties. Former food services employee accused of communicating threats Police arrested a former employee of a Wake Forest University food services contractor after investigating a threat the woman allegedly made. Its unclear whether the specific threat was against the university or the contractor. On Friday, Winston-Salem Police said they responded to the university to investigate allegations of a threat received from Monica Renae Spease, 46, a Winston-Salem resident and former employee of Aramark Inc. Two of the three parties are reportedly involved in a civil-based dispute, police said. On Friday, personnel from Aramark notified Wake Forest that Spease made statements to their corporate office, threatening to harm their office employees if the civil matter was not resolved. At 11 a.m. Friday, Spease voluntarily met with officers and turned herself in. She was placed under arrest and charged with communicating threats, a misdemeanor. Bond was set at $500 unsecured. The investigation is ongoing, police said. Police ask that anyone with information regarding this incident to contact CrimeStoppers at 336-727-2800. Journal reports Greensboro man dies after motorcycle crash GREENSBORO The motorcyclist injured in a crash late Friday night died. Anthony Rashawn Chapman, 25, of Greensboro was westbound in the 100 block of East Bragg Street about 11:15 p.m., when he lost control and ran into a parked car, according to police. The impact threw him from the motorcycle. Paramedics took Chapman to Moses Cone Hospital, where he died, police said. The crash remains under investigation. Greensboro News & Record Utility work to affect several streets Several streets in the Ardmore neighborhood will be closed to through traffic from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for water and sewer line repairs and replacement: Magnolia Street between Jefferson and Walker avenues, and Parkway Drive between Magnolia Street and the dead-end. Crews will be repairing or replacing water and sewer lines Monday through Friday on 25th Street between Liberty Street and Bowen Boulevard. The street will be closed to traffic and a detour will be posted. There will also be work on Claremont Avenue between 14th and 15th streets, Dunleith Avenue between 15th and 17th streets, New Hope Lane between Claremont and Cleveland avenues, and 15th Street between Cleveland and Dunleith avenues. The streets will not be closed, but traffic may be controlled by a flagger. Melissa Hall RALEIGH North Carolinians have long known that the electoral contest between Pat McCrory and Roy Cooper would be expensive, contentious and competitive. Its the top gubernatorial race in the country. And its the top political priority for many activists and interest groups here in North Carolina. Now, with Election Day fast approaching, the governors race has taken a turn. According to the polls, Cooper had opened up a sizable lead over McCrory during the late spring and summer. An average of all surveys conducted in July and August gave the Democrat 49 percent of the likely voters, with the Republican incumbent at 44 percent. During September and early October, the race tightened a bit. But this development was all about Coopers average dipping to 47 percent. McCrory remained at 44 percent. Since Oct. 10, however, the governor has surged. An average of the polls taken since then all by reputable outfits with pollster grades of at least a B+ from the statistics website FiveThirtyEight.com shows both Cooper and McCrory at 47 percent. More importantly, the spreads have shifted in McCrorys direction from every pollster with two recent surveys to compare. To say the governor has momentum is not, of course, to predict he will win. I think the race remains a volatile tossup. But its still worth considering why McCrory has had the political equivalent of the Carolina Comeback hes been talking about regarding the states economy. First, lets discount the possibility that the gubernatorial candidates are just riding the national waves. At the top of the ticket, the trends are reversed. Hillary Clinton now leads Donald Trump in North Carolina by an average of 46 percent to 43 percent, up from a 44 percent/43 percent Clinton edge in September. In the U.S. Senate race, Richard Burr has maintained a small but fairly consistent lead over Deborah Ross, although it has widened slightly the last couple of weeks. Heres my theory of the governors race to date. Cooper opened up his summer lead thanks to a massive deployment of broadcast ads, digital ads and adverse news coverage of McCrory on House Bill 2 and voting laws. A few summer polls even had Cooper north of 50 percent of the vote heartening for any challenger and terrifying to any incumbent. But some of that support for Cooper was soft. After Labor Day, as the McCrory campaign and its allies began their own broadcast, digital and earned-media efforts in earnest, some leaners reverted back to truly undecided. Others began to express less interest in casting a ballot at all, which can have the same effect on the numbers. Then in early October, two storms struck. One was an actual weather event, Hurricane Matthew. Gov. McCrory did what he was supposed to do in response to the tragic floods, effectively and consequentially. He also pointed out that because of state Republicans prudent management of state finances and against the expressed preference of Roy Cooper North Carolina had a large rainy-day fund with which to fund state governments share of Hurricane Matthew recovery. The other storm was a political one for Cooper. During two televised debates and a series of other exchanges, he was challenged strongly for the first time to explain his questionable management of the state crime lab, his support for Obamacare and other liberal causes, and his incoherent position on state taxes and spending. Across the board, Coopers responses were weak and unconvincing. The electorate clearly has some reservations about McCrory. While polls show voters still largely agree with the governor about protecting privacy in government bathrooms, showers, and locker rooms, many arent convinced that HB2 was the right tool for the job. But voters also rate McCrory highly for his leadership during Matthew. And most voters who rank the economy as their top voting issue favor McCrory over Cooper, thus illustrating the governors greatest electoral asset. McCrory and Cooper are now neck-and-neck. Thats an impressive comeback for an embattled Republican incumbent in the Year of Trump. Though Detective Antoinette Conway always dreamed of working in the murder squad, now that shes made it to the Dublin Castle grounds where Irelands best detectives track down killers, she wants out. Her co-workers harass her, and the majority of cases that make it to her desk involve domestic disputes, not the psychopathic serial killers shed imagined hunting. When her boss assigns Antoinette and her partner a new case complete with a smarmy third detective to act as a baby sitter, Antoinette considers this her last stint on the squad before trading in her badge for a job at a security agency. When they arrive at the scene, Antoinette stares into the face of the murder victim, Aislinn Murray, and recognizes her, though she cant place the memory. The scene of the crime, complete with a candlelit table set for two and dinner in the oven, points to yet another date gone bad. This should be a slam dunk. But the case proves to be a wild animal that nobody can read, sometimes bounding in a predictable direction, other times leaping down a path that catches everyone off guard. On top of this, Antoinette notices a strange man frequenting the road outside her house. Author Tana French incessantly pushes the plot of The Trespasser forward with absorbing dialogue and shifty villains. When the investigation hits walls, relationships grow and morph, making the work as much about internal conflicts as external. Antoinette narrates with a rich, raw voice. Her sarcasm combined with a wry, hard-edged view on life may weary readers, but keep reading, because as in all of the authors work, meaning lurks beneath every quip and glance. French not only spins a twisty cop tale, she also encases it in meticulous prose, creating a read that is as elegant as it is dark. Six PKK terrorists were killed Friday in anti-terror operations in eastern Turkey, the Turkish army announced on its official website Saturday, Anadolu reported. According to a statement issued by the Turkish General Staff, two terrorists were killed in the Dogubeyazit district of Agri province. Armed forces killed two others in the Semdinli district of Hakkari province and two others in the Uludere district of Sirnak. In addition, a civilian was injured in a PKK attack at a checkpoint located in Sirnak, according to the Turkish General Staff. The Turkish General Staff also provided details about various seizures in the southeastern region. Four improvised explosive devices, 250 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, 100 meters of cable wire and five kilograms of hemp seeds were seized in Bingols Genc district. Moreover, 10 tubes used to make improvised explosive devices were found in the Tatvan district of Bitlis during a road check. An explosive device comprising of 10 kilograms of ammonium nitrate was also discovered in Hakkaris Semdinli district and was destroyed. Some 350 kilograms of powdered marijuana were also seized in Hakkari. The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU -- resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July last year. Since then, more than 700 security force members have been martyred and around 8,000 PKK terrorists killed or apprehended. Garner native and country music singer Scotty McCreery and his wife, Gabi, have welcomed a baby boy. Next to his mother, he is the most beautiful thing Ive ever seen, said the American Idol winner in a news release on Tuesday, announcing the news. McCreery and his wife announced they were expecting in June. Merrick Avery McCreery was born Monday at 4:34 a.m. in Raleigh. He weighs 7 ... The Diary of Anne Frank, released in 1959, was the first film by a major studio that addressed the events of the Holocaust, a genocide in which Adolf Hitlers Nazi Germany and its collaborators killed about six million Jews. The subject of the Holocaust was off limits for many years because it was thought that any representation would be inadequate. Before then, it was too soon, too sensitive. It just couldnt be dealt with, according to Foster Hirsch, a film professor at Brooklyn College in New York. Hirsch, the author of 16 books on film and theater, will moderate the first RiverRun Retro event, An Evening with Millie Perkins, Friday at Hanesbrands Theatre. Perkins, who was 18 and an unknown actress when she starred in The Diary of Anne Frank, will participate in an on-stage interview by Hirsch. The program will show clips of Perkins acting career with the primary focus on her role as Anne Frank in The Diary. Perkins will also attend a reception with the audience afterward. RiverRun Retro, a new outreach program of the RiverRun International Film Festival, is the brainchild of Rob Davis, the festivals new executive director. RiverRun Retro joins the festivals other year-round programs: Films With Class and the Indie Lens Pop-Up Series. See Best Bets on page D-3 for information about Best of Enemies. With film, as with other art forms and industries, if we want to understand where we are and where were going, we have to know where weve come from, Davis said. This gives us an opportunity to get to know some of the people who have contributed to the culture of the motion-picture industry over the years. I do believe that in many instances the back stories are as fascinating as what ends up on the screen. Hirsch, who has hosted programs for the American Film Institute, Film Forum and film festivals throughout the U.S. and abroad, talked by phone from New York about Perkins and The Diarys back stories. The film is based on the book, The Diary of Anne Frank, taken from a Dutch-language diary kept by Anne, a teenager, while she was in hiding for two years with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. The family was captured by the Nazis in 1944, and Anne died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Director George Stephens, a righteous Gentile, served in the war and was in Europe in charge of a film crew who shot footage of the liberation of one of the concentration camps, Hirsch said. It had such an impact on him that he wanted to be sure that what happened would not be forgotten. The film fulfilled the obligation that he had made to himself. The next film that he made after The Diary was The Greatest Story Ever Told, a film about the life of Jesus Christ. Before the war (WWII) he was known as a director of comedies, Hirsch said. After the war, Stephens vision became considerably darker. His post-war films included Shane, A Place in the Sun and Giant. He became one of the greatest American filmmakers of all time, Hirsch said. Stephens chose Perkins out of a field of thousands. He wanted a performer who was not known to the public, Hirsch said. He wanted a newcomer, not a movie star who the public had preconceived notions about. Millie bears a physical resemblance to Anne Frank, and, personally, she had the qualities of Anne: charm, sensitivity and feistiness. Well show portions of the film that give the audience a clear sense of the film and Millies role in it. After her success as Anne Frank, Perkins was placed under contract to Fox, but it was a tumultuous relationship with Perkins being suspended for refusing to appear in Tess of the Storm Country, a melodrama that had already been filmed three times. After appearing as Elvis Presleys girlfriend in Wild in the Country, Perkins left Fox to appear in Ensign Pulver and Jack Nicholsons existential Westerns, The Shooting and Ride in the Whirlwind. More recently, Perkins has appeared as Jon Voights ex-wife in Table for Five, Sean Penns mother in At Close Range, Charlie Sheens mother in Wall Street, Andy Garcias mother in The Lost City, and as Ruth Kramer in the film adaptation of John Grishams The Chamber. Davis isnt ready to say who else he is planning to bring in for RiverRun Retro. We have a couple of others that we would like to do and we are finalizing the invitations people from 1950 up to the present. We have access to some authors who might come in. Were not limited to people who have worked in films but also people who have written books and done research on film history. GREENSBORO Former President Bill Clinton urged early voting Sunday, framing the upcoming presidential election as a referendum on what it means to be an American in the 21st century. Once in a great while, you have an election that defines a generation, Clinton said at an afternoon rally in LeBauer Park. When we started, it seemed to me that Americas challenges were pretty straightforward but because of the actions, deeds, records and proposals of the other side, it is even more fundamental. Clinton painted his wife Hillary Clintons candidacy as one of optimism, inclusion and substantive ideas for change. In his 20-minute speech, Clinton did not mention Republican nominee Donald Trump by name, saying only that the other side of the ticket was focused more on rhetoric and fear than on policy proposals and solutions. Youve got one candidate that says, Were stronger together. The other says, No were not, Clinton told the crowd of about 500. One says, I understand your anger, but answers are what you need. The other says, No, we dont, we like our anger. That attitude was prevalent in Arkansas in Clintons childhood, he said, during an era of oppression for African-Americans, gay people and women. Look, folks, Im a 70-year-old white guy from Arkansas. I know what make America great again means, he said. I know what that means. But referencing that time as the glory days is an ineffective way to campaign, Clinton said. You cant have the economy you had in 1950, he said. Thats like me saying that Id like to be 20 again. I would, actually, but I wouldnt vote for somebody who promised to make me 20 again. Clinton implored the crowd to take advantage of early voting, noting that it took a court battle to expand polling sites and voting hours in North Carolina. That decision, handed down by a federal court in July, ruled that a previous plan to modify early voting targeted black voters a population that relies heavily on early voting with almost surgical precision. The Guilford County Board of Elections expanded early voting sites and hours in September. The adopted plan included just one Sunday today. You cant do early voting next Sunday, which is the one thing they tried to do to suppress the vote that survived, Clinton said. So what does that tell you? You have a choice to make. The former presidents visit comes as Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump 61 percent to 33 percent among the 29 percent of North Carolinians who say theyve already voted, according to a recent poll from NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist. Democrats typically perform better in early voting, while Republicans tend to have large turnout on Election Day. Bill Clintons appearance was unlikely to have an effect on that, said Kara Carter, North Carolina spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee. Unfortunately for her campaign, North Carolina voters dont trust Hillary Clinton, Carter said in a statement. Bill Clintons last-ditch appeal wont erase the decades of scandal that have plagued her candidacy. Some rally attendees, naturally, disagreed. Were definitely supportive of Hillary, said Bruce Henry, a Colfax resident who came to the park with his wife Brynn. This is historic. Reddit Email 0 Shares By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | Saudi airstrikes targeting a judiciary building in al-Hudayda, a port on the western coast of Yemen under Houthi control, have killed some 43 people and wounded dozens of others, most of them prisoners. The strike on the judiciary building, which had a prison attached, could have been predicted to kill civilians. It is therefore a war crime in international law. It isnt that hard, Riyadh. If you think taking the shot will possibly kill non-combatants, especially a lot of non-combatants, you cant take it. Prisoners are especially vulnerable since they are restrained. Whoever ordered that airstrike should be hauled before the International Criminal Court in the Hague. h/t wikipedia In the past, the US military has warned the Saudis against hitting civilian infrastructure (including the port of al-Hudayda and a key bridge at that city) and Riyadh has blown Washington off and hit them anyway. Which makes me want to ask why the US hasnt completely dissociated itself from this bloodbath. In mid-September, jets of the Saudis and their allies killed 25 people in their private residences when they struck the residential al-Hunoud district (they were trying to hit a governmental building in the hands of the Houthis). On October 8, the Saudis struck a civilian funeral from the air. The US said it was reviewing its involvement then, but nothing changed. The Houthis have also committed war crimes, sending rockets on civilian neighborhoods in Najran, e.g., but in the nature of the case a small guerrilla group cant wreak the kind of havoc that an America-equipped state of the art air force can. The Saudi war on the Houthis of north Yemen has been going on for 18 months and for the past 14 months the Saudis and their allies have had exactly zero success. This is because you cant win a guerrilla war from the air, and there arent enough Yemeni troops willing to fight for deposed president Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to take even major Sunni cities from the Zaydi Houthis. The Houthis bear a lot of the blame for the conflict, since they interrupted Yemens constitutional process and made a coup, hand in glove with deposed president Ali Abdallah Saleh, in January of 2015. They then tried to take over the whole country, which wasnt plausible. The Houthis are a religious extremist movement hailing from the Shiite Zaydi branch of Islam. Part of what started their rebellion was Saudi proselytizing in Yemen for the anti-Shiite Wahhabi branch of Islam. About a third of the 22 million Yemenis are Zaydis, mainly in the northwest of the country. It was never very likely these 7 million could rule the 15 million Sunnis, or Sunni cities like Aden, and they were fairly swiftly kicked back out of it by the Arab coalition, in summer of 2015. (In fact, most of the 7 million Zaydis arent pro-Houthi, so their ambition is even more overweening than this demographic suggests). The Houthis are braggarts who say they will overthrow the Saudi government. They have imprisoned many human rights workers. The Saudis accuse them of being Iranian puppets but that frankly is silly. They are an indigenous Yemeni movement and they got most of their weapons by raiding Yemeni army depots for American arms. Iran has probably given them a little help, but configuring what is going on as Saudi v. Iran in Yemen is ridiculous. Apparently the population in Sanaa, the capital, has swung behind the Houthis on nationalist grounds, and theyve held big demonstrations against Saudi Arabia (Saudi bombed the demonstration). The Saudi-led war on Yemen has produced enormous hunger and displacement, which is likely only to get worse. The reason the Saudis keep committing these war crimes is that their tactics are unsuited to the struggle the want to wage. And if they go on like this, they will come to regret it. Related video added by Juan Cole: DW from last week: Yemen: Houthi and Saudis volley accusations | DW News Reddit Email 0 Shares By Golnaz Esfandiari | ( RFE/RL ) | . . . Theres no question that, in the worst case, Mosul will represent the single largest, most complex humanitarian crisis in the world in 2016, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq Lise Grande said on October 18, hours after an Iraqi-led coalition launched its offensive. There is no telling exactly what the joint force of Iraqi Army and Kurdish Peshmerga troops will encounter in their effort to reclaim ISs last stronghold in Iraq, an operation that is expected to take weeks or even months. But aid groups, working in cooperation with Baghdad and Kurdish regional government authorities, have prepared for the worst. Uncertainty For UN and relief agencies, not knowing is one of the most difficult things to deal with. One of the challenges about this is that you can only count on the best information you have at the time so a map is drawn up with a particular scenario and then the next day you have to tear it up and start again, says Chris Weeks, communications director for the relief organization World Vision International. Mosul, a city that once had a population of 2.5 million, is estimated to house as many as 1.5 million civilians today. All are expected to be affected by the military operation, with as many as many as 200,000 in the first few weeks, according to the UN. But it is difficult to predict when, where, and how quickly residents could flee once troops move in, says Andreas Needham, a Baghdad-based communications officer with the United Nations Refugee Agency. Security Once people start to leave, they will be first vetted and screened to prevent IS fighters from escaping with them, says Kurdistan regional government Foreign Minister Falah Mustafa. The security of civilians, he notes, is among the top priorities. After the screening process, people will be directed to numerous camps and shelters that have been set up by aid groups outside Mosul. World Vision Internationals Weeks voices concerns that the process, which could mean that males as young as 14 may be temporarily separated from their families, will cause further strain on civilians. Men are going to be separated from their families and that means the remaining families are quite vulnerable, a woman with several children moving to a new area that they dont know can be quite a threatening environment, he says. Basic Necessities Supplies are believed to be in short supply after two years of IS occupation, winter is on the horizon, and there are serious concerns over the mental and physical condition of residents. And as International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) spokeswoman Sara al-Zawqari notes, When people flee, they flee with nothing except their clothes. To address such problems, the humanitarian community has been collecting contributions and requesting funding for months, and are prepared to provide displaced persons with basic necessities. Displaced Iraqi children who fled the fighting in Mosul at a refugee camp earlier this week Displaced Iraqi children who fled the fighting in Mosul at a refugee camp earlier this week Zawqari says the ICRC will provide civilians with emergency relief, including food, bottled water, blankets, health kits, kitchen utensils, and other basic items. She says her organization is currently ready to provide emergency aid to 300,000 people. Other aid groups will also be involved in providing emergency help to those escaping Mosul, including the Catholic Relief Service, which according to its country representative Hadi al-Mahdi has recruited about 120 volunteers to deliver emergency aid and even cash. The World Food Program (WFP) has said that it has prepared more than 14,000 tons of family food rations enough to feed 1 million people for one month in warehouses near Mosul. In addition, the WFP has also prepared ready-to-eat food rations for 240,000 people. Some 240 tons of medicine will be available at distribution points and medical assistance will be provided by mobile units. Zawqari says the only local hospital in operation, located about 40 kilometers away from Mosul, has been prepped to perform surgeries and treat the wounded among the displaced. Shelter For now, Needham says, the UNHCR has set up five camps for up to 45,000 people. He says the UNHCR hopes to soon have a total of 11 camps set up. The camps are expected to have the combined capacity to shelter up to 120,000 people. However, Mahdi says, many of the displaced are expected to prefer to stay in non-camp areas and within communities. To account for this reality his group has devised a new transitional shelter model made from locally available materials. The UN says material for shelter construction will be provided to the displaced to support families who flee Mosul but opt against staying in camps. Psychological Help After two years of harsh IS rule and the stress of their escape, many Mosul residents are expected to require psychological help. Weeks says children are particularly vulnerable. We believe half of the people who flee might be children. Were talking possibly about half a million, possibly 600,000, he said. Theyre going to have incredible emotional and psychological needs. He added that specialized staff have been trained to recognize signs of distress in children, and safe, calming, places have been established at the camps. Worst-Case Scenarios Of all the bad scenarios, the worst consider the possibility that Mosul residents could be subjected to even greater danger as troops move in. This could mean the mass expulsion of 100,000 people by IS, the extremist groups use of civilians as human shields to stave off advancing liberators, or, worst of all, a chemical attack, according to Grande. The UN humanitarian coordinator for Iraq says the World Health Organization has first responders ready in case IS uses chemical weapons. More than 100 people have now received specialized training and thats a hugely important step in preparing for a worst-case [scenario], she says. Golnaz Esfandiari is a senior correspondent with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She can be reached at esfandiarig@rferl.org RFE/RL Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036. Related video added by Juan Cole: Euronews: Is Iraq facing the worst humanitarian crisis in its history? world Reddit Email 192 Shares Maan News Agency | BETHLEHEM (Maan) Israeli settlers on Saturday morning cut down 18 olive trees belonging to a Palestinian family in the village of Nahalin, west of Bethlehem in the southern occupied West Bank. Journalist Hani Fanun, whose family owns the trees, said his family went to harvest olives on their land in the Wadi al-Hariq area of Nahalin, and found that settlers from the nearby illegal Gush Etzion settlement bloc had cut down over 18 large olive trees. Fanun told Maan that the familys land is closest to the Bat Ayin settlement which is part of the cluster of Israeli settlements that make up the Gush Etzion bloc and was reclaimed by the family after an order by the Israeli Supreme Court proved that it belonged to them. The Fanun familys land, which spans 10 dunams, is surrounded by lands that were confiscated and turned into nature areas for the settlers of Gush Etzion. A spokesperson from Israels Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the group responsible for implementing the Israeli governments policies in the occupied West Bank, said they were looking into the matter. This years olive harvest season, which began early this month, has seen several incidents of attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian farmers and their lands in the occupied territory. On Friday, Israeli forces expelled several Palestinian farmers from their lands, and detained one while they were picking olives near Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank. Two weeks ago, dozens of extremist Israeli settlers harassed Palestinian families who were picking olives on their private lands west of Nablus city. Palestinian officials told Maan at the time that settlers from the illegal Israeli outpost of Havat Gilad attacked different families from the villages of Jit and Farata in the Qalqiliya district, and Sarra in the Nablus district all located just south of the outpost. One week prior to that incident, a number of settlers from the illegal Eli settlement attacked Sahir Mousa and his family while they were picking olives on their land in the outskirts of the Nablus-area village of Qaryut, which is just a few kilometers away from the settlement. They arrived carrying hatchets and other sharp tools and forced the family to return home and completely damaged their car, officials said regarding that attack. On Oct. 4, a group of Israeli settlers children escorted by Israeli forces harassed a Palestinian family harvesting olives in the southern occupied West Bank city of Hebron. The Palestinian government has no jurisdiction over Israelis in the West Bank, and violent acts carried out by Israeli settlers often occur in the presence of Israeli military forces, who rarely act to protect Palestinian residents. Israeli human rights group Yesh Din, along with Israeli rights group BTselem, have previously condemned Israeli authorities for failing to protect Palestinians from settlers violence or investigate attacks, particularly during olive harvest season, when incidents of attacks on harvesters and their olive groves have been a near daily occurrence in past years. Via Maan News Agency JURIST Guest Columnist Robert Gyenes discusses the UNCITRAL Working Group II (Dispute Resolution) in Vienna, which aims to negotiate an international mediation treaty or law The 65th meeting of the UN Commission on International Trade Laws Working Group II recently closed its 12-23 September session in Vienna, Austria. It was the latest in a series of bi-annual meetings to prepare an instrument dealing with enforcement of international commercial settlement agreements resulting from conciliation [PDF]. Conciliation, occasionally referred to as mediation, is increasingly becoming the primary method of dispute resolution as the costs and formality of arbitration rises. This flexible alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process also cuts out many of the burdens of litigation, such as discovery or a need for preparing witnesses. The informal process gives companies an ability to craft individualized justice otherwise lost in an arbitration or litigation forum [PDF]. But once a settlement is reached in conciliation, there is no uniform system of international enforcement. Some states enforce them under statutes, but the majority treats a conciliation settlement as just another contract. Working Group II has been trying to draft a uniform international enforcement mechanism since its 45th session in 2012. Part of the delay is caused by disagreement over what form the mechanism should take. There are viable two choices: either the mechanism will be a free-standing convention or it will be incorporated as an addendum to the 2002 Model Law on Conciliation, already in force among a small group of states. In the discussion below, I will address the benefits and disadvantages of both outcomes. A New Convention or Extension of the 2002 Model Law on Conciliation? Delegations in favor of a convention often cite the success of the New York Convention on Arbitration [PDF]. This was format was the original intention of Working Group II and in prior official reports, the 1958 New York Convention was cited as a model both in form and function [PDF]. Reverence for the New York Convention is not surprising. It has been a gold standard in enforcement mechanisms and international arbitration has greatly benefited from a clear legal framework across jurisdictions. The high adoption rate of the New York Convention adds to its success. With 156 currently contracting parties, a lawyer can be certain of enforcement in nearly any country in the world. For almost 60 years, this convention has accumulated a considerable amount of use and scholarship; naturally conciliation would want to emulate it. Conventions tend to promote uniformity better than model laws. Generally states are free either to sign an international convention or nottheir only ability to modify their acceptance limited to declarations or reservations. Under this all or nothing structure, a lawyer in the US or Germany is likely to understand what the enforcement regime is like in Tajikistan without any knowledge of the local language simply by looking up the restrictions and declarations a signing state has made. As a practitioner, that is a comforting feeling and is something easily communicated to clients. Other highly anticipated conventions, however, have not seen the same high rate of adoption. For instance the 2005 Hague Choice of Court Convention is only in force among the European Union, Mexico, and Singapore. The 1971 Hague Convention dealing with foreign judgment recognition has only five parties. Therefore, simply on the basis that it takes the form of a convention, there is no certainty that this enforcement mechanism will be widely adopted. The truth is, there is no perfect comparison to the New York Convention. As the Working Group II pointed out in its February 2015 Report, arbitration and conciliation are in different stages of evolution. Conciliation is the new kid on the block. In contrast, arbitration could draw on a longer history going back to a 1927 treaty dealing with arbitral award enforcement [PDF]. As one delegation noted in dissent, the New York Convention was built upon the experience gained through long years of arbitration practice in contrast there is a lack of experience in international conciliation, particularly across different legal traditions [PDF]. In total, we cannot predict with certainty how a conciliation convention would operate. The other option for Working Group II is to draft the enforcement mechanism as an extension to the 2002 Model Law on Conciliation. The 2002 Model Law was UNCITRALs earlier attempt to harmonize the laws on international conciliation, providing a basic set of rules and procedure regarding the scope, nature and function of the conciliation process. Adding the enforcement mechanism to the 2002 Model Law as an addendum would offer some distinct advantages. For example, model laws by nature are more flexible in their implementation because they are not limited to treaty declarations or reservations as their only means of dissent. Each domestic legislature passes their own version. Thus, states have the ability to harmonize the text of the model law with an existing preferred practice or any conflicting legal obligations. A benefit of this approach is that any nation otherwise hesitant to sign a convention would be able to implement a domestic law at its own speed and in its own voice. This approach would also allow for a observational period in which certain states could observe the enforcement mechanisms nuances in practice. With more use of enforcement under a model law would come more familiarity and scholarship, helping to mature the field of conciliation. The counter-argument is that model laws tend to have a lower adoption rate. This concern has some weight, particularly in the case of conciliation. The underlying 2002 Model Law on Conciliation has only been adopted by 16 nations (interestingly by 12 US states despite no federal counterpart). Adding an enforcement mechanism to a law in force in so few jurisdictions is likely to have a muted impact. The flexibility to modify a model law is also a weakness. The 2002 Model Law, like other laws modified and passed by each individual legislature, is not uniformly implemented. Although the UN published a guide to enactment designed to combat this [PDF], states are free to deviate from the text. The result is that a practitioner must spend more time researching the law before recommending conciliation to their client, and thus creating the likelihood that in some cases conciliation will be avoided where it might have been utilized. The Path Forward That Working Group II started out debating a convention is significant because it will be difficult to deviate from that path. Nevertheless, there is a contingent against drafting a convention. The situation has threatens to stall progress in other areas of drafting. Lack of clarity on what exactly the Group is drafting affects how other articles are written. However, forcing a convention on unwilling delegations may get the Group to a final text, but it would also have a negative effect on the implementation of this mechanism. The new conciliation convention may end up relatively ignored, similar to the 1971 Hague Convention on Foreign Judgments. Conciliation settlement enforcement could remain a state-by-state process for many years to come. Although it may be a difficult thought, perhaps Working Group II should more seriously consider drafting the mechanism as an addendum to the 2002 Model Law. While this choice essentially cedes an immediate worldwide adoption of a common policy because each state must implement it individually, it has other medium term benefits. Unlike a convention, it overcomes the flexibility concern. States are not forced to adopt each and every provision as they would under a convention. It may also spur additional adoption of the 2002 Model Law on Conciliation because it would add a very valuable enforcement mechanism. Most of all, there is no rush. A convention can always be drafted later, once conciliation scholarship and practice matures. In the end, whatever the outcome, enforcement of conciliation settlement agreements is likely to remain an uncertain process in the near future. But the future does look bright, as conciliation continues to grow and find its place in the ADR spectrum. It is comforting that even if this first attempt is poorly received, perhaps a future convention can be built upon the experience gained through long years of mediation practice resulting in part by this Working Groups work. Robert Gyenes is a Former Chancellor Nordenberg International Law Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh and delegate to UNCITRAL Working Group II on behalf of the American Society of International Law. Suggested citation: Robert Gyenes, UNCITRAL Working Group II Draft Mechanism on Enforcement of Conciliation Settlement Agreements, JURIST Hotline, Oct. 26, 2016, http://jurist.org/hotline/2016/10/Robert-Gyenes-uncitral-group.php This article was prepared for publication by Yuxin Jiang, a Senior Editor for JURIST Commentary service. Please direct any questions or comments to her at commentary@jurist.org On Sunday, Australia announced plans [Aljazeera report] to further strengthen its already strict refugee and asylum seeker policies. In particular, legislation will be brought before Parliament next week which would disallow asylum seekers who have returned to their homelands from ever coming back to Australia even for business, as tourists, or to follow a spouse. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said this legislation is to combat the battle of will between the Australian peopleand these criminal gangs of people smugglers. However, human rights advocates are not convinced of Turnbulls policy or his justifications. One human rights attorney said the law would be a lifelong sentence on victims of persecution and another dangerous precedent. In addition, some believe Turnbull will have a difficult road getting this legislation passed without obtaining support from minor parties or the labor organization. Australian refugees and their treatment have been a topic of discussion among international human rights organizations as of late, prompting Amnesty International to report that Australia is using the island of Nauru as an open-air prison [JURIST report] as a means to prevent immigration. In August Australia announced [JURIST report] that Australia and Papua New Guinea intend on closing the controversial Manus Island detention center. That same month AI and Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued reports [JURIST report] stating that Australia is ignoring inhumane treatment of detainees in Nauru. Papua New Guinea officials claimed in May that Australian refugees are not being detained [JURIST report] on Manus Island, as they are given access to mainland Australia. The statement by officials followed a ruling by the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court that the Australian off-shore detention facility was illegal, in direct opposition to a ruling [JURIST report] by the Australian Supreme Court earlier this year that the off-shore detention was legal. The U.S. State Department updated its travel warning on Turkey on Saturday, ordering family members of consulate employees in Istanbul to leave the country, citing threats against U.S. citizens, Reuters reported. "The Department of State made this decision based on security information indicating extremist groups are continuing aggressive efforts to attack U.S. citizens in areas of Istanbul where they reside or frequent," the department said in a statement. The State Department said the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul remains open and said the order does not apply to any other U.S. diplomatic posts in Turkey. Saturday's warning updates previous State Department advisories of "increased threats from terrorist groups throughout Turkey." The department advises U.S. citizens to avoid travel to southeast Turkey and also advises caution on the risks of traveling anywhere in the country. Airstrikes led by the Saudi Arabian coalition killed [YemenPress report] at least 90 prisoners and injured dozens more in the Zaydiyah district of the Red Sea port city of Hudaydah, Yemen on Saturday. The prison housed up to 84 prisoners and was bombed [SAB report] for hours resulting in the collapse of the building. The bombing occurred hours after a peace treaty [Reuters report] between Yemeni rebels of the Houthi movement [Aljazeera backgrounder] and Saudi Arabia failed. The Saudi coalitions airstrikes have long been condemned [JURIST report] by the international community, and before the airstrikes began on Saturday, Saleh Al Samad, the head of Yemens Supreme Political Council, accused [ALALAM report] the coalition of committing human rights abuses in Yemen. The bombing were apart of a series of strikes [PressTV report] that occurred throughout the day resulting in a multitude of deaths and injuries. The death toll continues to rise as first responders clear out the area. Many of those who were detained at the prison were anti-rebels [AFP report] who opposed the Houthis peace plan. The coalition has yet to make a comment [Aljazeera report] on the bombing. The conflict in Yemen has resulted in thousands of deaths in over year creating an ongoing concern for human rights.UN experts investigating [JURIST report] the October 8 attack on a packed funeral hall in the Yemeni capital, which is currently under rebel control, accused the Saudi coalition last Thursday of violating international humanitarian law. Saudi Arabian led airstrikes on a funeral in Sanaa, Yemens capital, were [JURIST report] an apparent war crime, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on the same day as it also called for a credible investigation.According to a report released in early October, the Obama administration conducted [JURIST report] a $1.3 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia last year despite warnings that such contribution to the countrys activities could implicate the US for war crimes Thousand of protesters called for the resignation of President Park Geun-hye [BBC profile] after it was revealed she allowed individuals to influence state affairs. The demonstration of thousands came after the President apologized [HurriyetDailyNews report] for allowing Choi Soon-sil, who is a daughter of a religious leader, to edit confidential speeches [NPR report] and receive funds even though she is not a political official. Choi Soon-sil is also under investigation for embezzling millions of dollars from non profits for personal uses. It is estimated that 30,000 individuals [Koreajoongang Daily report] came out to the protest to call for the resignation of the president and an end to corruption in the government. Many believe Choi and her family have exercised undue influence in the government causing the scandal to become more expansive [Korea Times report] than just the connections to the president. In response to the protesters demands, the President has reshuffled [Koreajoongang Daily report] the majority of her cabinet in the last week as many of them were close allies. South Korean President Park Geun-hye proposed [JURIST report] on Monday to amend the countrys constitutional provision that restricts presidents to one term in office. The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) [official website], South Koreas antitrust regulator, confirmed [JURIST report] in August that the country is investigating whether Google violated the countrys antitrust laws. In Kyung-joon, a senior prosecutor in South Korea was indicted [in july on charges of bribery by accepting more than USD $11 million from an executive at the online-game company Nexon during collusive stock transactions over a nine-year period According to a news report [Reuters report] on Sunday, Turkeys government has dismissed 10,000 additional civil servants and closed 15 more media outlets for their supposed connection with US-based religious leader Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey has accused of orchestrating the attempted coup in July. These most recent sacks mean that over 100,000 people have been fired or suspended and 37,000 in the countrys crackdown on terrorism. The somewhat extreme crackdown has been criticized by many within the state as opposition parties have called President Erdogans use of emergency rule a direct coup against rule of law and democracy. Also, many human rights groups and some of Turkeys Western allies have bemoaned [JURIST report] Erdogans policies as having weakened human rights safeguards. In addition to the firings and media shutdown, universities may no longer select their own heads, as Erdogan will now directly appoint candidates nominated by the High Educational Board (YOK). The aftermath of the failed coup attempt continues as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed [JURIST report] that those involved in the coup would pay a heavy price. Last month Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said that approximately 32,000 people have been arrested [JURIST report] in relation to the recent coup attempt, and 70,000 have been questioned. In August a group of human rights experts for the UN called upon [JURIST report] Turkeys government to uphold its international human rights obligations, despite declared emergency following failed coup. Also in August an Istanbul court issued an arrest warrant [JURIST report] for Gullen on charges of orchestrating the attempted coup. Earlier in August Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjrn Jagland traveled [JURIST report] toTurkey to meet with a variety of Turkish officials to urge for respect for the rule of law. In July Amnesty International condemned [JURIST report] Turkeys decision to issue arrest warrants for 42 journalists. Also in July Erdogan ordered [JURIST report] the closure of thousands of private schools, charities and other institutions. Logan movie spoilers: Director James Mangold explains scars on Logans back; Everything you need to know about the film [VIDEO] Actor Hugh Jackman arrives at the screening 20th Century Fox's 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' at the Chinese Theater on April 28, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo : Getty Images/ Kevin Winter) The official "Logan" movie trailer is out and we have our first look at Hugh Jackman taking on his final outing as the fast-healing, Adamantium-armed mutant Wolverine. The third and last film of the "Wolverine" franchise introduces an ageing Logan coming into retirement from saving the world. Here are two takeaways from the "Logan" trailer. Advertisement The scars on Logan's back Taking cues from the "Logan" trailer, it is evident that the upcoming film is darker than its predecessors and shows Logan and Professor X as ageing mutants whose powers have begun to dwindle. One striking thing about Logan's appearance is that he is sporting some massive battle scars on his back. In an interview with Empire, director James Mangold reveals that the scars on Logan's back are manifestations of the effects of his advancing age on his healing powers. He explains that while Logan can still heal, the skin that regenerates is no longer "baby-soft." "We imagined that it may have when he was younger, but with age, he's getting older and ailing. Perhaps his healing factor no longer produces baby-soft skin. So we imagined he heals quickly, still, but it leaves a scar," Mangold says. Who's his new companion? Aside from Professor X, Logan is joined by a young companion in the new movie. The mysterious girl has been identified as a mutant called X-23, who has Logan's DNA and effectively also some of his powers. In the trailer, Professor X tells Logan that X-23 is "very much like you," which makes it safe to say that she might also have healing powers and that she might also age slower than the average human being. X-23 is known as Laura Kinney in the comic books, and is the 23rd attempt by Essex Corp to make a clone of Wolverine. According to Comicbook, she is designed to be the perfect assassin, but due to the cruel treatment from the scientists that created her she takes them out instead. Now that she's free from the tortures in the facility, she sets out to find Wolverine, Professor X and the Xavier Institute. "Logan" release date is on March 3, 2017. Actors Danai Gurira, Norman Reedus, and Andrew Lincoln attend The 2nd Annual Paleyfest New York Presents: 'The Walking Dead' at Paley Center For Media on October 11, 2014 in New York, New York. (Photo : (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)) Following the explosive premiere, "The Walking Dead" (TWD) Season 7 is set to air episode 2 on Oct. 30. The upcoming segment is titled "The Well" and it will feature Rick Grimes and his group's first interaction with a new community, The Kingdom. Here are the detailed spoilers for the next chapter of the series. Read on to find out what happens next. Also, find out where to watch episode 7X02 online via live stream. Scroll down for the link. Advertisement [Spoiler alert! This article contains spoilers for "The Walking Dead" (TWD) Season 7 episode 2 "The Well." Do not read further if you don't wish to know more about it.] "The Walking Dead" (TWD) Season 7 premiere revealed Negan killed Abraham. Daryl lost temper and punched Negan, which prompted the new big bad to kill Glenn. Negan continued to play mind games with Rick forcing him to cut Carl's arm off. Eventually, he stopped Rick from doing so. Negan and his men left the group with Daryl as their captive. Moving on to "The Walking Dead" (TWD) Season 7 episode 2 "The Well." According to Spoiler TV's description, Rick and his group come across "a new, well-established community." The show will introduce the community lead by King Ezekiel. Fans must brace themselves to meet new characters. Network has released a promo video for "The Walking Dead" (TWD) Season 7 episode 2. Rick makes a major announcement and declares he is not the in-charge anymore, Negan is. Scroll down to watch the promo below. Second promo video for "The Walking Dead" (TWD) Season 7 episode 2 shows Morgan and Carol taking a tour of The Kingdom. They are surprised to see how well the place is built, but they are quite apprehensive of the place and its people. Click here to watch the extended promo as published on Comicbook. According to TV Guide, Morgan and Carol were brought to The Kingdom for treatment after she was shot. In addition, The Spoiling Dead Fans have revealed some important information about "The Walking Dead" (TWD) episode 7X02. According to Facebook page, the upcoming episode will introduce several The Kingdom residents. Some noteworthy characters being introduced are Benjamin (Logan Miller), Richard (Karl Makinen), Dianne (Kerry Cahill), Jerry (Cooper Andrews) and Alvaro (Carlos Navarro). "The Walking Dead" (TWD) Season 7 episode 2 airs Oct. 30, Sunday at 9:00 pm on AMC. Fans can also watch "The Wells" online via live stream on amc.com. Stay tuned for more spoilers and updates. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form US Army battery charging knee brace. (Photo : US Army) The U.S. Army and Marine Corps plan to harvest the energy generated by walking or running soldiers to recharge the many types of electronic gear essential to mission success on the battlefield. They're particularly interested in field testing a "knee brace" that stores the kinetic power generated by walking or running. This stored power can later be used to charge the lithium ion batteries that power many military devices. Advertisement Canadian company Bionic Power, Inc. has been contracted to perform these field tests. Its wearable titanium system produces seven to 10 watts of power if a soldier is walking at a normal pace. The system can harvest more if a soldier walks faster. The lightweight and unobtrusive system adds 2-1/2 pounds per leg and the company's goal is to reduce system weight to a mere 900 grams, or less than two pounds per leg. The system has already undergone early testing at the Army's Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center in Natick, Massachusetts. It will be put through its paces by rank-and-file soldiers and Marines in 2017. "If soldiers are heavily weighed down and they're going downhill, they can produce upwards of 20 watts of power," said CEO Yad Garcha. "It depends on speed and depending on terrain. If soldier is going to a lookout point every day, they can wear this device on the way down and they can charge all their equipment." Garcha said the Army planned to equip a squad with the system in the summer of 2017. The Marines will test the braces on 50 Marines at about the same time. "Basically they'll say, here's a 72-hour mission, here's a technology that you can wear, let's see if you can be independent for that period of time," said Garcha. "They will probably allow same mission to be done with batteries, allowing them to compare the effectiveness of the mission, the weight on the soldier's back, the cost of the battery, so they'll have comparative testing." The Marine Corps has committed to buying 50 of the systems but the Army has yet to determine how many it wants. 362 Shares Share Prior to her death, a courageous young woman named Jess Jacobs, who suffered from POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), wrote about the worst health care experience of her life. It is a somewhat horrifying account of hospitalization in Washington D.C. Her goal was to work toward meaningful health care changes in the system for the better. When I came across the story of another young woman afflicted with this disease, it sparked my interest. She has given me permission to share one of her many experiences with barriers of her own. Katelyn Anderson has EDS and was officially diagnosed with POTS five years ago. She holds a communications degree and was starting her graduate studies when one morning she woke with a racing heart, dizziness, and blackened vision. Physicians informed her there is no cure and she must resign herself to feeling exhausted and nauseous for the rest of her life. Despite this, she has continued searching for methods to ameliorate her disease symptoms, which can include hypotension, poor circulation, headache, fatigue, tachycardia, nausea, shortness of breath, and unpredictable syncopal events. Doctors have compared her quality of life to that of a patient on dialysis and her level of fatigue to a person with congestive heart failure. This remarkable woman is just 28 years old. Katelyn receives routine infusions of saline and nausea medications through a port in her chest so she can stand without near syncope. Her port is her lifeline. An in-home caregiver assists her with activities of daily living such as meal preparation, grocery shopping, and bathing. Determined to make a difference, Katelyn has been using her talent as a photographer and blogger to inform and educate others about POTS. Most recently, Governor Jay Inslee and Mayor Patty Lent proclaimed October as Dysautonomia Awareness Month for Washington State and the City of Bremerton. Katelyn moved to Kitsap County three years ago, yet has been unable to transfer her care locally due to lack of access. She travels back to Spokane, WA for care from a variety of specialists. Katelyn has been forced not only to coordinate her care, but navigate a world in which she is unfamiliar. I do not want people to be at a place in their life where they have to take health care into their own hands, she declared. Katelyn is right. Our health care system is a disjointed assortment of people, processes, and centers lacking vital interoperability. For Katelyn, POTS is likely secondary to having EDS. Definitive diagnosis requires eliminating other causes, such as Addisons disease, where the adrenal glands are unable to produce enough cortisol. Cortisol is important for immune function, blood sugar regulation, blood pressure stabilization, and metabolism. In high-stress situations, we need increased cortisol release to function optimally. If supply cannot meet demand, fatigue, low blood pressure and dizziness result even progressing to loss of consciousness. The gold standard for diagnosis of primary adrenal insufficiency is an ACTH stimulation test. A baseline cortisol level is drawn, ACTH is administered, and then cortisol levels are checked 30 and 60 minutes later. Below is a timeline of the illogical road blocks Katelyn had to navigate to schedule her test. 5/10: An endocrinologist in Spokane recommends the ACTH stimulation test. 5/12: Katelyn calls the local infusion clinic for appointment. The referral has not been received. Late July: The test is authorized by insurance and scheduled for September. Three medications must be discontinued for the test to be accurate meaning Katelyn is resigned to increased symptoms and even lower blood pressure, for the next six weeks. 9/12: Katelyn is denied her lab test when she arrives at the infusion clinic because the referral came from an endocrinologist outside the county. The lab had not informed Katelyn of this when she made the appointment. 9/12: By afternoon, the only option was finding a local PCP to write an order. This was difficult as ACTH stimulation tests are typically ordered, administered, and interpreted by specialists. 9/13-15: Katelyn calls her three clinic options in our county. None are accepting new Medicaid patients or are uncomfortable accepting her due to medical complexity. This is a common problem in our geographically isolated area. 9/16: Katelyns sister convinces her physician, who is currently not accepting new patients, to accept Katelyn. 9/22: Katelyn has an appointment with her new PCP who rewrites the order. Katelyn hand delivers it to the infusion clinic requesting it be given to the nurse manager. 9/29: Katelyn calls to make an appointment at infusion clinic. The order was lost. A request for second order from her physician was made by fax. The infusion clinic would not schedule appointment since they did not have an order. 9/30: Katelyn called infusion clinic, the second order has still not been received. The nurse manager is in a meeting. 10/5: Katelyn returns to the infusion clinic. They have not received a fax with the second order. 10/7: Katelyn calls the infusion clinic. The order has still not been received. She calls her physician. By afternoon, no response and the day ends with no order and no plan. 10/10: Katelyn calls in the morning and in the afternoon, no progress is made. 10/11: Katelyns mother (ARNP from out of town) goes with her to the infusion clinic. No order. The front staff offers little help to make progress. The nurse manager is available after Katelyns third request. Nurse manager facilitates the order from physicians office, and test is scheduled for 10/12 at 8:30 a.m. Accomplishing this task took more than five months. Medical care should be more accessible, equitable, and favorable for people like Katelyn. We must fix our broken system and eliminate arbitrary barriers for patients and physicians. Katelyn and countless others suffering from chronic disease deserve our time, effort, and above all, the best quality patient care. Niran S. Al-Agba is a pediatrician who blogs at MommyDoc. Katelyn Anderson can be reached at Umber Heart Photography. Image credit: Katelyn Anderson The A-10 Warthog is here to Stay, Probably Until 2040 A-10 overloaded with weapons. (Photo : USAF) The legendary Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog" ground attack aircraft won't be retired starting 2018, as was the initial plan of the U.S. Air Force. Instead, this venerable close support aircraft will shoulder on, at least until 2040. The clearest sign the Warthog will continue to be a terrifying sight to those on the sharp end of its weapons is the reopening of the depot line that maintains and repairs the Air Force's 283 A-10s. Advertisement The Air Force is supposed to have begun retiring the Warthog by fiscal year 2018 beginning July. The service expects the A-10 to be completely withdrawn from service in 2022. The plan is to retire 49 A-10s or two squadrons in FY 2018. This will be followed by 49 A-10s in FY2019, 64 in FY2020, and 96 in FY2021. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth jet is to have replaced the A-10 in the ground attack role. New Air Force studies, however, reveal the multi-million dollar F-35 won't be able to generate the required number of sorties planned. "They have re-geared up, we've turned on the depot line, we're building it back up in capacity and supply chain," said Air Force Materiel Command chief Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski. "Our command, anyway, is approaching this as another airplane that we are sustaining indefinitely." The U.S. Congress had adamantly opposed the retirement of the A-10. Senator John McCain, a former Navy pilot, and Representative Martha McSally, a former A-10 pilot, both fought hard for the Warthog in their respective Armed Services Committees against the Air Force's claims the F-35 could replace the A-10 that first entered service in 1977. Delaying the A-10's retirement also follows trials initiated by the Air Force to determine if the F-35 or A-10 better executes the close air support role. The results indicate the A-10 came out the winner. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) belittles the Air Force's contentions the A-10 could be replaced, arguing the plane's low flight costs, unique airframe and hyper competent, impeccably trained pilot community was without peer in the Air Force. A 58 year old Kilkenny man who became a substantial drug courier received a four year sentence at Kilkrnny court on Friday for having over 230,000 worth of cocaine, heroin and cannabis in his home. The court suspended the last year of the sentence of Jimmy Conway, No. 134 Assumption Place, Kilkenny. After a day's hearing it emerged that Mr Conway could not extricate himself from the drug gang he was involved with and that after he was arrested, he was sent a photo of his wife filling her car with petrol and there were other forms of intimidation as well which were not mentioned in court to ensure he did not give up any information on the low-life Dublin based drugs cartel with which he was involved. Even though he was granted bail when arrested on June 16 of this year, no one would go bail for him and it was disclosed he has a strained relationship with his family and that he has a son serving overseas in a war-torn part of the world with the British army. It was also mentioned that the other son was going to do a doctorate in a Canadian university and that a credit union loan was taken out to help him but that didn't make too much sense because there were three different stashes of cash (four figure sums) found in his house when garda raided it. Even the gardai giving evidence in the case admitted that Mr Conway would never have been suspected of being a drug courier and didn't fit the profile, yet his house was under a surveillance for a week before gardai pounced on him. Prior to sentencing Judge Cormac Quinn said that 'it was accepted that Conway would not be expected to name people involved with him because of fears for his safety. Judge Quinn said Conway was; a substantial courier who was trusted with large amounts of drugs. In mitigation Judge Quinn said that there was an early plea of guilty and that he was satisfied that the defendant had assisted gardai with the investigation of the offence. He said that the defendant had said that he wanted to fund his son's education but stressed that he was not giving this much weight and the evidence did not bear this out. The court also heard that the defendant was previously a man of good character with one previous conviction for being caught after hours in a local pub 25 years ago. The judge outlined that the quantity of the drugs seized was an aggravating factor. "Drugs, particularly cocaine, wreak havoc on communities. Couriers play an essential role in the drugs trade. "I do not find any circumstances that justify a wholly suspended sentence. It should be a six year sentence without mitigation. "Taking the mitigating factors into consideration I will sentence him to four years in prison and I will suspend the final year on condition that he enters a bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour," he said adding that the sentence be backdated to June 16. Mr Brian O'Shea was the prosecuting counsel instructed by the State Solicitor, Mr Gerry Meaney (Refiles to fix spelling in second paragraph) Oct 31 (Reuters) - Australian shares are expected to open a shade lower on Monday, taking the lead from Wall Street, which fell on Friday partly due to news the FBI will review more emails related to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Lower oil prices on uncertainty OPEC will not fully carry out planned output cuts are also likely to put pressure on stocks. The local share price index futures lost 3 points to 5,250, a discount of 0.6 percent to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close. The benchmark fell 0.2 percent to 5,283.8 on Friday. Australia and New Zealand Banking Group is expected to release an announcement to the exchange. ANZ shares were put on a trading halt in New Zealand following a profit warning last Friday. The company is expected to report its full-year earnings on Nov. 3. New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index fell 23.85 points or 0.34 percent to 6919.45 in early trade, with material stocks pulling the index down the most. For a summary of overnight action across global markets, double click on For a digest of the day's business stories in Australian newspapers, double click on (Reporting by Aparajita Saxena in Bengaluru; editing by Susan Thomas; Aparajita.Saxena@thomsonreuters.com; +91-80-6749-8901; Reuters Messaging: aparajita.saxena.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net) (Adds details, background) By Ehab Farouk CAIRO, Oct 30 (Reuters) - EFG-Hermes and HSBC have been selected as consultants for the initial public offer of state bank Banque du Caire, Egypt's Deputy Finance Minister told Reuters on Sunday. "There is no date selected yet for the offering," Deputy Finance Minister for fiscal policies Ahmed Kouchouk said. Central Bank Governor Tarek Amer said in March that the government planned to offer 20 percent of Banque du Caire by increasing its capital through an initial public offering. A market official with direct knowledge of the issue said the offering will take place during the first half of 2017. Banque du Caire, established in 1952, has a capitalisation of 1.6 billion Egyptian pounds ($180 million). The bank has around 240 branches and units around the country. Egypt is struggling to revive its economy since a popular uprising in 2011 drove away tourists and foreign investors. The initial public offering of Banque du Caire, along with other state companies and banks, is expected to bring in badly needed dollars to shore up the country's foreign reserves, which totalled $19.592 billion at the end of September, down from $36 billion five years ago. Egypt is in the process of securing a $12 billion, three-year, International Monetary Fund programme but must first make some painful economic reforms including fuel subsidy cuts and a devaluation of the pound, which has been held artificially strong at 8.78 per dollar. ($1 = 8.8799 Egyptian pounds) (Reporting by Ehab Farouk; Writing by Asma Alsharif; Editing by Sam Holmes and Susan Fenton) * Plan to raise the bank's capital by up to 17 pct * Shareholder meeting to discuss the move before yr-end * Latest Gulf bank to announce plans to raise capital (Adds detail, context) DUBAI, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Commercial Bank Of Qatar (CBQ) plans to convene its shareholders to seek approval to increase its capital, the Gulf state's third-largest bank by assets said in a bourse statement on Sunday. It is the latest Gulf bank to announce plans to raise its capital in recent months as economic growth slows and new global regulations requiring banks to beef up their reserves loom. The capital increase, which still requires regulatory approvals, will raise the bank's capital by up to 17 percent, the statement added. CBQ had a total capital adequacy ratio of 15.6 percent as of June 30, according to a presentation on the bank's website, against a minimum regulatory requirement of 12.5 percent. The bank did not elaborate on the reason behind the move. It added that an extraordinary general assembly meeting will happen before the end of the year to discuss the capital hike after obtaining necessary approvals from regulators. CBQ this month swung to a third-quarter net loss, the fifth quarter in a row of falling profits, as it was forced to set aside more cash to cover bad loans. The bank has already taken steps to strengthen its capital buffers this year. In March it raised 2 billion riyals in additional Tier 1 perpetual capital notes, a move Moody's said in a recent research note provided the bank with a "greater capacity to absorb losses and moderate asset risks." CBQ in June issued a $750 million five-year senior unsecured bond to support general funding purposes. Banks in the Gulf are gearing up to fully comply with Basel III, while lenders globally are preparing for a change to international accounting rules, known as IFRS 9, governing bad loans due to take effect on Jan. 1, 2018. (Reporting by Tom Arnold and Reem Shamseddine; Writing by David French; Editing by Sam Holmes) SHARE The Train to Orvieto Rebecca J. Novelli Black Heron Press 413 pp. $17.95 Californian-turned-Seattleite Rebecca J. Novelli has just had her first novel published by Mill Creek's Black Heron Press. "The Train to Orvieto" is a stylistic throwback in some ways it has the conflict between the social expectations and the personal pursuit of happiness, and the attention to detail, that were characteristic of novels written a century ago by the likes of Henry James or Sinclair Lewis. And, as in the works of those authors, Novelli explores the thin veneer of manners over appetites. The time frame for this novel is somewhat later the first section, titled "Gabriele," begins in 1934, when Willa Carver, a careless young belle in Erhart, Ohio, convinces her hapless parents that she must go to Italy to pursue a painting career. This is based on little more than her own restlessness and the fact that she has an Italian art instructor who wishes to marry her. Willa rejects that opportunity but accepts, at least for the moment, an arrangement her parents make for her to stay with a lady who lives in Florence. And so begins a saga that encompasses two generations, two continents and two cultures. Once she sets sail from New York, Willa ignores her chaperon's counsel. And upon her arrival in Italy, she follows up on an impulse to accept an invitation from a headstrong young man she meets on a train. Gabriele Marcheschi wishes to bring her to meet his parents. When she does so without going through the expected preliminaries, one cultural misstep leads to another, and before she knows it she has become la favola della citta the talk of the town. Booted out of art school, she marries Gabriele within a few short months and soon finds herself pregnant and living in an agrarian community that is far enough away from Florence to make it seem as distant as the moon. The succeeding years bring the hardships of wartime, but they bring unexpected opportunities, too. The second section of this story is titled "Michel Losine." This is another man who comes into Willa's life. Losine has a tragic back story that is tied to the war, and Novelli spends some time developing this before tying his story in with Willa's. Losine affects rather than changes her circumstances, but the result is no less profound. In the cascade of succeeding years, it becomes clear that the actions of one's impetuous youth can etch enduring consequences not only into that life, but into the lives of succeeding generations also. The final section moves forward a couple of decades and is devoted to the decision that Fina, Willa's youngest daughter, is on the cusp of making to stay in Orvieto and get married, or to go away to university. In some cases, history repeats itself, and in other ways, the mistakes of the past inform different choices in the future. Novatelli shows that sometimes an element of serendipity can play a significant role, too. "The Train to Orvieto" is an interesting debut. SHARE Dale Magneson Jeffrey Bassett Kitsap County Superior Court judge, Position 5 Incumbent: Jeffrey Bassett Candidates Jeffrey Bassett Age: 55 Background: Attorney (criminal law, juvenile offender matters, labor and industries, personal injury, bankruptcy, family law and appellate law) Dale Magneson Age: 65 Background: Solo practitioner representing clients in the Kitsap County Superior Court for over 28 years, in addition to representing clients in the Federal Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Washington Q: Briefly explain why you are running? Bassett: I was fortunate to be selected as the best of 10 candidates to replace Jay B. Roof as Superior Court Judge for Department 5 after a lengthy application and evaluation process. I have held this position since February of this year, handling the same matters and work loads as any other judge on our Superior Court bench. As our State Constitution requires any appointed judge to sit for elections during the next cycle, I have complied to ensure that the voters of Kitsap County have the opportunity to feel vested in the election process. Magneson: I am the only candidate who is native to Kitsap County. I better understand the citizens of Kitsap County, both those native to the county as well as those newly arrived, because I have served in the military and have moved many times in a short period of time. The largest employer in the county is the Department of Defense and I have worked in the shipyard and understand the dynamics of government service. Q: What in your professional experience prepares you to be a Superior Court judge in Kitsap County? Bassett: I think I can say best that my ability to act as a Superior Court Judge in Kitsap County is not theoretical; it's practical. I have been acting in this capacity since my appointment to the bench in February of this year. Beyond that, I have the necessary breadth of experience and knowledge to meet the requirements of this position. Where our statistics show that 47% of the Superior Court hearings since the start of 2016 are criminal proceedings, and where the jury trial is the top type of trial we've had during this period, I remain the only candidate with experience in both criminal law (approximately 6-1/2 years) and jury trials. I am also the only candidate with extensive experience in appellate law and personal injury matters, and my experience as a judge since February of this year has had me engaged in the additional areas of probate, guardianship, civil practice, land use, unlawful detainer, and property law. I have been judicially evaluated by four minority bar associations and rated well-qualified to exceptionally well-qualified for this position and am endorsed by the entire Kitsap Superior and District Court bench. Magneson: I have consistently served the people of Kitsap County in Kitsap County Superior Court for more than 28 years. I have also conducted my own successful legal practice for over 28 years Q: What expertise would you offer the bench, and how would you get up to speed to handle cases in areas of law with which you are not as familiar? Bassett: As with the previous question, this comes down to a practical answer. We have a well-rounded bench, with judicial officers with prior experience in a variety of legal fields. With five years of appellate experience behind me, I am an adept legal researcher and always ensure that I've taken the necessary time to understand the issues and review my options. But where I believed I lacked sufficient experience in a certain area, I've sought the assistance of the other judges to mentor and assist me, to review my proposed determinations to ensure that they are legally sound. I remain the most knowledgeable of the judges with respect to two fields, personal injury and dependency, and supplement their knowledge with my own, offering the same assistance to them as has been offered to me, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the issues and the law. The last thing any litigant wants is a rush to judgment without a full and fair evaluation of the issues before the Court. Finally, I've spearheaded a project with the office, reviewing all incoming decisions from our different appellate courts, and creating an on-line hyperlinked research library for statutes and precedent likely to impact our day to day practice. This ensures that I remain as up to date as possible on the current status of the law in a variety of areas. Magneson: My experience is in the realm of civil law. I began as a solo practitioner and thus had to learn a whole lot of things quickly. I have learned Russian, German, metals inspection and law. I am able to learn quickly. For over 28 years, I have had to do my own legal research. Beyond that, there are publications for the bench to assist judges in various areas of law. Each judge is assigned a law clerk, who can assist in questions of law. Coverage: Candidates in only contested Kitsap judge race meet for forum (Kitsap Sun) Judge candidates emphasize experience, local roots (Kitsap Sun) SHARE MANCHESTER, N.H. in 1936, President Franklin Roosevelt defeated Kansas' Gov. Alfred Landon in 46 of the 48 states, thereby creating the jest, "As Maine goes, so goes Vermont." Eight decades later, New England has gone from the Republicans' last redoubt in a bad year to their least receptive region in any year. Its six states have made 36 decisions in the last six presidential elections and the score is Democrats 35, Republicans 1 New Hampshire supported George W. Bush in 2000. Republicans hold just two of New England's 21 congressional seats, and two of 12 Senate seats, those of Maine's Susan Collins and New Hampshire's Kelly Ayotte. Just nine months ago time flies when you're having fun Donald Trump won his first victory in this state's primary. Ayotte could become an especially regrettable part of the collateral damage his campaign is doing to the party with which he is temporarily identified. But she probably will survive his undertow and win a second term, partly because she is almost everything people say they want in politics: She is neither old nor rich nor angry. She is 48 and often finds life amusing, as she recently did concerning former Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh's problem. He is trying to convince Indiana to return him as a senator to Washington, where he has lived and prospered since voluntarily leaving the Senate in 2011. When he was recently asked the address of his Indiana condominium, he was stumped. Ayotte, laughing, says, "I probably couldn't tell you my address in Washington." There she lives in a basement apartment, returning on weekends to New Hampshire, where her husband runs a small landscaping and snow removal business. This year, New Hampshire has what has become an American rarity, a choice between two grown-ups. Ayotte is the state's former attorney general. Her opponent, Maggie Hassan, 58, is ending her second term as governor. Both women have approximately 100 percent name recognition and benefit from what an Ayotte aide calls "three degrees of separation": Almost everyone in this small state has, or knows someone who has, met or otherwise had contact with the two. Which works to Ayotte's advantage. She is running by running 5K races, bagging groceries, riding all-terrain vehicles in the woods and generally smothering the state with retail politics. Hassan, whose challenge is to give voters a reason to fire Ayotte, is relying heavily on negative ads, especially ones criticizing Ayotte's path to her current position of refusing to vote for Trump. But paid ads often do not dent "three degrees of separation" knowledge. Sixty-four percent of voters say Ayotte's path to separation from Trump "makes no difference" to them. Last week, UMass Amherst/WBZ released a poll of likely voters, including those "leaning toward" a candidate, showed Ayotte with a 4-point lead. Which must reflect the fact that, in a survey of eight swing states, New Hampshire had the largest portion of voters (9.7 percent) intending to vote both for Clinton and for a Republican Senate candidate. New Hampshire campaigning is costly because candidates must advertise on Boston television, which is watched by almost 85 percent of New Hampshire voters. Of the state's 1.3 million residents, the 720,000 who will vote for senator are the targets of the $125 million $173.61 per vote that will be spent on the Senate contest by Nov. 8. Ayotte will be outspent on television by $20 million by $10 million in the last two weeks but in this politics-saturated state, broadcast political ads may be the equivalent of wallpaper semi-seen but not really noticed. For 36 years, the Senate seat Ayotte occupies has been held by representatives of a distinctive New Hampshire Republicanism. Warren Rudman for two terms and Judd Gregg for three brought flinty fiscal Puritanism to bear on the federal government's mismanagement of its fisc. New Hampshire currently has a Democratic senator, a member of Congress from each party, and a close contest for governor, so were Ayotte to lose, the state could be entirely blue, which does not suit the prickly ("Live Free or Die") and purple spirit of a state where 40 percent of voters are registered independents. In this year's crowded New Hampshire Republican primary, Ohio's Gov. John Kasich finished second to Trump. Today, only 17 percent of those who supported Kasich support Trump. The center-right of the Granite State seems likely to decide this race, giving rise to the saying, "As New Hampshire goes, so goes the Senate." George Will's email address is georgewill@washpost.com. He writes for The Washington Post Writers Group. Torrential rain caused floods and traffic accidents in towns in central and southern Egypt Fifteen people have been killed and 47 others injured as a result of torrential rain and flooding in Egypt since Thursday, health officials have said. Seven people were killed and 23 others injured after heavy rain hit the town of Ras Gharib in the Red Sea governorate, MENA agency reported the provincial health department as saying. Schools in the coastal town, which is around 150 km north of Hurghada, have been indefinitely suspended due to the flooding. Six people were also killed and 24 others wounded early on Friday when two buses and three other vehicles overturned in floods on a highway in the governorate of Sohag, which lies some 500 km south of Cairo, the health ministry said. Authorities closed off the road in both directions after many vehicles became trapped in the floods, a provincial official told Al-Ahram Arabic news website. Twenty-six ambulances were rushed to the scene of the accident, Ahmed El-Ansary, the head of the ambulance authority, told the website. Two people were also killed by electric shocks resulting from thunder in Fayed, in the Suez Canal governorate of Ismailiya. Heavy rains caused flooding in several towns in Upper Egypt and along the Red Sea coast on Wednesday and Thursday. Impoverished areas with poor infrastructure have been worse hit. The capital Cairo has been spared the unstable weather conditions. Search Keywords: Short link: Six militants were also killed in North Sinai in the military operation against militants, according to Egypt's armed forces spokesperson Four Egyptian armed forces personnel were killed in North Sinai amid ongoing operations against militants, according to a statement released Saturday by the spokesperson for the Egyptian armed forces. The statement did not include the names of the killed personnel or their ranks. According to the statement, issued Saturday evening, military operations in Al-Arish, Rafah and Sheikh Zuwaid resulted in the killing of six militants and the arrest of two people wanted on criminal charges. The statement added that security forces destroyed three warehouses used by militants to store explosive devices. Security forces also detonated 12 explosive devices that they said were ready to be used against them on highways. The statement also said that three hideouts used by militants were destroyed and a number of arms confiscated. Hundreds of security forces in North Sinai have been killed in attacks by Islamist militants in the past few years. Egyptian security forces say they have killed hundreds of militants in the area during the same period. Search Keywords: Short link: DHL Express CEO Ken Allen, third from left, holds packing boxes with DHL Express Asia Pacific CEO Ken Lee, second from left, and other participants during a ceremony to open the company's new South Asia hub in Singapore, Oct. 18. / Courtesy of DHL Express $93 million facility bolsters parcel carrier's capacity to meet growing regional trade By Lee Hyo-sik DHL Express has opened its new South Asia hub in Singapore as part of its efforts to take advantage of the region's growing cross-border trade. The $93 million facility, located in the Changi Airfreight Center (CAC) at Changi International Airport, is widely expected to bolster the multinational express service provider's capacity to process the increasing number of mail and parcels moving to and from, or within, South Asia. The hub, which operates 24 hours a day, is equipped with the industry's first fully automated express parcel-sorting and -processing system in the region, according to company executives, who said it has boosted the firm's operational capacity and efficiency, offering speedier delivery for customers. "Over the years, we have invested significantly to bolster our network and services in the Asia-Pacific region," DHL Express CEO Ken Allen said during a ceremony to mark the opening of the firm's new logistics hub in the city state on Oct. 18. "Our investment in DHL's South Asia hub is the most recent in a series of global network investments made, and is the largest infrastructural investment in Singapore to date," Allen said. "The country's strategic location not only boosts our operational network capabilities, but also supports growing trade in the region aided by a stronger global economy." The CEO said the time is right for DHL Express to open the new logistics hub as it has recorded a strong growth in shipments in recent years, particularly in the southern part of the Asia-Pacific region. Between 2012 and 2015, the average daily shipments for Australia and New Zealand grew about 50 percent and South Asia 30 percent. DHL Express employees handle parcels at the firm's newly-opened logistics hub near Changi International Airport in Singapore. / Courtesy of DHL Express The new facility, built on a 23,600-square-meter site, is 33 percent larger than the previous facility, providing the company with additional capacity to handle the growing volume of shipments with regional and international destinations. Its location within the CAC, a 24-hour free trade zone, improves the flow of goods to and from cargo planes, and allows consignments to be shipped or transshipped within an hour, DHL Express said. "The new South Asia hub is a significant milestone in further enhancing our multi-hub strategy in the region," DHL Express Asia Pacific CEO Ken Lee said. "With the other three hubs in the Asia Pacific Hong Kong, Shanghai and Bangkok the facility links over 70 DHL Express gateways throughout the region. It also allows us to add more network flights in and out of Singapore as regional trade continues to grow." The Singapore hub, which employs 250 workers, can process up to 24,000 shipments and documents per hour and can handle more than 628 tons of cargo during the peak processing window. Its processing speed is also six times faster, while handling capacity is three times larger, compared to manual operations in the previous facility. The increased efficiency is achieved from the improved sorting speed and accuracy of the automated system. Multidimensional tunnel scanners accelerate barcode reading, while automated X-ray machines scan packages up to three times faster than previous systems. The facility is also powered by solar energy, which supplies about 20 percent of the hub's total energy consumption. These automation systems enhance productivity, enabling employees to focus on higher value tasks such as risk mitigation to avoid potential shipment delays, issues management and additional security inspections. DHL Express is a division of Deutsche Post DHL Group, the world's largest logistics company. With about 340,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global trade to flow. With specialized services for growth markets and industries including technology, energy, automotive, retail and life sciences and healthcare, a proven commitment to corporate responsibility and an unrivaled presence in developing markets, the group generated more than $64 billion in sales in 2015. By Kim Tae-gyu World-renowned biologist Denis Noble will deliver a lecture today to young Korean people at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in eastern Seoul at the inaugural event of Oxford T-Talks. Oxford T-Talks President Kim Sung-hee, also a visiting professor at Seoul National University, said Sunday that Noble will meet young people with the theme of "Life is not a rehearsal; Keep going." Oxford T-Talks is an organization designed to bring experts from Oxford University to Korea to share their experience and insight with people here. On top of Noble's lecture, various booths will also be set up to help participants with job postings and provide information about government support policies on startups. Noble will also give a similar lecture in Daegu on Nov. 2. Noble has worked at Oxford University for a long time. As one of the pioneers in systems biology, Noble developed the first mathematical model of cardiac cells in 1960, which was featured in the peer-reviewed journal Nature. Noble was elected to head the International Union of Physiological Sciences in 2009 and was re-elected for a second term four years later at the congress in the United Kingdom. He is the author of the first popular book on systems biology, "The Music of Life." The scientist has published 11 books and more than 500 papers. By Jhoo Dong-chan Hyundai Motor is betting heavily on its two new sedan models, the Genesis G80 and the sixth-generation Grandeur, as the nation's largest carmaker struggles globally. According to Bloomberg, Sunday, 17 carmakers were included in the global top 500 companies in market capitalization as of Friday. Of them, Hyundai Motor was 13th with market capitalization of 31 trillion won ($26.98 billion). It was 8th in October 2014, but has since dropped five slots because of the rise of Chinese and EV makers. In a bid to reverse the trend, Hyundai Motor is banking on the Genesis G80 Sport and the latest Grandeur. Hyundai Motor is already receiving orders for the Genesis G80 Sport sedan. Introduced at this year's Busan International Auto Show in June, the G80 Sport is the sister model of the G80 sedan with dynamic drive performance. It has a twin-turbocharged 3.3-liter Lambda GDi engine generating up to 370 horsepower with 52 kg.m of torque. The model is expected to enter into the most competitive large-size sedan market in which the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class are dominant in Korea. The G80 Sport is priced between 66.5 million ($59,845) won and 67 million won. Hyundai Motor also unveiled an image of the all-new Grandeur, the carmaker's time-honored flagship sedan, which is set to go on sale next month. The Grandeur has been fully changed after six years of design modifications. "The Grandeur has been a symbol of Hyundai Motor's latest technologies and innovations since it was introduced in 1986," a Hyundai Motor official said. "The new Grandeur will once again prove Hyundai Motor's technological innovations in new paradigms for the luxury mid-size sedan." The power train has not been announced yet, but industry observers said it would have five types of engines _ 2.4-, 3.0- and 3.3-liter GDi as well as a 2.2-liter diesel engine and a 3.0-liter LPi engine. The new Grandeur's price range will be announced next month. Chef Shinobu Namae of L'Effervescence in Tokyo Courtesy of La Main Japanese chef visits Seoul to create Korea-inspired cuisine By Yun Suh-young When asked what the most influential cuisine in the world is, most people would unhesitatingly say, "French." It is unlikely that someone will pick a country in Asia as the most influential. Japanese chef Shinobu Namae would like to change that. A globally renowned chef, Namae hopes to bring the reputation of Asian cuisine to the top. Namae served as sous-chef for culinary guru Michael Bras in France and also worked at chef Hester Blumenthal's restaurant The Fat Duck in London before opening his own restaurant in 2010. He now runs L'Effervescence in Tokyo, which has earned two Michelin stars and was ranked 12th on this year's list of Asia's 50 best restaurants. Namae will be cooking a collaboration dinner with Korean chef Kang Min-goo of Mingles on Nov. 21 as part of the Gourmet Series organized by dining magazine La Main. He will be presenting his style of Korea-inspired dishes prepared using French techniques at Mingles. "My joining of this event is to promote Asian cuisine higher in the world. After World War II, cultures became globalized and controlled by big countries. The domination of French cuisine killed diversity," said Namae during an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul on Oct. 13, before heading off to Baekyang Temple in South Jeolla Province with chef Kang for a couple days to learn about Korean temple cuisine from monk Jeonggwan. They plan to incorporate their inspirations and lessons from the temple into their collaboration dinner. "Asian restaurants are underrated. I traveled to 12 different countries and I noticed that our techniques and quality are not as low as perceived. We need a balance of cuisine power. The Nordic and South American cuisines are going up but still Asian is underrated," he said. "I think it's a good idea for Asian chefs to get together, to unite. I don't like competition but it's good in a way because we can disperse diverse food cultures and create a good balance (in culinary power). Otherwise the world is controlled by big powers." Namae runs a Japanese-French restaurant serving Japan-inspired cuisine using local Japanese ingredients but prepared using French techniques. He says his perceptions of Korean food have changed since he came to Korea. "I thought Korean food was mostly dominated by spiciness. But dining at Kang's restaurant changed my mind. It was subtle and diverse. His way of building each plate was really harmonized with all ingredients. It's very clear and straight to the taste and the mind and soul," said Namae. "I realized Korean food is not just about kimchi or spicy things. I believe there's more to learn and I'd like to discover more. I can't wait to collaborate with him." The event began with Indian chef Gaggan Anand, who topped Asia's 50 best restaurants list, coming to Seoul on Oct. 8. It continues with Andre Chiang and Lee Jun's collaboration dinner on Nov. 6 followed by Namae and Kang's dinner on Nov. 21. La Main says it purposefully invited foreign chefs from the list of Asia's 50 best restaurants as a means to expand knowledge about Korean cuisine among top-ranking chefs in Asia. Namae will be using Korean ingredients such as ginger root and Korean angelica root, to name a few, for the dinner inspired by temple food. "The essence of temple food is that it makes us calmer and more peaceful. When I visited a Japanese temple, a young monk chef there told me that the basic idea of temple cuisine is to appreciate everyday life," he said. "This time, I'm looking forward to what I can learn in Korean temples." Namae is an avid learner, full of curiosity. He will visit anywhere and everywhere to learn more about diverse cuisines and find inspiration. "I researched Japanese food and I learned that it originated from Korea and China. I'm interested in finding the true original shape of Japanese food culture and finding the connection, similarities and differences between Japanese and Korean cultures," said Namae. Namae seemed frustrated by the status of Asian cuisine globally, despite Japanese cuisine being quite well-known compared to others. "When people dine in New York and pay $300, would they pay the same price for Asian cuisine? No, because our Asian cuisine is really underrated. The French government has successfully promoted their cuisine to be the top of the world. It's time for us to spread the word so that Asian cuisine is more appreciated," he said. "Because I travel a lot, I see Asia from the outside. Sometimes I was discriminated against. I think the balance of human beings is strange nowadays. That's what I'd like to change a little bit. It might take 100 years, maybe three generations. But I can spread the seeds for the next generations and they will be harvesting that. If no one starts, nothing happens," said Namae. "I hope this gourmet series can help promote Korean cuisine, but it's not confined to only Korea. I want the Asian value to be widespread to the world. Perhaps in the future, five Asian chefs can get together to create five different dishes for an all-Asian course menu." Three policemen and three civilians were injured on Sunday after a car bomb detonated in North Sinais Al-Arish, Egypts interior ministry has said. According to a ministry statement, a suicide bomber was driving a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device which detonated next to a passing police patrol. According to statement, the limbs of a person, believed to be the assailants, were found at the scene. Initial reports had said that one Egyptian police officer and four civilians were injured in the incident, which took place near a bridge in the Granada district. The injured were transferred to hospital. On Saturday, the army said that over the weekend four armed forces personnel were killed in North Sinai amid ongoing operations against militants in Al-Arish, Rafah and Sheikh Zuwaid. The army said six militants were killed during the most recent confrontations. Last week, Egypts army launched a new campaign to fight Islamist militants in North Sinai, killing over 50 in response to a militant attack two weeks ago that killed 12 soldiers and injured six others. In mid-October, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi extended a state of emergency in designated areas of the North Sinai governorate for three more months, starting 31 October. A state of emergency was originally declared in certain areas of the restive province in August 2013, and has been consecutively renewed ever since. The army and police have been battling an entrenched Islamist insurgency for several years in North Sinai. Search Keywords: Short link: Smuggling by airline crews has been increasing, mostly from gold bars snuck in by staff on Vietnamese carriers, a customs agency tally showed Tuesday. A report submitted by the Korea Customs Service to ruling party Rep. Park Myung-jae said the monetary value of items smuggled in by flight crews from 2014 to June this year totaled 1.08 billion won ($973,850). The amount compares with less than 100 million won in 2013 before jumping to 440 million won in 2014. The report highlighted repeated smuggling by members of Vietnamese airlines who illegally brought in gold bars. In 2014, they were caught attempting to pass through customs with eight 1 kilogram gold bars. Last year, the customs agency nabbed a group that hid gold bars in their shoes. A woman who appears to be Choi Soon-sil, longtime confidant of President Park Geun-hye, walks toward customs at Incheon International Airport on Sunday morning after a flight from Heathrow Airport in London. Choi, suspected of peddling influence and interfering in state affairs, returned to Korea after hiding in Europe for nearly two months. / Screen Capture from YTN By Park Si-soo Choi Soon-sil, the alleged eminence grise who sparked a snowballing influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye, returned to Seoul Sunday morning. Choi arrived at Incheon International Airport at 7:30 a.m. from the U.K, said her lawyer Lee Kyung-jae. The lawyer earlier said Choi would hold a press conference today, but delayed it because Choi needed time to deal with travel fatigue. "Choi returned to Seoul to cooperate with the prosecution's investigation," the lawyer said. "She will fully cooperate with the investigation. Saenuri Party floor leader Chung Jin-suk speaks about the party's emergency meeting to discuss the Choi Soon-sil scandal. The meeting was held at the party's headquarters in Yeouido, Sunday. The ruling party will push scandal-ridden President Park Geun-hye to reshuffle the Cabinet to include her political foes. / Yonhap By Park Si-soo The ruling Saenuri Party has decided to push scandal-ridden President Park Geun-hye to reshuffle the Cabinet to include her political foes, as part of efforts to find a breakthrough for a snowballing influence-peddling scandal that has put Park's leadership on the brink of collapse. The ruling party has also decided to find ways to detain Choi Soon-sil, the alleged eminence grise who sparked the scandal, to ensure the prosecution's "smooth and thorough" investigation into the case. "Our party will be proactive and enthusiastic when it comes to dealing with the scandal," said Saenuri spokesman Kim Sung-won. "Opposition parties will have to show a responsible attitude in dealing with the case, rather than just stirring up controversy." The spokesman called on opposition parties to join "forces and wisdom" with the ruling party to settle issues related to the government's budget for next year during an ongoing parliamentary session, whose closure is just one month away. A female Vietnamese flight attendant working for a South Korean airline has been detained on charges of gold smuggling, the Incheon office of Korea Customs Service said Sunday. The customs office requested an arrest warrant for the 26-year-old attendant, identified only by the initial of her family name 'L', who was caught smuggling six 1-kg gold bars worth about 280 million won ($245,000) into Incheon International Airport from Vietnam on Friday morning. Her smuggling attempt was detected by an unscheduled X-ray screening, the office said. (Yonhap) By Yi Whan-woo Ban Ki-moon The scandal surrounding President Park Geun-hye's longtime confidant Choi Soon-sil is expected to affect outgoing U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's decision whether to launch a presidential bid in 2017. Ban, who has been rumored to be backed by Park as the ruling Saenuri Party candidate, has suffered a fall in popularity in the latest polls of presidential hopefuls as the scandal escalates. It has called the ethics of the President into question and triggered a leadership crisis for her, which may negatively affect Ban's reputation as well. Analysts said Sunday that Ban may try to distance himself from Park and Saenuri Party. They speculated that the U.N. chief may consider diverse options, if he wants to engage in politics after quitting the U.N., such as joining hands with center-right conservatives from the Saenuri Party's minor factions and the minor opposition People's Party. Although he never explicitly showed interest in running for presidency, Ban has left the possibility open. In an interview with Reuters on Oct. 21, he said, "I should make myself available for a better future of Korea that I am conscious of" when his U.N. tenure ends in December "Ban will be wary of the impact of the Choi Soon-sil gate on his popularity," said Choi Chang-ryul, a professor of political science at Yongin University. "He is likely to opt for a third way to avoid failure in his possible presidency." Ban, who has been the favored potential candidate for the 2017 presidential election, was still the runaway leader with 21.5 percent in a survey taken by Realmeter Oct. 24 to 26. Ban's favorability rating, however, was down 0.7 percentage points from a week earlier, while runner-up Moon Jae-in of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) enjoyed a 0.8 percentage point increase for 19.7 percent support. During the same period, the approval rating of the President fell to her lowest at 17.5 percent since she took office in February 2013. In a separate poll jointly conducted by Media Today and STI on Oct. 26, Ban allowed Moon the lead of 24 percent to 37 percent in a hypothetical three-way presidential race involving Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, a presidential hopeful for the People's Party. A survey jointly taken by Hankyoreh and Hankook Research Oct. 25 to 26 showed that the popularity of the Saenuri Party was behind the DPK 25.4 percent to 30.7 percent, respectively. "Although he did not acknowledge it, people think of Ban as a pro-Park candidate in the 2017 election. And he will need a strategy to overcome such an image considering Park is unlikely to find an exit to create fresh momentum in handling state affairs and that the pro-Park forces in the Saenuri Party will lose ground," said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University. Choi speculated that Ban may join forces with Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, the People's Party's presidential hopeful who is also seen as a center-right politician. "It's too early to predict what steps Ban will take, but joining hands with Ahn can be a possible option," he said. Since last week, a string of evidence has poured in against Choi, who has been friends with the President for decades. She allegedly had access to presidential documents and state secrets despite not holding any official position at Cheong Wa Dae or other security-related government organizations. Rep. Shim Sang-jung, chairwoman of the minor opposition Justice Party, talks to reporters during a visit to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Sunday, to protest the prosecution's handling of Choi Soon-sil, President Park Geun-hye's scandal-ridden longtime confidant. Shim claimed the prosecution refused to apprehend Choi who has returned to South Korea to give her time to destroy evidence. There is speculation that the prosecution has delayed apprehending Choi to let her meet President Park first. / Yonhap By Yi Whan-woo The prosecution failed to raid the offices of scandal-ridden presidential aides at Cheong Wa Dae, Sunday, as the presidential office refused to let in a prosecution team with a court warrant, citing no precedent. Instead, the presidential office handed over documents in paper boxes that the team asked for only after judging whether it is appropriate to allow such pieces of evidence to be taken from Cheong Wa Dae. This triggered an outcry from opposition parties that the presidential office is attempting to destroy evidence to protect President Park Geun-hye. The team had a search-and-seizure warrant to investigate a scandal surrounding the President's longtime confidant Choi Soon-sil. The team from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Offices received the documents at an auxiliary premise used by the presidential bodyguards beside Cheong Wa Dae. The prosecution had planned to search the offices of senior presidential secretary for policy coordination Ahn Jong-beom and the President's personal secretary Jeong Ho-seong. Ahn is suspected of peddling influence for conglomerates to raise funds for the establishment of two non-profit foundations controlled by Choi, while Jeong allegedly sent her presidential documents, including speeches. "Cheong Wa Dae deals with state security and it is stipulated by the law and also customary for Cheong Wa Dae to randomly decide what documents can be taken out of the presidential house," a presidential official said on condition of anonymity. Citing the Criminal Procedure Code, the official claimed that no one can search and seize security-sensitive sites unless given approval by the person in charge of the site. "In that regard, the prosecution is carrying out its job faithfully," the official said. Calling Cheong Wa Dae's denial, Saturday, "unconvincing," the prosecution vowed to execute the warrant "properly" this time in searching the offices of Ahn and Jeong. Speculation is rampant that the evidence that the prosecution received will not help much because Cheong Wa Dae "censored and excluded" those who can work against Ahn, Jeong and ultimately the President. The opposition criticized Park and Cheong Wa Dae, claiming that they still are failing to cope with the public anger and distrust toward the government. "Cheong Wa Dae is still refusing the prosecution's search-and-seizure efforts," said Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, a member of the main opposition Democratic People of Korea (DPK). "It is failing to listen to the angry cries of the people. I really want to join hands with them and ask the President to step down." DPK Chairwoman Rep. Choo Mi-ae raised suspicions that the prosecution is defending Choi. She cited rumors that an investigating officer from the prosecution accompanied Choi when she arrived at Incheon International Airport, Sunday, after arriving from Germany. The prosecution also did not immediately arrest Choi in line with her request for time to rest. "The prosecution should stop its theatrics and pretending as if it is sincerely looking into the case," Choo commented on Facebook. "I wondered whether the prosecution colluded in hiding Choi when I heard an investigator from the prosecution accompanied her." Protestors hold pickets which read "Park Geun-hye resign" during a candlelight vigil on Saturday evening at Cheonggye Plaza, central Seoul. Almost 20,000 participants walked toward Cheong Wa Dae. / Korea Times photo by Shin Sang-soon By Choi Ha-young Tens of thousands of citizens held a candlelight anti-government rally at Cheonggye Plaza, central Seoul, Saturday many holding pickets reading: "Impeach Park Geun-hye" and "Is this a country?" Over 20,000 gathered in the largest rally this year, demanding the scandal surrounding Park's confidant Choi Soon-sil be thoroughly investigated. Civic groups vow to hold candlelight rallies every day across the nation. At the rally, people expressed their anger and frustration with the Park administration for allowing a person with no official title to meddle in state affairs. It was not only university students who made statements denouncing the Park administration, as many older people, including traditional Park supporters, joined the protest as well. "I've lost trust in this government," said a participant surnamed Kim, 80, from Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. "She has to step down on her own right now." Following the protest with speeches and performances until 7:30 p.m., citizens walked across Gwanghwamun Plaza toward Cheong Wa Dae. "Koreans have taken pride in the nation's development and democracy, but with the Choi scandal, everything we have built appears to be collapsing," said a protester surnamed Ok, 51. "It's so embarrassing and shameful." Park's former supporters expressed a sense of betrayal. "I came here with my son to show how deeply we are disappointed in President Park. I voted for Park like many other old people did. But she disappointed her supporters and betrayed the people," a 70-year-old participant said. "She has to step down for destroying the nation before the situation turns uglier." The police once blocked people with a wall of police buses in front of Le Meilleur Building in Jongno, but soon took away the barricade. The confrontation between demonstrators and police continued until 11 p.m. but no violence took place. The police broadcasts to dismiss the protestors were exceptionally respectful. "It is the first time that I have ever come to this kind of protest. I came here with my 13-year-old son to join the rally," said a father surnamed Ahn, 43. By Kim Hyo-jin The ruling Saenuri Party urged President Park Geun-hye to include figures designated by opposition parties in the Cabinet, Sunday, amid the public outcry following the scandal involving Park's confidant Choi Soon-sil. "The party decided to call on the President to form a Cabinet based on the agreement by rival parties," Kim Sung-won, a Saenuri spokesperson, told reporters after the party's decision-making Supreme Council meeting. "She should consider a Cabinet that could win public trust." The call came as the ruling bloc has been reeling from the scandal that Park's longtime confidant Choi has interfered in state affairs despite holding no official post. The embattled President ordered 10 of her senior secretaries to resign over the scandal Friday after a 90-minute meeting with ruling party chairman Lee Jung-hyun. Still, she has faced calls from rival parties to conduct additional measures to mend the situation. Opposition parties have called for a full-scale personnel reshuffle in the Cabinet and the presidential office. The voice was echoed by a growing number of Saenuri lawmakers. The Saenuri leadership appeared to have viewed the current leadership vacuum as a serious matter as the ruling party and the government cannot fill in, according to party officials. The aggravated public sentiment toward the President and the ruling party spurred a sense of crisis among the senior party members ahead of the presidential election next year, the officials said. The party also renewed its call for a thorough investigation on Choi and the people in question and a full-scale personnel reshuffle at Cheong Wa Dae, apart from the appointment of a new Cabinet. By Park Si-soo Choi Soon-sil, the central figure in a burgeoning influence-peddling scandal, will be summoned by the prosecution on Monday. The Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office said Sunday night it would summon Choi at 3 p.m. as a "criminal suspect." She made a surprise return to Seoul from the U.K. on Sunday morning using a British airline, breaking her earlier stance revealed in a recent interview with a local daily somewhere in Europe -- believed to be in Germany or Denmark -- that she was "too weak for air travel." The prosecution has promised a "thorough" investigation of the case, but critics doubt it, pointing out what they claim is the prosecution's "reluctant" attitude in dealing with Choi and other suspects. Unlike previous high-profile scandals in which the prosecution would take immediate custody of key suspects arriving from overseas at the airport, this time the prosecution showed an "unprecedented" generosity of giving Choi one day of rest before questioning, which is long enough to destroy evidence or coordinate her story with other people involved in the scandal. U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has blasted the free trade agreement with South Korea as a destroyer of jobs in the American auto industry, not a creator as promised by the administration. Trump made the accusations during a campaign speech in Ohio, one of the "rust belt" regions with declining economies, blaming free trade deals for job losses and other economic woes and accusing his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, of backing such agreements. "Hillary Clinton supported and lobbied for the South Korea trade agreement, you know that one, that's been another disaster, on the promise of 75,000 new jobs. Instead, her trade deal destroyed 100,000 jobs, mostly in the auto industry," Trump said during the rally. "And believe me, as you stand here today, your executives are negotiating deals to move businesses out of Ohio and into Mexico and other countries, because we have nobody to protect our companies and really nobody to protect our workers," he said. The painstakingly negotiated Korea-U.S. FTA has been in effect since 2012 and has widely been considered a symbol of the economic alliance between the two countries. Attempts to revise or renegotiate the agreement could set off diplomatic tensions. A passerby was killed and one other injured on Friday when an IED exploded in Gesr Al Suez road in Cairo's Ain Shams district Egypt's interior ministry announced Sunday that it arrested five men suspected of carrying out an improvised explosive device (IED) attack on Gesr Al Suez road in Cairo hours after the explosion killed one civilian on Friday. According to a statement on the ministrys official Facebook page, the men claimed responsibility for the IED attack, saying that they were targeting security forces. The explosion, which killed a passerby and injured one other person in Cairo's Ain Shams district, is thought to have been intended for a passing security convoy. The statement added that the attackers were plotting "other attacks targeting army and police personnel." Attacks against security forces have become common in recent years but are mostly concentrated in North Sinai, where Egypt's army and police are battling an entrenched Islamist insurgency. Last week, an army brigadier general was shot dead in front of his house in Obour City, on the outskirts of Cairo. He had previously been deployed in North Sinai. Search Keywords: Short link: U.K. Ambassador to Korea Charles Hay speaks to The Korea Times during an interview at his residence in Jeong-dong, central Seoul, Oct. 11. / Korea Times photo by Shin Sang-soon Two sides to launch joint culture project in February By Yi Whan-woo Learning another language can reveal the learner's character to some extent. For instance, it shows that the learner respects the country where the language is spoken and is enthusiastic about having good relations with the people there. In that regard, U.K. Ambassador to Seoul Charles Hay has characteristics that reflect his country's determination to solidify ties with Korea despite lingering concerns over the impact of Brexit Britain leaving the European Union on bilateral relations. Serving in Korea since February 2015, the ambassador speaks Korean in addition to English, French, Spanish and Czech. Although he denies it, he is rich in the Korean vocabulary so he can make appropriate use of Korean idioms and joke in Korean. Before beginning the interview with The Korea Times and its sister paper Hankook Ilbo early this month, Hay worried this reporter about whether it would be necessary to translate the entire interview into English because he introduced himself in Korean and continued the conversation for a while in Korean. He used Korean and English during the interview, although he answered questions about sensitive issues in English. Charles Hay stands in front of his residence in Jeong-dong, central Seoul, Oct. 11. / Korea Times photo by Shin Sang-soon "The decision to leave the European Union was, of course, a democratic decision by the British people," he said at his residence in Jeong-dong, central Seoul. "There will be some uncertainty. But a number of fundamental things about Britain will not change. We're still the fifth-richest country in the world, a member of the G7, a member of the U.N. Security Council. "I don't' think the British people voted to make themselves or anybody else poorer. And I don't think the British people voted to close themselves off from the world. So we'll continue to be an outward-looking and globally engaged country." Calling negotiations between the U.K. and Korea over the free trade agreement as "the biggest issue," Hay said it will be important to work together to resolve related questions after the U.K. leaves the E.U. He also said he is optimistic about the bilateral relationship because it pertains to a wide range of areas, including culture, politics and defense. Beginning February 2017, the two sides will jointly launch a project titled "The Year of U.K./ Korea 2017-2018 Creative Futures" on the 134th anniversary of their diplomatic treaty. The U.K. government will run the programs, including a concert by the London Symphony Orchestra, across Korea for a year up to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, which will begin on Feb. 9, 2018. The Korean government will organize its respective programs in the U.K. in the following year. "It's a great opportunity for us to showcase a whole range of different British cultural activities, not just music but also literature, crafts, film ... a whole series of events all across the (Korean) peninsula, not just in Seoul," he said. "We had really excellent cooperation with the Korean ministry of culture ... and I think that will have a real impact on each side in building that understanding." In terms of political relationship, Hay cited the latest meetings between leaders and foreign ministers from the two countries. U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, who took office in the aftermath of the Brexit decision, and President Park Geun-hye held their first summit on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hangzhou, China, Sept. 4. U.K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who May appointed in July, held one-on-one talks with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se on Sept. 20, during the 71st session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. The U.K. will conduct its first joint aerial drill with Korea and the United States at the U.S. air base in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, from Nov. 4 to 10. The U.K. plans to send four Eurofighter Typhoon combat jets, Voyager tanker aircraft and C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft. Hay will host a press conference on Oct. 31 at his residence to brief reporters on the three-way cooperation among the allies. "The Typhoon deployment is our largest deployment of military personnel and cutting-edge military equipment to the Republic of Korea (ROK) for many years," Hay said. "We are dedicated to maintaining the peace, security and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula, the ROK, the region and beyond. "This exercise is tremendously important and it demonstrates that even though the Royal Air Force is committed to operations in the Middle East and elsewhere, we still have the capability to deploy effectively to the other side of the world. "This reinforces the message that the U.K. is a globally engaged player with global power, reinforcing our relationship with partners, and also promoting U.K. prosperity." In separate cooperation, the Korean Navy received its first batch of four AW159 anti-submarine helicopters made by Anglo-Italian defense firm Leonardo-Finmeccanica in June. By Chang se-moon I made two predictions in this columnregarding the fate of North Korea. One is that Kim Jong-un will be assassinated, and the other is that North Korea will melt down, or implode. I did not predict when they would happen, however, because the timing depends partially on what policies South Korea pursues toward the North, especially in who should own land in North Korea after unification. Let me tell you my conclusion, first. If South Korea enacts a law right now, mandating distribution of land ownership in North Korea exclusively among North Koreans who are living in North Korea at the time of unification, it will speed up the completion dates of my two predictions. This is where Andrei Lankov is coming in. Lankov was born in Russia, completed his undergraduate and graduate studies at Leningrad State University, attended Kim Il-sung University in North Korea; and now teaches at Kookmin University in South Korea. He is even profiled in Wikipedia. Lankov wrote an excellent article on property rights in North Korea inthe July 30, 2011 online version of the Asia Times that is more relevant now than at any time in the past. Lankov states that "If the North is ever to be absorbed into the South, the most politically explosive of all property issues will be that of the land property rights," and the issue is "essentially a minefield." I think his advice is prophetic, and now is the perfect time to take the issue seriously and take action. Let me first introduce some of what he said in his article. Approximately 1.2 to 1.6 million North Koreans fled the North since the end of the World War II to the beginning of the Korean War in 1950. When they were fleeing the North, "they could not take anything of value but they usually took their land titles." Although most of them passed away, "their descendants are still in possession of the faded land titles, usually issued by the Japanese colonial administration many decades ago." Incredibly, "any piece of well-located flat land in North Korea has a potential claimant lying in wait, somewhere in Seoul." Worse yet, "under current South Korean laws, the claims of the descendants of North Korean landowners are technically valid." People in North Korea have been told by their government that if two Koreas were unified, greedy landlords from the South would mercilessly take land away from North Korean farmers.Lankov states that "in case of North Korea such statements might become one of few cases where the Pyongyang propaganda isn't complete lies." Lankovsuggests that "If unification comes, it will be important to explicitly acknowledge the 1946 land reform, declaring the property claims null and void." This will help avoiding the post-unification chaos on land ownership. Further, such land reform will benefit South Korea, since it will discourage North Koreans from rushing to the South. I want to go a step beyond Lankov's suggestion. North Korea is in the beginning stage of implosion, with many North Korean diplomats are seeking refugee status in South Korea and those who are assigned to collect foreign currencies for their dictator are disappearing with the money that they collected. This is the perfect time to take care of land ownership in North Korea. In plain English, South Korea should pass a law stating that when unification comes, residential and farm lands in North Korea will be divided among North Koreans currently residing in the North. I understand that details have to be worked out before the law is enacted. Let me list benefits of enacting such law now. First of all, unification will lead to a rapid rise in the land price in the North. If it is made clear to North Koreansthat they will own a piece of land that will rapidly rise in value, the movement to oppose Kim Jung-un will receive a big momentum. Secondly, it is simply immoral for anyone to claim ownership of the land after more than 60 years of living away from the place where current residents have undergone tortuous life. Thirdly, if the law states that you have to stay where you are to claim the ownership of the land, it will slow down the massive flow of North Koreans who will simply run toward the South when opportunity arises. In the fourth place, entrepreneurs in the Southwill grab land in the North, if there is any possibility for them to be able to do so. This will cause an enormous resentment among the residents in the North, making the merging process of the two Koreas that much more difficult. Finally, it would be foolish to ignore Lankovwhen he said that South Korean politicians think that "it is too early to worry about such matters. They might be right, but it is possible that they will do nothing until it will be too late." Chang Se-moon is the director of the Gulf Coast Center for Impact Studies. Write to him at: changsemoon@yahoo.com. Korea and Japan announced last week that they will reopen talks on a military information sharing pact, known as a General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), with an aim to conclude the pact by end of the year. An intelligence-sharing accord will allow the countries to exchange sensitive information on military affairs. Both countries had pursued the deal in 2012, but it was scrapped for various reasons, including negative public sentiment due to a long-running history row between the neighbors over Japan's colonial rule of Korea during World War II. It is true that there is a need for a stronger cooperative system between Korea and Japan in sharing military information to better respond to the growing nuclear and missile threats from Pyongyang. In this context, the U.S. welcomed the restart of the negotiations. Pentagon spokesman Gary Ross said, "A potential ROK-Japan GSOMIA would strengthen cooperation between our two closest allies in Northeast Asia, particularly in light of the growing threat posed by North Korea." However, our government should approach the issue of sharing military intelligence with Japan carefully. It is premature to restart talks at the moment for three reasons. First, negative public sentiment toward Japan still lingers. Many Koreans are still angry with the Korea-Japan deal on the issue of comfort women and with the way Japan has responded to other historical conflicts with Korea. Second, the deal could potentially escalate tension with China, which has already adamantly contested Korea's plan to introduce Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), an advanced U.S. missile defense system. Last but not least, the government's announcement is ill-timed because the Park Geun-hye administration is in no position to conduct any kind of significant diplomatic activity. Park's shameful incompetence has been widely reported in the foreign media following the scandal involving her friend Choi Soon-sil, who is suspected of undue influence in key decisions of the Park administration, even in the area of diplomacy. Many foreign embassies in Seoul are reportedly at a loss as to how to explain this bizarre situation to their home ministries. With the Park administration having lost all credibility, it is not a wise decision to pursue such an important deal with Japan. Cheong Wa Dae does not fully grasp people's rage over Choi gate' Cheong Wa Dae's responses to the scandal involving Choi Soon-sil, the daughter of a religious cult leader, over the weekend fall way short of the people's expectations. More than anything else, the public wants to see the President taking moral and legal responsibility for allowing a longtime confidant to meddle in state affairs despite lacking official status and exploit her relationship with the President for personal gain. But Cheong Wa Dae does not have a full grasp of public sentiment yet, as seen by its refusal to cooperate with the prosecution's investigation. Citing security regulations and lack of precedence, Cheong Wa Dae repeatedly blocked entry of investigators who attempted to search the offices of presidential aides suspected of being involved in Choi's alleged influence-peddling. According to prosecutors, Cheong Wa Dae provided some documents during the first raid attempt instead of allowing the investigators' entry, but they did not contain information that would be helpful to the investigation. Choi finally returned for the prosecution's investigation Sunday, but the investigation cannot move forward if Cheong Wa Dae remains so uncooperative. Cheong Wa Dae's sudden announcement late last Friday to replace the presidential secretariat is also insufficient to respond to the public's concerns. The announcement of the reshuffle of the President's secretaries came a few days after she admitted to Choi's input in some of her speeches before becoming President and even during the early days of her presidency. The people's rage has erupted after the President's belated confession of Choi's involvement in state affairs, in addition to previous allegations of Choi's shady business activities. Those who were replaced Sunday include senior presidential secretary for civil affairs Woo Byung-woo and senior secretary for policy coordination Ahn Jong-beom. Woo, who has been embroiled in separate corruption allegations surrounding his family, shares much of the blame for failing to prevent Choi from wielding undue influence in Cheong Wa Dae. Lee Won-jong, Park's chief of staff, tendered his resignation last week. A reshuffle at Cheong Wa Dae is a routine course of action during such a crisis, so it is not enough to convince the public that the President is truly sorry for what she has done. Cheong Wa Dae has emphasized conducting state affairs in an "unshakable manner" in the aftermath of the scandal, but that is not possible any more unless it brings stronger changes like a reshuffle of Park's Cabinet. Cheong Wa Dae should also fully cooperate with the investigation. In many people's minds, Park is no longer their President, as seen by the furious chants by more than 12,000 people demanding Park step down during one of the largest anti-government demonstrations in recent months on Saturday. Students at universities across the country are also denouncing the President, and Park's job approval rating tumbled to an all-time low of 14 percent as she approaches the final year of her presidency. Some even want her impeached over this. If Cheong Wa Dae thinks the people's rage will subside with time and that it can swiftly patch things up with a minor personnel reshuffle, it is making a huge mistake. This time the people will not accept a business-as-usual response to such an unbelievably embarrassing scandal. Korea has had its share of bad Presidents, but no President in recent decades has made the people feel utterly ashamed the way Park has. That is why Park must show her utmost willingness for a thorough investigation into the scandal and form a new Cabinet even though these will certainly deepen her lame duck status. By Andrei Lankov Recent talks, technically "Track Two" and "unofficial," between former U.S. diplomats and North Korean representatives, have predictably spawned a number of speculative suggestions for solving the North Korean nuclear problem. This is understandable, particularly in an era where dialogue is so scarce between DC and Pyongyang, but as somebody who has dealt with North Korea for some 30 years, I have a rather pessimistic, if realistic, answer to the perennial question: What could bring about a solution to the North Korean nuclear problem? My answer is simple: "Short of a military strike or revolution, nothing "(as long as by solution' one means complete denuclearization of North Korea'). As decades-long experience has demonstrated, neither sanctions nor negotiations will work. Both have been tried, and both failed, in a rather spectacular fashion. North Korean decision makers see nuclear weapons as their only security guarantee; an absolute deterrent, an infallible defense against would-be attackers foolish enough to mess with a nuclear North Korea. It means not only insulation from a foreign attack, but also increases the chances of surviving a major domestic crisis. The assumption is that nuclear weapons afford the Kim Family and its supporters time and space to deal with local rebellion, should it happen, in a harsh way, without bothering with nonsense such as no-fly-zones' and the like. Recent events have demonstrated quite clearly to Pyongyang that nuclear weapons are, indeed, the only guarantee of regime security. Muammar Gaddafi was the only strongman in recent history who agreed to swap his country's nuclear weapons program for promises of economic advantages and got killed because he was too credulous. North Korea believes that Western powers would be less likely to support the local anti-Gaddafi forces had he maintained his arsenal. Without foreign assistance it's less clear if the rebels would have been victorious. Thus, the North Korean leadership believes that nuclear deterrence is the only thing which might keep them in power and alive if things get really bad. They are not going to do what Gaddafi did, they will not negotiate the denuclearization in exchange for a brighter economy, partially because they do not believe these promises anyway (especially having witnessed recent turmoil in the Middle East), and partially because the economic growth and well-being of the population is much lower on their agenda then regime survival. But is it possible, as many argue today, to use sanctions to create discontent among the elite or general population, thus forcing denuclearization of Kim Jong-un's regime? Unfortunately, this is an unrealistic expectation that does not reflect the realities on the ground. First, there is no chance that economic difficulties, present or future, will spark elite discontent. It is true that most dictators have to buy the loyalty of their henchmen and thus need capital. However, North Korea is different. The North Korean generals and apparatchiks, no doubt, appreciate a Mercedes and a good bottle of cognac, but, unlike their peers in other dictatorships, they also know that they are cornered. It is the presence of a very rich South Korea that makes the difference. If stability is threatened in North Korea and the country goes down in flames, it is likely to mean the absorption of the North by the South. For the North Korean elite this means the loss of all power and, perhaps, freedom (and some of them are (rightly) afraid of going to the lampposts, a la 18th century France). Only excruciating sanctions, strong enough to bring down the economy and even cause famine have some chance to succeed. However, these chances are slim. China will not allow this to happen, however, since Beijing is more afraid of North Koreas' collapse and Korean unification than North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Sanctions without Chinese acquiescence become mostly impotent. Further, even in the event of crisis, the North Korean elites will stubbornly cling to their nuclear program on the assumption that denuclearization will merely postpone a revolution for few years, while a nuclear arsenal will give them an opportunity to survive the challenge. We are left with a pessimistic conclusion: nothing will work, at least in the short term. Of course, in a democratic country every new administration will have to repeat the same song and dance: sanctions on one end, negotiations on the other, and various moves in between. History leaves little doubt that these attempts will end in failure. Presumably, some partial and imperfect solutions are possible like, say, a negotiated freeze of North Korea's nuclear program (it will cost a lot of money, no doubt). However, North Korea will remain nuclear as long as the Kim family stays in power, which might mean a few more years, or a few more decades. Andrei Lankov was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and teaches at Kookmin University in Seoul. Reach him at anlankov@yahoo.com. By Park Hyong-ki Janssen Research & Development, an R&D subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson (J&J), urged for further study and test of Celltrion's biosimilar Remsima as the biosimilar has not yet proven its effectiveness as an interchangeable arthritis drug with J&J's original Remicade. If J&J is right, Celltrion would be able to attract just new patients with its autoimmune disorder drug, without affecting J&J's existing market. In response, Celltrion rebuffs the claims. The debates come as the latest finding presented by Norway's state research (NOR-SWITCH) only showed in its test that the biosimilar was "non-inferior" to the original when patients switched their treatment "one-time and one-way" from J&J's Remicade to Celltrion's Remsima. However, this result does not support Remsima's interchangeability with the original compound as announced by Celltrion, a listed Korean biotech company that is recognized for developing the world's first biosimilar monoclonal antibody. "Because NOR-SWITCH did not assess the case for interchangeability (multiple treatment alternations) of Remicade and the biosmiliar (CT-P13), it's inappropriate to characterize as interchangeable," said Brian Kenney, Global Therapeutic Area Communication Leader, Immunology at Janssen Research & Development, in an email interview. In order for a biosimilar drug to be proven as interchangeable, it must produce via clinical tests the same result as its original in terms of risk and safety with proof that "the risk of alternating or switching between the products is no greater than the risk of using the innovator (original) product without alternating or switching," Janssen Research added. The Norway study, which was recently presented at the United European Gastroenterology Week conference in Vienna, Austria, showed in its test of patients with Crohn's disease that the risk of disease worsening in the patients who switched from Remicade to Remsima was higher than those who remained treated with Remicade. The rate was 36.5 percent for those who switched, compared with 21.2 percent for those who stayed with Remicade. "We believe these data show further studies and research are needed with respect to biosimilar," Kenney said. Europabio, a biotech industry association in Europe, also said that although the latest NOR-SWITCH's one-way switch from the original to the biosimilar offers new and valuable data, it does not mean they can be interchangeably used for treatment. "The NOR-SWITCH study does not address multiple switches between Remicade and Remsima, or potential additional switches to other biosimilars of Remicade. Therefore, the NOR-SWITCH study is not reflective of potential future clinical practices, which may include such scenarios," it said in a press release. Contrary to these data, a Celltrion spokesman said, "Based on the latest study, the interchangeability of Remsima has been proven." Celltrion recently announced in Korea the biosimilar can be used "effectively and interchangeably" with its original arthritis drug. It added that the company will market the biosimilar for new patients who have not been previously prescribed with Remicade in the US, as the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) currently does not allow interchange of drug use between originals and biosimilars. The US FDA is looking to issue guidelines on interchangeability. Pfizer's Inflectra, which is same as Celltrion's Remsima, has been approved by the FDA, and they plan to launch the biosimilar in the US next month. Celltrion will be producing the biosimilar for Pfizer's Hospira for the US market. Currently, J&J and Pfizer-Celltrion are facing patent dispute over the arthritis drug. They are expected to head for another trial next February. The city of Ras Gharib was nearly isolated by the heavy rains over the weekend The Egyptian army's Engineering Authority started on Sunday to clear the roads in and out of the Red Sea town of Ras Gharib after the city was nearly cut off from the world in the past 48 hours due to flooding. Egypt's Minister of Defence Sedky Sobhi also announced on Sunday that the Egyptian army plans to distribute 100,000 food supply boxes and send medical convoys to help to stricken residents. According to Al-Ahram Arabic websites correspondent in Red Sea governorate, Petroleum companies, which are concentrated in the Suez-Red Sea area, also sent heavy machinery to drain water and reopen roads in the flooded city. So far, 11 people have been killed and 36 others injured in flood-related accidents in Ras Gharib. Nationwide, 26 people have been killed and 40 injured. There has not been a final toll given of Ras Gharib residents who lost homes due to the flooding. However, the citys council and Red Sea governorate have already turned the city's schools into shelters for those left homeless, and postponed the resumption of classes indefinitely. The ministry of education had already suspended schools in the city pending safety inspections of educational facilities. Nearly 60% of the citys the electrical power has been restored. Telecommunications, especially telephone landlines, are reportedly still down in most areas of the town. Around 150 km north of Red Seas Hurghada, Ras Gharib is considered the second biggest city in Red City governorate with a population of more than 50,000, mostly employed in the oil sector. Late Thursday and early Friday, the city was hit with unprecedented rainfall that reached 120 million cubic metres. Red Sea Governor Ahmed Abdullah announced on Saturday that Egypt's biggest charity NGO El-Orman sent an aid convoy to Ras Gharib. "A similar aid convoy is being prepared by the ministry of solidarity and other NGOs to help those in need," the governor added. NGOs and human rights activists are using social media to organize convoys to help the city's residents. Heavy rains 'could not be predicted' Prime Minister Sherif Ismail visited Saturday Ras Gharib to survey the damage and discuss with the governor the rebuilding of disaster areas and aid to the victims. Abdullah told the PM that what happened as a result of the heavy rains "could not be predicted" and was outside of the governorate's capacity to handle. "There was no prior weather forecast indicating that there would be heavy rains in the area," he said. However, the Metrological authority spokesman Wahid Saudi revealed on Sunday that the authority sent the government and governorates a warning in early fall to warn of sudden and violent heavy rains in the areas of Red Sea mountain range, including Suez and Red Sea governorates. "The authority also sent two warnings to officials 48 hours and 24 hours prior the downpour started, urging the government to make necessary preparations," he said in an interview on ONTV On Tuesday, the Metrological authority issued a public statement warning that the country would witness "unstable weather" starting Wednesday including strong rain especially in Upper Egypt, Sinai and the Red Sea mountain range. The weekend floods caused considerable damage in lives and property in several governorates including Suez and Sohag. On Saturday, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ordered a total of EGP 50 million (around $5.6 million) to be allocated as compensation to the victims of the floods nationwide, while a further EGP 50 million was allocated for the urgent restoration of infrastructure in areas affected by the floods. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has assured concerned Egyptian MPs that the Organisation of Islamic Conference will be asked to take action to "correct" the mistake of its secretary-general who last week made a joke at President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's expense. At an OIC conference in Tunisia, Iyad Madani mistakenly read out Tunisian President Essebsi's name as El-Sisi. In a bid to correct his mistake, Madani told Essebsi that "this is a terrible and unforgivable mistake." Madani, a Saudi Arabian minister, also poked fun of a statement made by President El-Sisi during a conference in Sharm El-Sheikh that week. Exhorting his audience to be frugal and resilent, El-Sisi told the audience that his own fridge had contained only water for ten years. Madani told the Tunisian president that "I am sure that your fridge has more than water." In a statement to parliament on Sunday, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Egypt expects the OIC to take action to correct Madani's indecent comments. Shoukry indicated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also filed an official complaint with the OIC to protest Madani's irresponsible behaviour and would follow up with the organisation to ensure that action would be taken. "We asked that copies of this complaint be made available to all of OIC's members," said Shoukry said, adding that "we the government and Egyptian people expect that clear-cut measures will be taken to correct his behaviour." 'Unacceptable' Shoukry described comments made by Madani in Tunisia last week as "unacceptable", "deplorable", "indecent" and represent a grave mistake from an international official. "Such comments go against the responsibilities and duties of an international official like OIC's secretary-general and violate the rules which must govern the behavior of such an official," said the minister. Shoukrys statement before parliament on Sunday came in response to "urgent statements" which were delivered by six MPs on Madani's remarks. It also came after a statement by parliament's Arab Affairs Committee strongly denounced "the irresponsible behaviour of a man who occupies a high-ranking post in the OIC." "Madani's cheap words direct insult and mockery to Egypt's president and people as a whole," read the statement. Madani's bad remarks also insult the OIC and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which he represents at the OIC, as well as Egypt." "It is highly deplorable that this man has held different official positions in his country and these should have taught him to be extremely careful before he selects his words. "Not to mention that the OIC should be a symbol of good manners because it is an Islamic organisation which aims to support noble religious values among Islamic nations. But Madani chose to break the wall, opting to show himself as a man of bad manners and whims," the statement added. The committee, however, heaped praise on what it called "the honourable position of Saudi brethren who rejected Madani's shameful remarks, opting to launch a campaign entitled he does not represent me'." "This demonstrates again that the relations and bonds between the two countries are strong and deep-rooted, and for this reason we request the OIC take action against its secretary-general, who did a lot of damage to its reputation," read the committee statement. The committee urged the media in both Egypt and Saudi Arabia not to exaggerate Madani's irresponsible behavior, and make sure that it does represent any official positions. Mohamed Atta Selim, an MP from Alexandria, said he is afraid that "Madani's bad comments about President El-Sisi do not reflect an official position from Saudi Arabia." "It was a great honour for us to welcome King Salman [of Saudi Arabia] in our parliament this year and so I hope that Madani's irresponsible behavior was not aimed at sowing the seeds of sedition between Egypt and Saudi Arabia," said Selim. Ismail Nasreddin, an MP from the Cairo district of Helwan, said "Madani should resign from his post because his indecent remarks represent an insult to the OIC itself and show that he is a man of low manners." Mostafa Bakri, an independent MP, said Madani's remarks express a personal rather than official position. "Saudi Arabia's positions in support of Egypt since 30 June have been always strong and we should not allow for anyone, including Madani, to drive a wedge between the two nations," said Bakri. The OIC, which was established in September 1969, comes in second place after the United Nations (UN) as the second largest inter-governmental organization, with 57 state members spread over four continents. It is composed of three main bodies: The Islamic Summit, Council of Foreign Ministers, and the General Secretariat. According to their website, the OIC was established as a voice of the Muslim world and ensuring to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world. Search Keywords: Short link: A Mansoura appeal court acquitted on Sunday three people of charges of illegal protesting in April against the governments deal with Saudi Arabia regarding two Red Sea islands, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported. The three men were arrested in the Nile Delta city on 25 April and were tried in front of the special circuit of the Mansoura Misdemeanour Court. The Egyptian governments decision in early April to hand over the islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia sparked widespread public outcry and a number of protests. Dozens of protesters stood trial for demonstrating without permits. Most have been released from jail after paying hefty fines. The maritime deal is currently being challenged in Egypts Administrative Court, with the government appealing a verdict that annulled the deal in June. The next hearing in the case is set for 7 November. Search Keywords: Short link: The International Organization on Migration (IOM) has expressed readiness to further enhance its assistance to Sri Lanka, by providing training and capacity building support for the Ministries of Foreign Employment and Foreign Affairs, and to the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLBFE). It was agreed to extend cooperation in the areas of countering human trafficking and people smuggling operations, providing short-term internship opportunities with the IOM for the relevant officials as well as supporting the upgrading of the consular services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The IOM also pledged to continue technical and secretarial support for the Colombo Process (CP) - the regional consultative forum of contractual labour originating countries in Asia, currently chaired by Sri Lanka. These assurances were given when Minister of Foreign Employment Thalatha Atukorale who was in Geneva last week to attend the 6th Global Meeting of Chairs and Secretaries of Regional Consultative Processes on Migration met with the Director General of IOM Ambassador William Lacy Swing, to discuss and follow up progress on Sri Lankas bilateral cooperation with the IOM. Sri Lankas Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Ravinatha Aryasinha, Deputy Permanent Representative Samantha Jayasuriya, Counsellor Shashika Somaratne, and Acting Deputy General Manager of the Foreign Employment Bureau D.G.G.S. Yapa, were associated with the Minister. At a meeting of the Geneva based Ambassadors of CP countries chaired by Ambassador Aryasinha, Minister Atukorala who is the Chair in Office of the CP also discussed on the operationalization of the Colombo Declaration adopted at the 5th CP Ministerial Meeting held in Sri Lanka in August 2016. The Ambassadors while appreciating the leadership provided by Sri Lanka to the CP over the past 3 years, expressed support to the new thematic areas agreed at the Ministerial Meeting namely, Migrant Health, Operationalization of the migration-related goals in the SDGs, Promotion of equality for women migrant workers and Consular support for migrant workers in host countries. Earlier in the day, addressing the 6th Global Meeting of Chairs and Secretaries of Regional Consultative Processes on Migration held in Geneva, Minister Atukorale said, Sri Lanka is providing leadership for the CP to be a bridge between labour sending and receiving countries fostering strong partnership for the Asian region. She said the CP will soon agree on the role it can play in supporting the overall implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to migration with a specific focus on contractual labour migrants, benefitting from the experience of having worked on issues such as ethical labour recruitment, migrant health and remittances over the past 2 years under the initial five thematic areas developed as a road map for Sri Lankas Chairmanship on the overall theme International Labour Migration for Prosperity: Adding Value by Working Together. The Minister also said in the forthcoming negotiations on developing the Global Compact on Migration by 2018 the CP should be ready to engage constructively, building on the SDGs framework. Press Release in PDF Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka Geneva. 17th October 2016 Pixs : 01. Sri Lanka - IOM meeting 02. Minister Thalatha Atukorale meeting Colombo Process PRs based in Geneva. A cross-party Sri Lankan parliamentary delegation led by Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Hon. Nimal Siripala de Silva was hosted by Hon. Christa Markwalder, President of the National Council, Switzerland at the Switzerland National Parliament in Bern on 26 October 2016. During the official meeting, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva briefed the Swiss delegation regarding the steps taken to strengthen the parliament through constitutional amendments in recent times including the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, paving the way for the establishment of the independent commissions, as well as the proposed Constitution and the electoral reforms currently under deliberation. Noting the close bilateral relations between the two countries, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva called for cooperation between the two parliaments in the years ahead. The President of the National Council Ms. Markwalder, welcoming the Sri Lanka delegation recalled her recent successful visit to Sri Lanka and her interactions with the Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and the Parliament. Ms. Markwalder said Switzerland stands ready to assist in strengthening parliamentary democracy in Sri Lanka including providing technology, training and capacity building. The Swiss delegation explained the Swiss parliamentary structure and its functions to the Sri Lanka delegation. The meeting was followed by an official lunch hosted in honour of the Sri Lankan delegation by Ms. Markwalder. Members of Parliament Hon. Vijitha Herath, Hon. Rohini Kumari Wijerathna, Hon. Velu Kumar, Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha/Sri Lankas Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva and Consul-General to Switzerland, Mr. Dhammika Dasanayake, Secretary General of Parliament and Ms. Shashika Somaratne/Counsellor were associated with Hon. Nimal Siripala de Silva. Mr. Markus Stadler, former Member of the Council of States and Mr. Martin Sturzinger, Senior Advisor, Human Security Division, FDFA, Mr. Claudio Fischer, Ambassador, Head of the International Relations and Multilingual Section, Parliamentary Services and Ms. Nina Wirth, Foreign Policy Advisor, Parliamentary Services were associated with Hon. Christa Markwalder at the discussion. Press Release in PDF Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka Geneva. 29 October 2016 The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary Read more November brings forth a cornucopia of sales: Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But thats just the beginning of what this deal-driven month will produce. Here are the categories from which shoppers should be buying and a couple they should skip over the next few weeks to get the most for their money. Buy: Electronics Of all the products that will be on sale in November, electronics take center stage. Stores stuff the pages of their Black Friday ads with markdowns on tablets, gaming systems, smartwatches, smartphones and more. Accordingly, shoppers should be patient and wait until Black Friday (Nov. 25) to make an electronics purchase. Some major retailers will kick off their Black Friday deals a day early, on Thanksgiving. If you dont want to brave the crowds to get a deal, many stores will also give shoppers an opportunity to do their discount shopping online. Advertisement Skip: Bedding and linens Its a little too early to put a fresh set of sheets on the bed. January is your best bet for a deal on bedding and linens. In January 2016, bedding basics were slashed by 60% to 70% at stores like Wayfair and Macys. Buy: Vacuums Aside from spring cleaning season, November is a solid opportunity to add a new vacuum cleaner to your closet. Last year, Wal-Mart had a Dyson DC33 bagless upright vacuum on sale for $197 (regularly $269) as part of its Black Friday sale. Dyson, too, had a Thanksgiving weekend sale on its website, with select models marked down by hundreds of dollars. Expect these sweeping sales to land at the end of the month. Skip: Winter products The first day of winter is fast approaching. Dec. 21 will mark a change in seasons, but retailers are already gearing up for the cold months by releasing winter apparel and sporting equipment early usually at full price. Similarly, Christmas decorations now adorning store displays are more expensive when they first hit shelves than when theyre on their way out the door. Consider reserving your seasonal purchases until closer to Christmas. Buy: Wedding dresses Dress shops have been known to clear out racks of existing merchandise in the fall as they make way for brides to shop new styles. In fact, we spotted discounts on wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses happening right now at Davids Bridal. Shop: Black Friday, Cyber Monday sales November is perhaps best known, at least in a shopping sense, for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, two of the biggest shopping days of the year. This year, Black Friday is on Nov. 25, and Cyber Monday is on Nov. 28. If youre planning a major purchase such as a refrigerator or computer, hold off until the end of the month. Major retailers like Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart usually release Black Friday advertisements in the days or weeks before Black Friday to announce their upcoming deals and doorbusters. Bonus: Veterans Day Veterans Day traditionally delivers military-specific discounts at retailers and restaurants to salute members of the armed forces, but savings extend to everyday shoppers as well. This year, Veterans Day is on Friday, Nov. 11, but sales will likely last throughout the weekend. To read the article in Spanish, click here Courtney Jespersen is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Dear Liz: How do you repair credit scores after filing for bankruptcy? My husband and I are in this situation and are looking to reestablish credit and increase our credit scores. Also, how long do closed accounts appear on the credit report? Answer: Filing for bankruptcy may have actually helped your scores. Researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found scores typically plunged in the 18 months before people filed for bankruptcy and rose steadily afterward. The average credit score before someone filed Chapter 7 was 538.2 on Equifaxs 280-to-850 scoring range. By the time filers cases were discharged, their average score was 620.3. You can continue the upward trend with a credit-builder loan. These loans, typically offered by credit unions, put the money you borrow usually $500 to $1,000 into a certificate of deposit or savings account that you can claim once youve made 12 monthly payments. Your payments are reported to the credit bureaus, so you can build a decent credit history and your savings at the same time. If your local credit union doesnt offer these loans, check to see if theres a community development financial institution near you that does. You can find links to these at www.cdfifund.gov. Another option is Self Lender, an online company that makes credit-builder loans. If you dont already have a credit card, you can accelerate your scores rehabilitation with a secured credit card. You make a deposit, typically $200 to $2,000, with the issuing bank and get a credit line equal to that deposit. You should use the card lightly but regularly, being careful not to charge more than about 30% of its credit limit and paying the balance in full each month. Another option is to wait until your scores are in the mid-600s and then apply for a regular credit card. The bankruptcy will remain on your credit report for 10 years, but it will have less effect on your scores as time goes by as long as you continue to use credit responsibly. Financial help for seniors Dear Liz: In your response to the person whose friend was erroneously declared deceased by the Social Security Administration, you suggest that the older person consider finding help in managing her finances. Please recommend checking the American Assn. of Daily Money Managers for such help. I have a certification from this professional organization and we help thousands of people in this predicament. You can find more information at www.aadmm.com. Answer: Handling the details of daily finances can get challenging as we age. Many people have trusted family or friends who can help monitor their accounts, make sure bills are getting paid and keep an eye out for signs of financial abuse. For those who dont, a daily money manager can be a godsend. Stay at home credit card isnt foolproof Dear Liz: Regarding updating automatic payments when a credit card is replaced, I have found that using a separate credit card that never leaves home for automatic payments is a good idea. Its very unlikely that this stay at home card would get hacked like a card I use in stores or ATMs. Does this seem like a good idea? Answer: The security advantage of hiding a card at home is pretty minimal, and approaching zero, said Bob Sullivan, consumer security expert at BobSullivan.net and author of the book Stop Getting Ripped Off. Any credit card can be hacked, as numerous database breaches have shown us. Once you use the card with a merchant, at an ATM, on the Web or over the phone you have no control of where its numbers are stored or how secure those databases are. The risk that its stolen from a database of cards outweighs the risk that a waiter or a compromised machine might steal it, Sullivan said. It may be more convenient to monitor automatic payments if theyre all on one card. But if the card is hacked, youll still have to reset all those payments. Liz Weston, certified financial planner, is a personal finance columnist for NerdWallet. Questions may be sent to her at 3940 Laurel Canyon, No. 238, Studio City, CA 91604, or by using the "Contact" form at asklizweston.com. Distributed by No More Red Inc. At least 38 people were killed in Saudi-led air strikes on rebel-held security buildings in Yemen's west, including a detention centre, an official said on Sunday. The provincial official told AFP the bodies of 38 people were transported to hospitals in the port city of Hodeidah, which the Shia Houthi rebels and their allies have held since late 2014. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not specify the number of prisoners who died in Saturday's raids. Most of the more than 40 inmates at the facility were opponents of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, according to a military source close to the insurgents. Previously, medical and military sources had said the number of inmates and insurgents killed in the air raids on the buildings in Zaidia, north of Hodeidah, was more than 30. Elsewhere on Saturday, strikes on residential buildings killed 17 people and wounded seven in the battleground town of Salo, southeast of Yemen's third city Taez, said rebel-controlled media. The sabanews.net website said four raids had completely destroyed three residential buildings. The Saudi-led coalition has yet to comment on the report, but a local official loyal to Yemen's internationally recognised government said its air strikes had hit three adjacent homes by mistake. "All those in the houses were killed," he told AFP, adding a child and seven women were among the dead. Forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's government have been locked in deadly battles with Iran-backed Shia Houthi rebels who overran the capital Sanaa in 2014. The conflict escalated in March last year when Saudi Arabia launched a military campaign to push back the rebels. The conflict has killed nearly 7,000 people, mostly civilians, according to the United Nations which had been struggling to convince the warring parties to implement a ceasefire and revive a stalled political process. Search Keywords: Short link: Last Halloween, L.A. Opera presented Dracula with Philip Glass score at the Theatre at Ace Hotel, with the composer and the Kronos Quartet playing live behind the 1931 film. It was a sold-out holiday hit. Inevitably, the question arose: What to do for an encore? How about another Dracula film with live music, but this time played to the earlier 1922 F.W. Murnau expressionist work Nosferatu? And not incidentally, how about making this an opportunity to show off the young, talented composer-conductor-pianist Matthew Aucoin, beginning his three-year term as L.A. Operas artist-in-residence? So it happened Saturday night, again part of L.A. Operas Off Grand initiative for nonmainstage programming. With the ornate interior of the Ace lobby dimly lighted and the outpouring of Halloween-costumed folk in the audience, it was haunted house time again at the 1927 movie palace, with a loud party following the performance. Advertisement SIGN UP for the free Essential Arts & Culture newsletter But before we go any further, a little background: Nosferatu was an unauthorized attempt to make a film based on Bram Stokers Dracula story. The Stoker estate sued, and all prints were ordered destroyed. A few survived anyway. Hans Erdmann wrote a Nosferatu score for live orchestra, but most of it was lost. Subsequent attempts to re-score the film include a 1979 Ojai Festival performance, for which William Malloch and Lukas Foss got the idea to play Schoenbergs creepy, 12-tone Accompaniment to a Cinematographic Scene underneath a clip from Nosferatu. That worked uncannily well at the time. Matthew Aucoin conducts musicians through a reimagined score that includes bits of his own composition along with Schubert, Weber, and Schcoenberg, among others. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times ) Aucoins rescoring of Nosferatu turned out to be a collage of this and that. Various bits and snatches from the German tradition were juxtaposed with Aucoins own underscoring and solo improvisations on the piano. Passages of Schubert, Weber, Wagner, Zemlinsky and, yes, Schoenberg (Pierrot Lunaire, Verklarte Nacht), flew by, superbly played by a 14-member brigade from the L.A. Opera Orchestra seated in front of and below the screen, beautifully sung by soprano Liv Redpath in spots, and projected clearly in the room. The most obvious correlation between score and film came at the end. As Count Orlok (Dracula) vanishes into the sunlight and Ellen dies, Aucoin was busy conducting the Liebestod from Wagners Tristan und Isolde, with the climax aimed at exactly the right point. It was a tribute to Aucoins facility that his own pastiches often fit seamlessly within the context of his classical ancestors, while other passages sparingly employed avant-garde techniques to suggest horror. Aucoins improvs were for the most part dignified, abstract, sometimes impressionistic rambles, at one point taking off on Verklarte Nacht. Hes got a bundle of talent, for sure. However, to call this Nosferatu a Symphony of Horror as the program leaflet proclaims is to misread what this elegantly played score sounded like and what this film, and Halloween itself, now means in the 21st century. Where once Nosferatu was meant to create a gloomy, genuinely scary atmosphere, this audience usually hooted and laughed whenever the silent-movie captions were displayed on the screen. Count Orloks face resembles that of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a comparison that has been rocketing around the Internet for some time now, triggering reactions unintended by the creators. With irony being everything these days, whatever power Nosferatu once had has been neutered. Not even Schoenberg can bring it back. ------------ L.A. Opera Off Grand: Nosferatu Where: The Theatre at Ace Hotel, 929 S. Broadway, L.A. When: 8 p.m. Monday Tickets: Sold out Information: (213) 972-8001 or www.laopera.org Angela Wiegand on flute. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times ) Follow The Times arts team @culturemonster. ALSO Hilary Hahn and Robert Levin, solo and together at Disney Hall Chicago-based Dal Niente pops up in new L.A. music series called Poolhouse Mahler lives! Dudamel gives his most impressive performance yet with L.A. Phil The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors secretly launched a public corruption investigation of its former Chief Executive William T Fujioka shortly after his retirement two years ago, examining his role in real estate dealings, a multimillion-dollar emergency communications project and other county business, according to a document obtained by The Times and officials familiar with the probe. County officials have refused to discuss the details of the investigation, or specify how much the probe cost. They hired an outside consultant to do the work, but shielded the contract, billings and a report behind assertions that those documents are protected by attorney-client privilege. At the request of the board, the countys consultant the downtown law firm Paul Hastings LLP requested a meeting with the district attorneys Public Integrity Division to spark a criminal probe, according to a letter obtained by The Times under the states Public Records Act. The district attorney concluded there was no basis for a criminal investigation, a spokeswoman said. Advertisement Fujioka denied any wrongdoing, but declined to respond to the details of the investigation. He said he was glad the DA found no merit to these allegations and said the probe was among a string of political attacks against him orchestrated by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. Other examples included the ouster of high-ranking executives viewed as too close to him, Fujioka said. Ridley-Thomas declined to discuss the investigation, but said in a statement: The Board of Supervisors took necessary action to maintain accountability and transparency as elected officials serving the residents of Los Angeles County. No employee department head or otherwise is above scrutiny. It was simply the right thing for the Board to do. Other supervisors declined to respond or deferred to county lawyers. In a statement emailed to The Times, County Counsel Mary Wickham said the investigation was necessary based on the information that was made known to the board. She did not disclose what that information was. The county investigation by Paul Hastings was launched in late 2014 after the collapse of a $38-million deal to purchase a building in Monterey Park known as the Saturn Property. The county needed to move employees out of dilapidated buildings in Koreatown, and Fujioka had proposed buying the property as a solution. But Fujiokas handling of the transaction raised red flags, according to the letter by Paul Hastings attorney Thomas OBrien. Sources familiar with the probe said Ridley-Thomas and other supervisors were particularly alarmed when Fujioka waived the vetting period in which the county could back out of the deal and obtain a deposit refund, contradicting the boards direction. The county counsels office rescinded that action and restored the due diligence period. Still, Ridley-Thomas openly expressed deep suspicions about the deal, and it was canceled with a motion he introduced at the Dec. 9, 2014, board meeting. The cancellation came just days after Fujioka retired and two new supervisors took their seats, forming a new board majority with Ridley-Thomas. Under the canceled deal, the county would have paid $38.4 million for the property. A memo from Fujioka to the supervisors called it an exclusive opportunity and said a building of this size, quality, and at this price, is not often available. Eight months later, the property sold for $25.3 million, public records show. The team from Paul Hastings was brought in to investigate allegations of the potential misuse of public funds, self-dealing, and/or conflicts of interest surrounding the Saturn Property deal, the firms letter to the district attorney said. The probe was soon expanded to include other county business, including what appear to be improprieties and/or potential unlawful conduct perpetrated by, or in connection with the former Chief Executive Officer of the County, William T. Fujioka, with respect to several capital projects involving millions of taxpayer funds. The letter doesnt present specific evidence of wrongdoing by Fujioka. The firm said it reviewed nearly 8,500 documents and conducted more than a dozen interviews. But it also said the firm was hamstrung because it didnt have the power to compel Fujiokas testimony or the production of records that could show whether he or a relative might have had a pecuniary interest in this or other transactions, the letter stated. The Board of Supervisors requested the firm to refer the matter to the district attorneys office for further investigation, it said. The letter does, however, raise questions about Fujiokas management. Fujioka appeared to have radically underestimated tenant improvements at the Saturn Property by as much as $23 million, and he mischaracterized the condition of the building, despite evidence to the contrary, the memo stated. Also, Fujiokas chief deputy, Brence Culp, told investigators that Fujioka frequently finessed transactions, and that she (and potentially others) turned a blind eye toward Mr. Fujiokas finessing and lack of candor with the Board, it said. Culp could not be reached for comment. The supervisors secretive handling of the investigation has also raised questions about whether supervisors violated open government laws. A week after the deal was canceled, Ridley-Thomas introduced another motion to hire a consultant for a review of real estate procedures and practices and of recent transactions, including the canceled purchase of the Saturn Property. His motion mentioned nothing about an investigation into self-dealing or conflicts of interest. The motion wasnt on the board meeting agenda and, as such, violated the advance public notice requirements of the government transparency Ralph M. Brown Act, said Kelly Aviles, an attorney with the open government advocacy group Californians Aware. One source said the board then met twice in closed session last year to discuss the findings of the probe and sign off on expanding the investigation. If true, those discussions and subsequent action may have also violated the Brown Act because they occurred behind closed doors, Aviles said, who represents The Times in other public access cases. Although there are exceptions that allow supervisors to have closed meetings including performance evaluations of employees, the price and terms of real estate deals and threats of litigation private discussions about a corruption probe of Fujioka goes beyond these exceptions, Aviles said. Paul Hastings has been paid more than $430,000 from the county since late 2014, when the investigation into Fujioka began. County lawyers would not specify what the payments to the firm were for, or whether the firm had more than one contract with the county at the time. In addition to OBrien, a former U.S. attorney, the law firm assigned at least one other lawyer and one former FBI agent to look into Fujiokas work, according to officials who were contacted as part of the investigation. Online biographies reveal that they are experts in corporate malfeasance and anti-corruption laws. Pat Mallon, the former executive director of the Los Angeles Regional Interoperational Communications System, known as LA-RICS, said his interview with the group was short and focused primarily on Fujiokas involvement in the Saturn Property deal and LA-RICS. He said it was clear it was looking for wrongdoing. Mallon said he was surprised by the questions because Fujiokas involvement in the LA-RICS project was limited. The tone of the questioning struck him as suspicious, as if somebodys out to get [Fujioka], he said. He said the questions were from way out of left field. The letter also said the group asked about a memo written by Fujioka and approved by then-County Counsel Mark Saladino that allowed Supervisor Don Knabe to cash out more than $100,000 in accrued vacation time, despite the fact that Knabe was elected in 1996 and county elected officials could only enjoy that benefit if they had been elected or appointed by supervisors before 1994. The memo stated that, because Knabe was employed by the county in another capacity before he was elected, he was eligible for the benefit. The memo was politically sensitive. Another legal analysis provided seven months later countered the memos conclusion and said Knabe was not entitled to the payout. Days later, Saladino stepped down from the county counsels office. Knabe, who will leave the board in December, will not receive the money. Its leak to The Times in July also sheds light on the apparent friction that existed between Fujioka and Ridley-Thomas. When the memo became public, Fujioka told The Times that Saladino was ousted in an act of gross retaliation on the part of Ridley-Thomas. In his wrongful termination lawsuit against the county, Saladino alleges that, among other reasons, he was ousted because Ridley-Thomas viewed him as too close to Fujioka, and Fujioka and Ridley-Thomas had been feuding for several years. Knabes office declined comment. OBrien also didnt return calls and an email seeking comment. Adam.Elmahrek@latimes.com Twitter: @adamelmahrek ALSO A $72-million apartment project. Top politicians. Unlikely donors. Who wrote the checks to elected officials weighing approval? Jerry Brown touted his pension reforms as a game-changer. But theyve done little to rein in costs Car-crazy Los Angeles might have a few things to teach the smug Bay Area about mass transit A 29-year-old man died Sunday morning after a fight outside a Hollywood nightclub. Police responded to calls of a fight at Hollywood and Cahuenga boulevards about 2:30 a.m. just as area clubs were closing, said Officer Aareon Jefferson, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department. Witnesses told police that after a nightclub closed for the evening and a crowd milled about the sidewalk, two women got into a dispute, according to a statement released by the LAPD. Advertisement At some point, two men then chased another man, and the two men repeatedly punched and kicked the man, later identified as Devon Jelkes. Jelkes suffered blunt-force trauma and was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. After the beating, the two men fled, police alleged. One man hopped onto a party bus and the other fled on foot. LAPD officers caught up with the bus and arrested Dietrich Canterberry, 34, on suspicion of murder, according to the police statement. Canterberry, a resident of Anaheim, has not been charged by prosecutors and was being held on $2-million bail. Its unclear if he was being represented by an attorney. Police said they planned to present the case to the Los Angeles County district attorneys office Tuesday. Its unclear whether Jelkes and the two suspects knew one another, police said. The second suspect remained at large and was described as a black man who was wearing dark pants and a white T-shirt. He is approximately 35 years old, stands 5 feet 10 and weighs about 185 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to contact the LAPDs West Bureau homicide division at (213) 382-9470. Police expect to have a higher call volume Sunday night and Monday as revelers celebrate Halloween. Deaths at or near Hollywood nightclubs are rare, although in August 2015 a 20-year-old DJ died during a brawl at Cashmere on Hollywood Boulevard. It was a year ago that L.A. City Councilman Mitch OFarrell warned that the city would be more aggressive in going after club operators who violate their conditional use permits. alice.walton@latimes.com Twitter: @TheCityMaven ALSO Woman missing for 5 days found alive in crashed Hummer near Adelanto Father of man fatally shot by El Cajon police establishes foundation for police reform Light rains expected across L.A. County on Sunday, but what about on Halloween? UPDATES: 7:30 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with additional details and with the arrest of a suspect. This article was originally published at 10:55 a.m. San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim plans to introduce a resolution supporting George Lucas proposal for a museum on Treasure Island, a campaign consultant confirmed Sunday. The resolution, expected this week, touts the cultural and job opportunities the project would bring, as well as pointing out its cost: free and wholly funded by Lucas himself. She knows the benefits to her constituents and to the broader city in terms of jobs, revenues and bringing another cultural institution to San Francisco, said Eric Jaye, Kims campaign consultant. Advertisement The pending resolution is the latest round of a competition between city leaders in Los Angeles and San Francisco to land the long-delayed museum, which would display Lucas personal art collection, which includes works from Norman Rockwell and R. Crumb, as well as Hollywood and Star Wars memorabilia. After withdrawing his proposal for a museum on the Chicago lakefront earlier this year, Lucas unveiled competing museum designs for properties in San Francisco and Los Angeles last week. The Los Angeles proposal calls for a sleek, space-ship like building in Exposition Park along Vermont Avenue, just south of a Metro Expo Line stop. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti has already expressed his support for the project. He told The Times that he didnt anticipate significant political opposition from community leaders. The San Francisco proposal already supported by Mayor Ed Lee would land a similarly designed building on a parcel on Treasure Island. Virtually all visitors now reach the island via the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Lease agreements for both properties have not been finalized. Times Architecture Critic Christopher Hawthorne contributed to this report. frank.shyong@latimes.com Twitter: @frankshyong Reckless wasnt just a horse. She was a U.S. Marine. The hero horse who shed blood alongside fellow Marines in the Korean War was honored with a statue at Camp Pendleton this week. The mare known as Staff Sgt. Reckless was famous during the Korean War era, equal to Lassie or Rin Tin Tin. But her story has largely faded from popular memory. A Los Angeles-area screenwriter is trying to revive it through a 2014 book and a now-successful campaign to erect a larger-than-life bronze likeness of Reckless at Camp Pendleton, where she lived out her retirement years. Advertisement I thought this is the greatest horse story I had never heard about, said Robin Hutton, who wrote Sgt. Reckless, Americas War Horse and led a three-year effort to raise funds for the Camp Pendleton statue. Shes shopping the concept to movie studios as well. Hutton sees Reckless as a way to teach the history of the Korean War often called the forgotten war whose veterans are now dwindling in number. A few dozen white-haired Marine survivors of Korea gathered at Camp Pendleton to honor their comrade in arms or, actually, hooves. Horses and Marines are a lot alike, said Harold Wadley, who served with Reckless and traveled to Wednesdays ceremony from his home in Idaho. They both are herd animals requiring leadership, Wadley said. The main difference is that horses instinctively flee from danger, and Marines run toward it. It was an unlikely war story. In late 1952, a young lieutenant with the 5th Marine Regiment received permission to buy a pack animal maybe a mule, maybe a horse to carry heavy ammunition to his Marines on the firing line. 1st Lt. Eric Pedersen returned with a small Mongolian mare, bought for $250 at a racetrack from a South Korean youth who needed the money for his sisters medical care. The horse, named Reckless after the recoil-less rifle platoon she was attached to, proved her worth beyond price. She learned to duck beneath barbed wire, lay flat if caught under fire on open ground and run for her bunker whenever artillery or mortars came flying. A horse without a herd, she bonded with those Marine grunts. Cold winter nights, youd find her nestled among her Marines by the oil stove, Wadley said. Reckless main job was transporting shells for the 75mm rifle, a large weapon more like todays mortars. Each shell weighed more than 20 pounds. The Marines tied four to six rounds to her back for each trip. With a slap on the flank, Reckless headed off to the front line, often solo. In March 1953, the enemy overran the companys location, Outpost Vegas. Reckless was credited with making 51 trips to resupply the guns during pitched battle. She carried 386 rounds totaling more than 9,000 pounds and trekked over 35 miles up and down steep ridges. The horse also transported wounded Marines back from the front. Wadley remembers the scene. It was like the sky was falling. I didnt have near enough stretchers, he said. Reckless didnt shy away from her mission. She knew where her Marines were. I looked back at the eastern skyline through all the smoke and could hardly believe my eyes, Wadley recalled Wednesday. The silhouette of a heavily laden horse came in and out of view along the ridge. It was Reckless. All alone, scrambling in the torn earth to keep her footing. The mare was wounded twice on the forehead and in the hindquarter. She later received the Purple Heart. Wadley said he sees more than a horse carrying ammunition when he looks at the new statue in front of the bases Pacific Views Events Center. That kind of horse deserves a statue. Or two. The first was erected in 2013 at the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, Va. The Camp Pendleton version by the same artist, Jocelyn Russell stands about 12 feet high. It cost $185,000; most of the money was raised through donations to the Camp Pendleton Historical Society and Huttons Angels Without Wings nonprofit. Reckless story almost didnt have a happy ending, Hutton said. The mare stayed behind in Korea after the fighting ended. It took an article in the Saturday Evening Post to generate enough public sentiment to bring her to the United States. Eventually, Reckless was billeted at Camp Pendletons stables. The mare gave birth to three colts. They were named Fearless, Dauntless and Chesty the last an homage to Marine Corps icon Chesty Puller, a fellow Korean War veteran. Reckless died in May 1968. She was buried at the base stables with full military honors. Her obituary made the front page of the San Diego Union. Her memorial plaque reads, Reckless. Pride of the Marines. jeannette.steele@sduniontribune.com Steele writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Hundreds of Native Americans staged a peaceful march up a North Dakota highway Saturday, renewing their vow to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline in the wake of violent clashes this week. On Thursday, state police, county sheriffs deputies from four other states and the North Dakota National Guard members made more than 140 arrests, using pepper spray, rubber bullets and Tasers to clear protesters from a camp they set up on the path of the oil pipeline, which is under construction. More than 50 people were treated for injuries. Work on the $3.8-billion project resumed the same day. The demonstration Saturday was centered just south of a bridge that authorities closed this week after pipeline opponents apparently torched a car one of the several vehicles burned in the clashes and deposited it there. Advertisement The march, which was accompanied by a prayer circle, was aimed in part at letting it be known that the protest movement was a peaceful one despite the flare-up of violence. We understand how our young generation gets frustrated and impatient about whats going on here, said Tom Goldtooth, director of the Indigenous Environmental Network. Within our native culture, the elders are there to provide wisdom. So we are taking steps today, having meetings to try to heal this process of communication and understanding between the younger generation and our elders. Mekasi Camp-Horinek, a camp coordinator who was among those arrested, said the fires were set in self-defense, out of fear that the police would surround protestors and not let them retreat. Once authorities descended on the protesters, he said, the historical trauma passed down through the generations kicked in. The prayer circle included several hundred Native Americans and their supporters. They gathered around a group of elders as drummers pounded out encouragement songs and speaker after speaker admonished the younger generation to refrain from provocative actions. We need to stop this anger, Paula Looking Horse told the crowd. If people start cussing, you need to grab them, close their mouths and shut them up. Weve got to watch over each other, take care of each other, said another elder, Archie Fool Bear. If theres going to be factions dividing this camp, they should leave today. A young woman circled through the group, offering smoke from burning sage. Behind her stood the husk of the torched car, and just beyond the bridge, large military-style police vehicles and pipeline work trucks. Protesters hunkered down in a large encampment said they worried that infiltrators and agent provocateurs would foment rumors and encourage violence in an attempt to discredit the movement. Videos of the clashes on Thursday show a man in a white sweatshirt, jeans and a black ponytail pushing demonstrators toward an advancing line of police. In another incident that day, Bureau of Indian Affairs police arrested a man armed with a rifle after a standoff near an encampment of protesters, then turned him over to the FBI. Authorities said that he worked for a private security firm contracted by Dakota Access Pipeline and that his truck was among the vehicles torched Thursday. Plans call for the pipeline to eventually carry 570,000 barrels of a oil each day from the Bakken Oil Field in North Dakota to southern Illinois nearly 1,200 miles away. In North Dakota, the pipeline would stand adjacent to Standing Rock Sioux reservation. Opponents say the construction will destroy ancient burial sites and warned that an oil spill could contaminate the water supply for 17 million people. More than 300 tribes in North America have come out against the project. Many of their members were reportedly headed to North Dakota to join the demonstrations, which started this spring. Protesters said the events of the last week will not deter them. The fight is far from over, said Kandi Mossett of the Indigenous Environmental Network. Its really hard for us to remain in prayer and ceremony when theyre using violence against us. But we will. We will be like stones. Tolan is a special correspondent. ALSO Clashes, arrests and fears North Dakota pipeline protest at a boiling point Dakota Access oil pipeline protesters cleared from camp, sheriff says; more than 140 arrested North Dakota pipeline activists say arrested protesters were kept in dog kennels The Trump vs. McMullin battle for Utah spills into the open (Benjamin Zack / Associated Press) It was only a matter of time, but the shadowboxing between Donald Trump and conservative rival Evan McMullin turned into a full-scale brawl Saturday. Who is McMullin? The 40-year-old Republican-turned-independent is the face of the Never Trump movement; he announced his presidential candidacy in August and as a Mormon has built up a well of support in Utah, where he could very well stop Trump from winning a state that no Republican has lost in years. Trump delivered the first blow, calling McMullin a puppet backed by prominent conservatives namely, neoconservative commentator Bill Kristol. The guy takes votes away from me, Trump complained during an interview alongside running mate Mike Pence on Fox News. Hes a puppet of a loser. Nobody ever heard of him, Pence said. Trump criticized McMullin for going from coffee shop to coffee shop trying to win votes. McMullin, who stepped up for the long-shot run as part of a Republican effort to block Trump and launch a new conservative movement, fought back the way Trump knows best: a tweetstorm. Yes youve never heard of me because while you were harassing women at beauty pageants, I was fighting terrorists abroad, McMullin, a former CIA operative who more recently worked on staff for House Republicans, tweeted late Saturday. You think youre entitled to Utahns and other Americans votes. Were earning them, McMullin added. .@realDonaldTrump, Yes youve never heard of me because while you were harassing women at beauty pageants, I was fighting terrorists abroad. https://t.co/hNDTWn3HPN Evan McMullin (@EvanMcMullin) October 30, 2016 .@realdonaldtrump, you think you're entitled to Utahns' and other Americans' votes. Were earning them. Evan McMullin (@EvanMcMullin) October 30, 2016 .@realDonaldTrump, it's time for a new conservative movement & generation of leadership. We are building it. #McMullinFinn Evan McMullin (@EvanMcMullin) October 30, 2016 .@realDonaldTrump, we will not sit by while two corrupt, self-serving, big government liberals like you and Clinton destroy our country. Evan McMullin (@EvanMcMullin) October 30, 2016 Trump has struggled with Mormon voters, who make up 60% of the electorate in Utah, creating an opening for McMullin. The Times Melanie Mason traveled to the Beehive State recently to more closely examine the state of play in the presidential race there. The rancher-militia occupation last January at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon, and the ongoing Native American occupation of the site of a proposed oil pipeline near Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in the Dakotas make for interesting comparisons. On Thursday, for example, the same day that seven of the Malheur militia members were found not guilty of nearly all charges related to the Oregon standoff, 141 protesters in North Dakota were arrested by a law enforcement officers from at least seven states, using military-grade, anti-riot technology. Watching the events unfold one after the other revealed a glaring racial double standard. It also showed a profound difference in what is at stake in the two movements. In Oregon, white ranchers dressed as cowboys, armed to the teeth, claiming to be clothed in the Constitution protested what they consider to be creeping government tyranny, in the form of federal control of western lands. Law enforcement let them come and go at will, and sought not to provokethem, giving them time and space to stage their insurrection. By contrast, the attempt to derail the Dakota Access Pipeline was met by a stunning show of force: dogs, helicopters, LRAD sound cannons, military vehicles and hundreds of police officers. Advertisement Whatever bedtime stories the Malheur militia members may tell themselves... Western ranchers and settlers arent the victims of the government. White privilege or white impunity, perhaps is an unavoidable explanation for the contrast. One man did die in Oregon, on a road outside the refuge and seemingly because he appeared to think the authorities didnt mean it when they pointed their guns at him. But the last of the occupiers were represented in negotiations by a Nevada state representative. Native Americans with drums and prayer sticks on their own land were not so indulged. Thats one reason the racial component is best understood not just as a double standard, but a single, continuous policy that defines American history. It was the federal government that removed native peoples in the first place, opening up eastern Oregon in the 1870s to economic development by white ranchers. When the leaders of the rancher militia, the Bundy family, call on American nationalism to justify their stand, they are in fact calling on a very real history of racial injustice. Nor is it a coincidence that the contested Dakota Access Pipeline was moved downstream toward the reservation from its initial proposed location upstream of majority-white Bismarck, N.D. Protecting the Missouri River and the water supply of the capital of the state from potential oil leaks didnt require a popular uprising because public interest has never not been defined in white terms. But as important as the racial issues are, they may mask other aspects of the two movements. The Bundys campaign is farcical, a protest against an imaginary threat conducted in symbolic terms. The Standing Rock protest is concrete; it seeks to stop a real pipeline and a real environmental threat. The Malheur refuge occupiers were treated so gingerly in part because it was winter, because the place was so isolated, and because little in the eyes of the U.S. government was actually at stake. By contrast, the government sees the Dakota Access Pipeline as an integral part of our national energy policy. Homeland Security classifies pipelines as critical infrastructure, potentially making it possible to prosecute the protesters as terrorists. This difference has to be emphasized: The Native American protesters are standing in the way of one of presidential candidate Hillary Clintons priorities when she was head of the State Department, the development and expansion of natural gas infrastructure. And though Clinton has occasionally opposed pipeline projects, such as the now-defunct Keystone XL, that opposition has been lukewarm at best. Now it is hard to hear much support for environmental justice or native sovereignty in her call for a path forward that serves the broadest public interest. The shibboleth of energy independence requires expanded fracking, natural gas development and the Dakota pipeline. Even casual observers can tell that the Bundy family is well-practiced at political theater. One would be hard-pressed to find Brooklyn millennials who take as many selfies and post as many video-blogs as they do; keeping up with their self-documentation on Facebook is exhausting. Despite the Thursday acquittals, the Bundys and their followers surely did conspire to prevent federal employees from doing their jobs, and they obviously and flagrantly brought firearms onto federal property, as charged. But the refuge was essentially empty when they occupied it; nothing was in play there except bird watching and conservation. Wildlife sanctuaries arent much eyed by Homeland Security and oil companies. Nowhere is the essential fraud of the Bundy protest more visible than in its attempts to adopt and co-opt native histories of dispossession. The Bundys have styled themselves as indigenous people being pushed off their land. A recent Bundy Ranch Facebook post, for example, used Standing Rocks now viral hashtag, #waterislife, and there have been occasional confused postings about reaching out to the Native American protesters. Whatever bedtime stories the Malheur militia members may tell themselves and the tens of thousands who follow them on social media Western ranchers and settlers arent the victims of the government. In fact, theyve been the primary beneficiaries of its land-use policies water and irrigation policies as well as grazing rights and mineral rights. Their grievances are nonsense by comparison with the Standing Rock Sioux; their protests are self-aggrandizing spectacles, without substance. Water, however, is substantial, and it is a good part of what is at issue in the Dakotas. Though it will be the Sioux who suffer in the short term from the pipeline and what it carries, we all live downstream eventually. If you understand that global warming is real, it is pertinent that no one is fighting it more directly and consequentially than the Standing Rock protesters. The Bundy family and their followers are playing dress-up and putting on historical re-enactments. The Standing Rock Sioux are fighting for the survival of the planet. Which side are you on? Aaron Bady is an editor at the New Inquiry. He lives in Oakland. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook MORE FROM OPINION Why are environmental groups lining up against Washingtons carbon tax initiative? Donald J. Trumps concession speech, imagined L.A.'s March ballot will be a collision of marijuana interests Historians are vague about why in 1845 the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November was designated election day. The most specific guess is that in an agrarian society it couldnt have been on Sunday Sabbath or Wednesday market day which hardly resolves the question. Every year this seemingly arbitrary congressional decision puts election day close to Halloween, and this year that association has never been more appropriate. Throughout the interminable campaign, images of demons, witches and monsters have been a significant part of rhetoric, primarily from the conspiracy theory-oriented right and left, but also seeping into otherwise rational commentary. A good chunk of this monster talk began some years ago with the birther attack on President Obamas origins. In contemporary terms the charge was that he was not born in the United States but came from elsewhere Kenya perhaps and was part Muslim. But in mythological terms he was therefore the changeling or the demon child, a characterization that carried with it more than a touch of racial prejudice. The invocation of myth strengthened a politics of hostility and fear. Even more recently, a right-wing conspiracy theorist is claiming that Obama and Hillary Clinton stink of sulphur, like demons from hell. The president, the theorist says, is particularly attractive to flies. In case you miss the allusion, it associates him with the Philistine god Beelzebub, Lord of the Flies. When emotional appeals drown out substantial issues in politics, the recourse to monsters may seem inevitable. During the primaries, David Horsey, the Times editorial cartoonist, wittily cast Donald Trump as the Frankenstein monster and Ted Cruz as Dracula. Since Cruz had already been dubbed the Prince of Darkness by one of his Senate colleagues, the association came easily. In this incarnation, instead of being chased by villagers with torches and pitchforks, the Frankenstein monster now seems to be leading them. To complete this chamber of horrors, Clinton has long been portrayed as a witch, and a recent op ed headline in the Times warned that, if Trump loses the election, Trumpism may have a zombie life. Advertisement When denouncing an opponent, its always persuasive to fit him or her into a pre-existing story, preferably a negative one. The monster strategy, with its shorthand depictions of dread and terror, has a long history. When denouncing an opponent, its always persuasive to fit him or her into a pre-existing story, preferably a negative one. The kind that works best derives from a source that is deeply etched in the culture, like those emotionally gripping images that come from folklore, fairy tales and religion. The capitalist as a bloodsucking vampire, for example, was as useful a political metaphor for Karl Marx in the 19th century as it had been for Voltaire a hundred years before. In Paris and London, Voltaire wrote in 1764, stock jobbers, brokers and men of business sucked the blood of people in broad daylight. Why go into complicated political or economic arguments when you can more efficiently describe your enemy as a monster? In contrast with the effort to evoke hostility and demonize your enemy, the film director Guillermo del Toro has said that horror lets us sympathize with the Other, and the monstrous in his films, such as Pans Labyrinth, can be simultaneously terrifying, comforting and a way into an alternate reality. Certainly the poignant Frankenstein monster, pleading to be understood and loved, is an example of the sympathetic monster. But the monster stories being invoked in the 2016 campaign are usually much more negative, unless the monster happens to be on your side like the Golem, the crude, lurching (but sometimes protective) monster from Jewish folklore, to which the looming Trump in the second debate bore an uncanny resemblance. Trumps monstrous behavior gets excoriated by his critics and celebrated (or at least explained away) by his followers. In a similar way, since the nasty woman remark in the third debate, Clintons supporters have embraced her witchy image and remade it as something positive an austere Katniss Everdeen in a pantsuit, with a touch of Glinda, the Good Witch of the South. The invocation of monsters is especially prevalent during periods of fearful change and upheaval. The story of the Golem entered literature from folklore in the early 19th century, along with the beginnings of Jewish political emancipation; Golem films of the early 20th century appeared during a time of widespread antisemitism. Frankenstein, by the same token, reflects an anxiety about science, technology and the modern world that is still with us. The legendary monsters of the past are shadows in the dark that make a good fit for our unhappy era. To those feeling adrift in a world where there are few if any absolutes, monster images appeal by their seeming simplicity, their guise of inevitability. They offer illusory solace for those who want to feel in the know, for the gullible and naive, for the cynics who see the dark side of everything, and even for the merely worried. Amid uncertainty about the present and apprehension for the future, monsters will continue to be ressurrected. But the truly scary part is that we might continue to be unaware of the deep-seated terrors they represent, let alone how easily those fears can influence the way we vote. . Leo Braudy is a professor of English and American literature at USC. His newest book, Haunted: On Ghosts, Witches, Vampires, Zombies, and Other Monsters of the Natural and Supernatural Worlds, was published last week. To read the article in Spanish, click here Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Iraqi paramilitary forces battled the Islamic State group southwest of Mosul on Sunday, the second day of an operation to cut militant supply lines between the city and neighbouring Syria. Tens of thousands of Iraqi troops and Kurdish peshmerga fighters have been advancing on Mosul from the north, east and south after the launch on October 17 of a vast offensive to retake IS's last stronghold in the country. After standing largely on the sidelines in the first days of the assault, forces from the Hashed al-Shaabi -- a paramilitary umbrella organisation dominated by Iran-backed Shia militias -- began a push on Saturday towards the west of Mosul. The ultimate aim is the recapture of Tal Afar, a town west of the city, and the cutting of militant supply lines between Mosul and Syria, but the Hashed still has significant ground to cover. In a series of statements on Sunday, the Hashed's media office said it had retaken two villages, cleared another area and entered several more. Al-Imraini, one of the two villages the Hashed said it recaptured, is 45 kilometres (27 miles) from Tal Afar, according to the media office. The drive toward Tal Afar could bring the fighting perilously close to the ancient city of Hatra, a UNESCO world heritage site, and the ruins of Nimrud -- two archeological sites that have previously been vandalised by IS group. The involvement of Shia militias in the Mosul operation has been a source of contention, though the Hashed's top commanders insist they do not plan to enter the largely Sunni city. Iraqi Kurds and Sunni Arab politicians have opposed their involvement, as has Turkey which has a military presence east of Mosul despite repeated demands by Baghdad for the forces to be withdrawn. Relations between the Hashed and the US-led coalition fighting IS are also tense, but the paramilitaries enjoy widespread support among members of Iraq's Shiite majority. The Hashed has been a key force in Iraq's campaign to retake areas seized by IS in mid-2014, when the jihadists took control of large parts of Syria and Iraq and declared a cross-border "caliphate". But the paramilitaries have been repeatedly accused of human rights violations during the course of the war against IS, including summary killings, kidnappings and destruction of property. Tal Afar was a Shiite-majority town of mostly ethnic Turkmens before the Sunni extremists of IS overran it in 2014, and its recapture is a main goal of Shia militia forces. The Sunday fighting came a day after Iraq announced the recapture of Al-Shura, an area south of Mosul with a long history as a militant bastion that has been the target of fighting for more than a week. Iraq's Joint Operations Command announced "the complete liberation of Al-Shura," saying that security forces advancing from four different sides had linked up in the area, which is north of Qayyarah base, the main hub for the southern front. The US-led coalition -- which has been assisting federal forces and Kurdish peshmerga with air strikes, training and advisers for two years -- said Friday that Iraqi forces were observing a pause in the two-week-old offensive. In Bartalla, a Christian town just east of Mosul, army and counter-terrorism forces were consolidating their positions, unloading cases of weapons from trucks and organising their ammunition stocks. More than 17,600 people have fled their homes toward government-held areas since the Mosul operation began, the International Organization for Migration said on Sunday. Numbers are expected to soar as Iraqi forces close in on the city, which is home to more than a million people. The UN says there have been credible reports of IS carrying out mass executions in the city and seizing tens of thousands of people for use as human shields. IS's "depraved, cowardly strategy is to attempt to use the presence of civilians to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military operations", UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said in a statement. The jihadists are "effectively using tens of thousands of women, men and children as human shields," he said. The UN cited reports indicating IS has forcibly taken civilians into Mosul, killing those who resist or who were previously members of Iraqi security forces. It said more than 250 people were executed in just two days earlier this week. Search Keywords: Short link: Four more Bay Area police officers will be fired as a result of an investigation into allegations made by a teenage sex-trafficking victim who said she slept with dozens of law enforcement officers. Richmond City Manager Bill Lindsay on Sunday said the four officers will be fired after a city investigation found documented misconduct between the officers and the victim. Five other officers will be given official reprimands. The Oakland Police Department and other Bay Area law enforcement agencies came under intense scrutiny in June after 19-year-old Jasmine Abuslin came forward earlier this year and said that she had sex with multiple officers, some while she was underage. Advertisement In addition to the firings in Richmond, four Oakland police officers were fired and seven others suspended without pay in September. The allegations led Bay Area prosecutors to file multiple criminal charges against five different officers from other agencies, including three from the Oakland Police Department. Some of the charges included lewd conduct, engaging in prostitution, providing a minor with alcohol, failing to report child abuse and felony oral copulation with a minor. One Oakland police officer, Brian Bunton, was charged with obstruction of justice; authorities accused him of leaking information about planned prostitution raids to the teenager in exchange for sex. Richmond Mayor Tom Butt said in an email that he cannot disclose what type of misconduct led to termination of the four officers, but Sundays disciplinary actions were harsher than what the city originally announced last month when the investigation concluded. At that point, the city had planned to fire only one officer. The appropriate corrective actions are being taken to ensure that we do our part in Richmond to address the rash of improper conduct seen in police departments across the Bay Area, Butt said in a statement. Other heads rolled as news of the scandal broke this year: Oakland Police Chief Sean Whent resigned the same weekend Abuslin gave a televised interview detailing some allegations. Following Whents resignation, two acting police chiefs were appointed to head the department but were subsequently dismissed in the span of nine days. Ultimately, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf chose to placed the department under the authority of civilian City Administrator Sabrina Landreth. Times staff writer James Queally contributed to this report. javier.panzar@latimes.com Twitter: jpanzar Proposition 64 on the Nov. 8 ballot would legalize the recreational use of marijuana in California and allow the state to issue licenses to those who grow, transport and sell cannabis. Marijuana is an illegal substance under federal law, which will not change if the initiative is approved by voters. Legal experts believe the California initiative can take effect despite the conflict in law. What does Proposition 64 do? The initiative would allow Californians to possess, transport and use up to an ounce of marijuana for recreational purposes, and would allow people to grow as many as six plants. The measure would also impose a 15% tax on retail sales of the drug. How can Proposition 64 allow marijuana use when it is listed by the federal government as an illegal drug in the same category as heroin and LSD? States have the power to decide that they will not make it a state crime to grow, transport and use small amounts of marijuana. The federal government retains the authority to enforce federal laws in California, even if Proposition 64 passes, but has notified states it is not a priority to take enforcement actions in such cases, especially in states that adopt strict rules. Advertisement The federal Controlled Substances Act makes it a federal crime to possess any marijuana, but the United State government does not prosecute possession of small amounts of marijuana, said Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Irvine School of Law. Its a value decision that its not worth law enforcement resources to do so. Could federal authorities enforce marijuana laws against large growing operations and dispensaries? Theoretically, yes. But federal officials have said the government does not plan to enforce many marijuana laws in states including Colorado and Washington that have legalized recreational use of marijuana but with robust regulations to avoid abuses, including marijuana being sold to minors. Proposition 64 has similar restrictions, according to Sam Kamin, a professor at the University of Denver who specializes in marijuana law. Updates from Sacramento What is Congress position on enforcing marijuana laws in the states? A bipartisan effort in Congress has attached a rider to the budget prohibiting the Drug Enforcement Agency from using federal funds for enforcement actions against marijuana operations that comply with its states medical marijuana laws, according to Aaron Herzberg, a Santa-Ana-based attorney who is invested in several cannabis dispensaries. Im not terribly concerned with the intersection with federal law as far as it would result in raids or any interference by the federal government, Herzberg said. Thats just not going to happen. He noted that a federal judge in May upheld the barring of enforcement action, including the foreclosure of real estate owned by marijuana industry firms complying with state medical marijuana laws. What other assurances do states have that federal authorities will not enforce marijuana laws in states that legalize cannabis? In 2009 and again in 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice issued guidelines to federal prosecutors that said their priority should include eight significant issues raised by drugs, including the operation of drug cartels, narcotics activity leading to violence and preventing drugs from being provided to minors. Lesser priorities, wrote Deputy Atty. Gen. James M. Cole in 2013, should be left to enforcement by the state. For states such as Colorado and Washington that have enacted laws to authorize the production, distribution and possession of marijuana, the Department expects these states to establish strict regulatory schemes that protect the eight federal interests identified in the Departments guidance, Cole wrote. Non-priority issues involving marijuana should be left to the states to decide whether to enforce, he added. Does that mean there is no chance for enforcement? No. If California approves Proposition 64 but fails to enforce its restrictions on marijuana being sold to minors or pot trafficked to other states, federal authorities could step in with enforcement, Kamin said. How long will that federal policy of non-enforcement apply to California if it approves Proposition 64? The non-enforcement policy comes from the Obama adminstration, Kamin said. The Obama administration wont be the one making those decisions for much longer, and it remains to be seen what the sort of priorities the next president will have with regard to federal enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act, he said. What are the positions of presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on legalizing marijuana? Clinton has said she supports allowing medical marijuana use and that states should be allowed to vote to legalize and regulate adult recreational use. But I want to see what the states learn from that experience, because there are still a lot of questions we still have to answer on the federal level, she said on ABCs Jimmy Kimmel Live! Trump also has said he is in favor of permitting marijuana use for medical purposes and that he supports allowing states to decide whether they will legalize adult recreational use. Banks are federally regulated, so will they accept business from marijuana firms? One significant problem in states that have legalized marijuana is that banks have generally refused to handle the money generated because the drug is still illegal on the federal level. In Colorado, that has led some marijuana businesses to form holding companies that do not include the word marijuana their names in order to get banking services, including acceptance of credit card purchases, Kamin said. But the banks usually cut off services after routine audits determine money is coming from drug sales. An effort to form a credit union in Colorado has been stymied because it was denied access to the federal reserve system, he said. However, with nine states including California set to vote on legalization of marijuana, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom said pressure will build on federal officials to work out a solution to the banking problem. Broadcast television and radio stations are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission, so how will that affect the ability of marijuana businesses to advertise over the airwaves? Because of federal regulation, television and radio stations in other states where cannabis is legal have generally not accepted marijuana ads, and their attorneys have advised them not to. Proposition 64 includes a provision restricting TV and radio ads so they are not targeted to minors, but that was only included in case federal law one day changes, according to Richard Miadich, an attorney advising the Proposition 64 campaign. Proposition 64 cant change federal law and federal prohibitions remain in place, Miadich said. If Proposition 64 passes, when does it take effect and when can Californians legally buy marijuana for recreational use? The initiative would allow Californians to possess and use up to an ounce of marijuana on the next day, Nov. 9. However, the state would have until Jan. 1, 2018 to come up with a system for licensing those who would grow, transport and sell marijuana for recreational use. Supporters say a change in the law could allow temporary licenses before then but even then it would not likely be until mid-2017 that such sales could begin. patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com Follow @mcgreevy99 on Twitter ALSO Medical marijuana community split over legalization of pot Feds cant spend money to prosecute people who comply with state medical pot laws, court rules Common, Russell Simmons, Shailene Woodley among celebrities pushing to legalize weed in California Newport-Mesa Unified School District students combined performance on new online state standardized tests in math and English/language arts show that approximately half of them either met or exceeded the exams standard. Last spring, public school students in grades third through eighth and 11th, took exams that measured their abilities to analyze problems, think independently and write clearly using evidence, referred to as Common Core. The California Department of Education released the results from the new online tests Wednesday. Education officials consider these exams, called the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, more rigorous than the previous Standardized Testing and Reporting program, called STAR. In Newport-Mesa, 54% of students who took the test met or exceeded state standards in English. Among that same pool, 47% of them met or exceeded state standards in math. Among the Orange County school districts that met test standards, Newport-Mesa ranked 14th. This is an opportunity and a foundation for growth, district board President Martha Fluor said. We beat the state average and well keep working to improve. Im very pleased and I feel confident that we will grow from here. Statewide in all grades, 44% of students met or exceeded the English language arts/literacy standard and 33% met or exceeded the mathematics standard. Students who tested within the Irvine Unified School District had the top scores with 77% who met or exceeded state standards in English and 74% in math. Because 2015 is the first year of the new tests and because they are substantially different from their predecessors, the results are a baseline that will measure future progress and should not be compared to results from the states previous assessments, according to the state education departments website https://caaspp.cde.ca.gov. Tests consisted of two parts. The first part was an adaptive test taken on a computer that gave different follow-up questions based on a students answers, providing a more refined picture of the persons abilities. The second section challenged students to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world problems. The two parts measure depth of understanding, writing, research, and problem-solving skills. In contrast, STAR was a multiple-choice, paper-based test in which students filled in bubbles on paper and could more easily guess correct answers. On CAASPP, students scores fall into one of four achievement levels: standard exceeded, standard met, standard nearly met, and standard not met. Individual student score reports will be mailed to parents by the end of September or early October. The score reports contain an overall score for each subject as well as information about performance in different skill areas associated with English language arts/literacy and math. October is noted as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Can you believe in this nation, at this time in human history, that we need to label a month of the calendar to shine a light on domestic violence? Is it so widespread, so commonplace, so accepted as part of American life? Yes, it is. Over the past two decades that same scourge has come out of the American closet. It has been swept under the proverbial American rug, but now is recognized as a month of awareness on the calendar. In the O.C. a number of organizations have been standing up in the face of domestic violence for some time. Most of them came into play following the death of Nicole Brown Simpson in 1994. Join the conversation on Facebook >> One such outreach is known as Lauras House, which has been in the hands of Executive Director Margaret Bayston for some 22 years. Since its early days in 1994, Lauras House has reached out to some 50,000 victims of domestic violence, mainly women but also some men. Support services have included emergency shelters, legal aid, counseling and financial aid. Long-term shelter and support has aided some 5,000 abuse victims. Recently in Newport Beach, the Island Hotel welcomed 300 donors of Lauras House for an annual fundraiser. A serious $650,000 was raised in support of its programs. Event planners built the party around the theme British Invasion. Dedicated Lauras House advocates including Laura Khouri, Laverne Friedman, Linda Kearns, Anne MacPherson, Kerri Strunk and Brenda Zalke created a lively party that transformed guests back to the 1960s, when the Beatles created a sensation that still resonates through American pop culture. Presenting sponsors of the event were Khouri and Michael Hayde. Major underwriting came from Newports philanthropic duo Donna and Dick Pickup, Laura and Mark Feld, the David Ball family and a host of prominent family foundations, including the Argyros, Glass, MacPherson, Stack and Thompson foundation grants. Corporate funding came from Pacific Hospitality Group, Haskell & White LLP, Park Newport Apartments, Neudesic, Verizon and Urban Decay Cosmetics. Honored patrons of the year were Pam Jacobson, founder of the Healing Sanctuary, and Wende Zomnir of Urban Decay. Karen Stine, a victim of domestic violence and now an administrator for Lauras House, delivered the keynote address. To learn more, contact Lauras House on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. -- B.W. COOK is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach. Two weeks before Glendale school officials are expected to hold a public hearing to weigh input from local residents about whether they agree or disagree that a proposed Glendale charter school should open, six people addressed the board during a meeting Tuesday night, and only one spoke against the school. Of the six who spoke, all were parents of Glendale Unified students, but only one parent, Ingrid Gunnell, was not in favor of the charter, saying the districts programs are adequate. The lead petitioner behind the charter-school proposal is Glendale resident and parent Hilary Stern, and the school would provide dual-language immersion programs in Spanish, German, French and Italian for students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade. Five other parents spoke in support of the charter school, with one father, Daniel Denny, saying it would provide a unique public-school choice for parents, while others said it would help alleviate demand from parents to send their children to Glendale Unifieds Franklin Elementary, which offers dual-language immersion classes in the same four foreign languages as the proposed school. Glendale school officials said they have been reviewing the proposal, and a survey they posted on the school districts website seeks input. However, school board members, so far, say they cannot discuss the charter school yet. We do not have the information available to us to start having that discussion, said Christine Walters, school board president. If we look tight-lipped, its because we dont have enough to talk about yet. The school board spent Tuesday night listening to advice from their attorney, Janet Mueller, who spoke about some of the grounds on which charter schools can be denied, the elements that must be included in a charter school proposal and how Glendale Unified would need to oversee the charter school, if the board approves its establishment. The school board is expected to decide whether or not to approve the charter school during its Dec. 15 meeting, about one month after it plans to hold a public hearing on the matter on Nov. 17. -- Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com Twitter: @kellymcorrigan A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck central Italy on Sunday morning, destroying a 14th century basilica built on the birthplace of St. Benedict and bringing down scores of buildings, days after two other shocks left thousands homeless. About 20 people were injured, none fatally, when the quake struck at 7:40 a.m. three miles from the ancient town of Norcia in the Umbria region, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said. Lives were probably saved because 1,300 people in the region had been moved to makeshift accommodations after their homes were damaged by two temblors Wednesday in the Umbria and Marche regions. Advertisement Sundays quake was the strongest in seismically active Italy in 36 years, since a quake near Naples killed 3,000 in 1980. The Sunday temblor was linked by experts to a 6.1 quake on Aug. 24, which killed 298 and leveled the towns of Amatrice and Accumoli in the nearby region of Lazio. It all came down. Now there is no more town Aleandro Petrucci, mayor of Arquata del Tronto From the 10,000 people now needing assistance, we risk arriving at 100,000, said Luca Ceriscioli, governor of the Marche region, on Italys Adriatic coast, after Sundays quake. In Norcia, monks prayed amid ruins, and weeping nuns were escorted to safety by firefighters after the collapse of thebasilica of St. Benedict the founder of the Benedictine order of monks leaving only its facade standing. People are trapped in the main square, as nearby buildings may collapse. Trucks are coming to clear a path to safety, the monks tweeted. A man rides past cracks in a road in Norcia, central Italy, after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 hit on Sunday. (Gregorio Borgia / Associated Press ) Felt as far away as Slovenia and Croatia, the quake brought down buildings in Italian towns partly evacuated after Wednesdays temblors. Everythings collapsed. I see plumes of smoke. Its a disaster, said Marco Rinaldi, mayor of Ussita, a town in the Marche damaged during the week. I was sleeping in the car, and I saw hell, he told Italys ANSA news agency. In Castelsantangelo sul Nera, another town damaged Wednesday, more buildings collapsed and huge cracks appeared in nearby mountainsides. At the cemetery, the shocks have split open tombs and the coffins have been thrown out. Its indescribable and people cannot take it anymore, Mayor Mauro Falcucci said. About 60% of the buildings in Castelluccio, a picture-postcard village near Norcia that is popular with hikers, reportedly collapsed in Sundays quake. Towns damaged by the Aug. 24 quake were also hit again, including Arquata del Tronto in the Marche. It all came down. Now there is no more town, said Mayor Aleandro Petrucci. The few people who remained have gone out to the streets and are embracing. In LAquila, where an earthquake in 2009 killed 300, a building yet to be repaired collapsed Sunday. Although the U.S. Geological Survey measured Sundays quake at 6.6, Italys Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology put it at 6.5. The shock was felt strongly in the Italian capital, Rome, where residents poured onto the streets in panic as beds shook and items tumbled from shelves. One of the citys historic basilicas, St Pauls Outside the Walls, suffered cracks in its facade, and the citys subway was shut for structural checks. At his Sunday Angelus prayer in St. Peters Square, Pope Francis said, Im praying for the injured and the families who have suffered the most damage, as well as for rescue and first-aid workers. Throughout the region, priests were advised to hold their Sunday Masses outdoors. We will rebuild everything, the houses, the churches and the businesses, Renzi said. Everything that needs to be done to rebuild these areas will be done. After this years series of devastating quakes along central Italys mountainous spine, the deputy mayor of Norcia, Pierluigi Altavilla, said he was less optimistic, telling Rai News 24, We are starting to despair. There are too many quakes now; we cant bear it anymore. Kington is a special correspondent. ALSO Gabriele Amorth, Roman Catholic priest known as the Vaticans exorcist, dies at 91 Tension between U.S. and Russia brings war worries for some Muscovites An Iraqi band of brothers: They watch American Sniper and play Call of Duty and theyre out to recapture Mosul One of the few issues on which Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have agreed is their opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (although Trump disagrees that Clinton opposes it). Their positions reflect the significant skepticism that many Americans have toward free trade. But step across the northern border, and theres a very different outlook. Canada has been busily pursuing free-trade agreements under both Conservative and Liberal governments, with minimal opposition. On Sunday, just days before he celebrates his first year in office as Canadas prime minister, Justin Trudeau signed a massive economic and trade agreement with the European Union that will give Canada access to a market of more than 500 million people in 28 countries, with a combined GDP of more than $16 trillion. Advertisement Trudeaus Liberal government has also set its sights on trade deals with China and India, and supports the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, which Stephen Harpers Conservative government signed last October before losing the federal election. Canadians recognize that its a benefit to the country to have large markets because our domestic market is not large enough, said Toronto-based economist Sherry Cooper, who teaches financial economics at McMaster University in Hamilton. As an affluent, highly developed country, Canada has a great deal in common with the United States much more than the U.S. has in common with its southern neighbor, Mexico. But while 77% of Canadas trade is with the U.S., the decreasing need for Canadian oil and automobile production south of the border has required the Canadian government to aggressively look farther afield for opportunities, Cooper said. Keystone Pipeline materials in a field near Ripley, Okla., in 2012. (Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press ) Unlike Germany, where hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in September to protest separate European trade deals with Canada and the U.S., Canada has had no large public demonstrations against free trade. It was also not a major issue in last years Canadian general election, as it was nearly 30 years ago, when then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney called an election to break a parliamentary logjam over the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, which he had negotiated with President Reagan. Mulroneys Tories were reelected, the trade agreement was signed, and Mulroney subsequently negotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. Later, under Harpers watch, Canada expanded its trade reach by finalizing agreements with a diverse array of countries, including South Korea, Colombia and Jordan, and launching negotiations for the pact with the EU, which Trudeau has now concluded. Canada is a trading nation, said Michael Hart, a retired professor of international trade policy at Ottawa-based Carleton University, who helped negotiate the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and was involved in the NAFTA talks. He noted that although the Canada-EU deal is significant, 45% of Canadas trade with Europe is with the United Kingdom, whose forthcoming exit from the union will carve out some of that benefit. If the Toronto Blue Jays made it to the World Series playoffs, wed be far more transfixed with that. Shachi Kurl, executive director of the Angus Reid Institute Hart said that while there is a very vocal minority of trade opponents, including Canadian Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, who believe the Canada-EU deal will favor multinational companies at the expense of Canadian sovereignty, Canadians by and large shrug when their federal government searches for countries with which to buy and sell goods and services. However, Ottawa-based pollster Frank Graves has noticed a shift in Canadian attitudes toward free trade in surveys his firm, EKOS Research Associates Inc., has conducted over the last decade. In 2005, Canadian support for NAFTA was at 80%, but dropped to 70% 10 years later. Support for NAFTA was never that high in the United States. Canadians remain largely supportive of trade liberalization, but they have had a more guarded, less positive view in recent years, said Graves. He believes the shift is partly the result of some Canadians feeling hopeless about their future under globalization, and embracing the nativism that is seeing an upsurge around the world, including in some of Trumps followers and in some Britons who voted for the Brexit from the EU. A man protests against international trade agreements in front of EU headquarters in Brussels on Oct. 27, 2016. (Geert Vanden Wijngaert / Associated Press ) Between 2005 and 2015, EKOS found a 13 percentage-point increase in the number of Canadians who view foreign investment and ownership of domestic companies as a threat to national sovereignty, and a 22 percentage-point rise in those who felt Canada accepts too many immigrants who are visible minorities. In its surveys, the Canadian polling firm Nanos Research has found that Canadians view free trade based on a hierarchy of comfort, said its president and chief executive officer, Nik Nanos. There is an extremely high level of confidence and support for trade with the United States and Europe because Canadians see those two economies as being comparable to Canadas, he said. But support is not as intense when it comes to trade with China. Canadians are concerned about being able to compete with China in terms of the lower wages they pay their workers, said Nanos. Still, when the Vancouver-based public-opinion research firm Angus Reid Institute asked Canadians last year to identify the countrys top foreign priority, more than half chose international trade, far more than chose foreign aid or military preparedness. The prime minister signed this huge trade deal with Europe on Sunday, and it will barely rate the blink of an eye by Canadians, said Shachi Kurl, the institutes executive director. If the Toronto Blue Jays made it to the World Series playoffs, wed be far more transfixed with that. However, Ontario businesswoman Rhonda Barnet sees Canadas formal entry into a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the EU as a huge win. She and her husband, Don, own Steelworks Design Inc., a Peterborough-based company that employs 30 people, and exports half the machinery and equipment it custom manufactures to the U.S., Mexico and Europe. Small companies like ours easily tap out domestic markets, said Barnet, who was recently appointed the first female chair of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters trade-and-industry organization that represents more than 10,000 companies. Trade is our biggest opportunity for growth. Guly is a special correspondent. ALSO Canadian Charles Margrave Taylor wins inaugural Berggruen Prize for Philosophy Canadian government says it will implement a nationwide carbon tax by 2018 Hillary Clinton once called TPP the gold standard. Heres why, and what she says about the trade deal now Just before sunset on the first day of the Mosul offensive, Lt. Col. Ali Hussein Fadil called his soldiers to attention in a field about 30 miles east of the city where they had bivouacked. After five months of training, and now three days of waiting, the 166-strong Najaf battalion of the Iraqi Special Forces known as Golden Division was itching to deploy. You have, he told them, exactly an hour and a half. Get ready and we will move toward Mosul, Hussein said, his voice stern. Advertisement The troops paid close attention to their cleanshaven commanders instructions, delivered in clipped Arabic: Dont enter houses alone. Take your bazookas and RPGs. Target suicide bombers cars quickly before they reach us. Safety first. Commanders, be responsible for your soldiers. Beware of booby-traps and mines. Some Iraqi commanders dont emphasize worst-case scenarios, worried about scaring their troops. Hussein said he wanted his men to be prepared for the worst. They are modern Iraqi warriors, their training shaped by the U.S. invasion in 2003 and the vigorous fighting alongside American troops that followed it. Husseins favorite movie is Black Hawk Down. His soldiers have seen American Sniper and The Expendables, some several times. Their Humvees are stenciled with the skull symbol of the American comic book hero The Punisher, adopted as an emblem by American Sniper Chris Kyle. They play Call of Duty and post selfies in uniform flashing peace signs. For meals, they must often deal with MREs, the standard field rations of the U.S. military. Many of his soldiers wear battlefield apparel manufactured by Southern California-based 5.11 Tactical. They carry American M-4 carbines. Our supplies, training and equipment are American, Hussein said, but, Im an Iraqi soldier. Around his neck, like some of his soldiers, he wears a religious icon, an amulet etched with a Koranic verse about combating evil. His troops have decorated their Humvees with pictures of lions, and nicknamed themselves The Lions of God on Earth. They are Muslims and Christians, Sunnis and Shiites, Arabs and Kurds. Asked what sect he belongs to, Hussein just smiled. Im working for my country, he said, Only my country. Lt. Col. Ali Hussein Fadil, right, directs some of the 166 Najaf-based special forces soldiers under his command, including Saud Messoud Jamal, 31, left, whose Mosul-area village the offensive has freed from Islamic State. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times ) Raised in Baghdad, Hussein, 36, joined the army in 1998. He has lost more than 50 fellow soldiers in battle since. He himself has been wounded several times, the worst a gunshot wound in his right leg from an AK-47 while fighting insurgents to the south in Diyala in 2008. Now they were preparing to go into battle again, and said a quick prayer. Praise Mohammed, peace be upon him, is your morale high? Hussein shouted. Yes, his men replied. In the first town in their path, the Christian hamlet of Bartella, they could expect to find at least 30 Islamic State fighters, he said, likely lurking in abandoned homes. Dont go too fast or get excited, Hussein warned. You have to preserve yourselves. You are heroes. :: Mahmoud Mohammed, 26, a Sunni Muslim soldier wearing American tactical sunglasses, had family in a nearby village waiting to be freed from Islamic State. They are going to be welcoming us, he said before they deployed. Harth Mahmoud, 22, from western Anbar province, hoped to continue the momentum of campaigns that routed Islamic State there from Falluja and Ramadi. Tomorrow, God willing, we will drink tea in Mosul, he said with a grin. The crowd around him laughed. They knew it would never be that easy. They grew up in a country at war. Many worked with U.S. contractors and soldiers before they trained with them. They wear T-shirts saying U.S. Navy and Glock Perfection. A few paused to grab rugs and bow in the dusty field for evening prayer. They came from all corners of the country for this fight: Baghdad and Kirkuk, Anbar and Basra. Soon after, as the sun sank beneath the Nineveh plains, they left to free Bartella. Were like one man, Hussein said later in Arabic, adding in English, One team. :: Quickly, send mortars! Five days after the Mosul offensive began on Oct. 17, Hussein was in the thick of battle south of Bartella, barking orders into two radios from an abandoned house strewn with debris. They are attacking us! soldiers yelled back over one radio from the front lines a few hundred yards away. We need coalition targeting. We need quick reaction, Hussein called into the second radio, requesting air support from the U.S.-led coalition. Hussein had propped himself against an overturned loveseat, helmetless, spare ammo strapped to his chest. One radio was clipped to his uniform above his velcro name tag that said Ali, the other was in his left hand. In his right, he held his rifle. Mortars could be heard exploding outside, where spent casings blanketed portions of the path to his command post. The commander did not flinch. Neither did the half dozen soldiers standing guard beside him. He figured the mortars were still a third of a mile away. Several empty ammunition boxes lay discarded outside. His men had piled full boxes inside the makeshift command post, a one-room peach cinderblock house with broken windows and a length of plastic ivy still dangling from the starburst tile walls. There are about 10 car bombers from Hamadaniya coming at us, Hussein warned his soldiers over the radio, calm. In a minute, the American drones will deal with that. And then, into the other radio: You have a sniper. I need you to deal with that. They are attacking our sector! a soldier shouted over the radio as gunfire sounded in the background. The sniper was advancing, maybe 300 yards away, Hussein said. The house shook as mortars drew closer. They are coming toward us, Hussein growled over the radio, So deal with that. More booms sounded on the other end. Mahmoud, Hussein called, Do you hear me? After a pause, Mahmoud responded with more bad news: They are targeting us with rockets. They had captured two villages before about a dozen Islamic State fighters dug in, sheltering in a network of tunnels beneath scores of cinder block homes. Now, they were in a standoff. They are modern Muslim warriors but they favor Black Hawk Down and their Humvees are inscribed with American comic heroes. So far, Husseins men had survived five car bombs, shooting the cars before they got close enough to do damage. They snapped photos of the dead fighters, wearing long beards, skull caps and camouflage, some with suicide vests. A soldier arrived to report an injury, this time from a mortar. So far, 13 of Husseins soldiers had been wounded, including a lieutenant and a captain. One died: Nafel Atia, 34, a father of four from the southern city of Kut, killed by a mortar strike. The soldiers family called and prayed for the special forces as they advanced, Hussein said. He apologized that his men would be unable to attend the funeral, saying, Its our duty to be on the front lines. Hussein suspected that as they drew closer to Mosul, Islamic State fighters would start using human shields. He had heard reports that the militants were forcing civilians out of surrounding villages and into the city, executing some. At Husseins side, Assistant Capt. Rahad Qasim Kareem, 28, said he heard that his familys home was among those shot up during an attack by Islamic State militants the day before to the southeast in Kirkuk. That showed the offensive was working, he said. Iraqi soldiers have been criticized in the past for lacking resolve, fleeing in the face of Islamic States offensive on Mosul in summer 2014. Were going to change the way Iraqi soldiers are seen, said Kareem, a thin figure with a special forces cap, neat moustache and tactical sunglasses. That afternoon, one of their Humvees was hit by a rocket and burned. No one was injured. But some soldiers were shaken. Hours later, they rolled out with Husseins convoy to Bartella for a meeting with commanders. They passed the charred remains of several car bombs and eerie, empty streets. Mortars boomed on the periphery. :: Waleed Abdel Nabi, 28, a slender, cleanshaven father of four from the southern city of Nasiriyah, is no stranger to explosions. He remembers the 2003 U.S. invasion and the suicide bombings that followed, killing several of his buddies, Sunni and Shiite. Thats what motivated him to join up. He has since been wounded during recent offensives to drive Islamic State from western Iraq. His cousin Adl Halaf, 35, shorter with a thick moustache, joined too. Now they share a Humvee stocked with Tiger energy drinks and sunflower seeds, listening to Shakira and debating whether shes American. Halafs cellphone wallpaper is a photo of his 23-year-old cousin, a police officer in western Rutbah shot by Islamic State. After they killed him, they burned the body, he said. Nabi knew the soldier in their battalion who died, called his wife to tell her the news and heard her collapse. He still carries his late comrades phone. 1 / 62 A firefighter works to extinguish an oil well set ablaze by fleeing Islamic State fighters in Qayyarah, Iraq, on Nov. 9. (Chris McGrath / Getty Images) 2 / 62 A peshmerga fighter peers through curtains as he and other Kurdish soldiers move into a new house in Bashiqa, Iraq, on Nov. 9. (Odd Andersen / AFP/Getty Images) 3 / 62 A peshmerga fighter looks for militants as he and his team move between buildings in Bashiqa. (Odd Andersen / AFP/Getty Images) 4 / 62 Iraqi forces react as they watch Donald Trump give a speech after winning the U.S. presidential election. They were taking a rest in the village of Arbid on the southern outskirts of Mosul on Nov. 9 during the operation to retake Mosul from Islamic State. (Ahmad al-Rubaye / AFP/Getty Images) 5 / 62 Iraqi police try to pull a body from a mass grave they discovered in the Hamam Alil area on Nov. 7 after they recaptured the area from Islamic State. (Ahmad al-Rubaye / AFP/Getty Images) 6 / 62 Kurdish peshmerga soldiers fire artillery at Islamic State positions in Bashiqa, Iraq, on Nov. 7. (Felipe Dana / Associated Press) 7 / 62 Iraqi forces patrol the Gogjali district of Mosul a day after it was liberated from Islamic State. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 62 Families flee Gogjali after the area was liberated. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 62 A girl waves a white flag as she and her family leave Gogjali. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 62 Iraqi special forces continue to clear homes in Gogjali on Nov. 2, 2016, after the area was liberated. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 62 Iraqi special forces Lt. Col Ali Hussein Fadil and his men continue to clear the Gogjali district. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 62 Iraqi troops patrol Gogjali. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 62 Iraqi army soldiers warm themselves near the Qayyarah air base, south of Mosul, on Tuesday. (Felipe Dana / Associated Press) 14 / 62 Displaced people who fled from Islamic State-held territory sit outside a mosque guarded by Iraqi soldiers in Shuwayrah, south of Mosul, on Tuesday. (Felipe Dana / Associated Press) 15 / 62 An Iraqi Counter Terrorism Section member drives a vehicles with a broken windscreen as they advance early in the morning near the village of Bazwaya, on the eastern edges of Mosul, on Monday. (Bulent Kilic / AFP/Getty Images) 16 / 62 Members of the Iraqi counter-terrorism service drive near the village of Bazwaya, on the eastern edges of Mosul, tightening the noose as the offensive to retake the Islamic State group stronghold entered its third week on Sunday. (Bulent Kilic / AFP/Getty Images) 17 / 62 Members of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service take shelter after a mortar shell hit nearby near the village of Bazwaya, on the eastern edges of Mosul, as they advance towards Iraqs last remaining Islamic State stronghold on Monday. (Bulent Kilic / AFP/Getty Images) 18 / 62 A member of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Section grimaces in pain as he receives medical treatment after clashes on Monday with Islamic State militants near the village of Bazwaya, on the eastern edge of Mosul. (Bulent Kilic / AFP/Getty Images) 19 / 62 Iraqi counterterrorism members carry an injured comrade during clashes with the Islamic State near Bazwaya on Monday. Iraqi forces took control of the village near Mosul. (Bulent Kilic / AFP/Getty Images) 20 / 62 Children playfully pose for a photo as smoke rises from burning oil fields in Qayara, some 50 kilometers south of Mosul, Iraq, Monday, Oct. 31, 2016. (Felipe Dana / AP) 21 / 62 A militia fighter prepares to go into battle with his phone and bullets. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 62 Popular mobilization units are helping to clear villages southwest of Mosul, Iraq. On Sunday, they launched mortar rounds a little more than a mile from Islamic State fighters who continued to resist their advance on the city. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 62 Militiamen chant before going into battle alongside Iraqi army forces as they fight against Islamic State near Mosul. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 62 Militiamen near the village of Zarqa stand by as mortars are launched at Islamic State fighters near Mosul. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 62 The popular mobilization units received the Iraqi governments blessing to join the battle that could break Islamic States grip in the country. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 62 Militias known as popular mobilization units fighting near Mosul are made up mostly of Shiite Muslims. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 62 In the village of Faziliya, recently liberated from Islamic State, Abdul Gafur, 38, embraces his brother Mohammad Abdul Gafur, 40. The two had not seen each other since Islamic State forces took control of the village more than two years ealier. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 62 Business is brisk at the barbershops in Faziliya after Kurdish forces retook control from Islamic State militants. A bodyguard stands by. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 62 Peshmerga, or Kurdish fighters, rest after a recent battle. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 62 The remains of a bomb factory can be seen in the village of Faziliya, recently liberated from Islamic State control. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 62 A member of the Iraqi armed forces kisses a local boy after Iraqi forces entered the town of Shura, 30 kilometers south of Mosul, Iraq. Iraqi troops approaching Mosul from the south advanced into Shura on Saturday after a wave of U.S.-led airstrikes and artillery shelling against Islamic State positions inside the town. (Marko Drobnjakovic / AP) 32 / 62 Iraqi families, who already had been displaced by the ongoing operation by Iraqi forces against jihadists of the Islamic State group, flee Mosul. Iraqi paramilitary forces launched an operation to cut the Islamic State groups supply lines between its Mosul bastion and neighboring Syria. (Bulent Kilic / AFP/Getty Images) 33 / 62 Walid Abdel Nabih, 28, from Nasiriya and a father of four, moves through passageways created by Islamic State to prevent detection by drones. On the eastern front in the fight for Mosul, an Iraqi special forces unit waits for next phase of the fight to clear Islamic State operatives from Mosul. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 62 An Iraqi special forces member rides in the turret of a humvee with a Shiite religious banner flying behind him as he patrols Bartella, Iraq. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 62 As many Iraqis are returning home, others are fleeing the fighting in villages surrounding Mosul. At Camp JJadh, 3,000 people arrived in the past week, but many more are expected as the battle for Mosul continues. New arrivals line up for food, provide by the World Food Program. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 62 Children play in a dismantled car in the village of Hurriya, where fighting between Islamic State and Iraqi forces has caused many families to leave over the past months. The risk of unexploded weapons is still a concern for many in the area. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 62 Soldiers drive through the town of Qayyarah, heavily damaged in the fighting in August and again this past week as Islamic State was driven out of town. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 62 Sienna Moqtar and her daughter decorate her brothers grave with rocks. He died last week in the final days of Islamic State in Qayyarah. The bodies of two infant nephews are buried at the right. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 62 Ibrahim Atea Ahmed, left and Daham Ahmed survived the Islamic State attack, but their town was left in bad shape. Oil fires continue to burn, set by militants as a cover from air attacks. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 62 Residents wait for food and water to be handed out, but very little was distributed. The water is not fit to drink in the town. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 62 Iraqi soldiers head for the front line. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 62 An Iraqi fighter takes a position on top of a vehicle as smoke rises on the outskirts of the Qayyarah area, 35 miles south of Mosul, during an operation against Islamic State. (BULENT KILIC / AFP/Getty Images) 43 / 62 Smoke billows from an area near the Iraqi town of Nawaran, northeast of Mosul, as Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters march down a dirt road during the ongoing operation to retake the city from Islamic State. (SAFIN HAMED / AFP/Getty Images) 44 / 62 Iraqs elite counterterrorism forces raise an Iraqi flag after retaking Bartella, outside Mosul, Iraq. (Khalid Mohammed / Associated Press) 45 / 62 Iraqs elite counterterrorism forces raise an Iraqi flag after retaking Bartella, outside Mosul, Iraq. (Khalid Mohammed / Associated Press) 46 / 62 The commander of Iraq Special Forces Lt. Gen Abdul Ghani al-Asadi during an interview on the Bartila front line, after the city was liberated from Islamic State militants. (AHMED JALIL / EPA) 47 / 62 Iraqi Special Forces take up position in Bartila front line, after the city was liberated from Islamic State militants. (AHMED JALIL / EPA) 48 / 62 Iraqi soldiers ride in a truck advancing through the desert on the banks of the Tigris River toward the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul. (Ahmad al-Rubaye / AFP/Getty Images) 49 / 62 Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters fire rockets from a mobile launcher near the town of Bashiqa, about 25 kilometers northeast of Mosul, on Oct. 20, 2016. (Safid Hamed / AFP/Getty Images) 50 / 62 A member of Iraqs elite counterterrorism forces advances with his unit toward the city of Mosul, on Oct. 20, 2016. (Khalid Mohammed / Associated Press) 51 / 62 A villager walks on a bare street as smoke from oil fires nearby turn the sky black in the Qayyarah area, about 60 kilometers south of Mosul, on Oct. 19, 2016. (Yasin Akgul / AFP/Getty Images) 52 / 62 Iraqi soldiers look on as smoke rises from the Qayyarah area south of Mosul on Oct. 19, 2016, as Iraqi forces take part in an operation against Islamic State to retake Mosul. (YASIN AKGUL / AFP/Getty Images) 53 / 62 A man takes a selfie in front of a fire from oil that has been set ablaze in the Qayyarah area south of Mosul on Oct. 19, 2016, during an operation by Iraqi forces against Islamic State to retake Mosul. (YASIN AKGUL / AFP/Getty Images) 54 / 62 An Iraqi sniper wearing his camouflage in the village of Bajwaniyah village, about 30 kilometers south of Mosul, on Oct. 18, 2016. (Ahmad al-Rubaye / AFP/Getty Images) 55 / 62 Smoke rises from an explosion as Iraqi forces retake the village of Bajwaniyah from Islamic State on their way to Mosul. (Ahmad al-Rubaye / AFP/Getty Images) 56 / 62 Iraqi soldiers inspect a tunnel in a building in the recaptured village of Shaquoli, about 35 kilometers east of Mosul, on Oct. 18, 2016. (Safin Hamed / AFP/Getty Images) 57 / 62 An Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighter stands amid the rubble of a destroyed building on Oct. 18, 2016, in the village of Shaqouli, east of Mosul, after it was recaptured from the Islamic State group. (Safin Hamed / AFP/Getty Images) 58 / 62 A man carries a baby at a refugee camp in Syrias Hasakeh province for Iraqi families who fled fighting in the Mosul area on Oct. 17, 2016. (Delil Souleiman / AFP/Getty Images) 59 / 62 Lt. Col. Ali Hussein, right, addresses Iraqi security forces leading a government offensive that began Monday to oust Islamic State from the city of Mosul, the extremist groups last major stronghold in Iraq. (Molly Hennessy-Fiske / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 62 An Iraqi police officer inspects his weapon at the Qayyarah military base, about 60 kilometers south of Mosul, on Oct. 16, 2016, amid preparations for the offensive to retake the city from Islamic State. (Ahmad Rubaye / AFP/Getty Images) 61 / 62 Iraqi forces head north toward Mosul on Monday, part of the operation to retake the city from Islamic State. (Ahmad al-Rubaye / AFP/Getty Images) 62 / 62 Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters fire a mortar shell from Mount Zardak. (Safin Hamed / AFP/Getty Images) With the convoy parked on a side street in Bartella awaiting their commander, Nabi scanned their surroundings. The town, like all they had freed so far, had been empty for two years. No civilians welcomed them. Instead, they were greeted by pastel houses pocked with bullet holes, each gaping door and shattered window a potential redoubt for snipers. Today there was not any progress, Nabi said, sounding tired. He could feel a fierce fight coming. Last summer, when they freed the oil town of Qayyarah to the south from militants, Husseins men mortared a house where snipers were shooting from the roof, only to later discover a family had been hiding inside. The family was unharmed, but Nabi never forgot. Now he sensed the enemy drawing near. Under his black special forces cap, his dark eyes darted from side to side. He turned up his radio, leaning in the door. Was that Islamic State chatter? Fellow soldiers gathered around Nabis Humvee to listen. What they heard did not bode well. They are asking for reinforcements, he said. :: At a military checkpoint outside Bartella on Tuesday, families of those held captive by Islamic State pinned their hopes on the Golden Division. Several miles west, about 40 militants were sending a half dozen suicide bombers toward Husseins soldiers, sniping at them while darting between tunnels. Car bombs destroyed two Humvees. But by days end, Husseins forces had killed nine militants and forced the rest to flee. The soldiers suffered no injuries or casualties. They seized Islamic State ammunition, an antiaircraft gun and radios they hoped to use to spy. And they captured two villages. Both were empty. Islamic State took most of the civilians here back to Mosul, Hussein said from his command post the next day, next to some relics salvaged from the villages, including an Arabic-language Bible. But he said securing the area allowed hundreds of civilians farther west to flee the village of Tob Zawa. They greeted soldiers with white flags signaling their support, jubilant. They cut their beards, borrowed soldiers phones to call relatives they had not spoken to in years, and praised the offensive. We were waiting for the army to come and save us, said Wali Sadala, 73, a farmer who drove out on his tractor with his extended family in tow. They did a good job, especially Golden Division. They had a good plan to rescue people, said Saber Jergis, 35. Civilians from other nearby villages returning later to check their homes thanked Husseins troops. In the village of Sheikh Amir, the soldiers were sweeping for mines when they stumbled upon a set of gold wedding jewelry. Then they found the elderly owner, still in shock after finding his home destroyed. When he saw the gold, Hussein said, It was as if he came back to life. One of Husseins men, Saud Messoud Jamal, 31, is from Sheikh Amir, which his family fled two years ago. He found their home mortared, loaded with mines and robbed; even their 30 sheep were gone. Militants had scrawled graffiti on the walls, including: Gods messengers. They knew that I was working with Golden Division, said Jamal. But recapturing the town, even in ruins, felt like getting his homeland back. Now he and the rest of Husseins men must go house to house, checking to ensure militants dont re-infiltrate. Before climbing a hill near his command post to survey the area with his men on Friday, Hussein snatched the starred officers epaulets from his shoulders, smiling ruefully. Snipers, he said in English they know to target officers. This hill was once a cemetery, with one grave left. As he passed it, Hussein slung an arm over Nabis shoulder. The fate of these soldiers weighs heavily on the commander, who is having trouble sleeping. His men hear him on their radios at all hours, checking in. Hussein doesnt like calm days like this, so quiet he can hear the wind kicking up dust. Militants attack during dust storms, he said, making use of the cover. And they want this area, a strategic post along the highway to Mosul. At the top of the hill, Hussein pointed to a radio tower at the edge of Mosul. There was smoke on the horizon, fires set less than a mile away by Islamic State. The night before, a dozen militants, some of them suicide bombers, had climbed the hill to attack. Husseins soldiers were ready to repel them, patrolling with night vision goggles. They held the line, for now. molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com @mollyhf ALSO Even the badly wounded are itching to return to the battle for Mosul Facing Iraq government-led Mosul offensive, Islamic State extremists strike back Lessons of war: David Petraeus warns that a bigger challenge awaits after Islamic State is driven from Mosul Syria's regime and rebels were locked in fierce fighting Sunday on Aleppo's western edges, where 38 civilians have been killed in a two-day opposition offensive to break the government siege. Rebels and allied militants launched a major offensive on Friday to break through government lines and reach the 250,000 people living in the city's east. Since then, they have unleashed a salvo of rockets, artillery shells, and car bombs around the western government-controlled districts. Syria's second city, Aleppo has been devastated by some of the heaviest fighting of the country's five-year civil war, which has killed more than 300,000 people. Much of the once-bustling economic hub has been reduced to rubble by air and artillery bombardment, including barrel bombs -- crude unguided explosive devices that cause indiscriminate damage. "Rebel fighters have launched hundreds of rockets and shells onto the western districts from positions inside the city and on its western edges," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Two days of such heavy rebel bombardment have killed 38 civilians, including 14 children, and wounded another 250. Fighting has also killed 30 regime and allied fighters, as well as 50 Syrian rebels, according to the Observatory. The monitor did not have an immediate death toll for foreign anti-regime fighters, many of whom have joined the militants' factions. About 1,500 rebels have massed on a 15-kilometre front along the western edges of Aleppo since Friday, scoring quick gains in the Dahiyet al-Assad district but struggling to push east since then. "The advance will be from Dahiyet al-Assad towards Hamdaniyeh," said Yasser al-Youssef of the Noureddin al-Zinki rebel faction. Hamdaniyeh is a regime-held district directly adjacent to opposition-controlled eastern neighbourhoods. Fighting lasted all night and into Sunday, with air strikes and artillery fire along the western battlefronts heard even in the eastern districts, an AFP correspondent there said. Plumes of smoke could be seen snaking up from the city's skyline. A pro-regime military source told AFP that the rebel assault was "massive and coordinated" but insisted it was unable to break into any neighbourhoods besides Dahiyet al-Assad. "They're using Grad missiles and car bombs and are supported by foreign fighters in their ranks," he said. Those waging the assault include Aleppo rebels and reinforcements from Idlib province to the west, among them the militant Fateh al-Sham Front, which changed its name from Al-Nusra Front after breaking ties with Al-Qaeda. Aleppo's front line runs through the heart of the city, dividing rebels in the east from government troops in the west. In late September, government troops launched their own assault to recapture all of the eastern rebel-controlled territory. It was backed by fierce air strikes from Russia, which launched its own air war in 2015 to back President Bashar al-Assad's forces. That onslaught spurred massive international criticism of both Moscow and Damascus. Last week, Russia implemented a three-day "humanitarian pause" intended to allow civilians and surrendering rebels to leave Aleppo's east, but few did so. Moscow says it will continue a halt on air strikes over Aleppo, in place since October 18. The Russian military said Friday it had asked President Vladimir Putin for authorization to resume the raids. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin "considers it inappropriate at the current moment", adding that the president thought it necessary to "continue the humanitarian pause" in Aleppo. Search Keywords: Short link: Iraqi officials say a wave of bombings in predominantly Shiite neighborhoods have killed at least seven people in the capital, Baghdad, and wounded over 30. They say improvised explosive devices killed three people and wounded 10 at a popular market in the Shaab neighborhood in northern Baghdad. Another two explosions at traders' markets in the Topchi and Zataria areas killed four and wounded 16. A fourth bomb, planted in a microbus in the poorer Sadr City district, caused no deaths but wounded six. The attacks come just a day after an Islamic State suicide bomber targeted an aid station for Shiite pilgrims, killing at least seven and wounding more than 20. No one claimed immediate responsibility for Sunday's bombings, but the Sunni extremist group often targets Iraq's Shiite majority, which it views as apostates deserving of death. Attacks in the capital have been rare since last summer. The officials police and hospital authorities spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief reporters. Search Keywords: Short link: WASHINGTON -- In the most recent Quinnipiac University survey, the Libertarian Party ticket of two former Republican governors, Gary Johnson of New Mexico and Bill Weld of Massachusetts, polled 7 percent of likely voters in a four-way race. Among those under age 35, though, the Libertarians polled 19 percent, just 1 percentage point behind the GOP ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. Johnson has tried to appeal to younger voters, especially those who supported Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary, by citing his party's platform positions on issues such as legalizing marijuana "We favor the repeal of all laws creating 'crimes' without victims, such as the use of drugs for medicinal or recreational purposes," the platform said. The Libertarians also support same-sex marriage and abortion rights, even though Johnson backed a ban on late-term abortions when he was governor. At the same time, however, the Libertarians oppose most of the planks that Sanders campaigned on, such as limiting the influence of money in campaigns and taking steps to address climate change. Here are five planks in the Libertarian platform. 1. Big money could get even bigger. The Libertarians would eliminate limits on how much donors can give to candidates and remove current bans on corporations and unions giving directly to political party committees and those running for office. They also would repeal rather than update the Watergate-era laws providing for public funding for presidential candidates agreeing to limit their campaign spending. "We call for an end to any tax-financed subsidies to candidates or parties and the repeal of all laws which restrict voluntary financing of election campaigns," according to the platform. 2. The rich should pay less. The Libertarian platform calls for the abolition of the income tax, which falls more heavily on wealthier Americans. The platform also backs the end of Social Security, which is designed to help the elderly from falling into poverty; and wants to balance the federal budget solely through spending cuts. This would require reductions in programs designed to help the needy, such as food stamps and Medicaid. "The proper and most effective source of help for the poor is the voluntary efforts of private groups and individuals," the platform said. 3. Repeal laws banning businesses from discriminating While the platform calls bigotry "irrational and repugnant," it also says government should do nothing to prevent businesses from discriminating on behalf of race, color or creed. "Members of private organizations retain their rights to set whatever standards of association they deem appropriate, and individuals are free to respond with ostracism, boycotts and other free-market solutions," the platform said. 4. The right to bear arms is sacrosanct. There should be no background checks, no waiting periods and no limits on gun purchases. "We affirm the individual right recognized by the Second Amendment to keep and bear arms, and oppose the prosecution of individuals for exercising their rights of self-defense," the party platform said. "We oppose all laws at any level of government restricting, registering, or monitoring the ownership, manufacture, or transfer of firearms or ammunition." 5. The government has no role in addressing climate change. The Libertarian platform offers no proposals to combat climate change, saying free markets and property rights will lead to efforts to protect the environment without the government getting involved. "Governments are unaccountable for damage done to our environment and have a terrible track record when it comes to environmental protection," the platform said. "Protecting the environment requires a clear definition and enforcement of individual rights and responsibilities regarding resources like land, water, air, and wildlife," the platform said. Violators could be sued for damages in court. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook suaconvalleyhs.jpeg Saucon Valley High School (file photo) ( ) UPDATE: Motive identified for teen-on-teen fight caught on video A 16-year-old is facing charges after repeatedly punching a 14-year-old at Saucon Valley High School, police say. The act occurred at 6:05 p.m. Oct. 14 on school property, 2100 Polk Valley Road. Lower Saucon Township police did not specify if either teen attended the high school or what led to the fight, but they did say both teens reside in the township. Officers obtained videotaped footage of the 14-year-old being struck repeatedly in the head by the 16-year-old, police said. It's unclear if the victim suffered any injury. Police have charged the 16-year-old with simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct. Both teens are not being identified by police because they are juveniles. Members of the Saucon Valley School Board did not immediately return an email Sunday afternoon seeking comment. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. UN peace envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura on Sunday strongly condemned deadly rocket attacks by rebels targeting civilian areas in western Aleppo. "Credible reports... indicate that scores of civilians in west Aleppo have been killed, including several children, and hundreds wounded due to relentless and indiscriminate attacks from armed opposition groups," De Mistura's office said in a statement. "(The envoy) is appalled and shocked by the high number of rockets indiscriminately launched by armed opposition groups on civilian suburbs of western Aleppo in the last 48 hours." De Mistura's statement came as regime forces were locked in fierce fighting on Aleppo's western edges, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 38 civilians have been killed in an opposition offensive to break a government siege. "Those who argue that this is meant to relieve the siege of eastern Aleppo should be reminded that nothing justifies the use of disproportionate and indiscriminate weapons, including heavy ones, on civilian areas and it could amount to war crimes," De Mistura said. The envoy meanwhile condemned attacks on schools on both sides, as well as air strikes on civilian areas. "The civilians of both sides of Aleppo have suffered enough due to futile but lethal attempts of subduing the city of Aleppo," he said. Search Keywords: Short link: Nick Clegg talked this morning with Robert Peston about Brexit and the Richmond Park by-election. Heres a transcript of the interview: Robert Peston: Last time I looked the bookies actually I think put you just as favourites to win Richmond Park. Are you going to win? Nick Clegg: Well were the underdogs, hes obviously the, Zac Goldsmiths obviously the establishment candidate, he has the sort of glamour of minor royalty in Richmond, he has the support of the Conservative Party, of UKIP, of a lot of the papers and so on, hes poured a lot of time and money in to establishing himself in the constituency. But, Ive never dared differ, disagreed with Allegra but I disagree in one very important respect which is that Heathrow is of course the reason this by-elections being held, Zac Goldsmith failed to do what he said. He said hed stop Heathrow and he as a Conservative would make representations to the Conservatives, to Conservative ministers to stop it. Weve had this by election, were having this by-election because he failed in that task and so RP: But youre also, youre also anti-Heathrow arent you? NC: Yes we are [unclear] RP: But actually this is not going to be a by-election about Heathrow at all, is it. NC: Well I think the fatal logic in his approach is if he failed to persuade a Conservative government not to go ahead with Heathrow as a Conservative MP, hes going to have considerably less influence by flouncing out as an independent. RP: So are you going to make this a by-election about Europe? NC: No, look, a by-elections about lots of things, about local hospitals, about RP: Because Richmond Park was a very strongly pro-remaining in the EU constituency. NC: Yeah, sure and that should be one of the issues. So not only has Zac Goldsmith proved to be ineffective in defending the interests of his constituents as far as Heathrow is concerned, hes been unrepresentative in fact woefully unrepresentative of their views on the most important issue of the day, on Brexit. These things are curiously enough linked of course, cause in my view, having spent years discussing Gatwick versus Heathrow when I was in government, Im absolutely convinced the thing that tipped the scales in favour of Heathrow in the end was all to do with Brexit because Theresa May and others quite rightly are starting to panic about the perception of this government among the business community. They thought, the shorthand way of assuaging concerns in the business community is to say, Look were open for business, were going to go ahead with Heathrow, which has always been the business communitys and the Treasurys preference. So oddly enough great irony this, by advocating Brexit, people like Zac Goldsmith made it more likely that the decision eventually would go in favour of Heathrow, as it has done. RP: Now youve devoted your entire life, almost, to the European cause. Was there a single thing that Tony Blair wrote and said last week on what a disaster the vote was and how we should as a nation keep open the possibility of a second vote. Was there anything that he said that you disagree with? NC: No. I agree with every single word of it. I could have said it, in fact I think he said it extremely well. I think, I think one of the points that he made and that I make is that of course the Brexit press is trying to rewrite history. Theyre trying to pretend that everybody voted for Brexit. In fact there were two massive votes. There was a massive vote in favour of leaving, and there was a massive vote 16.1 million people, that is more people than any number of voters have ever voted for a winning government in the modern era so you had two massive votes going in diametrically opposite directions. It is a woeful rewriting of history to claim that the country expressed one single opinion, or even worse still, which is now the additional rewriting of history, that they knew exactly what Brexit meant. Given the Brexiteers, this sort of motley crew of Farage, Gove and Johnson didnt bother to tell people what it meant its quite right now that people like Tony Blair say, Hang on a minute, yes of course now were heading towards the Brexit, the exit door, but since we dont know what the destination is of course the country should have another opportunity in one shape or form to make a judgement on the final package. RP: But his, I think, fundamental point, is that British people did not vote for what people now characterise as hard Brexit. What Boris Johnson and Michael Gove sold was what is now characterised essentially as soft Brexit, which is more or less full access to the single market, not out of the customs union, not out of the single market. If we get hard Brexit, should there be a second referendum? NC: Ye-well, I think there should be. George Osborne put it very well, heres an odd consolation [RP Say again?] George Osborne put it rather well, heres an odd consolation, Tony Blair, George Osborne and Nick Clegg all agree that the country voted for Brexit not for hard Brexit. People dont vote for economic self-harm, yes they vote on immigration, identity, they dont like fussy bureaucrats in Brussels, I get all of that, theyre not happy, many people werent. I met many hundreds, thousands of Brexit voters who said, Im going to vote Brexit because Im really just simply not happy with the way sort of life is panning out at the moment. I get all of that, but to somehow translate that into saying and people now want to quit a British created single market, the largest of its kind anywhere in the world which has provided immense economic and positive economic transformation for our country, I think is a woeful misreading of peoples intentions and rewriting of history. RP: But so just very briefly though, isnt your position just a bit too nuanced? Shouldnt just all of you get together, you know, Tony Blair, George Osborne, and say actually the vote was a terrible mistake, we need another vote. NC: No because there is a way forward for, for the government [RP Is there?]. Well I think the only way forward is for Theresa May and Philip hammond to pluck up the courage to face down Liam Fox, to face down the Daily Mail, to face down all these sort of headbangers on the back benches [RP And allow some immigration] and to say listen, and to say to people, and she [RP And to pay into the budget?] yes, I think that might have to be one of the requirements. By the way, if we want to do what the government says, which is to remain a full leading member simply of some of the security-related arrangements in the European Union, Europol, for instance, the things that keep us safe from cross-border crime, you cant do that just on those narrow terms without paying some money into some kind of institutional EU budget. So at some point people are going to have to come clean with the fact that there arent simple either/or choices RP: Would you like Keir Starmer and the Labour Party to be bolder and clearer on this? NC: I do wish, I-I, would like Keir Starmer to be a bit more Blairite, put it that way. * Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist and member of the Liberal Democrat Voice team. He blogs at Liberal Burblings. Sarah Olney has been selected to contest the Richmond Park and North Kingston December 1st by-election for the Liberal Democrats. An opinion poll has shown it is a two-horse race between local woman Sarah and Zac Goldsmith, the out-going Conservative Brexit MP whose resignation triggered the by-election. Sarah, an accountant and married mother of two, was selected at a meeting of the local party in Richmond today. Sarah Olney said: This by-election is a chance for people to have their say on Brexit, the NHS and Heathrow. Only a vote for the Liberal Democrats will make a stand against Heathrow and Brexit, not to mention the scandalous underfunding of the NHS. At the school gate or in Richmond Park you meet people who are really worried about their livelihoods with the Conservatives playing Russian roulette with the British economy. They are also fearful about pollution, noise and congestion resulting from Conservative plans for Heathrow. I am really grateful to the Liberal Democrats for showing such faith in me, and now I intend to do my absolute best for the people of this wonderful area. Baroness Sal Brinton, President of the Liberal Democrats, was at the meeting to congratulate Sarah on her selection. Sal Brinton said: Sarah is talented, super-bright and a really dedicated, hard working campaigner. A poll has shown that she has already slashed Zac Goldsmiths lead and that she is his only challenger. Labour MPs have also been saying that if you want to beat the Conservatives, you have to vote Lib Dem here. Zac Goldsmith is an independent candidate in name only and is being backed by Nigel Farage and UKIP. He is the candidate of a reckless, divisive and uncaring Conservative government. Liberal Democrats will be pouring into Richmond Park and we will run our biggest campaign in modern times. Sarah, 39, lives with her husband Ben, a town planner, and their two children, Isabel, 7, and Rufus, 3, at their home in North Kingston. She is an accountant who works in nearby Teddington. She has always been a Liberal Democrat voter but was moved to join the Liberal Democrats by Nick Cleggs inspiring speech after the 2015 general election. I realised then that it was so longer enough to sit cheering from the side-lines, she says. I needed to play an active part in the Liberal Democrat fightback, and campaign for a Britain that was open, tolerant and united. It was Conservative plans to introduce a Brexit referendum that fired her determination to stand for parliament. She was selected overwhelmingly by members as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Richmond Park after the referendum, and after a meeting at Grey Court School in the constituency has now been confirmed as Lib Dem candidate in the by-election. She has taken up the two-decade long Liberal Democrat cause of opposing a third runway at Heathrow. As an asthmatic, she knows first-hand how pollution damages the quality of life locally. Only the Liberal Democrats are united in fighting Heathrow expansion, as we are in fighting a hard Brexit and for proper NHS funding, she says. On these big questions, the Conservatives are totally divided and are driving through measures that are massively damaging to the constituency. Richmond Park desperately needs a local champion who understands the economic pressures and the everyday problems like trying to get a doctors appointment. I want to be the person who stands up for local people. Sarah will campaign to improve the NHS, local transport and supply of affordable housing. While not knocking on doors, her weekends are often spent teaching her kids to ride their bikes in her beloved Richmond Park. * Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist and member of the Liberal Democrat Voice team. He blogs at Liberal Burblings. Two years ago, I was quarantined. Following a trip to Nigeria (and the privilege of working with the DFID funded ESSPIN programme), I returned feeling a little unwell and, before I knew it, people in biohazard suits were bundling me into an ambulance. Fortunately it was not Ebola and, in fact, just a slightly embarrassing case of man-flu. However, I was still extremely grateful for a responsive NHS keeping me safe. At the time, the Ebola epidemic was a terrifying prospect with a wide range of possible outcomes. One of the worst scenarios I heard was that the largest annual gathering of people in the world, two million Muslims (including many from West Africa) attending the Hajj, could have become a focal point for a sudden and rapid spread of this deadly disease. Fortunately, this did not happen and we have been blessed to see the Ebola epidemic contained, controlled and eradicated, with the MSF closing their final projects (supporting survivors) earlier this month. We were lucky, but it was not by chance that a pandemic was prevented; it was due to the bravery, commitment and skill of the medics and military who risked their own lives to prevent a disaster. In 2016, this dark political year of Brexit and Trump, I take great comfort in the fact that such heroes walk among us. Britain did play a major role in the Ebola response; the government needed to issue a letter of guidance to NHS staff wanting to volunteer to support the emerging humanitarian crisis. Yet somehow the commitment and sacrifice seems to be now widely unacknowledged. Search the internet for NHS Ebola and you will find articles regarding Pauline Cafferkey (still suffering the health impacts of her sacrifice) and reports that a large number of NHS volunteers did not receive their bonuses, which David Cameron pledged to investigate prior to his self-defenestration. What you will not find are reports of heroism and success, or of widespread recognition. In fairness, there was a parliamentary parade in September 2015, but one that I can only find reported by the NHS. We do not only need heroes to protect us, but we also need them to inspire us. The failure to celebrate the Ebola volunteers is not only an injustice, but it was also an opportunity squandered. Through years of economic uncertainty and austerity, our country has become increasingly divided and inward-looking. Following the destruction of the refugee camps in Calais, there are now 1,500 children sheltering in shipping containers with littles news coverage or public outcry. However, only two years ago our bravest and best played a major role in averting a global catastrophe. As shown by the Remain campaign, hearts and minds are not won by economic arguments. Instead we must look for personal stories that truly exemplify our ideals and unite our communities. The Ebola volunteers embody the very best aspects of a country I was lucky to grow up in. I hope we can start recognising and celebrating true heroism again. * Jamie joined the Lib Dems in 2014 and was elected as City Councillor for West Chesterton in May 2018. A 33-YEAR-OLD father-of-four became abusive to gardai when they told him to move off the street in the early hours of the morning during Westfest last year, Newcastle West district court heard. The incident occurred on September 13, 2015 at around 2.40am. The court heard that gardai were on patrol in the town when they saw John Quilligan of Knockane, Newcastle West standing in the middle of the road. When they asked him to move off as he was causing an obstruction, the defendant became abusive and called them pussy guards and wankers. Ten days later, on September 23, Mr Quilligan was involved in another incident at Churchtown where he again became abusive towards gardai. The court was told that the defendant had a number of previous convictions. Solicitor Kate Cussen said her client has apologised to the gardai involved and realised he was totally out of line. In the first incident, he had been drinking and accepts he should not drink, she said. In the second incident, Ms Cussen told the court that her client had got a message to go to the garda station because the superintendent wanted to speak to him. However, when he arrived he found this was not the case. However, as he was leaving the station, gardai checked his van and, although he had a letter from his insurance company, he did not have an insurance policy. As a result, his van was impounded and he became aggravated. Judge Mary Larkin said she accepted his apology but advised the defendant to avoid drink. She fined him a total of 325 for the public order offences. A YOUNG mother who repeatedly stabbed another woman in the head with a broken bottle has been sentenced to three years imprisonment. Susan McCarthy, aged 22, of Aster Court, Keyes Park, Southill had earlier pleaded guilty to assaulting the 21-year-old at Parnell Street in the early hours of October 15, 2014. She also admitted assaulting another woman on the same night although her injuries were not serious. During a sentencing hearing, Detective Garda Gary Laide said following a verbal altercation with the women at around 2.30am, McCarthy lost it and attacked the woman. The defendant, who had consumed a cocktail of anti-depressants and alcohol, repeatedly stabbed her with the broken bottle. After knocking the woman to the ground, McCarthy "sat on top of her" and stabbed and punched her about the head and body, said John O'Sullivan BL, prosecuting. Detective Garda Laide agreed the attack was frenzied in nature and that the victim, who suffered a collapsed lung was passing in and out of consciousness. Witnesses told gardai they heard McCarthy shout at Ms Delaney "I hope you f****** die" as she stabbed her. At the scene McCarthy admitted bottling the woman telling them she was not sorry for what she had done Mr O'Sullivan suggested that but for "divine providence the consequences of the attack could have been more horrific". He said the victim had made a "miraculous recovery" and the court heard that while she sustained permanent scarring, it is not obvious. Mark Nicolas SC said his client now understands the wrong she has done and that she would wind back the clock if she could. It was an absolutely dreadful event, he said adding that she has been engaging with the various services in prison. Judge ODonnell said the unprovoked assault was horrific, serious and vicious and that it must attract a custodial sentence. INVESTIGATIONS are underway into the possibility of poisonous algae or scum, appearing around the riverbank at OBriens Bridge, which is potentially responsible for the deaths of a number of dogs in recent times. Gardai in Ardnacrusha recently received a report that a dog died after it consumed a substance in the OBriens Bridge area. Claims have been made by locals that this could be as a result of a poisonous algal bloom. A spokesperson for An Garda Siochana said that it was investigating the incident. A spokesperson for the ESB told the Limerick Leader that gardai contacted ESB Ardnacrusha in relation to a dog being poisoned possibly on ESB lands". "An ESB staff member was dispatched to investigate further. The area in question is around the west bank of the river Shannon at OBriens Bridge and not on ESB-owned lands, the spokesperson said. "The ESB staff member noted to gardai that there was algal scum at the waters edge in the area in question. This observation was made in order to assist the gardai, who are leading the investigation into these poisonings. The area is not under ESB control and ESB has no expertise in toxicology. When contacted by the Leader in relation to the incident and the possibility of poisonous algal bloom, a spokesperson for Clare County Council said it will be speaking with ESB Ardnacrusha to identify and examine the location where the algal scum was reported. "Should the existence of algal scum on public land be confirmed, Clare County Council will erect signage advising the public to keep their livestock and animals away from the relevant riverside location. In September, gardai issued a warning to dog owners from Limerick and Clare to be vigilant when out walking on the Headrace Canal between Ardnacrusha and Clonlara bridge. A number of complaints were received after several dogs were allegedly poisoned in the locality. Meelick-based councillor Cathal Crowe said that the issue of dogs being poisoned has been a recurring problem over the past two years. He said it is distressing as some people are reluctant to walk their dogs in the area. He said that laboratory testing is required in order to reassure locals and pet owners. Most dog owners have a dog on a leash and are responsible, in general. And I think what we have seen in the last two years or so, there are poisons being laid. That is a fact. There would be chicken laced with poison along some of the walkways. There have been bits of chicken, chicken wings, chicken drumsticks that have been laced with poison in the locality. But now there is a possibility that there could be a poisonous algal bloom. But that is an entirely different manifestation, and really, they need to lab test that very quickly. That needs to be prioritised. "You can see the bits of meat on the ground that poison animals, but if there is a natural thing happening, its entirely different. It has wider repercussions because there are many people using that waterway for a variety of reasons, adding that people still swim in nearby waters and draw their well supplies from the area. Prominent Israeli journalist Ari Shavit, whose book "My Promised Land" became a bestseller in the United States, said Sunday he was resigning from his newspaper and television posts after sexual harassment allegations. The allegations against Shavit have caused waves in Israel, where he is well-known as a columnist for leftwing newspaper Haaretz and a commentator for privately owned Channel 10 television. The controversy began after US journalist Danielle Berrin published a piece on October 19 for the Los Angeles-based Jewish Journal about a meeting with Shavit for an interview in 2014. At one point, he "lurched at me like a barnyard animal, grabbing the back of my head, pulling me toward him," she wrote. Berrin did not name Shavit in her piece, but clues in the story led to suspicions it was him. He later acknowledged having met Berrin and apologised, saying he "thought that we had had a friendly conversation that included some flirtation." A second woman, an anonymous staffer for US-based organisation J Street, has since said that Shavit came onto her and inappropriately rubbed her hand as they had a coffee after she picked him up for an event as part of her job duties. In a statement on Sunday, Shavit said he took "full responsibility for my actions" and announced his resignation from Haaretz and Channel 10. "I am ashamed of the mistakes I made with regards to people in general and women in particular," Shavit said, according to Haaretz. "I am embarrassed that I did not behave correctly to my wife and children. I am embarrassed about the consequences of what I did." Shavit's 2013 book "My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel" became a New York Times bestseller. Search Keywords: Short link: Unspoiled Earth (Image credit: Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher) High in the crest of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of central California, the Rio Los Santos Reyes cuts deeply through the ancient granite of this spectacular mountain range. Named in 1805 by Spanish army officer Gabriel Moraga, the flowing waters of the Kings River over the millennia, along with other natural forces of erosion, have created an unspoiled, beautiful landscape much of which is preserved today within the boundary of Kings Canyon National Park. Winding waters (Image credit: Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher) The Kings River is the major river of this part of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It runs southward for some 125 miles (200 kilometers), through the mountainous landscape containing deep glaciated canyons, meadows and waterfalls flowing from multiple lakes. Within the park boundaries are more than 20 mountain peaks that rise in elevation more than 13,000 feet (4,000 meters). Keeping watch (Image credit: NPS) Kings Canyon National Park's southern boundary adjoins the northern boundary of Sequoia National Park. Within the Kings Canyon boundary, six groves of giant sequoia trees, (Sequoiadendron giganteum) grow under the watchful protection of the U.S. National Park Service. Kings Canyon National Park encompasses 722 square miles (1,869 square kilometers). Kings Canyon, together with Sequoia National Park, was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1976. The boundaries of both national parks are outlined in red in this photo taken by a satellite in space. Relative age (Image credit: NPS) The Sierra Nevada Mountains are relatively young in geological time. Most geologists think these predominately granite mountains are less than 10 million years old. Four distinct periods of glacier formation have carved deep valleys and rugged peaks throughout the mountain range. Since granite readily resists all forces of erosion, including glaciation, the landscape of beautiful Kings Canyon and its surrounding area features many hanging valleys, alpine lakes, expansive meadows and waterfalls. Columbine Lake is shown here. Diverse environments (Image credit: Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher) The State of California is home to nearly 6,000 species of vascular plants and more than 20 percent of them are found in the Kings Canyon-Sequoia National Parks. The extreme variance in elevation, from 1,360 feet (412 m) to 14,494 feet (4,417 m) creates a wide variety of environments, from hot, dry lowlands to snow-covered alpine peaks. Even when the soils are limited, plants such as this Common manzanita shrub, Arctostaphylos manzanita, find a way to take root and thrive on this granite cliff. Botanical variety (Image credit: Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher) Botanists have identified more than 100 species of manzanita within the genus group Arctostaphylos. They vary in size from low-growing ground cover to diminutive trees with crowns reaching 20 feet (6 m). They are indigenous to western North America, from British Columbia, Canada, to Baja, Mexico. Manzanita bark is very smooth and its colors can range from orange to red. Small red berries ripen each summer and resemble little apples. Manzanita is a Spanish word for "little apple." Lovely foliage (Image credit: NPS) Mountain dogwood, Cornus nuttallii, is another of the beautiful trees found within Kings Canyon National Park. When they bloom in April through June, they turn the high Sierra Mountains of Kings Canyon into a spectacular floral display. Mountain dogwood trees can grow to 30 feet (9 m) in height and the large flowers will be 3-4 inches (7-10 cm) in diameter. Long life (Image credit: Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher) Sugar Pines, Pinus lambertiana, are also a common tree found within Kings Canyon National Park. They are the tallest of all pine trees, reaching a height of 200 feet (61 m). They can live to upwards of 500 years and are second only in volume to their nearby giant sequoia neighbors. They are found from the Cascade Mountain Range of central Oregon to the Sierra San Pedro Mountains of Baja California. Danger zone (Image credit: Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher) Sugar pine cones are known for their large size, having the longest cones of any conifer ranging in size from 9 to 18 inches (23 to 46 cm) and 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm) wide. Studies show that each cone contains about 150 viable seeds. Seeds are large and heavy with relatively small wings. Most seeds fall within 100 feet (30 m) of their parent tree. Anyone living or visiting any area where sugar pines grow must be cautious of falling sugar pine cones, as the large cones can cause severe injury when falling to the ground from a height of 200 feet (61 m). Natural habitats (Image credit: Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher) The largest natural grove of giant sequoia trees, Sequoiadendron giganteum, are found within Kings Canyon National Park. Nearly 16,000 of these magnificent trees with a diameter greater than 1 foot (0.3 m) thrive in the Grant Grove and Redwood Mountain Grove of the park. The General Grant Tree, shown here, was named in 1867 in honor of General Ulysses S. Grant. It is 267 feet (81 m) tall, has a ground circumference of 107 feet (33 m) and a diameter of 13 feet (3.9 m) at a distance of 180 feet (55 m) above the base. It is considered to be the second largest tree in the world. Reaching the clouds (Image credit: NPS) Elevation within Kings Canyon National Park ranges from 2,100 to 14,248 feet (640-4,343 m). Many of the highest granite peaks are adorned with the rare foxtail pine trees, Pinus balfouriana, which is shown here. These rare trees are endemic to California and can live for more than 3,000 years. They are closely related to the Rocky Mountain and Great Basin bristlecone pines, Pinus aristata. Turkish authorities have fired over 10,000 more civil servants, as the government presses a crackdown over the failed July coup, the official gazette said. A total of 10,131 government employees have been removed, mainly from the education, justice and health ministries, according to announcements published late Saturday. The sackings came as the Council of Europe warned Turkey against re-establishing the death penalty. "Executing the death penalty is incompatible with membership of the Council of Europe," the 47-member organisation, which includes Turkey, tweeted a day after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his government would ask parliament to consider its reintroduction following the coup attempt. Capital punishment was abolished in Turkey in 2004 as the nation sought accession to the European Union. "Soon, soon, don't worry. It's happening soon, God willing," President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told supporters in Ankara on Saturday as crowds chanted: "We want the death penalty!" The government on Sunday also announced the closure of 15 pro-Kurdish and other media outlets. University rector elections have also been suspended, with Erdogan set to pick the winners from a pool of candidates selected by the nation's education authority. The moves come three months after the government declared a state of emergency following the failed bid by a rogue faction of the army to oust Erdogan. More than 35,000 people have been arrested since then, and many dozens of teachers, police officers and judges have either been suspended or fired. Ankara accuses Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, who lives in exile in the US, of masterminding the attempt to oust Erdogan -- a claim he denies. Erdogan, who has not specified a timetable for the reintroduction of the death penalty, said his government would take the proposal to parliament, which he said he was sure would approve it, allowing him to ratify the proposal. Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz added to the Council of Europe's warning, denouncing Turkey for considering a move that would "slam the door shut to the European Union". "The death penalty is a cruel and inhumane form of punishment, which has to be abolished worldwide and stands in clear contradiction to the European values," Kurz told the Austrian Press Agency. Ankara formally launched its EU membership bid in 2005. Since then, the bloc has opened 15 negotiating chapters out of the 35 required to join, but to date only one chapter has successfully been completed. Council of Europe secretary general Thorbjorn Jagland had already warned Ankara against reintroducing capital punishment in August, noting the European Convention on Human Rights, which Turkey has ratified, clearly excludes it. The Convention, signed in 1983, excludes capital punishment except in time of war or imminent threat of war and a 2002 protocol ended the time-of-war proviso. Search Keywords: Short link: Looking to stay up to date about all of the news stories and local headlines that are important to Long Islanders? We've rounded up the top coverage for all of the important topics from multiple sources around Long Island, so you can be sure you've got the most recent update on the top stories for Long Island. Have an idea for a news story? Email us at news@longisland.com Columnists Press Releases US Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday that neither he or his department had been contacted by the FBI over its renewed investigation into his predecessor Hillary Clinton's emails. "No, I haven't been notified of anything, no, I haven't been requested of anything, no, I'm not aware of the department being requested," he said during a visit to Tipperary in southern Ireland. Kerry said it would be up to the US Department of Justice and the FBI to respond to further questions about the probe, which has rocked the race for the White House in its final stretch. "By the way, obviously as an American citizen -- not to mention as a former nominee of the party -- there's a lot I'd love to say about what has been going on. But I can't and I'm just going to remain out of this," he said. Throughout her campaign, Clinton has been battling allegations she put US secrets at risk by using a private server based in her home for all email correspondence while she was secretary of state. It was thought that an FBI enquiry was ended in July but director James Comey announced on Friday, less than a fortnight before polling day on November 8, that his agents were investigating a newly discovered trove of emails. Kerry was in Ireland to accept the Tipperary International Peace Award for his efforts to end conflicts around the world, and met with Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan. At a joint press conference, he said was engaged "on a daily basis" with trying to end the humanitarian "disaster" in the war-ravaged Syrian city of Aleppo. Kerry also expressed his commitment to negotiations over the ambitious Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) trade deal between the United States and the EU. "We are still in negotiations on this and depending on who is elected president of the United States, I don't see those negotiations ending," Kerry said. Republican candidate Donald Trump has condemned the deal as a job-killer and Clinton has said she would not pursue it if it was found to undermine the jobs of American workers. Kerry is due in London on Monday to collect two other awards, including the Chatham House diplomatic prize jointly awarded with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for their part in the Iranian nuclear deal. Search Keywords: Short link: Al Qaedas rebranded guerrilla army in Syria and its jihadist allies are fighting alongside other rebels in an offensive intended to break the siege of Aleppo. The new effort is aimed at forces loyal to Bashar al Assads regime, as well as Assads Russian and Iranian-backed partners. Shortly after Al Nusrah Front, a regional branch of al Qaeda, was renamed Jabhat Fath al Sham (Conquest of the Levant Front) in late July, the insurgents launched a massive operation to break through the Assad regimes stranglehold on Aleppo. [See LWJ report, Jihadists and other rebels claim to have broken through siege of Aleppo.] Despite some early victories by the insurgents, the Assad-Russia-Iran axis struck back, recapturing lost ground and squeezing the city. But the Sunni jihadists, Islamists and other rebels are attempting to break through once again. The fighting is led by groups belonging to the same two coalitions that attempted to break the siege earlier this year: Jaysh al Fath (Army of Conquest) and Fatah Halab (Aleppo Conquest). Two dozen or more organizations belong to these coalitions, or are closely allied with them. Many of the constituent organizations in each alliance have streamed videos and released photos from the fighting on their social media pages. Jaysh al Fath (Army of Conquest) and allied jihadist groups Jaysh al Fath was formed by Al Nusrah, Ahrar al Sham, and other organizations in early 2015. The coalition, which uses the logo seen on the right and variants of it, quickly swept through the city of Idlib and the surrounding areas in a matter of weeks. Jaysh al Fath has led multiple other battles throughout Syria, with Al Nusrah (now Jabhat Fath Al Sham, or JFS) and Ahrar al Sham always leading the charge. Ahrar al Sham models itself after the Taliban and has its own links to al Qaeda. Suicide bombers dispatched by JFS and the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), which is another al Qaeda-affiliated group, played a key role during the early fighting. JFS has tweeted photos and videos of two of its martyrs, one of whom was Egyptian and the other a Saudi. Both of them drove vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) into their enemies positions. JFS also used a small drone to record aerial footage of the massive explosions caused by its VBIEDs. The TIP, which is predominantly comprised of Uighur jhadists, has also released photos and a video from three of its martyrdom operations. Two of the three suicide bombers were Turks, while the third was apparently from western China. All three drove their VBIEDs into the 1070 apartment project in Aleppo. The apartment complex has witnessed intense fighting since the early hours of the offensive. Ahrar al Sham and Ajnad al Sham, both of which belong to the Jaysh al Fath alliance, have released numerous images and infographics from Aleppo. Other, smaller jihadist organizations tied to the al Qaeda network, such as Ansar al Din and Ansar al Islam, have contributed fighters and arms. The Nur al-Din al-Zanki Movement (Zanki), an Islamist group, fought under Fatah Halabs banner during the last battle for Aleppo. Zanki, one of the strongest opposition groups inside the city, was a key member of Fatah Halab and received international support in the past, including American-made anti-tank TOW missiles. But Zanki decided to formally join the Jaysh al Fath alliance after Al Nusrah Front was relaunched as JFS in late July. Indeed, Zanki endorsed Al Nusrahs repositioning. This is not surprising, however, as Zanki and Nusrah have long cooperated with each other in Aleppo. During the newly-launched offensive, Zanki is using Jaysh al Faths watermark on its official propaganda, thereby highlighting its role in the alliance. In August, Jaysh al Fath named its offensive in Aleppo the Battle of Ibrahim al Youssef. On June 16, 1979, Youssef massacred Alawite cadets at an artillery school in the city. The slayings were blamed on the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, or an offshoot of the Islamist organization. Jaysh al Fath says the current offensive is The Battle of the Hero Martyr Abu Omar Saraqib. Saraqib was the general commander of Jaysh al Fath prior to his demise in September. The jihadis blamed Saraqibs death on the US-led coalition, claiming that warplanes had targeted the operations room responsible for breaking the siege of Aleppo. Wealthy businessmen from throughout the region have contributed significant funds to the campaign, according to Dr. Abdullah Mohammed al Muhaysini, a pro-al Qaeda cleric who is the most senior ideologue in Jaysh al Fath. In a video released on one of his official Twitter feeds, Muhaysini mentioned businessmen in Syria, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia who had donated to the jihadis cause. At the end of the same video, Muhaysini oversaw the launching of 100 Elephant Rockets, which he says Jaysh al Faths wealthy benefactors made possible. During the first hours of the battle, a Dutch member of JFS known as Abu Saeed al Halabi tweeted: JFS and other factions prepared this assault in great detail and synchronized their forces in an unprecedented manner. He added: JFS played an instrumental role in preparing this offensive and will commit most of its resources and inghimasi fighters. Inghimasi fighters are jihadists who are willing to die in battle. These well-trained guerrilla fighters have stormed several positions during the battle in Aleppo. In July, the emir of JFS, Abu Muhammad al Julani, showed his face for the first time as he announced that his organization would no longer be known as Al Nusrah Front. Julani was dressed like Osama bin Laden and sat next to one of Ayman al Zawahiris longtime lieutenants as he read the announcement. Now that Julani has shown his face, JFS is able to promote his role in the jihadists warfighting. Indeed, JFS released three photos taken during Julanis meeting with military commanders overseeing the battle for Aleppo. One of them can be seen on the right. Fatah Halab (Aleppo Conquest) The Fatah Halab coalition in Aleppo was formed in 2015. It was established by more than two dozen rebel organizations, including the Nur al-Din al-Zanki Movement, the Levant Front, other Islamist groups and Free Syrian Army (FSA)-branded units. Faylaq al Sham (Sham Legion), which is an Islamist organization, fights as part of Fatah Halab, but has also joined Jaysh al Faths operations in both Idlib and Aleppo. At its founding, Fatah Halab explicitly excluded Al Nusrah. But some of Fatah Halabs founding groups, including Nur al-Din al-Zanki Movement, have long worked with Nusrah. Several of Fatah Halabs constituent groups have produced propaganda from the fighting in Aleppo. Some of these FSA-branded organizations have posted videos of their fighters firing American-made, anti-tank TOW missiles at the Assad regimes forces. One of these organizations, the Sultan Murad Division, is fighting in the Zahraa neighborhood of western Aleppo. Sultan Murads official web site includes multiple videos of its men firing TOWs in the past two days. Another group using the FSA brand and employing TOWs during the fight is the Fastaqem Union (FKO Union), which describes itself as one of the most effective factions in Syria, aiming to topple Al-Assad Regime and build free and democratic state for all Syrians. The Free Idlib Army has used TOWs as well. The 3000 apartment project in Aleppo is one of the key battlegrounds. Members of both the Jaysh al Fath and Fatah Halab coalitions are fighting side-by-side in the area. Fatah Halab groups such as the Levant Front, the Authenticity and Development Front, and the FKO Union have contributed forces. Meanwhile, Jaysh al Fath has launched suicide bombings in the complex, while also firing rockets and sending fighters into the thick of the development. Other Fatah Halab member groups fighting in Aleppo include: 1st Regiment, the Central Division, and Jaysh al Islam, an Islamist force that fights outside of Damascus as well. The coming days and weeks will prove whether the offensive is successful, or if the insurgents efforts will fail once again. Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal. Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here. Polls showed the US election tightening Sunday as Hillary Clinton campaigned in the crucial state of Florida, grappling with the fallout from the FBI director disclosing more of her emails were under review. With the US elections now just nine days away, an ABC News/Washington Post poll put the former secretary of state just one point ahead of her bombastic Republican challenger, Donald Trump, at 46-45 percent of likely voters in a four-way race. In Florida, which is a must-win if Trump is to have any hope of victory, the tycoon overcame a one-point deficit to lead, according to a New York Times Upshot/Siena College Research Institute poll. The poll gave Trump 46 percent of likely voters compared to Clinton's 42 percent, with former governor Gary Johnson dropping to four percent and Green Party candidate Jill Stein on two percent. While the 69-year-old former first lady looking to make history as America's first female commander-in-chief is still overwhelmingly expected to win the November 8 ballot, Trump was quick to crow Sunday. "We are now leading in many polls, and many of these were taken before the criminal investigation announcement on Friday -- great in states!" the 70-year-old real estate tycoon tweeted to his followers. Clinton is in Florida a second day Sunday after addressing thousands of supporters at a Jennifer Lopez concert in Miami and calling the FBI director's move "deeply troubling" on Saturday. FBI boss James Comey wrote to lawmakers on Friday, announcing that his agents are reviewing a newly discovered trove of emails, resurrecting an issue that the Clinton campaign thought was behind it. "It was long on innuendo, short on facts, so we're calling on Mr Comey to come forward and explain what's at issue here," Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta told CNN Sunday, referring to Comey's announcement. "It's unprecedented and it is deeply troubling because voters deserve to get full and complete facts," Clinton said in Florida on Saturday. "So we've called on Director Comey to explain everything right away, put it all out on the table, right?" she declared, to rapturous cheers. Leading Democratic senators have also written to Comey and his boss, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, urging them to make clear by Monday night whether the new emails are pertinent to the investigation into Clinton's handling of classified material that the FBI closed in July. But the Trump campaign -- itself reeling from scandal over alleged sexual misconduct accusations against the tycoon from at least 12 women -- has been eager to exploit the FBI's decision. "You see the polls closing in states around the country," his running mate Mike Pence told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday. "The American people are focusing on the big issues in this country. Frankly, I think they have come to the conclusion that Hillary Clinton is a risky choice to be the next president of the United States." Campaign manager Kellyanne Conway lashed out at Clinton, assailing her for going after Comey. "She just has to call her friend and confidante, Huma Abedin and say tell us what's in the emails, tell us what's on the devices that you shared with your pedophile husband," she told Fox News. "I think it's a terrible strategy but it's very much the strategy of Hillary Clinton throughout her career which is to shoot the messenger, attack the person who's calling into question your fitness for office." According to the New York Times, the probe was renewed after agents seized a laptop used by Clinton's close aide, Huma Abedin, and her now estranged husband, Anthony Weiner. Weiner, a disgraced former congressman who resigned in 2011 after sending explicit online messages, is under investigation over allegations he sent sexual overtures to a 15-year-old girl. "This is the biggest political scandal since Watergate, and it's everybody's deepest hope that justice at last will be beautifully delivered," Trump told a rally in Arizona on Saturday. Clinton's campaign has been overshadowed from the start by allegations she put US secrets at risk by using a private server based in her home for all email correspondence as secretary of state. In reality, it seems unlikely that much progress will be made in the investigation before polling day and few observers expect Clinton to face criminal charges. Media reports citing FBI insiders suggest agents do not yet know whether the latest batch contains any new emails or classified information. In July, Comey criticized Clinton's handling of sensitive information but recommended no charges be brought. Clinton appeared to be in clear. The latest poll of polls by tracker site RealClearPolitics put Clinton on average 3.4 percentage points ahead of the Republican nationwide. Search Keywords: Short link: Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > JNU Row and the Forgotten Right to Reply by Surbhi Karwa and Shivam Yadav Let people know the facts and the country will be safe. Abraham Lincoln The media is the fourth pillar of democracy we have been taught this since our early lessons in social studies in school. The role of the media in a vibrant democracy is something which is crystal-clear to all of us. But the Indian media has its own share of challenges in the form of paid news, remuneration and job-security of journalists and, most importantly, media trials. The recent media coverage and reporting of alleged anti-national slogans at JNU have brought this issue of media ethics and media trial to the forefront again. The media reporting has been as controversial as the original incident itself. Media Coverage of JNU Row and Questions of Media Accountability It was alleged that on February 9, 2016 anti-national slogans were raised at one of the prime institutions of our nation, the Jawaharlal Nehru University. But what was followed in the name of reporting is nothing short of a daily TV soap essentially marked with deranged shouting by anchors and panelists, passing off aphorisms as facts, character assassination, ganging-up and selectivism. In the second week of February in living rooms across our country, TV channels ran a video where students were shown to be shouting Pakistan Zindabad, Jitne Afzal Maaroge, Utne Afzzal Niklenge and such other anti-national slogans. But later it was alleged that the said video was doctored. One of the basic principles of journalism is to write accused/ alleged before using the name of a person against whom charges have been levelled. Playing havoc with this basic principle the news channels called the accused in this case anti-national and terro-rists with a constant question: Who funds them? You are worse than a Maoist terrorist, shouted another anchor on a popular prime- time show. A recording of the programme of another channel is billed on Youtube as MUST WATCH!! Anti-India event organiser of JNU ripped apart by XXX News Anchor XXXXX!! Another problematic feature of the reporting was not allowing the panelists to put forward their view. I want to answer youkept shouting a panelist on a prime-hour debate but with no opportunity to actually answer. This is not the first time that questions of media ethics have been raised. We carry a whole history of rampant violation of media ethics and media trials. So, the question arises: if the court sets them free of the charges, what is the remedy the accused (the students in this case) have against these news channels? A suit for defamation is an obvious remedy but it is time-consuming and expensive. We see a potential answer in the right to reply. The right to reply is considered as one facet of freedom of speech and expression. It refers to the right of a person to defend himself or present his side of an event/story if he believes himself to be aggrieved by any item published/broadcast on TV/newspaper at the same platform or medium, where the impugned material was published or broadcast. So what essentially this right will ensure is that the students of JNU will get a time-slot and proper opportunity to present their views at the same news channels where they have been allegedly targeted. Right to Reply: The International Practices If we look into the international context of this right then Article 14(1) of American Convention on Human Rights Pact of San Jose, Costa Rica provides for right to reply and reads as: Anyone injured by inaccurate or offensive statements or ideas disseminated to the public in general by a legally regulated medium of communication has the right to reply or to make a correction using the same communications outlet, under such conditions as the law may establish. On the other hand, ACHR does not mention the right to reply explicitly. However, it has recognised the right to reply under the Conven-tions Article 1061 on freedom of expression. Right to Reply: The Indian Context The status of right to reply varies from country to country. While a limited number of countries ensure that it was an expressed constitutional right, many others treat it as a statutory matter. France and Germany are the most influential countries around the world supporting the right to reply.In some countries, on the other hand, certain media outlets and publications choose to grant this right just as a matter of policy. The jurisprudence of right to reply is still under-developed in India. The case of the Life Insurance Corporation of India v. Manubhai D Shah1 is the only case in our country where the court implicitly accepted the right to reply of an individual though without dealing with the issue of right to reply and its extent specifically. In this case the Life Insurance Corporation refused to publish a rejoinder sent by one Prof Manubhai Shah, executive trustee of the Consumer Education and Research Centre, Ahmedabad in justification of his study-paper regarding alleged discriminatory practices of the Corporation in its magazine Yogakshema. The study-paper was first published in a newspaper which also published a counter written by a Director of the Corporation and a rejoinder sent by the author of the study-paper. Subsequently, the Yogakshema carried the counter alone without publishing either the study-paper or the rejoinder. The Supreme Court held that the refusal by the LIC to publish the rejoinder was arbitrary and violative of Articles 14 and 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution. Another case which indirectly deals with the issue of views being distorted on mass media is the case of Indira Jaising v UO2 where the petitioner was invited to give an interview on TV to be telecast over the national network but when the interview was broadcast the views of the petitioner were distorted, and that was challenged by the petitioner as the violation of her fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression. The Bombay HC declared that by deleting the petitioners views in their entirety the respondents have violated her fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) without any authority of law. (Para 17) In our country, the Press Council of India is a statutory authority which works for pre-serving the freedom of the press and of maintaining and improving the standards of newspapers and news agencies in the country.Section 14(1) of the Press Council of India Act, 1978 ensures the power of the Council to censure in case of complaint of violation of journalist ethics. And Regulation 3(1)(c) of the Press Council (Procedure for Inquiry) Regulations, 1979 provides for an option to a person to file a complaint to the Council in respect of the publication or non-publication of any matter in any newspaper or news agency. A combined reading of both provisions vaguely hints towards right to reply, but not explicitly. While the print media as matter of policy and norms of journalism does provide for publication of counter and rejoinder articles, the electronic media have remained by and large untouched from accountability of right to reply. Right to Reply vis-a-vis Editors Right The biggest challenge to the mandatory right to reply is the right of the editor to publish or not publish/ broadcast any article, letter, news item, or picture sent to it for publication/broadcasting. As part of the freedom of press, each newspaper and news channel is free to choose its content. Giving exactly the same argument the Supreme Court of the United States of America in Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo,3held the mandatory right to reply statutes as unconstitutional. Need for Debating Right to Reply The fundamental objective of journalism is to serve the people with news, views, comments and information on matters of public interest in a fair, accurate, unbiased and manner. Right to reply can be an important mechanism not only to ensure an aggrieved person a chance to reply but also to uphold the right of the listeners of radio and TV programmes to hear differing views on various topics of public interest. (The Supreme Court of the USA in the Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. Federal Communications Commission)4 Healthy and informative debates are pillar- stones for a participatory democracy and right to reply has the potential to ensure the same by providing a platform for free flow of information from both parties of a story. A statutory right to reply can still be argued against by citing the rights of editors but a non-legal protection of the principle of right to reply through self-regulating measures; especially in the electronic media, is the call of the hour. The JNU row is an opportunity to seriously debate and discuss the right to reply. Footnotes 1. Life Insurance Corporation of India v. Manubhai D Shah A.I.R. 1993 S.C. 171. 2. Indira Jaising v UOIAIR 1989 Bom 25. 3. Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo 418 U.S. 241 (1974). 4. Red Lion Broadcasting Co.v. Federal Communications Commission 395 U.S. 367. Ms Surbhi Karwa is a Third Year student of BA LLB (Hons) at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University, Lucknow. Shivam Yadav is a Second Year student of BA LLB (Hons) at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia National University, Lucknow. Cultural historian Alia Mossallem puts a focus on what remains, 60 years later, of the Suez War in the hearts, minds and words of the people who lived those events On 30 October 1956, Gamal Abdel Nasser firmly shrugged a British and French ultimatum for an end to hostilities that had started almost a week earlier when Anthony Eden got the approval of his cabinet to start a military operation against Egypt for having nationalised the Suez Canal on 26 July . The French-British ultimatum was tabled less than 24 hours after Israeli forces invaded Sinai in what announced the beginning of the Tripartite War that was the climax of the Suez Crisis. Sixty years later, there is very little said about this war that came with significant political consequences and considerable sacrifices, leaving memories that have never been properly documented or expressed. While it was in Sinai and Port Said that the war actually took place, in the collective mind there are two central images associated with the Suez Crisis and the Tripartite Aggression: Nassers July announcement in Alexandria of the nationalisation of the Suez Canal, and his legendary speech at Al-Azhar Mosque, 2 November, to prompt steadfastness in the face of the aggression and in the pursuit of independence. Well, this has to do with who tells the stories of history and whose narrative gets the most attention, argues cultural historian Alia Mossallem. Speaking to Ahram Online, Mossallem, who has thoroughly studied the significance of diverse cultural and oral history material in reading the socio-political history of the cities of the Suez Canal, had a basic starting point: the different narratives on what happened in 1956 and that were never really told, not fully anyway. And the same goes for the history of the 1967 War, the War of Attrition and the 1973 War, which all essentially happened in Port Said, Suez and Ismailiya. In a sense, Mossallem argues, the monopoly over the narrative is designed perhaps to serve a political objective: In this case it is the political victory achieved. The act of popular resistance was always acknowledged, but there is a context in which this act is put, within specific proportions; this context is provided by the state, Mossallem argued. While acknowledging that adequate credit was given to some of the accounts and figures of the popular resistance in the cities of the canal, which started with the 1956 War and went through until the final ceasefire of the October War (February 1974), Mossallem insists that, There is so much that was not documented even if it was offered in its oral format, and I guess this has to do with the approach towards oral history in general. For example, Mossallem argues, there is very little if anything written about the fact that during the days of civil resistance in the face the Tripartite Aggression, there were 1,360 civilians killed by the armies of Israel, France and Britain, and some 5,000 wounded. Well, maybe these numbers were never publicly shared because this was thought to have undermined the quality of the victory as it was to be portrayed then, she argues. Moreover, in the case of the accounts recognised and celebrated, there is also a tendency to reduce the many accounts of struggle to one or two incidents." This, she said, is very obvious in the case of Zeinab ElBakry who helped move arms to the resistance groups while walking her newborn son in his pram." This account inspired the authors of the Egyptian cinema production No Time for Love, staring Rushdi Abaza and Faten Hamama, presented in the early 1960s. True, but if you ask Zeinab ElBakry she would say that this was just one of many incidents, and that she did other more daring things, Mossallem said. There again, she argued, it is a question of who controls the narrative and how far those who dominate the narrative wish to go in giving credit to different players relative to a particular political purpose. I think that the killings and destruction committed the armies of Israel, France and Britain during the Tripartite War should be litigated as war crimes. But this is not being done because to admit that there were war crimes may contradict the image offered on the grand victories of this war, Mossallem argued. According to Mossallem, what is missing in the "official" narrative of the 1956 War is there in folk songs that recall the days of the war and its key figures. For example, there is the famous song Port Said Men and Youth that tells the story of seven nights and daylight, in reference to the duration of the hostilities that started on the ground from 31 October to the day of the ceasefire on 7 November, in the wake of the condemnation of the aggression by the US, USSR and the UN. In a seminar on narration she held in Port Said in January, ahead of the 60th anniversary of the war, Mossallem reviewed key turning points in the modern history of Port Said, effectively built to be a Mediterranean City." There was actually a social-mapping project and on every stop of the path we came to see an alternative story being told, Mossallem said. For example, the story of the popular resistance itself as offered in the dominating or maybe official narrative is lacking a very important element: the people of Port Said were not just facing up to the foreign invasion of the three aggressing armies, but were in a basic sense defending their own cities, their own houses and their lives, she said. Today, Mossallem finds there is still room for work to collect other narratives, including oral history while it is still offered, by some of its actual protagonists who are still alive and who have a strong memory, as well as studying and documenting the photographs taken at the time, the letters exchanged between family members and friends, and the songs written about events. What goes for Port Said, Mossallem argues, should also go for the rest of the canal cities, especially Suez, that has a great story that is really undertold." According to Mossallem, Suez also fought a war of civil resistance. This is a story untold, again maybe because some would think it a grey shadow on the otherwise grand story of 6 October, she said. All these stories, however, do not undermine the importance of the crossing of the Suez Canal and the military achievement secured by the national armed forces. Rather they give such events context, just as much as the telling of the stories of those soldiers coming back traumatised from the desert of Sinai, to be taken in and looked after by the people of Suez, gives more life to the story of the October War. Again, Mossallem finds a rich and untapped resource in the songs and oral history that emerged in the canal cities one that should be preserved, remembered and recognised amid the official telling of history. president Gamal Abdel-Nasser Search Keywords: Short link: Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > India Changes Tack on RCEP Negotiations Recently India abruptly changed tack by expressing its willingness to drop the three-tiered approach on tariff liberalisation under the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement. This was communicated to trading partners at the fourth RCEP Ministerial Meeting held in Laos on August 5. India has been one of the key proponents of the three-tiered approach on tariff reduction under RCEP. What led India to change tack? The precise reasons behind this policy-shift are not yet publicly known but media reports suggest that India has made this offer conditional on getting higher levels of commitments on trade in services and investment from other member-countries of RCEP. Unlike a majority of RCEP nations, India has an offensive interest in seeking greater liberalisation of trade in the IT and IT-enabled services (ITES) due to its globally competitive IT sector which is the largest contributor to services export. While India may adopt a more cautious approach towards banking, retail trade and legal services. India has been seeking easier visa regime for the movement of IT and other service professionals in the RCEP member-countries. However, most RCEP members are unwilling to extend any meaningful market access to Indian service firms. On investment issues too, there is a yawning gap between India and other member-countries. On the other hand, India has defensive interests in agriculture commodities and manu-factured goods (except pharmaceuticals and textiles) In terms of manufacturing, India remains one of the most uncompetitive big economies in this region despite its huge market- size and diversity. In contrast, RCEP countries like China, South Korea and Japan are export power-houses in manufactured goods and have strong offensive interests in opening up the goods market of India. Likewise, Australia and New Zealand are pressing for lower tariffs to gain greater market access in Indias food, wine and dairy sectors. As compared to the early harvest approach favoured by other member-countries, India intends to achieve a single undertaking agree-ment which allows trade-offs across sectors during the negotiations. For India, RCEP would be, by far, its biggest free trade agreement and the country may have to offer deeper commitments than already made under its existing FTAs with ASEAN, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Japan. What is RCEP? RCEP is a proposed mega regional free trade agreement between sixteen countries (10 ASEAN countries1 and their six FTA partners, namely, Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand). If accomplished, RCEP would pave the way to the creation of the largest free trade bloc in the world, covering 45 per cent of the worlds population with a combined GDP of US $ 22 trillion and accounting for 40 per cent of global trade. The legally-binding RCEP covers a wide range of issues including trade in goods, trade in services, investment, intellectual property rights, competition policy, dispute settlement and economic and technical cooperation. The negotiations were officially launched in November 2012 at the ASEAN Summit in Cambodia and the 14th round was held at Vietnam during August 15-19, 2016. The core interests of RCEP member-countries are very diverse thereby delaying the conclusion of negotiations. Given the slow pace of nego-tiations on the other key pillars (trade in services and investment), it is unlikely that this mega- regional economic integration pact could be sealed this year. Indias Three-tiered Approach Under Indias three-tier approach to tariff reduction was based on whether it has a FTA with the member-country of RCEP or not. As noted above, India has already signed FTAs with ASEAN, South Korea and Japan. In tier-I, India offered 80 per cent reduction in tariff lines to the Asean countries. Out of which, 65 per cent will come into force once the RCEP agreement is enforced and the rest 15 per cent will take place over a period of 10 years. In tier-II, India offered 65 per cent tariff elimi-nation to South Korea and Japan while these two countries have reciprocated with 80 per cent threshold over a decade. The tier-III relates to countries with whom India has not yet signed any FTA. In tier-III, India offered 42.5 per cent reduction in tariff lines to China, Australia and New Zealand while each of these countries offered 42.5 per cent, 80 per cent and 65 per cent, respectively. In contrast, the single-tier systemwhere all member-countries get same reduction in tariff- linesis likely to pose a much higher competition threat to Indian producers. Growing Concerns over Cheap Imports Concerned about the possible negative impacts of RCEP, strong apprehensions have been expressed by the industry associations and farming communities in India over the cheaper imports (such as steel, chemicals and electrical goods from China, plantation crops from Asean countries, wheat and wine from Australia and dairy products from New Zealand) flooding the domestic market and driving local producers out of business. Even the proponents who view RCEP as an opportunity for the Indian economy to be globally competitive do acknowledge that the fear of being swamped by cheaper imports is real and the proposed pact could negatively affect the livelihoods of small producers and workers if safeguard measures are not ade-quately incorpo-rated in the proposed pact. In particular, much of the concern is related to the import of cheaper manufactured goods from China. In 2015, Indias trade deficit with China widened to a whopping $ 51.8 billion. With a bilateral trade of $ 71.2 billion in 2015, Indias exports to China were $ 9.6 billion while imports were $ 61.5 billion. Over the years, Chinas exports have been growing at a much faster pace than Indias. This is despite the fact that India has frequently used anti-dumping duties, safeguard duties and other countervailing measures to protect the domestic industry from unfairly low-priced imports from China. During 1994-2014, there were 134 cases where India imposed anti-dumping duties on goods from China. Much of the stiff competition from Chinese imports is in products manu-factured by Indias micro, small and medium-sized enterprises who have been demanding curbs on cheaper imports. India also runs a trade deficit with other RCEP nationsAustralia, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia. The Potential Revenue Loss The current debate misses a key point that India joining RCEP could result in significant tax revenue loss as the country imposes higher MFN applied tariff rates (on both manufactured goods and agricultural products) in comparison to other RCEP nations. According to Mint, Commerce Ministry officials have estimated that the potential tax revenue loss from joining RCEP could be around 1.6 per cent of the countrys GDP. Indias Recent Experience with FTAs For India, there is no point in entering into this mega-regional trade agreement without assessing the impacts (positive and negative) of its existing bilateral trade agreements with other RCEP members. Indias recent experience of FTAs with Japan, South Korea and Asean countries has not been very positive due to a myriad of reasons. Post-FTA, bilateral trade volumes have increased but imports from the partner countries have increased at a faster pace than Indias exports with partners. Due to its relatively higher tariff regime, India had to reduce tariffs much more than the partner countries. Take the case of India-ASEAN FTA. Post-FTA, Indias imports from ASEAN rose by 79 percent while exports grew by 39 per cent. The official Economic Survey 2015-16 also noted: Increased trade has been more on the import than export side, most likely because India maintains relatively high tariffs and hence had larger tariff reductions than its FTA partners. Despite Indias active FTA policy, Indian exporters have not been able to achieve greater benefits from existing FTAs due to low awareness and cumbersome rules. According to the estimates of the Asian Development Bank, the utilisation rate of Indias FTAs varies between five and 25 per centone of the lowest in the region. Further, studies have found that large enterprises are more likely to use FTAs than SMEs. As far as the services sector is concerned, India was unable to secure greater market access in its trade pact with ASEAN. In the case of bilateral trade agreements with South Korea, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore where India successfully negotiated the Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs)aimed at facilitating movement of IT and other service professionals anticipated gains have not yet materialised because of poor enforcement of the MRAs. For India, the policy-priority should be to address the deficiencies of the existing bilateral FTAs with the RCEP members through the established review process rather than entering into mega-regional FTAs like RCEP and TPP. There is no denying that by being not part of RCEP, India may incur losses on account of trade diversion. But joining this mega-pact would entail substantial economic and social costs. Unlike Australia, Japan and New Zealand, India lacks a comprehensive social safety net to fall back on. The threat of millions of Indian farmers, workers and self-employed entre-preneurs losing their jobs and livelihoods due to cheaper imports from the RCEP member-countries cannot be underestimated. Close to 93 per cent of Indias workforce is in the informal sector. What about Geo-political Gains? Indias FTAs with ASEAN and other East Asian countries are often viewed as integral parts of its Look East Policy which was formulated by the Narasimha Rao Government way back in 1991. Since then, successive governments have taken a myriad of steps towards deeper and more institutionalised economic integration with this region. Indeed, the motives for pursuing FTAs with the East Asian countries have been ascribed to advance Indias geo-political interests. This perspective was clearly outlined in a letter written in April 2006 by then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to Congress President Sonia Gandhi who had expressed concerns over the negative impact of India-ASEAN FTA on plantation workers. In his letter, Singh stated: Our approach to regional trade agreements in general, and FTAs in particular, has been evolved after careful consideration of our geo-political as well as economic interests. There is nothing per se wrong in enhancing Indias influence and strategic position in the world but the time has come for the government to share its assessment whether these FTAs are helping in achieving geo-political and other non-economic interests in this region or else-where. Need for Wider Consultations One of the major lacunae in Indias FTA policy is very limited consultation with all relevant stakeholders. The number of domestic consul-tations on RCEP held, so far, are not adequate given the size, depth and diversity of Indian producers. To avoid repeating the same mistakes over and over again, the Indian authorities should involve all stakeholders into the consultation process. Besides, the government must initiate in-depth research and analytical studies to measure cross-sectoral and intra-sectoral impacts of RCEP. In India and elsewhere, free trade agreements currently do not enjoy much support from the public. In recent years, the public view of free trade pacts has grown more negative. Therefore, it is very important for the Indian authorities to seek active engagement of farmers groups, industry associations, service providers, labour unions and NGOs in the process. The Big Picture Export-led growth has been a dominant para-digm for the East Asian economies. However, the global financial crisis of 2008 and the subsequent recession in developed countries have revealed the vulnerabilities of the export-led growth model and currently serious questions are being raised whether other economies should emulate this model to promote development. China, the worlds second largest economy, is currently attempting to move away from the export-led investment-fuelled growth model towards a more consumption-led model so as to reduce dependence on falling exports. Unlike China, South Korea, Japan and other East Asian countries which follow the export-led growth model, bulk of Indias growth emanates from domestic consumption which constitutes nearly 70 per cent of the GDP. Due to the weakening of external demand and growing protectionist sentiments around the world, India will have to pay greater attention to boost the domestic demand in the short- and medium-term. In the present global context, the chances of India becoming an economic power-house through exports are very slim. Already there are strong protectionist sentiments against Indias software and services exports industry in key markets. Instead of expanding its global footprint through FTAs, India should first focus on strengthening the domestic productive capacities and mobilising resources to improve the physical and social infrastructure. Footnote Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Kavaljit Singh is the Director of Madhyam, a policy research institute (website: www.madhyam.org.in) based in New Delhi. He can be contacted at e-mail: kavaljit.singh[at]gmail.com Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Pakistan poses Problems too Serious to be left to Jingoist Anchors and (...) IMPRESSIONS Patriotic quibbling will not hide the basic factthat Pakistan has boxed India into a tight corner. As happened in the wake of the Mumbai terror attack eight years ago, every muscle in our body politic twitches to take revenge against the rogue state. But a whole bunch of reality checks hold us back. Fortunately, the Prime Minister recognised this and resisted hawkish pressure from his own party parivar. That prevented the tight corner from developing into a trap. By now diplomatic, political, strategic and security specialists have weighed the options open to India and unanimously rejected military retaliation. Many have openly admitted that India, despite having one of the finest fighting forces in the world, has not kept pace with modernisation and resources-building. We do not have the sophisticated paraphernalia to stage, for example, the kind of operation that enabled American SEALS to dive deep into Pakistan and get Osama bin Laden. The idea of isolating Pakistan cannot go far either. The frenzied shoutings of our television anchors might give the impression that the world powers have taken positions in support of India. What the world powers have done is to condemn terrorism and sympathise with its Indian victims. Not one of them has mentioned Pakistan as being responsible for the attack. Russias statement is, as diplomatic state-ments go, the most sympathetic to India. But let us not forget that, following Indias policy shift away from Moscow in recent years, Russia has signed various treaties with Pakistan. According to one of these, 24 of Russias deadly SU-35 fighter jets will be delivered to Pakistan before this year is out. As for the US, India may have signed the logistics agreement. And some Senators may have moved resolutions against Pakistan. But Pakistan is recognised by Washington as a key element in Americas plans to disengage from Afghanistan. Its clear that America will not be a friend in need for India as China would be for Pakistan. Such nuanced shades of grey are no problem for jingoists of the black-and-white world, be they television superheroes or Sangh Parivar pundits. One of the latter made a bombastic call: For one tooth, the complete jaw. A problem with Sangh Parivar hardliners is that their admiration for Israel leads them to believe that if you attack opponents harshly enough, you will eliminate them. More than half-a-century of harsh, often inhuman, Israeli attacks did not eliminate Palestinian resistance. In fact battling the sadistic Israeli forces has become a peoples movement in Palestine. The sudden increase in popular resistance in Kashmir in recent months has been quickly seized by Pakistan as ammunition against India in international forums. Israel does a great many other things without anyone knowing about them, and India can learn from some of those. One of them is that spy/intelligence chiefs must not make public pronouncements. When the last chief of Mossad expressed an opinion after his retirement, his diplomatic passport was taken away by way of punishment. Two years ago, at a public meeting, Ajit Doval went into the details of Indias options against Pakistan. One was: You do one Mumbai. You may lose Balochistan. On Independence Day this year, Prime Minister Modi virtually endorsed that line. We thus gave Pakistan all it wanted to know which way we were thinking and the time to start preparing its counter-strategies. Balochistan is no doubt a festering sore for the Pakistan rulers. But how far can India go to make another Bangladesh out of it? East Bengal was contiguous with India. Balochistan is not. Whats more, it is contiguous with Iran and Shia Iran will have its own views on Sunni Balochistan becoming independent as there is a large number of Balochis in Irans south-eastern province. And why would Iran want to take the risk of supporting Balochis for Indias sake when India actively sided with America in the sanctions against Iran and, even now, seems none too enthusiastic about joint programmes like oil pipelines? In this bleak scenario, Modi did well by choosing a policy of strategic restraint. In the aftermath of the Mumbai terror strike, Modi had accused the Congress Government of doing nothing and said: Talk to Pakistan in Pakistans language because it wont learn lessons till then. The Modi Government now must talk to Pakistan in Pakistans language. It must do so without addressing public meetings, keeping in mind the principle: The guerilla wins when he does not lose, the army loses when it does not win. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > The Kashmir Question by Binish Maryam The hasty departure of the Britishers from India in 1947 resulted in the emergence of two independent states, India and Pakistan. Though sharing a common history, the two states have been engaged in the most complex and sharply contested rivalry. The source of this contention has mainly been over the control of the erstwhile princely state of Kashmir. Since 1948 the state of Kashmir is divided into a Pakistani controlled part and an Indian controlled part. This de facto partition continues to this date with the dividing line being known as the Line of Control. Politically the line has remained unstable, with control being the only justification for its presence. Compulsions to control plagued the two powers. India and Pakistan attempted to become militarily stronger; they escalated their defence budgets, bought sophisticated weapons and finally emerged as nuclear powers in the South Asian region. In the last six decades Kashmir has turned into the most militarised region in the world. The prolonged unrest in Kashmir reflects a narrow vision that has been applied while maintaining peace. Both countries concern in Kashmir can be summarised in three ways: maintaining their claim on the territory, defending its security, and upholding their prestige. The hostility between India and Pakistan left little respite to put Kashmirs house in order. The 1960s and 1970s were decades of war. The 1990s onwards it took the form of insurgency, where thousands of young men crossed over the Line of Control to train in hastily set-up camps in Azad Kashmir and North Western Frontier Province. By the mid-1990s, Muslim militias and the Indian Army dominated the life in the Valley. The Kashmiri people were frequently trapped in a battle between the Indian troops and Islamic militias. Killing became the norm than exception in the Valley. The upheaval and unrest in Kashmir has been dealt with by state action that includes militarisation and imposing security laws. There were arbitrary arrests and detentions, civil and human rights were subordinated in the name of national security. The year 1999 saw the worst form of armed conflict between India and Pakistan in Kargil, leading to escalation of the conflict in Kashmir. The Kashmir Valley was declared a disturbed area in which the security forces could make preventive arrests, shoot at sight or cordon and search entire villages. Tension remained high between the two countries throughout and Kashmir was locked in an endless cycle of violence and siege. While dealing with Kashmir both the national and international forces have focused on the need for prevention of an accidental war, elimination of terrorism and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons in the region. The discourse neglects the entire issue of human rights, fundamental freedom, justice, and self-determination. War is only one form of peace-less condition; opposite of peace is more than the existence of manifest violence. When coercive mechanisms are effective, the society is governed by fear and repression. However, prolonging exploitative conditions eventually produce violent resistance like liberation movements and civil unrest.The Kashmir uprising in 2010 and 2016 has demonstrated the failure of the Indian state and democracy. The new kind of protest and revolt, that is visible in the streets of Srinagar, is mostly led by the unarmed civilians of the Valley. A.G. Noorani, calling it the worst form of crisis, says: The Valley is no longer on the boil. It is in an incipient revolt which can get worse. It builds on the renewed awakening through militancy and is mostly local in origin. In the current situation the civilians are out on the street in direct confrontation with the Army. One pelting stones and the other using pellet guns resulting in innocent killings, blackouts and clampdown. The authorities have imposed an indefinite curfew in most parts of the Indian-administered Kashmir after the killing of popular militant and top commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen group, Burhan Wani, by the security forces. At least 68 civilians and two security officials have died and more than 9000 people injured in over 50 days of violence, according to official tallies. The peoples dissatisfaction with the state structure is such that they are willing to die for the cause of Kashmir. Every time there is a funeral of those who protest and dissent the Indian state, massive crowds come out and join. Unarmed civilians protesting against the Indian Army project a sorrow tale. The security and integrity of any nation cannot be protected unless the residents and inhabitants of that place guard it. While all-out effort was made to guard the territory, the state failed to win over the hearts of the Kashmiris. In Kashmir, conflicts are contained without necessarily resolving it. The cosmetic make-up of conflict areas is a short-sighted vision, and peace in the real sense can hardly be attained through this method. Under the conflict management programme the Indian state has helped to reinforce a coercive policy by conforming to dominant social norms. It basically aims at controlling an open conflict thus minimising the physical loss and potential damage that can be the result of such violence. Once the direct strike has been controlled the soldiers are kept on vigil so that no armed clash resumes. Like politically oppressive societies, demands for autonomy have been answered by coercive responses rather than negotiation of new relationships. No successful attempt has been made to build new social and political environment that creates an atmosphere of trust and confidence. The dispute-settlement mechanism and conventional negotiations have failed to solve the problem in the Valley. To prevent the recurrence of future conflict in Kashmir there is a need to evolve satisfying peaceful conditions that is acceptable to all parties, especially the people of Kashmir. A cursory look at the events in the last few decades would reveal that India, Pakistan and even Kashmiris have reached the Mutually Hurting Stalemate (MHS)1 stage on Kashmir, and there is no way other than reaching an understanding at the political level. It is clear that none of the parties involved in the conflictIndia, Pakistan, Kashmiris and the militants, can alter the status quo through military means. The status quo, on the other hand, is also not acceptable, as it is hurting all the parties concerned. India and Pakistan have failed to reach an understanding on Kashmir and their control in the region has turned the area into a military camp. Strict state vigilance has robbed the people of their normal life. To achieve lasting peace, it is essential to handle conflict in such a manner that there is reduction in violence without subordination of justice and freedom. Mere absence of violence and suppression of conflict is not necessarily peace. The two nations must soften their stand on Kashmir. Instead of a top-down approach a bottom-up design should be adopted. Dialogues and negotiations on Kashmir should not remain the monopoly of the two nations; instead the residents/people of Kashmir should initiate the talks. They should not be talked about; rather they should be talked with. There has to be a consensual solution acceptable to all parties. The Kashmiri people, who have suffered three decades of strife and violence and state repression, need to be reached out to. Peace-building goes beyond the peacemaking and peacekeeping approach as it aims to transform conflicts, thus laying the grounds for long-term sustainable peace. It involves a number of methods like sustained dialogue, demilitarisation, restoring law and order, rebuilding the justice system, strengthening civil society organisations and it works towards improving relations between the antagonistic groups. It focuses on the causes of conflict and addresses the economic, social and political aspects of reconstruction and reconciliation. There are a diverse set of actors involved in the peace-building process, ranging from civil society, governments, international and regional organisations, truth commissions, historical commissions etc. In most of the post-conflict societies, peace-building is often laced with the idea of liberal peace-building, where the task of building peace is mostly handled by the various state institutions. It involves democratic election and few economic reforms, but it is vital to understand that these factors are not solely enough for a stable and lasting peace. The intra-level conflict involves the members of the society and affects the relational dimension of peace between people. Any approach towards peace must look into the everyday effect of conflicts. Liberal peace-building measures mostly involve the state as a part of the peace-making mechanism but for lasting peace it is important to think beyond the liberal paradigm and include the society in the peace-building task. Sustainable peace can be achieved only with the empowerment of the communities torn apart by war. Both India and Pakistan have to accept that their policy on Kashmir falls short of bringing peace. Talks on ceasefire and terrorism across the Line of Control will not ensure peace; at best it can minimise violence. Peace can come with resolution, reconstruction and reconciliation, demilitarisation, softening of the Line of Control and free movement of people. Just peace is an atmosphere conducive to the interests of the people. It builds an environment where there is freedom of mind and body. This can be done by speaking out, by addressing the complaints and grievances that have been quietly internalised by the victim community. A peaceful community assimilates rather than discrimi-nates, promulgates human and legal rights, does its best to dissolve alienation and fear, encourages the people to share values and develop congenial relationships, and promotes a hope that material benefits will accrue as a product of peaceful transactions and independence. References 1. Huma Haider, The Topic Guide on Conflict, Governance and Social Development Resource Center, 92. 2. Tom Keating and W. Andy Knight, eds., Building Sustainable Peace, (United Nations University Press, 2004),xxxii- xxxiii. 3. Paula Banerjee, The Line of Control in Kashmir in Ranbir Samaddar and Helmut Reifeld, eds., Peace as Process: Reconciliation and Conflict Resolution in South Asia, Manohar, 2001, 299-318. 4. A.G. Noorani, It is a Revolt, Frontline, August 19, 2016. 5. Radha Kumar, Negotiating Peace in Deeply Divided Societies: A Set of Simulations, Sage Publication India, 2009, 356-382. 6. Oliver Ramsbotham, Tom Woodhouse and Hugh Miall, eds., Contemporary Conflict Resolution: ThePrevention, Management and Transformation of Deadly Conflicts (Polity Press, 2011), 97-98. 8. Sean Byrne and Jessica Senehi, Conflict Analysis And Resolution As A Multidiscipline A Work In Progress in Handbook of Conflict Analysis and Resolution, eds., Dennis J. D. Sandole, Sean Byrne, Ingrid Sandole-Staroste, Jessica Senehi. (Routledge Taylor and Francis Group, 2009), 22. 9. K.Satchidananda Murty and A.C. Bouquet, eds., Studies in the Problems of Peace (Asia Publishing House 1960), 176-201. 10. Thania Paffenholz, Western Approaches to Nego-tiation and Mediation: An Overview in Peace Building: A Field Guide, ed., Luc Reychler and Thania Paffenholz. (Lynne Rienner Publishers, London, 1999), 75-81. 11. Sanjay Kak, Documentary Jashn-e-Azadi: How We Celebrate Freedom? on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJnwGEk1fzQ. Footnote 1. A situation in which neither party thinks it can win a given conflict without incurring excessive loss, and in which both are suffering from a continuation of fighting. The conflict is judged to have entered a period of ripeness, a propitious moment for third party mediation. Dr Binish Maryam is an Assistant Professor (Adhoc), Maitreyi College, University of Delhi. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Whither Justice for Religious Minorities? by Ram Puniyani Retired judge of the Supreme Court Justice Markandey Katju wrote (September 26, 2016) to the Supreme Court judges: You are aware that one Ikhlaq was brutally lynched by cow vigilantes in Dadri. Instead of severely punishing the perpetrators of this heinous outrage, the police and local judge are proceeding against the family of Ikhlaq... Have the police gone mad? Chand Khan alias Shan Khan spent 11 years in a jail in the 2002 Akshardham temple attack case before he was acquitted without any compensation so far. Instead he has been booked in a case of cow slaughter. (September 21, 2016) There is a book by Mufti Abdul Qayum Abdul Hussain, Eleven Years behind the bars (I am a mufti, I am not terrorist). This book tells the story of the Mufti Sahab being arrested on charges of terrorist violence, tortured and then released after spending such a long time in prison. A Muslim boy called Aamir Khan was in prison for 14 long years before he was released. He was booked under the charges of terrorism when he was preparing for his matriculation examination and as he came out of the dark dungeon he had already lost his father and found his mother seriously ill. Reading his book, Framed as a Terrorist, makes one realise to what brutal extent the system can go against an innocent individual. These are just a few of the glaring samples from a vast number of cases of Muslim youth and men who have faced the situation where their life came to a halt, careers were ruined and families destroyed. One can add a large number to this list but a couple of more examples is in order. Haji Umarji was in prison for being the mastermind of the Godhra train burning and was released after a few years of torture as no evidence of any type was found against him. In the infamous cases of terror blasts in Makkah Masjid (Hyderabad), Malegaon, Samjhauta Express and Ajmer blasts a large number of Muslim youth were arrested and later released for lack of any credible evidence. Most of the investigations showed the sloppy and motivated investigation done by the authorities. It has become a sort of pattern where the bias of the police towards the minorities becomes obvious. The scholars of communal violence in India tell us that the police did play a neutral role during the British period. It was a force which intervened in a neutral way. The biased attitude of the police picks up after independence and right from the first major violence in Jabalpur in 1961, the anti-minority attitude of the police can be seen. Even the state machinery and political leaderships at times have aggravated this attitude by their policies. Most of the inquiry commission reports, films and documentaries bring out this fact. The representation of Muslims in the State services is miniscule, and those Muslims who are in the position of authority have to go with the flow either by keeping quiet or they are given postings in the areas where they cant influence the dynamics of communal violence. The Shrikrishna Commission report of Mumbai violence showed that many police officers either looked the other way round or sided with those indulging in violence. The same was the case in the massive anti-Sikh violence (Delhi 1984) and the Gujarat violence, to give a few examples. In one case of anti-minority violence in Maharashtra (Dhule 2013) the police itself took up the role of perpetrators of mayhem. In a very revealing book on Hashimpura, V.N. Rai, the ex- Director General of Police, points out that the police deliberately took away truck-load of Muslims and shot them point blank and threw their bodies in the canal. It was a few of the survivors of the tragedy who told the tale of their harrowing experience. After the 9/11 2001 WTC attack, the American media manufactured a phrase Islamic Terrorism, which cleverly hides the US goal of propping up the Al-Qaeda for controlling the oil wealth and projects as if Islam-Muslims are the cause of terrorism in the world. Since then matters have worsened and not only the broad social thinking but even the state authorities are totally taken in by this propaganda. The global Islam-phobia has been cultivated by the media and vested interests. There is an urgent need to protect the innocent young people and others. So many commissions set up for police reforms have given suggestions for improving the system of policing. We need to sensitise the police personnel to the issues related to minorities in our country. There are State and national-level police academies training the police personnel. The curriculum of these academies needs to be modified to incorporate the reality behind the biases and stereotypes which are prevalent in the society. The police need to be aligned to the Constitution rather than being dictated by their sentiments and emotions; they need to understand the truth behind the prevalent social common sense. There are many civil society groups who are struggling to campaign on these issues, they do take up the cases of many of those being framed by the authorities or being incarcerated, but their capacity is limited. The network working for innocents needs to be strengthened all over the country. Those falsely implicated need to be compensated and the police officers implicating them need to be punished. Many of the books written by the falsely accused people need to be made mandatory reading in our administrative staff colleges, and academies training the police and other administrators. The political parties who want to uphold the secular values have to isolate the communal outfits and ensure that communal parties dont come to power. We need a society with justice and peace. Such gross injustice against the people of a particular religion shows that our justice delivery system is weak. The culture of any society should be judged by the index as to how justice is delivered to the weaker sections of society including the religious minorities. Lets hope Justice Katjus letter is taken seriously! The author, a retired Professor at the IIT-Bombay, is currently associated with the Centre for the Study of Secularism and Society, Mumbai. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Aping Israel, Build-up in Ayodhya MUSINGS Why did this government indulge in all possible publicity stunts on Gandhi Jayanti Day when it was all set to follow the Israeli way to strike? Doublespeak at the highest level! The top brass of the BJP-RSS should not talk of Mahatma Gandhi and his philosophy of non-violence when it is flaunting its might to kill! In fact, Modis Government is going a step further; its not just threatening to kill the enemy but also its own people. After all, the so-called controlling the crowds measures adopted in the Kashmir Valley for the last so many weeks were nothing short of ruthlessness unleashed on an unarmed civilian population.Pellet strikes ruining young lives, if not killing them. These latest relays by the Right-wing govern-ment at the Centre that it wants to ape the Israeli model has ripped off all possible facades that we practice non-violence. Masks off, ugly reality out. Nothing startling or rattling. But, yes, worrying it is because to ape Israel at the governance level can bring about disasters for the apolitical Indian masses. Indians who have travelled to Israel have come back with bleak reports of how the average Israeli sits paranoid and in a state of perpetual fear of attacks by the Palestinians. Nah, there is no formal battle-field but there persists that dreadful atmosphere of an ongoing war. A war-like situation hovering around. Patterns have been unchanging for the last several decades: Israels air strikes kill hundreds of hapless Palestinians and then they retaliate by throwing stones at every given opportunity. What a mess the Israeli policies have made of that entire region, where each one is living in fear of the other. Needless to add that in that mess the worst victims are the Palestinians. They sit in a state of unending siege on their lands. In fact, in one of his previous interviews to me, Palestinian Air Chief-turned-diplomat, Osama Musa, had told me: The situation is so bad that Israel can order its troops right into our bedrooms and we can do nothing about it! Like Hitler, Israeli troops are killing our civilians and the irony is that they can do so in our own land! Itll be a different thing if we go to Tel Aviv and then we are killed but Israelis are coming to our homes to kill us! He had gone on to detail the extent of damages inflicted on the Palestinians. Palestinians are restricted to only 23 per cent of the total land that originally belonged to us. The restalmost 80 per centhas been occupied by the Israelis. Tell me how would you feel if the fields which once belonged to you and your father are forcefully grabbed by someone else through sheer military might? Israeli policies have affected over six million Palestinians: the three million displaced Palesti-nians who live in refugee camps and the other three million who live on their own land but as slaves and not like free citizens. We have been reduced to refugees in our own land. Thats what the new world order is bringing about! I am not too sure what will be our fate if the government of the day is all set to ape the Israeli way of governance! The very atmosphere is anyway riddled with strikes and counter-strikes. Hatred for the other looms large. New definitions of patriotism and nationalism are getting churned to suit political wants. Even the bunch of movers and shakers are petrified of speaking out sane stuff, for that appears insane to the ruling lot! Whats going on? Whats going wrong? Almost everything going haywire! Politics reaching such lows where theres little space left to counter and question, even a basic query as this: Where will this hatred for the other lead to? I have just completed reading a slim novel Till Break of Dawn by the Lucknow-based writer Syed Rizwan, where he webs and inter-webs the ongoing mess in the region. Towards the end of the 20th century the nation unknowingly witnessed a period of transition. Simplicity and cordial relations gave way to mistrust, turbulence and mayhem, leaving life and love gasping for breath. And with this backgrounder emerges this tale: whilst two friends, who have been raised in Lucknow, are struggling with their careers, bilateral relations with the neighbouring country sink low. As a result, one of the friends became a victim of indiscriminate action and the other lost his lady love due to hostility with the neighbour. Mind you, these are no fictional tales. Theres nothing called pure fiction! Words and more words webbed around the dark realities of the day. Yes, darker these realities will get, with twisted propaganda and utter lies manufactured overtime by the political mafia, all set to tear apart fragile remains of peaceful existence. And who would dare question these rulers in the backdrop of distractions thrown on us be it in the form of build-ups in Ayodhya or along the borders or just anywhere. Taking the masses for a ride towards a nowhere of sorts! This time around L.K. Advanis chariot is missing, but in its place many more modes of unleashing State terror in the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh. Palestine Essays Just landed this volumePalestine Essays (Pharos Media). It is a collection of essays with this backgrounderThe Milli Gazette had organised an essay competition in 2015 to spread awareness about the Palestine tragedy which continues to fester the Middle East as a result of the Israeli occupation and refusal to concede to the Palestinian rights supported by hundreds of UN resolutions, umpteen stands taken by the governments around the world and international forums. This volume carries the prize-winning essays. Yet to read the essays, but once I read them, will definitely quote from them in the coming weeks. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Its Mandir again It is Mandir again. The controversy over it comes to life whenever there are elections. The Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992. No doubt, the blame for the destruction is on the extremist Hindus, who did not even care for the Supreme Courts advice to let the status quo prevail. The controversy over it, however, was practically over. The then Prime Minister, Narasimha Rao, connived at the whole thing and promised to demolish the small temple which had come up at the site in the wake of destruction of the mosque. But he knew that the temple, which had been built, could not be destroyed because of the sentiments prevailing among the Hindus. Today, the talk is whether there should be a park which the UP Government wants or a museum that has the backing of the Centre. There is no mention of rebuilding the mosque even at a distance from the temple, the compromise formula mentioned at one time. The Muslims seem to be afraid to revive the issue in the atmosphere of soft Hindutva that has come to prevail in the country. Yet, the fact remains that secular India cannot rub off the mark of shame from the forehead till the Muslims see a mosque in the vicinity of the temple. However, it is difficult to imagine this in the rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been an RSS pracharak and who believes in its ideology. India has lived with the Babri Masjid topic, first as an issue in the shape of a controversy whether the Ram temple stood there once and then in the aftermath of the Masjids demolition by some Hindu extremists. It was a dastardly blow to secularism which the country had claimed as its ethos even before independence. There were widespread riots in December 1992 and January 1993, fanatic Hindus leading the mobs. The 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts were the Muslims vengeance against the pulling down of the Masjid on December 6, 1992. The Justice Liberhan Commission, which took 17 years to submit its report, at least put a judicial seal on what was known through mouth, print or electronic media. The report, rather late in the day, tried to reconstruct the sequence of events. It brought to the fore the lesser known facts that it was the RSS which had planned the destruction at Faizabad, some 10 kilometres from Ayodhya, the site of the dispute, and it was not an outpouring of frenzy at the spur of the moment. It was a well- planned scheme. The RSS gave the roadmap, the BJP provided the necessary help to the Bajrang Dal, a militant wing of the RSS, to execute the demolition plan to the shame of the Indian nation. L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and the then UP Chief Minister, Kalyan Singh, were some of the witnesses. One picture which appeared in most newspapers was that of a gleeful Uma Bharti, then a BJP light, riding on the shoulders of Joshi. Some BJP leaders shed crocodile tears when they found that the common people throughout the country had reacted with anger and disapproval. The most reprehensible aspect of the episode is that a small temple came up on the demolished the site overnight. I recall asking Narasimha Rao certain questions about it. He had invited a few senior journalists to his residence to seek help to quell the riots. I asked him how the Centre had allowed a small temple to be built after the UP Government had been dismissed and Central rule imposed. Narasimha Rao explained that the Central forces were flown from Delhi but could not land at Lucknow because the airport was engulfed with fog. I told him that he did not have to fly in troops from Delhi because there was already a surfeit of them at Ayodhya and around it. Narasimha Rao had no answer but told me emphatically that the temple would not be there for long. That was in December 1992. The temple is still there. Hundreds of pilgrims visit the place daily. The government has vast security arrangements to protect the small temple. No political party has ever raised the question of removing it from there. It can be said without contradiction that if the BJP Government in UP was responsible for the demolition of the Masjid, the Congress was responsible for the small temple to come up. The Muslim psyche is hurt. The Liberhan Commissions findings have put a balm which should have healed the wounds of Muslims. On the other hand, the government has not taken any action against leaders like Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackrey, although the Justice Srikrishna Commission named him responsible for the Mumbai riots in December 1992-January 1993. Some BJP leaders, mentioned by the Liberhan Commission for riots in the wake of the demolition, are still in the forefront of the party. The Congress did not initiate any action against those who took law in their hands during the Emergency (1975-77) and committed the worst type of excesses. In fact, the party punished those who brought the perpetrators to justice. But there was a murder of values and institutions. Even the fundamental rights were suspended and the press gagged. The then Attorney General proudly told the judges that if some policemen were to shoot any one of them dead, they would not be able to haul them up. My worry is that without the awareness of what is right and a desire to act according to what is right, there may be no realisation of what is wrong. Over the years, the dividing line between right and wrong, moral and immoral, has ceased to exist. The tug of conscience, which was once there, has evaporated. The Liberhan Commission provided an opportunity to set things right. The guilty, how-ever high in office or politics, must be punished. Democracy is nothing but the independence of institutions. They must be restored to the position that the Constitution has given them. The demolition of the Babri Masjid was a consequence of bigotry that took over most people in the North at that time and still lingers at some places and in some organisations. The idea of India cannot exist for long without pluralism. The institutions have to rise to the occasion. The author is a veteran journalist renowned not only in this country but also in our neighbouring states of Pakistan and Bangladesh where his columns are widely read. His website is www.kuldipnayar.com Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > PIPFPDs Latest Call The following is the press statement issued by the India Chapter of the PIPFPD after the Forums National Committee meeting in Jammu on October 22. The Pakistan-India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD), in its National Committee meeting held in Jammu on October 22, 2016, has decided to launch a No to war campaign. In the prevailing tense scenario between India and Pakistan, the campaign is the need of the hour. It is necessary to neutralise pro-war jingoism generated by hawkish ruling parties on both sides. We request all peace-loving people to come together and work towards a war-free South Asia. We also demand India, Pakistan must resume dialogue as soon as possible and resolve all outstanding disputes including Kashmir. Please join the campaign page in facebook by clicking on the following link. (https://www.facebook.com/notowarcampaign/) Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal and Asha Hans (Co-Chairpersons, PIPFPD India), Jatin Desai (General Secretary, PIPFPD India) Kurukshetra: The family of martyred soldier Mandeep Singh, whose body was mutilated by Pakistani terrorists, said that Pakistan must be given a befitting reply for harbouring terrorists on its soil. Mandeep was killed on Friday night when terrorists infiltrated the LoC under cover of the Pakistani Army and exchanged fire with Indian soldiers in the Macchil sector of Kashmirs Kupwara district. Mandeeps brother Sandeep demanded that 10 Pakistanis must be beheaded in return for the brutal killing of his brother. For the first time in its eight editions, the Panorama of the European Film reached out to Karim Cinema, a venue located in downtowns Emad El Deen Street. In fact, hosting over 50 of Panoramas screenings in its premises, Cinema Karim is among the two main venues involved in the annual event. In parallel to Cinema Karim, Zawya (Cinema Odeon) holds an equal amount of screenings, topped with chosen films presented at Plaza and Point 90 cinemas, alongside venues in Alexandria, Tanta and Minya. Founded in the 1980s as a venue for alternative Egyptian and international films, Cinema Karim is undeniably one of the movie theatre landmarks of Cairos downtown. It was closed during the last few years until when in June 2014 the New Century Production Company (CNPC) rented the venue from the Cinema Syndicate. Following some restorations in February 2015, the cinema reopened its doors as Dunia Karim. The movie theatre has a newly renovated interior and exterior but preserves the classic architecture of the building and surrounding area. Revamped, infused with high tech equipment and modern design, the main hall seats 480 viewers, while the small hall maintains a capacity of 110. This is our hope- to revive alternative film screenings in Cairos downtown, as it used to be in the past, Zakaria Mohie Eldeen, the cinemas manager, tells Ahram Online. Mohie Eldeen, who has been in the field for over 18 years, underlines that hosting Panorama is among some very important steps for the venue and will help to attract a new kind of audience to the now-abandoned smaller halls. A lot of followers of mainstream films such as El Sobkys productions hardly pay any visits to cinemas located outside the mega malls, like Karim. He goes to explain that though prices of the tickets in mega malls are usually higher, people prefer them because they find all activities centred in one place: they can do shopping, eat in a restaurant and watch a movie. Mohie Eldeen points to large complexes and malls such as City Stars, Americana Plaza and Mall of Arabia. The distributors support this strategy by giving those cinemas the right to premiere the films, and to let them have the best films in the city, Mohie Eldeen elaborates. Cinema Karim Interior of the Cinema Karim (Photo: courtesy of the Cinema Karim) On the other hand, the production companies put pressure on the Ministry of Culture, a result of which usually ten copies of the foreign films are released, and of course they are distributed across the large malls. They keep talking about protecting the local industry, but the question is how many Egyptian films do we have anyway? He highlights that even modern cinemas outside the mega malls, such as Ramses Hilton, are prey of this strategy. The cinema is located in a low profile shopping centre in the hotels vicinity close to Tahrir Square. It used to be a venue that premiered many films. They don't have that privilege anymore, Mohie Eldeen explains. He also points to the fact that while the major event, the Cairo International Film Festival, could be an opportunity for the cinemas across the city to host the screenings, the films are screened within the halls located at the Cairo Opera Houses grounds. It is all centres on one ground, not like it used to be many years ago, he adds. With the hall struggling to attract the viewers, Mohie Eldeen says that our high season is during the feasts, when audiences await new films. Yet in the regular days our visitors do not exceed 100 persons a day, with a small increase on weekends. Panorama brings a lot of students, and intellectuals to our halls. Im very glad that this is happening. He adds that the average audience during Panorama rose to 200 a day. This is a great step, he asserts trying to find a bright side to the otherwise challenging circumstances. The Panorama of the European Film is an opportunity to attract a new audience and create some kind of a different commotion in downtown. We definitely need more festivals presenting films, more opportunities which would embrace many downtown venues, including several cultural centres scattered across its streets. Even if for starters we talk about a certain niche of the viewers, we should build upon that and bit by bit, well be able to revive all the smaller cinemas in Cairos downtown. Ahram Online is the media sponsor of The Panorama of the European Film and of Zawya. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Search Keywords: Short link: Does this give us reason to rejoice? How much electricity are we generating through renewable energy now and will we meet our seemingly difficult targets of 2022 and 2030, as far as renewable energy is concerned? What is this Government doing to support and increase the generation of electricity via renewable energy? India became the 62country to ratify the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, committed to ensuring that at least 40% of its electricity be generated from renewable energy by 2030. The present Government has set ambitious targets of increasing the countrys renewable energy capacity to 175 GW by 2022, with nearly 58% expected to be generated from solar energy. In June 2016, the capacity for renewable energy, surpassed that of hydel power, for the first time in Indias history. Our Future Targets India gets nearly 300 days of uninterrupted sun and with our 7,517 kilometers coastline, tapping wind energy to generate power is easily possible. So does India have the capability to become a renewable energy superpower in the future? Yes. it does, provided there is a political will and motivation to create and follow a strategic roadmap to achieve realistic targets. By 2022, India is expected to generate 175 GW of power via renewable sources, out of which 100 GW will be from solar energy, 60 GW from wind energy, 10 GW from bio energy and 5 GW from small hydro power projects. And out of the 100 GW of solar energy, it is anticipated that 40 GW will be generated via rooftop solar installations, 30 GW from Solar Parks and the rest 30 GW from other government/state and private schemes. These are ambitious plans, but are we on the way to achieve them? What Is The Current Situation? As of December 2015, Indias total installed capacity based on renewable energy was 37,415 MW. This is about 13% of the total installed capacity for power generation in the country. We are still heavily dependent on coal (61% of the total installed capacity) to meet our energy needs. Of course, by June 2016, the total installed capacity of renewable energy in India was 48,850 MW (out of which wind power contributed to about 50%), surpassing that of hydel power, making it the second largest contributor to power generation in India. But to go from 13% of the installed capacity to 40% of its installed capacity, in a matter of 14 years, to meet the Paris Climate Change targets, will definitely be a challenge. Lets Talk Solar Power The installed solar power capacity in the country, as of December 2015 was 4.8 GW, which increased to 5.8 GW by May 2016. Mr. Piyush Goyal, the Minister of New and Renewable Energy stated that India aims to achieve its target of 100 GW solar power as early as the end of 2017. His statement comes after India surpassed its target of adding solar and wind power capacity for this fiscal year. The statement does seem a bit overenthusiastic considering the fact that, even if India was to achieve 100 GW by 2022, it would need to add 15 GW by fiscal year 2018 and 16 GW by fiscal year 2019. Is that possible? The Government recently approved the installation of 15 GW new solar power plants, with nearly 12 GW expected to be in operation by March 2017. These installations will be mainly in the form of solar parks. So what about the 40 GW expected to come in from the rooftop installations? Currently only about 300 MW of the solar power generated comes in from rooftop installations. This fiscal year, about 1 GW of rooftop installations is likely to be added. The Government is providing subsidies to both individual household consumers (though you will have to go through a list of Ministry approved partners for the installation and availing the subsidies) and housing societies (again who have to go through a developer on the Ministrys list). Rooftop installations do come with their share of roadblocks, including lack of space in rooftops, insufficient storage technology as well as net metering systems. Consider the example of Australia. The country generates about 5 GW of its power via rooftop solar installations. In January 2016, there were about 1.5 million solar power systems installed which is approximately one solar panel for every person in the country. Australia has the highest proportion of households with PV systems in their roofs, as compared to other countries of the world. Apart from the fact that there is plenty of sun in the country, policy support from the federal and state governments, and relatively large roof spaces, have played an important role in achieving this dependence on solar energy. Can this model of solar rooftop installations for self -sufficiency of power be replicated in India? It most certainly can, provided the Government provides the right incentive to house-owners to set up the PV systems in their rooftops. Though major cities may face the problem of lack of space, the PV installations is definitely achievable in the smaller cities and rural areas, where space constraints are not a problem. What about Wind Power? Around 9% of the Indias total installed power generation capacity, comes in from wind power. By March 2017, the country will add about 4,300 MW of wind power capacity, a 30% increase from the previous year. To achieve its goal of generating 60 GW of power from wind energy, India needs to add 35 GW of wind power in the next six years. Mr. Goyal, in a recent summit mentioned that following the success of the solar energy auctions, which helped bring down the tariffs, the government is looking to start the bidding process for the wind power sector as well. So Will India Achieve Its Targets? It does seem a bit unrealistic to achieve 175 GW of renewable energy in the span of the next 6 years. Solar and wind power targets can be achieved, provided the Government creates and implements a strategic roadmap. Challenges include creating an interstate green energy corridor to avoid wastage of power generated, installation of rooftop solar panels in households as well as generating the resources to achieve this ambitious target. The solar energy target of 100 GW by 2022, requires an overall investment of INR 600,000 crores or approximately INR 6 crore per MW. In 2015-16, the Government had allocated only INR 2,708 crores (approximately 0.45% of the required investment) for solar energy. The country needs INR 801,065 crores in capital investment and INR 267,022 crores in equity to achieve renewable energy targets, which is about four times the Governments annual spending on defence. India plans to meet these targets through banks and other foreign investments. NITI Aayog is preparing a new energy policy which is expected to lay more emphasis on solar energy and natural gas in the countrys energy mix. Whether India will achieve its target or not, needs to be seen, but it seems to have become vital to take these targets seriously, if we have to do our bit for the global climate change. With Alexandria, Tanta and Minya joining Panorama's Cairo screenings, Ahram Online looks into background stories and the effect of 8th Panorama in these cities The most important novelty in the 8th edition of Panorama of the European running between 25 November and 5 December is its expansion to screen films in some areas out of Cairo for the first time. Cinemas in three governorates, Alexandria, Tanta and Minya in Upper Egypt, screened a selected dozen of the Panorama films. This step is achieved through young people in those three governorates, who are already active in promoting art and culture initiatives in their cities. Minya, the Bride of Upper Egypt In Minya, three of the Panorama films are screened in Cinema Cityscape; On the Brides Side, Who Am I No System is Safe, and Underdog. A group of eight young people are behind the scenes of hosting Panoramas films there. They established a group by the name of Alwanat (Different Colours) one year ago, aiming to organise several artistic events to integrate art into their community, especially through cinema. According to Marco Adel, one of the founders, the group wants "people to see other realities and other methods of expression, so we started with several street art events, and also a few film screenings. But the real big step was to cooperate with Zawya and screen some of the Panorama films here. Adel emphasised that the Panorama marks a beginning for future cooperation with Zawya. We are planning to screen all Zawya films here so people get back in touch with cinema, and also watch different kinds of films than the commercial ones, he said. Micheal Yousef, a filmmaker from Minya who lives in Cairo and has played a main role in coordination between Zawya and Alwanat, says the audience reacted positively to the film list. I was there in Minya for the opening, and it was really amazing to see the way people received the first film (On the Brides Side). Though it was a kind of documentary, people had very interesting feedback in the seminar that followed the screening, he said. Yousef was also the one who selected the three films from Panoramas list, and he has his reasons. In addition to Arabic subtitles, I wanted the three films to represent different types of filmmaking, so people get to know and taste something different or new to them, he added. The other two films are Who Am I No System is Safe, a fiction thriller, and Underdog, a drama. Encouraging people in Minya to watch movies and get connected to art is not the only dream for the young and enthusiastic group that is attracting new volunteers, even after the event. We are planning to produce our own films as well. A few months ago we organised a film competition here and many young filmmakers from Minya and other governorates, and also from Jordan, took part. We want young people to express themselves through art, to make their own films and we are walking the walk to reach this, said Adel. He only wished the Panorama provided the Minya screenings with more guests to discuss the films with the audience. Other than that, he assures Ahram Online that the event was very fruitful and is just a start for more to come. Tanta in the Nile's Delta Tanta has another interesting story, where its own group of young people established The Association of Cinema and Literature Lovers Group two years ago. The initiative focused on organising several cinema and book club events in Tantas cultural centres. One year ago, they stared to screen Zawyas films in a hall in Rivoli Cinema, the oldest in Tanta, on a regular basis with one or two films every month. According to Ahmed Kastawy, a mass communications student and one of the group founders, they used to screen the films and invite filmmakers for a talk with the audience. Their picks from panoramas list were Mustang, My Mother, and The Narrow Frame of Midnight. For the Panorama we invited one filmmaker to the last screening and had an open discussion following each screening, Kastawy said. The feedback of the audience was promising, especially with Mustang, since its story touches on many local social realities. The Panorama experience allowed the group to screen foreign films for the first time. We used to screen Egyptian short films, or those films we know they will never show up in our cinemas he said, pointing to how the cinemas in Tanta screen very few films comparing to Cairo, and they are all commercial. We worried that our film list does not have the support of the audience, but on the contrary, people enjoyed every film, and they spread the word so that more audiences came to the next screening, Kastawy said. Although promotion for the event was scarce, with the use of Facebook posts and some street posters, up to 66 people showed up to the hall. This is a success, Kastawy said, adding that the other halls in the cinema where commercial films were to be screened did not attract their usual audience on the Panorama nights. All the people came to us, it means they welcomed the different and the new, and that they really need it, he said. One of the aims of The Association of Cinema and Literature Lovers Group is to help young filmmakers in Tanta find their way to cinema production. People watch films that we are screening now and before the Panorama, and they start asking us about filmmaking workshops. So there is a growing interest day after day, he added. The Mediterranean Pearl In downtown Alexandria, one of Cinema Amirs halls is now screening Zawya's programme. It is referred to as Zawya Alexandria. Five young people from two prominent Alexandrian production companies, Rufys and Fig Leaf Studios, are behind this venture. We recently started screening Zawya films every Saturday night in Amir Cinema downtown, says Ahmed Ragab, a Pharmacy student, filmmaker and one of Zawya Alexandrias organisers. Their eclectic selection of films from Panorama was Mustang, Tale of Tales, The Narrow Frame of Midnight, The Lesson, and The Lobster. We want to break away from the Egyptian film market that is limited to what is profitable. We tried to bring different kinds of films, and our selection is very balanced, says Ragab. The opening film attracted 178 people, while the other screenings had an average of 75 to 105 people. This is a very good turnout that quite surprised us, he added. One of their biggest dreams is to show the production of young Egyptian filmmakers in cinema halls, something they recently achieved with The Mice Room. Zawya Alexandria is a step towards a dream where the cinema audience falls in love with what young local filmmakers are creating, and this is not a farfetched dream he added. Ahram Online is the media sponsor of The Panorama of the European Film and of Zawya. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Search Keywords: Short link: Milestones in life can be made more special with a Presidential greeting, says David Minter who has a birthday letter from President Barak and Michelle Obama and two former presidents to prove it. Barbara is now 91, and I am now 92, George H.W. Bush wrote. Thus, we can tell you that being a mere 70 doesnt hurt a bit!!! Part of the Obamas message reads, America endures because of the unbroken line of patriots who have answered the call to serve. With unwavering honor and distinction, those who have worn our Nations uniform show us that as long as we are united in common purpose our countrys journey will continue moving forward and our best days will always lie ahead. As you celebrate this occasion, we hope you reflect on your legacy of service with great pride. Carters was simple and straightforward. It reads in its entirety: Congratulations on your birthday! Rosalynn and I send you our best wishes for happiness on your special day and throughout the years ahead. What I love to do is make sure veterans know that once they reach 70, they can send to the White House a request for birthday greetings, Minter said. Theyll recognize their birthday. The same goes for former presidents, he added. The first birthday greeting at age 70, and from there yearly, is a privilege of veterans, he said. For other United States citizens, the minimum age for birthday greetings is 80. According to the White House Greetings Office, several other greetings also can be requested: a babys birth, within one year; retirement for 20 or more years of service; a wedding or civil union (request must be made at least six weeks in advance, using maiden names) and wedding anniversary for 50 or more years (request must be made six weeks in advance). Other greetings that can be requested from the White House include for adoption, class reunion, Eagle Scout, faith leader anniversary, family reunion, Girl Scout Gold Award, photograph, place of worship anniversary, school anniversary and school graduation. The greetings can be requested online at https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/presidential-greetings-request. It (or any letter to the president) can be mailed to The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington DC, 20500. Requests should include, at a minimum, full name and (when applicable) rank of retiree, date of event, address, name, and phone number of contact person. Other information may be required. All greetings are mailed from the White House about two weeks before the occasion. To receive a letter of appreciation from a former U.S. President, use the contact information below: George W. Bush, Office of the Honorable George W. Bush, P.O. Box 259000, Dallas, TX 75225; phone, (214) 692-4300; fax, (214) 692-4324; http://www.georgewbush.com. William Clinton, Office of the Honorable William Jefferson Clinton, 55 W 125th St., New York, New York, 10027 phone, (646) 775-9132, fax, (646) 775-9105; https://www.clintonfoundation.org/about/contact-us/military-retiree-information (for military retirement). George H. W. Bush, Office of the Honorable George Bush, 10000 Memorial Drive Suite 900, Houston, TX 77024; phone, (713) 686-1188l fax, (713) 683-0801; email, Linda@flfw.com. Jimmy Carter, The Honorable Jimmy Carter, The Carter Center, Attn: Executive Office, Atlanta, GA 30307; fax, (404) 331-0283. Commemorative documents also may be requested from other public offices. The office of Gov. Terry McAuliffes Constituent Services offers documents for babys birth, birthday, congratulations, Eagle Scout, Girl Scout Honor, graduation, military retirement, retirement recognition, reunion, student inquiry, wedding anniversary and welcome message. Requests to the governors office must made at least 45 days in advance, but no more than 120 days in advance of the date the document is needed. Requests may be made by visiting https://governor.virginia.gov/constituent-services/make-a-request/commemorative-documents/. Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia is inducting four people into its Business Hall of Fame on Tuesday night. The 2016 laureates are Kent Greenawalt, president and CEO of Foot Levelers, and Ronald Willard, the CEO of the Willard Companies. They join 53 others who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Also being honored are the entrepreneurs of the year, Robert Kulp and Mike Whiteside of Black Dog Salvage. This annual fundraiser, which keeps growing and celebrates our regions business successes, makes it possible for Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia to prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. This event recognizes the accomplishments of those who have, through their professional, personal sacrifice and commitment to our community, helped so many others succeed in business and in life, Katherin Elam, president of Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia, said in a news release. The event will be held at the Roanoke Hotel & Conference Center. All the proceeds benefit Junior Achievement, which has served 502,000 students since it was founded in 1957 with programs delivered in schools by volunteers in the business community. For information on attending, visit www.juniorachievement.org. Every weekday morning, a 20-member team gathers at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital to talk about everything that went wrong the day before. Each patient fall, employee needle stick, central line infection, medication error, unanticipated death is picked apart until a portrait of the culprit emerges. The team is seeking to determine what not who caused the error. Its a shift in a health care culture that traditionally drilled down through mistakes, grilling the people involved until a finger could be pointed and punishment meted. Instead, Carilion is embracing the concept that even the most highly trained, dedicated humans will err. The goal, then, is to redesign processes and systems to keep mistakes from harming patients. Safety engineering is not a new concept. Other industries already look at the way people work to find ways to do jobs more efficiently and more safely. But applying the concept to health care has been a slow process. The metrics we report today will change over the next five years, said Dr. Ralph Whatley, Carilions chief quality officer. What we aspire is, for the most important metrics for health and safety, to be in the top 10 percent, if not 1 percent. To get there, Carilion plans to ramp up efforts to move further away from a culture of denial to one that encourages employees to point out the potential for errors, he said. Carilion is within the standards of care set by state and national organizations, said Steve Arner, Carilions chief operating officer. Countless agencies and organizations measure our quality based on hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of data points. Depending on which ratings, collectively as a system, we fall in the middle or higher upper ratings. Arner said Carilion expects to be a leader in quality in patient safety. Part of the plan entails deploying rapid 90-day projects that identify areas of improvement, engage the people involved in the process and then implement changes, which are measured to determine whether theyre working. Some of the projects cut across departments. We can look at any work process to look for efficiency and quality, said Paul OQuinn, Carilions director of process improvement. We can figure it out with an analytical approach that takes away some of the blame and is seen as objective. Focusing on errors In 2000, the Institute of Medicine published To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System. The report found that at least 44,000 people, and perhaps as many as 98,000, die each year in hospitals as the result of medical errors. In the reports wake, Congress passed legislation to reduce medical errors by 50 percent in five years. Money was spent to hire quality and safety officers. The public focused on errors. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid began to adjust payments based on quality measures, and published star ratings on its website for patients to compare hospitals. Weve all been putting all our efforts into this, and you know what all the studies are telling us about our advancements since this time? Were not safer, said Dr. Terry Fairbanks, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Georgetown University and an adjunct associate professor of industrial systems engineering at the University of Buffalo. Fairbanks practices emergency medicine at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, heads the health systems National Center for Human Factors and serves on the National Patient Safety Foundations board of advisors. He came to medicine through Virginia Techs industrial safety engineering program. He was enrolled in the graduate program looking forward to a career in aviation safety, earning his pilots license at the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport, and working as an EMT for Radfords ambulance service when he discovered emergency department medicine. He enrolled in medical school and has applied lessons learned in aviation to patient safety. Until the 1970s, pilot error was blamed for numerous crashes, he said. The airline industry was forced to change and look at what caused the pilots to make mistakes, and then to design systems to catch the mistakes before passengers were harmed. Fairbanks said pilots and air traffic controllers still make an average of four mistakes every hour, and yet with 30,000 flights a day, air travel is one of the safest activities a human can do in the United States. The same could not be said for health care. Health care is just about the most dangerous thing we can do in this country. You think about risk. Many people are afraid to fly. You should be afraid to go in the hospital, he said. Studying human factors The National Patient Safety Foundation revisited the 2000 report last year and found that the issue has become more complex, with care moving from hospitals to ambulatory care clinics, free-standing surgical and diagnostic centers, long-term care facilities and patients homes. Carilion, which shifted its business model from a collection of hospitals and primary care offices to a clinic that integrates care across platforms, also shifted its patient safety and quality measures about four or five years ago, and is preparing to accelerate efforts. Fairbanks spoke this month at Carilions inaugural quality conference, which also celebrated employee teams that had identified safety concerns and developed plans to prevent problems. Fairbanks said Carilion is among health care leaders as it turns away from the practice of looking for someone to blame. Health care is a place where people are really, really highly trained with high standards. There are few professions that have the standardization we have in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, Fairbanks said. We have smart people, and we have well-intentioned people. Those people are going to make mistakes. Fairbanks said the health care industry needs to consider human factors, a type of engineering that crunches data about how people perform tasks and use equipment, then applies the results to designing products and procedures. Ergonomic chairs are an an example of this type of engineering. Fairbanks showed a picture of a defibrillator that was designed without considering how people would use it. The machine features a big green button that says On thats often mistakenly pushed during an emergency instead of a less-prominent red button that says Shock. The on button actually turns off the unit wasting life-saving minutes to recharge. Yet, Fairbanks said, if he tried to shut down the projector he was using during his presentation a much simpler machine hed get a message asking him if he was sure he wanted to turn it off. He also suggested looking for the gap between the way leaders think work is getting done on the front line and the ways work is getting done on the front lines. One of Carilions success stories is a pharmacy project team at Carilion Tazewell, which looked at why the hospital consistently posted the worst rate among Carilion hospitals for scanning medications into patients electronic records. The team found a few barriers. Among them: The wireless connectivity didnt work well in all rooms. Since the improvement project, Tazewells scanning compliance has stayed above 98 percent for the last two years. A team at Carilion Stonewall Jackson Hospital knocked down its high rate of infections from catheters to zero for 19 consecutive months. Other teams evaluated the quality of different surgical masks, instituted a central process for sterilizing equipment and looked for the best way to help patients lose weight. Patient safety measures are reaching beyond hospitals. The National Patient Safety Foundation would like to see much more emphasis and research dollars go into ambulatory and home settings, because we dont have as good a grasp as to what the problems are in those settings and how to avoid them, said Dr. Tejal Gandhi, the foundations president and CEO. The shift to look at safety outside of hospitals is also being embraced by the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, which has made quality and patient safety one of its top priorities. It publishes hospital patient safety scores on its websites and provides ways for its members to share best practices. The goal is to make Virginia tops in the nation for patient safety, and not just in hospitals but at home, said spokesman Julian Walker. COLLINSVILLE A Henry County judge found enough evidence to send an assault case against Roberto Gomez Telles to trial. Telles stands accused of assaulting four Henry County deputies, along with one count of possession of a controlled substance. Judge Marcus Brinks sent those charges to Henry County Circuit Court, along with a misdemeanor charge against Telles of driving with a revoked or suspended license. He dismissed a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct against Telles. According to a Virginia legal glossary, assault is to attempt or threat to inflict bodily injury upon another, accompanied by the apparent present ability to carry out the attempt or the threat if not prevented. Deputy Rick Anderson of the Henry County Sheriffs Office testified that he was working graveyard on June 19 when he encountered Telles. Anderson said he was running radar at a Citgo in Collinsville when he noticed a vehicle with no lights on coasting backward on Route 220. The vehicle came to a stop at a gas pump near Anderson's patrol car. At that point, Anderson said he heard yelling and then Telles ran up to his window, demanding to know why the officer hadn't helped him. He told Telles to calm down, but the man just started trying to push his car back into the road. Anderson said that's when he called it in. By the time other officers arrived, Telles was jumping up, screaming and hollering, Anderson said. He added that Telles at first refused to provide his driver's license, but eventually gave identifying information. Henry County Sgt. T. Farmer backed up Anderson's testimony, stating that after a Department of Motor Vehicles background check was done, Telles was told he was under arrest for driving with a revoked or suspended license. Then Anderson, Farmer and Henry County sheriffs deputies J. Gregory and C. Curtis began to approach Telles, according to testimony by Anderson and Farmer. Telles got into a fighting stance with clinched fists and took one close-body swing at the four officers but did not make contact, according to testimony by Anderson and Farmer. All four officers were in uniform and wearing badges. Farmer testified that he was closest to Telles when he swung only about a foot away, and that the other officers were a foot or so away from Farmer. Telles came awfully close to hitting me in the head, Farmer said. When Telles took the swing, all the officers jumped back, then bum-rushed and subdued Telles, Farmer testified. During questioning by Telles' lawyer Christina Slate, Anderson indicated he never saw lights turned on on the Telles car, never saw Telles put gasoline in it, and never saw keys in the ignition. Slate would later argue that the commonwealth had not proved that Telles was the operator of the car, a claim that Henry County Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Jessica Henson disputed. At one point during the court hearing, Henson showed an officers body-cam video of part of the incident, including the alleged assault. Slate challenged the video, saying, I did not see a swing on that video. Slate said she saw Telles cursing, agitated and put his hands up, palms forward, saying, Chill, chill, chill. Henson said she could not say she personally saw Telles swing at officers on the video but that two officers testified that he swung at the officers. Judge Brinks said the video was dark and hard to see, but that two officers testified that Telles swung at the four officers. Farmer testified that he did what is called an inventory search of the Telles vehicle because it was going to be impounded. During the search, Farmer found a baggie that contained what a laboratory later determined to be meth, and digital scales containing residue. Farmer said based on experience and knowing how marijuana smells, he thought the residue was marijuana but that he did not field-test it. Slate challenged the legality of the search, but Brinks said inventory searches are legal. Slate also argued legal reasons why she thought disorderly conduct was an inappropriate charge in this case, and Judge Brinks dismissed that charge. Paul Collins reports for the Martinsville Bulletin and can be reached at paul.collins@martinsvillebulletin.com. MARTINSVILLE Del. Danny Marshall wants to know how $383,000 that the New College Institute (NCI) pays its private foundation annually to occupy its building on the Baldwin Block uptown is being spent. We owe it to the taxpayers to find out, Marshall, a Republican from Danville who is on the institutes board, said during the boards meeting Thursday. The New College Foundation, the institutes independent fundraising arm, owns the three-story, 52,000-square-foot building between Fayette, Market, West Church and Moss streets. The building opened in 2014. Technically, if the foundation wanted to, they could kick us out of the building, said another board member, state Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County. That is unlikely, though. Although the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp., the Piedmont Governors School and the Martinsville-Henry County Visitors Center also are there, the building was constructed mainly to house NCI. The institute also has some classrooms in a building on the courthouse square nearby. After the NCI board made a verbal request, foundation Coordinator Deborah Kaufman earlier this month sent a letter to board Chairwoman Gracie Agnew listing various routine-type items on which the money is spent. The letter, copies of which were furnished to board members, references expenses such as utilities, grounds and lawn maintenance, snow removal, janitorial services, telephone service, building and equipment maintenance and repairs, pest control and window cleaning services, bank charges, accounting and attorney fees. It did not specify how much is spent on each item. Marshall requested that a foundation representative attend the boards next meeting tentatively planned for January to present a detailed accounting of how money (provided to the foundation) is being appropriated. Being that the foundation is a private entity, it is under no legal obligation to do so, said Elizabeth Griffin, an assistant state attorney general who is the NCI boards legal counsel. According to Griffin and NCI officials, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the foundation and the institutes board never has been enacted. Christina Reed, the institutes finance director, said Friday that the memorandum remains in the draft stages. I find it peculiar, Griffin told the NCI board, that an MOU outlining responsibilities of both parties already is not in effect. The nature of the draft changed dramatically, said NCI Acting Executive Director/Chief Academic Officer Leanna Blevins, when the foundation hired its own staff. It previously shared some positions with NCI, she said. Marshall asked what would happen if NCI quit making payments to the foundation. They could evict you, I presume, Griffin responded, adding that she is not an expert in real-estate law. Education law is her specialty, she indicated. Marshall said he is concerned that the foundation could put up a real roadblock should it decide that it does not want NCI and Longwood University to merge. NCI is in talks with the Farmville university, which has provided academic programs at the institute since it opened in 2006, about developing a stronger affiliation. Stanley said it seems unusual to him that a higher education institutions private foundation would own the institutions main educational building. The Southern Virginia Higher Education Center in South Boston has a similar arrangement with its foundation, Griffin said. Mickey Powell reports for the Martinsville Bulletin. He can be reached at mickey.powell@martinsvillebulletin.com. An exhibition entitled Cairo Now: City Incomplete! is currently on display in Dubai Design Dictrict, featuring a wide range of contemporary design projects from the Egyptian capital - product design, furniture design, graphic design, and architecture - brought together by the show's curator, Mohamed El-Shahed. The exhibition was inaugurated during Dubai Design Week starting 24 October, and was extended for an additional month on 29 October. For more on Cairo Now in Dubai, read Ahram Online's story here. Saying thanks It has been one year since my husband suffered a catastrophic illness. He lost both hands, his right leg below the knee and all the toes on his left foot. He is truly blessed to be alive! In the past year, he has amazed me with his strength and attitude and how much he has accomplished. He makes me proud every day. The purpose of this letter is to thank all those who have helped both of us get back to living our lives. Without the unending support of this community, our already difficult struggles would have been much worse. I know we would not have been able to overcome so much in such a relatively short time without the love and support we have been blessed with. Our good friend Sandra Wheeless and contractor Jesse Earles spearheaded a project to put a handicapped accessible addition onto our home. So many of you came together to offer your time, your talents, materials and furniture to make the addition happen. We were and are still overwhelmed. The new bedroom and bathroom gave Hugh the freedom to move about independently and go him back to doing things on his own. Others collected funds to have Hughs vehicle redesigned so he could drive. Matt Huckfeldt at Chain of Fools bike shop, along with Dwight Bower at PHCC designed and built a bicycle for Hugh, who, believe it or not, is back riding the Dick and Willie Trail., The youth group from First United Methodist Church raised funds to help with the cost of electronic aids to help Hugh adjust. So many complain about small towns, lack of opportunity and quality of living. We are here to tell you there is nothing like a small town. Martinsville and Henry County have what is important, people who care about others. We are living in an amazing community and we appreciate all of you every day. Donna Gerlach Martinsville Why I support Donald Trump On Nov. 8, we will be voting for president of our country. One of the reasons I support Donald Trump is that he is a business person, which I think we need to lead the country. We need businesses to create jobs, not the government making more government jobs, which adds an extra burden on businesses and the working people to pay for. He supports enforcing our immigration laws, the second amendment, fair trade, police and a strong military. He has the same message for all regions of the country, not different ones for what people want to hear in their area. We have a chance to show our frustration but also our hope for the future of our country. Please vote to elect Donald Trump. With Donald Trump and the American people, we can make America great again. Frankie Foster Martinsville (Beijing) ChemChina's closely watched $43 billion purchase of the Swiss agribusiness giant Syngenta will probably be delayed into the first quarter of next year as European Union regulators extend their review of the transaction. Closing of the deal has already been extended three times from the original goal of May. EU and other regulators have requested a large amount of additional information for a review of the deal in the context of industry consolidation, said Erik Fyrwald, the CEO of Basel-based Syngenta, in a news briefing Oct. 25 on quarterly financial results. "ChemChina and Syngenta remain fully committed to the transaction and are confident of its closure," Fyrwald said. The transaction has already won approval by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and 11 anti-trust approvals, he said. If completed, the transaction would be the largest foreign acquisition by a Chinese company and would make state-owned chemical manufacturer ChemChina one of the world's largest producers of agrochemicals. ChemChina submitted the deal for EU review Sept. 23 and expected a conclusion by Oct. 28. Syngenta and ChemChina had planned to close the purchase by the end of this year. The purchase has drawn worldwide attention because of a complex financing structure adopted by ChemChina. The highly leveraged plan has raised concerns among investors. The EU review is likely to focus the potential business overlaps of Syngenta and ChemChina's pesticides unit, Adama, industry analysts said. Adama was formed by a combination of ChemChina's domestic pesticides assets with Israel's Makhteshim Agan Group, the world's largest maker of generic pesticides, following a 2011 takeover. Several merger and acquisition experts interviewed by Caixin questioned why ChemChina didn't propose remedies to avoid an extended EU review. ChemChina could have planned a spinoff of assets, a common practice used by many international acquirers to ease concerns of antitrust regulators, the experts said. "Such a practice is not complicated," said a source from an investment bank's M&A department. "I wonder why ChemChina didn't do it. And the market is also confused." There has been speculation since mid-October that ChemChina might merge with another state-owned chemical giant, Sinochem Group, to facilitate the deal. But several experts told Caixin that there is little possibility of a major change on the purchaser side now because that might trigger more regulatory reviews. Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com) Although Fishing is a frowned upon WoW profession, with the arrival of Legion this trade skill can bring you a decent amount of gold, especially in conjunction with Cooking. The gold farming method that were going to put into view here involves both these secondary professions.Requirements:Minimum level 100;Fishing skill 1;Cooking skill 700;Recipe: Fighter Chow acquired;In case you dont have this recipe already (if youve leveled in Azsuna, you should probably have it), you need to acquire it first. It is a reward from the quest Morale Booster. This quest is part of a quest chain that starts with an item called Okuna's Message. This item is dropped by the murlocs at Eldranils Shallows (50,32), NW from NarThalas Academy.Teleport to the new Dalaran, and fly to Azsuna, at Felblaze Ingress (64,28, in the area called Farondale.Youll be fishing for Cursed Queenfish at the two small ponds in Farondale. However, theres only one Cursed Queenfish school that can spawn in each pond, so youll have to hop servers, in order to benefit from a school of fish all the time. Also, its quite important to fish in the schools of fish, otherwise youll get Silver Mackerel, which are not so valuable.Now, a batch of Fighter Chow requires 5x Cursed Queenfish. Thus, its best to catch a number of fish which is a multiple of 5.Once in a while, youll also get a Rusty Queenfish Brooch. If you use this item, youll get a buff that lasts 5 minutes, buff that allows you to see Ghostly Queenfish schools. These dont deplete as you fish in them, giving you the possibility to continue to catch Ghostly Queenfish for the duration of the buff given by the brooch. Evidently, in one of these two ponds, theres a school of Ghostly Queenfish, and if you get the brooch, you have the chance to get at least 15 for the duration of the buff.Now, the Ghostly Queenfish are soulbound, and can only be used (for now) in Alchemy Transmute: Fish to Gems. Therefore, its best to come and fish here with a character that also has Alchemy.Once youre done fishing, teleport to Dalaran, go to your factions inn and purchase Royal Olive from Bradford Duncan (Alliance) or Misensi (Horde). Then proceed to turn your Cursed Queenfish into Fighter Chows.At rank 1, the recipe will grant you 5x Fighter Chow from 5 fish, but as you will upgrade the recipe, youll get 10.After one hour of fishing at Farondale, Ive got:Cursed Queenfish LootCursed Queenfish x 140Ghostly Queenfish x 45By Cooking the Cursed Queenfish with the recipe at Rank 1, Ive got:Fighter Chow x 140 = 60g / each = 8,400gFighter Chow is a food that grants 1,000% regen while out of combat, which is quite great for leveling, especially if your class doesnt have heal. So, considering that almost everyone has at least 5-6 characters to level, this type of food will be on demand for at least one or two months. For now, it sells for 50-60g per piece, and most people sell them in stacks of 5, for 250-300g / stack. Its price will probably drop in the next few weeks.If you get your recipe at Rank 3, youll get 10 chows from 5 fish, which needless to say will double your profits. by Daisy Whitney , Op-Ed Contributor, October 28, 2016 As more consumers sign up for over-the-top services, content providers are the best positioned players in the media business to capitalize on new opportunities. Thats the conclusion of a repor t from Fitch Ratings analyzing who stands to benefit from the current shifts in video consumption. On-demand and streaming services are disrupting traditional media the most, causing changes in how consumers view programming. The one constant is that the demand for high-quality content is still strong, and perhaps even growing, says Fitch. "Relevance will be determined by platforms that can capture large audiences with compelling content, target them specifically, and measure their success, the firm said in its report. Indeed, as rapid changes buffet the media business, its good to be producing programming because consumer appetite for content appears voracious. Even as consumers change how they watch, they are still tuning in. Thats why more networks have launched their own SVOD services. advertisement advertisement More homes have SVOD, too. About 82% of U.S. homes subscribed to a pay-TV service this year, down from 87% percent in 2011, according to Leichtman Research Group. On the other hand, about 52% subscribe to both a pay-TV service and an SVOD service, while 11% subscribe to a SVOD without a TV. Meanwhile, Netflix grew in the third quarter ahead of its estimates, adding 370,000 U.S. subscribers, ahead of its predicted 300,000. Internationally, it added 3.2 million, ahead of the projected 2 million. Netflix has made a priority of international expansion, as well as content production. In Netflixs case, it seems to be doing exactly what Fitch suggests is key to weather the shifts in consumption. 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. We are following with great concern developments in Himara (Albania), where 19 families belonging to the Greek National Minority received notices according to which they have a deadline of five days to evacuate their homes, which are intended to be demolished. It is unacceptable that Mayor Gors, while executing a government policy, put his signature on notices for imminent demolition of residences, which were then handed to the owners on the very day of our National Day. The Albanian authorities must proceed immediately, on one hand, to the cancellation of the demolition order and, on the other hand, to meaningful consultations with the owners concerning Himaras redevelopment plans. The protection of property rights, and in particular of minority rights, is an integral part of the five conditions set by the European Union in order to start negotiations for the accession of Albania to the EU. Therefore, if Albania sincerely wishes to join the European Union, it should demonstrate in practice that it functions according to the principles of the rule of law, protecting the rights of all its residents regardless of their nationality and origin, against abuses and illegal acts. The Greek Embassy in Albania continuously monitors the situation, always standing at the side of our Diaspora, and has raised the issue with the competent Albanian authorities, the competent international organizations and representatives of the international community at the highest levels This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate One Washington teen is realizing that stardom on social media is not always what it is carved up to be. Usually when a family gathers for pumpkin carving the occasional seed throwing fight is about the most excitement you can expect. But in a video posted to Facebook and YouTube earlier this week, Rachel Ralphs of Vancouver, Wash., made the mistake of sticking her head into a pumpkin she and her family carved, which she promptly gets stuck. "I bet I can fit my head in it." Were the words Ralphs uttered before becoming a viral sensation. The video was posted by Ralphs' mother Kristy Packer Ralphs, whose Facebook video post quickly shot above 100K views. The YouTube video was at more than 260,000 views Friday afternoon. In the video post Rachel first shows off her new Halloween look, then quickly begins to notice something amiss. The bulk of the four-minute video on Facebook then shows Ralphs' many attempts to remove the pumpkin. RELATED: Twitter beaten to a pulp with reaction to 'The Walking Dead' season 7 opener At times she is aided by her laughing brothers, but alas, all of Ralphs attempts end with shoulders slumped, arms dangling and her standing, with a pumpkin stuck on her head. The whole time you can hear her yelling instructions on how her brothers can get her out. While they, in turn, shout their own instructions. Ultimately her dad is summoned after one of the funnier lines ever heard in a viral Facebook video. "Sam go tell dad that Rachel has her head stuck in a pumpkin." In all Rachel takes it all in good fun, joking along with the rest of them as they try to remove the pumpkin. RELATED: Baby goes viral on Facebook after video shows her crying every time mom, dad kiss In a second video posted after the pumpkin is removed, Rachel says she did because she thought it would be "funny." Something which the rest of the internet seems to agree with. The Boeing Company is the worlds largest manufacturer of airplanes and commands more than 50% of the market in some channels and categories. The company and its family of subsidiaries design, develops, manufacture, sell, service, and supports commercial jetliners, military aircraft, satellites, missile defense, human space flight, and related services worldwide. The company operates through four segments including Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space & Security; Global Services; and Boeing Capital providing products and services to end-users in 150 countries. Boeing got its start in 1910 when William E. Boeing developed a love for aircraft. Soon after he takes his first plane ride which leads him to build a hangar and begin construction of his first plane. The onset of WWI helped spur the companys growth but business was cut drastically in its wake. The start of WWII was another milestone for the company and one that led to its current position of dominance. The company was incorporated in 1916 and is based in Chicago, Illinois. Boeing employs over 140,000 people in 65 countries making it one of the most diverse employers on the planet. The Commercial Airplanes segment is built around the iconic 7-series which includes the 737, 747, and 787. The segment provides commercial jet aircraft for passenger and cargo requirements, as well as fleet support services for regional, national, and international air carriers and logistics and freight companies. In terms of global volume, the company estimates about 90% of all air freight is carried aboard one of its jets. This segment also includes the Dreamliner family of planes. The Dreamliner is a game-changing airplane for many carriers as it opens up the potential for new one-stop destinations because of its capacity and range. The Defense, Space & Security segment develops and manufactures a range of systems including manned and unmanned aircraft, missiles, missile defense systems, satellites, communications equipment, and intelligence systems for governments. Among the many iconic brands within this segment are the AH-64 Apache, Air Force One, B-52, C-17 Globemaster, Chinook, F/A-18, and the V-22 Osprey VTOL aircraft used by the Marines. The Global Services segment offers a range of products and services that include supply chain and logistics management, engineering, maintenance, upgrades, conversions, spare parts, pilot and maintenance training, technical and maintenance documents, and data analytics to its commercial and defense customers. Boeing is also a leader in innovation, leveraging its many decades and avenues of experience to further aerospace and defense technology. Among the many innovations is the MQ-25 Stingray which will be the worlds first autonomous aircraft. The Stingray is only one of many areas of research that also include drones and undersea vehicles. Cenovus Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas in Canada, the United States, and the Asia Pacific region. The company operates through Oil Sands, Conventional, Offshore, Canadian Manufacturing, U.S. Manufacturing, and Retail segments. The Oil Sands segment develops and produces bitumen and heavy oil in northern Alberta and Saskatchewan. This segments Foster Creek, Christina Lake, Sunrise, and Tucker oil sands projects, as well as Lloydminster thermal and conventional heavy oil assets The Conventional segment holds assets primarily located in Elmworth-Wapiti, Kaybob-Edson, Clearwater, and Rainbow Lake operating in Alberta and British Columbia, as well as interests in various natural gas processing facilities. The offshore segment engages in the exploration and development activities. The Canadian Manufacturing segment includes the owned and operated Lloydminster upgrading and asphalt refining complex, which upgrades heavy oil and bitumen into synthetic crude oil, diesel fuel, asphalt, and other ancillary products, as well as owns and operates the Bruderheim crude-by-rail terminal and two ethanol plants. The U.S. Manufacturing segment comprises the refining of crude oil to produce diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, asphalt, and other products. The Retail segment consists of marketing of its own and third-party refined petroleum products through retail, commercial, and bulk petroleum outlets, as well as wholesale channels. Cenovus Energy Inc. was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. National Retail Properties is a REIT focused on retail-oriented properties across the United States. The company invests in high-quality retail properties subject to long-term leases that generate stable, consistent, predictable income. The company laid claim to 3,305 properties enclosing 33.8 million square feet of space in 48 states leased to 380 tenants engaged in 37 trades as of October 2022. National Retail Properties was formed in 1984 as Golden Corral Realty Corporation. The company was intended as a means for employees to invest in Golden Corral but it soon took on a life of its own. The company split from its parent in 1993 and then became a REIT in 1998. Since then a number of mergers and acquisitions resulted in the company that is traded today. National Retail Properties seeks to generate returns for shareholders through capital appreciation and dividends and is one of the most stable dividend payers in the REIT universe. The company made its 33rd consecutive distribution increase in 2022 ranking it 3rd on the list of REITs with sustained annual dividend increases. In regard to all publicly listed companies, there are less than 90 which have increased their payout for as many years or more as National Retail Properties. The compound annual growth rate runs in the range of 4% to 5%. National Retail Properties is not limited in scope to the type of business it will lease to. The top four sectors occupying its space, however, are convenience stores, automotive-related, full-service, and limited-service restaurants which command a lions share of retail dollars. These segments made up nearly 49% of the portfolio in 2022 with no tenant making up more than 5% of the total income. The top three tenants at the time are 7-11, Mister Car Wash, and Camping World followed by L.A. Fitness, GPM Investments (convenience), and Dave & Busters. The firm's average lease runs in the range of 10.6 years and occupancy runs high and above 99%. Properties are all single-occupier and leased on a net basis. Most properties are leased on a triple-net basis which means National Retail Properties is insulated from taxes, maintenance, and insurance costs. Other notable tenants include Yum! Brands and Wendys. National Retail Properties uses leverage to enhance its returns. The companys debt ratio is low however and its debt carries an investment-grade rating from Standard & Poors and Moodys. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. provides cybersecurity solutions worldwide. The company offers firewall appliances and software; Panorama, a security management solution for the control of firewall appliances and software deployed on a customer's network, as well as their instances in public or private cloud environments, as a virtual or a physical appliance; and virtual system upgrades, which are available as extensions to the virtual system capacity that ships with physical appliances. It also provides subscription services covering the areas of threat prevention, malware and persistent threat, URL filtering, laptop and mobile device protection, and firewall; and DNS security, Internet of Things security, SaaS security API, and SaaS security inline, as well as threat intelligence, and data loss prevention. In addition, the company offers cloud security, secure access, security operations, and threat intelligence and cyber security consulting; professional services, including architecture design and planning, implementation, configuration, and firewall migration; education services, such as certifications, as well as online and in-classroom training; and support services. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. sells its products and services through its channel partners, as well as directly to medium to large enterprises, service providers, and government entities operating in various industries, including education, energy, financial services, government entities, healthcare, Internet and media, manufacturing, public sector, and telecommunications. The company was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Redwood Trust, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty finance company in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Residential Mortgage Banking, Business Purpose Mortgage Banking, and Investment Portfolio. The Residential Mortgage Banking segment operates a mortgage loan conduit that acquires residential loans from third-party originators for subsequent sale, securitization, or transfer to its investment portfolio. This segment also offers derivative financial instruments to manage risks associated with residential loans. The Business Purpose Mortgage Banking segment operates a platform that originates and acquires business purpose loans, such as single-family rental and bridge loans for subsequent securitization, sale, or transfer into its investment portfolio. The Investment Portfolio segment invests in securities retained from residential and business purpose securitization activities, and residential and small-balance multifamily bridge loans, as well as residential mortgage-backed securities issued by third parties, Freddie Mac K-Series multifamily loan securitizations and reperforming loan securitizations, servicer advance investments, home equity investments, and other housing-related investments. The company qualifies as a real estate investment trust (REIT) for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, it intends to distribute at least 90% of its taxable income as dividends to shareholders. Redwood Trust, Inc. was incorporated in 1994 and is headquartered in Mill Valley, California. Zoetis Inc. discovers, develops, manufactures, and commercializes animal health medicines, vaccines, and diagnostic products in the United States and internationally. It commercializes products primarily across species, including livestock, such as cattle, swine, poultry, fish, and sheep; and companion animals comprising dogs, cats, and horses. The company also offers vaccines, which are biological preparations to prevent diseases of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and reproductive tracts or induce a specific immune response; anti-infectives that prevent, kill, or slow the growth of bacteria, fungi, or protozoa; and parasiticides that prevent or eliminate external and internal parasites, which include fleas, ticks, and worms. It also provides other pharmaceutical products that comprise pain and sedation, antiemetic, reproductive, and oncology products; dermatology products for itch associated with allergic conditions and atopic dermatitis; and medicated feed additives, which offer medicines to livestock. In addition, the company provides portable blood and urine analysis testing, including point-of-care diagnostic products, instruments and reagents, rapid immunoassay tests, reference laboratory kits and services, and blood glucose monitors; and other non-pharmaceutical products, including nutritionals and agribusiness services, as well as products and services in areas, such as biodevices, genetics tests, and precision animal health. It markets its products to veterinarians, livestock producers, and retail outlets, as well as third-party veterinary distributors through its sales representatives, and technical and veterinary operations specialists. The company was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey. Despite Flipping in Surf 4 Times in a Year, Marines Say New ACV Is the Future of Amphibious Warfare Some Marine veterans familiar with the vehicle and its operations have worried about the reliability of the ACV. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Women who are a voice for the voiceless, who contribute to numerous prominent West Michigan projects, and who volunteer their time and passion for the betterment of others. These are among the winners of this year's Tribute Awards given by the YWCA of West Central Michigan. In all, seven area women will be honored Wednesday, Nov. 9, at the YWCA's annual luncheon to highlight their achievements. Here is a look at some of the accomplishments of these women, as cited in nomination letters and their own words about their work. ADVOCACY AWARD Dr. Nkechy Ekere Ezeh, 52, associate professor for Aquinas College and founder/CEO of Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative Nominators said: "Dr. Nkechy Ekere Ezeh is a person who publicly, privately, and anywhere possible, passionately fights on behalf of vulnerable children and their families." "Dr. Ezeh is a fearless community leader. She capably brings up the subjects that many are hesitant to address, especially issues of equity and disparity. She is a true champion of children and families, and promotes cultural competency in all aspects of her work." She said: "It wasn't until I began working at REACH Inc. (Messiah Baptist Church) in 1990, that I realized that having a father who dared me to walk boldly and leave my own footprints, and a mother who raised me to be unapologetically my unique self, was not a given for all children. Working in that environment where I was daily in contact with the most vulnerable children and families in our community, I became inspired to spend my life fighting for them by creating an environment where vulnerable children and families are exposed to the necessary tools to ensure that they too have that same strong foundation." Life lesson: "Be yourself! It may seem cliche, but I have learned to be my unique self. I grew up with my father's Nigerian tribal leader influence. He used to say to me, "Chekem," (one of his nicknames for me) "remember who you are." As a young girl, I never dreamed that one day I would be recognized as Dr. Nkechy Ekere Ezeh, mother of five amazing children, Aquinas associate professor, and founder/CEO of Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative." ARTS AWARD Kimberly Van Driel, 29, special events manager for Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. Nominator said: "Kim's journey to find her own path and voice has formed a broad view of the arts, and its audiences and locations within our community. Her vision of the arts is expansive and is matched only by her desire to transform the arts across age, race, culture and gender - recognizing that the arts feed the human soul, regardless of labels. She enhances our downtown, builds community, and inspires others by expressing her passion for the arts." She said: "I am continuously inspired by the people and the city that surrounds me. I am inspired everyday by my colleagues, coworkers, committee members that I serve with, DGRI board members, and citizen DGRI Alliance members. Working with unique individuals on a daily basis is a consistent impact of creative inspiration. I am also fortunate enough to have a lot of creative minds that surround me in my personal life that contribute inspiration that is directly reflected in my career. There is inspiration everywhere you turn, you just have to be open minded to say "yes" and choose to go down the path." Life lesson: "That there is no mold to fit in. There is no right or wrong way of doing something - it is just your way. Sometimes it may take longer to get to your destination, but I strongly encourage everyone to make their own path and stick with it even though it may not be the way they were told to do something. As they say, 'A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor.' Your impact will not go unrecognized nor will your passion for what you do." 2016 YWCA TRIBUTE AWARDS Annual awards luncheon to honor remarkable women by YWCA West Central Michigan. When: Noon to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9 Where: DeVos Place (ballrooms A and B), 303 Monroe Ave. NW in downtown Grand Rapids. Tickets: Reservations by Friday, Nov. 4, call 616-426-3716 or ywcatribute2016.eventbrite.com AWARD WINNERS AND CATEGORY: Dr. Nkechy Ekere Ezeh, Advocacy Kimberly Van Driel, Arts Kerri Miller, Business, Management, Industry and Labor Dr. Wendy VerHage Falb, Community Service Vicki Seidl, Professions Adejoke Ayoola, Sports, Fitness and Wellness Taylor Jones, Student Honoree and YWCA Judy Lloyd Scholarship Recipient BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, INDUSTRY and LABOR AWARD Kerri Miller, principal/senior vice president of Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, Inc. Nominator said: "Kerri is the first female principal in the firm's 60-year history, and one of the youngest to ever be promoted. I know firsthand how hard it is to be a woman in leadership in a male-dominated profession. Kerri stands in the face of this adversity. She empowers others to follow in her footsteps, she has taught me to be strong and how best to bring change to not only our firm but also the industry itself. Women are underserved in this profession, but Kerri stands as a model to others. She speaks out at industry days and career fairs, engineering classes and high school rooms, to tell her story and encourage girls to consider engineering as a profession. She is driving change and opening eyes to the possibilities for women all over this state." She said: "My inspiration is the people that I have been fortunate enough to work with throughout my career - co-workers, clients, sub-consultants, future engineers, and others. I am surrounded every day by some of the most talented, intelligent people and it allows me to continue to learn new things all the time. I knew from an early age that I wanted to be an engineer because I enjoy problem solving and working on creative solutions, and I continue to remain engaged and interested because of the people around me. As a leader in the firm, I strive to make myself available to staff and cultivate an 'open door policy' for discussion, guidance and mentoring. Life Lesson: I come from a family of four children, and my parents raised us to believe that we each had our own unique abilities and potential. I chose a profession that continues to be male-dominated and have worked very hard to reach a seat and have a voice at the leadership table. There have been struggles along the way, but I have never wanted to give up from realizing my potential." COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD Dr. Wendy VerHage Falb, 51, executive director of the Literacy Center of West Michigan Nominator said: "Measuring the impact of one person on the larger community is never easy. However, Wendy has played - and continues to play - key roles in the growth and development of Grand Rapids. Wendy's personal vision, I believe, corresponds so well with the new mission statement of the Literacy Center which she helped create: "Bringing about a just and vibrant West Michigan through the power of literacy." Her own commitment to a just and vibrant West Michigan is what drove her to tutor, to strengthen our community, and to encourage others to do the same. She said: My inspiration comes from people's stories. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the complex barriers and challenges for making meaningful social change, but when you meet or get to know another person, a child, or a family, and hear their story, it moves you on a personal level. It's really exciting to be able to leverage connections, perspective, position, policy and funds to support the needs and aspirations of individuals. And getting to know them enlarges my world and my humanity. " Life lesson: "Do not underestimate your ability to affect meaningful change from wherever you are. All of us impact our world every day, for good or for ill. Do not underestimate the ripple effect of shifting your efforts and your spirit toward positive change and away from fear and cynicism." PROFESSIONS AWARD Vicki Seidl, 56, senior assistant prosecuting attorney/head of the juvenile division, Kent County Nominator said: "Vicki is an outstanding leader. In her position as senior attorney in charge of the juvenile division she supervises five attorneys, law clerks, and support staff. She is the primary liaison between the family court judges and prosecutor's office. Whenever Vicki is in a case there is a sigh of relief that fairness and objectivity will prevail. She embodies integrity, hard work and problem-solving in a sensible way which can be seen in her dedication. She's admired and respected not only by her colleagues, but by those who need her help." She said: "I come from a large family with 12 children where sometimes minor laws were broken, fights were had, things were broken and feelings hurt. My parents were firm believers that wrong actions required consequences to be imposed; thankfully, they also believed that forgiveness should follow. In my job, I have the opportunity every day to implement that philosophy. I truly believe that juveniles should have consequences for their wrong actions, but I also believe that we need to make sure that the consequences imposed do not ruin the child's future. Similarly, when I am dealing with neglectful parents, my primary goal is protecting the children in that family. In doing so, I must always remember that children love their parents and that no parent is perfect. Families should remain intact whenever possible and parents deserve the chance to right the wrong they have done." Life lesson: "I try to live my life keeping two quotes in mind. As a child whenever I said 'That's not fair,' my mother would always respond, 'Well no one ever said life was going to be fair because what is fair to you is not necessarily fair to someone else.' The other quote (author unknown to me) is, 'You cannot fix a problem if you are consumed with fixing the blame.' While my mother was correct, I can at least try to be fair to everyone, even if in the end, a true balance cannot be reached. When handling all the cases that arise every day in my job, things go a lot better when I am fair, respectful and working on a solution to the problem at hand instead of arguing about how the problem started in the first place." SPORTS, FITNESS and WELLNESS AWARD: Adejoke Ayoola, 46, associate professor of nursing, Calvin College Nominator said: "Promoting women's health is Adejoke Ayoola's vocation - where her passion intersects with a real need in the world. She's committed 20 years to pursuing that passion. The past ten years, Ayoola has demonstrated leadership in this area in Grand Rapids. What also needs to be noted is her posture of going about this work. She values others' stories. She values what others have to say about what she has become an expert in. She's not one to bring solutions, but to equip and empower women to find and own the solutions." She said: "Women's reproductive health greatly impacts the health of the family and of the whole community. I saw many women with adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes while growing up in Nigeria. Many of the adverse outcomes, which included maternal illness and death, and infant and newborn deaths, were caused by preventable circumstances. So early in life, I was curious to know how women and adolescent reproductive health can be improved. I am encouraged through my nursing education and training to use all available resources - namely nursing education, practice, and research - to promote women's health and empower women to make informed decisions about their reproductive health." Life lesson: "At times our assumptions about women or underprivileged people are not accurate. Until one actually listens to a woman in distress, one may not know what intervention would be helpful to her in her situation. I found it very meaningful to listen to the women first in order to recognize their real challenges. In giving voice to their concerns, I am able to identify the real issues and find ways to involve others in resolving their concerns." STUDENT HONOREE and YWCA JUDY LLOYD SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT Taylor Jones, 17, Rockford High School student Nominator said: "Taylor is the youngest person ever hired on the Equest staff at the age of 14. We made this exception to our usual hiring practice because of Taylor's impressive maturity level, focus, reliability, and attention to detail. Whether leading children or adults, those able-bodied or with special needs, Taylor's natural leadership ability to motivate people to work together for a common goal shines through. Her quiet confidence and self-assured knowledge of who she is and what she can accomplish has inspired many young riders at Equest and beyond. Her impact in this regard especially is immeasurable. She inspires those around her and serves as a positive role model to those that have physical disabilities that anything is possible. She is a confident, highly motivated, giving young woman who consistently moves beyond barriers and exemplifies a true value and respect for all life." She said: "My inspiration for volunteering at the Equest for Therapeutic Riding center stems from a lawnmower accident when I was four that led to the amputation of my right foot. Considering my knowledge of how to overcome difficult challenges with a disability, I decided I wanted to help people who have similar issues." Life lesson: "One life lesson that I would like to share is even though an obstacle may be hard to overcome, reaching the end goal is always worth the hardships." For more information or to make reservations, call 616-426-3716 or visit ywcatribute2016.eventbrite.com before Friday, Nov. 4. Courtesy photo | Warner Bros. 10 reasons 'The Shining' is the scariest (and best) horror movie ever made By John Serba jserba@mlive.com Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" is the scariest horror movie ever. It's also the best horror movie ever - a necessary distinction, because generating terror and expert filmmaking technique can be mutually exclusive. (And even then, it's not the best Kubrick movie ever - that would be "A Clockwork Orange." Or "2001: A Space Odyssey." Or maybe his best is "The Shining." Damn. Never mind. Forget I brought it up.) Of the thousands of films I've seen, none has creeped me out more. Perhaps contrary to rationale, it also compelled me to watch it many, many times - and has never failed to make me as uncomfortable as I am invigorated. The following 10 points support my assertion that it's not just a cinema classic, but the most terrifying thing ever put on celluloid. Don't Edit via GIPHY First off: I never know if I should watch "The Shining" like this... Don't Edit via GIPHY Yikes ...or like this. Don't Edit via GIPHY 1. Jack Nicholson's greatest performance? Should we go that far, considering "Five Easy Pieces," "About Schmidt," "A Few Good Men," "Chinatown," "The Last Detail," "The Departed" and especially "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"? Absolutely. Never has Jack's trademark triangular grin - you know, the one where his mischievous eyebrows betray the intentions of his mouth - been less reassuring, or representative of his character's man-vs.-himself internal conflict. Is the performance terrifying, or gonzo comedy? Are we laughing sincerely because he's funny, or nervously to break the tension? Yes. All of the above. Don't Edit via GIPHY 2. Child endangerment This is the most troubling violation of a psychological "safe space" in the film. Daddy would never hurt you. Daddy loves you more than anything in the world. Daddy would never, ever lose his mind and chase you through a hedge maze with an ax. Nope. It would never even cross Daddy's mind. Don't Edit Don't Edit via GIPHY 3. Obsession, addiction, compulsion Daddy would never hurt you, except if he comes home drunk and grabs you and dislocates your shoulder. Don't break my concentration when I'm working. What I wouldn't do for a glass of beer. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Don't Edit via GIPHY 4. Possession Like "The Exorcist," the second-scariest movie in the history of everything, "The Shining" incorporates a supernatural force manifesting itself in a child. Danny's "imaginary friend" Tony, who "lives inside (his) mouth" and tells him "things" is, I believe, ultimately a force for good. "REDRUM" isn't a threat - it's a warning. Still, the idea that a person doesn't have full control of their physical and mental faculties is deeply disturbing, especially when a little boy gives the entity a cutesy croaking voice that would be adorable in a different context. Don't Edit via GIPHY 5. Going down? There's nothing like an elevator full of blood to make you wish you hadn't splurged on your family vacation, and used the Groupon for the Holiday Inn Express instead. Don't Edit via GIPHY 6. Heeeeeere's Johnny! Famously ad-libbed by Nicholson, this is a top-10 most-iconic movie moment ever. Don't Edit via GIPHY 6a. Which inspired the greatest 'Simpsons' parody ever Bart: "Don't you mean 'shining'?" Groundskeeper Willie: "Shh! You wanna get sued?" Don't Edit Don't Edit via GIPHY 6b. All work and no play... ...make Jack a dull boy. Don't Edit via GIPHY 6c. No TV and no beer... ...make Homer something something. Don't Edit via GIPHY 7. The psychedelic carpet And you thought Grandma's shag rug was a nightmare. Danny pedals his tricycle down the halls, and the brown, orange and burgundy pseudo-hexagons - a southwestern pattern no doubt inspired by the American Indians who died and ended up in the burial ground on top of which the hotel was built, whoops - rush by in a disorienting blur. Did you know: in the scene when Danny is playing with his toy cars on the carpet, the pattern reverses from one shot to the next, suggesting a haunting. And when we finally see inside room 237, it's easy to theorize that the turquoise "Birth of Venus" shell carpet pattern could drive anyone mad. Don't Edit via GIPHY 8. Room 237 Speaking of room 237. Even though Jack's first drink in five months probably didn't exist, being served by a ghost and all, he has a pretty extreme case of beer goggles when he investigates the room, starts making out with the beautiful naked woman, and realizes she's actually a rotting old crone. For my money, the woman's corpse floating in the bathtub is the film's most disturbing image. Don't Edit via GIPHY 9. WHAT THE HELL IS THIS No, seriously. This scene. It's dropped in at random, in the middle of Wendy's surreal third-act horrified wandering, and it blindsides us, like we didn't realize we were standing on the train tracks until the 10:40 to Poughkeepsie ran us over. What the devil is happening here? Actually, don't answer that. I think we're better off not knowing. Don't Edit Don't Edit via GIPHY 10. 'Come and play with us' Now that I've forced you to look at the Grady twins, good luck going home tonight and not seeing them at the end the hallway! Editor's note: This story has been updated with the correct spelling of Michael Biven's name. GREEN OAK TOWNSHIP, MI - Two men drowned while trying to save coworkers from a sinking boat on the evening of Friday, Oct. 28 in Green Oak Township. Police were called about 7:22 p.m. Friday to the Hidden Lake subdivision, located at 10873 Stoney Point Drive, for a report of a boat sinking with two individuals in the water, according to a release from the Green Oak Township Police Department. Police determined that two 20-year-old men from Clarkston, Michigan, were on a 2006 aluminum, 10-foot boat conducting lake maintenance and removing buoys from the lake when the boat began to sink, according to the release. The two called three other men that were working within the subdivision, but by the time the co-workers arrived, the 20-year-old men were in the water and distressed due to the water temperature. Two fellow co-workers, later identified as Michael Biven, 20, and Ian Tracey, 38, attempted to swim out to the men from the sinking boat, but went under the water themselves, police said. Police believe the two may have struggled with the cold temperatures and the rapid drop-off in the lake. One man from the capsized boat managed to swim to shore and the other was rescued by a resident with a watercraft. The Livingston County Dive Team found Biven and Tracey in water about 10 feet deep after about 60 minutes and took the two to shore, police said. Attempts to resuscitate the two were made and they were taken to University of Michigan hospital, where they were pronounced dead. The two men who were in the capsized boat were treated at the scene and released. Police said none of the men involved used or had access to personal flotation devices. The Green Oak Township Fire Department, Hartland Area Fire Department, Howell Area Fire Department, University of Michigan Survival Flight and Livingston County EMS also assisted at the scene. DETROIT, MI -- The Wayne County Circuit Court clerk's inability to find a file from the 1970s could result in reduced prison time for a man convicted of killing a Detroit cop in 1977. Charles Lewis, 57, has spent 41 years in prison for the killing off-duty Detroit Police Officer Gerald Swyitkowski on July 31, 1976. He was 17. Under state law at the time, Lewis was sentenced in 1977 to a mandatory life sentence, without the possibility of parole. But the Supreme Court has since ruled anyone sentenced to automatic life in prison for a murder conviction committed before they turned 18 but have their sentence reconsidered. That means Lewis, who previously had no substantial hope of being released, now has a shot -- and his odds improved after learning court personnel can't find much of his old court records, including transcripts from his sentencing and a previous trial that ended with a mistrial. Wayne Circuit Judge Qiana Lillard is reviewing a motion submitted by Lewis himself requesting his entire conviction be vacated; and one by his state-appointed defense attorney, Valerie Newman, who says it would be "impossible" to adequately represent and argue on behalf of Lewis without full court records, and therefore, Lewis should be sentenced to a 40-year minimum, which he's already served. State law says judges must re-sentence juvenile lifers to minimums between 25 and 50 years, with a maximum of 60. If Lewis' sentence it revised to 40-60 years, his case would go before the state Parole Board, who has the ultimate power to release him. Wayne County court staff have been searching for Lewis' lost file for years, and the judge admitted it's unlikely to be found. Despite claims by the clerk's office they're still looking, Lillard said she'll make her decision on the motions within 14 days based on the presumption it is eternally lost. David Baxter, the administrator for the Wayne County Clerk's Criminal Division, said his office "diligently" searched a storage building in Detroit where archived files are kept Saturday, Oct. 22. Baxter says taxpayers paid overtime wages for five court clerks and a supervisor to search the warehouse outside normal business hours. "Not yet ... We're still looking," Baxter said when asked if they found anything. He indicated the search will resume at Nov. 7. "I anticipate we're going to see this issue in other cases," Newman said when asked if she believes the loss of Lewis' file is an isolated incident. Lewis is one of about 370 Michigan inmates who were sentenced to mandatory life sentences as minors. They'll all have an opportunity to argue for reduced sentences. Worthy is seeking to reinstate automatic life sentences in about 60 of 140 juvenile cases that were sentenced in Wayne County. Lewis maintains he's not guilty of the 1976 murder. Three then-teens and co-defendants of Lewis, who received immunity for their for their cooperation, testified against him during the 1977 trial. Court records indicate Lewis was accused of killing the officer with a single shotgun blast to the head near Harper and Barrett avenues in east Detroit. "Six eyewitnesses, including Sypitowski's partner, identified an unrelated killer," Lewis supporters said in a statement issued Thursday. you are here: October 30, 2016 Unprincipled WaPo Editors Damned Comey Critics - Now Join Them The Washington Post editorial page is staunchly neoconservative and early on endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. On July 7 2016 the editors pinned an editorial defending FBI chief Comey's decision to then close the Clinton email case: Republicans attack Mr. Comey for doing his job IF REPUBLICANS believe the FBI director is corrupt and political, they should have the gumption to say so. Instead, many have insulted James B. Comey with slimy implications and underhanded threats since Tuesday, when he announced that he would not recommend charges against Hillary Clinton relating to her use of a private email server while secretary of state. ... A look at today's Washington Post editorial page seems to demonstrate a change of mind: bigger From the first piece headlined James Comey is damaging our democracy: First, the FBI director, James B. Comey, put himself enthusiastically forward as the arbiter of not only whether to prosecute a criminal case which is not the job of the FBI but also best practices in the handling of email and other matters. Now, he has chosen personally to restrike the balance between transparency and fairness, departing from the departments traditions. From the second piece by notorious mud-slinger Dana Milbank: Ive long believed in Comeys integrity. But if he doesnt step forward and explain his October Surprise, he may inadvertently wind up interfering in the political process perhaps even reversing the outcome of a presidential election in a way that would have made J. Edgar Hoover gape. And the third strike: FBI Director James B. Comeys stunning announcement that he has directed investigators to begin reviewing new evidence in the Clinton email investigation was yet another troubling violation of long-standing Justice Department rules or precedent, conduct that raises serious questions about his judgment and ability to serve as the nations chief investigative official. Back to the July 7 editorial: It appears damage is being done to the rule of law, Mr. Ryan said. Hes right, but the FBI director isnt doing the damage. The wreckers are those who cast baseless aspersions on U.S. law enforcement in the service of their partisan goals. I for one believe that Comey was wrong in July and is right today. He should have pressed for charges against Clinton early on. Using a "secret" private email server for confidential state business is not legal and would have been out of bounds for anyone else. Now possible new evidence was found and must be investigated. It is not Comey's job to ask if the timing of a renewed investigation is convenient for the potential culprit. He also had to inform Congress because he had reasonably promised to do so. (He also needed to save his ass before anyone else in his department talked to the media.) The so called "election" of a U.S. president is always a sorry show. But this season's version has at least some amusing moments. Seeing the hypocrites at Fred Hyatt's Funny Pages squirm is one of them. It makes me smirk. Posted by b on October 30, 2016 at 12:37 UTC | Permalink Comments next page next page Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the state of Texas cant continue to fund schools the way it has in the past, but that an attempt to completely overhaul the system will require the governor calling a special session. Patrick told the Reporter-Telegram after his appearance at the Permian Basin Petroleum Associations annual meeting Thursday that he doesnt expect the so-called Robin Hood school funding system can be addressed during the regular session. He said there are too many bills and too many other items to occupy lawmakers time. This year, Midland ISD budgeted a $50 million-plus recapture payment to the state. That money will be distributed to poorer districts. A budget forecast shows Midland ISD -- as a chapter 41, or property rich district -- will have to send more than $223.5 million to Austin over the next four years, including more than $68 million in 2020-2021. If the governor is willing, I am willing to address it in a special session, Patrick said. We cant continue the way we have been going. ... The best way to handle it is to fix it once and for all. Gov. Greg Abbotts office didnt respond to repeated requests for comment about the possibility of calling a special session to address school finance. Lawmakers typically havent addressed school finance, except when there was a court order to do so. Earlier this year, the Texas Supreme Court called the current school funding system Byzantine but fell short of calling it unconstitutional as many hoped and expected. That decision, according to state Rep. Tom Craddick, relieved Abbott of any legal obligation to call a special session. The governor wont call it without pressure to have something done, said Craddick, who has said he was one of the lawmakers who voted against the Robin Hood system, which was created in 1993 to equalize educational funding among school districts across the state. The Midland Republican pointed to comments made by legislators who want to at least tweak the current system, even if a special session isnt called. State Sen. Kel Seliger, who represents the Midland-Odessa area, said during a PBPA legislative panel discussion on Thursday that he wants to look at addressing the volatility that impacts districts such as Midland, which relies on taxable income received from minerals. The Amarillo Republican said it is tough for districts to make recapture payments based on a year when values are high but when the current tax levy is much less. Therefore, he said, a school district is paying on a levy that it is not getting. This happened with Midland ISD this year. The recapture payment is based on the previous years valuations. That lag forced an all-time high recapture payment even when oil prices fell into the $30 range. Seliger has said Robin Hood allows for the collection of $3.5 billion to be distributed to other school districts. He also said there never will be a completely equitable system because there are very poor rural districts and districts with enormous industrial bases. I think we can lessen the effects, Seliger said. We cant do it all at one time but we can reduce it over time, and I think that should be one of our goals. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A forum on Friday at the Horseshoe gave community members an opportunity to learn about gun laws and public figures positions on them. Martin Stringer, who led the forum, said he and other members of West Texas Discussion Group wanted to educate the community about gun issues after new state laws were instituted this year. We had a deficiency in our knowledge of firearms laws, Stringer said. We wanted the public to know about firearms laws in the United States, the use of deadly force and other things. More than three dozen community members came to the forum at the Horseshoe Education Building. The event consisted of lectures and question-and-answer sessions with public officials. U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway affirmed his support of the Second Amendment. He said hes not aware of attempts by Republicans in Congress to control gun rights, but said hes wary of potential restrictions from the other side of the aisle. Any time I hear anyone say we need reasonable gun control laws, my antenna goes up, the Midland Republican said. Other public figures at the event included Odessas Brooks Landgraf, the state representative for District 81, as well as local, state and federal law enforcement officials. The event included four lectures, which covered the Second Amendment and state and federal gun laws. Speakers cited statistics, court cases, the Texas penal code and state license-to-carry requirements. Tim Macy, chair of Gun Owners of America, said gun rights supporters should be informed about the issues so theyre ready to counter people with opposing opinions. He said taking away the right to bear arms could have negative consequences. What weve seen historically is the government cant always protect you from the bad guy, Macy said. Whats more, the government can actually be the bad guy. Thats why the Second Amendment is crucial to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Other speakers were Nelson Spear, former assistant U.S. attorney, and Charles Bro Seltzer, former Midland County judge. Milton Tharp, a retired Odessa Police Department officer, prepared the fourth presentation but couldnt make it to the event. Seltzer said voters should keep gun rights in mind when choosing the next U.S. president. He said the new national leader likely will make Supreme Court appointments, which could affect future gun laws in this country. This is a crucial election if not only for that but for down-ballot races, Seltzer said. Anyone appointed to the Supreme Court has to pass the scrutiny of the Senate. For Midland High School junior Mia Bejil, some students decisions about alcohol and drugs are concerning. Seeing it influence my peers saddens me, Bejil said. What they could have been capable of in academics and especially sports, they lost. They had a lot going for them but lost it for their actions. The circumstances prompted Bejil to join the Drugs, Alcohol, Safety, Health (DASH) Program, a committee within the schools Student Council. This school year, members of DASH have been telling students about the consequences of substance use to encourage prevention. The Midland Reporter-Telegram asked DASH students and others in the community to weigh in on the results of a recent student alcohol and drug survey. Slight decline in use, more marijuana acceptance Survey results released Oct. 20 at Palmer Drug Abuse Program reveal alcohol and drug use among Midland ISD students has been mostly steady in recent years. More than 2,300 students filled out a survey from Texas Prevention Impact Index during the 2015-2016 school year. The survey asks MISD sixth- through 12th-graders about their use and perceptions of alcohol, drugs, tobacco and violence. We try to assess what patterns of use are and what affects kids on a day-to-day basis, said Robert Landry, founder of Houston-based Research and Educational Services, which analyzes the surveys. We do a comparison over the years to see how its going. This year, theres very impressive progress. Nearly 42 percent of students reported drinking alcohol one or more times, compared to nearly 44 percent last year. Also this school year, about 28 percent of students said they planned to drink alcohol in the future, compared to 30 percent last school year. Students were also less likely than in the previous year to report past and future use of cigarettes. For sixth- to eighth-graders, the survey results were almost steady for students who had used prescription drugs, and the percentage of students in this group who tried marijuana slightly dropped. PDAPs Midland Coalition tries to steer students away from substance use. Veronica Luna, coalition coordinator, said the results are a sign the prevention methods are working, but theres still room for improvement. Our work never ends, Luna said. Were constantly planning to work on the results. Adrian Jimenez, MHS junior in DASH, said hes not surprised about continued student alcohol and drug use. They go during lunch, and they still do it at home and at parties, Jimenez said. They use social media to record what theyre doing. In recent years, student perceptions toward marijuana have changed, according to survey results. About 54 percent of students thought marijuana users risked harm, compared with 68 percent the previous school year. Its a wide societal topic accepted with states legalizing marijuana, said Ron Moss, MISD director of guidance and counseling. Theres an effort not just of educating students but parents as well. Communication at home Reducing student alcohol and drug use can start at home, according to Landry. On the survey, the majority of students said they didnt talk to family members about alcohol or drugs within the past month. Some students also said their parents approve of them drinking some alcohol products. Landry said parents should talk to students at an early age about alcohol and drugs and understand that adult substance use doesnt go unnoticed. We need to encourage adults to exhibit the behavior they want to see in their kids, Landry said. Parent awareness about underage drinking also makes a difference, according to Kevin Thompson, regional evaluator at Region 9 Prevention Resource Center. He said students dont always tell parents about their alcohol habits. We conduct focus groups in Midland County and Martin County, where Stanton is, Thompson said. Parents believed they knew what kids were doing at the time. .... There seems to be a lack of communication on the family level. The PRC gathered data about alcohol, drug and tobacco use in West Texas counties to create its 2016 Regional Needs Assessment. The organization calculated that underage drinking cost the average household in the region $464 last year, a figure that covers costs for work lost, medical care and pain and suffering. It might seem insignificant it costs $464 per year, Thompson said. But for rent and car payments, its a significant amount of money. Its preventable. Its unnecessary if we have conversations with our kids about prevention. Thompson said the PRC is seeking to hold Midland County adults responsible for hosting parties in which alcohol is served to minors. Were trying to communicate with law enforcement that parents are trying to [host] what is known as safe parties, Thompson said. It doesnt really help the problem. Kids are still drinking under age. It communicates its still permissible. But students said many of their peers parents dont mind underage drinking as long as they think theyre safe. Parents drank when they were younger, said DASH senior Tyler Klattenhoff. It depends on trust and how they feel about it. If they have a designated driver, most of the time theyre going to be OK with it. To tackle substance use, the Midland Coalition tries to educate both students and parents about risks. Luna thinks programs targeting marijuana and other drugs might have helped reduce the numbers of students trying some substances. We had a Marijuana Mystery campaign to debunk some of the myths about marijuana, so maybe that had an effect, Luna said. Education through schools MISD schools teach information about alcohol and drugs starting at the elementary level. Moss said the district gives facts at an early age to help students reach their own conclusions. Theres been a shift over the last number of years from the just say no approach to having students make informed decisions when they choose to make decisions, Moss said. But Bejil said learning about risks in the classroom doesnt always transfer to behaviors outside of school. A lot of kids I notice brush it off and dont take it into consideration, Bejil said. The survey found a fraction of students indicated they were comfortable with asking a teacher, counselor or resource officer questions about drinking. Jimenez said hes noticed a lack of student trust toward adults in schools. They think that teachers dont really care as much, Jimenez said. They cant trust the teachers. They dont spend time with them, and it might come out of their mouth. Moss said MISD wants to make students more comfortable about trusting adults at schools. Research shows any kids that age if they have questions about alcohol or tobacco, theyre going to go to their peers first before going to adults, Moss said. One of the approaches were trying to get across is: Your peers are going to come to you. Do you really know the answers? Despite education efforts, students on the survey thought more of their peers use alcohol and drugs than actually do. Also, only 58 percent of students surveyed thought all school alcohol rules were clearly stated. Last year, fewer students said they were offered illegal drugs on campus than in the past. But nearly 15 percent of survey respondents said they were likely or very likely to use alcohol before school. Moss said he and others in MISD are considering ways to make the districts no-tolerance policy for alcohol and drugs more evident. Moving forward, were going to take what the survey shows us and see what we can do better, Moss said. We have independently selected these offers and products because we love them and we think you might like them at these prices. E! has affiliate relationships, so we may earn a commission if you buy something through our links. Items are Akufo-Addo should have apologised over hardship ... Taliparamba's Seethi Sahib Higher Secondary School sets up libraries in all its 69 classrooms | Students, alumni, traders and business houses pitch in to build a bank of 6,000 books On Tuesday, physicians, health care employees, patients, expectant mothers and the Great Lakes Bay Region community are invited to attend an open house of the new CenteringPregnancy program at CMU Health. CMU Health is partnering with MiHIA and Centering Healthcare Institute to provide group care to pregnant women in an effort to improve the infant mortality rate. This project is funded through the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. The combining of The Dow Chemical Co. and Dow Corning Corp. has resulted in some anxious moments and the loss of 700 positions in the area. But Dow has been proactive in allaying those fears along with aiding displaced workers in their search for new positions. In collaboration with Michigan Economic Development Corp., Dow has offered its displaced workers a job portal to help with future employment. This is unique, its a first of its kind in the state. For all we know, its the first of its kind in the country. It is a public/private partnership that is working. We want our community and our displaced employees to be sure they understand the opportunity that is out there, said Rich Wells, vice president and site director of Dows Michigan Operations. The portal is available only to displaced Dow and Dow Corning employees and contains jobs within the state of Michigan. A majority, 30 percent of the jobs, are located within 50 miles of the city of Midland. We have some very good people at Dow and we would like to see those people continue to contribute to Michigan and even better to contribute to our region and community, Well said. On June 28, Dow announced that due to a global reduction in the workforce, 700 jobs would be lost in the region between Dow Corning and Dow. By the end of July, all the displaced employees had been notified of their status. Between now and the middle of 2018, all those displaced workers will have left the company. But, realizing that applying for a job and securing a job takes time, Wells wanted to make sure that those affected employees are aware of the opportunity the job portal offers. We want our employees to act upon those available jobs and not wait until the day they are no longer a part of Dow, he said. We want wives and husbands to hear about it, mothers and fathers to hear about it. There is no harm to using the portal. There is no downside. Dow will also be doing a refresher communication with all the impacted employees. Any employee that has lost their information regarding the portal may visit Midland Tomorrow to regain access to the website. Launched on July 11, the portal originally offered 450 jobs from 145 Michigan companies, which have had the opportunity to post open jobs and search for Dow and Dow Corning talent to fill those open positions. We knew that we needed to do more than just offer severance packages, Wells said. The jobs that are available, it has exceeded our expectations. I personally was shocked at the amount of employment opportunities there are in the state of Michigan and how well the MEDC has been able to grab those jobs and put them on this portal. Currently, the portal has grown to more than 1,000 skilled and professional jobs from 200 companies, including area companies like Nexteer and MidMichigan Health. Every week it grows. Its really been a big success. The jobs are of high quality: engineering, IT, human resources, attorneys, tax and accounting, Wells said. In addition to the portal, Dow has hosted three job fairs. The company will also be having another one in the near future, although the date has not been set. The job fair would be an extension of the portal. We would invite the companies in the portal and try to help make the connection (between displaced workers and companies), Wells said. To the Editor: Last Friday, Oct. 14th, the monthly Jeans Day at Fairfield Woods Middle School instead became Pink Day. The teachers of Fairfield Woods Middle School every month hold a Jeans Friday to raise money for different charities of their choosing. This month, the teachers at Fairfield Woods wanted to be a part of Fairfields Paint the Town Pink celebration for Breast Cancer Awareness and join in the Pink Pledge, so the designated charity was the Norma Phriem Breast Care Center. Two groups in the middle school teamed up together to organize and promote the fundraiser amongst both teachers and students. The Sunshine Committee, lead by teacher Susan Costa, which orchestrates the monthly Jean Friday, was approached by The Peer Mentors Club, started by teachers Kristen Chase, Jill DuGiud and Liz Toal. Because the mission of the Peer Mentor Club is to help student facilitators promote activities that spread kindness and foster friendship, the teachers who lead it thought this would be a great way for students to do some good while also promoting awareness. Jill DuGuid, an art teacher at Woods and her mother, Vicki DuGuid, a secretary in the main office and a breast cancer survivor herself, came up with the idea. Because they, and the teachers at Woods, suffered the loss of colleague and friend Maureen Minnick four years ago to breast cancer, they felt compelled to act. They got in touch with the Norma Phriem Breast Cancer Center and were sent boxes of pink bracelets. Under the guidance of their teacher leaders, Peer Mentor Facilitators went to classrooms and sold bracelets to students and teachers for $2 each and donations came in, as well, for a total of $752 for the Breast Care Center. This amount was substantially better than prior years and the money will be used to provide breast care and early detection for all women regardless of their ability to pay. Margaret Murphy Murphy is a social studies teacher at Fairfield Warde High School. Two males, 15 and 18 years old, were arrested Oct. 23 on a charge of burglarizing a home. A deputy was dispatched to the 35000 block of West Pine Circle in reference to a burglary that had just occurred. The victim had heard someone in his garage and saw a person dragging his welder down his driveway to the street. The victim followed the person to a residence on North Pine Circle. The deputy arrived on scene and made contact with the males. They admitted they had stolen the welder and a drill. District 4 West County * A 23-year-old man was arrested Oct. 23 for reckless driving. A deputy was dispatched to an attempt to locate a vehicle on Texas 249 at the South Montgomery County/Harris County line. The vehicle was described as a white Chevy Impala that was unable to maintain a single lane and the driver kept slamming on the brakes. This vehicle was being followed by a witness who was giving updated locations to dispatch. * A 43-year-old man was arrested Oct. 23 for his third DWI. A deputy was dispatched to the 36000 block of FM 1774 in reference to a crash with injuries. The deputy made contact with a man who had been in the accident, the other driver and witnesses. The other driver advised the man had pulled out in front of him with no headlights on and he had no time to react. The driver had an odor of alcohol coming from him. The deputy performed a field sobriety test indicating the man was intoxicated. * A 30-year-old man was arrested Oct. 22 for driving while intoxicated. A deputy observed a white Chevy truck unable to maintain a single lane in the 35000 block of FM 1774 numerous times. The deputy initiated a traffic stop and made contact with the man who was driving. The man admitted having two beers and was heading home from a bar. * A 52-year-old woman was arrested Oct. 21 for driving while intoxicated and possessing marijuana. A deputy was dispatched to the 39000 block of FM 149 in reference to a welfare check. The deputy made contact with a woman in her vehicle in the northbound lane of FM 149 with the car in gear but not moving. The woman was confused as to where she was and the day of the week. The woman admitted to drinking and taking Xanax. After a field sobriety text, she was taken into custody for DWI. Before transport, marijuana was found in the female's glove compartment, and a pipe with marijuana was found in her pocket. * A 29-year-old man was arrested Oct. 19 for being public intoxication. A deputy was dispatched to the 33300 block of Pinehurst Loop in reference to a disturbance between two residents of the RV Park. The deputy made contact with a man who was intoxicated. While on scene, the man began to yell, causing another disturbance. * A 57-year-old man was arrested Oct. 19 for being public intoxication. A deputy was dispatched to the 29000 block of Kentucky Avenue for a welfare check on a man threatening someone with a pipe. The deputy observed the man stumbling around in the street with the pipe. * A 33-year-old man was arrested Oct. 17 for pulling a gun on his wife. A deputy was dispatched to the 28000 block of Elm Trace for a family violence in progress call. Upon arrival, the deputy made contact with a man, his wife and his mother-in-law. The man advised he had gotten into an argument with his wife over an E-Cig. He had pulled out his 9mm pistol and aimed it at her, but had not meant to harm anyone. * A 34-year-old man was arrested Oct. 17 for threatening to retaliate against his father. A deputy was dispatched to the 29000 block of Baltic Avenue in reference to a disturbance in progress call. The deputy made contact with the man, who advised his son had gotten angry with him regarding money and had become physical, pushing him to the ground and threatening him with a knife. District 5 Northwest County * A woman was arrested Oct. 16 for possessing marijuana. A deputy was dispatched to the 19600 block of Indigo Lake Drive in regard to a disturbance. A woman involved in the disturbance was detained. During the investigation, it was discovered she was in possession of marijuana. * A man was arrested Oct. 18 for possessing marijuana. A deputy was travelling along the 17400 block of Texas 105 West when a vehicle pulled into the roadway from an adjacent parking lot, almost striking the patrol vehicle. A traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle and contact was made with the male driver. During the investigation, it was discovered that the man was in possession of marijuana. * A woman was arrested Oct. 20 after assaulting an elderly woman. A deputy was dispatched to the 5700 block of Beech Drive in regard to a reported family violence in progress. Contact was made with the two women involved. It was reported and confirmed by witnesses that a younger woman had physically assaulted an elderly woman during an altercation and later forcibly took the phone away from the elderly woman while on the line with 911. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate An undergraduate student's blog post recently went viral when she opened up about feeling hurt after her professor accused her of plagiarism. Tiffany Martinez, who attends the College of Arts & Sciences at Suffolk University in Boston, said she felt disrespected and invalidated in class. "My professor handed me back a paper in front of my entire class and exclaimed 'this is not your language,'" Martinez wrote. "On the top of the page they wrote in blue ink: 'Please go back and indicate where you cut and paste.'" READ MORE: A&M students talk campus racism on social media Worst of all, Martinez' professor grilled her on the use of the word "hence," writing "this is not your word." In the question that best summarized her frustration, Martinez asked "How many degrees do I need for someone to believe I am an academic?" Most people have been quick to show Martinez overwhelming support, but others fail to see why she would react emotionally to an accusation of plagiarism. Some seem to believe she's turning it into a "race thing." READ MORE: 68 factual errors identified in controversial 'Mexican American Heritage' textbook Studies show Latinos are treated as if they are less likely to succeed in college, less likely to receive a callback from a job interview and more likely to receive a ticket or to be victims of police brutality. "At this moment, I am in the process of advocating for myself to prove the merit of my content to people who will never understand what it is like to be someone like me," Martinez wrote. "I understand that no matter how hard I try or how well I write, these biases will continue to exist around me. I understand that my need to fight against these social norms is necessary." Click through above to see 10 things to know about Houston's changing Hispanic population A house party on the Northwest Side turned violent when several party-crashers showed up and a man in a Freddy Krueger outfit pulled a gun and shot five people. San Antonio police are searching for suspects from the shooting that happened about 5 a.m. in the 2900 block of Aspen Meadow. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The U.S. Air Force was supposed to start phasing out the A-10 Thunderbolt II in 2017, but it appears those plans have changed. Air Force Material Command Chief Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski told Aviation Week that the plane will continue to be built for the foreseeable future. READ MORE: 41 pictures that show why a U.S. aircraft carrier is such a dominate force "They have re-geared up, we've turned on the depot line, we're building it back up in capacity and supply chain," Pawlikowski said in an Aviation Week interview. "Our command, anyway, is approaching this as another airplane that we are sustaining indefinitely." The A-10 was supposed to be retired for more F-35s. Aviation Week reports the A-10 has a "critical role in the campaign against Islamic State terrorists in Iraq and Syria," making it a popular model to continue producing. READ MORE: Air Force wants more training space at U.S. preserve in Nevada The Government Accountability Office in August said the Air Force hasn't proved that there's another plane available that's more cost effective than the A-10. Until the Air Force is ordered to move on, it looks like the A-10 will continue to be used for American fights. "My approach from a sustainment perspective is to approach this as if we're just going to continue to keep these airplanes operating," Pawlikowski told Aviation Week. Plans to replace the A-10 have been controversial and aviation experts have argued it makes little sense to stop using the plane. "Why build a replacement for something that needs no replacement and is already the best in the world at what it does?" FoxTrotAlpha's Tyler Rogoway wrote in April. "The Air Force has already paid for a large portion of the A-10 fleet's re-winging, a process that has added many decades of service life to the Warthog. The relatively simple aircraft is also inexpensive to upgrade, allowing to to adapt to future requirements far easier than its supersonic stablemates." EDITORS NOTE OWI means operating while intoxicated. DWLS means driving while license suspended. (MC) is for Judge Michael D. Carpenter. (L) is for Magistrate Gerald Ladwig. Sentences may vary based on previous offenses committed by the defendant. Some sentencings include other fees imposed by the state. Auburn Gabrielle Cassandra-Jean Derus, 20, third-offense MIP on July 21, 2015, and contempt of court, five days in jail held in abeyance with credit for two days served for contempt of court, $200 fines and costs (MC). Coleman Aleesha Marie Carr, 25, stray dog on April 25, 90 days in jail held in abeyance, $350 fines and costs, $903.99 restitution, one year probation, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC). Freeland Jake Raleigh Bickerstaff, 24, impaired driving on April 16, 93 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for two days, $775 fines and costs, nine months probation, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars except for employment, attend counseling as directed (MC). Harrison William Francis Gildenstern, 18, domestic violence on July 27, 93 days in jail with all but two weekends in jail suspended and credit for one day, $600 fines and costs, $89 restitution, one year probation, not to be involved in any threatening, intimidating, violent, aggressive, disorderly or abusive behavior toward any person, no contact with the victim, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC). Midland Chase Robert Burkett, 26, South Woodcock Road, OWI on April 28, 93 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for six days, $975 fines and costs, one year probation, attend substance abuse program, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed, to be monitored by an alcohol tether for six months (MC). Chad Michael Crawford, 25, Russell Street, noise violation on Sept. 17, $250 fines and costs (L). Kyle Steven Hollinshead, 32, West Isabella Road, impaired operating-marine on July 18, 93 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for two days, $775 fines and costs, three months probation, attend substance abuse program, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed, may not operate a vessel for six months (MC). Kayla Nichole Ignatowski, 19, Dahlia Street, no proof of insurance on Sept. 25, $210 fine (L). Marshall Dee Snyder, 52, Rumbaugh Lane, reckless driving on May 24, one day in jail with credit for time served, $200 fine (MC). Sanford Andrea Kay Mcanallen, 51, marijuana possession, OWI and DWLS on Aug. 28, one year in jail for the first count and 93 days in jail for each of the remaining counts with the terms to be served at the same time with all but 30 days suspended and credit for 24 days, $150 restitution, two years probation, driver license suspended for six months, vehicle immobilized, attend substance abuse program and mental health counseling, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed, make efforts toward obtaining full-time employment (MC). Elsewhere Andrew Christopher Bailey, 29, Lyons, fourth-degree child abuse on July 4, one year in jail with all but 30 days held in abeyance and credit for one day, $450 fines and costs, one year probation, not to be involved in any threatening, intimidating, violent, aggressive, disorderly or abusive behavior toward any person, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed, follow all Child Protective Services terms (MC). Vincent Michael Maniscalo, 26, Owosso, DWLS on Sept. 7, two weekends in jail, $300 fines and costs (MC). Joshua Robert Weber, 30, Prudenville, marijuana use on Aug. 15, 90 days in jail with all but two weekends held in abeyance and credit for one day, $575 fines and costs, nine months probation, driver license suspended, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC). This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN -- More than half of the 511 high-risk Texas children who had not been seen by state caseworkers due to staffing shortages have been found by a task force of state police, officials confirmed Saturday. Of the total, an official state tally sheet showed that 260 had been located by late Friday, with one child taken to an emergency placement by caseworkers and 259 others left at their homes. The sheet shows 165 children still need to be contacted, a task that Texas Department of Public Safety investigators said they hope can be completed by early next week. READ MORE: Senators demand CPS visit at-risk kids immediately No specifics were available on how many of the children were located in Houston, where the backlog of unseen children was the most severe, and how many were found in Dallas and other areas of the state. State Sens. Paul Bettencourt and John Whitmire confirmed the numbers on Saturday, after officials with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services said Friday evening they were unable to provide an immediate update. Of the 511 "missing" children who had been reported from hospitals and other official sources as likely victims of abuse and neglect, none had been seen for weeks afterward because of chronic staffing shortages of caseworkers and investigators -- even though they are supposed to be seen within hours or days, depending on the severity of the report. READ MORE: Houston children rescued in federal sex-trafficking bust Of the children remaining to be located, the tally sheet shows 55 have been waiting to be seen for more than two months. The backlog exploded into headlines on Wednesday when members of the state Senate Finance Committee demanded that state police be immediately dispatched to locate them and validate their safety, where child-protection agency employees had been unable to do. Whitmire said state police has sent a plainclothes criminal investigator and a uniformed state trooper to the home of each child, where they verify their condition and safety and then photograph the child for DFPS files. He said they are also inspecting conditions of the home and are documenting the occupants. READ MORE: Reward for missing Sul Ross State student reaches $100K While 511 children were reported as not having been seen by caseworkers, as they should have been, the tally sheet shows that 86 children had been located by the time the task force fanned out on Thursday. They were found by DFPS agency personnel between Oct. 15 the Thursday. DFPS officials had earlier said 86 children had been removed from the list, but they have no specifics. "This is titanic mess, and you can quote me on that," Bettencourt said Saturday. "The farther we get into this, the more significant the problems that we're finding." Like Whitmire, Bettencourt is a member of the Senate Finance Committee. Whitmire is also a member of a five-member working group named by Committee Chairman Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, to draft an expedited plan to ensure that abused and neglected children are properly cared for amid the agency's continuing operational issues that have been exacerbated by high turnover rates among employees and a management chain of command that appears to be in disarray in some areas of the state. There is more to gender pay issues than was mentioned in Womens pay parity is goal of local panel, by Josh Baugh, Metro, Oct. 23. The article stated, Women make less money than their male counterparts for doing the same work, studies continue to show while later saying, In the U.S., women make 79 percent of what men earn. One might conclude that women are getting only 79 percent of what men earn for the same work. This is not the case. Many factors influence how much a worker is paid, including level of education, college major, years of experience and hours worked. Those might not be the same, in the aggregate, for men and women. Looking at college majors, economist Mark Perry found that for eight of the top 10 paying majors (such as computer science and electrical engineering), at least 80 percent of the students are men. The only major in the top 10 that was majority female was nursing. Overall, 72 percent of college degrees in the top 10 majors combined go to men. In the next 10, that percentage falls to 65.8 percent. For each succeeding group of 10 majors, the percentage of degrees going to men falls. The 49th highest (social work) is about 84 percent female, and the 50th (biology) is about 58 percent female. Colleges should encourage more women to major in the higher-paying professions (or at least not actively discourage them). This could mean a little more mentoring from professors, including the male ones. But the pattern is clear. Men dominate the highest-paying majors, which explains some of the pay gap. Turning to hours worked, a study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that 25.5 percent of men employed full time worked 41 or more hours per week in 2013. That was true for only 14.3 percent of women. In general, men work about 15 percent more hours per week. Based on this study, Perry concluded that for those workers with a 40-hour workweek, women earned 89.6 percent of median male earnings. Once hours worked are controlled for, almost half of the raw 17.5 percent pay gap reported by the BLS disappears. June ONeill, former director of the Congressional Budget Office, concluded: Comparing the wage gap between women and men ages 35-43 who have never married and never had a child, we find a small observed gap in favor of women, which becomes insignificant after accounting for differences in skills and job and workplace characteristics. Another factor is what economists call a compensating wage differential. This is when you get paid more for doing dangerous or unpleasant work, such as working on an Arctic oil rig. It appears that men tend to work more dangerous jobs, because about 93 percent of workplace deaths each year are men. To show how hard it is to achieve pay parity, there is a pay gap among White House staff workers, even with a liberal Democrat as president. Female staffers make about 9 percent less than the male staffers. Lesley Clark of McClatchy Newspapers quoted a White House spokesman complaining about this study, saying it only looked at the aggregate of everyone on staff, and that includes from the most junior levels to the most senior. But the same is true for the statement that women earn 79 percent of what men earn for the same work. It is an aggregate that does not take into account key differences. If we want to educate women about the disparity and give them tools to reduce it, we need to first acknowledge the underlying market realities. Cyril Morong, Ph.D., is an associate professor of economics at San Antonio College. The Republican nominee for president, Donald J. Trump, has threatened to sue the New York Times for defamation. That threat was spurred by the newspapers reporting of allegations by various women that they were groped and otherwise sexually assaulted by Trump decades ago. It is easy to threaten or even file a defamation action. It is much harder to win. False allegations of sexual misconduct are certainly defamatory. They tend to harm a persons reputation and expose the defamed individual to shame and ridicule. However, if Trump sues the New York Times for libel (meaning written defamation), he will have to prove much more than that the published stories were defamatory. Until 1964, it was relatively simple for plaintiffs to prevail in defamation actions. Defamatory statements were presumed to be false. A defendant who wanted to escape liability had to prove that the allegations were true or otherwise privileged. All that changed as a result of the landmark case New York Times Co. vs. Sullivan. In Sullivan, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the traditional rules governing defamation actions were inconsistent with the free speech and free press guarantees set down in the First Amendment. Writing for a unanimous court, Justice William J. Brennan Jr. explained that debate on public issues should be robust, wide open and uninhibited. To achieve that result, the court held, the Constitution requires that a public official suing for defamation related to the officials conduct, fitness or performance has to prove actual malice. The actual malice requirement means a plaintiff must show that the defendant published the defamatory statement with knowledge of its falsity or with reckless disregard for its truth. This requirement is intended to provide breathing space for free expression about matters of public concern. Later cases extended the actual malice requirement to claims brought by public figures. It also became clear that in cases involving matters of public concern, the plaintiff must prove the falsity of the defamatory allegation. Trump is not a public official, at least not yet. However, he is certainly a public figure, has sought attention and seeks to influence the issues of the day. Trump would need to prove both that he did not commit the sexual misconduct discussed in the articles and that the New York Times knew that the allegations were false or acted with reckless disregard for whether they were false. More than 50 years of court decisions across the nation have shown that proving actual malice is extremely hard. Even if Trump were to establish that the New York Times editorial processes were sloppy, negligent and an extreme departure from journalistic standards, that would not prove actual malice. Spite, ill will and vindictiveness also do not amount to actual malice because actual malice is a state of mind about falsity. What, then, could Trump show that would add up to actual malice? If he can show that the New York Times fabricated the stories about his alleged sexual misconduct, then that would prove actual malice. Similarly, actual malice would be proved if Trump could establish that the Times knew that the women who have come forward fabricated their stories. Falling short of such spectacular evidence, Trump would need to show that the New York Times, in fact, entertained serious doubts about the probable falsity of the womens stories. This would be difficult or impossible to prove if the disputed allegations of sexual misconduct are corroborated by other evidence. Such corroboration might be provided by Trumps own much-publicized recorded statements about kissing and touching women without their permission, or by the statements of reliable third parties who were told by victims decades ago about alleged advances. Well-established principles now make it extremely difficult for public officials and public figures to win libel lawsuits. This ensures that debate on public issues in the United States is robust, wide open and uninhibited. The actual malice standard would be the focus of any libel suit filed by Trump against the New York Times because it is the cornerstone of Americas exceptional commitment to free speech and free press. Vincent R. Johnson is a professor at St. Marys University School of Law, where he teaches defamation law. As American schoolchildren are taught we hope there are three branches of the federal government. Two of them are broken and the third, depending on how the votes stack up Nov. 8, could get there soon. At the moment, all eyes are on candidates who want to run the executive branch. But while our gazes were fixed on that car wreck, Congress recessed without having completed one of its basic jobs: passing a federal budget under regular order. And the Senate left town without doing its job of advice and consent. So another branch the Supreme Court is down a justice and at 4-4 gridlock. Along with a whole lot of other vacancies, the GOP majority has refused to act on President Barack Obamas nomination of the highly qualified Merrick Garland to the court. He was nominated by a Democrat, you see. We read nothing in the Constitution about waiting until after the next election if you control the Senate but not the White House. The Supreme Courts new term, by statute, begins the first Monday in October, and it generally ends in June or July. This is not a trifling matter. And neither is Congress failure to pass a budget under regular order. Under regular order, the president presents a budget. Congress holds a hearing. And then it gets busy in committee crafting and then considering 12 separate appropriations bills to get money to all federal branches and agencies. Congress does this with the clock ticking. These regular bills have to be signed by the president before the start of the next fiscal year. The new fiscal year started Oct. 1. There was no hearing on the presidents budget. There arent 12 separate appropriation bills. There is one spending bill that funds the government wait for it through mid-December. Approval occurred with the threat of another government shutdown looming, and the bill simply extends existing funding levels. True, the bill does, finally, provide $1.1 billion for the Zika crisis and gets money to help lead-poisoned residents of Flint, Michigan, and flood victims in Louisiana. This is still a matter of doing the bare minimum. When Rep. Paul Ryan became House speaker last year, he, along with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, promised a return to normalcy, which is to say regular order. If we can tear our eyes away from the presidential campaign drama for a few minutes, this kind of dysfunction deserves a simple question for congressional leadership: Why wont you do your jobs? Bear with us. Abraham Lincoln would have wanted Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Annas prosthetic leg to be in San Antonio at a world-class Alamo museum that we hope is part of a reimagining of the Alamo. OK, he might have thought it belonged in Mexico, which the general variously led or fought for. In fact, it was in service of his country, at the battle at Cerro Gordo in the Mexican-American War, that Illinois infantrymen overtook a Santa Anna carriage and confiscated the artificial leg and some gold. The leg is now at the Illinois State Military Museum in Springfield. Re: How we rigged the election against Trump, Gilbert Garcia, Oct. 19: Your columnist is trying to prove that people like himself have not rigged the election against Donald Trump. But he then turns his column into a hit piece against Trump. When is he going to write a column pointing out all the criminal acts of Hillary Clinton? All the failures of Clinton when she was secretary of state? Just the multitude of lies she has told and continues to tell? Answer: Never. Hugh Smith Not his business Re: Trump says S.A.s mayor should be feeling shame, Front Page, Oct. 19: Once again, Donald the Hypocrite stuck his nose in a place where it doesnt belong. When the San Antonio officers donned Trumps campaign hat, they violated department policy. Im sure at least one in the bunch knew they would be violating policy by doing that. If not, they are pretty dumb. In any event, this is the citys business, not Trumps, because all police officers, while on duty, have to be neutral regarding political candidates when they campaign in our city. David C. Kellum No big deal Re: Trump says S.A.s mayor should be feeling shame, Front Page, Oct. 19: Gee, this is really front-page stuff. The police officers donned the Trump caps for only a minute! Are you telling me thats offensive? To whom? Democrat-saturated press and city officials? What the cops did was a courtesy to the candidate, and even if they really feel that way (flash: They do!), why in the world is this a continuing front-page story? This paper is so obviously liberal-bent, its all I can do to continue my subscription. From the beginning of this race, its been about propping up a sorry Democratic candidate rife with legal troubles and married to a serial philanderer, and yet all your poison is vented toward the Republican candidate. It is a disgrace that so much potential subject matter is available on Clinton and suppressed. Every time the Republican sneezes, it becomes fodder for this paper. And, frankly, the mayor should have kept her Facebook comments to herself as well. This was not a big deal! Donna Howington Lame defense Amid the outrage regarding Donald Trumps revealing video on the Billy Bush bus, there seems to be a pervasive theme by his defenders. Most admittedly reflect that his comments about women are vulgar and inappropriate. However, the rebuttals center on the notion that many men speak in such terms when sharing camaraderie and braggadocio with the boys. Understood not condoned but lets be real. Not all men are gentlemen. But shouldnt our president be one? Lauren Moffat, Boerne Best we can do? Shame on us, all of us. To think a country of well over 300 million people can do no better than to elect one of the two running for the highest office in our land is truly a sad state of affairs. Brad Fairchild Dem in disguise? With all the Trump-bashing, his immigration comments are just a rehash of Democrat-initiated legislation. Lets at least try to be fair. What is so different in his comments? Hank Forrest Trump time bomb With all the commotion surrounding Donald Trump and his constant criticisms of Hillary Clinton, I am reminded of the adage, Given enough time, money and opportunity, nearly everyone will eventually self-destruct. I certainly hope that is the case here, because, at 78, I have seen and heard a lot. Frankly, I believe that Trump is not only unqualified to become president but that he is downright dangerous. David A. Herndon End the division Re: 16 campaign makes case for National Primary Day, Lyle Larson, Other Views, Oct. 19: At last! Lyle Larson has nailed it. Our presidential election system is archaic and downright disgraceful. All of it, including the Electoral College system, needs to be revised. A National Primary Day and limited campaigns would be much better for all of us. Think of the good that could be done with the money wasted on the mind-numbing attack ads. Im tired of the political parties and media creating a divided nation. Bill McCalister Nix third party Recently there have been articles and several letters in the Express-News urging supporters of third-party candidates to vote for them on the theory that the vote is not wasted. While the idea of standing on principle is nice in theory, in a winner-take-all election with more than two candidates, it is possible for such a vote to produce an outcome contrary to those principles. Until our elections are changed to allow the Condorcet method, or majority rule ranking system, third-party candidates are wasted votes. It is just as effective to express your principles by voting for one of the main party candidates, then tell the exit pollsters and your friends you voted for a third-party candidate. Richard Murphy Devoted to Schertz I am supporting Michael Dahle for Schertz City Council. He has demonstrated a deep interest and concern for our community, volunteering and serving on various committees, including the Schertz Planning and Zoning Committee. We recently had a rezoning request that would affect our neighborhood and the surrounding neighborhood. I asked to meet with Mr. Dahle to express my concerns and show him around. He agreed to meet me on a Sunday afternoon and listen to my concerns. This is the type of councilman we need in Schertz, one interested in seeing Schertz grow and progress but who also will take time to listen and consider citizens concerns. Robert R. Hawkins, Schertz Donald Trump is our only hope. He loves our country and wants to make America great again. It's the reason he's running for president. Hillary Clinton cares about power and money. Trump cares about and wants to work for US! Hillary has been part of the political class all of her adult life. Donald is a businessman who wants to clean out Washington. It comes down to this: Who owns America? The political class or the PEOPLE? Kay Williams, Beaumont --------------------------- Reasons to vote for Hillary: You're looking forward to meeting the $3,000 or more annual deductible on your new insurance. You love career politicians and the special interest groups they become indebted to. You think sanctuary cities (where they've been instructed not to enforce existing federal laws) are a great idea. You think that just deciding on your own not to enforce existing federal gun laws is OK too (Chicago has the highest murder rate in 20 years, but let's make more gun laws). You think the word "illegal" isn't a very nice word, so an illegal immigrant becomes an undocumented worker. Would a bank robber become an undocumented withdrawer? You think killing unborn children is a great method of birth control. You admire her for standing by her man when he wasn't having sex with that woman. You think the Second Amendment really isn't that important. You think the numerous scandals she been involved in just make things interesting. And it was just emails. Reasons not to vote for Donald: He acts like a pompous teenager, speaks his mind and sometimes says what a lot of us wish we had the guts to say. Thad Singleton, Orange ---------------------- Many people do not seem to realize the primaries are over. Now, we are deciding the future of the U.S. You do not to realize that this election is for the future of our representative democracy. The Democratic Party has been taken over by progressives who want to make us a socialist country. Look at all the legislative decisions made by the U.S. Supreme Court. The progressives want to continue to "liberalize our laws" whereas the Republican Party wants to return to our original Constitution. Our original Constitution was based on Biblical principles, too restrictive for progressives. The life of previous democracies is about 200 years. This election is not so much an election of the individual who will be president as the form of government we will be under. Start talking about the Democratic dirty tricks! John Harry Murphy, Lumberton ----------------------------- The voter fraud is not happening at the voting booth (mostly). It's through mail-in registration and ballots. I have worked as a poll worker at the Jefferson County barn when the mail-in ballots are certified (the signatures were compared to the ones on the voter registration). This is where the voter fraud is happening locally and nationally. Remember ACORN and the SEIU in the last two elections. We need more experienced poll workers (Republican) at the county barn! David Haskett, Beaumont ----------------------- Thank you for taking the high road and endorsing Hillary Clinton. I understand that it takes a lot of courage on your part, to do so in an area that is majority Republican and very hostile toward Democrats. Perhaps the GOP will learn their lesson this election cycle and steer their party away from the negative rhetoric that they have let get out of hand in the last few years. Terry Wells, Kirbyville ------------------------ I read in The Beaumont Enterprise that U.S. Rep. Brian Babin says as a genteel Southern gentleman, he thinks "sometimes a lady needs to be told she's being nasty." As a genteel Southern lady, I think sometimes a congressman needs to be told he's being stupid. Sally Ann Collins, Dallas -------------------------- The upcoming election has everyone excited and at the same time tired. While I am looking forward to the end of the cycle like so many of us, I do think it is my responsibility as a citizen of the United States and as an Ahmadi Muslim to engage in political process and strive for the betterment of the country. The Prophet Muhammad states, "A leader of the people is the one who serves them." I sincerely believe we should choose the person who we think can serve the people best and not sit the election out because of how "turned off" we are with the rhetoric from all sides. As these election campaigns wind down, I hope that the politicians remain mindful of their rhetoric and try not increase hatred and division, for we have to stand united, regardless of what the results bring us, on Nov. 9. Alamzeb Khan, Montgomery ----------------------------------- Do you have something to say? Email us a letter to the editor at opinions@beaumontenterprise.com Make sure to include your name, mailing address and phone number so we can contact you to verify the letter, but only your name and city of residence will be published. You can also mail letters to The Enterprise, P.O. Box 3071, Beaumont, TX, 77704. The limit on letters is 200 words. American whiskey is having a moment, and much of it has to do with an old favorite: Bourbon. Born in 18th century America, Bourbon is a native spirit that some historians suggest owes its namesake to the region where it grew into its own, Bourbon County, Kentucky. More than 200 years later, Bourbon is bigger than ever across the United States, with sales rising more than 40 percent over the last 10 years, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. The spirit, which began as a whiskey of convenience for farmers who found themselves in corn-rich country, owes much of its popularity to the remarkable distillers that have given it new life. At Total Wine & More, we carry some of the nations best Bourbon, and yes, from time to time that does include the fabled Pappy Van Winkle. During our time in the Bluegrass State, weve come to see that the extraordinary Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery is simply one of many in the Promised Land of Kentucky Bourbon. They are harmless devices used by millions of women around the world in the privacy of their homes, but in Zimbabwe, possession of a... Lambert here: John LeCarre, contemporary historian. By John Helmer, the longest continuously serving foreign correspondent in Russia, and the only western journalist to direct his own bureau independent of single national or commercial ties. Helmer has also been a professor of political science, and an advisor to government heads in Greece, the United States, and Asia. He is the first and only member of a US presidential administration (Jimmy Carter) to establish himself in Russia. Originally published at Dances with Bears In the first tale of the thieves picnic, published by Leslie Charteris in 1937,a gang of robbers, kidnappers, and smugglers starts to fall apart over a $2 million lottery ticket one of the thieves stole from the gangs pot. The detective who recovers the ticket, and rescues a diamond-cutter whod been abducted for the gangs diamond-smuggling operation, rolls up the crimes by pretending to be a gangster himself, and encouraging the others to betray each other. By the standards of Ilya Yurov and Benedict Worsley, the original thieves picnic was a fight over peanuts. Yurov, the control shareholder of Trust Bank, managed the disappearance of $3.3 billion in Trust Bank funds until December 2014, when the Central Bank stopped his operations, and financed Otkritie Bank to take over in his place. Within weeks, Russian government investigators found the gap between Trusts assets and liabilities had jumped from Rb67.8 billion to Rb114 billion; in pre-devaluation terms, thats from $2 billion to $3.3 billion bigger larcenies than the previous records set by Sergei Pugachev at Mezhprombank and Andrei Borodin at Bank of Moscow. Worsley had helped Yurov by operating hundreds of offshore companies and bank accounts through which the money was moved, mostly as sham loans. Yurov is now living in Kent as a guest of the British government. Worsley, who divides his time between Cyprus and Dubai, is now employed by Otkritie Bank, Trusts new owner. Worsley is being paid $32,500 per month as an informer, with a promise of a bounty of up to 4% of the recovery value of the assets Yurov and he allegedly stole and laundered, plus an indemnity from prosecution. The Worsley arrangement was kept secret by Otkritie Bank until revealed recently in the High Court in London. The informer reward deal is unprecedented in the history of Russian bank fraud, according to London bankers and lawyers. In a multi-billion fraud of this size, said one international bank source, a deal like this can be justified if the recovery is large enough that is, if Otkritie Bank and the Russian Deposit Insurance Agency couldnt follow the money trail without the informer, and if they manage to recover significantly more than they pay out to the informer. But why has Otkritie tried to keep the deal secret? The court papers show that $3.3 billion is missing from Trust Bank; Yurovs bank accounts and assets add up to $830 million. How much is Worsley holding back? Does he stand to get richer with the Otkritie deal than he got with Yurov? Ben Worsley, according to London sources, is about 50 years of age, with a round head, bald pate, dark-rimmed glasses, an uncanny resemblance to the actor Alex Guinness (right) and a severe allergy to being photographed. In 2014 a videotape of him surfaced on the internet, filmed secretly by a disgruntled employee at a palatial estate near Montpellier, in the south of France. Worsley claimed the house belonged to a Russian banker, but he lived in it as if it were his own. All traces of the videotape, and of photographs of Worsley, have disappeared. Once employed in Moscow by Mikhail Fridmans Alfa banking group, Worsley became acquainted with one of Alfas inter-bank clients, Trust Bank. This had been taken over by Yurov and his associates from Mikhail Khodorkovsky, after the latter took what Yurov has subsequently claimed to have been $300 million out of the banks capital. High Court papers presented by Otkritie Bank, as well as a recent interview Yurov has given to a Moscow newspaper, document the role Yurov hired Worsley to play for him and for Trust Bank in Cyprus. Ruling this past July 28 to uphold a freeze order over $830 million in Yurovs Swiss and other bank accounts and his UK home, Justice Sir Stephen Males (right) said Worsley had first-hand, contemporaneous interaction with [the Trust shareholders] and was involved in setting up their network of secret companies. The claims are based in large part on documentary evidence of the terms and (non-) performance of the loans, and the connections between the borrowers and [the shareholders] exposed by Mr Worsley (and supported at least in part by the documents he has provided, including the various trustees and shareholding documents. The evidence, according to Males, was that in May 2015 Worsley had still been working with Yurov, when the two of them were negotiating with Otkritie for the return of the banks money. Six months later, Worsley had changed sides. On November 17, 2015 Males confirmed the court was subsequently told by Otkritie Bank an agreement was signed with Worsley to trace money through the offshore companies he had managed and controlled. In return, Trust Bank [Otkritie Bank] has agreed to pay a monthly retainer to Mr Worsley of US $32,500 and to indemnify him against any claims that may be made against him by third parties (including [the shareholders]) in relation to any new instructions (but not for acts that happened in the past). Mr Worsley also agreed to provide a witness statement setting out truthfully his dealings with [the shareholders] and Trust Bank. The judge said he is not sure whether a commission of between 1.5% and 4% of the net value of certain assets recovered was part of the Worsley deal. Otkritie has sought no freeze over Worsleys bank accounts or property; there are no criminal charges against Worsley in the Russian, Swiss, British or Cypriot courts. How much Worsley may have concealed from Yurov in order to benefit himself the judge didnt venture to guess. Males has written that he is sure Worsley has received from the bank a pledge not to prosecute him for what he had done, and to pay his legal fees if someone else prosecutes. The agreement also includes (i) a release of any claims by the bank, (ii) a promise by the bank to provide support and assistance in any proceedings against Mr Worsley relating to his past conduct and to consider providing an indemnity, and (iii) a promise to tell any prosecutor or other authority that any claims which the bank may have against Mr Worsley have been amicably resolved and that the bank does not wish to pursue any prosecution or complaint against him. Yurov (right) has responded that Worsley is a turmcoat who is being paid to testify falsely against him. Yurov has defended himself in court and in the Moscow press by suggesting Otkritie had kept its deal with Worsley secret to protect Worsleys share of the assets, along with other beneficiaries. Yurov says he had instructed Worsley to trace the funds owed to the bank; and that Worsley is now lying to save himself. How much money was lost through companies Yurov didnt know, and through transactions Worsley decided in his stead, is yet to be tested in court. Thats when the thieves picnic will be clearer to all. The High Court record reveals that Otkritie and the judge agree with Yurov that not all of the Trust Bank losses went to benefit Yurov or his associates. There had been, according to Males, transactions of immense complexity which give rise to what appears to be a strong inference of money laundering and the siphoning off of at least some funds to the shareholders personal accounts. Nevertheless, the bank did make clear when applying for the freezing order that its case was that although some substantial sums had been misappropriated to the shareholders personal use, this did not apply to all or even most of the funds which were the subject of improper loans. The judge continued by quoting from testimony given by Dmitry Popkov (right) , currently deputy chief executive of Otkritie Bank and a director on the new Trust Bank board. Thus Mr Popkov said that: It is not Trust Banks case that the entire US $830 million lost by Trust Bank was stolen by [the shareholders] or their personal benefit. The losses were caused by a combination of [the shareholders] misappropriating money by channelling into their own projects; their paying off other bad loans, including to their companies; and misconduct by [the shareholders] over many years. It is also likely that the losses have been exacerbated by the deterioration of the Russian real estate market and the contraction of the Russian economy due to international sanctions and the drop in oil prices, coupled with the dramatic devaluation of the rouble. The judge ruled the decision [by Otkritie] not to disclose the Settlement Agreement [with Worsley] was clearly deliberate. But Males decided to dismiss Yurovs appeal to lift the freeze on his cash and property because although Mr Worsleys evidence (and therefore his credibility) may prove to be important, I doubt whether it will be critical. Mr Worsleys primary importance to the bank is likely to be as a source of documents, including documents signed by the shareholders themselves which appear to confirm their ultimate beneficial ownership of the offshore companies which the defendant now says were in fact beneficially owned by the bank. For details of the offshore company scheme which Worsley ran for Yurov, read this. At the time of that report, on November 5, 2015 ten days before Worsley finalized his deal with Otkritie the banks spokesmen Alexander Dmitriev and Maria Gurevich were asked what they knew of Worsleys role. Do most or all the offshore companies on record as having received loans from Trust have a common management address in Cyprus? Can you confirm that most or all the offshore companies with loan and brokerage accounts at Trust were signed by a single person, Ben Worsley, or by authorized subordinates employed by Ledra Management or Teos Management? Otkrities spokesmen refused to say. We are not disclosing details that may influence the judicial proceedings. The reference to Ledra is to an offshore entity operating group in Cyprus called Ledra Management. This is owned and run by Christodoulos Vassiliades, a Cypriot lawyer, whose law firm has its headquarters at Ledra House in Nicosia. In the proceedings so far, Vassiliades is not identified nor accused of any wrongdoing. He has declined the invitation to clarify the role his law firm or Ledra Management played in Trust Banks operations under Yurov. Teos Management is one of the companies Worsley created in Cyprus. Cyprus company records show he has been managing director of the firm since it was set up in August of 2013. Last November Worsley was contacted at the Teos office in Nicosia and asked to clarify his relationship with Yurov and Trust Bank. Worsley was travelling, according to his secretary. He did not respond to telephone calls and emails. On October 3, 2016, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySec) issued a notice revealing that in September it had reviewed a case against Teos for failing to appoint a compliance officer with the prior approval of the CySEC from September 2015 to 22.03.2016. This was a serious offence, the regulator claimed. But there were mitigating factors there had been no prior offence by Teos; and the company had already notifed CySec it was going out of business. A fine of 5.000 was imposed. The telephone number at Teos is now disconnected. Emails have been directed to Worsley at Teos, asking him for his comment on the terms of the Otkritie agreement and Yurovs counter-allegations. The emails are returned with a notice that they have been blocked by the Teos server. Worsley is playing a masterful game, observers in London and Nicosia say. While Yurov & Co. came up with the scheme to do what they claim they had to do, claims one of the sources, I suspect the mastermind of the offshore schemes was Ben Worsley. Yurov may have stolen a few tens of millions, but a lot more has gone missing. Yurov claims he is notthe beneficiary of many of these companies. He probably is not. Beneficial ownership was also in hands of Worsley. He claims now that in all those beneficial ownerships he was a nominee or trustee of Yurov. I suspect that is not quite the case. Asked this week to clarify why the bank tried to keep the Worsley deal secret from the London court, Otkritie has not replied by press time. NASCAR championship contenders have plenty of ARCA Menards Series experience The Championship 4 have been set for the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and the contenders in each series all have plenty of experience and in most cases success within the ARCA Menards Series platform. Find the newest releases to watch from National Geographic on Disney+, including favourite documentary series and films Free Solo, The Rescue, Shark Beach with Chris Hemsworth and The World According to Jeff Goldblum. It was a long way to Tipperary for United States Secretary of State John Kerry but one he said he was privileged and honoured to make. Secretary Kerry was in Tipperary on Sunday morning to accept the Tipperary International Peace Award for his efforts towards resolving conflict throughout the world. He said it was a special day for him to be joining a roll of honour of previous recipients that included Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton and George Mitchell. "It is a long way to Tipperary for me", he said, quoting the famous World War One song, "but one I was so happy to make". "And if I get hungry I can have a meal in the Barack Obama Plaza and a drink in the Ronald Reagan pub", he joked. Secretary Kerry interrupted his hectic schedule of international diplomacy to travel to the scenic Glen of Aherlow to accept his award. He flew into Shannon Airport on Sunday morning and arrived in Aherlow amid tight security. He was accompanied by his special envoy to Northern Ireland and longtime friend, Senator Gary Hart. He was greeted at Aherlow by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan, and the two men held talks for thirty minutes before addressing a joint press conference (pictured above). Secretary Kerry then made his way to the hotel function room to receive his award. From Tipperary he was travelling on to London to hold talks on the ongoing conflict in Libya. Glowing tributes were paid to Secretary Kerry on his diplomacy across the world, in countries such as Iran, Afghanistan and Syria, by Peace Convention secretary Martin Quinn. Mr Quinn said Secretary Kerry was helping to bring peace to many war-ravaged countries across the globe. Secretary Kerry said he was honoured to accept the award on behalf of everone in the State Department and those who worked with him in resolving conflict. After listening to the song "It's a Long Way to Tipperary", it reminded him of those who perished in the Great War and so many more who had died since. But he was confident that it was talking and diplomacy that would lead to conflict resolution and he committed himself to continuing that process. Earlier at the press conference, he spoke about Brexit and hoped that it wouldn't damge the peace process in Northern Ireland. However, when asked a question about the controversy in the US presidential race about Democract Party candidate Hillary Clinton's emails, he said he wouldn't comment as it was a matter for the FBI and the Justice Department. "There are things I would like to say as a former party nominee but I cannot", he told journalists. DuPont quietly admits Herculex doesn't work, but refuses to take responsibility (NaturalNews) The utter failure of genetically-modified crops (GMOs) is once again on full display, this time with crop products made by companies other than the usual Monsanto . A novel variety of transgenic corn produced and marketed by both Dow Chemical Corporation and DuPont is not exactly working as claimed, new reports indicate, and agricultural experts are urging the chemical industry to immediately cease selling these failed products to farmers.Known as "Herculex," the synthetic corn in question contains a gene modification that's supposed to prevent a pest known as the western bean cutworm from destroying crops. But so far, the genetic alteration has done nothing to stop this worm, which means farmers everywhere have been paying through their teeth for a technology that not only doesn't work , but that's also proprietary and exceptionally costly, especially when compared to non-GMO and organic crops that are open-source, and are not patented or owned by multi-national corporations.A group of six entomologists published an open letter to the seed industry in a recent issue of Purdue University's, calling on those involved to do the right thing and fess up to the fact that Herculex doesn't work. Farmers will soon be gearing up to plant next year's crops, and they need to know that it's best to look elsewhere for corn that's not going to result in massive yield reductions."People are frustrated and angry and, more importantly, yield was lost," the letter states. "Before growers make seed choices for 2017, we again urge the seed industry to acknowledge the reality of what is happening in the field."In typical corporate fashion, the owners of Herculex are refusing to take the letter seriously, resorting instead to excuses and legal speak to try to explain away the GM crop's failure. Rather than pull the Herculex product from the market, DuPont, according to, has instead decided to merely decreased its efficiency rating in the company's 2017 Product Use Guide from "very good" to "moderate."DuPont has also issued an accompanying statement urging farmers to add other inputs to try to control cutworms, including spraying additional chemical insecticides. In other words, Herculex doesn't actually work, and DuPont's solution is to have farmers just go ahead and blast away with all those endocrine-disrupting, cancer-causing chemicals to kill anything and everything that might be living on or around the crop It's basically the same advice that Monsanto is giving to farmers who foolishly adopted a similar GM corn product known as "YieldGard" that was supposed to deter the western corn root worm. The insecticidal proteins in this crop product, just like the one in Herculex known as Cry1F haven't lived up to all the wild marketing claims, and yet both Monsanto and DuPont's products continue to be sold to farmers."Cry1F has failed in our states," the letter continues, adding that the scientists involved have already received dozens of calls and emails about the problem from concerned farmers. "For growers in our states, the costs of scouting and spraying Cry1F corn negates a major reason they purchased and planted a hybrid with the trait in the first place."If left to run their course, western bean cutworms and western corn root rooms will effectively eat up all the corn kernels and leave the plant defenseless, encouraging the growth of harmful fungi and mycotoxins. And since none of what the chemical industry has proposed as a solution is working, their only recommended option is to spray more glyphosate, dicamba, 2,4-D and other chemicals on their products. Antibiotic resistance kills 10 times more people than opiate overdoses (NaturalNews) As new guidelines set forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to curb antibiotic overuse and abuse on factory farms slowly come into effect, the drug industry is apparently setting its greedy sights elsewhere towards countries where restrictions on antibiotic use are looser, or simply where "anything goes."Livestock are the single biggest consumers of antibiotic drugs in the U.S. not by choice, of course, but because farmers have long been sold a bill of goods by Big Pharma when it comes to using them to bulk up their cattle more quickly and get them to market as fast as possible. It's a common practice that generates a lot of money in the short-term, but a whole lot of problems in the long-term.The use of antibiotics on farms is arguably the biggest contributor to antibiotic resistance among humans, where drugs that used to treat deadly bugs no longer do. The result is the emergence of so-called "superbugs" that are capable of outsmarting even the most potent antibiotics, a phenomenon that's killing people by the hundreds of thousands.Some of the latest reports indicate that the superbug epidemic is claiming the lives of some 700,000 people annually all around the world. And if nothing is done now to stop the drug industry from continuing to poison the well, so to speak, then this number is expected to balloon more than 14-fold to 10 million lives lost by the year 2050.According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are very few countries in the world with any sort of formidable plan in place to address antibiotic resistance. Even with the U.S. somewhat taking the lead with voluntary FDA suggestions on the matter, none of this will stop drug companies from preying on the developing world that has yet to enact any sort of restrictions on antibiotic use."They're international companies," Gail Hansen, a veterinarian and consultant who works with drug companies, governments and nonprofit organizations, told. "What happens in the U.S. does certainly make a difference, but it's not the only market they have."While it's become common practice for factory animal rearers to exploit antibiotics as a way to fatten their stocks more quickly and supposedly keep them healthy, the use of these drugs for such purposes is disastrous for public health. Comparatively speaking, only 69,000 people die from opiate overdoses globally, which translates to 10 times more people dying from superbugs than from the most deadly pharmaceuticals on the market.Antibiotics are also overused in the realm of human medicine, with some one-third of all prescriptions, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Pew Charitable Trusts, being completely unnecessary. This translates to roughly 47 million prescriptions that aren't even helpful, either because the patients have a viral infection, or don't have an infection at all.The only way anything is going to change is if Big Pharma is barred from selling antibiotics to farmers whose only desire is to rush their animals to market for maximum profits. Doctors must also be reigned in and stopped from indiscriminately handing out antibiotics whenever their patients feel any kind of ailment and again, these measures must have a global reach."If some of the biggest responsible parties namely the companies making the products are still selling the antibiotics in other countries, it just underscores that this has to be a change that happens across the entire world," David Wallinga, a senior health official and physician at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), told"And the companies bear a big responsibility for that approach." In San Francisco, protesters haunted the streets in search of better housing on Saturday. Castro Creepy Crawl is a Halloween-themed event where several LGBT groups spoke out about the need for affordable housing. Speeches at Harvey Milk Plaza underscored the fact that rent in San Francisco is among the highest in the country. In this time of Halloween, we want to make sure people know that the real, scariest thing happening is really the rental market an affordability crisis, said Israel Alvaran with the Anti-Eviction Queers and Holly Park Collective. Decked out in Halloween costumes, protesters made their way down streets, waving flags and playing instruments. Marchers called for San Francisco to end evictions, and instead help working families so they can stay in the city. Three Richmond police officers were fired Friday and another is expected to be terminated next week in connection with the widespread sexual misconduct scandal involving an East Bay teen, according to City Manager Bill Lindsay. The city managers decision is more stringent than an initial recommendation to terminate one officer, demote one officer and suspend two officers, according to a release by the city manager's office. "It is my belief that the actions in question have no place in a city department that has worked hard to become a national model for community policing," Lindsay said in a statement. "Our community places its trust in us and expects us to maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct. Preserving that trust requires that we be decisive in addressing behavior that violates these standards." The 19-year-old Jasmine, who went by the moniker Celeste Guap, said she had sex with dozens of officers across multiple law enforcement agencies in the East Bay. Her claims led to internal investigations by agencies including Oakland, Richmond, Livermore and San Francisco police departments and the sheriffs offices of Alameda and Contra Costa counties. A total of 11 Richmond police officers were investigated but cleared of criminal misconduct in the expansive sexual exploitation scandal that has led to criminal charges against seven officers from three departments and official discipline for 12 Oakland police officers. Five other Richmond officers will receive official reprimands, and two officers resigned for unrelated reasons before the investigation began, the city manager's office said. Richmond's internal investigation, launched on Sept. 23, involved an examination of more than 10,000 text messages and cellphone records, over 5,000 social media pages and contact with 45 individuals, including 13 hours of voluntary testimony from Jasmine, the city manager's office said. Under the citys established personnel procedures, the four officers proposed for termination may request a hearing regarding the proposed discipline and may eventually seek binding arbitration to determine a final outcome, the city manager's office said. The city declined to disclose the officers' identities, citing the state's privacy laws for law enforcement officers. Young people from the Bay Area joined the fight against a controversial oil pipeline halfway in North Dakota earlier this week. A Native American youth group from Berkeley said it was an experience they will never forget. Members went to North Dakota to offer a prayer closer to where people have gathered to protest the Dakota Access oil pipeline. Sioux leaders say will destroy their sacred lands and pollute the Mississippi River, the source of drinking water for the Standing Rock Sioux. Students spent several days amidst demonstrators, not as activists, but for prayer, support, dance and blessings. It just really clarified what Im supposed to do because the power is in the people, so if one of us does something, itll maybe inspire somebody else to do something, Isaac Tapia of Berkeley said. They were back home by the time protesters clashed with police on Thursday, but say they saw aggression first-hand, although they were not physically harmed. Now motivated, the group plans to return to North Dakota in December. Police are asking for the public's help to find the driver of a vehicle that fled after striking a pedestrian early Sunday morning in Santa Cruz, leaving her with critical injuries. Around 1:55 a.m. officers responded to a report of a crash involving a pedestrian on southbound Highway 1, between River and Mission streets, according to police. The victim, a 20-year-old University of California at Santa Cruz student, was crossing Highway 1 and was not in the crosswalk when a vehicle struck her. The vehicle then fled without stopping, police said. The victim had been walking home from a Halloween party on River Street with friends. She was taken to a hospital and remains in critical condition Sunday morning, according to police. The vehicle was described as a 2010 or 2011 silver colored Honda CRV and may have bumper damage on the passenger's side. Anyone with information about the vehicle is asked to contact Santa Cruz police at (831) 420-5820. Police rescued a 17-year-old human trafficking victim and arrested three people during a sting operation last week in Vacaville, police said Thursday. During the sting, officers working with members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and a social worker were able to locate and rescue the teen victim, according to police. The victim was taken into protective custody and was provided resources and services, police said. During the operation, officers arrested Jonathan Lewis, 32, of Oakland on suspicion of pandering and violating parole, according to police. Officers also arrested Sacramento residents Tesheya Bird, 22, on suspicion of pandering and conspiracy and Todd Thornton, 23, on suspicion of human trafficking, pimping of a minor and pandering of a minor, police said. At least 17 people, including four teenagers, were killed and 41 others were wounded in shootings across Chicago between Friday evening and Monday morning, making it the citys deadliest weekend of the year. The weekends latest homicide happened shortly after 4 a.m. Monday in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side. A 28-year-old man was found with gunshot wounds to the chest and head on the kitchen floor of a second-floor apartment in the 1100 block of West Garfield, according to Chicago Police. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Cook County medical examiners office did not immediately release his name. About 3:15 a.m. Sunday, twin 17-year-old brothers were killed in a drive-by shooting in the Old Town neighborhood on the Near North Side. Edwin and Edward Bryant were standing outside in the 1300 block of North Hudson when a dark vehicle drove by and someone inside opened fire, authorities said. Edwin was shot in the chest and back, while Edward suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and head. They were both taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where Edwin was pronounced dead at 3:45 a.m., and Edward died about an hour later. They both lived in the 700 block of South Kedzie. About 15 minutes earlier, 19-year-old Raqkown Ricks was killed and a 40-year-old man was wounded in a Near West Side shooting. The men were in a car at 2:59 a.m. in the 2100 block of West Jackson when someone walked up and fired shots in their direction, authorities said. The driver tried to speed away, but their vehicle struck a parked vehicle before coming to a rest. Ricks, of the 1200 block of South Sawyer, suffered several gunshot wounds to the back and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:38 a.m. The older man was shot in the shoulder and also taken to Stroger, where his condition was stabilized. At 2:34 a.m., a 24-year-old woman showed up in the 10700 block of South Hoxie in the South Deering neighborhood on the Far South Side and told witnesses she was shot, police said. The woman had suffered a gunshot wound to the body and someone took her to Trinity Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police said. The medical examiners office has not yet released her name. About 1 a.m., officers responded to a call of shots fired in the 7900 block of South Vernon in the South Side Chatham neighborhood and found a man lying on the sidewalk, police said. The man, thought to be between 35 and 45 years old, was shot in the head and chest and pronounced dead at the scene at 1:19 a.m. He has not been identified. Fifteen minutes earlier in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the West Side, officers responding to a call of shots fired found a 31-year-old man lying on the sidewalk in the 3400 block of West Hirsch, according to police. He suffered a gunshot wound to the face and was taken to Norwegian American Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His name has not been released. At 8:05 p.m. Saturday, 19-year-old Luis Corona was shot to death in the Archer Heights neighborhood on the Southwest Side. He was in a parked vehicle in the 4800 block of South Karlov when two males announced a robbery, according to police and the medical examiners office. Corona tried to escape but was shot in the chest and crashed his vehicle into two parked vehicles at the end of an alley. Corona, who lived in the 6100 block of South Moody, was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:25 p.m. Less than an hour earlier, a 28-year-old man was sitting in a parked vehicle in an alley in the 8300 block of South Hermitage in the South Side Gresham neighborhood when someone walked up and shot him in the head, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:45 p.m., according to the medical examiners office. His name has not yet been released. About 20 minutes earlier, a 36-year-old man was shot in the Englewood neighborhood and died later Sunday morning. Walter McCurry was standing in the street at 7:23 p.m. Saturday in the 1100 block of West 57th Street, when someone in a dark-colored car fired shots, hitting him in the chest, arm and hip, authorities said. McCurry, who lived in the 6300 block of South Morgan, was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:47 a.m. Sunday. At 4:50 p.m., a 17-year-old boy was fatally shot in the West Garfield Park neighborhood, authorities said. He was discovered outside in the 200 block of South Kostner with gunshot wounds to his back and leg. The boy was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:14 p.m. His name has not been released. At 1:23 a.m., a 14-year-old boy was gunned down in the West Side Austin neighborhood. DeMarco Webster Jr. was on the street in the 500 block of South Central when someone in a dark-colored car shot him in the torso, authorities said. Webster, who lived in the 700 block of South Kedzie, was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he died at 3:15 a.m. At 12:04 a.m. in the South Side Auburn Gresham neighborhood, someone walked up to 25-year-old Martell Turner as he sat in a vehicle in the 1200 block of West 79th Street and shot him in the chest and abdomen, authorities said. Turner was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead at 1:31 a.m. He lived in the 7900 block of South Throop. Five minutes before that in the South Shore neighborhood, officers responding to a call of a person shot found 30-year-old Tyrice Anderson lying in the street in the 7800 block of South South Shore Drive, authorities said. Anderson was shot in the head and taken to Christ Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 1:03 a.m. He lived on the same block as the shooting. About 10:20 p.m. Friday, two people were gunned down at a Back of the Yards neighborhood gas station on the South side. Chiquita Ford and Brian Fields, both 30 years old, were sitting in a vehicle at the station in the 1900 block of West Garfield when a gunman walked up and fired at them, hitting the woman in the side and the man in the chest, authorities said. They were both pronounced dead at the scene at 11:02 p.m. Ford lived in suburban Westchester and Fields was from the 7200 block of South Wolcott. The weekends first homicide happened about 9 p.m. Friday in the West Side Austin neighborhood. Hernando Caster, 38, was on a sidewalk in the 4900 block of West Huron when two gunmen walked up and shot him in the back and thighs, authorities said. Caster, of the 5300 block of West Washington, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died at 10:58 p.m. The latest nonfatal shooting happened shortly after 2 a.m. Monday in the South Chicago neighborhood. A 37-year-old woman was a passenger in a vehicle driving south in the 8000 block of South Exchange when she heard gunfire and realized shed been shot in the left shoulder, police said. She later showed up at South Shore Hospital, where her condition was stabilized. At least 39 more people were wounded in other shootings across the city between 4:45 p.m. Friday and 9:15 p.m. Sunday. Seventeen fatal shootings makes the weekend the citys deadliest of 2016, according to Sun-Times data. Over both Fathers Day and Labor Day weekends in Chicago this year, 13 people were wounded in shootings. On Monday, Aug. 9, nine people were killed in city shootings and 13 others were wounded. One person is dead after a vehicle fleeing from police crashed head-on with another vehicle, according to Norwich police. Norwich police said around 2:17 a.m. Sunday an officer tried to stop a suspected intoxicated driver on West Thames Street. Police said the driver, identified as Cory Long, 35, of Hartford did not stop and the officer began to pursue the vehicle through downtown Norwich. According to Connecticut state police, the crash occurred when the fleeing vehicle was traveling eastbound on Route 2 near the intersection of Route 12 and the driver struck a curb and lost control. The vehicle swerved into the westbound side of Route 2 and collided head-on with another car that was stopped at a traffic signal. Two occupants of the westbound vehicle were taken to William W. Backus Hospital for treatment. The passenger later died at the hospital. The victim has been identified as Thomas Richter, 74, of Southbury. The driver, Carol Richter, 73, of New Milford, sustained non-life threatening injuries. Long and his passenger, identified as Isaiah Lee, 35, of Groton, were also transported to William Backus Hospital for treatment. The Connecticut State Police Collision and Analysis & Reconstruction Squad is investigating the crash. Norwich police are leading the criminal investigation of the people in the fleeing vehicle. Route 2 was closed for the investigation but has since reopened. A 30-year-old Bristol man was found seriously injured on the side of the road early Sunday morning and police are investigating. Bristol police said that the man was assaulted at around 3:30 a.m. this morning in the area of 361 King Street. Police said the unidentified victim was found by a passersby and taken to Bristol Hospital with life-threatening stab wounds. He was airlifted to Hartford Hospital for further treatment and remains in critical condition, police said. Police say the people who drove the victim to the hospital reported they found the man lying in the roadway in front of a house on 361 King Street. Those who live in that home told NBC Connecticut they slept through the incident. Some neighbors were surprised to see crime tape and police cars outside their windows when they woke up. Im very surprised because this is a good town and this area is great. We dont have anything like this happen, said neighbor Ann Conroy. Very surprised. You know this is a real quiet neighborhood. Were all in cahoots with each other, so stuff like this, it shakes the neighborhood up. It scares people, added Antwain Berry. King Street from Stonecrest Drive to Holt Street was closed off for hours while police investigated. No arrests have been made at this time. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the Bristol Police Department at 860-584-3011. Over 500 people participated in the seventh annual Connecticut Law Enforcement Memorial Run in Middletown Sunday morning. A slew of runners from across the state turned out for the run, which raises funds for a national law enforcement memorial in Washington, DC. NBC Connecticuts Len Besthoff joined in as the celebrity host. Fifty-five law enforcement agencies participated including large showings from New Haven police and Glastonbury police. This years 5K was held at the Wadsworth Mansion and the challenging course ends uphill. For more information, visit the Connecticut Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Run website. At least two people were hurt trying escape an overnight apartment fire in South Dallas. Dallas Fire-Rescue said it responded to the Mandalay Palms Apartments at 7501 Chesterfield Drive at 2:15 a.m. Sunday. Firefighters arrived to see flames shooting from the top of the apartment building's third story. The fire also consumed the breezeway trapping many people in their apartment units. DFR said no one was hurt by the fire itself. However, two men were injured trying to flee the fire. One was injured trying to climb a fence surrounding his first floor patio. Another was hurt when a person jumping from a second floor balcony landed on them. Both of the injured people were evaluated at the hospital for minor injuries. It took 70 firefighters to bring the fire under control according to DFR. 24 units were affected. Twelve units are destroyed. Investigators are still looking for the cause of the fire. The American Red Cross is helping residents displaced by the fire. You'll hear about patients seeking out the doctors who saved their lives to say "thank you," but it's not often that search lasts nearly 60 years. But Oak Cliff native Dennis Fastnachd had long held the hope of being able to thank his lifesaver. In 1957 when he was just 11, Fastnachd recalls playing with two friends on a day when his parents were out, and he began bragging to them about learning to shoot with his father. Fastnachd said that would lead to him getting out his father's shotgun and shells to show off a little more. "A very stupid thing that a young boy did at the age of 11," said Fastnachd recalling the story. Eventually, one of the friends asked to touch the gun and it did not go well. Fastnachd ended up getting shot in the abdomen. The young boy called for help and was rushed to Methodist Dallas Medical Center, where Dr. Wayne Gossard, a Korean War veteran and hospital surgeon, came in. After a lot of work and Fastnachd said some very bad outlooks at times Gossard put him back together and got the boy back up and moving in time. "The man saved my life. There's no question about it," said Fastnachd. As he grew up, Fastnachd eventually got married and moved to Kansas City, where he went into a successful career, but over the years he said his thoughts would go back to that kind Dallas surgeon who saved him. Then, over the last few months he mentioned the doctor's name to some friends still living in North Texas, and by chance, one of them had connections to Gossard. Now 95 years-old, but still living just a few miles from Methodist Hospital, Gossard said the call from Fastnachd was a surprise. He admits after all these years, he remembers little about that night repairing the boy, but he said he welcomed the chance to check up on the former patient. So after a lot of planning, Fastnachd and his wife made the trip back to Dallas on Friday and sat down across a coffee table to reminisce with their hero. "If you'll come back every 59 years, you'll be most welcome," joked Gossard. Fastnachd said he often didn't imagine the reunion would ever happen, but he couldn't stop smiling as he thanked the retired surgeon and took a picture with the man who will always be his hero. The two also got to tour the new ER and trauma center at Methodist, which looked much different than their last encounter there. A shots fired call in Garland led to an officer firing his weapon and the arrest of two men. It happened late Saturday night in the 500 block of West Avenue F. Police said 25-year-old Omero Lopez of Garland and a 17-year-old from Dallas were observed shooting a handgun several times. While making contact with the men, officer M.J. Mallison fired his weapon once at the suspects but did not strike anyone. The officer has been placed on administrative leave. The department did not elaborate as to why the officer felt compelled to open fire in a press release. Police discovered Lopez was a convicted felon. He was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Lopez and the 17-year-old were also charged with discharging a firearm in certain municipalities. SoCal residents looking to cast their ballot in the upcoming general election don't have to wait until Nov. 8 to do so several counties throughout the Southland are allowing early voting. Los Angeles County can participate in early weekend voting two weekends before Election Day: Oct. 29-30 and Nov. 5-6. The Los Angeles County Registrar's Office began offering early voting last weekend in five locations throughout LA county. West Covina City Hall, El Camino College, West Los Angeles College, Antelope Valley College and the North Hollywood Regional Library will all be hosting early voting stations again this weekend. All early voting events will be held between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. More details about the weekend early voting locations can be found on the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's website. People can also visit the website to check their voter registration status. Other SoCal counties are also allowing residents to cast early ballots. Riverside County has been accepting early ballots since Oct. 11 and is allowing weekend voting on the Saturdays of Oct. 29 and Nov. 5. Orange County allows early voting from Saturday, Oct. 29 to Monday, Nov. 7. San Bernardino County residents can also find various early voting locations in their area. A woman was trapped in her Hummer for six days after it rolled off a cliff in the mountains in Southern California, but was rescued alive by firefighters on Saturday, authorities said. Barbara McPheron, 69, was reported missing on Oct. 23 around 1 p.m., according to the Ridgecrest Police Department. McPheron had used the OnStar feature of her Hummer to contact 911, stating "ditch on Highway 395, Stater Bros and Kashmir St," authorities said. Crews searched by ground and air in the Adelanto area of San Bernardino County, but could not find the woman. Six days later, the San Bernardino County Fire Department received reports of a vehicle rollover in a desert area off Torosa Road west of Highway 395, north of Adelanto, from off-road drivers in the area, fire officials said. Firefighters found McPherson trapped inside her rolled over SUV around 6 p.m. Saturday. It took them an hour to safely rescue her, according to the fire department. During the rescue, officials discovered that the 69-year-old was reported missing several days earlier. She was taken to a hospital by helicopter, fire officials said. Her condition was described as serious, but non-life threatening. NBC4's Joe Studley contributed to this report. Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct the number of days McPherson was trapped. Hilary Clinton slammed Donald Trump's lack of charitable giving, saying "it's always Donald Trump first and everyone else second," at a "Community in Unity rally" in Broward County, Florida. Clinton singled out a Washington Post report that Trump attended a fundraiser for young children with HIV but never donated money. "Who does that?" she asked. Clinton is was speaking to gay and lesbian supporters in South Florida, where she's spent the day campaigning. She said Trump has a "terrible record on LGBT rights" and warned he would nominate Supreme Court justices who would overturn the legality of gay marriage. Clinton urged supporters to show up to vote in big numbers, declaring, "Let's break every single record." Meanwhile, Trump reiterated his call that the U.S. election system is rigged and corruption in government rampant at a rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sunday afternoon. He also attacked Clinton again for the FBI investigation into her use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State. Key West's annual Fantasy Fest turned bipartisan when its Masquerade March took aim at America's upcoming presidential election. Waves of marchers spoofed presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton during Friday evening's procession through the streets. Participants included Trump University "graduates" in caps and gowns, a troupe of revelers satirizing the Mexican border wall proposed by Trump, and dozens of outrageous depictions of the two candidates. Two groups proposed alternatives to Republican and Democratic leanings by proclaiming themselves "the Cocktail Party" and "the Mermaid Party." Among other standouts were a dancing troupe of purple-suited skeletons, "barbarians" in horned and feathered headdresses, an elaborate orange creature with huge outspread wings, a man dressed as Marilyn Monroe and a tutu-wearing group carrying giant balloon letters that spelled "PEACE" and "LOVE." The march will be followed by Saturday night's parade, expected to draw some 60,000 revelers to Key West's downtown. The parade will feature dozens of motorized floats, costumed walking groups and island-style bands. Fantasy Fest ends Sunday after a children's carnival, an afternoon dance party and a "haunted ship" experience on a Coast Guard cutter. What to Know A Long Island father gave birth to his daughter on the highway Friday morning The couple was traveling along the Southern State Parkway when the mother suddenly went into labor, forcing the father to birth the baby Both mother and daughter were doing fine when troops arrived on the scene Joy couldn't wait for a New York father who gave birth to his own child on a Long Island highway Friday morning. A Nassau County couple, Judd and Jessica Jaworoski, were traveling on the Southern State Parkway attempting to go to North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital for the birth of their child at around 6:45 a.m. Friday, police said. Jessica began to have contractions and appeared to be close to giving birth, forcing Judd to pull over. Authorities said Judd then called 911 and advised police of the situation. The mother and newborn baby girl were doing fine when troopers arrived on the scene, police said. The family was transported to North Shore LIJ by ambulance. A man was shot and killed early Sunday morning in Jamaica, police said. Police responded to a 911 call of a male shot near 109th Avenue and Merrick Boulevard shortly before 2:30 a.m. Sunday, authorities said. Upon arrival, authorities canvassed the area and discovered Niheen Donigan near 171st Street with a gunshot wound to the head. EMS transported Donigan to Jamaica Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said. Police ruled the 36-year-old's shooting death a homicide. There are no arrests at this time and the investigation is ongoing. Police say a pair of thieves have been taking advantage of bar patrons in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, swiping belongings from purses. The NYPD says the couple have stolen purses, pocketbooks, cellphones and cash three times this month, twice at a Crown Heights bar and once at a restaurant. Police say the thief often sits next to a patron at the bar and the moment the victim turns away, the thief grabs purse. The female suspect has a noticeable limp and the male suspect is about 50 years old, but police have not released photos of him. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS. A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 on Sunday rocked the same area of central and southern Italy hit by a quake in August and a pair of aftershocks last week, sending already quake-damaged buildings crumbling after a week of temblors that have left thousands homeless. The head of Italy's civil protection agency, Fabrizio Curcio, said there were no immediate reports of deaths, but that some people had suffered injuries as numerous buildings that had resisted the previous temblors collapsed. He said authorities were responding with helicopters as many roads were blocked from rockslides. Residents already rattled by a constant trembling of the earth rushed into piazzas and streets after being roused from bed by the 7:40 a.m. quake. Many people still had been sleeping in cars or evacuated to shelters or hotels in other areas after a pair of strong jolts on Wednesday. Curcio said 1,300 had been evacuated to the coast, and more would follow. The quake struck a cluster of mountain towns, many of historic significance, already reeling from last week's pair of aftershocks to an August earthquake that killed nearly 300: Norcia, Visso, Castelsantangelo sul Nero and Preci. The head of the civil protection authority in Italy's Marche region, Cesare Spuri, said there were reports of buildings collapsing in many cities. "We are trying to understand if people are under the rubble," Spuri said. In the ancient city of Norcia, famed for its Benedictine monastery and its cured meats, witnesses said the 14th century St. Benedict cathedral crumbled, leaving only its facade standing. Television images in the minutes after the quake showed nuns rushing out of their church and into Norcia's main piazza as the clock tower appeared ready to fall. One nun had to be carried by firefighters, while another was supported as she walked. Later, priests and nuns prayed in the square amid the rubble. "It's as if the whole city fell down," Norcia city assessor Giuseppina Perla told the ANSA news agency. The town closest to the quake's epicenter, Norcia is the birthplace of St. Benedict, the father of monasticism and has suffered a series of earthquakes over its history. The cathedral was built over Benedict's birthplace. The monks of Norcia confirmed the collapse of the St. Benedict cathedral in a letter launching an immediate fundraising campaign to rebuild. The current superior, who signed the letter to supporters as the Rev. Benedict, reported the cathedral was "flattened," and that monks were combing the city to help where needed. "May this image serve to illustrate the power of this earthquake, and the urgency we monks feel to seek out those who need the sacraments on this difficult day for Italy," he wrote. The deputy mayor of Norcia, Pierluigi Altavilla, said his house remained standing, but everything inside had been toppled. "It seemed like a bomb exploded inside the house," he told Sky TG24. In the Umbria region, Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti told priests to hold Mass outdoors following the Sunday morning earthquake as well as on All Saint's Day on Tuesday, a holiday on which Catholic's remember the dead. The news agency ANSA said Bassetti, head of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Umbria, made the decision after consulting with the head of the region. The hilltop town of Camerino, some 60 kilometers from Ancona, suffered new building collapses but no reports of injuries. City spokesman Emmanuele Pironi said the main fire hall had been rendered uninhabitable and that they had transferred to a warehouse. "An hour and a half after the quake, we can be reassured," Pironi told The Associated Press. Pironi said most of the area's 9,000 university students had left after the town's historic center was closed due to danger of collapses last week, and some of the 7,000 residents had been moved to hotels near the coast or to shelters nearby. Few remained in their homes. The mayor of quake-hit Ussita said a huge cloud of smoke erupted from the crumbled buildings. "It's a disaster, a disaster!" Mayor Marco Rinaldi told ANSA. "I was sleeping in the car and I saw hell." In Arquata del Tronto, which had been devastated by the Aug. 24 earthquake that killed nearly 300 people, Arquata Mayor Aleandro Petrucci said, "There are no towns left." "Everything came down," he said. New collapses also were reported in Tolentino, where the news agency ANSA said three people were extracted from the rubble. The quake was felt throughout the Italian peninsula, with reports as far north as Bolzano near the Austrian border and as far south as Bari in the Puglia region. Residents rushed into the streets in Rome, where ancient palazzi shook, swayed and lurched for a prolonged spell. Austria's governmental earthquake monitoring organization said the quake was felt to varying degrees in the east and south of the country and all the way to the city of Salzburg. It says that at its strongest, residents in upper floors noticed a swaying sensation and a slow swinging of hanging objects. The quake sent boulders raining onto state highways and smaller roads, forcing closures throughout the quake zone that was impeding access to hard-hit cities such as Norcia. Traffic was being diverted to other roads. The Salaria highway, one of the main highways in the region, was closed at certain points as it was after Wednesday's quakes. In addition, Italy's rail line said some local lines in Umbria and Le Marche were closed as a precaution. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center put the magnitude at 6.6 or 6.5 with an epicenter 132 kilometers northeast of Rome and 67 kilometers east of Perugia, near the epicenter of last week's temblors. The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at 6.6. The German Research Centre for Geosciences put the magnitude at 6.5 and said it had a depth of 10 kilometers, a relatively shallow quake near the surface but in the norm for the quake-prone Apennine Mountain region. What to Know Erica Garner blasted the Clinton campaign in a series of tweets for the way they discussed her dad's death in emails released by WikiLeaks She accused campaign staffers of "exploiting" her father's death to boost Clinton's stance on gun control Garner endorsed Bernie Sanders for president in a video released in February Erica Garner slammed Hillary Clinton's campaign in a series of tweets Thursday after new emails released by WikiLeaks showed how the Democratic presidential nominee's staff mentioned the death of her father while discussing language for a newspaper editorial on gun violence this spring. "I'm troubled by the revelation that you and this campaign actually discussed 'using' Eric Garner ... why would you want to 'use' my dad?" she tweeted. "These people will co opt anything to push their agenda. Police violence is not the same as gun violence." "I'm very interested to know exactly what @CoreyCiorciari meant when he said 'I know we have an Erica Garner problem' in the #PodestaEmails19," she added. I'm troubled by the revelation that you and this campaign actually discussed "using" Eric Garner ... Why would you want to "use" my dad? officialERICA GARNER (@es_snipes) October 27, 2016 These people will co opt anything to push their agenda. Police violence is not the same as gun violence. officialERICA GARNER (@es_snipes) October 27, 2016 She included links to the emails released by WikiLeaks and accused campaign staffers of exploiting her father's death to bolster Clinton's stance on gun control. The hacked emails show internal communications between campaign staffers discussing the language of an editorial piece on gun violence that ran in the Daily News on March 27. https://t.co/jzfUl0FbXF In this #PodestaEmails leak @CoreyCiorciari n @NickMerrill plot to use police violence victims to push gun control officialERICA GARNER (@es_snipes) October 27, 2016 399046331 "I know we have Erica Garner issues but we don't want to mention Eric at all? I can see her coming after us for leaving him out of the piece," Clinton's traveling press secretary Nick Merrill wrote in a March 17 email. Senior Political Adviser Maya Harris corrected Merrill in a reply: "Eric Garner not included because not killed by gun violence." "I'm glad you had Maya on your team to explain why you wont (sic) be USING my dad in you (sic) f-----g gun violence piece ... Black woman saved your a--," Garner tweeted. your sister Maya saved the clinton campaign a lot of embarrassment https://t.co/UOQLaKz7Sn officialERICA GARNER (@es_snipes) October 28, 2016 "Your sister Maya saved the Clinton campaign a lot of embarrassment," she added in a retweet to Kamala Harris, the sister of Clinton's political adviser. A spokesperson for the Clinton campaign did not respond to questions regarding the recent tweets. Garner's father was killed in July 2014 after he was stopped by police for selling loose, untaxed cigarettes and was placed in a chokehold by officer Daniel Pantaleo. A New York grand jury opted not to indict Pantaleo on criminal charges. He has been on modified duty pending the results of a federal probe into whether civil rights charges should be filed in the case. [NATL] Photos: Protests Across the Nation Against Police Violence Police are searching for a gunman who shot twin brothers outside a club in Lawncrest, killing one brother and leaving the second seriously injured. Police reported to Candelas Bar Restaurant, located at 718 Adams Avenue, at around 4 a.m. Sunday after receiving a call for a report of a Person with a gun.' Upon arrival, police found the twin brothers -- one brother was shot in the chest and he passed away. The second victim was shot in the stomach and is now in critical condition. Investigators believe the same bullet went through the first brother and landed in the twins stomach. Police tell NBC10 the brothers were outside when a man fired a black handgun, possibly a 9 mm, once in the center of the parking lot. Preliminary investigation shows the incident occurred following a fight outside the bar. The man police are looking for is described as having an unshaven face and a possible goatee. He fled in a yellow hatchback, 4 door sedan with Delaware tags. Police say they get called to this corner most weekends and nights for fights or gunshots. A special team of officers is assigned to this area in an attempt to curb the violence and keep the peace. Dozens of people lined Horton plaza Saturday to protest Iran's sentencing of several dual-nationals, and to demand their immediate release. Robin Shahini, 46, a graduate student whos lived in San Diego for the last 16 years, is now a prisoner in Iran sentenced to 18 years. We want to send a message to the [Obama] administration to not forget about the human rights situation in Iran as they are dealing with the Iranian government, Iranian human rights lawyer Bahram Maher told NBC 7. We need to have same kind of pressure on the Iranian government that brought them to the table for the nuclear deal. Bahram says the U.S. government is so involved with the nuclear issue they forget about human rights. Shahini is just one of many faces now prisoners plastered on posters. Shahini left Iran in 1998 and graduated from San Diego State in May with a degree in International security and conflict resolution, but during a recent trip back home in July he was arrested then sentenced last week to 18 years in prison for collaboration with a hostile government. He is the most recent dual-national to be convicted in a secret trial since Iran's nuclear deal. AP reports Shahini plans to protest his sentence with a hunger strike. We want whoever is president to listen to the people of Iran and stop appeasement policy with the regime of Iran, protester Pooran Arbabi said. Some experts and family members have suggested the Iranian government will use people like Shahini as bargaining chips in future negotiations similar to the prisoner exchange in January that freed Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian and three other Iranian-Americans. The U.S. made a $400 million cash delivery to Iran the same day, part of a settlement of a decades old arbitration claim that seemed to some like ransom. Peking University, October 18, 2016: Recently, a study shows that in 2013, premature mortalities attributed to PM2.5 nationwide were 1.37 million in total. 83% of Chinas population were exposed in areas where the yearly average concentration of PM2.5 exceeded 35 micrograms per cubic meter, the upper limit set in Ambient air quality standards. The study is the first to estimate the assimilated spatial PM2.5 concentrations across China based on direct PM2.5 measurements from 506 PM2.5 monitoring sites and a regional air quality model, using the integrated exposure-response model.Science of the Total Environment (STOTEN) published the paper Estimating adult mortality attributable to PM2.5 exposure in China with assimilated PM2.5 concentrations based on a ground monitoring network with professor Zhu Tong from College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, and researcher Zhu Jiang from Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences as co-corresponding authors. For its significant influence on human health, study on the health riskof atmospheric particulate matter is of great importance for the establishment of environmental criteria and decision on emission reduction. Despite some previous work on the risk evaluation of premature death resulted from PM2.5 exposure, controversy still exists due to different exposure assessments and choices of the concentration-response function. Among these studies, some used the statistics of scattering city sites to represent the data of the nation; others combined satellite remote sensing and retrieval mode to calculate the concentration of PM2.5 at ground level. The results thus fluctuate from 0.35 to 1.60 million people per year. Since 2013 when China first introduced PM2.5 into the regular monitoring system, a large sum of data has been accumulated, making it possible for high-quality study on PM2.5 exposure impact. From 2014, professor Zhu Tong has been working hand in glove with Zhu Jiang. They use the data on PM2.5 of over 500 ground observation stations, re-analyze them with the Nested Air Quality Prediction Modeling System (NAQPMS), adopt the newly developed integrated exposureresponse (IER) model, and finally estimate the risk of premature death due to exposure to PM2.5. They also quantify the mortality benefits when the concentration of PM2.5 in China meet the WHO IT-1, IT-2, IT-3 (35, 25 and 15 micrograms per cubic meter) and AQG (10 micrograms per cubic meter set by World Health Organization(WHO) respectively. Left: distribution of premature death due to PM2.5 exposure in 2013 Right: mortality benefits when the concentration of PM2.5 meet 35, 25, 15 and 10 micrograms per cubic meter respectively Research shows that ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer account for 28%, 50%, 12% and 10% respectively among the 1.37 million premature deaths. Megacities with high concentration of PM2.5 and great population density are regions with the highest risk. The study also points out that if the concentration of PM2.5 meets the WHO standards, the risk of premature death can decrease by 23%, 39%, 66% and 83% respectively, revealing the non-linear relationship between the decrease of PM2.5 and the improvement of health condition. Economic conditions permitting, it is necessary to raise ambient air quality standards in the future for peoples health. Written by: Zhou Yijing Edited by: Yan Shengnan Source: College of Environmental Science and Engineering Donald Trump is accusing the Justice Department of doing everything it can to protect his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Trump is pointing to a disagreement between the DOJ and the FBI over its handling of a new batch of emails discovered pertaining to the investigation of Clinton's use of a private email server as secretary of state. Justice Department officials cautioned FBI director James Comey against sending a letter to Congress informing them of the new emails, asserting that it was inconsistent with department policy intended to avoid the appearance of prosecutorial influence in elections. But Trump tells a rally crowd in Phoenix, "The Department of Justice is trying their hardest to protect the criminal activity of Hillary Clinton." He asks, "What's happened to the Justice Department?" and says this is what he means when he says that the "system is rigged." Trump is also repeating his claim that the development represents the biggest political scandal since Watergate. He says, "It's everybody's deepest hope that justice, at last, will be beautifully delivered." Earlier in the day Hillary Clinton attacked FBI director James Comey's decision to reveal a new probe into her email practices just days before the presidential election at a campaign rally in Florida on Saturday. "It is pretty strange, its pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election," she said as her supporters cheered. "In fact, its not just strange, its unprecedented and it is deeply troubling because voters deserve to get full and complete facts," she said. "So we called on Director Comey to explain everything right away, put it all out on the table." Clinton's campaign also lashed out at the FBI on Saturday, saying there was no indication that a cache of recently discovered emails under review by the agency was connected to the Democratic nominee. Barnstorming the West, Republican rival Donald Trump pounced on the reignited email controversy. Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta told reporters FBI Director James Comey's letter to Congress about the new emails was "long on innuendo" and "short on facts." "There's no evidence of wrongdoing," he said. "No charge of wrongdoing. No indication this is even about Hillary." But on that latter point, Comey in fact said the new trove was "pertinent" to the Clinton email investigation, without explaining how. A government official told The Associated Press on Saturday that the Justice Department had advised the FBI against telling Congress about the new developments in the Clinton investigation because of the potential fallout so close to the election. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and discussed it on condition of anonymity. Justice officials concluded the letter would be inconsistent with department policy that directs against investigative actions that could be seen as affecting an election or helping a particular candidate, the official said. Landing with a thud, the email issue again threatened to undermine an advantage built by Clinton, the Democratic nominee, over Trump and raised the possibility that the Republican might be able to seize momentum during the final days before the Nov. 8 election. Trump told a crowd in Golden, Colorado, on Saturday that the FBI's review of Clinton email practices raises "everybody's deepest hope that justice, as last, can be properly delivered." His crowd cheered Clinton's email woes, which Trump has taken to calling the biggest political scandal since Watergate. Trump also had battleground Arizona on his plate Saturday. Early voting has been underway for weeks and Clinton, who was campaigning Saturday in Florida, has led in preference polls, both nationally and in key swing states. The FBI is looking into whether there was classified information on a device belonging to Anthony Weiner, the disgraced ex-congressman who is separated from longtime Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Comey, in his letter to Congress on Friday, said the FBI had recently come upon new emails while pursuing an unrelated case and was reviewing whether they were classified. The announcement raised more questions than answers and generated criticism that Comey was injecting a significant development too close to an election. Yet the FBI director also faced the prospect of intense scrutiny if voters learned that he had been sitting on a major development until after the election. Podesta and campaign manager Robby Mook spoke to reporters in a conference call, following Clinton's hastily arranged news conference on Friday night in a high school choir room in Des Moines, Iowa. In it, she said "the American people deserve to get the full and complete facts immediately. The director himself has said he doesn't know whether the emails referenced in his letter are significant or not." But long-term, the development all but ensured that, even should Clinton win the White House, she and several of her closest aides would celebrate a victory under a cloud of investigation. One person was killed and three others were injured in an early Sunday morning house fire in Landover, Maryland, according to fire officials. A spokesman for the Prince Georges County Fire Department confirmed one fatality from the fire in the 1500 block of Ballinger Avenue. He said there were three others injured, but he believed the injuries were not critical. The fire was brought under control after 4 a.m. Sunday. The victims have not been identified. Investigators are still searching for the cause of the fire. It is not known if there were working smoke detectors in the home. A woman was rescued from the Potomac River after falling in the water from a cliff late Sunday morning. A Montgomery County fire and rescue spokesman said swift water boats doing training nearby and were called to the vicinity of the Billy Goat Trail. A U.S. Park police helicopter was also called in. Pete Piringer said a kayaker saw the woman fall about 70 feet into the water. He said she fell from the Virginia side. The kayaker was able to get to her quickly and keep her head above water. The woman was transported from the scene via helicopter with what Piringer called a trauma injury. Five people are facing numerous charges following a drug bust at an apartment in Worcester, Massachusetts. Police said following a months long investigation, a search warrant was obtained Friday for an apartment on Ward Street. When officers arrived, no one initially answered the door. As officers entered the apartment, police said several people tried fleeing the scene but were apprehended. Inside the apartment, police discovered cocaine, heroin, clonipine and large amounts of cash in the possession of some people at the scene. In a further search of the apartment, police found 72 Quetiapine pills, 10 Morphine pills, 7 Cyproheptadine pills, and 4 Clonazepam pills. Authorities also discovered drug paraphernalia and packaging materials such as scales, blenders and grinders. In addition, police discovered a loaded semiautomatic firearm and two additional loaded handguns. Police arrested Comal Warburton, 33, of Worcester; Dwarn Dean, 40, of Rosedale, NY; Thuthut Tran, 30, of Worcester; Paige Quinn, 23, of Fitchburg; and Jennifer Ruccio, 18, of Worcester. All five face numerous drug charges while Warburton also faces weapons charges. They are scheduled to be arraigned Monday at the Worcester County District Courthouse. The Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad was called in on Saturday morning to check out a suspicious device at a home in Maynard. State Police said a Walcott Street homeowner reported finding the device at about 11 a.m. Authorities requested the assistance of the Bomb Squad who determined the device was not explosive in nature. From video provided, the device was detonated as a precaution. Police are investigating the incident as a possible hoax device. The incident is being investigated by Maynard Police and State Police assigned to the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Anyone with information about the incident or the device is asked to call the Maynard Police Department at 978-897-1011 or the Maynard Police Department Anonymous Tip line at 978-897-0563. The president of a Medford police union who posed for a photograph with a person dressed as Hillary Clinton in an orange prison suit, said he used poor judgement while doing so. The photograph went viral on social media. According to the Boston Globe, Harold MacGilvray of the Medford Police Patrolmen's Association said the photo was taken on an impulse at a festival Saturday afternoon, and absolutely not to make a political statement. In a mail sent to the Globe, MacGilvray said "These were Halloween costumes. I apologize if this offended anyone in any way. It was poor judgment on my part." A man was killed early Sunday morning in a police-involved shooting that ensued after a knife tussle at a Boston apartment. The incident happened around 12:30 a.m. in a first floor apartment on Shawmut Avenue in the South End. Police said they were called to the apartment by medical personnel who were responding to a radio call for an emotionally disturbed man in his 30s who was suffering from paranoia and schizophrenia. Authorities said the man, who has not been identified, tried to attack the medical personnel with a knife. When police arrived on the scene, the man tried to attack officers while they tried to de-escalate the situation. When police were unable to stop him, authorities said they had no other choice but to fire at the man. The man was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. The man's mother said he had a history of mental issues and that police should not have opened fire. Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said his officers had no choice. "The mother is distraught. I don't think she was in the apartment when EMS were taking him out," Williams said. "I understand her grief. From everything I've heard, officers had to move in and save the two EMTs and it almost cost them their lives." Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said a "thorough, impartial, independent investigation" would be conducted. "As we have in every such case for more than a decade, we will release our entire investigative file to the family of the deceased and the media upon its conclusion," Conley said. "To my knowledge, this level of transparency in fatal police shootings is unparalleled, and no other district attorney's office in the country affirmatively releases every report, every interview, every dispatch transmission, and every map and diagram in every case as we do." A shooting left one woman dead and a teenager injured Saturday afternoon in Dorchester, Massachusetts. The shooting took place at 2:27 p.m. in the area of 152 Washington Street. Police said the woman, who has been identified as Benine Timothee, 36, was transported to an area hospital where she died. Authorities said the teenager was treated for a non-life threatening injury. Police said the woman was in the wrong place at the wrong time and that it appeared the teenager was the intended target of the shooting. So far, no arrests have been made. Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives assigned to Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470 or anonymously through the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463). Ex-Brighton vicar, Rev Phil Moon, will offer tips on how to keep going in ministry to the Transforming Norwich leaders lunch on Wednesday November 16. Ex-Brighton vicar, Rev Phil Moon, will offer tips on how to keep going in ministry to the Transforming Norwich leaders lunch on Wednesday November 16. Quiet Waters in Bungay offers healing retreat Quiet Waters Christian Retreat in Bungay is holding a gentle day retreat exploring healing in the Kingdom of God. Read more Latest Norfolk Christian community events Events of interest to the Norwich and Norfolk Christian community happening over the next few weeks are listed. Read more Norfolk ministry coaching duo are guest speakers Former church leaders and now freelance ministry coaches, Jonathan and Paige Squirrell, are the guest speakers at the next dinner of Norwich FGB on Monday, November 21. Read more Bringing light to Halloween Anna Price encourages Christians to engage positively with Halloween rather than hide away, on what many see as the darkest night of the year. Read more First service takes place at Norwich church site SOUL Church hosted around 400 people for a special service on the site of their new building on Heartsease Lane. Read more Dereham draws up list of warm places for winter As rising energy prices make it harder to heat homes, churches in Dereham are leading the way in creating warm spaces where people can go. Read more South Norfolk church scoops national award A medieval Anglican church in a tiny hamlet in South Norfolk has won a national award and a 10,000 boost. Read more Dereham churches help people to help themselves A group of churches in Dereham have launched an ambitious project which aims to meet needs in the town, including the provision of food and skills training. Read more Executive assistant and nursery manager jobs SOUL Church is a vibrant, welcoming and growing church in Norwich. They are seeking an organised and versatile Executive Assistant to provide key support to the churchs Senior Pastors, as well as a qualified Nursery Manager to head up SOUL Nursery. Read more Halloween light in Gorleston church On Halloween this year, St Mary Magdalene Church in Gorleston will be preparing to welcome around 200 families to experience their Light on a Dark Night event. Read more An opportunity for Norwich to pray for the nation Rev Nigel Fox, who has served as a Methodist Minister for 15 years in Norwich, shares an open invitation to pray for the nation at a crucial moment. Read more Norwich church seeks musicians Kingdom Ambassadors International Church is appealing for instrumentlists, keyboardists and guitarists to be part of their worship experience. Read more Please keep Rishi in your prayers Andy Bryant urges us to pray for our political leaders, especially the new Prime Minister, and avoid unhelpful judgementalism. Read more Emilys art boosts growing Yarmouth foodbank A pupil at a primary school in Bradwell has been selling her pictures in order to raise money for the Yarmouth and Magdalen Foodbank, which is expanding its capacity and is seeking more volunteers. Read more Patrick Regan helps Norwich to bounce forwards On Saturday St Stephens in Norwich hosted Bouncing Forwards as part of a national tour by the mental health charity Kintsugi Hope. Read more Painting and biblical feasting in Overstrand There will be opportunities to improve your painting skills and indulge in some biblical feasting next month at the Pleasaunce in Overstrand in North Norfolk. Read more National award for Dereham Christian bookshop The Green Pastures Christian bookshop in Dereham has won a national award for providing boxes of Christian books to 21 local schools. Read more T20 World Cup: 'He Was Superb in Warm Up Match, Lot of You Weren't There'-Rahul Defends Rahul T20 World Cup: 'Thats One Place Where You Feel Secure, Thats Taken Away'-Coach Rahul Dravid Says Virat Kohli 'Absolutely Fine' After Privacy Breach T20 World Cup: 'Horrible Weather' In Store for IND vs BAN, 70 Percent Chance of Rain Hurt Prithvi Shaw Posts Emotional Insta Story After Snub from Team India; 3 Other Players Follow Suit If you run a social networking service then the one thing you dont want to be considered to be is a publisher. As a publisher, you become responsible for whatever your users care to post which means when they post something thats illegal in any way, you are as liable as the poster to be prosecuted. On the other hand, as a platform, where no editorial control is exercised, a social media service is only obliged to act on content when they received a court order or a DMCA takedown notice. This distinction between being a publisher and a platform is crucial to the major social media services because the cost of vetting and policing user-generated content would be prohibitively expensive even if it were possible (every minute, Twitter generates 350,000 tweets while in the same window 510 comments are posted, 293,000 statuses are updated, and 136,000 photos are uploaded to Facebook). Now, for what reason do social networks exist? The obvious answer is to sell stuff through advertising and thereby make money for their investors (or perhaps that should be try to make money). But looking at the bigger picture, we all know the impact of social networks is far greater than just their role as a sales channel. Today, according to Statista: In 2016, 78 percent of U.S. Americans had a social media profile, representing a five percent growth compared to the previous year The region with the highest penetration of social media use is currently North America In the United States, an estimated 185 million people use social media in 2016, a number forecast to exceed 200 million by 2020 In the United States, 29 percent of inhabitants claim to log into their social accounts several times per day. With so many people communicating so regularly through social media, opinion on just about everything is being exchanged and shaped much as it is at, say, a cocktail party or in any other social venue, but on a much larger scale. Are the opinions well-informed, fair, and balanced? Are they even relevant? It doesnt matter, free speech is what we expect. And whatever you think the objective value of social media might be, weve seen the impact it can have on culture. Just consider how successfully the Obama campaign used social media for fund raising in the 08 election (way back when elections were reasonably sane) and how Twitter is now mandatory for every and any political campaign . So, the social networks claim they dont have editorial responsibility because they are only serving ads and their content-awareness is driven by algorithms, and further argue they are a neutral conduit for user content, a platform. Alas, for this to be true, the social networks, except where legally compelled to act, would have to be completely and utterly hands-off and we know that they absolutely arent! What many social networks do to many users who they consider to be posting inappropriate and or troll-like but not illegal content is something called shadowbanning in which, rather than suspending or cancelling a user account, they throttle back the reach of an accounts posting, often to the point where only the poster can see it. This has the effect of effectively muting the poster most often without the poster being aware that they are shadowbanned. Consider the recent fracas Twitter got into over shadowbanning references to an alternative micro-blogging service, according to Heatstreet, back in July: The microblogging site, sealion.club, a small Twitter clone popular with Gamergate types, seems to have been added to Twitters spam filter. Twitter does not let you tweet the URL or add it to your bio. Those with the URL already in their bio appear to have been shadowbanned from Twitter. Twitter backed off with the rather weak statement: The URL [sealion.club] was mistakenly flagged as spam, by an outside organization that tracks spam sources. We have restored access and apologize for the error. While that kind of behavior by Twitter is obnoxious and childish, the company has also been accused of shadowbanning other content including political speech and recent allegations include Twitter shadowbanning Donald Trump and other pro-Trump accounts. Even the cartoonist of Dilbert fame, Scott Adams, who became notorious over the last year or so for his posts about Trumps persuasion skills and who recently went over to the dark side by endorsing Trump, has blogged about being shadowbanned on Twitter. In fact, Adams also has what looks like proof of Twitter shadowbanning him on Periscope. Adams claimed that if, indeed, Twitter was shadowbanning him, it was treason (definition: treason the betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith; treachery). If, in fact, Trump and his supporters were also shadowbanned by Twitter actively and willfully manipulating public opinion to effect a specific political outcome, this has to be seen as something much bigger. But first you might ask if this wrong? It is, without doubt, a betrayal of trust as Adams argues but Twitter is a private company and therefore it can, within the law, do as it pleases. Heres the catch: If Twitter is actually manipulating the distribution of content then they are. Q.E.D., a publisher, not a platform, and have to take responsibility for what users post. They shouldn't have it both ways, a publisher without responsibility for content, yet, at present, they do. There's only one solution: The social media networks have become so fundamentally different from other forms of media that its time we reined them in. They should not be allowed to shape our culture and our politics by manipulating who sees what and who gets to speak. While the various traditional media outlets (the newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations) each have their own political biases, their ability to influence politics is nothing like that of the social media. The traditional media are a one way channel from the publisher to the citizenry with extremely limited feedback, whereas social media are many-to-many with new and old media along with the citizenry in interactive, near realtime dialog. To be above that with god-like powers to manipulate public opinion by filtering, blocking, and shadowbanning gives social media services way too much power for a democratic society to allow. Weve broken up and regulated many industries to prevent undue economic and media power falling into the hands of too few people or groups and quashing competition. Now is the time to start reining in the social networks to stop them from having undue influence on our culture and politics. Comments? Thoughts? Drop me a line or comment below then follow me on Twitter and Facebook. Cuddle-mad cheeky canine entertainer A FOUR-LEGGED, cuddle-mad comic has affectionately been dubbed 'Ronnie Barker.' Meet Ronnie, the seven-year-old Staffordshire Bull terrier crossbreed, with a great sense of humour. Jenny Hopkins, assistant manager at Dogs Trust Newbury, said: Ronnie is very playful and thinks he is a bit of a lapdog. He is a cheeky character who is always busy keeping himself entertained, which usually results in him entertaining everyone else around him too. Although he loves to play and can entertain himself with his antics endlessly Ronnie loves getting cuddles and would benefit from being the only pet in the home as he likes to soak up all the attention. He would be best suited to quiet, adult only home where he can do some exploring and go for a few short strolls a day. Ronnie does have some existing medical needs which Dogs Trust will advise on. These do mean that he needs regular short walks as he is unable to go on long walks. Do you think you could offer Ronnie a loving home? Please call the staff at Dogs Trust Newbury to arrange a visit on 0300 303 0292. Dogs Trust Newbury is located at Plumbs Farm, Hamstead Marshall, Newbury, Berks, RG20 0HR. Dogs Trust is the UKs largest dog welfare charity and cares for nearly 17,000 stray and abandoned dogs each year through its network of 20 Rehoming Centres across the UK and one in Ireland. For more information about the charitys work please visit www.dogstrust.org.uk Join in the 5km Zombie run at Newbury Showground. See Sunday Once you've remembered that the clocks went back at 2am and had that extra hour in bed; there's a few things to get you out today. We're hearing reports of a zombie outbreak at Newbury Showground. UK Running Events have herded the zombies there for a 5km challenge. Runners are given three lives before setting off on a 5km inflatable obstacle course. However, flesh-craving zombies lurk after each obstacle and are hungry for the life tags on your belt. Can you reach the end intact or will you become one of the infected undead? Oxjam Newbury will bring local bands to Market Place to raise money toward ending world poverty. The family-friendly day will display local talent for from across West Berkshire between 10am until 6pm. It's being supported by local businesses, including Hogan Music and Prohibition. The event is an OXJAM initiative, celebrating the 10th anniversary of OXJAM Music Festival nationwide. The gig will run alongside the colourful sights and tantalising smells of Newburys artisan market. Proving that Newbury is still at heart a market town, and run in conjunction with Newbury BID, the artisan market in Northbrook Street includes art, designer and crafts stalls and sizzling street food. The artisan market runs from 10am to 4pm on the last Sunday of every month. Elsewhere, a spectacular fireworks display is scheduled to take place in Hungerford. The event, organised by the John OGaunt School parent school association and Hungerford Rotary Club, takes place in the school grounds from 5pm. Tickets are available in advance, at a discounted rate (15 for a family of four or 6 per adult, and 3 per child), from Crown Needlework in Hungerford High Street. Alternatively, they can be bought at full price on the door. Stalls include barbecue, bar, tombola, followed by judging of Guy Fawkes competition at 5.10pm, bonfire lighting at 5.30pm and fireworks from 6.30pm. All money raised will go towards the school. Also in the town, Hungerford Antiques and Flea Market will run in the town hall Hungerford Town Hall. 10am-4pm. Hungerford Town Band will also be holding a Poppy Concert in the town hall at 7pm. Preparing for your big day? Head to a Wedding Show at Donnington Grove Hotel between 11am-3.30pm. Different religious groups attend services together to pray for peace MUSLIMS and Christians have been worshipping together in Newbury as a show of religious solidarity. Last weekend local Christians attended Muslim Friday prayers and local Muslims, in turn, attended a Christian Sunday church service to pray for greater understanding and peace in the world. The Rev Paul Cowan of St Georges Church, Newbury, and Howard Grace, a member of Newbury Quakers, attended Friday prayers in Thatcham as guests of the local Muslim community, and then Mohammad Tahir, Shahzad Nadeem and other members of the local Muslim community joined the congregation of St Georges for their Sunday service. Mr Cowan said: There are many events happening across the world that can too easily generate fear, distrust and division between people of different faiths and cultures. After the tragic murder of the Roman Catholic priest, Fr Jacques Hamel, in northern France back in July, I was struck by the positive power of photographs the following week showing Muslims attending Christian services of worship as an act of solidarity. What a perfect response to those who wish to sow division and hate. This has been our own small act of that same solidarity locally. Mr Tahir said: There are striking similarities between people of all religions, which becomes apparent when we attend each others religious ceremonies. And on a deeper level, we are all humans, we are all from the same race. There has always been more that unites us than what divides, but attempts of instilling hate and distance between people of varying cultures, ethnicities and religions can sometimes fog those elements of commonality. Ted Koppy is joining WVIT NBC 30 (NBC Connecticut) in Hartford as the weekday morning anchor, New England One has learned. Ted Koppy is joining WVIT NBC 30 (NBC Connecticut) in Hartford as the weekday morning anchor, New England One has learned. "Ted Koppy is joining NBC Connecticut" a station spokesperson told New England One. "His first day on air will be Tuesday, November 8. Ted will anchor our weekday morning newscast, NBC Connecticut Today, alongside Heidi Voight." Ted replaces Todd Piro who will move to anchoring the weekend morning newscasts and reporting three days a week giving him more flexibility to fill-in at sister-network MSNBC in New York City. Ted joins NBC Connecticut from News 12 Connecticut where he has been an anchor and reporter since April 2014. Prior to joining News 12 Connecticut, Ted spent almost three years as a personal finance educator. Before that, he spent clost to seven years as an anchor and reporter at WTNH ABC 8 in New Haven, Connecticut. Ted has also worked as the morning and noon anchor at KPHO CBS 5 in Phoenix, Arizona; an anchor and reporter at WTAE ABC 4 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; an anchor, reporter and children's program host at WHEC NBC 10 in Rochester, New York; and an anchor, reporter, photographer, and producer at KDLT NBC 46 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. During his career, Ted has received multiple local Emmy nominations, and has won an Edward R. Murrow award, in addition to awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Associated Press for spot news coverage and feature stories. Hes also won an NPPA and a Parents Choice award. A native of Minnesota, Ted is a 1989 graduate of Saint John's University where he earned a Bachelor's degree in government and German. Ted starts at NBC Connecticut on Election Day, November 8. Follow Ted on Social Media: MANGALURU: Denying allegations that corruption was done in the Rs 1,761 crore steel flyover project in Bengaluru, the construction of which was stayed by the Green Tribunal, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today said there was total transparency in the project. Talking to reporters here, he said opposition BJP was "spreading lies" on the project, "which was initiated during their rule in 2010." "Many BJP legislators were in support of the project", he claimed. "BJP did not oppose the project when it was announced in the 2014 budget. The party was raising objections now for reasons best known to them," he said. The implementation of the project would largely solve traffic problems in the capital city, he said. The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal in Chennai had on October 28 restrained the Bengaluru Development Authority from proceeding with the flyover project for four weeks. The tribunal granted interim stay on petitions from Citizen Action Forum and others. The petitions opposed the project on environmental grounds. The project was to construct a 6.72km long, six-lane steel flyover between Basaveshwara Circle and Hebbal to decongest traffic. The project had faced opposition as it allegedly involved felling of over 800 trees. Farmers too had opposed the project. MANGALURU: Denying allegations that corruption was done in the Rs 1,761 crore steel flyover project in Bengaluru, the construction of which was stayed by the Green Tribunal, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today said there was total transparency in the project. Talking to reporters here, he said opposition BJP was "spreading lies" on the project, "which was initiated during their rule in 2010." "Many BJP legislators were in support of the project", he claimed. "BJP did not oppose the project when it was announced in the 2014 budget. The party was raising objections now for reasons best known to them," he said. The implementation of the project would largely solve traffic problems in the capital city, he said. The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal in Chennai had on October 28 restrained the Bengaluru Development Authority from proceeding with the flyover project for four weeks. The tribunal granted interim stay on petitions from Citizen Action Forum and others. The petitions opposed the project on environmental grounds. The project was to construct a 6.72km long, six-lane steel flyover between Basaveshwara Circle and Hebbal to decongest traffic. The project had faced opposition as it allegedly involved felling of over 800 trees. Farmers too had opposed the project. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: The state capital, which has become the most-preferred destination for international events, is going to host yet another prestigious event, International Conference on Climate Change, Water, Agriculture and Food Security (ICCCWAFS-2016) from November 2. During the conference to be held at ICRISAT here, noted professors, agricultural scientists and environmentalists will discuss about the impact of climate change. They will also debate about the steps that are needed to be taken to conserve natural resources like water. Over 70 technical papers will be presented in the meeting. Climate change, impacts and adaptation, sustainable intensification of agriculture systems, water resource management, approaches to address food security and promoting bio-economy- are some of the themes that would be debated at the conference. Jermy Bird, director general of IWMI, Colombo in Sri Lanka, David Bergvinson, director general of ICRISAT, Hyderabad, Nils Vagstad, director general of NIBIO, Norway, Nils Ragnar Kamsvag, ambassador of Norway, Andrew Borrell from University of Queensland, Australia, Avinash Tyagi, secretary general of ICID, New Delhi and WR Reddy, director general of NIRD & PR, Hyderabad will be the key speakers at the two-day conference. HYDERABAD: The state capital, which has become the most-preferred destination for international events, is going to host yet another prestigious event, International Conference on Climate Change, Water, Agriculture and Food Security (ICCCWAFS-2016) from November 2. During the conference to be held at ICRISAT here, noted professors, agricultural scientists and environmentalists will discuss about the impact of climate change. They will also debate about the steps that are needed to be taken to conserve natural resources like water. Over 70 technical papers will be presented in the meeting. Climate change, impacts and adaptation, sustainable intensification of agriculture systems, water resource management, approaches to address food security and promoting bio-economy- are some of the themes that would be debated at the conference. Jermy Bird, director general of IWMI, Colombo in Sri Lanka, David Bergvinson, director general of ICRISAT, Hyderabad, Nils Vagstad, director general of NIBIO, Norway, Nils Ragnar Kamsvag, ambassador of Norway, Andrew Borrell from University of Queensland, Australia, Avinash Tyagi, secretary general of ICID, New Delhi and WR Reddy, director general of NIRD & PR, Hyderabad will be the key speakers at the two-day conference. By ANI BENGALURU: Welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modis renewed outreach on the issue of triple talaq in which he has asked people not make it a Hindu-Muslim matter, a cautious Congress urged the government to rope in the concerned people whose sentiments might otherwise get affected by its intervention. Our party has issued a statement that any progressive measure is welcome, but at the same time they should also seek the consent of stakeholders, particularly those people who are going to be affected and those people whose sentiments will be affected. They have to be taken into confidence, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge told ANI. The Prime Ministers statement evoked a mixed reaction from women activists. Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan cofounder Zakia Soman had said the statement will go a long way in enabling and supporting struggle for gender justice in Islam, particularly to Muslim women in India. General Secretary of the Communist Party of National Federation of Indian Women, Annie Raja criticized the Prime Minister for making selective statements on triple talaq and remaining silent on the womens reservation bill. Addressing a rally in Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Modi criticized political leaders and people on the TV debates, saying such discussions on triple talaq would keep women "deprived of their rights". "I request people who participate in TV debates to not make women rights a Hindu- Muslim issue. It is a development issue. The debate should be between the Muslims who are pro and anti-reforms," he said. He also said that justice would be given to Muslim women under the Constitution. BENGALURU: Welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modis renewed outreach on the issue of triple talaq in which he has asked people not make it a Hindu-Muslim matter, a cautious Congress urged the government to rope in the concerned people whose sentiments might otherwise get affected by its intervention. Our party has issued a statement that any progressive measure is welcome, but at the same time they should also seek the consent of stakeholders, particularly those people who are going to be affected and those people whose sentiments will be affected. They have to be taken into confidence, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge told ANI. The Prime Ministers statement evoked a mixed reaction from women activists. Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan cofounder Zakia Soman had said the statement will go a long way in enabling and supporting struggle for gender justice in Islam, particularly to Muslim women in India. General Secretary of the Communist Party of National Federation of Indian Women, Annie Raja criticized the Prime Minister for making selective statements on triple talaq and remaining silent on the womens reservation bill. Addressing a rally in Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Modi criticized political leaders and people on the TV debates, saying such discussions on triple talaq would keep women "deprived of their rights". "I request people who participate in TV debates to not make women rights a Hindu- Muslim issue. It is a development issue. The debate should be between the Muslims who are pro and anti-reforms," he said. He also said that justice would be given to Muslim women under the Constitution. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: Army on Saturday vowed revenge after a soldier was killed and his body mutilated by militants aided by the Pakistani troops cover fire in Machil sector in border district of Kupwara while a BSF man was killed due to malfunction of his weapon while retaliating to ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. An army man was killed by militants, who crossed the LoC under cover of Pakistani troops fire in Machil sector of Kupwara last night. The militants in a despicable act mutilated body of the soldier before fleeing back to Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK). However, one of the militants was killed in the army firing, an army spokesman said. Asserting that this barbarism is a true reflection, which pervades official and non-official organisations across the border, he vowed revenge saying, This act will invite an appropriate response. While Pakistan Army has been violating the ceasefire over last few days and even abetted infiltrating militants in such despicable acts as witnessed yesterday in Machil sector, Indian Army's response has been firm, intense but military like, added the spokesman. The deceased soldier was identified as 26-year-old Sepoy Mandeep Singh hailing from Kurukshetra, Haryana. He is son of a truck driver and had joined the Army in 2009. He is survived by wife, who is serving in Haryana Police. Mandeep was proudly remembered by his comrades in the unit, which also includes his own maternal brother, as a highly professional soldier and a true patriot, the army spokesman said. Army in a solemn wreath laying ceremony at BB Cantonment, Srinagar paid homage to the soldier. Sources said army is ascertaining whether the Pakistan armys Border Action Team (BAT) was involved in the attack and killing of the soldier. We are investigating whether the BAT team had assisted militants in the attack or had infiltrated with the militants to carry out the attack to take revenge of the surgical strikes on militant launch pads across the LoC, they said. According to army officials, army men are on highest mode of alert along the LoC after last months surgical strikes on militant launch pads. Pakistani troops have been resorting to near daily ceasefire violations along the LoC and International (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir after the surgical strikes. Meanwhile, a BSF man was killed due to malfunction of his weapon while he was retaliating to ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in Machil sector. BSF constable Nitin Subhash sustained critical injuries after an explosion inside the chamber of the long range weapon led to a recoil while he was firing in retaliation to ceasefire violation from across the LoC, BSF IG (Kashmir Frontier) Vikash Chandra told reporters in Srinagar. He said the BSF jawan was injured due to recoil and was admitted to a medical facility where he succumbed late last night. 28-year-old Subhash hailing from Sangli in Maharashtra had joined BSF in 2008. He is survived by wife and two sons aged four years and two years. Sources said a woman identified as Shaheena Begum was injured after Pakistani troops breached border ceasefire and fired on army posts and civilian areas in Keran sector along the LoC today. They said Pakistani troops also resorted to unprovoked firing on BSF posts and civilians areas along IB in Hiranagar and RS Pura sector in Jammu. The BSF men also effectively returned the fire and targeted the posts of Pakistan troops, sources said. BSF had yesterday said the border guards had killed 15 Pakistan Rangers personnel since October 21, when a BSF constable Gurnam Singh was critically injured in sniper firing of Pakistani troops and succumbed to injuries two days later. SRINAGAR: Army on Saturday vowed revenge after a soldier was killed and his body mutilated by militants aided by the Pakistani troops cover fire in Machil sector in border district of Kupwara while a BSF man was killed due to malfunction of his weapon while retaliating to ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. An army man was killed by militants, who crossed the LoC under cover of Pakistani troops fire in Machil sector of Kupwara last night. The militants in a despicable act mutilated body of the soldier before fleeing back to Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK). However, one of the militants was killed in the army firing, an army spokesman said. Asserting that this barbarism is a true reflection, which pervades official and non-official organisations across the border, he vowed revenge saying, This act will invite an appropriate response. While Pakistan Army has been violating the ceasefire over last few days and even abetted infiltrating militants in such despicable acts as witnessed yesterday in Machil sector, Indian Army's response has been firm, intense but military like, added the spokesman. The deceased soldier was identified as 26-year-old Sepoy Mandeep Singh hailing from Kurukshetra, Haryana. He is son of a truck driver and had joined the Army in 2009. He is survived by wife, who is serving in Haryana Police. Mandeep was proudly remembered by his comrades in the unit, which also includes his own maternal brother, as a highly professional soldier and a true patriot, the army spokesman said. Army in a solemn wreath laying ceremony at BB Cantonment, Srinagar paid homage to the soldier. Sources said army is ascertaining whether the Pakistan armys Border Action Team (BAT) was involved in the attack and killing of the soldier. We are investigating whether the BAT team had assisted militants in the attack or had infiltrated with the militants to carry out the attack to take revenge of the surgical strikes on militant launch pads across the LoC, they said. According to army officials, army men are on highest mode of alert along the LoC after last months surgical strikes on militant launch pads. Pakistani troops have been resorting to near daily ceasefire violations along the LoC and International (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir after the surgical strikes. Meanwhile, a BSF man was killed due to malfunction of his weapon while he was retaliating to ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in Machil sector. BSF constable Nitin Subhash sustained critical injuries after an explosion inside the chamber of the long range weapon led to a recoil while he was firing in retaliation to ceasefire violation from across the LoC, BSF IG (Kashmir Frontier) Vikash Chandra told reporters in Srinagar. He said the BSF jawan was injured due to recoil and was admitted to a medical facility where he succumbed late last night. 28-year-old Subhash hailing from Sangli in Maharashtra had joined BSF in 2008. He is survived by wife and two sons aged four years and two years. Sources said a woman identified as Shaheena Begum was injured after Pakistani troops breached border ceasefire and fired on army posts and civilian areas in Keran sector along the LoC today. They said Pakistani troops also resorted to unprovoked firing on BSF posts and civilians areas along IB in Hiranagar and RS Pura sector in Jammu. The BSF men also effectively returned the fire and targeted the posts of Pakistan troops, sources said. BSF had yesterday said the border guards had killed 15 Pakistan Rangers personnel since October 21, when a BSF constable Gurnam Singh was critically injured in sniper firing of Pakistani troops and succumbed to injuries two days later. By PTI SRINAGAR: Army today said it has destroyed four Pakistani posts in a massive assault across the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector of north Kashmir's Kupwara district. "Four Pakistani posts have been destroyed in a massive fire assault in Keran Sector," an army official said. Heavy casualties have been inflicted on the Pakistani side, he said, without giving further details. The firing assault comes in retaliation to ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops in the Keran sector earlier in the day, in which one BSF jawan and a civilian woman were injured. SRINAGAR: Army today said it has destroyed four Pakistani posts in a massive assault across the Line of Control (LoC) in Keran sector of north Kashmir's Kupwara district. "Four Pakistani posts have been destroyed in a massive fire assault in Keran Sector," an army official said. Heavy casualties have been inflicted on the Pakistani side, he said, without giving further details. The firing assault comes in retaliation to ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops in the Keran sector earlier in the day, in which one BSF jawan and a civilian woman were injured. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Delhi police on Saturday arrested personal assistant of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Munawwar Saleem for allegedly having links with an espionage racket run by a Pakistan High Commission official. Delhi Crime Branch officials said they detained Farhat, an aide of SP Rajya Sabha MP Saleem. Farhat is currently being interrogated by the sleuths. He is the fourth accomplice of the racket to be arrested in the case. Pakistan High Commission official Mehmood Akhtar was arrested on Wednesday along with two Indians - Maulana Ramzan and Subhash Jangir - at the Delhi Zoo while they were exchanging sensitive documents relating to the deployment of BSF and the Indian Army. Shoaib, another accomplice of Akhtar, a passport and visa agent, was arrested near Jodhpur on Thursday. CSecurity jawans stand guard during the curfew in downtown Srinagar | Express Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said security forces have given a befitting reply to the ceasefire violations by Pakistan. I want to assure the nation that the security forces are giving befitting reply to the firing from Pakistan. We will not bow down before anyone, Rajnath told reporters. The minister said the country was able to celebrate Diwali because the security personnel have been guarding the borders. People must have faith in security forces who are foiling the evil designs of the adversaries, he said. During the latest round of escalation, four BSF men and three Army personnel have been killed in the cross-border firing by Pakistani forces. Pakistan-backed terrorists had infiltrated the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and killed a jawan and mutilated his body on Friday, prompting the Army to issue a reaction saying the incident will be responded to appropriately. More spy rings in Delhi? New Delhi: The beheading and mutilation of Sepoy Mandeep Singh and the unmasking of Pak spy Mehmood Akhtar, who posed as a visa official in the Pakistan High Commission, has altered the government to the possibilities of more such incidents How spies were netted The Akhtar spy ring was busted by agencies listening in on cell phone conversations to and from Pakistan and between Delhi and the western front. Sources said the ring could operate freely because hotlines situated in visa sections of missions are secure and cannot be tracked. NEW DELHI: The Delhi police on Saturday arrested personal assistant of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Munawwar Saleem for allegedly having links with an espionage racket run by a Pakistan High Commission official. Delhi Crime Branch officials said they detained Farhat, an aide of SP Rajya Sabha MP Saleem. Farhat is currently being interrogated by the sleuths. He is the fourth accomplice of the racket to be arrested in the case. Pakistan High Commission official Mehmood Akhtar was arrested on Wednesday along with two Indians - Maulana Ramzan and Subhash Jangir - at the Delhi Zoo while they were exchanging sensitive documents relating to the deployment of BSF and the Indian Army. Shoaib, another accomplice of Akhtar, a passport and visa agent, was arrested near Jodhpur on Thursday. CSecurity jawans stand guard during the curfew in downtown Srinagar | ExpressMeanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said security forces have given a befitting reply to the ceasefire violations by Pakistan. I want to assure the nation that the security forces are giving befitting reply to the firing from Pakistan. We will not bow down before anyone, Rajnath told reporters. The minister said the country was able to celebrate Diwali because the security personnel have been guarding the borders. People must have faith in security forces who are foiling the evil designs of the adversaries, he said. During the latest round of escalation, four BSF men and three Army personnel have been killed in the cross-border firing by Pakistani forces. Pakistan-backed terrorists had infiltrated the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and killed a jawan and mutilated his body on Friday, prompting the Army to issue a reaction saying the incident will be responded to appropriately. More spy rings in Delhi? New Delhi: The beheading and mutilation of Sepoy Mandeep Singh and the unmasking of Pak spy Mehmood Akhtar, who posed as a visa official in the Pakistan High Commission, has altered the government to the possibilities of more such incidents How spies were netted The Akhtar spy ring was busted by agencies listening in on cell phone conversations to and from Pakistan and between Delhi and the western front. Sources said the ring could operate freely because hotlines situated in visa sections of missions are secure and cannot be tracked. Express News Service CHANDIGARH: The annual Diwali ritual of Border Security Force (BSF) personnel exchanging sweets with the Pakistan Rangers at the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab will not take place today with the beheading of an Indian Army sepoy by terrorists in Kashmir casting a pall of gloom on security forces in India. The 26-year-old Indian Army soldier, Mandeep Singh was beheaded by terrorists in the Machil sector in Jammu & Kashmir on Friday. The sepoy was cremated with full military honours today in his village of Aantehri in Kurukshetra district of Haryana. The village has a history of sending its youth to the armed forces. Mandeep Singh was to be home for Diwali today. He had built a new house and his family had invited the entire village for the festive lunch. But his death at the hands of terrorists plunged villagers into sorrow, and all Diwali celebrations were cancelled. As per the wish of his family, Mandeep was cremated in his farm just outside the village, just a few metres away from the house he had built. Tonight, each household in the village will light a diya as a mark of respect in Mandeeps memory. There were calls in the village for its main street to be named after Mandeep Singh or that a statue be erected in the village square. Singh joined the 17th Sikh Light Infantry in 2008 ande got married two years ago to Prema, head constable with the Haryana Police. The slain soldiers father, Phool Singh, a truck driver, remembered his son with tears in his eyes. He called ten days ago and said he would be coming home for Diwali. I never imagined that he would come home in a coffin. CHANDIGARH: The annual Diwali ritual of Border Security Force (BSF) personnel exchanging sweets with the Pakistan Rangers at the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab will not take place today with the beheading of an Indian Army sepoy by terrorists in Kashmir casting a pall of gloom on security forces in India. The 26-year-old Indian Army soldier, Mandeep Singh was beheaded by terrorists in the Machil sector in Jammu & Kashmir on Friday. The sepoy was cremated with full military honours today in his village of Aantehri in Kurukshetra district of Haryana. The village has a history of sending its youth to the armed forces. Mandeep Singh was to be home for Diwali today. He had built a new house and his family had invited the entire village for the festive lunch. But his death at the hands of terrorists plunged villagers into sorrow, and all Diwali celebrations were cancelled. As per the wish of his family, Mandeep was cremated in his farm just outside the village, just a few metres away from the house he had built. Tonight, each household in the village will light a diya as a mark of respect in Mandeeps memory. There were calls in the village for its main street to be named after Mandeep Singh or that a statue be erected in the village square. Singh joined the 17th Sikh Light Infantry in 2008 ande got married two years ago to Prema, head constable with the Haryana Police. The slain soldiers father, Phool Singh, a truck driver, remembered his son with tears in his eyes. He called ten days ago and said he would be coming home for Diwali. I never imagined that he would come home in a coffin. By IANS KURUKSHETRA: Indian Army soldier Mandeep Singh, whose body was mutilated by terrorists near the Line of Control (LoC), will be cremated in his native village in Haryana's Kurukshetra district with full military honours on Sunday. Mandeep, a sepoy of the 17th Sikh regiment, was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Machhil sector of Kupwara area of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday night. He hailed from Antehri village in Kurukshetra district, about 100 km from Chandigarh. His body was brought to Ambala on Saturday and was handed over to his family on Sunday. Residents of Mandeep's village said that no Diwali would be celebrated in the village as a mark of respect to the martyr. Antehri village is known for sending men to the forces. "We are proud of the sacrifice of our son. Pakistan must be taught a lesson for its inhuman actions," Mandeep's father Phool Singh said. Mandeep, who was married in 2014, leaves behind his widow, Prerna, who is a constable in the Haryana Police, and parents. "Our government should take decisive action to finish Pakistan. We cannot let our soldiers die like this," an inconsolable Prerna told the media. The Indian Army, in an official statement on Saturday, said the soldier's body was "mutilated" and added that it would retaliate with an "appropriate response". Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar described Mandeep's killing as a cowardly act by the terrorists. The Chief Minister said that a financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh would be given to the next of kin. This is not the first time that Pakistan has mutilated the bodies of Indian soldiers. During the Kargil war in 1999, Captain Saurabh Kalia, Sepoys Arjunram Baswana, Mula Ram Bidiasar, Naresh Singh Sinsinwar, Bhanwar Lal Bagaria and Bhika Ram Mudh of 4 Jat Regiment were captured by Pakistani troops and brutally tortured. The soldiers had their ear drums pierced with hot iron rods, eyes punctured and genitals cut off. The autopsy of the bodies also revealed that they were burned with cigarettes butts. Their limbs were also chopped off, teeth broken and skull fractured during the torture. Even their nose and lips were sliced off. In another incident, on January 8, 2013, Pakistani soldiers entered Indian territory in Krishna Ghati sector of the border and killed two Indian soldiers - Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh. Indian officials said both the bodies were mutilated, and Hemraj's body was decapitated. KURUKSHETRA: Indian Army soldier Mandeep Singh, whose body was mutilated by terrorists near the Line of Control (LoC), will be cremated in his native village in Haryana's Kurukshetra district with full military honours on Sunday. Mandeep, a sepoy of the 17th Sikh regiment, was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Machhil sector of Kupwara area of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday night. He hailed from Antehri village in Kurukshetra district, about 100 km from Chandigarh. His body was brought to Ambala on Saturday and was handed over to his family on Sunday. Residents of Mandeep's village said that no Diwali would be celebrated in the village as a mark of respect to the martyr. Antehri village is known for sending men to the forces. "We are proud of the sacrifice of our son. Pakistan must be taught a lesson for its inhuman actions," Mandeep's father Phool Singh said. Mandeep, who was married in 2014, leaves behind his widow, Prerna, who is a constable in the Haryana Police, and parents. "Our government should take decisive action to finish Pakistan. We cannot let our soldiers die like this," an inconsolable Prerna told the media. The Indian Army, in an official statement on Saturday, said the soldier's body was "mutilated" and added that it would retaliate with an "appropriate response". Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar described Mandeep's killing as a cowardly act by the terrorists. The Chief Minister said that a financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh would be given to the next of kin. This is not the first time that Pakistan has mutilated the bodies of Indian soldiers. During the Kargil war in 1999, Captain Saurabh Kalia, Sepoys Arjunram Baswana, Mula Ram Bidiasar, Naresh Singh Sinsinwar, Bhanwar Lal Bagaria and Bhika Ram Mudh of 4 Jat Regiment were captured by Pakistani troops and brutally tortured. The soldiers had their ear drums pierced with hot iron rods, eyes punctured and genitals cut off. The autopsy of the bodies also revealed that they were burned with cigarettes butts. Their limbs were also chopped off, teeth broken and skull fractured during the torture. Even their nose and lips were sliced off. In another incident, on January 8, 2013, Pakistani soldiers entered Indian territory in Krishna Ghati sector of the border and killed two Indian soldiers - Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh. Indian officials said both the bodies were mutilated, and Hemraj's body was decapitated. By IANS NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, in a telephonic conversation with his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull, expressed concern over the death of an Indian-origin man who worked as a bus driver in Australia. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi, telephoned Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia, today to wish him Diwali greetings," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. "Prime Minister Modi also conveyed a sense of concern being felt in India over the recent brutal killing of Manmeet Alisher, a person of Indian origin, in Australia," it said. Alisher, who was popular with the Indian diaspora in Australia, died after an "incendiary device" was thrown at him while he was letting passengers off at Moorooka area in Brisbane, capital of the Australian state of Queensland, on Friday morning. Australia is home to over a 450,000-strong Indians and Alisher's death has come as a shock to the community. According to the External Affairs Ministry statement, during Sunday's conversation with Modi, Turnbull "expressed shock at the killing and conveyed that the matter is being investigated". Modi also reiterated his invitation to Turnbull for a visit to India in 2017, the statement added. NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, in a telephonic conversation with his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull, expressed concern over the death of an Indian-origin man who worked as a bus driver in Australia. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi, telephoned Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia, today to wish him Diwali greetings," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. "Prime Minister Modi also conveyed a sense of concern being felt in India over the recent brutal killing of Manmeet Alisher, a person of Indian origin, in Australia," it said. Alisher, who was popular with the Indian diaspora in Australia, died after an "incendiary device" was thrown at him while he was letting passengers off at Moorooka area in Brisbane, capital of the Australian state of Queensland, on Friday morning. Australia is home to over a 450,000-strong Indians and Alisher's death has come as a shock to the community. According to the External Affairs Ministry statement, during Sunday's conversation with Modi, Turnbull "expressed shock at the killing and conveyed that the matter is being investigated". Modi also reiterated his invitation to Turnbull for a visit to India in 2017, the statement added. By IANS SHIMLA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday celebrated Diwali with soldiers in a remote and strategic area in Himachal Pradesh, adjoining the Chinese border. Modi also made an unscheduled trip to a village, Chango, and said he was "deeply touched by the impromptu reception and their joy". Dressed in olive green, the Prime Minister interacted with men from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Dogra Scouts and the army at Sumdoh. #WATCH PM Narendra Modi speaks on the #Sandesh2Soldiers campaign to jawans in Kinnaur(HP) pic.twitter.com/i5CHgmD9Zb ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 Sumdoh, some 330 km from Shimla, is located on the border of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts. Mingling freely, Modi went up to the soldiers holding a plate of sweets. At least one soldier offered him a sweet in return, much to the joy of everyone. He was accompanied by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and the Army chief, General Dalbir Singh Suhag. The Prime Minister also met personnel of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), a wing of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) that maintains highways, at Sumdoh, an official said. Modi then spent some time with the locals in Chango village in Kinnaur district, known for its delicious apples. With a young friend in Chango village, Himachal Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/TjXc70Hatu Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 30, 2016 Villagers taken aback by the Prime Minister's arrival raised slogans hailing him. Dressed in warm clothes, Modi spent time with the residents of the village including women and children. He also posed with everyone in a group photograph, with the mountains providing a majestic background. The Lahaul-Spiti district, spread over 13,835 sq km, is a place of remote, untouched beauty with just 31,528 people. The climatic conditions are harsh as much of the land falls under a cold desert where the mercury drops below minus 20 degrees Celsius during winter. The Prime Minister had celebrated his first Diwali after coming in power in 2014 with soldiers posted in Siachen. In 2015, he was at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. SHIMLA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday celebrated Diwali with soldiers in a remote and strategic area in Himachal Pradesh, adjoining the Chinese border. Modi also made an unscheduled trip to a village, Chango, and said he was "deeply touched by the impromptu reception and their joy". Dressed in olive green, the Prime Minister interacted with men from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Dogra Scouts and the army at Sumdoh. #WATCH PM Narendra Modi speaks on the #Sandesh2Soldiers campaign to jawans in Kinnaur(HP) pic.twitter.com/i5CHgmD9Zb ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 Glimpses from Sumdo. pic.twitter.com/XV3gYqtcAo Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 30, 2016 Sumdoh, some 330 km from Shimla, is located on the border of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts. Mingling freely, Modi went up to the soldiers holding a plate of sweets. At least one soldier offered him a sweet in return, much to the joy of everyone. He was accompanied by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and the Army chief, General Dalbir Singh Suhag. The Prime Minister also met personnel of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), a wing of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) that maintains highways, at Sumdoh, an official said. Modi then spent some time with the locals in Chango village in Kinnaur district, known for its delicious apples. With a young friend in Chango village, Himachal Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/TjXc70Hatu Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 30, 2016 Villagers taken aback by the Prime Minister's arrival raised slogans hailing him. Dressed in warm clothes, Modi spent time with the residents of the village including women and children. He also posed with everyone in a group photograph, with the mountains providing a majestic background. The Lahaul-Spiti district, spread over 13,835 sq km, is a place of remote, untouched beauty with just 31,528 people. The climatic conditions are harsh as much of the land falls under a cold desert where the mercury drops below minus 20 degrees Celsius during winter. The Prime Minister had celebrated his first Diwali after coming in power in 2014 with soldiers posted in Siachen. In 2015, he was at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. Ravi Shankar By Democracy is wherein a large number of people choose a small number of people to rule a state according to what they think is best for the masses. Dictatorship is wherein a small belligerent number intimidates a large number of people to act in the interests of the thugs. The former is based on principles while the latter is based on principals. Misuse of the first enables the second. Last week, both Venkaiah Naidu and Manohar Parikkar stuck to their principles by blitzing MNS leader Raj Thackerays arm-twisting of Bollywood producer Karan Johar to pay up Rs 5 crore to the Army Welfare Fund or else face a beating. The two Union ministers would not have spoken so strongly and unequivocally without the approval of the Prime Minister. Raj Thackeray Toffee with Thackeray has made the deal sweeter for the eponymous Koffee with Karan star. The irony of MNSs muscle politics is that in this case, it benefits Johar, known for making wimpy weepy family dramas. Bollywood is known for minting money from Pakistan, with films that show the evil side of its military establishment, the ISI, and its sundry agents among the Indian mafiosi. As a result, some of the productions, such as Border, are banned across the border. The unintended result of Thackerays strong arm tactics is that Johar will go laughing all the way to the bank. The controversy is guaranteed to drive even armchair sloths not really interested in fattening the producers pockets to check out Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, starring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan. Thackerays purpose is also self-defeating since it would also help Fawad to earn even bigger wages. Nothing helps boost the marketability of a performer than controversy. Fifty-sixty per cent of Pakiwoods revenues comes from Bollywood and the rest from the neighbouring countrys flourishing black market. Parikkar had made it clear that the Indian armed forces do not need funds by catching someone by the neck. At a time the Army and the paramilitary have ratcheted up the aggression against Pakistani forces, carrying out surgical strikes and returning cross-border shelling with a firepower not demonstrated before, the MNS tactic of blackmailing Johar is demeaning to our men in uniform. In 2015 alone, over 150 soldiers were killed in Indias War on Terror. The Army doesnt need Thackeray to raise money for its warriors or martyrs. Nor does it require the services of Devendra Fadnavis, a chief minister belonging to a national party, and the ruling one, too, to broker extortion. His misplaced nationalist zeal only brings disgrace to the BJP, which won its biggest mandate ever, riding on the popularity of Narendra Modi. Its galling when Thackeray, who leads a party which lost all the seats it contested in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, parades as a fiduciary of the Army. Though it ended in him eating humble pie in the Karan Johar cafe, the MNS is now targetting Farhan Akhtar to cough up Rs 5 crore for Raees. To equate Hindutva with Pakistan is to devalue the ethos of the most ancient practising religion on earth to the street level. Hinduism has survived and triumphed over hundreds of invasions as well as British evangelism. It doesnt need blackmail to endure and flourish. ravi@newindianexpress.com Democracy is wherein a large number of people choose a small number of people to rule a state according to what they think is best for the masses. Dictatorship is wherein a small belligerent number intimidates a large number of people to act in the interests of the thugs. The former is based on principles while the latter is based on principals. Misuse of the first enables the second. Last week, both Venkaiah Naidu and Manohar Parikkar stuck to their principles by blitzing MNS leader Raj Thackerays arm-twisting of Bollywood producer Karan Johar to pay up Rs 5 crore to the Army Welfare Fund or else face a beating. The two Union ministers would not have spoken so strongly and unequivocally without the approval of the Prime Minister. Raj ThackerayToffee with Thackeray has made the deal sweeter for the eponymous Koffee with Karan star. The irony of MNSs muscle politics is that in this case, it benefits Johar, known for making wimpy weepy family dramas. Bollywood is known for minting money from Pakistan, with films that show the evil side of its military establishment, the ISI, and its sundry agents among the Indian mafiosi. As a result, some of the productions, such as Border, are banned across the border. The unintended result of Thackerays strong arm tactics is that Johar will go laughing all the way to the bank. The controversy is guaranteed to drive even armchair sloths not really interested in fattening the producers pockets to check out Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, starring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan. Thackerays purpose is also self-defeating since it would also help Fawad to earn even bigger wages. Nothing helps boost the marketability of a performer than controversy. Fifty-sixty per cent of Pakiwoods revenues comes from Bollywood and the rest from the neighbouring countrys flourishing black market. Parikkar had made it clear that the Indian armed forces do not need funds by catching someone by the neck. At a time the Army and the paramilitary have ratcheted up the aggression against Pakistani forces, carrying out surgical strikes and returning cross-border shelling with a firepower not demonstrated before, the MNS tactic of blackmailing Johar is demeaning to our men in uniform. In 2015 alone, over 150 soldiers were killed in Indias War on Terror. The Army doesnt need Thackeray to raise money for its warriors or martyrs. Nor does it require the services of Devendra Fadnavis, a chief minister belonging to a national party, and the ruling one, too, to broker extortion. His misplaced nationalist zeal only brings disgrace to the BJP, which won its biggest mandate ever, riding on the popularity of Narendra Modi. Its galling when Thackeray, who leads a party which lost all the seats it contested in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, parades as a fiduciary of the Army. Though it ended in him eating humble pie in the Karan Johar cafe, the MNS is now targetting Farhan Akhtar to cough up Rs 5 crore for Raees. To equate Hindutva with Pakistan is to devalue the ethos of the most ancient practising religion on earth to the street level. Hinduism has survived and triumphed over hundreds of invasions as well as British evangelism. It doesnt need blackmail to endure and flourish. ravi@newindianexpress.com Prabhu Chawla By Elections dont just choose a ruler. They also cull out those unfit to rule. The upcoming state Assembly elections of 2017 will not just decide the fate of many political parties but also the political pull factor of many leaders. Delhi drawing room discourse is obsessed with the Uttar Pradesh circusthe Yadav Parivar, Gandhis gaffes, Amit Shahs calculusand has pronounced its mandate in BJPs favour. But both pollsters and political pundits ignore the implications of how well the second youngest chief minister in India and AAP boss Arvind Kejriwal performs. Neither he nor his party is a factor in Uttar Pradesh, Indias largest state, which also has the most Lok Sabha seats. Delhi, with just seven MPs, is hardly a factor in determining the Prime Minister or the government at the Centre. Yet Kejriwals Himalayan political victory in Delhi, in 2015, catapulted him to the national level. Today, winning populous Punjab and tiny Goa will provide him the turbo thrust to achieve greater political mileage and majority. AKs performance and promises clearly indicate that he believes the individual triumphs over ideology in new age politics. Since his unprecedented success in Delhi, AKs interest lies more in retaining and consolidating his national stature rather than ensuring the best governance possible within the worst constitutional framework. He has been active in politics for the past four years. Yet he remains an enigma to not just the parties but also to his core constituents. In the Hindi heartland, all talk revolves around sabse bada sawaal, who and what is Kejriwal? Decoding AK is the dream of the day. Is he an anarchist as the BJP would like the electorate to believe? Or is he a dictator who doesnt tolerate even the slightest whiff of dissent? Is he a marketer and modernist thanks to being an IIT graduate? Does he have an ideology or a road map for governance? Or does he just simply practice hit-and-run politics and rules by error and terror and not conviction? Or is he just a symbol of disruptive politics? Its a singular case of cruise by control. Kejriwal is perhaps the only and first chief minister without a portfolio who possesses a humungous national profile. He runs his government by remote controlDeputy CM Manish Sisodia. It was evident from day one that he wasnt willing to be confined to Delhi. AK has always pitted himself against Narendra Modi. His other foe is Rahul Gandhi. He is giving both a massive mauling on the social media. With 10 million-plus followers on Twitter and seven million Facebook likes, AK is the second-most popular politician online. If Modi and his party have millions of social media warriors, Kejriwal has net gorillas who troll all critics of their leader. AK is a commander with an army, which has only one targetPrime Minister Modi. In spite of his Marwari origins, AKs tone and tenor has lambasted the business community. While national parties have a defined ideology, Kejriwal has developed a new modelKejriwalism. He sees attack as the best form of defence. He doesnt believe in explaining but in seeking explanations. The administrative actions of his government mirror his mission. AAP is trying to convert Delhi into a welfare state. His ministers are setting up mohalla clinics to provide free and affordable healthcare to the poor. Sisodia is obsessed with upgrading public education by visiting schools and making teachers and officials accountable. In spite of all this, Kejriwal doesnt have the power to transfer a police constable or an IAS officer in the city. He doesnt have the authority to allot land for colleges, hospitals or schools. He responds by blaming the Centre for everything, which is rotten in the state of Delhi. Previous chief ministers delivered better and more because they avoided confrontations with the Centre; in the process, they got largesse and leniency from the Prime Minister and the ruling party at the Centre at that time. The crippling effect of AKs acrimonious relationship with Modi sarkar hardly rattles him. He has made it a virtue by projecting himself as the PMs direct rival. If the BJP expects to win the 2019 Lok Sabha elections again in NaMos name, Kejriwal has chosen to present himself as the alternative who represents the masses, not the classes. For this, he has to prove himself as a leader who can provide a better government than Modi. However, he contemptuously dismisses all suggestions for any debate on development and politics with state leaders. Recently the Congress challenged him to engage in a dialogue with Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh. Kejriwal shrugged it off, saying he will talk only with Rahul or Modi. The choice of Goa and Punjab as his battleground fits into his anti-BJP strategy. The BJP and its allies rule both states. If he conquers them, AAP will have full state powers and will not need to depend on the Centre for survival. The party captured four Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjabthe only state where AK scored in 2014. By concentrating on smaller states, he is aiming to provide an alternative model of governance and also become a key national player. For the past two years, AK has been crisscrossing states, which are ruled by either the BJP or Congress. He has established a personal rapport with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. If AAP insiders are to be trusted, Kejriwal, with three states in his pocket (if he wins Goa and Punjab), will be in a better position to bargain for a bigger national role than Nitish and Mamata. Going from a mid-level income tax officer to a chief minister in a short span is impressive. But AK is yet to define his idea of India and politics. So far, he has been perceived as yet another avatar of the Congress by seeking votes in the name of poverty, secularism and minority appeasement. Unless Kejriwal becomes an idea and an ideology, roaming around numerous states will not help him move into Lutyens Delhi like Modi did from Ahmedabad to Raisina Hill. Outcome in Goa and Punjab will either make him or totally reject Kejriwal as a person fit to rule. prabhuchawla@newindianexpress.com Follow him on Twitter@PrabhuChawla Elections dont just choose a ruler. They also cull out those unfit to rule. The upcoming state Assembly elections of 2017 will not just decide the fate of many political parties but also the political pull factor of many leaders. Delhi drawing room discourse is obsessed with the Uttar Pradesh circusthe Yadav Parivar, Gandhis gaffes, Amit Shahs calculusand has pronounced its mandate in BJPs favour. But both pollsters and political pundits ignore the implications of how well the second youngest chief minister in India and AAP boss Arvind Kejriwal performs. Neither he nor his party is a factor in Uttar Pradesh, Indias largest state, which also has the most Lok Sabha seats. Delhi, with just seven MPs, is hardly a factor in determining the Prime Minister or the government at the Centre. Yet Kejriwals Himalayan political victory in Delhi, in 2015, catapulted him to the national level. Today, winning populous Punjab and tiny Goa will provide him the turbo thrust to achieve greater political mileage and majority. AKs performance and promises clearly indicate that he believes the individual triumphs over ideology in new age politics. Since his unprecedented success in Delhi, AKs interest lies more in retaining and consolidating his national stature rather than ensuring the best governance possible within the worst constitutional framework. He has been active in politics for the past four years. Yet he remains an enigma to not just the parties but also to his core constituents. In the Hindi heartland, all talk revolves around sabse bada sawaal, who and what is Kejriwal? Decoding AK is the dream of the day. Is he an anarchist as the BJP would like the electorate to believe? Or is he a dictator who doesnt tolerate even the slightest whiff of dissent? Is he a marketer and modernist thanks to being an IIT graduate? Does he have an ideology or a road map for governance? Or does he just simply practice hit-and-run politics and rules by error and terror and not conviction? Or is he just a symbol of disruptive politics? Its a singular case of cruise by control. Kejriwal is perhaps the only and first chief minister without a portfolio who possesses a humungous national profile. He runs his government by remote controlDeputy CM Manish Sisodia. It was evident from day one that he wasnt willing to be confined to Delhi. AK has always pitted himself against Narendra Modi. His other foe is Rahul Gandhi. He is giving both a massive mauling on the social media. With 10 million-plus followers on Twitter and seven million Facebook likes, AK is the second-most popular politician online. If Modi and his party have millions of social media warriors, Kejriwal has net gorillas who troll all critics of their leader. AK is a commander with an army, which has only one targetPrime Minister Modi. In spite of his Marwari origins, AKs tone and tenor has lambasted the business community. While national parties have a defined ideology, Kejriwal has developed a new modelKejriwalism. He sees attack as the best form of defence. He doesnt believe in explaining but in seeking explanations. The administrative actions of his government mirror his mission. AAP is trying to convert Delhi into a welfare state. His ministers are setting up mohalla clinics to provide free and affordable healthcare to the poor. Sisodia is obsessed with upgrading public education by visiting schools and making teachers and officials accountable. In spite of all this, Kejriwal doesnt have the power to transfer a police constable or an IAS officer in the city. He doesnt have the authority to allot land for colleges, hospitals or schools. He responds by blaming the Centre for everything, which is rotten in the state of Delhi. Previous chief ministers delivered better and more because they avoided confrontations with the Centre; in the process, they got largesse and leniency from the Prime Minister and the ruling party at the Centre at that time. The crippling effect of AKs acrimonious relationship with Modi sarkar hardly rattles him. He has made it a virtue by projecting himself as the PMs direct rival. If the BJP expects to win the 2019 Lok Sabha elections again in NaMos name, Kejriwal has chosen to present himself as the alternative who represents the masses, not the classes. For this, he has to prove himself as a leader who can provide a better government than Modi. However, he contemptuously dismisses all suggestions for any debate on development and politics with state leaders. Recently the Congress challenged him to engage in a dialogue with Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh. Kejriwal shrugged it off, saying he will talk only with Rahul or Modi. The choice of Goa and Punjab as his battleground fits into his anti-BJP strategy. The BJP and its allies rule both states. If he conquers them, AAP will have full state powers and will not need to depend on the Centre for survival. The party captured four Lok Sabha constituencies in Punjabthe only state where AK scored in 2014. By concentrating on smaller states, he is aiming to provide an alternative model of governance and also become a key national player. For the past two years, AK has been crisscrossing states, which are ruled by either the BJP or Congress. He has established a personal rapport with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. If AAP insiders are to be trusted, Kejriwal, with three states in his pocket (if he wins Goa and Punjab), will be in a better position to bargain for a bigger national role than Nitish and Mamata. Going from a mid-level income tax officer to a chief minister in a short span is impressive. But AK is yet to define his idea of India and politics. So far, he has been perceived as yet another avatar of the Congress by seeking votes in the name of poverty, secularism and minority appeasement. Unless Kejriwal becomes an idea and an ideology, roaming around numerous states will not help him move into Lutyens Delhi like Modi did from Ahmedabad to Raisina Hill. Outcome in Goa and Punjab will either make him or totally reject Kejriwal as a person fit to rule. prabhuchawla@newindianexpress.com Follow him on Twitter@PrabhuChawla By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: International carrier Air India (AI) on Saturday apologised for an erroneous article published on Jagannath temple at Puri in its in-flight magazine 'Shubh Yatra'. The article mentioned that non-vegetarian food cooked in the kitchen of the temple. "AI apologises for the error. Our intention was not to hurt the sentiments. Shubh Yatra magazine copies have been removed with immediate effect (sic)," Air India tweeted. While the matter was highlighted on Friday night by some passengers, it had snowballed into a major issue by Saturday morning. AI's Chairman-cum-Managing Director Ashwin Lohani issued an apology on behalf of the company on Saturday. "Air India deeply regrets this error and apologises for inadvertently hurting the sentiment of people. Henceforth, Air India will not publish any article by the author. The author has also apologised for the mistake," Air Indias General Manager (Revenue Management and Pricing) Meenakshi Mallik told mediapersons here on behalf of the AI, CMD. The article titled 'Devotion Can Be Delicious' in the October issue of in-flight monthly magazine stated: 'Said to be the largest in the country, the Jagannath Temple's kitchen in Puri since its inception has an army of 500 cooks and 300 helpers to serve 1,00,000 people every day round the clock, which means almost 285 varieties of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes are served every day.' Strongly reacting to the article, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik described it as unfortunate. "The issue will be taken up strongly with the appropriate authority," he said. Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan spoke to the CMD of AI over the issue. "Spoke to Ashwani Lohani, CMD @airindiain on ShubhYatra publication issue who assured that corrective actions have already been initiated," Pradhan said in a tweet. Pradhan advised AI to properly screen the contents before publication. AI assured the Minister that it will do all due diligence in future before releasing contents specially related to religious places. Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise for the article and take strong action against all those responsible for the mistake. Earlier in the day, members of Jagannath Sena, an outfit working for protection and promotion of Jagannath culture, staged a demonstration in front of Jagannath Temple to protest against the article published in the magazine of Air India. Members of the outfit sat on a dharna in front of the temple demanding strong action against Air India officials for the publication of the article. BHUBANESWAR: International carrier Air India (AI) on Saturday apologised for an erroneous article published on Jagannath temple at Puri in its in-flight magazine 'Shubh Yatra'. The article mentioned that non-vegetarian food cooked in the kitchen of the temple. "AI apologises for the error. Our intention was not to hurt the sentiments. Shubh Yatra magazine copies have been removed with immediate effect (sic)," Air India tweeted. While the matter was highlighted on Friday night by some passengers, it had snowballed into a major issue by Saturday morning. AI's Chairman-cum-Managing Director Ashwin Lohani issued an apology on behalf of the company on Saturday. "Air India deeply regrets this error and apologises for inadvertently hurting the sentiment of people. Henceforth, Air India will not publish any article by the author. The author has also apologised for the mistake," Air Indias General Manager (Revenue Management and Pricing) Meenakshi Mallik told mediapersons here on behalf of the AI, CMD. The article titled 'Devotion Can Be Delicious' in the October issue of in-flight monthly magazine stated: 'Said to be the largest in the country, the Jagannath Temple's kitchen in Puri since its inception has an army of 500 cooks and 300 helpers to serve 1,00,000 people every day round the clock, which means almost 285 varieties of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes are served every day.' Strongly reacting to the article, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik described it as unfortunate. "The issue will be taken up strongly with the appropriate authority," he said. Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan spoke to the CMD of AI over the issue. "Spoke to Ashwani Lohani, CMD @airindiain on ShubhYatra publication issue who assured that corrective actions have already been initiated," Pradhan said in a tweet. Pradhan advised AI to properly screen the contents before publication. AI assured the Minister that it will do all due diligence in future before releasing contents specially related to religious places. Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise for the article and take strong action against all those responsible for the mistake. Earlier in the day, members of Jagannath Sena, an outfit working for protection and promotion of Jagannath culture, staged a demonstration in front of Jagannath Temple to protest against the article published in the magazine of Air India. Members of the outfit sat on a dharna in front of the temple demanding strong action against Air India officials for the publication of the article. By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: Several senior Congress leaders on Saturday met in the residence of Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra here even as president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Prasad Harichandan tried to broker peace by announcing that if there is lack of coordination between the legislative and organisational wings, corrective measures will be taken. Harichandan on Saturday returned from New Delhi where he met party vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Though he has been given time till the panchayat elections are over next year in February, his opponents seem to be regrouping to make the next move. Meanwhile, several senior leaders including former OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik, former ministers Jagannath Patnaik, Kishore Chandra Patel, Ganeswar Behera and former MP Anant Prasad Sethi met in the residence of Mishra. However, those who attended the meeting maintained that there was no political motive behind it. "We meet regularly and there is no politics in it," a senior leader said. Political observers are, however, waiting for the next move of the party MLAs after the high command ruled out any change in the post of OPCC president till the panchayat polls are over. Senior leader Niranjan Patnaik said the performance of the OPCC president can be known only after the results are out. All the 16 Congress MLAs from the State, led by the Leader of Opposition, had met Rahul Gandhi on October 15 at New Delhi where they raised several issues including the removal of the OPCC president. The Congress MLAs had met several other senior leaders including Ahmed Patel, political secretary to party president Sonia Gandhi during their New Delhi stay. BHUBANESWAR: Several senior Congress leaders on Saturday met in the residence of Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra here even as president of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Prasad Harichandan tried to broker peace by announcing that if there is lack of coordination between the legislative and organisational wings, corrective measures will be taken. Harichandan on Saturday returned from New Delhi where he met party vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Though he has been given time till the panchayat elections are over next year in February, his opponents seem to be regrouping to make the next move. Meanwhile, several senior leaders including former OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik, former ministers Jagannath Patnaik, Kishore Chandra Patel, Ganeswar Behera and former MP Anant Prasad Sethi met in the residence of Mishra. However, those who attended the meeting maintained that there was no political motive behind it. "We meet regularly and there is no politics in it," a senior leader said. Political observers are, however, waiting for the next move of the party MLAs after the high command ruled out any change in the post of OPCC president till the panchayat polls are over. Senior leader Niranjan Patnaik said the performance of the OPCC president can be known only after the results are out. All the 16 Congress MLAs from the State, led by the Leader of Opposition, had met Rahul Gandhi on October 15 at New Delhi where they raised several issues including the removal of the OPCC president. The Congress MLAs had met several other senior leaders including Ahmed Patel, political secretary to party president Sonia Gandhi during their New Delhi stay. By Express News Service PARADIP: Paradip Police are hopeful of solving the murder mystery of Mahendra Swain with the help of a letter seized from the office of Seaways Shipping & Logistics Pvt Ltd (SSL) here. Swain, manager of the Andhra Pradesh-based shipping company, was shot dead by miscreants on Wednesday. The incident took place while Swain was going to his regional office at Paradip in an SUV. Apparently, Swain had written the letter anticipating life threat at the hands of Managing Director of Odisha Stevedores Ltd (OSL), Mahimananda Mishra and Director of OSL, Basant Kumar Bal over stevedoring work. Swain had also sought security cover from Paradip Police. On Friday, police had searched the office of SSL during which, the letter was seized from one of the official files of Swain. If anything happens to me or my family, MD of OSL, Mahimananda Mishra and Director, Basant Kumar Bal should be held responsible, read the letter. In the letter, Swain wrote that SSL was awarded the stevedoring work of its vessel by Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL). SSL had handled the cargo of JSPLs first vessel, MV Prabhu Gopal which had berthed in Paradip Port on July 6, 2015. Before handling the cargo, Swain had received threat calls from some unknown persons, who had asked him not to take up the work. Some persons had also threatened him in his office and Swain had informed the Paradip Police about it. Following the killing, a police complaint was filed by the brother of Swain, Rajkishore. Rajkishore had alleged that Swain had past rivalry with the owner and some employees of OSL over stevedoring work in the Paradip Port. Last month, a JSPL vessel named MV HARM had berthed at the port and it was allotted to SSL for undertaking stevedoring and intra-port transportation of work. This had not gone down well with the Dumper Owners Association and Paradeep Port Stevedores Association which were opposing stevedoring operations by Seaways Shipping after the shipping line refused to concede to their demand to snap contract with JSPL. The associations had demanded that the work be divided within all the stevedoring agencies in the port and not entirely allotted to SSPL. PARADIP: Paradip Police are hopeful of solving the murder mystery of Mahendra Swain with the help of a letter seized from the office of Seaways Shipping & Logistics Pvt Ltd (SSL) here. Swain, manager of the Andhra Pradesh-based shipping company, was shot dead by miscreants on Wednesday. The incident took place while Swain was going to his regional office at Paradip in an SUV. Apparently, Swain had written the letter anticipating life threat at the hands of Managing Director of Odisha Stevedores Ltd (OSL), Mahimananda Mishra and Director of OSL, Basant Kumar Bal over stevedoring work. Swain had also sought security cover from Paradip Police. On Friday, police had searched the office of SSL during which, the letter was seized from one of the official files of Swain. If anything happens to me or my family, MD of OSL, Mahimananda Mishra and Director, Basant Kumar Bal should be held responsible, read the letter. In the letter, Swain wrote that SSL was awarded the stevedoring work of its vessel by Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL). SSL had handled the cargo of JSPLs first vessel, MV Prabhu Gopal which had berthed in Paradip Port on July 6, 2015. Before handling the cargo, Swain had received threat calls from some unknown persons, who had asked him not to take up the work. Some persons had also threatened him in his office and Swain had informed the Paradip Police about it. Following the killing, a police complaint was filed by the brother of Swain, Rajkishore. Rajkishore had alleged that Swain had past rivalry with the owner and some employees of OSL over stevedoring work in the Paradip Port. Last month, a JSPL vessel named MV HARM had berthed at the port and it was allotted to SSL for undertaking stevedoring and intra-port transportation of work. This had not gone down well with the Dumper Owners Association and Paradeep Port Stevedores Association which were opposing stevedoring operations by Seaways Shipping after the shipping line refused to concede to their demand to snap contract with JSPL. The associations had demanded that the work be divided within all the stevedoring agencies in the port and not entirely allotted to SSPL. By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: Private clinical establishments in the State will remain closed for one day on Tuesday in protest against the State Government's dilly-dallying attitude for registration of new units and renewal of old health facilities. According to the All Odisha Private Medical Establishment Forum (AOPMEF), the health institutions will not treat any outdoor patients from 6 am on Tuesday to 6 am on Wednesday. The clinical laboratories will also join the protest and not go for any tests. While the State has 1,777 clinical establishments, the registration of 1,551 units are yet to be renewed. Technically, these health institutions are running without registration and the forum has blamed the Government for this. Forum's president Dr Ajoy Kumar Mishra said earlier Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DMET) was the issuing authority, but now the Government has empowered the district Collectors for the same job. In most of the cases, renewal and registration are denied due to lack of fire safety certificate, he said. Blaming the Government for imposing an old fire safety regulation on the clinical establishments, the forum members said it is difficult for the old health facilities to comply with the guideline of National Building Code of India (NBCI) as insisted by the fire officials for no objection certificate. Forum vice-president Dr Jagannath Mohapatra said the Orissa Fire Services Act, 1993 is actually meant for the factories and boilers. "Instead of formulating a special act for health institutions, the authorities have imposed the same act on us. A separate guideline for clinical establishments should be prepared on the lines of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra," he demanded. In many cases, the establishments promoters are unnecessarily harassed due to delay in inspection by fire safety officials despite repeated reminders. Though the Health Minister and officials concerned were appraised earlier, no step has been taken to resolve the issues, they said. The health institutions will, however, render services to the indoor patients and attend the emergency cases during the protest. Forum's secretary Dr Indramani Jena and treasurer Dr Debadutta Sahoo also spoke. BHUBANESWAR: Private clinical establishments in the State will remain closed for one day on Tuesday in protest against the State Government's dilly-dallying attitude for registration of new units and renewal of old health facilities. According to the All Odisha Private Medical Establishment Forum (AOPMEF), the health institutions will not treat any outdoor patients from 6 am on Tuesday to 6 am on Wednesday. The clinical laboratories will also join the protest and not go for any tests. While the State has 1,777 clinical establishments, the registration of 1,551 units are yet to be renewed. Technically, these health institutions are running without registration and the forum has blamed the Government for this. Forum's president Dr Ajoy Kumar Mishra said earlier Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DMET) was the issuing authority, but now the Government has empowered the district Collectors for the same job. In most of the cases, renewal and registration are denied due to lack of fire safety certificate, he said. Blaming the Government for imposing an old fire safety regulation on the clinical establishments, the forum members said it is difficult for the old health facilities to comply with the guideline of National Building Code of India (NBCI) as insisted by the fire officials for no objection certificate. Forum vice-president Dr Jagannath Mohapatra said the Orissa Fire Services Act, 1993 is actually meant for the factories and boilers. "Instead of formulating a special act for health institutions, the authorities have imposed the same act on us. A separate guideline for clinical establishments should be prepared on the lines of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra," he demanded. In many cases, the establishments promoters are unnecessarily harassed due to delay in inspection by fire safety officials despite repeated reminders. Though the Health Minister and officials concerned were appraised earlier, no step has been taken to resolve the issues, they said. The health institutions will, however, render services to the indoor patients and attend the emergency cases during the protest. Forum's secretary Dr Indramani Jena and treasurer Dr Debadutta Sahoo also spoke. By Express News Service ROURKELA: With rural power supply remaining highly erratic and stress on generation of conventional energy increasing, Sundargarh district administration will cover villages with solar street lighting system in a phased manner. District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) has recently floated tender inviting manufacturers/authorised dealers to bid for installations and commissioning of 500 units of LED-based integrated solar street lighting systems at an estimated cost of `1.22 crore with condition of five years warranty. Sundargarh Collector Bhupendra Singh Poonia said the project is funded from the periphery development contribution of the NTPC for 2016-17 and would cover 11 villages/hamlets under Darlipali and Raidihi gram panchayats (GPs) of Lefripara block. Rural pockets are usually facing long hours of power-cuts and to get rid of the recurring costs against electricity bills and maintenance, the administration convinced the people about the benefits of solar street lighting systems at Gram Sabhas, he added. The Collector said each street light unit would be mounted on metal pole with integrated and reliable battery, sensor and LED light fittings with guaranteed life span. The effort would reduce pressure on thermal and hydro power generations to save the environment and natural resources. The administration also plans to extend solar energy facilities to more remote villages while above 500 solar-powered drinking water pump sets are working successfully, he informed. Project Director of DRDA SK Meena said the administration is working to cover remote villages by solar systems with funding from the Central Finance Commission and State Finance Commission in a phased manner. Meena informed that 39 model GPs, including 25 directly affected by mining operations, have been earmarked to be equipped with solar system with funding from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF). Solar street lighting systems have been successfully installed at a couple of villages in Kuanrmunda block and rest 221 GPs of the district would be convinced for it, he added. Meanwhile, Forest Department has installed a few solar street lighting systems for safety of villagers at some highly vulnerable pockets frequented by wild elephants. The NTPC has also distributed about 100 solar lanterns to rural students and is in the process of supplying 244 to its project affected families. ROURKELA: With rural power supply remaining highly erratic and stress on generation of conventional energy increasing, Sundargarh district administration will cover villages with solar street lighting system in a phased manner. District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) has recently floated tender inviting manufacturers/authorised dealers to bid for installations and commissioning of 500 units of LED-based integrated solar street lighting systems at an estimated cost of `1.22 crore with condition of five years warranty. Sundargarh Collector Bhupendra Singh Poonia said the project is funded from the periphery development contribution of the NTPC for 2016-17 and would cover 11 villages/hamlets under Darlipali and Raidihi gram panchayats (GPs) of Lefripara block. Rural pockets are usually facing long hours of power-cuts and to get rid of the recurring costs against electricity bills and maintenance, the administration convinced the people about the benefits of solar street lighting systems at Gram Sabhas, he added. The Collector said each street light unit would be mounted on metal pole with integrated and reliable battery, sensor and LED light fittings with guaranteed life span. The effort would reduce pressure on thermal and hydro power generations to save the environment and natural resources. The administration also plans to extend solar energy facilities to more remote villages while above 500 solar-powered drinking water pump sets are working successfully, he informed. Project Director of DRDA SK Meena said the administration is working to cover remote villages by solar systems with funding from the Central Finance Commission and State Finance Commission in a phased manner. Meena informed that 39 model GPs, including 25 directly affected by mining operations, have been earmarked to be equipped with solar system with funding from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF). Solar street lighting systems have been successfully installed at a couple of villages in Kuanrmunda block and rest 221 GPs of the district would be convinced for it, he added. Meanwhile, Forest Department has installed a few solar street lighting systems for safety of villagers at some highly vulnerable pockets frequented by wild elephants. The NTPC has also distributed about 100 solar lanterns to rural students and is in the process of supplying 244 to its project affected families. By Express News Service CHENNAI/THANJAVUR: After a delay of nearly a fortnight, the northeast monsoon made a tentative entry into Tamil Nadu Sunday, bringing down the temperature and calming thousands of farmers in the agrarian belt of the State who had been desperately waiting for the rains. Normally, the onset of the monsoon is announced when showers cover about half of the coastal districts of the state. This time, however, there have been rains only in about 30-40 per cent of the area but the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) of Chennai thought that good enough. Speaking to New Indian Express, the Area Cyclone Warning Centres director S Balachandran said rainfall is expected to pick up in the coming days. It is important for the state that the forecast come true for nearly half of the annual rainfall of the state is recorded during the early days. In the 24 hours ending 8.30 am Sunday, Thiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur recorded 7 cm of rainfall, the highest the state, followed by Tozhudur (Cuddalore), Valangaiman (Tiruvarur) and Perambalur with 6 cm each. This has spread cheer among farmers, who have been on the edge of despair in the face of a severe water shortage. The rains over the delta have triggered hectic activity among farmers who had gone for direct sowing and also those who had postponed transplanting paddy from the nurseries. Chennai, where the northeast monsoon caused extensive flooding last year, had its first spell of rain last night. It was only a mild shower between 1.30 am and 3.30 am. In places like Anna University, it rained a bit harder during the night. Sunday morning remained cloudy in most parts of the city and it drizzled in a few areas. According to the forecast of the meteorological department, fairly widespread rainfall, at times moderate to heavy in one or two areas, is expected in the next two days. CHENNAI/THANJAVUR: After a delay of nearly a fortnight, the northeast monsoon made a tentative entry into Tamil Nadu Sunday, bringing down the temperature and calming thousands of farmers in the agrarian belt of the State who had been desperately waiting for the rains. Normally, the onset of the monsoon is announced when showers cover about half of the coastal districts of the state. This time, however, there have been rains only in about 30-40 per cent of the area but the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) of Chennai thought that good enough. Speaking to New Indian Express, the Area Cyclone Warning Centres director S Balachandran said rainfall is expected to pick up in the coming days. It is important for the state that the forecast come true for nearly half of the annual rainfall of the state is recorded during the early days. In the 24 hours ending 8.30 am Sunday, Thiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur recorded 7 cm of rainfall, the highest the state, followed by Tozhudur (Cuddalore), Valangaiman (Tiruvarur) and Perambalur with 6 cm each. This has spread cheer among farmers, who have been on the edge of despair in the face of a severe water shortage. The rains over the delta have triggered hectic activity among farmers who had gone for direct sowing and also those who had postponed transplanting paddy from the nurseries. Chennai, where the northeast monsoon caused extensive flooding last year, had its first spell of rain last night. It was only a mild shower between 1.30 am and 3.30 am. In places like Anna University, it rained a bit harder during the night. Sunday morning remained cloudy in most parts of the city and it drizzled in a few areas. According to the forecast of the meteorological department, fairly widespread rainfall, at times moderate to heavy in one or two areas, is expected in the next two days. Rakesh K Singh By NEW DELHI: The Don Who Knows Too Much is caught in a web spun by the security agencies of India and Pakistan. Deep throat sources said a home-sick, financially depleted and enfeebled Dawood Ibrahim is desperately seeking to return to India by December, but its easier wished than done. Afraid of an untimely death, Dawood wants his body to be at least buried at home. His return will expose Pakistani politicians and the Army, whose ill-gotten gains he has been laundering for decades. At the behest of the Indian government, the UAE has forced benami owners of Dawoods properties worth Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 15,000 crore to be liquidated in the last seven months in a crackdown that began in 2015. This has made Pakistans shadow players unhappy. Some of these investments are Mihaj Investments Corporation, Formosa Trading FZE, Sojitz International FZE, ETA Star Al Manara Tower and Midwest Hotel among others. A story by The Sunday Standard on November 8, 2015, exposed Dawoods fears of being eliminated by the Pak Army and the ISI, after the UN designated the criminal mastermind an international terrorist and pressure mounted on Pakistan to arrest him. Sources said Dawoods health is failing, and if untreated, he is heading for certain multiple-organ failure. Pakistan may find a dead Dawood more convenient than a live one, who can expose its terror connections, hawala deals and other crimes. When questioned how such a high profile terrorist can leave his hiding place and surface in India, sources said Dawood still has powerful friends in Pakistan, for which, plausible deniability has never been an issue. Osama bin Laden was killed by US forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan, a country participating actively with the US in the War on Terror. Indian agencies have been keeping a watch of the dons travel using false passports. The Doval doctrine has energised Indian intelligence, whose hands had been tied for over a decade over Pakistan. Abu Salem and Chhota Rajan are among dons who have been repatriated to India and are facing prosecution. Dawood is wanted in dozens of cases relating to extortion, terrorism, conspiracy and mass murder. NEW DELHI: The Don Who Knows Too Much is caught in a web spun by the security agencies of India and Pakistan. Deep throat sources said a home-sick, financially depleted and enfeebled Dawood Ibrahim is desperately seeking to return to India by December, but its easier wished than done. Afraid of an untimely death, Dawood wants his body to be at least buried at home. His return will expose Pakistani politicians and the Army, whose ill-gotten gains he has been laundering for decades. At the behest of the Indian government, the UAE has forced benami owners of Dawoods properties worth Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 15,000 crore to be liquidated in the last seven months in a crackdown that began in 2015. This has made Pakistans shadow players unhappy. Some of these investments are Mihaj Investments Corporation, Formosa Trading FZE, Sojitz International FZE, ETA Star Al Manara Tower and Midwest Hotel among others. A story by The Sunday Standard on November 8, 2015, exposed Dawoods fears of being eliminated by the Pak Army and the ISI, after the UN designated the criminal mastermind an international terrorist and pressure mounted on Pakistan to arrest him. Sources said Dawoods health is failing, and if untreated, he is heading for certain multiple-organ failure. Pakistan may find a dead Dawood more convenient than a live one, who can expose its terror connections, hawala deals and other crimes. When questioned how such a high profile terrorist can leave his hiding place and surface in India, sources said Dawood still has powerful friends in Pakistan, for which, plausible deniability has never been an issue. Osama bin Laden was killed by US forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan, a country participating actively with the US in the War on Terror. Indian agencies have been keeping a watch of the dons travel using false passports. The Doval doctrine has energised Indian intelligence, whose hands had been tied for over a decade over Pakistan. Abu Salem and Chhota Rajan are among dons who have been repatriated to India and are facing prosecution. Dawood is wanted in dozens of cases relating to extortion, terrorism, conspiracy and mass murder. Express News Service By HYDERABAD:After setting a challenging target of winning 12 Lok Sabha and 75 Assembly seats in the 2019 polls to realise its dream of getting a firm foothold in Telangana, the BJP Central leadership has asked its state cadre to identify the vulnerable points of its rivals such as the Congress and the TRS to exploit them for their advantage. The party leadership had asked its state cadre to adopt a step-by-step approach to strengthen partys base in each Assembly segment, starting from the constituencies where the principal Opposition, the Congress party, is weak. As per the strategy formulated during the recent meetings of the partys core committee held here under the guidance of Central leaderships emissary and party national joint general secretary (organisational matters) Shiv Prakash, the partys state leadership will first identify 75 Assembly seats where the Congress is weak. After identifying such segments, the BJP will gradually engineer defections from the Congress to its fold to strengthen its organisational base in such segments. After that it will nominate potential leaders as party incharges for each Assembly constituency, who will take the responsibility of building partys base in the respective segment for 2019 polls. The exercise of identifying 75 potential segments where our party has prospects to grow is on, a senior leader of the party said. In the first stage our focus will be on urban constituencies where the BJP has traditional vote bank. Later, we will shift our focus to rural segments, he said. In the meantime, the BJP state leadership asked its party rank and file to establish close contact with electors at booth level in each Assembly segment across the state. The party advised its workers to be more active on social media, besides using chatting messengers like WhatsApp at their local level to publicise Prime Minister Narenda Modis government welfare schemes. The party activists were also directed to ensure that the benefits of the Central government sponsored schemes reach the actual beneficiaries. At the same time, the party leadership has also decided to undertake agitational programmes against the state government in the next three months. We have begun taking up agitations on issues such as crop loan waiver, farmers suicides, spurious seeds, fee reimbursement of students and non-implementation of Aarogyasri scheme, BJP state unit president K Lakshman said. Lakshman had participated in a dharna at Indira Park here last week. He later demanded from the state government to release the outstanding dues of fee reimbursement scheme immediately. Mission Congress To identify segments where the Congress is weak To engineer defections from the Congress To nominate potential leaders as party incharges for each Assembly constituency, who will take the responsibility of building partys base in the respective segment for the 2019 polls To launch campaign on Centre-sponsored schemes HYDERABAD:After setting a challenging target of winning 12 Lok Sabha and 75 Assembly seats in the 2019 polls to realise its dream of getting a firm foothold in Telangana, the BJP Central leadership has asked its state cadre to identify the vulnerable points of its rivals such as the Congress and the TRS to exploit them for their advantage. The party leadership had asked its state cadre to adopt a step-by-step approach to strengthen partys base in each Assembly segment, starting from the constituencies where the principal Opposition, the Congress party, is weak. As per the strategy formulated during the recent meetings of the partys core committee held here under the guidance of Central leaderships emissary and party national joint general secretary (organisational matters) Shiv Prakash, the partys state leadership will first identify 75 Assembly seats where the Congress is weak. After identifying such segments, the BJP will gradually engineer defections from the Congress to its fold to strengthen its organisational base in such segments. After that it will nominate potential leaders as party incharges for each Assembly constituency, who will take the responsibility of building partys base in the respective segment for 2019 polls. The exercise of identifying 75 potential segments where our party has prospects to grow is on, a senior leader of the party said. In the first stage our focus will be on urban constituencies where the BJP has traditional vote bank. Later, we will shift our focus to rural segments, he said. In the meantime, the BJP state leadership asked its party rank and file to establish close contact with electors at booth level in each Assembly segment across the state. The party advised its workers to be more active on social media, besides using chatting messengers like WhatsApp at their local level to publicise Prime Minister Narenda Modis government welfare schemes. The party activists were also directed to ensure that the benefits of the Central government sponsored schemes reach the actual beneficiaries. At the same time, the party leadership has also decided to undertake agitational programmes against the state government in the next three months. We have begun taking up agitations on issues such as crop loan waiver, farmers suicides, spurious seeds, fee reimbursement of students and non-implementation of Aarogyasri scheme, BJP state unit president K Lakshman said. Lakshman had participated in a dharna at Indira Park here last week. He later demanded from the state government to release the outstanding dues of fee reimbursement scheme immediately. Mission Congress To identify segments where the Congress is weak To engineer defections from the Congress To nominate potential leaders as party incharges for each Assembly constituency, who will take the responsibility of building partys base in the respective segment for the 2019 polls To launch campaign on Centre-sponsored schemes Jayendra Chaithanya T By HYDERABAD:After the encounter in Malkangiri district of Odisha last week, in which 24 Maoists were killed, Balimelaa town which was a linkage for the outlawed extremists to roam freely between Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odishais no more a safe haven for Maoists as police are conducting operations in the area. They have gunned down six more Maoists since last week and among those killed are some of their important Maoist leaders, while many others are still on the run. Believed to have lost the existing top cadre in the party in the Balimela battle, it may not be possible for the Maoists to make an easy comeback. Now their biggest task is to find a home for themselves in the forest,police said. Having gained momentum and strong hold in the north-east region of undivided Andhra Pradesh in late 90s and early 2000s, several members have exploited the sympathy they had in public. The Maoists lost the tribal support after the reports of extortion, killing of innocent villagers in the name of coverts and also forced recruitments. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh DGP N Sambasiva Rao said, They (Moaists) are free to express their policies and ideology without carrying weapons, but police will be ruthless towards them if they indulge in illegal activities. Since 1968, about 2,924 civilians, 553 security forces personnel, and around 2,971 extremists were killed in the undivided Andhra Pradesh and now Telangana and AP. The CPI(Maoist), which was trying to make a set back after several years by recruiting new cadre, has almost lost its strength. Though there were very few incidents of gun battle in Telugu states in the last two decades, the killing of Maoist cadre in the last week is considered to be the biggest jolt for the outfit. The Andhra Pradesh Odisha Border (AOB) was the only area in the South, where the CPI(Maoist) had a strong hold. But now police have taken control over the area by killing almost all the top cadre. Soon after the encounter, Andhra Pradesh CPI(Maoist) secretary Shyam said, Several CPI(Maoist) members have left the party after they surrendered before the police. I strongly believe that these members are providing vital information on the schedules and possible movements. Ongoing Conflict The Maoist insurgency is an ongoing conflict between the extremists, also known as Naxalites, and the police forces. The conflict in its present form began after the 2004 formation of the CPI(Maoist), a rebel group composed of the Peoples War Group and the Maoist Communist Centre. Maoist Leaders Eliminated 2007: Mohan Reddy, Central Technical Committee member, Chettiraja Papaiah, member of North Telangana Special Zonal Committee, Kiran, deputy commander of Special Guerrilla Squad and Talari Krishna, member of Nallamala Forest Division Committee 2008: Chokkari Gangaram, member of Andhra Pradesh-Orissa Border Special Zone Committee, Gajerla Saraiah, Central Committee member and in-charge of Central Military Commission and Valluri Venkata Rao, secretary of Andhra Pradesh Special Committee 2009: Patel Sudhakar Reddy (in picture) Central Committee member and Tushar Kant Bhattacharya, International Forum member 2010: Sakhamuri Appa Rao, CPI-Maoist central committee leader, Cherukuri Rajkumar, member of the Central Committee and politburo and Hem Pandey, zonal committee member 2011: Konapuri Ilaiah, TRS polit bureau member) 2013: Jana Babu Rao, Bharathi and Vimalakka (Central Committee Members) 2016: Kudumula Venkata Ramana (Commander) in picture HYDERABAD:After the encounter in Malkangiri district of Odisha last week, in which 24 Maoists were killed, Balimelaa town which was a linkage for the outlawed extremists to roam freely between Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odishais no more a safe haven for Maoists as police are conducting operations in the area. They have gunned down six more Maoists since last week and among those killed are some of their important Maoist leaders, while many others are still on the run. Believed to have lost the existing top cadre in the party in the Balimela battle, it may not be possible for the Maoists to make an easy comeback. Now their biggest task is to find a home for themselves in the forest,police said. Having gained momentum and strong hold in the north-east region of undivided Andhra Pradesh in late 90s and early 2000s, several members have exploited the sympathy they had in public. The Maoists lost the tribal support after the reports of extortion, killing of innocent villagers in the name of coverts and also forced recruitments. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh DGP N Sambasiva Rao said, They (Moaists) are free to express their policies and ideology without carrying weapons, but police will be ruthless towards them if they indulge in illegal activities. Since 1968, about 2,924 civilians, 553 security forces personnel, and around 2,971 extremists were killed in the undivided Andhra Pradesh and now Telangana and AP. The CPI(Maoist), which was trying to make a set back after several years by recruiting new cadre, has almost lost its strength. Though there were very few incidents of gun battle in Telugu states in the last two decades, the killing of Maoist cadre in the last week is considered to be the biggest jolt for the outfit. The Andhra Pradesh Odisha Border (AOB) was the only area in the South, where the CPI(Maoist) had a strong hold. But now police have taken control over the area by killing almost all the top cadre. Soon after the encounter, Andhra Pradesh CPI(Maoist) secretary Shyam said, Several CPI(Maoist) members have left the party after they surrendered before the police. I strongly believe that these members are providing vital information on the schedules and possible movements. Ongoing Conflict The Maoist insurgency is an ongoing conflict between the extremists, also known as Naxalites, and the police forces. The conflict in its present form began after the 2004 formation of the CPI(Maoist), a rebel group composed of the Peoples War Group and the Maoist Communist Centre. Maoist Leaders Eliminated 2007: Mohan Reddy, Central Technical Committee member, Chettiraja Papaiah, member of North Telangana Special Zonal Committee, Kiran, deputy commander of Special Guerrilla Squad and Talari Krishna, member of Nallamala Forest Division Committee 2008: Chokkari Gangaram, member of Andhra Pradesh-Orissa Border Special Zone Committee, Gajerla Saraiah, Central Committee member and in-charge of Central Military Commission and Valluri Venkata Rao, secretary of Andhra Pradesh Special Committee 2009: Patel Sudhakar Reddy (in picture) Central Committee member and Tushar Kant Bhattacharya, International Forum member 2010: Sakhamuri Appa Rao, CPI-Maoist central committee leader, Cherukuri Rajkumar, member of the Central Committee and politburo and Hem Pandey, zonal committee member 2011: Konapuri Ilaiah, TRS polit bureau member) 2013: Jana Babu Rao, Bharathi and Vimalakka (Central Committee Members) 2016: Kudumula Venkata Ramana (Commander) in picture Manish Anand By NEW DELHI: In a bid to reach Dalits and counter hegemony of regional political parties over their votes, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) has decided to step up its activities among them in the next six months. Setting a target to establish bases in 75,000 villages with sizeable population of scheduled castes (SCs) by March next year, the RSS has asked its functionaries to help Dalits avail benefits of various central and state government schemes, besides intensifying religious activities to ward off conversion attempts. As part of Gram Sampark (village contact) programme, the RSS in its recently concluded national executive meeting has accepted the challenge to reverse the anger among Dalits against the NDA government at the Centre following incidents of suicide by Hyderabad University scholar Rohith Vemula, public flogging of a few in Gujarats Una and others. The apparent practice of caste discrimination against Dalits helps the regional parties to indulge in vote bank politics without helping them improve their lots. The RSS has resolved that by March, significant regular interventions through high caste people in villages and religious leaders will be made to ensure that they get a sense of equality, besides ensuring perceptible socio-economic changes in their lives, said a senior RSS functionary. Incidentally, the BJP is eyeing Dalits in its bid to broaden social engineering for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra. The RSS has noted the attempts of conversions of Dalits into Buddhism, Islam and Christianity in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and other states. The RSS will take up the task to bring Dalits into the Hindu mainstream to ward off attempts of conversions. We have got very good response in villages of Madhya Pradesh and Telangana where high caste people along with religious leaders have gone the extra mile to weed out all forms of discriminations against Dalits, including equal access to drinking water, crematorium and temples, added the RSS functionary. The RSS has also asked its functionaries to intervene with local government officials to help the Dalits avail the benefits of various centrally-sponsored schemes. We have noted that the funds meant for the Scheduled Castes either lapse or are diverted. RSS functionaries will work as an interface to ensure that funds are spent and benefits are passed on to the genuine beneficiaries. We will work with the state governments as well, the RSS functionary added. NEW DELHI: In a bid to reach Dalits and counter hegemony of regional political parties over their votes, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) has decided to step up its activities among them in the next six months. Setting a target to establish bases in 75,000 villages with sizeable population of scheduled castes (SCs) by March next year, the RSS has asked its functionaries to help Dalits avail benefits of various central and state government schemes, besides intensifying religious activities to ward off conversion attempts. As part of Gram Sampark (village contact) programme, the RSS in its recently concluded national executive meeting has accepted the challenge to reverse the anger among Dalits against the NDA government at the Centre following incidents of suicide by Hyderabad University scholar Rohith Vemula, public flogging of a few in Gujarats Una and others. The apparent practice of caste discrimination against Dalits helps the regional parties to indulge in vote bank politics without helping them improve their lots. The RSS has resolved that by March, significant regular interventions through high caste people in villages and religious leaders will be made to ensure that they get a sense of equality, besides ensuring perceptible socio-economic changes in their lives, said a senior RSS functionary. Incidentally, the BJP is eyeing Dalits in its bid to broaden social engineering for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra. The RSS has noted the attempts of conversions of Dalits into Buddhism, Islam and Christianity in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and other states. The RSS will take up the task to bring Dalits into the Hindu mainstream to ward off attempts of conversions. We have got very good response in villages of Madhya Pradesh and Telangana where high caste people along with religious leaders have gone the extra mile to weed out all forms of discriminations against Dalits, including equal access to drinking water, crematorium and temples, added the RSS functionary. The RSS has also asked its functionaries to intervene with local government officials to help the Dalits avail the benefits of various centrally-sponsored schemes. We have noted that the funds meant for the Scheduled Castes either lapse or are diverted. RSS functionaries will work as an interface to ensure that funds are spent and benefits are passed on to the genuine beneficiaries. We will work with the state governments as well, the RSS functionary added. Kanu Sarda By NEW DELHI: To ensure timely disposal of cases, the Ministry of Law and Justicewhich is finalising the National Litigation Policywants to reform courtroom procedures to introduce corrective and reformative measures. It has suggested imposing costs on litigants seeking frequent adjournments and on judicial officers giving the next date of hearing. In a meeting last week, the ministry discussed the Singapore model of justice delivery system, which introduced greater discipline in courtroom procedures and imposed fines. This resulted in speedier justice. Imposing costs and fixing a time-frame for disposing of cases will overcome the challenges in the system, an official added. As per the Civil Procedure Code, a maximum of three adjournments can be granted during the trial of a civil case. This procedure is hardly adhered to. In Rajasthan, the average number of adjournments granted in the district and subordinate courts range from 12-42 in civil cases and from 4-34 in criminal cases. In Odisha, the average number of adjournments in civil cases is 151 and 33 in criminal cases. Sometimes, a case remains pending for an average 544 to 1,483 days in a subordinate court on account of stay granted by High Courts. Lack of judges and judicial manpower is also to blame for pendency. It is imperative that vacancies be filled on priority. However, shortage of judges is not the sole reason for the increasing pendency and lower rate of disposal. Lack of court management systems, frequent adjournments, strikes by lawyers, accumulation of first appeals, indiscriminate use of writ jurisdiction and lack of adequate arrangement to monitor, track and bunch cases for hearing, the official added. According to figures available with the National Judicial Data Grid), 2,22,37,248 are cases pending in district courts across the country. Among these, 22,42,401 cases are pending for over 10 years, of which 80 per cent are criminal cases. There are 37,20,343 cases pending for less than 10 years, but over five years. NEW DELHI: To ensure timely disposal of cases, the Ministry of Law and Justicewhich is finalising the National Litigation Policywants to reform courtroom procedures to introduce corrective and reformative measures. It has suggested imposing costs on litigants seeking frequent adjournments and on judicial officers giving the next date of hearing. In a meeting last week, the ministry discussed the Singapore model of justice delivery system, which introduced greater discipline in courtroom procedures and imposed fines. This resulted in speedier justice. Imposing costs and fixing a time-frame for disposing of cases will overcome the challenges in the system, an official added. As per the Civil Procedure Code, a maximum of three adjournments can be granted during the trial of a civil case. This procedure is hardly adhered to. In Rajasthan, the average number of adjournments granted in the district and subordinate courts range from 12-42 in civil cases and from 4-34 in criminal cases. In Odisha, the average number of adjournments in civil cases is 151 and 33 in criminal cases. Sometimes, a case remains pending for an average 544 to 1,483 days in a subordinate court on account of stay granted by High Courts. Lack of judges and judicial manpower is also to blame for pendency. It is imperative that vacancies be filled on priority. However, shortage of judges is not the sole reason for the increasing pendency and lower rate of disposal. Lack of court management systems, frequent adjournments, strikes by lawyers, accumulation of first appeals, indiscriminate use of writ jurisdiction and lack of adequate arrangement to monitor, track and bunch cases for hearing, the official added. According to figures available with the National Judicial Data Grid), 2,22,37,248 are cases pending in district courts across the country. Among these, 22,42,401 cases are pending for over 10 years, of which 80 per cent are criminal cases. There are 37,20,343 cases pending for less than 10 years, but over five years. Ritu Sharma By Syria has inflamed the Cold War era rivalry between Russia and the US, and India has been trying to strengthen its foothold in the region by playing a more constructive role in resolving the conflict. The West Asian country is important for India as it is a member of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC), the only group Pakistan has been lobbying to internationalise the Kashmir issue. Syrian Ambassador to India Dr Riad Kemal Abbas talks to Ritu Sharma about cross-border terrorism and Kashmir. What is your assessment of the situation in Syria? In Syria, two parties are fighting. One is a terror group and the other is a secular regime. Terror groups are being supported by the US and their allies such as Saudi Arabia, and the secular regime is being supported by Russia, China and BRICS countries. There is no moderate opposition; there are only terror groups on the ground. When they shave their beards, they become moderate opposition, and when they grow their beards, they become terror groups. So as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, there is no good or bad terrorism. Terrorism is terrorism. There is no way to talk to terrorists. India has problems with Pakistan and it wants Syrias support in OIC as it is the only group adopting resolutions and commenting on Kashmir. How will Syria balance between its two alliesIndia and Pakistan? Syria shares good relations with both countries. It has a different stand in the OIC. We request India and Pakistan to talk out a solution without external intervention within the ambit of the 1972 Shimla Agreement. We are confident that Indian policy makers will resolve the issue. We are against cross-border terrorism. As our President (Bashar al Assad) said, there is no border and no country for terrorism. OICs recent meeting was in Tashkent. Syria took a stand that Kashmir is an internal matter of India? Our stand is always to find a political solution. India, Pakistan have to resolve the issue bilaterally. Syria has inflamed the Cold War era rivalry between Russia and the US, and India has been trying to strengthen its foothold in the region by playing a more constructive role in resolving the conflict. The West Asian country is important for India as it is a member of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC), the only group Pakistan has been lobbying to internationalise the Kashmir issue. Syrian Ambassador to India Dr Riad Kemal Abbas talks to Ritu Sharma about cross-border terrorism and Kashmir. What is your assessment of the situation in Syria? In Syria, two parties are fighting. One is a terror group and the other is a secular regime. Terror groups are being supported by the US and their allies such as Saudi Arabia, and the secular regime is being supported by Russia, China and BRICS countries. There is no moderate opposition; there are only terror groups on the ground. When they shave their beards, they become moderate opposition, and when they grow their beards, they become terror groups. So as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, there is no good or bad terrorism. Terrorism is terrorism. There is no way to talk to terrorists. India has problems with Pakistan and it wants Syrias support in OIC as it is the only group adopting resolutions and commenting on Kashmir. How will Syria balance between its two alliesIndia and Pakistan? Syria shares good relations with both countries. It has a different stand in the OIC. We request India and Pakistan to talk out a solution without external intervention within the ambit of the 1972 Shimla Agreement. We are confident that Indian policy makers will resolve the issue. We are against cross-border terrorism. As our President (Bashar al Assad) said, there is no border and no country for terrorism. OICs recent meeting was in Tashkent. Syria took a stand that Kashmir is an internal matter of India? Our stand is always to find a political solution. India, Pakistan have to resolve the issue bilaterally. Harpreet Bajwa By Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Punjab, Harpreet Bajwa talks to Sukhbir Singh Badal , Deputy CM and SAD president about his strategy. On SAD-BJP combines election issues. Well contest on the plank of development and governance, which have transformed Punjab. On anti-incumbency. Whenever there is talk of anti-incumbency, we come out tops. There is a pro-incumbency sentiment in the state. On main contenders: Congress or AAP? Both do not stand a chance against the wave of development by the SAD-BJP government. The people of Punjab have seen the brutal and corrupt face of the Congress. AAP has exhibited its anti-Punjab face on crucial issues. Its MLAs are in the news for all the wrong reasons, such as domestic violence, molestation, corruption. On countering AAP. The people of Punjab will give a befitting reply to a rag-tag, hastily assembled bunch of good-for-nothing elements who have formed the grand AAP circus. On differences with alliance partner BJP. The alliance is rock solid. On the drugs issue and shielding smugglers. We wont allow this menace in Punjab. Our state is only the transit route of drugs from Pakistan and Afghanistan. On the accusation that Bikram Majithia is shielding the drug mafia. Falsified propaganda by AAP. I challenge them to prove that Majithia is involved in any wrong-doing. On the Rs 20,000 crore foodgrain scam and the Rs 20,000 crore loan to cover it up. There was no scam. It was a difference of opinion between the Centre and Punjab on the expenditure incurred in procuring foodgrain for FCI. On Navjot Singh Sidhu and wife Navjot Kaur leaving BJP and Pargat Singh qutting SAD. It will not make any difference as the Sidhu couples flip-flops exposed them before the public as power hungry individuals. Pargat Singh should have given a thought before following the couple. Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Punjab, Harpreet Bajwa talks to Sukhbir Singh Badal , Deputy CM and SAD president about his strategy. On SAD-BJP combines election issues. Well contest on the plank of development and governance, which have transformed Punjab. On anti-incumbency. Whenever there is talk of anti-incumbency, we come out tops. There is a pro-incumbency sentiment in the state. On main contenders: Congress or AAP? Both do not stand a chance against the wave of development by the SAD-BJP government. The people of Punjab have seen the brutal and corrupt face of the Congress. AAP has exhibited its anti-Punjab face on crucial issues. Its MLAs are in the news for all the wrong reasons, such as domestic violence, molestation, corruption. On countering AAP. The people of Punjab will give a befitting reply to a rag-tag, hastily assembled bunch of good-for-nothing elements who have formed the grand AAP circus. On differences with alliance partner BJP. The alliance is rock solid. On the drugs issue and shielding smugglers. We wont allow this menace in Punjab. Our state is only the transit route of drugs from Pakistan and Afghanistan. On the accusation that Bikram Majithia is shielding the drug mafia. Falsified propaganda by AAP. I challenge them to prove that Majithia is involved in any wrong-doing. On the Rs 20,000 crore foodgrain scam and the Rs 20,000 crore loan to cover it up. There was no scam. It was a difference of opinion between the Centre and Punjab on the expenditure incurred in procuring foodgrain for FCI. On Navjot Singh Sidhu and wife Navjot Kaur leaving BJP and Pargat Singh qutting SAD. It will not make any difference as the Sidhu couples flip-flops exposed them before the public as power hungry individuals. Pargat Singh should have given a thought before following the couple. Ayesha Singh By NEW DELHI: The quietude of one of the most peaceful lands in the world, Ladakh, is often broken by a cacophony of barking dogs amid chants of monks. Some of the dogs have a notorious reputation for attacking locals. There are close to 5,000 dogs in the region, out of which only a handful have been neutered. People have now started retaliating by poisoning them. This year, 360 dog bite cases were reported in Ladakh. The fury started soaring three years ago when a labourer girl from Bihar in Leh was killed by dogs, who ate her. The four-legged population began spiking first with the advent of the Army leaving kitchen waste, which the dogs fed on. Then, a sharp increase was noticed due to tourism, as the dogs fed on food thrown away by restaurants. As the tourist season subsided, waste decreased, and the dogs started attacking domesticated animals, and subsequently human beings. The region is also short of technical staff as there arent enough vets to undertake neutering. Unless 60 per cent of the dog population isnt simultaneously neutered, the situation wont change. Currently, only 25 per cent have been neutered, are and this year, the number was 543. Lack of financial assistance adds to the grimness of the situation. Nearly `5 lakh is required per month to carry out the sterilisation process, with `700-800 needed for one sterilisation, which includes post operative care and anti-rabies shot. Were the only NGO in Ladakh that does hundreds of sterilisations every year under the guidance of His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa, the spiritual head of the Drukpa Order, but we need to do more, says Dr Ishey Mangyal, advisor to the only conservancy for dogs in Ladakh, Live to Rescue Stray Animal Care and Management Centre, 25 km from Leh. In the lone shelter that started as an alternative to euthanising thousands of dogs, 150 of them are getting compassionate care. Among them are accident victims, abandoned ones and orphans. The aggressive ones are treated and given up for adoption. Were giving incentives to vets to help us. Hopefully, well be able to find a peaceful way for these dogs and human beings to co-exist, says Mangyal. NEW DELHI: The quietude of one of the most peaceful lands in the world, Ladakh, is often broken by a cacophony of barking dogs amid chants of monks. Some of the dogs have a notorious reputation for attacking locals. There are close to 5,000 dogs in the region, out of which only a handful have been neutered. People have now started retaliating by poisoning them. This year, 360 dog bite cases were reported in Ladakh. The fury started soaring three years ago when a labourer girl from Bihar in Leh was killed by dogs, who ate her. The four-legged population began spiking first with the advent of the Army leaving kitchen waste, which the dogs fed on. Then, a sharp increase was noticed due to tourism, as the dogs fed on food thrown away by restaurants. As the tourist season subsided, waste decreased, and the dogs started attacking domesticated animals, and subsequently human beings. The region is also short of technical staff as there arent enough vets to undertake neutering. Unless 60 per cent of the dog population isnt simultaneously neutered, the situation wont change. Currently, only 25 per cent have been neutered, are and this year, the number was 543. Lack of financial assistance adds to the grimness of the situation. Nearly `5 lakh is required per month to carry out the sterilisation process, with `700-800 needed for one sterilisation, which includes post operative care and anti-rabies shot. Were the only NGO in Ladakh that does hundreds of sterilisations every year under the guidance of His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa, the spiritual head of the Drukpa Order, but we need to do more, says Dr Ishey Mangyal, advisor to the only conservancy for dogs in Ladakh, Live to Rescue Stray Animal Care and Management Centre, 25 km from Leh. In the lone shelter that started as an alternative to euthanising thousands of dogs, 150 of them are getting compassionate care. Among them are accident victims, abandoned ones and orphans. The aggressive ones are treated and given up for adoption. Were giving incentives to vets to help us. Hopefully, well be able to find a peaceful way for these dogs and human beings to co-exist, says Mangyal. Richa Sharma By NEW DELHI: Faced with stiff opposition from the states, civil society groups and even the RSS on GM food crops, the Central government is reaching out to the state governments to bring them on board for field trials. Acting on the directives of the PMO, the environment ministry on October 21 organised a meeting which was attended by representatives from different states. More such meetings are expected to take place in the coming months. The PMO has asked the ministry to work with states and apprise them of benefits of GM crops and how it can increase production to ensure Indias food security. Several BJP-ruled states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are opposed to trial of GM crops in their territory. The PMO has stepped in to reach out to state governments on genetically modified (GM) crops. The October 21 meeting with the states representatives and the environment ministry came when the Central government was about to take a final call on commercialisation of GM mustard. Only Bt cotton is allowed in India, and if GM mustard gets a go-ahead, it will become the first food crop here to be commercialised. The discussion revolved around addressing impediments in research of GM crops and problems regarding confined field trials of transgenic crops, designated sites for trials, and ease of doing business. This was the first in a series of meetings to dispel any notion against GM technology, an environment ministry official said. The government is facing opposition from RSS-backed outfits such as Swadeshi Jagran Manch on GM crops. There have been meetings with these organisations to make them understand the benefits of GM crops. Ahead of the 2014 elections, the BJP had clarified that they would not allow GM crops without proper scientific investigation. But after forming the government, the NDA is favouring GM technology. In 2010, a moratorium was imposed by then Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh in the UPA government on commercial release of Bt Brinjal following protests. Several countries are opposed to GM crops. NEW DELHI: Faced with stiff opposition from the states, civil society groups and even the RSS on GM food crops, the Central government is reaching out to the state governments to bring them on board for field trials. Acting on the directives of the PMO, the environment ministry on October 21 organised a meeting which was attended by representatives from different states. More such meetings are expected to take place in the coming months. The PMO has asked the ministry to work with states and apprise them of benefits of GM crops and how it can increase production to ensure Indias food security. Several BJP-ruled states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are opposed to trial of GM crops in their territory. The PMO has stepped in to reach out to state governments on genetically modified (GM) crops. The October 21 meeting with the states representatives and the environment ministry came when the Central government was about to take a final call on commercialisation of GM mustard. Only Bt cotton is allowed in India, and if GM mustard gets a go-ahead, it will become the first food crop here to be commercialised. The discussion revolved around addressing impediments in research of GM crops and problems regarding confined field trials of transgenic crops, designated sites for trials, and ease of doing business. This was the first in a series of meetings to dispel any notion against GM technology, an environment ministry official said. The government is facing opposition from RSS-backed outfits such as Swadeshi Jagran Manch on GM crops. There have been meetings with these organisations to make them understand the benefits of GM crops. Ahead of the 2014 elections, the BJP had clarified that they would not allow GM crops without proper scientific investigation. But after forming the government, the NDA is favouring GM technology. In 2010, a moratorium was imposed by then Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh in the UPA government on commercial release of Bt Brinjal following protests. Several countries are opposed to GM crops. Sahla Nechiyil By KOZHIKODE:At a time when much discussion is taking place on abolition of triple talaq, a difference of opinion has come to the fore between Muslim Womens League (MWL), the womens wing of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), and its girls wing Haritha on the issue. While MWL is maintaining a stoic silence, Haritha is strongly pitching for banning triple talaq. The girls wing has come out in the open against the practice, terming it un-Islamic, whereas MWL follows the IUMLs stand. Haritha, however, has expressed concern over the Central governments move to bring in the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Clearly, there is politics in discussing triple talaq in the backdrop of UCC. But, it doesnt lessen the seriousness of the issue because it is anti-women. We have demanded that the party leadership should conduct a discussion and listen what Muslim women have to say about talaq. We hope that they would look into our demand seriously, said Haritha state president Fathima Thahiliya. Muslim Womens League (MWL), following the line of its parent organisation IUML, is silent on the issue of triple talaq. The party leadership has already expressed its opinion; there is nothing more to say on the issue, said MWL state president Kamarunnisa Anwar. The IUML had made its position clear on the issue by taking a safe stand that the party wont interfere in the issue. Talaq has been discussed by Islamic scholars for long and they have a different opinion. The Muslim League is against any political interference in the matter. Let religious scholars take a final call, said the partys national secretary E T Muhammed Basheer. He also alleged that the Centre was trying to divert attention from a serious issue like the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) by focusing on less important matters like triple talaq. The IUML, however, conducted a meeting of different Muslim organisations in Kozhikode on Saturday to discuss the issue. Representatives of All-India Muslim Personal Law Board and various Muslim organisations irrespective of their political stance attended the meeting. Ironically, no Muslim women organisations were invited to the meeting so far. Differing Views IUMLs girls wing Haritha is pitching for triple talaq ban. We have requested the party leadership to listen to what Muslim women have to say about talaq, said Haritha state president Fathima Thahiliya The Muslim Womens League is maintaining a stoic silence. Since the party leadership has expressed its opinion, there is nothing more to say on the issue, said womens league state president Kamarunnisa Anwar KOZHIKODE:At a time when much discussion is taking place on abolition of triple talaq, a difference of opinion has come to the fore between Muslim Womens League (MWL), the womens wing of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), and its girls wing Haritha on the issue. While MWL is maintaining a stoic silence, Haritha is strongly pitching for banning triple talaq. The girls wing has come out in the open against the practice, terming it un-Islamic, whereas MWL follows the IUMLs stand. Haritha, however, has expressed concern over the Central governments move to bring in the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Clearly, there is politics in discussing triple talaq in the backdrop of UCC. But, it doesnt lessen the seriousness of the issue because it is anti-women. We have demanded that the party leadership should conduct a discussion and listen what Muslim women have to say about talaq. We hope that they would look into our demand seriously, said Haritha state president Fathima Thahiliya. Muslim Womens League (MWL), following the line of its parent organisation IUML, is silent on the issue of triple talaq. The party leadership has already expressed its opinion; there is nothing more to say on the issue, said MWL state president Kamarunnisa Anwar. The IUML had made its position clear on the issue by taking a safe stand that the party wont interfere in the issue. Talaq has been discussed by Islamic scholars for long and they have a different opinion. The Muslim League is against any political interference in the matter. Let religious scholars take a final call, said the partys national secretary E T Muhammed Basheer. He also alleged that the Centre was trying to divert attention from a serious issue like the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) by focusing on less important matters like triple talaq. The IUML, however, conducted a meeting of different Muslim organisations in Kozhikode on Saturday to discuss the issue. Representatives of All-India Muslim Personal Law Board and various Muslim organisations irrespective of their political stance attended the meeting. Ironically, no Muslim women organisations were invited to the meeting so far. Differing Views IUMLs girls wing Haritha is pitching for triple talaq ban. We have requested the party leadership to listen to what Muslim women have to say about talaq, said Haritha state president Fathima Thahiliya The Muslim Womens League is maintaining a stoic silence. Since the party leadership has expressed its opinion, there is nothing more to say on the issue, said womens league state president Kamarunnisa Anwar By Associated Press PHNOM PEHN: Former Cambodian Prime Minister Pen Sovann, who was installed and later imprisoned by the Vietnamese after they defeated the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, has died. He was 80. Pen Sovann was the country's first post-Khmer Rouge prime minister, holding the office from June to December 1981, when it was known as the People's Republic of Kampuchea. He died on Saturday night from an illness in his hometown in southern Takeo province. In late 1981, Pen Sovann was removed from power by the Vietnamese in an ouster triggered by his calls for the withdrawal of Vietnam's forces from Cambodia. He was imprisoned for 10 years in Hanoi. Pen Sovann founded the Cambodian National Sustaining Party, which took part in the 1998 elections but did not win a seat in parliament. In 2012, he joined the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party and won a parliamentary seat in the last general election in 2013. Sovann was part of a group of self-exiled former Cambodian communists who fled Cambodia after becoming disenchanted with the Khmer Rouge. He later returned amid the Vietnamese military invasion that toppled the Khmer Rouge. He was also the bitter rival of current longtime Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. In a statement on Sunday, the Cambodia National Rescue Party said it was joining Pen Sovann's family in organizing a funeral for the former prime minister. The party's self-exiled leader, Sam Rainsy, said on his Facebook page Sunday that Sovann had dedicated his life to the Cambodian people. PHNOM PEHN: Former Cambodian Prime Minister Pen Sovann, who was installed and later imprisoned by the Vietnamese after they defeated the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, has died. He was 80. Pen Sovann was the country's first post-Khmer Rouge prime minister, holding the office from June to December 1981, when it was known as the People's Republic of Kampuchea. He died on Saturday night from an illness in his hometown in southern Takeo province. In late 1981, Pen Sovann was removed from power by the Vietnamese in an ouster triggered by his calls for the withdrawal of Vietnam's forces from Cambodia. He was imprisoned for 10 years in Hanoi. Pen Sovann founded the Cambodian National Sustaining Party, which took part in the 1998 elections but did not win a seat in parliament. In 2012, he joined the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party and won a parliamentary seat in the last general election in 2013. Sovann was part of a group of self-exiled former Cambodian communists who fled Cambodia after becoming disenchanted with the Khmer Rouge. He later returned amid the Vietnamese military invasion that toppled the Khmer Rouge. He was also the bitter rival of current longtime Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. In a statement on Sunday, the Cambodia National Rescue Party said it was joining Pen Sovann's family in organizing a funeral for the former prime minister. The party's self-exiled leader, Sam Rainsy, said on his Facebook page Sunday that Sovann had dedicated his life to the Cambodian people. By Associated Press BAGHDAD: Iraqi police say a parked car bomb has exploded in Baghdad's northwestern neighborhood of Hurriyah, killing at least 10 and wounding 34. The bombing, which hit a popular fruit and vegetable market in a commercial street of the predominantly Shiite neighborhood, was the fifth such explosion in the capital on Sunday. The day's casualty toll from the attacks in Baghdad now stands at 17 dead and over 60 wounded. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief reporters. The other incidents on Sunday pertaining to the conflict in Iraq and the battle to retake the IS-held city of Mosul are recorded below: 3:56 p.m. Iraqi officials say a wave of bombings in predominantly Shiite neighborhoods have killed at least seven people in the capital, Baghdad, and wounded over 30. They say improvised explosive devices killed three people and wounded 10 at a popular market in the Shaab neighborhood in northern Baghdad. Another two explosions at traders' markets in the Topchi and Zataria areas killed four and wounded 16. A fourth bomb, planted in a microbus in the poorer Sadr City district, caused no deaths but wounded six. The attacks come just a day after an Islamic State suicide bomber targeted an aid station for Shiite pilgrims, killing at least seven and wounding more than 20. No one claimed immediate responsibility for Sunday's bombings, but the Sunni extremist group often targets Iraq's Shiite majority, which it views as apostates deserving of death. Attacks in the capital have been rare since last summer. The officials police and hospital authorities spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief reporters. 2:15 p.m. Iraqi military officials say an army helicopter has crashed in the central province of Salahuddin due to a technical malfunction. They said on Sunday that the two pilots of the helicopter, which went down the previous evening, were missing. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief reporters. 1:45 p.m. Turkey's president is warning that the country could respond if an Iraqi Shiite militia "terrorizes" the Iraqi-Turkmen town of Tel Afar, near Mosul. The state-run Anadolu agency reported that Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters Saturday that his government will be closely monitoring the behavior of the militias, collectively referred to as the Popular Mobilization Units or Hashd, and will seek to safeguard the rights of ethnic Turkmens in Iraq. "Tel Afar is an entirely Turkmen town . if Hashd al-Shaabi starts terrorizing it, then our response will certainly be different," Erdogan said. The use of government-backed Shiite militias is a sensitive issue in the ongoing battle to retake the city of Mosul from the Islamic State group. Militia commanders have said that their forces will not enter Mosul but will instead focus on surrounding towns like Tel Afar. 1:30 p.m. Spokesmen for Iraq's state-sanctioned Shiite militias say that some 5,000 fighters have joined their push to encircle the county's second largest city of Mosul and cut off Islamic State fighters there. Karim al-Nuri of the umbrella group for the militias, known as the Popular Mobilization Units, and Jaafar al-Husseini, a spokesman for unit member the Hezbollah Brigades, said Sunday that a total of some 15,000 Shiite fighters were participating in the battle. The Iraqi military confirmed the figures, which, including army units, militarized police, and special forces bring the total number of anti-IS fighters in the offensive to over 40,000. The U.S. military estimates IS has 3,000 to 5,000 fighters inside Mosul and another 1,500-2,500 in the city's outer defensive belt. The total number includes around 1,000 foreign fighters. BAGHDAD: Iraqi police say a parked car bomb has exploded in Baghdad's northwestern neighborhood of Hurriyah, killing at least 10 and wounding 34. The bombing, which hit a popular fruit and vegetable market in a commercial street of the predominantly Shiite neighborhood, was the fifth such explosion in the capital on Sunday. The day's casualty toll from the attacks in Baghdad now stands at 17 dead and over 60 wounded. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief reporters. The other incidents on Sunday pertaining to the conflict in Iraq and the battle to retake the IS-held city of Mosul are recorded below: 3:56 p.m. Iraqi officials say a wave of bombings in predominantly Shiite neighborhoods have killed at least seven people in the capital, Baghdad, and wounded over 30. They say improvised explosive devices killed three people and wounded 10 at a popular market in the Shaab neighborhood in northern Baghdad. Another two explosions at traders' markets in the Topchi and Zataria areas killed four and wounded 16. A fourth bomb, planted in a microbus in the poorer Sadr City district, caused no deaths but wounded six. The attacks come just a day after an Islamic State suicide bomber targeted an aid station for Shiite pilgrims, killing at least seven and wounding more than 20. No one claimed immediate responsibility for Sunday's bombings, but the Sunni extremist group often targets Iraq's Shiite majority, which it views as apostates deserving of death. Attacks in the capital have been rare since last summer. The officials police and hospital authorities spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief reporters. 2:15 p.m. Iraqi military officials say an army helicopter has crashed in the central province of Salahuddin due to a technical malfunction. They said on Sunday that the two pilots of the helicopter, which went down the previous evening, were missing. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief reporters. 1:45 p.m. Turkey's president is warning that the country could respond if an Iraqi Shiite militia "terrorizes" the Iraqi-Turkmen town of Tel Afar, near Mosul. The state-run Anadolu agency reported that Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters Saturday that his government will be closely monitoring the behavior of the militias, collectively referred to as the Popular Mobilization Units or Hashd, and will seek to safeguard the rights of ethnic Turkmens in Iraq. "Tel Afar is an entirely Turkmen town . if Hashd al-Shaabi starts terrorizing it, then our response will certainly be different," Erdogan said. The use of government-backed Shiite militias is a sensitive issue in the ongoing battle to retake the city of Mosul from the Islamic State group. Militia commanders have said that their forces will not enter Mosul but will instead focus on surrounding towns like Tel Afar. 1:30 p.m. Spokesmen for Iraq's state-sanctioned Shiite militias say that some 5,000 fighters have joined their push to encircle the county's second largest city of Mosul and cut off Islamic State fighters there. Karim al-Nuri of the umbrella group for the militias, known as the Popular Mobilization Units, and Jaafar al-Husseini, a spokesman for unit member the Hezbollah Brigades, said Sunday that a total of some 15,000 Shiite fighters were participating in the battle. The Iraqi military confirmed the figures, which, including army units, militarized police, and special forces bring the total number of anti-IS fighters in the offensive to over 40,000. The U.S. military estimates IS has 3,000 to 5,000 fighters inside Mosul and another 1,500-2,500 in the city's outer defensive belt. The total number includes around 1,000 foreign fighters. P K Balachandran By Express News Service COLOMBO: Sri Lankas chances of getting back the European Unions General System of Preferences Plus (GSP-Plus) trade concessions which it lost in 2010, depend on meeting the European bodys requirements in regard to human rights. With improvements in the human rights situation after Maithripala Sirisena was elected President in January 2015, Sri Lanka applied for the restoration of the trade concessions. Willing to consider the request, the EU is sending a four-member inspection team under Jean Lambert to the island next week. The panel will have talks with stake holders in Colombo as well as the Tamil areas of Trincomalee and Batticaloa to see if the international conventions on human rights and the conditions imposed by the EU in regard to human rights are being implemented effectively. Given the EUs commitment to human rights, it will insist that progress in implementation be shown. According to Gehan Gunatilleke of Verite Research and Tamil National Alliance MP M.A.Sumanthiran, the governments Achilles Heel will be proposed amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). To get back GSP-Plus, the government will have to abandon the current trajectory on both these matters and change the law in accordance with the EUs recommendations and the UN Human Rights Councils September 2015 resolution which Sri Lanka co-sponsored, Sumanthiran said. Writing in The Bar Association Law Journal, Gunatilleke pointed out that the International Protocol on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) clearly says that a detainee should have the right to take the assistance of a lawyer right from the first questioning by the police. But Sri Lankan law allows access to legal assistance only when the accused is produced in court. And between arrest and production in court, a confession can be extracted by torture. The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government did try to change the law but it ended up sticking to the old system on the advice of the Security Establishment, Sumanthiran said. When he protested in parliament, it went for a revision, but the outcome of this is not yet known. The promise to repeal the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act is yet to be kept, though moves were made to replace it. At first, the Law Commission was asked to draft a law in accordance with international best practices. And it did do a good job, according to those who had access to it. But its report was shelved and the government is presently working on a law more in line with the original PTA on the advice of the Security Establishment, Sumanthiran says. For example, in the original PTA, a confession made to an officer of the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police and above, is admissible as evidence in court. Sumanthiran fears that something like this may be retained. But this is not going to satisfy the EU as it believes that confessions made to anybody in the absence of legal assistance cannot be admitted as evidence in court as they could be the outcome of torture. And as the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Juan Mendez, said in May 2016 torture is routine in Sri Lanka. Gunatilleke quotes the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka as saying that since January 2015, 466 cases of torture have been reported to it. He recalls how a confession obtained by torture had led to a court giving a sentence of 20 years RI to noted journalist J.S.Tissanayagam. There is little or no progress in bringing about a Witness Protection Act to remedy the situation in which witnesses are routinely threatened. The EU might eventually restore the GSP-Plus facility to Sri Lanka in next year, despite glaring flaws in its legal system, but Sri Lanka will have a hard time meeting the challenges posed by the EUs human rights conditions, Gunatilleke predicts. COLOMBO: Sri Lankas chances of getting back the European Unions General System of Preferences Plus (GSP-Plus) trade concessions which it lost in 2010, depend on meeting the European bodys requirements in regard to human rights. With improvements in the human rights situation after Maithripala Sirisena was elected President in January 2015, Sri Lanka applied for the restoration of the trade concessions. Willing to consider the request, the EU is sending a four-member inspection team under Jean Lambert to the island next week. The panel will have talks with stake holders in Colombo as well as the Tamil areas of Trincomalee and Batticaloa to see if the international conventions on human rights and the conditions imposed by the EU in regard to human rights are being implemented effectively. Given the EUs commitment to human rights, it will insist that progress in implementation be shown. According to Gehan Gunatilleke of Verite Research and Tamil National Alliance MP M.A.Sumanthiran, the governments Achilles Heel will be proposed amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). To get back GSP-Plus, the government will have to abandon the current trajectory on both these matters and change the law in accordance with the EUs recommendations and the UN Human Rights Councils September 2015 resolution which Sri Lanka co-sponsored, Sumanthiran said. Writing in The Bar Association Law Journal, Gunatilleke pointed out that the International Protocol on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) clearly says that a detainee should have the right to take the assistance of a lawyer right from the first questioning by the police. But Sri Lankan law allows access to legal assistance only when the accused is produced in court. And between arrest and production in court, a confession can be extracted by torture. The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government did try to change the law but it ended up sticking to the old system on the advice of the Security Establishment, Sumanthiran said. When he protested in parliament, it went for a revision, but the outcome of this is not yet known. The promise to repeal the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act is yet to be kept, though moves were made to replace it. At first, the Law Commission was asked to draft a law in accordance with international best practices. And it did do a good job, according to those who had access to it. But its report was shelved and the government is presently working on a law more in line with the original PTA on the advice of the Security Establishment, Sumanthiran says. For example, in the original PTA, a confession made to an officer of the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police and above, is admissible as evidence in court. Sumanthiran fears that something like this may be retained. But this is not going to satisfy the EU as it believes that confessions made to anybody in the absence of legal assistance cannot be admitted as evidence in court as they could be the outcome of torture. And as the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Juan Mendez, said in May 2016 torture is routine in Sri Lanka. Gunatilleke quotes the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka as saying that since January 2015, 466 cases of torture have been reported to it. He recalls how a confession obtained by torture had led to a court giving a sentence of 20 years RI to noted journalist J.S.Tissanayagam. There is little or no progress in bringing about a Witness Protection Act to remedy the situation in which witnesses are routinely threatened. The EU might eventually restore the GSP-Plus facility to Sri Lanka in next year, despite glaring flaws in its legal system, but Sri Lanka will have a hard time meeting the challenges posed by the EUs human rights conditions, Gunatilleke predicts. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Foggy early, becoming sunny this afternoon. High 67F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Generally clear. Areas of patchy fog developing. Low 46F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Mumbai: The stock market witnessed turbulence in the festive week as the benchmark BSE Sensex lost 135.67 points to retreat from the psychological 28,000-mark, while broader Nifty fell by 55.05 points. The auspicious week of 'Diwali' festival was suffused by monthly expiry as well as last trading day of Samvat 2072 on 'Dhanteras' was frustrated by key market-bearing events. Though the stocks started the week on a bullish note supported by firm global sentiment, the shocking removal of Cyrus Mistry as the chairman of Tata Sons hit Tata group shares dampening the sentiment. Also, disappointing earnings by key banking financials pushed the stocks into the negative zone. A value buying by investors, however, helped stocks recover from the 'ouster' shocks. Also the expiry day saw hectic short-covering, while rebound in Q2 results also lifted the market to some extent capping the larger losses during the week. The 30-share Sensex resumed higher at 28,156.59 and hovered between 28,256.65 and 27,665.60 before ending the week at 27,941.51, showing a loss of 135.67 points or 0.48 per cent. The NSE Nifty also declined 55.05 points or 0.63 per cent to close the week at 8,638.00. Selling was led by IT, teck, capital goods, power, bankex, auto, metal, and consumer durables counters. The second line shares traded mixed with smallcap companies shares gaining slightly while midcap incurring heavy selling pressure. Buying was seen in PSUs, oil and gas, healthcare, IPOs, FMCG and realty sectors. Meanwhile, foreign funds sold shares worth Rs 4,296.11 crore during the week, as per the Sebi's record including the provisional figure of October 28. In the broader market, the BSE mid-cap index lost 194.11 points or 1.43 per cent to settle at 13,408.27. The decline in this index was higher than Sensex's decline in percentage terms. The BSE small-cap index rose 21.82 points or 0.16 per cent to settle at 13,454.03, outperforming the Sensex. Among the sectoral indices, IT dropped 3.45 per cent. It was followed by teck 2.89 per cent, capital goods 1.50 per cent, power 0.93 per cent and bankex 0.89 per cent, auto fell 0.34 per cent, metal by 0.28 per cent and consumer durables 0.08 per cent. However oil and gas rose by 0.49 per cent, healthcare 0.20 per cent, FMCG 0.08 per cent and realty saw a rise of 0.06 per cent. In the 30-share Sensex pack, 20 stocks fell, while remaining 10 gained during the week. Major losers include Axis Bank which was down 7.60 per cent. The bank's net profit declined 83.34 per cent to Rs 319.08 crore on 14.14 per cent growth in total income to Rs 13698.77 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015. It was followed by Wipro which was down 7.51 per cent. The company's consolidated net income fell 8 per cent to Rs 2,070 crore on 10 per cent increase in gross revenue to Rs 13,770 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015. Besides, there are Asian Paints (7.24 pct), Tata Steel (7.24 pct), Infosys (3.92 pct), L&T (2.16 pct), Gail (1.67 pc), Tata Motors (1.60 pc) and HUL (1.52 pct). However, Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL) was up 8.08 per cent. The company's consolidated net profit fell 60.12 per cent to Rs 308.90 crore on 10.57 per cent decline in total income to Rs 3,660.10 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone jumped 7.47 per cent. The company's consolidated net profit rose 60.97 per cent to Rs 1,090.81 crore on 23.56 per cent increase in total income to Rs 2,416.77 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015. It was followed by Maruti 3.99 per cent, HDFC 3.86 per cent, Coal India 3.54 per cent, Bharti Artl 2.99 per cent and ONGC 2.82 per cent. The total turnover during the week on the BSE fell to Rs 16,579.80 crore from last weekend's level of Rs 18,170.07 crore while NSE rose to Rs 1,10,303.38 crore from Rs 1,06,661.62 crore. Srinagar: A gun battle is underway between security forces and terrorists in Drugmulla village at Kandi area of Kupwara district, Jammu and Kashmir since 11 am on Sunday and at least two terrorists are believed to be hiding in the area, army officials said. The counter operation is led by a joint team of the armed forces, CRPF and J&K police after it came to light that the terrorists belong to the Lashkar-e-Toiba, officials added. There are no reports of casualties although the militants are said to be heavily armed and the battle to neutralise these terrorists is in progress. Earlier, Border Security Force (BSF) retaliated a fresh ceasefire violation by Pakistan Rangers on the International Border (IB) in Jammu district's R.S. Pura sector on Saturday night. "It was fire of small arms as well as mortar shells in small quantity but not effective. BSF retaliated appropriately," BSF spokesperson Subhendu Bhardwaj told IANS. (With inputs from IANS) Arnia: Stating that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is "explosive" in the wake of continuous cross-border shelling, National Conference on Saturday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to celebrate Diwali with the "abandoned" dwellers along the International Border and LoC in the state to "set an example". NC's Provincial chief Devender Singh Rana said the situation was "explosive" in the wake of continuous shelling and urged politicians to "rise above political affiliations and seek solution to problems". "Diwali falls on Amawasya (new moon day) and let the Prime Minister light a lamp to end the darkness of borders, the silence of which is intermittently interrupted by mortal shells and heavy artillery, sending chill among the residents, who are running helter-skelter with women, old, ailing and children for safety," Rana said during party delegation's visit to the affected border villages here. Rana hoped that the Prime Minister will see for himself how the state BJP leaders and political executives of the government have virtually abandoned the residents, who are struggling to survive the onslaught. "We are sure the Prime Minister will feel the trauma and agony of the suffering people whose woes have been aggravated by the bunch of BJP exploiters here," he said, adding, the Prime Minister can set an example by being with the residents in distress and feel their pain. He assailed the BJP's total indifference towards residents of the forward areas at this crucial hour of border crisis and asked where the political executives of Jammu and Kashmir have vanished. "At a time they should have been with the suffering people, the BJP ministers and leaders, who were making beeline during elections, were not visible anywhere," Rana said. "The callousness of administration towards residents is a classic example of the duplicity and deception of the BJP, which has mastered in exploitation," he said. The Provincial President said the border skirmishes were no solution to problems and hoped that positive steps would be taken to de-esclate the tension and hostility that is proving hazardous for the villagers along the International Border and Line of Control. "We sincerely hope that the atmosphere of jingoism will be a temporary phase and the two countries would engage themselves in meaningful dialogue," he said and added that the victims of hostilities have always been the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Rana and other senior party leaders called for adequate arrangements, health care and other facilities at the make shift camps for border residents, who were forced to leave their homes and hearths due to intermittent shelling. Mortal remains of soldier Mandeep Singh (who lost his life in encounter near LoC) to be brought to his home town in Kurukshetra, Haryana pic.twitter.com/yFfuRiM0p2 ANI (@ANI_news) 30 October 2016 No one will celebrate Diwali this year, our entire village mourns the death of Mandeep Singh: Subhash Chandra (Sarpanch, Antahedi Village) pic.twitter.com/FLgzpOPtkU ANI (@ANI_news) 30 October 2016 Kurukshetra: ML Khattar meets family members of soldier Mandeep Singh (who lost his life in Machil encounter) pic.twitter.com/MlMnVE3I9d ANI (@ANI_news) 30 October 2016 Amid chants of 'Pakistan Murdabad', Indian Army soldier Mandeep Singh's body was brought to Antahedi village in Kurukshetra district, Haryana on Sunday and will be cremated with full military honours.Mandeep, a sepoy of the 17th Sikh regiment, was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Machhil sector of Kupwara area of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday night and his body was mutilated by terrorists near the Line of Control (LoC).He hailed from Antahedi village in Kurukshetra district which is known for sending men to the armed forces, about 100 km from Chandigarh.His body was brought to Ambala on Saturday.Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar joined the the massive crowd in paying rich tributes to the martyr."We all stand along with their families. A compensation of Rs 50 lakh will be given as compensation and a government job will be offered to 1 family member," ML Khattar told the media.Residents of Mandeep's village said that no Diwali would be celebrated in the village as a mark of respect to the martyr.No one will celebrate Diwali this year, our entire village mourns the death of Mandeep Singh, said Subhash Chandra, Sarpanch of Antahedi Village."We are proud of the sacrifice of our son. Pakistan must be taught a lesson for its inhuman actions," Mandeep's father Phool Singh said.Mandeep, who was married in 2014, leaves behind his widow, Prerna, who is a constable in the Haryana Police, and parents."Our government should take decisive action to finish Pakistan. We cannot let our soldiers die like this," an inconsolable Prerna told the media.The Indian Army, in an official statement on Saturday, said the soldier's body was "mutilated" and added that it would retaliate with an "appropriate response".Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar described Mandeep's killing as a cowardly act by the terrorists. The Chief Minister said that a financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh would be given to the next of kin.This is not the first time that Pakistan has mutilated the bodies of Indian soldiers.During the Kargil war in 1999, Captain Saurabh Kalia, Sepoys Arjunram Baswana, Mula Ram Bidiasar, Naresh Singh Sinsinwar, Bhanwar Lal Bagaria and Bhika Ram Mudh of 4 Jat Regiment were captured by Pakistani troops and brutally tortured.The soldiers had their ear drums pierced with hot iron rods, eyes punctured and genitals cut off. The autopsy of the bodies also revealed that they were burned with cigarettes butts. Their limbs were also chopped off, teeth broken and skull fractured during the torture. Even their nose and lips were sliced off.In another incident, on January 8, 2013, Pakistani soldiers entered Indian territory in Krishna Ghati sector of the border and killed two Indian soldiers - Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh. Indian officials said both the bodies were mutilated, and Hemraj's body was decapitated. Shimla: Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut is unsure whether she will be named the brand ambassador to promote Himachal Pradesh tourism or not. Kangana hails from the hill state and there has been a buzz around her refusal to sign an agreement. However, her father denies any wrongdoing. Two days after State Tourism Development Board Vice Chairman Vijai Singh Mankotia slammed the bureaucracy for deliberately scuttling the proposal mooted by him to appoint Kangana as the state's brand ambassador, another board member on Saturday slammed the actress for demanding a huge amount. "After negotiations, Kangana Ranaut said that she will charge Rs.45 lakh per day and all the other expenditure, including board and lodging for the entire unit, and cost of shooting will be borne by the government," member S.P. Katyal said in a statement. "Therefore, it was costing more than Rs 2 crore for her single appearance. Even after this huge expenditure, the deliverables were not clear as to how many more tourists will arrive in the state after she promotes it," he said. Upset over the ongoing developments, Kangana's father Amardeep Singh Ranaut blamed the state government over flip-flops. Katyal said since Himachal Pradesh is a well-established tourist destination, the domestic tourist inflow is already touching 2 crore per year and infrastructure is to be provided to house them. On the other hand, Vice Chairman Mankotia said that despite several rounds of talks with Kangana in Mumbai, the proposal to sign an agreement with her was deliberately delayed by the bureaucracy. The issue turned hot on October 27 when Mankotia, after the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Board meeting that was presided over by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh here, told the media "the proposal to sign an agreement awaited government's nod for over one and half years and now it has died its natural death". He lamented the bureaucracy by saying, "she too was very keen to popularise her home state, but probably the bureaucracy was not too keen on it". Contrary to Mankotia's assertions, Katyal said when Kangana was approached for being brand ambassador, first of all she never responded. He said that after Mankotia's efforts, she agreed to talk on the issue. And even after this, she took more than six months for the officials to meet her. Then finally when a meeting was arranged she was taking the department and the government for a ride. "She asked a huge amount of money for her appearance for the tourism department," he said. "She was not insulted in any way, rather she inflicted insult on the people of the state by asking for huge money to promote the interests of the state," Katyal said in a signed statement. Kangana's father Amardeep told IANS over phone that two state tourism department officials met her in Mumbai almost nine months back to fix the shooting schedule and the expenditure. "After the first meeting, there was no communication from the state. I, in fact, approached the state on the insistence of my daughter as she had to fix her schedule for the state," he said. "She, in fact, demanded nominal charges to become the brand ambassador. Even if they (the state) had no funds, they can inform Kangana in this regard. Moreover, initially when her name was announced she was not taken into confidence," said Amardeep, who is settled at Bhambla village near Hamirpur town, some 200 km from state capital Shimla. "My daughter is born and brought up in Himachal Pradesh and she herself is its brand ambassador," the aggrieved father said. Currently, Kangana is busy in shooting director Hansal Mehta's "Simran" in the US, he added. Kabul: At least 19 Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were killed and eight others wounded in the airstrikes in Dangam district of eastern Kunar province, bordering Pakistan, Afghan government said on Sunday, signalling a major crackdown on the terror group operating from across the border. The airstrikes in Airogoi village in Dangam district last evening also destroyed one BM-1 rocket launcher and one machine gun belonging to the Pakistan-based terror group, the Afghan Ministry of Interior said in a brief statement. "19 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba were killed and eight others were wounded," the statement said. A major operation is underway in Dangam district to clear the area from the presence of terrorist groups, it added. The statement, however, did not provide the details of the air strikes and was silent on whether international coalition was involved in the operation. The action against the terror group comes as local officials in neighboring Nuristan province said in mid-2014 that LeT is attempting to establish bases in eastern parts of Afghanistan, Khaama news reported. "The officials further added that over 100 LeT militants were deployed in Nuristan province in an attempt to set up training camps in Kamdish district," it said. The group, one of the largest and most proficient of the Kashmir-focused militant groups, was accused of coordinating and carrying out attack on Indian consulate in western Herat province of Afghanistan in 2014, it added. Last month, Afghanistan's Vice President Sarwar Danesh had accused Pakistan of waging an "undeclared war" on its people by plotting "merciless" terror attacks and training and financing groups like the Taliban and Haqqani network. Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Danesh had said the "Taliban and Haqqani network are trained, equipped and financed" in Pakistan. He had said more than 10 Pakistan-based terrorist groups were creating obstacles for state-building efforts and preventing the establishment of peace and stability in Afghanistan. Brussels: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Union leaders on Sunday finally signed a landmark trade deal seven years in the making, after it was nearly being torpedoed by a small region of Belgium. The ceremony in Brussels had been pushed back from Thursday after French-speaking Wallonia, with just 3.6 million people, initially vetoed an agreement affecting more than 500 million Europeans and 35 million Canadians. Cheers and applause erupted as Trudeau signed the pact alongside EU President Donald Tusk, European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency. Protesters earlier burst through riot police lines and hurled red paint at the European Union's headquarters, while activists banged drums and chanted slogans against the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). "Well done, well done," Trudeau said as he hugged and kissed Tusk and Juncker on his arrival amid tight security. "Things were difficult but we managed to succeed in the end." "What patience," replied Juncker, adding: "This is an important day for the EU and for Canada too because we are setting an international standard that will have to be followed by others." The start of Sundays summit was further delayed when Trudeau's plane was briefly forced to turn back due to mechanical problems, capping two weeks of chaos over what was meant to be a symbolic sign-off. CETA removes 99 per cent of customs duties between the two sides, linking the single EU market with the world's 10th largest economy. The Belgian drama had sparked dire warnings for the EU's credibility as a trading partner as it wrestles with Britain's shock vote to leave, a huge migration crisis and the threat of a resurgent Russia. After years of negotiations the deal almost collapsed, with Trudeau only agreeing late Friday to fly to Brussels after Wallonia finally agreed to join the rest of Belgium and the other 27 EU member states in approving the deal. The pact required all EU member states to endorse it and in some cases such as Belgium's for regional governments to agree too, giving tiny Wallonia an effective veto. The Walloons had for two weeks resisted huge pressure from all sides until it won concessions for regional farming interests and guarantees that international investors will not be able to force governments to change laws. The concerns in the declining industrialised region in Belgium's south reflected wider concerns in Europe about globalisation, as well as fears among activists that such deals erode consumer, social and environmental protections. Daytona Beach: America's top cop FBI Director James Comey found himself center stage on Saturday as his renewed probe of Hillary Clinton's emails set a bitter tone for the final ten-day stretch of the campaign. Both Clinton and her Republican rival Donald Trump piled pressure on Comey to put his cards on the table and end speculation about the investigation before America goes to the polls on November 8. Clinton demanded the FBI director explain in detail why he had effectively reopened an inquiry declared complete in July, branding Comey's move "deeply troubling" so close to Election Day. And Trump fired up his raucous supporters with a vow that "justice can at last be delivered" -- despite the FBI not putting any timeline on the new inquiry. In reality, it seems unlikely that any progress will be made in the email investigation before polling day, and few observers expect Clinton to face criminal charges. But every day that she spends dealing with the fallout of her decision to use a private email server as secretary of state is a day the media is not dwelling on the scandals dogging Trump. And while the 69-year-old Democrat remains on course to be voted in as America's first female president, her campaign is furious that its momentum has slowed in the final straight. On Saturday, the latest poll of polls by tracker site RealClearPolitics put Clinton 3.9 percentage points ahead of Trump nationwide, down from a gap of 7.1 points just 10 days previously. And an ABC/Washington Post survey gave her a 47 percent to 45 percent lead, a drastic fall from her 12-point margin in the same poll a week ago. 'Deeply troubling' The narrowing can't be traced solely to Friday's shock announcement, but when Clinton took the stage in Daytona Beach in the swing state of Florida it was obvious who her campaign is blaming. "It's pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election," Clinton told the crowd, echoing insinuations about Comey's motives. "In fact, it's not just strange, it's unprecedented and it is deeply troubling because voters deserve to get full and complete facts," she added. "So we've called on Director Comey to explain everything right away, put it all out on the table, right?" she declared, to rapturous cheers. Trump also put the FBI director in a difficult position, whipping up his supporters with the suggestion that the probe could lead to Clinton's prosecution. Campaigning in the western state of Colorado, which has been leaning toward Clinton, Trump denounced what he called his opponent's "criminal and illegal conduct," prompting chants of "Lock her up!" "This is the biggest political scandal since Watergate, and it's everybody's deepest hope that justice at last will be beautifully delivered," Trump, 70, told a rally later Saturday in Phoenix, Arizona. The real estate tycoon -- himself dogged by scandal over alleged sexual misconduct, including accusations from at least 12 women -- was clearly relishing attention being turned on Clinton. "Hillary has nobody but herself to blame for her mounting legal difficulty. Her criminal action was willful, deliberate, intentional and purposeful," he declared, to cheers. "She sets up this illegal server knowing full well that her actions put our national security at risk and put the safety and security of your children and your families at risk." The spotlight turned back to Clinton's emails -- and on to Comey -- on Friday, when the FBI chief wrote to lawmakers to announce that his agents are investigating a newly discovered trove of emails. According to the New York Times, these emails emerged after agents seized a laptop used by Clinton's closest aide, Huma Abedin, and her now estranged husband, Anthony Weiner. Weiner, a disgraced former congressman who resigned in 2011 after sending explicit online messages, is under investigation over allegations he sent sexual overtures to a 15-year-old girl. Clinton's campaign has been overshadowed from the start by allegations she put US secrets at risk by using a private server based in her home for all email correspondence as secretary of state. In July, after an FBI probe, Comey criticized Clinton's handling of sensitive information but recommended no charges be brought. Clinton appeared to be in clear. Reykjavik: Iceland's Pirate Party-led alliance has narrowly won a parliamentary majority in a snap election prompted by the Panama Papers tax-dodging scandal in April, according to a TV exit poll. In the latest in a global movement against mainstream politics, the "Pirates" on Saturday became the second largest party with 12 members in the 63-seat parliament, according to the RUV state television predictions. Founded by activists in 2012, the Pirates were set, for the first time, to form a coalition with three other leftist and centrist opposition parties, including the Left-Greens, the Social Democrats and the Bright Future Movement. The alliance claimed a total of 32 seats in the Icelandic parliament, Althingi, with the Left-Green movement winning 11 seats, the Social Democrats garnering five and centrist Bright Movement with four seats, according to RUV. The election was triggered after former prime minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson resigned in April, the first major public figure to fall from grace over the Panama Papers, which revealed that 600 Icelanders including cabinet ministers, bankers and business leaders had holdings stashed away in tax havens. The outgoing centre-right coalition of the Independence Party and the Progress Party, which governed the island nation from 2013 up until now, only gained 25 seats, according to RUV. Istanbul: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said his government would ask parliament to consider reintroducing the death penalty as a punishment for the plotters behind the July coup bid. "Our government will take this (proposal on capital punishment) to parliament. I am convinced that parliament will approve it, and when it comes back to me, I will ratify it," Erdogan said at an inauguration ceremony in Ankara. "Soon, soon, don't worry. It's happening soon, God willing," he said, as attending crowds chanted: "We want the death penalty!" Capital punishment was abolished in Turkey in 2004 as the nation sought accession to the European Union. After the failed bid to unseat Erdogan on July 15, the leader had threatened to bring the death penalty back for the coup plotters, stunning EU leaders. Relations between Brussels and Ankara have been strained since Turkey responded to the coup by launching a relentless crackdown against alleged plotters in state institutions, amid calls from the EU to act within the rule of law. Today, Erdogan scoffed at the West's warnings on the death penalty. "The West says this, the West says that. Excuse me, but what counts is not what the West says. What counts is what my people say," he said, during a ceremony to inaugurate a high-speed train station in the Turkish capital. More than 35,000 people have been arrested in the crackdown unleashed after the failed coup, according to official data. Ankara accuses exiled Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen of masterminding the coup -- a claim he denies. Erdogan's government has also repeatedly called on the United States, where Gulen lives, to extradite him. On the way to an American Legion stump speech hosted by the Mecklenburg County Republican Committee, state Sen. Tom Garrett told his three passengers they were approaching a great big hill. The Buckingham County Republican told them to put their hands up as if theyre on a roller coaster and watched to see the two in the back seat dont oblige. The Subaru WRXs engine hums heavily as it runs downhill and Garrett talks about getting to know the district, which somewhat overlaps his senate district. Flanna Garrett, who married the state senator his second marriage this year, rode shotgun and took dictation for a Farm Bureau survey. Theres not a road in this district that I cant tell you about, Garrett, 44, said. He had gotten a traffic ticket a few weeks before, he told the American Legion crowd that afternoon during a potluck. Thats the way its supposed to work, Garrett said, referring to his license plate identifying him as a state senator and repeating a favorite line, Justice that is not blind is not justice. Garrett was born in Georgia before his family moved back to his ancestral home of Louisa County. He graduated from the University of Richmond on an ROTC scholarship before serving six years in the Army, according his campaign website. His career as a prosecutor included serving as commonwealths attorney in Louisa County from 2008 through 2011. His second term representing state Senate District 22 began in January. Garrett charged into the 5th District race within a day of news breaking that Republican Rep. Robert Hurt would not seek a fourth term. Garrett came out ahead in a nasty five-way nomination contest culminating in a convention that took three rounds to pick a winner. Garretts bursting energy fits the constant roll of the campaign trail, on which he delighted in visiting manufacturers and other businesses. Theres stuff going on in our communities right now thats very interesting thats creating opportunity for people and you never know its there until you know its there, Garrett said, driving away from visiting a tobacco farm and warehouse and spouting stats about the districts production. Garrett puts faith in small government principles, including a belief that removing regulations will spur business growth. He stands on the line between Tea Party and libertarian-mindsets. While hes endorsed by Susan B. Anthony List for his anti-abortion record, he touts carrying a bill to remove a state anti-sodomy law declared unconstitutional in federal courts among his proudest achievements. During the nomination contest, Garrett committed to joining, if asked, the Freedom Caucus a group of about 40 hard-right Republicans who have proudly disrupted congressional business. While Garrett holds that pledge, he said in an editorial board meeting with The News & Advance he might also fit with the libertarian-leaning Liberty Caucus. Im reliably conservative on reliably conservative issues. And then I am pro-hemp, pro-medical marijuana. The sodomy repeal, Im very, very proud of, because why in the flip is the government telling anybody what adults not for money in private what they can and cant do in their bedrooms, married or unmarried, straight or gay who ... cares? With a Congress frozen by partisanship, Garrett says he will, and has, stood up to party leadership to work his districts will. When the state Senate Republicans were reworking leadership in 2015 prior to the General Assembly, Garrett went on a radio show to say Sen. Tommy Norment, R-James City, should not be both majority leader and Senate Finance chairman. At the beginning of the 2016 General Assembly, Republicans voted to remove the press corps from the Senate floor, where it long had access. While Garrett voted for the change initially after learning of it in a caucus meeting not long before the vote, he later proposed another rules change and said he would vote with Democrats to bring the press down from the balcony. Im not beholden to Tommy Norment. Im not beholden to the Republican Caucus, Garrett said. Im beholden to the 200,000 people in the 22nd Senate District. We too often are bullied and cowed by our leadership. Two families are displaced after a fire destroyed a townhome in Forest Friday night and the blazes rekindling damaged another home Saturday morning. Crews responded to the 200 block of Jefferson Ridge Road at Jefferson Ridge Apartment Homes at 5:47 p.m., according to Bedford County 911 dispatchers. Chief Monty Coleman, with the Forest Volunteer Fire Department, said the initial report stated there was heavy smoke coming from a townhome. Coleman said when the first crews arrived, flames were visible in the back, front and second-story windows. Bedford County Sheriffs deputies and Virginia State Police slowed traffic on Perrowville Road for several hours as crews used a hydrant by the road to fight the blaze. Bedford County Fire Marshal Jeff Pauley said in an email Saturday the blaze rekindled at 4 a.m. and impacted investigations. Pauley said officials are continuing interviews to determine a cause. Resident Nathan Camera said he was at home Friday when he heard sirens coming from outside his apartment on the opposite end of the complex. I could smell smoke, he said. Coleman said all residents made it out safely. The family, who did not want to be named, said they were upstairs in the home when the fire broke out. Coleman said the fire was contained to the end-unit and did not spread to other homes in the complex. Jefferson Ridge Apartment, LLC president Melissa Millner said in a news release Saturday two townhomes were affected by the fire, displacing two families. Millner said all townhomes were equipped with new smoke detectors in 2015. Every townhome in the complex is equipped with approximately five detectors and are tested every three months, Millner said. She said the residents in the unit where the fire started said their detector did go off during the blaze. The last test took place on Sept. 15 and found all detectors were working. Pauley said both families affected were insured. The Forest Volunteer Fire Department, Boonsboro Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company, Bedford Fire Department, and Campbell County Rescue Squad all responded to the scene. The American Red Cross and Brentwood Church are assisting those affected. Longtime U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte faces a Democratic opponent who was a late addition in this years race for the 6th Congressional District seat. Harrisonburg City Councilman Kai Degner, who became the Democratic candidate after the partys nominee suddenly withdrew for health reasons, is challenging Goodlatte, R-Roanoke County, in the Republican-leaning 6th District that stretches from Roanoke and Lynchburg north into the Shenandoah Valley. Goodlatte, chairman of the influential House Judiciary Committee, has represented the 6th District since 1993. The Congressman faced Democratic challengers in four other re-election bids, but his opponents never garnered more than 40 percent of the vote. In this years GOP primary, Goodlatte soundly defeated tea party-backed challenger Harry Griego with more than 75 percent of the vote. Degner, a James Madison University graduate, was elected to Harrisonburg City Council in 2008 and served as mayor for two years at the start of his first term. After Tom Howarth withdrew from the race, the 6th District Democratic Committee approved Degner as the nominee on June 7. Throughout his campaign, Degner has gone on the offensive by attacking his opponent for breaking his pledge to step down after six terms and calling Goodlatte a Republican Party puppet in Washington, D.C. Im not only worried that he doesnt speak for us, Im worried that he doesnt even speak for himself anymore, Degner said. A firm believer in term limits, Goodlatte, who is vying for his 13th term, pledged to only serve six terms when he first ran for office. As the self-imposed term limit neared its end, Goodlatte was named chairman of the Agriculture Committee, and said it would have been unwise to step down from the position of power. Goodlatte said he still supports term limits so long as they apply across the board. If you limited your own term and didnt have limits on everybodys terms, then the people who actually dont believe in term limits would build up all the seniority and be the chairmen of all the committees, Goodlatte said. During his time in Congress, Goodlatte said he has worked exactly how he did when trying to pass his first piece of legislation a bill to create the Mount Pleasant National Scenic Area in the George Washington National Forest in Amherst County. The bill headed to the Agriculture Committee before making its way through the Democrat-controlled Congress. Local elected officials, environmental activists and representatives from the timber industry all spoke in favor of the bill at the committee hearing. The chairman said hed never seen anything like it, Goodlatte said. Originally local officials had pushed for a wilderness area designation to protect the countys water supply from logging, according to Roanoke Times news accounts at the time. Goodlatte proposed the national scenic area designation as a compromise that both environmentalists and the timber industry would accept. Thats how Ive operated the entire time Ive been in Congress, Goodlatte said. Ive worked with everyone there. I definitely have my own point of view, which is a conservative point of view about the issues that the country faces and I pass through the committee bills I think are good. Since he became chairman, the House Judiciary Committee has passed 48 bills, Goodlatte said. Looking ahead, Goodlatte hopes to get sweeping criminal justice reform, including changes to sentencing, civil asset forfeiture and prison re-entry signed into law before the end of the year. The congressman voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, favors expanding defense spending and has blocked immigration reform that would allow existing undocumented immigrants to become citizens. Instead, Goodlatte favors better securing American borders. Goodlattes fundraising efforts have dwarfed Degners. At the end of September, Goodlattes campaign had raised $1.6 million, spent just under that and had slightly more than $1 million in cash on hand, which is about the same amount his campaign started with. Degner has raised $110,000, spent about $90,000 and has about $20,000 cash on hand. Much of Degners campaign has focused on taking his listening tours across the district. Degner started his listening tours as a city council member, though the idea came from an initiative he first started at JMU with some college buddies. In Harrisonburg, hundreds of people have shown up at Degners events to talk about what issues matter in their day-to-day lives and how government could help. Very rarely do we have the experience of being heard and understood and that goes to government, he said. We dont feel like Congress is listening to everyday people. If elected, Degners first act would be to introduce campaign districting and finance reform in order to even the playing field for small donors and non-incumbent candidates. He also would work to overturn the Supreme Courts ruling in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission that lifted restrictions on corporations donating to campaigns. Degner is in favor of legalizing marijuana for recreational and medicinal use as well as de-scheduling cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug in order to expand hemp farming. The act of removing marijuana from where it is lumped in with heroin, LSD and ecstasy on the Drug Enforcement Agencys ranking of drugs would have to go through the House Judiciary Committee, headed by Goodlatte, who opposes legalizing marijuana. He keeps in place this system that is costing farmers profitability and jobs and manufacturing and retail jobs in the valley, Degner said. Its a perfect illustration of where the rhetoric doesnt match the action and the obstruction keeps in place a status quo that hurts Americans. Although Congress has no control over whether proposed natural gas pipelines becomes realities, Degner said he opposes the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines because hes concerned about the effect fracking will have on the environment and water quality. The proposed pipelines would carry natural gas drawn from the Marcellus Shale fields through the controversial hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, process from northwest West Virginia to Virginia and points south. Goodlatte has not taken a position on the proposed pipelines, but said he will ensure proper oversight should the pipelines come to fruition. Goodlatte recently banded with other local legislators to petition the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee for open public meetings as opposed to one-on-one discussions with FERC staff on the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline, which would run just outside the 6th District. Degner supports Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Goodlatte supports Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Though the complete details havent yet been announced, the purchase of Genworth by the Beijing-based, family-owned China Oceanwide conglomerate appears to be good news for the beleaguered insurance company and its more than 1,000 employees in Central Virginia. Still, though, its a little sad to see a company with roots in Lynchburg going back decades give up the last bit of its corporate independence. The boards of the two companies approved the $2.7 billion purchase last weekend; closing is anticipated in the first half of 2017. The purchase comes on the heels earlier this year of Genworths sale of its term life operations to Pacific Life, a transaction that has already had a major positive impact locally with a $4 million investment and up to 300 jobs. Long-time Central Virginia residents recall when First Colony Life Insurance began operations in Lynchburg in 1955. Ten years later, the late George Stewart became president and set the company on a path of tremendous growth over the next two decades. Ethyl Corp. of Richmond purchased First Colony in 1982, taking the company public in 1993. In 1996, General Electric bought the company and began operating it as GE Financial Assurance; the operational headquarters moved to the Richmond suburbs when GE bought Life of Virginia. In 2003, Genworth was spun off as a publicly traded company. The financial meltdown of 2008 coupled with dramatic losses in Genworths long-term care insurance division, in retrospect, proved to be more than the company could handle, setting in motion the PacLife sale earlier this year and the Oceanwide sale. Genworth operates two sites in Lynchburg downtown on Main Street and on Albert Lankford Drive in the old Craddock Terry Corp. headquarters and employs more than 1,000 people. For several years, a cloud of uncertainty hung over Genworths employees heads as losses in successive quarters mounted with layoffs in the hundreds as the company fought to remain viable. The sale of the life insurance division to PacLife lifted a great deal of the burden, especially as PacLife has added employees locally and strengthened its presence in downtown Lynchburg. But $600 million in bonds maturing in 2018 and mounting expenses in its remaining operations prompted last weeks sale announcement. China Oceanwide will provide the $600 million for the maturing bonds, as well as pump $525 million toward strengthening the life insurance operations. Theres been no indication there will be any job losses or operational moves from Lynchburg and Richmond, as China Oceanwide has no other insurance operations in the United States. Thats why we truly hope the purchase, though sad for a longtime Lynchburg company, ultimately is good news for the company, its employees and the Central Virginia economy. First, China Oceanwide will operate Genworth as a standalone company with its senior management team remaining in place. Second, fresh capital will be infused to shore up divisions and product lines suffering from higher-than-anticipated reserve needs. Third, part of the attraction of Genworth for China Oceanwide was its mortgage insurance portfolio, along with its long-term care division. Both, China Oceanwide executives believe, are areas of potential growth, if managed properly and funded appropriately. In fact, analysts told Bloomberg News the Genworth mortgage insurance operations will give the Chinese company the opportunity to enter the lucrative U.S. housing market. Fourth, and most important of all, the sale will provide job security to Genworths 1,000 local employees who have labored mightily over the past several years against strong economic headwinds. Indeed, in the Central Virginia labor pool, there is a deep reservoir of potential workers with valuable insurance industry experience the new owners could draw upon for future growth. This final shoring up of Genworth, one of the anchors of the regional economy, is a win-win for all involved. We look forward to many years of prosperity Genworth under its new owner and, by extension, for all of Central Virginia. We must come together as Americans As a graduate of Liberty University Seminary, I, frankly, am appalled by the continued support of some people at LU for Donald Trump and his campaign for president. I realize many people have a different opinion, and I do not expect them to feel the same way that I feel. But let me be clear all LU graduates, as all Americans do not all see things the same way. It is our right, in this country, to have differences of opinion. I will exercise my right, and I support your right to exercise yours. I do not want our differences of opinion to divide us anymore! We are not all LU graduates, but we are all Americans. I have decided, after much prayer and consideration, to take two actions. First, I will not vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Neither of them, in my view, is fit for the highest office in our land. Second, I have taken my LU diploma off of my wall and will return it. It has become confusing to people that I do not want to confuse. Knowing the Living God is more important than knowing that I graduated from LU Seminary. I am thankful for my time at LU, the professors I had, the friends I met and, most important, the time I spent in Gods Word getting ready for tests, writing papers and more. But, the university does not speak for me on certain matters. Instead, I hope that I speak Gods Word. Someone that I do not like, personally, will probably win this election. That means that someone is going to lose. Face it. We are going to have to move on in unity or continue on in division. I would hope that we could find unity around the Word of God. However, I do not think that will happen, But we can regain unity around being Americans. If we do not, that will doom us much faster than any president. THE REV. RICK FOSTER Lynchburg Civility and reason Where has civility and reasoned discourse gone in our politics and country? While I may support Hillary Clinton, I do not hate those who do not support her or those who disagree with my views. Donald Trump is a hatemonger and confabulator, using incendiary language and utter fabrications to incite and prey upon peoples basest fears and suspicions. Trump may believe this reality TV method of campaigning is good for his brand, but it is destroying our country and threatening our democracy. ELLEN AGNEW Lynchburg Why vote for Clinton When I see a Hillary Clinton sign, I wonder why anyone could vote for someone whose whole public life has been built on lies and corruption. Lies and corruption from Watergate through Benghazi and now the private server and Wikileaks emails. I assume most of her voters in their private lives are honest, so why vote for Clinton? Either lying and corruption are unimportant, or they are ignorant of her words and actions. If ignorant, we know the solution. If honesty is unimportant, we have a moral dilemma. If Clinton is a womans champion why did she try to destroy the victims of her predator husband? If she is a childrens champion why does she support partial-birth abortion? If she knows how to fix our slow economic growth rate, where has she been for eight years with President Obama? If she was so great as secretary of state, why are the Middle East and world in such a mess? As a supporter of open borders and the disaster of Obamacare (enacted by lies and contempt of American voters according to planner Jonathan Gruber), she doesnt deserve your vote. BOYD W. HUBBARD Bedford Mac Farlane debate rages on But a section of the presentation, La Belle Dame and Garcon de la Maison (The Pretty Lady and the House Boy), which critics say embodies racial undertones and skews the work of Michel-Jean Cazabon, last week landed the prolific masman in hot waters. A photograph of two models from the controversial section, published in the newspapers and on social media, showed an elaborately-attired fair-skinned woman standing alongside a dark-skinned young man clad only in a pair of trousers and suspenders, perhaps suggesting, in the minds of some people, a liaison which existed in this country during the era of slavery. Mac Farlane, bowing to the controversy, has since pulled the section, saying last week on his Facebook page that the debate on the issue was healthy and that he had learnt a lot from the backlash. My intention was never to offend anyone or to come across as ignorant of our truth or to idealise insensitivity. It was to depict the clothing of the time, Mac Farlane had said. Critics also have pointed to a disconnect between the presentation, The Art of Living (which sought, in part, to reflect the architecture in several districts in TT during the 1800 and 1900s), and Cazabons work. For author and historian Gerard Besson, Mac Farlane was a coward for pulling the section from his presentation. He should have stood his ground and kept the section, he said last Wednesday. As an artist, a creator, he shouldnt back down from that. From an historical perspective, Besson argued there was nothing fundamentally wrong with the depiction but felt that the house boy, as seen in the photograph, should really have been a yard boy. A house boy would really be dressed like a butler whereas he (man in the photograph) looked more like a labourer. That is the first thing that struck me, he said. Besson said it also was not uncommon for a white, European person to have black people at their home or on their plantation working in the yard cutting bush. He added: There is nothing that is untrue about those two costumes as they appear. I dont see anything that is racist about it. From a historical point of view, that is how it was. And that is how it still is. Besson also pointed to a sexual connotation which may be ascribed to the depiction. There is a woman standing up there and there is this guy looking very handsome and suave so I dont know if people are outraged because it seems to infer a sexual connotation. I dont know if that is the issue, he said. But from the point of view of the social content, I think the social content is true and I was surprised that Mac Farlane did not keep the section. Cazabon, who was born in TT in 1813, died in 1888. The painter was revered for his portrayals of 19th century planters, merchants as well as workers and their families. In August, the Government reclaimed the last of Cazabons collection - some 49 paintings - which were presented at a gala event, titled, Cazabons Legacy, hosted by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, at the Diplomatic Centre in St Anns. Besson on Wednesday applauded Mac Farlanes decision to portray the work of the celebrated 19th century artist in his mas presentation. The Afro-French creole part of Trinidad lasted for about 150-odd years and it is only since Independence that the Afro-French creole part of Trinidad has faded away, he said. But that Afro-French creole Trinidad is something that influenced Trinidad for about 150-odd years. Calypso and Carnival itself comes out of that depiction. So, reaching back to that, I thought that Mac Farlane as an artist was being very true to the artistic impulse as the artistic impulse often expresses history. Besson said the presentation took him back to the Minshall-esque era of Trinbagonian mas. Apart from the typical stupid costumes that you see today with girls only dressed in little beads, this costuming looked like fashion, both for the men and women, like Meiling, he said. It looked real. I thought that this was the best mas I have seen since Peter Minshall brought out his various depictions some years ago. So, to see him back away, I felt that he should have ignored that and feel stronger for his art. Besson said although a few dozen people may have made an uproar about the section, Mac Farlane should have been strong enough to remain true to his art. Art is supposed to make your heart beat a little faster. Art is supposed to make you think. Art is supposed to make you protest. Art is supposed to make you feel. So, if this photograph disturbed people, well I think that is successful art, he said. Besson went on: I think that the people who protested are in the category of the people who are very reactionary to everything that appears unusual or surprising and Trinidad is full of people who react off the top of their head to anything that is surprising or unusual. It is the fashion of these days probably driven by electronic media, in terms of the quickness and the availability of electronic media. Further, he said the critics misunderstood the countrys history. I think they are reacting to the fact that a black man must not appear to be subservient to this white woman or her seeing him as sexual being, he said. But the fact of the matter in history, or even today, is that there are white people who have black men who work for them in various capacities and those black men are not sexual objects. They are trusted helpers or friends. I think that is in the mind of a handful of the people and not in the fact of the situation. Besson argued that there also was not anything wrong in a black man working for white woman or a black man having a white woman as a girlfriend, wife or lover. It is a normal thing all over the world, he said, alluding to the Sparrow classic, Slave. Are we as a people now so insecure, afraid, that we do not see that picture. Weighing in on the debate, historian Jerome Teelucksingh regarded Mac Farlanes presentation as a manifestation of the work of creative individuals, some of whom may deviate from ideas that may be deemed to be commonplace. The artist, writer and artiste are well-known for their creativity, innovation and insight. It is accepted that their perspectives might differ from traditional interpretations or the public view, he said. For instance, Teelucksingh said, recent films such as 12 Years a Slave and Django Unchained have often strayed away from the historical facts and present a distorted film to appeal to the viewers. We have sketches, illustrations, handwritten letters and fragments of oral history from which we have been able to piece together aspects of the slavery era. However, not all of the incidents and relationships have been documented, he said. Teelucksingh, a lecturer in the Department of History at the St Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies, contended that the depiction by Mac Farlane was not pure fiction. There were instances in the Caribbean and United States, during the slavery era, when a male domestic would serve the lady of the household. It is well known that male domestics such as butlers were employed by the planter and other whites, he said. We need to ask ourselves, Would the public outcry be different if the costume portrayal was an enslaved black female standing alongside a Caucasian woman or an enslaved black male standing near to a Caucasian male? Would there have been criticism if two black males were depicted. Teelucksingh argued that while many people were fully aware of the cruelty of the slavery era, others were not in tune with aspects of the era such as the architecture, cuisine, language, dress, informal relationships and the highly-stratified society. Five Comic Book facts you may not know #2 Marvel almost owned DC In 1984 comics were not selling very well and head of Warner Communications publishing Bill Sarnoff approached Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter about licensing the rights to the DC universe. Shooter, however, shot him down claiming that DC characters would not sell because they were not very good. We can only imagine a world where Marvel and DC existed in one universe. #3 Wonder Woman and the Lie Detector Psychologist William Moulton Marston, the creator of the most popular female superhero of all time the Amazonian Princess Diana aka Wonder Woman, is also the creator of the first lie detector test - the systolic blood pressure test. As comic fans would know Wonder Womans main weapon is her lasso of truth which can compel people to tell the truth. So Marston was all about people being honest. #4 The secret origin of Kryptonite The Man of Steel Superman has two main weaknesses - magic and kryptonite. The latter, a fragment of his destroyed home planet Krypton, can render him weak instantly and potentially kill him. While most people are familiar with kryptonite from the comics, cartoons, video games, television shows and movies what many people may not know is that kryptonite actually originated in the 1943 Adventures of Superman radio show so the Superman voice actor, Bud Collyer, could take a vacation. Now that is one way to get out of work. #5 Original Superman comic the most valuable ever Some people dream that they will find an old box of comic books and find out that one of them a major collectors item and worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars. But the most expensive comic is a near mint copy of Action Comics #1 which features the very first appearance of Superman. If you want to get your hands on a copy it will only set you back US $1 million. Sources: Screenrant, Whatculture Youths in House tomorrow The topic the youth parliamentarians will debate the motion, Youth Crime-how to tackle the issue and opportunities for young people. Prior to this, also at Tower D, there will be a short ceremony to commemorate 70 years of adult suffrage in TT. The House of Representatives next sits on November 9 to debate the Finance Bill. No One Has Done This Before in Billboard's History (Newser) The European Union and Canada signed Sunday a landmark trade pact, reports the AP, ending days of drama after a small Belgian region refused to endorse the agreement and deeply embarrassed the EU. The long-delayed Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement was bedeviled by yet another hold up overnight when Canadian PM Justin Trudeau's plane had to return to Ottawa because of mechanical issues. "What patience," exclaimed European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker as he embraced the arriving Trudeau at EU headquarters in Brussels. Trudeau said "difficult things are difficult, but we were able to succeed." Trudeau and Juncker signed the pact with European Council President Donald Tusk and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency. The EU needed unanimity among all its 28 members and Belgium needed the backing of all its regions to approve the pact. Trudeau had been due to sign CETA on Thursday, but was forced to cancel his flight when the country could not sign on because of opposition from the Wallonia region. After several rounds of talks late into the night Belgium formally gave its endorsement on Saturday morning. Smaller than New Jersey, Wallonia region blocked the deal between more than 500 million EU citizens and 35 million Canadians for several weeks. The delay raised troubling questions about the EU's ability to seal big trade agreements. Work on a similar pact with the United States dubbed TTIP barely advanced this year. "There is no realism in concluding TTIP right now," the EU trade commissioner said Sunday, noting the US election. (Read more free trade agreements stories.) (Newser) Police say an Uber driver is facing kidnapping and assault charges after taking an unconscious female passenger to a Maryland hotel. Prince George's County Police said Uber driver Westagne Pierre, 29, picked up a female passenger at a bar in the District of Columbia and took her to a hotel about 10 miles northeast in College Park instead of dropping her off at home in Virginia, reports AP. At the hotel, police say Pierre carried the woman from the car into a hotel room. Charging documents say Pierre can be seen on motel surveillance video carrying the unconscious woman to a room, where he remained for some time, reports the Washington Post. Police say Pierre also used the woman's credit card. Esteban Gergely, an attorney for Pierre, tells the newspaper that Pierre denies there was a lack of consent. Shes saying she doesnt remember anything, Gergely said. If she doesnt remember anything, she certainly doesnt remember saying, I dont want these things to happen.'" (Read more Uber stories.) (Newser) South Korea is embroiled in a complex political scandal that threatens to bring down President Park Geun-hye. Park has been caught seeking input on key speeches from Soon-sil, a personal friend with no official government position. Quartz describes Soon-sil as a cult-like figure, a "Rasputin-like mystery woman" who exerts a powerful spiritual influence over Park. While Park has admitted to and apologized for seeking Soon-sil's opinion on her speeches, the Wall Street Journal reports that the scandal goes beyond that. Allegations are flying that Soon-sil had access to official government documents and exerted an unusual level of control over Park, down to telling the leader what colors she was allowed to wear. The story goes back almost 40 years, to Soon-sil's father, Choi Tae-min. Choi founded a cult-like sect in Korea called the Church of Eternal Life and had close ties to Park's father, former President Park Chun-hee. He has long been accused of meddling in politics and wielding a spiritual, almost unworldly influence over Park's family. The New York Times quotes a 2007 leaked diplomatic cable that described a rumor that Choi "had complete control over Parks body and soul during her formative years and that his children [including Soon-sil] accumulated enormous wealth as a result." Now, critics and opponents of the current government say Soon-sil is assuming the same behind-the-scenes role her father occupied. Thousands gathered in Seoul on Saturday to call for Park's resignation over the scandal. So far, five senior aides have resigned. (Read more South Korea stories.) New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrates Diwali with the troops of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Indian Army and Dogra Scouts personnel in Sumdo, Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh and Mana. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval accompaned the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his trip to Mana, located at an altitude of about 10,000 feet. For Diwali preparation Director General of the force, Krishna Chowdhary was scheduled to reach Mana on Saturday while the Prime Minister was expected to fly to the post on Sunday afternoon. PM Modi met jawans of the ITBP, Indian Army and Dogra Scouts in Sumdo, Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/Ah0Sd4Qmir ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 Also Read: PM Narendra Modi's 25th Edition 'Maan Ki Baat', Key Highlights: PM remembers Sardar Patel's contribution for unifying nation post independence The visit is in line with Modis tradition of spending Diwali with the armed forces. PM Modi's first Diwali after taking over as PM in 2014 was with soldiers at Siachen, the worlds highest battlefield. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently launched #Sandesh2Soldiers campaign to pay respect to Indias Armed Forces for their hard work and sacrifice. The great respect and admiration that the nation has for our Armed Forces, will find expression this festive season, through a unique campaign being led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official release said. The #Sandesh2Soldiers campaign is especially designed to give every citizen an opportunity to spread happiness and cheer among the Indian Armed Forces, who are guarding our nations frontiers, far from their loved ones on Diwali. People can send messages to soldiers on the Narendra Modi App, through MyGov.in, and also through All India Radio. Doordarshan shall also be mounting a programme to share peoples emotions with the Armed Forces. The #Sandesh2Soldiers campaign is expected to generate increased interaction between the people and the Armed Forces. Since becoming Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has spent both Diwalis with the Armed Forces. PM Modi further stated that Crores lit diyas for jawans which includes film superstars, sports personalities, politicians, businessmen, and farmers. PM Modi offers sweets to ITBP, Indian Army and Dogra Scouts personnel in Sumdo, Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. PM Modi offers sweets to ITBP, Indian Army and Dogra Scouts personnel in Sumdo, Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. #Diwali pic.twitter.com/FujU2L8CUU Watch: He also spoke to Jawans about of One Rank One Pension. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Egypt's extremism-infested North Sinai saw six terrorists and four soldiers killed during army operations on Saturday, military officials said. Three militant hideouts, two vehicles and three unlicensed motorcycles used by them in their attacks against police personnel were also destroyed, military spokesperson Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said in a statement. A number of suspected militants were also arrested during the army operations in Al-Arish, Rafah and Shiekh Zwayed in North Sinai, it said. The army operations are part of the retaliation campaign launched to avenge the recent attack that killed 12 soldiers in the region. Egypt has witnessed a series of terrorist attacks which targeted policemen, judges and military personnel in different parts of the country. Since the 2011 revolution that toppled ex-president Hosni Mubarak, North Sinai, which is the base of a number of extremist outlaw groups, became the main stage of many violent attacks by takfiri gunmen. The attacks even increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 following massive protests against his rule. Over 700 security personnel have been reported killed since then. The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Amid tension in Hiranagar, Samba and RS Pura sectors along the LOC, BSF has decided not to exchange sweets with Pakistan Rangers at Attari-Wagah border on Sunday. In a departure from tradition, the BSF has decided that it will neither offer nor accept sweets and gifts from the Pakistani Rangers. There is going to be no exchange this year at the Wagah border. Neither are we going to offer nor will we accept any gift, said BSG IG Punjab Frontier Anil Paliwal. He suggested that the prevailing situation along the border prevented the BSF from showing any soft gestures to the Pakistani Rangers. Also Read: Pakistan violates ceasefire in Hiranagar, Samba and RS Pura after massive retaliation by Indian Army in Keran sector along Pakistan armed forces violated ceasefire in Hiranagar, Samba and RS Pura sectors along the LOC on Sunday morning. Pakistan has been on the offensive ever since the surgical strikes took place on terror launchpads situated at Pakistan occupied Kashmir (Pok) after the Uri attacks on Indian armed forces. Four Pakistani posts had been destroyed in massive firing assault along LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, army sources said on Saturday. The sources also added that heavy casualties were inflicted on the Pak side. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Mortal remains of soldier Sepoy Mandeep Singh, who lost his life in an encounter in Machil sector of Kupwara,J&K near LoC, was brought to his hometown in Kurukshetra, Haryana on Sunday morning. #WATCH: Villagers raise anti-Pak slogans just as mortal remains of Mandeep Singh arrives his hometown Antahedi Village, Kurukshetra pic.twitter.com/qdI8V5ren5 a ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 Thousands gather as mortal remains of Mandeep Singh (who lost his life in Machil encounter) reach his hometown Antahedi Village, Kurukshetra pic.twitter.com/DeCgAwo3Ah a ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 27-year-old Sepoy Mandeep Singh of the 17th Sikh Regiment was killed on Friday and his body was mutilated by terrorists in a barbaric attack near the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. The army had said "the incident will be responded to appropriately", adding the attackers had fled into Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir "under the cover of heavy firing by Pakistan army". One terrorist was killed in the strike. A sense of sadness descended on the native village of the army jawan Mandeep as news of his death reached them on Saturday. The family members of the 30-year-old martyr were inconsolable. Several women from Aantehri village here reached the martyr's house today and tried to console Mandeep s widow. The couple had got married two years ago, family members said. Mandeep's widow Prerna is a Head Constable with Haryana police and posted at Shahbad Markanda here. Thousands gather as mortal remains of Mandeep Singh (who lost his life in Machil encounter) reach his hometown Antahedi Village, Kurukshetra pic.twitter.com/3pN0MXYLtA a ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 The martyr's neighbours described him as a "go getter" who always had a smile on his face. Subhash Chandra, Sarpanch of Antahedi village, told ANI on Saturday, " No one will celebrate Diwali this year, our entire village mourns the death of Mandeep Singh. Only one candle will be lit in every house for the peace of the soul of our martyrs, we are really proud of them." ML Khattar also mets family members of soldier Mandeep Singh who lost his life in Machil encounter. Kurukshetra: ML Khattar meets family members of soldier Mandeep Singh (who lost his life in Machil encounter) pic.twitter.com/MlMnVE3I9d a ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 He also said thatA We all stand along with their families, Rs 50 lakh will be given as compensation & a Govt job will be offered to 1 family member We all stand along with their families, Rs 50 lakh will be given as compensation & a Govt job will be offered to 1 family member: ML Khattar pic.twitter.com/mloC9xNbCl a ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The United Nations is celebrating the Indian festival of lights - Diwali for the first time at its Headquarters in New York. After it was declared as a non-meeting day and was recognised by the 69th session of the UN General Assembly through a resolution adopted on 29th December 2014. The UN headquarter in New York was lit up on Saturday evening and displayed a lamp with the message of "Happy Diwali" written in blue light to celebrate the spirit of the festival. The lamp will continue to be lit for three evenings. Syed Akbaruddin, India's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, shared a photograph of the decorated building on micro blogging site Twitter. He tweeted, aHappy Diwali! UN celebrates Diwali for 1st time. Thank you UNPGA for this initiativea. United Nation (UN) celebrates #Diwali for the 1st time, HQ lit up to mark the celebrations (picture source: Syed Akbaruddin's Twitter) pic.twitter.com/Xq5l5bJXcC a ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Al Qayyarah: Iraqi paramilitary forces launched an operation to cut the dreaded Islamic State group's supply lines between its Mosul bastion and neighbouring Syria, opening a new front in the nearly two-week-old offensive. Forces from the Hashed al-Shaabi, a paramilitary umbrella organisation dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militias, have largely been on the sidelines since the launch of the operation to retake Mosul. However on Saturday, they began a push on the town of Tal Afar on the western approach to the city, the only side where ground forces, which have advanced from the north, east and south, are not yet deployed. "The operation aims to cut supplies between Mosul and Raqa and tighten the siege of (IS) in Mosul and liberate Tal Afar," Hashed spokesman Ahmed al-Assadi told AFP, referring to IS's main stronghold in Syria. Assadi said the operation was launched from the Sin al-Dhaban area south of Mosul and aimed to retake the towns of Hatra and Tal Abta as well as Tal Afar.The drive toward Tal Afar could bring the fighting perilously close to the ancient city of Hatra, a UNESCO world heritage site that has already been vandalised by IS. Though it was not mentioned by name, the operation may also pass near the ruins of Nimrud, another archaeological site that has previously been attacked by IS. The involvement of Shiite militias in the Mosul operation has been a source of contention, although some of the Hashed's top commanders insist that do not plan to enter the largely Sunni city. Iraqi Kurds and Sunni Arab politicians have opposed their involvement, as has Turkey which has a military presence east of Mosul, despite repeated demands by Baghdad for the forces to be withdrawn. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Shiite militias against attacking Turkmen residents of Tal Afar. "If the Hashed al-Shaabi sow terror there, then our response will be different," Erdogan said, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency, without specifying what measures would be taken. Relations between the Hashed and the US-led coalition fighting IS are also tense, but the paramilitaries enjoy widespread support among members of Iraq's Shiite majority. Tal Afar was a Shiite-majority town of mostly ethnic Turkmens before the Sunni extremists of IS overran it in 2014, and its recapture is a main goal of Shiite militia forces.As the Hashed push on Tal Afar got under way, Iraqi forces battled IS in Al-Shura, an area south of Mosul with a long history as a militant bastion that has been the target of fighting for more than a week. Iraq's Joint Operations Command later announced "the complete liberation of Al-Shura area", saying that security forces advancing from four different sides had now linked upin the area. The offensive operations came despite an assertion from the US-led coalition on Friday that Iraqiforces were temporarily halting their advance on Mosul for a period expected to last "a couple days". For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently addressing the nation on a number of critical issues the nation is facing via his 25th Mann Ki Baat programme. 1) PM Narendra Modi's 25th Edition 'Maan Ki Baat', Key Highlights: PM remembers Sardar Patel's contribution for unifying nation post independence Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently addressing the nation on a number of critical issues the nation is facing via his 25th Mann Ki Baat programme. 2) Pakistan violates ceasefire in Hiranagar, Samba and RS Pura after massive retaliation by Indian Army in Keran sector along LoC Four Pakistani posts have been destroyed in massive fire assault along LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, army sources said on Saturday. Heavy casualties are inflicted, sources said. 3) PM Modi to celebrate Diwali with ITBP Jawans at Mana, India's last village along the Chinese border Prime Minister Narendra Modi will celebrate Diwali with the troops of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel at one of the remotest border posts in Uttarakhand.National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will accompany the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his trip to Mana, located at an altitude of about 10,000 feet. 4) BSF boycott long standing traditions, no exchange of greetings with Pak rangers at Attari-Wagah border Amid tension in Hiranagar, Samba and RS Pura sectors along the LOC, BSF has decided not to exchange sweets with Pakistan Rangers at Attari-Wagah border on Sunday. In a departure from tradition, the BSF has decided that it will neither offer nor accept sweets and gifts from the Pakistani Rangers. 5) Diwali Lakshmi Puja 2016: Check Mantras,Muhurat, Puja Vidhi for pujan Devotees worship Mahakali or Goddess Lakshmi whole day long. According to mythology, Goddess Kali defeated and killed Narakasura. This is also considered as the victory of good over evil. Choti Diwali is an important day during the Diwali festival and for all Hindus. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: Hillary Clinton on Sunday assailed Americas top cop FBI director James Comey over the timing of relaunching a probe into her use of a private email server while secretary of state, saying the move just ahead of the presidential polls was unprecedented and deeply troubling. The development, that comes in the final leg of the campaign for the November 8 election, had the Republican presidential nominee and real estate tycoon Donald Trump seize on to the reignited controversy as he stepped up attacks on his Democratic rival. At an election rally in Florida, Clinton told cheering supporters: It is pretty strange. Its pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election. In fact, in fact, its not just strange. Its unprecedented. And it is deeply troubling because voters deserve get to full and complete facts, she added as she called on Comey to explain everything right away, put it all out on the table and accused Trump of already making up lies about the development in the final leg of the campaign. He is doing his best to confuse, mislead, and discourage the American people. I think its time for Donald Trump to stop fear mongering, to stop disgracing himself, to stop attacking our democracy. We cant let him get away with this, can we? Clinton said. An emboldened Trump, at his own rally in Colorado, accused the Justice Department of trying to protect Clinton. Youre supposed to give your emails. The process and the legal process has been taking a long time. Its very sad that its taken so long. And now its reported today this morning that the Department of Justice was fighting the FBI and thats because the Department of Justice is trying so hard to protect Hillary, the 70-year-old real estate tycoon alleged. During a rare press conference yesterday, Clinton said she is confident the new FBI probe will not change its original finding that she should not be prosecuted. The Clinton Campaign also questioned the agencys motive behind its decision taken days before the November 8 election. The extraordinary letter that was long on innuendo and short on facts that Director Comey sent yesterday to eight Republican committee chairs. 24 hours after that letter was sent, we have no real explanation of why Director Comey decided to send that letter to congressional leaders, Clinton Campaign chairman John Podesta told reporters. Podesta alleged the FBI director, by providing selective information, has allowed partisans to distort and exaggerate in order to inflict maximum political damage. In a statement, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) said that by releasing a letter within 60 days of the presidential election, Comey broke with long-standing department tradition that is meant to prevent any influence on the electoral process. The letter did not offer enough detail that would allow Americans a full understanding of the development and whether or not it is even significant, which has led to speculation on the part of the media and irresponsible claims by Republican leaders. The FBI must move quickly to release additional clarifying information, DNC demanded. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: An encounter between militants and security forces is underway in Drugmulla, Kupwara (J&K). One-two terrorists are believed to be holed up in the area. With respect to this encounter, there were reports coming earlier on Sunday that an encounter broke in Kandi village of the Kupwara, north Kashmir (J&K) where two to three terrorist were trapped in a residential house. J&K Police and the army plunged into action immediately in a joint operation to engage and combat the terrorist. The cross border firing between the security forces of the two nations along the line of control (Loc) and international border in J&K has escalated to a higher level in the last couple of days with regular cease fire violations from the Pak Army and Rangers in the RS Pura, Hiranagar and Samba sector. The Indian army has given the Pakistan forces a befitting reply by infliction huge damage to them in the Keran sector after an Indian army Sepoy Mandeep Singhs body was mutilated by terrorist in Machil sector of Kupwara sector, J&K. The Indian army carried out a massive onslaught by destroying four Pakistani posts in Keran along the LoC on. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A Government school building on Sunday was set on fire by miscreants in South Kashmiras Anantnag district. Major portion of the building was damaged. No loss of life and injury to any person is reported. Fire brigade team rushed to the spot and started extinguishing the fire. However by that time major damage was caused to school building. Govt school building set on fire in South Kashmiras Anantnag district, major portion of the building damaged.A J&K: Govt school building set on fire in South Kashmiras Anantnag district, major portion of the building damaged. pic.twitter.com/oUGyi63sET a ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate DANBURY Work from home and run the risk of succumbing to the various distractions inherent with a home office, or take up in a co-working environment and be one of several entrepreneurs helping to motivate each other toward success. That is how Anthony Vengrove described the most common work environment options available to budding business owners. Co-working spaces, also known as makerspaces or hackerspaces, continue to gain in popularity across the U.S., including in the Danbury area. The spaces are occupied by entrepreneurs, each with their own business or business idea, but working collaboratively with the other tenants. According to research done by Dartmouth College, makerspaces started in 2005 with three co-working spaces in Germany. There are now thousands worldwide. Vengrove will open Makery Coworking at 20 Bank St. in New Milford early next year; he hopes to build a community of creative entrepreneurs. Costs will range from $25 a day to $250 a month to use the space and be around other entrepreneurs for inspiration and motivation, he said. There are a lot of interesting people doing interesting things in Litchfield County, but theres no kind of networking to link these people, Vengrove said. Im hoping this community fills that void and allows people to support each other. The pending launch of Makery Coworking follows the success of the Danbury Hackerspace, which is funded by CTNext and located in the Innovation Center at the Danbury Library. Danbury Hackerspace opened two years ago and has already helped to create, or incubate, several small businesses throughout the area. Entrepreneurs at the Hackerspace often use fellow members to provide services for their company. UpDesign Media, for instance, is a Hackerspace tenant that has built websites for several of the other members. Gregg Roberts launched Simple Wisdom, a corporate wellness business, last month and works out of the Hackerspace. I love the energy and collaboration and exchange of ideas, Roberts said. Michael and Jennifer Sauvageau opened Noteworthy Chocolates in Bethel last month. The Sauvageaus use a laser to inscribe notes and designs on bars of chocolates. They also got their start at the Danbury Hackerspace, which has a laser printer that the Sauvageaus used to see if their business idea would work. The collaborative and supportive environment of the Hackerspace allowed the couple to go from idea to business in less than a year. The Innovation Center and Hackerspace were vital. We couldnt have done it without them, Michael Sauvageau said. It wasnt just so we could use their laser, but the help we got there and the encouragement. It was crucial. Danbury Hackerspace, in addition to having dozens of members, also has 3D printers, a mockup studio and prototyping tools for inventors and entrepreneurs to test their ideas. The Innovation Center is also home to a SCORE chapter and plays host to office hours for the Connecticut Small Business Development Center. The Hackerspace, which is looking to expand in downtown Danbury, also received another boost last week. Jon Gatrell and Mike Kaltschnee from the Hackerspace were the applicants for an Innovation Places Planning Grant that was awarded to Danbury and 11 other communities in the state. The grants allow the communities to conduct a planning process to develop destinations for entrepreneurs. The next phase is the competitive implementation grant application where $30 million will be awarded over the next five years. Kaltschnee, one of the founders of the Danbury Hackerspace, said makerspaces from around the state share a culture of openness and camaraderie. There are other spaces in Watertown, New Haven, Meriden, Fairfield, Westport, Stamford and Norwalk. Brookfield has a mobile makerspace, but wants to expand its library and include a permanent home for a makerspace. The power of sharing is helping us all grow, Kaltschnee said. Weve learned from all of the other spaces in the state. Nationwide, weve studied hackerspaces from Boston to California. Kaltschnee is also happy a new makerspace will be opening in New Milford. He and Vengrove have worked on projects together and he intends to continue the spirit of collaboration. We dont feel threatened by New Milford. We love the idea of having another space in this area, he said. Were all part of an ecosystem. Vengrove moved to New Milford in 1998 and fell in love with the area. The company he worked for was acquired and he moved to Richmond, Va., in 2009. He left that company but remained in Richmond to start his own business. He became a member of a co-working space there and learned the value of the concept. Homesick for New Milford, he returned to town and started the consulting business Mile Finch Innovation. He will open Makery Coworking downstairs from that business. I want to bring a startup culture to this area, Vengrove said. So far Im getting interest from people who have a business going and are tired of working out of their house. They see the value in co-working and community and networking. Its a motivating environment. Its easy to get lazy working from home, but its hard to get lazy when you look over and see another entrepreneur working hard and killing it, he added. The lure of working at home is compelling, but over time it gets lonely. Vengrove hopes to get 20 to 25 founding members before his opening in January. He envisions seeing graphic designers, software engineers, photographers, video editors and other entrepreneurs in his 5,000-square-foot space. Makery Coworking will feature an open-floor concept with private phone areas, kitchenette and conference room. Im not doing it to make a gazillion dollars, Vengrove said. Im doing it to make a positive impact in the community and keep young, talented people here, as well. Tyler Sizemore / Tyler Sizemore DANBURY - A man was arrested early Sunday morning after police say he drunkenly punched a bar window when the owner refused to serve him. The owner told police that Hector Rolando Ordonez-Morocho, 30, of Danbury, entered the Sabrosura bar on Main Street already intoxicated. When she would not serve him, she told police he became angry, so bouncers took him out of the bar. We have seen water plumes erupting from the surface of a moon circling Jupiter. Weve seen Pluto has mountains and flowing ice. There is a new dark spot on Neptune the one weve seen this century. Weve drilled into comets to learn what theyre made of. We have one mission orbiting Venus, and another, the dwarf planet Ceres. We know so much about Mars and are learning more hourly, it seems that an actual manned mission there seems not so sci-fi at all. The hits keep right on coming, including discussion of a possible ninth planet the size of Earth or larger far, far away in the Kuiper Belt, the vast ring of objects circling the eight planets. But because there is so much remarkable information, so many new dazzling images, its sometimes easy to forget the larger picture. Which is, that, if you have been alive in the last few decades, youve been witnessing an unprecedented revolution in the understanding of our solar system. I tell people, Were living in the Golden Age of Astronomy, said Monty Robson, director of the John McCarthy Observatory in New Milford. Planetary astronomer Heidi Hammel spoke last week at a conference in Montreal about the next great step forward in our knowledge about the worlds beyond us The James Webb Space Telescope. The second slide in my talk said we are in the Golden Age of Solar System Exploration, Hammell said. Every day is a discovery, said Laird Calia of Ridgefield, one of the leaders of the regular astronomy nights held jointly by the Discovery Center in Ridgefield and New Pond Farm in Redding. You have to work to keep up with them, Robson said of the steady flow of all the neighborhood news. Its not your fathers solar system anymore, said Cliff Watley, who partners with Calia on the astronomy night events at New Pond Farm. We could maybe date the beginning of the revolution as far back as 1959, when we sent orbiters around the moon and crashed satellites into it. The Mariner missions in the 1960s went to our nearest neighbors Mercury, Venus and Mars. In the mid-1980s, the Voyager missions, launched near a decade earlier, gave earthlings astonishing images of Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune. (The Voyager probes have left our solar system but are still out there, sending us signals from interstellar space.) Hammel, a former Ridgfielder who now is executive vice president of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, has centered her own research on those two giant gas planets, Uranus and Neptune. She acknowledges its unlikely that another Voyager-like mission will visit them again. Theres been talk, she said. But it takes 10 years to plan a mission like that and another 10 years to get there; its very difficult. Im depending on telescopes. Hammel is lucky in that regard. The next great spur in this revolution was the Hubble Space Telescope. When its eyesight got fixed via a NASA mission in 1994, it gave humans a prodigious leap forward in what they know about all the things moving around us. There are new generations of ground-based telescopes that are opening up space to us as well. We have computer capabilities to help us decipher the information were getting. But when youre living in a Golden Age, do you realize it? Some do, Robson of New Milfords McCarthy Observatory said. Most dont. Robson said younger people, living through discovery after discovery, are truly enthusiastic about what theyre learning. Thats not everyone. Weve been here for 16 years, he said of the observatory, which sits of the grounds of New Milford High School. But there are New Milford residents who drive by, day after day, and dont know were here. This Golden Age is continuing. The New Horizons mission to Pluto sent back stunning images from our ex-planet, now dwarf planet. Its the first human exploration of the Kuiper Belt. And Hammel, who is one of the scientists consulting on the James Webb Space Telescope Hubbles successor said the Webb is now being readied for launch in 2018. The Webb telescopes orbit will be far away, 930,000 miles from earth. It will be the next great observatory humans have made. Astronomers are already writing proposals and lining up for time on it. Its taken 15 years, Hammel said. But its now assembled. Its very exciting. Contact Robert Miller at earthmattersrgm@gmail.com 40 prisoners, Houthi rebels killed in Yemen attack Yemen,Defence/Security, Sun, 30 Oct 2016 IANS Sanaa, Oct 30 (IANS) At least 40 people, including prisoners and Houthi rebels, were killed in an airstrike by the Saudi Arabia-led Arab coalition on a Yemeni prison on Sunday. Security sources told Efe news that the alliance aircraft bombed a prison in Mulhaq situated in a police complex near the Al Hodeida port on the Red Sea. The aircraft launched three attacks that shattered the Houthi-controlled security facilities including the prison situated north of the port. According to sources, at least 120 people were held in the jail at the time of the bombing. The attack comes a day after Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi rejected a new United Nations peace initiative, which he said would only lead to more war and destruction. Arab coalition aircraft, fighting on the side of President Hadi, have frequently targeted civilians in their fight against the Houthi rebels trying to seize control of the country. On October. 8, coalition units bombed a funeral, reportedly killing 140 people. --IANS ksk Modi celebrates Diwali with soldiers near China border Himachal Pradesh,National,Politics,Religion,Defence/Security, Sun, 30 Oct 2016 IANS Shimla, Oct 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday celebrated Diwali with soldiers in a remote and strategic area in Himachal Pradesh, adjoining the Chinese border. Modi also made an unscheduled trip to a village, Chango, and said he was "deeply touched by the impromptu reception and their joy". Dressed in olive green and donning a local cap with a green flap adorning dry flowers, the Prime Minister interacted with men from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Dogra Scouts and the army at Sumdoh. Sumdoh, some 330 km from Shimla, is located on the border of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts. Official sources said the Prime Minister reached around 11 a.m. and spent more than three hours at Sumdoh and Chango. Mingling freely with the assembled soldiers and paratroopers, Modi went up to them holding a plate of sweets. At least one soldier offered him a piece of sweets in return, much to the joy of everyone. He was accompanied by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and the army chief, General Dalbir Singh Suhag. The Prime Minister also met personnel of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), a wing of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) that maintains highways, at Sumdoh, an official said. Modi then spent some time with the locals in Chango village in Kinnaur district, known for its delicious apples. Villagers were taken aback by the Prime Minister's arrival, and then raised slogans hailing him. Dressed in warm clothes, Modi spent time with the residents of the village, including women and children. He also posed with everyone for a group photograph, against the majestic background of the mountains. Bharatiya Janata Party's member of parliament Ram Swaroop Sharma told IANS: "It's a historic moment for the locals of the remote village adjoining China to interact with the Prime Minister." "This is the first visit of any Prime Minister to this area and this would ensure development in the area," an elated Sharma said. This was Modi's second visit to the Mandi parliamentary constituency this month. Earlier, he visited Mandi town on October 18 to inaugurate three hydropower projects and address a public rally. The Lahaul-Spiti district, spread over 13,835 sq km, is a place of remote, untouched beauty with just 31,528 people. The climatic conditions are harsh as much of the land falls under a cold desert where during winters the mercury drops to below minus 20 degrees Celsius below the freezing point. The Prime Minister celebrated his first Diwali after assuming the office in 2014 with soldiers posted in Siachen. In 2015, he was at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. --IANS vg/sar/vt Modi raises India-origin man's death in Australia with Turnbull Delhi,National,Politics,Diaspora,Diplomacy, Sun, 30 Oct 2016 IANS New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, in a telephonic conversation with his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull, expressed concern over the death of an Indian-origin man who worked as a bus driver in Australia. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi, telephoned Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia, today to wish him Diwali greetings," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. "Prime Minister Modi also conveyed a sense of concern being felt in India over the recent brutal killing of Manmeet Alisher, a person of Indian origin, in Australia," it said. Alisher, who was well-known among the Indian diaspora in Australia, died after an "incendiary device" was thrown at him while he was letting passengers on at Moorooka area in Brisbane, capital of the Australian state of Queensland, on Friday morning. Australia is home to over a 450,000-strong Indians and Alisher's death has come as a shock to the community. According to the External Affairs Ministry statement, during Sunday's conversation with Modi, Turnbull "expressed shock at the killing and conveyed that the matter is being investigated". Modi also reiterated his invitation to Turnbull for a visit to India in 2017, the statement added. --IANS ab/vd By Olivier Ferret 31 October 2016 - 00:01 Carlos Sainz It just wasnt our day today What a tough afternoon! During the laps to the grid I already felt that there was something wrong with the gearbox while downshifting, as well as with the brakes that kept overheating from the first lap onwards we didnt have the pace today and these issues didnt help. If to all this you also add a 5-second penalty for impeding Fernando during Lap 1 It just became a very difficult race from the very start and it meant we were never going to finish in the points unfortunately. Its a shame, because we had a very good day yesterday, but this is racing and finishes like last Sunday in Austin dont happen every day! Daniil Kvyat Im quite happy with my race today, even if we finished P18 I enjoyed a few very nice battles, did a couple of overtakes and had some fun. If I say the truth, Id say that our pace today was just too slow to fight for higher positions, unfortunately. Regarding the 5-second penalty I was given, I have to say that theres just no consistency with these penalties I disagree with mine, even though I will review the race and maybe then I change my opinion. We now have two more races left and we will try and do our best, you never know what can happen. Franz Tost (Team Principal) This is not a result we expected, as Carlos was starting from P10, but during the race we simply had poor pace and we were therefore not in a position to fight for points. Carlos lost some performance in the second corner when he touched Massa and lost his front-wing end plate. From that point onwards he had less downforce, which also had a negative impact regarding the performance of the car. Later on, he got a penalty because of an incident with Alonso and this is the reason why we decided not to pit him again, because the end result wouldnt have improved if we had. Regarding Daniil, his first stint wasnt bad. He ended up getting stuck behind Nasr and couldnt overtake him, so we decided to pit him for a second set of soft tyres. From that point onwards he drove a strong and competitive race. For his final stint, we went for a bit of a gamble with the supersofts just in case there was a last-minute Safety Car, but it didnt happen in the end. We now look forward to the Brazilian GP that takes place in two weeks time. The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress has asked the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, to leave the Minister of ... The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress has asked the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, to leave the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, alone.Afenifere had three days ago asked Amaechi and the Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, to resign as a result of the allegations that they attempted to bribe judges.The group had maintained that this was necessary for to allow for proper and effective investigation into the matter.But the APC in Rivers State described the call for Amaechis resignation by the Yoruba socio-cultural group as rascally, shameful and obnoxious.The Deputy Chairman of the APC, Peter Odike, said it was wrong for Afenifere to speak about a matter it knew nothing about.In a statement in Port Harcourt on Saturday Odike said that Amaechi, who had served meritoriously in different capacities, had impeccable character.He said, This call (by Afenifere) is most rascally as it is obnoxious and indeed lacks any merit whatsoever. It is indeed very shameful that an organisation of the status ofAfenifere would jump into such a questionable conclusion over a matter it does not have an iota of fact to prove.Afenifere should be reminded that the Honourable Minister of Transportation had served his state and Nigeria in several capacities, including serving as the Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly for eight years during which he also serves as the chairman Conference of Speakers.In all his years of selfless, meritorious service to state and country, ex-governor Amaechi was also an embodiment of impeccable character, discipline, moral and pious disposition.It said the qualities persuaded President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC to appoint him as the Director-General of presidential campaign organisation, a position in which he functioned effectively and delivered efficiently.Odike urged Afenifere to resist the temptation of being used as tools to attack perceived political enemies, thereby degrading its lofty social and political status in the country. A cleric in Taraba, Rev. Fr Charles Nyameh, has admonished looters of Nigerias treasury, to return their loots in exchange for Gods... A cleric in Taraba, Rev. Fr Charles Nyameh, has admonished looters of Nigerias treasury, to return their loots in exchange for Gods mercies.Nyameh, priest in the Catholic Diocese of Jalingo, in a sermon in Monkin, Zing Local Government Area of the state, supported his call with the story of Zachaeus, a rich Tax Collector, who, on encountering Jesus, repented and was forgiven.He said that Zachaeus, who climbed a tree just to see Jesus, pledged to return four times what he stole as a Tax Collector.The priest urged treasury looters in the country to emulate Zachaeus for a better country and for them to enjoy salvation and real fulfillment.Zachaeus encounter with Jesus led to his repentance and promise to make restitution of what he stole from others.Our public and political servants who know they acquired their wealth in a corrupt manner, should follow Zachaeus example and make restitution of what they stole from our collective wealth.God will not let go all those who stole our resources and corruptly enrich themselves, He is calling on all of us to make restitution for our wrong actions to enjoy his mercies, he said.Nyameh urged people to endeavour to make restitution on injury and other damages and make amends in their way of life for a better society.The cleric reminded the congregation that corrupt people could manipulate the courts to keep their stolen funds, but they would certainly not gain the real fulfilment that comes from God.NAN As the people of Ondo State prepare to elect a new governor on November 26, the All Progressives Congress in the state has accused Gover... As the people of Ondo State prepare to elect a new governor on November 26, the All Progressives Congress in the state has accused Governor Olusegun Mimiko of plotting to cause mayhem.The Ondo State chapter of APC, Mr. Abayomi Adesanya, made the allegation in a statement in Akure on Sunday.He said, We have been reliably informed of the intense mobilisation of thugs and militants, running into thousands, by the Executive Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko.He alleged that the governor intended to use the recruits to protest and unleash terror on the good people of the state from Monday, October 31, in Akure, Ondo, Akoko areas and Owo, Ore and Okitipupa.He alleged that Mimiko on Saturday started disbursing money to mobilise militants and hoodlums from Delta and Edo states as well as a faction of Oodua Peoples Congress from Ekiti and Lagos states.He appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the security agencies to beef-up security in and around Ondo State till the governorship election was concluded.Adesanya said that the people of the state were desirous of peace, which should not be disrupted by the few self-seeking individuals for political gains.Reacting to the allegation, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Eni Akinsola, described the allegation as baseless.He said, This is baseless allegation.In the last seven and a half years of Governor Olusegun Mimikos administration, we have no history of violence.The people of Ondo State are capable of defending themselves and protecting their territory.We have the history of defending our votes and we do not have the history of depending on external forces and this will not be an exception.Ondo State has been under tension since the announcement of Mr. Ibrahim Jimoh as the PDP candidate for the election.Mimiko said on Friday that he had briefed the president of the danger in the decision by INEC and appealed to the people to remain calm.(NAN) Ex-president Goodluck Jonathan has said that under his watch as Nigerias president, no Nigerian became a political prisoner or a prison... Protocols It is a great pleasure for me to be with you in this annual gathering. I thank you for extending your invitation to me, a layman to be among learned people. I always enjoy attending programs organized by lawyers either as members of the bar or bench. Let me use this opportunity to thank the Nigerians living in the United States for your contributions to the development of our Country. When I met President Obama after our 2011 general elections, he commended the contributions of Nigerian professionals in different sectors in the United States of America. Back home, I know of your contributions to the economy of our country. Diaspora remittance is a major source of foreign exchange and the United States houses the largest Nigerian Diaspora population. Nigerian lawyers are one of the pillars of the United States legal system with many of you rising to the top of your chosen field and making Nigeria proud in the process. I salute Judge Bunmi O. Awoniyi who was appointed to the bench in California in 2012 thus becoming the first Nigerian to be so honoured in the Golden State. I also recognize Judge Jude Nkama, who became the first African to be appointed a judge in the over two (2) centuries old bar and bench of the State of New Jersey. As a body, you are an asset to Nigeria and I want you to walk tall knowing that your exploits add value to the Motherland of which you are worthy ambassadors here in the United States. Through you I see a brighter future for Nigeria. No Nation can achieve greatness without the inputs of her Learned People and that is why if there is any crop of professionals who has made Nigeria proud over the years, both at the continental and global levels, it will be you all. Your steadfastness, contributions to jurisprudence and patriotism has been pivotal to our development. I wouldnt want to bore you with so much references, but we could recollect the glorious age of our own Teslim Elias at The Hague, Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Gani Fawehimi and the Williams family. You will recall that Justice Udoma, a Nigerian, was the first African Chief Justice of Uganda. I am quite pleased to know that the Nigerian Lawyers Association in the United States has such a robust annual program. I am particularly touched by the theme of this years event: Diversity as Our Bridge to Tomorrow. Let me quickly speak on the issue youve asked me to address. Obviously, the theme suggests two things. First, that there exist Diversity in our polity and second, that such Diversity could either be a Plus or a Minus for our National development depending on our conduct as a people. I will examine these existing variables from the point of view of our political orientations and institutional framework over the years. As 2014 approached, I set up a Committee to arrange for the Centenary Celebration of the amalgamation of the North and Southern Protectorates that formed our country Nigeria. When the idea of celebrating the amalgamation became known to the public, some people were against it, describing it as a wasteful enterprise. My admonition was very clear. Nigeria is great not because of the crude oil we produce but because of the size of our country, its resilient population and the diverse ecological zones. In both the people and the environment, Nigeria exhibits high diversity. The amalgamation is a blessing except we decide to make it a curse. The strength and potential of an individual is not due to his or her tribe, religion, language or ethnicity, but largely due to the brain and the application of our mental capacities. As patriots, we must strive to both explore and deploy our individual God-given talents and abilities to develop our country and build our nation. We may have our differences but these differences should serve as the mortar to cement our unity. You may have read or heard about the exchange between two of our Nations founding fathers, Sir Ahmadu Bello and The Right Honourable, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe both of blessed memory. Azikwe said to Ahmadu Bello: let us forget our differences to which Ahmadu Bello responded: no, let us understand our differences, I am a Muslim and a Northerner, you are a Christian, an Easterner by understanding our differences, we can build unity in our country. It is clear that both leaders had the common interest of Nigeria at heart but they were only advocating different approaches. Nigeria is a diverse Nation and sometimes I reflect on our previous National Anthem because a line in it reminds us of the need to foster unity; though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand. We have our differences but we are all brothers and sisters. Those differences must be seen as a blessing because they strengthen our resilience and diversity; the essential ingredient of a great nation. Every Nigerian must believe that Nigeria is for all Nigerians. We must resist the pull of ego that may make us want to pursue a regional or narrow agenda and should be willing, if necessary, to shut out regional irredentists who signal to the public that they are fighting our battles As you all know, most of my principal aides in government hailed from different ethnic nationalities. My Administration established 12 Universities, out of which 9 were cited in the Northern part of the country and 3 in the South. The same spirit guided our construction of 165 Al-Majiri schools to cater for the disadvantaged children in the North. I am proud to say that while we were conscious of the Federal Character as our constitutional guiding principle, we never placed ethno-religious interest above merit or individual values. Accordingly, diversity could remain a strength only when all interest groups in the society feel safe and secured, in their day to day activities. That is why no matter what any critic said about me, I ensured that there was both freedom of speech and freedom after the speech. Under my watch not a single Nigerian was sent to prison because of anything he or she wrote or said about me or about the Administration that I headed. Nigeria had no political prisoners under my Administration and we certainly did not have any prisoners of conscience because we ourselves ensured that we acted according to our conscience in all we did. You in the diaspora can attest to the fact that Nigeria had no political exile. Not only did I take a stance to allow people express their opinions without let or fear, we also enacted the Freedom of Information Act and by that, we tore the veil of secrecy covering governance. Nigerians deserve to know how their government functions. I am proud to say that we gave them knowledge, and that is a genie you cannot put back to the lamp. We gave institutions unlimited freedom and ensured that the Nigerian Bar Association and other professional unions, fraternities and guilds were completely devoid of any governmental influence. Finally, we enacted the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, one of the most progressive criminal justice acts ever signed in Nigeria. The provisions of this Act are geared toward ensuring that the system of administration of criminal justice in Nigeria promotes efficient management of all criminal justice institutions, speedy dispensation of justice, and protection of the rights and interests of the victim of crime and the suspect. The Act, along with other institutional reforms, will help our country in fighting corruption and other crimes. I am also proud of my records as a democrat. We gave the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), unconditional freedom and ensured by deliberate actions that elections were free, fair and transparent. We ensured that the transition from one government to the other was peaceful. We achieved this because in constituting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) we ensured that the appointments were not based on personal relationships. This gave the Commission credibility and earned the confidence of the electorate. The Chairman, Prof. Jega, whom I appointed, was a person I had never met in my life. The same sense of patriotism and profound desire to put my countrys interest first influenced the critical decisions I made as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The 2014 National Conference was a platform for all Nigerians, men, women, old and young, from all walks of life, and of diverse backgrounds, to have a conversation about our shared challenges, strengths and weaknesses, with the aim to strengthen our unity. It was not designed to promote the political ambition of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. The Chairman of the Conference, Justice Kutigi, a retired Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) has stated publicly that I never called him or sent anyone to him to influence any of the Conference decisions or recommendations. They were to discuss everything except the sovereignty of Nigeria. My sole interest and total commitment was the unity and advancement of our country. Remember that despite their differences of opinions and philosophies, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Sir Ahmadu Bello, two fine sons of Nigeria enjoyed mutual respect and civility. I would like to see our political leaders, chairpersons of our various political parties, irrespective of their differences, get together to discuss our unity and development instead of exchanging uncomplimentary words. Some of you may recall last June, while speaking at the Bloomberg Studios in London, I called on the Executive and Legislative branches of our government to institute a Bill of Rights that would end discrimination and tribalism, and promote equality, enabling every citizen to work towards the common national goal of unity, while striving for socio economic development for all. All Nigerians should have the equal right to security, health care, education and other opportunities. That is the only way that all Nigerians can be at home in any part of Nigeria without being discriminated against in their own country. Would it not be good for all of us to aspire to a Nigeria where each of us could proudly say I am a citizen of Nigeria. We would be able to look past where each of us comes from, look past our tribal origins. We would be able to evaluate each other on our merits rather than our religion or region. I argued in that presentation that, being able to declare Civis Nigerianus Sum [I am a Nigerian Citizen] will mean that: You would be judged on your merits, not by your tribe or language. You would have access to education that can help you succeed on whatever path you choose. You would be part of a proud culture, one that others want to invest in. You would be safe in knowing that society judges you by your successes and failures rather than your place of origin. You would be equal before the law and your protection is enshrined in the laws of the country. You would be a valued member of your country, one who is worth investing in, who can turnaround that investment tenfold within your lifetime. Ultimately, it means that you would be an ambassador for Nigeria. Our diversity is our source of strength and bridge for the development of our tomorrow. So, let us all re-programme our thinking. Let us have no hidden agenda except the Nigerian agenda. I urge you, Nigerian lawyers in the United States and those in the Diaspora at large, to do your best to support the democratic institutions we have built. Let us pledge to Nigeria our country to be faithful, loyal and honest. Let us demonstrate responsibility in our utterances and actions. Let us honour the labour, wisdom and visions of our founding fathers. And finally, let us as patriots, in line with the conversation between Sir Ahmadu Bello and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe work towards building a united Nigeria where peace and justice reign. Thank you for inviting me to your esteem and august gathering. May your conference be a source of unity for our beloved Nigeria! May God bless you and bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I thank you. Jonathan gave the keynote speech on Saturday, 29th October at the annual Merit Awards Dinner of the Nigerian Lawyers Association of the US.The former President who urged the Diaspora lawyers to help preserve democratic institutions also said that, diversity could remain a strength only when all interest groups in the society feel safe and secured, in their day to day activities.At the event which held in New York, former Anambra state Governor, Peter Obi, who introduced ex-President Jonathan said nobody in Nigeria has made more sacrifices for democracy and unity in Nigeria like former President Jonathan. Jonathan was also honored for his efforts to promote democracy by the City of New York which issued a proclamation honoring Dr. Jonathan as a democratic icon.During his speech, Dr. Jonathan urged Nigerian politicians to build unity and harmony in Nigeria by their language and conduct.He said that was why he ensured there was both freedom of speech and freedom after the speech and equally ensured that under his watch, not a single Nigerian was sent to prison because of anything he or she wrote or said about me or about the Administration that I headed.Below is the full speech: The people of Azaka, Iguiye and neighbouring communities around the Ovia River in Edo State were thrown into confusion on Friday night b... The people of Azaka, Iguiye and neighbouring communities around the Ovia River in Edo State were thrown into confusion on Friday night by an explosion at a facility of the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC) in the area.Sources said yesterday that a valve station located around a power line was damaged by the explosion.The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear yesterday, residents told our reporter that they suspected that it was the handiwork of militants.We saw pieces of gas cylinder and other things that might have been used to blow up the station, one local said.Mr. Anthony Odoyibo, a farmer in the area, confirmed the report and appealed to Nigerians to give peace a chance.We heard a very loud explosion around 10 or or 11pm. Everybody was very afraid. Some people who went there confirmed that it was the pipeline that was blown up, Odoyibo added.However, no militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack at the time of this report. Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige yesterday said the nations current unemployment rate was unacceptable. Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige yesterday said the nations current unemployment rate was unacceptable.No country, he stated, can develop by leaving out a vast percentage of its productive human capacity.The minister said the current administration was committed to job creation and provision of decent employment opportunity for Nigerians within the productive age.A statement from the ministry said Ngige spoke at a validation workshop on the reviewed National Employment Policy (NEP) organised by the Ministry in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria.The minister said: There is urgent need to engage a larger percentage of the productive age in decent, fairly remunerated and sustainable means of livelihood either as wage earners or self-employed while preserving existing gainful employments.Ngige stated the revised NEP addresses concerns such as employment of the physically challenged, international labour migration, decent work components and higher education for employability including green jobs amongst others.He advocated objective and assiduous cooperation of all stakeholders to tackle the unemployment gap.The Director ILO Country Office for Nigeria, Ghana Liberia, Sierra Leone and Liason Office of ECOWAS, Dennis Zulu, expressed confidence that the reviewed employment policy will enhance coherent, integrated and sustainable multi-sectorial response to combat the challenges of unemployment.Zulu appealed to the federal government to ratify the ILO convention 122, saying that the reviewed national employment policy is already in line with the objectives of the conventions. If editorial cartooning is a blood sport, call Drew Sheneman a gladiator. In the course of his nearly two decades as an editorial cartoonist for The Star-Ledger, Sheneman, 41, has with the tip of his quill tickled readers to LOL or poked them hard enough to elicit furious fist-shaking. If you've seen a Sheneman cartoon, you've felt something, which means he's done his job. Drew Sheneman self-portrait Given that he's dependent on the daily news, it would seem like a daunting task to come up with relevant material that resonates on a regular basis. "The charge of the editorial cartoonist is to skewer and to comment on what's happening that day," Sheneman says. "To wall yourself off from topics or things you don't want to touch, never made much sense to me." He publishes two or three times a week in the Ledger and he draws an additional two cartoons for the Tribune Content Agency, which syndicates his cartoons to newspapers across the country. Thanks to the weirdest election season in recent memory, and Bridgegate in his home state, Sheneman may be one of the luckiest satirist in the business. I sat down with Sheneman, who lives in Bedminster with his wife and daughter, to discuss the his career, the art form of political cartooning, his influences, producing art on deadline, and his forthcoming children's book, "Nope" (Viking, January 2017). Below is an edited transcript of our conversation. Q. What has it been like to cover New Jersey, where there always seems to be a scandal about to explode? A. I've been lucky in terms of subjects to cartoon. I started my career in the waning days of Christie Todd Whitman, who left to run the EPA in 2001. We had Donnie DiFrancesco for a little bit. Then a real gift: Jim McGreevey came along. It was a rich environment to cartoon his controversy and everything around it. Then, Jon Corzine came in for a four-year nap. Q. And then we got Gov. Chris Christie. A. Initially I was worried he was going to be too good for his job. If you remember, when he came into office, he was firing on all cylinders. He's making deals; he's getting stuff passed with the Democrats, working across the aisle. And then he gets a national profile and everything goes nuts: He's yelling at teachers on YouTube, he's eating an ice cream on the boardwalk threatening to get in a fight with some dude; he's yelling at veterans at town hall meetings. It's just been a steady stream since then. He's the gift that keeps on giving. Q. How do you keep up in 2016 with having two gifts? Donald Trump and Chris Christie? A. It could actually be a little fatiguing. You wish you had something else to draw about other than more Bridgegate, more Trump. For a guy like me who works on deadline, it's a little convenient, because there's always something. Q. In a recent blog post you said about Trump, "I'd gladly sacrifice all the potential cartoons to get back a small piece of our national dignity." A. It gets depressing that this is the state of politics now. A governor who fosters a culture in his office that they think it's appropriate to shut down traffic on the George Washington Bridge for four days. And, Donald Trump who says the stuff he says and still has overwhelming support for a long time. But's it's either him or Hillary (Clinton). When you step back from all the lunacy of the day-to-day ins and outs of the campaign, Donald Trump is a major nominee for the presidency ... it gets (deep sigh). Q. What's the political cartoonist's place in driving the local and national conversation? A. You're mostly preaching to the choir or you're poking the bear on the opposite side with a stick. Historically speaking, gone are the days of Herblock at The Washington Post getting national attention, coining phrases like "McCarthyism," or drawing the definitive portrait of Richard Nixon - five o'clock shadow and the sweat on the brow. Today, it's hard to get that kind of traction and be that big of an influencer. Like a lot of stuff today, it's about finding your audience. Q. Walk us through the process of cartooning. A. I find the easiest thing for me is to figure out what I want to say and then work my way backward to how I'm going to say it. I think about what sort of visual metaphor to use; is it going to be a joke or humorous; or maybe it's going to be subversively satirical or on occasion -- when you're drawing about a tragedy -- it's not funny at all. Sometimes there's nothing really to draw about, and I have a really good joke, and I'll draw that. What matters is that it's coming from my perspective, and I'm not regurgitating some talking point. Q. What's been the most difficult subject to work on? A. Anything that has to do with religion. I always make sure I'm on rock solid ground on that, and that I say what I really want to say. You're going to get blowback, no matter what you do. If it's in the news, it's fair game. Terrorism, or religion is something I struggled with early on. But when everything happened with the Catholic Church in the child sex scandals, obviously, the gloves were off. And once you bring your readers along, no topics are off limits; they generally go along with you. Q. What were your influences? Sheneman illustrated the Munchmobile's "Mighty Munch" in 2008. A. For me it was Mad Magazine, Don Martin, Sergio Aragones. Then I got into comic books. I still have a far-too-large comic collection that consumes my entire garage. (Been reading comics since I was 8. I'm 41, do the math - I can't because I'm a cartoonist.) But comics were not my artistic influences. I got that from other cartoonists: Jeff MacNelly, Pat Oliphant, also in animation, the early Warner Bros. stuff by Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Tex Avery, and Robert McKimson. For a while, I thought that's what I was going to do -- animation. I became much more interested in politics and current events, so political cartooning took over. Q. What was it like to work on nonpolitical art for your children's book? A. It's a purer form of illustration. There's no baggage. It's supposed to be semi-timeless. In 10 or 15 years another child can pickup this book and get something out of it from a kid whose reading it today. It's a completely different set of muscles that you're exercising from an editorial cartoon, which is instantaneous. The development process on the book was more than a year. I told the publishers when I went in that I'm not used to having the luxury of almost nonexistent deadline. So I finished the project early, and then I moved on and did other projects. Hopefully those will turn into books, as well. Enrique Lavin may be reached at elavin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @enriquelavin. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. New Jersey may be the fourth smallest state, but what it lacks in size is made up in amazing diversity. From the rugged Highlands to sandy ocean beaches, and from the Pine Barrens to tidal marshes along the Delaware Bayshore, New Jerseyans are never far from a complete change of scenery. And although we're well known as an urban state - the most densely populated in the nation - a remarkable 42 percent of our land, about 2 million acres, is forested. It wasn't always that way. Early European settlers cleared virtually all of the deciduous hardwood forests on tillable soil for agriculture. Swamps and steep slopes were timbered repeatedly during the colonial era, resulting in denuded landscapes with few forests. But after the Industrial Revolution began drawing farmers to the cities, forests once again started to mature on cutover timberlands, and abandoned agricultural landscapes reverted to post-agricultural woodlands. Today, New Jersey's forests that were repeatedly timbered but whose soils escaped the plow, are recovering best, with fewer invasive species and the highest diversity. A few notable pockets of primeval forest that even escaped the colonial axe can still be found. Did you know that this state we're in has at least a dozen distinct forest types? They're best described in the 1971 classic Vegetation of New Jersey by Beryl Robichaud and Murray F. Buell. Based on the book's classifications, here's a quick guide to New Jersey's varied forest types and where to see them: Floodplain and Swamp Forests Northern New Jersey Swamp Forest These forested wetlands are dominated by pin oak, swamp white oak and red maples. Add in shagbark hickory and sweetgum. Hike the trails of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness Area, our nation's first federal Wilderness Area, to feel the pulse of the swamp. Northern New Jersey Floodplain Forest The Bull's Island Natural Area, south of the footbridge over the Delaware River in the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park showcases massive sycamore and silver maple trees, and some giant tulip, ash and walnut trees. Swamp pink, a rare, endangered member of the lily family, blooms at Goodwin Tract in Washington Township, Friday, April 24, 2015. (Lori M. Nichols | South Jersey Times) Inner Coastal Plain Swamp Forest These forests have abundant sweetgum, red maple and pin oak trees, with some hickory, white oak, black oak and black gum. One good place to experience this type of forest is Historic Walnford Park on the Crosswicks Creek in Monmouth County. Outer Coastal Plains Swamp Forest Visit the Evert Trail Preserve in Burlington County or Allaire State Park in Monmouth County to see Outer Coastal Plain Swamp Forests, where southern species like black gum, sweetbay magnolia and American holly trees abound, and where huge flocks of American robins spend the winter. In the remote Bear Swamp Natural Heritage Priority Site in Cumberland County, ancient trees between 300-500 years old are commonplace. When the Bald Eagle dwindled to one nesting pair in New Jersey in the 1980s, Bear Swamp was the last refuge. Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of the state's Endangered Species Program, Bald eagles have swelled to over 150 pairs statewide. Atlantic White Cedar Swamps These evergreen masterpieces are just beginning to return to their former grandeur after centuries of exploitation, going back to the days of the British clipper ships. Visit the Shinn's Branch Natural Area in Brendan Byrne State Forest, dedicated to the founder of the State Natural Areas System David F. Moore, or the Dryden Kuser Natural Area in High Point State Park, where you can immerse yourself in a primeval evergreen swamp. Upland Forests Mixed Oak Forests of Northern New Jersey White, black and red oaks are the dominant trees in this type of forest, which can be seen at numerous open space lands throughout northern New Jersey. The Hutcheson Memorial Forest in Somerset County is one of the oldest forests in the mid-Atlantic states, having last experienced a fire around 1590, and having never been logged. Regular tours are led by Rutgers University. Hemlock-Mixed Hardwoods Forest Check out the Tillman Ravine Natural Area in Stokes State Forest, Sussex County, to see a magnificent forest of evergreen hemlocks. Unfortunately, the woolly adelgid and elongate hemlock scale, both invasive pest insect from Asia, has caused a great deal of decline in our mature hemlock forests. Biological control methods provide some hope for eventual recovery. Oak leaf. Some of the last color at the Leonard J. Buck Garden in Far Hills , NJ. (Ed Murray for NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Sugar Maple-Mixed Hardwoods Forest Diverse in number of tree species, these forests are beautiful in all seasons, with their variety of shrubs like witch hazel, viburnum and spicebush. One great place to see this type of forest is on moist, east facing slopes in High Point State Park in Sussex County. Chestnut Oak Forest Chestnut Oak forests can be seen along the Appalachian Trail along the Kittatinny Ridge in High Point State Forest and Stokes State Forest. The winter climate is so severe here that tree tops are frequently broken off by ice storms and high winds, thus keeping down the height of the forest. Beech-Oak Forest of South Jersey This forest type is dominated by American beech and Red Oak, white oak, tulip tree, and American holly. An ancient stand can be toured at Little Woods, between Creek Road and the Rancocas River in Moorestown, Burlington County. Pine Barrens Oak Forest Black, white and chestnut oaks are the most common trees in this forest type, with and understory of lowbush blueberry and huckleberry, visible around the deserted village of Washington, east of Batsto in Wharton State Forest. Belleplain State Forest hosts a more widespread, species diverse oak forest on the more nutrient rich soils of the southern Pine Barrens. Pitch Pine/Scrub Oak Barrens This globally rare forest occurs in abundance at Brendan Byrne and Wharton State Forests in Burlington County ... and also at High Point State Park in Sussex County. The Pygmy Pines or Pine Plains, a genetically-stunted version of this forest type, has the highest wildfire frequency of any forest in North America, because of the lack of nearby rivers and wetlands that block wind-driven wildfires. The East Plains Natural Area, along the entrance road to the Warren Grove Bombing Range along the west side of Rout 539 showcases New Jersey's most unique natural wonder. Maritime Dune Forest Shifting sands on barrier islands are colonized almost exclusively by trees and shrubs whose seeds are dispersed by birds. American holly, black cheery, hackberry, bayberry, and red cedar dominate the dune landscapes of Sandy Hook National Recreation Area and the Island Beach State Park Natural Areas. The few maritime forests that have escaped the bulldozer are probably New Jersey's most endangered forest type, threatened by accelerating sea level rise and salt water inundation during extreme storm events. Enjoy New Jersey's forests in all their diversity. To learn more about preserving New Jersey's land and natural resources, visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation website or contact me at info@njconservation.org. And if you are dying for more information about New Jersey's forests, buy the updated 1994 version of the book Plant Communities of New Jersey at the Rutgers University Press website. Michele S. Byers is executive director of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation. Gov. Chris Christie was unequivocal at this "mea culpa" press conference on Jan. 9, 2014, saying he was "blindsided" by his own staff and knew nothing more about the lane closures than what he had learned from the media. Christie's word vs. his aides' "I had no knowledge of this -- of the planning, the execution, or anything about it," Christie said. "I would never have come out here four or five weeks ago and made a joke about these lane closures if I had ever had an inkling that anyone on my staff would have been so stupid but to be involved." Mike DuHaime: DuHaime DuHaime testified that he told the governor a month earlier of Wildstein's claim that Bridget Kelly, the governor's deputy chief of staff, and Bill Stepien, his campaign manager, both knew of the lane closures before they occurred. "He knew before the press conference of Dec. 13?" prosecutors asked. "Yes," DuHaime answered. DuHaime was the governor's chief political strategist in both campaigns for governor and the presidential campaign. Michael Drewniak: Drewniak Drewniak testified that David Wildstein told him on Dec. 4, 2013, that he had told the governor in person about the lane closures as they were occurring in September. Wildstein also said Bridget Kelly, a deputy chief of staff, and Bill Stepien, the governor's campaign manager, were both aware of the lane closures from the start. The next day, Drewniak testified, he relayed that to the governor and his chief of staff, Kevin O'Dowd. Drewniak was the governor's press secretary. Deborah Gramiccioni: Gramiccioni Gramiccioni testified that she warned the governor in December of 2013 that emails showed Bridget Kelly, the governor's deputy chief of staff, knew of the lane closures beforehand. "I knew that because I had spoken to Bill Baroni," she testified. "What was the governor's reaction," prosecutors asked. "He appeared visibly concerned to hear that." Gramiccioni was then the governor's deputy chief of staff for policy. Bridget Anne Kelly: Kelly Kelly testified that she told the governor about plans to shut down the access lanes during a meeting on Aug. 12, and that she believed it was a legitimate traffic study. She said the governor approved the plan. "I explained the access lanes to him. And he said: Okay." Kelly added that she warned the governor of "tremendous traffic problems" in Fort Lee and he said, "Alright." Kelly was a deputy chief of staff. David Wildstein: Wildstein Wildstein testified that he and Bill Baroni told the governor about the lane closures as they occurred, during a September 11 memorial ceremony at Ground Zero. All three understood the purpose was political revenge, and they joked about not returning frantic phone calls from Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich. "Mr. Baroni said to Gov. Christie: 'I have to tell you, there's a tremendous amount of traffic I Fort Lee this morning. Major traffic jams...Mayor Sokolich is very frustrated that he can't get his telephone calls returned." Baroni and Wildstein were both senior officials at the Port Authority, appointed by the governor. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Halloween editorials used to be straightforward business: Watch out for the little ghosts and goblins, and have fun. Who knew that this holiday would today generate such angst, and not just about the youngsters? Between creepy clown sightings, supposedly offensive costumes and concerns over to what extent normally staid adults should let their hair down at parties, people have a lot of decisions to make before Monday. On Friday, the talk program "Radio Times" on Philadelphia's WHYY-FM devoted a full hour to things Halloween. Among the issues: It is appropriate to wear an American Indian costume or (from one caller) to don Pennsylvania Dutch garb, even when offered to the potential wearer by the Pennsylvania Dutch themselves? First, back to the kids. Some say there has been a noticeable drop in old-style, door-to-door trick-or-treating. The radio experts attributed this to two phenomena. One is parental desire to make sure children eat only healthy food, something that unlimited amounts of sugar-laden candy definitely is not. The other is the general concern for safety of youngsters who, unaccompanied after a certain age, walk dark streets and knock on the doors of strangers. How much overprotectiveness spoils the fun? Let's hope the recent furor over social media threats from "clowns" hasn't made the goodie handout entirely a thing of the past. A positive shout-out is due to the local churches, schools and community organizations that sponsor "Trunk or Treat" events that offer a controlled-atmosphere trick-or-treating experience. If you're not familiar with the concept, participating families drive to a designated parking lot, open their vehicle trunks and hand out loot to the costumed kids. Many towns, including Glassboro, Woodbury and Voorhees Township, are offering more general Halloween "festivals," either before or during normal trick-or-treat times. These events can curb some of the rambunctious desire of youngsters to prowl the streets in less-safe ways. To keep tradition alive, parents may wish to ferry the kids after attending these bashes to carefully selected homes of friends or relatives, baskets in hand. For kids who do trick-or-treat the old way, designated hours for towns in Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties can be found at NJ.com. Remember, some of these are actually curfews. Kids might get in trouble if they're out too late. In recent years, Halloween has become more important for young adults, an age group that hardly needs another excuse for parties. When a beer company hired Elvira, the sexy-ghoulish horror movie host, to pitch their brew for the occasion, you knew Halloween had moved past 6-year-olds. Getting back to that costume appropriateness question, it depends on where you are and with whom you are. One certainty: You can't be Prince Harry and think no one will complain when you dress like a Nazi. Locally, if you're going to wear religiously significant clothing of the Pennsylvania Dutch as your costume, here's a tip: Don't traipse around the various Amish markets in our region dressed like that. Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com Picture a man falling down a flight of stairs backwards, his arms flailing as he tumbles towards his doom. That's Gov. Chris Christie today. Any scrap of credibility that survived his craven embrace of Donald Trump has been incinerated in the Bridgegate trial. Five witnesses - including three who remain steadfast allies - refuted his claim that he was "blindsided" and knew nothing about his staff's involvement in the lane closures before the rest of us did. Among those who contradicted the governor under oath are Michael DuHaime, his chief strategist for the last decade; Mike Drewniak, his press secretary during that entire stretch, and Deborah Gramiccioni, his deputy chief of staff at the time. You can read excerpts from their testimony here. The governor is not charged. Prosecutors say that he knew about the lane closures as they occurred, but knowledge of the plot is not a crime in itself. And no one in this trial has suggested that Christie ordered the lane closures. But the rules of the courtroom are one thing, and the rules of politics are quite another. It's tough to govern after absorbing a blow like this. "It's been incredibly damaging to hear one person after another directly contradict him," says Julian Zelizer, a professor at Princeton University. "And if the national election goes as poorly for him as some think, that will add to the damage. Because he is forever connected to Donald Trump." In his famous mea culpa press conference in January of 2014 that ran about two hours, Christie left himself no wiggle room: "I had no knowledge of this -- of the planning, the execution, or anything about it," he said. "I would never have come out here four or five weeks ago and made a joke about these lane closures if I had an inkling that anyone on my staff would have been so stupid but to be involved." But he did know. The five witnesses reported conversations that took place between September and December of 2013, and each included discussions of his staff's involvement in the lane closures. The most toxic account came from David Wildstein, the author of this stunt, who swore that he and Bill Baroni, a defendant, told the governor at the time the lanes were closed -- and described it as an act of political revenge. The most benign account came from the governor's allies who told him of Wildstein's claim that Bridget Anne Kelly, the deputy chief of staff, was involved. So let's stick to the benign version. Did he respond by calling in Kelly to ask what she knew? No. Her office was across the hall from his, and he passed through it once or twice a day on the way to his own office from the back door of the capitol that he used routinely. But everyone agrees he never stopped to ask her about it. Instead, he tried to bury it. He lied to the public when he said he was blindsided. He mocked Democratic legislators who opened the inquiry as partisan hacks. And he hired the law firm of a woman he once described as a "dear friend" to conduct an "independent" investigation that somehow missed all of his fingerprints. The cost to the taxpayer: More than $10 million. * * * What now? Christie has 15 months left in his term, and he's unlikely to be impeached or to resign. Which means New Jersey is likely to limp along for now, as its many problems fester. Yes, folks, things can get worse. The Legislature can impeach a governor for any reason it chooses, even for eating a ham sandwich, and its verdict can't be challenged in court. But even Democrats say the nuclear option is probably overboard, given that federal prosecutors found no proof that the governor committed a crime. Removing Christie from office after an impeachment would require 27 votes in the Senate, which means at least three Republicans would have to jump off their cozy home on the governor's lap long enough to sink in the knife. Not likely. And practical concerns intrude. An impeachment and trial takes time, and might clip only a few months off his term. It would also elevate Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, giving her a boost against a Democrat in 2017. What about pressing Christie to resign? It's a wonderful dream, but it's not in his genes. He has no shame. We could gather torches, march on Trenton, and haul him away hanging from a rail. But I checked the state Constitution, and it makes no provision for that. Sen. Loretta Weinberg, one of the heroes of this story, is particularly furious about the $10 million wasted on the white wash. She wants that money back. But I asked her what legal basis she would have to do so. The firm, after all, was hired to protect Christie and fulfilled its part of the bargain with shameless efficiency. "I still have people doing legal research into that," she said. * * * Bridgegate is Christie's white whale, the beast that keeps coming back to take another bite. It was a key reason he lost his campaign for president, and it began his descent in New Jersey. He has paid a steep price. Still, it drives me nuts that he's never been forced to answer questions on this, under oath, and in public. The Legislature could make that happen. And this trial has provided a road map. Bring on the five witnesses who contradicted the governor, and then bring him in. "All the surrounding characters are clearly pointing at him in a way that make it hard not to conclude anything but that he had a hand in this," says Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex). I asked the two Democratic leaders about that -- Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson) and Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) -- and both hedged. What are they afraid of? What is complicated about this one? Neither man would answer that question, which is unnerving, given that their approval is the needed first step. Wisniewski and Weinberg were co-chairs of the investigative committee that broke this scandal wide open. They suspended operations to make way for the criminal trial, and both want to resume their work. But they haven't been able to get an answer either. "They always seem uncomfortable when we talk about subpoena power," Weinberg says. Hmm. That's a cryptic comment. But it is true that Weinberg and Wisniewski had to pull teeth the first time around to get subpoena power, something that is routine in Congress. Could it be that the old boys in Trenton feel threatened by the idea of a subpoena landing on their own desks someday, or the desk of a friend? Is there a more innocent explanation for this reluctance to grant that power more readily? Neither wanted to discuss details until the trial is over. I have to believe they will agree, and that the Legislature will reopen its inquiry and follow the obvious leads exposed by this criminal trial, leads that point straight to the governor. If they don't, then Christie will no doubt leave office clinging to his story, repeating his claim that he's been "exonerated" by his own investigation, and by the decision of federal prosecutors to issue no indictment. So let's keep those torches handy. If Democrats let Christie walk on this, we may need them. More: Tom Moran columns Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. PATERSON -- Authorities were investigating a police-involved shooting outside the city's police headquarters Saturday night, prosecutors said. One civilian suffered unspecified injuries, according to Passaic County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Mary Catherine Ryan. The prosecutor's office Shooting Response Team was investigating the shooting outside the downtown police building at 111 Broadway, Ryan confirmed. "The scene has been secured and the investigation is active and ongoing," she said in an email. Additional details were not immediately available. Police Director Jerry Speziale could not immediately provide information on the incident when reached Saturday. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Jill Stein Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein arrives for a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee | Getty Images) (Win McNamee | Getty Images) WASHINGTON -- Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein, making her second try for the White House, has offered herself as an alternative to disaffected progressives, especially those who supported Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primaries. Sanders has endorsed Hillary Clinton, who Stein has criticized much more often than Donald Trump. Reasons not to vote for #HillaryBecause she: Rigged a primary Bought the media Wall Street bought her Wants WWIII Pushes fracking Green Party US (@GreenPartyUS) October 15, 2016 This is despite the Democratic nominee's support for a path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants, for reducing student debt, and for addressing climate change, all part of the Green platform. Trump has called for deporting all of the undocumented immigrants and has called climate change a hoax. Here are five other Green Party platform planks. 1. No more Jewish state of Israel The Green Party platform says the Jewish people no longer have a right to their own democratic state in their ancestral lands. This would reverse decades of American efforts to bring about a two-state solution with a Jewish state of Israel and an Arab state of Palestine living side by side. "We view the two-state solution as neither democratic nor viable," the platform said. Instead, the Greens propose one secular state between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. And to ensure that such a state would not have a Jewish majority, the platform calls for allowing millions of Palestinians whose relatives fled after Arabs attacked the nascent Jewish state in 1948 to return to their former homes in what is now Israel. 2. Another investigation is needed for 9/11. The earlier probe conducted by a commission chaired by former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean wasn't good enough, the party says. "The Green Party calls for a complete, thorough, impartial, and independent investigation of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, including the role of the administration of George W, Bush, various U.S. based corporations and interests, and other nations and third parties," according to its platform. 3. Budget cuts? Start with the Pentagon. The Greens want to reduce military spending by 50 percent, close hundreds of overseas military bases and withdraw U.S troops not guarding an embassy. The platform also calls on the U.S. to stop defense contractors from selling their products to foreign countries. "The U.S. must not be a conduit for defense contractors to market their products abroad," the platform said. 4. No more electoral college The platform calls for abolishing the electoral college, which awards votes based on individual state totals, in favor of a national popular vote. That would mean that more heavily populated California and New York (and New Jersey) would be more important than swing states with far less people, such as Nevada and New Hampshire. The Greens also would get rid of the Commission on Presidential Debates, which excluded Stein from the stage with the major party nominees, in favor of opening the debates to third party candidates who are on the ballot in states with a majority of electoral votes. 5. Renegotiate world trade deals. If the Greens are going to attract refugees from Sanders' campaign, this might be the plank that does it. The Greens call for redoing all international deals under the North American Free Trade Agreement, World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund and World Bank, and want to replace the latter three with new transparent and democratic institutions. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook WASHINGTON -- Donald Trump is trailing Hillary Clinton in North Carolina and tied with her in Florida, two states he must win in order to be elected president. NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist College polls released Sunday gave Clinton a six-point lead among likely voters in North Carolina, 50 percent to 44 percent. The two were tied at 46 percent in Florida. Trump's route to the 270 electoral votes he needs to win the presidency includes carrying Florida, which President Barack Obama won in both 2008 and 2012, and North Carolina, which went for Obama in 2008 and for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney four years later. Even if Trump won both Florida and North Carolina, he also would have to carry every other state Romney captured in 2012, plus Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to 270towin. The Real Clear Politics poll average has the two nominees tied in Florida and Clinton ahead by 3.2 percentage points in North Carolina. Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight gave Clinton a 59 percent chance of carrying Florida and a 63 percent chance of coming out on top in North Carolina. Trump, who already has spent more of his own money on his campaign than any other presidential candidate, contributed another $10 million, Federal Election Commission reports show. That brings his total to $66.1 million. The polls were taken Oct. 25-26, before the recent announcement that the Federal Bureau of Investigation would look at newly found emails that could relate to Clinton. The surveys of 779 likely voters in Florida and 780 likely voters in North Carolina both had margins of error of 3.5 percentage points. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook TRENTON -- Donald Trump originally chose Gov. Chris Christie as his pick for vice president this summer but withdrew the offer after advisers insisted the Bridgegate scandal would be a political liability, according to a report by the New York Post. Though it had been reported that Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, was initially leaning toward Christie, this was the first time it was reported Trump actually told the New Jersey governor the job was his. Trump had narrowed his search for a running mate to three finalists -- Christie, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, or Indiana Gov. Mike Pence -- about a week before the Republican National Convention in July. A number of Trump's top advisers pushed Trump to pick Pence, saying it would help him unify the fractured party and attract evangelical voters, according to the report, which cites unnamed sources. But Trump and Christie -- who had been friends for years -- had a close relationship. Earlier in the year, Trump, a former Atlantic City casino magnate, even tapped the governor to run his transition team. "Trump cares about who's the most loyal and who kisses his a** the most, not who's the most qualified and what's the best political decision," one source told the Post. "If it was up to him, it would have been Christie." Christie contacted Trump on July 12 to make his case, saying he deserved the spot, a second source told the newspaper. The governor "said all the BS that Trump likes to hear, and Trump said, 'Yeah, sure I'm giving it to you,'" the source added. But Trump's then-campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was unhappy, and when Trump met with Pence in Indiana the next day, Manafort told Trump his plane had a problem, forcing him to spend another day there with Pence, according to the report. Over dinner, Pence made his case, and Trump's advisers argued that the Bridgegate controversy surrounding Christie could hurt the campaign, the report said. The trial examining the matter was scheduled to begin in the weeks before Election Day. "Trump had wanted Christie, but Bridgegate would have been the biggest national story," a third Trump source told the Post. "He'd lose the advantage of not being corrupt." Trump chose Pence in the end, telling Christie it would "tear my family apart if I gave you VP," a source told the newspaper. Brian Murray, a spokesman for Christie's office, deferred comment Sunday to Trump's campaign. Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for the campaign, did not immediately return a message from NJ Advance Media seeking comment. CBS News confirmed Sunday that Trump offered Christie the position before rescinding, also citing unnamed sources. But the outlet said it was Trump's son-in-law, New Jersey native Jared Kushner, who made the final moves to push Christie out. The source said it was because Christie prosecuted Kusher's father, top New Jersey Democratic donor Charles Kushner, when the governor was the state's U.S. attorney in the mid-2000s. Kushner was convicted on charges of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering. Christie told MSNBC in July he was bothered by Trump's decision. "If you're a competitive person, like I am, and you're used to winning, like I am -- again, you don't like coming in second, ever," the governor said. Two of Christie's allies are currently on trial for allegedly shutting down lanes at the George Washington Bridge in a case of political retribution in 2013. The jury begins deliberating Monday. Christie has denied advance knowledge of the plot, though the key witness, former Port Authority executive David Wildstein -- who has pled guilty to masterminding the incident -- testified that he told Christie about the traffic problems it caused while they were going on. On Friday, Trump told Fox News he still has "great confidence" in Christie running his transition team despite Bridgegate, though he added that he has not followed the trial closely. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. WASHINGTON -- Democrats and Republicans switched sides Sunday as aides to Hillary Clinton criticized James Comey and Republicans aligned with Donald Trump praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation director they slammed in July when he said "no reasonable prosecutor" would bring criminal charges against the Democratic nominee. "Director Comey does have, have a long and distinguished record and I think that's why people are particularly puzzled about this letter that was sent to the Hill," Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said on NBC's "Meet the Press." Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence, on the other hand, said on "Fox News Sunday" that it was "important they told the Congress that before this election." Published reports have said the emails were found on a laptop shared by Clinton's top aide, Huma Aberdin, and may be nothing more than duplicates already examined by the FBI, or were not sent or received to the former U.S. secretary of state. They were discovered during an investigation of Abedin's estranged husband, former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), accused of sending sexually explicit text messages to an underage girl. The impact on the election remains to be seen, though the race has been tightening. Clinton led Trump by 4.3 percentage points in the Real Clear Politics poll average and was given a 79 percent chance of winning the election by Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight. In his letter sent Friday to congressional committee chairs and the ranking Democrats of the panels, Comey said the bureau would review the newly discovered emails. He later told FBI employees that "we don't know the significance" of the emails. Hillary and the Dems loved and praised FBI Director Comey just a few days ago. Original evidence was overwhelming, should not have delayed! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2016 "Why would you release information that is so incomplete -- when you haven't even seen the material yourself -- 11 days before an election?" Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, said on ABC's "This Week." "I just have no way of understanding these actions. They're completely unprecedented and that's why I think he owes the American public more information." Mook suggested on Fox that Comey "was under tremendous pressure from Donald Trump and Republican leaders" before Friday's announcement. Trump on Friday called the email controversy "the biggest political scandal since Watergate, and it is everybody's deepest hope that justice, at last, can be delivered." While no one has been indicted in the Clinton case, 48 people pleaded guilty in the Watergate scandal and President Richard Nixon resigned rather than face impeachment and conviction. The Washington Post called Trump's comments an "absurd comparison" and rated the statement its highest level of falsehood. No way HRC emails 'bigger than watergate' -or close. Watergate was about a criminal Potus & 48 aides/co-conspirators found guilty. Carl Bernstein (@carlbernstein) October 29, 2016 Comey's announcement so close to the election violated Justice Department policy, the Washington Post said. And Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence committee, called Comey's action "a terrible error in judgment" on ABC. Even so, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) said on Fox that "there must be something significant" or else Comey wouldn't have said anything. With just 10 days to go, Republicans are pulling out all the stops to try to bring Hillary down. RT this to help get out the facts: pic.twitter.com/xiY0nSy7C6 Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) October 30, 2016 Pence, the governor of Indiana, suggested on NBC that the FBI had a "double standard" for the Clintons when Comey recommended against prosecution, though praised his latest actions. "Millions of Americans are encouraged by the willingness of the FBI simply to say, 'We have new evidence. We're going to inform Congress. We're going to proceed forward,'" Pence said. "We're confident they'll do that in a professional way." While suggesting Abedin release all her emails, Pence said on NBC that Trump would not release his personal income tax returns before the election, making him the first presidential candidate in decades to hide that information from the voters. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook BRIDGEWATER -- A 98-year-old decorated World War II fighter pilot who has lived in the township for 71 years is seeking help from Gov. Chris Christie, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno and presidential candidate Donald Trump to make his final wish a reality. Lt. Colonel Bob Vaucher has sent letters to all three asking they help him preserve a historic 35-acre farm once owned by his best friend, John Wemple. The land is the farm is on is part of a proposed housing development. "With all the things I've done for this township, this is the one thing I'd like to see them do," said Vaucher. "It would be the crowning achievement of my life. It's been my dream to preserve the land of a my friend. That was his wish. We talked about it at the kitchen table for 15 years. The township has the money in its open space fund." Vaucher, who grew up in Somerville, served in the U.S. Army from 1939 to 1946. He flew 117 combat missions in B-17s, B-18s, B-24s and B-29s over the Himalayas, China, Southeast Asia, Mariana Islands and Japan. He served as commander of the U.S. "Show of Force" air armada that flew over the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay as the Japanese signed the formal surrender. In 1945, Vaucher returned home from the war and moved to Bridgewater in 1949. There, he helped establish the township's school district, its mayor/council form of government and its police force. Vaucher and Wemple, who died in 2002, lived across from each other. Bridgewater Mayor Dan Hayes said the township council has twice voted down Vaucher's request to use its open space preservation funds to purchase the land. He said the property - bordered by Foothill Steele Gap and Twin Oak's roads - doesn't have enough strategic value to the township to purchase it. The township has approximately $4 million in its open space fund, Hayes confirmed. It would cost roughly $2.4 million to purchase the property. Vaucher's neighbors fully support preserving the land and have started a petition. "Mr. Vaucher contributions to this township are immeasurable," said Hayes. "I'm personally grateful, but that doesn't transfer into our ability to spend open space funds on this property. We have other properties with a higher priority. I just hope this matter doesn't detract from the contributions he has made to the township." Hayes declined to name the properties that have priority over the land Vaucher wants to preserve. In his letter, Vaucher wrote that he has been trying to preserve the property for the past four years. Wemple had it in his will to that the property remain as open space, but, after his passing, his will was overturned as he and his two witnesses were declared incompetent, Vaucher sai. The land was sold to Steven Lang of East Brunswick, who originally wanted to sell it to a developer, but now wants to sell it back to the township, according to Vaucher. The pair have met with the mayor on several occasions, the mayor confirmed. The township could use the land for passive recreation by local groups such as the boys scouts and girls scouts, said Vaucher. Vaucher said the land includes a carriage path once traveled by George Washington and his troops en route to Morristown during the Revolutionary War and a spring that feeds into the Raritan River. Vaucher said he mailed the letter last week. He said Lt. Gov. Guadagno's office has acknowledged receiving it. "The preservation of this land for the community I truly cherish would complete me," wrote Vaucher, "Won't you please help me preserve this land?" Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close WASHINGTON (AP) The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump. The nine-member panel sent a letter to the former president's lawyers on Friday, demanding his testimony under oath by mid-November and outlining a series of corresponding documents. The decision by lawmakers to exercise their subpoena power comes a week after the committee made its final case against the former president, who they say is the "central cause" of the multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It remains unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to the subpoena, if at all. Council hopefuls to host forum Join the candidates running for the Broken Bow City Council for an informational forum. The forum will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the Broken Bow Municipal Auditorium. For more information, contact the city of Broken Bow at 308-872-5831. Public invited to street meeting The Board of Examiners for County Highway and City Street Superintendents will meet at 10 a.m. on Friday in Room 103, Department of Roads, Central Headquarters Building, 1500 Highway 2, Lincoln. This meeting is open to the public. Democrats to meet Thursday The Lincoln County Democrats are now meeting at Wild Bills Wings and Bowling, 1100 S. Jeffers, in the meeting room. They meet the first Thursday of each month for dinner and a meeting. All Lincoln County Democrats are invited to attend. Dinner is at 6 p.m., followed by the meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday. They will be meeting at 8 p.m. on Nov. 8 for an Election Party at Wild Bills Wings and Bowling. Everyone is welcome. Living Legend will stop in NP Union Pacific Living Legend Steam Locomotive will be stopping overnight in North Platte on Sunday. The Legend will arrive approximately between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. on the tracks next to East Front Street between Chestnut and Poplar streets. The historic steam locomotive is returning to Cheyenne from being in Tennessee. It will be departing at 8 a.m. MDT on Monday. Prior to arriving in North Platte on Sunday, it will pass through Lexington at 2 p.m. by the pedestrian overpass between 202 W. Pacific Ave. and North Lincoln Street. After leaving North Platte on Monday, it will arrive in Ogallala at 9:30 a.m. MDT at the South Spruce Street crossing, leaving at 10 a.m. MDT. It should arrive in Sidney at approximately 11:30 a.m. MDT. Help celebrate adoption with Thankful Hearts Nebraska Childrens Home Society presents Thankful Hearts from 2 to 4 p.m. on Nov. 6. Each year, Thankful Hearts will be at the Holiday Inn Express, 300 Holiday Frontage Road. November is celebrated as National Adoption Awareness Month to recognize individuals and families who have been touched by adoption. Help celebrate children and families, especially those served by NCHS. This is also an opportunity to honor the statewide volunteers of the year, Bart and Kim Schroll of North Platte. The afternoon includes a generous dessert bar, auction and short program highlighting the work of NCHS. Tickets are available for $10 per person or $30 per family at nchs.org, or they can be purchased at any NebraskaLand National Bank Location. All proceeds will benefit children and families served by NCHS. Trash cleanup day at Lake Mac SRA on Nov. 5 Lake McConaughy-area residents are encouraged to participate in a trash cleanup day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 5 at the state recreation area. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is partnering with Keep Keith County Beautiful and Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District for this effort. Commission staff will be headquartered at three locations around the SRA. Each location will provide materials such as trash bags, buckets, pickers and orange vests. UTVs will be used to help transport materials. Each location will have dumpsters, which will be funded by CNPPID. The locations will be: Martin Bay high-water boat ramp parking lot, Cedar Vue lakeside boat ramp parking lot and Vans Lakeview boat ramp parking lot. A park entry permit is required of each vehicle entering the SRA. NPCC hosting Homebuyer Education Class free of charge There will be a Homebuyer Education Class at 9 a.m. on Nov. 12, at North Platte Community Colleges south campus at 601 W. State Farm Road, Room 124. The class is free of charge to Lincoln County residents and will be presented by the Lincoln County Community Development Corporation. The class will teach you when the time is right for you to purchase a home, how to budget before and after you buy a home, the ins and outs of credit issues, how credit affects the purchase of your home, mortgage products, how to find a house to buy, what is a closing, how to protect the investment in your house and the responsibilities of a homeowner. Call 308-534-5095 to register or for information. This project is funded in part by a grant from Nebraska Department of Economic Development and Nebraska Housing Developers Association. Nursing students to host bake sale to benefit injured classmate Nursing students at North Platte Community College will host a bake sale from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday to benefit one of their own, Cassey Lum, who was injured in a motor vehicle accident earlier this month. Cassey was a nursing student in our program and is a respected member of the community, said Lana Albrecht-Watson, nurse educator. Several of our students also know her as a nurse at the hospital, and they wanted to do something to help offset her medical expenses. On the South Campus, they will be set up in the hallway of the Health and Science Center and at the fireplace area in the McDonald-Belton Building. On the North Campus, they will be set up across from the Welcome Center in the W.W. Wood Building. All of the proceeds will go to Lum. Boats, trailers must be moved from city streets by Nov. 1 According to North Platte city ordinance, During the months of November, December, January, February and March of every calendar year, it shall be unlawful for any person owning or being in custody or control of the boat or trailer to park or leave standing on the streets of the city any boat, boat trailer, pontoon or pontoon trailer, except for the purposes of loading and unloading, and then only for the length of time necessary to load or unload the boat or trailer. This ordinance goes into effect on Nov. 1. The city also reminds the public that vehicles parked on city streets need to be at least 30 feet away from stop signs and 15 feet away from crosswalks. There is also a 72-hour maximum time limit when parking on city streets unless otherwise posted. Nebraska voters have a chance to decide the oft-discussed matter of the death penalty. The Nebraska Legislature voted in 2015 in favor of a bill (LB 268) to repeal the death penalty as a means of punishment for the crime of first-degree murder and replace it with life in prison without parole. That action was vetoed by Gov. Pete Ricketts and the Legislature overrode his veto. Thus came a referendum ordered by petition of the people, designated for the ballot as Referendum No. 426. For the record, a referendum is the process by which the repeal or approval of an existing statute or state constitutional provision is voted upon. Such referenda are placed on the ballot by a required number of voter signatures on a petition filed with the secretary of state. That has led to what might seem to be confusing language for voters. As the Nebraska attorney general explains it: A vote to retain will eliminate the death penalty and change the maximum penalty for the crime of murder in the first degree to life imprisonment by retaining Legislative Bill 268, passed in 2015 by the First Session of the 104th Nebraska Legislature. Likewise, A vote to repeal will keep the death penalty as a possible penalty for the crime of murder in the first degree by repealing Legislative Bill 268, passed in 2015 by the First Session of the 104th Nebraska Legislature. How do you avoid the confusion? It would seem that retaining would mean keeping the death penalty and repealing would mean getting rid of it. But remember, the vote deals with the action of the Legislature. So retaining their action (abolition of the death penalty) would keep it off the books. Repealing their action (abolition of the death penalty) would restore it as a form of punishment. The Nebraska Legislature debated the issue for 26 years, both in the Judiciary Committee and before the full voting body in the George W. Norris legislative chambers. The abolition had passed several times only to be vetoed by various governors. A federal stay on the death penalty was in effect for a few years. But it was in 2015 when the bill passed, was vetoed, and the veto was overridden. In the midst of the years of discussion, Nebraska executed three men in the electric chair. The first was Harold Lamont Wili Otey on Sept. 2, 1994. Then came John Joubert on July 17, 1996. Robert E. Williams was the last to be executed in Nebraska on Dec. 2, 1997. Execution threat saves trial costs, deters murder The death penalty is a just punishment imposed in our state only for the most heinous crimes committed by the most depraved criminals. We are careful here, and we impose the death penalty only in the most extreme cases. Thats as it should be. We should keep the death penalty on the books for those cases. Opponents of the death penalty frequently point to costs, but their cost claims are beyond belief and ignore cost savings. The study by Ernie Goss doesnt look like a study at all. It looks like a four-color glossy promotional piece. Thats not surprising. Goss was paid $16,000 by an anti-death-penalty group to produce it. Goss claims Nebraska spends an extra $14.6 million annually on the death penalty. No one in the criminal justice system confirms Goss number. The Legislatures Fiscal Office said there would be no cost savings from repealing the death penalty. Goss mathematically produced estimate has no relationship to reality in our state. The opponents ignore cost savings from having the death penalty on the books. One recent example occurred in Buffalo and Hall counties, where a man shot and killed his ex-wife at her home. Next he drove to Grand Island and shot his former lawyer to death. He was charged with first-degree murder in both cases. The killer agreed to plead guilty to first-degree murder in both counties in exchange for the Hall County attorneys agreement not to seek the death penalty. (The death penalty had not been sought in Buffalo County.) Because the death penalty was on the books, the costs of two first-degree murder trials, and a number of likely appeals, were avoided altogether. Other states have working drug protocols and our state can too. Nebraskas current protocol was selected because it was the protocol of the federal government. Now its the federal government that is preventing Nebraska from obtaining the drugs. But we can change our protocol to a process that has worked elsewhere. With strong support for the death penalty at the polls, we will. Then theres the claim that life means life. It doesnt. Three years ago the Pardons Board commuted the life sentence of a Nebraska man who had been convicted of first-degree murder. He was promptly paroled. Several months later he was back in prison for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl. Then, too, some of the people who piously claim that life means life are themselves working to end life sentences. Through legislation and the courts, comrades of death penalty opponents are trying to eliminate life sentences. Thats the next objective. Numerous studies demonstrate the deterrent effect of the death penalty, not only when it is carried out, but when the sentence is issued. Death penalty opponents dislike these studies because of their clear implication: If we have good reason to believe that the death penalty deters murder, then it is not just morally permissible, it is morally compelled, because it saves innocent lives. Law enforcement overwhelmingly supports the death penalty. The Nebraska Sheriffs Association supports Nebraskans for the Death Penalty and 51 sheriffs from across the state recently reaffirmed their support for the death penalty. The support of the law enforcement community means a lot. We should protect those who protect us. The death penalty is a just punishment, sparingly applied, as it should be. The voters have exercised their constitutional right to vote on this serious issue. To keep the death penalty, vote Repeal. Voting to repeal the Legislatures repeal will keep the death penalty on the books in Nebraska. Bob Evnen Co-founder, Nebraskans for the Death Penalty Time to retire unworkable penalty We are former Nebraska judges united in our call to retain LB 268, which was passed by the Nebraska Legislature in 2015 repealing the states death penalty and leaving in place life imprisonment. Each of us is intimately familiar with our states legal system, and committed to seeing it function in an effective manner that protects Nebraskans. Our legal experience has led us to conclude that the death penalty is an unworkable and failed policy. In the four decades since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, states have tinkered with death penalty statutes, repeatedly promising that they can fix them. The evidence is clear that they cannot. Here is the reason why: You cannot design an efficient system of capital punishment, which delivers punishment swiftly, while also avoiding the risk of executing the innocent. States that hold onto the death penalty end up with a government program that fails on both these fronts it is inefficient and makes mistakes. The death penalty prolongs and adds uncertainty to the legal process, often harming murder victims families. More death sentences are overturned than end in an execution. For those few death sentences ending in an execution, the average wait between conviction and execution is over 15 years, and sometimes much longer (as we have seen in Nebraska). Despite promises to the contrary, politicians cannot dramatically expedite this process. Because of past mistakes, death penalty cases must go through a complex federal appeals process, which state lawmakers cant change. Death penalty cases thus force murder victims families to endure a prolonged and uncertain legal process. For them, the death penalty is a false promise. The death penalty wastes resources that should go to measures that actually reduce crime. Death penalty cases are more complex, take more time, require more lawyers and therefore cost more money. There is no valid evidence that the money spent on the death penalty impacts murder rates. It is imperative, then, to dedicate our law enforcement dollars to measures that unlike the death penalty actually reduce crime. The death penalty puts innocent lives at risk of execution. As judges, we strove to ensure that the innocent were protected and the guilty held accountable. At the same time, we recognize that judges and others in the criminal justice system are fallible. It is simply too much to expect perfection in any human institution which is what the death penalty demands, since it is impossible to bring back the wrongfully executed. The over 155 death row exonerations nationwide, and wrongful convictions of the Beatrice 6 here in Nebraska, make clear that the death penalty should have no place in our fallible justice system. The Nebraska Legislature recognized the problems inherent in capital punishment and a bipartisan super majority wisely voted to end it. It is important to respect and retain this decision, and not bring back a costly and broken government program. Judge William Connolly Nebraska Supreme Court justice, retired 22 years on the Supreme Court bench Judge Stephen A. Davis District judge, retired 20 years on the bench in Douglas County Judge Sandra L. Dougherty District judge, retired 10 years on the bench in Douglas County Judge Patrick Mullen District judge, retired 28 years on district bench in Douglas County Judge Ronald Reagan District judge, retired 32 years on the bench in Sarpy County, sentenced John Joubert to death Judge John Hartigan District judge, retired 20 years on district bench in Douglas County Judge Merritt C. Warren District judge, retired 22 years on district bench in Knox County WASHINGTON Americans in the health insurance markets created by President Barack Obama's law will have less choice next year than any time since the program started, a new county-level analysis for The Associated Press has found. The analysis by AP and consulting firm Avalere Health found that about one-third of U.S. counties will have only one health marketplace insurer next year. That's more than 1,000 counties in 26 states roughly double the number of counties in 2014, the first year of coverage through the program. With insurance notices for 2017 in the mail, families are already facing difficult choices, even weighing whether to stay covered. "At this point we are at a loss," said Ryan Robinson of Phoenix. "We don't know what the next step is." He and his wife, Nicole, only have plans from one insurer available next year, and the company doesn't appear to cover an expensive immune-system medication for their 11-year-old daughter. Phoenix is the market hardest hit by insurer exits, shrinking from eight carriers to one. With many other communities affected, however, the problem of dwindling choice may create even bigger political headaches than the rising premiums announced earlier this week. Largely as a result of the Affordable Care Act, the nation's uninsured rate has dropped to a historically low level, less than 9 percent. But the program hasn't yet found stable footing, and it remains politically divisive. Insurer participation rose in 2015 and 2016, only to plunge this year. Dwindling choice could be a trickier issue than rising premiums for the Obama administration and advocates of the 2010 law, including Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Most customers get financial assistance, and their subsidies are designed to rise along with premiums, which are increasing an average of 25 percent in states served by HealthCare.gov. But there is no comparable safety valve for disruptions caused by insurers bailing out. "Rising premiums get all of the political attention, but lack of choice between insurers could be a bigger problem for consumers," said Caroline Pearson, a senior vice president with Avalere. Five states Alaska, Alabama, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wyoming have one participating insurer across their entire jurisdictions. Only Wyoming and South Carolina had faced that predicament this year. Another eight states Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada and Tennessee have only one participating insurer in a majority of counties. Citing big financial losses, several marquee insurers sharply scaled back their participation for next year. United Healthcare exited from more than 1,800 counties, and maintains only a minuscule presence, according to the analysis. Humana nearly halved the number of counties where it offers plans. Insurers say enrollment was disappointing, patients were sicker than expected, and an internal system to help stabilize premiums didn't work well. The Obama administration says insurers are correcting for initially pricing their plans too low. HealthCare.gov has taken steps to help consumers whose insurer is leaving by matching them to the closest comparable plan on the marketplace next year. Administration officials also point out that many private employers offer workers just one plan. The upheaval in the health insurance markets has consumers scrambling to figure out options. Sign-up season starts Nov. 1 and ends Jan. 31. In Phoenix, Ryan and Nicole Robinson are at the epicenter of the health law's latest troubles. Maricopa County has seen the most insurers bail out, and premiums for a benchmark plan are spiking 145 percent next year, beyond any other major market on HealthCare.gov. Ryan Robinson, who works in sales for an out-of-state health care company, said the family's premium will go from $821 to $1,489. It's more than their mortgage and they don't qualify for an income-based subsidy. But what the Robinsons most worry about is that neither of their daughter's two medications appears to be covered by the remaining insurer. That includes an immune-system drug costing about $5,000 a month. The Obama administration says consumers in such situations can seek an exception. "The law guarantees access to necessary prescriptions, even if they aren't on a formulary, through an exceptions process," said spokesman Aaron Albright. The pay is relatively good, the number of open positions plentiful. Any able-bodied worker willing to don a hardhat and complete some training should be able to land a construction job, according to industry research. Government data shows that average hourly earnings for construction jobs increased 2.8 percent in August 2016 from a year earlier to an average of $28.22 per hour, better than the 2.4 percent jump to $25.73 for all other nonfarm jobs, notes economist Kenneth Simonson, chief economist of The Associated General Contractors of America. Its the availability of trained workers that is causing the acute construction labor shortage, notes Simonson: Two-thirds of its members cant find plumbers, carpenters, electricians and a host of other hourly craft positions, according to a new AGC survey. In the scramble to hire workers to build new homes and other projects in the recovering economy, the AGC and other construction related groups have banded together to push for changes like more vocational training in high schools. But the need is immediate, and the building business has also constructed websites where aspiring trade workers might find path to employment. The Website NCCER.org has a Find a Training or Assessment Center tab allowing search for training by location and type of job, like masonry, welding or carpentry. For instance, by inputting Alabama and carpenter on that tab leads to a page for the Construction Education Foundation of Alabama, which offers training programs for 14 different types of trades. Another initiative of NCCER is Build Your Future at www.byf.org, which contains job openings, training requirements and salaries, as well as a career path which shows how workers can advance in a particular trade or profession. Still, according to an AGC report, given that government support for career education isnt adequate and anti-trust laws inhibit many firms from banding together to offer paid internships, theres not enough help for aspiring workers. Mitchell Conti is happy to be tying the knot daily during one of the wackiest and beloved theatrical weddings around. Conti, of Chicago, stars as Tony Nunzio in Tony n Tinas Wedding, continuing through Dec. 30 at Resurrection Church and Vinnie Blacks Colosseum in Chicago. I definitely feel the weight on my shoulders, said Conti, adding that stepping into the role of Tony in the popular interactive theatrical production was a rewarding yet challenging experience. Tony n Tinas Wedding is finally back in the Windy City after leaving town in 2009. The interactive dinner theater show is a hilarious production set in the environment of an Italian wedding during the 1980s. The original Tony n Tinas Wedding began Off-Broadway in New York during the 80s. It later enjoyed a 16-year run at Chicagos Pipers Alley. Its a blast, Conti said, about bringing the beloved bridegroom back to life in the Windy City. I never had the opportunity to see Tony n Tinas Wedding before, said Conti, who has been doing interactive theater for the past four years. Conti said his fellow cast members are great to work with. Hes even friends with the productions Tina. The actress that plays Tina (Vitale) and I went to college together. So, weve got our own history, he said. Tina is portrayed by Hannah Aaron Brown. During Tony n Tinas Wedding, guests attend a ceremony held at Resurrection Church and then head down the block for a reception at Vinnie Blacks Colosseum housed inside Chicago Theater Works. An Italian-style pasta dinner is featured and dancing is also in the spotlight. Guests will feel like theyre really at a wedding during this shindig. Attendees have the opportunity to interact with assorted characters of all types who are part of the Nunzio and Vitale families as well as other attendees if they see fit. Interactive theater is a different experience, Conti said. Youre not just going to a theater with stadium seating (and just sitting there). There are activities, funny situations, sing-alongs and even a brawl happening throughout the show and guests can take part whenever theyd like. If youre an audience member who wants to jump in and be a part of it, you can, he said. If thats not what youre interested in doing, though, youll never be pressured. While there is a script for the show, Conti said because there are always different audience members, the show will change slightly from night to night. When it comes to interacting with people in the audience, Conti said he wants to make them feel comfortable talking to me. Conti encourages theatergoers to check out the production whether theyre fans of interactive theater or not. Come and celebrate and watch the craziness unfold. Take a look, its in a book and on a computer, tablet and phone: A Reading Rainbow. More than three decades after the program to encourage reading among children first aired on PBS, the shows longtime host, LeVar Burton, is now focusing his efforts to promote literacy in the digital realm. This gets us to more access, Burton said. Reaching every child, everywhere. Reading Rainbow was produced for television from 1983 to 2006 and became an iPad app in 2012. But Burton credits a successful 2014 Kickstarter campaign as a key point in the shows revival. As a result of the Kickstarter, we were able to bring the entire library service over to the web and develop a product specifically for teachers to use in the classroom, Burton said. The 105,857 backers who pledged a total of $5.4 million through the crowd-funding site set a record at the time for the most individual contributors. Seth MacFarlane, the TV and movie writer-producer-actor whose credits include Ted and Family Guy, added another $1 million. It was really a peoples movement, Burton said. And that was pretty humbling to see in action how much people loved Reading Rainbow and wanted to see it continue, wanted to see it go on and have a similar impact for a whole new generation of kids. As an actor who starred on seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation, followed by four movies featuring the same character, Burton is a regular at science fiction conventions around the country, but he said many fans both parents and children want to talk about Reading Rainbow just as much as Star Trek. Burtons next stop will be MegaCon Tampa Bay, which runs this Friday to Sunday. Hell be there Saturday and Sunday. The Reading Rainbow Skybrary is a subscription service that includes an interactive library of 1,000 digital books and 250 video field trips. The service was initially geared toward families, but the Kickstarter campaign funded the development of a program designed for teachers to use in their classrooms. The paid service includes 26 weeks worth of handouts, lesson plans and a teacher dashboard, and the Kickstarter contributions led to thousands of free subscriptions for needy schools. Jennifer Evans, who teaches fifth grade at Rod Kelley Elementary School in Gilroy, California, has been using Skybrary School since last fall, before its official release earlier this year. She said its a great tool that allows her students to find books that interest them at their reading level. The best thing for me is that I feel like its good-quality literature, Evans said There are other programs on the market right now where its like one person wrote 300 books just because they wanted a specific (reading) level, and its not real authors writing real books. Skybrary is real published literature that is now in an electronic format. A variety of narrators, including Burton himself, read the books to the students while interactive icons and graphics move across the screen to help students get more interested, Evans said. Despite the changes and updates to the new online version of Reading Rainbow, Burton said the core idea of bringing children and books together remains the same. One of Burtons first major television roles was in the 1977 mini-series, Roots, which was based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alex Haley. The mini-series and book both tell the story of an African teen who was captured in the 18th century and sold into slavery in the United States. The show and book are widely credited with stimulating interest in African-American history. It was the Roots experience that really showed me how powerful the medium could be to the purpose, Burton said. And so when the idea for Reading Rainbow was pitched to me... the idea to do the counterintuitive, to use the medium of television to steer kids back in the direction of literature, it was fascinating to me. And that format still works for some teachers. Barbara Phillips, who teaches second grade at Monroe Elementary School in Monroe, Ohio, continues to show the old Reading Rainbow episodes to her students to supplement her lesson plans. Even though theyre not the best production quality, the content is still relevant to today, Phillips said. The simple, predictable format of the old episodes keeps children focused, Phillips said. And she pointed out the shows iconic theme song is just as catchy as it was 30 years ago. Theres nothing like that Reading Rainbow song, Phillips said. Even todays kids, theres something about that song that draws them in. The kids know that tune when it starts, and when its over, theyre humming and singing it. The new Reading Rainbow is still growing. A Spanish version of the program is being developed for next year, and a universal app is set to release next month, bringing the Skybrary from computers and tablets all the way down to smartphones. Those looking for an experience where they can immerse themselves in history will want to take a trip to Indianapolis in November. Its there that they will travel back to the year 1836 and assume the role of fugitive slaves seeking freedom on the Underground Railroad through the state. This isnt a trip for everyone. Participants walk through rough terrain in all kinds of weather, are told to keep their eyes focused downward and be spoken to in an abrupt manner. In the end, however, they will be rewarded with a powerful experience that gives them a unique perspective on what they may only know through textbooks. Follow the North Star is an award-winning, participatory museum theater experience in Fishers, located in the northeast suburbs of Indianapolis. The program demonstrates the wide-ranging social attitudes toward African-Americans in pre-Civil War Indiana, says Duane Brodt, director of public relations of Conner Prairie Interactive History Park. The program, which debuted at Conner Prairie in 1998, is geared toward students, though a program for the general public is offered in November and April. More than 35,000 guests, including more than 22,000 students age 12 and older, have participated during the last six years. The program has earned national awards from the American Association of Museums and American Association for State and Local History. Guests are slaves brought north by their owner, who decides to sell them at an illegal nighttime auction in the woods, Brodt said. Throughout their 90-minute ordeal through the historic grounds of Conner Prairie, they capitalize on multiple opportunities to escape but must avoid slave traders and choose whether to trust sympathizers. None of the horrors or atrocities of slavery is depicted, and no vulgar language is used, Brodt said. However, participants are forced out of their comfort zones for a realistic historical re-creation. Follow the North Star is a drama and guests are the characters, Brodt said. The intent of the program aligns with Conner Prairies mission to immerse guests through hands-on experiences that lead to a much higher level of learning than takes place from studying a textbook or watching a documentary. The program ends as guests encounter a visionary who shares his or her eventual fate some are tortured, others captured, some die and a few find freedom, he said. A debriefing session allows participants to share their feelings, ask questions and learn more about Indianas role in the Underground Railroad, he said. After the program, facilitators and guests discuss raising awareness about the history of race relations and race-based slavery, Brodt said. The entire experience lasts about 1 hour and 45 minutes, and takes about 50 staff members and volunteers to run the night program. Participants must be age 12 or older, and should dress accordingly because it is an outdoor event. If those attending wish to be witnesses and not participants, they may wear a white headband, which identifies them to the actors as witnesses only, Brodt said. The fall 2016 fall public program will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 3-5, 10-12 and 17-19. Tours begin every 15 minutes starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for nonmembers and $17 for members, and may be purchased online at connerprairie.org or by calling (317) 776-6000. The former corporate chef for Francescas Restaurants Group in Chicago is now cooking at Mio Modo Trattoria, a family-style Italian restaurant with a full bar in Merrillville. Martin Ontiveros and longtime local restaurant veteran Norma Herrera opened the upscale eatery in the strip mall at 40 W. 80th Place, northwest of the intersection of Broadway and U.S. 30. She hopes to serve a well-educated clientele. Mio Modo is Italian for my way, and it reflects the change in direction for Ontiberos, who had worked for Francescas for 25 years and ended up as head corporate chef for a group that operates 23 Francescas Restaurants, five Davanti Enoteca, and five Glazed and Infused locations across a span of four states. This is my passion, he said. Ive been working on this all my life. Mio Modo Trattoria joins a number of high-end Italian restaurants in Northwest Indiana, including Gambo Ristorante in Merrillville, Ciao Bella Ristorante in Schererville, Cafe Borgia in Munster, Giovannis Restaurant in Munster, Sage Restaurant in Valparaiso, Venice Italian Steakhouse in Dyer, and Lucrezia Italian Ristorante in Crown Point and Chesterton. More and more Italian restaurants have opened in recent years, including Little Italy in Dyer and Carrabas Italian Grill in Schererville. I wanted to do an Italian restaurant, and met an awesome Italian chef, Herrera said. So we decided to do something together. Its high-end family dining. Its unique, modern Italian. Ontiveros makes pasta from scratch for Mio Modo, which employs about 10 workers and has modern decor. The trattoria seats about 100, with private rooms that can accommodate up to 20 guests. Herrera said Mio Modo has a romantic ambiance thats suitable for dates and celebrating special occasions. The menu includes entrees like ravioli con ricotta, cavatapi bolognese, and linguini frutti del mare with shrimp, scallops, clam, mussels and calimari in marinara sauces. Ontiveros is especially fond of seafood pastas. Prices are in the $15 range. The wine list is short but well-curated, Herrera said. Its authentic. Its real Italian, she said. Everything is so fresh. We make our own sauces and dressings every morning. Nothing is left from the day before. He has all his own recipes. Hes a genius. Mio Modo Trattoria is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. For more information, call (219) 525-4084. LAPORTE LaPorte County voters will be selecting two candidates for the Board of Commissioners. District 2 David Decker, a Democrat, of Hamlet, is the incumbent. He said his top priority is to create a countywide committee to address the heroin epidemic in LaPorte County. He would like to get doctors, hospitals and other health-care providers together to develop ideas and solutions. He also would like to get the Kingsbury Industrial Park up and running. Richard Mrozinski, a Republican, from LaPorte, has previously served on the LaPorte County Council. He said economic development would be his top priority. He would like to consider reestablishing the LaPorte County Economic Development Alliance to improve development opportunities across the county. He also would like to find a use for the LaPorte County Home. District 3 Vidya Kora, a Democrat, of Michigan City, is the incumbent. Among his top priorities is economic development through the county Office of Economic Development. He said he would like to see the county improve infrastructure, especially transportation. He also would like to coordinate activities with other stakeholders to address opioid abuse and low birth-weight babies. Dennis Metheny, a Republican, of Michigan City, is a former Coolspring Township trustee. He said his top priority would be road repair, striping, maintenance and rebuilding. He would like to create a plan to entice other states businesses, whether theyre from Illinois or the East Coast, to locate in LaPorte County. Mike Willie Beamer Walker, a Libertarian, of Michigan City, is seeking office for the first time. He said his first priority is giving back to the community and rebuilding the local communities. The county needs to start offering weekend activities and functions for younger generations, he said. Lora Saczawa doesnt want to see any more people die. At times, it feels like shes a member of a bomb squad, with the final seconds ticking away on an explosive device. Lives are literally on the line. Saczawa, of Calumet Township, runs a Facebook group called NWI Addiction and Help Group. Shes often the first person families of local drug addicts reach out to for assistance. Sometimes she cant help them. Since last weekend, shes been attempting to get a heroin user from LaPorte into treatment. A local detox center was full. A safety-net rehab center had a two-week wait to get in. Its a familiar routine for anyone who has tried to find drug treatment for a loved one in Northwest Indiana: waiting lists, insurance issues, long travel distances. Its a nightmare whenever I get a call from someone wanting help, said Saczawa, who started the group after dealing with her own sons addiction to heroin (he finally got clean after being sent to prison). Either they end up going to the hospital and saying they have chest pain or are suicidal and they have to keep them for 72 hours, or they try home-detoxing, or they go back to using. Saczawa has even taken to offering tips on Facebook for people who have to withdraw from opioids from home: stay hydrated, eat crackers to keep food in your stomach, take Imodium for the diarrhea, use over-the-counter sleep medication for the inevitable trouble sleeping, listen to music to give your brain something to focus on. With Northwest Indiana, like the rest of the United States, facing an epidemic of opioid overdose deaths, more Region residents are acutely in need of substance abuse treatment than perhaps ever before. Since the beginning of this year in Lake County, 36 people have died from heroin overdoses and another nine lost their lives to fentanyl, an opioid 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin that is often mixed in or sold in place of the drug. In addition, 28 people have died from opioids in Porter County, while LaPorte County loses about 15 to 20 residents to opioids annually. Experts say its difficult, but not impossible, to find help locally; its particularly hard if the addict has little or no health insurance, which often is the case. One thing is certain: The supply for treatment is not keeping up with the demand for it. The harsh reality is theres way more help needed than there is help available, said Kevin Glisic, executive director of Moraine House, a Valparaiso halfway house for recovering addicts. Were a 13-bed facility, and if we had 50 beds, theyd be full tomorrow. Jails, hospitals pick up slack With the public resources for substance abuse treatment not meeting the need, it has fallen on local jails to become de facto detox and drug rehab facilities. The Porter County Jail, for instance, has multiple programs: one of the traditional, 12-step variety; another, called therapeutic community, that is more intensive and teaches life skills; and a therapeutic community with a spiritual element called the God Pod. On any given day, a quarter of the jails 430 inmates are in drug treatment. Porter County Sheriff David Reynolds says the recidivism rate for jail inmates who complete the programs are significantly lower than the overall national average. Our position is theyre in here for six, nine months, to a year; why not make an attempt to straighten them out? he said. So when they get out theyre not breaking into somebodys car or house or stealing somebodys credit card. Opioid users often show up at local hospital emergency rooms asking for detox only to be denied, because insurance doesnt cover the service. But many addicts know a workaround: to say theyre suicidal. That way, the hospitals psych wards have to observe the patients for three days and, while theyre there, give them medications that ease withdrawal symptoms. We do our best with detoxing and, understand, we dont really have the medications to detox people from opiates, said Jake Messing, director of behavioral health services at St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago. We use what we can use and do the best we can. Messing says his unit refers patients to treatment, but whether they go depends on the motivation of the addict. He often encounters drug users who dont want to travel or pay a minimal amount of money to get help, when they drove dozens of miles and spent hundreds to thousands of dollars a week to support their habits. Sometimes theyll say, Ive been clean for three days. Im good to go. I dont really need your help, Messing said. That presents another problem: Opioid addicts who undergo detox are considered opioid-naive, meaning they have low tolerances for the drug. So if they go and ingest the same amount of the substance theyd been using previously, theyre at increased risk for an overdose. Messing said he has had patients die from heroin shortly after being released from his unit. One of the things we do, unintentionally, is kill people, he said at a recent forum on drug treatment in Northwest Indiana. This is why the Lake and Porter county jails are looking into giving opioid-addicted inmates, upon their release, Vivitrol, a shot that reduces the cravings for and blocks the high from opioids for 30 days. Inmates who graduate from the Indiana Department of Corrections therapeutic community programs are already offered Vivitrol (the DOC also plans to next year start providing prisoners with medication-assisted therapy like buprenorphine brand name Suboxone during their stays). Users turn to safety-net clinics Addicts who are uninsured or on Medicaid generally have to turn to community mental health centers for help. In Northwest Indiana, there are four: Merrillville-based Regional Mental Health Center, Edgewater Behavioral Health Services in Gary, Porter-Starke Services in Valparaiso and Swanson Center in Michigan City. The only one with residential drug treatment is Regional, and the waiting list to get in is often weeks long. The mental health center has 18-state funded beds where addicts come from around Indiana and stay for about a month, as well as another seven to 14 beds for local residents whose average stay is about 14 days. When Indiana expanded Medicaid under Obamacare in early 2015, Regional and other community mental health centers saw an influx of newly insured patients seeking substance abuse treatment. Weve had an explosion in demand for those services over the last year and a half, said Regional President Bob Krumwied. We are struggling to find the workforce to enable us to expand. Krumwied said he could afford to hire four to six more substance abuse therapists, but universities simply arent graduating them. Drug counselors, because they have so many patients on public insurance, have traditionally been among the lowest paid in their profession. A recent increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates, and a law requiring insurers to cover substance abuse care at the same level as physical care, could eventually help reverse this trend. Indiana has the fourth-largest shortage of substance abuse specialists in the country, according to the Pew Research Center. The increase in insured Americans is also why, in part, several new for-profit rehab centers have been popping up in the Region (Recovery Works, a 42-bed facility in Merrillville, is set to open this week). Many of those, however, do not accept public insurance. Overall, the majority of treatment facilities in the Region just have outpatient services, mostly due to insurers prohibition on paying for long-term residential care. There also are an increasing number of doctors offering medication-assisted treatment, namely Suboxone, a drug that blocks opioid withdrawal symptoms as well as cravings for the drug. The combination of medication and counseling or support groups is how many local opioid addicts get their lives back in order. The state tried to get people out of inpatient and get them functioning, said Carmen Arlt, program director of the Porter-Starke Services Recovery Center in Valparaiso, which offers methadone and counseling. Thats the whole idea of medication-assisted treatment: People are able to stay at home, engaged with their families, keep their jobs. With the help of Narcotics Anonymous and support groups, they do well. Loved ones struggle to find help David Lee, the founder of Lowell-based Heartland Recovery Center, says treatment is available, but addicts loved ones, who are usually the ones searching for help, dont always know where to look. Within 100 yards of my center, I would venture to guess there are 50 homes, he said. If anybody in those homes did a search online for drug or alcohol rehab, it wouldnt show up at all. They would think the only treatment options are in Florida or California. There really is no central repository of treatment providers in Northwest Indiana. But Lee says rehab centers like his have an invisible list of places they can refer to. I would say 95 percent of the people who walk in our door or call, no matter what their financial situation, were able to place them or find them an option within 24 hours, he said. The bigger issue, he said, is the willingness of the addict, whose temporary crisis say, getting kicked out by a spouse may have subsided in a day. Opioid addicts also often return to using because the withdrawal is so severe. Its been described as the flu on steroids. Noah Back, of South Haven, didnt know where to turn when he discovered his son was hooked on heroin. He called drug abuse hotlines and the county courthouse, but didnt get anywhere. He tried to force his son into treatment, but learned that Indiana isnt among the states where parents can involuntarily commit adult children to rehab. He wasnt even sure where to go for support. He finally met a former user, who told him his sons addiction would end in one of three ways: recovery, jail or six feet under. Jared Back died of an overdose 10 years ago Saturday. He was 25. The graveyard hes buried in, there are five other people buried there who he associated with, said Back, who now attends a support group for loved ones of addicts the first and third Friday of the month at the Porter library. They were all heroin deaths. Can you imagine that? Political support increasing In 2014, Indiana was tied with Arizona and Missouri for the 15th-highest drug overdose death rate in the country, with 18.2 people dying from overdoses for every 100,000 inhabitants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite the need, Indiana spent just $10.3 million on substance abuse in 2013, ranking it 37th out of the 47 states that submitted data to a Pew Research Center study. For comparisons sake, Illinois ranked eighth, spending $86 million in 2013. Ironically, many Northwest Indiana residents who cant find or afford treatment here end up getting it in Illinois because of that states more robustly funded drug treatment system. But more state resources could be on the way in Indiana. With the opioid crisis reaching epidemic proportions, increasing funding for treatment has bipartisan support. So does the idea that addiction should be treated like a disease rather than punished. Last year, Gov. Mike Pence, a Republican, formed a drug abuse task force that has been holding meetings across the state and will release its final recommendations in December. Both gubernatorial candidates, Democrat John Gregg and Republican Eric Holcomb, support a boost in treatment funding. State Sen. Jim Merritt, R-Indianapolis, said next years legislative session should see a bevy of proposals for tackling Indianas substance abuse crisis. Some of his ideas include expanding the Recovery Works jail diversion program from just felons to those convicted of misdemeanors, giving local governments more discretion to start needle exchanges, making drug felons eligible for food stamps, auditing state prisons, hospitals and treatment centers to find out where rehab beds could be added and offering grant opportunities for local treatment programs. Merritt hasnt determined the financial impact of his proposals but said: Its not going to be cheap. An exhausting ordeal Four years ago, Casey Martino decided he was sick of watching his mom cry. He was born with a spinal deformity and prescribed pain pills from an early age. In his late teens, he started abusing them. He tried to get into treatment but couldnt afford it. So, he says, he locked himself in a room, ignoring all his using buddies, for three weeks. Even though quitting cold turkey was extremely difficult, he considers himself lucky. Since he got clean, Martino has lost 10 people he knows to drug overdoses, mostly heroin. If there was more treatment, I think a lot of my friends would still be here, said Martino, 35, of Hammond. A lot of them were crying out for help but didnt know where to get it. Bonnie Pugh, of Chesterton, is still trying to help her two adult sons get sober, seven years into their addictions to heroin. She has run into waiting lists, insurance denials and facilities that charge $30,000 a month. She has gotten them into short-term detox, but theyd start using again right after they got out. Theyve tried Suboxone and sober-living houses and treatment programs behind bars, but nothing worked. Pugh wishes there were more long-term treatment facilities around. She says heroin addicts like her sons need acute rehab of a kind thats hard to find in the Region. I had always hoped as time went on, with more awareness and more people knowing we had this huge heroin epidemic, that more treatment and options would come up, she said. That has just not happened. CROWN POINT Lake County will make history this fall. Democrat Marissa McDermott asks voters to make her the first female Lake Circuit Court judge. Her opponent, Republican Douglas M. Grimes, is campaigning to become the first black Lake Circuit Court judge. The circuit court presides over thousands of civil disputes ranging from constitutional matters and elections to domestic law. It is the only countywide judicial office remaining in partisan politics, separate from the Lake Superior Court, where merit selection of judges reigns. Grimes graduated from the Howard University School of Law in 1968 and has been practicing law for 45 years. He served as Gary City Court judge from 1979 to 1983. McDermott attended the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and went to law school at Notre Dame, where she met her future husband, Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr.. They graduated in May 2000. Since then, she has held a private law practice specializing in employment law. She also has been a public defender in the Lake Superior Court. Grimes said, What I hope to accomplish is bringing integrity and equal treatment under the law. I would determine how I could improve the office. I will look at the caseload and get as much statistical data as to whether I would need to take steps to reduce any backlog. McDermott scored a 38,266-to-22,978 upset in the May primary over incumbent Democratic Lake Circuit Court Judge George C. Paras in her first run for public office. Hundreds of county lawyers in an anonymous poll gave Marissa McDermott the edge in judicial skills over Paras and Grimes. McDermott made the Lake Circuit Court backlog a major issue in the spring campaign. She said this fall she will reduce it and consult with the Lake County Bar Association about other needed court improvements. County recorder, coroner, surveyor In another county government race, Lake County Recorder Mike Brown is looking for a second term as keeper of property records. Brown defeated four opponents in last springs Democratic primary and faces St. John Republican Gerald Swets. Brown said he wants to finish the work of modernizing his office. Swets, of St. John, works in information technology sales. He has campaigned to bring more technology to make the offices record keeping more efficient. Lake County Coroner Merrilee Frey and Surveyor Bill Emerson Jr. are running unopposed this year to win re-election to second terms. The coroner investigates the cause of questionable deaths. The surveyor administers the countys geographic information databases and oversees storm water and drainage ditches. LAPORTE Voters in LaPorte County will be asked to choose between several candidates when they head to the polls. Circuit Court Clerk Deborah Vance, a Republican, of Michigan City, said her top priority would be organizing the office and making it customer friendly so taxpayers get service with a smile. Kathleen Chroback, a Democrat, of LaPorte, did not return calls for comment. County Auditor Joie Winski, a Democrat, from Michigan City, is running unopposed. County Recorder Barbara Dean, a Democrat from Rolling Prairie, said she would work to put old records of the county commissioners on the countys website and look into whether information could be stored in a digital cloud. She previously served as recorder from 2001 to 2008. Earl Cunningham, a Republican from LaPorte, said he would like to make the recorders office the most customer friendly, fiscally responsible and transparent office in LaPorte County. County Treasurer Lynne Spevak, a Democrat from LaPorte, is running unopposed. She is currently clerk of the circuit court. County Coroner Bob Cutler, a Republican from LaPorte, would like to use the office to educate young people about the dangers of heroin and other drug use and to work with youth in the schools. He served as a deputy coroner for six years. Sean Fitzpatrick, a Democrat from Michigan City, did not return calls for for comment. County Surveyor John Saylor, a Republican from Mill Creek, said his main focus, if elected, would be perpetuating original section corners or more permanently marking the starting point for all measurements in the county. Anthony (Tony) Hendricks, a Democrat from Michigan City, is the incumbent. He did not return calls for comment. County Council Member At Large Voters can chose three candidates for the at-large seats. Jeff Santana, a Democrat from Michigan City, said his priorities would be continuing to collect taxes on time, maintaining roads, not raising taxes and considering raises for employees, who have not received a pay increase for several years. Lois Sosinski, a Democrat from LaPorte, said economic development is her top priority. She said the county must attract new business with good paying jobs and benefits to increase the countys wage base and home ownership. John Sullivan, a Democrat from Wanatah, said his top priority would be to stop the heroin epidemic. He proposes sending users to a problem-solving court instead of jail. He also would like to attract more manufacturing jobs and continue to make the county a travel destination. Gregory Kelver, a Libertarian, of Union Mills, said economic development and quality of life are the top priorities for local residents. He said it is important to improve the economic climate in the county by spending on infrastructure. He would support sensible proposals to improve the quality of life without increasing taxes. Republicans Michael Beebe, of LaPorte, Adam Reed, of LaPorte, and Dan VanSchoyck, of Union Mills, did not respond to requests for comment. HIGHLAND Claude Gendreau is revamping his planned development along Main Street to try to accommodate some concerns from a nearby residential development. Gendreau is proposing an office park with a hotel within 9.24 acres northeast of the intersection of Main Street and Prairie Avenue in Highland. The proposal has generated opposition from many residents living in Whispering Oaks, comprised of 99 townhomes at the northwest section of the intersection. They are concerned about safety, traffic, and a decline in property value and believe the site should be restricted to residential use. One woman has even said she is moving because of the proposed development. Not all the residents, however, are opposed to the development. Carol Leibovitz, who lives on Timberidge Lane not far from where the proposed development would be located, is open to it coming in, although concerned with an increase in traffic. She hopes something can be done to address that issue. She said the Whispering Oaks development is a beautiful community and she also wants to make sure she, or visitors coming to the community, don't see or smell dumpsters that might be located at the development. "If he doesn't create any eyesore for our community, I don't have a problem," Leibovitz said. The proposed development, she said, is a better option than having a big-box store or a strip mall located on the site. Gendreau, a Buffalo Grove, Illinois, veterinary surgeon, will have to convince the Highland Town Council to change the residential zoning of the land before he can proceed with the project. Developer operates boutique hotel in Homewood Gendreau has experience with other local developments, including the restoration of the historic Ravisloe Country Club in Homewood that he bought in 2009 and the former Bank of Homewood building, which he has converted into a boutique hotel and French restaurant. La Banque Hotel in Homewood is in the downtown section of the village near the major intersection of Dixie Highway and Ridge Road. Retail stores are on the sides and in front of the hotel and the Homewood Village Hall is behind it. The area he is considering in Highland also has a major roadway, Indianapolis Boulevard, which is lined with commercial and retail stores, to the east of it. But the site itself is a wooded area with some homes fronting Main Street. The Whispering Oaks complex is located on the other side of Prairie Street and will look directly upon the development. Gendreau, however, said there is a pipeline along Prairie Avenue and a minimum 60 feet of frontage along the roadway that will remain wooded. This provides a visual barrier for much of the year. Some residents have said in the winter when the trees are bare they can see all the way to Indianapolis Boulevard. Gendreau said he plans on planting his own landscaping that will include pine trees, which will provide an additional visual barrier between the development and the residential area. Gendreau is currently considering a few firms to conduct a traffic study for the development, but he contends there should not be much of a traffic impact on Prairie Avenue. He expects more than 90 percent of the traffic to his development will come in off Main Street, with the main entrance planned for Main Street and Plum Creek Drive. The secondary entrance is planned for Timberidge Lane and Prairie Avenue and he is hoping Highland will approve a four-way stop sign at that intersection, which he has heard is something residents in the area favor. "If we get a four-way stop sign that would slow the traffic there," Gendreau said. Location of hotel switched on property In response to residents' concerns, Gendreau has relocated the location of his proposed 30-room hotel to the northwest corner of the site. Leibovitz has been to Gendreau's restaurant in Homewood and was looking forward to going to one at the new development. She said she is disappointed he is no longer planning one at the Highland site. While Gendreau is not planning to operate a restaurant at the hotel, he is open to renting space to someone wanting to operate an upscale restaurant there. Gendreau envisions the office buildings planned for the site as mainly housing health care businesses. He said the first phase will probably include three two-story office buildings of 25,000-30,000 square feet and possibly the 21,000-square-foot hotel, although that may come near the end of the first phase or in the second phase. The hotel will have meeting rooms that Gendreau suggested would be used by those occupying the office buildings and others. The timing of the second phase containing a few additional office buildings will be dependent on how the first phase is built out. The total would be about 160,000 square feet, he said. A flier passed out by one of the opponents to the proposal suggested the plan would include a parking garage, but Gendreau said he is not planning a parking garage or large mall-like parking lot. His plan is for visitors to the development to be able to park in landscaped spaces right in front of the buildings. He said he wants to minimize the amount of space dedicated to parking. "We are trying to be as green as possible," Gendreau said. In terms of market value, Gendreau said some have suggested the types of professionals using the office buildings may cause the property value in the Whispering Oaks development to increase rather than decrease. He said there has already been some interest from people interested in the office space. Some include doctors. If he can get the necessary approvals for the project, Gendreau said construction could start in the early spring and the first building may be ready by the end of 2017. While a different environment, the boutique hotel he built in Homewood has increased the value of buildings in the area around the facility, Gendreau said. "It has been a very substantial catalyst for other people coming into town," he said. Last Sunday, Gendreau noted he was inducted in the Homewood Hall of Fame as a result of investments he has made in that community. CROWN POINT Investigations following the Oct. 1 shooting death of a man in Gary continue to evolve with all charges filed against one of the teenagers dropped by Lake County prosecutors and another teen now named in the case. The body of Samuel Moore, 43, was found in Midtown Gary. According to the probable cause affidavit, Gary police responded to a call of a man down and found Moore with gunshot wounds about 9:30 p.m. Oct. 1, in the 1300 block of Harrison Street. Moore was pronounced dead at 10:32 p.m. at the scene with a gunshot wound to the upper right side of his chest, according to the Lake County coroners office. Initially a 15-year-old girl, of Gary, was arrested on Oct. 15 and held without bond at the Lake County Jail charged with murder in the perpetration of a robbery, two counts of robbery and one count of auto theft. An arrest warrant was issued for Lacindo Luckett, 17, on the same charges. However, on Oct. 20, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney David Urbanski dismissed all the charges against the girl, indicating she should have been processed through the juvenile court because of her age. According to court records, Luckett still remains at large, but will be held without bond when arrested. Urbanski also filed amended charges against Luckett, adding a count of murder. Lake County prosecutors most recently filed felony charges against Christian E. Manning, 16, of Gary. He faces charges of murder in the perpetration of a robbery and two counts of robbery. Manning was arrested Thursday and is being held without bail, according to the probable cause affidavit. He has an appearance before Judge Murray on Tuesday. The affidavit indicates the girl implicated Manning as being present during Moores death during an interview with Gary homicide Detective James Bond. Moores relatives said he was last seen alive Oct. 1 at a barbecue at the family home in the 700 block of Kentucky Street in Gary and left in his 1999 silver Lincoln Navigator between 7 and 8 p.m. in the company of a young female. She was observed sitting in the passenger seat, listening to music on Moores cell phone. Gary police found the vehicle about 3:30 a.m. Oct. 2 in the 1300 block of Lincoln Street, about six blocks from where Moores body was found, the affidavit states. The far rear passenger window was broken out; the stereo system was removed; and police found a .22 caliber bullet casing in the rear passenger seat. (The girl) identified Christian Manning through her Facebook activity and further identified him through a Facebook page associated with the name KingDinero Manning, the affidavit states. She said Manning was in the back seat of Moores vehicle and that she witnessed him take the radio from the car and break one of the vehicles windows in an effort to be dramatic, court records indicate. According to the probable cause affidavit, she said her sister was in the car, but currently no charges have been filed against the sister. The juvenile girl also said she heard her sister, Luckett and Manning talk of robbing Moore during the four days prior to the robbery and his death. The case has been assigned to Lake County Criminal Court Judge Clarence Murray. EAST CHICAGO So far, just 33 of the 332 families at the West Calumet Housing Complex have found a new place to live after the citys mayor dropped a bombshell earlier this summer they need to relocate due to dangerously high toxins in the soil. Under U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development guidelines, residents are typically given 60 days from the day vouchers are issued to find a place. The East Chicago Housing Authority handed out the majority of vouchers on Sept. 1, meaning they are slated to expire Monday. Carla Morgan, city attorney, said last week its the citys position that it is safer for children to move now to avoid continued exposure to lead and arsenic. But James Cunningham, deputy regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, reassured last week there is no hard-and-fast deadline to move people out. This is a unique situation. That date is just a target. Its not a hard-and-fast date. Were trying to be as flexible as we can to get folks the time they need to find housing, Cunningham said. Nobody is going to be without a home. Cunningham said residents can also request up to two 30-day extensions. HUD officials have provided counseling for residents and other resources. Shortly after the Chicago-based Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law filed a housing discrimination complaint, which alleged a confused and rushed relocation process, the East Chicago Housing Authority agreed to set aside more than $1 million to help with moving costs, security deposits and application fees. The Shriver Center continues to negotiate the complaint with ECHA and HUD. The East Chicago Housing Authority set a target date of December 1 to move everyone out of the complex, according to ECHA documents, but that goal appears more unlikely as families report limited housing options. Morgan said the ECHA is also reaching out to families who moved from West Calumet within the last year. About 45 are eligible for relocation vouchers, she said. About 20 were evicted or violated HUD rules, deeming them ineligible, she said. East Chicago Undivided Residents on Saturday met with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to learn about resources available to them as a newly formed Community Advisory Group. Under EPA guidelines, the Community Advisory Group, which is going by the name East Chicago Undivided, allows residents to take concerns to the EPA. The group will be made up of those living in the EPAs USS Lead Superfund site, which has been divided into three cleanup zones. The site added to the federal agencys National Priorities List in April 2009. Officials on Saturday outlined available technical assistance, on-the-ground public outreach, community training, meeting facilitation, and a mediator for conflicts and resolutions. State Rep. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, who spearheaded early efforts to form the Calumet Lives Matter coalition with public housing residents, told those at the meeting not to ignore interests of other groups and the needs of families living at the housing complex. Maritza Lopez, a resident on Euclid Avenue in the Superfund zone and a spokesperson for the group, said the CAG is all inclusive. She said she and several others have been knocking on doors, urging families in West Calumet to attend the meetings. I have reached out and I will continue to reach out because I care, she said. MERRILLVILLE Emergency personnel wear various types of gear to keep them safe while on duty, but religion was used Saturday to add another layer of protection. The Congregations of Merrillville hosted the inaugural prayer service and breakfast for the towns first responders. Protect them, keep them safe, Lord, the Rev. Randy Scott, of Pentecostals of Southlake, said during a prayer for the towns police, fire and emergency medical personnel. The Rev. Richard Boshoven, of Trinity Memorial Lutheran Church, said first responders deal with people who are in crisis and they enter into others pain. The impact this has on first responders shouldnt be overlooked, Boshoven said. Thats why the community gathered to provide spiritual care for them, he said. Saturdays event also provided an opportunity to honor Merrillville emergency personnel for their many contributions in the town. The Rev. Cheryl Clemes, of Word of Life Christian Fellowship, discussed a time when she called 911 for her mother. She said the Fire Department provided outstanding care and support while responding to the medical emergency. Thank God for the firefighters, Clemes said. The prayer service and breakfast will be an annual event and include a rotating fundraiser each year. Funding generated Saturday will benefit the Merrillville Police Department, which will use it to purchase Kevlar vests. The amount collected Saturday wasnt immediately available. Next years program will benefit the Merrillville Fire Department. In addition to the spiritual protection and financial assistance provided Saturday, there are other ways the community can help first responders, said Dean Larson, an Indiana Emergency Response Commission member. He explained the need to be prepared for situations, such as fires, by creating plans that include where families would meet after evacuating homes during emergencies. The Rev. Joan Mier, chairwoman of the program, was pleased with the outcome of the prayer service. I think it was beautiful, said Mier, of Peace United Church of Christ. Shes also looking forward to next years event. It will grow, Mier said. ST. JOHN The new Illiana Christian High School will be built near Shoe Corner at the intersection of 109th and Calumet Avenues in Hanover Township. The school, which plans to open in the fall of 2018, received approval Thursday from the St. John Utility Board to tie into the towns water and sewers. Illiana has been at its current location at 2261 Indiana Ave., near the intersection of Torrence Avenue and Ridge Road, in Lansing, for about 70 years. And even though it has had several additions over the years, its grown tired according to Principal Peter Boonstra. Upgrades are increasingly needed, he said. It made more sense for us to start on a new piece of property. Jeff Dekker, a member of Illianas design and construction team, said the school has considered for some time relocating to Northwest Indiana. Over the last 20 years, most of our constituency has moved south from Lansing, he said. A lot of them are in St. John, Crown Point and further south. Dekker said Illiana served 520 students this year, which was down a little bit. He said they figure theyll lose a few students when they make the move across state lines because the location wont be as convenient to people from south Chicago or South Holland. We imagine, too, that we will gain a few students because the location is so convenient for families in St. John and elsewhere, he said. The first phase of the new school will accommodate 550 students, but eventually the campus will be able to serve as many as 800 students, Dekker said. Boonstra said its a tough challenge to move from one state to another, but his desire is that everybody comes along. We can serve the same community better in this new location, he said. Im intent on making this move and keep the family together and keep Illiana Christian High School united. Boonstra said the estimated cost for phase one of the school is $25 million and they have received $20 million in cash and commitments from donors with approval from the schools association to borrow the remaining $5 million. Even as its being built, our intention is to continue our fundraising efforts and be able to add more toward our overall master plan, he said. The property the new school will be built on is about 40 acres that surround a cluster of homes on the southwest corner of 109th and Calumet. The school will have frontage on both 109th and Calumet. That intersection is famous for being known as Shoe Corner, which for decades has been a dumping ground for shoes that seem to appear and disappear without many witnesses. As part of the town of St. John granting utilities to Illiana, the school will agree to a condition in which it waives its right to remonstrate if the property is ever annexed to the town. Dekker said he only sees that as a benefit to the school as it would be afforded the towns services such as fire and police protection. Town Manager Steve Kil also said the design of the towns new lift station was made with the thought that Illiana Christian High School moving to that property. Officials from Illiana Christian High School will hold a groundbreaking at the new location at 10 a.m. on Nov. 5. For more information on the new school visit buildingilliana.com. PORTAGE The Mayors Veterans Committee is hosting a free presentation from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Woodland Park, 2100 Willowcreek Road. Indiana Veterans A Great Investment the State Should Make, will be presented by retired Brigadier General James Bauerle of the Military Veterans Coalition of Indiana. This session will focus on proposed legislation that will impact Indiana veteran benefits. Representatives from the Crown Point Veteran Center will remake dog tags free of charge. The Porter County Recorders office will register DD-214s and distribute a veterans discount card redeemable at participating businesses. For more information, contact Tom Pappas at tom.pappas01@comcast.net or (219)763-2955 or Colin Highlands at chighlands@portage-in.com or (219) 841-6428 WASHINGTON Ever since federal agents concluded this summer that they had no case against Hillary Clinton over mishandling classified information, FBI Director James B. Comey has been in a bind. He could either take the traditional approach of keeping mum or publicly explain his reasoning. A man unafraid of the spotlight, Comey decided then to address the matter head-on, as he did again Friday in telling lawmakers that agents were reviewing newly discovered emails that may be pertinent to the investigation. Comey, confidants say, wanted to maintain transparency in the face of multiple pressures: from both political parties, agents, former agents and his bosses at the Justice Department. But by making such a move just 11 days before the election, he also thrust the FBI into a glare as harsh as klieg lights and influenced a presidential race more deeply than the bureau ever has. "He has been trying to thread this needle between keeping things close to the vest, like we typically do, and explaining matters to the public because this is such an unusual and public case," said a colleague who requested anonymity to speak freely. "It is a really narrow window. And he would acknowledge it hasn't always worked out the way he hoped. He was going to be damned if he did, and damned if he didn't." And damned he was. Democrats reacted with frustration and anger over the announcement and its vague nature. "It's not just strange. It's unprecedented, and it's deeply troubling," Clinton said Saturday at a rally in Daytona Beach, Florida. "Voters deserve to get the full and complete facts." Four Senate Democrats, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California and Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, demanded a briefing from Comey by Monday. Even some Republicans condemned Comey for stepping into the race, though most expressed glee that Clinton's emails were suddenly a dominant topic again at this late stage. "Hillary has nobody to blame but herself," GOP nominee Donald Trump said before thousands at a packed livestock arena in Golden, Colorado. Comey, who served in Justice Department posts in the George W. Bush administration, learned of the new developments in the investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server on Thursday from agents, law enforcement officials said. He was told that investigators found a trove of emails related to Clinton's server during their separate probe into whether Anthony Weiner, a former New York congressman and the estranged husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedin, had violated federal law while sexting a teenage girl in another state. The emails were on a laptop jointly used by Abedin and Weiner. A cursory review indicated no emails were to or from Clinton, but some were forwarded messages from Abedin to herself, a law enforcement official said. To review their contents, agents told Comey they needed to obtain a court order, a request he granted. Such an order would also need approval from the Justice Department, and officials there were weighing how to respond, a law enforcement official said. It was not clear why agents sought a court order to read the emails, assuming they seized the laptop with a judge's authorization. But they may feel it's needed to review Abedin's communications because they were discovered as part of the investigation into Weiner, or may want access to the contents of other email accounts she has acknowledged using. In briefing Comey, agents said they felt they needed to investigate further to determine whether classified information had ended up on Weiner's device, a law enforcement official said. No evidence has emerged that the emails had been withheld by Clinton or her aides, law enforcement officials said. Comey consulted with senior Justice Department officials and was urged not to disclose any developments in light of long-standing guidelines, according to two officials briefed on the matter. Attorney General Loretta Lynch was not involved in the discussions, they said. The FBI and Justice Department rarely discuss details of ongoing investigations, and they are urged to avoid even the appearance of politically motivated investigations. "Law enforcement officers and prosecutors may never select the timing of investigative steps or criminal charges for the purpose of affecting any election, or for the purpose of giving an advantage or disadvantage to any candidate or political party," former Attorney General Eric Holder wrote in a 2012 memo. But Comey concluded he had to go public because he had told the world in July that the probe was completed. He strongly echoed those comments in sworn congressional testimony and was concerned that if the bureau waited until after the election, it would be accused of playing politics and withholding information from the electorate. "Of course, we don't ordinarily tell Congress about ongoing investigations, but here I feel an obligation to do so given that I testified repeatedly in recent months that our investigation was completed," Comey wrote in an email to bureau employees Friday. "I also think it would be misleading to the American people were we not to supplement the record." Comey's step was set in motion months ago, some close to him suggested, when Lynch drew sharp criticism over allowing former President Bill Clinton to come aboard her plane on an Arizona tarmac for a chat. Lynch conceded the meeting "cast a shadow" over the department and announced she would accept the recommendations of career agents and prosecutors investigating the case, as well as the FBI director. "That was the tipping point," said a second Comey colleague. "He didn't have a choice after that. ... He kind of had to take a bullet for her if the government had any chance to prove the case was not shaped or altered by politics." Although most agents, especially those investigating the Clinton case, agreed with Comey's decision not to recommend criminal charges, they continue to grapple with him stepping so boldly into the public fray, according to interviews with current and former agents. "I was shocked by it," Ronald Hosko, a former top agent, said in describing Comey's public approach to the case. "But I understand why he did it. In his mind, he had no choice. It was such an unusual and public case, and he had to be transparent. But by going public like that, being transparent, now he can't stop doing that. He has to keep talking about it. I struggle with the decision he made. Was it the right call? I think so. But it wasn't an easy one." Hosko and other former agents were concerned that the decision ultimately could undermine the bureau's reputation for being an apolitical law enforcement agency, especially in such a highly partisan climate. Comey, who took the top FBI job in late 2013, replaced the low-key Robert Mueller, who likely would have "written up his findings and shipped them across the street to be announced by the Justice Department," according to a top FBI official. But Comey who stands 6 feet, 8 inches is far from low-key. He regularly addresses reporters and relishes being the bureau's public face. He also isn't afraid of confrontation, as evidenced most notably by his refusal in 2004 as deputy attorney general to reauthorize the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program. Comey has acknowledged that his approach has no precedent, telling Congress in September that "there's never been this kind of transparency in a criminal case, ever." With six more years in his 10-year term, he knows he will continue to be dogged by questions about the case, even if he is growing tired of answering them. He sarcastically told a think tank in September that "obviously I want to talk about the email investigation while I'm here." Later, he quipped to the same audience that "my children, again, discipline me not to go on Twitter because apparently people say bad things about me on Twitter." ___ Times staff writer Chris Megerian in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Lisa Mascaro of the Tribune Washington Bureau in Golden, Colo., contributed to this report. If you havent voted yet, you might not have heard about a referendum at the bottom of the ballot. Theres a lot more to it than the overly verbose question about the proposed constitutional amendment lets on. Try reading this out loud and see how far you get without gasping for oxygen: Shall the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended by adding a Section 39 to Article 1 to provide that the right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife shall be forever preserved for the public good, subject only to the laws prescribed by the General Assembly and rules prescribed by virtue of the authority of the General Assembly to: (1) promote wildlife conservation and management; and (2) preserve the future of hunting and fishing? It already has been vetted twice by the Indiana General Assembly, but then so have other laws, which might or might not make sense. Susan Martin, of Valparaiso, emailed me about this issue. Shes one of the few who have been paying attention and are concerned enough to express their views. Martin believes hunting and fishing to provide sustenance for the family is a natural right, just like the freedom to worship whoever or whatever a person chooses. Natural rights shouldnt be regulated by government, she believes. Let me take a different point of view, but still critical of the proposed constitutional amendment. What might it mean for the average citizen? Here it is, in laymans terms: Local control over anything having to do with hunting and fishing would be eliminated. Only the Indiana General Assembly could control it. And even then, the Legislature would only be allowed to make laws that support the right to hunt and fish. So if you have someone hunting in the field behind your home, firing toward your bedroom, tough luck. Theres nothing the local jurisdiction could do to limit the ability of hunters to fire guns and shoot arrows in the direction of your house. The Indiana Constitution would prevent that if this referendum is approved. The General Assembly could make laws, of course, but look at the wording of that referendum again. Every law would have to preserve the future of hunting and promote wildlife conservation and management. Nowhere in that referendum does it allow public safety to be considered. Legislators arent always the best at considering unintended consequences of their actions. Just look at the number of times the Indiana ACLU has successfully sued the state of Indiana because of ill-considered laws passed by the General Assembly. Look at the last time the General Assembly was considering a constitutional amendment, too. That would have outlawed same-sex marriage in Indiana. Fortunately, legislators abandoned that attempt before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriages are legal throughout the United States. Remember the buyers remorse by Congress when, after overriding President Barack Obamas veto of legislation to allow 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia, members of Congress suddenly realized the implications of what they had done and blamed Obama for not warning them about potential consequences for the United States. That kind of buyers remorse could happen if this constitutional amendment becomes law. What happens if this referendum fails? The status quo prevails. Hunters and fishermen can continue doing what theyre doing. The only real hunting controversy in the Legislature in recent years has been over whether to continue to allow canned hunts. These are at places that put wildlife in a fenced enclosure rather than allowing the animals to roam free. That makes it easier to hunt. It also puts the herd at greater risk of the spread of disease because the animals are confined. Surely, that argument regarding canned hunts can be resolved without a constitutional amendment. Leave the Constitution alone. Vote no on the referendum. The last law Hoosier voters should adopt is the law of unintended consequences. We are saddened by the outcry of citizens in Valparaiso who were unhappy with proposed plans to provide additional opportunities for people with low or fixed incomes to live in their community. Many of those residents as well as elected officials spoke in commonly recognized code words for members of minority populations, citing concern about safety, and proximity to schools, because, of course, all of those people are dangerous. Thats problematic enough in 2016, but their narrow-minded thinking also impacts senior citizens and people with disabilities. Of course, some of them might also have been among those people, but I digress. Segregated facilities preferably in somebody elses neighborhood away from the services of basic access to what everybody else wants and needs translates to limited quality of life for individuals who could be you in a few years or in the flash of an instant. Shame on Valparaiso. Teresa Torres, executive director, Everybody Counts Inc. In spite of the numerous Clinton scandals dating from 30 years ago until now, the mainstream media choose to focus and dwell on the much less serious offenses of Donald Trump. Even tapes revealing Democrat campaign operatives (one has been fired) discussing paying people to protest, incite violence and disrupt Trump's campaign rallies merit no mention from AP writers or the mainstream media. This should have been headline news but was likely too embarrassing since the media blamed Trump for the violence at his rallies. More information is being revealed, through WikiLeaks, about the Clintons and the tapes of the Democrat operatives discussed above. But the information is omitted from mainstream media news. Only cable news will focus on these revelations. Why? Americans deserve the truth the whole truth, not the biased versions coming from AP and the mainstream media who clearly are for Hillary. Milly Rich, Crown Point The van driver suspected of backing into an eight-month-old baby on Friday was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court. 44-year-old Armando Morales-Rodriguez is charged with driving without a license. Prosecutors say he was behind the wheel of a van Friday morning on Astoria Boulevard and 93rd Street when he reversed out of a driveway and hit Navraj Raju's stroller. Raju was rushed to the hospital but died from his injuries. His 35-year-old mother, who was pushing the stroller, was not hurt. Morales-Rodriguez also had his passport revoked. His next court date is in December. A stubborn six alarm fire in Manhattan kept nearly 250 firefighters busy all day Sunday. Flames broke out in a commercial building on West 29th Street early Sunday morning, rattling those who live in the neighborhood. "It was so loud there were fire trucks going up and down the street," said Chelsea resident Kimberly Doyle. "Every five minutes the kids kept waking up because my son's got a sleepover and they were crying because it was so loud." Roaring fire alarms signaled a progression from one to six alarms, requiring the manpower of 240 firefighters. The fire chief says it started in the basement of the Safenet Computer store near Fifth Avenue. They were able to knock down most of the blaze, attacking it with high expansion foam to cool smoldering hotspots. Then, hours later, another fire sparked. "It burned for a considerable amount of time in a confined area, between ceiling space," said FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro. "This type of structure is very difficult from outside the building to get the water in the right place to get the fire out." While firefighters worked to knock down the fire, police blocked 28th, 29th and 30th Streets between Fifth & Sixth Avenues, interrupting the flow of business in the area. "The one with the German Shepherd, couldn't get across the PD line, so I said 'Hey this is a client,' I had to get him across, people have been affected, definitely," said Julian Toussaint, a barber in the neighborhood. "When we came and opened in there was a hallway full of smoke," said restauarant owner Mohammad Asharif. "We just put on our exhaust system until all the smoke was gone." Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt but ten firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation. OASIS: SUPERSONIC (2016) on iTunes. Mat Whitecross follows the combative brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher for roughly four years between the formation of their band, Oasis, and its 1996 concerts in Knebworth, England, which drew some 250,000 fans over two nights. Archival footage and animated re-creations fill in an account thats heavy on rock n roll, drugs and near-constant clashes from siblings who admit that they are head cases, Glenn Kenny wrote in The Times. He added, The movie is not just a kind of elegy for the group, but for rock n rolls cultural dominance, which ended around a decade before Oasis did. RICHARD TUCKER OPERA GALA 6 p.m. on medici.tv. The Richard Tucker Music Foundations annual festivities return to Carnegie Hall for the first time in over 25 years. The soprano Tama Wilson, this years Richard Tucker Award winner, performs alongside Renee Fleming, Anna Netrebko, Jamie Barton and Javier Camarena, among others. Asher Fisch conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the New York Choral Society. FLEABAG on Amazon. In her 20s, Phoebe Waller-Bridge found herself confused about what makes a good feminist and how much sex women should have. She wove her deliriously smutty preoccupations, along with a wallop of rage, into Fleabag, a show at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival Fringe that scooped up an Olivier nomination and the Stage award for solo performer. Now 31, Ms. Waller-Bridge spins off her sexually rapacious, anger-riddled, flailing London cafe owner persona into this series. Hillary Brooke Busis, a daughter of Cynthia D. Shapira of Fox Chapel, Pa., and Dr. Neil A. Busis of Pittsburgh, was married Oct. 29 to Michael Stephen Palmieri, the son of Denise S. Palmieri and Michael J. Palmieri of Brooklyn, at the Ace Hotel in Pittsburgh. Rabbi Art Donsky officiated, with the Rev. David Poecking, a Roman Catholic priest, taking part. The bride, 28, is keeping her name. She is the editor of the Hollywood section of Vanity Fairs website, overseeing film and television articles. She graduated summa cum laude from Columbia. The brides father is the chief of neurology at UPMC Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh and a clinical professor of neurology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Her mother is chairwoman of Pennsylvanias State System of Higher Education, chairwoman of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and a trustee of Brandeis University. The bride is a stepdaughter of David S. Shapira. The groom, 33, is a litigation associate at the Manhattan law firm Friedman Kaplan Seiler & Adelman. He graduated cum laude from Yale and received a masters degree in criminology from the University of Cambridge, and received his law degree from N.Y.U. Jenna Sara Heller, the daughter of Wendy Block Heller and Dan P. Heller of Pinecrest, Fla., is to be married Oct. 30 in New York to Matthew David Rubin, a son of Roberta L. Rubin of Wayne, N.J., and a stepson of the late Robert N. Ross. Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff, a friend of the couple, is to lead the ceremony at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park. Ms. Heller, 26, who will be taking her husbands name, is the founder and owner of Jar Bar NYC, a dairy-free yogurt and snack company in New York. She graduated from Syracuse University. The brides father is a founding partner in Heller Waldman, a law firm with offices in Coral Gables and Coconut Grove, Fla.; the brides mother manages the Coral Gables office. Mr. Rubin, 34, is the client-development executive in New York for North and South America, working with a global team that tracks financial-technology innovations and trends, at McKinsey & Company, the management consulting firm. He graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia. Jennifer Erin Toyzer, a daughter of Gwen Toyzer of Havertown, Pa., and Dr. Barry J. Toyzer of Wynnewood, Pa., was married Oct. 29 to Alex Geoffrey Rothberg, the son of Sheila B. Alderman and Henry B. Rothberg of Jupiter Island, Fla. Rabbi George Scott Matous officiated at the Liberty Warehouse, an event space in Brooklyn. Ms. Toyzer, 28, is keeping her name. She is an associate working in the principal investing area of Goldman Sachs in Manhattan. She graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from which she received two bachelors degrees, in economics and in management science. Mr. Rothberg, 29, is a senior scientist and software engineer at 4Catalyzer, a medical device start-up based in Guilford, Conn. He also graduated from M.I.T., and received two bachelors degrees, in computer science and in economics. Though Ms. Toyzer and Mr. Rothberg never formally met at M.I.T., despite taking some of the same classes, she remembered him as a bit of nerd who once talked about a relationship that deeply concerned him. Melissa Brett Barry, a daughter of Jill M. Barry and Richard W. Barry of Roslyn Heights, N.Y., was married Oct. 29 to Matthew Bryan Cantor, a son of Bonnie M. Cantor of Pleasant Valley, N.Y., and Jay S. Cantor of Fishkill, N.Y. Rabbi Michael White officiated at Weylin B. Seymours, an event space in Brooklyn. The couple met at Cornell, from which they graduated. The bride, 28, works in Manhattan as a business psychologist at Ketchum, a marketing communications firm, working with its leadership team and employees on management strategies. She received a masters in organizational psychology from Columbia. The groom, 29, is a vice president for business operations at Koneksa Health, a technology company in Manhattan that helps life science organizations and research institutions gather data from patients. He received an M.B.A. from Columbia. Rebecca Abby Fromer and Kevin Grant Wayne Olson are to be married Oct. 30 at the Willard InterContinental in Washington. Rabbi Daniel A. Ornstein is to officiate. The bride, 33, is an assistant New York State attorney general in the environmental protection bureau in New York. She graduated from Brandeis and received her law degree from Tulane. She is the daughter of Howard A. Fromer of Albany and the late Elaine S. Fromer. Her father is the director for market policy at PSEG Power, the electrical generating company, in Albany. Her mother was a partner in Octopus Design Group, a graphic design studio that was in Albany. The groom, 43, is a senior environmental lawyer in the law department at IBM, and he works in Somers, N.Y. He graduated from the University of Kansas and received his law degree from N.Y.U. He is the author of Frontier Manhattan: Yankee Settlement to Kansas Town, 1854-1894, a history of the abolitionist origins of his hometown, Manhattan, Kan. Rebecca Leigh Meskin and Elan Julius Blum were married Oct. 29 in New York. Rabbi Mendel Solomon officiated at the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers. Mrs. Blum, 30, is a vice president for corporate strategy at BlackRock, the asset management company in New York. She graduated from Emory University. She is a daughter of Jennie Meskin and Kenneth D. Meskin of Short Hills, N.J. Her father, a trust and estate planning specialist, is a partner in the Bridgewater, N.J., law offices of Norris McLaughlin & Marcus. Her mother retired as a reading specialist at the Nicholas Murray Butler School No. 23, an elementary school in Elizabeth, N.J. Mr. Blum, 33, is a senior associate, overseeing a financial analytics team, at Related Companies, a New York real estate development company. He graduated from Boston University and received a law degree from Yeshiva University and a masters in real estate finance from N.Y.U. Sarah Rachel Magida and Charles Warren Foster are to be married Oct. 30 at the Tappan Hill Mansion in Tarrytown, N.Y. Rabbi Robert Orkand and Rabbi Lewis Kamrass will lead the ceremony. The bride, 29, is the Reform community educator at Rutgers Hillel in New Brunswick, N.J., where she oversees programming and education for the Reform Jewish students at Rutgers. She graduated magna cum laude from Skidmore and received a masters degree in religious education and a masters in Jewish nonprofit management from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Jerusalem. She is a daughter of Nancy B. Magida and Daniel L. Magida of Weston, Conn. The groom, 30, who is known as Chase, is a student rabbi for Temple Isaiah in Great Neck, N.Y. He graduated from Purdue and received a masters degree in Hebrew literature from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Jerusalem. The groom is the son of Laura S. Foster and Charles W. Foster of Cincinnati. The couple met in Jerusalem in 2012, while they were graduate students at the Hebrew Union College. Sophia Cristina Peters and Andrew Jay Christensen were married Oct. 29 in Chevy Chase, Md. The Rev. David A. Slagle Peck, a Lutheran minister, officiated at the Woodend Sanctuary of the Audubon Naturalist Society. The bride, 31, will continue to use her name professionally. She works in Chicago as a manager for energy projects in developing countries, in the public sector practice of Deloitte, the accounting and consulting company. She graduated magna cum laude from Duke and received a masters degree in public affairs from Princeton. She is a daughter of Maria Eugenia Guillen-Peters and R. Kyle Peters Jr. of Potomac, Md. Her father is the senior vice president for operations at the World Bank in Washington and is its interim managing director and chief operating officer. Her mother retired as a pension analyst at the World Bank. The groom, 35, is a partner in Partners by Design, a Chicago architecture and design firm, and leads the firms sales and marketing. He graduated from University of North Dakota. Tess Iphigene Golden, the daughter of Trudy Anna Legge Golden and Arthur Golden of Brookline, Mass., was married Oct. 29 to Dimitri Kolin Funch Wohns, a son of Wendelin Funch Wohns and Dr. David H.W. Wohns of Grand Rapids, Mich. Sage Wohns, a Universal Life minister who is a first cousin of the groom, led the ceremony at the Barn at Tyge William Cellars, an event space in Sonoma, Calif. Ms. Golden, 29, who is keeping her name, owns Aerogram Studio, a graphics and interior-design company in Ann Arbor, Mich., focusing on branding, primarily for start-ups. She graduated from Brown University, and received an Associate of Applied Science degree in graphic design from Parsons: The New School for Design. The brides father, a novelist, is the author of Memoirs of a Geisha (Knopf 1997). He is a great-grandson of Adolph S. Ochs, who acquired The New York Times in 1896, and a first cousin of Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr., the chairman and publisher of The New York Times; and a brother of Michael Golden, the vice chairman of the company. Her mother is the chairwoman, and an elected family representative, of the Ochs-Sulzberger Trust, which controls the New York Times voting shares. Mr. Wohns, 30, is pursuing an M.B.A. at the University of Michigan. Until last year, he was a product manager at ClassPass, a service based in Manhattan that offers members access to fitness facilities. He graduated magna cum laude from Colgate University. Trevor Hardwick and Stephen Charles Flaherty were married Oct. 26 at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau. Angel L. Lopez, a staff member in the office of the City Clerk, officiated. Mr. Hardwick (left), 62, is the secretary and the treasurer of Pen and Perseverance, a music management company in New York that he owns with Mr. Flaherty. He graduated from the University of London with a degree in studied economics. He is a son of the late Rosina C. Hardwick and the late William J. Hardwick, who lived in Kent, England. His father was a mechanical engineer in London. Mr. Flaherty, 56, is a composer for musical theater and film. He has written the music for the Broadway shows Ragtime (for which he won a Tony Award in the 1997-98 season for Best Original Score), Once on This Island, Seussical, Rocky and the coming seasons stage version of Anastasia, for which he wrote the music for the film of the same name, which was nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. THE F.B.I. is currently investigating the hacking of Americans computers by foreign governments. Russia is a prime suspect. Imagine a possible connection between a candidate for president in the United States and the Russian computer hacking. Imagine the candidate has business dealings in Russia, and has publicly encouraged the Russians to hack the email of his opponent. It would not be surprising for the F.B.I. to include this candidate and his campaign staff in its confidential investigation of Russian computer hacking. But it would be highly improper, and an abuse of power, for the F.B.I. to conduct such an investigation in the public eye, particularly on the eve of the election. It would be an abuse of power for the director of the F.B.I., absent compelling circumstances, to notify members of Congress that the candidate was under investigation. It would be an abuse of power if F.B.I. agents went so far as to obtain a search warrant and raid the candidates office tower, hauling out boxes of documents and computers in front of television cameras. The F.B.I.s job is to investigate, not to influence the outcome of an election. Such acts could also be prohibited under the Hatch Act, which bars the use of an official position to influence an election. That is why the F.B.I. presumably would keep those aspects of an investigation confidential until after the election. The usual penalty for a violation is termination of federal employment. In the summer of 1971, the artist Philip Guston and the writer Philip Roth were refugees of a sort in Woodstock, N.Y. Mr. Roth was fleeing what he called his overnight notoriety as a sexual freak, after the publication of Portnoys Complaint. Guston, in a crisis of self-doubt, was turning his back on practically the entire art world. Introduced by a mutual acquaintance a couple of years earlier, the two men shared a love of books and of what Guston called crapola billboards, diners, junk shops, burger joints and Richard M. Nixon was soon added to the list. He was a shared delight, Mr. Roth recalled recently. It wasnt just the criminal war in Southeast Asia that he was waging but his vile character that aroused the wicked impulse to satire. That summer, Mr. Roth began working on what became Our Gang, his book-length satire, which begins with the president, Trick E. Dixon, hoping to give the vote to the unborn and ends with him in hell, after being assassinated in a hospital where he had gone to have his sweat glands removed. Mr. Roth showed some early chapters to Guston, who in a mood of shared Nixon-loathing exuberance, responded with a flood of satirical drawings. In a couple of them Gustons Nixon is a hooded Klansman conspiring with his cronies Spiro T. Agnew and John Mitchell, but in most he is a kind of walking gonad, his nose a penis that grows longer with every lie he tells. I always wanted to go somewhere which could be all about musical appreciation, to hear someone dig really deeply into their record collection and explore their private passions, said Paul Noble, Spiritlands artistic director. After two successful years with a pop-up venture at a restaurant in East London, his team found a permanent home and invested heavily in a customized system, designed by the British company Living Voice. It is valued at just under a half-million dollars. These speakers were built totally without compromise, Mr. Noble said. When you have equipment this good, it can deliver such high quality that it emotionally connects you to the music. Were not afraid to say that listening to music is a very magical thing. That mystical philosophy echoes back to New York, where Mr. Mancuso obsessed over the hi-fi setup for his weekly Loft parties in the 1970s and 80s. Purity was paramount: Mr. Mancuso stripped away mixing equipment used by many D.J.s, imagining that fewer cables and boxes would liberate the sound waves and, consequently, his guests on the dance floor. Tim Lawrence, the author of books including Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-1979, explained: The D.J. didnt mix or perform tricks on the equalizer. The D.J. divested themselves of their ego, stopped trying to interfere with the music, and they just chose really good tunes. When Mr. Mancuso had the idea of taking his Loft concept to London in 2003, he called Mr. Lawrence and the Lucky Cloud sound system was born. Another Mancuso disciple to join the effort was Colleen Murphy, an American D.J. who regularly played at the Loft before moving to England, where she is now a familiar face behind the Lucky Cloud turntables. In 2010 she began Classic Album Sundays, turning one of her favorite social activities into a public gathering: Every month, people are invited to hear a culturally significant record on vinyl with luxury audio gear. The Wangs vs. the World By Jade Chang 354 pages. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. $26. A riches-to-rags story, an immigrant story and a quixotic road trip are bundled into Jade Changs sharply funny first novel. Charles Wang, a self-made millionaire, loses his Bel-Air estate and everything else in the 2008 economic collapse. Until then, Charles, a cosmetics mogul, was accustomed to getting his way whether cheating in business or on his second wife: Money made everything easy to indulge. Now, unable to pay his childrens tuitions, he pulls his teenage daughter, Grace, out of private school, and his son, Andrew, from college. Then he demands that the family join him on what proves to be a hellish cross-country journey in an old powder-blue Mercedes station wagon. Theyll seek refuge at the Catskills farmhouse of his elder daughter, Saina, a Conceptual artist with plenty of her own problems. Charles is already planning his grand comeback scheme, reclaiming valuable ancestral land in China. Hes disillusioned and angry, dismissing America as a great deceptor, because all it could do was destroy fortunes, families, lives. This novel is overstuffed with subplots and detours, but Charles with an ego larger than his homeland and a relentless determination to wrestle America to the ground and take her milk money makes the ride worthwhile, as does the authors savage takedown of the American dream. Image The Comet Seekers By Helen Sedgwick 290 pages. Harper. $25.99. At a research station on earths remotest continent, Roisin and Francois find love. Both are haunted by trauma. She is an Irish astronomer studying comets in Antarctica, having fled a messy, intense (and sexual) relationship with her cousin Liam: This is what she needs. Somewhere wild and inhospitable and brutal where she can try to understand what has happened. Francois, a French chef working at the base, has reluctantly abandoned his troubled mother, Severine, who raised him alone in Bayeux and never left. As a child, Francois used to stargaze and watch comets with Severine as she told stories of magic and ghosts. He never understood his mothers refusal to travel, but more inexplicable was her habit of talking with a rotating cast of family ghosts quarreling with them, confiding in them, consoling them. What was a necessary attachment for Severine became a shameful secret for her son. Do you think its strange to love something you dont understand? Francois asks Roisin as hes falling for her. Its one of the great questions of this exquisitely layered, thrilling novel, which leaps across centuries and continents to delve into the role of destiny and the elusiveness of perception and memory. These characters are as awe-struck by the intimate moments of everyday life (the taste of his skin where she once licked fresh water from the crease inside his elbow) as they are by the vast night sky. A less gifted writer might have made this material too whimsical or sentimental. Ms. Sedgwick wisely takes a laconic approach to the supernatural and a romantic approach to the scientific. Good morning. Were trying something new for our readers in Asia and Australia: a morning briefing to jump-start your day. What do you like? What do you want to see here? Email us with your feedback at asiabriefing@nytimes.com. Heres what you need to know: BRUSSELS The European Union and Canada signed a far-reaching trade agreement on Sunday that commits them to opening their markets to greater competition, after overcoming a last-minute political obstacle that reflected the growing skepticism toward globalization in much of the developed world. Canadas prime minister, Justin Trudeau, had been forced to call off an earlier trip to sign the deal after Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium, used its veto to withhold Belgiums approval of the deal. The pact required the support of all 28 European Union countries. On Friday, Wallonia, which has been hit hard by deindustrialization and feared greater agricultural competition, withdrew its veto after concessions were made by the Belgian government, including promises to protect farmers. Hours later, the European Union announced that the deal was back on track. Mr. Trudeau signed the pact on Sunday, joined by Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, which represents the leaders of the member states; Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia, which holds the rotating presidency of the body that runs the blocs ministerial meetings; and Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, the blocs executive arm. We had a very specific type of family in mind: Muslim parents with children, born in the United States, between the ages of 6 and 12 who attend public school. Finding a family that filled the bill was hard enough. Persuading a family to give me the access I needed to their home, their children and their daily life would be its own obstacle. Moreover, I was skeptical about being able to get children as young as 7 years old to talk about an issue as complicated as the presidential election. Over the course of two months, whenever I wasnt reporting on daily news, I worked toward finding the family I envisioned. I decided to focus on Staten Island, because of its reputation as a Republican stronghold and as New York Citys whitest borough. It seemed to me that a Muslim growing up in Staten Island would be exposed to more of Mr. Trumps rhetoric than one in Brooklyn or Queens. This is a full cemetery, and we want to be respectful, Ms. Schermeyer said. Its a sacred burying ground, and it should be treated as such. David Fleming, the director of government relations for the New York State Association of Cemeteries, said he had noticed a renewed interest in preserving old burial grounds. There are an estimated 8,000 cemeteries in the state, he said, several thousand of which have historical significance. The perceptions of what cemeteries are and the respect that people pay to the dead has changed over the centuries, Mr. Fleming said. Id like to think that theres been a resurgence in the importance of cemeteries as historic local treasures. Many of the states historic cemeteries are in locations that, at one time, may have been quite visible, and something that was a touchstone for families, Mr. Fleming said. But that changed with new agricultural practices and transportation routes, and communities were reshaped. The stories of these people are, you know, the stories of the development of New York, he said. You really learn more and more about your community by being able to, you know, understand who those people were who came before us. Zach Studenroth, the town historian, said he was astonished by the number of people buried in the cemetery, but added that it made sense: Only the more affluent families in earlier centuries could afford gravestones. But these pressures have not come with enough funding for public institutions. Recent research estimates that state funding for universities amounts to around 0.75 percent of gross domestic product, lower than in many countries with comparable economies. Faced with financial shortfalls, universities pushed the burden of payment back onto students, so that fees have risen steadily, locking many deserving young people most of them black out of higher education altogether. While the comfortable, largely white middle classes criticize a culture of entitlement, student fees now make up a higher portion of university budgets than they did during my undergraduate studies in the 1990s. The state loan program, intended to help the most impoverished students, saddles them with crippling debt. Those who are granted loans find that the amount they have been given isnt enough to cover tuition and room and board. The situation erupted last year into the #FeesMustFall movement, which spread from my university to campuses across the country. The movement made a national call for accessible higher education that resulted in the cancellation of university fee increases for 2016. The #FeesMustFall movement also pushed for what students are calling the decolonization of Eurocentric institutions and curriculums, as well as protections for janitors and other poorly paid workers on campuses. But the achievements of 2015 were not enough to create long-term change. The announcement earlier this year by Blade Nzimande, the minister of education, that universities could set their 2017 fee increases up to a maximum of 8 percent, led to a fresh round of protests, this time with demonstrators demanding free education for all. Protesters have become angrier and more militant, and university officials more intransigent. The movement is fractured and the response to it is hardening daily. Students are determined to close universities, whatever the consequences; in many cases, administrators are determined to keep them open, whatever the consequences. Its a tragic standoff. For the post-apartheid born free generation, those born after 1990, when white-minority rule began to crumble, its nothing short of shocking to witness clashes between young black protesters wielding stones and black police officers pointing rifles and wearing body armor. Students who live in dormitories report being harassed both by law enforcement agents and by protesters determined to stop classes. Reports and images of police brutality, racial profiling and sexual harassment by private security guards abound on social media. But Ms. Weingarten said Mr. Weiners treatment of women demanded forceful censure. I dont care who it is, no one should be a sexual predator, Ms. Weingarten said. I think we all have to take a stand about that, and I think whats happening now is that people are. Mr. Weiner, who lost his seat in Congress and his mayoral hopes after repeated episodes in which he sent lewd messages to women, is now under federal investigation for allegedly sending sexual messages to a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina. In that inquiry, the F.B.I. this month seized a laptop that contained thousands of messages belonging to Ms. Abedin, a top aide to Mrs. Clinton. The F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, told Congress on Friday that investigators will now review those messages for possible relevance to the Clinton inquiry, news that rattled the Clinton campaign and stung her supporters. How Times reporters cover politics. We rely on our journalists to be independent observers. So while Times staff members may vote, they are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates or political causes. This includes participating in marches or rallies in support of a movement or giving money to, or raising money for, any political candidate or election cause. Learn more about our process. For some, the development touched off more worry than anger: former President Bill Clinton, who learned of the news en route to his last event of the day, in Pennsylvania, fretted that it would draw hostile attention to Ms. Abedin, according to a person familiar with his thinking. Around the country, former aides to Mr. Weiner, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, traded emails and texts throughout the weekend, fuming at the collateral damage inflicted by their onetime boss. Mr. Weiner did not respond to an email seeking comment. Mrs. Clintons campaign has largely ignored Mr. Weiners connection so far, and has instructed campaign surrogates to avoid discussing his role. But amid fears that Mr. Weiners behavior might undermine the party in a critical election, Democrats especially in his native New York said that perhaps they had given Mr. Weiner too many second chances over the years, and given him too much latitude out of deference to Ms. Abedin. Hillary Clinton worked to campaign past the revived controversy around her email server on Sunday, casting herself as a resilient fighter as Donald J. Trump intensified his sweeping claims of corruption in the American justice system. The announcement by James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director, of a new review of emails that may be linked to Mrs. Clinton overshadowed the candidates usual messages over the weekend. The news threw Mrs. Clinton and the Trump campaign into an unexpected debate over both her emails and Mr. Comeys conduct, though only scant information has been made public about the substance of the F.B.I.s activities. Campaigning in Florida, Mrs. Clinton appeared to group Mr. Comeys surprise role in the presidential race with the flurry of partisan attacks that often mark the last days of political campaigns. Without mentioning Mr. Comey by name, Mrs. Clinton struck a defiant note; at a nightclub in Wilton Manors, she invoked her mothers admonition to never, ever quit. Hillary Clinton has established a slim edge over Donald J. Trump in early-voter turnout in several vital swing states, pressing her longstanding advantages in state-level organization and potentially mitigating the fallout from her campaigns latest scrap with the F.B.I. Even as Democrats continued to reel from revived questions about Mrs. Clintons use of a private email server as secretary of state a jolt delivered 11 days before the election in an abstruse letter from the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey turnout tallies and interviews with dozens of early voters suggest that even a vintage October surprise may pack less of a punch than it once did. In a race between two deeply polarizing candidates, opinions appear to have been cemented weeks if not months ago for most voters. And the contest is well underway in some of the most important battlegrounds. At least 21 million people have voted so far across the country. In the states that are most likely to decide the election among them Florida, Colorado and Nevada close to a quarter of the electorate has already cast ballots. While their votes will not be counted until Election Day, registered Democrats are outperforming Republicans in key demographics and urban areas there and in North Carolina, where extensive in-person voting began late last week and which has emerged as one of the most closely contested battlegrounds for the White House and control of the Senate. KABUL, Afghanistan Taliban fighters posed for the camera, their shawls and bandannas covering their identities but not their jubilation, as they captured the main roundabout in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz early this month in what could have been called operation hoist the flag and pull out a smartphone. The shaky cellphone video directly contradicted Afghan and American military spokesmen, who were promising that Kunduz was safe from falling for a second time in one year. During the invasion, insurgents live-tweeted their victory and flooded social media with videos, often shot by fighters narrating their movements in close to real time. In the video from the roundabout, one of the many fighters in the background is heard saying into a phone: I will call you back. The flag is going up. I have to film it. It was not an isolated incident. When the Afghan government said the insurgents were far from the southern provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, the Taliban quickly put out a video showing a fighter driving around the citys outskirts in a seized government Humvee, steering wheel in one hand and microphone in the other. SEOUL, South Korea The shadowy woman at the center of President Park Geun-hyes worst political scandal apologized on Sunday for her wrongdoings. Hours later, Ms. Park fired her chief of staff and seven other presidential aides in an effort to regain public trust, a day after thousands of South Koreans took to the streets to call for her removal from office. Choi Soon-sil, a longtime associate widely seen here as a shamanlike adviser to Ms. Park, returned to South Korea on Sunday from Europe, where she had been in hiding since the scandal erupted weeks ago. Ms. Chois lawyer, Lee Gyeong-jae, said she would present herself to prosecutors for questioning on her murky ties with Ms. Park, which are at the heart of the presidents troubles. She apologizes deeply for causing the people humiliation and despair, Mr. Lee said of Ms. Choi at a news conference. Mr. Lee said Ms. Choi also apologized for her wrongdoings, but he did not elaborate. Ms. Park has been accused of letting Ms. Choi, a private citizen with no security clearance or background in policy making, advise her on crucial state affairs. Ms. Choi, 60, has also been accused of using her influence with Ms. Park to plant her associates in the government, including the presidential office, and to coerce big businesses to donate millions of dollars each to the two foundations she controls. KANDAHAR, Afghanistan Besieged Afghan officials in the southern province of Oruzgan said on Sunday that scores of regular Afghan soldiers had surrendered in the past week to the Taliban, a trend also occurring recently in other provinces. The latest case involved 41 Afghan National Army soldiers who surrendered and turned their base, the Mashal base in Chora District, over to the insurgents on Saturday night, according to Dost Mohammad Nayab, the spokesman for the provinces governor. He said it was the third Afghan Army post in the province to surrender to the Taliban in the past week. Significant surrenders have been reported in Kunduz and Helmand Provinces as well. The Taliban have taken more territory in Afghanistan this year than at any time in their 15-year struggle against the Western-supported Afghan government, according to United Nations data. At the same time, the Afghan military has suffered declining numbers and high attrition rates, according to data from the United States military. Afghan officials have said military casualty rates are historically high. Yanjiao initially attracted attention from the artistic community in 2006, when the Central Academy of Fine Arts established a satellite campus not far from the South Side of Hawaii. Art supply, printing and framing shops quickly popped up to serve the students, teachers and artists who would be living and working nearby. The first artists found it lonely. When I first got here, my building was completely empty, and there were no lights at night, said Pange Yang, 26, who arrived in 2012. I was the only person in the building. But as word of mouth about Yanjiao spread, more artists began coming. I was preparing to really do the poor, starving artist thing in Songzhuang, a well-established artist village about a half-hour away, said Li Tianqi, 24, another founder of On Space. But why rent a tiny shack in Songzhuang when you can have a nice studio in Yanjiao? No one knows how many young artists now call Yanjiao home, though the On Space founders estimate that at least several hundred have space here. Last year, the gallerists tried an informal census of the citys artists, but ran out of time after conducting interviews with about 60 people. Yanjiao has also caught the eye of established artists. Its most famous tenants are the Gao brothers, a pair of multimedia artists internationally known for their irreverent sculptures. In 2013, they bought a former factory building and turned it into an airy studio complex they call Blessgo, which they use for making larger works. ROME An earthquake, believed to be the strongest to hit Italy since 1980, struck the center of the country on Sunday, four days after two back-to-back quakes severely damaged buildings and left thousands homeless in the area. The temblor on Sunday also caused fresh damage to the towns destroyed by a quake that killed nearly 300 people in August. The quake, which had a magnitude of 6.5, according to Italys national geophysical and volcanology institute, struck at 7:41 a.m. with its epicenter near Norcia. It was felt as far away as Bolzano in northern Italy and Puglia in the south, according to Italian news reports. Most of the towns in the area had already been evacuated after the recent seismic activity, so there were no immediate reports of deaths. About 20 people were injured but none killed, said Fabrizio Curcio, the head of Italys civil protection department. It was an important earthquake, he said. ISTANBUL The State Department on Sunday ordered all members of the families of its consulate staff in Istanbul to leave Turkey, citing increased security threats from terrorist organizations. The department said in a statement that the decision was based on security information indicating extremist groups are continuing aggressive efforts to attack U.S. citizens in areas of Istanbul where they reside or frequent. The order was the second warning for United States citizens in Turkey in less than a week. The State Department previously advised Americans to carefully consider the need to travel to Turkey, warning that American tourists had been singled out as targets by international and domestic terrorist organizations. Turkey has endured numerous terrorist attacks in the past year. The authorities have held the Islamic State or Kurdish militants responsible for the attacks, as the country grapples with both the spillover from the war in Syria and the renewal of a decades-long conflict with Kurdish insurgents in southeastern Turkey. SANA, Yemen Dozens of people, including many prisoners, were killed after airstrikes by a Saudi-led military coalition struck a security facility in western Yemen, local security officials and news reports said on Sunday. The airstrikes late Saturday evening hit a security complex, which included detention facilities, in the port city of Al Hudaydah on Yemens Red Sea coast. The area is controlled by Houthi rebels, who hold much of the countrys north and west. A security official in Al Hudaydah said three strikes had targeted the compound after sunset on Saturday, destroying two detention centers that held men jailed by local security services, which the Houthis oversee. Forty-eight people were killed, most of them prisoners, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the news media. Saba, a Houthi-controlled news agency, said the strikes had killed 60 people and wounded dozens of others. Al-Maseera, the Houthis satellite news channel, broadcast images of bodies covered in blankets and plastic sheeting. MARRAKESH, Morocco Protests erupted across Morocco over the weekend after the death of a fish vendor who, according to witnesses, was crushed by a compactor after he jumped into a garbage truck to retrieve his merchandise. Grainy images of the man, identified in news accounts as Mouhcine Fikri, 31, circulated after his death on Friday night, in the northern port city of Al Hoceima. The city immediately erupted in protests, which spread on Sunday to cities like Marrakesh and Rabat, the capital. King Mohammed VI of Morocco ordered the Interior Ministry to conduct a careful and thorough investigation, and to bring charges against anyone who had broken the law, the state-run Maghreb Arabe Presse news agency reported on Sunday. According to news accounts, Mr. Fikri and several friends dived into the garbage truck after the authorities confiscated his merchandise, around $11,000 worth of swordfish, a protected species in Morocco. As the compactor started operating it was not clear why the friends jumped out, but Mr. Fikri was stuck inside. Estimated Florida vote Strongest for Clinton Strongest for Trump Tallahassee Jacksonville Pensacola Panama City Gainesville Daytona Beach Ocala Orlando Tampa Port St. Lucie Fort Myers Ft. Lauderdale Miami Tallahassee Jacksonville Pensacola Panama City Gainesville Daytona Beach Ocala Orlando Tampa Port St. Lucie Fort Myers Ft. Lauderdale Miami Tallahassee Jacksonville Pensacola Panama City Orlando Tampa Fort Myers Ft. Lauderdale Miami Orlando Tampa Miami NYT Upshot/ Siena College poll Clinton 42% Trump 46% Donald J. Trump has slowly but surely improved his standing in state and national polls since the final presidential debate. A New York Times Upshot/Siena poll released Sunday is consistent with that trend: It gives Mr. Trump a four-point lead in Florida, 46 percent to 42 percent, in a four-way race. In our first poll of Florida a month ago, Mr. Trump trailed Hillary Clinton by a percentage point. The survey is Mr. Trumps best recent poll in Florida, and it should be interpreted with caution. In general, it is best to look at an average of polls. Mrs. Clinton still leads in an average of recent Florida surveys by nearly three points. But the poll is not the only one to show Mr. Trump in the lead. A Bloomberg/Selzer poll, which is methodologically similar to the New York Times Upshot/Siena poll, showed Mr. Trump with a two-point edge last week. Mr. Trump, a Republican, has no plausible path to the presidency without Floridas 29 electoral votes. But his Democratic opponent has many ways to win without the state. Mrs. Clinton would almost certainly win if she carried North Carolina and Pennsylvania, where recent Upshot/Siena polls have shown her with a comfortable advantage. The poll was taken before the F.B.I. director, James Comey, informed Congress that the bureau had obtained additional information of potential relevance to an investigation into Mrs. Clintons emails. National polls ahead of Mr. Comeys letter showed Mrs. Clinton with a six-point lead, an edge that was somewhat smaller than it was earlier in the month. Where this poll fits in with other polls of Florida voters The poll paints a much rosier picture for Mr. Trump. Across every dimension of the survey, the poll has subtle but good news for his chances. If Mr. Trump won the election, it probably would look a lot like this: Far greater Republican unity Mr. Trump won 86 percent of self-identified Republicans the highest percentage of that group in any Upshot/Siena survey so far this year. He had the support of 84 percent of registered Republicans, up from 72 percent in September and also the highest of any Upshot/Siena survey this year. Mr. Trumps consolidation of Republican-leaning voters is a trend in national surveys, and it comes alongside a corresponding decline in the number of supporters for Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate, who received just 4 percent of the vote in our survey the lowest of any Upshot/Siena poll. Republicans have been likelier than Democrats to support Mr. Johnson in most of our polls. Even college-educated white voters, who have been skeptical of Mr. Trump nationwide, are showing less skepticism in Florida. He has a lead of 51 percent to 35 percent among those voters in our survey. Clinton weakness among white working-class Democrats Mr. Trump leads among white voters without a college degree by an impressive margin of 63 percent to 24 percent. Hes so strong that Mrs. Clinton has just 55 percent of the vote among white registered Democrats without a degree, compared with Mr. Trumps 32 percent. The combination of Republican unity and a large dissenting vote among registered Democrats is responsible for Mr. Trumps lead. Mrs. Clinton actually leads among voters who are unaffiliated with a major party something thats been true in all five Upshot surveys: in North Carolina (two surveys), Florida (two) and Pennsylvania (one). In this case, its by a 10-point margin. Our survey is adjusted to have the right number of registered Democrats and Republicans, which is generally a good way to make sure that a sample doesnt wind up being too Democratic or Republican. Democrats have a one-point registration edge among likely voters. But because of this large dissenting vote from white working-class registered Democrats, and the unity of registered Republicans, the Republicans have a two-point advantage in voters party identification in survey responses. A Clinton challenge with black voters? Mrs. Clinton has had nearly unanimous support among black voters in Upshot/Siena surveys, but not in this one: She had a lead of 81 percent to 11 percent. It might not seem like a big deal, but the difference between that support and the 90-1 we saw from black voters in Pennsylvania covers about half of Mr. Trumps lead. White voters Mrs. Clinton is competitive among white voters in southeast Florida. Black voters Black voters were more supportive of Mr. Trump than in past surveys. Hispanic voters Republicans tend to do better among Cuban voters in South Florida. One possibility is that this is random sampling error were talking about seven black respondents who support Mr. Trump in our survey. But there are at least hints that Mr. Trump may be a tad stronger among black voters in Florida than elsewhere. Our first Upshot/Siena poll of Florida in September gave Mrs. Clinton a lead of 83 percent to 4 percent among black voters, which was her worst performance among black voters in any of The Upshots polls up until now. A recent Selzer poll of Florida also gave Mrs. Clinton a similar lead of 80 percent to 10 percent among black voters. Mrs. Clinton also had a challenge with black turnout. Voters who indicated on their voter registration form that they were black made up 12.7 percent of the likely electorate, down from 13.9 percent in 2012. Our North Carolina survey also showed the black share of the electorate dipping by about one point lower than 2012 levels. Its a pattern thats consistent with the initial early voting data, which shows lower black turnout than in 2012. Cubans return to Trump Mrs. Clinton leads among Hispanic voters by a wide margin of 59 percent to 30 percent in our survey a tally thats pretty comparable to most recent Florida polls. But it is better for Mr. Trump than our September survey, when Mrs. Clinton led by a margin of 61 percent to 21 percent. Here, it is Cuban-American voters who make the difference. In September, Mrs. Clinton had a lead of 41 percent to 33 percent among Cuban voters, with a huge number undecided or supporting a minor-party candidate. Now Mr. Trump leads, 52 percent vs. 42 percent. Again, these are very small samples. But its plausible to imagine Mr. Trump recovering among Cuban voters. A strong showing among Cuban voters also helped Senator Marco Rubio lead by nine points, 51 percent to 42 percent, against his Democratic challenger, Patrick Murphy. Mr. Murphy led by just two percentage points among Hispanic voters, and Mr. Rubio led by 69-28 among Cuban voters. Marco Rubio leads in his Senate race with Patrick Murphy, with a bigger edge than Mr. Trump's. A mystery factor: partisan nonresponse One of the biggest questions in political survey research is partisan nonresponse the possibility that Democrats or Republicans are more or less likely to respond to polls. Most public polls dont have many ways to deal with it. They weight their surveys to match the demographic composition of adults say, the right number of white and black voters but they dont adjust the number of Democrats or Republicans. Our surveys are different: As mentioned earlier, theyre adjusted to have the right number of Democrats or Republicans. In our survey, registered Democrats were much likelier to respond than Republicans. Registered Democrats had an eight-point registration advantage in our unweighted sample, even though it was representative by other measures. Mrs. Clinton would have actually led in The Upshots survey if it, like most others, didnt weight by party registration. One possibility is that the public polls are understating Mr. Trumps support because registered Republicans arent answering the telephone. I would love to write that this was the only poll capturing the hidden Trump vote. And I would note that the Selzer/Bloomberg poll of Florida also happens to be weighted by party registration. But based on my reporting, this is probably not whats going on. Private pollsters are conducting surveys using similar methods, and theyre not seeing this. And after all, our poll found that registered Republicans were extremely likely to indicate their support for Mr. Trump not exactly the shy Trump voter. So let me conclude with a puzzle that highlights just how hard survey research can be. Suppose, for the moment, that Republicans dissatisfied with Mr. Trump were less likely to respond to our survey, either by chance or because they were demoralized. You would end up with a survey with too few Republicans, but those that you did have would be likely to support Mr. Trump. It might not be so easy to adjust for partisan nonresponse. If you then adjusted your survey to include the right number of registered Republicans, you would wind up with a sample full of Republicans who full-throatedly supported Mr. Trump even though the reason you had too few Republicans was because so many dont support him. Is this whats going on here? Who knows. The point is that any time theres an adjustment for nonresponse, a pollster is making an assumption that the people being up-weighted are representative of the people who didnt respond. Thats just an assumption, and its not always right. Well find out for sure in nine very long days. A young Bill Ackman sat behind Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger at The Buffett Essays Symposium in New York in October 1996. Twenty years ago, a young investor named Bill Ackman made an astute observation about indexation to investing legend Charlie Munger. Weve heard a lot of discussion about how institutions and individuals use index funds, Ackman, then 30, said to Munger at The Buffett Essays Symposium, a conference that took place in October 1996. But to the extent that more and more capital becomes indexed and if you think about index fund managers as really being a computer, then in terms of the voting of shares for instance the more stock that is held by people who dont care about individual corporations, the more there is a significant societal detriment to have capital in the hands of people who are just seeking average performance. The rise of indexing and the exodus into passively-managed index funds from actively-managed fund has gotten increasing amounts of attention in recent months. Among the concerns is that fewer investors are scrutinizing the corporate executives. Ackman continued: The result is that the more capital that is indexed, the more it inflates the prices of companies in the S&P and leads to poor capital allocation and maybe detrimental owner performance over time because some companies get more capital than they deserve. You are plainly right, Munger responded, If you pushed indexation to the very logical extreme you would get preposterous results. The coming boom in indexing Empirically, the position of equity capital assets that are indexed is less than thirty percent of the total, Lynn Stout, a professor of corporate and business law at Cornell Law School, pointed out at the time. Thats what is officially indexed, Ackman responded. There is an enormous about of capital that is unofficially indexed. Its called closet indexation: You keep the fee but you deliver the index. Munger agreed. However you measure it, most folks would agree that indexing is huge today, whether it be through index mutual funds, index exchange-traded funds (ETFs), or other strategies that aim to mirror the performance of a major benchmark like the S&P 500 (^GSPC). Story continues Passively managed equity ETFs are among index strategies that have exploded. (Image: BofAML) Today, Ackman, 50, runs Pershing Square Capital Management, a $12 billion hedge fund that that takes large positions in a handful of companies and pushes for changes from management. In 2015, Pershing Square suffered its worst year in its history, falling 20.5%. In his annual letter, Ackman dedicated a lengthy section to the impact of index funds on US markets that was similar to what he had said in 1996. Index funds and other passive managers have gained increasing market share in recent years, Ackman wrote. Investing capital in funds and ETFs that track major market indexes has recently been what one might call a one way bet, and there is good reason for this. Index funds and ETFs have very low fees and have outperformed the average active manager in recent years. Last year, index funds were allocated nearly 20% of every dollar invested in the market. That is up from 10% fifteen years ago. Ackman noted that the top holders of Americas largest companies are often identified as one of three major index fund managers: Vanguard, Blackrock, and State Street. It pays to be a closet indexer The success of index funds and their use as benchmarks has resulted in more active fund managers charging high active-like fees while delivering average passive-like performance. These are the closet indexed, or as Munger put it in 1996, You keep the fee but you deliver the index. This is true because the risk of an active manager losing clients is typically directly correlated with its portfolios variance from the benchmarks performance. Clients rarely fire a manager for modest performance below the benchmark for any one year, but client engagements and mutual fund flows are often lost if the variance is dramatic in any one year. This encourages managers to invest their portfolios in order to limit their variance to the S&P, with only slight over-and underweightings to sectors or stocks they believe will outperform. By hugging the index, their performance closely tracks the index, with underperformance attributable to higher fees and easier to explain away as We are taking less risk than the index in the companies we choose to own. Bill Ackman walks to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. (Reuters/ Brendan McDermid) Indexation creates a problem for corporate governance, according to Ackman. As index ownership increases so does the voting power of index fund managers. The problem is that index fund managers dont have the incentive to do the incredibly burdensome and almost impossible job of engaging in shareholder activism. Instead, index funds are incentivized to grow their assets to make money from the fees and support the incumbent managements. Ackmans worry is that if this trend continues the impact on corporate America could look a lot like Japans system of cross corporate ownership, which has resulted in underperformance. The characteristics of a bubble are forming We believe that it is axiomatic that while capital flows will drive market values in the short term, valuations will drive market values over the long term. As a result, large and growing inflows to index funds, coupled with their market-cap driven allocation policies, drive index component valuations upwards and reduce their potential long-term rates of return. As the most popular index funds constituent companies become overvalued, these funds long-term rates of returns will likely decline, reducing investor appeal and increasing capital outflows. When capital flows reverse, index fund returns will likely decline, reducing investor interest, further increasing capital outflows, and so on. While we would not yet describe the current phenomenon as an index fund bubble, it shares similar characteristics with other market bubbles. The symposium was hosted by Lawrence Cunningham who has recently published a 20th anniversary annotated transcript. Julia La Roche is a finance reporter at Yahoo Finance. Read more: Leon Cooperman had an epiphany about the hedge fund industry after hearing a futurist speak An analyst sounds the alarm on the most crowded trade in investing history A campaign sign found in Newport Beach with words written in Farsi next to City Council candidate Fred Ameris name is another racist attempt to instill fear and alienate voters, Ameri said. The red sign was placed on West Coast Highway and Dover Drive and reads Vote for Fred written in Farsi, the language spoken in Ameris native Iran, and Ameri written in English. Ameri, who was born Farrokh Ameri in Iran, said the sign was not his and that he only became aware of it when a friend brought it to his attention this week. This is an indirect way of saying Look this guy is an Iranian. Hes not one of us, he said. A 19-year resident of the city and former planning commissioner, Ameri said he has used Fred for several decades and is widely known by the name. Several of his campaign workers who distribute fliers to homes were told to keep an eye out for similar signs and remove them, he said. As of Saturday, no other signs with Farsi writing were found. Ameri is running against attorney Phil Greer and finance commissioner Will O Neill to replace Councilman Keith Curry of District 7, who cannot seek reelection because of term limits. No one has taken responsibility for the sign. ONeill and Greer have denied having any connection to it. The issue of Ameris Persian heritage has become an issue this election cycle. In August, Newport Beach resident William Stewart filed a lawsuit against the Orange County Registrar of Voters Neal Kelly and Newport Beach City Clerk Leilani Brown, asking a court to order Ameri to use his birth name instead of his nickname Fred on election materials and the ballot. Bruce Peotter, Stewarts attorney and brother of Councilman Scott Peotter, argued that state elections code mandate a candidate to use their legal name, saying any other name would mislead voters. Peotter cited Gov. Jerry Brown, whose birth name is Edmund. which appeared on the ballot. A judge disagreed in his September ruling, saying Ameri had a right to use a name he is widely associated with and known. Ameri said the lawsuit and campaign signs are racist ploys to discredit his candidacy. They tried to expose my name that Im just some terrorist Iranian in this country, Ameri said. Contact the writer: 714-796-2478 or lcasiano@scng.com ALTURAS The defendant in the slaying of a sheriffs deputy in rural Northern California has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. The Record Searchlight of Redding reports that Jack Lee Breiner entered the plea in Modoc County on Friday amid heavy security that included officers on the roof of the courthouse. Modoc County sheriffs officials say Breiner shot and killed deputy Jack Hopkins on Oct. 19 outside Alturas, California, near the Oregon border. The 31-year-old Hopkins was responding to a domestic disturbance call. Hopkins was the fourth California law enforcement officer to die in the line of duty in a two-week span. Breiner was arrested after a chase and shootout with the sheriff that left both wounded. Breiner also entered a not guilty plea to an attempted murder charge in the shootout. The postmortem on the Donald Trump phenomenon was well under way long before early voting began. Casting their nets too close to shore, the establishment punditry targeted the obvious suspects: cable news outlets who let Trump commandeer their microphones; Hillary Clinton for being a secretive and undynamic candidate; the Republican Party establishment for not doing more to derail Trump at the outset. Too few political reporters bothered to examine how crony capitalism infects both major political parties or were willing to explore how these two parties have mismanaged globalization, abdicated responsibility on the national debt, and been AWOL on formulating immigration policy. Yes, the wealth-flaunting Trump was an unlikely populist champion, but it shouldnt have been a surprise that working-class Americans who havent had a pay raise in a generation were a restive voting bloc. Instead, the flyover country voters who upended the Republican Party in 2016 were generally portrayed as dupes and bigots who morphed into a snarling mob that chose Trump as the GOP standard-bearer. In this construct, blame must be assigned. But to whom? That depends on whom you ask. Hillary Clinton targeted Trump voters themselves, memorably calling half of them irredeemable deplorables. Clinton cabinet official Tom Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, was more diplomatic: He blamed Trump, comparing The Donald to an infamous con man. Donald Trump is sort of to politics what Bernie Madoff was to investment, Vilsack said to NBC. He is selling something that people dont fully understand and appreciate what it actually means. Max Boot, a thoughtful foreign policy conservative, blames the GOPs habit going back to when Dwight Eisenhower ran for office of dumbing down its rhetoric: masquerading as the stupid party, in Boots memorable description. The most convoluted explanation was proffered by Democratic financier Steven Rattner, who told Republican lawmakers, You created the anger that lifted his candidacy. How did they do this? By not voting for Big Government programs pushed by President Obama. Most prominent liberal television and newspaper commentators take a more direct approach. They accuse the party of pandering so hard and for so long they could no longer control the process. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman blames the GOP leadership for renting themselves out for years to any entity that could energize the base and help keep their party in power. Dana Milbank of The Washington Post went further. Trump may be a monster, he wrote, but hes the monster Republicans created. In this telling, the GOP is the party of dog whistles to closeted racists, a political organization hostile to gays, immigrants and minorities a party that doesnt even protect women, let alone embrace ethical and cultural pluralism. A large number of Democrats and media outlets take this contention to its ultimate and ultimately extreme conclusion: Merely questioning Hillary Clintons ethics or campaign style, they say, is evidence of sexism. Likewise, to oppose President Obamas policies is racist. Knowing deep down that this sounds so hyper-partisan as to be loony, these liberals began taking pains to extol Republican presidents and presidential nominees not named Trump. Theres something there I miss today, Chris Matthews was heard saying on MSNBC during the 2011 budget battles. Bet you cant guess what it was: The liberal talk show host was waxing nostalgic for Ronald Reagans ability to negotiate with Matthews former boss, House Speaker Thomas Tip ONeill. On the same show, leftist writer Joan Walsh said, President Obama is actually the Reagan figure here. Meanwhile, I miss Reagan bumper stickers started popping up, and Barack Obama himself appropriated Reagans city on a hill imagery at the Democrats 2016 nominating convention, albeit as a way of attacking Trump. Likewise, prominent Democrats and their media loyalists spent the better part of this year extolling their heretofore unacknowledged appreciation of Mitt Romney, John McCain, and both presidents named George Bush. He was in it for the right reasons, Stephanie Cutter, Obamas 2012 deputy campaign manager, said recently about Romney. He truly believed in wanting to make this country better. Compared to Donald Trump, Francis Fukuyama, wrote in Time magazine, George W. Bush looks like a paragon of statesmanship. And so it goes. But heres the problem. This is not how progressives spoke about these Republicans when they were running for president or holding high elective office. Ronald Reagan was routinely described in the media as a bellicose dummy who fiddled while gay people died and whose attitudes toward the Soviet Union threatened the stability of the world. As Reagan scholar Steven F. Hayward has noted, Democratic Rep. William Lacy Clay of Missouri claimed Reagan was trying to replace the Bill of Rights with fascist precepts lifted verbatim from Mein Kampf. Los Angeles Times cartoonist Paul Conrad depicted Reagan as a young Hitler, planning a fascist putsch in a darkened Munich beer hall. While on book tour a few days before Reagan died, Donna Brazile, now the interim Democratic Party chairwoman, characterized the 40th U.S. president as a man who had initiated the politics of telling poor people they are worthless. In 1988, Brazile accused George H.W. Bush of running a racist campaign, based on the prison furlough ads run against Michael Dukakis. (Brazile was pushed out of her role in the Dukakis campaign for spreading rumors about Vice President Bushs married life.) The truth about the supposedly racist furlough ads is that they were shot in sepia tones by the Bush campaign in Utah, of all places, precisely to avoid racial overtones. Yet, the Willie Horton ads hardened into a prevailing media narrative for more than two decades. By 2000, calling George W. Bush a racist was the liberals standard operating procedure, a tactic used against Romney as well. In the interim John McCain lost his soul or maybe, according to Vanity Fair, he never had one by picking Sarah Palin and committing other partisan sins. The point is not that Democrats and the media are insincere in their attacks on Donald Trump, or even that their criticism is misplaced. But if the media are assigning responsibility for the havoc wreaked by his candidacy, we should start by looking in the mirror. If Reagan and George W. Bush are routinely portrayed as warmongers, if both Bushes (and Reagan and Romney) are painted as bigots, if we write that John McCain has no core values, how do we expect rank-and-file conservatives or grassroots independents to respond when Trump is dubbed by the media as an existential threat to democracy? In other words, once youve compared the most popular Republican president in the 20th century to Adolf Hitler, what have you got left in your rhetorical arsenal that any open-minded person would possibly believe? The result was predictable: The Trump voters tuned us out. We earned that disregard, and we should have seen it coming. To Russ Schriefer, a top Romney adviser in 2012, the Democrats and their media cheerleaders are a classic example of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Dont be surprised, Schriefer told the Associated Press, when your accusations against Trump are falling upon deaf ears and arent working, when youve used them in the past against a person for whom the descriptions didnt fit. Carl M. Cannon is executive editor and Washington Bureau chief of RealClearPolitics. Republicans and Democrats agree on one thing after the Federal Bureau of Investigations disclosure that its looking into new e-mails related to its investigation of Hillary Clintons use of a private server: The FBI needs to reveal more about newly discovered e-mails and fast. I believe the American people deserve to have a full accounting of Secretary Clintons practices and a complete picture of her actions as secretary of state, Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican who is locked in one of this years closest Senate contests, said in a statement. We should allow this to go through the complete processes, this time including all of the e-mails on Clintons server. Clinton, in a Friday evening news conference, called on the FBI to release all of the information that it has on the inquiry without delay. Clintons campaign said they it didnt expect the FBIs recommendations to change. It is extraordinary that we would see something like this just 11 days out from a presidential election, John Podesta, the Clinton campaigns chairman, said in a statement. Congressional Democrats were angry at FBI Director James Comeys letter to Congress Friday, in which he said he was reviewing new e-mails that appear to be pertinent to an investigation that had wrapped up earlier this year without any recommendation to pursue criminal charges. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called for additional disclosures from the FBI. The public interest would be served by the FBI providing the facts, rather than allowing Republicans to stoke innuendo and falsehoods 11 days away from a presidential election, she said Friday afternoon in a statement. Two leading House Democrats, Elijah Cummings and John Conyers, the ranking members of the Oversight and Judiciary panels, went even further, asking Comey and Attorney General Loretta Lynch to issue a more complete accounting behind the decision in order to debunk these conspiracy theories and correct the public record. Democratic Representative Hank Johnson of Georgia said that Comeys decision to notify Congress with this nebulous information was unwise and imprudent, and has done a grave disservice to the nation. No Briefing House Democrats havent been briefed by the FBI at all, according to House aides, leaving them with no more information beyond Comeys terse three-paragraph letter. Republicans and the Trump campaign quickly seized on Comeys statement to attack the Democratic presidential nominee. Comey said he couldnt say how long the review would take, raising the possibility that voters will go to the ballot box with the new probe unresolved and still hanging over Clintons campaign. The Trump campaign also demanded the bureau provide additional details about what it found. We call on the FBI to immediately release all emails pertinent to their investigation. Americans have the right to know before Election Day, Trumps running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, wrote on Twitter. Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa said hes asked for a briefing from the FBI as soon as possible. The letter from Director Comey was unsolicited and, quite honestly, surprising. But its left a lot more questions than answers for both the FBI and Secretary Clinton, Grassley said. Congress and the public deserve more context to properly assess what evidence the FBI has discovered and what it plans to do with it. The chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, also asked the FBI for a briefing on the new developments by Nov. 4, four days before the election. Republican Representative Peter King of New York, a former chairman of the Homeland Security panel, told MSNBC that Comey needs to brief the relevant congressional leaders about what he called a totally unprecedented development. Representative Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican and chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said there can be little doubt that something pertinent has emerged. Something must be there or they wouldnt make this announcement this close to the election, Jordan said on CNBC, adding that as much as the American people can know, they should know. Senate Control The surprise development has potential to shake up not only the presidential contest, but also the race for control of the Senate. Nearly a dozen close races will determine whether Democrats can pick up enough seats to take over a chamber that Republicans now govern with a four-seat majority. A number of Republican incumbents in those races seized on a development that threatens to hurt Clinton and other down-ballot Democrats. Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who is fending off a challenge from Democratic Representative Patrick Murphy, said in a statement that Murphy should tell voters if he still fully trusts Clinton. Senator Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican, heralded the reopened investigation, saying Clinton didnt take her national security clearance seriously enough, and that he has serious questions about the way the FBI has handled this case up to now. Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte said her Democratic opponent in New Hampshires Senate race, Governor Maggie Hassan, has been entirely too dismissive of the allegations surrounding Clintons use of a private e-mail server. Governor Hassan has repeatedly dismissed Hillary Clintons private e-mail server as merely a mistake, and she has repeatedly dodged questions about her misconduct, Ayotte said in a statement. Clinton knowingly jeopardized our national security, and in light of todays news Governor Hassan needs to answer for her inability to call her out even on her most egregious national security failures. Are election jitters scaring shoppers? Or are jittery consumers in the mood for change? Presidential elections can swing on an October surprise and weak consumer confidence readings from the Conference Board last week certainly added to the political intrigue. Youd think confident consumers would want stability after eight years of Democrat Barack Obama. But could suddenly skittish shoppers want a new party in the White House? Of course, the fact that California consumers told pollsters they were very antsy this month wont turn the state vote away from Democrat Hillary Clintons camp. Republican Donald Trump, whos calling for an economic policy overhaul, isnt running well in California. The Conference Boards consumer confidence index for the state fell to a two-year low this month: an 89.9 score vs. 102.5 a month ago, and 95.4 in October 2015. FYI: The index averaged 85 the past five years. October is quite a reversal from the index hitting a nine-year high in April at 111.8. In October the Californian assessment of current conditions fell to a nine-month low as the forward outlook cascaded to a two-year low. Californias drop follows in step with a national dip in the Conference Boards index. American confidence dropped to 98.6 from 103.5 in September, highest since January 2015. Is that an election-turning trend? Conference Board economist Lynn Franco in a statement on nationwide conditions suggested the October slip was more a blip: Consumers assessment of current business and employment conditions softened, while optimism regarding the short-term outlook retreated somewhat. However, consumers expectations regarding their income prospects in the coming months were relatively unchanged. Octobers shopper malaise also depressed the confidence measure for six of the eight big states tracked by the Conference Board, raising a question or two about Electoral College outcomes: Texans were most optimistic, with a 115.6 score highest since May and up a touch from September as well as a year ago. The presidential race in the usually Republican state is surprisingly close. Michigan was the other confidence winner for October, up sharply to its highest in nine months. Politically, the state looks solid for Clinton. Confidence in battleground state Florida fell to its lowest since April 2015. Opportunity for Trump? Same could be said of Pennsylvania, with confidence down a smidgen, and Ohio, where optimism tumbled to a seven-month low. But dont expect these sinking shopper outlooks to mean much in New York, where confidence hit a three-month low, or Illinois, with optimism at the weakest in 14 months. Both states look to be Clinton victories. Octobers surprising pullback in optimism feels a lot like consumer nerves about the great unknown of the elections outcome. Before 2016, the Conference Boards national confidence index dropped, September to October, in six of the last eight presidential election years. Guess well let the shoppers, ahem voters, have the final word Nov. 8. Contact the writer: jlansner@ocregister.com California on Nov. 8 will elect a new U.S. senator for the first time in 24 years. To replace four-term Sen. Barbara Boxer, who decided not to seek re-election, we endorse Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Orange, because she has demonstrated incredible judgment on the most crucial issues of our generation, taking tough stands in the face of tremendous opposition. When thinking deeply about the most consequential policy decisions made by Congress in the past two decades, the vote to invade Iraq in 2003 should be at the top of the list. The loss of life, the erosion of the standing of the United States globally, the drain on economic resources, the rise in the national debt and the deeper political divisions in our country arguably flow from that congressional authorization of war. Hindsight has led many members of Congress who voted for the war to regret their actions. Only a minority of members of Congress can say that they voted no at the time. Rep. Sanchez is one of the few who stood up against public opinion and political pressure to vote her conscience. Too many of my colleagues have rushed to use the military for every single thing, Sanchez told the Editorial Board. The military is the last thing I want to do, she added, and should be utilized only after diplomacy and all other options had been exhausted. When pressed about when it is appropriate to send American citizens to war, the congresswoman, whose husband was in the military and whose son is currently serving, asserted that she would picture what she would say to the mother of a dead soldier to determine if military conflict was worth the cost. Her discernment on military matters and experience as a member of both the House Armed Services and Homeland Security committees alone eminently qualify her to represent California in the Senate. Aside from the Iraq War vote, Sanchez has also shown independence of thought when voting to oppose the USA Patriot Act, a law that has led to the expansion of executive power and unprecedented government surveillance of Americans private data and communications. She also voted against the $700 billion bank bailout in 2008 when it was politically unpopular for legislators of either party to do so. This is not to say that Sanchez has a perfect voting record but, rather, that when she is faced with the biggest and most complex decisions, she typically makes the correct choice. It is those big issues such as war and the surveillance of millions of Americans that have a greater impact on citizens lives than perhaps anything else Congress has done. For these reasons, Rep. Sanchez is the right choice for the United States Senate. EDINBURGH The Transocean Winner, a rig filled with more than 300 tons of diesel and weighing 18,740 tons, broke away in an August storm to drift onto the rocks on the Isle of Lewis, in far western Scotland. The huge semi-submersible oil rig detached in rough seas from a tug trying to take it to Malta, and amid worries about pollution. But the Transocean Winner, both in its plight and in its journey away from the North Sea, is a symbol of Scotlands growing problem. At the same time that North Sea production slips and oil and gas become harder and more expensive to extract, the price of energy has fallen sharply. Cheap oil prices are making it uneconomical to produce oil and gas from the North Sea, so investment is postponed or canceled, and rigs are shutting down or being transported elsewhere. And the drop in production from the mature field has meant a steep drop in tax revenue for Scotland, which has put a big question mark over the prospects of Scottish independence from the United Kingdom. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon of Scotland, the leader of the governing Scottish National Party, is committed to independence. After Britain voted in June to leave the European Union, while Scotland voted heavily to remain, she said a second independence referendum was highly likely. But in fact, it seems far away. Sturgeon cannot afford to lose a second referendum, and although Scots feel adrift from a Conservative-ruled Britain, the economic situation has deteriorated badly. And that is largely because of the collapse in the price of oil, which has not only reduced revenue but also made new exploration simply too costly. North Sea oil and gas production peaked in 1999 at 4.55 million barrels of oil equivalent a day; today, that number is 1.64 million, said Alexander Kemp, a professor of petroleum economics at the University of Aberdeen. And revenue has gone down sharply every year since 2011. The trade group Oil & Gas UK figures that the industry will lose 120,000 jobs by the end of this year. SEOUL, South Korea Thousands of South Koreans took to the streets of the capital on Saturday calling for increasingly unpopular President Park Geun-hye to step down over allegations that she let an old friend, the daughter of a religious cult leader, interfere in important state affairs. The evening protest came after Park ordered 10 of her senior secretaries to resign over a scandal that is likely to deepen the presidents lame duck status ahead of next years election. Holding candles and signs reading Whos the real president? and Park Geun-hye step down, the protesters marched through downtown Seoul after holding a candlelight vigil near City Hall. Police estimated that about 12,000 people turned out for the biggest anti-government demonstration in Seoul in months. Park has lost her authority as president and showed she doesnt have the basic qualities to govern a country, Jae-myung Lee, from the opposition Minjoo Party and the mayor of the city of Seongnam, told the protesters from a stage. Park has been facing calls to reshuffle her office and Cabinet after she acknowledged on Tuesday that she provided longtime friend Choi Soon-sil drafts of her speeches for editing. Her televised apology sparked intense criticism about her mismanagement of national information and a heavy-handed leadership style that many see as lacking in transparency. Theres also media speculation that Choi, who holds no government job, meddled in government decisions on personnel and policy and exploited her ties with Park to misappropriate funds from nonprofit organizations. Prosecutors on Saturday widened their investigation by searching the homes of presidential officials suspected of interacting with Choi and receiving their office files from the Blue House the presidential office and residence. Prosecutors had previously summoned some of Chois key associates and raided their homes and workplaces, as well as the offices of two nonprofit foundations Choi supposedly controlled. The saga, triggered by weeks of media reports, has sent Parks approval ratings to record lows, and the minority opposition Justice Party has called for her to resign. The Minjoo Party, a larger opposition party that has refrained from calling for Parks resignation over fears of negatively affecting next years presidential election, said Parks decision to shake up her secretariat was too little, too late, and called for stronger changes, including the reshuffling of her Cabinet. Parks aides on the way out include Woo Byung-woo, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, and Ahn Jong-beom, senior secretary for policy coordination. Lee Won-jong, Parks chief of staff, tendered his resignation on Wednesday. Woo has been blamed for failing to prevent Choi from influencing state affairs and has also been embroiled in separate corruption allegations surrounding his family. Ahn, whose home was searched by prosecutors on Saturday, is under suspicion that he helped Choi pressure South Korean companies into making large donations to the Mir and K-Sports foundations, launched in October last year and January this year, respectively. Choi reportedly masterminded the creation of the two nonprofits, which managed to gather around $70 million in corporate donations over a short period of time, and is suspected of misappropriating some of the funds for personal use. Parks office said she plans to announce a new lineup of senior secretaries soon. Chois lawyer Lee Gyeong-jae said that she was currently in Germany but would return to South Korea if prosecutors summon her. In an interview with a South Korean newspaper earlier in the week, Choi acknowledged receiving presidential documents in advance, but denied intervening in state affairs or pressuring companies into donating to the foundations. Choi and Park reportedly became friends in the 1970s, when Chois late father, Choi Tae-min, a shadowy religious figure who was a Buddhist monk, cult leader and Christian pastor at different points of his life, emerged as Parks mentor. At the time, Park was serving as acting first lady after her mother was killed in 1974 by a man trying to assassinate her father, military strongman Park Chung-hee, who would be murdered by his own spy chief five years later. ANAHEIM President Barack Obama is not the father. Laughter boomed as comedian Lauren Lapkus and guests improvised a scene where she was learning the results of a paternity test. Across the hall, NPR host Kelly McEvers transported her Embedded audience to the streets of El Salvador, with photos and interviews that shed light on the nations bloody gang war. More than 30 performers will take the stage this weekend during the inaugural Now Hear This podcast festival at the Anaheim Marriott. The event started Friday and continues through Sunday, with a mix of high-profile and little-known programs, comedy and news shows, mysteries and cultural critiques. It sounded like a dream come true, Ryan Cowden said. Cowden, whos a middle school teacher, drove to the festival from San Dimas on Saturday with the shows he wanted to see mapped out on a note card. He hoped the festival would give him inspiration for the podcast he plans to launch for teachers. Shuji Sakai, 47, already has his own podcast geared toward bicycle retailers. The Irvine resident said hes been excited to watch the genre become popular enough to spawn a festival, with more people able to make their voices heard. Youre implying that Im a cruise ship person. The ribbing was rampant during Jessica Chaffin and Jamie Denbos podcast Ronna & Beverly, which they describe as a live chat hosted by Americas favorite fifty-something Jewish mothers. In character as Beverly, Denbo told a tale of being kicked out of California Adventure. It involved some colorful language after a disabled child celebrity rolled over her foot while they waited in line for Tower of Terror. The ladies brought out comedian Jimmy Pardo, who hosts the podcast Never Not Funny. Soon the three were talking about how spider bites make you reflect on your mortality and how crabs decide when to leave their shells behind. A pie died in the plane crash. It was supposed to be a sing-along. Host Matt Besser called for his guests Mary Holland, Erin Whitehead and Lapkus to join him in the song American Pie. Soon, with a nod to Don McLeans song, the scene morphed into a plane crash with a pie that would never be heard from again. Thats how it goes in improv4humans, Bessers podcast that bounces between conversations and improv comedy. Audience members called internal monologue, inspiring a scene with a character who spoke what she meant to think, saying what we all wish we could say. There are honestly so many good reasons not to like Harry Potter. What makes fads come and go? And what if you dont jump on board? Those were some of the topics tackled during NPRs Pop Culture Happy Hour, hosted by Linda Holmes. It was the last show on a tour thats been making audiences laugh and think nationwide. Key takeaways? Its OK not to like what everyone else likes, but dont dump on it just because you can. As Glen Wheldon put it: There is beauty in an unexpressed opinion. Contact the writer: 714-796-7963 or bstaggs@ocregister.comTwitter: @JournoBrooke Money or our kids? Thats the choice we are making when it comes to Prop. 64 and the legalization of marijuana. Prop. 64 would legalize the possession of one ounce of marijuana and the cultivation of six plants by adults age 21 years and over. It would allow for retail establishments in our communities to sell marijuana products, and marijuana delivery services, similar to food delivery. It also allows marijuana advertisements on television and other media. They tell us that we will make millions of dollars in tax revenue and that California will become the pot epicenter of the nation. Is that what we really want to be? Why do the proponents want to legalize marijuana in California? Its about the money, and what venture capitalists can make to the detriment of our children. We need only look to Colorado as an experimental lab on the impacts of legalization especially the impacts to our children. Marijuana use among the youth in Colorado became the highest in the nation following the legalization of recreational marijuana in 2012. The Parkview Hospital Emergency Room in Pueblo, Colorado wrote recently that since recreational marijuana has been legal in that state, they have seen a 51 percent increase in children 18 and under testing positive for marijuana. And nearly half of all newborns born in Parkview Hospital tested positive for pre-natal marijuana exposure. If that doesnt get our attention and demonstrate the impact of legalizing marijuana, I dont know what will. Just how does recreational marijuana use impact our children? In a statement last year opposing legalization, the American Academy of Pediatrics wrote, We know marijuana can be very harmful to adolescent health and development. Making it more available to adults even if restrictions are in place will increase access for teens. Just the campaigns to legalize marijuana can have the effect of persuading adolescents that marijuana is not dangerous, which can have a devastating impact on their lifelong health and development. The choice is easy for me. Im voting against Prop. 64 and for the health of our children. I ask you to do the same. Sandra Hutchens, Santa Ana, Sheriff of Orange County Yes on Measure HH The Register has not provided the full facts on Fountain Valleys financial challenges. The city has $120 million in unfunded pension liabilities and bond debt. The proceeds of HH would go to pay off that debt and eliminate over $1 million in interest expense annually. The dissolution of RDAs has put the city in additional hardship. Many cities will be in a similar position in the next few years. Today there are 219 sales tax initiatives already in place and an additional 58 will be on the November ballot. The city has been fiscally responsible and set aside $30 million in reserve. We only have $15.5 million that is available for operations, of which $9.6 million is required for working cash flow. The citys reserve is depleting and soon there will be nothing we can tap into to close the structural deficit, so essential services will be impacted. Measure HH is needed to maintain vital safety services for our residents, meet its financial obligations, eliminate debt by paying off bonds, and restore the reserves account that has been tapped seven of the past nine years. The City Council approved a FY 2016-17 budget with a $1.7 million deficit without funding the following: Park improvements and equipment replacement ($200,000), General Fund funding of citywide street maintenance ($350,000), additional police officers ($220,000), city security camera updates ($255,000), Senior Center roof preventative maintenance ($10,000), repair of City Hall and library fountains ($85,570), backup cardiac monitor ($13,600). The structural deficit will grow to $5 million in FY 2020-21 and if we dont do anything it will grow to $8 million. Since 2002, the council has: Reduced the city workforce, including outsourcing the building division and landscape maintenance (savings of approximately $2 million), reduced health care subsidies for city employees (savings of approximately $1 million), implemented a 3-tiered retirement system in 2012 (savings will continue to increase each year with new hires), required all city employees to contribute to their own retirement (savings of approximately $1.7 million annually). If approved by voters, HH is estimated to generate $11.5 million annually for 20 years which will be used to close the structural deficit as well as pay off the $120 million debt obligation. The 1 percent sales tax increase is shared by residents and visitors. This is only on taxable items so prescription and grocery goods are not impacted. This 1 percent sales tax is the lowest-impact option. Fountain Valley is a bedroom community so we dont have the commerce or tourism that many towns have. Yes on HH keeps our town solvent, healthy and functioning as it should, and a citizen oversight committee will ensure the proper use of the funds. John Collins, Fountain Valley, mayor pro tem No on Prop. 53 Orange County voters will face dozens of serious questions this Election Day. One of those questions dubbed Prop. 53 asks whether or not we should give outside interests the power to veto local infrastructure plans funded by local taxpayers. The Association of California Cities Orange County believes this is a terrible idea and we urge voters to reject Prop. 53. At its core, Prop. 53 would require a statewide election to approve or deny certain projects in our cities, even if theyre funded with local tax dollars. Projects threatened by Prop. 53 include regional water systems, roadways, bridges and even university expansions. The ill-advised measure could have the unfortunate consequence of delaying or even killing projects that O.C.s cities and regional governments have been planning (and funding) for years. It unwisely places the fate of these local needs in the hands of people from hundreds of miles away with no stake in the outcome. The ACC-OC believes that asking voters how to spend their tax dollars is very important. But there are already numerous mechanisms to ensure this happens. For example, California law requires that a local government (city, school board, water district, etc.) hold a local election to issue bonds to pay for new roads, water systems, schools and other needs. In fact, these votes often require a two-thirds majority of local residents to succeed a threshold thats often difficult to achieve. But this approach makes sense. It gives a specific community not outside interests with no stake in the outcome the power to control how their tax dollars are used. To the contrary, Prop. 53 defies logic, good governance and reason. Simply put, it allows others to control our dollars, decision-making and destiny. The ACC-OC isnt the only organization fighting Prop. 53. In fact, diverse organizations from the local government, environmental, public safety, labor, business, academic and medical community stand together in staunch opposition to the measure. Locally, this coalition includes the Orange County Business Council, Hospital Association of Southern California, Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, North Orange County Chamber of Commerce, South Orange County Economic Coalition, Irvine Chamber of Commerce, Southern California Water Committee, and the Los Angeles Times. Giving outside interests the power to control our local tax dollars is a bad idea. Lets protect local control and define our own destiny as communities. Join the ACC-OC and this diverse coalition of community leaders in opposing Prop. 53. Heather Stratman, Orange, ACC-OC Vote for change Re: Dust-ups among GOP faithful [News, Oct. 17]: This article was about Rep. Dana Rohrabacher continuing to support Donald Trump despite Trumps disgusting comments about groping women. However, based primarily on simple voter registration statistics, the impact on Rohrabachers tight race with Dr. Sue Savary for the 48th Congressional District was erroneously dismissed. This race is in contention and Rohrabachers support of Trump may result in Savary closing the relatively small vote gap. Savarys aim is to get the majority of votes (at least 50 percent plus one vote) and Democratic candidate votes in the primary were only 6.6 percent from that goal. Also, if non-down ticket Democratic voters are included, the Democratic candidates were only 2.7 percent from having the majority. Its not difficult to see this race becoming even tighter if Rohrabacher loses votes due to his support of Trump. Another factor favoring Savary is that she has been endorsed by the popular and O.C. Register endorsed Rep. Loretta Sanchez. This is likely to result in Latino support (about 41,777 registered voters) for Savary in the November election. In addition, as in her 2014 run, Savary is likely to get essentially all of the Democratic votes and about half of the independent (no party preference) votes. As a 35 year small business owner, a community activist, and former USC business school professor, Savary was encouraged to run against Rohrabacher again in 2016 by residents who believe that his 27 year mediocre congressional record and weak support of local issues disqualifies him from another term. Of the more than 300 bills he has sponsored, only 3 have become law and these were about 12 years ago according to congress.gov. Also, he is very slow to engage in local issues in need of federal involvement. As an example, while other congressmen acted immediately, according to congress.gov it took him seven months to co-sponsor bill H.R.3643 (The Interim Consolidated Storage Act) which addresses the dangerous nuclear waste storage problem at the shuttered San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Lastly, at the expense of local issues, Rohrabacher has spent too much time on foreign affairs. This has resulted in some very disturbing relationships, in particular, his support of Vladimir Putins dangerous Russian regime (The Kremlins Congressman, Commentary magazine, April 26, 2016). It is time for better representation in the 48th Congressional District and voting for Dr. Sue Savary in November will provide just that. Charles Mooney, Costa Mesa Cirque du Soleil is bringing its newest show to Southern California, and for fans of James Camerons Avatar movie, itll be a live experience of the world of Pandora theyve only seen on the big screen. As part of its tour throughout North America, the circus and theater show comes to Ontario Wednesday through Nov. 6 and Los Angeles from Nov. 11 to 13. The show will be a visually immersive experience, said Fabrice Lemire, artistic director for the production. Lemire, originally from Paris, recently spoke with the Register on a stop in Claremont to preview the show in Southern California. With him was Guillaume Paquin of Montreal. This show takes you elsewhere, to try to re-create the landscape of, and give justice to, the landscape of Pandora, Lemire said. Itll be visually big, as was Camerons movie. Toruk takes a huge amount of space in the arenas where it plays. In all, 40 projectors help create the fantastical setting, sometimes even blanketing the first 15 rows of the audience with patterns of light. So those audience members are really in the scene as well, Lemire said. Toruk isnt a direct continuation of Avatar. But it is set in the same alien world as Camerons epic movie, on the planet Pandora among the tall Navi people. In Avatar, its 2154 and the Navi are being threatened by humans greed for natural resources. The story revolves around Jake, the human who falls for a Navi and switches his allegiance to the Navi people. The Toruk, a dragonlike beast feared and revered by the Navi, made an appearance in Avatar, when Jake sucessfully rides on its back to regain the trust of the Navi. Toruk: The First Flight goes back, thousands of years before Avatar, to the first flight of a Navi on the Toruk. A Navi storyteller will narrate the tale of two boys on the brink of adulthood, Ralu and Entu, who take matters into their own hands when a natural disaster threatens the all-important Tree of Souls. The two, along with a new friend, Tsyal, set off to find the Toruk when they learn that finding the creature might save the Tree of Souls. Theres rivalry, adventure and a message of coexistence with nature, all accompanied by acrobatics, a cinematic score and indoor kites and puppets, including the giant Toruk that flies over the stage. Its so massive, Lemire said of the productions scale. To also give you the notion of the traveling journey of the quest of those three characters, you always have distance and the space. So the audience at one point can sit back and absorb it more like a film. Paquin has one of the starring roles, as Entu. Hes 21 and started studying circus arts at age 7 before going to the National Circus School in Montreal. He hadnt finished school when Cirque du Soleil invited him to audition. For me it was quite big, before finishing school, Paquin said. He said he identifies with Entu young, curious and with his heart on his sleeve. Clumsy! Lemire joked. Sometimes a lack of experience is an advantage when someone has as much natural talent as Paquin, Lemire said. His instincts, but also combined with his naivete of being such a free spirit, give completely justice to the character were trying to portray. Some people, you can give just them simple guidelines. They will take it mile away. This is what he does. The cast members of Toruk have immersed themselves in Pandoras setting, learning Navi mannerisms, ways of smelling and hearing, even using words from an invented Navi language. Learning not to sit was an adjustment, Paquin said. The first thing they put on us is the tail, he said. We learned the Navi squat, because they dont sit. Theres a whole posture of the Navi. Toruk isnt like a traditional Cirque du Soleil show in that it tells a complete story. The narration drives the show, aided by the visuals, Lemire said. Everything else aligns itself to support the storytelling. The acrobatics is embedded into the narration to support an emotion or to support an action. Its a beautiful show, with life, Paquin said. Contact the writer: aboessenkool@ocregister.com IRBIL, Iraq The city of Tal Afar, a weather-beaten former Ottoman military outpost not far from Mosul that has a mostly ethnic Turkmen population and has been home to a corps of Islamic State leaders, on Saturday became the focus of a growing struggle for influence in northern Iraq between Turkey and Iran. That is because Iraqs Shiite militias, some of which receive support from Iran, on Saturday began to move west of Mosul, a trajectory that would essentially cut off Islamic State fighters in Tal Afar from their bases in Syria. The Shiite militias move toward Tal Afar could also draw Turkey deeper into the already complex battlefield around Mosul. As the 2-week-old campaign to reclaim Mosul, Iraqs second largest city, from the Islamic State grinds on in outlying villages, the role of the Shiite militias, controversial because of their history of abuse toward the Sunni population, was part of a delicate set of negotiations involving the Iraqi government and the U.S.-led coalition. Iraqs prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, agreed to allow the militias a secondary role of sealing off the desert areas west of Mosul, but not entering the city itself. That seemed to placate the Americans as well as Sunni leaders, especially because the militias, known as the Hashd al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization Units, could prove useful in catching Islamic State fighters trying to flee Mosul, as well as any reinforcements the terror group might try to send in from Raqqa, its de facto capital in Syria. The militias, on paper at least, are under the control of the Iraqi government, but many of the most powerful ones answer to Iran and were accused of atrocities during Iraqs sectarian civil war about a decade ago. But the fight against the Islamic State has given them new legitimacy and political power, even though human rights groups have accused them of revenge attacks against Sunnis during previous battles against the terror group. The Hashd will get the desert, Staff Gen. Wathiq al Hamdani, commander of Mosuls police force, whose men will secure the city once the army and counterterror forces retake it, said in an interview Saturday. And its a very difficult axis. We have no problem with that, as long as they stay away from the civilians. In announcing the offensive by the militias, Ahmed al-Assadi, a militia spokesman, said, The wounded city of Tal Afar and other areas are within our duties, and will be liberated by our sacred arms and rifles. The role of the militias has alarmed Turkey, which has stationed troops in Bashiqa, a town north of Mosul, to train Kurdish and Sunni Arab fighters. It did so without the approval of Baghdads Shiite-led government, which has argued that the troop deployment was a violation of the countrys sovereignty. Tensions have run high in recent weeks, with the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, insisting that Turkey has historical claims in the region dating from the Ottoman Empire. Turkey, with its military deployment in Iraq, has sought to counter the influence of Iran and its militias. The competition for influence in northern Iraq between Turkey, a Sunni power, and Iran, the regions most powerful Shiite nation, is part of the broader sectarian struggle tearing apart the Middle East. At least for now, the struggle will be focused on Tal Afar, whose Turkmen population shares a lineage with Turkey, and on the question of whether Turkey will make a move once the militias move on the city. The sectarian divide also cuts through Tal Afar: While Sunnis are there now, before it was taken over by the Islamic State the city was home to a large number of Shiite Turkmen, whom Iran wants to protect and help return to the city. Turkeys insistence on a role in the campaign for Mosul, which the U.S. has objected to unless the Iraqi government agrees, has also deepened sectarian tensions within Iraq. Shiite protesters have converged on the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad, and Iraqi leaders, including Abadi, have suggested that the two countries could be on a path to military confrontation. Many Shiites have been taken aback by Turkeys stance, looking through the lens of history to the Ottoman times when Turkey elevated a Sunni elite to govern the Shiite majority. No one has any right to deny any Iraqi the honor of liberating his land, Ammar al-Hakim, a prominent Shiite religious and political leader, said this past week, in reference to Turkeys opposition to the Shiite militias. Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkeys foreign minister, has said Turkey will take all necessary measures if it sees a threat emerge to the Sunni Turkmen in Tal Afar after the militias push out the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh. Fighting Daesh is necessary, he said. But the process after Daesh must be planned carefully. We will not forsake the Turkmens living there. Ethnic and sectarian balances must be taken into account in Mosul and Tal Afar. He added: Turkey will take all precautionary measures allowed by international law if anything in Tal Afar threatens Turkeys security. NEWPORT BEACH Bridget Arthur knows how hard it is to make a Halloween costume that can withstand the power of waves. The Costa Mesa surfer has worn a range of costumes through the years: from a corpse bride, to a pirate, to last year, when she was a slice of bacon. This year, the blue-haired mermaid took off on a wave, got tangled in her dress and wiped out. That was enough to send her back to shore. Its not an easy task, she said. The surf in Newport Beach turned spooky Saturday morning, when about 100 surfers adorned in costumes took on the waves as amused crowds watched from the sand. The annual Blackies surf gathering, named after the surf spot on the north side of the Newport Beach Pier, brought out costumes that included a family of Smurfs, a few surfing bananas, and plenty of pirates and monsters riding waves and trying not to run into one another. You get people who dont even surf down here to watch, so it brings attention to the surfing community of Blackies, said longtime event participant Vanessa Yeager, who coordinated a couples costume with her husband, Nick, each of them dressed as cards. The Costa Mesa couple were the king and queen. There were plenty of other creative collaborations a Batman and Robin dynamic duo paddling next to each other, a bottle of ketchup sharing a wave with a bottle of mustard, and a father dressed like an inmate pushing his daughter, a police officer, into the whitewater. Newly married April Torregroza was dressed as a voodoo doll, husband Erik as a Catholic nun. They rode waves together, holding hands as they came toward shore. The fun started a decade ago with just a few surfers who showed up in costume, but over the years its grown to the 100 or so who show up each year. The event used to be run by the Blackies Classic Longboard Association, with awards handed out for best costumes, but these days its more of a casual gathering of friends and strangers who simply show up to share waves. The Witting family brought doughnuts and coffee down to the sand, where they gathered with friends. Dad John was dressed as Papa Smurf, 8-year-old Hudson was Brainy Smurf and Ruby, 10, was Smurfette. Mom April watched from shore. Im the only Southern California person who doesnt know how to get in the water. I dont like how cold it is, said the Oklahoma native, preferring dry land to trying to surf. Each year, shes tasked with not only figuring out their regular Halloween costumes, but also waterproof ones that work in waves. We love it, we look forward to it every year, she said. But every year, Im like, Oh my God, another costume. Bill Zavala was dressed as a pier rat and was hoping his mask wouldnt get in the way of seeing the waves. We get together and have fun and be silly. We all feel like kids again, he said. Thats the surfer spirit. Contact the writer: lconnelly@ocregister.com Youve got to wonder whether voters, many of whom dont know the names of their own legislators, should determine whether revenue bonds for major infrastructure projects should be subject to a statewide vote (Proposition 53). Or whether certain state agencies should have the price of prescription drugs they buy tied to the lowest prices paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (Proposition 61). With many initiatives, one has to read the text multiple times to get their gist. Many are downright confusing. For instance, Proposition 67 asks voters to decide whether to ban stores from handing out single-use plastic bags to take home groceries. Its a referendum rather than an initiative, which means the public is voting whether to uphold or overturn an already approved statute. A yes keeps the law and a no overturns it. (By the way, people do use these single-use bags multiple times often to pick up doggie poo or line trash cans.) To make matters less clear, theres a related and wonderfully mischievous measure called Proposition 65. The plastic-bag industry was annoyed that the grocery industry ultimately backed the bag ban. Under the final compromise, stores may not give away those light plastic bags, but they must charge for other types of bags. They keep the money. This initiative would redirect the estimated $300 million in proceeds from the stores to a state environmental fund but only if voters approve Proposition 67. My critique of voters isnt meant to be rude. Theres a term in economics called rational ignorance. When it comes to, say, purchasing a new car, Americans are a diligent bunch. Its rational to spend lots of time doing research to avoid making a costly mistake. But its not rational to spend hours learning about candidates or initiatives, because the chance our vote will affect the outcome is nil. In this way, voters can be rational: The more initiatives on the ballot, the likelier they vote no on all of them. That might be good news this year, given that many are bad ideas. For instance, Proposition 51 would spend billions of dollars on school bonds without reforming the current system. Proposition 55 would extend some of temporary tax hikes that voters approved in Proposition 30. Proposition 56 is a tax increase dressed up as a humane social policy. Supporters claim higher tobacco taxes reduce smoking rates. Fair enough, by why does Prop. 56 also include a massive tax hike on e-cigarettes when prominent studies show that vaping is 95 percent safer than cigarettes, and smokers use them as a cessation device? And why does only a small portion of the funds go to tobacco-cessation programs? Some of the others are pretty clear, concept-wise. But the devil is always in the details. Proposition 62 would repeal the death penalty and replace it with life in prison without parole. No one has been put to death in California for a decade, and backers argue it would save money and provide better closure for victims families to end the facade. Death-penalty supporters offer Proposition 66, which attempts to fast-track executions by imposing appeal deadlines, although some of the specific reforms of the appeals process are matters of controversy. Proposition 64 would legalize recreational uses of marijuana and could wipe clean the arrest records of people convicted of marijuana-related offenses. Both ideas are a welcome change from a costly and unjust drug war. But some supporters of legal marijuana fear the new legalization regime could be more restrictive than the current situation, which allows for medical marijuana. Only the rare voter will understand the nuances. Proposition 58 would let local school districts reinstate bilingual education programs. Backers say the measure would promote the use of multiple languages. But bilingual education was the practice of teaching kids almost entirely in their native language, thus often slowing their entry into the mainstream. Some initiatives are straightforward. Proposition 60 requires porn actors to use condoms (although opponents fear the expansion of lawsuits). Proposition 57 would expand parole for nonviolent offenders. Others seem pointless. Theres an advisory vote on a U.S. Supreme Court decision (Proposition 59) and a redundant gun-control package thats basically an election platform for an ambitious lieutenant governor (Proposition 63). Proposition 54 sounds like a yawner (it requires the final version of any bill to be in print for 72 hours before legislators vote on it), but is arguably the most significant measure on the ballot. It could put the kibosh on those last-minute gut-and-amend measures that are snuck through the Legislature at sessions end. This measure should never have needed an initiative, but the Legislature has refused to act on it myriad times. In an ideal world, few of these measures would be placed before voters. Suffice it to say that Sacramento is not an ideal world, so voters will just have to muddle through. At least theres plenty of voter information for those irrational enough to read it. Steven Greenhut is Western region director for the R Street Institute. He was a Register editorial writer from 1998 to 2009. Write to him at sgreenhut@rstreet.org. Jane Seymour remembers dying. About 30 years ago, the actress was in Spain shooting a film when she got a nasty case of bronchitis. After she was mistakenly given a shot of antibiotics in a vein instead of a muscle, she went into anaphylactic shock. I died and was resuscitated, Seymour said. And I had the vision of seeing a white light and looking down and seeing myself in this bedroom with a nurse frantically trying to save my life and jabbing injections in me, and Im calmly watching this whole thing. The nurse saved Seymours life; the experience changed Seymours outlook. Seymours near-death experience bears resemblance to a scene in one of her most famous films: 1980s Somewhere in Time. In the film, a character dies of a broken heart and sees himself drifting above his body, heading toward the light. In Somewhere in Time a special Omaha screening of which Seymour will present this week a Chicago playwright (Christopher Reeve) uses self-hypnosis/time travel to find an actress (Seymour) whose vintage portrait hangs in a grand hotel. Its a romantic film but one imbued with death, loss and the cruel passage of time that makes both inevitable. Seymour, 65, said that long after the film, she had many talks with her friend and co-star Reeve about their near-death experiences. (Reeve became a quadriplegic when he was thrown from his horse in 1995 he died in 2004.) The two of us were very close until the day he died, Seymour said. I used to speak to him a lot. About life and about what was important. He used to say People might remember that I did Superman, but people will probably remember that I had this accident and what I did to help other people with spinal injuries. That very much is his heritage. He represents what I believe in life is important, which is to live life with an open heart. Seymours own brush with death has guided her toward a very full life. She runs a nonprofit benefiting children called the Open Heart Foundation. She designs jewelry and furniture. She sculpts and paints. (At the Omaha event, shell have some of her work on display, including portraits of her and Reeve together.) And of course, since coming back to life, she has starred in nearly 100 movies and TV series (the most notable being six seasons of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman). I cant even remember what I did, but I did a lot of movies, she laughed. And some were better than others. Somewhere in Time is one of the better ones. Seymour said its one of her films she loves to revisit, particularly for Reeves performance and the memory of working with him. The film is very powerful to people because we all know we dont live forever, she said. I was fortunate enough to come back and live a life. When youre given that gift, you dont want to waste it. You try and do the best you can with the time you have. Somewhere in Time What: Screening of the 1980 film, with special guest Jane Seymour When: 7 p.m. Friday Where: Witherspoon Concert Hall, Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St. Tickets: $23, on sale now at Hy-Vee Supermarkets in Omaha Q: With Christmas rapidly approaching, I was wondering if there was a DVD for the John Denver and The Muppets: A Christmas Together special. The music is on CD. A: I do not know of an authorized release on DVD or any home-video format of the 1979 special, which suggests there is a problem clearing rights to material in it. I have seen bootlegs for sale, but I dont recommend unauthorized releases because you can never be sure about either the quality or the vendor. If you just want to see it again, someone posted it on YouTube, although the sound was scratchy in the version I watched. And I am trying not to think of Christmas rapidly approaching in October regardless of what retailers are already selling. Q: Have I missed the return of Bones? I like the series very much and know this will be the last season. A: Fox has not yet begun airing the final season of the mystery drama starring Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz. You should look for those last 12 episodes early in 2017. Q: I was wondering what happened to Amazing Race this fall season. Will it be back? A: Yes. CBS has ordered another round of the series to air sometime in 2016-17, and the new season was in production during summer 2016. But the network has not yet set an airdate. Q: One of the best sitcoms ever produced for TV was Franks Place which aired, I believe, in the 1980s. Do you know if it will ever be released for syndication or on DVD? I understand that there was a problem with copyrights to the music on the show but I have hoped for a long time that that issue could be resolved. A: Franks Place was indeed one of the best series on television when it aired on CBS in 1987-88. A mix of comedy and drama, its tale of a Boston college professor who inherited a New Orleans restaurant boasted quality writing and acting, the latter led by Tim Reid (WKRP in Cincinnati). Reid was also an executive producer on the show along with writer-producer Hugh Wilson, also a WKRP alum. Unfortunately, the ratings were not great and CBS had little faith in the show. Given the critical acclaim, it ordered a second season but then changed its mind, reportedly because of ratings declines when reruns aired in the summer of 1988. There have been occasional reruns in the ensuing years, but no authorized DVD release. The recent TV (The Book), which ranks Franks Place among the 100 best shows of all time, says its unavailability is tragic but the soundtracks expertly chosen mix of blues, jazz, rock and prewar standards made it too expensive to relicense for DVD and online streaming platforms. Episodes have appeared on YouTube, although the video quality in a couple I checked was not good. Q: My husband and I watch old Laramie shows every day. We both wanted to know what ever happened to the stars, John Smith and Robert Fuller. A: Smith, who played Slim Sherman on the 1959-63 western, continued acting after the series ended, though not as a regular on another hit series. He died in 1995 at the age of 63. Robert Fuller, who played Jess Harper, went on to other success, including as Dr. Kelly Brackett on the series Emergency! He is still with us at the age of 83. anthony bourdain japan Over the course of 15 years and four travel shows, Anthony Bourdain has toured 80 countries, delving into their histories and eating as much of their food as possible. If you ask him, as Business Insider did earlier this year, what his favorite destination is, he will immediately tell you it's Japan. "Japan is endlessly, endlessly interesting to me," he said. And even after going on nine filming trips there, "I don't think I've even scratched the surface and I don't think I ever will." He's especially in love with Tokyo. "If I had to eat only in one city for the rest of my life, Tokyo would be it," Bourdain wrote for CNN in 2013 on his "Parts Unknown" blog. "Most chefs I know would agree with me. For those with restless, curious minds, fascinated by layer upon layer of things, flavors, tastes and customs which we will never fully be able to understand, Tokyo is deliciously unknowable." "It's that densely packed, impenetrable layer cake of the strange, wonderful and awful that thrills," he added. "It's mesmerizing. Intimidating. Disorienting. Upsetting. Poignant. And yes, beautiful." We asked him for his go-to Japanese dishes. "Oh, God. It's hard to pick," he said. "Give me some good uni," or sea urchin, "a really good soba," or buckwheat noodles, "with duck dipping sauce duck dipping dressing is really amazing and I adore good yakitori," the grilled chicken skewers. Japan's "uniquely kooky national schizophrenia," as he calls it in his 2010 essay collection "Medium Raw," gels perfectly with the way he approaches traveling. "I've found that you're not going to have the really great travel experiences if you're not willing to experience the bad ones," Bourdain told us. "The great travel epiphanies seem to sneak up on you because you kind of f---ed up, you took a wrong turn, and you ended up in a place where you permitted events to unfold." On Tokyo in particular, he wrote for CNN, "I'm sure I could spend the rest of my life there, learn the language, and still die happily ignorant." Story continues anthony bourdain world tour bi interview NOW WATCH: Anthony Bourdain tells us its okay to eat fish on Mondays now heres why More From Business Insider Recent comments by money manager Ted Weschler shed some light on why Berkshire Hathaway decided to buy shares of Apple after decades of shunning technology-based companies. Weschlers comments also jibe with Warren Buffetts earlier statements about purchasing IBM stock. Weschler told the German business publication Manager Magazin that Apples place in the computer industrys development is a key factor, according to ValueWalk. As network speed has gotten faster and faster, and with it the information that people can absorb on the network, things like photo applications, and apps, they create a stickier ecosystem, Weschler said. If you buy an Apple iPhone or iPad, he said, youre more likely to buy from Apple again. Once you are fully invested in the Apple ecosystem and you have got your thousands of photographs up in the cloud and you are used to the keystrokes and functionality and where everything is, you become a sticky consumer, he said. Its like a subscription to a magazine, he said, rather than buying single copies from a newsstand, where it competes with all other magazines. Berkshire bought $1 billion worth of Apple stock in early 2016 and has since increased its stake to about $1.5 billion. Earlier, Buffett said International Business Machines has become less of a technology company and more of a business services company, with long-standing business customer contacts building loyalty often through contracts. Loyalty, stickiness two ways of saying the same thing. Buffetts early concern about tech stocks was that you couldnt predict which ones would succeed long term. Like American auto companies 100 years ago, its not easy to predict a winner. But as time goes on, in Berkshires view, it becomes clear that Apple and IBM are long-term winners. Texas recognition Last week Buffett and Berkshire Vice Chairman Charlie Munger were inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame, in recognition of their business interests in that state that include McLane Co. of Tyler, Star Furniture of Houston, BNSF Railway of Fort Worth, the Van Tuyl Group of auto dealerships and the Nebraska Furniture Mart near Dallas. The Berkshire pair and five others were feted at the Grand Hyatt Hotel ballroom in San Antonio. I like big deals. And Texas likes big deals, Buffett told the 1,000 people assembled, according to the Rivard Report. Thanks for making me an adopted son. We cant help pointing out that Buffett was in the first group of inductees into the Omaha Business Hall of Fame in 1993. Winning pitch Is Waste Management Inc. a potential Berkshire buy? A pitch of that idea by University of Nebraska at Omaha MBA student Hallie Hanlon-Ward won a $1,000 scholarship to attend the Genius of Warren Buffett course at UNO. Seven students competed for the award by compiling information on companies they think would fit Berkshires acquisition requirements and then making a presentation to a group of judges. Theres some precedent here. Last years winning pitch was on Amerco, the parent company of U-Haul and the subject of a Barrons magazine article last week that agreed that it has all the characteristics of a Berkshire company. In 2012 a student pitched John Deere, and before long the farm implement dealer joined Berkshires stock portfolio. Coincidence? Students who take the Buffett course, which is taught by Buffett author and speaker Robert Miles, make investing decisions for a $55,000 portfolio, aiming to hold each stock for at least 10 years. A pledge to police training The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, run by Warrens son Howard, has pledged $15 million to fund a police training center under construction in central Illinois. The Decatur Herald & Review reported that the center, to open next fall in Macon County, will instruct police recruits from throughout the state and provide advanced training for police chiefs and command officers. Howard Buffett has been a longtime undersheriff and auxiliary deputy in Macon County, where he lives. The two-story facility, to be owned by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, will have classrooms, a mock courtroom and jail booking area and scenario training rooms. Up to 90 recruits will stay at the facility during training. An indoor firearms range with 20 lanes is planned in a separate building. The University of Illinois plans to close its police training facility, which dates to the 1950s. Silpada Designs rescued Berkshires Richline Group jewelry company has purchased most assets of Silpada Designs, a Kansas City-based designer of jewelry, including the brand name, designs and inventory, for an undisclosed amount, according to the Kansas City Business Journal. Silpadas success is based on home party sales. Richline plans to sell Silpada jewelry online and may continue the home party network as well, executives said. Avon had purchased the company for $650 million in 2010 and it has been losing money since them. Three years later its founders bought it back for $85 million, and in May announced it would close in July. The Berkshire purchase means the brand name will survive, its founders said. Rapprochement American International Group has resumed trading with Berkshire affiliates, three years after it ended such dealings because several high-level employees left to form a new Berkshire commercial insurance company. Insurance Insider reported that AIG dropped Berkshire after five top executives, including property-casualty chief Peter Eastwood, moved to Berkshire. Observers view the companies rapprochement as stemming from AIGs need to use its full capacity in the reinsurance market, the story said. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. owns the Omaha World-Herald BRUSSELS (AP) The European Union and Canada signed a landmark trade pact on Sunday, ending days of drama after a small Belgian region refused to endorse the agreement and deeply embarrassed the EU. As protesters gathered outside EU headquarters in Brussels, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose country holds the EUs rotating presidency, put an end to the suspense by signing the Comprehensive Economic and Trade agreement. This accord is the product of long discussions. Frank discussions, but which have always taken place in respect, among partners that share common values, Trudeau said. The EU needed unanimity among its 28 members, and Belgium needed the backing of all its regions to approve the pact. Trudeau was due to sign it Thursday but was forced to cancel his flight when Belgium couldnt sign on because of opposition from the Wallonia region. Smaller than New Jersey, Wallonia defied hopes for a deal between more than 500 million EU citizens and 35 million Canadians for weeks. Politicians there argued that the pact, known as CETA, would undermine labor, environment and consumer standards and allow multinationals to crush local companies. After several rounds of talks late into the night last week, Belgium formally gave its endorsement on Saturday morning. Trudeau said he welcomed the challenge posed by Wallonia. The fact that throughout people are asking tough questions of a deal that will have a significant impact on our economies, and giving us the opportunity to demonstrate that that impact will be positive, is a good thing, he said. Juncker lauded the agreement as the best and most progressive that we have ever signed. He added that we are grateful to Canada for being as patient as it has been. But, Juncker said, wagging his finger: Belgium should reflect on the way it functions when it comes to international relations. Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 1975 Joe Ricketts involvement in the company he founded dates to 1975, when it was called First Omaha Securities. 1988 Ameritrade is the first company to offer automated, touch-tone phone trading. 1995 Ameritrade purchases K. Aufhauser & Co., which a year earlier had become the first brokerage offering Internet trading. March 1997 Ameritrade becomes a publicly held company (AMTD). The shares are initially priced at $15. January 1998 Ameritrade Holding Corp. appoints J. Peter Ricketts, son of Joe Ricketts, president of Accutrade Inc., the companys discount brokerage firm. July 20, 1998 The company announces it will split its stock two for one. That will double the number of shares and cut the price in half. May 1999 Joe Ricketts, a Creighton University alumnus, donates $1.46 million to the school for the creation of a center that will combine the study of information systems and technology, accounting, computer science and law for a masters degree in electronic commerce. August 1999 Accutrade (then a division of Ameritrade) acquires the R.J. Forbes Group Inc. March 2001 Joseph Moglia is named CEO of Ameritrade. 2004 Pete Ricketts is promoted to a newly created position of chief operating officer. 2006 Ameritrade acquires TD Waterhouse and renames itself TD Ameritrade. 2008 TD Amertrade plans to consolidate its four metro-area offices and more than 2,000 local employees into a new Old Mill headquarters. January 2009 The Ricketts family emerges as the winning bidder to purchase the Chicago Cubs from Tribune Co. for about $900 million. July 2009 The online brokerage firm reaches an agreement to acquire the naming rights for the citys new downtown stadium. September 2011 Joe Ricketts retires from his post on the companys board of directors to concentrate on entrepreneurship and philanthropy. April 2013 TD Ameritrade employees begin moving into the new $250 million headquarters. October 2016 TD Ameritrade acquires rival Scottrade for $2.7 billion. (Full deal value was $4 billion including acquisition of Scottrades bank by TD Bank, TD Ameritrades largest shareholder.) Compiled by World-Herald Chief Librarian Jeanne Hauser Nebraskans will vote Nov. 8 on whether the state should repeal or maintain a law that eliminated the death penalty in the state. Its a serious matter of life and death. But for the families whose loved ones were taken brutally by murder, the death penalty becomes even more real, and even more intimate. * * * * * GERING, Neb. Feb. 11, 2003, is a date Anthony and Irene Guerrero can never forget. It was the day their 15-year-old daughter, Heather, was abducted while delivering the morning newspaper, driven to an abandoned shack, raped and shot dead by a 24-year-old man. Every day the Guerreros drive by the corner where their daughter was abducted, a half-block from their home. Every night in the backyard a lawn ornament in the shape of an angel, with the letters H.G., is illuminated in purple light their daughters favorite color. Every so often Anthony runs into the father of the man who killed Heather. The family still lives in their neighborhood. But besides the lingering pain of losing their daughter, theres another constant in their lives: the desire that Heathers killer, who is on Nebraskas death row, is put to death. Were not hateful, ugly people. We just want justice for what he did, Irene Guerrero said. He is still living and breathing and eating ... and my Heather was taken too early. Nebraskans will vote Nov. 8 on whether the state should repeal or maintain a law that eliminated the death penalty in the state. Its a serious matter of life and death. But for the families whose loved ones were taken brutally by murder, the death penalty becomes even more real, and even more intimate. Besides confronting the horrible loss of a loved one, such families must deal directly with the matter of whether someone should die. Its an issue that divides victims families, and forces them to search their souls and beliefs. Such families are usually asked by prosecutors if they want the death penalty pursued. Then comes a long string of court hearings and then two trials, the first to determine guilt and a second to determine if a death sentence is warranted by weighing the aggravating and mitigating circumstances of the crime. Before a sentence is imposed, family members get the opportunity to take the stand to testify about their loss and confront the person who committed the murder. It is an emotionally trying time, said a University of Nebraska-Lincoln political science professor who has worked with victims families. These are people who have been deeply, deeply traumatized, whether they had been in close proximity (to the murder) or not, said Ari Kohen, who served eight years on the board of directors of Journey of Hope, a group that works with families of murder victims and opposes the death penalty. Joanie Brugger, director of the victim-witness unit in Madison County, where five people were shot and killed inside a Norfolk bank in 2002, said her approach with families is to be nonjudgmental, whatever a family wants. But, she said, the families of murder victims she deals with in her northeastern Nebraska county often ask if the death penalty will be sought, and are disappointed if it is not. In the case of the Norfolk bank murders, the family of only one of the five victims questioned the need to pursue a death sentence. Brugger said she can understand. If you had a loved one who was killed or killed brutally, (death) seems to be the most fitting punishment, she said. Weve had a lot of families quote the Ten Commandments, thou shall not kill, but the Bible also says an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Kohen said hes dealt with families that oppose the death penalty as well as with families that support it. He said hes seen a difference: Families that want an execution seem more frustrated by the long and slow-moving judicial process. He said the families that oppose the death penalty and have an attitude of forgiveness seem to have a more positive outlook. His faith guides a brothers stance The brother of Janet Mesner, one of two women stabbed to death in a Quaker meetinghouse in Lincoln in 1980, said he opposed capital punishment both before and after the slayings. Capital punishment is not only morally wrong, but it wont give his family closure, said Mesners brother, Kurt Mesner, who farms near Grand Island. Its senseless to take another life. It serves no purpose, he said. Mesner said he bases his opinion on his Quaker upbringing. His faith teaches that people can be forgiven and that God decides a persons fate. Mesners family knew his sisters murderer, Randolph Reeves. He was a member of the Omaha Tribe who was adopted as an infant by farming neighbors of the Mesners in Central City, Nebraska. On the night of the murders Reeves had been drinking heavily and had ingested peyote, a hallucinogenic drug. Kurt Mesner, like his late parents, has spoken out against the death penalty. He said Reeves, then 23, had lost his senses when he sexually assaulted and then stabbed to death Janet Mesner inside the Quaker meetinghouse. Another woman, Victoria Lamm, was killed when she went to investigate. He didnt intend to murder Janet, her brother said. He was high on drugs. He didnt know what hed done. Mesner said a sister doesnt share his views. And members of Lamms family have spoken in support of the death penalty. Reeves came within 42 hours of being executed in 1999. After a series of court rulings, he was ordered to be resentenced. The prosecutor in the case, then-Lancaster County Attorney Gary Lacey, decided against seeking the death penalty. Reeves, 60, died in May at the Nebraska State Penitentiary after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Lacey, at the time, said the case had dragged on too long and he worried that it could go on another 20 years. Not seeking the death penalty, the prosecutor said at the time, would put an end to all the suffering in this case. Mesner, whose parents both died in 2011, said the ruling was a great relief to him. Capital punishment is revenge, he said, and he doesnt want revenge. It is years and years of appeals, and having to read in the newspaper all the gory details every time there is an appeal, Mesner said. If a person is executed, it provides no closure. Its many years wasted. Its never over, says victims father In Gering, in the shadow of the towering Scotts Bluff, Anthony and Irene Guerrero live in a suburban housing development that looks like those in any good-size city in Nebraska. They can identify with the long wait and the frustrations with the legal system. Its never over, said Anthony, 49, who works for an economic development office in Scottsbluff. You dont get your peace, said Elise Guerrero, Heathers oldest sister. But unlike the Mesners, the Guerreros have reached an entirely different conclusion about the death penalty. They, too, are religious members of an Assemblies of God church in Gering, a church that has mixed views on capital punishment. The Guerreros said theyve considered alternative punishments, been confronted about their views, and even watched an anti-death penalty film at their church, but have always supported capital punishment. Just because Im a Christian doesnt mean he shouldnt be punished for what he did, said Irene Guerrero, a 50-year-old social worker. God may be the one who ultimately will be the judge, but I want him to pay for what he did. The Guerreros lived through every parents worst nightmare. They received a phone call that their child was missing. Anthony usually accompanied the couples bright-eyed daughter on her early-morning paper route, but on that day he didnt. When Heather didnt show up for school, friends and relatives rushed to the Guerrero home. Search parties were hastily dispatched. A horrible waiting game began. Thirty hours after Heather disappeared, her body was found in an abandoned farmhouse about 15 miles from the familys home. She had been sexually assaulted and shot. Jeffrey Hessler, a neighbor who worked as a security officer, was eventually arrested, convicted and sentenced to die. He was also found guilty of raping another local girl six months before Heathers murder. Anthony Guerrero whose license plate on his pickup reads Heather G said he was taught by his father that if you get into trouble, youve got to accept the punishment you get. Their daughter, the couple later learned, had been shot after she refused to promise that she wouldnt tell anyone about being raped. Why should he be forgiven? asked Irene Guerrero. He didnt give her a chance. Dealing with their daughters death has been an ongoing struggle. Irene said there are days she cries at work. Heathers teenage brother still has nightmares about his sisters murder. Another daughter moved away from Gering because people kept reminding her you look just like Heather. When the Guerreros need some therapy, they jump on Anthonys motorcycle and ride into the hills. Its a constant ache in my mind, Irene Guerrero said. I know Im going to be OK, but my two youngest (children) arent as strong, and we have Jeffrey Hessler to thank for that. The Guerreros, unlike some other families of murder victims, have not been involved in the campaign to restore the death penalty, nor have they testified at public hearings in support of capital punishment. No one has asked them, they said. When they learned that the death penalty had been repealed, they were shocked. With new DNA technology, they said, there is a decreased chance that an innocent person could be executed. An execution is justice, they feel. Even though Nebraska and other states have struggled to obtain the lethal injection drugs to carry out executions, the Guerreros believe some means will be found. Bullets dont cost that much, Anthony Guerrero said. Neither does a rope, his wife said. If the day comes for Hesslers execution, Irene Guerrero said, I can say Thats for Heather. Mom a proponent of penalty, though it brings no closure Susan Walden did not attend the 1996 execution of the man who abducted and killed her 12-year-old son, Christopher. Instead, she read about it in a newspaper, as she and her husband retreated to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to escape the spectacle and attention. I didnt see that (witnessing the execution) would serve a purpose, Walden said from her home in Williamsburg, Virginia. Why would I want to spend money to come back to Nebraska to lay eyes on a guy I never wanted to see in the first place? The 68-year-old retiree is a staunch supporter of the death penalty, even more solidly now than at the time her son was killed. On a cold December day in 1983, as her son Christopher walked to school, an Offutt airman named John Joubert forced the boy into his car at knifepoint. The slaying came just over three months after another youth, 13-year-old Danny Joe Eberle, was abducted, bound and stabbed to death. When Joubert died in the electric chair for both boys slayings, Walden said it provided no comfort or closure. It doesnt change anything. It doesnt bring Christopher back, she said. I do think its a deterrent. But as for closure, there isnt any for me, although I know he (Joubert) wouldnt hurt anyone again, that another family will never have to go through this again. Life has not been kind to Walden since the death of her only son. After the slaying, Christophers father, Steve, sought and received a transfer from the Air Force to Virginia. Susan Walden said the couple needed to get away, even though people in Nebraska had been supportive. The mother said she blamed herself for her sons death: She and her husband had warned Christopher about strangers, given the earlier slaying, but had allowed him to walk to school. Walden said she saw her son turn the corner up the street, and, even though he wasnt with the neighbor he usually walked with, it didnt occur to me that something bad would happen. It was cold, it was snowy. It didnt seem that far to walk, she said. The last thing I told him was not I love you but Wear your hat. She said in recent years she has battled depression, and her husband has had multiple health problems, which Walden blames in part on the murder of their son. She and her husband live apart but remain on friendly terms. Her mother recently died, leaving her without any immediate family. Its a constant adjustment, and a constant struggle, Walden said. Now that I am by myself, it makes it harder. People who dont intend to kill, or who kill in the spur of the moment, maybe dont deserve the death penalty, she said. But Joubert was a child predator, Walden said; he fantasized about killing. Spending a lifetime in prison wasnt going to change that. These kinds of people need to be put away, and not for life, she said. Why should the taxpayers put up with these kinds of people? It blew our family apart. Kin of a Garcia victim says: Speed this thing up Brad Waite sat through all the hearings, all of the trial, in the case of the man who slaughtered his sister. In fact, Brad Waite kept a count, telling anyone that it was exactly 1,200 days between Anthony Garcias 2013 arrest and his conviction Wednesday. Waite wiped away tears as he saw the crime-scene and autopsy photos of his sister, 57-year-old Shirlee Sherman, killed for nothing else than being in the wrong house at the wrong time: The 18 wounds climbing her neck like the teeth of a zipper, from a half-inch-wide to the 3-inch-wide C-shaped fatal plunge of a butchers knife. Likewise Waite saw the photos of Thomas Hunter, 11, and the eight probing marks on his tiny neck, along with a knife going in one side of his neck and out the other. Mary Brumback was basically butchered, her left thumb nearly severed. And even after shooting Dr. Roger Brumback, Garcia poked away at Rogers neck while he lay dying, prosecutors say. A coroners physician testified that Garcias pokes and prods were likely used to control his victims by inflicting fear. And then Garcia the former pathology resident bent on revenge after his firing from Creighton University in 2001 made sure to sever their jugular veins and carotid arteries. Waite said he worked his butt off to circulate petitions to restore the death penalty after the Legislature repealed it. And that was before I reviewed any of those photos, he said. I defy anyone who has seen these photos to say there shouldnt be a death penalty. He didnt just kill them; he tortured them. Waites only misgiving: the time it takes Nebraska to execute a convicted killer. One condemned killer has been on death row for 36 years. That needs to be fixed, he said. So Waite is well aware that if a three-judge panel were to sentence Garcia to death, his next countdown likely will go much longer than 1,200 days. We need to take after Texas and speed this thing up, Waite said. Death by lethal injection is way too easy, way too nice, for this guy. System doesnt allow families to grieve and move on More than a decade ago Miriam Kelle worked for a short time as a nurse at the Tecumseh State Prison. It was there that she saw, in passing, the man who was sentenced to die for the torture slaying of her brother, James Thimm, in 1985 at a Rulo, Nebraska, farm that served as the headquarters of a religious cult. In prison, Michael Ryan, the cults leader, was surrounded by bars, security fences and guards. There wasnt any way he could hurt corrections staff or escape death row and hurt anyone else, Kelle said. The county attorney told our family that we had to go with the death penalty to keep other people safe, she said. But 30 years later, Mr. Ryan died on death row, so the death penalty really didnt do anything except to prolong the pain and retraumatize our family. Every time there was an appeal we had to think about it again, Kelle said. Its, like, Whos winning here? It was like I was serving a death sentence like Ryan. Kelle, 59, now a nurse at the Beatrice State Developmental Center, has been active in her opposition to capital punishment, testifying at the State Capitol, working with victims families and writing opinion pieces. The system, she said, doesnt allow relatives to grieve and move on. Instead, they read again and again about the person who murdered their loved one, reliving the horror. The victim and the victims family are forgotten. Theyre just hanging onto the death penalty in hopes it makes things better by bringing the family closure, Kelle said. And it may not happen, and you may not feel better if an execution does occur. The pain her brother suffered, over three days of torture at the hands of cult members, will never be undone, she said. So, Kelle said, she has decided to work for something better. She doesnt want other families to go through the pain of endless appeals and false hope. Its cruel, she said. The amount of retraumatization is too much. Its not good for you. Her opinion is based in part on her Mennonite faith: that God should be the judge, that violence is not the answer, that people can be forgiven. It was 30 years ago, Kelle said of her brothers murder. You bury the hatchet and move on. It doesnt do any good to keep that anger going. Ryan died of cancer last year in prison before he could be executed. Kelle said it was a relief that her family didnt have to live through the trauma any longer. The mood toward the death penalty is changing, she said. Even though we have it, it doesnt work. People are starting to understand that. Shes a tireless advocate for restoring capital punishment Vivian Tuttle figures she has driven more than 9,000 miles in support of the death penalty since the State Legislature repealed capital punishment in 2015. She went door to door in her hometown of Ewing, Nebraska, collecting signatures to get the issue on the November ballot. She has walked in parades, spoken at press conferences and talked to state lawmakers. Its all because of a belief that justice requires death for the man who shot and killed her 37-year-old daughter, Evonne Tuttle, inside a Norfolk bank in 2002. I can still see that (bank surveillance) film, the 75-year-old mother said. That doesnt go away, Vivian Tuttle said. I dont think people realize the pain you have in your heart and chest when you lose a child. Evonne was the middle child of Vivian Tuttles three children. Evonne was a single mother, raising her children by herself. On the day she was murdered, Sept. 26, 2002, she had traveled to Norfolk to cash a $64 check at her bank. As she waited at the counter, three black-clad men, led by Jose Sandoval, walked into the U.S. Bank. They shot and killed five people. Within 50 seconds they were gone. No money was taken. The three gunmen, Sandoval, Jorge Galindo and Erick Vela, all are on Nebraskas death row. In Norfolk, the murders are referred to as our 9/11. Everyone in the community of 24,000 knew someone who was touched by the slayings. When you kill five people, then definitely you deserve the death penalty, Tuttle said. It was a heinous crime. My daughter didnt go in there to harm them. Evonnes youngest daughter, now 17, still lives in fear, Tuttle said. We have to have the doors locked, Tuttle said. Thats not going to change until the death penalty is carried out. Tuttle is a religious person. A Bible sits on a table in her living room. Her clock chimes out religious songs like Jesus Loves Me on the hour. When it comes to the death penalty, she said, its in state law, it is used rarely, and theres no one on the states death row currently who could be considered innocent. Ive talked to the governor and he assures me (the death penalty) will be carried out, she said. And we wont have to wait 30 to 40 years. A schoolteacher for 35 years, Tuttle was never one to stay on the sidelines. She testified on behalf of educators at the State Capitol prior to her activism in support of the death penalty. She volunteered to teach Sunday school, teaches square dancing at a local nursing home, and still wields her chain saw when theres a fallen limb to be cut apart. You can step back and wait for someone else to do things and then complain about it afterward. Im just not that kind of person, Tuttle said. She was outside the legislative chamber when lawmakers voted to override Gov. Pete Ricketts veto of the death penalty repeal. Tuttle said she was angry that the Legislature did not approve an amendment to allow state voters to decide the fate of capital punishment. So she got active, and started gathering signatures for the petition drive that permitted the vote. If were going to keep our country safe, we need to have crimes that have to have the death penalty, Tuttle said. Compiled by World-Herald staff writers Paul Hammel and Todd Cooper COUNCIL BLUFFS Officials kicked off an early literacy initiative Thursday to improve reading proficiency among young children in Pottawattamie County. Raise Me to Read was launched in conjunction with Read for the Record, billed as the worlds largest shared reading experience, held in cities across the country, a press release from the program stated. Several Council Bluffs preschools and childcare centers participated in an interactive reading of the book The Bear Ate Your Sandwich throughout the day to encourage reading. Local activities culminated with Raise Me to Reads event Thursday evening on the Charles E. Lakin Human Services Campus, which featured reading, food and special guests like Clifford and Curious George. Raise Me to Read, funded by the Iowa West Foundation, United Way of the Midlands and private donors, is a collaborative effort among schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses and families. Its goal is for the community to work together to help children, regardless of socioeconomic background, read on grade level by the third grade, when students transition from learning to read to reading to learn. We understand from our research that too many kids arent reading proficiently, said Kathleen Rapp, vice president of grants and initiatives at the Iowa West Foundation. Currently, 1 in 3 Pottawattamie County fourth-graders cant read proficiently, according to a press release from Raise Me to Read. Studies show that a child who cant read proficiently is likely to fall behind. School becomes frustrating. Theres a 1 in 4 chance that child wont graduate from high school. Dropouts make up 90 percent of Americans on welfare. If left unchecked, this illiteracy problem will undermine efforts to end intergenerational poverty in Pottawattamie County, where the poverty rate is higher than the statewide average, said Nancy Schulze, director of Raise Me to Read. Students who have lived in poverty are three times more likely to drop out or fail to graduate on time than those from more affluent families. Todays kids are tomorrows workforce, she said. In order to change the future of Pottawattamie County children and families, it will take a group effort that cant be focused on any one group or service provider. Modeled after the national Campaign for Grade-Level Reading launched in 2010, Raise Me to Read will focus its efforts on children ages birth to 8 years old, their parents and caregivers. The program will emphasize school readiness, summer learning and chronic absenteeism. Although schools must be accountable for helping children achieve, research shows brain development efforts must begin at a much younger age. The minute a baby is born, they begin learning, Schulze said. Parents dont realize the impact they can and do have on their children even before they can talk or walk or go to school. The message we want to send is that its never too soon to begin talking and reading to your child. Play time, drive time, bath time and bed time are all perfect opportunities for your child to develop the language skills necessary to become a proficient reader later in life. The initiative grew out of talks between the two major funders, Rapp said. This started in earnest two years ago when we started conversations with United Way of the Midlands, she said. In 2015, the boards of both organizations approved grants for the program, with each pledging $225,000. In addition, an anonymous donor provided a three-year, $40,000 grant. In northwest Iowa, eight people protesting the construction of the Dakota Access pipeline through the Hawkeye State were arrested on Saturday for trespassing. The arrests came at a farm near Rockwell City, Iowa, where protesters were allowed to set up a Farmers Dissent Camp a week ago to object to the pipeline and the use of eminent domain to obtain sections of the route. Calhoun County Sheriffs Office officials confirmed that arrests had occurred in the county on Saturday. People are very frustrated. They feel like theyve been betrayed by their public officials. So weve resorted to nonviolent protest, said Ed Fallon of Des Moines, the head of Bold Iowa, a cousin of Bold Nebraska, which fought the Keystone XL pipeline in the Cornhusker State. Fallon said the eight protesters were arrested just after noon on Saturday after walking onto land intended for the path of the pipeline. He said the arrests came even though some of the people had permission slips from the farms owner, Shirley Gerjets, to walk on the land. Bold Iowa has been working against the pipeline for the past two years. While it lost a court request to immediately halt construction earlier this year, it has a lawsuit pending in court challenging the use of eminent domain for the project. The suit maintains that the Texas-based builder of the pipeline does not qualify as a utility, so it cannot use the power of the state to obtain right of way for the project. Nearly 200 people have been arrested in Iowa during protests against the Dakota Access pipeline, which is more than 60 percent complete across the state. Fallon, a former state representative in Iowa, walked the route of the pipeline in 2015 as a protest against the project. CANNON BALL, N.D. As protesters angrily chanted and skeletons of scorched vehicles smoldered on a bridge only a few yards away, Glenna Slater smiled broadly. A teacher of the Omaha Indian language at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Slater, in her 70s, had been hoping for weeks to join the protests over the Dakota Access pipeline and had finally made the nine-hour drive with a daughter and a niece. It felt great to stand up with her fellow Native Americans against a project that she feels threatens the waters of the Missouri River, whose muddy flows mark the eastern boundary of eastern Nebraska. Water is a gift of life, I really believe that, said Slater, a member of the Omaha Indian Tribe. I just felt like I had to come up here. Thats a refrain heard often here as protests that began with a handful of people in April have ballooned to include, at times, thousands of Native Americans and environmentalists. License plates on the cars are from California and Washington, Texas and Oklahoma, New York and Michigan. Dozens of flags from Indian tribes from across the country fly at the main camp of the protesters, who call themselves water protectors. Three camps, dotted with teepees and dome tents, sprawl across the dried grass of the high hills along the Missouri, sort of a political Woodstock, without the music. When a new camp was established a week ago directly in the path of the pipeline, the protests escalated into violence. Protesters threw water bottles and torched vehicles on Thursday, and law enforcement responded with pepper spray and nonlethal bean-bag shots. One-hundred and forty-two protesters were arrested as riot-gear-clad law enforcement, including 11 Nebraska state troopers, cleared the new camp that was on land owned by the Dallas-based pipeline company Energy Transfer Partners. It was a scene that quite possibly could have occurred in Nebraska had the Keystone XL pipeline not been rejected by President Barack Obama. So now the 1,200-mile Dakota Access pipeline, which cuts across Iowa, is the new focus of environmentalists who oppose increased oil production and its risks, and of Native Americans who see their rights being ignored. The Dakota Access is designed to carry crude oil from North Dakotas active Bakken oilfields to a refinery in Illinois. With a capacity of 470,000 barrels of oil a day about half of what North Dakota is producing these days it would be the largest pipeline completed in an area where about 40 percent of the oil is still transported by higher-cost trains and semitrailer trucks. The pipeline is critical to the local economy, supporters say, because it will decrease expenses and resolve a lack of pipeline infrastructure to move the oil, which is a $43 billion-a-year industry in this northern Plains state. Its just a cheaper and more efficient way to transmit crude oil via pipeline, said Tessa Sandstrom, a spokeswoman for the North Dakota Petroleum Council. Its also safer, she maintained. How big is oil up here? More than half of all state tax revenues came from it last year, though oil production has dropped from its peak of 1.2 million barrels a day two years ago to about 980,000 barrels a day now, Sandstrom said. Its not as crazy-busy as before, but everything is OK, she said. The arguments against the pipeline are similar to those against the Keystone XL pipeline that would have crossed Nebraska. (The Dakota Access pipeline, unlike the Keystone XL, does not cross the U.S.-Canadian border, and it did not require approval by the U.S. State Department.) Environmentalists say that the fracking of oil which allowed the oil boom in North Dakota is a dangerous and harmful practice, and that the U.S. should be moving toward alternative and renewable fuels instead of facilitating more oil drilling. Members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe maintain that the 30-inch pipeline, which would cross the Missouri River just north of its reservation, will eventually leak, fouling its source of drinking water. They also object to not being consulted before the pipeline was routed through land granted to them via a treaty in 1851. And they say the route desecrates old burial sites a claim contested by pipeline supporters. Miles Allard, whose wife, LaDonna Brave Bull, gave permission for hundreds of protesters to camp on her land near Cannon Ball, said the whole world is watching us. Allard, 68, an elder who helped defuse a standoff on Friday, said that water is life, and that everywhere the petroleum industry goes there is pollution. You cant tell me this pipeline isnt going to leak, and theyll be long gone by then, he said. For us, we have no other place to go. This is it. Although its an eight- to 10-hour drive from Nebraska, the protests have drawn people from the Cornhusker State. Jane Kleeb, the leader of Bold Nebraska, the grass-roots group that led the fight against the Keystone XL, arrived Friday to show her support. Native Americans, particularly from South Dakotas Rosebud Reservation, backed the fight against the Keystone XL, and its time to back the fight against this pipeline, Kleeb said. If a private company can destroy a Native American sacred site and threaten drinking water in North Dakota, it could do that in Nebraska, she said. On Friday, Clint and Steph Pettit took two teenage daughters out of school in Tryon, Nebraska, north of North Platte, so they could make the 10-hour drive to the protest camps in North Dakota. Clint Pettit, a fourth-generation Sand Hills rancher, said his 17-year-old daughter, Nikita, was disturbed by the images of lines of law enforcement officers with riot batons forcing Native Americans from the highway on Thursday. Pettit said he shares some of the same concerns as pipeline opponents about the risks to groundwater and landowner rights, and was swayed by his daughters desire to see, firsthand, what was happening. The family brought meat and eggs to the main protest camp. They talked to a boy who was shot with a bean bag at the protest on Thursday. On Saturday, Nikita and her 14-year-old stepsister, Mykaela, who are part Cherokee, were shooting video for a documentary for their father on the protest. Being a good parent, or trying to be, we felt that exposing them to the realities of the world is probably important, Clint Pettit said. I hope they learn a lot. I hope we can put some awareness out there, Nikita said. Clean water is for everyone, their mother said. Glenna Slater said she has been following the protests for several weeks and this weekend finally afforded her enough free time to come to North Dakota with her daughter, Frances Petersen, and niece, Catherine Mitchell, who all live in Omaha. I felt it was our duty as Native Americans to stand by people of the same nationality, the same color, Mitchell said. Were here for a good reason, Slater said. The trio of women, as well as Kleeb and the Pettits, arrived after the violent clash on Thursday. A standoff on Friday ended peacefully after tribal elders intervened and asked both sides to back off. On Saturday, a large group of Native Americans gathered near a bridge just north of the main camp of protesters to pray and sing drum songs. A cold front had blown into the area Saturday morning, bringing a brief shower and temperatures in the 40s. Just down the road, a 46-year-old farmer was hauling out a semi load of corn. He declined to give his name for fear of retributions against him. One protester, he said, already hurled a can at his combine, cracking its window. And his brother has had a couple of cattle killed recently, and found one horse with an arrow shot into it. He said the protests were pointless and had inconvenienced local residents, blocking his access to the local grain elevator, forcing him to drive 20 miles out of his way on dozens of harvest-time trips. Its going to be built anyway, the farmer said. Sandstrom, of the local petroleum council, said the pipeline exceeded safety standards, passed environmental reviews and was routed to run alongside an existing natural gas pipeline. Its unfortunate that its escalated, she said. It started as a pipeline issue, but its clearly been overtaken by people who want to keep oil in the ground. But standing among the protesters, Terrilyn Krueger, a United Church of Christ minister from Denver, said she saw the devastation caused by a pipeline leak when she was stationed in Michigan. A leak of more than 1 million gallons of oil in 2010 near the Kalamazoo River fouled several miles of stream, forced the evacuation of several homes and prompted a cleanup effort that has cost nearly $800 million. She said the country would be wiser to put more emphasis on renewable fuels. What jobs this (pipeline) would create are temporary, and then its just wait for the spills, Krueger said. Protesters appear to be winterizing their camps so that they can continue to fight completion of the pipeline. Theyre hoping Obama will intervene as he did with the Keystone XL or that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will deny the pipeline permission to extend its pipe underneath the Missouri River, or at least postpone that decision for more environmental reviews. Joe Heath, who is a lawyer for the Onondaga Nation in upstate New York, is among the volunteers providing legal advice, and legal defense, for the water protectors. Standing outside of the legal tent at the main camp, Heath said the gathering in North Dakota is part of a nationwide movement, a joining of environmentalists and Native Americans, fighting to protect the planet, fighting to protect their rights. Stopping the Dakota Access would provide another symbolic victory for that movement, similar to the Keystone XL. This is a pretty unique gathering, Heath said. There doesnt seem to be any quit here. VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) It seems hard to believe that ownership of an island thats been in the middle of the Missouri River for perhaps 200 years remained as one big unsolved problem. Yet for decades, Goat Island has been that proverbial child caught in the middle of a custody battle between parents. But in this case, it was two states and a federal agency that reached an amicable solution, cutting through miles of red tape to finally provide Goat Island with some certainty for its future and a chance for its full potential to be realized. When we got the word this impasse had been resolved, you probably heard a yell from my office in Yankton to Sioux City, said Rick Clark, superintendent of the Missouri National Recreational River in Yankton, South Dakota. This month, Nebraska, South Dakota and the National Park Service announced that the island would be managed by the National Park Service as part of the Missouri National Recreational River. Its really a crown jewel on this section of the Missouri River. Its highly attractive for canoeists and kayakers making their way down the river, Clark said of the island. Its a popular spot for river travelers to stop and pitch a tent, the Sioux City (Iowa) Journal reported. Daytime visitors hike through cottonwood trees that could well be 100 years old. That old age had always been part of the problem, said Tim Cowman, natural resources administrator with the South Dakota Geological Society. Historically, islands and sandbars came and went in the Missouri Rivers shifting channel. No ones certain when Goat Island became permanent. Some believe it was already established when Lewis and Clark passed by in 1804. Cowman said it was never surveyed by the federal government before or after Nebraska and South Dakota became states in 1867 and 1889, respectively. Nobody had claimed ownership, Cowman said. Legend has it that the island got its name from goats that Jack Jaquith once raised on the island. But residents never really embraced Goat Islands possibilities, Clark said, because the uncertainty over ownership left them worried about trespassing. Now, though, Goat Islands future has some certainty. Copyright 2016 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. By Mohammed Ghobari Abduljabbar Zeyad SANAA/HODEIDAH, Yemen (Reuters) - An air raid by an Arab coalition killed 60 people in Yemen, including inmates of a prison near the city of Hodeidah, medical sources said. The prison held 84 inmates when it was struck three times late on Saturday, Hashem al-Azizi, deputy governor of the province of Hodeidah, told Reuters. The Saudi-led alliance that conducted the raid said it struck a "central security building" used as a military command center by the Houthi rebels it is fighting. Local officials said the prison lies within a security complex but that only prison guards were present during the air strike. "This building is used by Houthi militia and the forces of the deposed president as a command and control center for their military operations," a statement by the coalition said, referring to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, a Houthi ally. "The coalition forces' leadership stresses that targeting protocols and procedures were followed fully," the statement said. The Saudi-led coalition has been fighting Yemen's Houthi movement since March 2015. It wants to restore the internationally recognized president, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was driven into exile by the Iran-allied Houthis in late 2014. A Reuters witness at the security complex said the building was destroyed and medics pulled about 17 bodies away, many of them missing limbs. Others remained trapped under the rubble. One of the strikes directly targeted the building, the witness said, bringing it down over the heads of the prisoners. Two others hit the gate of the complex and nearby administration buildings. The air attack was one of the deadliest among thousands of bombings. The attacks have largely failed to dislodge the Houthis from the capital, Sanaa, but have repeatedly hit schools, markets, hospitals and homes, killing many civilians. HADI REJECTS PEACE PLAN Rights groups have said the raids may amount to war crimes, but an investigative body set up by the coalition largely defended its methods in an August report, which concluded that Houthi rebels regularly deploy to civilian sites. The Houthis deny this, and a top official in the movement criticized the United Nations and the United States, the Saudis' key ally and arms supplier, for not doing enough to hold the kingdom accountable for its air strikes. "We condemn the position of the international community and the U.N. for providing cover for the crimes of Saudi Arabia against Yemenis, and they are subject to the wishes of America," Saleh al-Samad said in a statement late on Saturday. The bombing may signal a renewed outbreak of violence a day after Hadi rejected a new U.N. peace proposal, saying the deal would only be a path to more war and destruction. Speaking after a meeting with U.N. envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed in Riyadh, Hadi said the agreement would "reward the rebels and penalize the Yemeni people and legitimacy", according to the government-controlled Saba news agency. According to a copy of the proposal seen by Reuters, the plan would sideline Hadi and set up a government of less divisive figures. Hadi's opponents accuse him of commanding only a small support base in Yemen and of being unable to bring its warring factions together, since he invited the Saudi-led coalition to intervene in the civil war. (Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari; writing by Reem Shamseddine and Noah Browning; editing by William Maclean/Larry King) House Speaker Paul Ryan fired up the Republican ground troops Sunday in Omaha as the battle for Nebraskas 2nd District House seat intensifies. The Wisconsin congressman appeared at a campaign rally for Republican Don Bacon, the retired brigadier general running against incumbent Rep. Brad Ashford, a Democrat. We need people of courage, of conviction, of integrity, of principle to help us get the country on the right track and that is, of all people, Gen. Don Bacon, Ryan said during his brief remarks. Both parties see opportunity in the Omaha-based seat, spending big to fill the local airwaves with attack ads and local mailboxes with campaign literature. Sundays high-profile visit was just the latest sign of the stakes involved. The speaker started with some levity, bantering with the crowd over the Huskers overtime loss to the Badgers the night before. He pointed to Wisconsins recent overtime loss to Ohio State and said he understands that it feels like a punch to the gut. Ryan has clashed with his partys presidential nominee, Donald Trump, and is concentrating his campaign efforts on keeping the Republican majority in the U.S. House. Thats reflected in his travel schedule as he hops across the country seeking to rally support for GOP House candidates in competitive districts. In Omaha, Ryan never mentioned Trumps name, although he did take some shots at Democrat Hillary Clinton. This Clinton story doesnt change, he said. It is scandal after scandal after scandal. At one point Ryan seemed to acknowledge Republican fears that a poor Trump performance on Election Day could affect down-ballot races. He urged Bacon supporters to reach out to anyone they know contemplating not voting in this election. Youve got to call them and get them to the polls if only because Don Bacon needs their vote, Ryan said. Bacon praised Ryans vision and leadership. My first vote is going to be for Speaker Ryan, Bacon said. For his part, Ashford had one of the top House Democrats, Rep. Xavier Becerra of California, in town last week. And Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., is scheduled to join Ashford this afternoon to highlight his work on veterans issues. In a statement, Ashford said he invited Ryan to meet with him during his time in Omaha but that Ryan declined. While we disagree on some issues, I believe Speaker Ryan and I can have a real discussion about the concerns I am hearing from my constituents about national security and Social Security benefits, Ashford said. Iowa has always been tough terrain for Hillary Clinton, and the swing state is proving to be no less difficult in 2016 for the Democratic presidential nominee. The state that handed Clinton a dismal third-place finish in the 2008 caucuses is one of the few swing states where Republican Donald Trump has consistently led in the polls for the past several months. The rural state is also one of two battleground states that may return to the Republican fold after two presidential election cycles in the Democratic column. Iowa, along with Ohio, may be the best chance Trump has to win in states that Barack Obama carried twice, said Kyle Kondik, with the University of Virginia Center for Politics. But across the Missouri River in Nebraska, Clinton is given a chance of winning the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District. Nebraska splits its electoral votes by congressional district, and the urban districts demographics could work in Clintons favor. Obama won the districts electoral vote in 2008 but not in 2012. Clinton has a decent chance to win Nebraska 2, Kondik said. It typically leans Republican, but it is demographically favorable to Clinton in some ways. Iowa is one of about 9 to 12 battleground states where both campaigns see a chance to win Nov. 8. Iowa has six electoral votes. Neither Clinton nor Trump has ceded the state, but the question of which candidate has the stronger grass-roots presence is up for debate. Both have campaigned repeatedly in Iowa, although Trump has been in the state a few more times. Trump has made six visits to Iowa since the party conventions, while Clinton has held four rallies. Overall, Iowa appears to be a strong state for Trump in part because it has relatively few minorities and has a strong blue-collar workforce. Ninety-two percent of Iowa is white, and 26 percent of adults have college degrees, according to U.S. Census figures. In contrast, in Nebraskas 2nd District, 38 percent of adults have college degrees, and nearly 14 percent of the districts population are either African-Americans or Latinos. A national poll taken earlier this fall by CNN clearly showed the higher-education divide in this years presidential election. Sixty-eight percent of likely voters who are white and do not have a college education support Trump, while 24 percent support Clinton. But among college-educated whites, 49 percent back Clinton and 36 percent support Trump. Clinton has poured resources into Iowa, opening a slew of offices, including one in Council Bluffs. Overall she has an undisclosed number of staff members working out of 33 offices, in coordination with the Iowa Democratic Party. She has also flooded the state with visits from surrogates, such as Olympic skater Michelle Kwan and former Democratic presidential rival Bernie Sanders. Trumps approach to Iowa has been different from Clintons, as he has relied more on the Republican National Committee to help oversee his get-out-the-vote operation. As for the RNC, it says its been preparing for this election for more than two years, after Obama won the state in 2012 by 6 percentage points. After the last presidential election, the RNC decided it needed a permanent presence in the battleground states, said Lindsay Jancek, the Iowa communications director for the RNC. Today the party has 63 paid staffers on the ground and has been knocking on doors for months. For nine months weve been out in force, Jancek said. Both camps in Iowa point to absentee ballots as proof they are in a position to win. Democrats appear to be ahead in Iowas early vote count, but Republicans argue that Democrats have significantly fewer early voters than they had at this point in the 2012 campaign. About 177,000 registered Democrats had cast early ballots as of Thursday, compared with about 209,000 Democrats at this time in the last presidential election, according to the Iowa Secretary of States Office. Republicans had cast 136,000 votes as of Thursday, compared with 151,000 at this point in 2012. In Nebraska, Democrats also had an edge in early votes. As of last week, 38,000 Democrats had cast ballots in the states 2nd District, compared with 33,000 Republicans and 16,000 independents. The writer is attorney general for the State of Nebraska. Nebraskans should make an informed decision when voting whether to repeal the Legislatures repeal of the death penalty. There are five general misconceptions about Nebraskas death penalty: Who is eligible for the death penalty. The frequency of a death penalty sentence. Nebraskas ability to carry out the death penalty. The financial cost of the death penalty. Why not only life in prison. Not every person who commits first-degree murder is eligible for the death penalty in Nebraska. To the contrary, Nebraskas death penalty is an extremely high hurdle for which few are eligible and even fewer have received a death penalty sentence for their crimes. Nebraskas death penalty applies only to those who commit first-degree murder of children, repeat or mass murderers, those who kill police officers or those whose first-degree murder involved exceptional depravity. Currently, only 10 inmates are on Nebraskas death row. Three people were executed in the 1990s. Their guilt is and was beyond question. Their crimes all involved exceptional depravity in the murder of innocent victims. Some have questioned Nebraskas ability to carry out a death penalty sentence. Nebraska law has changed since the states last execution, to require lethal injection of drugs in accordance with a drug protocol adopted by a Nebraska Department of Correctional Services regulation. The departments current regulation involves the use of drugs that have been historically difficult to obtain. But this does not mean the drug protocol cannot be changed to carry out an execution. Other states carry out executions, and Nebraska will be able to do so, too, by amending the Corrections Departments drug protocol regulation. Next, a recent economists report erroneously concluded there is an enormous annual taxpayer cost to Nebraskas death penalty. Those conclusions were made by an economist who was hired and paid to create the report by an organization opposed to the death penalty. The report used economic theories, rather than Nebraskas actual facts, to arrive at the flawed theory of a large economic cost. Nebraskans should not be so easily fooled into believing theories rather than facts. In fact, the cost of housing a death row inmate is no greater than the average cost of housing other inmates in a single cell. And the cost to taxpayers of a death penalty case, including appeals, does not involve a significant increase over the cost of first-degree murder cases in which the death penalty is not sought. The Nebraska criminal justice system requires additional jury trial and sentencing phases on the sole issue of whether the death penalty can be imposed after guilt has been established beyond a reasonable doubt. This is because of a need for certainty when deciding upon a death sentence. Even with this additional process, the cost of a death penalty case is close in comparison to trials of non-death penalty, first-degree murder cases. Finally, there is the misconception that life in prison will always suffice as a final sentence. I respect the principles of those who oppose the death penalty for moral reasons. But criminals who commit mass murder, who commit repeated murders, who murder children, who murder police or whose murders involved exceptional depravity are murderers for whom the death penalty is a just punishment. Those who commit these types of murders, although extreme and limited, will continue to risk the safety and lives of fellow prisoners, corrections and police officers and society at large. Those types of murderers have no reason to leave witnesses, refrain from escape attempts or never commit another heinous murder. Ultimately, Nebraskans will decide whether justice and the safety of society require the death penalty. These clarifying points are intended to help voters make an informed decision. When Brad Ashford ran for Congress in 2014, he pledged, if elected, to work across party lines and show colleagues on Capitol Hill how Nebraska emphasizes a collaborative spirit in working through issues. Since being elected to represent Nebraskas 2nd Congressional District, he has made good on that promise. Rep. Ashford has proved to be an honest broker, in the best Nebraska fashion. In his interview with The World-Herald, he gave several examples of how he has worked with House Republicans on various pieces of legislation, such as the bill he introduced involving an innovative, public-private partnership to build a new veterans ambulatory care center in Omaha. They know they can come to me, he said. In other words, he has built relationships with colleagues across the aisle who know he has no interest in pursuing petty partisan maneuvering. His focus is on policy and on the interests of the 2nd District. This is in line with the spirit of the Nebraska Legislature, where Ashford served four terms before being elected to Congress. His ability to build trust with his colleagues, regardless of party, is notable and commendable in an era that is too often marked more by ugly partisanship than by constructive consensus-building. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., told The World-Heralds Joseph Morton he was impressed with Ashfords outreach. Brad has the type of personality that he wants to get along with everybody for the benefit of his constituents, said Miller, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. And thats what this process should be about. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., said Washington has entrenched partisan divides. To Brads credit, hes not accepted that premise, said Fortenberry, who has worked with Ashford on several issues. Like in Nebraska, we just dont accept that premise. Even though you have differences with people, try to find ways you can work with them. Ashford gives more than lip service to his commitment to judge matters independently. He stood up to President Barack Obama on the Iran nuclear agreement, despite a direct request from the president for support. Ashford held his ground, saying the agreement didnt go far enough to keep missiles from Israel and eastern Europe. He also took heat from supporters and colleagues for his support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. I know that trade is important to Nebraska, he said. CQ Roll Call this month named him the fifth most independent member of the House. Ashford has been a pro-business legislator. He displays a sound understanding of the business world that hasnt gone unnoticed. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business endorsed the Democrat. He received a 90 percent voting scorecard from the chamber, which praised him for his willingness to work across the aisle, put party aside and get solutions done. The business federation called Ashford a refreshing change from the normal business-as-usual gridlock in the Capitol and said he was sincere about wanting to get things done for Nebraskas small businesses. Unusual praise from pro-business groups that overwhelmingly endorse Republicans. The Chamber of Commerce noted Ashfords support for cutting federal regulations, supporting funds for Nebraska infrastructure projects, supporting market-expanding trade policies and reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank. Ashford understands real-world economics. When asked about Mylan Pharmaceuticals outrageous markup on EpiPens, Ashford said government price controls wont solve such problems long term. Whats needed, he said, is greater competition and an efficient regulatory process that gets comparable drugs into the marketplace more quickly. Hes right about that pragmatic idea. He has been energetic in working directly with committee heads and federal agency leaders, as well as other Nebraska delegation members, to stand up for key interests in the 2nd District. Examples include the VA project, funding for a new runway at Offutt Air Force Base and Ebola-related funding for the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Back home, he knows key leaders at the local level to help get things done. His Republican opponent, Don Bacon, is a promising newcomer on the local political scene. The retired, one-star Air Force general conveys level-headedness and has worked energetically to inform himself on the issues. But given the incumbents strong performance, voters would do well to re-elect Rep. Brad Ashford in Nebraskas 2nd Congressional District. Much ado about a few flakes To quote Current Results, a weather-related database and website, Most days of snowfall in Omaha leave just a skiff, amounting to less than an inch, of fresh snow on the ground. For nine days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals at least an inch. Just nine days a year on average of an inch or more, and we suddenly need an arsenal of new expenditures (When snow begins to fall, well be ready, Stothert says, Oct. 27 World-Herald). Go figure. Peter Nash, Omaha Car care must come first Its not surprising that pothole repair and snow removal have become such major issues in recent years. Meanwhile, things like after-school programs, summer youth programs, decrepit sidewalks, disappearing trash cans, bus shelters downtown and lax code enforcement all suffer from cutbacks made necessary by the relentless and irresponsible baiting of voters with property tax cuts by candidates for office. As a result, Omaha is a dirtier, less safe place. But the almighty car must be catered to at any cost. Wayne Gray, Omaha It will be the employees who suffer As a frequent shopper at Goodwill Omaha, I was disgusted upon hearing about the actions of CEO Frank McGree (No culture of thrift, Oct. 23 World-Herald). He has damaged the reputation of Goodwill. I see how hard the employees work there; these are underpaid, conscientious and hard-working people. I am concerned about their job security as a result of decreased donations due to McGrees unacceptable behavior in taking nearly $1 million in annual pay in 2014, with executive pay at the agency being the highest percentage of overall revenue of any Goodwill in the country. Not only will it hurt the good people working there, but I worry too about the services Goodwill provides to the community. It is an important resource for lower-income families to purchase clothing, furniture and home goods. Shame on the board of directors for basing its decisions on self-interest and not what would be best for the future of Goodwill. Thank you, World-Herald, for the great investigative journalism! Barb Osborn, Omaha The big business of charity Ive said it many times poverty and charities have become big business. Some charities are not interested in solving the root problems causing poverty; they are more interested in setting up a cash-generating business that, in turns, rewards the senior management. Robert W. Baye, Omaha Fix schools with a little tough love I am extremely concerned regarding the article on the disturbances caused by the students at Nathan Hale Middle School (Teachers struggle to control kids bad behavior, Oct. 27 World-Herald). There is a simple solution that was not even mentioned. It is not more teacher training in class management. It is not involving the community. It is not the addition of the sixth grade to the middle school. It is using the student discipline code under the section of expulsion. Teachers are a schools biggest asset. Good teacher morale leads to a good attitude and excellent teaching. If teachers arent getting the support of their administration and, consequently, are afraid of their own shadow, chaos will ensue. Not every student can be saved. It may sound harsh, but it is a fact of life. If the administration continues to enable a few of these unruly students, nothing will ever change. Get rid of the few who are causing the major problems so the majority of the students can go to school and learn. If the administration isnt strong enough, hire someone who is willing to support the teaching staff and give the rest of the student body an opportunity for a good education. Kids want leadership and discipline, but if they can get away with this type of behavior, they will. Doug Moss, Omaha OPPD board must change its thinking When asked about wind power in Nebraska at the 2016 Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting, Warren Buffett said, The wind doesnt start blowing at the Missouri River. That wind could be captured in Nebraska and so far it really hasnt been. Omaha Public Power District customers deserve rates that are based on sound economic planning, which includes consideration of all options. There are two candidates in the current OPPD races who have distinguished themselves as having strong knowledge of the energy industry and the financial planning experience to help the board make informed decisions Rick Yoder and Craig Moody. Both candidates have vast experience working with businesses to lower their energy costs. Its time for a change, and these two candidates will fairly represent the interests of OPPD customers. Barb Thompson, Blair, Neb. Podesta more than his WikiLeaks Having known John Podesta since 1979, its not surprising that hes directly involved in the day-to-day campaign decisions as chairman of Hillary Clintons campaign, as evidenced by his emails posted on WikiLeaks. Usually the chairman of any presidential campaign is more of a figurehead or responsible for high-level strategy or fund-raising, not day-to-day matters usually left to the campaign manager. In this campaign, however, Podesta is clearly overseeing debate preparation, strategy decisions, press statements, minor and major personnel problems, issue development and other campaign priorities. As Iowa U.S. Sen. John Culvers chief of staff, I was involved in hiring Podesta to be staff director of the Judiciary Committee subcommittee that Culver chaired. Several times a week for the next two years, he and I regularly discussed campaign issues and fund-raising strategy for Culver, as well as legislation and issues before that subcommittee. He is a very tough, talented and highly partisan campaign operative, which may explain why he was President Bill Clintons chief of staff in 2000. He has a quick and insightful understanding of public policy issues and raw politics. Dick Oshlo, Omaha Whats missing? Denials There has been much criticism that the WikiLeaks information, which appears to incriminate Hillary Clinton, may have come from Russian hackers. What is blatantly missing from the Clinton campaigns responses is any denial regarding the accuracy of the hacked emails. The accuracy of the hacked emails should be far more significant than the source of the hacking. Truth should not be judged by the source of that truth. Dennis Schafer, Omaha Trump the reformer Do you wonder why, with all of the corruption in Washington, so many of the establishment from both sides are not for Donald Trump? Could it be that they know that Trump will drain the swamp and they will be exposed? Darrel Adamson, ONeill, Neb. An easy vote to retain I will follow my God, my church, my Pope Francis and my Archbishop George Lucas to vote to retain the law our state senators passed to rid us of the horrible, expensive, unjust death penalty and put in its place life without parole. Mary Tworek-Hofstetter, Columbus, Neb. Nebraska will be in bad company I was most disappointed by The World-Heralds Oct. 23 editorial on the death penalty (Vote repeal to save penalty). As a reader of The World-Herald for more than 60 years, Ive come to expect a balanced approach to the most vital of topics. There was little of that apparent in this argument. No mention was made of the morality of state-sponsored executions. There was no mention of the nearly worldwide opposition. Among the countries that have the death penalty are China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Libya, Pakistan and the United States. Belarus is the only European country. Why is that? In the United States, there are states that have done away with the death penalty. In fact, our neighbor Iowa has not had it for more than 50 years. Life in prison without parole is the moral and effective course. Michael F. Kelly, Bellevue Deadline for election letters The deadline for receiving election-related letters is Thursday Nov. 3. The last day election-related letters will appear in the Public Pulse is Sunday Nov. 6. Caught on camera: Cop 'accidentally' fires at at mobile shop employee in Amritsar Tuesday is now No Meeting Day in Haryana and officers to be with people on Friday Martyr Mandeep cremated in Haryana with military honours India oi-IANS By Ians English Kurukshetra, Oct 30 Indian Army soldier Mandeep Singh, whose body was mutilated by terrorists near the Line of Control (LoC), was on Sunday cremated in his village in Haryana's Kurukshetra district with full military honours. Mandeep, a soldier of the 17th Sikh Regiment, was killed in an gun battle with terrorists in Machhil sector of Kupwara area of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday night. He hailed from Antehri village in Kurukshetra district, about 100 km from Chandigarh. Hundreds of people, including men, women and children, gathered to pay their last respects to the martyr. The people raised slogans of "Long live Mandeep" and against Pakistan. His body was brought to Ambala on Saturday and handed over to his family on Sunday. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar visited the village on Sunday morning to share the grief with Mandeep's family. Senior officers of the army, district administration and the police were present at the cremation. Residents of Mandeep's village said that no Diwali would be celebrated in the village as a mark of respect to the martyr. Antehri village is known for sending its men to the forces. "We are proud of the sacrifice of our son. Pakistan must be taught a lesson for its inhuman actions," Mandeep's father Phool Singh said. Mandeep, who was married in 2014, leaves behind his young widow, Prerna, who is a constable in the Haryana Police, and parents. "Our government should take decisive action to finish Pakistan. We cannot let our soldiers die like this," an inconsolable Prerna told the media. The slain martyr was to celebrate Diwali with his family at his village this year. The Indian Army, in an official statement on Saturday, said the soldier's body was "mutilated" and added that it would retaliate with an "appropriate response". Khattar described Mandeep's killing as a cowardly act by the terrorists. The Chief Minister said that a financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh would be given to the next of kin. This is not the first time that Pakistan has mutilated the bodies of Indian soldiers. During the Kargil war in 1999, Captain Saurabh Kalia, soldiers Arjunram Baswana, Mula Ram Bidiasar, Naresh Singh Sinsinwar, Bhanwar Lal Bagaria and Bhika Ram Mudh of the 4 Jat Regiment were captured by Pakistani troops and brutally tortured. The soldiers had their ear drums pierced with hot iron rods, eyes punctured and genitals cut off. The autopsy of the bodies also revealed that they were burnt with cigarettes butts. Their limbs were also chopped off, teeth broken and skull fractured during the torture. Even their nose and lips were sliced off. In another incident, on January 8, 2013, Pakistani soldiers entered Indian territory in Krishna Ghati sector of the border and killed two Indian soldiers -- Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh. Indian officials said both the bodies were mutilated, and Hemraj's body was decapitated. IANS PM Narendra Modi chokes up as he talks about Morbi tragedy | Video How the flame of Azadi was kept ablaze by the tribal community: PM Modi explains Narendra Modi celebrates Diwali with soldiers near China border India oi-IANS By Ians English Shimla, Oct 30 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday celebrated Diwali with soldiers in a remote and strategic area in Himachal Pradesh, adjoining the Chinese border. Modi also made an unscheduled trip to a village, Chango, and said he was "deeply touched by the impromptu reception and their joy". Dressed in olive green, the Prime Minister interacted with men from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Dogra Scouts and the army at Sumdoh. Sumdoh, some 330 km from Shimla, is located on the border of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts. Mingling freely, Modi went up to the soldiers holding a plate of sweets. At least one soldier offered him a sweet in return, much to the joy of everyone. He was accompanied by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and the Army chief, General Dalbir Singh Suhag. The Prime Minister also met personnel of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), a wing of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) that maintains highways, at Sumdoh, an official said. Modi then spent some time with the locals in Chango village in Kinnaur district, known for its delicious apples. Villagers taken aback by the Prime Minister's arrival raised slogans hailing him. Dressed in warm clothes, Modi spent time with the residents of the village including women and children. He also posed with everyone in a group photograph, with the mountains providing a majestic background. The Lahaul-Spiti district, spread over 13,835 sq km, is a place of remote, untouched beauty with just 31,528 people. The climatic conditions are harsh as much of the land falls under a cold desert where the mercury drops below minus 20 degrees Celsius during winter. The Prime Minister had celebrated his first Diwali after coming in power in 2014 with soldiers posted in Siachen. In 2015, he was at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. IANS BSF seizes Rs 3 lakh in Pak currency from man, grandmother returning from Kartarpur Sahib In a joint op by BSF & Assam Police, heroin worth over Rs 45 cr seized BSF shoots down drone along Pakistan border in Punjab J&K: BSF medical officer arrested in recruitment case sent to 10-day CBI remand News Flash: Narendra Modi celebrates Diwali with jawans of the ITBP News oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Oct 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on the radio with "Mann Ki Baat" at 11 AM today. Meanwhile BSF has been retaliating appropriately to the Firing started from Pakistan side in RS Pura, Jammu. The nation is gearing up to celebrate the festival of light Diwali today. Get all the latest news updates of the day: 3.11 pm: I promised #OROP when I was PM candidate, and unfortunately those in power at that time did not even know what exactly it was: PM Modi 3.10 pm: We needed surgical strikes. If Pak will try to infiltrate again, more such strikes will happen: Aparna Yadav, Mulayam Yadav's daughter-in-law 3.07 pm: Encounter in Drugmulla, Kupwara (J&K) underway, one-two terrorists believed to be in the area. More details awaited. #WATCH PM Narendra Modi interacting with locals in Kinnaur (Himachal Pradesh) earlier today #Diwali pic.twitter.com/JN1sAxaYcU ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 2.45 pm: In my very first public meeting after I was declared PM candidate, I invited ex-servicemen in Rewari, I promised #OROP : PM Modi 2.44 pm: Jab jab suraksha balon ko kuch karne ka mauka mila, desh ka seena tann jaye aisa karke unhone dikhaya: PM Modi 2.43 pm: Crores lit diyas for jawans. Film superstars, sports personalities, politicians, businessmen,farmers etc all had #Sandesh2Soldiers : PM 2.42 pm: Jab aap jagte hain tab vo(ppl) sote hain, agar aap na jagte toh unke naseeb neend bhi nhi ho sakti: PM Modi 2.41 pm: To aisa nahi hai ki mai ye PM banne kay baad kar raha hu: PM Modi 2.40 pm: Jab Gujarat mei earthquake aaya thaa, 2001 ki #Diwali maine bhukamp peedit parivaron kay saath manai thi: PM Modi 2.39 pm: Sabka mann karta hai ki #Diwali apno kay saath manae, tabhi mai apno kay beech aaya hu: PM Modi in Kinnaur, HP 2.06 pm: Encounter begins in Drugmulla, Kupwara (J&K), one-two terrorists believed to be in the area. More details awaited. #WATCH Jawans raise 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Vande Mataram' slogans with PM Modi in Kinnaur(HP) #Diwali pic.twitter.com/2u2TcRxSgr ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 PM Modi offers sweets to ITBP, Indian Army and Dogra Scouts personnel in Sumdo, Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. #Diwali pic.twitter.com/FujU2L8CUU ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 PM Modi met jawans of the ITBP, Indian Army and Dogra Scouts in Sumdo, Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/AIj7518WOs ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 1.08 pm: HC Gyanender Rathi posted in special cell Lodhi colony commits suicide with his service revolver. CFSL team reach the spot. 1.07 pm: Delhi: Union Minister Vijay Goyal celebrates Diwali with army jawans at Rajputana Rifles Delhi Cantt 12.09 pm: Sadananda Gowda, Ananth Kumar & BS Yeddyurappa celebrate Diwali with army jawans in Bengaluru. 12.08 pm: Earthquake measuring 7.1 magnitude strikes central Italy: Reuters 12.07 pm: Devotees celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas at Golden Temple, Amritsar 12.06 pm: Encounter begins in Drugmulla, Kupwara district (J&K), one-two terrorists believed to be in the area. More details awaited. 11.35 am: Chennai: Locals offer special prayers & distribute food outside Apollo hospital for speedy recovery of TN CM Jayalalithaa 11.31 am: Which is why we all need to learn that we all must unite, and work towards unity rather than allow divisiveness to spread: PM Modi 11.29 am: But on one Sardar's birthday, history remembers how sikh people & "sardars" all over the country faced violence & pain: PM Modi 11.28 am: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel worked to bring everyone together, he worked for unity, fought for unity and brought unity amongst people: PM Modi 11.28 am: Tomorrow we are celebrating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary. We are also remembering Indira Gandhi ji tomorrow: PM Modi 11.27 am: We have to forget about all our customs & traditions and treat a girl and a boy equally, and we are moving fast: PM Modi #MannKiBaat 11.17 am: Be it BSF, CRPF etc, our jawans are on duty and guarding us; that is why we are celebrating Diwali joyfully: PM Modi 11.16 am: #Sandesh2Soldiers hashtag was used so much by everyone and we were flooded with well wishes & love for jawans from citizens: PM Modi 11.15 am: People from all walks of life sent messages of love & encouragement for our jawans, just as they light candles for their well being: PM 11.14 am: From last few months our jawans are sacrificing their lives, we should celebrate this Diwali in their name: PM Narendra Modi #MannKiBaat 11.13 am: I also have to thank the citizens of the nation for their support & love for our security forces & jawans protecting us: PM Modi 11.12 am: I request parents & guardians that if their little kids are bursting crackers they should be monitored & accompanied: PM Modi 11.11 am: Diwali is now not just celebrated in India, but all over the world. Diwali is a festival which is bringing people together: PM Modi 11.10 am: World leaders are celebrating Diwali and sharing their memories & pictures on different social media platforms: PM Narendra Modi #MannKiBaat 11.09 am: Is that not something we should inculcate for our society and the living spaces?: PM Modi speaking on "Mann Ki Baat" program 11.08 am: Whole world today celebrate Diwali, it is a festival where we celebrate light over darkness: PM Narendra Modi in #MannKiBaat 11.07 am: Everyone is talking about cleanliness and environment today. In fact, everyone cleans their homes vigorously for Diwali: PM 11.06 am: All forms of darkness are to be fought with a "deep" of Diwali, we are eliminating all the darkness from inside us and the world around: PM 11.05 am: Festivals are fixed not just on the mood of the moon but also mood of the people: PM Modi 11.04 am: Our festivals are linked closely to the nature...the food, weather, everything about a festival is so symbiotic: PM Modi 11.02 am: "My warmest wishes to everyone for the happy festival of Diwali" PM Narendra Modi addresses the nation with "Mann Ki Baat" 10.43 am: We all stand along with their families, Rs 50 lakh will be given as compensation & a Govt job will be offered to 1 family member: ML Khattar 10.37 am: Thousands gather as mortal remains of Mandeep Singh (who lost his life in Machil encounter) reach his hometown Antahedi Village, Kurukshetra 10.31 am: Srinagar, J&K: Wreath laying ceremony of BSF jawan Koli Nitin Subhash (who lost his life in Machil encounter) 10.23 am: Villagers raise anti-Pak slogans just as mortal remains of Mandeep Singh arrives his hometown Antahedi Village, Kurukshetra 9.49 am: Kurukshetra: ML Khattar meets family members of soldier Mandeep Singh (who lost his life in Machil encounter) 9.45 am: Only 1 candle will be lit in every house for the peace of the soul of our martyrs, we are really proud of them: Subhash Chandra 9.44 am: No one will celebrate Diwali this year, our entire village mourns the death of Mandeep Singh: Subhash Chandra (Sarpanch, Antahedi Village) 9.41 am: Anti Pakistan protest by Baloch people in Lahore (Pakistan) demanding safe release of social worker Wahid Baloch. 9.30 am: At 2 AM Pak started firing small arms & mortars in gaps in Hiranagar and Samba Sector which continued till 8 AM. No loss of life reported 9.15 am: Mortal remains of soldier Mandeep Singh (who lost his life in encounter near LoC) to be brought to his home town in Kurukshetra, Haryana 9.10 am: Bikaner (Rajasthan): BSF celebrates Diwali at the border (29th October) Bikaner (Rajasthan): Army men celebrate Diwali at the border (29th October) pic.twitter.com/hM2MBjqyYE ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 8.15 am: BSF will not exchange sweets with Pakistan Rangers at Attari Wagah border this Diwali: BSF Kali Pujo celebrations in Agartala (Tripura) (29th Oct) pic.twitter.com/sUAHUah7ax ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 Special performances being given the circus in Trivandrum as part of #Diwali celebrations (29th Oct) pic.twitter.com/QVnDnSR9AL ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 7.18 am: United Nation (UN) celebrates #Diwali for the 1st time, HQ lit up to mark the celebrations 7.07 am: At 2 AM today Pak started firing in Hiranagar & Samba which continue till 0600 AM intermittently. No loss of BSF or civilians reported. 6.59 am: Last night at IB of Jammu, firing started from Pakistan side in RS Pura, continued intermittently till 3 AM; BSF retaliated appropriately. OneIndia News No disruption to oil imports after Saudi attack, says Centre Coalition air strikes kill over 30 Yemen rebels, inmates International oi-PTI Aden, Oct 30 Saudi-led coalition air strikes hit a rebel-held security building in Yemen's west, killing at least 30 prisoners and insurgents, military officials have said. The two air strikes destroyed the building in Zaidia, north of the western port city of Hodeidah, which houses a prison holding more than 40 inmates, most of them opponents of the Huthi rebels in charge there, a military source close to the insurgents said yesterday. A number of rebels inside the building were also killed in the attack, the source added. AFP Myanmar to hold first national-level political dialogue International oi-IANS By Ians English Nay Pyi Taw, Oct 30 Myanmar's Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC), led by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, has laid out the structure and work guidelines on holding the first national-level political dialogue next month, officials said on Sunday. The two-day UPDJC meeting, which ended on late Saturday, was able to make nine decisions required for the national-level political dialogue, making a step forward with the peace process, said UPDJC Vice Chairman Tin Myo Win, Xinhua news agency reported. The national-level political dialogue will begin in some regions and states in mid-November that are ready to host them, he said. Aung San Suu Kyi has on the first day of the meeting proposed to hold the national-level political dialogue in three types which are outlined as those based on region, national cause and ethnic affairs. She maintained that there was only one way to achieve peace, that is to stop conflict, calling for all out efforts to realise it without delay. The Myanmar government is making efforts to pave way for non-signatory armed groups to the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA) to join and complete the signing before the national-level political dialogue next month as agreed at the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference held in August-September. The government's Peace Commission and Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN) of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) had held a framework review meeting for the political dialogue in Yangon last week. The national-level political dialogues are expected to represent all-inclusiveness with opinions and voices of the people including ethnic people in order to establish a union based on democracy and federal system as envisioned in the NCA for peace building. IANS US orders families of consulate workers in Istanbul to leave International oi-PTI Washington, Oct 30 The State Department is ordering family members of employees posted to the US Consulate General in Istanbul to leave because of security concerns. In a statement issued yesterday, the State Department says the decision is based on security information indicating extremist groups are continuing aggressive efforts to attack US citizens in areas of Istanbul where they reside or frequent. The Consulate General remains open and fully staffed. The order applies only to the US Consulate General in Istanbul, not to other US diplomatic posts in Turkey. AP 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Rumble 11 Sep 2022 As President Donald J. Trump declassified all documents. While James Comey is bloviating about NO CHARGES FOR HILLARY CLINTON. He.. Rumble 20 Oct 2022 The Idaho State Museum will commemorate Dia de Los Muertos, also known as the Day of the Dead, with events from Oct 21st.. By Peter Kenny, Chief Market Strategist for Global Markets Advisory Group and Independent Market Strategist, Kenny & Co. LLC After seemingly endless months of political primaries, campaigning, and a heated national debate, the US presidential elections are heading into the home stretch. With less than two weeks before election day and with a RealClearPolitics lead of 5.2 points (down from 7.1 two weeks ago), the Clinton campaign received some very unwelcome news on Friday morningnews that may both fuel Donald Trumps resurgence while simultaneously removing any vestige of momentum that the Clinton camp has worked so hard to garner. FBI Director James Comey announced Friday that the agency was re-opening its investigation into the Hillary Clinton email case. Director Comey referred to the re-opening of that case as being a result of pertinent emails that have come to light as a result of FBI investigations into the Anthony Weiner sexting scandal. This comes after the July decision by Comey not to file charges against Hillary Clinton over a series of dubious questions pertaining to emails, servers, record keeping, email addresses and a variety of other abnormalities that have come to surface in regards to the Clinton Foundation and Hillary Clintons time spent at the US State Department. If the re-opened FBI investigation into Hillary Clintons emails has any impact on the Clinton campaign, I would suggest that it can only be negative and negative news for the Clinton campaign is likely to be negative news for equity markets. Markets are informing us that bad news for Clinton is bad news for the near term outlook for equities. Friday, the news of Clintons latest email problems triggered a reversal lower in prices, as investors looked to hedge their bets on the US election outcome. It was a hint of what we can expect if Clintons campaign falters. The Brexit referendum gives us a fairly clear illustration of how investors view a disruption to a well-organized and planned narrative. The news of the successful Brexit referendum sent British and global equities into a tailspin. Though both have recovered handsomely in the ensuing four months, the British pound remains depressed, much to the delight of British exporters. The Brexit success and ensuing recovery has emboldened other nationalist movements across Europe. Story continues Anything other than a Clinton victory on November 8 will result in a selloff of a significantly greater magnitude here in the United States and around the globe. The question is whether or not markets will rebound with as much vigor as was evidenced after the Brexit referendum. I suspect that in the event of a Donald Trump victory, though not likely, markets will trade lower and remain lower for a protracted period of time. It would also lead to a stall in any move higher by the Fed in rates over the near term. Hillary Clintons email problems are not likely to be a treat for investors in either case. If she wins the White house, they arent going away. If she loses the White House, look out below. Kennys Commentary LinkedIn Twitter New Zealand Herald 01 Nov 2022 An 11-second scuffle in a central Wellington park caused one man to lose an eye and left another with a conviction for.. Pennsylvania Senate to Vote on Fixed Online Gambling Bill in November Published October 30, 2016 by Ivan P Pennsylvania Senate will be voting on an online gambling bill in November, but additional stipulations contained in the bill could stop it in its tracks. The House of Representatives in Pennsylvania forwarded the online gaming bill to the Senate, with 108 representatives voting in favor and 71 against the bill. Senators should be voting on the bill sometime mid-November. Budget Deficit and Burning Taxation Issues The portion of the bill covering online gambling segment is basically good to go. Pennsylvania is counting on the projected $100 million this sector would contribute to the state's budget. However, the bill covers much more than just online gaming. A month ago, the Supreme Court sided with Mount Airy casino in their lawsuit against the state. The ruling covered the local portion of the tax, which all casinos not based in Philadelphia had to pay to their respective municipalities. According to this law, casinos had to pay either 2% of their slots revenue or $10 million fixed (whichever was higher) in taxes, which created unfavorable conditions for smaller casinos. The Supreme Court ruled this law to be unconstitutional and gave legislators four-months window to fix it. The fixed bill, now in in the hands of the Senate, proposes a fix for this law, but not all senators are amenable. Pennsylvania and Online Gambling Pennsylvania has been trying to pass an online gambling bill for some time now. As mentioned, the state calculated that regulated gambling would bring a significant revenue which could be used for different valuable projects. The bill covers online gambling, online poker, as well as daily fantasy sports, and it has finally been shaped in such a manner as to satisfy a majority of stakeholders. However, the fact that this very sensitive taxation issues is a part of the same bill could create some problems. Local legislators are facing a real dilemma, where they have to choose between potentially costing local municipalities millions of dollars in revenue from brick & mortar casino or passing an opportunity to generate additional income through regulated online gambling. At this point in time, it remains unclear which side will prevail. German philosopher Hegel (whom Marx turned upside down) noted the "paradox" of poverty amidst great wealth: "[D]espite an excess of wealth, civil society is not wealthy enough -- i.e., its own distinct resources are not sufficient -- to prevent an excess of poverty and the formation of a rabble." Ah, the rabble.....democracy: mob rule. Like Aristotle 2000 years earlier, he sees that "poverty is the parent of crime." Lack of wealth, in a society where people are equal, does not create crime (for it creates no motive for crime). If you look out and all live in humble shacks, that's life. Enjoy! But if you look up from the slums to the mansions of the rich, if you see Trump Tower looming in the distance, this produces a sense of moral outrage, anger, resentment, a desire to correct things or to do revenge. This hostility to one's circumstances in life usually leads to crimes against fellow victims of inequality. The reaction to gross inequality is rooted in a moral sense of injustice: this can be misguided into crime against fellow victims....or harnassed for revolutionary change in which the poor stop killing each other and unite to crush their oppressors, the very people arming them to kill each other. This is the awakening that Marx tried to explain. And it is not just a "natural" result of inequality; it is deliberate, as Jay Gould said, when asked what to do about the poor rising up, that we can hire half the poor to kill the other half. The imperialist logic of divide, conquer (and loot) applies not only to foreign conquests but internally, for society is itself a set of populations based on class, from the Gates and Trumps of the world, to the malnourished children of the poor, not only in Bangladesh (where Trump's clothing is made by slave labor) but in New York City. Hegel formed the justification for the totalitarian state: "The Nation State is spirit in its ... actuality ... it is therefore the absolute power on earth. ... The State is the Spirit of the People itself. "All the worth which the human being possesses - all spiritual reality, he possesses only through the State. ... For Truth is the Unity of the universal and subjective Will; and The Universal is to be found in the State, in its laws, its universal and rational arrangements. The State is the Divine Idea as it exists on earth." "In direct contrast to German philosophy, which descends from heaven to earth, here we ascend from earth to heaven."(860) Marx's Dialectical Materialism asserts that history is a process of development through conflict; not a conflict of ideas, but real conflict between economic classes." And there is the revolutionary answer to poverty: Workers of the world, unite. Please see Parts 2 and 3. From Paul Craig Roberts Website Word has reached me from Washington that the FBI has reopened the Hillary case of her violation of US National Security protocols, not because of the content of the new email releases, but because voter support for Trump seems to be overwhelming, while Hillary has cancelled appearances due to inability to muster a crowd. The popular vote leaves the FBI far out on the limb for its corrupt clearance of Hillary. The agency now has to redeem itself. I myself do not know what precisely to think. Having been at the top of the Washington hierarchy for a quarter century, I have seen many mistaken judgments. At one time I had subpoena power over the CIA and was able to inform President Reagan that the CIA had misled him. He took note and proceeded with his policy of ending the Cold War with the Soviets. On other issues I have been mistaken, because I assumed that there was more integrity in government than actually exists. However, FBI director Comey did not need to reopen the case against Hillary simply because some new incriminating emails appeared. Having dismissed the other incriminating evidence, these emails could have passed unremarked. The problem for the FBI, which once was a trusted American institution, but no longer is, is that there is no longer any doubt that Donald Trump will win the popular vote for president of the United States. His appearances are so heavily attended that thousands are turned away by local fire/occupancy regulations. In contrast, Hillary has curtailed her appearances, because she doesn't draw more than 30 or 40 people. Americans are sick to death of the corrupt Clintons and the corrupt American media. The Clintons are so completely bought-and-paid-for by the Oligarchy that they were able to outspend Hollywood on their daughter's wedding, dropping $3,000,000 on the event. Nevertheless, I don't underestimate the power of the Oligarchy. As Assistant Secretary of the US Treasury I experienced the Oligarchy's power. If I had not been backed by the President of the United States, I would have been destroyed. Indeed, the Oligarchy is still trying to destroy me. Possibly Trump, as his enemies allege, is just another fake, like Obama who misled the electorate. However, Trump attacks the Oligarchy so strongly that it is hard to believe that Trump isn't real. Trump is asking for a bullet like John F. Kennedy, like Robert Kennedy, like Martin Luther King, like George Wallace. In Amerika, dissidents are exterminated. Trump is up against voting machines over which he has no control. If there are no INDEPENDENT exit polls, Trump can easily be robbed of the election, as the Texas early voting scandal indicates, with the electronic machines assigning Trump votes to Hillary. The "glitch" doesn't assign any Hillary votes to Trump. My expectation is that, unless Trump's popular vote is so overwhelming, the electoral collage vote will be stolen. Because of the absence of any valid reporting by the presstitutes, I don't know what impact the orchestrated election of Hillary would have on the electorate. Possibly, Americans will break out of The Matrix and take to the streets. I believe that Hillary in the Oval Office would convince the Russians and the Chinese that their national survival requires a pre-emptive nuclear attack on the crazed, insane government of the United States, the complete narcissistic state that in the words of Hillary and Obama is "the exceptional, indispensable country," empowered by History to impose its will on the world. This crazed American agenda is not something that Russia and China will accept. Here is Donald Trump speaking to Americans in words Americans have been waiting to hear. Notice that Trump doesn't need teleprompters. I do not agree with Trump on many issues, but the American people do. For me and for the world, the importance of Trump is the prospect of peace with Russia. Nuclear war makes every other problem irrelevant. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). From Our Future Stop TPP (Image by DonkeyHotey) Details DMCA Wall Street really wants Congress to override both presidential candidates and We the People, and push that Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) through after the election, but before the new President and Congress take office. As Politico's Morning Trade reported Thursday, "Eight major financial services industry associations made an appeal to congressional leaders to support passage of the TPP this year." Well, that's that, then; instructions have come down from management. Get TPP done -- and lock in corporate rule -- before democracy and representative government and We the People can stop it. Meanwhile ... those countries we are "partnering" with? How are people and workers treated? How do countries like Vietnam handle basic human rights, labor rights, environmental protections, things like that? What are we getting ourselves into? Nguy...n Ngoc Nhdegrees Quynh is coordinator for the Vietnamese Bloggers Network and receiver of the 2015 Civil Rights Defender of the Year award, "Civil Rights Defenders is delighted to announce that the recipient of the 2015 Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award is Nguy...n Ngoc Nhdegrees Quynh. She is Coordinator for the Vietnamese Bloggers Network and well known for her use of social media to speak out against injustices and human rights abuses in Vietnam." In 2014, Quynh the Stockholm-based NGO Civil Rights Defenders honored her as a Human Rights Defender. Quynh blogs under the pseudonym of Me Nam (Mother Mushroom). She writes about corruption in the government and warns readers about problems with things like the way the government protects them from things like toxic chemical spills. Because of this, Vietnam has arrested Quynh on charges of "spreading propaganda against the state." NY Times, October 11, "Vietnam Arrests Mother Mushroom, a Top Blogger, for Criticizing Government": "The authorities in Vietnam said on Tuesday that they had arrested a popular blogger who has criticized the country's one-party government over politically delicate topics, including a dump of toxic chemicals that devastated fishing communities and set off protests. "The blogger, Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, 37, was detained on Monday in Khanh Hoa, a south-central province. She was accused on Tuesday of distorting the truth and spreading propaganda against the state, according to the Vietnamese news media. The charges carry a maximum prison term of 12 years. No trial date was given." Quynh could be imprisoned for up to 12 years for criticizing her government's handling of a toxic chemical spill at a foreign-owned steel mill. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). From Consortium News A graphic used by protesters resisting the Dakota Access pipeline. (Image by Ann Wright) Details DMCA It's like we are back to the 1800s when the U.S. Army rampaged against Native American tribes across the American West. The militarized police and the use of the National Guard this week in responding to the Standing Rock Sioux Native American challenge in North Dakota to big oil and its dangerous pipelines reminds one of Custer's Last Stand against Sitting Bull. In fact, the portrait of Sitting Bull is on one of the most popular t-shirts available to supporters of the "water protectors," as those are known who protest yet one more oil pipeline that crosses sensitive watershed areas and major rivers of the United States. Four days last week, I joined hundreds of Native Americans and social justice campaigners from around the United States and around the world, in challenging the Dakota Access Pipe Line (DAPL), the 1,172-mile, $3.7 billion dollar scar across the face of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois. Last week, I photographed the area along Highway 6 south of Bismarck where the Energy Transfer Partnership contractors were busy digging the trench for the "Black Snake" as the pipeline is called. I also counted 24 police cars returning to Bismarck at shift change around 3 p.m., a huge number of state law enforcement personnel and vehicles dedicated to protection of corporate business, instead of the rights of citizens. Huge machines were chewing up the earth near water sources for all of North Dakota. The pipeline was rerouted from near Bismarck so if the pipeline breaks it would not endanger the water supply of the capital city of the state. But it was relocated to where it will cross the Missouri River and will jeopardize the water supply of the Native Americans and all Americans living in southern North Dakota and downstream of the Missouri River. Security forces protecting the Dakota Access pipeline construction spray protesters with pepper spray. (Image by (Photo by Tim Yakaitis)) Details DMCA On Thursday, the digging took a more confrontational turn. The huge digging equipment arrived to cut across State Highway 1806 at a spot where water protectors had set up a front-line camp several months ago, one mile north of the main encampment of over 1,000 people. As the equipment arrived, the "water protectors" blocked the highway. In a dangerous incident, an armed private security guard of DAPL came onto the camp and was chased off into the water abutting the camp by water protectors. After a lengthy standoff, tribal agency police arrived and arrested the security guard. Water protectors set his security vehicle on fire. On Friday more than 100 local and state police and North Dakota National Guard arrested over 140 people who blocked the highway attempting to stop the destruction of the land. Police in riot gear with automatic rifles lined up across a highway, with multiple MRAPs (mine-resistant ambush protected military vehicles), a sound cannon that can immobilize persons nearby, Humvees driven by National Guardsmen, an armored police truck and a bulldozer. Police used mace, pepper spray, tear gas and flash-bang grenades and bean-bag rounds against Native Americans who lined up on the highway. Police reportedly shot rubber bullets at their horses and wounded one rider and his horse. As this police mayhem was unfolding, a small herd of buffalo stampeded across a nearby field, a strong symbolic signal to the water protectors who erupted in cheers and shouts, leaving law enforcement officials wondering what was happening. The security forces protecting the Dakota Access pipeline against protesters are heavily militarized. (Image by (Photo by Tim Yakaitis)) Details DMCA Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). FBI director James Comey; recent press conference. Listen LIVE at ift.tt/1NtUC1A (Image by Girard At Large) Details DMCA In a TV interview today I was asked, considering the new FBI revelations about Hillary's emails, who would win the election. I replied that the FBI would be the winner, that the USA's intelligence agencies would be deciding who would win-- an outrageous, traitorous situation. The Debate - US 2016 Election by presstv (Image by PressTV) Details DMCA On Monday, I had dinner with three heroic NSA whistleblowers-- Bill Binney, Thomas Drake and Kirk WIebe-- after they'd shared the stage in a panel discussion presented at West Chester University. Whistleblowers Thomas Drake, William Binney, Kirk Wiebe and moderator/organizer West Chester professor Jana Nestlerode (Image by Rob Kall) Details DMCA I came away with the clear conclusion that the US Intelligence community is a major threat to democracy. The whistleblowers stated that NSA tracks the signal intelligence-- phone calls, emails, credit card transactions, medical bills, automated toll payments-- for every American and for billions of people -- seven billion nodes. The intelligence agencies track every member of congress and all their family and friends. They track all the people in the White House, all the people in the Supreme court, all executives of corporations. All it takes is one brother-in-law selling drugs or hiding a criminal record to get a job and that puts a person of power in congress, the White House, wherever, at risk of coercion. That's why privacy is so important to all of us, even if we have nothing to hide. We can be blackmailed because we love someone who has something to hide. Remember, Ed Snowden was able to access the information. Actually, there may be thousands of private contractors-- employees of big corporations-- who have access to all or part of the massive data trove. There's even a name for one of the things they do. Remember, "Sig-Int" is the term used to refer to signal intelligence-- anything that can be picked up electronically. These contractors and intelligence agency officers engage in what is called "love-Int," basically spying on wives and girlfriends to find out if they are cheating. The abuse of the system is dangerously, rampantly out of control. The recent disclosures of nebulous information about Hillary Clinton's emails are an outrageous, screamingly transparent effort to influence the election. There is no way to justify the timing. This is just the latest stretching beyond the boundaries by an intelligence agency leader. It has to stop. FBI head Comey should be charged with whatever laws apply which relate to using government power to unlawfully influence elections. It is clear that the FBI as well as the NSA, which surely has had all of the missing emails all along, have used their control over and selective analysis of them to influence the election. This should not have happened. It can never happen again. The presidency of the United States must not be determined by the head or heads of a spy agency. And it looks like that's what we're seeing. Whether you support Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Gary Johnson or Jill Stein, this process should be horrifying to you. Progressive Content Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their progressive content after publishing. To see if the progressive content was renamed or re-published, please click here. Health Overhaul Dwindling Insurers Nicole Robinson says her daughter Riley, 11, must take a mountain of medications each day. The Robinsons live in Cave Creek, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix -- which was one of nation's hardest-hit metro areas for insurer exits, shrinking from nine carriers to one. (The Associated Press) WASHINGTON -- Americans in the health insurance markets created by President Barack Obama's law will have less choice next year than any time since the program started, a new county-level analysis for The Associated Press has found. The analysis by AP and consulting firm Avalere Health found that about one-third of U.S. counties will have only one health marketplace insurer next year. That's more than 1,000 counties in 26 states -- roughly double the number of counties in 2014, the first year of coverage through the program. With insurance notices for 2017 in the mail, families are already facing difficult choices, even weighing whether to stay covered. "At this point we are at a loss," said Ryan Robinson of Phoenix, Arizona. "We don't know what the next step is." He and his wife, Nicole, only have plans from one insurer available next year, and the company doesn't appear to cover an expensive immune-system medication for their 11-year-old daughter. Phoenix is the market hardest hit by insurer exits, shrinking from eight carriers to one. With many other communities affected, however, the problem of dwindling choice may create even bigger political headaches than the rising premiums announced earlier this week. Largely as a result of the Affordable Care Act, the nation's uninsured rate has dropped to a historically low level, less than 9 percent. But the program hasn't yet found stable footing, and it remains politically divisive. Insurer participation rose in 2015 and 2016, only to plunge. Dwindling choice could be a trickier issue than rising premiums for the Obama administration and advocates of the 2010 law, including Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Most customers get financial assistance, and their subsidies are designed to rise along with premiums, which are increasing an average of 25 percent in states served by HealthCare.gov. But there is no comparable safety valve for disruptions caused by insurers bailing out. "Rising premiums get all of the political attention, but lack of choice between insurers could be a bigger problem for consumers," said Caroline Pearson, a senior vice president with Avalere. Five states -- Alaska, Alabama, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wyoming -- have one participating insurer across their entire jurisdictions. Only Wyoming and South Carolina had faced that predicament this year. Another eight states -- Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada and Tennessee-- have only one participating insurer in a majority of counties. Citing big financial losses, several marquee insurers sharply scaled back their participation for next year. United Healthcare exited from more than 1,800 counties, and maintains only a minuscule presence, according to the analysis. Humana nearly halved the number of counties where it offers plans. Insurers say enrollment was disappointing, patients were sicker than expected, and an internal system to help stabilize premiums didn't work well. The Obama administration says insurers are correcting for initially pricing their plans too low. HealthCare.gov has taken steps to help consumers whose insurer is leaving by matching them to the closest comparable plan on the marketplace next year. Administration officials also point out that many private employers offer workers just one plan. The upheaval in the health insurance markets has consumers scrambling to figure out options. Sign-up season starts Nov. 1 and ends Jan. 31. South of Minneapolis, in Goodhue County, Minnesota, farmer Eugene Betcher said his Blue Cross Blue Shield family plan is going away. The insurer is dropping its popular preferred provider plan, which covers more than 100,000 area residents. Betcher has an appointment with his insurance adviser, but he expects sharply higher premiums and having to switch doctors. In his early 60s, he's mulling just keeping his wife on the plan. "I'm thinking of not covering myself and hoping to get to 65 and Medicare," said Betcher. He'd risk a fine, but he says that financially he would probably come out ahead even if he had to pay out of pocket for medical care. In Birmingham, Alabama, property insurance adjuster Jacob Bodden said his Humana plan is pulling out and Blue Cross Blue Shield remains his only option. He gets no subsidy from the government, so he'd have to cover the entire premium increase himself. "I don't trust the incompetents who created this mess can fix it," Bodden said. In Phoenix, Ryan and Nicole Robinson are at the epicenter of the health law's latest troubles. Maricopa County has seen the most insurers bail out, and premiums for a benchmark plan are spiking 145 percent next year, beyond any other major market on HealthCare.gov. Ryan Robinson, who works in sales for an out-of-state health care company, said the family's premium will go from $821 to $1,489. It's more than their mortgage and they don't qualify for an income-based subsidy. But what the Robinsons most worry about is that neither of their daughter's two medications appears to be covered by the remaining insurer. That includes an immune-system drug costing about $5,000 a month. "I shouldn't be getting government assistance, but I shouldn't be offered a plan that's ludicrous," said Ryan Robinson. He says the idea behind the law "was good and principled," but "there have got to be other solutions out there." The Obama administration says consumers in such situations can seek an exception. "The law guarantees access to necessary prescriptions, even if they aren't on a formulary, through an exceptions process," said spokesman Aaron Albright. Avalere is a consulting and data-crunching firm that provides nonpartisan analysis for health care industry and government clients. It compiled insurance marketplace data from 49 states and the District of Columbia for the analysis. That represents markets in 3,129 counties, where 12.3 million people selected plans for 2016. Only Massachusetts was unable to provide 2017 data by this week. --The Associated Press Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott attended Oregon's game against Arizona State on Saturday at Autzen Stadium. Scott began working for the Pac-12 in 2009 and signed a 12-year, $3 billion TV deal with ESPN in 2011 The Commissioner is visiting Eugene for the first time this season and will attend Oregon State's game against Washington State in Corvallis tonight. In the video above, Scott answers questions about TV deals, conference scheduling and his visit to Eugene. --Jen Beyrle jbeyrle@oregonian.com @JenBeyrle Oregon State Legislature in action A nonprofit pushing for government records reform says Oregon's public records should be free to all citizens and organizations. (Randy L. Rasmussen/2015) Adam Andrzejewski The supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders and Donald J. Trump have one thing in common: Both are upset by what they perceive as government by, for, and of the special interests. Imagine how upset they would be if they knew everything that goes on. Imagine how upset all of us might be. Knowledge is power, and access to facts gives citizens the means to "fight City Hall." The good news is that big data and technology are giving us new ways to expand oversight of government. The bad news, at least here in Oregon, is that the effort to fight transparency is bipartisan. Some powerful Oregon politicians in both parties circumvent, and thus violate, Oregon's open record laws. This makes it difficult for citizens and the media to monitor government and expose abuse of taxpayer dollars. Consider the Republican-controlled board in Lane County. This summer, our organization, American Transparency, filed an open records request with all 1,509 municipal units of Oregon government. We asked for the salaries of public employees. To date, nearly 1,000 units have produced their records. Then, there's Republican Lane County, which sent us an invoice for $24,000 instead. Oregon Democrats aren't any better than the Lane County Republicans. It seems that both parties support government opacity. Governor Kate Brown's office and House Speaker Tina Kotek's office weren't much better at transparency. Four months ago, Oregon Capitol Watch paid $2,700 to the governor and speaker for time sheets, calendars, credit card statements and reimbursements. At the start of this week, no records had been produced by either office. Zero. Oregon's open records laws need to be updated. First, transparency should be completely free to all citizens and organizations. Charging for "open records" makes a mockery of the term "freedom of information." Next, stonewalling in the form of delays, redactions, and non-responsiveness should lead to fines and firings of the employees responsible. Share your opinion Submit your essay of 700 words or less to commentary@oregonlive.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification. In 1913, an early progressive, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, recognized the power of transparency: "Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants." Disinfecting government at every level should become the rallying cry of an abused electorate. Oregon citizens need to flex some muscle and start enforcing transparency law at the ballot box. If your representative doesn't support dramatically expanded transparency, find another that will. Adam Andrzejewski is chief executive of OpenTheBooks.com, an Illinois-based nonprofit that tracks government spending with 3 billion government expenditures posted online. Guns Domestic Abuse Firearms evidence is displayed during a news conference in Portland. In 2015, Gov. Kate Brown signed a bill requiring background checks on private gun sales -- the first time in more than 14 years the state had significantly tightened its firearms laws. (Jamie Francis / 2013) Madeline Garcelon Nearly two years ago, on Nov. 10, 2014, my worst fears were turned into a tragic and life-changing reality. That was the day my beautiful daughter, Nicolette "Nikki" Elias, was shot and killed by her ex-husband in front of her two young children. Nikki was smart, successful and a loving single mother. She was self-sufficient, working full-time while in school to finish her degree. And she was fiercely protective of her two daughters. She did everything she could to protect them from their father, who had a history of physical, emotional and psychological abuse of my daughter. Nikki was so afraid of what her ex-husband might do that she prepared safety plans with friends and family if he tried to harm her family. She even took out a restraining order against him. Despite the fact that Nikki did all the right things to protect herself and her girls, her ex-husband entered her home and shot her in front of her children, who were ages 7 and 8. She was killed as she was closing the door to prevent him from entering their home and harming her family. After killing Nikki, he forced the girls out of the home, walking past their mom's body, and took them to his own home. When the police arrived on the scene, he shot and killed himself. My granddaughters have seen things no child -- no person -- should ever have to witness. And it is not easy for me to speak out and share my story. Sometimes it feels like it would be easier to stay silent. But then I look at my two precious granddaughters, who have so much life ahead of them, and I know I have to keep fighting. As we conclude Domestic Violence Awareness month. And as I come upon two years since Nikki was taken from me, I've decided to use my voice to help protect other women who may be at risk of suffering the same fate. I've joined Everytown Survivor Network, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, and spoken to our statehouse legislators about improving our state's gun safety laws. In 2015, alongside moms, gun owners, survivors and other supporters, I testified on a bill that Gov. Kate Brown signed into law that will keep guns out of dangerous hands by closing the background check loophole in the state. This was an important step forward for our state, and there is still more we can do. We know that the presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation makes it five times more likely that the woman will be killed. That is why we should make it harder for domestic abusers to get their hands on a gun. One important step we can take here in Oregon is to prohibit convicted stalkers and abusive dating partners from possessing firearms. To honor the life of my daughter and to help protect my granddaughters, I'll continue to use my voice for change. Right now that means working to elect candidates who support common sense gun laws this November, so that come 2017, we can turn campaign promises into real action. Share your opinion Submit your essay of 700 words or less to commentary@oregonlive.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification. No other family should have to endure the crushing pain that my family has experienced because of a gun in the hands of a domestic abuser. No mother should have to bury her daughter. No grandparent should have to explain to her grandchildren why their mother won't be there to tuck them in bed tonight. And no sister should be asked to raise their sibling's children -- as my daughter Sonia has -- because their sibling was a victim of domestic violence. Our lawmakers have the power to help save lives by continuing the progress we've already seen here in Oregon and strengthening our state gun laws. Madeline Garcelon is a Salem resident. Portland Federal Courthouse The U.S. Department of Justice is sued an Oregon City woman claiming she promotes an alleged scheme that helps people avoid paying income taxes. She died three months before the lawsuit was filed in October. The lawsuit has since been dropped. (Dave Killen/The Oregonian) The U.S. Department of Justice has dropped a federal lawsuit against a dead Oregon City woman who it claims promoted a widespread tax fraud scheme. A notice of dismissal was filed Thursday in the case against Priscilla E. Schrock. Her son said she died in July at the age of 74, more than three months before the Justice Department sued her on Oct. 20. The lawsuit asked a judge to stop Schrock from allegedly helping to create religious nonprofit organizations designed to evade taxes. Prosecutors also sought an order compelling her to turn over the names, addresses and other information on all of her alleged customers so the Internal Revenue Service could investigate each customer's tax liabilities. The lawsuit claimed the IRS did not have enough resources to devote to identifying all of her customers. Authorities identified seven customers in the lawsuit who collectively owe more than $230,000 in back taxes between the tax years of 2008 and 2012, the lawsuit said. "Since filing the complaint, the United States has learned that defendant Priscilla E. Schrock may be deceased," the notice said. Nicole Navas, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said the agency declined to comment on the lawsuit. John Schrock, the woman's son, said he was unaware of the lawsuit until he was contacted by The Oregonian/OregonLive. He said no one else in his family was involved in his mother's finances. Priscilla Schrock was accused of creating or helping create at least 471 "sham entities" through her religious nonprofit corporation called South Beach Missions, the lawsuit said. No criminal charges were filed against Schrock in connection with the alleged scheme, according to Oregon court records. Under the scheme, Schrock filed forms with the secretary of state's office to create and maintain a customer's religious nonprofit corporation, in exchange for a one-time fee of $695 and an annual fee of $245, the lawsuit said. Schrock listed her own nonprofit as the registered agent for each of her customers' organizations. According to the lawsuit, Schrock told her customers that their corporations and the assets they transferred to them were exempt from tax laws. The Justice Department disagreed and claimed her customers were still on the hook for any unpaid federal taxes, as well as interest and possible penalties. -- Everton Bailey Jr. ebailey@oregonian.com 503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey Portland criminal defense lawyers are a close-knit bunch, mutually supportive almost as a rule in a legal practice given to many more defeats than victories. But attorneys were not so collegial in the hours after the stunning not-guilty verdicts in the case of Ammon Bundy and six other defendants. In a group email circulated early Friday among multiple offices, attorney Bob Reid congratulated the lawyers who won acquittals for the seven occupiers. In a lengthy message, he also advised them to think twice about what they'd done. "Don't drink the Kool-Aid the defendants have been drinking," Reid wrote. "These defendants are not "good guys" for taking over public lands that belong to all Americans." The normally soft-spoken Per Olson, who represented defendant David Fry and had just pulled off one of the biggest upsets of his career, was in no mood. "I don't need your moralizing," he snapped back. "I ain't shedding any tears over this one, so stick it up your arse." The exchange reflects the controversial and divisive nature of the Bundy case acquittals. Outraged liberals sounded like law-and-order conservatives castigating federal prosecutors for bungling the case. Some predicted the Bundys' clean sweep over federal prosecutors would embolden similar armed protests and inject new life into the anti-government land rights movement. Others saw the outcome through a racial lens, saying black or brown protesters would have been treated differently. The verdicts come against the backdrop of widening fissures between the country's right and left, rural and urban, whites and people of color. The chasm has never seemed as vast as it has during the current presidential campaign between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, where researchers found the partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans reached its highest level in 25 years. Trump rose to political prominence largely on his appeal to disaffected conservative white men, and Lewis and Clark law professor Tung Yin sees a connection between Bundy and Trump. Both have built powerful constituencies appealing to those who feel left behind, discounted or ignored by much of mainstream America, he said. "I thought this was a slam dunk for the government and I was completely wrong," Yin said of the Bundy case. "Pundits got everything wrong about Trump in the same way. The professional class just didn't see either one coming." Defense attorney Olson thinks the Bundy defendants tapped into a reservoir of frustration shared by others in rural America. He has no patience for finger-wagging scolds, though he wanted it known that he had apologized to Reid. "What it comes down to is the jury saw that these were all well-meaning people who really meant no harm to anyone," Olson said. "Ammon Bundy, this is not a person with criminal intent, not a person trying to hurt anyone. He's just trying to make a point about folks in the rural west who feel dispossessed and feel powerless and frustrated and wanted to make a stand." Sagebrush rebels Peter Walker, a University of Oregon professor who's writing a book about the occupation, said he was shocked and disappointed by the verdict. He's convinced Bundy and his followers repeatedly broke the law during their 41-day occupation and remain a public menace. Walker was in Burns on Jan. 19 when about 300 people gathered at the high school to discuss the ongoing occupation. Twenty minutes into the meeting, the Bundys and several other occupiers arrived and strolled into the gym, some of them armed, Walker said. He waited for the assembled local police to take them into custody or at least to take their weapons. But they did nothing. "It was an incendiary mix of people and guns," Walker said. "Anything could have happened at that moment. These people are heavily armed. They do what they like. They don't recognize local authority and they certainly don't recognize federal authority." Portland criminal defense attorney Steve Ungar said Bundy and his crew remind him of the Posse Comitatus members he defended when he practiced in Montana. They had convinced themselves God and the U.S. Constitution gave them the right to pay neither taxes nor grazing fees, just as the Bundys believed the federal government had overstepped its authority. "These guys are old wine in new bottles," Ungar said. Ungar and Walker are concerned about the message the verdict sends to other self-styled freedom fighters with a grievance against the government. Walker pointed to a Friday internet post from former Nevada Rep. Michele Fiore, a Bundy supporter who played a bit part in the occupation. "Today was our first victory," Fiore wrote. "Thank you Oregon." "They're saying this (verdict) was an intervention by God," Walker said. "They feel they're on the winning side now." Some prominent Oregon politicians from the left also voiced concern about the message the verdicts sent. Reached Friday, U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, both told The Oregonian/OregonLive they were having trouble believing the jury's decision. "I don't think there's any sympathy for armed outsiders," Blumenauer said. "That's not Oregon. That's not acceptable." Blumenauer said he will seek additional information about how the government managed to lose the case. "What happened to the U.S. Attorney's office?" he asked. Merkley was similiarly dissatisfied. "An armed occupation of federal property, with extensive damage caused by the occupiers, and they get off? There needs to be some accountability. It creates a sense that they could get away with it." While some view the Bundy verdict as more proof of the gaping ideological divide in this country, Gregg Cawley takes a more positive view. The University of Wyoming professor, who has written extensively about the Sagebrush Rebellion of the 1970s and '80s, said the rural protests began out of frustration that their concerns were being discounted and ignored by the government. "These folks getting acquitted in Portland makes it hard to maintain the line that they're not being listened to," he said. "Rather than worsening the urban-rural divide, this verdict offers some hope of a reconciliation." Others contrasted the treatment of Bundy and his white compatriots with the police killings of African-American men and the violence Thursday at the site of a North Dakota pipeline protest. Paul Lumley, executive director of the NAYA Family Center and prominent Native American activist, said it was ironic that the Bundys were acquitted the same day police used pepper spray and stun guns to clear out Native American protesters of the proposed Dakota Access oil pipeline. "These people come in and take over the refuge and say it should be returned to the rightful owners -- them," Lumley said. There was no acknowledgment that Native Americans lived in the refuge hundreds, if not thousands, of years before the white man arrived in North America. An alternative view Tiffany Harris is a proud Portland lefty. "I'm an urban, Jewish, liberal, feminist, Democrat lawyer," she said. But there was Harris late Thursday enthusiastically participating in the raucous victory party for Bundy and his gang of hard-right Christian conservatives. Though Harris comes from a different universe, politically and spiritually, she and the other Portland lawyers who represented the occupiers came to sympathize with and even admire them. "I love Shawna Cox, I love our clients," Harris said. "These are the people who got left behind. We can't ignore them any longer." Oregon offered the Bundys a powerful example of government power. They came here last winter to protest the second prison terms of Steven and Dwight Hammond, Harney county ranchers whose long feud with the Bureau of Land Management ultimately led to their criminal prosecution for arson and other charges. Federal prosecutors chose to charge the duo under an anti-terrorism statute that carried a five-year mandatory minimum. Prosecutors fought for years to reverse the shorter sentences initially handed down. By the time the appeals were concluded, the Hammonds had served the initial prison terms. But they were forced to return to prison in January to serve more time. The story of the Hammonds resonated with the jury, said Lisa Maxfield, another Portland defense lawyer representing Bundy defendant Neil Wampler. So did a video of Ammon Bundy getting stunned by a Taser in an earlier confrontation and the account of the standoff that led to the fatal shooting of occupation spokesman Robert "LaVoy" Finicum's shooting. "The jury, I thought, recognized this was overreach," Maxfield said. Like Harris, Maxfield said she came to admire the occupiers. That doesn't mean she's come to share their politics. "I love my client," she said, "and in a few moments, I'm going to fill out my ballot and cancel out his." -- Jeff Manning 503-294-7606, Two cases. Two no-holds-barred prosecutions. And two very different outcomes. The federal government's aggressive pursuit of two Oregon ranchers, Dwight Hammond Jr. and Steven Hammond, six years ago cast a long shadow as prosecutors used similar tactics to charge the militants who took over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The strategy backfired. The stunning acquittals of all seven defendants on trial seemed to defy explanation in a case where the armed seizure was broadcast in real time. The evidence of the militants' 41-day occupation - led by Ammon Bundy - saturated social media, television screens and front pages across the country. But defense attorneys, legal experts and at least one juror told The Oregonian/OregonLive that the government had a big problem, the Achilles' heel of one of the most prominent prosecutions from Oregon in years: the conspiracy charge. The prosecutors also faced hurdles that included an unfavorable ruling by the judge, the fact defendants were given great latitude to testify about their "states of mind'' during the occupation and the geographic diversity of the jurors. And the defense raised unanswered questions about the role FBI informants played and why some occupiers were indicted but others left alone. Yet the choice of the conspiracy charge may have lost the case before a single witness took the stand. In the end, after five weeks of trial, jurors took only six hours to return the verdicts. They decided the government hadn't proven that protesters deliberately conspired to stop federal employees from carrying out their duties through intimidation, threat or force. The jury kept looking for evidence of an agreement between two or more people to interfere with federal workers at the refuge and found none, said Juror 4, a Marylhurst University business administration student and the only one to speak publicly about the decision. It seemed, the juror said, that the "basic high standard of proof'' - whether the occupiers made an agreement with the specific criminal intent to prevent the federal employees from doing their jobs - "was lost upon the prosecution throughout.'' The jury considered the conspiracy charge overzealous and inappropriate for the alleged offenses, and jurors credited the defense for picking away at the government's case and planting reasonable doubt. "All 12 agreed that impeding existed, even if as an effect of the occupation, and that something was very wrong,'' said Juror 4, who asked that his name not be used because of safety concerns. "But we were not asked to judge on bullets and hard feelings, rather to decide if an agreement was made with an illegal object in mind.'' Roots of the occupation The roots of the occupation and the subsequent trial were planted six years ago, when federal prosecutors won five-year prison sentences under an anti-terrorism act for the Hammonds. The father and son ranchers lived near the refuge and had set public sagebrush on fire in a bitter feud with bureaucrats over how to manage the rangeland. It was a harsh punishment under a stern law that some - including a judge - thought went too far. The government had won the arson convictions and a subsequent appeal. A federal judge initially ruled that the five-year sentences amounted to "cruel and unusual" punishment but prosecutors challenged the decision and prevailed. The father and son were headed back behind bars - leaving two days after the occupation began - to serve out their mandatory minimum terms in a federal prison in California. The long penalty inspired Ammon Bundy, older brother Ryan Bundy and a small band of out-of-state followers to drive to the refuge on the day after New Year's and seize its headquarters. Their occupation - with guns on display amid claims of civil disobedience - resulted in their arrests and prosecution. Ammon Bundy was the ever-present face of the takeover who declared repeatedly from the refuge and again from the witness stand that he was fighting for the rights of the struggling rancher against an autocratic government. He and at least two other defendants testified that they made a "hard stand'' to support the Hammonds because state and local officials had ignored their detailed demand in a "Redress of Grievance" to stop the ranchers from returning to prison. That testimony seemed to support the idea of a conspiracy that federal prosecutors presented, but the government never made a solid connection to an intent to keep out refuge workers, especially when lawmakers, local ranchers, students and families were visiting the refuge during the takeover, Juror 4 said. Ammon Bundy testified about a backroom meeting he had with supporters in Harney County on Jan. 2, when he proposed taking over the federal bird sanctuary 30 miles from Burns. Similarly, prosecutors had argued that Ammon Bundy and fellow organizer Ryan Payne met with the Harney County sheriff in November and promised civil unrest in the community if the sheriff didn't help the Hammonds. Juror 4 said he expected prosecutors to call Payne to the stand or to produce a Facebook message that showed an agreement, but they didn't. Just as they could have with the Hammonds, prosecutors might have chosen lesser charges. Among those that could have applied to the occupiers: interfering with law enforcement, criminal trespass or unauthorized use of motor vehicles. But they brought the federal conspiracy charge with a sentence of up to six years. Jurors struggled to find evidence of any intent by the defendants to block refuge workers from the property despite the prosecution's repeated assertions that the heavily armed guards at the front gate and in the watchtower provided enough confirmation that the employees weren't welcome. But again, Juror 4 said, he anticipated evidence of an agreement to keep refuge employees out of the property, but it never came. "These two major holes in the evidence record proved to cause insurmountable doubt for me,'' he told The Oregonian/OregonLive. Wrong charge Defense lawyers also pointed to the specific conspiracy charge as a crucial mistake. "Prosecutors are too in love with conspiracy charges. They think it's a panacea," said Lisa Ludwig, standby counsel for Ryan Bundy. "And, the government's refusal to engage with these guys about Western land issues, just dismissing their concerns, made things worse.'' Steve Wax, a former federal public defender who now directs Oregon's Innocence Project, said he had wondered at the outset of the arrests why prosecutors didn't seek a more serious charge, something that would have given the case more gravitas and signaled that the occupation broke the barriers of mere protest. A charge of seditious conspiracy, for instance, alleges two or more people conspired to "by force to seize, take or possess any property of the United States" without authority. It brings prison sentences of up to 20 years. That charge "definitely ratchets up" the case, Wax said, and would have sent a message to the jury that this case is far different than a disagreement with government policy. Yet Wax's successor, Oregon federal public defender Lisa Hay, agreed with Ludwig, and said the Oregon standoff case was "mischarged.'' Hay said "harsh criminal laws should not be used to punish political speech.'' She called Wax's suggestion of lodging a more serious charge "beyond the pale.'' Instead, jurors were left to decide guilt or innocence on a rather obscure charge that seemed off-point. Prosecutors tried to use a broad conspiracy charge in an indictment that "swept up people who had so many different reasons for being at the refuge,'' Hay said. Jurors heard directly from Ammon Bundy that he didn't give a thought to the work of the refuge employees but had a grander purpose in capturing the federal property: to exercise the principle of adverse possession and turn the land over to local ranchers. One juror noted in the deliberations that the adverse possession doctrine "seemed to govern every thought, word and deed of the leadership'' and didn't apply to impeding federal workers, Juror 4 said. "There seemed to be consistency of message/belief that I did not expect,'' the juror said. "Because of the law's wording, Ammon's state of mind weighed heavily.'' While some jurors felt manipulated by Ammon Bundy's lengthy testimony, Juror 4 said he was struck by Ammon Bundy's testimony that he had made multiple attempts to meet personally with the FBI but yet no such meeting occurred. "The lack of law enforcement engagement throughout the occupation, coupled with the visits to the refuge by many politicians, caused me to see how occupiers could view their presence as something other than illegal,'' Juror 4 added. Informants and other problems Another juror did a 180-degree turn on the conspiracy charge after hearing testimony that six of nine FBI informants at the refuge remained unidentified. That juror was especially disturbed when the defense unmasked one informant, Fabio Minoggio, who was sent into the refuge three weeks after the occupation had begun and helped do firearms training. What prosecutors presented as damaging evidence proving the occupation was not a peaceful protest - a video of men firing assault rifles from the refuge boat launch - turned upside down when the defense showed Minoggio was at the boat launch that day. "To allow that much room for mysterious influence there was decisive'' to some jurors, Juror 4 said. The prosecution's case also appeared significantly hampered by the judge's pretrial ruling that refuge employees or other residents of Harney County called to testify couldn't express their "subjective fears'' about the occupation. So instead, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees were left to display little emotion and matter-of-factly recite details of the what they found after returning to the refuge in late February: scattered and missing documents in their offices, tobacco spit on desks and walls and compromised computers. "It really cut the legs out from under them,'' Ludwig said. "It took a lot out of their case, and they were really never able to pivot from there.'' Prosecution witnesses consisted mostly of refuge employees, a U.S. Bureau of Land Management district manager, Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward, Harney County commission chairman Steve Grasty and dozens of FBI agents. Only one of their witnesses, Butch Eaton, who rode with the initial caravan of occupiers to the refuge, had been at the refuge during the occupation. But when questioned by the defense, he spoke of his sympathies for the defendants and said they shouldn't be locked up. While the government attorneys made a dramatic showing of 22 long guns and 12 handguns recovered from the refuge after the occupation, defense cross-examination of FBI agents revealed that they hadn't bothered to find out who actually owned all the guns. The government submitted exhibits of notebooks found at the refuge, with pages outlining the military-style squads of Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta, but the defense came right back and pointed out that many other people listed under each squad hadn't faced indictment. 'Merry atmosphere' In contrast, the defense brought in local ranchers, a legislator and curious neighbors who visited the refuge and talked about the "peaceful,'' even "merry'' atmosphere there, the trainings they attended about adverse possession and how the occupiers kept the place tidy. Linda Neale, a retired school psychologist from Harney County who spent three days watching the trial, said the not guilty verdict stunned her at first, but then she worked out how it occurred. "The prosecution presented a very matter-of-fact case. It was short, clear, to-the-point and intellectual,'' she said. "The defense on the other hand was all about emotion. Ammon Bundy was on the stand for 10 hours! The jury heard his entire life story, including info on his family, his faith, his beliefs, etc ... Members of the jury are people, and the defense did a great job of appealing to their feelings.'' In stark contrast, Neale said, the "feelings of the people of Harney County'' didn't get a chance to make an impact. Defense lawyer Per C. Olson, who represented David Fry, the occupier who was last to leave the refuge, said he believed the jurors saw that the defendants weren't "self-serving individuals,'' rather people who sincerely tried to achieve a higher purpose to improve people's lives. In some ways, he said, "they were kind of seen as Robin Hood characters.'' Ludwig said the prosecution and defense arguments provided jurors with a marked contrast in styles: Witnesses for the defense talked about their core constitutional issues, no matter how misguided others may have judged them. The prosecution team, in contrast, opened with statements about about how occupiers interfered with the refuge study of invasive carp and then closed with a "three bears argument about 'somebody has been sitting in my chair,''' she said. "I think the prosecutors were tone deaf, came across as cynical and patronizing to the jury,'' Ludwig said. "In contrast, I think the occupiers came off as earnest. There can be no dispute they really believe this stuff to the soles of their boot." Another issue for some jurors were "the repeated objections to the reading of the Constitution'' that defendants, such as Ryan Bundy, sought to do during his opening statement and closing argument, Juror 4 said. Theft of government property charges Jurors were split over Counts 4 and 5, the theft of government property against Kenneth Medenbach and Ryan Bundy. Medenbach was arrested Jan. 15 in the driver's seat of a refuge pickup truck, parked in the lot of the Safeway in Burns. The refuge decal was covered up by a "Harney County Resource Center'' decal. Ryan Bundy was accused of removing FBI surveillance cameras from a utility pole, but he argued that occupation spokesman Robert "LaVoy" Finicum offered to give them back if FBI agents wanted to come and pick them up. To prove the theft, the government had to show the defendants intended to deprive another of the use of the property. Some jurors were struck by a state police officer's audio recording of Medenbach's arrest, and his stated surprise the truck had been reported stolen. He claimed it belonged to the people of Harney County. "Eventually none of us could imagine he was not going to return the vehicle to the refuge,'' Juror 4 said. But it was Count 5 that proved most agonizing for jurors. Thursday morning, 11 out of 12 jurors were prepared to find Ryan Bundy guilty of the camera theft, but debate ensued, and three switched their vote to not guilty. "A couple of jurors came to believe that having the media present while offering back the cameras to the FBI and taking steps to safeguard them after removal was proof of something other than theft,'' Juror 4 said. Even though the majority were convinced Ryan Bundy's intent to deprive the FBI of the cameras was clear, three jurors dug in their heels, resolved to acquit him. "Since we were moving the opposite way of consensus and three jurors were resolved to vote not guilty, we agreed to end deliberations,'' Juror 4 said, meaning a hung jury on Ryan Bundy's theft charge. Government responds Oregon's U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams said he was disappointed in the verdicts but vigorously defended his prosecution team and the choice of the conspiracy charge. He disputed critics' suggestion that their handling of the occupation was another example of government overreach. "We still think it's illegal to take over a public structure on public land at the end of a gun,'' he told The Oregonian/OregonLive. "There's a distinction between unlawful protest and committing criminal acts to prove your point.'' His office denied any overreach, from the standoff to the courthouse. That the FBI waited 41 days - "the patience of the federal authority out there" - before ending the takeover "belies any suggestion of government overreach," said Scott Asphaug, the office's executive assistant U.S. attorney. "Our number one goal was to preserve life, not to overreact,'' Williams said. "There was no overreach in the federal government's response to this occupation.'' Together with attorneys in the main Washington, D.C., office of the U.S. Department of Justice, federal prosecutors in Oregon made thoughtful, methodical decisions about "what's the most applicable charge based upon the evidence,'' he said. "We're confident we made a proper assessment of what the appropriate charges were to bring under the evidence,'' he said. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management employees in Harney County were "deeply affected'' by the refuge seizure, he said. "It was not safe for them to go to work, period. That cannot be lost,'' Williams said. He praised the three prosecutors who handled the case for a "job well done.'' Still, he said, his office will debrief and review how jurors, as they start to speak publicly, viewed the case evidence. Lawyers involved in the case aren't permitted to contact jurors. "No one likes the disappointment that comes with a verdict like this," Williams said, "especially when there's important ramifications.'' - Maxine Bernstein mbernstein@oregonian.com 503-221-8212 @maxoregonian In the election this year, you have a choice for state representative in the 98th District. You can choose Gary Glenn and continue the Republican-controlled state which has resulted in a failure to maintain our road infrastructure, the continual reduction in funding for local government and secondary and higher education, the attempt to privatize education to the detriment of public education, the failed privatization of the VA hospital in Grand Rapids that led to patient abuse of our veterans, the attack on worker organizations like unions and the teacher associations, and the failed emergency manager programs in Flint (water) and Detroit (education). Or you can try to take back control of Michigans legislature by electing Geoff Malicoat, whose sole purpose is to serve all the constituents of the 98th District. How will he do that? By expanding the middle class by restoring the Earned Income Tax Credit and repealing the gas tax increase. By reforming Michigan government through increasing government transparency (now among the lowest in all states), reducing unidentified special interest money in politics and passing anticorruption laws. By protecting Michigans seniors through eliminating Gov. Snyders pension tax, and expanding the homestead property tax credit. Malicoat would also place the task of defining election districts in the hands of an independent state commission rather than in the hands of whatever party controls the legislature so they can perpetuate their control. How can Michigan have two Democratic senators and elect President Obama, but yet have a Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Michigan legislature? By rigging the election districts in favor of Republicans. The Michigan legislature has one of the lowest ratings for transparency in the country. In other words our Michigan legislators and governor like to do things behind our backs without public input or scrutiny. But let us really get to know Gary Glenn, the self-acknowledged defender of the little guy. That label could not be further from the truth. Garys policies are not designed to help the working man, but rather to help the employer of the working man. The Mackinac Center brought Gary from Idaho to help write a right to work law for Michigan that attempts to drive a wedge between workers and the unions that negotiate to provide those workers with better wages, benefits and working conditions than they could obtain as individuals. Glenn is a champion of fighting against the prevailing wage, which requires that workers on state projects receive a wage that is consistent with the standard wage in the private sector. Does that help the worker? No. He is against the Medicaid expansion that allowed 476,000 people in Michigan to get medical care when they could not afford it. Gov. Snyder and former representative, now senator, Jim Stamas supported that expansion which cost the state of Michigan nothing for three years and then only 10 percent of the cost going forward. I guess Glenn doesnt care. Glenn also believes that it is fine to have guns in schools, that anyone (open or concealed carry) has a right to carry a gun on school property. This makes schools safer? Absolutely not. Schools dont want that. Law enforcement does not want that. But Gary and the NRA do. Does that make you feel safe? Not me. I guess Gary doesnt care. And Glenns signature issue energy. He thinks that everyone would be better off with what he calls free choice by all in picking your supplier of electricity in a free-for-all bidding war without regard to assurance of long-term supply. In summary, 11 states tried the all-deregulated (free choice) approach, and it failed miserably in each case with customers the victims of low initial prices that skyrocketed once those free market brokers knew they had the customers hooked. Supply shortages and brownouts occurred, and several states sued those out-of-state energy brokers for illegal business practices and failure to deliver. Who were the losers? The customers (people like you and me), victims of out of control price increases and unreliable supply. Why does Glenn push this? Not to help you and me, but because he is being lobbied by out-of-state energy brokers who have no investment in Michigan, employ no Michigan residents, pay no Michigan taxes that benefit our schools. But those people contribute to Garys political campaign. Also big companies press Glenn for more favorable energy costs. The big out-of-state energy brokers have no interest in you and me. The most reliable electricity supply system is the 100 percent regulated system. Malicoat understands this. Finally do you know that Glenn is the head of the American Family Association (AFA) in Michigan? That is an organization based in Tupelo, Mississippi, that has been listed as a hate organization by the Southern Poverty Law Center for the propagation of known falsehoods and the use of demonizing propaganda against LGBT people. But American Family Association is not limited to attacks on LGBT people. One of their leaders in 2010 said that Muslims should not have religious freedom protections under the First Amendment. They objected to a Hindu prayer in the Senate. And one of their leaders made disparaging comments about blacks and Jewish people. And yet Glenn is the leader of the Michigan branch of this group and has spent a lot of time in Michigan trying to support legislation that is discriminatory against LGBT people. When he tried to disparage the promotion of a gay editor at the Midland Daily News, he was flooded with online objections to his bigotry, and he promptly shut up. But just because he has not published anything lately does not mean his views have changed. Who do you want to represent you? A career politician (Gary Glenn) whose policies hurt the working people of the 98th District and are discriminatory to those people who are not like him, or a lawyer (Geoff Malicoat) who has dedicated his career to helping the elderly, and wants to do the same for all constituents of the 98th District? I am voting for Geoff Malicoat because he will have the best interests of all the people of the 98th district, without regard for race, religion or lifestyle. Ron Parmele is a resident of Midland. To the editor: I started out to detail why Hillary Clinton is not fit to be president of our country. I filled two legal pad pages of reasons. Then, I thought, Hillary supporters would simply say she has never been charged or found guilty of anything, so whats the big deal. The answer to why she has never been charged with a crime and what it says about the state of our political system should be a paramount concern for all Americans. This election is about much more than Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Not since Watergate has there been such abuse of power within the executive branch of government. You cannot answer the question of why Hillary Clinton has not been charged with a crime without looking at the past eight years of the Obama administration. When President Obama came into office he was backed by powerful progressive forces; progressivism was on the march. The hope and change that people voted for resulted in the complete politicization and corruption of the Executive Branch of government. Charges against Hillary could only have come from the Justice Department and that was never going to happen from the beginning. President Nixon never used the power of the federal government to go after his enemies to the extent that the Obama administration has. Case in point, using the IRS to prevent conservative groups from getting tax exempt status. The tea party was the primary reason Republicans took control of the House in 2010 and Democrats did not want them to become more of a force in the 2012 election. The IRS targeted any group with conservative sounding names and held up their applications. The result was, these groups could not organize and were silenced. Daily dumps of emails are showing a staggering amount of corruption during the past eight years of the Obama/Clinton administration. In the past, when scandals happened, Presidents/Attorney Generals would appoint a special prosecutor to investigate wrong doing, so that we the people could trust our government. That never happened with the Obama administration. Fast & Furious, IRS, Private Server, and Wide Spread Corruption all should have had a special prosecutor appointed. House Republicans called for one but they were ignored by the president. You would think a free press would also call for a special prosecutor to be appointed when scandal comes to light, but there was silence. Thanks to Wikileaks, now we know why: the national news media has been colluding with the Democratic Party to give them cover all along. Most notably with the Clinton campaign but for the Obama administration as well. Our so-called free press is little more than an extension of the Democratic Party. The fact that Hillary Clinton has never been charged with a crime does not mean she has not committed a crime. Any open-minded person can see that Hillary Clinton intentionally put national security at risk in order to hide her activities from Congress and the American people. What was so damaging that she would lie repeatedly and have emails destroyed even after they were subpoenaed by Congress? A person with nothing to hide does not act as she has. So what was Hillary hiding? Was it corruption, criminal activity, pay to play, open boarders, globalization, hatred for half of the American people, promises to Wall Street (her largest campaign contributor), the real Benghazi account and who knows what else? If you can vote for her with these open questions God help our country. I started out by saying that this election is about much more than Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. This election is about the direction of our country. Progressivism is now dominating the Democratic Party. Progressives/Democrats do not want to work with Republicans, they want to destroy them. They really desire a one party system so that they can transform America unimpeded. If Clinton is elected president and she appoints up to three progressive judges to the U.S. Supreme Court, the original intent of the Constitution and the protection it gives to all citizens will be destroyed. When that happens, liberty will be next. I dont get it after eight years of the worst economic recovery in the last 75 years, after making our health care system unaffordable for millions, after countless foreign policy blunders, after the most closed/corrupt administration in history, after setting race relations back 50 years, after adding $10 trillion dollars to the national debt with nothing to show for it, after daily deception from Clinton/Obama, why would anyone want to give Democrats another fours years? DON BAILEY Hemlock Updated : Mar 10, 2020 in Culture Some Things You Need to Know About Pakistani Culture - In the previous article I discussed the history, the system of government and its economy, BLOOMINGTON Fresh out of law school, Robert Neirynck was looking for a chance to do trial work in 1970 when he landed a position with Costigan & Wollrab in Bloomington. "In the first five years, I did everything," said Neirynck, including serving as defense counsel in a murder trial in Lincoln. Neirynck and other attorneys associated with Costigan & Wollrab joined other office staff recently to mark the 100-year anniversary of the firm, founded in 1916 by Will F. Costigan and Fred Wollrab. Costigan died in 1956; Wollrab died in 1971. As a young lawyer, Neirynck was eager to learn trial techniques and Jim Wollrab and Bill Costigan, the sons of the firm's founders, obliged. Before discovery rules requiring lawyers to exchange information they may use in their case, attorneys gathered evidence through depositions. Opposing counsel were often surprised by unexpected testimony during a trial. Bill Costigan "was one of the best seat-of-the-pants cross-examiners I ever saw," said Neirynck, now of counsel at the firm. David Wochner was looking for similar training when he joined the firm as a fresh-faced lawyer 52 years ago. Wochner, also of counsel, focused on estate planning and tax law, areas that "required you to stay tuned and always be paying attention." A high level of service has kept clients satisfied for 10 decades, said Wochner. "It's the quality of work that gets done for them," he said. For lawyers and support staff, Costigan & Wollrab "was a good place to get up and come to in the morning," said Wochner. The Costigan and Wollrab lineage at the firm grew in 1991 when Bill Costigan's son Casey came aboard. The office was like family, said Costigan, now a McLean County judge. "Everyone had unique and different personalities but they got along well. While the bottom line was important, it was also equally important that people were happy and liked what they were doing," said Costigan, adding "there was never a birthday or special event that was missed being celebrated." Bill Costigan died in 2014. Jim Wollrab died in 1978. Guy Fraker was hired in 1962, the day after he graduated from the University of Illinois Law School. The novice lawyer arrived just in time to help relocate the firm in downtown Bloomington to the city's first standalone law office, a newly constructed building at 308 E. Grove St., where the business remains. The law practice, which included Walter Yoder among its partners, "was a great training ground," said Fraker. The value of community involvement was a lesson taught alongside courtroom strategies, said Fraker, who retired in 2002. "I didn't know a soul when I got here. Jim Wollrab took me to clubs and introduced me to people so I could become a part of the community," said Fraker, a native of New York. Staff members Verna Hoffman, Anna Mae Evers and Shirley Metli spent decades supporting the lawyers and serving as the face of the firm, said Fraker. Dawn Wall was the lone female lawyer in the office when she was hired 1987. "It truly was a group of guys at the time," she said of her first job out of law school. In the highly competitive climate of the legal business, Wall noted, clients are looking for personal attention. "Even the smallest case is the most significant to them. We believe our relationships really drive our business," said Wall. As lawyers step back from their full-time work, their clients' needs are assumed by others at the office. Robert Porter, an associate since 2012, took over for Wochner in 2015 as counsel for the McLean County Public Building Commission, a position Wochner held for more than four decades. Porter described the PBC's newest project, a $45 million expansion of the county jail, as part of the "very interesting and sophisticated work" he performs for one of several public entities represented by the firm. Word of an opening at the firm brought Brian Garwood to Costigan & Wollrab eight years ago from Moultrie County. CLINTON A modest amount of money combined with a heavy load of patience and more physical labor than volunteers care to recall has helped a Clinton group attract its first tenant to a historic downtown hotel. "It's been a long time in the making," said Tim Jamieson, a member of the DeWitt County Restoration Association (DCRA), a group working to restore the former Taylor-Magill Hotel on Clinton's downtown square. The project known as The Magill House started about 17 years ago when supporters organized to spare the 140-year-old hotel from the wrecking ball. A decision by the DCRA to enlist local Realtor Nan Crang with Brady Realtors to find a tenant for a portion of the first floor recently paid off when Bryce Starkey, a financial advisor with Edward Jones, signed a lease. "The main things that attracted me to the building was its history and location. It's so wonderful to see a building with history come back to life," said Starkey. The financial firm is investing about $80,000 to finish about one-half of the retail area on the first floor that was once a corner drug store. The hotel's new tenant "has legitimized us as a landlord," said Jamieson, a Missouri middle school teacher recruited for the project several years ago by another supporter. Starkey said he hopes to move into his office in six to eight weeks. He said his move to Clinton is part of an expansion by Edward Jones. Still to be restored is the three-story structure that once housed railroaders before the hotel closed in 1989. A large lobby and adjoining restaurant space represent a potential business venture apart from the hotel rooms, said Jamieson. Volunteers continue to clear out debris from the older sections of the building as part of their effort to make the cornerstone of the downtown square marketable. More extensive work will be left up to a future developer, said Jamieson. "That's beyond the scope of what we're able to do," he said. Like all renovation projects, the Magill House requires ongoing financial support. The DCRA is making plans for several spring events to raise money for additional work, including heating and air conditioning on the first floor. Recently, a bakers dozen of old farm and food friends got together with a group young farm and food friends to discuss everything from yesterdays disappointments to tomorrows hopes. The differences in our age (mid-20s to early 80s), vocation (farmers to poets), education (undergraduate degrees to Ph.Ds.), and experience (beekeeper to university dean) fueled warm and, sometimes, hot conversations about the future of farms, farmers, and food. One topic, Building Community, surprised me in the diverse emotions it generated and the depth of intellect it mined. No one mentioned the words city or town during the discussion because the community we seemed to be searching for wasnt a hard spot on any map but a soft spot in our hearts. Soft but not too soft. Just as neighbor and friend may have defined community two generations ago, today we hear words never before used in describing community; words like imbalance and irresponsibility, one presenter offered. These changes in vocabulary, explained one old friend, a university official, changes how community-building institutions like land grant universities, say, or the U.S. Department of Agriculture approach their tasks now. Many struggle because they are unsure of whats being asked of them. Those struggles, observed this old friend, can be seen in the first step institutions take in addressing community problems. Some begin from a culture of unhelpfulness: I dont know what you want, but I cant do it, while others start from a culture of helpfulness: What do you want; Ill try to find out. In this administrators experience, institutions can help build and rebuild communities but they must take care to be riders, not drivers. They are there to facilitate, not dominate. Facilitate who exactly, asked another old friend; just what is community today? That simple question generated the conversations hardest examination of just who we are and where we fit in todays capital intensive, less-populated farm community and more-populated, question-intensive food community. In short, the old friend asked, are we now a community of cool-headed accountants whose critical measures of success are bushels, acres, and dollars, or are we a community of mutual need like, say, a threshing ring of the past, where neighbor helped neighbor with no thought of any accounting? Ideally, replied yet another old friend, its the latter; a community is where no one is done until everyone is done. Done is done. Theres no accounting. That definition of community, this friend continued, was given to him by an Amish farmer friend after a day of plowing. The story, he related, went like this: The Amish farmer and a young friend were plowing one fine fall day when it came time to give the horses a rest. After tending the livestock, the two walked up a small nearby hill so they, too, could rest. Once there, the farmer and his young friend looked out on the small valley below and counted 13 other farmers plowing. The sight of all those plowmen and teams, the Amish farmer told the young friend, meant that if anything happened to prevent him from finishing his work, he knew his the neighbors would complete it for him. And that would happen not out of charity, my old friend said in his retelling. It would happen out of culture and community. That small slice of that mornings very detailed conversation resonated deeply with me because that, too, was the way it was on the southern Illinois dairy farm of my youth. My father and our neighbors often shared machinery and labor without any accounting whatsoever over who owed what to whom. Done was done and that was that. Now, 50 years later, the community of my youth no longer exists because all those farms and farmers, save one, are as long gone as their six-row corn planters and one-row silage choppers. STREATOR The cause of a Saturday night fire at a vacant house in Streator remains under investigation, according to Streator Fire Department spokesman Bryan Park. Park said the department was called to 513 S. Vermillion St. at 10:33 p.m. Saturday and found the house fully engulfed. Firefighters fought the blaze and were able to protect two neighboring homes from being severely damaged. The fire department had previously extinguished a fire at the home, he said. Fire damage is severe while neighboring homes sustained only minor damage from the intense heat. Park said the vacant house sustained "severe damage." The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Illinois State Fire Marshal, the Streator Police Department and the Streator Fire Department. About a dozen firefighters were at the scene and no injuries were reported. Also assisting were the Streator Police Department, Streator AMT, ComEd, Nicor and Illinois American Water. BLOOMINGTON Decked out in full turnout gear, Jackson LaFrance clutched a water hose and blasted away an orange blaze. The simulated flame was actually a traffic cone, but 5-year-old Jackson had just as much stamina as the firefighters at Bloomington Fire Station 2, 1911 Hamilton Road, on Saturday. Volunteers from the Bloomington Fire Department and McLean County Health Department greeted families at the station for a flu shot clinic and exploration of the fire engines and equipment. The goal is to make the process fun, said Lisa Slater, health department spokeswoman. Kids surprisingly aren't that nervous. They are shocked when the shot is done so quickly and then excited that they get to hang out with firemen after. Slater said the event drew in a steady stream of families, with many parents getting shots, too. When asked how he did during his shot, Jackson said, I was good. I was brave because I was holding Moms hand. Jacksons parents, Jennifer and David LaFrance of Bloomington, arrived with him and his brother Marshall, 1, at 9 a.m. for a shot and stayed another two hours because Jackson was in his element, racing around the station and interacting with firefighters. He needed his flu shot and is obsessed with firemen. It was a great opportunity for him to be healthy and have some fun, said Jennifer LaFrance. According to his mom, Jackson kept an upbeat attitude while getting his flu shot and said, Firefighters get their flu shot. I need mine, too. There would be tears if we had gone to the doctors office, but this offered a little incentive, said Jennifer LaFrance. After getting a shot, bandage and sticker, kids could explore the fire engines, put on authentic fire safety gear and practice a fire training drill. This is our first year partnering for this event, said Stuart Blade, BFD public education officer. It was a good opportunity to spend some time with the community. We interact with people on calls, but its great for people to come to the station to hang out and see what goes on here. Some kids raced firefighters through the drill, pulling dummies made of hoses, hammering logs, carrying and pulling hoses and finally blasting a parking cone with a powerful stream of water. Firefighter Cory Matheny attended the wellness event with his wife, Lisa, and daughter, Elsie, 4. He and Elsie held a hose together and he taught her how to aim and send the water spraying. She was nervous about getting the shot and then realized it was OK, said Cory Matheny. Its nice to see the community out here supporting us while staying healthy. It alleviates some fear from the flu shot. Slater said a lot of people dont realize how serious the flu can be, even for healthy individuals. People under six months or with certain chronic diseases are more susceptible to the flu, she said. Its important to get the shot to protect others in your life as well as yourself. NORMAL The First Student bus company says a nationwide shortage of drivers is the main reason for late buses and confusing routes at schools in the McLean County Unit 5 school district. A check of other districts shows the problem is not confined to Unit 5, while some districts say they are not struggling to recruit drivers. Decatur District 61 also contracts student transportation through Cincinnati-based First Student, running 94 buses. District transportation analyst Karla Johnson said the district is not experiencing bus issues on the scale of what Unit 5 has experienced. The district deals with late and overcrowded buses at the beginning of the school year for a few weeks, as Im sure most districts do, until the routes and bus rosters are tweaked to run more smoothly, said Johnson. First Student is frequently recruiting drivers due to turnover and the lengthy training and licensing process. Illinois Central School Bus, which provides transportation for Bloomington District 87 students, is fully staffed for the first time in six years, said contract manager Jeff Gordon. ICC serves District 87 with 54 buses. I just got lucky. Almost all companies are experiencing shortages, whether its ICC, First Student, Durham or even in-house busing, said Gordon. The key is just to recruit, recruit, recruit. Its just hard to find people. Ninety percent of districts are experiencing some level of bus driver shortage, according to a study by the National Association for Pupil Transportation and School Bus Fleet magazine. Glen Ellyn District 41, which transports students through First Student, is having problems that mirror what Unit 5 has been struggling with. According to discussion at a District 41 board meeting on Sept. 6, the northern Illinois school district has been coping with late buses, poor communication and confused drivers on routes due to a lack of drivers. We need to make some decisions if things don't change, said District 41 superintendent Paul Gordon at the meeting. The priority is getting our kids to school safely and on time. Get that done and we wont have problems, but you need to start getting it done tomorrow morning. This is the first year District 41 has contracted with First Student to transport students on 42 routes. Erika Krehbiel, chief communication officer for District 41, said the problems have slightly improved. Were still faced with many of the same challenges from the beginning of the school year, said Krehbiel. Were working with First Student to try and solve the problems. Krehbiel said there has been no recent discussion of a contract termination. At a Unit 5 school board meeting on Wednesday, the district told First Student it had until Tuesday to agree to new conditions, or the bus contract would be terminated as of June 30, 2017. The conditions, most of which are in the original contract, say First Student must build a large substitute driver pool and compensate Unit 5 for expenses incurred as a result of the poor service, including pay for additional district staff and late bus penalty costs. Unit 5 officials said the compensation estimate since August is close to $70,000. After Wednesday nights decision, Unit 5 school board vice president Jim Hayek said he was feeling hopeful. I think that First Student has a lot of potential drivers in the pipeline. Im confident in their commitment to keep recruiting, said Hayek. But as a board, we were pretty firm that if First Student cant meet that obligation, we are going to open things up for other bids and look elsewhere. First Student area general manager Bob Rutkoski sees the terms as an "opportunity to solidify the agreement." I view this as an opportunity to sit down, clear the air and take care of anything here to date, then move forward, said Rutkoski. I dont think there is anything insurmountable here. Rutkoski said the company's recruiting efforts have been ongoing through newspaper and radio advertising, a job fair, a $2,000 sign-on bonus and an increased starting wage to $16 an hour for drivers. The increase in driver pay was part of a contract agreement with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees which represents Unit 5 bus drivers and monitors. For all of the issues that have gone on with the labor board, Unit 5 and AFSCME ... it became acrimonious, said Rutkoski. The decision on part of AFSCME and First Student to come together and play in same sandbox has changed a lot of things. Those interested in applying to be a First Student driver can call 309-557-4287. Constellation will seek extensions for its operating license for the Clinton Power Station until 2047 and two reactors at the Dresden Generating Station in Morris until 2049 and 2051. Presidential elections are often excruciatingly contentious, as we know all too well today. Yet one would be hard pressed to come up with a more bitterly divided contest than the election of 1860. After all, that one ended with the Civil War. Republican Abraham Lincoln triumphed that year, thanks in great part to a sectional split among Democrats, with northerners backing U.S. Sen. Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois and southerners supporting John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky, the sitting vice president. Radical southerners viewed Lincolns election as an existential threat to slavery, and as such they carried out their promise to secede from the Union and establish a new nation dedicated not to freedom but rather to human bondage and white supremacy. Although the root cause of the Civil War is ignored or underplayed by southern heritage groups and their supporters, back in 1860 everyone knew exactly what was at stake. If you think a white man is just as good as a negro vote for Lincoln, sneered The Illinois Statesmen newspaper a few days before the election. The Statesmen, a Bloomington weekly serving as a voice for the Democratic Party and Stephen Douglas, used race as a cudgel to portray anti-slavery Republicans as favoring racial equality, which at that time was an idea that had little support among white voters, even in the North. On Oct. 19, a little more than three weeks before the election, The Statesmen noted a recent court decision in Ohio to allow mixed-race residents who were at least half-white to vote. Negro suffrage will soon bring political equality in all other things, warned The Statesmen. And then, if the negro is half the man which his peculiar friends [Republicans] say he is, wealth, station, influence and respectability will soon follow; and with them, of course, social equality, and the intermixture of the races. The result is horrible to contemplate; but if the tendency of Republicanism is not soon arrested, it is inevitable. Clearly, there was no need to employ dog whistles when race-baiting in 1860. The Pantagraph, on the other hand, backed Lincoln and the Republican Party platform that sought to curtail the expansion of slavery. The railsplitters victory was thus viewed as a repudiation of the incessant demands and increased aggressiveness of the South seeking to protect and expand its peculiar institution. For The Pantagraph, the election meant that the sovereignty of the people had triumphed over the minions of oligarchical tyranny and slavery propagandism. (In some ways, the two main political parties were opposite of where they are today, with African Americans in 1860 aligning themselves with Republicans and white southerners with Democrats.) Lincoln was in Springfield on Election Day, Nov. 6, and after voting at the Sangamon County courthouse he spent much of the day in the state capitol building monitoring state and then national election results arriving via telegraph. Sometime during the day, Ozias M. Hatch told Lincoln that he was lucky women didnt have the right to vote, given some of the less-than-flattering portraits of him that circulated during the campaign. Hatch, I tell you there is a great deal more in that idea than you suppose, Lincoln replied, seeing an opening for a good story. This particular anecdote involved a Presbyterian church in McLean County preparing to vote for a new pastor (the name of the church is not known). The elders and deacons and principal men in the church had united in recommending a certain man, and it was supposed he would be called unanimously; but in an evil hour somebody got hold of the mans likeness and exhibited it to the sisters, Lincoln recounted to Hatch. They didnt like the wart he had on his nose, so they turned out in force and voted down the call. During his 2 1/2 decades as a lawyer on the Eighth Judicial Circuit, Lincoln probably spent as much time in Bloomington as anywhere else other than his hometown of Springfield. As such, its nice to know Lincolns thoughts turned to McLean County on election night, if only in a humorous vein! A few hours later, word came from New York that Lincoln had carried the Empire State. Those 35 electoral votes put him over the top and into the White House. Well, boys, Lincoln would say several times over the next day or so, your troubles are over now, but mine have just commenced. Lincoln received 39.8 percent of the popular vote, compared to Douglas 29.5 and Breckinridges 18.1 (a fourth candidate, John Bell, running under the Constitutional Union banner, received the remaining 12.6 percent). Even so, Lincoln scooped up a majority of electoral votes by carrying every free state except New Jersey. As Springfield celebrated, so too did Bloomington. Bonfires, shouts, and unbounded enthusiasm were the order in Bloomington last night over the glorious elections news, reported the Nov. 7 Pantagraph. Looming over the Republican victory, however, was the specter of southern secession. To its credit, The Illinois Statesmen of Bloomington opposed any secessionist talk let alone action and when the Civil War began the Democratic paper fulfilled its responsibility as a voice of the loyal opposition. Abraham Lincoln is president-elect of the United States, acknowledged The Statesmen. He has been chosen in accordance with the forms of the Constitution; and therefore, though he is very largely in the minority on the popular vote, it is the duty of all good citizens to bow to the constitutional provisions under which a sectional minority has elevated him to the chief magistracy. On Nov. 21, Lincoln traveled by rail from Springfield north to visit his vice president-elect, Sen. Hannibal Hamlin of Maine. The train stopped briefly at Bloomingtons west side depot. Mr. Lincoln stepped on the platform of the car and greeted his many friends and acquaintances, stated The Pantagraph. He thanked the people of Old McLean for the part they had taken in placing him in his present position and that he was going to acquiesce in the decision of the people, believing like the man in the anecdote, that the people will do well when they are well done by; and that it was his intention, acting on this faith, to try to do well by the people as they had done well by him. South Carolina seceded from the Union on Dec. 20, followed in rapid order by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. By the time Lincoln was sworn in as the nations 16th president, March 4, 1861, he faced a full-blown insurrection. Five weeks later, April 12, the Civil War commenced with the Confederate bombardment of Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Megan Nash, a mom with a 15-month-old baby with Down syndrome named Asher, is calling out on a talent agency that rejected her son. When she submitted photos of the boy for a casting call, she was told that Asher was not a good fit. Confused by what this meant, she sought the talent agency for clarification. She was hit with the realization that her baby with Down syndrome was rejected and discriminated upon. The talent agency told her that the company might not want a child with special needs to model for them, CNN reports. The mom from Georgia told local news outlet Atlanta 11 that the casting call asked for a baby with Asher's eye, hair color and size. Megan Nash was also in the habit of dressing her son with clothes from OshKosh, which was the brand that the talent agency was working for. She thought that the photo submissions would be well-received. But as it went, Asher's photos were excluded from the selection. The agency did apologize for this. Megan pointed out, however, that while the brand didn't specifically ask for kids with special needs, it also didn't say "no special needs kids." Megan Nash shared the photos she submitted in the casting call in the Facebook group Changing the Face of Beauty, where it received over 700 likes and 250 shares, as of press time. The photo set was also shared on the Kids With Down Syndrome page, where it has gained nearly 10,000 likes. Megan Nash did not expect that the photos, which had been taken by Crystal Barbee Photography, would go viral on social media. Morever, OshKosh has already gotten in touch Megan Nash after the story exploded. It is unclear where this discussion with OshKosh would lead. Megan Nash, however, expressed that she's glad this experience will open doors for her son with special needs. Lena Pierce, 96, and her daughter, Eva May, had an emotional reunion at the Greater Binghamton airport after 8 decades of being apart. Pierce did not give her up for adoption rather she was taken away. In 1933, several years back before this mother-daughter reunion, Pierce gave birth to Eva in a hospital in Utica, New York. She was, at that time, 14 years old. For the first six months, Pierce took care of her baby girl - changed her diapers, bathed her. Millie Hawk, one of Pierce's daughters told WBNG that her mom loved her, CBS learned. This did not stop the state though. Reports reveal that Pierce's daughter was taken away from her by the state, claiming that she was too young to be a mother. Eva May was adopted and grew up in Long Island as an only child. Pierce's daughter's name was changed to Betty Morrell. Despite the separation, Morrell's biological mother thought of her. She worried and wondered where her daughter was. Pierce was married twice and had 7 more children. Morrell's adoptive parents died when she was 21, which prompted her to search for her biological mother. How did the search begin anyway? It was when one day, one of Morrell's aunt accidentally called her Eva. Morrell searched for nearly 5 decades, putting all the pieces together after gathering some clues and leads. She finally found her half-sister on Ancestry.com and it eventually led her to finding her mother, Liftable reported. Before Morrell knew about her biological mother, she imagined of having brothers and sisters. She said she would name them and talk to them at night. After her reunion with her mother, Morrell said that she will not be alone anymore. The feeling was surreal knowing that she doesn't only have a mother, but she also have sisters and brothers - the thing she has always dreamed of. The deaths of Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) on AMC's "The Walking Dead" will no doubt weigh heavily on Rick (Andrew Lincoln). His followers naturally expect him to fight Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and avenge the deaths, but it seems like the so-called Ricktatorship is on the down low for now. Lincoln told ComicBook.com that Rick will be burdened with guilt over Glenn and Abraham's deaths on "The Walking Dead" Season 7. The actor believes that guilt is both Rick's strength and weakness. He feels responsible for a lot of things and that makes him suffer. Lincoln said that Daryl (Norman Reedus) will also feel partly responsible for Glenn's death. Many "The Walking Dead" viewers stressed that if Daryl didn't retaliate against Negan by punching the villain, Glenn wouldn't be killed brutally. For now, Rick would choose to obey Negan and that's evident in the promo for "The Walking Dead" Season 7, where he said that he's "not in charge anymore." The people in Alexandria will feel more terrorized when they realize that their leader is succumbing to Negan's power. Negan kidnapping Daryl is also one of the reasons why Rick is bowing down to the big baddie. Negan told Rick that he will make him mutilate Daryl if he doesn't stay in line. Rick - obviously - can't lose Daryl, who he formed a strong connection with over the course of "The Walking Dead" despite having some disagreements when they arrived to Alexandria. Daryl's death would definitely destroy Rick but it also seems like Negan has bigger plans for his abductee. According to The Independent, Negan will put Daryl to work alongside Dwight (Austin Amelio), with Reedus teasing that his character will have a dark arc on "The Walking Dead" Season 7. The possibility of another character death is also feared in episode two of "The Walking Dead" Season 7. This will be pretty traumatic, given that viewers are still reeling over losing Glenn and Abraham in the premiere. Still recovering from Sunday? Get ready for an intense #TWD season, new episodes air Sundays 9|8c. https://t.co/MF0opK9gpm The Walking Dead AMC (@WalkingDead_AMC) October 30, 2016 If the upcoming "The Walking Dead" episode titled "The Well" would showcase another character death, it could be Morgan (Lennie James), Carol (Melissa McBride), or another Alexandrian member. However, Carol dying wouldn't make much sense. In episode two of "The Walking Dead" Season 7, she and Morgan will arrive in The Kingdom, a seemingly well-established community led by King Ezekiel (Khary Payton). There are speculations that a romance will brew between Carol and Ezekiel, Parent Herald previously reported. "The Walking Dead" episode two airs on Sunday, Oct. 30. Watch the promo below. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are probably having a laugh over the new development of their third baby, which is, according to rumors, a baby girl to be named after the Duke's mother, Princess Diana, according to a report from Hollywood Life. The couple's first child is Prince George, 3-years-old, followed by the very pretty and adorable Princess Charlotte, 1-year-old. The Duchess' pregnancy with her first two children is met with a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum, or excessive vomiting. No wonder that despite Duchess Kate's 90-pound physique, people are always looking at her baby bump, and betting how far she is with her pregnancy. In an interview with Star magazine, Kate was quoted saying that she and the Duke wants a brood of four. As they already have the adorable Prince George and Princess Charlotte, they still have to try for two more. Wouldn't it be exciting if the Duchess gets pregnant with twins? Wanting two more kids means daily scrutiny of the Duchess' baby bump, and daily reports of her supposed third baby girl, as the royal family has yet to confirm their pregnancy. In an article from The Hollywood Gossip, the Duke and Duchess are anticipating their third baby and are very much thrilled and excited with this news, even naming their baby girl a Diana, after the Prince William's beloved mother, Princess Diana. But doing this would mean that their child would be under the shadow of the famous Princess Di forever. She would grow up being compared to her namesake, and living up to the great Princess Di is one great honor and responsibility. Would the baby Princess Diana be able to live up to her grandmother's name? It would be the greatest tribute to Princess Di if they did this. Prince William will surely honor his mother in the greatest way possible If Kate is really pregnant with baby Princess Diana. Are you a helicopter parent or a free-range parent? You would be surprised how many parents could be on the extreme sides of these parenting styles as some are overprotective while others are ultra-permissive. Even though both types of parenting have earned criticism and praise, free-range parents got a little boost lately. Some parents who go overboard to keep their children safe from harm could not be blamed for being helicopter parents, considering the many violent incidents happening all over the world today. However, an advisory by the Department of Transportation in Oregon is a breath of fresh air. In the state known for its diverse landscape fof mountains, forests, farms and beaches, children can go to school accompanied by their parents or on their own depending on how the parents evaluate the readiness of their children. A survey in Oregon shows the decreasing number of children walking to and from school everyday. This is unfortunate, considering that walking is a good physical activity that most children no longer engage in today. By allowing children to walk home following safe routes, they will be encouraged to be more physically active. Authorities in other areas like Washington, D.C., have a different view on this matter. Psychology Today said this was shown when the Child Protective Services called the attention of the parents of two children ages 6 and 10 about allowing their children to walk home unsupervised. The parents were shocked because they were believers of free-range parenting, a principle that not everyone seems to agree with. Treehugger said there is a need to help children become more independent and one way to do that is to encourage them to engage in physical activities after school. However, it is agreed that the safety of the children when walking home on their own is still or primary importance. Thus, school are encouraged to provide children with maps to indicate safe routes for them. Mother Who Founded Group Memorializing Massacred Iranian Political Prisoners of 1988 Summoned to Court After Flight Ban 10/30/16 Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran "They are the ones who have to answer questions, not us." Mansoureh Behkish Mansoureh Behkish has been banned from leaving Iran and summoned to court for her role in founding the "Mothers of Laleh Park," also known as the "Mourning Mothers of Iran," a group formed by mothers whose children were killed in the Islamic Republic's massacre of political prisoners in the summer of 1988. "On September 16 [2016] I was going to leave the country to visit my daughter when I was stopped at the Imam [Khomeini International] Airport [in Tehran] and banned from leaving," said Behkish in an interview with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. "They confiscated my passport and gave me a piece of paper that said I should appear at the Shahid Moghaddas Court in Evin Prison. I decided to cancel my trip, but [the authorities] still won't leave me alone and have sent me a summons." "The summons says I should make an appearance to answer questions about certain allegations, but I don't know what they are referring to. Do they want to apologize and give me back my passport? Maybe they want to continue to harass me," she said. "Instead of consoling us [for the 1988 massacre], they put us under pressure and threaten us. Of course, this is the Islamic Republic. We don't expect anything other than intimidation and torture." "I'm going through treatment for problems in my right eye after a cataract operation, but I will probably go to Evin on Saturday morning [October 22] to find out why they summoned me," she added. The Islamic Republic of Iran, in its 37-year history, has executed more than 15,000 political prisoners. In 1988, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the country's supreme leader at the time, ordered the mass execution of political prisoners. According to Amnesty International, at least 4,482 young men and women disappeared during a two-month period in 1988. Many of the executed prisoners had already served their sentences. The bodies of the victims were buried in unmarked graves and their families were never informed of their whereabouts. In 2012, a people's tribunal, presided over by respected international judges, investigated these crimes and found Iran's leaders guilty of crimes against humanity. Six members of Behkish's family were also executed in the 1980s for political reasons. Behkish also told the Campaign about her frequent run-ins with security agents: "Anyone who opposes their views is treated as an enemy. They know I haven't been a member of any political group, but I always have and always will seek justice. I consider it my right. I will expose them. I've told them that if they continue bothering and intimidating me, I will write and shout about it to everyone in the world. "We are really owed justice. They have committed so many atrocities. They have killed the best young people of this country under all kinds of torture without explaining how and why. I will stand up and shout about it. I believe it's my right. They are the ones who have to answer questions, not us. They owe us answers. We don't owe them anything," she said. On December 25, 2011, Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court sentenced Behkish to four and a half years in prison for "assembly and collusion against national security through the formation of the Mourning Mothers organization." Upon appeal the sentence was reduced to six months in prison plus a suspended three and a half year prison term. "What is Mansoureh's crime, other than reminding and exposing and seeking justice for political crimes committed in our society?" wrote political activist Parastou Forouhar on her Facebook page on October 16. "Let's support Mansoureh Behkish in her fight for justice and echo her voice of protest." Call for Iran to Release Imprisoned British-Iranians Heats Up As Families and MPs Petition UK Government 10/30/16 Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran The families of two British-Iranian dual citizens who have been imprisoned in Iran without due process have delivered petitions to the British government urging it to seek their loved ones' immediate release. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe The petitions were delivered on October 24, 2016 with a letter co-signed by 117 Members of Parliament (MPs) and members of the House of Lords calling for the release of 77-year-old Kamal Foroughi, 37-year-old new mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, and 50-year-old Roya Saberinejad Nobakht. "We have very strong humanitarian and health concerns about their detentions," said MPs Oliver Dowden and Tulip Siddiq, who co-wrote the letter addressing Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. "In addition, the judicial processes used in their cases do not appear to meet international standards." "We know you are aware of this issue and are acting," continued the letter. "We urge the United Kingdom to use its recently restored relations with Iran to seek the immediate release of these prisoners and return [them] to their loved ones." Roya Saberinejad Nobakht The Amnesty International-sponsored petition, which is now closed, was signed by more than 73,000 supporters and delivered to the Foreign Office. The Change petition was signed by more than 200,000 supporters and was delivered to Prime Minister Theresa May at 10 Downing Street. 2000 Days in Evin Prison In an interview with the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran on October 24, Kamran Foroughi said his father, Kamal Foroughi, who has been held in Iran's notorious Evin Prison on espionage charges since 2011, should be released because of his old age and medical circumstances. "During these years my father's lawyer filed more than 50 requests for his release and the Tehran Prosecutor's Office gave a verbal pledge that he would go free, but so far nothing has happened," said Kamran Foroughi. "His health is worrying. He was diagnosed about two months ago with cataracts in each eye and he needs an urgent operation that is very straightforward, simple and quick to do at the hospital. When he was diagnosed, the specialist said he would get the operation very soon. But he still hasn't had the operation and we are worried that the longer that they leave it, the more his eyesight will deteriorate and the more he will be at risk for permanent blindness," he said. Kamran Foroughi also explained why his family had chosen to remain silent about his father's case for four years: "We didn't have any contact with the media until October 2015. Initially we thought it would be better to be quiet. We expected our father to go free because he hasn't done anything. Even now that I'm talking about it, I don't know if I'm doing the right thing or not." Kamal Foroughi, a former civil engineer, was arrested on May 5, 2011 by the Revolutionary Guards at his apartment in Tehran and held in solitary confinement for 18 months in the Revolutionary Guard-controlled Ward 2-A of Evin Prison, according to his son. Judge Abolqasem Salavati of Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court eventually sentenced him to seven years in prison for "espionage" and one year in prison for "possession of alcoholic drinks at home". "Our understanding is that for the first year he wasn't charged with anything," said Kamran Foroughi. "He was just held and questioned. And then, after one year, he was charged but not told what the charges were. Then, almost nine months later, he was tried and found guilty of two charges. The first, 'espionage' [was handed down] with no evidence or explanation, and he has always strenuously denied that charge, and that's a seven-year sentence. And the second charge was possessing alcohol in the home, a one-year sentence, and he has admitted to that charge." Kamran Foroughi added that his family has had regular telephone contact with his father since the summer of 2013, but his father has had no visitors because none of his relatives live in Iran. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a London-based project manager for the charitable arm of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was arrested at the Imam Khomeini Airport with her 22-month old daughter, Gabriella, on April 3, 2016 as she was trying to leave the country following a visit with her parents. She was sentenced to five years in prison on unspecified security charges in September 2016. Her husband,Richard Ratcliffe, has led an impassioned campaign for her release and as of October 2016 a petition for her release on the Change website had more than 800,000 signatures. Nobakht, another dual national who was visiting family in Iran at the time of her arrest, was sentenced to five years in prison in 2013 for "insulting the sacred" for the content of some of her Facebook posts. Several other dual nationals have been arrested in Iran in the past two years including Iranian-Canadian Homa Hoodfar, Iranian-American son and father Siamak and Bagher Namazi, and Iranian-American Robin (Reza) Shahini. With the exception of Hoodfar, who was released in October 2016, all of them are still being held in Iran without due process. The Judiciary's ongoing imprisonment of dual nationals contradicts the government of President Hassan Rouhani's repeated calls for expatriates to return to Iran. The growing number of arrests also reflect hardliners' efforts to prevent the engagement with the West that the Rouhani administration has sought to encourage. Iran's Kish Invex 2016 to host 30 foreign companies 10/30/16 Source: Tehran Times The 3rd Kish International Exhibition of Exchange, Banking, Insurance and Privatization and the 8th International Exhibition for Presenting Iran's Investment Opportunities, are about to be held simultaneously in November under the title of Kish Invex 2016, IRNA reported on Saturday. Kish Invex 2016 kishinvex.com According to Arya Hamidian, the event organizer, some 30 foreign companies as well as 150 Iranian companies will participate in the two exhibitions from October 31 to November 3 on the southern Iranian Island of Kish. As he said, the foreign participants come from Italy, Switzerland, India, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), France, Georgia, Malaysia, and England. The exhibitions are focused on attracting domestic and foreign investments and exploring avenues to reach economic prosperity in post-sanction era, he added. As previously reported, Kish Invex seeks to introduce capabilities of Iranian and foreign financial institutions; to present Iran's achievements in capital and insurance markets; to introduce modern banking and insurance services; and to enhance the competition capacities of monetary and capital markets of regional countries. The city of Los Angeles is set to hand over L.A./Ontario International Airport to its home city at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1, a year after the transfer was agreed upon by both cities. Regional officials who championed the hand-over said local control would bring about the needed policies that would increase destinations, traffic and economic growth at the airport and surrounding area. Under the agreement, Ontario International Airport Authority will pay Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) $50 million from passenger facility charges in the first five years; and another $70 million from passenger facility charges in the final five years. Local airport authority officials say full control will allow them to finally move forward on plans to redevelop land at the airport. The money generated there will help offset the landing fee costs and they hope entice airlines to return and expand flights. Ive been meeting many different groups in the last couple of months both local and not so local, people very interested in the future of the airport, including business operations at the airport, said airport authority Commissioner Curt Hagman, who also serves as a San Bernardino County supervisor. Unfortunately, a lot cannot be done until the transfer process is complete. Officials say the developments could create new jobs for thousands. What it means for the economy is that one of the principal pieces of infrastructure that has been languishing now has the opportunity to be able to contribute fully to the expansion of the region, said John Husing, chief economist for the Inland Empire Economic Partnership and a longtime champion of local control for ONT. It could potentially create thousands of jobs over time. To mark the transfer, an invite-only ceremony will be held in Terminal 4 at 2 p.m. Wednesday. Expected to attend are Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti; Federal Aviation Administration administrator Michael Huerta; LAWA CEO Deborah Flint; and local officials and dignitaries from the Ontario City Council and the Ontario International Airport Authority. LAWA employee Tim Ihle has served as airport manager at ONT for the past eight months to help with the transfer after the department of former LAWA airport manager Jess Romo, who now oversees Long Beach Airport as its director. During the transition, weve been working really well with the Ontario International Airport Authority, Ihle said. Weve had a collaborative relationship with them and the transfer will take place on Nov. 1, but weve been working with them hand-in-hand for the last seven months to make sure the transition is smooth. In January, the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) named Kelly Fredericks as its new CEO. Ihle said after the transfer, hell be reporting to both LAWA and Fredericks for 21 months to continue the transition. Ihle is one of 200 LAWA employees who will stay on for nearly two years, according to the settlement agreement between Los Angeles and Ontario. Not a single employee will lose their job as a result of this, Ihle said. They have options. The OIAA feels that once they fill a position and one of our positions is no longer needed, that person can transfer to LAX. Also, they have the option to apply with the OIAA. Were working with other (Los Angeles) city departments and our employees could work for other departments in downtown Los Angeles as well. September figures released by Los Angeles World Airports show the medium-hub facility had a 2.45 percent increase in traffic compared to the same month in 2015. Passenger traffic for the first six months at the airport was up .4 percent year-over-year, according to Fredericks. Fredericks previously said he intends to bring in a consultant in the next two months to review a strategic air service plan for Ontario International Airport the L.A. part of the name gets dropped. A second plan, with a different consultant, will be prepared to analyze future air service from China and the Pacific Rim. Contact the writer: nnisperos@scng.comTwitter: @ReporterNeil When Damian Arteaga was in elementary school, he loved watching his brother Luis in high school band, theater and dance performances. Now a senior at Ramona High School in Riverside himself, Arteaga has done all of those and more, totaling 13 performance art courses in four years. Arteaga began playing the trumpet in fifth grade, joined marching band in eighth grade and has played mellophone, French horn, vibraphone and cymbals, has done three years of theater and been in five musicals, taken two years of piano, was student of the month in his first year of dance and was placed in the advanced choir. Last summer, Arteaga was a member of the Pacific Crest Drum and Bugle Corps, which competes against other drums corps across the country. He is currently serving as the marching band drum major for the second consecutive year, a dream he said he has had since he started. I saw the drum major up there and it was so awesome, and now Im in the shoes of the person up there, Arteaga said. I wonder who is looking at me now thinking what I thought when I was in fifth grade. Arteaga has had to take zero periods which take place before regular classes and summer school in order to get ahead academically to fit in all of his fine arts courses. Additionally, he has also taken seven honors and six Advanced Placement classes and maintains a 3.7 GPA. He said he loves all the arts programs hes in wanting to incorporate all facets of the arts into his life adding that his favorite performing art is whatever he is doing at the moment. Ill be in one period and say, This is what I really love to do, and then Ill go to the next period and say, This is what I really love to do, he said. Its all great fun. His mom Lisa Arteaga said her son absorbs all he learns in his arts classes and looks for ways to improve. She said he has always been a natural born leader and she loves watching him utilize it. Seeing him shine and knowing that he loves doing what hes doing and hes good at it makes me so proud, she said. Everyone wants to find that job they have a passion for, and I think that is definitely him on stage. Arteagas piano and AP Music Theory teacher Ronda Barnes said she has seen him step up in leadership roles in every context he is in. She said his tenacity and work ethic have lent themselves to his success. Its really being a go-getter and having that self-determination to perfect whatever craft hes trying, Barnes said. Band Director Brian Gallagher has 260 students involved in his various classes and sees Arteaga as his go-to person to lead and motivate the others. He said a driving factor in Arteagas success is the support he has from his family. Hes been able to achieve what he has in high school because he has had that strong foundation at home, Gallagher said. Arteaga said he plans to pursue a career in musical theater while still playing instruments in his free time. He is deciding between the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles and Cal State Fullerton post high school graduation. Contact the writer: community@pressenterprise.com After a week of showing up to her new job in jeans and sneakers, Lateefah Simon got a surprise gift from her boss, Kamala Harris her first business suit and a monogrammed scarf. Harris, then San Franciscos district attorney, presented the gift box with tenderness, but the message was clear: Simon had to look more professional. Kamala is everybodys auntie, Simon said, recalling her tenure running Harris pioneering program for youth offenders. Shell be the one to say Nuh-uh. Harris head-down, buttoned-up approach to politics helped her stand out in San Francisco, a city with an abundance of ego-driven Democratic political stars. And it has been her defining trait in her U.S. Senate run against fellow Democrat Loretta Sanchez, an Orange County congresswoman whose behavior on the campaign trail can sometimes be erratic. Harris strategy has always been to be calm, consistent and reliable and let other people do the flamboyant stuff that usually just ends up hurting them in the end, said Melissa Michelson, a professor of politics at Menlo College in Atherton. So far it seems to be working. Harris, who nearly always appears publicly in a gray suit, has led decisively in every poll in a race that voters have paid little attention to a dynamic that wouldnt seem to bother Californias 51-year-old attorney general. For someone whose foray into public life was captured on the gossip pages as then-Assembly Speaker Willie Browns new girlfriend, Harris has managed over the past two decades to cultivate a celebrity mystique while fiercely guarding her privacy. Supporters laud her as a pioneering criminal justice reformer and a workaholic who builds bridges with adversaries and demands excellence from her staffers. Some expect her to one day seek the presidency. But several observers see a too-cautious and often calculating politician who hasnt tackled thorny law enforcement issues like bail reform or heeded the call of protesters to assume a bigger role in police misconduct cases. She has been very careful about how she guides her political future, said San Francisco public defender Jeff Adachi. If you want to become a senator, then that is what you have to do. In an interview, Harris rejected the critique, pointing to her championing of law enforcement reforms long before they were en vogue and her successful battles with powerful banks and the for-profit college industry. Perhaps its because I dont use reckless language, and I dont use grand gestures that people think those fights didnt require a lot of courage or involve a lot of risk, she said. Harris entered the Senate race as an established Democratic star with a Rolodex full of high-profile friends and associates, including Napster founder Sean Parker and President Barack Obama, who had to apologize in 2013 for calling her by far the best-looking attorney general in the country at a Silicon Valley fundraiser. If she wins, Harris said, shell seek to make college more affordable, protect students from predatory lenders and replicate some of her criminal justice initiatives, including the states criminal justice data portal, which includes figures concerning deaths in police custody. Harris grew up in Berkeley, the oldest of two daughters born to Shyamala Gopalan, an Indian-born breast cancer researcher, and Donald Harris, a Jamaican-born Marxist economist who taught at Stanford. Her parents divorced when she was 5. Harris and her sister were raised by their mother in Berkeley and Montreal, before she attended Howard University, a historically black school in Washington, D.C. Harris returned to the Bay Area to attend Hastings College of the Law and then worked mostly as a prosecutor in Alameda County and San Francisco until 2003, when she unseated her former boss, San Francisco District Attorney Terrence Hallinan, a celebrated leftist and scion of one of the citys most prominent families. It didnt take long for Harris to find herself in the hot seat. After she quickly refused to consider the death penalty for a man accused of killing police Officer Isaac Espinoza, Harris had to stare down several leading Democrats, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who declared during the officers funeral that the murder merited capital punishment. It took a lot of courage to do that, Adachi said of Harris. As district attorney, Harris sought to de-emphasize the prosecution of nonviolent offenses and help keep young offenders from getting trapped in the justice system. And she sought to reform a disjointed office and instill a culture of professionalism. Simon recalled Harris taking her to task for a poorly written memo. What if this showed up in The New York Times? Simon remembers Harris telling her. A little tear would fall from my eye, but she wanted the best. After a razor-thin victory over Republican Steve Cooley, the Los Angeles County district attorney, in the 2010 race for attorney general, Harris again faced controversy this time over her refusal to agree to the Obama administrations settlement with the mortgage industry for illegally foreclosing on homes. She was the one in the room that kept saying, We need more relief, said Brian Nelson, who served as Harris general counsel. The $18 billion-plus settlement Harris eventually wrangled from the mortgage industry is seen as one of her biggest triumphs. But Harris has gotten pushback from critics who think that she, as the states first African-American top law enforcement official, should be championing efforts to address police violence, such as a bill that would have required her to appoint a panel to investigate fatal officer-involved shootings, now generally handled by local district attorneys. The local DA is too close to the police, so Im a bit puzzled why she disagreed with it, said Cruz Reynoso, a former California Supreme Court justice who was ousted in a recall election in 1986. To me, its such a logical thing. Harris said her office doesnt have the capacity to take over investigations for all fatal shootings by law enforcement officers. But if there is a conflict of interest, she said, I would go right in. The Hemet Police Department is warning members of the public not to buy into phone calls that say they need to pay a fine in order to avoid arrest. Hemet police officials wrote in a news release Saturday evening that theyve learned residents may be receiving calls telling them there is a warrant out for their arrest and that they must pay a fine to avoid being taken into custody. The number may be disguised so it says Hemet Police or displays the number for the police station, according to officials. This is a scam, we do not call people and ask them to pay their fines, the release reads. The practice of using technology to disguise a phone number with another number is known as Caller ID Spoofing and its something law enforcement agencies have seen before. Telephone scams in general are not new. Scams where a person poses as someone else to try and collect money from a victim have happened multiple times over the last several years. People have posed as Southern California Edison employees, jailed grandchildren and FBI agents. The Hemet Police Department is asking anyone who may have questions about a possible scam to call them at 951-765-2400. Contact the writer: 951-368-9693, agroves@scng.com or @AlexDGroves on Twitter. The sight of police officers taking to the streets of Ferguson, Mo., with black helmets and assault rifles during protests stemming from the police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown has stirred a hornets nest of complaints about the militarization of law enforcement. A lot of people looked at the images coming out of Ferguson in the wake of the shooting and saw things that didnt fit in their idea of how policing in the United States should operate, Stanford University law Professor David Sklansky said in a phone interview. It makes people feel like they are being faced with an occupying army, he said. While complaints of militarized SWAT teams have been made for years, he said, the Ferguson confrontations generated a visceral response. The New York Times quoted U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder At a time when we must seek to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the local community I am deeply concerned that the deployment of military equipment and vehicles sends a conflicting message. Calls have been made to cut off the flow of military gear to civilian cops. Law enforcement agencies across the Inland area, and the rest of the nation, have scooped up military-style gear from assault rifles to military surplus helicopters to fight crime. Police say they need high-powered rifles, armored personnel carriers and other soldiers tools to keep criminals from outgunning them and to protect officers and citizens. A stark reminder of the threat came early on the morning of Aug. 22, when San Bernardino police training officer Gabriel Garcia was critically wounded in a shootout with a suspect carrying an AK-47 assault rifle. Some of the military-style equipment now being used by police comes directly from the Department of Defense. A database compiled by The New York Times indicates that since 2006, a Defense give-away has provided 208 night vision pieces, 114 assault rifles, four helicopters, a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armored vehicle and an airplane to law enforcement agencies in San Bernardino County. In Riverside County, agencies received 234 assault rifles, two armored vehicles, a helicopter and an MRAP. Those totals may not be complete. The Riverside County Sheriffs Department has collected 140 military surplus M-16 assault rifles, a Peacekeeper armored personnel carrier, a set of night vision goggles, an OH-58 helicopter and a helicopter frame (later transferred to Pasadena police) under the 1033 Defense giveaway program dating to the early 1990s, department spokesman Albert Martinez said. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said his committee will review whether the surplus military equipment is being used as intended, although he did not refer specifically to its use in the Inland area. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, a Marine veteran who represents Temecula, wrote recently on an Internet post that tactical weapons like MRAPs, with turrets where automatic weapons could be mounted, are excessive for local law enforcement agencies. A review of the 1033 program was called for by the League of United Latin American Citizens, the nations oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization. But the 1033 totals do not reflect large numbers of equipment, from bullet-resistant vests to vehicles and weapons, acquired through private donations, grants and asset seizures from criminal investigations. Jim Bueermann is a former Redlands police chief who now serves as president of the Police Foundation, a national nonprofit organization that provides research, training and technical assistance to law enforcement. He says the outrage over militarization of police in Ferguson became a symbol to the public. When people see images of these MRAPs, large armored vehicles, coupled with police in tactical gear and assault weapons, it gives them a very different image of what they would generally think of as policing in a democracy, he said. People have trouble understanding why the police in a democracy would need something like an MRAP, which Bueermann described as a Bearcat on steroids. Bearcats are standard-size armored cars, he said, while MRAPs are bigger, have turrets and are much more menacing. Police departments pay as much as $400,000 for a Bearcat, he said, but turn to the militarys MRAP because they can get them for free. Bueermanns own former department, Redlands PD, obtained a surplus MRAP in September, 2013, as did Banning police. Neither department has yet to use them in fighting crime. Both see it doubling as a tactical vehicle to protect the public and for rescue. Because police departments get the gear for free, or for little money, they often obtain the equipment without public hearings or governing body approval. As a result, Bueermann said, residents often have no idea what military-style gear their police are using. Local governments should hold public hearings and require council approval before obtaining military-style equipment, he said. Redlands obtained its MRAP under a policy requiring only the police chiefs approval, city spokesman Carl Baker wrote in an email. As for Bannings MRAP, interim Police Chief Alex Diaz said, People thought when we first received it that Oh my God, military and Theyll go kick down houses and run over things and all that stuff. Were still not sure we are going to keep it, he said, but were thinking of that vehicle being a multipurpose emergency unit. Say, for example, we have major flooding and we need to remove people from the (Banning) Bench area. Or if we have a major fire. You name it. We can put anywhere from 20 to 25 people in the back of that thing and get them out of there in a hurry, he said. Neither Banning nor Beaumont has SWAT teams, relying instead on mutual aid agreements with other jurisdictions especially the Sheriffs Department to provide help when they need it. Banning shut down its team 18 months ago, Diaz, the interim chief, said. Hopefully, knock wood, well never encounter a situation where we do need such a team, he said. Equipment ranging from night vision goggles to 9 mm automatic weapons were placed in storage when the SWAT team was disbanded as cost issues shrank the size of his department, Diaz said. We have been very lucky here in Banning, he said. When you start providing that type of equipment to your patrol officers, your everyday patrol officers, thats when the issues arise. The only military look that our officers have on them is when they wear their summer uniform, which is a polo shirt and a pair of pants that have a bunch of pockets on them. Spokespeople for several departments attributed decisions to armor up to an incident in the Hollywood area caught on live television cameras several years ago in which bank robbers armed with automatic weapons shot it out with police armed with pistols and shotguns. Almost every agency in California began carrying (more powerful) weapons after that, Diaz said. Situations like that usually dictate how we improve how we do business in law enforcement. Baker, the Redlands police spokesman, said his departments MRAP, yet to be used, would be deployed during an active shooter situation. Although he would not discuss details of its potential use, he did mention one instance when it would have been useful. When law enforcement officers were conducting a manhunt in the San Bernardino Mountains in February 2013 for fugitive former Los Angeles policeman Christopher Dorner, Baker said a Redlands policeman was one of the first to arrive at the mountain cabin where Dorner shot it out with officers. One San Bernardino County sheriffs deputy was killed and another wounded in the gunfight. That is a situation where we would have used an armored vehicle like this, he said in reference to the Redlands MRAP. Cpl. Randy Naquin, quoting Sheriff John McMahon, said, The use of armored vehicles as it pertains to tactical operations has been instrumental in the success of our specialized divisions. In the search for Christoper Dorner, armored vehicles were vital for the protection of our personnel. Naquin also quoted the sheriff as saying, The goal of the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department is to provide the highest level of law enforcement. The usage of this equipment affords our department the opportunity to protect the community and deputies at the highest possible level from imminent threat of danger during volatile situations. Riverside Police Chief Sergio Diaz also made reference to the Dorner manhunt, during which Riverside Policeman Michael Crain was also killed. The suspect, who was not a law enforcement officer himself, used fully automatic military-style rifles with silencers, the Riverside chief said, all of which he legally obtained in the state of Nevada. Forgive me if it appears to me that the militarization of the police might not be the real problem here, he wrote. Riverside County sheriffs Sgt. Mike Manning said officers see more of them (suspects) wearing ballistic vests and in possession of assault weapons like AK-47s and (large volume) magazines. Weve seen that. Did you see the encounter that LAPD had where they used one of their armored vehicles against a suspect who was armed with an assault weapon? he asked. He was hiding in a dumpster and shot one of the officers in the leg He shot at their armored vehicle and their armored vehicle saved them because they used it as cover. Manning cited a manhunt last month in Moreno Valley prompted by a shooting as an example of how one of his departments armored vehicles was used. Each request for SWAT is run up through our chain of command, he said. Each situation is judged on its own set of circumstances. We cant clearly say that if a suspect has an AK-47 they automatically call up the SWAT team. They can have a series of small arms and we dont know exactly what they have. They could be barricaded. Its case by case. Sergio Diaz, the Riverside police chief, contends critics are reacting to the appearance of some of these items, rather than the substance. The equipment that critics bemoan as typical of the militarization of the police tend to be armored vehicles, bulletproof vests and ballistic helmets, he wrote. Items designed to stop what? Oh yeah, bullets. The potential for our officers to have high-powered, military-style weapons trained on them is not hypothetical. It happens every day in Southern California. To Bueermann, the former Redlands chief, there is no uniform gauge of whether police should acquire military-style weaponry. The shooting in Ferguson drew public outrage while a shooting in neighboring St. Louis got relatively little attention, he said. Police in San Jose and Davis are giving their MRAPs back to the federal government, he said. Many others are not. There is a balance, Bueermann said, between the use of strategies and equipment to keep officers safe and at the same time not sending a bad message to the communities they serve about militarizing their police force. Officers in the police department begin to think of themselves as military, he said. Then you have to ask yourself, Who is the enemy? That becomes very problematic in todays society. He said police should consider whether heavy force is necessary for what he considers routine situations, including when serving low-risk search warrants. If there is a silver lining in all this, he said, it is causing people to engage in a discussion with police about the appropriate nature of military equipment and tactics. Staff writers Sarah Burge and Brian Rokos contributed to this story. Contact the writer: dsantschi@pressenterprise.com or 951-368-9079 It is so sad that San Bernardinos self-serving politicians are asking for all citizens to give up their right to vote to elect three of the most important watchdog positions that would answer to the voters, not the politicians. What type of American would willingly give up their right to vote? Why is the San Bernardino Womens Club not willing to stand up to this Measure L atrocity? So much blood has been shed by American military men and women to defend our values and rights. Now, we must vote no on Measure L to avoid losing our right to vote in our city. Think about what youre losing. Vote no on Measure L. Janet Ortiz, San Bernardino Re-elect Cheryl Brown; she serves the people I have known Cheryl Brown for many years, long before she was elected to the California Assembly. Our relationship for the most part has been neither best buds nor enemies, but one involving spirited and productive interactions. I am supporting Cheryl Brown for re-election to the Assembly for many reasons. I know her well. She may be little, but she is mighty. She is a force to reckon with. She did not run for office for personal gain or political reasons. She ran for the reasons people should run for office:to serve the people. I have discovered while working with Assemblywoman Cheryl Brown in her professional capacity, that she knows and understands her constituents and she will, regardless of whatever pressure, defend what she feels is right for her district. She is not a follower, she is a leader. Assemblywoman Brown is a professional woman who worked as a planner for the county of San Bernardino and as a planning commissioner for the city of San Bernardino. Her family owns a business; she understand business. This is a huge positive when she is serving us in Sacramento. This area needs business support and someone who understands the value of keeping businesses in our area. Business is not the ugly word that some make it out to be. Businesses provide jobs. Assemblywoman Brown has been credited with compromising and working across the aisle to make things happen, especially when it concerns business. I do not see this ability in her opponent. Judi Penman, former San Bernardino Unified School Board Member Vote for Paul Chabot, against Prop. 64 In terms of marijuana legalization, the choices couldnt be starker between two candidates in a key Inland Empire congressional race. Proposition 64, if approved Nov. 8, would allow for marijuana advertising on television while our children are watching. It contains no provisions combatting drugged driving and allows for marijuana-laced candy that toddlers would consume. Congressional District 31 spans from Rancho Cucamonga to Redlands. The incumbent, Pete Aguilar, has taken no public stands on Prop. 64. But past is prologue with Pete. According to the pro-legalization Marijuana Policy Project, Pete accepted $8,000 from that group in 2014 the most of any member in Congress that year. Challenger Paul Chabot, a former reserve deputy sheriff, is staunchly anti-marijuana. Chabot is actively working to defeat Prop. 64. And the consequences couldnt be more severe between our congressional ballot choices. If dope is your thing, then Pete Aguilar is your choice. If protecting children and preventing crime are your issues, then Paul Chabot deserves your vote. Please vote no on Prop. 64 so we can protect our children from a lifetime of drug addiction as well as preventing drug-related traffic fatalities. John Berry, Inland Empire chair, Citizens Against Legalizing Marijuana When in doubt, vote no on measures When the Official Voter Information Guide arrived, many voters were unhappy with the large homework assignment due November 8. After a tiring or stressful day at work people usually are not inspired to tackle a booklet of over 200 pages. For those of us who felt obliged to plow through the 17 initiatives, it soon became apparent that there were many flaws, confusing or misleading statements and deliberate deceptions in the pro and con arguments. Why is it often so confusing? Why is a particular proposition on the ballot in the first place? Shouldnt issues, especially complex ones, be the responsibility of the Legislature, the people we elected to represent our interests and ideologies? That is what they are paid to do. Passing the buck to the average voter, who is clueless regarding a propositions sponsors and their underlying motives, is a drawback of the initiative process. When in doubt about the consequences or possible legal ramifications of the proposition, I recommend a no vote or simply just skipping it. Harold Reikes, Riverside The Golden State is tarnished California was once called the Golden State. That was because of all the gold discovered here. But today that gold has been tarnished and spent on every welfare scheme that crosses the minds of Democrats. The state and most of its inhabitants have been bought with welfare. It has become the give me state. The state says, give me all your money in taxes and the greedy citizens say give me everything I need to survive. Few are left that are willing to work for their survival. And government loves it that way. We have become slaves to government. The Democrats have a strangle hold on California and they are trying to increase their control by letting illegal aliens vote. They have opened our borders to every illegal alien, criminal and drug dealer that wants to come to the state. Our governor is the worst of them all. He is nothing but a socialist disguised as a Democrat. Our economy is the worst it has ever been they have driven hundreds of businesses out of the state. Our credit rating is nonexistent and we are deep in debt. The governor thinks he is building a legacy for himself by spending billions of dollars to build a bullet train that will creep along the tracks and have no riders. His legacy will be a non-ending debt for citizens to operate a train that makes no money. And now this state will hand 55 electoral votes to the most corrupt Democrat of them all: Hillary Clinton. There is no limit to how low this state has fallen. Luke Chaffin, Corona Dont raise taxes to fund pensions I just returned from a trip to Parker, Arizona where I crossed paths with a retired Riverside policeman and a teacher. Both were talking about trips to Europe, Tahiti and spending thousands of dollars on white-water rafting on the Colorado River. I thought, how can they afford those trips so I asked, what kind of work are your two in? Their responses: We dont work, we get great pensions. No wonder the seven elected Riverside council members spent thousand of dollars to figure out how to persuade the people who pay taxes (property owners and businessmen) and those that dont (illegal aliens, renters, etc.) to get Propostions O and Z on the ballot. So now, the council and mayor not only want me to pay a few hundred dollars more on my property taxes to pay government pensions, but also pay for educating the offspring of illegal aliens. This absurdity has to end. Throw out the seven ASAP. Joey Duran, Riverside Hillary Clinton is unfit to lead Unfortunately, the Left is united in their quest to vote in the worst person possible to be president. They know about all her faults, which are endless, but they will still vote for her because of the freebies she promises. Nathan Stromberg, Wildomar Doug Shepard for Congress For residents in the 41st congressional district, this election will be about local businessman and job provider Doug Shepards moral character versus Democratic partisan and Washington establishment Mark Takanos. According to Insidegov.com, Takano rates as one of the most ineffective members of Congress. Hes a tax and spender. Doug Shepard, on the other hand, created his first business at age 24. hes an innovator and small business owner, helping thousands realize their dream of home ownership. he knows how to meet a payroll and create real jobs for real people. Elect someone better. The choice is ours. Larry Crawford, Moreno Valley The occasional sparks of life in Californias otherwise sleepy U.S. Senate race come courtesy of the freewheeling Loretta Sanchez sometimes to her benefit, sometimes not. The most talked about moment of the Oct. 5 debate with front-runner Kamala Harris, for instance, was Sanchezs closing flourish, a hip-hop dance move called the dab that her makeup artists 9-year-old daughter showed her a few hours earlier. Its the type of quirky surprise that the Democratic congresswoman has regularly delivered since bursting on the political scene in 1996, when she upset iconic Orange County conservative Congressman Bob Dornan. But the biggest surprise of her career could come if she upsets fellow Democrat Harris, the states attorney general, on Nov. 8. Harris finished the primary with a 21-percentage point lead over Sanchez. Some polls show that advantage shrinking, but Harris continues to lead by double-digits in most surveys. If Sanchez prevails, it will be her serious side that carries the day. She points to 20 years of experience in Congress and her senior positions on the House Armed Services and Homeland Security committees in the race to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer. (House Democratic Leader) Nancy Pelosi turned to me for information on nuclear disarmament, to talk about the important things in the world, Sanchez said. My colleagues in Congress have endorsed me because I know about those things. They know me and they look to me for leadership. It doesnt mean I dont have light-hearted moments. Indeed, Sanchez has been endorsed by 20 of her House colleagues. Harris is backed by nine. Sanchez may be preferred by fellow House members, but Harris is the darling of the Democratic establishment. Her endorsements include President Barack Obama, Gov. Jerry Brown, Sens. Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, and the California Democratic Party. So far, Pelosi, has steered clear of the fray. That means that despite two decades on Capital Hill, Sanchez finds herself running as an alternative to the establishment, contrasting Harris progressive credentials with her own more moderate brand of politics and a reputation for working across the aisle. For instance, Sanchez opposes Prop. 57, which would expand the states early-release provisions for prisoners. While Harris remains officially neutral on ballot measures because of the attorney generals role in approving initiative language, the measure is backed by Brown and the state Democratic Party. The state GOP opposes it. Sanchez has a history of going her own way, most notably breaking with both Democratic and Republican majorities by voting against the Iraq War, the Wall Street bailout and the Patriot Act. Harris measured manner has served her well, but Sanchezs spontaneous approach can make her seem more personable. It can also leave her vulnerable to gaffs that have offended Muslims, Native Americans and Vietnamese. Those ethnic groups that have largely supported her otherwise and CAIR, the nations most prominent Muslim-rights advocacy group, has endorsed both Sanchez and Harris. Improvisation has a part to play in jazz, but its not always effective in politics, said Jack Pitney, a political scientist at Claremont McKenna College, when asked about Sanchezs political style. DAUGHTER OF IMMIGRANTS Sanchez, 56, is the second of seven children born to immigrant parents from Sonora, Mexico. Her father and mother met working in a Los Angeles plastics factory, where he was a union machinist and she was a bookkeeper. Neither parent finished high school, although Sanchezs mother would eventually get a GED, a college degree and spend 17 years as an Orange County grade-school teacher. Education was emphasized at home and all of the children graduated from college. Sanchez credits Head Start, a union scholarship and a Rotary Club scholarship for helping her earn an economics degree from Chapman College and an MBA from American University. She went on to work as a financial analyst for defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton. She registered as a Democrat when she was an 18-year-old senior at Anaheims Katella High. She re-registered as a Republican at 22 and was a Democrat again by age 32. At some point, I started really seeing the difference, because of the anti-immigrant feelings that were going on and other things. she said of settling in as a Democrat. Interest in city finances led to a failed bid for Anaheim City Council in 1994. After trying without success to get a meeting with Dornan, her congressman, to discuss education issues, she decided to challenge him. Wylie Aitken, one of Orange Countys most prominent personal injury attorneys and a major Democratic donor, recalled Sanchez introducing herself to him at a reception during her City Council bid and her persistence in getting a contribution. Not long after the loss, she called to ask for a meeting, with the surprise news of her next move. I said, What? Youve never held office, you lost a City Council race and six months later youre announcing youre running for Congress? But she laid out her strategy and convinced Aitken to take a hands-on role as her campaign chairman. Loretta is very intelligent, he said. We were definitely the underdog, but when you have a chance to take out somebody like Bob Dornan, you go for it. I told her who the major donors were and shes not a shrinking violet. She worked very hard. Despite the Democratic Party endorsing someone else, she made it out of the partisan primary and ended up beating Dornan by 984 votes. The election was marred by hundreds of immigrants voting who had qualified for citizenship but hadnt yet been sworn in. However, a congressional investigation found there were insufficient invalid ballots to overturn the results. SERIOUS AS A HEART ATTACK Pitney is among those who wonder if Sanchez should be campaigning harder this time particularly in light of a five-day trip she made to Europe during the summer for a trade mission and a brief vacation. But Sanchez says shes been campaigning for 1 1/2 years and rattles off more than a dozen parts of the state shes visited, saying that shes been campaigning diligently for a race she entered after determining the declared candidates werent qualified. A big challenge is the states size and the surprisingly low profile of the race, brought on in part by the absence of partisan rivalry, a shrinking press corps and a wild presidential race thats left little bandwidth for attention on other elections. Sanchez has also been criticized by Harris for having the third worst attendance record in the House. Sanchez counters that she had a 95 percent attendance record before running for Senate. She says she was on hand for 68 percent of votes while Boxer was there for just 54 percent when she was a House member running for Senate in 1992. This is what people do when theyre running and giving up their seats, said John Campbell, a former UC Irvine political science lecturer and a Republican who served with Sanchez in the House from 2005 to 2015. Its not unusual. Campbell said during his decade in the House, he found Sanchez hardworking and eager to cross the aisle on bipartisan issues. He also acknowledged her humor. She can be goofy one day and then the next, be as serious as a heart attack she has both sides, he said, noting she may not always present the appropriate persona. She can get them crossed sometimes. Sanchez has few regrets about her more colorful and sometimes controversial moves. Her playful holiday cards usually featuring her cat arouse a buzz on Capital Hill each year. Then there are her uninhibited exclamations. In April, she told Larry King that 5 percent to 20 percent of Muslims support an international Islamic state that transcends borders even if violence is involved. Despite backlash, shes stood her ground, citing the book, Islam and the Future of Tolerance: A Dialogue and other sources for the estimate and saying it is important to acknowledge the problem. Subsequently, she was caught on tape imitating a Native American war whoop and, while criticizing Obamas endorsement of Harris, noting that they are both African-Americans. She offers no apologies, saying things were taken out of context. I think my opponents have always taken things Ive said for their political advantage, she said. They get blown up by political operatives. Contact the writer: mwisckol@scng.com Sheriff Stan Sniff, concerned that law enforcement officers in Riverside County and nationwide are increasingly encountering shooters firing high-powered weapons and refusing to surrender, has authorized his patrol deputies to wear special ceramic vests that are more likely to stop a bullet from a rifle than the vests they currently wear under their uniform shirts. Sniff also is giving patrol deputies access to the same ammunition that SWAT team members use to defeat suspects who are wearing body armor, another trend Sniff noted. No crook is going to be invulnerable for very long, Sniff said. The equipment upgrades also acknowledge, the sheriff said, the change in tactics in stopping mass shooters following the 1999 slaying of 13 people at Columbine High in Colorado. Were going to have more officers injured because rather than wait for SWAT, we have an obligation to go in (immediately) because peoples lives are being taken, and some of these knuckleheads are looking to die and go out in a blaze of glory, so you cant talk to them, Sniff said. And that is very different than the hostage situations weve had before. That makes them a lot more lethal and dangerous. After heavily armed ex-Los Angeles Police Officer Christopher Dorner went on his deadly rampage in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties in 2013, Sniff had his department re-examine its rifle firepower to see if it was sufficient to contend with such threats. And the Dec. 2 slaying of 14 people and wounding of 22 others at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino by terrorists with automatic weapons created more urgency, Sniff said. Although Sniff announced the equipment upgrade in the week after two Palm Springs police officers were shot to death Oct. 8 by someone reportedly wearing body armor, Sniff said the earlier incidents were the impetus for the change. The vests, called rifle plates, weigh 5-8 pounds and can be slipped on before a deputy enters a potentially violent situation. Sniff plans to acquire money to purchase them through grants or other means, but for now the deputies are authorized to purchase the vests themselves. The more powerful ammunition would be used under narrow circumstances, the department said, such as incidents similar to those that SWAT teams encounter. In San Bernardino, some of the citys police officers have purchased the rifle plates after the Dec. 2 killings that ended with a shootout with the terrorists, Lt. Mike Madden said. Additionally, the department has used grant money and donations to purchase assault rifles and additional ballistic shields. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department has purchased and is in the process of receiving the ceramic vests, spokeswoman Cindy Bachman said. Following the December 2nd Inland Regional Center shooting, and other incidents throughout the nation, Sheriff McMahon authorized the research and purchase of the equipment to ensure first responders were provided the best equipment possible, Bachman wrote in an email. GUARDIANS, NOT SOLDIERS Jim Bueermann, director of The Police Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that advises on police training and tactics, praised Sniffs actions. This is the sad reality of todays policing environment. The sheriff is acting very responsibly to reflect that reality by allowing his officers to protect themselves with better vests, said Bueermann, a former Redlands police chief. But Bueermann offered a caution: When you give officers this kind of equipment, there is a subliminal message about the danger on the job. It may say to officers that you are essentially soldiers. And thats not what they are. They are police officers in a democracy. I think it needs to be accompanied by the message that you are still guardians, Bueermann said. Sniff said he is sensitive to the perception by critics who say police departments are increasingly becoming militarized in appearance and equipment but that these upgrades are necessary for officer safety. Contact the writer: brokos@scng.com or 951-368-9569 To draw a younger crowd, Riversides ballet arts fundraiser called Ghost Walk has been amping up the goose flesh factor for the past decade. So much so that in 2014, its nonprofit host, California Riverside Ballet, decided to assign ratings to the five tours, each with four stories at different locations. We wanted to make sure the consumer knew a little bit more about what they were getting, said Sandy Ramirez, tour organizer for the past few years. Ghost Walk celebrated its 25th anniversary this past weekend. Tours included the family friendly, mildly intriguing G-rated Things That Go Bump in the Night; the PG-rated Fear Tour with a tad more shivers; the even creepier PG-13 Run for Your Lives; and two R-rated, heart-pounding productions: Riversides Reckoning and Nightmare on Main Street. Todays more elaborate, gorier vignettes are a far cry from the straight-up stories 25 years ago read by individual narrators, Ramirez said. Teens and young adults decried these tame tales of terror as too boring and stayed away from tours that were eerie, a little spooky, but not necessarily really scary, she said. But the tours turned darker and edgier when students at local high school theater departments took over writing, directing, costuming and producing the tours a decade ago. Weve moved from story telling, leaving you with a spooky feeling, to What will happen next when I walk down the alley? Ramirez said. This past weekends R-tours featured blood-stained costumes, gruesome makeup, dead body dummies, fake weapons and actors jumping out from the shadows. There were no completely dark places and no guts spilling or dripping blood, Ramirez said. Another reason Ghost Walks tours have pumped up the adrenaline is Halloweens extended shelf life. It lasts so long, starting the middle of October all the way to Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in November, Ramirez said. Theres so much more for us to compete with. Contact the writer: llucas@scng.com, 951-368-9559 France has expressed its unflinching confidence in Ghana's economy. This explains why French investors continue to invest heavily in the country. The Prime Minister of France, Mario Valls told the media on arrival at the jubilee lounge in Accra for a two day state visit to Ghana that France, through its agency for International Development is committed to the bilateral relations with Ghana. Vice president Kwesi Amissah-Arthur received the visiting French Prime Minister on behalf of President Mahama. This year, President Mahama has on two occasions met with President Francois Hollande and discussed issues of importance to the two countries. The visit by the French Prime Minister is a follow up to those visits and will therefore go a long way to cement the bilateral relations between the two countries. He said Ghana's critical role at the UN is also another basis for the increased cordial relations between the two nations. He said France sees Ghana as a reliable ally on issues of international importance, citing Ghana's immense role during the COP 21 in Paris recently. Mr. Valls said Africa is a rising continent and that is why France wants to invest in the continent. Source: Maxwell Okamafo Addo/ email: [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 "We are pleading with JM and assuring him that as we visit our black room for the sacred ritual, we are going to pour libation to delete the picture of the NPP flagbearer from the ballot paper so come December those who decide to vote for him do not even find him. The only image they will see will be that of John Mahama," Acting President of Akwamu Traditional Council Osuogyasonu Yaw Boadu I. Three Traditional Councils in the Asuogyaman constituency in the Eastern region have declared their support for President Mahamas second term bid. Chiefs from Akwamu, Anum and Boso say the amount of developments they have witnessed only point to the fact that President Mahama must be given a second term. Acting President of Akwamu Traditional Council Osuogyasonu Yaw Boadu I made this declaration at a mini rally at Akosombo. According to the chief, the traditional authorities will soon perform sacred rituals for the image of flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Akufo-Addo to disappear from the ballot paper on December 7. We the chiefs have a ritual we perform every 40 days. Anyone who is familiar with our customs will know that its called Adae. During this ritual, what we do in the stool house and at the palace is to take stock of the good things happening in the nation and ask the nation to continue. We then find a way of remedying the bad ones. And so Akwamuman, Anumman, Bosoman and the entire Asuogyaman say JM Toaso. In conclusion, its sad that Asuogyaman constituency cannot boast of even one minister or a deputy. We are pleading with JM and assuring him that as we visit our black room for the sacred ritual, we are going to pour libation to delete the picture of the NPP flagbearer from the ballot paper so come December those who decide to vote for him do not even find him. The only image they will see will be that of John Mahama, The Chief told the excited crowd. Source: Starrfmonline.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 Hon. Dominic Nitiwul, NPP Campaign Sector Committee Chairperson on Security, has stated that an NPP government upon assuming office, will review, the defense strategy of the nation. We believe that the men and women of the Ghana Armed forces will not be focused more on combat any longer. There are other things they will be focusing on, which include anti-terrorism, protecting the territorial integrity of our nation, protecting our waters, helping the people, and engaging in activities that will help develop the nation, he said. Citing the example of the United States of America, Egypt and Israel, whose military are engaged in developmental activities aside combat operations, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul, who is also the Deputy Minority Leader in Parliament, wondered why the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, for example, who were once involved in the construction of bridges and roads, have been left redundant under the Mahama government. This, the Deputy Minority Leader assured, will change under an Akufo-Addo government, as the military will be engaged further to assist in the development of the country. Further, he stated that the review will also cover the possibility of extending the number of years a military officer is expected to serve in the army from a minimum of 25 years to 30 years. According to him, it is just right and equitable that if a civil servant retires at age 60, a military officer is not asked to retire say at 45 or at 50 years, if he or she enters the service at 20 years or at 25 years. To this end, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul has assured that the convention of allowing our men to retire after serving 25 years, particular the other ranks, will be reviewed. We will look at the possibility of adding another 5 years, and that means, unless you want to retire voluntarily, you will have the opportunity to serve a minimum of 30 years in the military. As contained in the NPPs 2016 manifesto, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul reiterated the commitment of the NPP to construct a military hospital in Tamale, to serve the needs of military officers based in the Northern part of the country. With the 37 military hospital dedicated to officers based in the Southern Command, and another military hospital being constructed in Kumasi for the Central Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul indicated that it is only right for the Northern Command to have a hospital to cater for their needs. Additionally, he assured that an NPP government, under Nana Akufo-Addo, will provide decent accommodation for the men and women in Ghanas security agencies, through the Barracks Regeneration Programme, to ensure that our men and women serving in security agencies are given good and decent accommodation. 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 news that is sure to shock precisely nobody, research has found that drug sniffer dog operations by New South Wales Police disproportionately target areas with high Indigenous populations. The research from the Greens found that a person is 6.5 times more likely to be searched by a drug sniffer dog in the five areas of Sydney with the highest populations of Indigenous people aged 18 35. Greens MLC David Shoebridge, a longtime critic of the sniffer dog program, which he argues is ineffective, discriminatory and possibly dangerous, says that this data merely proves the wrongheadedness of NSWs program. This data confirms a long-running suspicion about the police drug dog program, he told the Sydney Morning Herald. The police have never been able to explain why a train station like Redfern, with a high population of students and Aboriginal people, is constantly hit with drug dogs despite having one of the worst results at finding drugs. The research, which analysed census data and available police statistics, also found that sniffer dogs are generally pretty woeful when it comes to actually finding drugs with more than half of searches in 90% of police commands turning up nothing. The analysis also found also quite obviously a socioeconomic factor: a $10,000 dollar decrease in an areas average annual income resulted in a 1.3 per cent increase in search activity. Maybe its just hard to get sniffer dogs into the VIP areas in Double Bay. Who knows. A police spokesperson disputed the data to the Herald, claiming that demographics are not taken into account when planning sniffer dog operations. The demographics of an area are not taken into account in these decisions. Decisions on where to deploy detection dogs are intelligence-based and focus on locations where the use and supply of illicit drugs is known to have an increased prevalence. Shoebridge and the Greens maintain a Facebook page named Sniff Off! which advocates for sniffer dog reform and encourages users to identify the whereabouts of known sniffer operations. Source: The Sydney Morning Herald. Photo: Getty Images. University of Sydney students, both past are present, are mourning the death of the quadrangles iconic jacaranda tree, which yesterday collapsed. Professional arborists were called in to remove what was left just hours after the sad news surfaced: Because it was a giant among trees, floral tributes are being placed at the former of the 88-year-old tree, propped up against the nearest sandstone wall in loving memory. Stopped by the @Sydney_Uni Quadrangle on my way to @CFFSydney. Sadly, the reports are true. RIP #jacarandatree pic.twitter.com/uKD8MaFr5j Craig Bromley (@bromleyca) October 29, 2016 Its expected the number of funereal bouquets will increase dramatically tomorrow, when students return for the first day of study since the trees untimely demise. Meanwhile, its being remembered on social media as iconic, magical and Sydney Unis only redeeming feature. The tree has been standing tall since 1928; it was the subject of enduring student folklore, for any undergrad who hadnt started studying for finals before the trees first bloom appeared was doomed to fail. The community is finding some small comfort in the unis promise that, eventually, a direct descendent of the original jacaranda will stand in its place. In 2014 the University advised that that the jacaranda was nearing the end of its natural life and hired a specialist jacaranda grower to take cuttings, read a statement. Grafted onto the base of other jacarandas, the cuttings have produced two clones. This means that the University will be able to replace the jacaranda with genetically identical stock. Until then, we mourn. Photo: Honi Soit. The management behind Dreamworld have hired a senior Queensland police officer to provide specialist advice as they try and rebuild the parks brand and reputation following this weeks tragedy. Inspector Mike McKay has been with QPS for 41 years he has worked in criminal investigation and counter-terrorism and will now work with Dreamworld CEO Craig Davidson, at the personal recommendation of the states Police Commissioner. Ardent Leisure head Deborah Thomas said of the theme parks next move: I have asked the Dreamworld CEO, Craig Davidson, to develop a structured program of community healing to work with the families, authorities, the government, non-government organisations and the public to rebuild trust and confidence in Dreamworld. Then and only then can we think about reopening our Park. On McKays previous track record, she added: Mike is one of Queenslands foremost community recovery experts. Mike worked closely with the Lockyer Valley community on its healing process following the devastating 2011 floods. He was an integral part of the team that led the rebuilding of the town of Grantham on higher ground following the floods. He was also involved with the Cyclone Larry community recovery in North Queensland, where he was a close adviser to Sir Peter Cosgrove, Governor-General of Australia. Dreamworld has suffered an absolute tragedy. It has devastated families and our surrounding community. We need to rebuild. The rebuilding will start with people. Dreamworld remains a crime scene, as police investigate the site of last Tuesdays fatal accident, and the park will remain closed at least until the funerals of the four people who died. Queensland has launched a state-wide safety blitz of its theme parks, with Employment and Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace saying the move is necessary to restore public confidence before the Christmas holidays. Source: Dreamworld. Photo: Glenn Hunt / Getty. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given Malcolm Turnbull a call to express deep concern over the killing of Brisbane bus driver Manmeet Alisher, who was killed on Friday after an incendiary device was allegedly hurled through the window of the bus he was driving in Morooka. There has been some suspicion that the attack on Alisher who was a respected member of the Brisbane Punjabi community was a hate crime, though authorities claim that there is no current evidence which supports that assertion. Vikas Swarup, spokesperson for Indias Ministry of External Affairs, confirmed in a statement that Modi had called Turnbull. PM speaks to Australian PM Turnbull to convey Diwali greetings, expresses concern over killing of Manmeet Alisher https://t.co/HKJA2n5jFq Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) October 30, 2016 The statement addresses the PMs concern: Prime Minister Modi also conveyed a sense of concern being felt in India over the recent brutal killing of Mr. Manmeet Alisher, a person of Indian origin, in Australia. Prime Minister Turnbull expressed shock at the killing and conveyed that the matter is being investigated. Alishers death evokes the 2009 crisis involving attacks on Indian students, which caused a 40% drop in Indian enrolments in Australian universities and sparked wide protests. Anthony ODonohue, 48, has been charged with the killing, along with arson and 11 counts of attempted murder. Source: The Guardian. Photo: Supplied. Just when you think things couldnt get worse for offshore detainees, the Federal Government has announced its intention to totally ban refugees and asylum seekers currently detained on Manus Island or Nauru from ever entering Australia. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the move, which aims to enshrine the governments position on offshore detainees into law, will serve as a message to people smugglers that Australia is closed to irregular maritime arrivals. Turnbull said a harmonious Australia relies on the government sending a united and concerted answer to the people smugglers, that if they seek to bring people to Australia, those passengers will never settle in this country. They must know that the door to Australia is closed to those who seek to come here by boat with a people smuggler. Legislation will be brought to Parliament next month to amend the Migration Act, barring anyone placed in offshore detention from mid-2013 from ever receiving any Australian visa whatsoever. Legitimate refugees are included under that proposed legislation. Those who were placed in offshore detention facilities as children are the only exemptions. This landmark policy stance comes shortly after Amnesty Internationals bombshell Island of Despair report found the Australian government and its contractors treat detainees on Nauru in a way that amounts to torture with the primary goal of deterring would-be refugees and asylum seekers. Already, the announcement has received heavy condemnation. Save The Childrens Mat Tinkler expressed similar concerns, saying these kinds of announcements can lead to significant unrest and despair among the refugees and asylum seekers who are barely hanging on. David Manne of the Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre echoed that sentiment, saying the move represents a life sentence on innocent individuals. Govts proposal to extend visa ban on people seeking #asylum by boat seeks to impose a life sentence on innocent people fleeing abuse. David Manne (@david_manne) October 30, 2016 Proposed #refugee visa ban laws would impose a life-long sentence on victims of persecution & set another very dangerous precedent. David Manne (@david_manne) October 30, 2016 The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre has branded the proposed laws racist and illegal, and the organisation has vowed to fight their implementation. Source and photo: ABC. The brother of murdered Brisbane bus driver Manmeet Sharma who was killed after being set alight by a passenger in a horrific attack on Friday morning has revealed his parents still dont know about their sons death. Amit Alisher spoke to Fairfax Media on his way from India, their home country, to the Aussie capital city, crying as he explained he didnt think the elderly couple could cope with the news. They are too old my father is 70 they wont be able to take it, he said. His parents have instead been told their second son is alive, but seriously injured after being involved in a road accident. I have told them he is in hospital after getting hurt in a road accident and thats why I am going to see him in Brisbane. My aunts, uncles and cousins are being very careful they are not visiting at the same time to avoid alarming them. Amit plans on breaking the tragic news gradually, because hes scared my father will have a heart attack. First Im going to say his condition has worsened and then then I will have to tell them that Manmeet has gone. The alleged murderer of 29-year-old Manmeet who was a popular figure in Brisbanes Punjabi community and well-known as a musician yesterday appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court and was remanded in custody on 13 charges. The lawyer for Anthony ODonohue, 48, said his client had given no explanation for the heinous attack at a Moorooka bus stop. Manmeet was due to fly home to his familys village in Sangrur in Punjab, north India, on December 15. Source: Brisbane Times. Photo: Facebook. After a rough month for Donald Trump, where he oscillated between being Americas populist right-wing hero and some kind of detestable sex lunatic, he has fresh wind beneath his wings all because Clintons emails are back in the news cycle again, and voters are noticing. We reported on the weekend that Clintons campaign copped a pizzling thanks to a reopened FBI probe into the frankly moronic private email server she had set up while she was Secretary of State. It was especially galling because the probe was back because of an unrelated FBI probe into perv former congressman Anthony Weiner, husband to top Clinton aide Huma Abedin, who was being investigated for sexting a teenager. Now, the Trump and Clinton campaigns are duelling. Clinton is still in the lead in the polls, but her firm grip after the Trump sex scandals has narrowed. An ABC News/Washington Post tracking poll released Sunday showed Clinton ahead 46% to 45%, which is narrower than the two-point lead the same poll gave her only one day before. Also according to polls, 3 in 10 Americans say that the new revelations about emails would make them less likely to vote Clinton. Its reported that that number is mostly made up of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents though, which might not bode so poorly for Clinton after all. Weekend polling is notoriously unreliable, so well have to see over the coming days whether this has actually affected anything much at all. Obviously the FBI is treading very carefully around the appearance of influencing the election reported today indicated that staffers at the bureau knew about the fact new emails may have been found for some time before informing director James Comey. Its quite rare for the FBI to inform the public about something like this once an investigation has closed. But its clear the email stuff has shaken her and her camp. Clinton said the FBIs move was unprecedented and deeply troubling, and is clearly cognisant of the fact that being under investigation by federal law enforcement while Americans go to the polls is not a particularly stellar look. VIDEO: FBI probe statement deeply troubling, says Hillary Clinton pic.twitter.com/WFNCe0Q8kI TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) October 30, 2016 FiveThirtyEights generally respected poll-of-polls model still pegs a Clinton win as pretty damn likely just look at these figures. But Clinton was far further ahead even a week ago. Once again, this election seems to have become a debate not so much of policy but of which candidate has perpetrated the biggest crimes. Inspiring stuff for America. Source: Twitter / FiveThirtyEight. Photo: Getty Images. Last week, Kanye fanned the flames of internet drama with a comment about how his daughter North West has never had a playdate with Jay-Zs offspring Blue Ivy, suggesting a rift between the pair. Kanye made further remarks implying that Jay is somehow holding up the release of his collaborative album with Drake, via some unspecified shenanigans between Apple Music and Jays own streaming service, Tidal. Things escalated further when a music industry source blabbed to the New York Post about the two mens relationship, saying that Jay secretly cant stand Kanye, and only tolerates him because of their professional relationship. Now comes the big momma of all tabloid gossip tales yet another New York Post piece that ran this weekend, implying that the real source of the tension is, in fact, Beyonces dislike of Kanyes wife Kim Kardashian. This latest shady, no-good attention-seeker anonymous source told Page Six that cracks began to show when Bey and Jay failed to rock up to Kimyes wedding, and that: Beyonce has never genuinely liked Kim. Shes mostly tolerated her because of their husbands friendship and [their] mutual friends, like Jennifer Lopez. She is always a little icy to Kim. The last time they hung out, the minute Beyonce could leave the conversation, she did. They always have lots of awkward pauses. A rep for Yonce has called the claims ridiculous to say the least, but then, what else would her rep say? Kims a moll and Page Six is right on the money with this one? Yeah, no, I dont think so. Meanwhile, a separate source has claimed: Kanye is likely trying to distance himself from Tidal so he can collect a bigger check from Apple. There will never be a Watch the Throne 2 because Kanye is a nightmare to work with and Jays not going to deal with that again. Source: Page Six. Photo: Kevin Mazur / Getty. We value your privacy. Focus Taiwan (CNA) uses tracking technologies to provide better reading experiences, but it also respects readers' privacy. Click here to find out more about Focus Taiwan's privacy policy. When you close this window, it means you agree with this policy. Georgia Love broke the nations still-fragile heart this week when she chose Lee Elliott over poor, handsome Matty Johnson, but on the other hand, her efforts to keep her relationship a secret might have exposed a legitimate flaw in our national security. Per reports this weekend, Love and Elliott revealed that, in order to keep their relationship a secret in the lead-up to the finale, and keep thirsty paps at bay, they boarded domestic flights using fake names. Elliott travelled under the name Michael Cameron, while Love, bless her heart, went by the name Rose DeWitt, which is the Kate Winslet character from Titanic. (She shouldve really gone by Rose Dawson, but thats neither here nor there). Elliott said of their ruse: As long as you dont check any luggage in, youre fine. You check in online. Most domestic airports in Australia offer self-service check-ins, meaning youre basically on the honour system as to whether you give your true identity when getting ready to fly. Currently, the Australian Federal Police have no general authority to request identification material from passengers at airports, and can only do so if they think a crime has been committed. Earlier this year, aviation security expert Roger Henning warned of the dangers of the current system, saying its really only a matter of time before all this catches up with us. If they can [make you show ID] at an RSL, they can do it an airport. Yesterday, Georgia took to Instagram to thank her supporters, and sing the praises of the amazing Lee. Source: Daily Mail. Photo: Georgia Love / Instagram. Despite what various corners of the internet might tell you, its actually pretty easy to wear an inoffensive Halloween costume in 2016. Are you dressing up in the native costume of another culture? Are you darkening the colour of your skin to honour your favourite celebrity? If the answer to both of those questions is NO, then ding ding ding! Youre onto a winner. Which brings us to Hilary Duff, who has somehow found herself immune to the important conversations about cultural appropriation and white privilege that are going on literally all the time. She and her boyfriend Jason Walsh marked their first red carpet appearance together at the annual Casamigos Tequila Halloween bash in Beverly Hills thrown by George Clooney, Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman in a cutesy-vomit couples costume consisting of one Native American (Walsh) and one Sexy Pilgrim (Duff). Yikes. The public were pretty mad, not least because it comes as the months-long protest by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota against a proposed oil pipeline that would run near their reservation comes to a head. No @HilaryDuff Traditional dress is not a costume and you being dressed as a pilgrim proves to me how insensitive and ignorant you are. https://t.co/0NvP6DD79I LOOKING FOR CLS EP (@hahannah14) October 29, 2016 .@HilaryDuff on any given day this is disgusting but considering what literally JUST happened at #NODAPL this is especially evil fadumo (@faaaadumo) October 29, 2016 @HilaryDuff your halloween costume is ignorant and incredibly disappointing. Come on lizzy mcguire Feel like Gordo wouldve stopped this Emily (@ejlouws) October 30, 2016 Yeah, where we YOU, mate? Duff has now fronted up and apologised for the costumes, admitting that it was not properly thought through. I am SO sorry to people I offended with my costume.It was not properly thought through and I am truly, from the bottom of my ??sorry. Hilary Duff (@HilaryDuff) October 30, 2016 If youve seen the recent apology from Chris Hemsworth for his Native American costume over New Years, that was also in relation to the Standing Rock protests, where the tribe has been protesting since April against the $3.7 billion pipeline that would move 470,000 barrels of domestic crude oil a day through four state. Theyve been joined by hundreds of non-Native American allies from across the country, plus protesters from around the world including Australia fighting against what they see as an environmental threat and an assault on sacred land. The biggest confrontation of the protest, which has at times turned violent, came last Thursday, when police used rubber bullets, pepper spray and water cannons to disperse the protesters, arresting 141 people in total. Photo: Getty / Michael Kovac. BELFANTI 2003.JPG Robert E. Belfanti (File photo) A former lawmaker who spent three decades in the state House representing central Pennsylvania has died. Robert E. Belfanti Jr. was 68. He died Saturday at home in Northumberland County surrounded by family members after a long battle with serious medical problems, according to his obituary. First elected in 1980 in 107th District, Belfanti bucked Democratic leaders in a successful effort to save what was then Shamokin State General Hospital from divestiture and also helped secure funding for local highway projects such as the widening of Route 901 from Locust Summit to Interstate 81. Belfanti's district covered Columbia, Montour, Northumberland and Schuylkill counties. He was elected to 15 terms before medical issues caused him to retire. According to a biography on the Pennsylvania House of Representatives website, Belfanti was born in Danville and graduated from Mount Carmel High School and the University of North Carolina. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1967-1971 and had worked as a residential contractor. He was a past member of the Northumberland County Parks and Recreation Commission, a member of the Pennsylvania Young Democrats from 1972 to 1980, a member of the Democratic State Committee from 1976 to 1980 and had been appointed to the Pennsylvania Unemployment Advisory Council and from 1989 to 1995 to the Pennsylvania MILRITE Council. Retiring from public service in 2010, he enjoyed spending time in later years with his family, especially his grandchildren, at a campground near Winfield. Services will be Wednesday in Mt. Carmel. Man-carries-girl-out-of-chinese-restaurant-in-PA.jpg Police in Sunbury, Pa., are hunting for this man who ordered at a Chinese restaurant, paid, and then hauled a girl out of a restaurant restroom and carried her away over his shoulder Saturday afternoon. (screen shot/Sunbury Police) UPDATE: Police in Sunbury, Pa., are hunting for a man who ordered at a Chinese restaurant, paid, and then hauled a girl out of a restaurant restroom and carried her away over his shoulder Saturday afternoon. According to the Daily Item, the suspect has a scruffy beard with no mustache and is wearing a grey t-shirt with red shorts. He fled with the girl in a Chevrolet Silverado extended cab pickup truck, according to the police account cited by the Daily Item, which adds: The missing girl is described by police as having blond hair and was wearing a grey backpack and turquoise pants with brown boots. The incident happened at the Great Wall restaurant on Sunbury's Market Street at 2:20 p.m. Saturday. Sunbury police released an image showing the man hauling away the girl over his shoulder. Anyone with information is asked to call Sunbury police at (570) 286-4587 or call 911 for an officer. UPDATE: Sunbury police did not immediately return a reporter's phone call seeking additional information on this story. A Northumberland County EMS dispatcher said Sunbury police were preparing to update the media on any developments in the case with a press release to be issued sometime Sunday morning. It was a 24-21 win for Penn State, but it was also a $30,000 loss for State College. A week after the riot involving between 5,000 and 10,000 people following Penn State beating Ohio State in a last-minute upset, police in State College are still looking for several suspects whom they say are responsible for the damage done along the 200 block of East Beaver Avenue, which included downed streetlights, small fires and one injury. Police late last week released several photos of the riot, hoping to get the public's help in identifying the suspects. They recently released several more. No charges have been filed. Anyone with information or who may be able to identify those pictured in these photos should contact the police, 814-234-7150. Lagniappe Brian Scheid: Would the US ever attend an OPEC meeting? Fuel for thought My diplomacy was always aimed at the Saudis who were the major player in OPEC and, at that time, they always helped us, Richardson said. The recent invitation by OPEC for US officials to join in production freeze talks is clearly a nod to the production powerhouse Americas has become as a result of the shale revolution. But it wasn't always that way. Just ask former US Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, who, 16 years ago, was the point person in talks with Saudi Arabia to boost production, which would keep US gasoline prices stable. Richardson's tenure from 1998 through 2000 came at a much different time for both the US' relations with OPEC and its role in the world oil market. For one, the US was producing only about 5.9 million b/d and was in the midst of a historic supply decline that would crater at about 3.9 million b/d by October 2005. In the spring of 2000, Richardson was urging Saudi Arabia through phone calls and what he called quiet diplomacy to orchestrate an OPEC production increase as the Clinton administration was worried about a crude oil price spike. That price spike had brought prices to over $34/b, a level which roughly 15 years later would create a crisis for producers and a boon for consumers. And OPEC has also changed significantly, Richardson said. It's a different OPEC, Richardson said in an interview with S&P Global Platts. Today, they're not unified, there are more players and while the Saudis are still the leaders, they're no longer as friendly to us as they used to be nor can they totally dictate [prices]. For the full interview with Bill Richardson, listen to the Capitol Crude podcast here: Quiet diplomacy': The US relationship with OPEC oil production Earlier this month, the Obama administration turned down an invitation from OPEC to join in the production freeze talks in Vienna. The US government's absence at the OPEC meeting will not be a surprise to anyone. Representatives of Texas and Alaska attended a meeting with non-OPEC producers nearly 30 years ago and US producers have attended OPEC seminars in the past. But attendance by a US government official would be unprecedented, said Bob McNally, a longtime OPEC observer and president of The Rapidan Group. The US government has never participated in an OPEC meeting aimed at managing the market, McNally said. And with no direct control over US crude oil output, US government officials would have little to contribute at such a meeting. In addition, the growth of US shale oil production has changed the way the US government views OPEC. Bill Richardson's oil diplomacy in 2000 When OPEC reached an agreement to boost production in March 2000, Richardson spent the days leading up to that agreement on the phone with Ali al-Naimi, who was Saudi Arabia's oil minister at the time. Richardson was tasked with getting the Saudis to broker an OPEC-wide production increase to help counter the increase in crude oil and gasoline prices in the US. Richardson told S&P Global Platts that his diplomatic focus at the time was almost exclusively on Saudi Arabia and always focused at balancing the market. My diplomacy was always aimed at the Saudis who were the major player in OPEC and, at that time, they always helped us, Richardson said. I've got to say that they always would listen to my pleas to either cut production, increase production or leave production alone. Our objective was to stabilize prices. But despite his frequent phone calls and visits with Saudi Arabia and other OPEC producers, Richardson said he would have also rejected an invitation to take part in an OPEC meeting at the time, as the Obama administration did. I would have rejected it also because our policy has always been to let the market dictate prices not OPEC and not production increases and production cuts, Richardson said. At the same time, the importance of OPEC decisions have seemingly less relevance to US policy, at least at the White House. A day after the 2000 OPEC decision, President Clinton led off his news conference calling it good news for our economy and for the American consumer. By comparison, during a September 29 press briefing, held a day after OPEC announced the possible agreement to cut production, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest did not mention OPEC nor oil prices and was not asked a single question about it. The relationship has changed for the better, Richardson said. It's better for us, he said. We don't want to be subject to the volatility of the Middle East, but we still have to be conscious of our friends. We want our friends in the Middle East, like the Saudis, like the UAE, like Qatar, to have good relationships with us. Brian Scheid is senior editor, oil news, at Platts. Petroleumworld does not necessarily share these views. Editor's Note: This commentary was originally published by The Barrel blog Platts on Oct. 24, 2016. Petroleumworld reprint this article in the interest of our readers. All comments posted and published on Petroleumworld, do not reflect either for or against the opinion expressed in the comment as an endorsement of Petroleumworld. All comments expressed are private comments and do not necessary reflect the view of this website. All comments are posted and published without liability to Petroleumworld. 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Any question or suggestions, please write to: editor@petroleumworld.com Best Viewed with IE 5.01+ Windows NT 4.0, '95, '98,ME,XP, Vista, Windows 7,8 +/ 800x600 pixels The Ibero-American summit, Venezuela's crisis and Colombia peace, the issues Venezuela crisis, Colombia peace dominate Latin American summit CARTAGENA, Colombia Petroleumworld.com 10 31 2016 Venezuela's fast-escalating political crisis and Colombia's stuttering peace process dominated the Ibero-American Summit on Saturday, despite an official agenda about youth, entrepreneurship and education. While leaders from around Latin America, as well as Portugal and Spain, approved a resolution calling for more support for youthful business owners and students, speeches also touched heavily on the two South American countries. Venezuela's socialist government is facing an escalation of opposition protests after electoral authorities suspended a referendum on President Nicolas Maduro's rule that could have led to his departure from office. "The neighboring country is suffering a tremendous economic crisis and also a crisis of political rights and also I would say human rights," Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, a former investment banker, told the leaders in the Colombian coastal city of Cartagena. "There's no eagerness to interfere in what happens in other countries," he said. "But there is eagerness to insure all Latin Americans progress and not regress." Antonio Guterres, the secretary general-elect of the United Nations, said Venezuela was discussed during the leaders' closed-door lunch. "I think there was a very clear consensus there is not a solution to Venezuela's problems...without a constructive dialogue between the parties," he said. Maduro's popularity has plummeted during a deep economic crisis. He was not in attendance at the summit, his foreign minister Delcy Rodriguez said, because he was preparing for a Sunday meeting with the opposition. Venezuela, despite having the world's largest oil reserves, is mired in a prolonged recession and facing food shortages. Critics say Maduro, 53, has kept a grip on power by side-lining lawmakers, arresting opponents and squashing the referendum. He says foes want to topple him illegally. Colombia, meanwhile, is scrambling to save a hard-won peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. The deal, hammered out over almost four years of negotiations, was narrowly rejected in a plebiscite vote this month. President Juan Manuel Santos has met with the opposition to hear their concerns, and government negotiators are modifying the accord with FARC leadership in Cuba. Leaders at the summit repeatedly expressed support for the peace process on Saturday. The 52-year war has killed nearly a quarter of a million people. In a separate statement, the leaders called upon the United Kingdom and Argentina to continue negotiations about the fate of the Falkland Islands, which Argentina calls the Malvinas, and find a "definitive solution" to their long-running dispute. OPEC and other producers not ready yet to limit oil supply OPEC splits prevent deal, output-cut accord hinges on positions of Iran and Iraq LONDON/VIENNA Petroleumworld.com 10 31 2016 OPEC's internal disagreements over how to implement oil-supply cuts agreed to last month prevented a deal to secure the cooperation of other major suppliers. More than 18 hours of talks over two days in Vienna yielded little more than a promise that the world's largest oil producers would keep on talking. Discussions will continue in late November, just days before the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is supposed to finalize the accord that lifted oil prices to one-year highs. Non-OPEC nations ended talks with the group on Saturday without making any supply commitments, Brazil's Oil and Gas Secretary Marcio Felix said after the meeting. Brazil won't restrict its oil production, though it's willing as early as next year to host future OPEC conferences with the world's biggest producers, he said in a phone interview. Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Natiq Aliyev said the outcome of the process hinges on Iran and Iraq, two nations that are more interested in increasing production than reducing it. While Saturday's meeting was a successful first step, oil-producing nations need to continue dialog and come up with real numbers before cuts can begin, Kazakhstan's Deputy Energy Minister Magzum Mirzagaliyev said in an interview after the meeting. Risk of Failure A deal wasn't possible because internal OPEC talks on Friday reached an impasse over the role of Iran and Iraq, both of which want to be exempt from any cuts. While non-member Oman said Saturday it was willing to cooperate in a supply deal, it couldn't commit to a specific output cut until OPEC had its own agreement. OPEC's surprise agreement in Algiers to make the first supply cuts in eight years will only make a serious dent in a record oil surplus if producers outside the group join in. While the accord helped push oil prices to a 15-month high above $50 a barrel earlier this month, they have subsequently fallen as several members disputed the production estimates that would determine the size of cuts. Failure to implement last month's accord will hurt oil producers, the organization's top official warned. OPEC agreed in the Algerian capital on Sept. 28 to reduce output to a range of 32.5 million to 33 million barrels a day, compared with about 33.4 million in September. Friday's meeting of technical experts from members of the group was intended to finalize details of how those supply curbs would be shared. Talks with non-OPEC nations on Saturday sought to seek wider participation in cuts. No Limits None of the countries that attended Friday's meeting specified how much they are willing to cut, said one delegate, who asked not to be identified because the meeting was private. Progress was made on the methodology to be used for allocating individual production curbs, the delegate said. On Saturday, no concrete output limits for non-OPEC countries were discussed, two participants said. Attendees did discuss differences between nations' own oil-production data and sources used in OPEC's own estimates, which have been disputed by members including Iran, Iraq and Venezuela, one of the people said. Russia reiterated that it is willing to freeze production, rather than cut, but only if there is an internal OPEC agreement first, the people said. The largest producer outside OPEC is pumping at a post-Soviet record of about 11.1 million barrels a day. Maximum Commitment' As the meeting opened in Vienna, OPEC Secretary-General Mohammed Barkindo warned of the consequences if producers don't follow through on the Algiers agreement. The price recovery has already taken far too long and producers can't risk delaying it further, he said. Anything short of implementation of this accord could lead to the elongation of the rebalancing process, with further deterioration of financial conditions and setbacks in investments extending into a third year, which would be unprecedented, Barkindo said, according to a transcript of his speech posted on OPEC's website. We should be calling for maximum commitment from all OPEC and non-OPEC countries. Representatives of Azerbaijan, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Oman and Russia attended Saturday's meeting with officials from OPEC member states. Those countries collectively produced about 19.6 million barrels a day of oil last year, about 21 percent of global supply and equivalent to half of OPEC's output, according to BP Plc's Statistical Review of World Energy. No Cuts Oman is willing to cut production as part of a deal with other producers, but is waiting for OPEC to reach an internal agreement before deciding on the size of its own supply reduction, said Ali al Riyami, the nation's representative at the meeting in Vienna. The Middle Eastern nation pumped about 1 million barrels a day in May. Brazil attended the talks only as an observer, Felix said before the meeting. The Latin American country will boost output by 290,000 barrels a day next year to 2.9 million a day, the biggest increase of any non-OPEC nation, according to the International Energy Agency. Production will keep growing for the next few years, Felix said. Brazil's output is decided by publicly traded companies, he said. There is nothing the government can do about it.' Kazakhstan also plans to boost output next year following the restart this month of the $50 billion Kashagan oil field after 16 years of development. The field is currently pumping about 100,000 barrels day, which should rise to 200,000 by year-end and 370,000 by the end of 2017, Italian oil company Eni SpA said Friday. The Kashagan launch is a huge deal for us and we are not ready to abandon it, we are not planning that, said Mirzagaliyev, the nation's deputy energy minister. Doug Nitek is a suspect in the killing of a Rusk County (WI) deputy. (Photo: Barron County SO) A Rusk County (WI) Sheriff's deputy was shot and killed after responding to a call about a suspicious vehicle Saturday night. Deputy Dan Glaze responded to a call about a suspicious vehicle on Broken Arrow Road east of Highway 27 just south of Ladysmith around 10:55 p.m. Saturday night. He radioed back to the department that he had found the vehicle in the field. Dispatch lost contact with Glaze and when backup arrived minutes later, they found the deputy had been shot and killed. Suspect Doug Nitek was captured Sunday morning by an Eau Claire County SWAT team after a standoff at a residence, WEAU TV reports. Sworn personnel from the Rusk County Sheriff's Department, the Ladysmith and Rice Lake Police Departments, the Barron, Washburn, Sawyer, and Eau Claire County SWAT teams, and the Wisconsin DNR responded to the incident. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print By Roberta Rampton DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) Heading into the homestretch of the presidential campaign, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton is looking to harness some celebrity star power to help get out the vote and energize volunteers in battleground states. Jennifer Lopez will headline a free concert for Clinton supporters in Miami on Saturday, giving the former secretary of state a chance to connect with the key demographic of millennials she has sometimes struggled to reach and some visual counter-programming to the latest email controversy to roil her race for the White House. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Friday it is investigating more emails as part of a probe into Clintons use of a private email system a late-breaking surprise that will likely continue to get extensive media play leading up to the Nov. 8 vote Celebrity-driven events like the concert can serve as a bit of a distraction from the controversy, said Eric Kasper, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. It is a way to kind of take the edge off things because it tends to be more positive, Kasper said. The JLo concert is the first in a series. Next week, Clinton will take the stage with Jay Z in Cleveland, and then with Katy Perry in Philadelphia on Nov. 5. A Harvard University poll this week showed that among likely voters aged 18 to 29, Clinton is leading Republican rival Donald Trump, a celebrity in his own right who starred in the reality television show The Apprentice. But turnout is a concern. The exceptionally negative tone of this years race for the White House has soured young Americans on politics, Reuters/Ipsos polling shows. Presidential candidates have long sought to create buzz with help from celebrity pals, said Tevi Troy, who chronicled the strategy in his book What Jefferson Read, Ike Watched, and Obama Tweeted: 200 Years of Pop Culture in the White House. Campaigns do it to reach out to people who are not necessarily interested in politics but are interested in pop culture, said Troy, a presidential historian who worked in the George W. Bush White House. The events are like a larger version of a campaign yard sign, a way to show a groundswell of support behind a candidate and a way to appeal to fans of the musicians, said Kasper, who has studied the intersection between pop culture and politics. It can create a kind of psychological connection that we otherwise might not have when a politician endorses a presidential candidate, for instance, Kasper said. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Leslie Adler) Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print *The following is an opinion column by R Muse* It may be the understatement of the year to say the Republican Party is on the verge of a full-on civil war, and it may be obvious to many Americans that the blame for the inter-party discord is its standard bearer Donald J. Trump. However much Trumps candidacy has contributed to the tensions between establishment types terrified of Trumps reckless disregard for the longevity of the party and rebellion-minded Trump supporters, the real instigators are the Koch brothers. Although the oil magnates were never on the Trump bandwagon, they are responsible for the Trump loyalists within the GOP who were part of the teabagger movement intent on disrupting the nations political system and indeed, the workings of government itself. The tea party caucus, an extremist sect that succeeded in chasing former House Speaker John A. Boehner out of Congress, morphed into the inaptly- named Freedom caucus that has embraced Trump are set to set fire to the party establishment and it isnt solely to put current Speaker Paul Ryan out of a job, although that is high on the Trump supporters to-do list. As noted in Wednesdays New York Times, Mr. Trumps supporters said they were determined to harness the anti-establishment energy that Mr. Trump had catalyzed and to refocus it on the Republican leadership in Congress a target many of them seemeager to take down. The right-wing extremist that actually took down former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, conservative extremist and House Freedom Caucus member David Brat, issued a warning to establishment Republicans: Theres a huge chunk of people who want to see a fight taken to D.C. Leadership comes and smacks our guy? Thats where youre going to put down a marker? Really? And the American people are just scratching their head saying, Really? Thats rich. Brat has been a thorn in the establishments side since Paul Ryan became Speaker and he joins a dangerous number of real conservatives who cannot understand or comport with Ryan and establishment leaders who dared criticize Trump instead of using their majority advantage to go after Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump and a few of his senior aides are prodding extremist conservatives to revolt against the establishment leadership after the election for not defending Trump. In fact, besides assailing Ryan for not sticking by Trump, it is reported that Trump said privately that Ryan should be made to pay a heavy price for disloyalty to the Trump candidacy. And, during an interview with Reuters he complained that The people are very angry with the leadership of this party, because this is an election that we will win, 100 percent, if we had support from the top. Win or lose, there is going to be a major blood-letting after the election and the establishment, although powerful, may face a Herculean task to save the party. This impending conflict within the GOP has been brewing longer than Donald Trump has been a candidate and it may be why he brought on an experienced anti-establishment devotee to run his campaign. The chairman of Breitbart News, Stephen Bannon, had made it one of his primary goals to get Paul Ryan out as House Speaker because he is not a true conservative intent on tearing government down to restructure it into an uber-conservative paradise. And uber-conservative is just a different way of saying a non-government according to the Koch brothers vision of American libertarianism. Dont believe it? Two groups closely aligned with the Koch brothers, Heritage Action for America and FreedomWorks, have been pushing Republicans as a Party to adopt more extremist positions and see the civil war as a stellar opportunity to have greater influence over the partys decisions; something establishment types are resisting. Over the past few days, leaders of both Koch groups joined extremist conservatives in calling to delay a vote on selecting a candidate to be the next, or new, speaker of the House; something typically occurring directly after the general election in November regardless the outcome. According to the chief executive of Heritage Action, Michael Needham, there is going to be Hell to pay for establishment Republicans if they dont bend to the will of the extremist wing created by the Kochs and heavily courted by Donald Trump. Mr. Needham said, If the party doesnt learn lessons and change based on whats gone on for the last year and a half, I think its going to be just catastrophe. Another conservative extremist, House Freedom Caucus member and ardent Donald Trump supporter echoed Needhams sentiment and said, You cant ignore what millions and millions of people have expressed in this election cycle. The dilemma for Republicans after the election, no matter the outcome, is maintaining a semblance of stability as a political party. That doesnt seem likely because if Trump loses, big or small, the extremists will unleash whatever level of Hell they can muster on the establishment for daring to criticize any of Trumps more outrageous and dangerous comments on the stump. If Trump wins, the extremists will be emboldened to purge the party of any disloyal establishment types and it appears that no matter what happens on November 8, it will not be the end of hostilities among Republicans. The Republican Party establishment is in for a reckoning with an extremist wing that was once content threatening the full faith and credit of the United States or shutting down the government as a show of anger. After four years of internal bickering over what it means to be a true conservative, and the past year-and-a-half of incitement by Donald Trump, the Republican Party faces a serious threat to its long-term survival. It is a threat that began about six years ago when the Koch brothers ushered in an age of extremist conservatives that Donald Trump took advantage of to seize control of the Republican Party. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Senate Democrats arent playing around with FBI Director James Comey. Four top Democrats sent Comey and Attorney General Loretta Lynch a letter demanding details on the emails that the FBI is investigating by Monday. In the letter, Sens. Carper, Leahy, Feinstein, and Cardin wrote: Senate Democrats arent fooling around. They want answers, and they want them right now. As more details become known, FBI Director Comeys motives have come under criticism. Comey was advised by Attorney General Lynch not to send his letter until after the election, but he sent it anyway. Comey worried to FBI employees that his letter would be misunderstood, but he could have easily avoided any misunderstanding by either being specific in his letter or not sending the letter at all. It is becoming difficult to look at Comeys actions in an objective manner and not see partisan political motivations. The FBI Director has interfered in a presidential election with new emails that have nothing to do with the Democratic nominee, but can be used by her opponents for political purposes. Democrats are demanding answers, and if James Comey doesnt answer their questions by Monday, he will be forced to under oath if the Democratic Party wins a majority of seats in the Senate. Either way, Comeys October surprise has blown up in his own face. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Gabriel Sherman writes at New York Mag that when Donald Trump attacked the Khan family over Khizr Khans speech at the Democratic National Convention, he had no idea what a Gold Star family was. You will remember that Khizr Khan stood up in front of the entire world and said to Donald Trump, Let me ask you, Have you even read the United States Consitution? I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words liberty and equal protection of the law. The fallout was predictable. Donald Trump, openly criticized, lost it. He attacked the Khans religious beliefs, saying If you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say. She probably, maybe she wasnt allowed to have anything to say. Now it turns out that he had no idea what he was doing. Because he is ignorant, and because, as Mark Cuban has observed, he isnt interested in learning anything. Gabriel Sherman explains: You do know you just attacked a Gold Star family? one adviser warned Trump. Trump didnt know what a Gold Star family was: Whats that? he asked. To Trump, Khizr Khan and his wife, Ghazala, were enemies who had said something mean about him, just like Rosie ODonnell and any number of people who had gotten under his skin over the years. Wasnt it his right to respond? The election is about the American people, its not about you, Manafort told Trump, according to a person briefed on the conversation. Trump countered with Breitbarts report on Khans purported belief in Sharia. Hes not running for president, Manafort shot back. The Clintons did this to us to waste our time getting off message. Of course, Trump could not and would not admit his own ignorance and he certainly wasnt prepared to take the blame. Instead, as Sherman reveals, he took it out on Manafort in front of his senior advisors, including Ailes. According to Trump, Manafort wasnt able to get the media to focus on the right stuff. No wonder, when Trump refuses to take Manaforts advice and focus on the right stuff. This is not to defend Manafort, who is at least as despicable as his boss, but it serves as an example of how Trumps first reaction each and every time is to get back at his critic. It was one of Donald Trumps most visible Joe McCarthy moments, and his response to Khizr Khan actually reinforced the point Khan was trying to make. Stopping and thinking are foreign to him. And if you are not astonished by the appalling ignorance on display here, you should not be. This is all in keeping with a party that prides itself on ignorance rather than facts. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Coming from people who believe in something called spiritual warfare a nebulous spiritual struggle taking place over and above all the talk about issues and policy positions it is perhaps no surprise that the Religious Right should declare that their messiah Donald Trump is being threatened with witchcraft. Lance Wallnau, whose Twitter page claims to be Your Spiritual Warfare Guide to the 2016 Election, appeared on The Jim Bakker Show to push the crazy idea that many Christians feel this fog on their head at times and that fog thats on Christians is the collective witchcraft that comes over the Body of Christ because theres spirits being authorized to be released. Watch courtesy of Right Wing Watch: Oh sweet baby Jesus, the mighty Lance has struck out. What has happened, of course, is that the Religious Right not only endorsed but anointed a candidate who embodies the exact opposite of the values they claim to champion. Its no wonder they feel in a fog. Metaphorically or physically, theyre selling their souls. Wallnau claims The left is a smaller number of radicals better organized than the larger body of Christ who doesnt work together, and Thats the dilemma that Americas in right now, even though the left is a disparate alliance of various groups working together and the Religious Right has been organizing since Goldwater lost in 64. A hypocrite just cant catch a break, it seems: The web literally is coming down on America. And whats sad is, how many Christians feel this fog on their head at times? Do you feel that? Its almost like everythings going wrong. We dont realize its a remnant operating strategically through organizations that are intent on shifting the American culture and discipling the country. And that fog thats on Christians is the collective witchcraft that comes over the Body of Christ because theres spirits being authorized to be released. Wherever theres agreement, theres power. The more unbelievers agree with the narrative that theyre hearing, the more power and authorization Satan has to manifest. So unless the church has an exposure of what the enemys doing and begins to agree together with a counter-strategy, were going to deal with more and more fog. And the worst part iswe dont have to surrender nations to the devil. So if you disagree with Wallnau, if you oppose Trump, it can only because youre manifesting the power of Satan (who in the Old Testament is Gods lieutenant, not his adversary). So pick your Testament, I suppose. Lance Wallnau insists he is not a big conspiracy theorist buff, but this doesnt do anything to convince us hes not some wack-a-doodle instead. This is nothing new, as a non-Christian being told that you represent a devil you dont even believe exists. There are 2,000 years of history backing up the accusation and testifying to its usefulness for religious zealots hoping to delegitimize (or worse) their opponents. Without charges of Satanism and witchcraft, you dont have the genocide of European and Middle Eastern Paganism; you dont have anti-Jewish pogroms; and you dont have the Crusades or the Spanish Inquisition; you dont have witch-burnings. What this sort of nonsense illustrates for liberals and progressives is that were not fighting on the same battleground as our opponents. Not only do they deal in a conspiracy-laden world, a world free of facts, but a world in which what might be hiding under your bed or in your closet has real power and reason and lets go ahead and say sanity do not. Lets face it: Donald Trumps biggest enemy is not Satan, but Donald Trump himself. And Wallnau can claim believers have an edge all they want, but all the belief in the world wont overturn reality. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print On Meet The Press, Clinton campaign manager Robbie Mook said that early voting is so strong for Democrats in Nevada that Hillary Clinton could build an insurmountable lead this week. Video: https://youtu.be/HGQrAGXbWDU?t=5m59s Chuck Todd asked Mook if he believed the email story could cost Clinton the election. He answered: I dont think so. Look, as I said, we have over 50,000 volunteers out there. Were seeing record early voting numbers in North Carolina, Florida. Look, I would wager in Nevada turnout is so strong among Democrats there Hillary could build an insurmountable lead in the coming days in Nevada. Were feeling really good about this record turnout. Over 200 million people in our country now registered to vote. Fifty million of those are young people. Were just nose to the grindstone, and were going to finish this out. But people should not take anything for granted, and were going to have to work hard to earn this. Hillary Clinton could put Nevada out of reach for Trump this week, but whether or not that happens is up to the voters. If Democrats continue to vote in overwhelming numbers in swing states, the email story wont matter. If Democrats dont show up, that is Trumps only chance of winning. The early voting numbers that Hillary Clinton is running up in Florida, North Carolina, and Nevada are no accident. Clinton and the Democratic Party have invested heavily in an extensive get out the vote operation in early voting states. Democrats already had a strategic advantage in early voting before the 2016 election, but Donal Trumps refusal to invest in a substantial get out the vote operation has widened the gap between the two parties in this area. The final week before the election could be just as vital to Democrats in swing states as election day. If Hillary Clinton piles up big margins in early voting, it could leave minimal drama for election night. The Democratic early voting plan is working to perfection, now as Mook said, all that is left is for Democrats to put their heads down, work hard, and close the deal. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Fox News Sundays Chris Wallace tried to blame Hillary Clinton for the email scandal that Republicans created and got destroyed by Clinton campaign manager Robbie Mook. This exchange between Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace and Clinton campaign manager Robbie Mook highlighted why the email scandal isnt working for the GOP. Video: https://youtu.be/9RhqeHqjDwM Transcript via Fox News Sunday: WALLACE: The last question I want to ask you is that youre acting as if it was the director who brought this into the election when the fact is that it was Hillary Clinton who brought this into the election. I want to go back to the e-mail exchange on March 2nd, 2015, when The New York Times broke the story about Hillary Clinton using private e-mails. Were going to put it up on the screen. Clinton adviser Neera Tanden, Why didnt they get the stuff out like 18 months ago? So crazy. Campaign chairman John Podesta, Unbelievable. Tanden, I guess I know the answer, they wanted to get away with it. Robby, it was Clinton who delayed and it was Clinton who brought this into the presidential campaign. MOOK: And it is Secretary Clinton who has said this was a mistake. It is Secretary Clinton who cooperated fully with the investigation. And it was Secretary Clinton who accepted the outcome of that investigation. And what secretary Clinton is doing now is saying, if theres new information, get it out on the table. Lets get it out. These could be duplicates. Again, its been reported these e-mails may not have been sent or received by Secretary Clinton. We dont know anything. And this close to an election, this unprecedented announcement of new information, when when, again, its been reported by Yahoo! News that that the FBI may have not even seen it. That that that Director Comey sent this unprecedented letter shortly before the election when he doesnt even know what the information is. Thats disturbing. And were just asking him, get everything out there that he knows. Fox News has no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of Clinton, so they have been reduced to whining about why she didnt release the emails sooner. What Wallace left out was that the release of Clintons emails represented an unprecedented level of disclosure. Hillary Clinton didnt cause this email scandal. House Republicans misused their Benghazi Select Committee to go on a fishing expedition for Hillary Clintons emails. Robbie Mook destroyed Fox News with facts, because unlike Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton hasnt worked to keep information hidden from the public. Trump has not released his tax returns, medical records, or an accounting of his business dealings with Russia. Trump has been the least transparent nominee in more than 40 years. Republicans and conservative media are blaming Clinton for the scandal that they created as justification for continuing the investigations of her after the election. Clintons campaign manager was able to wipe the floor with the Republican talking points because at the end of the day the email scandal remains a conspiracy about nothing. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print The man who spent two and half years as the ethics lawyer to President George W. Bush has filed a Hatch Act complaint against FBI Director James Comey. Richard W. Painter wrote in a New York Times an op-ed: The F.B.I.s job is to investigate, not to influence the outcome of an election. Such acts could also be prohibited under the Hatch Act, which bars the use of an official position to influence an election. That is why the F.B.I. presumably would keep those aspects of an investigation confidential until after the election. The usual penalty for a violation is termination of federal employment. And that is why, on Saturday, I filed a complaint against the F.B.I. with the Office of Special Counsel, which investigates Hatch Act violations, and with the Office of Government Ethics. I have spent much of my career working on government ethics and lawyers ethics, including two and a half years as the chief White House ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, and I never thought that the F.B.I. could be dragged into a political circus surrounding one of its investigations. Until this week. This is the second complaint to be filed against FBI Director Comey. The Democratic Coalition Against Trump has also filed a complaint against Comey for interfering in a presidential election as a federal employee. Suspicion around Comeys actions has grown as the FBI Director is not expected to make any additional statements on this matter before the presidential election. Director Comey appears to have set himself for problems after the election as Senate Democrats are making it known that they are open to holding hearings to investigate the FBI investigation if they win back the Senate majority. Unless Trump wins and Republicans take control of Congress, Director Comey is going to have to answer for his decisions. As the complaints pile up, it looks like Congressional testimony may be the least of James Comeys future problems. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print A Trump supporter sporting a Hillary for Prison t-shirt chanted Jews S-A in support of his candidate during a rally in Arizona on Saturday. The target was the pen of reporters who have been fodder for Trumps rhetoric at every rally. The context: While the crowd was chanting USA one man chanted Jews S-A. Words like that cant be spun or read into. The intent and meaning were obvious to everyone. Watch here on video obtained by The Huffington Post. This sort of thing comes as no surprise considering that Donald Trump spent the last year spewing hate filled venom in every possible direction. It may seem superfluous to restate every category of people for which Trump has shown contempt, but it is not. Muslims, Jews, immigrants, labor, taxpayers, Latinos, Hispanics, Mexicans, African-Americans, women, POWs, veterans, people with disabilities, Gold Star Families, and the military have felt the sting of Trumps words and the disdain in his heart. Throughout this campaign season, the vitriol against Hillary Clinton saw no limit. Signs and T-shirts too disgusting to quote in this article. Chants of lock her up at the Republican convention and since. Trump promised his base of thugs, lowlifes, and haters he would weaken the first amendment, strengthen the second and establish the alt-right utopia. Hillary Clinton was already the most qualified candidate in this race. She also proved to have more stamina than any previous candidate needed. Not only was she competing against a vicious and pathological liar, she was competing for who we are and who we could be. For all the Trump claims that the media is rigged in Clintons favor, it was Trump who got free advertising, who framed the narrative and whose words were the primary news stories of the campaign. There is no doubt that Hillary Clinton will keep her promise to fight for us. She has been doing it from the beginning of this campaign. Every time Hillary Clinton called out Donald Trumps sexist comments, she was fighting for all women who were attacked, humiliated and sexually abused by men like Trump. Every time Clinton shamed Trumps horrific and disgusting comments about the Khan family she was standing up for every Gold Star family. She was also standing up for every Muslim-American. The same is true every time Clinton condemned Trump for mocking a disabled reporter or resorted to alt-right stereotypes about African-Americans, inner-cities, and African-American communities. Every time Trump spewed hate in whatever direction, Hillary Clinton defended the target. So no, this isnt about choosing the lesser of two evils. Like every election, this is about choosing our next president. More importantly, its about voting for who we are and who we aspire to be. Image: Screengrab from video. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Areas of fog early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. High around 80F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. CHICAGO It took a family bout of rotavirus, a measles outbreak tied to Disneyland and stricter school enrollment rules to get Kristen O'Meara to take a harder look at and eventually switch her once-defiant stance against vaccinations for her children. But the 40-year-old Palos Park, Ill., mom said if a doctor had taken the time to educate rather than scold her, she might have changed her mind sooner. And her family, including three young daughters, might have avoided being sick for days with the nasty intestinal bug. Childhood immunizations remain a deeply divisive issue. And though studies purporting to link vaccines to autism have been widely discredited, pockets of parental resistance persist: According to surveys by Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based American Academy of Pediatrics of its member physicians, more doctors in 2013 than in 2006 reported encountering vaccine-hesitant families. In a report released in September, the academy also revealed that as parents decline to have their children vaccinated, more pediatricians are turning such families away in the name of safeguarding the health of other patients. The academy, in newly released guidelines for pediatricians, said excluding families who refuse to vaccinate their children can be "an acceptable option" if used as a last resort in areas where doctors are not scarce, and only after several attempts to educate and quell concerns. The report details reasons why some parents are skeptical of vaccines and suggests ways to address them. ADVERTISEMENT Varying degrees Some local pediatricians had already made it their policy not to accept new patients who are not vaccinated; other doctors have severed ties with existing patients. But other health-care professionals say keeping unvaccinated patients and their parents under their wing is better for public health, offering the best shot at swaying their views. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with the pediatrics academy, recommend a schedule of vaccinations for children unless a medical reason, like cancer treatment that suppresses the immune system, dictates otherwise. The new AAP report stresses the need for further education for parents even before their children are born. "We have to talk to our patients, our parents and make sure they understand," said Dr. Kathryn Edwards, a Vanderbilt University pediatrics professor who co-wrote one of the AAP reports. "You need to listen to what they're asking, answer their questions and give them (websites) that will help." "The decision to dismiss a family who continues to refuse immunization is not one that should be made lightly, nor should it be made without considering and respecting the reasons for the parents' point of view," the report states. "Nevertheless, the individual pediatrician may consider dismissal of families who refuse vaccination as an acceptable option." Skeptical parents Edwards said research points to a few main reasons why parents question vaccines: They wrongly believe that the diseases the shots protect against aren't serious, they question the safety of vaccines or they think any requirement to vaccinate is an infringement on personal rights. ADVERTISEMENT That skepticism was behind O'Meara's hesitancy. As a first-time mom six years ago, she worried about the potential side effects of vaccines. But instead of discussing and trying to allay her concerns, one pediatrician simply "shamed" her, O'Meara said. "He didn't bring me into the fold. He really wanted to point his finger at me," said O'Meara, a Chicago Montessori schoolteacher and mother of 4-year-old twins and a 6-year-old. "I didn't expect to be treated that way." The encounter, O'Meara said, left her angry and only heightened her mistrust of the mainstream health-care industry. She soon found a nontraditional doctor who supported her decision against vaccines. It was the measles outbreak that spread through Disneyland visitors starting in 2014 that initially gave O'Meara and her husband second thoughts, leading her to start researching scientific papers on the topic. 'It was eye-opening' Then, in March 2015, the entire family got sick with rotavirus, including O'Meara's mother, who regularly cared for the children. ADVERTISEMENT "When I realized it was rotavirus, I thought, 'Huh, there's a vaccine for that,'" O'Meara said. "It was eye-opening. (I thought), 'We're not as protected as I thought we were. Maybe I need to do more research. Maybe we just suffered through something that we didn't have to.'" Around the same time, the preschool O'Meara's oldest daughter attended stopped accepting unvaccinated children. And O'Meara learned that Illinois had made it more difficult for parents to receive waivers from school vaccination requirements based on religious objections. "I thought to myself, 'I might as well take them in and vaccinate them, because they're cracking down, anyway,'" O'Meara said. A month later, O'Meara found a new pediatrician, and inquired about a catch-up schedule of vaccines for all three children. Since earlier this year, they've been fully vaccinated and have had no bad reactions, O'Meara said. Now she wishes she'd had more guidance from physicians who could have pointed her to the science earlier. "It was just a whole bunch of things that happened during that time," she said. "It wasn't only that we had gotten sick. It was the catalyst." Dr. Don Seidman, an Elmhurst pediatrician and chair of pediatrics for DuPage Medical Group, said its doctors will continue to treat unvaccinated patients while trying to persuade their parents to have them immunized. Seidman said in his experience, and according to one AAP study, about half the parents who are hesitant about vaccines change their minds after discussions with a doctor. And sometimes the prospect of losing their pediatrician will be enough to change parents' minds. "It's worth it to make the effort," Seidman said. I recall posting this somewhere else on here some time ago, but Sir Michael's recollection is not backed up by the record in the 10 Sqn F540 for October 1962. If that is accurate - and it refers to Bomber Command and not simply squadrons at Cottesmore - there was only a partial increase in readiness, starting on Saturday 27 October. (President Kennedy's TV broadcast and the imposition of a naval quarantine on shipping to Cuba had been on Monday 22 October. A USAF U-2 was shot down over Cuba on 27 October.) On Monday 29 October a second aircraft and crew was brought to 15 minutes, with others held at 2, 3, 4, 5 and 12 hours readiness. That condition was held till the following Monday, 5 November, when it was relaxed to normal - but Khrushchev had agreed to withdraw the missiles on 28 October. So, since seeing this, it has seemed to me that Bomber Command was not moved to higher alert till the worst of the crisis was past, and it does not look as if all V-Force crews were at 15 minutes readiness. I was at University at the time and, whilst I recall a degree of concern on the day after Kennedy's broadcast, there was no sense of panic. Edinburgh was, of course, some distance from the V-Force bases! And as far as Cottesmore was concerned, the record also notes the "The normal flying programme continued uninterrupted where crew and aircraft availability allowed." The stakeholders retreat on immunization, health financing and the National Health Act have urged the Federal Government to allocate six per cent of the 2017 budget to health sector. The stakeholders also urged the Federal Government to allocate 7.5 per cent of the 2018 Budget to health sector with a view to attaining 15 per cent by 2026. In a communique issued at the end of the retreat, the stakeholders decried poor quality of healthcare in Nigeria resulting from poor funding and non-implementation of the National Health Act 2014. The retreat noted that the Abuja Declaration of 2001 endorsed by African Union (AU) had proposed setting aside of 15 per cent annual budget by African countries for health sector financing. The communique further urged the Federal Government to ensure 100 per cent release and cash backing for all budgetary provisions for the health sector. The stakeholders called on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to involve the legislature and civil society organisations (CSOs) in policy formulation and implementation of budget process. The retreat urged the House of Representatives committees on health to work with CSOs to ensure budgetary allocation of one per cent of consolidated revenue fund to Basic Healthcare Fund in 2017. It recommended that the House of Representatives should collaborate with the Senate to allocate adequate funds for immunization, family planning, nutrition, maternal and new-born child health services in 2017. The communique called on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to conduct biometric verification of all health insurance enrolees in Nigeria by 2017. It urged NHIS to work with stakeholders in the sector to achieve universal health coverage for all Nigerians by 2030 with active involvement of states, communities and private sector. The retreat recommended that the Federal Ministry of Health should constitute a Health Sector Working Group made up of key stakeholders to work on Medium Term Sector Strategy (MTSS) implementation. The communique urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to strengthen government institutions for the monitoring of released funds to the health sector to ensure prudent application of approved budget. The retreat called on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to evolve programmes that would encourage local production of vaccines by 2026. The one-day legislative retreat held in Uyo on Saturday was organised by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), National Immunization Task Team (NIFT) for members, House of Representatives committees on Health Services. The retreat was sponsored by International Vaccine Access Centre, Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Direct Consulting and Logistics and ONE campaign. Other co-sponsors are Association for the Advancement of Family Planning , Community Health Research Initiative, Preston Healthcare Consulting, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, NHIS and Federal Ministry of Health. (NAN) The newly appointed Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Hakeem Dickson, was economical with the truth when he told a U.S. District Court that he had served his prison sentence in Nigeria, PREMIUM TIMES can confirm. Mr. Dickson, a former Internal Auditor at the now defunct Nigeria Airways, was appointed head of the states Safety Commission by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on October 4. His appointment, which is subject to confirmation by the State House of Assembly, came despite evidence that he fled from the U.S. in 1992 after being convicted for credit card fraud and sentenced to 24 months in prison. Judge Dickinson Debevoise of a U.S. District Court held, in 2012, that Mr. Dickson had not served a 24 month sentence imposed on him in June 1992. For 20 years, Defendant successfully evaded all United States government efforts to locate and arrest him, Judge Debevoise stated in a judgment made public by Sahara Reporters. Convicted for fraud On June 14, 1991, Mr. Dickson, also a U.S. citizen, was arrested on a complaint of bank and credit card fraud. Four months later, he pleaded guilty to Count One of a four-count indictment which charged that from August 29, 1990, to September 10, 1990, he knowingly and willfully executed and attempted to execute a scheme to defraud a federally insured institution in violation of U.S. laws. On June 25, 1992, Mr. Dickson was sentenced to 24-month jail term, to be followed by a term of supervised release of three years. He was also ordered to repay $14,400. The judge fixed August 3, 1992 for his voluntary surrender, despite opposition from the U.S. government, the plaintiff in the suit. The government had urged at sentencing that Defendant be remanded forthwith or at least surrender to the Bureau of Prisons no later than the following Monday, June 29, 1992, the judge said. The court noted that while on bail Defendant returned on three occasions after being given permission to leave the country. The Court also took account of Defendants wish to spend more time with his one-year-old son, who suffered severe medical problems. Thus the August 3, 1992, surrender date. But on August 3, 1992, Mr. Dickson was nowhere to be found in the U.S., forcing the judge to revoke his bail and issue a warrant for his arrest. Twenty years later, on January 27, 2012, Mr. Dickson, filed a motion seeking to adjust his sentence of 24 months incarceration in the U.S. by claiming that he had already served 17 months on the same sentence in a Lagos prison. In his motion, Mr. Dickson claimed that a series of events after his sentencing, preceded by violent clashes between Muslims and Christians in Lagos, forced him to disobey the August 3 surrender date. During these clashes, two of Defendants sisters were killed and the family home was burned to the ground, the judge quoted Mr. Dickson as claiming, in his judgment dated May 12, 2012. Following his sentencing Defendant returned to Lagos to bury his sisters, assess the damage to his fathers house and to take his mother for treatment. When Defendant arrived in Lagos, he was arrested at the airport and was told that since he was convicted in the United States he would also serve time in Nigeria. He was retained in custody until December 10, 1993, a total of 17 months. No record in Nigerian prisons PREMIUM TIMES investigations showed that the Nigerian Prisons Services does not have any record of Mr. Dickson serving a jail time between 1992 and 1993. There is no name like that in our record, a top Prisons source told this newspaper. We checked both our Lagos and Abuja records. When asked if a prisoner can do time using a different name, Francis Enobore, Nigerian Prisons spokesperson, painted all the possible scenarios. Normally, if a prisoner is being transferred from any other country to Nigeria, to serve the remaining part of his or her sentence, the person will be accompanied with valid documents, Mr. Enobore, a Deputy Controller of Prisons, said. So the name the person bore in the primary country of conviction will still be the name the person will use in Nigeria. The only condition where you may have an inmate bearing different names is where we have all these recidivists all these people that go to prison and come and then the following day hes going back, for different offences. You can see a recidivist we call them jailbird one person will have close to five different names. For theft he will have a different name, hell go to prison A. By the time he comes out and commits another crime, hes going to prison B, hes bearing a different name. If you see him in prison C on a different offence, hes bearing a different name. Mr. Enobore said an individual convicted overseas and being transferred to Nigeria would be accompanied by his biodata and other relevant documents. If he escaped in the US and he was arrested in Lagos for the same offence, whoever is arresting him will arrest him based on the information he got from the US government, which will involve his name, the offence he committed, his address, everything they have about him, Mr. Enobore said. If he was arrested in Lagos for a different offence, yes it is absolutely possible for him to bear a different name. If its the same offence.because the person arresting him, on what basis is he going to arrest him? They are going to arrest him based on the evidence of the document they gave to them from the US, that so and so person is on the wanted list. PREMIUM TIMES had continually reached out to the Lagos State government through Steve Ayorinde, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, to know if the administration was aware of Mr. Dicksons antecedents before his appointment. Repeated phone calls were not answered and text messages sent over the past two weeks were unreplied. Efforts were made to reach Mr. Dickson but he did not respond to phone calls on the number which listed him as the owner of the line. A visit to the address listed for his company -1 Mayor Hakeem Olaogun Dickson Drive, Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1 showed that only Hakeem Dickson Road exists in the area, and theres no building on Number One Hakeem Dickson Road. Even us, we have been looking for this Number One since we came here, a business owner at Number Two Hakeem Dickson Road had said. The building just before Number Three on the street is a residential home. A domestic servant in the compound told PREMIUM TIMES their address is Number Two Hakeem Dickson Road. The Lagos State House of Assembly is currently on recess, and it is not clear if the members are aware of Mr. Dicksons criminal records. Bose Lambo, Head of Information at the Assembly complex, said she was not the appropriate person to speak on the matter. But a source in the House said members would definitely ask Mr. Dickson questions during his screening for the Safety Commission post. He has not been screened, said the source who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on such issues. But hes still coming. The governor will send a letter to the House. Turned down by judge Following his claim of release from Kirikiri Prison in 1993, Mr. Dickson immersed himself in public office, contesting and winning an election as Chairman of Surulere Local Government between 1998 and 2004. He later served as Special Adviser to then Minister of Works, Oluseye Ogunseye, for four years, before being appointed Special Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo. Mr. Dickson also served as a committee chairman of All Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) for the drafting of laws, regulations and punishments for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission. He is currently the CEO of Citiwide Construction and Transport Nigeria Limited which specializes in the construction of roads and buildings. Considering the nature of Defendants criminal activities in the United States, these are remarkable posts for Defendant to have held, Judge Debevoise had noted in 2012. Defendant now owns a factory which manufacture concrete blocks, paving stones and kerbs, employing 20 people. It is on the basis of these facts that Defendant seeks to credit the 17 months he served in Nigeria against the 24 months sentence imposed in the United States on June 25, 1992. Although Defendants request has a certain common sense appeal, he has found no basis for it in the law. The judge said Mr. Dickson made no request for leave before departing the U.S. in 1992, adding that the American government informed the court in September of that year that the convict had failed to surrender as ordered, and attempts to locate him were unsuccessful. The Court entered an Order revoking Defendants bail and issuing a warrant for his arrest, said Mr. Debevoise. For the next 20 years Defendant successfully evaded all government efforts to locate and arrest him. The newly filed January 27, 2012 motion purports to fill the void. Defendant spent 17 months of the period in prison because of his United States conviction, and then went on to lead a successful political and business life. Section 18 of the US Constitution 3585(b) under which Mr. Dickson seeks credit for the 17 months he spent in prison in Nigeria, provides: Credit for prior custody. A defendant shall be given credit toward the service of a term of imprisonment for any time he has spent in official detention prior to the date the sentence commences (1) as a result of the offense for which the sentence was imposed; or (2) as a result of any other charge for which the defendant was arrested after the commission of the offense for which the sentence was imposed; that has not been credited against another sentence. There is a serious question whether Defendant comes within the plain meaning of this provision, the judge said. It is doubtful whether the 17 months imprisonment was a result of the [scheme to defraud a federally insured institution] for which the [June 25, 1992] sentence was imposed or as a result of any other charge for which [Defendant] was arrested after the commission of the offense for which the [June 25, 1992 sentence] was imposed. The judge further noted that the authority to grant Mr. Dicksons requests rests solely with the Attorney General, acting through the Bureau of Prisons. For 20 years, Defendant successfully evaded all United States government efforts to locate and arrest him, Mr. Debevoise said. He has not served the 24 months sentence lawfully imposed upon him in June 1992. The law forbids granting the relief he seeks, and the equities of the situation point to no other outcome. The motion will be denied. The court will file an order consistent with the foregoing. In apparent attempt to mock Reuben Abati, a man, Ettu Mohammed, on Sunday opened a fundraising campaign on Gofundme.com on his behalf. The man asked Nigerians to please save Reuben Abati from EFCC. He said the former presidential spokesperson was influenced by Aso Rock evil spirits to collect N50 million from former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki. Mr. Abati, former spokesperson to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, was arrested by EFCC operatives on Monday over allegations he illicitly received N50 million from the former NSA. Although Mr. Abati was offered administrative bail that requires presenting a senior federal civil servant preferably a director with landed properties in Abuja, EFCC sources said he had been unable to meet the bail conditions. EFCC has asked various persons involved in illicit financial flow with the former NSA to refund what they collected. Sources at the commission told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Abati admitted in his statement that he received the money but said he spent in on media relations and would not return same. Reuben Abati the spokesman of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan is under lock and key for voluntarily collecting the sum of 50m Ngn from Sambo Dasuki, Mr. Mohammed, a staunch supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari wrote on Gofundme.com, an online fundraising platform. We believe he must have been under the influence of Aso Rock evil spirit, he added, asking for $108,000 in donations to Mr. Abati who recently wrote an article narrating how the Aso Rock was pervaded by evil spirits. When operatives questioned him about how he spent the funds, Mr. Abati reportedly said he disbursed it to media practitioners in his capacity as the spokesman for the Goodluck Jonathan administration. But he said he did not keep records of the disbursement when queried for evidence. We are begging Nigerians to save Reuben Abati from detention, Mr. Mohammed later told PREMIUM TIMES on phone. Two weeks ago, he said there were evil spirits in Aso Rock but he was running around for Goodluck Jonathan to return so that he could continue working on the same place infested by evil spirits. But over 12 hours, after the campaign was opened, nobody has donated. Nigerians are angry, Mr. Mohammed, an electrical engineer, said, explaining reason why no one had donated. He asked Mr. Buhari to simultaneously build infrastructure and institutions for operations and maintenance. A Nigerian senator has condemned his colleagues for appropriating to themselves the control over the two anti-graft agencies, the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, and the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT. The Bureau is mandated by law to keep and verify the asset declaration form of all public officials. The Bureau then arraigns any public official with questionable asset or asset forms before the CCT. One of such being prosecuted is Senate President Bukola Saraki who is accused of falsely declaring his asset when he was governor. The Senate on Thursday approved a bill, already passed in the House of Representatives, to transfer control over both the CCB and the CCT from the presidency to the National Assembly. On Sunday, Abdullahi Abubakar, representing Jigawa North West in the Senate, said the decision by his colleagues was self serving. Mr. Abubakar made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Birninkudu. The senator, who said he was away on oversight duties when the amendment was made, stressed that he was completely opposed to the decision. The lawmaker said: Laws are meant to outlive individuals not meant for individuals. The Senator also said the current Bill on inheritance before the Senate negates the provisions on freedom of worship, as such would not see the light of the day. According to him, Christians and Muslims in the country are against the law. We are there as representatives of the people and anything that the people dont want will not scale through. We will make sure that the aspirations of the people we represent are not sacrificed at the altar of a few members of the Senate. Even though the bill has passed second reading, I believe any law can be stepped down at any stage and this is not an exception, Mr. Abubakar added. Former President Goodluck Jonathan has implored Nigerians to continue to support democratic governance. The former Nigerian leader spoke at a dinner he attended in the United States on Saturday evening. I urge the Nigerian lawyers in the US and those in the Diaspora to do their best to support the democratic institutions we have built, Mr. Jonathan said. The former president was the keynote speaker at the Nigerian Lawyers Associations annual dinner and merit awards ceremony which held in New York. In his speech posted on his Twitter page on Saturday, Mr. Jonathan mentioned some factors he considered to be his administrations democratic credentials. Under my watch not a single Nigerian was sent to prison because of anything they wrote or said about me or the administration that I headed, Mr. Jonathan said. Nigeria had neither political prisoners nor political exile under my administration. Mr. Jonathans speech on Saturday comes at a time several of his aides are being detained and some prosecuted for alleged corrupt practices while many others have since absconded from the country. Some of Mr. Jonathans former aides being prosecuted include ex-NSA Sambo Dasuki and former presidential aide Waripamowei Dudafa. Others being investigated and currently in detention include former presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati, and ex-Abuja minister Bala Mohammed. Some others like former aide Kingsley Kuku and ex-petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke have since left the country allegedly to avoid prosecution. Mr. Jonathans speech also comes amidst an increasing crackdown by security agencies on citizen journalists and bloggers. In Abia State, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu admitted to plotting the arrest of a blogger and indigene of his state, Emenike Iroegbu. In Katsina, a blogger was arrested and detained for 22 days for posts criticising the administration of Governor Aminu Masari. Within this period, PREMIUM TIMES reported no fewer than five cases of individuals being arrested and charged or released by the authorities for offences bordering on expressions. In his speech, Mr. Jonathan also argued strongly for Nigerias diversity and its inherent benefits. Diversity could remain a strength only when all interest groups in the society feel safe and secure, Mr. Jonathan said while speaking on the theme Diversity As Our Bridge to Tomorrow. The former president said he carefully selected his cabinet members to reflect the diversity of Nigeria and warned against exploitation of the countrys fault lines by any leader. Most of my principal aides in government hailed from different ethnic nationalities, Mr. Jonathan said. We never placed ethno-religious interests above merits or individual values when making decisions. Nigeria is for all Nigerians. We must resist the push of ego that may make us want to pursue a regional or narrow agenda. Mr. Jonathan ended his speech with a touch on transparency and accountability. We enacted the Freedom of Information Act and by that we tore the veil of secrecy covering governance. We gave institutions unlimited freedom and ensured that the NBA, other professional institutions were devoid of any governmental influence. We ensured that appointments to INEC were not based on personal relationships, he said. While Mr. Jonathan did not make any direct reference to the current government in his speech, some Nigerians are already inferring that, with some saying he could be arrested. On Twitter, a user, @Eloka51, said the former presidents unusually critical comments could be a precursor to his arrest. Just going through this thread. Looks like GEJs arrest is around the corner, the user said. Mr. Jonathans comments occur the same day Vice President Yemi Osinbajo spoke at Harvard University during which he said Mr. Jonathan could only be arrested if found culpable after completion of investigations. Mr. Osinbajos statement marked most authoritative indication yet that the former president could actually be arrested. In August, PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported that Mr. Buhari had ordered investigation of Mr. Jonathan for alleged ties to the resurgent militancy in the Niger-Delta. The former president denied the allegations. Mr. Jonathans wife, Patience, recently had accounts linked to her frozen. She has since filed a suit in court seeking $200 million damages against the anti-graft commission, EFCC, for freezing $15 million she claims is hers. The Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Hakan Cakil, has said that the trade value between Nigeria and Turkey in the first seven months of 2016 stood at $600 million. Mr. Cakil said this in Abuja on Saturday during a dinner to mark the 93rd anniversary of the founding of Turkey. In the first seven months of this year, we have exceeded $600 million total trade volume; this means that by the end of this year we will exceed one billion dollars. We have the trade figure up till July for the time being. Compared with 2014, the trade value is less and the reason is not the decrease in quantity but the decrease in oil and gas prices. In 2014 the total trade volume was $2.5 billion; in 2015 it was $1.2 billion. This does not mean that trade is decreasing, the volume is still the same but because of the decrease in oil and gas prices, we pay less, he said. He added that approximately 70 Turkish companies operated in Nigeria and that other imports from Nigeria to Turkey included crude oil, palm oil and sesame oil. He said Nigeria is one of Turkeys most important providers of natural gas, stressing that, we are importing lots of LNG from Nigeria. The envoy also said that the forthcoming Turkey-Africa Economic and Business Forum (TABEF 2016) would explore various economic opportunities and promote economic relations between his country and African nations. The forum would be held in Istanbul from November 2 to 3. Between November 2 and 3, there will be a Turkey-Africa Business Economic Forum in Turkey and the Nigerian delegation will be one of the largest. Approximately 90 participants from Nigeria will be in attendance, every sub-Saharan country is attending with official and private committees. We talked with the Nigerian authorities, I personally requested, and we are expecting two official delegations from Nigeria; one from the Ministry of Trade and Investment and the second from Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC). NIPC will promote the direct foreign investment opportunities of Nigeria to Turkish businessmen and the delegation of the ministry will promote the economic facilities of Nigeria, he said. TABEF 2016 is organised to foster trade relations between Turkey and African countries, by providing unique occasions to delegates in building networks and creating new business opportunities. The forum would have more than 5,000 African and Turkish business people and has as its theme: Financing African Investment Projects: Infrastructure, Transportation and Energy. (NAN) The Kano chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has passed a vote of confidence on President Muhammadu Buhari. The vote of confidence was passed at the end of a three-day retreat of the partys officials and stakeholders to discuss political party management in Sokoto on Sunday. The communique was jointly signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the Communique Drafting Committee, Alhassan Doguwa and Umar Danlasan. The retreat has also resolved to support Buharis resolve to tackle the problems of insecurity, corruption and to revitalise the economy and other policies. Participants appreciated efforts of the government of Kano Government for initiating the retreat as the first of its kind to institutionalise capacity building through effective management of party administration. Participants overwhelmingly passed a vote of confidence on Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, as the leader of the party and further confidence on the existing leadership under Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas. The communique further stated that the participants had expressed their readiness to privately finance the construction of the proposed APC State Secretariat through the partys Board of Trustees. The communique added that the participants further passed a vote of confidence on the National Working Committee of the party under the leadership of John Oyegun. Politics should not be seen as a means of personal enrichment but an avenue of developing the wellbeing of the people of Kano State. Political party officials should foster horizontal and vertical communication networks among members and partys organisation at various levels. This is in order to ensure effective internal democracy. Political party discipline should be kept at highest and lowest levels of the partys structure. This is also to promote unity and preserve loyalty among its members, it added. The communique further stressed the need for a harmonious relationship with the government in the state to continue to be responsive to popular demands. The participants, according to the communique, should develop mechanisms of safeguarding their integrity, uniqueness, coherence and prudence in its use of resources. The communique, among other issues, stressed the need to engage women leaders at all levels in the mobilisation drive of the party to promote women participation and support. (NAN) The Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Hakan Cakil, has said that Nigerian students in Turkey are under the protection of the Turkish government. Mr. Cakil said this on the sideline of a dinner reception to mark the 93rd anniversary of the founding of Turkey in Abuja at the weekend. The envoy claimed that 50 Nigerian students were never arrested and detained in Turkey in connection to the failed coup attempt. There were reports that about 50 Nigerians were arrested in Turkey. No Nigerian student is arrested or detained in Turkey. All the rights of the Nigerian students who are studying in Turkey are under the protection of the government. Unfortunately this was in the media that about 50 Nigerian students were detained or under arrest; these numbers do not reflect the real situation. It was a discussion of a non-existent issue. He, however, said that ties between both countries remained strong and added that both parties sought other areas in which they could strengthen bilateral ties. The Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, however confirmed that some students were arrested and detained but said the figures were exaggerated. Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa confirmed that the issue had been resolved diplomatically. The Turkish Ambassador who met with our permanent secretary made it clear that 50 Nigerian students were not detained. Two Nigerian students were detained for 11 hours but they were released as soon as the ministry got involved. Four Nigerians that they claimed were involved in the coup were released as soon as Nigeria stepped in. So there is no problem between Nigeria and Turkey, we continue to maintain strong diplomatic relations and we will also continue to ensure that issues are resolved diplomatically and not through sensations. She, however, advised Nigerian students abroad to always abide by the laws of whatever country they were in. She also encouraged students to patronise institutions of learning in Nigeria. Perhaps you do not need to go abroad because what you are looking for is also here in Nigeria and maybe even better. So we encourage them that under this administration the president is doing everything to make Nigeria truly a great place. There are some private universities here that are even better than where they are going to. Sometimes it is not necessary to go through all the stress our students have to go through but we just continue to educate them and raise awareness about all these issues, she said. (NAN) The Civil Society Network Against Corruption, CSNAC, has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to urgently investigate the Nigerian Customs for alleged bribery, corruption and forgery. In a petition forwarded to the anti-graft commission and signed by CSNACs chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the coalition said it is demanding a full scale investigation be launched into the activities of NCS in view of its alleged strong embrace of corruption, bribery and forgery. Taking the cue of its petition from a special investigative report of the 31st of December, 2015, of an online newspaper, the Cable, the coalition said the news medium comprehensively reported how the Nigerian Custom Service (NCS) is a citadel of corruption, forgery and bribery. The undercover investigator rigorously dissected the degree of corruption activities that are perpetrated at every level of operations (ranging from importing to clearing) at Nigeria Port in Apapa, in particular. His findings revealed series of sharp practices involving men of the service, other borders and security agencies, the clearing agents, and banks leading to massive short-changing of government revenue. He firstly revealed the study of inflow and outflow of articulated vehicles, the conduct of uniformed men, the transactional conversations of clearing agents and the touting drive of document forgers. Whereby, there is an entry of estimated average of 300 vehicles in an hour despite been informed it was a period of low business. He also revealed that Nnemi buildings (close to the port) entrance is populated by agents and forgers of documents (a place similar to Oluwole where there is hardly a document that cannot be forged); as observed influx of people, some entering empty-handed and exiting with sheets of printed paper while others coming in with a few sheets and leaving with stashes of documents. CSNAC noted further that the reporter revealed the incidence of corruption as he entered the NPA gate without a pass with three security officers but later paid a sum of N5,000 as bribe at mufti-wearing Customs officers post (representing the second checking point). He proceeded to another Customs Office where he learnt that bringing in cars cost one third for the price of one. He stated that aforementioned scenario was the first real proof of the bribery and corruption accompanying the business of importation in Nigeria from the filling of Form M on www.trade.gov.ng, to the generation of Proforma Invoice (PI), Bill of lading, berthing of ships to final clearance by Customs. Instead of paying full Custom charges to the government, one can pay just one-third to Custom officials, and goods will be cleared. For instance if a charge amounts to N1million, N100,000 is paid to the government; out of the N900,000 balance, N300,000 is paid as bribe to Customs officers, goods are cleared. In other words, instead of paying N1million to the government, goods are cleared with just N400,000. It was also disclosed that Nigerian Customs is a custom of exorbitant prices and everything is expensive around the port ranging from stationeries to foods. CSNAC also stated in its petition that the report also exposed corruption perpetrated by the shipping line companies. Most shipping lines in Nigeria are owned by foreigners, as an import-dependent country; importers are left at the mercy of foreign-owned shipping lines. Once, a ship bearing goods berths, the shipping line immediately sends mail instructing that goods are cleared within three days. But it typically take four to seven days for containers to be moved from the ship to the block stacking, where all containers are first kept. A ship may have 1,000 containers making the last 50 containers not to arrive at the block stacking earlier than the fourth day. Yet, these containers are still on the ship when the three-day notice starts reading and consequently, the importers are charged for demurrage, whereby on a 20-foot container and 40-foot container, the importer pays N7,000 and N11,000 daily respectively. This practice is described as a very devilish ploy of exploiting Nigerians. Furthermore, corruption by inspection was disclosed. Nigerian Custom services classifies incoming goods into four: green, blue, yellow and red (Green means the goods are well-trusted and therefore require no examination). But goods imported from suspicious countries e.g. Indonesia, where drug peddling is high are classified as red and requiring physical examination. Hence importers not only pay Customs for physical examination of goods but also pay shipping agency for demurrage while awaiting the date of examination (shipping lines do not charge daily but upfront of minimum of four days). Invariably, importers have to pay Customs to come for physical examination early since thousands of containers await examination and NCS has somehow legitimized this corruption. Interestingly, former Comptroller General of the Service, Dikko Abdullahi, boasted of the services generation of a paltry monthly revenue of N29 billion whereas the service now realizes between N90 billion and N100 billion on a monthly basis after his departure. The Customs should be declaring nothing short of N500billion to N1trillion monthly, removing Custom officers deprivation of the government of N1million, N300,000 or N900,000 for a N50,000 bribe. Thus, this report affirmed that the business of importation and clearing as it currently operates in Nigeria is a huge turnoff for any serious or incorruptible businessman. Aside other issues raised in the report, CSNAC said that the report concluded that fighting corruption in the Nigeria Customs Service is not exactly about sacking the you-will-survive-I-will-survive officer or the N500-bribe-taking soldier, or the your-machine-is-undervalued bribe-seeking releasing officer. It is purely about enthroning a custom of institutional probity, about instituting a corruption-intolerant system as well as having technological revolution, rather sticking with the medicine-after-death approach of sacking corrupt officers. CSNAC is therefore by this petition demanding that a full scale investigation be launched into the activities of NCS in view of its strong embrace of corruption, bribery and forgery, as well as, the prosecution of any of the other agencies found to be participating directly or indirectly in this acts of national sabotage. This will go a long way in serving as deterrent and will also send a strong message to would be economic saboteurs that Nigeria is no longer a haven for such criminal economic activities and that our economy will no longer be left at the mercy of corrupt officers, the petition said. President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday spoke with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia to express Nigerias solidarity with the Kingdom in the aftermath of the ballistic missile launched by Houthi militias targeting the holy city of Makkah. Condemning the heinous act which targeted innocent people, President Buhari said it is reprehensible and ignoble for terrorists to target a holy land, where millions of Muslims from around the globe gather for pilgrimage. The President expressed delight and appreciation to Almighty Allah that the Saudi defence forces intercepted and downed the missile 65 km from the holy city of Makkah. In the telephone conversation with the king, Mr. Buhari reiterated the need to strengthen international support and coalition in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, noting that when the world stands together, there is no way good would not prevail over evil. The Nigerian Military will soon launch an operation to tackle security challenges posed by herdsmen across the country, the Acting Director of Defence Information, Rabe Abubakar, has said. Mr. Abubakar, a Brigadier General, made the disclosure at a media session in Kaduna. The session discussed the role of the media in national security. We are coming out with another operation code named Operation Accord to address the issue of herdsmen clashes, Mr. Abubakar said. He said the military had carried out 13 operations to ensure peace and order across the country. The defence spokesman assured that the military would not allow any individual or group to destabilise Nigeria. We will not spare any security threat in any part of the country, we will contain it; national security will not be compromised, he said. Today, no Nigeria territory is under the control Boko Haram, no illegal flag foisted on our land. We will synergise with other security agencies to secure the remaining Chibok school girls, and everyone who is under Boko Haram custody. He urged the media to support the military in the course of its duties in protecting Nigerias territorial integrity and its people. Mr. Abubakar stressed that the media remained a veritable tool of mass mobilization and enlightenment of the populaces on what the military was doing to secure the country Media is an important organ that we cannot ignore especially during security operations. The essence is to collaborate and synergise to make citizens understand what the Armed Forces is doing to keep Nigeria one as a nation. National security is not about guns and uniforms, it is beyond that, our concern is the safety of our citizens and their property, so that one can move freely without any security threat, he said. He tasked journalists to be professional and patriotic in the discharge of their duties, and desist from promoting hate speeches capable of inciting violence.(NAN) Suspended lawmaker, Abdulmumin Jibrin, on Saturday said the arrest of Speaker Yakubu Dogara and other members of the House of Representatives caught in the budget padding scandal is long overdue. Mr. Jibrins position came in a statement he distributed to mark the 100 days since he went public with claims that the House under Mr. Dogaras leadership had become a cesspool of corruption. To commemorate this day, I urge the honourable members of the House to join millions of Nigerians in the call for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Speaker Dogara, Lasun, Doguwa, Ogor, Hembe and the few other fraudulent and corrupt cabal in the House of Representatives, Mr. Jibrin said. Mr. Dogara declined comments on Saturday evening. Other lawmakers also maintained that they no longer respond to Mr. Jibrins allegations in the media. Mr. Jibrin on July 21, came out with a statement detailing scathing allegations of corrupt practices against Mr. Dogara, his deputy, Yusuf Lasun; House Whip, Alhassan Doguwa and Minority Leader, Leo Ogor. A day before, he had been kicked aside as the chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation. At a plenary announcement to lawmakers in the afternoon of July 20, Mr. Dogara said Mr. Jibrin was eased out after the House principal officers established evidence of incompetence, corruption and betrayal of trust against him. Mr. Jibrin flatly denied the allegations in his July 21 statement, saying he was being hounded for his refusal to compromise his independence. On July 26, Mr. Jibrin published further allegations in the media. Before the crisis, Mr. Jibrin was amongst Mr. Dogaras most vocal allies, and he helped engineer his emergence as Speaker. A few days later, he updated the list of his targets to 13 lawmakers. By early October, the Kano representative had widened his targets to include all lawmakers who took illegal allowances. On July 30, the State Security Service sealed the secretariat of the Appropriation Committee in the National Assembly after Mr. Jibrin raised the alarm that Mr. Dogara had allegedly concluded plans to cart away computers and destroy evidence. Mr. Jibrin also visited law enforcement agencies, including the EFCC, the SSS and the police, where he said he personally submitted petitions detailing evidence of fraudulent manipulation of budget by Mr. Dogara, his deputy Yusuf Lasun, House Whip, Alhassan Doguwa, Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, and nine others. After several days of silence, Mr. Dogara succumbed to public demands for him to defend himself by coming out with blistering statements denying all the charges against him. Mr. Dogara took specific issue with the budget padding catchphrase, saying it was a strange term to use when describing the actions of the legislature. He also said lawmakers could not be probed by law enforcement agencies over any infractions in the National Assembly. He later backed down on that position. Nigerians and civic organisations weighed in on the matter, demanding Mr. Dogaras resignation from office. At some point, the APC moved to contain the crisis, but its gag order lasted only a weekend. Mr. Jibrins campaign took a major hit on August 18 when 10 principal officers of the House released a statement siding Mr. Dogara and denouncing the ex-appropriation chair. Amongst them was Femi Gbajabiamila, the Majority Leader who many thought would be reluctant to openly back Mr. Dogara. Mr. Gbajabiamila had maintained a neutral position in public since the scandal broke, occasionally issuing mostly vague remarks about it. He later said he was giving Mr. Dogara the benefit of the doubt. On September 28, a week after they returned from a recess, lawmakers slammed a year suspension on Mr. Jibrin after finding him guilty of ethics violations. Not even the suspension will silence him, the whistleblower said. As he observed the 100 days of budget padding revelations, Mr. Jibrin renewed calls for Mr. Dogaras arrest. He said the Speaker had allegedly exploited the countrys fault lines to perpetuate himself in office, a situation he said Nigerians should not allow to stand. It has become glaring that Speaker Dogara has become a divisive element that has divided the House across religious, ethics and other negative lines, Mr. Jibrin said. He said the House must reform itself lest it continued to be a subject of widespread ridicule. That reform should start with a mutiny against Mr. Dogara. The House must deal with this issue for once and also embrace reforms that will open up the House and strengthen it to perform its constitutional functions or remain a laughing stock in the eyes of Nigerians, Mr. Jibrin said. Mr. Jibrin ended his statement by putting his colleagues on notice that the budget padding scandal will not fizzle out anytime soon even if it means redoubling the disciplinary action against him. Those that suspended me may as well extend the suspension to 2019 as I will never retreat from this anti-corruption crusade of exposing individual and systemic corruption in the House. If that turns out to be the case, three years is such a short period of time in Nigeria, except for those playing God like Speaker Dogara, Mr. Jibrin said. A suspected Boko Haram suicide bomber was shot dead by soldiers in Maiduguri after he was spotted trying to creep into the same IDP camp that nearly came under attack by a female suicide bomber who killed herself and five others on Saturday morning, officials said. The suicide bomber was shot dead by vigilant soldiers who opened fire on him causing one of the two bombs around his body to go off. Saturday and Sundays incidents appear to indicate that the insurgents have made internally displaced persons, IDP, camps a major point of target. A top leader of the Civilian-JTF, Alhaji Dan-Batta, informed PREMIUM TIMES on phone that the male suicide bomber was seen loitering around the back perimeter fence of Bakassi camp at about 9 a.m. He was shot down before he could advance closer to the camp. One of the bombs he was carrying exploded, but another is still strapped on his body did not explode. The anti-bomb squad operatives are trying to defuse that one. No other person was reported killed or injured from the explosion. The incident did not cause any panic in the Borno capital as many residents were seen going about their daily businesses. Sundays blast came as the fifth in the series of bomb attacks around Maiduguri by the Boko Haram in the last three weeks. Since the release of 21 of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls three weeks ago, Boko Haram insurgents have scaled up their hostility mainly using improvised explosives. The federal government had said it will be going into another round of negotiations with the insurgents with a view to securing the release of more of the girls. Despite that, the Boko Haram have continued with their terror attacks. Neither the military nor the police have issued any statement on Sundays incident at the time of filing this report. The chairman, Kogi Chapter of Wuro Miyetti-Allah Association, Ibrahim Abubakar, has been assassinated by unknown gunmen who invaded his residence in the early hours of Saturday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the unknown gunmen numbering about eight, invaded the Peace Community, Road 3, Ganaja road, Lokoja residence of Abubakar at about 2:05 Saturday morning. Residents of the area, who spoke with journalists, said they heard gunshots from the residence of the chairman of Fulani socio-cultural group. The shots lasted over an hour. They said the gunmen passed through unfamiliar routes to gain access to the deceaseds residence beating the C Division Police Station route where they could have been spotted and questioned. A neighbour who identified himself simply as Musa, said there were some strange faces in the vicinity much earlier before the incident, not knowing they had a sinister motive. Musa said the gunmen shot at the door to the room of one of the deceaseds two wives and gained access into the house, machete the deceased on the neck and other parts of the body and later shot him severally. A medical practitioner with the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, Sam Alhassan, who lives a stone throw from the victims residence said: I was in my room which is just steps away to his house and I started hearing gunshots. Then I rose up from my bed and looked through the window. I saw a group of bandits in two lines. At least I saw eight people, and they started shooting, shooting and shooting, he said. The next thing that I saw was that a bullet hit the overhead tank and water started running down. Later I and my family went quiet for a while; then the wife of the deceased came out shouting, they have killed my husband. Mr. Alhassan said he later came out with his landlord and went into the deceaseds house to ascertain the truth; only to find him lying in the pool of his blood with machete cuts and bullet holes in his lifeless body. The medical practitioner said it was unclear if the gunmen took cash or property from the house. He, however, called on security agencies to be proactive in crime prevention and detection mandate to avoid loss of innocent lives. The Police Public Relations Officer, Williams Aya, told NAN that the command had got the report, adding that the incident was a clear case of assassination. Mr. Aya said investigation into the matter had commenced adding that the Police was yet to make any arrest in respect of the assassination. (NAN) Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has cautioned members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state against regarding him as a demigod. I am not a demigod, so do not worship or prostrate before me or praise sing me always. You should also stop being sycophantic to me. I am not more than you. I am an equal partner and we are all equal members and stakeholders in the affairs of the party, as well as the state, he added. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Mr. Ganduje spoke on Saturday night in Sokoto. He spoke at the closing ceremony of a three-day retreat organized for the States officials and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on political party management. Mr. Ganduje stressed the need for the party members to continue to be law abiding and more focussed on ensuring the even socioeconomic development of the state. The governor further underscored the importance of opposition in bolstering democracy in the country. On the retreat, Mr. Ganduje said it was organized to improve the affairs of the party. Political parties are often forgotten after elections in Nigeria, this should not be so and this what we want to change in Kano, he explained. (NAN) The Commandant, Nigerian Navy School of Armament Technology, Kachia, Kaduna, Timothy Dakwat, has said that the command arrested two cattle rustlers and recovered 285 cows and seven sheep from them. Mr. Dakwat, a commodore, made this known when he presented the suspects and the cows to journalists in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Sunday. He said the suspects were arrested on October 29 at about 1.00 a.m., following an intelligence report on the hideout of the rustlers. Acting on a tip off on their hideout at Maro, Gidana Auta and Rijana village, in Kachia Local government, we mobilised our patrol team and ambushed the rustlers which led to the arrest, recovery and evacuation of the cows. He said there was exchange of fire between the security operatives and the rustlers before the security officers overpowered the bandits. Mr. Dakwat, who said nobody died in the incident, stated that one of the suspects sustained injury and was taken to the hospital. One of the main kingpins is still at large but we will trail him and make sure he faces the law, he added. He said working closely with communities in a manner called civil-military relations had yielded results. Those communities had been under the spell of those cattle rustlers as they dehumanised them, raped women, extorted them and stole their animals. Mr. Dakwat said with the government on our side and support of the communities we will be able to serve the society better. We assured members of the pubic that our source of information will be well protected to ensure that we achieve success. The commandant said the arrest of the rustlers was the collective effort of the security operatives under the Kaduna State Government-coordinated security outfit, code-named Operation Yaki. He said the suspects, the cows and sheep would be handed over to the appropriate authority after investigation. The commandant urged the public to support the security agents with useful information to curtail the activities of undesirable elements in the state. (NAN) The Federal Government has approved the establishment of a police secondary school in Bauchi to cater for the north-east. Rabiu Ladodo, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Force Education Officer, said this on Sunday in Bauchi while inspecting Police Children Schools in Bauchi Mr. Ladodo said that the force headquarters had received approval for the setting up of the school. He explained that the north-east was the only region in the country that had no police secondary school. He said that with the approval by the federal government, the region would get one very soon. Mr. Ladodo promised to address the problem of inadequacy of teaching and non-teaching staff, as well as poor infrastructure currently facing the three police children schools in the state. He had earlier visited the three police children schools at Yelwa and Yandoka in Bauchi metropolis and Kafin Madaki in Ganjuwa Local Government Area. Abubakar Yahaya, Head Teacher of Yelwa School, had complained of inadequate teaching and non- teaching staff in the schools. Mr. Yahaya also complained about inadequacy of classrooms and potable drinking water in all the schools. Bala Garga, Chairman, Parents Teachers Association, PTA, Bauchi Police Children School, urged the Force Headquarters to accord the region priority in term of education. Mr. Garga said the region was among the educationally disadvantaged regions, coupled with insurgency that had bedevilled it. He called for the introduction of PTA meetings on a quarterly basis to enable the stakeholders discuss challenges they were facing. (NAN) Igbo leaders based in Nigeria and abroad ended a three-day summit in Abia on Saturday with a call for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, and others it tagged prisoners of conscience in Nigeria. The 2016 World Igbo Summit, organised by the World Igbo Summit Group in collaboration with the Igbo Renaissance Centre of the Gregory University, Uturu (GUU), had Ike Nwachukwu as chairman. In its 10-point communique on Saturday night, the summit urged the Federal Government to release Mr. Kanu and other Biafran agitators in line with the Rule of Law since they do not constitute a threat to national security. The meeting restated the commitment of Igbo people to work for a united Nigeria, where Ndigbo would live and operate as equal citizens, without any discrimination, bias or intimidation. The communique, which was read by a co-chairman of the summit, Sam Ohuabunwa, noted that Ndigbo have made the biggest sacrifice and contributions to the building of a modern Nigeria. The summit called for legislation by the state and national assembly to prohibit nomadic grazing by herdsmen and establish grazing reserves with public funds. It specifically called for legislation against all forms of open grazing in Igboland, on grounds that the activities of suspected herdsmen pose great danger to peace and security in the area. The summit further called for a review of the 1999 constitution to recognise the rights of each federating unit to self-determination and regional economy as enshrined in the 1960 Independent Constitution and 1963 Republican Constitution. Summiteers resolved to take full responsibility for the rebuilding of Igbo economy and development of Igboland, by adopting the digital economy as the organising paradigm and implementation framework. Southeast governors were urged to establish a joint commission for the development of Igboland and be supportive of true Igbo initiatives. Henceforth, the Igbo political leadership, whether elected or appointed, must act in the best interest of Ndigbo and be prepared to be held accountable by the people for their actions and inactions. The summit commended the contributions of Ndigbo in the Diaspora toward the achievement of the vision and urged them to think home and invest home. It expressed appreciation to the Chancellor of GUU, Gregory Ibe, and the management for setting up the Igbo Renaissance Centre toward the re-engineering of Igbo growth and development. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the summit, with the theme, Igboka-Visioning the Igbo nation in 2016, was aimed at producing a road map for economic growth and prosperity in the Southeast and other Igbo-speaking states of Nigeria. Among the dignitaries in attendance were former Nigeria Ambassador to U.S., George Obiozor; former Minister of Education, Ihechukwu Madubuike; former governor of Anambra, Chukwuemeka Ezeife; and the Chancellor of GUU. Other participants at the summit were the former Minister of Women Affairs, Josephine Anenih; former Secretary-General, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Joe Achuzie (rtd.); the Director-General of the World Igbo Summit Group, Ifedi Okwenna; and representatives of various Igbo groups and associations. Also in attendance were the Obi of Onitsha, Nnaemeka Achebe; and the Chairman, Southeast Traditional Rulers Council, Eberechi Dick, among other monarchs. Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra was represented at the meeting by his deputy, Nkem Okeke. (NAN) PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. As we said just 10 days ago, the bipartisan agreement that jacked up New Jerseys gasoline tax could have been better. Overall it will provide money for transportation infrastructure by eliminating the only break residents get on a major tax. Offsetting reductions in other taxes will mainly help the affluent rather than the people paying 22.6 cents a gallon more for gas. Taxpayers should also pay attention to how and when these tax changes will be applied. Paying more for gas will start Tuesday, while the breaks will come later, some years later. And the pension and retirement income exclusion wound up with a quirk so unfair its hard to imagine it wont be revised. Among the winners getting less attention in tax-deal coverage are veterans honorably discharged or released from the Armed Forces, reserves or National Guard of New Jersey. Starting when they do their tax returns in 2018, theyll be able to take a $3,000 deduction from the prior years earnings subject to N.J. income tax. That should save most of them about $150. Those with pension and retirement income will do better on their taxes for 2017, with the exclusion for those kinds of income doubling from the current $20,000. The next three tax years the exclusion will increase another $20,000 each year, so in 2020 couples making up to $100,000 in pension and retirement income will pay no state income tax on it. But as part of the last-minute compromise on the tax deal, legislators threw out a partial income tax break for couples earning up to $150,000. The bizarre result is that when the retiree exclusion is fully implemented, a couple earning $100,000 will pay no N.J. income tax at all while a couple earning $100,001 will be fully taxed on the whole amount. Heres how distorting that will be. Once a retired couple has $100,000 in earnings, the next $6,000 or so they make will go entirely to paying state income tax. Presumably state leaders figured they had time to fix this later. The big winners, of course, are those inheriting estates. Instead of the current taxing of their value above $675,000, for estates left by those dying after Jan. 1, 2017, the taxing will begin after $2 million. Then there will be no tax at all on the estates of those who die after Jan. 1, 2018. To put all this in perspective, the state Office of Legislative Services figures veterans combined will get a break of $23 million a year. Retirement and pension taxes will be reduced about $75 million to start and drop by about $110 million a year on 2021 tax returns. The total estate tax break will cost the state $116 million in fiscal year 2018 and increase to $562 million in forgone taxes in fiscal 2022. All of this might change, since the gas-tax deal overall is expected to reduce state revenue by nearly $200 million a year and effectively divert another $1.2 billion from the general budget to transit work. We think state representatives wont make the spending reductions needed to match that reduced revenue. We think theyre already planning additional tax increases. Law specifies anthem behavior Although a recent writer was correct in stating that the Constitution doesnt require singing the National Anthem or standing with hand over heart while facing the flag, he fails to realize that by U.S. Code the Star Spangled Banner has been designated as the national anthem of the United States. The code states what the conduct should be during the playing of the national anthem. For the sake of brevity, the statute states in part that during the playing of the anthem when the flag is displayed, persons not in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with their right hand over their heart. Frank J. Panetta Brigantine A.C. school vouchers would address education disparities The goal of public education is to empower students and nurture teaching careers so that teachers can be their best in the classroom every day. I firmly believe expanding school choice accomplishes that goal. My mother was a high school English teacher. Without an education, life becomes a race where youve brought flip-flops and everyone else has brought self-tying running shoes. Education meant everything for both my parents advancement in life and the opportunities it afforded them and our family. Atlantic Citys ballot question No. 3 has proposed to address the fundamental disparity in educational opportunities. This initiative is nothing short of historic. Its the first time New Jersey voters have the opportunity to demand a voucher and property tax credit system promoting school choice. A yes vote on question three supports a municipal voucher program of $10,000 annual scholarships for each child to attend the school of their choice and a flat $10,000 property tax credit for families who choose to home-school. It is also an answer to the citys vacant home crisis, making Atlantic City more attractive to families who could want to relocate here to take advantage of this program. School choice saves taxpayers money when a child and their family choose to use the $10,000 annual scholarship (it costs taxpayers $27,000 annually to send a student to school in the public school system). Residents should vote yes on question No. 3 for choice in Atlantic City. Paul Tonacci Atlantic City Backs Davis for Millville office A Larry Malone victory for a Millville Commission seat would insure that the New Jersey Motorsports Park continues to conduct its business with impunity instead of holding them accountable for their years of broken promises to the community. Millville deserves real accountability, so people should vote for William F. Davis for the empty seat on the Millville Commission. Michelle Post Millville Debates didnt address issues I find it so sad that this years debates seemed like they were a big joke. We the people of the United States are supposed to care about our livelihoods that are at stake, yet we allow Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to get up there and do nothing but talk and make jokes about each other instead of talking about what they can do to help fix todays real problems that are affecting people. It seems like more of a poor comedy show than anything, so Im so glad that politicians who are in now allow this to go on and all we have are these two people to run our country. So sad, thanks so much, America. Shane Eisenhart Hammonton 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. At the positive talk on Chinese enterprise taking root in Brazil and helping to improve the infrastructure of Brazil, President Temer expressed his appreciation of XCMG's investments in Brazil and contributions to the local economy in the country, praising the company's achievements in Brazil to have set a good example for more Chinese enterprises that are willing to invest in Brazil. "This is the second time to meet with Mr. Wang after G20 Hangzhou Summit, China keeps its economic growth at a higher level, which provides valuable experience for the world," said President Temer. "The Summit can bring 'China Mode' to more countries, and the Brazil economy in the recovery period has more need for China's experience." XCMG manufacturing base in Brazil is not only the company's largest overseas manufacturing base, but also the first and largest construction machinery industrial park in Brazil built by Chinese construction machinery industry. The factory has brought more values to XCMG's local clients as well as pushing the economic development in Brazil. Wang explained XCMG's strategy of rooting in Brazil and further influencing South America is persistent and will hold fast to the promise during the economic downturn Brazil is going through, and the company is confident in investing in Brazil. After the talk, Wang presented President Temer with a XCMG crane model and invited him to visit XCMG's factory in Pouso Alegre at an appropriate time, which President Temer readily accepted. Wang has carried out his field survey of XCMG's manufacturing base in Brazil since he and the XCMG delegations arrived on October 22, meeting with XCMG employees in Brazil and overseeing production departments and assembly lines, making an important remark that XCMG needs to adhere to its strategy and goals in becoming a world class brand. About XCMG: XCMG is a multinational heavy machinery manufacturing company with a history of 73 years. It currently ranks ninth in the world's construction machinery industry. The company exports to more than 176 countries and regions around the world. For more information, please visit: www.xcmg.com, or XCMG pages on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram. Related Links http://www.xcmg.com SOURCE XCMG WURZBURG, Germany, October 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- DBU honors entrepreneurs van Abel and Fee and scientist Mettke - German President presents awards The German Environmental Prize of the German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, DBU) has been awarded for the 24th time. The prize, the highest-endowed independent award of its kind in Europe, was presented personally by German President Joachim Gauck and the DBU Board Chairperson and Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Environmental Ministry, Rita Schwarzeluhr-Sutter, to the entrepreneur Bas van Abel (39, of Amsterdam), the scientist Prof. Dr.-Ing. Angelika Mettke (64, of Cottbus), and the entrepreneur Walter Fee (62, of Kirchheim/Teck) today. With this award to pioneers and creative trailblazers in the protection and sustainable use of natural raw materials, the DBU seeks to draw attention to the fact that decisive action is urgently necessary in order to secure the basic elements of life for future generations. In some areas the Earth has already been taxed past the breaking point. Van Abel receives 250,000 euros, and the other half of the prize money will be divided between Mettke and Fee. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161027/433397 ) IPTC-Standard Photos for free publication at http://www.dbu.de An English text in full length may be found on the DBU website at https://www.dbu.de/2547.html - Cross reference: Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) Contact person Franz-Georg Elpers - Press Officer - Kerstin Heemann Jana Nitsch Contact DBU An der Bornau 2 49090 Osnabruck Phone: +49-0541|9633-521 Fax: +49-0541|9633-198 presse@dbu.de http://www.dbu.de SOURCE Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) The night was taken to a dizzying high with the exclusive beers like "Mak's Beer" lychee beer (limited supply of 200 bottles) and "Black Kite Brewery" ginger flavored beer (limited supply of 500 bottles), as well as delicious snacks. CraftBeerFest@Gala Place also offered 50 lucky winners special personalized beer bottles, leaving them the most unique Halloween experience. About Grand Plaza Enviably located right next to the MTR Mongkok Station on Nathan Road where commerce and transport converge, Grand Plaza houses two office towers and a commercial podium. It is home to a stellar line-up of international watch and jewelry brands, concept stores as well as fashion and lifestyle labels. The dedicated Dining Floor features 20-plus gourmet dining venues where international cuisine is served in stylish surroundings. The Grand Plaza Office Tower One showcases the region's most prominent healthcare centers. It has further been subtly zoned into Beauty and Travel floors, providing visitors a one-stop leisure and lifestyle experience. For further information, please visit: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GrandPlazaHK Instagram: http://instagram.com/grandplazahk WeChat: id= grandplazahk About Gala Place & Park-In Commercial Centre Located in the vibrant Mongkok district, Gala Place houses the largest single-story Starbucks in Hong Kong, spanning over 4,500 square feet, as well as the triple-story H&M full-concept flagship store, the largest H&M store in Kowloon, and has become a hotspot for the trendy and fashionable. Park-In Commercial Centre houses a potpourri of diversified services and products including outdoor gear, chic fashion, skincare and cosmetics, lifestyle products, audio and digital gadgets, as well as beauty and fitness centers. Park-In Commercial Centre Carpark offers nearly 500 parking spaces, providing a convenient, one-stop shopping experience for its customers. SOURCE Hang Lung Properties Limited WURZBURG, Germany, October 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In Wurzburg today, the German President presented the German Environmental Prize to van Abel, Fee and Mettke "The will to tackle problems head-on is a decisive factor for success in protecting the environment - for your success, honored Prize recipients, and for the successful work of the environmental foundation. Your achievements confirm this to me: we can look optimistically into the future. We can be of good cheer about learning behavior which involves appreciating the riches of our planet and respecting the limits of Earth's resilience." - With these words, German President Joachim Gauck honored today in Wurzburg the new recipients of the German Environmental Prize from the German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, DBU), and the DBU itself, in the 25th year of its existence. The President personally presented the award - the highest-endowed independent environmental prize in Europe -- in Wurzburg to the entrepreneur Bas van Abel (39, of Amsterdam), the scientist Prof. Dr.-Ing. Angelika Mettke (64, of Cottbus) and the entrepreneur Walter Fee (62, of Kirchheim/Teck). Van Abel receives 250,000 euros. The other half of the prize money will be divided between Mettke and Fee. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161030/434067 ) For more information see www.dbu.de Contact Person Franz-Georg Elpers - Press Officer - Kerstin Heemann Jana Nitsch Contact DBU An der Bornau 2 49090 Osnabruck Phone: +49-0541|9633-521 +49-0171|3812888 Fax: +49-0541|9633-198 presse@dbu.de www.dbu.de SOURCE Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE: AN), America's largest automotive retailer, today announced the next phase of the Company's comprehensive brand extension rollout, which includes: AutoNation USA standalone pre-owned vehicle sales and service centers, AutoNation branded parts and accessories, the expansion of AutoNation branded standalone collision centers, and the expansion of AutoNation Auto Auctions. In 2013, the Company launched the AutoNation retail brand from coast to coast. That branding effort has been successfully extended to AutoNation Express and AutoNation Customer Financial Service products, and now the Company is well positioned to further leverage its retail brand. The next phase of AutoNation's comprehensive brand extension strategy provides customers with additional opportunities to purchase and service with a trusted automotive retail brand that provides fair and transparent pricing, faster transaction times, a seamless transition from online to in-store, and a peerless service experience. Mike Jackson, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, said, "We are pleased to announce the next phase of our comprehensive brand extension strategy, which will provide long-term growth opportunities for the Company. We expect that our investments in this next phase of the Company's brand extension rollout, which may exceed $500 million in the aggregate, will continue for the next several years. We have built an industry-leading brand, and we remain committed to achieving and sustaining operational excellence, while creating a peerless customer experience and enhanced services throughout the automotive retail sector." One Price One Price, an AutoNation brand element, was launched in several markets in the third quarter of 2016 and is a foundational attribute of AutoNation USA. One Price allows the Company to leverage centralized capabilities, such as centralized pricing and appraisals, and offers consumers a transparent and stress-free buying experience. AutoNation plans to fully implement One Price in all existing locations by the end of the second quarter of 2017. AutoNation USA AutoNation USA stores are standalone pre-owned vehicle sales and service centers. A key driver of AutoNation USA is AutoNation Express, the Company's digital platform, which allows customers to dramatically reduce their transaction time by offering a seamless end-to-end experience. Through AutoNation Express, a customer can search inventory online, select and reserve a vehicle, value their trade, see payment options, and apply for financing. Beyond the car buying experience, AutoNation USA sales and service centers will offer express service and scheduled maintenance and repair work. AutoNation USA stores will offer a customer-friendly end-to-end digital experience for service, including communications and payment options. The Company believes AutoNation USA sales and service centers will improve retention with customers who have vehicles that are out of warranty and traditionally service with independent repair shops. AutoNation has identified 25 AutoNation USA potential sites in its existing markets, of which five are expected to open in 2017. AutoNation Precision Parts and AutoNation Auto Gear AutoNation Precision Parts is a high quality, competitively priced line of maintenance and repair parts. The new product line will be integrated into the Company's reconditioning operations, as well as enable improved customer retention for retail service, wholesale parts and collision repair business units, including AutoNation USA. AutoNation Precision Parts was launched in the third quarter of this year in the Company's existing stores, with the introduction of AutoNation branded batteries that feature an industry-leading free lifetime replacement guarantee. AutoNation Auto Gear, the Company's branded automotive accessory line, will offer auto accessories for lifestyle, appearance, protection, and vehicle security. AutoNation Auto Gear was also launched in the third quarter in the Company's existing stores and will be available at each AutoNation USA store. The Company will be expanding both AutoNation Precision Parts and AutoNation Auto Gear product lines in phases as their product portfolios are developed. AutoNation Collision Centers AutoNation currently owns and operates 70 collision and repair centers across the country, and is expanding its collision center footprint to reach more customers and leverage relationships with insurance carriers. AutoNation has the largest collision center network among automotive retailers, with expertise and certifications with multiple manufacturers, and is the preferred repair provider for many of the major insurance carriers. New locations are planned for key markets where AutoNation has store density, but does not have an existing collision presence or has capacity limitations. The Company recently opened a new collision center in Sarasota, Florida, and today announced the acquisition of Westmont Body Werks in Westmont, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Over the next two years, AutoNation plans to open or acquire at least 18 new AutoNation branded collision centers across the country. AutoNation Auto Auctions AutoNation owns and operates a successful wholesale auto auction in Southern California, which processes over 25,000 vehicles annually. With an opportunity to leverage its expertise and expand in an attractive growth market, the Company plans to open four additional AutoNation branded auto auctions over the next two years, starting in Orlando, Florida and Houston, Texas in the first half of 2017. New auto auctions will be centrally located in select, high volume markets and will primarily feature AutoNation vehicle inventory. The AutoNation Auto Auctions will provide buyers and sellers with a great opportunity to dispose of and acquire highly desirable used vehicles as well as provide an array of other on-site support services. About AutoNation, Inc. AutoNation, America's largest automotive retailer, through its bold leadership, innovation and its comprehensive brand extensions, is transforming the automotive industry. As of September 30, 2016, owned and operated 371 new vehicle franchises from coast to coast. AutoNation has sold over 10 million vehicles, the first automotive retailer to reach this milestone. AutoNation's success is driven by a commitment to delivering a peerless experience through customer-focused sales and service processes. Through its Drive Pink initiative, AutoNation is committed to drive out cancer, create awareness and support critical research. AutoNation continues to be a proud supporter of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and other cancer-related charities. Please visit investors.autonation.com, www.autonation.com, www.autonationdrive.com, www.twitter.com/autonation, www.twitter.com/CEOMikeJackson, www.facebook.com/autonation, and www.facebook.com/CEOMikeJackson, where AutoNation discloses additional information about the Company, its business, and its results of operations. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news 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. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "goals," "plans," "believes," "continues," "may," "will," and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Statements regarding our strategic initiatives, including our brand extension strategies, as well as other statements that describe our objectives, goals, or plans are forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements reflect our current expectations concerning future results and events, and they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that are difficult to predict and may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance and achievements expressed or implied by these statements. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, among others: our ability to successfully implement, and customer adoption of, our brand extension strategies; our ability to identify, acquire, and build out suitable AutoNation USA and Collision Center locations in a timely manner; our ability to maintain and enhance our retail brands and reputation and to attract consumers; economic conditions; regulatory factors affecting our business; and other factors described in our news releases and filings made under the securities laws, including, among others, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release speak only as of the date of this news release, and we undertake no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161026/433097 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161026/433083LOGO SOURCE AutoNation, Inc. Related Links http://www.autonation.com At the positive talk on Chinese enterprise taking root in Brazil and helping to improve the infrastructure of Brazil, President Temer expressed his appreciation of XCMG's investments in Brazil and contributions to the local economy in the country, praising the company's achievements in Brazil to have set a good example for more Chinese enterprises that are willing to invest in Brazil. "This is the second time to meet with Mr. Wang after G20 Hangzhou Summit, China keeps its economic growth at a higher level, which provides valuable experience for the world," said President Temer. "The Summit can bring 'China Mode' to more countries, and the Brazil economy in the recovery period has more need for China's experience." XCMG manufacturing base in Brazil is not only the company's largest overseas manufacturing base, but also the first and largest construction machinery industrial park in Brazil built by Chinese construction machinery industry. The factory has brought more values to XCMG's local clients as well as pushing the economic development in Brazil. Wang explained XCMG's strategy of rooting in Brazil and further influencing South America is persistent and will hold fast to the promise during the economic downturn Brazil is going through, and the company is confident in investing in Brazil. After the talk, Wang presented President Temer with a XCMG crane model and invited him to visit XCMG's factory in Pouso Alegre at an appropriate time, which President Temer readily accepted. Wang has carried out his field survey of XCMG's manufacturing base in Brazil since he and the XCMG delegations arrived on October 22, meeting with XCMG employees in Brazil and overseeing production departments and assembly lines, making an important remark that XCMG needs to adhere to its strategy and goals in becoming a world class brand. About XCMG: XCMG is a multinational heavy machinery manufacturing company with a history of 73 years. It currently ranks ninth in the world's construction machinery industry. The company exports to more than 176 countries and regions around the world. For more information, please visit: www.xcmg.com, or XCMG pages on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161030/434059 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161030/434060 SOURCE XCMG Related Links http://www.xcmg.com WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA astronaut and Expedition 49 crew member Kate Rubins, who became the first person to sequence DNA in space, returned to Earth Saturday after a successful mission aboard the International Space Station. Rubins and her crewmates Anatoly Ivanishin of the Russian space agency Roscosmos and Takuya Onishi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, touched down in their Soyuz MS-01 at 11:58 p.m. EDT (9:58 a.m. Oct. 30, Kazakhstan time) southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan. Rubins, who has a degree in molecular biology, contributed to several new studies taking place for the first time aboard the space station, including the Biomolecule Sequencer experiment. The ability to sequence the DNA of living organisms in space could enable astronauts to diagnose an illness, or identify microbes growing in the space station and determine whether they represent a health threat. During her time on the orbiting complex, Rubins ventured outside the confines of the station for two spacewalks. During the first one on Aug. 19, she and NASA astronaut Jeff Williams installed the first international docking adapter. Outfitted with a host of sensors and systems, the adapter's main purpose is to provide a port for spacecraft bringing astronauts to the station in the future. Its first users are expected to be the Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft now in development in partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program. During her second spacewalk Sept. 1, Rubins and Williams retracted a spare thermal control radiator and installed two new high-definition cameras. Together, the Expedition 49 crew members contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science and Earth science aboard the world-class orbiting laboratory during their 115 days in space. The trio also welcomed three cargo spacecraft delivering several tons of supplies and research experiments. Rubins was involved in the grapple of Orbital ATK's Cygnus spacecraft to the station in October, the company's sixth contracted commercial resupply mission, and SpaceX's Dragon ninth contracted mission in July. One Russian ISS Progress cargo spacecraft also docked to the station in July. Rubins and Onishi have each spent a total of 115 days in space during their first mission. Ivanishin now has 280 days in space from two flights. Expedition 50, with Shane Kimbrough of NASA in command and his crewmates Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko of Roscosmos, will operate the station for three weeks until the arrival of three new crew members. Peggy Whitson of NASA, Thomas Pesquet of ESA (European Space Agency) and Oleg Novitskiy of Roscosmos are scheduled to launch Nov. 17 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Check out the full NASA TV schedule and video streaming information at: http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv Keep up with the International Space Station, and its research and crews, at: http://www.nasa.gov/station Get breaking news, images and features from the station on Instagram and Twitter: http://instagram.com/iss and http://www.twitter.com/Space_Station Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO SOURCE NASA Related Links http://www.nasa.gov SANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct. 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Santa Monica City Council voted this week to approve an ordinance requiring all new single-family construction in the City of Santa Monica to be zero-net energy (ZNE), the first of its kind in the world. Zero-net energy is a building industry term for projects that generate enough of their own energy from renewable sources to equal what they take from the power utility over the course of a year. "Santa Monica is proud to take a global lead in zero net energy building standards that put the State's environmental policy to action. Council's adoption of this new ordinance reflects our city's continued commitment to the environment," said Mayor Tony Vazquez. "ZNE construction, considered the gold standard for green buildings, is a major component that will help us reach our ambitious goal of carbon neutrality by 2050." The ordinance now goes to the California Energy Commission (CEC) for approval, and continues the City's long history of adopting local requirements, and providing resources to the community, that take a global lead in advancing the transition to high performance, green buildings for all. "This ordinance makes environmental and economic sense," said Dean Kubani, Santa Monica's Chief Sustainability Officer. "With the price of utility power continuing to rise, ZNE homeowners will avoid those escalating costs while benefitting from local renewable power for all of their energy needs." There are various definitions for ZNE buildings but Santa Monica is adopting the definition used in the 2016 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen). According to CALGreen, a ZNE building is one where the value of energy produced on-site by renewable energy resources is equal to the value of the energy consumed annually by the building. In 2008, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) adopted California's first Long Term Energy Efficiency Strategic Plan, which presented a roadmap for all California buildings to be ZNE. The roadmap committed California to requiring all new residential construction achieve ZNE by 2020 and all new commercial construction achieve ZNE by 2030. With this new ZNE ordinance, Santa Monica is the first city in California to adopt a ZNE ordinance, leading the State to ensure new construction meets the most energy-efficient, cost-effective standards in the industry. "Santa Monica's new zero-net energy ordinance is a forward-thinking measure that will help California meet its statewide energy efficiency goals," said Assemblymember Richard Bloom. "This ordinance reflects the city's leadership on local policymaking as well as its commitment to doing its part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption." Santa Monica staff collaborated with Southern California Edison (SCE) and their consultant, TRC Energy Services (TRC) to analyze the cost-effectiveness of locally adopted standards that meet the CALGreen ZNE requirements. The timing of the ordinance capitalizes on state momentum towards ZNE and market trends in the solar industry. With the cost of solar installation continuing to decrease (according to the California Solar Initiative, the Solar Energy Industries Association and observed recent installations in Santa Monica), Santa Monica residents and developers can combine cost-effective energy efficient design with affordable renewable energy to build ZNE homes. These new homes will contribute to the City's robust long-range goals for energy and climate mitigation, including releasing zero carbon by 2050. In addition to ZNE for single family homes, the Santa Monica ordinance also requires non-residential construction be designed to use 10% less energy than required by the 2016 California Energy Code. The Update to the Santa Monica Municipal Green Building Ordinance states: SINGLE FAMILY/DUPLEXES/LOW-RISE MULTI-FAMILY DWELLINGS shall be designed to use fifteen percent (15%) less energy than the allowed energy budget established by the 2016 California Energy Code, and achieve and Energy Design Rating of Zero. HIGH-RISE MULTI-FAMILY DWELLINGS and NON-RESIDENTIAL, HOTEL, MOTEL shall be designed to use ten percent (10%) less energy than the allowed energy budget established by the 2016 California Energy Code. For more information about ZNE or Santa Monica's municipal code, visit: Office of Sustainability and the Environment (http://www.smgov.net/departments/ose/ ) California Public Utilities Commission (http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/general.aspx?id=4125) California Building Standards Commission (http://www.bsc.ca.gov/Home/CALGreen.aspx) SOURCE City of Santa Monica Related Links http://www.smgov.net 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 Geneva, Oct 25 : A total 3,740 people have perished since January in the Mediterranean on the boat journey to Europe, making this year the deadliest yet, the UN said on Tuesday. The high loss of life comes despite a large overall fall this year in the number of people seeking to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, the UN refugee agency UNHCR stated. This year so far, 327,800 people have undertaken the sea voyage, of whom one in 88 have died, compared to 1 in 269 in 2015 when at least 1,015,078 people made the crossing, according to UNHCR. On the Central Mediterranean route between Libya and Italy the likelihood of dying was even higher, at one death for every 47 arrivals, UNHCR noted. A surge in crossings to Italy from North Africa, lower-quality, flimsy inflatable rafts used by people-smugglers, crossings attempted in bad weather and mass embarcations lie behind this year's dramatic leap in fatalities, the agency said. UNHCR acknowledged "daily" efforts being made by Italy and other countries "often in difficult conditions" to save lives and the need for "continuing and robust search and rescue capacities". But the agency urged nations to create more channels for migrants and asylum-seekers to enter Europe legally instead risking their lives aboard unsafe people-smuggling boats. Such channels include enhanced resettlement and humanitarian admissions, family reunification, private sponsorship, and humanitarian, student and work visas for refugees, UNHCR said. Beijing, Oct 27 : Chinese sailor Guo Chuan has gone missing while trying to break the record for crossing the Pacific alone, authorities said on Thursday. Guo was last heard just after Tuesday afternoon when his boat, the Qingdao China, sailed 900 nautical miles off the west of Hawaii, Xinhua news agency reported. All attempts to contact the 51-year-old sailor has failed, the authorities added. The US Coast Guard was now searching waters off Hawaii, where his boat was spotted without him onboard ith its main sail snapped off and in the water. Guo left San Francisco on October 18 with the aim of reaching Shanghai within 20 days. He was also the first Chinese person to sail around the world alone when he completed his trans-navigation of the globe in a 12m yacht in 2013. New York, Oct 27 : Personal values of students are often influenced by school Principals and become more similar to those of them with time, a new study has found. The findings indicate that principals' values are linked with aspects of school climate which are, in turn, linked with students' own values. "Given the vast amount of time children spend in school, it is important to assess the impact that schools have on children, beyond their impact on children's academic skills. Our findings show that schools contribute to the formation of children's values," said Yair Berson, Researcher at the New York University. For the study published in the journal Psychological Science, the researchers collected data from 252 school Principals, over 3,600 teachers and almost 50,000 students in public elementary and secondary schools. Focusing on four categories of values -- self-enhancement, self-transcendence, openness to change, and conservation -- school Principals filled out a questionnaire in which they read statements about a hypothetical individual and rated how closely they aligned with their own values. At the same time, students completed age-appropriate measures that tapped into the same values. The students completed values measures again two-years later. Teachers also rated the degree to which students in their homeroom displayed various behaviours that reflected the same values. The researchers found that students' values became more similar to those of their Principal over the two-year study period. "Principals' personal outlook on life is reflected in the overall school atmosphere, which over time becomes reflected in school children's personal outlook and eventual behaviour," said Shaul Oreg, Researcher at the Cornell University. This pattern was consistent for all of the values except for one: conservation values. "Values that have to do with maintaining the status quo -- emphasising tradition, conformity and security - showed a different pattern, whereby Principals' values are associated with children's values, but without the mediating role of the school climate," Oreg added. Ultimately, determining whether Principals' influence on students' values is good or bad will be up to the individual observer, the study suggests. Kurukshetra (Haryana), Oct 30 : Indian Army soldier Mandeep Singh, whose body was mutilated by terrorists near the Line of Control (LoC), will be cremated in his native village in Haryana's Kurukshetra district with full military honours on Sunday. Mandeep, a sepoy of the 17th Sikh regiment, was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Machhil sector of Kupwara area of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday night. He hailed from Antehri village in Kurukshetra district, about 100 km from Chandigarh. His body was brought to Ambala on Saturday and was handed over to his family on Sunday. Residents of Mandeep's village said that no Diwali would be celebrated in the village as a mark of respect to the martyr. Antehri village is known for sending men to the forces. "We are proud of the sacrifice of our son. Pakistan must be taught a lesson for its inhuman actions," Mandeep's father Phool Singh said. Mandeep, who was married in 2014, leaves behind his widow, Prerna, who is a constable in the Haryana Police, and parents. "Our government should take decisive action to finish Pakistan. We cannot let our soldiers die like this," an inconsolable Prerna told the media. The Indian Army, in an official statement on Saturday, said the soldier's body was "mutilated" and added that it would retaliate with an "appropriate response". Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar described Mandeep's killing as a cowardly act by the terrorists. The Chief Minister said that a financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh would be given to the next of kin. This is not the first time that Pakistan has mutilated the bodies of Indian soldiers. During the Kargil war in 1999, Captain Saurabh Kalia, Sepoys Arjunram Baswana, Mula Ram Bidiasar, Naresh Singh Sinsinwar, Bhanwar Lal Bagaria and Bhika Ram Mudh of 4 Jat Regiment were captured by Pakistani troops and brutally tortured. The soldiers had their ear drums pierced with hot iron rods, eyes punctured and genitals cut off. The autopsy of the bodies also revealed that they were burned with cigarettes butts. Their limbs were also chopped off, teeth broken and skull fractured during the torture. Even their nose and lips were sliced off. In another incident, on January 8, 2013, Pakistani soldiers entered Indian territory in Krishna Ghati sector of the border and killed two Indian soldiers - Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh. Indian officials said both the bodies were mutilated, and Hemraj's body was decapitated. Kurukshetra (Haryana), Oct 30 : Indian Army soldier Mandeep Singh, whose body was mutilated by terrorists near the Line of Control (LoC), was on Sunday cremated in his village in Haryana's Kurukshetra district with full military honours. Mandeep, a soldier of the 17th Sikh Regiment, was killed in an gun battle with terrorists in Machhil sector of Kupwara area of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday night. He hailed from Antehri village in Kurukshetra district, about 100 km from Chandigarh. Hundreds of people, including men, women and children, gathered to pay their last respects to the martyr. The people raised slogans of "Long live Mandeep" and against Pakistan. His body was brought to Ambala on Saturday and handed over to his family on Sunday. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar visited the village on Sunday morning to share the grief with Mandeep's family. Senior officers of the army, district administration and the police were present at the cremation. Residents of Mandeep's village said that no Diwali would be celebrated in the village as a mark of respect to the martyr. Antehri village is known for sending its men to the forces. "We are proud of the sacrifice of our son. Pakistan must be taught a lesson for its inhuman actions," Mandeep's father Phool Singh said. Mandeep, who was married in 2014, leaves behind his young widow, Prerna, who is a constable in the Haryana Police, and parents. "Our government should take decisive action to finish Pakistan. We cannot let our soldiers die like this," an inconsolable Prerna told the media. The slain martyr was to celebrate Diwali with his family at his village this year. The Indian Army, in an official statement on Saturday, said the soldier's body was "mutilated" and added that it would retaliate with an "appropriate response". Khattar described Mandeep's killing as a cowardly act by the terrorists. The Chief Minister said that a financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh would be given to the next of kin. This is not the first time that Pakistan has mutilated the bodies of Indian soldiers. During the Kargil war in 1999, Captain Saurabh Kalia, soldiers Arjunram Baswana, Mula Ram Bidiasar, Naresh Singh Sinsinwar, Bhanwar Lal Bagaria and Bhika Ram Mudh of the 4 Jat Regiment were captured by Pakistani troops and brutally tortured. The soldiers had their ear drums pierced with hot iron rods, eyes punctured and genitals cut off. The autopsy of the bodies also revealed that they were burnt with cigarettes butts. Their limbs were also chopped off, teeth broken and skull fractured during the torture. Even their nose and lips were sliced off. In another incident, on January 8, 2013, Pakistani soldiers entered Indian territory in Krishna Ghati sector of the border and killed two Indian soldiers -- Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh. Indian officials said both the bodies were mutilated, and Hemraj's body was decapitated. New Delhi, Oct 30 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed happiness over the progress being made in all states of India to make the country Open Defecation Free (ODF). Addressing the nation in his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat', Modi praised people helping their respective areas to become ODF. The Prime Minister talked about an incident where an army personnel donated thousand of rupees to help make his village Open Defecation Free. "Vikas Thakur of ITBP, who was on a holiday in a village in Himachal Pradesh, came to know that some people in his village were unable to build toilets in their homes because of want of money. He immediately gave Rs 5,700 to village Pradhan asking him to help build toilets for 57 families in the villages," he said. Modi also expressed satisfaction over other states like Kerala, Haryana and others for their efforts to become ODF states. Modi also wished countrymen on the occasion of Diwali. speaking of the 2011 western overthrow of Libyas leader Muammar Khadaffi.She was, of course, shamelessly paraphrasing Caesars famous summary of his campaign around the Black Sea. Mrs. Clinton, who seems ordained to be Americas next president, should have been rather more cautious in admitting to murder.This week marks the fifth anniversary of Khadaffis grisly death. The Libyan leader was fleeing in a motor convoy to reach friendly tribal territory when French warplanes and a US drone attacked and destroyed the vehicles. Wounded, Khadaffi crawled into a culvert where he was captured by French and US-backed rebels.Khadaffi was severely beaten, then anally raped with a long knife. At least two bullets finally ended his suffering. Thus ended the colorful life of the man who wanted to be the second Nasser and leader of a united Arab world. His death was a warnings to others trying to challenge the Mideast status quo I call the American Raj.I was invited to interview Khadaffi in 1987 at his Tripoli headquarters in the Bab al-Azizya barracks. This was on the one year anniversary of 1986 US air attacks on the barracks that sought to assassinate Khadaffi, described by US President Ronald Reagan as the mad dog of the Mideast. But that night, the Leader, as he liked to be called, went to his Bedouin tent in the courtyard and thus escaped death for a time.A US 2,000lb bomb came crashing through the roof of the barracks right onto the bed where Khadaffi usually slept, often with his two-year old adopted daughter. The girl died.Khadaffi led me by the hand through the ruined building, asking me why Mr. Eric did the Americans try to kill me? I explained to him: his support of the Palestinians, Nelson Mandela, the Irish Republican Army, and Basque separatists. For Khadaffi, they were all legitimate freedom fighters. I rebuked him for not backing the Afghan mujahadin then fighting Soviet occupation who were real freedom fighters.Khadaffi or at least his intelligence chief, the sinister Abdullah Senussi, was accused of being involved in the downing of a French UTA and US Pan Am airliner. Libya financed anti-French movements in Paris-dominated West Africa and the Sahel.Chad became a flash-point between Paris and Tripoli. The former head of French intelligence, Count Alexandre de Marenches, told me Frances president, Francois Mitterand, ordered him to bomb Khadaffis personal jet, then changed his mind. The British also tried to kill Khadaffi by means of a large car bomb in Benghazi.Eventually, Libya managed to bury the hatchet with its western foes, though Khadaffi remained highly annoying to the former colonial powers and a fierce critic of the Saudis whom he denounced as thieves of Arab resources and betrayers of the Palestinians.Ive often been asked what Khadaffi was like. He was a simple Bedouin born in a tent. Khadaffi was disgusted by the poverty and corruption of the Arab world, and its domination and exploitation by the Americans, French and British. He saw himself as a champion of Palestinian rights, and Libya, with only 6 million people, as the leader of modernized Africa.But he was also a dreamer who often had fanciful schemes, like the Great Manmade River to draw artesian water from the Sahara. He loved to insult his fellow Arab leaders, branding them cowards, thieves and liars. Khadaffi was theatrical and flamboyant and loved to show off.After spending an evening with Khadaffi in his Bedouin tent, I told him, tongue in cheek, Leader, we may bomb you but I must confess our women think you are the most handsome and dashing Arab leader. He beamed and showed me some of his Italian-tailored faux combat wear and kid-skin jump boots. At times he seemed like a kid in a toy store zany but also serious and determined. According to his many critics, Khadaffi was a dangerous, anti-western megalomaniac.He was also vilified and demonized by the western media, a process that happened to all third world leaders who refuse to accept western dictates.Khadaffi was quietly cooperating with the US when the Arab Spring erupted in Tunisia. Secretary Hillary Clinton and her neocon advisors decided to seize advantage of Mideast turmoil and overthrow Khadaffi.A new color revolution was unleashed by the western powers. Protests were organized in Benghazi, always an anti-Khadaffi stronghold, by CIA, French intelligence and Britains MI6. Western special forces attacked Libyan military positions. The UN was gulled into calling for humanitarian intervention to supposedly save civilian lives.France led the military intervention. Khadaffis son, Seif, had claimed that his father had helped finance French president Nicholas Sarkozys election. The vindictive Sarkozy intended to shut up the Khadaffis.Western special forces intervened behind the cover of a popular uprising. Khadaffis rag tag forces quickly collapsed and rebel groups seized power, murdering Khadaffi in the process.The west got Libyas high grade oil and was rid of a thorn in its side. Khadaffi told me that if he were overthrown, Libya would splinter into its tribal mosaic which is just what has happened. Chaos reigns as warlords backed by the US, France, Britain, Italy and Egypt and a small ISIS contingent fight over bleeding Libya. Decades of development that made Libya Africas leader in health care and education were wiped away.Interestingly, the template for the western overthrow of Khadaffi aka regime change was next employed in Syria, with vastly more destructive results but less success. Expect to see more color revolutions when Mrs. Clinton takes over the White House. New Delhi, Oct 30 : A 39-year-old Delhi Police head constable on Sunday committed suicide here by shooting himself, the police said. The head constable, identified as Gyanendra Rathi, was a resident of north-east Delhi's Brahmpuri area, a police official said. According to police, a PCR call was received at 1.04 a.m., that Rathi had committed suicide by shooting himself with his service revolver. He was posted with Special Cell of the Delhi Police here. A senior police officer told IANS that at the time of the incident, REathi was with his wife at his residence. His family was away at his native place in western Uttar Pradesh. What prompted Rathi to shoot himself to death is not yet clear. Sanaa, Oct 30 : At least 60 prisoners were killed and 38 others injured when Saudi-led air strikes hit a prison in Yemeni Red Sea port city of al-Hodayda on Sunday, authorities said. The targeted prison, located in al-Zaydiya district of al-Hodayda, was bombed to the ground in a series of air strikes that began at dawn and lasted hours, Xinhua news agency reported. Rescue teams were still searching for survivors at the site. The health office of al-Hodayda sent an emergency call to people to donate blood to save the injured. It was the latest in a series of air strikes that targeted civilians in Yemen since the war began in March last year. On Saturday, the coalition warplanes killed a total of 27 civilians, mostly children and women, in three Yemeni provinces of Saada, Marib and Taiz, according to residents, medics and local officials. Earlier this month, the air strikes hit a funeral hall in the capital Sanaa, killing 140 mourners, including children, and wounded over 600 others. Saudi Arabia intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March last year to restore its ally President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government to power, after Houthis and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh fought a revolution against "Hadi government corruption" and drove Hadi with his cabinet out of power to flee into exile. The Saudi-led coalition has ever since failed to restore Hadi or recapture northern provinces from the allied Houthi and Saleh forces which have also controlled the capital Sanaa. The Saudi-led air strikes and ground combat have killed over 10,000 Yemenis, mostly children and women, and forced more than two million to flee their homes. New Delhi, Oct 30 : A Singapore Navy ship reached Vishakhapatnam on Sunday to participate in the India-Singapore joint naval exercise, said an official statement. RSS Formidable, a multi-role stealth frigate commanded by Lt. Col. Khoo Aik Leong Albert, will participate in the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercises 'SIMBEX-16'. A senior Singapore Navy delegation headed by Col. Aaron Beng, who commands the 185 Squadron, is also visiting Vishakhapatnam-headquartered Eastern Naval Command (ENC) during the period, said the Defence Ministry statement. During the visit, the seniors Singaporean Navy commanders will call on ENC's commander-in-chief, Vice Admiral H.C.S. Bisht and Eastern Fleet commander, Rear Admiral A.B. Dasgupta. In the exercise, Indian Navy will be represented by guided missile destroyer INS Ranvijay, indigenous anti-submarine warfare stealth corvette INS Kamorta, a Sindhugosh class submarine, along with number of maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters. A Fokker 50 maritime patrol aircraft of the Singapore Navy will be operating from Port Blair. The SIMBEX series was first formalized when Singaporean Navy ships began training with the Indian Navy in 1994. Simbex-16, being held in the Bay of Bengal region, is 23rd in the series and is aimed to increase interoperability and to develop common understanding and procedures for maritime security operations. The thrust of exercises at sea this year would be on anti-submarine warfare, integrated operations with surface, air and sub-surface forces, air defence and surface encounters. Ugandan Ashinaga scholar Robert Aine, who met the prime minister at the event, said I was humbled by prime minister Abes action to support us, and I have also learnt that position is nothing but the level of humility is what pushes you on. Bystanders had been waiting for about an hour while the Japanese national media filmed the students introductory speeches, and private security personnel combed the crowd in preparation for the prime ministers arrival. The prime minister stopped to talk to the students and make a personal donation to the fundraising campaign. When a couple of children saw the prime minister pull out his wallet, they ran over with their donation boxes to try their luck too. A crowd of bystanders gathered outside Tokyos Shinjuku station last Saturday, looking on as a small group of student fundraisers lined up, flanked by Japanese national media and private security personnel. To the astonishment of the crowd, a black car arrived and out stepped Shinzo Abe, stopping for several minutes to chat to the students and personally donate to their campaign. The Japanese student fundraisers are all supported by loans and scholarships from Ashinaga, a large Japanese NGO which provides educational and emotional support to orphans worldwide. Ashinaga was founded in 1963 as a result of the death of Mr. Yoshiomi Tamais mother. Mr. Tamai resolved to fight for social equality for those who lose one or both of their parents. To date, Ashinaga has empowered more than 95,000 orphaned students to finish their high school and university education. Ashinagas extraordinary success of helping orphans in Japan has grown into a worldwide movement, focused on educating and nurturing future leaders. Ashinaga continues to support high school and university students in Japan, as well as children orphaned by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster, but in recent years has started looking outwards towards Africa, where the AIDS epidemic has left millions of children without parents. Ashinagas involvement with Africa has grown over the past sixteen years, from the foundation of Ashinagas Rainbow House on the outskirts of Ugandas capital city Kampala in 2003, to At Home In The World (https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=ashinaga%20collaboration%20concert), a musical collaboration with Les Miserables director John Caird, bringing together the Ugandan Terakoya students with Japanese Taiko drummers and New Yorks Vasser College choir. Ashinaga was also involved in this years TICAD (Tokyo International Conference of Africas Development) in Kenya, where the Terakoya students performed in front of many African heads of state. Prime Minister Abe was also in attendance at the conference. This Octobers fundraising campaign is of particular significance to Ashinaga, because it is the first time that their students are raising money for the charitys projects in Africa, such as the Ashinaga Africa Initiative (AAI). The AAI is a scholarship programme which gives African students a chance to study abroad for their university degree, before returning to their home countries as future leaders. Each year, one successful applicant from each of the chosen Sub-Saharan African countries is brought to meet their fellow scholars for a six-month boot camp in Uganda or Senegal, where they study, prepare for entrance exams, and develop skills that will help them achieve success at university and beyond. So far, the programme has sent 34 students from 32 countries to universities in the US, UK, Ireland, France, Australia, Canada, and Japan, with hopes to expand to incorporate students from all 49 Sub-Saharan African countries. Applications for English-speaking candidates are now open for this years programme, and French-speaking candidates will be able to apply from April 2017. Ashinagas 93rd Bokin street fundraising campaign will be running again this weekend in over 200 locations across Japan, with half of the money raised going to their projects in Japan, and half going to the Ashinaga Africa Initiative. Prime Minister Abes visit showed how valuable Ashinagas support is to the Japanese people. The students decision to fundraise for Ashinagas projects abroad is a crucial step towards providing the same support for many people across the African continent. Will you be next to support Ashinaga? See the Ashinaga Web site at: http://www.ashinaga.org/en/ Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ASHINAGAofficial/?fref=ts Employee Screening Service We know that both employers and HR managers are under incredible pressure to keep up with issues surrounding their employees. Background Profiles, an NAPBS Accredited employee screening and background check service at https://www.backgroundprofiles.com/, is proud to announce new updates to its lively blog. 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Davidson & Licht, recognized as one of the top luxury watch dealers in Walnut Creek, Santa Clara / San Jose, and indeed the entire San Francisco Bay Area, is proud to announce both its authorized IWC watch dealer status in the Bay Area and exciting in-store innovations to showcase IWC watches for discriminating Northern California customers. "Among Swiss luxury watch brands, IWC Schaffhausen occupies a unique niche, especially recently because of the incredible buzz around the 'Big Pilot' watch edition and the 2016 collection," explained Jason Licht, marketing manager for Davidson and Licht. "We're proud not only to be an authorized Bay Area IWC watch dealer but also to have an innovative IWC custom boutique, designed and installed by IWC, creating an incredible shopping experience for the watches." To browse IWC watches online, visit http://www.davidsonandlicht.com/brand/iwc/. Even better, to visit the company's Walnut Creek jewelry store, go to http://www.davidsonandlicht.com/walnut-creek/ and for its San Jose / Santa Clara jewelry store, go to http://www.davidsonandlicht.com/santa-clara/. There, one can find phone numbers and addresses to make an in-store visit easy. THE IWC WATCH BRAND AND DAVIDSON AND LICHT Davidson and Licht is known as one of the top jewelers in the San Francisco Bay Area and as "the" place to go in both Walnut Creek and Santa Clara / San Jose to browse for luxury Swiss watches, including the IWC Schaffhausen brand. Many affluent Bay Area consumers seek to differentiate themselves by not only a commitment to luxury but to technological excellence. The fact that the 2016 Pilot's Watch Collection blends both style and technology with a historic passion for flying makes it a celebrated timepiece among Bay Area lovers of classic watch design. The 2016 Pilots Watch collection offers a wide, balanced range of Pilots Watches stretching from the Big Pilots Heritage Watch to the elegant Pilots Watch Automatic 36 to the stylish Mark XVIII. Indeed, the new Timezoner Chronograph is definitely causing excitement among Bay Area 'world travelers,' as a simple twist is all it takes to change timezones. Interested persons, including Bay Area journalists, are urged to reach out to Davidson and Licht or visit one of two Bay Area locations; Walnut Creek for the East Bay, and San Jose / Santa Clara at the Valley Fair Mall for the South Bay. ABOUT DAVIDSON & LICHT JEWELERS Davidson & Licht (http://www.davidsonandlicht.com/) is one of the San Francisco Bay Area's top jewelers, with jewelry stores in Walnut Creek and in Santa Clara / San Jose in the Valley Fair mall. With a storied history, the company boasts the Bay Area's finest selection of engagement rings, wedding bands, and other fine jewelry for weddings and anniversaries. Besides carrying the best jewelry designers from Marco Bicego to Hearts on Fire, Mikimoto to Robert Coin and everything in between, the company also offers in-house Rolex watch repair. Media Relations. 925-935-0940 Text Visit Stockton from 8am to 8pm, daily! Text messaging allows us to quickly respond to visitors needs while they are in the city enjoying all that Stockton has to offer Visit Stockton, the official destination marketing organization for Stockton, California has added texting as an additional way to enhance the visitor experience. Partnering with Seattle based Chatbox Inc., the team at Visit Stockton are now available to answer questions from visitors via texting the organizations existing toll-free number at 877-778-6258. Text messaging allows us to quickly respond to visitors' needs while they are in the city enjoying all that Stockton has to offer, said Visit Stockton CEO Wes Rhea. Not everyone wants to download an app, and there isnt always service available to access a website on a mobile device when someone has questions. When inquiring about dining, shopping, and things to do, travelers can now extend a direct line to those who know the city best by texting with the team at Visit Stockton. Founded by graduates of the travel industry, the Chatbox service is new to Destination Marketing Organizations having only been released to bureaus in August of 2016. CEO of Chatbox, Doug Miller stated, "Messaging apps have now surpassed social networks for active users. It's no surprise then, that messaging is fast becoming the new interface to discover and book travel. 85% of US consumers want to text with merchants the way they do with friends. Visit Stockton is out-in-front of this enormous opportunity to engage travelers, grow visitation and drive traffic to local businesses." Texting provides a way for the Visit Stockton team to offer prompt and personal attention to guests who are in Stockton for business, attending a sporting event or family reunion, and more. The extension of visitor service hours is another big positive for Visit Stockton. The Visit Stockton office in Downtown Stockton is open Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 4:30pm, but Chatbox makes the team accessible for texting from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week. Texting service hours can also be adjusted as necessary when demand for information and service will be higher; the NCAA Womens Division I Regionals coming in March to the Stockton Arena will be a good example. Visit Stockton also offers a live chat option through their website during normal business hours. # # # # About Visit Stockton Visit Stockton is the official destination marketing organization for Stockton, California. Founded in 1979 as a 501(c)6, non-profit corporation, the bureaus mission is to promote Stockton by increasing the awareness and enhancing the image of the citys diverse cultural, historical and recreational assets. Visit Stockton is funded in partnership with local hotel properties through the Stockton Tourism Business Improvement District. More information can be found at visitstockton.org or by texting 877.778.6258. About Chatbox Inc. Sales, service and marketing teams use Chatbox for real-time collaboration with mobile customers. Chatbox combines messaging with in-line apps, and networking tools, that make chat better for everyone. Brands and businesses save time and money, while customers enjoy a simple conversational experience just like texting with friends. With Halloween so close to election day, it is tempting to link the two; especially since one of the candidates has a pumpkin-like complexion and orange hair. But that would lead to a series of ad hominem comments, so I will stop here. I will admit that the scary season is going to last longer than usual: until we end this national trauma in little more than a week. That slightly queasy feeling wont pass until we find out what Donald Trumps followers do if, and when, their hero loses. The veiled threat of violence has hung in the air for some months now. Not a few of Trumps partisans sound and act hinged -- and those, in particular, are heavily armed. We are a violent people in a violent society, but that primitive instinct boils over primarily at the local and personal level. Its a monster that we want to keep in a zoo. We are told that the odds are in Hillary Clintons favor, but things tend to change rapidly in the final days of a campaign. There are no rules barring deceit and deception in political advertising, so look for some heavy-handed straining at gnats by the Trump brain trust. Those guys play for keeps. Most voters find it hard to believe that a wildly undisciplined man like Trump can win. Almost all newspapers, Republican and Democratic, have endorsed Hillary. The outstanding exception is the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a mouthpiece for its owner, right-wing casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. Trump plays the almost universal opposition of the press like a banjo. After using the media to secure his nomination, he now castigates them as tools of the elites who have trashed the economy and have no regard for the problems of ordinary people. Its gotten so bad that security personnel, including the secret service, now have to protect reporters instead of the candidate at Trump rallies. The surge of anger Trump has stoked among his followers gives cover to some very nasty folks, like neo-Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan, nativists, and a growing number of assorted hate groups. This coterie is akin to the pre-Civil War Know-Nothings, who assailed Catholics and immigrants. Thats a chapter in American history wed rather not re-visit. So. Given the solid opposition he faces, can Trump still win? Sure. Consider: He has a solid phalanx of people who are determined to vote for him against the evidence. Its rather like a man whose car has failed him one time too many. In the grip of frustration, he decides to toss a hand grenade into it rather than call a skilled mechanic. He satisfies his anger, but hes not going to be driving anywhere. Trumps backers may be a minority, but they are a sold, motivated, dedicated minority. They can only be opposed by active votes for Clinton. A vote for a third party benefits Trump, because it will not count against him. I know friends who refuse to vote for either. That will help push Trump over the top. But, beyond the election itself, this whole campaign bodes ill for the future. I was impressed that some commentators I have read cited a politician of ancient Athens in arguing against Trump. They likened him to Kleon, a Greek leader who had no regard for civility; who roused the citys assembly with fear and anger; the kind of man for whom the word demagogue was coined. Kleon was the orator who urged the assembly to approve killing every man in a conquered island and selling its women and children into slavery. They bought his passionate argument and sent a ship to execute the order. The next day, chastened by what they had done in anger, the order was rescinded over his scornful objection and a second ship was sent in time to prevent the slaughter. But the damage had been done; a marker was set. Some years later, the Athenian assembly did the same thing; this time, allowing the atrocity to be carried out. Once the fabric of a society is frayed, it can be torn away. So, whatll it be? Pull the grenade pin or call the mechanic? first star I see tonight! I wish I may, I wish I might have the wish I wish tonight! Generations of young people have scanned the sky at dusk searching for a star to wish on and then have repeated this rhyme! Most often a person first sees beautiful Venus. Although in reality its a rocky planet, not a blistering star, its proximity to Earth plus the suns rays reflecting on its constant cloud cover make it so bright. It is called the evening star and also the bright morning star! The second star you may see will probably be an actual one with strong light. There are 21 of these. Several visible in November are Capella, Deneb, Vega and Altair. If you wish (while you are wishing) to know more star names and their locations, several sources are available- Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazines have monthly sky maps. As the Earth rotates and revolves, people have a changing view of the heavens, but the constellations are still fixed in their relationship to one another! Bookstores may also carry a plastic or paper planisphere. This directs you to any day and hour of the year by dialing double circles. And, of course, technology has a handy answer. By entering skymaps.com you can readily see what to look for on any given date on your screen. The Greeks classified stars by brightness, organizing them by magnitude. On their scale, magnitudes 0 and 1 are the biggest, most luminous spots of light beaming through the darkness we call The Night Sky. Sky Charts list that Greek scale, which descends from magnitude 0 to magnitude 5, and show star dots in six sizes. Many constellations have only one or two stars of top brightness. Brightness is determined by size, heat and the distance the star is from us. A fun idea to experiment with when you are star gazing is to try to see the subtle colors of some stars. They are not only interesting to behold, but indicate both temperature and the stage a star is in during its lifetime! Blue stars like Rigel or Vega are the hottest followed by white. Arcturus is said to be ginger ale colored! Next are yellow stars like Capella, then orange ones (see Albireo). Lastly, red is the coolest. Red Betelgeuse is very large and is in one of the final phases in a star's life. Deliberately putting a star slightly out of focus while using binoculars or a telescope gives more area to a stars color by extending its rays. This is a tried and true method used by amateur astronomers. If viewing with binoculars, sit in a chair and lean against something solid to steady your view or buy an adapter part to attach your binoculars to a tripod. There are variables that may affect the clarity of your views when stargazing: -- When the moon commands the sky, it makes hunting stars more of a challenge. -- The amount of moisture in the atmosphere also makes a difference. This is not all bad, however, because it is our many layers of atmosphere that cause stars to appear to flicker or twinkle! -- Artificial lights create urban glow. This can make many stars look faint or even absent. In this year of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, it is noteworthy that all of the parks have declared that dark skies are a right every human has to be able to know the natural universe setting in which we live. Educating the public about how light pollution can be minimized is a pertinent challenge the park service has embraced. To learn more, you are invited to join the Popular Astronomy Club (now in its 80th year in the Quad Cities). It meets in the John Deere Planetarium on the Augustana College campus in Rock Island at 7 p.m. the second Monday of each month, except August or October. The HarrisX Ragan CEO/Communicators Perceptions Survey needs CEOs, CCOs and senior-level communicators to share their opinions on variety of topics including ESG, CSR and purpose, DE&I, and whether organizations should take a stand on political and social issues. Well share the preliminary findings, including how CEOs and communicators differed in their responses, during Ragans communications Week, Nov. 1-7. Full results will be shared in a special report this winter. Take the survey here. For those who take the time to share their insights and who provide us their email, we will send a copy of the final, aggregated findings and executive report. Your views are important to us and your answers will be kept anonymous. Welcome to Railway Gazette. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of these cookies. You can learn more about the cookies we use here. OK Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate Property details: Department of Land Transfer Info Equipment Feedback Other Claims for Sale Contact Us Add To Favorites TOM BOY'S GOLD MINE CAMC313563 20.66 Acre Unpatented Lode Mining Claim on Federal Land in the Historic Randsburg / Kern County California The Tom Boy's Gold Mine is located in the historic Randsburg Mining District. This is a pretty solid mine, cut from hard rock and is on a twenty degree decline. Free milling gold is visible to the naked eye in the tailings. The vast majority of the tailings lo... Price: $ 510 Seller State of Residence: California Property Address: Armistead, CA 93527 Type: Unpatented Mining Claims Zoning: Mixed Zip/Postal Code: 93527 State/Province: California City: Armistead Location: 935**, Inyokern, California You will be redirected to eBay Nearby Armistead Property details: One-acre RANCH MODOC COUNTY NO MINIMUM / NO RESERVE --- HIGH BID OWNS THE LOT This Property is located in the vicinity of Alturas; south west about 18 miles-drive; is a city in and the county seat of Modoc County, Ca. The population was 2,827 at the 2010 census. It is also only 14 minutes-drive from California Pines. Alturas is located on the Pit River, east of the center of Modoc County, at an elevation of 4370 feet. As the county seat, the town is a home to regional government offices, includi... Price: $ 300 Seller State of Residence: California State/Province: California Location: 928**, Orange, California You will be redirected to eBay Nearby California , We're sorry, this article is not currently available In the front of student section 109 at every home football game, there is a group of approximately 30 students who are painted head to toe in black paint and wearing spiked shoulder pads. Considering the pads, various props and head-turning facial paint, these students are hard to miss. They are one of UGAs most notorious student spirit organizations they are the Spike Squad. Support for Vikki Patterson since news broke that she got fired for attempting to protect an employee and her employer from an alleged shoplifter continues to grow. Since my story ran Tuesday, I have received calls from upset readers and a manager of a local business who wanted to contact Patterson so he could offer her job. Patterson, 47, worked at CVS in Redding for nearly 20 years. She was getting ready to close the store on Placer Street on Oct. 12 when she said a woman attempted to steal some $300 worth of merchandise. The woman ran for the exit and toward a cashier when Patterson intervened. Patterson was fired about a week later. She found out after trying to access her benefits online. Many readers have said one reason they went to CVS in the Placer Heights shopping center was Patterson. She liked her job and enjoyed helping customers. They don't know Patterson personally but they're adamant that this wrong must be righted. Letters of support have been sent to CVS' corporate office. Petitions to get her job back have popped up on Facebook, along with pleas to boycott CVS. Maybe most surprising to Patterson was the Facebook message she got from Jason Brown, who said he is the cousin of Amber Walworth, who police arrested Oct. 12. Walworth, 31, was one of the two women Patterson said came into the store that night. "He didn't have to do that," Patterson said. "He put out there so everybody knows he is related to her and he's sorry. It was pretty amazing." Here's what Brown wrote on the "CVS Pharmacy: Reinstate Vikki Patterson Sign the Petition!" Facebook post: "My cousin Amber is the one who was shoplifting. Vikki, on behalf of her family, I apologise (sic) for her actions. I know it's no consolation since you lost your job but I'm signing the petition in hopes that you get reinstated. Good luck and once again I'm sorry this happened." I reached out to Brown and had not heard back from him as of Friday. Patterson has not heard from CVS since the story ran. Would Patterson take her job back at CVS? "Gosh, that's a hard question. I don't think I could answer it," she told me. "Right now I feel so violated, what they said. They put out there that I am totally responsible for that situation and I don't think so." Patterson has received a few job offers, most retail-related. "I am scared to jump into a job that I am going to be put right back to where I was to begin with, afraid that somebody is going to jump me," Patterson said. She is still waiting to hear whether she qualifies for unemployment benefits. Stay tuned. MAD ABOUT BEND A big part of Redding City Council hopeful Julie Winter's economic platform is Bend, Oregon. Winter, a nurse practitioner, has talked often of a trip she took to Bend earlier this year, how she met with community and business leaders to find out what's driving the central Oregon resort town. Her conclusion: Redding could learn a lot from Bend's economy. Forbes also thinks something is going on in Bend. Earlier this month, Bend topped Forbes' 2016 list of "The Best Small Cities for Business and Careers." Forbes gushed on how Bend's economy has "come roaring back" after the Great Recession. Bend's economic landscape isn't much different than Redding's. Both are former lumber towns whose economy today is largely driven by the health care industry. Bend's largest private employer, according to Forbes, is St. Charles Medical Center. Redding's two major hospitals, Mercy Medical Center and Shasta Regional Medical Center, also provide many jobs for the North State. Bend and Redding are heavily dependent on tourism. So what's different? Maybe those equity-refugees from Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area are blowing through Redding on their way to Bend. From the Forbes' article: "Some longtime residents decry the 'Californication' of Bend thanks to former Golden State residents making up the biggest chunk of migrants, but the migration helped total employment surpass its pre-recession highs last year. Home prices are projected to reach new highs in 2017." My wife's family are among those California transplants. They have been in Bend since the early 1980s. So I have watched the community boom and bust and now boom again. I remember a few years back all the abandoned subdivisions in Bend, half-finished streets, pipes sticking out of concrete foundations that were left behind when the recession hit. Fast-forward to this past summer: those marooned subdivisions were buzzing with activity as hundreds of homes have come on to the market. But Bend is not without its issues. The city has a traffic problem that it needs to get a handle on. Driving during peak hours is not for the faint of heart or the impatient. For the record, the nine other cities on the Forbes list were: Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Logan, Utah; Columbia, Missouri; Corvallis, Oregon; Ithaca, New York; Lafayette, Indiana; College Station, Texas; Iowa City, Iowa; and Bellingham, Washington. GREAT PUMPKIN Ken Smith had some shopping to do last Sunday. So he went to Farmers Sentry Market in Shasta Lake, where he noticed a contest, "Guess the Weight of the Giant Pumpkin." Smith, 53, nailed it. His guess of 94 pounds, 5 ounces was only 8 ounces off the actual weight. He was one of about 400 entries. Smith used simple math for the winning guess. "I just looked at the pumpkin I was buying and guesstimated how much it probably weighed and (multiplied) it by the size of that thing," said Smith, who's a maintenance worker at Knauf Insulation in Shasta Lake. What did Smith win? The pumpkin, of course, which now sits on his picnic table at home. "My fiancee wouldn't let me bring it in the living room," Smith said. Reporter David Benda can be reached at 225-8219 or david.benda@redding.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS. In the spirit of Halloween, I offer you a tale of pure dermatological suspense: Leather made from human flesh. Humans have probably been skinning each other and doing various symbolic acts with the hides forever. Ancient Assyrians were known to fillet their enemies and drape the skins from their walls. But there is no agreed upon story on when and where someone first decided to literally wear and walk in someone else's skin. After World War II, the sadistic wife of a Nazi commander at the Buchenwald concentration camp was sentenced to prison for orchestrating the harvesting of Jewish skin to make lamp shades. A war crimes tribunal later dismissed these charges, unable to prove she had any items made of human skin. Despite this, both Soviet and American soldiers all attested to having seen many decorative Nazi items made from human skin during the liberation. After the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina had receded in New Orleans, a lamp shade mysteriously surfaced that was claimed to be not only made from human skin but from the collection of the infamous Nazi woman. National Geographic produced a riveting investigative television program about it available online for free viewing. The practice of binding books in human skin, anthropodermic bibliopegy, has a long and storied tradition. There are fewer than 50 of these historic works in existence and all are highly coveted items by libraries and private collectors of the macabre. Famous textbooks of anatomy have been bound in the flesh of the dissected cadavers. Executed criminals have had their skin used to bind the legal records of their case. And a centuries-old book of erotica is cloaked in the tanned breast skins of several women complete with intact nipples. Even today, an online company from the UK advertises a wide selection of goods made from human leather. They are secretive about their processes and sourcing stating all "donors" are well compensated. They claim their trade is legal but they do suffer "official hindrances along the way." So what does a human leather belt cost? About $15,000 through this company. A good old sturdy human wallet will set you back a mere $7,000. In 2010, fashion designer Alexander McQueen passed away at age 40. One of his early brands actually called "Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victims" included small hair samples from McQueen in its design. Now student designer Tina Gorjanc is attempting to use those hair samples and culture McQueen's skin in a lab to create a line of jackets, purses and hand bags. The proposal even includes adding reproductions of McQueen's freckles and known tattoos to add authenticity. Just when you think wearing a jacket of human skin could not get any creepier, U.S. patent law enters the picture. Gorjanc shared that she was able to create and patent the collection because legislation does not limit the commercial usage of human genetic material. Gorjac is quoted on her website: "If a student like me was able to patent a material extracted from Alexander McQueen's biological information, we can only imagine what big corporations with bigger funding are going to be capable of doing in the future." We all remember the words of Atticus Finch in "To Kill A Mockingbird," "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." Well for the right price, you may be able to understand a lot of people, evidently. Dr. Victor Frankenstein was not available to comment unfortunately. Dr. Derrick Adams is a board-certified dermatologist and the medical director of Vita Dermatology and Laser Institute, a division of Lassen Medical Group in Red Bluff. His office can be reached at 528-8482. SHARE By JOSEPH PISANI, AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) For Doug Stephens, the free event seemed like a good way to learn how to flip homes. An online ad for the December gathering sported pictures of Tarek and Christina El Moussa, the stars of HGTV's "Flip or Flop" who buy rundown homes, renovate them and try to sell them for a profit. Stephens watched "Flip or Flop" regularly, along with 2.8 million other Americans, so he went. The El Moussas, however, did not show up. In a prerecorded video, the couple told attendees that they were busy working and filming their show. Undeterred, Stephens paid $1,997 for three days of classes and $1,000 for real estate software. But the classes turned into a sales pitch to buy additional courses that cost thousands more, said Stephens, a pastor and teacher from Havana, Florida. "They weren't really teaching at all," he said. The El Moussas, like many reality TV stars before them, are capitalizing on their fame by offering pricy classes. At free events in hotel ballrooms, instructors tell attendees that if they pay to enroll in three-day courses, they'll learn how the couple flips homes and also gain access to investors who will give them cash to buy properties, even if they have low credit scores or a weak job history. They'll earn back their money quickly, the instructors say, and will get refunds if they don't flip a home within a certain amount of time. But about a dozen people interviewed by The Associated Press said those promises did not pan out. Stephens said his instructor avoided answering questions, told attendees not to speak to each other and spent a lot of time hyping the program. The homework on the first day was for attendees to call their credit card companies and increase their credit limits, he said. On the last day, Stephens said, the instructor pushed them to buy training sessions, some of which cost around $26,000. The classes featuring the El Moussas are run by Zurixx LLC, an education company based in Utah. Zurixx has partnered with other reality TV stars to create education programs under different names, some of which also have been the subject of complaints from students. The El Moussas' program, Success Path Education, is Zurixx's most popular and the couple receives a percentage of the Success Path classes sold, the company said. The El Moussas are a big draw, with "Flip or Flop" ranked as HGTV's second-most watched show. Roger Behle, the El Moussas' attorney, said the couple did not have time to be interviewed for this story. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which aims to protect consumers against unfair or deceptive business practices, has received 50 complaints about classes connected to Zurixx since 2013, according to documents reviewed by the AP. And in May, the Better Business Bureau office of St. Louis warned people about Success Path events in the city, citing the more than 150 complaints it received about classes related to the company. Zurixx said the complaints represent a tiny percentage of the more than 370,000 people who have attended its events and the 75,000 who have paid for its products. The company said that nearly all its students have filled out positive evaluations and that it does not mislead people or push attendees to buy additional classes. Zurixx also said that it asks students to increase their credit limits and open new cards to have access to funds for unexpected business costs Zurixx provided contact information for 13 people, including Billy Batson of North Port, Florida, who said he has flipped 17 properties since he paid $25,000 for a mentor and one of Zurixx's classes two years ago. Batson said he probably could have been successful without the training, but that the process would have taken longer. Batson said Zurixx paid for a trip to Las Vegas for him and a girlfriend so he could talk to students. "It's been a really great life-changing experience," he said. This summer, Zurixx held dozens of free Success Path events across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico as HGTV aired the fifth season of "Flip or Flop." More free seminars are scheduled in November, including in New York, Minneapolis and San Jose, California. HGTV spokeswoman Audrey Adlam said in a statement that the network and its parent company, Scripps Networks Interactive Inc., are not associated with Success Path and other classes. Other reality TV stars have had trouble with their real estate classes, most notably Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who starred on NBC's "The Apprentice." Trump was sued over his Trump University both by students and New York's attorney general, who contended the real estate classes were merely a vehicle to sell more training that cost as much as $35,000. Trump has said he will prevail in the lawsuits. Customers who took some of Zurixx's other classes had complaints that echoed criticisms of the El Moussas' offerings. Susan Martin went to a free Zurixx event featuring reality TV stars Andy and Candis Meredith of "Old Home Love," a show that aired on HGTV and its sister channel the DIY Network. She ditched day two of her $1,997 three-day class, she said, because she was told to raise her credit limit and buy $23,000 in additional education. Brian Samuels, a manager for the Merediths, said the couple did not have time to be interviewed because of their shooting schedule. Martin, a retired bookkeeper from Chico, California, received a refund after she wrote a negative review on the Better Business Bureau website. SHARE Stoney Allen Anderson Date of birth: April 21, 1993 Vitals: 5 feet, 11 inches; 165 pounds; blonde hair, blue eyes Charge: Revocation of post-release community supervision Alyxandra Kristeen Paradiso Date of birth: Oct. 8, 1994 Vitals: 5 feet, 2 inches; 110 pounds; blond hair, green eyes Charge: Selling a controlled substance Spencer Dale Taylor Date of birth: Jan. 15, 1993 Vitals: 5 feet, 10 inches; 160 pounds; brown hair, blue eyes Charge: Burglary Douglas James Middleton Date of birth: Jan. 9, 1990 Vitals: 5 feet, 9 inches; 175 pounds; blond hair, green eyes Charge: Revocation of probation By Staff Reports Shasta's Most Wanted, featured in the Record Searchlight in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies, targets people who have failed to show up in court for sentencing after being convicted. As of Friday, a total of 717 arrests had been made through the Most Wanted program since it began in September 2013. Authorities say they have seen an increase in criminals failing to appear in court since the onset of Assembly Bill 109. Also known as prison realignment, the state program shifted certain state prison inmates to county supervision. Redding Police Chief Robert Paoletti said court appearances have gone up since the rollout. Five new people are added each week. Those caught will be held until at least their next court appearances. Shasta County Secret Witness is offering a reward of up to $250 for information leading to an arrest. Tips can be provided anonymously at 530-243-2319 or at www.scsecretwitness.com/home/submit-a-tip. Anyone with information also can call SHASCOM at 245-6540. The feature appears Sundays in the Record Searchlight's Northern California section and on Redding.com. Andreas Fuhrmann/Record Searchlight Daniel Lewandowski of Redding competes in a fitness challenge Saturday at the We Back the Blue and Redding Peace Officers Association fundraiser at the Redding Elks Lodge. SHARE Andreas Fuhrmann/Record Searchlight Mali Clifton of Redding competes in a fitness challenge at the We Back the Blue and Redding Peace Officers Association fundraiser Saturday. By Amber Sandhu of the Redding Record Searchlight A strong public turnout greeted members of local law enforcement agencies Saturday during a community fundraiser at the Redding Elks Lodge on Saturday morning. The Redding Peace Officers Association along with the nonprofit We Back the Blue organization held their second community fundraiser. The fun-filled event attracted hundreds of people from the community who came to enjoy food, games and a fitness challenge, all while raising money for a cause. "I wanted to get people out here to have fun," RPOA president Brian Moore said. "I think in this community, we're very fortunate. This community really backs us." Moore said recent shootings at police officers nationwide made the event even more important to help show the community that law enforcement members whether they're with the police, fire or sheriff's departments are human beings too. "People don't see that we're not robots," he said. "The things we see, they make little marks on you." He said the recent shooting of deputy Jack Hopkins of the Modoc County Sheriff's Department hit some in law enforcement especially hard. "That was something that was very close to home," Moore said. "That was kind of in our backyard." Moore said through the RPOA, they were able to support Hopkins' family. Brian Martin, founder and president of We Back the Blue, said it was important for him to let law enforcement know that the community supports them. "It's tough out there for law enforcement," Martin said. "They're just out there trying to do their job." Martin, who spent 11 years as a community service officer with the Redding Police Department, said he knows first-hand the type of people who serve in uniform. "Most of these guys are officers because they care about the community," he said. "Their life is on the line every day, and it can change in a moment's notice." But with the number of people gathered at the event, more so than last year, he said he felt encouraged and happy. "One year later, to see this is really impressive," he said. Those who attended Saturday included members of the Redding and Anderson police departments, Redding Fire Department, Shasta County Sheriff's Office and the California Highway Patrol. During last year's event, Martin said they raised $15,000. This year, they hoped to reach their $30,000 fundraising goal to support their Christmas celebration Operation Blue Santa, provide the Redding Police Department with a police dog, and raise more money for the Redding Peace Officers Association so it can continue to support families of officers. SHARE Travis Wallace A man dressed as a teddy bear who was arrested early Sunday morning on suspicion of public intoxication and threatening a hotel clerk with a knife pleaded not guilty during his Monday arraignment in Shasta County Superior Court. Travis Wallace, 28, is charged with brandishing a weapon and possession of a dirk or dagger. Anderson Police said Wallace, who saw his bail set at $25,000, was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats at a hotel employee. Police also said they found two 10.5-inch hunting knives, a folding pocket knife and a box cutter on him at the time of his arrest and that he was too intoxicated for his own safety. He is scheduled to have a Nov. 10 preliminary hearing. A Baymont Inn employee said it all started around midnight, after Wallace stood behind him for 20 seconds in the hotel lobby without saying a word. Wallace then walked away, turned around and lifted his shirt to reveal a knife. Still in costume Wallace went into a hotel laundry room, displayed a knife to a surveillance camera and made stabbing gestures. He also slid the knife across his throat, said the Anderson Police Department. There were also reports of an evil looking bear looking into vehicles, according to law enforcement. The employee feared for his safety and called 911, police said. Wallace was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication, exhibiting a deadly weapon, making criminal threats, and carrying a concealed fixed blade knife. Wallace was booked into the Shasta County Jail, said police. SHARE Gavin Newsom's name isn't on the Nov. 8 ballot, but California's lieutenant governor has a lot riding on the outcome. Newsom's personally sponsoring two of the ballot's 17 statewide measures, one that would legalize recreational marijuana, Proposition 64, and another that would impose new regulations on gun owners, especially on their ammunition purchases, Proposition 63. Newsom portrays them as moral crusades aimed at rationalizing drug laws that make criminals out of harmless users and protecting the public from gun violence. However, the two measures are also ways for the occupant of an obscure office to raise his public profile for his already declared campaign for governor two years hence and develop mailing lists and fundraising bases for that campaign. Newsom, then the mayor of San Francisco, wanted to run for governor six years ago, but Jerry Brown jumped in and Newsom had to settle for biding his time in the lieutenant governor's almost powerless position, trying as best he could to gain traction for 2018. There was more than a tinge of irony to Newsom's lowering his sights in 2010: The Brown and Newsom families have been personally and politically intertwined for decades, and Newsom was, in effect, compelled to give way to a quasi-uncle 29 years his elder. The two have had an occasionally prickly relationship since then. Newsom has been trying to rise above the obscurity of his office but hasn't been given any noticeable career-boosting help by Brown, and the two have disagreed on some issues, such as the bullet train system that Brown wants to claim as a legacy. "I'm not opposed to the vision," Newsom told the Sacramento Press Club this week, citing his support for the original bond issue that voters narrowly approved in 2008. But he quickly added that he hasn't yet seen a way to finance its $60 billion-plus cost. "It's a math issue right now," Newsom said. He was even less committal on Brown's other big legacy project, boring two water tunnels beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, saying, "I'm in the very interesting position of continuing to develop a firm position on this." Newsom also deflected questions about the other three men who he could be facing in 2018. Treasurer John Chiang has already announced, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is weighing a bid, and billionaire Tom Steyer, a Brown ally on climate-change issues, is making precampaign moves of some kind but being coy about his intentions. With virtually no potential Republican candidate on the horizon in an increasingly Democratic state, it's entirely possible, even likely, that it will be a Democrat vs. Democrat race under the state's top-two primary system. However, Villaraigosa and Steyer could be tapped for Cabinet positions by Hillary Clinton should she, as expected, win the presidency, and it's also possible that Dianne Feinstein would retire from the Senate, opening that high-profile position in 2018. It would be a good bet that Newsom will be one of the finalists for governor in two years, but whom he would face is still very much up in the air. Email Dan Walters at dwalters@sacbee.com. SHARE With our region's improved economic condition has come a drastic increase in interest in the Stillwater Business Park. In recent weeks the city has reviewed two separate offers for lots in the park. There are other interested parties considering the park as well. I think it is critical that the community know there is a concerted effort by the city, its broker, the EDC and other members of the business community to ensure that the community realizes the maximum benefit from the development of this asset. We have a fully entitled 700-acre business park ready for development. This park has "planned development criteria" to ensure that the character and quality of construction will be consistent throughout the park so each company can rely on this standard to protect its investment. This is an opportunity that can't be replicated in our lifetime. If developed wisely, it can change our economic landscape. As with any investment, the discipline to weather the storm and wait for the investment to pay a dividend can be difficult, especially when economic cycles play a role. The planning and construction of the park took 10 years. Unfortunately, the timing of the park's opening occurred during the worst economic period since the Great Depression. This unfortunate timing should not trigger a rush to squander this asset, due to the impatience of a few in our community. Patience and discipline are critical at this point. The market for this asset is growing stronger each day. While we may not be looking at exactly the same companies initially envisioned for the park, we have adjusted our focus and targeted markets in consideration of the strengths of our area. Our patience will allow us to create well-paying jobs with benefits for those who choose to enter the workforce upon high school graduation, and jobs that can keep our college educated students in our community. The companies attracted to our area value the quality and affordability of our workforce, the lower cost and availability of land, our ample supply of water, our low cost electrical power. They value the short commutes their employees will have, the affordability of housing, and the lower cost of living for their employees. They appreciate these factors along with our abundance of recreational and outdoor activities, which create an opportunity for their employees to have the balance between work and family they are looking for and not readily available in most other places. These prospective employers value the fact we are one of only a few smaller cities that have a growing airline service. They value our location on Interstate 5 almost equidistant between Los Angeles and Seattle that can provide 24-hour delivery to 50 million customers. They value our approaches to building our talent pool with enterprises like the Shasta Venture Hub, and various programs at Shasta College and Simpson University focused on building our base of skilled workers. The cost of the debt service relating to the park is a very small portion of the city's annual operating budget. Bringing in 1,000 jobs, from "targeted" companies, would add an economic benefit to our area of roughly $300 million. The sales taxes, the reduction in unemployment, the addition of jobs with benefits would clearly justify the community's investment. This upward economic cycle provides our first real opportunity to market the park to the types of companies we are targeting. Surviving this economic period is the equivalent of swimming across the ocean. After making it to within sight of shore, it would be very disappointing to drown when you could feel sand under your toes. If we sell off Stillwater to be rid of the debt service we would be doing just that. Let's work the process through an upward economic cycle for our targeted businesses. Let's not devalue this asset ourselves due to the lack of understanding and impatience. This is an exciting time for our area. If you look at the change taking place, the assets in human capital, available infrastructure and natural resources, there has never been a more promising time to be citizens of the Shasta region. Joe Cerami lives in Palo Cedro, is a business owner and EDC investor. Updated Nov. 1, 3:54 Porsche Jones had just returned to her Near West Side home from a Halloween party when she heard about 10 gunshots in the area. She looked out her window just before 3 a.m. Sunday after hearing what sounded like a crash. She saw that a car had crashed into two parked cars and a tree, knocking down two street signs. The passenger in the vehicle could be heard saying he was shot, she said. Advertisement "The driver was a little out of the window," she said. "He moved one time and that's it." Where the car crashed, in the 2200 block of West Jackson Boulevard, a medical worker could be seen inside an emergency van performing CPR on a person inside. Advertisement A 19-year-old man, who had not yet been identified, was shot multiple times in the back and pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital, Chicago police said. A 40-year-old man was shot in the shoulder, and he was in fair condition at Stroger. The men were in a car in the 2100 block of West Jackson Boulevard when an unknown assailant walked up and began shooting at them, police said. The men then drove away and crashed nearby. The 19-year-old man was one of 10 people who were killed in shootings from midday Saturday to Sunday morning. Of those homicides, five people were killed within a three-hour period. Twenty-three other people were wounded in shootings. The most recent fatal shooting happened at 3:15 a.m. Sunday in the Old Town neighborhood on the North Side when two 17-year-old boys were killed during a drive-by shooting, police said. Edwin Bryant and Edward Bryant, both of the 700 block of South Kedzie Avenue, were standing in the 1300 block of North Hudson Avenue when someone in a dark-colored vehicle drove by and began shooting at them, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner's office. One of the 17-year-olds was shot in the chest and the other was shot in the chest and the head, police said. Edwin Bryant was pronounced dead at 3:45 a.m., and Edward Bryant was pronounced dead at 4:46 a.m., according to the medical examiner's office. Advertisement A 31-year-old woman identified by the medical examiner's office as Clara Gonzalez, of south suburban Lansing, who was shot to death about 2:35 a.m. Sunday in the South Deering neighborhood, police said. A witness told police the woman, who was on the 10700 block of South Hoxie Avenue on the Far South Side, said she had been shot. Gonzalez, of the 2900 block of 193rd Street in Lansing, was taken to Advocate Trinity Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to the medical examiners's office. Police earlier listed Gonzalez' age of 24. Just after 1 a.m. Sunday, a 38-year-old man identified by the medical examiner's office as Lindsey Anderson, of an unknown addres, was shot in the chest and head. He was pronounced dead at the scene but was taken to Jackson Park Hospital. Officers found Anderson unresponsive while responding to a call of shots fired in the 7900 block of South Vernon Avenue in the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side. Police taped off the sidewalk in front of a brick apartment building. A hat could be seen next to police markers in a grassy area in front of the building. A handful of neighbors came out of their homes to see the commotion before going back inside. In Humboldt Park, a 31-year-old man was shot in the face at 12:45 a.m. Sunday in the 3400 block of West Hirsch Street, police said. Officers found him unresponsive on the sidewalk. He was pronounced dead at Norwegian American Hospital. The man was identified as Gilbert LeRoy Wainwright III, of Downers Grove, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Advertisement A 19-year-old was shot to death at 8:05 p.m. Saturday during a robbery, Chicago police said. He was in a parked vehicle in the 4800 block of South Karlov Avenue when two males approached and announced a robbery. He was shot in the chest as he tried to get away, police said. He crashed into two parked cars and was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:25 p.m. The medical examiner's office identified him as Luis Corona of the 6100 block of South Moody Avenue. In the Gresham neighborhood at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, a 28-year-old man was fatally shot in the head while he was inside a parked car in the 8300 block of South Hermitage Avenue, police said. An unknown male walked up to the car and began firing shots. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > The man, identified Monday by the Cook County medical examiner's office as Robert McClinton, of the 8100 block of South Loomis Boulevard, was pronounced dead at the scene. Public records indicate McClinton was the father of at least two children, was 29 and also has lived in Dolton. About 7:20 p.m. Saturday, a 36-year-old man identified as Walter McCurry, of the 6300 block of South Morgan Street, was shot in the 1100 block of West 57th Street in the Englewood neighborhood, police and the medical examiner's office said. The man was shot in the upper body, Sweeney said. McCurry was pronounced dead at 3:47 a.m. Sunday, according to the medical examiner's office. Earlier, a 16-year-old boy was shot in the 200 block of South Kostner Avenue in the West Garfield Park neighborhood about 4:50 p.m. Saturday. The boy, identified by the medical examiner's office as Deandre Banks, of the 5400 block of West Ohio Street, suffered gunshot wounds to the back and leg and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, police said in a statement. Banks was pronounced dead at 5:14 p.m., according to the medical examiner's office. Police earlier listed the boy's age as 17. Advertisement No one was in custody in any of the fatal shootings. In other shootings: class="li2">A 33-year-old man was grazed by a bullet in the back of the neck after getting into an altercation with a man, police said. The shooting happened at 4:20 a.m. Sunday in the 10011 block of South State Street in the Roseland neighborhood on the Far South Side. The man who the 33-year-old man was arguing with began firing shots as he was leaving the area. The 33-year-old man did not want medical help. class="li2">In the South Shore neighborhood about 3:35 a.m., a 32-year-old man was shot in the abdomen while standing outside in the 1700 block of East 69th Street, police said. His condition was stabilized at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. class="li2">One man was critically injured and two others were wounded in a shooting just before 3:30 a.m. in the 12300 block of South Emerald Avenue, police said. The men were leaving a party in the West Pullman neighborhood on the Far South Side when an unknown person began shooting at them. A 39-year-old man was shot in the side, and he was listed in critical condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center. A 32-year-old man was shot in the right leg, and his condition was stabilized at Metro South Medical Center. A 31-year-old man was shot in the upper right leg, and he was in fair condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center. class="li2">Two men were shot about 2:40 a.m. while they were driving in the 2100 block of South Oakley Avenue in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood, police said. A 22-year-old man was shot in the shoulder, and a 20-year-old man was shot in the arm. Both were in good condition at Mount Sinai Hospital. class="li2">A 19-year-old man was shot in the arm during a drive-by shooting just after 2:20 a.m. in the 8600 block of South Morgan Street in the Gresham neighborhood on the South Side, police said. He was listed in good condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center. class="li2">Two men were wounded about 12:45 a.m. while they were inside a car in the 7800 block of South Christiana Avenue in the Ashburn neighborhood on the Far South Side, police said. An unknown person got out of a car and began shooting at the men. A 25-year-old man was shot in the buttocks, and he was listed in good condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center. A 22-year-old man was grazed by a bullet on his hand, and he didn't want medical help. class="li2">About 11:15 p.m. Saturday, a 22-year-old man was shot in the right side of his abdomen while he was walking in the 7100 block of South Yates Boulevard in the South Shore neighborhood, police said. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where his condition was stabilized. class="li2">A 24-year-old man was shot in the leg after someone at a house party opened fire, police said. He was shot just before 10:50 p.m. in the 8400 block of South Parnell Avenue in the Gresham neighborhood. He took himself to Jackson Park Hospital and Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized. class="li2">In the South Chicago neighborhood at 9:30 p.m., a 20-year-old man was shot in the right arm while he was standing in an alley in the 8600 block of South Yates Boulevard, police said. His condition was stabilized at Advocate Christ Medical Center. class="li2">Two people were wounded after a male, wearing a mask, walked into a restaurant in the 700 block of West 79th Street in Gresham and began shooting, police said. A 54-year-old woman was shot in the back, and her condition was stabilized at Advocate Christ Medical Center. A 36-year-old woman was shot in the foot, and her condition was stabilized at St. Bernard Hospital. No one was in custody. class="li2">In the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side, a male reportedly was shot in the left hip just before 8:30 p.m. in the 1800 block of South Karlov Avenue, police said. Officers later changed the crime scene to the 1800 block of South Komensky Avenue. He was in good condition at Mount Sinai Hospital. class="li2">In the Uptown neighborhood, a 25-year-old man was shot in the 4500 block of North Sheridan Road about 6:15 p.m., Sweeney said. The man suffered a graze wound to the arm and was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized. class="li2">About 5:40 p.m., an 18-year-old man was shot on the Near West Side. He was shot in the arm in the 1000 block of West 14th Street, had a graze wound to the head, and was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition, Sweeney said. class="li2">A 33-year-old man was critically injured when he was shot in the head about 5:20 p.m. in the 4400 block of South Prairie Avenue in the Bronzeville neighborhood, said Officer Thomas Sweeney, a police spokesman. The man was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. class="li2">Earlier, an 18-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the leg in the 3400 block of West Douglas Boulevard in the Lawndale neighborhood about 3:40 p.m. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition, according to police, who did not immediately release any details of the shooting's circumstances. class="li2">A 24-year-old woman was shot about 12:30 p.m. in 1200 block of South Independence Boulevard in the Lawndale neighborhood, police said. She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition with a gunshot wound to the right torso, according to a police summary of the incident. The woman was standing on the street when a newer-model silver car with a female driver and male passenger pulled up, police said. The man fired one shot at the woman, hitting her, and the car then drove off heading east on Roosevelt Road, according to police. The shooting was believed to be narcotics-related, police said. class="li2">Also Saturday afternoon, a man was shot in the 3900 block of West Jackson Boulevard in the West Garfield Park neighborhood about 12:10 p.m., police said. The 19-year-old man was standing on Jackson when a red car pulled up and someone got out and fired shots, hitting the man in the buttocks, then got back in and drove off. The man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was in good condition. Check back for updates. The Indian Army on Sunday said it has destroyed four Pakistani posts in a massive assault across the Line of Control in the Keran sector of north Kashmirs Kupwara district. Four Pakistani posts have been destroyed in a massive fire assault in Keran sector, an army official said. Heavy casualties have been inflicted on the Pakistani side, he said, without giving further details. The firing assault comes in retaliation to ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops in the Keran sector earlier in the day, in which one Border Security Force jawan and a civilian woman were injured. The Pakistani troops have been targeting Indian posts in multiple ceasefire violations since India carried out surgical strikes. Four army and three BSF personnel have died in strikes by strikes by the Pakistani and terrorists. At least four civilians in border villages have also been killed and several others have been injured. Areas near the border have been put on high alert and several areas have been evacuated. An Indian soldier was also killed on Friday and his body mutilated by terrorists in an attack near the Line of Control. The residents of the village will not celebrate Diwali as a mark of tribute to the army soldier who was killed and mutilated by Pakistani terrorists. IMAGE: Mandeep Singh's body is brought to his hometown in Kurukshetra. He was given full military honours by the army. Photograph: ANI/Twitter The last rites of army jawan Mandeep Singh, who was killed by terrorists in Macchil sector of Jammu and Kashmir, were held with full state honours on Sunday, even as his family and villagers demanded that Pakistan be given a befitting reply for its repeated misadventures. The jawans body, wrapped in the tricolour, was brought in a bedecked army vehicle to his native village as a large number of people including from neighbouring areas paid their last respect. The martyr whose body was mutilated by the terrorists, was given a gun salute by the army, which sounded the last post. Mandeeps father lit the funeral pyre. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, senior army officers, officials from the district administration were present on the occasion. Villagers who kept chanting Shaheed Mandeep Amar Rahe also raised anti-Pakistan slogans. The 30-year-old soldier was scheduled to return to his village to celebrate Diwali and for a ceremony in connection with the familys newly constructed house, but instead he returned in a coffin, his family and local villagers, all of whom were inconsolable, said. Mandeeps family and villagers demanded the Centre avenge the sacrifice of soldiers and teach Pakistan a lesson. IMAGE: Haryana CM ML Khattar visited the family of Mandeep Singh and offered them a compensation of Rs 50 lakh. Photograph: ANI/Twitter People of his village said they will not be celebrating Diwali as a mark of respect to the martyrs supreme sacrifice. However, each household has decided to light a diya (earthen lamp) in his memory. There was anger among the people here over the barbaric incident at the Line of Control in Kashmir as the body of the jawan was mutilated by the terrorists, who were aided by the cover fire by Pakistan army. Mandeep had joined the 17th Sikh regiment as a sepoy in 2008. He had got married in 2014. Consoling the martyrs family, Khattar while responding to their demand that stern action be taken against Pakistan for harbouring terrorists and its repeated misadventures, said that we will teach them a lesson. We will avenge this. Pakistan will be taught a lesson, Khattar said. He also said, The martyr laid down his life for the nations sake. In this hour of grief, we are standing solidly behind the family. We will give whatever assistance they require. An amount of Rs 50 lakh will be given as compensation and a government job will be offered to a family member. The government in order to ensure that Mandeeps sacrifice is always remembered will do all suggested by the family members of the braveheart. We will not let the sacrifice of these soldiers go in vain, said the CM. He also said that the state government will consider raising a memorial or naming a road after the martyr. A pall of gloom descended on the Antehri village after the body of the jawan reached here. People thronged the martyrs house to pay their last respect before the coffin was carried in a bedecked vehicle for the last rites. Mandeeps widow Prerna is a head constable with Haryana police and posted at Shahbad Markanda. Prerna said Pakistan must be taught a lesson for harbouring terrorists. We cannot see our soldiers dying daily, she said breaking down into tears several times. Mandeep is the youngest of three sons of Phool Singh. Singh said the army should be given a free hand to deal with nefarious designs of Pakistan. The martyrs brother Sandeep said that he wants to join the army to avenge the killing of our soldiers. The martyrs neighbours described him as a go getter who always had a smile on his face. Mandeeps sacrifice came within a week after Sushil Kumar, 47, a Border Security Force constable was martyred in Jammu district. He also hailed from Kurukshetra district and belonged to Pehowa town. Kumar was killed as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire, resorting to heavy shelling and firing from automatic weapons in several sectors along the International Border in Jammu district on October 24. Spending Diwali with the the army and Indo Tibetan Border Police personnel in Sumdo, Narendra Modi also said that he had fulfilled the promise of implementing One Rank, One Pension to the ex-servicemen. The first instalment of nearly Rs 5,500 crore has been paid for implementing the One Rank, One Pension scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while asserting that he has fulfilled the promise he made to ex-servicemen on the issue that has been hanging fire for the last 40 years. The prime minister, while celebrating Diwali with the army and Indo Tibetan Border Police personnel in Sumdo, over 270 kilometre from state capital Shimla, also lauded the role of the security force personnel guarding and protecting the country. Spent time with our courageous @ITBP_official and Army jawans at Sumdo, Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh. Jai Jawan! Jai Hind! he tweeted. Earlier in his Mann ki Baat programme on All India Radio, he saluted the valour of the armed forces and lauded their sacrifice while dedicating the festival of Diwali to them. The OROP was not about just Rs 200 or Rs 500 crore, but Rs 10,000 crore... After I became the PM, and decided that I had to do (implement) it, the entire government lost sleep over it... It was not possible for the government to pay in one go, so I requested the ex-servicemen to accept it in four instalments. The money will reach them in four instalments. Nearly, Rs 5,500 crore has been paid as the first instalment, Modi said. He said the issue had been pending for 40 years as certain people in the previous governments did not know about OROP scheme, and therefore only Rs 500 crore was allocated for the purpose. Modi also said that many people thought that if the scheme was not implemented, a section of ex-servicemen would turn against the government. The prime minister, on his way to Sumdo, met civilians at Himachals Chango village, close to the Sino-Indian border. Made unscheduled stop at Chango village, close to Sumdo, to wish people on Diwali. Was deeply touched by the impromptu reception & their joy, Modi tweeted. The prime minister spent time with ITBP jawans and personnel of Dogra Scouts of army at Sumdo on border of Kinnaur and Spiti, and distributed sweets to them, an official said. Modi also met personnel of the General Reserve Engineering Force, a branch of Border Roads Organisation, entrusted with construction and maintenance of border roads and also executing the Rohtang Tunnel project, the official said. After coming in power in 2014, Modi had celebrated his first Diwali with soldiers posted in Siachen, and in 2015, he celebrated it at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. Earlier last week, Prime Minister Modi launched a campaign named Sandesh2Soldiers to send Diwali greetings to those serving at Indias borders. I sent my #Sandesh2Soldiers. You could also do the same. Your wishes will certainly make our forces very happy. This Diwali, let us remember our courageous armed forces who constantly protect our nation. Jai Hind. When 125 crore people stand with soldiers, their power increases by 125 crore, he tweeted then. Prominent celebrities like film actors Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar as well as several Union ministers have sent messages tagging Prime Minister Modi during the course of this campaign. Modi also said that implementation of OROP was his dream, which has been fulfilled. Noting that everyone wants to celebrate Diwali with their loved ones and that is why he had come in Sumdo, he said after the Gujarat earthquake in 2001, he celebrated Diwali at that time with the quake victims. So it is not that I am doing this after becoming the prime minister, he said. Lauding the role of the personnel of various services, Modi said that while other people look for career, they (the services personnel) look for an opportunity to face the enemy. When you (jawans) are awake, they (the people) sleep. If you do not keep awake, the people will not be able to sleep (peacefully), he said, adding that the forces make the nation proud. -- With inputs from Agencies Photographs: @narendramodi/Twitter By The Rediff News Bureau Last updated on: October 30, 2016 15:08 IST Its time for colours, lights and celebrations - Diwali is here! Known as the festival of lights, Deepavali is one of the most popular Hindu festival in India. In these photos, see celebrations from Gujarat to London to Colombo. A devotee lights lamps at the Akshardham temple during celebrations of Diwali. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters People light candles during the celebrations of Diwali in Allahabad. Photograph: PTI Photo School children gather around a huge Rangoli created by them with lit earthen lamps for Diwali in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh. Photograph: PTI Photo A view of fireworks at Madan Mohan Malviya Stadium decorated with candles and lamps in Allahabad. Photograph: PTI Photo People light lamps arranged to form a tribute to fallen soldiers of the Indian Army in Chandigarh for Diwali. Photograph: Ajay Verma/Reuters Girls light earthen lamps during Diwali at Nalini Bala Devi Girls Hostel in Guwahati. Photograph: PTI Photo BSF jawans celebrating Diwali near the India-Bangladesh border in South Dinajpur district of West Bengal. Photograph: PTI Photo Police personnel light lamps during a program on the eve of Diwali festival in Bhopal. Photograph: PTI Photo Tamil devotees lights oil lamps at a religious ceremony during Diwali at the Ponnambalavaneshwaram Hindu temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Photograph: Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters People light candles to paying tribute to Indian soldiers Ek Diya Shaheedon Ke Naam on the eve of Diwali festival at a stadium in Varanasi. Photograph: PTI Photo Fireworks explode over a statue of Mahatma Gandhi during the Diwali lights switch on in Leicester, Britain. Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters A girl plays in the ocean of lights attraction during the Diwali celebrations in Britain. Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters Minister of State for Finance, Arjun Ram Meghwal offers sweet to air force jawans on Diwali in Bikaner. Photograph: PTI Photo Businessmen pray in front of their record-keeping books as part of a ritual to worship the Hindu deity of wealth goddess Lakshmi on Diwali. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters A young Hindu priest offers prayers to a cow during a religious ceremony celebrating the Tihar festival, also called Diwali, in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters ALSO: An encounter is presently underway in Drugmulla of Jammu and Kashmirs Kupwara district. At least two terrorists are believed to be hiding in the area. No casualties have been reported so far. Earlier on Saturday, an Indian Army soldier lost his life and a terrorist was neutralised in an encounter close to the Line of Control in Machhal sector of Kupwara district. During the encounter, a terrorist mutilated the body of the soldier before fleeing into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, supported by covering fire from Pakistan Army posts. Earlier on Thursday, a BSF head constable was killed and seven civilians injured as the Pakistan Rangers continued firing mortar shells and small arms in R S Pura and Arnia sectors. The Pakistani Army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation along the LoC in Sunderbani, Mendhar and KG sectors. Ever since the Indian Army on September 29 carried out surgical strikes targeting terror launch pads in PoK, ceasefire violations are a daily norm along the LoC and five Indians, including four security personnel, have been killed and 34 injured since then. Pakistan has so far carried out 45 ceasefire violations -- three of which have taken place since Saturday. Republicans have controlled the legislative agenda in the Iowa House since the 2010 GOP-wave election. Will 2016 be another wave that swings the pendulum and allows Democrats to regain control of the chamber? Only the Nov. 8 election will tell. During the 2016 legislative session there were 57 Republicans and 43 Democrats in the Iowa House. Some incumbents in competitive districts will be challenged, and eight Republican retirements could help create some competitive open-seat races. The following are some of the House races most likely to be competitive and affect whether Democrats chip into Republicans lead or even gain control of the chamber. Included is a party breakdown of each districts active registered voters, and the result of the 2012 presidential vote for Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney in each district, which helps show the tendency of the districts no-party voters. District 53 Counties: Cerro Gordo. Incumbent: Democrat Sharon Steckman, Mason City. Challenger: Republican Barbara Hovland, Mason City. Registered Democrats: 6,638. Registered Republicans: 4,727. Registered no-party: 8,285. 2012 presidential result: Obama won by 23 points. Republicans see a pick-up opportunity here. The state party spent more than $11,000 over the past three months on print advertising to support the campaign of Hovland, a party activist. But Steckman has party registration and historical voter behavior on her side. She was an active voice in the successful effort to prevent Prestage Foods from building a pork plant in Mason City. District 51 Counties: Howard, Mitchell, Winneshiek, Worth. Incumbent: None. Challengers: Republican Jane Bloomingdale, Northwood; Democrat Tim Hejhal, Osage. Registered Democrats: 5,167. Registered Republicans: 6,467. Registered no-party: 7,905. 2012 presidential result: Obama won by 12 points. Retiring Republican Rep. Josh Byrnes won this district handily each of the past two elections, but Obamas performance here in 2012 shows it can be won by the right Democratic candidate. Both parties are investing in the race; each spent roughly $15,000 here in the past three months. District 60 Counties: Black Hawk. Incumbent: Republican Walt Rogers, Cedar Falls. Challenger: Democrat Gary Kroeger, Waterloo. Registered Democrats: 6,356. Registered Republicans: 7,349. Registered no-party: 7,460. 2012 presidential result: Obama won by 1 percentage point. Rogers won comfortably two years ago and by 4 points in 2012, despite Obama carrying the district. Kroeger presents a unique challenge: The former Saturday Night Live cast member is a political outsider in a year that seems to favor such candidates, and he helped bolster his name recognition by briefly running in the Democratic primary in northeast Iowas congressional race. District 92 Counties: Scott. Incumbent: Republican Ross Paustian, Walcott. Challenger: Democrat Ken Krumwiede, Davenport. Registered Democrats: 5,970. Registered Republicans: 6,186. Registered no-party: 8,400. 2012 presidential result: Obama won by 9 points. Paustian lost to Frank Wood in 2012, then beat him in a 2014 rematch. Democrats see this seat as a potential pick-up; the state party spent more than $20,000 on advertising in the race over the past three months. But Republicans have mounted a strong defense, spending a whopping $164,000 on advertising to support Paustians re-election bid. District 58 Counties: Dubuque, Jackson, Jones. Incumbent: None. Challengers: Republican Andy McKean, Anamosa; Democrat Jessica Kean, Maquoketa. Registered Democrats: 7,019. Registered Republicans: 5,282. Registered no-party: 8,751. 2012 presidential result: Obama won by 12 points. This one is ripe for a Democratic pick-up. Retiring Republican Rep. Brian Moore bucked the odds by winning three times in this district. And even he was a former Democrat. Democrats have a significant registered voter advantage here, and Obama won the district comfortably in 2012. But Republicans arent giving up the seat without a fight; they spent more than $59,000 on the race over the past three months. Democrats spent more than $53,000. District 13 Counties: Woodbury. Incumbent: Democrat Chris Hall, Sioux City. Challenger: Republican Shaun Broyhill, Sioux City. Registered Democrats: 5,438. Registered Republicans: 5,187. Registered no-party: 5,105. 2012 presidential result: Obama won by 10 points. This is among the rare blue districts in northwest Iowa, and indicators appear to suggest Hall is in good position to keep the seat in Democratic hands. He has raised more than $80,000 for his campaign, dramatically more than the $4,300 Broyhill has raised, and the Republican Party is not spending much money here. District 95 Counties: Buchanan, Linn. Incumbent: None. Challengers: Republican Louis Zumbach, Coggon; Democrat Richard Whitehead, Center Point. Registered Democrats: 6,150. Registered Republicans: 6,247. Registered no-party: 7,648. 2012 presidential result: Obama won by 5 points. On paper, this race is as competitive as it gets. There is no incumbent, the voter registration split is less than 100, and retiring Republican Rep. Quentin Stanerson won his first election in the district in 2012 by a scant 200 votes, or just 1 percentage point. Republicans are making a serious play to keep the seat in GOP hands, spending $125,000 on advertising for Louis Zumbach, the cousin of Iowa Sen. Dan Zumbach. District 68 Counties: Linn. Incumbent: Republican Ken Rizer, Cedar Rapids. Challenger: Democrat Molly Donahue, Cedar Rapids. Registered Democrats: 6,596. Registered Republicans: 6,103. Registered no-party: 7,384. 2012 presidential result: Obama won by 10 points. Democrats are trying to pick off Rizer, a freshman legislator in a district with more Democrats than Republicans that went for Obama by double digits in 2012. The state Democratic Party has poured almost $59,000 into advertising for Donahue. But Republicans have done their best to protect Rizer, spending nearly $153,000 on advertising for Rizer, who also has raised more than $88,000 on his own. District 67 Counties: Linn. Incumbent: None. Challengers: Republican Ashley Hinson, Marion; Democrat Mark Seidl, Cedar Rapids. Registered Democrats: 5,979. Registered Republicans: 7,059. Registered no-party: 7,341. 2012 presidential result: Romney won by 0.3 points. Republicans hope to replace retiring former House Speaker Kraig Paulsen with Hinson, a former Cedar Rapids TV news personality. Hinson has raised more than $60,000 on her own Seidl roughly $22,000 and Democrats are not spending on this race, which may be a signal theyre conceding this one likely will stay in Republican hands. Morgan County Election Board reviews financial records The Morgan County Election Board met Friday to review the campaign finance reports of local candidates running for office. PHOTOS BY Caitlin Richards/Special to the Reporter-News A Jones County cotton field east of Stamford is harvested Oct. 12. SHARE A round module awaits a trip to the gin. Caitln Richards/Special to the Reporter-News The cotton harvest has begun in the area, and farmers are optimistic about this year's crop. By Caitlin Richards, Special to the Reporter-News Big Country cotton fields are going from green to white to bare as farmers begin the annual harvest. With above-average rainfall over the summer and early fall, the cotton is looking good and farmers are ready to get it out of the field. "Everybody is eager to get out there," said Rex Ford, Farmers Cooperative of Stamford gin manager. "There are lots of things that can go wrong like one bad storm to wipe out a crop. So they want to get it out as soon as possible." Farmers Coop received its first module of cotton on Oct. 7 but didn't start ginning the cotton into bales until Oct. 14. It has already ginned more than 2,700 bales of cotton. The Central Rolling Plains Cooperative in Roscoe has had a similar time line, with its first module coming in on Oct. 7. It started ginning on October 20 and has ginned more than 1,500 bales of cotton. Central Rolling Plains Cooperative Gin Manager Larry Black said farmers are still easing into the harvest season. When harvest is in full swing, the gin will be running 24 hours a day seven days a week. "When we get running that (1,560 bales) will be a day-and-a-half (of ginning) for us," Black said. "We usually gin about a thousand bales a day and somewhere around 100 modules a day." In Haskell County, the Haskell Cooperative Gin has had a slower start with its first module coming in on Oct. 18. "We have just one farmer getting started right now," gin Manager Max McMeans said last week. "We have a couple more that are going to start soon. They will all gradually get cranked up from there. Everybody essentially is pretty excited about this year's crop." The Big Country has a large amount of cotton planted this year. Jones and Haskell counties have both seen an increase in the number of cotton acres planted. However, Black reported nearly 10,000 acres of cotton being lost to wind and hail in the Roscoe and Snyder area. His gin gets cotton from farmers in Nolan, Scurry, Mitchell, Fisher and Borden counties and even some from as far away as Taylor County. Together Jones, Haskell and Taylor counties have a combined total of 161,066 acres planted in cotton this year. That is an increase over the 154,257 acres planted in 2015. The county with the largest increase of 8,974 was Haskell. "We have more acres (this year) and will make more per acre," McMeans said. "Cotton looks good in Haskell County and in the surrounding areas. It looks better than it has in several years." The market price for cotton last week was just under 60 cents per pound, roughly what it was last year. The decent amount of rain from last winter into the spring and summer, Ford said, has led to the good-looking cotton crop, especially the rainfall in the month of August. According to Texas Tech University's project, West Texas Mesonet, the Haskell area had 3.46 inches of rain compared to the 1.71-inch historic August average. "The old saying is if you can get a good rain in August you can make cotton here," Ford said, "and we did that." Warmer temperatures throughout October allowed the cotton to continue to mature, making it a late crop, Black said. Harvest isn't usually in full swing until after the first freeze. Historically, the first freeze occurs mid-November but there has been talk of a late freeze in December because of the warm weather. Instead of waiting on a freeze to kill the cotton, which is needed to harvest, farmers are defoliating and killing it through spraying; in an effort to ensure the highest quality of fiber harvested. "They (the farmers) have all been cautiously optimistic," Ford said. "There are lots of acres being defoliated right now." SHARE SUNDAY Fall festival A fall festival will be 4-6 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church, 871 Woodlawn Drive. Games, food, activities and more will be available. High school play A presentation of "William Shakespeare's Land of the Dead: A True & Accurate Account of the 1599 Zombie Plague" will begin at 2 p.m. in the Cooper High School auditorium. Tickets are $5. For more information, call 325-691-1000. Fall festival A fall festival will be 4-6 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church, 871 Woodlawn Drive. Games, food, activities and more will be available. Fall festival A fall festival will be open from 5-6:30 p.m. at Belmont Baptist Church, 2117 Palm St. Food, candy and activities will be available. Admission is free. Haunted Hangar TYE The ninth annual Haunted Hangar will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tye Cemetery, 700 Morgan St. Food trucks will be present. Tickets are $10. Proceeds will go to the Tye Volunteer Fire Department and the Merkel High School Project Graduation. Haunted Island Frater Sodalis will conduct its annual Haunted Island from 7:30 p.m. to midnight at 401 N. Loop 322, on the east side of Loop 322/Highway 80. Admission is $10. Labyrinth of Horror The Labyrinth of Horror haunted house will open at 8 p.m. at Play Faire Park, 2300 N. Second St. MONDAY Museum expansion SWEETWATER A groundbreaking for an expansion to the National WASP WWII Museum will begin at 1 p.m., 210 Avenger Field Road. Refreshments will be served. Trunk-or-treat A trunk-or-treat will be 6-7 p.m. Grace Lutheran Church, 1202 S. Pioneer Drive. Free hot dogs and drinks will be served. Trunk-or-treat A trunk-or-treat will be 6-8 p.m. at Berry Lane Baptist Church, 1515 Lakeside Drive. Free hot dogs, popcorn and candy will be available. Admission is free. Fall festival A fall festival will be 6-8 p.m. at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 1718 Pine St. Fall festival A fall festival will be 6-8 p.m. at Lytle South Baptist Church, 1125 E. Industrial Blvd. Haunted Hangar TYE The ninth annual Haunted Hangar will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tye Cemetery, 700 Morgan St. Food trucks will be present. Tickets are $10. Proceeds will go to the Tye Volunteer Fire Department and the Merkel High School Project Graduation. 'Edward Scissorhands' A Halloween showing of 'Edward Scissorhands' will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre, 352 Cypress St. Tickets are $6. Haunted Island Frater Sodalis will conduct its annual Haunted Island from 7:30 p.m. to midnight at 401 N. Loop 322, on the east side of Loop 322/Highway 80. Admission is $10. Labyrinth of Horror The Labyrinth of Horror haunted house will open at 8 p.m. at Play Faire Park, 2300 N. Second St. Other ... Blood drive, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Cisco College, 717 E. Industrial Blvd. Overeaters Anonymous, noon, Hinds Square Building, 100 Chestnut St., Room 112. Schizophrenia Support Group, 1-2 p.m., Mental Health Association of Abilene, 333 Orange St. 325-673-2300. Blood drive, 2-5 p.m., Texas Tech School of Pharmacy, 1718 Pine St. Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 5:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St. Anorexics Bulimics Anonymous, 6 p.m., Shades of Hope, 402A Mulberry St., Buffalo Gap. 800-588-4673. Central Texas Gem & Mineral Society of Abilene, 7 p.m., 7607 Highway 277 South. 325-692-0063. Abilene Toastmaster's Club 1071, 7 p.m., Conference Center, Texas State Technical College, 650 E. Highway 80. 325-692-7325 or abilene.toastmastersclubs.org. Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1501 N. Broadway, Ballinger. 817-689-2810 or 325-977-1007. Mid-City Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First Christian Church. 325-670-4304. Memory Men (4-part a cappella singing), 7 p.m., Calvary Baptist Church, 1165 Minter Lane. Park on east side, enter through kitchen. 325-676-SING. Abilene Community Band rehearsal, 7:30 p.m., Bynum Band Hall, McMurry University. 325-232-7383. South Pioneer Al-Anon Group, 8 p.m., 3157 Russell Ave. Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Avoca United Methodist Church. 325-773-2611. Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Group. 325-676-1400. TUESDAY Wine tasting Los Aficionados will conduct a wine tasting from 4-6 p.m. at The Grace Museum, 102 Cypress St. Tickets are $45, with proceeds going to the museum. Registration is limited. To register, call 325-673-4587. TxDOT meeting TxDOT will conduct a public meeting to discuss possible improvements to FM 89 from 4-8 p.m. at Champions Church, 7474 Buffalo Gap Road. For more information, go to www.txdot.gov or call 325-676-6817. Final Ala Cumba A remembrance event, the Final Ala Cumba, will begin at 5:15 p.m. at the Sacred Wind statue on the campus quad. A roll call will be presented in memory of McMurry alumni, friends, students, faculty and staff who have died. Hospice documentary Interim HealthCare Hospice will present a free screening of the documentary "Being Mortal" at 6 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre, 352 Cypress St. Reservations are requested. To RSVP, contact 325-437-2982 or jamie.foreman@interimhh.com. Business workshop Texas Tech Small Business Development Center Abilene will conduct a workshop, "State of TX Comptroller," from 6-8 p.m. in the Texas Tech Training Center, 749 Gateway St., Suite 301. To make a reservation, call 325-670-0300. Shrimp peel and auction A shrimp peel and auction benefiting the West Texas Rehabilitation Center will be presented from 6-8 p.m. at the Nolan County Coliseum Annex in Sweetwater. Storyteller Red Steagall will be featured. Tickets are $25. Other ... Mission on the Move Soup Kitchen, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Southwest Drive Community United Methodist Church, 3025 Southwest Dr. Abilene Southwest Rotary Club, noon, Beehive Restaurant, 442 Cedar St. High Noon Al-Anon, noon, Southern Hills Church of Christ, 3666 Buffalo Gap Road (south end; follow the yellow signs). Blood drive, noon to 6 p.m., Knox County Hospital, Knox City. Blood drive, noon to 6 p.m., Munday Clinic, Munday. Stroke/Aphasia Recovery Program support group, 1:30-2:30 p.m. West Texas Rehabilitation Center boardroom, 4601 Hartford St. 325-793-3535. Dystonia Support Group, 5:15-6:15 p.m., Not Without Us, 3301 N. First St. Suite 117. Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), 5:30 p.m., Brook Hollow Christian Church, 2310 S. Willis St. 325-232-7444. Legacies Al-Anon Family Group, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Open Door Building, 3157 Russell Ave. 325-280-7584. Dining For Women Abilene Chapter, 6 p.m., First Christian Church, 1420 N. Third St. Family (of Mental Health Consumers) Support Group, 6-7 p.m., Mental Health Association in Abilene, 333 Orange St. 325-673-2300. MHAA Bipolar/Depression Peer Support Group, 6-8 p.m., Ministry of Counseling & Enrichment, 1502 N. First St. 325-673-2300. Free certified nurturing parent class (pregnancy to toddler), 6-8 p.m., Mission Church, North Third and Mockingbird streets. 325-672-9398. Abilene Star Chorus, 6:15 p.m., Wisteria Place Chapel, 3202 S. Willis St. 325-829-1470. Overeaters Anonymous, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Exodus Metropolitan Community Church, 1933 S. 27th St. Al-Anon Parents Group, 7 p.m., Hillcrest Church of Christ, 650 E. Ambler Ave. Use Church Street entrance. Al-Anon, 7 p.m., Doug Meinzer Activity Center, Knox City. 940-658-3926. Abilene Society of Model Railroaders, 7-8:30 p.m., 2043 N. Second St. Unity Group of Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St. WEDNESDAY 'The Incredible Fox Sisters' A production of "The Incredible Fox Sisters" will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in Van Ellis Theatre at Hardin-Simmons University. Tickets are $10. Other ... Overeaters Anonymous, 8 a.m., Hinds Square Building, Room 112, 100 Chestnut St. Blood drive, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Telemundo Studio, 4510 S. 14th St. Abilene Cactus Lions Club, 11:45 a.m., Cotton Patch Cafe, 3302 S. Clack St. Abilene Wednesday Rotary Club, noon, Abilene Country Club, 4039 S. Treadaway. $12 for lunch. Jo Ann Wilson, 325-677-6815. Kiwanis Club of Abilene, noon, Abilene Country Club, 4039 S. Treadaway Blvd. Clearly Speaking Toastmaster Club, noon, Westgate Church of Christ, 402 S. Pioneer Drive. 325-795-5570. Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 5:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St. Veterans Peer Support Group, 6 p.m., 765 Orange St. 325-670-4818. Mid-week Al-Anon Family Group, 6-7 p.m., Open Door Building, 3157 Russell Ave. 325-698-4995. Advanced Square Dancing, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wagon Wheel. Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1501 N. Broadway, Ballinger. 817-689-2810 or 325-977-1007. DivorceCare support group, 7 p.m., Hillcrest Church of Christ, 650 E. Ambler Ave. 325-691-4200. SHARE MONDAY Museum expansion SWEETWATER A groundbreaking for an expansion to the National WASP WWII Museum will begin at 1 p.m., 210 Avenger Field Road. Refreshments will be served. Trunk-or-treat A trunk-or-treat will be 6-7 p.m. Grace Lutheran Church, 1202 S. Pioneer Drive. Free hot dogs and drinks will be served. Trunk-or-treat A trunk-or-treat will be 6-8 p.m. at Berry Lane Baptist Church, 1515 Lakeside Drive. Free hot dogs, popcorn and candy will be available. Admission is free. Fall festival A fall festival will be 6-8 p.m. at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 1718 Pine St. Fall festival A fall festival will be 6-8 p.m. at Lytle South Baptist Church, 1125 E. Industrial Blvd. Haunted Hangar TYE The ninth annual Haunted Hangar will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tye Cemetery, 700 Morgan St. Food trucks will be present. Tickets are $10. Proceeds will go to the Tye Volunteer Fire Department and the Merkel High School Project Graduation. 'Edward Scissorhands' A Halloween showing of 'Edward Scissorhands' will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre, 352 Cypress St. Tickets are $6. Haunted Island Frater Sodalis will conduct its annual Haunted Island from 7:30 p.m. to midnight at 401 N. Loop 322, on the east side of Loop 322/Highway 80. Admission is $10. Labyrinth of Horror The Labyrinth of Horror haunted house will open at 8 p.m. at Play Faire Park, 2300 N. Second St. Other ... Blood drive, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Cisco College, 717 E. Industrial Blvd. Overeaters Anonymous, noon, Hinds Square Building, 100 Chestnut St., Room 112. Schizophrenia Support Group, 1-2 p.m., Mental Health Association of Abilene, 333 Orange St. 325-673-2300. Blood drive, 2-5 p.m., Texas Tech School of Pharmacy, 1718 Pine St. Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 5:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St. Anorexics Bulimics Anonymous, 6 p.m., Shades of Hope, 402A Mulberry St., Buffalo Gap. 800-588-4673. Central Texas Gem & Mineral Society of Abilene, 7 p.m., 7607 Highway 277 South. 325-692-0063. Abilene Toastmaster's Club 1071, 7 p.m., Conference Center, Texas State Technical College, 650 E. Highway 80. 325-692-7325 or abilene.toastmastersclubs.org. Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1501 N. Broadway, Ballinger. 817-689-2810 or 325-977-1007. Mid-City Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First Christian Church. 325-670-4304. Memory Men (4-part a cappella singing), 7 p.m., Calvary Baptist Church, 1165 Minter Lane. Park on east side, enter through kitchen. 325-676-SING. Abilene Community Band rehearsal, 7:30 p.m., Bynum Band Hall, McMurry University. 325-232-7383. South Pioneer Al-Anon Group, 8 p.m., 3157 Russell Ave. Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Avoca United Methodist Church. 325-773-2611. Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Group. 325-676-1400. TUESDAY Wine tasting Los Aficionados will conduct a wine tasting from 4-6 p.m. at The Grace Museum, 102 Cypress St. Tickets are $45, with proceeds going to the museum. Registration is limited. To register, call 325-673-4587. TxDOT meeting TxDOT will conduct a public meeting to discuss possible improvements to FM 89 from 4-8 p.m. at Champions Church, 7474 Buffalo Gap Road. For more information, go to www.txdot.gov or call 325-676-6817. Final Ala Cumba A remembrance event, the Final Ala Cumba, will begin at 5:15 p.m. at the Sacred Wind statue on the campus quad. A roll call will be presented in memory of McMurry alumni, friends, students, faculty and staff who have died. Hospice documentary Interim HealthCare Hospice will present a free screening of the documentary "Being Mortal" at 6 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre, 352 Cypress St. Reservations are requested. To RSVP, contact 325-437-2982 or jamie.foreman@interimhh.com. Business workshop Texas Tech Small Business Development Center Abilene will conduct a workshop, "State of TX Comptroller," from 6-8 p.m. in the Texas Tech Training Center, 749 Gateway St., Suite 301. To make a reservation, call 325-670-0300. Shrimp peel and auction A shrimp peel and auction benefiting the West Texas Rehabilitation Center will be presented from 6-8 p.m. at the Nolan County Coliseum Annex in Sweetwater. Storyteller Red Steagall will be featured. Tickets are $25. Other ... Mission on the Move Soup Kitchen, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Southwest Drive Community United Methodist Church, 3025 Southwest Dr. Abilene Southwest Rotary Club, noon, Beehive Restaurant, 442 Cedar St. High Noon Al-Anon, noon, Southern Hills Church of Christ, 3666 Buffalo Gap Road (south end; follow the yellow signs). Blood drive, noon to 6 p.m., Knox County Hospital, Knox City. Blood drive, noon to 6 p.m., Munday Clinic, Munday. Stroke/Aphasia Recovery Program support group, 1:30-2:30 p.m. West Texas Rehabilitation Center boardroom, 4601 Hartford St. 325-793-3535. Dystonia Support Group, 5:15-6:15 p.m., Not Without Us, 3301 N. First St. Suite 117. Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), 5:30 p.m., Brook Hollow Christian Church, 2310 S. Willis St. 325-232-7444. Legacies Al-Anon Family Group, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Open Door Building, 3157 Russell Ave. 325-280-7584. Dining For Women Abilene Chapter, 6 p.m., First Christian Church, 1420 N. Third St. Family (of Mental Health Consumers) Support Group, 6-7 p.m., Mental Health Association in Abilene, 333 Orange St. 325-673-2300. MHAA Bipolar/Depression Peer Support Group, 6-8 p.m., Ministry of Counseling & Enrichment, 1502 N. First St. 325-673-2300. Free certified nurturing parent class (pregnancy to toddler), 6-8 p.m., Mission Church, North Third and Mockingbird streets. 325-672-9398. Abilene Star Chorus, 6:15 p.m., Wisteria Place Chapel, 3202 S. Willis St. 325-829-1470. Overeaters Anonymous, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Exodus Metropolitan Community Church, 1933 S. 27th St. Al-Anon Parents Group, 7 p.m., Hillcrest Church of Christ, 650 E. Ambler Ave. Use Church Street entrance. Al-Anon, 7 p.m., Doug Meinzer Activity Center, Knox City. 940-658-3926. Abilene Society of Model Railroaders, 7-8:30 p.m., 2043 N. Second St. Unity Group of Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St. WEDNESDAY 'The Incredible Fox Sisters' A production of "The Incredible Fox Sisters" will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in Van Ellis Theatre at Hardin-Simmons University. Tickets are $10. Other ... Overeaters Anonymous, 8 a.m., Hinds Square Building, Room 112, 100 Chestnut St. Blood drive, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Telemundo Studio, 4510 S. 14th St. Abilene Cactus Lions Club, 11:45 a.m., Cotton Patch Cafe, 3302 S. Clack St. Abilene Wednesday Rotary Club, noon, Abilene Country Club, 4039 S. Treadaway. $12 for lunch. Jo Ann Wilson, 325-677-6815. Kiwanis Club of Abilene, noon, Abilene Country Club, 4039 S. Treadaway Blvd. Clearly Speaking Toastmaster Club, noon, Westgate Church of Christ, 402 S. Pioneer Drive. 325-795-5570. Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 5:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St. Veterans Peer Support Group, 6 p.m., 765 Orange St. 325-670-4818. Mid-week Al-Anon Family Group, 6-7 p.m., Open Door Building, 3157 Russell Ave. 325-698-4995. Advanced Square Dancing, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wagon Wheel. Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1501 N. Broadway, Ballinger. 817-689-2810 or 325-977-1007. DivorceCare support group, 7 p.m., Hillcrest Church of Christ, 650 E. Ambler Ave. 325-691-4200. THURSDAY Christmas store DESDEMONA An annual Christmas store will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Desdemona Activity Center. Dia de los Muertos A Dia de los Muertos family night will be 5-8 p.m. at The Grace Museum, 102 Cypress St. Arts, crafts, music and more will be presented, along with a showing of the animated film "The Book of Life." Admission is free. Book signing Matthew Reinhart will sign copies of his pop-up book version of Disney's "Frozen" from 6-9 p.m. at the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature. Admission is free. Documentary A free showing of a part of the PBS documentary series "Latino Americans" will begin at 6:30 p.m. at The Grace Museum, 102 Cypress St. Candlelight memorial The West Texas Rehabilitation Center Hospice of the Big Country will conduct its annual candlelight memorial service at 6:30 p.m. in Logsdon Chapel at Hardin-Simmons University. A reception will follow. For more information, call 325-793-5450. Christmas Carousel The Junior League of Abilene's annual Christmas Carousel, "A Frozen Affair," will begin with a preview party from 7-10 p.m. at the Abilene Civic Center, 1100 N. Sixth St. Tickets are $45. For tickets, or for more information, go to www.jrleagueabilene.com. 'The Incredible Fox Sisters' A production of "The Incredible Fox Sisters" will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in Van Ellis Theatre at Hardin-Simmons University. Tickets are $10. Other ... Blood drive, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Abilene ISD administration, 241 Pine St. Veterans Association Club, 10 a.m., Rose Park Senior Citizens Center (in Rose Park, South Seventh and Barrow streets). Chronic Pain and Depression Group, 11 a.m. to noon, Mental Health Association of Abilene, 333 Orange St., 325-673-2300. Abilene Founder Lions Club, 11:30 a.m., Al's Mesquite Grill, 4801 Buffalo Gap Road. Kiwanis Club of Greater Abilene, noon, Beehive Restaurant, 442 Cedar St. 325-695-0092. Retired Military Wives Club business meeting, 1 p.m., Rose Park Senior Activity Center, 2625 South Seventh St. 325-677-9656 or 325-793-1490. Mental Illness Open Support Group, 1-2 p.m., Mental Health Association of Abilene, 333 Orange St. 325-673-2300. Abilene 42 Club, 6 p.m., Rose Park Senior Center. Teen Recovery Group, 6-7 p.m., Mission Abilene, 3001 N. Third St. Free certified nurturing parent class (all ages), 6-8 p.m., Mission Church, North Third and Mockingbird streets. 325-672-9398. Take Off Pounds Sensibly, 6:30 p.m. Brook Hollow Christian Church. Weigh-in begins at 5:30 p.m. 325-665-5052. Free swim class for people with multiple sclerosis, 6:30 p.m., YMCA, 3250 State St. Gambler's Anonymous, 6:30 p.m., Unity Spiritual Living Center, 2842 Barrow St. 325-338-2575. Key City Coin Club, 6:30 p.m., Rose Park Senior Citizens Center, Room B. 325-675-0266. Round Dancing, 7 p.m., Wagon Wheel. 325-829-1517. Old Town Abilene Neighborhood Association, 7 p.m., Shining Star Baptist Church, 302 Palm St. 325-676-4068. American Legion Post and Auxiliary 661 meeting, 7 p.m., Lueders Legion Hall, Highway 6, Lueders. Big Country Audubon Society, 7 p.m., Rose State Park. 325-690-6355. South Pioneer Al-Anon Group, 8 p.m., 3157 Russell Ave. Unity Group of Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, 602 Meander St. SHARE Mellissa Casillas KNOX CITY, Texas Mellissa Casillas, 39, passed away Wednesday, October 26, 2016. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, November 1, 2016, at Abundant Life Church, Knox City. Burial will follow the service in O'Brien Cemetery in O'Brien. A visitation is planned from 5 until 6 p.m. Sunday, October 30, 2016, at Smith Family Funeral Home, Knox City Ruby Elvine Force-Lee CROSS PLAINS, Texas Ruby Elvine Force Lee, 92, of Cross Plains, TX, passed away Thursday, October 27, 2016, at a Brownwood hospital after a short illness in Brownwood, TX. A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, October 29, 2016, at Cross Plains Cemetery in Cross Plains, TX. David Fuentes Jr. BALLINGER, Texas David Fuentes Jr., 26, of Rowena passed away on Wednesday, October 26, 2016. Rosary/visitation will be at 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 29, 2016, at Lange Funeral Home in Ballinger. Service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, October 30, 2016 at First Baptist Church in Ballinger with burial in Latin American Cemetery. Rita Ann Luera VOSS, Texas Rita Ann Luera, 67, passed away Wednesday, October 26, 2016. Service will be Monday at 10:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Interment will follow in Voss Cemetery under the direction of Henderson Funeral Home of Coleman. A wake will be held Sunday at 6 p.m. at Henderson Funeral Home. Laverne Witt HAMLIN, Texas Laverne Witt, 92, passed away Thursday, October 27, 2016. Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Monday, October 31, 2016, at the Adams-Foster-Ray Funeral Home chapel, with burial following in Hamlin Memorial Cemetery, directed by Adams-Foster-Ray Funeral Home. Visitation will be held from 6. until 7 p.m. Sunday, October 30, 2016, at Adams-Foster-Ray Funeral Home. Wallace Eugene 'W.E.' Wooten HASKELL, Texas Wallace Eugene 'W.E." Wooten, 89, passed away Wednesday, October 26, 2016. A graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Monday, October 31, 2016, at Willow Cemetery in Haskell under the direction of Smith Family Funeral Homes. SHARE Norma Jean Cumbie SNYDER, Texas Norma Jean Cumbie, 77, passed away Friday, October 28, 2016 at Cogdell Memorial Hospital in Snyder. Services will be held on Monday, October 31, 2016 at 2 p.m. at Eastside Church of Christ. Interment will follow at Ira Cemetery. Visitation will be on Sunday, October 30, 2016 from 4 p.m. until 5 p.m. at Bell-Cypert-Seale Funeral Home. John T. Key ABILENE, Texas John T. Key, 81, passed away Thursday, October 27, 2016. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, November 3, 2016 at Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home Chapel of Memories, 542 Hickory St. Darinda McFarland ABILENE, Texas Darinda McFarland, 43, passed away Wednesday, October 26, 2016. Services are pending with Girdner Funeral Home. Billy Wayne Mims ABILENE, Texas Billy Wayne Mims, 87, passed away Saturday, October 29, 2016. A visitation with family and friends will be held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home, 5701 Hwy 277 South, Abilene with the funeral service at 11 a.m., Tuesday, November 1, 2016. Burial will follow in Elmwood Memorial Park Cemetery. Paul Smith Puckett COLEMAN, Texas Paul Smith Puckett, 97, of Coleman, passed away Friday, October 29, 2016 in Brownwood. Funeral service with Military Honors will be 3 p.m., Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at Stevens Funeral Home Chapel, 400 West Pecan Street, Coleman. Burial will follow in the Coleman City Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at Stevens Funeral Home. David Rhodes ABILENE, Texas David Rhodes, 51, passed away Saturday, October 29, 2016. Services are pending with Starbuck Funeral Home. Johnny Davidson "J.D." Rutledge SUGARLAND, TX Johnny Davidson "J.D." Rutledge, 70, passed away Thursday, October 27, 2016. Visitation will be 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at Elmwood Funeral Home, 5750 Hwy 277 South. Graveside service will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at Elmwood Memorial Park. Jo Ann Stewart MORAN, Texas Jo Ann Stewart, 75, passed away Saturday, October 29, 2016. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m., Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at Taylor's Chapel Cemetery in Comanche County. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m., Monday, October 31, 2016 at her home in Moran, 640 Ground Street (two story rock house). Devon Aaron Whitt COLEMAN, Texas Devon Aaron Whitt, 15, of Coleman, passed away Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at Coleman County Medical Center. A memorial service will be noon, Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at the Panther Creek High School Gymnasium, 129 Private Road 3421, Valera. Services are under the direction of Stevens Funeral Home, Coleman. Janaya Wilson ABILENE, Texas Janaya Wilson, 43, passed away Friday, October 28, 2016 at Hendrick Medical Center with family by her side. A life celebration service will be held Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at 11 a.m. at Faith Deliverance Community Church. A visitation will be held Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at the church from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Funeral arrangements entrusted to Dove Funeral Home. In making candidate endorsements, we believe elected representatives who have been doing a good job usually deserve to be allowed to continue serving their constituents, unless there are reasons to make a change. Thats why we are endorsing for re-election Sharon Steckman in Iowa House District 53 and Phil Dougherty and Jay Urdahl for Cerro Gordo County supervisors. We see these three candidates as competent, experienced professionals who can do the most good for their constituents because of that experience. They have been accessible problem-solvers and, we believe, deserve the opportunity to continue to carry on with their service. Mason City, Rockwell and Cerro Gordo County are fortunate to have two strong candidates seeking the House District 53 seat: Steckman, a Democrat seeking her fifth term, and Republican Barbara Hovland, who is making her first try for public office although she has been highly visible as chairwoman of the Cerro Gordo County Republican Party. The differences between the two are distinct. Steckman had and continues to have, as do we serious doubts about the privatization of the Iowa Medicaid program that Gov. Terry Branstad announced last year. The $5 billion operation was transferred from the state to private health care companies, a move the Republican governor said would save money and provide better care options. Steckman said Branstad moved too fast and put everything in at once, in contrast to other states that progressed to privatization in stages. Plus, she said, changes were made without any legislative oversight. Steckman said she continues to hear complaints from providers and clients, and said the changes have been confusing and have not saved the state money. Hovland backs the switch, saying Medicaid would not be sustainable under the old system. She said any problems lie more with those who work with paper records than electronic documents. Plus, she said, under the new system, fraud opportunities are reduced because you have to prove you provided the services before you get paid. Another major issue where they disagree is on regulating hog confinement facilities in Iowa, a divisive issue in District 53. Steckman opposed Prestage Foods plans for Mason City in part because of the proximity of concentrated animal feeding operations CAFOs to residential and environmentally sensitive areas. Although we favored the Prestage plant coming to the area, we agree with Steckman that there should be local control over CAFO siting. Hovland said there is too much fear-mongering going on with CAFOs and that the Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Natural Resources are overseeing issues such as water quality. Education is a key issue year after year in the Legislature, and Steckman taught in Mason City for 30 years, has been a strong voice for education in the Legislature and sees education as the states biggest economic development tool. We appreciate her advocacy, but urge her to work on results-based programs rather than simply throwing more money at schools. Case in point, she would look at reducing business tax credits to bolster education funding. She said shed like to revisit those credits to make it more equitable. We strongly disagree with her on that point, because we believe those tax credits are valuable in bringing new business to Iowa to stimulate the economy. Hovland, too, sees education as a priority, and says frivolous spending can be cut to help pay for it. She also says if the state would conduct itself more like a private business, that might help. We appreciate Hovlands business experience and think she could do a good job representing this district, but she hasnt persuaded us that Steckman deserves the boot. Heres how Steckman can keep our endorsement going forward: Ensure legislative work on education benefits students before teachers and administrators. Build on the momentum for local control of CAFO regulations by writing and sponsoring legislation to fix the problem. Increase work on and her knowledge base concerning economic development. Iowa, and specifically North Iowa, face significant challenges that cant be fixed by simply raising taxes and increasing education funding. Work in a bipartisan manner that reflects her constituency and region. A good point in this race is that no matter who wins or loses, we see both candidates continuing to contribute to their communities. For now, we believe Steckman is in a position to better serve this area in the House. Similarly, experience and knowledge of the system are why we endorse Urdahl and Dougherty for supervisor. Urdahl, who works for UPS, has served on the Board of Supervisors since 1989. He is facing what appears to be formidable competition from Mason City businessman and community activist Tim Latham, making his first try for the county board. Dougherty, a farmer, has been a supervisor since 2001. He again is being challenged by Mason City businessman Chris Watts, who he has defeated in the past two elections. Of these two races, Urdahl-Latham is much tougher for us to call. Latham has taken on such projects as the North End Partnership, and has an extensive business background. Were it clear that a change on the county board is warranted, Latham could be an excellent supervisor. But the county, by all accounts, is being well-managed. Supervisors have held the line on property tax rates for 11 straight years, continue to prove they are good stewards of county money and have proven to be active partners in industrial development with other governmental entities. Those are all good reasons for Dougherty and Urdahl to return to office. Mason City and Cerro Gordo County have been well-served by Steckman, Dougherty and Urdahl. Were glad there are strong challengers in the races, but we urge the incumbents re-election Nov. 8. Thomas Metthe/Reporter-News Members of the Abilene firefighters team pull a firetruck during the Abilene Fire Truck Pull Challenge to benefit the Special Olympics on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016, at Texas Roadhouse. SHARE Thomas Metthe/Reporter-News Gilbert Martinez (left) anchors the Icon Fitness team as they pull a firetruck during the Abilene Fire Truck Pull Challenge to benefit the Special Olympics on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016, at Texas Roadhouse. Thomas Metthe/Reporter-News Tagen Reeves with the Mustangs team gives everything he's got helping his team drag an Abilene firetruck across the parking lot of the Texas Roadhouse during the Abilene Fire Truck Pull Challenge to benefit the Special Olympics on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. Thomas Metthe/Reporter-News Members of the Icon Fitness team pull a firetruck across the parking lot during the Abilene Fire Truck Pull Challenge to benefit the Special Olympics on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016, at Texas Roadhouse. Thomas Metthe/Reporter-News Members of the Taylor County Sheriff's Office team start their pull of a firetruck during the Abilene Fire Truck Pull Challenge to benefit the Special Olympics on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016, at Texas Roadhouse. By Brooke Crum of the Abilene Reporter News It might seem like an impossible feat pulling a 55,000-pound firetruck by hand 75 feet but that's exactly what six teams of 12 did Saturday morning to raise money for nonprofit Special Olympics Texas. Using nothing but their might and a good pair of gloves, women and men from across Abilene grasped the sturdy rope in their hands and towed the firetruck 75 feet in the parking lot of Texas Roadhouse twice. The team with the best average time won. This year, the Abilene Professional Firefighters Association won, beating the average time of the other teams in their division by a mere second or less. Some members of the other teams, which included the Abilene Police Department and MetroCare emergency medical services, good-naturedly called foul play. "You guys have been practicing!" they yelled from the crowd to much laughter. Team members lined up on either side of the rope with one person, usually the strongest, sliding the loop at the front of the rope around him. Then, at the sound of the horn, they all rushed forward, aiming for the white line drawn 75 feet ahead, while shouts of "Pull! Pull! Pull!" emanated from the crowd. Two divisions of teams competed at the event: traditional teams of public safety workers and area athletes and unified teams that included people with intellectual disabilities. Both unified teams that participated this year won medals Team Mustangs, sponsored by Pierce Furniture, and the combined team of the Taylor County Sheriff's Office and Red Hot Chili Peppers, a Special Olympics group. The Abilene police team, which included Department of Public Safety troopers, came in second place in the traditional division, with Team Icon coming in third and MetroCare coming in fourth. Each team paid a $300 registration fee to participate. That money at least $1,800 raised Saturday goes toward more than 1,000 Special Olympics athletes in the Big Country. "That's what it's all about," said Pete Beretta, the firefighters' association retired steward, "seeing the smiles on their faces." Jimmy Hall, the firefighters' association president, said what made this event different from others is the interaction among the various public safety agencies, especially because they get the opportunity to heckle each other. It's just a good time, he said. Here are the teams' average times in seconds: Taylor County Sheriff's Office and the Red Hot Chili Peppers 19.87 Team Mustangs 21.5 MetroCare 16.3 Team Icon 15.08 Abilene Police Department 15.07 Abilene Fire Department 14.08 Twitter: BrookeCrum_ARN If you have a need for firewood, get it now while you can SHARE One question put to a dozen "persuadable voters" in Charlotte, North Carolina on Tuesday night didn't elicit a single response: Which presidential candidate do you like? Another, though, produced a unanimous show of hands: Do you dislike both? The voters had been assembled by Peter Hart, a veteran Democratic pollster who has led focus groups for decades. He termed the session "unbelievably negative." The participants were chosen to represent the small group of voters who remain undecided or open to persuasion just two weeks before Election Day. "They watch these two candidates and find little or nothing on which to commend them," Hart said. There's negativity toward the end of any hard-fought election campaign. At this juncture in 1980, though, undecided voters would have debated the virtues and shortcomings of Ronald Reagan or Jimmy Carter, as they would have with Barack Obama or John McCain in 2008. The Charlotte voters, all of whom indicated that they expected to vote, found no virtues to debate. I've covered 12 presidential campaigns and attended Hart-run focus groups dating back to 1979. This was the most negative one I've ever seen. These voters didn't fit the caricature of the angry, mean-spirited populist. They were reasonably content with their lives, though not so optimistic about the next generation. It was the campaign, not the country, that unsettled them. Take Donna Ryan, a retired financial employee and Ronald Reagan fan who started out open to Donald Trump. "I wanted a non-politician," she said, but the Republican nominee "lost me." I'm afraid of Trump," Ryan added, saying that he throws "temper tantrums like a little boy." She said she's now leaning toward Clinton, whom she doesn't trust, as "the lesser of two evils." Hart's voters described Trump as a "spoiled brat," "bully" and "embarrassment. Clinton was called a "slimy liar." They characterized the tone and substance of the campaign as depressing. There were more Republicans than Democrats on the panel, though none thought of themselves as strongly partisan. That was bad news for Trump. Only one substantive issue was mentioned as something that could drive a choice Nov. 8: the appointment of new justices to the Supreme Court. That would give Trump an edge among several conservative panelists. The possibility of the first woman president didn't move these citizens. And in a city that has been roiled by racial tension recently, only two said race relations were major issue in the U.S. Both were African-Americans. Despite some sharp criticisms from a few of the more conservative panelists, Obama is ending his presidency on a high note with these voters. "He comes across as an admirable figure," Hart said. Obama's wife, Michelle, drew unanimous high praise. Even the participants who said they're likely to vote for Clinton harbor deep reservations. Raising the controversy over her use of a private email server while secretary of state, the panelist Sabrina Tucker asked, "If she lies about this, what else will she lie about?" At end, all 12 participants said they expected Clinton to win. None expressed enthusiasm at the prospect, which, Hart said, gives little reason for optimism about her ability to unite the country as president. Albert Hunt is a Bloomberg View columnist. SHARE "I don't think ANY government person makes you feel confident." "Mad as hell." "Never in American history have two more unfit men been offered to the country for the highest officeThe man with no ideas was running against the man of too many." What is striking about these quotes is that they are not talking about the 2016 election. The first was from a woman in a focus group in 1992. The second is the title of a book about the 1992 election. The full title is: "Mad as Hell: Revolt at the Ballot Box, 1992. "The third is from a historian writing about the 1872 campaigns of Ulysses Grant and Horace Greeley. U.S. presidential elections traditionally have been nasty affairs. Politicians seeking the highest office in the land have unloaded on their opponents, dredging up the worst about their character and past activities. Using modern campaign jargon, those running for office usually try to "drive up their opponent's negatives." This election has been no different. Like most presidential elections, the stakes are considered high. The base vote for each candidate is energized and a pitched battle is on. Whether the candidates want to increase the voter turnout from their supporters, drive down the turnout from their opponent's supporters or impress the undecided, candidates will do all they can to make their opponent look bad. If you can't convince people you are an upstanding person then the least you can do is convince the electorate that your opponent is worse than you. In the 2016 election, we have for the first time in recent political history two candidates who are disliked by a majority of the electorate. The website Fivethirtyeight.com looked at candidates since the 1980 election and measured them by their likability. Hillary Clinton had a negative likeability of 14, meaning that the percent of those who disliked her was 14 percentage points higher than the percent of those who liked her. Trump had a negative likeability of 24. The higher the negative number the greater disliked the candidate is. The last time we had a candidate with a double digit negative likeable score was Jimmy Carter in 1980. Remember that Carter was running for re-election during the Iranian hostage crisis. Both presidential candidates today are liked less than he was at that time. Perhaps that is why the current campaign feels so bad. We dislike these candidates more than we ever have disliked a candidate. But is this campaign so bad compared with others? As you can tell from the first two quotes at the top of this piece that the 1992 election with George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Ross Perot was a difficult affair. In that one, an angry segment of the population seized onto a truth-telling non-politician and turned the election into a referendum on an incumbent president who had to preside over tough economic times. Isn't that what today's election is about? Hillary Clinton is essentially running for President Obama's third term. As nasty as the 1992 election was, this country survived it. When I speak with older voters who express concern about this election, I remind them of the 1968 presidential contest. Richard Nixon, Hubert Humphrey and George Wallace were the three candidates. That very close election, decided by 500,000 votes was held during an unpopular war in Vietnam. The contest was marked by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, which sparked race riots killing more than 40 people and leading to the arrest of more than 15,000. A presidential candidate, Sen. Robert Kennedy was assassinated just after he won the California Democratic primary election. The Democratic convention itself was the scene of riots both in and out of the convention hall. We survived that election, too. If you want tough elections for a country to hold, how about one in the midst of a civil war with the incumbent president challenged by a general he fired? Yet we had such a contest in 1864, with Gen. George McClellan taking on President Abraham Lincoln. My point is that while this election is tough to watch and nasty in tone, we have had worse. Much worse. We will spend the next few days arguing over the merits of Clinton and Trump. But after it is over, we, as a country will move on. Sure there will be those who will continue to argue about voter fraud and election rigging. But they will eventually turn their attention to the presidential election of 2020. Why? That will be their chance to beat the incumbent and repeal all that was passed. The beauty of holding presidential elections every four years is knowing that the next chance to win is just 1,461 days away. Paul Fabrizio is professor of political science at McMurry University. SHARE Today in history: On Oct. 30, 1953, President Dwight Eisenhower gives the go-ahead to National Security Council Paper No. 162/2. This is a top secret document that orders expansion and maintenance of the nation's nuclear weapons arsenal. The paper emphasized that the Soviet Union had enough nuclear weapons and the ability to strike the United States. There was no immediate fear but the country could not slack off protecting itself, the paper suggested. The Cold War was underway. A joint U.S., Russian, and Japanese crew has landed safely in Kazakhstan following a 115-day mission aboard the International Space Station. The three astronauts -- U.S. astronaut Kate Rubins, Russias Anatoly Ivanishin, and Takuya Onishi of Japan -- made a parachute landing on October 30 near the Kazakh town of Zhezkazgan. Their journey marks the first complete mission at the orbital laboratory for a modified Soyuz spacecraft. The mission included the first use of a DNA sequencer in space by Rubins, a molecular biologist, and installation of a parking spot for commercial space taxis. Andrei Borisenko and Sergei Ryzhykov of Russia and NASA astronaut Robert Shane Kimbrough remain aboard the space station. Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters, and AP A car bomb parked on a shopping street in a Shi'ite district of Baghdad killed at least eight people and wounded more than 30 others on October 30. The bombing, which hit the Hurriya district, came as Iraqi security forces are engaged in an offensive to take back Mosul, the Islamic State group's last major city stronghold in Iraq. It wasn't clear if there was a suicide driver in the car. Car bombs and other explosions claimed by IS fighters have killed hundreds of civilians in the Iraqi capital this year. Based on reporting by Reuters and AP NEW YORK, Oct. 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Polaris Industries, Inc. (Polaris or the Company) (NYSE:PII) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, District of Minnesota, and docketed under 16-cv-03108, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired Polaris securities between January 26, 2016 and September 11, 2016 both dates inclusive (the Class Period). This class action seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act). If you are a shareholder who purchased Polaris securities during the Class Period, you have until November 15, 2016 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll free, ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased. [Click here to join this class action] Polaris, together with its subsidiaries, designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, motorcycles, and on-road vehicles in the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and Mexico. On July 23, 2015, Polaris issued a recall for the Companys model-year 2016 Youth RZR off-highway vehicle, citing fire hazards. Three other recalls of the Companys RZR vehicles followedin October 2015, December 2015, and April 2016affecting more than 160,000 RZR vehicles of various model years. Nevertheless, Polaris consistently advised investors that the Company expected full year 2016 net income to be at least $6.00 per diluted share. On January 26, 2016, Polaris issued a press release reporting full-year guidance in the range of $6.20 to $6.80 per diluted share; on April 21, 2016, Polaris issued a press release maintaining the same guidance estimate; and on July 20, 2016, Polaris issued a press release only slightly lowering and narrowing its guidance range to $6.00 to $6.30 per diluted share. The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Company was unable to sufficiently validate the initially identified repair for certain of its recalled RZR vehicles; (ii) as a result, the Company would ultimately need to implement a more complex and expensive repair solution; (iii) the financial impact of RZR vehicle recalls was therefore greater than the Company had disclosed to investors; (iv) consequently, the Company had overstated its full-year 2016 guidance; and (v) as a result of the foregoing, Polariss public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On September 12, 2016, pre-market, Polaris issued a press release announcing that the Company was lowering its full-year 2016 earnings guidance to the range of $3.30 to $3.80 per diluted share. The Company attributed the lowered guidance to the impact of RZR thermal-related problems, citing, in part, the Companys inability to sufficiently validate the initially identified RZR Turbo recall repair, necessitating a more complex and expensive repair solution. On this news, Polaris stock fell $4.05, or 5.01%, to close at $76.79 on September 12, 2016. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com The mayor of Kyiv says electricity and water supplies have been restored after a day of Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities, including hydroelectric power stations, that caused blackouts, mobile phone outages, and reductions in water supplies. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. "The water supply to the homes of Kyiv residents has been fully restored. Thank you to the experts of Kyivvodokanal and DTEK, who worked for almost a day to restore water and electricity [supplies] to the residents of the capital," Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram early on November 1. Klitschko said that the electricity supply in the Ukrainian capital had also been restored but that blackouts are inevitable because of the extensive damage to the power system after the Russian attacks. In Mykolayiv, regional military administration chief Vitaliy Kim said on November 1 that Russia fired four S-300 missiles overnight, demolishing half an apartment building in the city and killing one person. Russia has been targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure and other civilian buildings with missile, drone, and artillery attacks for weeks amid a Ukrainian counteroffensive that has driven Russian troops out of the northeast and pushed them back in the east and southeast. In his nightly address, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine's air defenses did a good job shooting down most of the missiles, but that strengthening the country's air-defense capabilities remains a top priority. "Our air force and everyone involved in protecting the sky did a very good job today," Zelenskiy said late on October 31. "Most of the objectives that the terrorists identified as targets were saved. This morning alone, terrorists used 55 cruise missiles for a massive attack. Forty-five of them were shot down. We will continue to strengthen our air defense." Zelenskiy added that restoration work was still ongoing in regions targeted by Russian missiles. Russia launched missiles into several Ukrainian cities on October 31, including the nations capital, Kyiv, as the Kremlin continues its relentless assault on critical Ukrainian infrastructure in the hopes of wearing down the populations will to resist. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko called on the Group of 20 major economies to expel Russia and rescind President Vladimir Putins invitation to a G20 summit in Bali next month. Nikolenko said in a tweet on November 1 that Putin's public acknowledgement that he ordered missile strikes on Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure meant "his hands [are] stained in blood" and that "he must not be allowed to sit at the table with world leaders." With its eight-month invasion failing and the prospects of a defeat rising, the Kremlin is seeking to terrorize and demoralize the Ukrainian population in an attempt to break it, Western and Ukrainian officials have said. Russia has destroyed more than 40 percent of Ukraine's energy infrastructure in a few weeks, causing electricity cuts in Kyiv and other places as winter approaches. Separately, in eastern Ukraine, the military command said there were fierce battles near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region and that Ukrainian forces had held back Russian assaults on two other areas in the region, around Avdiyivka and Uhledar. Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement on November 1 that Russia struck more than 50 settlements in the Donetsk region. Russia is also expanding the forced evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from occupied Kherson as its forces seek to hold the region. Vladimir Saldo, the Russia-appointed head of Kherson, announced on October 31 that citizens will be evacuated from another seven districts. Just three days earlier, the Russia-installed officials had announced that the evacuation process in the Kherson region had ended. The Ukrainian military reported that Russian troops are mining evacuated residential areas in the Kakhovka settlement. In Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry said all military mobilization activities, including summons delivery, have been suspended. The ministry said in a statement that all activities related to conscription for military service have been stopped. According to the statement, military units will only be accepting volunteers and contractors from now on. However, the announcement does not amount to an official end to the partial mobilization decreed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in September. That can only be done with an official decree from Putin. Hundreds of thousands of Russians have fled Russia since Putin declared the partial military mobilization. With reporting by Reuters and AFP Turkey's president has warned that his country could respond if an Iraqi Shi'ite militia "terrorizes" the Iraqi town of Tal Afar, near Mosul. The Hashed al-Shaabi, a paramilitary umbrella organization dominated by Iran-backed Shi'ite militias, launched an operation on October 29 toward Tal Afar, which has a sizeable ethnic-Turkoman population. Tal Afar was a Shi'ite-majority town before it fell to the extremist group Islamic State (IS) in 2014. The Shi'ite militias are assisting the Iraqi government in its offensive to retake IS-held Mosul. The state-run Anadolu agency reported that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters that his government will be closely monitoring the behavior of the militia. "Tel Afar is an entirely Turkmen town. if Hashd al-Shaabi starts terrorizing it, then our response will certainly be different," Erdogan said. Based on reporting by AP and AFP The FBI has been under pressure to provide details of a renewed investigation into Hillary Clintons use of private e-mail while she was secretary of state. FBI Director James Comey notified Congress on October 28 -- 11 days before the presidential election -- that the agency is looking into a batch of new e-mails. The Democratic candidate called the move "unprecedented" and "deeply troubling," while her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, praised the FBI's decision. In his letter to Congressmen, Comey said the FBI learned of fresh e-mails which appeared to be "pertinent" to its previous inquiry into Clinton's use of a private server when she was the top U.S. diplomat in the Obama administration. He did not explain how. In a memo sent later to FBI staff, Comey acknowledged "we do not ordinarily tell Congress about ongoing investigations," adding that he felt an "obligation" to do so given that he had previously testified that the FBI investigation was complete. The FBI chief has been heavily criticized by Clinton and her campaign team for his decision to make the information public so close to polling day. "It's not just strange, it's unprecedented, Clinton told supporters in Florida on October 29. And it is deeply troubling because voters deserve to get full and complete facts. "So we've called on Director Comey to explain everything right away, put it all out on the table," Clinton also said. John Podesta, who heads her presidential campaign, said the information provided by Comey was "long on innuendo" and "short on facts." Podesta urged Comey to "come forward and give those answers to the American public" about the exact nature of the FBI's latest review of e-mails. Campaigning in Colorado, Trump said the issue was the biggest political scandal in the United States since Watergate, which brought down President Richard Nixon. Clinton's "criminal action was willful, deliberate, intentional, and purposeful," said the real estate tycoon, who is himself dogged by scandal over alleged sexual misconduct. "Hillary set up an illegal server for the obvious purpose of shielding her criminal conduct from public disclosure and exposure." In recent weeks, Trump has been running behind Clinton in most public opinion polls. Meanwhile, four senior Democratic senators called on the FBI and the Justice Department to provide more information by October 31 about investigative steps underway. Senators Benjamin Cardin of Maryland, Thomas Carper of Delaware, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, and Dianne Feinstein of California made the call in a letter sent on October 29 to Comey and Attorney General Loretta Lynch. The FBI has already established that Clinton, who served as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, had held classified information on a private e-mail server. In July, Comey said Clinton had been "extremely careless" in her handling of sensitive material during her tenure as Washingtons top diplomat, but cleared her of any criminal wrongdoing. The latest e-mails were found as part of an unrelated investigation into Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of one of Clintons top aides, Huma Abedin. Devices belonging to them were seized in an FBI probe into illicit messages Weiner, a former congressman, is alleged to have sent to a 15-year-old girl. With reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, and the BBC Georgians have gone to the polls on October 30 for a second round of parliamentary elections to decide the outcome of one-third of the seats in the 150-seat legislature. The ruling Georgian Dream party took 67 of the parliaments seats in voting three weeks ago, but no candidate received a majority of first-round votes for 50 other seats. Led from behind the scenes by billionaire ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream is hoping to win at least 113 seats in total in the national elections. If it does, it would have the majority needed to pass constitutional amendments. Georgian Dream is running against the main opposition United National Movement (ENM), founded by self-exiled former President Mikheil Saakashvili. In the first round, which was held on October 8, Georgian Dream won 48.68 percent of the vote in a proportional ballot, while the ENM came in second with 27.11 percent. Both Georgian Dream and its main opponent, the ENM, are pro-Western, seeking better relations with NATO and the EU. Following the first-round vote earlier this month, almost all opposition parties cried foul, accusing the government of massive vote rigging -- a claim flatly rejected by the authorities. Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and Deutsche Welle Voters lined up in the Moldovan village of Peresecina on October 30 to cast their ballots in the country's pivotal presidential election, the first nationwide vote by the people for that post in 20 years. High voter interest was also obvious in the village of Varnita, situated near the Russian-speaking territory of Transdniester, which broke away from Moldova in 1992. The election is seen as a battle between those supporting the post-Soviet country's integration with the European Union and those wanting closer ties with Russia. (RFE/RL's Moldovan Service) Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. rni wrote: finmaster wrote: rni wrote: @finmaster: what kind of activities are you considering? Well, I myself am completely in the dark on that one. I have started volunteering at a nearby org. and will see how it shapes up. Also, I', planning to eengage myself in a few other activities/hobbies in the coming months. Well, I myself am completely in the dark on that one. I have started volunteering at a nearby org. and will see how it shapes up. Also, I', planning to eengage myself in a few other activities/hobbies in the coming months. hmm..the purpose of ECs is not to get a 'tick mark' for your application but to do something that you really like.I think that the adcoms can see right through such activities that are taken just to impress them. You have clearly started community service and ECs 5 months before the application deadlines. Given the plethora of indian candidates who use similar tactics there are a lot of chances that this may backfire. Again, this is just my opinion and others may differ. Also,you have not taken the gmat yet and do you plan to balance your new ECs/Work/Gmat/community service? AND why did you take CFA Level 1 ? It is clearly not aligned with your current work stream (Mechanical) In the end.. 15 colleges !! you would want to slim that down .. hmm..the purpose of ECs is not to get a 'tick mark' for your application but to do something that you really like.I think that the adcoms can see right through such activities that are taken just to impress them. You have clearly started community service and ECs 5 months before the application deadlines. Given the plethora of indian candidates who use similar tactics there are a lot of chances that this may backfire. Again, this is just my opinion and others may differ.Also,you have not taken the gmat yet and do you plan to balance your new ECs/Work/Gmat/community service?AND why did you take CFA Level 1 ? It is clearly not aligned with your current work stream (Mechanical)In the end.. 15 colleges !! you would want to slim that down .. All that matters, comes after the word 'but'. Signature Read More I understand what the point of listing EC's is. The thing is, I will have to try and bring some change in the organisation that I work for. I will try to do it and if I succeed, I will then list it in my app, otherwise, I'll just let it go.The keyword is 'change'.Look at it this way; if I am able to bring even a small change in an organisation other than my job in the coming 5 months, it could also make some adcom say, "Well, okay it's five-six months and he has obviously done this to tick the box, but at least he has done something rather than nothing."If I cannot bring any positive change; I'll simply not list that stuff in my app.That is the whole point of applying to a large number of schools. The probability of one adcom appreciating the effort is higher and all I need is one adcom.As far as CFA is concerned, well, there were a few things which prompted me to take part in the CFA program:1. I don't know how my Indian CGPA of 7.27/10 from my university will be taken by the adcoms. There's no rule of thumb for that. I wanted a quant-intensive course which has a strong reputation in the adcoms' country and which could give them a fair idea of my ability to handle the MBA workload. This of it as a way of telling the adcoms, "I have the ability to handle the tough coursework you guys will throw at me for two years."2. Related to '1' above, my performance in mathematics during engineering wasn't anything to write home about. I needed something to buttress that with.3. Although I do not seek a career in finance, my participation in the CFA program (and the knowledge of finance that comes with it) along with my technical work-ex of five years and the MBA degree should make me a pretty strong candidate as far as finding job in a consulting/general management position is concerned. Put simply, it increases my employability.After graduating from their B-school, I will be a manager from a great school having a core technical work-ex and equipped with a pretty decent knowledge of finance. That does increase my chances of becoming more 'employable' at the end of two years.Think of it as a way of telling the adcoms, "You guys don't have to worry about finding me a job at the end of two years.".Coming to the point of applying to a large number of schools, well, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure about all of these schools straightaway. I might end up not applying to 2-3 of them. Right now, I'm only at the 'research' phase. In another 30-40 days, I shall have a fairly good idea of which schools to eliminate, if any. However, I can safely say that I will not eliminate more than 3 schools. Probability does count._________________ The deadline to nominate a company to be included in the regions Top Workplaces awards program has been extended. The Richmond Times-Dispatch has set Nov. 18 as the deadline to give people another chance to nominate their favorite employer for the newspapers fourth annual Top Workplaces program. Nominations may be made at Richmond.com/Top-Workplaces or (804) 977-9367. Anyone can nominate a business. Any area employer private, public, government and nonprofit can be nominated as well as any type of business. All companies must have at least 35 employees. The nominations go to WorkplaceDynamics, a suburban Philadelphia-based company that is partnering with The Times-Dispatch on the Top Workplaces program. The company has conducted workplace surveys for dozens of other newspapers across the country. WorkplaceDynamics will send confidential surveys to employees about numerous topics affecting their workplace life, from pay and benefits to training and work-life balance. The Times-Dispatch, along with Greater Richmond SHRM, a chapter of the national Society for Human Resource Management, will honor the Top Workplaces companies by presenting the Sterling Workplace Awards in May to shine the light on the top businesses in each size category. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. The university notified Dr. Art Kellermann he won't continue as the health system's top administrator. The university gave him the option to resign, but it's unclear if he will do so. For the past academic year, 9,540 students attended a state university without paying any tuition or mandatory fees, as did an additional 1,549 students enrolled at two-year colleges. The students benefited because years ago someone had purchased a prepaid tuition contract for them, which resulted in payouts in fiscal year 2016 of just over $107 million at the four-year schools and nearly $4.2 million at the community colleges and Richard Bland College. But that strategy to tame the tuition monster now is under study as the state agency that administers the program weighs the sustainability of Virginia529 prePAID, the plan that allows families of newborns through ninth-graders to buy contracts and pay in advance to lock in college costs. Under consideration is a proposal to change the prePAID structure for new contracts so that they no longer guarantee the full cost of tuition and mandatory fees charged by a Virginia public college or university. Instead, future contracts would pay the weighted average of mandatory tuition and fees at all the states public institutions instead of tuition and fees for the specific institution that the beneficiary attends. Unpredictable increases in tuition and the disparity in charges among low- to high-tuition public universities are major factors forcing Virginia529 to rethink the 20-year-old program, which has seen participation drop as contract costs rise. In fiscal year 2007, the cost to purchase a prePAID contract covering eight semesters at a four-year university was $37,332. In fiscal year 2016, the cost was $65,200, according to a July report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. Over the same time frame, the number of contracts sold declined by 54 percent. Mary G. Morris, Virginia529s CEO, said the challenge isnt a funding issue for current contracts but a policy question for the future. This study was undertaken from a position of strength prePAID is actuarially funded this year at 129 percent because we want time to ensure we stay strong into the future, she said in an email. The agency has more than 65,800 prePAID accounts with assets of $2.3 billion, JLARC reported. Morris said no prePAID decisions have been made except for the boards authorization to explore a weighted-average program. We will spend 2017 discussing the options with the higher ed institutions and with members of the General Assembly before moving forward with anything, she said. This would be a big change and require legislation in the 2018 session. No change would be in effect until the 2018 enrollment period, she said. The next enrollment period, which usually runs from December through March after new rates are determined, would be unaffected. Other options that were considered by Virginia529s board included closing the program to new enrollments or implementing a risk-sharing approach so that schools bear some costs associated with contract obligations. Each year, the variance among in-state undergraduate tuition charges widens, Morris told members of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia last week. Plus, further complicating payouts are new tuition models, such as Virginia Commonwealth Universitys system of charging per credit hour and the variable rate structure at the College of William & Mary and the University of Virginia. Tuition and mandatory fees at Virginias 15 four-year institutions range from $8,472 at Virginia State this academic year to $21,234 at W&M. And tuition and fees represent only about half the total cost of a year at school, when room, board and books are added in. So the prePAID program pays dividends in parental peace of mind. For the past academic year, the program sent the largest total payments to Virginia Tech, where $22.1 million was paid for 1,872 student contracts. U.Va. followed, with $20.2 million paid for 1,522 contracts; and third was VCU, with $13.36 million and 1,261 contracts. Virginia State had the lowest total, with $81,866 paid for 14 students. Among two-year schools, Northern Virginia Community College enrolled 600 students with contracts, with total payments of $1.69 million. *** The prePAID option is the agencys oldest program, launched two years after the General Assembly in 1994 established the Virginia Higher Education Tuition Trust Fund, now known as Virginia529. The name was changed to reflect the federal law allowing tax-advantaged savings accounts to pay for college under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. The agency has added three additional savings programs since then and changed prePAID options so that contracts may be purchased by the semester and for amounts to cover rates at two- or four-year schools. Prepaid contracts mean families dont have to worry about the impact of market volatility on account earnings or that escalating tuition will overtake their savings. But those same factors have raised the cost of the prepaid option. For the most recent enrollment period, the cost for a child in kindergarten through fourth grade was $8,150 for one semester in a four-year university or 2.6 semesters at a two-year college. Other college-savings options offered by Virginia529 are inVEST; a direct-sold savings portfolio; CollegeAmerica, adviser-sold investments; and CollegeWealth, a fixed-rate savings plan. Virginia529 is the largest such plan in the country, with $55 billion in assets and a 21 percent share of the national market, according to JLARC. The CollegeAmerica program holds assets of $49 billion managed by a private partner under the supervision of Virginia529. About 10 percent of CollegeAmericas accounts are held by Virginia residents. By Jim Dyke and Gerard Robinson The United States Supreme Court has said that providing quality education is the most important responsibility of state and local government. Nowhere today is that responsibility more in need of being addressed than right here in Richmond, and that responsibility falls squarely on the person elected next month as the citys next mayor. Heres a hard reality the mayor will confront: Richmond and those who live in our capital city will find it harder to succeed economically and prosper socially until we dramatically improve Richmond Public Schools. Its impossible to conceive of a vibrant Richmond without really smart changes to the delivery of teaching and learning in our schools and the next mayor making improving the schools his or her top priority. This requires stakeholders to invent a new ethos of possibility: one to make our school system a magnet for all families and income levels and ensure we retain their children from elementary through high school and that they do not flee to options in, or outside, our capital city. This goal is within our reach if strong action is taken. *** Richmonds education problems are not all the citys own making, and city leaders have already been taking important steps. Richmond Public Schools has implemented measures to control costs in its $350 million budget, and the district actually spends fewer dollars on administrators than some similar school districts so more dollars wind up in the classroom. We recognize thats not enough, but the problems are structural and were decades in the making, and cannot be fairly laid only at the feet of current leaders. There are also good reasons why Richmond spends more money in total $12,700 per pupil, times roughly 22,000 students than its peer districts. Richmond Public Schools serves a higher-need student 78 percent economically disadvantaged, 88 percent African-American and Hispanic, 18 percent with disabilities, 8 percent with limited English proficiency and this picture has evolved over time. Richmond is also disadvantaged by Virginias current approach to funding schools. The methods used to determine the states level of funding to localities the Local Composite Index and the Standards of Quality need to be significantly revised to reflect localities ability to pay for education and whats really needed as the foundational education program provided in every division. At the same time, we know that other districts make their dollars go farther, delivering better outcomes for students on lower per-pupil spending, despite serving a similar student population. *** Yet none of this should let todays leaders off the hook for making some tough decisions, and todays challenges also offer an opportunity to reshape the schools in ways that will benefit todays students and generations to come. As multiple studies have shown, most recently an analysis commissioned by Richmond Public Schools, the city of Richmond, and Richmonds business and funder community, we must change the footprint of Richmonds schools. Doing so is not easy for anyone but does give us an opportunity to build student and family pride in attractive new and modern schools that send a message to our students about our values and the respect we have for them. Today, many of Richmonds school buildings are small, and can be up to twice as expensive to operate per-pupil when compared to larger schools. Newer, larger schools that still maintain the low student-teacher ratios that are a hallmark of Richmond Public Schools today are more efficient and cost-effective to operate. Perhaps more importantly, they give Richmond the opportunity to offer better, broader, and more personalized educational opportunities for every student, with physical space supporting innovative learning. Ultimately that means more parent and student buy-in to education and better outcomes from the school system. It is not by coincidence that Broad Rock Elementary School and Huguenot High School are two of Richmonds newest and largest schools and are not only among the lowest-cost per-pupil, but are also meeting or surpassing state goals for academic performance. *** By drawing students from broader areas, Richmond can also help ensure that its schools are more diverse, fully reflective of our community, and able to serve all students better. The community schools we have now are not inherently worse than other options, but nor are they inherently better. There are other ways to ensure that parents are invested in their local schools and that those schools work for students. But the bottom line is that todays school infrastructure is unaffordable and unsustainable for an American city of our type. Richmond can either kick the proverbial can down the road again on some hard choices or seize this moment to invent a better, stronger, and more effective school system. The decisions are unavoidable and the collateral damage on Richmond schoolchildren and educators from inaction, whether a result of political capitulation or fear of being unpopular, is simply immoral. The movie Lincoln was filmed here in our great city; as the main character said, the day of reckoning is upon us. Its time now for strong executive leadership to step up and address these issues in the best interests for students and our city and for parents, families, and the community to support them in doing so. CHARLOTTESVILLE Forty-four years ago, Roger MacBride was a Republican presidential elector from Albemarle County pledged to cast his ballot for President Richard Nixon, who had won re-election that November in a stunning landslide, losing just one state and the District of Columbia to Democratic challenger George McGovern. MacBride was dissatisfied with Nixon and his running mate, Spiro Agnew, however, and intrigued by the emergence of a new political party with principles more aligned with his own than the Republican Party in practice had been. Then as now, Virginia law required that electors vote for the candidates to whom they were pledged but MacBride flouted the law and voted for the Libertarian ticket of John Hospers for president and Tonie Nathan for vice president, who thus received the first electoral votes cast, respectively, for a gay man and a woman. MacBrides suspicions about Nixon and Agnew proved prescient, since within two years, both men had resigned their offices in disgrace. Roger MacBrides historical footnote is the story of a faithless elector. There have been only a handful in the history of American elections, each under unique circumstances but all claiming to vote their consciences rather than their obligations. When you go to your polling place on Nov. 8, you may think you are voting directly for Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Gary Johnson or another presidential hopeful. In fact, you will be voting for a slate of electors, selected by each political party, who are pledged to vote for their partys candidate on Dec. 19, when they gather in each state capitol amid pomp and circumstance. Their votes will, in turn, be counted in the U.S. Capitol after the new Congress convenes in January. This year, it is widely acknowledged that the Democratic and Republican nominees for president are flawed, each in their own way. Both are disliked by the public more than they are liked. Both are alleged to be ethically compromised and both are accused of lying frequently for personal or political gain. Presidential electors unhappy with the major parties nominees may, in this light, become vehicles of moral courage by bolting their parties to cast a ballot for someone besides Clinton or Trump. The idea that a presidential elector should vote his conscience is not new. The Framers of the Constitution assumed that electors would be seasoned statesmen who would exercise informed and independent judgment. The Electoral College, as it came to be known, was meant to be a buffer between rough populism and elitist cronyism. State laws (like Virginias) that bind electors to particular candidates have rarely, if ever, been tested. An Oklahoma elector in 1960 who voted for Virginia Sen. Harry F. Byrd rather than Richard Nixon did so even though he was threatened with a $1,000 fine. I am not worried about $1,000, he said, and the only penalty imposed on him was a refusal to pay his travel expenses to Oklahoma City. Few court decisions have addressed the independence of presidential electors. An 1896 Kansas court decision said that electors were under no legal obligation to support any particular candidate and were authorized to use their own judgment as to the proper eligible persons to fill these high offices. In 1948, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that all electors were free to vote as they pleased, because it was only by force of a moral obligation, not a legal one, that the presidential electors pledged to certain candidacies fulfill their pledges after election. Judging by pre-election polls, Virginias electoral votes will likely be awarded to Hillary Clinton, whose electors seem satisfied, if not enthusiastic, about her candidacy. In other states, however, where Donald Trump may win the popular vote, electors will face an ethical choice: Will they follow their pledges or their consciences? The electors right to independent judgment may be most pertinent this year, when GOP presidential electors are expected to vote for a nominee who has brought shame to their party. The vulgar and impolitic Trump has expressed contempt for the Constitution, undermined confidence in the integrity of the electoral system, dismissed any interest in the legislative process, and been at loggerheads with time-tested conservative, Republican values. A Republican faithless elector in 2016 will bravely and astutely avoid the future taint of association with Trump, the most unfit character ever to seek the presidency, simply by casting his ballot for Gary Johnson (my choice, and the choice of this newspaper) or another suitable person. And she might follow the path of Virginian Roger MacBride, who four years after his renegade electoral vote became the presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party and went on to produce the popular Little House on the Prairie TV series. Not bad for a historical footnote. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Eduard Utkin, General Manager of the Russian Jewelers Guild sat with Rough&Polished for a talk about the IV International Economic Forum titled "Jewellery Russia. Tomorrow begins today, which was held in late September at the All-Russia Exhibition Centre in Moscow. He also spoke about the changes taking place in the domestic jewelry market, about the urgent problems facing the industry and its immediate prospects. Can you outline some positive changes in the jewelry market in recent years? If you take, say, the years of 2015 and 2016, it should be noted that before those years our market here was growing annually by 20-30% until the end of 2014. This growth was wanton and brought about allies of the moment. However, now is the time when such allies are leaving the market. In other words, the market is abandoned by those players who came to it by chance, looking for immediate profits, and now they are leaving this market. Hence, the market is purged in a certain way, and I think this is the most important factor among those positive things that are happening there. In one of your recent interviews, you said that the jewelry market is in a stage of global transformation. What can we expect from the new State Duma regarding the jewelry business? Will it take a harder or more liberal stance? The share of goods produced by the jewelry industry is utterly small in the countrys GDP to make the State Duma specially address the problems facing the industry. It is unlikely to happen, so we can talk about the general policy pursued by the state in the field of economy. I think that some kind of measures will inevitably be taken to expand non-oil exports from the country. Russia needs earnings in foreign exchange, while its main proceeds are coming from oil and gas, which are currently decreasing. Therefore, I think the government will still be forced to contribute to the development of real production and export of manufactured goods. And here we have a lot of advantages, because the jewelry industry is in a winning position, as compared to many other sectors of the economy, for we have a resource base sufficient for producing our goods, we have qualified personnel, we bought advanced equipment in the fat years and we have the latest technology in jewelry production. And all this arrangement is competitive today with regard to overseas markets in terms of prices, design and value. What is the burning issue on your agenda today? Perhaps, there are several of them. The first one and maybe the most important issue is how to sell jewelry goods. The domestic market has sagged, while domestic demand will either remain at the current levels for a long time, or may even go a bit further down, so jewelers cannot rely on the domestic market and are already turning their attention to international markets. In other words, export, export and once again export - this is the major global trend. If we are talking about export, then apart from that we have to learn how to trade in foreign markets, we shall have, so to say, to stake out a claim there or maybe even to win a claim to have our own share, our own small piece of the market. To achieve this, we have to be well prepared and assisted by a competent and skilled personnel. But the main obstacle we are facing, oddly enough, lies in the legal framework regulating customs clearance. This procedure is long, complicated and expensive. Therefore, export operations can currently be carried out only by large and medium-sized companies, while small businesses find it very difficult, and the jewelry industry here, for the most part, consists of small businesses. The second issue is the removal of any restrictions on selling jewelry online. The law here has a number of contradictions that allow various authorities to interpret them ambiguously, and sometimes this results in restrictions on e-commerce. Internet providers limit us in placing our materials for promotional purposes, while courts pass judgements blocking our websites. This problem must be solved, and solved urgently - we hope that this will happen soon. The third pressing issue is, of course, the control executed by the Federal Financial Monitoring Service over jewelry circulation. Jewelry here is the only merchandise item which fell under this control. At the same time, other accessories comparable by their price, or for instance clothing, or shoes can be bought without customer identification procedures and without complicated procedures of reporting to the Federal Financial Monitoring Service. However, jewelry items, while having the same value, fall under special control for some reason. Due to some reasoning, jewelry is considered as being specifically designed for laundering criminal proceeds. So our maximum task is to take jewelry from the jurisdiction of Federal Law 115, and our minimum task is to take at least silver jewelry from the jurisdiction of this law, as silver jewelry is now comparable to bijouterie by value. What are the changes in business tactics and strategies in a contracting market? I have already described it and the strategy is to repurpose your business, leaving the domestic market for the international market. If any significant share of industry players will find a niche in foreign markets, thereby they will relieve pressure on the domestic market, and the latter will turn more spacious. As for manufactured goods, this is not strategy, its tactics. Right now we see that jewelry is made to be cheaper and even extremely cheap. For this purpose, jewelers are switching from natural to synthetic stones, or moving from the category of gold jewelry to the category of silver jewelry; some are trying to make their goods as lightweight as possible, others are saving on their personnel, their training and purchases of equipment - that is, every possible saving method is used to allow companies to survive these days. Economic forums, conferences, extensive discussions of existing problems do they contribute to the survival of the jewelry industry? Formerly, jewelers here used to get together quite often - many took part in jewelry exhibitions, others came to pick goods and while visiting various cities, they talked with each other and socialized. Currently, the jewelry community looks more fragmented, because jewelers turned to be much rarer guests at exhibitions coming at least to one or two jewelry shows a year, while goods are being picked now mainly online, which makes such forums very important for the jewelry community giving it a possibility to convene in one place and work out some kind of a common policy or the tactics and strategy of behavior we mentioned. This is that simple to understand the position at which we are today. Therefore, coming to these forums attended by leading experts from government agencies and jewelry companies gives you a chance, as they say, to listen to clever people to take the right and responsible decision on how to do your business further. And this is something on which our industry depends and on which its survival and flourishing depends as well on making the right decisions. Regarding export orientation, how real is the possibility to get access to world markets in the current adverse conditions? With regard to how real it is, this was just one of the themes discussed at the recent economic jewelry forum held under the slogan, "Jewellery Exports - Fiction or Reality." Even the theme reflects these doubts as to how real it is. There are two problems in this respect. The first one is that all the niches in foreign markets are occupied and there are established relationships between customers and consumers, so it is extremely difficult to edge into such a market. The other factor is that foreign markets are all basically conservative and they are not very eager to welcome new players. Therefore, export operations are being successfully developed by those companies which hold on to the B2C format - that is, they open their own retail networks reaching out to end consumers. In this case they are able to stake out a place and contact buyers directly, getting rid of intermediaries, such as the wholesale sector and local retailers. And, perhaps, this is the most realistic path to foreign markets - by way of opening own jewelry stores, managing such stores and establishing logistics centers. This also goes along with rolling out service centers to repair jewelry pieces, resize rings and so forth. The second format used to enter overseas markets is B2B. But it is difficult, because potential buyers, network owners and wholesale companies already have well-established relationships with their suppliers. So, in order to persuade them to allocate some share in their segment for newly arriving companies from Russia you need to have convincing arguments in store. It is not easy, and many companies have been trying to enter such market for several years, but still stay where they first started. The third option chosen by some jewelry firms is to take jewelry production out of Russia. That is, they establish jewelry manufacturing operations outside the customs territory of the Russian Federation. Accordingly, this simplifies the logistics procedure in the first place and makes it cheaper to produce jewelry to a certain extent. Their production management remains here, in Russia, and often their design departments are also here, but jewelry manufacturing is located abroad. Well, it's the third format, which is also quite promising. But this is, unfortunately, not related to exports - it is the export of capital as it was defined by Marx. This year, the forum was held at a new venue, which was the All-Russia Exhibition Center in Moscow and not the Chamber of Commerce or the Guild of Jewelers. Why? We have changed the venue for one simple reason: the forum was always held during the ongoing jewelry exhibition and for many in today's difficult situation it seemed unrealistic to leave the jewelry show to be present at another event. Therefore, if the mountain does not come to Mohammed, then Mohammed goes the mountain... We have changed the venue to make it possible for the vast majority of people taking part in the exhibition attended by 70% of industry stakeholders - to join the forum. Of course, the new place was a bit far-off for government officials, including highest-ranking leaders, due to difficult traffic. But here it is necessary to understand that the policy of government agencies towards the jewelry industry is basically developed not by the top management, but by the middle staff - those professionals who prepare documents and direct all activities and for us it is very important to have them at the exhibition. Nowadays, there are so many talented young people working in government agencies, who are ambitious to a certain extent and know well that from time to time they have to be on the shop floor for a successful career. You know, there are high-ranking officers in the army called "parquet generals" - those that never smelled gunpowder and earned their stars and ranks in the comfort of their offices. So, the current generation of our young officials are well aware that they have to know industry problems well, be in touch and monitor the situation for a successful career. And you have to gain experience and knowledge, and it is such events that make it possible to do this. In any case, the format of this forum is focused on dialogue. In what way are you going to change the format of this forum? If you remember, earlier our forums were held in the form of plenary sessions - this is when the keynote speaker reads his report, while all the others present in the room listen. At the last forum we tried to animate the procedure with questions from the audience, but the activity was extremely low. To make the event interesting and useful for all, we have decided to change the format, and now the forum will be held in the form of panel discussions. In some part, we tested this approach at a conference on gems and the event attracted more interest from participants. Did you discuss matters related to the diamond industry? There was no separate item on the agenda of this forum specially dedicated to rough and polished diamonds. But diamonds were discussed within the session on "Natural gems versus synthetic gems" attended by gemologists. It is a very large and, I would say, a very sensitive issue - the use of synthetic gemstones in jewelry. Diamond synthesis is picking up steam all over the world. And, simultaneously we see how natural gems are being replaced by their synthetic analogues polished goods cut from synthetic diamonds. And this process is gaining quite a momentum in recent years. This is the topic we discussed at the forum for we have to understand the prospects of natural gems for asserting their place in the minds and wallets of consumers against synthetic goods. Taking into account that the synthesis technique is improving and production costs decreasing, whereas the latter in diamond mining is on the rise, there is a new and very difficult challenge for our industry. All this is causing serious concern what if synthetic diamonds will eventually slice off some part of the market from natural diamonds. Not supplanting them entirely, but edging them out to quite a great extent due to lower prices. So, what kind of arguments should diamond sellers and diamond suppliers seek to retain their customers? This was the issue, which was discussed. In your opinion, what are the prospects for the jewelry industry in the near future? If those companies that produce competitive products will manage to enter overseas markets, they will be guaranteed to have VIP-class tickets to the future. Those businesses, which will not be able to enter overseas markets will have to wage a very bitter struggle for consumers, because, according to forecasts, demand is unlikely to grow, and the operation patterns, which are vital for them today, will turn extinct tomorrow, and they will have to look for some new forms and methods to attract remaining consumers, because the market is shrinking like shagreen leather. Therefore, you cant say that the prospects for the industry are good. For some, the current situation really opens up prospects, of which they could not even dream earlier, but for someone, unfortunately, these are difficult times that may result in a complete collapse of their businesses. Speaking of national brands, can you name some specific brands that you consider most promising? In Russia we have a number of potentially very promising brands, both among large and small jewelry companies. The buzz words here are such jewelry brands as "Sokolov" (Kostroma), "Gevorkyan" (Moscow), "Ringo" (Ekaterinburg), "Pomelnikov" (St. Petersburg), "Sadko" (St. Petersburg), "Tulupov" (Ekaterinburg)... In general, if you mention them all you will probably have a list of five dozen brands that have good prospects for further development of their jewelry business both in overseas and domestic markets. Galina Semyonova for Rough&Polished Canadian plane and train maker Bombardier Inc.'s (BBD_B.TO,BBD_A.TO) Bombardier Commercial Aircraft unit said its CS300 jetliner, the second CS300 flight test vehicle, has arrived in Zhuhai, China. The visit is the debut of the C Series aircraft in China and the jetliner, which is showcasing the logo of CS300 first operator airBaltic, will be on static display at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China) from October 30 to November 3. "As we approach first delivery and entry-into-service of the CS300 aircraft with launch operator airBaltic in the coming weeks, it is a pleasure to be showcasing the aircraft in China for the first time and updating the industry on our progress," said Andy Solem, Vice President, Sales - China and North Asia, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. Bombardier noted that Greater China alone is forecast to take delivery of 1,150 aircraft in the 100- to 150-seat segment over the next 20 years. This represents more than 15 per cent of the world's total demand for 7,000 aircraft in the segment. According to the company. the C Series is the only aircraft optimized for the 100- to 150-seat market segment, opening up new opportunities for single-aisle aircraft operation. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Millennial Moms Review: 2022 Acura MDX is pretty close to the perfect family car I dont know if perfect is attainable, especially considering weve got the world of options when it comes to modern vehicles. Were spoiled and, as such, we have very specific needs and wants. Driving-wise, the 2022 Acura MDX is one of my favourite ... A first-of-its-kind journey along India and Pakistan border What binds the two most talked about nations - India and Pakistan together? What makes the Kansas AG candidates weigh in on plans for Uri price gouging investigation Either Kris Kobach or Chris Mann will take over the Kansas attorney general natural gas price gouging investigation after the November 2022 election. Chefs from all over Samoa sure cooked up a storm at Sheraton Samoa Aggie Greys Hotel fale yesterday. The event was the much-anticipated Samoa Culinary Associations inaugural Oceania Gas Salon Culinaire. From junior chefs showing off their skills preparing a fruit display or cooking the perfect omelette through to experienced senior chefs showing their well-honed skills in making a complicated dessert in just one hour, the competition was hot. But at the end of a long day of trying to impress the Judges, the team from Scalinis walked away with the top honours. Elijah Tavita won the junior division while Alosio Brown won the seniors division. Mr. Tavita, of Vaivase, who has only worked for Scalinis for seven months told the Sunday Samoan he was proud of what he had done yesterday. My motto is practice makes perfect and that everything is possible with God, he said. I am so happy. It is a good experience to participate in this competition especially because this is the first time I have joined a competition such as this. The competition was tough because there were a lot of good chefs here but I did my best and I was confident enough. With ten years experienced under his belt, Mr. Brown said cooking is his passion. I spent ten years working in the kitchen and four and half years of being a chef, he told the Sunday Samoan. I love food and I love to be creative so this competition has helped me a lot but that dont mean there are no challenges. In preparing for this competition me and my uso here had to make sure that we do our best, but we were nervous because we knew that we were going to go up against some really good chefs as well. We had one week to prepare for this competition and it was tough but I thank God that we made it so it was all worth it. Over 30 contestants entered the competition. The Team Challenge required a Junior and a Senior Chef to work together to produce a two course meal in 80 minutes. The international Judges were Lou Abbott ( Head Judge ), Rob Smillie and Sarah Kymbrekos. For the President of the Samoa Culinary Association and owner of Scalinis Restaurant, Chef Joe Lam he said the competition Samoa is serious about the quality of the food and that the culinary industry is maturing. The Ministry of Police has reached out to its neighboring Pacific islands to help in identifying a man who was found at sea on the White Sunday holiday, 10th October 2016 at Levi, Salemoa. Police spokesperson, Sua Muliaga Tiumalu said its almost a month and nobody has come forward to identify the man. The next option for Police is to reach out to American Samoa and other Pacific nations for their assistance. Since the man has not been identified locally, our next step is to work with authorities in the Pacific to help out, said Sua. Because the man could have been on a fishing boat or be from neighbouring countries and brought to our shores by the current. That is why we had to extend our search. Sua said the man has a rose tattoo on his right shoulder with the name warrior below it. When police found the body in October, it had already started to decompose which made it difficult to identify the age and the features of the man. An autopsy was carried out and Police are waiting for the results. A public consultation on the powers of the paramount chief (Pule ale matai Sao) is the correct thing to ensure they are doing what is right for their extended families. This was the view of Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi about the Samoa Law Reform Commission consultation into the paramount chiefs. Tuilaepa said the paramount chief of a family has the responsibility of doing what is right. There are times they do not do the right thing, Tuilaepa told the media on Thursday. An example would be the sao given lease money for customary land and he eats all of it. Its not only in customary land cases but there are many other problems and matters taken to Court that I was copied into. The Prime Minister pointed out there are also cases of families requesting for matai bestowments but the paramount chief refuses to agree. There are times when a sao is in power and the family can try their best to advise them but when there are faalavelave, they just do whatever they want. The consultation is a way to right some of the things that are wrong based on paramount chief decisionsthis is also the cause of many Court cases because the power of the paramount chief is abused. Asked if he was suggesting that the Samoan traditions were not right, Tuilaepa said no. The tu and aganuu Samoa is right that the paramount chief has the authority over the customary lands with the belief that they will do the right thing, he explained. But instead, in some cases, rather than helping the living, they are killing them. They should look into this that if they do the right thing they should sit on the kettle. A public notice from the Samoa Law Commission signed by Chief Executive Officer, Leota Theresa Potoi said the Commission is undergoing public consultations in Savaii and Upolu on the mater. The notices says the consultation was proposed by the Prime Minister to advise the government on ways to overcome problems with paramount chief powers in families because of abuse from some of the chiefs. Public consultations were carried out in Savaii last week, and this week will be in Upolu. Two City Council members are fired up about becoming mayor of the city of 55,000. One of them has an actual fire truck carrying his endorsement. Councilmen John Minto and Rob McNelis are both running to replace Randy Voepel, who has been major since 2000. Voepel, elected to the council in 1996, is not running for re-election. The Santee Firefighters Association is supporting Minto, a retired police detective, and is using a privately owned fire truck to campaign for him. It is parked in various places around the city with a large endorsement sign for Minto on the side. Advertisement The group is up in arms over proposals by McNelis to curb overtime spending at the Santee Fire Department. Chris Balch, a committee chairman of the Santee Firefighters Association, spoke at a recent council meeting to criticize comments McNelis made to a local newspaper, calling them misleading. In an interview with the East County Californian, McNelis said he is dedicated to reforming the out-of-control spending in our fire department, focusing on overtime pay which he said is costing the city far too much money. McNelis said the combined annual overtime cost of Santees 80 non-firefighting employees is just under $60,000, while the annual overtime cost for its 48 firefighters is $1.4 million. Balch agreed with the numbers, but told the council that the fire department, unlike city workers, needs to be filled by a firefighter every single day, weekends, holidays, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Nearly two dozen Santee firefighters filled council chambers to support Balch. He said a more accurate representation of overtime costs would be to look at what other cities overtime costs are for their fire departments. When you look at total fire department personnel costs for each city, and what percent of those costs is spent on overtime, you will see that Santee is the fourth lowest, Balch said. (That) hardly sounds like out-of-control spending. McNelis, first elected to the City Council in 2010, said no matter the outcome of the mayoral race, he hoped that two other city council members would stand with him to work on the overtime issue. Both Minto and McNelis will keep their council seats if they lose the mayoral race. Minto, a councilman since 2002, did not weigh in on the debate at the council meeting or when asked about it several days later. McNelis said the City Council could reduce the overtime money by as much as half and add more active firefighters, but he has been one vote short each time. I do not understand how the majority of the council will not stand up for what is best for the city, McNelis said. It may cost them a political endorsement from the (fire) department, but it would make them better servants of the publics trust. CITY COUNCILS ESCONDIDO Advertisement The Escondido City Council will meet in closed session to discuss labor negotiations at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in City Council Chambers, 201 N. Broadway, and in open session at 4:30 p.m., when a workshop is scheduled on the South Centre City Area Plan preparation efforts. The city received a grant to fund this project, which is intended to foster economic development, promote smart growth, improve aesthetics, and encourage pedestrian activity. The council will also adopt updates to its fire, building, plumbing, electrical and other housing codes. OCEANSIDE The Oceanside City Council will meet in closed session at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in Council Chambers, 300 N. Coast Highway, to discuss litigation and labor negotiations. In open session at 5 p.m., the council will consider a resolution to vacate portions of Sleeping Indian Road north of Wilshire Drive and set a public hearing for 6 p.m. Dec. 21 on the matter. Discussion of a proposed ordinance to raise wastewater user rates has been moved to 6 p.m. Nov. 16. POWAY The Poway City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Council Chambers, 13325 Civic Center Drive, when it will consider adopting an urgency ordinance establishing a temporary moratorium on the use of property for nonmedical marijuana stores, shops, dispensaries, collectives and cooperatives, and to prohibit the outdoor cultivation of marijuana plants and products for personal use. The council will also consider a request for a two-lot subdivision of a 2.2-acre parcel at 12251 Sunwood Trail. SCHOOL DISTRICTS SAN DIEGUITO The San Dieguito Union High School District board is scheduled to meet in closed session to discuss personnel issues at 6 p.m. Thursday at the district office, 710 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas. In open session at 6:30 p.m., the board will consider awarding contracts for various outside services to students, and will discuss proposed board policies and revisions to existing policies. laura.groch@sduniontribune.com Los Angeles writer Nicola Yoons new Young Adult novel, The Sun Is Also a Star, is a finalist for the National Book Award. Set in New York City, it tells the alternating stories of Natasha, whose undocumented family is being deported to Jamaica after her father was arrested for drunken driving, and Daniel, whose South Korean immigrant parents are steering him into a career as a doctor. In its starred review, The Bulletin called the novel a love story that is smart without being cynical, heartwarming without being cloying, and schmaltzy in all the best ways. Book signing: Nicola Yoon, with Sara Wolf (Forget Me Always), Wednesday, 7;30 p.m., Mysterious Galaxy, 5943 Balboa Ave., Suite 100, San Diego. Free. (858) 268-4747 or mystgalaxy.com La Jolla Playhouse is welcoming a favorite son of San Diego theater back to town for a benefit concert in December. Brian Stokes Mitchell, the Patrick Henry High grad, Broadway veteran and Tony Award-winner, will perform at the Playhouse on Dec. 12, in a concert benefiting the theaters education and new-play programs as well as The Actors Fund. The show, dubbed Simply Broadway (after Mitchells latest recording), will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Mandell Weiss Theatre. Tickets for the event, co-chaired by Joan and Irwin Jacobs, are $75 for the concert only, $125 for preferred seating and a complimentary drink, and $250 for premium seating and a post-show meet-and-greet with Mitchell. Advertisement (Go to lajollaplayhouse.org for tickets and info.) Stokes, as the actor is affectionately known, came up through San Diego Junior Theatre, the Old Globe and the now-extinct Starlight Theatre; he made his Broadway debut in Mail in 1988. He has since appeared in 10 other Broadway shows, including Ragtime, Man of La Mancha and (most recently) Shuffle Along; in 2000, he won a Tony for Kiss Me, Kate. Mitchell has been nominated for three other Tonys, and this year received the Isabelle Stevenson Award for his work as longtime chairman of The Actors Fund, a social-services nonprofit. A couple of other Playhouse-related developments: UC San Diego grad Keith A. Wallaces solo show The Bitter Game, which premiered in the Playhouses Without Walls program (and was reprised recently), is getting new life in New York. The piece just had a showcase at the Untitled Solo Festival there, and in January will get a short run at the renowned Public Theater as part of the Under the Radar festival. (Go to publictheater.org.) And in April, the Playhouse-bred piece Indecent will see its Broadway debut. The world premiere of the work, written by the Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel and directed and co-created by Rebecca Taichman, was a Playhouse co-production with Yale Rep; it was staged at the La Jolla theater last fall. Twitter: @jimhebert jim.hebert@sduniontribune.com Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck fractured his pelvis Saturday after he fell off his motorcycle on a rocky trail in the Techachapi Mountains north of Los Angeles, the department said in a statement. Beck, who was riding with a group of friends, was able to ride back to his truck and drive home before he went to a local hospital for emergency medical care, the department said in the statement. He may require surgery on Monday but the department said he is expected to recover and return to work within the next week. Advertisement I want to thank everyone for their well-wishes as I recuperate from my recent motorcycle mishap, Beck said in a statement. As always, I am in constant contact with my LAPD command staff and will be working diligently while I recuperate to continue leading the men and women of the LAPD. Beck, 63, has a well-known love of motorcycles, having competed in various forms of off-road racing for more than 40 years. He competes in local motocross events regularly, according to his LAPD biography online. He is also no stranger to injuries. He broke his collarbone in a motocross accident in 2012 and underwent surgery. At the time he said it was his third time breaking his collarbone. Broken collarbones are the occasional price you pay for racing motocross, Beck wrote in an email to The Times in 2012. javier.panzar@latimes.com Twitter: jpanzar ALSO Man dies following early morning fight in Hollywood Four Richmond officers to be fired in wake of Bay Area police sex crimes scandal Father of man fatally shot by El Cajon police establishes foundation for police reform FBI Director James B. Comeys announcement Friday that his agency was investigating newly found emails that might be related to Hillary Clintons use of a private server sent shock waves through the presidential campaign in its final days. A letter from Comey announcing the new probe rekindled a politically damaging controversy that has dogged Clinton since she launched her campaign last year. Here is some of what we know so far and what we dont. Advertisement What did Comey say? Not much. In a three-paragraph letter to members of Congress, Comey, who has served as FBI director since 2013, said newly discovered emails could be relevant to questions of whether Clinton and her aides mishandled classified information while she was secretary of State. He offered no details about the messages themselves and said he could not predict how long it would take for the FBI to determine whether they were relevant. So did the FBI reopen its investigation into Clintons email use? No. In July, the Justice Department declined to file charges in the case, based on Comeys recommendation. He concluded that although Clinton had been extremely careless in her use of a private email account while at the State Department, there was no clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information. How did these new emails surface? The FBI came across the emails while investigating whether Anthony Weiner, a former New York congressman, violated federal law when exchanging sexually explicit texts with a teenage girl in North Carolina, a federal law enforcement official said. Whats Anthony Weiner got to do with it? His estranged wife, Huma Abedin, is one of Hillary Clintons top aides. The two of them shared the computer that the emails were found on, law enforcement officials said. How significant is this development? Its unclear. Comey was vague, saying that the FBI cannot yet assess whether or not this material may be significant. However, a federal official told The Times that the emails examined so far were not to or from Clinton, and that they contained information that appeared to be more of what agents had already uncovered. Then why did Comey announce it? He told bureau employees in an email Friday that he felt compelled to be transparent after announcing in July and testifying on Capitol Hill that the investigation was over. I also think it would be misleading to the American people were we not to supplement the record, he wrote. What is Clintons campaign saying? The campaign is urging Comey to be even more transparent. Robby Mook, Clintons campaign manager, said Comey owes the public the full story, or he shouldnt have cracked open the door in the first place. Clinton herself has called Comeys letter deeply troubling. Democrats and Republicans alike are also asking for more information. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Donald Trumps vice presidential running mate, tweeted that the FBI should immediately release all emails pertinent to their investigation. Americans have the right to know before election day. Moreover, four Senate Democrats, including California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee, wrote that more information must be made public in regard to the new investigation. The letter is troubling because it is vaguely worded and leaves so many questions unanswered, the senators wrote. The letter is also troubling because it breaks with the longstanding tradition of Department of Justice and the FBI exercising extreme caution in the days leading up to an election, so as not to unfairly influence the results. How did Clinton get caught up in this email controversy? While she was secretary of State, Clinton used a personal email address to conduct government business. The messages were stored on her familys personal server in the basement of her home in Chappaqua, N.Y. Clinton has said she used the account because she didnt want to carry two devices for personal and State Department communications. Other officials have said the State Departments official email system was cumbersome and difficult to use. Clinton has since said that using a private server was a mistake and not the best choice. Has she admitted any wrongdoing? Clinton has said if she could do it over again, she would not have used a personal email server while at the State Department. The issue has continued to create headaches for the campaign. On Sunday, Podesta, Clintons campaign chairman, said she did not give it much thought back then and its been a hindrance. Its the kind of a decision that I think needed more thought, more review, and she didnt do it. And she regrets that, he said on CNN. Times staff writers Del Quentin Wilber and Evan Halper in Washington contributed to this report. For more political news follow @kurtisalee kurtis.lee@latimes.com ALSO The FBI director had a choice in the new Clinton email probe: Follow custom, or go public FBI says emails found in Anthony Weiners sexting scandal may have links to Clinton probe I broke the news to the Clinton campaign about the new FBI emails probe. Heres what happened next UPDATES: Oct. 30, 4:50 p.m.: This article was recast for clarity throughout and expanded with additional context. This article was originally published Oct. 29 at 3:35 p.m. What a difference two years can make in the life of a political party. And for California Republicans, not for the better. Flashback to 2014, a record-setting low voter turnout election in which Republican hopes were high. The party fielded a couple of candidates who broke a long GOP streak of white men running for statewide office. Those efforts failed, but the party won enough legislative seats to dissolve the Democrats supermajority at the state Capitol. It was by no means a hugely successful political season, but one that state Republicans hoped was a sign that the partys fortunes had bottomed out. Advertisement Not quite. With election day around the corner, Republican legislative and congressional candidates are struggling to break the surface after the Donald Trump tsunami, and Democrats are invoking the presidential nominee in every contest they can. Perhaps the starkest view of the partys problems comes from a poll last week by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. In short, the Republican brand has become radioactive. Of the states likely voters, 72% have an unfavorable opinion of the GOP. Thats eight points higher than two years ago, 14 points worse than four years ago and a massive 21 points above the partys unfavorable rating six years ago. And then theres this: 50% of registered Republicans have an unfavorable opinion of their party. Election day in California has actually become an election month These are really tough numbers, said Mark Baldassare, PPICs president and chief pollster. Even more eye-catching is the erosion of the Republican brand among fast-growing subgroups of voters. Two-thirds of millennials surveyed said they have an unfavorable view of the GOP, a view shared by 70% of unaffiliated independent voters, 72% of women and 75% of middle-class voters. Not surprisingly, the partys hardest sales pitch the one to Californias Latino voters must compete with the fact that 80% of Latinos surveyed view the Republican Party unfavorably. These are the groups that are going to be the California of the future, Baldassare said. What is the brand? Its a huge question mark. Rob Stutzman, a state GOP strategist on the partys challenges in California. Democrats fare significantly better in the poll, with a party favorability of 50%. And those numbers serve as a reminder that Republicans havent won a statewide race in a decade and are shut out of having a candidate for U.S. Senate on the Nov. 8 ballot the first time thats happened. What is the brand? Its a huge question mark, said Rob Stutzman, a GOP strategist and former state party spokesman. Stutzman is convinced the blame lies with the Trump campaign that has so utterly flattened the state Republican trademark, and hes been a prominent party dissenter this election season. He credits party leaders for good, hard work for successes in 2014 and still believes the right candidates can stop the bleeding in 2018. Those candidates, though, may start with one of the smallest party bases in modern times. In just four years, the California Republican Party has lost more than 308,000 members, while the ranks of Democrats have grown more than 477,000. Add that to recent polls showing Hillary Clinton with a double-digit lead in California, and GOP candidates are finding the party label to be of little if any help. You almost have to run as a Republican by being the anti-Republican at the same time, Stutzman said. john.myers@latimes.com Follow @johnmyers on Twitter, sign up for our daily Essential Politics newsletter and listen to the weekly California Politics Podcast ALSO: Political Road Map: How unlimited cash gets funneled to legislative campaigns What you need to know about the 17 ballot propositions on Novembers statewide ballot California election news More than 100 dressed-up dogs came out to the 18th Annual Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest in Fort Greene Park on Saturday, and costumes ranged from timeless classics like vampire pups to more topical choices, like doggy Brexit and a basket of deplorables adorables. For the first time in its 18-year history, PUPkin organizers limited the number of entrants to 120last year, they had nearly 170 costumed pups, which they said was "too much"in the hopes that limiting entries would boost the creativity level for costumed dogs and their humans. A basket of... adorables Amy Finkel / Gothamist Plenty of pups brought their A-game, but the first-place prize ultimately (and deservedly!) went to the Doggie Llama, while the Furrestree pup was awarded second place, and the Milkman Joke pup took home the third-place prize. Among the honorably-mentioned cotumes were the Shrink-O-Matic, which shrunk big pups into small; a flashy internet-breaking dog dressed as Kim Kardashian with champagne; and a pup dressed as the always-topical Construction on Myrtle Avenue. Other #relevant costumes included the aforementioned basket of adorables, a pup that can dig under Trump's wall, and a Mr. Robot-inspired doggy hacker. The father of Alfred Olango announced on Saturday the creation a foundation for police reform, in the name of his son, who was killed by El Cajon police last month. Richard Olango said San Diego would be the headquarters of the Alfred Olango Justice and Unity Foundation for the whole world. The foundation has been registered as a non-profit organization in the state, he said. Advertisement Olango spoke against police shootings at a gathering held at the World Beat Center in Balboa Park. The event, called the International Day of Remembrance for Victims of Police Brutality, drew about 90 people. They heard from the Rev. Shane Harris of National Action Network San Diego; Shakina Ortega, whose husband was killed by San Diego police; and Robert Branch, who videotaped himself being choked unconscious by a plainclothes sheriffs detective. Richard Olango said he plans to work to improve police training, in areas of psychology, human behavior, criminal justice and discipline. These are the foundation of police training, he said. If you dont pass these, you go back to police college. Alfred Olango was fatally shot by El Cajon police Officer Richard Gonsalves on Sept. 27. Cellphone and security camera video caught the brief encounter and showed Olango holding his hands together in front of him, toward the officer. Police said he grasped a vaping device with a silver cylinder, and the officer thought it was a gun. Police are supposed to use a gun as a last resort, Richard Olango said. From the time police arrived to the time my son was dead was one minute and 29 seconds. Other members of the Olango family were present, including his mother, Pamela Benge. She told the crowd, I dont want any mother to go through what I am going through. Branch was accompanied by his attorney, Dan Gilleon, and said he couldnt talk about his upcoming trial on charges related to his scuffle last year with the deputy. Branch, who worked as a security guard at the time, had gotten into a freeway traffic incident with the deputy, who was in an unmarked car and followed Branch to Del Cerro. Branch told Deputy Paul Ward, now-retired, there was no reason to arrest him and tried to fend him off, authorities have said. Branch recorded Wards arm around his neck in a chokehold until he became unconscious and dropped his cellphone. I am happy to be here, happy to be alive, Branch said. Ortega said San Diego police gave several versions of the 2012 encounter that ended with the death of her husband, Victor Ortega. He was shot during a struggle with Officer Jonathan McCarthy, who told investigators Ortega tried to grab his service pistol. I had to dig through all the lies they told me, she said of police. You have to fight for justice, for whats right. Harris said many families have been affected by the deaths of loved ones at the hands of police. Were going to unite these families, Harris said. Well make sure they dont have to walk alone. Nearly a million dollars in political contributions have poured into the race for a seat on the San Diego County Board of Education, one that could shift the balance of power and influence everything from the fate of charter schools to the search for a new superintendent. The big money behind the race comes largely from two of the states most vocal and deep-pocketed education interest groups: a teachers union and charter school advocates. The effort for incumbent and former juvenile court teacher Rick Shea has benefited from more than $300,000 raised this year by the American Federation of Teachers, Guild Local 1931, which represents San Diego and Grossmont Cuyamaca Community College faculty, according to records with the Secretary of States Office. Shea lost his bid for the county board in 2014 but was appointed to the office last year to fill a vacancy. Advertisement The California Charter Schools Association political arm has contributed more than $500,000 this year to unseat Shea and elect former state legislator Mark Wyland. The former Escondido Union School District board member has generated another $140,000 for his campaign in loans to himself and cash donations. The contest to represent the northwestern swath of the county in District 5 comes as the board is preparing to hire a new Superintendent after Randy Ward submitted his resignation amid controversy. Ward had clashed with the board over governance issues and has been accused in legal challenges of mismanaging money, allegations which he has refuted. The San Diego County Office of Education provides professional and curriculum support, training and financial oversight for the regions 42 school districts. But the agency also reviews petitions for countywide charters and votes on appeals from charters that had applications rejected by their local school districts. If elected, Wyland would establish a charter-backed majority on the five-member panel. Two candidates for the board Paulette Donnellon and Mark Powell were elected outright in the June primary with support from the state charter schools advocacy group. A victory for Shea would maintain a union-backed board majority. Trustee Guadalupe Gonzalez, who was also appointed to office last year to fill a vacancy, was elected outright in June with help from the AFT. The AFT has historically spent big in the county board races. This is the first year the California Charter Schools Association has invested in county education elections. The local AFT President Jim Mahler did not respond to requests for comment. The massive investment in the local race comes after charter advocates spent millions on state and county races prior to the June primary as they seek to build support among elected officials amid efforts to dramatically expand charters. We are supporting individuals who have a deep concern for California students and parents who want them to have choice in education, said Richard Garcia, director of elections for the charter association political arm. Garcia said charter advocates had to step up their political activity this year to be noticed in the crowd of initiatives and candidates competing for votes. There is an increase in the cost of breaking through the messaging of others to get our message out because of the high volume of other campaigns, Garcia said. The states charter association has argued that quality charters were denied their appeals by the county board due to bias. Six of seven charter petitions reviewed in recent years were denied. Publicly funded and independently operated charters have fallen under intense scrutiny amid a series of unfavorable reports, high-profile incidents of mismanagement, and court rulings. Wyland, 70, who served for more than a decade on the Senate Education Committee, said he promised his campaign supporters only to be fair when it comes to charters. Most kids in the county will attend non-charter schools, so that is where the focus is. I want to make sure these kids are getting a fair shot, he said. I will be fair when it comes to reviewing charter petitions, but I will not be a rubber stamp. I will not be a shill. Wyland is interested in promoting STEM science, technology, engineering and math and career-tech curriculum. He also wants more transparency when it comes to the county education offices $600 million budget. Whats more, Wyland said the county should scrutinize state funds given to districts with large populations of disadvantaged students to make sure the money is being spent to better-educate the students. If we cant demonstrate that money is having that positive effect, it is dramatically unfair to the schools Im going to represent if I win that dont get that money, he said. When it comes to hiring the next superintendent, Wyland said the district should seek out someone locally or nationwide who is effective with budgets, works well with teachers, and has equity in mind for students. Shea, 72, a former mayor and city councilman in Encinitas, has worked as a teacher in juvenile court schools and as a probation officer with youth. He retired as the special assistant to the county Superintendent/Administrative Services Officer. Like Wyland, Shea also wants the County Office of Education to more closely watch how districts spend money for disadvantaged students. He said he saw first hand as a teacher with court youth the effects of inequity in education. We need to close the achievement gap, Shea said. We need to focus on English learners. That population is growing. He defended the county boards record with charters, saying it simply found that local boards appropriately denied petitions based on state criteria. Shea objected when Wyland listed his occupation on the ballot as educator, contending his opponent is well-known as a politician. Wyland said he has worked with students at USC on civics, and on other education matters through his Wyland Institute for Education foundation since leaving the Legislature. He called education his lifes work and passion. Tax records for the foundation show its been virtually dormant in recent years, but Wyland said he revived it last year. Shea called the influx of outside charter campaign funds is troubling. Im dismayed by the big money, out -of-town money thats coming into influence our local races, he said. Charters are misdirecting their efforts. They should work with the local boards and authorizing districts. He added that that he is surprised AFT has invested so much in his own race. Publicly funded and independently operated charters have fallen under intense scrutiny amid a series of unfavorable reports, high-profile incidents of mismanagement, and court rulings. Local contributors to the statewide charter expenditure committee, which according to the Secretary of States Office has $2.5 million in donations on hand, include Irwin and Joan Jacobs ($10,000 each in April), and Voice of San Diego co-founder Buzz Woolley ($125,000 in April). This month, some $1.5 million in donations were made from former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Gap co-founder Doris Fisher, Netflix CEO Reed Hasting and others. maureen.magee@sduniontribune.com Twitter:@MaureenMagee We rely on your support to make local news available to all Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2022. Donate today The recent guest column by Dr. Randy Bridges, the Florence School District One superintendent, was an outstanding update of the rapidly improving status of educational opportunities within District One. Dr. Bridges is to be commended for his vision and his ability to think out of the box regarding new, innovative programs that will increase the intellectual levels of all our students. The Early Childhood Education Program, the new STEM Magnet School and the Primary Years International Baccalaureate Program are just three of the many initiatives that create higher academic challenges for the students. The close collaboration between FSD1 and Francis Marion University and Florence-Darlington Technical College also allows the students to be better prepared for college and the work place. The enthusiastic buy-in by the principals and teachers is what has allowed a jump start for all these programs to progress so well. Hopefully more fourth-grade teachers will request inclusion into their social studies an innovative and exciting new American History curriculum, Why America Is Free. This six-week multi-disciplinary program is gaining traction in many outstanding South Carolina school districts at a time when American history is being de-emphasized in history departments of both secondary schools and colleges. Some colleges are now not even requiring an American history course for history majors or requirement for graduation. This fourth-grade curriculum develops student engagement and teaches children about respect, integrity, responsibility and good citizenship. Such a course is an ideal concept that can be easily funded by District Ones new special allocation fund for research and innovative programs or through a teacher mini-grant from The School Foundation a win-win decision for our children. CARROLL PLAYER Florence Photo by NYC Department of Environmental Protection We rely on your support to make local news available to all Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2022. Donate today COCOA, Florida - Donald Trump's running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, is coming to Florida's Space Coast on Monday, October 31, 2016. The Republican Vice Presidential nominee will hold a rally at 12 p.m. at the Space Coast Convention Center (Holiday Inn Express and Suites) located at 301 Tucker Lane in Cocoa, Florida. Doors open at 10 a.m. Free tickets to the event are available on a first come, first serve basis. To register, visit the Donald Trump campaign website After the rally, Pence is scheduled to briefly meet with the Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast along with local aerospace company representatives at 3 p.m. before heading over to another rally in Maitland, Florida at 3:30 p.m. I am offering the solution to a problem most Republicans don't know they have -- that they can be outmaneuvered and thrown on the defensive endlessly, on nearly any issue, because they accept as true Democrat lies about the Republican Party. To correct that misperception and to help the Republican Party get 'back to basics' is why I'm a man on a mission. A few years ago, after one of my speeches, a man told me "Do you know what your problem is? You're too far ahead of your time!" My efforts to show Republicans how they would benefit from celebrating the heritage of our Grand Old Party have been arduous, but if this were easy someone else would have already done it. Among my speech topics are Reconciling the Tea Party and the GOP; Barack Obama, the Worst President Ever; Socialism, the new Slavery; Appreciating the Heritage of our Grand Old Party; Returning to the Founding Principles of the United States; The Womens Rights Achievements of our Grand Old Party; Abraham Lincoln, Republican; Frederick Douglass, Republican; Martin Luther King and the Republican Civil Rights Legacy. Iceland was headed on Sunday for tense talks over its next government after an alliance led by the anti-establishment Pirate Party gained ground against the ruling center-right in a vote triggered by the Panama Papers scandal. Final figures from Saturday's snap election pointed to a deadlocked outcome, opening the way for tough horse-trading over the next government in the North Atlantic island nation. Prime Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson told the national broadcaster RUV he would resign on Sunday. Negotiations on forming a government are to be led by Finance Minister Bjarni Benediktsson, whose conservative Independence Party won most seats. According to final results issued on Sunday, the governing coalition - the Independence Party, allied with Johannsson's centrist Progressive Party - gained 29 seats in the 63-member parliament. The Pirates and its three center-left allies won 27 seats, reaping gains from popular anger with establishment parties but falling short of a majority in the legislature, the Althingi. RELATED: How Iceland's Pirate Party Became a Frontrunner The Pirates and the Left-Green Movement each picked up 10 seats, the Social Democrats three, and the centrist Bright Future Movement won four. Kingmaker party The centrist Regeneration Party, which won seven seats, now finds itself able to determine the fate of coalition talks. But negotiations between Regeneration and Benediktsson's Independence Party could be tough. The parties fell out over holding a referendum on resuming the nation's EU membership talks, stalled by the incumbent conservative government. "We have not been negative towards other parties or how governments should be formed," the leader of the Regeneration Party, Benedikt Johannesson told AFP. But, he predicted, his party could be "very demanding in the bargaining process" with the Independence Party. The election was triggered after the Panama Papers revealed that 600 Icelanders including cabinet ministers, bankers and business leaders had holdings stashed away in offshore accounts. The scandal claimed the scalp of Johannsson's predecessor, Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, mired in allegations about family holdings stashed in tax havens. The episode revived public anger first stirred by the 2008 financial crisis, which wrecked Iceland's banking industry and plunged the country into recession, prompting it to seek a humiliating bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 'Like Robin Hood' The Pirates Party laid down a five-point program that includes constitutional change to make leaders more accountable, free health care, greater protection of natural resources and the closure of tax loopholes for large corporations. The leaders of the party, set up just four years ago by anarchists, activists and hackers, said they was pleased with its advances, even if an absolute majority failed to emerge. "We are very satisfied," said cofounder Birgitta Jonsdottir, an activist, poet and WikiLeaks supporter. "We are a platform for young people, for progressive people who shape and reshape our societ y... like Robin Hood because Robin Hood was a pirate, we want to take the power from the powerful to give it to the people," Jonsdottir told AFP, referring to the English outlaw of legend. Gretar Eytorsson, professor of political science at the University of Akureyri, said the Pirates did not gain a majority because not enough young people went to the polling stations despite a near 80 percent overall turnout. "What was suspected happened. The young voters did not show up," he told AFP. "That was most likely the biggest reason for their loss ... compared with the polls. But let's not forget that they are a much bigger party now." Iceland, a volcanic island with a population of 332,000, has returned to prosperity since its 2008 financial meltdown. Gross domestic product growth is expected to be above 4 percent this year thanks to tourism revenues and a recovering financial system. Photo: Birgitta Jonsdottir of the Pirate Party gestures alongside party members after early results of the parliamentary elections in Iceland, October 29, 2016. Credit: REUTERS/Geirix WATCH VIDEO: How Powerful Is Iceland's Pirate Party? Bam urges stakeholders to join forces vs trolls, misinformation on social media Sen. Bam Aquino called on different stakeholders, led by the Department of Education (DepEd), to join forces in combating rampant trolling and spread of misinformation on social media. "We need to address the volume and frequency issues with the same volume and frequency," Sen. Bam pointed out during the Committee on Education hearing on the responsible use of social media in schools. "Maybe we can work on something that can match that level of speed, exponential growth and energy that we see online," added Sen. Bam, chairman of the said committee. Sen. Bam filed Senate Resolution No. 173 to determine how schools are educating and developing students regarding the responsible social media use. Sen. Bam said DepEd can lead the way by conducting a "media literacy week" or "responsible social media use week" to jumpstart the move. "This is something we can explore further and I'm confident that everyone will be willing to volunteer," said Sen. Bam. Aside from DepEd, Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa and Carlo Ople of Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP) also attended the event. Both Ressa and Ople expressed willingness to help the initiative against trolling and misinformation on social media. "Trolling is a global phenomenon. Real victims are those who believe in misinformation. We need explosive and faster solutions," said Ople. Ressa stressed the need to integrate responsible use of social media in schools, reiterate moral obligations and strengthen constructive debates to fight the spread of hate on social media. The DepEd, for its part, has established mechanisms that would guide "digital learners'" to make them responsible social media users. "Right now, the concern is there. Na-recognize na may problema at na-recognize rin na ang solusyon dito hindi lang magagawa ng isang grupo o ahensiya. Kailangan magtulong-tulong ang iba't ibang sektor para masolusyonan ito," said Sen. Bam. Ultimately, Sen. Bam said the move "aims to create a society that is more humane and compassionate towards each other and a Philippines that is more tolerant of different ideas and beliefs". Press Release October 30, 2016 SEN. LEILA M. DE LIMA'S STATEMENT OF SUPPORT TO CAMPAIGN AGAINST FAKE NEWS AND FALSE MEMES ON SOCIAL MEDIA In the past few months, we notice a lot of fake accounts and manufactured news making their rounds on the social media where hackers, fanatics and spammers have abused the freedom of the Internet to foment lies and hatred at the detriment of rational discourse. Like many well-respected individuals such as former presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Benigno S. Aquino III, and actress Agot Isidro, among others, I too have always been the object of malicious misinformation campaign deigned to tarnish my good name and reputation. A few days ago, I learned about the news that I bought a USD6-million mansion in New York, USA. A cursory check at the address of the alleged property, it turned out it was a popular landmark in New York, the Barlow-Pell Mansion Museum. This latest fake news is just one of the many manufactured news and fabricated lies being maliciously peddled around to malign and discredit me. Sadly, truth has become the first casualty. I however take consolation that some media organizations, such as GMA News Online with its #HindiTama project and Rappler News Online's #NoPlaceForHate campaign, have taken the lead not only to check on some of these hoaxes that are being shared and re-shared to the public but also to stop the spread of hatred and insults on social media. I commend these two media organizations for asserting their democratic role of gatekeepers not only of public morals but also of truth, respect and decency in public life. I acknowledge the differing views and opinions on issues that matter to majority of our people. You may or may not agree with me all the times, and that is perfectly fine with me. Like many of you, however, I also resent all and every deliberate and malicious attempt to curse, trash, degrade, humiliate and even intimate our people. In our democratic society, the freedom of speech we all enjoy is not a license to smear the reputation and ruin the credibility of other people. I respect your expression of dissent and even frustration, but I will not tolerate any attempt to denigrate me and much less, to silence our democracy. Will the Force be with San Francisco as it tries to land George Lucas futuristic museum on Treasure Island or will the Star Wars creator take his $1 billion legacy project to Los Angeles, where he is being lured with a largely ready-to-build site at Exposition Park? Lucas has made it clear to both cities that he does not want a replay of the delays that caused him to pull the planned Museum of Narrative Art from San Franciscos Presidio and Chicagos lakefront. So a big part of the San Francisco-versus-Los Angeles jump ball will rest on how quickly our City Hall can overcome the state and local environmental challenges that come with any big waterfront project. So far, the museums reception from the progressives on the Board of Supervisors, who often stand in the way of big developments, has been all thumbs-up. Supervisor Jane Kim, whose district includes Treasure Island and who has been meeting with Lucas design team, is already planning to introduce a board resolution this week in support of the museum a project that Lucas said he would build with his own money. Free is good, Kim said of the plan after drawings of the proposed museum were released last week. Its the right plan in a great place and will bring cultural opportunities and jobs to the people of San Francisco. Supervisor Aaron Peskin, whose waterfront district includes some of the NIMBY groups that killed the 8 Washington condo project and the Warriors original plan for an arena at the base of the Bay Bridge, is on board as well. I read (the proposed museum) as an iconic San Francisco landmark, and after all the commenting, I think people will come to the realization that it works, whether it looks like rolling fog or something else, he said. Peskin said the cultural attraction would help kick-start ferry service to the island. The city will need that for the 20,000 new residents it intends to put on the former Navy base in the coming years. It is going to mean we end up with a robust ferry service five years earlier than we would otherwise have, Peskin said. Lucas team has been working with Treasure Island developers Wilson Meany and Lennar Corp. to smooth the way for a museum on 4 acres on the San Francisco side of the island. The site had originally been marked off for a 200-room hotel and conference center. Thanks to the already-vetted hotel plan, Lucas can build his 12-story museum without going through much of the citys roller coaster planning process most notably an extensive environmental review that could have been a deal killer. Whats more, since the museum will be set back more than 100 feet from the waters edge, it wont need approval from the even more tricky Bay Conservation and Development Commission, the regional agency that helped drive a stake through the Warriors proposed arena at Piers 30-32. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. There was a bit of a chill on the welcome party at a Board of Supervisors committee hearing last week, when Peskin demanded more answers on the funding of affordable housing at Treasure Island. He wanted those answers before signing off on infrastructure improvements that will be essential for the islands new construction, including the Lucas museum. But when pressed on the subject, Peskin told us he has no intention of doing anything that would stand in the way of getting the museum built. We want it, he said. We are welcoming them with open arms. Lucas reps have told the city that they expect to make a final call on the winning city at their museum board meeting in early January. San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross Theres nothing new about candidates or their supporters claiming an election is going to be stolen from them via fraud. Every election Ive ever participated in has included a suspicion of shady doings. Typically, this is nothing more than losers whining. When a campaign gets outsmarted through perfectly legal means, the true believers often look for excuses, not explanations. My first election was back in 1952, when I was going to San Francisco State and picked up an extra $18 to be an inspector at a polling place. Elections were so loose back then that Democratic precinct captains would come by and we would go over the voting rolls together to see who had cast a ballot and who had not. Theyd check off the list, then go out and find the people who had yet to vote and bring them in. And nobody thought anything of it. Years later, when I was more involved in politics, we turned our attention to the citys housing projects. At the time, only about 25 percent of the people living there who were eligible to vote were actually registered. We organized every single housing project by making healthy voter registration numbers and voter turnout part of a project managers annual review. They told the tenants, heres your lease, heres your voter registration form. Fill them both out, and heres your key to the apartment. Then we put polling places right in the projects and opened them early, which upset some people. Wed also bring in the A. Philip Randolph Institutes voting project. The institute would rent vans to pick up people, take them to City Hall in the days leading up to the election, have them vote, then take them out for a free lunch. These days, people would scream voter fraud at something like that. But back then it was just making sure everyone exercised their civic duty. But trust me, allegations of voter fraud are nothing compared with what might happen under our own Constitution if its a razor-close election on Nov. 8. Some insiders are already looking ahead to a showdown at the Electoral College. If, say, Evan McMullin manages to win Utah and neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton can get to the 270 votes needed, the contest would go to the Hill where things could really get wild. Under the 12th Amendment, the House would pick the president and the Senate would pick the vice president. Heres where it gets fun, because each state, no matter how big or small, gets only one vote for president. That vote is determined by the members of each states delegation. In other words, our one collective vote from 53 representatives representing almost 39 million people in California would have the same weight in picking the next president as Alaska, which has fewer people than San Francisco and has exactly one House member. Hows that for a rigged system? The race for the presidency is just too exhausting, so last week I decided to concentrate on the Senate contests across the country. The Democrats think they can pick up seven or eight seats, which would give them a majority. And the polls show they may be right. By my estimate, the Dems have a good shot of electing Tammy Duckworth in Illinois and hanging onto Harry Reids seat in Nevada with Catherine Cortez Masto, thanks to the partys efforts to register more Latino voters. New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan looks good for the Senate race in her state as well. Toss in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Missouri and maybe even Indiana as possibles, and you could have the Democrats calling the shots once again, with New Yorks Chuck Schumer at the helm this time. If Hillary Clinton wins the presidency, a Democratic Senate will make it far easier for her to appoint potentially several justices to the Supreme Court and set its course for the next 30 years. Who knows? It could even lead to Justice Barack Obama. On the other hand, if its Donald Trump in the White House, the Democrats could be just as effective in blocking court nominees as the GOP has been with, say, Merrick Garland. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Movie time: Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. Tom Cruise lacks the physical stature to play the Jack Reacher portrayed in the best-selling Lee Child novels, but that said, this is one fun action movie. Its also one of those rare sequels that turns out better than the first entry. For starters, this Reacher has a real story line, one that has our hero trying to clear an Army major accused of treason. The major, of course, is a woman, played by knockout Cobie Smulders. Throw in Washington, D.C, and New Orleans as the settings for the action, and you have all the ingredients for a good time. I was in Johns Grill having a drink with David Millstein the other night when this guy comes up and with asks, Have you put your disability claim in yet? Why would I put in a disability claim? Because come Nov. 9, you and the rest of the country are going to have PTSD. PTSD? Post-Trump stress disorder. And believe me, its going to take us all a long time to recover. Want to sound off? Email: wbrown@sfchronicle.com He won architectural immortality because of his houses, and such unexpected delights as Marin Civic Center and New Yorks Guggenheim Museum, but in the course of his long career, Frank Lloyd Wright also designed a newspaper tower. A mortuary. A voluptuous elongated bridge. Even a wedding chapel on stilts. None of which were ever built. And all of which were set right here, in the Bay Area. This local angle makes Paul V. Turners Frank Lloyd Wright and San Francisco an unexpectedly fresh addition to the ever-longer shelf of books on the ever-provocative architect. By focusing on his work in and around the region, the relationships with his clients and Wrights visits, where he happily fed outrageous quotes to an eager press, Turner gives us a scholarly but flavorful history thats far more satisfying than the lavish monographs or detailed studies that Wright tends to attract. After a quick nod to hints of a 1900 design for a house in Oakland, apparently never built, the saga begins with Wrights quixotic effort in 1913 to design a high-rise home for the San Francisco Call at Fourth and Market streets. If hed been successful, a block now dominated by the jukebox-like San Francisco Marriott Marquis instead would hold a forceful concrete slab 25 stories high, topped by an emphatic cornice extending out over the sidewalk. Theres no evidence that Wright was approached by the Call owners, and his efforts to drum up work were unsuccessful. Still, Wright thought enough of his unsolicited vision to build two enormous models of it for display in his studio. Another long-shot extravaganza came after World War II when Wright and engineer Jaroslav Polivka concocted a melodramatic Butterfly Bridge that would stretch from San Francisco to Alameda. The promotional fanfare included a sold-out lecture by Wright in which he extolled the virtues of his tap-roots bridge that goes down into the bed of the bay and stands there, on the bottom, on tip-toes. Crowds also flocked to see a large model that was displayed on a mirrored surface (complete with sailboats underneath) at the Stonestown shopping center. Even now its a thing of conceptual beauty, with smooth arches and a curvaceous form that widens at the top to make room for a large public park (Spoiler alert: Wright eventually met with Gov. Goodwin Knight, but never heard back). The sideshow conveys something else: Wrights compulsive thirst for attention, his knack for turning his heads wherever he went. In the final decade of his life, one frequent destination was San Francisco. By the time his assistant Aaron Green opened a branch office at 319 Grant Ave. in 1950, Wright was touching down several times a year to meet with clients, give speeches and preen for the fourth estate. When he submitted plans for the Daphne Funeral Chapels to the city it would have hovered above Market Street midway between Castro Street and Van Ness Avenue he was photographed at City Hall eating chocolate cake while explaining to reporters that a place where you go to see the last of your earthly companions should be a happy place. More often than not, he stayed at the St. Francis, perhaps stopping by the exquisite gift shop he designed at 140 Maiden Lane for V.C. Morris to rearrange the displays (invariably changed back after his departure). As he approached age 90, his schedule still was packed so tight that Green on one occasion chartered a helicopter to get Wright to the airport from Oaklands Claremont Hotel, where the owners wanted Wright to design a wedding chapel. Another design unveiled to wide attention and beguiling in hindsight, but never to be. Wrights Bay Area works are distinctive mainly for their diversity and the unprecedented nature of many of them, writes Turner, an emeritus professor of art at Stanford University. They demonstrate, perhaps more than his buildings in any other location, the amazing variety and innovation of creations, and the fertility of his imagination. Turners prose is methodical and so is his approach, with a succession of chapters that begins with the mysterious Oakland house and ends with a deservedly lengthy account of the birth of Marin Civic Center. At times he steps back to fill us in on Wrights more unusual encounters including a 1949 symposium on modern art where Wright shared the spotlight with such luminaries as artist Marcel Duchamp and came off as something of a boor. The foundation of the book is architecture, including gorgeous renderings from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives. But what lingers are the glimpses we receive of Wright as a force unto himself one scheme for a Telegraph Hill apartment tower went astray because, Green later said, the potential client wasnt as effusive as Mr. Wright expects his clients to be in a city where you could rent a floor of office space near Union Square for $125 a month. This isnt simply a worthwhile addition to the Wright library. Its a rewarding glimpse of the Bay Area that in some ways is familiar, but with each passing year seems more exotic than ever. John King is the San Francisco Chronicles Urban Design Critic. Email: jking@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @johnkingsfchron Frank Lloyd Wright and San Francisco By Paul V. Turner Yale University Press (216 pages; $65) Names and faces Better Body Fitness has hired Coco Nisbet as an outside sales rep. Nisbet is responsible for business development throughout western Montana and specializes in commercial applications for fitness equipment such as health clubs, hospitals, hotels, resorts, apartment complexes and physical therapy clinics. She comes to Better Body Fitness with more than eight years of sales and marketing expertise and a passion for fitness and helping others. Nisbet may be reached at 459-5562 or at the Helena Branch of Better Body Fitness at 1400 Euclid Ave. *** Architect Tracy Egeline is transitioning to a full-time position for Bjerke Architects. Egeline has been working at Bjerke Architects since 2009. Previous to Bjerke Architects, she worked in Portland, Oregon, on projects with an emphasis on sustainable design. Egeline graduated from Montana State University in 2005 with a Master of Architecture and is a Montana native. She works on commercial and residential projects. Egeline can be reached by phone at 495-7103 or by email at tegeline@bjerkearchitects.com. *** Ann Gilbert, registered nurse, is St. Peters Hospital's final DAISY Award winner for Extraordinary Nurses in 2016. Ann is a nurse in the Intensive Care Unit. DAISY winners are selected quarterly from nominations submitted by patients and their family members. Gilberts nomination was written by the daughter of a patient. It read, in part, Ann was always concerned about what would make my mom most comfortable, such as always making sure wipes were warm and of the softest variety. When my mom would ask what would be the easiest for you? Ann would respond, Whatever is the most comfortable for you; it doesnt matter to me -- its all about you. The DAISY Award (daisyfoundation.org) was established to honor the super-human work nurses do in direct care of patients and families every day. *** Courtney Steinborn has joined the staff at Mountain Aire Aesthetics/Mountain Surgical Arts as a medical aesthetician. Steinborn's educational background includes training at Aesthetics Northwest Institute in Bellevue, Washington, Health Works Institute in Bozeman, and National Laser Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona. She specializes in treating acne, aging, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, micro needling, chemical peels, medical grade facials and waxing. She is also knowledgeable on the medical grade products, SkinCeuticals, Zein Obagi, MD, Obagi and Elta MD. Steinborn joins Dr. Debra Kontny, DO FACS and staff in her practice at 3130 Saddle Drive. Call 406-513-1962 for more information. *** St. Peters Hospital has announced that Karin Olsen is the new executive vice president of the St. Peters Hospital Foundation. She will oversee fundraising efforts for the hospital, direct planned giving and engage with the community to educate and promote the mission of the hospital. Olsen joins St. Peters with more than a decade of direct fundraising and foundation experience in healthcare and education. She was most recently vice president for advancement at Carroll College, where she was responsible for the leadership and direction of philanthropic giving. She also served as the executive director of the North Valley Hospital Foundation in Whitefish, where she developed several initiatives including a capital campaign for a birthing center expansion and a grateful patient program. Additionally, Olsen was the director of development for Regional Development & Health Sciences at Washington State University in Spokane, Washington. *** News and notes Triple Divide Spirits has been renamed Gulch Distillers. Purchased in 2015 by Tyrrell Hibbard and Steffen Rasile, Gulch Distillers is Helenas craft distillery located at 790 Front St. Gulch Distillers ferments, distills and bottles on site, and uses only Montana-grown grains in their grain-based spirits. Gulch Distillers handcrafted spirits include vodka, gin, spiced rum and fernet, a semi-bitter Italian-style herbal liqueur. Gulch Distillers operates a tasting room that is open Monday through Friday from 4-8 p.m. and on Saturdays from 2-8 p.m. Visit gulchdistillers.com to learn more. *** Mountain-Pacific awarded Innovation Project Mountain-Pacific Quality Health was recently awarded a Special Innovation Project contract from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to improve care coordination for Montana and Wyoming Medicare members. The SIP will form virtual community coalitions using online meeting technology that will connect care coordination teams with regional and national care coordination experts. The online technology will bridge geographic barriers and help improve care transitions, the delivery of health care and population health outcomes for people with Medicare in Montana and Wyoming. Mountain-Pacific is headquartered in Helena and has offices in Casper, Wyoming, Anchorage, Alaska, Honolulu, Hawaii, and the island of Guam. *** Guidelines The IR welcomes reports of hiring, promotions, awards, recognition, learning opportunities and other news from local companies and nonprofits. We accept press releases and photos (digital images at 300 dpi or more are preferred, but we can also use regular photos; we dont guarantee return of these). There is no charge for items appearing in the Business Briefcase. Items are run on a space-available basis, and we reserve the right to edit and use information as we see fit. The deadline is Tuesday at noon to be considered for publication the following Sunday. A major message in Attorney General Kamala Harris U.S. Senate campaign is that after the foreclosure crisis hit in 2008, she fought the big banks and won $20 billion in 2012 for California homeowners. But Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature illegally raided $331 million from that settlement in 2012 to plug a state budget hole. Now some housing advocates say Harris isnt using her prominent voice strongly enough to get that money back to help millions of California homeowners who are still struggling. If I were Kamala Harris, Id fight for the people not for Gov. Brown, said Faith Bautista, executive director of the National Asian American Coalition, a Daly City organization that provides free counseling for homeowners with financing problems. The money in the settlement fund was designated for foreclosure relief, aid to homeowners and other housing-related purposes. Bautistas organization was one of the plaintiffs in a 2014 lawsuit, along with the COR Community Development Corporation and the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, that demanded Brown and the Legislature return the money to the mortgage fund. A Sacramento County Superior Court judge ruled in their favor last year, but the state is appealing. President Obama starred in a TV ad for Harris Senate campaign this month, saying that she was fearless in squeezing money from the lenders. But Bautista wishes Harris would be more vocal in using her prominent position to get the money back faster. She needs to take it all the way home, said Bautista, who intends to vote for Harris, nonetheless. Amy Osborne/Special To The Chronicle Part of the money in the settlement fund goes to groups like the National Asian American Coalition. Bautista said that since 2008, the federally approved organization has helped 9,500 people negotiate with lenders to allow them to stay in their homes. We know 700 families we could help with that mortgage settlement money, she said. Now that Californias budget is (balanced), just give it back. But that might not happen for years, if ever. Even though Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley ruled last year that the state is obligated to restore the money to the mortgage fund, some struggling homeowners might not get help until its too late, because the case is bogged down in an appeals process that could take years to resolve. Harris office would normally represent the state in a lawsuit of this type, but didnt in this case because it would have been a conflict of interest. Instead, the state hired the Remcho, Johansen & Purcell law firm, which has charged $594,994 in fees as of Sept. 15, according to the California Department of Finance. Robert Gnaizda, attorney for Bautistas organization, estimates that it could be mid-2018 before the case is decided. He said that politics is playing a role. Gov. Brown is doing a smart thing politically even if I dont agree with what hes doing, by continuing the appeals, said Gnaizda. Hes going to leave it to our new governor. Brown is termed out in 2018. Gnaizda served under Brown in his first term as governor in the 1970s as the state health director and has also been an economic adviser to Brown. H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the Department of Finance, disagreed, saying politics are in no way involved in this decision. As for Harris, Gnaizda said she will be a very good senator. And shes been a good attorney general. But shes also a politician. Noting that Brown endorsed Harris for Senate to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer, Gnaizda said that Harris reticence is rooted in political expediency, because she didnt want to incur the wrath of Brown while she was running for the Senate, while it appeared there was a reasonable chance that (opponent Democratic Rep.) Loretta Sanchez could beat her. But Harris dismissed Gnaizdas claims as ridiculous, in part because the timing doesnt make sense. Boxer announced in January 2015 that she would not seek another term, after the suit had been filed. Brown endorsed Harris in May 2016, just two weeks before Californias primary. Until Barbara announced, did anyone know that she was going to retire? Absolutely not, Harris said before a recent campaign stop in Bakersfield. Thats ridiculous. Harris said she was livid that the money was taken (from the settlement fund), and we fought to not have the money taken by the Legislature. She said lawmakers took the money when the state was staring at a major budget deficit, so everyone had to take some pain. And, she points out that she helped create the California Homeowner Bill of Rights, one of the nations tougher set of housing protections enacted after the crisis. Bautista said she and her organization have had several meetings with Harris office about getting the money restored. Theyre all sympathetic. They agree with us. But they say the law is the law. Bautista said. I say, forget about the law. We already won the legal case. Harris said I agree, and I share the frustration, and we have been trying to get it back. Harris pointed at the Legislature. We need to talk about the people who took the money, and hold them accountable. Gnaizda hasnt found any Democrats, who control a majority of both houses in the Legislature, who seem interested in returning the money. Meanwhile, Sanchez has been mentioning the dispute as part of her critique of Harris work on the mortgage settlement, saying it was overrated. At a news conference in Los Angeles last week, Sanchez chided Harris for not doing more to get the settlement money back. She was joined by homeowners hurt during the foreclosure crisis. She claims to be fearless, but she was a reluctant follower of Brown and the Legislature in letting them take the money, Sanchez said. While lawyers and politicians fight over the money, homeowners like Amando Melano remain in limbo. The 66-year-old started having trouble making payments on his Daly City home several years ago. Melano lost the receiving clerk job that he held at a Hayward warehouse for 30 years, and then his wife lost hers at the same facility. They were able to hold on to their home by renting out a room to his brother-in-law and Melanos part-time job in a postal warehouse. But they were falling behind on payments, and he found himself confused by the bureaucratic challenges of trying to persuade his lender to adjust their payments. A few months ago, Melano got help from Bautistas counselors, who were able to get his payment adjusted to $3,200. All I want to do is stay in my house, Melano said. Now I think I can. I hope. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A supervisors race between two liberal candidates in Sonoma County has turned into a good ol Wine Country brawl amid fear that the region is too quickly transforming into a pricey, water-sucking theme park for the almighty grape. The tug-of-war over the seat being vacated by disgraced Supervisor Efren Carrillo is billed by some as a choice between forests and vineyards, farmlands and event centers, conservation and industry. But the election pitting organic farmer Lynda Hopkins against former state Sen. Noreen Evans for supervisor of the Fifth District, which covers western Sonoma County, including the entire coastline, is more complicated than that. Both candidates purport to want the same thing to protect the environment, particularly the Russian River; create affordable housing to counter skyrocketing prices; improve roads and other infrastructure; and prevent the county from turning into a wine monoculture. The argument over which candidate can achieve those things has turned into a mud-slinging imbroglio, mainly over the alleged influence of special-interest groups. At stake, if you believe the two candidates, is the future of bucolic Sonoma County, which has seen an explosion of winery development and a population increase of almost 4 percent since 2010. The major issue is the influence of wineries and agriculture, said Ernie Carpenter, a former supervisor who is supporting Evans. We are having a corporate buyout of many old family vineyards and wineries. Evans and her supporters say Hopkins is bankrolled by mineral extractors, real estate developers, and dozens of vineyard and winery owners worried about the government restricting tourist-friendly projects that would, in turn, clog already over-tapped roads. Hopkins, a 33-year old Stanford graduate who, with her husband, owns Healdsburgs Foggy River Farm in the Russian River Valley, has raised about $440,000 in donations, much of it from the farming and wine industries, records show. Michael Macor/The Chronicle Among her supporters is attorney and former Supervisor Eric Koenigshofer, who once lobbied for Preservation Ranch, a development plan by Premier Pacific Vineyards to cut down hundreds of redwood trees and plant 1,800 acres of grapevines east of Annapolis. The ridgetop plan was thwarted in 2013 when the nonprofit Conservation Fund purchased the property. Koenigshofer, who started an independent expenditure committee for Hopkins, said the complaints about wine industry support are ironic, given that Premier Pacific was one of Evans contributors when she was in the Legislature. Noreen took money from the wine industry like there was no tomorrow when she was in Sacramento, he said. Among the other supporters of Hopkins campaign are John Dyson, a former deputy mayor of New York City who owns Williams Selyem winery in Healdsburg, the Sonoma County Farm Bureau and the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce. Evans, a former state senator with 20 years of experience in state and local politics, has collected about $350,000, including contributions from the Service Employees International Union Local 1021, the North Bay Labor Council and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 551. She is endorsed by environmental groups as well, including the Sierra Club. With more than 430 wineries and 60,000 acres of vineyards, wine is big business in Sonoma County. In 2012, TripAdvisor named the county which produces 6 percent of all the wine in California the best wine destination in the U.S. The business generates 54,000 jobs and draws more than 7.4 million tourists each year, according to Moody Analytics. But the industry has come under fire in recent years for opening more than 220 event centers, where dinners, concerts, weddings and other events create traffic that jams roadways. Use of scarce groundwater has also become an issue. Agriculture uses 32 to 55 percent of the groundwater in the county, depending on the area. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which Evans helped pass when she was a state legislator in 2014, would limit the use of groundwater and require farmers to measure and report the water they pump. People in the wine business, many of whom support Hopkins, are pressing Sonoma County supervisors to give them a greater say in how the new law is carried out on the local level. Evans said wine industry power brokers are fighting against everything I stand for, and they are willing to put in big bucks to stop it. This campaign is about whether the real people living in Sonoma County will elect a person who will protect our river, our coast, our forests, or elect someone who is being brought to them by industries that could potentially ruin the county, she said. Hopkins, running her first political campaign, called Evans assertions ludicrous but effective in Sonoma Countys political climate. She said her email inbox has been a receptacle for hate mail from people who believe the misinformation coming from the Evans campaign. Misrepresentations were repeated so much, Hopkins said, that she was compelled to make a video in a field strewn with cow patties where she referred to the narrative from the Evans side as bulls. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Hopkins said she opposes event centers on agricultural land and has fought against monoculture by, among other things, converting a vineyard on land she and her husband lease from his parents into a food farm nine years ago. We are very passionate about diversification of agriculture and believe that Sonoma County should be a food producer, she said, promising to work to restore flood plains and habitat along the Russian River. Gravel mining, she said, will not resume on her watch. On the whole, there are more similarities than differences in policies espoused by Evans and Hopkins, though Hopkins is set apart by her support for county pension reform. Hopkins supporters, too, have been on the offensive, criticizing Evans for missing meetings when she was a member of the legislative oversight committee for the California Coastal Conservancy and for taking special-interest money, including donations from casino operators, during previous campaigns. Evans branded the attacks a smear campaign. She noted she was not expected or required to attend the oversight committee hearings, which conflicted with some of her legislative duties. I have 20 years of fighting for the environment, fair treatment of workers, affordable housing, and have proven myself capable of enforcing regulations, Evans said. While she may say she believes the same things ... she has never done it and doesnt know the first thing about doing it. Not only that, but she is being funded by the very people she is supposed to regulate. Hopkins, who started her run for supervisor with no money, said she was surprised to see how her campaign has taken off, especially against an experienced politician like Evans. I thought I would be the long-shot hippie farm-girl candidate, but I have been to every small-town breakfast, crab feed and spaghetti dinner over the past year telling about my ideas, she said. There is a need to bring people to the table because so many people feel left out of the process. I think people saw that I can bring together diverse coalitions of people to get things done. Whoever wins will take over from Carrillo, who was recently sued for $2.5 million for allegedly showing up at a neighbors Santa Rosa home early one morning in July 2013 wearing only socks and underwear, hoping to have sex with her. The 33-year-old supervisor was acquitted of misdemeanor peeking charges in April 2014 after testifying that he was drunk when he made the advance. Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Unity Council Dia de los Muertos Festival got off to a wet start Sunday morning as heavy rain poured over Fruitvale Village in Oakland. Weather probably kept many would-be attendees home. The festival, now in its 21st year, has drawn as many as 100,000 visitors in past years, but this year, Id be happy with 30,000, said Dana Kleinhesselink, Unity Councils senior manager of fund development and communications. But the festival went on at full force nevertheless. Artists stood alongside the altars theyd been commissioned to create. Local business owners greeted people from their booths. Craft makers, some from as far as Oaxaca, Mexico, presented their goods. Musical artists Banda Los Sebastianes and Funky Latin Orchestra performed live. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, Mayor Libby Schaaf and City Councilman Noel Gallo chatted with constituents. The Aztec dance troop Nahui-Ehecatl appeared impervious to the rain, performing all morning to the sounds of lively percussion. Umbrella-wielding crowds formed in a circle around them. Over its 21 years, this Fruitvale festival has evolved into much more than a celebration of the holiday. Its really a chance to highlight East Oakland, said Chris Iglesias, the Unity Council CEO. Its a chance for folks to see our artists, support the local business area, give our community here a voice. Voter turnout was a focal point of this years event. Twenty of the festivals booths were dedicated to get out the vote themes, represented by organizations including the Oakland chapter of the League of Women Voters. Vota (Vote!) signs could be seen around the festival depicting a Donald Trump likeness fashioned as a Day of the Dead-style calavera (skull). The Dia de los Muertos Festival is now Unity Councils largest fundraiser of the year, thanks to corporate sponsorships (this years main sponsors were AEG, which runs the Oakland Coliseum, and MetroPCS), vendor booth revenue and individual donations. Proceeds help fund Unity Councils community development work. For example, Unity Council is the largest provider of Head Start in Oakland, which provides early childhood education to more than 900 families in the East Bay. Although Head Start receives federal money, theres a considerable funding gap between that and its true cost. Given the low turnout at the festival, Kleinhesselink said she expected they would not reach their fundraising goals this year. We will have to be a little more creative about how to recoup our costs. Despite the precipitation, the unmistakable aroma of incense a typical component of Dia de los Muertos altars filled the air throughout Fruitvale Village. Altars, created to honor deceased loved ones, are a central part of the holiday, and while many of the ofrendas (offerings) on the altars are traditional (marigold flowers, pan de muerto, candles, fruit and water), the altars can also be intensely personal, reflecting the personality of the deceased and of the community that survives them. Weather conditions dont stop us from celebrating, said Gonzalo Hidalgo, who has built an altar for the festival every year for 20 years. Rain is something that brings life to us. Its transformation. What is important is to create the portal for the dead to come visit us. At the centerpiece of Hidalgos altar were marigold flowers arranged in the shape of a giant heart. He called it La Educacion es Poder and dedicated it to local educators who had passed away. Inside his booth, a depression in the street surface caused water to rush quickly toward a drain; Hidalgo called it a river. Somos Familia, a Bay Area organization that seeks to encourage acceptance of LGBTQ rights within the Latino community, dedicated its altar to the people who died in the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando in June. We call it Pulso de Amor pulse of love, said Mirna Medina, a coordinator for Somos Familia and the mother of a bisexual son. We celebrate Dia de los Muertos because dying is not the end, Medina said. Theres another cycle that is started. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The celebrities came out to play in their favorite costumes Saturday night at the Casamigos Halloween Party in Los Angeles. The party, which was hosted by Casamigos co-founder Rande Gerber and wife Cindy Crawford, was located in a private residence in Beverly Hills and troves of celebrities flocked to the bash. COCKTAIL TIME: Cool tequila drinks you can make with Casamigos, other tequilas From Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosia to Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, the guest list stretched far and wide across Hollywood's elite. Celebrity couple Hilary Duff and Jason Walsh got criticism over their Native American and sexy pilgram costumes during the bash and they both released an apology for what some are criticizing for being offensive. Leonardo DiCaprio was rumored to be in attendance, though his face wasn't photographed since he wore a wolf mask the whole time along with pack of four fellow masked men. Of all the bashes thrown this weekend, celebrity costume that took home the cake seemed to be Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom as Mr. and Mrs. Clinton. It's no secret that Perry fully supports Hillary Clinton's run for the White House this election season, but she definitely stepped up her campaign for the political veteran by dressing in prosthetic pieces to achieve the look of the Democratic nominee. wowcelebritytv/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images OTHER HALLOWEEN: The Lingerie Fighting Championships celebrated Halloween with costumed matches Many "common folks" were also in attendance at the Casamigos bash Friday night and many had epic costumes as well. But the one that for sure took home the cake was this group of people who appropriately nailed the childhood toy soldier look - standing platforms and all. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Casamigos Tequi Cheers to those guys. To see all the looks of the costumes worn by celebrities, click through the slideshow above. The next Halloween event we all can look forward to is Heidi Klum's over-the-top Halloween bash that she's hosted for the past 15 years. We all are excited to see what the model will come out as this year. YEARS PAST: Heidi Klum's over-the-top Halloween costumes through the years Ranae is a 2009 Helena High graduate and went to Montana State University to earn her business accounting degree. While in her third year at MSU, she joined the U.S. Air Force on Jan. 29, 2013. She met Tory Satterfield while stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls and has been there since July 2013. Tory is from South Carolina and joined the Air Force in November 2009. He has been stationed in Turkey since September 2015. Tory and Ranae were engaged in February 2016 and married in Macon, Georgia, on Oct. 14, 2016. There was also a reception in Helena for the newlyweds for friends and family. Tory will be heading back to Turkey while Ranae is 3 months away from being honorably discharged from her four-year commitment to the Air Force. She will then join Tory at his duty station as soon as she is able after being discharged. Actors and actresses are praised for their gaze-gripping action scenes, but typically there is a stuntman or woman behind the most action-packed scenes. These brave souls are often looked over when the final product comes through, but we should all take a moment to acknowledge the physically and mentally challenging work they all do. After all, not everyone could jump off of a four story building to the ground or have a fight on a fly helicopter. With all four seasons of "Black Mirror" available on Netflix, you might be thinking it's a good time to binge the show. Of course, you're free to live your life. But we don't recommend binging them without putting long breaks in between each episode extended exposure to the horrific truths of "Black Mirror" are apt to leave you catatonic. Or, at the very least, inspire you to take a hammer to your TV screen. CHARLESTON, S.C. A jury being chosen this week in Charleston will have to decide whether a white former police officer is guilty of murder in the shooting of an unarmed black motorist that shocked the nation after a bystander released cell phone video of the confrontation. Michael Slagers attorney contends there was more to the incident than what appeared on the widely seen video clip showing Walter Scotts shooting, including a fight between the pair and a tussle over the officers Taser. Coincidentally, the same week that a panel is being seated in the Slager case, jury selection begins for the trial of a former University of Cincinnati police officer who like Slager stands accused of murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black man. Prospective jurors will be questioned Monday for Ray Tensings trial on murder and voluntary manslaughter charges in the shooting of Sam DuBose in July 2015. Tensing pulled DuBose over for a missing front license plate. The traffic stop ended in the fatal shooting of DuBose. The shootings are among a series nationwide that have sparked debates over race and policing in cities from New York and Chicago to Ferguson, Mo.; Baton Rouge, La.; Tulsa, Okla.; and Charlotte, N.C. Chris Stewart, an attorney for the Scott family, sees the Slager case as a blueprint for others involving police and minorities. When an officer is prosecuted, will you get justice? he asks. The verdict is huge. It needs to serve as a lesson to officers that if you break the law, you dont just get away. Slager, who turns 35 in November, faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted in the shooting that occurred after he pulled Scott over for a broken taillight. Family members have said Scott may have run because he was $18,000 behind on child support and worried he might have to go back to jail. Attorney Andy Savage, who represents Slager, says the brief video clip thats been circulated on the Internet does not show the entire incident. He says the footage also shows the two men tussling on the ground, with Scott on top of the officer as they wrestle, and Slager warning Scott that he will shoot. When the cell phone video surfaced two days after the incident, Slager was fired, arrested and charged with murder. Last year, the city of North Charleston reached a $6.5 million civil settlement with Scotts family. KGO-TV / / Three Richmond police officers will be fired for contact they had with a teenager at the center of a wide-ranging sex scandal involving law enforcement officers from around the Bay Area, the citys manager said Sunday. Richmond officials began firing a fourth officer and disciplining at least eight others last month, following an internal affairs probe into text messages, social media activity and interviews with the sexually exploited 19-year-old, who used the online alias Celeste Guap. Heres what I love most about being a Montanan: I love the outdoors. I love that any of us can trek into millions of acres of public forests, mountains, streams and rivers with a fly rod, a rifle or a pair of binoculars and we dont need special permission. I love that my wife Lisa and I are able send our three kids to the same public schools we attended when we were young. And we know our children are in the good hands of good teachers who take pride in their commitment to our kids and their future. Over the past four years Montana made responsible investments improving the quality of public education, resulting in more high school graduates than ever before. I love the fact that Republicans and Democrats arent afraid to put politics aside to do whats right for all of us. Over the past few years, Republicans and Democrats worked together to bring health care to 57,000 Montanans who previously didnt have it. We worked together to find solutions to our energy challenges. I love that Montanans believe in a transparent and open government. I love that our state government lives within its means just like Montana families do. We value lower taxes and a vast majority of us stand firm against imposing a statewide sales tax on hard-working middle-class Montana families. You dont have to be a millionaire to love these things about Montana. Thats why Im running to serve as your governor for another term, because opportunity belongs to all of us. Ive now had the privilege of serving you for the past eight years the first four years as Montanas Attorney General and the past four as your governor. Over that time weve seen consistent economic growth and we led the nation in household income growth last year. I insisted we balance the budget with a responsible Rainy Day Fund to weather the economic factors that are out of our control. More Montanans are working now than ever before. For the fourth year in a row, Montana has ranked top in the country for business startups. Weve beaten back attempts by outside special interests to try and sell of our public lands to the highest bidder. Weve lowered taxes. Weve made college more affordable and weve built up our economy to allow businesses to create better and more good-paying jobs. We have more work to do, but dont let any out-of-state millionaire politician try to tell you Montana is something its not. My opponent, Mr. Gianforte, has become comfortable betting against the hard work of Montanans. Hes dumped in more than $3 million of his own money in an attempt to buy your vote. He publicly lobbied for a statewide sales tax, and then tried to deny it. He sued to keep Montanans out of a public access site near his home, and then denied it. Mr. Gianforte stated that he thinks public schools are a monopoly and has funded controversial organizations that support job-killing discrimination and efforts to sell of our public lands. His so-called tax plan would blow a hole in Montanas Rainy Day Fund in order to give tax breaks to millionaires like him, while sticking the rest of us with practically nothing. Simply put, Mr. Gianfortes Montana looks a lot different than the Montana most of us know and love. In these final weeks of this wild election season, I ask that we all remind Mr. Gianforte that Montana is not, and never will be, for sale. And I ask for your vote of confidence in me for four more years. Steve Bullock is the governor of Montana. America has had numerous presidents since that time. In my opinion, Bill Clinton was the worst one. He tried very hard to destroy our Second Amendment to the Constitution, also brought scandal and disrespect to the White House. If Hillary Clinton is elected president, she will also try very hard to destroy the Second Amendment and the First Amendment as well. Getty Images / / A 14-year-old boy was seriously injured Saturday night when he was struck by a vehicle while riding a skateboard in San Franciscos Parkside neighborhood, police said. The teen, who was not identified, was skateboarding around 8 p.m. with two other teens southbound on 22nd Avenue when he was hit by a Honda sport utility vehicle going west on Ulloa Street, said Sgt. Michael Andraychak, a spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department. This story originally appeared in the Washington Post. An Uber driver has been arrested on kidnapping and assault charges after he took an unconscious female customer to a Maryland motel instead of dropping her off at her home, according to police. The man is seen on motel surveillance video pulling the woman from the back seat of a car and carrying her motionless body to a room, then staying in the motel for some time before leaving, police charging documents state. Westagne Pierre, 29 of Greenbelt, was arrested Thursday and has also been charged with theft after he used the woman's credit card, according to a statement of charges from Prince George's County Police. Esteban Gergely, an attorney for Pierre, said his client denies there was lack of consent the evening he took the woman to the motel. The incident began Oct. 18 when the woman experienced an alcohol-induced "blackout" in Washington, District of Columbia, charging records state. A friend of the woman called an Uber for her and requested she be transported to her home in Fairfax County, Virginia, the records state. An Uber driver identified as "Westange" took the woman from D.C. to her home, but then drove her to a Budget Inn in College Park, Maryland, police said. Surveillance video at the motel shows the driver went to the lobby and paid for a room. "Surveillance video then shows the Defendant go back to his vehicle and pull the Victim out of the back seat," charging documents state. "The Defendant then lifts the Victim into the air, and wraps his arms around her so her feet are not touching the ground." The man carries the woman into a motel room and spends time in the room before leaving and heading to a nearby 7-Eleven where he purchased various items with the woman's credit card, police said. Authorities arrested the man after matching images of him from surveillance video at the motel and 7-Eleven with a driver's license photo, charging documents state. Gergely said Pierre was released from custody after paying $250 in bond, which was lowered substantially from the $150,000 to be originally posted. Gergely said the reduced bond reflects lack of strong evidence in the case. "The facts of the case are very peculiar and they fall extremely short of being incriminating," Gergely said. "There were no facts in the statement of charges that suggested he did any injury or trauma." Gergely said that at a bail hearing on Friday the judge questioned whether there was enough probable cause to detain his client. "She's saying she doesn't remember anything," Gergely said. "If she doesn't remember anything, she certainly doesn't remember saying, 'I don't want these things to happen." Uber confirmed Friday that the company contacted police and removed the driver from the app as soon as the rider reported concerns to the company on Oct. 19. "This is deeply upsetting," Uber spokeswoman Brooke Anderson said. "The driver has been banned from the app and we have been working closely with police to support the investigation." This story originally appeared in the Washington Post. Republican candidate for governor Greg Gianforte lectures Montanans about the continued production of coal in Montana, in denial of the changing energy market, domestic and international, as well as the moral imperative to diminish the burning of coal in consideration of climate change and its profound effects on the lives of the generations to follow us. Peabody Coal, founded in 1883, declared bankruptcy, as has Arch Coal, Alpha Natural Resources, Patriot Coal, Walter Energy, all to chapter 11. This represents a combined loss of 30 billion in stock market value in six years, with concomitant employment losses around the country and beyond. Even though coal prices are down, coal production continues to decline due to the conversion of coal-fired power plants to natural gas, with its lower costs. In 2008 coal supplied 50 percent of U.S. power consumption, now it is 30 percent, and headed lower. Half of U.S. coal production is done by bankrupt corporations. Debt plays a significant part of these bankruptcies as do foolish acquisitions -- blame that on incompetent corporate management. Gianfortes policy is the same as the other Montana Republicans Daines and Zinke, free market fundamentalists. Theres obvious incongruity, hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance in their political stance, which ironically contradicts their private enterprise/free market dogma, which preaches the joys of capitalism and its creative destruction, as best described by one of their saints -- Joseph Schumpeter. This tenet dictates winners and losers over time as technological improvements inevitably march onward. Buggy whip manufacturing jobs are gone. Jobs are being created in the wind and solar industries, sectors that are less volatile than commodities such as coal and oil, which have always been mercurial. All of these matters are worldwide phenomena that are easily discernible to all but those whose world ends at the fence in their front yard. Environmental reasons for redirecting our energy sources have been accepted by all who realize the reality and seriousness of climate change, due to human activity, and who think of their grandchildren with humanity, compassion, forethought. Environmental cleanups will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars in the United States; Peabody Coal alone includes huge open pit mines in Wyoming and elsewhere. Damage to water, land and wildlife from these corporations are widespread; these corporations have now declared bankruptcy; the taxpayers will now be paying for the cleanup. Sound familiar? Regulatory costs are a secondary reason for coals decline. It's price and markets. And the regulations relating to carbon emissions are for a profound societal need -- a habitable planet for our grandchildren. Sorry, but thats a lot more important than a few hundred jobs in coal. It is reasonable to offer government assistance to the most severely and directly affected by coal industry's decline. Gianfortes denial of the facts regarding coal is parallel to his belief in the fundamentalist creationism claptrap. Facts are facts; assess, adapt and plan accordingly and, most importantly, consider our children and grandchildren. Wayne Chamberlin Helena As chief of the Lewis and Clark VFD, I can attest to the many hours my volunteers commit every year working to protect our rural areas providing fire and medical services to our community. It is reassuring to know that many people appreciate our efforts, including elected or former elected officials. Hal Jacobson is a former member of the Montana House of Representatives who always supported the volunteer fire departments. Over the years we have asked very little of the Legislature, but when we have, we knew that we could count on legislators like Hal. Hal is now running for the Senate and we know that we can count on him to support us again. Please join me in voting for Hal Jacobson for Senate District 40. Thank you. Wally Jester, Lewis and Clark VFD Chief Helena Now is an opportunity to elect the first Native American female to the U.S. Congress. Denise Juneau has an outstanding record of developing successful programs in education for all of Montana. She has proven herself to be an outstanding collaborator, which is a skill desperately needed in the U.S. Congress to complete the agendas that have been left undone in our U.S. Congress. I will share views from the four major candidates for president regarding one area of concern -- foreign policy. Gary Johnson, Libertarian -- We should reduce military expenditures by 43 percent. We dont need 100,000 troops in Europe. We need to stop our interventionist policies. Hillary Clinton, Democrat -- We have to defeat ISIS on the battlefield by intensifying the coalition air campaign, stepping up support for local Syrian and Kurdish forces on the ground, and stemming the flow of Jihadists from the US and Europe to the Middle East. Donald Trump, Republican -- We will increase spending on the military and we will rein in wasteful military expenditures. We have to take out ISIS and take out their families. And we should send ground troops into Syria. Jill Stein, Green Party -- We will establish a foreign policy based on diplomacy, international law, and human rights; cut military spending by 50 percent and close our foreign military bases; stop supplying weapons to other countries and rebel groups; end the use of assassination as a foreign policy tool. It appears that Clinton and Trump would increase military expenditures while Johnson and Stein would decrease military expenditures if elected. So whats the real choice for voters? If you want more war and more military expenditures, vote for either Clinton or Trump. If you want to decrease military expenditures and take a break from war making, vote for either Johnson or Stein. Dan Grenz Boulder The best part of The Red Demon is what in many other shows would be the least theatrical: the narration. Hideki Nodas 1997 play, which has been performed in many different languages around the world and whose West Coast premiere opened Friday, Oct. 28, in a Theatre of Yugen production, is told by Tombi (Steven Ho), the nitwit brother of the heroine, a title he accepts with glee: Has a nice ring to it, he says. His lines have deep pathos, and not just because everyone in his seaside village derides him, often justly. As translated from the Japanese by Roger Pulvers, his words are poetic: When people like me who have something missing upstairs tell stories, the stories always have something missing, too. In moments such as these, Ho is pitch perfect, wide-eyed and bracing to flinch, in case someone should attack what he says or simply give him a bop on the head for his stupidity. Yet at the same time, he has the quiet firmness of someone whose intentions are pure and who knows hes dispelling rumors and telling the truth. Much in Tombis story, which is part parable about xenophobia, part fairy tale, shares that poetic quality. The show centers on a mysterious being (Lluis Valls) who lands on the beach of the insular village where Tombi and his sister, That Woman (Ayelet Firstenberg), live. (Like her brother, shes the object of derision, but for her nonconformity rather than stupidity; for much of the play, she doesnt even get a real name.) The being is instantly labeled a demon, partly because of his reddish skin and strange gestures, but mostly because he doesnt speak the local language. (Valls, whos originally from Barcelona, delivers the demons lines partly as guttural noises, partly in Catalan.) While director Nick Ishimaru creates some poignant moments, much in this production misses the mark. Anachronisms confuse. Ensemble characters text and wield selfie sticks yet dont know if theres land beyond the sea, or even the shape of the Earth. At times the play seems to exist wholly outside of time and outside of the real world, but then periodic American references We hold these truths to be self-evident, the demon declares, once he and That Woman find a way to communicate jar and pander, as if an American audience would be able to connect to the plays messages about nationalism and hate only if we got to hear a few lines from the Declaration of Independence. The relationship between That Woman and the Red Demon also seems not fully thought through. At one point, we learn theyve been talking for three days but that That Woman hasnt thought to ask him where hes come from or what his home is like. At another, That Woman can suddenly understand the stories and pictures the Red Demon has painted on the walls of the cave where hes held prisoner, with no explanation as to how shes magically come across that ability to translate. What draws them together, an important part of the plays theme, is also left underdeveloped. The production is further hampered by amateurish acting. While Valls, a longtime Theatre of Yugen ensemble member, does as usual very fine clowning and physical theater work, other members of the cast are timid and unfocused in their roles. It doesnt even seem like the townspeople really fear the demon will eat them, which is supposed to drive the whole play. In their vision, the titular character is less of a demon and more of a harmless clown. Lily Janiak is The San Francisco Chronicles theater critic. Email: ljaniak@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LilyJaniak The Red Demon: By Hideki Noda. Translated by Roger Pulvers. Directed by Nick Ishimaru. Through Nov. 13. Two hours. $18-$25. Noh Space, 2840 Mariposa St., S.F. (415) 621-0507. www.theatreofyugen.org After getting booed off the ice in their previous home game, the Buffalo Sabres received a standing ovation from the crowd at KeyBank Center on Saturday. Anders Nilsson made 33 saves and Sam Reinhart had a goal and an assist for Buffalo in a 3-0 victory over the Florida Panthers. Johan Larsson and Kyle Okposo also scored and the Sabres snapped a four-game winless streak. Buffalo had one goal in its first two home games, but scored in all three periods Saturday. Thats the way we have to play, Reinhart said. Right from the start with that mentality, and thats been the struggle this year. To finally come out with a big push in the first and continue that with all four lines was important for us tonight. The Panthers have lost five of six and are winless in the first three games of a four-game trip. Nilsson, starting his third straight game in place of Robin Lehner, made 13 saves in the third period. Floridas Vincent Trocheck shot high on a penalty shot with 57 seconds left. It was the first shutout for Nilsson since March 4, 2012, during his rookie season with the Edmonton Oilers. Of course, thats always nice, but I think the most important thing is the two points we got tonight, Nilsson said. Thats huge for us and it means a lot for our confidence. Wild 4, Stars 0: Devan Dubnyk stopped 29 shots for his third straight shutout as host Minnesota improved to 6-2-1. Usually when it gets to a 4-0 game, youre happy with the win and if the shutout happens, great. But you dont really get nervous, Dubnyk said. That was probably the first time I started to get a little nervous toward the end of a 4-0 game. But its fun. Bruins 1, Red Wings 0: Tuukka Rask made 23 saves and Tim Schaller scored with 2:11 left in the second period as visiting Boston snapped a three-game losing streak and ended Detroits six-game winning streak. Rasks 31st career shutout came in his first outing back from a lower-body injury that shelved him for three games. Jimmy Howard stopped 35 shots for the Red Wings, but Schallers goal ended Howards shutout streak at 156 minutes, 2 seconds. Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 1: Shea Weber scored a power-play goal at 7:24 of the third period to snap a 1-1 tie as host Montreal improved to 8-0-1 by beating Toronto for the 11th consecutive time. Carey Price made 37 saves for the Canadiens. Blues 1, Kings 0: Jake Allen stopped 27 shots for his 12th career shutout and Jaden Schwartz scored at 3:43 of the third period for host St. Louis. Schwartz got the first goal by a Blues forward in 169:22. Its nice seeing it go in. Ive been missing too many, Schwartz said. Penguins 5, Flyers 4: Evgeni Malkin scored two goals, including the tie-breaker in the third period, and Sidney Crosby also scored twice as visiting Pittsburgh won for the fourth time in five games. Philadelphias Jakub Voracek scored two goals, including one on a penalty shot. Devils 3, Lightning 1: Adam Henrique and Damon Severson set up each other for first-period goals and Cory Schneider stopped 32 shots for host New Jersey, which had lost five in a row against Tampa Bay. Avalanche 3, Coyotes 2: Matt Duchene scored twice and Colorado held off host Arizona. The Coyotes, just back from a 1-5 trip, took the lead on Radim Vrbatas goal five minutes into the first period, but the Avalanche scored the next three. Capitals 5, Canucks 2: Marcus Johansson had two goals and an assist and T.J. Oshie added a goal and an assist as visiting Washington handed Vancouver its fifth consecutive loss. Philipp Grubauer stopped 23 shots to improve to 2-0 this season. Briefly: Senators goalie Craig Anderson, who had taken a leave of absence after his wife was diagnosed with cancer, has returned to the team, NHL.com reported. Andersons return comes as backup goalie Andrew Hammond heads for injured reserve after he suffered a lower-body injury in a loss to Calgary on Friday. ... Wild forwards Zach Parise and Marco Scandella are week-to-week after each suffered a lower-body injury Thursday in a game against the Sabres. MANILA Philippine aerial surveillance showed Chinese coast guard ships were still guarding a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, but they did not harass or stop Filipinos from fishing there for the first time in years, the Philippine defense secretary said Sunday. The fishermens return to Scarborough Shoal, which China effectively seized in 2012, was a most welcome development because it brings back their key source of livelihood, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said. China granted access to the tiny, uninhabited shoal 123 nautical miles from the northern Philippines after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte met with President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders this month. A Philippine navy plane spotted at least four Chinese coast guard ships around the shoal during a surveillance flight on Saturday, Lorenzana said. Flybys of our planes reported Chinese coast guard ships are still there, but our fishermen were fishing unmolested, Lorenzana said, adding that the government would try to carry out surveillance flights regularly in the area. Its unclear how long China would keep the shoal open to Filipinos or if there were any conditions attached. National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said, There are no written agreements or rules, but Filipino fishermen who went there lately attest that they were not driven away nor were accosted. Duterte made clear that the dispute over the shoal was far from over. He said he insisted in his talks with Chinese leaders that the shoal belonged to the Philippines, but that the Chinese also asserted their claim of ownership. Since 2012, Chinese coast guard ships had driven Filipino fishermen away from the area, sometimes with the use of water cannons. Farther south in the Spratly Islands, China went on to construct seven islands in recent years despite protests from other claimants and the U.S., which insists on freedom of navigation in what it considers international waters. Deputy U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday in Beijing that Chinas withdrawal from Scarborough Shoal would be welcomed by Washington. Blinken said it would be consistent with an international arbitration ruling in July that invalidated Beijings sweeping territorial claims in the South China Sea. Xero has overhauled its executive structure in its drive to generate $1 billion in revenue, appointing a new head of its Americas operation and giving chief financial officer Sankar Narayan more responsibility to build out the business. The Wellington-based company's new management structure will see country managers reporting to chief executive Rod Drury, the disestablishment of Andy Lark's chief marketing and revenue officer position and the creation of a chief marketing officer role to focus on brand and marketing, Xero said in a statement. The establishment of the chief people officer and chief accounting roles free up CFO Narayan "to broaden his focus to drive operational outcomes and revenue globally," it said. Xero has hired former Capital One executive Keri Gohman to run its Americas business, which she will run from Denver "where future US operational investments will be focused, supporting Xero's hubs in San Francisco, New York, Austin and Seattle" when she starts in December, it said. The cloud-based accounting software developer's current US head, Russ Fujioka, will leave the company at the end of the year, and Andy Lark will also depart. Xero expects to cross the one million customers this year, and has set a target of achieving $1 billion in annual revenue. The company had 717,000 customers as at March 31 with annualised monthly committed revenue of $258 million for its cloud-based accounting software. The shares were unchanged at $17.84, and have dropped 9.9 percent so far this year. BusinessDesk.co.nz Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: AIA - Auckland Airport announces executive team change South Port NZ Ltd - 2022 Annual Meeting ENS - Rights Issue Offer Document NZK - Resignation of NZKS Chief Executive SML - Executive Leadership Team appointment SCL - Meateor and Fayman Settlement & Market Update November 1st Morning Report NZME Investor Day 2022 Virtual Event SPG - Changes to Executive Team HGH - Details for the Heartland 2022 Annual Shareholder Meeting China, New Zealand's second-largest tourism market, is set for further growth with an extra 20 weekly flights scheduled by the end of this year. "More than 50 flights operate between China and New Zealand each week but I can tell you by the end of the year, more than 70 flights (will) operate between Auckland, Christchurch and the major cities of China, not necessarily those cities on the east bit of China but also you can go west, go to the hinterland of China," Zhang Fan, the economic and commercial counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand, told the New Zealand Tourism Investment Summit in Auckland. "This certainly gives the consumers of both China and New Zealand more options, more choices and also more competitive prices." New Zealand tourism arrivals rose 11 percent to a record 3.4 million in the year through September, with Chinese arrivals jumping 24 percent to 406,000, according to the latest data. The conference has been organised by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to help New Zealand businesses better capitalise on burgeoning growth in the Chinese tourism market and encourage Chinese investment in this countrys stretched tourism infrastructure. Tourism Industry Aotearoa chief executive Chris Roberts told the conference new infrastructure was required to meet expected growth. "There is investment happening, we just need a lot more of it," Roberts said. "We are currently experiencing unprecedented growth and there are very good reasons to expect that strong growth to continue. New Zealand undoubtedly is an attractive place to visit and more and more of the world wants to come here. "The biggest concern today is a constraint of capital, will there be sufficient investment in time to respond to the demand and to maximise the potential of the tourism growth," Roberts said. "New Zealand would benefit greatly from more foreign investment in our tourism industry." Still, some Chinese investors have suggested New Zealanders are more reticent to accept investment from their country. "We are quite aware investment sometimes can be very sensitive in a foreign country, especially here in New Zealand when foreign investors come here to purchase land, however tourism in this country is facing a lot of challenges," the Chinese embassy's Zhang Fan said. "Challenges means opportunities." "Our focus is not limited to just hotels, which was just a small part of the supply chain," he said. "We can broaden our view to a large area, to the whole supply chain of the tourism industry." BusinessDesk.co.nz Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: AIA - Auckland Airport announces executive team change South Port NZ Ltd - 2022 Annual Meeting ENS - Rights Issue Offer Document NZK - Resignation of NZKS Chief Executive SML - Executive Leadership Team appointment SCL - Meateor and Fayman Settlement & Market Update November 1st Morning Report NZME Investor Day 2022 Virtual Event SPG - Changes to Executive Team HGH - Details for the Heartland 2022 Annual Shareholder Meeting This year, there is one contested race involving candidates running for the Montana Supreme Court. Judge Dirk Sandefur is one of those candidates. For 14 years, Judge Sandefur has presided as a District Judge in Cascade County. Judge Sandefur is an outstanding trial judge who has earned the respect and support of the prosecutors, criminal defense lawyers, and civil lawyers not only in Cascade County, but also throughout the state of Montana. The lawyers that practice before him, the jurors in his trials, and the parties involved have recognized his high moral character, fairness, balanced demeanor, and sharp intellect. KALISPELL Turns out Lone Coyote Lake, the name a Kalispell couple has proposed for a small lake near their home, may not be a shoo-in. Two people have come forward to say they believe the 10-acre lake already has a name, even if none has appeared on U.S. Geological Survey maps for some six decades. One says its Mohn Lake. The other says no, its Moon Lake. The responses came after Gerry Daumiller, Montanas geographic names adviser, sought public comment on a proposal by John and Sharon Ramsey to give the lake, a portion of which sits on their property, a name. Their suggestion, Lone Coyote Lake, would match the name of the road they live on, Lone Coyote Trail. Neither the Ramseys, nor Daumiller, could find evidence that the lake already had a name. The Ramseys were interested in stocking what they had always called the pond with fish, but said they had been told by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks that couldnt happen if the body of water didnt have a name. The Missoulian published a story about the suggestion, and the process for naming or re-naming geographic features in Montana, on Oct. 23. Since then, Daumiller has heard from two other area residents who say they think the lake already has a name. One believes it was named for Mathis Mohn, who owned land around the lake from 1898 to 1937, and donated the property south of the lake in 1911 where the Stillwater Free Lutheran Church is located. The other person pointed out that another road that juts off Lone Coyote Trail near the lake is named Moon Lake Trail. They believe that road was named after the lake, as opposed to the current proposal to name the lake after another road. So Daumiller, a geographer with the Montana State Library, is seeking more input. Anyone with knowledge of the Moon Lake or Mohn Lake names, or with knowledge of documents showing either name, is asked to contact him at 406-444-5358, at gdaumiller@mt.gov, or at P.O. Box 201800, Helena, MT 59620. It is Daumillers job to give the states official recommendation on such name proposals to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, which has the final say. And, on another matter, FWP has clarified its requirements for stocking an unnamed lake. Jannice Richardson, an administrative supervisor with the agency, says a one-time stocking permit is available. FWP would then assign a name to the lake, just so it can track the results in its system. Richardson says the Ramseys were informed of this in August, but that was after they had begun the process to propose Lone Coyote as the name for the lake. CHARLESTON -- Schools in Coles County, again, are hoping for an alternate revenue source to pull from through the sales tax referendum this year. For a third time, a proposal will be on the ballot, that, if passed, would include Coles County among 39 others that imposed a 1-percent sales tax for school facilities purposes made possible by the County School Facility Occupation Tax. A similar referendum has been turned down twice. Unlike the previous attempts that were placed on primary election ballots, this will be the first time the referendum will be proposed in the general election, which historically has a much larger voter turnout. The referendum would allow schools the ability to pull from a new revenue source. The revenue could also used to pay off bonds or other obligations issued. School facility purposes would also include fire prevention, safety, energy conservation, accessibility, school security and specified repair purposes set forth in the school code. The money received from the tax would be disbursed based on enrollment. Mattoon schools would get an estimated $2.5 million in sales tax revenue annually; Charleston schools, $2.05 million; and Oakland schools, $118,252. However, if passed, the school districts will get a little less than that in the first year. The sales tax would not go into effect until July 1, the start of the state fiscal year, and would be a roughly four-month lag until the schools start seeing money, Larry Lilly, Mattoon superintendent, said. Because it will be pooling money from sales taxes, approximately 30 percent of the funding would come from visitors outside the county, Lilly said. Much of the argument against the referendum comes from a worry that it is connected to increased property taxes. While the Coles Citizens for Progress Committee, a group opposing the tax, declined to comment on the referendum, Les Combs, who is involved in the organization, said that once the referendum is passed, the school districts would have unlimited access to raise property taxes by issuing bonds without a referendum. Combs and the opposition group has cited an Illinois Association of School Boards journal entry dated in the summer of 2008 to support their claim. Once a sales tax question is passed in the county and the schools learn how much revenue it will generate, the district can sell alternate revenue bonds or 'double-barreled" bonds,' " the journal states. A double-barreled bond provides the school districts and other taxing bodies the ability to pull from another revenue source, namely property taxes, should the intended revenue source not meet the needs of the bond payment. In these cases, the choice to dip into property taxes would not require a referendum. According to state statute, though, these powers to the school districts are already in place. State Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, confirmed this in a letter to constituents last week. He said the statute does not alter the legal authority school districts already have regarding the issuance of bonds. Concern has also arisen over the potential for the schools to levy or ask for above Property Tax Extension Law Limit, which caps the increase in spending a taxing district can ask for. Kirk Swenson of Citizens for Coles County Schools, a support group for the tax, said he wants the control of revenue in the local schools instead of in state legislature's hands through general state aid, which has historically been less than promised by the state. 2016 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #44 Posted on 30 October 2016 by John Hartz Story of the Week... SkS Highlights...La Nina Update... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Graphic of the Week... SkS Spotlights... Video of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... Climate Feedback Reviews... SkS Week in Review... 97 Hours of Consensus... Story of the Week... The Paris Agreement, slated to come into force on the 4 November, contains a two-pronged, long-term goal for limiting global warming holding to well-below 2C above pre-industrial levels and a more ambitious aim to limit the temperature increase to 1.5C. A new study, just published in Science, shows what difference the extra 0.5C of warming could make for Mediterranean habitats during this century. A 2C temperature rise would be enough to cause shifts in Mediterranean ecosystems that are unmatched in the past 10,000 years, the study says. Only limiting warming to no more than 1.5C would keep ecosystem changes within the fluctuations of the Earths recent past. And if greenhouse emissions arent curbed at all, the study warns that the warm forests of southern Spain and North Africa will likely be taken over by desert by the end of the century. Warming of 2C will push Mediterranean habitats into unprecedented situation by Robert McSweeney, Carbon Brief, Oct 27, 2016 SkS Highlights... Using the metric of comments garnered, the two most popular of the articles posted on SkS during the past week are: La Nina Update... This time last year the worlds weather was being dominated by one of the strongest El Nino events on record. As surface waters in the equatorial Eastern Pacific warmed by more than 2C, a chain reaction of extreme weather events was set in motion. From torrential rains in Peru and huge storms pounding the coast of California, to drought and bushfire in Australia and Indonesia and catastrophic floods in south-east India (submerging parts of Chennai under eight metres of water), this El Nino really packed some punch. By May 2016 the El Nino conditions had gone, but the big question now is whether El Ninos opposite phase La Nina is waiting in the wings? La Nina, which is associated with abnormal cooling of equatorial Eastern Pacific waters, usually does follow El Nino, and in this case wed expect to see La Nina emerge by the end of this year or in early 2017. And like El Nino, La Nina also tends to whip up some weird weather, often bringing cooler temperatures to many regions, drier conditions to East Africa and wetter weather over south-east Asia. After El Nino, what weird weather could La Nina bring? by Kate Ravilious, Guardian, Oct 23, 2016 CLIMATE PREDICTIONSKIND OF like romantic comediesare full of will they/wont they suspense. Like this years La Nina. In September, the National Weather Service cancelled its months-long lookout for the climate phenomenonwhich, as a counterpoint to El Nino, is associated with cooler overall global temperatures. Then, last week, the agency reversed. Its Climate Prediction Center predicted a 70 percent chance of La Nina forming, and folded that prediction into its Winter Weather Outlook. If true, that means the next few months will be warm and dry in the southern half of the US; wet and cool in the north. Why Scientists Keep Changing the Forecast for a La Nina Winter by Nick Stockton, Science, Wired, Oct 27, 2016 Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... A firm plan for potentially easing the shipping industrys impact on the climate will be delayed for seven years under a roadmap drafted by a United Nations agency on Friday. The lackluster outcome at the end of a week of environmental talks in London deepened the disparity between ship and plane operators and much of the rest of the world when it comes to tackling global warming. The shipping industry participated in the negotiations on behalf of some nations. The U.N. agency, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), described Fridays agreement as another good news story for the #environment on Twitter even as it was being broadly criticized by others. The fact that theres a roadmap is good, said John Maggs, a policy advisor at the nonprofit Seas At Risk who attended the talks. But he criticized it for lacking targets or meaningful timelines and for lacking ambition. Theres nothing in the roadmap. Shipping Industry Postpones Climate Plan Until 2023 by John Upton, Climate Central, Oct 28, 2016 Graphic of the Week... Arctic sea ice is at a record low and could, in spurts, disappear within our lifetimes by Jason Samenow, Capital Weather Gang, Washington Post, Oct 27, 2016 SkS Spotlights... The National Geographic documentary series deals with the political realities of climate change that our presidential election has largely ignored. Years of Living Dangerously Returns To Television Sunday by John Light, Bill Mowers & Company, Oct 28, 2016 Video of the Week... See How Arctic Sea Ice Is Losing Its Bulwark Against Warming Summers by Maria-Jose Vinas, NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center, Oct 28, 2016 Coming Soon on SkS... Coal doesn't help the poor; it makes them poorer (Dana) (Dana) US Transportation Sector Emissions Comparable to 1980 Mt. St Helens Eruption Occurring Every 3 Days (Ryan Logtenberg) (Ryan Logtenberg) Global weirding Episode 3 (Katharine Hayhoe) (Katharine Hayhoe) Guest Post (John Abraham) (John Abraham) The Climate Questions the Next President Should Answer (Brian Kahn & Andrea Thompson) (Brian Kahn & Andrea Thompson) 2016 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #45 (John Hartz) (John Hartz) 2016 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Waming Digest #45 (John Hartz) Poster of the Week... Climate Feedback Reviews... Climate Feedback asked its network of scientists to review Hillary Clinton Boards The Climate Crisis Train To Nowhere by Roy Spenser (Forbes, Oct 25, 2016). Eight scientists analyzed the article and estimated its overall scientific credibility to be very low. Click here to access the detailed review. SkS Week in Review... 97 Hours of Consensus... Lonnie Thompson's bio page and Quote source High resolution JPEG (1024 pixels wide) DECATUR -- Nine candidates for the Macon County Board will face one another this November for five seats. The positions, in three county districts, will see five incumbents on the board, with experience ranging from more than 20 years to just over five months, finding themselves up against newcomers this November. Six incumbent board members running for re-election in District 2, 3, 4 and 6 are unopposed. District One: Linda Little, Republican Rachel Joy, Democrat District one sees one of the most tenured member of the board in Linda Little going against political newcomer Rachel Joy. Little, 54, has served on the board for 20 years and currently serves as its vice chairman. A tax department clerk at Archer Daniels Midland Co., Little says her experience and track record of fiscal responsibility makes her a valuable asset as the board faces uncertain financial issues due to a declining tax base and loss of state funds. If re-elected I will continue to examine budgets closely and continue to look for areas to cut costs with minimal negative impact, she said. I will continue to work with officeholders to find new revenue streams and more efficient ways to do business. My record shows that I am not afraid to make hard, often unpopular, decisions such as cutting budgets or freezing officeholders salaries. Joy, 45, has never held an elected office before, but says she is committed to doing what she can to instill growth in the local economy. Currently the Community Relations manager and compliance officer for the city of Champaign, Joy has previously worked in such leadership and volunteer roles as the Decatur Housing Authority. Joy said that serving as an elected official would expand her ability to ensure the needs of the county and its citizens are fully met. I've worked collaboratively and in partnership with organized labor and worked on workforce development training programs to increase minority access and participation, she said. In addition to that range of experience, my college education and personal passion for community are all assets I will bring to the county board. District Five: Patricia Patty Cox, Republican Debra Kraft, Republican Jeffrey Doyle, Democrat Two incumbent Republicans face off against one Democrat in a district where the top votegetters will claim a seat on the board. Cox, 56, has served on the Macon County Board for 14 years and currently is chairman of the countys transportation committee and vice chairman on its finance committee. Along with her job as stock transfer department clerk at Hickory Point Bank & Trust, Cox has also served the past 22 years as the South Macon Township supervisor. If re-elected, Cox said she hopes to continue to focus on keeping property taxes low and assuring that money for infrastructure is spent wisely. (Ill) make sure that as a board member I can keep the levies and taxes down, she said. Despite the role of incumbent, Debra Kraft is the newest member of the board after being appointed in May to fill the vacancy left by Keith Ashbys departure. As well as owner and operator of Blackland Transport Inc., Kraft has served as a trustee of the Blue Mound Memorial Library District and precinct committeeman for Blue Mound Township. Kraft, 63, said she still has much to offer as a board member and that her leadership skills provide valuable asset for the board. I believe I can build relationships with my fellow board members and county office holders to make decisions that will benefit the people of Macon County, she said. I have the ability to listen and consider all aspects of a given situation. While he has never held an elected position before, the Macon County board has held an interest for Jeffrey Doyle and his family. Both his parents served on the board in the past, and the 56-year-old said the being involved in politics must have rubbed off on him. Doyle, a retired Macon County deputy, currently serves as store manager of Altorfer Car Rental. After retiring as a lieutenant in charge of the detective division, Doyle said he sees the county board as another opportunity to serve the people of Macon County. With my knowledge of the sheriffs office and the workings of county government, I look forward to getting involved, he said. District Five (for an unexpired two-year term): Grant Noland, Republican Susan Sue Clark, Democrat The other race in District 5 sees incumbent Grant Noland face his first election challenge as he goes against small-business owner Sue Clark. Noland, 32, was appointed to the board in May 2015 and serves on the environmental, education, health & welfare and justice committees. A farmer who works with his familys business, Noland Farms, Noland has also served as the at-large director for Illinois Corn Growers Association for four years. As the youngest member and only farmer of the board, Noland said it is important for the board to have members of generational and occupational differences to ensure a true snapshot of the population. If re-elected, Noland said he would continue to push for fiscal responsibility to ensure the future prospects of the county. My wife and I are raising our three children here, and our family's businesses are located in the county, he said. I am invested in the county's future success and viability. Clark, 64, has become a familiar face to the Macon County Board with her work over the past two years in getting a cupcake law ordinance passed. Clark, who owns Cake Lady Supply and Creative Confections, said it was this advocacy that led her to realize a passion for representing residents concerns. If elected, Clark said minimizing the use of tax levies and budget cuts that do not negatively impact services would be among her priorities. As a small-business owner, postsecondary educator, health professional, and property owner, I feel I am well-suited to represent my constituents with an honest, nonpartisan, common sense approach to government, she said. District Seven: Kevin Greenfield, Republican Marty Watkins, Democrat Even the chairman of the board will have to defend his seat this fall, as Kevin Greenfield will field a challenge from Marty Watkins. Greenfield has served as chairman of the board for the past two years, and has been a member of the board for eight years. As well as serving on the countys finance and transportation committees, Greenfield, 56, has also spent 12 years as supervisor for the Long Creek Township. A small-business owner when not serving elected positions, Greenfield said his priorities on the board are to continue to have a say on financial matters, keep law enforcement officers on the street and to better the countys relations with the city of Decatur. In manners of finances, Greenfield repeated one of his oft-used quotes as the county has managed through tough financial times. "We can't spend what we don't have, he said. We have to live within our means. For Watkins, the race is a matter of becoming the communitys "voice" on the board. A disabled veteran and former Macon County correctional officer, Watkins currently serves as an ordained minister and an active member of The Church of the Living God C.W.F.F. Priorities for Watkins, 54, include property taxes, road maintenance and intergovernmental cooperation. If elected, Watkins said he will do his best to act in the best interest of the people. I will meet with the constituents to make sure their voice is heard, he said. The residents of Macon County will be my main priority. By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent. Agree It's unlikely that Russia would reverse course and support sanctions against Assad, even if confronted with new evidence of the regime's chemical attacks. But in closed-door talks with Britain and France, the United States maintains the investigative unit has practical value: The JIM's 2015 creation has led to a reduction in chlorine attacks, and keeping it active could deter future attacks. Moreover, the United States has argued, maintaining the JIM would also keep the question of Syria's chemical weapons activities before the Security Council. Australia's fall from grace as a global leader in the fight against dangerous climate change was rapid and inglorious. But any Australian business leaders who think they got away with sticking their heads in the sand should think again. New legal advice by senior Sydney silk Noel Hutley being released on Monday, suggests it is almost certain that directors of an Australian company will one day face legal action for neglecting to properly account for the potential impact of climate change on their business. "It is likely to be only a matter of time before we see litigation against a director who has failed to perceive, disclose or take steps in relation to a foreseeable climate-related risk that can be demonstrated to have caused harm to a company (including, perhaps, reputational harm)," the advice, commissioned by the Centre for Policy Development and the Future Business Council, titled "Climate Change and Directors Duties" concludes. NSW Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation Victor Dominello introduced new laws to stop the misuse of the sunset clause. Credit:Anthony Johnson "I couldn't believe it," Ms Wilson said. "I wanted to fight this. We've waited for three years, living together in my parent's spare bedroom." Under new laws introduced by the NSW government, if a developer fails to gain the buyer's consent, it must take the matter to the Supreme Court to justify the termination. The laws were designed to stop greedy developers from misusing the sunset clause and rescinding an off-the-plan contract, only to sell the property at a higher price soon after. This is the first time the laws will be tested with a case involving a house and land package. The median house price in Mount Pritchard has jumped a whopping 50 per cent to $652,000 in the past three years, reflecting Sydney's hot property market. "I want to live here as this is where I grew up, this is where my parents live, and my daughters go to the local primary school," said Ms Wilson, mother of Bronwyn, 6, and Adelyn, 1. In legal documents seen by Fairfax Media, Mr Satar claimed "significant delays" were caused by the fact Fairfield City Council had granted a development consent, despite sewer problems. To overcome the problems, he tried to get permission from both the council and Mounties club, which was occupying the land, to create an easement. But he found out only the Land and Environment Court could grant an easement, which it handed down in December 2014. He claimed he was further delayed because the council required him to formally register the easement. Mounties signed the instrument, but this was lost when he changed lawyers in mid-2015. Eventually, Mounties signed the new instrument and it was sent to council for the final sign off. Council meeting minutes show it approved the easement in December 2015. But later that month, in his sunset clause letter demanding the contract be rescinded, Mr Satar's lawyer said: "We have not yet received the signed instrument ... [and have] little confidence that the matter will be resolved by council in a timely manner", which is contrary to the council's minutes. When this conflict was raised by Ms Wilson's lawyer Stephen Titus of Carneys Lawyers, Mr Satar's lawyer wrote: "We maintain that our client has used all reasonable endeavours to progress and complete the project ... irrespective of market conditions." Mr Titus responded by sending a copy of the minutes and saying: "You client has tried to mislead our clients into believing it did not know why council had delayed approval and was not sure when it would be approved." Among the factors the Supreme Court must consider is if the land or property has increased in value. The only sunset clause case that has been decided under the new laws was found in the favour of the buyers, despite the developer, Jobema, claiming the delays in constructing the Hurstville apartment block were outside its control. Mr Satar, also known as Joe, has been able to rescind multiple contracts with buyers of packages involving other lots of the same, subdivided land. Despite growing legal bills, Ms Wilson is determined to stand her ground. She said Bronwyn couldn't understand why the massive $228 million redevelopment of Stockland Wetherill Park shopping centre, which kicked off about the time they signed the Vesta Homes contract, could be completed before a brick had been laid for their two-storey, four-bedroom home. "She asked me, 'Mum, how come that's finished already, but they haven't started on our house?" she said. "So she's at an age where she can work out it doesn't make sense, and I'm trying to wait but it's hard because you're doing this for the kids, not for yourself. My daughters have never known their own place." Loading Company documents show Mr Satar is also the director of Hill View Property Development, Hunter Management and Development Group, Reptar Cebu Developments, Silverdale Property Development and 178 Developments, as well as jewellery and boat businesses. Native American leaders have vowed to protest through the winter against a North Dakota oil pipeline they say threatens water resources and sacred lands and are weighing lawsuits over police treatment of arrested protesters. Standing Rock Sioux chairman Dave Archambault said he and other tribal leaders were working on providing food, heat and shelter for protesters opposed to the $US3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline. Dave Archambault, chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, says tribal leaders are prepared to protest against the Dakota Access pipeline through winter. Credit:Jessica Gresko "We're just working through some technical details as far as where the land is, and the type of land that can be used for some permanent structures," Archambault, who was flanked by Cheyenne River Sioux shairman Harold Frazier, said in Mandan, North Dakota. At least 10 shelters were being readied on tribal land against temperatures that can fall below minus 37 Celsius for days at time, he said. DECATUR -- Some Macon County voters will have to travel a little bit farther to cast ballots on Election Day, thanks to budget cuts As has been the case in past years, there has been annoyance from some residents as they learn their longtime polling place has been consolidated with another location. Come Nov. 8, there will be 36 polling places for the countys 72 precincts. The number of balloting sites has decreased by 66 since Macon County Clerk Steve Bean first took office more than 20 years ago. The main reason comes down to money. I had to cut my budget $70,000 next year, and this is one of the few ways to do that, Bean said, adding his office has also lost funds at the state level for elections. To have those extra polling places, it costs election judges. With 360 election judges and alternatives set to work Nov. 8, the county expects to spend $54,000 to cover each judges $150 stipend. Changes this year include voters in Mount Zion precincts 1, 2 and 3 all voting at the Mount Zion Convention Center; Hickory Point precincts 2 and 8 voting at the Hickory Point Township Hall, and Oakley voters now at Schilling Auditorium at Richland Community College. These changes can be attributed to various factors, from original polling places being sold to new owners, to lack of paved parking lots and general population decline. The problem is not unique to Macon County, as other shrinking counties such as Vermillion have seen reductions in polling places throughout the years. In addition, peoples voting habits have changed over the years. More than ever, Bean said voters take advantage of mail-in ballots and early voting. Whereas the office only received about 3,500 early in 1992, Bean said they are currently on pace to have more than 10,000 ballots submitted before Election Day. With the contentious presidential race, Bean said theres a certain drive from voters to fill out a ballot that he hasnt seen in years. Were in one of those elections where people who are coming out of the woodwork to vote, Bean said, adding hes had residents as old as 90 come into his office to vote for the first time in their lives. Bean is hopeful that, at the very least, voting will be easier for residents, thanks to new voting technology that will be at each polling place. The new voting equipment, which cost $550,000, was purchased through cash collected from permits purchased for the county's wind farm project, with a payment plan to complete the purchase through additional money connected to the project. Residents can learn their polling place on Nov. 8 by going to www.co.macon.il.us and clicking on polling place info on the right side of the screen. Australia's new homes are shrinking. The average floor area of a detached home built last financial year was 231 square metres, down from a record 247.7sq m in 2008-09, analysis by stockbroker, CommSec shows. Units and apartments make up a growing share of new housing in Australia but they are getting smaller too. Commsec's home size trends report said the average apartment size last financial year was 131.3 sq m, about 9 per cent below the high of 143.7 sq m in 2004-05. More than 40 per cent of all housing completed nationally last financial year was medium and high density. Craig James, CommSec's chief economist, said smaller lot sizes was one reason for the decline of average floor plans in detached houses. Different housing-style preferences among younger home buyers and new migrants are also a factor. "Coal is going to be an important part of our energy mix for many, many decades to come," according to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, a man who is now more deeply unpopular than the leader he deposed 13 months ago; a leader whose climate change policies Turnbull once sagely dismissed as "bullshit". And that, in itself, when you think about it, is a tidy little explainer, if our PM has any interest in fathoming the reason it's all gone so horribly wrong. There's not much left, now, of the man whose signature style was to serve up an unpalatable truth with the sort of flourish a mixture of nuance and worldliness that made you breathe a sigh of relief. Turnbull's appeal was always his willingness to engage without being a populist, to go ''off message" to speak to us, in short, as though we weren't a few clowns short of a circus. Illustration: Matt Davidson. Credit:Matt Davidson So it's no coincidence that on the same day the PM stepped up to proffer his upbeat views about the prospects for Australian fossil fuels seven years after he lamented that, in ditching the emissions trading scheme, the Liberals were not just "without any prospect of having a credible [climate change] policy but now without integrity" a Newspoll survey shows Turnbull's satisfaction rating has slumped to 29 percent, one percentage point lower than Tony Abbott's last year. Looking back at Turnbull's 2009 spray at Abbott's Direct Action policy, the Liberals' replacement for the ETS, is like a breath of fresh air. It's also a slap in the face, because it reminds us just how far we've fallen, how much the national dialogue has diverged from any sort of rational perspective. After a decade of mostly retrograde action, we're now left with a policy or an ideology parading as a policy that simultaneously defies the principles of scientific necessity and economic efficiency. Worse, the person who should be patiently exposing all its flaws to the Australian people and is doubtless well equipped to do so is now its principal exponent. Analysis Malcolm Turnbull began Sunday's press conference with a fairly unabridged account of Australia's asylum seeker policy since 2008, strewn with a Halloween horror show of unauthorised arrivals, budget blowouts and deaths at sea. The history lesson had a purpose. The draconian visa restrictions the PM was preparing to spruik were supposedly rooted in Kevin Rudd's pre-election declaration that no asylum seeker who came by boat would ever settle in Australia. But these proposed changes go much further than that. They mean that even a genuine refugee, resettled in New Zealand or the US or some other country, would be refused a holiday or business visa to Australia even in 20 years' time. The Turnbull government's proposal to wind back publicly funded paid parental leave is doomed after Senate crossbench powerbrokers the Nick Xenophon Team were forced to rule out support because of an election commitment. The measure, intended to save $1.2 billion, would reduce the 18 weeks of government-funded leave offered to up to 80,000 families by factoring in any paid leave offered by their employer. NXT was considering supporting the proposal but only if it kicked in at a later date. It now appears that further concessions such as protections for families on lower incomes will be required for the government to gain their three votes. With Labor and the Greens opposed, the government needs NXT to join One Nation's four senators, libertarian senator David Leyonhjelm and others in support to reach the 39 votes required to pass the legislation through the 76-seat Senate. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says tough new immigration laws are designed to stop refugees from country hopping after being released from offshore detention camps. On Sunday, the Turnbull government announced it would permanently ban asylum seekers who attempt to reach Australia by boat from ever entering the country, even if they are genuine refugees and seek to come as tourists or on business decades later. Legislation will be introduced to Parliament in November, applying to all adults detained on Manus and Nauru and backdated to July 2013. Mr Dutton said refugee and asylum-seeker advocates should stop advising detainees to refuse to move to third countries because the government would eventually cave in and bring them to Australia. The Turnbull government's move to ban all asylum seekers who come by boat from ever setting foot in Australia has triggered dismay from refugee advocates and satisfaction from One Nation as the opposition comes under immediate pressure to support the legislation. In an escalation of an already hard-line immigration policy, asylum seekers detained on Manus Island or Nauru from July 19, 2013 onwards would be ineligible for any sort of Australian visa including for tourism, business or family reasons for the rest of their lives. It includes those deemed to be genuine refugees and any who chose to return to their home country. Children, whether they arrived unaccompanied or with parents, will be exempt. The announcement paves the way for a potential deal to resettle refugees in New Zealand or the US while allowing the government to guarantee that no such person will ever settle in Australia. Have you ever run with a baby? You're up, you scoop, you leap. Bone against bone, you and the baby in your arms knock against one another. But within two of your running strides, the baby knows to fold herself into you, she tucks under your chin and presses against your chest. Two strides, heart pounding, and you both find flight. Babies must know, somewhere primitive in them, how to be held by someone running. Because two strides and the instinct awakens, they're suddenly weightless in your arms, moulded against you. "Get the baby and run!" your mother screams. Somewhere primitive in them too, mothers instinctively know how to face predators, so children carrying babies can flee. If you've lived in a home with violence, then you know the sound of the door flung open. Sharper in sound than the door slammed in rage is the door shot open for escape. You and the baby are flying; five more strides and you're at the fence. Reaching over and dropping the baby to the other side you see your little brother out of the corner of your eye as he comes over the fence, too. By the time you scramble over and scoop the baby back up your brother is out of sight. He has found his hiding spot. Unaoil's owners, the Ahsani family: Saman, Cyrus and Ata. The company denies paying bribes. While the world has been stunned by revelations flowing from large data leaks involving the Unaoil Files and the Panama Papers both of which have prompted investigations by multiple policing agencies what has been missing from these international scandals is a live witness. Mitchell's extraordinary decision to implicate himself and Unaoil in bribery is significant because it will bolster the case against Unaoil being built by the UK Serious Fraud Office, the FBI and the Australian Federal Police. US ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens, who died in the 2012 attack on the US consulate in Tripoli. Credit:AP These agencies are seeking to prove that Unaoil was hired by so many large Western companies because the firm paid bribes to win contracts on their behalf. Mitchell warns that the use by Western multinationals of local agents to win contracts in developing nations often involves bribery and corruption. Whistleblower Lindsay Mitchell has confessed to the FBI and British authorities and is willing to testify against Unaoil. THE LIBYA DEAL Mitchell joined Unaoil in early 2009 after an interview with the company's owners, the wealthy Ahsani family of Monaco. By then, Unaoil was working as an agent in corruption-prone oil-producing countries for many leading multinationals, including Halliburton; Kellogg Brown & Root; Honeywell; FMC; Petrofac; and Samsung. In 2010, Unaoil was hired by Australia's Leighton Holdings to win Iraq oil pipeline contracts worth more than $1 billion. Unaoil denies it bribed foreign officials, politicians, oil ministers and others to win deals for its multinational clients. But Mitchell says that during his first few weeks with Unaoil, he suspected something was amiss when he observed chief executive Cyrus Ahsani handling a contract for engine-maker Rolls-Royce. Mitchell recalls: "Cyrus Ahsani had to rush off to the Swiss Alps that weekend to close a deal involving Rolls-Royce very quickly. I heard him ask Ata [Ahsani] that he is going to need cash. That is when I realised these boys [the Ahsanis] were starting to do some underneath-the-table stuff to make things happen." Unaoil or its agents have represented Rolls-Royce over a decade in several countries, including Iraq, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Angola. Rolls-Royce is now being investigated by the British Serious Fraud Office. Unaoil wanted Mitchell, who was previously chief executive of publicly listed Canadian oil services company Western Energy Services Corp, to win favour from Gaddafi regime officials he knew from his time working in the Middle East. One evening in August 2009, he was called to a late-night meeting at a coffee shop on the outskirts of Tripoli by one of those officials a manager at a Libyan National Oil Company subsidiary. Mitchell says the man made it clear that he and two other oil officials could help Unaoil's clients succeed in Libya. In a car park, the official then passed him an envelope filled with confidential tender documents relating to a $45 million Libyan government contract. Mitchell says he briefed his bosses at Unaoil, the Ahsanis, about the late-night meeting and explained that the official would "want to be paid for his efforts". "They said, fine, give him whatever he needs," Mitchell recalls he was told by the Ahsanis. A short time later, one of the Ahsanis' relatives in Libya passed Mitchell an envelope filled with cash to pay off three officials. "I would say there would have been $US15,000 to $US20,000 in that envelope," he says. Mitchell claims he delivered the cash-filled envelope to the oil official's home in Tripoli close to midnight. However, he says the bribe payment immediately began to play on his conscience. He had witnessed plenty of corruption in the oil industry, but had never been the one to hand over the cash. "I sat back after that night and thought, 'If my kids knew what I did, they would totally disrespect me.' " A few days later, Mitchell told Unaoil he was resigning. When approached for comment, a Unaoil spokeswoman said: "Although there is a great deal that the company would like to say about the subject matter of this article, there is an investigation ongoing. "Any allegations of corruption are denied. It would be inappropriate to make further comments at this juncture but the company looks forward to speaking out on this in the fullness of time." CONSULATE TRAGEDY Mitchell has also provided new insight into the Libyan businessman involved in the security contract at the US consulate in the city of Benghazi. Mitchell worked with the Libyan agent, Muhannad Alamir, who was involved in the private security contract to guard the consulate. In 2012, the building became the site of a protest that turned violent, during which the American ambassador and an information officer were killed. Fairfax Media does not suggest the involvement of Mr Alamir in the contract had anything to do with the attack on the embassy and the death of the ambassador. Mr Alamir had worked with Unaoil and Mitchell in Libya prior to Mr Alamir's involvement in the Benghazi contract in 2012 and, according to Mitchell, was party to corrupt business dealings alongside Unaoil in 2009. Mitchell says he is "shocked" that a US State Department private security contract to guard the American embassy was later issued to another firm represented by Mr Alamir in Libya. Mitchell made himself known to the FBI and Serious Fraud Office after the Unaoil story broke in March, and has given statements to both agencies. Loading A worker at Cobham Juvenile Justice Centre in Sydney's west was taken to hospital after she was allegedly assaulted by three boys at the centre on Sunday afternoon. A witness claimed the woman, a youth worker, was bashed and kicked on the head before she crawled into a toilet and locked the door behind her, radio station 2GB reported. In August, two inmates climbed onto the roof of the Cobham centre and remained there for nine hours. Credit:Channel Seven The centre, in St Marys, caters for boys 15 years and older. A NSW Police spokeswoman said that police were called to reports of an assault at a correctional centre in St Marys just before 12.30pm on Sunday. A man and a woman have been charged over a serious assault that left a disabled man in a coma in hospital in Sydney's west over the weekend, police say. Police will allege in court that the woman, 38, and man, 39, broke into the house on Vallingby Avenue in Hebersham about 8am on Saturday when the visually impaired man, who was staying at the address, confronted them. The pair allegedly used a blunt object to hit the resident in the face, leaving him with a serious head injury, before running away. The injured man was semi-conscious when neighbours found him a short time later. They called paramedics, who took the man to Nepean Hospital where he was placed in a coma. A NSW Police spokesman said the man remained in hospital on Monday morning. He had been taken out of a coma, but was in a serious condition, she said. Even after a mother had been brutally murdered by a violent criminal wrongly released from jail and a court had condemned its conduct as "inexplicable," the NSW Police Force refused to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. Wayne Edward Jones is serving at least 20 years behind bars for the murder of Central Coast mother-of-four Michelle Reynolds whom he tortured, beat and strangled to death in December 2012. A Fairfax Media investigation revealed on Sunday that Jones should have been in jail at the time but a string of drug charges were mysteriously withdrawn by someone within the force 14 months earlier, setting him free. In an extraordinary sequence of events, the force later charged Sydney Senior Constable Glen Roberts who had laid the charges against Jones with fabricating "false evidence". The prospect of artificial intelligence is scary enough for some, but Manuel Cebrian Ramos at CSIRO's Data61 is teaching machines how to terrify humans on purpose. Dr Cebrian and his colleagues Pinar Yanardag and Iyad Rahwan at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed the Nightmare Machine. This is an artificial intelligence algorithm that is teaching a new generation of computers not only what terrifies human beings, but also how to create new images to scare us. It spontaneously produces zombie faces and can transform images of places into nightmare scenarios. To open the new social network Rich Kids is to induce a bout of FOMO fear of missing out from which you'll never wake. The paid Instagram knock-off is an orgy of excess: Dog massages. Lamborghinis. Stacks of gold coins. Private planes. For the low, low price of 1000 pounds (about $1604) per month, Rich Kids promises the one-percent of the one-percent an exclusive, virtual club designed just for them a place where anyone can view pictures, but only the uber-rich can publish them. Since launching in late September, the Slovakian app has recruited a dozen members, including a Russian heiress, a rare coin dealer, and the scions of several prominent real estate families. Emir Bahadir is one of the first members of Rich Kids. Credit:Instagram It's also attracted a great deal of condemnation even from the Apple App Store, which pulled Rich Kids last week. On Product Hunt, a sort of proving ground for new tech concepts and companies, critics panned the app as "awful," "stupid," "fantastically ridiculous," "everything that is wrong with the world" and "disgusting." Emir Bahadir is one of the first members of Rich Kids, and he doesn't see what's wrong with the app. The 25-year-old heir to a Turkish real estate fortune, Bahadir basically sees 1000 pounds the way I see the spare change at the bottom of my bag. He takes my phone call from the front seat of his Bentley, which he's driving to his brand new realty firm in Manhattan. The man who allegedly stole a Big Issue vendor's purse in broad daylight after touching her face while she was unable to call for help has fronted court. Police arrested a 40-year-old Northcote man in East Melbourne about 10am on Saturday after appealing for public assistance. Police are now looking for a woman who they believe can assist them with their enquiries. He has been charged with theft and committing an indictable offence while on bail. Do you know more? Email scoop@theage.com.au Melbourne Express: Monday, October 31, 2016 Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss The infamous Gatwick Hotel in St Kilda has been taken off the market, which will provide a reprieve for about 100 vulnerable residents but is expected to anger long-suffering neighbours and police. It had been hoped that the sale of the notorious boarding house to a developer would help rejuvenate Fitzroy Street and curb crime in the area, however a year-long campaign has failed to flush out a buyer willing to pay about $11 million. The Gatwick in St Kilda. Credit:Thom Rigney Co-owner Yvette Kelly confirmed that plans to offload the 64-room hotel had been shelved. She described repeated media reports of an imminent sale as "rubbish". "It's no longer on the market... but like any person, if someone offered us a good price we'd probably take it," Mrs Kelly told Fairfax Media. Developers who illegally knocked down Carlton's Corkman Irish Pub had commissioned an architect to draw preliminary plans for a 12-storey tower on the site. The plan, done before the pub was demolished without planning or building permission this month, shows the historic pub's facade was to be retained. In a letter to Planning Minister Richard Wynne, sent last Thursday, the men said they "had not briefed any town planners or other consultants about future developments" on the site. CHT Architects did the plan. The firm has done a series of apartment projects for developers Stefce Kutlesovski and Raman Shaqiri. Margaret River wine and Shark Bay prawns would be on the menu on a floating upmarket party barge 200 metres off the shore of the Swan River, if the state government ticks off on a new proposal being put forward. Barge Co. has submitted plans to the Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor in order to gauge public interest in a new "floating event space", set to showcase the best of WA's waterways and produce. The vessel will feature 600sqm of entertainment space. Credit:Facebook Barge Co. director Guy Mouritz said the idea had started from comments made by Perth tourists. "They don't understand why we don't have more facilities on the water," he said. Washington: Adam Crapser was born in South Korea but, when he was three years old, an American couple adopted him. Until recently, he lived in Vancouver, Washington state, with his daughters and his pregnant wife. He has a son by an ex-girlfriend. He used to own a barber shop, but decided to become a stay-at-home dad, sometimes playing guitar and ukulele and watching a rescue dog. But that will all soon change Crapser is being deported back to South Korea, away from his family, away from the place he's spent 37 of his 41 years of life. Currently, he's being held in an immigration detention centre in Tacoma, Washington state. PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten The House of Parliament will sit in a plenary public session on Monday, October 31, 2016. The plenary public meeting is scheduled for 14.00 hrs in the General Assembly Chamber of the House at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The agenda point is Appointment of Chairperson and Vice Chairperson Parliament. Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg. New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Considerable cloudiness. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 73F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight. Low 59F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Toronto 12 January 2016. A new generation of Palestinians is marching on the footsteps of previous generations, rising up against Israels brutal, decades-old system of occupation, settler colonialism and Watch video Toronto 12 January 2016. A new generation of Palestinians is marching on the footsteps of previous generations, rising up against Israels brutal, decades-old system of occupation, settler colonialism and apartheid. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have joined demonstrations taking place in dozens of cities across historic Palestine and in refugee camps in neighbouring Arab countries. Palestinians continue to struggle for their fundamental rights of freedom, self-determination, equality, and a right to return. As the resistance on the ground intensifies, university campuses remain central to building on the Palestinian solidarity movement. The call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) has recently made tremendous gains, in particular on university campuses and academic institutions. Both the American Anthropological Association (AAA) and the National Womens Studies Association (NWSA) recently passed BDS resolutions, with an overwhelming majority. Presentations by: Noura Erakat is a human rights attorney and activist. As of Fall 2014, she is an Assistant Professor at George Mason University. She has taught international human rights law in the Middle East at Georgetown University since Spring 2009. Noura is a Co-Editor of Jadaliyya . Most recently she served as Legal Counsel for the Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee in the House of Representatives. Prior to her time on Capitol Hill, Noura received a New Voices Fellowship to work as the national grassroots organizer and legal advocate at the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation where she helped seed BDS campaigns nationally as well as support the cases brought against two former Israeli officials in U.S. federal courts for alleged war crimes. is a human rights attorney and activist. As of Fall 2014, she is an Assistant Professor at George Mason University. She has taught international human rights law in the Middle East at Georgetown University since Spring 2009. Noura is a Co-Editor of . Most recently she served as Legal Counsel for the Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee in the House of Representatives. Prior to her time on Capitol Hill, Noura received a New Voices Fellowship to work as the national grassroots organizer and legal advocate at the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation where she helped seed BDS campaigns nationally as well as support the cases brought against two former Israeli officials in U.S. federal courts for alleged war crimes. Nada Elia is a diaspora Palestinian, born in Baghdad, Iraq, and raised in Beirut, Lebanon. Nada currently teaches Global and Gender Studies at Antioch University-Seattle, where she coordinates the Global Studies area of concentration. Nada is a member of the Organizing Committee of the U.S. Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, and has spoken around the country about academic boycott as a means to achieve the currently non-existent academic freedom in the U.S., Israel, and Palestine. Organized by the University of Toronto, GSU BDS Committee, in partnership with Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) UofT. For more information on the UofT Divestment campaign, and to sign the petition, please visit: www.uoftdivest.com. This is Peter Hitchens's Mail on Sunday column For many years now I have not always said in public what I think in private. I have never lied about my opinions, but I have sometimes thought it better to leave parts of them unsaid or unwritten. This is because I know that my enemies (who are your enemies, too) will deliberately misunderstand and twist them, and then howl me down when I try to defend myself. I expect the number of things about which we cannot speak to grow. Oddly enough, it is dangerous in these thought-policed times even to make such a confession. My enemies will immediately assume I am hiding a collection of savage bigotries and hatreds. This is not true, but it is what they would like to believe. For instance, I long ago decided that it is no longer possible to have an intelligent or reasonable public debate about the rape laws. Anything I said would be twisted into something else. And so I never discuss them. From time to time I am faced with opponents who think that I am their prisoner and they are my interrogators. I count myself lucky that, as yet, this is not so. But I know enough history to realise that it might one day be so. Freedom of speech and thought, such as we still more or less have, are very delicate and easily smashed. Watching our current elite's treatment of liberty is like watching a baboon carrying a priceless Ming vase across a stone-paved floor. The latest example of this is the pitifully dim verdict of a Belfast court on the so-called 'Gay Cake' case. I have looked carefully at the facts and at the laws involved. The judges are blazingly, obviously wrong on the facts and the law. We can only guess what made them rule against Ashers, the rather loudly Christian bakers who declined to make a cake decorated with propaganda in favour of same-sex marriage. As always, one has to wonder at the coincidence which led to the complainant asking this particular shop to do this particular thing. But life is full of coincidences. But strip away the circumstances and what have you got? The planned cake is far more than a cake. It is a publication, because it will bear a political message to be displayed in a public place, perhaps to be photographed and filmed and shared on the internet. If this were a poster, a pamphlet, a newspaper or a book, the problem would be obvious. A publisher is being asked to publish a message he disagrees with. In a free society, he can refuse. In the modern United Kingdom, say these ridiculous judges, he must submit. They base this on the sexual orientation regulations in the Equality Act. The core of these says: 'A person (A) discriminates against another person (B) if on grounds of sexual orientation A treats B less favourably than he treats or would treat other persons.' Well, I have news for the judges. The bakers did not discriminate on the grounds of 'sexual orientation'. There are plenty of heterosexuals who support same-sex marriage, including, for instance, David Cameron and Theresa May. And there are some homosexuals who do not. The bakers, or rather publishers, quite rightly, did not ask their customer about his private life. He, quite reasonably, did not discuss it with them. They declined to publish his propaganda because they disagreed with it on grounds of conscience. The Belfast verdict has been condemned by Peter Tatchell, a notably brave campaigner for homosexual rights, and lover of liberty, whom I have come to like and admire over the past 30 years. I wrongly failed to stand up against the way he was smeared during his 1983 by-election campaign in Bermondsey, and now wish he had won it. Parliament would be better and wiser for his presence. Let it be part of my apology to him to say that I think he has more sense, and a greater understanding of what really matters, than a whole roomful of judges. ******** Brave Shami is an asset to Britain - so lay off! A revolting meeting at the Lords, hosted by the anti-Israel peer Jenny Tonge, has revealed something important. Wild, crazy prejudice against Jews (thinly disguised as wild crazy prejudice against Israel) is not limited to Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party. Selective dislike for Israel, oddly similar in some ways to the equally selective and fashionable prejudice against Russia, is common throughout British politics and media. I've been baffled by attempts to suggest it is confined to the Labour Left. Which prompts me to say that it is time people stopped ganging up on Shami Chakrabarti, the new Labour peer. Whatever her faults (I think she's especially silly about grammar schools) she is a serious person who fought hard for civil liberty when it wasn't a popular cause. She is a far more worthy addition to the House of Lords than a huge number of David Cameron's dodgy and unqualified creations. Leave her alone and we may be surprised to find that she is an asset to the country. ************ Why do we need any more runways? Look at a map of Europe and see how small and overcrowded our islands are, especially the South East. Perhaps we may lose money by not expanding Heathrow or Gatwick, though I suspect any such money will end up in the hands of foreign-owned business. But what is that set beside peaceful skies, or compared with people's homes, which we are told must be brutally obliterated to make way for more Boeings and Airbuses? If you wouldn't want that to happen to you, how can you do it to anyone else? Spend the money instead on improving the absurdly overpriced and underused rail links to Paris and Amsterdam, where they already have huge airports, far from people's houses. What does it really matter if Heathrow 'falls behind' them? 60 minutes of Berlin madness After several weeks of miserably, needlessly dark mornings, we at last return to our natural time today. And, as we do so, the usual chorus of busybodies demand that we don't put the clocks back, but move permanently on to the same time zone as Berlin, regurgitating various bogus statistics. Nobody mentions Portugal, driven almost mad by forcing itself on to Berlin time, which led to black winter mornings and absurdly late summer sunsets. An official study found that none of the alleged energy savings actually happened. Accidents increased, millions slept badly and schoolchildren dozed off in class. Back went the clocks. Don't listen when they tell you Berlin Time only affects Scotsmen and milkmaids. It would be awful for everyone except sluggards who get up at noon, then it may take years, as it did in Portugal, to get rid of it. Not learning from History? I can just remember the Suez disaster, the miserable, demoralised aftermath of no petrol, worried adults baffled and humiliated by national failure, and the spirit of greatness going out of the country. I hope the 60th anniversary of this folly will be properly marked. At the time, our Government and media thought we were more important than we were and actively sought war to make themselves feel big. Now we are doing it again this time with Russia. If we don't heed this lesson from the past, we will get a harsher one in the future. Russia will be a less forgiving foe than Egypt ever was. If you want to comment on Peter Hitchens, click on Comments and scroll down. St. Joe County floats new site for Portage Manor group home The county plans to sell Clay Township Park to the township for a nominal fee, rather than continue to lease it. Welcome to SwanseaOnline - your home for the best news, sports and what's on coverage of the city. Never miss a Swansea story with our daily newsletter Sign up to comment on our stories here Follow us on Facebook and Twitter | Swansea City news | Ospreys news | InYourArea A Soyuz MS-01 space capsule lands safely on Earth to return astronauts for NASA, Japan and a Russian cosmonaut back to Earth. The Soyuz landed in a remote region of Kazakhstan on Oct. 30, 2016 local time (late Oct. 29 EDT). Three space travelers are safely back on Earth after a 115-day stay on the International Space Station. Returning on a Russian Soyuz space capsule, U.S. astronaut Kate Rubins of NASA, Russian cosmonaut and Expedition 49 Commander Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos and Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi landed near Kazakhstan at 9:58 a.m. local time on Sunday (Oct. 30), or 11:58 p.m. EDT (0358 GMT). You can see how the landing went in this NASA video. A Soyuz MS-01 space capsule lands safely on Earth to return astronauts for NASA, Japan and a Russian cosmonaut back to Earth. The Soyuz landed in a remote region of Kazakhstan on Oct. 30, 2016 local time (late Oct. 29 EDT). (Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls) "Touchdown confirmed," NASA spokesman Rob Navias said during the agency's landing webcast commentary. "After a journey of 115 days and 48.9 million miles, the Expedition 49 crew is home." The spacecraft's departure from the station at 8:35 EDT (0035 GMT) marked the end of Expedition 49 and the start of Expedition 50. The three station crew members launched to the station together on July 6. This was the first spaceflight for Rubins and Onishi. Ivanishin flew to the station in 2011 as a member of Expeditions 29 and 30. During her time in orbit, Rubins participated in a spacewalk to install an international docking adapter, which will allow commercial vehicles to dock with the station in coming years. She also became the first person ever to sequence DNA in space. NASA astronaut Kate Rubins smiles after returning to Earth aboard a Soyuz spacecraft on Oct. 29, 2016 EDT (Oct. 30 local time at Kazakhstan landing site). She spent 115 days in orbit on the International Space Station. (Image credit: NASA TV) When questioned my members of the landing recovery team, Rubins said she was feeling "better than expected" after the landing. "What do you need right now," one team member asked. "To sit here and enjoy the Earth," Rubins replied. Ivanishin handed over command of the station yesterday (Oct. 28) to NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough, who remains on the station with Russian cosmonauts Andrey Borisenko and Sergey Ryzhikov. Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. WASHINGTON A presidential transition process that will start in earnest at NASA after Election Day in November will not wrap up until long after Inauguration Day in January, an agency official said Oct. 25. While both Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate Donald Trump established transition teams after accepting their parties' nominations this summer, months ahead of the Nov. 8 general election, that planning has yet to involve "landing teams" for NASA. "We're at the point now where, any day now, we could hear about individual names for the landing team for NASA," said Michael French, NASA chief of staff, speaking at a meeting of the Federal Aviation Administration's Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) here. "NASA has not received this information yet." While the transition team's work will ramp up after the election, French said it will last long after the next president takes office Jan. 20. "I think there's a bit of an overemphasis on the November-to-January timeframe," he said. That's because the next administration will have to quickly put together a fiscal year 2018 budget proposal, likely to be released in the spring. NASA has, so far, created a "current services" budget for 2018 that includes only ongoing programs. "The new team can come in, look at that current services budget, and provide that first level of tweaks that they want," he said. "It's a massively truncated process" from the usual development of a budget proposal, he noted. French said that, because of that, the transition process will effectively continue for most of 2017, until the new administration develops its first budget proposal under the standard process, for fiscal year 2019. "You'll have the whole year of 2017 of activity, of the new team providing its own policy guidance, tweaks and questions," he said. In his COMSTAC talk, French identified several near-term issues for the next administration at NASA. At the top of his list was the future of the International Space Station, including new roles for commercial partners in the station and whether to extend the station's operations beyond 2024. French said the station's future would be a near-term issue for the next administration because of long-term budget projections that it will develop will soon run up against that 2024 date. "The question of an ISS follow-on and ISS extension start entering the budget horizon" by 2019, he said. Other issues he identified that would be near-term issues for the next administration included the expanded use of partnerships, small satellites and launch vehicles, cooperation with China, space technology and aeronautics. Later at the COMSTAC meeting, two policy experts, linked with but not formally representing the major presidential candidates, offered their opinions about the next administration should do. Rudy deLeon, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress who held leadership posts at the Pentagon during the administration of President Bill Clinton, urged the next administration not to make major changes to NASA's major programs. "We need to keep things on track," he said. "One of the things we don't need is a big blue-ribbon commission that tears everything up and says that there's not enough money for this or that." DeLeon did endorse a "modest increase" in funding for NASA's human spaceflight program, but said that NASA's overall long-term plans were "solid." He also supported more partnerships with the private sector and engagement with other nations. Robert Walker, the former Republican congressman who noted he became Trump's space policy advisor just in the last two weeks, said he was asked by the campaign to develop a space policy "that has real change." He called the one that resulted "visionary, disruptive, coordinating and resilient." That policy framework has several key characteristics, including the restoration of the National Space Council, hypersonic technology development and use of small satellites. It would also have a "stretch goal," he said, "of human exploration of the entire solar system by the end of the century." DeLeon and Walker, though, shared a number of common goals, including greater commercial use and an extended life of the International Space Station. "I can't imagine that, in 2028, you're going to dump a $100 billion asset into the ocean," Walker said of a potential retirement of the ISS. "We've invested too much to just simply turn the keys off and have another one of those Skylab moments," deLeon said of the ISS, adding there may be various ways commercial ventures could make use of some or all of the station in the future. Both also supported a potential role for China on the ISS. "I'd invite China on board the space station, so you have cooperation in orbit rather than hostility," Walker said, acknowledging there are broader policy issues about working with China. "The fact is, we're probably in a position right now where we can learn from China as much as they would potentially learn from us." Those shared positions, deLeon suggested, could be a throwback to an earlier era of politics. "There's no reason why we can't find bipartisanship, particularly in something like space exploration and commercial space, because it's good for the country," he said. "It's not a partisan issue." This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry. NEW YORK SpaceX said Oct. 28 that it is able to replicate the failure of a helium tank that is suspected, but yet to be confirmed, as the cause of a Falcon 9 pad explosion nearly two months ago. In a statement, the company said it is focusing its investigation on tanks made of fiber composite materials used to store helium within the liquid oxygen propellant tank of the Falcon 9's second stage. In its last public statement about the investigation, issued Sept. 23, the company said the cryogenic helium system in the propellant tank suffered a "large breach" immediately before the explosion. "The root cause of the breach has not yet been confirmed, but attention has continued to narrow to one of the three composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) inside the [liquid oxygen] tank," SpaceX said in its new statement. The company said it's able to replicate the failure of a helium tank based on the condition of the helium being loaded into it. "These conditions are mainly affected by the temperature and pressure of the helium being loaded," SpaceX said. The new statement appears to confirm recent statements by company officials that suggested an issue with how the launch vehicle is prepared for launch, and not a flaw with the vehicle itself, caused the explosion during preparations for a static-fire test. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell, speaking at the annual meeting of the National Academy of Engineering Oct. 9, said the company was "homing in" on the cause of the accident, adding she felt it unlikely it was caused by "a vehicle issue or an engineering design issue but more of a business process issue." In comments that leaked out after an Oct. 13 presentation at the National Reconnaissance Office, SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk suggested solid oxygen formed within one of the COPVs. "Under pressure it could have ignited with the carbon," he said, according to a leaked transcript of his speech. "This is the leading theory right now, but it is subject to confirmation." SpaceX said it's continuing to seek the root cause of the pad explosion while also preparing for a return to flight. "SpaceX's efforts are now focused on two areas finding the exact root cause, and developing improved helium loading conditions that allow SpaceX to reliably load Falcon 9," the company stated. It added it will soon resume tests Falcon 9 stages at its Texas test site as "an important milestone" towards resuming launches. Those launches, the company said, will resume from the company's pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and Launch Complex 39A at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, both of which the company said "remain on track to be operational" to support a return to flight before the end of the year. The company has not disclosed the damage that Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral suffered in the pad explosion or when it would be able to resume hosting launches. Josh Brost, director of government business development at SpaceX, said at the American Astronautical Society's Wernher von Braun Memorial Symposium Oct. 26 in Huntsville, Alabama, that the company was "less than a month" from formally activating Launch Complex 39A for Falcon 9 launches. "39A is where we'll return to flight on the East Coast, hopefully later this year," he said. SpaceX's customers, meanwhile, are also hoping that the company returns to flight this year. "We've been on hold since SpaceX's launch pad incident at Cape Canaveral eight weeks ago and have been following the investigation closely to determine when SpaceX will be able to return to flight," said Matt Desch, chief executive of Iridium, during an Oct. 27 conference call. Prior to the pad explosion that destroyed the Amos-6 satellite, Iridium was scheduled to fly next, launching the first ten of its Iridium Next satellites from Vandenberg. Desch said on the call that Iridium is participating in SpaceX's accident investigation team and believes "SpaceX is conducting a very thorough process" in that investigation, but declined to speculate when SpaceX would be ready to start launching Iridium's satellites. "I remain hopeful that they'll return to launching this year," he said. "Also, I don't know if Iridium Next will be SpaceX's first launch once they return to flight or whether they might schedule a launch from Florida ahead of us. Either way, we're comfortable with SpaceX's investigation and the progress they're making and I assure you that we won't proceed to launch if we aren't confident in SpaceX and their investigation outcome." This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry. Referendum talk gives way to curriculum concerns as district explains high school changes The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. 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Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less. Shaheed El Hafed, October 30, 2016 (SPS) The President of the National Council (Parliament), Khatri Addouh, received Tuesday a Belgian parliamentary delegation on a visit for a few days in the Saharawi refugee camps. The delegation is composed of Veronique Waroux, Senator and MP of Wallonia Humanist Democratic Centre (HDC), Paul Delva, MP of the Christian Democratic party, Hilt Teuwen, secretary general of the Belgian Committee of Support for the Saharawi people and Stef Anrys, professor of communications. The meeting focused on the latest developments of the question of Western Sahara, including the Moroccan violations of the cease-fire agreement signed in 1991 between the Polisario Front and the Kingdom of Morocco under the auspices of the UN and OAU (now AU). In the same context, Mr. Addouh said the continuation of Morocco's intransigence and disregard for international legitimacy constitutes a threat to peace and stability in the region. The President of the National Council recalled the Moroccan flagrant violations of human rights committed by the Moroccan authorities against defenseless civilians, unfair trials against Saharawi activists calling for a self-determination referendum in Western Sahara. Mr. Addouh called on the EU to exert pressure on the Kingdom of Morocco in order to comply with the resolutions and international law calling to allow the Saharawi people to exercise their right to self-determination and freedom. (SPS) 062/090/TRA Many years ago, a vintage instrument sales and repairman was looking to leave Bloomington, Indiana, and considered moving his shop to Minnesotas Twin Cities as he had friends there. However, since the friends were in the vintage instrument sales and repair business, as well, Wil Bremer did not want to compete with or work for them. Madisons East Johnson Street area had a reputation, at the time, of being an incubator for alternative businesses. Bremer says it had a certain vibe and was affordable, so he opened Spruce Tree Music & Repair, Inc., in 1980, half a block from its current location at 851 E. Johnson St. As his co-owner, Julie Luther, tells it, Bremer opened up in 1980, ran out of space in that storefront by 1984, moved to the current storefront that fall, and ran out of space in it by 1989. They have deliberated moving to a larger space, but, Bremer says, No other space feels right. Spruce Tree Music & Repair is only the second business the 1926 storefront has housed. The first was an upholstery business that used the space from the time the building was built until Bremer relocated. He and Luther retain the vintage charm of the space, from the tin ceiling they boast has its one-and-only coat of paint to the worn wooden floors and the expansive front display window. Bremer went into business because of his interest and skills in guitar and banjo, and experience in repairing instruments. Luther joined him in 1985, adding her skills in guitar, banjo, fiddle and traditional music. The organic growth of Spruce Tree Music & Repair over the years has derived from their interest in the history of music and instruments and how it relates to how music is played today. As the business grew in increments, they added new instruments, instructional DVDs and books, CDs, straps, and accessories to their inventory, in addition to the vintage and used instruments. Repair and restoration remains a vital element of Spruce Tree Music & Repair. Not only local and area musicians, but musicians worldwide entrust Bremer, Luther, and their staff with the task of caring for their stringed and fretted instruments. Their staff shares their affinity for music, instruments, and the community. Thirty years ago, Dale Reichert, a heck of a bluegrass banjo player, according to Bremer, happened to stop in Spruce Tree Music & Repair and mention he was an accountant just at the time Bremer and Luther were looking for one. Formerly a bass player with Marques Bovre and the Evil Twins, Doug Craemer-Meihsner has become an accomplished instrument repair person over the 22 years hes been at the shop. A Madison Symphony Orchestra member, Jen Paulson brings extensive experience as a classical and jazz violinist/violist to the shop. Newcomer Evan Collins came from studying violin making in Chicago to join the shop just this month. [Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the store's phone number.] Q: When are absentee ballots counted? A: No matter when people submit their absentee ballots, they are counted on Election Day, Madison city clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl said. Absentee ballots are checked into a poll book when they are received, Witzel-Behl said, and poll workers then feed the ballots into a tabulator machine on Nov. 8 as other voters cast their ballots at polling places. Witzel-Behl said poll workers take precautions to maintain the status of a secret ballot. They process at least three absentee ballots at a time to preserve the secrecy of your vote, Witzel-Behl said. Absentee votes completed by mail must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day to ensure that they are counted, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission. The U.S. Postal Service suggests voters mail their ballot one week before Election Day. Madison has various in-person absentee voting often called early voting locations and hours throughout the city, which can be found at go.madison.com/voteearly. The last day for in-person absentee voting is Nov. 6. -Shelley K. Mesch D ocumentary Whos Gonna Love Me Now? follows the life of a HIV positive, gay man on his journey from Israel to London as he finds a family in the London Gay Mens Chorus and tries to reconcile his relationship with his parents back home. Ahead of the UK International Jewish Film Festival, film co-director Alexander Bodin-Saphir spoke to the Standard about the Heymann Brothers documentary that took five years to film. Alexander told the Standard: Its not a gay film, its not a HIV film, its a very universal film. Its a film about families. Its a film about families who dont always get along or dont always have the same ideology, but find a way to talk about it. And through that conversation, also find a way to reaffirm their love for one another. Co-director Alexander Bodin-Saphir The documentary follows the life of Saar, who comes out as gay, leaves behind his conservative Jewish family in Israel to come to London in search of a new life, and joins the London Gay Mens Chorus. Alexander said: Thats when our story really starts because its that family that he finds in the chorus that propel him to start the reconciliation process with his own biological family in Israel, and its that dialogue that we spent five years following. Who's Gonna Love Me Now? documentary trailer I think London was fundamental to his story he was looking for a tolerant, multicultural space." Alexander, who co-directed with the Heymann Brothers, added that the family were on board for filming the documentary, which captured some tense moments between Saar and his parents. Saar (Heymann Brothers/Breaking Productions) He said: Funnily enough, Saars father, who goes on probably the largest journey or the most accentuated journey in the film, hes become a real mentor for people in Israel who are finding it difficult to come out to their family. HIV is still very taboo. The documentary really has changed peoples perceptions. Who's Gonna Love Me Now? will be screened at the JW3 centre on Saturday November 12, followed by a Q&A, as part of the UK International Jewish Film Festival. For more video features, visit the Evening Standard YouTube channel A policeman dislocated his shoulder as he tried to detain a man who was chasing members of the public with a kitchen knife in east London. The male officer was seriously assaulted as he intervened in the incident in Hackney in the early hours of this morning. But police from Hackney said despite the injury, it was a top effort all round and the suspect is in the cells. One man was arrested on suspicion of chasing members of the public with a knife. It happened on Kingsland Road at just after 1am on Sunday morning. Nick Downing, the Met Police commander in charge of policing in west London, said: Once again an officer places themselves in harms way to protect our communities. Thank you for doing such a fantastic job, speedy recovery. A Hackney police spokesman said the officer has got a dislocated shoulder and is now at home recuperating. "A male suspect was arrested on suspicion of affray, assault on police and possession of an offensive weapon and remains in custody at an east London police station," the spokesman told the Standard. Volunteers from Hatzola, an emergency medical charity which responds to emergencies in north and east London, helped the officer. P iccadilly Circus's iconic billboards turned yellow for an hour in support of UK nurses working through the night to care for people living with terminal illness. As the clocks went back brands gave an hour of their time to terminal illness charity Marie Curie by turning their panels yellow. The campaign aimed to raise awareness for the nurses who working an extra hour on Saturday night to care for the terminally ill. Halloween party-goers passing through the tourist hotspot between 7 and 8pm on Saturday night took to Twitter to praise the initative. Piccadilly Circus turns yellow in support of nurses / Marie Curie Rob Webster wrote: "This is brilliant...the iconic Piccadilly Circus turned yellow for @mariecurieuk for all the nurses working an #extrahor last night." Dr Jane Collins, Chief Executive of Marie Curie said: Practically everyone will be affected by terminal illness at some point in their lives, so its really important that more people are aware of the work that our nurses do and that they are able to receive our help if and when they need it. Those wishing to make a donation to the charity can text EXTRAHOUR to 70755 to donate 5. T he car hire firm Zipcar has been accused of snobbery after a whistle-blower revealed youngsters from certain London postcodes are banned from renting cars. A company employee has told of how the firm refuses to allow anyone under the age of 25 living in poorer areas of London to sign-up to for the service. While youngsters living at smarter addresses can rent a car aged 21. Blacklisted areas include parts of Barking and Dagenham, Hounslow, Harrow, Brent and Tower Hamlets. The company which works similarly the Boris bike scheme, with cars available to hire by the hour, admits that those under 25 living in certain areas cannot sign-up but denies the reasons have anything to do with the economic circumstances of the area. The whistle-blower told The Mail on Sunday that employees are told to lie to undesirables telling them that they cannot subscribe to the service for insurance reasons. The employee said the ban had been company policy for at least three years. Zipcar membership costs 59.50 a year and it costs 6 an hour to rent a car. Margaret Hodge, the Labour MP for Barking and Dagenham told The Daily Mail: Im truly taken aback by Zipcars bigoted snobbery. It is an ignorant and lazy assessment of Barking. Zipcar told the newspaper: Within those postcodes, we have had to increase the age of eligibility to 25 due to a range of factors, including insurance. We have worked hard to allow membership to as young an age group as possible. We do this on an objective and lawful basis the economic circumstance of an area is absolutely not a factor. A man has died after a fire ripped through a flat in north London today. More than a dozen firefighters tackled the blaze which spread through a ground floor flat in Tottenham this morning. The fire destroyed more than a quarter of the flat, which is on Grove Park Road. Two fire engines were called at 8.30am and by an hour later firefighters said the blaze was under control. Investigation: London Fire at the scene of the fire on Grove Park Road in Tottenham. / @999London Twitter The London Fire Brigade and the Met Police are both investigating into what caused the fire. T he Home Office is refusing to say if it will investigate claims one of the 'child refugees' brought to Britain from the Calais Jungle is actually 22 years old. Haris Stanikzai told officials he was 16 when he was brought to the UK last week as one of the first groups of child migrants to be given sanctuary. He had no passport or birth certificate and was taken to south London to live with his uncle Jan Ghazi. The Home Office issued him with a date of birth of January 1, 1999 making him 17. But the government is facing accusations the supposed teenager is in fact a 22-year-old following an investigation of his social media accounts. Enrolled: Haris Stanikzai 's LinkedIn profile said he enrolled at university in 2013. / LinkedIn. The investigation, led by the Sunday Times, suggested Mr Stanikzai stated on his LinkedIn profile he had enrolled at a university in Afghanistan more than three years ago. He was also found with an account on dating website called Meet People where he claims he is aged 22, it reported, and in other photos posted online is shown with a beard. His page on business networking site LinkedIn says he enrolled at Jahan University in 2013, meaning he would have just been 13 when he took his degree course if his claim of being 16 is correct. The Jungle refugee was brought to London from Calais on October 17 as part of an initiative allowing migrants with relatives in Britain to join them. The Home Office said the group were boys aged 14 to 17. The Sunday Times said it contacted officials at Jahan University who confirmed Mr Stanikzai had enrolled for a degree over three years ago. The official said Mr Stanikzai was under-18 when he started the business administration BA course. However Mr Ghazi, 37, said there had been a big misunderstanding about his nephews academic credentials. The Home Office said it did not comment on individual cases and would be unlikely to be releasing a comment in response to the accusations. A spokeswoman said French and UK officials interview refugees who do not have documentation and look at physical appearance and demeanour to determine their age The Home Office then assigns them a date of birth of January 1 and then a year following interviews while awaiting further information about the individuals age. French officials have said the UK has so far received 274 migrants but the country wants Britain to take in more than 1,000 children from Calais. T he widowed husband of former MP Jo Cox fought back tears on TV this morning as he spoke about how his children are coping with their mums death. Jo Cox was killed in June outside her constituency office in Batley and Spen. This morning, four months on from her death which happened just days before the EU referendum, Brendan Cox appeared on the Andrew Marr show on BBC One. He said he thinks he is still in shock and has not gone through the entire process of grieving. Brendan Cox: "I'm positive that the kids are very strong." / PA "I've spent a lot of time in the last four months really focused on the kids and making sure that they're OK and coping with it as best as they can be, he said. "I'm positive that the kids are very strong. They've got a lot of Jo's spirit in them and they've been surrounded by a lot of love from our family and from our friends. He became choked up when he told the BBC presenter how he explained the tragic death to five year-old Cuillin and three-year-old Lejla. He said: "The advice from the beginning was to be open about what happened so that they don't find out different things from different people, so they know what happened. "One of their questions in the earliest days was 'Why would someone do this?' and that's very hard to explain. "I haven't really found a convincing answer for that and I don't think they have understood why somebody would do it." Mr Cox also used his appearance on the show to urge politicians in the centre ground to re-seize patriotism from the extreme right. Choked up: Brendan Cox, the husband of former MP Jo Cox, appeared on TV this morning. / PA He said he felt the EU referendum had resulted in "heightened tension" in the UK but that he did not believe the Leave vote was linked to the death of his wife in June. He cited the rise of US presidential-hopeful Donald Trump and prominent far-right French politician Marine Le Pen as he suggested there had been an increased focus in recent months on "what divides us rather than what brings us together". Former Coronation Street actress Tracy Brabin was elected Mrs Cox's successor as Labour MP for Batley and Spen with an overwhelming 86% of the vote at a by-election earlier this month. T wo teenagers have been shot dead at a Halloween party in New York, officials have said. A gunman opened fire during the loft party in Newburgh just before 1am (local time) on Sunday, CBS news reported. High school senior Omani Free, 18, was killed in the shooting, according to local media. Her father Omar Free told the news channel: She was just at a party, and the next thing I find out, I get a phone call saying my daughter got shot. Im devastated right now. Its hard. Shes my oldest daughter. The identity of the second teenager killed has not yet been released. Newburgh police said the suspect fled the scene right after the shooting. Witnesses claimed seven people were recovering from gunshot wounds in hospital. Chris Rickert | Wisconsin State Journal Urban affairs, investigations, consumer help ("SOS") Follow Chris Rickert | Wisconsin State Journal Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Early voting is still a recent enough advance in elections administration to allow partisan outfits like One Wisconsin Now and The Nation magazine to advance some believable early-voting, partisan narratives. And so this week, The Nation wrote about an email uncovered by OWN showing the Green Bay city clerk who was appointed by a Republican-leaning mayor asking whether she could deny a Democratic lawmakers request for an early voting site at UW-Green Bay because it was her impression that students lean more toward the democrats. As if American democracy needed yet another battle in the long-running war between the two major parties over the minutiae of voting. Its not surprising that in this politicized age the Green Bay clerks concerns about the political leanings of college students drew more attention than her concerns about how to staff, secure and pay for the citys first early-voting site outside her office. Her political concerns arent without statutory basis, though, as the state law on early-voting sites says that no site may be designated that affords an advantage to any political party, and college-age voters are among the groups that tend to lean Democratic. But its not just students. College professors might be even more liberal than the young, with surveys and campaign giving showing academics favoring Democrats by a wide margin. Putting a polling place at a university may well sound to the average Republican like putting one at Democratic party headquarters. To be clear, until Americans start voting in less pathetic numbers and until Republicans can show evidence that voter fraud is anywhere near common enough to affect election results, Democrats are doing Gods work in calling for expanded opportunities to vote. Which doesnt mean their motives are entirely pure. As a general rule, Democrats tend to do better when turnout is high. They also do better among young and minority voters, who are less likely to be able to jump through a variety of hoops to vote like having a photo ID preferred by Republicans. Making it easier to vote makes it easier for Democrats to win, and having a polling place just down the street from your dorm room can certainly make voting easier. If the location and number of early-voting sites are to be the next fronts in partisan disputes over voting, though, state law could do a better job playing referee. Neither the statute governing Election Day polling places or the one governing early-voting places specifies that the sites have to be evenly distributed across a municipality. No clerk is going to suddenly move long-standing Election Day polling places, but without much guidance on where to put early-voting sites, partisans are free to fight over their location in an attempt to get whatever tiny electoral advantage they can. Given that OWNs research partner, One Wisconsin Institute, believes the Green Bay clerk was trying to suppress the vote, I asked OWN deputy director Mike Browne whether his group planned to file a formal complaint against the Green Bay clerk like with the state Elections Commission. His answer? Not today. Two people were robbed at gunpoint in Fitchburg early Saturday morning while sitting in their car, police said. Fitchburg police said the two victims were in their car on the 5600 block of Norfolk Drive around 4:30 a.m. when two men approached the car with a long gun. The victims exited the vehicle and the robbers took the cash that was in the vehicle, police said. The robbers then fled. The robbers are described as two black men with average builds wearing black pants and black hooded sweatshirts. One is around 6 feet to 6 feet 2 inches tall, and the other is around 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall. Anyone with information is asked to call the Fitchburg Police Department at (608)270-4300 or Madison Area Crime Stoppers at (608)266-6014. The state Department of Natural Resources is planning to study whether heavy metals from ponds at Wisconsin frac sand mines are leaching into and contaminating groundwater. The study comes three years after water samples from some frac sand mine ponds showed concentrations of metals many times higher than state groundwater standards recommend. Areas like a section of land outside Arcadia, where the Tunnel City and Wonewoc sandstone formations meet, are especially rich in minerals containing heavy metals, according to Wisconsin Geological and Historical Survey geologist Jay Zambito. The minerals keep metals locked inside the rock formations, Zambito said. His theory is that when miners break up the rock, the minerals might dissolve. "You might be exposing minerals that can easily break down and those minerals if they have trace metals present and those trace metals get into the water the surface water then becomes poor quality and then it interacts with the groundwater, the groundwater then becomes lesser quality," said Zambito. When the DNR sampled water used by companies to wash frac sand in 2013, it didn't answer the question of whether metals from mines are contaminating water. They found aluminum concentrations 178 times higher than state standards, along with lead and manganese levels four times what the agency recommends for groundwater. But the water was cloudy with sediment, and researchers couldn't tell if those metals were in the sediment or the water itself. That's why they're moving forward with a comprehensive groundwater study next year, DNR frac sand specialist Roberta Walls said. The study could be finished in time for the next DNR review of industrial sand mining water permits, scheduled for 2021. For residents living near frac sand mines, that timeline offers little comfort. Sara Geers, attorney for Midwest Environmental Advocates, said she hears from residents that they're worried metals could be getting into their well water now. High concentrations of metals have been shown to cause brain and nerve damage. That's why she said answers can't come soon enough. "For the citizens who rely on groundwater for drinking, for people who fish in the streams around these facilities, it's not good enough to say, 'we're looking into it and we may tell you a few years down the road that, indeed, this facility has been polluting water for the past several years,'" Geers said. UW-Eau Claire geology professor Brian Mahoney, though, says worries about heavy metals in groundwater may be overblown. For the past year he and his students have been sampling rivers and municipal wells in western Wisconsin for heavy metals. So far, the levels are well below drinking water standards. "So, it doesn't seem as if there's a lot of material coming off the rock, getting into the groundwater," Mahoney said. "Some, certainly, but not very much." Mahoney wants to test the rock itself to see if exposing it to air and weather could cause metals to bleed from exposed sandstone. But he said that kind of science is expensive and he's looking for funding. This summer, the DNR began requiring some frac sand mines to test for trace metals in water they discharge into nearby streams. The Wisconsin Industrial Sand Association says that has cost operators tens of thousands of dollars even though there's no proof their operations are causing metals to leach into groundwater. Each Badger Honor Flight operation takes hundreds of volunteers, hours of planning and thousands of dollars in donations. Brian Ziegler, of Waunakee, chairman of the Badger Honor Flight board of directors, said about 20 volunteers make up the groups main Flight Team. Each of the flights key functional areas has a team leader, for example medical, welcome home, etc., Ziegler said. We meet monthly to discuss specific issues and timelines. After each flight season, we do an after-action review to help us get ready for the next one. If something isnt working, we discuss it and develop solutions, and then decide the right corrective action. Each area requires different numbers of volunteers, Ziegler said. The largest requirement is the welcome home celebration, he said. That requires hundreds of volunteers. Last Saturdays flight was sponsored by the Ho-Chunk Nation and Ho-Chunk Gaming, but there are many other sponsors or funding sources. For example, the Heroes for Honors Operation Eagles Wings based in Sauk Prairie sponsored a flight on Sept. 24. While the trips are free for veterans, each guardian pays $500. Guardians also have to attend a training session before being allowed on a flight. Ziegler said the flights have become more efficient over time. There have been 25 flights from Madison over seven years. We are able to see and do the things we now do because of our prior experiences and feedback from flight participants, Ziegler said. We learned early on that this population requires certain medical attention and that impacts how our day goes. Each flight has doctors, nurses and other medical professionals along in case health problems arise. Wheelchairs are available, and the buses used in Washington, D.C., are equipped with lifts. Ziegler served in the Army National Guard and was deployed twice as a helicopter crew chief. He said the organization is working hard to get every possible World War II and Korean War veteran signed up for a trip. Veterans do not need to have seen action to be eligible for a flight. They just have to have served while the wars were being fought. In addition, we would like for every Vietnam War-era veteran to be aware we are now flying them and for them to get signed up, Ziegler added. The Badger Honor Flight organization is a regional hub of the national Honor Flight Network. There are 130 hubs, including six in Wisconsin, in 42 states, according to the national organization. Applications for veterans and guardians and other information are available at www.badgerhonorflight.org. When Rodney Young came within 56 yards of a pack of wolves, he knew this wasnt going to be like a typical deer hunt in Nebraska. Young and son-in-law Ben Ramaker had just set up camp in the elder trees above a lake in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska and were ready to do some exploring. A float plane had dropped them off 80 miles from civilization. Theyd been warned about black bears. But they were enthralled to spot a lone wolf sunning himself on a nearby hill. It wasnt until they walked closer that all four stood up. It was a little unnerving, Young said. All I had was a wooden oar. It could have been something if they decided to come after us. The pack vanished into the trees before two came back for a second look. It was just the first of several adventures for Young and Ramaker during their nine-day moose hunting trip in the wilderness. They never saw a bear, although they did spot signs of their presence. But there were otters, muskox and thousands of birds, including sandhill cranes, along the migration corridor. And, of course, there were moose. Both Young and Ramaker called in and killed big bulls that came down to the lake to feed on the vegetation in the surrounding marshland. Ramaker hit his from 200 yards with a 30-06 Ruger Hawkeye. Young got his from 100 yards with the same rifle. He had planned to use his bow, but the animal was too far away. After I shot my moose, I broke down and cried because I was so happy, Young said. Im just a deer hunter from Nebraska. I go out and sit in a deer stand and hunt like that. To go out and impact such a big animal, thats a whole different thing. Both agreed it was the experience of a lifetime. It was one Young wasnt even supposed to be part of Ramaker, a Denver geologist, had been planning the trip with his wife, Erin, since 2013. But she got pregnant and had daughter Meadow on May 28, and thought the trip would be too much. So, Ramaker asked Young if hed be interested. The two have enjoyed hunting for deer in Sarpy County, where Young lives, and up near Ponca State Park. After getting the invitation, Young kicked into high gear. Ramaker is 32 and Young is a 58-year-old plumber, and he wanted to make a good showing. I worked out a lot, I started running and I got in shape, Young said. Ive always been an avid bike rider. I wasnt in terrible shape. I wanted to be in good enough physical shape that I was able to do what I was supposed to do. He needed the endurance to help lug hundreds of pounds of moose meet into a canoe and back to camp, where they constructed a meat stand from the surrounding timber. Ramaker, an avid hunter, killed his moose, with its 61-inch rack, on the second day of the trip. They had to butcher the estimated 1,400-pound animal in a foot of water, then needed two canoe trips to carry the meat back to camp. Just a leg weighed about 200 pounds. Ramaker said the whole process took about eight hours. Young killed his 54-inch, 1,000-pound moose on the fifth day. By that time, everything was set up, so it only took four hours from when the animal was killed to it being hung in camp. They were delayed when they overshot their camp paddling back in the darkness. Ramaker brought home 225 pounds of meat and Young 100. They donated the rest to residents of Bethel, where their plane trip to the wilderness began. They did feast on moose one night in camp, a needed break from the mostly freeze-dried meals they shared every evening. They ate oatmeal in the morning and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. It rained every day, so Young was glad he spent extra on good rain gear. The whole trip cost each of them about $6,500. The charter trip alone was around $5,000 and had to be scheduled years in advance. The area we went into, they only fly so many people in every year, Ramaker said. It was a trip hed always dreamed of. Young was thrilled he was asked along. But it was so hard to wrestle in the bigger moose that Young didnt know at first if hed ever want to do it again. I think I will, he said. It was such an exciting hunt. 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To help you find what you are looking for: Enter Search Term(s): Still cant find what youre looking for? Send us a message using our contact us form. To report a broken link or other problems with the website, please include the URL. Thank you for visiting state.gov. There is yet another oddity this election year. Though Donald Trump has made several appearances in the Badger State this campaign season, Hillary Clinton has not been to Wisconsin since before the April primary. If Clinton does not visit before Election Day, this ends a streak of at least 10 presidential elections in which both the Democratic and Republican candidates made appearances in Wisconsin. According to our research, 1972 was the last time a major party candidate skipped out during the general election. What might cause this remarkable streak to end in 2016? A key factor is the stingy deployment of campaign resources. Candidates put most of their time and money into a small number of battleground states where they expect to get more return on their investments. Since the Democratic convention, two-thirds of Clintons campaign appearances have been concentrated in just four swing states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, and North Carolina. Clinton is clearly in the lead in Wisconsin, running about 7 percentage points ahead in the polls. But prior elections have seen even greater margins for the frontrunner. For example, Barack Obama won the state by 14 points in 2008, and Ronald Reagan won by 9 in 1984. In those years, both candidates nonetheless made at least one stop in the state. Clintons absence reflects several strengths and one weakness. The most obvious strength is her position in the polls. She has not trailed Trump in a single Wisconsin poll since Labor Day. That makes it difficult to argue for putting effort here rather than a state where the outcome is less certain. Another strength is the impressive group of surrogates being dispatched to stump for Clinton. Tim Kaine, the Obamas, Joe Biden, Bill and Chelsea Clinton, and various celebrities are all hitting the trail on her behalf. In contrast, Trump is nearly a one-man operation. Mike Pence, his running mate, is essentially his only surrogate aside from an occasional event featuring one of Trumps family members. Popular GOP politicians have done little to no active campaigning on Trumps behalf. Trump and Pence must travel more to cover the same ground as the Clinton team. Clinton also benefits from what looks to be an expanding electoral map for the Democrats. She gets to play offense in traditionally red states rather than play defense in Wisconsin. Consider Arizona, which has voted Republican in all but one election since 1952, yet appears to be up for grabs this year. Bernie Sanders and Michelle Obama have stumped there, and Clinton recently purchased $2 million in TV ads. Clintons absence also reflects one weakness: she is not especially well liked by the Wisconsin electorate. She lost the Democratic primary here in 2008 and 2016. While Trumps unfavorable ratings are significantly worse, both candidates face the reality that more voters view them unfavorably than favorably. This makes the availability of more popular surrogates all the more valuable to Clinton. Sanders and Elizabeth Warren have made trips to Wisconsin to get out the Democratic vote. Campaigns are constantly reevaluating how they deploy resources. So it is possible Clinton will schedule a last-minute stop here. But for now it looks like she is taking a pass on the Badger state. The Iredell County Board of Elections is preparing for what looks to be a busy Election Day, and efforts include recruiting a previously untapped group of volunteers through a partnership with the local schools. Here are some details about the program: THE PARTNERSHIP Noting the success of other counties utilizing local students, the Iredell County Board of Elections established a partnership with Mitchell Community College and Iredell-Statesville Early Colleges to recruit extra help on Election Day. The board proposed the idea to Mamie Houston, the early college liaison for Mitchell and also a chief judge of one of Iredells 29 voting precincts. Once students were signed up, the board then held training for the students this past week. Houston said if the pilot partnership goes well, she hopes to continue it in the future. Although thousands of people have already voted in Iredell, officials said they expect to see a large turnout on Election Day and having the extra help will make a difference. Students will help greet and direct voters and fulfill other tasks assigned to them throughout the day. I see it as almost like were growing up the next people to help with the election process, Houston told the students during the training, held at the main branch of the Iredell County Public Library. Youre going to be assisting the process, making sure the process takes place on the day and takes place correctly and orderly. Susie Jordan of the board of elections said shes excited for what the students will bring to the table. We feel like youll bring positive energy to the precincts, Jordan told the group. Its a fun day. Its an exciting day and we are thrilled you are a part of it, but remember you are there to work. THE STUDENTS Twenty-seven students volunteered for the pilot program. Five are traditional college students and the others are students of the early colleges in the Iredell-Statesville school system. Several students said they are participating because they wanted to see how democracy works first-hand. Im excited to see all the voters in Iredell come out because we have such a high percentage of people who actually do vote, said 17-year-old Kara Briggs, a junior at Crossroads Arts and Science Early College. I primarily decided to volunteer because I wanted to see how the voting process works. Im almost of age to be able to vote so I think this will be beneficial. Along with receiving community service hours that can be put toward college applications and resumes, workers will receive $130 for their service. Early voting is underway in Iredell, and Election Day is Nov. 8. Does being behind on your bills make you more likely to crash your car? Yup, statistically speaking. Thats why Missourians with rotten credit pay an average of $704 per year more for auto insurance than people with good credit. The difference in Illinois is $745, according to a recent analysis by Insurancequotes.com. Nearly all insurance companies use a credit-based insurance score to rate people for auto and homeowner insurance. Its made up of data on how you borrow and pay bills, not how you drive. Yet the insurance industry swears it predicts auto insurance claims. Depending on where you stand, this is either sound business practice or another way that the system sticks it to the struggling and unlucky. Some neutral research backs up the insurance companies position. The Federal Trade Commission studied the issue in 2007. Credit-based insurance scores are effective predictors of risk under automobile policies, the FTC report said. They are predictive of the number of claims consumers file and the total cost of those claims. The Texas Department of Insurance found the same thing in 2005. People in the bottom 10 percent in credit scores filed 50 to 100 percent more claims than people with the best scores. The credit scores are based on the number of late payments, accounts in collections, bankruptcies, amount of credit being used and such. They are cousins to the scores used to rate applicants for loans, but tweaked to reflect insurance risk. If you have never been late paying your mortgage, you will probably have a better score than a person who pays late, the American Insurance Association said. If you have maxed out credit cards, that will negatively affect your score. The studies cant tell us why people with bill troubles damage their cars more often, or have them stolen. But the industry has a theory. People who manage their finances well tend to also manage other important aspects of their lives responsibly, such as driving a car, says the Insurance Information Institute, the industrys public relations arm. The corollary is that the financially reckless have more wrecks. That theory doesnt sit well with consumer advocates. After all, a responsible person can be financially flattened by a job loss or a giant medical bill. A heart attack doesnt make somebody drive drunk. Something more nefarious is at work here, says Amy Bach. Its a proxy for economic discrimination against poor people, said Bach, executive director at United Policyholders, a California-based consumer group that scourges insurance companies. Insurers prefer well-off clients to whom they can sell home and auto policies, life insurance, annuities and investments, Bach said. A cheaper auto policy is a way to lure in the monied set while credit-scoring insurers squeeze the working stiff. Not so, say the insurers. Insurance is about grouping people by risk. Men crash more than women, and young drivers crash more than the old, so young men pay higher rates. The same applies to rotten credit. Insurers say they dont need to show how skipping bills causes accidents, only a statistical relationship. Of course, a persons prior insurance claims, at-fault accidents and traffic tickets also play a big part in the premiums they will pay. Bach has no problem with that. Logically, the best predictor is your history how youve behaved in the past. More troublesome is rating by ZIP code. People in areas with more break-ins and auto thefts get higher rates. People in urban ZIP code areas pay more because concentrated traffic means more accidents. A 2013 comparison showed that a driver in the 63147 ZIP code area in northeastern St. Louis would pay $700 a year more than a driver in Crestwood or Chesterfield to insure a late-model Honda Accord. Insurance scoring is unkind to minorities. The insurance credit-scoring system produces significantly worse scores for residents of high-minority ZIP codes, said a 2004 report by the Missouri Department of Insurance. Some insurers also rate by occupation and education. Using the Geico website, I compared quotes for two fictional drivers living on the same block in Richmond Heights. The drivers were identical except that one was an executive with a masters degree, and the other a carpenter and high school graduate. The carpenter would pay $15 more a year for auto insurance. Put all that together and it seems that people lower on the economic ladder, or struggling with bills, do get stuck with higher rates, no matter their driving history. Insurance companies differ on how they weight credit scores. Wallethub, a credit shopping website, looked at five major insurers this year, finding that Farmers gave credit scores the biggest weighting, followed by State Farm, Allstate, Progressive and Geico. That study showed people in Missouri with no credit history at all pay 69 percent more for car insurance than people with excellent credit. The difference in Illinois was 54 percent. An insurer must notify you if it rates you poorly because of a credit score. You then have a right to a free credit report. Check it for accuracy, and report any errors to the reporting agency. Anyone can get one free credit report per year from each of the three credit reporting agencies at www.annualcreditreport.com CHICAGO It was a striking image. A photo of an 89-year-old man hunched over, struggling to push his cart with frozen treats. Fidencio Sanchez works long hours every day selling the treats because he couldnt afford to retire. The photo and his story went viral, and thousands of people donated more than $384,000 for his retirement. His story is a window into a dark reality: Many low-wage workers cant afford to retire. With no money saved for retirement, home care worker Gwen Strowbridge, 71, of Deerfield, Fla., plans to stay on the job until she cant physically work anymore. I cant see it in the future. Ill stop working if my health wont allow me to keep working, said Strowbridge. Now 71, she works six days a week caring for a 100-year-old woman in Florida. Studies have found that about one-third of low wage workers such as Strowbridge say theyll never be able to afford retirement. The problem is particularly acute among minority women. A 2016 study by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that one-quarter of workers 50 and older say they wont retire. Among low-wage workers, earning less than $50,000 a year, it was 33 percent. Strowbridges first job, in the 1960s, paid 98 cents an hour, setting her out on a path of low-wage jobs that stretched across five decades. She raised three sons with her husband, Roy, a dock attendant who unloaded cargo from boats. The couple was forced to use the little money they had saved for retirement on family medical issues. Strowbridge stopped working briefly after she turned 63 to care for her husband, who had quadruple bypass heart surgery. Their Social Security benefits werent enough to cover medical expenses, rent, utilities and food. When he died, she went back to work. Jacquelyn B. James, co-director of Boston Colleges Center on Aging and Work, said it was common for low-wage workers to stay on the job, with no plans for retirement. It is really easy for them to say Im going to work forever, but things happen, James said. Among those things, health issues. A 2016 report by the nonpartisan research nonprofit National Institute on Retirement Security shows that many black, Latina and Asian women have to work past retirement age to be able to afford basic expenses. Women were 80 percent more likely than men to be impoverished. The research showed that for men ages 70-74, about 19 percent of their income comes from wages. For women, its about 15 percent. You couldnt put nothing in the bank because I was always underpaid, Strowbridge said. I just didnt make enough to save. Januario Salgados financial situation mirrors Strowbridges. He never saved for retirement. He is 64 and doesnt plan to retire. He works 10 hours, six days a week, in a grocery store in a suburb outside Chicago. I couldnt save, Salgado said in Spanish. I worked a lot to help my family. I used to send money to my parents in Mexico. Though caring for elderly parents is a norm in Mexican culture, many grown children dont think its their responsibility, said Salgado, who came to the United States 40 years ago. His sons are among them. Salgado plans to start collecting Social Security benefits when he turns 65, but he will continue to work as long as he is physically able. He doesnt want to become a burden to his children. For Esther Bolanos, 64, the situation is even more difficult. A domestic worker, she has been able to save some money for retirement but said it was not enough. She wont be able to receive Social Security benefits because she lacks legal status. Its sad to think about my situation. I was forced to close my business and leave the economic stability I had in my country to come here, Bolanos said in Spanish. I left everything behind because of the violence. Bolanos owned a successful cheese factory in Mexico City, but success made her a target, she said. Her husband was killed and she was robbed at gun-point twice. After the last robbery, she decided to migrate north. I told my daughter, Im going to take you to a safe place even if I have to work cleaning houses, she said. If Bolanos had stayed in Mexico City, she would be retired. But now that shes in the U.S., she doesnt think she ever will. I dont think about retirement, she said. I think about what would happen to me if I get sick. Editors note: Maria Ines Zamudio is studying aging and workforce issues as part of a 10-month fellowship at The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which joins NORCs independent research and AP journalism. The fellowship is funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Do the Madison schools need more funds? They say they do, so I am not arguing that point. The School Board blames the state Legislature and governor for their financial difficulties. Again, I am not disputing that. What I am challenging is the Madison School Districts November referendum solution. The board wants Madison taxpayers to approve a referendum allowing the district to exceed the state spending limit by $26 million annually. To make it more palatable, they proposed phasing that amount in over four years: $5 million in 2016-17, $5 million more in 2017-18, $8 million more in 2018-19, and $8 million more in 2019-2020. The real kicker, however, is that every year thereafter, they can continue to exceed the spending limit by a total of $26 million. School referendums in the past have raised money to exceed legislatively imposed spending caps for specific reasons, such as school maintenance, building additions, even unseen budget shortfalls. Voters normally were given the opportunity to say yes or no to these specific projects or program expenditures. But this is very different because, in essence, it is allowing the School Board members today and those in the future a blank check to exceed spending limits by $26 million each year, forever, for whatever they deem necessary, without additional taxpayer approval. The School Board has estimated that tax increases on the average school district home would be about a $36 increase each year through 2019, until it reached an increase of around $140. I sincerely question those estimates. Even modest increases in property values in the future will also increase the total impact of increased School Board spending. School-related, never-ending tax increases, in addition to increases by the city, county and Madison Area Technical College, can push the elderly, many on fixed incomes, beyond their ability to pay taxes and stay in their homes. These are just a few of the key questions voters should ask themselves before voting for the referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot. The School Board argues it doesnt have to exceed the spending cap $26 million each year, but where is the incentive not to? Students success or failure wont need to be considered in the future spending equations. Once passed, even if the state provides more local school funding in the future, nothing stops the $26 million yearly excess spending. So what will you do on Nov. 8? I am voting no on this ill-conceived, open-ended, long-term solution that will cost all of us and result in what is called taxation without representation. Travel tip We took some strenuous hikes, so if you choose this option make sure that you practice climbing in the mountains. Contribute Email your photo to stlpost@gmail.com. Include the full names of everyone in the photo, including where they are from and where you are standing in the photo. Also include your address and phone number. Please also tell us a little about the trip and a travel tip. Were looking for interesting, well-composed, well-lighted photos. Each Saturday and Sunday well post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar. Reviewers, including my colleague, raved about Steve Sakas debut release from Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust: Sobremesa. Although I enjoyed that cigar, something about it didnt quite hit my palate right (I consistently found a slight metallic flavor detracted from otherwise excellent flavors). My experience with Sakas second release, Mi Querida, however, has given me no such hesitations. Made with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler, the cigar produces rich flavors with wood, roasted notes, and just a bit of subtle sweetness. Construction is excellent from start to finish. The Churchill-sized (7 x 50) SakaKhan is slightly mellower than the smaller sizes I tried (more medium-bodied than medium- to full-bodied) but it is highly enjoyable and easy to recommend. Verdict = Buy. Patrick S photo credit: Stogie Guys Russ Feingold is well known nationally for teaming with U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, on their namesake campaign finance bill, much of which remains law. But the Middleton Democrats record of cooperating on bipartisan solutions during his 18 years in the U.S. Senate goes far beyond that. With McCain and others, Feingold banned gifts from lobbyists and fought wasteful earmarks, including the bridge to nowhere in Alaska. Feingold grew up in Janesville, so he knows House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, well. The two have cooperated on legislation seeking a line-item veto, which would let presidents pare spending from budgets. Feingold has never been afraid to buck his party or its presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton. Feingold, for example, said the Clinton Foundation may have to shut down to avoid conflicts of interest. Feingolds independence and proven ability to work across party lines make him the best choice for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin. The State Journal for the fourth time in a row endorses Feingolds bid for the seat. He faces incumbent U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, in the Nov. 8 election. We disagree with Feingold on some big issues, including free trade, which promotes prosperity and peace. But Johnson, who defeated Feingold six years ago during the rise of the tea party, doesnt support the presidents trade deals, either, despite clear benefits to Wisconsin. Johnson, a manufacturer, was impressive during an hour-long meeting with the State Journal editorial board this month. We like his business smarts and attention to regulatory reform. Yet he voted against bipartisan legislation to avoid a debt default in 2013, which was irresponsible. He also is vague about how to fix entitlements, while Feingold wants wealthier people to pay more into Social Security to extend its solvency. Feingold is serious about addressing climate change, which Johnson dismisses. Johnson has shown little independence in office. While Feingold favored GOP nominee John Roberts for the U.S. Supreme Court, Johnson has bottled up judicial appointments. Johnson also refuses to apply background checks to firearm purchases at gun shows. Though the McCain-Feingold law was partially struck down, it still requires candidates to identify themselves at the end of their campaign ads, for example. That promotes responsibility and civility. Unlike Johnson, Feingold strongly favors disclosure of donors who pay for political ads. Feingold has traveled 16 times to Africa for the State Department in recent years. Thats expanded his view of the world. Yet during his campaign, he again has traveled to all 72 Wisconsin counties to listen to voters. Feingold is more likely to find consensus in Washington on the big stuff, such as immigration reform and a balanced budget. Voters should support Feingold on Nov. 8 as the more effective leader. Serbia's Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic addresses the United Nations General Assembly in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., September 22, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz BELGRADE (Reuters) - Police said they moved Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and his family to "a safe location" on Saturday after uncovering a weapons cache including a rocket-propelled grenade launcher near his parents' home which he regularly visits. The weapons, which also included hand grenades and rifle ammunition, were found in bushes in the neighborhood of Jajinci, near a crossroads where Vucic's motorcade normally slows down when taking him to his parents' home, Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic told reporters. Vucic's parents, Angelina and Andjelko, reside in the house in Jajinci. Vucic and his own family live in downtown Belgrade though Stefanovic made it clear he had been moved elsewhere since the weapons were found. The discovery, which followed a tipoff police said, exacerbates an already tense atmosphere in the region, which is bearing the brunt of Europe's migrant crisis and where rival Balkan countries routinely swop allegations of interference in each other's domestic affairs. "The Prime Minister is now safe, as well as his family ... it is worrying that weapons were in the place where his motorcade has to slow down to almost 10 km (six miles) per hour," Stefanovic said. Serbia's military intelligence agency (VOA) is responsible for the security of the prime minister, while members of Cobras, an elite army unit, serve as his personal bodyguards. Stefanovic declined to say where Vucic was when the weapons were uncovered. "This is confidential ... in any case he is at a safe location now." No arrests have yet been made in connection with the incident, which comes five days after authorities detained a number of people over a suspected plot to sway the outcome of Montenegro's Oct. 16 election and after several mafia-style assassinations among criminal groups in Belgrade. "The key to the safety (of the prime minister) will be to do intelligence work so we can find out ... who has such intentions and and to do everything we can to prevent that," Stefanovic said. Security around Serbian prime ministers and top officials was tightened after the 2003 assassination of Zoran Djindjic, the first pro-Western head of the government after the ouster of former strongman Slobodan Milosevic in 2000. In a statement, Ivica Dacic, Serbia's foreign minister and the head of the co-ruling Socialist Party said that many people opposed Vucic and his policies. "They will always find a Serb hand to do their dirty work for them, therefore investigations ... must be completed and the operators and masterminds arrested," Dacic said. Serbia is awash with hundreds of thousands of illegal weapons, including assault rifles, anti-tank weapons and explosive ordnance that remained in the private hands after the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s, many of such arms are now in the hands of criminal groups. (Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Thomas Escritt and Richard Balmforth) Bereaved families are facing bills of thousands of dollars to pay for the funerals of loved ones, because of hold-ups at the countrys largest bank. ANZ bank has been playing an apology on its 0800 helpline for deceased estates, saying it is taking up to 30 working days to process requests to release money from the accounts of people who have died because of "high volumes". The delay didnt impress Palmerston North academic Cory Matthew, who said he waited nearly two months for assistance from ANZ to wind up his mothers affairs after her death late in August. Matthew said ANZs issues meant he had to pay funeral costs of $8500 out of his own pocket to avoid a late payment fee. That was despite a recorded message on ANZs 0800 deceased estates number that funeral payments would be paid on or before the due date. "I did happen to have that sitting around, but it is more I dont think it is very professional of them," Matthew said. Matthews mother ironically spent most of her career with ANZ. "During the war when there was threat of a Japanese invasion she was employed in Stratford, and her job was to ride on the truck with the bank securities and she had a Molotov cocktail to destroy the banknotes so the Japanese wouldnt get them. "Shed be a bit shocked to find they couldnt sort things out after she was gone," says Matthew. ANZ contacted his lawyers and sent them the forms they needed on Wednesday. ANZ spokesman Stefan Herrick acknowledges the delays are "unacceptable" but says the bank is starting to get on top of its backlog. "We have put in extra resource and new processes. I think in a few weeks things should hopefully be pretty much back to normal," he said. Matthew assumes hundreds of families are in the same boat. He obtained probate from Hamilton High Court following his mothers death two months ago, but his lawyers were unable to do anything until Wednesday because of the delays at the bank. A spokeswoman for the Public Trust says the organisation, which helps people sort out their affairs after death, had also been affected by the problem at ANZ. "We can confirm that we have been experiencing some delays with ANZ. We understand there are steps being taken to improve processing times, and these are primarily due to resourcing issues and system changes," says the spokesperson. Statistics New Zealand spokesman James Weir says deaths tend to spike in the September quarter, and the number of people dying each year is increasing as the countrys population grows and ages. But the department doesnt have recent statistics that might show if there has been an unusual number of bank customers dying in the past few months that would explain ANZs "high volumes". Research published by the Public Trust last month finds people who have been appointed executors of wills spent an average of 50 hours winding up estates and knew little beforehand about what they need to do. Unexpected tasks could include applying for probate, finding beneficiaries, filing tax returns, re-homing pets, resolving disputes between beneficiaries and advertising for creditors. "Many dont know they have a legal responsibility to manage the distribution of the estate, ensuring everything is finalised in accordance with the will even less realise theyre personally liable and in a worst case scenario could be sued if things dont go to plan," says manager Matt Sale. FINAL DUTIES - Apply to a High Court for probate or to administer the estate, if the deceased had assets worth more than $15,000 - Contact Inland Revenue if they had had a Kiwisaver account, ran a business, paid a student loan or paid or received child support - File a final tax return for the person who has died - File an estate return if income is still being received by the dead persons estate. - Contact Work and Income if they received a benefit or a veterans pension, or Senior Services if they were getting NZ Super - Arrange for any life or funeral insurance to be paid out - Check whether they were owed any pay or superannuation from their workplace - Freeze the deceaseds bank accounts until the will is executed, or transfer any joint accounts to the surviving account-holder - Cancel any bills or accounts under the deceaseds name - Contact the Department of Internal Affairs to cancel the deceaseds passport and NZTA to cancel their driver licence - Ask a lawyer to arrange to transfer the title of any joint home to the surviving partner Source: Govt.nz By Tom Pullar-Strecker-Stuff. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A man was found with a gunshot wound to his leg on the West Side early Sunday morning, the Syracuse Police Department announced today. Police received a report about gunshots being heard at 1:55 a.m. on Sunday near the 600 block of Gifford Street, police said. Officers on patrol in the area also said they heard the shots. Police said they found a 29-year-old man a few blocks away near South Geddes Street and Seymour Street with a gunshot wound to his upper right leg. The man told police he heard the gunshots but did not realize he had been hit until the police found him, police said. The man was brought to Upstate University Hospital by the American Medical Response ambulance for non life-threatening injuries, police said. He did not give police a suspect description. The Syracuse Police ask anyone with information on this incident to call (315) 442-5222. Reporter Kira Maddox covers crime and safety for Syracuse.com. She can be reached anytime: Email | Facebook | Twitter SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Authorities have identified a man who was shot dead early Saturday near Interstate 81 on the South Side of Syracuse. At 4:48 a.m. police officers responded to the 200 block of McKinley Avenue, off South State Street, for a report of a shooting. Several people had also called 911 to report hearing gunshots in the area, Syracuse police said. Police said officers, firefighters and paramedics arrived to find Iric T. Green with a gunshot wound. Green, 35, of Syracuse, died at the scene. A 26-year-old woman, who was not identified by authorities, was also found at the scene. She had been shot in the leg and was taken to the hospital, but her wound is not believed to be life-threatening, police said. Detectives are investigating, but do not have any suspect information, police said. Police asked anyone with information about the case to contact 315-442-5222. Tips can also be submitted using the "SPD Tips" app. Do you know Iric T. Green? Syracuse.com would like to speak to family or friends willing to share insights into his life. Reach reporter Kira Maddox at 315-470-2146 or by email at kmaddox@syracuse.com. rat.JPG Cooking a rat to eat on TV: Cruel publicity stunt? (The Associated Press) A Wayne County woman with too many pet rats is facing 69 charges of animal cruelty after her landlord ratted her out to police. Stephen Venturino, the landlord of the home on Johnson Road in Palmyra, told police that he noticed a horrible odor of urine and feces when he came by to install a new furnace filter earlier in the month, the Wayne County Times reported. "The next day on 10/12/16, I was doing routine preparation for winter on the house, I was outside cleaning the gutters when I could see multiple cages of rats inside an upstairs bedroom," Venturino said in a statement to police. "I could see that they had no food or water and they were all piled on top of each other in the cages." Police found 69 rats in cages in the home, and charged Michele Sestito, 32, with one count of animal cruelty for each rat. "They weren't being cared for, and the stench in the house was horrible," Wayne County District Attorney Rick Healy told WHAM-TV. Healy said there were no dead rats, but given the animals' condition, it was only a matter of time. Sestito told police that she started "rescuing" rats from pet stores about three years ago, but that she was forced to live elsewhere due to health issues. She said she had asked a "business partner" to check on the rats, but didn't know they weren't being properly cared for. Officials also believed that the number of rats may have been closer to 100, but that some had already been removed from the home. There was also a tame pigeon in the house, according to the Times. The rats were treated for a lice infestation, and were placed at shelters and rescues in the area. Healy plans to seek a ban on Sestito owning other pets in the future, rather than jail time. Upstate New York is full of local legends of haunted places, including the well-known story of Irondequoit's infamous "White Lady." Whether you're a believer or not, the story is well known to locals who live near Rochester's Durand Eastman Beach, where the ghost of the White Lady is said to appear. WROC-TV spoke with local historians to get to the bottom of White Lady mystery. "The story goes back to the 1800's," Irondequoit town historian, Patricia Wayne, told the station. "She lived near Durand Eastman and she had a teenage daughter and the daughter asked if she could walk down to the lake. As the story goes, she never came home. The mother went out to search and she couldn't find her. The mother spent the rest of her life looking for her. It's said on misty nights, she'd glide over the lake, all in white, glided over the waves." Some versions of the story say the woman lived in the famous "White Lady Castle," which was actually a refectory. Wayne notes that there's no historical evidence that such a woman ever lived in the area, or that the alleged events even happened. But she won't go as far as to discount the story entirely. "I always say she did exist at one time or another because I don't want to be haunted either," she told the station. The White Lady story became so popular that Rochester native Frank LaLoggia turned the tale into the 1988 movie, "The Lady in White." These days, the story has become popular on candlelight ghost tours during the Halloween season. Wayne says she's been asked about the legend more times than she can recall. Comma.ai, the startup founded by former iPhone and PlayStation 3 hacker George Hotz, is crashing before it even started to fly. The first official product of Comma.ai, the Comma One, is supposed to be a self-driving car kit that can be installed in old cars to give them self-driving capabilities. According to Hotz, the accessory would come with a price tag of $999 and will be available before the year ends. For fans of self-driving technology but could not afford to purchase a new car that comes with the capability, the Comma One would have been the perfect device. However, it seems that those dreams are now over, as Hotz has decided to cancel the self-driving car kit. The NHTSA's Requests In a series of tweets posted by Hotz using Comma.ai's official account, he revealed that the company received a letter coming from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The agency was requesting for a detailed description on how the Comma One would work, along with the safety precautions that it will be implementing. "We are concerned that your product would put the safety of your customers and other road users at risk. We strongly encourage you to delay selling or deploying your product on the public roadways unless and until you can ensure it is safe," wrote NHTSA chief lawyer Paul Hemmersbaugh in the letter addressed to Hotz. The NHTSA also requested for an explanation on how the device will not be interfering with federal safety standards. If the request of the agency would be ignored and Comma.ai will continue with the development and release of the Comma One, the startup could be looking at fines of up to $21,000 per day. "Would much rather spend my life building amazing tech than dealing with regulators and lawyers. It isn't worth it," Hotz then tweeted, before stating that the Comma One is being canceled and that the company will instead be exploring other products and markets. "Hello from Shenzhen, China," Hotz ended the tweet. Comma One Already Sinking? The Comma One was already setting up for disappointment before its cancellation though, as Hotz had backtracked on the device's capabilities. Hotz stated that the device would function more as an assistant for automatic lane-keeping rather than giving full self-driving vehicles to cars that will equip it. The reaction of Hotz to the NHTSA's letter, however, can be described as a bit strange. He should have expected that the Comma One would require collaboration and oversight from federal regulators, as with all other self-driving and driver assistant technology out in the market today. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Samsung has just announced it will offer a new color in its Galaxy S7 edge lineup. The Blue Coral color option that was exclusive to the now-recalled Galaxy Note 7 is now available on the curved display of the Galaxy S7 edge. When Apple officially announced the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in September, the company removed its Space Gray color option and added two new hues to its flagship iPhones: Jet Black, which features a glossy black aluminum case; and Black, which is a more toned-down matte black hue that doesn't attract fingerprints and scratches like Jet Black. New Colors Sell New Phones As expected, the two new color options Apple introduced that are exclusive to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus immediately sold out when Apple opened up preorders on its online store. New color iPhones are usually the most popular choice with iPhone fans, since it allows them to proclaim to the world that they have latest and greatest iPhone without having to shout it out. Samsung experienced the same issue when it released the Galaxy Note 7 in August and offered the phablet in an exclusive Blue Coral color option. The color was so popular that it caused a delay in national retail availability, with many customers having to wait three weeks or more to get the blue Note 7. Galaxy Note 7 Blue Coral Coming To Galaxy S7 Edge Since Samsung is no longer selling the Galaxy Note 7, it has decided to bring a feature that made the now-recalled phablet a popular choice. Samsung has officially announced that it is now offering the Blue Coral Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. As you can see in the image above, the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge uses the same Blue Coral color that was very popular with Note 7 buyers. It features a light blue front and rear and a rose gold trim around its sides. Specs The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge packs in a 5.5-inch 2,560 x 1,440 Quad HD dual-edge curve display, which has a pixel density of 534 pixels per inch and features a waterproof and dust-resistant design. The handset includes a 12-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, OIS (optical image stabilization), ability to capture 4K video and 5-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and video calls. While the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow, it has already been confirmed to receive an update to Android 7.0 Nougat in the future. It's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, Adreno 530 GPU and a generous 4 GB of RAM. Samsung offers the Galaxy S7 edge in two storage configurations: 32 GB and 64 GB. Users can also increase available space, thanks to the return of a microSD slot, which supports up to 256 GB microSD cards. In terms of battery life, Samsung has included a large 3,600 mAh battery that will provide up to 27 hours of talk time and features Quick Charge 2.0 support and wireless charging out of the box. Availability Samsung will release the Blue Coral Galaxy S7 edge in Taiwan and Singapore in November but reports claim Verizon will offer the handset in the near future. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Samsung is dusting off after the explosive scandal involving its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone and is focusing on the future. The company is working hard to make the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 a flawless, slick, powerful and well-featured handset. Here are the most important rumors that we know so far about the S8. Design And Display Sources from the manufacturing line note that Samsung will pack two models of the Galaxy S8 next year, and both will sport curved screens. The purported devices will be called Dream and Dream 2 and will holster a QHD 5.1-inch screen and 4K 5.5-inch display, respectively. "Samsung has considered that it would make the edge display the identity of the Galaxy S smartphone lineup," says Dong-jin Koh, president of Samsung's Mobile Communications Business. When design is concerned, Samsung's vice president of mobile Lee Kyeong-tae announced that the upcoming Galaxy S8 will feature a "slick design." Technical Specs The Galaxy S8's processing power will surely be impressive, and it is very probable that a Snapdragon 830 CPU will power up the U.S. version of the device. Meanwhile, an Exynos SoC is touted to run Galaxy S8 devices in other markets. At least 4 GB of RAM is expected, but the Dream 2 variant of the device could pack up to 6 GB RAM. Camera And Battery Samsung is purportedly looking to have a strong camera in its S8, with a resolution between 18 and 24 megapixels, and a wide f/1.4 aperture well-fitted for low-light scenes. A dual-lens camera could also be in tow, according to reports from June. As the Galaxy S7 packs a 3,000 mAh power source, it is likely that the S8 will up the ante and carry an even heftier one. This would square out with the bumped-up resolution that the manufacturer wants to deliver on its new flagships. Features Samsung touts that its AI virtual assistant will make the Galaxy S8 a game changer, as the integration of Viv will open up rather large opportunities for users of the device. "Viv is an ideal candidate to integrate with Samsung home appliances, wearables and more," Samsung affirms. Samsung might take the lead and become the first manufacturer to have an optical fingerprint scanner in its Galaxy S8 line. As the physical button seems to be history in the new line of devices, the sensor will be directly embedded into the display. Reports from earlier this year claim that an iris scanner could also be in tow. Price And Availability Rumors surfaced that the Samsung Galaxy S8 will land at the beginning of 2017 during the Mobile World Congress. Its price was not officially announced, but experts estimate it to reach $850. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Using observations from two NASA missions, Kepler and Swift, astronomers have discovered a number of stars rapidly spinning and producing X-rays at levels that were more than 100 times the peak amounts ever recorded from the sun. And because these stars are spinning so fast, they've been squashed, ending up looking like pumpkins. Astronomers believe the stars resulted from close binary systems where two stars, both sun-like, have merged. On average, the recently discovered stars take just a few days to rotate, while it takes almost a month for the sun to do so. Senior research scientist Steve Howell of the NASA Ames Research Center explained that this rapid rotation essentially puts the stars in overdrive, amplifying usual activity seen on the sun, like solar flares and sunspots. Of the 18 "pumpkin stars" discovered so far, one stands out: a K-type orange giant called KSw 71. Aside from being more than 10 times bigger than the sun, the star also completes a rotation in a mere 5.5 days and releases X-ray emissions 4,000 times greater compared to what the sun is capable of at its solar maximum. The Kepler And Swift Missions "A side benefit of the Kepler mission is that its initial field of view is now one of the best-studied parts of the sky," said NASA Goddard Space Flight Center researcher Padi Boyd, who also designed the Swift survey. Using the optical/ultraviolet and X-ray telescopes on the Swift spacecraft, astronomers carried out the Kepler-Swift Active Galaxies and Stars Survey (KSwAGS). They imaged about six square degrees of the Kepler field, or an area equivalent to the size of 12 times a full moon's apparent size. The survey yielded 93 new sources of X-ray, many of which have never been observed before. For the brightest sources, the research team obtained spectra with a 200-inch telescope from California's Palomar University, which offered detailed chemical portraits for the stars. Rare Star Formation According to Howell and colleagues, the 18 stars discovered were likely formed via a model, put forth by astronomer Ronald Webbink, which stated that close binary systems merge while initially located in an "excretion" disk resulting from gas thrown out as the two stars merged. The disk eventually disappears over the course of 100 million years and leaves behind a rapidly spinning active star. Following Webbink's model, the researchers estimate that there should be about 160 of the rapidly spinning stars in the Kepler field. They only discovered 18 given they were only able to observe a small portion of the field for the Swift mission. To find more of the stars, the team has already moved to extend the Swift survey to accommodate additional fields being mapped by the K2 mission, an ongoing extension to the Kepler mission. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Since Sunday night, Bolsonarista truckers have carried out roadblocks in 20 states to protest against the victory of Lula da Silva. | Read More Baton Rouge pollster John Couvillon predicts this is the week. After a year of befuddled campaigning for the U.S. Senate, one of the candidates will break out and define, at last, the race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. David Vitter, he says. Good thing, too, since early voting ends Tuesday and the Nov. 8 election is eight days away. Three independent polls last week separately showed that State Treasurer John N. Kennedy maintains a slight lead over fellow Republican Charles Boustany, the Lafayette-based congressman who represents Acadiana, and utility regulator Foster Campbell, the Bossier Parish Democrat who represents north Louisiana on the Public Service Commission. Republican Congressman John Fleming, of Minden, and Caroline Fayard, a Democratic lawyer from New Orleans, are within striking distance. +2 Third poll shows same three candidates atop the Senate race with John Kennedy leading The third independent poll in two days shows that the Louisiana Senate race is boiling down A quick, totally unscientific, survey of a dozen voters coming out of early voting in Baton Rouge Tuesday showed that they were sure and have been for some time whom they would support as president (Donald Trump). But their choice for senator didnt firm up until they were driving to the polling station. One middle-aged woman didnt know until, pressured by waiting voters shifting from one foot to other, she just stabbed the screen with an index finger Kennedy, maybe, she said. Why so little interest? After all, this campaign featured a goat not harmed in the making of a political commercial, a cute publicity hound, murky links to murdered whores, promises to commit suicide by drinking weed killer, and a former Ku Klux Klan grand wizards comeback tour that has resonated in Europe but not so much in Louisiana. Pundits like to point to a historically long legislative sessions that grappled with though still did not conquer historically deep budget deficits. Then there were police killing and being killed followed by massive flooding. But a big reason could be that the birthplace of a singing governor, the Silver Zipper and Earl K. Long has produced a crop of button-down candidates who are dull. That goes a long way in explaining why so few have paid attention, Couvillon said. Back when Louisianas politics was as spicy as its gumbo, political parties didnt matter as much as personal charisma. Thats not the case anymore, said Baton Rouge pollster Bernie Pinsonat. These candidates are the product of a 20-year effort to push a culturally unique Louisiana into the national norm. Pinsonat points out that their positions, which follow national party lines, are virtually indistinguishable. Republicans hate the Affordable Care Act and U.S. Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland. Democrats love equal pay and increasing the minimum wage. Political action committees and partisans lie in wait for any off-message rhetoric. It doesnt allow candidates, who are eloquent, a chance to excite voters with fresh ideas. Fresh ideas can get you killed, Pinsonat said. And thats really all people need to know to explain what theyll be seeing on television for the next week or so, said Florida pollster Verne Kennedy. If the runoff ends up being Boustany versus Kennedy, then itll likely be a bitter nail-biter between two well-funded Republicans. Democrats, by and large, will stay home. If a Democrat makes the runoff, then Republicans, regardless of their stripes, will vote GOP, swamping the Democratic contender, said pollster Kennedy, who is no relation to the candidate. So the goal for Republican candidates is to knock down intraparty competitors, while making sure at least one Democrat has just enough support to finish ahead of all of the other Republican challengers. This is how elections are really rigged, Verne Kennedy said. That is why the Super PAC backing Treasurer Kennedy is banging away at Boustany as a millionaire enabler of Muslim terrorists. On Thursday, federal disclosures show that the pro-Boustany Louisiana Prosperity Fund spent about $150,000 and Better Louisiana PAC, which supports Fleming, spent $125,000 to pound away at Treasurer Kennedy. Republicans arent alone in their inclination to, in the words of Fayard, eat their young. As both she and her Democratic rival compete for African American votes, Fayard took a comment Campbell made at a forum out of context to link him to racist David Duke. Campbell is behind spots that blame Fayard, who at 23 worked for Goldman Sachs investment bankers, for causing the financial crisis that plunged America into a deep recession. Pollster Kennedy says the influential south Louisiana businessmen who fund his polls so they know in which candidate to invest have told him if Nov. 8 ends with a Democrat and Republican in a runoff, they wont pay for any more surveys. Theres no need, Kennedy said. After twice ordering the Tangipahoa Parish district court to hand down a harsher sentence against a woman charged in a manslaughter case, an appeals court this week reversed her conviction and ordered that she be set free. A jury deliberated for more than four hours in 2013 before convicting Shawn Gilmore, 47, of Hammond, of manslaughter in the stabbing death of her live-in boyfriend, Alvin Collier, in November 2010. Gilmore claimed she stabbed Collier in self-defense during an altercation in which he refused to leave the home, shoved her and fought for the knife she drew to defend herself against him. But prosecutors argued that a series of 911 calls, in which Colliers voice was muffled and distant, proved the couple could not have been struggling the entire time leading up to the fatal strike. Sentence deemed too lenient in slaying, 1st Circuit will give new judge a try Another judge will have to decide the fate of a Hammond woman sentenced in 2013 to one day i A three-judge panel of the state First Circuit Court of Appeal, in a divided decision on Thursday, said no rational jury could have found beyond a reasonable doubt that Gilmore had not acted in self-defense. Judges Duke Welch and Guy Holdridge ordered that Gilmores conviction and sentence be reversed and that she be released. Judge Will Crain dissented, saying the jury drew reasonable inferences from the evidence, and concluding otherwise requires this court to impermissibly reweigh the evidence. District Attorney Scott Perrilloux, of the 21st Judicial District, said Friday he was still reviewing the ruling, but that an appeal was very possible. Gilmores attorney, Lieu Vo Clark, could not be reached for comment. Clark had argued that Gilmore had no duty to retreat and was justified in using lethal force to defend herself from Collier. The ruling follows years of argument and the reversals of two prior sentences handed down by the original trial judge in the case. Judge Brenda Ricks, of the 21st Judicial District, first sentenced Gilmore to five years in prison and suspended the sentence. The prosecution appealed, and the First Circuit ruled that state law prohibits suspending sentences for those convicted of violent crimes. Ricks then sentenced Gilmore to one day in prison and gave her credit for time served, freeing her once again. Another appeal followed, with another admonition from the First Circuit that the sentence was illegally lenient. This time, the appeal court ordered that another district judge hand down the sentence, and Gilmore was given six months in prison. Gilmore then appealed, challenging the conviction itself and the courts previous denial of a motion to acquit her despite the jury verdict. In its ruling Thursday, the First Circuit said prosecutors must disprove self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt. Reviewing the evidence in Gilmores case, Judges Welch and Holdridge said the district attorney failed to meet that burden. Gilmore and Collier had a volatile, off-and-on relationship, marked by numerous altercations and at least one arrest on each side, according to court records. Gilmore related one incident in which she said Collier had put a gun to her head and threatened to kill her. In another, Collier told police that Gilmore had tried to run him over with a car. The confrontation that led to Colliers death began on Thanksgiving night, 2010, when Collier forced his way into the couples mobile home, despite Gilmores insistence that he instead stay with the woman she had caught him with earlier that week. Gilmore told Collier to leave, but he refused. She later told detectives that she didnt call the cops because Collier had been drinking and she didnt want to get him in trouble. She said he watched a movie and eventually fell asleep. The next morning, the two again argued over whether Collier had to go. The fight quickly escalated, Gilmore told police, with Collier pushing her into the kitchen and pressing his arm against her chest. She told police she grabbed a steak knife from the sink and told Collier to leave. She later told detectives Collier threatened to kill her, called her stupid and shoved her around the home as the two struggled for control of the knife. She said that was when she received the 4-inch cut on her arm that took 14 staples to close. Gilmore testified at trial that she dialed 911 but did not put the phone to her ear. She said she was afraid Collier would do more damage if she talked to the operator. The call began at 7:39 a.m., according to court records, with Gilmore cursing at Collier and telling him to leave. He cursed at her for pulling a knife on him and told her not to touch him with it. He also said he loved her, according to transcripts of the call. Gilmore told Collier that she didnt love him, and he didnt know what love was or he wouldnt have cheated on her, the court filings state. Collier could be heard threatening her again if she used the knife. The call died and a second one came in. Collier could be heard complaining of a cut to his arm, threatening to hit Gilmore and saying she had stabbed him in the chest. Gilmore was pleading, praying and crying. She later testified in court that her eyes were closed when she inflicted the fatal injury: All I remember is my arms going up and I was trying to block the licks. A third call came in to 911 -- this time, from the next-door neighbor -- after Gilmore came knocking and pleading for someone to call the police. In the final call, at 7:48 a.m., Gilmore continued to cry and pray and was still nonresponsive to the 911 dispatcher. Officers found Colliers body face-up on the floor near the kitchen, the steak knife by his side, a loaded pistol in his pocket with a round in the chamber. A forensic pathologist testified at trial that a non-fatal wound on Colliers shoulder was in a v-shape, indicating that either he or the knife had been moving when he was cut. The fatal wound to his neck was a straight-line cut. A clinical psychologist told jurors that a seven-hour interview with Gilmore showed her responses to be consistent with the histories of women that are considered to be experiencing battered women syndrome, or, if not in fact, also post traumatic stress disorder. The psychologist said Gilmore lived in constant fear of being killed by Collier. Considering these facts, the history of abuse in the relationship and Colliers dangerous character, we find that (Gilmores) fear and apprehension was reasonable in this case, Holdridge wrote in the appeals court decision. The State has failed to exclude justification by self-defense. Workers and residents in downtown Baton Rouge will soon have a new way to get around. Zipcar, a company that rents vehicles by the hour and day, is beginning a four-car pilot program following the success of its business at LSU, where it began operations earlier this year. Officials hope the new endeavor will benefit individual drivers and local government. Families may be able to use Zipcar as an alternative to buying a second vehicle, the company suggested in a news release. And city-parish government may be able to save local taxpayers money by occasionally sending employees out to job sites in a short-term rental, allowing a reduction of the local government fleet, said John Price, the mayor's assistant chief administrative officer. During its last meeting, the Metro Council encouraged the launch of the downtown pilot program by leasing four city-parish parking spots to the company for one year, with an optional one-year extension. The cars will be located near the intersections of Main and Third, Fourth and North, Florida and Third and Main and Lafayette. At least initially, users will have to return their rentals to the same site where they picked them up. But if the program succeeds and the business is able to scale up, it may be able to offer one-way trips, said general manager Vilaire Lazard. He also told Metro Council members that the company is looking at possibly expanding operations to Southern University and the Baton Rouge airport. Zipcar costs are slightly variable, though generally users sign up for a $15 to $25 fee and pay a $7 monthly membership. Rentals at LSU go for about $7.50 to $9 an hour, depending on model, and the company pays for gas. Cars can be reserved ahead of time through a smartphone app and unlocked with a card. While the city-parish is allowing the company to lease parking spots, Zipcar does not have an exclusive contract, if another car-sharing business wants to set up shop in town, Price said. Members of the Metro Council were happy to see the company expand its operations. Tara Wicker, who represents downtown, said that local leaders will need to look at various models of transportation as Baton Rouge grows. In the past several months, leaders have taken several steps to encourage more environmentally-friendly practices. City-parish government and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation have installed electric car charging stations, and the Capital Area Transit System has expressed an interest in buying electric buses. +8 'Red Stick going green' electric car charging stations now downtown Downtown Baton Rouge now has 10 electric car charging stations as part of another push to ma There's also a push to improve public transportation, especially downtown, including CATS express routes along Florida Boulevard and an investment in a proposed tram to run between LSU and the Capitol. Baton Rouge lawyer Joel Porter's defamation lawsuit against People Magazine over a 2015 article concerning his wife's unsolved 1985 stabbing death will be heard in federal court, not state court. Porter's suit was filed in December in the 19th Judicial District Court but removed in February by the defendants to U.S. District Court, and U.S. District Judge James Brady ruled Oct. 18 that is where it will stay. Porter said Thursday he respectfully disagrees with Brady's ruling and is appealing it. Porter sued Time Inc. and Time Books, which does business as People Magazine, and journalists Steve Helling and Anne Lang, claiming the story published in the magazine Jan. 5, 2015, falsely portrayed him as his wife's killer. He is seeking damages. Lang is deceased. Her succession has asked that the suit be dismissed. So have Time and Helling, whose attorneys "steadfastly," "adamantly" and "resolutely" deny in a federal court filing that Porter was defamed. Time and Helling cite their constitutional right of free speech in a public issue or an issue of public interest. A Baton Rouge police cold-case detective wrote in a 2014 search warrant affidavit that Porter has always been a suspect in the fatal March 1985 stabbing of Denise Washington Porter in their Lobdell Boulevard apartment. Porter is suing the detective, John Dauthier, separately in federal court. Porter's suit against People Magazine complains about three passages in the 2015 article, titled "A Cold Case Heats Up: Who Killed Denise Porter?" The first passage says, "Police interviewed Porter's husband, Joel Porter, but he seemingly had an ironclad alibi: he was working an overnight job, and no one saw him leave the premises." He was working at the U.S. Post Office on Florida Boulevard at the time. Time and Helling argue that passage "distances" Porter from the murder rather than implicating him. "Apparently, (Porter) contends that Time should not only have reported as fact that (he) had an alibi at the time of the murder, specifically, that he was at work at the time, and that no one can dispute this alibi all of which is wholly accurate but should also have reported as fact that (he) 'did not leave work' at the time of the murder," W. Scott Keaty and Joshua McDiarmid, attorneys for Time and Helling, write in court documents. "This, of course, is well beyond what Time can accurately report and would leave Time's readership with the wrong impression," they argue. "Time cannot further represent, as fact, that (Porter) did not leave work on the night of the murder because obviously its reporters were not personally with (him) on the night in question." Porter also alleges the magazine ignored evidence that his wife had multiple extramarital affairs and that DNA recovered from the crime scene did not match his own. Another portion of the article states, "Denise Porter's family is thrilled with the renewed attention on the investigation Not everyone is happy with the latest developments. In a lawsuit filed by Joel Porter he claims that the lead detective, John C. Dauthier, violated his civil rights by pulling him over on the side of the highway to take a DNA swab." Porter, according to Time's lawyers, claims that passage intimates he is unhappy with the reopening of the murder probe. "This passage is not only factually accurate, it provides a basis for the average reader to question whether Detective Dauthier's investigation, at least to the extent it focuses on (Porter), is being conducted in good faith," Keaty and McDiarmid argue. "If anything, this passage again paints (Porter) in a positive light and cannot be deemed to have a defamatory meaning." Porter maintains he wants the case to remain open until his wife's killer is brought to justice. A third part of the article that Porter attacks says, "Police saw no sign of forced entry " "(Porter) even attempts to contort this basic factual statement into 'journalistic malpractice of monumental proportion' by contending that this passage established that (he) was the only one who could gain access to the apartment where his wife was murdered and thus (he) must have murdered his wife," the attorneys for Time and Helling say. "An average listener certainly understands that an apartment can be accessed without force by anyone at all if, for example, the door is left open, the door is left unlocked, the door is answered without confirming the identity of the individual seeking entry, and so on," the lawyers add. Detectives believe Denise Porter's killer washed his hands and weapon with some soap in the sink and also took a shower in the apartment after the slaying. Porter says the magazine did not speak to him or anyone connected with him to find out how he felt about the renewed investigation into his wife's killing. Jeff Sadow is an associate professor of political science at Louisiana State University Shreveport, where he teaches Louisiana Government. He is author of a blog about Louisiana politics at www.between-lines.com, where links to information in this column may be found. When the Louisiana Legislature is in session, he writes about legislation in it at www.laleglog.com. Follow him on Twitter @jsadowadvocate. Email him at jeffsadowtheadvocate@yahoo.com. His views do not necessarily express those of his employer. As Texas goes, so goes Louisiana? Not exactly. Almost a century ago, as Republicans were winning presidential elections with regularity, Maine voted earlier and, as per tradition, voted for the GOP. As Maine goes, so goes the nation until 1936, when in Franklin Roosevelts Democratic landslide, only Maine and Vermont supported the Republican candidate. A wit observed: As Maine goes, so goes Vermont! Today, is there another aberrational election in the offing? Several pundits have argued that reliably Republican Texas might be in play given the controversies surrounding GOP nominee Donald Trump. In a genial debate over the election, chieftains of the two major parties in Louisiana eyed the prospects. Were in an election cycle like no other we have ever seen, said Stephen Handwerk of the Louisiana Democratic Party, noting that Texas being competitive as it is said to be might indicate an upset in the Bayou State. Were excited and confident that Louisiana will be bright red on Election Day Nov. 8, rejoined Jason Dore of the Louisiana Republican Party. The two directors of the state parties told the Press Club of Baton Rouge that their roles have been somewhat limited in the races below that of president, because Louisianas system of open primaries means that parties usually dont endorse candidates until the general election, this year on Dec. 13. The two party pros were as one in their concerns about election turnout. They encouraged voters displaced by flooding in north Louisiana in the spring, south Louisiana in the fall to vote early at registrar of voters offices, because some polling places may have to be moved in the Nov. 8 election. Early voting continues until Nov. 1. But the two disagreed over the prospects for the future, even the future as early as the December runoffs for U.S. Senate and Congress. A Democratic candidate will be competitive in an expected runoff in the Shreveport-based 4th District in the state, and there might even be two Democrats in the Senate runoff because of the split among major GOP candidates in the statewide field, Handwerk said. Dore said he expects a Republican-Democrat fight in the Senate race. But both agreed that the lessons of the 2015 election for governor in which Republicans so savaged each other that Democratic John Bel Edwards emerged the winner should be on the minds of candidates competing ruthlessly in the Senate campaign. From Nov. 9, Dore said, the party will be working to bring together the partisans of the feuding Republicans to compete in the general election, and Handwerk agreed about the two major Democrats in the Senate race. In both cases, though, the differences between Louisiana and other states in elections for governor, Congress and local offices are pronounced. Our system of open primaries is likely to limit whatever validity there is to notions that as Texas goes, so goes Louisiana. If there's been one satisfying development in the dreary race to choose Louisiana's new United States senator, it's the extent to which the most famous of the two dozen candidates on next week's primary ballot, David Duke, has been marginalized. Duke's been around, of course, busily tweeting out white supremacist and anti-Semitic screeds and issuing occasional robocalls suggesting that he's running as a ticket with GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, who took his own sweet time but eventually renounced the former Ku Klux Klan leader, half-term lawmaker, 1991 gubernatorial runoff contestant and convicted con man. But overall, he's mostly been easy to ignore. Well, it was nice while it lasted. While lesser-known candidates who've been campaigning in good faith have been starved of attention and exposure, Duke's lingering notoriety itself seems to have landed him a coveted spot in this week's second and final televised alongside his five leading opponents. Raycom Media, the debate's sponsor, decided to invite any candidate who scored above 5 percent in a poll it commissioned. Duke eked his way in with 5.1 percent, well behind state Treasurer John Kennedy with 24.2 percent, Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell with 18.9 percent, lawyer Caroline Fayard with 12 percent, U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany with 11.4 percent and fellow U.S. Rep. John Fleming with 10.2 percent. No other recent public poll has shown Duke doing that well. Duke's inclusion has already emerged as a headline of the debate, and his presence on stage, particularly a stage located on the campus of historically black Dillard University in New Orleans, will probably help boost ratings and perhaps even attract embarrassing out-of-state notice. It's not like anyone else in the race has set the world on fire. But the numbers are the numbers, and despite the awkwardness and Duke's immediate claim that he fears for his safety, Dillard officials have pledged to take the high road and work with local partner WVUE "to ensure that the event is secure and managed professionally as it does with every event that occurs on our campus." Duke re-emerged in an even more unfortunate context last week when Fayard, who trails fellow Democrat Campbell in pretty much every poll, started airing an ugly and misleading ad linking the two men. The commercial features a brief audio snippet of Campbell saying he's "like" Duke, and a narrator claiming that Campbell had "sided" with Duke at an Alliance for Good Government forum over the summer. Even based on a brief transcript posted on Fayard's website, it was clear Campbell was simply referring to how Duke phrased his answer to a question, not anything meaningful or substantive he'd said. I attended the forum and can personally attest that Campbell's unfortunate choice of words came off as just that. Certainly people in the room didn't act surprised or alarmed, as they surely would have if a candidate trying to earn votes from African-American Democrats had expressed any actual agreement or affinity. The ad speaks to Fayard's desperation to knock Campbell down by any means possible, fair or not. But it also reconfirms Duke's continued symbolic resonance, even a quarter century after he last posed a credible electoral threat. That's why other Senate candidates, both Democrats and his fellow Republicans, have not only rushed to renounce him but have played up their disapproval, which they clearly believe makes them look good. It's why the national press and Democrat Hillary Clinton's campaign have made much of Duke's attempt to ride Trump's coattails, and of Trump's initial reluctance to disavow his support. It's why a bipartisan group that fought Duke's ascent back in the early 1990s reconvened this year, under the leadership of retired Tulane historian Larry Powell, who noted that Duke has a history of under-polling and said he sees worrisome similarities between the conditions that led to Duke's initial rise and those in place now. Duke is a fringe player, but sadly, his name still packs a punch. And that won't change until voters in the state that launched him make it clear, once and for all, that it doesn't. Bet you cant remember any signature moments from the first U.S. Senate debate two weeks ago. Advanced intensive care and emergency medicine trainee John Zorbas says he doesn't have enough fingers and toes to count how many times his doctor colleagues have fallen asleep while driving home. Fatigue is in the sights of the Australian Medical Association after a 2011 audit by the powerful lobby revealed hospital doctors worked unbroken shifts of up to 43 hours and weeks of up to 120 hours. Canberra-based medical intern Elise Warren and unaccredited orthopaedic registrar Nushin Ahmed. Credit:Jay Cronan The AMA launched its 2016 Safe Hours Audit on Sunday. "It's not the kind of job where you can put down tools, walk off site and leave it for another day, so when you do get instances where there's a lack of capacity, someone's called in sick and there's no contingency, it's very easy to pull on the heartstrings of doctors and say we need you to work a bit longer," Dr Zorbas, the AMA Council of Doctors in Training chairman, said. The competition is so fierce, many find it impossible to get a foot in the door without assistance. Sean Scully and Omar Noureddine had difficulties finding employment without work experience. Credit:Janie Barrett Sean Scully, 19, of Doonside, has been unable to find work since completing the Higher School Certificate in 2014 because of a lack of work experience. "For the year after the HSC I shuffled between looking for work and volunteering and doing IT-related studies at TAFE," he said. "I have been trying to get a job but you need qualifications to get in and experience in the field." Sean started a paid traineeship at Anglicare's PC trouble-shooting call centre in Botany last year. "It has given me more skills in communicating and resolving computer IT problems over the phone," he said. "I'm also working on a Certificate III in IT." Omar Noureddine, 21, from Padstow, who completed his HSC in 2012 is also working at the call centre as part of Anglicare's Work Ventures traineeship program. "From the moment I left school, I've been trying to find something, but everyone wants experience and qualifications," he said. "I am hoping this experience and qualifications I am now getting will allow me to get a job in IT." After arriving in Australia as a refugee from Nigeria in July 2013, Unity Omoregie applied for countless jobs around Victoria without success after completing an aged care Certificate III course. "They kept saying I needed more experience, but I didn't know who could give me that first job," he said. In September last year, Mr Omoregie joined the Given the Chance program delivered by the Brotherhood of St Laurence in partnership with aged care provider Benetas. He and two other refugee job seekers were chosen for a six-month job trial which led to a full-time job in March at the Benetas Gladswood Lodge facility in Brunswick West. Unity Omoregie eventually found work as a personal care assistant after being unemployed for a long period of time. Credit:Penny Stephens "As a new graduate with an aged care certificate, I needed experience in a nursing home," he said. "Benetas gave me that experience." Andrew Jamieson, learning and organisational development manager at Benetas, said the program was a big investment "but a worthwhile investment when you see the result". "That is the first time we have done it and we were pleased to offer ongoing employment to all three of the participants at Benetas," Mr Jamieson said. "We have three other disadvantaged job seekers commencing at another facility this year. "The organisation is committed to a diverse workforce and to giving people who are marginalised a career in aged care." Ms Chambers said a greater investment was needed in jobs market growth and in helping disadvantaged job seekers develop skills and experience. "We've heard from young people who had applied for 100 jobs and had not got any of them," she said. "The report shows evidence from our network agencies that people are facing barriers to employment as a result of widespread economic upheaval." The report says competition for low-skill entry-level jobs is increasing as the proportion of jobs at this level shrinks. "If the goal is to provide real pathways to participation in the workforce for all people with the capacity, it is fruitless to simply expect this imbalance to resolve itself," the report says. The Anglicare report suggests governments could play a role by creating sustainable entry-level job opportunities when they contract public services. It says long-term investment and local solutions are needed. "An imaginative response might be to look to targeting public and private investment at the creation of such entry level or low skill positions," the report says. The report debunks the assumption that people who remain unemployed are not prepared to work. "While there are some appropriate jobs in the labour market, there are simply not enough to cater for the number of people with limited skills and experience who are looking for work," it says. Anglicare recently commissioned research showing that people relying on income support such as the Newstart and Youth allowances are likely to be in housing stress and have insufficient food. Corey Fredrickson at the Anglicare youth centre in Canberra. Credit:Andrew Meares Among them is Corey Fredrickson, 24, who has relied on food supplies from Anglicare in Canberra and housing through a St Vincent's de Paul refuge. Mr Fredrickson, originally from Brisbane, did not complete year 10 and is keen to work but has found it impossible to find a job without qualifications. "It's mainly experience that people want," Mr Fredrickson said. "When you don't have a certain amount of experience, you can't really do much." He worked at a butcher shop for three months until September when his boss decided he didn't need his services anymore. "I was cleaning the trays and serving people. It was pretty good. Then we had a new boss who said he wanted servers and butchers but not cleaners," he said. Last year, his job as a chef at the Australian Defence Force academy ended after about four months. The Anglicare report says the government has criticised as "unimaginative" a campaign by peak social service bodies such as ACOSS for the Newstart Allowance to be lifted above the poverty line. Tom Hayden with former wife Jane Fonda in 1972. Later, with the war over and the idealisms of the '60s fading, Hayden settled into a new life as a family man, writer and mainstream politician. In 1976, he ran for the Democratic nomination for the Senate from California, declaring: "The radicalism of the 1960s is fast becoming the common sense of the 1970s." He lost. But focusing on state and local issues such as solar energy and rent control, he won a seat in the California Legislature in Sacramento in 1982. He was an assemblyman for a decade and a state senator from 1993 to 2000, sponsoring bills on the environment, education, public safety and civil rights. He lost a Democratic primary for California governor in 1994, a race for mayor of Los Angeles in 1997 and a bid for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council in 2001. He was often the target of protests by leftists who called him an outlaw hypocrite, and by Vietnamese refugees and U.S. military veterans who called him a traitor. Conservative media kept alive the memories of his radical days. In a memoir, "Reunion" (1988), he described himself as a "born-again Middle American" and expressed regret for "romanticizing the Vietnamese" and for allowing his anti-war zeal to turn into anti-Americanism. "His soul-searching and explanations make fascinating reading," The Boston Globe said, "but do not, he concedes, pacify critics on the left who accuse him of selling out to personal ambition or on the right 'who tell me to go back to Russia.' He says he doesn't care." "I get re-elected," Hayden told The Globe. "To me, that's the bottom line. The issues persons like myself are working on are modern, workplace, neighborhood issues." Thomas Emmet Hayden was born in Royal Oak, Michigan, the only child of John Hayden, an accountant, and the former Genevieve Garity, both Irish Catholics. He attended a parish school. "" His turn to radical politics began at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he was inspired by student protests against the anti-Communist witch hunts of the House Un-American Activities Committee and by lunch counter sit-ins by black students in Greensboro, North Carolina. In the summer of 1960, he met King in California, and he soon joined sit-in protests and voter registration drives in the South. Perceiving a need for a national student organisation to coordinate civil rights projects around the country, he and 35 other activists formed Students for a Democratic Society at Ann Arbor in 1960. His marriage in 1961 to Sandra Cason, a civil rights worker, ended after two years. He met Fonda at an anti-war rally, and they were married in 1973. They had a son, Troy Garity. Although Fonda was a wealthy movie star and financially supported Hayden's early political career, she and Hayden lived for years in a modest home in Santa Monica, near the ocean but not on it. They did their own shopping and laundry, cooked meals in a tiny kitchen with an old stove and shared child-care duties. Hayden and Fonda divorced in 1990. Hayden married Williams, a Canadian actress, in 1993. They adopted a son, Liam. Along with his wife, Hayden is survived by the three children as well as two grandchildren and a sister, Mary Frey. Hayden joined the Freedom Riders on interstate buses in the South in 1961, challenging the authorities who refused to enforce the Supreme Court's rulings banning segregation on public buses. His jailhouse draft of what became the 25,000-word SDS manifesto was debated, revised and formally adopted at the organization's first convention, in Port Huron, Michigan, in 1962. "We are people of this generation," it began, "bred in at least modest comfort, housed now in universities, looking uncomfortably to the world we inherit." It did not recommend specific programs but attacked the arms race, racial discrimination, bureaucracy and apathy in the face of poverty, and it called for "participatory democracy" and a society based on "fraternity," "honesty" and "brotherhood." Hayden was elected president of SDS for 1962-63. He made the first of several trips to Vietnam in 1965, accompanying Herbert Aptheker, a Communist Party theoretician, and Staughton Lynd, a radical professor at Yale. While the visit was technically illegal, it was apparently ignored by the State Department to allow the U.S. peace movement and Hanoi to establish informal contacts. The group went to Hanoi and toured villages and factories in North Vietnam. Hayden wrote a book, "The Other Side" (1966), about the experience. At Hanoi's invitation, Hayden attended a 1967 conference in Bratislava, in what was then Czechoslovakia, and met North Vietnamese leaders, who agreed to release some captured U.S. prisoners as a gesture of "solidarity" with the U.S. peace movement. Hayden then made a second journey to Hanoi to discuss the details. Soon afterward he picked up three U.S. POWs at a rendezvous in Cambodia and escorted them home. Directing an SDS anti-poverty project in Newark from 1964 to 1967, Hayden, in his last year there, witnessed days of rioting, looting and destruction that left 26 people dead and hundreds injured. The experience led to "Rebellion in Newark" (1967), in which he wrote, "Americans have to turn their attention from the lawbreaking violence of the rioters to the original and greater violence of racism." In 1968, Hayden helped plan anti-war protests in Chicago to coincide with the Democratic National Convention. Club-swinging police officers clashed with thousands of demonstrators, injuring hundreds in a televised spectacle that a national commission later called a police riot. But Hayden and others were charged by federal officials with inciting to riot and conspiracy. The Chicago Seven trial became a classic confrontation between radicals and Judge Julius Hoffman, marked by insults, angry judicial outbursts and contempt citations. In 1970, all seven defendants were acquitted of conspiracy, but Hayden and four others Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger and Rennie Davis were convicted of inciting to riot and sentenced to five years in prison. The verdicts were overturned on appeal, as were various contempt citations, on the basis of judicial bias. Hayden's book "Trial" (1970) recounted the events. (The Chicago Seven trial was originally the Chicago Eight trial, with the Black Panther leader Bobby Seale included as a defendant, charged with conspiracy and inciting to riot. After his repeated outbursts in court, calling Hoffman "a pig" and "a fascist," the judge first ordered him bound and gagged in his chair the image of a black man chained in court shocked many Americans and later severed his case for a separate trial that was never adjudicated. Hoffman sentenced Seale to four years in prison on 16 counts of contempt of court, but he served only 21 months before the citations were overturned on appeal.) Hayden was Gov. Jerry Brown's appointed chairman of the SolarCal Council, which encourages solar energy development, from 1978 to 1982. He lost a Democratic primary for governor in 1994 to Kathleen Brown, the governor's sister, who lost the general election to the Republican governor, Pete Wilson. In 1997, as the Democratic candidate for mayor of Los Angeles, Hayden lost to the Republican incumbent, Richard J. Riordan. After his legislative career, Hayden directed the Peace and Justice Resource Center in Culver City, California, a platform for his opposition to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He taught at California colleges and at Harvard, and wrote newspaper articles. Hayden wrote more than 20 books, including several memoirs, re-examinations of the civil rights and anti-war movements, and volumes on street gangs, Vietnam, his own Irish heritage, the environment and the future of the United States. In 2015, he explored American relations with Cuba in Listen, Yankee!: Why Cuba Matters. His last book, Hell No: The Forgotten Power of the Vietnam Movement, is to be published early next year by Yale University Press. His personal papers, 120 boxes covering his life since the 1960s, were given in 2014 to the University of Michigan. Besides troves on civil rights and anti-war activities, they included 22,000 pages of FBI files amassed in a 16-year surveillance of Hayden. Who do we think we are? Well according to TV host, broadcaster and academic Waleed Aly we are a nation with an identity crisis. The Australian "church" might be broad, but Aly argues we all now fundamentally belong to the "congregation of the confused". Our identity has become muddled, because the internet has given us all the infinite capacity to subdivide who we are, then subdivide some more. Asylum seekers who attempt to reach Australia by boat will never be allowed to enter the country, even if they are genuine refugees and seek to come as tourists decades later, under legislation to be introduced by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton when Parliament returns. The lifetime ban would apply to all adults detained at the Manus Island or Nauru detention centres from July 19, 2013 - including those who have chosen to return home. Children who were brought by their parents or unaccompanied would be exempt. The government has long maintained that asylum seekers who come by boat would never be settled in Australia but the introduction of a lifetime ban on all visas, including for tourism, is tougher than expected. Mr Dutton signalled the measure was partly designed to stop refugees from marrying Australians and subsequently coming to the country on a partner visa, which he deemed "not acceptable". A member of Barnaby Joyce's frontbench team has publicly voiced concerns about the National's continued acceptance of tobacco company donations as senior party figures also agitate for a ban. David Gillespie joined the frontbench after the July 2 election as Assistant Minister for Rural Health, a portfolio that gives him responsibility for the Turnbull government's policies on tobacco. Nationals deputy Fiona Nash is leading the push to stop tobacco company donations. Leader Barnaby Joyce has left the door open to change. Credit:Andrew Meares The former physician admits he is "conflicted" about his party's stance. "I spent my whole professional life getting people off the smokes and I haven't changed my opinion in that regard," Dr Gillespie told Fairfax Media. "It would be an unusual person who just turned around and started accepting help from the purveyors of the product you've been trying to get people to quit." Hilary Duff has apologised after she and boyfriend Jason Walsh attended a celebrity Halloween bash dressed as a Native American and a scantily-clad pilgrim. The former Disney star was met with a wave of outrage after pictures of the pair in the poor-taste costumes at the Casamigos Tequila Halloween party appeared over the weekend. Hilary Duff (right) and Jason Walsh. Credit:Getty Walsh, who met Duff while working as her personal trainer, wore a headdress and face paint, while Duff wore a pilgrim's hat and top. It was the couple's first red carpet appearance together, after they confirmed their relationship last month. Thanks to self-described "pantsuit aficionado" Hillary Clinton and the US presidential campaign, suiting for the ladies is a hot trend. Last week, in honour of the Democrat nominee and her well-documented love of suits, a group of fans across the United States held the inaugural National Pantsuit Day. A National Pantsuit Day was held in honour of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Credit:Bloomberg As the race to the White House heats up, a Secretary Clinton superfan, Sami Kriegstein, organised a march in New York to declare her support for the #imwithher campaign. What followed was satellite grassroots events around the country, including Los Angeles and Dallas, where participants donned their finest two-pieces. "I wanted to do something that got people excited to vote for Hillary and to tell the world that 'I'm With Her', or to maybe get people that were on the fence or being quiet about [it] to stand up and join the crowd," Kriegstein told New York Magazine. "I wanted people to feel like they were missing out if they weren't a part of it, and that it was too much fun and too goofy to ignore. So, the pantsuit idea just jumped out at me because it really represents who Hillary is. Her authentic self. She's all business and is a woman in a man's profession. I think the pantsuit speaks to all women who have tired to break though their own glass ceilings. I'm overwhelmed with all of the support we've had." Armed with colourful sponges and paint brushes, thousands of volunteers took to the streets to clean up graffiti on homes and public buildings on Sunday. Organised by the NSW government, the annual Graffiti Removal Day encourages communities to tackle graffiti vandalism, which costs the state more than $100 million a year. Scott Marsh's mural of NSW Premier Mike Baird against Sydney's lockout laws. Credit:Cole Bennetts In promoting the event, Premier Mike Baird posted a photo of himself to Facebook pointing at a street painting, which depicts him smiling while holding a cigarette and a glass of Penfolds Grange, next to a pile of casino chips. Mr Baird's caption read, "Did you know that NSW has an official 'graffiti removal day'? Well, it does. And it's today. Just saying." A Brisbane hospital that completed the "difficult task" of becoming Australia's first large-scale digital hospital has prompted revolutionary change in the way healthcare is delivered in Queensland. A perspective published on Monday by the Medical Journal of Australia outlined the complexities and benefits of the digital rollout of the Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) from a paper-based system to digital transformation, which occurred about six months ago. Electronic medical records have replaced paper records at PA Hospital. Credit:Medical Journal of Australia The authors of the article, from PAH, Metro South Health and UQ, said while the rollout was a "difficult task", digital healthcare "is the future". The digital rollout involved transitioning from paper records to Electronic Medical Records (EMR) that are instantly updated with a patient's records, including vital sign monitoring and electrocardiograms, via Wi-Fi. The Queensland government has beaten private companies to be voted the Most Attractive Employer in the state in 2016. In a survey of 10,000 Australians by HR company Randstad, the government proved more popular than Virgin Australia, which claimed second place. Environmental consulting, engineering and architecture company GHD scored third place. Randstad Australia & New Zealand chief executive officer Frank Ribuot said it was exciting to see the government compete with some of the world's top companies which "typically dominate" the list. A woman has been charged with grievous bodily harm after allegedly throwing a woman to the ground at the Gold Coast. Police said a group of people were fighting outside the Boathouse Tavern just before 2am when a woman, 23, was picked up and thrown to the ground. A woman in her twenties was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning, after an alleged assault in Coomera. The woman sustained serious head injuries and was transported to Gold Coast University Hospital where she remains in a stable condition. A 25-year-old Beenleigh woman was charged with one count of grievous bodily harm and is due to appear at Southport Magistrates Court on Monday. Premier Daniel Andrews will personally oversee a taskforce to bail out the embattled Latrobe Valley amid mounting expectation of an announcement, possible this week, that the Hazelwood coal plant will shut next year. It is understood unions were told on Thursday that an announcement about Hazelwood's future was days away. The Hazelwood power station. Credit:Chris Hopkins The Andrews government is working on an economic growth plan for the Latrobe Valley, which it insists will be pursued regardless of the decision made by the owner of the Hazelwood plant and mine. The government will investigate whether it can offer incentives to bring new businesses to the region and allow existing businesses in the valley to expand. John So Jr, the son of popular former lord mayor John So, is being sued by a business partner amid allegations her identity and signature were used without permission to obtain bank loans. The 31-year-old businessman and one-time candidate for lord mayor has also been the subject of a complaint made to police over the alleged conduct, but the investigation has apparently stalled after police referred the matter to the National Australia Bank. John So Jr Credit:Justin McManus Mr So, through his lawyers, strenuously denies the claims. The dispute centres around a $1.355 million property Mr So bought in West Melbourne with Hua Li, a Chinese national who arrived in Australia in 2008. Ms Li allegedly guaranteed Mr So's half of the purchase price for the double-storey Victorian terrace house through a loan with NAB in 2010. Four people questioned over a suspected shotgun shooting in Melbourne's north have been released without charge while the victim remains tight-lipped about what led up to the targeted attack. The four people, two men and two women, had been at a Heidelberg West home on Sunday when a gunman opened fire on a man. The shooter then fled in a car while the victim, aged in his 40s, managed to stumble more than 200 metres down Malahang Parade before he collapsed near a neighbour's front fence. He was bleeding heavily from a shoulder injury, one witness told reporters at the scene. A total of 16 locations throughout the Perth suburbs - including a maternity unit - have been flagged as possible measles infection points, after a second confirmed diagnosis of the highly-contagious infection was recorded WA in the space of a week. Last week, WA Health warned of a Singapore Airlines passenger returning from Japan, who was later found to be infected by the disease. Now it has released a specific list of dates and times of possible exposure for a second overseas traveller, who apparently visited a variety of locations around Perth before realising they had measles.. Warnings have been issued for people who visited Langford Islamic College, Kien Strawberry Farm, Bentley Hospital Maternity Unit, Cannington Leisureplex Aquatic Centre and Library, Toy R Us Cannington, Ar Rukun Mosque and Rockingham foreshore cafe and beach. A pastry chef of a renowned upscale Perth restaurant has hit out at criticism of the industry's controversial "cakeage" fee, and called for restaurant goers to "stop expecting everything free or complimentary". The issue of "cakeage" in Perth initially made its way into the spotlight earlier this week, when WAtoday journo David Prestipino expressed his surprise at a $25 fee for those taking their own birthday cake to Mandoon Estate's beer garden area. Perth's 'cakeage' debate shows no signs of going away... Credit:Robert Shakespeare The estate defended its actions, saying the fee had been the subject of "many meetings" and Crown Perth Nobu's pastry chef Samad Khan has now lent his support. "The cakeage fee goes beyond covering costs; it pays for an actual SERVICE," he said in a Facebook post. WAtoday.com.au enjoyed its best ever night of success at the WA Media Awards on Saturday night - with journalist Emma Young scoring two individual prizes and a team entry seeing the website recognised with best online reporting for its coverage of January's devastating Yarloop bushfires. Young won best health/medical report for her coverage of six-year-old Oshin Kizsko, whose family was taken to court in an attempt to have their son undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy for a brain tumour against their wishes. Judges noted it was "not only the best but one of the biggest stories of the year. She used modern digital reporting at its best to accompany sensitive and well balanced written pieces...a heartbreaking story which raised both moral and ethical queries in the medical and wider community." WAtoday's Tim Carrier, Emma Young, Fran Rimrod and Heather McNeill with Marta Pascual Juanola (second from left) and Nathan Hondros (far right) from the Mandurah Mail at Saturday night's WA Media Awards. Young's other winning entry was in the science and environmental report category, for a series of stories about embarrassing planning bungles concerning a proposal to develop a new Lancelin caravan park. In the words of judges, "A good news story requires well researched and balanced reporting without bias. It must also pique public interest while finally getting a result, either negative or positive, for the protagonists. Emma Young's series met all these criteria." The two awards were Young's third and fourth WA Media gongs, after previous wins while working for Community News. The edict from the Vatican this week forbidding the faithful from keeping the ashes of departed loved ones at home, or scattering them somewhere nice, no doubt came as a shock to many. After all, it's unlikely that most Catholics, when sorrowfully dealing with cremated remains, imagined they were legitimising anti-Christian "pantheism" or "nihilism", as charged. Urn models on display at a funeral parlor in Rome. Credit:AP The issue of how best to respect the remains of the dead has long been a subject of fluid sensibilities. In the 13th century, for instance, French church authorities issued a law that banned the popular pastime of dancing in cemeteries. The selling of beer therein was also discouraged. Ideas for the treatment of ashes demonstrate that cultural protocols are highly relative, and also sometimes sit uncomfortably with the ambitions of the living. Reykjavik: Iceland is facing the prospect of tough coalition negotiations after a parliamentary election ousted the centre-right ruling government, but produced no clear winner. The ruling Independence Party survived a surge by the populist Pirate Party, scoring 29 per cent of the votes, giving it 21 seats in the 63-seat chamber, the Iceland Monitor news website reported, which is a gain of two seats. Its former coalition partner, the right-wing liberal Progressive Party took a severe hit, losing 11 seats to end up with just eight, on 11.5 per cent of the vote, a drop of almost 13 percentage points. With a combined 29 seats, the coalition is now three short of a majority in parliament. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at New Mount Olive Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Sunday. Credit:AP Using strident language, Reid wrote: "Your actions in recent months have demonstrated a disturbing double standard for the treatment of sensitive information, with what appears to be a clear intent to aid one political party over another." Reid accused Comey of withholding information on an FBI investigation into hacks on Democratic organisations, allegedly by Russian security services or hackers working at their direction, and possible links between various advisers to Trump. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Credit:AP "There is no danger to American interests from releasing it," he writes. "And yet, you continue to resist calls to inform the public of this critical information. By contrast, as soon as you came into possession of the slightest innuendo related to Secretary Clinton, you rushed to publicise it in the most negative light possible. "The clear double standard established by your actions strongly suggests that your highly selective approach to publicising information, along with your timing, was intended for the success or failure of a partisan candidate or political group". James Comey: 'team has been working around the clock to process and review a large volume of emails'. Credit:AP Former Obama attorney-general, Eric Holder, also joined the charge, co-signing a letter by dozens of former federal prosecutors accusing Comey of breaching Justice Department policy by informing congress of the newly uncovered Clinton emails, which, the letter argues, "invited considerable, uninformed public speculation" on the significance of the emails. As it emerged on Sunday that FBI investigators had been sitting silently, for the best part of a month, on the latest explosive trove of Clinton emails, the Democratic candidate and Donald Trump took markedly different approaches to the elephant in the room she stepped around it; he lassoed it and hauled it to centre stage. Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway. Despite strident demands for more information from Democrats and the GOP, beleaguered FBI director James Comey remained silent through the weekend letting his 166-word letter to Congress on Friday stand as the only justification for a rare FBI political intervention that has most analysts qualifying what had been their near-certain predictions that Clinton had the election in the bag. But information is dribbling from the FBI and other sources the warrant by which the computer containing the emails was seized reportedly was executed on October 3 and, according to The Washington Post, investigators realised within days the significance of its contents but inexplicably, it was not until Sunday that they received the necessary court authority to examine them. Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail at the weekend: even a 1 per cent swing against her could tip the race for the US Senate. Credit:AP Seemingly acknowledging the potential damage inflicted on the Clinton campaign, Senior Justice Department officials told media outlets that all resources would be made available to examine the thousands of emails a scramble had begun, but there were no public undertakings that the task would be completed by Election Day November 8. But the Post reported that there are almost 700 000 emails on the laptop, many of which were irrelevant to the Clinton investigation though it seemed that a "significant amount" of them were associated with Clinton and Abedin. Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday. Credit:Bloomberg In his letter to congress, Comey says the emails were brought to his attention as late as Thursday. The computer was taken as part of an investigation of the into the Internet sexual exploits of disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner, which creates a loop-back to the criminal investigation of Clinton's emails while serving as secretary of state because Weiner's estranged wife Huma Abedin is a Clinton aide and confidante.. Polls taken in the days before the Comey bombshell revealed a tightening race. In the Real Clear Politics average of national polls, Clinton's support is falling off a peak as Trump emerges from a trough two weeks ago she had a 7-point cushion; by Sunday it had shrunk to 4.3 points. At a Sunday rally in Las Vegas, a re-energised Trump ignored the fact that in July the FBI had cleared Clinton of criminal misconduct, telling supporters: "As you've heard it was just announced on Friday that the FBI is reopening their investigation into the criminal and illegal conduct of Hillary Clinton [she] has nobody but herself to blame for her mounting legal problems. Her criminal action was willful, deliberate, intentional and purposeful." Meanwhile, at a church service in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Clinton made no explicit mention of the FBI investigation. But in an oblique acknowledgement, she pleaded that the congregation not be "distracted by all the noise in the political environment". Stressing the value of perseverance, she told about 300 predominantly African American worshippers at the Mount Olive Baptist Church: "Everyone everyone is knocked down in life. And as my mother showed me and taught me, what matters is whether you get back up. And those of us who are people of faith know that getting back up is what we are called to do." As Clinton and Trump ricocheted between campaign stops in swing states, their surrogates traipsed from one Sunday morning TV talk show to the next, spinning the FBI controversy as best they could. Many resorted to what appeared to be pre-massaged code words the Clinton gang was "puzzled", the Trump mob was "troubled". Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta and manager Rob Mook each sought to isolate director Comey by quoting news reports that Attorney-General Loretta Lynch and her deputy Sally Yates had warned Comey not to make the new findings public. "We're calling on Mr Comey to come forward and explain what's at issue here," Podesta said. "It may not even be about her server. It may not be about her at all. [Comey] said himself, in his letter to the hill, that these emails may not be significant." Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway used the unprecedented nature of Comey's letter to congress as proof that there was something questionable in the new batch of emails which Comey did not say. Conway also turned the Democrat's argument that Comey had unreasonably interfered in the election back on them, claiming: "Had [Comey] sat on the information, one could argue that he also would have been interfering with the election, by not disclosing to the public that yet again, for the second time this year, Hillary Clinton is under FBI investigation for something of her own doing." In a bizarre twist, after weeks of abusing the FBI as a party to what he claims is a grand conspiracy to rig the election to prevent him winning, Trump spent much of the weekend singing hymns of praise to the agency. It was the same with the polls after weeks of condemning the pollsters as part of that conspiracy [because they showed he was losing], suddenly was invoking them as proof he was winning [because they are tightening]. Despite signs among Democratic operatives of them being rattled by Comey's intervention, they attempted to put a brave, steady-as- she-goes face on what effectively is the last week of the campaign talking up their poll numbers in the vital swing states and arguing that Clinton tended to perform at her best in adverse circumstances. She reportedly has polled strongly in the estimated 20-plus million votes already cast in 38 states that allow early voting but she might take a hit in marginal Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, in both of which votes are case only on Election Day. Loading In Case You Missed It - Nutson's Weekly Automotive News Digest - October 24-30, 2016: VW Finis, PU Headlights PU, Tesla, Ford and Awards AUTO CENTRAL CHICAGO, October 30, 2016: Every Sunday Larry Nutson, Senior Editor and Chicago Car Guy along with fellow senior editors Steve Purdy and Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau, give you TACH's "take" on this past week's automotive news in easy to digest mega-tweet sized nuggets. If you are a car and driving fan like we all are here at The Auto Channel, you can easily "catch up" or put these stories in context by searching the past 25 year's 1,998,389 automotive news, automotive stories, articles, reviews, archived news, video, audio, rants and raves accessible from The Auto Channel's Automotive News Archive. Hey TV viewers, you can now enjoy The Auto Channel TV Network "Free and Clear" on WHDT Channel 3 in Boston and on many local cable systems. All South Florida auto fans can continue to watch The Auto Channel TV Network on WHDT-TV Channel 9 in West Palm Beach as well as cable channel's 17 and 438, channel 9 Miami. WHDN launched its full schedule (including The Auto Channel)of broadcasting in the Naples-Fort Myers market on digital PSIP channel 9.1 channel, look for us Hulu and on TUNAVISION. Enjoy and thanks for the positive feedback and ratings. See You Next Week, LN. Nutson's Weekly Automotive News Digest - October 24-30, 2016 * VW owners now finally know. Judge Charles Breyer of the U.S. District Court in San Francisco gave final approval to an agreement calling for Volkswagen to spend $10 billion to buy back or fix those 400,000 vehicles whose 4-cylinder diesel engines were equipped with the cheating emission system software. Dealers will begin buying back cars next month and most owners are expected to take the deal. There is no approved fix yet for those who want to keep their cars and some may not be fixable. Settlements on the 3.0 liter diesels from Audi, Porsche and VW have not been determined.(LEARN MORE: Volkswagen Diesel Suit News Archive * And...the newest entry in the 3-row crossover segment was revealed in Santa Monica this week as VW showed the new Atlas to assembled media. The largest VW ever assembled in North America, they say, it will be built in the Chattanooga, TN assembly plant along with the Passat mid-size sedan. Two engines will be available, a four-cylinder turbo or a V-6, both mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Sorry, no diesels this time. Pricing was not revealed but it is expected to be competitive with other products in that space and as highly equipped with advanced electronics as the competitors. * Consumer Reports just released this years listing of the Most Reliable Brands. On top is Lexus followed by Toyota. Buick surprised the auto world ranking third. It's the first time in three decades that a Detroit-based brand make the top 10 list. After the top three of Lexus, Toyota and Buick, come Audi, Kia, Mazda, Hyundai, Infiniti, BMW and Honda, according to CR. * And...Consumer Reports revealed the results of its annual Initial Quality Study at a meeting of the Automotive Press Association in Detroit noting that overall quality of automobiles saw the greatest yearly increase since 2009 at 6%. CRs Initial quality number is a measure of problems experienced in the first 90 days per 100 vehicles for each brand and model. Over the eight problem areas measured 21 of the 33 brands improved for 2016. Moving from second place to first this year is Korean brand Kia. Porsche was second whileChrysler and Jeep are named most improved. * The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles presented Dan Gurney with its Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award at the institutions 22nd-annual gala. Over the past six decades, Dan Gurney has earned remarkable success as a driver, team owner and constructor, but his ideas and designs have also helped to shape modern racing, making it safer and more competitive. * And...the International Historic Motoring Awards has selected the Petersen Automotive Museum, the Mullin Automotive Museum, and the LeMay Americas Car Museum as finalists for the Museum of the Year category, up against each other as well as the Porsche Museum, the Lamborghini Museum, and the British Motor Museum. Other American IHMA nominations include the Amelia Island Concours dElegance for Motoring Event of the Year, Lime Rock Historic Festival and the Monterey Historics for Motorsport Event of the Year, RMs work on a Stutz DV-32 Convertible Victoria and RK Motorss work on Ford GT40 chassis P/1046 for Restoration of the Year, and The Great Race for Rally or Tour of the Year. * A new report from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute's authored by Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle focuses on heavy-duty fleet fuel economy and related fuel-saving technologies and policies. The survey yielded completed responses from 96 heavy-duty fleet managers, operating a combined total of just over 114,500 truck-tractors and approximately 350,000 trailers, and hauling a total of 9 billion tons of freight across 1.8 billion miles annually. A main finding is that the median heavy-duty fleet fuel economy reported in this study was 6.5 mpg (all use diesel fuel), with the typical fleet hauling 2.1 million tons of cargo 10 million miles annually. Aluminum wheels, speed limiters, low-rolling resistance dual tires and trailer weight-saving are the most common fuel-saving technologies. * Green Car Journal and the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show have announced 10 finalists for the prestigious 2017 Green Truck of the Year and Commercial Green Car of the Year awards, which will be presented in San Antonio on November 10. Finalists for 2017 Green Truck of the Year include the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford F-250 Super Duty, GMC Canyon, Honda Ridgeline, and RAM 1500. Vying for 2017 Commercial Green Car of the Year are the Ford F-250 Super Duty, Ford Transit Connect, Mercedes-Benz Metris, Nissan Titan XD, and RAM ProMaster City. * The Honda Clarity Fuel Cell sedan, launching later this year, received an EPA driving range rating of 366 miles and fuel economy rating of 68 miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent combined, giving it the best range rating of any electric vehicle without a combustion engine, including fuel cell and all-electric vehicles, in the United States. Refueling is in the 3 to 5 minute range which is way faster than any EV and a lot quicker than a gasoline vehicle. * Beer run. Otto, the autonomous-truck company owned by Uber, completed its first self-driving shipment last week, transporting more than 50,000 cans of Budweiser over the 120 miles from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs, Colo., the company said in a statement. The trip was a partnership between Otto and Anheuser-Busch. There was no one behind the wheel while the truck was on the highway. A professional driver assisted the truck on the entrance and exit ramps, monitoring the rest of the trip from a sleeper berth in the back. Zzzz. * Hummm! Red Bull Global Rallycross announced the creation of an all-electric vehicle series for the 2018 season. Electric vehicles will be added to Red Bull GRC race weekends as a distinct, standalone series, joining the Supercar and GRC Lites classes in the series race program. Red Bull GRC, in conjunction with USAC (United States Auto Club), will serve as the governing body for the new series * Seven of 11 large and small pickup models tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety earned poor ratings in headlight tests conducted by the group, which represents the insurance industry. The institute said the 2017 Honda Ridgeline with top-of-the-line LED projector lights was the only large pickup that earned a good rating on headlight performance. Only one other large pickup tested the 2016-17 GMC Sierra earned an acceptable headlight rating, while two others the 2017 Nissan Titan and 2016 Ram 1500 earned a marginal grade. The remaining three large pickups tested 2016-17 Chevrolet Silverado, 2016-17 Ford F-150 and 2016-17 Toyota Tundra earned poor headlight grades. All four mid-size pickups that were tested by the organization, which included the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado, 2016 GMC Canyon, 2016 Nissan Frontier and 2016-17 Toyota Tacoma, also each earned poor headlight ratings. * Weve not heard much from industry veteran, popular pundit, always-quatoble Bob Lutz lately, but he appeared on CNBC this week dissing Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk. Tesla supporter are like members of a religious cult, quoth Maximum Bob. Comparing Tesla to Apple and its dependance on Steve Jobs personal power, Lutz say he does not see anything about Tesla that gives me any confidence that that business can survive. While Lutz has been responsible for many outside-the-box automobiles he has been harshly critical of the relevance of electric cars. * Tesla posted quarterly financial results this week showing it made $22 million in net income, only the second time it has posted net income. This follows 13 quarters of losses. Much of Teslas revenues for this quarter, according to analysts was the result of selling more pollution credits ($139 million) than in recent quarters. Quarterly revenue was up substantially over Q3 last year at $2.3 billion. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said plans for the new mainstream Model 3 are on track for next year with 373,000 preorders. * Ford executive chairman Bill Ford, grandson of the company's founder, is quoted in Automotive News this week saying the future of cars is in Detroit, not Silicon Valley. As self-driving cars and other advanced technology is rapidly changing our automobiles, and as social and demographic changes threaten the conventional private car ownership model, some tech companies have toyed with the idea of producing their own cars. Most have now conceded that automakers ought to make the cars even if much of the technology comes from outside the industry. Ford insists they can do just as good a job within the industry. * Lastly, Mercedes-Benz is getting into the luxury pickup business with a new premium pickup truck, the X-Class. The company revealed a concept version of the mid-size pickup truck at an event in Stockholm, saying the five-seat ride will hit showrooms in late 2017. But, it's not coming to the U.S., at least for now. The key markets will be Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, and Europe. The X-Class rides on the same platform as the 2016 Nissan Navara pickup and will be manufactured in a production cooperation with the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Timken Names Automotive Aftermarket Team Leadership Team NORTH CANTON, Ohio: Oct. 28, 2016 The Timken Company , a global leader in bearings and mechanical power transmission products, announced it has re-aligned its automotive aftermarket leadership team to enable a greater focus on a growth strategy designed to be highly responsive to market needs and trends. Their efforts will build upon the 100-plus years that Timken has supplied the automotive market with quality bearing products, during which Timken has earned the distinction of having one of the most recognized brands in the industry. The Timken automotive aftermarket leadership team consists of the following associates: Brett Blauner, national sales manager, overseeing the sales and commercial strategy for the companys light vehicle aftermarket. He brings more than 20 years experience in the bearing industry to this position. Blauner also previously worked in sales and operations for RBC and ITW. With more than 25 years experience at Timken, Rick Domin, training and product support manager, leads field training and support. Domin is a certified ASE technician. His previous Timken experience includes product engineering and product management for the automotive industry Ryan Shaffer, manager regional marketing, leads the development and implementation of local strategies for the Americas. In addition, Shaffer directs the Timken automotive aftermarket catalog team. He has been with Timken for the past 8 years serving the company in aftermarket communications, national account and regional sales management. With nearly 20 years at Timken, Mark Stangl, manager global marketing, leads the development of long range strategy for the automotive aftermarket including the companys cradle-to-grave strategy for commercial vehicle. Greg Sturm, product manager, leads the product management team, which is responsible for the global automotive and commercial vehicle product strategy. Sturm has more than 10 years Timken experience including roles in on-highway application engineering and retail accounts manager for the automotive aftermarket Stop by the Timken booth (#3018) at AAPEX in Las Vegas from Nov. 1-3, 2016, to meet the automotive aftermarket leadership team. About The Timken Company The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR; www.timken.com) engineers, manufactures and markets bearings, gear drives, belts, chain, couplings, and related products, and offers a spectrum of powertrain rebuild and repair services. The leading authority on tapered roller bearings, Timken today applies its deep knowledge of metallurgy, tribology and mechanical power transmission across a variety of bearings and related systems to improve reliability and efficiency of machinery and equipment all around the world. The companys growing product and services portfolio features many strong industrial brands including Timken, Fafnir, Philadelphia Gear, Carlisle, Drives, Lovejoy and Interlube. Known for its quality products and collaborative technical sales model, Timken posted $2.9 billion in sales in 2015. With more than 14,000 employees operating from 28 countries, Timken makes the world more productive and keeps industry in motion.Timken Names Automotive Aftermarket Team Leadership Team NORTH CANTON, Ohio: Oct. 28, 2016 The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR; www.timken.com), a global leader in bearings and mechanical power transmission products, announced it has re-aligned its automotive aftermarket leadership team to enable a greater focus on a growth strategy designed to be highly responsive to market needs and trends. Their efforts will build upon the 100-plus years that Timken has supplied the automotive market with quality bearing products, during which Timken has earned the distinction of having one of the most recognized brands in the industry. The Timken automotive aftermarket leadership team consists of the following associates: Brett Blauner, national sales manager, overseeing the sales and commercial strategy for the companys light vehicle aftermarket. He brings more than 20 years experience in the bearing industry to this position. Blauner also previously worked in sales and operations for RBC and ITW. With more than 25 years experience at Timken, Rick Domin, training and product support manager, leads field training and support. Domin is a certified ASE technician. His previous Timken experience includes product engineering and product management for the automotive industry Ryan Shaffer, manager regional marketing, leads the development and implementation of local strategies for the Americas. In addition, Shaffer directs the Timken automotive aftermarket catalog team. He has been with Timken for the past 8 years serving the company in aftermarket communications, national account and regional sales management. With nearly 20 years at Timken, Mark Stangl, manager global marketing, leads the development of long range strategy for the automotive aftermarket including the companys cradle-to-grave strategy for commercial vehicle. Greg Sturm, product manager, leads the product management team, which is responsible for the global automotive and commercial vehicle product strategy. Sturm has more than 10 years Timken experience including roles in on-highway application engineering and retail accounts manager for the automotive aftermarket Stop by the Timken booth (#3018) at AAPEX in Las Vegas from Nov. 1-3, 2016, to meet the automotive aftermarket leadership team. About The Timken Company The Timken Company (www.timken.com) engineers, manufactures and markets bearings, gear drives, belts, chain, couplings, and related products, and offers a spectrum of powertrain rebuild and repair services. The leading authority on tapered roller bearings, Timken today applies its deep knowledge of metallurgy, tribology and mechanical power transmission across a variety of bearings and related systems to improve reliability and efficiency of machinery and equipment all around the world. The companys growing product and services portfolio features many strong industrial brands including Timken, Fafnir, Philadelphia Gear, Carlisle, Drives, Lovejoy and Interlube. Known for its quality products and collaborative technical sales model, Timken posted $2.9 billion in sales in 2015. With more than 14,000 employees operating from 28 countries, Timken makes the world more productive and keeps industry in motion. if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi... We need to talk about Republican abuse of power. Something got lost in the sturm und drang over the FBIs October surprise that dropped Friday afternoon, when director James Comey inexplicably dropped the bomblet that his agency had obtained new emails (or maybe duplicate ones; apparently no ones read them yet) from a laptop shared by Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin and her creeper husband, former congressman Anthony Weiner. Behind Comeys defiance of both precedent and the guidance of his boss, the attorney general, was the subtext of intense pressure being put on the FBI and the Justice Department by Republicans, some of whom rushed Comeys vague letter to members of the press. Republicans have relentlessly pursued investigations of Hillary Clinton, going back to her time as secretary of state (to say nothing of the 30-year project to take down both Clintons by right-wing outside groups). The goal of the eight Benghazi committees, one of which produced and nurtured emailgate, has been clear from the start: to prevent Hillary Clinton from becoming president of the United States. Comey disappointed Republicans in July by not going along with what would have been a highly unusual indictment of a public official given the facts of Clintons email use, Republicans responded by dragging him before Rep. Jason Chaffetzs House Oversight committee. Donald Trump called for Comey himself to be investigated. That Comey felt pressed to step way outside the bounds of what previous directors have done by making his July statement at all, complete with editorial embellishments about Clintons conduct, and then to make new statements about the investigation 11 days before a national election is indeed unprecedented and deeply troubling, as Clinton herself put it at a rally Saturday. Congress, and some of the same committees pursuing email investigations, hold the purse strings over Comeys agency. And one can only imagine the pressure being placed on the agency by Capitol Hill. The double standard of Comeys talk about Clinton with his silence regarding whether or not his agency is probing the ties between current and former Trump aides and Russia suggests that whatever pressure the FBI is feeling, its coming from just one partisan direction. Republicans including Chafftez eagerly tweeted out Comeys news Friday, and Trump supporters (and some media outlets) ran with the erroneous claim that the FBI had reopened its Clinton email probe (it never closed it) and that the agency is revisiting its decision not to prosecute Clinton over her email server (theres exactly zero evidence of that). And since Republicans have openly signaled that they plan years of investigations of Clinton should she win on November 8th, its not hard to see where this is going. Theyre hoping this new revelation sinks Clinton, but expecting to use the faux scandal to drag her down over the next four years. This follows a pattern that dates back to the Bill Clinton administration, when Republicans used the majorities they gained in the House in 1994 to pursue endless, relentless probes of the first family in search of a scandal that could hand the White House back to the GOP. The point of the many gates Filegate, Travelgate, Whitewater and Lewinskygate was never to advance public policy, or to hold the president and administration accountable to the American people. They were a naked grab for power by means outside the electoral process. Theres simply nothing on the other side of the aisle thats equivalent. When they took back Congress in 2006, for example, Democrats didnt pursue probes of the Bush White House, even given the lies that led to the Iraq war, and the discovery of warrantless wiretapping and other abuses of civil liberties. The abuse of congressional power for pure partisan gain has become a specialty of the GOP. The Obama administration has provided no opportunities to scandalize the presidency. So Republicans have leaned into fake scandals like Benghazi and the IRSs attempts to deal with the flood of tea party groups who filed for charity status ahead of the 2012 election. It was inevitable that the eye of Sauron would eventually turn back to Clinton, as it became clear that she would run for president. But the place they have pushed the FBI to is unprecedented, indeed. After the election, should this ugly gambit fail, be assured Republicans will use every ounce of their time and authority to take the meager gifts the bumbling FBI director has given them and put them to use in service of the next election. The peoples work be damned. The Metropolitan Opera cancelled the last act of a matinee of Rossinis William Tell on Saturday after an audience member was spotted sprinkling a powdery substance into the orchestra pit during the second intermission of the show at around 4:30p.m. NYPD counterterrorism was called to the scene and the entire orchestra pit was considered a crime scene, prompting the cancellation of the Mets evening performance of Rossinis The Italian Girl in Algiers. It also prevented the orchestra members from collecting their instruments, which remained in the pit while the investigation was conducted. Fears of a possible terrorist incident ran high given the recent bombing in Chelsea. But it turned out to be a man scattering the ashes of his mentor and fellow opera lover, John J. Miller, the NYPD's deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism, said Saturday night in a press conference on Lincoln Center Plaza directly in front of the Metropolitan Opera House. Miller also stated the NYPD believed there was no criminal intent in the actions of the man. By Sunday morning the man had been identified as Roger Kaiser, a 52-year-old jewelry maker and opera fan from Dallas. Kaiser left the auditorium after scattering the ashes, but told several audience members of his intentions beforehand. Kaiser even posted an Instagram photo of himself on July 1st, hashtagged doubleheader, holding tickets to the William Tell performance and the later evening performance of The Italian Girl in Algiers, which his actions prompted the cancellation of. Another Instagram photo of Kaiser dated three days ago has him drinking from a New York mug with the caption Look out #nyc Im coming for you! Lol "We appreciate opera lovers coming to the Met. We hope that they will not bring their ashes with them, Met General Manager Peter Gelb told reporters at the press conference. This incident is hardly the first time the NYPD has been called into the Metropolitan Opera. In fall 2014, before the opening night of the Mets production of The Death of Klinghoffer, which is based on real life events, hundreds of protestors stood outside Lincoln Center Plaza for hours calling for the show to be cancelled and the sets to be burned down. The NYPD shut down the Lincoln Center plaza to anyone not holding tickets for the performance and stationed officers at almost every entrance to the auditorium and on either side of every balcony. Though there were rumors of a bomb threat, the only disruption to the performance was a single audience member chanting The murder of Klinghoffer will never be forgiven, in reference to the murder of Leon Klinghoffer by members of the Palestinian Liberation Front, over and over until he was escorted out of the theatre. In January 2015, an audience member jumped onstage with a banner photo of Vladimir Putin during the final curtain calls for a performance of Iolanta at the Met starring Anna Netrebko to protest conductor Valery Gergiev and Ms. Netrebkos supposed ties to the Putin regime. This caused the NYPD to lock down the backstage area after the show and the Met to increase security. Far more tragically, in 1988 at the Met an 82-year-old audience member fell to his death from the balcony into the orchestra section of the theatre during a matinee performance of Verdis Macbeth. It occurred during intermission so no one else was injured as the orchestra seats were mostly unoccupied, though a 71-year-old woman was grazed by his fall but unhurt. It was unclear whether the fall was accidental; another audience member said she saw the 82-year-old rocking back and forth on the balcony railing. When he was approached by an usher, he fell off the railing into the orchestra section more than 80 feet below. He was pronounced dead at the scene and the rest of the performance was cancelled. Far more sinister, in 1980 the nude body of a female violinist was discovered in an air shaft at the Metropolitan Opera House. She had been performing in a two week run of the Berlin Ballet at the Met. A 22-year-old Met stagehand, Craig S. Crimmins, dubbed the Phantom of the Opera by the local press of the time, was eventually arrested and confessed to throwing the violinist down the air shaft after attempting to rape her. The case was a tabloid sensation in its time and inspired a popular true crime book Murder at the Met by David Black in 1984. In 1986 during a performance of the Russian ballet company at the Met, a tear gas canister was thrown from the standing room section into the orchestra seats causing the nearly 4000 audience members to rush from the auditorium. More than 30 people were treated for eye and respiratory irritation by paramedics on scene and at nearby hospitals and released. In a telephone call to the Associated Press someone claiming to represent Russian members of the Jewish Defense League Movement took responsibility for the attack. The JDL officially condemned the attack the next day and denied any involvement. Although the Met has greatly increased security over the years and even added hand-held metal detection wands waved over every ticket holder entering the theatre since the Paris attacks, some still fear it is just a matter of time before something more sinister and serious then the scattering of ashes happens there. One hopes they are wrong. Donald Trump has become defined in his presidential campaign by his misogynistic language and a recent downpour of accusations of sexual assault against him. But its not exactly a recent phenomenon. One of the defining characteristics of his personal life over the last three decades has been his seemingly insatiable lust for women and a kind of laissez-faire attitude about marital status. He has boasted of courting married women in the same breath as suggesting that because he is a celebrity, he is entitled to kiss women whenever he pleases. This worldview is not new for Trump; in fact, it took shape almost three decades ago. During the early months of 1990, Donald Trump was a frequent presence in the tabloids of New York City, often gracing the cover of The New York Post with new details of his ongoing separation from his first wife Ivana. As he deftly tried to juggle the split while courting Marla Mapleswho went on to become his second wifeTrump gave a revealing interview to reporters Esther Pessin and Bill Hoffmann for the February 23, 1990 issue of the Post. In it, he declared that adultery is not a sin and hinted at his own extramarital affair, almost urging the tabloid to reach the obvious conclusion. It colors Trumps impression of himself in the 90s and onward as a playboy who could have any woman he wanted, no matter their marital status or desire for his attention. The Post, often friendly to Trump during his current presidential campaign, has not publicized its archives prior to 1998 but The Daily Beast obtained some of the old issues which document Trumps views at the times. Do you think adultery is a sin? Trump was asked in the February issue. Very good question, he responded. According to the report at the time, Trump paused and then said: I dont think its a sin but I dont think it should be done. The reporters pressed: Would you do it? After which, Trump coyly responded Ill let you guess. He had told reporters a few days prior that he had never cheated on his wife but admitted that he had hid Maples in the Hamptons in order to keep the media from prying into her life. The two met, in fact, in the Marble Collegiate Church, where Donald and Ivana married 13 years prior. At the time, the tabloids were already ablaze with details of the ways in which Trump was attempting to keep the two women separated including a February 20 story that discussed a secret Corvette Squad he had commissioned to make this possible. Trump commissioned three beefy bodyguards to keep his wife and his alleged mistress apart, Pessin and Hoffmann wrote. The story claimed that the team of bodyguards were called the Corvette Squad and were hired to keep a 24-hour tail on The Donalds Georgia peach. They attributed the information to a high-ranking source in the Trump Organization. (Trump himself would often provide quotes to publications like this attributed to pseudonyms he invented like John Baron and John Miller. At one point, Miller bragged to a reporter that in addition to living with Maples, he had three other girlfriends). The three of them would spirit Marla in and out of Trumps hotels and casinos, the Post report reads. She would always stay in a room on a floor below Donalds and the wheeler-dealer would sneak visits with her. The same story alleged that in one instance, Trump banned Maples from coming on his yacht, the Trump Princess, because Ivana was on board at the time. Marla injured her foot as she kicked furniture and stormed around a secret 25th-floor suite in Trump Castle in Atlantic City, the source recalled, the story says. At the time, Maples and Trump contended that they were merely friends. In New York Citys press, Trump let his lecherous activities play out in real time. But in private, he tried to avoid the issue of adultery at all costs. In depositions during his 1990 divorce proceedings with Ivana, Trump plead the Fifth Amendment on 97 out of 100 questions pertaining to adultery, as described in biographer Wayne Barretts 1992 book Trump: The Greatest Show on Earth. Donald preaches about his devotion to the Second Amendment, but it was the Fifth Amendment that was his favorite when he was deposed in the divorce with Ivana, Barrett wrote in the book. As the saga wore on, with Trump trying to keep the women away from each other, Ivana and Maples reportedly got into a public spat at an Aspen ski resort in the winter of 1990. After Ivana detailed the encounter in an interview with Barbara Walters, Trump reportedly tried to cut off her alimony payments. Maples would also go on to confirm the encounter in similar language in Tim OBriens book Trump Nation. It later became a point of pride for Trump that he had many alleged dalliances with women, some of whom he claimed were married. In his 1997 book, The Art of the Comeback, Trump boasted: If I told the real stories of my experiences with women, often seemingly very happily married and important women, this book would be a guaranteed best-seller. As the 90s wore on, Trump invited the discussion of what he personally deemed to be a successful sex life. When he first considered a presidential run in 2000a few years after the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the White HouseTrump told Chris Matthews: Can you imagine how controversial Id be? You think about Clinton and the women. How about me and the women? Can you imagine? His public and private posturing on the nature of adultery took a sinister turn years later, when Trump was recorded having a conversation with Billy Bush on the set of Access Hollywood. Months after he married his third and current wife, Melania, Trump was recorded discussing his attempts to seduce a woman who he admitted was married. I did try and fuck her. She was married, Trump said. I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldnt get there. And she was married, Trump continued. Then all of a sudden I see her, shes now got the big phony tits and everything. Shes totally changed her look. Not only did Trump demonstrate a persistent devil-may-care attitude when it came to the marriage of other women, but as made clear by a number of accusations of sexual assault, he allegedly tried to capitalize on his celebrity status to grope women whenever he wanted. Hes always made himself out to be a star. And according to Trump, stars do what they want. Jack T. Chick didnt want to be famous; he wanted to save our souls. And, oh, did they need saving. Women, witches, gays and lesbians, teachers , Dungeons and Dragons players, atheists, Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses, and worst-of-all, Catholics (just to name a few): for Chick, the 92-year-old fundamentalist Christian who created the worlds best-selling comics and died in his California home this week, the Devil was literally everywhere. Chick wasnt a preacher in the traditional sense. A recluse who refused photos and interviews until the day he died, Chick proselytized with comicscrudely-drawn, unintentionally hilarious pamphlets that follow a recipe: ham-handed Christian themes and recurring resolutions of salvation or damnation peppered with its own language (Characters laugh with a HAW HAW; die with a YAAAAA!). Millions of the ultra-religious consider these comicsknown as Chick tractsto be a subversive weapon in the battle to win souls for Jesus Christ. But for the majority of nonbelievers and the moderately religious, Chicks lifes work is viewed as a combination of a kind of folk art , hate literature , and hardcore Protestant pornography . The designation depends on in whose hands the 3-by-5-inch booklets rest. Since 1961, Chick wrote over 260 comics (which have been translated into over 100 languages) and sold over 900 million copies to churches, missionaries, and in more recent years, collectors who recognized the highly offensive tracts as outsider art. In my childhood churcha small Southern Baptist fellowship whose devotion to the King James Version of the Bible and rebuke of sins like homosexuality very much aligned with Chicks viewsthe comics were tucked into every pew, beside the hymn books and the offering envelopes. As my preacher waved his Bible from the pulpit, warning us about hell (a literal lake of fire where the unrepentant would thirst and wail and burn forever), I would rest on my fathers shoulder and devour the pulpy volumes. While our church rebuked worldly temptations like television and Christian Rock music and trousers on women, the taboo subjects and illustrations in Chick tracts were trumpeted as first bait in fishing for souls. In Chicks world, girls were always in trouble. Baby Talk s Ashley was a hairsbreadth away from getting an abortion when her boyfriendfollowing a doctors counsel that abortion was murdersaved her from herself. I love you and I want to marry you. And I dont want you to kill our baby! he exclaimed before it was too late. In That Crazy Guy! Suzie learns sex in the backseat of a car has left her with burning genitalia and an HIV diagnosis. After explaining that condoms dont protect against HIV (Ed note: they do), the doctor offers his condolencesIm sorry, Susan, youre dying and theres no curebut also a path to salvation. Thank you for saving me, a downcast, yet grateful, Suzie says on the final page. I'm looking forward to being in heaven with you real soon. And sex and violence was always on the menu. After throwing a man off a balcony to his death and threatening to murder guards and their families, prison shot-caller The Bull finds a Chick tract (the tear-jerking Somebody Loves Me ) in solitary confinement and proclaims, "As of right now, all killing stops! There will be no more raping, because I just found out that God hates sodomy!" There is the Halloween-themed Boo! in which the pumpkin-headed Devil himself goes on a murderous rampage, disrupting a cat sacrifice with his own bloody chainsaw massacre. Witchcraft is exploding among teens today, it warns, stoking the Satanic panic of the 1980s. Likewise, innocent games of Dungeons and Dragons led to real witches covens and suicide in Dark Dungeons , which for obvious reasons has become the most celebrated tract in secular circles for its absurdity. Chick tackles homosexuality in several tracts. Both The Gay Blade and Doom Town use a strategy perfected by Westboro Baptist Church of conflating pedophlia and sexual abuse with gayness and retell the story of Sodom and Gommoraha town that God burned to the ground for its wicked wayswith lurid illustrations that betray Chicks own concupiscence. The most disturbing tract in Chicks library is undoubtedly Lisa , a no-longer published tale of Henry, a father whose family doctor confronts him with the knowledge that he has been molesting his own daughter. Instead of reporting the abuse to authorities, the doctor preaches to Henry, and after a quick prayer, Henry repents and thats apparently that. To be sure, not all of Chicks tracts were salacious or upsetting. No review of his work would be complete without a mention of the nexus of his contempt: false religions, most notably, the Catholic Church. In The Death Cookie (a favorite of the guilty pleasure fans), the Devil invents the Eucharist and controls a dirty, craven bumbler, who turns out to be the Pope. These tracts sat in a bowl by the front door of my church and we were encouraged to witness with them. We werent alone. Millions of Christians around the country were also leaving the tracts in laundromats and at truck stops, in bowling alleys and on park benches. Chicks quarterly newsletter, Battle Cry , contained tips on all the places they could go: in tips to waitresses and pizza delivery boys, in mailboxes, on sunroofs. The more creative tipsters suggested leaving them in the outstretched hands of store mannequins, and burying them along with some change in a bag to surprise metal-detecting beachcombers. While the fundamentalist faithful have ensured his work is known far and wide, shockingly little is known about Jack Chick himself aside from what he has chosen to tell. Daniel Raeburn explores Chicks creation myth in The Imp , calling it swaddled in conflicting half-truths of authenticity and rebellion. As the story goes, Jack was saved, and became a full-time believer in the spiritual warfare brand of Christianity shortly after marrying his first wife, Lola Lynn and listening to Charles E. Fuller's Old Fashioned Revival Hour radio show at the behest of his new Canadian mother-in-law. Soon, even his own church wasnt fired-up enough for him, and in response, he wrote and self-published his first book Why No Revival? I got the cold shoulder because I drew some people who looked like the ones in the choir, and they recognized themselves, Chick explained. That zeal created a rift between Chick and his own parents. And according to Chicks telling in Battle Cry , his mother told him, I didnt want you when I was pregnant, and tried every way under the sun to abort you. (He also says his daughters husband demanded she have an abortion. I didnt find out until months later that my grandchild had been murdered, he wrote.) Chick wasnt deterred. He continued to draw, emboldened by the obstacles that he saw as Satans direct intervention in his Godly enterprise. When Chick couldnt find a printer, when his first book got creamed by the Lutherans, when his car caught on fire, the cartoonist told himself they were all salvos from the devil. There were angels in his corner, too. Chicks rich boss became a benefactor in 1960, paying for the publication and distribution of This Was Your Life , a rare inoffensive tractthe cautionary tale of a man whose good works alone could not gain him entrance to the kingdom of heaven. But in the 90s Chick suffered a stroke after the completion of a particularly offensive tract titled, Where is Rabbi Waxman? (Spoiler: Hes in hell.) As recounted by Raeburn , Chick said: I laughed to myself all the way to the hospital, and told Satan, You lost this battle, Satan. Waxman has already been drawn. This hand will be normal again and serve the Lord. Over the years, Chick churned out tracts (in 2003, Los Angeles Magazine reported Chick Publications made $3 million in sales) and hired more than 30 employees, including another illustrator, Fred Carter, a minister with a great deal more artistic talent than Chick possessed. Chicks wife Lola Lynn died in 1998 and his only daughter, Carol, died three years after, the causes of which are unclear. He soon married his second wife, Susie Chick, a Chinese woman described in LA Magazine as pretty and young. More than sales or growth, Chick seemed to gauge his success by his detractors. I routinely ask my secretary if we are getting any hate mail. If she says no, I get upset because I think Im doing something wrong, Chick said, according to Raeburn. By that metric, Chick was an undeniable success. Chick tracts were at one point banned in Canada. The Catholic Churchwhich Chick often referred to as the Whore of Babylonstruck back, denouncing his writings. Then Christianity Today discredited Alberto Rivera, a former Jesuit priest who had allegedly been ordered to infiltrate and destroy Protestant churches, and informed a series of tracts pushing Chicks belief in a great Catholic conspiracy to take over the world. Christian booksellers began to refuse to sell the tracts because of the controversy and the racy illustrations. There's a fine line between portraying evil and glorifying evil, and in some of Chick's tracts the line has been crossed, one Christian artist explained . In response to a boycott by Christian bookstores that stocked his tracts, Chick bought the website Chick.com. That [he beat pornographers to that domain] name goes to show just how early Chick started on the web, said Kurt Kuersteiner, founder an online fan site, The Jack Chick Museum of Fine Art, and author of The Art Of Jack T. Chick . Thats when Chick could start selling his tracts straight to customers and cut out the middleman. It allowed him to be a successful independent underground cartoonist and ensured there would be no way to shut up Jack Chick. With so many enemies, it makes sense that Chick would hide from the public. Chicks last interview was in 1975, and for years, Chick denied reporters (including this one) when they asked to meet with him. He refused to be photographed. In fact, the only picture of Chick as an adult was a drawing by Jimmy Akin , a Catholic writer who happened upon Chick at an Ontario, California theater. Chick spoke for a spell, but refused a photo: he was on too many hit lists. Yes, we get death threats every week . . . from the Muslims, Chick reportedly told him . (Chick published several comics depicting the Prophet Mohammed.) But Dwayne Walker, a filmmaker and one of the few people to ever interview Chick, credited Chicks desire to stay out of the public eye to a more Godly intent: He could not take any praise; he wants God to have all the glory, Walker said in The Imp . Then Jack Chick died. And though Chick and his co-illustrator Carter may have chosen to stay out of the limelight for the glory of God, David Daniels, Chicks apparent successoran employee and good friend of Chicks for the last 16 years, whose own creation story includes being saved by a Chick tract in 1972feels no such compunction. Daniels has been the face of Chick Publications for several years now, posting over 200 videos on the Chick YouTube page he maintains. The videos are mostly closeups of himself wearing a button-up shirt with a pocket full of pens and sharpies and Chick tracts (of course), reading testimonials about the saving power of Chick tracts, preaching small sermons, sometimes playing guitar . When emailed for comment for this story, Daniels said he was swamped and couldnt talk, but be sure to watch the videos I am starting to put out on Jack. Daniels begins the first of an apparent series with a big reveal, nonchalantly holding a photo of himself flanked by Fred Carter and a white-haired Jack Chick, grinning from behind a pair of tinted wire-framed glasses. It feels strange looking at Chick now. Chick scholar, Kurt Kuersteiner agrees. Its a little like the end of The Wizard of Oz. For the entire movie, you have a big bombastic magician of sorts who everybody knows, or thinks that they know, but in the end it turns out hes just a guy. A humongous amount of Jack Chicks fandom comes from Christians who were raised in fundamentalist churches then moved to New York or have gone to more progressive versions of Christianity or stopped believing altogether, Kuersteiner added. But they grew up with Jack. Jack Chick is like Grandpa. You love your grandpa. And Jack Chick would still adore you. And his followers adored him in turn. This is a real man. A regular guy and a deeply devoted Christian, intones Daniels in his video. A man who, according to Daniels, requested before his death, I cant toot my own horn, so youre going to have to toot it for me after Im gone. Seeming to oblige, Daniels muses that Chick was at this very moment likely being mobbed in heaven by grateful souls who had been saved through his tracts. And as Chick finally receives the heavenly recognition he so expertly avoided on earth, Daniels assures commenters that his friend and employers death will have no effect on the mission. The tracts are continuing...Jack planned for all this years ago. We are just continuing the plan. This summer I drove to Europebut I didnt put my car on a transatlantic ferry. I walked through Canadian immigration and emerged on the other side in France. One of the worlds oddest geopolitical quirks, St. Pierre & Miquelon, is a small archipelago floating just a short boat ride off the coast of Canadas Newfoundland. Its a destination thats so unexpected, you practically rub your eyes with disbelief at the signs for the France-Canada border crossing overhead. And theres no mistaking that youre in France once you arrive: North American decals are swapped for EU license plates, baguettes are strapped to the backs of bicycles, and not a lick of English is spoken. The story of how St. Pierre came to be, like most islands in the New World, started in a Dickensian fashion, moving back and forth between French and British rule through a repeated series of colonizations, scorched-earth seizures, and recolonizations by the opposing forces. A corollary to an early 1800s peace accord in mainland Europe finally promised the tiny islets to the French for access to the cod supply along the British-dominated Grand Banks. A permanent colony was erected on St. Pierre in 1816. The original fuss over St. Pierre was largely due to its natural harbor on the east side of the islandone of the finest deepwater docking areas in the entire region, which could handle large trawlers and fishing vessels without much manmade manipulation. The irony, however, was that the harbors positioning was on the windiest, foggiest and rockiest part of the island, making living conditions for the early fishermen unbearable. Miquelon next doorto add insult to injurybenefited from a milder microclimate and plenty of arable land, but didnt have a port big enough to sustain the maritime industry. For a full century, catching cod supported the windswept colony of transplants from Brittany, Normandy and the Basque region (who are all dutifully represented on the islands current official flag) as they fished from the seemingly endless bounty. Daily catches were salted and shipped across the globe, putting St. Pierre on the map as the cod capital of the French-speaking world. Its temperamental weather, too, earned St. Pierre a second moniker: the cemetery of shipwrecks. There were so many wrecks during the height of the fishing industry, locals believe that the vast amounts of drowned detritus created the 12km-long isthmus connecting the northern part of MiquelonGrande Miquelonto the southern portion, Langlade. Despite the harrowing conditions, the Saint-Pierrais had several generations of great success in the fisheries, never imagining a more lucrative industry than cod. But in the early 1920s a new economic opportunity brought the locals more financial prosperity than anyone had ever dreamed. When the American government passed the Eighteenth Amendment prohibiting the sale, production and transportation of alcohol, St. Pierre became the unofficial entry point for all US-bound liquor. Canadian spirits, Caribbean rums and French wine were all siphoned through St. Pierre, making the archipelago such a crucial cog on the smuggling machine that fish factories quickly became storage facilities, and distilleries quickly openedeven Al Capone spent a bit of time in St. Pierre calling the still-open Hotel Robert home. The movement of alcohol became so omnipresent in St. Pierre that most fishermen and shipbuilders gave up their maritime jobs for more lucrative opportunities working for American gangsters. And after a full decade of the Prohibition bonanza, the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1933 sunk the black market overnight, leaving the island on the brink of economic ruin. But the islands most colorful moment in history was still yet to come. Despite the incredible surplus of cod that gave rise to the islands permanent settlement, and the favorable geopolitical positioning during the Prohibition era, St-Pierre proved even more important and strategic during the Second World War. Sightings of skulking Nazi U-boats were not uncommon in many of the coastal communities along the Eastern Seaboard during war timeespecially in Canadas Newfoundlandand theyre still very much a part of local lore even today, coupled with the haunting hypothetical: what if the Axis powers had set foot in North America? Well, in St-Pierre, they did. When Nazi Germany seized the northern part of France, the southern region, Vichy France, became a separate and internationally recognized government in its own right. And although it was not technically an Axis member, it readily collaborated with Nazi Germany, carrying out many of the Reichs wishes. St. Pierre, the seemingly forgotten French colony, was now under Vichy rule, and was suddenly catapulted into the spotlight when both the Axis and the Allies realized that the islet was now the most geographically significant stronghold for the entire European front of World War II. The Axis saw great potential in using the island as a base to communicate with their marauding submarines by radio. Its eventual purpose would be to serve as a launching pad for a full-on continental invasion. The American Allies were bound by an accord of diplomacy with Vichy France, so it was De Gaulles exiled Free France governmentsupporters of the French resistancethat executed a covert mission to St. Pierre to remove any possibility of the island becoming the Axis linchpin. The islands were quietly invaded on Christmas Eve 1941. The bloodless coup was considered a serious international incident, and was the first major play for Free France, occurring very early in the war, as the power for the Third Reich was still very much on the rise. Today, the fiercely French-allegiant St. Pierre & Miquelon has faded back into the obscurity befitting a tiny archipelago floating off the hinterland of Canadas easternmost provinceits geographical positioning now much more a reward for intrepid travelers than the center of gravity of world trade or warfare. And what a reward it is: St. Pierre sells its colorful history with thick brushstrokes that match the vividly painted box-houses lining each street. And for better or for worse, the faraway collectivity of 6,000 inhabitants vigorously clings to every stereotype associated with its mother country: a stingy work ethic shuts public works down around 4pm, but on the plus side you cant swing an eclair without hitting a delicious bakery. In a way, soporific St. Pierre is actually the European holiday of your dreams: nary a boring church tour in site, world-class hiking at your doorstep, great food, and plenty of friendly small-town locals coming up to say hellomostly to ask you what the hell youre doing there What to see If the term guided tour makes you cringe, youll be pleasantly surprised by the offerings from the local tourism authority. Short outings, like a history-cum-architecture walking tour, do a worthy job of recounting St. Pierres fascinating past; theres a Prohibition tour for booze buffs, too. The tourist office also sells a small guidebook to the islands best hikeswalk #7 to Anse a Henry (figure two hours round trip) is a great introductory trek to St. Pierres stunning northern edge where youll often find a cloudless microclimate that was, according to archaeological remains, a small proto-Inuit settlement many thousands of years ago. Make sure to stop by the post office (which currently doubles at the immigration office at the port) to purchase a few local stamps. Theyre considered a much-coveted treasure in the philatelic community. Where to eat and stay A far cry from the fast food at the ferry port in Newfoundland, St. Pierre promises all the offerings youd find in any provincial village of mainland France. Le Cafe du Chat Luthier (the Lutheran cata play on the word chalutier, meaning the trawler in French) attracts plenty of locals who come for the huge array of dishes, from sushi to pizza. Atelier Gourmand on the main seaside drag satisfies with a classic French menu thats heavy on local fish. Next door, Hotel Robert, known to locals as the Hotel du Vieux Port, has a cluster of no-frills rooms that leave a bit to be desired, but were famously home to Al Capone during his visits. How to get there A short 30-minute ferry ride aboard the Cabestan connects St. Pierre to Fortune in Canadas Newfoundland, a four-hour drive from St. Johns. Flights also directly connect St. Pierre to St. Johns, Halifax and Montreal. In 1972 I began a research program at the Saratoga National Historical Park in New York at the request of the National Park Service. The national bicentennial celebrations were only a few years away, and there were some open questions about the proper interpretation of the archaeological landscape where the two pivotal battles of Saratoga took place in the fall of 1777. Documents and oral tradition told a plausible story about what happened at Saratoga, but some recorded events did not seem to make sense in terms of the lay of the land. The area of investigation was huge by usual archaeological standards, and the surviving evidence of the American and British armies that had fought there was thin. But we used what were at the time some innovative techniques in aerial photography and magnetometry (detection of tiny local variations in the earths magnetic field) to overcome those problems. These techniques allowed us to make some important discoveries. We found that a major British fortification called the Breymann Redoubt had been misplaced by about a hundred yards. We also discovered that the body of British Brigadier-General Simon Fraser, who was mortally wounded on October 7, 1777, had been removed from his grave soon after burial. In the second case, archaeology provided the evidence to confirm a claim found in a document written by a man whose credibility on other matters has been challenged by modern historians. In these and other cases, archaeology resolved some important questions. Most people have never observed archaeologists in the field. When they do, their first question often is, How do you know where to dig? The question implies that we know what were looking for. Movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark also often imply that we are searching for something specific and known. The truth is that we are usually sampling sites that we already know something about, but are trying to refine and improve our knowledge. Consequently we are frequently surprised when new knowledge is not quite what we expected. But the movies do get some things right. Some popular assumptions turn out to be true, which is news in an era of rampant myth busting. As an archaeologist, I must confess that we are detail oriented to a fault. Yes, the stories about excavating with tiny brushes and grapefruit knives are true, even though shovels and backhoes would get the job done quicker. The stories about obsessive photography, data recording, sampling, artifact recovery, and general record keeping are also true. The underlying reason for these quirks is that archaeological search and recovery can often simultaneously acquire evidence and destroy its context. That being the case, we are honor bound to document the process well enough to allow some future researcher to use discoveries not just to test our conclusions but also to help answer new questions that have not yet occurred to us. Archaeology is often the only way to understand the distant past. Literacy and documentary history are only a few thousand years old. Humans have been around a lot longer than that, so much of what we know about our past is based on a combination of finding what our ancestors left behind in the ground and our general knowledge of how people live. When most people think about archeology, they usually imagine our research on distant cultures like ancient Egypt or Greece. What they often overlook are contributions to our understanding of more recent history. Written documents contain only what their writers thought was worth recording, so the assumption that documents alone can reveal everything we need to know about the not-so-distant past turns out to be false. Historical archaeology can supplement documentary history by telling us things about the past we would not know otherwise, and can even sometimes correct misunderstandings resulting from incomplete or incorrect documents. The apex of the British line in October 1777 was a fortification called the Balcarres Redoubt. Here the archaeology largely confirmed earlier conclusions based on maps drawn by a British officer. What was missing was a detailed understanding of the fortification, which had been reduced by erosion and farming over the course of two centuries. What the park historian expected us to find was evidence of an external ditch with a parapet to protect soldiers defending the redoubt. This is what fortification manuals of the period recommended. What we found was a much simpler arrangement, one that made sense given the very temporary nature of battlefield entrenchments. Instead of a big external ditch there was an internal foot trench, which gave soldiers the same amount of protection from fire. Although attacking forces would not have to cross a ditch, the solution afforded quick construction, which proved to be good enough when the time came. Our excavation also uncovered a new and unexpected mystery to solve, one that confounded me for a long time: a burial in the Balcarres foot trench. We found the individual lying face down, and the presence of buttons indicated that their clothing had not been stripped (as was often the case with fallen soldiers) before a burial party covered the body with some planks and shoveled a portion of the parapet down over them. The burial location and some buckshot in the cranium indicated that this person had been a casualty of the fighting on October 7, and that death had been instantaneous. Closer examination revealed that if the remains had been found almost anywhere else we would have concluded that the individual was a woman, and an elderly one at that. But this was a battlefield, and the burial was clearly that of a 1777 casualty. What could an older woman be doing in the midst of this ferocious confrontation? The expectation that any casualty was necessarily male led me to disbelieve the evidence for a long time. But the scientific method is self-correcting, and a combination of documentary evidence and peer reviewing eventually persuaded me of a more reasonable explanation. Documents indicate that there were at least 215 women with Burgoynes British army at Saratoga, many of them wives of noncommissioned officers. The Balcarres Redoubt was assailed by thousands of Americans on the afternoon of October 7, 1777, and we should not be surprised if at least one of those wives helped stave off the attack and fell dead as a result. There were American women present as well, and it is remotely possible but much less likely that this was one of them. The archaeological discovery that an older woman had been a casualty in the Battle of Bemis Heights refuted the myth that women were not directly involved in combat. It also prompted new searching of obscure documentary sources for additional evidence. At least two such cases were reported for Saratoga, adding to our growing understanding of the roles played by women in the War of Independence. It is not surprising that as women have rapidly come into professional archaeology over the last half century the roles of women in the past societies we study have drawn increasing interest. Silent assumptions about the dominance of males in the creation of the archaeological record have been challenged and often disproven in many contexts of the past, both distant and recent. This has sometimes been easier to do in historical archaeological situations because we have documents to clarify what might otherwise be ambiguous cases. But such problems can be addressed even in the very remote past if the right techniques are applied. Technological advances have dramatically improved our abilities to detect and recover archaeological information, but our knowledge of the past also remains dependent upon the questions we choose to ask about it. Archaeology is still our only access to most of our shared past, and we are fortunate that as the resolution of the big picture improves, so does the breadth of our vision. Dean Snow, professor emeritus of anthropology at Penn State University and past president of the Society for American Archaeology, is the author of 1777: Tipping Point at Saratoga (Oxford). His previous books include Archaeology of Native North America and The Iroquois. Hillary Clintons campaign sought answers on Sunday, two days after FBI Director James Comey sent a letter to members of Congress in which he said, in vague terms, that the FBI had recovered new emails related to the investigation into Clintons private email server. It was the absolute last thing the Clinton campaign wanted to be talking about in the home stretch of the campaign. But at this stage, there are a number of unanswered questions about the inquiry including whether these emails are simply duplicates of others that have already been reviewed, and if there would in fact be any additional information released before Election Day. Reports indicated that the emails were not to or from Clinton and that Comey wrote the letter before even having any knowledge as to what the contents of the emails may be, sparking a public rebuke by the Justice Department. While refusing to acknowledge reports that the emails were recovered on devices belonging to top Clinton aide Huma Abedin and her estranged husband Anthony Weiner, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook called on the FBI to release all of the information it has. The campaign is worried that, nine days from Election Day, voters will draw conclusions about the letter based on an incomplete set of facts. All were asking for now is: lets just get the all the information out there on the table, Mook said on NBCs Meet the Press. Theres hypotheticals flying all over the place. Campaign chairman John Podesta echoed this sentiment on CNNs State of the Union. To throw this in the middle of the campaign 11 days out just seemed to break with precedent and be inappropriate at this stage. If they're not significant, they're not significant, Podesta said. So, he might have taken the first step of actually having looked at them before he did this in the middle of a presidential campaign so close to the voting. An individual familiar with the FBIs review of the emails told The Daily Beast that its not clear whether any of the messages contain classified information. Abedin, meanwhile, swore under oath earlier this year that she had given up all of her devices that contained State Department emails. On State of the Union, Podesta said Abedin has been fully cooperative with the authorities. Immediately after Comey announced in July that he would not recommend charges against Clinton for her email setup, Democrats praised him for making what they believed to be the right decision. But they have since changed their tune about Comey. I think to inject this kind of uncertainty this late in the day was a terrible lapse in judgment, Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said on ABCs This Week. If the director can't clean up this mess, and I hope he will try, I think he ought to acknowledge that he made a serious mistake, and underscore once again that there's nothing that alters that core conclusion he reached in July. Reports have indicated that senior-level Justice Department officials were unhappy with Comeys decision to send the letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, citing the departments long-standing policy against making decisions that could be viewed as influencing the outcome of an election. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign weaponized the issue, hoping to take advantage of it as a lifeline during the last week of a contest that has not been going their way. They are re-opening the case into her criminal and illegal conduct that threatens the security of the United States of America, Trump, somewhat inaccurately, stated on Friday as the news broke. (Clinton was not charged with anything after an extensive investigation.) Hillary set up an illegal server for the obvious purpose of shielding her criminal conduct from public disclosure and exposure. But Trumps vice presidential candidate Mike Pence struggled to account for the harsh indictments leveled by his running mate. On Meet the Press, Pence was asked about the specific, unfounded referenced to criminal conduct. Well, I think this summer when the director of the FBI gave that press conference where he essentially chronicled that Hillary Clinton had said that there was nothing marked classified on her private server, Pence began. He said that was not true. When she said she had never emailed classified email, he said that was not true. He reiterated that before the Congress, but then chose not to proceed with charges. It was just incomprehensible to millions of Americans. Pressed by host Chuck Todd as to whether Comeys vague announcement was fair to American voters, Pence first demurred and went back to Clintons private server, but then seemed to agree that the FBI director needs to disclose more information. I think he has a duty to move forward professionally and in a timely way on this, Pence responded. And certainly, the public has a right to know. But let's be clear. Hillary Clinton, when this story broke, I believe she was travelling with Huma Abedin. I mean, why didn't she just turn to Huma and say, Put these emails out? With nine days left in an already topsy-turvy presidential election, both sides have found common ground in calling for more information to be released about the probe. ROMENobody died in a 6.6 magnitude earthquake that struck central Italy on Sunday morning because almost everyone was already gone. They left last week when twin earthquakes struck the same region along the border between the regions of Umbria and Marche. No one died in those seismic events either because much of the population was still living in tents and makeshift housing after their homes were destroyed in an August 24 earthquake that killed nearly 300 people. Sound like a pattern? It certainly feels like one. One may ask why there are so many earthquakes in Italy lately, but the real question, according to seismologists, is why havent there been this many earthquakes for such a long time? Sundays event was the strongest earthquake since a 6.9 quake in 1980 killed around 3,000 people near Naples. In 1990, 19 people died when a 5.6 tremor hit Sicily. In 2002, 30 people died when a quake flattened a school in Molise. In 2009, 309 people were killed when a 6.3 magnitude quake struck LAquila. In 2012, two quakes nine days apart over 6.1 in magnitude killed 25 people. But thats nothing. In 1783, five major earthquakes over 6.5 in magnitude struck Calabria over the course of two months, killing more than 50,000 people. Gianluca Valensise, a noted seismologist with Italys National Institute for Geophysics and Vulcanology, told Reuters that the recent events in central Italy are far more normal than the relative quiet the country has enjoyed for the last several centuries. An earthquake measuring 6 or larger creates stresses that are redistributed across adjacent faults and can cause them to rupture, he said. This process can continue indefinitely, with one big quake weakening a sister fault in a domino process that can cover hundreds of kilometers. He told Reuters that there would definitely be aftershocksand likely strong onesfor at least a few more weeks. And, he doesnt exclude that a new seismic event somewhere else in the country that would have its own aftershocks. And so on. And so on. Italy sits on the juncture of two tectonic plates and on top of two major fault lines. The Alps in the north of the country were formed by the African plate nudging up against the Eurasian plate. Fault lines from these two plates bumping into each other extend across the entire country and move at the rate of about three centimeters a year. After a while pressure builds and somethings got to give, causing the earth to quake. As if Italys seismic tendencies arent enough, Italy also has some of the worlds most potentially dangerous volcanoes and, because it is surrounded by water, runs a risk of tsunamis caused by underwater earthquakes. In 1908, a 7.1 magnitude quake under the Straits of Messina between Sicily and the mainland was followed by a massive Tsunami that killed 80,000 people. Italys volcanoes are, in fact, potentially much more dangerous than its earthquakes. Mt. Vesuvius, which last erupted in 1944, has been overdue to blow for years, even causing Italys civil protection agency to recently upgrade the evacuation plan for the city of Naples and the more than three million people who live in the red zone. Sicilys Mt. Etna, Europes largest active volcano, erupts with such frequency that the local airport in Catania often closes due to ashen clouds. But the real killer could be the massive super underground volcano called the Phlegraean Fields that could cause a complete catastrophe at a global scale, with millions of casualties, strong climate changes, perhaps causing a small ice age, and sterilization [contamination] of several hundred thousand square kilometers of European land for centuries, according to Giuseppe De Natale, head of the National Observatory for Geophysics and Volcanology. The area, also called the burning fields is an eight-mile wide crater that is under the outskirts of Naples and the bay of Pozzouli nearby. In the city of Pozzuoli near the continuously smoking and steaming crater, the ground has risen more than a foot in the last decade due to a phenomenon called Bradism, characterized by intense pressure increasing under the earths surface there. As dangerous as it all sounds, one just needs to take a look around the country to see all the ancient structures and jewels of antiquity that have survived or been rebuilt for centuries of clearly turbulent times. Italys prime minister Matteo Renzi said on Sunday that the country has the resources to rebuild the houses, churches and businesses that have been lost. And its clear that the Italian people have the will to carry on, even while the earth keeps moving. PARISThe golden domes would look at home on Moscows Red Square. There are five of them, onion-shaped and glistening in the sun, each one bearing a crosspotent symbols of the Russian Orthodox Church. But here in front of them flows the Seine River. Behind them rises the Eiffel Tower. Down the street is the French foreign ministry, known as the Quai dOrsay. That much you can see. What French and other Western intelligence agencies have been concerned about as they watched the building go up over the last six years is what you dont see when you look at the just-inaugurated Holy Trinity Cathedral and Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center. French journalist Nicolas Henin in his new book La France Russe notes that the building abuts an apartment used (at least until recently) by the French Secretary General of Defense and National Security, as well as the mail service of the French presidential palace. An inter-ministerial note on the state of Frances intelligence agencies cited by Henin observed that the cathedral domes, made of composite materials, could hide sophisticated listening devices, and since the cultural center enjoys diplomatic immunity, theres no obvious way to get inside to look. According to other sources, the French are now employing active countermeasures, just in case, and several Western embassies and enterprises have checked to make sure there is no line of sight contact between them and the domes. Its a strange spectacle, an obvious outpost of Mother Russia, even if all its aspects are benign, which was assumed to be the case when then-President Nicolas Sarkozy approved its construction in 2010. But since then, benign has become a word hard to associate with the Kremlin. So when Russian President Vladimir Putin was supposed to open the center here this month, the current French president, Francois Hollande, said he wouldnt attend, and if he talked to Putin at all, his office declared, it would be about war crimes in Syria. Putin decided to postpone his visit more or less indefinitely. Perhaps this seems like crazy neo-Cold War paranoia. High-tech spookery hiding behind onion domes on the Left Bank? Yet almost anything seems possible at a time when Putin has been using every conceivable means at his disposal to extend Russian influence and disrupt or discredit Western democracy in Europe, and, indeed, in the United States. If there is a new cold war chill, its coming from the east. Putin, faced with a badly flagging economy and potential domestic discontent, is actively preparing his people for nuclear Armageddon, while in the United States, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, an avowed admirer of Putins leadership, warns that Democratic candidate Hillary Clintons talk about standing up to him will lead to World War III. As The Economist pointed out last week, inside Russia,The two main pillars of the Soviet state, propaganda and the threat of repression, have been restored. The infamous KGB, which was humiliated and broken up 25 years ago, has been rebuilt as the main vehicle for political and economic power. Meanwhile, reactionary restoration at home has led to aggression abroad, with hybrid warfare against Georgia and Ukraine, and intimidation of the little Baltic states. All this even as Moscow has attempted to undermine Euro-Atlantic institutions, backed right-wing parties in Europe, and, as the The Economist, too, avers, tried to meddle in Americas presidential elections. If Putins aggressive stratagems are a fairly recent revelation to Americans (or, at least, those Americans willing to pay attention), the basic tactics are old news in France and much of the rest of Europe, where Moscow has been active for a long time helping to underwrite with money and propaganda the wave of populism sweeping the Continent. For nearly a decade, Russia has established ties with far-right parties in Eastern Europe, including Hungarys Jobbik, Bulgarias anti-EU Attack movement, and Slovakias far-right Peoples party. The Eastern European far-right parties have returned the love, whether by supporting the 2008 Russian war against Georgia or by vocalizing support for Putin, as the Bulgarian Attack party has. In 2012, Attacks leader, Volen Siderov, even popped over to Moscow to ring in Putins 60th birthday. Siderov also threatened to withdraw his partys support from the coalition government if it supported further sanctions against Russia, following Russias annexation of Crimea. However, in recent years Russian influence has been moving west. In a 2014 report, the Budapest-based research institute Political Capital argued that Russias meddling in political affairs of the European far right has become a phenomenon seen all over Europe. And earlier this year, The Telegraph reported that American intelligence agencies were planning a review of secret Russian funding of several European political parties. The specific parties werent named, but it is believed that European far-right groups such as Jobbik, the Northern League in Italy, and Greeces Golden Dawn are among those to be investigated for having received Russian cash. Most conspicuously, in 2014, after Russia took the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine and fueled a wider war in the east of that country, provoking heavy international sanctions, one prominent member of Marine Le Pens National Front went as an observer of the dubious Russian-Crimean referendum and pronounced it legitimate. A few months later, a Kremlin-controlled bank found 9 million ($10 million) to loan the cash-strapped Front, and at the beginning of this year the party treasurer admitted he was looking for another 27 million from the movements friends in Moscow. Considering all this, one senior Western intelligence official told Henin the idea that the domes of the new Russian Orthodox cathedral on the Seine are covers for electronic eavesdropping is the stuff of fantasy! But thats only because the Russians have so many tools at their disposal in France and the West. The cathedral complex is much more symbolic, said the official. The Russians would have to be absolutely stupid to install a listening capacity there, he said. And absolutely stupid they absolutely are not. *** Nicolas Henin, the author of La France Russe, is not just another hardworking journalist. The 40-year-old Frenchman has spent much of his career covering the Middle East and had an especially close view of totalitarian brutality when the so-called Islamic State held him hostage for 10 months in 2013 and 2014. Among his fellow captives was American journalist James Foley, the first U.S. hostage to die by the ISIS knife. Henins book Jihad Academy tells the story. When we talked last week about Russian actions in France, Europe, and the United States, the horrors of ISIS-land were in the background, but relevant still, since the infamy of ISIS is exploited by the Russians as a tool for their own ends. But more about that a bit later. We met at Henins request in Place de la Republique beneath the huge statue of Marianne. This was probably just a matter of convenience for Henin, but literally and figuratively we talked in the shadow of the symbol of the French Republic where so many huge demonstrations against terror and oppression have gathered in recent years. For more than an hour, we drank cappuccinos on the edge of the square in a cafe called Fluctuat Nec Mergitur, storm-tossed but not sunk, the ancient Latin motto of the city of Paris that became the watchwords of resistance to terror after the horrific attacks here on Nov. 13 last year. So there was a certain irony in our discussion of Putins twisted but often effective messages to the West. The key is to say we are declining countries because we dont have moral values anymore, Henin explained. The message the Russians bringa message they insinuate anywhere they canis that we are too open to foreign influences: too much immigration, too much Islam, too many LGBT rights, too much America. And not enough Russia, it would seem. The story in France has its own particularities, but anyone who has watched the Trump campaignwhich was once managed by Russian-crony-funded consultant Paul Manafort and continues to exploit Russian-hacked intelligence about the Democratic Party, including very probably the drips out of WikiLeaksmust see some striking similarities. In France, the Russians have a multi-faceted approach, said Henin. If you are leftist, they will play on your anti-Americanism. If you are a businessman, they will attract you with the promise of huge contracts. If you are military, they will say, We are the only ones in the modern world who know what it means to show muscle. If you are Christian, they will say, We are sharing your fight against the secularism of the world. Thus a figure like Marine Le Pen fits admirably into the Russian strategy. She may well be sincere when she says, as she did in an interview in the current issue of Foreign Affairs, Strategically there is no reason not to deepen relations with Russia. The only reason we dont is because the Americans forbid it. But then again, it seems she wasnt asked about the money from Moscow. When she has been, she blames the French government for making it impossible for her to get loans in her own country. In any case the Russian criteria for supporting politicians in Europe and the United States, whether with money or propaganda or both, is not ideological in the old communist sense. It is, rather, based on the much older and more basic techniques of what used to be called rabble-rousing. A populist, says Henin, has no political program as such. Their only approach is to say, You are angry and you should be even more angry and I am the boss of the party of angry people. We will fire you up and once you are extremely angry you will vote for me because I am the boss of the angry people. The fury of the masses then disrupts and discredits the whole democratic system. Thus, Le Pen herself may never win the presidency of France, says Henin, but she is dictating the agenda to the old right, and to the moderate right. Indeed, one now hears even Socialist President Francois Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls starting to parrot National Front positions. *** If one is to understand the Russian game in the West, its important to understand the way Putin tells his people theyve been gamed by the West, feeding their fury and resentments. Presenting himself as the boss of the angry people in his own country, he has heightened hysteria and pared away freedoms to the point where Russia has long since ceased to live by the rule of law, as French academic Cecile Vaissie noted in her recent book, Les Reseaux du Kremlin en France. Putin saw his own power and the power of his allies in the old Soviet bloc challenged by the Orange Revolution in Ukraine and other color revolutions over the last quarter century, and concluded these were not the work of popular discontent and a desire for Western economic and political freedoms, but conspiracies by the American and European secret services. Likewise, while we have heard a great deal recently about Russian hackingmost likely Russian government-supported hackingof emails and other communications, weve heard rather less about the hacking of high-level Russian communications by ill-defined groups like Anonymous International and a collective that calls itself Shaltai Boltai, or Humpty Dumpty in Russian. Much of the information about Marine Le Pens National Front getting Russian money as a seeming quid pro quo for supporting the Crimea invasion in 2014 came from this group, for instance. It also carried out impish attacks like the hacking of Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedevs Twitter account in August 2014, when his 2.5 million followers thought they saw him tweet: Im resigning. Im ashamed of this governments actions. Forgive me. Again, its very unlikely that Putin thinks this is just the work of anarchic folks working out of their basements. He knows he has set up vast troll farms and cyber war operations ready to play dirty tricks on his rivals. He would assume the Americans and their allies have done just the same. President Barack Obama, not to put too fine a point on it, warned Putin face to face at a summit in September that the United States had a greater defensive and offensive capacity in cyberspace than Russia could command, and would use it. But Henin argues against an illusion of equivalency. As he put it, Putin will do shit and try to make people believe the shit we do is because you do shit, too. Thus if the Americans talk about the atrocities in Syria, Putin will bring up atrocities in Yemen to try to minimize his own crimes. And a lot of people buy that. So, now, says Henin, in the French press you see, Mosul will be another Aleppo, suggesting the American-supported offensive against ISIS in its Iraqi stronghold will be as savage as the Russian-backed Syrian offensive in a city where ISIS has virtually no presence. That just isnt so. It is different when you systematically try to wipe out a population or force them into exile by destroying infrastructure, starting with hospitals, says Henin, who knows the situation on the ground all too well. *** What direct lessons are there for Americans in the French and European experience with Russia? They want to use us against you, says Henin. They want to use some of your own people against you. They want to identify the weaknesses inside. According to Henin, the Russian leadership does not believe there is such a thing as a civil societygovernment of the people, by the people, and for the people. But they believe that societies can be manipulated. They focus on certain groups they think are easily swayed. They dont believe in public opinion, they only believe in public manipulation, says Henin. In the U.S. the group they mainly work on is angry white men. And then, added to the question of anger, there is the matter of terror. Looking at the alleged Russian involvement with the hacking of the Democratic National Committee and the WikiLeaks drips, one might think the Kremlin has just about reached the bottom of its bag of dirty tricks. But the French know firsthand thats far from the case. On April 8, 2015, a devastating cyber attack targeted the French international television network TV5 Monde. All of its channels suddenly showed black screens and on the networks social media accounts viewers found a message from the CyberCaliphate. This was just three months after the French people had responded to the horrific terror attack on the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo by proclaiming, Je suis Charlie, I am Charlie. Now the supposed CyberCaliphate proclaimed beneath the image of a man whose face was wrapped in a keffiyeh, Je suIS ISI am the Islamic State (mixing French with English acronyms). French government agencies were at first reluctant to attribute the attack, but by June of last year private cyber security firms had linked it to a group known by several different names: Pawn Storm, APT28, Sofacy, Sednit, and Fancy Bearthe same group identified hacking into the Democratic National Committee. Analysis of the data showed proof that the lines of code were written on Cyrillic keyboards, mainly during Moscow office hours, writes Henin. One can imagine those cubicles and computer screens, and the click of the keyboards. All very 21st century. All very anonymous. But back in the 1940s, the British author Graham Greene had an appropriate name for such a place. He called it The Ministry of Fear. One might think of that now, even here in Paris, looking at the golden domes and high walls of the Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center. The Vatican has announced that Catholics may be cremated, but are unable to keep the ashes of loved ones in urns at home. The new guidelines, produced by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, stipulate that cremated remains (cremains to the word-play lovers among us) should be kept in a sacred place, most usually a cemetery. The scattering of ashes at sea, in woodland groves, or in volcanoes is now strictly prohibited. Cremation is not anti-Christian, and funerary rites are not to be withheld from those who are cremated, but in general burial is much to be preferred. This comes as news to the billions of Catholics who thought that cremation was acceptable because the Vatican explicitly said as much in 1963. If cremation was already permissible, why have they issued guidelines? Skeptics note that this is really all about the money. The funeral industry is big business, and perhaps the Vatican wants a greater slice of the internment pie. Certainly, being buried intact on sacred ground is more expensive than being deposited in ashy form on the mantelpiece. And selling mini-burials for cremains could both be a source of revenue and offer an incentive for relatives with spotty attendance records to return to church. This does, however, seem to be an unfair characterization both of Catholic priests, who officiate at funerals for nominal fees, and of organizations like the St. Joseph of Arimathea Society Pallbearer Ministry, in which volunteers participate in the funerals of the poor free of charge. When emotionally well-adjusted people with a good handle on reality get in a disagreements, they talk their way through them with respect and empathy. When men get in disagreements with Megyn Kelly, they treat her like a crabby octogenarian treats the automated voice menu they get when they call the bank. Theres shouting. Theres demanded modification to behavior. There are threats, there are flounces. They act as though Kelly is a piece of advanced technology fashioned to serve them and, in failing to do so, is experiencing a critical error. Newt Gingrichs bizarre Tuesday exchange with the Fox News host exemplifies this curious phenomenon. During an interview on her eponymous evening news show, Gingrich grew frustrated with Kellys coverage of sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump. You are fascinated with sex, said the thrice-married serial philanderer. And you dont care about public policy. From there, things got weirder, culminating in the former Speaker of the House demanding, and then literally daring Kelly to say the words Bill Clinton sexual predator. Like an iPhone that no longer recognizes touch screen demands, Kelly declined. Gingrich is far from the first man to seem positively perplexed by Kelly refusing to act like a preprogrammed android. Earlier this month, Kelly exchanged barbs with Fox News colleague Sean Hannity. After Trump spoke to Hannity, a doe-eyed supporter of the Republican presidential nominee, Kelly remarked that she wondered if Trump would speak to the real journalists. Hannity, like a dissatisfied guest at Westworld, got mad. u should be mad at Hillary Clinton Clearly u support her! Hannity tweeted (and [sic]). In a 2013 interview, Megyn Kelly took on conservative pundits Erik Erickson and Lou Dobbs, both of whom were arguing that feminism was turning women into a race of dominant man-eaters. Kelly was incredulous of her guests insistence that working mothers were at the root of societys downfall, needling Dobbs as he attempted to link women working outside of the home to divorce and thus social chaos. Excuse me, said Dobbs, as though admonishing a sassy robot waitress at a futuristic Tokyo diner. Let me just finish if I may, oh dominant one. This year, Donald Trump has been the standard-bearer in treating Megyn Kelly like shes a laptop that needs to be taken to the Genius Bar. It started when Trump seemed blindsided by Kellys primary debate question about his level of respect for women, and ballooned from there. He told Morning Joe that he believed she should apologize. There was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever, he told CNN days later, in much the same way a person might complain to the IT department that their screen went all blue and now they cant click on anything. And remember when he tried to get calling her Crazy Megyn to catch on? Trump has demanded she use different polls on her show, demanded she cover him the way he wants to be covered. Critical Kelly error detected. Trumps frustration with Kelly seems compounded by the fact that hes used to hanging around women who respond to his input with the unquestioning subservience of a digital assistant. Hes been known to ask women whose appearance he finds pleasing to stand up and twirl, including at least one former Apprentice contestant. During this months Al Smith Dinner, he paused during his stink bomb of a comedy set to ask his wife Melania to stand up for applause, like a Stepford wife. When she delivered a speech at the RNC that turned out to be plagiarized, he didnt blame her; he blamed the woman who programmednay, wrote the speech forher. He demanded, to no avail, an apology from Hillary Clinton during the second presidential debate, and called her a nasty woman in the third. Critical woman error detected. Abort. Kelly, unpredictable and fascinating to people at all points on the political spectrum, must be a real puzzle for men who have a specific idea of how woman should behave. But Megyn Kelly isnt a person who can be fixed by shutting her down, unplugging her, and then rebooting. Shes not going anywhere and neither, it seems, is male befuddlement over her unwillingness to cater to their whims. Cognac Larsen launches two bartender blends Focusing on bartenders, Cognac Larsen has launched two new blends. Summer Blend eaux-de-vie and Winter Blend cognac are designed to be used in cocktails and mixology, to create seasonal, summer and winter cocktails. Rather than focusing on age and age categories (no reference to age appears on the bottle) the emphasis is on fruit, flavour and aromas, thanks to ageing without lees and light oak-ageing. Larsen Summer Blend is delicate eaux-de-vie-de vin fine. It is a blend from the double distillation (charentaise) of a single cepage (Ugni Blanc) wine, produced in the 'dorsale de Saintonge' region of the Charente. It has been aged for six months in small oak casks. Larsen Winter Blend is a fruit-driven CognacUn Cognac Gourmand according to its creators. Summer Blend and Winter Blend also pay tribute to the Golden Age of cocktails, which reached its apogee in Europe, especially France, at the end of the 19th century. Cognac Larsen took inspiration for Summer Blend and Winter Blend from Niels Larsens American Drinks, published in 1899, which lists 156 cocktail recipes. To mark the launch of Summer Blend and Winter Blend, Larsen has developed four seasonal cocktails that marry vintage and contemporary style: Summer Blend and Winter Blend are two original and unique recipes that represent a different take on cognac and eaux-de-vie- de vin from the Charente.Larsen Summer Blend is delicate eaux-de-vie-de vin fine. It is a blend from the double distillation (charentaise) of a single cepage (Ugni Blanc) wine, produced in the 'dorsale de Saintonge' region of the Charente. It has been aged for six months in small oak casks.Larsen Winter Blend is a fruit-driven CognacUn Cognac Gourmand according to its creators.Summer Blend and Winter Blend also pay tribute to the Golden Age of cocktails, which reached its apogee in Europe, especially France, at the end of the 19th century. Cognac Larsen took inspiration for Summer Blend and Winter Blend from Niels Larsens American Drinks, published in 1899, which lists 156 cocktail recipes. To mark the launch of Summer Blend and Winter Blend, Larsen has developed four seasonal cocktails that marry vintage and contemporary style: The Immortals and East India Cocktail (Winter Blend) Orleans Julep and Summer Summit (Summer Blend) Jerome Durand, Larsens managing director says the new Summer Blend and Winter Blend reflect the innovative spirit of the house and its heritage: We have created an eaux-de-vie-de vin fine blend and a cognac that deliberately break the mould. We have reimagined them for the bar. We know that significant percentage of cognac is drunk by consumers in cocktails and long drinks and we know that bartenders appreciate cognac for its aromas, flavours and mouthfeel. We have designed two totally new blends that meet these needs. The focus is not on age or age designation but aroma and flavour. The house of Larsen, now part of the Finnish group, Altia, celebrates its 90th Anniversary this year. It was founded by Jens Reidar Larsen, a Norwegian adventurer and Cognac-lover, who set off to explore France, visited the South West and decided to set up a Cognac house there. Larsen never went home but Larsens Nordic roots and spirit of adventure of its founder are reflected in the brands iconic emblem: the Viking ship or drakkar. Cognac Larsen joined the Altia group in 2013. 30 October 2016 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, editorial assistant We all need to step back and take a breath. We are nearing the end of a long, ugly presidential campaign that has spawned great passions for one candidate or another. That is good: People should be involved in selecting their leaders. Every citizen 18 or older should register to vote and then go to the polls, not just in presidential election years, but every time an election is held. It's the American way -- or at least it should be. Four years ago, when President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney faced each other, only 58.2 percent of registered voters went to the polls. In Texas, only 49.6 percent of registered voters cast a ballot. With this year's presidential race drawing to a close in little more than a week, those percentages could be even lower. We hope not, but are not optimistic. The two major party nominees -- Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton -- are the most unpopular candidates in memory. Trump has no government experience and, while Clinton has spent years working for government, she has dark clouds of scandal surrounding her -- including revelations Friday that the FBI has discovered more emails that could raise new questions about her conduct as secretary of State. Both candidates have their own core group of supporters. Each must convince uncommitted voters in sufficient numbers if he or she hopes to win on Nov. 8. And that may be a problem. Many Democrats -- especially young voters who supported Sen. Bernie Sanders during the primaries -- may decide they simply don't want either candidate and so will stay home on Election Day. For Trump, he has problems with the leadership of his party. Many of them have said they cannot vote for Trump, even though he heads their ticket. Some even have announced they will cross party lines to vote for Clinton. The question now is how many other Republicans will vote for her and how many will stay home or just skip voting for president. We hope voters on either side don't decide to skip voting. Every vote does matter. Author David Foster Wallace said, "In reality, there is no such thing as not voting: you either vote by voting, or you vote by staying home and tacitly doubling the value of some Diehard's vote." However you vote, we all need to accept that either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will be president come Jan. 20. Third party candidates have no realistic chance of winning; all they do is pull votes away from the major candidates. In past years, while the candidate may grumble about the outcome of the election, acknowledge the victor and get on with their lives. This year is different, though. Whoever is elected in nine days will enter the White House terribly wounded. Trump's repeated epithet of Crooked Hillary and Clinton's proclamations that Trump is unqualified and even dangerous will leave whoever wins severely weakened as president. Whoever wins will have to work with Congress -- something President Barack Obama and congressional leaders never seemed to grasp. And, a weakened president will have a much harder time dealing with our international friends and enemies. There are further concerns, too, concerns that deal with the future of our republic. In the third and final presidential debate, Trump refused to say whether he would accept the outcome of the election. The next day, amid criticism from Democrats and Republicans, he said he reserved the right to challenge the results if he suspected fraud or other miscounts. That's not what he meant at the debate, though. On Thursday, Sen. Ted Cruz, our very own junior senator, said that is Clinton wins, he and other Republicans just might refuse to consider any nominees she would make to the Supreme Court -- as they have done with Merrick Garland, who was nominated by President Obama on March 16 to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Arizona Sen. John McCain, who tried unsuccessfully to become president, said something similar earlier this month. Such comments go against what Americans believe and accept. According to our Constitution, the president -- every president -- appoints nominees to fill vacancies on the High Court. And then, Congress is supposed to consider the qualifications of a nominee and decides whether to approve him or her or not. The Constitution does not say that only Republican presidents can name a nominee or that only conservative nominees will be considered. Whether we vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, we understand that whoever is president will nominate candidates for the court who reflect his or her philosophy. That's simply the way it works, although it concerns us when we have "Republican" justices and "Democratic" justices. Finally, we are concerned with the aftermath of the election. We understand that supporters of the winner will be elated and supporters of the other candidate will be dejected. But we always -- always -- have accepted the election results and moved forward, Republicans and Democrats, working together to make our country even stronger. Talk of "taking her out" if Clinton is elected has no place in America. We all lose when we have a president who cannot get anything done. New neighborhood pizza place serves up unique offerings in Burlington Located at 400 S. Leebrick St., Revel Bakery is giving its customers an East Coast dining experience with New Haven-style pizza. WILTON Though re-election has no doubt weighed on his mind, state Rep. Tom ODea believes that an even larger battle for the future of Connecticut looms on the horizon the battle to restore the state as a stronghold for businesses, both large and small. When asked what he would act upon if re-elected, ODea responded, I absolutely believe that the No. 1 priority, the No. 2 and the No. 3 priority is to improve the business climate in the state of Connecticut. Weve seen a decrease in jobs over the last three months 5,500 just in September alone. If we keep seeing that, were going to see continued slides in revenues, continued slides in the ability to fund social services, he said. With two terms of experience under his belt as the representative for the 125th General Assembly District, which serves Wilton and New Canaan, ODea believes hes in a much better position to affect positive change immediately as opposed to his opponent, Green Party candidate Hector Lopez. I think Ive got the experience, the reputation and the connections to help get pro-business legislation through the General Assembly, ODea said. Even with these advantages at his disposal, ODea acknowledged that enacting change wont be easy. If the Legislature were to address the challenges facing businesses in the state head-on, ODea said that in the best-case scenario, it would likely still take Connecticut 5 to 10 years to right the wrongs that have been perpetuated over recent years. In order to spur job growth, ODea proposes that the state take immediate measures to decrease taxes on businesses. ODea wants to curb taxes across the board from personal income taxes to estates and sales taxes. He suggested reducing corporate and personal income taxes to the point where Connecticut would have the lowest taxes of the surrounding northeastern states. The more jobs you have, even if you have lower taxes, the more revenue you will have, ODea said. Its imperative that we grow the economy, so that we can improve funding for social services. To further encourage job creation, ODea believes that the state needs to loosen regulations on businesses as well. Its difficult to start a business in the state of Connecticut, and weve made it very onerous on small businesses to keep employment up, especially if we keep increasing the minimum wage, ODea said. Though ODea acknowledged that some families are struggling to make due on minimum wage, he said, if we keep increasing minimum wage, were going to lose jobs. With Connecticut essentially bankrupt, ODea pointed out that something drastic needs to be done to right the ship. He recommended the General Assembly pursue a 15 to 20 percent reduction in spending. We have got to reverse the trend of taxing and spending, ODea said. Unless we stop the slide, nothing else matters. ptomlinson@hearstmediact.com; 203-354-1046; @Tomlinson_PE WASHINGTON Last week, the U.N.s premier cultural agency, UNESCO, approved a resolution viciously condemning Israel (referred to as the Occupying Power) for various alleged trespasses and violations of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Except that the resolution never uses that term for Judaisms holiest shrine. It refers to and treats it as an exclusively Muslim site, a deliberate attempt to eradicate its connection let alone its centrality to the Jewish people and Jewish history. This Orwellian absurdity is an insult not just to Judaism but to Christianity. It makes a mockery of the Gospels, which chronicle the story of a Galilean Jew whose life and ministry unfolded throughout the Holy Land, most especially in Jerusalem and the Temple. If this is nothing but a Muslim site, what happens to the very foundation of Christianity, which occurred 600 years before Islam even came into being? This UNESCO resolution is merely the surreal extreme of the worldwide campaign to delegitimize Israel. It features the BDS movement (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions), now growing on Western university campuses and some mainline Protestant churches. And it extends even into some precincts of the Democratic Party. Bernie Sanders tried to introduce into the Democratic Party platform a plank more unfavorable to Israel. He failed, but when a couple of Clinton campaign consultants questioned (in emails revealed by WikiLeaks) why she should be mentioning Israel in her speeches, campaign manager Robby Mook concurred, We shouldnt have Israel at public events. Especially dem activists. For whom the very mention of Israel is toxic. And what to make of the White Houses correction to a press release about last months funeral of Shimon Peres? The original release identified the location as Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, Israel. The correction crossed out the country identifier Israel. Well, where else is Jerusalem? Sri Lanka? Moreover, Mount Herzl isnt even in disputed East Jerusalem. Its in West Jerusalem, within the boundaries of pre-1967 Israel. If thats not Israel, what is? But such cowardly gestures are mere pinpricks compared to the damage Israel faces in the final days of the Obama presidency. As John Hannah of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies recently wrote (in Foreign Policy), there have been indications for months that President Obama might go to the U.N. and unveil his own final status parameters of a two-state solution. These would then be enshrined in a new Security Council resolution that could officially recognize a Palestinian state on the territory Israel came into possession of during the 1967 Six-Day War. There is a reason such a move has been resisted by eight previous U.S. administrations: It overthrows the central premise of Middle East peacemaking land for peace. Under which the Palestinians get their state after negotiations in which the parties agree on recognized boundaries, exchange mutual recognition and declare a permanent end to the conflict. Land for peace would be replaced by land for nothing. Endorsing in advance a Palestinian state and what would essentially be a full Israeli withdrawal removes the Palestinian incentive to negotiate and strips Israel of territorial bargaining chips of the kind it used, for example, to achieve peace with Egypt. The result would be not just perpetual war but incalculable damage to Israel. Consider but one example: the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, destroyed and ethnically cleansed of Jews by its Arab conquerors in the war of 1948-1949. It was rebuilt by Israel after 1967. It would now be open to the absurd judicial charge that the Jewish states possession of the Jewish Quarter constitutes a criminal occupation of another country. Israel would be hauled endlessly into courts (both national and international) to face sanctions, boycotts (now under color of law) and arrest of its leaders. All this for violating a U.N. mandate to which no Israeli government, left or right, could possibly accede. Before the election, Obama dare not attempt this final legacy item, to go along with the Iran deal and the Castro conciliation, for fear of damaging Hillary Clinton. His last opportunity comes after Election Day. The one person who might deter him, points out Hannah, is Clinton herself, by committing Obama to do nothing before he leaves office that would tie her hands should she become president. Clintons supporters who care about Israel and about peace need to urge her to do that now. It will soon be too late. Soon Obama will be free to deliver a devastating parting shot to Israel and to the prime minister he detests. Although many voters are loathe to consider another measure to increase taxes of any kind, the argument in support of the one-half percent sales tax is most compelling. Recognizing that local jurisdictions must have options to fund infrastructure projects, the Legislature passed State Statute 77-27, 142, allowing incorporated municipalities to impose a sales and use tax of up to 2 percent. On Nov. 8 Grand Island voters will weigh in on two local ballot questions. The first deals with granting the city permission to increase city sales taxes from 1.5 percent to 2 percent. The second question is whether to give the citys budget authority the green light to use the anticipated $5.5 million annual revenue from the half-cent tax to fund eligible infrastructure projects. Those projects include but are not limited to: road widening projects (i.e., North Road, Old Potash, etc.), Sycamore underpass reconstruction, Highway 281 safety and congestion mitigation, downtown parking lot upgrades, sidewalk and curb improvements (many mandated by ADA), railroad noise reduction, Grand Island East truck bypass (I-80 to airport), Third and Broadwell railroad overpass, drainage and flood control projects. Many of these projects involve significant state and federal matching funds. Other Nebraska communities that have a sales tax rate greater than 1.5 percent include Alma, Chadron, David City, Fairbury, Geneva, LaVista, Lincoln, Minden, Nebraska City, Norfolk, Oshkosh, Papillion, Sidney, Waterloo and York. Mayor Jeremy Jensen, the city council and city staff have been working over the past five months to generate a balanced budget. The key challenge in this exercise is the shrinking availability of discretionary revenue to cover expanding costs for government services. The cost of labor as a proportion of the citys expense budget has risen faster than revenue inflows. Labor costs have skyrocketed, primarily as a result of mandated compensation formulas tied to the citys status as a 50,000 population metropolitan statistical area (MSA). As residents witnessed during the last recession, the city had few options to trim millions of dollars in expenses without adopting an austerity approach: trimming services, staff and infrastructure spending. Raising property taxes at that time was not a palatable possibility. Its safe to say that voters do not want to see property taxes increased in this cycle. The cost to address Grand Islands infrastructure problems will only increase with the passage of time. Grand Island, unlike the federal government, must balance its budget. Like the food and beverage tax, the half-cent sales tax is a shared tax that will be significantly supported by visitors to our community. The tax is not intended to discourage visitors, but to make their experience in our community safe and enjoyable. As the retail base expands and more people visit the community, revenue from the sales tax will grow. Over time, every dollar gained from the spending of visitors will counter the need to increase property taxes and other local user fees. Both the Grand Island Area Economic Development Corp. and the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce support the tax proposal. The Grand Island Independent urges a yes vote in support of the half-cent sales tax. Last month our school celebrated Constitution Day and our Founding Fathers. During the celebration we were reminded of the words of Thomas Jefferson, We hold these truths to be self-evident. What does it mean when a truth is self-evident? We think it means that there are certain things that are basic and unarguable. For us that is civics education. Did you know that strong civics relate directly to ones ability to be an informed citizen, vote, run for office and volunteer for community service? Unfortunately American high school students are struggling with learning the basic concepts of our government and our history. In fact, when we pre-tested our classmates and 200 other juniors and seniors from across Nebraska with the same U.S. citizenship test that immigrants must pass to graduate, more than 80 percent failed. Presented with these findings our school board acted immediately. This year our high school has started to require that all students pass the U.S. citizenship test to graduate. Currently 14 other states have also made passing the U.S. citizenship test a requirement for high school graduation. We believe Nebraska should join that movement to ensure that all students have a basic understanding of how our government works. We are writing this letter to ask for your help in promoting enhanced civics education for Nebraska students and to please encourage your local school, the Nebraska State School Board and your state representative to make the U.S. citizenship test a baseline requirement for all Nebraska high school students. It is a small but important step in ensuring that our generation, and all who follow, will understand our inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, so that our unique and exceptional nation can continue to be a light of hope to the rest of the world. If you would like to practice taking the U.S. citizenship test, there is a great resource online at http:/joefossinstitute.org/citizenship-survey/. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Batam Sat, October 29 2016 Nearly a month after the Air Force held a military exercise in Natuna, Riau Islands, the Army will also show off its forces on one of the countrys outermost islands in the South China Sea, an area that has seen territorial disputes involving several countries. Around 3,000 Army personnel and defense system equipment will be deployed on Natuna to apparently show the world that the outer island is part of Indonesias territory. President Joko Jokowi Widodo, the commander in chief of the military, is expected to officially open the Army exercise slated for Nov. 10 to 17. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/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 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Hans David Tampubolon (The Jakarta Post) Sat, October 29 2016 There was a time when actor Lukman Sardi was featured as the main cast in many Indonesian films. However, in the last couple of years, Lukman has only played in a few films and spends most of his time with behind the scenes activities. He is primarily occupied with his role as chairman of the Indonesian Film Festival (FFI) 2016. He holds a press conference at least twice a month to provide updates on the progress of the FFI, which is set to take place on Nov. 6 at Teater Jakarta. Being an FFI chairman has been an interesting experience. It is challenging because I have a burden and the responsibility to make sure that this national-scale event goes as planned. The experience has also been very exciting, Lukman said in a recent interview. As the chairman of the FFI, Lukman also has the responsibility of bringing up new ideas that will further develop the Indonesian film industry. One of the main issues that is his concern is the censorship policy, which he deems as outdated and does not provide any benefit to both filmmakers and their audience. The censorship policy was originally very political. It began during the New Order era to prevent communist propaganda from being featured in films. However, I believe now is the time to take a more progressive step, he said. Censorship has no clear standard. Some movies can feature a kissing scene while some cannot. This is very confusing for film stakeholders [] What I suggest for the future is that we only need to implement the age classification policy. This step will educate all stakeholders to become more responsible without limiting the creative side of films. Other than the FFI, Lukman has also been busy with other activities in the film world and showcasing his acting in different platforms. Last year, Lukman directed his first feature film Di Balik 98 (Behind 98), which is based on the Reformation movement in Indonesia in 1998. Lukman has also co-produced at least four films and has performed in a musical theater production, Bunga Penutup Abad (The Flower That Ends a Century). Despite spending more time behind the screen and doing theater, Lukman said he had no plans of retiring as a film actor. I have actually taken some roles for new upcoming movies, which will be released in December and early next year, he said. The reason that I have been taking a lot of behind the screen roles and trying other platforms is to learn new knowledge and skills. There are things that I believe I need to improve after so many years playing in feature films so frequently. FILM JOURNEY Lukman, who was born in Jakarta on July 14, 1971, began his film career as a child actor in 1978. The Indonesian film industry entered a major downturn in the 1980s and 1990s. During this time, Hollywood and Hong Kong movies predominated at movie theaters, and Indonesian filmmakers and producers resorted to creating low quality, cheap films that centered on horror and sex. Due to this, Lukman took a hiatus from film. I went back to school and I took various jobs, from being a play group employee to working in an insurance company and so on, he said. The local film industry revived in the early 2000s following the phenomenal success of teen romance Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? (Whats Up With Cinta?). It proved the perfect time for Lukman to resume his film career. After appearing as a member of the supporting cast in Gie (2005), Lukman received acclaim and recognition for his role as one of the main characters in the crime drama 9 Naga (9 Dragons) in 2006. It led to him becoming a regular performer and a household name for most of the Indonesian feature films from 2006 to 2013. In one year, Lukman could play in at least six movies. The high frequency of his film roles, Lukman said, had somehow made him realize that he needed to take a break in order to improve. Acting in feature films had become a habit and I needed something new. I thought that if I ever played in a feature film again, it should be something that I truly believe in and it should make a major impact on everyone who watches it, he said. When I began to take more behind the screen roles and see how actors did their craft, I learned a lot of new knowledge. I began to understand that being an actor is not just about shooting and taking as many film roles as possible. It is also about doing something that I truly believe in. If I look at great actors like Daniel Day Lewis or Sean Penn, for example, they might not even play in a single film every year but once they take a role, their performance can be so impactful. This is what I want to do and achieve. The fast paced nature of Indonesian film production is also another factor that has made Lukman more selective in choosing roles. I want to have more time to explore my characters. A short production time means less opportunity for me to do a complete exploration of a character or a story. I want my character or how I portray it to have credibility, he said. Whether as the FFI chairman, an actor, director, producer or theater performer, Lukman always tries his to give his full commitment to yield the best results. This is an attitude that he inherited from his late father, Idris Sardi, considered Indonesias greatest violinist. Idris highly disciplined approach as a violin mentor is legendary and Lukman said that his father also taught the same values to his children. He was not an iron fist kind of figure. He was extremely disciplined and he always taught us that whatever we want to do in our lives, we have to do it to our very best. There is no time for laziness and slacking off, regardless of what profession we choose to do, Lukman said. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/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 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Indra Budiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, October 29 2016 The campaign period for the Jakarta gubernatorial race kicked off Friday with a joint declaration by human rights activists and leading Muslim figures to promote an election that is free from racism and sectarianism. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/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 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Sat, October 29 2016 Words & PhotoS Sigit Pamungkas Every day, volunteers and officers of Meru Betiri National Park release hundreds of Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas), along the Sukamade shore within the parks boundaries. Six of the worlds seven types of turtle are found in Indonesia, and four of them visit Sukamade, located in Banyuwangi, East Java. Apart from the Green Turtle, they are the Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), Olive Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivaceae) and Hawksbill Turtle (Dermochelys coriaceae). The most common of all is the Green Turtle, with most nesting along the Sukamade Beach. The area is the best in the world for turtles to lay their eggs, especially the Green Turtle. Apart from its location in a deeply forested area, far from human populations, there is also minimal hunting. The hatchlings are known as tukik. The Environment and Forestry Ministry has paid special attention to developing an awareness among the public about environmental preservation and its positive effect on tourism. That is evident every day when foreign tourists and local visitors come to watch the turtles lay their eggs and the release; there is no season determining when it happens. Apart from the threat of hunting, international researchers say there has been a more than 50 percent decline in the worlds population of turtles from ingesting part of the huge amount of garbage in the oceans. Qamar Schuyler, a researcher from the Commonwealth Scientific Research and Industrial Organisation (CSIRO), estimates that from 4 million to 12 million tons of garbage are dumped in the ocean annually. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/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 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Wonogiri Sat, October 29 2016 About 43,000 residents of Wonogiri regency, Central Java, are living in inadequate houses as the local administration is unable to renovate them all because of a budget shortfall. In order to help people renovate their houses, the local administration is working with private companies through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. We try to make use of the private companies CSR programs. I think that is the possible solution, said Wonogiri Regent Joko Jekek Sutopo on Thursday. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/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 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Nusa Dua, Bali Sat, October 29 2016 Following a meeting with Australias foreign and defense ministers, Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said Friday he had proposed that Indonesia and Australia conduct joint patrols in the eastern South China Sea in the near future to ensure safer waters. We have already suggested to Australia the possibility of conducting joint patrols in the eastern part of the South China Sea. We are sure that we will soon create a plan on how to realize it. They have more or less agreed, he told reporters on Friday. In a working dinner here late Thursday, Ryamizard had met with Australias Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Defense Minister Marise Payne, neither of whom were available for comment. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/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 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dwi Atmanta (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, October 29 2016 The spectacle of President Joko Jokowi Widodo and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati throwing a dinner for a number of heavyweight businesspeople at the State Palace and the governments red carpet welcome for tax evaders who agreed to participate in the tax amnesty program must hurt the sense of justice of many, including us. How come the government, instead of punishing them for their deliberate cover-up of assets they stashed either at home or overseas, has embraced and offered them a pardon, while the rest of us loyal citizens and good taxpayers have never received any reward that we deserve? It is neither fair nor square for the government to dedicate all efforts to herd the minority of sinners back to the right path, while demanding the majority of the pious to stick to the rules, or else. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/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 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rod McGuirk (Associated Press) Canberra Sun, October 30, 2016 Australia on Sunday announced plans to ratchet up its tough policy against refugees by banning any asylum seeker who attempts to reach its shores by boat from ever visiting the country. A previous government introduced a policy on July 19, 2013, banning refugees who arrive by boat from Indonesian ports after that date from ever being resettled in Australia. Under legislation to be introduced to Parliament next week, thousands of asylum seekers who have returned to their homelands in the Middle East, Africa and Asia would be banned for life from ever traveling to Australia as tourists, to do business or as an Australian's spouse, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said. "You need the clearest of clear messages," Turnbull told reporters. "This is a battle of will between the Australian people, represented by their government, and these criminal gangs of people smugglers. You should not under estimate the scale of the threat," he added. Australia has paid the poor Pacific nations of Nauru and Papua New Guinea to keep asylum seekers in camps since the 2013 policy came into force. The new policy would apply to all asylum seekers who have attempted to reach Australia since July 19, 2013. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said asylum seeker children would be exempt from the visa ban and he would have discretion to make exceptions for adults in cases where to do so was in the public interest. Daniel Webb, director of legal advocacy at the Human Rights Law Center, said the change would permanently separate families and "entrench the limbo" for asylum seekers and refugees on Nauru and Papua New Guinea. More than 51,000 asylum seekers arrived in Australian waters by boat during the six years the former center-left Labor Party government was in power from 2007 until 2013. More than 20,000 arrived in 2013. No boat smuggling operation has succeeded in delivering asylum seekers to Australia since July 2014 under Turnbull's conservative government. But human rights groups have accused Australia of abrogating its responsibilities to refugees as a signatory to the United Nations Refugee Convention. Labor spokesman Brendan O'Conner said the opposition would have to read the legislation before deciding whether it would support it in the Senate where the government does not hold a majority of seats. "With any legislation you want to look at it, see whether in fact it is fair and reasonable and is consistent with our own commitments internationally," O'Connor told Sky News Television. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nethy Dharma Somba (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura, Papua Sun, October 30, 2016 About 800 houses in five villages on the shores of Lake Paniai in Enarotali, Papua, have been inundated with overflowing lake water for two weeks, but their inhabitants have yet to receive any assistance from the administration, according to a Catholic priest. Besides flooding the houses, the water also destroyed fields where the villagers grow food. The knee-deep water flooded homes in the East Paniai villages of Bobaigo, Awabutu, Kogekotu, Dupai and Akai. Residents moved to higher, dry places, building makeshift shacks, Catholic priest Rev. Santon Tekege said Sunday. This natural catastrophe, he said, had last occurred three years ago. At that time the lake water was higher and many resident fell ill because of the poor conditions of their shelter. If the situation right now is not addressed properly, I am afraid the situation could become worse than three years ago, he said. Father Santon said although the flood had lasted for two weeks, the villages had yet to receive any attention from the government or councilors. At this moment, the regent and other officials, including the councilors, are not in Enarotali, they all went out of town and dont know the residents have been hit by floods, he said. Santon said he hoped the officials would return quickly to Paniai to take care of the people. The rainy season will continue for some time, and the water level of the lake will continue to rise; the people need assistance like shelter, food, clothing and transportation. If not, I am afraid the people will run out of food, he said. He said the children were still able to go to school using boats, but if the water kept rising, their schools could be inundated. Santon expressed hope the local administration and the Papua provincial administration would come up with long-term solutions for the people living on the lakeshore to deal with the three-year cycle of floods. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Suherdjoko (The Jakarta Post) Boyolali, Central Java Sun, October 30, 2016 President Joko Jokowi Widodo has urged the people of Indonesia to work hard to overcome the countrys need for food imports. Last year, we imported rice, soy beans, corn, fruits, sugar and many others, Jokowi said during a World Food Day event in Boyolali regency in Central Java on Saturday. World Food Day is observed every Oct. 16. Jokowi said he was sure that if everyone worked hard to increase production, Indonesia would not need to import food anymore. He said Indonesia had fertile ground but was still importing food, which reflected mismanagement. We have to solve this problem. We are sure in the future Indonesia will reach self-sufficiency in food, he said. He said he expected regions like East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, Bima, Gorontalo, and East Java to increase food productivity. He expressed his hope that Indonesia would not have to import corn by 2018 and said he wanted the country to expand its sugarcane field to end sugar imports. The President said all countries were competing in the supply of food, water and energy, so Indonesia had to be prepared. For water management, he said, Indonesia was building 49 dams all over the country and thousands of small reservoirs. He said he expected increased agricultural production following the completion of dams and reservoirs. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin N. Adri (The Jakarta Post) Balikpapan, East Kalimantan Sun, October 30, 2016 A group of Kalimantan Off-Road Team (TOK) members were eventually released by the Brunei Darussalam authority on Saturday after being detained for having dark windows on their cars, a traffic violation in the neighboring country. The Brunei authority gave BN$50 (US$36.10) fines to six TOK cars as the dark films on their windows exceeding the allowed standard in Brunei. We regret that this trivial mistake detained them in Brunei for almost two days, Minister Counselor from the Indonesian Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan, Endy Ghafur Fadly, said Saturday. Endy accompanied the off-road team members while they underwent legal processes there on Friday and Saturday. Brunei police detained a total of seven cars and 18 people. Of the seven cars, one avoided being fined because a team member, Shamsuddin, negotiated with the police as the vehicle only had a stripe of black tape stuck on the windshield. TOK coordinator Dato Haji Helmi said the authority to give sanctions to owners of modified cars actually fell on the Brunei Transportation Agency. He said the cars were taken there by the Brunei police, but the agency officials refused to process the cars because the cars didnt have Brunei license plates. But the police wanted to fine them anyway, Dato said. The TOK group was crossing the trans Kalimantan and trans Borneo route in its annual tour event. This year the group was touring Borneo from Oct. 30 to Nov. 6 after their Kalimantan leg. Kalimantan is the Indonesian part of Borneo. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, October 30, 2016 Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. M. Iriawan has clarified that no shoot on sight order has been issued with regard to a rally set to take place in Jakarta on Friday. Thousands of Muslim protesters are expected to take to the streets of the capital in protest against Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama over statements they consider blasphemous. No, there is no such order to secure the rally, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Awi Setiyono said on behalf of the police chief on Sunday. The police chiefs statement follows allegations that there would be a shoot on sight order for the rally. Awi said police officers were not allowed to carry firearms when securing rallies. Dont twist the news to provoke and make the situation more heated, Awi said. The Nov. 4 rally will be the second demonstration against the governor following one earlier in October in which Islamic hardliners had pushed for legal proceedings against Ahok. They want the police to charge Ahok, who is currently on leave during the election campaign, with religious blasphemy, after some felt insulted about a statement in which Ahok cited a verse from the Quran. Ahok has apologized for the statement, but for the hardliners that was not enough. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, October 30, 2016 A scholar from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta says that this is the time for peace-loving Muslims to step in and take serious measures to prevent religious radicalism. Muhadjir Darwin, a senior researcher at UGMs Center for Demography and Policy, said only moderate Islam should be nurtured and allowed to grow in Indonesia if the nation wanted to maintain its current multicultural character. We want a country with a multicultural character like we have now in Indonesia to be maintained, he said on Sunday as quoted by Antara news agency. He observed that the role of moderate Islamic figures in politics had waned, while radical Islam had risen on the political stage. He said he agreed with the sentiments of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) top figure Said Aqil Sirodj. Muhadjir said the NU seemed to be the only player able to prevent radicalism because he did not see any other organization being as courageous as the NU in maintaining moderate Islam and firmly criticizing radical Islam. Muhammadiyah is no longer speaking about it. I regret this very much. If the radicalization of Islam is given space, we will become the Balkans or the Middle East. Poso and Maluku have experienced it, he said. Its on a regional scale, not national. But if we dont do anything, like what is happening in Jakarta, the impact will be bigger for national politics, Muhadjir said. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, October 30, 2016 UNICEF is calling on world leaders to take urgent action to protect children from air pollution following the release of its recent report finding that almost 300 million children across the globe are exposed to toxic air pollution. The report, entitled "Clear the Air for Children", is aimed at world leaders attending the upcoming COP 22 next month in Marrakech, Morocco. The report reveals that almost one in seven of the worlds children live in areas with the most toxic levels of outdoor air pollution. Air pollution is also a major contributing factor to the yearly deaths of around 600,000 children under 5 years of age, UNICEF executive director Anthony Lake said in a press statement on Monday. Pollutants dont only harm developing lungs. They can actually cross the blood-brain barrier and permanently damage developing brains and thus, the future of children. No society can afford to ignore air pollution, Lake said. Countries can tackle air pollution to protect children by taking four steps, namely reducing pollution, increasing child access to healthcare, minimizing exposure and monitoring air pollution. We protect our children when we protect the quality of our air. Both are central to our future, Lake said. The report acknowledges Indonesia's Transjakarta as a form of progress made in phasing out lead, which is known to have harmful effects on the brain and nervous system. (rin) By Yosef Stein. If youre like most Americans, youre probably tired of this election cycle by now. 2016 has been a frustrating- and oftentimes embarrassing- year for many in this country. Public polling reflects the disgust that many Americans have for both of the major-party nominees. Hillary Clinton has the second-lowest approval rating of any major-party nominee since pollsters began asking the question second only to Donald Trump, whose abysmal numbers are even worse than those of the scandal-tarred Mrs. Clinton. There are signs that Americans on both sides of the aisle, unhappy with those two options, are seeking alternatives. Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson, who earned less than 1% of the popular vote in 2012, is averaging around 6% in the polls this year. In addition, independent candidate Evan McMullin is threatening to become the first third-party candidate to win a state since 1968. The historic third-party surge this year is a direct result of voters dissatisfaction with the major-party nominees, and particularly with Donald Trump. Can a third-party candidate actually win, though? Is there a chance that America might not be stuck with a President Clinton or Trump after all? Admittedly, the chances of anyone else being sworn in on January 20 are close to nil. However, that does not mean that casting your ballot for Johnson or McMullin is a waste of a vote. Particularly in a state like New Jersey, where Hillary Clinton will undoubtedly win regardless, the proliferation of votes for a third-party alternative this year can be a powerful statement that we will not be forced to choose the less repulsive of two repulsive candidates. Everyone knows the issues with the Democratic and Republican nominees. Mrs. Clinton is too corrupt, dishonest and liberal. Mr. Trump, besides for being corrupt, dishonest and liberal as well, is also unhinged, clueless about policy, and simply far too dangerous to hand the nuclear codes to. Faced with these two choices, many voters have decided to cast votes of conscience against both of these abhorrent individuals. To help readers better understand the options available, I have written brief bios about several of the more prominent candidates running. David Evan McMullin Who is Evan McMullin? The 40-year-old conservative independent candidate has a fascinating resume, especially considering his relative youth. McMullin worked in Jordan as a refugee resettlement officer for the UN. He spent 11 years as a CIA operative. He then worked for a couple of years as a private-sector businessman before becoming a senior national security advisor to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. In 2015, McMullin became the Chief Policy Director for Republicans in the US House of Representatives. He and his running-mate, Mindy Finn, are strong conservatives who oppose Trump because they recognize that he is neither competent nor conservative. Finn is proudly Jewish. She worked for the Bush administration and assisted the Romney campaign in 2012. McMullin is the only conservative running who actually has a chance, however slim it might be, to make things very interesting this November. McMullin, who is only on eleven ballots nationwide, is currently in a dead heat with Donald Trump for the lead in Utah, a majority-Mormon state which awards six electoral votes. In the event of a tight race between Trump and Clinton, a McMullin victory in Utah (and possibly even Idaho, where public polling is sparse) could potentially send the race to the House of Representatives, where Republicans have a significant majority. Would House Republicans tap McMullin, who used to be the Chief Policy Director for the House GOP? Anything is possible in this crazy election season. Unless Trump manages to close his huge deficit against Clinton, though, a McMullin win in Utah will not have any real impact on the race. Can McMullin actually be the next president? That scenario remains highly unlikely. But he could certainly win Utah, which would make him the first third-party candidate to win a state since 1968. The main advantage of writing in McMullin (he is not on the ballot in New Jersey) is the ability to vote for a real conservative who you can be proud to cast your ballot for. If youre a fan of trivia, you may be able to tell your grandchildren about the time that you voted for a third-party candidate who actually won a state thats not likely to happen again anytime in the near future. Gary Earl Johnson Gary Johnson, the Libertarian nominee for president, is an interesting guy. The former two-term governor of New Mexico typically attends campaign events and TV interviews sporting white sneakers. He is a fitness junkie who actually climbed Mount Everest. And his unique, somewhat leftist brand of libertarianism has led some members of his own party to oppose him. His high-profile foreign policy blunders, such as when he professed ignorance about Aleppo, the city at the center of much of the violence going on in Syria, have sucked a lot of the air out of his campaign. His Vice Presidential nominee, former two-term Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, is far more qualified and is also much closer to the conservative mainstream. Johnsons polling numbers have tanked over the past few months, slipping from double digits to approximately 5-6%. As such, Johnsons chances of making a significant impact on the race are not very high. I would strongly caution against voting for Johnson- not only because of his out-of-the-mainstream views, but also because it would harm the Republican Party if he gets 5% nationally. In that event, the Libertarians would qualify for federal matching funds for their nominee in 2020. That could result in millions of additional dollars spent in favor of a candidate who will likely be competing with the Republican nominee for votes. Donald John Trump While Donald Trump has tried to turn Hillary Clintons corruption into one of the primary themes of 2016, the truth is that Trumps ethical track record leaves much to be desired as well. For starters, Trump has actually admitted to buying off politicians with campaign donations in order to get them to do his bidding. The money he claimed to have raised at a charity event for veterans in January does not seem to have actually been distributed in its entirety. In addition, the businessmans non-profit charity, the Trump Foundation, has been mired in scandal after scandal. The Foundation donated $25,000 to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi right before she decided not to pursue charges against Trump in relation to the moguls fraudulent Trump University, an incident which raised a lot of eyebrows due to the appearance of corruption. As Hillary Clinton pointed out in the last debate, Trump also used Foundation funds to buy a six-foot portrait of himself- a sign of both his narcissism and his flippant spending of charitable donations made by others. Any attempt to decipher Mr. Trumps true policy leanings is bound to fail, as the businessman has been all over the map on the issues. He supported partial birth abortions, a grotesque procedure that even many liberals oppose. He later insisted that abortions should be outlawed and that women who seek abortions should be penalized, a position that was condemned even by the most fervent opponents of abortion. On guns, he once supported an unconstitutional assault weapons ban. Now he claims to support the right of Americans to own the guns of their choosing. He has praised liberal policies as better for the economy than conservative ones, but now he insists that he will implement a conservative agenda. He supported a socialist system of healthcare far more leftist than Obamacare, but now he claims that he will repeal Obamacare and replace it with health-savings accounts. And all this change supposedly took place between the ages of 60 and 70. If you believe that hes sincere about all this, Ive got a bridge to sell you. Trumps lack of fitness to take charge of Americas foreign policy is well-documented. Besides for his affinity for Vladimir Putin, who is the USs greatest geopolitical foe, Trump has made ridiculous statements throughout the course of his campaign that demonstrate his cluelessness about American foreign policy. When a question about Aleppo caught him off guard (yeah, him too) at the second general election debate, Trump simply posited that Aleppo has fallen, a factually incorrect statement. More dangerously, Trump wants America to withdraw from the world stage and allow more countries to pursue nuclear weapons. His trade policies would kill American jobs and businesses, stifle economic growth, and economically alienate America from the international community. Trump is dangerous. If you choose to vote for him anyway, dont say I didnt warn you. Hillary Rodham Clinton There is little about Hillary Clinton that Americans do not already know. We know that shes corrupt- from lying about Benghazi, to Emailgate, to the Clinton Foundation pay-to-play allegations, to the many scandals that plagued her husbands administration, Mrs. Clintons corruption is widely recognized. We also know that shes a calculating politician who is willing to adopt any stance that is politically expedient- if you didnt know that before, the latest WikiLeaks email dump makes it abundantly clear. She is liberal, but not radically so. She has many foreign policy failures under her belt, but she at least understands that we cant withdraw from the world stage in the manner that Trump has suggested. In short, she is undoubtedly the better of two very poor options. I personally will not be voting for Mrs. Clinton, but I hope she beats Donald Trump. Regardless of who we decide to vote for, Hillary Clinton is going to be our next president. She has opened up a large lead over Donald Trump nationally and she has led in nearly every poll of nearly every swing state since the beginning of October. The polls are not rigged. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud. The only thing thats rigged is Donald Trumps mind, which is rigged against the idea that he will lose because Americans are disgusted by him. Mrs. Clinton will win not because voters like her or her policy proposals, but because Trump is so much more repulsive. I never thought I would have to say this a year ago, but a Clinton win is the best (realistic) election result for the country at this moment. Lets just hope that down-ballot Republicans do not get dragged down along with Trump. Sltface brought the Scandinavian vibes to London performing at the Finsbury for the second of their four nights in the capital. After changing their provocative name Slutface to Sltface due to social media censorship, they took to the stage to promote their upcoming EP, 'Empire Records'. The Norwegian band started off timidly, but delivered a very short and polished performance. Rocking a sound that's like a cleaner evolution of Fall Out Boy and Green Day if they had a petite blondie yelling in your face, the quartet are have an infectious yet contained energy. With a voice that will scratch into your brain, front-woman Haley Shea is to Sltface like the eponymous Williams is to Paramore, but with more soprano-tinged vocals. To her right, the guitarist, Tor-Arne Vikingstad, with a haircut that perfectly looks the pop-punk part, performed with a musical anger that was of a stiff yet particularly pungent type. Bassist, Lasse Loky, was maybe the strongest voice in the support vocals, and probably the most explosive personality after Haley, as he extended his amp chord so to walk among the small crowd at his feet. Unfortunately, like with many bands, we didn't get to see much of the drummer Halvard Skeie Wiencke, although he was probably the most gorgeous creature we had seen all week. Sltface incarnate a radio-ready punkish band as they sung out urgent tracks like 'I Won't Freak Out', reminding the audience exactly what it feels like to be fifteen and jumping on a bed listening to Avril Lavigne. With a slightly stand-offish humor, they hint at their underlying themes of feminism and all the political activism they embark in. Glam, brattish and fierce, their track 'ANGST' was probably their most passionate and head jerking effort of them all. The night carried on with the more melodic 'Bright Lights' and 'Sponge State' to which the friend-based crowd sing along to. The forty minute gig came to an end with the blasting 'Shave My Head For You', to which Haley was crushed to the ground and slamed the mic on the floor in fervor. 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Phang Muang Sai Kor Rd literally translates as Town Plan Line/Route A Rd, the name it was initially given during its construction as the town plan needed to attribute some form of identification to the road under construction. However, the name has stuck, despite a public poll years ago that decided the busy thoroughfare should be called Phra Metta Rd with Phra Metta meaning benevolence or kindness, in keeping with the names of other major roads in Patong, such as Phra Baramee Rd, meaning Prestige Rd (or Road of Prestige). To the Phuket office of the Department of Rural Roads (PDRR), which built the road over the contracted 900 days at a budgeted cost of B211 million, Phra Metta Rd is called Route 4055, according to their own naming system for roads they build, and further signs or dedication of names are according to them not their job. The road was actually completed in April 2014 to help ease traffic congestion, PDRR Director Theerapol Jirarantankorn explained. As such, the road also serves as a critical conduit throughout the town, as it connects with Phra Baramee Rd at the northern end of Patong, passes by the front doors of Patong Police Station and Patong Hospital, then continues behind the Jungceylon shopping mall and connects at the roundabout at the southern end of Patong so traffic can continue unimpeded onto Sirirat Rd to Karon, the next beach resort town to the south of Patong. Only two other roads run the entire length of Patong: Thaweewong Rd (the beach road) and Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd and both are one-way. The new road, yet to be signed in English, allows two-way traffic. Phang Muang Sai Kor refers to the project name of Phuket roads during their construction, and there are many of these, such as Phang Muang Sai Kor 1 (Route A1), Sai Kor 2 (Route A2), PDRR Director Theerapol explained. Most roads we build are renamed after the project is completed, but locals still call this road by its project name (Phang Muang Sai Kor Rd), he noted. Mr Theerapol pointed out that the PDRR has posted one sign at each end of the road, revealing its true name of Phra Metta Rd but the signs are in Thai only. We are no longer responsible for naming the road. We built it and under the contract terms of construction we are still responsible for repairs to it, and we have posted signs marking the roads name as Phra Metta Rd but we are not responsible for any more than that, he said. After the warranty period has concluded we will officially hand over responsibility for the road to Patong Municipality. They can put up more signs if they want, he added. Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup told The Phuket News that according to her the PDRR is still responsible for street signs along the road. As you know this project is still under the Phuket office of the Department of Rural Roads. My understanding is it is still under the warranty period of the contract for construction. We cannot do any work on it yet, she said. And they have installed some signs (two, one at each of the far flung ends of the road) but the signs are in Thai only because the project plan did not include signs in other languages, she added. But for the name, I think we may keep it just like that to keep people from confusion. We have street signs in Thai only and are not going to have it in English, Mayor Chalermluck said. However, adding to Patong Municipalitys own confusion, the Patong Mayor also said her office had already posted some signs in English. Patong Municipality has put up street direction signs identifying Phra Metta Rd in both Thai and English. They are posted on pylons at many junctions so tourists know what road they are on. Mayor Chalermluck did not identify where these direction signs actually were. The Phuket News has yet to find any. In the meantime, an enterprising person has already had one sign installed in English at the roads northern junction with Phra Baramee Rd. The sign identifies the road as Phra Metta Rd. Will this be how the roads name will be spelt in English? According to Mr Theerapol, it should be spelled Phra Meita Rd. Patong Municipality and Mayor Chalermluck declined to discuss this point. Emirati model breaks taboos DUBAI: In a flowing scarlet dress, Rafeea al-Hajsi fulfilled a dream by becoming the first Emirati model to strut the Arab Fashion Week catwalk after years battling social constraints. culturereligion By AFP Sunday 30 October 2016, 10:00AM Emirati model Rafeea Al-Hajsi presents a creation by Lebanese designer Aiisha Ramadan during the Arab Fashion Week. Photo: Karim Sahib/AFP Its amazing to be on the catwalk... a lovely feeling, she said. I enjoy it with all my heart. As she prepared to model two dresses by Lebanese designer Aiisha Ramadan, the model said excitement, fear and happiness all come together when she faces the audience. When I see the lights on my face, life lights up with the feeling that international fame is ahead, she said. A curvy brunette with long hair, a square jaw and light brown eyes, her passion for being on camera was obvious, even backstage. Surrounded by make-up artists and overwhelming Western models, she posed for the cameras in a black mini-dress, casting sultry looks. Her phone never left her hand as she took selfies, uploaded clips, and streamed live video. Even if I keep working 24 hours, I have no problem at all with modelling, she said. She said she faced many obstacles in a conservative Muslim society where most local women cover themselves from head to toe in black abaya robes. I consider myself a very courageous girl to be in this field, she said. It was very difficult for me to become a model, especially as an Emirati. Hajsi started off modelling traditional local costumes. She declined to give her age, but said she had to wait years for society to open up a little. It took around eight years for you to see me standing here in front of you, she said. After five years of modelling local clothes, she started presenting radio and television shows, which opened up opportunities to move ahead in the world of fashion. Hajsis first appearance at a fashion show was earlier this year in France, when she modelled for Lebanese designer Ziad Nakad at Paris Fashion Week. She then appeared at the opening of the third Arab Fashion Week, which takes place twice yearly. She took to the catwalk to model a long red one-sleeved dress and another off-shoulder black gown both from Aiisha Ramadans Spring-Summer 2017 collection. The designer, also Lebanese, said her varied and colourful dresses were inspired by trips to amusement parks with her two-year-old daughter. She said Hajsis fuller figure made her stand out from super-thin fashion models, meaning women could relate to her. Hajsi has a waist, she said. To me, this is my client. Rafeea represents the beautiful Arab girl. We made her wear something very simple to show that the Arab girl knows how to dress in something simple and how it suits her. She agreed that Arab models often face barriers keeping them out of the fashion world. For the model to become international, she needs to reveal a lot of her body and this can be unacceptable in (Arab) culture, the designer said. Hajsi admitted that she keeps society in mind when considering modelling offers, saying she has turned many down because of the revealing designs. There are limits that I always consider, she said. Its painful. Sometimes there is a dress I really like and which the designer wants me to wear, but I cant because the design is not suitable for our society. I sacrifice international fashion shows that are great opportunities for me, just to be considerate towards our society and my family, she said. But she added that Arab Fashion Week showed Emirati society was becoming more open towards fashion. I fought many things in my life as a model, she said. As you can see, Ive reached a level where I am satisfied. She flashed a big smile and headed off to pose for a nearby photographer. New association in the thinking FISHING: Well shipmates thats another month of OTT weather, but on the few occasions the boats went out reports that the Sailfish were still in abundance and one boat claiming a triple hook-up with 2 released and one lost just off the stern. Nice going guys. transportmarine By Jimmy Stewart Sunday 30 October 2016, 03:00PM The M.V. Thai 2 On liveaboard fishing charter. As boat owner/operators are continually asked about boat sharing, which in the past most advised against due to certain companies going well above the recommended maximum of 4/5 for serious fishing, a new idea is doing the rounds, which proposes a non-profit fishing and boating association dedicated to making Big Game Fishing and boating in general, more accessible and affordable especially to our expat community, their friends and those who are travelling to Phuket alone, or in small groups. There would be three types of associates: 1. The visitor/tourist - is free and the association would offer boats at a heavily discounted boat sharing price in association with some of our many local afishinados. 2. Expat - is also free although it would require an up-front B2,000 refundable deposit/bond to cover any and all trips. 3. Boat owner/operator - would be a 5 per cent finders fee for all trips organised by the association; this would cover set-up fees and incidental expenses. What the Mena budget boats propose to offer probably best describes how the system would work and explains their subsidies toward the associations goal of reducing everyones costs: Mena 2 & 3 propose charging 50% of their web site price to the tourist clients and guarantee that if even only one expat registers to go, the boat will still leave on the proposed date. They also confirm there would be a maximum of three expats on the boat, (the other 50%) as they believe any more than four/five fishing is too many. Mena 1 would be the same, except being a more expensive boat, it would be four maximum for expats, again when there is only one expat available the company will subsidise the balance and the boat will still sail. Other owner/operators would be welcome to participate with their own specials, which would be run through a dedicated internet site where participants could be introduced to each other via social media in advance of booking a trip. Any helpful observations or input to this proposed idea would be greatly appreciated, so please send in your views as we continue to consolidate our thinking. STOP PRESS Burma Banks. The Burma Banks has some of the best bill fishing on the planet, up there in the top 10 must visit for any fisherman. M.V. Thai 2 On intends to work out of Ranong, Thailand in February and March 2017 doing weekly charters in this 400 square mile underwater plateau where trolling and jigging is often unsurpassed. Leaving Ranong on day one and picking up our obligatory Myanmartian J (Burmese) guide at Victoria we head to West Rock and the following five days are spent trolling and jigging the Banks. Day seven back to Ranong via West Rock and Victoria to drop off the guide. So thats it for this month. Tight lines to all and condolences to all our Thai friends at this sad time. Jimmy Puppy farm capital Ireland dogged by trafficking IRELAND: Illegal dog-breeding on an industrial scale has turned Ireland into the puppy farm capital of Europe, according to campaigners who say a recent crackdown is failing to curb the lucrative business. animals By AFP Sunday 30 October 2016, 12:00PM Some of the 59 puppies that were rescued at the port of Dublin during an operation involving the DSPCA, Gardai and Customs officials. Photo: AFP Thousands of puppies worth hundreds of dollars each are shipped to British ports and then on to mainland Europe every year, many of them secreted in the back of vans and cars. Irelands canine trade is a national disgrace, said Brian Gillen, head of the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA). Our aim is to put them out of business, he said. The more we interrupt their trade, the more it hits them where it hurts: in their pockets. We want to make it uneconomic for them to continue. Although buoyed by recent seizures at various ports throughout Ireland, welfare agencies continue to face an uphill battle against an export industry much of it illicit involving at least 30,000 pups a year worth up to 20 million euros (B769mn). Seven intelligence-led seizures at Irish ports over the past two months alone have yielded 150 puppies. Most were so-called designer breeds such as Beagles, Bichon Frises, French Bulldogs or King Charles Spaniels. One shipment discovered in a car boot was worth just under 30,000 euros B1.14mn). Many of the puppies are too young to travel, lack mandatory pet passports and microchips and are a potential health risk due to a failure to inoculate them against the deadly rabies virus. All of them, according to welfare agencies, will likely develop mental and physical illnesses as a result of in-breeding and their treatment. Raids on illegal puppy farms have found cramped conditions, little or no exercise or interaction, poor sanitation and even lack of access to water. Campaigners say that the vast majority of smuggled puppies continue to escape detection. Prosecutions are rare and to date nobody has been jailed for even the most flagrant breaches. We do not believe that local authorities are best placed to enforce the regulations, said Suzie Carley, a spokeswoman for Dogs Trust, a Dublin-based animal welfare group, calling on the central government to take control of the crackdown. The DSPCA has already worked with government agencies in Britain to develop a co-ordinated strategy for stemming a trade facilitated by the immediacy of the internet and the popularity of certain smaller breeds. The twin-track approach involves high-profile seizures of cargo at ports in Ireland and Northern Ireland as well as public education campaigns to raise awareness among would-be buyers of the animal cruelty they are facilitating and the potential trouble they face for purchasing dogs illegally. Gillen said the export trade from Ireland is particularly prevalent due to historically useless legislation and lax controls, although the government has toughened laws in recent years. Official figures show there are 73 registered puppy farms in the Republic of Ireland producing at least 30,000 dogs a year. In contrast, 895 establishments in Britain produce only around 70,000 puppies. According to welfare organisations, some farms have more than 500 breeding bitches. The DSCPA said it would like to see them limited to 10 or fewer. Its certainly a money racket. I would hesitate to call any dog a fashion statement but there is little doubt that celebrity culture combined with the instant gratification enabled by the internet is fuelling this horrible trade, said David Wilson, spokesman for the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Northern Ireland. Traditionally, you would contact a reputable breeder who would put you on a list but nowadays people are not prepared to wait. You can go online now in the morning and pick up the dog in a car park without any questions being asked its that simple nowadays. Thailands hospitality management chains rising PHUKET: For the past decade, Thailands surging tourism industry has fuelled a growing number of Thai hotel management companies (HMCs). Spurring this trend has been upward demand from a rising domestic and regional consumer class coupled with a virtual explosion in low-cost airline expansion, reports Bill Barnett, Managing Director of hospitality consultancy C9 Hotelworks. tourismeconomics By The Phuket News Sunday 30 October 2016, 10:00AM Growth in Asian middle class and emerging markets spurring widespread development of midscale and economy tier properties. Image: C9 Hotelworks For the past decade, Thailands surging tourism industry has fuelled a growing number of Thai hotel management companies (HMCs). Image: C9 Hotelworks Growth in Asian middle class and emerging markets spurring widespread development of midscale and economy tier properties. Image: C9 Hotelworks This developing storyline is reflected in data from consulting group C9 Hotelworks new Thailand Hotel Management Company Overview, with Thai HMCs currently operating 643 hotels across the country, with a total inventory of 77, 654 keys, Mr Barnett notes. To understand the latest proliferation of brands and chains, there are now 83 groups represented across 41 provinces, he said. Taking view of the Top 5 chains which control 28 per cent of Thai HMC room inventory, Centara Hotels & Resorts head the list, followed by Onyx Hospitality, Dusit International, Imperial Hotels and Resorts and Minor Hotels Group. Commenting on the evolution of Thai hotel brands, Mr Barnett explained, As a by-product of Thailands first tourism boom in the 1980s and 90s, local expertise sprang up from the influence of international chains. This transfer of knowledge, best practices and management ability incubated and eventually the combination of experience and local traditional hospitality have edged into the modern Thai HMC. Looking across Asia, the country ranks as a leader in the hospitality sector, he says. While C9s report has pinpointed the Top 50 Thai HMCs, going deeper into the research one exciting area of development is in upscale lifestyle- oriented boutique hotels brands. The Sala group who now operate six properties in various destinations with over 200 rooms is rapidly becoming a prominent brand attracting international recognition, he adds. Summarizing the movement in Thailands tourism sector, Mr Barnett points out, Given the high number of Thai HMCs, its likely that consolidation is inevitable. One only has to look at the merging of global hotel operating entities and brands and realize the local landscape will see a similar effect sooner than later. But for now, the good news is that Thai hospitality entrepreneurship is elevating Brand Thailand both at home and abroad, he notes. For the full C9 Hotelworks report, click here. By PTI: Kabul, Oct 30 (PTI) At least 19 Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were killed and eight others wounded in the airstrikes in Dangam district of eastern Kunar province, bordering Pakistan, Afghan government said today, signalling a major crackdown on the terror group operating from across the border. The airstrikes in Airogoi village in Dangam district last evening also destroyed one BM-1 rocket launcher and one machine gun belonging to the Pakistan-based terror group, the Afghan Ministry of Interior said in a brief statement. advertisement "19 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba were killed and eight others were wounded," the statement said. A major operation is underway in Dangam district to clear the area from the presence of terrorist groups, it added. The statement, however, did not provide the details of the air strikes and was silent on whether international coalition was involved in the operation. The action against the terror group comes as local officials in neighboring Nuristan province said in mid-2014 that LeT is attempting to establish bases in eastern parts of Afghanistan, Khaama news reported. "The officials further added that over 100 LeT militants were deployed in Nuristan province in an attempt to set up training camps in Kamdish district," it said. The group, one of the largest and most proficient of the Kashmir-focused militant groups, was accused of coordinating and carrying out attack on Indian consulate in western Herat province of Afghanistan in 2014, it added. Last month, Afghanistans Vice President Sarwar Danesh had accused Pakistan of waging an "undeclared war" on its people by plotting "merciless" terror attacks and training and financing groups like the Taliban and Haqqani network. Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Danesh had said the "Taliban and Haqqani network are trained, equipped and financed" in Pakistan. He had said more than 10 Pakistan-based terrorist groups were creating obstacles for state-building efforts and preventing the establishment of peace and stability in Afghanistan. PTI ZH AKJ ZH --- ENDS --- Watertown churches to open faith-based pregnancy center in town Watertown has a family planning clinic that provides pregnancy care, but area churches are looking to open a pregnancy center based in faith. By PTI: Berhampur(Odisha), Oct 28 (PTI) Rallies, seminars, yoga camps and exhibitions marked the celebration of the first National Ayurveda Day here today. The day was also celebrated as Dhanvantari Jayanti with large number of people rushing to purchase gold and silver ornaments as part of the Dhanteras festival. While doctors? forum, an organisation of doctors and ayush doctors association in Ganjam district conducted a bike-rally for promotion of Ayurveda, the students and teachers of the government-run Kaviraj Ananta Tripathy Sharma (KATS) Ayurved Mahavidyalaya, Ankushapur near here also conducted a rally to create awareness among the people on Ayurveda. advertisement The college also organised a seminar on the control of diabetic through Ayurveda, while the Central government launched Mission Madhumeha though Ayurveda on the occasion. The students of the Ayurvedic college displayed different medicinal plants, which could control diabetes. At least 18 students displayed the diabetic control related plants in the exhibition, which was inaugurated by Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Saroj Mishra. "We are organising different activities related to the diabetic as per the direction from the Ministry of Ayush," said college principal A N Padhi. He said free medicines were distributed among patients in the health check-up camp, where a number of patients from the nearby area turned up. Though National Ayurveda Day was celebrated for the first time in the college, Dhanvantari Jayanti was celebrated like previous years with gaiety. Jewellery shops witnessed huge a turn out as people believe Mahalaxmi, the goddess of wealth, would be evoked if one purchased gold on the day. PTI COR AAM DKB --- ENDS --- By PTI: From Aditi Khanna London, Oct 30 (PTI) At least 50 families, comprising mostly teenagers, across the UK have been taken to family courts as part of Scotland Yards counter-terrorism drive, a senior Metropolitan Police officer said today. Mark Rowley, assistant commissioner for specialist operations at the Met Police and head of the UKs national counter-terrorism policing, said in many cases children seen at fear of radicalisation were taken into social care. advertisement "The most extreme cases that end up with children being made wards of courts or care proceedings is real tricky stuff because weve never had to deal with national security issues before in a family court. We had never done [a case] before 2015 but the fact that its [now] into 40 or 50 cases is illustrative of the scale of the problem," Rowley told The Sunday Times in an interview. "Now were seeing young children and teenagers who have been influenced by propaganda and who need support. Sometimes, frankly, their parents are part of the problem and sometimes its happening despite their parents best efforts ? theres both types of examples out there," he said. Some of the cases involved infants and young teenagers who had been made wards of court after their parents tried to take them to Syria to join terrorist groups, the report said. More than 700 British people are believed to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join groups such as Islamic State (ISIS) since 2014 but the figure is now on the decline. "Weve taken the view that were better off confronting the problem and dealing with it rather than pretending its out of sight, out of mind. If theyre a British citizen going off to kill people overseas and potentially in the future to return to the UK more hardened, dangerous and difficult, thats not something we want," Rowley said. "So we intercept them now, but we dont see that interception as a solution in itself. Its the start of solving it," he said. Rowley said Scotland Yard was "closing" about 50 investigations a month into young people who had been thought at risk of radicalisation and praised the greater willingness of teachers and social workers to alert police to their suspicions about youngsters. "Even if only 10 of those were to become more hardened and start to move towards violent terrorism, thats five people [were stopping] a month," he said. His interview comes a week after Neil Basu, the Indian-origin deputy assistant commissioner at the Met, had said that 10 terrorist plots had been foiled in the past two years and the security services are tackling 550 "live" cases at any one time. PTI AK MRJ AKJ MRJ --- ENDS --- advertisement By PTI: From Youssra El-Sharkawy Cairo, Oct 30 (PTI) Six terrorists and four soldiers were killed during army operations in Egypts extremism-infested North Sinai, military officials said today. Three militant hideouts, two vehicles and three unlicensed motorcycles used by them in their attacks against police personnel were also destroyed, military spokesperson Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said in a statement. advertisement A number of suspected militants were also arrested during the army operations in Al-Arish, Rafah and Shiekh Zwayed in North Sinai, it said. The army operations are part of the retaliation campaign launched to avenge the recent attack that killed 12 soldiers in the region. Egypt has witnessed a series of terrorist attacks which targeted policemen, judges and military personnel in different parts of the country. Since the 2011 revolution that toppled ex-president Hosni Mubarak, North Sinai, which is the base of a number of extremist outlaw groups, became the main stage of many violent attacks by takfiri gunmen. The attacks even increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 following massive protests against his rule. Over 700 security personnel have been reported killed since then. The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip. PTI YES KIS --- ENDS --- Carrie and Liam Weston of Foxboro have been taking their three children to the Ocean Spray cranberry bog and nature trail behind Bass Pro Shops at Patriot Place since 2011, and their dedication paid off recently when, through the most recent issue of the Kraft Group's quarterly newsletter, Partners in Patriotism, they were invited to join Ocean Spray farmers at the bog and try their hands at harvesting the cranberries. "We were so excited when the Kraft Group informed us that we won this opportunity," Carrie said. "We all loved putting on the Ocean Spray waders and exploring the bog filled with cranberries." Above: Pictured, from left, are: Casey Weston, Liam Weston, Callum Weston, Rory Weston and Carrie Weston throwing cranberries into the air. (Photo courtesy of Patriot Place/Jeremie Smith) A day after an Indian soldier's body was mutilated by terrorists who escaped back into Pakistani side under covering fire from Pakistani troops, the Indian army said on Saturday it had hit back, destroying four Pakistani posts and inflicting "heavy casualties". The posts were destroyed in a massive fire assault in Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara, said the army's Northern Command. "Heavy casualties were inflicted on the other side," it said. Sepoy Mandeep Singh, who was killed in the gunfight with the infiltrators on Friday, was beheaded by the terrorists who fled back to Pakistan-administered Kashmir under covering fire from Pakistan Army. The Indian Army had said an "appropriate response" will be given. This is not the first time Pakistan has mutilated the bodies of Indian soldiers. During the Kargil war in 1999, Captain Saurabh Kalia, Sepoys Arjunram Baswana, Mula Ram Bidiasar, Naresh Singh Sinsinwar, Bhanwar Lal Bagaria and Bhika Ram Mudh of 4 Jat Regiment were captured by Pakistani troops and brutally tortured. The soldiers had their ear drums pierced with hot iron rods, eyes punctured and genitals cut off. The autopsy of the bodies also revealed that they were burned with cigarettes butts. Their limbs were also chopped off, teeth broken and skull fractured during the torture. Even their nose and lips were sliced off. In another incident, on January 8, 2013, Pakistani soldiers entered Indian territory in Krishna Ghati sector of the border and killed two Indian soldiersLance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh. Indian officials said both the bodies were mutilated, and Hemraj's body was decapitated. Just before retiring, former army chief General Bikram Singh, who headed the Indian Army when the incident happened, had said India gave a "befitting reply". General Dalbir Singh, just after taking over as the Army chief, had then said if a similar incident occurred the Indian Army's response "will be more than adequate in future". Article 4 of the Third Geneva Convention protects captured military personnel, some guerrilla fighters, and certain civilians. It applies from the moment a prisoner is captured until he or she is released or repatriated. One of the main provisions of the convention makes it illegal to torture prisoners, and states that a prisoner can only be required to give his name, date of birth, rank and service number if applicable. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday celebrated Diwali with soldiers in a remote and strategic area in Himachal Pradesh, adjoining the Chinese border. Modi also made an unscheduled trip to a village, Chango, and said he was "deeply touched by the impromptu reception and their joy". Dressed in olive green and donning a local cap with a green flap adorning dry flowers, the prime minister interacted with men from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Dogra Scouts and the army at Sumdoh. Sumdoh, some 330 km from Shimla, is located on the border of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts. Spent time with our courageous @ITBP_official & Army Jawans at Sumdo, Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh. Jai Jawan! Jai Hind! pic.twitter.com/rezkEW2kTT Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 30, 2016 Official sources said the prime minister reached around 11 am and spent more than three hours at Sumdoh and Chango. Mingling freely with the assembled soldiers and paratroopers, Modi went up to them holding a plate of sweets. At least one soldier offered him a piece of sweets in return, much to the joy of everyone. He was accompanied by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and the army chief, General Dalbir Singh Suhag. The prime minister also met personnel of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), a wing of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) that maintains highways, at Sumdoh, an official said. Surprise to Chango Modi then spent some time with the locals in Chango village in Kinnaur district, known for its delicious apples. Villagers were taken aback by the prime minister's arrival, and then raised slogans hailing him. Dressed in warm clothes, Modi spent time with the residents of the village, including women and children. He also posed with everyone for a group photograph, against the majestic background of the mountains. Bharatiya Janata Party's member of parliament Ram Swaroop Sharma said: "It's a historic moment for the locals of the remote village adjoining China to interact with the prime minister." "This is the first visit of any prime minister to this area and this would ensure development in the area," an elated Sharma said. This was Modi's second visit to the Mandi parliamentary constituency this month. Earlier, he visited Mandi town on October 18 to inaugurate three hydropower projects and address a public rally. The Lahaul-Spiti district, spread over 13,835 sq km, is a place of remote, untouched beauty with just 31,528 people. The climatic conditions are harsh as much of the land falls under a cold desert where during winters the mercury drops to below minus 20 degrees Celsius below the freezing point. The prime minister celebrated his first Diwali after assuming the office in 2014 with soldiers posted in Siachen. In 2015, he was at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. By PTI: Washington, Oct 29 (PTI) The older, thicker layer of Arctic ice, which is most resistant to melting in summer, has shrunk alarmingly over the past decades, leaving the sea ice cap more vulnerable to global warming, according to NASA. Arctic sea ice, the vast sheath of frozen seawater floating on the Arctic Ocean and its neighbouring seas, has been hit with a double whammy over the past decades. advertisement As its extent shrunk, the oldest and thickest ice has either thinned or melted away, leaving the sea ice cap more vulnerable to the warming ocean and atmosphere, NASA said. "What weve seen over the years is that the older ice is disappearing," said Walt Meier, a sea ice researcher at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Centre in the US. "This older, thicker ice is like the bulwark of sea ice: a warm summer will melt all the young, thin ice away but it cant completely get rid of the older ice," said Meier. "But this older ice is becoming weaker because theres less of it and the remaining old ice is more broken up and thinner, so that bulwark is not as good as it used to be," he said. A new NASA visualisation of the age of Arctic sea ice shows how sea ice has been growing and shrinking, spinning, melting in place and drifting out of the Arctic for the past three decades. In the early 2000s, scientists at the University of Colorado developed a way to monitor Arctic sea ice movement and the evolution of its age, primarily by using data satellite passive microwave instruments. "Were keeping track of sea ice as it moves around, up until it melts in place or leaves the Arctic," said Meier, from University of Colorado. Every year, sea ice forms in the winter and melts in the summer. The sea ice that survives the melt season thickens with each passing year: newly formed ice grows to about three to seven feet of thickness during its first year, while multi-year ice (sea ice that has survived several melt seasons) is about 10 to 13 feet thick. The older and thicker ice is more resistant to melt and less likely to get pushed around by winds or broken up by waves or storms. The motion of sea ice is not limited to its seasonal expansion and shrinkage. Except for coastal regions where sea ice is attached to the shore, the sea ice cap is in almost constant movement. advertisement "Weve lost most of the older ice: In the 1980s, multiyear ice made up 20 per cent of the sea ice cover. Now its only about three per cent per cent," Meier said. "The older ice was like the insurance policy of the Arctic sea ice pack: as we lose it, the likelihood for a largely ice-free summer in the Arctic increases," he said. PTI MHN SAR MHN --- ENDS --- The longtime Hillary Clinton aide at the center of a renewed FBI email investigation testified under oath four months ago she never deleted old emails, while promising in 2013 not to take sensitive files when she left the State Department. FBI Director James Comey notified Congress on Friday, less than two weeks before the election, that the emails had led agents to re-examine whether classified information was mishandled. That had been the focus of the bureaus earlier criminal inquiry into the former secretary of states use of a private email server, which Comey said in July didnt warrant charges. The newly discovered emails were on a device seized during a investigation of disgraced former New York congressman, Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of Huma Abedin, one of Clintons closest aides. Abedins testimony in a recent civil lawsuit about State Department records may help explain why agents found emails that Comey said appear to be pertinent and would be reviewed to determine whether they contain classified information, as well as to assess their importance to our investigation. Abedin told lawyers in June in a deposition that, like millions of internet users who dont manage their inboxes, she simply never deleted old emails, either at work with Clinton or at home with Weiner. I didnt have a practice of managing my mailbox other than leaving what was in there sitting in there, Abedin said. I didnt go into my emails and delete State.gov emails. They just lived on my computer. That was my practice for all my email accounts. I didnt have a particular form of organizing them. I had a few folders, but they were not deleted. They all stayed in whatever device I was using at the time or whatever desktop I was on at the time. Abedin, vice chairwoman of Clintons presidential campaign, and Weiner separated this year after Weiner was caught in 2011, 2013 and again this year sending numerous woman explicit text messages and photographs. Federal authorities in New York and North Carolina are investigating online communications between Weiner and a 15-year-old girl. Abedins testimony in the civil suit was complicated by a routine State Department document she signed under penalty of perjury in February 2013. She promised she would turn over all classified or administratively controlled documents and materials before she left her government job, and promised that she was not retaining copies, including any diaries, memorandums of conversation or other documents of a personal nature. The document required her to give back all unclassified documents and papers relating to the official business of the government acquired by me while in the employ of the department. Comeys announcement Friday just months after deciding that anyones use of Clintons private email server didnt rise to criminal charges for mishandling or removal of classified information upended the presidential campaigns in their final stretch before the Nov. 8 voter. Clinton urged the FBI to explain this issue in question, whatever it is, without any delay. Even within the Justice Department, officials advised Comey not to make the announcement. Upon learning of Comeys plans to send the letter to Congress, Justice Department officials told FBI officials that was not a good idea and cautioned against it, according to a government official familiar with the discussions. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss the private conversations and spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said the Justice Department had warned the FBI that the letter was inconsistent with department policy intended to avoid the appearance of prosecutorial influence in elections. The position is laid out in a 2012 memo from then-Deputy Attorney General James Cole. It said prosecutors may never select the timing of criminal charges or investigative actions in a way that can be seen as affecting an election or giving a benefit or disadvantage to a candidate. The memo says that although the department has a strong interest in prosecuting election-related crimes, such as those involving campaign finance and patronage, employees must remain committed to fairness and political neutrality. Simply put, politics must play no role in the decisions of federal investigators or prosecutors regarding any investigations or criminal charges, the memo states. Comey told FBI employees later Friday he wanted to avoid creating a misleading impression, but believed he was obligated. We dont ordinarily tell Congress about ongoing investigations, but here I feel an obligation to do so given that I testified repeatedly in recent months that our investigation was completed. Comey wrote in a letter to staff. I also think it would be misleading to the American people were we not to supplement the record. Even if any of the emails are judged to be classified, that would not necessarily indicate potential legal peril for anyone involved. The FBI already found scores of emails with classified information on Clintons server, but didnt think the handling of the material rose to the level of a crime. (AP) Feroz Momin and Imtiaz Momin are brothers and run a garage together. When they got a request from businessman Sanjay D Patil asking them to repair his helicopter, they didn't think twice. By Deepak Suryavanshi, Pankaj P. Khelkar: It was Diwali 'dhamaka' for Kolhapur-based car mechanic Feroz Momin. A small time car repair garage owner cum mechanic Imtiaz Shabbir Momin is famous for his expertise in any type of car repairs. In the year 2006, Feroz and his elder brother Imtiaz Momin modified a car into a underwater wondercar. On Friday afternoon, Feroz Momin got a customer who came with a bizarre request, to repair his helicopter. Initially, Imtiaz thought the man was not serious but after learning that the request came from Kolhapur Richie Rich Sanjay D Patil, he immediately rushed to the helipad located inside the huge mansion of educationist Patil. Photo: Deepark Suryavanshi advertisement Speaking to India Today, Feroz and Imtiaz shared how Feroz was nervous in the beginning to attempt repairing the helicopter, more so because his elder brother Imtiaz was not at the garage. But after a series of observations, Feroz found that the electrical fault insulated the power supply to the main engine. After skillful repair work, the dashboard indicated the helicopter was good to go thereby giving a green signal to the pilot that the engine is in a state to fly. Within minutes the main rotar blades started moving and in no time, the helicopter was airborne. Photo: Deepark Suryavanshi Patil appreciated both Feroz and Imtiaz. The helicopter then fled to Chennai. --- ENDS --- The FBIs announcement that it recently came upon new emails possibly pertinent to the Hillary Clinton email investigation raised more questions than answers. FBI Director James Comey said in a letter to Congress on Friday that the bureau had discovered the emails while pursuing an unrelated case and would review whether they were classified. The announcement, vague in details, immediately drew both criticism and praise to Comey himself. Some questions and answers: ___ Q: WHERE DID THE EMAILS COME FROM? A: The emails emerged during a separate criminal investigation into former Rep. Anthony Weiner, estranged husband of Huma Abedin, one of Clintons closest aides, a U.S. official with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation and discussed the matter on condition of anonymity. Federal authorities are investigating communications between Weiner, a New York Democrat, and a 15-year-old girl. It was not clear from Comey who sent or received the emails or what they were about. A person familiar with the investigation, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and insisted on anonymity, said the device that appears to be at the center of the new review was not a computer Weiner shared with Abedin. The person said this is news to (Abedin) that her emails would be on a computer belonging to her husband. ___ Q: WHY IS THIS COMING OUT SO CLOSE TO THE ELECTION? A: Apparently because the emails were found very recently. In his letter to Congress, Comey said he had been briefed only Thursday by investigators. Releasing the letter opened Comey to partisan criticism that he was dropping a significant development too close to an election. But keeping it under wraps until after Nov. 8 would surely have led to criticism that he was sitting on major news until after the election. Comey has said there are no easy decisions on timing in the case. In an internal email sent Friday to FBI employees, he said he was trying to strike a balance between keeping Congress and the public informed and not creating a misleading impression, given that the emails significance is not yet known. In trying to strike that balance, in a brief letter and in the middle of an election season, there is significant risk of being misunderstood, he wrote. Upon learning of Comeys intention to send lawmakers the letter, Justice Department officials conveyed disapproval and advised the FBI against it, according to a government official familiar with the conversations who was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Department leaders were concerned that the letter would be inconsistent with department policy meant to avoid the appearance of prosecutorial interference or meddling in elections, the official said. ___ Q: IS THE DISCLOSURE STANDARD FOR THE FBI? A: No, but neither was the Clinton email investigation. In a nod to the extraordinary nature of an election-year probe into a presidential candidate, Comey promised extraordinary transparency as he announced the investigations conclusion in July. I am going to include more detail about our process than I ordinarily would, because I think the American people deserve those details in a case of intense public interest, Comey said at the unusual news conference where he announced the FBI would not recommend criminal charges against Clinton. Since then, the FBI has periodically released investigative files that is, summaries of witnesses who were interviewed. Those materials arent typically public. Comey, a former Republican who is not registered with a political party, has served in government under both Democratic and Republican administrations and speaks repeatedly about the need for the FBI to be accountable to the public. His letter Friday seemed in keeping with a statement he made to Congress last month, that although the FBI had concluded its investigation, we would certainly look at any new and substantial information that emerged. ___ Q: BUT WHY WAS THE LETTER SO VAGUE? A: For one thing, the FBI avoids publicly discussing ongoing criminal investigations, or even confirming it has one open. It also appears the FBI isnt sure what it has. Comey said the FBI cannot yet assess whether the material is significant, or how long it would take to complete the additional work. Nevertheless, the letters vagueness was immediately seized upon by critics as unacceptable and leaving the public in the dark. ____ Q: WHAT HAPPENS NOW? DOES THIS INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT SOMEONE COULD BE CHARGED? A: The FBI will review the emails to see if they were classified and were improperly handled. Its impossible to say if anyone is in greater jeopardy than before. The FBI announced in July that scores of emails from Clintons server contained information that was classified at the time it was sent or received. So, new emails determined as classified might do nothing to change the legal risk for anyone who sent them. Comey said in July that the FBI had found no evidence of intentional or willful mishandling of classified information, of efforts to obstruct justice or of the deliberate exposure of government secrets. Those were elements that Comey suggested were needed to make a criminal case. Nothing in the letter appears to change that standard. (AP) New evidence appears to show how hackers earlier this year stole more than 50,000 emails of Hillary Clintons campaign chairman, an audacious electronic attack blamed on Russias government and one that has resulted in embarrassing political disclosures about Democrats in the final weeks before the U.S. presidential election. The hackers sent John Podesta an official-looking email on Saturday, March 19, that appeared to come from Google. It warned that someone in Ukraine had obtained Podestas personal Gmail password and tried unsuccessfully to log in, and it directed him to a website where he should change your password immediately. Podestas chief of staff, Sara Latham, forwarded the email to the operations help desk of Clintons campaign, where staffer Charles Delavan in Brooklyn, New York, wrote back 25 minutes later: This is a legitimate email. John needs to change his password immediately. But the email was not authentic. The link to the website where Podesta was encouraged to change his Gmail password actually directed him instead to a computer in the Netherlands with a web address associated with Tokelau, a territory of New Zealand located in the South Pacific. The hackers carefully disguised the link using a service that shortens lengthy online addresses. But even for anyone checking more diligently, the address google.com-securitysettingpage was crafted to appear genuine. In the email, the hackers even provided an internet address of the purported Ukrainian hacker that actually traced to a mobile communications provider in Ukraine. It was also notable that the hackers struck Podesta on a weekend morning, when organizations typically have fewer resources to investigate and respond to reports of such problems. Delavan, the campaign help-desk staffer, did not respond immediately to The Associated Press questions about his actions that day. It is not immediately clear how Podesta responded to the threat, but five months later hackers successfully downloaded tens of thousands of emails from Podestas accounts that have now been posted online. The Clinton campaign declined to discuss the incident. Podesta has previously confirmed his emails were hacked and said the FBI was investigating. The suspicious email was among more than 1,400 messages published by WikiLeaks on Friday that had been hacked from Podestas account. It was not known whether the hackers deliberately left behind the evidence of their attempted break-in for WikiLeaks to reveal, but the tools they were using seven months ago still indicate they were personally targeting Podesta: Late Friday, the computer in the Netherlands that had been used in the hacking attempt featured a copy of Podestas biographical page from Wikipedia. The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Homeland Security Department have formally accused Russian state-sponsored hackers for the recent string of cyberattacks intended to influence the presidential election. The help-desk staffer, Delevan, emailed to Podestas chief of staff a separate, authentic link to reset Podestas Gmail password and encouraged Podesta to turn on two-factor authentication. That feature protects an account by requiring a second code that is separately sent to a cell phone or alternate email address before a user can log in. It is absolutely imperative that this is done ASAP, Delevan said. Tod Beardsley, a security research manager at the Boston-based cybersecurity firm Rapid7, said the fact that an IT person deemed the suspicious email to be legitimate pretty much guarantees the user who is not an IT person is going to click on it. Other emails previously released by WikiLeaks have included messages containing the password for Podestas iPhone and iPad accounts. (AP) The electronic device shared by Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin and husband Anthony Weiner on which the FBI found more Clinton emails was a laptop and it contained tens-of-thousands of emails, a senior law enforcement official told Fox News on Saturday. The FBI announced Friday that it had restarted an investigation into emails Clinton sent on a private server system while secretary of state, as a result of a probe into Abedins husband, disgraced New York Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner, sending electronic messages, to a teenage girl. The law enforcement official told Fox News that the laptop had five digits of emails, meaning tens-of-thousands of them. However, federal investigators remain unclear whether Abedin or Weiner own the laptop. The FBI conducted a roughly two-year investigation into Clintons use of a private server system, finding several emails marked as classified and concluding that she had been extremely careless. However, the agency did not find evidence that Clinton had been criminally negligent and did not recommend criminal charges to the Justice Department. People familiar with the case say the FBI started looking at the new cache of emails because the agency thought they were pertinent to the investigation. The source also told Fox News that law enforcement officials think its highly unlikely that all of the new-found emails are duplicates, as the Clinton campaign has suggested. (Source: Fox News) Central District Court Judge Nava Bechor last week leveled particularly sharp criticism at the Israel Prison Authority after representatives thereof refused to allow a mother to give her son, a minor, a kiss. The 17-year old youth, who is suspected of involvement with Price Tag incidents, is being detained until the end of proceedings against him and has been held in remand for approximately six months. The Prison Service has tightened the regulations for visitors of Jews suspected of nationalist crimes and this minor has been forbidden even telephone conversations. Only once a month is he allowed a visit of less than half an hour during which his parents can meet with him without a partition between them. During a deliberation on Wednesday, 24 Tishrei, the mother requested permission from Judge Bechor to give her son a kiss, in honor of her birthday, which fell on that day. Representatives of the Prison Service who were in the courtroom objected to the request. When Judge Bechor ordered them to verify the matter with their commander, one of the representatives stated that if the judge allows the mother to give her son a kiss, they will strip-search him because he came into contact with a civilian. The mother responded that she was not interested in giving her son a kiss if it would result in him suffering through a strip-search. Judge Nava Bechor leveled sharp criticism at the conduct of the Prison Service, and at the request of Honenu Attorney Chai Haber, who is representing the minor, wrote it in her decision: I am of the opinion that the position of the Prison Service is tainted by extreme unreasonableness and borders on inhumanity for inhumanitys sake. Nonetheless, the defendants mother forwent giving her son a kiss, and I will not obligate her to do so. Judge Bechor ordered that her decision be transferred to the commander of the detention facility in which the minor is being held and that the commander give a written response to it within five days. Honenu Attorney Chai Haber, who is representing the minor, stated that, There is no word to describe the conduct of the Prison Service other than callousness. In all of my many years working as a criminal defense attorney I have encountered many instances of deficient conduct, but I think that today a new height of callousness has been reached. All in all, what did the mother request? To give her son, a minor, a kiss on the cheek, on her birthday. Was it really necessary to threaten the mother with strip-searching her son if she did so? Haber added that, The honorable Judge Nava Bechor must be commended for not letting the matter escape her attention, and for not only giving her opinion of the matter without hesitation but for also demanding clarification. The time has come to understand that also a detainee has rights and feelings, certainly a minor. I am eagerly waiting to read the response of the Prison Service, which might shed light on this deficient conduct. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) President Reuven Rivlin on Thursday morning 25 Tishrei paid a condolence visit to the family of Nimer Abu Amar, who was killed by shots fired on the Israeli-Egyptian border. We are all citizens of the same country, we have come to share in your profound grief, said the President. We are all equal in this country and there is no difference between a child from Lakiya or from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, or Haifa. The Ministry of Defense treats a child from Lakiya in exactly the same way as it would any other child, and we will check and follow closely after this tragic incident. I have confidence that the Ministry of Defense will pursue justice and investigate the issue, the father, Bassam Abu Amar, said to the President and added we are in great pain, we are mourning our firstborn. Nimers uncle Fares Abu Amar said, We have been working with the security establishment for generations and we will continue to serve the country and work along the borders. We are confident that the Ministry of Defense will investigate and draw the necessary conclusions. Our child is yours as well as ours there is no question about that. The President embraced the family upon leaving and promised that the relevant officials at the Presidents Office will follow the examination of the incident. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit: Mark Neiman, GPO) The following is via OnlySimchas.com: Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump wrote a handwritten note to be placed in the Kotel, which was passed through an adviser, David Faiman, to be placed in the wall. Trump wrote the note after talking with his daughter, Ivanka, who is Jewish. The note reads: May you bless the United States, our armed forces and our allies. May your guiding hand protect and strengthen our great nation. READ MORE: ONLYSIMCHAS.COM By PTI: From Lalit K Jha Washington, Oct 30 (PTI) Hillary Clinton is the best bet for the Indian community in the US, India-born American entrepreneur Frank Islam said today, asserting that the recent outreach by her Republican rival Donald Trump will do very little to impress the influential Indian-Americans. "I believe she (Clinton) is the only safe bet for Indian Americans, Americans and the world. Her opponent is a risky bet in that he has no real track record of experience or expertise in public policy, government and international relations," Islam, a philanthropist and top Indian-American fund raiser for the Clinton Campaign, told PTI. advertisement Among one of the top bundlers for Clinton, Islam said a number of Indian-Americans are playing key roles in her campaign in different capacities. "Many of us are raising money for the campaign. I believe nearly a dozen Indian-Americans have raised significant dollars for the secretarys historic campaign," said Islam, who is also a member of Clintons finance committee and has himself donated one million dollars to the campaign. He is also participating on a South Asian work group and is providing input to the campaign on issues and areas such as small business and economic development where he has experience and expertise. "The overriding issue out of the box must be what to do to address the populist outcry in both parties to ensure that the US is a fair place for individuals on all rungs of the socio-economic ladder," he said. Responding to a question on US-India relations, Islam said most Indian-Americans expect the next president to take the ties between the two nations to the next level. "They want the US to build on the commitments that Clinton made to India when she was Secretary of State and President Barack Obamas vision of India and the US being indispensable partners in the future," he said. When asked about the impact of Trumps recent address to an Indian-American charity event in New Jersey and his daughter-in-law attending a Diwali event in a Virginia Hindu temple, he said this is unlikely to have much of an impact. "I believe his recent outreach will do very little to move the needle among Indian-American voters," Islam said. "Trump has participated in an event hosted by the Republican Hindu Coalition and he is now running ads speaking in Hindi. But, I think that is too little too late," he said. A recent survey showed that 67 per cent of Indian- Americans would vote for Clinton, whereas a mere seven per cent supported Trump. In comparison, 16 per cent Indian-Americans had supported Romney in 2012, he noted. "The bottom line for me personally is that none of my Indian-American acquaintances (Muslim or Hindu) have expressed a willingness to vote for Trump. He has very high 79 per cent unfavorable rating among Indian-Americans," he said. advertisement "I firmly believe that Trumps anti-Muslim rhetoric may be attracting some Indian-Americans, but it is also repelling most Indian-Americans," Islam said. PTI LKJ SUA AKJ SUA --- ENDS --- The USGS said the quake was centred 68 km (42 miles) east southeast of Perugia at a depth 1.5 km. By Reuters: A powerful earthquake struck Italy on Sunday in the same central regions that have been rocked by repeated tremors over the past two months, with more buildings brought down but no deaths immediately reported. The quake, which measured 6.6 according to the U.S. Geological Survey, was bigger than one on Aug. 24 that killed almost 300 people. Many people have fled the region since then, helping to avoid a new devastating death toll. advertisement The latest quake was felt across much of Italy, striking at 7.40 a.m. (0640 GMT), its epicentre close to the historic Umbrian walled town of Norcia, some 100 km (60 miles) from the university city of Perugia. Panicked Norcia residents rushed into the streets and the town's ancient Basilica of St. Benedict collapsed, leaving just the facade standing. Nuns, monks and locals sank to their knees in the main square in silent prayer before the shattered church. "This is a tragedy. It is a coup de grace. The basilica is devastated," Bishop Renato Boccardo of Norcia told Reuters. "Everyone has been suspended in a never-ending state of fear and stress. They are at their wits end," said Boccardo, referring to the thousands of tremors that have rattled the area since August, including two serious quakes on Wednesday. Italy's Civil Protection unit, which coordinates disaster relief, said numerous houses were destroyed on Sunday in the regions of Umbria and Marche, but either they were deserted at the time or most of the residents managed to escape beforehand. "No deaths have been reported, but there are a number of people injured," said Civil Protection chief Fabrizio Curcio, adding that just one person was in a serious condition. Local authorities said towns and villages already battered by August's 6.2 quake had suffered further significant damage. "This morning's quake has hit the few things that were left standing. We will have to start from scratch," Michele Franchi, the deputy mayor of Arquata del Tronto, told Rai television. Experts said Sunday's quake was the strongest here since a 6.9 quake in Italy's south in 1980 that killed 2,735 people. ARTISTIC LOSS The destruction of the Norcia basilica was the single most significant loss of Italy's artistic heritage in an earthquake since a tremor in 1997 caused the collapse of the ceiling of the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, which is 80 km to the north. The frescoed basilica, which is the spiritual, historic and tourist heart of Norcia, was built over the site of the home where the founder of the Benedictine order and his Sister St. Scolastica were born in 480. advertisement The basilica and monastery complex dates to the 13th century, although shrines to St. Benedict and his sister had been built there since the 8th century. Benedict founded the Benedictine order in Subiaco, near Rome. He died in 530 in the monastery at Monte Cassino, south of Rome, which was destroyed during World War Two. That monastery was later rebuilt. A number of other churches were also ruined on Sunday, Italian media reported, including Norcia's Cattedrale di Santa Maria, which was built in the 16th century. However, most of Norcia's homes appeared to have withstood the prolonged tremor, with residents praising years of investment by local authorities in anti-seismic protection. Sunday's earthquake was felt as far north as Bolzano, near the border with Austria and as far south as the Puglia region at the southern tip of the Italian peninsula. It was also felt strongly in the capital Rome, where transport authorities shut down the metro system for precautionary checks. Italy sits on two geological fault lines, making it one of the most seismically active countries in Europe. Italy's deadliest quake since the start of the 20th century came in 1908, when a tremor followed by a tsunami killed an estimated 80,000 people in the southern regions of Reggio Calabria and Sicily. --- ENDS --- advertisement Small businesses refused loans by banks are to be asked if they want their applications to be passed on to rival lenders under a scheme being launched this week. The scheme, announced in 2014 by then Chancellor George Osborne, aims to boost lending to companies while breaking the dominance of the Big Four banks over small business loans. A quarter of all loan applications from small firms are refused and there have been bitter complaints that banks have been slow to lend to new companies since the financial crisis. Rivals: Small businesses refused loans by banks are to be asked if they want their applications to be passed on to rival lenders under a scheme being launched this week The largest four banks Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland Group account for more than 80 per cent of loans to small companies. The scheme, which will go live on Tuesday, will push small firms towards alternatives such as peer-to-peer lenders, according to industry sources. The British Business Bank estimates that about 100,000 small and medium-sized business loans are declined by banks each year a possible funding gap of 4 billion. Nine banks will be required to give firms rejected for finance the opportunity to opt to have their applications passed on to either Funding Xchange, BusinessFinanceCompared or Funding Options. One alternative lender told The Mail on Sunday that it was concerned that companies refused loans by big banks might have poor credit worthiness. Royal Bank of Scotland will not sweeten any deal for its Williams & Glyn business with guarantees or the continuing use of its IT platform, it has said. RBS said on Friday it would miss a deadline to sell the bank by the end of this year, after struggling to separate the business from its main banking operation. The European Commission told RBS it had to sell the Williams & Glyn branches to encourage competition in UK banking. Tough talk: Royal Bank of Scotland will not sweeten any deal for its Williams & Glyn business with guarantees or the continuing use of its IT platform, it has said RBS told investors last week that it would resist offering a buyer major guarantees or the use of its technology platform which companies sometimes offer under a transitional service agreement. Finance director Ewen Stevenson said: Its possible some bits and pieces of the sale would require a TSA, adding that if this were the case, it would be small scale. Chief executive Ross McEwan added that major guarantees were quite burdensome on all parties. We have examined that. Its more complicated than people think, he added. When Lloyds floated off TSB, which it had to sell as a condition of its bailout, it offered to provide the banks IT for two years. TSB was subsequently bought by Spanish bank Sabadell. Confident: American drugs giant Mallinckrodt has delivered a vote of confidence on post-Brexit Britain by moving its global headquarters from the US to a location close to Heathrow Airport American drugs giant Mallinckrodt has delivered a vote of confidence on post-Brexit Britain by moving its global headquarters from the US to a location close to Heathrow Airport. In addition, the company switched its tax domicile from Ireland to the UK in the last year. Chief executive Mark Trudeau said the company had been aware of the potential risks of Brexit when choosing Staines as the spot for its new HQ. He said: The decision to locate our global headquarters here was undertaken with full consideration that Brexit was a possibility. We believe the other conditions overwhelm the relatively short-term risks. Trudeau cited the UKs stable tax environment and the strategic links including the airport as key reasons for the choice. He said he recognised local concerns over the expansion of Heathrow, which was finally given Government approval last week. However, he said he believed it would be good for economic development in the area. The 5.8billion group which specialises in drugs to treat multiple sclerosis, lupus and respiratory problems in babies among other conditions remains listed in the US where it makes three-quarters of its sales. It manufactures its products in the US, Canada and Ireland. Sir Rocco Forte is planning to expand his luxury hotel chain across Europe with a particular focus on Italy as profits continue to grow. The company is set to open its second hotel in Rome, having just signed a deal to run the 192-room Hotel de la Ville, sited in the Italian capital at the top of the Spanish Steps. The hotel is closed for refurbishment and will be re-opening as a five-star, 105-room establishment at the end of 2018. Growth: Sir Rocco Forte is planning to expand his luxury hotel chain across Europe with a particular focus on Italy as profits continue to grow Turnover at the group which was founded by Sir Rocco and his sister Olga Polizzi was stable at 173million for the year ending April 30, 2016, while pre-tax profits soared from 1.9million to 8.1million. Directors said the profit boost was due to improved trading and reduced costs following its successful refinancing in 2015. Last year the company spent 9million on refurbishing its hotels. Rocco Forte Hotels paid out a 2million dividend to shareholders due to the improved performance, having decided against one the previous year. Sir Rocco told The Mail on Sunday he was planning to expand in partnership with Italian State-owned fund FSI which owns 20 per cent of the group. I want to create the Italian luxury hotel company, he said, adding that he was also hoping to open hotels in New York, Paris, Barcelona and Madrid. Rocco Forte Hotels which include Browns Hotel in London, The Balmoral in Edinburgh and Hotel Astoria, St Petersburg is in the process of opening hotels in Jeddah and Shanghai. When it comes to lending on property, banks and building societies prefer to help the usual suspects. Applicants with regular income, a squeaky clean credit record, decent deposit and who are purchasing a bog standard home will sail through the buying process. But if your job or property are unconventional and your credit record less than perfect it can be a struggle. Quirky: If your job or property are unconventional and your credit record less than perfect it can be a struggle to get a loan for a home David Hollingworth, of mortgage broker London & Country, says: The lender wants to know you will be able to afford to repay the mortgage and that the property will sell if they need to repossess it. Do not despair as there are lenders prepared to take on borrowers and their dream homes even if they are not the norm. GRAND DESIGNS You can obtain a mortgage on most unusual properties a former windmill, lighthouse, converted public convenience, thatched cottage, church, barn conversion or eco-friendly earth shelter. You should also be able to find a lender to finance your own grand design property built from scratch. Unusual: There are lenders prepared to take on borrowers and their dream homes even if they are not the norm The main criteria for lenders is that the property is desirable and will sell easily should you fail to keep up loan repayments. Those who fancy converting a church, for example, should expect lengthy planning hurdles and a wait for listed building consent as well as Church approval for deconsecration. MY FLOATING HOUSE GIVES ME FREEDOM Battle honors: Alice, right, with Hanniah and son Bertie As a descendant of Admiral Edward Codrington, who fought at the Battle of Trafalgar, it is no wonder Alice Codrington enjoys living afloat. Her home is a narrowboat named Navarino after the 1827 battle where her ancestor was commander-in-chief of an allied force that sank the enemy fleet of the Ottoman Empire. Teacher Alice lives on the boat at a mooring on the Oxford Canal near Thrupp, Oxfordshire, with her partner Hanniah Brooks and their son Bertie, 18 months. Family history: Alice Codrington is a descendant of Admiral Edward Codrington They recently took out a ten year fixed-rate loan on the vessel through Shawbrook Bank. Alice, 47, says: I enjoy the freedom of being able to move from place to place with ease. 'Now because we have to think of issues such as schooling for Bertie, we decided to settle down and we have a permanent mooring. Though it is secondary to life on the water, cost is an issue. As teachers we could not afford a place of this size on dry land. 'We love the boat as it has all the mod-cons, including heating, a freezer and a washing machine.' Converting or self-building homes will require patience, including waiting for cash since most lenders issue loans in stages. Some lend on a plot but others will want to wait until the foundations are down. TIP ONE: The number of companies prepared to lend against an unusual property is limited. Smaller local lenders are likely to be more enthusiastic because they understand the potential quirks of properties in their area. Self-builders can find loans from lenders such as Halifax and Earl Shilton Building Society or through self-help organisation Buildstore. For arranging self-build loans it charges 695. TIP TWO: A list of building plots can be found at buildstore.co.uk. Also check preferred local authority websites for available land. Those who fancy turning a church into a dream home can find disused properties for sale at churchofengland.org, churchinwales.org.uk and churchofscotland.org.uk. MORTGAGE IS THE PERFECT REMEDY FOR DOCTOR'S JOB DILEMMA Well suited: Charlotte Bell has found her ideal home loan As someone without a full-time work contract, Charlotte Bell did not think she had much chance of buying her first ever home. But Yorkshire Building Society came to her rescue by offering her a home loan. The result is that she moved into her three-bedroom semi-detached house last month. The 30-year-old junior doctor from Newcastle, pictured, was tired of moving from one rental property to another every 12 months and wanted her own place in which to settle down. The problem Charlotte faced was not having a full-time contract when applying for her mortgage as she was about to start a three-year training scheme. Although she is earning, she has to move post every six months. She says: I started looking to buy last Christmas but I couldnt get a mortgage because of my transient work history. But I then discovered that certain lenders would be more amenable because I had a firm offer of a place on the training scheme. With a near 20 per cent deposit saved with the help of her mum, Charlotte applied to Yorkshire. After receiving a letter from her employer and a copy of her contract, it was convinced her future earnings were secure enough to lend against. Charlotte says: Im over the moon as Ive been wanting to buy my own home for a while. PROBLEMS WITH JOBS Mortgages may currently be cheap but those either on temporary or zero-hour contracts or who have just changed jobs and are working a probationary period, can find it hard to get one. It is getting easier than in the past. London & Countrys Hollingworth says: The crux is to have evidence of regular income going back at least two years, preferably three if you want more loan choices. If employment records are limited then specialist lenders are the best bet. Hollingworth says: Halifax is an option, while niche lenders such as Precise and Kensington Mortgages are more open minded than most. But expect to pay a higher price. A two-year fixed rate from Kensington, for example, costs 3.29 per cent for a borrower with a 25 per cent deposit. That compares with deals as low as 1.2 per cent from mainstream borrowers. TIP ONE: Find as large a deposit as possible. It reduces the risk to the lender and makes you a more attractive borrower. TIP TWO: Research suitable lenders before applying, otherwise a series of rejections will leave a footprint on your credit record and could further limit your chances of getting a loan. DON'T PAY OVER THE ODDS FOR YOUR BUILDING INSURANCE Value: Imogen Gardam plans to change policies Wherever they get their mortgage, homebuyers should resist home insurance offered by their lender. Taking this default option instead of shopping around means owners pay a collective 90million over the odds, according to comparison website comparethemarket. Nearly one in five borrowers are estimated to pay 66 more a year than they should by failing to seek out best-value cover. Imogen Gardam, 24, felt obliged to buy home insurance from her lender when she bought her flat in Hackney, East London, in July last year. She says: I thought my loan application might fall through if I didnt buy the cover. I bought the life insurance it offered too. Imogen, a public relations executive, only realised later that she could have found better value elsewhere. She is now seeking new cover. Borrowers with unusual properties may not be covered by standard home insurance. Graeme Trudgill, of the British Insurance Brokers Association, says: Borrowers buying an unusual home may need to buy specialist cover. We offer a scheme through underwriter Dual which among other unusual properties insures a converted Norman keep. This property was previously insured on a standard policy for a number of years before Dual found it had been underinsured on rebuilding costs by around 13 million. Dual also insures a tree house used as a fun spot, not a permanent home which has a buildings sum insured of 250,000. To track down a suitable broker contact the British Insurance Brokers Association at biba.org.uk or phone 0370 950 1790. Going via a mortgage broker that knows the market should increase your chance of success. Accord part of Yorkshire Building Society Santander and Nationwide Building Society are among those lenders most helpful to new jobbers. Jane Burnside, partner at mortgage broker Cochrane Cooke Associates, says: Help your credit score by making sure you are on the electoral roll and have paid off any outstanding debts. Even a 10 default on a payment can cause hiccups in the process. She adds: If you havent got much of a credit history, think of building one by using a credit card or loan to buy something and then paying it off. Check your basic credit ratings for free at experian.co.uk, equifax.co.uk and callcredit.co.uk. HIGH RISE FLATS Lenders get twitchy over properties in high-rise buildings especially those above the fifth floor. The exception is in London, where some of the most desirable new properties are in skyscrapers or converted office blocks. A mortgage may be hard to secure if you are buying in a former council block where the proportion of privately owned properties is 50 per cent or less. Specialists: If employment records are limited then specialist lenders are the best bet What materials a flat is made of or its design can also influence a lending decision. Many providers are wary of lending on some homes of concrete construction, while others dislike open deck access where entrances to individual properties are all along an exterior corridor. TIP ONE: Ex-council properties can be good value. So talk to a local surveyor as banks and building societies rely on their advice and they can direct you towards more lenient lenders. TIP TWO: Ask local estate agents what they know about the split between private and council ownership of particular blocks. PROPERTY ABOVE SHOPS Properties over commercial premises sell relatively easily in boom times and are attractive because they are often conveniently located for public transport and local amenities. But they can lose their lustre in slower markets. You may buy over a newsagent and then find it converts to a late opening fast-food outlet, making it harder to sell. Hollingworth says: A bank such as NatWest will consider property above commercial premises but the decision will come down to a valuers view. A fast-food restaurant will raise more concerns than a shop that does not emit cooking smells or is not open long hours. Set the foundations: Find as large a deposit as possible. It reduces the risk to the lender and makes you a more attractive borrower TIP ONE: Check with the local council to see if there is a proposed change of use permitted or planned for your chosen property. TIP TWO: Ask local surveyors for their opinion before going to the expense of arranging a survey on a property over a shop. HOMES ON WATER With the average price of a home topping 200,000, it is tempting for wannabe buyers to look for alternatives that will not break the bank. Paul Ratcliffe, of specialist lender Shawbrook Bank, says a top-of-the-range narrow boat can be bought for 150,000 with no stamp duty to pay. He says: Houseboats are very popular with young couples. But standard mortgages are not available for houseboats because they are wasting assets that do not sit on a permanent plot of land. Instead, buyers need a marine mortgage, essentially an unsecured loan from a specialist provider, such as Shawbrook or Arkle Finance. TIP ONE: Marine loans are pricier than mortgages. Shawbrook charges 10.4 per cent fixed interest for a loan minimum 10,000 lasting between two and ten years with a deposit of at least 25 per cent. Do your homework: Check with the local council to see if there is a proposed change of use permitted or planned for your chosen property TIP TWO: If the houseboat is going to stay in one place, mooring fees will be charged which can cost thousands of pounds a year. Unlike a boat, it is possible to get a mortgage to pay for a permanent mooring; try Ecology Building Society. FLOOD RISK If the home you have your heart set on is situated in a flood-prone area, it may be difficult to get a loan. This is because insurance companies are often reluctant to provide home insurance cover. Since lenders demand homebuyers have such insurance in place, it could scupper your chances of getting a mortgage. The introduction of Flood Re last April a scheme designed to make home insurance affordable in areas prone to risk means more homebuyers should now be able to get cover. Blocks comprising four or more flats and any property built since 2009 are excluded from Flood Re. The scheme does not automatically mean lenders will be more forgiving although the fact insurance premiums may be cheaper should positively affect a lending decision. TIP ONE: Check the general flood risk of a property at gov.uk/check-flood-risk. TIP TWO: For the flooding history of a specific property email its address to the Environment Agency at enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk. Andy Hollingworth, a former director at telecoms group TalkTalk and now boss of business broadband provider Toople, has hit out at the questionable practices of Big Six rivals selling to small firms. He took aim at those selling broadband as a business service to small firms when he claimed it was no different to a normal household service. He claimed small firms found themselves competing for bandwidth with children playing games after school and during holidays. Hitting out: Andy Hollingworth, a former director at telecoms group TalkTalk and now boss of business broadband provider Toople, has hit out at the questionable practices of Big Six rivals selling to small firms Hollingworth, whose challenger company Toople was launched by tech entrepreneur David Breith and listed in May, said: Ive been in the telecoms industry since 1988, in the mobile, fixed line and data sectors, and Ive spent the past 12 years working for one of the big carriers, looking after wholesale divisions and latterly small business and larger business divisions. Obviously theres a lot of breadth in small and medium enterprises, but the thing that interests me is what I deem the micro-SME the really true small business, with fewer than 50 employees. We were dressing up what was prosumer packaging as connectivity for small businesses. We were taking what we did really well for millions of consumers and saying Isnt this a great business proposition?. And really the only differentiation we had in the proposition was how many static IP addresses do you want free of charge?. He added: Its very different if youre a consumer and little Mary comes home from school and she cant watch Peppa Pig compared with a business that has got a data connectivity line in its shop that runs its payment facilities. Rival: Young gamers are hampering internet access He explained: For all UK carriers, bandwidth demand triggers from about 3pm through to around 12pm. There are things that impact it, like if Apple releases an updated operating system into the market and everybody comes home and Apple has said please update. At Toople we wanted to be carrier agnostic. If you go to BT you only get sold BT, if you go to Vodafone you only get sold Vodafone. We deployed software behind our website called Merlin. That interconnects with the biggest carriers in the UK with Vodafone, BT Wholesale, BT Openreach and TalkTalk. And it makes a decision in an automated way on the customers location and the best network for them. Then it says to the carriers, we will only send you customers if you prioritise them over consumers. Network prioritisation is really important for those times. Meanwhile, a survey by OnePoll for Toople has found 62 per cent of SMEs do not know if they receive the right broadband speed and coverage for their business, and 54 per cent do not understand what telecoms services are best for them. The Big Six broadband providers BT, Sky Broadband, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, PlusNet and EE are used by 90 per cent of firms and consumers. A drop in broadband speed was noticed by 72 per cent. Yesterday a report from MPs revealed 17 million mobile phone customers have poor reception at home or none at all. Grant Shapps MP said: It is time to get tough with the industry. Last week, Vodafone was fined 4.6million by regulator Ofcom for breaching consumer protection rules. By PTI: Mumbai, Oct 28 (PTI) Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ashok Chavan has asked Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to come clear on the proposed investment by electronics contract manufacturer Foxconn in the state. The much touted Foxconn deal is yet to materialise as the Taiwanese giant is "yet to find customers" to start its production unit. Chavan said the development exposed Fadnaviss tall claims about investment and employment generation in Maharashtra. advertisement "Many MoUs signed as part of the Make in Maharashtra initiative have met similar fate," he claimed. Fadnavis should clarify on the factual position in this issue, he said. The chief minister had announced on August 8 last year that the USD 5 billion Foxconn investment in the state will provide employment to 50,000 youths, Chavan said adding that he was the first to state that correct facts should come and that the announcement should not become "election jumlas". He said he had his qualms as Foxconn chief Terry Gau had announced that his company would invest USD 2 billion in the country. However, the state government announced USD 5 billion investment in Maharashtra alone, Chavan said. "After a year, my doubts have come true," he said, adding that the Make in Maharashtra initiative and Fadnaviss foreign tours have not helped to boost industries. "In the Congress governments, industrial investment came without indulging in any jumlebazi (rhetoric)," he added. Foxconn is primarily a contract manufacturer and its clients include major American, Finnish, Japanese and Canadian electronics and IT companies. PTI MR ARS ASV SSB --- ENDS --- By PTI: New Delhi, Oct 28 (PTI) Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was today appointed as the head of the Congress screening committee for Punjab Assembly polls. Besides Gehlot, the committee comprises AICC secretary in charge of the state Asha Kumari, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh, CLP leader Charanjit Singh Channi, former Indian Youth Congress chief Rajiv Satav and former MP Meenakshi Natarajan. advertisement The announcement was made by chief Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, who said party president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi have approved the setting up of the committee. This six-member screening committee will scrutinise the party candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls in the state and the AICC Election Committee will finalise the candidates thereafter in consultation with the party leadership. Congress has been in political wilderness for 10 long years in the state and is striving to get power back from the ruling Akali-BJP combine. The party, which is going to polls with former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh as its face, is facing stiff competition from the new entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The high-stakes Punjab Assembly election is slated for early next year and campaigning is on in full swing in the state. PTI SKC SMN --- ENDS --- The following companies are subsidiares of Caterpillar: Advanced Tri-Gen Power Systems LLC, Anchor Coupling Inc., Asia Power Systems (Tianjin) Ltd., AsiaTrak (Tianjin) Ltd., Banco Caterpillar S.A., Berg Propulsion International Pte Ltd., Bucyrus, Bucyrus Australia Surface Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Holdings Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Limited, Bucyrus International (Chile) Limitada, Bucyrus International (Peru) S.A., Bucyrus Mining Australia Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Mining China LLC, Bucyrus UK Limited, Cat Rental Kyushu LLC, Caterpillar (Africa) (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar (China) Financial Leasing Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (China) Machinery Components Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (HK) Limited, Caterpillar (Huainan) Machinery Service Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Langfang) Mining Equipment Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Luxembourg) Investment Co. S.a r.l., Caterpillar (NI) Limited, Caterpillar (Newberry) LLC, Caterpillar (Qingzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Suzhou) Logistics Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Thailand) Limited, Caterpillar (U.K.) Limited, Caterpillar (Wujiang) Ltd., Caterpillar (Xuzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar (Zhengzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar Acquisition Holding Corp., Caterpillar Americas C.V., Caterpillar Americas Co., Caterpillar Americas Funding Inc., Caterpillar Americas Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Asia Limited, Caterpillar Asia Pacific L.P., Caterpillar Asia Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Asset Intelligence LLC, Caterpillar Belgium S.A., Caterpillar Brasil Comercio de Maquinas e Pecas Ltda., Caterpillar Brasil Ltda., Caterpillar Brazil LLC, Caterpillar Castings Kiel GmbH, Caterpillar Centro de Formacion S.L., Caterpillar China Limited, Caterpillar Commercial Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Commercial LLC, Caterpillar Commercial Northern Europe Limited, Caterpillar Commercial S.A., Caterpillar Commercial S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Commercial Services S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Communications LLC, Caterpillar Corporativo Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Cote DIvoire, Caterpillar Credito S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., Caterpillar DC Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Digital Services & Solutions SARL, Caterpillar Distribution International LLC, Caterpillar Distribution Services Europe B.V.B.A., Caterpillar East Real Estate Holding Ltd., Caterpillar Emissions Solutions Inc., Caterpillar Energy Solutions Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Energy Solutions GmbH, Caterpillar Energy Solutions Inc., Caterpillar Energy Solutions S.A., Caterpillar Energy System Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Engine Systems Inc., Caterpillar Equipos Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Eurasia LLC, Caterpillar FS (QFC) LLC, Caterpillar Finance France S.A., Caterpillar Finance Kabushiki Kaisha, Caterpillar Financial Acquisition Funding LLC, Caterpillar Financial Aftermarket Solutions Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Australia Leasing Pty Limited, Caterpillar Financial Australia Limited, Caterpillar Financial Commercial Account Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Corporacion Financiera S.A. E.F.C., Caterpillar Financial Dealer Funding LLC, Caterpillar Financial Funding Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Caterpillar Financial Leasing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Financial New Zealand Limited, Caterpillar Financial Nordic Services AB, Caterpillar Financial Nova Scotia Corporation, Caterpillar Financial OOO, Caterpillar Financial Receivables Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Renting S.A., Caterpillar Financial SARL, Caterpillar Financial Services (Dubai) Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services (Ireland) plc, Caterpillar Financial Services (UK) Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services Argentina S.A., Caterpillar Financial Services Asia Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Financial Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Financial Services CR s.r.o., Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Services GmbH, Caterpillar Financial Services India Private Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services Leasing ULC, Caterpillar Financial Services Limited Les Services Financiers Caterpillar Limitee, Caterpillar Financial Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Caterpillar Financial Services Netherlands B.V., Caterpillar Financial Services Norway AS, Caterpillar Financial Services Philippines Inc., Caterpillar Financial Services Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Financial Services South Africa (Pty) Limited, Caterpillar Financial UK Acquisition Funding Partners, Caterpillar Financial Ukraine LLC, Caterpillar Fluid Systems S.r.l., Caterpillar Fomento Comercial Ltda., Caterpillar Forest Products Inc., Caterpillar France S.A.S., Caterpillar GB L.L.C., Caterpillar Global Investments S.a r.l., Caterpillar Global Mining America LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Equipamentos De Mineracao do Brasil Ltda., Caterpillar Global Mining Equipment LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Europe GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Expanded Products Pty Ltd, Caterpillar Global Mining Germany Holdings GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining HMS GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Holdings GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Hong Kong AFC Manufacturing Holding Co. Limited, Caterpillar Global Mining Hong Kong Limited, Caterpillar Global Mining LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Mexico LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Global Mining SARL, Caterpillar Global Mining U.S. Parts LLC, Caterpillar Global Services LLC, Caterpillar Group Services S.A., Caterpillar Holding (France) S.A.S., Caterpillar Holding Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Holdings Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Hungary Components Manufacturing Ltd., Caterpillar Hydraulics Italia S.r.l., Caterpillar IPX LLC, Caterpillar IRB LLC, Caterpillar Impact Products Limited, Caterpillar India Private Limited, Caterpillar Industrial Inc., Caterpillar Industrias Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Industries (Pty) Ltd, Caterpillar Insurance Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Insurance Company, Caterpillar Insurance Holdings Inc., Caterpillar Insurance Services Corporation, Caterpillar International Finance Designated Activity Company, Caterpillar International Finance Luxembourg Holding S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Finance Luxembourg S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Holding S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Luxembourg I S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Luxembourg II S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Product SARL, Caterpillar International Services Corporation, Caterpillar International Services del Peru S.A., Caterpillar Investment Limited, Caterpillar Investment One SARL, Caterpillar Investment Two SARL, Caterpillar Investments, Caterpillar Japan LLC, Caterpillar Latin America Services S.R.L., Caterpillar Latin America Services de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Latin America Services de Panama S. de R.L., Caterpillar Latin America Servicios de Chile Limitada, Caterpillar Latin America Support Services S. DE R.L., Caterpillar Leasing (Thailand) Limited, Caterpillar Leasing Chile S.A., Caterpillar Leasing GmbH (Leipzig), Caterpillar Leasing Operativo Limitada, Caterpillar Life Insurance Company, Caterpillar Logistics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Logistics (UK) Limited, Caterpillar Logistics Inc., Caterpillar Logistics ML Services France S.A.S., Caterpillar Logistics Services China Limited, Caterpillar Luxembourg Group S.ar.l., Caterpillar Luxembourg LLC, Caterpillar Luxembourg S.a r.l., Caterpillar Machinery Nantong Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Marine Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Marine Asset Intelligence, Caterpillar Marine Power UK Limited, Caterpillar Marine Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Maroc SARL, Caterpillar Materiels Routiers SAS, Caterpillar Mexico LLC, Caterpillar Mexico S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Mining Canada ULC, Caterpillar Mining Chile Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Motoren (Guangdong) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co. KG, Caterpillar Motoren Henstedt-Ulzburg GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Rostock GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Verwaltungs-GmbH, Caterpillar Netherlands Holding B.V., Caterpillar North America C.V., Caterpillar Operator Training Ltd., Caterpillar Overseas Credit Corporation SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Investment Holding SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Limited, Caterpillar Overseas SARL, Caterpillar Panama Services S.A., Caterpillar Paving Products Inc., Caterpillar Paving Products Xuzhou Ltd., Caterpillar Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Power Generation Systems (Bangladesh) Limited, Caterpillar Power Generation Systems L.L.C., Caterpillar Power Systems Inc., Caterpillar Power Ventures International Ltd., Caterpillar Precision Seals Korea, Caterpillar Prodotti Stradali S.r.l., Caterpillar Product Services Corporation, Caterpillar Propulsion AB, Caterpillar Propulsion International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Italy S.R.L., Caterpillar Propulsion Namibia (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar Propulsion Production AB, Caterpillar Propulsion Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Singapore Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar R&D Center (China) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe LLC, Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe Servicios S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Reman Powertrain Indiana LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Drivetrain LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Renting France S.A.S., Caterpillar Reynosa S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar SARL, Caterpillar Services Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Servizi Italia Srl, Caterpillar Shrewsbury Limited, Caterpillar Skinningrove Limited, Caterpillar Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd., Caterpillar Special Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Switchgear Americas LLC, Caterpillar Switchgear Holding Inc., Caterpillar Tianjin Ltd., Caterpillar Torreon S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Tosno L.L.C., Caterpillar Transmissions France S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Tunneling Canada Holdings Ltd., Caterpillar Tunnelling Canada Corporation, Caterpillar Tunnelling Europe Limited, Caterpillar UK Employee Trust Limited, Caterpillar UK Engines Company Limited, Caterpillar UK Group Limited, Caterpillar UK Holdings Limited, Caterpillar Undercarriage (Xuzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Underground Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Used Equipment Services Inc., Caterpillar Venture Capital Inc., Caterpillar Work Tools B.V., Caterpillar Work Tools Inc., Caterpillar World Trading Corporation, Caterpillar Xuzhou, Caterpillar of Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar of Canada Corporation, Caterpillar of Delaware Inc., Centre de Distribution de Wallonie SPRL, CleanAir Systems, Downer Freight Rail, ECM Railway Evolution Romania s.r.l., ECM S.p.A., EDC European Excavator Design Center GmbH, EMC Holding Corp., EMD International Holdings Inc., ERA Information & Entertainment (BVI) Limited, ERA Mining Machinery Limited, Electro-Motive Diesel Limited, Electro-Motive Locomotive Technologies LLC, Electro-Motive Technical Consulting Co. (Beijing) Ltd., Energy Services International Limited, Equipos de Acuna S.A. de C.V., Eurenov S.A.S., F. G. Wilson (Proprietary) Limited, F. Perkins Limited, FG Wilson (Engineering) Limited, GB Holdco (China) Inc., GFCM Comercial Mexico S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., GFCM Servicios S.A. de C.V., Gremada Industries - Assets, Hong Kong Siwei Holdings Limited, Inmobiliaria Conek S.A. de C.V., JCS Co., Kemper Valve & Fittings Corp., Leo Inc., Locomotive Demand Power Pty Ltd., Locomotoras Progress Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Lovat, M2M Data Corporation, MGE Equipamentos & Servicos Ferroviarios, MWM, MWM Austria GmbH, MWM Benelux B.V., MWM Energy Australia Pty Ltd, MWM France S.A.S, MWM Real Estate GmbH, MaK Americas Inc., MaK Americas Inc. (Canada), Magnum Power Products LLC, Marble, Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH, Mec-Track S.r.l., Metalmark Financial Services Limited, Motoren Steffens GmbH, Nippon Caterpillar LLC, P. T. Solar Services Indonesia, PT Caterpillar Finance Indonesia, PT. Bucyrus Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia Batam, PT. Caterpillar Remanufacturing Indonesia, Perkins Engines, Perkins Engines (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, Perkins Engines Group Limited, Perkins Engines Inc., Perkins Group Limited, Perkins Holdings Limited LLC, Perkins India Private Limited, Perkins International Inc., Perkins Japan LLC, Perkins Limited, Perkins Machinery (Changshu) Co. Ltd., Perkins Motores do Brasil Ltda., Perkins Power Systems Technology (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines LLC, Perkins Small Engines Limited, Perkins Technology Inc., Progress Metal Reclamation Company, Progress Rail Arabia Limited Company, Progress Rail Australia Pty Ltd, Progress Rail Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Equipamentos e Servicos Ferroviarios do Brasil Ltda., Progress Rail Equipment Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Holdings Inc., Progress Rail Innovations Private Limited, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems GmbH, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems S.r.l., Progress Rail International Corp., Progress Rail Leasing Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Progress Rail Locomotivas (do Brasil) Ltda., Progress Rail Locomotive Canada Co., Progress Rail Locomotive Chile SpA, Progress Rail Locomotive Inc., Progress Rail Maintenance de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Progress Rail Manufacturing Corporation, Progress Rail Raceland Corporation, Progress Rail Rocklin Corporation, Progress Rail SA Proprietary Limited, Progress Rail Services Corporation, Progress Rail Services Holdings Corp., Progress Rail Services LLC, Progress Rail Services UK Limited, Progress Rail Switching Services LLC, Progress Rail Transcanada Corporation, Progress Rail Welding Corporation, Progress Rail Wildwood LLC, Progress Rail de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pyroban Group, Pyroban Group, Pyrrha Investments B.V., Pyrrha Investments Limited, S&L Railroad LLC, SCM Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., SPL Software Alliance LLC, Sabre Engines, Servicios de Turbinas Solar S. de R.L. de C.V., Shandong SEM Machinery Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines (Beijing) Trading Services Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines (Thailand) Ltd., Solar Turbines CIS Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Canada Ltd./Ltee., Solar Turbines Central Asia Limited Liability Partnership, Solar Turbines EAME s.r.o., Solar Turbines Egypt Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Europe S.A., Solar Turbines India Private Limited, Solar Turbines International Company, Solar Turbines Italy S.R.L., Solar Turbines Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Solar Turbines Middle East Limited, Solar Turbines New Zealand Limited, Solar Turbines Saudi Arabia Limited, Solar Turbines Services Company, Solar Turbines Services Nigeria Limited, Solar Turbines Services of Argentina S.R.L., Solar Turbines Switzerland Sagl, Solar Turbines Trinidad & Tobago Limited, Solar Turbines West-Africa SARL, Tangshan DBT Machinery Co. Ltd., Tecnologia Modificada S.A. de C.V., Towmotor Corporation, Traction & Mining Motor Repairs Pty Ltd, Turbinas Solar S.A. de C.V., Turbinas Solar de Colombia S.A., Turbinas Solar de Venezuela C.A., Turbo Tecnologia de Reparaciones S.A. de C.V., Turbomach, Turbomach Endustriyel Gaz Turbinleri Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited, Turbomach France SARL, Turbomach GmbH, Turbomach Netherlands B.V., Turbomach Pakistan (Private) Limited, Turbomach S.A. Unipersonal, Turbomach Sp. Z o.o., Turner Powertrain Systems Limited, UK Hose Assembly Limited, Underground Imaging Technologies Inc, United Industries LLC, VALA Inc., Vasky Energy Ltd., Wealdstone Engineering, Weir - Oil & Gas Division, West Virginia Auto Shredding Inc., Western Gear Machinery LLC, Wetland Sustainability Fund I LLC, Williams Technologies, Yard Club, Zhengzhou Siwei Mechanical and Electrical Equipment Sales Co. Ltd., and okyo Rental Ltd.. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Textron: AAI Corporation, AAI Services Corporation, ALSTOM Gears, Able Aerospace, Able Aerospace Services Inc., Able Engineering & Component Services, Aeronautical Accessories LLC, Airborne Tactical Advantage Company LLC, Arctic Cat, Arctic Cat ACE Holding GmbH, Arctic Cat France SARL, Arctic Cat GmbH, Arctic Cat Inc., Arctic Cat Production LLC, Arctic Cat Production Support LLC, Arctic Cat Sales Inc., Arctic Cat Shared Services LLC, Arctic Cat UK Ltd., Arkansas Aerospace Inc., Avco Corporation, Aviation Service servis letal doo Ljubljana, Aylesbury Automation, B/K Navigational Equipment sro, BELL TEXTRON ASIA (PTE.) LTD., Beech Aircraft Corporation, Beech Holdings, Beechcraft Defense Support Holding LLC, Beechcraft Domestic Service Company, Beechcraft Germany GmbH, Beechcraft International Holding LLC, Beechcraft International Service Company, Beechcraft New Zealand, Bell Textron Canada International Inc., Bell Textron Canada Limited/Limitee, Bell Textron Co. Ltd, Bell Textron Inc., Bell Textron Korea Inc., Bell Textron LLC, Bell Textron Miami Inc., Bell Textron Prague a.s., Bell Textron Rhode Island Inc., Bell Textron Services Inc., Bell Textron Supply Center BV, Bell Textron Technical Services Inc., Benzlers, Brazaco Mapri Industrias, Burkland, Cessna Aircraft Company, Cessna Citation European Service Center SAS (99.9%; 1 share Textron France SAS), Cessna Dusseldorf Citation Service Center GmbH, Cessna Finance Corporation, Cessna Finance Export Corporation, Cessna Mexico S de RL de CV, Cessna Spanish Citation Service Center SLU, Cessna Zurich Citation Service Center GmbH, Citation Parts Distribution International Inc., Cushman Inc., Datacom Technologies, David Brown Group, Doncaster Citation Service Centre Limited, E-Z-GO Canada Limited, Energy Manufacturing, Flexalloy, HBC LLC, Hawker Beech de Mexico S de RL de CV, Hawker Beechcraft Argentina SA , Howe & Howe Inc., Howe and Howe Technologies, Industrial Technology Inc., InteSys Technologies, International Product Support Inc., KSB Annecy SAS, Kautex (Changchun) Plastics Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Chongqing) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Guangzhou) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Pinghu) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Shanghai) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Wuhan) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex Corporation, Kautex Craiova srl, Kautex Germany Holding GmbH, Kautex Inc., Kautex Japan KK, Kautex Shanghai GmbH, Kautex Textron (UK) Limited, Kautex Textron Benelux BVBA, Kautex Textron Bohemia spol sro, Kautex Textron CVS Limited, Kautex Textron GmbH & Co. KG, Kautex Textron Iberica SL, Kautex Textron Management Services Company de Puebla S. de RL de CV, Kautex Textron Portugal Produtos Plasticos Sociedade Unipessoal Lda., Kautex Textron de Mexico S de RL de CV, Kautex Textron do Brasil Ltda., Kautex of Georgia Inc., Kaywood Products Corp., Klauke, LCI Corporation International, LLC Textron RUS, Maag, McCord Corporation, Mechtronix, Medical Numerics Inc., Midland Industrial Plastics, MillenWorks, MillenWorks Themed Technologies, MotorFist LLC, OPINICUS Simulation and Training Services LLC, OmniQuip International, Opinicus, Optical Boring Co., Opto-Electronics, Opto-Electronics Inc., Overwatch Systems, PEINER Umformtechnik, Pipistrel, Pirelli Tyres - General Rubber Goods (GRG) division, Premiair Aviation Maintenance Pty Ltd, Progressive Electronics, Ransomes, Ransomes Inc., Ransomes Investment LLC, Ransomes Jacobsen France SAS, Ransomes Jacobsen Limited, Ransomes Limited, Ransomes Pensions Trustee Company Limited, Replacement Part Solutions LLC, Response Technologies LLC, Rotor Blades Limited, Sukosim Verbindungselemente, TRU Simulation & Training Spain SL, TRU Simulation + Training Inc., TRU Simulation + Training LLC, TekGPS Engineering Srl, Textron Airland LLC, Textron Atlantic LLC, Textron Aviation Australia Pty. Ltd., Textron Aviation Canada Ltd., Textron Aviation Defense LLC, Textron Aviation Finance Corporation, Textron Aviation Inc., Textron Aviation Prague Service Center sro, Textron Aviation Rhode Island Inc., Textron Aviation Services de Mexico S de RL de CV, Textron Capital BV, Textron Communications Inc., Textron Far East Pte. Ltd., Textron Finance Holding Company, Textron Financial Corporation, Textron Financial Corporation Receivables Trust 2002-CP-2, Textron Fluid and Power Inc., Textron France Holding SAS, Textron France SAS, Textron Global Services Inc., Textron Ground Support Equipment Inc., Textron Ground Support Equipment UK Limited, Textron IPMP Inc., Textron India Private Limited , Textron Innovations Inc., Textron International Inc., Textron International Mexico S de RL de CV, Textron Limited, Textron Management Services Inc., Textron Motors GmbH, Textron Motors North America Inc., Textron Outdoor Power Equipment Inc., Textron Realty Corporation, Textron Shared Service Centre (Canada) Inc., Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc., Textron Sweden AB, Textron Systems Australia Holding Pty Ltd, Textron Systems Australia Pty Ltd, Textron Systems Canada Inc., Textron Systems Corporation, Textron Systems Electronic Systems UK (Holdings) Limited, Textron Systems Electronic Systems UK Limited, Textron Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Textron UK Pension Trustee Limited, Textron Verwaltungs-GmbH, Turbine Engine Components Textron (Newington Operations) Inc., United Industrial Corporation, Westminster Insurance Company, Williams Machine & Tool, and Zhenjiang Bell Textron Aviation Services Limited. Read More By Adila Matra: German production, FamilieFlz was in the Capital with their acclaimed play 'Hotel Paradiso'. Using over 25 masks, the play showcased humour, improvisation, mime and physical comedy to create a family-friendly show. Giani Bettucci, producer of Hotel Paradiso, said, "Hotel Paradiso is a fun comedy about the crazy people who work in this old-fashion hotel somewhere in the middle of the Alps, and their encounters with the equally funny guests who expected some days of peace and quiet but instead are plunged in some mad adventures! The dreamy Urs and the modern and arrogant Regina, his sisters, fight a daily life for the control of the hotel. The guests are the victims of this fight. More than 25 different characters and not a single word is spoken!" advertisement MIMES, MASKS AND HUMOUR Last year, they performed at the Edinburgh Festival for a sold out run of 26 shows. Ashvin Gidwani, Managing Director, AGP World saw the show and wanted to take it to India. The rest is history. To those who aren't clear about the concept of mask theatre, Bettucci explained, "Mask theatre is a unique experience, almost a magical one! Our expressive masks are fixed, they don't actually move, how could they? A few seconds after the show begins, something extraordinary happens, these masks start to smile, cry, become sad or get furious? How is it possible? Members of the audience after the performances are sure that our masks did move, but they didn't. It all happened in the imagination of the audience, a collective imaginative experience so to speak!" FamilieFloz hopes to perform in India again, sometime soon. "Well, we do prefer to build long lasting relationship with our audiences and of course our partner in India , AGP world. So definitely yes, we are already looking forward to the second tour, and the third, and so on," Bettucci added. For those who missed the first leg of the play, that's a relief. Also Read: Want a career in comedy? Vir Das has something to tell you --- ENDS --- Navigant Consulting, Inc. provides professional services worldwide. It operates through three segments: Healthcare, Energy, and Financial Services Advisory and Compliance. The Healthcare segment offers consulting and business process management services to healthcare providers, payers, and life sciences companies. This segment helps clients respond to market legislative changes, such as the shift to an outcome and value-based reimbursements model, ongoing industry consolidation and reorganization, Medicaid expansion, the implementation of a electronic health records system, and product planning and commercialization expertise. The Energy segment provides life-cycle solutions that help clients businesses in changing energy environment, manage complexity, accelerate operational performance, and meet compliance requirements, as well as transform its organizations and systems; and various benchmarking, and data and market research services. This segment serves utility and energy companies, government and nongovernmental organizations, large corporations, product manufacturers, and investors. The Financial Services Advisory and Compliance segment provides strategic, operational, valuation, risk management, investigative, and compliance advisory services to financial services industry, including financial and insurance institutions. This segment also offers anti-corruption solutions and anti-money laundering consulting, litigation support, and tax compliance services. Navigant Consulting, Inc. was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. By PTI: Panaji, Oct 29 (PTI) The last rites of former Goa chief minister Shashikala Kakodkar were performed here today with full state honours. Kakodkar (81), the only woman Chief Minister of Goa to date, passed away here yesterday following a prolonged illness. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Union AYUSH Minister Sripad Naik, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and several former ministers visited Bandodkar House, Kakodkars ancestral residence in Altinho area of Panaji today. advertisement Apart from political leaders, thousands of others paid their respects at the Bandodkar House since morning. Body of the Goas second chief minister was then taken in a procession to St Inez crematorium. Politicians cutting across the party lines and whos who of the local business community took part in the procession. Kakodkar was cremated with full state honours. She was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Union Territories of Goa, Daman and Diu in 1973 after the death of her father Dayanand Bandodkar, the first Chief Minister of Goa. The father-daughter duo belonged to Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP). Kakodkar was ousted as CM in 1979 following a split within her party. In the recent years, she was associated with Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM), a front which is agitating for making mother tongues the medium of instruction in primary schools. Kakodkar, during her stint as education minister, was responsible for promoting no-English educational policy with emphasis on regional languages in the government-aided primary schools in Goa. PTI RPS KRK DIP RDS --- ENDS --- Capital One Financial Corporation was founded in 1988 with the goal of revolutionizing the credit card industry. The companys ground-breaking services were data-driven, opened the doors of credit to millions of people, and today Capital One is one of the worlds largest banks. The companys commitment to connecting people with responsible credit helped to rank it 10th in the US in regard to total assets and 72nd globally. The company has nearly $400 billion in assets in late 2022 and operated a network of subsidiary institutions including Capital One bank. Capital One Financial Corporation is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, and operates a network of branches and offices throughout the US, Canada, and the UK. Capital One Financial Corporation is the holding company for Capital One Bank (USA), National Association; and Capital One, National Association, which provides various financial products and services in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Capital One Financial Corporation operates in three segments: Credit Card, Consumer Banking, and Commercial Banking. The Credit Card segment operates a wide range of revolving consumer credit cards while the Consumer Banking segment offers a range of traditional banking and investment products including auto and home loans, savings, and certificates of deposit. The Commercial segment offers business accounts, financing, commercial and multifamily real estate, and commercial and industrial loans. In the US, the company serves its clients through digital channels, branches, cafes, and other distribution channels located in New York, Louisiana, Texas, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and California. Digital services include online accounts, account services, loan applications, and investments. Among the many features of banking with Capital One are fee-free checking accounts, cloud-based financial tracking services, and Capital One Cafes. The company operates more than 40 cafes across the US where anyone, not just account holders, can get a coffee or snack as well as improve their financial education. The cafes are equipped with ample public space, nooks for private work, and even event space for meetings. Capital One continues to advance the digital financial industry to this day. The company was among the first to move its operations to the cloud, doing so in 2012, and it is now developing machine learning, open source, and cloud technology applications to help detect and prevent fraud, secure accounts, and improve banking services. Capital One is committed to aiding the worlds fight against climate change. To that end, it is pursuing several avenues that include influencing its value chain, fostering a sustainable office culture that is in sync with its surroundings, promoting and financing sustainable energy projects, and transparency in regard to its climate goals. The trio were due to make a parachute landing in Kazakhstan at 11:59 p.m. EDT/0359 Sunday GMT, wrapping up a four-month mission that included the first use of a DNA sequencer in space and installation of a parking spot for upcoming commercial space taxis. Crew members of the International Space Station (ISS) expedition 50/51 Peggy Whitson (L) of the US, Oleg Novitsky of Russia (C) and Thomas Pesquet of France pose for a picture as they attend a news conference at the Gagarin cosmonaut training centre in St By Reuters: A joint US, Russian and Japanese crew left the International Space Station on Saturday and headed back to Earth in a Russian Soyuz capsule, leaving behind three crew mates who arrived at the orbiting outpost just last week. Station commander Anatoly Ivanishin, with the Russian space agency, NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and Japan's Takuya Onishi climbed inside the capsule and left the station at 8:35 p.m. EDT/0035 Sunday GMT, a NASA TV broadcast showed. advertisement DNA SEQUENCER IN SPACE The trio were due to make a parachute landing in Kazakhstan at 11:59 p.m. EDT/0359 Sunday GMT, wrapping up a four-month mission that included the first use of a DNA sequencer in space and installation of a parking spot for upcoming commercial space taxis. "I'm kind of reluctant to close the hatch," Ivanishin said during a change-of-command ceremony on Friday. "The time is very special here ... I didn't have time to know what's going on our planet, and maybe it's for the better. On the space station, you live in a very friendly, very good environment." Ivanishin turned over command of the space station, a $100 billion orbiting research lab, to newly arrived US astronaut Shane Kimbrough. 15 NATION PROJECT Kimbrough and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko reached the outpost on October 21. "We're sorry we're only here a week with you," Kimbrough told the departing crew after taking command on Friday. "You guys have trained us well though." Kimbrough, Ryzhikov and Borisenko will be on their own until next month, when another three crew members are due to reach the station, a project of 15 nations that orbits about 250 miles (418 km) above Earth. --- ENDS --- Bancolombia S.A. provides banking products and services in Colombia, Panama, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. The company operates through nine segments: Banking Colombia, Banking Panama, Banking El Salvador, Banking Guatemala, Trust, Investment Banking, Brokerage, International Banking, and All Other. It offers checking and savings accounts, fixed term deposits, and investment products; trade financing, loans funded by domestic development banks, working capital loans, credit cards, personal and vehicle loans, payroll loans, and overdrafts; financial support to real estate developers and mortgages for individuals and companies; factoring; and financial and operating leasing services. The company also provides hedging instruments, including futures, forwards, options, and swaps; and brokerage, investment advisory, and private banking services, including selling and distributing equities, futures, foreign currencies, fixed income securities, mutual funds, and structured products. In addition, it offers cash management services; foreign currency transaction services; life, auto, commercial, and homeowner's insurance products; and online and computer banking services. Further, the company provides project and acquisition finance, debt and equity capital markets, principal investments, M&A, hedging strategies, restructurings, and structured financing; money market accounts, mutual and pension funds, private equity funds, payment and corporate trust, and custody; internet-based trading platform; inter-bank lending and repurchase agreements; managing escrow accounts, and investment and real estate funds; and transportation, securities brokerage, maintenance and remodeling, and outsourcing services. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 1,015 branches; 28,676 banking correspondents; 529 PAMs; 210 kiosks in El Salvador and 187 in Colombia; and 6,094 ATMs. Bancolombia S.A. was incorporated in 1945 and is headquartered in Medellin, Colombia. State Street Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides a range of financial products and services to institutional investors worldwide. The company offers investment servicing products and services, including custody; product accounting; daily pricing and administration; master trust and master custody; depotbank services; record-keeping; cash management; foreign exchange, brokerage and other trading services; securities finance and enhanced custody products; deposit and short-term investment facilities; loans and lease financing; investment manager and alternative investment manager operations outsourcing; performance, risk, and compliance analytics; and financial data management to support institutional investors. It also engages in the provision of portfolio management and risk analytics, as well as trading and post-trade settlement services with integrated compliance and managed data. In addition, the company offers investment management strategies and products, such as core and enhanced indexing, multi-asset strategies, active quantitative and fundamental active capabilities, and alternative investment strategies. Further, it provides services and solutions, including environmental, social, and governance investing; defined benefit and defined contribution; and global fiduciary solutions, as well as exchange-traded fund under the SPDR ETF brand. The company provides its products and services to mutual funds, collective investment funds and other investment pools, corporate and public retirement plans, insurance companies, foundations, endowments, and investment managers. State Street Corporation was founded in 1792 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Allergan plc, a pharmaceutical company, develops, manufactures, and commercializes branded pharmaceutical, device, biologic, surgical, and regenerative medicine products worldwide. The company operates in three segments: US Specialized Therapeutics, US General Medicine, and International. It offers a portfolio of products in various therapeutic areas, including medical aesthetics and dermatology, eye care, neuroscience, urology, gastrointestinal, women's health, and anti-infective therapeutic products. The company also offers breast implants and tissue expanders; and RM-131 (relamorelin), a peptide ghrelin agonist for the treatment of diabetic gastroparesis. In addition, it develops medical and cosmetic treatments; therapies for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and other liver diseases; inhibitor for the treatment of psoriasis and other autoimmune disorders; atopic dermatitis drug candidate; peri-ocular rings for extended drug delivery and reducing elevated intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients; and treatments for neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. Further, the company develops RST-001, a novel gene therapy for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa; small molecule therapeutics for inflammatory and fibrotic diseases; topical medicines for fat reduction; and delivery system and botulinum toxin-based prescription products. It has collaboration, option, and license agreement with Lyndra, Inc.; and strategic alliance and option agreement with Editas Medicine, Inc. Allergan plc also has licensing agreements with Assembly Biosciences, Inc.; MedImmune; and Heptares Therapeutics, Ltd. The company was formerly known as Actavis plc and changed its name to Allergan plc in June 2015. Allergan plc was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. The following companies are subsidiares of Thermo Fisher Scientific: 236 Perinton Parkway LLC, 27 Forge Parkway LLC, ABR--Affinity BioReagents, ACI Holdings Inc., ARG Services LLC, ASPEX Corporation, Abgene Inc., Abgene Limited, Acoustic Cytometry Systems Inc., AcroMetrix LLC, Acros Organics B.V.B.A., Advanced Biotechnologies Limited, Advanced Scientifics (ASI), Advanced Scientifics Inc., Advanced Scientifics International Inc., Affymetrix Biotech Participacoes Ltda., Affymetrix Biotech Shanghai Ltd, Affymetrix Inc, Affymetrix Japan K.K., Affymetrix Pte Ltd, Affymetrix UK Ltd, Afora S.A.U., Ahura Scientific, Alchematrix Inc., Alchematrix LLC, Alfa Aesar, Alfa Aesar (China) Chemical Co. Ltd., Alfa Aesar (Hong Kong) Limited, Allergon AB, Alphine Mountain Limited, Ambion Inc., Apogent Denmark ApS, Apogent Finance Company, Apogent Holding Company, Apogent Technologies Inc., Apogent Transition Corp., Apogent U.K. Limited, App-Tek International Pty Ltd, Applied Biosystems B.V., Applied Biosystems Finance B.V., Applied Biosystems International Inc., Applied Biosystems LLC, Applied Biosystems Taiwan LLC, Applied Biosystems Trading (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Applied Biosystems de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Applied Scientific Corporation, Avances Cientificos de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Avocado Research Chemicals Limited, B.R.A.H.M.S. Biotech GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. UK Ltd, BAC BV, BAC IP BV, Barnstead Thermolyne LLC, Beijing Phadia Diagnostics Co Ltd, Bender MedSystems GmbH, BioTrove Corporation, BioTrove International Inc., Bioanalysis Labsystems S.A., Biochemical Sciences LLC, Biolab, BmT GmbH Laborprodukte, Bonsai Tecnologies - Sistemas para Biotecnologia e Industria Unipessoal Lda, Brammer Bio, Bumi-Sans Sendirian Berhad, CAC Limited, CB Diagnostics AB, CB Diagnostics Holding AB, CEPH International Corporation, CHK Holdings Inc., CRS Robotics, CTPS LLC, Capitol Scientific Products Inc., Capitol Vial Inc., Cellomics Inc., CellzDirect Inc., Cenduit GmbH, Cenduit LLC, Cezanne S.A.S., Chase Scientific Glass Inc., Chromacol Limited, Clintrak, Clintrak Clinical Labeling Services LLC, Clintrak Pharmaceutical Services LLC, Cohesive Technologies (UK) Limited, Cohesive Technologies Inc., Columbia Diagnostics Inc., Compendia Bioscience Inc., Comtest Limited, Consolidated Technologies Inc., Consultores Fisher Scientific Chile Ltd, Core Informatics, Core Informatics LLC, Core Informatics UK Ltd., D-finitive Technologies Inc., DCG Systems B.V., DCG Systems C.V., DCG Systems G.K., DCG Systems GmbH, DCG Systems Korea Ltd., DCG Systems LLC, DPI Newco LLC, DSM Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Dharmacon, Diagnostix Ltd., Dionex (China) Analytical Ltd, Dionex (Switzerland) AG, Dionex (UK) Limited, Dionex Austria GmbH, Dionex Benelux B.V., Dionex Brasil Instrumentos Cientificos Ltda, Dionex Canada Ltd., Dionex China Limited, Dionex Corporation, Dionex Denmark A/S, Dionex Holding GmbH, Dionex I LLC, Dionex Pty Ltd., Dionex S.A., Dionex S.p.A., Dionex Singapore Pte Ltd., Dionex Softron GmbH, Dionex Sweden AB, Distribution Solutions International Inc., Doe & Ingalls Investors Inc., Doe & Ingalls Limited, Doe & Ingalls Management LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties II LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties LLC, Doe & Ingalls of California Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Florida Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Maryland Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Massachusetts Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of North Carolina Operating LLC, Doublecape Holding Limited, Doublecape Limited, Drakeside Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Duke Scientific Corporation, Dynal Biotech Beijing Limited, EGS Gauging Ltd., EGS Gauging Technical Services Company, EP Scientific Products LLC, Ecochem N.V., EnviroEquip Pty Ltd, Epsom Glass Industries Limited, Equibio Limited, Erie Electroverre S.A., Erie Finance Limited, Erie LP Holding LLC, Erie Scientific Company of Puerto Rico, Erie Scientific Hungary Kft, Erie Scientific LLC, Erie U.K. Limited, Erie UK 1 Limited, Erie UK 2 Limited, Erie UK Holding Company, Erie UK Senior Holding Limited, European Laboratory Holdings Limited, Eutech Instruments Europe B.V., Eutech Instruments Pte Ltd., Eutech Instruments Sdn Bhd, Ever Ready Thermometer Co. Inc., FEI Asia Pacific Co. Ltd., FEI Australia Pty Ltd, FEI CPD B.V., FEI Company, FEI Company Japan Ltd., FEI Company of USA (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd., FEI Czech Republic s.r.o., FEI Deutschland GmbH, FEI EFA Inc., FEI EFA International Pte. Ltd., FEI Electron Optics B.V., FEI Electron Optics International B.V., FEI Europe B.V., FEI France SAS, FEI Global Holdings C.V., FEI Hong Kong Company Limited, FEI Houston Inc., FEI Italia Srl, FEI Korea Ltd., FEI Melbourne Pty Ltd., FEI Microscopy Solutions Ltd, FEI Munich GmbH, FEI Norway Holding AS, FEI SAS, FEI Saudi Arabia LLC, FEI Servicos de Nanotecnologia Ltda., FEI Technologies Inc., FEI Technology de Mexico S.A. de C.V., FEI Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., FEI Trondheim AS, FEI UK Ltd., FHP LLC, FRC Holding Inc. V, FS (Barbados) Capital Holdings Ltd., FS Casa Rocas Holdings LLC, FS Mexicana Holdings LLC, FSI Receivables Company LLC, FSII Sweden Holdings AB, FSII Sweden Holdings I AB, FSIR Holdings (UK) Limited, FSIR Holdings (US) Inc., FSUK Holdings Limited, FSWH Company LLC, FSWH II C.V., FSWH International Holdings LLC, Fermentas China Co. Ltd, Fermentas Inc., Fermentas International, Fermentas Sweden AB, Fermentas UK Limited, Fiberlite Centrifuge LLC, Finesse Scientific Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Finesse Solutions AG, Finesse Solutions Inc., Finnzymes Oy, Fisher Alder S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Asia Manufacturing Ventures Inc., Fisher Bermuda Holdings Limited, Fisher BioImage ApS, Fisher BioPharma Services (India) Private Limited, Fisher BioSciences Japan G.K., Fisher BioServices Inc., Fisher Bioblock Holding II SNC, Fisher CLP Holding Limited Partnership, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 1, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 2, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 3, Fisher Canada Limited Partnership, Fisher Chimica BVBA, Fisher Clinical Logistics LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services (Bristol) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Colombia) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Korea) Co. Ltd, Fisher Clinical Services (Mexico) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Peru) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services Colombia S.A.S., Fisher Clinical Services GmbH, Fisher Clinical Services Inc., Fisher Clinical Services Japan K.K., Fisher Clinical Services Latin America S.R.L., Fisher Clinical Services Limited Liability Company, Fisher Clinical Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Clinical Services Peru S.R.L, Fisher Clinical Services Pte Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services U.K. Limited, Fisher Emergo B.V., Fisher Germany Holdings GmbH, Fisher Hamilton China Inc., Fisher Hamilton Mexico LLC, Fisher Holdings ApS, Fisher Internet Minority Holdings L.L.C., Fisher Laboratory Products Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Fisher Luxembourg Danish Holdings SARL, Fisher Manufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Maybridge Holdings Limited, Fisher Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific (Austria) GmbH, Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Fisher Scientific (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific (SEA) Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific A/S, Fisher Scientific AG, Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Limited, Fisher Scientific Biotech Line ApS, Fisher Scientific Brazil Inc., Fisher Scientific Central America Inc., Fisher Scientific Chile Inc., Fisher Scientific Colombia Inc., Fisher Scientific Company, Fisher Scientific Company L.L.C., Fisher Scientific Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Fisher Scientific Europe Holdings B.V., Fisher Scientific GTF AB, Fisher Scientific Germany Beteiligungs GmbH, Fisher Scientific GmbH, Fisher Scientific Holding Company LLC, Fisher Scientific Holding HK Limited, Fisher Scientific Holding U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific Holdings (S) Pte Ltd, Fisher Scientific International LLC, Fisher Scientific Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Fisher Scientific Ireland Investments Unlimited, Fisher Scientific Ireland Limited, Fisher Scientific Japan Ltd., Fisher Scientific Jersey Island Limited, Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd, Fisher Scientific Latin America Inc., Fisher Scientific Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Fisher Scientific Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific Mexico Inc., Fisher Scientific Middle East and Africa Inc., Fisher Scientific Norway AS, Fisher Scientific Operating Company, Fisher Scientific Oxoid Holdings Ltd., Fisher Scientific Oy, Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific S.A.S., Fisher Scientific S.L., Fisher Scientific SPRL, Fisher Scientific The Hague I B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague II B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague III B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague IV B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague V B.V., Fisher Scientific U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company 2, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company Limited, Fisher Scientific Unipessoal Lda., Fisher Scientific Venezuela Inc., Fisher Scientific Worldwide (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Holdings I C.V., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Inc., Fisher Scientific de Mexico S.A., Fisher Scientific of the Netherlands B.V., Fisher Scientific spol. S.r.o, Fisher Servicios Clinicos (Chile) LLC, Fisher Servicios Clinicos Chile Ltda, Fisher WWD Holding L.L.C., Fisher Worldwide Distribution SPV, Fisher Worldwide Gene Distribution SPV, Flux Instruments, Fuji Partnership, G & M Procter Limited, G V Instruments Limited, GV Instruments Canada Ltd., GV Instruments Inc, Gatan Inc, General Scientific Company Sdn Bhd (M), Genomed molekularbiologische und diagnostische Produkte GmbH, Gerhard Menzel B.V. & Co. KG, Gold Cattle Standard Testing Labs Inc., Golden West Indemnity Company Limited, Goring Kerr Detection Limited, Greenville Service Company Inc., HENO GmbH i.L., Hangar 215 Inc., Helmet Securities Limited, Henogen, HighChem, HyClone International Trade (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Hybaid Limited, I.Q. (BIO) Limited, IDnostics AG, ILS Laboratories Scandinavia AB, Inel Inc., Inel SAS, InnaPhase Inc., InnaPhase Limited, IntegenX, Intrinsic BioProbes Inc., Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc., Invitrogen (Shanghai) Investment Co. Ltd., Invitrogen Argentina SA, Invitrogen BioServices India Private Limited, Invitrogen Europe Limited, Invitrogen Finance Corp., Invitrogen Holdings LLC, Invitrogen Holdings Ltd., Invitrogen Hong Kong Limited, Invitrogen IP Holdings Inc., Invitrogen Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ion Torrent Systems Inc., Ionalytics Corporation, JSC Thermo Fisher Scientific, Jouan LLC, Jouan Limited, Jouan SA, Kendro Containment & Services Limited, Kendro Laboratory Products Ltd, Kettlebrook Insurance Co. ltd., Keystone Scientific, KonTEM GmbH, Kyle Jordan Investments LLC, LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, LTC Tech South Africa PTY Ltd., La-Pha-Pack GmbH, Lab Vision (UK) Limited, Lab Vision Corporation, Lab-Chrom-Pack LLC, Lab-Line Instruments Inc., Labomex MBP S. de R. L. De C.V., Laboratoire Service International - L.S.I, Laboratory Management Systems Inc., Laboratory Specialties Proprietary Ltd., LambTrack Limited, Laser Analytical Systems Inc., Liberty Lane Investment LLC, Liberty Lane Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Life Sciences International (Poland) SP z O.O, Life Sciences International Holdings BV, Life Sciences International LLC, Life Sciences International Limited, Life Technologies AS, Life Technologies Australia PTY Ltd., Life Technologies BPD AB, Life Technologies BPD UK Limited, Life Technologies Brasil Comercio e Industria de Produtos para Biotecnologia Ltda, Life Technologies Chile SpA, Life Technologies Clinical Services Lab Inc., Life Technologies Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Czech Republic s.r.o., Life Technologies DaAn Diagnostic (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Europe B.V., Life Technologies Finance Ltd., Life Technologies Finland Oy, Life Technologies GmbH, Life Technologies Holdings PTE Ltd., Life Technologies Inc., Life Technologies International B.V., Life Technologies Japan Ltd., Life Technologies Korea LLC, Life Technologies Limited, Life Technologies Magyarorszag Kft, Life Technologies New Zealand Ltd., Life Technologies Norway Investments US LLC, Life Technologies Polska Sp z.o.o., Life Technologies SA, Life Technologies SAS, Life Technologies s.r.o, Linkage Biosciences Inc., Linkage Biosciences S.a.r.l., Loftus Furnace Company, Lomb Scientific, Lomb Scientific (Aust) Pty Limited, MTI-GlobalStem, Marketbase International Limited, Matrix MicroScience Inc., Matrix MicroScience Ltd., Matrix Technologies Corporation Limited, Matrix Technologies LLC, Maybridge Chemical Company Limited, Maybridge Chemical Holdings Limited, Maybridge Limited, Medical Analysis Systems Inc., Medical Analysis Systems International Inc., Medical Diagnostics Systems Inc., Metavac LLC, Microgenics Corporation, Microgenics Diagnostics Pty Limited, Microgenics GmbH, Microm International GmbH, Microm Laborgerate S.L.U, Molecular BioProducts Inc., Molecular Probes Inc., Molecular Transfer Inc., NAPCO Inc., NERL Diagnostics LLC, NOVODIRECT GmbH Labor- und Industrie- Megerate, Nalge (Europe) Limited, Nalge Nunc International (Monterrey) LLC, Nalge Nunc International Corporation, Nanjing WeiKangLe Trading Industrial Co Ltd, NanoDrop Technologies LLC, National Scientific Company, Navaho Acquisition Corp., Neomarkers Inc., New FS Holdings Inc., NewcoGen PE LLC, Nihon Dynal K.K., Niton Asia Limited, NovaWave Technologies Inc., Nunc A/S, ONIX Systems Inc., OXOID CZ s.r.o., Odyssey Holdings Corporation, Odyssey Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 1 S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 2 S.a r.l., Odyssey Venture Corporation, Omega Data Systems, One Lambda Inc, Onix Holdings Limited, Orme Scientific Limited, Owl Separation Systems LLC, Oxoid (ELY) Limited, Oxoid 2000 Limited, Oxoid AS, Oxoid Australia Pty. Limited, Oxoid Company, Oxoid Deutschland GmbH, Oxoid Holding SAS, Oxoid Holdings Limited, Oxoid Inc., Oxoid International Limited, Oxoid Investments GmbH, Oxoid Limited, Oxoid N.V., Oxoid New Zealand Limited, Oxoid Pension Trustees Limited, Oxoid Senior Holdings Limited, Oxoid UKH LLC, PAX - DSI Acquisition LLC, PE AG, Pacific Rim Far East Industries LLC, Pacific Rim Investment LLC, Panomics L.L.C., Panomics S.R.L., Patheon, Patheon API Inc., Patheon API Manufacturing Inc., Patheon API Services Inc., Patheon Austria GmbH & Co KG, Patheon B.V., Patheon Banner U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon Biologics (NJ) LLC, Patheon Biologics Australia Pty Ltd, Patheon Biologics B.V., Patheon Biologics LLC, Patheon Calculus Merger LLC, Patheon Cooperatief U.A., Patheon Development Services Inc., Patheon Finance LLC, Patheon France SAS, Patheon Holdings B.V., Patheon Holdings I B.V., Patheon Holdings II B.V., Patheon Holdings SAS, Patheon I B.V., Patheon I Holding GmbH, Patheon Inc., Patheon International AG, Patheon Italia S.p.A., Patheon KK, Patheon Life Science Products International GmbH, Patheon Manufacturing Services LLC, Patheon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Patheon Pharmaceuticals Services Inc., Patheon Puerto Rico Acquisitions Corporation, Patheon Puerto Rico Inc., Patheon Regensburg GmbH, Patheon Softgels B.V., Patheon Softgels Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings LLC, Patheon UK Limited, Patheon UK Pension Trustees Limited, Pelican Acquisition Corporation, Perbio Science (Canada) Company, Perbio Science AB, Perbio Science BVBA, Perbio Science France SAS, Perbio Science Inc., Perbio Science International Netherlands B.V., Perbio Science Invest AB, Perbio Science Nederland B.V., Perbio Science Projekt AB, Perbio Science Sweden Holdings AB, Perbio Science Switzerland SA, Perbio Science UK Limited, Phadia AB, Phadia Diagnosticos Ltda, Phadia GmbH, Phadia Holding AB, Phadia International Holdings C.V., Phadia Korea Co. Ltd, Phadia Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Phadia Malta Holdings Limited, Phadia Oy, Phadia Real Property AB, Phadia Sweden AB, Phadia Taiwan Inc., Phadia US Inc., Phadia s.r.o., Pharmacaps Mexicana SA de CV, Phenom-World B.V., Phenom-World Holding B.V, Phenom-World Innovations B.V., Phinotex, Pierce Biotechnology Inc., Pierce Milwaukee Holding Corp., Pierce Milwaukee Inc., Polychromix, Power Sweden Holdings I AB, Power Sweden Holdings II AB, Power Sweden Holdings III Aktiebolag, Princeton Gamma-Tech Instruments LLC, Princeton Security Technologies, Prionics AG, Prionics Asia Ltd., Prionics Deutschland GmbH, Prionics France SAS, Prionics Italia S.r.l., Prionics Lelystad B.V., Prionics USA Inc., Priority Air Express LLC, Priority Air Express Pte. Ltd., Priority Air Express UK Limited, Priority Air Holdings Corp, Priority Solutions International, Promedica Pty Limited, Proxeon, Proxeon Biosystems ApS, Qiagen, REP GBP I-B Blocker Inc., Raymond A Lamb Limited, Remel Europe Limited, Remel Inc., Richard-Allan Scientific Company, Robbins Scientific LLC, Robocon Labor- und Industrieroboter Gesellschaft m.b.H, Rupprecht and Patashnick, Rupprecht and Patashnick (R&P), Russell pH Limited, S.C.I. du 10 rue Dugay Trouin, SCI Inno 92, STC Bio Manufacturing Inc., Samco Scientific (Monterrey) LLC, Samco Scientific LLC, Saroph Sweden AB, Schantz Road LLC, Seradyn Inc., Shanghai Life Technologies Biotechnology Co. Limited, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (C-I) Trading Co. Ltd, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (S) Trading Co. Ltd, Southern Trials (Pty) Ltd., Specialty (SMI) Inc., Spectra-Physics AB, Spectra-Physics Holdings Limited, Spectra-Physics Holdings USA LLC, Spectronex, Staten Island Cogeneration Corporation, Sterilin Limited, Stokes Bio Ltd., Sweden DIA (Sweden) AB, SwissAnalytic Group GmbH, Systems Manufacturing Corporation, TFLP LLC, TFS Breda B.V., TFS LLC, TFS Singapore HK Limited, TFSL Financing GP LLC, TFSL Senior GP Holdings 2 LLC, TK Partnership, TKA Wasseraufbereitungssysteme, TMOI Inc., TPI Real Estate Holdings LLC, TSP Holdings I LLC, TWX LLC, Technology Design Solutions Pty Ltd, Thermedics Detection de Argentina S.R.L, Thermo Allen Coding Limited, Thermo Asset Management Services Inc., Thermo BioAnalysis LLC, Thermo BioAnalysis Limited, Thermo BioSciences Holdings LLC, Thermo CIDTEC, Thermo CRS Holdings Ltd., Thermo CRS Ltd., Thermo Cambridge Limited, Thermo Cayman Holdings Ltd., Thermo Corporation, Thermo DMA Inc., Thermo Detection de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Dutch Holdings Limited Partnership, Thermo EGS Gauging LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings I LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings II LLC, Thermo Eberline LLC, Thermo Electron (Calgary) Limited, Thermo Electron (Chile) S.p.A., Thermo Electron (Karlsruhe) GmbH, Thermo Electron (Management Services) Limited, Thermo Electron (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Electron A/S, Thermo Electron Australia Pty Limited, Thermo Electron Export Inc., Thermo Electron Holdings SAS, Thermo Electron Industries, Thermo Electron LED GmbH, Thermo Electron LED S.A.S., Thermo Electron Limited, Thermo Electron Manufacturing Limited, Thermo Electron Metallurgical Services Inc., Thermo Electron North America LLC, Thermo Electron Pension Trust GmbH, Thermo Electron Puerto Rico Inc., Thermo Electron SAS, Thermo Electron Scientific Instruments LLC, Thermo Electron Sweden AB, Thermo Electron Sweden Forvaltning AB, Thermo Electron Weighing & Inspection Limited, Thermo Elemental Limited, Thermo Environmental Instruments LLC, Thermo Fast U.K. Limited, Thermo Finland Holdings LLC, Thermo Finland Holdings MT1 B.V., Thermo Finland Holdings MT2 B.V., Thermo Finnigan LLC, Thermo Finnigan Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Malta Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN-I) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (CN-II) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings I Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings II Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings 2) LLC, Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) II Limited, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Heysham) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Kandel) GmbH, Thermo Fisher CHK Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust II, Thermo Fisher Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Thermo Fisher Cyprus Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Detection Mexico LLC, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics (Ireland) Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AB, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AG, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Aps, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Austria GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics B.V., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics K.K., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics NV, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.L.U., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.p.A. , Thermo Fisher Diagnostics SAS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Thermo Fisher Eurobonds Ltd., Thermo Fisher Financial Services Inc., Thermo Fisher GP LLC, Thermo Fisher German Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Germany B.V., Thermo Fisher India Divestco Private Limited, Thermo Fisher India Holding B.V., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Thermo Fisher Israel Ltd., Thermo Fisher Production et Services SAS, Thermo Fisher Project Cyprus LLC, Thermo Fisher Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Asheville) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Australia) C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Barbados) Holdings Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Breda) Holding BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (CN) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China-HK) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (DE) Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Ecublens) SARL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance II) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Fuji) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Holding II) B.V. & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Johannesburg) (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mexico City) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Milwaukee) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mississauga) Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Monterrey) S. De R.L. De C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (NK) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) Austria Holding GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-I) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-II) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN1) UK Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) Dutch LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Praha) s.r.o., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) GmbH & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Schweiz) AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Instruments Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Suzhou) Instruments Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific AL-1 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific AU II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Aquasensors LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V.B.A., Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (I) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (II) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics UAB, Thermo Fisher Scientific Beteiligungsverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Biosciences Corp., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brahms LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Instrumentos de Processo Ltda., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Servicos de Logistica Ltda, Thermo Fisher Scientific C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cayman Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chemicals Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific China (C-I) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China (S) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings IV B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings Aps, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus IV C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus V C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Denmark Senior Holdings ApS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie 1 Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Europe GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC Finance C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSUKHCO Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Falcon Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Finance Company BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific GENEART GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Germany BV & Co. 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Ltd., Thermo Life Sciences AB, Thermo Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo MF Physics LLC, Thermo Measurement Ltd, Thermo Measuretech Canada Inc., Thermo Neslab LLC, Thermo Nicolet Limited, Thermo Onix Limited, Thermo Optek (Australia) Pty Ltd., Thermo Optek Limited, Thermo Optek S.A., Thermo Orion Inc., Thermo Portable Holdings LLC, Thermo Power Corporation, Thermo Process Instruments GP LLC, Thermo Process Instruments L.P., Thermo Projects Limited, Thermo Quest S.A., Thermo Radiometrie Limited, Thermo Ramsey Italia S.r.l., Thermo Ramsey LLC, Thermo Ramsey S.A., Thermo Re Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Pte Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Sdn Bhd, Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc., Thermo Scientific Services Inc., Thermo Securities Corporation, Thermo Sentron Canada Inc., Thermo Sentron Limited, Thermo Shandon Inc., Thermo Shandon Limited, Thermo Suomi Holding B.V., Thermo TLH (UK) Limited, Thermo TLH L.P., Thermo Trace Pty Ltd., Thermo-Fisher Biochemical Product (Beijing) Co. Ltd., ThermoLase LLC, ThermoSpectra Limited, Trek Diagnostic Systems LLC, Trek Diagnostic Systems Ltd., Trek Holding Company II Ltd., Trek Holding Company Ltd., Trex Medical Corporation, USB Corporation, Union Lab Supplies Limited, United Diagnostics Inc., VG Systems Limited, Westover Scientific Inc., ZAO PE Biosystems, eBioscience GmbH, eBioscience Ltd, eBioscience SAS, and picoSpin LLC. Read More By PTI: Kozhikode, Oct 29 (PTI) Accusing the Centre of attempting to "impose" the contentious Uniform Civil Code, the Indian Union Muslim League today announced the party would spearhead acampaign against it. Speaking at a meeting of the joint council of different Muslimorganisations convened here by the IUML, party National Secretary E T Mohammed Basheer said the IUML wouldtake the lead in mobilising public opinion against the Centre over its attempts to "impose" the UCC. advertisement He also said that his party would work for bringing all secular groups under one platform. "IUML will take the lead in mobilising public opinion against the Centre in its attempts to impose the UCC and also work for bringing all secular groups under one platform," Basheer said. The IUML leaders who spoke at the meeting alleged thatthe Centre was trying to divert the attention from various issues affecting the people by highlighting "less important matters such as triple talaq". The joint council suggested that there was no need for anyamendment in the Shariat Law and opined that the Centres move to implement the UCC was a trap and all the Muslim organisationswere similar in their views against its implementation. Talking to reporters later, Basheer and IUML Treasurer P K Kunhalikutty, MLA, said implementation of the code would undermine the secular fabric of the country. The meeting took a decision to oppose the codeand it would be conveyed to the National Law Commission, which had sent a questionnaire they said. It was convened to discuss issues related tothe BJP-led Central governments move to implement the UniformCivil Code and to take a decision on how to respond to thequestionnaire issued by the Law Commission. IUML President E Ahmed, MP, National Secretary M P Abdul Samad Samadhani, State Secretary K P A Majeed, besides representatives of E K Sunni fraction, Jama?ate Islami, Mujahid Madavoor fraction, Kerala Naduvathul Mujahideen attended the meeting. Recently, All India Muslim Personal Law Board and various other Muslim organisations had announced that they will boycott Law Commissions process to take views on the UCC. PTI KV VS BSA --- ENDS --- The following companies are subsidiares of UnitedHealth Group: 1070715 B.C. 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Dowagiac PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Escanaba PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Grand Blanc PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Grayling PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Kalamazoo PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Plainwell PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Port Huron PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Saginaw PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Tawas City PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Minnesota TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Minnesota TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri - Bridgeton Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri - Richmond Heights Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Billings PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Butte PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Miles City PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Missoula PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Multiple Practice Sites LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nebraska TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nebraska TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Henderson Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Henderson II Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Las Vegas Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Las Vegas II Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada TCG Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada TCS Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Hampshire TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Hampshire TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Jersey - Hackensack PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Jersey - Paterson PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Jersey - TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Jersey TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Mexico - Clovis LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Mexico - Rio Rancho LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Mexico - TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Mexico - TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New York PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina - Burlington PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina - Clyde PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina - Elizabeth City PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina - Jacksonville PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina - New Bern PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina - Rocky Mount PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Dakota TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Dakota TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Akron Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Batavia Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Canton Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Cincinnati II Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Cincinnati III Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Cincinnati Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Circleville Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Columbus II Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Columbus Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Dover Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - East Liverpool Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Fairfield Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Martins Ferry Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - 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Alexandria LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Front Royal II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Front Royal LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Mechanicsville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Midlothian LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Richmond II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Richmond LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Winchester LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Arlington PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Auburn PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Bellingham PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Bremerton PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Burien PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Coupeville PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - 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Casper LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming TCS LLC, Hospitalists Management Group LLC, Humedica, Humedica Inc., Hygeia Corporation, Hygeia Corporation Ontario, IEC Holdings LLC, IHD Holdings LLC, INOV8 Surgical at Memorial City LLC, INSPIRIS of Texas Physician Group, Illinois Independent Care Network LLC, Imagen Technologies Inc., Impel Consulting Experts L.L.C., Impel Management Services L.L.C., InTouch Pharmacy LLC, Indiana Care Organization LLC, Indiana Endoscopy Centers LLC, Inland Surgery Center L.P., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3001 S.A., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3600 Ltda., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo S.A., Inmobiliaria Clinica Santa Maria S.A., Inmobiliaria Vinamed Ltda., Inmobiliaria e Inversiones Alameda S.A., Inpatient Services P.C., Inpatient Specialists of California P.C., Inspiris, Inspiris Inc., Instituto Radium de Cammpinas Ltda, Inter-Hospital Physicians Association Inc., International Healthcare Services Inc., Inversiones Clinicas Santa Maria SpA, Ironman Holdco Inc., Ironman Intermediate Holdco LLC, Isapre Banmedica S.A., JPM Healthcare LLC, Johnston Surgicare L.P., Joliet Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Jordan Ridge Family Medicine LLC, Joyable Inc., Kansal Inc. A Professional Corporation, Knox Diagnostic Imaging Center LLC, Kokomo Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, LDI Holding Company LLC, LDI Management Services LLC, LGH-A/Golf ASTC L.L.C., LHC Group, La Esperanza del Peru S.A., Laboratorio ROE S.A., Laboratorios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Landmark Group Holdings LLC, Landmark Health Holdings LLC, Landmark Health LLC, Landmark Health NY IPA LLC, Landmark Health NY PO LLC, Landmark Health Technologies Private Limited, Landmark Health of California LLC, Landmark Health of Massachusetts LLC, Landmark Health of North Carolina LLC, Landmark Health of Oregon LLC, Landmark Health of Pennsylvania LLC, Landmark Health of Washington LLC, Landmark India LLC, Landmark Intermediate Holdings LLC, Landmark MSO LLC, Landmark Medical of Idaho PC, Landmark Medical of Massachusetts PLLC, Landmark Medical of Tennessee PC, Landmark Primary Care LLC, Laser Acquisition Holdings III LLC, Leehar Distributors LLC, Lemhi Ventures Fund I LP, Lemhi Ventures Fund II LP, Level2 Medical Services P.C. Alaska, Lexington Surgery Center Ltd., Liberty Anesthesia Services LLC, LifePrint Health Inc., LifeWell. Ltd. Co., Lifeprint Accountable Care Organization LLC, Limestone Medical Center LLC, Litomedica S.A., Logan Surgical Suites LLC, Lotten-Eyes Oftalmologia Clinica e Cirurgica Ltda., Louisville S.C. Ltd., Louisville-SC Properties Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook L.P., Lusiadas - Parcerias Cascais S.A., Lusiadas A.C.E., Lusiadas Algarve S.A., Lusiadas S.A., Lusiadas SGPS S.A., Lutheran Campus ASC LLC, MAMSI Life and Health Insurance Company, MCNA Health Care Holdings LLC, MCNA Insurance Company, MCNA Systems Corp., MD Ops Inc., MD-Individual Practice Association Inc., ME AHS UC LLC, MGH/SCA LLC, MHC Real Estate Holdings LLC, MIAMI SURGERY CENTER LLC, MSLA Management LLC, Main Line Spine Surgery Center LLC, Managed Care of North America Inc., Managed Physical Network Inc., Mansfield Endoscopy Center LLC, March Holdings Inc., March Vision Care IPA Inc., March Vision Care Inc., March Vision Care of Texas Inc., Marin Health Ventures LLC, Marin Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Marin Surgery Holdings Inc., Marlin Holding Company LLC, Maryland Ambulatory Centers LLC, Maryland-SCA Centers LLC, Massachusetts Assurance Company Ltd. PIC, Massachusetts Avenue Surgery Center LLC, McKenzie Surgery Center L.P., MedExpress Primary Care West Virginia Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care Alabama LLC, MedExpress Urgent Care Inc. - Ohio, MedExpress Urgent Care Maine Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care New Hampshire Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care of Boynton Beach LLC, MedSynergies, MedSynergies LLC, Medical Clinic of North Texas PLLC, Medical Hilfe S.A., Medical Support Los Angeles Inc., Medical Surgical Centers of America Inc., Medical Transportation Services LLC, Melbourne Surgery Center LLC, Memorial City Holdings LLC, Memorial City Partners LLC, Memorial Houston Surgery Center LLC, MemorialCare Surgical Center at Orange Coast LLC, MemorialCare Surgical Center at Saddleback LLC, Mesquite Liberty LLC, Metro I Stone Management Ltd., Mid Atlantic Medical Services, Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of Tennessee, Midlands Orthopaedics Surgery Center LLC, Midwest Center for Day Surgery LLC, Mile High SurgiCenter LLC, Mississippi Medical Plaza L.C., Mobile Medical Services of New Jersey PC, Mobile-SC LTD., Modality Accountable Care Organisation Limited, Moen M.D. P.C., Mohawk Surgery Center LLC, Monarch Management Services Inc., Montgomery Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Monument Health LLC, Moore Orthopaedic Clinic Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Morris County Surgical Center LLC, Mt. Pleasant Surgery Center L.P., Multiangio Ltda., Murrells Inlet ASC LLC, Muskogee Surgical Investors LLC, Mustang Razorback Holdings Inc., My Wellness Solutions LLC, NAMM Holdings Inc., NPN IPA Washington PLLC, NSC Channel Islands LLC, NSC Greensboro LLC, NSC Greensboro West LLC, NSC Lancaster LLC, NSC Seattle Inc., NSC Upland LLC, Naperville Surgical Centre LLC, National Foundation Life Insurance Company, National Pacific Dental Inc., National Surgery Centers LLC, Navigator Health Inc., Nebraska Spine Hospital LLC, Neighborhood Health Partnership Inc., Netwerkes LLC, Nevada Pacific Dental, New Orleans Regional Physician Hospital Organization L.L.C., New West Physicians Inc., New York Proton Management LLC, Newton Holdings LLC, Niagara Hospitalist P.C., Nomad Buyer Inc., North American Medical Management California Inc., North Coast Surgery Center Ltd. a California Limited Partnership, North Dallas Surgical Center LLC, North Kitsap Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, North Puget Sound Oncology Equipment Leasing Company LLC, Northern Nevada Health Network Inc., Northern Rockies Surgery Center L.P., Northern Rockies Surgicenter Inc., Northern Utah Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Hills JV Partners LLC, Northwest Medical Group Alliance LLC, Northwest Spine and Laser Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Surgicare LLC, Northwest Surgicare Ltd. an Illinois Limited Partnership, OC Cardiology Practice Partners LLC, OCC MSO LLC, OSB Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Lda., Omesa SpA, OmniClaim LLC, Oncocare S.A.C., One World Surgery, Ophthalmology Surgery Center of Dallas LLC, Optimum Choice Inc., Optum Bank Inc., Optum Biometrics Inc., Optum Care Inc., Optum Care Networks Inc., Optum Care Services Company, Optum Care of New York Management Inc., Optum Clinics Holdings Inc., Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings Inc., Optum Compounding Services LLC, Optum Digital Health Holdings LLC, Optum Direct To Consumer Inc., Optum Financial Inc., Optum Frontier Therapies Holdings LLC, Optum Frontier Therapies II LLC, Optum Frontier Therapies LLC, Optum Genomics Inc., Optum Global Solutions Colombia S.A.S., Optum Global Solutions India Private Limited, Optum Global Solutions International B.V., Optum Global Solutions Philippines Inc., Optum Government Solutions Inc., Optum Growth Partners Holdings Inc., Optum Growth Partners LLC, Optum Health & Technology Holdings US Inc., Optum Health & Technology Hong Kong Limited, Optum Health & Technology India Private Limited, Optum Health & Technology Servicos do Brasil Ltda., Optum Health & Technology Singapore Pte. Ltd., Optum Health & Technology US LLC, Optum Health Plan of California, Optum Health Services Canada Ltd., Optum Health Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Optum Health Solutions UK Limited, Optum Health and Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services LLC, Optum Inc., Optum Infusion Services 100 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 101 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 103 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 200 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 201 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 202 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 203 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 204 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 205 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 206 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 207 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 208 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 209 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 301 LP, Optum Infusion Services 302 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 305 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 308 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 401 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 402 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 403 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 404 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 500 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 501 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 550 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 551 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 553 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 554 Inc., Optum Insurance of Ohio Inc., Optum Labs Inc., Optum Labs LLC, Optum Life Sciences Canada Inc., Optum Management Consulting Shanghai Co. Ltd., Optum Networks of New Jersey Inc., Optum Operations Ireland Unlimited Company, Optum Oregon MSO LLC, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas Inc., Optum Perks LLC, Optum Pharma Services Holdings Inc., Optum Pharmacy 601 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 700 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 701 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 702 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 704 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 705 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 706 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 707 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 800 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 803 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 805 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 806 Inc., Optum Public Sector Solutions Inc., Optum Rocket LLC, Optum SCA CS JV Holdings LLC, Optum Senior Services LLC, Optum Services Inc., Optum Services Ireland Limited, Optum Services Puerto Rico LLC, Optum Solutions UK Holdings Limited, Optum Technology LLC, Optum UK Solutions Group Limited, Optum Venture Global Partners II LP, Optum Venture Global Partners LP, Optum Venture Partners II LP, Optum Venture Partners III LP, Optum Venture Partners LP, Optum Washington Network LLC, Optum Women's and Children's Health LLC, Optum of New York Inc., Optum360 LLC, Optum360 Services Inc., Optum360 Solutions LLC, OptumCare ACO New Mexico LLC, OptumCare ACO West LLC, OptumCare Clinical Trials LLC, OptumCare Colorado ASC LLC, OptumCare Colorado LLC, OptumCare Colorado Springs LLC, OptumCare Endoscopy Center New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Florida CI LLC, OptumCare Florida LLC, OptumCare Holdings Colorado LLC, OptumCare Holdings LLC, OptumCare Management LLC, OptumCare New Mexico LLC, OptumCare New York IPA Inc., OptumCare Portland LLC, OptumCare South Florida LLC, OptumCare Specialty Practices LLC, OptumHealth Care Solutions LLC, OptumHealth Holdings LLC, OptumHealth International B.V., OptumInsight Holdings LLC, OptumInsight Inc., OptumInsight India Private Limited, OptumInsight Life Sciences Inc., OptumRx Administrative Services LLC, OptumRx Discount Card Services LLC, OptumRx Group Holdings Inc., OptumRx Health Solutions LLC, OptumRx Holdings I LLC, OptumRx Holdings LLC, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio LLC, OptumRx IPA III Inc., OptumRx Inc., OptumRx NY IPA Inc., OptumRx PBM of Illinois Inc., OptumRx PBM of Maryland LLC, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin LLC, OptumRx PD of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx Pharmacy Inc., OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada Inc., OptumRx of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumServe Technology Services Inc., Oregon Healthcare Resources LLC, Oregon Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., OrthoNet Holdings Inc., OrthoNet LLC, OrthoNet New York IPA Inc., OrthoNet West Inc., OrthoNet of the South Inc., OrthoWest MSO LLC, Orthology Inc., Orthopedic Center of Palm Beach County LLC, Orthopedic Surgery Center of Palm Beach County LLC, Orthopro Management LLC, Ovations Inc., Owensboro Ambulatory Surgical Facility Ltd., Oxford Benefit Management Inc., Oxford Health Insurance Inc., Oxford Health Plans CT Inc., Oxford Health Plans LLC, Oxford Health Plans NJ Inc., Oxford Health Plans NY Inc., P2P Link LLC, PCCCV Inc., PHC Subsidiary Holdings LLC, PHYSICIANS DAY SURGERY CENTER LLC, PMI Acquisition LLC, PMSI Holdings LLC, PMSI Settlement Solutions LLC, POMCO Inc., POMCO Network Inc., PPH Holdings LLC, PPH Management Company L.L.C., PPH-Columbia Inc., PPH-Gardendale Inc., PS Center LLC, PacifiCare Health Systems, PacifiCare Life Assurance Company, PacifiCare Life and Health Insurance Company, PacifiCare of Arizona Inc., PacifiCare of Colorado Inc., Pacific Cardiovascular Associates Medical Group Inc., Pacific Casualty Company Inc., Pacifico S.A. Entidad Prestadora de Salud, Panama City Surgery Center LLC, Park Hill Surgery Center LLC, Parkway Surgery Center LLC, Patient Care Associates L.L.C., PatientsLikeMe, Patrimonio Autonomo Nueva Clinica, Payment Resolution Services LLC, Peninsula Eye Surgery Center LLC, Penzo Enterprises LLC, Peoples Health, Peoples Health Inc., Perham Physical Therapy LTD, Perimeter Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., Pharmaceutical Technologies LLC, Physician Alliance of the Rockies LLC, Physicians Health Choice of Texas LLC, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland Inc., Physicians' Surgery Center of Downey LLC, Pinnacle III LLC, Plano de Saude Ana Costa Ltda., Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico Inc., Plus One Holdings Inc., Pocono Ambulatory Surgery Center Limited, Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes Multiestrategia, Polo Holdco LLC, Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center Inc., Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Post-Acute Care Center for Research LLC, Practice Partners in Healthcare LLC, Preferred Care Network Inc., Preferred Care Network of Florida Inc., Preferred Care Partners Holding Corp., Preferred Care Partners Inc., Preferred Care Partners Medical Group Inc., PreferredOne, PreferredOne Administrative Services Inc., PreferredOne Insurance Company, Premier Choice ACO Inc., Premier Surgery Center of Louisville L.P., Premiere Medical Resources LLC, Presidio Surgery Center LLC, Prime Health Inc., PrimeCare Medical Network Inc., PrimeCare of Citrus Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Corona Inc., PrimeCare of Hemet Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Inland Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Moreno Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Redlands Inc., PrimeCare of Riverside Inc., PrimeCare of San Bernardino Inc., PrimeCare of Sun City Inc., PrimeCare of Temecula Inc., PrimeDoc St. Francis P.C., PrimeDoc of Richmond P.C., ProHEALTH Care Associates L.L.P., ProHEALTH Care Associates of New Jersey LLP, ProHEALTH Medical Management LLC, ProHealth Physicians ACO LLC, ProHealth Physicians Inc., ProHealth Proton Center Management LLC, ProHealth/CareMount Dental Management LLC, Procura Management Inc., Professional Coverage Services PLLC, Progressive Enterprises Holdings Inc., Progressive Medical LLC, Promotora Country S.A., Pronounced Health Solutions Inc., Prosemedic S.A.C., Prospero Benefits Management LLC, Prospero Care Management LLC, Prospero Management Services LLC, Providence & SCA Development LLC, Providence & SCA Off-Campus Holdings LLC, Providence & SCA On-Campus Holdings LLC, Providence & SCA Outreach Markets Holdings LLC, Pulse Platform LLC, QoL Acquisition Holdings Corp., R Cubed Inc., RABessler M.D. P.C., ROC Surgery LLC, ROCS Holdings LLC, RX Ricardo Campos Ltda., Rally Health Inc., ReMedics LLC, Real Appeal Inc., Redding Surgery Center LLC, Redlands Ambulatory Surgery Center, Redlands-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., Reliant MSO LLC, Reliant Medical Group Inc., Reliant Medical Group The Endoscopy Center LLC, Research Surgical Center LLC, Resonancia Magnetica de Colombia Ltda., Resonancia Magnetica del Country S.A., RightCare Solutions Inc., River Valley ASC LLC, Riverside Corporate Wellness LLC, Riverside Electronic Healthcare Resources Inc., Riverside Medical Management LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Meadowlands LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Newark LLC, Robert A. 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Read More The Jamia Milia Islamia and Delhi University will soon be sharing broad resources, including teachers, labs, libraries and even databases. By Ahmad Azeem: Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI) and Delhi University (DU) have agrred in principle to shate broad resources, the Vice Chancellers of both the universities said. In a move to give a fillip to research and education, Jamia and Delhi University today agreed in principle for larger sharing of resources including teachers, laboratory facilities, libraries and databases. The announcement was made at the closing ceremony of JMI's 96th Foundation Day celebrations where Delhi University Vice Chancellor and eminent professor of International Law, Professor Yogesh Tyagi was the Chief Guest. advertisement The two central universities will sign a formal MoU in this regard shortly, said JMI Vice Chancellor, Professor Talat Ahmad. 'INSTITUTIONS MUST WORK TOWARDS PROVIDING HEALTHY ATMOSPHERE TO STUDENTS' Addressing the students and faculty at the jam-packed session at JMI's Ansari auditorium, Professor Tyagi said, "A healthy atmosphere, transparency, fairness, freedom from prejudices and corruption-are expected from an educational institution", and the institutions must work towards fulfilling them. "India is a culturally rich country in which whether it is Hinduism or Islam, justice is at the core. Where justice and fairness shape human behaviour and conduct, all problems are resolved. Law also demands the same thing--equality, due process of justice. So there is no incompatibility between law and religion. If at all, some differences can be resolved by formal processes of law and many by informal processes" Professor Tyagi said. Reminding the students about the importance of chasing their dreams, he said that "we are generally aware of our dreams but are indifferent to the dreams of others. What about dreams of the people of your village? What about the dreams of your community, nation and the international society?" He said educational institutions also had a responsibility towards helping the students achieve these shared dreams. JAMIA, DU WILL SHARE RESOURCES TO MAKE OPTIMAL USE Professor Ahmad, VC JMI, said that there is a very good coordination between Delhi University and Jamia Millia Islamia and we have agreed in principle to take it forward by sharing "our resources to make their optimal use". Professor Ahmad also said that there should be a central system whereby all students from DU, JNU and JMI can come together for special events allowing for greater exchange of ideas and learning among all universities in Delhi. In the context of the historical and cultural importance of the Talimi Mela, Professor Ahmad said that a new feature of this year's event was the setting up of stalls by the Indian Air Force and the Navy. "The idea behind this is "to inspire our students to join the forces and serve the nation". advertisement JAMIA'S FOUNDATION DAY CELEBRATIONS Another highlight of the Mela on the concluding day was a nukkad natak competition by JOSH, the dramatic society of JMI, in which four teams participated and presented scintillating performances that commented on different aspects of society and politics. Professor Tasneem Meenai, Dean of Students' Welfare whose office plays a nodal role in the organisation of the talimi mela said, "The Jamia Cultural Commitee has been instrumental in channelizing and showcasing the talent of our students who have performed very well during the Talimi Mela this year. I hope our students will cherish this platform always." The Department of Social Work organised a special lecture on 'from self-initiation to institutionalization: Celebrating the experiments and experiences of Social Activists' by Magsaysay Awardee, Bezwada Wilson who spoke on the issue of manual scavenging in India and Omkar Nath Sharma popularly known as Medicine Baba as he collects unused medicines and distributes them to the poor and needy. Earlier in the day, students of Jamia schools presented a heart-warming variety programme following a guard of honour to the Vice Chancellor and the hoisted the Jamia flag. Also Read: Jamia Millia Islamia Admissions Open for Distance UG/PG programmes: Apply now advertisement Meeting organised at DU by AISA disrupted --- ENDS --- By India Today Web Desk: A government school was set ablaze in Anantnag district of South Kashmir on Sunday morning. No casualty has been reported from the spot. The building suffered partial damage after the incident. Eyewitnesses said that the school located in Kabamarg-Diyalgam area was damaged in the blaze. Sources said that the school was torched by unidentified persons. Following the incident, fire tenders were rushed to the spot. advertisement According to sources, this is the 25th incident of schools being set on fire after the recent wave of unrest. This is the second incident this week. Earlier, Separatist leader said Syed Ali Shah Geelani said that those involved in the arson were enemies of Kashmir. #WATCH: Govt school building set on fire in South Kashmirs Anantnag district (J&K), major portion of the building damaged. pic.twitter.com/IK98K0MWlB ANI (@ANI_news) 30 October 2016 FREQUENT BRURNING OVER LAST FEW MONTHS Officials of the directorate of school education said that 19 government middle, high and higher secondary schools have been burnt mysteriously during the unrest. Of these, seven were reduced to ashes while 12 were damaged partially in the fire. Besides the 19 government schools, two prominent private schools have also been damaged in the fire as Kashmir remains shut for the past 113 days since the death of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in an encounter on July 8. Most of the schools have been burnt in the dead of the night by unknown 'miscreants'. Few have caught fire allegedly after security forces fired tear gas shells on protesters But security forces have denied allegations of tear gas shells sparking any fire. SAFETY OF SCHOOLS A CONCERN Of the 10 districts of the Valley, Kulgam in South Kashmir has been the worst affected with five schools either completely burnt or partially damaged in fires. Three schools have been burnt in central Kashmir's Budgam district. Concerned teachers in Kulgam district have now decided to guard the schools during the nights. "Following the fire incidents, we held deliberations with district administration and teachers regarding safety of schools. Teachers volunteered to stay in school premises during night hours to ensure safety of the buildings," chief education officer, Kulgam, Abdul Rouf Shahmari was quoted in a media report. Police said that they were trying to identify the "miscreants". "It is a matter of concern for us. We are in the process of identifying the miscreants and also putting in place some security measures like area domination to avoid such incidents," said the state's director general of police, K. Rajendra Kumar. He said that there were thousands of schools, so locals also have to take responsibility of protecting these institutions. "The burning of schools jeopardizes the careers of hundreds of students," he said. STUDENTS FACE UPHILL BATTLE Students in Jammu often write their exams amid mortar explosions. In an official statement, education minister and government spokesman, Naeem Akhtar lamented the damage the schools have undergone and said that these incidents represented a "colossal loss for the entire society". "During the last few months Kashmir has gone through a bad phase which has caused pain to everybody," he said. Since the unrest erupted in Kashmir after Wani's death, students have not attended schools for the past 109 days. The government has decided to go ahead with the exams of high and higher secondary classes in November despite the fact that students have not even able to cover 50 per cent of their syllabus. advertisement The government's insistence on holding the exams has prompted protests by the students who want the tests to be conducted in March. The government said it was looking into various options like introduction of more choices in question papers and reduction in syllabus for the examinations rather than postponing them to March. Arson is not the only issue which is plaguing the education in Kashmir these days. Many schools in the capital Srinagar have been occupied by security forces who were brought in for law and order duties. At least seven prominent schools in Srinagar have been housing many companies of paramilitary forces. The government has maintained that security forces would vacate these schools once the situation improves. advertisement Also read: Fierce encounter between security forces, terrorists underway in Kupwara --- ENDS --- Security forces launched an anti-militancy operation in the forest area of Kupwara today morning following information about the presence of three militants in the area. By India Today Web Desk: An encounter broke out between militants and security forces in forest area of Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir today. Security forces launched an anti-militancy operation in the forest area of Kupwara today morning following information about the presence of three militants in the area, an army official said. He said some gunshots were exchanged at the start of the operation which was continuing when the last reports were received. advertisement Fierce gunbattle is underway. Entire area has been cordoned off. More details are awaited. Also Read: Army destroys 4 Pakistani posts in Keran sector along LoC, says it has inflicted 'heavy casualties' 2 Pakistan soldiers killed as India responds to ceasefire violation with punitive strikes BSF jawan injured as Pakistan violates ceasefire along IB in J-K's Hiranagar Pakistan summons India's Deputy High Commissioner for ceasefire violations at LoC --- ENDS --- Looking for deals at annual Pittsburgh airport auction More than 800 appeared and about 700 participated in annual event last month. Drug awareness events coming to Wichita Falls The Life Decisions Program is aiming to raise awareness of the deadly dangers of fentanyl. SHARE "Interesting" is an all-purpose euphemism employed by polite people to describe someone or something perplexing, riveting or apocalyptically bad. This year's presidential campaign is very interesting. What considerations may impel how people vote? 1) Values vote: The candidate we select more fully shares our moral values. These may include consequential moral issues like peace, economic justice, freedom of religion and the sanctity of life. 2) Interests vote: The candidate we select may not share our values, but is likely to protect interests that are important to us. These may include issues like jobs, Social Security and Second Amendment rights. To distinguish values and interests in international terms, the United States and Canada share values and interests; the United States and Saudi Arabia share interests, but almost no values; the United States and North Korea share neither interests nor values. 3) The greater good vote: We consider both candidates to be decent, even admirable. We believe whoever is elected will serve faithfully, but we will vote for the greater of two goods. To many at the time, the Presidential election of 2008 was a "greater good" election. The Republican candidate was John McCain, a war hero and a man of high honor who had suffered more in the service of his country than any other living politician. The other was Barack Obama, whose intellect, eloquence and charisma seemed to herald a new era in America. 4) The lesser of two evils vote: We consider both candidates seriously flawed, but we will vote for the one who represents the lesser evil. Some may ask, "Aren't we still voting for evil?" Here, consideration of contingent issues becomes important. For example, we may vote for someone we consider repugnant if we believe that person will appoint federal judges and Supreme Court justices likely to rule in favor of our values or interests. At present, there is a standing vacancy on the Supreme Court, while the three oldest serving Justices are 83, 80 and 78. The winner of this year's election may make four or more nominations, and if those are approved by the Senate, the Court will have an ideological trajectory likely to endure for a generation. 5) The pietistic "I will not vote" choice: We believe both candidates are beyond the pale, and we choose only to vote for candidates running "down ballot." This is a principled position, but a better alternative might be to consider one of the third party candidates. In addition, in Texas, there are 13 registered write-in candidates. One of them, Evan McMullin, may well win the electoral votes of Utah. If you vote for anyone other than one of the two major candidates, your choice will certainly lose, but your conscience will remain unsullied. 6) The Vice-Presidential vote: We prefer the vice presidential nominees to the presidential ones, and thus vote on that basis. Of course, on the ballot the presidential and vice presidential candidates are attached, which brings to mind the classic philosophical position (best articulated by Thomas Aquinas) known as the "Double Effect." For example, patients who are near death and receiving palliative care will receive increasing amounts of painkiller if their physical distress increases. While that increase in pain killer may hasten the inevitable passing, a quicker demise is not the intent: the intent is to alleviate suffering. If one votes on the basis of the vice-presidential nominees, the aim is not to get their running mates (whom we may detest) into the Oval Office, but to get their vice presidents into the West Wing. The oldest person to ever assume the office was Ronald Reagan, who was 69 at his first inaugural. Mr. Trump is 70. If elected, he will be the oldest. Secretary Clinton is 69. If she is elected, she will be the second oldest. While that is not inherently disqualifying (oldsters are generally healthier now), it does increase the significance of the individual who will be a heartbeat away from the presidency. In addition, both presidential candidates have been accused by their opponents (and some neutral observers) of illegal behavior. It is conceivable that the victor may, under Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution, be impeached by a majority of the House for "high crimes and misdemeanors," and either resign or risk being convicted and removed by two-thirds of the Senate. All of which is to say that this year's vice presidential candidates have greater import than in previous elections. 7) The Fear Factor, aka The Flight 93 Choice: According to a blogger writing under the pseudonym "Publius Decius Mus" (an ancient Roman who gallantly charged the enemy's line, knowing he would definitely die) this is "the Flight 93 election." The premise is that one of the candidates will definitely destroy the country, and the other probably will as well. Voting for the one who will not definitely destroy the country embraces the ethos of the heroic passengers who stormed the cockpit of Flight 93. They knew the plane would almost certainly crash because none of them knew how to fly a jetliner, but they refused to allow the terrorist hijackers to determine their fate. Before you vote, pray fervently for our country. After you vote, pray more. David Hartman is a member of the Times Record News Community Editorial Board. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Show More Show Less 3 of 3 ROTTERDAM Town police on Saturday arrested two suspects in a Thursday bank robbery at the Altamont Avenue Pioneer Savings Bank. James Matzen, 22, of Troy is charged with first-degree robbery and grand larceny and Lisa Haydon tied the knot with her UK-based businessman boyfriend Dino Lalvani in Phuket. By India Today Web Desk: Lisa Haydon, who is still receiving positive reviews for her guest appearance in Karan Johar's festive release Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, tied the knot with her sweetheart Dino Lalvani on October 29. ALSO SEE: Lisa Haydon's HOT covershoot for Women's Health The two got hitched in a beautiful ceremony at the Amanpuri Beach Resort in Phuket, Thailand. The Queen actor had been dating the 41-year-old UK-based businessman for over a year. Lisa has been vocal about her love and even addressed Dino as "my boo" at the IIFA (International Indian Film Academy) Awards in Madrid this year. She posted pictures from their holiday in Greece and even announced her plan to marry him last month on her Instagram account. She posted a picture of the two of them kissing at the airport and wrote: Gonna marry him. advertisement Lisa broke the news of her wedding on her Instagram account as well. She posted a stunning picture of herself in a white wedding gown and captioned it: Walking to forever. Walking to forever ?? A photo posted by @lisahaydon on Oct 29, 2016 at 8:34pm PDT The beautiful couple #love #weddingbliss A photo posted by Malini Ramani (@malini_ramani) on Oct 29, 2016 at 9:01pm PDT The kiss! ??????? @lisahaydon A video posted by Malika Haydon (@malika.haydon) on Oct 29, 2016 at 10:10am PDT Just Married ????????? A photo posted by @lisahaydon on Oct 29, 2016 at 9:52pm PDT --- ENDS --- This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Portland, Ore. On the same day seven defendants celebrated their acquittal in the armed takeover of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon, law enforcement officers dressed in riot gear and firing bean bag rounds arrested nearly 150 oil pipeline protesters camped out in North Dakota. The sudden developments in the two protests drew an unsettling contrast for many between the treatment of mostly Native American citizens at an encampment near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation and the heavily armed occupiers who held the federal government at bay for weeks in the remote Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. "How is it that people who were seen on national media with guns having a standoff with police officials were acquitted ... and we're being treated like we're terrorists?" said Cody Hall, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota and a spokesman for the pipeline protesters. Yet experts on public land policy who have watched both situations unfold cautioned it is too soon to draw conclusions about either protest's outcome and pointed to broad yet important themes that underlie movements otherwise separated by hundreds of miles and an ideological chasm. Both the Standing Rock Sioux and the Oregon occupiers consider themselves marginalized groups fighting to preserve a way of life. Both movements feel disenfranchised and are disillusioned with federal land policy, said Gregg Cawley, a University of Wyoming political science professor. "At that level, even though all the details are different, they're very similar," Cawley said. "If you step back far enough ... then you can start seeing some parallels here." Ammon and Ryan Bundy, neither native to Oregon, seized the refuge in January to a protest the imprisonment of two ranchers convicted of setting fires on public land. More than two dozen others eventually joined the 41-day occupation, which grew into demands for the U.S. government to turn over public lands to local control. On Thursday, jurors acquitted the brothers and five others on felony charges that included conspiracy and possession of a gun in a federal facility. In North Dakota, hundreds of Standing Rock Sioux tribal members and their supporters have held a monthslong campaign to protest the Dakota Access oil pipeline, which would skirt the reservation's northern border. The tribe says the 1,200-mile pipeline will damage its water supply and endanger sacred sites. Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners is building the conduit from western North Dakota to Illinois, and state officials say no sensitive cultural sites have been found on the route. The North Dakota protesters face misdemeanor charges, including trespassing and engaging in a riot. Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault called the action "violence against innocent, prayerful people." Richard A. Pittman, a Marine who earned the Medal of Honor for charging into a North Vietnamese ambush under heavy fire and fending off dozens of enemy troops in 1966, died Oct. 13 in Stockton, California. He was 71. His death was confirmed on the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's website. It did not specify a cause, but he had undergone open-heart surgery some years ago, a family member said. On July 24, 1966, Pittman was a lance corporal in Company 1's 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. His unit was moving down a narrow jungle trail near the demilitarized zone when Marines ahead of his position were attacked by a larger, concealed enemy force. Pittman grabbed a machine gun and belts of extra ammunition and rushed ahead, firing into the enemy position. He destroyed two enemy automatic weapons and kept advancing into what the Medal of Honor citation described as "a withering hail of enemy mortar and small-arms fire" to reach wounded Marines 50 yards up the trail. "As he reached the position where the leading Marines had fallen, he was suddenly confronted with a bold frontal attack by 30 to 40 enemy," the citation continued. "Totally disregarding his safety, he calmly established a position in the middle of the trail and raked the advancing enemy with devastating machinegun fire." When his machine gun failed, he kept firing with a Vietnamese submachine gun and a pistol. When he ran out of ammunition, he threw a grenade, his last remaining weapon, at the retreating North Vietnamese soldiers, and then returned to his platoon. "I just did it," Pittman, who was later promoted to sergeant, told The Los Angeles Times at a convention of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society in 1987. "I knew somebody had to do something. Combat was kind of always instinctive for me." President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the Medal of Honor to Pittman and other recipients at the White House on May 14, 1968. Richard Allan Pittman was born on May 26, 1945, in French Camp, in San Joaquin County, California. He graduated from Franklin High School in Stockton in 1964 and, although legally blind in one eye, was determined to enlist in the military. The Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps rejected him as 4-F, medically unfit for combat, but he enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1965 by bluffing on his eye test. He enlisted in the Marine Corps later that year. He was discharged in April 1968, re-enlisted in 1970 and retired as a master sergeant in the late 1980s. For many years he lived in Stockton, where an elementary school was named after him. He is survived by his wife, Patricia; a sister, Anita Bartlett; four daughters, Tina Pittman-Carr, Gina Pittman, Julie Pittman-Johnson and Richelle Pittman-Kiyabu; and nine grandchildren. The choice America faces Nov. 8 is as stark as it gets. This is an election between a thoroughly qualified candidate and a challenger whose campaign itself keeps descending into disarray. A candidate who understands America's vital role in the world, and a rival who reduces foreign policy to slogans. A candidate who could be this nation's first female president and a man who stoops to shamefully degrading talk about women. With a choice so clear, we enthusiastically endorse Hillary Clinton for president of the United States. This surely comes as no surprise to regular readers of this page, given our editorials over the past year denouncing specific elements of the campaign of Donald J. Trump. Yet we believe it is important to add our voice to those of news organizations around the nation that have overwhelmingly supported Mrs. Clinton and opposed Mr. Trump. This is not, as Mr. Trump would likely suggest, evidence of a rigged system or some vast media conspiracy. The news organizations that have come out for Mrs. Clinton and against Mr. Trump run the spectrum from large to medium to small. They are, by and large, local newspapers like this one, run by your fellow citizens and neighbors. With but a handful of exceptions in the entire country, those that have weighed in have all endorsed Mrs. Clinton. More Information To comment: tuletters@timesunion.com or at http://blog.timesunion.com/opinion See More Collapse That, too, is hardly a surprise. Mrs. Clinton is, as many have observed, one of the most qualified people to ever run for the presidency. She has seen the workings of the White House as both first lady during Bill Clinton's two terms, and as Secretary of State in the administration of President Barack Obama who brought her on board even after their 2008 primary fight for the Democratic nomination. She also knows the workings of Congress, having served as a U.S. Senator from New York. For all the partisan attacks over the years that have targeted her, and her husband, she showed in the Senate how people can put aside political differences and work across the aisle for the public good. America desperately needs that approach today. Everywhere we look, Mr. Trump falls short in this area. He bullied and insulted his way to the Republican nomination. Many in his party have only grudgingly endorsed a man whom some will only call "the party's nominee." The embarrassment he has brought to a self-proclaimed party of "family values" including a bigoted criticism of a judge of Mexican descent and an old video of him bragging about sexually abusing women caused many in his own party to denounce him. His claim that he will surround himself with the "best" people rings hollow from a man who is on his third campaign manager. Mrs. Clinton's platform, too, stands in marked contrast to Mr. Trump's. Where independent analyses show that hers would not dramatically increase the national debt, his would inflate it by trillions. Mrs. Clinton seeks to raise taxes on the wealthy to help pay for some of her proposals, including shoring up Social Security. Mr. Trump offers little more than trickle-down tax-cut fantasies, with most of the benefits going to rich people like himself. Where Mr. Trump offers vague assurances that his tax cuts will spur unbelievable numbers of American jobs and all-but-impossible levels of economic growth, Mrs. Clinton proposes realistic ideas debt-free higher education and relief for people with existing student debt; a higher national minimum wage; incentives for companies to share profits with workers and create jobs in this country; disincentives for corporations to hide revenue overseas. Mrs. Clinton would preserve the Affordable Care Act while working to fix its acknowledged flaws; Mr. Trump mouths a "repeal and replace" mantra and leaves it to voters to trust him, as with so many of his promises, to figure out the details. Beyond their many differences on domestic issues are perhaps even starker contrasts on foreign policy, an area where Mrs. Clinton has years of experience. Mr. Trump spouts nationalistic, slogan-driven platitudes. He rails against U.S. missteps abroad that he himself supported, such as the invasions of Iraq and Libya. He talks blithely of allowing more nations to acquire nuclear weapons, speaks casually of threatening the NATO alliance, and talks in conciliatory, admiring language of Russian strongman Vladimir Putin. He claims, with frightening hubris, to be smarter than any general, and says he has a plan to destroy the terror group Islamic State, yet keeps it as secret as the tax returns he has yet to make public. Mrs. Clinton, on the other hand, recognizes the complexity of the Middle East and the need to continue the focused campaign to degrade and eventually destroy ISIS. She understands that both nuclear proliferation and nuclear war are not topics that presidents can just shoot their mouths off about. Sign up for the Observation Deck newsletter Read the latest Times Union opinion, perspective and letters to the editor on Mondays by signing up for our Observation Deck newsletter. If there is one big surprise in this election, it's that Mr. Trump, a self-proclaimed billionaire developer and reality TV star, got as far as he did in achieving the Republican nomination. Not only is he unready for the presidency, he wasn't even ready to run for it. Twice he has had to overhaul his top campaign staff, and many times he has had to backtrack on statements, such as his off-the-cuff pronouncement that women should be punished for having abortions. He seemed to have barely studied for the three debates. The country cannot afford a president obsessed with his poll numbers but uninterested in the details of policy and governing. There is no question that Mr. Trump is one of the most interesting candidates to ever run for U.S. president; he could probably thank the "mainstream media" that he routinely vilifies for all the billions of dollars worth of free exposure they have given him. Being interesting, however, is not the same as being worthy of the immense responsibility of the presidency. The last century gave us more than enough interesting people megalomaniac dictators who still fascinate us, but who brought their countries and the world tyranny, persecution, and genocide. We do not make such a reference lightly, nor do we use it to obscure concerns about Mrs. Clinton's own faults, chief among them a penchant for privacy that led her to use a personal email account in violation of federal policy. But that pales beside Mr. Trump's almost daily lies, well documented over the course of the campaign, and the much darker side of his candidacy. Over the last 15 months, Mr. Trump has tapped some of the most disturbing and despicable themes America has seen in a modern, major-party campaign. He launched his candidacy by vilifying Mexican immigrants as drug dealers, rapists and murderers as the basis for his ridiculous plan to erect a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, and round up and expel millions of undocumented residents. He called for a total ban on Muslim immigration, milking and stoking Americans' fears of terrorism. For the last several months, he has suggested that his supporters engage in voter intimidation by going to polls in election districts in minority neighborhoods, presumably to catch all that imagined voter fraud. He has repeatedly degraded women in the foulest misogynistic terms. He has been embraced by and has been slow to renounce white supremacist elements of the far right fringe. As a final desperate, divisive, destructive strategy, he has questioned the legitimacy of our entire election system should he lose. By his temperament alone, Mr. Trump is utterly unfit to occupy the office held by such figures as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. And by her experience, empathy and discipline, and armed with a dignity that has withstood withering attacks, Mrs. Clinton clearly is ready to be our next president. Residents of Mandeep's village said that no Diwali would be celebrated in the village as a mark of respect to the martyr. Mandeep, a soldier of the 17th Sikh Regiment, was killed in an gun battle with terrorists in Machhil sector of Kupwara area of Jammu and Kashmir. Photo: ANI By Shalini Lobo: Indian Army soldier Mandeep Singh, whose body was mutilated by terrorists near the Line of Control (LoC), was on Sunday cremated in his village in Haryana's Kurukshetra district with full military honours. MARTYR MANDEEP SINGH Mandeep, a soldier of the 17th Sikh Regiment, was killed in an gun battle with terrorists in Machhil sector of Kupwara area of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday night. He hailed from Antehri village in Kurukshetra district, about 100 km from Chandigarh. advertisement Hundreds of people, including men, women and children, gathered to pay their last respects to the martyr. The people raised slogans of "Long live Mandeep" and against Pakistan. His body was brought to Ambala on Saturday and handed over to his family on Sunday. KHATTAR VISITS FAMILY Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar visited the village on Sunday morning to share the grief with Mandeep's family. Senior officers of the army, district administration and the police were present at the cremation. Residents of Mandeep's village said that no Diwali would be celebrated in the village as a mark of respect to the martyr. Antehri village is known for sending its men to the forces. WE ARE PROUD OF OUR SON "We are proud of the sacrifice of our son. Pakistan must be taught a lesson for its inhuman actions," Mandeep's father Phool Singh said. Mandeep, who was married in 2014, leaves behind his young widow, Prerna, who is a constable in the Haryana Police, and parents. "Our government should take decisive action to finish Pakistan. We cannot let our soldiers die like this," an inconsolable Prerna told the media. Mandeep had built a new house in the village. He was to come home and diwali was the festive occasion when the family would hold the house warming ritual. But fate took its own course. Mandeep Singh arrived home but in a casket. His mortal remains were handed over to his family by the Indian Army this morning. Indian Army, in an official statement on Saturday, said the soldier's body was "mutilated" and added that it would retaliate with an "appropriate response". Khattar described Mandeep's killing as a cowardly act by the terrorists. The Chief Minister said that a financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh would be given to the next of kin. DASTARDLY ATTACKS BY PAKISTAN This is not the first time that Pakistan has mutilated the bodies of Indian soldiers. During the Kargil war in 1999, Captain Saurabh Kalia, soldiers Arjunram Baswana, Mula Ram Bidiasar, Naresh Singh Sinsinwar, Bhanwar Lal Bagaria and Bhika Ram Mudh of the 4 Jat Regiment were captured by Pakistani troops and brutally tortured. advertisement The soldiers had their ear drums pierced with hot iron rods, eyes punctured and genitals cut off. The autopsy of the bodies also revealed that they were burnt with cigarettes butts. Their limbs were also chopped off, teeth broken and skull fractured during the torture. Even their nose and lips were sliced off. In another incident, on January 8, 2013, Pakistani soldiers entered Indian territory in Krishna Ghati sector of the border and killed two Indian soldiers -- Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh. Indian officials said both the bodies were mutilated, and Hemraj's body was decapitated. With inputs from IANS --- ENDS --- United States Secretary of State John Kerry was lauded as a 'very worthy and deserving recipient' of this year's International Peace Award by organiser Martin Quinn, at a high security ceremony in the restored Aherlow House Hotel. United States Secretary of State John Kerry was lauded as a "very worthy and deserving recipient" of this year's International Peace Award by organiser Martin Quinn, at a high security ceremony in the restored Aherlow House Hotel in Tipperary today. The Massachusetts Senator has dedicated his life and traversed the world in the passionate belief that peaceful diplomacy can reconcile long standing enemies and bring about positive change for millions across the globe, Mr Quinn told the world media, local politicians and guests. https://www.facebook.com/eoin.kelleher.75/videos/10210584336385718/ Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Charlie Flanagan greeted Sec. of State Kerry in Shannon before flying on to Aherlow near Tipperary town where the two men discussed Northern Ireland, the challenges posed by the UK's intended withdrawal from the EU, trade negotiations between the US and the EU, and Ireland's strong commitment to peaceful development. At a press conference overlooking the stunning Galtee Mountains, Senator Kerry recalled Massachusetts' strong links to Ireland, the status of illegal Irish immigrants in the US, and the ongoing wars in the Middle East. Ireland has made an "extraordinary contribution" to peaceful resolutions in conflicts across the world, and punches above its weight when it comes to ending nuclear proliferation, said Senator Kerry. "Your peacekeeping efforts are legendary now." Few nations understand more fully the challenges of addressing age old conflicts over territory or sovereignty than Ireland. "It's a lot harder to pursue peace than make war." Senator Kerry said Ireland and the United States enjoy a special relationship, and ties of blood and friendship going back centuries. The White House remains committed to both the 'Fresh Start' and Stormont House accords. The UK's decision to leave the EU must not impact on the Peace Process, and both Senator Kerry and the President felt that the UK leaving the Union was "not the way to go". "We are committed now to figuring out who do we answer some very tough questions. How do you maintain the economic opportunities which came through the EU, while at the same time reconciling the requirements of the will of the people with access to the Single Market. This is a tough issue, and I can't tell you exactly how that's going to be resolved." Senator Kerry said the United States wants a strong UK, EU and Ireland, "and we will work as hard as we can to maintain those." Senator Kerry praised Ireland's global role and input through the United Nations, which has been critical to conflict zones such Libya, Chad, the Congo, and Ireland ranks amongst the top 10 countries in the world for humanitarian assistance "with an investment of nearly 100m in this year alone, in order to protect refugees, to combat disease, and spur economic development. The people of Ireland should be proud, and I want to emphasise how grateful we are in the United States for this partnership." https://www.facebook.com/eoin.kelleher.75/videos/10210584237423244/ Senator Kerry pointed to the successful J1 programme and the more than 150,000 Irish students who have worked and studied in American cities and Universities. "Exchanges that enable these young interns to come over and study our cultures and our customs. I am pleased to announce that I will be signing a new MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) which will expand the number of young Irish people who can spend a full year as interns for US enterprises, giving them the chance to be able to expand important skills before returning home." For a full account of Senator Kerry's visit and acceptance speech, see p2 of this week's Tipperary Star. NextCon16 Event to Promote Business Growth and Innovation By Laura Stotler , Business VoIP Contributing Editor Cloud and communications technologies are transforming at a rapid pace, and most growing businesses in the industry emphasize development, innovation and channel partnerships. Remaining competitive in such a dynamic environment can be a challenge though, and businesses need to invest in their core initiatives and operations to keep in step with competitors. The upcoming NextCon16 technology and business conference, hosted by cloud communications leader Nextiva, will focus on that intersection of technology and business. The event is tailored toward helping entrepreneurs and professionals grow their businesses, and will offer more than 50 speakers and 40 conference sessions. Topics will include sales, marketing, IT, business development, customer service, entrepreneurship and operations. More than 1,000 industry professionals are expected to attend NextCon16, and a number of technology gurus will speak to attendees about strategies for fostering innovation and a positive and productive business culture. These include Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, and Guy Kawasaki, the former chief evangelist at Apple. Tomas Gorny, CEO of Nextiva, will also be unveiling an exciting new product at the event, designed to transform how organizations communicate, engage and manage their relationships with customers and employees. Additional presentations will focus on growth strategies for women in business as well as ways to maximize resources, drive growth and pinpoint untapped market opportunities. Additional highlights of NextCon16 will include the XBert Expo, sponsored by Polycom, Panasonic, Cisco and Oracle. The Expo will promote networking and discussion opportunities among attendees. Other features include partner workshops, fireside chats and awards ceremonies. NextCon16 will take place from November 14-16 at the Talking Stick Resort near Scottsdale, AZ. Online registration is available and all event proceeds will be donated by Nextiva to charities in the Phoenix area. Two candidates seeking NLCS Board District 2 seat In this year's general election, two candidates are seeking election to the district two seat on the NLCS board: Adam Parsley and Michael Patton. Martyr Mandeep Singh, who lost his life on October 28 in a cross border firing between India and Pakistan, inspires youth from his village to join the Army. Mandeep, a soldier of the 17th Sikh Regiment, was killed in an gun battle with terrorists in Machhil sector of Kupwara area of Jammu and Kashmir. Photo: ANI By Shalini Lobo: A quaint little village, tucked in the bylanes of Kurukshetra, Haryana. On Diwali, this village mourns the loss of a national hero. Mandeep Singh, a brave young sepoy who lost his life on October 28 in the cross border firing between India and Pakistan. But Mandeep leaves behind a legacy. Young voices in the village are inspired by him and want to join the armed forces. advertisement Almost every family in Antehri has one member of the family in the forces. Many youngsters try hard to get into the forces. Some pass and others fail. But the passion has not gone unnoticed. "It was always my dream to join the army. I have many friends in the army. As a child, whenever I saw army vehicles and army officers, I admired their passion" says 24-year-old Gurman Singh. He studies in the night but during the day he works in the field and looks after his family cattle. It is not just him, another young boy Rakesh Kumar also shares the same dream. He helps in the fields all day and studies at night. "I have given my papers. I have been trying to join the Indian army for 7-8 years now", he says. But fulfilling this dream is not as easy as it sounds and both young men live in fear that their dreams might not turn into reality. 'They demand 3-4 lakhs and we can't afford it. This might just remain a dream', says Gurman Singh. With obstacles ahead, these young men are not disheartened. They look up to Martyr Mandeep Singh and admire him for his passion and brave soul. Also read: Last respects paid to martyr Mandeep Singh in Kurukshetra --- ENDS --- By Smita Sharma: India hopes to get Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar designated as a global terrorist by the end of the year. India's permanent representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin has stressed that India is working patiently on the case and looking at all available options. Speaking exclusively to India Today on a day when the UN headquarters lit to celebrate Diwali for the first time, Akbaruddin said, "We are working patiently but diligently with a large number of member countries. Our hope is that with the support of member countries we will be able to meet our goal and that goal is to list an designate a terrorist who heads an organisation which is already designated as a terrorist entity. We are halfway there and we hope to get there in the not too distant future. advertisement READ: Ahead of Xi Jinping's visit to India, China says UNSC still divided on Masood Azhar India had moved the UN Security Council committee under resolution 1267 earlier this year to designate Azhar as a global terrorist following the Pathankot terror attack masterminded allegedly by the JeM chief. But China had blocked the move for a second time this year by putting the resolution on a technical hold without citing any reasons officially, first for six months and then subsequently for three months. The hold lapses in December this year wherein China can either agree to the resolution which has the support of the other members of the committee or it can use its veto to block the resolution. READ: PM Modi to meet Xi Jinping, NSG bid and ban on Masood Azhar on top agenda Indian envoy to the UN Akbaruddin hopes that there will be a progress on the issue by the year end since Masood's organisation JeM is already on the globally banned terror list and India will pursue the case to its logical outcome. "They had asked for six month technical hold initially and subsequently they have asked for a further three months hold. That three months hold ends by the end of the year and we hope by then, all their request for technical information are fulfilled and we will get a new year gift in terms of designating terrorist leader as UN designated individual," Akbaruddin added. Also Read: China shields Masood Azhar at UN second time; issue may dominate Modi-Jinping BRICS talks Pakistan's Masood Azhar a terrorist: India to press upon China with evidence BJP created Jaish-e-Mohammad by releasing Masood Azhar: CongressAfter blocking India's move to ban Masood Azhar, China now wants action against global terrorists --- ENDS --- Aftermath of another Saturday night shooting for the second week in a row as this high-traffic street near the juncture of the Crossroads and the Westside endures more violence. Neighbors note the pop-up hip-hop club often plays a role in the weekend drama but eventually local news will catch on this this neighborhood complaint. Here's the aftermath and a not so fun fact to mention to Downtown Real Estate agents: 2 injured in overnight shooting in KC TAKE A LOOK AT THIS TWITTER VIDEO CLIP FEATURING A TYPICAL PARKING LOT ARGUMENT THAT QUICKLY ESCALATES INTO A HAND GUN CONFRONTATION!!! For this Sunday morning we have a look at the frightening future of public discourse as a parking lot debate takes a frightening turn.To wit . . .Here's the word and the link to shocking video . . .And what we see here is a very angry guy stepping up to a woman in her car, holding what looks like a gun and taking a swipe on her.You decide the whose right but the video seems to speak for itself and offers a glimpse at more dangerous confrontation that awaits Kansas City residents as "stand your ground" is now law and CCW with less without training a reality. And while we endorse gun rights and the 2nd Amendment . . . We offer this clip to locals gun rights enthusiasts who might want to way in on what this guy did wrong.As always, you decide . . . CHECK BARB SHELLY SHARING HER RAGE OVER THE KANSAS CITY STAR HARD RIGHT TURN PREDICTED BY TKC AND THE CURRENT SLATE OF GOP ENDORSEMENTS!!! Former Kansas City Star Worker And Current Freelancer Barb Shelly: The Kansas City Star, with an editorial board consisting of rookie publisher Tony Berg and freelancer Rich Hood, endorsed Blunt today for U.S. Senate over Jason Kander, one of the brightest lights to come out of Kansas City and Missouri in a long while. They chose greed and Washington connections over someone who cares about ethics and people. I am sick about this . . . Right now, because of managerial incompetence, The Star has no full-time editorial writers. A new opinion editor is supposed to come on board in December. I doubt if Berg knows enough to understand that he has now placed this new editor and whomever else is hired to write opinion -- if anyone -- on the side of the NRA, voter suppression, discrimination against gays, repression of women and the interests of corporate greed over working and striving Americans. Star publisher Tony Berg's email is tberg@kcstar.com. He doesn't respond to email or phone calls, apparently. But venting is all we can do at this point. This weekend Kansas City's intelligentsia is outraged overthanks to some of the very intelligent readers who are kind enough to share their perspective.Accordingly . . .Again,and she casts some serious aspersions against new management.Here's the most important part . . .#########You decide . . . abandoned all faith in political steal JASON KANDER'S SENATE REFORMER CAMPAIGN WAS FOUNDED ON THE LIE THAT HE WAS COMMITTED TO STATEWIDE OFFICE WHEN, IN FACT, HIS SECSTATE JOB NOW SEEMS LIKE NOTHING BUT A CYNICAL PLOY IN HIS QUEST FOR HIGHER OFFICE!!! Jason Kander says he is running for reelection in 2016: I ran for secretary of state because I want to be secretary of state, he said. This is a great job and I hope people in a few years let me continue it. Im doing everything I can to do this job as well as I possibly can. Like it or not, and with as much disrespect as possible toward the current state of American Democracy: After all is said and done, I'd like to contend that NOTHING GOOD CAN EVER COME FROM A LIE and Jason Kander's Senate campaign will be forever tarnished unless somebody, anybody sincerely explains the deception. The fact is, I respect Missouri Secretary Of State Jason Kander more than any other elected official currently holding office. He is a student of the law, a dedicated, young family man, a solider who put his life on the line for his country and a brilliant yet humble public servant. He has the potential to be one of the greatest leaders this nation has ever seen and his commitment to this country and his principals is unmatched. Yet Jason Kander's path to champion reform, honesty and integrity in our nation's capital have been betrayed by the lie at the start of this journey to Washington D.C. His challenger is far too tainted by a career of compromises to question the honesty of an opponent. And so it falls to his supporters to demand an explanation of this untruth that has discredited the Kander for Senate campaign at its core. IN ALL HONESTY, AN ANSWER TO WHY VOTERS SHOULD SUPPORT KANDER DESPITE A PROVEN LIE THAT STARTED HIS CAMPAIGN WOULD BE A BLESSING AND A SERVICE TO THIS TRAGIC ELECTION SEASON. WE'LL POST THE BEST EXPLANATION OFFERED!!! I don't believe inThe Karmic spiritual principle of cause and effect speaks to an inherent sense of justice which resides in the hearts of most people but the reality is that the innocent are killed every day and even babies are regularly slaughtered or often succumb to disease as the uncaring Universe offers no explanation and humanity remains mostly unconcerned.Meanwhile, Americanshonesty long ago and elections are nothing more than real time applications of demographic market research powered by corporations and special interests.On the bright side, there nothing like watching a series of humanshows as a paltry justification for sending young people to die in foreign lands in order tosecure precious natural resources and protect the interests of bankers, CEOS and all the d-bags with enough money toDon't get it twisted, I'm still grateful for all of the freedom that this great nation provides asBut I digress . . .Here's the point . . .Here's the proof by way of an on-the-record quote toand their courage in keeping the story online:Accordingly . . .Moreover . . .So, here's what we're gonna do . . .This call for comment is, obviously, open to every perspective and all participants. While this question has been posed as a partisan talking point by some critics, given that TKC does not make election endorsements, we offer this discussion merely as part of our ongoing mission to garner relevant information and share it with voters.You decide . . . A White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that U.S. President Barack Obamas visit to Greece on November 15 is not linked to a new deal for Athens A White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that U.S. President Barack Obamas visit to Greece on November 15 is not linked to a new deal for Athens. The president is not traveling to Greece to go and negotiate some sort of new financial arrangement between Greece and the EU, he told reporters late on Wednesday. Obama is expected to spend some time on this trip complimenting the Greek government for the success that they have had in implementing the reforms that they committed to make said the spokesman, making it clear that an intervention or the negotiation of some sort of new financial deal between Greece and the EU is not on the cards. Obama, however, will encourage Greece to continue the path of reform that is good for the long-term economic and fiscal situation in Greece. No sooner was Obamas visit to Greece announced than the local press began speculating on the reason for the visit, especially in light of the fact that Obama will head to Germany following his Greek meetings. Earnest stressed the cultural ties that bind Greece and the U.S. as well as the economic relationship. Obama is interested in underscoring all of that as he makes his own historic trip to Greece for the first time as president. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report In efforts to promote their individual unique craft, 24 Greek fashion and accessory designers are venturing to a new market to unveil their 2017 summer collections; they are heading to Australia. Their determination and efforts are being helped with the cooperation of the Greek Style Council (GSC), which is a platform for presenting and promoting Greek designers in Australia. The first call to action by the GSC was to create a pop-up venture which is a wholesale showroom at La Porte Spaces luxury co-working space in Sydney, which opened to the public on October 17. Not surprising, there is a Greek-Australian at the head of this business venture. Her name is Helen Tirekidis, and she wanted to make a difference in the lives and careers of both established and inspiring Greek designers who have been struggling in light of the financial crisis hitting Greece for the past several years. Amazing talent in Greece It was clear to me for a long time that there was amazing talent in Greece and I was always a little frustrated that this was little known (in Australia), Tirekidis told Kathimerinis K magazine. For years, I always heard about the state of the economy, the doom and gloom. But what was strange to me was that there was not much talk about what was really going right in Greece. The real trigger for me was that I noticed the correlation between the downturn in the economy and a super-fast upsurge in creativity. The logical first step was creating the pop-up temporary showroom where well-known Greek designers such as Yiorgos Eleftheriades and Liana Camba are showcased next to emerging talent such as Ioanna Kourbela, Christina Economou and a list of new Greek brands such as The Artians, Gaffer & Fluf and many more. I searched high and low and all over Greece to seek out those who displayed three key elements: a commitment to craftsmanship, a focus on design and a global intent, noted Tirekidis to K magazine. So, whats next for the group of designers hoping to score big in Australias fashion market? If its up to Tirekidis, Greek designers labels will be found on the racks of Australian stores and boutiques throughout the country, she explained to K magazine. Currently, Tirekidis said that she is playing with the idea of creating a short documentary, or a fashion shoot with Greek designers and photographers alike anything to spread the word about the talent from Greece. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report The UNWTO WTM Ministers Summit hosts an array of heading speakers from both a private and open zone to plead a pivotal subject of protected and seamless transport during this years World Travel Market Londo The UNWTO WTM Ministers Summit hosts an array of heading speakers from both a private and open zone to plead a pivotal subject of protected and seamless transport during this years World Travel Market London. Speakers during this years eventuality include: Mr. Fritz Joussen, Chief Executive Officer, TUI Mr. Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive, ABTA Ms. Nina Brooks, Head, Securitym, Airports Council International (ACI) World H.E. Mr. Mohamed Yehia Rashed, Minister of Tourism Egypt Mr. Ryoichi Matsuyama, President, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) Hon. Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Ministry of Tourism Kenya Hon. Edward Zammit Lewis, Minister of Tourism Malta H.E. Mrs. Selma Elloumi Rekik, Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts Tunisia H.E. Mr. Nabi Avci, Minister of Culture and Tourism Turkey Mr. Aldo Lale-Demoz, Deputy Executive Director and Director of a Division for Operations UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Ms. Isabel Hill, Director, National Travel and Tourism Office United States Department of Commerce H.E. Ms. Beatrice Maille, Director General, Consular Policy Bureau Global Affairs Canada Canada Mr. David Scowsill, President and CEO, World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC) World Travel Market London, Senior Director, Simon Press, said: Safe and Seemless transport is a pivotal subject for all those concerned in tellurian transport and tourism. All a speakers during this years limit have approach knowledge of a impact of terrorism and a quarrel to keep nations, adults and tourists safe. we demeanour brazen to a thought-provoking and prolific discussion. Safety and confidence are pivotal pillars of tourism growth and we need to strengthen a common movement to build a safe, secure, and seamless transport framework. we trust this Summit will assistance us pierce brazen on this critical common plea as we work to safeguard that reserve and confidence can go palm in palm with compelling a seamless transport experience, said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. The event is chaired by CNN Internationals Becky Anderson. Party, Party, Party! WTM Londons Festival Programme Returns World Travel Market London 2016 also announce a farrago of exhibitors that will be merrymaking in character during WTM Londons Festival programme on Wednesday Nov 9 from 5pm to 7pm. WTM Londons Festival programme will have during slightest 13 countries hosting festivals giving all participants a event to socialize after a normal operative hours in a fun and colourful atmosphere. Those attending will knowledge a farrago of cultures, hospitalities and cuisines with any hosting exhibitor charity something unique. India is among a exhibitors that will be hosting WTM Londons festivals. India (Stand IN300 IN350), Assam India (Stand IN270) and Goa (Stand IN175): With 2016 being announced a Indias year during WTM London, Vibrant India themed festival will be showcasing a countrys informative flair, with music, dancing and normal cuisine on a pavilion where any dilemma of India will be presented. The states Assam India and Goa will also be presenting their normal song and dance. At a Goas stand, juicy Indian food and drinks will be served as a networking commences, accompanied with live folk song and a special dance performance. China (Stand AS650), Japan (Stand AS640), Philippines (Stand AS500) and Vietnam (Stand AS260): In a Asian region, 4 countries are holding partial of a WTM Londons Festival programme. Japan National Tourism will be hosting a Japanese Calligraphy and paper sorcery while in a Vietnam stand, song is expected to attract copiousness of courtesy as a end showcases a dancing traditions. Philippines is hosting a Philippine Street Party, food and cocktail bar with singing and percussion instruments. China is earnest to come adult with an sparkling mount presentation. Bolivia (Stand LA450), Argentina (Stand LA420), Mexico (Stand LA120) and Caribbean (Stand CA235): Bolivias festival will be focusing on enlightenment and some Folkloric Dancing while Argentina will horde an dusk of Tango dancing and booze tasting. In a Mexico stand, a Hotel Xcaret Mexico will benefaction a live opening of a enactment of an ancient Mesoamerican God. Relax and tell with some Caribbean Agent Training Sessions, song and some delicious Caribbean food in a Caribbean stand. Bulgaria (Stand EU900) and Denmark (Stand EU945): Bulgaria will constraint a glance of a nation with live dancers; Bulgarian booze tasting and delicious cold snacks. VisitDenmark will also be hosting a celebration atmosphere with Poppy and Branch from a new charcterised comedy Trolls walking a building of WTM London. Meet a dual happy trolls, get your print taken and hear how we can win prizes. VisitDenmark has also implemented a Hug Time twice a day during WTM London only like a animation where a trolls cuddle any other any hour. Ertebat Gostar Sobat (Stand TT518): Located in a record area, EGS are using an sparkling foe to get participants a possibility to win a outing to Persia. Visitors will have to answer severe questions during a activity. World Travel Market London, Senior Director, Simon Press said: The WTM London festivals were introduced in 2014 to applaud a 35th book of WTM London, though they were so successful they have continued. This year a festivals are even bigger and improved than before with copiousness of event for spontaneous networking and fun for all attendees. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report By PTI: New Delhi, Oct 28 (PTI) Students of JNU today staged a protest outside Police Headquarters alleging inaction to trace a student of the university who has been missing from the campus for two weeks, leading to a massive traffic jam at the ITO crossing. Najeeb Ahmed (27), a student of School of Biotechnology and a native of Badaun in Uttar Pradesh, went missing on October 15 following an on-campus brawl allegedly with the members of ABVP, BJPs students wing, the night before. advertisement The agitated members of the Jawaharlal Nehru Students Union (JNUSU), accompanied by fellow students, staged a demonstration outside PHQ and later, a delegation met Joint Commissioner, South-East Range, RP Upadhyay and submitted a memorandum of demands to him. "They wanted to know about the status of the investigation and what were we doing for the immediate recovery of Najeeb. We told them it was a high-priority case for us and almost 100 personnel, split into various teams, were working on it. "The students offered to help us in conducting a search of the jungle which we told them we had already done with the JNU administration officials," Upadhyay said. The traffic situation in central Delhi was further affected when the protesting students staged a sit-in outside ITO metro station and blocked traffic. "The protest severely affected the traffic coming from the New Delhi area towards east Delhi. We had to divert it towards Delhi Gate and with Bhairon Road being choked, the commuters had to face a troubled time," said a senior police officer. JNUSU has been agitating against Najeebs disappearance from campus, alleging inaction on part of the administration. The protesting students had even confined the Vice-Chancellor (VC) and other senior officials in the administrative building for over 20 hours last week. Following directives from the Union Home Ministry, Delhi Police have formed a special investigation team (SIT) to trace the missing student. PTI GJS SLB RC --- ENDS --- A powerful 6.6 magnitude earthquake has hit central Italy on Sunday morning, the United States Geological Survey announced. Initial reports on the quake's magnitude varied while the USGS first reported a 7.1 earthquake before revising that number to 6.6, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) said the tremor was magnitude 6.5 or 6.6. Italian media put the number at 6.1. The USGS said the quake, which struck at 7:40am (local time) was centered 68km east-southeast of Perugia with a depth of 10km. The latest tremor brought down buildings in several towns but there were no immediate reports on casualties, announced Italy's Civil Protection Department. Italy's Civil Protection boss, Fabrizio Curcio, announced at a press conference in the town of Rieti that a dozen people are reported injured, according to the Italian newspaper La Stampa. All the injuries are reported to be minor except for one who is said to be more seriously hurt. "I SAW HELL BREAK OUT" "Everything collapsed. I can see columns of smoke, it's a disaster, a disaster," Marco Rinaldi, the mayor of the village of Ussita which also suffered severe destruction last week, told journalists. "I was sleeping in my car, I saw hell break out," he was quoted as saying. It all came down, now there is no more town, added Arquata del Tronto's Mayor, Aleandro Petrucci, adding that there were already red zones in place that had been abandoned after the previous quakes. The few people who remained have gone out to the streets, and are embracing. Now were going around to see what happened," he said. Cesare Spuri, Marche's Civil Protection head, added: There are collapses everywhere. We report collapses in Muccia, Tolentino and in the areas surrounding Macerata, were trying to establish if people are underneath the rubble. There was also a strong shock in Ancona. In Rome, the quake caused far more concern than Wednesdays earthquakes as they were felt much more strongly and for a longer period. The metro in the city has been closed while safety checks are conducted, reported The Guardian. SAME REGION HIT AGAIN This comes only three days after two more tremors shook the region on Wednesday, leaving villages partly destroyed. Italy's National Commission for the Forecast and Prevention of Major Risks (CGR) cautioned on Friday that more powerful earthquakes were expected to hit the region in the nearest future, identifying at least three areas at risk for further seismic activity. "There is no current evidence that the [seismic] sequence underway is coming to an end," the commission warned. The quakes came two months after almost 300 people were killed in the region by a quake that leveled several small towns. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Mariano Rajoy was voted in as Spains new Prime Minister at the second round of a congressional vote on Saturday night Mariano Rajoy was voted in as Spains new Prime Minister at the second round of a congressional vote on Saturday night. Rajoy, from the Popular Party (PP), won a second term in office after leading a caretaker government for 10 months in the wake of inconclusive elections that broke the two-party system, introducing unprecedented fragmentation in the lower house. As expected, the PP nominee won 170 favourable votes from his own party, from the reform group Ciudadanos and from the regional Canaries Coalition. However, his victory was only made possible by the fact that 68 Socialist Party (PSOE) deputies abstained, following their own partys instructions. Even so, 15 Socialist congress members entered a conscience vote against Rajoy, evidencing the deep fracture within the PSOE. In all, 111 deputies voted against Rajoy in the 350-seat chamber. Rajoys minority government will have to reach vote-by-vote agreements in a hostile chamber, a fact that the new PM acknowledged right after the vote. A LOT OF WORK AHEAD I think there is still a lot of work ahead of us, said Rajoy in his first statements. We will try to seek agreement and understanding with everyone. But then he issued a warning to other members in Congress who have pledged to fight his tenure every step of the way. I think we are a great nation and a great country, and I hope this will not simply be an investiture session, but that we will be able to do what other European countries with no majorities do: try to govern and work together. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Tourexpi, turizm haberleri, Reiseburos, tourism news, noticias de turismo, Tourismus Nachrichten, , travel tourism news, international tourism news, Urlaub, urlaub in der turkei, , holidays in Turkey, , global tourism news, dunya turizm, dunya turizm haberleri, Seyahat Acentas, This site is best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0+, at a minimum screen resolution of 1024 x 768. The UAE and Saudi insurance markets have remained resilient despite ongoing economic uncertainty, an industry expert said, highlighting the potential for insurance growth in the Middle East. Both of these markets insurance sectors are going through structural evolution with the introduction of stronger regulations, aided by a welcome shift towards the right level of technical pricing, explained Sanjay Jain, insurance leader at EY Mena, a leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Even though the drop in the price of oil has introduced new vulnerabilities across the wider region, in the long-term, rapid urbanization, growth in the middle class, and the use of mobile technologies, offer the potential for faster growth for insurers. Enforcement of regulations to eradicate fraud, corruption and other abuses will also be critical for the increased growth of this sector, as will be enhanced efforts towards educating consumers. EY and Oxford Economics recently developed the Emerging Markets Matter report to highlight the potential for insurance growth in 22 countries around the globe. EY created a risk opportunity matrix to illustrate the most attractive markets for investment and those that pose the greatest risks. Based on the reports unique matrix measurement of which insurance markets are poised for the most significant premium growth, and which should be considered the least risky, the UAE and Saudi Arabia insurance sectors remained resilient, securing 10th and 11th place respectively out of the 22 countries assessed, in terms of opportunity for significant premium growth. They also placed 6th and 7th in terms of least amount of risk. In the overall ranking, China was ranked the highest in the opportunity index, whilst Singapore topped the risk index with the lowest risk score. Insurance rating in the UAE: modest growth, lower risk The size of the insurance industry in the Gulf has more than tripled since 2006, and insurance premiums have increased with it. Premiums in the UAE are projected to grow by 12 per cent CAGR to 2020. However, this growth has also spurred increased competition and reduced overall profitability of the sector. A new law requiring compulsory health insurance for all Dubai residents, which is being implemented over two and a half years, is also expected to be a key driver for the industry. In addition, new regulations aimed at strengthening governance, compliance and risk management are expected to spur a round of consolidation. Insurance rating in Saudi Arabia: lower growth, lower risk Saudi Arabias insurance market is now one of the largest in the region, having grown to rival that of the UAE. The traditional prominence of corporate business in Saudi Arabia means that brokers and agents play a larger role in the Kingdom than in other more developed markets. While growth over the past half-decade has been vigorous, the penetration rate is just 1.1 per cent, meaning there is a high degree of untapped growth potential in the market. Premiums are projected to grow by 9 per cent CAGR through to 2020. Additionally, because of a lack of product differentiation, insurers tend to compete on price rather than on value-add services or unique product features. Health insurance has been the primary generator of premiums. However, the potential of new legislation to require many public facilities like shopping malls, restaurants and schools to have insurance cover, could rapidly expand the size of the property and casualty market. The elements of the matrix The opportunity index included the elements such as market size, forecasted premium growth, insurance penetration, and macro-economic factors. Whereas the risk index included, political, regulatory and corruption risk; macroeconomic risk; sovereign and trade credit risk. Outlook for the global insurance market The global macroeconomic outlook has not been kind to emerging markets in the past year, but over the longer term, powerful structural changes will continue to make emerging markets vital to the future growth of insurance carriers. In the Middle East region, despite day-to-day fluctuations in the oil and commodity prices, the demographic growth and urbanization in the region continue to take hold, as does middle-class growth. The rise of internet and mobile technologies will also accelerate the adoption of new insurance products tailored to new customers and their needs, concluded Jain. TradeArabia News Service Dubais Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and the Chinese Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE) signed an agreement to enable greater levels of collaboration in higher education and student exchange. Meanwhile Dubai 100 - an initiative supporting entrepreneurs with game-changing ideasstaged a boot camp offering Chinese start-ups the chance to win a place on its 100-day programme at Dubai Week in China, an event exploring Dubais role as Chinas global gateway for economic development and cultural exchange. Degrees earned in Dubai will now be verified by the CSCSE and the Ministry of Education in China, assuring students thinking about studying in the city that their qualifications will be recognised in their homeland. The agreement marked the 10th signing between Chinese and Dubai entities at the Falcon and Associates initiative co-hosted by Invest Shanghai and supported by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce (SMCC). The Chinese community has contributed greatly to the growth of Dubai and we are happy this agreement builds on our relationship, said Dr Abdulla Al Karam, director general of KHDA, addressing more than 100 Chinese school leaders, university heads, career advisors and investors at The Langham Hotel, Xintiandi. International branch campuses in Dubai are known for the quality of education they provide and the multi-cultural values and skills they offer students. We look forward to welcoming more students from China to our diverse and happy city. On a day dedicated to innovation and learning, the excellent study and employment opportunities that a Dubai education can provide Chinese students were explored in sessions co-hosted by KHDA and Falcon and Associates. Panel discussions highlighted the importance of developing cultural intelligence and how Dubai is helping ambitious Chinese talent unlock their potential and develop into future leaders through initiatives such as Dubai Business Internships, a fully-funded programme offering outstanding graduates the opportunity to acquire business knowledge and skills through project-based modules and value-added internships at leading organisations. TradeArabia News Service Iran Oil Terminals Company (IOTC) has held talks with a Dutch firm to revamp and develop oil terminals in the Arabian Gulf as well as build a floating oil terminal, a top official said. A number of single buoy moorings (SBMs) used in Iranian oil terminals are Netherlands-made and partnership can be established for supplying required equipment, IOTC managing director Pirouz Mousavi was quoted as saying in an Iran Daily report. He highlighted several areas for Iran-Netherlands cooperation including modernization of harbours, loading arms and storage facilities as well as SBMs. "Presently, given the refurbishment of facilities, a total of 10 oil tankers can dock at Kharg terminal which caters for 93 percent of Iran's crude exports," said Mousavi. Together with domestic companies which meet most of the demand, Dutch firms can also participate in the market, he added. "Following the removal of sanctions, the highest loading per day at Iran's Kharg oil terminal has been more than seven million oil barrels which were received by Iranian and foreign tankers," he noted. Kuwait-based Jazeera Airways, in collaboration with the Cancer Awareness National Campaign (CAN), recently hosted a breast cancer awareness lecture for its employees. Dr. Amani Hussein, Oncologist from the Ministry of Health, shared her insights on the cancer, including the importance of its prevention as well as early detection. CAN is sponsored by His Highness the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and the aim of this campaign is to organise regular lectures and public events to improve the understanding of cancer and provide preventive techniques and measures to the public. Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, Jazeera Airways aimed to raise awareness about the seriousness of the condition, through the help of CAN. In support of this initiative, Dr. Hussein commanded Jazeera Airways for their efforts and time and called on the employees to conduct annual mammography tests. "Early detection of breast cancer helps increase cure rate by 90 per cent, avoids mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, as well as psychological and organic trauma," explained Dr. Hussein. Dr. Barakat, vice president, Marketing and Product at Jazeera Airways, said that the event is a great opportunity to help spread awareness to its employees, who will in turn extend their knowledge to the public. "We are grateful to partner with CAN as they show their support for continuous cancer awareness in Kuwait. We sincerely thank Dr. Amani Hussein for her informative presentation that allowed Jazeera employees to take this matter more seriously and to provide them with easy ways to help detect the disease at earlier stages as well as overcome it at later stages. The enthusiastic feedback from our employees determined the success of the event." Dr. Barakat added. - TradeArabia News Service Salalah Rotana Resort has welcomed Simon Azizi as the property's new executive assistant manager. Azizi joins the team with two decades of hospitality experience, having spent 13 years with Rotana. He joined as restaurant manager in 2003, working his way up the ladder through various management positions in hotels across Beirut, Khartoum and Erbil. Prior to taking up the position in Salalah, Azizi served as director of food and beverage at the Erbil Rotana, Iraq. Commenting on the appointment, Hossam Kamal, Salalah Rotana Resorts general manager, said: It is an absolute pleasure to have Simon Azizi join us at Salalah Rotana Resort. He is a great addition to the team, with his vast knowledge of hotel operations especially in food and beverage. I am confident he will implement strategies and lead the teams to achieve the resorts target." Azizi said: I am very elated to take up the position at Rotanas flagship resort in Oman. The team in Salalah has worked very hard with proven track record since the resorts opening in 2014. I embrace the challenges that come with the position and look forward to immensely contributing my skills towards the resorts success." In his new role, he will oversee the resorts operational departments ensuring high performance in guest satisfaction and colleague welfare. - TradeArabia News Service A photo of India on Diwali eve taken from space, apparently by NASA, is going viral across social media platforms. Do not fall for this hoax from 2012, and this photo was not taken by NASA. By India Today Web Desk: As much as we would like to believe that the scientists at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will keep in mind to turn one of their spectacular cameras mount on some space station towards India, every year, on Diwali eve to capture a stunning picture of India from space, is a bit too much. advertisement Also read: On Diwali eve, haze blanket across north India due to crop residue burning Four out of 10 scientists working with NASA could be Indians, but expectations like the one mentioned above will not be met. Maybe that is why some proud (or dejected) Indians share the same fake photo of India apparently captured from space with captions that says "NASA releases new image of India on Diwali eve" year after year. This photo: This is, without doubt, a stunning image of India. But it was not taken this year, it was not taken by NASA, it was not taken during Diwali and the worst part, it is not even a real photograph. A Mashable report from 2012 says that this image 'is a composite of satellite photos of India created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2003.' Here are some tweets from 2012 And here are some tweets from this year Having said that, no harm being proud imagining people across India coming together to celebrate a festival. --- ENDS --- By PTI: Jammu, Oct 29 (PTI) One person was arrested today and 10 kg of cannabis recovered from him, a GRP official said. During a routine checking of the railway tracks near the Food Corporation of India (FCI) godown, Chhotu Sah, from Vaishali district in Bihar, was arrested and 10 packets containing 10 kg of cannabis were recovered from his possession, Rajinder Gupta SSP, GRP said. advertisement This is the third such seizure by the railway police. A case has been registered and investigation is on. More arrests are likely in this case, police said. PTI AB NSD --- ENDS --- By PTI: From M Zulqernain Lahore, Oct 30 (PTI) A senior Pakistan army officer died, while another suffered serious injuries after falling into a ditch on the Rawalpindi-Peshawar Motorway near Hazro in Punjab province. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of Pakistan Army, Lt Col Shahid and Major Jalal were travelling from Rawalpindi to Nowshera in a military convoy last night. "Since the routes were blocked with containers, both officers got down from vehicles and were on foot to find an alternate route for the convoy," a statement by ISPR read. advertisement "In the dark of the night both officers fell from the road edge into a ditch along the motorway near Hazro. Due to the incident, Shahid died on the spot, while Jalal sustained serious injuries," the ISPR statement said. The PML-N government has placed hundreds of containers on different roads leading to Islamabad from Punjab to Khyber Pakhtaunkhawa provinces in order to stop the supporters of PTI chairman Khan from reaching there on November 2 on his call to lock-down the capital from the rest of the country. Both the army and opposition Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) indirectly and directly blamed the Nawaz Sharif government for the death of Lt Col Shahid. Khan held the government responsible for blocking roads which led to the death of the army officer. "Saddened to learn of the death of Lt Col Shahid and sustaining of serious injuries by Maj Jalal on Motorway because of the government blockade by containers," he tweeted. He has demanded either accountability or resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for having off-shore holdings revealed by Panama Papers. "If Nawaz Sharif does not accept our one of the demands, his government will be sent home," he said. Sharif said since the Supreme Court has taken up the Panama case there is no justification of lock-down of the capital by the PTI. Meanwhile, after Islamabad the government has also imposed ban on public gathering in Punjab province. PTI MZ KIS --- ENDS --- Chandigarh: An anti-cracker campaign was launched at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 44, with a pledge by staff and students to promote eco-friendly Diwali. That was followed by a rally that aimed at sensitizing people about the harmful effects of the use of crackers. Karan Singh, Forest Range Officer and Principal Asha Rani along with the in-charge and members of Eco Club planted saplings on the occasion and promised to shun crackers and celebrate eco friendly and green Diwali. GMSSS- Khuda Lahora Under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, anti-cracker Diwali oath was taken by all students and teachers of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Khuda Lahora. Drawing and painting competition, a rally on the theme clean and green Diwali and one day camp with cleanliness drive on the school campus was organised by the NSS Unit and the Eco Club of the school. Principal Kiran Bala addressed the students to celebrate clean and green Diwali. GMSSS-56 An anti-cracker rally was organised by Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 56, with great enthusiasm and fervor. School principal Shashi Bala flagged off the rally encouraging the students to say no to crackers. GMSSS-26 An anti-cracker campaign was organised by the NSS Unit and the Eco Club of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 26. The theme of campaign was to save environment and say no to crackers. The students took oath for not using crackers and anti-cracker rally was organised. Painting, poster masking and slogan writing, an essay competition, address and speech were also organised. Principal Veena Kapur inaugurated the campaign. DAV Public School The festival of Diwali was celebrated jubilantly by Kindergarten Section of DAV Public School, Sector 8. All tiny tots looked lively and enthusiastic while celebrating the festival of lights. Class teachers narrated the significance of the festival to the kids. They also crafted beautiful candle stands out of CDs and bangles and made lovely wall hangings. Strawberry Wonder Kids School Diwali was celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervor in Strawberry Wonder Kids School, Baltana. The school was decorated on this occasion with diyas and lights. To make it a joyful day for the students, a cultural extravaganza was presented by teachers. Students presented songs, poems, dance and a play and enjoyed the show thoroughly. Principal Kamal Chadha offered her warm wishes and discouraged the students from bursting crackers. AKSIPS 41 Smart School An interactive session on the topic - ill effects of noise pollution and smoke was held in AKSIPS 41 Smart School. Speaker Jyoti, resident doctor, emphasised on celebrating eco-friendly Diwali. School Principal Jagjit Sekhon told the students to educate people in their neighbourhood to not to waste money on crackers. GMSSS-33 A colorful Diwali mela and enthralling cultural fest was organised at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 33. Students showcased culture, traditions rituals, cuisine and folklores of different states. At every stall of the state, the students were dressed in the attire of that particular state. The festival was inaugurated by DSE Rubinderjit Singh Brar. GMHS-Dhanas An anti-cracker campaign was organised at Government Model High School, Dhanas, on the theme of saving the environment and making it a completely smoke free. Various competitions such as poster making, slogan writing, speech and poem recitation were held to celebrate a smoke free Diwali. Sri Guru Gobind Singh Senior Secondary School An anti-cracker campaign was carried out at Sri Guru Gobind Singh Senior Secondary School, Sector 35, with great enthusiasm. An anti-cracker rally was flagged off on the occasion. Students visited the residential area and market of Sector 35 and raised slogans against crackers, pollution and showed beautiful banners and play cards prohibiting the use of crackers. The students and staff members took an oath of not using crackers. Moti Ram Arya Senior Secondary Model School Moti Ram Arya Senior Secondary Model School, Sector 27, organised a rally on say no to crackers on the occasion of Diwali. The rally was organised by students of the Eco Club headed by Savita Arya and the NSS volunteers led by NSS in-charge Meenu Sood. The students and volunteers urged the people to celebrate a green and a clean Diwali. Students of Brilliance World School Students of Brilliance World School, Sector 12, Panchkula, showed their creative skills during the Diwali celebrations held on the school premises. The students made a beautiful 'rangoli'. The students also made breathtaking Diwali cards and decorated diyas on the occasion. GMSSS- Manimajra Town The NSS Unit and Champa Eco Club of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Manimajra Town, organised an anti-cracker rally. About 100 students from different classes participated in the rally to aware students and residents living around the school campus. The rally was flagged off by the principal to celebrate clean and green Diwali. Saupin's School Eco Club of Saupin's School organised a rally on 'Say No to Crackers'. Students raised slogans and inspired public to say no to crackers and celebrate eco-friendly Diwali. Shishu Niketan Public School Shishu Niketan Public School, Sector 5, Mansa Devi Complex, held a weeklong celebration and activities for Diwali. An anti-cracker rally was organised in which students of different age groups participated, spreading awareness about the hazards of crackers. Tiny tots of pre-nursery, nursery and kindergarten came dressed as goddess Lakshmi, Saraswati and Lord Ganesha. Bachpan Play School Bachpan Play School, Zirakpur, celebrated the festival of lights Diwali in an eco-friendly way. It was a small get together where both mothers and their kids participated. Various competitions were held on this occasion. TNS Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 29 This is their fate and irony too. They enable others to celebrate Diwali, but dont do so themselves. Not being with their own, seeing families celebrate the festival of lights is their only enjoyment. While everyone else seems to be in a holiday mood, they are busy answering the call of duty. And more often than not, the calls of duty on such days tend to multiply and become more demanding. Its virtually a 24-hour duty for the constables as they are responsible for any mishap occurring in their respective beats. There is no Diwali for us. Of course, we can burst crackers at our place of posting in the open. But this festival is more of a family affair than anything else. Everybody knows that on a day like Diwali we have to be extra vigilant in all areas. It is our duty and we swear to perform when we join work. So there are no two ways about it, woman constable Shivani told The Tribune. Echoing the sentiment, Mohan Lal, a Fire Department official, said, Fire is almost a synonymous with Diwali, and to have the festival of lights pass without any fire mishap is almost an impossible thing. A holiday or celebration on Diwali is simply out of question for us as we are supposed to take extra measures to combat any incidents of fire breaking out, he added. Speaking to The Tribune, Mohan Lal recalled how in early years of his career, when his children were small, they used to crib and throw tantrums, wanting him to be home on Diwali day. However, paramilitary force personnel are a different lot. Most of them do not have families around to snatch a few moments with them on the festival day. For, a majority of them come from places far away from their place of posting. A guard deployed on security duty of a local official, said, I can still enjoy a few festive moments with the family Im working for. Believing in the duty-before-self adage, doctors too have to remain away from their families on festival days. Duty is duty, said a leading doctor Dr Subhashish Agrawal adding that he found celebration in serving the patients. The family is always there, but somebody has to come forward to help society in such situations, he remarked. On Diwali day, those single and away from families, often bear the brunt of duty, though unfairly. On the excuse that theres no one waiting for them, most of the outsider BPO employees are put on duty by seniors. Not that they grudge it any more. New Delhi, October 29 Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal wont celebrate Diwali on Sunday in solidarity with her employees who have been denied salary. We are being punished for doing good work, said Maliwal in an interview, a day after revealing that the Member Secretary had stopped salaries of all contractual staff. Whenever I enter my office, I feel a lot of guilt when those 90 people who have not been paid salaries look at me, said Maliwal. I feel helpless as I cannot do anything about it, she said. According to Maliwal, Member Secretary Alka Diwan, appointed in the DCW by Lt Governor Najeeb Jung on October 7, had refused to release two-month salary of the contractual staff. Maliwal dubbed Diwans appointment as illegal, saying she was the VAT Commissioner and doing part time work in the DCW. In the process, the DCWs autonomy was being undermined. Many of those who work on contract at the DCW are women who have been victims of acid attacks and even orphans. If I am not able to get salaries for acid attack victims, dowry harassment victims and orphan girls who work with me, how will I be able to celebrate Divali? I am very hurt and dejected due to this. They work very hard and have families to support. They have not been paid for two months. Their Divali is ruined. So how can I celebrate mine? asked Maliwal. What intrigues Maliwal is that she did not appoint all these employees and they never faced this situation earlier. Some contractual employees have been working for the commission for the last 20 years and yet salaries of all the contractual employees have been stopped. It is for the first time that salaries of employees of the DCW, which is an autonomous body, have been stopped. If it has never happened before, why is it happening now?, she added. This is not the first time Maliwal has run into problems with the Central government, represented by Jung. An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member, Maliwal is a long-time activist, who was named by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as the DCW head to succeed Barkha Singh of the Congress. Initially, Jung was not happy with her appointment, but later relented. In the recent times, police cases have been filed against her alleging that she violated rules while hiring employees. Maliwal had denied the charges, and instead accused her predecessors of corruption. All this has taken a huge toll on me as well as my family, she said. There are two false cases filed against me. My grandparents constantly keep talking about it and feel upset. Their health is also being affected, she added. She felt that attempts were being made to turn the DCW into another government department. We are being told to send files to the Finance Department for clearance, but the DCW is an autonomous body. If we have to request the government even for our salaries, we will never be able to question them. Attempts are being made to create a stalemate kind of situation to crush the commission, she alleged. How will we run the 181 Helpline without any staff? How will I run the Rape Crisis Cell without any staff? If you are not happy with the current employees, replace them. At least do something. But they do not want the DCW to work. They want to crush it. If salaries are not paid, I fear these employees will go on a dharna or leave the DCW. The commission will be closed if that happens. We cannot operate without the staff. During the last one year, we handled around 12,000 cases. The 181 Helpline received 2.16 lakh calls in the last six months. On a daily basis, each commission member holds 50 to 60 hearings. We need staff to do all that, she added. IANS According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of Pakistan Army, Lt Col Shahid and Major Jalal were travelling from Rawalpindi to Nowshera in a military convoy when they got down from vehicles and were on foot to find an alternate route. By Press Trust of India: A senior Pakistan army officer died, while another suffered serious injuries after falling into a ditch on the Rawalpindi-Peshawar Motorway near Hazro in Punjab province. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of Pakistan Army, Lt Col Shahid and Major Jalal were travelling from Rawalpindi to Nowshera in a military convoy last night. "Since the routes were blocked with containers, both officers got down from vehicles and were on foot to find an alternate route for the convoy," a statement by ISPR read. advertisement "In the dark of the night both officers fell from the road edge into a ditch along the motorway near Hazro. Due to the incident, Shahid died on the spot, while Jalal sustained serious injuries," the ISPR statement said. NAWAZ SHARIF GOVERNMENT BLAMED FOR DEATH The PML-N government has placed hundreds of containers on different roads leading to Islamabad from Punjab to Khyber Pakhtaunkhawa provinces in order to stop the supporters of PTI chairman Imran Khan from reaching there on November 2 on his call to lock-down the capital from the rest of the country. Both the army and opposition Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) indirectly and directly blamed the Nawaz Sharif government for the death of Lt Col Shahid. Khan held the government responsible for blocking roads which led to the death of the army officer. "Saddened to learn of the death of Lt Col Shahid and sustaining of serious injuries by Maj Jalal on Motorway because of the government blockade by containers," he tweeted. ROAD BLOCKADE LED TO INCIDENT He has demanded either accountability or resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for having off-shore holdings revealed by Panama Papers. "If Nawaz Sharif does not accept our one of the demands, his government will be sent home," he said. Sharif said since the Supreme Court has taken up the Panama case there is no justification of lock-down of the capital by the PTI. Meanwhile, after Islamabad the government has also imposed ban on public gathering in Punjab province. --- ENDS --- Sushil Manav Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 29 The Haryana Environment Department has so far identified 1,178 incidents of stubble burning in the state this paddy season and recovered Rs11.65 lakh as environment compensation (EC) in the current month even as farmers organisations in various districts have been opposing the move. Vijayendra Kumar, Director General of the Environment Department, told The Tribune that maximum 300 incidents had been identified in Karnal till Tuesday, followed by Jind (253), Kurukshetra (207), Fatehabad and Kaithal (105 each), Sirsa (69), Yamunanagar (66), Ambala (35), Panchkula (25), Sonepat (7), Palwal (3), Faridabad (2) and Panipat (1). In view of the directions by the NGT in the case Vikrant Kumar Tongad Vs Environment Pollution (Control and Prevention) Authority and others and the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the department had issued amended guidelines that provided for payment of the EC for the burning of stubble. In his orders issued on October 5, Shrikant Walgad, Principal Secretary, Environment, had constituted district-level committees under the chairmanship of DCs. The committees included Deputy Directors (Agriculture), Development and Panchayat Officer, DSP, tehsildar and regional officer of the Pollution Control Board. The guidelines provided collection of the EC at the rate of Rs2,500 per incident from farmers with less than 2 acres of landholding, Rs5,000 for those with 2 to 5 acres, and Rs15,000 for those having landholding of more than 5 acres in case they were found burning paddy stubble in fields. We are not in favour of burning of stubble, but we want the government to come out with an alternative or incentivise farmers by paying them expenditure on cutting stubble which is more than Rs4,000 an acre, said Prahlad Singh Bharukhera, president of the Haryana Kisan Manch. Kurukshetra/Jammu, Oct 29 The barbaric incident at the Line of Control in Kashmir in which the body of an Army jawan was mutilated after being killed by terrorists, aided by the cover fire by Pakistan army, sparked an outrage today even as a pall of gloom descended on his native village in Haryana. Union Minister Jitendra Singh condemned the mutilation of the soldiers body as atrocious, while senior Congress leader Manish Tewari called it depraved behaviour. At Sepoy Mandeep Singhs Antehri village in Kurukshetra, his family demanded that Pakistan be taught a lesson for harbouring terrorists while former Army officers expressed their sadness. His brother Sandeep Singh demanded 10 Pakistani heads for the price of one. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) These are acts of cowardice and are happening at a time of desperation on the part of the Pakistan army as well as Islamabad, minister Jitendra Singh said. I am very sad being a soldier. It is a very sad mentality to take your anger on an injured or dead person, said Maj Gen BC Khanduri (retd). Former Army Chief General JJ Singh (retd) said it reflected the barbarism of the Pakistan army. India should tell the whole world what Pakistan is doing. Particularly with India, we honoured their fallen soldiers who they had abandoned. They should be grateful to us forever. How uncivilised they are... he said. Agencies Parveen Arora Tribune News Service Antehri (Kurukshetra), October 29 Anger was writ large on the faces on Antehri villagers. They wanted the government to avenge the killing of Mandeep Singh (26). He was beheaded by terrorists in Macchil sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. Mandeeps sacrifice is the second loss to the district within a week after BSF constable Sushil Kumar was martyred in Jammu district. Sushil belonged to Pehowa in the district. Mandeeps family and villagers demanded of the Centre to avenge the sacrifice of soldiers and urged it to give a free hand to Army. The family learnt about Mandeeps death around 1 am today when three Army personnel came calling. The last rites would be performed on Sunday morning. The mortal remains are in Ambala and will be brought to the village on Sunday, said Deputy Commissioner Sumedha Kataria. Antehri is famous as a village of soldiers. Several youths from here are serving in armed forces. Mandeep had joined 17 Sikh Regiment as a sepoy in 2008. He had got married in 2014. His widow, Prerna, is a constable and posted at Shahbad Markanda. Prerna told the media the Centre should take a decisive action. We cannot see our soldiers dying daily, she added. The family said Mandeep was to visit home on Diwali on the opening ceremony of his newly constructed house. Several women from Aantehri reached the martyrs house today and tried to console Prerna. Mandeeps father, Phool Singh, said the government should give a free hand to the Army to tackle evil designs of Pakistan. Mandeep had called me around 10 days ago and promised to come home on Diwali, he said. Phool Singh is a truck driver. The martyrs brother, Sandeep Singh, said: Give me a chance to join Army. I will avenge his death. I will bring 100 of heads of the enemy if Army gives me a chance. Mandeeps cousin and ex-serviceman, Jagbir Singh said it was an act of cowardice and urged the government to take revenge. Villagers described Mandeep as a go-getter who always had a smile on his face. He always helped those in need, they said. They asked politicians to send their children in armed forces and only they could understand the agony of families of martyrs. Villagers decided not to celebrate Diwali. Every house in the village will light a lamp in Mandeeps memory. Parveen Arora Tribune News Service Antehri (Kurukshetra), October 30 The last rites of army jawan Mandeep Singh, who was killed by terrorists in Macchil sector of Jammu and Kashmir, were performed here with full state honours on Sunday, even as his family and villagers demanded that Pakistan be given a befitting reply for its repeated misadventures. The jawans body, wrapped in the Tricolour, was brought in a bedecked army vehicle to his native village here as a large number of people, including from neighbouring areas, paid their last respects. The martyr whose body was mutilated by the terrorists, was given a gun salute by the army, which sounded the last post. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Mandeeps father lit the pyre. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, senior army officers, and officials from the district administration were present on the occasion. Villagers who kept chanting Shaheed Mandeep Amar Rahe also raised anti-Pakistan slogans. #WATCH: Villagers raise anti-Pak slogans just as mortal remains of Mandeep Singh arrives his hometown Antahedi Village, Kurukshetra pic.twitter.com/qdI8V5ren5 ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 The 30-year-old soldier was scheduled to return to his village to celebrate Diwali and for a ceremony in connection with the familys newly constructed house here, but instead he returned in a coffin, his family and local villagers, all of whom were inconsolable, said. Mandeeps family and villagers demanded the Centre avenge the sacrifice of soldiers and teach Pakistan a lesson. People of his village said they would not celebrate Diwali as a mark of respect to the martyrs supreme sacrifice. However, each household had decided to light a diya (earthen lamp) in his memory. Mandeeps sacrifice is the second loss to the district within a week after BSF constable Sushil Kumar, who belonged to Pehowa, was martyred in Jammu district. Antehri is famous as a village of soldiers. Several youths from here are serving in the armed forces. There was anger among the people here over the barbaric incident at the Line of Control in Kashmir as the body of the jawan was mutilated by the terrorists, who were aided by the cover fire by Pakistan army. Mandeep had joined the 17th Sikh regiment as a sepoy in 2008. He had got married in 2014. Consoling the martyrs family, Khattar while responding to their demand that stern action be taken against Pakistan for harbouring terrorists and its repeated misadventures, said we will teach them a lesson. We will avenge this. Pakistan will be taught a lesson, Khattar said. He said, The martyr laid down his life for the nations sake. In this hour of grief, we are standing solidly behind the family. We will give whatever assistance they require. Meanwhile, interacting with reporters here, Khattar described the killing of soldier Mandeep Singh as a cowardly act by the terrorists. Khattar said such nefarious designs of evil forces would not succeed. The martyrdom of Mandeep Singh will inspire many others to protect our motherland, Khattar said. The Chief Minister said a financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh would be given to the next of kin of the martyr. To a question, he said the state government would consider raising a memorial or naming a road after the martyr. Whatever his family wants, we will consider it, he said. A pall of gloom descended on Antehri village after the body of the jawan reached here. People thronged the martyrs house to pay their last respects before the coffin was carried in a bedecked vehicle for the last rites. The Chief Minister and others laid a wreath on the body. Mandeeps widow Prerna is a head constable with Haryana Police posted at Shahbad Markanda here. Prerna said Pakistan must be taught a lesson for harbouring terrorists. We cannot see our soldiers dying daily, she said breaking down. Mandeep was the youngest of three sons of Phool Singh. Singh said the army should be given a free hand to deal with the nefarious designs of Pakistan. The martyrs brother Sandeep said he wanted to join the army to avenge the killing of our soldiers. The martyrs neighbours described him as a go-getter who always had a smile on his face. Mandeeps sacrifice came within a week after Sushil Kumar (47), a BSF constable, was martyred in Jammu district. He also hailed from Kurukshetra district and belonged to Pehowa town. Kumar was killed as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire, resorting to heavy shelling and firing from automatic weapons in several sectors along the International Border in Jammu district on October 24. With PTI Shimla, October 29 Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Leader of the Opposition PK Dhumal have greeted people on Diwali. The Governor said the festival symbolised joy and happiness and celebrated the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh expressed hope that Diwali would enlighten the people and bring prosperity. He urged the citizens of the state to celebrate pollution-free Diwali. PK Dhumal also greeted the people and wished them prosperity. TNS Our Correspondent Kangra, October 29 State Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur accompanied by Transport and Technical Education Minister GS Bali today inaugurated an eye bank, cardiac cath lab and the facility of fibroscan at Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (DRPGMC) in Tanda. Thakur said the state government was committed to providing accessible, effective and affordable healthcare to the people of this hill state. He added that the cardiac cath lab was installed in the superspecialty wing of the DRPGMC on turnkey basis by HLL. He said the trial run of the cath lab was successfully done and insertion of pacemaker was done on three patients and coronary angiography was performed on three patients successfully by the cardiologists posted here in this month. He added that the cardiology OPD was started in DRPGMC, Tanda, in October 2013. He said thousands of patients were treated in the cardiology OPD. The minister said there were two cardiologists, one senior resident, six staff nurses and one technician posted in the department. He said Rs 5.54 crore was spent on the project. He said the cardiology wing had six-bed cardiac care unit (CCU), five-bed post cath room , 30 beds in general ward cath lab and the OPD wing with ECHO, TMT and Holter lab. The ministers while inaugurating the eye bank established at a cost of Rs 44.9 lakh pledged to donate their eyes. The Health Minister said corneal blindness was the fourth leading cause of global blindness after cataract, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. Corneal blindness is a significant problem treated primarily by corneal transplants and to meet this requirement an eye bank has been set up here for the preservation of the donated eye, he added. He gave a call to people to donate eyes. The Health Minister also inaugurated the fibro scan facilities for early diagnosis of the liver disease The project costs Rs 1.75 crore. Vikram Sharma Tribune News Service Jammu, October 29 The business in Jammu has seen a dip this festive season as consumers from the International Border and the Line of Control have not turned up for shopping due to continuous shelling and firing from across the border. Goldsmiths and those selling silver ornaments and utensils in the town have already reported a dip in their business. It is not that our business depends on the purchases done by villagers only, but they are potential buyers and rural Jammu celebrates festivals like Dhanteras, Bhaiya Dooj and Diwali more religiously than urban consumers, said Naresh Abrol of Abrol Jewellers at Dhounthly Bazaar in Jammu. As Pakistan has been violating ceasefire on the border, villagers have been frequently getting displaced from their homes. Dhanteras, Diwali or Dusherra this year had nothing good in store for us. We lost some of our villagers and some security personnel also, said Bhugti Ram, sarpanch of Chak Bhagwana village in Samba. Shiv Kumar, the manager of Sain Sweet Shop in Jammu, said though villagers rarely come to Jammu city to purchase sweets, on Diwali, they are the major consumers as brand sweets become the major attraction and are exchanged among friends and relatives. We are likely to suffer some dent in the business, Kumar said. Meanwhile, the major losers on Diwali will be cracker sellers. Bari Brahmana, Hiranagar, Samba and Kathua are the major cracker selling towns in the Jammu region. Most of the vendors selling crackers in Jammu come from Samba and Kathua districts, which are witnessing border firing. Almost all border villagers have decided not to burst crackers in the wake of death and destruction by Pakistan firing. We are likely to suffer heavy losses in our business. Though the decision is genuine, our losses will be high, said Tilak Raj, from RS Pura, who is a wholesale distributor of crackers. Rural consumers always remain the backbone of commerce of any state or region. On festivals, villagers throng the city and become the major purchasers which is missing this time due to border escalation, said Rakesh Gupta, president, Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Jammu. Srinagar, October 29 A BSF constable and a civilian were injured as Pakistan troops targeted Indian posts in Kathua, RS Pura and Keran sectors along the International Border and LoC in Jammu and Kashmir today. Another BSF jawan was killed accidentally while retaliating to the shelling. Constable Nitin Koli, 28, of Sangli (Maharashtra) was killed hours after militants killed and beheaded a soldier before fleeing back to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under cover fire by Pakistan army. BSF IG (Kashmir) Vikash Chandra said Nitin was killed while responding to the ceasefire violation in Machil sector late on Friday. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) A BSF jawan was injured after a shell hit him in the thigh in Keran sector of Kupwara district during cross-border firing. TNS Tribune News Service Srinagar, October 29 The Army paid rich tributes to Sepoy Mandeep Singh who was killed along the Line of Control in the Machil sector of Kupwara district on late Friday evening. An Army spokesman said a solemn wreath-laying ceremony was held at Badami Bagh Cantonment inSrinagar onSaturday to pay homage to the slain soldier who was killed in an operation in which one militant was also killed while a group was attempting to infiltrate under cover of fire from Pakistan army posts. The General Officer Commanding of the Chinar Corps Lt Gen Satish Dua, and all ranks paid tributes to the national hero on behalf of a proud nation, he said. Son of a truck driver, this 26-year-old soldier from Kurukshetra, who had joined the Army in 2009, is proudly remembered by his comrades in the unit that also includes his own maternal brother, as a highly professional soldier and a true patriot. He is survived by his young wife, serving in the Haryana Police, who he had married only a couple of years back in 2014. The slain soldier belonged to 17 Sikh Light Infantry. Jammu, October 30 Pakistani Rangers pounded BSF posts and civilian areas using small arms and mortar shells in overnight ceasefire violations along the International Border (IB) in Samba, Kathua and Jammu districts. This was stated by a senior BSF officer. Firing started from Pakistan side at 9.15 pm in RS Pura sector and continued intermittently till 3 am, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) BSF Jammu Frontier Dharmendra Pareek said on Sunday. Small arms and mortar shells were fired by the Rangers but were not effective. The BSF retaliated appropriately to the firing, Pareek added. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) He said at 2 am Pakistan started firing in gaps in Hiranagar and Samba sectors which continued till 6 am. The BSF retaliated appropriately wherever required, he said. The firing stopped at 8.20 am in all parts of the International Border. There was no loss of life or injury, the DIG added. On Friday, two civilians were killed and as many injured when Pakistan targeted civilian areas and forward Indian posts along the LoC and IB in Jammu, Kathua, Poonch and Rajouri districts, following which Indian troops retaliated and killed 15 Pakistani soldiers. The BSF said as per the ammunition used in firing and shelling it appeared that Pakistani Army was supporting Pakistani Rangers along the IB. On October 25, at least 2-3 Pakistani armymen were believed to have been killed in retaliatory firing by Indian troops in the Noushera sector of Rajouri district. Over 60 ceasefire violations have taken place since surgical strikes by Indian Army on terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. PTI Children of Jitendra Kumar Singh, BSF's head constable, who lost his life in exchange of fire with the Pakistan Army, said that they too wanted to join BSF so that they could take revenge for their father's death. By Rohit Kumar Singh: The body of head constable Jitendra Kumar Singh who was gunned down in an encounter with Pakistani Rangers two days back was laid to rest at his native village Siswa in Raxaul, Bihar on Saturday. The distraught children of martyr Jitendra Kumar Singh, who are completely shattered by the demise of their father,and are now hoping that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make another effort to teach Pakistan a lesson. advertisement "All we want is revenge from Pakistan for our father's death", said Archana Singh, the eldest daughter of the martyr. Speaking exclusively to India Today, martyr Jitendra Kumar Singh's eldest daughter Archana Singh urged PM Modi to come forward and take care of the family after their father laid his life in the line of duty at the border. Archana Singh appealed to the PM to provide financial assistance to the family members and also help them get a job in the Border Security Force so that they can serve the nation and take revenge from Pakistan. Also Read | Jammu: 1 killed, 7 injured in RS Pura shelling Also Read | Nitish announces Rs 11 lakh ex-gratia for BSF jawans family 'AFTER MY FATHER'S DEATH, ONLY PM MODI IS MY FATHER' "After my father's death, only PM Modi is my father now and we are hopeful he will take care of his children. We want financial help from the government. Our family is very poor and to sustain ourselves, Prime Minister Modi should provide us job in the Border Security Force," Singh said. She said, "I promise that if I get job in the BSF, I will take my revenge from Pakistan for my father's death." Martyr Jitendra Kumar Singh's 9-year old son, the youngest of the three siblings, disclosed how his father tutored him not to fear anyone and move forward in life. Rohit Kumar said his father always dreamt of sending him in the BSF so that he could also serve the motherland. "My father always taught me that one should not fear anyone and always move ahead in life. When I will join, I will take revenge from Pakistan", Rohit said. Children of the martyr said that it is time that the government, instead of just talking, takes concrete steps like it did while conducting surgical strikes to avenge the deaths of soldiers in Uri. Also Read: Jammu: 6 injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistan, firing continues advertisement This is not the first time Pakistani perpetrators mutilated an Indian jawan's body --- ENDS --- Srinagar, October 30 Unidentified arsonists on Sunday set ablaze a school building in a south Kashmir village, pushing the number of educational institutes gutted in mysterious fires to 25 during the ongoing unrest. The police said the residents detected the fire in the central government-run Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Aishmuqam of Anantnag district. The fire was extinguished quickly and a major damage to the building was prevented. During the ongoing unrest in the Kashmir Valley, 25 schools, most of them run by the government in south Kashmir, have been destroyed in mysterious fires. Authorities said they had identified miscreants who were torching schools in a planned conspiracy. There has been no class work in any school in the Valley in the past 112 days of turmoil that has left at least 92 people dead and thousands injured. The continued closure of schools has been worrying parents, especially of children studying at the 10+2 level, whose final exams were to be conducted in October-November. Children have to sit for various professional courses based on their performance in the 10+2 exams. These professional entrance exams are held throughout the country as per a fixed calendar which wont be deferred for my son, a father, whose son studies in a Srinagar school, told IANS. The government is locked in a tug of war with separatist leaders who have been spearheading the unending series of protests and shutdown in the valley. Separatist leaders ruled out any possibility of exempting schools from their weekly protest moves. They say allowing children to attend schools in the times of turmoil would be risking their lives. However, they have distanced themselves from the acts of arson targeting schools. Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has said those involved in torching schools are enemies of the people of Kashmir. The state government has vowed to have exams of all classes conducted by end November even if schools dont open by then. Demands from students to have these exams postponed to March next year have not found favour with the authorities. IANS Shahira Naim Tribune News Service Lucknow, October 29 When rickshaw-puller Maniram picked up a passenger stuck in a massive traffic jam near Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadavs residence two days ago, little did he imagine that this one trip will change his life forever. The passenger was none else than Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma, who desperate to keep his appointment with the CM had got out of his car stuck in the jam and hailed Manirams rickshaw. When news of Sharma reaching the CMs 5, Kalidas Road residence in a rickshaw reached him, Akhilesh personally came out to receive the guest, who was in town to receive the state governments Yash Bharti award. What followed was more like a fairy tale for Maniram. Perhaps the first rickshaw-puller to have come to the Chief Ministers residence, he was warmly greeted by Akhilesh. In response to the CMs question, Maniram said that he did not own the rickshaw and it was on hire. Akhilesh asked him to wait and drive back in his own rickshaw. After some time when Maniram left the CMs residence riding his new rickshaw, he had been handed over Rs 6,000 as baksheesh, sweets for his children, promised a free Lohia awas (subsidised housing) for his family and free education for his children. Excited with the CMs generosity, the very next day Maniram, along with his family, drove the rickshaw all the way to his village of Bhikhipur in neighbouring Rae Bareli district, some 100 km away. Mentioning the incident in a tweet, Chief Minister Akhilesh wrote: A traffic jam forced Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma to visit us in a cycle rickshaw. Lucknow Metro will help solve the traffic jams in the city. Lahore, October 30 Family members and civil society representatives staged a protest outside the Lahore Press Club on October 28 to demand the release of Abdul Wahid Baloch. Hani Baloch, the daughter of Abdul Wahid Baloch, joined the demonstration and demanded the safe release of her father. Hani said that in these conditions where her father is missing, can the authorities understand that she is protesting here only due to her father. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) She also revealed that her grandmother, who is in hospital, kept asking about her son and they had to tell her a lie that they had seen him in the police station. My mother is having blood pressure and my sister is in shock. In such circumstances, I keep telling them a lie and going out to protest. I dont have any interest in politics, nor, do I want people to know who Hani Baloch is. If my father has done anything wrong, they should tell us. They should follow the constitution and tell us why he is in custody, said Hani. Abdul Wahid Baloch is a social worker and publisher, and a resident of Chakiwara in Lyari, Balochistan. He went missing on July 26 and his family alleges that he was picked up by law-enforcement agencies. A one-time telephone operator at the civil hospital in Karachi, Abdul Wahid was a book lover, and helped Baloch authors publish their works and activists to print their posters. Baloch activists have since launched #SaveWahidBaloch campaign and are protesting in various cities across Pakistan to demand the release of Wahid Baloch. ANI Washington, October 30 Hillary Clinton is the best bet for the Indian community in the US, India-born American entrepreneur Frank Islam said on Sunday, asserting that the recent outreach by her Republican rival Donald Trump would do very little to impress the influential Indian-Americans. I believe she (Clinton) is the only safe bet for Indian Americans, Americans and the world. Her opponent is a risky bet in that he has no real track record of experience or expertise in public policy, government and international relations, Islam, a philanthropist and top Indian-American fundraiser for the Clinton Campaign, told PTI. Among one of the top bundlers for Clinton, Islam said a number of Indian-Americans are playing key roles in her campaign in different capacities. Many of us are raising money for the campaign. I believe nearly a dozen Indian-Americans have raised significant dollars for the secretarys historic campaign, said Islam, who is also a member of Clintons finance committee and has himself donated one million dollars to the campaign. He is also participating on a South Asian work group and is providing input to the campaign on issues and areas such as small business and economic development where he has experience and expertise. The overriding issue out of the box must be what to do to address the populist outcry in both parties to ensure that the US is a fair place for individuals on all rungs of the socio-economic ladder, he said. Responding to a question on US-India relations, Islam said most Indian-Americans expected the next president to take the ties between the two nations to the next level. They want the US to build on the commitments that Clinton made to India when she was Secretary of State and President Barack Obamas vision of India and the US being indispensable partners in the future, he said. When asked about the impact of Trumps recent address to an Indian-American charity event in New Jersey and his daughter-in-law attending a Diwali event in a Virginia Hindu temple, he said this is unlikely to have much of an impact. I believe his recent outreach will do very little to move the needle among Indian-American voters, Islam said. Trump has participated in an event hosted by the Republican Hindu Coalition and he is now running ads speaking in Hindi. But, I think that is too little too late, he said. A recent survey showed that 67 per cent of Indian-Americans would vote for Clinton, whereas a mere seven per cent supported Trump. In comparison, 16 per cent Indian-Americans had supported Romney in 2012, he noted. The bottom line for me personally is that none of my Indian-American acquaintances (Muslim or Hindu) have expressed a willingness to vote for Trump. He has very high 79 per cent unfavourable rating among Indian-Americans, he said. I firmly believe that Trumps anti-Muslim rhetoric may be attracting some Indian-Americans, but it is also repelling most Indian-Americans, Islam said. PTI KV Prasad Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 30 Amid tension on the border with Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday saluted the valour of the armed forces and lauded their sacrifice while dedicating the festival of Diwali to them. He hailed the people, including celebrities, for sending overwhelming messages to his Sandesh2Soldiers campaign. In his monthly Mann ki Baat programme on All India Radio, Modi urged all citizens and state governments to find ways of forging unity across the country and working to defeat separatist tendencies and mentalities. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) In the wake of the ongoing troubles in the Kashmir Valley, he said, Unity in diversity is our strength. It is the responsibility of every citizen and all governments to forge unity and curb separatist tendencies to save the country. In an apparent reference to tension on the Indo-Pak border, Modi credited the soldiers for maintaining peace and security in the country and called upon everyone to remember their gallantry while celebrating Diwali. In the wake of recent events, our soldiers have been sacrificing their everything for the safety and security of the country. Their dedication has overwhelmed me completely. Let us dedicate this Diwali to our armed forces. I had invited everyone to participate in the Sandesh2Soldiers campaign and I have been humbled by the response. From students, villagers and traders to political leaders and sportspersons, everyone has sent a Diwali message for our soldiers, he said while referring to the jawans who are stationed in deserts and on the icy heights of the Himalayas and security personnel who are guarding our industries and airports. Our forces endure grave hardships for our security. Someone is stationed in a desert, someone on the Himalayas, someone is guarding our industrial installations and someone is protecting our airports. Everyone is fulfilling a mighty responsibility. If we remember them while being in a festive mood, our remembrance will give them strength and renewed energy. I thank everyone for responding to Sandesh2Soldiers, Modi said in over half-an-hour address on the occasion of Diwali. In a veiled reference to the unrest in Kashmir Valley, the PM also called for forces of unity to be strengthened and those of separatism to be defeated. Unity in diversity is the strength of our country. Every citizen and every government must work to find ways of forging unity and defeating separatist mindset and tendencies, he said as he remembered Sardar Patel who strove hard to forge unity in the country and bind it together. As Modi paid tributes to Sardar Patel whose birth anniversary falls on Monday, he also remembered Indira Gandhi whose death anniversary also falls on the same day. He, however, lamented that on a day we celebrate the birth anniversary of Patel, thousands of Sikhs were killed in 1984 in the wake of the assassination of Gandhi. Reiterating his message of cleanliness on Diwali, Modi said the festival is a marker of swachhta with every family taking it upon themselves to clean their house. The PM, however, said, The call of time is to extend this campaign of cleanliness out of ones house to ones surroundings." The PM also took the occasion to note how the Indian festivals are environment friendly and urged parents to stand with their children as the latter burnt crackers. The Prime Minister also remembered Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru, who fought against social evils and discrimination and called for making society free from any kind of discrimination. The Prime Minister also lauded the role played by jawans in natural calamities and said they kept working with patriotic spirit and national interest in mind, be it showing courage in fighting the enemy or in bringing the misguided youth back on track or maintaining law and order. He lauded the efforts taken by Himachal Pradesh in becoming open defecation free and said it is the second state after Sikkim to be so. Modi said Kerala would become open defecation free on November 1 and Gujarat and Haryana were also making efforts in this direction and many districts in these states had already achieved the goal. In making these states defecation free, Modi highlighted the efforts and contribution of many individuals in helping construct toilets. These included those of an ITBP jawan in Himachals Sirmour district who donated Rs 57,000 out of his salary to construct toilets in his village and make it open defecation free, besides those of engineering students in Kerala who helped construct a toilet in Edamalakul of the state. He also praised Haryana, which is celebrating the golden jubilee of its formation on November 1, for taking upon itself to declare the state kerosene-free by linking all LPG beneficiaries with Aadhar card. Some seven or eight districts have already become kerosene-free in Haryana. The way they have taken upon them, I am sure they will succeed and help stop pilferage, save environment and conserve foreign exchange, besides helping the people of the state and putting an end to corruption that middlemen indulged in, he said. Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, whom he described as a guide, Modi said policies should be evolved in such a manner that the poorest of the poor should be kept in mind as the Father of the Nation envisioned. It is the need of the time to address the problems of the poor. We must come out of our orthodox thinking and make society free from any kind of discrimination, he said, while also calling for ending any kind of discrimination towards girls and sought construction of toilets for the girl child too. Wishing countrymen on Diwali, the Prime Minister said India is a country of festivals and today these festivals are celebrated across the world. He highlighted that the US Postal department brought out a postal stamp on this Diwali. Modi said Deepawali gave the message of darkness to light and this darkness included the darkness of superstition, illiteracy, poverty and social evils which should end too. He also recalled that people would celebrate Chhat puja in a few days and the festival carried the message of worshipping the Sun. With PTI New Delhi, October 29 The Indian Army has opened up vociferous retaliation to Pakistan armys firing across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. New Delhi is closely monitoring the situation in Tangdhar, Mendhar and Kupwara. Heavy casualties have been estimated at seven Pakistan army posts in these sectors. Four more have been destroyed in Keran sector. Heavy shelling has also resulted in fires in the lower hills (closer to Poonch) on the Pakistan side. An assessment is that Pakistan has lost 23 soldiers of both Pakistan army and Rangers in the past few days. This number has been arrived at using a mix of human Intelligence gathering on the other side and also technical surveillance. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) The Indian Army has its posts all along the 749-km-long LoC and the troops have been told to retaliate with full force to any cross-border firing. TNS Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 29 Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today chose Diwali eve to subtly accuse the government of reneging on its many promises to the armed forces. He said the forces must be motivated not merely by words but also actions. In a letter to PM Narendra Modi today, Rahul cited a range of issues affecting the Indian armed forces including disability pension, one rank one pension, implementation of the 7th Pay Commission etc to say, Our solders risk their lives each day to defend the nation and it is our duty to show them that we care for them and their families not only through our words but also through our actions. Rahul said he was saddened that in the last few weeks, actions taken by the government far from assuring the soldiers have indeed caused them pain and hurt. Just days after our soldiers conducted surgical strikes, the disability pension system was converted to a new slab system that, in many instances, drastically reduces the pension received by these brave men in case of a disability. The roll-out of the seventh Pay Commission continues to keep our defence forces at a disadvantage and further exacerbates the disparity between them and civil employees, Rahul said. He also cited with concern that the government had now downgraded the status of military officers vis-a-vis other civilian counterparts in a letter dated October 18. Finally, contrary to what was promised, one rank one pension as implemented by the government does not fully meet the genuine demands of our ex-servicemen. They have been forced to come out on the streets to make their voice heard on this vital issue, he said. New York, October 30 The United Nations headquarters in Manhattan, New York, celebrated Diwali for the first time. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) had earlier on December 29, 2014, acknowledged the significance of Diwali and adopted a resolution to avoid holding meetings on this day. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Indias Permanent Representative to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin, shared an image of the brightly-lit UN building and thanked UNGA President Peter Thompson on Twitter for the initiative. Extending his greetings, Thompson said, Light over darkness, hope over despair, knowledge over ignorance, good over evilthe UN lights up. Happy Diwali! From this year onwards, Diwali was made an optional holiday for the UN. ANI By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: Rohingya militants, who are trained in Pakistan, have become operational in Bangladesh's hill track area of Cox's Bazar's Teknaf and remote areas of Bandarban. Pakistan based militant outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba,Jamatul Mujahideen and Pakistani Taliban have reportedly given full assistance to the Rohingiya militants. The revelation was cited in leading daily of Bangladesh on Sunday based on a report from Myanmar media. advertisement Leading daily Kaler Kantha, citing intelligent officials, said that Rohingya militants got training in Pakistan in 2012. According to the report, their aim was to create sabotage including covert killings in Bangladesh, India and Myanmar. Most of the Rohingya militants were reportedly recruited from the refugee camps in Cox's Bazar area. A statement from the office of Myanmar's President Htin Kyaw blamed the little-known 'Aqa Mul Mujahidin'(AMM) for the terrorist attack in Myanmar's north-west province of Rakhain on October 9. In the statement he also said that AMM has good relation with Pakistan and some countries of middle east. Htin Kyaw said, few militant outfits from Pakistan are providing financial support and military training inside Myanmar territory. Militants carried out attacks on three police check-posts on October 9 in Maungdaw town alongside Myanmar-Bangladesh border and killed 9 policemen. Military Headquarter reported that 26 militants were killed in the counter attack of Myanmar Army. AMM IS A NEW ARMED GROUP Citing a senior officials of Indian intelligence, who have closely followed the Rohingya armed militancy for decades, the media said that AMM chief Hafiz Tohar was indeed trained in Pakistan. He said, though AMM is a new armed group but it originated from the Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami-Arakan (HUJI-A) which enjoys close relations with the Pakistan Taliban. He said, the HUJI-A chief is Abdus Qadoos Burmi, a Pakistani national of Rohingya origin. Qadoos Burmi is reported to be close to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), headed by Hafiz Sayeed and who it is claimed recruited Hafiz Tohar, 45, from Kyauk Pyin Seik village in Maungdaw in Myanmar and arranged for his training in Pakistan. Also read: Bangladesh will stand by India if attacked: Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan The intelligence official said, later Hafiz Tohar himself recruited Rohingya youths from Rakhine province and refugee camps in Bangladesh's cox's bazaar and trained them in jungle bases on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. They were reportedly carrying out insurgency inside Myanmar. Besides, these militants are also involved in different terrorist activities inside India and Bangladesh. Quoting higher official of an intelligence agency of Bangladesh Mizzima said, Jamaatud Dawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba held a conference titled "Difa-e-Musalman-e-Arakan" in July 2012 to address the Rohinga crisis as a issue. Subsequently, senior JuD operatives, Shahid Mahmood and Nadeem Awan visited Bangladesh in August 2012, to establish direct contacts with Rohingya elements based in camps along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border," said the Bangladesh intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity. advertisement PAKISTAN NATIONAL ACTIVE ON BANGLADESH-MYANMAR BORDER He said that besides Qadoos Burmi, another Rohingya militant network headed by Maulana Abdul Hamid is said to be operating out of Pakistan. A Pakistan national of Rohingya origin, is reported to be active along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. Abdul Hamid has close links with Lashkar-e-Taiba. Security Analyst of Bangladesh Major General(retd) Abdur Rashid said, former BNP-Jamaat alliance government support to the issue of Rohinga crisis which later lead Bangladesh to a difficult situation like refugee problem. Also read: Pakistan does not have aggressive designs against any country: Nawaz Sharif On the other hand, Pakistan was always keen to divert the issue into a case of religious fundamentalism in the name of resolving Rohinga crisis. One of the main reasons that can be attributed to Pakistan's unwillingness to solve the problem is, if Bangladesh somehow manage to resolve the crisis smoothly it could the improve bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Myanmar which would not benefit Pakistan. advertisement Discussing on bilateral relation between Bangladesh and Myanmar, he said that there is hardly any improvement in people to people and government to government interaction between Myanmar and Bangladesh but if that happens it could resolve most of the crisis. Also read: Bangladesh will stand by India if attacked: Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan --- ENDS --- New Delhi, October 29 The Delhi Police have arrested an aide to a Samajawadi Party MP in connection with an espionage case that led to the expulsion of a Pakistan High Commission staffer from India. Farhat, the personal assistant to Samajwadi Partys Rajya Sabha MP Munvvar Saleem, was today sent to police custody for 10 days by a Delhi court in the case. The investigating officer said the accused, who was allegedly working for an Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy ring, had to be confronted with other arrested men to unearth the larger conspiracy and nab others. The Delhi Police claimed that Farhat was involved in the espionage ring in which Pakistan High Commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar, described as the kingpin working for ISI, was detained by the police for alleged possession of sensitive defence documents. They said Farhat was detained last night and arrested this afternoon after prolonged questioning. The officer said preliminary questioning has led to certain revelations that need to be further investigated as other names have cropped up. The agency has already arrested three persons Shoaib Hasan, Maulana Ramzan and Subhash Jangir earlier in the case who are in police custody till November 8. During the proceedings today, police alleged that more persons are likely to be apprehended and more documents and other evidence to be recovered with the help of the accused. Agencies Shahira Naim Tribune News Service Lucknow, October 30 Several people, including mediapersons, were injured in a reported mismanagement when a huge crowd turned up to greet Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at his janata durbar in his ancestral village of Safai in Etawah on Diwali. The injured have been referred to the Uttar Pradesh Rural Institute of Medical Sciences and Research at Safai. On Saturday, CM Yadav had driven down to Safai along with his children and two ministers to celebrate Diwali with his extended family in Safai. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) This is his first visit to Safai after the recent family feud in the Yadav first family. As news of his arrival spread in the area a large number of people thronged the village to meet him. The crowd became so huge that it converted into a janata durbar and was shifted to the PWD Guest House as people flocked to wish him on the festive occasion. However, the security arrangements were clearly inadequate as many people were injured when the mismanagement of the crowds led to a mild stampede-like situation. Recently expelled uncle Ramgopal Yadav also arrived at Safai on Saturday along with son and Firozabad MP Akshay Yadav. While other uncle and Samajwadi Party state president Shivpal Yadav is also expected to arrive in Safai, father Mulayam Singh Yadav has no plans to visit the Yadav ancestral village for Diwali, party sources said. A large number of people greeted CM Yadav on Saturday along the 200 km route from Lucknow to Safai as he stopped at various places to meet people on the soon-to-be-inaugurated state-of-the- art Lucknow-Agra Expressway. Kathmandu, October 30 Nepal has re-appointed Deep Kumar Upadhyay as its envoy to India, nearly six months after he was recalled by the previous KP Oli-led government over charges of non-cooperation and indulging in anti-government activities. Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Saturday appointed Upadhyay as Ambassador to India while also naming Leela Mani Paudyal as envoy to China, according to a statement issued by the Presidents Office on Sunday. Upadhyay would enjoy the diplomatic ranking of a Cabinet Minister, according to the statement. Upadhyay, who was serving as Nepals Ambassador to India since April 2015, was suddenly recalled by the erstwhile Oli government on May 6. The Oli-led government had levelled three charges against Upadhyaya to justify its decision to recall him and officials had said he was working against national interest. Upadhyay, a leader of Nepali Congress, was seen as the first casualty of the cancellation of Nepalese President Bhandaris planned visit to India. Paudyal is a former chief secretary of the Government of Nepal. The Council of Ministers on September 1 had recommended the duo for the key diplomatic outposts in Nepals neighbourhood. PTI Tribune News Service Amritsar/Ferozepur, Oct 29 Dhyan Singh Mand, the Sarbat Khalsa-appointed acting Akal Takht Jathedar, was allegedly placed under house arrest in Ferozepur today. He has announced to deliver a message to the Sikh community from the Akal Takht on the occasion of Bandi Chhor Diwas tomorrow. His message is now likely to be conveyed in the form of handouts at the Golden Temple. Mand might be released in the afternoon tomorrow. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh is scheduled to address the Sikh Sangat on Bandi Chhor Diwas. However, various Sikh organisations are up in arms against him, claiming that he has been rejected by the community. SAD (Amritsar) leader Jarnail Singh Sakhira said the Sikh community would stage a protest in case Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh delivered the message. Sakhira was among the organisers of the Sarbat Khalsa held last year. Sakhira and another congregation organiser, Gurdeep Singh, slammed Mands detention. They said the police were not even allowing any communication with Mand. Another Sikh outfit, Dal Khalsa has also announced a protest against Giani Gurbachan Singhs address. Security is expected to be beefed up in and around the shrine tomorrow. Sources said the SGPC would deploy more members of its task force, while the police would be present in mufti inside the Golden Temple complex. When contacted, Ferozepur SSP RK Bakshi denied that the police had detained Mand or kept him under house arrest. Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, October 29 The Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that selection on the basis of an old advertisement would not entitle a candidate to be appointed on the strength of a new advertisement. The ruling by Justice Daya Chaudhary came in a case where candidates selected for the posts of canal patwaris in August, 1996, but could not be appointed as the model code of conduct was imposed due to Assembly elections. Appearing before the Bench of Justice Chaudhary, the petitioners claimed that they applied for 280 posts of canal patwaris in response to advertisement issued on May 15, 1995. The minimum qualification for the post was matriculation. The petitioners were selected on the basis of a screening test. Their names even figured in the list of successful candidates. But the model code of conduct came into operation due to Assembly elections in Punjab, before the stage of appointment. An earlier petition filed by the candidates was dismissed by the court in April, 2009, after holding that the petitioners were not having an indefeasible right to appointment as the selection process was eventually withdrawn on the basis of financial crises. It was also held that the appointments were withheld by the respondents for bonafide reasons. Justice Chaudhary asserted the petitioners were claiming right to consideration in pursuance of a public notice issued on September 10, 2016, only on the ground that they were duly selected earlier and were having a right to be considered against the posts advertised subsequently. Justice Chaudhary added that there was not only delay in claiming the right, the minimum eligibility condition too was raised from matriculation to graduation. Moreover, a writ petition filed by the petitioners had also been dismissed. The petitioners were not having an indefeasible right of appointment as the appointing authority was fully entitled to withhold the appointment for bonafide reasons, the court said. The petitioners have no right to claim the posts, which have been advertised subsequently i.e. after a delay of more than 20 years, the court said. Geetu Vaid With The Liberation of Sita you are virtually handed a prism of feminism to view the Ramayana and its characters from a different perspective. Handholding readers through a journey away from the exalted and imposing persona of Lord Rama the maryada purshottam Volga (pen name of Popuri Lalitha Kumari) re-sketches the character of Sita. Treading in the genre of revisionist myth-making, as defined by Adrienne Rich, the writer enters an old text from a new dimension to set new paradigms of morality. Through her five short stories in this collection, Volga presents Sita, the embodiment of an ideal woman docile, obedient, chaste, devoted, unassertive, self-effacing in a new avatar. Here we have a woman who questions, doubts, feels hurt and searches for independence and dignity as a human being and not just as someones wife or mother. A translation of 2015 Sahitya Akademi Award winning Vimukta in Telugu, this anthology is built on Sitas bonding with four minor women characters of the Ramayana like Surpanakha, Ahalya, Renuka and Urmila. Each of them has fought her own battle of desire, chastity, fidelity and paid a heavy price to emerge victorious as a complete woman with independent identity, not defined by marriage and motherhood. Through each of them the writer manifests the strength that every woman has and needs to discover in every era and age. Strength drawn from this sisterhood at different stages of her life is what puts Sita on the path of self-realisation and liberation, while Rama remains fettered and troubled, living the lie of being a Just king, while being unjust to the woman he loved. The Reunion, according to Volga was the first story that she had written and the one which made her explore other marginalised women characters. Surpnakha, mutilated for expressing her desire, evolves to surround herself with beauty all around. Ahalya of The Music of Earth is a woman of poise and dignity, who finds no need to explain her fidelity to the ones who doubt her, even if it is her husband. Whatever gives you peace of mind, consider that the truth, she says. In the Sand Pot, Renuka, the wife of Rishi Jamadagni, who ordered his son Parasurama to behead her for lusting, highlights the sham of enlightenment that men create for women. No matter how much wisdom they earn through penance, they continue to have a dogmatic view on the paativratyam of their wives,she tells Sita while comparing marital fidelity with the fragility of a sand pot. The Liberated, on the other hand relates how Urmila, Lakshmanas wife, freed herself from the expectations of a marriage by contemplation and meditation of 14 years after being abandoned by her husband. The voice of feminism is fairly evident in all the stories. Rama is shown to have taken a promise from Sita that she would let him protect her and not protect herself even though she was an accomplished warrior herself. But in spite of all the obvious sarcasm and play of irony through her words, the writer, in fact, does not stray too far from the socially accepted norms of womanhood and certain Lakshman rekhas that even the most prolific of feminist voices still dread to cross. So, the essence of life, freedom and dignity is to evolve by giving up all the material and physical pleasures. As the writer totally steers clear of the assertion of physicality and sexuality of a woman, there is this niggling feeling that she has not covered that much ground on feminism just a few measured steps which would not ruffle religious feathers much. How relevant this is in the 21st century where the woman in India is bearing the age-old shackles of culture and custom along with the challenges of boardroom rat race is something that one cant help but dwell upon. As for the translation part, there is not much to write home about as the narrative is jerky and syntax shallow. The irony and sarcasm of the original seems to have been sacrificed in an overzealous attempt to stick to the English idiom. The inherent rhythm and flow that must have been there in the original Telugu is clearly lost in the transition to English. It doesnt convey the soul of the stories. As a result for most part, the translation is bland and placid, which is one of the major shortcomings of this anthology. While voters in the three hill districts of the Punjab, namely, Simla, Kangra Hoshiarpur, have already been to the polls in a number of constituencies, the main election battle in a major part of the State will commence in the first week of January. Since our readers are sure to be interested in the elections, we are putting down below some data which will be of use to them in this connection. In the Punjab there are about 65 lakh voters who are going to elect 125 members one having been already elected without contest for the State Legislative Assembly and 18 for Parliament (House of the People). There are 846 candidates, belonging to 17 parties, for the former and 101 for the latter. As the list given below will indicate, for the 18 Parliamentary seats, the Congress Party (C) has put up 19 candidates, Jan Sangh (J) 10, Akali Dal (A) 9, Socialists (S) 5, Krishak Lok Party (KL) 5, Communists (CO) 4, Ram Rajya Parishad (R) 4, Lal Communist Party (LCO) 2, Hindu Mahasabha (H) 2, Scheduled Castes Federation (SCF) 2, Forward Bloc Marxists (FM) 2, and K. M. P. P. (K) 1. There are also 35 Independents (I). Read more stories related to Punjab Assembly Elections 1951-1952 The contest for the State Legislative Assembly is even more keen. One seat Ferozepore-Jhirka has already been won unopposed by Congress. Of the remaining 125, 84 are single-member and 21 double-member constituencies. In each one of these 21, one seat is general one reserved for the Scheduled Castes. According to party affiliation the 846 candidates are distributed as follows: Congress (C) 121, Akali Dal (A) 59, Socialists (S) 56, Communist Party (CO) 34, Krishak Lok Party (KL) 29, Jan Sangh (J) 26, Forward Bloc Marxists (FM) 29, Forward Bloc Subhasist (FS) 2, Zamindara Party (Z) 3, Lal Communist Party (LCO) 13, Lok Congress (LC) 9, K.M.P.P. (K) 10, Hindu Mahasabha (H) 3, and Ram Rajya Periahad (R) 3. The largest bloc, as in the case of candidates for Parliament, consists of Independents (I). They number 364. The reader will notice that, on an average, there are three independent candidates for every one of the 125 seats which are still to be contested. A few dozen of the total number of 6,974 polling stations have already been put be to use. The rest will start functioning according to the date-sheet previously announced. No fewer than 70,000 ballot-boxes will be used and polling will last till January 21. All results are to be out by February 15. We append below a chart of all the Parliamentary and State Assembly constituencies with the name and party affiliations (as notified to the authorities at the time of nominations) of candidates for every one of them. Readers can keep this list for reference and for recording results (and votes polled by each of the contestants) as announced from day to day after the polling is over. Note: Although every care has been taken to make this list completely accurate, "The Tribune' does not accept responsibility for any mistake that may have inadvertently crypt in. Bhim Sen Sachar He joined the Indian National Congress party at a young age. In 1921, he was elected as the Secretary of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. By the time India gained independence in 1947, he was an important member of the party. In 1949, the party selected him for the office of Chief Minister of Punjab. He took oath on 13 April 1949 and served until 18 October 1949. The first elections in independent India were held in 1952 and the Punjab legislative assembly was formed for the first time that year. The Congress party won the provincial elections at this time, and Sachar became chief minister again, serving from 17 April 1952 to 23 January 1956. Gopi Chand Bhargava Gopi Chand Bhargava (8 March 1889 1966) was the first Chief Minister of Punjab. Dr Gopi Chand Bhargava was elected as the leader of assembly of East Punjab and hence became the first CM of Punjab after independence. He was born in 1889 in Sarsa district of undivided Punjab, which is now in Haryana. He passed MBBS from Medical College, Lahore in 1912 and started medical profession in 1913. He belonged to Indian National Cogress (INC) and became chief minister of the state for three times. He first became chief minister of Punjab on 15 August, 1947 and was in the chair till 13 April, 1949. Then he again became CM of the state for second time from 18 October, 1949 to 20 June 1951. On 21 June, 1964 he became the cm of Punjab for the third time and remained the chief minister till 6 July, 1964. He died on 26 December, 1966. Giani Kartar Singh Giani Kartar Singh, (1902-1974), was an Akali leader, known for his political astuteness, who dominated Sikh politics during the 1940s and 1950s. He had a religious bent of mind and during his school days led a kirtan jatha which earned him the epithet giani (learned in religious texts). Giani Kartar Singh was attracted to politics in his early youth. In 1924, he was appointed general secretary of the Lyallpur district branch of the Shiromani Akali Dal. In 1937, he was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly from Samundari Jarharivala constituency of Lyallpur district. In 1943, in reaction to Muslim League`s demand for a separate Muslim State, Giani Kartar Singh put forward a demand for Azad Punjab. It envisaged carving out a new unit, Azad Punjab, from the existing Punjab, which would included the maximum Sikh population. This formed the basis of the Akali standpoint at the subsequent political negotiations during which Giani Kartar Singh ranked next only to Master Tara Singh as representative of the Sikh opinion. Giani Kartar Singh was a minister in the East Punjab government under Chief Minister Gopi Chand Bhargava and was assigned to the portfolios of revenue and development. He continued in the ministry headed by Bhim Sen Sachar which in fact he, with his group of 22 MLAs, had helped to form in March 1949. He was the architect of what came to be known as the Giani-Sachar formula, according to which East Punjab was demarcated into Punjabi-speaking and Hindi-speaking areas a demarcation which laid the foundation of a Punjabi-speaking state, called Punjabi Suba. Read more stories related to Punjab Assembly Elections 1951-1952 Baba Kharak Singh Baba Kharak Singh (1868 - 1963) was a Sikh political leader and virtually the first president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. It was the Jallianvala Bagh massacre of 1919 which brought Kharak Singh actively into Sikh politics In 1920, he became president of the Central Sikh league council and led the Sikhs to participate in the non-co-operation movement. In 1920'S, he was elected president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. He successfully led in 1921-22 the agitation for the restoration to the Sikhs of the keys of the Golden Templc treasury seized by the British Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar, and underwent first of his numerous jail terms. He was a firm protagonist of national unity and opposed both the Muslim League's demand for Pakistan and the Akali proposal for an Azad Punjab. After 1947, he stayed in Delhi in virtual retirement, and died there on 6 October 1963 at the ripe age of 95. Master Tara Singh (1885 - 1967) Master Tara Singh was a prominent Sikh political and religious leader in the first half of the 20th century. He was instrumental in organising the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee and guiding the Sikhs during the Partition of India. He later led their demand for a Sikh-majority state in Punjab, India. Tara Singh was born on 24 June 1885 to a Hindu family in Rawalpindi, which was then a part of Punjab Province in British India. He converted to Sikhism while a student and became a high school teacher upon his graduation from Khalsa College in Amritsar in 1907. Singh was ardent in his desire to promote and protect the cause of Sikhism. This often put him at odds with civil authorities and he was jailed on 14 occasions for civil disobedience beteween 1930-1966. Early examples of his support for civil disobedience came through his close involvement with the movement led by Mohandas K. Gandhi. He became a leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) political party, which was the major force in Sikh politics, and he was similarly involved with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. During the Partition of India, over one million Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims were killed and families were displaced as they migrated across the new India-Pakistan border. During this period, many alleged that Tara Singh was endorsing the killing of Punjabi's. On 3 March 1947, at Lahore, Singh along with about 500 Sikhs declared from a dais "Death to Pakistan". Singh's most significant cause was that favouring the creation of a distinct Punjabi-speaking state. He believed that this would best protect the integrity of Sikh religious and political traditions. He began a fast unto death in 1961 at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, unless the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru agreed to his demand for such a state. Nehru argued that India was a secular country and that this creation of a state based on religious distinction was inappropriate. Nonetheless, Nehru did promise to consider the issue and thus Singh abandoned his fast after 48 days. Singh's fellow Sikhs turned against him, believing that he had capitulated, and they put him on trial in a court adjudged by pijaras. He pleaded guilty to the charges laid against him and found his reputation in tatters. He was thought to have abandoned his ideals and was replaced as leader of the SAD. The linguistic division of the Indian state of Punjab eventually took place in 1966, with the Hindi-speaking areas redesignated as a part of the state of Haryana. Singh himself died in Chandigarh on 22 November 1967. Chandigarh, Oct. 30, 2016 Free India was governed by Indian leaders elected before Independence. Indian citizens exercised their franchise for the first time in Independent India in 1951-1952. At that time, Punjab had been bifurcated but it also now included an entity called Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) comprising former princely states of Patiala, Nabha, Kapurthala, Jind, Faridkot, Materkotla, Nalagarh and Kalsia. Before the next elections, it would be merged into Punjab (in 1956). The electoral process got going in the latter half of 1951 and by November 6, The Tribune could declare that nomination papers had been filed for 144 seats in Punjab. The number of candidates ran into thousands, which was a baffling situation for both the parties and the voters. Click here for full image of First Stage in Punjab Elections The electoral battle was waged by some redoubtable yodhas. Dr Gopichand Bhargava, who had the distinction of being the first Chief Minister of Punjab, was engaged in a tussle with fellow Congressman Bhim Sen Sachar. Partap Singh Kairon was an important leader. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the most popular mass leader in the country, toured the state, addressing six rallies during his two-and-a-half day visit. "The main theme of the speeches by the Congress President was a complete and unsparing criticism of the communal organisations," The Tribune reports. He also criticised Bhargava. On the other hand, Socialist leader Jaya Prakash Narayan (JP) called the Nehru regime a "complete failure" while addressing a rally in Jalandhar. Read more stories related to Punjab Assembly Elections 1951-1952 As we look at the pages of The Tribune, we come across many riveting news items, Lala Jagat Narain declaring "Corruption and nepotism to go,"; Vijay Lakshmi Pandit decrying "False Cry of 'Panth' in Danger" and asking Sikhs to vote for Congress; Sardar Hukam Singh asserting that "the Akali Dal does not want any special treatment by way of concessions, weightage or reservation of seats. All that it demands is equal right of citizenship for the Sikhs, protection of Punjabi as the mother tongue of the State"; Nehru arguing that the Akali Dal had "polluted Punjab politics; and Jathedar Udham Singh Nagoke, President of the SGPC, warning "all Gurdwara employees against their participation in party politics." Political meetings within the premises of Gurdwaras were banned. Most of the pictures show various candidates and leaders, but there are striking photographs of voters exercising their franchise. An editorial after the polls says: "The leaders who have been returned have stood against communalism and corruption and against groupings and factions." We present here that and news items that give a flavour of those times. The Internet Edition will have more. The sound and fury of the present electoral race finds its echoes in the past, so many issues are similar: political machinations development, corruption, nepotism, voter's quest for tangible benefits to their lives....we will see many a reflection of the present as we explore the past. Pakistan violated ceasefire along RS Pura sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday evening. By India Today Web Desk: Pakistan troops violated ceasefire in RS Pura sector of Jammu on Sunday evening. Defence sources have said that heavy mortar shelling and automatic weapon firing are underway between Indian Army and Pakistani troops. Sources said that Pakistani troops have been increasingly targeting civilians dwelling in the RS Pura sector. Pakistan Army are reportedly resorting to heavy mortar shelling targeting houses and villagers. advertisement Earlier a large number of civilians were injured in mortar shelling by the Pakistani troops. Pakistan has violated ceasefire for about 50 times since the surgical strike by Indian Army. Also read: J-K: Another government school set ablaze in Anantnag, concerns mount over students' safety Fierce encounter between security forces, terrorists in Kupwara Army destroys 4 Pakistani posts in Keran sector along LoC, says it has inflicted 'heavy casualties' 2 Pakistan soldiers killed as India responds to ceasefire violation with punitive strikes --- ENDS --- Ratna Raman Diwali is celebrated all over northern India recalling Ramas homecoming to Ayodhya. Everyone fixes their own homes, makes rangolis and lights lamps, dropping off sweets and gifts to families and friends, while rejoicing over the arrival of the mythic king. Onam in Kerala elicits this sort of response for more than a fortnight, although the celebrations are for honouring the Mahabali. Rama returns home, along with his wife Sita, brother Lakshman and a retinue of followers. Sitas arrival is celebrated as the visitation of Goddess Laxmi, the good-natured goddess, and there is boisterous gambling, with playing cards instead of the proverbial dice, amid feasting and firecrackers. This mythic celebration mimics conjugal successes in happy households: the roles of women and men, follow older traditional patterns, although now Diwalis ante has been raised through conspicuous consumption in affluent households. In South India, Diwali is celebrated a day earlier and the sequence of rituals is very different. Most celebrations finish early in the morning around a ritual bath and firecrackers after which families feast with traditional sweets and savouries. There is no Laxmi Puja in homes. Laxmi Puja, wherein only Goddess Laxmi is summoned and prayed to, happens on a Friday in August. In South India, Diwali is a celebratory moment because yet another demon Narakasura has been vanquished at the end of a joint venture by Krishna and Satyabama. This mythical event was recorded as happening on the eve preceding Diwali. Narakasura had imprisoned 16,000 women and had also humiliated the mother of the gods, Aditi. Narakasuras vanquishment is a woman-friendly narrative. It is structured around the release of the women from Aditis household. Aditi herself is the wife of sage Kashyap, the eternal mother figure from whom all devas originated. The defeat of evil is celebrated by the lighting of diyas. In South India, Vishnu commands deep reverence. While Rama has enough temples to his name, he is subject to occasional irreverence and is seen as everyman. The expression Saapaatu Raman is a term used for gluttons, too fond of food, while the expression Kothanda Raman, an epithet for the martial god with bow and art describes an aggressive, bad-tempered, man. Kalyana Raman, describing the married householder is, perhaps, the more pleasant of the name callings, although this aspect of Rama as a decent husband is now contested by feminists because Rama does treat Sita rather shabbily on more than one occasion. Irawati Karve terms Sitas forest sojourn as idyllic. This is incorrect because the forest is invariably more rugged and demanding of everyday lives than the luxurious world of the court. Here, Sita is kidnapped and intimidated by Ravana and a huge battle ensues before Ravana can be routed and killed. Sitas agni pariksha becomes a test of her unsullied chastity, after which, she is brought back home. All bodes well in Ayodhya, until the washermans refusal to accept his wifes return home declaring that he is not a Rama who will condone her infidelity, is brought to Ramas knowledge. The taunt rankles. Choosing to reign by example, Rama banishes a pregnant Sita to the forest. Ramas response is outrageous and finds little justification in the hearts and minds of innumerable readers of the Ramayana, who provide their own versions of Sitas stories. Even, Bollywood which can lapse into stereotypic representations of women at any given opportunity offers a wonderful song wherein the hero tells his beloved that he will not ask her about her past and what she did: Mujhe nahi poochni tumsey beeti baatein. He asks for fidelity and commitment from that particular day (aaj se) and goes on to explain his position by accepting; Mai Ram nahi hoon phir kyoon, ummeed karoon Sita ki. Unfortunately, this egalitarian stance has made little impact upon patriarchal perspectives that continue to subject hapless women to stringent codes of behaviour. Nevertheless, it is pertinent to recall that Sita is not a passive victim of circumstances. After Rama claims her sons, (despite zero parenting) and informs her that she must prove her virtue yet again, Sita directs her pleas to mother earth and wishes to be reclaimed by her. She is very clear about not wanting to go back to Ayodhya as a twice-resurrected wife. The earth opens and she is absorbed alongside its many untold secrets. This quiet assertion that Sitas dignified resistance sets up touches a chord in innumerable hearts. That Sita is no pushover continues to be iterated by innumerable retellings of her story in a multiplicity of languages. A.K.Ramanujans brilliant essay Three Hundred Ramayanas draws our attention to versions wherein Sita features as Ravanas daughter and has a discussion with Surpanakhas daughter about Ravana. The version positioning Sita as Ravanas daughter is an important fable for our times. The ugly reality wherein fathers molest daughters is lent greater credence by the myth which spells out the generic vulnerability of daughters. This homegrown myth should have greater resonance worldwide when pitted against the Electra complex (Freuds guilt-inducing assertion of how daughters remain dubiously attracted to their fathers). More daughters have suffered worldwide under the grim authority of patriarchs than fathers who have been loved and obeyed by daughters. The maiming of Surpanakha provides yet another pointer to the punitive treatment meted out to women in modern times. I often asked myself why a woman persistently wooing a man should have her nose and ears cut off only to discover that khaps sanction the killing of women who choose to love without sanction. Modern instances of rejected suitors stabbing women to death or hurling corrosive acid in their face are possibly vestiges of punitive patriarchal authority drawn from more ancient times. Sitas grace under pressure, Satyabamas collaborative effort and Surpanakhas spirited enthusiasm are symbolic assertions of strength and represent extraordinary possibilities for our times.Their stories are life lessons that continue to highlight for women the world of predatory fathers, domineering husbands and hostile males. Harish Khare A few days ago, a group of students from Chandigarh University came to visit The Tribune. All were enrolled in the degree course in journalism. A conversation began. An assertion was implied, if not explicitly made: we do not have time to read a newspaper. Or a book. Obviously, the young men and women were reflecting the prevailing and fashionable preference of their generation in favour of the Internet and its technological innovation. Since it has been assiduously drilled in their minds that the mobile phone is the most empowering instrument in their hand, they feel that they are empowered to take on the world. These young users also feel that they have access to all the knowledge and wisdom that is out there in the world. I made the point that whatever the technology of the day, the craft of journalism would still survive and all the basic attributes and qualities that make a good journalist remain unchanged. The craft basically comes down to telling a story movingly, convincingly and credibly, enticing the reader to stay on the page. And, pray, how do you acquire the craft of telling a good story? Practice, inspiration, perseverance. But, not without, reading good stories. And good stories are to be found only in books. But, now we are told that books are passe. Libraries are so ancient and so unnecessary. That is pure humbug. A perfect sleight of hand devised by the Internet industry. There is no joyful substitute for holding and reading a good book. A civilisation without books and a man without a library can only be a host to a barren soul. TODAY we celebrate Diwali. It is undoubtedly a joyous occasion. We welcome Goddess Laxmi in our homes. The businessman starts the new accounts book. For the salaried class, it is time for bonus. But essentially, it is time for the family get-together and social bonding. Of late, Diwali has become a commercial celebration. A kind of gift economy has been very, very subtly introduced. Just as in the West, Christmas has been reduced to a monumental commercial transaction, Diwali too is being converted into a crass marketing gimmick. Powerful advertising strategies are unleashed on unsuspecting minds. We all get sucked into those images on television, and unthinkingly give in to new values, emotions, impulses that are sought to be manufactured for us. We are made to feel that we can be a good father, a loving husband, a caring daughter, and a considerate employer only when we purchase this or that expensive item from this or that e-commerce portal. All our relationships are now to be judged not on the basis of intrinsic love and affection but whether or not a gift is purchased and exchanged. Maybe this is what is called the unrelenting march of capitalism and its value system. We now monetise all emotions and all relationships. And, I notice, we are not goaded to buy books as possible gifts. I have been wanting to write about this book for the past few weeks, but somehow the very title, Democrats and Dissenters, seems to be so very much at odds with the temper of our current national mood. But then precisely because of this so-called national mood it is important to talk about Ramachandra Guhas Democrats and Dissenters. Ram Guha has a formidable reputation as the finest chronicler of our recent times and this book, though only a collection of earlier published quasi-academic papers, reinforces that reputation. He speaks in a firm liberal voice and tone. His own role model seems to be Professor Andre Beteille, whom he describes, in an essay here, as a scholar and citizen. Ram Guha has also carved out a position for himself as a respectable public intellectual. He seems to be endorsing Beteilles wisdom and intellectual courage in observing that constitutional morality in India has been undermined from above and from below, by the corruption and venalty of our elected representatives as well as by the deep distrust of institutions on the part of the leaders of popular movements. Those who claim to command street power need not necessarily be saviours of the nation. That is a perfect liberal perspective, but at variance with the age of Anna Hazare. Fifteen years earlier, Guhas liberal soul was uneasy as he could discern that those who operated democratic institutions had failed to address issues of justice and equity, thereby forcing the dissenter to experiment with violence. In a 2012 essay, Democracy and Violence, Guha meditates on forms of violence promoted by militant groups in modern history in the context of India and Sri Lanka. He asks: Can the Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Kashmiris in India ever come to live as secure and moderately contented citizens of the nation-states of which they are now part? A deeply troubling question, which remains unanswered. It is also a recurring question. Though Ram Guha offers a caveat that the historian can merely document and diagnose, he does stick his neck out and suggests that neither wholesale assimilation nor complete separation would work. Instead, why not try dignified autonomy? He writes: The path of dignified autonomy may be scorned both by paranoid national politicians and by ideologically driven rebels, yet it remains the most reasonable, the most viable, and the most humane solution to the terrible and tragic conflicts in Kashmir and northern Sri Lanka. Yet, I am not sure that Ram Guha would be permitted to make this point on national television today. We have joyfully embraced intolerance in all its ugly manifestations. We demand conformity and we no longer seem inclined to humour the dissenter. He would probably be burnt at the stake for these views. That precisely is the reason why this book should be savoured by every sensible Indian. It is the historians burden to educate and enlighten us about our current predicaments with the help of insights from history. Ram Guha has done an extremely competent job. In a very readable essay, Debating Democracy: Jayaprakash Narayan versus Jawaharlal Nehru, Guha reminds us how the concerns voiced in a 1957 dialogue between these two giants remain relevant even in 2016. The book is also a reminder that history did not begin in May 2014. This collection of very readable essays leaves a very nice liberal taste in the mouth. For that reason alone, Democrats and Dissenters needs to be savoured, especially in these ugly times of shouting jingoism and extreme anti-Pakistanism. MY friend Prakash Dube has sent the following alleged heated exchange between Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Army commander, General Sharif. This has to be appreciated in the context of the recent suggestions to the government to downgrade English as the medium of instruction in our schools: PM Sharif: Commander aap saari call aur message trace karte ho, phir aapko Indian army ka plan pata kaise nahi chala? Commander: Sir, angrezi ki wajeh se. Nawaz Sharif: To kya hua? Commander: Message angrezi mein tha: 'Surgical strike karenge.' Humare officer ne suna Sirjee, kal strike karenge. Unhe laga ki Hindustani fauj kal se hartal pe jaane wali hai. Again, Happy Diwali! Have a cup of hot coffee with that tasty barfi. kaffeeklatsch@tribuneindia.com Amir Karim Tantray in Jammu In conflict zones where reckless mortar shells and heavy machine gun fire poke-mark residential areas and wound residents, it is difficult to keep ones head. Thats the state of peoples mind living along the international border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC). Whats the solution? While strategists, pacifists and even battle-hardened generals would caution against war, the people will say the opposite: Let there be this way or that way (aar-ya-paar). The residents anger is understandable because they are the ones who have lost the count as to how many times they have had to shift each time India and Pakistan have come to the brink. The life of migrants borders on non-existence, something similar to cannon fodder: a living defined by deathly noise of having to live. Things were slightly different a few weeks back in villages along the IB: farmers were ready for their crop, schools ran smoothly, sweets were being prepared as the festive season was round the corner with milkmen ready with their bulk supplies to the Jammu city and other towns. Suddenly, loud explosions were heard all across as Pakistani forces started heavy shelling and firing on civilian areas as well as security force pickets. People with kacha houses ran to take shelter inside bunkers constructed by the administration many years back. These bunkers with 10x10-ft underground rooms have a concrete roof about 1.5-ft thick with over 5-ft mud over it. On the rear side, two small windows allow ventilation. But these bunkers are in a dilapidated condition, sheltering at times snakes and other reptiles. There are people who have built their own bunkers. Avtar Singh of Abdullian village has constructed such redoubts with two 10x5-ft underground rooms. Singh and his family, unlike other villagers, secure themselves inside the bunker. But those who dont have any option have already migrated: official sources say around 12,000 of them from 25 villages. Since October 21, three BSF Jawans and one civilian have died and four BSF personnel and 34 civilians have been injured in cross-border shelling on the IB. Scores of cattle have also been killed or injured. Though the authorities are yet to assess the total damage, the cost may run into hundreds of crores of rupees. This is like an undeclared war, shouts a resident as he shows mortar shells scattered around his house in Abdullian village. The skirmishes have intensified since surgical strikes on Sept 28-29, ripping apart the 2003 ceasefire agreement. This truce was meant to allow border dwellers to live peacefully on both sides. Our lives are ruinedwe are homeless. We have to leave homes whenever firing starts. Our childrens education is affected, our houses are being damaged, and our crop is getting destroyed, says 55-year-old Natha Ram of Abdullian village. He is sheltered near Radha Swami Satsang Ghar at Rangpur Maulanian. Instead of facing migration every now and then, India must go for war to settle the issue once for all, he says angrily. Tarseem Singh (21) of Shamka village, who studies in government Degree College RS Pura, says: We are not able to attend college as we have to take care of the family in the migrant camp. The previous UPA government had decided to allot five-marla plots each to border dwellers. These plots could have had some makeshift arrangements. But change of government, both at the Centre and state, has put paid to their hopes. The Government must fulfill its commitment so that we live in a peaceful atmosphere. For a first-hand experience of border shelling, ministers must spend a night with us, says Faqir Chand, an Abdullian resident. After surgical strikes, the government directed migration from border areas, not only in Jammu and Kashmir, but in Punjab as well. When people went back to their villages and re-started their routine, they were pounded with shells. Nobody came to their rescue. At the time of shelling neither officials nor the police can help because of threat to life. They can only help once shelling stops. In the Akhnoor belt, a few hundred plots were given to people living near the LoC during the previous NC-Congress rule. Today, even the district administration is not aware as to what happened to the announcement. I have no ideahigher-ups may have some knowledge, says deputy commissioner Jammu Simrandeep Singh. Tribune News Service Dehradun, October 29 The annual function of Delhi Public School (DPS) was celebrated with great zest, vibrancy and elation here yesterday. Chief Minister Harish Rawat, who was the chief guest, lighted the traditional lamp along with guest of honour Shatrughan Singh, Chief Secretary, to inaugurate the function. School trustees of MP Singh foundation Atul Kumar Singh and Anumeha Singh were present on the occasion. The cultural programme based on the theme Azadi Se Azadi Tak commenced with a scintillating welcome dance showcasing the auspicious aura of Lord Shiva. Senior students presented the most awaited mime Saare Jahan Se Accha. Next was the angelic voice of the senior choir which made the entire space echo. Students presented the gallantry of Shaheed Bhagat Singh by showcasing the performance on his entire life. Jhalak, a presentation of dances of India, was an enthusiastic performance. It was a perfect combination of co-ordination and grace. Head boy Uditansh Panwar shared his experiences of being an integral part of DPS, with the audience. Director DPS Vatsala Singh proposed the vote of thanks. The programme culminated with the candle march by DPS teachers followed by National Anthem. Dehradun, October 29 The graduation ceremony of various vocational courses run by the Young Womens Christian Association (YWCA) of India was held here today. The certificate giving ceremony began with the lighting of the lamp by Victoria Gyan, the chief guest of the occasion. Victoria Gyan said students need not sit back and rather they should use their knowledge and skills that they had received to make their careers grow. The purpose of running these courses in Dehradun was to empower women socially and economically, she added. Chandrani Sinha, local committee member of the YWCA, talked about empowerment and encouraged students to fight for their rights. She explained that women should have self- confidence as they are equal to men. Dr Amar Deep; Anis ur Rehman, Project Development Officer of YWCA; Tapati Haldar, YWCA coordinator; Parveen Begum; Seema Rao; Nahida Rehman; students and elderly were present on the occasion.TNS Canberra, October 30 Asylum-seekers who use people smugglers to illegally come to Australia by boat will be given a lifetime ban from entering the country, under a government plan set to be put to Parliament next week. Even if they are found to be legitimate refugees, those who employ the use of illegal people smugglers to make their way to Australia will never be allowed into the country, even as a tourist, Xinhua news agency reported. According to the government, the lifetime ban will extend to those who have been sent to Australian detention centres on Nauru or Manus Island since July 19, 2013; however, the laws will not affect children. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Sunday said the law was a follow-up to former Labour Prime Minister Kevin Rudds pledge in July 2013 that any asylum-seeker who comes to Australia by boat without a visa would never be settled in Australia. They must know that the door to Australia is closed to those who seek to come here by boat with a people smuggler, he said. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the laws would send a tough message not only to people smugglers, but to those thinking of coming to Australia illegally. IANS New York, October 29 In an extremely tragic incident, an eight-month-old Indian-origin boy was killed when the stroller he was in was hit by a car as it backed out of a driveway in Queens here. Navraj Raju was being pushed in the stroller by his 35-year-old mom, who hailed from India, when he was hit by a van driven by 44-year-old Armondo Rodriguez. Rodriguez was backing the van out of a driveway yesterday morning when he hit the stroller, knocking Raju out of it. Witnesses said the van kept backing up, running the boy over with the back tyre. Raju was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved. Rodriguez remained on the scene and was taken into custody. Police say he does not have a valid driver's licence. A witness described a chaotic scene, saying the child's mother shouted Stop! Stop! as the van backed up. PTI Washington, October 29 Stunned by FBIs decision to re-open its investigation into Hillary Clintons email scandal, her campaign has raised serious doubt over the agencys move just days before the presidential elections and sought more information about the probe. It is extraordinary that we would see something like this just 11 days out from a presidential election. The Director owes it to the American people to immediately provide the full details of what he is now examining. We are confident this will not produce any conclusions different from the one the FBI reached in July, the Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said. The Clinton campaign was taken aback when it learned from the US media that the FBI Director James Comey has written a letter to top Congressional leaders informing that it has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to its investigation in to the use of private server and personal emails by Clinton, when she was the Secretary of State from 2009-2012, in the first term of the Obama Administration. PTI Islamabad, October 30 Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Sunday said that former information minister Parvaiz Rasheed had been made a scapegoat, adding the nation demands much more. The PTI leader made this remark after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif asked Rasheed to step down from his post. Hitting out at Rasheed, the PTI chief invoking a metaphor said, The nation wants the sacrifice of a horse, not a mule, reports the Dawn. He was speaking to reporters outside his Bani Gala residence. Facing stiff resistance, Rasheed had been asked to step down as the government was forced to launch a probe into Dawns story, Act against militants or face international isolation, civilians tell military, which reported details of a high-level civil-military meeting discussing the issue of Pakistans banned outfits. An action was demanded by the military as it viewed the leak from the meeting as a break of national security. This move has given Khan, a strong critic of Sharif, another opportunity to hit out at the incumbent government as his party is all set for the protest at Islamabad on November 2. The PTI chairman said, Rasheed could not speak without a signal from his masters to do so. He could not dare anything on his own. He just obeyed instructions. People are not ready to accept the sacrifice of an associate, he said. We want to know who was the one from the royal family who directed this entire drama, he added. Continuing his outburst against the government for their actions in the days leading up to his scheduled November 2 protest, Khan said it had gone out of its way to restrain the party from exercising its constitutional right of protest. ANI Lahore, October 29 The Pakistan government today sacked Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid over the recent leaked media report about a rift between the civilian and military leaderships on support to militancy. The Prime Ministers spokesman, Musadiq Malik, confirmed that initial evidence was against Rashid in the leak of sensitive information of a high-profile national security meeting. Investigation into the controversial story is in the final stage and it will be shared with the media in a couple of days. Who was responsible for the leakage of sensitive information to the Dawn reporter will be known soon, Malik said, adding that investigation is still underway. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Rashid is a close aide of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and reports suggest that the anti-army information could not have been leaked without his consent. PTI leader Imran Khan welcomed the ouster of Rashid, saying a darbari (courtier) of Sharif had gone and others would go soon as well. In another development, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif left for Dubai along with his family at a time when Khans Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has said it will lock down Islamabad on November 2 to protest against Sharif over corruption allegations. A rift between the civilian and military leaderships on the powerful ISIs covert support to terror groups in the country was the subject of a news report in the Dawn newspaper. The daily stood by the story issued on October 6. A travel ban on Cyril Almeida, the journalist who wrote the story for the newspaper, had sparked massive criticism of the government and the military. PTI Renowned sitar soloist Pandit Shubendra Rao was shocked to see his sitar severely damaged after he flew from Vienna to Nice in an Air Berlin flight. In a Facebook post, Rao accused the airline of mishandling the instrument and causing mental agony. Pandit Shubendra Rao's sitar was found severely damaged after he took an Air Berlin flight from Vienna to Nice. Photo: Facebook\Shubendra.rao By India Today Web Desk: World famous musician and sitar soloist Pandit Shubendra Rao made an emotional Facebook post early this morning accusing Air Berlin of 'vandalising' his sitar after he took one of their flights from Vienna to Nice yesterday. In the emotional post, Rao said: "What a shock when I opened my Sitar box to tune up for the evening concert--my Sitar had just been sliced open and damaged so badly that I am still shaking." advertisement Wondering how the airline staff and the airport staff could be so ignorant and inconsiderate about the fact that musical instruments demand special, careful handling, Rao said what happened to his sitar 'was just not bad handling or something heavy falling on top of the sitar' but 'pure vandalising'. He said that someone took his sitar out of its box and that 'for some inexplicable reason, sliced it open, almost surgically'. We know how most of the baggage handlers in airports 'handle' the luggage. If you don't, watch this video right away. Shocked and saddened, Rao said that it feels like his hands have been cut off. He writes in the post that he went onstage yesterday evening with the broken instrument and explained to the crowd why he would not be able to perform. Rao also says that all artists need to come together to raise their voice against the 'horrific treatment' meted out to musical instruments by airport/airline staff. He said: "As artists, we should have better rights as to how the airlines treat our instruments. Apart from the financial loss that we suffer when instruments are broken during a tour, what about the mental agony and distress it causes? For artists, their instruments are an extension of their bodies." Rao urged social media users to share his Facebook post to shame Air Berlin and to ensure that the airline listens to the voice of artists, and understand the mental agony they go through when something happens to their instruments. Here is his full post: Air Berlin responded to our story and sent a response. It said: "Air Berlin and NIKI, the Austrian airline who operated the flight from Vienna to Nice, truly regret that the sitar did not arrive in Nice in proper condition. We certainly understand that musical instruments have a high value to all musicians. It is of our utmost concern to investigate what caused the damage of the sitar. We hope that Mr Shubendra Rao accepts our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience caused to him." --- ENDS --- advertisement Washington, October 30 Donald Trump on Sunday accused the US Department of Justice of trying hard to protect Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton in the email controversy, a day after the FBI launched a probe into a new cache of emails just days ahead of the November 8 election. Now its reported that the Department of Justice was fighting the FBI and thats because the Department of Justice is trying so hard to protect Hillary, Trump, 70, told his supporters at an election rally in Colorado, adding that such things happened only in a third-world country. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) We are living in a third-world country. This has never happened before. This is the lowest point in terms of our judicial system. This is the lowest point in the history of our country. On November 8, we are going to change things, he said. At another rally in Phoenix, Arizona, Trump said a vote for Hillary is a vote to surrender our government to public corruption, graft and cronyism that threatens the survival of our Constitutional system itself. What makes us exceptional is that we are a nation of laws, and that we are all equal under those lawsHillarys corruption shreds the principle on which our nation was founded, he said. When the outcome is fixed, when the system is rigged, people lose hopethey stop dreaming, they stop trying. When the powerful can get away with anything, because they have the money and the connections to rig the system, then people lose confidence in our laws and in our future, he said. Americans, he said, have one ultimate check on Hillarys corruption and that is the power of voting. The Republican candidate for the White House also said that Clinton had nobody to blame but herself for her mounting legal troubles. Hillary has nobody to blame but herself for her mounting legal troubles. Her criminal action was willful, deliberate, intentional and purposeful, he said. Calling the email scandal the biggest political scandal since Watergate Trump alleged that Hillary set up an illegal server for the obvious purpose of shielding her criminal conduct from public disclosure and exposure. Trump made the comments after FBI director James Comey announced to reopen Hillarys email probe after the agency discovered a new batch of emails linked to her, to see if they contained classified material. A previous FBI probe in the matter was declared finished in July. Hillary, who is still the favourite to win the presidential election on November 8, has called the FBIs decision unprecedented and deeply troubling. Its pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election, she has complained at a rally in Florida. PTI Barrow & Grimm, P.C. announces that Best Lawyers, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession, has named Robert B. Sartin as the 2017 Lawyer of the Year in Tulsa in the legal practice specialty of Health Care Law. Only a single lawyer in each specialty in each market is honored as Lawyer of the Year. The Firm is also pleased to announce the addition of two new associate attorneys. John S. Wolfe will have a transactional practice focused on tax planning and will advise businesses and individuals on a variety of tax matters including business transactions and estate planning. Mr. Wolfe graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2014. While in law school, he served as a note editor of the American Indian Law Review. Upon graduating from law school, he earned a masters degree in tax law from Northwestern University in 2015. Prior to joining Barrow & Grimm, Mr. Wolfe practiced in the areas of state and local taxation and mergers and acquisitions at a Big Four accounting firm. Sheridan R. Lindley will have a civil litigation practice involving the resolution of a broad range of complex commercial and business disputes in both state and federal courts and in arbitration proceedings. Ms. Lindley graduated with honors from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2016. While in law school, she was a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity and the Phi Delta Phi Legal Honor Society. She was the recipient of the T. Ray Phillips III Memorial Scholarship, the Richard R. Downer Memorial Scholarship, and the Academic Achievement Award for the Spring 2016 Evidence course. Prime Minister Modi lauded the tremendous response from people across the country for his appeal to send messages to soldiers as part of the 'Sandesh2Soldiers' campaign. By Himanshu Mishra: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today visited Sumdo near the India-China border, in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, to celebrate Diwali with the jawans. He interacted with jawans from the ITBP and the Indian Army, and offered sweets to them. MODI'S MESSAGE Addressing the jawans, he said he had been visiting armed forces personnel every year on Diwali since 2001. advertisement He lauded the tremendous response from people across the country for his appeal to send messages to soldiers as part of the 'Sandesh2Soldiers' campaign. The Prime Minister said that One Rank One Pension to ex-servicemen was a promise that he had made, and he was happy that he had been able to fulfil it. The Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Dalbir Singh, was also present on the occasion. While returning from Sumdo, the Prime Minister halted briefly at a nearby village - Chango. He exchanged Diwali greetings, interacted with the people there, and offered sweets to children. ALSO READ: Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi praises courage of jawans, dedicates this Diwali to Army PM Modi to celebrate Diwali with ITBP troops in Uttarakhand's Chamoli --- ENDS --- Social Security: Fourth District Rep. Tom Cole and Democratic Rep. John Delaney of Maryland introduced legislation to create a 13-member commission charged with addressing projected shortages in Social Security. The commission would be made up of Republicans and Democrats from both the executive and legislative branches, and require a majority of nine to approve recommendations. Recommendations would have to be approved by Congress. Americans know that Social Security is on an unsustainable path, Cole said in a written statement. They know common sense reforms need to take place. And they know that duplicitous politicians and special interest groups will not hesitate to frighten the elderly with misinformation and outright lies if it means more votes or more contributions. Its time for our elected leaders to demonstrate the same courage and common sense, and finally address this critical issue. Dots and dashes: U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe and James Lankford continued resistance to the Obama administrations climate change initiatives by demanding information on the Department of Interiors involvement in an interagency working group coordinating research and other activities in that field. OKLAHOMA CITY The Retail Liquor Association of Oklahoma has abandoned efforts to get its version of a liquor modernization state question on a future ballot. The group was unable to obtain the 123,725 signatures needed by the deadline to get State Question 791 on a ballot, Bryan Kerr, president, said Friday. We were not going to get the required signatures in time, Kerr said. We had thousands and thousands that signed that wanted the alcohol laws changed in a different way than what State Question 792 provides. Kerr said he didnt know specifically how many signatures the organization lacked. We decided to suspend the campaign and try to defeat State Question 792 and come back with a bigger and better plan afterwards, he said. In a message to members, Kerr said it was a good trial run for any initiatives that they may put forth in the future to get consumers what they want and to create a more equitable marketplace for retail package stores. The measure would not have been placed on the Nov. 8 ballot, but could have been on a future ballot had circulators been successful and any challenges been unsuccessful. State Question 792 will be the only liquor modernization measure on the Nov. 8 ballot. It is among seven state questions voters will decide. State Question 792, if approved by voters, would allow grocery and convenience stores to sell cold, strong beer and wine. State Question 791 would have done the same thing, but had different limitations. State Question 792, which lawmakers put on the ballot, would also allow package stores to sell items that are currently prohibited, such as mixers and ice. Kerr and his organization have vowed to pursue a legal challenge should State Question 792 pass. Alex Weintz, a spokesman for the campaign supporting State Question 792, said he is confident it would withstand a legal challenge. Many if not all of the changes have already been adopted across the rest of the nation, Weintz said. I am confident all of these proposals are constitutional and the courts will see it that way, he said. He said State Question 792 has been polling well, but the group is continuing to get its message out.State Question 792 is the only wine and beer modernization effort on the ballot, Weintz said. It is the only chance we have to update the states prohibition-era laws. But I also think State Question 792 was always the better plan. It was a more comprehensive modernization proposal. And I think voters realized that and that is why State Question 791 never got off the ground. Twitter: @bhoberock The final episode of Who Do You Think You Are? will feature John Newcombe. John Newcombes search will propel him back to a pivotal time in NSW when the penal colony was transforming into a democracy. Johns paternal ancestor played an important role in the fight for freedom of the press. But behind the facade of middle-class respectability, John will discover his two-times-great grandmother was hiding her convict past. Then, exploring his maternal line, John follows his three-times-great grandfathers footsteps to the Loyalty Islands, now part of New Caledonia. Johns forebear was hoping to trade sandalwood, but the expedition was a disaster. At the site of a bloody ambush John learns of the cannibalistic tribe his ancestor encountered. 7:30pm Tuesday on SBS. PM Modi today said that nearly Rs 5,500 crore has been paid for implementing the OROP scheme. By Press Trust of India: The first installment of nearly Rs 5,500 crore has been paid for implementing the OROP scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said while asserting that he has "fulfilled the promise" he made to ex-servicemen on the issue that has been hanging fire for the last 40 years. The Prime Minister, while celebrating Diwali with army and ITBP personnel in Sumdo here, over 270 km from state capital Shimla, also lauded the role of the security force personnel guarding and protecting the country. advertisement "Spent time with our courageous @ITBP_official & Army Jawans at Sumdo, Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh. Jai Jawan! Jai Hind!," he tweeted. Earlier in his Mann ki Baat programme on All India Radio, he saluted the valour of the armed forces and lauded their sacrifice while dedicating the festival of Diwali to them. "The OROP was not about just Rs 200 or Rs 500 crore, but Rs 10,000 crore... After I became the PM, and decided that I had to do (implement) it, the entire government lost sleep over it... It was not possible for the government to pay in one go, so I requested the ex-servicemen to accept it in four installments. Also read: PM Modi celebrates Diwali with jawans in Sumdo on the Indo-China border MONEY TO REACH IN FOUR INSTALLMENTS "The money will reach them in four installments. Nearly, Rs 5,500 crore has been paid as the first installment," Modi said. He said the issue had been pending for "40 years" as certain people in the previous governments "did not know" about OROP (scheme), and therefore "only Rs 500 crore was allocated" for the purpose. Modi also said that many people thought that if the scheme was not implemented, a section of "ex-servicemen would turn against the government". Also read: Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi praises courage of jawans, dedicates this Diwali to Army The Prime Minister, on his way to Sumdo, met civilians at Himachals Chango village, close to the Sino-Indian border. "Made unscheduled stop at Chango village, close to Somdu, to wish people on Diwali. Was deeply touched by the impromptu reception & their joy," Modi tweeted. PM SPENT TIME WITH ITBP JAWANS "The Prime Minister spent time with ITBP jawans and personnel of Dogra Scouts of army at Sumdo on border of Kinnaur and Spiti, and distributed sweets to them," an official said. Modi also met personnel of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), a branch of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), entrusted with construction and maintenance of border roads and also executing the Rohtang Tunnel project, the official said. advertisement After coming in power in 2014, the Prime Minister had celebrated his first Diwali with soldiers posted in Siachen, and in 2015, he celebrated it at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. Also read: PM Modi to celebrate Diwali with ITBP troops in Uttarakhand's Chamoli --- ENDS --- Next Match: at Arizona 11/4/2016 | 6:00 PM Pac-12 Plus Live Stream Next Match Full Schedule Nov. 04 (Fri) / 6:00 PM at Arizona WVB on Twitter | WVB on Facebook | WVB on Instagram LOS ANGELES - Senior Taylor Formico notched the second double-double of her Bruin career with 20 digs and a career-high 11 assists, while freshman Torrey Van Winden also had a double-double with 17 kills and 11 digs, as the 12th-ranked Bruins made it six wins in a row with a sweep of #21 Utah on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion. Set scores were 25-23, 25-17, 29-27. Van Winden hit .471 for the match with just one error in 34 attempts. Junior Reily Buechler also had 17 kills with a .395 hitting percentage, while senior Jordan Anderson was also in double figures with 13. The Bruins (18-4, 9-3 Pac-12) hit .299 for the match behind the setting of freshman Kylie Miller (25 assists, nine digs) and junior Ryann Chandler (19 assists, nine digs). Sophomore Zana Muno added 11 digs, while senior Jennie Frager recorded five kills and four blocks. The first set featured 12 ties and three lead changes. The teams were even at 11 when the Bruins scored four in a row on kills by Muno and Anderson and two Utah attack errors. The Utes (16-7, 7-5 Pac-12) closed to within one at 17-16, but the Bruins again got their lead to four on a Buechler kill, a Muno/Frager block and a Utah attack error. UCLA's largest lead would be four as late as 22-18, but Utah evened things at 23. However, back-to-back kills by Van Winden wrapped up the 25-23 win in the opener. Buechler was error-free and 5-for-9 in kill attempts, while Van Winden was also spotless with five kills in 11 swings. Anderson added four kills, Formico posted seven digs and Chandler had four digs, as the Bruins out-hit the Utes .293 to .191. After falling behind 4-2 in set two, the Bruins went on a 9-3 run to go up 11-7 and never looked back. Anderson had three kills during the run, Van Winden added two and a block with Frager, who also had a kill. The Bruins got the lead to five at 14-9, but Utah went on a 7-2 run to even things at 16. But the Utes were unable to grab the lead back. Following the tie, the Bruins scored nine of the last 10 of the set. The first seven points came on two kills by Buechler and five Utah errors. After a sideout, back-to-back Buechler kills finished up a 25-17 win. Buechler recorded seven of the Bruins' 14 kills, while Anderson added three. Formico had six digs and Miller and Van Winden both had four. The Bruins out-hit the Utes .209 to .071. Set three had nine ties and seven lead changes. The Bruins jumped out to an early 6-2 lead thanks to two Buechler kills, one each by Frager and Van Winden, an Anderson/Frager block and a Utah error. After Utah reclaimed the lead at 10-9, the Bruins scored five of six on three Van Winden kills and one apiece by Formico and Buechler to go up 14-11. UCLA's largest lead of the set was four on a few occasions and as late as 22-18. A Buechler kill put the home team up 24-21, but Utah not only saved all three match points, but scored another to earn a set point of its own. Utah had a second set point at 26-25 only to see UCLA score the next two on Anderson kills to pick up a fourth match point. That attempt was saved, but a kill by Van Winden gave UCLA a fifth match point and it was the charm, as a Buechler kill closed out the 29-27 win. Van Winden was error-free in the third with 10 kills in 16 swings to go with four digs. Anderson added six kills, Buechler posted five and Frager had three. Formico posted seven digs, Muno had six and Miller added four. The Bruins out-hit the Utes .367 to .327. The Bruins head out on a four-match road trip, starting on Friday at Arizona at 6 p.m. Live video will be available on UCLABruins.com. Diwali was recognised by the 69th session of the UN General Assembly through a resolution adopted on 29th December 2014 and declared as a non meeting day. 2016 onwards Diwali has been declared as an optional holiday for the UN. By Smita Sharma: For the first time in its history the United Nations is celebrating a major festival of any nation. The UN headquarter in New York was lit up on Saturday evening to celebrate the spirit of Diwali. The headquarter which will be lit up for three evenings, displays a lamp with the message of Happy Diwali. DIWALI AN OPTIONAL HOLIDAY advertisement Diwali was recognised by the 69th session of the UN General Assembly through a resolution adopted on 29th December 2014 and declared as a non meeting day. 2016 onwards Diwali has been declared as an optional holiday for the UN. ALSO READ: Do you really know why Diwali is celebrated; it's not just about return of Rama Speaking to India Today on the occasion, India's Envoy to the Permanent Mission to UN Syed Akbaruddin said India received support of several countries who celebrate Diwali. "Diwali symbolises the triumph of good over evil. UN is a force for good globally. We are thankful to the President of General Assembly Peter Thompson of Fiji who understands the relevance of Diwali in a multicultural environment and society...". WHEN UN LIT UP A section of the UN HQ was lit up earlier in June to celebrate International Yoga Day recognised by the General Assembly after India's diplomatic push. While the legendary Empire State Building was draped in the tricolour on 15th of August. But it is for the first time that UN is celebrating the Festival of Lights, or any major festival across the globe. As Indians, Americans and foreigners streamed in to view and capture the magnificent display ,Poonam an Indian resident Of New York Said ,"It was a huge surprise to see this. It feels like I am home in India." --- ENDS --- By PTI: From Shirish B Pradhan Kathmandu, Oct 30 (PTI) Nepal has re-appointed Deep Kumar Upadhyay as its envoy to India, nearly six months after he was recalled by the previous K P Oli-led government over charges of non-cooperation and indulging in anti-government activities. Nepalese President BidyaDevi Bhandari yesterday appointed Upadhyay as Ambassador to India while also naming Leela Mani Paudyal as envoy to China, according to a statement issued by the Presidents Office today. advertisement Upadhyay would enjoy the diplomatic ranking of a Cabinet Minister, according to the statement. Upadhyay, who was serving as Nepals Ambassador to India since April 2015, was suddenly recalled by the erstwhile Oli government on May 6. The Oli-led government had levelled three charges against Upadhyaya to justify its decision to recall him and officials had said he was working against national interest. Upadhyay, a leader of Nepali Congress, was seen as the first casualty of the cancellation of Nepalese President Bhandaris planned visit to India. Paudyal is a former Chief Secretary of the government of Nepal. The Council of Ministers on September 1 hadrecommended the duofor the key diplomatic outposts in Nepals neighbourhood. PTI SBP ASK AKJ ASK --- ENDS --- Google Fiber halts its expansion in 10 cities and is laying off employees. Craig Barratt, Fiber's executive, resigns as the company deals with a major fallback to the ambitions of covering the country in an ultra-speedy internet. Barratt informed in a web post that he would remain as an adviser. He further reiterated that Fiber is on the transition of focusing on new technology and methods of deployment as it plans to change its product and business strategy. Locations that have already had started with Fiber will proceed. However, there will be a halt in "potential Fiber cities"where Fiber considers to roll out Fiber. Barratt assured that the company will continue partnership discussions the moment that Fiber has advanced solutions and technologies. He wrote that Fiber will decrease the number of employees in locations that are in exploration level and in localities that are under supporting operations, as reported by USA Today. Google Fiber is already set up in eight cities and is determined to developing in another four metropolitan areas. It has been replanning how to deliver speedy access by transitioning to wireless. This is a cheaper option compared to digging up streets and setting fiber cables. Fiber targets bringing one gigabit per second of Internet speed to cities all around the country, however, there has bee a slow movement. In a recent statement, Fiber announced that it would purchase Webpass, which brings its services to residential and commercial zones. Webpass sends data between installed transmitters on top of buildings. Fiber is checking the possibility of combining its own wireless technology, Webpass, and leases of active fiber and municipal broadband networks to hasten its expansion to enhance its efforts to bring fiber-optic cable to all residential and commercial zones it serves. Google Fiber belongs to the division of Alphabet Access, that was started in the restructuring of corporate Google as Alphabet. Respect begets trust but during election time, whatever Hillary Clinton does, it is always controversial to the eyes of her critics. She was noted to give respect to Doug Becker, a University CEO by giving him a head table seat at the dinner organized by the State Department for academic players. Husband, Bill then got a 5-year honorarium of $17 million for the job. The job scope involves traveling to Madrid and touring with fellow VIPs just like Prince Felipe of Spain. He has turned down the offer allegedly few days before Hillary announces her candidacy, according to The Daily Mail. Doug Becker heads Laureate International University and it's dragged along with the allegation of abuse of power for personal gains by the democratic presidential candidate, says The Washington Post. The connection was speculated to have traced from Clinton's email to the chief of staff Cheryl Mills instructing her to invite a VIP from Laureate. The State dinner is considered as an effective venue for high-profile business networking. The email, however, did not disclose about such deals. It is only assumed that it could have been the reason why Bill Clinton was chosen for the honorary job. It looks like critics undermined Bill Clinton as the former President of America - that would give mush prestige to the university. It was also alleged that Doug Band, Bill's aide used to invite the US ambassador to Malaysia for Laureate University's affair where Bill Clinton, CEO Doug Becker and the Malaysian Prime Minister are also present, according to VOX. Clinton's deputy chief of staff Huma Abedin defended the former president by saying that Bill Clinton never used his power to influence any authorities here and abroad for the school's benefits only, slamming critics. John Kirby, State Department spokesman shed light on the rumors. It is natural that letters flood the State Department with invites, various proposals, and requests from individuals, local and overseas bodies. President and their predecessors are kept their contact with the department. Transactions like this should not be interpreted maliciously. True or not, it is not wrong for Bill Clinton to help out Laureate for educational advancement that many citizens can benefit from when successful. College application has become more competitive than ever. Nowadays, students need more than just high grades and scores to get into the most prestigious institutions. According to U.S. News, admission at a top-ranked college or university is increasingly becoming more difficult each year. High school students who are planning to go to college should make sure that they prepare as early as their freshman year to plan their college application. High school freshmen will need to map out their classes carefully. They should strive to do well academically and look for extracurricular activities that can equip them with the skills that they need to have in the future. "Gone are the days when a high GPA and top SAT score will get you through the gates of Harvard," Kristen Moon, founder of Atlanta-based MoonPrep.com, which advises parents and students on the college application process, said. "Actually, you're lucky if it gets you up the stairs to NYU - the college admissions game is more competitive than ever." U.S. News made a list of the top 10 most selective universities in the United States. Stanford University nabbed the top spot with only five percent (2,140) of 42,497 applicants getting their acceptance letters for fall 2015. Stanford took the top spot in WSJ's Top College Rankings. It also topped Reuters' list as the Most Innovative University in the world. Harvard University came in second place as the most selective university with a 5.6 percent acceptance rate. It is followed by Columbia University with 6.1 percent. Ivy League institutions Yale and Princeton got fourth and fifth places with 6.7 percent and 7.1 percent, respectively. Other schools on the list include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Chicago, the United States Naval Academy, the California Institute of Technology and Brown University. CalTech is noted to have become more selective. It accepted 8.8 percent of applicants for the fall 2015 entering class. The year before that, it had a 10 percent acceptance rate. Leonardo DiCaprio is set to release a new climate change movie just days before the election. It seems to be an evident effort to increase support for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Before the Flood will debut at 9 PM EDT this Sunday on the National Geographic Channel. It will be broadcast in 171 countries in 45 languages. It will be freely available on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, and Hulu. The public should prepare for a bombarding of global warming propaganda based on the pre-release promotions and trailers. Before the Flood is similiar to DiCaprio's short film Carbon, that was released in the weeks before the United Nations' Climate Summit 2014. The said movie is based on the hypothesis that carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from human activities are the cause of catastrophic climate change. Natural gas, coal, and oil must be turned off as soon as possible, DiCaprio said. The actor seems not to know that the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC) enumerates thousands of scientific papers that cast or debunk serious doubt on the climate change. Observational data like that of NASA satellites reveal that global warming ceased in the late 1990s. However, approximately 10% of CO 2 levels has increased since 1997. This 10 percent is 30% of all anthropogenic (human-related) emissions since the beginning of the industrial revolution. This is contradictory with all climate models based on carbon dioxide, as reported by Daily Caller. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that there was an increase on one and a half degrees of the statistical average of surface temperatures between 1880 and 2012. This is not surprising as the world has been recovering from the Miniature Ice Age since the late 19th century. Both IPCC and NIPCC concluded that there was no direct relationship between global warming and hurricanes, storms, rainfall, and wildfires in their 2012 and 2013 reports, respectively. The White House spearheaded a gathering in Washington attended by notable Mathematician and Science wizards to encourage them to discover and develop STEM talents in and outside formal schools. As the world changes drastically from natural to digital, there is a need to revise the country's strategy in enticing students on what to pursue as a career. Reflecting on the film: "The Man Who Knew Infinity", many realized that being good at STEM is not only an inborn capability. Like Srinivasa Ramanijan from India who has contributed largely to the field without a degree related to Math, any student interested enough with STEM can explore their hidden skills with the help of a mentor, according to USA Today. Ken Ono, Emory University's Math professor observed that STEM explorative minds are not only hereditary or an inborn gift. They can be enhanced by a supportive group and practiced to unlock important codes towards extraordinary achievements. Kendall Clark, of Baltimore who is at Grade 10, experienced the nurturing of a mentor when her teacher discovered her Math ability. She was pursued to take on more challenges and encouraged to initiate STEM experiments to satisfy her curious mind. Ono vouch on Clark's work that they are pretty unusual as she does theories on her own. Her essays won the award that allows her to continue her studies in the field of STEM. The White House's support is in line with its "Educate to Innovate" program, as per the White House website. U.S. chief data scientist DJ Patil explains that a mathematician will always be interested in a certain initiative but the support of others may it be mentors, spectators or family members is crucial to the success of such STEM project. Diverse discussions can also help in coming up with a solution if a problem arises. The key is in the hard work and repetitive practice. The White House understands the needs to encourage students to embrace STEM, thus the reason for the gathering. It will do everything it can to support brilliant minds. Business Insider notes that the apparent Houthi missile launches were unprecedented, not just insofar as they threatened to draw the US into a war that has thus far been limited to Iranian and Saudi proxies, but also because it was the first time in history that the Navy was obliged to respond to an attack by launching defensive interceptor missiles to assure that the incoming projectiles splashed down harmlessly. After taking those defensive measures, the Navy also launched retaliatory strikes on three radar stations in Houthi-controlled territory on the Yemeni coast. This, at least for the time being, appears to be the extent of the involvement that the US is willing to pursue in the conflict. But the statements from Votel and Donegan may be indicative of a much broader conflict that awaits if the Iran-backed rebels in Yemen continue to act provocatively toward the West. The US had previously intercepted Iranian shipments of weapons headed for Yemen, which included cruise missiles like those fired against the US ships earlier this month. This, together with the limited resources and know-how of the Houthis and the nation of Yemen as a whole, helps to justify the conclusion that the attacks were only made possible with shipments of Iranian weapons, and perhaps with Iranian assistance in launching them. Now, despite the limited US response to the previous attacks, Business Insider reports that the Houthi still appear to be targeting international shipping lanes, as indicated by RPG fire recently directed at a Spanish tanker. It is impossible to say at present whether these weapons also originated in Iran or whether the provocations are being either supported or directed by the Houthis allies and handlers among the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. But whatever the extent of Irans involvement in Yemen, it is representative of a broader patter of expanding influence. Earlier this week it was reported that Iran had seemingly made new inroads toward a controlling interest in Lebanon, as the more than two-year-long presidential vacancy in that country had been resolved in favor of the candidate preferred by Hezbollah. Iran News Update previously pointed to a Reuters report that described this as a victory for Iran over its Saudi adversaries, who had supposedly retreated from Lebanon in order to focus on other, less deeply threatened regions of influence. On Friday, the Lebanese news source NOW reported upon the same development from a different angle, describing it as a milestone in the waning influence of the Syrian government over the nation of Lebanon. This report emerged on the same day as the Syrian and Iranian foreign ministers were meeting with their Russian counterpart in Moscow to discuss future strategies for the defense of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against a five-year, multi-party rebellion. It is generally understood that Irans direct involvement in that conflict has deepened its political influence over Assad and has made his government dependent upon Iranian patrons. This trend is helped along by the fact that the Iranian strategy in Syria includes recruitment and support for a number of Shiite militias and paramilitaries, one of which is Hezbollah. On this point, NOW observes that Iranian influence has led to a reversal of an older situation. Whereas the Syrian army had once been able to attack Hezbollah barracks in Lebanon with little fear of consequences, now Hezbollahs political influence has grown domestically and its military strength has expanded to allow it to invade Syria on Irans behalf. But the NOW article concludes by emphasizing that this change in the balance of power in Lebanon does not signal a change in the overall situation for the Lebanese people, or for the region as a whole. In other words, as the Assad regime has been driven further back behind its own borders, Iran has taken up at least one foreign role that used to be served by Syria, its ally and newfound dependent. At least in this case, direct Iranian influence in one Middle Eastern country appears to help foster indirect influence over another. Naturally, the affairs of many countries in the region are closely entangled. And there are clear signs that Iran is trying to expand its influence into as many areas as possible, thus minimizing threats to its existing alliances. This tendency is perhaps most clearly on display with Turkey, whose relations with Iran had been deeply strained for years, especially in light of the two countries backing of different sides in the Syrian Civil War. Today, Turkey continues to support Sunni and Kurdish rebels in Syria, though for a time that support appeared to be on the wane. This, no doubt, reflected the increasing closeness between Iran and Turkey, especially in the wake of an attempted coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during which Iran supported the existing leadership. Although Iran recently condemned Turkish forces involvement in Syria, where they are training rebels and apparently firing artillery in support of them, the leaders of Irans state-linked businesses have also taken to boasting of the extent of cooperation between the two on-again off-again allies. Jokpemereportst that this boastful commentary emerged recently in the wake of an explosion inside of Turkey that halted gas imports from Iran. Such figures as the head of the National Iranian Oil Company insist that the delay from this incident will last merely days, owing to the close relationship between Turkish and Iranian government and business leaders. And certainly, this situation represents a dramatic improvement over the previous tensions between Iran and Turkey. In fact, the extent of those tensions is still being clarified today. PanArmenian reported on Friday that new information had been revealed indicating that the Iranian judiciary executed three Turkish nationals last year, less than two weeks after a fraught visit to Tehran by Erdogan. As well as indicating how far the two countries have come, stories like this could serve to illustrate the threats that Iran may hold over Turkey and its visiting citizens, in addition to the threats of diminished exports and other economic contacts. Although the apparent aims are different, this situation is arguably similar to the widely-reported threats lingering over Western nationals traveling to Iran, whether for business purposes or to visit family. At least four such individuals have been convicted of collaborating with the US over roughly the past month, and have been sentenced to prison terms between five and 18 years. Authorities have reportedly also demanded money for one US permanent resident who has not yet been sentenced. This latter case clearly underscores the notion that Iran is holding Western nationals as bargaining chips as it negotiates for reentry into Western export markets and the international banking system. If this is Irans strategy, it is easy to conclude that similar threats could be used against its tentative regional partners as the Iranian regime strives to expand its influence and bring nearby countries foreign policies into line with its own. AJ Styles recently spoke with SI.com about various topics and here is one of the highlights of who he thinks should be called up to the WWE main roster next... Who did he name? "I would love to see Samoa Joe up here and Shinsuke Nakamura, said Styles. I think its only a matter of time before those guys come up, and there are numerous younger talents that are going to come here shortly. Its only a matter of time." SmackDown in the future Styles wants to see former enemy Joe on the main roster.Photo- www.heavemedia.com It is exciting that AJ names a couple of people who he has fought against in past companies, with Samoa Joe being one of his most matched opponents from the past decade who has had show stealers of their own over the years. Then more recently Shinsuke Nakamura in New Japan for the Wrestle Kingdom 10 in an amazing showing, if you haven't seen that match and you're a wrestling fan it's like showing up for school without having one of your books it is a great match. Other names that you could throw in the mix would be Bobby Roode, Austin Aries and newest debut to NXT, Roderick Strong. All these people have had great matches with the Champ that runs the camp in the past, in the future we could see anyone of these men step up on the blue brand and have headline main events. With match ups like these that could change the way people look at the WWE in a whole because it would blow the roof of any stadium. Styles and Nakamura had an amazing match. Photo- Rolling Stone Final thoughts With everything going on in WWE it's clear that WWE needs to invest with characters on RAW. Which means someone like Shinsuke Nakamura would be more suited for RAW because they need someone who will bring eyes to the product. But someone like Austin Aries would fit in like a jigsaw piece on SmackDown. Celebrity Chef Mayra of Pura Vida Bakery and Bystro, Fresh52 Farmers and Artisan Market, and Tivoli Village at Queensridge have teamed up to host vegan farm-to-table dinners at the luxurious Tivoli Village near Summerlin, Las Vegas. The trios intention for the dinners is to raise money for children and animals, by donating a portion of the events proceeds to charities, and to show the Las Vegas community a fabulous time. The Sunday Suppers series takes place in November, and December. The partnership between Chef Mayra, Fresh52, and Tivoli Village will result in a series of elegant outdoor evenings held in a sensational setting. These events are set to feature a brilliant collaboration of Fresh52 providing fresh produce and ingredients straight from the farm, Chef Mayra (a leading and respected vegan chef) turning the farms bounty into culinary masterpieces, and Tivoli Village offering a perfect space for dining and gathering. There will be live music, wine, and raffles, and more. The Sunday Supper & brunch series will be held on the following dates: November 13, 2016 Happy Thanks Living: A Gathering of Family & Friends (benefiting Create a Change Now ) ) December 18, 2016 Holiday Farmhouse Brunch: Giving From the Heart (benefiting Project 150) Mindful Eating: Slower Consumption for Better Health With tight schedules and busy lives, sitting down to a meal free of distraction can be more of a luxury than the norm. Mindful eating gets pushed aside for many reasons. Taking a break to satisfy your hunger may also seem like the perfect opportunity to catch up on social Afghanistans security forces battling the resurgent Taliban have suffered around 15,000 casualties, including 5,523 fatalities in the first eight months of 2016, says a U.S. government monitoring agency. The agency has also warned of eroding gains the war-shattered country has made with the help of the international community. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) in its quarterly report published Sunday noted the Afghan government lost 2.2 percent territorial control during this years fighting. Of Afghanistan's 407 districts, 258 districts were under government control or influence, 33 districts were under insurgent control or influence, and 116 districts were contested. There were 101 insider attacks from January 1, 2015 through August 19, 2016 in which Afghan National Defense and Security Force (ANDSF) personnel turned on fellow security forces, killing 257 and wounding 125 others. The ANDSF lacks a risk-management system and therefore relies heavily on U.S. forces to prevent strategic failure. The Taliban has intensified battlefield and other attacks since August and came close to recapturing the northern city of Kunduz and the capital of southern Helmand province this month. The insurgents continue to stage assaults on these two key urban centers and several other provincial capitals, inflicting heavy casualties on Afghan forces. The conflict-related incidents have caused more than 8,000 civilian casualties in Afghanistan, including more than 2,500 deaths in the first nine months of 2016, according to the United Nations. SIGAR reported that the United States has committed at least $1 billion for projects intended to improve conditions for Afghan women, but support for woman having equal access to education and equal representation in political leadership has fallen since 2006. Fifteen years after the United States ousted the Taliban regime, Afghanistan remains one of the worst places in the world to be a woman. Poverty, unemployment, underemployment, violence, out-migration, internal displacement and the education gender gap have all increased, while services and private investment have decreased, according to SIGAR. The report says more than 85,000 Afghans sought asylum for the first time in the European Union in the first six months of 2016, noting that the number of asylum applications from April to June was 83 percent higher compared to the same period in 2015. Australia's parliament is set to vote next week on a plan that would ban any refugees who arrive in the country by boat from ever obtaining a visa to live there, or even visit, or establish a business. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the lifetime ban is being enacted to deter smugglers who bring the migrants to Australia. "This is a battle of will between the Australian people, represented by its government, and the criminal gangs of people smugglers," Turnbull said Sunday. However, while the proposed legislation is supposedly aimed at stopping the smugglers, it is the thousands of refugees from Africa, Asia and the Middle East who will be directly affected. The new law would impact boat people who were sent by July 19, 2013 to one of Australia's offshore processing camps on the Pacific islands of Nauru or Papua New Guinea's Manus. Canberra already bans them from resettling in Australia even if they are found to be actual refugees. Instead, the government gives the asylum seekers the options of returning home, making a life on one of the processing camp islands or going to a third country. Children would be exempt from the ban, while the immigration minister would have the ability to make exceptions to the proposed law. Immigration lawyer David Manne told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the legislation "does nothing" to address the fundamental question about where the migrants will be taken "so they can rebuild their lives in safety and with dignity." Mat Tinkler, Save the Children director of policy and public advocacy in Australia said, "The government must act urgently to give hope to these people, not continue to take it away." Five explosions left at least 17 people dead and 60 wounded in Baghdad Sunday, authorities said. A parked car bomb hit a popular fruit and vegetable market in a commercial street of the northwestern neighborhood of Hurriyah, a predominantly Shi'ite district, killing at least 10 people and wounding more than 30 others. Officials, police and hospital authorities, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters, said improvised explosive devices killed three people and wounded 10 at a popular market in the Shaab neighborhood in northern Baghdad. Two other explosions at traders' markets in the Topchi and Zataria areas killed four and wounded 16 people. Yet, another bomb, planted in a microbus in the poorer Sadr City district left six people wounded. The Sunday attacks came just a day after an IS suicide bomber targeted an aid station for Shiite pilgrims, killing at least seven and wounding more than 20. There has been no claim of responsibility for Sundays bombings, but the Sunni extremist group often targets Iraq's Shiite majority, which it views as apostates deserving of death. The most recent string of bombings came as Iraqi security forces are engaged in an offensive to take back Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, from IS. The European Union and Canada signed a long-delayed landmark free trade agreement Sunday in Brussels aimed to boost growth and jobs. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) along with the heads of EU institutions (EU President Donald Tusk, European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency). The signing ceremony had been pushed back from Thursday after French-speaking Wallonia, with just 3.6 million people, initially vetoed an agreement affecting more than 500 million Europeans and 35 million Canadians. The EU requires unanimity among its 28 members and Belgium needed the backing of all its regions to approve the agreement. The start of Sunday's summit was also delayed when Trudeau's plane was briefly forced to return to Canada due to mechanical problems. CETA will remove 99 percent of customs duties between Canada and the 28-member European bloc, linking the single EU market with the world's 10th largest economy. CETA is expected to boost EU trade with Canada by $13.2 billion (12 billion euros) a year, creating economic growth and jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. The EU insists that the deal will not prevent governments from taking measures to protect environmental and social standards if they believe action is needed, despite concerns in Wallonia and elsewhere that big companies would have free rein. The EU-Canada deal has drawn widespread protests from anti-globalization "Stop CETA" activists who have said it would undermine local industries and standards for healthcare and other issues. Sunday a small number of protesters gathered outside the European Council building banging drums and shouting anti-CETA slogans. Some demonstrators broke through police lines and put red paint on the glass doors of the building. Police took away about dozen people, but did not break up the protest. U.S. law enforcement officials say FBI investigators knew weeks ago that emails found in a separate probe may be related to the Hillary Clinton email case, but did not reveal their discovery until Friday - just 11 days before the presidential election. It is unclear why FBI Director James Comey waited until just before the election to announce the probe or when he knew about it. The Clinton campaign and Democrats were delighted when Comey said in July that the FBI's investigation into Clinton's "sloppy" handling of emails when she was secretary of state would be closed with no criminal charges. But the possibility that the probe could be reopened has got Democrats perplexed. Its pretty strange to put something like that out, with such little information, right before an election, Clinton said. Its just extremely puzzling, said vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine on ABCs This Week program. I just have no way of understanding these actions. They are completely unprecedented. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid went one step further Sunday by saying that Comey might have violated a law that prohibits federal employees or officials from using their positions to influence an election. He said the information released about the new emails was neither conclusive nor pertinent. "Through your partisan actions, you may have broken the law," Reid said in a letter to Comey. Trump seizes moment Republican nominee Donald Trump jumped right on the latest FBI revelation. A vote for Hillary is a vote to surrender our government to public corruption, graft, cronyism that threatens the survival of our Constitution itself, he said. Theres this constant cloud of corruption that follows Hillary Clinton around, said Trumps campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, also on This Week. And for the FBI to make this remarkable move 11 days before the election means there must be something there. The latest emails were uncovered in a separate FBI investigation of former Congressman Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Weiner is accused of exchanging sexually explicit emails with a 15-year-old girl. A separate batch of emails that the FBI believes may be related to the Clinton probe were found on a computer allegedly shared by Weiner and Abedin. Comey himself said in his notification to Congress that there may not be any significance to the newly found Clinton emails, and that they still have not been thoroughly reviewed. It is also unclear if Clinton herself wrote or received the mails, only that the FBI believes they are germane to the case. Only on Sunday did federal investigators obtain a warrant to begin searching the new cache of emails, law enforcement officials said. It happens close to an election, which is in violation of normal Justice Department protocol, and it involves talking about an ongoing investigation, which also violates the protocol, Kaine said. In an interview with CBS's Face the Nation taped before the Comey announcement and broadcast Sunday, Vice President Joe Biden said Hillary Clinton faces what he calls a "double standard" when it comes to trustworthiness. "Hillary said herself ...'Look, I'm not that good a candidate,'...and a lot of it has to do with personal style. She is more measured and she makes fewer mistakes than I make or most people I know. It doesn't go to her integrity or honesty. It goes to her style." Millions of Americans already have cast early ballots in states across the country. What effect the FBI announcement might have on turnout is unclear, but polls showed a tightening race between Clinton and Trump even before Fridays bombshell. VOA's Ken Schwartz contributed to this report. It's called IdaBot, and its job is to move through a vineyard or orchard doing the jobs farmers either spend too much time doing, or do too much of. IdaBot is a robot that looks like a tank without a turret, armed not with guns, but with cameras and radio frequency sensors. The prototype was developed by an engineering team at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho. On this day, it's trundling through a vineyard spraying chemicals on specific vines that need treatment. Its other jobs include monitoring and eventually, harvesting crops, all of which are labor and time-intensive tasks for farmers. It works by using radio frequency identification. Josh Griffin, one of the project leaders explained how the robot works. You can program into the IdaBot, tree number one, tree number five need chemicals." he says. "Each tree will have a radio frequency identification tag on it... The IdaBot will use the signal from the tag to determine which tree it is next to. When it is next to tree five, it will spray chemicals on tree number five, when it is on tree number one, it will spray chemicals there. The assistant engineering professor at the university says the autonomous robot can be integrated with other technology like monitoring drones. The drone in the experiment carried a multi-spectral camera that captures images of vines or fruit trees for processing in the computer program. The lighter the red in the processed image, the more chemical treatment the trees need. Griffin points out the robot would help farmers save money on labor and create a much smaller chemical footprint than indiscriminate spraying. It automatically, without human intervention, applies chemicals and it does so in very low pressure. So it does so very precisely. The chemicals go where you want them to go, not over spraying to other areas, Griffin said. Fruit census The team comprised of students and professors is also developing a Fruit Counting Application that can be integrated into the IdaBot. It is a vision system to accurately estimate fruit crop yield. Duke Bulanon, an assistant engineering professor, who is Griffins project partner, said the system will use several cameras color, near-infrared and stereo cameras that will take images from each tree as IdaBot moves along the orchard. Then we will use those images and create a computer program to estimate the number of fruits on each tree, said Bulanon. Farmers like Michael Williamson, who owns an orchard in Caldwell, Idaho, is looking forward to trying it out. I am very excited about this experiment and this machine that can count our fruit," he said. We can get a better price for our customers if we pre-order or pre-sell our fruit months in advance. Sometimes it can be better than 20 percent. And that is the important part about the fruit counting. Williamson also pointed out other benefits. If we have an accurate count of the fruit, I can predict how many people I need to harvest. I can predict how much material shipping boxes I need to ship them to their destination. And I can also predict the market. Griffin estimates a no-frills IdaBot that primarily uses radio frequency identification technology would be relatively low-cost, kind of on the order of maybe buying a pickup truck or something like that. The researchers expect the money farmers save using the multipurpose robot will eventually benefit consumers with lower fruit prices. As Iraqi families speed away from the frontlines of the battle against Islamic State in trucks, the thousands of tents in the desert countryside surrounding Mosul are slowly being occupied by fleeing villagers. Some say the militant group appears to be losing strength, leaving checkpoints unmanned and losing track of escapees. About 40 people rode into this camp on the backs of two flatbed trucks late Friday. Early that morning, they had fled bomb-laden villages guarded by Islamic State militants. As guards open the gates to the camp, family members in the dirt parking area weep and kiss their relatives through the trucks grated sides. We were afraid to run, says 26-year-old Youseff, a former construction worker traveling with his wife and toddler. But we had no choice. IS fired on us as we escaped the village. Women and children gather by one section of the fence, while men lean their backs on another part. The men all have IS style-beards and shortened trousers, as is law under the militants. Many shave soon after arriving, says Islam, a Peshmerga soldier in the camp. They are ordinary people, and it bothers them to look like IS, he explains. Some men also are staying in IS territory, he says, despite fearing the group and the ongoing battles as Iraqi and Peshmerga soldiers fight towards Mosul, the militants' largest stronghold in Iraq and home to 1.5 million people. Members of IS stay, he says, But others stay to protect their homes, or confuse the militants into thinking theirs is not a family that ran away. In many places, IS says it will kill any relatives remaining if residents flee. By the fence, Youseff says ultimately it wasnt just harsh punishments, draconian rules or even fear of battle that forced them to flee after more than two years. With no jobs and no access to the outside word, his family was broke. And the militant group appears to be losing its grip on the village, he adds. Like many people here, he decided it was time to run. Before, they were very strong, but now they seem weaker, he explains. So we took a chance. How IS took over For the first few months they were kind with us, says Aziz Yassen, a 60-year-old sheepherder that fled his village less than a week ago. We didnt think to run. Government services had always been lacking in his isolated village, and IS promised things would get better. When they first came into town with bullhorns announcing their plan to take over and run things in an Islamic way, it seemed like on okay idea. At the beginning they only took over properties that were already unoccupied, he explains. Abbas, a 20 year old student, who escaped his village three days before, says the first incident of violence was when Islamic State soldiers killed the sheep of Shi'ite farmers. But even then it was for food. But one by one new rules were added, making the group seem increasingly oppressive. First came the beards and the shorter trousers. Then mobile phones and satellites were banned. Cigarette smoking was punished by whipping. Thieves hands were chopped off. Then came the killings, says Abbas. But by then, IS was also too strong to escape. And life inside Mosul, is rapidly getting worse, adds another 25-year-old student who doesnt want to be named because he fears for his friends in the city. There is no food or water, according to his friends, he says. Every day they are killing people. The militants are scared. The sulfur dioxide fire Islamic State militants triggered last week is only the first stage in a plan that will see the extremists resort to chemical warfare in a bid to stave off Iraqi and Kurdish forces from retaking Mosul, the terror groups last major urban stronghold in Iraq, military experts fear. Alarm is mounting that IS militants will use chlorine-filled improvised explosive devices in even greater numbers than in their defense last year of Tikrit, where they planted hundreds of chlorine IEDs and slowed the advance of Iraqi troops and Shiite militias. Some diplomatic observers argue the ferocity of the retaliation and abuses in Tikrit by Shiite militiamen after ousting the jihadists can partly be explained by fury over the chlorine IEDs. Mishraq is the first part of the IS plan to defend Mosul at all costs, with all weapons available, says Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, an adviser to relief organizations working in Iraq and Syria, referring to the fire triggered at a chemical plant 30 kilometers from Mosul. Almost limitless amount of chlorine Bretton-Gordon says the terror groups chemical weapons program run by scientists who once worked for ousted dictator Saddam Hussein have almost limitless amount of chlorine to fill into mortars, which theyve used to attack the peshmerga for the last 12 months and IEDs. The former British army officer suspects IS militants are manufacturing mustard gas in Mosul and worries coalition forces are ill-prepared for a CW attack. Last year, French intelligence feared a possible mustard gas attack in Paris. After the Paris terror attacks that killed more than 140 people, the government authorized the distribution of atropine, an antidote to counter the potentially deadly effects of nerve gas. The fear was that IS militants had managed to smuggle mustard gas into France. Bretton-Gordon told VOA at the time that IS wanted to create as much terror as possible by resorting to the ultimate terror weapon. In France, there was only a small chance of mustard gas being smuggled in, but with the battle for Mosul the militants have greater opportunities and stockpiles. On October 22, as the multi-pronged offensive involving Iraqi security forces and Kurdish peshmerga fighters unfolded on the outskirts of Mosul, Iraqs second largest city, IS fighters set fire to sulfur stockpiles at a chemical plant near Qayyara, southeast of Mosul. Noxious fumes drifted over an airfield thats one of the main bases for the coalition assault on the Iraqi city. The toxic, yellowish gas killed at least nine people, hundreds breathed in the fumes, and Iraqi and U.S. troops were forced to wear masks. The toxic cloud included deadly sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide and combined with residue from burning oil wells in a potentially fatal cocktail for those caught in the open or without gas masks, Bretton-Gordon wrote Sunday for a British news site. The toxic cloud stretched 20-30 kilometers to the south over sparsely populated grounds; if the wind changed to blow to the east, as it usually does at this time of year, there is a slim chance that the Kurdish capital of Irbil, 60 kilometers away could come under threat, he added. 'Mass casualty management' On Thursday, the U.N. health agency announced it has trained 90 Iraqi medics in mass casualty management, with a special focus on chemical attacks, as part of its preparations for the campaign to retake Mosul from IS. It is no surprise that the ultimate terror organization is looking to the ultimate terror weapon, chemical, to save Caliphate HQ, he argued. He says the coalition forces, NGOs and aid workers need to be ready to combat chemical attack. IS has resorted to CW attacks before. In September 2015, Kurdish commanders in eastern Syria accused IS militants of using poison gas, and Syrian rebels said the militants used artillery shells filled with mustard gas in two separate bombardments on the northern Syrian town of Marea, 10 kilometers from the Turkish border. In eastern Syria, Kurdish leaders sent a specialized investigation team to the alleged gas attack site in the Salihiya area of Hasaka province. There were also reports that two days after the attack in Hasaka a rocket suspected of carrying chemical substances was fired by IS at Iraqi peshmerga positions near Mosul Dam. A month earlier during a battle near the northern Iraqi city of Makhmour, 60 peshmerga were exposed to mustard gas, Kurdish officials claimed. U.S. and Western officials concluded the allegations about the use of mustard gas in 2015 were credible. U.S. and NATO officials say it remains an open question as to where IS got mustard gas. The Syrian regime said it cooperated with the destruction of most of its chemical arsenal after the threat of U.S. airstrikes three years ago, following a sarin gas attack on a Damascus suburb. U.N. inspectors have expressed concern not all mustard gas stocks were burned away in sand pits as claimed. Experts argue any Iraqi stockpiles from the Saddam Hussein era that may have escaped international weapons inspectors would be degraded by now. Some speculate mustard gas-filled shells may have been smuggled out of Libya. But the low concentrations of gas in the past IS attacks suggest to some experts the chemical weapon is being developed by IS. Mustard gas causes blistering and weeping skin, a burning rash and breathing difficulties. It was first used in World War I and is banned under the 1925 Geneva protocol. Iraqi and Kurdish forces are bracing for more Islamic State suicide attacks as their offensive gets closer to Mosul, commanders say. We expect [Islamic State] to send as many suicide attackers as they could to the frontlines, said Major General Fadhil al-Barwari, head of special operations at Iraqs Counter Terrorism Bureau. As they retake villages on the way to Mosul, Iraqi and Kurdish forces have already met stiff resistance from suicide attackers. Several dozen cars and trucks laden with explosives and coming from Mosul were tracked by Kurdish and Iraqi forces since the offensive began this month, commanders say. Most of them have been destroyed by Iraqi tanks, or airstrikes by coalition forces, before they reached allied troops. We have foiled 15 suicide bombings in the past few days, Barwari said. Kurdish forces had difficulty entering the town of Bashiqa last week even as IS fighters were pushed back. There are many suicide car bombs in the town, said Muhiyadin Ahmed, a Kurdish fighter, as his unit was preparing to enter Bashiqa. We have to cautiously besiege it and then enter with armored vehicles to control it. A Kurdish military video on social media last week showed a car filled with attackers approaching the frontlines being destroyed by a missile strike. We got it, one soldier screamed as the car exploded in a cloud of black smoke. Kurdish commanders say that when they examine wreckage from suicide vehicles, they have found the bodies of teenagers as young as 14-years-old. Most of them are really young, said Bahram Yasin, a Kurdish Peshmerga commander, stationed near Bashiqa. Iraqi intelligence chief Barwari said IS is likely round up civilians and use them as human shields or forced participants in massive suicide attacks. The U.N. says that that IS has seized tens of thousands of civilians in the Mosul area. A new report says Kenyan authorities are systematically curtailing civil liberties by targeting defenders of civil rights. The authors are concerned about the impact that the trend might have on Kenya's 2017 elections. Rights activists have complained for years about alleged extrajudicial killings by Kenyan police. Criticism intensified after the killings this June of human rights lawyer Willile Kimani, his client and their driver. The new report on civil liberties is the result of a fact-finding mission by an umbrella group, the World Organization Against Torture. Benson Olugbuo was a mission delegate and is executive director of the CLEEN Foundation, an organization that agitates for what it calls "accessible justice." Speaking to reporters Friday in Nairobi, Olugbuo said Kenya needs police and judiciary reform if the country's civil liberties are to remain intact. 'Sustained' reform "So we are asking for police reform which is sustained, because it is not a day's business, it's a process," he said. "We are also asking that agencies that are independent should also be allowed to work and that where there are grievances, people should have that right to go to court, to go to police to report." He also said Kenyans' right to demonstrate, "which is provided for in the constitution, should be protected." The new report was compiled after the mission met with representatives of civil society groups, the police, the judiciary and the European Union delegation in Kenya. Samuel Mohochi, the executive director at the International Commission of Jurists, Kenya chapter, said democratic gains made over the years are slowly being eroded by authorities, and advocates for civil liberties are being silenced. "I think the increasing or rising levels of intolerance in society, especially for specific duty bearers or actors, would then create a fertile ground for increased intolerance to criticisms, and therefore that in itself is a clawback to democratic gains," he said. "And it starts slowly. Before you realize it, you are in a police state, so these are things that should be flagged at the earliest opportune moment." 81 disappearances The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) is an autonomous public body charged with redressing human rights violations. Commission Chairperson Kagwiria Mbogori says that in the past year, KNCHR has presented 81 cases of forced disappearances to the inspector general, the attorney general's office and the director of public prosecutions for action. Mbogori says that proving who is behind the disappearances is becoming extremely hard. "The act of disappearance can be explained in a number of ways," Mbogori said. "It may be some people have been killed and their bodies have never been found, but it is impossible to really narrow down and point a finger to a particular culprit or culprits. This is very saddening, and right now we are dealing with citizens who have encountered this, and it's very harrowing. It is worse than death, because you don't know if your loved one has died or whether they are somewhere suffering or where they went, et cetera. The uncertainty is terrible." The World Organization against Torture says the elections slated for 2017 could prove fatal if the trend of silencing civil society continues unabated. Around 1,100 people were killed in violence after the 2007 elections, with another 600,000 displaced. Next year's vote is scheduled for August. New members of Kenya's electoral commission are set to take office this December. The New York Metropolitan Opera stopped a performance Saturday afternoon after someone in the audience sprinkled white powder into the orchestra pit during an intermission before the final act of Rossini's "Guillaume Tell." As anti-terrorism police investigated the incident, the Met canceled a scheduled evening performance of "L'Italiana in Algeri," also by Rossini. No injuries were reported and no one was taken into custody. The police said they had not yet identified the "unknown substance" tossed into the orchestra pit, and no witnesses stepped forward with further information. Audience members said there was some confusion as Met officials first said a technical issue was delaying the fourth act of the opera. After a further delay, the audience members were told to go home. Some noticed police entering the hall. Dylan Hayden of Toronto, who was seated near the rear of the ornate hall, described audience members slowly walking out. "The idea that they said that it was a technical error, when I was maybe [5 meters] away from a potential dangerous substance, that kind of irks me a little bit," Hayden said. "But at no point did I feel an actual threat." Micaela Baranello, a musicologist at Smith College in Massachusetts, told The Associated Press that some in the audience booed the cancellation, with one man chanting, "I want my money back, I want my money back." Baranello, who spoke to a reporter by telephone from a train headed back to Massachusetts, said the cancellation of the opera was "too bad, because most of the best music in 'Guillaume Tell' is in Act 4, in my opinion." The monumental opera had received warm reviews when the Met debuted its new, five-hour-long production 10 days ago. It tells the William Tell fable and, until Saturday, had not been staged at the Met for over 80 years. The overture to "Guillaume Tell" is known to many in the U.S. as the theme music of the 1950s television series "The Lone Ranger." Somali government troops recaptured Goofgaduud in southern Somalia after al-Shabab militants briefly took control of the village Sunday, officials and witnesses said. The militants attacked a government military base. The troops made a strategic retreat and counter attacked the militants. Now, Somali government forces have retaken the full control of the village, said regional deputy police chief, Mohamed Isaq Araas. He said four government soldiers and eight militants were killed during the fighting and 10 other combatants were injured. Goofgaduud lies about 250 kilometers northwest of Mogadishu, the capital, in an area where the militants and government soldiers fought several times in the past. Both sides battled into the streets of the village. Some houses were burnt. The militants briefly took the control. They remained here for six hours and then fled as Ethiopian troops backing Somali soldier advanced to the town, one of few residents in the village told a VOA reporter in the region over the phone. A statement aired by Radio Andalus, al-Shabab's mouthpiece in Somalia, said the militant group had captured the village in a heavy fighting, kiiling seven government soldiers. There is no independent confirmation on both sides claims as their casualty figures often differ. Meanwhile, people in the rural areas, towns and villages still under the full control of the militants report the visible mobilization of fighters preparing to recover ground in southern Somalia, after the recent retreat of Ethiopian troops from the region. The Ethiopian government announced on Wednesday that its troops fighting the al-Qaida-linked terror group in Somalia were retreating for strategic and logistical reasons. Al-Shabab has taken control of four major towns and several villages vacated by the Ethiopians. Somali military officials said government troops and African Union troops would fill the security vacuum, but civilians in these areas reported being affected by al-Shababs presence. South Korea's president who is in the middle of an influence-peddling scandal accepted the resignation of several of her top aides Sunday. A presidential spokesman said Park Geun-hye accepted the resignations of her chief of staff and the senior secretaries for policy coordination, political affairs, civil affairs and public relations. Also Sunday, the woman who is at the center of the president's political scandal returned to Seoul from Germany. Choi Soon-sil's lawyer said Choi "will actively respond to prosecutors' investigation and will testify according to the facts." Park has been embroiled in a scandal over allegations she allowed Choi to have access and input into important state affairs. Park's approval ratings have plummeted amid calls for her resignation since revealing she gave drafts of her speeches for editing to Choi, who holds no government security clearance or post. Records indicate Choi also received confidential documents, including files on Japan and North Korea. Park, who has a little more than a year left in office, has apologized and has vowed to stay in office. Media reports have speculated Choi used her influence with the president to persuade companies to donate money to her own two charities, and used those charities for her own benefit. Also of concern, Choi's father presided over a religious cult. Lawmakers say they are concerned Choi has draped herself in her father's religious mantle. The head of the main opposition party said Choi's influence with the president is like discovering you are being ruled by a "terrifying theocracy." President Park was befriended by Choi's late father in the 1970s when Park's father, Park Chung-hee, was South Korea's military leader. Choi Tae-min was a shadowy religious figure. The young Park and the older Choi grew even closer after the death of Park's mother in 1974, accidentally killed by the country's intelligence chief who was actually aiming at the military leader. The current president became the acting first lady after her mother's death. Would-be assassin Kim Jae-gyu, who was eventually executed, said in court proceedings one of his motives for the shooting was to keep the elder Choi away from Park's daughter, Geun-hye. Park Chung-hee himself was assassinated by his own spy chief in 1979, 18 years after coming to power in a coup. Three astronauts have returned to Earth safely after a 115-day mission aboard the International Space Station where American Kate Rubins became the first person to sequence DNA in space. Rubins, along with Japan's Takuya Onishi and Russia's Anatoly Ivanishin landed Sunday morning near Dzhezkazgan on the treeless Central Asian Steppes. After they were removed from the capsule, the three space travelers sat on the chilly steppes still in their capsule seats while readjusting to the force of gravity after nearly four months of experiencing weightlessness. They were then taken to a nearby medical tent for examination. During the mission, NASA's Rubins successfully sequenced samples of mouse, virus and bacteria DNA while scientists on Earth simultaneously sequenced identical samples. The U.S. space agency says the experiment could help identify possible dangerous microbes on the space station and diagnose illnesses in space. Still onboard the ISS are Russian cosmonauts Andrei Borisenko and Sergey Ryzhykov, along with American astronaut Robert Shane Kimbrough. The three arrived at the space station on October 22. The Clinton Tapes: 'We should have made sure that we did something to determine who was going to win' The tape is 45 minutes and contains much that is no longer relevant, such as analysis of the re-election battle that Sen. Joe Lieberman was then facing in Connecticut. But a seemingly throwaway remark about elections in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority has taken on new relevance amid persistent accusations in the presidential campaign by Clintons Republican opponent Donald Trump that the current election is rigged. Speaking to the Jewish Press about the January 25, 2006, election for the second Palestinian Legislative Council (the legislature of the Palestinian National Authority), Clinton weighed in about the result, which was a resounding victory for Hamas (74 seats) over the U.S.-preferred Fatah (45 seats). I do not think we should have pushed for an election in the Palestinian territories. I think that was a big mistake, said Sen. Clinton. And if we were going to push for an election, then we should have made sure that we did something to determine who was going to win. According to Abrams, the Palestinians seized on the voting in Jerusalem as a possible pretext to cancel the elections, since this issue has been debated amid questions of how and where Palestinians would vote. The Palestinians said to Sharon, Why dont you say no voting in Jerusalem. Zero. Not in the post offices [where voting was allowed in 1995]. Zero. And this will be a reason to call off the election. Sharon, according to Abrams, said he was not going to take the blame for this. He said, If you want to call off the elections, call off the election, I dont care. If you want to have an election, great; if you want to call off the election, great. But you do it Im not taking the blame for it. The Palestinians, Abrams said, then came to the Americans with a request that they call off the elections. The American reaction was that the US doesnt call off elections just a few days before they are scheduled, because it looks like youre not going to win anymore. Thats ridiculous. Your job is to win the election, go out and work, and get your people to the polls and win the damn election. So the election was held, and Hamas won. Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen Regarding capturing combatants in warthe June capture of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit by Hamas militants who came across the Gaza border via an underground tunnel was very much front of mindClinton can be heard on the tape saying, And then, when, you know, Hamas, you know, sent the terrorists, you know, through the tunnel into Israel that killed and captured, you know, kidnapped the young Israeli soldier, you know, theres a sense of like, one-upsmanship, and in these cultures of, you know, well, if they captured a soldier, weve got to capture a soldier. Equating Hamas, which to this day remains on the State Departments official list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, with the armed forces of a close American ally was not what many expected to hear in the Jewish Press editorial offices, which were then at Third Avenue and Third Street in Brooklyn. (The papers office has since moved to the Boro Park section of Brooklyn.) The use of the phrase these cultures is also a bit of a head-scratcher. From an Israeli perspective, what is perhaps the most interesting leak comes not from Wikileaks, but rather from the release of an old-fashioned audio cassette with a 2006 interview with Hillary Clinton The sentiment is not surprising. In 2011, former Bush National Security aide Elliott Abrams told the Jerusalem Post that the 'Palestinian Authority' sought to call off the 2006 'Palestinian' elections, and the reason it didn't happen was that they insisted on blaming Israel Of course, it was ' moderate ' ' Palestinian ' Presidentwho insisted that Hamas participate in that election in the first place.... And by the way, after the election, there were discussions over the possibility of Hamas being expelled from the 'Palestinian Authority.' So Hillary's statement about making sure that Fatah won the election was practically mainstream thought back then.But there's something else on that audio tape that's even more significant.In other words, Hillary equates Israel with Hamas. That ought to bother you all a lot more than whether she thought the 'Palestinian election' should be rigged. Labels: Abu Mazen, Elliott Abrams, Fatah, George W. Bush, Hamas, Hillary Clinton, Palestinian elections 2006 Fighting raged Sunday on the western edges of the Syrian city of Aleppo, with rebels trying to split a Russian-backed government force laying siege to the eastern half of the city by attacking it from the rear. Monitors say at least 41 civilians have been killed in the latest offensive, and Syria's state news agency SANA said 35 others were suffering from the effects of "toxic gases" in two government-controlled districts. The SANA report linked the gas attack to what it called "terrorist organizations" affiliated with Turkey and Saudi Arabia. For their part, rebels accused government forces of shelling a separate rebel-held district with chlorine shells. The head of Aleppo University Hospital, speaking on state television, identified the fumes as toxic chlorine gas. No deaths were linked to the gas, which monitors from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights described as creating symptoms of suffocation. Rebels and monitors said much of Sunday's fighting centered on a battle for a huge apartment housing project in a western district, which, if captured, would bring rebels within several kilometers of the center of government-controlled western Aleppo. Government reportedly moving in reinforcements Rebels have used suicide car bombers and heavy artillery in their attack from the west, which was launched on Friday. Syrian Observatory chief Rami Abdurrahman said the government moved to counter the rebel offensive by calling in 1,000 artillery troop reinforcements from central Syria in apparent preparation for a counterattack. Aleppo, the country's largest city, has been divided among government troops, rebel militias, Islamic extremists and Kurdish fighters since 2012 - a year after the country erupted into civil war. Much of the city now lies in ruins. The government of embattled President Bashar al-Assad has repeatedly been accused of attacking rebels with crude chemical bombs. Earlier this year, the Syrian-American Medical Society (SAMS) said chemical weapons attacks have killed nearly 1,500 people since civil war broke out in March of 2011. The SAMS report, released in March, documented 161 chemical attacks in Syria, and linked the vast majority of them and the resulting civilian casualties to the Assad government. Tajikistan has officially started the construction of the Rogun Dam, a massive project that, if completed, would be the world's tallest and should give the Central Asian nation a stable energy supply. Italian construction conglomerate Salini Impregilo won a $3.9 billion contract to build the structure, whose opening ceremony on October 29 was attended by President Emomali Rahmon. At this inaugural event, explosions were used to block the main riverbed of the Vakhsh River, marking the first substantial step toward building the dam. The Rogun plant is slated to start generating power by late 2018. The ceremony came a day after a malfunction at Tajikistan's biggest hydro-power plant caused a nearly three-hour blackout across the country. Tajikistan, one of the poorest former Soviet republics, is heavily dependent on hydroelectric power and regularly experiences electricity outages. Authorities say the Rogun Dam will be able to provide electricity for the whole country. They say the dam could also provide parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan with cheap electricity. Uzbekistan has voiced concern that the dam in Southern Tajikistan will reduce water flows to its cotton fields. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Saturday called the timing of the FBI's announcement that it was assessing new evidence in her email case "unprecedented" and "deeply troubling." At a campaign appearance in Daytona Beach, Florida, Clinton told her audience, "It's pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information, right before an election." Clinton later added, "We can't let this election, in the last 10 days, be about the noise and the distractions. It's got to be about what kind of country we want for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren." FBI Director James Comey said in a letter to lawmakers Friday that new emails had surfaced that were related to Clinton's case. He made the statement despite an FBI tradition of avoiding controversial actions in the days leading up to an election. Reports Saturday said U.S. Justice Department officials warned Comey that notifying Congress about the new material was not consistent with department practices. Accordingly, Comey sent a letter to FBI staffers, explaining the reason behind his unorthodox move. "We don't ordinarily tell Congress about ongoing investigations," he said, "but here I feel an obligation to do so, given that I testified repeatedly in recent months that our investigation was completed. I also think it would be misleading to the American people were we not to supplement the record." Influencing the race The FBI announcement sparked criticism that the agency was intervening in the U.S. presidential race. While the emails have been detected, The New York Times reported that law enforcement agents have to get a court order to actually read them, a process that would certainly not be finished before Election Day. WATCH: Republican Trump Claims Evidence in Democrat Clinton's Email Probe Is 'Overwhelming' Republican U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump on Saturday called this latest wrinkle in the email case "the lowest point in the history of our country." Trump spoke at a campaign event in the swing state of Colorado, saying, "A vote for Hillary is a vote to surrender our government to public corruption, graft and cronyism that threatens the very foundations of our constitutional system." He vowed that on Election Day, November 8, "we're going to change things." Political scientist Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute told VOA that the timing of Comey's announcement was "stunning." "Clearly, there's no urgency in this matter," he said. "It's not going to be, very likely, sorted out for months. It doesn't seem, on the surface, to involve anything deeply nefarious. ... If you are going to announce it 11 days before the election, you have a deep obligation to be more forthcoming." Far-reaching implications Political historian Allan Lichtman said Saturday that Comey might have made the announcement to protect his own credibility, but that the results of his act reached far beyond the personal. "The tragedy here is, to save himself [from allegations that he hid new evidence], he has significantly biased a presidential election that is vastly more important," Lichtman told VOA. "This is going to set the course for the future of the country, not just over the next four years, but perhaps over the next generation. ... He has no business doing this." Lichtman, who is known for his accuracy in predicting U.S. election outcomes, would not speculate on whether the development would sway Clinton voters. He said the Clinton campaign had probably done the only thing it could do in response, which was to call for the release of all information about the case. Clinton made that call Friday, noting that "even Director Comey noted that this new information may not be significant, so let's get it out." "How do you respond to something that's so vague?" Lichtman said of Comey's announcement. "It may be that there's nothing there of any consequence, but we don't know and you can't draw any conclusions from the FBI letter." Lichtman also noted that the FBI had been unusually forthcoming on the Clinton case, while staying tight-lipped on allegations that Russia might be trying to influence U.S. elections by hacking into computer systems. 'Political act' by Comey Jason Johnson, a professor of political science and communications at Morgan State University in Maryland, told VOA he thought Comey was attempting to influence the election. "It is impossible to separate what this announcement is from a political act," Johnson said. "It is clearly an act on the part of the FBI director to have some impact on the presidential campaign. There is something to be said about caution, about discretion." Reports Friday revealed that FBI agents discovered the new emails during an investigation of former U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner of New York, who is separated from top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. The emails were reported to have been found on a computer used jointly by Abedin and Weiner. Weiner is under a separate FBI investigation for allegedly "sexting" with a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina, a crime that falls under FBI jurisdiction because it took place across state lines. The age of consent in North Carolina is 16; in New York, it is 17. Republicans rejoice Republican Party leaders were rejoicing in what they saw as validation of their repeated complaints about Clinton's practice of handling government emails in a nonstandard fashion. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus tweeted Friday, "With FBI reopening criminal investigation, Democrats on the ballot must now be asked whether or not they still support @HillaryClinton." He also tweeted, "This development raises serious ?s about what records may not have been turned over & why, & whether they show intent to violate the law." Senator Charles Grassley, a Republican campaigning for re-election in Iowa, told reporters Friday that the email server had been "a real problem for the Clintons." Although he was one of the addressees on the FBI letter, Grassley said it was not the result of any request from him to Comey. WATCH: Democrat Clinton Calls Timing of FBI Email Probe 'Strange' Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, a ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Friday that she was "shocked" to read Comey's letter. "Without knowing how many emails are involved, who wrote them, when they were written or their subject matter, it's impossible to make any informed judgment on this development," she said. She also noted the FBI's tradition of avoiding moves that might influence the upcoming election. "Today's break from that tradition is appalling," she said. Clinton has said she used the private server rather than a more secure government server because it was more convenient for her. Critics say she was trying to shield her communications from the Freedom of Information Act. Although classified information turned up in email stored on her personal server, which authorities said was vulnerable to hacking, there was no evidence she shared it with unauthorized parties on purpose and tried to cover that up. Jesusemen Oni and Elizabeth Chernoff contributed to this report. Turkey has dismissed more than 10,000 civil servants as the government continues its crackdown following a failed coup in July. News of the removal of the academics, teachers and health workers was published late Saturday. Turkey has already ousted more than 80,000 civil servants and arrested more than 30,000 in connection with the coup. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly accused cleric Fethullah Gulen of being behind the coup attempt that left at least 270 people dead. The 75-year-old Gulen has been living in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999 and denies any involvement in the coup attempt. Turkey wants him extradited. U.S. President Barack Obama told Erdogan at a G-20 summit earlier this year that Washington is prepared to offer any support necessary to investigate the coup and bring those responsible to justice. But U.S. officials have said any extraditions would have to be approved by the U.S. court system. Citing extremist threats in Turkey, the United States has ordered family members of the U.S. consulate staff in Istanbul to leave the country as a safety precaution. The State Department said the evacuation order announced Saturday was based on intelligence showing extremist groups were continuing "aggressive efforts to attack U.S. citizens in areas of Istanbul where they reside or frequent." No specific threats were listed. Officials said the U.S. consulate in Istanbul would remain open and fully staffed despite the evacuations. The order is limited to Istanbul and does not apply to other U.S. diplomatic posts in Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a national state of emergency after a failed coup attempt by disgruntled military officers on July 15, and those emergency rules remain in effect. The coup attempt came two weeks after a terror attack by Islamic State suicide bombers killed 44 people and wounded 230 others at Istanbul's international airport. The State Department order was the second action this week seen as a warning to U.S. citizens. A travel warning issued Monday advised Americans to exercise caution while traveling in Turkey. The new travel advice was separate from a long-standing caution to Americans not to travel in southeastern Turkey, the site of recent attacks by Islamic State extremists and of ongoing fighting between Kurdish militants and Turkish forces. Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump remain locked in a tight contest for the U.S. presidency, nine days ahead of the November 8 election, with the campaign roiled by the new investigation into her emails while she served as secretary of state. One tracking poll of voter sentiment, by The Washington Post and ABC News, showed Clinton clinging to a narrow edge over Trump by a single percentage point, 46 to 45 percent. The two news outlets said the poll of likely voters covered part of the time after FBI Director James Comey announced that investigators are taking a new look at her use of a private email server while she was the country's top diplomat from 2009 to 2013. It came in a probe Comey previously ended in July when he declared that she had been "extremely careless" in her handling of national security material found in her emails, but said that no criminal charges were warranted. Impact on November 8 vote The Post-ABC survey said that more than six in 10 voters said the new investigation would make no difference in their vote on November 8, but of those who said it would matter, more than 3 in 10 said it would make them less likely to vote for her, and only 2 percent that it would influence them to vote for her. New polling by a raft of news organizations and universities in the coming days could give a better idea whether the FBI investigation will matter in how people vote. Clinton, who has often said her use of the private email server was a mistake, has demanded that Comey spell out details of what is in the emails that were found on the computer of one of her key aides, Huma Abedin, shared with her estranged husband, Anthony Weiner. Authorities discovered the emails while investigating allegations that Weiner, a disgraced former congressman from New York, was "sexting" with a 15-year-old girl. At a campaign stop in the key southern state of Florida, Clinton alluded to the "ups and downs" of the campaign, but otherwise did not mention the email controversy. She delivered a broadside against Trump, calling on him to "stop disgracing our democracy" by disparaging women, and contending that he is "temperamentally unfit and totally unqualified to be president." "Friends don't let friends vote for Trump, right?" she asked cheering supporters. Boon for Trump Trump, with new life on the campaign trail in the aftermath of Comey's announcement, said on his Twitter account, "Hillary and the Dems loved and praised FBI Director Comey just a few days ago. Original evidence was overwhelming, should not have delayed!" Most polls, many of them conducted before the Comey announcement, show Clinton ahead by about four or five percentage points across the country, with often narrower edges in key election states. The state-by-state outcomes will determine the winner in the country's Electoral College, not the national popular vote. But Trump claimed in another tweet, "We are now leading in many polls, and many of these were taken before the criminal investigation announcement Friday - great in states!" Trump started his Sunday campaigning with a stop at a nondenominational church in Las Vegas, Nevada, a closely contested western state, where he swayed and clapped to the music. He planned a later rally in the city and then stops in two other nearby states, Colorado and New Mexico. Deeply troubling On Saturday, Clinton called the timing of the FBI announcement that it is assessing new evidence in her case "unprecedented" and "deeply troubling." At a campaign appearance in Daytona Beach, Florida, Clinton said, "It's pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information, right before an election." Clinton later added, "We can't let this election, in the last 10 days, be about the noise and the distractions. It's got to be about what kind of country we want for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren." Trump, at a campaign event in Colorado, contended that "a vote for Hillary is a vote to surrender our government to public corruption, graft and cronyism that threatens the very foundations of our constitutional system. WATCH: Furor Builds Over FBI Email Bombshell James Comey has been a tough U.S. prosecutor who faced down some of the most prominent defendants in the past quarter century and once dramatically helped set the rules for American surveillance of suspected terrorists. But now as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation he has taken on his biggest role yet, injecting himself in an unprecedented way into the last days of the race for the U.S. presidency. The 55-year-old Comey, a prominent figure in the Justice Department under Republican President George W. Bush and appointed FBI chief by Democratic President Barack Obama, has seemingly always exhibited an independent streak. Now, little more than a week before the November 8 presidential election, Comey has announced that the FBI, the country's top law enforcement agency, is reopening its investigation into Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's use of an unsecured, private email server while she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013 and whether she mishandled classified national security material. No criminal charges Comey had already declared in July that her handling of the classified documents found on her computer files was "extremely careless." But Comey said no criminal charges were warranted, a decision that angered Republicans looking to keep Clinton from becoming the country's 45th president and its first female commander in chief. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has often mocked Clinton as "Crooked Hillary" for her use of the private email server housed in her New York home, and Clinton has on numerous occasions called it a mistake, even as she says she did not knowingly send or receive classified material. But the issue had to some degree taken a back seat in the campaign to the more recent disclosure of a 2005 tape in which Trump made lewd comments about women and boasted how he could grope them with impunity because of his celebrity status. He described the crude remarks as "locker room talk" and said he did not carry out his braggadocio, only to have a dozen women to say he had made unwanted advances on them over several decades, claims Trump called fabrications. New developments That all ended, however, when Comey, against advice from his superiors in the Justice Department, sent a letter to key congressional leaders saying investigators would again look at the Clinton case based on files found on a computer jointly used by a longtime Clinton aide, Huma Abedin, and her estranged husband, Anthony Weiner, a disgraced one-time congressman from New York. Comey said authorities found undisclosed files possibly related to Clinton while investigating Weiner for allegedly "sexting" with a 15-year-old girl. The U.S. Justice Department has a long-standing policy of not directly injecting itself into the country's politics, even as both Republicans and Democrats often ascribe political motivations for some of its decisions on what to investigate and whether to being charges against someone. Comey told FBI staffers he felt obligated to let Congress know about reopening the Clinton email probe because he had repeatedly told lawmakers it had been completed. Comey said the significance of the new material found on the Abedin-Weiner computer as it relates to Clinton was not known and legal experts said the several thousand emails almost certainly would not be examined before Election Day. One report said authorities had not yet secured a search warrant to look at the material. Clinton, with polls showing her ahead of Trump nationally and in key closely contested states that will determine the outcome of the election, attacked Comey's action and called on him to "explain everything right away, put it all out on the table," what details investigators are looking at. "It's pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election," she told supporters in the Florida, a battleground state both Clinton and Trump see as crucial to their election chances. "In fact, it's not just strange, it's unprecedented and it is deeply troubling because voters deserve to get full and complete facts," she said. Trump, with new life in his campaign, denounced what he said was Clinton's "criminal and illegal conduct," as his supporters at a rally in the western state of Arizona shouted, "Lock her up!" "This is the biggest political scandal since Watergate, and it's everybody's deepest hope that justice at last will be beautifully delivered," Trump said referring to the scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974. Norman Ornstein, a political scientist with the American Enterprise Institute, described Comey's intervention in the election as "a very strange move." "It violates the fundamental rule that the [FBI] has followed, which is that you dont do anything or say anything that would influence an election within 60 days of the vote. Doing this 11 days before is very, very strange," Ornstein said. "I dont see Comey as a partisan in this case," Ornstein said. "But any sentient human being had to know that doing this 11 days before the election was going to hurt Clinton. By extension that was going to help Trump." Ornstein suggested that Comey might have "wanted to build a stronger bond with some of his own FBI people" by releasing news of the reopened investigation. "Its also possible that he knew some of this people had leaked information to Republicans in Congress [about the new files], and if it got out that way, it would be damaging to him, either to hurt the FBI because it would look like a coverup, or that it would reflect badly on him. Its fairly clear he was trying to mend fences with them. I look at that and look at what might be the most consequential election in our lifetimes, and if your motivations are largely personal, and maybe a little bit institutional, if he was trying to protect the FBI, the irony is that hes damaged the institution." Political historian Allan Lichtman at American University in Washington said Comey "has no business doing this." "Its also quite remarkable that the director of the FBI wont even say if hes investigating ties between the Trump campaign and the Russians and yet here he is, right from the start, giving blow by blow, detailed accounting of whats going on in the Clinton email investigation," Lichtman said. "The double standard here is just glaring." In a long legal career, Comey has prosecuted members of the Gambino crime family, terrorists accused of carrying out the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, corporate executives involved in financial corruption and popular lifestyle television host Martha Stewart in a securities fraud case, often winning convictions and sending the accused to prison for lengthy terms. His sense of independence in the face of countervailing advice from his superiors has been a hallmark of his years on the front stage of U.S. law enforcement. In 2004, in the Bush administration, he was the acting attorney general at a time when his boss, John Ashcroft, was hospitalized. White House officials sought his approval on the legality of key aspects of the country's National Security Agency surveillance of suspected terrorists, but Comey objected. When the White House officials went directly to the hospital to try to get the ailing Ashcroft to sign off on the provisions of the surveillance, Comey went to the hospital room himself and rebuffed the presidential aides. Comey withdrew his threat to resign over the standoff, and after Bush heard his objections, changes were made in the surveillance program. Marissa Melton contributed to this report. Yemen's internationally backed president rejected a new United Nations peace proposal Saturday, as warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition backing him launched strikes that killed scores of rebels, civilians and prison inmates in the country's southwest. Details of the latest peace proposal from U.N. special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed to President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi have not been officially disclosed. But Reuters said they include provisions that would sideline Hadi and install a new government. The French news agency AFP reports Hadi refused to accept the proposal, which was delivered to him in the Saudi capital. Meanwhile, witnesses say an air raid in the western city of Taiz killed at least 17 people in several residences where Houthi rebels are battling Saudi-backed government forces. Hours later, witnesses said fresh airstrikes on a security headquarters at the rebel-controlled Red Sea port of Hodeida killed at least 40 people, including prisoners and security forces. Details of that attack remained sketchy hours later. Medics confirmed the toll to the French news agency without estimating the number of wounded in the attack. A Saudi-led coalition of regional Sunni governments has been attacking Houthis in Yemen in support of President Hadi since March of 2015. A U.N. report says the coalition airstrikes have killed nearly 4,000 people. Houthi rebels, alleging years of discrimination by the Sana'a government, launched a rebellion in 2014 aimed at wresting power from President Hadi. Since then, more than 10,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed. The Botswana government has started blocking the influx of migrant workers into the country saying it has to give top priority to its citizens amid rising unemployment in the southern African nation. There are at least 10,000 work permit holders from Zimbabwe and thousands other undocumented immigrants. Under its latest National Development Plan, the country says it will make sure that most jobs are occupied by locals instead of foreigners. The government has already said that 80 percent of the countrys teaching jobs should be in the hands of locals, a move that will affect Zimbabweans who have significant numbers at private schools. The country has tightened immigration regulations in an effort to block the influx of foreigners into the country while foreign workers that are already in Botswana are expected to be gradually pruned from some of the jobs designated for local people. Indications are that foreigners in the education sectors will be negatively affected by this move as the country says the bulk of teaching jobs should be reserved for Batswana. Several Zimbabwean teachers, including Sithembeni Moyo and Andreas Ndlovu, said they are now living in fear of losing their jobs as the government is moving fast to remove foreigners from most teaching jobs. Moyo said, We have been informed that we may not be able to retain our jobs when we try to renew our contracts. The future looks bleak for teachers and other Zimbabweans working here. Ndlovu added that they have to start looking for jobs in other countries as Botswana appears to be dumping them. Its very tough There is nothing we can do because we are foreigners. We have to start looking for jobs in other countries because its not possible to go back home where there are no jobs. Another Zimbabwean, Calistus Mpofu, said thousands of Zimbabweans and other foreigners doing various jobs are set to be affected by the countrys move to open employment opportunities for locals. It appears as if the government has come up with a program of empowering locals by giving them all critical jobs in various sectors before employing foreigners. There are over 700 Zimbabwean refugees in Botswana, 10,000 Zimbabweans with Botswana work permits employed in several key sectors of the economy, and thousands illegally living in that country. Efforts to contact Botswana government officials for more details on this new program were fruitless. When Richmond voters go to the polls on Nov. 8, they will be asked to elect a pair of school board members, with three candidates running for two six-year terms. Incumbent board Trustees Sarah Gillies and Kyle Simmons are facing a challenge from David Wirth. Wirth has been a resident and business owner in Richmond since 1994. He is a veteran of the USAF and has a bachelors degree from Oakland University in secondary education, he said. Gillies moved to Richmond in 2011 and said her husband has fond memories of growing up in the city. They have two children, ages 6 and 3, who both attend Richmond Community Schools. Gillies has a masters degree in counseling psychology from Western Michigan University, specializing in children and adolescents. She is currently the clinical supervisor of a non-profit mental health agency in Richmond. Gillies has been active with the chamber of commerce since 2011, is a member of the Richmond Volunteer Fire Departments ladies auxiliary and has served on the Richmond Community Schools Board of Education since September 2015. No candidates formally filed to fill one partial term ending on Dec. 31 and an uncontested seat, which is to fill one partial two-year term ending on Dec. 31, 2018 has current trustee Traci Bartells name on the ballot. The Voice asked the three candidates vying for the two six-year terms to answer a questionnaire. Simmons did not respond. The Voice: What do you think makes you the most qualified candidate? Gillies: With over 10 years of experience working with children and families I have a genuine interest in ensuring the overall well-being of all students. In addition, I have spent the last year as a member of the Board of Education and have used this time to expand my knowledge regarding school policies, budget and legislative updates. Wirth: My experience in both business and in working with other school districts. The Voice: If elected, what changes-if any-do you envision taking place while in office? Gillies: This year Richmond was able to offer new programs to students, adding a K-12 Theater Program, EMT Program and Media and Broadcasting Program. I am hopeful that we can continue to expand course offerings to provide students with educational options they are excited about and that can prepare them for life after graduation. Wirth: I will bring a renewed attention to the concerns of the people who want the best for Richmond Schools. The Voice: What do you feel is the most important issue that needs to be addressed today for your constituents in Richmond community schools? Gillies: I am proud to say as a board we were able to maintain a balanced budget for the 2016-2017 school year. I believe it is important that we continue to be fiscally responsible and ensure tax dollars are being spent efficiently in order to provide our students with the necessary tools to continue learning and promote success. Wirth: My most important issue will be listening to the concerns of my community regarding their school district. Barb Pert Templeton is a freelance reporter. She can be contacted at barbperttempleton.reporter@yahoo.com. Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images Who couldve know anyone would look back at Tina Feys genuinely savage Sarah Palin impression and consider it tepid? Thats how much things have changed in the last eight years. This election is so, so ugly. Its not business as usual, the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt creator said, according to Deadline, at this weekends Produced by New York conference. Comparing her experience of doing political satire to todays presidential race, Fey declared, It was like an ice cream social. Fey also took a moment to defend fellow Weekend Update anchor Jimmy Fallon, who took a fair amount of heat for palling around with Donald Trump during his Tonight Show interview. I really felt for Jimmy when people were so angry, she explained. Its not Jimmy who peed in the punch bowl. Its not Jimmy who created this horrible world were living in. Which of course begs the question: At what point does a punch bowl become just a gigantic bowl of pee everyone continues to serve one another out of? Forty percent pee-by-volume? Sixty percent? The Central Texas Chapter of the American Guild of Organists will have a program titled Celebrating the Music of the Reformation, marking Reformation Sunday and the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, at 3 p.m. Sunday in the sanctuary of the First Lutheran Church, 1008 Jefferson Ave. Piano, organ and vocal selections will be presented by members and friends of the guild and the church choir. Refreshments will be served after the presentation. DPM After Dark The Dr Pepper Museum and Free Enterprise Institute will have a DPM After Dark event from 10 p.m. to midnight Sunday. The event, open to ages 18 and older, will feature a flashlight tour of the historic Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Co. building in the dark. Guests also will be able to do some late-night shopping in Peggy Peppers Emporium and tour the new Emerson Holt-Ted Getterman exhibit gallery. Tickets cost $20, which will include a large Dr Pepper float. For tickets, visit www.drpeppermuseum.com. Storybook Christmas Americana Heritage Tours by Snobby Tours is having a Cheesemaking Class and Grazing Lunch fundraiser benefiting Storybook Christmas from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 7 at Texas Cheese House, 102 E. Center St. in Lorena. Cost is $59 through Tuesday and $74 thereafter. Space is limited to 25 people. For reservations, call 754-8687. Festival of Faiths The Greater Waco Interfaith Conference is having a Festival of Faiths from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Mayborn Museum, 1300 S. University Parks Drive. Various faiths, including Judaism, Islam, Jainism, Christianity, the Bahai Faith and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, will share their religious traditions through food, displays and conversation. Food sampling will be from 2 to 3 p.m., followed by presentations in the museums SBC Theater. Admission is free but does not include museum exhbit viewing. For more information, call Brenda Khozein at 424-3170. The Gathering Place The Gathering Place, a program to provide memory-care activities for those who are living with memory loss and a respite for their caregivers, will meet for the first time from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at Austin Avenue United Methodist Church, 1300 Austin Ave. The free program is open to those who are in the early to moderate stages of Alzheimers or related dementia. For more information, call Becky Villarreal at 713-682-5995. Society of Friends A new Society of Friends, or Quaker, group will meet for worship at 10 a.m. Sunday at 2426 Columbus Ave. Starting in November, the group will meet will meet on the second and fourth Sundays of the month. For more information, call 265-5149. At least two tenants of RiverBend shopping center at North 19th Street and Lake Shore Drive are moving to a new commercial strip nearby, but H-E-B officials say they have no immediate plans to level the center it now owns to accommodate a new H-E-B serving the growing China Spring area. Gian Li, owner of the Chopstix restaurant in RiverBend, said he has signed a five-year lease with H-E-B and has heard nothing to indicate the center will fall in the near future. His restaurant is the last remaining business at RiverBend without stated intentions to relocate. H-E-B bought 25 acres of farmland that wraps around the center in 2007 and bought the center itself in 2014. I dont know when they will build a new H-E-B, said Li, adding the chain has promised to provide 150 days notice before starting demolition. Meanwhile, the city of Waco has issued three building permits for finish-out work in the 15,000-square-foot Fidelity Plaza behind the Fidelity Bank of Texas location at another corner of Lake Shore Drive at North 19th Street. The spaces will accommodate Roy Beatty Cleaners and Chapmans RiverBend Liquor, both longtime lessees of space in RiverBend shopping center, the plazas leasing agent Penny Scott said. Wireless communications provider MetroPCS is also moving in, Scott said. Debbie Chapman, co-owner of Chapmans RiverBend Liquor with her husband, Steve, said they continue to make lease payments to H-E-B and have not felt pressure to relocate. She said they will occupy more space at Fidelity Plaza and will have the opportunity to expand their product line and improve the store layout. Debbie Chapman has said she and her husband wanted to continue operating their liquor store in that part of Greater Waco and welcomed a move to Fidelity Plaza. Kevin Petty, who owns the Roy Beatty Cleaners locations in RiverBend and elsewhere in Greater Waco, could not be reached for comment about his move. In February, he said, We love that area and have done very well there, but remaining at RiverBend may not be possible long term if H-E-B does what it has indicated it will do. Petty said at that time he no longer had a long-term lease with H-E-B and made his payments on a month-to-month basis. H-E-B officials have repeatedly said the San Antonio-based company frequently acquires land for use well into the future. They also have said they must consider the popularity of the neighborhood H-E-B store at Park Lake Drive and North 19th Street when making any decision to build a larger store serving the China Spring area. Closing smaller stores The chain closed smaller stores at Dutton Avenue and Valley Mills Drive and at South 12th Street and Speight Avenue, near Baylor University, before erecting a 121,000-square-foot H-E-B Plus! store at South Valley Mills Drive and Interstate 35 in 2013 that sells groceries and general merchandise. Scott said earlier this year the Jackson Hewitt Tax Service office located in RiverBend was among several businesses that signed non-binding letters of intent to occupy space in Fidelity Plaza. But during an interview last week, she said she does not know if Jackson Hewitt would maintain a presence in that area. Calls to Jackson Hewitt late last week were not returned, and no building permit has been issued for finish-out space for Jackson Hewitt in Fidelity Plaza. Scott said the letters of intent were not binding as a lease but simply indicated the businesses had interest in relocating there. Roy Beatty Cleaners and Chapmans RiverBend Liquor also signed letters of intent, leaving Chopstix as the only RiverBend business not to do so, Scott said. The restaurant has operated in RiverBend for 10 years, and business remains good, Li, with Chopstix, said Saturday. H-E-B in recent years placed retail centers adjacent to new stores it built in Bellmead and on South Valley Mills Drive. With that in mind, Debbie Chapman said in an interview earlier this year, We enjoy being in this part of town and we would like to partner with H-E-B, if thats possible. We have asked them in the past to consider us if they do have a retail center next to their new store. Leslie Sweet, director of public affairs for H-E-B, said in an email, We do not have plans for a new store in Waco at this time. H-E-B, the dominant grocery chain in Waco, enjoys $23 billion in annual sales operating 329 stores in Texas and 55 in Mexico, making it the 13th-largest privately owned company in the United States, according to a ranking by Forbes magazine. A $218,000 grant through Texas A&M Forest Services Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program recently enabled the Kosse Volunteer Fire Department to purchase a new fire truck. The new truck has a 1,000-gallon water tank, a 1,000-revolutions-per-minute power take-off pump, and a compressed air foam system. The compressed air foam system mixes foam with the water to coat the fuel and smother the fire; and the PTO pump will give us the ability to put out a greater volume of water while using larger lines, said Kosse VFD Chief Jimmy ONeal. Ninety percent of Kosses fire response is to wildland or brush fires, which have been on the rise, according to ONeal. Matthew Schlaefer, regional fire coordinator for the Texas A&M Forest Service, said the truck will be a valuable asset to Kosse VFD and help to increase their capacity to protect their community and surrounding area. Kosse VFD, established in 1950, serves approximately 1,500 people over 99 square miles of Limestone County. Assistance program Texas A&M Forest Service works to protect lives and property through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program, a cost-share program funded by the Texas Legislature and administered by Texas A&M Forest Service. The program provides funding to rural fire departments for acquisition of firefighting vehicles, fire and rescue equipment, protective clothing, dry hydrants, computer systems and firefighter training. To learn more about the fire department assistance programs offered by Texas A&M Forest Service, visit http://texasfd.com. ----- Texas A&M Forest Service photo Pictured beside the new fire truck are (from left) Chad Little; Kosse VFD Fire Chief Jimmy ONeal; Kosse Mayor Jarod Eno; Matthew Schlaefer, Texas A&M Forest Service regional fire coordinator; Leslie Little and her daughter, Annie Lee; and Mike Baldwin. As we suffer the last withering full week of an unsatisfying and often depressing election cycle, the voices in favor or more frequently against the presidential candidates will grow louder. In Central Texas, though, two political choices are being made in near-total silence in the shadows of this cranky and contentious election. Arguably, both will have deeper and longer-lasting effects on Waco than anything or anyone on the ballot on Nov. 8. The first of these is the election of Baylors next president by the schools Board of Regents. One would have to wonder about the sanity of anyone seeking this job, given the last three holders of the position have been run off and humiliated, all within the past decade or so. Those failures make this choice all the more important. Sadly, those making this choice the regents have proven to be opaque in their decision-making, bitter in their rivalries and reactionary rather than proactive. Somehow, the sexual-assault scandal seemed to sneak up on them, despite the public prosecutions of Baylor students for rape. Ken Starr proved to be an inspired choice as president and served the school well. Yet he was pushed out of three different positions (president, chancellor and professor of law) with little explanation to students and alumni. It would seem the boards guiding principle at the moment is secrecy, and thats not good. Excellent candidates are out there, though its unknown whether they would accept the job if it were offered. President Bill Underwood at Mercer University and President Randall OBrien at Carson-Newman came to those jobs after being interim president and provost at Baylor, respectively. They moved on to Mercer and Carson-Newman facing significant challenges and led those Baptist schools to new success and greater prominence. If one of them were to return to face the challenges Baylor presents, they would do so with significant experience and eyes wide open to the realities on the ground. Other intriguing potential candidates lie in wait as well, yet there has been almost no public discussion of this impending decision as we obsess over the failings of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. The second secret election will lead to a replacement for Walter S. Smith Jr. as the United States District Judge for the Waco Division of the Western District of Texas. That choice will be made by the incoming U.S. president, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The mechanizations leading to that pick are just as opaque and furtive as those surrounding the Baylor presidential choice, however. While some have described a genteel process in which the two Texas senators list possibilities from which the president might choose, its unlikely to be that simple. The lists of good candidates compiled by Ted Cruz and Hillary Clinton, for example, would likely have no natural overlap, and the reality of this process is mired in the oily machines of politics. Local lawyers are right to insist that someone from the community be chosen for this slot. Waco has a wealth of remarkable candidates who can already be found traversing the halls of the federal courthouse downtown, with relevant experience and good judgment. Judges, especially at that level, are often important parts of the community and add value beyond the walls of the courtroom. After all, deep roots stabilize both the plant and the soil. Its a shame that both of these elections take place in the shadows. That neednt be completely true, though candidates could be proposed and discussed within this very newspaper, and should be. The federal district judge and the president of Baylor hold two of the most important positions in the city of Waco. A more public discussion of candidates, possibilities and informing values can only help the process. Former law professor at Baylor Law School, Mark Osler is a law professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis and author of Prosecuting Jesus. He is a nationally prominent advocate for sentencing reforms and clemency. The WikiLeaks-induced email revelations over the past couple of weeks confirm what both left and right have long known about Bill and Hillary Clinton: They blur lines between personal enrichment and public service at every turn. The Atlantics Russell Berman writes: Mostly, it just doesnt look good. And thanks to Donald Trumps endless antics, it probably wont stop her from winning the election. Both Clintons have vigorously defended the charitable work they have done over the last 16 years, and while that work may be admirable, the WikiLeaks hack has exposed that the former presidents philanthropy, his personal enrichment and the business interests of perhaps his closest aide were too closely tied. Were any other Republican opposing Hillary Clinton (i.e., someone not named Donald Trump), all of this could well have prevented her election. Given the GOPs monumental stupidity in selecting someone more unfit for office than she is, Hillary Clinton will nevertheless win. The concern should be that once again the Clinton duo will have learned the wrong lesson, namely that they can get away with just about anything. This is no small matter for Hillary Clinton, who will need to govern and fend off to the extent possible GOP inquests (justified and not) into her and Bill Clintons financial chicanery. If her closest advisers really have her interests at heart, they will recommend a number of steps to prevent Clinton sludge from oozing into the White House: Shut down the foundation or spin it off to a respected, independent figure. That means all the Clintons must avoid soliciting and speaking for the successor, exercising any management or advisory role or meeting with any representatives of the foundation. Washington Post colleague Ruth Marcus suggests Bill Clinton have no role in the administration. Agreed and beyond that, Hillary should explicitly make Chelsea Clinton the first lady. Its not required the job go to a spouse and, in fact, non-spouses have filled the spot for previous presidents. (According to the National First Ladies Library Blog, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren and Chester Arthur were the four presidents who assumed office as widowers. Jeffersons daughter Martha Randolph, Jacksons niece and daughter-in-law Emily Donelson and Sarah Jackson, Van Burens daughter Angelica Van Buren, and Arthurs sister Molly McElroy served for varying lengths for them. . . . [Grover] Clevelands sister Rose Elizabeth served as his first lady until he married 15 months into his administration.) Donors to the foundation should be excluded from positions in the administration. But so many wouldnt be allowed to serve! Some have given to the Clintons for decades! Thats right and going cold turkey on crony appointments can assure the American people that all those donations were not thinly disguised bribes to secure administration posts. All communications have to be conducted on government phones and email servers. Enough said. Clinton would be wise to set up a respected, neutral figure as a chief ethics officer. Conservative lawyer Ted Olson, former undersecretary of treasury Stuart Levey (who did a commendable job on Iran sanctions), Ben Bernanke or someone else of their stature should be given the job and report solely to the president. All inspector-general spots at the various departments and agencies should be promptly filled and funded. Clinton should seed her administration with some respected Republicans and put them in meaningful spots, including White House counsel, attorney general, etc. The Clinton administration should commit to speeding up the Freedom of Information Act process and agree in advance to waive all but the most essential privileges as grounds for withholding documents. With regard to Congress, the White House should explicitly waive executive privilege for White House officials testimony and records production. All of this may seem extreme and cumbersome, even an interference with the legitimate powers of the president. So be it. Unless Clinton goes above and beyond what other presidents have done, shell spend her term under fire for Clinton Inc. issues. She may still have to battle it out with Republican oversight committees, but it would do her a world of good to start out on the side of the angels. Jennifer Rubin writes the Right Turn blog for The Post, offering reported opinion from a conservative perspective. The disregard for state regulations and academic conventions as applied to some 2016 University High School graduates will leave a long list of casualties: parents who must wonder about the quality of education their children received; teachers possibly pressured into fixing grades and skirting protocols in defiance of state law and maybe their conscience; and even the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation, which generously invested in a pioneering, privately funded counseling program on campus. The schools very reputation has suffered. Several months ago, our community celebrated the fact University Highs 2016 senior class had a 100 percent graduation rate. Given that many UHS students come from economically challenged backgrounds in South Waco, this academic feat made us proud. But when investigators began scrutinizing matters, even the graduation rate turned out to be phony. Waco Independent School District officials who uncovered the scandal, reported it to the Texas Education Agency and pursued an independent investigation say theyre not sure how many students were impacted by what, at first glance, seems a perverse campus protocol to award course credit to students who didnt always earn it. Trib staff writer Shelly Conlon reports administrators failed to adhere to proper procedures for credit-recovery programs and state end-of-course retesting. Inconsistencies also lurk in pivotal attendance-keeping procedures. Looking over an abbreviated report the full version reportedly runs some 7,000 pages one is astonished by what at times seems a virtual assembly-line devoted to neatly circumventing state restrictions, at other times is a confounding helter-skelter system of educators just making up protocols in defiance or ignorance of what district and state policy mandates. While further investigation continues, three University High employees are now on paid administrative leave principal Kendra Strange, dean of instruction Ronald Massey and counselor Mindy Place. Strange and Massey were new to the district in 2015. Waco ISD officials say they cant deduce any motive for a system that academically short-changed students and undermined significant previous work there under standout principal Bill Shepard. University High in the past has done well academically, so far as state officials were concerned. All things considered, this inquiry only bolsters the boards wise vote Thursday to undergo governance training at the behest of the TEA. Among other things, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath has stressed the necessity of school districts adopting far sharper hiring practices and techniques. And considering the districts recent fumble in hiring a teacher fired from a previous district for a well-publicized, racially insensitive Facebook post, that might be a good place to start. Family First senator Bob Day wrote a book about sales in which he emphasised the importance of keeping promises to customers, delivering products on time and avoiding the distractions of a second job. Families brought to the brink of financial ruin by Senator Day's failed Home Australia building company have labelled him a "total hypocrite" for practising the opposite of what he preaches in The Sales Doctor. The little-read 2014 book was billed as a how-to manual to become a great salesman. Senator Day published it after he first entered Parliament, even as his national building empire began to wobble. He wrote that the salesman-customer relationship should be based on trust, mirroring that of the doctor-patient relationship. Michelle Reynolds was dumped in bushland by Wayne Jones. Credit:Frank Redward As a magistrate was still getting his head around the prosecution's case against Senior Constable Roberts, which he later remarked "should never have started", the worst possible news surfaced in court. The same violent offender whose drug supply charges had strangely evaporated 14 months earlier had since become the subject of another serious criminal case at Coffs Harbour. Michelle Reynolds, who was murdered by Wayne Jones in a motel room. Credit:Janie Barrett "Sorry your honour I just have a question," said a court assistant about what first appeared to be a mix up with files. "The case is for a murder charge." "We all looked around in disbelief," recalled Senior Constable Roberts. Michelle Reynolds with one of her young sons. Credit:Janie Barrett "The man whom I had charged, who should still have been inside, and for whom I was now in court, had killed someone. I was absolutely devastated." On April 4, 2011, Senior Constable Roberts and a colleague were patrolling Sydney's Kings Cross where they observed Jones and three young women in a situation that prompted concerns of underage prostitution. Senior Constable Roberts then observed Jones "clearly and without obstruction" place both his hands down the front of his pants and remove "a plastic item" before transferring the object into the co-accused's hands" which she swiftly stuffed down the front of her shorts. Glen Roberts (left) with Megan Gale and unknown colleague. They called for back up and a a female officer searched the girl and located the package inside her pants which contained bags of heroin, ice and marijuana. However, back at the station, the seemingly straightforward arrest started to unravel when the 21-year-old woman divulged that she had been assisting Newcastle-based detectives with classified intelligence about Jones and his bikie gang associates, describing scenes involving big silver cases and "pounds of drugs" laid across tables. "He is part of the Nomads ... they all are," she said. The woman went on to explain how the previous evening Jones had rounded her and two teenage girls up, conducted an ice deal at a service station and then bashed her and forced her to drive, unlicensed, to Sydney for the purpose of prostitution. The drugs that led to the arrest of Wayne Jones in 2011. "He had sexual intercourse with me even though I tried to stop him ... and then after that he forced me to do two jobs otherwise he was going to do it again." She also alleged he had raped one of the other girls. Throughout the interview, the woman said she was "scared", adding: "Once he overdosed me on heroin and just left me there. Other days he just belts me." Years earlier, Jones had smashed a woman so hard with a car "club lock", it caused the left side of her face to collapse. He received a seven and a half year sentence with a non-parole period of four and a half years. He was still on parole for that horrific attack when the drug exchange took place. He was now served with three drug possession charges, one count of dealing with suspected proceeds of crime and an additional charge of supply of an indictable quantity of drugs, which carries a maximum 15 year prison term. Yet six months on, some shadowy element in the police force set wheels in motion to withdraw all those charges and have Jones freed. In turn Senior Constable Roberts was suddenly accused of lying about what he'd observed on the night and was charged with "fabricating false evidence with intent to mislead judicial tribunal". When the case was heard in Sydney's Downing Centre in April 2013, it emerged that the prosecution's case against Senior Constable Roberts hinged on one statement from a senior constable who said Roberts had told her he "hadn't actually seen" the drug transaction that led to Jones being charged. Yet two pivotal pieces of evidence, which the force had failed to produce for two years, proved otherwise. The first, an official record of interview in which Jones' co-accused acknowledged she personally saw Senior Constable Roberts witness the exchange. "I know you saw me," she said, adding: "I spotted that." The second testimony came from the female constable called to the sceneto search the three women. In her statement, which police did not disclose, the officer recalled Senior Constable Roberts saying: "I've seen her hug the accused and possibly put something down the front of her pants." Under the Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1986, police are legally bound to "disclose" to the DPP "all relevant information, documents or other things obtained during the investigation" that might reasonably be expected to assist the case for the prosecution or that of the accused person. Magistrate Graeme Curran said it was that "critical" evidence that not only favoured the "truthfulness" and "accuracy" of Roberts' observations, but "founded" the supply charges then laid against Jones. "For reasons which just remain completely inexplicable and quite strange this document was not provided to the DPP. This is despite a request that it be made available to the DPP." He added: "It seems quite exceptional, quite unacceptable, and as far as I am concerned, quite inexcusable in relation to the conduct of this matter before the court." NSW Greens justice spokesman David Shoebridge said on Saturday: "This was either the grossest incompetence or, these actions were conducted with the clear intent of delivering a serious miscarriage of injustice. Either way, the consequences have been deeply tragic." Senior Constable Roberts has had plenty of time to speculate on why someone in the force freed Jones and then attempted to "throw him under a train". But central to the grief that still consumes him is the question of what might have unfolded, had he never made the arrest that night. "I'm still plagued by the thought that I may have saved the lives of those three young girls, but I cost another woman hers." On Saturday, the force released a statement to Fairfax Media acknowledging "the seriousness of this issue." How the bizarre sequence of events unfolded Feb 2003: Wayne Jones bashes a woman so hard with a car "club lock", the left side of her face collapses. He already has convictions for armed robbery, possession of a pistol and numerous drug-related charges. At the end of the year, he receives a 7year sentence with a non-parole period of 4years. Apr 2011: Kings Cross Senior Constable Glen Roberts witnesses a drug exchange involving Jones and a woman who he allegedly brought to Sydney to prostitute. Jones' parole is revoked and he is returned to jail. It emerges the woman has been forwarding classified intelligence about Jones' involvement with a major drug supply and the Nomads motorcycle gang. Oct 20: All charges against Jones are withdrawn. He is freed. Nov: Within weeks of being released, Jones is charged with possessing a knife in public, driving while disqualified, dealing with proceeds of crime and possessing identity information to commit an indictable offence. He again avoids jail and is placed on good behaviour bonds, the last of which expires on November 18, 2014. October 10, 2012: Senior Constable Glen Roberts is charged with "fabricating false evidence with intent to mislead judicial tribunal". December 11-17: Jones tortures, bashes and strangles Central Coast mother Michelle Reynolds in a Coffs Harbour motel room, then dumps her battered body in bushland. June 6, 2013: A judge dismisses the case against Senior Constable Roberts and is scathing of police after they were found to have concealed "critical" evidence from the DPP that verified the detective's "truthfulness" and the case against Jones. Loading October 2014: Jones is sentenced to minimum 20 years jail for murder. Perth's status as the ride-on, motorised picnic table capital of Australia only seems to be growing - with the latest on-wheels version popping up on Gumtree, complete with go-kart brakes, built-in barbeque and price tag in the vicinity of $2000. More recently, it has been floating picnic table boats with outboard motors that have captured the attention, with a new model seen being tested out on the Swan River late last week. But the model that has just arrived on Gumtree harks back to the land-based version that garnered fame last year, when a bunch of mates took their table for spin near Scarborough beach and earned a warning from police for their troubles. The installation of a barbeque on the new machine is a new and attractive wrinkle. Police have arrested prison escapee Lawrence Arnold Hansen after a chase through several suburbs in Perth's south. Hansen was apprehended on Tonkin Highway in Gosnells. The damage. Credit:Perth WA Revenue Raisers Alert Loading The 25-year-old escaped from the custody of Department of Corrective Services officers while at Fiona Stanley Hospital at around 5:40pm yesterday evening. A local sheriff's department arrested two people after finding cocaine in their car Sunday morning. The La Crosse County Sheriff's Department stopped to help assist a vehicle that had pulled over on the westbound side of Interstate 90 near mile marker 3 in La Crosse County. A deputy from the department became suspicious of the two people in the vehicle and called for backup. The deputy, along with help from the Wisconsin State Patrol, found over 100 grams of cocaine in the car. The deputy and his backup arrested the two people in the car, both from the Milwaukee/Madison area. The two arrested will appear in court on Monday at 1:30 p.m. by Adrian Gibson THE Chinese Government, the China Export-Import Bank (CEXIM) and their co-conspirators, the Bahamian Government, all appear to have gooseyed Baha Mar developer Sarkis Izmirlian, ripping his brainchild from his hands and ignoring him like the rude child in the room. Mr Izmirlian was walked down the investment aisle by his onetime friend Prime Minister Perry Christie only to find that no bride awaited him. I always thought that Baha Mar was a white elephant. I viewed it as a grandiose concept that was too large and farfetched. The resort should have been developed in phases, but that seemingly did not fit the developers plans. The fact is that the Baha Mar development is the largest offshore real estate investment of the Chinese. As it stands, it is clear that the Chinese have got a hold of Baha Mar. The governing Progressive Liberal Party has overseen the loss of a major part of our economy to a foreign power. The Chinese government will never sell Baha Mar to local investors, Americans or anyone who is not a Chinese tycoon who is a government puppet. Barring selling Baha Mar to another Chinese investor, the Chinese government will retain that investment via various legal structures and special purpose vehicles. I have always wanted to see the Heads of Agreement signed between our government and Baha Mar and also the agreement involving the Chinese Export Import Bank, particularly as it relates to government concessions. With Mr Christies recent announcement that Baha Mar has been sold, and the fact that the court sealed the agreement, I am curious about the details; what of our national patrimony was given away and how we were betrayed by an overzealous government desperate to trade off the resort for a second consecutive term in office. This is, yet again, one of the reasons why a Freedom of Information Act is so vital in a modern Bahamas. In August, Prime Minister Perry Christie announced that the government and CEXIM entered into an agreement to have Baha Mar completed and sold to a world-class hotel and casino operator. Last month, Mr Christie and a government delegation that travelled to London, England, to meet with investors were informed about the identity of the anticipated buyer for the beleaguered Baha Mar resort. However, he said he could not name the group because of the delicate stage of negotiations. In a letter dated October 10, Mr Izmirlian made an offer to purchase the stalled $3.5 billion resort at a price in excess of the current undisclosed bid. Mr Izmirlian said that his BMD Holdings is prepared to pay 100 per cent of all substantiated Bahamian claims and all money owed to Bahamians and foreign employees. Previously, he pledged that BMD Holdings would drop all of our appeals and legal actions in effect within the Bahamian courts upon acceptance of the offer. One week after the proposal, Prime Minister Perry Christie urged Mr Izmirlian to work with Perfect Luck Holdings Limited, if the resort developer is in a position to make a credible proposal to buy the property as he has suggested. In a press release, the Office of the Prime Minister said that the sale of Baha Mar to Perfect Luck followed a lengthy marketing process by the receivers, and that process and the resulting sale of the assets to Perfect Luck were overseen and approved by the Bahamas Supreme Court. While promising to provide information on Perfect Luck and the sale of Baha Marboth of which has been shrouded in secrecyPrime Minister Christie told The Nassau Guardian that he has to have a meeting. Not even the Cabinet has been spoken to about this. How could Mr Christie oversee the sale of the assets of Baha Mar without consulting the Cabinet? What about collective ministerial responsibility? Article 72 (1) of the Constitution states: There shall be a Cabinet for The Bahamas which shall have the general direction and control of the government of The Bahamas and shall be collectively responsible thereof to Parliament. So, did the Prime Ministerwho is merely first among equalsmake a decision without consulting his Cabinet? The Manual of Cabinet and Ministry Procedure, under the heading collective responsibility, states: 2 All major decisions of policy must be made by Cabinet. 3 A fundamental principle of Cabinet Government is unity. It is important to present a united front to the public; if any Minister feels conscientiously unable to support a decision taken by Cabinet, he has one course open to him and that is to resign his office 4 This principle is not affected by the assignment of responsibility to individual Ministers. Decisions made by a Minister about any matter in his portfolio, when it is not within policy already decided by Cabinet, must always be such as could, without doubt, be defended and supported by Cabinet. 5 All major matters of policy, and matters on which there may be doubt regarding the attitude of other members of Cabinet, and all subjects on which there is unresolved difference of opinion between Ministries, should be put before Cabinet. Moreover, should any Minister not agree with an action taken by a fellow Minister without prior consultation with Cabinet, Cabinet will decide whether or not the action should be upheld. So, given the above, how did Mr Christie engage the Chinese government whilst admittedly not consulting with the Cabinet? Mr Christie, by his utterances, has demonstrably breached Cabinet procedure. If I were representing Sarkis Izmirlian, I would explore this in more detail. His attorneys should. Frankly, I commiserate with Mr Izmirlian. Notwithstanding that, I view his open letters and sudden unearthing of funding as a pie-in-the-sky attempt to hold on to his development. I cannot fault him for seeking to retain Baha Mar but I am uncertain about whether he is selling dreams and merely mounting a public relations gimmick for sympathy. Surely, Mr Izmirlian ought to know that ever since he embarrassed Mr Christie by filing for bankruptcy in June 2015, he was in the governing partys black book. Yes, I am reliably informed that his legal manoeuvres were taken, by the Prime Minister and others in the Cabinet, as humiliating. Mr. Izmirlian, the onetime golden boy of the PLP has now been cast aside and their once big-brother-little-brother relationship is in tatters. To use the PLPs slogan, there is no turning back. According to one Peter Amsel, a reporter for CalvinAyre.com (a gambling and casino news website): Perfect Luck turns out to be a special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up by Baha Mars primary creditor, the Export-Import Bank of China (EXIM). The bank reportedly opted to sell Baha Mar to Perfect Luck after none of the bidders came close to ensuring EXIM would recoup the full $2.45b it has contributed toward the project. The sale may also allow EXIM to temporarily offload its Baha Mar losses onto another companys balance sheet until the ultimate sale concludes. This is incestuous! It appears that CEXIM is selling Baha Mar to its subsidiaries which means that the Chinese government is the owner of Baha Mar and now owns a prime piece of Bahamian real estate and has a controlling interest in our economy. What a disgrace! Indeed, Perfect Luck is nothing short of an intricate fabrication. It is clear that neither the Bahamas government nor the Chinese want anything to do with Sarkis Izmirlian. He could continue to fight in the courts or he could give up the ghost. If I were him, I would fight tooth and nail, until the fat lady sings.and even after the song is over. That said, the public has lost faith in Sarkis Izmirlian. Perhaps, Baha Mar should be sold off one hotel at a time to different owners. In Las Vegas, different hotels owned by different people are in close proximity just like the hotels that comprise Baha Mar. These hotels could all have relationships with the other; just look at Comfort Suites and Atlantis. When Mr Izmirlian was at the helm of Baha Mar, they were given significant concessions by the government. According to documents filed with the Delaware Bankruptcy Court, though its debt to government is pegged at $20m, Baha Mar would have enjoyed at least $11.5m in tax write-offs if the development was ever completed. At that time, they asserted that: 1 The government wouldve written off $7.5m worth of real property taxes and $4m in gaming win taxes owed by the former Crystal Palace casino, once Baha Mar opens its doors; 2 Baha Mar enjoyed a six-month deferral on its input Value-Added Tax (VAT) obligations and intends to request a further deferral from the Ministry of Finance if any net sum remains outstanding; 3 Baha Mar owed the government $2.73m in unpaid Stamp Duty on real estate transactions. Some $1.2m of this sum relates to land transfers to SuperClubs Breezes; 4 There was $16.35m in gaming win taxes that were due to be paid when the Baha Mar Hotel and Casino opens. In return, once this payment had been made, the Gaming Board would have forgiven the $4m in tax owed by the Crystal Palace Casino; 5 The government was owed $2m via a combination of unpaid casino, hotel and Business Licence fees; 6 Apart from writing off $7.5m in real property tax, some $5.9m of which was past due, the government was giving Baha Mar a 20-year moratorium on real property taxes from February 2011; 7 Baha Mar owed $920,000 in hotel licence fees for both the Melia Nassau Beach Resort and the now-closed Wyndham; 8 Baha Mar owed some $650,000 in Business Licence fees; and 9 Baha Mar owed a $250,000 annual casino licence fee. If these concessions were given to Mr Izmirlian, what did the Chinese ask for? What did you give the Chinese, Mr Christie? I cannot ask your Cabinet because you admitted that they are in the dark. So, Mr Christie.what did you do, sir? Did the Chinese pay the millions owed by Baha Marin its original and current incarnationsthat were/are owed to BEC, the Water & Sewerage Corporation, Cable Bahamas and the Bahamas Telecommunications Company? On a slightly different note, I have a final set of questions for Prime Minister Christie: Given all that has happened at Baha Mar and the fact that Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commodore Tellis Bethel is still acting in the post, is former Commodore Roderick Bowe considering a return to the frontlines of the RBDF? Is he still on the governments payroll or has he retired altogether? Is he still on pre-retirement leave? The government needs to address the issue of Roderick Bowe, who was/is the Director of Security at Baha Mar and, at that time, remained the de facto Commodore of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF). _________________________________________________________ First published in the The Tribune under the byline, Young Man's View, here View Adrian Gibson's archive here ____________________________________________________ The views expressed are those of the author, and not necessarily those of WeblogBahamas.com (which has no corporate view) or its Authors. CHARLESTON (JG-TC) -- The sign outside the restaurant now reads, "Welcome back, Max." Max, the little dog who's made his home outside Smoky's House BBQ in Charleston for several years, was back in his dog house there Saturday morning, according to his caregivers. Before Saturday, the last time Max was seen was on Oct. 22. His caregivers put out the word asking for help locating him, and the sign outside Smoky's House BBQ read, "We miss you, Max" during his absence. His caregivers thought he might have been spooked by crowds of people attending Eastern Illinois University's homecoming that day. They said Max appeared to be fine but was nervous, and they asked that people not try to approach him. Several people have taken it upon themselves to provide Max with food and a dog house on the restaurant's grounds. They say he appears to be content there but is leery of people and won't let anyone get too close, so efforts to catch him and provide him with a home haven't worked. 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. No Powerball winner means next jackpot is $1 billion By WestKyStar & MSU Staff Oct. 29, 2016 | 08:53 AM | MURRAY, KY The orchestra is under the direction of Dennis L. Johnson, director of bands and orchestra at Murray State. I believe the audience will enjoy all three works on our program, stated Johnson, as they are quite varied and individually unique. Opening the concert will be the exciting Marche Militaire Francasise by Camille Saint-Saens. In 1879, Saint-Saens was commissioned to write a work for a concert designed to raise money to help the flood victims in Szegedin, Hungary. Later that year, he decided to surround this Reverie with three other works to form what is now known as the Suite Algerienne. While the entire suite itself is performed infrequently, Marche has become a concert classic. Next on the program will be the Concerto for Horn and Orchestra composed by American composer, Lee Actor. Actor was born in 1952 and has had many pieces published and performed in several different settings. This work will feature one of the Murray State music departments newest faculty members, Dr. Ashley Cumming, on French horn. Cumming hails from Cambridge, Ontario and brings to Murray State an impressive list of performances with symphony orchestras, opera orchestras, professional organization conferences and several chamber ensembles. Cumming will perform movements two and three of the concerto, which showcases the great range of the instrument plus the agility and dynamic talents of the soloist. Its a wonderful new work that the orchestra and I have enjoyed putting together with Ashley, noted Johnson. Concluding the concert will be the beloved Finlandia by Jean Sibelius. In 1899, the Russian Imperial Governor sought to curtail Finlands autonomy and facilitate the Russian influence by passing the infamous February Manifesto. Among other restrictions, it imposed censorship of the press, forcing the demise of many newspapers. To assist those who lost their jobs because of this edict, a Press Pension Fund was established, and a cultural festival in Helsinki was conceived to raise money for the fund. Sibelius immediately wrote a seven-movement work depicting episodes of Finnish history. This great work culminated in a stirring patriotic anthem entitled Finland Awake. A year later, Sibelius recast it as the tone poem we now recognize as Finlandia. Its a stunning and glorious work, stated Johnson, while providing an enthusiastic and majestic end to the concert. The Murray State University Symphony Orchestra has become well recognized as a major ensemble in the department of music at Murray State. The group is comprised of talented individuals representing the department, the University and the community. Dr. Sue-Jean Park works with the upper string players, and new faculty member Sunhaeng Lee instructs the lower strings. The Murray State University Symphony Orchestra will present their first full concert of the fall semester on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 pm in the Lovett Auditorium on campus. The event is free to the public. By The Associated Press Oct. 30, 2016 | 08:02 AM | WASHINGTON, DC Donald Trump is accusing the Justice Department of doing everything it can to protect his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Trump is pointing to a disagreement between the DOJ and the FBI over its handling of a new batch of emails discovered pertaining to the investigation of Clinton's use of a private email server as secretary of state. Justice Department officials cautioned FBI director James Comey against sending a letter to Congress informing them of the new emails, asserting that it was inconsistent with department policy intended to avoid the appearance of prosecutorial influence in elections. But Trump tells a rally crowd in Phoenix, "The Department of Justice is trying their hardest to protect the criminal activity of Hillary Clinton." He asks, "What's happened to the Justice Department?" and says this is what he means when he says that the "system is rigged." Trump is also repeating his claim that the development represents the biggest political scandal since Watergate. He says, "It's everybody's deepest hope that justice, at last, will be beautifully delivered." Meanwhile, Clinton says Comey's letter to lawmakers about a newly discovered batch of emails is "unprecedented" and "'deeply troubling." Clinton is repeating her calls for Comey to put out the "full and complete facts" about the new review of the emails. She says: "Put it all out on the table." Clinton spoke to campaign volunteers at a community center in Daytona Beach, Florida. Meanwhile, a Democratic New York congressman appears to be accusing Comey of trying to sway the presidential election. Rep. Gregory Meeks says it's "unbelievable" Comey, this close to the election, would disclose that the FBI is looking into a new set of emails that appear to be pertinent to the Hillary Clinton email investigation. Meeks and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus are supporting Clinton's calls for Comey to release more details of the review. By The Associated Press By The Associated Press Oct. 29, 2016 | 10:50 PM | LOUISVILLE, KY Louisville police say a veteran police detective was among two people struck and killed by a vehicle in Lexington, Kentucky. Detective Jason Schweitzer's death on Saturday was announced on the Louisville Metro Police Department's Facebook page. Lexington police say an arrest has been made. Police say 26-year-old Suzanne M. Whitlow is charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter and one count of DUI. Police say the two pedestrians were struck around 2:30 a.m. EDT Saturday when Whitlow lost control of her vehicle. The two pedestrians were taken to a hospital, where they died of their injuries. Lexington authorities have not identified the second victim. Louisville police say Schweitzer had been an officer in Jefferson County since 2001 and was serving as vice president of the River City FOP Lodge 614. Rita Redmond was a true lady who felt that every pupil had something to gift to the world Josh Bixler, Photographer Around 15 volunteers with Spirit of Peace United Church of Christ are heading to Cannonball, North Dakota next week. They'll take a load of firewood as well as gift cards from hardware stores to help protestors winterize their camps. The Pastor at Spirit of Peace says they're also going there to stand with them in their fight.The months long protest is over the $3.8 billion pipeline. Protectors claim the pipeline could harm cultural sites and drinking water for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.Spirit Of Peace Pastor Jean Morrow said, "The UCC in South Dakota includes some Native American churches on the reservations and we've heard a very impassioned plea from our brothers and sisters and churches to come bear witness with them."The pastor says she knows tensions are high and church members are entering a potentially dangerous situation. They plan to go with church members in North Dakota who've been to the camp before... And they'll document their trip on social media... Before returning Friday November 5th. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 29/10/2016 (2194 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A French pop superstar is in Winnipeg, but shes not here for a concert. Mylene Farmer, who was born in Pierrefonds, Que., in 1961 before moving to France as a child, became a recording star in France in the 1980s and sold more than 30 million records with music that pushed the envelope, covering themes such as lesbianism, violence and religious impertinence. When it came to sexually adventurous content, Farmers videos in the 1980s and 90s made a practiced provocateur such as Madonna look like Debbie Gibson. Amy Sussman / Invision files Sting and Mylene Farmer pose for a portrait at MSR Studios in New York in 2015. But Farmers first love has always been acting. (At the beginning of her career, she reportedly took the name Farmer in tribute to tragic Hollywood star Frances Farmer.) She comes to Winnipeg to act in the horror film Incident in a Ghost Land for French director Pascal Laugier, whose main claim to fame is the harrowing Quebec-lensed horror film Martyrs. Farmer stars as Colleen, a mother who inherits a house from her aunt, but when she and her two young daughters arrive, they are confronted by murderous intruders. Sixteen years later, the two adult daughters, whose pronounced personality differences were exacerbated by the trauma, return to the house to encounter further disturbing events. The two grown daughters will be played by Crystal Reed (Teen Wolf) and Canadian actress Anastasia Phillips (of the TV series Bomb Girls). The younger versions of the daughters are played by Emilia Jones (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) and Taylor Hickson (Deadpool). Writer-director Laugier made waves in the horror genre with the 2008 thriller Martyrs, which was also about two young women caught in a violent confrontation, connected to a childhood trauma suffered by one of the women. The film was hailed as an example of the New French Extremity movement with Laugier earning a place alongside other taboo-breaking French filmmakers, including Alexandre Aja (High Tension), Catherine Breillat (Fat Girl) and Gaspar Noe (Irreversible). Incident in a Ghost Land, a France/Canada co-production, started principal photography Friday and continues for seven weeks until mid-December, shooting in Winnipeg and the town of Balmoral, 50 kilometres north of the city. The film is produced by the French company 5656 Films, Highwire Pictures and Winnipeg company Inferno Pictures. Its produced by Clement Miserez and Jean-Charles Levy, (who also produced the 2011 Winnipeg-lensed thriller Faces in the Crowd with Milla Jovovich), along with Scott Kennedy and Ian Dimerman. Dimerman, of Winnipegs Inferno Pictures, hails the film as a true, co-operative Canada/France co-production and says it should be ready for theatrical release in the latter half of 2017. Asked if the film will be as extreme in content as Martyrs, Dimerman would only say: Youll have to come to the theatre to find out. randall.king@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @FreepKing If you value coverage of Manitobas arts scene, help us do more. Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/10/2016 (2193 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. INCIDENT 649 When: June 17 Where: 700 block of Sherbrook Street Incident 649 While the clerk was distracted, a man at a small department store reached over the counter and grabbed some lottery tickets before fleeing. INCIDENT 650 When: Sept. 5 Where: First block of Lyndale Drive Incident 650 Items, including a credit card, were stolen when someone broke into a vehicle parked behind a community centre on Lyndale Drive. A short time later, a man used the card to make three fraudulent purchases. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/10/2016 (2193 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Two-year-old Tom runs around his North Kildonan foster house, racing around corners and dodging the familys sleeping Pomeranian. Its nearly impossible to tell Tom isnt in his true home. At first glance, you might not notice the tracheal tube protruding from his neck, either. Tom came to Nancys home as an infant. There were no medical resources in his hometown Sanikiluaq, Nunavut to accommodate the cardiovascular and respiratory conditions he was born with. He wound up in Childrens Hospital in Winnipeg, where Nancy, a medical foster parent and registered nurse, decided to take him home. REBECCA DAHL PHOTO Bruce Penner, 43, Polly Akatsiak, 37, and Maxie the mutt, 19, have all been with Gloria Penner (right) a little longer than expected. Were all he knows, says Nancy. He doesnt recognize his parents even when he sees them. Tom will stay with Nancy and her family whose names have been changed so as not to identify a child in foster care until he is physically independent and healthy enough to return to Sanikiluaq, the island in the south of Hudson Bay where he was born. It could be two years before hes better, or it could be 10. If he could get healthy and go home in the next couple of years, that would be ideal for him because then he wont remember this, says Nancy. Even if Tom gets to go home sooner than later, research suggests having caregivers switched may have already disturbed his psychological development. In a publication on attachment disorder in 2006, the Canadian Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare stated a child attaches to at least one primary caregiver from infancy. If that primary caregiver changes over the course of the childs development, the child is at risk of developing attachment and trust issues that can affect him or her well into adulthood. Laiza Pacheco is co-ordinator of Siloam Missions Exit Up! program, which provides housing and support programs for youth who have aged out of foster care. Pacheco says because of foster placements, these young people were never able to attach to a single family or caregiver and grew up without a sense of belonging. That lost feeling often leads them down a path to poverty and homelessness. Pacheco says about half of the homeless population in Manitoba are people who have come from the child-welfare system. These youth become largely a part of what we call our hidden homeless population, says Pacheco. Theyre our couch-surfers and the ones staying wherever they can. Tom, pressing his laughing face up against the tinted glass bordering the front door, doesnt show signs of distress. Nancy says Toms pediatrician is increasingly impressed with his development. But his progress isnt what Nancy is concerned about. What if (Tom) cant leave here until hes eight or nine or 10 years old? she says. Im not worried about him not being loved (when he goes home). Im worried about what will happen in his mind. Gloria Penner lives a few blocks from Toms foster family. She has 10 beds in her home, not including her own. Some of those beds are for medical foster-care children from Nunavut, and some are for the childrens families to stay in when they visit. Penner, 72, has been a foster caregiver for more than 50 years. She started what is now the Kivalliq Inuit Centre 35 years ago when she and her husband realized they couldnt afford to keep such a high number of Inuit foster children and adults in their home. Today, Penner has six medical foster children in her home, nicknamed Glorias Place. Also at Glorias Place are her 43-year-old adopted son, Bruce Penner, and 37-year-old Polly Akatsiak, who continued to live with Penner long after she aged out of foster care. Bruce, formerly a hyperactive, epileptic child with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, recently taught himself to play the 12-string guitar. Akatsiak works 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day with Work and Social Opportunities, a program that provides employment opportunities for adults with intellectual disabilities. Penner says she ensures each of her foster children from Nunavut has as much of a relationship with their biological families as they possibly can. The problem with all of our child welfare is that weve ripped kids out of their homes, and we think we can do a better job of raising them than can their parents, says Penner. When a child comes into care, the child should go to a place where the parents are not out of the picture. The parents need to be in the picture. Tonight, Penner will welcome her 10-year-old foster sons family to Glorias Place for four days. Penner says when the boys father comes to visit he plays the guitar and sings, and the boy adores it. The problem with all of our child welfare is that weve ripped kids out of their homes, and we think we can do a better job of raising them than can their parents Gloria Penner The most important thing is for these children to grow up to love their parents, Penner says. It makes it so much easier on them when they have to go (home). Of course, Penner says, seeing more medical resources put in place in Nunavut so no child would have to leave his or her family in the first place would be ideal. But that isnt a realistic option, she says. Nunavut is so remote. How could you possibly change that? says Penner. You cant get the doctors out to the community because, say, a cancer specialist would only have a few clients. It just doesnt make sense. The next best thing, Penner says, would be to see more places in Manitoba such as the Kivalliq Inuit Centre, where adults and children could receive the medical, educational and psychological support they need to learn to lead more independent lives. It should be a place for Inuit people to come if they need education, if they need help medically, if they need counselling, says Penner. They could get whatever theyre going to need to make them good inside so that their kids can be theirs again. There are, however, parents and families who simply dont want to be involved in their childrens lives. Bruce, for example, has only ever known Penner as his mother. Penner also knows not many people are willing to invest as much in foster children as she has. At 72, she has no plans to retire. She will continue working with children at Glorias Place until she dies, she says. Penner says she doesnt mind working into old age because she is dedicated to helping Inuit foster children succeed and stay connected with their roots. Its a simple concept that could be applied to the Canadian child-welfare system as a whole, she says. Dont change anybody. Leave everybody just the way they are, but be helpful, says Penner. We need to be more accepting of other cultures and other people, and we should not be ever trying to take a child away from their parent. Rebecca Dahl is a senior journalism student in the creative communications program at Red River College. This article was the product of a feature-writing assignment. Twitter: @rebeccadaahl Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/10/2016 (2193 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The passenger liner SS Winnipeg spent most of her nautical life ferrying passengers through the Panama Canal and along the Pacific Coast of North and South America. Her final years, though, were marked by war, shuttling refugees to safety until a German U-boat sank her 74 years ago. The 144-metre-long, 9,800-tonne ship was built in 1918 at Dunkirk, France as the SS Jacques Cartier for Compagnie Generale Transatlantique, known as the French Line in most of the English-speaking world. Created as a cargo line in the 1860s, the company put its efforts into the passenger industry after the First World War and become one of the largest cruise lines in the world. Until 1929, the SS Jacques Cartier mostly sailed from Le Havre, France to New York, but in early 1930, the company announced she would become the flagship of a new Pacific coast service that would take her from Le Havre through the Panama Canal with stops at Cristobal, La Libertad, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver. Winnipeg citizens are deeply moved that the city has been honoured in such a special way by the great French steamship line mayor Ralph Webb on the christening of the S.S. Winnipeg In February 1930, officials from the companys Paris, New York and Montreal offices stopped in Winnipeg en route to Seattle, where the new service would be inaugurated that summer. While here, they met with political leaders, board of trade members and the archbishops of St. Boniface and Winnipeg. Three months later, the company announced the flagship Jacques Cartier would be rechristened the SS Winnipeg and Winnipeg mayor Ralph Webb would be her honorary captain. Why Winnipeg? It may seem an odd choice of name for a French cruise line, though the SS Winnipegs sister ships on the Pacific route would include the Wyoming, Wisconsin and Washington. The company was obviously going through a W phase. AGRUPACION WINNIPEG / CENTRO CULTURAL DE ESPANA EN SANTIAGO The S.S. Winnipeg was built in 1918 in Dunkirk, France, and was originally a passenger ship called the S.S. Jacques Cartier. A contributing factor may have been their meeting with Webb. If any Winnipeg mayor deserved to be the honorary captain of a prominent French steamship, it was Webb. He was born at sea aboard a passenger ship between Britain and India and worked on ships as a young man. Webb was also a lieutenant-colonel and commander of the 47th Battalion during the First World War. He lost a leg in battle, but after just six months in a British hospital and fitted with a prosthetic leg, he was back in France leading his men. He earned the Military Cross, the Distinguished Service Order and the French governments Croix de Guerre for his service. In late May 1930, a party of 25 locals, including the premier, mayor, prominent businessmen and journalists set off to Seattle to be part of the rechristening ceremony. Premier John Bracken referred to the trip as a goodwill tour, during which the group attended civic receptions in western cities and more extensive meetings about trade in Vancouver and Seattle. They also took the opportunity to lobby company officials to be a partner in the soon-to-be-created Port of Churchill. On June 7, 1930, the Jacques Cartier became the SS Winnipeg. At the ceremony, Webb presented the captain, Honore Cocheril, with a silver-and-oak plaque with the citys coat of arms and the French tricolour that would fly from her mast. Pablo Neruda and the SS Winnipeg Webb then addressed the assembled crowd of about 500 people, speaking of new trade opportunities the route offered and the shared French-English culture of Canada. He thanked the company for the renaming, stating: Winnipeg citizens are deeply moved that the city has been honoured in such a special way by the great French steamship line. Winnipeg mayor Ralph Webb was named the ships honorary captain in 1930. Soon after, the ship set sail and had a relatively uneventful nine years of service until 1939, when she began the first of her mercy missions. Pablo Neruda was a well-known Chilean poet and future recipient of the Nobel Prize in literature who entered his countrys diplomatic corps in 1927. By 1938, he was appointed special consul for Spanish immigration in Paris, tasked with helping to resettle some of the hundreds of thousands of Republican refugees who had fled Spain during the Spanish Civil War. Many were living in squalid conditions in camps along the French-Spanish border. One of his solutions was to charter the SS Winnipeg to take 2,200 refugees to Chile. It departed France Aug. 4, 1939 and arrived at Valparaiso, Chile Sept. 3. He later wrote: There were fishermen, peasants, labourers, intellectuals, a cross-section of strength, heroism and hard work. My poetry in its struggle had succeeded in finding them a country. And I was filled with pride. The voyage remains a much-celebrated event in Chilean history. A new owner, new name AGRUPACION WINNIPEG / CENTRO CULTURAL DE ESPANA EN SANTIAGO A mercy mission by poet Pablo Neruda brought 2,200 Spanish refugees to his native Chile aboard the SS Winnipeg in 1939. After France was invaded by Germany, the SS Winnipeg flew the flag of Vichy France. On May 26, 1941, she and her 750 passengers were captured by the Dutch warship Van Kinsbergen while en route from Casablanca to Guadeloupe. She was escorted to Port of Spain, Trinidad and seized by the British Ministry of War. The ship was then sold to Canadian Pacific Steamships Lines of Montreal, and with her new ownership came a new name: the SS Winnipeg II. The SS Winnipeg II took part in five successful transatlantic wartime convoys starting in February 1942, mostly from Liverpool to Halifax, carrying cargo, soldiers and refugees from Europe. On Oct. 16, 1942, she departed Liverpool for the last time as part of a large convoy destined for St. John, N.B., and New York City, but danger was lurking in the mid-Atlantic. German U-boat 443, under the command of Konstantin von Puttkamer, had been tracking the convoy, and shortly before dinnertime Oct. 22, 1942, it fired two torpedoes. One struck the SS Winnipeg II, which sank immediately, and the other glanced the tanker SS Dorax, which hung on for another week before going under. Another ship in the convoy, the HMCS Morden, went to the SS Winnipeg IIs rescue. Initially, there were tense moments, as some infants had to be tossed down into lifeboats, but in the end, all 192 passengers and crew, including 60 women and children, were saved. In case youre wondering, the Morden was, indeed, named after the Manitoba community, something not lost on one Winnipeg Tribune reporter, who wrote: In the past, there may have been bickerings between city and country, but in adversity, urban and rural Manitobans stick together. Those involved in the rescue spoke nonchalantly about the event. Robert Ingham, a crew member of the Morden, said, It all went off quietly, like ordinarily times. All passengers saved after sinking GERMAN-UBOATS.COM The submarine that sank the SS Winnipeg, German U-Boat 443. A pair of elderly British ladies, Elizabeth Jacobs, 68, and Mrs. F. Harper, 70, were interviewed a few weeks later when passing through Winnipeg. Jacobs joked the worst part of the sinking was missing the turkey dinner scheduled to be served up just moments after the strike. Both agreed that after four days in the cramped corvette in dirty clothes, the hospital they were taken to after reaching port was like heaven. U-443 and von Puttkamer met their demise Feb. 23, 1943, when three Royal Navy ships tracked the submarine down in the Mediterranean and sank her in a depth-charge attack. The SS Winnipeg II, with her oak-and-silver Winnipeg coat of arms, still rests at the bottom of the Atlantic, but there was a resurrection of sorts. After the war, Compagnie Generale Transatlantique decided to rebuild a number of its lost ships. There was a new Washington, Wyoming and, in 1950, a similar-sized Winnipeg, though this version was primarily a cargo ship. The new SS Winnipeg was sold to a Greek company in 1976 and renamed the Lambrose L. It appears she was broken up for scrap in 1983. Christian Cassidy writes about local history on his blog, West End Dumplings. Passengers of the SS Winnipeg II aboard the HMCS Morden after being rescued in the mid-Atlantic, Oct. 22, 1942. WALTER E. FROST / CITY OF VANCOUVER ARCHIVES After France was invaded by Germany in the Second World War, the SS Winnipeg flew the flag of Vichy France. It was captured by Allied forces in May 1941 and eventually sold. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/10/2016 (2193 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Winnipeg Police Services clandestine lab unit is investigating after finding a white powdery substance in a West End apartment. Police were called to the 400 block of Maryland Street around 4:30 p.m. Saturday to investigate an assault after a man in his 20s was taken to hospital with several injuries. While in the apartment, police discovered an unknown white powder and are still investigating. Police dont believe there was a drug lab inside the apartment. Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Rob Carver said officers observed white powder and immediately called for the forces clandestine lab team who are trained to deal with potential hazards and wear hazmat suits to protect themselves to investigate. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Police were investigating Sunday after a white powdery substance was found at 426 Maryland St. during an assault investigation. Whenever we see a scene that has white powder, there could be potential for fentanyl, said Carver Sunday afternoon. If it is fentanyl, there are hazards; it is potentially lethal. Police and health officials have repeatedly warned the public of the serious threat to public safety fentanyl poses across North America. The opioid is used as a painkiller for terminally ill cancer patients and is 100 times more powerful than morphine. Last week, police arrested two adults after a critically ill infant was rushed to hospital Oct. 18, possibly suffering from exposure to the powerful opiate fentanyl. The assault victim is now in stable condition and the investigation is ongoing. Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/10/2016 (2193 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The crushing of Hungarys anti-Soviet uprising 60 years ago this week stood as a tragic symbol of communist barbarism throughout the Cold War. Ideally, the anniversary of the failed revolution would be a time for the country to celebrate its commitment to freedom and democratic solidarity. Unfortunately, Hungarys government is veering sharply away from those values. If we take the words of Prime Minister Viktor Orban seriously, Hungary seems more comfortable with Russias imperious and repressive regime than with its neighbouring European democracies. Such an orientation requires a wilful blindness to Hungarys own history. Like other countries in central and eastern Europe, Hungary was subjugated by the Soviet Union after the Second World War. Rule by Moscow meant a top-to-bottom purge that left no institution of public or private life untouched. The Hungarian Stalinists whom the Kremlin placed in charge seized private property, murdered democratic politicians, arrested priests, imposed a falsified school curriculum and transformed the media into instruments of propaganda. ARPAD HAZAFI / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES People gather around a toppled statue of ex-Soviet leader Josef Stalin in Budapest in 1956. By 1956, Hungarians had had enough. The revolution was brief, but it was waged with a fury that sent a disturbing message to the Soviet leadership: the Hungarian people had clearly rejected communism, and Hungary would remain part of the Soviet empire only through bloodshed. Moscow did not hesitate, crushing the revolution with tanks, troops, deportations and executions. The episode was a huge blow to Soviet prestige. But the revolutions denouement conveyed a warning about the futility of resistance against a powerful overlord that was willing to kill thousands to keep its empire intact. It also reminded the United States easy talk of anti-communist liberation often invoked by politicians at the time was irresponsible unless America was willing to take the steps needed to ensure its success. In 1956, it became clear the risks of direct intervention were unacceptable. Washington realized it was in for the long haul and recalibrated its strategy. Some wanted to swing the pendulum further toward non-interference. Senator J. William Fulbright and others urged Washington to abandon any effort to influence developments in the Soviet sphere and lobbied unsuccessfully for the closure of Radio Free Europe, the American-funded broadcaster that had assumed the role of opposition media behind the Iron Curtain. But the U.S. never abandoned the cause of freedom for central and eastern Europe. It modernized Radio Free Europe and later established the National Endowment for Democracy, an institution that channeled millions of dollars to democratic groups in the Soviet bloc. It refused to formally acknowledge the legality of the Soviet annexation of the Baltic states. It fought with patient determination and in the end made a crucial contribution to freedom for what were once called the captive nations. Today, however, Hungarys leaders appear to have forgotten this democratic solidarity and the benefits it delivered. Orban has described Vladimir Putin as the sort of illiberal leader who may set the example for effective government in the future. By contrast, he heaps scorn on the European Union and ridicules its liberal values. At a rally to commemorate the revolutions anniversary, Orban spoke of the Sovietization of Brussels. And in a major address March 15, he accused the EU leadership of a scheme to redraw the religious and cultural map of Europe and to reconfigure its ethnic foundations. Orbans relaxed attitude toward Putin might be more understandable if the Russian president had taken the minimal step of acknowledging the crimes committed by the Soviet Union against Hungary and its neighbours. In fact, under Putin, Russian textbooks and diplomats insist domination of central and eastern Europe was a matter of Russian national interest. Last year, Russian state television aired a documentary explaining the Warsaw Pacts invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 was necessary to thwart a NATO plot to destabilize and invade the Soviet Union, a preposterous thesis decorated with phoney archival material. Earlier this month, Russian state media described the 1956 revolution as a pogrom and as the first of the colour revolutions, with the implication it had been engineered by the U.S. This weeks anniversary is also an appropriate time to look at the issue of refugees. In the weeks after their uprising was crushed, some 200,000 Hungarians poured into Austria and Yugoslavia. Western governments and private organizations mobilized immediately to deal with a potential humanitarian catastrophe. There were few complaints from governments or citizens; the world knew these people had been through hell. UNHCR ARCHIVE / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES An unidentified woman holds her child in a refugee camp for Hungarians in Austria in 1957. Sixty years on, Orban has emerged as the de facto leader of anti-refugee forces within Europe. Even if we stipulate the common sense behind Orbans insistence the EU develop a realistic and orderly refugee policy, his words and deeds demand condemnation. His party and government demonize those fleeing from war zones as rapists, criminals and terrorists and broadly refuse to acknowledge their status as refugees if they have travelled through safe countries. He tried to whip up anti-refugee frenzy with a bogus referendum that was greeted with low voter turnout. He finds fault with every idea put forward by the EU to confront the problem. As a person who takes pride in his own contribution to the movement against Soviet oppression, Orban betrays surprisingly little interest in Bashar Assads butchery in Syria or Putins role as Assads protector. Orban is not the only political figure in Europe to exploit the publics apprehensions over the refugee surge, but he seems to have drawn more benefit from anti-refugee demagoguery than anyone else. On this anniversary, we should honour the heroes and martyrs of Budapest in 1956. But in commemorating Hungarys revolution against tyranny, we should also remind the world there is a struggle against equally vicious despots, with millions of victims, blatant rewriting of history and aggressive propaganda campaigns that seek to discredit the very idea of liberal democracy. To the degree Viktor Orban has aligned himself with company, he has demonstrated a wilful blindness to the unhappiest pages in Hungarys own history. Foreign Policy Kylie Laufenberg spent years of her life in the foster care system, believing it was all a gag. She could have accepted that she had been taken away from her parents, that moving from foster home to foster home was a very real part of her very real life but there was not much fun in that for a girl with a propensity to pretend. You know those shows where they put you in a situation thats all fake, and they dont tell you its fake until a little bit later? Kylie, 15, said the other day in her familys living room. I like to live in my own little world. The whole situation, I thought it was fake. I thought somebody was playing a prank on me. Kylie has an easier time accepting her current reality. She lives in Winona with Jennifer Laufenberg, her foster mother, and attends Winona Senior High School. She runs cross country and listens to all kinds of music reluctant to name a favorite band, she said, because it would not be fair to the others. Once an underachieving student, she takes pride in her work and aspires to be a forensic psychologist. Im really proud of her, said Jennifer, 40, a social worker for Care Wisconsin in La Crosse. Jennifer found out what it was like to navigate the foster care system as a prospective parent when she started working toward adopting Kylie in 2012. My life has meaning now, she said. I think its like anybody. When you have kids my life has more meaning now. For her part, Kylie smiled and said her life has more rules now. Finding Kylie As of September, 489 children in Minnesota were in immediate need of adoptive families, 42 percent of whom were 12 or older. It is common for babies to get a lot of attention from prospective parents, to find new homes right away. But for older kids, adoption often doesnt happen for years, doesnt happen at all. Nearly 30,000 unadopted children in the United States age out of the foster care system each year. But when she was 11, Kylie Laufenberg became quite popular. She was living in northeastern Minnesota with her foster family, an older couple who were good to Kylie but decided they were too old to adopt. People who wish to adopt a child must take pre-adoption classes, must submit to a home study by social workers and must sit down for interviews about their parenting styles. Being a social worker, I looked pretty good on paper, Jennifer said. She was receiving letters from across the country, letters asking if she would consider this child or that child. She was asked to sketch out a profile of the child she would like to adopt, specifying her desired age, intelligence and ability an exercise that went against my grain, she said. It wasnt long after that, Kylie Laufenberg entered her world. Jennifer got information about Kylie one piece at a time, each time having to tell her social worker that, yes, she was still interested. She had to outlast two other families who wanted to adopt Kylie, and in June 2013, Jennifer and Kylie were sitting across from each other at Perkins, facing each other as strangers and family. I cleared my mind and my heart for whatever was going to come, Jennifer said. But it was awkward. My social worker was there. Her social worker was there. Her foster family was there. Kylie and I are sitting across from each other, and neither of us are hungry. Then her girl called her Mom. A new name Kylie is among the fortunate few who have not been dragged forever down by dark and difficult childhoods. The 2013 Minnesota Student Survey found that children who have been abused or neglected are far more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol and to develop mental health issues. According to the survey, children who have supportive parental figures are two times less likely to fall into substance abuse and two times less likely to consider harming themselves. Before Kylie came home for the first time, Jennifer furnished and decorated her new bedroom. It could all be changed, she said. She just did not want her daughter to step into an empty room. Jennifer got used to noise and dirty clothes. She adopted a puppy, a labradoodle named Diesel, so there would be two new residents at the Laufenbergs. Then mother and daughter went to court on Jan. 23, 2014, to make it official. I thought the whole experience was a dream, Kylie said. As soon as I got adopted, I thought I was going to wake up and go back home. As part of the adoption, Kylie, took the last name Laufenberg. She changed her first name too. And her middle name. We were driving in the car, Jennifer said, and she said, Can I change my first name? I said no and just kept driving. Then it started running through my head that this world, she didnt ask for any of it. She didnt ask for me or this home or this family. Kylie could change her first name, Jennifer said, as long as she made her old first name her new middle name. Kylie Shana Laufenberg is a good name, according to its owner the kind of name that looks pretty when its spelled out in swooping cursive. I like to think my name looks like a princess name, she said. My life has meaning now. I think its like anybody. When you have kids my life has more meaning now. Jennifer Laufenberg The Volunteers of CCH will host Geneva Distributing Linen Co. at Columbus Community Hospital on Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Thursday, Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sheet sets, memory foam pillows, comforter sets, quilt sets, Sherpa throws and Sherpa blankets will be available for purchase. Leggett & Platt, Incorporated designs, manufactures, and markets engineered components and products worldwide. It operates through three segments: Bedding Products; Specialized Products; and Furniture, Flooring & Textile Products. The company offers steel rods, drawn wires, foam chemicals and additives, innersprings, specialty foams, private label finished mattresses, mattress foundations, wire forms for mattress foundations, adjustable beds, industrial sewing and quilting machines, and mattress packaging and glue drying equipment, as well as machines to produce innersprings for industrial users of steel rods and wires, manufacturers of finished bedding, big box and e-commerce retailers, bedding brands and mattress retailers, department stores, and home improvement centers. It also provides mechanical and pneumatic lumbar support and massage systems for automotive seating; seat suspension systems, motors and actuators, and cables; titanium, nickel, and stainless-steel tubing, formed tubes, tube assemblies, and flexible joint components for fluid conveyance systems; and engineered hydraulic cylinders to automobile OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, aerospace OEMs and suppliers, and mobile equipment OEMs. In addition, the company offers steel mechanisms and motion hardware for reclining chairs, sofas, sleeper sofas and lift chairs; springs and seat suspensions; components and private label finished goods for soft seating; and bases, columns, back rests, casters, and frames, as well as control devices for chairs. Further, it offers carpet cushion and hard surface flooring underlayment, structural fabrics, and geo components to manufacturers of upholstered and office furniture, flooring retailers and distributors, contractors, landscapers, road construction companies, retailers, government agencies, and mattress and furniture producers, as well as manufacturers of packaging, filtration, and draperies. The company was founded in 1883 and is based in Carthage, Missouri. Recently, a bakers dozen of old farm and food friends got together with a group of young farm and food friends to discuss everything from yesterdays disappointments to tomorrows hopes. The differences in our age (mid-20s to early 80s), vocation (farmers to poets), education (undergraduate degrees to Ph.Ds), and experience (beekeeper to university dean) fueled warm and sometimes hot conversations about the future of farms, farmers and food. One topic, building community, surprised me in the diverse emotions it generated and the depth of intellect it mined. No one mentioned the words city or town during the discussion because the community we seemed to be searching for wasnt a hard spot on any map but a soft spot in our hearts. Soft but not too soft. Just as neighbor and friend may have defined community two generations ago, today we hear words never before used in describing community; words like imbalance and irresponsibility, one presenter offered. These changes in vocabulary, explained one Old Friend, a university official, change how community-building institutions like land grant universities, say, or the U.S. Department of Agriculture approach their tasks now. Many struggle because they are unsure of whats being asked of them. Those struggles, observed this Old Friend, can be seen in the first step institutions take in addressing community problems. Some begin from a culture of un-helpfulness: I dont know what you want, but I cant do it, while others start from a culture of helpfulness: What do you want; Ill try to find out. In this administrators experience, institutions can help build and rebuild communities, but they must take care to be riders, not drivers. They are there to facilitate, not dominate. Facilitate who exactly, asked another Old Friend; just what is community today? That simple question generated the conversations hardest examination of just who we are and where we fit in todays capital-intensive, less-populated farm community and more-populated, question-intensive food community. In short, the Old Friend asked, are we now a community of cool-headed accountants whose critical measures of success are bushels, acres and dollars or are we a community of mutual need like, say, a threshing ring of the past, where neighbor helped neighbor with no thought of any accounting? Ideally, replied yet another Old Friend, its the latter; a community is where no one is done until everyone is done. Done is done. Theres no accounting. That definition of community, this Friend continued, was given to him by an Amish farmer friend after a day of plowing. The story, he related, went like this: The Amish farmer and a young friend were plowing one fine fall day when it came time to give the horses a rest. After tending the livestock, the two walked up a small, nearby hill so they, too, could rest. Once there the farmer and his young friend looked out on the small valley below and counted 13 other farmers plowing. The sight of all those plowmen and teams, the Amish farmer told the young friend, meant that if anything happened to prevent him from finishing his work he knew his neighbors would complete it for him. And that would happen not out of charity, my Old Friend said in his retelling. It would happen out of culture and community. That small slice of that mornings very detailed conversation resonated deeply with me because that too was the way it was on the southern Illinois dairy farm of my youth. My father and our neighbors often shared machinery and labor without any accounting whatsoever over who owed what to whom. Done was done and that was that. Now, 50 years later, the community of my youth no longer exists because all those farms and farmers, save one, are as long gone as their six-row corn planters and one-row silage choppers. Whats left, Im left to wonder, and whatever that is, is it a community? 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Ltd., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Costa Rica S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica El Salvador S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Guatemala Ltda., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Honduras S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins S.A., Distribuidora Cummins Sucursal Paraguay SRL, Distribuidora Cummins de Panama S. de R.L., Dynamo Insurance Company Inc., Efficient Drivetrains, Efficient Drivetrains (Beijing) New Power Technology Co. Ltd., Efficient Drivetrains (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Hilite International, Hydrogenics, Hydrogenics Corporation, Hydrogenics Europe N.V., Hydrogenics GmbH, Hydrogenics Holding GmbH, Hydrogenics USA Inc., Markon Engineering Company Ltd., Nelson Burgess Ltd., Nelson Industries, Newage Engineers GmbH, Newage Ltd. (U.K.), Newage Machine Tools Ltd., OOO Cummins, Petbow Limited, Power Group International (Overseas Holdings) B.V., Power Group International (Overseas Holdings) Ltd., Power Group International Ltd., Quickstart Energy Projects SpA, Shanghai Cummins Trade Co. Ltd., TOO Cummins, Taiwan Cummins Sales & Services Co. Ltd., Worldwide Partner CV Member LLC, Wuxi Cummins Turbo Technologies Co. Ltd., Wuxi New Energy Automotive Technologies Co. Ltd., and ZED Connect Inc.. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.: 2235158 Alberta Limited, A.J. Amer Agency, AHC Digital LLC, AIX Limited, AJG Coal LLC, AJG Financial Services LLC, AJG Meadows LLC, AJG North America ULC, AJG RCF LLC, AJGRMS of Louisiana LLC, ARM RE Ltda., AVIATION INSURANCE SERVICES, AVRECO, Ace IRM Insurance Broking Group, Acumus Holdings Limited, Acumus Interco Limited, Acumus Ltd, Adams & Associates International, Adaptive Marketing LLC, Adco General Corporation, Advanced Benefit Advisors, Aequus Trade Credit, Affinity Marketing Group, Ahrold Fay Rosenberg, Aires Consulting Group, Alesco Risk Management Services Limited, Alize Limited, Allied Claims Administration Inc., Alternative Market Specialists, Altman & Cronin Benefit Consultants, American Freedom Carriers Inc., American Security Services Corp., American Wholesalers Underwriting Ltd, Andrew-Anthony Insurance Agency, Anthony Hodges Consulting Limited, Antrobus Investments Limited, AquaSurance, Argentis, Argentis Financial Group Limited, Argentis Financial Management Limited, Argus Benefits, Armstrong/Robitaille/Riegle, Artex (SAC) Limited, Artex Cedar Hill, Artex Corporate Services (Malta) Limited, Artex Corporate Services Limited, Artex Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Artex Holdings (Malta) Limited, Artex Insurance (Guernsey) PCC Limited, Artex Insurance (Tennessee) PCCIC Inc., Artex Insurance Brokers (Malta) PCC Limited, Artex Insurance ICC Limited, Artex Intermediaries Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (Bermuda) Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (Cayman) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (Gibraltar) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (Guernsey) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (International) Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (Malta) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (UK) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions Inc., Arthur J Gallagher (Norway) Holdings AS, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AUS) Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Bermuda) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Illinois), Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Insurance Brokers of California Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher (Aus) Pty Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher (Bermuda) Holding Partnership, Arthur J. Gallagher (Life Solutions) Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher (U.S.) LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher (UK) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Asesoria S.A.C., Arthur J. Gallagher Australasia Holdings Pty Ltd., Arthur J. Gallagher Brokerage & Risk Management Services LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Broking (NZ) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Financial Services Professionals Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Group Quebec ULC, Arthur J. Gallagher Holdings (UK) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Latin America LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Management (Bermuda) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Real Estate Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services (Hawaii) Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services of Utah Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher School Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Service Company LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Services (UK) Ltd, Ashmore & Associates Insurance Agency, Atlantic Risk Management Corp., Atrex Insurance (Cayman) SPC Limited, Avantek Pty Ltd, Axe Insurance PCC Limited, BIS Insurance Services, Baker - Tillys employment benefits solutions, Ballard Benefit Works, Bankers Financial Benefits, Barmore Insurance Agency, Behnke & Co. Inc., Bellisle Pty Ltd, Belmont Associates Consultants, Belmont Insurance Holdings Limited, Belmont International, Belmont International Limited, Benefit Development Group, Benefit Management Group, BenefitLink Resource Group, Benefits Planning & Insurance Agency, Benefits Unlimited, Bennett & Shade Co., Bergvall Marine, Bergvall Marine A.S., Besselman & Little Agency, Big Savings Insurance Agency Inc., Blenheim Park Ltd, Blenheim Park Services Limited, Blue Holdings Pty Ltd, Blue Horizon Insurance Services, Blue Water Benefits, BluePeak Advisors, Blueleaf Consulting Pty Ltd., Bluewater Incorporated Cell Insurance Company, Bollinger Inc., Bollinger Insurance Services Inc., Bowen Miclette Britt & Merry of Arkansas Inc., Brendis & Brendis, Brim AB, Broker Benefit Services, Brokerage Professionals, Brown Hobbs & McMurray Insurance, Bultman/Bell Associates Inc., Burkwald & Associates, Burns-Fazzi Brock & Associates, Bushong Insurance Associates, C&B Consulting Group, CGM Gallagher Insruance Brokers (Trinidad & Tobago) Limited, CJM Solutions Inc., CMA Solutions LLC, Cairnstone Financial, California Insurance Center, Capital Bauer Insurance Agency, Capitol Benefits Group, Capsicum CRLA LLP, Capsicum Re Brasil Participacoes Ltda, Capsicum Re Latin America Corretora De Resseguros Ltda, Capsicum Reinsurance Brokers Bermuda Limited, Capsicum Reinsurance Brokers Miami Inc., Carefree Marketing Inc., Carpenter Cammack & Associates, Cashan & Co., Castle Insurance Associates, Centennial Insurance Agency, Charity First Insurance Services Inc., Charles Allen Agency, Charter Lakes Insurance Agency, Chris Schroeder Insurance, Christie-Phoenix, Cintran Claims Canada Limited, Classic Insurance Services, Cleaveland Insurance Group, Cohen & Lord Insurance Brokers, Cohn Financial Group, Coleman Group Holdings Limited, Coleman Holdings Limited, College and University Scholastic Excess Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Commercial Insurance Brokers, Complete Benefit Alliance, Complete Financial Balance, Complete Financial Balance Pty Ltd, Consolidated Casualty Specialties LLC, Construction Risk Solutions, Contego Underwriting Limited, Contego Underwriting Ltd, Continental Excess & Surplus, Convergence Risk Services Ltd, Copper Mountain Assurance Inc., Cornwall & Stevens Co., Corporate Benefit Advisors, Corporate Life Consultants, Countrywide Accident Assistance Limited, Coverdell & Company Inc., Coverdell Canada Corporation, Cowles and Connell, Craig M. Ferguson & Co., Crist Elliott Machette Insurance Services, Crombie Lockwood (NZ) Limited, Davis-Poston & Associates, Denman Consulting Services, Detlefs Johnson & Partners, DiBrina Group, Dickinson & Associates, Discount Development Services L.L.C., Discovery Benefit Solutions, Dodson-Bateman & Co., Donald P. Pipino Co. Ltd., E. S. Susanin Inc., EHE Holdings LLC, EHS Holdings Limited, Elantis Premium Funding (NZ) Limited, Elantis Premium Funding Limited, Elite Benefits Insurance Marketing Services, Employee Benefits Analysis Corp., Employee Benefits of The Carolinas, Encore Insurance & Bonding, Everett James, Evolution Risk Services Limited, Evolution Technology Services Limited, Evolution Underwriting Group, Evolution Underwriting Group Limited, Evolution Underwriting Limited, Excel Insurance Services, FYI Direct Canada Corporation, FYI Direct LLC, Farallone Pacific Insurance Services, Fenchurch Faris Limited, Fidelity Benefits & Insurance Services, Financial Profiles Inc., Finergy Solutions Pty Ltd, First Agency, First Iowa Insurance Agency, First Premium Inc., First Premium Insurance Group, Fish & Schulkamp, Fishermans Insurance Services, Foley Healthcare Limited, Fortress Financial Solutions Pty Ltd, Fortress Insurance LLC, Foundation Strategies, Fox Lawson & Associates, Franklin-Case Agency LLC, Fraser MacAndrew Ryan Limited, Friary Intermediate Limited, Fuller & O'Brien, G.S. Chapman & Associates Insurance Brokers, G.S. Levine Insurance Services, GBS (Australia) Holdings Pty Ltd, GBS Administrators Inc., GBS Insurance and Financial Services Inc., GBS Retirement Services Inc., GBS Specialty Markets LLC, GGB Finance 1 Limited, GGB Finance 2 Limited, GGB Finance 3 Limited, GGB Finance 4 Limited, GPL Assurance, GPL Assurance Inc., Gabor Insurance Services, Gale Smith & Co. Inc., Gallagher (Bermuda) Insurance Solutions Ltd., Gallagher - Grace/Mayer Insurance Agency, Gallagher Bassett Aires Inc., Gallagher Bassett Canada Inc., Gallagher Bassett Insurance Services Ltd., Gallagher Bassett International Ltd., Gallagher Bassett NZ Pty Ltd., Gallagher Bassett Services Inc. , Gallagher Bassett Services Pty Ltd., Gallagher Bassett Services Workers Compensation Victoria Pty Ltd., Gallagher Benefit Services (Canada) Group Inc., Gallagher Benefit Services (Holdings) Limited, Gallagher Benefit Services Inc., Gallagher Benefit Services Management Company Limited, Gallagher Benefit Services Pty Ltd, Gallagher Benefits Consulting Limited, Gallagher Bomford Couch Wilson, Gallagher Burgess, Gallagher Canada Acquisition Corporation, Gallagher Caribbean Group Limited, Gallagher Clean Energy LLC, Gallagher Communications Limited, Gallagher Community Clinic RPG LLC, Gallagher Consulting Ltda, Gallagher Corporate Services LLC, Gallagher Coyle, Gallagher CyberRisk, Gallagher Energy Risk Services Inc., Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors LLC, Gallagher Holdings (UK) Limited, Gallagher Holdings Bermuda Company Limited, Gallagher Holdings Four (UK) Limited, Gallagher Holdings Three (UK) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (Barbados) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Kitts & Nevis) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Lucia) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Vincent) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers Jamaica Limited, Gallagher International Cash Management s.r.l., Gallagher International Holdings (US) Inc., Gallagher Investment Advisors LLC, Gallagher Inwest Group, Gallagher Koster, Gallagher Lambert Group, Gallagher Madison Risk & Insurance Services, Gallagher Mauritius Holdings, Gallagher Mississippi Brokerage LLC, Gallagher RE Colombia Ltda Corredores de Reaseguros SA, Gallagher Risk & Reward Limited, Gallagher Risk Group LLC, Gallagher Risk Placements Pty Ltd, Gallagher SKS, Gallagher Service Center LLP, Gallagher-Tarantino, Galtney Group, Game Day Insurance Inc., Gardner & White Corp., Gardner Marine Agency, Garza Long Group, Gatehouse Consulting Limited, Gault Armstrong Kemble Pty Ltd, Gault Armstrong SARL, Giles Group, Giles Holdings Limited, Giles Insurance Brokers, Gillis Ellis & Baker Inc., Goodman Insurance Agency, Grandy Pratt Co., Greenseed Alternative Mangaers Platform Ltd, Grossman & Associates, Group Benefits of Arkansas, Group Insurance Associates, Gruppo Marcucci, HLG Holdings Limited, HMG-PCMS Limited, HPF Investments LLC, HR Owen Insurance Services Limited, Hagan Newkirk Financial Services, Hagedorn & Company, Hardman & Howell Benefits, Harlequin Insurance PCC Limited, Hartstein Associates Inc., Healthcare Professionals Purchasing Group LLC, Healthcare Risk Solutions, Heath Lambert Group Ltd., Heath Lambert Limited, Heath Lambert Overseas Limited, Heiser Insurance Agency, Henderson Phillips Fine Arts Insurance, Herbruck Alder & Co., Heritage Insurance Brokers (CI) Limited, Hesse & Partner AG, Hesse Consulting, Hexagon ICC Limited, Hexagon Insurance PCC Limited, Hill Chesson & Woody, Hogan Insurance Services, Home & Travel Limited, Honour Point Limited, Horseshoe Corporate Services Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services (Cayman) Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services USA Inc., Horseshoe ILS Services UK Ltd, Horseshoe Insurance Advisors US LLC, Horseshoe Insurance Advisory Ltd., Horseshoe Insurance Services Holdings Ltd, Horseshoe Insurance Services Holdings US Inc., Horseshoe Management (Gibraltar) Limited, Horseshoe Management (Ireland) Ltd, Horseshoe Management Ltd., Horseshoe PCC Limited, Horseshoe Re Limited, Horseshoe Services (Cayman) Ltd, Horseshoe Services (Pty) Ltd, Horton Insurance Agency, Housing Authorities Services Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Human Resource Management Systems, I-Protect Underwriting Pty Ltd, IBIS Advisors, IBS Reinsurance Singapore Pte Ltd, ILS Fund Services Ltd., ISG International, ITI Solutions, Igloo Insurance PCC Limited, Independent Benefit Services, Independent Fiduciary Services, Ink Underwriting Agencies Limited, InsSync Group Pty Ltd, Inspire Underwriting Limited, Instrat Insurance Brokers, Instrat Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd, Instrat Integration Holdco Pty Ltd, Insurance Acquisitions Holdings Limited, Insurance Associates Inc., Insurance Dialogue Limited, Insurance Dialogue Ltd., Insurance Plans Agency, Insurance Plus Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Insurance Point, Insurance Risk Managers of Missouri Inc., Insure My Villa Limited, Insure Pty Ltd, Integrated Healthcare Strategies, InterNational Insurance Group, InterPacific Underwriting Agencies, Intermountain Financial Benefits, Interstate Insurance Underwriters, JPGAC LLC, James F. Reda & Associates, James R. Weir Insurance Agency, Jenkins and Associates, Joe E. Martin Inc., John P. Woods Co. Inc., Jones Brown, Jones Brown Group Inc., Jones Brown Insurance Solutions Inc., Joseph Distel, Joseph James & Associates Insurance Agency, Just Landlords Insurance Services Ltd, KDC Associates, KRW Insurance Agency, Kahl Insurance Services, Kaler Carney Liffler & Co. Inc., Kane Group - Insurance Management Operations, Kelly Financial, Kent Kent & Tingle and RBS, Keyser Benefits Corp., Kingspark Enterprises Pty Ltd, L&R Benefits, LSG Insurance Partners, Learn About Money Limited, Lewis & Associates Insurance Brokers, Leystone Insurance & Financial, Life Plans Unlimited, Lincoln Financial Management, Longfellow Financial, Lucas Fettes Limited, Lucas Fettes and Partners Limited, Lutgert Insurance, MA Underwriting Pty Ltd, MDM Insurance Associates, MG Advanced Coal Technologies-1 LLC, MGA Insurance Services, MRS Holdings Ltd., Madison Scott & Associates, Managed Healthcare Solutions, Mannequin Insurance PCC Limited, Marchetti Robertson & Brickell Insurance, Marine Insurance Service, Martin Gordon & Jones Inc., McDowall Associates Human Resource Consultants, McIntyre Risk Management, McLean Insurance Agency, McNeary, McPherson Benefits Group, McRory & Co., Mecacem Insurance SPC Ltd, MedInsights Inc., Melton Insurance Associates, Memberworks Canada LLC, Merit Insurance, Metcom Excess, Metzler Bros. Insurance, Meyers-Reynolds & Associates, Mid America Group, Midwest Surety Services, Mike Henry Insurance Brokers, Mike Henry Insurance Brokers Limited, Mike Henry Insurance Funding Limited, Miller Buettner & Parrott, Miller-Harrison Insurance Services, Milne Alexander Pty Ltd, Minvielle & Chastanet Insurance Brokers, Monument Insurance (NZ) Limited, Monument Llc, Monument Premium Funding Limited, Mortgage Insurance Agency, Murphy Consultants, Mutual Insurance Services, NationAir Aviation Insurance, National Administration Co., National Ethics Association, National Transportation Adjusters, Nelson/Monarch Insurance Services, Nicoud Insurance Services, NiiS/Apex Group Holdings, Nonprofit Insurance Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Noraxis Capital Corp, Nordic Forsakring & Riskhantering AB, North Alabama Insurance, Nourse Insurance Brokers, O'Gorman & Young, OAMPS (UK) Limited, OAMPS Gault Armstrong Pty Ltd, OAMPS Limited, OAMPS Special Risks Ltd, Offshore Market Placements Limited, Optimum Talent, Orb Financial Services, Orb Financial Services Limited, Osprey Insurance Brokers Limited, Oval Group, Oval Healthcare Limited, Oval Insurance Broking Limited, Oval Limited, Oval Management Services Limited, Oxygen Insurance Managers, P2 Group, PEN Insurance Management Advisors Ltd, PT IBS Insurance Broking Service, Pacific Insurance Agency, Palmer Atlantic Insurance, Palmer Atlantic Insurance Ltd, Palmer Atlantic Risk Services Ltd., Park Row Associates, Parkstar Enterprises Pty Ltd, Parmia Pty Ltd, PartnerSource, Pastel Holding (NZ) Company, Pastel Holdings Pty Limited, Pastel Purchaser (NZ) Limited, Pastel Purchaser Pty Limited, Pavey Group Holdings (UK) Limited, Pavey Group Holdings Limited, Pavey Group Limited, Pearson Dunn Insurance Inc., Pen Underwriting Canada Limited, Pen Underwriting Group Pty. Ltd., Pen Underwriting Limited, Pen Underwriting Pty Ltd, Persing Dyckman & Toynbee Inc., Personal Advice Services Pty Ltd, Petty Burton Associates, Pointer Insurance Agency, Portmore Insurance Brokers (Wilshire) Limited, Portmore Insurance Brokers Limited, Potter-Holden & Co., Powell Insurance Agency, Premier Insurance Services Inc., Premier Risk Services, Premium Finance Corporation, Preston-Patterson, ProSource Financial, Professional Agents Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Professional Claims Managers, Proinova AB, Proinova Agency AB, Pronto California Agency LLC, Pronto California General Agency LLC, Pronto Florida Claims LLC, Pronto Florida General Agency LLC, Pronto Franchise LLC, Pronto General Agency Ltd, Pronto General Agency Management LLC, Pronto Holdco Inc., Pronto Holding California LLC, Pronto Holding Florida LLC, Pronto Insurance Agency of Laredo Inc., Pronto Premium Finance LLC, Property & Commercial Ltd., Property Insurance Initatives Limited, Property and Commercial Limited, Protected Insurance Company, Protection Plan Association Inc., Protek Group Limited, Providium Consulting Group, Ptarmigan Underwriting Agency Limited, Ptarmigan Underwriting UK Limited, Purple Bridge Claims Management Limited, Purple Bridge Finance Limited, Purple Bridge Group Limited, Purple Bridge Investments Limited, Purple Bridge Online Services Limited, Purple Bridge Publishing Limited, Quantum Underwriting Solutions Limited, Quillco 226 Limited, Quillco 227 Limited, R. L. Youngdahl & Associates, R.G. Speno Inc., R.W. Scobie, RA Rossborough (Guernsey) Ltd., RA Rossborough (Insurance Brokers) Ltd, REGENCY Group inc., RGA Referencing Limited, RGA Underwriting Limited, RIL Administrators (Guernsey) Ltd., RJ Dutton Inc., RSM Insurance Services Limited, Reassurance Holdings Inc., Rebholz Insurance Agency, Reid Manson Ltd., Reimbursement Services, Rentguard Limited, Reward Management Limited, Reynolds & Rodar Insurance Group, Riley & Associates, Rio 587 Limited, Rio 588 Limited, Risk & Reward Group, Risk Management Partners Limited, Risk Placement Services Inc., Risk Planners, Risk Services (NW) Limited, Risk Services (NW) Ltd., Risk Solutions Group Limited, Robert A. Schneider Agency, Robert Keith & Associates, Roberts & Roberts Insurance Service, Robinson-Adams Insurance, Rossborough Healthcare International Ltd, Rossborough Insurance (IOM) Ltd., Rossborough Insurance Services Ltd. (Jersey), S. A. Freerks & Associates, SEG Insurance Ltd, SGB-NIA Insurance Brokers, SHILLING Ltd, SKANCO International, SMERI AB, SRS Underwriting Pty Ltd, Secure Enterprises Pty Ltd, Securitas Re, Sellers Group, Sentinel Indemnity LLC, Septagon Insurance PCC Limited, Shuford Insurance Agency, Sigma II Insurance Agency, Sinclair Billard and Weld Limited, Sobieski & Bradley, Solid Benefit Guidance, Spanjers Insurance Agency, Spataro Insurance Agency, Specialised Broking Associates, Specialty Risk, Stackhouse Poland, Stackhouse Poland Bidco Limited, Stackhouse Poland Group Limited, Stackhouse Poland Holdings Limited, Stackhouse Poland Midco Limited, Stackouse Poland Limited, Stanton Group, Stark Johnson & Stinson Inc., Steel Agency, Strata Solicitors Ltd, Strategic Health Plans Corp., Strathearn Insurance Brokers, Strathearn Insurance Brokers (Qld) Trading Trust, Strathern Insurance Group Pty Ltd, Strathern Integration Holdco Pty Ltd, Strathern Unit Trust, Strong Financial Resources, Summit Insurance Group, Sunday and Associates, Sunderland Insurance Services, Super Advice Corporate Services Pty Ltd, Taylor Benefits, Texas Insurance Agency, Texas Insurance Managers, The BeneTex Group, The Buchholz Planning, The Chapman Group, The Commonwealth Consulting Group, The Daniels Group Inc., The EHE Group LLC, The EHE Insurance Agency LLC, The Eagle Insurance Agency LLC, The Eriksen Group, The Forker Company, The Gleason Agency, The Great Lakes Agency, The HR Group, The Hawk Agency, The Human Capital Group, The Lance Group, The Levitt/Kristan Co., The MW Bagnall Company, The Old Greenwich Consulting Group, The Parks Johnson Agency, The Plus Companies Inc., The Presidio Group, The Producers Choice, The Rains Group, The Splinter Group, The Titan Group, The Treiber Group, The Woodsmall Companies Inc., Title & Covenant Brokers Ltd., Title Investments Limited, Tom Sherwin Insurance Agency, Total Reward Group, Total Rewards Group (Holdings) Limited, Towle Agency, Transwestern, Tri-State General Insurance Agency, Triad Insurance Agency, Triad USA, Tribeca Strategic Advisors, Trinder & Norwood, Trip Mate, Trissel Graham & Toole, Tropp & Co., Tudor Risk Services, Tyloma Holdings Limited, Uni-Care Inc., Unison Inc., Universico Group, Unoccupied Direct Limited, V2V Holdings LLC, VEBA Service Group, Vasek Insurance Services Limited, Velo ACU LLC, Velo Holdings Inc., Verbag AG., Vertrue LLC, Victory Insurance Agency, Vincent L. Braband Insurance, Vital Benefits, Voluntary Benefits Solutions, W. E. Kingsley Co. Inc., WM. W. George & Associates, Walker Taylor Agency, Welling Associates, Wesfarmers Insurance - Insurance Brokerage Operations, Western Benefit Solutions, White & Company Insurance, Whitehaven Insurance Group, William Gallagher Associates Insurance Brokers, William H. Connolly & Co., Williams Insurance Agency Inc., Williams-Manny Insurance Group, Winn & Company Insurance Brokers, Wischmeyer Benefit Partners, Woodbrook Underwriting Agencies, Woods & Grooms, WorkCare Northwest, Worksite Communications, Y. S. Liedman & Associates, YOA Capsicum Reinsurance Broker Limited, Zenor Limited, Zuber Insurance Agency, and e3 Financial. Read More Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. no longer investing. It is a private equity and venture capital firm specializing in expansion financings, growth capital, management buyouts, recapitalizations, industry consolidations, corporate spinouts, growth stage, and early stage financings. It initially invests in a Series A-C round and opportunistically in a seed round. The firm prefers to make investments in companies engaged in the technology, financial services, and healthcare sector. Within the technology sector, it invests in software as a service, adtech / digital media, Internet of Everything, enhanced security, predictive analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, enterprise software, technology enabled services, internet/new media, financial technology, cloud, mobile, social, big data, in memory, and selected business services with capital requirements of up to $25 million. Within healthcare sector, the firm invests in molecular and point-of-care diagnostics, medical devices, regenerative medicine, medical technology, digital health, healthcare technology, specialty pharmaceuticals, and selected healthcare services. It invests throughout the United States with a focus on Mid-Atlantic region, and Southeastern Canada. The firm primarily invests between $5 million and $25 million in growth equity financing and between $5 million and $10 million in early-stage financing. It typically invests in the capital structures including owner financed and bootstrapped companies, corporate division or business unit, and venture capital-backed seeking a growth partner. The firm prefers to be the largest shareholder in its portfolio companies, with ownership in the range of 20 percent to 50 percent. However, it may occasionally take a majority or smaller stake in its portfolio companies. It prefers to invest in companies having proprietary technology and intellectual property. The firm prefers to take a Board seat in its portfolio companies. The company was founded in 1953 as Lancaster Corporation and changed its name to Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. in 1981. Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. is based in Radnor, Pennsylvania with additional office in Weston, Massachusetts. The following companies are subsidiares of Pearson: AEL (S) PTE Limited, ATI Professional Development LLC, Addison Wesley Longman Inc., Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc., Aldwych Finance Limited, Americas Choice Inc., Atkey Finance Limited, Author Solutions, Axis Finance Inc., CAMSAWUSA Inc., CTI Education Group (Pty) Limited, Camsaw Inc., Casapsi Livraria e Editora Ltda, Centro Cultural Americano Franquias e Comercio Ltda., Century Consultants Ltd., Certiport, Certiport China Co Ltd, Certiport China Holding LLC, Certiport Inc., Cogmed Systems AB, Connections Academy of Arkansas LLC, Connections Academy of Florida LLC, Connections Academy of Iowa LLC, Connections Academy of Maine LLC, Connections Academy of Maryland LLC, Connections Academy of Minnesota LLC, Connections Academy of Missouri LLC, Connections Academy of Nevada LLC, Connections Academy of New Jersey LLC, Connections Academy of New Mexico LLC, Connections Academy of New York LLC, Connections Academy of Oregon LLC, Connections Academy of Pennsylvania LLC, Connections Academy of Tennessee LLC, Connections Academy of Texas LLC, Connections Education Inc., Connections Education LLC, Connections Education of Florida LLC, Dominie Press Inc., Dorian Finance Limited, Dorling Kindersley Australasia Pty Limited, EBNT Canada Holdings ULC, EBNT Holdings Limited, EBNT USA Holdings Inc., Edexcel Limited, Edexcel South Africa Pty Ltd, Education Development International plc, Education Resources (Cyprus) Limited, Educational Management Group Inc., Educational Publishers LLP, Embanet ULC, Embanet-Compass Knowledge Group Inc., EmbanetCompass, Embankment Finance Limited, English Language Learning and Instruction System Inc., Escape Studios Limited, FBH Inc., Falstaff Holdco Inc., Falstaff Inc., GED Domains LLC, GED Testing Service LLC, George (Shanghai) Commercial Information Consulting Co. Ltd, Global Education, Global George I Limited, Global George II Limited, GlobalEnglish, Globe Fearon Inc., Guangzhou Crescent Software Co. Ltd, Heinemann Education Botswana (Publishers) (Proprietary) Limited, Heinemann Publishers (Pty) Ltd, INTELLIPRO INC., Icodeon Limited, IndiaCan Education Private Limited, Integral 7 Inc., Integrated Analytics LLC, J M Solucoes Exportacao e Importacao Ltda, K12 Learning Services LLC, Kagiso Education Pty Ltd, Knowledge Analysis Technologies LLC, LCCI International Qualifications (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., LCCIEB Training Consultancy. Ltd, Learning Catalytics, LessonLab Inc., Lignum Oil Company, Linx Brasil Distribuidora Ltda., Longman (Malawi) Limited, Longman Australasia Pty Ltd, Longman Group(Overseas Holdings)Limited, Longman Indochina Acquisition L.L.C., Longman Kenya Limited, Longman Mocambique Ltda, Longman Romania S.R.L., Longman Swaziland (Pty) Limited, Longman Tanzania Limited, Longman Zambia Educational Publishers Pty Ltd, Longman Zambia Limited, Longman Zimbabwe (Private) Ltd, Longmaned Ecuador S.A., Major123 Limited, Maskew Miller Longman (Pty) Limited, MeasureUp LLC, Modern Curriculum Inc., Multi Holding, Multi Treinamento e Editora Ltda, NCS Information Technology Services (Beijing) Co Ltd, NCS Pearson Inc., NCS Pearson Pty Ltd, NCS Pearson Puerto Rico Inc., National Computer Systems Japan Co. Ltd, Ordinate Corporation, PN Holdings Inc., PT Efficient English Services, Pearson (Beijing) Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Pearson (Guizhou) Education Technology Co. Ltd., Pearson Affordable Learning Fund Limited, Pearson America LLC, Pearson Amsterdam B.V., Pearson Australia Finance Unlimited, Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd, Pearson Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, Pearson Australia Pty Ltd, Pearson Benelux B.V., Pearson Books Limited, Pearson Brazil Finance Limited, Pearson Business Services Inc., Pearson Canada Assessment Inc., Pearson Canada Finance Unlimited, Pearson Canada Holdings Inc, Pearson Canada Inc., Pearson Central Europe Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Pearson College Limited, Pearson DBC Holdings Inc., Pearson Desarrollo y Capacitacion Profesional Chile Limitada, Pearson Deutschland GmbH, Pearson Digital Learning Puerto Rico Inc., Pearson Dollar Finance Two Limited, Pearson Dollar Finance plc, Pearson Educacion SA, Pearson Educacion de Chile Limitada, Pearson Educacion de Colombia S A S, Pearson Educacion de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pearson Educacion de Panama SA, Pearson Educacion de Peru S.A., Pearson Education (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Pearson Education Achievement Solutions (RF) (Pty) Limited, Pearson Education Africa (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Education Asia Limited, Pearson Education Botswana (Proprietary) Limited, Pearson Education Hellas SA, Pearson Education Holdings Limited, Pearson Education Inc., Pearson Education Indochina Limited, Pearson Education Investments Limited, Pearson Education Korea Limited, Pearson Education Limited, Pearson Education Namibia (Pty) Limited, Pearson Education Publishing Limited, Pearson Education S.A., Pearson Education SA, Pearson Education South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Education South Asia Pte. Ltd., Pearson Education Taiwan Ltd, Pearson Education do Brasil S.A, Pearson Educational Measurement Canada Inc., Pearson Educational Publishers LLC, Pearson Egitim Cozumleri Tikaret Limited Sirketi, Pearson Falstaff (Holdings) Inc., Pearson Falstaff Holdco LLC, Pearson France, Pearson Funding Five plc, Pearson Funding Four plc, Pearson Funding Two Limited, Pearson Holdings Inc., Pearson Holdings Southern Africa (Pty) Limited, Pearson IOKI Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Pearson India Education Services Private Limited, Pearson India Support Services Private Limited, Pearson Institute of Higher Education, Pearson International Finance Limited, Pearson Investment Holdings Inc., Pearson Italia S.p.A, Pearson Japan KK, Pearson Lanka (Private) Limited, Pearson Learning China (HK) Limited, Pearson Lesotho (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Loan Finance No. 3 Limited, Pearson Loan Finance No. 4 Limited, Pearson Loan Finance No.2 Unlimited, Pearson Loan Finance Unlimited, Pearson Longman Uganda Limited, Pearson Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Pearson Management Services Limited, Pearson Management Services Philippines Inc., Pearson Maryland Inc., Pearson Netherlands B.V., Pearson Netherlands Holdings B.V., Pearson Nominees Limited, Pearson Online Tutoring LLC, Pearson Overseas Holdings Limited, Pearson PEM P.R. Inc., Pearson PRH Holdings Limited, Pearson Pension Nominees Limited, Pearson Pension Property Fund Limited, Pearson Pension Trustee Limited, Pearson Pension Trustee Services Limited, Pearson Professional Assessments Limited, Pearson Real Estate Holdings Inc., Pearson Real Estate Holdings Limited, Pearson Schweiz AG, Pearson Services Limited, Pearson Shared Services Limited, Pearson South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Strand Finance Limited, Pearson Sweden AB, Pearson VUE Philippines Inc., Pearson in Practice Holdings Limited, Pearson in Practice Skills Based Learning Limited, Pearson in Practice Technology Limited, Penguin Capital LLC, Phumelela Publishers (Pty) Ltd, ProctorCam Inc., Reading Property Holdings LLC, Rebus Planning Associates Inc., Reston Publishing Company Inc., Rycade Capital Corporation, Shanghai AWL Education Software Ltd, Silver Burdett Ginn Inc., Skylight Training and Publishing Inc., Smarthinking Inc., Sound Holdings Inc., Spear Insurance Company Limited, Stark Verlag GmbH, Sunnykey International Holdings Limited (BVI), TQ Catalis Limited, TQ Clapham Limited, TQ Education and Training Limited, TQ Global Limited, TQ Group Limited, TQ Holdings Limited, The Financial Times (I) Pvt Ltd, The Learning Edge International pty Ltd, The Waite Group Inc, Trio Parent Holdings LLC, US Learning Services LLC, USLS Holdings LLC, Virtual Nerd, Vue Testing Services Israel Ltd, Vue Testing Services Korea Limited, Wall Street Institute Kft., Williams Education GmbH, eCollege.com, and Editions Du Renouveau Pedagogique Inc.. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen France SAS, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Suzhou Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel Ireland Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Brooks Instrument Shanghai Co. Ltd, Buell Industries Inc., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS Australia Pty Limited, CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures Australasia S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Coeur Shanghai Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Denison Mayes Group Limited, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., E2M Production B.V.., E2M Technologies B.V.., E2M Technologies Inc.., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO Holding AG, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, Exhibit 21, FEG Investments L.L.C., Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Filtertek SAS, GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech Taicang Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Belgium B.V., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart International Singapore Pte. Ltd., Hobart Japan K.K., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components Chongqing Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components Langfang Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium B.V., ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS UK Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW China Investment Company Limited, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Construction Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Services Manila Inc., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Contamination Control Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Deutschland GmbH, ITW Diagraph GmbH, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW EU Holdings Ltd., ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.L., ITW European Finance Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Thailand Ltd., ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France Luxembourg S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW Materials Technology Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Administration BV, ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Ningbo Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Packaging Technology China Co. Ltd., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion Shenzhen Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK Finance Zeta Ltd., ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Illinois Tool Works Chile Limitada, Illinois Tool Works ITW Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Inc., Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, Instron Shanghai Ltd., Instron Thailand Limited, International Leasing Company LLC, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., Itw Spraytec, KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems Canada Inc., Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MTS 2 LLC., MTS 3 LLC., MTS China Holdings LLC, MTS Europe Holdings LLC, MTS Holdings France S.a.r.l., MTS Japan Ltd.., MTS Korea Inc.., MTS Systems China Co. Ltd., MTS Systems Corporation, MTS Systems Danmark ApS., MTS Systems Europe B.V., MTS Systems Finance C.V.., MTS Systems Germany GmbH, MTS Systems Holding B.V.., MTS Systems Hong Kong Incorporated, MTS Systems Limited, MTS Systems Norden Aktiebolag, MTS Systems S.r.l, MTS Systems., MTS Systems.., MTS Sytems Do Brazil, MTS Testing Solutions India Private Limited., MTS Testing Systems Canada Ltd., Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology Suzhou Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited Enping, Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners Shanghai Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., R&D Engineering A/S., R&D Prague s.r.o., R&D Steel ApS., R&D Test Systems A/S., R&D Tools and Structures A/S., RDGDK Engineering Private Limited, Ramset Fasteners Hong Kong Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco Japan Inc., Simco Nederland B.V., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes B.V., Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Hong Kong Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Shanghai Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stokvis Tapes Taiwan Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Tianjin Co. Ltd., Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Subsidiaries, Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek China Limited, Teknek Japan Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Kunshan Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta Global Limited, Vesta Guangzhou Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil South Africa Pty Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, and Zip-Pak International B.V.. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Pentair: ACP Pleatco Blocker Corp., APEL International LLC, Air Capital Filtration LLC, Aplex Industries Inc., Aquion, Aquion (Xi'an) Water Treatment Equipment Co. Ltd., Aquion Hong Kong Limited, Aquion Inc., Be the Change Labs Inc., Bylin Engineered Systems Inc, Century Mfg. Co., Clean Process Technologies, ClearWater Tech L.L.C., ETE Coliban Pty Limited, Enviro Water Solutions LLC, Erico Global, Everpure Japan Kabushiki Kaisha, Filter-Medic LLC, FilterDeal LLC, FilterSoft LLC, Fleck Controls Inc., Goyen Controls Co. Pty. Limited, Goyen Valve LLC, Greenspan Environmental Technology Pty Ltd, Guardian Filtration Products LLC, Haffmans B.V., Haffmans North America Inc., Hawley Group Canada Limited, Hypro EU Limited, Jung Pumpen GmbH, Ken's Beverage, Lincoln Automotive Company, MECAIR S.r.L., Manitowoc Ice, McNeil (Ohio) Corporation, Milperra Developments Pty Limited, Milton Acquisition ULC, Mobile Pool Builder Inc., Moraine Properties LLC, Nijhuis Pompen B.V., Nuheat, PES Pty Ltd, PFAM Inc., PTG Accessories Corp., Panthro Acquisition Co., Pelican Holding Corporation, Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems Inc., Pentair Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Pentair Canada Inc., Pentair Clean Process Technologies India Private Limited, Pentair Commercial Services LLC, Pentair Denmark Holding ApS, Pentair Federal Pump LLC, Pentair Filtration Sales & Service Company LLC, Pentair Filtration Solutions LLC, Pentair Finance Group GmbH, Pentair Finance S.a.r.l., Pentair Finance Switzerland GmbH, Pentair Flow Control International Pty Limited, Pentair Flow Services AG, Pentair Flow Technologies LLC, Pentair Flow Technologies Pacific Pty Ltd, Pentair Flow Technologies de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Pentair France SARL, Pentair Germany GmbH, Pentair Global Holdings B.V., Pentair Global S.a.r.l., Pentair Group (Thailand) Limited, Pentair Holdings Inc., Pentair Holdings S.a.r.l., Pentair Housing Inc., Pentair Housing LP, Pentair Inc., Pentair International (UK) Ltd, Pentair International Holding S.a.r.l., Pentair International Sarl, Pentair Investments Switzerland GmbH, Pentair Ireland Limited, Pentair Janus Holding LLC, Pentair Janus Holdings, Pentair Kenya Limited, Pentair Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Pentair Management Company, Pentair Manufacturing Belgium BV, Pentair Manufacturing Italy S.r.L., Pentair Middle East FZE, Pentair Nanosoft US Holdings LLC, Pentair Netherlands Euro Finance B.V., Pentair Netherlands Finance B.V., Pentair Netherlands Holding B.V., Pentair Pacific Rim (Water) Limited, Pentair Pacific Rim Limited, Pentair Philippines Inc., Pentair Pleatco Acquisition LLC, Pentair Residential Filtration LLC, Pentair Sales LLC, Pentair Sudmo GmbH, Pentair Tamimi LLC, Pentair Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Pentair Transport Inc., Pentair UK Holdings Limited, Pentair US LLC 1, Pentair US LLC 2, Pentair US LP, Pentair Valves & Controls del Uruguay S.A., Pentair Water (Suzhou) Company Ltd., Pentair Water Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Pentair Water Australia Pty Ltd, Pentair Water Belgium BV, Pentair Water Brazil LLC, Pentair Water France SAS, Pentair Water Group Inc., Pentair Water Holdings LLC, Pentair Water India Private Limited, Pentair Water Italy S.r.l., Pentair Water LLC, Pentair Water Latinamerica S.A., Pentair Water Operations Australia Pty Ltd, Pentair Water Polska Sp.zoo, Pentair Water Pool and Spa Inc., Pentair Water Proces Technologie Holding B.V., Pentair Water Process Technology B.V., Pentair Water Purification Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Pentair Water Spain S.L., Pentair Water Treatment (OH) Company, Pentair Water Treatment Company, Pentair Water Treatment Private Limited, Pentair Water do Brasil Ltda., Pentair Water-Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Penwald Insurance Company, Pigeon Point Systems Inc., Pleatco, Pleatco Holdings LLC, Pleatco Intermediate Holdings LLC, Pleatco LLC, Pleatco Mexican Holding Company LLC, Pleatco Mexicana S. De R.L. De C.V., Plymouth Products Inc., Porous Media Corp., Procam Controls Inc., Rocean, Seneca Enterprises Co., Shupeco LLC, Sta-Rite Industries LLC, Sta-Rite de Mexico S.A. de C.V., TVS Filters Acquisition LLC, Tupelo Real Estate LLC, Tyco Flow Control, U.S. Milton Holdings Inc., Union Engineering (NingBo) Co. Ltd., Union Engineering A/S, Union Engineering Holding LLC, Union Engineering Latam Ltda, Union Engineering North America LLC, Urban Organics Pentair Group LLC, Urban Organics Schmidt Real Estate Group LLC, Urban Organics St. Paul LLC, Water Ingenuity Holdings Corp., Webster Electric Company LLC, X-Flow B.V., and delMAC Filters LLC. Read More Citigroup Inc. is one of the worlds largest financial institutions. It is the 13th largest bank globally by assets and 8th by market cap with operations in consumer and institutional banking. In the US, Citigroup is the 3rd largest bank by assets and one of the Big Four deemed systemically important and too big to fail. Citigroup Inc. was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York. The bank was run by Samuel Osgood who led the company with success for many years, even throughout the War of 1812. The bank was later renamed the National City Bank of New York in 1865 and by 1895 is the largest bank in the US. In 1913 it was the first contributor to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and a few years later it began to expand into overseas territories. The bank became the First National City Bank of New York after another merger in 1955 and then later, the New York part was dropped off as part of the 150th-anniversary celebration. By 1974 the company is known as Citicorp which is still the operational branch of the business and a global banking powerhouse. A merger with Travelers insurance group in 1998 resulted in the name Citigroup but the joint venture did not last. By 2002 Travelers was publicly traded once again but Citigroup retained the new name. Today, the company is headquartered in New York, New York but boasts more than 200 million customer accounts in 160 countries worldwide. As of mid-2022, it operated 2,649 branches in the United States, Mexico, and Asia. The company reports nearly 725 branches in the US and 1499 in Mexico with the rest scattered throughout its territory. Total annual revenue topped $75 billion in 2022. Citigroup is a diversified financial services holding company that owns Citicorp among other assets. The companys mission is to serve as a trusted partner providing responsible financial solutions to its clients. Citigroup provides financial products and services to consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions. The company operates in two segments, Global Consumer Banking (GCB) and Institutional Clients Group (ICG). The GCB segment offers traditional banking services including deposit and saving accounts, credit cards, personal loans, home loans, and investment services. This segment operates through local branches and digital means. The ICG segment offers wholesale banking products and services to corporate, institutional, public sector, and high-net-worth clients. TBS is home to the quirky comedies, ranging from Wrecked about a madcap group of plane crash survivors to The Detour about a family vacation. Count People of Earth, debuting at 8 p.m. Monday on Time Warner Cable channels 16 and 104, among those. Not surprising, really, considering late-night talk show host Conan OBrien and Greg Daniels (The Office, Park & Recreation) are executive producers. Created by David Jenkins, People of Earth is about a support group for alien abductees, although they dont like that word. They prefer to call their encounters alien experiences rather than abductions. Three-time Emmy Award winner Wyatt Cenac (The Daily Show) is respected print journalist Ozzie Graham, who, while working on a story about the support group, learns these people may help him discover why hes suffering from hallucinations of a talking deer following a mysterious car accident. Remember, I said it was quirky. The comedy, and theres a bunch of it, comes from the support group members -- as you can imagine, nobody believes their stories -- and the aliens, who generate some very, very funny and spot-on workplace humor in a spaceship setting. The cast also includes Ana Gasteyer (Suburgatory) as the support group leader and Oscar Nunez (The Office) as the priest from the Roman Catholic Church, where the group holds its meetings. The star of the show, though, is Cenac, who plays Ozzie as a straight man, letting the wacky characters around him, including the talking deer, strut their stuff. Thats not to say Cenac doesnt have his moments, too. The look on his face is something else when he finds himself strapped to a table listening to the aliens around him complain about their jobs. People of Earth is a refreshing change of pace among the family comedies currently dominating the airwaves. Grade: A- Other shows/movies of interest premiering this week include: The Crown, Netflix, releases Friday. Based on Peter Morgans play, The Audience, the 10-episode series tells the inside story of Queen Elizabeth IIs early reign, revealing personal intrigues, romances and political rivalries behind the great events that shaped the second half of the 20th century. The drama stars Claire Foy as Elizabeth and six-time Emmy Award winner John Lithgow as Sir Winston Churchill. Who Killed JonBenet?, 7 p.m. Saturday, Lifetime. The original movie begins the 911 call and investigation led by Det. Steve Thomas (Eion Bailey) about the day after Christmas 1996, when 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey (Payton Lepinski) was found beaten and strangled in her familys basement. With the addition of recently surfaced information, the film takes a fresh look at the events and competing theories about the murder. Michael Gill and Julia Campbell play JonBenets parents. Carnival Corporation & plc is a leisure travel company operating a fleet of cruise ships, hotels, and resorts with international destinations. Brands under the Carnival Corporation umbrella include Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America, P&O Cruises, Seaborn, Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, and Cunard. The companys goal is to provide extraordinary vacations at an exceptional value. As of 2022, the company laid claim to nearly half of the global cruising market share with several new ships in the works. Carnival Cruise Line was launched in 1972 with one second-hand ship and a tank of fuel. The first port of call was San Juan, Puerto Rico, but soon more were added. The original growth strategy included a festive atmosphere, features and amenities unlike any other cruise line at the time. Slow to start, the growth strategy shifted into overdrive in 1980 when Carnival shocked the world by building its own ship. The Tropicale became an iconic name in the cruising industry and sparked a wave of shipbuilding that is still underway. The companys growth hit a new stride in 1987 following the IPO which floated 20% of the company on the open market. The proceeds from the IPO allowed the company to embark on a voyage of acquisition and now Carnival is the worlds largest travel and leisure business. Today, Carnival Corporations 87 ships visit approximately 700 ports worldwide and employ more than 120,000 people while serving more than 13 million guests annually for a total of 85 million passenger cruise days per year. Net revenue, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, peaked out at over $6.5 billion annually. Carnival Cruise Line is the companys largest brand serving guests on all coasts of North America. The brand's 22 ships make 1500 voyages per year with trips ranging from 2 days to 3 weeks and ports of call from the Caribbean to Alaska. The company's largest ship is named Panorama and can accommodate more than 4,000 passengers. Carnivals 9 brands provide access to a wide range of cruising styles and destinations including the Caribbean, Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, England, and ports in Asia. The company is headquartered in Miami, Florida and has offices around the world. The company also has the distinction of being the only company included in both the S&P 500 and FTSE 250 indices. The following companies are subsidiares of Pfizer: AH Robins LLC, AHP Holdings B.V., AHP Manufacturing B.V., Agouron Pharmaceuticals LLC, Alacer, Alpharma Holdings LLC, Alpharma Pharmaceuticals LLC, Alpharma Specialty Pharma LLC, Alpharma USHP LLC, American Food Industries LLC, Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc., Angiosyn, Array BioPharma, Ayerst-Wyeth Pharmaceuticals LLC, BIND Therapeutics Inc., BINESA 2002 S.L., Bamboo Therapeutics, Bamboo Therapeutics Inc., Baxter International - Marketed Vaccines, BioRexis, Bioren, Bioren LLC, Blue Whale Re Ltd., C.E. Commercial Holdings C.V., C.E. Commercial Investments C.V., C.P. Pharmaceuticals International C.V., CICL Corporation, COC I Corporation, Catapult Genetics, Coley Pharmaceutical GmbH, Coley Pharmaceutical Group, Coley Pharmaceutical Group Inc., Continental Pharma Inc., Covx, Covx Technologies Ireland Limited, Cyanamid Inter-American Corporation, Cyanamid de Argentina S.A., Cyanamid de Colombia S.A., Distribuidora Mercantil Centro Americana S.A., Encysive Pharmaceuticals, Encysive Pharmaceuticals Inc., Esperion LUV Development Inc., Esperion Therapeutics, Excaliard Pharmaceuticals, Excaliard Pharmaceuticals Inc., Farminova Produtos Farmaceuticos de Inovacao Lda., Farmogene Productos Farmaceuticos Lda, Ferrosan A/S, Ferrosan International A/S, Ferrosan S.R.L., FoldRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Foldrx Pharmaceuticals, Fort Dodge Manufatura Ltda., G. D. Searle & Co. Limited, G. D. Searle International Capital LLC, G. D. Searle LLC, GI Europe Inc., GI Japan Inc., GenTrac Inc., Genetics Institute LLC, Greenstone LLC, Haptogen Limited, Hospira, Hospira (China) Enterprise Management Co. Ltd., Hospira Adelaide Pty Ltd, Hospira Aseptic Services Limited, Hospira Australia Pty Ltd, Hospira Benelux BVBA, Hospira Chile Limitada, Hospira Deutschland GmbH, Hospira Enterprises B.V., Hospira France SAS, Hospira Healthcare B.V., Hospira Healthcare Corporation, Hospira Healthcare India Private Limited, Hospira Holdings (S.A.) Pty Ltd, Hospira Inc., Hospira Invicta S.A., Hospira Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, Hospira Ireland Sales Limited, Hospira Japan G.K., Hospira Limited, Hospira Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Hospira NZ Limited, Hospira Nordic AB, Hospira Philippines Inc., Hospira Portugal LDA, Hospira Produtos Hospitalares Ltda., Hospira Pte. Ltd., Hospira Pty Limited, Hospira Puerto Rico LLC, Hospira Singapore Pte Ltd, Hospira UK Limited, Hospira Worldwide LLC, Hospira Zagreb d.o.o., ICAgen, Idun Pharmaceuticals, Industrial Santa Agape S.A., InnoPharma, InnoPharma Inc., International Affiliated Corporation LLC, JMI-Daniels Pharmaceuticals Inc., John Wyeth & Brother Limited, Kiinteisto oy Espoon Pellavaniementie 14, King Pharmaceuticals Holdings LLC, King Pharmaceuticals LLC, King Pharmaceuticals Research and Development LLC, Korea Pharma Holding Company Limited, Laboratoires Pfizer S.A., Laboratorios Parke Davis S.L., Laboratorios Pfizer Ltda., Laboratorios Wyeth LLC, Laboratorios Wyeth S.A., Laboratorios Pfizer Lda., MTG Divestitures LLC, Mayne Pharma IP Holdings (Euro) Pty Ltd, Medivation, Medivation Field Solutions LLC, Medivation LLC, Medivation Neurology LLC, Medivation Prostate Therapeutics LLC, Medivation Services LLC, Medivation Technologies LLC, Meridian Medical Technologies Inc., Meridian Medical Technologies Limited, Monarch Pharmaceuticals LLC, Neusentis Limited, NextWave Pharmaceuticals, NextWave Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, P-D Co. LLC, PAH USA IN8 LLC, PF Americas Holding C.V., PF Asia Manufacturing B.V., PF PR Holdings C.V., PF PRISM C.V., PF PRISM Holdings S.a.r.l., PF Prism S.a.r.l., PFE Holdings G.K., PFE PHAC Holdings 1 LLC, PFE Pfizer Holdings 1 LLC, PFE Wyeth Holdings LLC, PFE Wyeth-Ayerst (Asia) LLC, PHILCO Holdings S.a r.l., PHIVCO Corp., PHIVCO Holdco S.a r.l., PHIVCO Luxembourg S.a r.l., PN Mexico LLC, PT. Pfizer Parke Davis, Parke Davis & Company LLC, Parke Davis Limited, Parke Davis Productos Farmaceuticos Lda, Parke-Davis Manufacturing Corp., Parkedale Pharmaceuticals Inc., Peak Enterprises LLC, Pfizer, Pfizer (China) Research and Development Co. Ltd., Pfizer (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Pfizer (Perth) Pty Limited, Pfizer (Thailand) Limited, Pfizer (Wuhan) Research and Development Co. Ltd., Pfizer AB, Pfizer AG, Pfizer AS, Pfizer Africa & Middle East for Pharmaceuticals Veterinarian Products & Chemicals S.A.E., Pfizer Anti-Infectives AB, Pfizer ApS, Pfizer Asia Manufacturing Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Asia Pacific Pte Ltd., Pfizer Atlantic Holdings S.a.r.l., Pfizer Australia Holdings B.V., Pfizer Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Pfizer Australia Investments Pty. Ltd., Pfizer Australia Pty Limited, Pfizer B.V., Pfizer BH D.o.o., Pfizer Baltic Holdings B.V., Pfizer Biofarmaceutica Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Pfizer Biologics (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd, Pfizer Biologics Ireland Holdings Limited, Pfizer Biotech Corporation, Pfizer Bolivia S.A., Pfizer Canada Inc., Pfizer CentreSource Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Chile S.A., Pfizer Cia. 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Ltd., Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Company, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals FZ-LLC, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals LLC, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Limited, Wyeth Puerto Rico Inc., Wyeth S.A.S, Wyeth Subsidiary Illinois Corporation, Wyeth Whitehall Export GmbH, Wyeth Whitehall SARL, Wyeth-Ayerst (Asia) Limited, Wyeth-Ayerst International LLC, and Wyeth-Ayerst Promotions Limited. Read More Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Obituaries Newsletter Sign up to get the most recent local obituaries delivered to your inbox. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page Cremated ashes and coffee mug By: Mahesh Sarin (Scroll down for video) A company based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, accounted that it has positive feedback about turning cremated ashes into dinnerware. Chronicle Cremation Designs helps fold the memory of passed loved ones into daily life. Their unique service, which was launched this month, transforms your loved ones ashes into remarkable ceramic design objects for your home. Chronicle Cremation Designs offers a selection of custom products, including cremation urns, cremation jewelry, and memorial objects. Each ceramic item you choose is coated with your own unique ash glaze. aCreating objects that tell stories is my passion,a explains Justin Crowe, who is the founder of Chronicle Cremation Designs. aThe inspiration for Chronicle Cremation Designs came following a death, which led to a period of personal growth. Instead of observing an urn or photograph on a shelf, I wanted a way to interact with memories on a daily basis. The process was born out of a desire to keep those whove lived before us remembered in daily life,a Crowe added. The company recommends a flickering candle luminary made with the ashes of a loved one as a comforting reminder of presence or a ceramic mug to bring company to your morning coffee. The company also offers cremation jewelry, which allows you to carry a subtle reminder of your loved one everywhere you go. These unique designs are intended to help keep memories close. Adult actress (illustration) By: Wayne Morin Voters in the United Kingdom, were shocked to receive letters, which directed them to visit a porn website. The Mid Suffolk District Council apologized to voters who received the letters, saying that the error was a technical slip up. About 80 people received the voter registration letter, which asked to confirm addresses and to check who is still eligible to vote. On the bottom of the letter, it asked voters to visit a website, where they will be able to confirm their addresses, but instead, they were redirected to a porn website. The porn websiteas URL began with the letters xxx. A spokesperson for the council said that an apology letter will be hand delivered to all those who received the voter registration letter. Theophilus Washington By: Feng Qian (Scroll down for video) A man who accidentally got his girlfriend pregnant, tried to kill the unborn baby with bleach. The Pennsylvania college student was arrested after being accused of pouring bleach into a water bottle that belonged to his pregnant girlfriend in an attempt to harm the fetus. 20-year-old Theophilus Washington of Washington, DC, was charged with attempted murder and reckless endangerment. Prosecutors said that Washington gave the woman the water on Friday morning. After drinking it, the woman became sick and went back to her room at the Millersville University and called 911. Prosecutors said that Washington had previously said that he wanted his girlfriend to have an abortion because he did not want the child. The woman was taken to a hospital, where doctors said that the fetus was not injured. The woman was also not harmed. Washington remains in custody on $1 million bail. A young man wanted to make a point about racism in the United States, but his plan backfired when he was exposed for a liar by police. 20-year-old Khalil Cavil of Texas was working at the Saltgrass Steak House in Odessa when he claimed he was discriminated against because of his Muslim name. Cavil took Officer Daniel Daly By: Chan Yuan (Scroll down for video) The wife of a police officer was arrested after calling police to report a burglary in her home. Maria Daly of Massachusetts, allegedly removed $10,000 worth of jewelry and money from her house before telling police that they were robbed. Daly also vandalized her own home. She spray-painted the letters BLM on the outside wall of her home to make it look like Black Lives Matters supporters were after them because her husband is a police officer. She also wrote about the robbery on social media. aWe woke up to not only our house being robbed while we were sleeping, but to see this hatred for no reason,a Daly wrote on Facebook. However, Millbury police said that there was discrepancies in her story. Daly eventually admitted to making up the story. She was arrested, but her husband, Millbury K-9 Officer Daniel Daly, was cleared as he had no involvement in the crime. Millbury Police Chief Donald Desorcy said that he believes Daly faked the robbery due to the couples financial troubles. Maria Daly was charged with filing a false police report and misleading a police investigation. Cindy Lange-Kubick Columnist Cindy Lange-Kubick has loved writing columns about life in her hometown since 1994. She had hoped to become a people person by now, nonetheless she would love to hear your tales of fascinating neighbors and interesting places. Follow Cindy Lange-Kubick Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Marthaellen Florence had been called n----- before. Oh, please, she said when I asked. Absolutely. Florence lives in Lincoln. Shes worked at Nebraska Educational Telecommunications for 38 years and is now its director of community engagement. This story is about the last time that word was directed at her, and how the strong black woman stood it down. Florence called it another You Cant Make This Stuff Up story when she shared what happened to her last week on Facebook. She agreed to share it here for one reason: Maybe its educationally worthy to encourage people to be allies and advocates. It was a Friday night. And she was pushing a shopping cart through a big box store. Several children ran through the aisles unattended, and when Florence turned down a new aisle, she saw a boy standing there. He saw me and this look of fear came over his face, she wrote on her Facebook page. He started running away from where he was playing, yelling over and over at the top of his lungs, 'Mommy, Mommy there's a n----- in here.'" He was a little boy, Florence said later. Maybe 3 or 4. He looked at her, she said, as if he had seen the most scary monster ever. Theres more to this story, but let us pause, my fellow white people, for that to sink in: A child in the middle of America in 2016 is screaming the most horrifying, history-laden racial epithet at a black woman shopping for groceries. The child was white. Im white. Never will I experience a moment like that because of the shade of my skin. When I read about it on Florences Facebook page, I felt sick at heart -- shocked and ashamed that this happened in my hometown. It didnt shock her. In my world, its always been part of my reality. You grow a pretty thick skin. Its not just the N-word. Or Black B----. There are the subtle slights. The looks. The questions about her hair or skin, as if she is a curiosity to be studied. And the more overt instances, like the time she asked a saleswoman to hold a pair of shoes while she went looking for a purse to match only to return to find the shoes gone. Oh, you people never come back, the clerk told her when she asked what happened. You people. But heres the thing, people. Florence is not a victim. She doesnt need, want or desire pity. The 59-year-old grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, and small-town Illinois before she moved to Lincoln for college. She was raised to be strong and confident. Our family was full of affirmations. It was encouragement, over and over. She was raised to give back to her community. And the giving list is long: Partnership for a Healthy Lincoln, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellors Commission on the Status of People of Color, Malone Community Center, Lincoln City Libraries, Jazz in June, Omaha Empowerment Network Leadership Team, and on and on. Before Florence left the store and her groceries behind that Friday night, the little boys father appeared and began to apologize. Im so sorry, Im so sorry. Florence put her hand up, motioning him to stop. "He had to learn it from somewhere," she told him. Then she abandoned her cart and left the store. She thought about what her mom always told her: If you ever find yourself in the wrong story, leave. And this was the wrong story. But she shared it with a hope: That those of us who will never hear those words hurled our way will step up and help write a new story. Were not born racists, but all of us, people of every color, learn prejudice. Maybe youve never uttered the N-word. But if you automatically assume a black man (or black boy) must have done something to deserve to be shot by police -- that racism doesnt exist in our institutions -- or never questioned the racial disparities in arrests and sentencing rates, or assumed a black woman at a school works in the lunchroom instead of the classroom, or feared a black teen in a hoodie more than a white one, you, like me, have something to work on. And something to stand up to when you see it or hear it. Dont be silent, Florence said. People need to step up to the plate. Youre not defending people of color -- youre defending what is right. Its not about being politically correct. Its about being humanly correct. Its about recognizing racism is real and what we say and do -- what we see and hear -- matters. And what our children see and hear in their homes and on their television screens and in their schools -- the implicit and the overt -- matters. Parents, be mindful that little ears are always listening, Florence wrote on Facebook that night. And you are responsible for building the foundation of who your children will be as adults. The black woman in the grocery store has a strong foundation and a child parroting the hateful speech of adults didnt shake it. Although she did think this: What year are we in? Tracy Houghton and her three children By: Chan Yuan A truck driver is facing many years in prison after killing a mother and her three children, according to police in the United Kingdom. 30-year-old Tomasz Kroker of Berkshire, pleaded guilty to four counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He faces up to nine years in prison. According to the criminal complaint, Kroker collided with the victims car on the A34. Video in Krokeras truck showed him using his cellphone moments before crashing into the car. Kroker said that he was trying to select music on his cellphone and he became distracted. The victims were identified as Tracy Houghton, 45, her two sons, Ethan, 13, and Joshua, 11, and her partners daughter, Aimee Goldsmith, 11. One man was seriously injured while 11 others suffered light injuries. Rep. Brad Ashford says he has delivered not only on his promise of bipartisan, or even nonpartisan, representation, but also in terms of concrete accomplishments like a new Veterans Administration Hospital in Omaha and a reconstructed runway at Offutt Air Force Base. The first-term Democratic congressman says those projects were achieved through teamwork with Republican Sen. Deb Fischer and Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry along with his relationship to a Democratic White House. "We're a small state and we need to work as a team," the Omaha congressman said in an interview. "It's also helpful to have some representation from the party that controls the White House," Ashford noted. "And it's likely Hillary Clinton will be the next president." The 2nd District congressman is the only Democrat in Nebraska's five-member congressional delegation, moving into that role in 2015 after 16 years as a state senator in the nonpartisan Nebraska Legislature. "In Congress, more than in the Unicameral, you have to go the extra mile to build personal relationships on both sides of the aisle in order to move forward on solutions to difficult problems," Ashford said. "The message is that I can do that. I have done that." Ashford upended eight-term Republican Rep. Lee Terry in 2014, scoring the first Democratic House victory in Nebraska in 22 years. If he's re-elected next month, he said, he's positioned to move forward on a number of key legislative fronts. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Ashford said he's prepared to help the military "focus on the mission of destroying ISIS" in a bipartisan way. And as a member of the House Agriculture Committee, he's ready to help shape farm policy and legislation that may determine the future of ethanol while taking advantage of new opportunities for trade. "I feel comfortable in my own skin," Ashford said. Rather than adhering to partisan concerns, he said, he acts as "sort of an independent contractor," and that's the way he believes he can be the most effective. "I've done what I said I was going to do," he said. "I've found friends on both sides of the aisle. I have kept my promise. "In Congress," Ashford said, "political parties oftentimes get in the way of solutions. But I've never been told how to vote on the Democratic side." Ashford said he has parted company with President Barack Obama on issues including the nuclear arms deal with Iran and the president's desire to close the prison in Guantanamo Bay that houses suspected terrorists. Obama phoned Ashford while the congressman was jogging to ask for his vote on the Iran agreement, but Ashford said he told the president he could not support him on that issue. Nevertheless, the White House has been "very, very supportive" of the big projects that have been approved in the 2nd District, Ashford said. A third key announcement at the end of last week provided almost $20 million in federal funding to the University of Nebraska Medical Center to develop a training, simulation and quarantine center to teach federal health care personnel procedures in treating highly infectious diseases like Ebola. "That's a big deal," Ashford said. The Offutt runway funding represents "a recommitment to the mission of the 55th Wing," he said, and together with construction of the new $1.2 billion U.S. Strategic Command headquarters at Offutt, that protects the future of the big base at Bellevue. The 55th Wing counts 5,500 military and civilian employees. The VA hospital project is an innovative public-private partnership, funded with the assistance of private donations. Ashford has parted company with a key Democratic constituency in his support for the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, which is vigorously opposed by organized labor. But Nebraska agriculture, especially beef and pork producers, could be a big winner if the agreement is implemented. "I've had a career of taking on some pretty difficult challenges," Ashford said. In the Legislature that included big projects, he said, such as "setting criminal justice reform in motion" and helping craft financing solutions for the big city arenas in Omaha and Lincoln. "I put constituents before party," Ashford said. "I'm nonpartisan by nature." Looking ahead after this year's presidential and congressional elections, he said, a new Congress and a new president will have an opportunity to "try to find solutions to big issues like immigration, tax policy and fixing Obamacare." But, he said, it is likely that Republicans will retain a majority in the House and the speaker will "have some difficulty with control over his caucus." And that means it might be difficult to "get anything of consequence to the floor" for action, Ashford said. "I think the challenge is governance," he said. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Crews in tallahassee were called to an apartment fire on Saturday morning. It happened just before 9 AM in the 1000 block of Sharer Court. When firefighters arrived on scene, they found smoke and fire coming from the second floor of the two-story apartment. Officials worked to keep the fire from spreading and were able to have it under control within minutes. According to firefighters, the fire is believed to be electrical. Two cats were found during a search of the apartment, but no injuries were reported. Officials say the blaze caused $15,000 in damages. Red Cross is assisting the residents. Flashing signs that read We Stand with Standing Rock, #NoDAPL and Cant Drink Oil," about 200 Nebraskans rallied Saturday afternoon at the state Capitol to oppose a controversial pipeline being constructed more than 400 miles away. Should it be completed, the Dakota Access oil pipeline will run underground in close proximity to the Missouri River, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribes main water source. It also would require tearing apart land the tribe considers sacred burial grounds. Protests escalated last weekend when demonstrators set up camp on private land along the pipeline's path, and more than 140 people were arrested Thursday. Quieter protests continued Friday and Saturday. Lincoln's rally and march were organized by a 17-year-old high school student. When Kara Knutson returned from protests at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation for the second time this month, she felt she needed to do something to get people fired up in Nebraska. The next day, when she went to school at the Arts and Humanities Focus Program, she rallied as many students as she could and planned a march for the following week. I never thought it would be as big as it was, Knutson said Saturday. It was greater than I imagined. I had so many people there. I had people from Iowa there, I had people from New Mexico messaging me about sharing their support. All over, people from other states got a hold of this event. Being on the reservation amid all the conflict was otherworldly, she said. There were police dogs, cops with batons and law enforcement planes flying overhead. When we went to these construction zones to pray and to sing and to protect our land, I felt like I was in a different country, Knutson said. I felt like I was in a war zone because I had 50 to 60 officers standing less than 6 feet in front of me. It was almost traumatic to be in front of those people and to know that if you make a wrong move you could be taken away, taken out, killed. Back in Lincoln on Saturday, protesters sang "We Shall Not Be Moved," the African-American spiritual that became a popular anthem during the Civil Rights Era: "Just like a tree that's standing by the water, we shall not be moved." Some people wore shirts with "peaceful protector" written in marker. Others dressed their dogs in anti-pipeline garb. For Lincoln resident Maria Fortune, the government allowing installation of the pipeline to continue reflects how Native Americans have been treated in the past. We are a depressed nation, and we are being depressed by corporate professionals," Fortune said, "and thats where they want us. Dan Dejong said his hope for the day was to draw attention to the situation in North Dakota and how Nebraska became involved by sending its own state troopers to assist in quelling the protests. For the first hour of Saturday's rally, people formed a circle and listened to about a dozen speakers. The most important thing we can do is we need to call people in power, said Alex Munson. We need to keep having conversations with those who can make the movements that are necessary to get this pipeline to stop. Almost every speaker shared similar sentiments, urging the crowd to call local lawmakers, to spread the word on social media and to talk to their friends about whats happening. I believe that we have to stand up and say, No more, Fortune said. We are going to make a change. The first time Knutson went to Standing Rock, earlier this month, she said she spent roughly four hours at the protest camps. It happened to be the same day actress Shailene Woodley was arrested on the reservation, which Knutson's mom witnessed. Some people got so impassioned they lost their cool, Knutson said. When youre up there you get adrenaline, almost a fight or flight response. You kind of lose sight of what is going on. But as she watches the news, reads headlines about violence and sees familiar faces in reports, it only upsets her, she said. She knows what their fight is like. I met these people, Knutson said. I know that every day we have breakfast, have a prayer ceremony and we pray more and pray more until we go to bed. It hurts to see the people I know getting shot by rubber bullets, being maced, being tortured by sound cannons. That is what keeps her motivated. The fight doesnt end today, Knutson said. I had my march, but theres so much work to do. So what I say for everybody is you have a purpose here. Youre here for a reason. Your reason may be to help us with our fight. You are the owner of this article. You have permission to edit this collection. Edit Close The government of Israel is marketing hundreds of new housing units in the Jerusalem-area town of Abu Ghosh, but it's doubtful if local residents will be able to purchase them. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter According to town leaders, the Ministry of Construction and Housing has begun marketing these apartments in violation of prior agreements, which means residents of east Jerusalem may be their intended buyers. The ministry claims that a certain portion of the apartments is meant only for Abu Ghosh residents. Abu Ghosh. Locals are worried about housing for the next generation. (Photo: Shlomi Cohen) "Over decades, we, the residents of Abu Ghosh 'blue and white' (the colors of the Israeli flag. -ed), pride ourselves in a shared life with Jews of the area and in peace, and now the government is marketing the last land reserves in the town in a way that will cause a significant change to the texture of life in the town, and even cause a security problem," Raed Ibrahim, a member of the Abu Ghosh Local Council said Friday. According to head of the Abu Ghosh Local Council Issa Jaber, one of the reasons for the unique nature of Abu Ghosh is its demographic stability: Very few of its residents tend to leave, and very few outsiders tend to move into the town. The Ministry of Construction and housing responded by saying, "The ministry is publishing construction bids in Abu Ghosh for the first time in about 20 years, in order to answer the great housing crisis of local youths. As part of this, varied plans in pricing and construction type will be put in place in Abu Ghosh." SANAA -- Arab coalition warplanes struck a prison in the Yemeni city of Hodeidah, killing 45 people including inmates, a local official, relatives and medical sources in the Houthi-controlled Red Sea port said on Sunday. The prison in the city's al-Zaydiyah district was holding 84 prisoners when it was struck three times late on Saturday, the sources said. There was no immediate comment from the coalition. Speaking after meeting U.N. envoy Ismail Ould Cheickh Ahmed in Riyadh, Hadi said the agreement would "reward the rebels and penalise the Yemeni people and legitimacy", according to the government-controlled Saba news agency. According to a copy of the proposal seen by Reuters, the plan would sideline Hadi and set up a government of less divisive figures. An Israeli citizen who manages a well-known guesthouse was arrested Friday in Bangkok on suspicion of drug possession. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The raid on the "Overstay" guesthouse, which is well known among Israeli backpackers, was conducted by Thai police together with the army. Eight backpackers were also arrested on suspicion of drug use. Overstay guesthouse The raid was carried out following noise complaints and smoke emanating from the building. Security forces discovered 25 foreigners from various countries such as Britain, Germany, Hungary, Russia, Spain, Israel and China. All backpackers were asked to provide a urine sample and pass a drug test. Police announced that six among those detained were found to have traces of marijuana in their urine, while another refused to be tested. The manager of the guesthouse, from Jerusalem, was arrested with 22 grams of marijuana. Suspect's Facebook page Bangkok police announced that the Israeli would be charged with drug possession and intent to distribute. On his Facebook page, the unidentified Israeli posted a status update on his arrest and described how hundreds of police arrived at the guesthouse he manages. He further went on to describe how police are attempting to charge him with drug trafficking and that he hopes to be released on bail shortly. The Foreign Ministry commented in response that they are aware of the case and the consul in Thailand will be offering assistance. There is something refreshing about the new movement, Women Wage Peace . They managed to get thousands of women to participate in a long march and demonstration Israelis and Palestinians, Jews and Muslims. And in general, we should welcome any movement working to advance reconciliation and understanding, just like we should condemn any movement working to increase the hostility towards Israel and Palestinian rejectionism, by turning Israel into a criminal. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Nonetheless, I have something to say to them. The new movement is repeating the worn-out claim that there is a partner. This claim actually promotes the Rights ideology, because if there is a partner, negotiations should be held in order to reach an agreement. But we have been through all this. The Palestinians have already rejected former US President Bill Clintons proposal and former Prime Minister Ehud Olmerts proposal. Whoever thinks that they will suddenly accept an agreement on the same basis is being led by illusions. We should welcome any movement working to advance reconciliation and understanding, but the new movement is just repeating a worn-out claim (Photo: Reuters) Only recently, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas clarified at the United Nations that the problem is with the Balfour Declaration, adding that there are six million Palestinian refugees waiting to receive what they are entitled to and to be allowed to return to their homes. In 2008, in response to Olmerts proposal, he told US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that there were four million refugees. There is no historical precedent for a leader who wants his people to move to a different state. And thats sad, because he really is the most moderate Palestinian Arab leader, considering the fact that his predecessors are people like the mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini and Yasser Arafat. The argument that there is a partner, therefore, prevents the required move: A separation in accordance with the Israeli interest, in a format which has been recommended in recent years by many defense establishment graduates (like, for example, the commanders program), in a way which will both prevent the mistakes of the disengagement and stop the deterioration to a model of one large state which will not be Jewish. We should get this through our heads: The radical right and the radical left have a partner, because the Palestinians are opposed to an agreement based on two state for two people. Thats the coalition of one big state. The Zionist left, the center and the moderate right have no partner. There is no need to wait for the Palestinian messiah, who will never arrive. There is a need to advance an agreement. In the meantime, declarations that there is a partner only perpetuate the stalemate and serve the vision of the Right, mainly the radical right. MOGADISHU- The Islamist group al Shabaab seized a town northwest of Somalia's capital from government forces on Sunday, the latest small centre taken by the militant group trying to topple the country's Western-backed government. Al Shabaab, which once ruled much of Somalia, has been fighting for years to impose its strict interpretation of Islam on Somalia. African Union and Somali troops have driven it from major urban strongholds and ports, but they have often struggled to defend smaller, more remote areas from attacks. "Many al Shabaab fighters attacked us this morning and after brief fighting we left the town for tactical reasons," Somali army Major Hussein Edin told Reuters from the nearby town of Baidoa. One Somali soldier was killed, he said. MANCHESTER, N.H. -- in 1936, President Franklin Roosevelt defeated Kansas' Gov. Alfred Landon in 46 of the 48 states, thereby creating the jest, "As Maine goes, so goes Vermont." Eight decades later, New England has gone from the Republicans' last redoubt in a bad year to their least receptive region in any year. Its six states have made 36 decisions in the last six presidential elections and the score is Democrats 35, Republicans 1 -- New Hampshire supported George W. Bush in 2000. Republicans hold just two of New England's 21 congressional seats, and two of 12 Senate seats, those of Maine's Susan Collins and New Hampshire's Kelly Ayotte. Just nine months ago -- time flies when you're having fun -- Donald Trump won his first victory in this state's primary. Ayotte could become an especially regrettable part of the collateral damage his campaign is doing to the party with which he is temporarily identified. But she probably will survive his undertow and win a second term, partly because she is almost everything people say they want in politics: She is neither old nor rich nor angry. She is 48 and often finds life amusing, as she recently did concerning former Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh's problem. He is trying to convince Indiana to return him as a senator to Washington, where he has lived and prospered since voluntarily leaving the Senate in 2011. When he was recently asked the address of his Indiana condominium, he was stumped. Ayotte, laughing, says, "I probably couldn't tell you my address in Washington." There she lives in a basement apartment, returning on weekends to New Hampshire, where her husband runs a small landscaping and snow removal business. This year, New Hampshire has what has become an American rarity, a choice between two grown-ups. Ayotte is the state's former attorney general. Her opponent, Maggie Hassan, 58, is ending her second term as governor. Both women have approximately 100 percent name recognition and benefit from what an Ayotte aide calls "three degrees of separation": Almost everyone in this small state has, or knows someone who has, met or otherwise had contact with the two. Which works to Ayotte's advantage. She is running by running 5K races, bagging groceries, riding all-terrain vehicles in the woods and generally smothering the state with retail politics. Hassan, whose challenge is to give voters a reason to fire Ayotte, is relying heavily on negative ads, especially ones criticizing Ayotte's path to her current position of refusing to vote for Trump. But paid ads often do not dent "three degrees of separation" knowledge. Sixty-four percent of voters say Ayotte's path to separation from Trump "makes no difference" to them. Last week, UMass Amherst/WBZ released a poll of likely voters, including those "leaning toward" a candidate, showed Ayotte with a 4-point lead. Which must reflect the fact that, in a survey of eight swing states, New Hampshire had the largest portion of voters (9.7 percent) intending to vote both for Clinton and for a Republican Senate candidate. New Hampshire campaigning is costly because candidates must advertise on Boston television, which is watched by almost 85 percent of New Hampshire voters. Of the state's 1.3 million residents, the 720,000 who will vote for senator are the targets of the $125 million -- $173.61 per vote -- that will be spent on the Senate contest by Nov. 8. Ayotte will be outspent on television by $20 million -- by $10 million in the last two weeks -- but in this politics-saturated state, broadcast political ads may be the equivalent of wallpaper -- semi-seen but not really noticed. For 36 years, the Senate seat Ayotte occupies has been held by representatives of a distinctive New Hampshire Republicanism. Warren Rudman for two terms and Judd Gregg for three brought flinty fiscal Puritanism to bear on the federal government's mismanagement of its fisc. New Hampshire currently has a Democratic senator, a member of Congress from each party, and a close contest for governor, so were Ayotte to lose, the state could be entirely blue, which does not suit the prickly ("Live Free or Die") and purple spirit of a state where 40 percent of voters are registered independents. In this year's crowded New Hampshire Republican primary, Ohio's Gov. John Kasich finished second to Trump. Today, only 17 percent of those who supported Kasich support Trump. The center-right of the Granite State seems likely to decide this race, giving rise to the saying, "As New Hampshire goes, so goes the Senate." Hillary Clinton on Saturday challenged FBI Director James Comey to provide a fuller explanation of investigative steps he is taking related to her use of a private email server, as the Democratic presidential candidate accused him of "deeply troubling" behavior 10 days before the US elections. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Speaking to volunteers in Daytona Beach, Florida, Clinton said, "Some of you may have heard about a letter the FBI director sent" on Friday to the US Congress informing it that the agency is again reviewing emails. Comey had decided in July that the FBI was not going to seek prosecution of Clinton for her handling of classified materials on a private email server while she was secretary of state. "It is pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election," Clinton said, adding, "It's not just strange, it's unprecedented and it's deeply troubling because voters deserve to get full and complete facts." She urged Comey to "put it all out on the table." Clinton. Said Comey's actions were, "deeply troubling, because voters deserve to get full and complete facts." (Photo: AP) In tandem with Clinton, fellow Democrats on Saturday also worked to pressure Comey to provide details on a controversy that dominated the presidential campaigns on Saturday, less than two weeks before the Nov. 8 elections. Four US senators - Patrick Leahy, the longest-serving Senate Democrat, Dianne Feinstein, Thomas Carper and Benjamin Cardin - wrote Comey and US Attorney General Loretta Lynch asking that they provide by Monday more detailed information about investigative steps underway. At a press conference in Columbus, Ohio, the Congressional Black Caucus, comprised of about 45 members of the House of Representatives, nearly all Democrats, also urged Comey to be more forthcoming. Sources close to the investigation on Friday said the latest emails were discovered as part of a separate probe into Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Weiner, a former Democratic US congressman from New York, is the target of an FBI investigation into illicit text messages he is alleged to have sent to a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina. FBI Director James Comey. (Photo: Getty Images) Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump pounded away at the new FBI development, devoting a large part of a campaign speech in Golden, Colorado, to attacking Clinton and arguing that she is not to be trusted with the presidency. "Her criminal action was willful, deliberate, intentional and purposeful," Trump said, standing in front of hay bales stacked in a horse barn. "Hillary set up an illegal server for the obvious purpose of shielding her illegal actions from public disclosure and exposure." Comey, however, has not provided any details on whether the emails now under review are being seen for the first time by the FBI or the nature of their contents. Clinton's campaign team tried to downplay the new review. "There's no evidence of wrongdoing, no charge of wrongdoing," said John Podesta, who heads the Clinton campaign, referring to the FBI's latest announcement that it was taking "appropriate investigative steps" after learning of emails "that appear to be pertinent" to the earlier Clinton email probe. In some of his toughest language on Saturday, Podesta portrayed Comey's letter to Congress as "light on facts, heavy on innuendo." Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook, trying to tamp down speculation of a voter backlash this late in the campaign, said Americans had already "factored" what they knew about the email investigation into how they would cast their ballots. "We don't see it changing the landscape" for undecided voters, Mook said. Clinton aides also said this latest controversy has further energized her supporters. Clinton did a campaign swing through Florida as she and Trump were thought to be in a tight race in a state famous for its role in close presidential elections. Republican nominee Donald Trump. "It's very sad. Folks, were living in a third world country." (Photo: AP) Many analysts believe this battleground state is essential for Trump to win in order to have any chance of being elected. In recent weeks, Trump has been running behind Clinton in most public opinion polls. Justice Department officials, according to a source who asked not to be identified, were opposed to the FBI director's letter being sent to Congress and believe his actions conflict with a Justice Department memo outlining instructions that agencies should not to act in ways that could influence elections. While Lynch did not discuss the matter directly with Comey, the source said aides were in touch with each other. Comey let it be known he felt he had to send the letter as a follow-up to his congressional testimony earlier this year regarding the FBI's probe of Clinton's emails, the source said. During his speech in Golden, before flying to Arizona to campaign, Trump accused the Obama administration's Justice Department of trying to protect Clinton from prosecution. The attorney general didnt want anything to happen to Hillary. I wonder why. It's very sad. Folks, were living in a third world country," Trump said. Minister of Finance, Moshe Kahlon, signed a decree raising the amount of compensation for Holocaust survivors and disabled World War II veterans. The raise, which will be given retroactively in the period from October 2015 to the end of 2016, will total NIS 34 million. Beginning in 2017, the raise in compensation will be NIS 48 million and will be passed to the yearly budget of the Holocaust Survivors Rights Authority. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The updated compensation applies to all survivors and other groups totaling roughly 70 thousand people. The increase was put into law as quickly as possible so those eligible could receive the benefits as quickly as possible. Moshe Kahlon (Photo: Eli Mendelbaum) This amount is added to the hundreds of millions of shekels that have been recently allocated to increasing pensions for Holocaust survivors and other eligible groups such as German refugees, forced laborers and children of forced laborers. Additionally, survivors and others are entitled to exemptions from medication purchases as many are elderly or infirm. Survivor protest The Minister of Finance has also lobbied the Knesset for an assistance program as part of the overall budget amounting to NIS 500 million, which includes measures to benefit survivors and improve their well-being. Moshe Kahlon commented, "Today marks another achievement for the wellbeing of Holocaust survivors. Increasing compensation to the victims of Nazi persecution is essential to enabling them to live in dignity and prosperity. We will continue to act on behalf of the continuous improvement of the lives of survivors. I hope our actions allow them to grow old with dignity." Former President Shimon Peres is being used to push for the annexation of Maale Adumim into Israeli sovereign territory. The ad came out on Sunday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The campaign is being called continuing on their path, and uses the faces of all of the prime ministers who have served in that position since the establishment of the community. The ad campaign opens up with Shimon Peres, next to a quote he said regarding the town. Developing Maale Adumim will ensure the fortification of Jerusalem, he said. Shimon Peres (Photo: EPA) During a memorial ceremony on Friday, Peress granddaughter Mika Almog said The hand which is holding the weapon without hesitation must also be the hand which reaches out in peace. The campaign will also use the likeness of Ariel Sharon, who allegedly once said Maale Adumim will be built as a part of the nation of Israel, forever. The likeness of several other leaders who made guarantees or statements attesting to Maale Adumim remaining in Israeli hands forever will also be used. Posters will be placed outside of the Knesset and at the entrances of Jerusalem. The Maale Adumim municipality and the Regavim movement are the main drivers of the campaign, along with the Yesha council. This corresponded to a Knesset move to approve a bill during the winter session. The initiative is being headed by MK Yoav Kish (Likud) and MK Bezalel Smotrich (Jewish Home). This is all being done while immense pressure is on Prime Minister Netanyahu, who worries that US President Obama might take steps against Israel over the settlements during the latters last few days in office. Northern residents specifically from the upper Galilee refuse to remain silent, as hundreds of residents and activists are set to descend upon the Knesset on Monday to protest the governments unwillingness to sign a stimulus plan to develop the north. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The plan, which was not included in the national budget, would have increased economic opportunities, healthcare availability, public transportation, and employment in the north, as well as strengthen its building and road infrastructure. The region is currently in an economic crisis. Mayors, regional council heads, and Knesset members enlisted to the cause. They have sent letters to Prime Minister Netanyahu, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, and Interior and Minister of the Development of the Negev and Galilee Aryeh Deri. They called on them to enact this historic, correct, and just decision to invest in the north. Protest tent on the norther border (Photo: Aviyahu Shapiro) The million and a half million residents living in the Galilee are fed up with the promises of politicians, and find it hard to believe that the Knesset members who were elected to represent them managed to increase the budget from zero today to NIS 18 billion, as promised. After setting up a protest tent on the northern border and hanging giant banners around the region denouncing the government, residents of the Galilee have been asked to go to the Knesset so that lawmakers can see and hear their cries. This is just the opening shot, said Nissin Zoabi, one of the leaders of the Changing Direction organization. We will flood the Knesset with residents from the north, because if the government wont come to the Galilee, the Galilee will go to them. Protesters from the Galilee. Headed to the Knesset. A vast majority of MKs support our struggle, Zoabi claimed. It is upon them to change the government. We expect bi-partisan support to promote the Galilee. MK Dr. Yifat Shasha-Biton (Kulanu party), a resident of the Galilee town of Kiryat Shmona, claims Finance Minister Kahlon (leader of Kulanu) has made efforts to implement the stimulus plan, and that she is "certain it will be put in practice and implemented." According to Shasha-Biton, Kahlon is supposed to meet municipality heads from the north and senior Finance Ministry officials this week in order to further the issue. Hundreds of demonstrators have already signed up for a spot on one of several busses which will transport them from the north to Jerusalem. One of the northern municipal leaders among them is Eli Malka, Head of the Golan Regional Council. "We are working faithfully, determined to save the Galilee," he said, "(Working) alongside Knesset members from the coalition parties, we will not allow the continued incorrect and unjust distribution of government resources while abandoning the north and its residents. We will continue, and intensify, the struggle as long as is needed including a full strike in the Galilee." In 2007, archaeological excavations were launched between the coastal plain and Judea. Their findings have uncovered a series of fascinating discoveries, which may shed light on the biblical story of the battle between David and Goliath and the tumultuous period of the beginning of monarchy in Israel. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The enigmatic findings and the story behind them are now featured in a new exhibition at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem, In the Valley of David and Goliath. Khirbet Qeiyafa. 'If there was a battle, this is where it took place' (Photo courtesy of the Bible Lands Museum) We have a mysterious archaeological site here, with some unusual interface points with the biblical texts, says Dr. Edith Kimchi, director of the museums Education Department. The mysterious site is known as Khirbet Qeiyafa and is located in Israel's Elah Valley, in the Beit Shemesh area. What sparked the researchers imagination, she says, and led to the great interest in what was just another archaeological excavation among many began with a radiocarbon dating test conducted on olive pits found at the site. This led the researchers to the period in which the Kingdom of David was established, according to the Bible. So far, no archaeological evidence for the existence of this period has been found in Israel. What does this have to do with the DavidGoliath battle? According to Yehuda Kaplan, one of the curators of the exhibition, the answer can be summed up in one word: location. The date received in the radiocarbon dating test takes us back to the end of the period of judges and to the beginning of the Kingdom of Judah. An interesting inscription found on a ceramic jar. 'It's a private name: Esh Baal Ben Bada' (Photo: Tal Rogovsky) We have a very accurate geographical indication of the valley where the Philistines gathered for a war against Israel. The Bible says it happened between Sokho and Azekah, which are both geographical locations that we have identified at a very high level of certainty. In the description of the battle itself we find, of course, a lot of mythical elements aimed at glorifying David and presenting him as fit to be king. So if there was a battle, this is the area it took place in. Kaplan says that Prof. Yosef Garfinkel, one of the leaders of the excavation, believes that Qeiyafa is in fact the biblical city of Shaarayim, which is mentioned in the story of the battle: Part of the description of this legendary battle notes that after seeing their hero fall and die, the Philistines fled back to Gath and Ekron (the nearby Philistine cities) through Shaarayim. Surprisingly, and very uniquely for a small and fortified city, two impressive gates were found at the site. During the time of David, Jerusalem covered an area of 40-50 dunams (about 9-12 acres), and this city was half of that. So why two gates? And why one facing Philistia and the other facing the opposite direction? We have no answer, just an assumption. Shaarayim is also mentioned as a community located on the land of the tribe of Judah in the exact same area. So far, thats the best explanation I have encountered, linking an archaeological finding to the name. Is this indeed the Shaarayim which witnessed that battle? Who knows. David or the mysterious Elhanan? Using the Bible to explain archaeological findings is controversial. Even in the exhibition itself, the curators constantly try to offer the audience a variety of directions and assumptions about the exhibits. In the gap between a myth and reality backed by archeological findings, there is a lot of grey area, says Kaplan. Archaeology doesnt have the ability to say if something happened or did not happen, about a lot of stuff. For example, we have not found Goliaths skeleton or shield. There have also been doubts whether David himself was a real figure. Some researchers accept every line in the Bible, and others see it as a mythological collection and therefore saw David as a sort of King Arthur. The Bible, in any event, is not a history book. It reflects opinions. It has a didactic mission, but in my eyes, it has absorbed historical material. Kaplan adds that the Bible itself is uncertain about who killed Goliath (2 Samuel 21). There is a shortened tradition which asserts that he was killed by someone from Bethlehem called Elhanan. One may suggest that there was more than one Goliath, or that there was a tradition about a hero from Bethlehem who killed Goliath, and that the Bible, which made David more and more central over time, copy pasted and attributed the story to King David. There is no way of knowing. According to Kaplan, an Aramaic inscription found in Tel Dan in 1993 and 1994 (which is displayed in the exhibition) finally removed King David from the myth category to the proven reality. Its a bragging inscription in which the king of Aram presents the list of kings he subdued. Alongside the king of Israel, appears a king called Beit David. This is a rare source coming from someone from the outside who did not write the Bible, and on the other hand, acknowledges David as the founder of the royal dynasty. This is clear historical evidence. But in our story, things are more subject to interpretation in terms of the identity of the residents in the uncovered city. Some researchers accept every line in the Bible, and others see it as a mythological collection and therefore saw David as a sort of 'King Arthur' (Photo: Getty Images) An empire, a kingdomas the kingdom of David and Solomon is describedis a complicated mechanism which includes bureaucracy and fortified cities. Hardly any archaeological remains have been found from that period. But then they find evidence of a city with two gates; a planned, fortified city, like you find in a kingdom society. Rural people dont build such a thing. It requires an organized, guiding mechanism. And the question is: Who issued the order? The excavation delegation was led by led by Prof. Yosef Garfinkel of the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Sa'ar Ganor from the Israel Antiquities Authority and Prof. Michael Hazel of the Southern Adventist University of Tennessee, who tried to claim that there was an attempt by the young Kingdom of Judah to spread and take over the important road leading from the coast to mountain ridge. On the other hand, the findings are not unequivocal. According to the excavators, this may be evidence for the earliest Judaic settlement found, and on the other hand, it may be an ancient Canaanite city which remained. In any event, the site was populated for a short period of time, says Kaplan. You dont see a development. And on the other hand, you do see evidence of a violent destruction. The excavators suggestion was to see this city as an attempt by the Kingdom of Judah to hold onto the land, an attempt which failed. We should remember where Goliath came from: From Gath. Gath was huge a city which was being dug for 20 years. The Philistines were, undoubtedly, a significant security threat. That is also the reason why Samuel was asked to crown them a king who might be able to remove the threat. The most ancient Hebrew inscription So what was found on the site which wont stop occupying researchers? Quite a lot, it seems. For example, animal bonesa finding which can indicate not only the nutrition but also the ethnic affiliation. They did not find any pig bones, which are found in Philistine sites. This indicates that we are not talking about a Philistine population. On the other hand, Canaanites didnt eat pork either. The excavators also found in the city two inscriptions which are the cause of a war of versions between researchers: We found an inscription in Canaanite alphabet on broken clay pottery. On the other hand, it was much older than other findings of Canaanite writing from the same period. This is also the writing from which the ancient Hebrew writing later developed. Most of the inscription is unreadable, but the researchers managed to identify five words: king, judged and phrases such as dont do and work, says Kaplan. If its Hebrew, then its the most ancient inscription found. Another inscription which raises interest was found on a ceramic jar. Its a first name: Esh Baal Ben Bada. We dont know Bada. It could be Canaanite. Baal sounds Canaanite because of the Baal prophets and in a Canaanite context. But Baal is not divinity; it is a name of respect for the god. When you look for Esh Baal in the Bible, you find it in the five sons of Saul in the Book of Chronicles. The Book of Samuel calls him Ish Bosheth, the son who ruled after Saul until he was murdered. In terms of the dates, it falls on the exact period we are discussing, of Saul, David and Samuel. The 'In the Valley of David and Goliath' exhibition. 'We prefer to let the audience decide which explanation it accepts' (Photo: Oded Antman) They didnt find a main temple in the city, but they did find evidence of ritual activity in the area of the gate, and inside certain homes as well. This corresponds with the Book of Judges and the descriptions of ritual activity which took place in houses. They also found three fragments of temple models, some adorned with two pillars in the front and two lions and ornaments on the roof, which match the Canaanite ritual. On the other hand, there is a difference both in size and in the fact that one of them is entirely carved in stone. This model does not have descriptions of a human figure or animals, but architectural ornaments only. According to a researcher of the site, they explain the architectural descriptions of Solomons Temple, which David began constructing. So did David and Goliath happen or not? And is Qeiyafa Shaarayim or a Canaanite settlement? We prefer to let the audience decide for itself which explanation it accepts. Its possible that we will find out in the future that Qeiyafa is indeed the earliest evidence of the settlement of the people of Israel, which researchers have been waiting for. The Bible, in any event, is a vivid and fascinating source not necessarily for answers, but also for questions: Who are we and what is our history? Following the State Attorney Generals opposition to vote on the legislation bill to legalize the status of the Amona settlement in the West Bank, the vote on the proposal was postponed. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The postponement comes after Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit asked the Ministerial Committee for Legislation to reject a vote on the bill which would have regulated the eviction of the settlement. Amona. 'Regulation bill' vote postponed. (Photo: Tomerico) In December 2014, then-Supreme Court President Asher Grunis ruled that homes built in Amona were constructed on private Palestinian land, and shall be demolished within two years. So far, attempts to legalize their status have not borne fruit. AG Mandelblit stated as early as July that he sees the 'regulation bill' as unconstitutional. In response, Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked said, "The attorney general does not have veto power over laws. The attorney general (has a relationship with the government that is like) an attorney-client relationship. At the end of the day, the decision-maker should be an elected official." Veteran Israeli journalist Ari Shavit resigned his positions in the Haaretz newspaper and Channel 10 News on Sunday, after a second woman came forth accusing him of sexual harassment. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter "I am ashamed for the severe mistakes I made in my treatment of people in general, and women in particular. I am ashamed that I did not treat my wife and children correctly. I am ashamed of the actions I took," Shavit said. Last week, Jewish Journal reporter Danielle Berrin published a story titled "My sexual assault, and yours: Every womans story," in which she detailed a sexual assault she experienced at the hands of an unnamed Israeli journalist in February 2014. Ari Shavit. "I was stricken with blindness." (Photo: Yariv Katz) Shortly thereafter, Ari Shavit outed himself as the journalist in question , explaining that he believes he "misconstrued the interaction between us during that meeting." He added that, "Prior to reading Berrin's article, I thought that we had had a friendly conversation that included some flirtation." The two met for an interview while Shavit was in the United States to promote a book he had written. Berrin responded to Shavit's apology with another Jewish Journal post, in which she stated, "His claim is absurd. The only thing I wanted from Ari Shavit was an interview about his book. No person of sound judgment would have interpreted his advances on me as anything other than unwanted, aggressive sexual contact." "None of this was flirtation; this was an assault on my dignity and professionalism that frightened and disturbed me," she added. Shavit further stated on Sunday, "In the past few days I've understood that I was stricken with blindness. For years, I hadn't understood what people were talking about when they spoke of privileged men who don't see the damage they cause others. Now I am starting to understand." Danielle Berrin. "This was an assault on my dignity and professionalism that frightened and disturbed me." "I take full moral responsibility for my actions and am concluding my employment at the Haaretz newspaper and Channel 10," he continued, "I intend to dedicate more time to being with my familywhich is precious to me above all elseand to making a personal correction. I understand that this is not a process that can be done overnight, and I am committed to going through it sincerely. I will do all I can so that I never have to be ashamed of my actions again." Shavit's resignations and second apology came after another woman, who at the time was employed by US lobbying group J Street, on Sunday accused him, in a story published by Jewish-American news site Forward, of sexually harassing her during a visit to Baltimore in April 2014. Three Border Police officers were lightly wounded in a vehicular attack outside the Palestinian town of Beit Ummar, northwest of Hebron, on Sunday afternoon. Shortly beforehand, a 5-year-old boy was lightly wounded from window fragments from a stone-throwing incident at a T-intersection nearby Maaleh Amos, also in Gush Etzion. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter The scene of the vehicular attack (: ) X The wounded police officers, all in their 30s, were injured in their lower bodies, and they were taken to Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Medical Center after being treated at the scene by Magen David Adom. The terrorist, 23-year-old Khaled Ikhalil from Beit Ummar, was shot dead by other Border Police officers present. The car used in the vehicular attack (Photo: Israel Police) The attack took place nearby the scene of a shooting attack that took place on Saturday evening on Highway 60. Nobody was injured in that attack. The where the 5 year old was injured (Photo: Hatzalah Yehuda & Shomron Spokesman) This is the fifth terrorist attack in the West Bank since Friday evening. The wounded child was taken to Hadassah Medical Center in the capital. The stone-throwing took place outside the Arab town of Tekoa. Syrian rebels opened a new front in Aleppo as fighting spread on the third day of a major insurgent counter-attack to break the government's siege of the opposition-held part of the city, and each side accused the other using poison gas. The rebels, including both Free Syrian Army factions and jihadists, are seeking to end the siege by seizing government-held areas of Aleppo, in an effort to link the city's rebel-held east with rebel-held rural areas to the west of the city. Syrian state media said militants had fired shells containing chlorine gas at a residential area of the government-held western part of the city, al-Hamdaniya. Rebels denied that, and said government forces had fired poison gas on another frontline. REYKJAVIK - Icelanders opted for stability in a general election with anti-establishment Pirate Party falling short of expectations and the junior partner in the outgoing government emerging on top. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter With voters still angered by the 2008 financial crisis and the naming of several government figures in an offshore tax haven scandal this year, Icelanders looked to oust the center-right coalition in its current form. The biggest group, the Progressive Party, lost more than half its share of the vote in Saturday's election after Prime Minister Sigmundur Davi Gunnlaugsson resigned following revelations in the "Panama Papers" scandal. Pirate Party receives election results X The Pirate Party, founded by a group of internet activists, failed to perform as well as opinion polls had indicated. While its share of the vote tripled from the last election in 2013, it came in only third with 15 percent. Instead, voters appeared to have recognized efforts to stabilize the economy after its 2008 collapse. The center-right Independence Party, which shared power in the outgoing government, won the largest share of the vote with 29 percent. No party has won an outright majority, and President Guni Johannesson has yet to hand the mandate to the party that will be tasked with forming the next government. Pirate Party members watch the results (Photo: Reuters) The Independence Party said it would try to form the next government. "We have the most support... So I'd say yes," Independence leader and current Finance Minister Bjarni Benediktsson told Reuters when asked whether he considered his party the winner. He said he would prefer to form a three-party coalition, but declined to say with whom. Johannesson told Reuters he would meet the president on Sunday and said it would be "natural" for the head of state to look to the Independence Party. In a tight race, the newly-established Vireisn, or Reform Party, could become kingmaker. The pro-European, liberal party which won around 10 percent of votes in its first election has not yet taken sides. The Independence Party has been part of every government between 1980 and 2009 and again from 2013, presided over the privatization of the banks, the financial sector's liberalization and demise, and eventual the economic recovery. No pirate surrender Poet Birgitta Jonsdottir, who leads the Pirate Party said she was happy with the result. "Our internal predictions showed 10 to 15 percent, so this is at the top of the range. We knew that we would never get 30 percent," she said. "Epic success! There are a lot of coalition possibilities; lots of work ahead," Pirate Party member Smari McCarthy, who will be one of the party's 10 lawmakers, tweeted. It excluded working with the Independence Party and would work on forming a five-party alliance with the three other opposition parties and newcomer Vireisn. The Left-Green Movement, which emerged as the second-biggest party, said it would be willing to work on such an alliance, but the Reform Party was lukewarm to the idea. Supporters of the broader pirate movement from 15 countries, along with ex-campaign workers for former US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, had visited Reykjavik to back the Icelandic party, hoping that it would have a shot at forming the next government and deal another blow to mainstream politicians. Elections in Iceland (Photo: AFP) The Independence Party has promised to lower taxes and keep the economic recovery on track. Fuelled by a tourism boom, economic growth has recovered since the banking crisis and is expected to hit 4.3 percent this year. The senior coalition partner in the outgoing government, the Progressive Party, saw its support dive to 11.5 percent. It was hurt badly when Gunnlaugsson resigned as prime minister in April after documents leaked from a Panamanian law firm linked him to an offshore company that held millions of dollars in debt from failed Icelandic banks. The Independence Party will hold 21 seats in the 63 member parliament, up two. Representation by the Left-Green Movement rose three to 10 seats, while the Pirate Party has gained seven to 10 seats. Nebraskans are now getting a look at one of the ramifications of putting someone from a billionaire family in the governors office. Gov. Pete Ricketts is dumping big money into legislative races. This has the potential to reshape the dynamics of Nebraskas unique nonpartisan, one-house Legislature. At last report Ricketts, had given at least $44,500 of his own money to legislative candidates. Its already a matter of public record that Ricketts has endorsed opponents of incumbent state senators even members of his own party who had the temerity to vote to override his vetoes on issues like the death penalty, gas tax increase and allowing young Nebraskans brought here illegally as children to have drivers licenses. And now Ricketts money is fueling some legislative campaigns. Any student of human nature will understand that it might give a state senator second thoughts in the future about opposing the governor on legislative and public policy issues. Its likely that a state senator who received a donation from the governor will be more enthusiastic about advancing the governors legislative priorities. Topping the list of nine candidates who have received Ricketts money to date (published earlier in the Journal Star) was John Lowe of Kearney, to whom the governor gave $10,000. Lowe is opposed by Bob Lammers in District 37. Ricketts has put money down in two legislative races in Lincoln. Dick Clark received $1,000 to help campaign against Anna Wishart in District 27. Suzanne Geist got $5,000 in her campaign against Jim Gordon in District 25. Theres nothing illegal about this, of course. And previous governors also have funneled money to favored candidates. Former Gov. Dave Heineman donated $7,500 to six candidates through his official campaign committee. But Ricketts has upped the ante, with the potential to raise it again and again. His willingness to use his own money is shown by the $300,000 he has donated to the battle to vote down repeal of the death penalty. District 47 candidate Karl Elmshaeuser of Ogallala, who has received $5,000 from Ricketts in his race against Steve Erdman, told Grant Schulte of The Associated Press. I dont take money from people I cant say no to. No doubt other recipients of Ricketts money would make a similar assertion. Nonetheless, we think that it might be a lot easier for Ricketts to pull a few strings in the next legislative session. In December, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot is set to announce another round of appointments in the General Staff, among them a new deputy chief of staff to replace his current no. 2, Maj. Gen. Yair Golan. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter This will be the first major appointment approved by Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman since his entering office in late May. It will also be the first time Eisenkot will get to pick his deputy, with Golan being forced upon him by former defense minister Moshe Ya'alon immediately after Eisenkot was appointed to lead the Israeli military. There are several official candidates for the position, but only two are considered serious: GOC Northern Command Aviv Kochavi and former GOC Southern Command Sami Turgeman. Aviv Kochavi (Photo: Effi Sharir) It is well known that Eisenkot preferred to appoint Turgenam as his deputy back when he first came into office, and that Kochavi has been seen as having a bright IDF future for a long time starting when he was a colonel, and commander of the Paratroopers' Brigade. A major factor in the decision could be the upcoming state comptroller's report on Operation Protective Edge, which may affect the candidates positively or negatively. Sources who read the first draft of the report describe it as harshly critical towards former IDF chief Benny Gantz, then-IDF Military Intelligence Directorate head Maj. Gen. Kochavi, and an IDF brigadier general who has since retired. Kochavi has been spending time explaining his actions during the operation, attempting to keep alive his prospects for becoming chief of staff one day. Sami Turgeman (Photo: Motti Kimchi) Kochavi is considered a brilliant, well-liked officer, and he is sure to fight for his reputation here. It wouldn't surprise many who know him if Kochavi decides to publically respond to the comptroller's report if it turns out to be negative. As a particularly articulate person with considerable oratorical skills, he could make a significant impact with such a move. If the report does eliminate his chances for the deputy position, Eisenkot and Lieberman may still ask him to remain in his current position as GOC Northern Command, in which he has served for two years, and which would allow him to contend for the Chief of Staff position when Eisenkot's term ends. Turgeman started his IDF career in the Armored Corps and is expected to be mentioned slightly positively in the comptroller's report, since he did important work in preparing the Southern Command for the campaign the began in summer 2014 and warned of the Hamas attack tunnel threat in advance. A bus full of passengers collided with two other vehicles in the south of the country on Sunday evening, killing two 22-year-old twin brothers and injuring 18 other persons. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Magen David Adom paramedics provided first aid at the scene and transported the 18 wounded to the Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva. Amongst them were a young woman who was seriously wounded, the 61-year-old bus driver with moderate injuries to his chest and 16 of the bus's passengers, who were all lightly injured. The site of the crash (: ) X The collision caused the Negev's Highway 31 to be closed to traffic for a time between the Tel Arad and Shoket Junctions. Israel Police are investigating the causes of the collision. The initial report revealed that a car was making a U-turn and blocked the oncoming bus, which rammed into that car. That section of Highway 31 was undergoing improvement Emergency services at scene (Photo: Negev Fire and Rescue Services) Highway 31 is one of the most dangerous roads in the country. In February of this year, three men were killed when two cars were involved in a head-on collision, exactly one year after a collision that killed eight women. According to data from the Or Yarok Association for Safer Driving in Israel, 79 persons have been killed in the 465 road accidents of the past ten years on that road. A further 122 persons were seriously injured out of the 1,369 persons injured overall. Sunday's earthquake hit the same central regions that have been rocked by repeated tremors over the past two months. Although it was bigger than an Aug. 24 earthquake that killed almost 300 people, no-one died on Sunday, but there was huge damage. Weakened by repeated powerful jolts in recent weeks, many of the churches, monasteries and chapels in Norciaa town in the Italian regon of Umbriawere completely wrecked. "We thought it was the end of everything," said 74-year-old Sister Maria Raffaella Buoso, sitting on a bench outside the walls of Norcia after being evacuated from the Monastery of the Poor Clares of Santa Maria della Pace. Syrian insurgents on Sunday kept up their shelling of government-controlled areas of Aleppo, killing at least seven people, including three children, state TV reported, and pushing their way with car bombs and tanks into new territory in the western part of the city. The Syrian government claimed the opposition fighters used toxic gas. The attacks raised the death toll in the three-day old offensive to at least 41 civilians, including 16 children, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition monitoring group that has a network of activists in rebel and government controlled areas in Syria. The Observatory said hundreds of mortars were lobbed. United Nations Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said he was "appalled and shocked by the high number of rockets indiscriminately launched" on civilian suburbs of government-held Aleppo. After data from last summer found an increase in young Israeli Arabs joining the police, the organization decided to launch a new campaign about including Arab officers geared toward the Arab population, in an effort to get their police enlistment numbers even higher. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Until recently, joining the police was considered a highly unconventional choice in the Arab community, and one that brought on a great deal of criticism from Arab leaders, all the while garnering a great deal of support from local Arab leaders and Arab municipality heads. The campaign features a video in which Master Sgt. Ahed Shibli, a precinct officer in the Jerusalem District, explains to young Arabs the importance of serving in the police. You can arrive at the scene of an incident speaking in Hebrew and understand something completely different. But if you come speaking his language and understanding what hes saying, youll know how to solve the problem. Master Sgt. Ahed Shibli Also in the video is 1st Sgt. Fadi Bisan, a community police officer who says that Israeli society is comprised of a variety of sectors and ethnicitiesJews, Druze and Christians. My job as a police officer is to balance and guard each and every persons life. First Sgt. Fadi Bisan First Sgt. Zohar Shubash, another community police officer, adds, Being an Arabic speaker is a real asset. Having someone understand me, having us understand each other, will make him feel more secure speaking to someone in his own language. Hell feel more secure speaking to me in my own language. First Sgt. Zohar Shubash The campaign is part of a larger plan headed by Minister of Public Security, Strategic Affairs and Minister of Information Gilad Erdan (Likud) and Israel Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh to improve policing within the Arab sector. So far, the initiative has seen 1,200 new Arab recruits and the establishments of ten new police stations. Minister of Public Security, Strategic Affairs Gilad Erdan (Photo: Miriam Elster/Flash 90) There has, however, been some pushback. Even after Erdan and Alsheikh appointed Jamal Hakroush to be the first Muslim major general in the Israel Police and appointed him to head the above-mentioned initiative, there were those among the Arab leadership who questioned Muslims motivation in joining the police, which many supposedly see as a hostile and biased body. Were leading an historic plan to deepen law and order within the Arab sector, said Erdan. But we wont be able to close the law enforcement gaps without having the (people from the) Arab community join police ranks and take part in enforcing the law in Arab villages and municipalities, for their sake and for the sake of personal freedom in this country. Stiri pe aceeasi tema - Social Democratic Party (PSD) President, Marcel Ciolacu demanded that the Romanian parties that are part of the EPP and Renew groups do all they can to convince their colleagues that Romania deserves to enter Schengen, stating that he is worried by the abstentions of their representatives in the - More than 25 car brands, along with more than 12 unique cars worth over 5 million euros, as well as 600 companies in the field of equipment, self-service car wash, parts and accessories, exhibit between October 6 and 16, at the edition from this year of the Bucharest Auto Show (SAB) & Accessories, - Recomandam urmatoarea reteta pentru cei care sufera de afectiuni pulmonare, pentru fosti fumatori sau pentru consumatori activi sau pasivi de tutun. Din cauza poluarii din aer si din produsele ingerate, toate organele sufera dar in ceea ce priveste fumul de tigara, plamanii sunt cei mai vatamati. Din - Locuitorii din Martha"s Vineyard, pana ieri empatici cu imigrantii din America de Sud, au refuzat sa gazduiasca 50 de imigranti ilegali, expulzati din Florida de guvernatorul republican Ron DeSantis. Comunitatea extrem de bogata din aceasta insula fostul presedinte Barack Obama are aici o vila de - The Ministry of Finance borrowed, on Monday, 290.5 million RON (rd 60 million euros) from the commercial banks, through an issue of benchmark state bonds, with a residual maturity of 164 months, at an average yield of 8.38% per year, according to data published by the National Bank of Romania. - The Mintia thermal power station has been bought for 91 million euros by Mass Global Energy Rom, part of the Mass Group Holding group, at a public auction, the judicial administrator of the Hunedoara Energy Complex announced on Friday in a press statement. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. - Almost 1 million legal entities and other entities (951,579) were registered with the National Tax Administration Agency (ANAF) virtual private space as of June 30, 2022, up 24,039 from late May 2022, according to an H1 2022 ANAF activity report. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste - Forta NATO din Kosovo (KFOR) este pregatita sa intervina daca stabilitatea este amenintata de tulburarile de la frontiera cu Serbia, a avertizat, miercuri, 3 august, secretarul general al Aliantei Nord-Atlantice, Jens Stoltenberg, dupa o discutie cu presedintele sarb Aleksandar Vucici, relateaza agentia Bangui: French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian heads to the Central African Republic on Sunday to formally end Operation Sangaris, begun three years ago to halt mass killings there but which failed to disarm militias terrorising the population. The formal end to the French mission comes as a fresh wave of bloodshed shook the troubled nation, spearheaded by rival Muslim and Christian militia groups. "France is not giving up on Central Africa," Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Thursday, highlighting the presence of more than 10,000 UN peacekeepers from the MINUSCA mission. But many Central Africans are worried about the departure of the French troops, who were urgently deployed following a wave of bloodshed in December 2013. "Armed groups are getting ready. And I`m afraid they will start an all-out offensive when the French have left," a senior political figure told AFP, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject. "The militias fear the French troops but not the UN force." In recent weeks, people have been living in fear as armed groups have resumed their acts of violence in the interior of the country, leaving dozens dead. On Thursday and Friday alone, at least 25 people were killed, among them six members of the security forces following clashes in the central town of Bambari and the surrounding area, MINUSCA said. Armed groups have flourished over the years given the weakness of the state. Among the main culprits are factions from the mostly-Muslim former Seleka rebel force, and the Christian anti-Balaka militias. But there are also vigilante groups made up of nomadic Fulani herders, who are predominantly Muslim as well as others which specialise in highway robbery. One of the world`s poorest countries, the Central African Republic has scarcely emerged from the chaos of civil war which erupted in 2013 following the overthrow of then president Francoise Bozize, a Christian, by Muslim rebels from the Seleka coalition who installed their own leader. Christians who comprise about 80 percent of the population then organised vigilante units -- dubbed "anti-Balaka" in reference to the machetes used by the rebels -- which then began to target Muslims, plunging the country into a crisis. According to Human Rights Watch, the Seleka and anti-Balaka groups committed widespread abuses against civilians, including killings, sexual violence, and destruction of private, public and religious properties, causing mass displacement. French troops backed by a UN mandate arrived in December 2013. A month later, the Seleka president was forced to step down following massive international pressure over his failure to end the violence.Despite this explosive cocktail, France, the former colonial power, decided earlier this year to end its mission in the country with Le Drian telling parliament earlier this month that the operation had been "a success". "We stopped the mass killings... allowed a process of intercommunal reconciliation, the reconstitution of the state, a presidential election, and legislative elections," he said during a debate. "Even if stability has not been entirely restored, it is important now... that this role be handed over to the Central African forces and the UN mission." Around 350 French troops, equipped with observation drones, will remain present, around 100 of whom will be deployed with the UN, the French government says.The French operation has not been entirely smooth, with its troops coming under intense pressure since July 2014 over allegations of child rape. Despite the troubling claims, fears of a return to violence have triggered concern among Central African civilians over the imminent pullout. "I think there is a sense of unfinished business which risks plunging the country back into a much worse situation," said a teacher called Edgar Ngbaba. "I don`t believe in this withdrawal at all," said Marie Ndoinam, a trader. And the worry of Bangui residents is only fuelled by news filtering through from the interior of the country. According to several Central African sources contacted by AFP, several hundreds of heavily-armed Seleka gunmen from rival factions have begun gathering in Batangafo, some 350 kilometres (220 miles) north of Bangui. Stephanie Bohlke-Schulte is the most qualified candidate running for State Board of Education District 1, based on her 26 years of direct experience in education. Bohlke-Schulte has served as a rural and urban public school teacher, as well as a public school principal for 10 years and a school counselor for 11 years. She was the curriculum director for the Nebraska State Patrol Training Academy for two years. Bohlke-Schulte was elected to two terms on the Grand Island Public School Board of Education and hired and worked alongside our current Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent Steve Joel. She has earned two master's degrees in educational psychology and educational administration. She can work extensively with assessment data to determine research-based educational decisions and alignment of standards to goals, curriculum and testing at the state level -- all direct responsibilities of the Nebraska State Board of Education. Washington: Calling Donald Trump as the "least qualified" presidential nominee in the US history with no knowledge about national security, outgoing Vice President Joe Biden criticised the real estate tycoon for making the campaign "crude" with offensive remarks against women. "This man is unfit to be President of the United States of America. I never questioned another man's motive where I look at when he says and what he does. That's what he says and what he does," Biden said at an election rally in Las Vegas for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. "This is a man who is devoid of any substance of knowledge about America's security," he added. In his remarks, Biden slammed Trump for his rhetoric. "This man is either totally devoid of any knowledge or -- I really mean it now. I really mean it. This is deadly earnest stuff, because he is undermining American security already. This is a guy who says that, 'You know it is not bad that Japan and Saudi Arabia get nuclear weapons, that is a good idea'," he said. "This is a guy who says, 'We ban all Muslims from the United States.' That is the real way of keeping cooperation going in the rest of the world, isn't it? "This is a guy -- they actually ran clips of him on television. I do not have to make any of this up, saying that, 'Because I am famous, I can grope.' He has made the campaign so crude. 'I can grope women and he names private places.' Ladies and gentleman, I have spent my whole career. I am the guy who wrote Violence Against Women Act," Biden said. "I have spent my whole career trying to change the culture. And here the presidential candidate says, 'Because he is famous and powerful, he can grope any women he wants,' and, quote, 'They let him do it.' That is a textbook definition of sexual assault," he said. Biden continued with his anti-Trump campaign at another election rally in Reno. "You don't have to make anything up when it comes to Donald Trump. You know it's ? he is the least qualified nominee of either political party in the history of the United States of America," he said. "This guy, he praises (Russian President Vladimir) Putin all throughout Europe and the world talking about him being a strong leader, as he, Putin, uses his intelligence community to hack into cyberspace here in the United States. This is a guy who didn't even know that Crimea was part of Ukraine - it's a part of Ukraine that's already occupied," he said. New Delhi: The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) has cancelled Diwali leave of all its employees and is ready with 1,500 fire fighters across the city to handle any emergency on Sunday. "We will deploy our maximum fire vehicles and full staff to respond any fire call promptly," Chief Fire Officer GC Mishra told IANS. "Diwali leave of all our employees have been cancelled as extra manpower is needed to ensure a fast response and minimum damage to life and property," he added. The officer said that the 1,500 fire fighters along with the back-up teams in control room, workshops and other departments would be on duty to tackle emergency situations. "A total of 59 fire stations exist and we have established 22 additional centres considering last year's experience," Mishra said. A total of 290 fire incidents were reported during Diwali last year. Fire engines would be stationed at 22 sensitive areas across the city like Azadpur Mandi, Bara Tooti Chowk in Sadar Bazar, Ghitorni, Tilak Nagar, Lajpat Nagar and Gandhi Nagar as a precaution as the maximum number of fire calls are received from these areas, Mishra said. The additional emergency teams would be stationed at designated areas from 5 p.m. on Sunday till midnight. For quick response, 10 motorcycles and 11 quick reaction teams too have been readied. Some fire engines have been deputed at some police stations near congested areas so that the response time can be shortened, Mishra said. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed happiness over the progress being made in all states of India to make the country Open Defecation Free (ODF). Addressing the nation in his monthly radio programme `Mann Ki Baat`, Modi praised people helping their respective areas to become ODF. The Prime Minister talked about an incident where an army personnel donated thousand of rupees to help make his village Open Defecation Free. "Vikas Thakur of ITBP, who was on a holiday in a village in Himachal Pradesh, came to know that some people in his village were unable to build toilets in their homes because of want of money. He immediately gave Rs 5,700 to village Pradhan asking him to help build toilets for 57 families in the villages," he said. Modi also expressed satisfaction over other states like Kerala, Haryana and others for their efforts to become ODF states. Modi also wished countrymen on the occasion of Diwali. Attari (Punjab): The Border Security Force (BSF) on Sunday refused to exchange sweets and greetings with Pakistani Rangers along the international boundary on the occasion of Diwali. The BSF move in the wake of the recent heightened tension between the two countries. India has accused Pakistan of supporting terrorists from its soil who carried out an attack on an army base camp at Uri last month and unprovoked ceasefire violations along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir in recent months. Border guards of both countries have for the past several years followed a tradition of exchanging sweets on major religious festivals like the Eid and Diwali, and also during Independence Days of both countries. The BSF is on maximum alert in Punjab following recent ceasefire violations and Pakistan-backed terrorism incidents in neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir. In the past 2-3 years, border guards have skipped the exchange of sweets on a few occasions. The exchange ceremony is mainly held at the Attari-Wagah joint check post, 30 km from Amritsar, on the International Border. Punjab has a 553-km barbed wire fenced border with Pakistan. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the nation through its Mann Ki Baat programme on the occasion of Diwali. The PM lauded the courage of our soldiers and thanked the nation for sending them messages. PM Modi began his address by extending his Diwali greetings to the nation. Here's what he said: - Diwali is a festival that is also associated with cleanliness. Every body clean their homes, but it is the need of the hour is to clean the area around us. - Diwali is a festival that is being celebrated world over. - India's culture and festivals make us aware about our environment and instills sense of responsibility towards plants, birds, rivers, animals and mountains. - Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lit up Diyas on the occasion of Diwali and tweeted a picture of him. - Britain Prime Minister Theresa May also accorded a reception to celebrate Diwali. - PM dedicated Diwali to the armed forces, who are guarding the borders 365 days, so that we can live in peace and celebrate festivals like Diwali. - From last few months our jawans (soldiers) are sacrificing their lives, we should celebrate this Diwali in their name," PM Modi said. - He urged the people to lit a 'diya' in memory of the jawans posted at various units of the Indian armed forces. - The Prime Minister said every citizen of the country is proud of our soldiers, adding that people from walks of life sent messages of love and encouragement for our jawans (soldiers), just as they light candles for their well being. - Recognising the works of the Armed forces, PM Modi, Be it BSF (Border Security Force), CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force), Assam Rifles, ITBP (Indo Tibetan Border Police), Navy, Air Force, our jawans are on duty and guarding us. That is why we are celebrating Diwali joyfully." - PM applauded soldiers for their undying love and sacrifice for the country. - The Prime Minister thanked the people for sending Diwali greetings to the soldiers. - PM congratulates Himachal Pradesh and Skikkim for attaining the status of 'Open Defecation Free States'. He laid confidence in Kerala to soon follow the path. - He thanked enggineering students of Kerala, who are actively involved in making the state 'Open Defecation Free'. - The PM appealled the people to take a pledge to address concerns of poor and needy people, stop distinguishing between girl and boy child. - PM implores citizens to be a responsible citizen and take government policies to villages and to those who have not been to avail of it. - PM Modi remembered Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and addressed him as 'The nation builder'. He urged the countrymen to pledge for unity on this Ekta Divas, which would observe don the death anniversary of Dardar Patel (31st October, 2016). - Sardar Patel has a rich contribution in strengthening the cooperative movement in India. He was always dedicated to farmer welfare, PM said. - The Prime Minister paid tributes to Guru Nanak during his Mann Ki Baat programme. - PM Narendra Modi ends Mann Ki Baat by wishing all a very Happy Diwali! "May you all have Peaceful and happy life... Thank you," he said. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation through his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' on All India Radio on the auspicious occasion of Diwali on Sunday. The programme which will be based on number of themes will be aired today at 11:00 am. The programme would also be streamed on the You Tube channels of Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and DD News. PM Modi had earlier urged people to share their ideas for the programme on the MyGov Open Forum and share their voice messages on the toll-free number 1800-3000-7800. This will be the 25th edition of the PM Modi's radio programme and as usual will be broadcast on the entire network of AIR and Doordarshan. At the same time, regional language versions of the programme will be aired by AIR stations in respective regions at 8 pm. Kinnaur (HP): The first installment of nearly Rs 5,500 crore has been paid for implementing the OROP scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said while asserting that he has "fulfilled the promise" he made to ex-servicemen on the issue that has been hanging fire for the last 40 years. The Prime Minister, while celebrating Diwali with army and ITBP personnel in Sumdo here, over 270 km from state capital Shimla, also lauded the role of the security force personnel guarding and protecting the country. "Spent time with our courageous @ITBP_official & Army Jawans at Sumdo, Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh. Jai Jawan! Jai Hind!," he tweeted. Earlier in his 'Mann ki Baat' programme on All India Radio, he saluted the valour of the armed forces and lauded their sacrifice while dedicating the festival of Diwali to them. "The OROP was not about just Rs 200 or Rs 500 crore, but Rs 10,000 crore... After I became the PM, and decided that I had to do (implement) it, the entire government lost sleep over it... It was not possible for the government to pay in one go, so I requested the ex-servicemen to accept it in four instalments. "The money will reach them in four installments. Nearly, Rs 5,500 crore has been paid as the first installment," Modi said. He said the issue had been pending for "40 years" as certain people in the previous governments "did not know" about OROP (scheme), and therefore "only Rs 500 crore was allocated" for the purpose. Modi also said that many people thought that if the scheme was not implemented, a section of "ex-servicemen would turn against the government". The Prime Minister, on his way to Sumdo, met civilians at Himachal's Chango village, close to the Sino-Indian border. "Made unscheduled stop at Chango village, close to Somdu, to wish people on Diwali. Was deeply touched by the impromptu reception & their joy," Modi tweeted. "The Prime Minister spent time with ITBP jawans and personnel of Dogra Scouts of army at Sumdo on border of Kinnaur and Spiti, and distributed sweets to them," an official said. Modi also met personnel of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF), a branch of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), entrusted with construction and maintenance of border roads and also executing the Rohtang Tunnel project, the official said. After coming in power in 2014, the Prime Minister had celebrated his first Diwali with soldiers posted in Siachen, and in 2015, he celebrated it at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Friday night detained one more person who allegedly worked for a junior Pakistani diplomat, declared persona non grata by India for running a spy ring. Samajwadi Party's Rajya Sabha MP Munabbar Saleem 's personal assistant Farhat was held by the Crime Branch in connection with the espionage racket in which three persons have already been arrested. A senior Crime Branch officer said Farhat's interrogation is underway. Mehmood Akhtar, a visa officer at the Pakistan High Commission, was arrested on Wednesday. However, he was released hours later due to diplomatic immunity. In a statement, Akhtar had revealed the name of Farhat. Reports said that Farhat had provided government documents to the Pakistani spy. Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party has said that it will seek an explanation from the MP on the matter. Akhtar, detained on Wednesday and let off because of diplomatic immunity, had served in the mission for over two years during which he recruited Indians to spy for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, Delhi Police Joint Commissioner Ravindra Yadav said on Thursday. He was caught near the Delhi Zoo receiving defence-related vital information from two Indian nationals, Maulana Ramzan and Subhash Jangir, who were also allegedly working for the ISI, Yadav said. One more person, Shoaib Nagaur, was arrested in Jodhpur on Thursday evening. The three are residents of Rajasthan and were being interrogated. Antahedi village, Kurukshetra: As India celebrates Diwali, a family in Krurukshetra, Sunday, welcomed its son back home in a coffin. Braveheart sepoy Mandeep Singh of 17 Sikh Light Infantry was killed by terrorists, aided by Pakistani Army, in Macchil sector of Kupwara district. They left his body in a mutilated state. Son of a truck driver, 26-year-old soldier Mandeep had joined the Army in 2009. He is survived by his young wife Prerna, who serves as a Head Constable with Haryana Police. They had got married in 2014. His last rites was attended by thousands of people from the village and nearby areas. As a mark of respect for the slain soldier and to stand in solidarity with his family, the entire village has decided to not celebrate Diwali they will be lighting just one lamp in remembrance of Mandeep. Slogans lauding Mandeep's supreme sacrifice rent the air as an emotional crowd of thousands saluted the hero. After Mandeep's family demanded that the Indian army should give a befitting reply to Pakistan, the armed forces hit back and destroyed at least four Pakistani border posts in a late night massive fire assault on Saturday. The posts were destroyed in a massive fire assault in the Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, the army's Northern Command said. The operation has inflicted heavy causalities on the other side, reports said. Lucknow: Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav has called for more surgical strikes against Pakistan. Aparna is the wife of Prateek Yadav, the second son of Mulayam Singh Yadav. While advocating for more surgical strikes, Aparna, who will be contesting from Lucknow Cantonment in Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls 2017 said, If Pakistan continues to infiltrate terrorists into India, more surgical strikes should be carried out. Aparna Yadav in not new to controversies. Earlier she had praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's programme of 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' and also spoken against cow slaughter. Interestingly, a PTI report quoting a top Bharatiya Janata Party leader said surgical strikes have boosted BJP's prospects in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections as the "political will" shown by the Modi government on the issue will resonate among the people. The issue of surgical strikes will appeal across the caste divide in the state and, BJP leaders believe, will fetch them extra votes in a same manner as Modi's "developmental agenda" did in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. In a first, India carried out surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads across the Line of Control with the Army inflicting "significant casualties" on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from PoK, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Uri attack would not go unpunished. Seven terror launch pads across the LoC were targeted by the Army on the intervening night of September 28 and 29 in a nearly five-hour-long operation during which heliborne and ground forces were deployed. 26-year-old Aparna will contest the 2017 Assembly election from Lucknow's Cantonment Assembly seat, senior minister and Mulayam's brother Shivpal Singh Yadav had announced. The SP supremo, his elder daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav, his nephews Dharmendra Yadav, Akhshay Pratap and Tej Pratap are Lok Sabha members. While another brother Ramgopal Yadav is in Rajya Sabha, his elder son UP Chief Minister Akhilesh is a member of Legislative Council. There are several problems with Bob Evnens defense of the death penalty ("Death penalty self defense for society,Oct. 23). Whether or not we should have the death penalty is a question of morality because justice is a value. If the death penalty is just, then we should have the death penalty and if the death penalty is not just, then we should not have the death penalty. One can make the argument that if the definition of justice is lex talionis, or an eye for an eye, then we should have the death penalty. This is the case in Saudi Arabia, a theocracy governed by religious law. But the U.S. is not a theocracy, and separation of church and state precludes using religious law to promulgate secular law. Evnen does not even address justice. He makes the muddled argument that if it is moral to kill a person to prevent that person from killing an innocent person, then it is somehow moral to kill people after they have been convicted of killing people. Evnens pro-death penalty position is based on the same utilitarian argument our governor makes: We need the death penalty to keep us safe. The problem with utilitarian arguments is that they can be used to support injustice. The pro-slave states made a utilitarian argument against abolition, namely, "If you take away our slaves, you will destroy our economy." However, Abraham Lincoln still issued the Emancipation Proclamation that destroyed half the wealth of the Confederate states because slavery is unjust. William Boernke, Lincoln Srinagar: Normal life remained affected in Kashmir for the 114th consecutive day today due to the separatist-sponsored strike over the recent civilian killings and in support of their demand for right to 'self determination'. Although there were no curbs imposed by the authorities, normal activities remained badly affected due to the strike called by the separatists. A large number of street vendors had set up their stalls at the weekly flea market, known locally as Sunday Market here, while fair number of of private cars and auto-rickshaws were seen plying in the city. However, normal life continued to remain affected in the rest of the Valley due to separatist-sponsored strike. Shops, petrol pumps and business establishments were shut, but are expected to open this evening as the separatists have announced relaxation in the strike from 5 pm onwards. Security forces have been deployed in strength at vulnerable spots and along the main roads as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order as well as to instill a sense of security among the people to carry out their day to day activities without fear. The separatists, who are spearheading the ongoing agitation in support of their demand for right to self determination, have been issuing weekly protest calendars since Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8. As many as 85 people, including two cops, have been killed and several thousand others injured in the ongoing unrest in the Valley. Around 5000 security forces personnel have also been injured in the clashes. Thousands of youth, including some top separatist leaders, have been arrested by police over the past three months in an attempt to break the impasse. Over 300 people have been booked under Public Safety Act (PSA). Jammu: Pakistani rangers pounded BSF posts and civilian areas using small arms and mortars shells in overnight ceasefire violations along the International Border (IB) in Samba, Kathua and Jammu districts. Pakistan rangers violated ceasefire in Samba, Kathua and Jammu district of Jammu region last night, a senior BSF officer said. "Firing started from Pakistan side at 2115 hours in R S Pura Sector and continued intermittently till 0300 hours," Deputy Inspector General (DIG) BSF Jammu Frontier Dharmendra Pareek said today. Small arms and mortars shells were fired by the rangers but were not effective. BSF retaliated appropriately to the firing, Pareek added. He said at 0200 hours Pakistan started firing in gaps in Hiranagar and Samba sectors which continued till 0600 hours. "BSF retaliated appropriately wherever required," he said. The firing stopped at 0820 hours in all parts of the International Border. There was no loss of life or injury, the DIG added. On Friday, two civilians were killed and as many injured when Pakistan targeted civilian areas and forward India posts along the LoC and IB in Jammu, Kathua, Poonch and Rajouri districts, following which Indian troops retaliated and killed 15 Pakistani soldiers. BSF said as per the ammunition used in firing and shelling it appeared that Pakistani Army was supporting Pakistani rangers along IB. On October 25, at least 2-3 Pakistani army men were believed to have been killed in retaliatory firing by Indian troops in the Noushera sector of Rajouri district. Over 60 ceasefire violations have taken place since surgical strikes by Indian Army on terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Srinagar: Two schools, including a Jawahar Navodya Vidyalaya (JNV), were damaged since yesterday in mysterious fire incidents in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, police said here today. Fire broke out in Government Higher Secondary School building at Kabamarg in Anantnag district this afternoon, a police official said. He said fire tenders were rushed to put out the fire as locals also assisted in the firefighting job. In another incident during the previous night, fire broke out in the JNV school at Aishmuqam, the official said adding the building suffered partial damage before the blaze was put out. The cause of the fire in both incidents has not been ascertained yet, he said. Chennai: The much awaited north-east monsoon, normally expected in October-November, has arrived in Tamil Nadu and is expected to bring good rains in various parts of the state in the coming days, Meteorological department said on Sunday. "Following the rainfall in Southern region during last 24 hours, north-east monsoon has arrived today", Regional Meteorological Centre, Director, Balachandran told reporters here. In the last 24 hours beginning from 8.30 am today, Thiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur district received heavy rainfall of seven cms, he said. Valangaiman, Perambalur and Thozhudur received rainfall of six cms respectively, during the last 24 hours, he said. On the forecast for next 24-48 hours, he said, light rainfall may occur across Tamil Nadu while in interior districts may receive heavy to very heavy rainfall". For Chennai and neighbourhood, he said, there may be intermittent rainfall in some places. Last year, there was heavy rainfall in Tamil Nadu in October and December causing heavy floods in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Cuddalore districts. Etawah: A stampede-like situation was created and some people injured in it as a large crowd gathered at a Janata Darbar programme of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav here. The crowd at the PWD Guest House became unmanageable and some people fell down while trying to push their way to hand over their applications to the chief minister, police said. Some mediapersons covering the event were also injured in the melee, they said. All the injured were rushed to a hospital in Saifai, police said. Eyewitnesses said that when the chief minister was meeting people and exchanging pleasantries with them, the crowd surged towards him and in the stampede-like situation some fell down and got hurt. Police had a trying time to manage the crowd as the number of people who had turned up at the Janata Darbar was far beyond their expectation. Cairo: Six terrorists and four soldiers were killed during army operations in Egypt's extremism-infested North Sinai, military officials said today. Three militant hideouts, two vehicles and three unlicensed motorcycles used by them in their attacks against police personnel were also destroyed, military spokesperson Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said in a statement. A number of suspected militants were also arrested during the army operations in Al-Arish, Rafah and Shiekh Zwayed in North Sinai, it said. The army operations are part of the retaliation campaign launched to avenge the recent attack that killed 12 soldiers in the region. Egypt has witnessed a series of terrorist attacks which targeted policemen, judges and military personnel in different parts of the country.? Since the 2011 revolution that toppled ex-president Hosni Mubarak, North Sinai, which is the base of a number of extremist outlaw groups, became the main stage of many violent attacks by takfiri gunmen. The attacks even increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 following massive protests against his rule. Over 700 security personnel have been reported killed since then. The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip. Aden: Saudi-led coalition air strikes on rebel-held security buildings in Yemen`s west, including a detention centre, killed 60 people, an official said Sunday, updating the toll from 38 dead. "Sixty people in total were killed and dozens were wounded," said a health official from the coastal province of Hodeidah where the two raids took place on Saturday. Most of the victims were anti-rebel detainees who were being held in two cells at the detention centre, said the source who requested anonymity. More than 100 inmates were being held in both cells, he added. A military source close to the insurgents said Saturday there were more than 40 inmates at the facility and most of them were held because of their opposition to the Iran-backed Huthi rebels who have held Hodeidah since late 2014. Earlier, the same health official had put at 38 the number of inmates and insurgents killed in the air raids on the buildings in Zaidia, north of Hodeidah. It remains unclear why the coalition would hit a detention centre holding anti-rebel inmates. Elsewhere on Saturday, strikes on residential buildings killed 17 people and wounded seven in the battleground town of Salo, southeast of Yemen`s third city Taez, said rebel-controlled media. The sabanews.net website said four raids had completely destroyed three residential buildings. A local official loyal to Yemen`s internationally recognised government said its air strikes had hit three adjacent homes by mistake. "All those in the houses were killed," he told AFP, adding a child and seven women were among the dead. But the coalition has so far not commented on both attacks. Forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi`s government have been locked in deadly battles with Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels who overran the capital Sanaa in 2014. The rebels are allied with troops who have remained loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The conflict escalated in March last year when Saudi Arabia launched a military campaign to push back the rebels. It has killed nearly 7,000 people, mostly civilians, according to the United Nations which had been struggling to convince the warring parties to implement a ceasefire and revive a stalled political process. Aden: Saudi-led coalition air strikes hit a rebel-held security building in Yemen's west, killing at least 30 prisoners and insurgents, military officials have said. The two air strikes destroyed the building in Zaidia, north of the western port city of Hodeidah, which houses a prison holding more than 40 inmates, most of them opponents of the Huthi rebels in charge there, a military source close to the insurgents said yesterday. A number of rebels inside the building were also killed in the attack, the source added. Aleppo: Syria`s regime and rebels were locked in fierce fighting Sunday on Aleppo`s western edges, where 38 civilians have been killed in a two-day opposition offensive to break the government siege. Rebels and allied jihadists launched a major offensive on Friday to break through government lines and reach the 250,000 people living in the city`s east. Since then, they have unleashed a salvo of rockets, artillery shells, and car bombs around the western government-controlled districts. Syria`s second city, Aleppo has been devastated by some of the heaviest fighting of the country`s five-year civil war, which has killed more than 300,000 people. Much of the once-bustling economic hub has been reduced to rubble by air and artillery bombardment, including barrel bombs -- crude unguided explosive devices that cause indiscriminate damage. "Rebel fighters have launched hundreds of rockets and shells onto the western districts from positions inside the city and on its western edges," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Two days of such heavy rebel bombardment have killed 38 civilians, including 14 children, and wounded another 250. Fighting has also killed 30 regime and allied fighters, as well as 50 Syrian rebels, according to the Observatory. The monitor did not have an immediate death toll for foreign anti-regime fighters, many of whom have joined jihadist factions. About 1,500 rebels have massed on a 15-kilometre front along the western edges of Aleppo since Friday, scoring quick gains in the Dahiyet al-Assad district but struggling to push east since then. "The advance will be from Dahiyet al-Assad towards Hamdaniyeh," said Yasser al-Youssef of the Noureddin al-Zinki rebel faction. Hamdaniyeh is a regime-held district directly adjacent to opposition-controlled eastern neighbourhoods.Fighting lasted all night and into Sunday, with air strikes and artillery fire along the western battlefronts heard even in the eastern districts, an AFP correspondent there said. Plumes of smoke could be seen snaking up from the city`s skyline. A pro-regime military source told AFP that the rebel assault was "massive and coordinated" but insisted it was unable to break into any neighbourhoods besides Dahiyet al-Assad. "They`re using Grad missiles and car bombs and are supported by foreign fighters in their ranks," he said. Those waging the assault include Aleppo rebels and reinforcements from Idlib province to the west, among them the jihadist Fateh al-Sham Front, which changed its name from Al-Nusra Front after breaking ties with Al-Qaeda. Tibilsi: Georgia votes in the second round of contested parliamentary polls Sunday, with the ruling Georgian Dream poised for a landslide victory after opposition parties alleged fraud in the first round. The elections see the Georgian Dream, led from behind the scenes by billionaire ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, grappling with the United National Movement (UNM), founded by exiled former president Mikheil Saakashvili. Sunday`s vote will decide -- on a first-past-the-post basis -- the fate of a third of parliamentary mandates in the 150-seat legislature. Georgian Dream is expected to win in the majority of single-mandate constituencies and secure over 113 seats in the parliament -- the number that would allow the party to form a new cabinet and pass constitutional amendments. Turnout was 19.3 percent at 0800 GMT, four hours after polls opened, the Central Election Commission said. In the polls` first round held on October 8, Georgian Dream won with 48.68 percent of the vote in a proportional ballot, while Georgia`s main opposition force, UNM, came second with 27.11 percent of the vote. For the first time in Georgia`s post-Soviet history, the first round also saw a small anti-Western party, the Alliance of Patriots, clearing the five-percent threshold needed to enter parliament.Georgia`s Western allies are watching closely to see if the strategic nation -- praised as a rare example of democracy in the former Soviet region -- can cement gains after its first transfer of power at the ballot box four years ago. Almost all opposition parties cried foul, accusing the government of massive vote rigging during the first round -- a claim flatly rejected by the authorities. Western monitors said that the October 8 vote was competitive, though they noted isolated instances of violations and procedural problems. Voting, which will end at 1600 GMT, is being monitored by international observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Parliament, and NATO. Politics is still dominated by Saakashvili and Ivanishvili even though neither holds an official position. Tensions rose ahead of the vote in the ex-Soviet republic -- which fought a brief war with Russia in 2008 and seeks EU and NATO membership -- after violent incidents targeting candidates. On October 5, a UNM lawmaker`s car exploded in central Tbilisi, injuring four passers-by and urging the party to accuse the authorities of "creating a climate of hatred in which opposition politicians are being attacked". A few days earlier two men were injured when unknown assailants fired shots during a campaign rally held by an independent candidate in the central city of Gori. The poisonous atmosphere around the polarised vote follows years of what the opposition sees as political witchhunts and retribution against Saakashvili and his team. Saakashvili, a charismatic reformer who took over in the Rose Revolution of 2003, was forced out of the country after prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for abuse of power and now works as a regional governor in pro-Western Ukraine. The crackdown on his allies has prompted concerns among Georgia`s Western allies that the country could backslide after its sole orderly transfer of power in 2012. Everyone has a personal connection to Southeast Community College. My family has graduated from SCC, taught at SCC, taken classes at SCC and hired graduates from SCC. My friends have acquired the skills from SCC to become nurses, truck drivers, designers, draftsmen, and the list goes on and on. The nurse who helps you at the hospital, the person who fixes your air conditioning or your car, the people who build your house, the person who fixes your computer, the people who take care of your children, the firefighter who saved your house all of these people get their training and education at SCC. I think we forget about the importance that SCC holds for us in Southeast Nebraska. SCC touches all of our lives, our families lives and our neighbors' lives. SCC is affordable education for everyone. For the past few decades, SCC has grown significantly, which is a testimony to how well it trains and educates its students. It has not, however, replaced buildings decades past their intended use, updated key training areas and modernized, as other community colleges have in our state. One look at the master plan study created for SCC makes it absolutely clear that this bond issue is needed to keep this quality institution serving our community. The cost for these needed renovations is spread out over a 15-county area. We all pitch in and we all benefit. I urge you to vote for the Southeast Community College bond issue. Michele Tilley, Lincoln Islamabad: Over 70 activists of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) were arrested as they tried to march to party chief Imran Khan`s residence here before a planned November 2 Islamabad lockdown protest against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Imran Khan had urged party workers to reach his residence in the upscale Bani Gala neighbourhood of Islamabad even if they had to "climb mountains" to do so in the wake of the government`s crackdown. Protesters then plan to hold a protest rally in central Islamabad on Wednesday. The police prevented protesters from reaching Bani Gala via lesser-known unpaved routes running through the wilderness by surrounding them on all sides. Protesters threw stones at security forces and set off fires in the wilderness, after which the police resorted to tear-gas shelling, Dawn reported. The police have erected check posts from Link Road to Bani Gala in Islamabad to prevent the march. Meanwhile, the police also claimed to have recovered six Kalashnikov rifles, some magazines, a bulletproof vest, some bottles of alcohol and tear-gas shells from PTI leader Amin Gandapur`s car outside Bani Gala. Gandapur, however, said only two licensed Kalashnikovs were found in his car and that he carried the licence when he was travelling in the vehicle. He said the police let him go after they saw the licence. On October 27, the police stormed a PTI youth convention and arrested over 200 party workers for protesting against the government following which, Imran Khan gave a call for countrywide protests against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Sharif government. The PTI is protesting and demanding the Prime Minister`s resignation over alleged money laundering by Sharif and his family, allegedly exposed by the `Panama Papers` leak. The government remains adamant that it will not allow the PTI to shut down Islamabad on November 2 and has vowed to take action against the party if it challenged the writ of the state. The Pakistan government has banned political rallies in the capital city for two months. The administration in the capital have banned people`s gathering of five or more at any location. Norcia: Italy`s most powerful earthquake in 36 years struck a new blow to the country`s seismically vulnerable heart Sunday, terrifying residents for the third time in nine weeks and flattening a revered 600-year-old church. The national civil protection agency said there had been extensive damage to many historic buildings but no fatalities had been registered some five hours after the quake. "I can confirm that there are no victims (deaths). Around 20 people are injured. As far as people are concerned, the situation is positive but many buildings are in a critical state in historic centres and there are problems with electricity and water supplies," the agency`s chief, Fabrizio Curcio, said in a lunchtime update. The quake struck at 7:40 am (0640 GMT) near the small mountain town of Norcia, unleashing a shock felt in the capital Rome, where the metro was partially shut down, and even in Venice, 300 kilometres (200 miles) away. It measured 6.6 on the so-called moment magnitude scale, according to US geologists, while Italian monitors estimated it at 6.5. It was Italy`s biggest quake since a 6.9-magnitude one struck the south of the country in 1980, leaving 3,000 people dead. "We are going through a really tough period," Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said, reiterating a government pledge to rebuild every damaged house and ensure that remote, quake-hit communities are not abandoned. "We must not allow the profound pain, fatigue and stress that we have now to turn into resignation."Norcia`s 14th-century Basilica of Saint Benedict, built on the reputed birthplace of the Catholic saint, was reduced to rubble. The church is looked after by an international community of Benedictine monks based in two local monasteries which attract some 50,000 pilgrims every year. "It was like a bomb went off," said the town`s deputy mayor, Pierluigi Altavilla. "We are starting to despair. There are too many quakes now, we can`t bear it anymore." Visibly upset, some of the monks and other residents knelt in prayer before the ruins. The monks had already launched an appeal to raise $7.5 million to finance repairs to their buildings following damage suffered in the other recent quakes. Giuseppe Pezzanesi, mayor of Tolentino in the neighbouring Marche region, said the small town had "suffered our blackest day yet". "The damage is irreparable. There are thousands of people in the streets, terrified, crying. Let`s hope that is an end to it, the people are on their knees psychologically."The quake`s epicentre was located at a very shallow depth of one kilometre (just over half a mile), six kilometres north of Norcia, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), which measured the magnitude at 6.6. Italy`s institute of geology and vulcanology (IGNV) measured the quake at 6.5 and said it had been preceded by a 6.1 magnitude shock an hour earlier. It came four days after quakes of 5.5 and 6.1 magnitude hit the same area and nine weeks after nearly 300 people died in an August 24 quake that devastated the tourist town of Amatrice at the peak of the holiday season. The 13th-century civic tower in Amatrice, which was damaged but left standing by the August quake, collapsed on Sunday. As with Wednesday`s tremors, the impact was mitigated by the fact that any buildings deemed vulnerable to seismic activity had been evacuated. The quake was powerful enough to set off car alarms in Rome, 120 kilometres (75 miles) from the epicentre. Part of the capital`s underground rail network and a road flyover were closed to allow structural safety checks to be carried out. Much of Italy`s land mass and some of its surrounding waters are prone to seismic activity with the highest risk concentrated along its mountainous central spine. Italy straddles the Eurasian and African tectonic plates, making it vulnerable to seismic activity when they move. In addition to the Amatrice disaster in August, just over 300 people perished when a quake struck near the city of L`Aquila in 2009. In 1980, tremors near Naples left 3,000 dead and an estimated 95,000 died in the 1908 Messina disaster, when a quake in the waters between mainland Italy and Sicily sent massive waves crashing into both coasts. Aleppo: Syria`s regime and rebels were locked in fierce clashes Sunday on the western edges of Aleppo, where 38 civilians have been killed in two days of opposition rocket fire, a monitor said. Among those killed over the two-day period were 14 children, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Another 250 civilians have been wounded in heavy bombardment by anti-government factions since Friday morning, according to the Britain-based group. The barrage is part of a major assault by rebels and allied jihadists to break a three-month government siege of Aleppo`s eastern half, where more than 250,000 people still live. "Rebel fighters have launched hundreds of rockets and shells onto the western districts from positions inside the city and on its western edges," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. He said the rebels were trying to push east from Dahiyet al-Assad district -- most of which they seized in the first day of the onslaught -- towards Hamdaniyeh. Hamdaniyeh is a regime-held district directly adjacent to opposition-controlled eastern neighbourhoods. Fighting lasted all night and into Sunday morning, with air strikes and artillery fire along the western battlefronts heard even in the eastern districts, an AFP correspondent there said. Plumes of smoke could be seen snaking up from the city`s skyline. The offensive has seen an estimated 1,500 opposition fighters mass on the western edges of Aleppo since Friday. They include local Aleppo rebels and reinforcements from Idlib province to the west, among them the jihadist Fateh al-Sham Front, which changed its name from Al-Nusra Front after breaking ties with Al-Qaeda. Fighting has killed 30 regime and allied fighters, as well as 50 Syrian opposition militants, according to the Observatory. The monitor did not have an immediate death toll for foreign anti-regime fighters, many of whom have joined jihadist factions. Belgrade: Serbia`s pro-European Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic was moved to a safe location Saturday after an arsenal of weapons, including a rocket-launcher, was found close to his house near Belgrade, which a minister said was "preparation for assassination". Authorities were alerted by passers-by who found the cache in chests in a forest near Vucic`s family home in Jajinci, south of Belgrade, Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic told reporters. "There is a rocket launcher, four hand grenades and a large quantity of ammunition for 7.62 mm automatic rifles and 7.9 mm sniper rifles," said Stefanovic. "What is worrying is that these weapons were discovered only a few dozen metres from a turn into the family home of Prime Minister Vucic," he said, adding that his retinue would have represented "a very easy target". A former associate of late Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic and once a staunch ultranationalist, Vucic, 46, has since remodelled himself as a pro-EU reformer. Serbia was rocked by the assassination of democratic pro-European prime minister Zoran Djindjic in 2003. Labour and veterans minister Aleksandar Vulin demanded that the security and intelligence services "give answers (on) who prepared to assassinate the prime minister". Deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ivica Dacic called on the authorities to exercise "particular vigilance, keeping in mind the increase in pressure on our country," without elaborating. While taking care to keep on the right side of traditional partner Russia, Vucic has built a reputation in the West as a reliable partner, including by engaging in dialogue on the normalisation of relations with the former Serbian province of Kosovo, which proclaimed independence 2008 but was not recognized by Belgrade. Imphal: A 41-year-old trader was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Manipur`s border town of Moreh, the state police said. "At 7.32 pm on Saturday evening, Dhamendra Mabik and his wife Chanda were preparing dinner in their house adjacent to his electronics shop when the assailants barged in and fired shots at close range. The husband was hit in the head and chest while the wife was hit in the upper chest. We are exploring possible extortion bid from militants," the police said in a statement. Chanda, who was 24 weeks pregnant, is battling for her life in a hospital in Imphal. Intelligence sources told IANS on Sunday that there was a possibility of business rivalry. To protest the gun attack, the Chamber of Commerce of Moreh shut down all shops and business establishments at the town on the border with Myanmar. Tourists and traders were stranded since they could not go on shopping at Namphalong across the international border. Dubai: Yemen has endured thousands of air strikes and the deaths of more than 10,000 people in a 19-month war that has also unleashed hunger on the desperately poor country - but its biggest challenge may be yet to come. The conflict has led to Yemen`s de facto partition, with rival armies and institutions in the north and south, and could mean the map of the Middle East will have to be redrawn. A three-day truce to allow in more humanitarian aid and prepare a political settlement collapsed last week, reflecting deadlocked efforts to end the stalemated war. But behind the combatants` disagreements over how to share power, Yemen`s future as a unified state appears increasingly in doubt. Such a possibility appeared remote when a coalition of Arab states began launching air strikes in March 2015 to restore to power President Abd Rabbu Mansour al-Hadi, driven from the capital, Sanaa, by the Iranian-allied Houthi movement in 2014. It seems less fanciful now. The Houthis` rise to power in the north has provoked a revival of southern separatism, a movement that sees the fracturing of state power as its moment to break away. At the same time, the south and its major city, Aden, serve as a base for the internationally recognised government, which is trying to take back national control even as it manages an uneasy alliance with the secessionists. Yemen was once split between a pro-Soviet state in the South and a republic buttressed by armed tribes in the North. A southern bid to secede failed in 1994 when the north restored unity by force. Many southerners now believe their time has come after two decades of what they see as marginalisation within the unified state, and the plundering of mostly southern oil reserves by corrupt northern tribal sheikhs and politicians. Southern soldier Faisal al-Salmi says he and his comrades are ready to die to be rid of the northerners. "We have become an independent state thanks to God and the leadership of the Arab coalition ... southern lands have been liberated by the blood of her sons and have loosed the bonds of unity which brought only terrorism, cronyism, and the looting of the people`s wealth," Salmi told Reuters. Now the two peoples seldom dare to cross mine-strewn front lines and the rugged mountains separating security forces flying different national flags. But a split could bring more instability along one of the world`s busiest shipping lanes, perhaps by setting the scene for a fight over the south`s oilfields, or by triggering, as in 1994, efforts by the north to dominate the south. For now, both sides appear to be setting up parallel institutions that could pave the way for an enduring divorce. The government said it moved to Aden from Saudi exile in September while the Houthis formed their own government in Sanaa this month. Seeking to bar the Houthis from using state funds to finance their war effort, Hadi ordered central bank to be moved to Aden - which will hurt the Houthis but risks economic instability and even famine. "The Houthis realize they probably won`t reconquer southern lands, so have strengthened their base with its own administration, while the government wants as many state tools under its control and serving its interests as possible," said Yemeni analyst Farea al-Muslimi. "But moves like these deepen distrust on both sides and delay negotiations which everybody realizes are the only way to end the conflict," he added. Paradoxically, neither rival administration says it seeks a partition but rather styles itself the legitimate heir to a unified country to follow the war. While Hadi may wish to extend his writ to Sanaa, the army commanders who have built up southern forces and made progress against al Qaeda and Islamic State are veteran secessionist guerrillas with no interest in the North. Despite financial and military support to these breakaway southern units, key coalition countries Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will seek to avoid a split. "We realize that they have their own interests in supporting us because our forces are effective against the Houthis," a southern politician told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "They are worried that a break-up of Yemen into two states on their borders will lead to instability, but we know that separation is the only way to make a just peace." But senior Houthi official Mohammed Abdul Salam accused the United Arab Emirates, which is influential in the south, of encouraging separatism to advance its war goals. "The hereditary rulers of the UAE are clearly and blatantly advancing a separatist agenda," Abdul Salam said this month. 1876: Quarrymen producing stone for the Government Building and the State Penitentiary received an advance in wages from $1.50 to $1.75 per day. Following heavy rains, mud was so deep wagons were stalled on O Street. 1886: Corn was quoted in Lincoln at 19 cents per bushel, which was considered a fair price. 1896: Crowds gathered on Lincoln streets during election night waiting for the results of the presidential election, which pitted Nebraska's William Jennings Bryan, a Democrat, against the man who would emerge the winner, Republican William McKinley. 1906: Collusion between the railroads and some legislators was alleged. The claim was made that the railroads had attempted to buy favorable votes with free railroad passes. 1916: Anticipating an anti-wet speech by William Jennings Bryan in Omaha, wet forces bought out all the theaters, forcing the Great Commoner to speak in the rain. Undaunted, Bryan urged Nebraskans to turn against liquor in the upcoming prohibition vote. 1926: John F. Nesbit of Tekamah, Republican nominee for Congress in the 3rd District, died unexpectedly three days before the election. A proposal to allow Sunday movies in Lincoln was defeated overwhelmingly at the polls. 1936: A Washington survey disclosed that Lincoln stores recorded the largest retail gains during the Depression year of 1935 of any city in Nebraska. 1946:Students at Big Springs High School "struck" for a half day, protesting what they considered an unfair grading system. The great mind reader, Joseph Dunninger, failed to communicate with the famous magician, Harry Houdini, who had been dead 18 years. Dunninger, who said he and Houdini arranged the communication before Houdini's death, was staying in Hastings at the time. 1956: A small tornado hit the Kearney Boys Training school, causing about $5,000 worth of damage. Gov. Victor Anderson called out the National Guard to search for the victims of a surprise snowstorm in the Sandhills. 1966: The Burlington Railroad announced plans, then delayed action, for moving its refrigerator car repair operations from Plattsmouth to Lincoln. Fires destroyed a Diller grain elevator and Ord grocery. 1976: Democrats broke into long-held territory by winning retiring Sen. Roman Hruska's U.S. Senate seat and the 2nd District congressional seat. Edward Zorinsky, then mayor of Omaha, was elected to the Senate over challenger John J. McCollister, and John Cavanaugh defeated Lee Terry for the congressional seat. 1986: Nebraskans elected Kay Orr as their first female governor. About 65 percent of all Nebraskans drank before their 21st birthdays, a survey by the Lincoln Star reported. 1996: High winds buffeted Lincoln, with gusts reaching 53 mph. Downed trees and power lines were reported citywide. 2006: Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center has paid $4 million to settle a whistleblowers allegations it knowingly failed to return Medicare and Medicaid overpayments to the state of Nebraska and the U.S. government. By every measure, Minnesota governor Mark Dayton's five year run as governor has been a stellar success: while Tim Pawlenty, his tax-slashing, "fiscally-conservative" Republican predecessor presided over a $6.2B deficit and a 7% unemployment rate (the mere 6,200 jobs added under Pawlenty's 7-year run barely registered), Dayton added 172,000 new jobs to the Minnesota economy, brought Minnesota down to the fifth-lowest unemployment rate in the country, and brought the average Minnesotan income up to $8,000 more than the median US worker, while posting a $1B budget surplus. How did Dayton do it? He raised the state income tax on individuals earning more than $150K, from 7.85% to 9.85%; he raised Minnesota's minimum wage and guaranteed equal pay for women. Gov. Dayton didn't accomplish all of these reforms by shrewdly manipulating people this article describes Dayton's astonishing lack of charisma and articulateness. He isn't a class warrior driven by a desire to get back at the 1 percent Dayton is a billionaire heir to the Target fortune. It wasn't just a majority in the legislature that forced him to do it Dayton had to work with a Republican-controlled legislature for his first two years in office. And unlike his Republican neighbor to the east, Gov. Dayton didn't assert his will over an unwilling populace by creating obstacles between the people and the vote Dayton actually created an online voter registration system, making it easier than ever for people to register to vote. The reason Gov. Dayton was able to radically transform Minnesota's economy into one of the best in the nation is simple arithmetic. Raising taxes on those who can afford to pay more will turn a deficit into a surplus. Raising the minimum wage will increase the median income. And in a state where education is a budget priority and economic growth is one of the highest in the nation, it only makes sense that more businesses would stay. It's official trickle-down economics is bunk. Minnesota has proven it once and for all. If you believe otherwise, you are wrong. This Billionaire Governor Taxed the Rich and Increased the Minimum Wage Now, His State's Economy Is One of the Best in the Country [C. Robert Gibson/Huffington Post] (via Naked Capitalism) By Isla Binnie NORCIA, Italy (Reuters) - A powerful earthquake struck Italy on Sunday in the same central regions that have been rocked by repeated tremors over the past two months, with more homes and churches brought down but no deaths reported. The quake, which measured 6.6 according to the U.S. Geological Survey, was bigger than one on Aug. 24 that killed almost 300 people. Many people have fled the area since then, helping to avoid a new devastating death toll. With thousands already made homeless, a leading seismologist warned that the earthquakes could go on for weeks in a domino effect along the central Apennine fault system. The latest quake was felt across much of Italy, striking at 7.40 a.m. (0640 GMT), its epicenter close to the historic Umbrian walled town of Norcia, some 100 km (60 miles) from the university city of Perugia. Panicked Norcia residents rushed into the streets and the town's ancient Basilica of St. Benedict collapsed, leaving just the facade standing. Nuns, monks and locals sank to their knees in the main square in silent prayer before the shattered church. "This is a tragedy. It is a coup de grace. The basilica is devastated," Bishop Renato Boccardo of Norcia told Reuters. "Everyone has been suspended in a never-ending state of fear and stress. They are at their wits' end," said Boccardo, referring to the thousands of tremors that have rattled the area since August, including two serious quakes on Wednesday. Italy's Civil Protection unit, which coordinates disaster relief, said numerous houses were destroyed on Sunday in the regions of Umbria and Marche, but either they were deserted at the time or most of the residents managed to escape in time. Civil Protection chief Fabrizio Curcio said no deaths had been reported and around 20 people were injured, none of them critically. He said it was too early to say how many more people had lost their homes. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi promised a massive reconstruction effort regardless of cost and took advantage of the disaster to resume his frequent criticism of the European Union's public finance rules. "We will rebuild everything, the houses, the churches and the businesses," he told reporters. "Everything that needs to be done to rebuild these areas will be done." He said he would have "no regard for technocratic rules" and would consider all money spent to make Italy's schools and hospitals earthquake-proof to be outside EU limits on budget deficits. Local authorities said towns and villages already battered by August's 6.2 quake had suffered further significant damage. "This morning's quake has hit the few things that were left standing. We will have to start from scratch," Michele Franchi, the deputy mayor of Arquata del Tronto, told Rai television. Experts said Sunday's quake was the strongest here since a 6.9 quake in Italy's south in 1980 that killed 2,735 people. ARTISTIC LOSS The destruction of the Norcia basilica was the single most significant loss of Italy's artistic heritage in an earthquake since a tremor in 1997 caused the collapse of the ceiling of the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, which is 80 km to the north. The frescoed basilica, which is the spiritual, historic and tourist heart of Norcia, was built over the site of the home where the founder of the Benedictine order and his Sister St. Scolastica were born in 480. The basilica and monastery complex dates to the 13th century, although shrines to St. Benedict and his sister had been built there since the 8th century. Benedict founded the Benedictine order in Subiaco, near Rome. He died in 530 in the monastery at Monte Cassino, south of Rome, which was destroyed during World War Two. That monastery was later rebuilt. A number of other churches were also ruined on Sunday, Italian media reported, including Norcia's Cattedrale di Santa Maria, which was built in the 16th century, while the town hall belltower had deep cracks running through its walls. However, most of Norcia's homes appeared to have withstood the prolonged tremor, with residents praising years of investment by local authorities in anti-seismic protection. In the nearby city of Rieti, patients were evacuated from a hospital to allow experts to check on structural damage, while hillroads across the region were littered with fallen rocks. Sunday's earthquake was felt as far north as Bolzano, near the border with Austria and as far south as the Puglia region at the southern tip of the Italian peninsula. It was also felt strongly in the capital, Rome, where transport authorities shut down the metro system for precautionary checks. Authorities also toured the city's main Roman Catholic basilicas looking for possible damage. Italy sits on two geological fault lines, making it one of the most seismically active countries in Europe. Its deadliest quake since the start of the 20th century came in 1908, when a tremor followed by a tsunami killed an estimated 80,000 people in the southern regions of Reggio Calabria and Sicily. (Writing by Crispian Balmer and Philip Pullella; Additional reporting by Steve Scherer, Gavin Jones and Mark Bendeich; Editing by Mark Heinrich, Larry King) 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 RACINE Earlier this month, Harry S. Fumich reportedly invited a woman over to his apartment above Sunshine Supermarket, strangled her with a fan cord, put her body in a refrigerator, did cocaine and then dumped the womans body into a trash bin. Fumich, 49, of Racine, has since been charged with homicide in the Oct. 4 death of Kim Cantwell of Racine, adding to a long history of criminal behavior prior to his alleged most recent crime. For more than 27 of the past 31 years, Fumich has been imprisoned for crimes that include stealing money from a nun, going door to door asking women if their husbands were home and breaking a window to gain entry into an ex-girlfriends bedroom while she was sleeping. These crimes have been detailed in criminal complaints obtained by The Journal Times. The main charges that Fumich was found guilty of were typically theft and disputes between either people he knew or strangers. History of theft Fumich has also been charged with theft throughout his life. The first incident Fumich was convicted of in Racine County was when he stole $717.54 that belonged to his brother in August 1993. Fumich took the money from an envelope in his fathers home, where the money was kept, while his father was napping. Fumichs father reported the incident to police who also talked to one of Fumichs brothers who had seen Fumich after the money was stolen. Fumich asked if his brother knew of anyone selling a motorcycle. The brother knew of Fumichs unemployment and asked where Fumich had received enough money for a motorcycle. Fumich told him a friend had recently paid him back. Fumichs father also told police that Fumich had been convicted of theft in Kenosha and had been institutionalized most of his life. This was not the only time Fumich stole from family. In June 1997, Fumich was charged with three felony counts of uttering a forgery after he forged three checks with his fathers signature for a total of $65. Thefts of strangers typically followed a similar pattern. Fumich would talk his way into homes or ask for money and told the victims hed repay them, or he would simply flee with the money. The first of these incidents in Racine County occurred Dec. 3, 1996, when he asked a neighbor near his home in the 3300 block of Washington Avenue if he could borrow $15. Fumich would return soon after and ask for an additional $10 because a car battery he needed cost $25. The victim gave him money both times. Fumich also asked to use the phone in the home. It was later discovered that Fumich had stolen the wallet of a female occupant of the home. Police found Fumich at his home and he admitted to stealing the wallet. Fumich recovered the wallet from a trash bag in the backyard and when police went to return the wallet, Fumich fled. Police eventually found Fumich hiding in the bathroom of nearby apartment building. Quick-change thefts Fumich would take a different approach on in a two-day span in July 2000, when he robbed two women in separate incidents. The first incident involved Fumich asking to use the phone of a resident in the 1700 block of Russet Street. Fumich then asked if he could have change for a $50 bill. The woman said she would give it to him if he presented the $50 bill. Fumich told her he did not have one and said he was going to shoot her if she did not give him the money. The woman refused to give up the money and Fumich threw a phone book at her, pushed her out of the way and stole the money. Later, Fumich was again reported asking another woman for change for $50. He received the money and then said he left the $50 bill in the car. Fumich got into the car and left the scene with the money. The next day, Fumich again knocked on a strangers door asking to use a phone saying his motorcycle had broken down. The man did not have a phone, but the two reportedly struck up a conversation and the victim let Fumich see his motorcycle. Fumich would get permission to take the bike for a ride but, as he told police when he was arrested, he left with no intention of returning the motorcycle. Fumichs other vehicle-related crime involved him stealing $23,000 worth of auto-mechanic tools in Milwaukee on June 8, 2010. Fumich talked his way into a womans apartment and went into the garage and loaded up a car with the tools and left the scene. The most recent theft Fumich was convicted of took place April 4, 2013, when he told a nun he was a military veteran. Fumich told the nun he needed money to travel to get his disability check at the VA Hospital in Tomah. The nun gave him $400, which Fumich later told the nun was stolen, so she gave him $400 more and, later, an additional $300 for a total of $1,100. Fumich was later apprehended and told police he used the money to buy crack cocaine. Domestic incidents Fumichs crimes in Racine County were first logged when he was arrested for breaking into the residence of his ex-girlfriend in September of 1993. A restraining order was issued for Fumich to stay away from the victim; however, Fumich broke a window into her bedroom while she was sleeping and entered the residence. The victim fled the house to her neighbors and Fumich locked himself in the victims home when police arrived. After eight to 10 attempts of asking Fumich to come out, he exited the side door and was arrested. The same woman was the victim of multiple convictions for Fumich. He was convicted again of violating an injunction Aug. 6, 1993, when he called the victim seven times from Racine County Jail. A year later, on Aug. 26, 1994, Fumich again came in contact with the victim when the two reportedly lived in the 1600 block of Enos Avenue. Police responded to a report of a domestic call at the home in which Fumich would not let police in, although the victim asked them to come in. Fumich eventually let the victim out but locked himself back in the house afterwards. Police broke down the door, but Fumich locked himself in a bedroom. While police attempted to get him to come out, he told police he had stabbed himself three times. Police then broke down the bedroom door and found Fumich sitting on the floor with a kitchen-style butchers knife near him. Fumich was transported to the hospital. The victim told police Fumich had hit her, verbally abused her, and destroyed items in the home mostly his own belongings with a clay hammer. The last time Fumich was convicted for an interaction with the same victim was July 17, 2000, when Fumich was partying with the victims son. The victims son was picked up by the victims ex-husband to drive the son home. When the car arrived at the party, Fumich also got in the car. Fumich entered the victims home at about 3 a.m. when the son got home. Fumich then verbally threatened her life, and that of her current boyfriend. The dispute went on until Fumich left the home at about 6:15 a.m. Fumich had no other incidents with that victim, but others arose. Recent incidents On Dec. 20 2015, Fumich was arrested after he went to two houses in the 2600 block of Durand Avenue asking women if their husbands were home. When the residents told Fumich their husbands were nearby, he left the homes immediately. For that incident, Fumich was convicted of obstructing an officer; he told police his name was Paul Thompson when he was first approached as a suspect. Another incident, involving a victim who was in a relationship with Fumich, came about in April when Fumich reportedly smashed the victims phone and hit her multiple times after she confronted him about them being homeless and about Fumichs alleged drug use. Fumich had chased the victim into a Boost Mobile store and toward the 16th Street COP House, where a group of children witnessed Fumich strike the victim. The children stepped in to help the woman and Fumich fled the scene. The most recent conviction for Fumich took place June 26, when it was reported to police that Fumich was threatening people with a knife. A victim, who appears to be the same victim of the incident outside the 16th Street COP House, told police she locked herself in a room and that Fumich was trying to enter it. She did not know if Fumich had a knife. Fumich faces three felony charges for first-degree intentional homicide, hiding a corpse and robbery with use of force in connection to the death of Cantwell. He is scheduled for an arraignment at 9 a.m. Dec. 16 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave. RACINE Calvin Sharpe folds under pressure. But in the intricate, imaginative world of origami, thats hardly a bad thing. The 12-year-old Racine resident has been pressing and folding pieces of paper into beautiful birds and butterflies, delicate dragons and stunning shapes for the past five years. This summer, an origami camel he created was chosen by OrigamiUSA the nations leading origami organization to be included in the groups annual Origami by Children exhibition. The exhibition has 60 submissions chosen by judges from nearly 150 entries. Once chosen, the creations are shown at libraries around the country. The exhibition is currently at the Racine Public Library, 75 Seventh St., and will be there until Dec. 2. Calvin also will assist at an origami workshop at the library scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 14. I started doing it because I thought the pieces looked cool, said Calvin, a sixth-grader at McKinley Middle School, 2340 Mohr Ave. I will start looking at some models and then I really want to fold. A star emerges Calvin started folding about five years ago, when his father, John, was looking for homemade Christmas ornaments online. He stumbled upon a video of a 30-piece modular origami star. Calvin, his father, and mother, Melissa, started to work on the shape. Calvin was fascinated by the way everything fit together and moved on to more difficult origami pieces. He quickly surpassed us, Melissa Sharpe said. Last Christmas his parents gave him a one-year membership to OrigamiUSA. Through the groups website, the Sharpes discovered the childrens exhibition. The national group has sponsored the exhibition for more than 30 years. Children whose works are selected receive a certificate, a one-year membership to OrigamiUSA, and a small gift. Ruthanne Bessman, a Madison public radio host and member of the OrigamiUSA exhibition committee, helped judge this years submissions. We had a set of extraordinary models that were mind boggling, Bessman said. Some of them all are so realistic. There are a lot of people out there trying out do each other. The great thing about origami is that anyone can do it, and its very affordable and accessible, Bessman added. All you need is a piece of paper. The winning pieces were unveiled at the groups national convention in New York in June. The exhibit first traveled to a library in Rhode Island before coming to Racine. After Wisconsin, it will head to Maine, Bessman said. After notified that Calvins submission would be in the exhibition, the Sharpes asked Racine Library officials if the facility would host the exhibit. I thought it was a great idea, said Darcy Mohr, the librarys adult and youth services director. The Friends of the Library purchased the glass display case being used for the exhibit. We have wanted to get a case like that, so that worked out perfectly, Mohr said. Calvin helped library personnel set up this display earlier this week, Mohr said. A calming influence While he selected a colorful camel to be considered for the exhibition, Calvins favorite piece is a blue scorpion that took two days to complete. I just fold until I have something else to do, then I start where I left off, he said. I try to do things that are challenging, but not so much that I get frustrated. You dont want to keep re-folding the paper over and over again. Its very calming for him, Melissa Sharpe said. Although I can see where it could be really frustrating for others. He just loves it. Calvin has even made some loot from his love. This summer a Racine woman hired him to make 165 folded flowers for her wedding reception. Creating flowers of several shapes and colors took nearly four weeks. I think she was happy with what I did, Calvin said. And I got paid. Last fall, UW-Madison officials released the results of a survey that found more than 1 in 4 responding women said they experienced unwanted sexual contact during their time at the university. In June, after Stanford University student Brock Turner received a six-month jail sentence for sexually assaulting a woman, the victim's letter to Turner went viral. And in recent weeks, nearly a dozen women have accused Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump of groping and kissing them without their consent. It has been against this backdrop a growing awareness of sexual assault on campuses, social media that can amplify attention on a case and news coverage dominated by discussions of sexual assault that UW-Madison student Alec Cook's arrest has attracted attention across the country. "I think people in the last five or so years have really been paying attention to sexual assault cases," said Cassidy Schroeder, chairwoman of the UW-Madison sexual assault prevention group Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment. "People are engaging in more conversations. We like to think that's a step in the right direction." Prosecutors filed 11 sexual assault charges against Cook on Thursday, along with counts of strangulation and false imprisonment. They allege that Cook assaulted five women between March 2015 and this month, when a woman told police that Cook battered and sexually assaulted her inside his apartment on Oct. 13. More women came forward to accuse Cook of assault in the days after he was arrested, and attention on the case grew with the number of accusers. "It definitely blew up on social media," UW-Madison sophomore Jacqueline Beaulieu said. Freshman Ogochukwu Akamelu said he talked about the case with friends from his hometown of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, who heard about it. Cook's attorneys have denied the allegations, saying the actions described by police and prosecutors were consensual sexual activity between Cook and the women. They also criticized the national spotlight that has been trained on the Cook case. "The rapid-fire news cycle, combined with the viral nature of social media, has resulted in a modern-day character assassination that is very real and very wrong," attorneys Chris Van Wagner and Jessa Nicholson wrote in a statement. Erin Thornley-Parisi, executive director of the Dane County Rape Crisis Center, said the case has made headlines for several reasons, including the allegations against powerful men such as Trump and the salacious details that have emerged in coverage of the charges against Cook. As attention has escalated, UW-Madison administrators have sought to reassure students that they are taking action, writing in an email this week that Cook has been suspended and banned from campus, and saying officials take reports of sexual assault seriously. Federal investigators have opened four investigations into UW-Madison's handling of sexual assault. Shifting response to accusers? Responses to the case signal how the conversation around sexual assault allegations has shifted in some ways, Thornley-Parisi said. "More of the public (is) going to be supportive of these women," she said of the students who have accused Cook of assault. However, Thornley-Parisi noted, the vast majority of sexual assault cases don't attract this level of attention and many victims never come forward, often because they worry they won't be believed. Several students said the discussion they have seen about the case among peers on social media has generally been supportive of the women who accused Cook. Administrators this fall ramped up the mandatory training students receive on sexual assault, requiring them to attend one of several workshops on topics such as consent, dating violence and how to help fellow students who have been assaulted. Given that training, Akamelu said, "I think everyone pretty much has the same mindset" that sexual assault is wrong and that people who report it should be supported. But Van Wagner and Nicholson say that attitude runs the risk of infringing on the due process rights of the person accused of sexual assault which they say has happened to Cook. "Blind acceptance of mere accusations without hearing testimony or seeing physical evidence leads to the stigmatization of innocent people," the attorneys wrote. Graduate student Katie McKenna said she understood their concerns. "Social media has a big influence on these stories coming out, which is for the better and for the worse," McKenna said. It's better, she said, because the attention raises awareness of sexual assault. Asked what was worse, McKenna said: "Innocent until proven guilty." Alarmed by a raft of Chinese takeovers, Germany is putting the brakes on the Asian giant's shopping spree as it sends out the message that not everything is for sale -- at the risk of antagonising Beijing. The more assertive noises coming out of Berlin are likely to dominate Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel's trip to China in the coming days, putting to the test the oft-vaunted "special relationship" between the top export powers. Germans have watched with unease as Chinese enterprises have swallowed up a record number of homegrown tech companies this year, sparking fears of German knowhow and intellectual property being sold off to the highest bidder. The wave of acquisitions has also stoked grumbles over China's easy access to the country's open markets, often through state-backed companies, while foreign investors there face tight restrictions. "Germans seem to be growing more and more sceptical about China, and consequently more willing to pursue a tougher approach to Beijing," said analyst Hans Kundnani from the German Marshall Fund. In the clearest sign yet that Berlin could be squaring up for a battle, the German economy ministry this week said it was taking a closer look at two planned Chinese takeovers -- effectively stalling both deals. The moves have not gone unnoticed in Beijing and Gabriel will likely face some prickly questions when he leads a 60-strong business delegation on a five-day trip to China and Hong Kong from Tuesday. - 'Paranoia' - Germany's first punch came last Monday when the ministry said it had withdrawn its approval for Grand Chip Investment's 670-million-euro ($730-million) purchase of chip equipment maker Aixtron, citing security concerns. German daily Handelsblatt said the surprise reversal came after US intelligence services warned that Aixtron products could be used for military purposes. The deal is now back under review, a process that could last three months. Days later, the economy ministry said it was also reviewing the mooted sale of German firm Osram's general lighting unit to a Chinese buyer. Story continues So far there has been little official reaction from Beijing. But a bylined commentary carried by the official Xinhua news agency was scathing, accusing Germany of "protectionist moves" that called into question "Berlin's sincerity in securing an open and transparent investment climate". "It is time for Berlin to let go of its delusional "China threat" paranoia," it added. - Call for EU action - Chinese firms spent over 11 billion euros on German companies between January and October, a new record, according to accountancy firm EY. Included in that is the 4.6-billion-euro purchase of leading robot maker Kuka by Chinese appliance giant Midea, a deal that sparked particular alarm and which Gabriel had sought to thwart. Gabriel, also Germany's vice-chancellor, has since drawn up a list of proposals to give European Union governments greater powers to block takeovers by non-EU firms in strategic industries. Crucially there has been no word yet on whether Chancellor Angela Merkel -- who has championed close economic ties with Beijing -- approves of the idea. But Gabriel is likely to get a sympathetic hearing from at least some European peers. The new British government recently delayed the controversial Hinkley Point nuclear project over concerns about China's involvement, before eventually giving it the go-ahead. In Brussels, an in-depth EU antitrust probe is holding up state-owned ChemChina's proposed mammoth takeover of Swiss seed maker Syngenta. - Level playing field - Observers, however, say Germany is not about to close the door on China, one of its most important trade partners. Rather, the latest manoeuvres should be seen as part of a growing debate about how "to get a level playing field" with China, Kundnani told AFP. Gabriel himself told reporters this week foreign investment with China could not be "a one-way street". "We would like reciprocity," he said. Foreign investors have long complained of the obstacles to doing business in China, such as the requirement to team up with local partners, while some sectors are completely off-limits. Friedolin Strack of the BDI federation of German industries said that despite the frustrations, German firms had benefited enormously from doing deals with China -- leaving Gabriel to tread a fine line during his visit. "There are a lot of restrictions in Chinese markets," Strack told AFP. "And we should increase the political pressure and the pressure from businesses on China to remove these barriers. "But if we say we are open only to those countries who are open with us, that would harm German companies." bur-mfp/fz/cw The plane taking Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Belgium to sign a major trade deal suffered mechanical problems and had to turn back to the airport before taking off again late Saturday. The Toronto Star newspaper reported that Trudeau's flight to Brussels, which was delayed some 90 minutes, experienced "mechanical issues" involving the wing flaps about 30 minutes into the flight and had to return to Ottawa airport. News reports said the plane took off again a short time later, and Trudeau was still expected in Brussels on Sunday to sign the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the European Union -- a deal seven years in the making. The accord removes 99 percent of customs duties between the two sides, linking the single EU market of 500 million people with the world's 10th largest economy and a member of the G7 club of industrialized powers. Colin Kennedy on 7 plies, Dan Magee on the edit and Procul Harum on the soundtrack a combination to enhance any hazy Sunday morning. Enjoy Colins final part taken from the last Blueprint production proper Make Friends With The Colour Blue now. Its exciting to see small businesses jumping on the mobile revolution. I think its more noticeable with small businesses, because weve been conditioned to expect old style low tech ways of conducting business from smaller vendors. But today thats simply no longer true. Small businesses have the advantage of being nimble. Were able to jump on opportunities and technology solutions that it would take larger businesses more time to implement. In some ways, smaller businesses are leading the way with mobile activity. And so we are seeing some innovative and inexpensive ways of using mobile devices out of the office. If youre looking for ways to develop or extend a competitive advantage, consider using smartphones (and their bigger cousins, tablets) to gain an edge. To get your creative juices flowing, here are 7 ways that small businesses are using smartphones while out of the office: 1. Accepting mobile payments A consultant who has just published a book; a landscaper who gives an estimate for spring cleanup and mulching; and a crafter attending an outdoor crafts fair what do they have in common? All are using a mobile payment swipe device attached to their smartphones to process credit card payments. Your funds get automatically swept into your bank account. Add the ability to print a receipt right there, and youll really save time. 2. More responsive service calls Its the classic small business dilemma: your business is growing, and your field service crew is small. If you have to schedule a crew while in the field, do they have access to work orders and other details? Will they have access to driving directions? A good navigation system integrated with your back office systems to make sure crews have the right information, can save money. Theres less wasted time, and less phone time verbally explaining job details. 3. Tracking deliveries in the field A local distributor of specialty foods needs to track exactly where shipments stand verifying they were made, what was delivered, when and where. And have a record of it for the company and for customers. A software solution tied to barcoding that tracks variances and issues an accurate invoice on delivery avoids follow-up calls all enabled from smartphones can make sure you get paid faster. 4. Demonstrating before and after pictures Providers of homeowner services have gotten smart about using before and after photographs of home improvement projects. The old saying a picture is worth a thousand words holds new meaning when you are meeting with a provider for an estimate , and you see before and after pictures right there on a smartphone or better yet, a tablet. In the past, service providers had to rely on printing out expensive brochures. It is much easier to make a sale when your prospect can see the quality of your work. 5. Tracking timecards and distance/time How exactly do you track the hours worked by your remote workers, such as construction crews? Construction companies and contractors have adopted wireless apps that track time and attendance, verified by GPS, to make the process efficient. You get better recordkeeping, payroll can be more accurate, and your compliance is easier. Oh, and you save money, too, through eliminating manual work and wasteful errors. 6. Traveling light: have smartphone and tablet, will travel For knowledge workers who fly on business, lugging around pounds of gear such as a large laptop, a variety of cords and charging devices, a briefcase and more, is literally a pain. The whole package can approach 10 pounds. That 10 pounds of gear may not sound like a lot, but it can feel like a hundred by the time you get to your destination. And for security purposes you dont want to check items like that. Savvy business people have learned to travel light, with a smartphone alone or combined with a lightweight tablet for short trips. It takes mobility to a whole new level, and it keeps employees happy and productive. 7. Using smartphones for processing orders and work flow Some of the most savvy small businesses have integrated smartphones into their work flow. For instance, one painting contractor told me he closes 20% more business by generating professional looking estimates and invoices on the spot at the customers home, after taking measurements and showing paint samples. Its all because he has forms available on a tablet that can be configured, finalized and printed on a mobile printer. In other words, he increased his business by being innovative with technology. These are just some examples of small businesses using technology for an edge. How do you use smartphones and tablets? Smartphone Photo via Shutterstock - The girl who has married Uhuru's son attended a prestigious school in South Africa where annual school fees go up to more than KSh 1.2million - She comes from a family of old money which is how she met Uhuru's son It became apparent that Uhuru's daughter-in-law was from a family of wealth and affluence after the revelation that she was Rachel Omamo's aunt. Jomo and his woman in a past photo at an event READ ALSO:Days after exposing the KSh 5billion scandal, Raila exposes another one The girl who is an accountant in Nairobi has grown up in money and it does not come as a shocker that she has now been married into the Kenyatta family. Apparently, she attended the Pembroke House school in Kenya- a posh, prestigious school at where only son's and daughters of the high and mighty get admission. It follows the British Common Entrance Curriculum (BCE). The Pembroke school during a visit to State House READ ALSO:Royal media services employee in a nasty nude photos drama After Pembroke, Achola left Kenya for South Africa. She studied at the St Anne's Diocesan College- a private girls boarding school at Hilton, a Kwa Zulu-Natal town. A Photo of the St Anne's school that Achola went to in South Africa A majority of the population at the both schools are white and only a handful of blacks who come from well-to-do families. St. Anne's fees in her time went up to KSh 1.2 million per year making it one of the most expensive schools in South Africa. The fees for an year at the school It is in South Africa that Uhuru's son, Jomo met Achola. Jomo attended Hilton College, a posh school for boys that is a stone-throw away from Achola's school. Source: TUKO.co.ke Family members of US consulate staff in Istanbul have been ordered to leave because of security concerns. The information follows a warning last week of increased threats from extremist groups and advice that US citizens should carefully consider any travel within Turkey. The Consulate General remains fully staffed and open and the order does not apply to other US diplomatic posts in the country. Anti-American feelings in Turkey remain high despite it being a NATO ally, with Ankara blaming a failed coup in July on US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. The US State Department is considering a formal request from Turkey for the extradition of Mr Gulen , who lives in Pennsylvania and has denied any connection to the plot, condemning it "in the strongest terms". US leaders were outraged when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Washington of backing the aborted insurrection that claimed at least 270 lives. Ties between the two countries have been so frayed that Ankara has engaged in diplomatic flirtations with US foes Russia and Iran. In August Mr Erdogan travelled to Moscow to discuss collaboration on ending Syria's civil war. As well as the botched coup, Turkey has been shaken this year by a string of attacks from Islamic State jihadists and Kurdish militants . The car is a symbol of style plus speed. Just ponder the opposite of half the equation for a moment style and slowness. Far from Detroit, theres a whole American subculture of stylish slow autos called lowriders. New Mexicans have seen them on weekend evening cruising. Lowrider is the name of the vintage cars modified so that they barely clear ground level. The name also refers to the car owners, who are mostly Hispanic. The lowrider subculture has had a prominent place in Los Angeles and in the Southwest, especially northern New Mexico. A new large-format love letter of a book Orale! Lowrider: Custom Made in New Mexico celebrates and documents this subculture. In words and pictures, the book reveals its decadeslong history, showing the loving labor that goes into restoration, and explaining through first-person interviews a pride of ownership thats inextricably linked to family, friends and community. Meticulously painted, some with religious imagery, each vehicle can be seen as an original work of art, inside and outside. That artistry is nowhere more evident than in the 121 color and black-and-white photographs in the book. They are images, some previously published, taken by many well-known photographers who have long been documenting the lowrider subculture; photographers such as Miguel Gandert, Jack Parsons, Alex Harris, Meridel Rubenstein and Siegfried Halus. And writer Don J. Usner wrote a lengthy article (Cruising in the Heart of the Lowrider World) accompanied by a host of his captivating black-and-white photographic portraits. Lowriders gained national attention and favorable press in the 1990s. The Espanola Valley, Usner writes in his article, was labeled in a 1993 MTV broadcast as Lowrider Capital of the World because it apparently had the most lowriders (the vehicles) per capita than any American locale. That same year, Usner adds, Robert Ashley wrote an opera inspired by lowrider subculture. In the article, he quotes Ashley as calling the community of Chimayo the spiritual center of the lowrider world. A lengthy interview that Katherine Ware conducted with Rubenstein is also in the book. Ware and Daniel Kosharek selected the photographs for Arale! Levi Romeros short poem really captures his and presumably mirrors others enchantment with the low and slow ride. Here is the first stanza of Romeros poem Wheels: how can I tell you/baby, oh honey/youll never know the ride/the ride of a lowered Chevy/slithering through/the blue dotted night/along Riverside Drive Espanola. Usner and Katherine Ware will participate in a panel discussion and book signing of Orale! Lowrider at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 Fourth SW. Usner, Ware and Daniel Kosharek will give a presentation and sign copies of the book at 2 p.m. Nov. 13 at Collected Works Bookstore, 202 Galisteo, Santa Fe. A companion art exhibit is up at the New Mexico History Museum, 113 Lincoln Ave., Santa Fe, through March 5, 2017. The exhibit is titled Lowriders, Hoppers and Hot Rods: Car Culture of Northern New Mexico. Tom Dean scratches the name of Arthur Williams, a fellow Navy diver who died in Vietnam, at the The Moving Wall following opening ceremonies at Moriartys City Park. The replica of the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall was on display Oct. 21-24. (Todd G. Dickson/Mountain View Telegraph) From left, Moriarty Mayor Ted Hart, state Veterans Services Secretary Jack Fox, Gov. Susana Martinez and Bob Ludwig listen to a 21-rifle salute after laying wreaths at the opening ceremonies for The Moving Wall in Moriartys City Park. (Todd G. Dickson/Mountain View Telegraph) Families look up names on the The Moving Wall in Moriartys City Park. (Todd G. Dickson/Mountain View Telegraph) Brannon Porch plays "Amazing Grace" on his bagpipe at the The Moving Wall opening ceremonies Friday, Oct. 21, at Moriarty's City Park. (Todd G. Dickson/Mountain View Telegraph) Prev 1 of 4 Next Opening ceremonies for The Moving Wall in Moriartys City Park. were filled with many moving moments, from Gov. Susana Martinezs words about families who fear for loved ones in the military to a bagpipe playing Amazing Grace. But the most emotional moments came when Vietnam veterans approached the replica of the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall to find the names of brothers in arms lost to the war. Moriarty Mayor Ted Hart praised resident Bob Ludwig for his tenacity, over more than two years, in bringing the traveling wall to the town. Martinez called it an amazing gift to the people of New Mexico who may not be able to travel to Washington, D.C., to see the actual wall, but still want to honor the Vietnam War heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. The wall was on display Oct. 21-24. Several hundred mourners came together to sing songs, pray and pay respects to the little girl whose horrific death shocked the city. A memorial service for 10-year-old Victoria Martens drew a crowd to Copper Pointe Church in northeast Albuquerque on Saturday. Martens was raped, killed and partially dismembered in August, and three adults, including Victorias mother, Michelle Martens, have been charged in connection with the gruesome slaying. Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden, Gov. Susana Martinez and Attorney General Hector Balderas attended the event and spoke during the service, as did the pastor of Family Church, which Martens attended with her grandparents. Pictures of Martens were displayed, and a slideshow of her and her younger brother was played on large television screens in the church, which hosted the event because it can easily accommodate hundreds of people. It was good seeing people come together and recognize what happened, and celebrate the girls life, said Daniel Wieck, a city resident who attended. A ceremonial casket was at the service, since Victorias body hasnt been released by the Office of the Medical Investigator, said Lainie Brunetto, the projects manager at Copper Pointe. Laura Bobbs, whose young daughters were friends with Victoria, said many of Victorias relatives were in attendance. Bobbs said Victoria leaves behind aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and great-grandparents. When I look around this church today, I see our community. We are all so different, but we share one common thing: We care about this family, and we care about Victoria, Eden said during the nearly two-hour ceremony. Albuquerque police officers responded to the scene of Victorias killing and Eden has said officers were troubled by the horrific scene. Michelle Martens, Fabian Gonzales and Jessica Kelley have all been arrested in the case. They are all charged with first-degree murder, aggravated criminal sexual penetration of a child under 13, intentional abuse of a child under 12 and many other counts. In criminal complaints filed against the trio, police say Martens admitted that Gonzales and Kelley raped her daughter while she watched. Gonzales then strangled the girl and Kelley stabbed her. After Victoria was dead, she was partially dismembered and burned before police arrived at the West Side apartment complex where she lived, according to the court documents. Martinez was emotional during her remarks and her voice cracked at times when she described Victoria as a sweet, kind little girl. I cannot imagine what this casket holds a little girl who deserves to still be here, she said. Balderas said Victoria, as described to him by teachers, had a spark and was friendly with special needs children. One thing that resonated with me, as someone who tries to protect children, is that she truly was a borrowed angel, he said. Its what perfectly articulates why so many New Mexicans are in pain. SANTA FE New Mexico budget cuts for higher education and K-12 public schools have caught the eye of a national credit rating agency, which has described the cuts as potentially negative for school and community college bond ratings. Moodys Investor Service already downgraded the states rating for general obligation bonds from AAA to AA1 last week and suggested further hits could be forthcoming due to plummeting New Mexico revenue and cash reserve levels. In the latest development, Moodys warned in its weekly credit outlook for investors that a budget-cutting bill signed into law Monday by Gov. Susana Martinez could put school districts in a financial bind and possibly lead to cuts in administrative expenses, since mid-year staffing cuts for public schools are generally prohibited by union contracts. The states willingness to target educational funding to close budgetary gaps is credit negative for all institutions of learning, but particularly school districts, which tend to operate within narrow margins, the credit outlook states. However, the designation of the spending cuts as a credit negative does not mean an imminent rating downgrade for school districts credit scores, said David Jacobson, a senior communications official for Moodys. The budget cuts were one part of a $350 million-plus solvency package approved by lawmakers during a recent special legislative session in response to a massive state budget shortfall. Universities and colleges face a 5 percent funding reduction under the solvency legislation totalling $39.6 million while public schools face a 1.5 percent cut, plus the loss of more than $17 million in funding for transportation, instructional materials and other expenses. The cuts were prompted by plummeting oil and gasoline prices that caused the states tax collections to end up falling short of what had been expected by more than $1 billion over the course of the just-completed and current budget years. More belt-tightening could be necessary during the 60-day session that begins in January, as the recently approved solvency package still leaves the state facing a projected revenue shortfall of about $100 million. Lawmakers have expressed concern about the states revenue volatility, with several legislators saying New Mexico is too reliant on taxes and premiums associated with the oil and natural gas industries. If we dont start doing something (different), our sources of revenue are going to be just like a seesaw, said Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle, R-Portales, during a Legislative Finance Committee hearing last week. Were going to have to make some really hard decisions. Moodys had previously put the credit scores of several New Mexico universities, including University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University, under review for possible downgrade. The recent credit outlook did not address those ratings. Associated Press SANTA FE The New Mexico tax department has agreed to stop automatically withholding income tax refunds from many foreign nationals without Social Security numbers who file under alternative identification numbers provided by the IRS, a New Mexico state senator said Friday. Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, said he co-signed the settlement as a plaintiff that says state tax authorities will no longer withhold refunds based solely on discrepancies between a taxpayers individual taxpayer identification number, or ITIN, and any Social Security number submitted on corresponding W-2 income forms. The Taxation and Revenue Department and other parties to the settlement declined to comment or acknowledge the agreement. The agreement resolves a lawsuit against the department alleging a practice of withholding tax refunds owed to foreign nationals starting in 2012 based on mismatched tax identification numbers. The lawsuit was filed last year by the immigrant rights groups Somos Un Pueblo Unido and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Plaintiffs have estimated that thousands of tax filers were affected. At court hearings, the department and agency Secretary Demesia Padilla denied targeting immigrants. She acknowledged that the agency used an automated software system to flag inconsistencies on tax returns and withheld returns to seek more information as a precaution against fraud. Ortiz y Pino said the department has agreed to withhold only refunds from tax filers using the alternative ID numbers when told to do so by the federal government, or if identification discrepancies are linked to documented instances of fraud. He said foreign nationals would be less likely to see their refunds delayed or denied. All the immigrant families that dont have a Social Security number, who have been told to use this number, they would be fine, he said. Somos Un Pueblo Unido has posted a message on its website warning tax filers using ITINs of a mid-November deadline to appeal any additional assessments linked to delayed returns. A representative for Somos Un Pueblo Unido declined to speak about new arrangements with taxation officials. The groups website said 2015 tax filings by foreign nationals using individual taxation identification numbers will be automatically re-run and refunds sent to those who qualify, and that those taxpayers also have the right to pursue refunds withheld from 2012-2014. New Mexico settles lawsuit over immigrant tax refunds A Tijeras memorial to honor those who lost their lives while protecting public safety should begin construction early next year. Bernalillo County Commissioner Wayne Johnson said the memorial has been in the works a long time and is on track to start construction by January. Tito Madrid, Johnsons assistant, said that the state funding portion of the memorial was left intact after the special session. Its long past time to honor those people who work to keep us safe, Johnson said at a public input meeting earlier this month at the James McGrane Jr. Public Safety Complex. The memorial effort began in earnest in 2014 and by 2016 the commission had selected two sites one in Tijeras next to the James McGrane Jr. Public Safety Complex and a smaller second memorial site in Albuquerque. Planners foresee both being constructed, with the McGrane memorial offering a comprehensive listing of law enforcement officers, firefighters and detention officers from Bernalillo County who have fallen in the line of duty. George Radnovich of Sites Southwest, which is designing the memorial, said it will be a place of reflection and inspiration, along with listing the names of those who have sacrificed their lives for the safety of the public. The names will be inscribed on two granite wall-like columns by a mosaic labyrinth with benches. The site is northeast of the McGrane complex, near the roadside marker memorial for Bernalillo County Deputy Sheriff James McGrane Jr., who was shot and killed while making a traffic stop in 2006. A cement sidewalk will link the complex to the memorial across Public School Road. There will also be two crushed-rock walking trails curving into the memorial, as well as trees and other landscaping. A previously planned water element has been nixed, Radnovich said, because of the high maintenance for such features, especially in an area with hard water, such as Tijeras. The design currently calls for providing 15 parking spaces. The lists will include names, who they served with and when they died, which will be referred to as their end of watch. County officials said they will go back in the records as far as possible, and include those who also served in state and federal law enforcement from the county. Currently, there are two funding sources for the memorial $335,000 from a general obligation bond and $350,000 in state capital outlay money. There will be future public input meetings as the design gets refined by concerns, such as how to make the columns seen from those sitting on the memorials benches while still providing an entry point to the labyrinth. Copyright 2016 Albuquerque Journal Endangered Mexican wolves roam the wilds of New Mexico, Arizona and Mexico. They also live in captivity. But their future may lie in a frozen zoo. Thats the term of endearment scientists use for the bank of frozen wolf sperm and ovaries housed at the St. Louis Zoo in Missouri and Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City two cryogenic vaults where some of the most precious genes of the species are being held for future reproductive use. Even as New Mexico continues to fight with the federal government over the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services troubled program to reintroduce Mexican wolves to the wild, the scientists charged with breeding the species back into greater numbers are pushing on with the complex work of preserving the genetic diversity of a captive population that began with just seven wolves. Right now, our mandate is to preserve genes, said Cheryl Asa, a reproductive physiologist who led the research program at the St. Louis Zoo for 30 years and now serves as a consultant. This is looking into the future so that, as animals die who are genetically important to the species, their genes live on. The Mexican gray wolf, an apex predator native to the Southwest and Mexico, was listed as endangered in 1976 and the service has been working to recover the species ever since often in the face of opposition from ranchers who live in and around the remote Gila region, where the wolves now roam, and are concerned about them preying on cattle. They also prey on mule deer and elk. These ecosystems evolved with predator and prey, said Garrett VeneKlasen, executive director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, which represents sportsmen. Its a system of checks and balances. If we want to get our wildlife as healthy as it can be, we need to have all these species in adequate numbers on landscapes that can handle it. Since 2007, the quest to preserve Mexican gray wolf genes has included vitrifying the ovarian tissue of female wolves that are past reproductive age in hopes of one day being able to impregnate younger females through in vitro fertilization although the technology does not yet exist to perform this technique in dogs or wolves. But researchers are getting close, Asa said. The frozen zoo is what some of us call it, said Maggie Dwire, assistant Mexican wolf recovery coordinator with the service. We arent going to find new founders. We need to be very careful about retaining the genetic diversity we do have. Kept forever Only female wolves past their natural breeding age of 12 years may be selected for spaying, Asa said. A scientist at the St. Louis Zoo with the title of curator of invertebrates, Edward Spevak, manages a computer program that determines which of the elder females is most genetically precious to the species survival. Just before breeding season, during the last two weeks of January, when the wolves eggs are close to ovulation, they are spayed like a domestic dog would be spayed an operation that might happen at one of the 51 institutions that hold captive wolves. The wolf ovaries are wrapped in gauze, kept warm in a saline solution, packed in a container and immediately shipped in the cargo hold of the next passenger plane headed to St. Louis, Asa said. In the St. Louis Zoo lab, scientists use a needle to draw out egg cells from each follicle; the remaining tissue is vitrified and banked, kept in liquid nitrogen forever, or until they might be used, she said. No vacancy With 251 wolves in captivity and space capped at 300 wolves, holding pens in the U.S. and Mexico are near capacity. That curbs their ability to breed as many wolves as they might otherwise, Dwire said, making the frozen zoo all the more important. But wolf advocate Michael Robinson says that too few genetically valuable wolves are being released from captivity into the wild. Ten wolves, including six pups fostered into existing wolf dens earlier this year, have been released from captivity since 2009, according to Fish & Wildlife Service statistics. The service placed two of the pups in dens in New Mexico flouting a 2015 ban on wolf releases by the state Game and Fish Department. If these wolves had been released a decade ago, instead of stuck in pens due to politics, their great-grandpups would roam the Southwest today, embodying the genetic diversity that instead is being stored in freezers, Robinson said in an email. The most recent master plan for the captive population pins genetic diversity at 83 percent as good as its probably going to get in the Mexican wolf population, according to its authors, survival plan coordinator Peter Siminiski and Spevak. When gene diversity falls below 90 percent of that in the founding population, the report says, reproduction may be increasingly compromised by lower birth weights, smaller litter sizes and greater neonatal mortality all challenges for the Mexican wolf population, both in captivity and in the wild, where genetic diversity is even less. In the wild, Asa said, the animals are so dispersed that there is not enough mixing and matching. Wolves dont know that we need them to balance the gene diversity. So wolf genes that would otherwise be lost are frozen, waiting for science to catch up. Assisted reproductive technologies are improving all the time, Siminski said in an interview. Our thinking back in the 2000s was, were going to start banking as soon as we can. The time will come that these technologies will be available. The most intractable problem New Mexico faces is poverty. From low birth-weight babies to violent crime, poverty is either a cause, an effect or a complicating factor in the states many dysfunctions. With about as many New Mexicans receiving Medicaid as there are New Mexicans in the workforce, with almost half of our children under the age of four years receiving food stamps, there is evidence the problem is getting worse. And yet I cant recall a political candidate campaigning on a platform of reducing poverty. Candidates talk about bringing jobs to the state, cutting or raising taxes, imposing or opposing right-to-work legislation, reforming the schools or making New Mexico more business-friendly. Any one of these approaches might do us some good, but none of them looks at the poverty of our state in its totality. After thinking about our states poverty for decades now, Ive come to believe that poverty is a complex system and that, to tackle it, we need to understand all of the factors at play and how all of those factors interact. That is asking what is probably the impossible of a governor or a state legislator. The result is that no one really owns the problem. Certainly no one really understands the problem. I hate to recommend we organize some sort of blue-ribbon commission of experts to work on resolving the poverty problem since such groups are often just window-dressing that allows politicians to avoid doing something. As often as not, an impressive report is produced and shelved. But we need someone to take responsibility for the entire problem of poverty. It will be a daunting task. Just think about health policy for a minute, courtesy of a thought experiment proposed by a friend with years of experience in the Medicaid arena. Imagine a child who shows up at a clinic complaining of difficulty breathing. The kid is also seriously overweight. The clinic staff decides the child has asthma, so they give him medication and tell his mother he needs to lose weight. The kid goes home until the next time he cant breathe. Each of his clinic visits, plus his emergency room visits when he has a serious asthma attack, are paid for by Medicaid. What the clinic staff doesnt know because it is not set up to know, because it is not paid to know, because there is no system that allows anyone concerned about this family to know is that above the boys bedroom is a leaking roof that has spawned a mold that aggravates the childs asthma. What they dont know is that the nearest grocery store where fresh vegetables can be purchased is miles away and the family doesnt have reliable transportation, so they rely on processed foods they can obtain at the local convenience store. What they dont know is that funding cuts have eliminated gym class at the boys school, so he doesnt get enough exercise. The solution to the childs health problems isnt found in a clinic, but he will continue to seek taxpayer-subsidized care for heaven knows how many years. Given his poor health status, statistics show, he is likely to under-perform at school, which means he is likely to be under-prepared for the kind of work the global 21st-century economy demands. And all because of a leaking roof, school funding problems and poor transportation. (I should add that some clinic systems, First Choice among them, are trying to solve health problems by solving community problems like housing and transportation.) We need a competitive workforce, but we dont know how to create one, so we get mired in political disputes over teacher evaluations and university funding. We are losing thousands of young people to drug abuse, which means we are losing the raw material from which to make a competitive workforce. We have no way to explore the connection between drug abuse and our lack of prosperity. We are a rural state with many small family agricultural operations at a time when farms and ranches have to get very large if they are to survive. Our school funding formula requires we sustain public schools in rural areas that appear to have no economic future. We have no mechanism to address agricultural problems as a component of the system responsible for our states poverty. We have no mechanism for determining if the water consumed by our agricultural sector is penalizing or enhancing our prosperity as a state. A political system rewards political behavior. There is not a lot of immediate return on solving a big, very difficult problem, so its probably unrealistic to expect government to step up. The private sector, on the other hand, understands the penalty poverty imposes on our economy and our businesses, and it understands the value of long-term investment in things that matter. A private-sector effort, in cooperation with community groups and charities, could pay dividends that will eventually accrue to all of us. UpFront is a daily front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Winthrop Quigley at 823-3896 or wquigley@abqjournal.com. Go to www.abqjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor. David Bearbow Bearshield poses for photographs with Donald Trump supporters while wearing a headdress at the Trump rally at Atlantic Aviation in Albuquerque on Sunday. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Donald Trump supporters wait at a hangar near the Albuquerque International Sunport where the Republican candidate spoke at a rally Sunday. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) A Donald Trump supporter carries signs before the rally Sunday. It was Trump's second campaign stop in Albuquerque. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses a rally in a hangar near Albuquerque International Sunport on Sunday. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Supporters pick up signs before the start of Donald Trump's rally at Atlantic Aviation Albuquerque on Sunday. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N. M. , also spoke at the event. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Alejandro Lujan, 16, left, hands campaign signs to Phillip and Alberta Mortensen of Moriarty as they arrive at the rally for Donald Trump. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Trump supporters show their excitement as they arrive at the Donald Trump campaign event held at Atlantic Aviation. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal( Donald Trump supporters wait in line before attending the rally where the candidate spoke at Atlantic Aviation Albuquerque on Sunday. About 4,000 people attended the event. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Javier Benavidez, executive director of SWOP, a community organizing group, prepares a papier-mache mask and an altar for Santa Muerte to ward of evil spirits as part of a small group of protesters at the Donald Trump rally near the Albuquerque International Sunport on Sunday. (Olivier Uttebrouck/Albuquerque Journal) Prev 1 of 9 Next Making a surprise campaign stop in New Mexico just nine days before Election Day, Donald Trump held a Sunday evening campaign rally in Albuquerque that sent a political charge through a state that has voted Democratic in recent presidential contests. In nine days, we are going to win this state, and we are going to take back the White House, Trump told a boisterous crowd of roughly 4,000. Im going to tell you a little secret. Were tied in New Mexico. While most polls conducted in the run-up to the Nov. 8 election have shown Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton with a lead in New Mexico, Trumps campaign has maintained that its internal polls show a dead heat in the state. The rally, which was held in an airplane hangar near the Albuquerque International Sunport, marked the Republican presidential nominees second New Mexico campaign stop this year. Trump held a May rally in Downtown Albuquerque that drew a crowd of roughly 8,000 people and prompted raucous and occasionally violent late-night protests. Some protesters on Sunday sounded a siren during Trumps speech, while about a dozen others created a peace vigil, including a papier-mache head representing Santa Muerte, intended to ward off evil spirits. A tense face-off between about 20 protesters and a line of police in riot gear shaped up outside the gates while Trump spoke. Police closed the entrance to the Atlantic hangar as protesters some wearing masks chanted anti-Trump slogans and in some cases taunted police. But most protesters walked away by 8 p.m., leaving the gate clear for Trump supporters to exit. Meanwhile, a few other protesters who had secured tickets made a disturbance as Trump began speaking and were escorted out. In his 50-minute speech, Trump said the nation was on the cusp of historic political change and said his election as president would be Brexit times ten. He renewed his calls to repeal the federal Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, saying New Mexico is one of the states hit hardest by the landmark health care legislation. Trump also vowed to tighten national security and said he would, if elected, invest more money in Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque. He then cited statistics showing a recent spike in violent crime in Albuquerque. Whats going on out there? he asked, drawing boisterous shouts from the crowd. Trump also said he had a lot of friends in New Mexico, though he didnt mention any names, and said his policies would make the state safer. When I become president, we will keep the cartels and gang members out of New Mexico, he said. Trump, who had campaigned in Nevada and Colorado earlier in the day, did not directly address recent scandals to hit his campaign, including allegations of sexual assault from numerous women. Jennifer Krisco of Santa Fe said afterward that the rally had reinforced her support for Trump. He cares about the economy, she said. He knows how to create jobs. He knows how to secure our borders. Hundreds of Trump backers showed up hours before the rally began, with many of them wearing Trump hats and T-shirts and waiting in line for doors to open. Bob Scott of Albuquerque said he has already voted for Trump. I think hes a real breath of fresh air, he said. Hes not a career politician. Hes new to this, and that appeals to me. Gov. Susana Martinez, the states two-term GOP governor who has criticized Trumps comments in the past, did not attend Sundays rally or a Trump rally in Albuquerque in May. She traveled to Colorado earlier in the day to attend a memorial service for her goddaughter, according to the Governors Office. U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., was one of several Republican officials who did attend the event. Pearce, who spoke before Trump arrived in his customized campaign airplane, pointed out that Trump and his running mate, Mike Pence, have made four campaign visits to New Mexico, compared with no public events for Clinton and her running mate, Tim Kaine. However, other high-profile Democrats have campaigned in New Mexico for Clinton. It just indicates one team is taking this state for granted, and the other team is working hard for peoples votes, he told the Journal. However, Democratic Party leaders held a news conference near the site of the Trump campaign event and expressed confidence that Clinton will win New Mexico and its five electoral votes on Nov. 8. I think its actually a pipe dream for Donald Trump to think hes going to win in New Mexico, a state where hes offended about 98 percent of the people, said Senate Majority Whip Michael Padilla, D-Albuquerque. New Delhi : Pakistani national Mohammad Ghani Usman, a veteran bombmaker of Lashkar-e-Taiba, who was arrested in Austria earlier this year and charged by France for November 2015 Paris attacks, may soon face Indian investigators. Top officials said NIA wants to interrogate 35-year-old Usman, who later joined Islamic State, to find out if the expert bomb-maker of the LeT played any part in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. In his disclosures to agencies, Tamil Nadu-based Indian fighter of ISIS, Subahani Haja Moideen, has said that Usman was his best pal in Iraq and often told him that he was an important person in the LeT heirarchy while in Pakistan. The agency will write to ministries of home and external affairs seeking permission to travel to France soon. It is already in touch with France on Moideens fresh claims about Paris attacks and his training period with Paris attackers/conspirators including their group commander, a man they knew as Abu Suleiman Al-Francisi, who they suspect could be the mastermind of Paris carnage, Abdelhamid Abaaoud. NIA, sources say, wants to extract from Usman information about his links with senior leadership of LeT including Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-Ur-Rehman Lakhvi, who perpetrated the November 2008 Mumbai serial attacks carried out by 10 fidayeens including Ajmal Kasab, who was caught alive and later given death sentence. Apart from 26/11, NIA wants to understand LeTs link with ISIS and why a seasoned bomb-maker of the Pakistan outfit joined the latter. Usman, as first reported by TOI, used to talk for hours with Moideen about India and Pakistan during their training period and stay in Afghanistan and Iraq between April and September 2015. While Usman left for Europe posing as a migrant along with other jihadis including the Paris bombers, Moideen returned to India around the same time in September last year. Both were part of a 150 member group named, Umar Ibnu Khatab Khatiba, of trained foreign terrorist fighters (FTF) from Algeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, south-east Asian countries including Indonesia, Philippines, Tunisia and European countries. Meanwhile, Moideens questioning has also revealed for the first time that the online handlers/motivators of Islamic State, who never met the recruits and are supposed to be based in a third country, actually met them on the ground. Moideens online contact since his indoctrination in 2014 and early 2015, identified as one Abu Hafa Al Swedi, having an online alibi as Abu Computer, met him several times in Iraq, said sources. Source : TOI New Delhi : The Delhi Police on Saturday arrested the personal assistant of a Samajwadi Partys Rajya Sabha MP after questioning in connection with the espionage racket in which a Pakistan High Commission staffer was expelled from the country and three persons were arrested. MP Chaudhary Munabbar Saleems PA Farhat was detained by Crime Branch on Friday night. After his arrest, Saleem removed Farhat from the post. Talking to news agency ANI, Saleem said that he had appointed Farhat a year back after due parliamentary checks. He further extended all support during the probe. Ravindra Yadav, Joint Commissioner of Police (crime), said that Farhat has been sent for medical. He will be later sent to police remand. Responding to the development, Minister of Culture Mahesh Sharma said: We should be worried as a minister is involved in any such case, but he is ready to coordinate. Mehmood Akhtar, a visa officer at the Pakistan High Commission, was arrested on Wednesday. However, he was released hours later due to diplomatic immunity. In a statement, Akhtar had revealed the name of Farhat. Reports said that Farhat had provided Ministry of External Affairs documents to the Pakistani spy. The Delhi Police is also trying to nab other members of the racket who, it believes, were in close contact with Pakistan High Commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar who was caught receiving secret documents here on October 26. Two others, Maulana Ramzan and Subhash Jangir, residents of Nagaur, Rajasthan, were held along with Akhtar. Another accused Sohaib was detained in Jodhpur and brought to Delhi by the police where he was arrested. Source : Zee News UN votes 191-0-2 against US embargo by DLi Wow--talk about the rarity of global consensus. This past week the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly, 191-0(with only 2 abstentions from the USA and the other pariah state of Israel)for a resolution to condemn the illegal and immoral 5-decade-long US embargo on Cuba. When was the last time of such unanimity, on any issue? Even traditional US client states like Saudi Arabia and bribed regimes like Palau voted against Uncle Sam's absurd and even Satanic attempt to economically cripple a neighbor whose only "crime" is its astounding perseverance in surviving Washington's strangling noose. After decades of invasive military threats and even numerous assassination attempts on Cuban President Fidel Castro, Washington has been forced by the reality of its failed policies, and actual isolation in the face of global outcry. Hence, after 50 years of confrontation, Uncle Sam finally switched to its "nice cop" routine of a nominal diplomatic recognition of Havana's legitimate status as a sovereign state. But of course the Imperial impulse of destabilization has not disappeared. The US State Dept. still gives out grants to recruit programs that tries to infiltrate and bribe Cuban NGOs to subtly undermine Cuba's socialist values and governance. But the world has now openly condemned the remaining archaic and crippling American policy of economic strangulation. Let all progressive citizens hope and work toward smashing this Imperial vice. Gardai have arrested a man in connection with a four-year investigation into human trafficking. The man, aged 38, will appear at Dublin District Court this evening charged in connection with the investigation into human trafficking of Polish nationals into Ireland for the purpose of sexual exploitation. He was arrested in Dublin earlier this afternoon. This is the second person to face charges in the investigation, a man in his 30s was charged at Athlone District Court under Human Trafficking legislation on Wednesday, October 26. During the course of the investigation into the organised crime gangs, which started in February 2012, a number of female victims were identified and interviewed by Gardai. They are continuing to get support from Ruhama and the HSE. Five people were arrested and detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007. They were released without charge and a comprehensive investigation file was forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions. North Korea on Saturday warned that it will not tolerate any form of "psychological warfare," citing specifically a new large electronic display being set up by South Korea near the border. The South's move to set up the display is aimed at driving an "extreme confrontation" with the North into "direct military conflict," the Korean People's Army said in an article carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Seoul has been installing a 10 meters by 18 meters electronic display in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) since Oct. 27, the KCNA report said. Pyongyang criticized the installation, saying the "reckless anti-DPRK psychological warfare is pushing the tense situation in the areas along the MDL to an unpredictable phase." The DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name. But South Korea's military called the argument groundless, saying it is setting up facilities involving loud speakers. "The military is considering building an electronic display in Cheorwon as part of psychological warfare against the North following its fifth nuclear test last month. The final decision has yet to be made," a defense ministry official said. Right after the North's fourth nuclear test in January, Seoul resumed its loudspeaker campaign along the tensely guarded border in retaliation, blaring messages critical of the North Korean regime and leader Kim Jong-un. (Yonhap) 4 dead, 33 hurt in road accidents Four persons died and 33 others were injured in separate road accidents in several parts of the country in the past 24 hours. Veteran Ghanaian actress, Akua Ataa aka Kyeiwaa, has debunked rumours making the rounds that she has passed on. Social media platforms especially Facebook was flooded on Saturday with reports that one of Ghana's celebrated actress was dead. According to the reports, the actress died of an unknown ailment on Friday at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). She is said to have given up the ghost days after fighting what was later recognized as poison. Kyeiwaa, who has featured in over 150 local movies and won numerous awards dismissed the rumours as false and unfounded. She said she is presently in the United States of America on holidays. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com French Sangaris forces patrol in Bangui, Central African Republic in February 2016 as people vote in presidential elections hoping to bring peace after the country's worst sectarian violence since independence in 1960. By Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File) 30.10.2016 LISTEN Bangui (Central African Republic) (AFP) - French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian heads to the Central African Republic on Sunday to formally end Operation Sangaris, begun three years ago to halt mass killings there but which failed to disarm militias terrorising the population. The formal end to the French mission comes as a fresh wave of bloodshed shook the troubled nation, spearheaded by rival Muslim and Christian militia groups. "France is not giving up on Central Africa," Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Thursday, highlighting the presence of more than 10,000 UN peacekeepers from the MINUSCA mission. But many Central Africans are worried about the departure of the French troops, who were urgently deployed following a wave of bloodshed in December 2013. "Armed groups are getting ready. And I'm afraid they will start an all-out offensive when the French have left," a senior political figure told AFP, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject. French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (L) and President Francois Hollande pictured during at a meeting of coalition defence chiefs at the Defence Ministry in Paris, on October 25, 2016 "The militias fear the French troops but not the UN force." In recent weeks, people have been living in fear as armed groups have resumed their acts of violence in the interior of the country, leaving dozens dead. On Thursday and Friday alone, at least 25 people were killed, among them six members of the security forces following clashes in the central town of Bambari and the surrounding area, MINUSCA said. Mass killings Armed groups have flourished over the years given the weakness of the state. French President Francois Hollande R) said French troops would remain in Central African Republic as long as necessary, but Operation Sangaris was not designed to last Among the main culprits are factions from the mostly-Muslim former Seleka rebel force, and the Christian anti-Balaka militias. But there are also vigilante groups made up of nomadic Fulani herders, who are predominantly Muslim as well as others which specialise in highway robbery. One of the world's poorest countries, the Central African Republic has scarcely emerged from the chaos of civil war which erupted in 2013 following the overthrow of then president Francoise Bozize, a Christian, by Muslim rebels from the Seleka coalition who installed their own leader. Christians who comprise about 80 percent of the population then organised vigilante units -- dubbed "anti-Balaka" in reference to the machetes used by the rebels -- which then began to target Muslims, plunging the country into a crisis. According to Human Rights Watch, the Seleka and anti-Balaka groups committed widespread abuses against civilians, including killings, sexual violence, and destruction of private, public and religious properties, causing mass displacement. French troops backed by a UN mandate arrived in December 2013. A month later, the Seleka president was forced to step down following massive international pressure over his failure to end the violence. 'A success' The United Nations Mission in Central African Republic (MINUSCA) took over from an African Union peacekeeping mission in September 2016 Despite this explosive cocktail, France, the former colonial power, decided earlier this year to end its mission in the country with Le Drian telling parliament earlier this month that the operation had been "a success". "We stopped the mass killings... allowed a process of intercommunal reconciliation, the reconstitution of the state, a presidential election, and legislative elections," he said during a debate. "Even if stability has not been entirely restored, it is important now... that this role be handed over to the Central African forces and the UN mission." Around 350 French troops, equipped with observation drones, will remain present, around 100 of whom will be deployed with the UN, the French government says. Allegations of child rape The French operation has not been entirely smooth, with its troops coming under intense pressure since July 2014 over allegations of child rape. Despite the troubling claims, fears of a return to violence have triggered concern among Central African civilians over the imminent pullout. "I think there is a sense of unfinished business which risks plunging the country back into a much worse situation," said a teacher called Edgar Ngbaba. "I don't believe in this withdrawal at all," said Marie Ndoinam, a trader. And the worry of Bangui residents is only fuelled by news filtering through from the interior of the country. According to several Central African sources contacted by AFP, several hundreds of heavily-armed Seleka gunmen from rival factions have begun gathering in Batangafo, some 350 kilometres (220 miles) north of Bangui. Abidjan (AFP) - Ivory Coast goes to the polls on Sunday to vote on constitutional changes that President Alassane Ouattara says will help to end years of instability and unrest linked to the vexed issue of "Ivorian-ness". The draft constitution put forward by Ouattara -- which parliament overwhelmingly approved earlier this week -- would also create a vice president picked by the president and a senate, a third of whom would be nominated by the head of state. The controversial package of changes has succeeded in both alarming opposition leaders and leaving much of the electorate confused. "All this, it's madness! What concerns us is the cost of living and getting out of poverty. The rich get richer and the poor stay poor," said Bamory Kone, a mechanic in Adjame, an area that mostly supported Ouattara's run for the top job in 2015. "The constitution won't change anything. I won't be going to vote," he added. A supporter of the Ivorian Popular Front (IPF) party holds a sign reading 'No to the new constitution', in Port-Bouet, a commune of Abidjan, on September 17, 2016 The draft constitution notably suppresses a clause on national identity -- the so-called "Ivorian-ness" clause which took effect in 2000, and also stipulates that both parents of a presidential candidate must be born on Ivorian soil and not have sought nationality in another country. The issue has contributed to years of unrest, including a coup in 1999, a civil war in 2002 that split the country between its north and south and a violent post-election crisis in 2010. The most recent crisis led to months of post-poll bloodshed with then-president Laurent Gbagbo refusing to step down. Some 3,000 people died and Gbagbo is now on trial in The Hague for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Ouattara hails from central Ivory Coast but his father was born in neighbouring Burkina Faso and the issue of identity raised a hurdle in his bid for the presidency. He eventually overcame this obstacle through a decree Gbagbo was pressured to sign by the international community. Voters none the wiser Members of the parliament of Ivory Coast cast their ballots during the vote for the adoption of new constitution, on October 11, 2016 at the National Assembly in Abidjan The proposed new constitution also calls for the creation of the post of vice president, who would appear on the ballot with presidential candidates. For the government, it would ensure continuity if the head of state died or was incapacitated. But critics have speculated that he is trying to line up a successor for when his term ends in 2020. The opposition sees the change as a "monarchistic tactic". The draft also establishes a new legislative chamber in the form of a senate, two-thirds of whose members would be elected, with the remaining third appointed by the president. Ouattara "is treating Ivory Coast as if it were his personal property. What he is offering is less than a constitution. It is a will and testament designed to distribute his country to his successors so it stays in the family," said the head of the Ivorian Popular Front, the opposition party founded by Gbagbo. US-based Human Rights Watch has warned that despite campaigning many Ivorians are still none the wiser about what they are voting for. "There is little engagement," said researcher Meite Mamoudou who, like many observers, expects that many people simply will not bother to vote. Some 6.3 million people are eligible to vote. The country's 20,000 polling stations will open from 0800 GMT and close at 1800 GMT. An electoral commission source said the counting should be finished "by the end of Monday, Tuesday at the latest". Accra (AFP) - French Prime Minister Manuel Valls issued an appeal on Sunday to overcome the legacy of slavery, dismissing claims for financial compensation while acknowledging the "horror" of the slave trade. Valls was visiting Franklin House, a former slave hub in the Ghanaian capital Accra, on Sunday on the second leg of a three-country tour of West Africa. "We cannot repair slavery but we can prepare the future" he said in an article published by the French daily Le Monde and the English magazine The Africa Report. Valls rejected the idea of compensation, instead advocating for strengthened trade relations between Africa and Europe. "It is not so much about living for the idea of reparation... as about looking to tomorrow, about strengthening the ties between our two continents on either side of the Mediterranean," he said. "The slave trade was a disaster on a large scale. That reality must be remembered, taught and hammered home," he said, "the many atrocities, rapes and murders. It was a crime against humanity." But Valls argued against calls for reparations, rejecting the idea that Africa's history is solely defined by slavery. "Memory should not divide. It should, on the contrary, close fractures and bring people together, if only we do not give in to the awfulness of competing memories, hierarchies and comparing the suffering of some with the misfortune of others. "I also know that the history of Africa is so much more than the history of slavery, to which it is too often reduced," he said, adding: "I know that Africa has the strength to free itself from that past." French President Francois Hollande on a May 2015 trip to the Caribbean spoke of the debt France owed to Haiti, but his office later said he was referring to a "moral debt" rather than financial compensation. France abolished slavery in all its colonies in 1848 but only recognised slavery as a crime against humanity since 2001. Valls, who arrived in Ghana on Saturday from Togo, heads later Sunday to the Ivory Coast. Bangui (Central African Republic) (AFP) - France on Monday formally ended a peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic, hailing it a success despite sporadic outbreaks of violence in its deeply troubled former colony. The move came just hours after about 10 people were killed in clashes between armed groups Sunday in the restive Muslim PK5 neighbourhood of the capital Bangui, according to local sources. The toll had yet to be confirmed by the 10,000-strong UN force MINUSCA, which will be alone after France's departure in facing the militia groups terrorising civilians. Thousands of people have been killed and 4.5 million forced from their homes since the conflict erupted in 2013. "The page has been turned," French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said at a ceremony in Bangui attended by local officials and foreign diplomats, signalling the official end of the mission called Operation Sangaris. Sangaris, launched in December 2013 to buttress 12,000 UN troops sent to stabilise the country, had some 2,500 troops at its peak. "This does not mean the end of military relations between France and the Central African Republic," Le Drian said earlier in a speech to the Central African parliament. "The French army will indeed be less visible but it will be present, active and vigilant. We're proud of Operation Sangaris, so it's out of the question to allow the gains to be put at risk," Le Drian told MPs fearful of renewed violence. Residents were continuing to flee the area around PK5 on Monday, fearing further bloodshed. A helicopter from the international force circled over the city from dawn, an AFP correspondent said. The 10,000-strong UN force MINUSCA will be alone after France's departure in facing the militia groups terrorising civilians Renewed killings have shaken the country of 4.5 million people, spearheaded by rival Muslim and Christian militia groups. Many Central Africans are worried to see the French troops go. Le Drian on Monday held talks with the CAR's President Faustin-Archange Touadera, elected early this year once relative calm was restored, and met officials in MINUSCA. He vowed that a "tactical reserve force of 350 soldiers" would remain. They will be backed up by drones. 'Pull-out far too early' Earlier this month Le Drian told the French parliament that the Sangaris mission, backed by a UN mandate, had been "a success" which stopped mass killings and paved the way for presidential and legislative elections. But prominent CAR politician and former presidential candidate Anicet Georges Dologuele challenged Le Drian's optimism, stating that "Sangaris is pulling out far too early." "Our security forces are not ready to take over," Dologuele said. "The UN forces are more and more overwhelmed." "It's always too early," Le Drian countered. "These responsibilities are above all your own." A UN's MINUSCA soldier stands guard at the newly formed camp for internally displaced people in Kaga Bandoro, on October 19, 2016 Two days before Le Drian's arrival, 25 people were killed in clashes in the centre of CAR, including six police officers. The government denounced the violence as a "Machiavellian plot designed by the enemies of peace". UN vice secretary general Jan Eliasson is also expected in Bangui from Tuesday for a two-day visit, MINUSCA said. One of the world's poorest countries, CAR has scarcely emerged from the chaos of civil war which erupted in 2013 following the overthrow of former president Francois Bozize, a Christian, by Muslim rebels from the Seleka coalition who installed their own leader. Armed groups have flourished over the years given the weakness of the state. Among the main culprits are factions from the mostly Muslim former Seleka rebel force, and the Christian "anti-Balaka" militias, a reference to the machetes used by the rebels. There are also vigilante groups made up of nomadic, predominantly Muslim Fulani herders, as well as others specialising in highway robbery. Dakar (AFP) - British amateur swimmer Ben Hooper has abandoned his attempt to cross the Atlantic, he said in a Facebook post Friday, after his support boat was damaged in a storm. Hooper had hoped to cross the ocean after leaving from Senegal on November 13, but lasted just 33 days at sea during which he was stung by a highly poisonous Portuguese man o' war jellyfish. "In the interest of the safety of all souls on board Big Blue we have decided to postpone the expedition and sail directly to Natal in Brazil by the shortest route," Hooper wrote on Facebook. "We were subjected to our fifth day of Atlantic storms as a result of which the expedition support vessel the sailing catamaran Big Blue suffered damage to her steering and standing rigging," he added. Hooper managed to swim 87 of his planned 1,900 miles (3,000 kilometres), and lost half his time at sea to weather issues, technical problems and recovering from his jellyfish sting. The 38-year-old said his crossing would resume at a later date. "I reiterate that my attempt to become the first person to swim across the Atlantic Ocean, every single mile (that) remains, but that it has been postponed for the time being," Hooper wrote. The former policeman had prepared for over three years for the immense journey and had trained himself to swim up to 10 hours a day. Only one man has achieved a comparable feat to Hooper's dream: Frenchman Benoit Lecomte swam across the Atlantic in the other direction in 1998, from Cape Cod in Massachusetts to Quiberon in northwestern France. Lecomte did not make the Guinness World Book of Records because fatigue forced him to rest up in the Azores islands for nearly a week. President Muhammadu Buhari led his countrys delegation to the United Nations 71st General Assembly meeting in September, 2016 in New York. During the meeting Buhari requested from UNs Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to help Nigeria negotiate with the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram for the release of the abducted Chibok school girls. The alleged abduction of about 276 high school girls in April 2014 from their school in the middle of the night made news headlines around the world. It was further publicized through the Twitter hashtag; #Bringbackourgirls. When the wife of the United States President Michelle Obama joined the campaign on Twitter to condemn the dastard inhumane act of the Islamist terrorists the news went viral worldwide. Pressures came from several quarters to bear on the then Nigerian government of President Goodluck Jonathan to expedite efforts at trying to free the captured girls from the jihadists. Boko Harams leader Abubakar Shekau did not make things easier either when he boasted that he would sell the girls into sex slavery and do worse things to them. It did not take very long for him to make good his threats. Based on the horrific stories of some of the girls who were said to have escaped from their captors and, especially those of a particular girl who fortunately, could not detonate the explosive device with which she was laden in the marketplace; some of the peoples worst fears were finally confirmed. It became clear that Boko Haram was using some of the girls for their suicide bombing missions in markets and other public places. As the girls ordeals continued, the international community held its breath, wishing for some spectacular rescue mission to happen. Some people expected something, maybe similar to the famous Israelis 90-Minute rescue mission in Ugandas Entebbe Airport in July, 1976. Sadly, and to the prolonged pain of the girls, the parents and the country, no such thunderbolt mission was forthcoming. Jonathans government became discredited. With a built up frustration which turned into outrage there was a worldwide condemnation of the Nigerian government of Jonathan, a Christian president from the south for being unable to rescue the girls. So, the prevailing local and international anger set the stage for the need for the emergence of a Nigerian political messiah whose path was prepared by the pains and griefs of the captured girls families and a host of well-wishers scattered all over the world. At this point, any impostor; the devil himself or better still, an unschooled former dictator whose only credential is his place of origin, would have filled in that position of the anticipated Nigerian redeemer. Coming from and representing the section of the country which believes they are born to rule the rest peoples of the Nigerian union, Muhammadu Buhari was very qualified to be that redeemer. The most important thing that this Nigerian savior, as most saviors, needed to offer was a promise of future redemption both of the girls and a country without corruption in a future time. Though, in no time it became glaring that there was a major difference between the Nigerian savior and most other saviors, it did not matter anyway. An important qualification of most saviors is eloquence or the ability to use words and say the right things at the right time in a coherent and comprehensive manner. But a Nigerian savior, because of where he comes from and the powerful people backing him, could mumble some unintelligible nonsense and the rest of the world which thinks that Nigerians do not know the difference would cheer. In the opinion of those cheering, a Nigerian or an African savior does not really need intelligible words to communicate with citizens or to participate at the world stage in discussions of international concerns. The body language, not verbal language of a Nigerian and other African leaders is enough. These great deciders who back these African saviors know what is best for Africans, after all. Perhaps it was surmised that the kidnapped girls ordeals did not need any verbal explaining. Everyone already knew all there was to know about them. So, whoever that had the guts to (or at least promised to do these things in a future time) rescue the captured girls from the Sambisa Forest (one of Boko Harams strongholds) and can also destroy the well-known Nigerian problem of corrupt and sharp practices with the same blow, such a person is qualified to become Nigerias president. In the opinion of the great deciders, Nigerias complex problems can conveniently be reduced to just one: Corruption. Corruption has been accepted as the only thing responsible for all the deplorable human conditions, poverty, social and political crisis that are endemic in the Nigerian country. Therefore, Nigerias leadership candidate did not need to verbally articulate the problems ramifications and how he intended to solve it, everyone already knows. However, just to satisfy some who still doubted and avoid making the whole charade to appear too simplistic, some superficial or maybe mischievous? analysts of the Nigerian problem also added leadership failure to the list of reasons for Nigerias failure. It had long been agreed to by all the expert analysts of Nigeria who know the best, that the faulty colonial structure of a united Nigeria should never be broached as the probable cause of the countrys failure as a nation state. It is more convenient to blame leadership failure and political corruption that are mere symptomatic effects of the real problem which is colonial structural failure. Yet, the truth is that the faulty colonial state structure is the foundational problem of the Nigerian country. But hitherto, the great deciders are still to accept this immutable truth; that Nigeria needs to be divided into smaller countries in order to solve Nigeria. Muhammadu Buhari the man who will kill the Nigerian corruption Buhari the current anointed Nigerian savior was a former military dictator who ruled Nigeria between 1983 and 1985. Through a coup detat Buhari ousted the elected government of his fellow Muslim northerner Shehu Shagari. (It had long been established that the coup detat was carried out to prevent Shagaris Christian Vice-President Alex Ekwueme from becoming the next president after Shagari.) During the period of his rule, Buharis government began a program which was termed war against indiscipline and the public was flogged into lines and frog-jumped by mean-looking soldiers. Therefore, he was considered a tough leader and an easy choice by those who were eager for a Nigerian change. The efforts of Buharis horsewhip wielding soldiers who also pulled down peoples business and private buildings that were termed illegal structures were complemented by those of the special armed mobile police force infamously called kill-and-go by the locals. Though, Buhari in the opinion of many Nigerian experts is an epitome of a typical corrupt Nigerian leader of the first order, yet change mongers who were anxious to duplicate the American Obama change in Nigeria wanted change by all means. Despite the fact that there are abundant public records of Buharis unsavory corrupt trails, his backers like himself believe in Buharis private personal interpretation of what corruption is. By his private definition, the universally acknowledged corrupt former Nigerian maximum military ruler Sani Abacha was not corrupt. By this incredible declaration, like the legendary king of old, Buhari has been dancing naked in the public to the Nigerian corruption music while wearing an invisible garment which he believes perfectly covers his dirty corrupt warts from public view. With such false public image of the untainted Nigerian saint who was beatified by a gullible college of blind cardinals, Buhari became the mythical quintessential Nigerian tough saint-ruler who would kill the Nigerian corruption because himself, like Abacha is not corrupt. Sending an S.O.S. to the United Nations In the meantime, many watchers saw President Buharis request to the United Nations to help Nigeria negotiate the release of the Chibok girls as reading from a rehearsed political script; a gimmick. His critics believe that the request was planned and delivered at an appropriate time and place to produce the desired dramatic effect. It was meant to refresh the mind of the international community on the unfolding political drama in Nigeria. The suspense was thus heightened and the audience was like told to expect the next big thing on the agenda the release of the kidnapped girls. It was seen by most observers of the Nigerian political scene as a ploy or a sort of mockery of the global communitys collective intelligence. However that maybe, its expected that the joke would not be completely lost on the UN and other members of the international community. No matter what, there will always be some who can read between the lines. Nonetheless, it is clear that President Buhari and his handlers have convinced themselves that the whole world will always collectively fall under the spell of the religious/political antics of the Islamists of northern Nigeria. From all indications northern Nigerian Muslim fundamentalist, like their counterparts in other parts of the world have come to believe that they can actually succeed in fooling all the people all the time. The emergence of Boko Haram The Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram emerged about a decade and half ago as a militant pressure group conceived to violently enforce the political and religious mandates of Nigerias Islamic north. Just before the emergence of Boko Haram group; as a political block, the north adopted the Islamic sharia as its legal system. Now, sharia runs pari passu in the northern region with the presumed Nigerian secular constitutional legal system. Part of Boko Harams declared goal is to maintain a tight-fit Islamic hegemony over the entire country or when that is not possible to create an Islamic state out of the present Nigerian country. Which is why when the former Nigerian President Musa YarAdua, a Muslim northerner died in office and his vice president Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian southerner replaced him, the north vowed to take back the leadership of the country at all costs. A northern representative Lawal Keita declared: We will make Nigeria ungovernable for Jonathan. Anything short of a northern president is tantamount to stealing our presidency. Jonathan has to go and he will go . . . he will be frustrated out of office. Before being elected president, Buhari warned Jonathans government when it planned an expanded military pressure on Boko Haram strongholds in the northeast. Especially after the kidnapping of the Chibok girls, Buhari said that northerners would view attacks on Boko Haram as attacks on the northern region. In the same token, some critics have often analyzed the circumstances that surrounded the well-publicized captured Chibok school girls, and concluded that it was an elaborate political web of deceit weaved by the Islamic north to wrest power from a southern Christian president. The critics cite as hints to the puzzles, the fact that the principal of the kidnapped girls school, instead of being censored or reprimanded for negligence, was rewarded. Following some months after the kidnapping of the girls the school principal Asabe Kwambura was compensated with a plum government job as Bornu States Board of Education Commissioner. Another point which the critics make is that only a few weeks after Buhari publicly expressed helplessness in the matter and requested for UNs help, a part of the girls, 53 of them were released by their captors. There was no indication that United Nations negotiators were involved in helping to free the girls. Nigerias Vice-President declared that the girls freedom was not obtained by any military force or through the swapping of any captured Boko Haram fighters. Soon after the first batch of girls was released the administrations spokespersons boasted that more girls would still be freed. Now, people are asking why the sudden change of heart by Boko Haram? The freed girls were in captivity for over two years and were supposed to have been married off, given away or sold into sex slavery for that period. Yet of those who came back, except one none had babies, pregnancies or any visible physical signs of severe sexual abuses. After considering the above points and more, most critics insist that the whole campaign; #Bringbackourgirls may have been a mere political practical joke contrived by Nigerias Muslim north to take back the countrys leadership. It is believed to be a web of lies which unwittingly caught off guard many notable international personalities like the wife of the President of the United States of America, United Nations Ban Ki-moon and many others. Without knowing it, these otherwise decent people may have been taken for a ride, dragged and sullied in the muddy waters of the Nigerian political conundrum. A man believed to be in his 30s has allegedly committed suicide by hanging in an uncompleted kiosk at Ejisu Juaben in the Ashanti Region. A native of the town, Ohene Nana Kwame told Adom News Kofi that the unfortunate incident happened around 5 a.m. Friday dawn. According to him, residents have no idea who the man was and do not know what might have caused him to take his own life. It was about 5:30 a.m. I saw people gathered around a kiosk near the roadside. As I got close to the scene, I realized it was a young man in his 30s. The chair he used was almost the same height as him. So we really doubt if it was a planned murder or suicide," an eyewitness said. Meanwhile, the Ejisu Juaben police have conveyed the body to the morgue as they begin investigations into the matter. Cairo (AFP) - A year after jihadists bombed a Russian plane carrying holidaymakers in Egypt, tourism shows little sign of recovery in the Arab country grappling with an economic crisis. In Khan el-Khalil, a historic bazaar in Cairo once full of tourists, a clothing store owner says he now spends his days surfing Facebook. "I don't have anything else to do," said Amgad Qasabgi, 45, in front of his shop, a sequined two-piece belly dancing outfit dangling over his head. The October 31, 2015 bombing of the plane claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group killed all 224 people on board after takeoff from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Russia reacted by cancelling all flights to Egypt, with Britain cancelling flights to the resort town itself, decimating a tourism sector already battered by unrest following the country's 2011 revolution. Citizens of the two countries make up around 40 percent of foreign tourists to Egypt. The drop in tourism revenues, a main source of foreign hard currency, has exacerbated a dollar shortage in Egypt that in turn has hit imports. Government officials have blamed a foreign conspiracy targeting the Egyptian economy, while unveiling slick commercials to try to woo back the tourists. "There are no foreign tourists," said Qasabgi, a father of five. "Spending by Egyptian tourists does not cover our daily expenses." The bazaar's cafeterias and restaurants are empty save for some Egyptian families and strolling students. A few tourists hopped off two buses parked at a plaza in front of the nearby Hussein mosque, but most returned without buying any souvenirs. An Egyptian vendor sits outside his shop in the tourist area of Al-Hussein in the capital Cairo, waiting for customers "Tourism has totally died," said Abdel Rahman, a salesman at a large store specialising in lanterns and inscribed silver chandeliers. A family of European tourists enters the shop and haggles over a small lamp. They leave empty-handed. "The few tourists who do come almost always don't buy anything," said Abdel-Rahman, turning off the light to save on his electricity bill. Traditionally, tourism has provided about 20 percent of Egypt's foreign currency needs. In February, Prime Minister Ismail Sharif told state television the country had already lost up to $1.3 billion since the airliner disaster. Even before the Russian plane disaster, the tourism industry had been badly hit. 'War on terrorism' In June 2015, police foiled an attempted suicide bombing near the famed Karnak temple in Luxor -- one of Egypt's most popular attractions -- while 600 tourists were inside. In September the same year, eight Mexicans were mistakenly killed by security forces in the vast Western Desert. Last year, tourist numbers plunged by more than half, to 6.3 million, compared with 15 million in 2010. The number from Russia fell to 2.3 million, from 3.1 million in 2014. At the same time, tourism revenues dropped by 15 percent to $6.2 billion in 2015, compared with the previous year, according to official figures. The government aims to attract 20 million tourists, with revenues of $26 billion, by 2020, through an international campaign to promote Egypt and develop tourist sites. Egyptian authorities say they are in a "war on terrorism" since the military overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 unleashed a jihadist insurgency. Tourists have not entirely abandoned Egypt since jihadists bombed a Russian plane a year ago, but the government says the country has lost up to $1.3 billion since the airline disaster President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the former army chief, has vowed to restore order, but attacks have persisted, especially in the Sinai Peninsula. Jason Shi, a Chinese citizen in Egypt on a business trip, said he could not resist visiting the historic landmarks. "We got a warning from our foreign ministry not to visit Sinai or to stay late in the streets or approach security premises," he said outside Cairo Museum. "But I cannot miss this opportunity to visit famous places like the pyramids and Old Cairo," said Shi, who was accompanied by a Mandarin-speaking tourist guide. Sherif Ibrahim, a 59-year-old waiter at a kebab restaurant in Khan el-Khalil, doubted the prospects of a recovery. "No tourist in their right mind would come to Egypt," he said. "I'm not optimistic with the new season when there is talk of terrorism and calls for (anti-government) protests." Abidjan (AFP) - Ivorians were voting on Sunday to determine the fate of constitutional changes the president says will help end years of unrest, with scuffles erupting at several polling stations. The package put to the country's 6.3 million voters has alarmed the opposition, which is boycotting the polls, and left much of the electorate confused, analysts say. Commentators say turnout for the referendum is the main question, as there seems to be little doubt the changes will be approved. President Alassane Ouattara's revised constitution would create the post of a vice president, and set up a senate, a third of whom would be nominated by the head of state. It would also suppress a contested clause on national identity -- the so-called "Ivorian-ness" clause which took effect in 2000 and stipulates that both parents of a presidential candidate must be born on Ivorian soil and not have sought nationality in another country. The issue of identity has contributed to years of unrest in the West African country, which suffered a coup in 1999, a civil war in 2002 that split the country between its north and south and a bloody post-election crisis in 2010. The electoral crisis led to months of post-poll bloodshed with then-president Laurent Gbagbo refusing to step down. Some 3,000 people died and Gbagbo is now on trial in The Hague for crimes against humanity. 'Ivorian-ness' issue A protester takes part in a march against the Ivory Coast's new draft constitution in Abidjan, on October 28, 2016 Shortly after the polls opened at 0800 GMT, trouble broke out in the economic capital Abidjan and elsewhere, with groups of youths storming several voting stations and damaging equipment, Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said. But overall, he said, the referendum was "going well". Casting his ballot on Sunday at an Abidjan school, Ouattara appeared confident. "It is essential for our nation's future to turn the page on the crisis created by the constitution of the year 2000," he said. Ouattara hails from central Ivory Coast but his father was born in neighbouring Burkina Faso and the issue of "Ivorian-ness" raised a hurdle in his bid for the presidency. The proposed new constitution, which parliament has overwhelmingly approved, would see the creation of the post of vice president, who would appear on the ballot with presidential candidates. The government claims the idea is to ensure continuity if the head of state dies or is incapacitated. Critics have speculated that Ouattara is trying to line up a successor for when his term ends in 2020. The opposition sees the change as a "monarchistic tactic". Ouattara "is treating Ivory Coast as if it were his personal property," said Pascal Affi Nguessan, head of the Ivorian Popular Front, the opposition party founded by Gbagbo. Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara (R) arrives to vote at a polling station in Abidjan, on October 30, 2016, during a referendum on a new constitution "What he is offering is less than a constitution. It is a will and testament designed to distribute his country to his successors so it stays in the family." 'Little engagement' Some voters welcomed the chance to have their voices heard. "I am voting for the sake of my children," 61-year-old TV repairs man Soro Seydou told AFP in the nation's second city Bouake. Others, however, vowed to stay away. "What we care about is the high cost of living, and escaping poverty. The constitution won't change anything. I won't go to vote," said Bamory Kone, a mechanic in a working class district of Abidjan. "There is little engagement," said researcher Meite Mamoudou who, like many observers, expects that many simply wouldn't bother to vote. US-based Human Rights Watch has warned that despite the campaigning, many Ivorians are still none the wiser about what they are voting for. Voting was to close at 1800 GMT. An electoral commission source said the counting should be finished "by the end of Monday, Tuesday at the latest". Abducted trader reports to police A trader who was abducted from Gaushala, Mahottari, two days ago came in contact of the police on Saturday. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) would establish an outboard motor assembling plant in the Shama District if given the nod to govern the country. It would also scrap import duties on fishing inputs in order to make fishing materials more affordable. Mr Ato Panford, the NPP parliamentary candidate for Shama Constituency, said this during a recent parliamentary candidates' debate held on the theme: Election 2016- Prioritizing Fisheries and Oil and Gas Governance Issues for Inclusive Development. The event was organized by the Centre for Democratic Development-Ghana and Friends of the Nation, in Shama. The event, funded by OXFAM and Ghana Oil and Gas Inclusive for Growth (GOGIG), also provided a platform for the parliamentary candidates to present their party key manifesto commitments on fisheries, the oil and gas sector. The NPP candidate said an NPP government would strengthen and enforce the Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 625) and establish a coastal guard unit that would collaborate with the Ghana Navy, to protect the country's territorial waters from illegal fishing practices. An NPP government, he said, would also establish a Coastal Development Fund to support fishermen through the provision of alternative livelihood programmes that would make them financially-independent and self-sustainable. Mr Panford said the NPP government would also ensure transparency in the distribution of the premix fuel, adding that more sale points of the commodity would be established. Mr Gabriel Kodwo Essilfie, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate and incumbent Member of Parliament for the area, said the NDC government considers the fishing sector as a very critical industry. He said some social interventions the NDC government had undertaken to improve the sector include the distribution of more than 2,000 subsidised outboard motors to fishermen, the expansion of the Bosumtwi-Sam Fishing Harbour which would enable large fishing vessels to berth. He said the government under President John Mahama has ensured transparency in the distribution of premix fuel, introduced the fishermen's insurance programme and would soon complete the construction of a Fisheries College at Anomabo in the Central Region. Dr Papa Essuman, the Progressive People's Party (PPP) parliamentary candidate, said the party would establish factories that would use fisheries resources and their by-products to produce animal feeds, glue, soap and would create more jobs for the people. He said a PPP government would allocate a special quota of the petroleum revenue to the Region for developmental projects because the inhabitants of the region would suffer most in the event of any disaster from the oilfield. Earlier, Mr Mohammed Mohammed Nasiru, a Consultant of the CDD-Ghana, said the election was about the choice of a political party with the best ideas, policies and programmes that would enhance the livelihoods of the citizenry and it must be done devoid of insults and acrimony. He urged the supporters of the participating political parties in this year's polls to desist from any act of violence and personality attacks and rather focus on issues that would enhance the living conditions of the people. The members of the public were given the opportunity to ask the parliamentary candidates questions bothering on youth unemployment, lack of transparency and accountability in the sale of the premix fuel, scholarship for fishermen's children, among others. The debate was moderated by Mr Solomon Kusi Ampofo, the Programme Coordinator of the Friends of the Nation. 30.10.2016 LISTEN Kasseh, Oct. 30, GNA - The Ada Rural Bank made significant gains in assets growth, investments and deposit mobilisation between 2014 and 2015, posting a profit of 296,837 cedis which represented 72 per cent over the 171,996 cedis made in 2014. Total assets increased by 31.3 per cent from 10.9 million cedis to 14.3 million cedis as deposits grew by 35.6 per cent from 8.6 million cedis to 11.6 million cedis. Mr D.N. Sabah, Chairman, who disclosed these at the Bank's annual general meeting in Kasseh in the Greater Accra Region, said 'Investment in Treasury Bills and other government papers increased by 53.1 per cent from 2.99 million cedis to 4.5 million cedis while total Shareholder's Fund also increased by 17 per cent, from 1.037 million cedis to 1.214 million cedis' According to him, loans and other forms of credit increased from 4.98 million cedis to 5.8 million cedis at the end of 2015. Mr Sabah said with a paid up of 589,289 cedis as at the end of 2015, the Bank has already complied with the minimum capital requirement for 2015. 'Over the years, the Bank has issued bonus shares to its shareholders and made various transfers from Income Surplus Accounts to beef up its capital base. He said within the next six months, the Board intend to invite prominent indigenes of Ada to a special investors' form aimed at raising more capital for the Bank. According to him, the bank's expansion programme is on course as it has completed its Sege branch building and has identified Middle East (Ashaiman) and Adjei Kojo (Ashaiman) and Ada Foah to plant branches. With support from the ARB Apex Bank, the bank is installing an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) on the premises of the Head Office to make it more convenient for customers to do business. 'We have scaled up the use of e-Zwich in our catchment areas in collaboration with the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement System (GHIPSS). We are preparing to automate our 'susu' operations in collaboration with the ARB ApexBank so as to achieve more efficiency in the scheme', he said. According to Mr Sabah, the Bank offered support to a number of institutions including the Ada Asafotufiam Planning Committee, Farmers' Day celebrations in both Ada Est and Ada West Districts as part of its corporate social responsibility. Ms Halima Oboshie Torto, Manager, Accra Branch, ARB Apex Bank, who represented the Managing Director of the Bank, commended the Ada Rural Bank for the its impressive progress in all areas of operation. She encouraged management of the Bank to develop tailor made products for the many tourist attractions in its catchment area. A dividend of 0.02 Ghana cedis which would cost 80,728 Ghana cedis was accepted. GNA 30.10.2016 LISTEN A GNA feature by Cecilia Diesob/Deborah Apetorgbor Accra, Oct. 30, GNA - Growing up, many of us have participated in discussions relating to sex. Besides stressing on abstinence, many adults reminded their adolescent wards of their moral and religious obligations with regards to sex. Unfortunately, peer pressure and curiosity has led many amongst the youth to participate in sexual acts and the worrying trend in this regard is the use of aphrodisiacs- 'local' or traditional aphrodisiacs. Based on a cursory observation, such aphrodisiacs are not only patronized by the youth alone but the elderly as well as some quite educated people. And in researching for this feature we heard of some strange and sometimes unbelievable things some men and women use to enhance their sexual satisfaction. It is our hope that the Food and Drugs Authority would pay particular attention to such products and dealers of sexual enhancement products to ensure that they are safe for the innocent consumer. Kooko Who is new to the city and has not heard of herbal doctors and their loud speakers mounted on their vans claiming their herbal remedies can cure all sorts of health conditions? Many of these same 'so-called herbal doctors' also seek to claim that piles or 'kooko' is often the main cause of many illnesses including sexual weaknesses or inactivity. And many in the society do fall for such claims though such herbal doctors can hardly prove the potency of their herbal remedies. They forget that 'sexual weakness, erectile dysfunction or other related problems could be as a result of stress tension and other psychologically related causes'. Who is to blame for the prevalence of such activities? You could easily point the finger at the innocent consumer who should have known better, or the Food and Drug Authorities whose ambit such herbal doctors fall within; but we hardly blame the media for facilitating the propagation of such untruths. It is a general belief that so long as the herbal doctor can afford the airtime, they are often given the chance to air the potency of their products and the undeniable effect of such media pronouncements often leads many to patronize such products even though they may not have been approved by the Food and Drugs Authority. Aphrodisiacs In our society, it is often seen as a disgrace for a man to be identified with sexual weakness so sexual exuberance is ever of great importance to many men. And many men (and some women), feeling insecure in bed patronize the aphrodisiac products of such herbal doctors in the society. By a cursory investigation into the issue, we realised that aphrodisiacs come in two forms. Some like Viagra have been approved by the Food and Drugs Authority and are sold in pharmacies and then there are several unapproved ones being sold in the society. The unapproved products on the market are endless and this is besides their vulgar and sexually explicit packages. They usually range from pills, ointments and syrups, and are purported to stimulate and sustain sexual desire, improve libido, arousal and stamina. Inscriptions on some of their packages include Black Cobra, Bigman and Sexmen. Dealers of such products are very cautious and often decline to speak about their products to inquisitive buyers yet they readily available on the market. Then amongst the local or traditional herbal dealers one hears of 'Kraman Koti', 'Damram', 'Waist and Power' and 'Toffee'. Madam Yaa Boatemaa, a middle-aged dealer in local aphrodisiacs, said her patrons are usually young male adults and occasionally a few females who come in for the Toffee, a sexual arousal pill for ladies. She describes her products, as roots and barks, with very potent remedies for various sexual concerns. Side effects There are side effects on virtually all scientifically approved medicines. Hence, the supervision and care in administering them. And it is safe to claim that because such local products are often unapproved, the extent of their side effects remains unknown. But we have heard of cases in the media where some youth report to hospitals with complaints of priapism-prolonged erection, dizziness, headaches and other concerns after consuming unspecified sexual enhancement products. In July 2015, a Food and Drugs Authority statement banning some herbal aphrodisiac products, said many of the products contained a substance called 'vardenafil' and other synthetic pharmaceutical ingredients used for the formulation of prescription-only medicines for the treatment of erectile dysfunction'. Consequently, this has been known to cause cerebro-vascular hemorrhage or bleeding in the brain. In effect, this could lead to stroke, heart attack, palpitation and serious cardio-vascular concerns including cardiac arrest. There is also the claim that such unapproved drugs could lead to sustained erection resulting later in impotence, kidney failures and problems with hearing and sight. Thus the best thing for one to do with sexual related concerns is to visit a doctor. And when going for any unapproved drug, always think of its consequences regardless of the present need. Much as we would appeal to the individual to be mindful of any sexual enhancement product or aphrodisiac, we would also call on the Food and Drug Authority to regularly educate the public on its activities and update us with the products either approved for use or banned in the society. GNA By Patrick Cofie, GNA Accra, Oct. 30, GNA - Mr Munir Saani, the Convener of Safe Democracy, has said there is the need for traditional authorities to play a greater role in the affairs of their various assemblies. He said the current proposition of electing District Chief Executives may not engender to the development of the society if the traditional authorities are not there to maintain a healthy balance between opposing political factions. A release to the Ghana News Agency signed by Mr Saani, said the decision of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly in settling on a compromise candidate Nana Adu Mensah Asare, the Amakomhene, as the presiding member of the Assembly is an instance of how the role of the traditional authorities cannot be understated in our current political dispensation. The release said since independence was attained, traditional authorities have continued to play very influential roles in managing the affairs of their localities. It said there is the need to 'consolidate our culture and tradition in the mainstream of our political institutions by revisiting Article 242 (1992), Local Government Act 642 (1993) and the Chieftaincy Act 759 (2000). The release said Article 39 of the 1992 Constitution states that 'subject to clause (2) of this Article, the State shall take steps to encourage the integration of appropriate customary values into the fabric of national life through conscious introduction of cultural dimensions to relevant aspects of national planning'. It said should our participatory democracy thrive as expected, then all hands must be on deck and this should include all stakeholders in the development of the society. The release said in this regard, a section of the stakeholders in the local political environment should be 'independent of external influence and interference'. It said 'in a nutshell, Safe Democracy Ghana proposes that 20 per cent membership [of a given local authority] is allocated to the traditional authorities of the given area; 10 percent to the Ghana Peace Council and representatives of political/governmental administration authorities in the district; and 70 per cent should be directly elected from which the District Chief Executive shall be elected.' The release said the traditional authorities shall then elect the presiding member to govern the affairs of the given society whiles as 'custodians of our culture and tradition', paramount chiefs in given societies could play ceremonial roles in such municipal or local assemblies. GNA Accra, Oct. 30 GNA - The Prime Minister of France, Mr Manuel Valls has arrived in Accra for a two-day state visit. He was received by Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur at the Jubilee lounge of the Kotoka International Airport. The French Prime Minister was accompanied by her wife, Anne Gravion and other government officials. Besides a state dinner to be held in his honour, the visiting French Prime Minister is also expected to hold talks with President John Dramani Mahama at the Flagstaff House. Mr Manuel Valls would also visit Touton Cocoa Processing factory at Tema as well as the Counter Terrorism Training Unit and Police Training Academy. Speaking to journalists Mr Manuel Valls said Ghana and France have had great relations in many areas especially in economic relations with many French businesses investing in the country. He said both countries shares the same issues in terms of security in the Gulf of Guinea and have a common commitment in the sub-region. He said the role of Ghana at the United Nations is one of the strongest ever. Mr Valls said France relationship with Francophone Africa is not an exclusive relationship and as such they have to develop ties with Portuguese Africa and Anglophone Africa, adding that these notions are no longer relevant anymore. He said all the challenges being faced right now in Europe is also happening in Africa such as terrorism threat, climate change, future of the youth, trade issues among others. He said French companies would continue to invest in Ghana especially in the new economy of the energy transition in the country. GNA 30.10.2016 LISTEN By D.I. Laary, GNA Accra, Oct. 30, GNA - The Convention People's Party (CPP) has launched an elaborate election manifesto that integrates a robust development plan intended to promote inclusive society. The CPP which has languished in opposition for about five decades after the overthrow of the founding father of the party - Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah - in 1966, also launched two policy documents of gender and communication. Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, the Flagbearer of the party, urged electorates to reject the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the December 7 polls, accusing them of lying and meddling with Ghana's economic fortunes and being "pirates'. 'NDC and the NPP are the same, we have had enough of them, they are nothing short of pirates, they have suffocated us with their lies, we must end this 24 years of 'piracy,' he said amidst deafening cheers, blurring of horns and clapping. '[They] merely continue to offer us what they've been offering us and that is their greatest specialty; lie upon lie,' he said 'and there is a special word to describe continuous lies because continuous lies is no longer a lie and that special word is mendacity.' 'We must bring back our dignity as a nation, a nation without dignity is susceptible to abuse and corruption and that is what we see before us today in all spheres of our national life. 'We are abused by our leaders who fail to care for our people and our society has become endemic to corruption,' he said, '24 years of arguments, vindictiveness, rancor and darkness, it is okay, we have had enough.' Mr Greenstreet told regional party officials, its 222 parliamentary aspirants and supporters to work hard to win the 2016 elections with its renewed vow -'Nkrumaist new covenant with the people, 'apamfoforo'. 'I can never send you to battle naked, we want you to go back to that kind of change we are talking about,' he said, rolling over his two fist to indicate a political change that require the CPP blocking NDC and NPP flagbearers. The party's leadership has committed to 'crucifying' the NDC and NPP, he said, 'we [have] agreed with the national executives that this final leg of our campaign will be 'operation crucifixion and resurrection'.' Professor Edmund Nminyem Delle, the National Chairman and Leader of CPP, said the sense of purpose and urgency which CPP brought to national development has been missing since 1966. 'It is time we restore it, our people can wait no longer,' he said, adding that 'the manifesto answers the people's cry for a new covenant (Apamfoforo) in Ghana. 'We believe that, the state has a binding commitment to use its powers to promote high rates of economic growth and development as well as to ensure that, the wealth thereof is shared equitably among Ghanaians - North and south, East and West'. He said the party would work to create a prosperous, just, safe, caring and united society where there would be adequate food, shelter and ample opportunities for every Ghanaian to develop their personal and social potential to the fullest. 'We shall instill in our people a culture of discipline and excellence, respect for law and order, compassion towards one another,' he said. He also told the supporters that 'unless political power is placed in the hands of the CPP the search for real and lasting solutions for our political and social economic problems will remain exclusive, God bless our Home Land Ghana, forward ever backwards never.' He said the legitimate government of Dr Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown by 'evil men' which drew back Ghana's economic forward match and imposed imperialism on the country exposing it to foreign dominance. 'Ever since the forward march of this country was truncated by evil men in 1966, through the overthrow of the legitimate government of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana has not seen or witnessed any realistic development,' he said. 'The situation became worse when we returned to multiparty democracy in 1992.' The Manifesto, which was reproduced in brail and sign language versions, reflects views and intentions of the CPP on various development issues of domestic and international importance. The development policies are informed by the party's idealogy of Dr Nkrumah and cover four broad areas of social policies, economic policies, responsible governance and international relations to support job creation and address vast social problems. The main principles driving the development policies of the CPP include self-determination, social justice and pan-Africanism. GNA 30.10.2016 LISTEN By Awudu Salami, GNA Accra, Oct. 30, GNA - Vodafone Ghana, a telecom operator, has rewarded its loyal youth customers with a Planet X party in Accra by providing them with the best of foods, free drinks and great music. Vodafone X is a lifestyle proposition designed by Vodafone and targeted at Ghanaian youth between the ages of 18 to 24 to empower them, supported by product offerings that give them the liberty to connect with things that excite them. Speaking to Journalists at the event, Doreen Plange, the Youth Segment Manager at Vodafone Ghana, said two years after the launch of the Vodafone X, it has been patronized by the youth and it is important to reward them. She said the Vodafone X package which provides affordable data for its customers has impacted positively on the lives of the youth as they are able to have access to the internet to study, as well as connecting to the social media. She said Vodafone would continue to be innovative to satisfy the needs of the youth by providing them mouthwatering offers. Clement Osei, student of the University of Ghana and a subscriber of Vodafone X, commended Vodafone Ghana for the offer. He said the Vodafone X offer is helping to connect friends on social media as well as learning through the internet. He urged Vodafone to continue with such affordable offers for the benefit of the Ghanaian youth. GNA 30.10.2016 LISTEN By Afedzi Abdullah, GNA Cape Coast, Oct. 30, GNA - Professor Ghartey Ampiah has been inducted as the new Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) at a solemn but colourful induction ceremony. He pledged to provide a leadership that would improve the national and international image of the University. Professor Ghartey Ampiah, who succeeds Professor Domwini Dabire Kuupole, becomes the 10th Vice-Chancellor of the university since its establishment in 1962. Nana Sam Brew -Butler, Chairman of the governing Council of UCC, administered the Oath of Office to Professor Ghartey Ampiah before a packed audience comprising academicians, diplomats, Government officials, traditional rulers, family members, friends and loved ones and students of the university. Prof Ghartey Ampiah said his vision, based on the strategic plan of the University would focus on innovation to enhance the delivery of teaching and research and management of the university to secure wider impact on the society. He outlined others to include creating, finding and exploiting opportunities to result in better products and service to ensure that the university became a leading higher education institution with a worldwide acclaim. He said he would promote a digital culture, increase research capacity and acclivity and promote scholarship and dissemination of innovative research to reach both local and international audience. We are enhancing the capacity of the Centre for International Education to internationalise the university in order to become a leader in international student exchange and academic partnerships. The Vice-Chancellor said the transformation was necessary to ensure that the University meets its strategic vision and the stiff competition it faced from other local and international universities. Prof Ghartey Ampiah said he would restructure the activities of the Institute of Education to become a centre of excellence in teacher education in Ghana and the sub-Region. He expressed gratitude to the University Governing Council for the confidence reposed in him saying he would run an open door administration policy. Professor Domwini Dabire Kuupolefor thanked the university community for its support and cooperation during his four-year tenure as the VC. He urged the university community to rally behind the new Vice Chancellor and give him the needed support to enable him move it to a higher pedestal because the whole university would benefit from the success of the new VC. He expressed the hope that with the calibre of staff at the UCC administration, the university would grow from strength to strength and pledged that he would continue to avail himself to the further growth of the University. Prof Ghartey Ampiah was unanimously elected by the UCC Council on July 30, per the university's statutes as the new VC. Before His appointment, he was the Provost of the College of Education Studies. He is a Science Education Professor and had been a professional teacher for the past twenty-nine years with dozens of publications recognised both locally and internationally to his credit. The VC who was promoted to the rank of an associate professor in 2007 and became a full professor in 2010, holds a BSC in Chemistry and a Diploma in Education (1987), MPhil in Science Education (1995) and a Ph.D in Science Education(2002) from UCC. Prof Ghartey Ampiah served as a coordinator, Centre for Research into Quality of Primary Education Ghana (CRIQPEG) from 2006-2010. He was the Head of Department of Science and Mathematics Education from 2008 to 2010, Dean, Faculty of Education (2010 -2014) and an Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor of UCC in 2012. He was a member of the National Teaching Council (2012-2015) and currently a member of the National Council for Tertiary Education and Chairman of the National Accreditation Board of Ghana. Prof Ghartey Ampiah is a member of the Ghana Chemical Society,the Ghana Science Association and the British Association for International and Comparative Education. He is an astute researcher of international repute with proven knowledge and experience in university management and administration. Prof Ampiah Ghartey is married to Mrs Regina Ama Ampiah Ghartey and has two children. GNA By Francis Ameyibor, GNA Correspondent, The Gambia Banjul (The Gambia), Oct. 30, GNA - The African Union Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) has commended Ghana for its leadership role in promulgating policies and laws to protect children. The Eleven Member AU Committee, Chaired by Professor Benyam Dawit Mezmur, lauded Ghana on the various interventions and plans the country has adopted all geared toward protecting the rights and promoting the welfare of children in the country at the ACERWC's 28 Ordinary session and the 12 Pre-session of the Committee meeting at Banjul, The Gambia. Ghana had submitted the country's initial, first and second consolidated report on the implementation of ACERWC Charter on the rights and welfare of the child to the Committee and appeared before the experts to defend issues raised. The Country report covered ten thematic areas which include: General measures taken to realize the rights and welfare of the child in the policies and law of the State party or in any other international convention or agreement in force in the state. The others are the definition of the child under domestic law and regulations; civil rights and freedom; family environment and alternative care; health and welfare; education, leisure and cultural activities; special protection measures; and responsibilities of the child. Mrs Della Sowah, Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection who led Ghana's delegation, said Government has taken measures to promote positive cultural values and traditions and to discourage those that are inconsistent with the rights, duties and obligations contained in the Children's Charter. In addition, the legal framework has also been strengthened with the amendment of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), to criminalise female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C). She said to emphasise the seriousness of the offence, the punishment is a term of imprisonment of not less than 5 years and not more than ten years. 'A new section 101A also makes sexual exploitation an offence and punishable in the case of a child to a term of imprisonment of not less than 7 years and not more than 25 years'. She said the Ghanaian Government under President John Dramani Mahama has also instituted institutional framework with the restructuring of the Gender Ministry with an expanded mandate to coordinate and ensure gender equality and equity. The Gender Ministry is also to promote and protect the welfare and rights of children, the vulnerable and excluded and persons with disability, and empower them to fully participate in national development. Mrs Sowah said the Gender Ministry is responsible for the overall coordination of all child-related matters in the country. She said the Department of Children (DOC) serves as a technical department under the Ministry and plays a lead role in carrying out this function of the Ministry. The DOC is the main coordinating agency with the mandate to coordinate child rights implementation in Ghana. 'It plays a significant leading role in the effective formulation and implementation of child-related policies, as well as the enforcement of child-related legislation. 'For child rights promotion, DOC undertakes activities aimed at fostering behaviour change of all actors in charge of child welfare and protection at the national, regional and district levels. Information management and documentation of relevant child-related issues is key to DOC's work. 'Consequently, the DOC carries out research, coordinates the collation and compilation of all relevant child-related information which allows periodic evaluation of the status of child rights promotion in the country'. The Deputy Gender Minister noted that the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), has established a unit on children, which addresses cases involving children and monitors the implementation of children's rights. 'The Commission conducts annual monitoring of various sector policies and their implementation. Its findings are published in an annual report on the state of human rights in Ghana,' she noted. Mrs Sowah also highlighted challenges which included financial, human and material resource constraints as well as structural limitations to the full implementation of the charter. 'In spite of these challenges, a lot of significant achievements have been made to improve the rights and welfare of children through democracy and good governance which enabled strong government commitment and support for the implementation of child-focused programmes, immense support,' noted. She said Government also in collaboration with UNICEF has been an instrumental point in ensuring some level of progress for children, strong and consistent support from stakeholders in the Child Protection arena who partner to carry out child-related programmes and projects. She said government machinery to improve service delivery on behalf of children, increase in number of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) and Community-Based Organisations (CBO) that work in areas concerning children's protection and development. She touted the media for being proactive in the coverage and public awareness of issues concerning children and the development of new legislation and strengthening of existing laws and policies which put the government and its partners on their toes in issues relating to children. The delegation included Mr Kwesi Armo-Himbson, Chief Director, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection; Mrs Gifty Kusi, Representative of Parliament; Mrs Eunice Sackey, Ghana Health Services; Mrs Helena Obeng-Asamoah, Department of Children; Mr Sylvester Kyei-Gyamfi, Head, Information Research and Advocacy (IRAD) Department of Children; and Mr Edmund Foley, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration. The AU Committee of Experts seeks to promote and protect the rights enshrined in the Charter particularly; collect and document information, commission inter disciplinary assessment of situations on African problems in the fields of the rights and welfare of the child, organize meetings, encourage national and local institutions concerned with the rights and welfare of the child and where necessary give its views and make recommendations to Government. It also formulate and lay down principles and rules aimed at protecting the rights and welfare of children in Africa; cooperate with other African, International and Regional Institutions and organizations concerned with the promotion and protection of the rights and welfare of the child; and monitor's the implementation and ensure protection of the rights enshrined in the Charter. The Committee also interprets the provisions of the Charter at the request of a state party, an institution of the OAU/AU or any other person or institution recognized by OAU/AU and to perform such other tasks as may be entrusted to it by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government. GNA 30.10.2016 LISTEN I have been pondering over this divisions in NUGS and I normal asked myself , are NUGS executives really after students welfare and interest? And the answer to my question is always *NO*. Now considering the persistent canker among the *NUGS* executives every year, that they seem not trying to come to a consensus or to compromise with each other to fight for students welfare and interest. My brother the good students of Ghana are not safe, let's do something about it. Hypothetically, let us find out the cause of these problems which I referred to as a *CANKER*. The major problem we are facing is that Student leaders are with their parochial interest in students front, and seem not to be objective at all. Anything in the students front that does not favor them or their political masters they try to distract their colleagues from their focal point. This personal interest among these student leaders are always influenced by the politician that we have in this country. And to be frank with you, the politicians we go to for financial support to do our campaign or conduct our elections, do you think they want us to be united? Virtually they don't, and we will go and make terms with them and come and be disrupting our NUGS front. Why? Because of that you can not fight for our basic right from them. All these mess we are causing will hunt us down one day, trust me. There is a proverb that, "where you put your foot to climb a tree is the very point you will step on when coming down". Don't forget these very politicians are those we will go to seek for ordinary Ghanaian students interest when given the opportunity. So for crying out loud why should we allow them to influence us. Specifically, let us look at the current internal wrangling in NUGS. We all know from our NUGS constitution that, NEC is the third highest decision making body of NUGS. As part of preparations towards this year Congress, they met and took a decision as to the venue for Congress. But because the venue did not favor some executives, they misled some students by choosing their own venue. So They claimed they elected their own executives and even sworn them in. Any way that one I should not blame them much, I will shoulder the blames on those institutions or aspirants who followed them there. What makes me amazed was the speech delivered during the handing over. Of all these numerous problems we are facing as students, from KG to tertiary, they chosed to focus on only teacher training colleges. That one alone reminded me that they were in their political shoes and lenses and not for students interest. For God sake NUGS deserves better than that. if you think you are so addicted to national politics to this extent, why would you go out and join the national politics and let NUGS be. Let me now boil down to the aspirants who wasted their time, energy and money only to be misled by these greedy politicians. In fact what do you think before you were nursing your ambitions to become NUGS executive? Is it that you plan to come and gain popularity to join national politics. I may believe so. Of course we still have good students leaders among who are ready to die in the right course for the ordinary Ghanaian student. So my advice is let us not loose focus, our NUGS is haven a brightest future ahead. Let's keep the good works and be praying to our mighty Lord, *Insha Allah* NUGS shall live. Thank you. ------------- *Signed*-------------- *Salaam Nurudeen Sungbawira* *Former council attorney (UEW-MAMPONG)* Aussie delegation returns home, terming Nepal a safe tourist destination An Australian delegation led by lawmaker Jing Lee returned home on Sunday after completing a weeklong visit. The NPP running mate, Alhaji Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, has fired back at the President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, over his claims that only people who have experience at the Presidency can criticize him. Likening the President to a reckless bus driver who is driving passengers into a ditch, the running mate said Ghanaians must not allow the President to plunge the state into a ravine. Addressing a mammoth crowd at Drobonso in the Sekyere Afram Plains Constituency on Sunday, Dr. Bawumia described President Mahama's attitude as intolerant, stressing that the fact that one is not a President does not mean we cannot criticize you when you are going wrong. "It is just like a reckless driver who is driving passengers into a ditch but he says no one can talk about it because we are not drivers; does this make sense?" Dr. Bawumia asked rhetorically. The NPP running mate therefore urged the President to prepare for more fire "because Ghanaians will continue to talk about his incompetence". Promising a better life for the people under NPP, Dr. Bawumia said Nana Addo's presidency will introduce laudable policies and programmes that will improve the lives of the people and enhance their economic livelihoods. He noted that residents of Drobonso and its surrounding communities will see massive improvement in their lives through the proposed the "Golden Era of Agriculture and Rural Development'. The NPP running mate also touched on the 1 District, 1 Factory as well as the One Million Dollar Constituency Fund which he said would particularly benefit a young constituency like Sekyere Afram Plains to bridge the development gap. Cairo (AFP) - Egypt on Monday marked with a church service a year since jihadists bombed a Russian airliner carrying holidaymakers from a Red Sea resort, an attack that crippled the Arab country's economy. The Islamic State group claimed it brought the plane down on October 31, 2015, saying it had smuggled explosives into the aircraft before its departure from the resort of Sharm El-Sheikh. All 224 people on board were killed when the bomb went off minutes after the Metrojet A-321 had taken off for the Russian city of Saint Petersburg. At a service in a cathedral in the resort on Monday attended by Egyptian officials and Russia's ambassador, priests read out prayers next to an alter on which flowers had been placed. In Saint Petersburg, relatives of some of the 244 people killed attended ceremonies to mark the disaster. Mourners lit candles at a service at the northwestern city's Holy Trinity Izmailovsky Cathedral and held a minute of silence at 7:14 am (0414 GMT), the exact time when the plane disappeared from the radar. The central Saint Isaac's Cathedral also tolled its bells 224 times, while a memorial concert was set to be held in the city later in the day. Some 224 people were killed when a Metrojet Airbus plane flying from Sharm el-Sheikh to Saint Petersburg crashed in the Sinai desert on October 31, 2015 The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, led prayers for the victims in Moscow. Russia reacted to last year's disaster by cancelling all flights to Egypt, and Britain also cancelled flights to the resort town, badly affecting a tourism sector already battered by unrest following the country's 2011 revolution. On November 17, President Vladimir Putin said Russian investigators had found evidence of a bomb on board, and vowed to punish those responsible. In February, his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi acknowledged for the first time that "terrorism" caused the crash, although the government has not yet issued an official report on its cause. Sisi had previously dismissed as "propaganda" the IS claim that it downed the airliner. Russian tourists 'to return' On Sunday, Egypt's aviation minister and Russian ambassador attended a ceremony in Sharm el-Sheikh in memory of those killed in the disaster. The minister, Sherif Fathy, reiterated the Egyptian government's condolences to the relatives of victims, expressing "our feelings of sorrow and sadness over the lives we have lost". People march in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh on October 30, 2016 to mark the first anniversary of the 2015 Russian Metrojet plane crash Russian ambassador Serge Kirpichenko said the "sadness is ongoing and will never go away". The envoy said he was confident flights from Russia would soon resume. "We are certain the day and time are approaching, and quickly, for the return of Russian tourism to Egypt," said Kirpichenko. "We are working on this day and night." The ban on flights had severely impacted Egypt's struggling economy, denting its tourist revenues at a time it faces a shortage of dollars. Citizens of Russia and Britain make up about 40 percent of foreign tourists to Egypt. In February, Prime Minister Ismail Sharif told state television the North African country had already lost up to $1.3 billion since the disaster. Egypt is still battling the Islamist State group's Egypt branch in the Sinai Peninsula. Security services have not announced any arrests relating to the airliner bombing, or publicly disclosed how the bomb was brought on board the plane at Sharm el-Sheikh airport. In August, the military announced it killed the head of IS in Sinai Abu Doaa al-Ansari. The group's large-scale attacks against police and army checkpoints and barracks have become less regular in 2016, but they have kept up a campaign of roadside bombings in Sinai. 30.10.2016 LISTEN By George-Ramsey Benamba, GNA Accra, Oct. 30, GNA - French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has said French businesses are ready to increase their investments in all sectors of the Ghana's economy. He said Ghana was stable, peaceful and had an enabling environment that could attract fresh investments. Prime Minister Valls said this when he called on President John Dramani Mahama at the Flagstaff House, Kanda, as part of his two-day official visit to Ghana. The Prime Minister, who is in the country, would among other issues cement some of the relations and cooperation that had been initiated in the past and explore fresh avenues of investments in the country and the entire West African coast. He said Ghana had distinguished herself in all spheres of development and France was delighted to be associated with their onward march to further the development especially in the areas of transport and engineering. President Mahama commended the French government for the confidence reposed in Ghana adding; "we have over the years derived maximum benefits from our relations with France." He cited a water project in the Brong Ahafo Region, where over 300,000 people were accessing and enjoying potable water provided by the French government. President Mahama said existing French companies in the country were performing creditably well and would like to have more of them in coming days. He said Cocoa Touton, a French Cocoa processing factory in Ghana, has been phenomenal in adding value to the raw cocoa, a situation that had also created a number of job opportunities for young Ghanaians. President Mahama said apart from the processing, Cocoa Touton had also been engaged by government to support in the reviving of the coffee industry in Ghana as a worthy substitute to cocoa, gold and oil. The President commended the French government for their fight against terrorism and oppression especially her support to the restoration of peace to Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkina Faso among other West African countries. GNA Australia to ban boat migrants for life Australia has unveiled tough new plans to bar any asylum seekers who try to reach the country by boat from ever being able to enter. His qualifications include a B.A. in art history/American history and M.A. in American urban history from the University of Cincinnati, and more than three decades of experience as an educator, exhibit planner, curator, fundraiser and administrator. By: Bolduc House Museum Contact Bolduc House Museum ***@jeff-dunlap.com Bolduc House Museum End -- The Bolduc House Museum a restored late-18century French colonial house that was preserved in the 1950s as a museum by the National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of Missouri has announced the appointment of Geoffrey Giglierano as its new Executive Director. Giglierano, former director of the Missouri Humanities Council and an independent museum and non-profit consultant in St. Louis, succeeds Lesley Barker, who stepped down to focus on completing her doctorate with the University of Leicester, in the United Kingdom.Rowena Van Dyke, President of the NSCDA-MO expressed great enthusiasm for the appointment of Geoff, "to lead us during this exciting expansion and promotion of our museum properties. With Geoff's many talents, assisted ably by Robbie Pratte, Manager of Operations, we look forward to a dynamic future in Ste. Genevieve."Mr. Giglierano qualifications for the position include a B.A. degree in art history/American history and M.A. in American urban history from the University of Cincinnati, and more than three decades of "on the job" experience as an educator, exhibit planner, curator, fundraiser and administrator in a wide variety of museums and historic sites. Places he has worked range from the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Museum in Connecticut to the New York City Fire Museum, where he served as Director at the time of the 9/11 attacks. That experience with FDNY provided Mr. Giglierano with a unique and very personal perspective about the importance of preserving and sharing stories that help us understand who we are as a nation and what we can accomplish with through courage and cooperation.Some of his projects have included participation in the planning and creation of new museums such as the Cincinnati Fire Museum, the Cincinnati History Museum, the Clark County (Ohio) Heritage Center, the New York State Military Museum, the National Museum of the United States Army, and the Cape Girardeau Heritage Hall. He has been involved in projects that cover a variety of cultural and historical topics that include the history of architecture, industry and technology, military history, urban planning and growth, and immigration in America. In addition to his experience in traditional aspects of museum operations, during the last decade Mr. Giglierano has been directly involved with collaborative experiments in the use of new technology, such as 3-D online immersive learning environments. In connection with this work, a chapter on museums in virtual worlds written by Mr. Giglierano was included in a recently published scholarly anthology,The Louis Bolduc House Museum is located in historic Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, which was founded in the mid-18century by French Canadian colonists and was the first permanent European settlement west of the Mississippi River. Owned and operated by the National Society of the Colonial Dames in America in the State of Missouri, the Bolduc House and its affiliated sites (The Bolduc-LeMeilleur House, the Beauvais-Linden House, and the Jean-Baptist Valle House), are open daily except on major holidays.Bolduc House Museum, 125 S Main St., Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670Phone: 573-883-3105Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ Bolduc-House- Museum-42942974051/ By: www.april-assistance.com End -- It had all the makings of its own mini Middle Eastern crisis. A student on holiday in Israel decides to cycle to see her boyfriend in Egypt and with no sense that she was imperilling herself, let alone throwing caution to the wind in one of the most dangerous and sensitive diplomatic areas in the world, crosses the border, without the correct papers, only to have a serious bike accident.Having made the crossing into Egypt, a car collided with her almost immediately. She now found herself badly injured and requiring emergency hospital treatment in a hostile country, with no obvious means of support, incomplete documents and no easy recourse to her own embassy. In fact the only option open to he was her international private medical insurance, so she called her insurer's assistance company , APRIL Assistance, who set about trying to negotiate what turned out to be not one but two ambulance crossings into Egypt from Israel to collect and bring back the injured girl.With a global network of integrated 24/7 contact centres in 3 continents, but equally importantly, a wealth of experience of on the ground negotiation of complex evacuation cases, APRIL Assistance was ideally placed to try to extract the injured policyholder and get her safely back into Israel, where she could receive emergency medical care.Negotiating the border crossing took immense skill and tact. Not only was the girl in Egypt illegally, with few if any of the correct diplomatic papers, she also had a limited ability to prove her own identity in one of the world's most dangerous border crossing areas, where the normal course of action in such circumstances can be arrest and questioning, rather than sympathy and help.Frederick Francois, marketing director, APRIL Group International Division praised the tact and diplomacy of the assistance agents on the ground who set about diffusing not only a mini diplomatic incident, but also resolving a serious medical emergency. "On this occasion, our on the ground teams had to call upon all their resources and knowledge to find a way through what was a potential diplomatic nightmare and a real medical emergency. They knew all the time that speed was of the essence, as a young girl had been gravely injured. Thankfully, these skills are not needed very often, but when they are, it is organisations such as ours which have carefully built up networks of vital contacts on the ground over many years which are in the best position to bring matters to a satisfactory close. In this particular case, we were able to look at our teams locally and select an agent with active diplomatic contacts to lead the negotiations. That really was the difference between success and failure."As a specialist assistance provider, APRIL Assistance focuses solely on the delivery of case management services, including cost containment, travel and medical services.For more information please visit http://www.april.com Guy StephensonNacelle LimitedTel: +44 (0)20 8333 9125Email: gstephenson@ nacelle.co.uk APRIL Assistance supports the insurance sector with a range of case management, logistical and cost containment services. APRIL Assistance operates one of the largest established international assistance and claims handling networks in the world, with nine integrated 24/7contact centres in Europe, the Americas and Asia, from where more than 150 agents on the ground cover 97% of the world. The company owns its own network of service contactors, growing this as needed to reflect the requirements of its clients.APRIL Assistance is part of the APRIL Group, founded in France in 1988. In 2014, Group turnover was 766.3 million and net profit 36.6 million. The Group has 3800 employees spread across 34 countries.APRIL, the international insurance services group, has chosen innovation as the key to driving its development since it was established in 1988, by seeing insurance from the customer's perspective. Its vision is to make insurance easier and more accessible. Making this commitment, which means pushing boundaries and keeping things simple, has enabled it to become the leading master broker in France and an international authority. 3,800 staff members insure, advise, design, manage and distribute specialist insurance solutions (health-personal protection, property and casualty, mobility and legal protection) as well as assistance services, for private individuals, professionals and businesses. APRIL has operations in Europe, America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Listed on Euronext Paris (Compartment B, SRD - deferred settlement service), the group produced a turnover of 766.3m in 2014. Prithvi Man Shrestha is a political reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering the governance-related issues including corruption and irregularities in the government machinery. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2009, he worked at nepalnews.com and Rising Nepal primarily covering the issues of political and economic affairs for three years. Suzuki Motorcycle India has announced substantial price cuts on its big bikes owing to recent policy changes initiated by Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). Price reduction benefits are owing to custom duty reduction on completely knocked down (CKD) and completely build units (CBU) units in India. 2018 Suzuki Hayabusa (CKD) is now priced at INR 13,59,000 (exshowroom, New Delhi). The bike was initially priced at Rs 13,87,623 at the time launch resulting in a price reduction of 28,623 rupees. Commenting on the revised prices Mr. Sajeev Rajashekharan, EVP, SMIPL said, Considering our focus on offering a premium range of products to our Indian customers, both the CKDs and CBUs form akey component of our existing and upcoming motorcycle line-up.Suzuki Motorcycles India plans to pass on the benefits of governments decision to reduce the customs duty on CBU and CKD units, to its customers. Conducive policies will encourage manufacturers like us to bring more products and support the emerging big-bike culture in India. The new Suzuki GSX 1000 now enjoys a price cut of Rs 2.2 lakhs in India. Hayabusa is a highly desired superbike in Indian motorcycle community, whose claim to fame from featuring in a highly successful Bollywood flick hasnt been forgotten yet. Not that the 197 PS machine which can throw the pointer till 299 kmph until electronics intervene, needed any other reason to turn towards. In spite of being a generation old than what it competes with in the market, sales of Hayabusa are impressive. Launched last month, 2018 Suzuki Hayabusa sales are expected to get off to a good start in the new year. The first owner of the new 2018 Hayabusa, Mr Arjun was been given delivery of his new bike by Dream Suzuki Delhi dealer. Suzuki Motorcycles India delighted Hayabusa fans and enthusiasts when they announced a huge price cut (in upwards of INR 2 lakhs) last year. This was made possible after the company decided to start local assembly of Hayabusa (as compared to being sold as CBU earlier). This move would not be limited to the 2018 Suzuki Hayabusa. Suzuki Motorcycle India also has plans to locally assemble more superbikes, given the aggressive penetration of international brands and models in the sub-continent in very short time. This will bring Suzuki to the same table as its close rivals such as Triumph, Kawasaki and Benelli, who have already started assembling their motorcycles locally and reaping benefits. Also See Hayabusa road trip to Leh, Khardung La and back (Photos and Video) With more major motorcycle makers turning towards India and showing interest in attempting CKD operations, the market is increasingly responding by giving them better business. It is only a matter of time before all big names in the industry start catering to and operating in India. Some fish species are adapting to survive environmental changes without significant genetic evolution, according to research from the University of East Anglia and Dalhousie University, Canada. Such changes mean species threatened by climate change may find ways to adapt far quicker than through changes in DNA, which come with evolution. Researchers studied the Winter Skate (Leucoraja ocellata), in waters that are around 7000 years old and significantly warmer than those where the rest of the species range is found. They observed many physical and functional adaptations which allow the species to cope with the significantly different set of environmental conditions observed in this shallow, warm habitat. Dr Jack Lighten from UEA's School of Environmental Sciences says this type of adaptation is due to epigenetic changes -- caused by modification of gene expression where instructions in DNA are converted into a functional product, i.e. protein. These adaptations are particularly important for species with long maturation times and low reproductive potential, as typically these life-history characteristics result in slow evolution. Rapid changes in gene expression, irrespective of changes in the DNA sequence, can allow rapid modification of an organisms biological characteristics and fuel a form of rapid adaptation. Dr Lighten said: "There is a wealth of fossil evidence which suggests rapid climate shifts don't provide enough opportunity for many species to adapt, meaning they became extinct or restricted to smaller areas of suitable habitat. advertisement "But adaptations in evolutionary potential through gene expression can enable species with long maturation and low reproductive output (and so low evolutionary potential) to survive and adapt to different environments -- something which may be vital for the future survival of sharks, skates, and rays in the light of future climate change." Skates formed the basis of the research because, despite low reproductive output and long maturation times meaning they are vulnerable to environmental change, they have persisted for more than 150 million years and two mass extinctions, suggesting they have a resilience and an evolutionary strategy allowing them to withstand environmental changes. Moreover, one of the populations is critically endangered and shows some interesting differences in appearance and eco-physiology compared to the rest of the species. Two populations of the Winter Skate in Atlantic Canada were studied -- one an endemic and endangered population in the southern Gulf of St Lawrence, and a large population on the Scotian Shelf. The southern Gulf populations is in a much shallower area, which sees summer water temperatures 10C higher than on the Scotian Shelf, and it is estimated that this warmer habitat is just 7000 old. The southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Winter Skate has reduced its body size dramatically, by 45 per cent compared to those in the other population, and has a significantly shorter life span with a faster maturation time. Investigation of this miniaturized endemic skate's genes showed thousands of changes in gene expression. Dr Lighten said: "The Winter Skate has been able to adapt to a dramatically different environment over a short evolutionary time, with apparently little genetic change. These adaptive changes in life history, physiology and phenotype have occurred through epigenetic regulation causing changes in gene expression, enabling the species to respond rapidly to environmental challenges. advertisement "Comparisons with the population in the southern Gulf of St Lawrence showed more than 3600 changes in gene expression, which could be responsible for enabling the species to adapt to warmer shallower waters and the challenges that come with this." The importance of genetic versus epigenetic changes in adaptive evolution is hotly debated and the results of this study are significant in demonstrating the value of studying these variations, not only in fish but other species facing similar challenges. Dr Lighten said: "Because the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence is much shallower and warmer than other regions of the north west Atlantic, and species have only expanded their range into this region during the last seven thousand years or so after the last ice age, it may present a natural model system to test the effects of warmer oceans on marine biodiversity. Indeed we see miniaturization of other species in the Gulf compared to the remaining species range, and all other evidence suggests that this may similarly be due to higher water temperatures. "Our work suggests that some success of sharks, skates and rays over very long evolutionary time scales may be due to their ability to respond rapidly to environmental changes through regulation of gene expression. The biggest threat today for many of these species is overfishing. We are only just beginning to understand how they may be affected by climate change. We hope our findings will open the door for more detailed research on the role that epigenetics may play in allowing vulnerable and ecologically important fish to persist during this period of rapid global warming." The paper 'Adaptive phenotypic response to climate enabled by epigenetics in a K-strategy species, the fish Leucoraja ocellata (Rajidae)' is published in the journal Royal Society Open Science. Scientists are surveying the continuing aftermath of the worst coral bleaching event ever recorded on the Great Barrier Reef. Six months after the extreme underwater heatwave of 2015/2016, many of the bleached corals have died in the northern third of the Reef. The large-scale devastation is now being compounded by disease infecting the damaged corals and by coral predators. Teams of researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University are returning to the same 83 reefs that they surveyed underwater in March this year at the height of the bleaching event. "Millions of corals in the north of the Great Barrier Reef died quickly from heat stress in March and since then, many more have died more slowly," says Dr. Greg Torda whose team recently returned from re-surveying reefs near Lizard Island. The scientists have released unique footage showing the extent of the bleaching in March and April, which was most severe in the northern 700km section of the Great Barrier Reef. Reefs in the southern half of the reef were only lightly bleached and remain in good condition. "Six months after the peak bleaching, the corals now have either regained their algal symbionts and survived, or they have slowly starved to death without the nutrition the algae provide to them," says Torda. "On the reefs we surveyed close to Lizard Island, the amount of live coral covering the reef has fallen from around 40% in March, to under 5% now. "In March, we measured a lot of heavily bleached branching corals that were still alive, but we didn't see many survivors this week," says Dr Andrew Hoey, who is currently working from Lizard Island Research Station. "On top of that, snails that eat live coral are congregating on the survivors, and the weakened corals are more prone to disease. A lot of the survivors are in poor shape." "As we expected from the geographic pattern of bleaching, the reefs further south are in much better shape," says Professor Andrew Baird who led the re-surveys of reefs in the central section of the Great Barrier Reef. "There is still close to 40% coral cover at most reefs in the central Great Barrier Reef, and the corals that were moderately bleached last summer have nearly all regained their normal colour." The final death toll from the bleaching in the north will not be known until all surveys are completed in mid-November, but it is already clear that this event was much more severe than the two previous bleachings in 2002 and 1998. When University of Colorado Cancer Center researcher, Jing Hong Wang, MD, PhD, found more than 1,000 genetic translocations in her mouse model of B cell lymphoma, she assumed her lab had made a mistake. To rule out experimental technique as the cause of the way-more-than-expected genomic alterations, Wang's lab sequenced three different types of cells from "wildtype" mice -- effectively the kind that might move into your garage in bad weather. Like the lymphoma cells before them, the cells from wildtype mice also had over a 1,000 translocations. "We thought 'let's just do another practice'," says Wang, also an associate professor in the CU School of Medicine Department of Immunology & Microbiology. For "practice," paper co-first author, Katherine Gowan, downloaded new mouse genomic data from the website of Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute outside Cambridge in the UK, one of the world's leading institutes for genetic research. Gowan is a researcher with the group of Kenneth Jones, PhD, co-director of the CU Cancer Center Bioinformatics Shared Resource. "When we mapped the genome of this particular mouse strain against the mouse reference genome published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, we found thousands of translocations, even more than our experimental model!" Wang says. The problem was not their experimental mouse. The problem was not the quality of their data nor the computational algorithm they used to discover translocations. The problem, as reported in an article in the journal BMC Genomics, was that reference genomes are different for various mouse strains. Not all mice have the same DNA sequences in the same locations on their chromosomes -- due to this genetic variation, the DNA sequences of one mouse strain may appear out of place when compared with the DNA sequences of any other mouse strain. The goal of this research was to discover new translocations that could be driving lymphoma. These translocations -- accidental genetic rearrangements in which a gene is snipped from one location and pasted into another, sometimes creating a "fusion gene" made from both -- have been implicated in a range of cancers, for example ALK-positive lung cancer, which is driven by the translocation of the ALK gene, which fuses with the gene EML4. The question was whether a similar translocation might be to blame for a subset of lymphomas. advertisement "Unfortunately, when we have so many events, the artifacts may mask our real events," says Wang, meaning that with thousands of translocations identified by next-generation sequencing, it was almost impossible to discover the "needle" of a potentially oncogenic translocation amid the "haystack" of identified translocations that were, in fact, only the unimportant, random differences between individual mouse genomes. "Then we started to think about all these human cancer genomic studies," Wang says. "People use all this sequencing data to show genomic changes in human cancers, but what if these studies have similar comparison problems?" First, Wang points out, this possible trap is irrelevant when analyzing a patient's cancer for any known genetic change. In the previous example of lung cancer, genomic testing (often using the technique of fluorescent in situ hybridization or FISH) can tell if a cell's chromosomes do or do not contain an ALK-EML4 fusion gene. But it is when searching for important differences between a human cancer cell and a healthy human cell that the genetic backgrounds of these cells may skew results -- due to the randomness of repeats and gene polymorphisms and other unpredictable genetic variations, the differences between a cancerous and a healthy cell may be due to chance and not to the influence of the cancer at all. Part of the problem is the small size of genetic "snips" used by today's next-generation sequencing technology. In "next-gen seq" the machine reads a test genome as many snips, each made up of 100 to 150 base pairs. Then the computational biologist fits these snips like puzzle pieces against a reference genome. When there is a match, the system puts the piece in place and thus, because it knows the makeup of the reference genome, can come to know the makeup of the test genome. Unfortunately, with 3 billion base pairs in the human genome, there may be many false matches for short, 100 base-pair snips. Technology is on the way to solve this problem, sequencing the genome in much longer snips (1,000 or more base pairs). Until then, Wang suggests a possible fix: "We suggest considering not mapping your data to a reference genome, but to the genome of some cell from the same source that doesn't have cancer." The paper calls this process "de novo assembly" -- basically, instead of comparing a cancerous apple to a healthy orange, it is comparing a cancerous apple to a healthy apple. "People should be their own control. Instead of working with the published, generic reference genome, we should work with two samples (control vs. cancer) from the same person," Wang says. "Only then can you really figure out what's going on in your cancer cell genome." Dr. Ryan Taylor of Salisbury University's Biological Sciences Department recently published in Science magazine with a team from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama on how "Bats Perceptually Weight Prey Cues Across Sensory Systems When Hunting in Noise." The article is Taylor's third appearance in as many years in Science. "We live in an increasingly urbanized world and with that comes more noise," Taylor said. "There have been a number of studies on how anthropogenic (human induced or created) noise influences bird communications, but we don't know much about the impacts on other species." Noise pollution, according to the study, has been linked to lower survival and reproduction because it masks environmental cues and makes it hard for animals to hear moving prey or approaching predators. "For our bats," Taylor added, "the positive take away is that they don't seem to be bothered by the noise, as they are able to switch their modes of detecting prey." The fringe-lipped bats change from passively listening to the tungara frog mating calls to using high-frequency echolocations to detect the movement of calling frogs, he explained. Taylor helped design the experiment, including two robotic frogs used to mimic mating calls and vocal sac expansion when placed in a flight cage with the bats. Taylor has been involved with research at the Smithsonian Institute for over a decade and has taken 12 undergraduates and four graduate students from SU to Panama to assist with field and lab work. Accompanying him this summer were graduate student Andrew Cronin of Annapolis, MD; senior Hakeem Bushera of Gaithersburg, MD; and Tyler Bowling, a recent graduate from Waldorf, MD. Cronin, who is pursuing a master's in applied biology, said he has learned much from Taylor in the field: "His capacity to unpack data and search for the most interesting question has been incredibly revealing. I have also been exposed to cutting-edge research in the field of animal behavior, and have met some prominent researchers." Taylor's first appearance in Science was a co-authored article in July 2013 on the multisensory components of tungara frog mating signals. In January 2014, his team again published on how rival frogs and the predator bats eavesdrop on such signals. Science is published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. "This represents a huge amount of work, a continuing international collaboration and world class science," said Dr. Kim Hunter, an SU biology colleague who collaborates with Taylor at the Smithsonian. Dr. Karen Olmstead, dean of SU's Richard A. Henson School of Science and Technology, added: "Not only does Dr. Taylor's research program provide new insights into how nature works, it also provides outstanding opportunities for students to engage in scientific investigations." Bushera, a biology major and communication arts minor who has worked in SU's Taylor-Hunter Lab for two years, said: "Working alongside Dr. Taylor has increased my knowledge more than any course. To be a part of research that employs technology not being used by any other lab is an experience I appreciate greatly." Taylor has received approximately $1.5 million in National Science Foundation funding over the years to support his research. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Argonne National Laboratory have helped develop a plan for the operation of Glen Canyon Dam in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, upstream of Grand Canyon National Park. The plan, known as the Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan and documented in a final environmental impact statement, recommends a strategy that would balance hydropower with the protection of environmental, cultural and recreational resources in the area. The plan, which was released earlier this month, is designed to be flexible and responsive to changing conditions and new information, so that operations can be adjusted to improve conditions. The report is the first step in a 20-year experimental, management and environmental monitoring effort conducted by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. Located fifteen miles north of the Grand Canyon, the Glen Canyon Dam delivers water from the Upper to the Lower Colorado River Basin. The dam was built in 1963 for water storage and flood control and is crucial to water distribution to about 40 million people in Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. The hydropower facility also provides 1,300 megawatts of electrical generating capacity to more than five million customers. The dam prevents most sediment from entering the river downstream, releases cool water and changes river flow patterns: thus, it also impacts downstream resources. For example, it has contributed to a decline in the population of native humpback chub, as well as the erosion of beaches once built and replenished from sediment transported downstream during annual floods. advertisement The team identified seven alternative ways of operating the dam. Each one would implement different monthly and daily water release patterns and experimentally test special releases, such as short-duration high flows to simulate floods and build beaches, low summer flows to allow the water to warm to benefit native fish or short-term fluctuations to manage the trout population. After modeling the effects of these alternatives, the team recommended one that would improve the conditions of downstream resources and limit impact on hydropower generation. "The team, with input from cooperating agencies, Tribes, and stakeholders, has identified a preferred alternative that will benefit the endangered humpback chub, vegetation, wildlife, cultural resources, Tribal resources and recreational activities, including trout fishing, boating and camping, while limiting its effect on clean renewable hydropower," said ecologist Kirk LaGory, manager of the Rivers and Hydropower Program in Argonne's Environmental Sciences Division and team lead for the environmental impact statement. In addition to analyzing environmental impacts, the team assessed how each alternative would affect power production during periods of peak demand when the value of energy is higher (which occur in the winter and summer and in the mornings and evenings) versus when demand is low and the value of energy is lower (like during the middle of the night). The team also analyzed the overall capacity of the hydropower plant over a 20-year period. In doing so, they measured the effects of variable water flow (e.g., drought years and wet years and climate change) that can alter the amount of r energy production year to year. "We used these data to estimate the energy and operational capacity of the Glen Canyon power plant that would be produced under each alternative and projected how other power plants in the Western power grid would respond to operations under each alternative," said Thomas Veselka, a computational engineer in Argonne's Energy Systems Division who was involved in the power system analysis. In the next few months, the U.S. Department of the Interior is expected to produce a Record of Decision that identifies how the department plans to operate Glen Canyon Dam for the next 20 years. The plan would be supported by the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program, a successful management strategy for long-term research and monitoring of dam operations and downstream resources that has been in place for the last 20 years. The U.S. Geological Survey's Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, in coordination with the Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, other agencies and the Tribes, will then implement a science program to monitor the impact of dam operations on fish populations, river sediment, vegetation, cultural resources and other environmental resources. See more at: http://ltempeis.anl.gov/documents/final-eis/ Brookfield Asset Management is an alternative asset manager and REIT/Real Estate Investment Manager firm focuses on real estate, renewable power, infrastructure and venture capital and private equity assets. It manages a range of public and private investment products and services for institutional and retail clients. It typically makes investments in sizeable, premier assets across geographies and asset classes. It invests both its own capital as well as capital from other investors. Within private equity and venture capital, it focuses on acquisition, early ventures, control buyouts and financially distressed, buyouts and corporate carve-outs, recapitalizations, convertible, senior and mezzanine financings, operational and capital structure restructuring, strategic re-direction, turnaround, and under-performing midmarket companies. It invests in both public debt and equity markets. It invests in private equity sectors with focus on Business Services include infrastructure, healthcare, road fuel distribution and marketing, construction and real estate; Industrials include manufacturers of automotive batteries, graphite electrodes, returnable plastic packaging, and sanitation management and development; and Residential/ infrastructure services. It targets companies which likely possess underlying real assets, primarily in sectors such as industrial products, building materials, metals, mining, homebuilding, oil and gas, paper and packaging, manufacturing and forest product sectors. It invests globally with focus on North America including Brazil, the United States, Canada; Europe; and Australia; and Asia-Pacific. The firm considers equity investments in the range of $2 million to $500 million. It has a four-year investment period and a 10-year term with two one-year extensions. The firm prefers to take minority stake and majority stake. Brookfield Asset Management Inc. was founded in 1997 and based in Toronto, Canada with additional offices across Northern America; South America; Europe; Middle East and Asia. Dantes Inferno Navigating the congested streets of Kathmandu, one of the most polluted cities in the world, is never a pleasant experience. EMCOR Group, Inc. provides electrical and mechanical construction, and facilities services primarily in the United States and the United Kingdom. It offers design, integration, installation, starts-up, operation, and maintenance services related to electrical power transmission, distribution, and generation systems; energy solutions; premises electrical and lighting systems; process instrumentation in the refining, chemical processing, and food processing industries; low-voltage systems, such as fire alarm, security, and process control systems; voice and data communications systems; roadway and transit lighting, signaling, and fiber optic lines; heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and geothermal solutions; clean-room process ventilation systems; fire protection and suppression systems; plumbing, process, and high-purity piping systems; controls and filtration systems; water and wastewater treatment systems; central plant heating and cooling systems; crane and rigging services; millwright services; and steel fabrication, erection, and welding services. The company also provides building services that cover commercial and government site-based operations and maintenance; facility management, maintenance, and services; outage services to utilities and industrial plants; military base operations support services; mobile mechanical maintenance and services; services for indoor air quality; floor care and janitorial services; landscaping, lot sweeping, and snow removal services; vendor management and call center services; installation and support for building systems; program development, management, and maintenance for energy systems; technical consulting and diagnostic services; infrastructure and building projects; small modification and retrofit projects; and other building services. It offers industrial services to oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. EMCOR Group, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut. When Ami McKay was writing her new novel, The Witches of New York, she discovered an unsettling fact. Her nine times great aunt Mary Ayer Parker, a 55-year-old widow, was hung for witchcraft in the 17th Century. The distant relative was imprisoned, tried and convicted, and on September 22, 1692 she went to the gallows. (An edict to end such hangings saved her daughter Sarahs life.) This family connection, of course, deepened the bestselling authors interest in the topic, and imbued the novel with a profound sense of outrage over the treatment of women. The Witches of New York which the Nova Scotia scribe has described as part Victorian fairy tale, part penny dreadful, part feminist manifesto is set in the Manhattan of 1880, a city of astonishments, two hundred years after the Salem witch trials. Adelaide Thom (Moth from McKays hit novel The Virgin Cure) and Eleanor St. Clair run a charming shop near Madison Square, Tea and Sympathy, serving afternoon delights to high-society ladies, with a dash of magic on the side. Watched over by a talking raven Perdu, they serve up steaming cups of hibiscus tea, delicate cakes, and, discretely, herbal remedies for ailments ranging from insomnia to unwanted pregnancies. One day in September, a sweet-natured teen called Beatrice Dunn turns up looking for employment. She has arrived by train, crossing paths with a mystical Egyptian obelisk, known as Cleopatras Needle, and seemingly picking up some of its strange magic along the way. Her appearance triggers a series of unexplainable events, and it soon becomes clear that theres something special about this girl. Beatrice joins the tea shop as an apprentice and under the womens tutelage hones her unique gift: communing with the dead. On Adelaides insistence, she pairs up with a kind-hearted doctor, Quinn Brody, and the two begin conducting seances with a spiritoscope, a small Ouija-board-like device. In the meantime, the women must contend with a tide of rising fear thats sweeping New York City, a public hysteria about dark magic stoked by a violent, misogynist preacher, Reverend Francis Townsend, and his flock of self-righteous followers. On the night that Dr. Brody is set to present his research on the supernatural to a curious crowd at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, Beatrice goes missing. The tea shop women and their doctor friend conduct a frantic search that takes them from morgues to red light districts and lunatic asylums. The hunt forces each to confront their own past, their beliefs about magic, their societys view of women and, ultimately, the existence of evil in the world. Fans of Victorian fiction will enjoy this outing. All of tropes of the time are present here: the glamour of the Gilded Age, the tragedy of prostitutes and Fallen Women, the suffering of the toiling lower classes, the growing power of the suffragettes and the ever-present spectres of ghosts, angels and demons. The book is richly researched, and packed with enticing historical detail. McKays prose is, as always, superb the descriptions enchanting, the narrative arcs compelling, the characters dear (or deliciously sinister, as the case may be). But it is the emotion of the novel that lingers longest, the pervading horror over the persecution of women and what this persecution has done to repress womens talents, impede their progress and stamp out their voices. In her authors note, McKay raises this issue, pointing to author L. Frank Baums mother-in-law, the suffragist and abolitionist Matilda Joslyn Gage, who was a model for the good sorceress Glinda of his Oz books, and who bewitched McKay as a child. Quoting her 1893 manifesto Women, Church and State death by torture was a method of the church for the repression of womans intellect, knowledge being held as evil or dangerous in her hands McKay questions what Gage would make of todays women movement. Im guessing shed say theres still plenty of work to be done, McKay writes. Many of her readers will conclude the same. Tara Henley is a writer and radio producer. SHARE: A year to the day before Natalia Feldman, 44, wound up in handcuffs outside of her Thornhill condo, York Regional Police allege, she was assaulting her partner, 70-year-old Grigori Zaharov, with an ashtray. Feldman and Zaharov, the alleged diamond thieves suspected in a spree of high-value heists across the country, are each facing one count of theft over $5,000 in New Brunswick and one count of theft over $5,000 in Prince Edward Island. They were arrested on a nationwide warrant outside their condo in the early hours of Oct. 20. Exactly a year earlier, Feldman was charged with assault with a weapon and wilfully damaging Zaharovs property specifically a door and television, whose value exceeded $5,000. She was also charged with an assault against Zaharov that allegedly occurred 10 days prior to that, using a mug as a weapon. All of the charges were withdrawn, but court documents indicate Feldman received two years of probation and had to pay a $200 fine within six months. Feldman faced assault charges in 2008, 2009 and 2010 all of which were withdrawn. The Star could not ascertain who these assaults were allegedly against. Zaharovs own history with legal trouble goes back to the early 90s. In 1992, he was convicted of possession of housebreaking instruments. Court records show police found six pairs of surgical gloves, a jimmy tool, lock picks, a bent clothes hanger, two bolt cutters, a wire cutter, a mini-crowbar, a pry-bar, a 14-inch spike, a screw head and fencing pliers in a car belonging to Zaharov. They also found a map with X's on both a hotel where Zaharov had stayed and the Radio Shack store where a robbery had taken place. In 1999, court records indicate he was charged with theft under $5,000. He pled guilty to a lesser charge, served one day in jail and got a year of probation. In 2000, he was charged with theft, breach of probation and possessing the tools of a break-in artist, according to court records. Those charges were withdrawn, but he was convicted in Ottawa in 2003 of theft under $5,000 and was fined $500. In Toronto of the same year, Zaharov was charged with theft and assaulting a peace officer. Records show he was fined $3,000 and got a year of probation for the theft. The assault charge was withdrawn. Real estate records indicate the pair also has a complex marital history. According to public records, Feldman purchased her Thornhill condo in 2005 for $452,899. By 2010, there was nearly $50,000 worth of writs against the property. The couple lives on the penthouse floor of the eight-storey building. The off-white building, with its clean lines, archways and a fountain out front, is unassuming. But it boasts a number of amenities including 24-hour security, a recreation room, gym, indoor pool and sauna. In 2007, the Thornhill condo was designated as the couples matrimonial home. In July 2011, Zaharov made an application to the Ontario Superior Court to that designation removed, claiming the couple were divorced. That record of the application was subsequently deleted from the file. But just three months later, Feldman applied to the Land Registrar to have Zaharov added to the property title as 50-per-cent owner, listing him as spouse. Most recently, this year Zaharov and Feldman were identified after video footage appeared to show a couple swapping a fake diamond for a $10,000 real one on Oct. 7 at a jewelry store in Saint John, N.B. Police in Charlottetown, P.E.I., allege they pulled the same sleight-of-hand at a store there, making off with another $20,000 in precious stones. So far the couple is only facing charges regarding the alleged heists in Saint John and Charlottetown. But Nicole Shannon, co-owner of Kier Fine Jewelers in Whistler, B.C. said shes convinced the pair also pulled off a bait-and-switch at her store back in August. Basically it was the same situation. We found that diamonds had been swapped out, Shannon said. Were fairly confident its the same couple. Shannon said protecting against sleight-of-hand thefts like the one Feldman and Zaharov are accused of is difficult. Sales employees have to strike a balance, being vigilant without alienating customers by treating them like potential thieves. It is absolutely a fine line, Shannon said. Our business is built on trust. You want people to feel comfortable, and you want to treat them like family. Shannon said the jewelry industry is often reluctant to report thefts because of fears that reports will undermine customer trust, but she and Smith both decided to speak out, hoping to change that attitude. I think that its the other way around. If you talk about it, it makes them realize that you are onto it and are not an easy target, she said. Saint John police Sgt. Charles Breen said the missing stone from Smiths store has not yet been recovered. Both Smith and Shannon said their stones were laser-etched with unique identifying markers. If theyre found, they can be matched with and returned to their rightful owners. Zaharov and Feldman will appear for a bail hearing in a New Brunswick court on Monday. SHARE: OTTAWAPrime Minister Justin Trudeaus plane returned to Ottawa late Saturday shortly after taking off for Belgium where he was to sign a major trade deal. The Prime Ministers Office said there were mechanical issues with the plane involving the flaps. The plane landed without incident. It had been in the air for about 30 minutes. The flight also had departed roughly 90 minutes past the scheduled takeoff. Trudeau was to meet with European Union leaders in Brussels on Sunday where they were to sign the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a wide-ranging deal that was seven years in the making. He was also to meet with Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard, who has already arrived in Brussels. Trudeau was expected to sign the agreement earlier this week, but the Belgian region of Wallonia cast doubt over its future by opposing it. Wallonia held a veto over Belgiums ability to support the deal, which requires the approval of all 28 EU countries. The tiny French-speaking region of 3.5 million people opposed the deals investor protection provisions, taking up the cause of anti-trade and civil society groups, but Wallonias concerns were finally addressed on Thursday. The Prime Ministers Office says Trudeau spoke on Friday with European Council president Donald Tusk, who confirmed the texts of the deal, along with a side agreement known as the Strategic Partnership Agreement, have been approved for signature. Canadas International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland walked out of talks with the Europeans a week ago saying it appeared the EU was incapable of signing an agreement. She maintained Canadas work was done and it was up to the Europeans to remove the remaining roadblocks. After almost a week of painstaking negotiations talks that forced Trudeau postpone his travel to Europe the Walloons and the Belgian national government reached a deal. SHARE: MONTREALGad Saad, better known as The Gadfather to his fans, regularly appears on highly popular U.S. talk shows and his YouTube channel has millions of views, yet the Montreal professor is largely unknown in Canada outside academic circles. He is credited with founding the field of evolutionary consumption, which teaches that men and women are influenced by biology and Darwinian principles when they shop. But Saad, a Concordia University marketing professor, is perhaps just as known for his public battles against what he considers to be a social justice culture that harms society by rejecting intellectual diversity. He argues political correctness is limiting the free exchange of ideas on university campuses across the continent and he holds special disdain for professors who do not fight back. The seven deadly sins should be updated, Saad, 52, said over coffee. We should add an eighth sin: Cowardice. Most (teachers) put their heads down. They want to do their research, not ruffle feathers, and cowardice seeps in let someone else fight the battles. When University of Toronto Prof. Jordan Peterson was vilified for refusing to use gender-neutral pronouns for transgender people, Saad invited him on his YouTube show (The Saad Truth) instead of joining the chorus of academics and others who denounced him. The episode garnered more than 100,000 views. Saad is a Lebanese Jew who fled his home country with his family during the civil war in 1975 and moved to Montreal. Four years later, when he was 15, his parents returned to Lebanon and were kidnapped by a militia tied to the Palestinian Fatah, which he says was hired by someone who wanted to take his fathers store. They were released about a week later but neither he nor his parents have returned to the country. Being forced to flee such a country has influenced his politics, he says. His experience as a youth is one of the main reasons he cant stay silent about a cultural phenomenon he believes threatens freedom of speech in Canada and the United States. While student unions across the continent concoct lists of banned Halloween costumes to protect against cultural appropriation, Saad uses his YouTube channel to satirize them. Our African ancestors were the first to engage in breathing, he muses on the topic of one of his recent online broadcasts. By that logic I think by breathing today, we are engaging in cultural appropriation of the first Homo sapiens. And so the only way I will ask you to stop being racist is to suffocate to stop breathing. He sees some respite, however, from the political correctness fever he says has gripped society if only because it has become so bad its almost impossible to imagine how much more could the pendulum swing to the lunacy end. Others in academia reject the argument that campuses have become intellectual wastelands. University of Toronto physics Prof. A.W. Peet, who identifies as a nonbinary transgender person, says the debate over political correctness is a red herring. I dont see any evidence whatsoever that, for example, loud, white, middle-aged, heterosexual, cisgender, able-bodied men are under threat from political correctness on campus, Peet said. Its just about these guys realizing that society is moving beyond their points of view ... and they are railing against the fact they are fading into irrelevance. Saads relevance, however, and his popularity are clear with every appearance on top-rated talk shows hosted by big names such as Joe Rogan, Sam Harris and Dave Rubin. His four guest spots on Rogan, for example, received more than 200,000 views each on YouTube alone. Saad is among a small group of Canadian professors who are pioneers in using social media to reach millions of people outside the classroom by popularizing complex scientific concepts. His 2011 book, The Consuming Instinct, explains that how and what people buy is triggered by four Darwinian drivers: survival, reproduction, kin selection and reciprocal altruism. His fans and YouTube viewers learn as much about his trenchant satire against identity politics and so-called micro-aggressions as they do about how humans and other animals are often driven by the same biological factors. Saad laments, however, that there are few formal structures in universities to promote and encourage professors using social media tools to spread knowledge. He says thats changing, however, albeit slowly. There is an intellectual snobbery that regrettably many academics suffer from, he says. They are proud their paper is only read by a small group of people makes it very exclusive. Lets get rid of that. If its truly important, people should be excited about it. SHARE: Go home again After the media reported that a couple of million people have left Kathmandu to go home for Dashain this year, I asked the same question againwho are the permanent denizens of the Nepali Capital? OTTAWAAs Parliament considers peering into political parties collection and use of sensitive personal information about citizens, those parties are busy developing more powerful and sophisticated tools to track voter data. Canada has virtually no rules governing how political parties collect, use and share information about voters they meet on the doorstep, hear from on issues, or observe on social media. In fact, Canadians are largely in the dark about what kinds of information parties collect and how they use it. But a House of Commons committee plans to study whether parties should have some basic rules for collecting and protecting private information like political beliefs, financial information, family makeup, and contact information from millions of citizens. Daniel Blaikie, the New Democrat MP who suggested the study, said multiple witnesses brought the issue to the Access to Information and Ethics committee during a review of the Privacy Act this year. Witnesses had expressed a lack of knowledge of where exactly (the data) goes. Blaikie said in an interview Thursday. So the idea was really just to get a better idea, if there was going to be regulation, where would you put it and how would it work. How much of an appetite Parliament has to debate the issue, however, remains to be seen. All three major parties have a strong interest in keeping secret the specifics of their data operations. The Star asked the three parties to outline exactly what types of data they were collecting and what steps they take to protect that data from both outside intrusion, such as hackers, or internal misuse. Liberal party spokesperson Braeden Caley did not get into specifics about what sorts of information the party collects although he did point to the partys privacy policy, which states they collect any information you choose to give (them). Caley said that in 2015, 80,000 Liberal volunteers had an estimated 4 million conversations with voters. We engage with Canadians from coast to coast to coast on a daily basis and we are committed to protecting information assets and any personal data we collect in the process, Caley said. The party also does not sell personal information under any circumstances. The Conservatives use an in-house database known as CIMS, short for the Constituent Information Management System. Party spokesperson Cory Hann said it would be difficult to list all the types of data that go into CIMS, as 338 local campaigns upload information into the central database. However, he said in a statement, Id say you want to know if the household is voting Conservative. Thats the minimum, in my opinion, to make going door-to-door worthwhile. According to reported accounts from former party officials, CIMS also keeps track of donors, people who request election signs, and supports both electronic and on-the-ground outreach efforts. In 2007, one former Conservative politician even accused the party of logging the concerns citizens brought to their local MPs into the partys central database. Hann added the party takes every precaution to ensure the CIMS data is secure. The NDP used a new voter database in the 2015 election called Populous. According to Dave Hare, the partys director of operations, the database can track demographics, party membership, even specific issues of concern for individual voters. The information is primarily used to direct our ground efforts (mobilizing supporters and talking to persuadable voters) during and in-between elections, Hare wrote on Friday. He said the NDP hired an independent firm to conduct a security audit of the database before the party used it, and even commissioned white hat hackers to test the limits of its security. Its not clear when the parliamentary committee will begin the study into this issue. The committee has committed to just two studies ahead of it on private sector privacy and on the Security of Canada Information Sharing Act but other business could push the examination of parties data practices further down the line. SHARE: Toronto police are seeking the publics help in finding the suspect in Torontos latest homicide. An arrest warrant has been issued for Simeon Harty, 22. Police say he should be considered armed and dangerous. Kevin Nicholas Gidden, 23, was fatally wounded in a drive-by shooting last week. The shooting, which happened near Lawrence Ave. E. and Orton Park Rd. in Scarborough, took place just before 1 a.m. Thursday. Police say that a friend of the victim drove him to the 43 Division police station, where police and paramedic services found him suffering from gunshot wounds to the head and arm. He later succumbed to his injuries in hospital on Saturday morning. Police believe that Harty may have fled to the Hamilton area, after a car involved with the shooting was seized there. They also noted that he has a large network of contacts in Scarborough. SHARE: The pungent scent of wood smoke curled through the cedars, pushed by a stiff north wind. Tiny flames licked around Jim Kilbournes fingers as he placed a shred of yellow birch bark into the heart of a stone thunder bird. I want you to think about any problems that you have, anything thats been bothering you, Kilbourne said to the collection of foster children gathered around the tiny fire. Thats what the birch bark represents. Just put it in the fire and let it go, he said. One by one the kids reached forward, letting their worries dissolve with a crackle in the flames. In September, Kilbourne led six indigenous foster children from across the north on a medicine walk in the highlands near Huntsville, Ontario, offering a glimpse into the kind of programming that could be coming to foster care agencies across Ontario. The province is working with the Chiefs of Ontario and the Association of Native Child and Family Services Agencies to overhaul indigenous cultural programming and develop a training tool for CAS staff that work with indigenous youth. When it comes to indigenous children in care, a government report released in February as part of a sweeping review of Ontarios child protection system found that access to culturally sensitive and traditional programming for indigenous youth in care was a pressing need. Concerns ranged from the lack of residential services in reasonable proximity to young peoples communities, to the limited access to cultural programming or spiritual guidance, to concerns about racist attitudes or insensitivity to the historical context of Aboriginal young people, the report said. Jenny Sutherland has seen the impacts of those programming gaps first hand. Shes the treatment program coordinator with Connor Homes, one of Ontarios residential service providers for children and adults. Shes also a Cree woman from James Bay, and has witnessed the impact of Canadas colonial history and residential school system on her own family. Aboriginal children taken into the foster care system are often sent far from their homes in the north to facilities or foster homes in southern Ontario. Being so far removed from their communities can dislocate children from their culture and cause them to question their very identity, Sutherland said. At the medicine walk in Huntsville, two of the youth were from Attawapiskat. One was from Thunder Bay, and another from Manitoulin Island. Most had never been on a medicine walk before. One said that smudging with sage and tobacco offerings seemed foreign. Reconnecting these kids with their cultural identity is hugely important, Sutherland said, but making sure those services are administered by people with the right training and background is just as critical. The need for accountability across the province is huge, she said. Sutherland helped start the medicine walks in Huntsville, and connected Kilbourne with an elder who trained him to lead them properly. Things like medicine walks, smudging ceremonies and sacred fires have important cultural guidelines that must be followed. Ignoring or misunderstanding them risks repeating the harm of Canadas past policies like residential schools, Sutherland said. How do we ensure that theyre doing it correctly? she asked. Sutherland answered her own question, creating a set of in-house training modules and programming guidelines for Connor Homes staff. She now spends most of her time traveling the province training staff and giving talks about the history of Canadas relationship with indigenous people. I need people to understand the indigenous world view, she said. We cant talk about the issue of the high numbers of Indigenous youth in care unless people understand the history behind it, and the systemic racism that continues to feed it. Now she wants the province to consider implementing a similar credentialing system across Ontario. Until we can bring our babies home, how can we bring home to them? she said. When Kilbourne was growing up, he had virtually nothing to do with his indigenous culture. I didnt wear my culture with pride. I didnt want to get lumped in with all the stereotypes, he said. That holds true for many of the youth he works with, both as a foster parent and an traditional leader. Many of the kids we get have never been on a hunt. Their parents lost their culture through the residential school system, through no fault of their own. Jennys been on a mission to bring that culture back, he said. SHARE: When Daniele Zanotti was 6, his mother took him to Italy to say goodbye to his dying nonno or grandfather. But as his mother whisked him along a darkened hospital corridor, Zanotti noticed another man alone in a nearby room moaning softly. With his nonnos bedside surrounded by grieving relatives, the boy slipped away unnoticed. His panicked mother eventually found her son sitting by the lonely mans bed telling him about Canada in broken Italian dialect. The man was smiling. He needed someone too, Zanotti recalls telling his mother. It is a sentiment the newly-appointed president and CEO of United Way Toronto and York Region still carries today as he leads this falls campaign to raise $101.5 million for more than 200 community service agencies focused on poverty, youth unemployment and strong neighhourhoods. Community is at the core of everything we do, he says in an interview in the charitys downtown Toronto offices. Zanotti, 48, took the reins of the merged charity in July after former CEO Susan McIsaac left to spend more time with her family. As the former head of United Way York Region from 2007 to 2015, Zanotti championed the merger with Toronto from day one. The Steeles Ave. boundary was always artificial, he says, because people access services on both sides of the street. The goal was to find a better way to support them. A key driver for Zanotti during those years was his organizations 2008 study that compared the suburbs of York with the inner suburbs of Toronto in the late 1970s, when downtown poverty began to migrate outwards. The studys release, in the middle of a field in Richmond Hill, foreshadowed many of the challenges the region is facing today, he says. While wealthy subdivisions of four-bedroom homes with three-car garages were grabbing the headlines, poverty was creeping into pockets of Markham, Richmond Hill and Vaughan. We had this massive pace and changing face of growth and a complete lack of social infrastructure to meet the needs, Zanotti recalls. The deep social issues that we were grappling with as a region increasing poverty, neighbourhoods falling behind and stubborn youth unemployment were much bigger than York or Toronto and needed deeper infrastructure to resolve, he says. So thus started our journey and collaboration right through to the merger. The amalgamation was completed in July 2015, making it the largest United Way in the world in terms of coverage and fundraising. Zanotti joined the merger as senior vice-president of resource development, in charge of last years campaign that raised a record $100.2 million, surpassing its goal by $200,000. Former Toronto city manager and United Way board member Shirley Hoy says Zanottis reputation as a thoughtful, out-of-the-box thinker with a foot in both Toronto and York, made him a natural choice for the top job. This is especially true as the charity expands beyond its traditional workplace campaigns to private donors and millennials who want to be more involved in the charitable causes they support, she adds. He is someone who has the understanding of where weve been and where we need to go, Hoys says. He is a great listener. He has compassion. And he is a wonderful storyteller with a great sense of humour. A diminutive dynamo, Zanotti understands how to translate the United Ways inner city neighbourhood strategy into the suburban and rural areas of York. The clip of poverty in York is faster than the national average, Zanotti notes. How we approach it might be different in Markham than in Toronto. But the issues are the same. Instead of the 20,000 sq. ft. community hubs the United Way has built in areas such as Rexdale and Victoria Park, a repurposed storefront on Main St. might be the answer for rural Whitchurch-Stouffville, he says. Instead of building social housing to address the critical need for rental accommodation in York, the charity is partnering with regional planners, business and community leaders to look at more innovative rental options, he adds. The United Way has just launched its first Career Navigator pathway for youth in York and has already enrolled 60 at-risk young people in programs geared to employment in computer systems design, retail, construction, health care and food services, he notes. And it supports three agencies connected to Immigrant Welcome Centres in York that are bustling with English-as-a-Second-Language classes, child care and employment help. As the son of Italian immigrant parents who each worked two jobs to build a life in Canada, Zanotti shares many of the experiences of newcomers today. I think I knew one word of English when I started Junior Kindergarten in my local Catholic school, he laughs, adding that the word was probably bathroom. Just as many immigrants today double up with relatives when they first arrive, Zanottis family lived with his uncle Frank and Aunt Lina near Lawrence Ave. W. and Keele St. until his parents could afford to buy their own modest bungalow nearby. Uncle Frank, who worked evenings as a janitor for the school board, looked after Zanotti during the day while his parents worked. Once the family had moved into their own home, his parents played host to more relatives from Italy who bunked in their basement until they gained a foothold in Canada, a practice still common among newcomers today, he says. Zanotti recalls how his father welcomed every politicians lawn sign at election time because it meant there would be wooden stakes for his beloved tomatoes. Canning those tomatoes and making wine were backyard traditions that forged strong neighbourhood bonds and a sense of belonging. What I used to think of as an Italian value of family and community is really at the core of all our care and work at United Way, he says. The issue for newcomers in Toronto and in York hasnt changed, he continues. How do we create places and spaces for them to feel connected to their community? This need to belong is as urgent today as when my parents arrived. Zanottis life and work is a reflection of the larger community he serves. He grew up in North York, attended St. Michaels College School in midtown Toronto before it became a private school. His BA is from York University and he completed a Masters in social work at the University of Toronto. When he was married in 1995, Zanotti and his wife Lily, bought a home in Vaughan where they still reside. Daughter Bianca, 19, studies journalism at Ryerson and a son, Noah, 16, is following in his fathers footsteps at St. Mikes. But Zanotti worries about the opportunities for young people today. We know from our research that the pathway to success is taking over 15 years. And it depends on where you live and the networks you build, he says. I worry that the son or daughter of immigrant parents today is not going to get the same shot at success I had. Zanottis first job out of school was at the Rexdale Community Health Centre where he helped bring in free and low-cost dental care. Six years later, he moved to York Region human services where he researched youth homelessness and launched an early years strategy and in 2001, he jumped to United Way York to direct allocations. From that first interview . . . I knew I had to do everything necessary to become a leader at United Way, he recalls. Along the way, Zanotti developed a strategic plan as head of Family Day Care Services in 2003 and led a $20 million-plus fundraising campaign to build Villa Colombo Vaughan for Villa Charities Foundation from 2004 to 2007 before becoming CEO of United Way York Region later that year. Zanotti graduated from university in 1993, just before the former Mike Harris governments massive social service cuts began to bite in 1995. When it became clear there was an urgent need for dental care in the Jamestown social housing community, the newly-minted social workers first thought was to find a free program for the residents. But even though he learned in school about the importance of holistic change involving services, advocacy and cash, he hadnt fully understood how it worked on the ground until then, he recalls. It took engaging residents and local dentists, reaching out to the Ontario Dental Association and lobbying the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Community and Social Services. And it took forever. But only when all of those ingredients came together were we able to open a dental clinic at the Rexdale Community Health Centre, one of the first of its kind and still standing that was this testament to community is the answer. he says. It is a message he has never forgotten. Im impatient generally on most things, he says. But I fully believe that with United Way, the means is the end. And Im willing to be patient in the process of dealing with some of these stubborn issues. Because sometimes, thats the only way. SHARE: The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has sent an open letter to the Liberal government urging it to fulfill its promise and expedite the resettlement of sponsored Syrian refugees to Canada. Processing delays have already resulted in significant financial losses for sponsoring groups, said the letter from the conferences president, Bishop Douglas Crosby, to Immigration Minister John McCallum. Such delays are affecting the viability of pending sponsorship applications, many of which have now been put in jeopardy due to the additional cost associated with maintaining vacant accommodation. While community Syrian sponsorship groups have complained about the slow processing and a lack of transparency and communication, few faith groups have taken their concerns to Ottawa in an open letter. In an interview, Crosby said the letter was not a criticism of the governments humanitarian effort but a plea that expressed the concerns and frustrations of many sponsoring groups out there. There was a lot of initial excitement and enthusiasm but all of a sudden, everything changed and there is now a lot of confusion of the date of these families arrivals, said Crosby of the diocese of Hamilton, where seven of its parishes are still waiting for their sponsored families to arrive after a year. Groups rent an apartment, but nothing happens and no one comes. The cost is eating into their charitable funds. There was wonderful energy but it has been lost. People are disappointed and discouraged. In one parish, said Crosby, a sponsorship group was initially told the Syrian family would arrive before February but didnt make it to Canada until June, draining the money raised for the familys settlement on an unoccupied apartment secured for their arrival. Ottawa stopped prioritizing Syrian sponsorship applications in February after it reached its target of bringing in 25,000 refugees. But amid a public uproar, it extended the application deadline until the end of March. This summer, as the frustration among sponsorship groups over the slow processing escalated, McCallum dispatched additional staff to the Middle East for a month to speed up the processing. According to government data obtained by Canada for Refugees, a grassroots organization representing private sponsorship groups, fewer than one-third or about 3,100 of the 13,500 Syrian refugees whose sponsorship applications were submitted by the end of March have arrived in Canada. Another 900 refugees have been screened but refused; 5,400 are still being processed and 4,100 are awaiting transportation and travel documents to come here, said Douglas Earl, a Canada for Refugees spokesperson. The Catholic bishops conference is critical of the government at a time when Canada is selling the private sponsorship program overseas. We agree with everything said in their letter, said Earl. There is a political price to be paid for this delay in bringing our sponsored refugees here. Earlier this summer, McCallum set an early 2017 deadline to bring in all the Syrian refugees whose sponsorship applications were filed by March 31. Over the last four weeks, said Earl, the number of weekly arrivals has almost doubled from 200 to 400, a level that has to be sustained to meet the deadline. Delayed arrivals and the lack of clear and transparent communication about the status of pending cases pose the risk of undermining the faith of Canadians in the governments ability to follow through on its promises, said Crosby. These realities also represent potential to undermine the governments ability to meet future immigration levels plans, as interest and confidence in the sponsorship program will continue to dissolve and wane as poor outcomes continue to manifest. SHARE: While paper use may have shrunk in certain areas since the introduction of digital communications, in other uses and purposes, papers emotional, functional and economic value has increased. Paper may be used less, but where it is growing, paper is worth more. No product better captures this niche than the Moleskine notebook and the company behind it. It is the defining paper object and brand of the Internet age, growing parallel to the digital technology that was supposed to supplant notebooks. (The PalmPilot digital planner came out the same year as Moleskines first notebook.) Not only did the Moleskine notebook succeed in the face of disruptive digital competition, it situated itself as the ideal companion to smartphones, tablets, virtual note management services and digital illustration software. It grew so successful that it has changed the behaviour of a generation that was supposed to eschew handwriting into one where the paper notebook is omnipresent. Moleskine today is a profitable, publicly traded company worth several hundred million euros, with annual sales of over 100 million, 700-plus products sold in over 100 different countries, and more than 200 employees spread between global offices and its rather anonymous headquarters in Milan (tucked into a courtyard, with no sign on the street). At the heart of all this is Maria Sebregondi, a woman an Italian newspaper once called Mamma Moleskine. Although she carries the somewhat innocuous title of VP of brand equity and communications, Sebregondi is the soul of Moleskine. I first met Sebregondi at the start of Design Week, in her sunny office. Dressed in a bright pink dress and purple glasses, in a uniquely Milanese way thats effortlessly elegant and imaginative, the silvery blond grandmother in her mid 60s told me how a design career led to the creation of the familiar notebook on the desk in front of us. Sebregondi was born in Rome; her father was an economist and her mother ran an editorial and graphics studio. After studying sociology, Sebregondi worked in publishing as a designer, wrote for design magazines, and set up her own studio in Milan, teaching creative thinking at the intersection of design, sociology, and trends. My focus to design was the kinesthetic approach, she said, describing a method that emphasizes sensorial engagement. We as human beings need to be stimulated with our senses, very physically. With sight, smell, taste, touch and sound. When computers first captivated the design world in the 1980s, Sebregondi observed designers increasingly seduced by dematerialized, exclusively visual experiences. Over the long term, these left people wanting something more tangible. Over [the past] 30 years that [digital dream] became a reality. But we discovered it wasnt only a wonderful thing. We really need physical objects and experiences. During the summer of 1995, Sebregondi was sailing off the coast of Tunisia on the yacht of her friend Fabio Rosciglione. He consulted with the distribution company Modo & Modo, owned by another friend, Francesco Franceschi, which distributed design items and T-shirts around Italy. One night over dinner, under a sky bursting with stars, Franceschi started to talk about what kind of products Modo & Modo could manufacture on its own, rather than importing the designs of others. The conversation shifted to a question about who would buy those goods, and then to the changing nature of the world, which had just emerged from the Cold War into the heady dawn of globalization. International travel was not only less restricted but more accessible, thanks to low-cost airlines. Technology, including inexpensive cellular phones, websites and email, allowed independent thinkers to become entrepreneurs and pursue their dreams unbound by geography. Speaking late into the night, the three realized that a new global creative class was emerging, driven by curiosity and passion. Sebregondi proposed that Modo & Modo create a toolkit for this individual, whom she labelled a Contemporary Nomad. Back in Italy, Sebregondi thought about what this nomads kit would hold. There would be a great bag, a versatile T-shirt, the perfect pen and maybe a utility knife. At the time, she was reading the book The Songlines by British travel writer Bruce Chatwin, an embodiment of her prototypical consumer. In one of the books essays, Chatwin wrote about his preferred notebooks, which he bought in a particular stationery shop in Paris. In France, these notebooks are known as carnets moleskines, Chatwin wrote, moleskine, in this case, being its black oilcloth binding. The last time he returned to Paris, Chatwin discovered, to his great horror, that the family firm in Tours that had made his beloved notebooks was now out of business and the carnets moleskines were no more. Chatwins description of the notebooks, and the store where he bought them, struck a familiar chord with Sebregondi. She dug through boxes from her graduate studies in Paris nearly 20 years before, and pulled out her old notebooks, which matched Chatwins exact description. The Songlines had been published in 1987, two years before the authors death, but Sebregondi held out hope that Chatwins account of the notebooks demise proved false. After several inquiries to stationery stores in Paris, she confirmed that, yes, the firm had indeed gone out of business, and no one made that style of notebook anymore. Still, Sebregondi couldnt let the idea go. Soon after, she went to a Henri Matisse exhibit in Rome, and noticed that the artists notebook matched the ones she had from Paris. Same with sketchbooks she saw at the Picasso museum, and in a photograph of Ernest Hemingways desk. They all seemed to come from the same defunct French company. Sebregondi realized that the first product in Modo & Modos nomad kit should be this lost notebook. This was something that could be re-created in a most refined way, she said. Over the next two years, Sebregondi and Modo & Modo worked to redesign, manufacture, and distribute the moleskine notebook, which they positioned as a travel journal. Although there were many fine Italian paper manufacturers, in the end they settled on a supplier in China that was able to combine handmade details (tight binding on the spine, a hand-stitched pocket in the rear, perfectly flat seams) with the scale and cost needed for mass-market distribution. Their goal was to sell notebooks where notebooks had never been sold. The notebook market then was a completely unbranded market, Sebregondi recalled. There were cheap school notebooks, as well as fine handmade notebooks costing hundreds of dollars at stationery stores, but all were essentially nameless commodities. The only recognizable brand name at the time was the office organizer Filofax, which had already seen declining sales, thanks to computer calendars and other digital organizers. The Filofax was strongly related to productivity and functionality, Sebregondi said. If those are your focus, technology will kill you every time. Thats why we went with imagination, image and the arts. The first branded Moleskine notebook saw an initial print run of 3,000, hitting store shelves in Italy and a few select European cities in 1997. Initially, the company refused to distribute to stationery stores. Instead Moleskines were sold in display racks at the cash registers of modern bookstores and design shops. It was presented as a book yet to be written, one buyers were invited to fill with their own stories. The product quickly sold well among a small niche of writers, travellers and the other global bohemians Sebregondi envisioned. Moleskines market presence grew across Europe and into North America (I bought my first one at an art supply store in Toronto in 2005), but Sebregondi remained a very part-time contract employee at Modo & Modo, and mostly focused on other work. The heart of Moleskines transformation from a paper product into an analog cultural icon lies not simply in its artful design soft, creamy paper that practically invites a pens ink; rounded corners that ease the notebook into a pocket; a cover thats hard enough to keep pages from bending, but soft and almost leathery in feel but in the myth that Sebregondi wrapped it up in. Through the packaging, and a story that folded out from the inside cover, the Moleskine (a name trademarked by Modo & Modo in 2006) was presented as the Legendary Notebook of Hemingway, Picasso and Chatwin with tales about its place at the core of modernitys greatest art and literature. Whether the new Moleskine notebooks were actually the same ones used by these canonical artists (they werent) was not specifically the point. That foundational myth, which Moleskine continues to hammer home in all its press releases, marketing materials and interviews, is essential to understanding the emotional power of a resurgent analog brand. From the get-go, the company knew that its notebooks wouldnt exclusively contain the brilliant creations of the next Picasso. There would be a lot of melodramatic teenaged diaries, half-baked doodles and class notes, and grocery lists. But because they were written in a Moleskine, they would still feel more creative than if they were scribbled on another piece of paper. Creativity is a word thats now completely sold, Sebregondi said, but the concept behind it is strong and real. People want to be creative and feel creative, even if they are not. Creatives have the ability to create an emotional trigger, and the analog world is the one able to create this emotional attraction and experience. This formed an almost tribal identity around the Moleskine notebook and those who used it. The notebook became a symbol of aspirational creativity, a product that not only worked well as a functional tool, but that told a story about you, even if you never wrote on a single page. Like a Patagonia jacket or a Toyota Prius, it projected someones values, interests, and dreams, even if those were divorced from the reality of their lives. This is why Moleskine never needed to advertise, and never does to this day. Each notebook spotted at a coffee shop table, or in the hands of a journalist, was worth more than any billboard or magazine page. This is a company that went from being a category maker to a category icon, said Antonio Marazza, general manager at the Milan office of the global branding agency Landor Associates. The emotional and aspirational capital Moleskine can deliver goes beyond stationery. It buys you access to the most select group of consumers, the cool creatives who set trends that other consumers invariably follow. Republican strategist Karl Rove once cited Moleskines as a signal flare of liberal pretentiousness. Marazza believes that this is only possible because Moleskine is a physical, tactile product. It is easier to tell an interesting story about something physical than something immaterial, he said. Branding is nothing unique to Moleskine, but a great branding campaign is only one half of the equation. The other indeed goes back to those qualitative attributes of the paper notebook itself. This notebook, Sebregondi said, holding up a classic black Moleskine, is a physical experience that can leave space to the imagination. That is greater than technology. Creativity and innovation are driven by imagination, and imagination withers when it is standardized, which is exactly what digital technology requires codifying everything into 1s and 0s, within the accepted limits of software. The Moleskine notebooks simple, unobtrusive design makes it feel like a natural extension of the body. It doesnt interfere in your personal style, and because of this, it allows for an undiluted physical recording of your mood. All that is lost when you standardize, said Sebregondi. Excerpted from The Revenge of Analog: Real Things and Why They Matter by David Sax. Copyright 2016. Available from PublicAffairs, an imprint of Perseus Books, LLC, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc. Correction - October 31, 2016: This article was edited from a previous version that misstated the title of David Sax's book. SHARE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA.Hillary Clinton lashed out Saturday at the FBIs handling of a new email review, leading a chorus of Democratic leaders who declared the bureaus actions just days before the election unprecedented and deeply troubling. Emboldened Republican rival Donald Trump seized on the reignited email controversy, hoping to raise new doubts about Clintons trustworthiness. Rallying supporters in Florida, Clinton pressed FBI Director James Comey to put out the full and complete facts about the review into a cache of recently discovered emails. Clinton backers panned Comeys letter to Congress about the new emails as severely lacking crucial details. It is pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election, Clinton said. She accused Trump of using the issue to confuse and mislead voters in the final leg of the campaign for the Nov. 8 election. The controversy over Clintons email practices at the State Department has dogged her for more than a year. The former secretary of state has often been reluctant to weigh in on the matter and defensive when shes been pushed to do so. But Clintons approach to this latest flare-up is markedly different, underscoring worries that the matter could damage her standing with voters in the elections final days. Clinton advisers have been rallying Democratic lawmakers and other supporters to her defence, including members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Earlier Saturday, Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said there was no evidence of wrongdoing in the new email review and no indication this is even about Hillary. But Comey, who enraged Republicans in the summer when he announced the FBI would not prosecute Clinton for her loose handling of official email, in fact said the new trove appeared to be pertinent to the Clinton email investigation. He did not explain how. A government official told The Associated Press on Saturday that the Justice Department had advised the FBI against telling Congress about the new developments in the Clinton investigation because of the potential fallout so close to the election. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and discussed it on condition of anonymity. Justice officials concluded the letter would be inconsistent with department policy that directs against investigative actions that could be seen as affecting an election or helping a particular candidate, the official said. Landing with a thud, the email issue again threatened to undermine an advantage built by Clinton, the Democratic nominee, over Trump and raised the possibility that the Republican might be able to seize late momentum. Trump told a crowd in Golden, Colorado, on Saturday that the FBIs review of Clinton email practices raises everybodys deepest hope that justice, as last, can be properly delivered. His crowd cheered Clintons email woes, which Trump has taken to calling the biggest political scandal since Watergate. The FBI is looking into whether there was classified information on a device belonging to Anthony Weiner, the disgraced ex-congressman who is separated from longtime Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Comey, in his letter to Congress on Friday, said the FBI had recently come upon new emails while pursuing an unrelated case and was reviewing whether they were classified. A person familiar with the investigation, who lacked authority to discuss the matter publicly and insisted on anonymity, said the device that appears to be at the centre of the new review was not a computer Weiner shared with Abedin. As a result, it was not a device searched for work-related emails at the time of the initial investigation. The person said this is news to (Abedin) that her emails would be on a computer belonging to her husband. The person added that if the emails included those related to Abedins work with Clinton at the State Department, they are expected to be duplicates of what she had already turned over as part of the initial investigation. Trump mused aloud during his rally about whether Clinton was going to keep Huma, adding that Abedin has been a problem. He hurled insults at Weiner, warning again that the former congressman posed a national security risk because of his access to information through his estranged wife. Abedin, a close Clinton confidant who is a near constant presence in the campaign, was not travelling with Clinton on Saturday. New York Rep. Gregory Meeks suggested the FBI chief might be trying to sway the election and called for him to disclose what he knows. Clinton herself said of Comey: Put it all out on the table. Long term, the development all but ensured that, even should Clinton win the White House, she would celebrate a victory under a cloud of investigation. Comey, who was appointed in 2013 to a 10-year term as FBI director, would still be on the job if Clinton wins the White House. Congressional Republicans have already promised years of investigations into Clintons private email system. And thats only one of the email-related episodes facing her in the campaigns closing days. The tens of thousands of confidential emails from Clinton campaign insiders that were hacked her campaign blames Russia and then released by WikiLeaks have provided a steady stream of questions about her policy positions, personnel choices and ties with her husbands extensive charitable network and post-presidential pursuits. In his letter to congressional leaders Friday, Comey wrote only that new emails have emerged, prompting the agency to take appropriate investigative steps to review information that appeared pertinent to its previously closed investigation into Clinton private email system. Clintons campaign is hoping the issue will fire up its base of voters who feel the secretary has been unfairly targeted in a litany of investigations, but it could also revive some Clinton fatigue. Given a political gift from the FBI, Trumps challenge now becomes avoiding any big missteps that might overshadow Clintons troubles over the campaigns final days. If history is a guide, that wont be easy. Inside Trumps Colorado rally, his supporters worried whether he could stick to his message about the emails. It scares me, Howard Sanger, 56, of Parker, Colorado said of the prospect of another Trump gaffe. But I feel like his inner circle will stop him. Read more about: SHARE: Twenty-three years had passed since Linda Iseler had seen or heard from her husband. For more than a decade, the Indiana woman had assumed Richard Hoagland who had mysteriously vanished after 11 years of marriage was dead. That all changed this summer when Iseker received a phone call from detective Anthony Cardillo of the Pasco County Sheriffs Department in Florida, according to ABC News. He asked me if I knew who Richard Hoagland was, and I said, Yes, thats my ex-husband, Iseler said. He said, We have him in custody. After abandoning his family in 1993, Hoagland moved to Florida, where he constructed an entirely new existence from scratch. Police say he started by stealing the death certificate and adopting the identity of a man named Terry Jude Symansky, a fisherman who died in 1991. News about Hoaglands arrest broke in July, but his ex-wife and the investigator who uncovered his true identity have recently spoken out on ABCs 20/20. Using that death certificate, he applies for a birth certificate, Cardillo told the ABC show. He uses that birth certificate to get a drivers licence. Once he has that drivers licence, he starts establishing his name as Terry Symansky. For more than two decades, Terry Symansky appeared to lead an ordinary life in Pasco County. He had a wife named Mary and a teenage son, owned property and worked odd jobs, according to the Tampa Bay Times. She said there was always questions, but he would always come up with a reason or an explanation, Cardillo told 20/20. The truth began to surface when a nephew of the real Terry Symansky who drowned in 1991 at the age of 33 started an Ancestry.com family search, according to NBC affiliate WFLA. Knowing that his uncle was dead, the nephew was surprised to find someone with the same name living in central Florida. He looks up his real uncle Terry Symansky and realizes that he died in 1991, which the family knew, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco told the station. He then starts scrolling down the page and sees more details that Terry Symanksy was remarried in 1995. He owns property in Pasco County, Florida. Fearing that their fake relative might try to harm them, family members waited three years before eventually contacting authorities in April, police told the Tampa Bay Times. Hoagland, 63, was arrested in July and charged with fraudulent use of personal identification, the paper reported. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, ABC reported. Hoaglands disappearance in 1993 seemed to come without warning, Iseler told 20/20. She said the family lived in a large home, took exotic vacations and appeared to have a healthy marriage. Their two sons were 6 and 9 at the time. Then, one day, without warning, everything changed. He called me at work and told me that he was ill . . . and that he needed to go to the emergency room, Iseler told 20/20. And I said, Well, why dont you just wait, and Ill go with you? He said, No, I dont have time to wait. Iseler was never able to find her husband, even after calling all the local hospitals. (His toothbrush was) still there, she told 20/20. He didnt pack any clothes. It was cold. It was in February. He didnt take a coat. In his absence, Hoaglands family suffered, never knowing what had become of him. In addition to losing their house and cars, Iseler said there was even a point when police suspected she may have been criminally responsible for her husbands disappearance. She told investigators that Hoagland told her in the early 1990s that he was wanted by the FBI for embezzling millions of dollars and had no choice but to leave town, according to the Tampa Bay Times. In reality, police told the paper, Hoagland told investigators that he left Indiana to get away from his wife. Eventually, the paper reported, Hoaglands wife assumed her husband was dead. They interrogated me over and over and over, she told 20/20. They alluded a lot to the possibility that he was involved in some type of drug trafficking, which I had no clue. He devastated us, she added. He left us with nothing, absolutely nothing. I was very broken. Cardillo said Hoaglands new family in Florida was also shocked to learn that its loved one had a former identity. Obviously their 20 years of marriage (was) shattered, Cardillo said. The son came down. He was shocked. It was still his father. Its his blood, but that Symansky name is not his. The emotions they were feeling (were) between anger and sadness and the wonder of why. Asked why Hoagland left his life behind, Cardillo told 20/20 that Hoaglands explanation was strangely simple: Family issues with his wife and children, he said. SHARE: PHILADELPHIAShe gets home from the office around six. She feeds her teenagers. And then, around eight, Kim Mallonn, an Ohio human resources executive who has never been any kind of political activist, sits down in her suburban family room and wages a one-woman Twitter war. Mallonn, 50, is just as committed to her cause as the aggrieved Donald Trump fans who have been exhaustively profiled in the media. But she is part of a group that has been treated as close to nonexistent amid the flood of features on Trumps angry army: people who really, really like Hillary Clinton. Yes, for real, its true. The woman favoured to be elected president next week has a large number of fierce devotees. Like most Democrats, Clinton does well with visible minorities of all types. But Ben Tulchin, a Democratic strategist who was the pollster for the Bernie Sanders campaign Clinton defeated, said her greatest strength is Democratic women age 50 and older, who not only support her but identify with her. Thats why she won the primary, quite frankly: she just had a bedrock of support, Democratic women over 50, who didnt budge at all, Tulchin said. Even when polling has kind of waxed and waned, shes always had that base of support, and that base hasnt gone anywhere. Its made a huge difference. The base is millions strong. In one recent ABC tracking poll, 56 per cent of Clinton voters said they were voting for her more than voting against Trump versus just 41 per cent of Trump voters who said they were voting for him more than against Clinton. Mallonn, for example, doesnt feel like shes choosing the lesser of two evils. She feels she has found re-found the candidate she has been waiting for. Sure, her war involves tweets about how Trump is a giant baby and a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot. But shes also sharing uplifting posts about Clinton. She would prefer her to any Republican. I dont even really know how to put it into words, Mallonn said, other than to say the idea of having someone with the understanding and experience of being a woman, and being a woman in a male-dominated profession, in the highest office, is exciting to me. Older Democratic women, Tulchin said, care most about the historic nature of Clintons candidacy. They empathize with her professional experiences and career sacrifices. And as women who came of age during the era of second-wave feminism, he said, they were enthused by the active, political tenure as first lady that alienated older men. His conclusions were confirmed in interviews with 15 of Clintons female supporters from around the country. They all said they were eager to see a woman in the Oval Office. But they were especially attached to this woman. They respect her intelligence, work ethic and resilience. They relate to both her stumbles and successes. The controversies that have dogged her for three decades have only made them like her more. What that woman has been put through in her public life, and her private life. And she has stood there with dignity all of these years, said homemaker Rose Marie Nin, 70, in line for Clintons rally last week in Philadelphia. Where Sanders bitter-enders see a centrist or conservative posing as a progressive, her core supporters see a committed liberal with the record to prove it. Where Trump backers see a career politician, they see a public servant with critical experience. Years and years and years shes dedicated to public service and helping families and helping children. How many people can say that? said civil engineer Amy Kroeger, 43, in the Philadelphia line. She has life experience, she has experience in politics, and I want her to be the president, said university official Rita Rowand, 59, outside a cafe in Warrenton, Va. Trump voters, seeking major change, view Clinton as an agent of a failed status quo. Clintons loyal followers assess the country differently. They find comfort in a candidate who vows to pursue incremental change but also protect gains already made. The Obama era produced millions of winners uninterested in radical transformation. Mallonn has a brother with a disability who finally got health insurance because of Obamacare and a gay brother who is now married in Texas. I feel like weve made some great progress, she said, and I feel like shell help to continue to push those things forward. Clinton devotees are not all thriving educated professionals. Bobbi Green, 41, is a mother and high school graduate in Eau Claire, Wis., who lost her job as an office manager when the recession hit. But she identifies with the career of a wealthy Ivy League lawyer. Fifteen years ago, when she had twins, Green quit another job to take care of the kids, allowing her husband to pursue his sales career. She is infuriated when absolute morons accuse Hillary Clinton of riding on Bill Clintons coattails. That is so insulting, she said, her voice rising. How many of us have sat home and made career choices that have hurt our own careers for the sake of our husband? She added: I think if they did a little history, theyd see it is she thats been carrying him. A majority of the electorate finds Clinton dishonest and inauthentic. Clinton devotees see her as caring and truthful, her reputation the product of unfair, gendered criticism and caricature. I think a lot of people find her cold and aloof. I dont find that at all when I watch her. I see a very warm soul, said Jennifer Hajkowski, 41, a high school teacher at the Philadelphia rally. Green, a former foster child, was still in high school, struggling to get by, when she began sympathizing with the first lady. She had to change her hair and take off her glasses and act this certain way, and it had to be hurtful and degrading for her, but she did it. Can you imagine being that person, though? Green said. Oh, I wasnt pretty enough. I wasnt wife-y enough. I had the wrong name. My glasses were thick. I wasnt wearing fashionable clothes. How absolutely ridiculous. I dont think guys understand what thats like. Clinton, whose rally speeches can sound stilted, has struggled to excite the young voters who were thrilled by Obamas gifts as a communicator. But for some women of her generation, both professionals and homemakers, her preference for quiet labour over grandiose performance is familiar. Betsy True, 61, is a quiltmaker in Alexandria, Va., who had a previous career in computers at the defence department, a male-dominated workplace where her opinions were sometimes treated with sexist disdain. She said she admires how Clinton managed to work together in the Senate with people who voted to impeach her husband and how she did not show off. She just did the work, True said. Put her head down, did the work. At the final presidential debate, Trump called Clinton a nasty woman. True, like thousands of other women, added Nasty to her Twitter name in solidarity. If shes nasty, True said, then there are a lot of us that are nasty out there. More on thestar.com Hillary Clinton faces intense animosity as she approaches White House Clinton vows to stay on track despite sexting probe SHARE: SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADORFormer Salvadoran President Tony Saca has been arrested for alleged illicit enrichment, unlawful association and money laundering, prosecutors said Saturday. Saca held office from 2004 to 2009 for the rightist Nationalist Republican Alliance. Police said six former officials in his government were also arrested. Saca and two of the other suspects were arrested at the wedding of one of Sacas children. Prosecutors say Saca has not clarified the origins of $5 million ($7 million Cdn.) of the $6.5 million ($9 million Cdn.) in assets he acquired during his time in office. He declared his fortune at $3.6 million when he took office. Five years later, it had grown to $13.1 million. But newly surfaced evidence suggests the sums involved could be even larger. Elmer Charlaix, Sacas former private secretary and one of those arrested, allegedly had $18.7 million in private bank accounts and prosecutors said he could not explain the origin of the money. He allegedly wrote about $15 million in checks to Saca, other officials and Sacas party. Former President Mauricio Funes, who succeeded Saca, is also under investigation for corruption, as is former President Francisco Flores. SHARE: Govt, Madhesi parties close to a deal: Mahato After months of informal negotiations, the government and the Madhes-based parties appear to be inching closer to an understanding on formation of a Tharuhat province along the western plains. REYKJAVIK, ICELANDThere was no Pirate takeover, but the upstart party managed to make waves in Iceland. The country's party leaders were beginning meetings Sunday with Iceland's president to hammer out who will form the next government, after an election that produced big gains for the radical Pirates but gave the largest bloc of seats to the centre-right Independence Party. Some form of coalition government is certain since no party gained a parliamentary majority in an election overshadowed by public discontent at the establishment after years of financial crisis and political turmoil. The Independence Party took 29 per cent of the vote and 21 of 63 parliament seats in results announced Sunday. Leader Bjarni Benediktsson said the party should be given a mandate by President Gudni Th. Johannesson to form a new coalition government. Outgoing Prime Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson of the Progressive Party said he would hand the president his resignation so that a new government can be formed. The Pirates anti-authoritarian advocates of direct democracy and digital freedom almost tripled their vote share from 5 per cent in 2015 to 14.5 per cent on Saturday, and will get 10 seats in Icelands parliament, the Althingi. The Left-Green movement, with 15.9 per cent, will also get 10 seats in a parliament that is shaping up to be evenly split between parties of the left and the right. The result was better than expected for the Independents, who have governed in coalition since 2013. The Pirates result fell short of what some polls had suggested and what the partys fleet of energetic volunteers and supporters had hoped. Like Spains Podemos or the movement behind Bernie Sanders in the U.S. presidential race, it drew in throngs of young supporters who ran the Pirates largely volunteer-driven campaign. It would have been nice to get more MPs, to get a higher percentage, said Smari McCarthy, a newly-elected Pirate lawmaker. But considering everything this is still a magnificent victory for us. The election result looks set to trigger a period of intense political negotiations lasting days or weeks, and McCarthy suggested the Pirates have not given up on becoming part of a government. I dont think any party is looking at this outcome and saying this is going to be really easy, McCarthy said. I think in particular the Independence Party is going to have a very hard time trying to build a stable government. A wind-lashed volcanic island near the Arctic Circle with a population of 320,000, Iceland has suffered years of economic upheaval after the countrys debt-swollen banks collapsed during the 2008 global financial crisis. Saturdays election was called after then-Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson resigned in April during public protests over his offshore holdings, revealed in the Panama Papers leak. Gunnlaugssons Progressive Party was the elections biggest casualty, losing more than half its seats in the Althingi as voters punished it for its links to the financial crash and corruption claims. The (Progressive) party that to my knowledge was most responsible for the ongoing crisis, and the scandals and scams, is mostly out, and that is progress, and that is great, said Reykjavik voter Evard Ingolfsson, 23. New parties made gains among weary voters. A kingmaker in government negotiations could be Vidreisn, or Renewal, a liberal party formed this year that advocates Iceland joining the European Union. It won seven parliament seats. The election was dominated by Icelands economy now recovering on the back of a tourism boom, with low unemployment and high growth and voters desire for political reform. Icelands Pirate Party, founded four years ago by an assortment of hackers, political activists and internet freedom advocates, campaigned on promises to introduce direct democracy, subject the workings of government to more scrutiny and place the countrys natural resources under public ownership. The party also backs tough rules to protect individuals from online intrusion. Birgitta Jonsdottir, the Pirates most senior lawmaker is a former ally of WikiLeaks who has called on Iceland to offer citizenship to U.S. National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden. Opponents argued that the inexperienced Pirates could scare off investors and destabilize the economy a message that resonated with some voters. Eva Heida Onnudottir, a political scientist at the University of Iceland, said that while the election didnt bring a Pirate revolution, it did see the emergence of new parties, a decline in support for traditional ones, and a record number of seats for women 30 out of 63. The changes are not maybe as much as some people would like, but politics in Iceland has definitely changed, she said. Pirate lawmaker Jonsdottir said the party was buoyed by the election result, and would continue its drive to bring people-powered politics to Iceland. Were very happy that we actually managed to get this far by being so totally different, she said. We are an innovative party that is trying new methods, and we took a lot of risks in order to stay true to ourselves. So the people that actually voted for us are really Pirates in their hearts. Read more about: SHARE: BOSTONHaving proven they can win in the West, advocates for recreational marijuana hope the Nov. 8 election brings their first significant electoral victories in the densely populated Northeast, where voters in Massachusetts and Maine will consider making pot legal for all adults. Supporters believe yes votes in New England would add geographical diversity to the legalization map, encourage other East Coast states to move in the same direction and perhaps build momentum toward ending federal prohibitions on the drug. We have to get to a point where we can win legalization voter initiatives in other parts of the country, said Keith Stroup, founder of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, a leading group in the legalization movement. Three other states California, Arizona and Nevada are also voting on recreational pot. If the California initiative passes, marijuana will be legal along the entire West Coast. Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Alaska have already voted to permit it. The District of Columbia also passed a legalization measure in 2014, but it has no regulatory framework for retail sales and possession remains illegal on federal property. Several Eastern states are among the 25 that already allow some form of medicinal marijuana, but none in the region has approved recreational pot. Big money is at stake, which helps explain why marijuana supporters have raised more than $6 million ($8 million Cdn.) in Massachusetts and about $1.3 million in Maine, most from outside those states. Analysts from Cowen and Co. issued a report last month forecasting a $50 billion legal cannabis market in the U.S. by 2026, a nearly tenfold increase over today. But such growth would be predicated on federal legalization. Passage of the November state referendums would be a key catalyst toward that end, analysts wrote. Higher marijuana usage in the West may help explain why the region has been a more fertile ground for legalization, said Matt Simon, New England director for the Marijuana Policy Project, another major pro-legalization group. More people have direct experience with marijuana or know someone who has, and that leads to it being demystified, Simon said. Recent polls on the New England ballot questions, which propose significantly lower tax rates than those in Colorado and Washington, indicate the yes sides trending ahead in both states. Still, passage is far from guaranteed. In Massachusetts, a socially liberal state, voters previously decriminalized small amounts of marijuana and approved it for medicinal use. This years initiative has met formidable opposition from politicians, business leaders, clergy and even billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, who recently donated $1 million to opposing groups. The states popular Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and Bostons Democratic Mayor Marty Walsh are among many elected officials fighting the idea. Their arguments include concerns that edible pot products resembling candy or other treats could fall into the hands of children, and that marijuana can be a gateway to far more dangerous drugs. The availability of marijuana for adolescent users already constitutes an environmental factor for the later use of other illicit drugs, the states four Roman Catholic bishops said in a recent statement. Its legalization will only serve to worsen this problem. A TV ad urging a no vote imagines a neighbourhood overrun by pot shops and a mother shocked to see her own son emerge from one of the stores. Legalization proponents dismissed the ad as a smear-and-fear tactic. There is a puritanical streak that runs through New Englanders, said NORMLs Stroup, a one-time Boston resident. The Puritans lost their influence centuries ago, and the phrase banned in Boston is an anachronism. Yet uneasiness persists when it comes to issues that would have once been considered sinful. Massachusetts, for example, only recently authorized casino gambling and did so in a limited and highly regulated form. In Maine, critics worry about disrupting the states well-established medical marijuana program. We want to make sure patients dont lose access and that small growers will still be able to flourish, said Catherine Lewis, director of education for Medical Marijuana Caregivers of Maine. Portland, the states largest city, legalized possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana in 2013, but the statewide prohibition still makes buying and selling the drug illegal. Marijuana companies that have focused largely on Western states are watching developments closely, sensing new regional opportunities for investment and growth. The Northeast specifically is going to be a very powerful market because of the population density, said Derek Peterson, chief executive of Terra Tech Corp., which operates cannabis cultivation, production and retail facilities. Marc Harvill, client services and training manager for Denver-based Medicine Man Technologies, said the firm has already fielded inquires for consulting services from potential retail operators in New England should the ballot questions pass. The skys the limit, he said. SHARE: Dozens of people, including many prisoners, were killed after airstrikes by a Saudi-led military coalition struck a security facility in western Yemen, local security officials and news reports said Sunday. The airstrikes, late Saturday evening, hit a security complex, which included detention facilities, in the port city of Al Hudaydah on Yemens Red Sea coast. The area is controlled by Houthi rebels who hold much of the countrys north and west. A security official in Al Hudaydah said three strikes had targeted the compound after sunset Saturday, destroying two detention centres that held men jailed by local security services, which the Houthis oversee. Speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the news media, the official said that 48 people had been killed, most of them prisoners. Saba, a Houthi-controlled news agency, said the strikes had killed 60 people and wounded dozens of others. Al-Maseera, the Houthis satellite news channel, broadcast images of bodies covered in blankets and plastic sheeting. Brig. Gen. Ahmed al-Asiri, a spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition, confirmed in a statement that coalition jets had targeted a security building in Al Hudaydah, which he said the Houthis had used as a command and control center for their military operations. When asked about the time discrepancy, al-Asiri insisted that the attack had taken place at dawn Sunday, even though Yemeni outlets reported it Saturday night. Yemen, the Arab worlds poorest country, has been embroiled in conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and other cities. They later sent the government into exile in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. Since then, they have allied with parts of the Yemeni army and are fighting forces across the country that are nominally loyal to the exiled president. Last year, Saudi Arabia and a coalition of Arab states began bombing the Houthis to try to degrade their forces and restore President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to power. The war has killed more than 10,000 people, many of them civilians, and the United Nations has estimated that bombings by the Saudi-led coalition are responsible for most of the civilian deaths. Saudi Arabia has accused the Houthis of fighting from civilian areas, and human rights groups say that the Houthis have indiscriminately targeted residential neighbourhoods. The strikes in Al Hudaydah came hours after at least 18 people, some of them children, were killed in coalition airstrikes in the western city of Taiz, according to The Associated Press. International efforts to find a political solution to the war are at an impasse. A 72-hour ceasefire this month was not renewed by the warring parties, and Hadi on Saturday rejected the latest peace plan proposed by the United Nations. The plan, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times, would gradually sideline Hadi while granting the Houthis a role in a future government in exchange for their withdrawal from major cities. In a statement from his office, Hadi rejected the proposal, saying that it would legitimize the Houthis coup and calling it a gateway to more suffering and war. Read more about: SHARE: GRAFTON, VT.Political style yard-signs with the giant word NO over the image of a wind turbine pop up on roads leading into the southern Vermont town of Grafton, evidence that yet another community in the state is debating whether to become home to an industrial wind farm. But added to an already emotional debate in Grafton and neighbouring Windham is the developers promise of direct payments to residents of the two towns if voters approve the project Nov. 8. Some are calling that offer, first made public this month, an outright bribe. The Vermont attorney generals office has found nothing improper about the proposed payments and nothing that would violate state election laws, but the ruling has done little to quiet the critics. Representatives of the developer, Iberdrola Renewables, say the idea for the payments estimated at $1,162 ($1,556 Cdn.) per year for full-time adult residents of Windham and $428 ($573 Cdn.) for Grafton residents came from the locals themselves who were looking for a way to spread the benefit of the turbines beyond reducing property taxes. The towns would also get other payments from Iberdrola. Mary McCoy, a 14-year Windham resident whose husband was part of the group that suggested and helped negotiate the payments, said the idea has in fact fuelled notions that its all a bribe. If it had happened in a timely fashion a year ago, or even six months ago, and people had had time to understand it, I believe it wouldnt have felt like a bribe, said McCoy. Grafton Select Board member Skip Lisle, an opponent of the project, called the promise of money troubling because it is pitting neighbour against neighbour. Its the first time in our 250-year history of self-government that a foreign corporation has taken over the town, said Lisle, who lives not far from where some of the turbines would be built. Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos sent a letter to some residents last week, calling the offer particularly disturbing. But he later clarified in an email to The Associated Press that his letter was based on the notion that the payments were going to registered voters in the two towns, not full-time residents. We havent looked at that reference, he said. Condos said he had no plans to revisit the issue, noting that the attorney general has already said it wouldnt violate any laws. For the last four years, Iberdrola, the Spain-based worldwide renewable energy company, has been talking about building turbines on the mountain tops in the two communities. The towns, with a combined population of about 1,000, lie about 30 miles (48 kilometres) from where Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts meet. The plan calls for the construction of 24 turbines, 16 in Windham and eight in Grafton. Theyd produce enough electricity to power about 30,000 homes. Iberdrola spokesman Paul Copleman said the turbines would be built on a working forest criss-crossed with roads that has been logged. A giant utility transmission line runs through the area where the turbines would be built. The landowner, Meadowsend Timberlands, approached Iberdrola about the idea, he said. They have been looking at a wind farm as a suitable fit for this land while simultaneously being able to keep the land open for hiking, hunting and fishing and snowmobiling, Copleman said. But opponents say the site is pristine wilderness that would be forever scarred by the visual blight of the turbines. There are also concerns about environmental damage during construction and the long-term health effects that would be felt by people who live nearby. Most Vermont communities that have been offered a chance to vote on wind projects have rejected the projects, according to Annette Smith, an anti-wind energy activist who has tracked votes on the issue. SHARE: CAIROTheres a new type of criminal in Egypt. Those who deal in, umm, sugar. Last week, an Egyptian court sentenced a shop owner to five years in jail and an $11,000 ($15,000 Cdn.) fine for hoarding supplies of sugarinstead of selling them to customers, according to local news reports. And a few days earlier, police arrested and jailed a waiter as he walked on the street carrying 22 pounds of sugar. His crime? Prosecutors accused the waiter of stockpiling sugar, a government subsidized commodity, with the intent of profiting by selling it to stores at a higher prices. Egypt is in the midst of a sugar crisis. In a country where sugar is used in abundance, to sweeten traditional dishes and flavour multiple doses of Arabic tea every day, a nationwide shortage of sugar has spiked prices and shaken up the populationand the politicians. Some 2,000 tons of sugar stocks were seized over the weekend from one of Egypts largest food producers. The arrests are part of a widespread police operation targeting dealers of sugar on the black market. The government also set up a hotline last week for citizens to report incidents of stockpiling of sugar, as well as other staple commodities such as rice. In recent days, Egyptian authorities have raided sugar factories and distributors, including companies that make Twinkies and Pepsi Cola, forcing temporary shutdowns. That didnt send a positive signal to potential foreign investors, but the countrys prime minister insisted it was the correct action. It was a limited number of cases and they have been dealt with, said Prime Minister Sherif Ismail during a local television interview, referring to the raids. And we will monitor this procedure, but it was necessary. Nevertheless, the sugar crisis is the latest trigger for the growing populist anger at Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi and the countrys sinking economy. A recent national poll by Baseera, the Egyptian centre for public opinion research, found that Sissis satisfaction rate among Egyptian voters dropped to 68 per cent in October, a 14 per cent drop since August. The shortages of sugar have also become a political weapon. Last week, Egyptian authorities issued arrest warrants for members of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood, accusing them of forming cells to procure and hoard sugar to foment more anger at the Sissi government, according to local media reports. Read more about: SHARE: Caught in the middle of a perfect pay to play storm this week, the government needs to find a safe harbour. The catchy slogan (also known as cash for access), which suggests money is exchanged for favours, or access to government officials, is a high-profile issue on both sides of our border. Serious allegations that donations to the Clinton Foundation functioned as a doorway to Hillary Clinton, when she was Secretary of State, have found similar resonance in Ontario, as Premier Kathleen Wynne struggles with overdue legislation to tighten up Ontarios political fundraising rules. With awkward timing, the federal minister of finance wandered into the eye of the storm by scheduling several fundraisers, one of which is to be held in a private Toronto house owned by a businessman whose company lobbies the Department of Finance. The thunder in the House of Commons from the media, the opposition parties and two independent officers of Parliament, asked a simple question. Must you spend $1,525 to have access to a federal cabinet minister or the prime minister? The correct answer is no. Lets begin with the word access. The reality is that ministers are happy to meet you for free! Ask for an appointment through their constituency offices or attend any one of many consultations pop up meetings in various locations throughout their districts. Ministers are even known to knock on doors between elections. Alternatively, you can join Google hang outs or live streamed events. If all else fails, Tweet them. Ministers do not live in bubbles. They are approached by both media and voters in airports, train stations, restaurants, subways, gyms and their childrens schools. It is a way of life and one to which they are accustomed. Their job is to be visible. So, the real question is not access, but whether something invisible is occurring. Are people who can afford the $1,525 annual fundraising limit, gaining privileged access which is denied to others? Are legitimate fundraisers used as a smokescreen, to circumvent rules prescribed for a transparent lobbying regime? And even if the answers are no, is there a perception that this unsavory practice (as the ethics commissioner describes it) is taking place without third party oversight? Given the events of the past week, the correct answer is yes. Part of the problem is the maximum legal limit, which may seem excessive in 2016. Part of the problem is the private nature of some events. Many fundraisers are held in hotels or restaurants, which is more transparent (but also more expensive). Part of the problem is that disclosure regarding attendees is not necessarily timely or fulsome. And part of the problem is the lack of clear conflict of interest regulations regarding fundraisers. However, the thorniest challenge is the revelation of an ethical gap between the expectations/aspirations of a new government and implementation of old practices. Politics is as much about perception as it is about policy, a reality acknowledged in Justin Trudeaus 2015 Open and Accountable Government document. There should be no preferential access to government, or appearance of preferential access, accorded to individuals or organizations because they have made financial contributions to politicians and political parties. In addition, ministers were warned to expect close scrutiny of their actions. Those were wise words, given that political fundraisers have always been a source of controversy. In recent years, two former prime ministers of two different parties, offered different fundraising solutions. In 2004, Jean Chretien capped donation limits and in 2006 Stephen Harper banned monies from corporations and unions. To offset the decrease in revenue to parties, a government allowance or subsidy per vote was introduced. It paid out $266 million over 11 years before it was finally eliminated by Stephen Harper. The 2015 election was the first that parties were not able to rely on taxpayers dollars. Therefore, fundraising is a priority. So, what to do? Unless we discard political parties (which would elevate the issue of electoral reform to a new level) or unless parties are told they cant spend money, fundraisers are a necessity of public life. The irony is that most politicians would rather avoid them all together. Time is better spent at their departments, in their constituencies or at home with their families. Perhaps in the long term we should once again discuss party and electoral financing reform. But in the meantime, the government must come to grips with a yawning political crevice that been exposed. They must mind that gap. The governments very good reputation is on the line. Penny Collenette is an adjunct professor of law at the University of Ottawa and was a senior director of the Prime Ministers Office for Jean Chretien. Correction October 31, 2016: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said former Prime Minister Jean Chretien banned corporate and union donations to political candidates in 2004. Read more about: SHARE: If, as seems increasingly likely, Hillary Clinton wins a victory of the magnitude of Lyndon Johnsons over Barry Goldwater, or Richard Nixons over George McGovern, progressive Americans will be ecstatic. The rest of the world will breathe again. Dodging the nightmare of a wilfully ignorant narcissist, an elderly neurotic, reduced to shaking rage at the mildest slight, as Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful military machine in human history, is certainly worth a grateful prayer of thanks. Sadly, the human impulse after a huge military or political victory is to lose sight of the much more important and challenging task: winning the peace. It is now a throwaway line for every pundit that President Clinton II will face the deepest hostility of any presidential winner. It may be a popular cliche, but it is historically dubious. An enormous number of American conservatives and Southern Democrats regarded LBJ as a traitor to his race, triggering George Wallaces nasty Trump precursor campaign; and his surprisingly successful appeal to Americans darker angels four years later. Is Clinton as unanimously feared and detested by an even larger swathe of Americans, as was Richard Nixon in 1972? Doubtful. There are powerful lessons in each victory. LBJ, blinded to rising anger by arrogance and his enormous victory, squandered his mandate in the jungles of Vietnam. He was driven from office in shame. Richard Nixon, like a modern Richard III, descended into raging paranoia and pills, bringing shame and ignominy on his office and his legacy. The path from delirious election night to disastrous overreach is easy to plot, but hard to resist. Your defeated enemies are bitter and truculent, flicking aside any proffered olive branch. Your supporters are exultant, demanding a rush to deliver legislative promise. The media denounce weakness in any failure to press political attack, while sneering at delays driven by necessarily slow and opaque coalition-building. The next President Clinton must resist those partisan pressures if her legacy is to rise above that of a Johnson or Nixon. This time its different, is the laughable claim of every economic analyst and every political pundit. But this time, it is if not unique then very unusual. Not since Teddy Roosevelt has the American two party system been so profoundly threatened. More seriously, it seems likely that The Donald, humiliated in defeat, will point a new Trump TVs artillery at the entire Republican party in Congress. To achieve anything of consequence, President Clinton will need to find 61 senators and a majority of Congress members, drawn from the sensible caucuses on each side of the aisle, to together show the courage required to resist the bitter attacks from their own tribes. Clinton demonstrated considerable skill in winning support from even skeptical opponents as a senator. She is reportedly already reaching out to old Senate friends, and through them, to newcomers, to open channels of dialogue. Senate Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan have each shared with friends their understanding that the GOP rebuilding process cannot be joining Trumps brownshirts in burning down the American Reichstag. Each understands that an electable GOP must be one seen as capable of governing. Does such a majority exist for a renegotiated Asian trade deal, a reform of pensions, Obamacare, and the absurd federal tax system? Churchill said Americans always end up doing the right thing, but only after they have already done every dumb thing. Can such right things be delivered? That will depend of two things: Was this election enough of a shaming for the GOP whose generation of flirtation with the politics of race, guns, and immigrant-bashing gave birth to Trump to now acknowledge that fatal toxin? Can they now pursue a higher path to regaining political legitimacy? More importantly, however: Do they have a partner in the White House willing to grant them the political cover to deliver a bipartisan compromise? Its not easy. With a strong mandate, and a public commitment to bipartisan deal-making eight years ago, Barack Obama surged into power. Within a year the gloves were off, within two he was being pounded in a mid-term election defeat. This time moderate conservatives have a big incentive to deal: refusing will not buy them peace from the Limbaugh/Trump/Fox news attacks, agreeing will give them bragging rights on delivering Solomonic compromise, for the good of America. Perhaps only naive wish is father to this prediction, but Id offer a hesitant yes about the prospects, therefore. And then return, like the rest of world, to anxiously holding my breath. Robin V. Sears, a principal at Earnscliffe and a Broadbent Institute leadership fellow, was an NDP strategist for 20 years. Read more about: SHARE: Re: Illegal migrant denied accident victim cash, Oct. 27 Illegal migrant denied accident victim cash, Oct. 27 The Ontario Court of Appeal made the right decision in denying compensation. Since this claimant chose to repeatedly ignore our immigration laws, he should have no right to use our provincial laws to obtain compensation, especially from a fund he would not have contributed to as an Ontario taxpayer. Greg Sheehan, Mississauga SHARE: Mr Marino's endorsement could set up a high-profile showdown with Labor's likely candidate Michael Healy, a long-term identity in the local tourism sector. But Mr Healy must first overcome Labor's complex preselection process, including gaining support from the unions and a quota system aimed at increasing the number of female candidates. While Labor is favourite to regain the seat following the defection of sitting MP Rob Pyne, Mr Marino's chances hinge on preferences with the new compulsory preferential voting system and the emergence of One Nation both in play. An LNP spokesman described Mr Marino as an "awesome" candidate. "Sam is an awesome candidate and brings a great profile as President of the Chamber of Commerce as well as a wealth of practical experience in getting things done in a long career that has ranged from being an electrician to being a business and property owner and a sought after member of several community boards," the spokesman said. Mr Trout will take on sitting Labor MP Craig Crawford in Barron River, while Ms Quick will go up against her old foe and state Treasurer Curtis Pitt in Mulgrave. One Nation will be a huge threat in the seat. TropicNow has learnt former Cook MP David Kempton has bowed out of the race for his former seat, leaving the LNP searching for a candidate to take on embattled sitting MP Billy Gordon in that sprawling seat . Labor has yet to set a date for its preselection process. Sandy Lerner at her new store, Gentle Harvest, in Marshall, Va. (Gentle Harvest/Courtesy Gentle Harvest) Before long drives, Sandy Lerner plugs a back-seat mini fridge into the cigarette outlet of her Chevy Volt and fills it with the sort of local, organic foodstuffs she has been cheerleading for two decades. The owner of the first farm in Virginia to be both certified organic and certified humane, Lerner doesnt want to risk getting hungry on the highway, where the only option might be gas station food. And I am so not alone, says Lerner, sipping coffee in the cafe of Gentle Harvest, her new retail and grocery store an hour west of Washington in Marshall, Va. When Lerner tells locals that the store, the first of hundreds she plans to open near the regions highways, will have a drive-through window, take-home meals and a $5 organic hamburger, The first thing they say is, Oh, thank God, I dont have to bring food with me anymore, she says. Ask her how she plans to adhere, at those price points, to the farming practices she has espoused at her 800-acre Ayrshire Farm and Hunters Head Tavern in Upperville, and she flashes a knowing grin. Weve spent 20 years learning how, she says. Reinventing the system By any account, Lerner, 61, is a formidable businesswoman. In the 1980s, she and her then-husband founded tech giant Cisco Systems, which made the router ubiquitous, and made millions when they cashed out their stake after she was fired in a corporate shake-up. In 1996, she followed her longtime interest in animal welfare to start Ayrshire, with a focus on rare and endangered animal breeds. That same year, Lerner started the cosmetics company Urban Decay; she sold it a few years later, and now its part of LOreal. Stephanie Bates, a friend and fellow business owner in Upperville, Va., long ago realized Lerners reach. Shes a woman of endless talents, and she has this ability to fill the niche that people are looking for, Bates says. Lerners experience at Ayrshire taught her that shed need to buy a slaughterhouse to make the economics of this new fast-food model work. So, when one of the half-dozen U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified facilities in Northern Virginia became available this year in Winchester, she did just that. Horses graze at Sandy Lerner's Ayrshire Farm in Upperville, Va., the first farm in Virginia to be both certified organic and certified humane. (Michael Williamson/The Washington Post) Though Ayrshire Farm has the capacity to supply meat for the first two stores, the second of which is slated to open off Interstate 81 in Winchester this year, Gentle Harvest will need to source from more local farmers in the future. Lerner says she plans to help interested farmers get the necessary certifications and to pay them more for their animals than the livestock exchange in their county. This is about rebuilding a local food system, she says. Eric Bendfeldt, a Virginia Cooperative Extension specialist in community viability, said farmers are always looking to diversify their markets, and having these nodes along the I-81 corridor and other locations really makes a lot of sense. With her latest business venture, Lerner joins a handful of others in the country trying to prove that fast food can be good food. This year, California chefs Roy Choi of Kogi Korean taco trucks and Daniel Patterson of two-Michelin-starred Coi opened the first outpost of LocoL, their more-healthful fast-food chain, in the Watts neighborhood of South Los Angeles. The menu includes $4 cheeseburgers with grains mixed into the meat, $6 noodle bowls and $1 agua frescas rather than sodas. A second location in Oakland and a food truck that opened this year add a dollar to the price of each item while still competing with other fast-food options. Fast casual chains such as Elevation Burger, based in Northern Virginia, provide alternatives by putting organic and grass-fed beef between buns, but their prices are closer to $10. And, though Chipotle Mexican Grills careful meat sourcing earned a loyal following, its lofty model took a hit after an E. coli outbreak late last year. At her new Gentle Harvest store, Sandy Lerner, right, talks with Sully Callahan, the operations manager, and Sheree McDowell, food and beverage director. (Gentle Harvest) Kombucha and burgers As for Lerner, shed like Gentle Harvest to compete with the McDonalds in Marshall for I-66 drivers seeking a pit stop. But she also wants its airy, white-brick interior to be a community space for the bucolic town that is, by all accounts, a far cry from a food desert. At first glance, the retail space in the renovated lobby of the onetime Marshall National Bank & Trust Co. seems like a much larger version of Lerners quaint Home Farm Store in Middleburg, Va., which closed in August so she could focus on the new stores. The corner grocery sold meat from Ayrshire and other farms alongside local produce and prepared foods, and those who want a $145 Ayrshire turkey can still find it here. This is essentially the store in Middleburg on steroids, Lerner says. Although I hate to say steroids, because its so unhealthy and were, of course, healthy. This flagship retail space of 3,500 square feet, not including upstairs seating and offices for the growing brand, makes room for sprawling refrigerated cases of meat and prepared dishes fitting for a weeknight dinner or Thanksgiving table, all available for delivery. Wooden display shelves feature local products including Virginia peanuts, Firehook crackers and Cocoa Manna hot chocolate as well as national organic products. At the back of a high-ceilinged lobby, the banks vault has become a wine cellar, and a walk-in refrigerator behind a small bar is filled with Virginia beers. Kegs feature more brews as well as organic kombucha from Barefoot Bucha and nitro cold-brewed coffee from Snowing in Space Coffee, both based in Charlottesville Theres also a coffee bar and, on the other side of bricked archways that used to separate the bank from its office buildings, a light-filled cafe. A back entrance to the building from a sizable parking lot a selling point for a business owner used to Middleburgs lack of parking takes customers by fresh-cut flowers and the brands in-house line of Furry Foodie pet foods. The drive-through is behind the store, where two lanes remain from the buildings banking past. (Dont worry: The burgers will be delivered through a window or walked out to waiting cars, not whisked out by pneumatic tube.) Sheree McDowell, Gentle Harvests food and beverage director, says she wants to provide options for families who want to feed their children healthy food but who might still need to get fast food occasionally. To that end, the sweet potato spuds with a kids burger are baked instead of fried (there is, by design, no fryer on the premises) and come with a small cookie and organic juice or milk, for $6. Families will be able to sift through all the choices by ordering ahead of time online or via the brands app, which allows more time for a cooked-to-order approach. Lerners Home Farm Store in Middleburg, Va., which closed in August so she could focus on the new stores. (Michael Williamson/The Washington Post) Community and convenience The store should also get its share of wanderers, drawn to town by a street thats now teeming with excuses for food-minded folk to take a detour. The nationally acclaimed Red Truck Bakery has its Marshall location next door. That proved particularly fortuitous when Gentle Harvests building caught fire in early September, weeks before the planned opening, and a baker working the early shift was there to call 911. The damages were minor. Across Main Street is the newly opened Field & Main Restaurant, serving destination-worthy fare from Virginias Piedmont region. Riccordinos, a tiny bricked-in kitchen by the same owners, hawks Chicago-style hot sandwiches next door. Down the street, the Whole Ox butcher shop sells cuts from animals raised on the pastures of neighborhood farms and opens the Butcher Bar for dinner Tuesday through Saturday evenings. Park the car once, and its kind of like three-stop shopping, says Red Truck Bakery owner Brian Noyes, who watched the streets only grocery store, an IGA, close just before he opened in Marshall last year. Weve all wanted something else to come, so here it is next door. Lerner said Marshalls momentum is one of the reasons she chose to locate Gentle Harvests headquarters and first store here. The store will keep one foot in the community-grocery aisle for which its Middleburg predecessor was known while launching the new brands more convenient concept, one Lerner has been honing for years. This is the food system I know, says Lerner, a California-raised convert to Virginia culture. Im not Bill Gates; I cant fix it all, but I can help here. Pipkin writes about food, local agriculture and the environment. Hospitals in Capital, Pokhara and Janakpur put on standby Three hospitals have been put on standby to address any health emergency issue during Indian President Pranab Mukherjees three-day visit to Nepal beginning November 2. Dear Amy: My parents divorced when I was very young. My brother and I were raised by our hard-working mom without any financial support from our dad. We are now in our 20s, have gone to college and are working at successful careers. I am married. Dad has always been a freeloader. Hes never had a steady job and relies on women to house and support him. His lifestyle includes drinking and drug addiction. As adults we have tried to help him through the years, but without any success. Because we have been repeatedly taken advantage of, we have learned to accept him for who he is and not to expect anything from him. Recently, my wife left the country to be with her family. She will be gone for three months. As soon as she left, my father asked if he could stay with me for a few days. Its now been several weeks of housing and feeding him, and when Ive asked him when hes planning on leaving, he doesnt answer. I have a very small apartment. He sleeps on my couch. I know he has nowhere else to go. Hes burned all of his bridges with his side of the family. Im afraid he will be homeless if I kick him out. The little money he has seems to be spent on prescription drugs. I am very unhappy but dont know how to ask him to leave. I feel guilty for not supporting him, but I also feel like I am enabling his behavior of never taking responsibility for himself. A Sad Son Sad Son: Because your wife is returning on a specific date, you have a ticking clock. Dont ask him when he is planning to leave, because he is not planning to leave. Give him a specific date by which he needs to be out. Tell him, My wife is returning on the 20th and you need to be out then, so youll need to find somewhere else to stay. You could research low-income housing options for seniors (if he qualifies). You could attempt to hook him up with a social worker who might help him with his addiction issues. Staying with you is not an option, and so dont offer him this option. Freeloading people have a way of landing on their feet or on someones couch, but dont expect him to make a move until he has to. Dear Amy: My husband died very suddenly five years ago. A few weeks later, my father died. In the past couple years, my dear mother-in-law and father-in-law died and my mom died after a lengthy illness. Shortly after the death of her father, my stepdaughter totally separated herself and her children from me and all of her aunts and uncles. I have dear friends who have been very supportive, but for a variety of reasons, my closest friends now reside in other states. Now I am in a new neighborhood and trying to get to know new people and make new friendships. But I am struggling with how to respond to the usual questions that are so typical when meeting someone new: Are you married? Do you have children? Grandchildren? Ive tried briefly sharing the truth, and people probe with more questions that I dont want to answer because it is still painful. Ive tried lying (No, I dont have any children or grandchildren). But how can you start a friendship with a lie? I was very happy for 30 years. My past five years have been awful, but I dont want the grief to define the rest of my life. Trying Trying: First, I hope you will get some actual support to cope with your extreme losses and grief. Connect with the local hospice center in your town; a grief support group will be transformative for you, partly because you will be surrounded by others who are traveling their own grief journey. I vote for the simple truth when meeting new people: My husband died five years ago. My stepdaughter drifted away after that. Im still working out how to manage a relationship with her and our grandchildren. If people probe, you can say, Its complicated, and maybe I can be more open when we know one another better. My hope for you is that you will meet someone who looks you in the eye and says, simply, Im so sorry. Dear Amy: Feeling Like an Outlaw described how the last time her family stood up to her father-in-law, he didnt speak to them for six years. Now she is worried about hosting the holidays. From what I read in her letter, her holiday problem will be solved if she just stands up to the old man. Then she will have six years of holiday dinners she wont have to host. Fan Fan: Bam! Professional clowns worry that creepy clown scares cast them in a bad light, when all they want to do is make people laugh. (Manan Vatsyayana/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images) Listen, punks. You think you can slap on some makeup, pick up an ax and take down a profession? You think one rubber nose and a few prank phone calls can co-opt an art form? You think malice can triumph over joy in these colossal clown wars? Bobo dont think so. Sure, youve had your little fun scampering across social media, delighting local news producers with reports of scary clowns threatening schools and targeting children. But on Tuesday, Halloween will be over and youll probably crawl back into your shadowy bunkers and 11th-grade math classes. And then the real clowns will reclaim their place of honor, making fart jokes and balloon animals. [Scary clown rumors, threats feed hysteria, lead to school lockdowns, arrests] But first, a quibble from the clown community. The thing that upsets most of us the most is that people call those other folks clowns, says Greg May, owner of the Center Ring Circus School in Columbia, Md. If someone put on a white lab coat and went out to scare people, they wouldnt say doctors are in the woods scaring people. Im a trained circus clown. This is what Ive trained to do. People who put on that makeup to scare people are not any more of a clown than I am a doctor. Mays degree, incidentally, comes from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. After graduating, he spent three years on tour, where he met his wife, who was one of the elephant riders. Then we ran away from the circus to join a home, he says. Anyway, May says this whole creepy clown thing is nothing new. Professional clowns suffered a double whammy in the 1980s with the movies Poltergeist and Stephen Kings It, both of which featured deranged clowns. And unfortunately, he says, that scary clown thing that started then has continued to build to where people hear the word clown now, thats all they associate. For the record, King told Twitter followers last month to cool the clown hysteria. But by then, the damage was done, with a few scary sightings sparking numerous copycats, hordes of hoaxes and a tsunami-sized overreaction. Dont even get May started on elementary schools banning clown costumes on Halloween. This development alone could fill a river with rainbow-colored clown tears. The perpetuation of scary clowns just pollutes everything that we try to do, May says to the degree that many clowns dont even use the word to describe themselves anymore. Theyll just say circus artist or new vaudeville entertainer, or hire-a-juggler. Then theyll go in and do the exact same funny shtick, May says. Mandy Dalton in her clown outfit. (Violetta Markelou) Mandy Dalton isnt giving up on the word clown. Thats who she is. Im a clown without my makeup on, she says. A clown is what you do and what you are. I can no more change it than change the freckles on my face. Dalton, of Kensington, Md., has been a clown since the early 1980s. She spends three days a month at local childrens hospitals, helping very sick kids and their very worried parents smile for a few minutes. Thats why these ghoulish clown impersonators bother her so much. Its another attempt to ruin something beautiful and innocent and lovely, she says. We do a lot of looking at each other in this society as that group over there versus this group over there. What clowns are about is, Its us as human beings. Were all the same, and believe it or not, there are some things we will all laugh at. Its been a rough stretch for Dalton. Business is down because people havent been so quick to hire professional clowns for birthday parties and community events. And at the public appearances she has made, Ive had some people get really aggressive with me, she says. That has been frightening. She doesnt want to say more out of fear of provoking an unhinged clown hater. So this week, Dalton is shipping off to Europe for a six-week mental hygiene break. Shes hoping that by the time she gets back, the fear will have passed and the fun can resume. Im just out here trying to make people laugh, she says. Joseph Fera, a.k.a. Chuckles the Clown, is sure that will be the case. Hes been at this for 25 years and says clown hysteria is cyclical, although this cycle seems more heightened than others. He has two clown mentors in North Carolina who are considering giving up the business because of all the negativity. But Chuckles isnt hanging up his hat. For professional clowns, its sad because it puts us in a bad light, says Fera, of Poolesville, Md. But I think its just going to be a phase. I would imagine after Halloween it will die down. You hear that, kids? Scram. Its time to let the pros get back to business. Chuckles would like to start. Let me leave you with one clown joke, he says. You know why cannibals dont eat clowns? Cause theyre afraid theyll taste funny. My mother, Frances Corcoran Mathews, died last week in San Mateo, Calif., at age 99. She was a teacher. She was in part the inspiration for this column. But she was also very kind. She never complained about my failure to write much about her favorite cause improving parenting. She taught full-time just long enough to pay for my brothers and my college costs. She spent most of her years as a long-term substitute, often called in by middle schools because she was so skilled with combustible early adolescents. She became even more expert on that age group while teaching an evening course for parents on parent-child communication. Always ready to resolve disputes, she volunteered for playground duty at a nearby school well into her 80s. The day after she died, my brother, Jim, a retired community college and elementary school educator, found a faded copy of the manual Mom used in her teaching of parents. It said, This course is not on the side of permissiveness nor authoritarianism. Mom taught parents how to express themselves with their children and give them the respect that facilitated honesty and accommodation. This goes to the heart of guiding and motivating students, part of great teaching and great parenting. When readers say in comments on this column that schools need better parenting to succeed, I say: Sure, but there is no practical way for educators to make that happen. They cant invade homes. Maybe I am wrong about that. Mom tried to do it, not by forcing her way in but by joining other educators in inviting parents to free communication courses. This approach has been part of a national movement for more than a half-century, led by best-selling experts such as Thomas Gordon, who wrote the Parent Effectiveness Training guidebook. Frances Corcoran Mathews. (Courtesy of the Mathews family) Mom and our father, Tom Mathews, a technical editor who died in 2000, raised Jim and me with the same methods, plus a subtle emphasis on reading, humor and the wider world. Moms father had been a career naval officer. She lived in China, Japan and the Philippines as a child. On my parents first date, in the 1930s, they attended a lecture by Congregationalist minister Henry Kendall Booth about his recent trips to the Soviet Union. One of Moms brothers remembered a typical night during their romance in her familys Long Beach, Calif., living room: Frances is sitting in one corner of the room, and Tom is sitting in the other corner, and theyre both reading. They took a very low-pressure approach to educating their two sons. Mom saw that I was ready to read when I was 4 but put it off because she insisted that I needed more social skills. I did not realize how unusual our parents were until I got to college and heard from classmates about their own. Apparently, I had been raised by two of the most laid-back people on the planet. I began to refer to them as hippies in disguise, which they liked. Thinking about my mom, I wish I had written more about great parenting, but it is hard to measure. There is an assumption that more affluent people are better parents because their children typically score higher on tests, but that does not seem right to me. The low-income parents I know are often smart and caring, and they try to get for their children the best possible education. And I know many bad parents who have a lot of money. Mom spread a gospel of sensible, attentive parenting, neither too strict nor too loose. She was always keen to hear what you had to say. If you had a problem, she would first ask, What do you think about that? She did not worry about what the rest of the world was doing. She had her values and followed them. Her students often told her how much they appreciated it. She frequently wished out loud that she had not lived so long, but her long life gave Jim and me more time to tell her how grateful we were. So bye, Mom, happy journeys to new places, and thanks. Amber Janney, with her daughter, Haleigh. Janney was a nursing student at ITT Tech when the school closed, leaving her short of graduation and stuck with student debt. (Family photo) The sudden closure of ITT Technical Institute in September interrupted the lives of tens of thousands of students who were promised a path to a more secure future. Some had just started their higher education with the for-profit school and others were just a few classes away from earning a degree. All are finding themselves in the difficult position of having to start over or try to transfer credits from a school marred by allegations of fraud. [ITT Technical Institutes shut down after 50 years in operation] One group of 82 students who were in the nursing program at ITT Techs Salem, Va., campus are a prime example of the predicaments facing the 35,000 people the shutdown displaced. Though all of the colleges offering registered nursing in the region say they want to help, none will accept credits from ITT Techs nursing courses, leaving students with little hope of completing their degrees. The federal government cut off student aid to ITT Tech after the schools accreditor threatened expulsion in the face of mounting investigations, lawsuits and enforcement actions for lying about job placement rates and steering students into predatory loans. [This really might be the end of ITT] Amber Janney with one of her ITT Tech nursing classes in a family photo. (Family photo) None of the cases centered on the quality of education at ITT Tech, but some schools are questioning the rigor of its programs. Other institutions are discovering that there is no seamless way to transfer credits from a for-profit school to a nonprofit college. What the Department of Education has done benefits no one, said Steve Gunderson, president of Career Education Colleges and Universities, a for-profit trade group. This is really a question of when the Department will stop its incredible assault on career schools one that puts thousands of students on the streets with debt and no degree. Alongside the federal Education Department, state higher education councils have been organizing transfer fairs and information sessions to connect ITT Tech students to other schools. But states, including Virginia, are having trouble accessing student transcripts from the court-appointed trustee overseeing ITT Techs bankruptcy proceedings, creating another hurdle for transferring. We have never had a situation like this when a school closes, said Sylvia Rosa-Casanova of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. We usually have no trouble working with a school to get records. This is unusual, but there are colleges still trying to work with these students. Dozens of vocational schools and community colleges near ITT Tech campuses around the country are welcoming displaced students. Schools like Florida State College at Jacksonville and Harcum College in Pennsylvania are making exceptions to accept credits. Columbus State Community College in Ohio is even offering scholarships to displaced students. But many schools will only accept general-education classes because their academic standards differ. At an open house for ITT Tech students at Virginia Western Community College, Amber Janney, 37, said she was told there was no way the school would count the core courses from ITT Techs nursing program, and she was encouraged to apply for the nursing program in the fall. That would mean taking a total of five years to complete her associate degree, which Janney says is not worth her time. Janney quit her full-time job in March 2015 and sent her then-6-year old daughter to stay with her parents, as early-morning classes and far-flung clinical rotations proved too demanding on her schedule. There arent many colleges with registered nursing programs in Roanoke, and ITT Tech gave her a $25,000 scholarship that cut the cost of the two-year nursing degree in half. Its just me and my little girl, and its a struggle to put food on the table. I did this for me and her, but Ive had to sacrifice so much, said Janney, 37, who had worked in health care for 15 years as a medical assistant and lab technician. I went the past few summers without seeing her. My dad taught her to ride a bike and I missed it. With 24 weeks until graduation, Janney received an email saying ITT Tech, after 50 years in business, had discontinued operations at all campuses. All the late nights studying and time away from her daughter would be for nothing if Janney couldnt find somewhere to finish her degree. Because we knew there would be so much competition between all of us nursing students my class, the class behind us and the one behind them we tried to get a spot somewhere, she said. But everywhere we turn were getting shot down. Administrators at Virginia Western say their nursing program is far more selective than ITT Tech. And while they are trying to make allowances to help all of the displaced students, the school must maintain academic integrity. Nursing is particularly difficult, said Elizabeth Wilmer, vice president of academic and student affairs at Virginia Western. The curriculum is so different between colleges and they dont necessarily align, especially since ITT was on a quarter system and were on a semester system. Wilmer said at least 73 former ITT Tech students have contacted the school, 48 of them from the nursing program. Each case is under consideration, but Wilmer would not definitively say whether anything could be done to help the nursing students nearing completion. These students are coming to us in a difficult situation, she said. They want immediate results. Unfortunately, we arent able to give them immediate results. We need to evaluate each one individually, look at where they are in their program and look at how those courses align with our courses. Other than Virginia Western, the next best bet for the ITT Tech nursing students is East Coast Polytechnic Institute University (ECPI), a for-profit chain with a location in Roanoke. The school just started its nursing program and cannot accept transfers during its provisional period, said Barbara Larar, senior vice president at ECPI. Theres no getting around the board of nursing regulation, she said. Were working with nursing students at our other locations, but unfortunately our situation in Roanoke is unique. Larar said ECPI is offering a free 10-week trial period for former ITT Tech students who pass the entrance exam. Hundreds have taken the school up on the offer, she said. But as enticing as it might be, Janney said she cant imagine spending another two years taking classes shes already passed. I dont know if I physically have it in me to do this all over again, Janney said. I had 20-page care plans due each week, driving an hour back and forth for clinicals . . . the effort it took to do this program to have it just wiped clean is very disheartening. [Everything ITT students need to know now that the for-profit school has closed] Janney has $21,000 in student loans from ITT, which are eligible for forgiveness under what is known as a closed-school discharge. Transferring her credits to complete the nursing degree, however, will rob her of that option. Janney can still apply to have the debt erased through the governments borrower defense to repayment program for victims of fraud, but few people have successfully appealed their cases. Rosa-Casanova of Virginias Higher Education Council said the ITT nursing students are having the most difficulty transferring. She has contacted each of the 82 students to go over their cases, advising those who had just entered the nursing program to start over. But shes not sure how to help students like Janney who were about to graduate. This is a good example of a worst-case scenario, Rosa-Casanova said. You have students who are almost done, cannot get a placement to complete the little bit thats left, and they have debt. Whats in place to help them? We need to think long and hard about what we can do to provide help in the future. A person was shoved into the trunk of a car Friday night in front of a Walmart store in Northern Virginia and then driven away in a possible abduction, Prince William County police said. The incident occurred in front of the store on Worth Avenue in the Woodbridge area about 10 p.m., police said. Surveillance video showed two men getting out of a dark, shiny four-door sedan in front of the store. One goes to open the trunk. Then the two men are seen again, moving toward the car, the apparent victim between them. As they grab, pull and push him toward the car, he lurches backward for a moment, in an apparent effort to get away. But they renew their grip and wrestle him into the trunk headfirst. They close the trunk, get into the car and drive away. Police said additional surveillance video, taken earlier, showed the car driving alongside the victim. The victim appeared at the time to be speaking with the driver. In addition, witnesses said the victim and his apparent abductors had possibly been play-fighting before the incident. Descriptions of the possible abductors, provided by police, appeared sketchy. No motive in the incident could be learned, nor was information available about the people in the surveillance video. A person watches the sun rise over the Oceti Sakowin camp, where people have gathered to protest the Dakota Access oil pipeline, in Cannon Ball, N.D. Dec. 5, 2016 A person watches the sun rise over the Oceti Sakowin camp, where people have gathered to protest the Dakota Access oil pipeline, in Cannon Ball, N.D. David Goldman/AP An encampment has grown near the work site, where security guards face off with demonstrators. An encampment has grown near the work site, where security guards face off with demonstrators. An encampment has grown near the work site, where security guards face off with demonstrators. ILLINOIS Jet that failed flung parts far from scene An American Airlines jet engine that failed seconds before takeoff in a fiery runway accident at Chicagos OHare International Airport flung broken turbine parts as far as half a mile from the scene, a federal investigator said Saturday. Disclosure of the uncontained failure, in which internal engine parts breach the protective housing designed to keep them safely enclosed, even in a breakdown, came a day after a mishap that authorities said neared the point of disaster but caused no serious injuries. Shrapnel escaping the engines outer cover can tear through the cabin or rupture fuel tanks in the wings. Such engine failures are extremely rare, and National Transportation Safety Board investigators were looking for clues as to whether the fault lay with the engine itself, with its manufacture or with a freak event such as debris on the runway entering the engine. The General Electric engine that powered the plane was a workhorse model known as the CF6, introduced decades ago, GE spokesman Rick Kennedy said Saturday. The American Airlines plane engine dates from the 1980s or 1990s and had been serviced by the airline, he said. American Airlines Flight 383, a twin-engine Boeing 767 bound for Miami with 161 passengers and a crew of nine, was headed down a runway for departure when the right-side engine failed, forcing the crew to abort takeoff, authorities said. Leaking jet fuel caught fire under the wing as the crew evacuated passengers via emergency exit chutes from the left side of the plane, and fire crews arrived to begin pouring foam on the flames within minutes. One flight attendant and 19 passengers suffered minor injuries in their escape. NTSB investigator Lorenda Ward said on Saturday that while flames did not breach the planes cabin, smoke did. Reuters Dakota pipeline protesters seek unity: Protesters trying to block the Dakota Access oil pipeline urged unity on Saturday while gathering near the burned-out construction vehicles that had served as a barricade between activists and officers a day earlier. After two days of confrontations with law enforcement, about a hundred people prayed at the barricade in chilly, cloudy weather in southern North Dakota. The protesters later walked back to a camp where hundreds are staying to support the Standing Rock Siouxs effort to halt construction of the $3.8 billion pipeline. Pa. student is charged with attempted murder: A Pennsylvania university student accused of putting bleach in his pregnant girlfriends water in an attempt to harm her fetus has been charged with attempted murder, authorities said. Theophilous Washington, 20, of Washington, D.C., a junior at Millersville University, was charged in Lancaster County with criminal attempt to commit first-degree murder of an unborn child, as well as reckless endangering. Prosecutors said police interviewed Washington, and they allege that he acknowledged putting bleach in a water bottle. A doctor examined the woman and said that she and her approximately 2-month-old fetus appeared unharmed, authorities said. R.I. jury awards $23 million to paralyzed woman: A Rhode Island jury awarded $23 million to a woman paralyzed by a teenage drunk driver who had been served alcohol at Twin River Casino. A Superior Court jury on Friday found Twin River negligent in serving liquor to the driver, 18-year-old Alexander Arango. The jury assigned 70 percent responsibility to Arango, 20 percent to Twin River and 10 percent to a Providence liquor store that also sold alcohol to Arango. Alissa Moulton Arangos girlfriend suffered injuries that left her paralyzed. Arango was sentenced to two years in prison. Associated Press KMC to build automated parking in New Road If everything goes according to plan, New Road, one of the busiest business hubs in the Capital, will have an automated lift parking facility which can accommodate over 400 vehicles. KENYA ISIS claims attack outside U.S. Embassy A follower of the Islamic State was responsible for an attack last week on a Kenyan police officer outside the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, the groups Amaq news agency said Saturday. A knife-wielding man, whom police described as a criminal, was fatally shot Thursday after he attacked and injured a Kenyan police officer. Authorities said at the time that the motive for the attack was unclear. The Islamic State previously claimed an attack last month in Kenya by three women who were shot dead after they tricked their way into a police station in Mombasa and tried to torch the building, authorities said. Police in Kenya have said previously that they had detained Islamic State sympathizers, but experts say it is not clear how close the connection is between those proclaiming allegiance to the Islamist group. Reuters SERBIA Prime minister moved to safe location Police said they moved Serbian Prime Minister Aleksander Vucic and his family to a safe location on Saturday after uncovering a weapons cache including a rocket-propelled grenade launcher near his parents home. The weapons, which also included hand grenades and rifle ammunition, were found in bushes in the neighborhood of Jajinci, near a crossroads where Vucics motorcade normally slows down when taking him to his parents home, Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic told reporters. The discovery, which police said followed a tip, exacerbates an already tense atmosphere in the region, where rival Balkan countries routinely swap allegations of interference in one anothers domestic affairs. Reuters Government forces, rebels launch offensives in Aleppo: Syrian government forces launched a counteroffensive Saturday under the cover of airstrikes in an attempt to regain control of areas they had lost to insurgents the day before in the northern city of Aleppo, activists and state media said. Meanwhile, insurgents launched a fresh offensive on the city, a day after embarking on a broad ground attack aimed at breaking a weeks-long government siege on the eastern rebel-held neighborhoods of Syrias largest city. The insurgents were able to capture much of the western neighborhood of Assad, where much of Saturdays fighting was concentrated, according to the Syrian army and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Yemeni president rejects U.N. peace deal: Yemens president in exile has turned down a U.N. peace deal aimed at ending the countrys devastating conflict, saying it rewards Yemens rebels. The proposed peace deal would give Shiite rebels who seized the capital in 2014 and eventually forced President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi out of Yemen a share in the future government. It also reduces some of the presidents powers in exchange for a rebel withdrawal from major cities. Four injured in knife attack in German subway station: German police said four people were injured Saturday afternoon in a stabbing attack at a commuter rail and subway station in downtown Frankfurt. Police spokeswoman Chantal Ench said the attack took place inside the Hauptwache station. Ench said four people were taken to the hospital with stab wounds but was unable to provide further details. Spain gets new government after 10 months: Spain ended 10 months of political gridlock Saturday when lawmakers agreed to grant conservative leader Mariano Rajoy a second term as prime minister. Rajoy will now form the first fully functioning government since December. But without a majority in parliament, Rajoys administration will have to negotiate pacts with opponents if it wants to see out its four-year term and pass laws and budgets. Drone shuts down Dubais busy airport: Authorities say an errant drone flying near Dubai International Airport forced the worlds busiest international airfield to close for nearly 90 minutes Saturday evening. While Dubai has hosted drone racing, it faces a serious problem with hobby drones flying into the airports airspace. An incident in September shut the airport for half an hour, while another in June closed it for 69 minutes. From news services When FBI Director James B. Comey testified before Congress in July about his recommendation not to prosecute Hillary Clinton, he mentioned at least 10 times how important it was that he be transparent. What I decided to do was offer transparency to the American people, he said, because I thought it was very, very important for their confidence in the system of justice, and within that their confidence in the FBI. I was very concerned that if I didnt show that transparency, that in that lack of transparency people would say, What is going on here? Something seems squirrelly here. Now, in the final days of the presidential election, Comey has shocked the nation by announcing that he is reopening the investigation of Clinton and he is offering no transparency at all about what is going on here. And something indeed seems squirrelly. Ive long believed in Comeys integrity. But if he doesnt step forward and explain his October Surprise, he may inadvertently wind up interfering in the political process perhaps even reversing the outcome of a presidential election in a way that would have made J. Edgar Hoover gape. We now know that Comey defied warnings by the Justice Department that he was violating longstanding policy against interfering in elections. But its just as clear that Comeys actions tarring Clinton with a new hint of scandal while providing no details that might allow Clinton to defend herself violate his own standards of transparency that he preached a few months ago. The Posts Matt Zapotosky explains why FBI Director James B. Comey has found himself at the center of the presidential campaign in recent days. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post) If he has the goods on Clinton, lets hear them. If he doesnt, as his admission that we dont know the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails suggests, he must make clear that this is just a pro forma notice he sent to Congress. But what hes doing is essentially proposing a political death sentence for Clinton without providing the charges. The weight of Comeys thumb on the scale is greater now than it was in July, when there was still time to absorb the information. Some Democratic partisans suspect this is a dirty trick by a man who was the No. 2 official in George W. Bushs Justice Department. It could make people feel the election is being rigged after all in Donald Trumps favor. I dont believe that. As I wrote in July, Comeys reputation for integrity is as unimpeachable as it gets. Theres nothing about Comey that suggests he would like to install Trump in the White House; his passion for the rule of law clashes with Trumps threats to use the Justice Department to go after his political opponents. But why would a man of integrity, at a time when the nation is already inflamed, add gasoline by insinuating wrongdoing by the presidential front-runner even though he admits he cant yet assess whether or not this material may be significant? And give Clinton no chance of exonerating herself by saying I cannot predict how long it will take to assess the material? The most benign, and likely, explanation is CYA: Comey wanted to inoculate himself against future allegations from Republican lawmakers that he sat on relevant information before the election. If so, self-preservation trumped his professed love of transparency. Back in July, when he made his recommendation not to prosecute, he read a lengthy public statement explaining that I am going to include more detail about our process than I ordinarily would, because I think the American people deserve those details in a case of intense public interest. Then he testified to Congress about being a big fan of transparency and a huge fan of transparency because transparency matters tremendously and thats what makes our democracy great. Said Comey: Transparency is the absolute best thing for me and for democracy. Now Comey has decided opacity is better for him, sending a vague letter to Congress while leaving it to anonymous officials to attempt to explain his reasoning to the public, via the press. Does he suppose that the American people no longer deserve those details in a case of intense public interest? In his brief words written to FBI employees Friday, Comey acknowledged there was a significant risk of being misunderstood. But the way to avoid being misunderstood is to explain himself publicly and fully, the way he did in July. By falling short of his own standards of transparency, Comey is harming both election integrity and his well-deserved personal integrity. He needs to explain himself if he hopes to salvage either. Twitter: @Milbank Read more from Dana Milbanks archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. Heres what happened after the FBI said it would examine newly discovered emails linked to Hillary Clintons tenure as secretary of state. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post) Heres what happened after the FBI said it would examine newly discovered emails linked to Hillary Clintons tenure as secretary of state. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post) With just days to go until the election, a fiercely defiant Hillary Clinton demanded answers Saturday about what she suggested is a politically motivated renewal of a previously shuttered federal inquiry into her use of a private email server at the State Department. As her campaign scrambled Saturday to respond to FBI Director James B. Comeys decision to notify Congress about renewing the email investigation, Clinton and her top aides characterized the action as inappropriate and irresponsible. Its pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election, Clinton said as a supportive crowd cheered her on and booed when she referred to Comey. In fact, its not just strange. Its unprecedented, and its deeply troubling. Clintons Republican rival, Donald Trump, seized on Comeys letter in an apparent effort to shift focus from his own controversies and score a last-minute surge in a race that even his staff has admitted he has been losing. The Democratic nominees strongly worded response to the new inquiry signaled a decision to go fully on offense against Comey and confront the email issue and Republican attacks head-on. It signaled clearly the havoc wrought by Comeys announcement and Democrats strategy to head off game-changing political damage from a development that had left them sputtering inside and outside the campaign. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's private email server was once again pushed into the lime light when FBI Director James B. Comey announced that he would resume looking into the case with less than two weeks before the election. The development has left the campaign scrambling to head off the potentially game-changing damage. (Alice Li/The Washington Post) The campaigns internal panic over the renewed FBI scrutiny was evident almost immediately after the news broke Friday. Clinton was in the air, flying from an airport in White Plains, N.Y., to campaign in Iowa. Upon landing in Cedar Rapids, she and her top aides remained cloistered in her cabin for more than 20 minutes before she emerged and ignored questions shouted at her by the press. On Saturday morning, the campaign hastily arranged a telephone briefing with Clintons top two aides campaign chairman John Podesta and campaign manager Robby Mook. The briefing took place on just over 20 minutes notice. In addition to the unusual firepower Podesta does not brief the media regularly the campaign took the additional step of providing a transcript after the fact, the better to reap any benefit from Podestas strong language. Podesta, a longtime Clinton family confidant, sounded agitated and angry during the call with reporters early Saturday afternoon as he described Comeys surprise announcement Friday as long on innuendo and short on facts, allowing Republicans to distort and exaggerate its message. Podesta also sent a strongly worded letter to supporters. In her appearance Saturday, Clinton stopped just short of accusing Comey, once a registered Republican, of partisan interference in the Nov. 8 election. But she did not attempt to conceal her anger. [Justice warned FBI that Comeys decision wasnt consistent with policy] Other Democrats went much further, issuing scathing assessments of Comeys motives and timing, as the potential for new legal jeopardy involving the Democratic nominee roiled an already tumultuous campaign. On Saturday afternoon, the Clinton campaign sent an email with urgent talking points for its high-level surrogates about Comeys controversial action. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said the letter from FBI Director James B. Comey announcing an inquiry into additional emails was "pretty strange" and "unprecedented" with days to go before Election Day. Clinton told supporters at a rally in Daytona Beach, Fla., that voters "deserve to get full and complete facts." (The Washington Post) Among them was to demand that Comey immediately provide the American people with more information. The congressional black and Hispanic caucuses organized a news conference to denounce Comey, at least three Democratic senators drafted a letter of complaint Saturday, and the Democratic National Committee issued a sharply worded statement. The approach was notable given the kid-glove treatment accorded Comey by Clinton and her campaign before now and the long silence that followed the initial news about Comeys letter on Friday. Several hours passed before Clinton or anyone on her staff weighed in on the issue, at which point Podesta called on Comey to provide more information about what he was after. Of chief concern to Democrats is whether the development, and the uncertainty surrounding it, will cause supporters to disengage or stay home. Meanwhile, the development has been a political gift to Trump, who drew huge applause Saturday when he called Clinton corrupt and untrustworthy. Trump said he thinks that some of the thousands of emails that Clinton deleted were captured yesterday, even though officials do not yet know what is in the emails. He also suggested, without evidence, that there was a revolt in the FBI that led to the letter being sent. Trump devoted most of a noontime rally in Golden, Colo., on Saturday to telling his supporters about the FBI letter and detailing the controversy. As you have heard, it was just announced yesterday that the FBI is reopening their investigation in the criminal and illegal conduct of Hillary Clinton, Trump said about 10 minutes into the rally. He then walked away from his lectern and applauded the news along with his supporters, who began chanting: Lock her up! Lock her up! This is the biggest political scandal since Watergate, and its everybodys deepest hope that justice, at last, can be properly delivered, Trump said to more cheers. Hillary has nobody to blame but herself for her mounting legal troubles. Her criminal action was willful, deliberate, intentional and purposeful. While Trump has repeatedly claimed that Clintons use of a private email server while secretary of state was illegal, Comey earlier this year said that the FBI found nothing that would lead to a criminal charge. [The Clinton email probe: Questions and answers] Comeys letter, sent to eight congressional committee chairmen and ranking Democrats, states that the FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation into the potential mishandling of classified information when Clinton was secretary of state. That inquiry ended in July without criminal charges, which Clintons campaign hoped would sweep away some of the cloud of suspicion around the candidate over her decision to use a private communication system for her government work. Voters continue to tell pollsters that they disapprove of her handling of the email issue, with many doubting that she has been fully truthful. But until now, the issue seemed to be receding, and Clinton had sounded increasingly confident as she maintained a lead in most national polls over the past several weeks. Polls had begun to tighten even before the FBI development, and it is unclear what effect it will have. [Only 2 points separate Clinton, Trump in latest tracking poll] In his letter, Comey said, The FBI should take appropriate investigative steps designed to allow investigators to review these emails to determine whether they contain classified information. Comey said it is unknown whether the information may be significant. According to two people familiar with the matter, the newly discovered emails were found on a computer seized during an investigation of former U.S. congressman Anthony Weiner. Weiner is separated from his wife, top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. In his remarks, Trump called Weiner a major, major, major sleaze and bragged about predicting that something like this might happen. If you check out the tweets, Trump said, supporters would find that he warned about this. Trump also attacked Weiners estranged wife. Humas been a problem. I wonder if Humas gonna stay there, Trump said, repeatedly mispronouncing Abedins name. During the Saturday morning call, Mook, Clintons campaign manager, said the news has not dampened Democrats enthusiasm and would not interfere with Clintons priorities in the final days of campaigning. Clinton appeared at several events Saturday, including a late-afternoon rally in Daytona Beach. She also appeared at an evening concert in Miami featuring pop superstar Jennifer Lopez, part of a series the Clinton campaign is staging in battleground states aimed at driving up turnout among different segments of the electorate, including Latinos. Clinton is investing heavily in Florida, a state her aides say she doesnt need to win but where a victory would almost certainly cut off Trumps path to 270 electoral votes. Several of Clintons highest-profile surrogates are also on the trail for her this weekend. Former president Bill Clinton made several stops in Ohio on Saturday, while Vice President Biden was scheduled to appear in Las Vegas and Reno. Clintons daughter, Chelsea, was scheduled to speak in Michigan. Both Podesta and Mook cited news coverage of the development in which government officials and others have said Comeys actions were unusual or inconsistent with Justice Department practice in an election year. Podesta said that the emails now at issue may be duplicates of those already reviewed by the FBI as part of its inquiry into Clintons use of a private email system or that they may be irrelevant to the investigation. The more information that comes out, the more overblown this entire situation seems to be, Mook said. Podesta and Mook did not confirm reports that the new emails were recovered from Abedins home computer. Podesta said Abedin had cooperated fully in the FBI inquiry and, of course, we stand behind her. Theres no evidence of wrongdoing, no charge of wrongdoing, no indication that this is even about Hillary, Podesta said. Even Director Comey said this may not be significant. If thats all true, its hard to see how this amounts to anything, and were not going to be distracted and Hillarys not going to be distracted in the final days of this election over nothing. In the call, Podesta also criticized House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) for characterizing the letter as the FBI reopening the investigation of Clintons private email server. This is someone who has already promised to launch years of new Hillary Clinton investigations when shes president, Podesta said. Sullivan reported from Colorado. Gearan reported from Washington. Jenna Johnson contributed to this report. Donald Trumps campaign manager on Sunday forcefully disavowed a supporter as deplorable for chanting Jew-S-A! at a weekend rally, the latest incident of anti-Semitic rhetoric used by some of the GOP nominees backers. [The mans] conduct is completely unacceptable and does not reflect our campaign or our candidate. Wow, Kellyanne Conway said during an interview on CNNs State of the Union. That mans conduct was deplorable. And had I been there, I would have asked security to remove him immediately. The Saturday afternoon incident in Phoenix, which was captured on video, revived long-standing anxieties about xenophobic and white supremacist rhetoric used by a fringe faction within the GOP nominees base. A man confronted reporters at the rally with shouts and a three-fingered hand gesture that resembled hate symbols flagged by the Anti-Defamation League. Youre going down! Youre the enemy! the man yelled. As the rest of the crowd broke into a chant of USA! USA!, the man repeatedly chanted, Jew-S-A! Jew-S-A! [Man shouts Jew-S-A! at journalists covering Trump rally in Phoenix] Kellyanne Conway, shown here after the last presidential debate, said a Trump supporter who shouted an anti-Semitic chant at a Trump rally is deplorable. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters) The man, who wore a Hillary for Prison T-shirt, asserted that Jews control the media, a common theme among white supremacists. The man identified himself as George Lindell, according to the Arizona Republic; the newspaper noted that he achieved viral notoriety after a local television interview in 2011 in which he described a car accident he was involved in. Conway agreed on Sunday when CNNs Jake Tapper asked whether the mans behavior was deplorable a reference to controversial comments made last month by Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who was criticized for casting half of Trumps supporters as a basket of deplorables. Clinton later expressed regret for suggesting that half of his supporters were racist or xenophobic. Conway said tens of thousands of supporters gather at rallies who do not engage in such behavior. And these are USA-loving Americans who just want their country to be prosperous and safe again, she said. Anti-Semitic slogans and language have become common among self-identified members of the alt-right, a fringe conservative movement that fashions itself as a populist and anti-establishment alternative to the mainstream Republican Party. Many within the alt-right have enthusiastically embraced Trumps campaign message, which has included calls for mass deportations of undocumented Latino immigrants and for barring foreign Muslims from entering the United States. Many of Trumps critics have accused him and his campaign of stoking racial grievances as a political tool. Those accusations have intensified since Stephen K. Bannon stepped away from running Breitbart News which he has called a platform for the alt-right to become the Trump campaigns chief executive. [Top Nazi leader: Trump will be a real opportunity for white nationalists] I wouldnt want to tar and feather every Trump supporter with the anti-Semitic comments of one person, but it is the case that the Trump campaign has been embraced by the radical right in an unprecedented way this season, said Richard Cohen, president of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Cohen added that he has been troubled by Trumps embrace of the alt-right and pointed to Bannons role on the campaign in particular, but he added that Conway did the right thing in disavowing Saturday nights chant. He said white supremacists like former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke who embrace Trump and Trumps often lackluster disavowals of those endorsements say something about the man. Look, I dont want to comment on the machinations of the campaign. Miss Conway seems like a smart cookie, and she said the right thing, Cohen said. I think Trump has been slow to distance himself from the radical right and in fact he seems to embrace the person who has created a platform for them online. Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADLs director and chief executive, said that Conways response Sunday was a positive step for the campaign. But he said he remained troubled by the pervasiveness of such rhetoric. Its troubling in the first place that someone would feel comfortable to spout anti-Semitism at a political rally. But were heartened that Kellyanne Conway immediately spoke out in a clear and forceful manner, Greenblatt said. [Facing potential loss, Trump expands the list of conspirators plotting against him] Too often intolerance has been given a pass during this campaign, so this was an important step, Greenblatt added. We hope this approach of quickly condemning hate will be the new norm for the candidates and for all public figures, not just in the remaining days of the campaign, but in the future long after this election. Greenblatt has raised concerns about the rise of anti-Semitic language among Trump supporters in the past, expressing fears that Trumps speeches have at times carried tropes and stereotypes that have been historically used to demonize Jewish people. Greenblatt said that Trumps claims in a speech earlier this month that a global banking elite are trying to destroy U.S. sovereignty was reminiscent of historical anti-Semitic language. Im not saying that the candidate is intentionally doing this, but whether its the speechwriters or his supporters, were seeing tropes and stereotypes about Jews dominating the global banking system, Greenblatt said after that speech. Trump came under fire over the summer for retweeting an image of rival Hillary Clinton alongside $100 bills and a Jewish star bearing the words most corrupt candidate ever! Trump later claimed that it was a sheriffs star. Trumps son, Donald Jr., also drew attention for doing an interview with a white-nationalist radio host this year; he later told Bloomberg News that he did not realize the interviewer was going to be looped into the conversation. He was also blasted for posting an image on social media he said he got from a friend that included Pepe the Frog, a figure that has been appropriated by white supremacists. He told ABC News that he did not know about the association. Trump routinely bashes members of the news media at his rallies, labeling them dishonest people who are part of a rigged system that he claims is working against him. The crowd usually piles on with boos. In recent weeks, Trump has intensified his anti-media rhetoric at his rallies. His crowds have followed his lead, booing and taunting reporters when the GOP presidential nominee complains about the press. Sullivan reported from Phoenix. Land of milk and honey Nepal produces 1,725,000 tonnes of milk annually. The Tarai has a higher growth rate, and milk output here is higher than in the hills. People search for survivors under rubble at the al-Zaydiya security headquarters that was destroyed by Saudi-led airstrikes late Saturday in Hodeida, Yemen. (Abdoo Alkarim Alayashy/AP) Fighter jets from a U.S.-backed Saudi-led coalition struck a security complex in the western Yemeni city of Hodeidah late Saturday night, killing at least 43 and injuring scores more, according to Yemeni officials and local news reports. Many of those killed were inmates being held in prisons on the site, located in the citys al-Zaydiya enclave. Hodeidah, a port city on the Red Sea, is held by the rebel Houthis, who also control the capital, Sanaa, and much of northern Yemen. Saba, the government news agency, reported that 43 were killed and that dozens were wounded. According to other news reports, the death toll is at least 60. Images of bodies covered in blankets, purportedly from the attacks, were shown on local news channels and on social media. In a statement, the Saudi-led alliance said the Houthis were using a building at the complex as a command and control center for their military operations and said targeting protocols and procedures were followed fully. In Yemens civil conflict, which began in March 2015, the Houthis are aligned with loyalists of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The Saudi-led coalition, backed by the United States and other Western powers, is trying to restore Yemens internationally recognized president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, to power. People gather at a prison struck by warplanes in Hodeidah, Yemen. (Abduljabbar Zeyad/Reuters) Hadi was driven into exile last year, and he is now based in the southern port city of Aden. Saudi Arabias Sunni Muslim monarchy entered the war in large part because of concerns of Iranian influence in the region. That Shiite theocracy is widely perceived to be backing the Shiite Houthi rebels. The airstrikes in Hodeidah come on the same day Hadi rejected a new U.N. peace proposal that would have sidelined him and given the Houthis prominent roles in a new government. More than 10,000 people have died in the conflict, many of them civilians who were killed by Saudi-led coalition bombings, according to the United Nations. Millions more are suffering from hunger, illness and displacement as the nation is now in the throes of a humanitarian disaster. Earlier this month, Saudi-led coalition airstrikes killed more than 100 people, most of them civilians, when warplanes targeted a funeral hall in Sanaa. The coalition later claimed responsibility, saying that the bombings were a result of receiving faulty information. Speaking after meeting U.N. envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, Hadi said that the agreement would reward the Houthis and that it only opens a door towards more suffering and war and is not a map for peace, according to the Saba news agency. Read more Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news A strong earthquake that shook Italy on Sunday morning took a heavy toll on historic churches and other landmark buildings, some dating back to the Middle Ages. No deaths were reported and there were only tens of injuries, but the physical damage was extensive. In Preci, the walls of a hillside cemetery came crashing down on top of the Abbey of St. Euticius, founded in the 5th century by a group of Syrian monks and hermits and now crushed under the weight of its own burial ground. The old town of Arquata del Tronto, in the central region of Le Marche, was virtually destroyed, along with its 13th century church dedicated to St. Francis. Only the castle remains, still standing guard over the ruins below. In Norcia, a city that considers itself the birthplace of pork sausages, three of the most important churches were heavily damaged. According to a preliminary list compiled by the Carabinieri Art Squad, the 14th century basilica of St. Benedict of Nursia, which had already been damaged by other recent quakes, has almost entirely collapsed, and only its facade still stands; the same fate befell the 16th century Cathedral of St. Mary Argentea and a former gothic church-turned-concert hall. A 15th century church, San Salvatore in Campi, had been shattered in an earthquake Wednesday. Sundays quake was the strongest of a recent flurry of earthquakes. It registered 6.5 on the Richter scale, according to Italys National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, and was felt along the entire length of the Italian boot. It struck at 7:40 a.m. local time. The strongest hit areas were Le Marche and Umbria. Even in Rome, more than 110 miles to the east, the papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls was damaged. It shows some cracks on its facade, some cornices have crumbled, and a candelabra is at risk of dropping down from the ceiling. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi vowed that Italy would rebuild the homes, churches and other damaged structures and that financial resources would be found to restore essential elements of the national identity and cultural heritage. We will rebuild everything, he said Sunday, the houses, the churches, the shops. We are dealing with marvelous territories, territories of beauty. The number of casualties could have been much greater, but residents of many of the historic town centers had been moved out when the tremors began last week. In Camerino, a hilltop town, city spokesman Emmanuele Pironi said most of the areas 9,000 university students had left after the historic center was closed several days ago, and some of the 7,000 residents had been moved to hotels near the coast or to shelters nearby, the Associated Press reported. Few remained in their homes. 1 of 20 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Latest Italian earthquake devastates medieval churches and other sites View Photos Casualties were few because many historic town centers had already been evacuated. Caption Casualties were few because many historic town centers had already been evacuated. Oct. 30, 2016 Buildings collapsed in Campi Alto near Norcia, Italy. Emiliano Grillotti/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue. The mayor of Ussita said a huge cloud of smoke erupted from the crumbled buildings of his town Sunday morning. Its a disaster, a disaster! Mayor Marco Rinaldi told the Italian news service ANSA. I was sleeping in the car and I saw hell. According to Luca Ceriscioli, governor of Le Marche, the number of displaced people in his region is 10,000, but if tremors continue, he warned, it might reach 100,000. In Norcia, closest to the epicenter, friars and devotees gathered in the piazza to kneel and pray after the earthquake, photos by the Italian daily La Repubblica show. There is something here almost more important than the value of the single paintings that was lost today, said Philippe Daverio, an Italian art critic and author. Whats equally important here is that Benedict, the patron saint of Europe, and his sister Scholastica, were born in Norcia. These two twins changed the framework of the West by inventing monastic group life and the rule. Daverio was referring to the Latin phrase ora et labora, which means pray and work. From them, he said, an ethos was born that enriched the whole West, because they would work more than they would consume. Rebuilding the churches and other landmarks will be painstaking but not impossible. In Italy we do not throw away the rubble, said Fabio Carapezza Guttuso, the Ministry of Cultures national crisis management unit officer. Even single stones are numbered and handpicked so that they can later be used in the reconstruction, along with pieces of wood, iron and beams. Its a big effort, and that is why we employ archaeologists to sift through the ruins. Carapezza Guttuso mentioned, as an example, the work done to restore the rose window of the church of St. Augustine in Amatrice, which was badly damaged in a deadly earthquake in August. That window is now ready but what remained of the church collapsed Sunday. Read more Italian towns take stock of losses to the regions cultural heritage Why the earthquake in Italy was so destructive What do those earthquake numbers mean, anyway? Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news One year after the height of Europes migrant crisis, Germany a nation that took in more asylum seekers than the rest of the continent combined is confronting the Solomonesque task of deciding who gets to stay. Yet as authorities adjudicate cases, a contentious truism is emerging: Not all nationalities are created equal. If youre from Syria or Iraq, sanctuary is almost guaranteed. But if youre from Nigeria or Pakistan, chances are you journeyed halfway across the world in vain. Nearly 37 percent of all claims processed by the German authorities are being rejected, including an increasing number of people from countries afflicted with violent insurgencies, such as Afghanistan. Even Syrians are increasingly falling short of winning full refugee status. Authorities say theyre simply applying national and international asylum law, weeding out those who do not qualify. But critics say that overburdened asylum officials are turning a deaf ear to at least some genuine petitions simply because they come from asylum seekers arriving from nations outside the much-publicized war zones of the Middle East. [Germany used to be the promised land for migrants. Now, its turning back more of them.] Pakistani Mohammad Nabeel is among the unlucky ones. This month, German migration authorities informed him that his case had been closed before he even had an official hearing. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) said he had missed his appointment, although Nabeel said he was never notified. Even if he had been, experts say, his case falls into the gray area that often leads to rejection. The 23-year-old claims he was in love with a rich girl in his hometown. But her family was against the relationship with Nabeel, who was poor and didnt have the right family name, important factors in some areas of Pakistan for arranging a marriage. The girls brother and father set out to kill Nabeel, he says, to protect the girls honor. His only proof, he says, are fading scars on his body from being severely beaten by members of her family. Nabeel arrived in Germany after traveling six months and crossing seven different countries. Now, he may be sent back. I wont go back; Id rather kill myself, Nabeel says. He plans to appeal the asylum officials decision. There are loopholes in the German system allowing for people like Nabeel who arent strictly fleeing from war or political persecution to temporarily stay in Germany on humanitarian grounds. Some are eventually granted permanent residence. But only about 4 percent of asylum requests by Pakistanis are currently decided in their favor. And Nabeels rejection comes at a time when the German government is increasingly taking measures targeting those migrants it deems ineligible for protection. It is determined to enforce deportation more strictly and even hired a consulting firm to help. Negotiations for deportation deals with Afghanistan and Nigeria are underway on the national and the European level. [Europe pressing harder on countries to take back deported migrants] Politicians in favor of a more restrictive asylum policy argue that some migrants apply for refugee status based on flimsy evidence and come to Germany for purely economic reasons. Others, they say, could escape the dangers theyre facing by simply approaching the local police or by moving to a different part of their home country. Daniel Owolabi Ajibade is one of the more than 10,000 Nigerians who applied for asylum in Germany this year. The business consultant claims that members of a Nigerian cartel attempted to kill him because they feared that the high-quality marbles and tiles he wanted to bring into the country would ruin their business with cheap Chinese imports. Although the 35-year-old has a newspaper article to prove the incident, the chances are high that German migration officials wont heed his plea. The protection rate for Nigerians is only about 9 percent and to be allowed to stay, Ajibade will have to convince authorities that he had nowhere else to go. Im very afraid of what the outcome will be, since going back to Nigeria would be very risky, he says. I understand that theres a real war in Syria and our problems with Boko Haram are mostly in the north . . . but I wish that the German government would also accept more of us until things quiet down. Our system caters primarily to those who have a concrete claim for protection, as bitter as this might be for some individuals, said Ansgar Heveling, a lawmaker with Angela Merkels Christian Democratic Union and chairman of the German parliaments Home Affairs Committee. Heveling thinks that the vast majority of applicants are given their due. If in individual cases a wrong decision is made, we have courts to correct them, he said. [Germany said it took in more than 1 million refugees last year. But it didnt.] The nongovernmental organization Pro Asyl says that the flood of appeals against the Federal Offices decision suggest that the system is flawed. So far, 18,666 Syrians went to court this year to fight for a better status of protection than they were granted. Many cases were dropped, but of the 1,943 verdicts, 1,547 were in favor of the plaintiffs. Stephan Dunnwald, spokesman for the Bavarian Refugee Council, said that there is a danger of the German authorities sweepingly rejecting certain groups of asylum seekers because theyre overburdened or because of political decisions made in Berlin. The decision-making is a disaster, because there are so many new and inexperienced deciders who are under a lot of time pressure . . . In some situations, where there should be additional probing, this simply isnt done. The quality of the interpreters has declined rapidly. There are no quality standards, Dunnwald said. Sometimes it almost feels as if people must be beaten to death before they are being believed. Read more German interior minister proposes partial burqa ban Terrorism suspect found dead in German jail cell Germany is trying to teach refugees the right way to have sex Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news Republican nominee Donald Trump, seen Oct. 28 in New Hampshire, vowed recently that theres going to be a lot of Brexit happening in about two weeks. A lot of Brexit. (Carlo Allegri/Reuters) Seen from Britain, it all looks so familiar. A nation faces a momentous choice. On one side is the safe, status quo option that generates little excitement but promises a steady course. The alternative a leap into the abyss, a primal howl against the establishment is running closer than expected, evidence of a burning antipathy in the heartland toward an out-of-touch metropolitan elite. But the political commentators, the polls and the betting markets all seem to suggest that voters will, in the end, stick with what they know. Crisis averted, if only narrowly. The comparisons between Britains June vote on whether to leave the European Union and the U.S. presidential election in a little over a week are hard to miss. That Britain stunned the world and voted for Brexit is enough to seed doubt in the minds of stalwart Hillary Clinton supporters who, despite her substantial lead in the polls, will have to ponder between now and election night whether Britains shock could be replicated across the Atlantic. Its also enough to sustain the hopes of die-hard Donald Trump backers who believe that the experts, once again, have it all wrong. The Republican nominee has repeatedly fed that belief, calling himself Mr. Brexit, predicting Brexit times five and vowing Tuesday that theres going to be a lot of Brexit happening in about two weeks. A lot of Brexit. [How globalism became Trumps boogeyman of 2016] Trumps political case is, in many ways, remarkably similar to that of the pro-Brexit campaign, building as it does on the grievances of those left behind by globalization, angry about immigration and wistful for a perceived lost moment of national greatness. The Clinton and Britains remain campaigns also share a lot, with both emphasizing the horrors of what would happen if the other side wins, and urging voters not to give in to forces of division. The campaign slogans hint at the parallels: Stronger Together vs. Make America Great Again in the United States; Stronger In vs. Take Back Control in the United Kingdom. The analogy goes only so far, however. Even with the race appearing to tighten and with the FBIs investigative disclosures shaking up the contest, a Trump victory would amount to a far more dramatic upset than Brexit was, one that would defy evidence from polls, early-voting data and the organizational infrastructure of the two campaigns. The political comparison is absolutely apropos, said Marcus Roberts, director of international projects for the polling firm YouGov. The electoral comparison is not. As much of a shock as Brexit was, the polls were not far off. In their final surveys before the vote, two major polling companies got it wrong and predicted a victory for remain. But two others got it right, forecasting a leave win. Another four had results within the margin of error. On the day that Britons cast their ballots, the only safe conclusion to be drawn from the polls alone was that the referendum could swing either way. And swing it did to a narrow but clear 52-to-48 percent win for Brexit. The result hadnt been anticipated, as evidenced by the plummeting value of the pound and of global stock markets the next day. But the surprise had less to do with the polls than it did with a collective belief among Britains political cognoscenti that the polls, if anything, were underestimating remain support. Political betting markets reflected a view that voters would play it safe. Instead, Brits took the leap. The polls, to the extent that they missed their mark, had underestimated turnout among older and less-educated voters in struggling areas, such as the countrys northeast, while overestimating the relative turnout in more affluent metropolitan regions, such as London. [Brexit: Same phenomenon, different country] Trump and his boosters have argued that something similar will be at play in the United States on Election Day. British politician Nigel Farage, a longtime Brexit champion who has become a Trump surrogate, has said that pollsters may be missing a Trump surge because they do not realize he has motivated a group that normally stays home to get out and vote. The greatest parallel between the Brexit vote and to what may happen on Nov. 8 is that Brexit mobilized a large number of nonvoters indeed, some people who had never voted in their lives, he wrote in a recent Washington Post opinion piece. That was what secured the victory. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich has gone further, suggesting there are Trump voters who do not want to reveal their true intentions to pollsters, just as with the Brexit vote in Britain. Roberts acknowledged there may be some shy Trump voters, but he says the numbers in most contested states simply are not enough to overcome Clintons apparent lead. For the Trump claim to be right, these polls would have to be wrong by double the margin of error, he said. Other, more tangible signs that were not available during the British referendum are also working in the Democrats favor. The breakdown of party affiliation in early voting, for instance, seems to favor her. You have millions of voters being banked in Hillarys column. So the mountain for Trump to climb keeps getting bigger each day, he said. That was not true of Brexit. Clinton also has an apparent organizational advantage, having devoted vast sums of money and large numbers of campaign workers to her get-out-the-vote drives. Trump, meanwhile, has been dismissive of the need for a ground game. In the Brexit campaign, the two sides were fairly evenly matched on the ground. [Trump-driven divide will consume GOP long after the election] One significant advantage for leave that Trump lacks is with the media. The pro-Brexit campaign had the countrys influential tabloid press firmly in its corner, while other outlets, such as the BBC, tried to play it straight. Trump has consistently complained of a media conspiracy against him, while losing the backing of traditionally Republican outlets. Anthony King, a government professor at Britains University of Essex, said that Trump and Brexit have an astonishingly similar base among those left behind by globalization and angry at the political class. But the Brexit campaign, he said, had something more. One of the reasons that Brexit won was that it was always a respectable opinion to hold, even if you didnt hold it, he said. Trump stands for a whole set of values from misogyny to xenophobia in a way that Brexit did not. King said he had thought before the Brexit vote that the risk-averse sector of the population would outnumber the dont-give-a-damn sector of the population. It didnt play out that way. Could political lightning strike twice, and prove Trumps Brexit prophesy true? Im not persuaded, but Im frightened, said King, who, like most Brits, is no fan of Trump. You cant utterly discount that possibility. The Church of Mart Shmoni, damaged by Islamic State fighters, in Bartella, Iraq. (Marko Drobnjakovic/Associated Press) At the evening service, the priest counseled forgiveness to a congregation with little reason to forgive. They were Christians from Mosul, brutalized by the Islamic State and betrayed, in some cases, by neighbors, and nothing not the priests pleas, not his invocation of Cain and Abel seemed likely to heal those scars. Khalid Ramzi, a congregant, seemed to choke on the sermon. We cant fall into the same hole twice. We dont want our children to be raised in violence and fear, he said, standing outside the church in Irbil. Only in our dreams can we go back to Mosul. When the militants swept into the city two years ago, Christians were ordered to convert, pay a tax or die. As the Islamic State pushed beyond the city, onto the plains of Nineveh, its advance scattered the rich patchwork of religious and ethnic minorities Yazidis and Assyrians, Kurds and Shabaks that made the area a microcosm of diverse Iraq and a place unlike perhaps any in the world. Churches were torched. Yazidis were massacred or enslaved. Villages emptied as hundreds of thousands of people fled. Iraqi forces advancing toward Mosul have recaptured some of the villages, raising the possibility of return for the minorities. But it is difficult to imagine the villages whole again, with their emptied streets and houses lying in ruin or despoiled by the militants. An Islamic State flag painted on the wall of a church in the predominantly Christian village of Bartella. (Carl Court/Getty Images) Weapons belonging to resting members of Iraq's elite counterterrorism forces at a house in Bartella. (Khalid Mohammed/Associated Press) A new order in Mosul and the surrounding region already has begun to take shape, before troops even have entered the city. With competing visions, powerful players including Turkey, Iran, the Kurds and the U.S.-backed Iraqi government are jostling for influence. The battle will forge its own reality, with the violence possibly sending hundreds of thousands of people searching for shelter away from their homes. And the future of the region will be defined, in many ways, by who decides to return. [Islamic State is kidnapping thousands of people to use as human shields] In Shaqouli, an ethnically mixed village about 12 miles east of Mosul, a few villagers drove back two weeks ago, with one, Asem Hussein, making a forceful case that his neighbors will eventually follow. Some sort of munition had caved in his living room, leaving a tangle of concrete and rebar, and all he had been able to recover was a few blankets and an air conditioner that somehow had survived. I am going to rebuild it and stay, and we will rebuild all ruined Iraqi villages, he insisted. Shaqouli, he added, will remain as mixed as it used to be a mini-Iraq. An Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga fighter stands inside a building in the village of Shaqouli. (Safin Hamed/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images) But the mayor, Mamel Qassim, who is Kurdish, had written off the place as lost. It was partly personal: During the Islamic State occupation, the militants had used his house as their headquarters. As a result, it had been crushed by an airstrike, the debris littered with copies of a weekly paper that the militants distributed. It was more than that, though. The Iraqi government part of the sectarian political order that took hold after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 was as weak as it ever had been, Qassim reckoned, and ill-equipped to protect minorities. Sunni Arabs from the village had fled or been forced to retreat toward Mosul along with the Islamic State, and the Kurds, like the mayor, had mostly moved to Irbil, in the semiautonomous Kurdish region. Only the members of the Shabak minority, who were without any powerful patron or a region to call their own, seemed inclined to move back. It will never be good here, said Qassim, adding that he intended to resign as mayor. It will only get worse. [Concerns about collective punishment after Sunni Arabs flee Kirkuk] Iraqs news media has been awash with photos and videos in recent days showing soldiers recapturing churches desecrated by the militants with the implicit message that it will soon be safe for Christians to return. In some of the Christian villages around Mosul, residents said they did intend to move back, but they portrayed the move as more a responsibility than a choice. We want to bring back the beauty of this area, said Benham Shamani, a writer from Bartella, a majority-Christian town east of Mosul, invoking more than a thousand years of Christian heritage in the area. Only the original people of the area can return this beauty. Only the people of this area can rebuild it, Shamani said. David Dosha, the priest of the Church of Mart Shmoni, located in the Christian Iraqi town of Bartella. (Safin Hamed/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images) Burned Bible storybooks lay on the ground of a damaged church in Bartella. (Amel Pain/European Pressphoto Agency) In reality, though, Christians have been leaving Iraq for years, an exodus that began in earnest after the U.S.-led invasion. At the time, the country had around 1.5 million Christians; by the time of the Islamic States takeover of Mosul, they were believed to be fewer than 500,000. Now community leaders say at least a third of those who remained have left. In 2014, France said it would grant asylum to Christians forced to flee Mosul. Some community leaders criticized the move, saying it would devastate what remains of Iraqs Christians. But even the communitys leaders concede it will be difficult to go back to Mosul. To return to the city would be to remember all the pain, all the threats, all the killing, all the letters with bullets inside. Well remember the looks on the street, said another priest at the Irbil church, the Rev. Zakareya Ewas, as families milled about after the service. Iraqi Christians pray at the Church of our Lady of Perpetual Help in the Ankawa area of Irbil. (Amel Pain/European Pressphoto Agency) The problems for Christians started before the Islamic State takeover, as the groups predecessor, al-Qaeda, extended its grip in the city. Ewas said he received threatening phone calls and attempts at extortion. He stopped wearing his black robes and collar on the street. His wife covered her hair in an effort to blend in. Priests were murdered as Christians were targeted for their religion but also their perceived wealth, with many kidnapped for ransom. Ewas, a Syriac Orthodox priest, fled Mosul as the militants took over in 2014. The cross in his old church has been pulled down, he said, and the building now is used as a shelter for the militants livestock. His brother moved to Jordan two weeks ago after struggling to find work in Irbil and after hearing several months ago that his yogurt factory in the city had been wiped out in a coalition airstrike. Now theres nothing for him to go back to, Ewas said, adding that there were many others like his brother. If the Christians of Mosul did return, he said, it will be just to sell their houses and leave. Kareem Fahim reported from Shaqouli, Iraq. Mustafa Salim in Irbil and Aaso Ameen Shwan in Shaqouli also contributed to this report. Signs of panic in the heart of the Islamic States self-declared caliphate 10 new wars that could be unleashed as a result of the one against ISIS Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news Senior Hillary Clinton staffer Huma Abedin and Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook at a rally headlined by Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in a high school gym in Portsmouth, N.H. July 12, 2016 Senior Hillary Clinton staffer Huma Abedin and Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook at a rally headlined by Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in a high school gym in Portsmouth, N.H. Melina Mara/The Washington Post Huma Abedin, a longtime aide to Hillary Clinton, is at the center of a renewed FBI email investigation of Clintons use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. Abedin is now separated from Anthony Weiner, a scandal-plagued former congressman and unsuccessful candidate for mayor of New York. Top Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin has told people she is unsure how her emails could have ended up on a device she viewed as her husbands computer, the seizure of which has reignited the Clinton email investigation, according to a person familiar with the investigation and civil litigation over the matter. The person, who would not discuss the case unless granted anonymity, said Abedin was not a regular user of the computer, and when she agreed to turn over emails to the State Department for federal records purposes, her lawyers did not search it for materials, not believing any of her messages to be there. That could be a significant oversight if Abedins work messages were indeed on the computer of her estranged husband, Anthony Weiner, the former congressman from New York who is under investigation for allegedly exchanging lewd messages with a 15-year-old girl. So far, it is unclear what if any new, work-related messages were found by authorities. The person said the FBI has not contacted Abedin about its latest discovery, and she was unsure what the bureau has discovered. [Justice officials warned FBI that Comeys decision to update Congress was not consistent with department policy] According to federal law enforcement officials, investigators found thousands of messages on Weiners computer that they believe to be potentially relevant to the separate Clinton email investigation. How they are relevant or whether they are significant in any respect remains unknown. Heres what happened after the FBI said it would examine newly discovered emails linked to Hillary Clintons tenure as secretary of state. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post) Weiner and a lawyer for Abedin did not return messages seeking comment. Clinton has called on the FBI to release more information and predicted that nothing would emerge that would change the FBIs conclusion that no charges were appropriate against her. FBI Director James B. Comey wrote in a letter to lawmakers Friday that investigators would take appropriate investigative steps to determine if any of the messages contained classified information or if they could somehow advance the Clinton probe in another way. Federal law enforcement officials said it was possible that the messages could be duplicates of others already recovered in the case, and they could also be benign. Former FBI officials said that once agents have the legal authority to more closely examine the emails, they are likely to use a computer program to weed out duplicates, then slowly examine the remaining messages for classified information and evidence of obstruction or bad intent. [Renewed email probe leaves Clinton campaign scrambling, Trump on attack] The FBI did not release on Saturday any new details about what it had found even as it faced immense pressure to do so. Abedin has served in a variety of roles for Clinton, starting as an intern in 1996, when Clinton was first lady. In the State Department, Abedin served as Clintons deputy chief of staff for operations. Abedin had a State Department email account, a Yahoo account, an account on Clintons private server and an account used to support Weiners campaign activities. When Abedin left the State Department, she signed a statement saying she had surrendered to responsible officials all controlled or administratively controlled documents and materials with which I was charged or which I had in my possession. The State Department in the process of collecting Clintons and others for records and Freedom of Information Act purposes later asked Abedin to turn over relevant messages, and she gave her laptop and BlackBerry for review. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's private email server was once again pushed into the lime light when FBI Director James B. Comey announced that he would resume looking into the case with less than two weeks before the election. The development has left the campaign scrambling to head off the potentially game-changing damage. (Alice Li/The Washington Post) Abedin told the FBI in an interview in April that her attorneys asked for guidance from the State Department on how to conduct that review but did not receive a response. Summarizing Abedins interview, FBI agents wrote that she told them that the attorneys erred on the side of caution and opted to include anything that they were unsure about. In a sworn deposition in June, Abedin said she looked for all the devices that may have any of my State Department work on it and returned returned gave them to my attorneys for them to review for all relevant documents. Meanwhile, on Friday, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump took aim at Abedin in particular as he brought up Clintons emails. I wonder, is she going to keep Huma? Trump said. Huma has been a problem. I wonder: Is Huma going to stay there? Rosalind S. Helderman contributed to this report. Read more: James Comeys unavoidably horrible decision Computer seized in Weiner probe prompts FBI to take new steps in Clinton email inquiry FBI agents pressed Justice unsuccessfully for probe of Clinton Foundation Langtang folk step up rebuilding efforts Villagers have started rebuilding earthquake ravaged Langtang Valley in Rasuwa district on their own initiatives. The Pirate Party, a radical movement of anarchists and hackers that didnt exist this time four years ago, surged to third place in Icelands national elections but fell well short of expectations that it could top the vote, according to results released Sunday. The outcome of the Saturday election more than triples the number of Pirates in the countrys parliament, the worlds oldest, and it ensures that the renegade movement will remain a force in Icelandic politics for years to come. The Pirates, an offshoot of an international movement launched in Sweden, had campaigned on a platform of direct democracy, transparency and turning Iceland into a digital safe haven, the Switzerland of bits. The partys leader, poet Birgitta Jonsdottir, had promised Edward Snowden citizenship in a Pirate-led Iceland. But voters stopped short of putting the Pirates in a position to govern, opting instead to give the pro-business and establishment-oriented Independence Party another shot to lead a country that was turned upside down by the 2008 financial crisis. The Independents had argued that the Pirates were a danger to the countrys economy, which has recently found its footing thanks to a tourism boom. As expected, no party won a majority, and the Independents will struggle to form a coalition after their partner for the past three years, the pro-farmer Progressives, were punished by voters for the lingering fallout from the crash as well as this years disclosures in the Panama Papers. The spring revelation of an offshore firm owned by the prime ministers wife forced his resignation and led to the calling of Saturdays vote. A Pirate victory in tiny, prosperous and peaceful Iceland would have offered a dramatic symbol of the anti-establishment tide sweeping the Western world this year. Polls in the lead-up to the vote had the Pirates running even with the Independents, or even topping them. But in the end, with four-fifths of the countrys quarter-million eligible voters casting ballots, the Independence Partys 29 percent was enough to put it comfortably in first place. The Independents total nearly doubled the vote of their next-closest competitor, the Left-Green Movement. The Pirates slipped to third, with 14.5 percent. The Pirates could still find their way into the government if the Independents fail to put together a coalition. With seven parties winning enough votes to enter the parliament, the country was almost exactly divided between traditional, right-of-center parties and left-of-center or more radical alternatives. The kingmaker could ultimately prove to be a party that is even newer than the Pirates, a breakaway faction of the Independents known as Regeneration. That partys leader, a mild-mannered mathematician named Benedikt Johannesson, had said before the vote that he would not let his centrist and technocratic party become the third wheel in another coalition of the two governing parties, the Independents and the Progressives. Regeneration strongly favors Iceland joining the European Union, and the partys newfound clout could help put the issue, which has long divided Iceland, back on the countrys political agenda. The Pirates dont take a position on E.U. membership but, as with many issues, argue the choice should be left to the voters through a popular referendum. A victory for the Pirates would have been a stunning result in a country where politics have long been relatively staid. But it would not have been completely out of character: A stand-up comedian became mayor of the countrys capital, Reykjavik, in 2010, after launching what he jokingly termed the Best Party. Read more Birgitta Jonsdottir, the Bernie Sanders of Iceland Iceland had braced for a Pirate Party takeover Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news President Nicolas Maduro pauses while addressing supporters during a rally in Caracas, Venezuela, on Oct. 28. (Carlos Becerra/Bloomberg) Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was expected to sit down Sunday with members of the opposition and foreign mediators, a gesture his foes suspect is a time-wasting tactic to ease pressure on the unpopular leader. Maduro has said he will personally attend a meeting, expected to take place later Sunday in Caracas, while coalition secretary general Jesus Torrealba said he would represent its nearly 30 different political organizations. Also due to attend were a Vatican envoy, representatives of the Unasur regional bloc and three former heads of state from Spain, Panama and the Dominican Republic. Critics say 17 years of socialist rule have wrecked the oil rich nations economy and crushed democracy. The opposition Democratic Unity coalition has stepped up protests since authorities scuttled its push for a referendum this year on Maduros rule, which polls showed he would have lost, triggering a presidential election. The government has called the efforts to remove Maduro an attempted coup by the U.S.-backed elite. Torrealba, in a blog, said top of the oppositions agenda would be resuscitating the plebiscite, freeing political prisoners, helping victims of Venezuelas humanitarian crisis, and demanding respect for the opposition-led legislature. There could be important conclusions that enable a scaling-down of the conflict, a return to the electoral route and a distancing of the storm-clouds of violence, he said. Theres no denying: There is skepticism and mistrust. Various opposition leaders have distanced themselves from the talks, saying Maduro has become a dictator who is only promoting dialogue to entrench himself. Everyone knows that President Nicolas Maduro and his regime normally use dialog as a mechanism to evade constitutional responsibilities and buy time, 15 coalition parties said in a letter urging Torrealba to use a meeting only to negotiate Maduros exit this year. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said Maduro, 53, had stayed away from Saturdays Ibero-American summit in Colombia to prepare for Sundays meeting. Sundays planned meeting follows massive opposition marches and a partially successful national strike last week. The opposition is also planning a march on the Miraflores presidential palace for Thursday, drawing government accusations they want to reprise a short-lived 2002 coup against Maduros predecessor, Hugo Chavez. He allowed and won a recall referendum. Guantanamo Bay detainee Mohamedou Ould Slahi, 45, has been released after fourteen years of being unlawfully detained at the camp. Slahi has never been charged with a crime by the US. He was repatriated to his native Mauritania on Monday, three months after a government panel approved his release in late July. Slahi is the author of Guantanamo Diary, a first-hand account of the torture inflicted on him by US intelligence agencies and their foreign accomplices. Slahi wrote his memoir in 2005, three years into his detention. The book was published last year with heavy redactions imposed by the US government; the uncensored manuscript remains classified. Guantanamo Diary has become an international bestseller, with translations published in over 25 countries. Slahi was tortured under the special interrogation plan that was personally approved by then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Slahis torture included violent beatings, sleep deprivation, sexual assault, mock executions and threats against his familys safety, especially against that of his mother, whom he was close to. Slahis mother died on March 27, 2013, unable to see her son for over a decade. We are thrilled that our clients nightmare is finally ending, said Nancy Hollander, one of Slahis pro bono attorneys. After all these years, he wants nothing more than to be with his family and rebuild his life. Were so grateful to everyone who helped make this day a reality. Sixty other detainees remain in the camp, 31 of whom have not been charged with a crime and have not been cleared for release. Of the 779 people who have been detained at Guantanamo Bay, at least 675 detainees have been released without ever being charged with a crime, according to Human Rights Watch. Nine people have died. Slahi attended university in Germany on a scholarship in 1988. In 1991, he traveled to Afghanistan to fight with al-Qaeda, one of many Islamic fundamentalist militias backed by the US in its proxy wars against the Soviet Union. After 1992, Slahi left Afghanistan and had no further involvement with al-Qaeda. He returned to Germany, then began working in Canada as an electrical engineer. In 2001, Slahi voluntarily reported to a Mauritanian police station for questioning. Slahi was then extraordinarily rendered by the UShe was abducted and transferred to a number of CIA black sites, where he was interrogated and tortured. Slahi was transferred to the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba in August 2002. In 2010, US federal district judge James Robertson ruled Slahis detention unlawful and ordered his immediate release. The Obama administration successfully appealed the decision and it was vacated by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. Slahis habeas corpus case is still pending. The Obama administration has consistently approved Pentagon spending bills to keep the Guantanamo Bay detention camp running. The last detainee released before Slahi was Omar Khadr, a 15-year-old child soldier who spent thirteen years under illegal detention, with ten of those years in the Cuban torture camp. Khadr was released on bail last May, and is now 30 years old. A mother in Houma, Louisiana, was horrified when she learned that her 5-year-old son did not get off his school bus Monday afternoon. Her son Kenneth was later found walking on the side of the road by police, according to local reports. I got an empty pit in my stomach because at that moment I didnt know where my child was, Kathleen Hotard told WDSU. I was scared. Hotard said her son refused to take the bus because his classmates at Legion Park Elementary had been bullying him. Because every week they throw spitballs, and they land on my ear, Kenneth told WWL, when asked why he didnt board the bus. And on Monday, Hotard said he told a substitute teacher that he had been given permission to walk home. I was informed my child had lied and said he had a parental note to walk home, Hotard told WWL. I confirmed I never wrote a note, and they confirmed they never saw a note. He said he had misplaced it. Kenneth was found about a half mile from his school after someone reported that he was walking down the road alone, according to WWL. When police found him, he was walking home in the wrong direction. Hotard added that her son, who has not returned to school, told her, Im ready to go to another school. He doesnt want to be by himself, Hotard told WDSU of the ordeal. He urinated on himself because he was too afraid to go alone. Hes having anxiety from this. Now, Hotard said the school is investigating the incident after the school superintendent admitted what happened to her and her son was wrong. I dont want any other parent to ever have to feel what I felt, she said. I dont want any other child to be on a side of a road by themselves scared I feel like accountability needs to be taken by the school, by the teachers, and by the school board. Things have to change. Neither the Houma Police Department nor Legion Park Elementary immediately responded to a request for comment. Chandra Levys Mom Says Gary Condit Is Running Scared After He Sits Down on Dr. Phil Fifteen years after Chandra Levys unsolved murder, Gary Condit the married politician initially identified and then ruled out as a possible suspect in the Washington, D.C., interns death appeared on Dr. Phil Thursday, breaking his long silence about the case. But it wasnt his first choice. Condit told host Phil McGraw he had no interest in writing a book or talking about this story much at all, but was coaxed into the project by his kids, who encouraged him to set the record straight by telling his version of events. Thats what Condit said he did in his new book, Actual Malice: A True Crime Political Thriller. One thing he declined to discuss in detail Thursday was his relationship with Levy. He reportedly admitted in a 2001 police interview to having an affair with her, but has not spoken publicly it until now. Dr. Phil, I havent answered that question publicly for 15 years, Condit said, and Im not going to change my position or my view on that today or probably any time in the future. Not only is it not relevant, he continued, I think people are entitled to some level of privacy. We have lost our common decency in this country, and I have decided to draw the line there. I did not have a romantic involvement with her, Condit said when pressed. I was not involved in her disappearance in any way. Levys mom, Susan Levy, tells PEOPLE she watched the episode with some friends. Her husband and son didnt want to see it. But when it comes to Condit and Chandra being just friends, Susan says, Thats not true. I think hes running scared. I think hes trying to clear his name, she says. There was definitely something going on between my daughter and him, unfortunately. During his Thursday TV appearance, Condit only admitted that Chandra periodically stopped by his office but no more than any of his other constituents. The police, Condit insisted, made this big leap that, because we were friends, because she came by the condo, that I must have something to do with . Story continues He said he did give Chandra a bracelet, but he told McGraw that was commonplace in his office. Condit said his wife routinely picked up cufflinks, lapel pins, and hats he would give out as gifts to constituents. He also had jewelry. Condit appeared on Dr. Phil with his co-author, Breton Peace, who said their book answers the question of how the media coverage of the politicians alleged guilt got so out of control. asked him, Did you have an intimate relationship with Chandra Levy? Peace said. said, I dont see the relevance of that question. If you can tell me, Ill answer it. But you can infer what you want for your investigation. The police told the press maybe they told the Levys that he denied it, that he answered, No. The cops lied it was the lie that launched a thousand lies. Condit tells McGraw he told the cops everything they needed to know and more. He said he only retained a lawyer in the summer of 2001 because he believe the police were trying to set him up. It began to have a nefarious feel to it, he said. But, Condit told McGraw, Im not the victim in this. The real victim is Chandra and her family, and theres no justice for what happened to her. The focus needs to be on the bad guys, Peace said. Go catch the bad guys. The man who was tried and convicted of Chandras murder, Ingmar Guandique, is now in the process of being deported after federal prosecutors dropped all charges again him earlier this year when their case unraveled. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys Office did not say whether authorities would pursue fresh charges against anyone else. Susan Levy previously told PEOPLE the dismissal was very hard on her: I feel shattered Its hard to accept that my daughters death is a cold case again. The Daily Beast STRINGER/ReutersVideo footage shows pedestrians attempting to sway an Indian suspension bridge in the moments before it catastrophically collapsed, leaving at least 141 people dead as of Monday.Rescuers expect the death toll to continue to rise after the bridge fell apart in the western state of Gujarat on Sunday. The majority of those killed were women, children, or elderly people, a local official told the BBC. Almost 180 people were successfully rescued, however, in an overnight operation inv John Adams is one of the pivotal figures in American history, as a political philosopher, patriot, statesman, father and the second President of the United States. So how much do you know this essential Founding Father on his 281st birthday? ADAMS,John Born on October 30, 1735, Adams grew up in a modest New England home. He was a direct descendant of the Puritans who arrived in Massachusetts in the previous century. He never considered himself a British subject, always an American. Adams could also be blunt and difficult, but few would argue about his significant contributions to the Revolution and the Constitution during his 90-year life. Here are a few fascinating facts about one Founder who did nearly everything for his country during a long, distinguished public career. 1. Adams was a school teacher, briefly, before being called to other duties. Adams entered Harvard at the age of 15, and he later taught Latin in Worcester, Massachusetts, to earn the tuition fees for law school. 2. So how are all the Adams family members related? In this different type of Adams Family, John Adams and Samuel Adams were second cousins. Abigail Adams was John Adams third cousin, and of course, John Quincy Adams was their son. 3. Adams was a key figure in the start of the revolt against the British. Adams wrote anonymous newspaper stories and propaganda pieces during the Stamp Act era to advance the patriots cause; his cousin Samuel was a more public figure in the protests against the British. But eventually John Adams made a passionate address about the right to taxation with representation. 4. Adams represented British soldiers accused in the Boston massacre. As an attorney, Adams believed all people enjoyed the right to a defense counsel. In 1770, he represented the British soldiers successfully when no one else would, even though Adams himself believed in the American cause. 5. Thomas Jefferson wanted Adams to write the Declaration of Independence. The Continental Congress appointed five men in 1776 to write the Declaration, including Adams, Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston and Roger Sherman. According to notes made by Adams, he and Jefferson argued that the other should write the document, and Adams persuaded Jefferson that he should be considered the author. Adams then reviewed the Declaration for Jefferson after it was written. Story continues 6. Adams was the father of early state constitutions. His pamphlet from 1776, called Thoughts on Government, argued that the separation of powers within government (executive, judiciary, and legislative) were needed to prevent tyranny, and the pamphlets influenced many early state governments. 7. Adams never owned slaves. He was a lifelong abolitionist and in later years told a friend that, Every measure of prudence, therefore, ought to be assumed for the eventual total extirpation of slavery from the United States. 8. Adams was very bored being vice president. Although he cast a record number of tie-breaking votes in the Senate, Adams disliked the office of Vice President. He called it the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived. 9. Yes, Adams, like Jefferson, wasnt at the Constitutional Convention of in Philadelphia. Adams was the first ambassador to Great Britain in 1787 and arrived back in the United States after the convention in 1788. It was expected that he would play a prominent role in the new government on his return. 10. Adams and Jefferson broke up and made up. The two Founders stormy relationship chilled greatly in 1801 in a dispute over federal judges that was settled in the Supreme Courts Marbury v. Madison case. They made up 10 years later and wrote frequently to each other until their deaths on July 4, 1826. NRB mulls recognising pre-incorporation expenses as investment Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) is considering allowing foreign investors to convert expenses made prior to the establishment of their companies in Nepal into equity. Washington (AFP) - On January 20, 2017, Barack Obama's successor will take the oath of office on the Capitol steps in Washington for a four-year term. As always, the first 100 days for any American president are paramount. Democrat Hillary Clinton has released a detailed policy platform, but a successful start for an eventual Clinton administration depends on a number of variables -- notably who is in control of Congress. "We'll begin to get to work right away and reach out to everybody that we can possibly touch to start talking about what we can do together," Clinton said on October 22, recalling her efforts to work with Republicans as a first lady and senator. "And I think there's a big agenda where we can find common ground." - Economy and immigration - Clinton has pledged to put forth two bills in her first 100 days in office: one on immigration reform and the other a major infrastructure investment plan. These two major legislative initiatives should dominate the start of the 69-year-old's mandate. In the past, they have been issues that have earned bipartisan support. "A potential Clinton administration will see immigration as a very, very high priority in 2017," Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, told AFP. To fulfill her campaign pledge to offer a pathway to "full and equal citizenship" to millions of immigrants without legal residency, Clinton will need to make compromises with Congress -- and thus with Republicans. Republicans are likely to maintain control of at least the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate as well. The Senate adopted immigration reform legislation in 2013, but it died in the House, due to pressure from the Republican Party's ultra-conservative wing. Current House Speaker Paul Ryan is open to some kind of immigration reform, but one that unfolds in stages: first, a toughening of border controls, followed by an overhaul of the legal immigration system and, eventually, some form of a way forward for undocumented migrants. Story continues "It's going to be difficult for Republicans to do nothing and continue to be obstructionist," said Carmel Martin, executive vice president for policy at the Center for American Progress, a think tank that is close to Clinton. Martin says Democrats hope a Trump loss on November 8 could strengthen the Republican Party's more moderate faction. According to Doris Meissner, an expert at the Migration Policy Institute, "it does come down to what the struggle within the Republican Party will be, on how they interpret the election result if they in fact lose the presidency." Another major decision awaits the next president: the eventual nomination of a Supreme Court justice to replace the late Antonin Scalia, a stalwart conservative. Obama nominated Merrick Garland, but his candidacy has stalled in the Senate amid partisan stonewalling. If the Democrats win a majority in the chamber, that could change quickly. - What to do about Syria and Putin - Foreign policy headaches will pile up on the desk of Obama's successor, but none are as big as the crisis in war-wracked Syria. Clinton should quickly set up her national security team, and is likely to pull at least some of her picks from the ranks of Team Obama. Some posts, like secretary of state and Pentagon chief, require Senate approval. A review of American policy in Syria is "inevitable," according to Jeffrey Rathke, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Rathke, an expert on Europe, also said it would be "necessary" to review US policy towards the Old Continent, and towards Russia, in order to reinforce US ties with both the European Union and NATO. "It's important for the new administration to take a leadership role in ensuring that not only do we support a country that's under pressure from Russia, but to be sure that we are prepared to react if there are further attempts by Russia to intimidate or coerce European countries," Rathke told AFP. A European ambassador in Washington said it would be vital for the next president to organize a US-EU summit as quickly as possible. A NATO summit is set to take place in Brussels next year, but a specific date is not set. A Group of Seven summit is on the cards for May 2017 in Italy, as well as a G20 summit in July in Germany. The next US leader also may want to consider attending the annual Munich Security Conference in February, less than a month after taking office. As for a first presidential trip abroad, Clinton's entourage declined comment to AFP as to whether she would respect the tradition followed by the last five presidents, who headed first to either Canada or Mexico, America's neighbors. A young brain cancer survivor committed suicide after being bullied about her looks, reports said. Bethany Thompson, 11, got off the school bus in Ohio last week and shot herself on her back porch, her mom, Wendy Feucht, told The Columbus Dispatch. Read: Family of Teen Who Killed Himself After Being Bullied at School Considers Wrongful Death Suit: 'You Failed Danny' Bethany only shared what she was going to do with one of her close friends, Feucht told the paper. She told her she loved her and that she was her best friend forever, but that she was going to kill herself when she got home, said Feucht. Feucht said that she is certain that bullying led to Bethanys death. Bethany endured brain cancer eight years ago and after having a tumor removed was left with a crooked smile. It was that smile that kids at school allegedly noticed and picked on, according to Bethanys dad, Paul Thompson. I think thats why she took (her life), Thompson told the Columbus Dispatch. Feucht later learned that Bethany had created anti-bullying posters but an administrator at school reportedly prevented her from displaying them because they werent positive. Im sure she felt pretty defeated, Feucht said. Superintendent Chris Piper told the paper that he is trying not to speculate about what caused Bethany to feel hopeless. Read: Boy, 9, Kills Himself After Enduring Months Of Bullying, Family Says Suicide is a complicated act. Were trying to find the cause, Piper said. And theres no single thing that says this is what led to it. Piper acknowledged the fact that Bethany was bullied last year, but declined to provide details. He reportedly said the matter had been resolved. Watch: Father Kills His Two Daughters and Himself After History of 'Violent Tendencies' Related Articles: A 9-year-old from California was struck and killed on her birthday after getting off the bus, police said. Anakaren Galvan got off the bus and was darting across traffic lanes when she was hit last Monday evening, County Sheriffs Sgt. Brian Hudson told KTLA. Read: 9-Year-Girl Killed After Being Struck and Dragged By School Bus She Just Got Off She was transferred to the hospital where she later died. In a GoFundMe, started by the little girls sisters, the family said all Anakaren wanted for her birthday that day was to go to church. The family described her as full of love and kindness. Read: Attention Choppers! Suspected Drunk Driver Crashes Into Medical Helicopter, Cops Say Anakaren being the little angel that shes always been loved church, her sisters wrote on the fundraising page. That day all she wanted for her birthday was to go to church and give thanks to god for letting her see 9 years of life. The girl was reportedly the 13th pedestrian struck and killed in Santa Clarity Valley in the past two years. Watch: 2-Year-Old Girl Dies After Family Member Accidentally Drags Her Under Truck Related Articles: The death rate among Afghan security forces is surging far above last year's levels, a US government watchdog said on Sunday, and slew of social gains in the war-torn nation is also eroding. Afghan forces are nearing the end of their second year providing security across their war-torn country, after NATO moved into an advisory and training role -- and the toll on the local forces has been devastating. 2015 was a terrible year, with an estimated 5,000 killed and another 15,000 wounded, primarily by the Taliban. But the death toll this year is already much worse: From January 1 through August 19, a total of 5,523 Afghan service members were killed, according to a quarterly report from the office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). An additional 9,665 members were wounded during the same period, the report found. Violence from the Taliban and other insurgent groups typically spikes over the summer during the "fighting season." But increasingly, militants continue launching attacks throughout the year, meaning the death rate will likely rise further still. "The most immediate challenge to the US reconstruction effort, and to the viability of the Afghan nation state, remains the armed insurgency pursued by the Taliban and other factions," the inspector general, John Sopko, said in the report. US Army General John Nicholson, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, warned a week ago that basic leadership failures in many Afghan police and military units were helping drive casualty rates higher. Still, SIGAR found, morale within the ranks appears good, with three-quarters of recruits saying they have received good care and 90 percent satisfied with their pay. The report also found that gains in key social areas such as poverty, unemployment, women's rights and the education gender gap have all eroded this year. "Deep-rooted cultural traditions and a persistent insurgency continue to threaten the physical safety and health of Afghan women and hold them back from entering public life," the report states. Story continues The Afghan government still only has full control of two-thirds of the country's population of 30 million. Ten percent is in Taliban hands, and the rest is still being fought over. This summer's fighting saw the Taliban try at least seven times to seize a provincial capital, as they did in Kunduz last year. The Afghans managed to repel these thanks to NATO support, easier rules for the United States to strike targets and the growing confidence of the Afghan air force. Having taken on not one but two Kray twins in 2015's hit British gangster biopic Legend, Tom Hardy is now set to play the biggest mobster of them all. The Academy Award nominee will star as Al Capone in Fonzo, the upcoming project from writer-director Josh Trank (Chronicle, Fantastic Four). The story will center on Capone at the age of 47, following nearly a decade of imprisonment, as dementia rots his mind and his violent past comes back to haunt him. The film will be produced by Russell Ackerman and John Schoenfelder (Tau) for Addictive Pictures alongside Oscar-nominated Lawrence Bender (Inglorious Basterds, Kill Bill: Vol 1 & 2, Good Will Hunting, Pulp Fiction). Bloom is handling international sales on the project, now in preproduction, and will introduce it to buyers next week at AFM. CAA and WME Global are repping U.S. rights. "Fonzo brings together the myth and lore of notorious American gangster Al Capone, with the undeniable talent of Tom Hardy and Josh Trank," said Bloom's Alex Walton. "We are thrilled to bring this film to buyers at the AFM." Trank is repped by WME, Management 360 and attorney Mitch Smelkinson, while Hardy is repped by CAA and Lindy King at United Agents. Read more: Christopher Nolan to Direct WWII Film 'Dunkirk' With Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh MOGADISHU (Reuters) - The Islamist group al Shabaab seized a town northwest of Somalia's capital from government forces on Sunday, the latest small centre taken by the militant group trying to topple the country's Western-backed government. Al Shabaab, which once ruled much of Somalia, has been fighting for years to impose its strict interpretation of Islam on Somalia. African Union and Somali troops have driven it from major urban strongholds and ports, but they have often struggled to defend smaller, more remote areas from attacks. "Many al Shabaab fighters attacked us this morning and after brief fighting we left the town for tactical reasons," Somali army Major Hussein Edin told Reuters from the nearby town of Baidoa. One Somali soldier was killed, he said. Goofgaduud lies about 250 km (160 miles) northwest of Mogadishu, the capital. Al Shabaab's military operations spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, confirmed the group had captured the settlement. He said seven Somali soldiers were killed. Al Shabaab's casualty figures and those announced by officials often differ. In a separate incident, the website of state radio, radiomuqdisho.net, said on Sunday that the Somali security forces had rescued a Kenyan woman who had been kidnapped by pirates in 2015. They did not give details about the woman. (Reporting by Abdi Sheikh and Feisal Omar; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Larry King) Tippi Hedren claims she was sexually assaulted by director Alfred Hitchcock while working on his films The Birds and Marnie. In her upcoming memoir, Tippi, the legendary actress and Hitchcock muse, 86, says that celebrated director would have his driver drive past her home, and also asked her to touch him while they were working on The Birds, according to excerpts featured by The New York Post. She also says Hitchcock once tried to force her to kiss him in the back of a limo. It was an awful, awful moment, she writes in the book. However, she didnt tell anyone about the alleged encounter because sexual harassment and stalking were terms that didnt exist in the early 1960s. Hedren says things escalated once again when she was working with the director on Marnie. There was one incident in which he showed up at her dressing room and put his hands on me, she writes. It was sexual, it was perverse. Hitchcock died in 1980 of renal failure. Hedren has often spoke about Hitchcocks treatment of her and referenced his alleged stalking and sexual misconduct in several interviews over the years. Tippi is slated to hit shelves in November 2016. PM stresses on bringing Nepal Sambat into practice Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has stressed the need of bringing the Nepal Sambat into practice as the government has already decided to recognise it as a national calendar. (Adds smoke entered cabin; plane halted 3,000 feet from end of runway) By Alwyn Scott and Tim Hepher Oct 29 (Reuters) - An American Airlines jet engine that failed seconds before takeoff in a fiery runway accident at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport flung broken turbine parts as far as half a mile from the scene, a federal investigator said on Saturday. Disclosure of the "uncontained" failure," in which internal engine parts breach the protective housing designed to keep them safely enclosed, even in a breakdown, came a day after a mishap that authorities said neared the point of disaster but caused no serious injuries. Shrapnel escaping from the engine's outer cover can tear through the cabin or rupture fuel tanks in the wings. Such engine failures are extremely rare, and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators were looking for clues as to whether the fault lay with the engine itself, with its manufacture or a freak event such as debris on the runway entering the engine. The General Electric engine that powered the plane was a workhorse model known as the CF6, introduced decades ago, GE spokesman Rick Kennedy told Reuters on Saturday. The American Airlines plane engine dates from the 1980s or 1990s, and had been serviced by the airline, he said. American Airlines Flight 383, a twin-engine Boeing 767 bound for Miami with 161 passengers and a crew of nine, was headed down a runway for departure when the right-side engine failed, forcing the crew to abort takeoff, authorities said. Leaking jet fuel caught fire under the wing, as the crew evacuated passengers via emergency exit chutes from the left side of the plane, and fire crews arrived to begin pouring foam on the flames within minutes. One flight attendant and 19 passengers suffered minor injuries in their escape. NTSB investigator Lorenda Ward told reporters at O'Hare on Saturday that while flames never breached the plane's cabin, some smoke did, though city fire officials have said no one suffered from smoke inhalation or burns. Story continues City fire department officials said on Friday the plane was 15 to 20 seconds from becoming airborne, fully loaded with 43,000 pounds of jet fuel. Ward said the aircraft stopped about 3,000 feet from the end of the runway. "That's a lot of runway to have left," she said. FAR-FLUNG ENGINE DEBRIS In a sign of the intensity of the engine breakdown, at least two pieces of a stage-2 high-pressure turbine disk were flung from the scene. One was found at a United Parcel Service warehouse nearly 3,000 feet (915 meters), or about half a mile, south of the accident site. Another was found three-tenths of a mile to the north on airport property, NTSB investigator Lorenda Ward told reporters at O'Hare on Saturday. She said the escaped engine parts would be shipped to a lab for examination, and the crippled right engine would be sent to a GE facility to be dismantled and examined there for clues to what caused the failure. American on Saturday declined to provide details about the aircraft, engine or maintenance, referring questions to the NTSB. Officials from GE Aviation, Boeing and American Airlines were on the scene at O'Hare assisting in the investigation, GE's Kennedy said. The CF6 was introduced in the 1970s, and more than 4,000 are currently in service on seven different wide-body jetliner models, including the Boeing 747 and 767, and Airbus A300 and A330, according to GE. The engine has racked up more than 400 million flight hours and has a record of "industry-leading levels of reliability," Kennedy said. The O'Hare incident marks the third uncontained GE engine failure in little over a year, following a British Airways Boeing 777 in September 2015 and a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 in August. Both aircraft used different engines, the GE90 and CMF56, made by a joint venture of GE and Safran of France. In a full-power ground test situation in 2006, an American Airlines 767 with GE CF6 engines suffered an uncontained failure, according to a summary produced by the Aviation Safety Network, a service of the Flight Safety Foundation, an international nonprofit based in Alexandria, Virginia. The high pressure turbine of the CF6-80A engine used on the 767 has been cited in six regulatory actions by the Federal Aviation Authority since 1986, FAA records show. The most recent, in 2009, required airlines to remove an engine rotor within 30 days and reduced the allowed lifespan of an engine disk, conditions that could lead to cracks and uncontained engine failure, according to FAA records. (Writing by Steve Gorman and Frank McGurty; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Mary Milliken) By Alwyn Scott and Tim Hepher (Reuters) - An American Airlines jet engine that failed seconds before takeoff in a fiery runway accident at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport flung broken turbine parts as far as half a mile from the scene, a federal investigator said on Saturday. Disclosure of the "uncontained" failure," in which internal engine parts breach the protective housing designed to keep them safely enclosed, even in a breakdown, came a day after a mishap that authorities said neared the point of disaster but caused no serious injuries. Shrapnel escaping from the engine's outer cover can tear through the cabin or rupture fuel tanks in the wings. Such engine failures are extremely rare, and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators were looking for clues as to whether the fault lay with the engine itself, with its manufacture or a freak event such as debris on the runway entering the engine. The General Electric engine that powered the plane was a workhorse model known as the CF6, introduced decades ago, GE spokesman Rick Kennedy told Reuters on Saturday. The American Airlines plane engine dates from the 1980s or 1990s, and had been serviced by the airline, he said. American Airlines Flight 383, a twin-engine Boeing 767 bound for Miami with 161 passengers and a crew of nine, was headed down a runway for departure when the right-side engine failed, forcing the crew to abort takeoff, authorities said. Leaking jet fuel caught fire under the wing, as the crew evacuated passengers via emergency exit chutes from the left side of the plane, and fire crews arrived to begin pouring foam on the flames within minutes. One flight attendant and 19 passengers suffered minor injuries in their escape. NTSB investigator Lorenda Ward told reporters at O'Hare on Saturday that while flames never breached the plane's cabin, some smoke did, though city fire officials have said no one suffered from smoke inhalation or burns. Story continues City fire department officials said on Friday the plane was 15 to 20 seconds from becoming airborne, fully loaded with 43,000 pounds of jet fuel. Ward said the aircraft stopped about 3,000 feet from the end of the runway. "That's a lot of runway to have left," she said. FAR-FLUNG ENGINE DEBRIS In a sign of the intensity of the engine breakdown, at least two pieces of a stage-2 high-pressure turbine disk were flung from the scene. One was found at a United Parcel Service warehouse nearly 3,000 feet (915 meters), or about half a mile, south of the accident site. Another was found three-tenths of a mile to the north on airport property, NTSB investigator Lorenda Ward told reporters at O'Hare on Saturday. She said the escaped engine parts would be shipped to a lab for examination, and the crippled right engine would be sent to a GE facility to be dismantled and examined there for clues to what caused the failure. American on Saturday declined to provide details about the aircraft, engine or maintenance, referring questions to the NTSB. Officials from GE Aviation, Boeing and American Airlines were on the scene at O'Hare assisting in the investigation, GE's Kennedy said. The CF6 was introduced in the 1970s, and more than 4,000 are currently in service on seven different wide-body jetliner models, including the Boeing 747 and 767, and Airbus A300 and A330, according to GE. The engine has racked up more than 400 million flight hours and has a record of "industry-leading levels of reliability," Kennedy said. The O'Hare incident marks the third uncontained GE engine failure in little over a year, following a British Airways Boeing 777 in September 2015 and a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 in August. Both aircraft used different engines, the GE90 and CMF56, made by a joint venture of GE and Safran of France. In a full-power ground test situation in 2006, an American Airlines 767 with GE CF6 engines suffered an uncontained failure, according to a summary produced by the Aviation Safety Network, a service of the Flight Safety Foundation, an international nonprofit based in Alexandria, Virginia. The high pressure turbine of the CF6-80A engine used on the 767 has been cited in six regulatory actions by the Federal Aviation Authority since 1986, FAA records show. The most recent, in 2009, required airlines to remove an engine rotor within 30 days and reduced the allowed lifespan of an engine disk, conditions that could lead to cracks and uncontained engine failure, according to FAA records. (Writing by Steve Gorman and Frank McGurty; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Mary Milliken) The family of an American backpacker who was sexually assaulted after she fell 150ft down a cliff in Thailand have hit out at her attackers five-year jail sentence. Hannah Gavios, 23, broke her back and lay helpless trapped on rocks while Apai Ruangwong, 28, subjected her to a 10-hour ordeal on September 1. She cant move her feet or ankles and has limited feeling in her backside. She is learning to walk with special crutches and braces. Ruangwong was originally sentenced to 10 years in prison but that has been halved after he pleaded guilty to obscene behavior and causing serious injury. Hannahs mother Gwen said: I am dismayed that it is automatically cut down to five years because of a guilty plea. Paralysed - Hannah is still learning to walk again (Pictures: SWNS) Hannah had been teaching English in Vietnam when she took a holiday to Railay Beach in the resort of Krabi, arriving on September 1. She encountered Ruangwong when she asked for help finding her way back to her hotel. She asked for help in a Tourist shop and the men there told Ruangwong to guide her to her hotel. MORE: World War 3: This is what would happen if Russia declares war MORE: Eating avocado and broccoli can delay signs of ageing, new study suggests Hannah fought him off and fled but ran off the edge of a cliff in the darkness, fracturing her spine leaving her trapped at the bottom of the cliff, where Ruangwong repeatedly sexually molested her for several hours as she lay helpless. He later returned with other people who raised the alarm and his victim was rescued and taken to hospital. At the time, Hannah said: I honestly thought I was going to die. I felt like a total vegetable. I felt completely vulnerable. I couldnt move anything. He didnt rape me but he did everything else. Treatment - Hannahs family are raising money for her medical expenses She was flown home to Queens, New York where she is still undergoing intensive treatment and her parents Gwen and Aaron are now trying to raise up to $200,000 to help her walk again - expenses not covered by her insurance. Story continues Gwen said: Were raising funds to pay for medical bills, medical equipment, psychotherapy, and physical therapy which will not be fully covered by our insurance company. 'Hannahs recovery period is expected to last up to two years or more, and many of the expenses, such as physical therapy will not be covered after several months. Hannah's family were raising money towards her medical costs, but are no longer taking donations through her Gofundme page. They wish to thank everyone who has helped. By Peter Gosnell (Reuters) - Asylum seekers sent to Manus Island and Nauru after attempting to travel to Australia by boat would be permanently banned from applying to enter the county under a proposed new law announced on Sunday. Speaking in Sydney, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the government would seek to amend the Migration Act (1958) to prevent irregular maritime arrivals taken to a regional processing country from making a valid application for an Australian visa, even if they had been classified as refugees. "The bill will apply to all taken to a regional processing country since the 19th of July, 2013," Turnbull said. The current policy of sending asylum seekers who arrive in Australian waters by boat to countries like Papua New Guinea and Nauru where their status as refugees is confirmed or rejected has bipartisan support in the Australian parliament. It was on July 19, 2013, that previous Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd declared that no irregular maritime arrival would ever settle in Australia. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the policy would not apply to anyone who was under the age of 18 on the date they arrived at either Manus Island, Nauru or any other country designated as a regional processing country. Up to 3,000 people on Manus Island, Nauru or in Australia undergoing medical treatment could be affected by the proposed laws. Refugee lawyer David Manne said Australia should be doing more to protect displaced people and queried why the country needed to be taking even tougher measures. "It is fundamental that Australia lifts its effort to make a far greater contribution to this global crisis," he said. "The way to do it is not to propose further measures that are about protecting borders rather than protecting people," Manne said. The proposed bill will be introduced in the next parliamentary sitting week. Turnbull said the legislation is about sending a united and concerted message to people smugglers. Turnbull said there had not been a successful attempt by people smugglers to bring irregular maritime arrivals to Australia in more than 800 days. "If they seek to bring people to Australia those passengers will never settle in this country," he said. (Reporting by Peter Gosnell; Editing by Leslie Adler) Some aid announcements as goodwill gesture likely: Sources Announcements regarding some projects under Indias assistance are likely to be made during Indian President Pranab Mukherjees state visit to Nepal. DUBAI (Reuters) - Bahrain authorities prevented the wife of a Bahraini dissident and their infant son, a U.S. citizen, from boarding a flight to London after he staged a protest against a visit by the Gulf state's king to Britain, human rights groups said. Sayed Ahmed AlWadaei, director of advocacy at the UK-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, was one of two activists briefly detained by police in London when they shouted at the king's car as it approached Prime Minister Theresa May's office on Wednesday. Hours later, the exile's Bahraini wife, Duaa, 25, and their 19-month-old son were detained for seven hours at Bahrain airport as they tried to fly out of the kingdom to join him in London, rights groups said. In a statement, the Bahrain government said it briefly detained Duaa AlWadaei for questioning and a search, saying the king's presence in Britain and the discovery in Bahrain in recent times of weapons and explosives meant "precautionary security measures were necessary". UK legal charity Reprieve said Duaa AlWadaei had been banned from leaving Bahrain, even though she had UK residency, adding Bahraini police and members of the public threatened Sayed Ahmed AlWadaei and his family in recent days. In brief remarks to Reuters, AlWadaei said it was not clear to him for how long his wife would be prevented from leaving. But the government said without elaborating that after the questioning, Duaa AlWadaei had been released "to make her onward destination". "With regards to the specific allegations of mistreatment, at no time was Mrs AlWadaei subjected to any form of mistreatment or violence. Allegations that her child was also 'detained' are false; he was simply allowed to remain with his mother." Bahrain's Sunni Muslim-led government has come under criticism from its Western allies and rights groups for its handling of dissent. Activists say a major crackdown is under way targeting Shi'ite and secular opposition. Bahrain's Shi'ites say they suffer discrimination, though the government denies this. Manama accuses Shi'ite power Iran of fomenting unrest on its soil, a charged Tehran denies. AlWadaei lives in exile in London with his wife and child. His wife and son were on a short family visit to Bahrain when the incident took place, Reprieve said. The U.S. State Department said on Friday it was looking into reports that a child with U.S. citizenship was prevented from leaving Bahrain, according to the State Department website. King Hamad, a close ally of Britain, was making his first visit to the country since May became prime minister in July. (Reporting by William Maclean; Editing by Alison Williams) LONDON (Reuters) - Bank of England Governor Mark Carney is unlikely to take up the option of a three-year extension to his term at the central bank, and may announce his decision as soon as Thursday, British newspapers reported at the weekend. Carney has said publicly that he will decide before the end of the year whether to stay beyond the five-year term he committed to when he joined the BoE in July 2013. He is due to hold a quarterly news conference on Thursday. The Sunday Times reported that Carney was unhappy with Prime Minister Theresa May's office, and had a closer relationship with finance minister Philip Hammond's predecessor, George Osborne, who had recruited him. Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, business minister Greg Clark - who served under Osborne - said Carney had been "a brilliant appointment". Saturday's edition of the Times - which is editorially separate from its Sunday sibling - had previously reported Carney's motivation for leaving in 2018 was more personal. "Senior City figures who know the governor said they believed it was more likely than not that he would choose to return to Canada in 2018, adding that his family's feelings were a concern," the Times had said. "Suggestions he could leave before 2018 were firmly rejected," it added, saying an announcement could come at Thursday's news conference or a future appearance before the committee of lawmakers which monitors the central bank. The BoE declined to comment on the Times article and referred to Carney's previous public statements on the topic. Last week, Carney said his decision whether to stay would be based on personal rather than political considerations, and he would need to find some time to make up his mind. The report that Carney was unhappy with May's office was based on information from two senior figures who had known Carney since he moved to Britain in 2013, the Sunday Times said. "I don't think he's been overly impressed by the professionalism of No. 10," the Sunday Times quoted someone described as a friend of Carney as saying about May's office. The Sunday Times said government officials did not expect Carney to announce his departure as soon as Thursday, and said friends of Carney expected him to stay in his job until 2018. (Reporting by David Milliken; editing by Mark Heinrich, Larry King) Benedict Cumberbatch got knee-deep in margaritas with Stephen Hawking and their night out sounds amazing Benedict Cumberbatch is one busy guy. Of course, hes in Marvels Doctor Strange and has been promoting it everywhere. He and costar Tilda Swinton even played Jenga while answering questions from fans and it was amazing. But the latest on Cumberbatch? His revelation about a night he went out drinking with Professor Stephen Hawking. Of course, you probably remember that Cumberbatch played Hawking in the 2004 TV movie of the same name. hawking But back to their night out. We were at the Royal Society for a discussion on the future of science and it was a long night, so we decided to go for a drink, Cumberbatch said on a recent episode of the BBCs The Graham Norton Show, reported People. We got knee-deep in margaritas and it was at that drunken moment I thought I would tell him I was playing Khan in Star Trek. Cumberbatch only told Hawking, he said, and It made him smile. Nothing like some in-your-face honesty, amirite?! Heres a pic of Cumberbatch with Hawking from March 2015, when the two attended a reception and dinner in support of the Motor Neurone Disease Association at Buckingham Palace in London because we doubt they have photographic evidence from their margarita night! Princess Anne Attends Dinner In Support Of Motor Neurone Disease Association Speaking of nights out, dont forget Cumberbatch will be hosting SNL ~for the first time ever~ on Saturday, November 5th. Were ready. Are you?! The post Benedict Cumberbatch got knee-deep in margaritas with Stephen Hawking and their night out sounds amazing appeared first on HelloGiggles. Only Bette Midler could win Halloween dressed as herself. Well, a version of her, anyway! The 70-year-old actress slayed at her 21st annual Hulaween bash at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City dressed as none other than her Hocus Pocus character, Winifred Sanderson. WATCH: Katy Perry Goes Incognito as Hillary Clinton While Beau Orlando Bloom Sports Donald Trump Costume For Halloween Midler dug through her closet to revive her character from the iconic 1993 film, channeling Winifred in a heart-shaped wig, buck teeth, long nails and missing eyebrows. Getty Images RELATED: 19 Reasons Why 'Hocus Pocus' Is the Best Halloween Movie of All Time! Designer Marc Jacobs, the night's costume contest judge, also wowed in his hilarious female bodybuilder costume at the event, which celebrated the New York Restoration Project. Getty Images The soiree's emcee, Kathy Griffin, went the opposite way of Midler. Rather than a throwback, the comedian's costume was thoroughly modern: Snapchat's deer filter. Getty Images RELATED: Bette Midler Reveals the Real Reason the 'Hocus Pocus' Sequel Is 'Delayed' Just a few weeks before reviving her famous character at her annual Halloween bash, Midler opened up to Billboard about why Hocus Pocus has remained a Halloween classic. "You don't get to see women doing slapstick too much and in the movie you can see that we're having a blast," she shared. "All the shackles were off, as Donald Trump likes to say, and we were allowed to be as wild as we wanted to be. It was a perfect storm of fun." "For the life of me, I can't understand why there's not a sequel," she added, echoing the sentiments of Hocus Pocus fans around the world. See more in the video below. Related Articles We dont blame you for wanting to know what town stood in for San Junipero, the beautiful seaside party town that provides the title for the third episode of the third season of Netflixs Black Mirror. San Junipero is a lovely place for the characters played by Mackenzie Davis and Gugu Mbatha-Raw to meet: Theres an old movie theater, soft neon lights and rom antic, rain-swept streets. O ff the main drag are dunes and craggy beaches. Where is this magical place, where Belinda Carlisles Heaven Is a Place on Earth blasts through nightclub speakers for all eternity? We assumed somewhere in central or northern California, because of the weather, topography and architecture. Santa Cruz? Pismo Beach? Junipero, after all, recalls the name of Father Junipero Serra, the missionary all California schoolchildren are taught about in elementary school the one who built Catholic missions. The story goes that he would supervise construction of one, then walk a day, then begin another so that future travelers would always have somewhere to stay. Also Read: 'Black Mirror' Creators Detail New Episodes: 'More Demented' Than 'Pokemon Go' Phenomenon But no. It turns out that the real San Junipero isnt in California, or even the United States. And why would it be, given the UK origins of Black Mirror? It turns out the real San Junipero is Cape Town, South Africa. Moonlighting Films, the South African filming services company that worked on the episode, confirms the location and that another Season 3 episode, Nosedive, shot there as well. Also Read: 'Black Mirror' Fact Check: Can Hackers Watch You Through Your Camera? (Moonlightings website has the episodes out of order, suggesting a last-minute switch in which they appear in Netflix rotation. Series creator Charlie Brooker recently told NPRs Fresh Air how much he struggles with what order the episodes of the anthology series should appear in.) Story continues Should you visit Cape Town? If you can. The port city on South Africas southwest coast, on a peninsula beneath Table Mountain, is rich not only with natural beauty but also history. Off its coast is Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela persevered for 27 years before attaining his freedom and ending apartheid in South Africa. Also Read: Why 'Black Mirror' Star Michael Kelly Won't Let His Daughter Have a Cellphone (Video) Theres something just and beautiful about the fact that an episode filmed in Cape Town centers on an interracial relationship and that no one even mentions that its an interracial relationship. Related stories from TheWrap: 'Black Mirror' Fact Check: Can Hackers Watch You Through Your Camera? 'Black Mirror' Season 3 Trailer Teases Tech Horrors in Our Own Homes (Video) 'Black Mirror' Creators Detail New Episodes: 'More Demented' Than 'Pokemon Go' Phenomenon Sydney (AFP) - Australia moved Sunday to bar any refugee or asylum-seeker who arrives in the country illegally by boat from ever being able to apply for a visa, even as tourists or for business. The lifetime ban will be put to parliament when it next sits, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull saying it was necessary to send an "absolutely, unflinching, unequivocal message" that boatpeople will never be allowed in Australia. "This is a battle of will between the Australian people, represented by its government, and the criminal gangs of people-smugglers," he said. "You should not underestimate the scale of the threat. These people-smugglers are the worst criminals imaginable. They have a multibillion-dollar business. "We have to be very determined to say no to their criminal plans." Amendments to the migration act would be backdated to mid-2013, when former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd declared: "As of today, asylum-seekers who come here by boat without a visa will never be settled in Australia." Canberra currently sends all boatpeople to offshore processing camps on the Pacific islands of Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus. They are already blocked from being resettled in Australia even if found to be genuine refugees. They can either return home, make a life on Manus or Nauru, or go to a third country. The new legislation would affect those sent to Nauru and Manus from July 19, 2013, including those who have returned home, and anyone who arrives in the future. But children will be exempt and the immigration minister would have the power to make exceptions. The Nauru facility holds just over 400 men, women and children. Some 800 men are detained on Manus, which Australia in August agreed to close after a Papua New Guinea court ruling that holding people there was unconstitutional and illegal. Rights group have alleged there is widespread abuse and self-harm in the camps. Turnbull said the move would reinforce to refugee advocates still hoping Australia will accept some of those on Nauru or Manus that it will never happen. Story continues "We have one of the most generous humanitarian programs in the world," he said. "But the only reason we can do it, the only reason it has the public acceptance that it does, is because we are in command of our borders." Australia has boosted its annual humanitarian refugee intake in recent years from 13,750 to 18,750, and has also agreed to take 12,000 displaced in Syria and Iraq. - Grave concerns - Refugee advocates said the plan was unacceptable, with Save the Children fearing it will further exacerbate the mental anguish of those held in the Pacific camps. "We have grave concerns that this kind of announcement will push people over the edge," said the organisation's director of policy and public advocacy in Australia Mat Tinkler. "The government must act urgently to give hope to these people, not continue to take it away." Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre lawyer David Manne agreed that the proposal punished genuine refugees. "This does nothing to address that fundamental question about where they are going to be taken so that they can rebuild their lives in safety and with dignity," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Since the start of "Operation Sovereign Borders" in September 2013, the conservative government has managed to halt the flood of boat arrivals, and drownings, that characterised previous Labor administrations. Labor said Sunday it had yet to decide whether to back the visa ban. (IRBIL, Iraq) Iraqs state-sanctioned Shiite militias said Sunday that some 5,000 fighters have joined their push to encircle the countrys second-largest city of Mosul and cut off Islamic State fighters there, as bombers killed at least 17 people in residential Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad. Karim al-Nuri of the umbrella group for the militias, known as the Popular Mobilization Units, and Jaafar al-Husseini, a spokesman for unit member the Hezbollah Brigades, said that a total of some 15,000 Shiite fighters were participating in the battle. The Iraqi military confirmed the figures, which, including army units, militarized police, and special forces bring the total number of anti-IS fighters in the offensive to over 40,000. Mosul is Iraqs second-largest city and the last major bastion of IS fighters in the country. The struggle to kick out the extremists has been long-anticipated since they stormed into the city in 2014, driving out a much larger Iraqi force, albeit one that was demoralized from neglect and corruption. The involvement of the Iranian-backed Shiite militias has raised concerns that the battle for the Sunni-majority city could aggravate sectarian tensions. Rights groups have accused the militias of abuses against civilians in other Sunni areas retaken from IS, accusations the militia leaders deny. The U.S. military estimates IS has 3,000 to 5,000 fighters inside Mosul and another 1,500-2,500 in the citys outer defensive belt. The total number includes around 1,000 foreign fighters. In the hours following the announcement of the Shiite reinforcements, five explosions rocked predominantly Shiite neighborhoods of the capital, killing at least 17 people and wounding over 60, police said. Police officials said the deadliest of the bombings, a parked car bomb, hit a popular fruit and vegetable market near a school in the northwestern Hurriyah area, killing at least 10 and wounding 34. Other attacks by improvised explosive devices hit the northern Shaab neighborhood, as well as traders markets in the Topchi and Zataria areas as well as the poorer Sadr City district. Story continues The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to brief reporters. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. But IS has stepped up its attacks in response to the offensive in Mosul, and it was possible the group was targeting Shiite areas in retaliation for the Mosul offensive. Earlier, Turkeys president warned that his government will be closely monitoring the Shiite militias behavior in northern Iraq and seek to safeguard the rights of ethnic Turkmens there. In statements carried by state-run Anadolu agency, Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters that the militia group, known in Arabic as Hashd al-Shaabi, could prompt a Turkish response if it terrorizes the Iraqi-Turkmen town of Tel Afar, where it is headed in its push around Mosul. Tel Afar is an entirely Turkmen town. If Hashd al-Shaabi starts terrorizing it, then our response will certainly be different, Erdogan said. The use of government-backed Shiite militias is a sensitive issue in the ongoing battle to retake Mosul from IS. Militia commanders have said their forces will not enter Mosul but will instead focus on surrounding towns like Tel Afar. Also Sunday, military officials reported that an army helicopter had crashed in the central province of Salahuddin due to a technical malfunction. They said that the two pilots of the helicopter, which went down the previous evening, were missing. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to brief reporters. ___ Rohan reported from Baghdad; Cinar Kiper contributed from Istanbul. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have started splitting up their assets. One month after Jolie filed for divorce, the former couple have sold their New Orleans, Louisiana, home, ET confirms. EXCLUSIVE: Angelina Jolie Spotted for the First Time Since Filing for Divorce From Brad Pitt -- See the Pics Pitt and Jolie purchased the property, located in New Orleans' French Quarter, post-Hurricane Katrina in 2007 for $3.5 million, after Pitt established the Make It Right foundation to fuel development of new housing in the city's Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood. The three-story, 1830s-era mansion -- which boasts 7,645 square feet, five bedrooms, three bathrooms and two half baths -- sold for $4.9 million but was originally listed for $5.6 million in November 2015. "It sold for a very fair price. It's a good deal for both parties," listing agent Nina Killeen tells ET of the sale of the historic house. "They're happy with the outcome." ET also can confirm that Jolie and Pitt cleverly purchased the estate under The Mondo Bongo Trust, a reference to one of the songs they danced to in the 2005 film, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, the movie set where they first met. Jolie and the pair's children -- Maddox, 15, Pax, 12, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 8 -- are currently living in a new Hidden Hills, California, rental, but the 41-year-old actress still owns plenty of other properties with her ex. WATCH: Investigation Into Brad Pitt Child Abuse Allegations Continues as Family Safety Plan Extended Pitt and Jolie also own a $60 million estate in France, a $16 million home in West London, England, and the 5,300-square-foot home in Los Angeles that Pitt purchased long before his marriage to Jolie. See more on how the former couple's divorce could affect their reported $400 million fortune: Related Articles By Paulo Prada RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - An evangelical bishop was elected mayor of Rio de Janeiro on Sunday in a second round of municipal voting that cemented a rout of the leftist party and allies who dominated Brazil's presidency and major cities for over a decade. Marcelo Crivella, a controversial conservative who is a senator, bishop and nephew of the founder of an evangelical megachurch, defeated a progressive former schoolteacher to run Brazil's second biggest city by a margin of nearly 20 percentage points. The 59-year-old pastor weathered an uproar over past criticism of homosexuality and Catholicism, the dominant religion in Latin America's largest country, by distancing himself from those comments and vowing to govern for Rio's residents, not the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, the influential congregation from which he hails. In a victory speech to supporters in a working-class Rio neighborhood, he promised to "take care of people," echoing campaign vows to improve deficient public services, from health to transport to sanitation, that complicate day-to-day life for the blue-collar voters who supported his candidacy. Crivella's victory, partly fueled by the growing influence of evangelical voters, fortifies a rightward shift in Brazil following the 13-year reign of the leftist Workers Party, which presided over a long economic boom before cratering during the recession and an historic corruption scandal. But the elections, which toppled many incumbents in a first round of voting earlier this month, are also a broader renunciation of the status quo, with voters frustrated by a second year of recession and the giant kickback scandal that has led to the arrest dozens of political and corporate chieftains. "It's an important election to change the old way of doing things," said Rafael Mello, a civil servant who voted Sunday morning in Rio. In the first round of voting, just weeks after lawmakers impeached former President Dilma Rousseff because of budget irregularities by her Workers Party government, two-term Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, a one-time Rousseff ally, failed to secure a place in the runoff for his hand-picked successor candidate. In Sao Paulo, Brazil's biggest city and the cradle of the Workers Party, voters ousted Mayor Fernando Haddad, once considered one of the party's rising stars. The Workers Party held onto only one of the state capitals it had previously occupied. EYEING 2018 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Sunday's voting will also influence how some key players at the national level could fare ahead of the 2018 presidential elections. In Belo Horizonte, capital of the rich southeastern state of Minas Gerais, a loss by a candidate from the centrist Brazilian Social Democratic Party is expected to help resolve an ongoing power struggle within the PSDB, as the party is known. The PSDB, which had been the chief opposition to the Workers Party and is increasingly well positioned to retake the presidency after four consecutive defeats, won Sao Paulo and other important cities in the first round of municipal elections. The victory by wealthy businessman Joao Doria in Sao Paulo fortified Geraldo Alckmin, the governor of that state and a possible presidential candidate, who pushed for Doria despite opposition from other PSDB leaders. The loss in Belo Horizonte, to a smaller centrist party, is considered a defeat for Aecio Neves, another PSDB leader who was the party's candidate against Rousseff in 2014. Neves, a senator and former governor of Minas Gerais, failed to win the state in that election and gave his imprimatur to this year's losing mayoral candidate. Crivella, the Rio victor, belongs to the Brazilian Republican Party, a relatively new conservative party. His leftist rival, Marcelo Freixo, represented the Socialism and Liberty Party, which broke away from the Workers Party over a decade ago to focus on human rights, education and social issues. Though Freixo garnered energetic support from celebrities, artists, intellectuals and prosperous Rio leftists, their ballots were easily outnumbered by a populist vote in less affluent parts of the city, traditionally skeptical of progressive platforms. (Additional reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier; Editing by Mary Milliken) (Adds quotes, background, Labour reaction) By Paul Sandle LONDON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Britain told Nissan it would aim for tariff-free trade with Europe for the motor industry after Brexit, persuading the Japanese company to invest in the country's biggest car plant, a cabinet minister said on Sunday. Last month Nissan's CEO Carlos Ghosn said he would need a guarantee of compensation to offset any tariffs imposed when Britain leaves the European Union, before deciding whether to build new models at the Sunderland factory in northeast England. Business Secretary Greg Clark said the government was determined the motor industry would remain competitive, and he had told Nissan it wanted to negotiate tariff-free trade for the sector with the remaining 27 EU members. "Our objective would be ensure we have continued access to the markets in Europe and vice versa without tariffs and without bureaucratic impediments, and that is how we will approach those negotiations," he told BBC television. However, he added that a promise of money to compensate for tariffs was not part of an agreement with Nissan. Nissan announced on Thursday that it would build the next generation of its Qashqai and X-Trail models at Sunderland, which directly employs around 7,000 people and exports 55 percent of its cars to Europe. A source told Reuters the government promised extra support to Nissan in a written assurance that Brexit would not hit the competitiveness of the Sunderland plant, which built nearly a third of Britain's 1.6 million cars last year. The British government has sent conflicting signals about what kind of relationship it wants with Europe after divorce talks end. Prime Minister Theresa May has made comments pointing towards a "hard Brexit", where Britain would limit immigration at the cost of leaving the huge European single market. Clark's pledge to Nissan, however, indicates that Britain wants to remain part of an EU customs union - which would allow some controls on free movement of people - or negotiate a special free trade deal for the industry, even if it does not stay in the single market. Story continues He said he was asking industry what it needed from Brexit, and the government hadn't made a decision on "what that crystallises into in terms of what we want to achieve". PLEDGES FOR ALL As a member of the EU customs union Turkey, for example, remains outside the bloc but trades freely within it. However, were Britain to adopt a similar model, it would not be able to sign separate trade deals with countries like India and China, which was an objective of some Brexit campaigners. Clark said Nissan's confidence in the government's position meant it could invest in the new models and safeguard thousands of jobs. Britain's agreement with Nissan, details of which had not been made public, has led rival car makers to seek their own assurance that they won't be hurt by Brexit. Industries such as pharmaceuticals, banking and aerospace are likely to want similar assurances that their interests will be protected after Brexit. The opposition Labour Party said the pledges given to Nissan needed to be made more widely. "All businesses and workers across all regions deserve the Nissan treatment and a clear answer from government about whether they are aiming for full single market access, a customs union, or some other set of arrangements," Labour's business spokesman Clive Lewis said. "Clark should make a statement to Parliament immediately about what he said to Nissan and how he plans to support the whole economy through Brexit." Clark said a lot of the assurances made to Nissan applied to the auto industry generally. A customs union-type agreement, however, would not allow Britain's services sector, including the City of London financial industry, to retain access to European markets. Clark said Brexit talks needed to approached in a "considered and sober" to make sure all of the different sectors, including the hugely important financial services were considered. (editing by Larry King and David Stamp) Dakar (AFP) - As a boy, Ben Hooper wanted to join the British explorers he idolised for surmounting the impossible, and now as he prepares to swim across the Atlantic, he hopes to equal their daring feats -- and survive. Hooper is wrapping up no less than three years of preparation for an immense journey that will see him swim up to 10 hours a day in two sessions for nearly five months, starting on Africa's western extremity and finishing on Brazil's east coast. Hooper will leave from Senegal on Tuesday with 11 crew members including a medic on his support boat, and will spend around 140 days struggling against what he calls "the blue wall" -- miles and miles of ocean with no land stops. "Shark-wise, we have two lines of defence," says Hooper, squinting at the waves of the Atlantic lapping at the Voile d'Or beach in Dakar, where he will begin his crossing. The 38-year-old animatedly explains how he will carry synthesised rotting shark meat to ward off the predators, supplemented by cables sending out an electrical signal to put off any snub-nosed killers. Sharks and jellyfish are not the only adversity: his muscles will be in agony after swimming 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) every day, his throat parched by saltwater, and there is little he can do to avoid sunburn in waters that may be too warm to wear a wetsuit. His goal is to rack up 1,635 nautical miles, equal to about 1,881 land miles (3,027 kilometres) over the course of the journey. He will take in up to 12,000 calories a day of military food packs and energy drinks. - 'Fiennes an inspiration' - So why would any rational human do this? A combination of near-death experiences and a love of old-fashioned British derring do, Hooper says. A premature baby, he was born with collapsed lungs and barely survived. After five years of better luck, he almost drowned in a Belgian swimming pool. "That was where my affinity with water started. Rather than scare me, that's where it began," he says. Story continues Years of charity swims, swimathons, scuba and free dives followed, through uncertainty professionally. A bout of depression led Hooper to leave a police career in his late twenties and begin studying psychology, but the depression returned three years ago and he realised something had to change. "I thought 'you know what, I don't know what's going to happen'," he said. "I had to think about my daughter and I had to think of my own life." He began looking back to the fearless English explorers who had long fascinated him: Ranulph Fiennes, who reached both the North and South poles overland, and Vivian Fuchs, the first man to cross the Antarctic on foot. "Ran Fiennes has been an inspiration of mine since I was a teenager," he said, describing his delight at receiving a letter from the legendary adventurer in his mid-teens. "He sent me loads of information and put me in touch with the late Sir Vivian Fuchs, who sent me a stack of stuff from New Zealand." After some thought, his conclusion was unequivocal: Hooper would attempt to become the first man to swim the entire distance across the Atlantic, a challenge he says no one else has ever completed before. There is a counter-claim: in 1998 Frenchman Benoit Lecomte claimed to have swum from Massachusetts to Brittany, but Guinness World Records refused to validate his feat. Lecomte was forced to spend a week on the Azores islands in the middle of the Atlantic recovering from exhaustion before completing his swim. "Benoit Lecomte tried to claim it in 71 days, 3,700 miles. With all due respect to Benoit's feat, Guinness (World Records) never verified it, because you can't swim that amount per day. It's ludicrous," Hooper says. - No Michael Phelps - Hooper says reaction to his plan has been varied, not least because he is far from a professional athlete. "I'm not ripped like Michael Phelps," the stocky Englishman admits, patting his slightly rounded stomach while referring to the US Olympic champion. Then there have been critics who have attempted to sour encounters with what he describes as "professionals not in it for the right reasons". "I am on a very, very limited budget. I have given up work to do this and we are dependent on donations, sponsorship. We got let down by two sponsors in the last month," he admits. Driving him back to the pool and the gym every day is his daughter, Georgie, who wants to become a marine biologist and is the "key person I wanted to inspire," Hooper says. The eight-year-old has given him the strength to push through criticism that he is mad, or at least dangerously unprepared. "Every time I talk to her she makes me laugh and makes me realise I am a worthwhile person," he says. How does he reconcile putting himself at such risk with his fierce love for his daughter? "A couple of weeks back I did think about death, but, well, I've been there six times already," he says of his several brushes with the Grim Reaper. "If you don't step outside the box once in a while, the lid's going to close on you." Hooper's journey will be logged and filmed and can be tracked on his "Swim the Big Blue" website. Camfil fulfills its promise of products that are designed for sustainability, health and lowest possible operational cost RIVERDALE, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / October 30, 2016 / At Camfil, the idea of air filtration goes beyond just producing clean air. The goal is to improve the environments where so many people spend most of their time; to protect the health of the countless people around the world who would otherwise spend their days working and breathing polluted air. Anders Sundvik, Vice President of Research and Development at Camfil, states, "Our business is all about energy efficiency, safety and health. We believe that the right to breathe clean air is a basic human right. Air filtration is not just about producing clean air as it is about protecting peoples health." Based in Trosa, a small village in Sweden, Camfil began more than 50 years ago as a family-owned company, and continues to run as one today. Since our beginnings in the 1960s, the company has grown into a global leader in the air filtration market, employing more than 3,700 people at 26 production plants throughout Europe, North America and East Asia. Camfil maintains a presence in over 50 countries around the world, with annual sales of around 700 million dollars. A Big Small Company When looking at the size of other companies working on a global scale, Camfil looks small in comparison, but the company has few competitors working on the same level. Camfil has proven itself as a leader in all of the major segments of the air filtrations market, from products designed for individual consumers and small offices to industrial solutions that will handle everything from heavy dust and gas pollution to sterilization equipment used by microbiology laboratories. Showing that Camfil understands the market and their customers, Mr. Sundvik explains, "The air filter market is very local. Its built on personal relationships. When you buy air filters for your building, you go to the closest vendor, who often happens to be a small local garage entrepreneur in your neighborhood. So we make every possible effort to act local but stay global wherever we operate." Story continues When asked about what makes Camfil stand out from so many local vendors, Sundvik adds, "Our competitive edge is being at the forefront of technological innovation in the industry. Selling high-quality air filters is tough. Clean air is an invisible product. No one would be able to tell how polluted the air we are breathing actually is without measuring and monitoring it. We help our customers visualize clean air." Technology and Innovation To help its customers visualize the air they breathe, Camfil has built mobile laboratories for monitoring and measuring the levels of dust particles and concentrations of gases and contaminants in the air on customer sites. In 2012, the group added a state-of-the-art R&D campus, the Tech Center, to its Trosa manufacturing base. The 2,500 square meter Tech Center is one of the largest research and development centers in the world for the development of air filters, clean air solutions and filter production technology. The facility employs 35 specialists and is equipped with the latest laboratory technology to analyze air and develop high-performance filtration products and systems. All of this has been put into place to help Camfil fulfill its promise of products that are designed for sustainability, health and lowest possible operational cost. Unprecedented Energy Efficiency Filtering and cooling the air in commercial spaces requires a lot more energy than you might think youd need to simply push air around. To give you an idea, an average residential air filtration system will consume as much electricity as a domestic refrigerator/freezer. If you need to increase the filtration rate, its about the same, in energy costs, as adding another refrigerator to your home. Expanding on Camfils intention to increase the energy efficiency of their products, Mr. Sundvik had this to say, The current level of air filter performance is a compromise between efficiency and energy consumption. Our future goal is to increase efficiency while keeping energy consumption at lower levels. If we manage to reduce the energy consumption of our filter by just one percent, the aggregate effect of energy savings for our customers would total approximately 150 Gigawatt/Hours per year. While that 1% reduction in energy consumption already makes for impressive numbers, it is nowhere near the companys actual goal of a 20% cut in the energy consumed by our products. When this goal is reached, the resulting savings for the economy as a whole would be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Looking to The Future As an industry leader today, Camfil is focused on creating a better future. The products we produce today are delivering unmatched results, in terms of both filtration and energy efficiency, but there is still much work to be done. Our experience and reputation for innovation will carry us into the future, where we will continue to lead the way. We are hard at work, developing new technologies and systems that will not only allow us to keep our promises of sustainability, a healthy environment, and lower energy consumption, but improve upon them as time goes on. Lynne Laake Camfil USA Air Filters T: 888.599.6620 E:Lynne.Laake@camfil.com F: Friend Camfil USA on Facebook T: Follow Camfil USA on Twitter Y: Watch Camfil Videos on YouTube L: Follow our LinkedIn Page Source: Camfil USA Air Filters BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A car bomb parked in a shopping street of a Shi'ite district of Baghdad killed at least eight people and wounded more than 30 others on Sunday, police and medical staff said. The bombing, which hit the Hurriya district, came as Iraqi security forces are engaged in an offensive to take back Mosul, Islamic State's last major city stronghold in Iraq. It wasn't clear if there was a suicide driver in the car. (Reporting by Kareem Raheem and Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Susan Fenton) Jerusalem (AFP) - A car ramming in the occupied West Bank on Sunday lightly wounded three Israeli police officers, and the Palestinian attacker was shot dead, Israeli police said. The incident occurred in the Beit Ummar area near the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron as border police were conducting an operation, police said. Officers then shot the Palestinian. The Palestinian health ministry identified the man killed as Khaled Ahmad Ekhlail, 23, from Beit Ummar. A wave of Palestinian knife, gun and car-ramming attacks began a year ago, but the violence has signficantly declined in recent months. Since October last year, the violence has claimed the lives of 236 Palestinians, 36 Israelis, two Americans, a Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese, according to an AFP count. Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out attacks, according to Israeli authorities. Others were shot dead during protests and clashes, while some were killed in air strikes in the Gaza Strip. Human rights groups have accused Israeli security forces of using excessive force in certain cases. Internal reviews by the army of two fatal shootings of attackers earlier this month found that the use of deadly force could have been avoided, public radio reported last week. Many analysts say Palestinian frustration with the Israeli occupation and settlement-building in the West Bank, comatose peace efforts and their own fractured leadership have helped feed the unrest. Israel says incitement by Palestinian leaders and media is a leading cause. Most of the attacks have been carried out by lone-wolf assailants, many of them young. Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f263395%2f6ac4ddeeabf445f9ba70ed1e344205f4 The 2016 U.S. presidential election has been memorable for many reasons, but a nuanced discussion about climate change isn't one of them. With just weeks to go before election day, the producers of the documentary series Years of Living Dangerously said they are hoping to break the climate silence with the premiere of the show's second season on Sunday. SEE ALSO: Leonardo DiCaprio's new film 'Before the Flood' says we can fix global warming The first season, which won a 2014 Emmy Award, was the highest profile program on climate change since Al Gore's groundbreaking 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth. The Showtime series paired celebrity correspondents with climate scientists and grassroots activists to highlight the threats that a warming planet poses to families and ecosystems worldwide. Season 2 of Years will air on a new outlet, the National Geographic Channel, and will have a stronger focus on renewable energy solutions. David Gelber, who created the show with Joel Bach, said he hoped Season 2 would influence U.S. voters before they hit the polls on Nov. 8. "We want to put this issue where it belongs. It's the single biggest issue facing the planet right now," Gelber told Mashable at the Sept. 21 season premiere party in New York. "Our hope is to develop a political consensus that this is an urgent matter," he said, adding that if countries don't address climate change, "We're screwed. I got an 11-year-old and a 7-year-old, and their world is going to be turned upside down." Season 2 will revive the successful mix of Hollywood stars, high-profile scientists and environmentalists. The show's executive producers include Gelber, Bach, James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Celebrity correspondents attend the premiere of National Geographic Channels "Years of Living Dangerously'"at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, Sept. 21, 2016. Image: Anthony Behar/National Geographic/PictureGroup Mashable spoke with a few of this season's correspondents on the sidelines of the September launch party at the American Museum of Natural History. Here's what they had to say about their upcoming episodes: Story continues Arnold Schwarzenegger. The former California governor and actor visited with U.S. soldiers in Kuwait. He traveled in a fuel convoy one of the military's most dangerous missions and learned how the military is working to reduce its own carbon footprint. "I wanted to travel to the Middle East and be part of the big fuel convoy, because so many of our men and women get killed delivering fuel to the military installations," Schwarzenegger said. "Now, by the military going green and powering their installations with solar and wind, rather than with fuel, they save a lot of lives." "The military is very efficient and they think ahead, years ahead," he added, "unlike some of our politicians that don't think way ahead." America Ferrera. The actress traveled to Waukegan, Illinois, where Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign is working to clean up a retired coal-fired power plant. Environmentalists say the hulking facility continues to taint the air and water and harm the health of nearby residents. Ferrera said she was attracted to Waukegan's story in part because it addresses the environmental injustices that many minority communities face around the country. "A large percentage of the population is Latino and low-income, and they're living around this coal plant that is essentially non-functioning but still continuing to pollute and toxify the air," Ferrera said. "They continue to endanger not only the environment but the lives of people who live around them." Aasif Mandvi. The comedian and former Daily Show correspondent visited Kenya's wildlife preserves to understand how the effects of climate change, including increased drought and irregular rainfall, are affecting endangered species that are already vulnerable to poaching and habitat loss. "There's only 500,000 elephants on the continent of Africa today, and we're losing 30,000 a year," Mandvi said. "I don't think people realize how close we are to that kind of complete devastation of a species." The actor said the experience had a profound impact on his personal life. He met with members of the Maasai ethnic group in southern Kenya, who are now seeing elephants stampede their farmland as the animals escape their own withering habitats. "Our ecosystem is interdependent and interconnected, and we forget that in our First World lives," Mandvi said. "The water just comes out of the faucet. We don't worry about things like that." Bangui (Central African Republic) (AFP) - French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian heads to the Central African Republic on Sunday to formally end Operation Sangaris, begun three years ago to halt mass killings there but which failed to disarm militias terrorising the population. The formal end to the French mission comes as a fresh wave of bloodshed shook the troubled nation, spearheaded by rival Muslim and Christian militia groups. "France is not giving up on Central Africa," Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Thursday, highlighting the presence of more than 10,000 UN peacekeepers from the MINUSCA mission. But many Central Africans are worried about the departure of the French troops, who were urgently deployed following a wave of bloodshed in December 2013. "Armed groups are getting ready. And I'm afraid they will start an all-out offensive when the French have left," a senior political figure told AFP, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject. "The militias fear the French troops but not the UN force." In recent weeks, people have been living in fear as armed groups have resumed their acts of violence in the interior of the country, leaving dozens dead. On Thursday and Friday alone, at least 25 people were killed, among them six members of the security forces following clashes in the central town of Bambari and the surrounding area, MINUSCA said. - Mass killings - Armed groups have flourished over the years given the weakness of the state. Among the main culprits are factions from the mostly-Muslim former Seleka rebel force, and the Christian anti-Balaka militias. But there are also vigilante groups made up of nomadic Fulani herders, who are predominantly Muslim as well as others which specialise in highway robbery. One of the world's poorest countries, the Central African Republic has scarcely emerged from the chaos of civil war which erupted in 2013 following the overthrow of then president Francoise Bozize, a Christian, by Muslim rebels from the Seleka coalition who installed their own leader. Story continues Christians who comprise about 80 percent of the population then organised vigilante units -- dubbed "anti-Balaka" in reference to the machetes used by the rebels -- which then began to target Muslims, plunging the country into a crisis. According to Human Rights Watch, the Seleka and anti-Balaka groups committed widespread abuses against civilians, including killings, sexual violence, and destruction of private, public and religious properties, causing mass displacement. French troops backed by a UN mandate arrived in December 2013. A month later, the Seleka president was forced to step down following massive international pressure over his failure to end the violence. - 'A success' - Despite this explosive cocktail, France, the former colonial power, decided earlier this year to end its mission in the country with Le Drian telling parliament earlier this month that the operation had been "a success". "We stopped the mass killings... allowed a process of intercommunal reconciliation, the reconstitution of the state, a presidential election, and legislative elections," he said during a debate. "Even if stability has not been entirely restored, it is important now... that this role be handed over to the Central African forces and the UN mission." Around 350 French troops, equipped with observation drones, will remain present, around 100 of whom will be deployed with the UN, the French government says. - Allegations of child rape - The French operation has not been entirely smooth, with its troops coming under intense pressure since July 2014 over allegations of child rape. Despite the troubling claims, fears of a return to violence have triggered concern among Central African civilians over the imminent pullout. "I think there is a sense of unfinished business which risks plunging the country back into a much worse situation," said a teacher called Edgar Ngbaba. "I don't believe in this withdrawal at all," said Marie Ndoinam, a trader. And the worry of Bangui residents is only fuelled by news filtering through from the interior of the country. According to several Central African sources contacted by AFP, several hundreds of heavily-armed Seleka gunmen from rival factions have begun gathering in Batangafo, some 350 kilometres (220 miles) north of Bangui. Traffic not to be halted during Indian President's visit Efforts are on to making the vehicular movement smooth and hassle-free for the general public during the Indian President Pranab Mukherjee's visit to Nepal from November 2 to 4, the Nepal Police said on Sunday. By Harriet McLeod CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - Two South Carolina shootings that rocked the country last year and raised questions about race in America are now headed for trial, putting the historic city of Charleston on edge as the community awaits the testimony and juries' decisions. Jury selection begins on Monday in the case of Michael Slager, a white former policeman in North Charleston charged with murder in state court after he fatally shot unarmed black motorist Walter Scott in April 2015. One week later on Nov. 7, a federal death penalty trial is slated to start for avowed white supremacist Dylann Roof, who is accused of killing nine black parishioners during Bible study at Charleston's Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in June 2015. The nearly simultaneous proceedings will take place at courthouses across the street from each other in the heart of Charleston's downtown district. Black community activists said the outcomes will test the calm that prevailed after the shootings and could trigger unrest if those angry about the killings feel justice is not served. "The community is, for lack of better words, on eggshells," said Justin Bamberg, a state legislator and lawyer who represents Scott's family. Both trials are expected to last several weeks and draw national attention to the port city of about 133,000 people that is known for its cuisine and well-preserved 18th and 19th century architecture. But Bamberg said the cases have important distinctions. Roof's trial is less about his guilt or innocence than whether he will be sentenced to life in prison or death, Bamberg said. Roof's lawyers have said he would plead guilty to 33 counts of hate crimes, obstruction of religion and firearms charges if prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty. Slager's case, on the other hand, could produce a rare result: a guilty verdict against a U.S. police officer charged with murder or manslaughter. Story continues 'SITTING ON PINS AND NEEDLES' Since 2005, 27 of the 77 officers charged across the country with murder or manslaughter after an on-duty fatal shooting were convicted, according to Philip Stinson, a Bowling Green State University associate professor who tracks such cases. Twenty-nine of those criminal cases ended with no conviction, while cases for 21 of those officers, including Slager, are pending. "Our confidence level in the justice process working is like sitting on pins and needles," said Edward Bryant III, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) branch in North Charleston, where black residents have long complained of racial profiling by the largely white police force. Slager was arrested and charged with murder after investigators watched a bystander's cell phone video that showed him firing eight times at 50-year-old Scott's back as he fled from the officer. Defense lawyers say the video does not show the whole story of what happened after Scott was pulled over for a broken brake light. They will argue that Slager, who has pleaded not guilty, felt threatened by Scott as the men struggled over the officer's stun gun. The defense has asked for Slager's trial to be moved to a different venue, saying the security measures needed to preserve order amid the two high-profile proceedings will make the area around the courthouses look "more like an armed camp than the Holy City." QUIET RUMBLING "The juxtaposition, both temporally and territorially, of the United States v. Dylann Roof trial taking place literally across the street simultaneously with Slager's trial will no doubt bring a media spectacle to rival any ever seen in this or any town, in addition to hordes of supporters, detractors and community activists from every philosophical bent," Slager lawyer Andy Savage wrote in a motion that has not yet been taken up. Law enforcement officials have asked the community to help keep things under control during what Charleston Police Chief Gregory Mullen said would be "a very delicate and important time for the city." Local civil rights leaders and lawmakers said they feared what might happen as the trials conclude, particularly if jurors find Slager not guilty. "We will let justice work, but if people perceive that justice doesn't work, you're not sure where this is going," said Dot Scott, president of Charleston's NAACP chapter. "Theres quiet rumbling right now." (Additional reporting and writing by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Bill Rigby) By Mahdi Talat QARAQOSH, Iraq (Reuters) - Surrounded by charred walls and in front of a ruined altar, dozens of Iraqi Christians celebrated mass at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Qaraqosh on Sunday for the first time since it was recaptured from Islamic State. Church bells rang out in the town on the southeastern approaches to Mosul where Iraqi troops, backed by U.S.-led air and ground forces, have been driving back the Sunni Muslim jihadists ahead of a battle for the city itself. "Today Qaraqosh is free of Daesh (Islamic State)," Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Mosul Butrus Moshe told worshippers. Islamic State has targeted the adherents and religious sites of minority communities in both Iraq and Syria. When it seized control of Mosul two years ago it issued an ultimatum to Christians: pay a tax, convert to Islam, or die by the sword. Most abandoned their homes and fled toward the autonomous Kurdish region, abandoning one of Christianity's earliest centers. "Our role today is to remove all the remnants of Daesh," the archbishop said. "This includes erasing sedition, separation and conflicts, which victimized us," said the archbishop, who was born in Qaraqosh. "Political and sectarian strife, separating between one man and another, between ruler and follower, these mentalities must be changed, he said. Christianity in northern Iraq dates back to the first century AD. The number of Christians fell sharply during the violence which followed the 2003 overthrow of Saddam Hussein, and the Islamic State takeover of Mosul two years ago purged the city of Christians for the first time in two millennia. It was from a Mosul mosque that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a "caliphate" in 2014, spanning northern Iraq and eastern Syria. The recapture of the city would mark the effective defeat of the Iraqi wing of that domain. (Writing by Bushra Shakshir and Stephen Kalin; Editing by Dominic Evans) MELBOURNE, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Woodside Petroleum said on Monday it faces an 8 percent rise in its expected costs on the Wheatstone LNG (liquefied natural gas) project in Australia, after operator Chevron Corp flagged total costs would jump to $34 billion. Chevron said last Friday delays in module deliveries to the Wheatstone project had resulted in a $5 billion blowout in costs from its estimate in 2011. It still expects the plant, which will have two production units, to start output in mid-2017. Woodside bought a 13 percent stake in the project last year, but said its exposure to the cost increase is less than that as it made its own estimates when it joined the project and has a different position in the gas production side of it. "It is within the range of outcomes expected at the time of the acquisition of Apache's interest in the Wheatstone Joint Venture and can be funded by existing cash and undrawn debt facilities," Woodside said in a statement to the Australian stock exchange. Chevron blamed the delay in module deliveries to Wheatstone mainly on "poor performance" at one of the fabricating yards it originally chose, which led it to redirect work to other yards. The cost jump comes on top of a $17 billion blowout Chevron suffered on the bigger Gorgon LNG project off Australia's west coast, where two out of three production units, are now up and running. Chevron Chief Financial Officer Patricia Yarrington conceded that the increases on both projects had partly been due to the company's own "underestimation of the quantity of materials that were required." "It is one of the primary areas we are trying to improve our project execution going forward," Yarrington told analysts on the company's quarterly conference call on Friday. Chevron said production at train 1 at Gorgon has been stable at about 5 million tonnes a year, and with train 2 ramping up, it expects to ship an average of two to three cargoes a week. Train 3 is expected to start producing in the second quarter of 2017. (Reporting by Sonali Paul; Editing by Alan Crosby) Chi Chi Von Tangs premiere of its Anime collection at Singapore Fashion Week. (PHOTO: Yahoo Newsroom) Chi Chi Von Tangs premiere of its Anime collection at Singapore Fashion Week. (PHOTO: Yahoo Newsroom) By Kyle Malinda-White Ask any fashion designer in Singapore how to start a label here and tales of toil and hard work amid a small retail market will appear. It seems like a fairytale beginning for Chi Chi Von Tang, a label that launched last year and quickly made its way onto the shoulders of celebrities such as rock legend Mick Jagger and rapper Eve. The street-luxe labels founder, 29-year-old Lisa Crosswhite, said the brands superstar endorsement could have come so quickly because celebrities with strong identities can relate to its East-meets-West superhero theme. The people who appreciated the label really got it and it felt like the universe was rewarding me for being true to myself, she told Yahoo Singapore in her office at Kampong Bugis. Coming full circle Lisa, who is of Chinese-Canadian descent, founded multi-label online store Gnossem four years ago and the company wanted to launch a house brand to increase its margins. It was an opportunity for Lisa to come full circle: turning the sketches of clothes she made when she was in high school, into real life. Growing up trying to find her own identity amid family expectations to pursue a conventional career, Lisa always felt she was the black sheep. I think its the universe. I genuinely think we avoid things sometimes that we are meant to meet, said Lisa, recounting how she studied biochemistry and political science in university before Gnossem brought her closer to fashion. In the short span of a year, the brand made its way to the red carpet of the revered Met Gala where Nicole Shanahan, Lisas friend and girlfriend of Google founder Sergey Brin, wore a piece from the Anime collection. The collection premiered on Friday (28 October) at Singapore Fashion Week. For a new brand like us with a contemporary price point, you need to find people in good places who genuinely love and support your brand and everyone lifts each other up, said Lisa. The Anime collection features manga strip prints of the Chi Chi Von Tang woman saving the world in various situations, which bears some resemblance to Lisas career as a fashion entrepreneur. Story continues Unlike Chi Chi, Ive been afraid in life and have to tell myself to breathe. We all live with fears and insecurities, so I want her to stand for something that gives you courage, said Lisa. A challenge came when Lisa launched the label amid a soft retail market in Singapore and said that her strategy of going offline with invite-only regional trunk shows helped cement her foothold in Asia. In Asia, there is this feeling of constant growth. I like places with a bit of a rat race; I think it burns people but I feed off the energy and I like contributing to a growing economy and industry. Im a builder, so I want to be in a place where there are lots of builders, she said. Chinese coastguard ships are still patrolling the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea but are not stopping Filipinos from fishing there, a Philippine defence spokesman said Sunday. The information -- from fishermen who have just returned from the shoal -- came despite earlier Philippine government statements that the Chinese had left the outcrop they seized in 2012. A spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte had said Saturday there were no longer signs of Chinese ships at the shoal, after Duterte visited China to repair frayed ties. However Defence Department spokesman Arsenio Andolong said the fishermen who visited the shoal on Saturday still saw Chinese coastguard ships there. "Filipino fishermen, who have been to Bajo de Masinloc, (the local name for Scarborough Shoal) say that they have observed an undetermined number of Chinese white ships in the area but (the Filipinos) were not subjected to any harassment by these vessels and they were able to fish in peace," he said in a statement on Sunday. China took control of Scarborough Shoal, 230 kilometres (140 miles) west of the main Philippine island of Luzon, in 2012. It drove Filipino fishermen away from the rich fishing ground, sometimes using water cannons. In a case brought by then-president Benigno Aquino, the Philippines won a resounding victory over China at an international tribunal earlier this year. In a judgement that infuriated Beijing, the tribunal ruled in July there was no basis for China's claims to most of the South China Sea -- where several nations have competing partial claims. However Aquino's successor Duterte played down this victory in a visit to China earlier this month, putting territorial disputes on the back-burner and focusing instead on Chinese aid. Chinese President Xi Jinping told Duterte there was no reason for hostility and difficult topics "could be shelved temporarily". The Chinese occupation of the shoal has been a sore point in relations, with Filipino fishermen frequently complaining that Chinese ships drive them away from their fishing grounds. Story continues Duterte had hinted at the possibility of a Chinese withdrawal upon his return from Beijing, saying: "We'll just wait for a few more days. We might be able to return to Scarborough Shoal." Newspaper reports on Sunday also said fishermen from the northern province of Pangasinan were able to fish at Scarborough Shoal, with the Chinese watching but not interfering. "Happy days are here again," the Philippine Star quoted one fisherman as saying. So, how hard is comedy? I can do Manchester by the Sea, Chris Rock said to the producer of Kenneth Longergans much-heralded new indie film today. But Kenneth cant do Pootie Tang. Rock was joking probably but the upsmanship during the Dying is Easy, Comedy is Hard panel discussion at the Produced By New York conference made it hard to tell. Moderator Chris Moore, whose producing career spans American Pie, Good Will Hunting and the new Manchester, tossed the comic gauntlet by recalling the difficulty of convincingly depicting Pies Stiffler downing a vile concoction of beer and Kevin. Stuart Cornfeld, producer of Tropic Thunder, raised the ante: Not only did his star Ben Stiller have to get a laugh by tossing a 12-year-old child off a burning bridge, but costar Robert Downey had to perform in blackface. Even Stiller, Cornfeld said, was worried about that one. Ben was wrapped up in all the conversations about, Is this pushing the line, is this in bad taste, and I was like, this is a great f*cking joke. Lets not lose it. Stiller, said Cornfeld, was convinced after Dreamworks hired make-up legend Rick Baker to photoshop a convincing picture of an African American Downey. Producer M. Blair Breard (Louie, Better Things, Baskets) said that the degree of difficulty doesnt always translate into laughs. Recalling two episodes of the Louis C.K. series, she said, We made a hurricane in Season Four and nobody cared. The thing everyone talked about from that season was Louies conversation with Sarah Baker in the episode called So Did the Fat Lady.' So well take Rocks advice to let talent do what it does (Give Louis C.K. what he wants) and present the panels words verbatim. Chris Rock, on knowing your audience: If you cant make people you look like laugh, theres something wrong. Some people arent making comedy for me. Like Samantha Bee ok, this is not for me, this is for a specific group of women. Story continues Stuart Cornfeld, on Dodgeball and getting a joke: Nobody wanted to do Dodgeball. Everybody kept saying, Why does it have to be dodgeball? The best script Ive got right now is a Zoolander treatment of the mime world, and Im in meetings where people say, But Stuart, no one likes mime. And Im like, I know that. You cant explain a joke. Chris Rock, on Dodgeball: Its like a Katy Perry song! One of the best pop comedies ever. If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball! [Laughs hysterically] M. Blair Breard, on a producers role in comedy: Just get out of the way. Chris Rock, on a producers role in comedy: If my producer totally gets it, the jokes too old. Sometimes not getting it is good. Chris Moore, on a producers role in comedy [addressing Rock]: So theres no role for a producer on a comedy? [Points to the Producers Guild of America logo on the panels backdrop.] Guess somebody forgot to point that out. Chris Rock, on drama vs. comedy: Take out Sean Connery and put in Clint Eastwood and youve got the same movie. Now try that with Talladega Nights and Will Ferrell and see what happens. People will get fired. M. Blair Breard, on improv: With Louis, not one word is improv. Ive seen him go back and say, No its a there not a the. [C.K. made an exception, Breard said, for Joan Rivers.] Chris Rock, on improv: I always say the best improv is the one you thought of yesterday. I like to be prepared. Related stories There's Box Office Gold In Diversity, Says Film Producer Panel - Produced By NY 'Late Late Show' Producer Adam Abramson Talks Integrating TV & Digital - Produced By NY Matt Damon On 'Manchester By the Sea' & Why He Had Final Cut Approval - Produced By NY This church pastor bravely shared her late term abortion story and it is heartbreaking There are some women whose bravery takes our breath away. The Rev. Dr. Amy Butler, a senior minister at New York Citys Riverside Church (not to mention the first female to hold that role), is one. Her act of bravery was not physical, but mental. She shared the story of her late term abortion in an essay for USA Today. Thats right. A religious figure wrote about abortion her own. Dr. Butler was moved to share the story of her struggles due to the current political climate: This year, we have watched a major candidate for our countrys highest office demean and slander whole categories of American citizens. We have watched him make offensive, outrageous claims about real people and real decisions that everyday Americans face. People like me. Decisions like mine, she wrote. Abortion has been a hot topic this election season, as it often is since the candidates stances are so different. In her essay, Dr. Butler gets very personal about the experience. She continues, What sent me to my computer to write is late-term abortion. As I heard Donald Trump talk about babies being ripped from their mothers wombs, as if ending a pregnancy is a reckless, irresponsible afterthought, my outrage poured down my face in angry tears. In those moments, Trump, who has never been pregnant and presumably has navigated this far in his life without undertaking any difficult, gut-wrenching, gray-area decisions, used my own pain deep, deep pain to advance his political agenda. women Compelled by the presidential candidates words, she bravely continues her personal story. She writes, The late-term abortion I chose was the end of a dream. The pain was so real and so consuming that navigating my way through the grief, I never thought that I would have the happy, healthy family that I do today. It was one of the most agonizing experiences of my life and a true lesson in the reality that life is not always as clear-cut and obvious as you might think it is. Story continues In the powerful essay, she recounts how she got the news that something was wrong with her pregnancy in her third trimester. Doctors confirmed that her baby was not healthy, and would likely not survive birth. Even worse, if she did, she would slowly suffer and die shortly after. Morever, doctors told her that continuing the pregnancy would be dangerous for her. Butler was devastated and forced to make one of the hardest decisions imaginable. We wish some of our current political candidates would read this essay and understand. I wish I never had to live through the loss of my child, but I am forever grateful for my personal decision being just that: mine. I had a choice, and I chose to make the hardest decision and carry the pain of that decision with me for my whole life to ensure that my child didnt suffer. healthcare Butler believes politicians like Donald Trump devalue womens real and often horrific experiences, which she eloquently states in her essay. As the election approaches, we are thankful for women like Rev. Dr. Amy Butler who share their stories. Thank you. The post This church pastor bravely shared her late term abortion story and it is heartbreaking appeared first on HelloGiggles. Frankfurt (AFP) - German authorities are investigating a claim by jihadist group Islamic State to be behind the mid-October murder of a teenage boy in Hamburg, a police spokeswoman said on Sunday. IS-affiliated news agency Amaq reported on Saturday that the jihadist group had claimed responsibility for the October 16 knife attack. "A soldier of the Islamic State stabbed two individuals in Hamburg city on the 16th of this month," the release said, in response to "calls to target the citizens of coalition countries" that are fighting IS in Iraq and Syria. "We are looking into the authenticity of the IS claim of responsibility," the police spokeswoman told AFP. A specialist political crimes unit is now involved in the case, she added. Meanwhile, news agency DPA reported on Sunday that German federal prosecutors had "taken note" of the claim and may take over the case from regional authorities. Hamburg police reported a knife attack on the banks of the Alster river on the 16th. One victim, a 16-year-old boy, was fatally wounded, while a 15-year-old girl who was with him escaped unharmed after the attacker shoved her into the water. Police launched a dragnet but never found the man, described as aged 23-25 and of "southern" appearance. "The motive for the crime is unknown and is the subject of further investigation," the October 17 police statement said. IS' claim of responsibility included no further details about the attack or the perpetrator. The German air force is participating in the anti-IS bombing campaign in Iraq and Syria with in-air refuelling and reconnaissance flights. Germany has so far escaped a major terrorist attack by IS along the lines of those carried out in neighbouring France and Belgium, although it has foiled several plots and suffered numerous attacks by individuals. A teenage girl is currently on trial in Hanover after wounding a police officer with a knife in February, with prosecutors arguing IS is behind the attack. Story continues In July, IS claimed it was behind a suicide bomb attack that wounded 15 people as well as an axe attack in a train by a teenage asylum seeker that left five people hurt. June saw a group of men arrested on suspicion of planning a bomb attack on western regional capital Duesseldorf, while another suspected bomb-maker was arrested in eastern Saxony state in October but later killed himself in his cell. Previously, a 41-year-old Iraqi was killed by police after wounding an officer in Berlin in September 2015. A month before, two German jihadist fighters claiming to belong to IS in Syria released a video in which they threatened Germany and Chancellor Angela Merkel. UML not consulted while deciding holiday: Rawal The main opposition CPN-UML on Saturday dismissed Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahals claim that the government had declared a public holiday on the day when Indian President Pranab Mukherjee arrives in Kathmandu in consensus with all the parties. By Roberta Rampton MIAMI (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, whose buoyant position in opinion polls has been threatened by a surprising new twist in the saga over her emails, on Saturday harnessed some celebrity star power she hopes will help win the battleground state of Florida on Nov. 8. Musician and actor Jennifer Lopez headlined a free concert in Miami as part of a star-studded effort to get out the vote and energize volunteers. "We're at a crossroads and we have to take the right road to the future," Lopez shouted to screaming fans in rain gear who danced through rain and a shower of red, white and blue confetti. The concert provided some visual counter-programming to the latest email snafu to roil Clinton's race to win the White House. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Friday it is investigating more emails as part of a probe into Clinton's use of a private email system - a late-breaking surprise that will likely continue to get extensive media play leading up Election Day. Clinton's campaign has said she is taking the news in stride, and on Saturday she lashed out at FBI Director James Comey over the review. The JLo event was the first of three high-profile concerts in states Clinton wants to keep from Republican rival Donald Trump, and it gave the former secretary of state a chance to connect with the key demographic of millennials she has sometimes struggled to reach. "If we turn out, we win," Clinton told the crowd. Celebrity-driven events like the concert "can serve as a bit of a distraction" from the controversy, said Eric Kasper, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. "It is a way to kind of take the edge off things because it tends to be more positive," Kasper said. Next week, Clinton will take the stage with Jay Z in Cleveland, and then with Katy Perry in Philadelphia on Nov. 5. A Harvard University poll this week showed that among likely voters aged 18 to 29, Clinton is leading Trump, a celebrity in his own right who starred in the reality television show "The Apprentice." But turnout is a concern. The exceptionally negative tone of this year's race for the White House has turned off young Americans, Reuters/Ipsos polling shows. Presidential candidates have long sought to create buzz with help from celebrity pals, said Tevi Troy, who chronicled the strategy in his book "What Jefferson Read, Ike Watched, and Obama Tweeted: 200 Years of Pop Culture in the White House." "Campaigns do it to reach out to people who are not necessarily interested in politics but are interested in pop culture," said Troy, a presidential historian who worked in the George W. Bush White House. The events are like a larger version of a campaign yard sign, a way to show a "groundswell" of support behind a candidate - and a way to appeal to fans of the musicians, Kasper said. "It can create a kind of psychological connection that we otherwise might not have when a politician endorses a presidential candidate, for instance," Kasper said. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Leslie Adler) By Mark Hosenball and John Whitesides WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal investigators have secured a warrant to examine newly discovered emails related to Hillary Clinton's private server, U.S. media reported on Sunday, as a prominent Democrat accused FBI Director James Comey of breaking the law by trying to influence the election. The warrant will allow the Federal Bureau of Investigation to examine the emails to see if they are relevant to its probe of the private email server used for government work by Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, while she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. FBI officials were unavailable for comment on the status of their investigation. Reuters could not independently confirm that the search warrant had been issued. Comey came under heavy pressure from Democrats on Sunday to quickly provide details of the emails, as Clinton allies worried the prolonged controversy could extend beyond the Nov. 8 election and cast a shadow over a Clinton transition if she wins the White House. Comey's disclosure of the email discovery in a letter to Congress on Friday plunged the final days of the White House race between Clinton and Republican Donald Trump into turmoil. Clinton had opened a recent lead over Trump in national polls, but it had been narrowing even before the email controversy resurfaced. U.S. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid sent a letter to Comey on Sunday suggesting he violated the Hatch Act, which bars the use of a federal government position to influence an election. "Through your partisan actions, you may have broken the law," Reid, a senator from Nevada, said in the letter to Comey. Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta and campaign manager Robby Mook questioned Comey's decision to send a letter notifying Congress of the email review before he even knew whether they were significant or relevant. Comey's letter was "long on innuendo, short on facts," Podesta said on CNN's "State of the Union" program, and accused the FBI chief of breaking precedent by disclosing aspects of an investigation so close to the election. "We are calling on Mr. Comey to come forward and explain whats at issue here," Podesta said, adding the significance of the emails was unclear. "He might have taken the first step of actually having looked at them before he did this in the middle of a presidential campaign, so close to the voting," Podesta said. Comey's letter was sent over the objections of Justice Department officials. But those officials did not try to stop the FBI from getting the warrant, a source familiar with the decision said, because they are interested in the FBI moving quickly on the probe. Sources close to the investigation have said the latest emails were discovered as part of a separate probe of former Democratic U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Weiner is the target of an FBI investigation into illicit text messages he is alleged to have sent to a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina. 'CHECK ON CORRUPTION' Sources familiar with the matter said FBI agents working on the Weiner investigation saw material on a laptop belonging to Weiner that led them to believe it might be relevant to the investigation of Clinton's email practices. Trump has highlighted the issue as proof for his argument that Clinton is corrupt and untrustworthy. "We have one ultimate check on Hillarys corruption and that is the power of the vote," Trump told a rally in Las Vegas on Sunday. "The only way to beat the corruption is to show up and vote by the tens of millions." Comey, who announced in July that the FBI's long investigation of Clinton's emails during her time as secretary of state was ending without any charges, said in his letter the agency would review the newly surfaced emails to determine their relevance to the investigation of her handling of classified information. An ABC News/Washington Post poll released on Sunday showed Clinton with a statistically insignificant 1-point national lead on Trump. About a third of likely voters in the poll said they were less likely to back Clinton given Comey's disclosure. Clinton, who told a Florida rally on Saturday that Comey's letter was "deeply troubling," did not address the issue directly on Sunday but referred vaguely to voters overcoming a "distraction." "Theres a lot of noise and distraction but it really comes down to the kind of future we want and who can get us there, she told a packed gay nightclub in Wilton Manors, Florida, where hundreds of supporters who could not get in lined the streets outside. "We dont want a president who would appoint Supreme Court justices to overturn marriage equality, she said. (Additional reporting by Joel Schectman, Timothy Gardner and Alana Wise in Washington, Steve Holland in Las Vegas, Roberta Rampton in Florida; Editing by Bill Trott and Peter Cooney) Hillary Clintons campaign fanned out across the Sunday morning talk-show circuit to call on FBI Director James Comey to release more details about newly discovered emails he said were pertinent to the bureaus investigation into her use of a private email server. As far as we know now, Director Comey knows nothing about the content of these emails, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, Clintons running mate, said on ABCs This Week With George Stephanopoulos. We dont know whether theyre to or from Hillary at all. Kaine called Comeys decision to send a letter to Congress Friday announcing a review of the emails discovered on the laptop of disgraced ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin and the subject of an ongoing FBI investigation into his alleged sexting with a 15-year-old girl extremely puzzling. Why would you release information that is so incomplete when you havent even seen the material yourself? Kaine asked. Eleven days before an election why would you talk about an ongoing investigation? I just have no way of understanding these actions. Theyre completely unprecedented. And thats why I think he owes the American public more information. If he hasnt seen the emails, Kaine added. I mean, they need to make that completely plain. Yahoo News reported on Saturday that FBI agents had not been able to review any of the newly discovered material because the bureau had not yet gotten a search warrant to read them. According to ABC News, Comey reached out to top Republicans and Democrats in Congress on Saturday to brief them on the agencys review. But as of Saturday night, the FBI was still in talks with the Justice Department about obtaining a warrant that would allow agency officials to read any of the newly discovered emails, and therefore the agency was still in the dark about whether the emails include classified material the bureau has not already seen. Exclusive: FBI still does not have warrant to review new Abedin emails On CNNs State of the Union Sunday, Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta cited the Yahoo News report, saying Comey should have taken further steps before thrusting the email issue back into the race for the White House. Story continues To throw this in the middle of the campaign 11 days out just seemed to break with precedent and be inappropriate at this stage, Podesta said. If theyre not significant, theyre not significant. So he might have taken the first step of actually having looked at them before he did this in the middle of a presidential campaign so close to the voting. I dont fault him for taking a look at whatever hes found, Podesta continued. But at this stage, having taken the step, then he at least ought to explain if he thinks theyre significant or not significant. Let him come forward and say why. In July, following an 11-month investigation, Comey recommended that no criminal charges be filed against Clinton over use of a private email server as secretary of state. Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, Comey said at that time, there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information. Podesta said he believed Abedin, who had cooperated with the FBIs original probe, had complied to the best of her ability and turned everything over that she had in her possession. On NBCs Meet The Press, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said if the newly discovered emails are, in fact, from Abedin, then he assumes theyd have to be redundant because she already turned over all of her emails. At a rally in Florida on Saturday, Clinton said that it was pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election. Its not just strange, Clinton said. Its unprecedented. And it is deeply troubling. Istanbul (AFP) - A Turkish court has barred a leader of the main pro-Kurdish party from leaving the country, accusing her of "belonging to an armed terrorist organisation," the state-run Anadolu news agency reported Saturday. Figen Yuksekdag, co-chair of the leftist People's Democratic Party (HDP), was also accused of "terrorist propaganda" and banned from leaving Turkey "because of activities that indicate she might flee" abroad, according to Anadolu. The HDP denounced the decision as "totally arbitrary" and said it would appeal. The move could aggravate tensions with several pro-Kurdish demonstrations planned Sunday across the country, including in Istanbul and Diyarbakir, the largest city in predominantly Kurdish southeastern Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses the HDP of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) -- listed as a terror group by Ankara, the European Union and the United States -- a claim the HDP denies. The PKK, which has waged a bloody insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, has resumed attacks on security forces since the rupture of a fragile ceasefire last year. Hours after the ban on Yuksekdag was announced, authorities ordered the closure of several pro-Kurdish media, including the Dicle Haber Ajansi news agency and the Ozgur Gundem newspaper, according to a decree published Saturday evening in the official journal. The moves by Turkish authorities come with tensions already high after the two co-mayors of Diyarbakir were taken into custody on Tuesday as part of a "terrorism" probe. On Wednesday police used tear gas and water cannon to prevent people protesting in the city against the mayors' detention, which was also followed by several PKK attacks on military targets. Three soldiers were also killed Saturday in a PKK attack in the southeastern province of Hakkari and two policemen were wounded by a rocket attack in Diyarbakir, according to Anadolu, citing officials from the security forces. In response to the death of the soldiers, the Turkish military said in a statement it had conducted air strikes in northern Iraq, where there are PKK bases, killing 10 "terrorists". VALLADOLID, Spain Paolo Virzis Cannes Directors hit Like Crazy and Dont Call Me Son, Brazilian Anna Muylaerts lauded follow-up to The Second Mother, swept many major prizes at the 61st Valladolid Film Festival which wrapped Saturday night with double plaudits for Argentine Oscar entry The Illustrious Citizen. The story of two vastly different women who share time in an Italian mental health facility and find unlikely friendship, Like Crazy received an upbeat Cannes critical reception. Neither Valeria Bruni Tedeschi nor Micaela Ramazzotti have been better, Variety said in a review. This opinion was reiterated at Valladolid when the duo shared kudos for best actress, adding to the films Audience Award and best feature Golden Spike, the top award of the festival. Like Crazy has sold healthily for Bac Films. Sold by Loco Films, Dont Call Me Son matched that top tally with three awards of its own; Best actor, director and a Rainbow Spike. Already a Berlin Festival hit, Son follows a teenagers struggling with gender identity when, suddenly, his life is turned upside-down after he learns of his true parentage. Egypts Oscar submission, Mohamed Diabs Clash, following a successful run at Cannes, was the final film to collect three awards at this years fest: New director, the Sociograph Award, chosen by the public, and director of photography. On Pyramide Films sales slate, Clash takes place exclusively inside a police van during a riot after the Egyptian military toppled the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013. Varietys take: This is bravura filmmaking with a kick-in-the-gut message about chaos and cruelty. A Venice best actor winner for Oscar Martinez and domestic B.O. hit for Disney in Argentina, the Latido Films-sold The Illustrious Citizen is shaping up as one of Latin Americas most promising movies of international impact this year. The Argentine Oscar candidate follows a Europe-based author in his journey back to his hometown in rural Argentina where he encounters all matter of praise and detraction. Its Valladolid Silver Spike- fests effective runners-up trophy and a best screenplay award will do no damage to the films ambitions going forward. Story continues Valladolids 2016 prizes suggest the ability of the festival, Spains biggest platform for straight-arrow arthouse fare, to select films just below the category of the biggest and most obvious upscale prizewinners of the year but which certainly deserve more platforming for eager fest audiences. Here are 5 takeaways from this years festival followed by the 2016 winners: ARGENTINA OSCARS ENTRY BUILDS BUZZ: Argentinas Academy Awards submission was one major early fest title. The Illustrious Citizen screened to positive reactions from press audiences alike. In Valladolid, directors Gaston Duprat and Mariano Cohn and lead Martinez praised Andres Duprats script as the highlight of the film: Its a good script, its all in there. All I had to do was perform the character, offered Martinez. LAS FURIAS (THE FURIES) Valladolids 2016 opener and first feature from Spains writer/actor Miguel del Arco is the story of a family in turmoil, forced to face dormant demons when its matriarch makes moves to sell the ancestral home. The Furies boasts a powerhouse cast of Emma Suarez, Macarena Sanz and Mercedes Sampietro, all present at the festivals opening gala. The film itself received a standing ovation from the packed crowd at Valladolids Carrion Theater. GERALDINE CHAPLIN In Valladolid to receive an Honorary Golden Spike, one more award to add to a litany collected over a 64-year career, Chaplin also gave a masterclass. Although some of the world still sees the revered actress as the daughter of Charlie Chaplin, in Spain she is one of their own. She studied Spanish from an early age and has had a home in Madrid for years, the city where her daughter, Oona Chaplin (Game of Thrones) was born. Chaplin has received acclaim for performances in J.A. Bayonas The Orphanage and A Monster Calls. ABBAS KIAROSTAMI Kiarostami died on July 4, but his spirit lives on in tribute after tribute, including one at Locarno in July, a sign of his seminal importance to arthouse cinema worldwide. Valladolids homage included a retro and a documentary, 76 Minutes & 15 Seconds With Abbas Kiarostami, by friend Seifollah Samadian. In addition, a round table grouping Valladolid organizers and fellow directors reflected back on his illustrious life and career. CINE Y VINO International film festivals rarely lack in local flavor, Valladolids its wine was obvious from the get-go. At the opening gala, Spanish actress and comedian Ana Morgande organized a vote on theatre concessions. The gala audience ruled popcorn unacceptable as a movie snack; wine was deemed not only appropriate but even enhancing to the movie-going experience. Many festivals sponsors were local wine producers. On Wednesday, for the third consecutive year, they held, a Cine & Vino Gala. Documentary Priorat screened; afterwards tastings were held of a variety of local wines. Winners of the 61st Valladolid Film Festival, Official Awards Competition Prizes GOLDEN SPIKE Like Crazy, Paolo Virzi, Italy, France MIGUEL DELIBES, BEST SCREENPLAY Andres Duprat, (The Illustrious Citizen, Argentina, Spain) SILVER SPIKE The Illustrious Citizen, Gaston Duprat, Mariano Cohn, Argentina, Spain PILAR MIRO PRIZE, BEST NEW DIRECTOR Mohamed Diab (Clash, Egypt, France, United Arab Emirates) BEST ACTOR AWARD Naomi Nero, (Dont Call Me Son, Brazil) BEST ACTRESS AWARD Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Micaela Ramazzotti (Like Crazy, Italy) BEST DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Ahmed Gabr, (Clash, Egypt, France, United Arab Emirates) EUROPEAN FILM ACADEMY SHORT FILM NOMINEE PRIZE Fight on a Swedish Beach, Simon Vahine, Sweden GOLDEN SPIKE, SHORT Il silenzio, Famoosh Samadi, Ali Asgari, Italy, France Cheimaphobia, Daniel Sanzchez Arevalo SILVER SPIKE, SHORT How Long, Not Long, Michelle Karnot, Uri Karnot, Denmark OFFICIAL SECTION AUDIENCE AWARD Like Crazy, Paolo Virzi, Italy, France OFFICIAL SECTION YOUTH JURY AWARD The Salesman, Asghar Farhadi, France, Iran SOCIOGRAPH AWARD Clash, Mohamed Diab, Egypt, France, United Arab Emirates RIBERA DE DUERO BEST DIRECTOR AWARD Anna Muylaert (Dont Call Me Son, Brazil) MEETING POINT BEST FEATURE Quite Starring at my Plate, Hana Jusic, Croatia, Denmark MEETING POINT BEST FOREIGN SHORT Half a Man, Kristina Kumric, Croatia, France A NIGHT OF SPANISH SHORTS PRIZE The App, Julian Merino, Spain MEETING POINT AUDIENCE AWARD Junction 48, Udi Alonoi, Israel, Germany, United States MEETING POINT YOUNG JURY AWARD One Last Afternoon, Joel Calero, Peru, Colombia TIME OF HISTORY FIRST PRIZE Shadow World, Johan Grimonprez, United States, Belgium, Denmark Gulistan, Land of Roses, Zayne Akyol, Canada, Germany TIME OF HISTORY SECOND PRIZE Dancing Beethoven, Arantxa Aguirre, Switzerland, Spain AWARD TO A SHORT FILM FROM CASTILE AND LEON The Invitation, Susana Casares, Spain SEMINCI JOVEN AWARD At Eye Level, Evi Goldbrunner, Joachim Dollhopf, Germany SPECIAL MENTION DOC SPAIN Sasha, Felix Colomer, Spain RAINBOW SPIKE Dont Call Me Son Anna Muylaert, Brazil Related stories Bac Nails Sales for Helen Mirren/Donald Sutherland Starrer 'Leisure Seeker' (EXCLUSIVE) Film Review: 'The Distinguished Citizen' Cannes Film Review: 'Like Crazy' By Andrew Cawthorne and Daniel Kai CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro was expected to sit down on Sunday with members of the opposition and foreign mediators, a gesture his foes suspect is a time-wasting tactic to ease pressure on the unpopular socialist leader. The opposition Democratic Unity coalition has stepped up protests since authorities scuttled its push for a referendum this year on Maduro's rule, which polls showed he would have lost, triggering a presidential election. Critics say 17 years of socialist rule have wrecked the OPEC nation's economy and crushed democracy, while the government says a U.S.-backed elite is seeking a coup. Maduro has said he will personally attend a meeting, expected to take place later on Sunday in Caracas, while coalition secretary-general Jesus Torrealba said he would represent its nearly 30 different political organizations. Also due to attend were a Vatican envoy, representatives of the Unasur regional bloc, and three former heads of state from Spain, Panama and the Dominican Republic. Torrealba, in a blog, said top of the opposition's agenda would be resuscitating the plebiscite, freeing political prisoners, helping victims of Venezuela's "humanitarian crisis", and demanding respect for the opposition-led legislature. "There could be important conclusions that enable a scaling-down of the conflict, a return to the electoral route, and a distancing of the storm-clouds of violence," he said. "There's no denying: there is skepticism and mistrust." WARY OPPOSITION LEADERS Various opposition leaders have distanced themselves from the talks, saying Maduro has become a dictator who is only promoting dialogue to entrench himself. And with rumors swirling on Sunday and reporters checking out local hotels, there was no sign of a meeting by mid-afternoon. Previous sit-downs between the two sides in recent years eased some tensions but did little for rapprochement. Opposition sources said coalition leaders were first meeting among themselves on Sunday to decide whether to attend and, if so, what their position should be. If a meeting takes place, they said, it would be in the evening. "Everyone knows that President Nicolas Maduro and his regime normally use dialogue as a mechanism to evade constitutional responsibilities and buy time," 15 coalition parties said in a letter urging Torrealba to use a meeting only to negotiate Maduro's exit this year. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said Maduro, 53, had stayed away from Saturday's Ibero-American summit in Colombia to prepare for Sunday's meeting. Senior Socialist Party official Jorge Rodriguez, who is expected to attend Sunday's talks, said the opposition needed to renounce violence in the streets and to reject neo-liberal economics like those being applied in Argentina and Brazil. "I think the president has called for a national dialogue more than 50 times," he told local TV. "The only ones who have not sat down to talk are the opposition sectors due to those internal fights they have, their battle for the eventual (presidential) candidacy," he said, referring to the next presidential vote due in late 2018. Sunday's planned meeting follows massive opposition marches and a partially successful national strike last week. The opposition is also planning a march on the Miraflores presidential palace for Thursday, drawing government accusations they want to reprise a short-lived 2002 coup against Maduro's predecessor Hugo Chavez. He allowed and won a recall referendum. (Editing by Mary Milliken) Upadhyay, Paudyal appointed envoys to India and China President Bidhya Devi Bhandari on Saturday appointed Deep Kumar Upadhyay and Leela Mani Paudyal as Nepals ambassadors to India and China respectively. obama trump obamacare thumb Donald Trump has homed in on a target issue for the final days of the presidential campaign: Obamacare. On Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that the average increase for a monthly premium on the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, exchanges would be 25% in 2017. It was the largest jump for average premiums on the Obamacare exchanges in their three-year history. And the Republican nominee has been hammering away at it ever since mostly during the first few minutes of his raucous rallies. "Real change begins with immediately repealing and replacing Obamacare," Trump said during a Thursday rally in Toledo, Ohio. "What a mess. It never worked from day one. It was never destined to work. There was no way it was going to work. And I said before, before they voted, that's never going to work." "And it's just been announced that Americans are going to experience a massive double-digit hike in Obamacare premiums, including a 116% premium hike in the great state of Arizona," he continued. "Think of that. Don't worry, you're not going to be so far behind. Don't worry. It's a mess. It's a mess. It's going up at numbers you won't believe." Trump went on to say Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton wants to "double-down and double-up" on Obamacare, which he said will destroy healthcare and businesses "forever." Additionally, Trump has emphasized the connection between the healthcare law and Clinton. In the Toledo speech, Trump seized on former president Bill Clinton's recent remarks that the design of the ACA "makes no sense." "Even Bill Clinton admitted Obamacare is the craziest thing in the world," Trump said. "'The craziest thing in the world.' People wind up with their premiums doubled and their premiums cut in half. Job-killing Obamacare is just one more way the system is rigged." Story continues Bill Clinton has since clarified those comments and said that he fully supports the law. The controversy that Trump has focused on the marketplaces, or exchanges, on which people without insurance through the government such as Medicaid or Medicare or their employer can get coverage. However, this represents only one part of the law with only around 5% of Americans receive their insurance through the exchanges and thus subject to the increases. Much of the attention around the ACA has focused on the exchanges and their troubles such as increasing premiums and large insurance companies such as Aetna and UnitedHealthcare shuttering a majority of their exchange business. This issue is also divisive politically. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health policy researcher, 45% of American adults have an unfavorable view of the ACA, while 45% have a favorable view. Looking politically, this line of attack from Trump appeals to his base: 83% of Republicans view the law unfavorably. But it could also could make a difference among independents or swing voters. Among those identifying as independents in the Kaiser survey, 52% view the ACA unfavorably while just 38% view it favorably. Democrats are split 76% to 14% in favor. obamacare approval V2 Many of the most important states in the election are facing down the biggest Obamacare increases. Arizona, a key state for Trump to hold onto, saw the highest average premium increase of any state in the country, which Trump made sure to note in the Toledo speech as well as in others. North Carolina, another pivotal state, also saw the average premium increase by 40%, well over the national average. The recent bad news for Obamacare is headline grabbing, it's palatable for independents that Trump needs to swing, and hits key swings states hard. And he seems to know it. Said Trump: "Repealing Obamacare is one of the single biggest reasons we must win on November 8." NOW WATCH: LIZ ANN SONDERS: The most unsettling outcome for the markets would be a surprise Trump win More From Business Insider Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f265611%2ff100b5d17cd34a23a47ec3f701e294e6 Drone footage released by Italy's fire and rescue corps shows the devastating aftermath of the magnitude 6.6 earthquake that hit central and southern Italy on Sunday morning. The video, taken over the town of Amatrice, revealed demolished buildings, crumbling facades and streets clogged with debris. The town of about 1,000 people was also battered by Italy's Aug. 24 earthquake and a series of aftershocks last week. Sunday's earthquake is potentially Italy's largest earthquake since a magnitude 6.9 quake struck southern Italy in 1980, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). SEE ALSO: Here's why Italy is prone to devastating earthquakes "These earthquakes are bringing all of central Italy to its knees," Giuseppe Pezzanesi, mayor of the town of Tolentino, told the Associated Press. The Oct. 30 temblor struck at 7:40 a.m. local time and was centered in Norcia, about 35 miles from Amatrice. There were no immediate reports of deaths, although last week's aftershocks left thousands of Italians homeless. The magnitude 6.2 earthquake in August also struck near Norcia and killed nearly 300 people. In Amatrice, the nearly 600-year-old St. Augustine church crumbled on Sunday after surviving previous earthquakes, according to Italy's Vigili del Fuoco (literally "Firewatchers" in Italian). The church's rooftop sustained damage last week, but the building was still standing as of Oct. 28. Italy is particularly prone to earthquakes for a mix of geographical reasons, seismologists previously told Mashable. Story continues Italy and its neighboring countries sit at the spot where the Eurasia and Africa tectonic plates collide. Italy also sits west of a sedimentary basin in the Mediterranean Sea that is expanding. Meanwhile, the Adria microplate to Italy's east is slipping beneath Eurasia and the Apennines Mountains. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center put the Oct. 30 earthquake's magnitude at 6.5 or 6.6. The USGS put the magnitude at 6.6. Image: European-Mediterranean Seismological Center On top of that, many towns in central Italy are built along steep slopes and are vulnerable to landslides that send buildings tumbling into valleys. USGS said on Sunday the latest earthquake was part of a "complex sequence" of related temblors occurring on more than one fault segment in central Italy. "We cannot rule out the possibility of similar sized or larger events," the U.S. agency warned, noting that "the probability of a larger event is low." The Associated Press contributed reporting. Addis Ababa (AFP) - Surrounded by the rubble of her former neighbours' homes, Getnesh Amare hangs her laundry in the shadow of the high-rise offices and hotels taking over the once insalubrious centre of Ethiopia's capital. "They have come many times to force us to move quickly. I'm not happy, but it's a must. I have to move," the mother-of-four, a housekeeper, told AFP. The neighbourhood of Kazanches, once a byword for dodgy bars and prostitution, has been singled out as the new business centre of Addis Ababa by authorities determined to rid the capital of slum-like residential areas. On one side of the street, trendy cafes and bakeries have cropped up, while on the other, holdouts like Amare are clinging to their tin-roofed mud huts, known as "chika bet", for which they pay a monthly rent of less than a dollar. Authorities are trying to convince her to move into a three-bedroom "condominium", the Ethiopian version of social housing. However, the thought of living in one of the large housing projects mushrooming on the outskirts of Addis Ababa does not impress her. "It is not very comfortable. The water comes twice a week and it's on the fourth floor," Amare complained. And above all, the apartment is more than an hour's commute from the centre of the city. - 'Life-changing condos' - The condos have become a symbol of Ethiopia's development, and a way for authorities to clean up downtown Addis, create jobs and house more than three million people still living in chika bets. "I am not sure you can say this is a house," Haregot Alemu, general manager of the Land Development and Urban Renewal Agency, said of the chika bet. "There is no access to toilets. There is no access to clean water. There is no access to sewage. In the condos the life of people is completely changed," he said. The Ethiopian government wants the country to be ranked "middle-income" by 2025, meaning a gross national income of more than $1,000 per person. The condominiums are seen as a way to create a middle-class of property owners. Story continues "The objective is also to encourage the savings habit of the citizens of Addis so they can afford to buy their house," said Alemu. In Jamo, one of these new suburban high-rise clusters, blocks of buildings have sprung up one after the other. Henok Kasahun, 27, moved here to a one-bedroom apartment, without regrets. "The facilities are better. You have good toilets, a kitchen, and easy access to water and electricity. Before, in our previous house, we didn't have such facilities," he said. The governments goal is to build 700,000 apartments in the next five years. Demand is high and authorities have set up a lottery system for aspiring householders which 750,000 people have signed up to. - The cost of modern living - However, modernity has a price. To acquire a condo, future owners must pay at least 10 percent of the price -- between $5,000 and $25,000 (4,500 and 22,900 euros) depending on the size and location. In a country where the monthly salary is below $100, repayment can quickly become unaffordable. Topiyo Eshetu, who is unemployed, was among the first to move into one of the apartments six years ago, and did so grudgingly. The municipality gave the family one month to leave their home on Meskel Square in central Addis Ababa and pay the deposit of $800. "I collected from relatives and friends. For the people who can afford it you can live a better life here ... but for people with no income it's difficult," she said. And now she adds the promise of greater comfort has not materialised. Water and electricity is haphazard and there is not enough space for her three children. And the family is struggling to pay the $35 a month mortgage repayment. "We used to live in a small house within our income that we could afford, but here it's not compatible with our income." Those who cannot afford the 10 percent down payment merely take the compensation money for the destruction of their chika bet and go elsewhere. Others who struggle to keep up with the repayments often end up selling the condo and moving out. For Alemu, this forced march to development is necessary to change the image of Addis. "As the site of the African Union (headquarters), our vision is to create a modern city which leads in the continent." By Robert-Jan Bartunek and Philip Blenkinsop BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union and Canada will sign a free trade agreement on Sunday that aims to boost jobs and growth after weeks of uncertainty and opposition in part of EU member Belgium that had threatened to scupper the entire deal. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected in Brussels for a signing ceremony with leaders of the EU institutions billed as an EU-Canada summit, all eager to ink a deal before any further hiccup. The French speakers of southern Belgium, a minority within their own small country and accounting for less than 1 percent of the 508 million EU consumers likely to be affected by the deal, had held it up until a breakthrough on Thursday, confirmed by regional parliamentary votes on Friday. The Canadian agreement is seen as a springboard to a larger EU deal with the United States, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Treaty (TTIP), which has been much criticized by civil society groups and some politicians. While that deal was planned to be completed before the end of U.S. President Barack Obama's term in January, both sides now acknowledge this is no longer feasible. On Saturday, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said TTIP was not dead and talks with the United States would continue with the next U.S. administration. Supporters say the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada will increase trade between the partners by 20 percent and boost the EU economy by 12 billion euros ($13 billion) a year and Canada's by C$12 billion ($9 billion). This would come at a time of low growth with monetary policy at its limits and fiscal policy constrained. For Canada the deal is important to reduce its reliance on the neighboring United States as an export market. For the EU, it is a first trade pact with a G7 country and a success plucked from the jaws of defeat at a time when the bloc's credibility has taken a beating from Britain's vote in June to leave after 43 years of membership. "I think we are signing the best commercial treaty the European Union has ever signed with a particularly close partner which shares our values," Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said on Saturday. However, Sunday's signing is not the last act. Assuming the European Parliament gives its assent, CETA could come into force partially early next year, allowing import tariffs to be removed. However, full implementation to include a contentious investment protection system will only follow after clearance by some 40 national and regional parliaments. The Belgian experience shows this is not a given. On Thursday, Belgiums regions and the federal government agreed on a text addressing fears about the investment protection regime, saying it would not come into force during an initial period. It also has a safeguard clause to protect Belgian farmers in the event of a "market imbalance". The investment protection system has been the focus of most protests against CETA and TTIP. Critics says the system, with arbitrage panels to rule on disputes between states and foreign investors, could be abused by multinational companies to dictate public policy, such as on environmental standards. The EU and Canada say their investment protection system guarantees the right of governments to regulate and would use independent judges and be more transparent. The deal will eliminate tariffs on almost 99 percent of goods. The beneficiaries would include, for example, carmakers or the EU textile sector, for which Canadian duties of up to 18 percent can be imposed. Service companies could also benefit and EU companies would be able to tender for public contracts at Canadian provincial and municipal level, the first time Canada has offered this. Canada can send larger quotas of pork, beef and wheat to the EU market. EU dairy producers will be able to export more than double the amount of "high quality" cheeses to Canada. ($1 = 0.9107 euros) ($1 = 1.3396 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek and Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Richard Balmforth) Frankfurt (AFP) - Germany's European Commissioner Guenther Oettinger on Sunday defended his use of the term "slitty eyes" for Chinese people which triggered outrage after they were revealed in a leaked recording of a speech to business leaders. Oettinger -- the commissioner for digital economy who was last week named to the more powerful post of budget commissioner -- also made disparaging remarks about women and gay marriage. In the comments, secretly filmed at a Hamburg event earlier this month, he mocked a delegation of Chinese ministers, "their hair combed from left to right with shoe polish". Anonymous YouTube user "Sebas Travelling", who uploaded the clip on Friday, said Oettinger had used the words "slitty eyes" and "chiselers" to refer to Chinese people. "That was a somewhat sloppy expression that was not meant in any way disrespectfully towards China," Oettinger told Die Welt newspaper on Saturday. The comments were made during a speech focusing on EU relations with China, the world's second largest economy. "Nine men, one party. No democracy, no female quota, and no women -- which follows logically," he said, referring to the delegation which had recently visited the Commission. Oettinger insisted to Die Welt that his comments were taken out of context and that he had "received a lot of positive reaction" to the speech. In his comments to the Hamburg forum, he also took aim at the political agendas of domestic German politicians, including more generous pensions and child benefits, a controversial road toll for foreign vehicles, and "soon to come, compulsory gay marriage". "I have nothing against same-sex marriage," he said on SWR public radio on Sunday. "But while we're all talking and arguing about that, there is no time for other, critical questions, which would keep Germany and Europe ahead in a dynamic world." Story continues In the secretly-recorded speech, he said Germany and other EU nations were allowing Chinese firms to buy up European companies and their valuable know-how and intellectual property, while China did not allow Europeans to invest there as freely. "The same rules should go for China and for Europe. We should open our markets to one another to the same extent," he told Die Welt. The comments come at an embarrassing time as they emerged just after European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker announced Friday he had tapped Oettinger to take over the budget portfolio from Bulgaria's Kristalina Georgieva. Juncker and German Chancellor Angela Merkel should "impose an adequate punishment in the face of this behaviour unworthy of a member of the European Commission", French activist group SOS Racisme said in a statement Sunday. "Someone who openly spreads racist and homophobic opinions has disqualified themselves for top political positions," Katarina Barley, secretary-general of Germany's centre-left Social Democratic Party, told Spiegel Online on Saturday. No one loves a great scene more than the person who first dreamed it up: the writer. That's why we're asking shows' creators and writers to tell ET all about getting to see their most cherished moment on their series make it from script to screen. Creating another version of the beloved crime-solving duo, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, is no small task. Rob Doherty, executive producer and showrunner of CBS' Elementary, felt the weight of such an assignment in 2012, when he put a modern twist on the pair, making Watson -- primarily a male character -- a woman, Joan, played brilliantly by Lucy Liu. Early on, Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) -- a recovering addict -- and Joan's relationship was on unequal footing, the latter hired to be a sober companion. That would change midway through the first season. In the show's 12th episode, "M.," a mysterious foe from Sherlock's London past -- revealed to be Sebastian Moran (guest star Vinnie Jones), a loyal lieutenant of Moriarty -- begins to consume him as Sherlock vows to exact revenge, believing "M" murdered his true love, Irene Adler. With Joan's tenure as Sherlock's sober companion coming to an end, he chooses not to deal with the forthcoming change. As Elementary celebrates its 100th episode on Sunday, Doherty looks back at a quiet moment between Sherlock and Joan from the episode that became the detective drama's most pivotal. RELATED: 'Elementary' Sneak Peek! Sherlock Confronts a Comic Book Crusader At the midpoint of our first season, "M" appears in New York and Sherlock begins to pursue him, but it happens around the same time Joan's time as his sober companion is coming to an end. He's preoccupied with the hunt for "M" and seemingly not tuned into the fact that their time together is coming to a close. Over the course of the episode, however, you learn that it's something he has very quietly been dreading. Story continues When we see him early, he is looking forward to the freedom that he'll have again. But Joan, who's a professional, is checking all the boxes that a sober companion does as they wrap up a service assignment. She takes the time to talk to Sherlock in a morgue as he's examining a body, saying, "I'm going to miss this." She clarifies that she won't miss this exactly, but this, meaning the partnership and the work they've done together -- and that what he does it amazing. He doesn't give much of a response it's just something he clocks and absorbs before he resumes his work. Sherlock discovers that "M," aka Moran, isn't the one who killed Irene. It's that revelation that saves him from doing something he can't undo, and his decision to keep Moran alive so he can learn vital intel on Moriarty tears him apart. CBS RELATED: Lucy Liu Shares Sweet Snap of Son Rockwell on 'Elementary' Set At the end of the episode, Sherlock is as shaken as we've ever seen him. He had committed to this plan to do away with "M" and relieve himself of a ton of psychological baggage. He was carrying a lot of guilt over what happened to Irene and carrying a lot of shame for the spiral he went into after she died. Joan happens to catch him in this vulnerable moment where he shares some of this with her, and there's this lovely, quiet moment in Gregson's office. After a beat, he echoes what she said to him in the morgue: "I'm going to miss this, not this, but this. I think what you do is amazing." To that point, he had mostly mocked her work and the profession in general. He thought she was a glorified babysitter, when in fact, he had gotten a lot out of it. Joan stands as she crosses the room, sits next to him and puts her hand on his. The first time I saw it in the editing bay, I was surprised how moved I was, considering I knew all the words, I knew all the dialogue. I had played that scene in my head, and yet, I didn't have it in me to imagine everything Jonny and Lucy would bring to it. It was something I really got to enjoy as a fan. Every little element in that scene, in my humble estimation, is perfect. I was grateful to Jonny and Lucy and John [Polson], the director, for showing me what the show could do at its very best. We were just 12 episodes into this experiment. We were still trying to get to know each other and the characters. I had a strong sense of what Jonny and Lucy could do as Holmes and Watson, but it was early. Looking back, there were small things: Jonny looked crumpled and utterly defeated -- everything about his physicality in the scene suggested broken glass. The moment in which Lucy crosses the room to sit with him and rests a hand on his, that came from the actors. [There was] something about closing that gap [that] helped make that scene -- literally closing that space between them and seeing a literal connection made it very powerful. It was a tipping point for the two of them. It's the point where we made the turn from companionship into partnership. Nothing was official for having played that moment out, but Sherlock was forced to acknowledge Joan in a way he hadn't before. It gave us a new trajectory heading into the second half of that season. We had built that relationship up to this point, and now we could show our Holmes and Watson becoming the partners that they are meant to be. They're in this together now. Elementary airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Related Articles By Josh Morgan CANNON BALL, N.D. (Reuters) - Authorities were looking into the cause of a blaze that burned through about 400 acres near where Native American leaders are protesting against a North Dakota oil pipeline they say threatens water and sacred lands, officials said on Sunday. The blaze on private property in rural Morton County was extinguished with the help of helicopters that dropped water on it. Authorities have not given any indication on whether the fire was deliberately set or if it was related to the protests taking place a few miles away. Native American leaders vowed on Saturday to protest through the winter against the oil pipeline, adding they are weighing lawsuits over police treatment of arrested protesters. More than 400 protesters have been arrested since Aug. 10 in rallies that have attracted support from celebrities including Mark Ruffalo, Shailene Woodley, Susan Sarandon and Chris Hemsworth. The planned 1,172-mile (1,885-km) path of the pipeline, the project of a group of companies led by Energy Transfer Partners LP, would skirt the Standing Rock reservation by about a half mile. But the Standing Rock tribe and environmental activists say it threatens water supplies as well as sacred Native American sites. Supporters say the pipeline, the construction of which was halted by the federal government in September, offers the fastest and most direct route for bringing Bakken shale oil from North Dakota to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries. (Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Alan Crosby) Yamaleshwor to remain closed this Bhai Tika Yamaleshwor Temple at Rani Pokhari will remain closed on this Bhai Tika this year as well, as reconstruction work here is yet to be completed. Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump believes he will score a "tremendous" victory on November 8. If he does, the Republican presidential candidate has indicated he will bring vast change in America during his first 100 days in office. At a recent campaign rally in North Carolina, he promised "a very busy first day," adding: "The change will begin my first day in office." The 70-year-old Manhattan real estate mogul, who insists the country suffers from a "rigged" political system, has pledged to "make America great again" with two key ideas: jumpstarting the economy and bolstering national security. He is certainly not without ideas. Trump offered a list of them on October 22 in his own "Gettysburg address" at the same place where Abraham Lincoln tried to unite a divided nation during the Civil War in 1863. From the first day, Trump has pledged in his "revolutionary Contract with the American Voter" to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. He plans to lift restrictions on producing fossil fuels, relaunch the Keystone XL oil pipeline project put on hold by President Barack Obama, and cancel billions of dollars in payments to UN climate change programs. - 'Once in a lifetime' change - The billionaire will work to "begin removing the more than two million criminal illegal immigrants from the country and cancel visas to foreign countries that won't take them back." He would "suspend immigration from terror-prone regions where vetting cannot safely occur" and carry out "extreme vetting" of those seeking to enter the country. "Our campaign represents the kind of change that only arrives once in a lifetime," he said. Trump has also vowed to "drain the swamp" of what he sees as systemic corruption in Washington -- impose term limits on members of Congress, freeze federal hiring and ban lawmakers and White House staff from becoming lobbyists for five years. Story continues He also has promised to "cancel every unconstitutional executive action" undertaken by Obama. Despite his tense ties with the Republican Party, which for now controls both houses of Congress, Trump says he will work with lawmakers to introduce and pass legislation that would see at least 25 million jobs created in a decade. That would come about thanks to tax cuts for middle class workers and businesses, and a simplification of the tax code, he says. Trump says his plan would spur four percent annual growth for the US economy, the world's largest. - Build the wall - Trump intends to make good on his signature campaign pledge to build a wall along the US border with Mexico, and impose a minimum federal prison sentence of two years on any deported illegal migrant who attempted to return. And he plans to work quickly for the repeal of Obama's signature health care reform, known informally as Obamacare. The Republican hopes to spark $1 trillion in infrastructure investment over the next 10 years via public-private partnerships and private sources, spurred on by tax breaks. His "Gettysburg address" largely stopped at the US border. He did not offer much in the way of detail on what the foreign policy of a Trump administration would look like in the first 100 days. How does he plan to pay for his initiatives? How much could he really accomplish? Many experts are doubtful he can deliver on his promises, especially as his promises have morphed over time. Trump did not address his past pledges to deport all 11 million undocumented migrants and end the Syrian refugee program in his policy speech. But he has promised to sue the dozen or so women who have accused him of unwanted sexual advances after November 8, calling them all "liars." Qaraqosh (Iraq) (AFP) - A handful of faithful gathered in a burnt out church Sunday for the first mass to be celebrated in two years in Qaraqosh, which was once Iraq's main Christian town. Iraqi forces retook Qaraqosh from the Islamic State group days earlier, as part of a massive offensive to wrest back the country's second city Mosul. "After two years and three months in exile, I just celebrated the Eucharist in the cathedral of the Immaculate Conception the Islamic State wanted to destroy," Yohanna Petros Mouche, the Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Mosul, said. "But in my heart it was always there," Mouche, who officiated with four priests, told AFP. IS jihadists took over swathes of Iraq in June 2014, also taking Mosul where the prelate was based. He moved to Qaraqosh, a town with a mostly Christian population of around 50,000 that was controlled by Kurdish forces and lies east of Mosul in the Nineveh plain. But a second jihadist sweep towards Kurdish-controlled areas two months later forced around 120,000 Iraqi Christians and members of other minorities to leave their towns and villages. "We had no other choice but to convert or become slaves. We fled to preserve our faith. Now we're going to need international protection," Father Majeed Hazem said. Donning a resplendent chasuble and stole, Mouche led mass on an improvised altar in front of a modest congregation mostly made up of members of the Nineveh Plain Protection Units (NPU), a local Christian militia. - 'Damaged but still standing' - "I can't describe what I'm feeling. This is my land, my church," said Samer Shabaoun, a militiaman who was involved in operations to retake Qaraqosh. "They used everything against us: they shot at us, they sent car bombs, suicide attackers. Despite all this, we're here." Shortly before Sunday's mass, the soldiers now guarding Qaraqosh were surprised to find two elderly women in a bouse, one of them bedridden. Story continues "We stayed the whole of the occupation by the Islamic State, from the first day. Sometimes they would bring us food," one of them said. The bell tower of the church was damaged, statues decapitated and missals strewn across the nave floor, which is still covered in soot from the fire the jihadists lit when they retreated. But some of the crosses have already been replaced and a new icon was laid on the main altar, where the armed militiamen took turns to light candles. "This church is such a powerful symbol that if we hadn't found it like this, damaged but still standing, I'm not sure residents would have wanted to come back," Mouche said. - Christmas in Mosul? - "But the fact that it's still here gives us hope," the blue-eyed prelate, who wears thin-rimmed glasses and sports a neatly trimmed white goatee, said as he surveyed the damage in Qaraqosh after mass. It could be months before former residents return to a town that needs to be cleared of explosive devices left behind by IS and whose infrastructure suffered badly. The seminary library was completely burnt down and the ashes were still warm. "This is barely a few days old -- the jihadists torched it when soldiers started entering the town," Mouche said. In the course of his visit to Qaraqosh, the archbishop recited ritual phrases to "purify" various buildings, holding a cross in one hand and swinging a thurible of incense with the other. Jihadists appear to have used the cloister-like back yard of the cathedral for target practice. The ground was littered with casings, the pillars riddled with bullet impacts and IS instructors even left behind a board detailing the workings of a Kalashnikov assault rifle. The Iraqi offensive on Mosul launched two weeks ago has yet to reach the city borders, and commanders have warned it could last months but Mouche was optimistic: "I hope to celebrate a Christmas mass in Mosul cathedral." FBI Director James B. Comey attends a news conference on terrorism after speaking at the NYPD Shield Conference in the Manhattan borough of New York, December 16, 2015. REUTERS/Darren Ornitz Former White House ethics lawyer Richard W. Painter contended in a New York Times opinion piece published Sunday that the FBI director broke the law with his letter to congress announcing the FBI was examining new emails related to its probe into Hillary Clinton's private email server. Painter argued that FBI Director James Comey violated the Hatch Act, which ensures "that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion," by making "highly unusual public statements about an FBI investigation concerning a candidate in the election." Painter said he brought those concerns to the Office of Special Counsel and the Office of Government Ethics with a a complaint against the FBI. "The letter was sent in violation of a longstanding Justice Department policy of not discussing specifics about pending investigations with others, including members of Congress," wrote Painter. He also referred to such a disclosure on the eve of a general election as an "abuse of power." Painter served as an ethics lawyer for George W. Bush's administration from 2005-2007. In the piece Painter discloses that he supported GOP candidates during the primaries, but eventually pivoted to Hillary Clinton. Read Painter's full piece at the New York Times here NOW WATCH: Watch Trump repeatedly photobomb Clinton during the debate More From Business Insider By Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - The woman at the center of a deepening political crisis around South Korean President Park Geun-hye will cooperate with prosecutors investigating allegations that she had improper control over state affairs, her lawyer said on Sunday. Choi Soon-sil returned to South Korea early on Sunday from Germany, where she had been staying, her lawyer told reporters. "Choi has expressed through her attorney that she will actively respond to prosecutors' investigation and will testify according to the facts," Lee Kyung-jae, her lawyer, said on Sunday morning. "She is deeply remorseful that she had caused frustration and despondency among the public," Lee said. Choi left Europe on a flight from London to avoid media camped out in Germany, Lee said. She would make herself available for questioning by prosecutors, he said. In the midst of the political crisis, Park has accepted the resignations of five of the top presidential aides, including the chief of staff, the presidential office said on Sunday. Three long-time Park aides, the insular core of advisors who have been criticized of tightly controlling the access to the president, had also stepped down, according to the presidential office. Park's office said on Friday she ordered her senior secretaries to tender their resignations. Choi was under intense pressure to return to South Korea as the political crisis engulfed Park over allegations that she allowed Choi to use her friendship to exert improper influence and benefit personally. Thousands of South Koreans rallied in Seoul on Saturday night demanding Park's resignation over the scandal. Angry Koreans say Park betrayed public trust and mismanaged the government, and has lost a mandate to lead the country. The protest came as prosecutors investigate presidential aides and other officials to determine whether they broke the law to allow Choi to wield undue influence or gain financially. Park said last week she had given Choi access to speech drafts early in her term and apologized for causing concern among the public. In an interview with South Korea's Segye Ilbo newspaper published on Thursday, Choi said she received drafts of Park's speeches after Park's election victory but denied she had access to other official material, or that she influenced state affairs or benefited financially. Park is in the fourth year of a five-year term, and the crisis threatens to complicate policymaking during the lame-duck period that typically sets in toward the end of South Korea's single-term presidency. Opposition parties have demanded a thorough investigation, but have not raised the possibility of impeaching her. The crisis has sent Park's public support to an all-time low. In one opinion poll, more than 40 percent of respondents said Park should resign or be impeached. The ruling conservative Saenuri Party said on Sunday it had urged Park to form a coalition government with various political parties, which would mean the appointment of a new prime minister approved by the ruling and opposition parties. Choi was seen in photographs with Park from 1979 when Park, as eldest daughter of then-President Park Chung-hee, was filling in as first lady for her mother who had been killed five years earlier by an assassin intending to kill her father. Park's father, who took power in a military coup in 1961, was shot dead by his disgruntled spy chief later in 1979. Choi was someone "who gave me help when I was going through a difficult time," Park said in a brief televised address on Tuesday. (Writing by Jack Kim; Editing by Tony Munroe and Sam Holmes) Tbilisi (AFP) - Georgia voted in the second round of contested parliamentary polls Sunday, with the ruling Georgian Dream poised for a landslide victory, prompting opposition parties to cry foul. Led from behind the scenes by billionaire ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream is running against the main opposition United National Movement (UNM), founded by exiled former president Mikheil Saakashvili. Sunday's vote, which works on a first-past-the-post basis, will decide the fate of a third of the mandates in the 150-seat legislature. In the first round, which was held on October 8, Georgian Dream won 48.68 percent of the vote in a proportional ballot, while UNM came second with 27.11 percent. For the first time in Georgia's post-Soviet history, the first round also saw a small anti-Western party, the Alliance of Patriots, clearing the five-percent threshold needed to enter parliament. According to the first round result, Georgian Dream will take 67 seats, UNM 27 seats, and Alliance of Patriots six seats in the new parliament. With the remaining 50 seats up for grabs in Sunday's runoff, Georgian Dream was expected to win almost all of them. Should the party win a total of at least 113 seats, as expected, it would be able to form a new cabinet and pass constitutional amendments. Turnout was 37.5 percent when polls closed at 1600 GMT, the Central Election Commission said. Preliminary results are expected to be released by Monday morning. Georgia's Western allies are watching closely to see if the strategic nation -- praised as a rare example of democracy in the former Soviet region -- can cement gains after its first transfer of power at the ballot box four years ago. - Opposition cries foul - After both the first round ballot and Sunday's runoffs, opposition parties cried foul, accusing the government of massive vote rigging -- a claim flatly rejected by the authorities. "Georgians were denied their right to make free electoral choice," one of the UNM leaders, Giorgi Baramidze, told AFP. Story continues "The scale of electoral violations, pressure on voters and opposition activists, vote buying, is appalling." But the Central Election Commission said the ballot was "held in a calm atmosphere and voters were able to express their will freely." The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, a local watchdog which deployed some 700 observers at polling stations, said it has registered procedural violations such as multiple voting and problems with marking ballot papers. The vote was also monitored by international observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Parliament and NATO. The United States-based National Democratic Institute has said that the registered violations could -- if unaddressed -- "detract from the credibility of future elections as well as the legitimacy of the mandate of the next parliament and government." - Backsliding concerns - Politics is still dominated by Saakashvili and Ivanishvili even though neither holds an official position. Ahead of the vote, tensions rose in the ex-Soviet republic -- which fought a brief war with Russia in 2008 and seeks EU and NATO membership -- after several violent incidents targeting opposition candidates. The poisonous atmosphere around the polarised vote follows years of what the opposition sees as political witchhunts and retribution against Saakashvili and his team. Saakashvili, a charismatic reformer who took over in the Rose Revolution of 2003, was forced out of the country in 2013 after prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for abuse of power. He now works as a regional governor in pro-Western Ukraine. The crackdown on his allies has prompted concerns among Georgia's Western allies that the country could backslide after its sole orderly transfer of power in 2012. BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's EU commissioner has tried to play down remarks about Chinese and gay marriage that critics described as clearly racist and discriminatory. In a speech to businessmen held in Hamburg last week, Guenther Oettinger, the senior member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative party, used the derogatory term Schlitzaugen - slit eyes - to describe people from China and other Asian descent. "That was a somewhat sloppy remark that was in no way meant to be disrespectful to China," Oettinger told the newspaper Die Welt, without apologizing for it. Instead, the EU commissioner defended himself against accusations of racism. "You have to see the broader context in which I made my remarks. In my speech, I wanted to warn Germany of too much self-confidence," he said. In the speech, a video of which also surfaced online, Oettinger criticized Germany's current political agenda, listing issues such as maternity leave, retirement and child-care allowances. He then added that "perhaps compulsory gay marriage" would be introduced soon, triggering some laughter in the audience. The German Federation of Lesbians and Gays (LSVD) and politicians from the Greens and Social Democrats sharply criticized Oettinger, with some calling for his resignation. "An EU commissioner must be able to convincingly represent the European values of non-discrimination and not put the case for racist and homophobic prejudices," LSVD spokeswoman Stefanie Schmidt said. Green politician Volker Beck called Oettinger a "lunatic goblin" afraid of gays and urged him to apologize for his remarks. "Someone who openly taps into such racist and homophobic feelings of prejudice disqualifies himself for top positions in politics," SPD Secretary General Katarina Barley told Der Spiegel. "An EU budget commissioner with such a philosophy could damage the EU as a whole," Barley added. The row comes only days after an announcement that Oettinger, who is responsible for digital economy policy in the EU's executive body, will take over the budget portfolio from Bulgaria's European commissioner, Kristalina Georgieva, who will start a new job at the World Bank. In his new position, Oettinger will handle talks on how to manage the EU's budget after Britain leaves the European Union. (Reporting by Michael Nienaber, editing by Larry King) London (AFP) - French international Olivier Giroud rubbished talk of Arsenal winning the Premier League title despite an excellent run of form saying Sunday it is far too early to make such predictions. The 30-year-old striker had been a peripheral figure this season, after suffering a toe injury, but his double after coming off the bench inspired the Gunners to an ultimately convincing 4-1 win over hapless Sunderland on Saturday. Victory extended Arsenal's unbeaten run in all competitions to 14 games and fuelled talk of them winning their first league title since 2004. Victory kept them level on points with Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the table after 10 matches, although City lead by virtue of a slightly better goal difference. "We've only played a quarter of the league," Giroud told the Arsenal website. "It's still the beginning of the league and I'm not the man who will speak too much because we are first. "We enjoy this position, obviously we want to finish first and win the league, but we know there is a long time to go. We're in a good moment and we need to keep it up and be consistent." Giroud, who was part of the France side that went all the way to the Euro 16 final which they hosted only to lose to Portugal 1-0 in extra-time, said he hoped to maintain his form now he had returned from injury. The Frenchman, who has been at Arsenal since his goals helped unfashionable Montpellier win the Ligue 1 title in 2012, took just four minutes after beng sent on during the second-half by Arsene Wenger to open his account. "If I could do that in every single game, I would be the most happy man," said Giroud. "I've been lucky -- I had great assists from my team-mates, so I always try to finish the job well. "It's a big time for me because I'm coming back from a tough injury and I'm very happy to get back on the pitch. It's nice for myself and the team. "To score is always important for a striker." Offer a personal message of congratulations... You'll find individual Guest Books on the page with each announcement. By sharing a positive thought you add happiness to the lives of those who are reaching a new life milestone. . . From a Guest Book, you may log in with a third-party account to leave a message. If you have an existing account with this site, you may log in with that. Otherwise, it's simple to create a new one by clicking on the Create "Sign up" button and following the simple steps on the Sign Up page. (Repeats to additional subscribers with no changes to text) By Julia Love Oct 28 (Reuters) - About six months ago, people working on hardware and the voice-activated Google Assistant for the Pixel phone started sitting next to each other at the company's Mountain View, California headquarters, hammering out minute details of its first phone. The new seating arrangement illustrated a much larger shift underway at Alphabet Inc's Google, which crashed Apple Inc's smartphone revolution eight years ago by giving away its Android software and letting handset makers do the rest. Google software now runs on 85 percent of the world's smartphones, but as voice control threatens to replace touch as the primary means of using a hand-held device, the company is experimenting with a different approach - more akin to Apple's tight integration of hardware and software. The Pixel's hardware and Assistant teams gather for happy hour every Friday and have already received a prototype for the camera on next year's phone, said Brian Rakowski, vice president of product for Google's Android operating system. Their ambition: to make the company's voice-powered digital assistant better than rivals such as Apple's Siri and Microsoft Corp's Cortana. "We really wanted the Assistant on the phone to feel like a natural extension of the ways you ask Google for information," Rakowski said in an interview. LEAF FROM APPLE'S BOOK The fusion of hardware and software is key to that goal. Certain specifications are crucial for a high-performing assistant, such as a well-placed microphone and a powerful processor to crunch reams of data. Creating an app isn't enough; that requires a few clicks for users to get to it. The hardware and software teams worked closely on details such as the graphics that appear when users call up the assistant, settling on a flurry of colorful dots, which Rakowski called a "whimsical touch to give a little bit of life to the home button." Story continues The Assistant is always at the ready on the Pixel phone and can be summoned by pressing the home button or saying the words "OK Google." By integrating the Assistant into the Pixel, Google "doesn't have to do negotiations with another handset maker - they can make it as tight as they want," said Charles Jolley, chief executive of Ozlo, which offers a digital assistant by the same name. To make sure users get the best possible experience, the Assistant will live only on Google products such as the Pixel, at least for now. In the long term, however, it is unclear whether Google will keep it that way, or return to its original phone strategy and try to push the product out to the millions of smartphones running on other manufacturers' Android phones, at the risk of offering a slightly lower-quality experience. Rakowski said making sure the Assistant works well on other phones would require a close level of integration with handset makers, beyond the typical work that happens on the Android operating system. "We want all these features of the Assistant to work well and work quickly and be nicely integrated so it gives the right idea of what the Assistant can do," he said "We don't want it to feel limited or bolted on in any way." He admits it could be challenging to execute the Assistant on some current Android phones. "You can't do some of the always-on 'OK Google' detection on some phones because they don't include the right hardware to do that," he said. "In some cases, the microphone is not in a great position." SAMSUNG GOING IT ALONE? Whatever Google decides, there are already some signs that its Assistant may not be welcome on all Android phones. Samsung Electronics Co, the world's top selling smartphone maker and the leading Android manufacturer, recently acquired Viv Labs, an artificial intelligence startup founded by the creators of Siri, and plans to weave the assistant into its phones. Having already ceded their operating systems to Google, Android manufacturers may be reluctant to delegate the digital assistant as well, people in the industry said. "If we get to the point where the face of the brand is the assistant itself, that is totally a differentiator," said Babak Hodjat, co-founder of artificial intelligence company Sentient. "They will be relegated to just pushing hardware." Google is coy about its plans. "Over time, we want to bring the Assistant to as many people as possible," Steve Cheng, product management director for the Assistant, said in an interview, without giving details. Analysts expect that eventually Google will try to make money by taking a share of transactions brokered by the Assistant - such as when a user buys flowers from a store the Assistant just located. Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai appeared to hint at that possibility during the company's earnings call on Thursday. "The Assistant team talked about conversational actions as a way by which we can integrate third parties into the voice experience," he said. But he did make clear, whether on its own or others' hardware, the shift from touch to voice-controlled assistants presents a prime opportunity for Google. "As we went from desktops to mobile, it's not like one replaced the other... It expanded the pie," he said. "I approach this the same way." (Reporting by Julia Love; Editing by Bill Rigby) Beetlejuice , 1988 As Lydia Deetz, Ryder befriends the ghosts that haunt her family's home, and almost marries the titular ghost, Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), before being rescued by her other-worldly friends. ScreenProd/Alamy Stock Photo Happy birthday to the lovely Winona Ryder, who turns 45 today! Ryder has been a Hollywood mainstay since her days shouting "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!" and has since returned to the small-screen in full force with the incredibly binge-worthy Netflix show, Stranger Things. Since starring in 1988's Beetlejuice, which she revealed last year is getting the re-boot treatment, the actress has had no trouble cementing her spot among Hollywood's finest. She's starred in many of our favorite films, including the dark comedy Heathers in 1988, and another Tim Burton movie, Edward Scissorhands in 1990. Then, in 1993, Ryder won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and an Academy Award nomination in the same category for her role in The Age of Innocence. She's also starred alongside Angelina Jolie in the drama Girl, Interrupted and famously kissed Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) on a hilarious episode of Friends. Ryder is not just a film force to be reckoned with, but a fashion one as well, landing a spot in Marc Jacobs's fall 2015 campaign and Rag & Bone's fall/winter 2014 ad campaign. 2016 has been a big year for the actress, thanks to the cult-worthy following and major success of her new show Stranger Things, which was renewed for a second (and longer!) season in 2017. Here's to nine more episodes of a crazed Joyce Byers, and a very happy 45th birthday to the always-gorgeous Winona Ryder! Scroll below to take a look at the most insane roles Ryder has played over the years. As Syrian opposition fighters advanced in Aleppo, heavy fighting continued between the pro-Assad forces and rebels in regime-held areas of west Aleppo on October 30, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Both sides attempted to bolster their positions with reinforcements, the monitoring group said. Opposition sources said that shelling targeted the Syrian regime stronghold of of al-Zahra west of Aleppo. These videos were shared by pro-opposition media and are described as showing clashes between Syrian regime and Jaish Fateh in al-Zahra, in west Aleppo. Credit: YouTube/ Qasioun Agency By Ian Ransom MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Godolphin's two-decade wait for a Melbourne Cup winner may be set to end on Tuesday, when the powerful stable mounts a formidable assault to gallop off with Australia's richest horse racing prize. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum's team has secured five entrants in the field of 24 at Flemington Racecourse for the famed two-mile handicap, including favorite Hartnell (7-2) and the highly fancied Oceanographer. Godolphin has known only frustration and near-misses since their maiden bid in 1998, with three second placings by Central Park (1999), Give The Slip (2001) and Crime Scene (2009). The Sheikh's long-serving trainer Saeed Bin Suroor prepared all three of the runner-ups and is back for another campaign with Secret Number and Beautiful Romance. "Im so happy with them, they have traveled really good from England to here and they look in good form, good condition, Bin Suroor told local media this week. Both are rated long shots by bookmakers, but the John O'Shea-trained Hartnell has shown encouraging form in the lead-up, coming second behind Winx in the 2,400m Cox Plate at Moonee Valley last week. Considered a rank outsider weeks ago, British stayer Oceanographer (6-1) has been backed heavily since an impressive win at the 2,500m Lexus Stakes on Saturday. Trainer Charlie Appleby has also enjoyed recent success on Qewy, who won the lead-up Geelong Cup to secure a berth in Tuesday's A$6.2 million ($4.71 million) race. Qewy, a seven-year-old gelding rated 25-1, will be ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, a Melbourne Cup winner with Brew in 2000. "He may lack a change of gears but he's very genuine and just keeps picking up," said McEvoy. Northern hemisphere-trained horses have been prominent in the famed two-mile handicap over the past 20 years, transforming a formerly provincial carnival into a cosmopolitan affair. Three of the last six Melbourne Cups have been won by 'foreign raiders', the local term for horses prepared outside Australia and New Zealand. Flamboyant Italian jockey Frankie Dettori, runner-up behind Prince of Penzance on Max Dynamite last year, returns on another Irish stayer, the William Mullins-trained Wicklow Brave, one of 10 'raiders' in the field. Dettori rode Wicklow Brave to victory in the Irish St Leger last month but faces a tall order at Flemington from barrier 24. Curren Mirotic will attempt to become the second Japanese-trained horse to win the race following Delta Blues' victory in 2006. The Osamu Hirata-trained gelding would need to defy history, however, by becoming the first ever nine-year-old to salute and achieve it from the 'unlucky' barrier 18, which has never produced a winner. ($1 = 1.3160 Australian dollars) (Editing by Nick Mulvenney) * Pirate Party support falls short of expectations * Independence Party gets stronger-than-expected support * Independence Party says will try to form next government * Party leaders start talks with president on Sunday (Adds current Prime Ministers' formal resignation) By Stine Jacobsen and Zoe Robert REYKJAVIK, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Icelanders opted for stability in a general election with anti-establishment Pirate Party falling short of expectations and the junior partner in the outgoing government emerging on top. With voters still angered by the 2008 financial crisis and the naming of several government figures in an offshore tax haven scandal this year, Icelanders looked to oust the centre-right coalition in its current form. The biggest group, the Progressive Party, lost more than half its share of the vote in Saturday's election after Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson resigned following revelations in the "Panama Papers" scandal. On Sunday, current Prime Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson of the Progressive Party officially resigned, a formality as the government did not get a majority. The Pirate Party, founded by a group of internet activists, failed to perform as well as opinion polls had indicated. While its share of the vote tripled from the last election in 2013, it came in only third with 15 percent. Instead, voters appeared to have recognised efforts to stabilise the economy after its 2008 collapse. The centre-right Independence Party, which shared power in the outgoing government, won the largest share of the vote with 29 percent. No party has won an outright majority, and President Gudni Johannesson has yet to hand the mandate to the party that will be tasked with forming the next government. Party leaders started talks with Johannesson on Sunday. The Independence Party said it would try to form the next government. "We have the most support... So I'd say yes," Independence leader and current Finance Minister Bjarni Benediktsson told Reuters when asked whether he considered his party the winner. Story continues He said he would prefer to form a three-party coalition, but declined to say with whom. Johannsson of the Progressive Party, who will act as prime minister until the next leader is found, told Reuters he would meet the President on Sunday and said it would be "natural" for the President to look to the Independence Party. In a tight race, the newly-established Vidreisn, or Reform Party, could become kingmaker. The pro-European, liberal party which won around 10 percent of votes in its first election has not yet taken sides. The Independence Party has been part of every government between 1980 and 2009 and again from 2013, presided over the privatisation of the banks, the financial sector's liberalisation and demise, and eventual the economic recovery. NO PIRATE SURRENDER Poet Birgitta Jonsdottir, who leads the Pirate Party said she was happy with the result. "Our internal predictions showed 10 to 15 percent, so this is at the top of the range. We knew that we would never get 30 percent," she said. "Epic success! There are a lot of coalition possibilities; lots of work ahead," Pirate Party member Smari McCarthy, who will be one of the party's 10 lawmakers, tweeted. It excluded working with the Independence Party and would work on forming a five-party alliance with the three other opposition parties and newcomer the Reform Party. The Left-Green Movement, which emerged as the second-biggest party, said it would be willing to work on such an alliance, but the Reform Party was lukewarm to the idea. Supporters of the broader pirate movement from 15 countries, along with ex-campaign workers for former U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, had visited Reykjavik to back the Icelandic party, hoping that it would have a shot at forming the next government and deal another blow to mainstream politicians. The Independence Party has promised to lower taxes and keep the economic recovery on track. Fuelled by a tourism boom, economic growth has recovered since the banking crisis and is expected to hit 4.3 percent this year. The senior coalition partner in the outgoing government, the Progressive Party, saw its support dive to 11.5 percent. It was hurt badly when Gunnlaugsson resigned as prime minister in April after documents leaked from a Panamanian law firm linked him to an offshore company that held millions of dollars in debt from failed Icelandic banks. The Independence Party will hold 21 seats in the 63 member parliament, up two. Representation by the Left-Green Movement rose three to 10 seats, while the Pirate Party has gained seven to 10 seats. (Reporting by Stine Jacobsen and Zoe Robert, Editing by David Stamp and Susan Thomas) Reykjavik (AFP) - Iceland was gearing up Sunday for tough horsetrading over its next government after the anti-establishment Pirate Party and its allies gained ground against the ruling centre-right in a vote triggered by the Panama Papers scandal. Prime Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson announced his resignation after his centrist Progressive Party -- which had been governing in a coalition with the conservative Independence Party -- suffered a drubbing in Saturday's vote. Final figures from the election, called after Johannsson's predecessor was forced out over revelations in the Panama Papers of a hidden offshore account worth millions, pointed to a deadlocked outcome. The Independence and Progressive parties together won 29 seats in the 63-member parliament or Althingi, down nine from the outgoing assembly. The Pirates and its three centre-left allies won 27 seats, reaping gains from a wave of popular anger with the establishment parties but falling short of a majority. Johannsson, an unpopular figure over his perceived closeness to business, said he will remain in office until a new government is formed in the volcanic island nation. President Gudni Johannesson is set to task Finance Minister Bjarni Benediktsson of the Independence Party, which won 21 seats, with trying to form a new government. - 'Open to compromise' - Pirate Party co-founder Birgitta Jonsdottir said she was "thrilled" after the movement created by anarchists, hackers and activists picked up 10 seats, more than tripling its representation. "We will carry on no matter what's going to happen in the next few days," she told a news conference, saying her party is "open to compromise". The Left-Green Movement also picked up 10 seats, the Social Democrats three, and the centrist Bright Future Movement four. The centrist Regeneration Party, which won seven seats, could determine the fate of coalition talks but negotiations with the Independence Party could be tough. Story continues The two parties fell out over holding a referendum on resuming the nation's EU membership talks which were stalled by the incumbent government. "We have not been negative towards other parties or how governments should be formed," Regeneration leader Benedikt Johannesson told AFP. The election was triggered after the Panama Papers revealed in April that 600 Icelanders including bankers, business leaders and cabinet ministers, including the then premier, had holdings stashed away in offshore accounts. The episode revived the seething public anger that erupted during the 2008 financial crisis, which wrecked Iceland's banking industry and plunged the country into recession, prompting it to seek a humiliating IMF bailout. "The Independence Party is being rewarded for its role in corruption," one Pirate Party cofounder, Smari McCarthy, told RUV. - 'Like Robin Hood' - The Pirate Party has a five-point programme that includes holding a referendum on EU membership, constitutional change to make leaders more accountable, greater protection of natural resources and the closure of tax loopholes for large corporations. "We are a platform for young people, for progressive people who shape and reshape our society," Jonsdottir told AFP. "Like Robin Hood because Robin Hood was a pirate, we want to take the power from the powerful to give it to the people." Gretar Eytorsson, professor of political science at the University of Akureyri, said the Pirates did not gain a majority because not enough young people voted despite a near 80 percent overall turnout. "What was suspected happened. The young voters did not show up," he told AFP. "That was most likely the biggest reason for their loss... compared with the polls. But let's not forget that they are a much bigger party now." Iceland, a volcanic island with a population of just over 330,000, has returned to prosperity since its 2008 financial meltdown. Gross domestic product growth is expected to be above four percent this year thanks to tourism revenues and a recovering financial system. Lyle Denniston, Constitution Dailys Supreme Court correspondent, looks at the unique role of the Federal Bureau of Investigations director and the Presidents ability to remove the director if warranted. FBI Director James B. Comey For much of the 108-year history of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, it had only one director J. Edgar Hoover, who led the agency for a few days short of 48 years. He was as near to a truly independent official in the federal governments Executive Branch as the Constitution allows. He had his own special relationship with Congress, and ran the Bureau much as he wished. His successors have not been as powerful, nor as independent. Indeed, one director in the Bureaus history former federal judge William S. Sessions was fired for ethical reasons by President Bill Clinton in the summer of 1993, a little more than halfway through a 10-year appointment. The Presidents public explanation was that there had been a loss of confidence in Sessions leadership. Then-Attorney General Janet Reno recommended the dismissal. It is sometimes assumed that the President can oust an FBI director only for cause that is, for some misconduct in office. But, as a Congressional Research Service study of the directors office pointed out two years ago, there are no statutory conditions on the Presidents authority to remove the FBI director. The constitutional reality is that, if a government official is clearly placed within the Executive Branch, that official serves at the pleasure of the President, and can be fired at will. That history has had a recent illustration: earlier this month, the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., struck down part of a law by which Congress created a single director to lead the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau a law that specified that the director could be removed by the President only for cause. The appeals court simply deleted that phrase from the law, thus making the agencys head subject to being fired by the President for any reason, or no reason at all. (The government has not yet indicated whether it will challenge that ruling in further appeals, perhaps to the Supreme Court.) Story continues That is very much in line with what the Supreme Court has ruled over the years, to preserve the power of the President to be fully in charge of the Executive Branch. Since 1968, a federal law has provided that the head of the FBI will have a 10-year term in office. But the situation legally is that the chance to serve a full term depends upon retaining the confidence of the President. This constitutional issue has arisen anew in the wake of the controversy over FBI Director James B. Comeys decision last Friday to notify Congress that the FBI was examining a new batch of e-mails that might be linked to the official investigation into Hillary Clintons use of a private e-mail server while Secretary of State. Comey, named to the post by President Obama just over three years ago, has publicly defended his action by saying he had promised to keep Congress up to date on the status of the investigation. While the directors action has stirred up a major public relations battle over its impact on the presidential election campaign, the White House has so far not joined in that controversy. On Sunday, the Senates leader of the Democratic minority, Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, released a letter he had written to Comey. The letter said flatly that Reids office has determined that these actions may violate the Hatch Act, which bars FBI officials from using their official authority to influence an election. Accusing the director of partisan actions, the letter said that you may have broken the law. On Saturday, Richard W. Painter, a law professor at the University of Minnesota who served as President George W. Bushs White House ethics lawyer for two and a half years, filed formal complaints against Comey with two government agencies that investigate political activity or potential misconduct by government employees. Explaining his action in an opinion piece published on Sunday on the website of The New York Times, Painter wrote: I never thought that the FBI could be dragged into a political circus surrounding one of its investigations. Until this week. In Comeys earlier public statements about the e-mail investigation, he said he had not cleared those statements with anyone else in the Justice Department (of which the FBI is a part) or anyone elsewhere in the government. News stories since Friday have said that some of Comeys aides did share his plan to write to Congress about the newly-discovered e-mails with Department officials, some of whom reportedly argued against it, but there apparently was no order not to go forward with it. The FBI has a very positive image with much of the American public, and that has always supported its authority. Even though a director is subject to being dismissed at the Presidents choice, it has always been apparent that there are political risks in doing so. When the FBI director was fired in 1993, President Clinton felt obliged to order a full investigation of complaints and waited for a recommendation from Attorney General Reno. Director Sessions dismissal did draw protests from some members of Congress, but the lawmakers took no action to block the appointment of a successor after the firing. Under the 1968 law that for the first time required Senate approval of a new FBI directors appointment by the President, any director is restricted to serving only a single term of 10 years, unless Congress passes specific new legislation to keep the director on the job. That has happened only once under the 1968 law, in 2011, when Congress passed a law to allow Robert S. Mueller a second term specifically limited to two years. Aside from being subject to removal by a President, the FBI director, like all civil officers of the United States, can be ousted from office if charged with high crimes and misdemeanors by the House of Representatives and removed by a two-thirds vote of the Senate. The Constitution does not define what high crimes and misdemeanors can lead to impeachment, but it has become clear from historical practice that this depends entirely on what the House believes would qualify. Legendary journalist Lyle Denniston is Constitution Dailys Supreme Court correspondent. Denniston has written for us as a contributor since June 2011 and he has covered the Supreme Court since 1958. His work also appears on lyldenlawnews.com. Recent Stories on Constitution Daily Are copyright claims stifling free speech on the Internet? The longest Supreme Court nomination delay in history Supreme Court steps into transgender dispute donald trump For the first time, Donald Trump went after conservative independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin, who appears to be running only a few points behind Trump in the deep-red state of Utah. McMullin, in turn, sniped back in the inaugural war of words between the candidates. In an interview with Fox News that aired on Saturday, the Republican presidential nominee accused McMullin of being a political tool used by Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol. "The guy takes votes away from me," Trump said. "He's a puppet of a loser." He added: "The guy takes votes away from me. You know, we're going to win Utah. But he takes votes away from me, this man who I never heard of." McMullin quickly responded on Twitter, pointing out that he was serving in Iraq around the time that Trump has been accused of sexually harassing women. Here's part of his late-night tweetstorm: .@realDonaldTrump, Yes youve never heard of me because while you were harassing women at beauty pageants, I was fighting terrorists abroad. https://t.co/hNDTWn3HPN Evan McMullin (@Evan_McMullin) October 30, 2016 .@realDonaldTrump, you're an authoritarian, life-long liberal who disrespects life, liberty, & equality. We can't trust you on justices. Evan McMullin (@Evan_McMullin) October 30, 2016 .@realdonaldtrump, you think you're entitled to Utahns' and other Americans' votes. Were earning them. Evan McMullin (@Evan_McMullin) October 30, 2016 .@realDonaldTrump, it's time for a new conservative movement & generation of leadership. We are building it. #McMullinFinn Evan McMullin (@Evan_McMullin) October 30, 2016 McMullin, a practicing Mormon, has picked up steam almost exclusively in Utah. The state consists of a high percentage of Mormon Story continues voters, many of whom have been alienated by Trump's inflammatory rhetoric. According to the Real Clear Politics average of recent polls, McMullin is tied with Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton with just over 25% support in Utah, while Trump on Sunday averaged 31% support in the state. NOW WATCH: Obama: Trump couldnt get a job at 7-Eleven More From Business Insider JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia will resume some shipments of coal to the Philippines, a government official said on Sunday, after a months-long halt due to concerns about piracy in seas between the two archipelagos. Indonesia earlier this year slapped a moratorium on coal shipments to its neighbour after a string of hijackings by militants based in the southern Philippines, in which several Indonesian sailors were taken hostage. Only ships with a capacity of over 500 tonnes will be allowed to resume sailing while smaller vessels and tugboats are still banned. For safety and security reasons ... all ships must sail in the recommended corridors and avoid conflict areas or waters (around) the southern Philippines and east Malaysia, Transportation Ministry official Tonny Budiono said. In a statement, Budiono added that the decision to resume some shipments had been taken because the moratorium had been deemed to be damaging Indonesian interests. Indonesia supplies 70 percent of the Philippines coal imports but stopped shipments over concerns that piracy in the Sulu Sea area could reach levels previously seen in Somalia. Several Indonesian sailors were taken hostage earlier this year by suspected members of militant group Abu Sayyaf, a group known for piracy and kidnappings. Many of the Indonesians have since been released but the group is still holding other foreign nationals for ransom. In June, Abu Sayyaf beheaded a Canadian national after a ransom deadline passed. Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia have agreed to undertake coordinated patrols in the Sulu Sea, but these have yet to begin. (Story refiles with JAKARTA dateline; story text unchanged.) (Reporting by Agustinus Beo Da Costa; writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; editing by Mark Heinrich) By Babak Dehghanpisheh AIN NASIR, Iraq (Reuters) - Gun trucks and humvees streamed north on a highway heading to Mosul on Sunday flying the banners of Shiite militias along with Iraqi flags while blaring religious songs. The convoys were the first clear sign of a new player on the battlefield in the U.S.-backed offensive to retake Mosul from Islamic State: Hashid Shaabi or Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a coalition of Shi'ite militias. Although it reports officially to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, the coalition is mostly made up of groups trained by Iran and loyal to its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They have close ties with General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Quds Brigade, the extra-territorial arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. He was seen touring the frontlines around Mosul last week. Among the banners that could be seen flying from artillery cannons, communication towers and buildings recently retaken from Islamic State were those of Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, two of the main Iranian-backed groups, alongside the Badr Organization, considered the largest. Dozens of holes dug on the side of the highway for several kilometers indicated how heavily mined the highway had been only a couple of days before and the efforts the force had gone through to clear the road. One of the first villages retaken by the PMF since announcing combat operations on Saturday was Ain Nasir, some 30 kilometers south of Mosul. One fighter who participated in the battle to retake the village on Saturday night said that Islamic State had put up little resistance and that fighters had taken several villagers hostage during their retreat, using them as human shields. "We are fighting to push Daesh out of Iraq," said Adel Khiali, 26, a PMF fighter affiliated with the Badr Organization who was formerly an Iraqi army soldier. Daesh is an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. MORTAR FIRE The Iraqi army and federal police came in to help clear the area after the PMF, Khiali said. Still, as Khiali spoke, at least one mortar round hit the village, indicating that the area was not yet secure. There was a sense of resentment among some fighters on the battlefield on Sunday that the PMF have been misrepresented and that their sacrifices have not been appreciated. "We fight to help people return to their villages and they call us militias, said Ali Khiali, a 40- year old PMF fighter affiliated with the Badr Organization. Is that fair? Adel and Ali Khiali are brothers. The U.N in July said it had a list of more than 640 Sunni Muslim men and boys reportedly abducted by Shiite militiamen in Falluja, a former militant stronghold west of Baghdad, and about 50 others who were summarily executed or tortured to death. Abadi's Shi'ite-led government and the PMF say a limited number of violations had occurred and were investigated, but they deny abuses were widespread and systematic. But Amnesty International says that in previous campaigns, the Shi'ite militias have committed "serious human rights violations, including war crimes" against civilians fleeing Islamic State-held territory. The flying of Shi'ite flags by the militias and also some regular army and police units in the mostly Sunni region around Mosul has been a cause of concern for local officials. But the Popular Mobilization forces have not been linked to any sectarian incidents so far in the campaign that started on Oct 17 with air and ground support from the U.S.-led coalition. "Its not right what they say about us," Adel said. When they call us militias its like they are insulting us. Though Sunday was only the second day that the PMF had officially joined the battle against Islamic State, the banners and slogans of the organization made it clear that theirs is a pan-Shiite cause that may not end at Iraqs borders. Tens of thousands of Iraqi Shiite militia fighters have crossed the border to fight on behalf of the government of President Bashar al-Assad with backing from Iran, but the PMF is not officially involved in the fighting there. This could change after Mosul. The Shi'ite paramilitary coalition said it plans to fight then alongside Assad's forces. "We are fully ready to go to any place that contains a threat to Iraqi national security," Ahmed al-Asadi, a PMF spokesman, told a news conference in Baghdad on Saturday, mentioning Syria as the main "arena" for the fighting. Black graffiti on the wall of an office of the Badr Organization in Qayyara on Sunday read: "Baghdad to the gates of Damascus." A few kilometers away on the highway between Qayyara and Mosul, a stall serving food to PMF fighters had a large portrait of Sheikh Nimr Baqer Nimr, the Saudi Shiite cleric executed by the Saudi government in January, outside. Several checkpoints and vehicles were also adorned with portraits of Khamenei, Irans supreme leader. (Editing by Clelia Oziel) By Stephen Kalin and Michael Georgy SOUTH OF MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi troops and security forces edged closer to Mosul on two southern fronts on Sunday but a leader of the Shi'ite militias newly participating in the offensive warned that the battle for Islamic State's Iraq stronghold would be long and grueling. A military statement said the army's Ninth Armoured Division raised the Iraqi flag in the village of Ali Rash, about 7 km (4 miles) southeast of Mosul, after recapturing it from the ultra-hardline Sunni Muslim militants. Further south, an Interior Ministry officer said security forces were advancing from the town of al-Shura, recaptured from Islamic State (IS) on Saturday, along the Tigris river valley towards Mosul 30 km (20 miles) to the north. The army and security forces, along with Kurdish peshmerga fighters, have been backed by U.S.-led air and ground support in their two-week-old campaign to crush Islamic State in the largest city of its self-declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria. Their battle for Mosul, still home to 1.5 million residents, could be one of the toughest in a decade of turmoil since the 2003 overthrow of Saddam Hussein, a Sunni Muslim, brought Iraq's majority Shi'ites to power. On Saturday thousands of Iranian-backed Iraqi Shi'ite militia fighters, known as the Hashid Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) forces, joined the Mosul offensive, launching a campaign to take territory to the west of the city. Their target is to seize the town of Tal Afar, 55 km (35 miles) west of Mosul, from Islamic State. That would cut off any chance of the jihadists retreating into - or being reinforced from - their positions in neighboring Syria, Ahmed al-Asadi, a spokesman of the Popular Mobilisation, told a news conference. IS fighters have been "flowing into Mosul" from Syria, he added. Iraqi troops and Kurdish peshmerga fighters are already driving Islamic State fighters back on the southern, eastern and northeastern approaches to Mosul. "There is cooperation between ... the army, federal police, Hashid and counter-terrorism (forces) and also the (local Sunni) tribes," said Hadi al-Amiri, head of the Badr Organisation, the most powerful group within the Popular Mobilisation forces. Speaking in the village of Ain Nasir in the semi-arid land west of the Tigris, Amiri said the fight against Islamic State insurgents holding Mosul, who have already launched waves of suicide car bombs, roadside bombs and sniper attacks to slow down the advancing forces, could be long and bloody. "The battle of Mosul will not be a picnic. It needs time, it needs precision, it needs a deep breath," he said, wearing military fatigues and with his face wrapped in a white checked headscarf against the wind and sand. "We are prepared for the battle of Mosul even if it lasts for months". ISLAMIC STATE "REINFORCING" TAL AFAR The deployment of Shi'ite forces in northern Iraq, an ethnically mixed region where Sunni Muslims form a majority, could inflame sectarian tensions and has led to warnings from neighboring Turkey. President Tayyip Erdogan said the town of Tal Afar, which the Shi'ite forces say they will recapture, is Turkmen - inhabited by people with strong cultural and historical links to Turkey - and said Ankara would act if the Popular Mobilisation forces "unleash terror" there. Anticipating the offensive on Tal Afar, and highlighting its strategic importance, Islamic State has also been reinforcing the town in the last 48 hours, an Iraqi security official said. He said two waves of reinforcements were sent including insurgents who had fought in neighboring Syria and had experience in using anti-tank missiles. "Intelligence reports show that the Daesh (Islamic State) groups have entered TOW missiles systems into Tal Afar. It's obvious they are making preparations for a long protracted battle," the official from the provincial military operation command center told Reuters. His comments could not be independently verified but a resident of Mosul, speaking to Reuters by phone, said relatives in Tal Afar reported seeing increasing numbers of Islamic State fighters in the town, some of them patrolling on motorbikes. Since launching their advance towards Tal Afar on Saturday, the Popular Mobilisation forces have taken over several villages in an area about 60 km (40 miles) southeast of their final target. The Kurdish Peshmerga said in a statement on Sunday they had cleared at least 28 villages north and east of Mosul since the start of the offensive. Interior Ministry rapid response forces, who took control on Saturday of the town of al-Shura, about 30 km (20 miles) south of Mosul, advanced on Sunday a few km northeast and took three villages from Islamic State, an officer told Reuters. The Popular Mobilisation force, formed in 2014 to help push back Islamic State's sweeping advance, officially report to Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi's Shi'ite-led government, but has very close links to Iran. Human rights groups have warned of possible sectarian violence if the Shi'ite paramilitaries seize areas where Sunni Muslims form a majority, which is the case in much of northern and western Iraq. (Additional reporting by Michael Georgy in Erbil, Iraq; writing by Dominic Evans; editing by Mark Heinrich) By Michael Georgy NEAR BASHIQA, Iraq (Reuters) - After two years of ruthless Islamic State rule, Ahmed finally decided to make a run for it, past some of the group's snipers in his village in northern Iraq. He is relieved that the bullets they fired at him, and at anyone else attempting to flee, missed. But life is still fraught with risks and hardship. Ahmed had to leave his elderly parents behind when he sought refuge in a small makeshift base for Kurdish peshmerga fighters, who are vulnerable to attacks by suicide bombers in vehicles. "After Islamic State took over our village there were no jobs. My father ran out of money. He and my mother stayed behind to watch over the car," said Ahmed. "We can't afford to buy a new one." Iraqi troops and Kurdish fighters have cleared dozens of villages as they press towards the city of Mosul for an offensive against the Islamic State's last main stronghold in the country. The momentum has encouraged Iraqis like Ahmed to take a risk, despite warnings from the world's most feared and violent Islamist militant group that anyone who attempts to flee their self-proclaimed caliphate will be shot dead. They are slowly emerging from villages and towns with accounts of Islamic State's ferocity in imposing their ultra-hardline interpretation of Islam. Sitting beside a plastic plate and picking at some rice and chick peas, Ahmed spoke slowly, exhausted and wondering what would become of relatives who had to stay behind. "When Daesh arrived two years ago we all thought they would be here for a couple of weeks because the Iraqi army would remove them," said Ahmed, who asked that only his first name be used to avoid reprisals against his loved ones. Daesh is an Arabic acronym used by opponents of Islamic State to describe the group. The Iraqi army collapsed in the face of a lighting Islamic State sweep through northern Iraq in 2014. The group seized Mosul - Iraq's second largest city -- and then swallowed up villages like Abu Jarbouh, where Ahmed's parents still live in fear of militants who control every aspect of life, from beard sizes to a ban on cigarettes and alcohol. The whole family were virtually hostages in their own home for two years, afraid that even walking down the street in their own neighborhood could invite the wrath of the jihadists. "We left the home once a month to go to Mosul to get some food and other supplies," said Ahmed, who gave up his education after he heard what the group was doing in schools. "Word got back to me that they were actually teaching young men how to behead people and shoot them." Moments after he spoke an air strike was launched against Islamic State targets in a village held by the group about 1.5 km (one mile) away. A thick cloud of smoke rose up. Kurdish fighters said that two children who ran away from that area towards the base were shot dead by the Sunni militants this week. Jihadists also tried to carry out suicide bombings against the base and clashes often erupt at night. Kurdish fighters say Islamic State snipers are positioned in buildings across fields in the distance. The Kurds man positions beneath dirt berms at the base, located between two villages held by Islamic State. Kurdish fighters occasionally test their machine guns, rattling refugees who have blank stares, sitting on dirt and gravel wondering whether they will ever be able to return home. The United Nations has warned that Islamic State could try to take thousands of people as hostages and human shields during the Mosul offensive. As a military truck that will transport the displaced to a camp arrived, Ahmed and a few relatives, along with young children, slowly climbed on it. "I never thought we would escape Daesh," said Ahmed, holding a worn plastic bag with his meagre belongings. "God has showed us mercy." (Editing by Stephen Powell) By Michael Nienaber BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany is looking into a claim by Islamic State that one of its followers was responsible for a fatal stabbing in the German city of Hamburg two weeks ago in which a young couple were attacked. A spokesman for the Federal Public Prosecutor said on Sunday investigators were checking the claim in a statement published by the militant group's Amaq news agency over the weekend. "We are looking into this and are evaluating the credibility of the content," the spokesman said. He noted that it appeared a bit unusual that the claim was published two weeks after the attack. "This differs somewhat from the pattern," he said. The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, which is responsible for investigating crimes concerning national security, will decide in coming days if it has grounds to take over from local authorities, he added. In the attack, an unknown perpetrator set upon a young couple sitting under a bridge at the Alster river in central Hamburg. He stabbed the 16-year-old man repeatedly from behind and kicked his 15-year-old female companion into the river. The stabbing victim died of his injuries shortly afterwards in hospital while the young woman managed to escape. In its claim of responsibility, the group said: "A soldier of the Islamic State stabbed two individuals in Hamburg city on the 16th of this month. He carried out the operation in response to calls to target the citizens of coalition countries." A police spokeswoman in Hamburg said local investigators were checking the statement and its credibility, but she added that the claim of responsibility raised a number of questions. "At this point, it is important to point out that the murder squad is still investigating in all directions," she said. In a statement issued shortly after the attack, police had said the attacker was of "southern appearance", aged between 23 and 25 years, with stubble. They added the background of the attack was unknown. Experts say it is not clear how close the connection is between groups and individuals proclaiming allegiance to the Islamic State militant group. The Islamist organization is increasingly under pressure from regional and international forces in its Middle East heartland of Syria and Iraq. In July, the group claimed responsibility for two attacks in the German state of Bavaria - one on a train near Wuerzburg and the other at a music festival in Ansbach that wounded 20 people. In mid-October, police arrested a Syrian refugee suspected of planning a bomb attack on an airport in Berlin. The 22-year-old man committed suicide in prison shortly after his arrest. Officials said Jaber Albakr spoke to a member of Islamic State in Syria by telephone about a possible target a day before German police discovered explosives in his apartment. (Reporting by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Susan Fenton and Alexandra Hudson) JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian who had rammed three border policemen with his car in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, Israeli police said. The three officers were lightly injured when they were struck by the car near the West Bank town of Beit Ummar, a police spokesman said. Troops at the scene opened fire and killed the driver. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the driver as a 23-year-old from the town. Over the past year, Palestinians, many acting alone and often using rudimentary weapons and cars, have killed at least 35 Israelis and two visiting Americans in similar attacks. During the same period, at least 224 Palestinians have died in violent incidents in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Of those, Israel has identified 152 as assailants, while others were killed during clashes and protests. Palestinians have accused Israeli police and soldiers of using excessive force against many of the attackers. In some cases, Israel has opened investigations into whether excessive force was used. (Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch, editing by Larry King) (NORCIA, Italy) Central Italy was hit by another powerful earthquake Sunday, toppling buildings that had recently withstood other major quakes and sending panicked residents back into the streets, but causing no immediate loss of life. The quake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 was the strongest to strike the country in nearly 36 years. That there were no reports of deaths was largely due to the fact that thousands of residents left their homes after two strong jolts last week shook the same mountainous area. Some 20 people were injured, many lightly, authorities said. The Apennine Mountain region of central Italy, located along a major fault line, has been the site of dozens of significant earthquakes, including an Aug. 24 quake with a 6.1 magnitude that killed nearly 300 people. Back-to-back jolts on Wednesday left thousands more people homeless, but the only death reported resulted from a heart attack. It is since 1980 that we have had to deal with an earthquake of this magnitude, Fabrizio Curcio, the head of Italys Civil Protection agency, said. Curcio was referring to a 6.9 magnitude quake in a different region that includes Naples that killed some 3,000 people and caused extensive damage in November 1980. Residents already rattled by a constant trembling of the earth rushed into piazzas and streets after being roused from bed by Sundays 7:40 a.m. quake. It was felt as far north as Salzburg, Austria and all the way down the Italian peninsula to the Puglia region, the heel of the boot. Curcio said authorities were responding with helicopters to help the injured and monitor collapses, as many roads were blocked by landslides. Some 3,600 people had already been relocated, many to the coast, following last weeks quake, and Curcio said more would follow. Closest to the epicenter was the ancient city of Norcia, the birthplace of St. Benedict, the father of monasticism and famed for its Benedictine monastery. Witnesses said the 14th Century St. Benedict cathedral collapsed in the quake, with only the facade still standing. Story continues Its as if the whole city fell down, Norcia city assessor Giuseppina Perla told the ANSA news agency. The citys ancient walls suffered damage, as did another famous Norcia church, St. Mary Argentea, known for its 15th century frescoes. Television images showed nuns rushing into the main piazza as the bell tower appeared on the verge of collapse. Later, nuns and priests knelt in prayer in the main piazza, and a firefighter appealed to a priest to help keep residents calm in an effort to prevent them from looking for loved ones. The towns deputy mayor, Pierluigi Altavilla, said his house remained standing, but everything inside had been toppled. It seemed like a bomb exploded inside the house, he told Sky TG24. The quake comes during a long holiday weekend in Italy going into Tuesdays All Saints Day, when Catholics honor the dead. The head of the church in Umbria, Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, urged priests not to hold Masses during the period inside churches, for fear of further collapses, but in open spaces, ANSA reported. Adding drama to the event, mayors in some towns, including Castelsantangelo sul Nera, said coffins had been pushed out of their resting place inside the walls of cemeteries, which in Italy are typically walled structures into which coffins are laid. The scene is indescribable, Mayor Mauro Falcucci told ANSA. The quake struck a cluster of mountain towns, many of historic significance, already reeling from last weeks pair of aftershocks to last Augusts deadly quake, including Norcia, Visso, Castelsantangelo sul Nero and Preci. Some towns and smaller settlements were left isolated by landslides that blocked the roads, and the civil protection authority was responding with helicopters to help the injured, while also monitoring damage. A civil protection official in the Marche region, Cesare Spuri, said they were trying to determine if people were trapped under downed debris. New collapses also were reported throughout the region, including in Tolentino, where the news agency ANSA said three people were extracted from the rubble. The hilltop town of Camerino, some 60 kilometers from Ancona, suffered new building collapses but no reports of injuries. City spokesman Emmanuele Pironi said the main fire hall had been rendered uninhabitable and that they had transferred to a warehouse. An hour and a half after the quake, we can be reassured, Pironi told The Associated Press. Pironi said most of the areas 9,000 university students had left after the towns historic center was closed due to danger of collapses last week, and some of the 7,000 residents had been moved to hotels near the coast or to shelters nearby. Few remained in their homes. The mayor of quake-hit Ussita said a huge cloud of smoke erupted from the crumbled buildings. Its a disaster, a disaster! Mayor Marco Rinaldi told ANSA. I was sleeping in the car and I saw hell. In Arquata del Tronto, which had been devastated by the Aug. 24 earthquake that killed nearly 300 people, Arquata Mayor Aleandro Petrucci said, There are no towns left. Everything came down, he said. The quake sent boulders raining onto state highways and smaller roads, forcing closures throughout the quake zone that was impeding access to hard-hit cities such as Norcia. Traffic was being diverted to other roads. The Salaria highway, one of the main highways in the region, was closed at certain points as it was after Wednesdays quakes. In addition, Italys rail line said some local lines in Umbria and Le Marche were closed as a precaution. The quake forced the temporary closure of some of Romes most important tourist sites, including the presidential palace, so authorities could check for damage. The St. Paul Outside the Walls basilica was closed for several hours after some plaster fell, but was later reopened. Vatican firefighters conducted checks at St. Peters Basilica and the Vaticans other basilicas but found no damage. The crowds in St. Peters Square interrupted Pope Francis with applause when he mentioned the quake during his weekly Sunday blessing. Im praying for the injured and the families who have suffered the most damage, as well as for rescue and first aid workers, he said. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center put the magnitude of Sundays earthquake at 6.6 or 6.5 with an epicenter 132 kilometers northeast of Rome and 67 kilometers east of Perugia, near the epicenter of last weeks temblors. The U.S. Geological Survey put the magnitude at 6.6. To date, Italys deadliest quake in recent history remains the 1908 Messina quake that destroyed the Sicilian city and killed tens of thousands of people. ___ Winfield reported from Rome, and Barry from Milan. Rome (AFP) - Italy's most powerful earthquake in 36 years, which shook the centre of the nation and was felt in Rome on Sunday, was the latest in a long string of major tremors. It measured 6.6 on the so-called moment magnitude scale, according to US geologists, while Italian monitors estimated it at 6.5. No fatalities have been registered. Here are the country's biggest quakes in the past 30 years: - 2016: Nearly 300 dead - On August 24, 2016, a 6.0-6.2 magnitude quake hits mountain villages in a remote area straddling the regions of Umbria, Marche and Lazio. The small mountain town of Amatrice bears the brunt of the earthquake that kills 297 people and injures hundreds more. On October 26, two more earthquakes shake central Italy -- one a 5.5 magnitude tremor, the other 6.1 two hours later. Several people are lightly injured. - 2012: Thousands homeless - In late May 2012, two violent shocks 10 days apart leave 25 people dead and 14,000 others homeless in the northern Emilia Romagna region. - 2009: Hundreds dead - On April 6, 2009, an earthquake rattles central Italy leaving more than 300 people dead, around 65,000 homeless and toppling priceless churches and monuments. L'Aquila, capital of the mountainous region of Abruzzo, bears the brunt of the disaster. - 2002: 27 children dead - On October 31, 2002, 30 people die -- most of them children -- and 61 are injured when the village of San Giuliano di Puglia in the central region of Molise is hit by a violent earthquake. Twenty-seven children and their teacher are crushed inside their school in the tiny mediaeval village. - 1997: Two quakes in a week - Two earthquakes shake Umbria in central Italy and Marche in the east within the space of a week, on September 26 and October 3. Twelve people are killed, more than 110 injured and 38,000 left homeless. The quakes damage several historic buildings, including the basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. - 1990: Sicily struck - On December 13 an earthquake hits Sicily, killing 17 and injuring 200. Story continues On May 5 the same year, four people are killed in a quake in the southern region of Basilicate. - Worst-ever quakes - On November 23, 1980, a strong earthquake in the southern Campania and Basilicate regions killed more than 2,900. On January 13, 1915, a huge earthquake struck the town of Avezzano in Abruzzo, killing 30,000. On December 28, 1908, in Reggio di Calabria and neighbouring Sicily, a massive quake killed around 95,000. ROME (Reuters) - The shareholders of Credito Valtellinese (Creval) have approved the transformation of the regional cooperative bank into a joint stock company, Creval said on Saturday. A reform by the government of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has set an end-year deadline for small, so called "popolare" banks to become joint stock companies, and Creval (PVCI.MI) is one of the first to complete the transformation. Renzi wants to encourage mergers and increase profitability in Italy's fragmented banking sector, which is burdened by some 200 billion euros (180.24 billion pounds) of bad loans. (Reporting By Gavin Jones) Abidjan (AFP) - Ivorians voted Sunday to determine the fate of constitutional changes the president says will help end years of unrest but which have alarmed the opposition, with scuffles erupting at dozens of polling stations. The package put to the country's 6.3 million voters is being boycotted by the opposition and has left much of the electorate confused, analysts say. Commentators say turnout is the main question, as there seems to be little doubt the changes will be approved given the boycott. Two opposition coalitions claimed turnout was very low, estimating only between three and seven percent of eligible voters had cast a ballot. Official figures have yet to be released. "The results... show that the project and President Alassane Ouattara (have) been rejected by the people," Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) head Pascal Affi Nguessan told AFP, claiming a "resounding success" for the boycott call. "It is up to President Ouattara to draw conclusions (...) Either he withdraws the text, or he resigns," he said. An electoral commission source has said the counting should be finished "by the end of Monday, Tuesday at the latest". President Ouattara's revised constitution would create the post of a vice president, and set up a senate, a third of which would be nominated by the head of state. It would also suppress a contested clause on national identity -- the so-called "Ivorian-ness" clause -- which took effect in 2000 and stipulates that both parents of a presidential candidate must be born on Ivorian soil and not have sought nationality in another country. - 'Ivorian-ness' issue - The issue of identity has contributed to years of unrest in the West African country, which suffered a coup in 1999, a civil war in 2002 that split the country between its north and south, and a bloody post-election crisis in 2010. The electoral crisis led to months of post-poll bloodshed with then-president Laurent Gbagbo refusing to step down. Story continues Some 3,000 people died and Gbagbo is now on trial in The Hague for crimes against humanity. Shortly after the polls opened, trouble broke out in the economic capital Abidjan and elsewhere, with groups of youths storming several voting stations and damaging equipment, Interior Minister Hamed Bakayoko said. Bakayoko described incidents at "around 100" of the country's 20,000 polling stations. "They started by throwing stones... then they came in and broke everything.... They told us to stop working 'because the constitution doesn't meet the people's expectations'," an official, Nandy Bamba, told AFP. "It's a way of intimidating (us) but we are not afraid," said trader Bahdjata Cisse who voted in favour of the changes. With the outcome in little doubt, the participation rate will be the main issue. After the 1999 coup, the current second constitution was approved in August 2000 by 87 percent of votes cast, with a participation rate of 56 percent. The opposition and some observers believe Sunday's vote will need at least a similar turnout to be legitimate. AFP journalists noted no large crowds voting, with a survey by AFP showing turnout of between 20 percent and 46 percent at a selection of polling stations around the country. Casting his ballot at an Abidjan school, Ouattara appeared confident. "It is essential for our nation's future to turn the page on the crisis created by the constitution of the year 2000," he said. Ouattara is from Ivory Coast but his father was born in neighbouring Burkina Faso and the issue of "Ivorian-ness" raised a hurdle in his bid for the presidency. The proposed new constitution, which parliament has overwhelmingly approved, would see the creation of the post of vice president, who would appear on the ballot with presidential candidates. The government claims the idea is to ensure continuity if the head of state dies or is incapacitated. - 'Little engagement' - Critics have speculated that Ouattara is trying to line up a successor for when his term ends in 2020. Ouattara "is treating Ivory Coast as if it were his personal property," Nguessan has said previously. His FPI party was founded by Gbagbo. "What he is offering is less than a constitution. It is a will and testament designed to distribute his country to his successors so it stays in the family." Some voters welcomed the chance to have their voices heard. "I am voting for the sake of my children," 61-year-old TV engineer Soro Seydou told AFP in the nation's second city Bouake. Others, however, had vowed to stay away. "There is little engagement," said researcher Meite Mamoudou who, like many observers, expected that many people simply will not have bothered to vote. CHICAGO It happened, just like it had so many times before in his head. Like it had so many times in all of our heads. He was in Wrigley Field. But maybe his backyard. He looked back at the pitcher on the mound. But maybe it was his dad. He swung when the 87-mph cutter came. But maybe it was a wiffle ball or an acorn. As he rounded the bases, he looked up at his mom. As he rounded the bases, he looked up at his mom. Fantasy and reality, if youre lucky like Jason Kipnis was in Game 4 of the World Series they collide sometimes. There he was, watching the ball fly over the fence at Wrigley Field, rounding the bases, looking up to section 120 where his parents, sister, brothers and aunt Mary were, then thrusting his hand in the air and pointing at them. Everybody makes that situation up in the backyard, Kipnis said Saturday night, still standing on Wrigley Field, where his Cleveland Indians had beat the Chicago Cubs 7-2 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the World Series. You can imagine what kind of high Im feeling right now. Theres just one detail where reality veered off from fantasy and tore apart the 10-year-old who still lives deep inside Jason Kipnis. He hit his Wrigley Field home run AGAINST the Cubs, the team for whom he grew up rooting, the team that was sent to the brink of elimination after that Game 4 loss in which Kipnis seventh-inning, three-run homer was the dagger. Jason Kipnis points to his family after homering in World Series Game 4. (AP) Childhood allegiances be damned, this was a moment. This was a home run in the World Series, at Wrigley Field, 21 miles from where he grew up in Northbrook. The moment wasnt lost on anyone in section 120. Not his older brothers Todd and Blair, nor his older sister Amanda. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much, Amanda said. My goodness, Todd said. We were jumping, yelling and hugging, Blair said. Screaming, crying, goosebumps, Amanda said. Were just as proud as can be, Blair said. Its so cool seeing him here in the first place, but for him to have the success that hes having at this level, its something special. Story continues As little brother rounded the bases and flung his hand in the air, he caught eyes with his family in the stands. I knew where they were sitting, Kipnis said. I saw the red towels. Not long after, Blair did what any proud big brother would do he marched over to the bleachers, trying to find the ball that Jason had deposited a few rows over the Wrigley ivy. But he couldnt get in. Im sure hell want it, Blair said. I was hoping they threw it back, Kipnis said later, alluding to the Wrigley tradition. I was gonna stop and pick it up. As Kipnis stood on the field talking about his game, his homer and how his Indians are one win away from winning the World Series, even more of his youth lingered behind him. His childhood best friend Sean stood proudly in the seats behind the dugout. The mother of another of his childhood friends held up a sign that read Northbrook For Kipnis. He alone isnt crushing the Cubs World Series hopes and dreams a combination of great Indians pitchers and sluggish Cubs bats are also a factor but it has to hurt a little more for the people chanting Lets Go Cubbies! to know that someone from their city is helping the opposing team to victory. No sympathy from Kipnis, though. This kind of stage is what we all dream about, he said. To do it, for me personally, in my hometown, with my family and friends here, I was smiling ear-to-ear on the inside. Now, he and the Indians will come into Game 5 looking to send the Cubs World Series drought into 109 years. When Saturday nights game was over, Kipnis stopped again before an on-field TV interview and pointed up to his family. Jason Kipnis' siblings were at Game 4 to cheer him on. From left: Todd, Amanda and Blair. (Mike Oz / Yahoo Sports) Dad, look, his sister said, then they started waving their red Rally Together towels. He sees us. Those three Cubs fans Todd, Blair and Amanda their allegiances arent torn. They waved their Tribe towels and were all decked out in Indians gear. Game 5? Theyre pulling for Cleveland all the way. Only this year, Todd said. Get their ring this year and then the Cubs can take the next 10. We all want the curse to be broken, Blair said. Just not this year. Theres always next year, Amanda said. Weve been saying that for 35 years. Weve been waiting til next year for a long time, Blair said. We can wait one more. They might be the only locals inside Wrigley Field thinking that way. Well, them and their little brother. When Kipnis left Wrigley and went back to his hotel room and tried to go to sleep, there was a lot he could be trying to distill. In 24 hours, he could be celebrating a World Series win on Wrigley Field. Having beat the Cubs. A childhood dream with a cool or cruel twist depending on who you root for. The thought is creeping into my mind, Kipnis said. We still have a very tough victory to get. And if it happens Sunday night, fantasy and reality will overlap again for Jason Kipnis. More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports: Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Not even the rain could stop Jennifer Lopez from showing her support for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton during a packed free concert in Miami's Bayfront Park Saturday night (Oct. 29). "We are about to have our first woman president. Respect!" Lopez said. The show started with Cuban duo Gente De Zona, who kicked the big "fiesta" singing "Bailando," "Algo Contigo" and, of course, the famous "Gozadera," where Marc Anthony made a surprise appearance to sing the chart-topping hit along with his pals. Besides that, Anthony's participation was limited only to present Lopez's performance. "This is an unforgettable night. I'm here to honor and support a woman who I've trusted with my children and my life," said Anthony, who was also very clear on how proud he feels of being Latino and the importance of voting in the elections. Lopez appeared on stage wearing a short white and red suit, which included a belt simulating the flag of the United States. Her performance included "Waiting for Tonight," "Get Right," "Love Makes the World Round" and "Let's Get Loud," among others. Before closing the show, Lopez endorsed Hillary Clinton: "We have to take the right road to the future, we have the perfect person to take us there," she said. Then, Clinton stepped on stage and thanked Lopez and Anthony for the support. Of course, she didn't miss the opportunity to take a jab at Trump: "Donald is out there stocking fear." The one-hour show was accompanied at all times by videos showing excerpts from speeches by John F. Kennedy, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, referring to the Latino community and women's rights. See some of the highlights below. Thank you Florida for coming out tonight... it was amazing!! #gohillary #strongertogether #govote #lovetrumpshate #Latinos #letsgetloud #vote photo by @lacarba Story continues A photo posted by Jennifer Lopez (@jlo) on Oct 30, 2016 at 12:33am PDT More from last nights #Lovetrumpshate show in #florida #miami A photo posted by Jennifer Lopez (@jlo) on Oct 30, 2016 at 8:54am PDT Aerosmith's Twitter deleted a photo of Steven Tyler and Joe Perry's chance encounter with President Barack Obama after drummer Joey Kramer tweeted that the Air Force One meet-and-greet "is not representative of Aerosmith." Tyler and Perry briefly talked with Obama when the band, returning home from a South American tour, and the president, in the Sunshine State to campaign on behalf of Hillary Clinton, were at an Orlando-area airport of the same time. The Obama meeting was posted on Aerosmith's Twitter account Friday, but on Saturday night, Kramer retweeted the photo with the message, "This is not representative of Aerosmith." The photo was deleted soon after; evidence of the presidential meeting remains on both Tyler and Perry's social media accounts. After fans began criticizing Kramer's tweet, the drummer wrote, "Everyone has their right to their opinion it's called democracy & I support that." Kramer added, "I'm not saying who I support! I don't support anyone speaking for me." While Kramer didn't outright admit to supporting Donald Trump, both he and Perry were guests of Trump's during the Republican debates in August 2015. Two months later, Tyler threatened to sue the mogul over his use of "Dream On" on the campaign trail. In October, Kramer reposted tweets critical of ObamaCare and supportive of Trump. Perry, a staunch Republican, said it was "really cool" meeting the commander-in-chief was and admitted that Obama is "pretty amazing." Related Content: Lady Gaga claims her fourth No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, as Joanne arrives in the pole position. The set earned 201,000 equivalent album units -- a better-than-expected start -- in the week ending Oct. 27, according to Nielsen Music. Joanne was released on Oct. 21 through Streamline/Interscope Records. The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new Nov. 12-dated chart (where Joanne bows at No. 1) will be posted in full to Billboard's websites on Tuesday, Nov. 1. Joanne follows Lady Gaga's previous chart-toppers Cheek to Cheek (with Tony Bennett, in 2014), Artpop (2013) and Born This Way (2011). Joanne's bow of 201,000 units is larger than what industry forecasters estimated. On Oct. 25, sources had pegged the album to start with around 180,000 (and that was an upgrade from 140,000 a few days earlier). The album's 201,000 launch is the fourth-largest debut of 2016, and the second-biggest for a woman. Ahead of it are Drake's Views (1.04 million), Beyonce's Lemonade (653,000) and Frank Ocean's Blonde (276,000 units). In terms of traditional sales, Joanne sold 170,000 -- the seventh-largest bow of the year, and the second-biggest for a woman. The only larger starts were registered by Drake's Views (852,000 copies sold), Beyonce's Lemonade (485,000), Frank Ocean's Blonde (232,000), David Bowie's Blackstar (174,000), Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool (173,000) and Blink-182's California (172,000). Lady Gaga was in full-on promotion mode during the album's debut week. She performed on NBC's Saturday Night Live (Oct. 22), sat down for an interview with SiriusXM's Howard Stern (Oct. 24), took part in James Corden's popular "Carpool Karaoke" segment of his CBS show The Late Late Show (Oct. 25) and concluded her Bud Light-sponsored dive bar tour in Los Angeles on Oct. 27. Also notable: Gaga is the first woman with four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 in the 2010s. She passes Beyonce and Taylor Swift, each with three during the decade. Among all acts, Justin Bieber and Drake lead with six Billboard 200 No. 1's each since 2010, while One Direction and Kanye West each boast four. In a landmark deal reached Friday, 24 countries helped establish the largest marine reserve in the world, located in Antarctica. At 600,000 square miles of oceanalmost the size of Alaskathis enormous reserve will completely ban commercial fishing, and only 28 percent of the reserve will be used for research, the New York Times reported. Beginning Dec. 1, 2017, the reserve will remain a conservation area for the next 35 years in what is being hailed as a hard-wonvictory for environmentalists and animal conservationists.Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, an intergovernmental body, made the decision unanimously. This is a major step in marine conservation not just for the Antarctic but internationally, Evan Bloom, head of the U.S. delegation, told the Times. penguins in Antarctica The sanctuary is decades in the making as both China and Russia long lobbied against the idea, because both countries had interests in fishing and deep-sea mining. But after China agreed to the project last year and Russia came around just this week, the reserve was ready to launch. The refuge is situated in the Ross Sea, a body of water often referred to as "the Last Ocean" for its remote location and lack of human contact. With water chockfull of nutrients, krill and plankton, the Ross Sea abounds with seals, penguins, whales and fish, according to National Geographic. This is important not just for the incredible diversity of life that it will protect, but also for the contribution it makes to building the resilience of the worlds ocean in the face of climate change,Chris Johnson, WWF-Australias ocean science manager, told the Guardian. Related Articles Mexico City (AFP) - Thousands thronged downtown Mexico City on Saturday for a "traditional" indigenous procession held for the first time this year, inspired by a hit Hollywood movie. The Paseo de Reforma, this capital city's grand boulevard, was filled with revellers -- some local, some tourists -- taking part in the procession inspired by the opening scene of the 2015 James Bond movie "Spectre." In Spectre, the British agent played by Daniel Craig goes after a bad guy through a parade featuring giant skeletons floating among people dancing with their faces painted as skulls. Saturday's parade -- staged by city elders inspired by the movie -- started at the Angel of Independence monument and ended at the historic Zocalo square. The procession tried to recreate the props and wardrobe from the movie, with thousands of volunteers dressed in skull and skeleton costumes, as well as traditional dress. Musicians and dancers representing various regions across Mexico performed along the length of the procession. The Day of the Dead takes place between November 1-2 every year, when Mexicans visit cemeteries to pay respects to their late relatives, bringing them food and drinks in a centuries-old tradition mixing pre-Hispanic and Catholic beliefs. Those taking part in Saturday's procession said they enjoyed the fete, even if it was imported from a make-believe world of celluloid. "The truth is, it turned out to be quite nice," said Alfredo Nunez, a retiree who attended the event with his wife, adult children and a granddaughter. Beatriz Galeana, a Spaniard who now resides in Mexico, said she had been looking forward to seeing whether the procession captured the essence of the deeply spiritual Day of the Dead holiday. "I wanted to see the artistic work relating to the Day of the Dead," which was rendered quite differently to the traditional celebration, she said. Day of the Dead observances, Galeana noted, "have more to do with spirituality," while the "parade is mostly about capturing the aesthetic" of the celebration. Story continues The procession is part of a series of events to run through November 2 in the capital. Authorities were hoping the parade would give a boost to local tourism, which it appears to have done. Officials said they expect to rake in $52.1 million from the event, and that hotel occupancy was at a brisk 80 percent. In nine days, the Election Day shall finally arrive and not a moment too soon. Folks are burnt out on reading about Donald Trump, and the media isnt exactly enjoying the nonstop, one-man domination either. One person who isnt exhausted is Clinton supporter Mark Cuban, who continues to find much joy in practically haunting the real estate moguls presidential bid. The Dallas Mavericks owner visited with Foxs Howie Kurtz, who asked Cuban for his thoughts on the overwhelmingly negative stories that plague the Republican presidential nominee. Trump perpetually complains about this phenomenon as if he simply doesnt understand why the media pounces upon his own negative rhetoric about minorities and women. Well, Cuban holds no sympathy and says this is all Trumps fault: Well, thats of his own making, isnt it? If youre going to say the things that he says, and if youre going to make the flippant comments that he makes, youre going to get covered. I mean, all he had to do was shut up nine out of ten times and the coverage would be distinctly different. Thats just not something hes capable of doing. Cuban pointed out how Trump was more than thrilled at his initial tsunamis of media coverage, but the novelty wore off after primary season. Look, on the way up, he was happy to ride the train, right? He bragged about media coverage, he was excited about it, he loved the live coverage of the primaries and early on the presidential race. Its a two-edged sword, you know that. So, if youre going to love it on the way up, you got to learn to deal with it. Throughout the past 15 months, there has been no shortage of video and photo evidence that shows Trump mocking disabled people, women, and minorities. Cuban makes the point that Trump enjoyed the exposure of negative coverage early on, but when all of this is over, he will still likely argue that he was portrayed unfairly. Mark Ruffalo has joined the protests at Standing Rock to help boost an important message Over the past week, protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline have intensified dramatically, with dozens of arrests made on the frontlines of the conflict. Protesters are decrying the states deployment of increasingly militarized and increasingly violent law enforcement, as well as the lack of media focus on the crisis. Fortunately, the protestors have a new advocate: the Hulk himself. Actor and activist Mark Ruffalo recently joined the protests at Standing Rock, delivering solar panels to help power the camp during cold weather. He spoke to CNNs Jack Tapper about his experience. While he didnt personally witness any acts of violence towards the protesters, he confirmed that officers were heavily armed and very, very aggressive. One young protester had had her arm broken; several others had been strip-searched and thrown in jail naked. Peaceful resistance. #nodapl #standingrock A photo posted by Mark Ruffalo (@markruffalo) on Oct 26, 2016 at 3:06pm PDT Theres people being really hurt there; its very scary, said Ruffalo. The National Guard has been called in. This is not an emergency. This is not a national emergency. These are peaceful protesters. Every single person you see there was trained in peaceful resistance. They spend basically the entire day doing prayers, chanting. Ive never been around so peaceful a stand. Here I am walking up to the front line at #standingrock with one of the greatest civil rights leaders of our time @revjjackson and sister @wahleah from @nativerenewables to meet the brave #waterprotectors peacefully holding the line. Come be part of this historical moment. Come #standwithstandingrock #nodapl A video posted by Mark Ruffalo (@markruffalo) on Oct 26, 2016 at 1:43pm PDT Despite being pressed by Tapper to play devils advocate and consider the developers argument (in short: the land is private and the tribes had their day in court already), Ruffalo stood firm: All rulings in favor of the Dakota Access Pipeline are superseded by the Standing Rock Siouxs 1851 treaty with the federal government. That land that theyre talking about, that easement, is actually treaty land. Thats owned by the Native Americans. Obama could literally say that were honoring the 1851 treaty and we are not allowing that easement to be taken as private property. Friends listen to the words of Rev. Jesse Jackson from yesterday on the Frontline at #StandingRock with me. Situation could escalate today. Pray and call the Governor of North Dakota 701-328-2200. He is in charge of the militarized police. Let him know the whole world is watching! @barackobama #standwithstandingrock A video posted by Mark Ruffalo (@markruffalo) on Oct 27, 2016 at 8:44am PDT Despite the severity of the situation, however, Ruffalo still has hope, inspired by the unity and perseverance of the Native protestors. This particular issue has brought together five hundred tribes from all over the nation, the actor said. Never in the history of our nation have all of the Native American tribes come together under one issue. They see this as a very special historic moment for them. We cant forget our humanity in the face of these kinds of things. The post Mark Ruffalo has joined the protests at Standing Rock to help boost an important message appeared first on HelloGiggles. Meghan Markle may have reportedly snagged the worlds most eligible bachelor in Prince Harry, but who is the brunette beauty? The Sunday Express reports that a romance has sprung up between the 32-year-old royal and the American actress in recent months, making Prince Harry happier than hes been for many years, according to a source. Its too early to say if the relationship will lead to anything long-term but who knows? the source continued. At the moment they are just taking it a step at a time and seeing how things develop. The duo reportedly met while Prince Harry was in Toronto, where the legal drama is filmed, at the beginning of May to promote the 2017 Invictus Games. Since then, Markle has made multiple trips to London. (A rep for Kensington Palace said they wouldnt comment on private matters and Markles rep did not respond for a request for comment.) It may be too early to imagine the next royal wedding, but get to know Markle below. 1. Her biggest acting credit is as Rachel Zane on Suits The 35-year-old Los Angeles native has been starring on the USA Network legal drama since 2011, but you may also recognize her from some other favorite television series. Markle has appeared in episodes of Castle, The League, Fringe and 90210. For more celebrity videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS. As for movies, Markle has had roles in numerous recognizable titles, including a small part as an attractive Fed Ex worker in 2011s Horrible Bosses and an appearance in Remember Me with Robert Pattinson. 2. She runs a lifestyle website called The Tig Covering food, travel, fashion, beauty and more, The Tig has something for everyone. In the sites About section, Markle explains that the name comes from a mispronunciation of a wine called Tignanello. Story continues So there I am, with very minimal wine knowledge and I take a sip of this wine, she wrote. It wasnt just red or white suddenly I understood what people meant by the body, legs, structure of wine. It was an ah-ha moment at its finest. For me, it became a Tig moment a moment of getting it. She continued, From that point on, any new awareness, any new discovery or ohhhhh, I get it! moment was a Tig moment. 3. She has a passion for humanitarian work Beginning at a young age, Markle says her mother took her traveling to remote places around the world that opened her eyes to poverty. My mother raised me to be a global citizen, with eyes open to sometimes harsh realities, she wrote in a post on The Tig last week. In 2016, she became the Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada, traveling to Rwanda for the Clean Water Campaign. She also presented at United Nations Headquarters for the HeforShe Gender Equality Campaign in September 2014 and traveled to Afghanistan with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on a USO tour in December 2014. Ive never wanted to be a lady who lunches Ive always wanted to be a woman who works, she wrote. And this type of work is what feeds my soul, and fuels my purpose. The degree to which I can do that both on and off camera is a direct perk of my job. 4. Showbiz is in her genes too Aside from growing up in Los Angeles, Markles father worked behind the scenes of television shows. My father was the lighting director on two television shows as I was growing up. And there I was, behind the scenes of a glossy soap opera and a TV sitcom, surrounded by famous actors and their glam teams, multi-million dollar budgets, and crew lunches that always included filet mignon and enough sweets to make you think you were at Willy Wonkas Chocolate Factory, Markle wrote in her blog. What I didnt know then was that just twenty years later I would appeal to the executives on my show to ensure that our extra filet mignon and sweets aplenty were no longer thrown away, but rather donated to a soup kitchen I had been volunteering at since my arrival in Toronto. Or that they would say, Yes.' 5. Shes been married before According to The Hollywood Reporter, Markle married film producer Trevor Engelson in September 2011 in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. However, the duo quietly split two years later for unknown reasons. Michael Phelps wedding photos are *FINALLY* here and OMG the secret ceremony looked amazing Apparently, Michael Phelps secret wedding was amazing and now we finally have the photos to prove it! The June 13th ceremony was held in Paradise Valley, Arizona, as confirmed by a marriage certificate obtained by People magazine and OMG, what an incredible day! Officiated by agent and friend Peter Carlisle, the news became officially official four days after hearing of the super secret event when Phelps wife, Nicole, changed her last name on Instagram to Mrs. Nicole Phelps. Phelps proposed way back in February 2015, and shortly after, he and Nicole welcomed their baby, Boomer. Though, looking back to previous interviews surrounding the Rio Olympics, the Phelps fam kept a pretty good poker face when asked about a wedding date saying, I really cant wait to get married. It will be a small destination wedding later this year. Its the next big milestone Im looking forward to. Weve got to hand it to himhe had us all convinced! Here are just a couple of the couples gorgeous wedding day pictures. Truly the happiest day of my life @m_phelps00 thank you @boonestudios for capturing this day A photo posted by Nicole Michele Johnson (@mrs.nicolephelps) on Oct 30, 2016 at 1:11am PDT Truly the happiest day of my life @m_phelps00 thank you @boonestudios for capturing this day They really do look happy, dont they? Swoon! My best friend.... I love you!! A photo posted by Michael Phelps (@m_phelps00) on Oct 30, 2016 at 3:07am PDT My best friend. I love you!! It doesnt get any sweeter than this #latergram! But why keep us waiting all this time?! In other Insta pics, its easy to see why the two are together, even cooking as a pair. Time for a cook off!! @nicole.m.johnson has chicken and I get to make fish! #datenight @arschmitty is the 3rd wheel @blueapron A photo posted by Michael Phelps (@m_phelps00) on Oct 5, 2016 at 6:44pm PDT Time for a cook off!! @nicole.m.johnson has chicken and I get to make fish! #datenight @arschmitty is the 3rd wheel @blueapron Story continues What Phelps family would be complete without an outing to the movies (even if baby Boomer sleeps through it)? just watched #kubothemovie in 3D with the fam! What a perfect night! You gotta go check it out! Regardless of when Michael and Nicole got hitched, we wish the couple all the happiness in the world! The post Michael Phelps wedding photos are *FINALLY* here and OMG the secret ceremony looked amazing appeared first on HelloGiggles. Miley Cyrus is sitting this whole Halloween thing out and here is why Halloween is usually the time for celebrities and the rest of us to let loose and go all out. Famous people can put on masks and costumes to hide their identities, slipping into the normal world for a night. People like Heidi Klum revel in the ability to outdo their previous years creations, and social media gets flooded with photos of amazingly intricate and creative costumes. But this year, one famous woman stole Halloween from under everyones nose, and that woman is Miley Cyrus. Thats right! The queen of outlandish outfits and the amazing dancing bears decided to steal the show by not going out at all this Halloween. As someone who is constantly breaking expectations and surprising people, Miley outdid herself this year. What could be more surprising than not going out? Since Miley rocks amazing costumes 364 other days of the year, maybe Halloween is her break from that? Her previous looks have been daring and fun. Prime example: her Little Kim costume. Instead of going out, Miley decided to stay in, smoke some weed, and play with her dogs. It was other peoples turns to carry the Miley Cyrus torch this year. Paris Hilton paid tribute with this photo of a past Halloween costume. Story continues This was a fun #Halloween costume. #Miley A photo posted by Paris Hilton (@parishilton) on Oct 28, 2016 at 3:18pm PDT But celebrities were not the only ones! People from all over took Halloween as an excuse to show their inner Miley some love. And those folks got really creative! Ugh she's just being Miley! <3 #carnaval #mileycyruscostumes #partytime #mileycyrus #mileycyruscostume #diy A photo posted by Sol Lucia (@sollucia6) on Feb 6, 2016 at 2:13am PST @jodynorton makes the best costumes #costumes #throwback #lastyearscostumes #mileycyrus #halloween #mileycyruscostume A photo posted by Lesley Ryland (@lesley_ryland) on Nov 1, 2014 at 8:17pm PDT Happy Halloween! #MileyCyruscostume #Halloween #foamfinger A photo posted by Chelsie Cruise (@solstic_ruise) on Oct 31, 2014 at 11:51am PDT You wreck me A photo posted by isidro.jpg (@faunulo) on Mar 2, 2014 at 11:20am PST At the end of the day, Miley will keep on making headlines with her awesome brand of humor and her attitude. If you want to show her some love next Halloween, you can always get inspiration from her music videos. While Miley Cyrus might be over the Halloween scene, she is not over being a good person and doing some good. Her nonprofit foundation Happy Hippie is still active and helping out. Their mission is to rally young people to fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBTQ youth and other vulnerable populations. The post Miley Cyrus is sitting this whole Halloween thing out and here is why appeared first on HelloGiggles. Chisinau (AFP) - A pro-Russia candidate came out top in Moldova's presidential election, according to incomplete results issued early Monday which left it unclear whether he could beat his pro-EU rival in the first round. Ex-Soviet Moldova went to the polls Sunday in its first popular presidential election since the 1990s, seen as a tug-of-war between supporters of closer relations with Russia and those seeking EU integration. With more than 95 percent of the ballots counted, pro-Moscow candidate Igor Dodon was well ahead, on 49.2 percent, teetering on the brink of an outright win which would avoid the need for a run-off second round vote. His main rival, the pro-European Maya Sandu, was on 37.5 percent while none of the other seven candidates had crossed the five percent threshold, according to the incomplete results. Less than half of registered voters -- 48.97 percent -- cast their ballot, the electoral commission said after polling booths closed at 9:00 pm (1900 GMT). "I would like to thank the voters for their active participation in the election. The main conclusion is that voters no longer believe in this government (...) Our victory is inevitable," Dodon, 41, said at a press conference. The crisis-hit country of 3.5 million wedged between Ukraine and Romania is the poorest in Europe and has struggled with a string of high-profile corruption scandals which have overshadowed the vote. The presidential candidates presented diametrically opposed visions for the country's future: calling for deeper ties and boosting trade with Moscow, or committing to the path toward Europe. Voters are leaning in opposite directions as well. "We can't be without Russia, that's our export market" that could provide cheap gas, said Igor Lopukhov, 66, a Russian-speaking pensioner who voted for Socialist Party candidate Igor Dodon, a leader in opinion polls who has vowed to restore cooperation with Moscow. Former education minister Sandu, a strong proponent of EU integration who is supported by younger Western-leaning Moldovans, thanked her supporters and predicted a second-round run off between her and Dodon. Story continues "See you at the second round," she said, after the polling stations closed but before any results were announced The complete election results are not expected until later Monday. A second round vote, if required, will take place on November 13. - Widespread poverty - Forty-one percent of the population live on less than $5 (4.6 euros) a day while the monthly average salary is $240, according to World Bank figures. Many Moldovans make ends meet only through remittances sent by relatives working abroad, which make up nearly a quarter of gross domestic product (GDP). "My daughter sends me money (for food) from Italy," said 70-year-old Zinovia Ilonel, who also voted for Dodon. "She's never coming home." Moldova last elected a president by popular vote in 1996, after which members of parliament chose the head of state due to a constitutional amendment from 2000. A constitutional court decision earlier this year re-established the popular vote. The central election commission in Moldova said voting was monitored by over 3,200 Moldovan observers and 562 more from abroad. Moldova has been rocked by protests and political turmoil since the mysterious disappearance of $1 billion from three banks last year, which undermined people's support for the ruling pro-Western coalition. A total of nine candidates took part in the ballot after ruling party candidate Marian Lupu withdrew from the race, endorsing Sandu on Wednesday. - 'Corruption, poverty, theft' - Despite the geopolitical divisions, Sandu, who launched a new party this year called Action and Solidarity, tried to focus her campaign on fighting corruption. "We should not be afraid, we must prove to the thieves and corrupt (officials) that there are more of us," she said Sunday. "Together we must bring order to Moldova." EU officials have admitted that Europe has lost much of its appeal in the scandal-weary ex-Soviet republic as no successful reforms have been seen through, while east-west rhetoric is often used to gloss over deeper issues. Some in Moldova have lost faith in their nation entirely. "We have to admit that the project called Republic of Moldova is bankrupt," said Vasile Prodan, an activist supporting candidate Mihai Ghimpu of the Liberal Party, who calls for joining neighbouring Romania. US troops soldiers patrol war in Afghanistan Afghans Some of the most important gains made by the Afghan government and its partners appear to be slipping away, according to the most recent quarterly report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). SIGAR's October 2016 report, its 33rd report issued to the US Congress, noted that there had been increases in poverty, unemployment and underemployment, violence, outmigration, internal displacement, and the education-gender gap, and that services and private investment had fallen. Significantly, SIGAR noted that the Afghan government's territorial control had decreased as well. US forces in the Afghanistan "reported that approximately 63.4% of the country's districts are under Afghan government control or influence as of August 28, 2016, a decrease from the 65.6% reported as of May 28, 2016," the inspector general said in a statement. "Of Afghanistan's 407 districts, 258 districts were under government control (88 districts) or influence (170), 33 districts were under insurgent control (8) or influence (25), and 116 districts were 'contested,'" the statement added. The amount of Afghan territory under control of the government cited by SIGAR is less than the amount US officials have stated in the past. US soldiers troops war in Afghanistan "We believe the Afghans control or influence 68 to 70 percent of the population," General John Nicholson, the commander of US and NATO forces, told a press briefing in September, according to Reuters. The Taliban is thought to control more of the country than at any point since the US invasion in 2001, a few weeks after the September 11 attacks. Story continues According to US forces in Afghanistan, from January 1 to August 19 this year, 5,523 Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) members had been killed and 9,665 members had been wounded. Over that same period, "there were 101 insider attacks in which ANDSF personnel turned on fellow ANDSF security forces, killing 257 and wounding 125," the SIGAR report noted. Afghan men carry a wounded man at a hospital after a bomb blast in northern Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan October 12, 2016. REUTERS/ Anil Usyan A record 5,100 civilian casualties, including 1,600 deaths, were recorded in the first half of 2016, according to the UN. While a survey of ANDSF members found that many of them were satisfied with their care and expected that they or their families would be taken care of should they be wounded or killed, many of those surveyed cited fear of retaliation against them or their family as a reason for wanting to leave the service. Moreover, loss of trust or confidence in the Afghan government or army, and for the 58% of those surveyed who said they knew or knew of soldiers who had left the force, the perception that the ANDSF didn't take care of its members was the second-most cited reason. Since 2001, the US has spent about $110 billion on Afghanistan's reconstruction. Washington has allocated more than $60 billion since 2002 to train and equip Afghan troops. US forces in Afghanistan, cited by the SIGAR, reported one-third of the country was under insurgent control or influence or at risk of coming under it. AFP reported in October that fighting between militants and Afghan and foreign forces had spread to 31 of the country's 34 provinces. An Afghan Tactical Air Controller practices directing an air strike during an exercise at a range outside Kabul, Afghanistan, October 18, 2016. REUTERS/Josh Smith Decreased security in some parts of the country also posed a risk to the investment made in Afghanistan's road infrastructure. "Since 2002, USAID and DOD have spent approximately $2.8 billion to construct and repair Afghanistans road infrastructure, and perform capacity-building activities," SIGAR said in a release for a separate report. "An Afghan Ministry of Public Works (MOPW) official stated that 20 percent of the roads were destroyed and the remaining 80 percent continue to deteriorate," the inspector general added. The US Agency for International Development, cited by SIGAR, found that 54% of the country's roads were poorly maintained and "required rehabilitation beyond simple repairs." Those repair and maintenance efforts had been hamstrung by lack of funding, weak capacity, corruption, and insecurity. The deterioration of Afghanistan's road networks could limit the government's ability to access parts of the country, limit commerce, and hinder Afghans' freedom of movement. The eroding security situation also threatens some of the social gains that have been made in the county in the 15 years since US and allied forces invaded. Afghan women sit with their children after arriving at a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) registration centre in Kabul, Afghanistan September 27, 2016. Picture taken September 27, 2016. REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail In parts of the country under insurgent control or influence, or at risk of it, "the Taliban seek to punish women who work or study outside of the home," the SIGAR report states. "A number of the women interviewed had their lives threatened or had relatives killed by the Taliban." In 2006, only 8% of Afghanistan strongly or somewhat disagreed with the statement that women should have the same education opportunities as men, according to SIGAR. In 2015, the number that disagreed had risen to 21%. "Support for equal representation of men and women in political leadership positions has declined, from a high of 51.1% in 2008 to 43.6% in 2015," SIGAR said its statement. "The proportion of Afghans who say that political leadership positions should be mostly for men has increased, from 36.8% in 2006 to 42.3% in 2015." Just over 85,000 Afghans sought asylum in the EU for the first time in the first half of this year, SIGAR noted. "The number of asylum applications from April to June was 83% higher compared to the same period in 2015." Opium heroin cultivation production map in Afghanistan The campaign against Afghanistan's opium-poppy production has also seen significant reversals. The estimated area under cultivation in 2016 201,000 hectares, or about 496,000 acres is among the three highest amounts recorded since the UN began keeping track in 1994. The number of provinces free of opium poppies fell from 14 to 13 this year, and every region except the Southern which already has the most cultivation in the country saw increases in opium production. Fighting and the poor security situation in much of the country also hindered poppy-eradication efforts. Provincial governors destroyed 877 acres of poppy this year, a 91% decline from the 9,921 acres eradicated last year. The average opium yield was 30% higher as well, rising from 18.3 kilograms per hectare in 2015 to 23.8 kilograms per hectare this year. NOW WATCH: Trump: 'Places like Afghanistan are safer than some of our inner cities' More From Business Insider By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - A joint U.S., Russian and Japanese crew left the International Space Station on Saturday aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule and landed back on Earth, leaving behind three crew mates who arrived at the orbiting outpost just last week. Station commander Anatoly Ivanishin, with the Russian space agency, NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and Japans Takuya Onishi climbed inside the capsule and left the station at 8:35 p.m. EDT, a NASA TV broadcast showed. The trio made a parachute landing in Kazakhstan at 11:58 p.m. EDT, wrapping up a four-month mission that included the first use of a DNA sequencer in space and installation of a parking spot for upcoming commercial space taxis. "I'm kind of reluctant to close the hatch," Ivanishin said during a change-of-command ceremony on Friday. "The time is very special here ... I didn't have time to know whats going on our planet, and maybe its for the better. On the space station, you live in a very friendly, very good environment." Ivanishin turned over command of the space station, a $100 billion orbiting research lab, to newly arrived U.S. astronaut Shane Kimbrough. Kimbrough and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko reached the outpost on Oct. 21. "Were sorry were only here a week with you," Kimbrough told the departing crew after taking command on Friday. "You guys have trained us well though." Kimbrough, Ryzhikov and Borisenko will be on their own until next month, when another three crew members are due to reach the station, a project of 15 nations that orbits about 250 miles (418 km) above Earth. (Editing by Steve Gorman, Nick Macfie and Sam Holmes) Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fstory%2fthumbnail%2f26206%2fsddefault The Ivory Game would just be another heart-pounding crime thriller if its subject matter wasn't so depressingly true. The Netflix documentary, which counts Leonardo DiCaprio as executive producer, exposes the underground world of ivory trafficking. The industry threatens to permanently wipe out African elephants as poachers slaughter more animals for their tusks. Poachers killed around 100,000 African elephants between 2010 and 2012 about the same as killing one elephant every 15 minutes, the United Nations Environment Program has estimated. SEE ALSO: Countries call for end to domestic ivory trade as elephants disappear The Ivory Game debuts in theaters and for streaming on Nov. 4. Directors Richard Ladkani and Kief Davidson spent 16 months filming undercover in three countries, with the help of surveillance experts, wildlife activists and frontline rangers. The crew followed poachers on the hunt in Africa and traced smugglers en route to Asia. The film also exposes vendors hawking tusks in China, the world's main market for ivory. There, a single tusk can fetch up to $200,000. Jane Goodall, the renowned British primatologist, is an ambassador of the documentary. She said she has come to understand what "emotional creatures" elephants are after watching them for "hours and hours." "It's not just a species facing extinction," she said in a press release. "It's massive individual suffering." Christina Aguilera transforms into a disco queen for 'Telepathy' video Bryan Cranston perfectly demonstrates how to make a video dating profile Ellen DeGeneres and Heidi Klum reenact Sia's 'Chandelier' video and it's actually pretty good Kid Cudi's new music video features Pharrell and a whole lot of strobe lights Billy Bush has broken his social media silence after a hot mic conversation he had with GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump on Access Hollywood in 2005 led to Bush being cut from Today and made headlines all over the world. Hiking with lady long legs, Bush captioned a photo of himself and wife Sydney Davis on a hike in what appeared to be Southern California. Nice to get out. On Oct. 7, the Washington Post revealed that Bush and Trump had made offensive comments about women while preparing for an interview on the set of Days of Our Lives. In the tape, Trump can be heard bragging about he likes to automatically kiss women that he can get away with grabbing women by their genitals without their permission because he is a star. Bush can be heard laughing along on the tape and even asks Trump to hug actress Arianne Zucker after they commented on her appearance before meeting her. Bush, who left Access Hollywood for a gig on Today earlier this year, issued an apology after the tape was leaked, saying he was embarrassed and ashamed. Its no excuse, but this happened eleven years ago I was younger, less mature, and acted foolishly in playing along, he said. Im very sorry. However, as PEOPLE previously reported, Bushs apology did not set things right at Today, where a source said that the show would face a mutiny of their female staffers if he wasnt reprimanded for his comments. Bush was let go from NBCs morning show on Oct. 17. Before he left Today, a different source told PEOPLE that Bush was afraid that he wouldnt be able to salvage his career after the tape was leaked. Bush wasnt the only one who was damaged by the tape so far, 11 women have come forward to accuse Trump of sexual misconduct after his comments were revealed, including a former PEOPLE reporter. Warri (Nigeria) (AFP) - Niger Delta militants on Sunday claimed an attack on a gas pipeline in protest at upcoming talks between the Nigerian government and leaders from the oil-producing south. In a statement, the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate group said it would not support the talks being held by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and representatives from the Niger Delta to end the oil infrastructure sabotage. Attacks on pipelines by militant groups have slashed Nigeria's oil production helping to tip the country into recession as it struggles to adapt to the low price of crude globally. "...in furtherance of the Operation Hammurabi Code, our Akuma strike team struck and brought down the 32-inch Effurun-Otor delivery line," the militant group's spokesman Aldo Agbalaja in a statement. "This is not ending soon, we shall fulfill our promise of uprooting your entire assets in our land." The Effurun-Otor pipeline feeds the Utorogu gas plant that powers Lagos, a megacity of around 20 million people. The militants dismissed the forthcoming talks in Nigeria's capital Abuja on Tuesday, saying they would "never get our support." "Like we said before now, the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate is not opposed to a genuine dialogue between the federal government and real representatives of the various nations of our region," said the statement. "We are collecting names from the nations in the region, those who will sincerely and equitably represent our various peoples." A security source confirmed the attack. "Yes, a pipeline conveying products to the Utorogu gas plant was attacked by some hoodlums," a Department of State Security official told AFP. Divisions between rival militant groups will make it hard for the Nigerian government to strike a lasting peace deal. A 2009 amnesty deal with militants helped end sabotage in the oil-producing southern swamplands, but the violence reignited after Buhari's cash-strapped government temporarily ended amnesty payments and arrested a prominent ex-militant for corruption. LONDON (Reuters) - The British government's promises to Japanese carmaker Nissan <7201.T> open the door to a special deal for Scotland if Britain leaves the European Union, Scottish nationalists said on Sunday. Nissan said on Thursday it would build two new models in Britain, after what a source described to Reuters as a promise of aid from Prime Minister Theresa May's government to counter any loss of competitiveness caused by Brexit. On Friday other carmakers asked for help too, while the opposition Labour Party called for more detail about the deal. On Sunday the Scottish National Party joined them. "The Nissan deal is a hugely significant concession by the UK government because it shows they are open to the principle of a 'flexible Brexit'," Michael Russell, a minister in the SNP-led Scottish government in Edinburgh, said in a statement. Most Scots voted against leaving the EU, unlike the majority of people in the rest of the United Kingdom, and the SNP wants Scotland to stay part of the EU's single market even if the rest of Britain leaves. A British government minister, David Mundell, told Scottish legislators on Thursday that he expected the United Kingdom as a whole would leave the EU single market, but that it would retain tariff- and barrier-free access to the EU. "David Mundell (said) there would be no special deal for Scotland - but he has been completely undermined by Theresa May's actions over the Nissan deal," Russell said. "It can't be right for the UK government to conclude backroom deals with some specific companies ... while pursuing a course of action that will cost many thousands of Scottish jobs." (Reporting by David Milliken; Editing by Richard Balmforth) BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The completion of a trade deal with Canada will have no impact on negotiations between the European Union and Britain, which in June voted to leave the bloc, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Sunday. The European Union held a summit to sign a trade deal with Canada that was seven years in the making and had exposed some of the difficulties of sealing a trade pact. The Canadian deal was held up for weeks, most notably due to obstruction from regional governments in Belgium. Supporters of Brexit have said Britain will be much more nimble in trade talks once it has left the EU and some have said that it could use the Canadian agreement as a framework for a future deal. However, Juncker told reporters on arrival for the signing ceremony that he did not think the Canadian deal would have any impact on future Brexit negotiations. "I don't see any relation between what we are signing today and the Brexit issue," he said before greeting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said the Canadian deal had exposed concerns among European citizens over how such deals might affect their daily lives, and called for EU government to be more transparent about future negotiations. She too said the deal with Canada had nothing to do with the EU's talks with Britain. "I draw no conclusions for Brexit from this," she said. British Prime Minister Theresa May has said Britain would commence formal Brexit negotiations by the end of March. However, it must first settle future economic relations with the bloc, a process that could drag on longer than the formal two-year transition period. (Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; editing by Philip Blenkinsop and Clelia Oziel) BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The completion of a trade deal with Canada will have no impact on negotiations between the European Union and Britain, which in June voted to leave the bloc, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Sunday. The European Union held a summit to sign a trade deal with Canada that was seven years in the making and had exposed some of the difficulties of sealing a trade pact. The Canadian deal was held up for weeks, most notably due to obstruction from regional governments in Belgium. Supporters of Brexit have said Britain will be much more nimble in trade talks once it has left the EU and some have said that it could use the Canadian agreement as a framework for a future deal. However, Juncker told reporters on arrival for the signing ceremony that he did not think the Canadian deal would have any impact on future Brexit negotiations. "I don't see any relation between what we are signing today and the Brexit issue," he said before greeting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said the Canadian deal had exposed concerns among European citizens over how such deals might affect their daily lives, and called for EU government to be more transparent about future negotiations. She too said the deal with Canada had nothing to do with the EU's talks with Britain. "I draw no conclusions for Brexit from this," she said. British Prime Minister Theresa May has said Britain would commence formal Brexit negotiations by the end of March. However, it must first settle future economic relations with the bloc, a process that could drag on longer than the formal two-year transition period. (Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; editing by Philip Blenkinsop and Clelia Oziel) By Alex Lawler VIENNA (Reuters) - Non-OPEC producers made no specific commitment on Saturday to join the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in limiting oil output levels to prop up prices - a stance that suggested they wanted OPEC to solve its differences first. Officials and experts from OPEC countries and non-OPEC nations including Azerbaijan, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Oman and Russia met for consultations in Vienna on Saturday and only agreed to meet again in November before a scheduled regular OPEC meeting on Nov. 30, they said in a statement. A day earlier, OPEC members themselves were unable to agreed on how to implement a global deal to limit output after hours of talks amid objections by Iran which has been reluctant to even freeze its output levels, sources said. "We have to agree on the real numbers," non-OPEC Kazakhstan's vice-minister of energy, Magsum Mirzagaliev, told reporters after seven hours of talks on Saturday. "It is important that we meet once again with detailed numbers. We agreed that we have to meet in 3-4 weeks with numbers, because every country has his own opinion," he said. OPEC and non-OPEC said in a joint statement the meeting on Saturday was a "positive development" towards reaching a global output limiting deal on Nov. 30. Oil (LCOc1) is trading closer to $50 (41.03 pounds) a barrel, less than half its price of mid-2014, weighed down by persistent oversupply and squeezing the incomes of exporting nations. Last month, OPEC agreed at a meeting in Algeria very modest production cuts, its first since 2008, in an effort to help prop up prices. But the cuts have yet to be finalised. The meeting of OPEC experts, known as OPEC's High Committee, does not decide policy but will make recommendations to the next OPEC ministerial meeting on Nov. 30. The meeting on Friday exposed old faultlines among OPEC members, especially the organisation's de facto leader Saudi Arabia and its arch-rival Iran. Story continues Tehran argues it wants to regain its oil market share it had lost during years of sanctions, which were eased earlier this year as part of a nuclear deal with the West. Riyadh, which is fighting several proxy wars with Iran, including in Syria and Yemen, is reluctant to make concessions to Tehran. WAITING FOR OPEC OPEC members have not agreed between themselves on a single set of production figures from which to make the agreed cutbacks, and members including Iraq, Iran, Libya and Nigeria - whose output has been held back by sanctions or conflict - have asked for special treatment in curbing output. The last time OPEC persuaded non-OPEC nations to make joint cuts was as long ago as the start of the millennium. Azerbaijan's energy minister Natig Aliyev told reporters before the start of the meeting he believed the global deal was still possible. "Just one week ago we met with the president of Venezuela," he said, in reference to the south American OPEC member which has been pushing for measures to support prices. "Venezuela and Azerbaijan agree that some measures will be taken to stabilise the market. We agreed the price of oil can be around $60 per barrel." Brazil's representative said his country was attending only as an observer. "Brazilian production will increase in the next few years," said Brazilian official Marcio Felix. Russia, one of the world's top producers, which has been supporting joint actions with OPEC, also attended the meeting in Vienna but made no public comment. Two OPEC sources said Russian energy officials told the gathering that Moscow was still willing to freeze its output levels if OPEC agreed to cap its production. "Russia is ready but they want to see in detail figures agreed for yesterday," one of the sources said. Another source said Russia would freeze if OPEC agreed to reduce output. (Additonal reporting by Rania El Gamal; editing by Richard Balmforth) Washington (AFP) - When Americans head to the polls November 8, there's much more than the presidency at stake. They will also choose new lawmakers in Congress and tens of thousands of local leaders, and voice their opinions on various referenda. Here is an overview of the action beyond the White House race: Congress Both chambers of Congress -- the Senate and the House of Representatives -- must agree on each bill before it can head to the president's desk to become law. In order to have a decent chance of having Congress pass his or her reforms, a president's party must control at least one chamber. House of Representatives: All 435 seats are up for grabs, for a two-year term representing local districts. Republicans currently rule this chamber, with 246 seats against 186 Democrats. There are three vacant seats following resignations and a death. It is not expected to swing Democrat after the November elections, but experts predict the party will gain seats. Senate: 34 of the 100 seats are in play, for a six-year mandate. Senators are elected by voters in their state. All states, regardless of size, have two senators. A third of the Senate's seats are contested each election year. Republicans currently have a majority of 54 senators against 44 Democrats and two independents who caucus with Democrats. The Democrats only need to regain four seats in order to control the Senate, should Hillary Clinton win the White House, because the country's vice president has the decisive vote if the Senate is ever split 50-50. Governors Twelve of the 50 states will elect new governors. They have executive authority at the state level. Governors are the most powerful political figures in their state, though senators, who regularly travel between Washington and their home state, also have significant clout. Referenda More than 150 different propositions will be on the ballot across 35 states, according to Ballotpedia, an encyclopedia of US politics. They cover a wide range of issues, from legalizing marijuana to the minimum wage, health, gun control and, in the case of California, requiring porn stars to wear condoms on set. Local elections Thousands of posts will also be contested at the local level, including for state legislative assemblies, judges, municipal councils, mayors and sheriffs. Islamabad (AFP) - An Afghan woman immortalised on a National Geographic magazine cover is to be freed on bail days after being arrested in Pakistan for fraud, a government minister said Sunday. The haunting image of Sharbat Gula, taken in a Pakistan refugee camp by photographer Steve McCurry in the 1980s, became the most famous cover image in the magazine's history. Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested Gula on Wednesday for living in the country on fraudulent identity papers following a two-year investigation on her and her husband, who has absconded. "I think I will have to review this case because she is a woman and we should see it from a humanitarian angle," Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told a press conference Sunday. "But if we withdraw charges against her, deport her or give her a temporary visa to leave Pakistan, then we will have to take back cases against the officials who issued her fake ID card, they are real culprits and I do not want to let them off the hook in any manner," he said. "As a first step the FIA should arrange her bail as soon as possible so that she should get of jail," Khan added. Investigators, who have uncovered thousands of fraud cases over the last decade, launched a probe into her application shortly after she procured the identity card. Officials say she applied for a Pakistani identity card in Peshawar in April 2014, using the name Sharbat Bibi. The photo attached to her application featured the same piercing green eyes seen in McCurry's famous image, only older. Officials say the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) has so far re-verified 91 million ID cards and detected 60,675 fraudulent cards. Her arrest highlights the desperate measures many Afghans are willing to take to avoid returning to their war-torn homeland as Pakistan cracks down on undocumented foreigners. Pakistan has for decades provided safe haven for millions of Afghans who fled their country after the Soviet invasion of 1979. The country hosts 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees, according to UNHCR, making it the third-largest refugee hosting nation in the world. The agency also estimates a further one million unregistered refugees are in the country. A Massachusetts police officers wife has been accused of faking a robbery and vandalizing her own home on Oct. 17, according to several reports. Police told WBZ that Maria Daly reported a burglary at her home in Millbury, Massachusetts, and said $10,000 in jewelry and money had been stolen. The couples home was also vandalized, and an acronym for the Black Lives Matter movement, BLM, was spray-painted on the house, according to the Boston Herald. Investigators later determined Daly had lied to police, and alleged that she committed the crime herself. Daly reportedly admitted she fabricated the story to cops and said all stolen item had been recovered, according to the Herald. Something wasnt quite right, said Millbury Police Chief Donald Desorcy told CBS News. I think that was pretty obvious and as a result of that investigation, the officers did their due diligence and followed through with the investigation that we had. Basically we came to the conclusion that it was all fabricated, Desorcy added. There was no intruder, there was no burglary. Daly now faces charges of filing a false police report and misleading a police investigation, according to CBS. Desorcy also told CBS that Dalys husband, Officer Daniel Daly, was not involved in the staged crime and has been exonerated. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. According to WBZ, Daly immediately took to social media to share her falsified account, writing, We woke up to not only our house being robbed while we were sleeping, but to see this hatred for no reason. Neighbors are wondering what led Daly to commit this unusual crime. She must have tagged the place herself, one neighbor told WBZ. I dont know why youd do that, if youre gonna stage a robbery, I mean really come on, youre a cops wife. You should know better. The Millbury Police Department could not be reached for comment. The Simpsons has long skewered politicians, but this year the show has been especially biting about the presidential campaign of Donald Trump. A recent video showed Homer standing in line at a polling place, chatting with a Trump supporter. The orange man he will build a wall to keep out beauty queens who eat too much, the supporter says. As it turns out, the Trump enthusiast is really Vladimir Putin in disguise. Sadly, it doesnt seem to be too far from the truth, quips Al Jean, the longtime showrunner of The Simpsons. He tells Varietys PopPolitics on SiriusXM that although there is a lot of discussion here about being even handed, this is a different election. Our job is to mock and satirize the world as we see it, so thats what we do, he says. The show has mocked Clinton this election cycle, he says. There is a lot of criticism the other way, but it is not exactly weighted evenly. Thats my view. Jean says that the show has gotten some pushback for being in the tank for Hillary or worse, and he says that he is voting for Clinton. But he noted the number of prominent Republicans who are against Trump, like Mitt Romney and John Kasich, along with conservative columnists like Jonah Goldberg and George Will. I am not the most liberal person, he says. I grew up a Republican and to quote Ronald Reagan, My party left me. But what I think has happened is a lot of people who maybe feel they had been in them middle have been pushed to the left because of the stuff that has happened. He says that he was alarmed by Trumps talk about disbanding NATO. And he seems to really be benevolent towards Putin which I think is nuts. Homer Simpson initially was for Trump, but he switched to Clinton, at Marges urging. The show has not heard from Trump himself, and has no plans to ask him to do a cameo, as so many others have done, Jean says. A show from 2000 actually predicted a Trump presidency. Its a flash-forward to Lisa Simpson succeeding Trump in the White House, with the national budget in ruins. Although it may seem fortuitous, Jean notes that Trump was publicly talking back then of making a presidential run. Story continues Yeah, we predicted it, but the footnote is we predicted he would not be successful as president, he says. Listen below: Libel Law and 2016 First Amendment attorney Ted Boutrous talks about Trumps threats to sue media organizations over stories they have covered, including claims that he has harassed women. Boutrous has offered to represent journalists who are the target of libel suits on a pro bono basis. Listen below: Stars Do Hillary Spot Liz Garbus, the documentary director, talks about a spot she did for the organization Humanity for Hillary, in which sexual assault survivors share their stories interspersed with audio of Trumps comments in the Access Hollywood tape. The video is called Its Not Okay. It also features such celebrities as Meryl Streep and Amy Schumer. Listen below: Celebrities on the Trail Nikki Schwab of Daily Mail and Hunter Schwarz of IJ Review talk about the proliferation of performers on the campaign trail, including Jon Bon Jovi and Jennifer Lopez for Clinton. They say that it can help a campaign more than most people think. Listen below: PopPolitics, hosted by Ted Johnson, airs on Thursdays from 2-3 pm ET/11 a.m.-noon PT on SiriusXMs political channel POTUS. It also is available on demand. Related stories Film Review: 'You've Been Trumped Too' Donald Trump Suggests He May Sue NBC Over 'Illegal' 'Access Hollywood' Tape LAPD Arrests Suspect in Donald Trump's Walk of Fame Star Vandalism London (AFP) - Japanese car giant Nissan was persuaded to make a major investment in Britain this week by promises that the government would seek continued tariff-free access to EU markets after Brexit, a minister said Sunday. Business Secretary Greg Clark has been under pressure to explain what was offered to Nissan to overcome its concerns about Britain's future outside the European Union and commit to building two new models at its Sunderland plant. "What I said was that our objective would be to ensure that we would have continued access to the markets in Europe -- and vice versa -- without tariffs and without bureaucratic impediments and that is how we will approach those negotiations," Clark told BBC television. Prime Minister Theresa May has refused to confirm whether she will seek continued access to Europe's single market or the customs union in her negotiations with the EU on Brexit, which are due to begin by the end of March. But her emphasis on ending free movement of people -- a key principle of the single market -- has led to speculation that Britain will make a clean break with the bloc. Many businesses fear that in such a case, British exports would be subject to higher World Trade Organization tariffs until new trade agreements were struck. Clark said he had also confirmed to Nissan the government's commitment to make funds available for training and skills, to "bring home" elements of the supply chain from overseas, and help keep the British car industry on the cutting edge. He has previously indicated there was no offer of financial compensation to the firm, and said Sunday: "It is simply not possible to compensate for any future risks, so the intention of keeping the sector competitive was important." Nissan announced on Thursday that it would build its new Qashqai sport utility vehicle and its next four-wheel drive X-Trail model in Sunderland in northeast England. It was a coup for May, who had met Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn for talks at her Downing Street office in October 14. Clark also visited Tokyo earlier this month. Sunderland is Britain's biggest car factory and the group's largest facility in Europe, employing more than 7,000 workers and tens of thousands more through the supply chain. Unless there's an Auntie Anne's near my gate, my experiences at airports are almost always horrible. Aerosmith, however, apparently have better luck because while at an airport in Lakeland, Florida this week, the band not only ran into President Obama, but got invited onto Air Force One with him. We were stacked up over Lakeland [Florida], while his plane landed, Joe Perry told Vanyaland. We were trying to get in before him but we missed. Then, while were sittin on the runway, were lookin at Air Force One and we got out, took some pictures and the next thing you know, were on the plane being given a tour. Then Obama heard we were there on the plane and he said, If you wait til I get there, well do a little meet and greet. So we ended up talking with him for a couple minutes, getting some pictures Perry, alongside Steven Tyler, had just flown into Florida after a five week tour of South America. "After a month in South America, something like that? Hey you know? Steven and I have had some pretty cool adventures, but this one is right up thereIn the 70s we couldnt get anything but arrested. Now its like, were so respectable. Guess we'll just add this to the rapidly growing list of awesome President Obama stories. Continue Reading On PigeonsandPlanes More from PigeonsandPlanes Does Prince Harry have an American girlfriend? The Sunday Express reports that the 32-year-old royal is dating Meghan Markle, an actress best known for her role as Rachel Zane on Suits. Hes happier than hes been for many years, a source told the British newspaper. Although the source says the couple is taking the relationship slowly, Harry is said to be besotted with the brunette beauty. They are taking each week as it comes and just enjoying each others company but its fair to say that they love seeing each other and theres a definite chemistry between them, the insider said. Harry has been desperate to keep the relationship quiet because he doesnt want to scare Meghan off. He knows things will change when their romance is public knowledge but he also knows he cant keep it a secret for long. Its too early to say if the relationship will lead to anything long-term but who knows? the source continued. At the moment they are just taking it a step at a time and seeing how things develop. The duo reportedly met while Prince Harry was in Toronto, where the legal drama is filmed, at the beginning of May to promote the 2017 Invictus Games. The 35-year-old Los Angeles native has posted several pics on Instagram from her trips to London over the summer. Markle recently shared a photo in which shes wearing beaded bracelets very similar to ones Harry has worn, leading many to speculate that they were a gift from her new beau. Markles rep did not respond to PEOPLEs request for comment, and a Kensington Palace spokesperson says they would not comment on private matters. Harry was previously linked to lawyer Chelsy Davy, whom he dated on-and-off for about seven years, and actress Cressida Bonas, with whom he parted ways in 2014. Has Prince Harry found love across the pond? The 32-year-old royal has reportedly been seeing American actress Meghan Markle. WATCH: Prince Harry Meets His Redhead Mini-Me and It's the Cutest Moment Ever According to The U.K.'s Sunday Express, Harry is "besotted" with the 35-year-old actress, who's best known for her role as Rachel Zane on Suits. On Saturday, an insider told the newspaper, "He's happier than he's been for many years. He's in a very relaxed period of his life, and Meghan has come along at the right time. They are taking each week as it comes and just enjoying each other's company, but it's fair to say that they love seeing each other, and there's a definite chemistry between them." The insider also claimed that the Prince of Wales is "desperate to keep the relationship quiet" as to not "scare" Meghan off. The pair reportedly met in May, when Harry was in Toronto, Canada -- where Suits is filmed -- to promote the Invictus Games. MORE: Prince Philip Looks Just Like Prince Harry in 1957 Photo and Everyone Is Losing It! Earlier this week, fuel was added to the rumor fire when Meghan posted a #tbt of her solo trip to the English countryside, where beaded bracelets that look very similar to ones worn by Harry could be seen in her selfie. This led to rampant fan speculation that they were a gift from the royal, as pointed out by Hello!. #TBT to my solo trip to @sfhmembers #treatyourself #UK #sohohouse #farmhouse A photo posted by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Oct 20, 2016 at 6:27pm PDT The Los Angeles native has been sharing quite a few photos from Europe, especially from within England, over the past few months, including a clearer shot of the beaded bracelets in September. Friendship bracelets with @milliemackintoshofficial @queenofsoho @bunnyjonsey @fifirosenfeld #uk #friends #vacation A photo posted by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Sep 1, 2016 at 9:25am PDT London with the newlyweds @lindsayjillroth @gavinajordan #London #UK #travel #vacation A photo posted by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Aug 21, 2016 at 9:12am PDT Gutted to be leaving #London - Thanks for a yummy breakfast @anderson_markus @sohohouse A photo posted by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Jul 5, 2016 at 5:58am PDT WATCH: Prince Harry Gets Tested for HIV in Facebook Live Video Both Meghan and Harry share a love of humanitarian work. The brunet beauty visited Africa last year as an advocate for UN Women, and earlier this year, she went to Rwanda as a World Vision Global Ambassador, both experiences she has blogged about. This past summer, Harry was also on the continent, working on the 500 Elephants initiative. Story continues Prince Harry previously had high profile relationships with Chelsy Davy and Cressida Jones. Meghan was married to Trevor Engelson for two years before separating in August 2013. ET has reached out to Meghan's reps. As for Harry, Kensington Palace said "we wouldn't comment on his personal life." PHOTOS: Prince Harry Jumps Up On Stage With Coldplay During HIV Charity Concert Harry has had a very busy 2016, and he's not slowing down as they year winds down. Earlier this week, he visited Nottingham, England, where he helped open up a police precinct and stopped by a recording studio. He'll also be traveling out of England -- his next big royal trip is to the Caribbean in November, where he will spend two weeks representing the Queen in seven countries, including Barbados and St Lucia. But back to those Invictus Games -- check out Harry's most swoon-worthy moments from this year's outing in the video below. Related Articles Jerusalem (AFP) - Prominent Israeli journalist Ari Shavit, whose book "My Promised Land" became a bestseller in the United States, said Sunday he was resigning from his newspaper and television posts after sexual harassment allegations. The allegations against Shavit have caused waves in Israel, where he is well-known as a columnist for leftwing newspaper Haaretz and a commentator for privately owned Channel 10 television. The controversy began after US journalist Danielle Berrin published a piece on October 19 for the Los Angeles-based Jewish Journal about a meeting with Shavit for an interview in 2014. At one point, he "lurched at me like a barnyard animal, grabbing the back of my head, pulling me toward him," she wrote. Berrin did not name Shavit in her piece, but clues in the story led to suspicions it was him. He later acknowledged having met Berrin and apologised, saying he "thought that we had had a friendly conversation that included some flirtation." A second woman, an anonymous staffer for US-based organisation J Street, has since said that Shavit came onto her and inappropriately rubbed her hand as they had a coffee after she picked him up for an event as part of her job duties. In a statement on Sunday, Shavit said he took "full responsibility for my actions" and announced his resignation from Haaretz and Channel 10. "I am ashamed of the mistakes I made with regards to people in general and women in particular," Shavit said, according to Haaretz. "I am embarrassed that I did not behave correctly to my wife and children. I am embarrassed about the consequences of what I did." Shavit's 2013 book "My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel" became a New York Times bestseller. By Aziz El Yaakoubi RABAT (Reuters) - Thousands of outraged Moroccans held protests in several cities on Sunday after a fishmonger in the northern town of Al-Hoceima was crushed to death inside a garbage truck as he tried to retrieve fish confiscated by police. The death on Friday prompted a frenzy of angry postings on social media against "Hogra", a Maghreb term referring to official abuse and injustice. Sunday's rallies were called by activists from the February 20 movement, which organized demonstrations during the Arab unrest of 2011. In an effort to calm tensions, King Mohamed, currently on a tour of Africa, ordered the interior minister to visit the victim's family and present royal condolences. The interior and justice ministries also promised an investigation. Such large-scale protests are rare in Morocco, where the king still holds ultimate sway. Morocco calmed Arab Spring-style protests in 2011 with reforms, spending and tougher security while leaders in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya were swept from power. "I have never seen such a crowd in the last few years, since 2011 at least," said Houssin Lmrabet, an activist from the town of Imzouren where thousands took part in the funeral of the victim and protests that followed. "Everyone feels crushed by that garbage truck here." Mouhcine Fikri had fish confiscated by police on Friday after he bought it at the port. Local authorities have banned swordfish sales in this season. According to local media and authorities, Fikri jumped inside the trash truck that police used to destroy the confiscated fish in a desperate attempt to recover it when he was caught inside the crusher. Protests were held in Al-Hoceima and other towns in Rif region, long seen as a hotbed of dissent, and also in Casablanca and the capital Rabat, where hundreds gathered chanting "Mohcine was murdered, Makhzen is to blame" in a reference to the royal establishment and its allies. Fikri's death has echoes of how Tunisia's uprising began in 2011, triggering similar revolts across the region after a young man set himself on fire in desperation because police confiscated fruit and vegetables he was selling. Activists accused police officers of ordering garbage men to crush Fikri, but the Moroccan police (DGSN) denied those accusations in a statement on Sunday. Moroccan authorities heavily police protests, nervous over popular unrest since the 2011 protests. During those protests the king devolved some of his authority to an elected government in a constitutional reform. Governments in North Africa are wary of protests tapping into pent up frustrations among unemployed youth. Tunisia has seen rioting twice this year in its south over jobs and unions are warning over the government's new austerity plans. (Editing by Patrick Markey and Raissa Kasolowsky) By Sarah White MADRID (Reuters) - Mariano Rajoy faces the first test of a tough second term as Spanish prime minister this week, as he unveils a new cabinet that must build cross-party support to pass reforms in a fragmented and hostile parliament. The conservative leader won approval from lawmakers on Saturday to form a minority government after 10 months of political deadlock, but he will forced to seek out allies at every twist and turn to enact laws. He is set to outline his team on Thursday under scrutiny over whether he will signal a fresh start by bringing in new faces, even if most are expected to come from within the ruling People's Party (PP). Rajoy, who is due to be sworn in on Monday, governed with an absolute majority for four years from 2011. He lost that in 2015 and while the PP remained the largest party in parliament, he was unable to find coalition partners for a majority government, even after a fresh election in June this year. Several of his ministers had major rows with the opposition, including during Rajoy's recent stint as caretaker prime minister. Rival forces had, for instance, called on acting interior minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz to resign in June over his links to an alleged smear campaign. "In theory at least Rajoy will be obliged to show his government is somewhat different," said Carlos Barrera, a political communications professor at the University of Navarre. He noted, however, that the prime minister was not known for favoring abrupt changes. Left-leaning newspaper El Pais, Spain's best-selling newspaper, called in an editorial on Sunday for a "deep renewal" of government members to build bridges with other parties. After the two inconclusive elections since last December and months of infighting between parties, Rajoy's minority administration has pressing reforms and legislation to tackle. First will be a new budget for 2017 to appease Brussels and meet next year's deficit targets, which will require either spending cuts or new formulas to raise extra revenues. While the economy is recovering well, unemployment remains at almost 19 percent, the second highest rate in the EU after Greece. Spain will also be trying to reclaim a spot at the European Union's top table as it deals with major problems, such as Britain's vote to leave the bloc. The caretaker government had been forced to take a back seat in recent months. European Council President Donald Tusk called for unity in Spain. "I trust that over the next years and under your leadership, Spain will benefit from the political stability and social cohesion that are necessary to respond to the challenges at hand," Tusk said in a congratulatory letter to Rajoy on Sunday. A FINE LINE Many in Spain are skeptical about how productive the government can be with just 137 seats in the 350-strong parliament. Even with support from the liberal Ciudadanos, Spain's fourth-largest party, Rajoy will struggle to achieve any form of stability without piecemeal agreements with the second-placed Socialists. The center-left party reluctantly allowed Rajoy to return to office on Saturday by abstaining in a confidence vote, but has vowed to fight his policies. Rajoy has called for dialogue with rivals but also laid down some red lines as opponents seek to reverse some of his previous reforms, such as a labor market overhaul that make it cheaper to hire and hire staff. "I'm not prepared to undo what has been built. Things can no doubt be improved, but I cannot accept that they be demolished," Rajoy told parliament before Saturday's confidence vote. His trump card is the threat of another snap election which would be likely to penalize his rivals. The Socialists, for instance, are without a leader and have angered many supporters by easing the PP's return to power. Even so, Rajoy cannot afford to ignore the opposition like he did when he enjoyed an absolute majority, analysts said. "Rajoy has to walk a fine line - he has to signal to his own voters that he is in control but also leave enough space to cut deals with other parties," said Antonio Barroso, an analyst with Teneo Intelligence in London. (Editing by David Stamp) London (AFP) - Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri believes his side have finally rediscovered the defensive resilience that helped them to their fairytale Premier League title triumph last season. The defending champions collected their first point on their travels this season in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur after Ahmed Musa cancelled out Vincent Janssen's penalty. Following four successive -- and heavy -- away defeats it was a show of stubbornness that had been conspicuous by its absence on previous away trips. "I'm pleased with the point, our performance and our spirit. We played together and we fought together," said Ranieri, whose side remain in mid-table. "We played well against a good team. We can take confidence from this. Our defending was excellent, just as we did last season. It's important as we need to refind some confidence. "Our spirit often this season has been singular, but here it was squad spirit." Leicester have one foot in the Champions League knockout stages ahead of Wednesday's group game away to FC Copenhagen. But Ranieri said: "The pressure on us is to be safe (in the league). "The Champions League is for another day. We concentrate on each game that comes, but this was a step in the right direction in the league, especially away from home." Tottenham, who fell away to finish third behind Leicester and Arsenal last season, have now gone five games without winning in all competitions. "It's important to score more," said manager Mauricio Pochettino. "We need to be more clinical and score more. This game and the last few games we have had a problem scoring. "We need to be more aggressive in the final third. We need to be determined to score and that's where we need to improve. "After 10 games we have won five and drawn five. We are still strong and unbeaten in the league, that is very important. If want to fight for big things we need to improve." Story continues - 'Big pressure' - He added: "It's true we are fighting and it's difficult to win games recently, but the team showed it is strong enough. "We need to stay positive. We are in a bad period, so together we need to be strong." Dutch striker Janssen, who has been deputising up front for the injured Harry Kane, scored his first league goal in a Spurs shirt after Robert Huth was adjudged to have fouled him. It was his third goal since he arrived from AZ Alkmaar, all of which have been penalties, and Pochettino is hoping he can now go on a run in front of goal. "Harry is our main striker," said the Argentine. "We are very happy with Vincent, but we need to share the burden with Harry. "A lot of strikers score from penalties and I think it's important for Vincent to score. He took responsibility for the penalty with big pressure. "If you score, whether it's from open play or a penalty, it's the same. His first goal in the Premier League is important. "Since the day he arrived his behaviour and performance is always improving. It's important to have confidence and trust in him." Janssen opened the scoring in the 44th minute, but Musa equalised three minutes into the second half, sliding in to convert Jamie Vardy's cross for his second goal in two games. "Musa is a good player and slowly starting to understand the Premier League," Ranieri said of the Nigeria international. "He saw the ball a lot and was very strong. He will only improve." Beirut (AFP) - A rebel assault to break the siege of Syria's Aleppo slowed Monday amid fierce resistance from regime forces, as the UN said it was "appalled" by opposition fire on civilians. Rebels launched a major assault Friday, backed by car bombs and salvos of rockets, to break through government lines and reach the 250,000 people besieged in the city's east. Aleppo has been hit by some of the worst violence in Syria's five-year conflict, turning the once bustling economic hub into a divided and bombed-out symbol of the war. Since Friday, opposition factions allied with jihadists have amassed on Aleppo's western outskirts in a bid to end the regime's three-month encirclement of the city's eastern districts. While they scored an initial advance, the offensive has since slowed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor. "Since Sunday, the regime has been taking the initiative and the clashes are less intense," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said on Monday. "The only thing that has been accomplished is partial control over Dahiyet al-Assad," a neighbourhood on Aleppo's western outskirts that rebels entered on Friday, he said. Regime and Russian air strikes were hitting the battlefronts on the city's edges, but with less intensity than in previous days. "The momentum of the rebel offensive slowed after failing to take control of the '3000' apartment block and the military complex," a pro-regime military source said, referring to two built-up areas southwest of Aleppo. - Civilian toll rises - The Observatory said 61 regime fighters and allied militiamen were killed in the assault since Friday, as well as 72 Syrian rebels. And in a new toll Monday, the monitor said nearly four days of heavy rebel rocket fire have killed 51 civilians including 18 children. Syria's state news agency SANA said three civilians were killed in rebel fire Monday. Story continues The army gave a toll of 84 people killed in three days, "mostly women and children," repeating allegations that rebels had fired shells containing chlorine gas on western Aleppo. Rights groups Amnesty International said rebels had "displayed a shocking disregard for civilian lives". "The goal of breaking the siege on eastern Aleppo does not give armed opposition groups a license to flout the rules of international humanitarian law," said Amnesty's Samah Hadid. UN peace envoy Staffan de Mistura said Sunday he was "appalled and shocked by the high number of rockets" fired by rebels. "Those who argue that this is meant to relieve the siege of eastern Aleppo should be reminded that nothing justifies the use of disproportionate and indiscriminate weapons, including heavy ones, on civilian areas and it could amount to war crimes," he said. "Civilians of both sides of Aleppo have suffered enough due to futile but lethal attempts of subduing the city," he added. Aleppo's front line runs through the heart of the city, dividing rebels in the east from government forces in the west. Rebel groups have pledged to push east from Dahiyet al-Assad to Hamdaniyeh, a regime-controlled neighbourhood adjacent to the besieged eastern districts. Sarab Abu Abdo, a rebel commander in the Army of Conquest alliance, said fighting was "ongoing with light weapons" Monday. - Ambush in south - "We seized three blocks of the 3000 apartment complex, but the regime still controls most of it," Abu Abdo said. He said regime forces had tried twice to overrun Minyan, a village west of Aleppo captured by rebels Saturday, but failed. An AFP correspondent saw about a dozen civilians, including women and children, fleeing Dahiyet al-Assad Sunday. They carried belongings stuffed into plastic bags over their heads or dragged them along the dusty road. Syria's conflict broke out in March 2011 with protests calling for the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad. It has evolved into a complex, multi-front war pitting regime forces, rebels, Kurds and jihadists -- including the Islamic State group -- against each other. Turkey said Monday the drive to oust IS from Syria's northern city of Raqa should begin after the end of the offensive on Mosul, the last IS-held city in Iraq. "It would be right, militarily and strategically, to conduct this Raqa operation after the Mosul operation and Turkey's Euphrates Shield operation have ended," Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said. The UN Security Council Monday extended the mandate of a panel investigating chemical attacks in Syria for two weeks to negotiate a one-year renewal of the probe. The United Nations-Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) panel found government forces carried out three chlorine gas attacks in 2014 and 2015. Damascus (AFP) - Syrian state media said Sunday that rebels had fired shells containing toxic gas into government-held parts of Aleppo, leaving dozens of people including civilians in need of treatment. State news agency SANA reported that 35 people were suffering from "suffocation" after shells carrying "toxic gases" hit the frontline district of Dahiyet al-Assad and regime-held Hamdaniyeh in Aleppo. It said people were suffering from shortness of breath, muscle spasms and numbness, but were receiving treatment. The head of Aleppo University Hospital, Ibrahim Hadid, told state television that "36 people, including civilians and combatants, were wounded after inhaling toxic chlorine gas released by terrorists." The allegation came on the third day of a rebel offensive to break a three-month siege of the opposition-held east of Aleppo. Rebel groups have pledged to push from newly captured positions in the Dahiyet al-Assad district towards Hamdaniyeh. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group told AFP there were "cases of suffocation among regime forces in Hamdaniyeh and Dahiyet al-Assad." Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman could not specify the cause. Chlorine use as a weapon is banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Syria joined in 2013 under pressure from its ally Russia. It then agreed to get rid of its chemical stockpile and refrain from making any use of toxic substances in warfare. But earlier this month, a joint United Nations-Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) panel concluded that government forces carried out three chlorine gas attacks on villages in 2014 and 2015. Mexico City (AFP) - Dutch teenager Max Verstappen launched an astonishing verbal attack on four-time champion Sebastian Vettel in the wake of their stormy battle in the closing laps of Sunday's Mexican Grand Prix won. Lewis Hamilton's win was the 51st of his career and kept alive his title defence and reduced Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg's lead to 19 points with two races remaining. Rosberg finished second. His triumph also represented Mercedes record 17th win in a season. However, their celebrations were almost drowned out by the row that raged in the aftermath of a stormy battle between the Ferrari and Red Bull teams in the closing laps. This saw Verstappen, who finished third before being handed a five seconds penalty that relegated him to fifth, clash with Vettel on and off the track where he had refused to concede a position when he locked up his brakes and ran off circuit, gaining an advantage that infuriated the German. Verstappen joined the Mercedes duo in the pre-podium room before leaving with the arrival of Vettel flanked by a group of Ferrari team members. Despite threats, no punches were thrown. Vettel's language on Ferrari team radio was so laden in profanities that the team chief Maurizio Arrivabene eventually had to tell him to stop talking and calm down after he had lambasted not only Red Bull driver Verstappen, but also the Race Director Charlie Whiting. "He has to give me the position - end of story," said Vettel, having referred to Whiting saying "here is the message for Charlie -- fuck off, Honestly fuck off." In response Arrivabene said: "Sebastian, Sebastian, calm down, calm down. They are under investigation. I know that it is not fair but calm down. Put your head down and we talk afterwards." Verstappen, 19, said that Vettel "should go back to school" to be taught not to swear so much. Talking about the incident in which went off at Turn One and rejoined, he said: "I think it is pretty similar to what happened when Lewis went off and got a massive advantage and when Nico went off, when we touched (on the opening lap). Story continues "I didn't even get an advantage. I was the same length in front so I think it's ridiculous. They thought I had to give it back (the place), but it was never confirmed. "I was not backing him up, I was just trying to do the best I can. They don't give a penalty for Nico -- don't give me a penalty at the end of the race! "I saw the footage. At least I can do it in a good way. It is ridiculous what he did -- and then he starts shouting on the radio. I don't know how many times he is using very bad language. "I will speak to him because this is how ridiculous he is handling it. He is just a very frustrated guy at the moment." Vettel's radio rant, punctuated by a near-incessant series of bleep, bleep, bleeping, was an immediate classic moment in modern F1 transmissions, repeated by broadcasters and social media. "I don't think there is anything I have to say to him," he said later. "I think it was very clear. I was very emotional and I have asked already to go and see Charlie Whiting - when you are in the car, I was full of adrenaline because it is not right what Max did. I was getting upset as you can imagine." Vettel was trapped between the two Red Bulls in the closing stages when Verstappen 'backed him up' to make him vulnerable to an attack from his team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, who was equally angry at the unfolding of events at the end of the race. Speaking to his Ferrari race engineer Riccardo Adami and team chief Arrivabene, Vettel's comments on the radio included him not only swearing frequently and directly about Whiting, but adding: "Honestly, I'm going to hit someone." By Isla Binnie NORCIA, Italy (Reuters) - Sunday's earthquake struck the medieval walled town of Norcia as nuns, monks and priests were heading to morning prayer services, giving them just enough time to flee as the walls around them plunged to the earth. The quake hit the same central regions that have been rocked by repeated tremors over the past two months. Although it was bigger than an Aug. 24 earthquake that killed almost 300 people, no-one died on Sunday, but there was huge damage. Weakened by repeated powerful jolts in recent weeks, many of Norcia's churches, monasteries and chapels were wrecked. "We thought it was the end of everything," said 74-year-old Sister Maria Raffaella Buoso, sitting on a bench outside the walls of Norcia after being evacuated from the Monastery of the Poor Clares of Santa Maria della Pace. The nuns of the Poor Clares are normally cloistered and only leave the monastery in an emergency. Firemen had to break the doors down to get them out. The six nuns have been ordered to leave for now, although they are confident that their church, which was built at the beginning of the 16th century, did not suffer extensive damage. Other places were less fortunate, including the historic Basilica of St. Benedict, which stood on the main square of Norcia and was supposedly built over the birthplace of Benedict, the patron saint of Europe, and his sister St. Scolastica. Badly damaged in multiple quakes on Aug. 24 and Oct. 26, the monastery complex, including the 13th century Basilica, finally collapsed in a pile of rubble on Sunday, leaving just the gothic facade standing. The 13 monks had been forced to abandon their monastery and their small commercial brewery following the previous tremors. However, they had hoped for a swift return, with the Italian emergency services releasing video earlier this week showing roof repairs being carried out on the imposing Basilica. Although Norcia is intimately linked with Saint Benedict, the monks only came back to the town in 2000, some 190 years after the community was suppressed by the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte when he took control of swathes of Italy. "(We have) started to accept once more that our life is not our own and God has altered our path once again," one of the monks, father Benedict, wrote mid-week after the Oct. 26 quake. With dust still blowing in the air on Sunday morning following Italy's strongest quake since 1980, monks and residents sank to their knees in front of the eviscerated Basilica in silent prayer. While many of Norcia's sturdy houses have been earthquake-protected and largely survived this year's wave of tremors, the town's bigger religious structures were found to be less stable. "Our churches have suffered terrible injuries," said mayor Nicola Alemanno, describing the old stone buildings as though they were living beings. A short distance from the town square, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Argentea lay in ruins, its roof caved in, while the nearby Convent of Sant'Antonio was also badly scarred. "Everything is broken. All the rooms, the belltower has fallen down, the church itself," said an elderly nun, leaning on her cane as she was interviewed by la Repubblica TV. Local authorities have ordered residents out of the town center, forcing the nuns and monks to seek shelter elsewhere, including the six sisters from the Monastery of the Poor Clares, who were dismayed to hear that they would have to stay with Benedictine nuns in nearby Trevi. "They live differently in other cloisters. They don't get up to pray at night," said Sister Maria Chiara Vittorie, 73. "It makes me sad to leave because this is our cloister, our life is here." (Editing by Crispian Balmer; and Alexandra Hudson) Nice (France) (AFP) - France on Sunday charged an Italian restaurateur, a homeless former British special forces soldier and a one-time paparazzi photographer over the kidnapping of a French hotel magnate, a prosecutor said. Jacqueline Veyrac, 76, the millionaire owner of the Michelin-starred La Reserve restaurant in the French Riviera city of Nice was snatched last Monday as she was getting into her SUV and bundled into a waiting van. Veyrac, who also owns the five-star Grand Hotel in nearby Cannes, was released two days later after being spotted by a passerby bound and gagged and lashed to the van's floor. Nice prosecutor Jean-Michel Pretre said that Veyrac's abductors bound her wrists and ankles and sealed her eyes and mouth with tape. She sustained several injuries in her efforts to break free, he added. The passerby first noticed that a number plate on the vehicle was a bit loose, revealing another one underneath, before spotting Veyrac inside. Authorities have charged three other people for their part in the conspiracy, and all six have been remanded in custody. They all face life imprisonment if convicted. Separately, a former police officer who now works as a private detective was charged over failing to alert authorities to the group's plans and subsequently bailed. Investigators believe the restaurateur, identified only as Giuseppe S, harboured a grudge against Veyrac. Originally from Turin, he managed La Reserve from 2007 until 2009 when his company went into liquidation, causing him to resent Veyrac. The kidnapping was a bid to recover money lost during the liquidation by demanding a ransom from those close to Veyrac, investigators said. The former press photographer, Luc G -- also known as "Tintin" -- is accused of fitting a tracking device to Veyrac's car. And a British citizen, who served in the UK's special forces and is now homeless in Nice, is accused of providing surveillance for the gang. Story continues The other three people charged with involvement in the case are thought to be gang members who took part directly in the kidnapping of Veyrac, who was abducted by three men in the heart of Nice. Veyrac, whose husband died five years ago, co-owns the Grand Hotel, as well as La Reserve, with one of her sons. The Grand Hotel is one of the establishments on the palm-lined Croisette boulevard that roll out the red carpet each May for movie stars attending the Cannes Film Festival. Veyrac was targeted in another attempted kidnapping three years ago but the motive was never clear. Investigators are seeking to determine whether the two events are linked. Frankfurt (AFP) - Alarmed by a raft of Chinese takeovers, Germany is putting the brakes on the Asian giant's shopping spree as it sends out the message that not everything is for sale -- at the risk of antagonising Beijing. The more assertive noises coming out of Berlin are likely to dominate Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel's trip to China in the coming days, putting to the test the oft-vaunted "special relationship" between the top export powers. Germans have watched with unease as Chinese enterprises have swallowed up a record number of homegrown tech companies this year, sparking fears of German knowhow and intellectual property being sold off to the highest bidder. The wave of acquisitions has also stoked grumbles over China's easy access to the country's open markets, often through state-backed companies, while foreign investors there face tight restrictions. "Germans seem to be growing more and more sceptical about China, and consequently more willing to pursue a tougher approach to Beijing," said analyst Hans Kundnani from the German Marshall Fund. In the clearest sign yet that Berlin could be squaring up for a battle, the German economy ministry this week said it was taking a closer look at two planned Chinese takeovers -- effectively stalling both deals. The moves have not gone unnoticed in Beijing and Gabriel will likely face some prickly questions when he leads a 60-strong business delegation on a five-day trip to China and Hong Kong from Tuesday. - 'Paranoia' - Germany's first punch came last Monday when the ministry said it had withdrawn its approval for Grand Chip Investment's 670-million-euro ($730-million) purchase of chip equipment maker Aixtron, citing security concerns. German daily Handelsblatt said the surprise reversal came after US intelligence services warned that Aixtron products could be used for military purposes. The deal is now back under review, a process that could last three months. Story continues Days later, the economy ministry said it was also reviewing the mooted sale of German firm Osram's general lighting unit to a Chinese buyer. So far there has been little official reaction from Beijing. But a bylined commentary carried by the official Xinhua news agency was scathing, accusing Germany of "protectionist moves" that called into question "Berlin's sincerity in securing an open and transparent investment climate". "It is time for Berlin to let go of its delusional "China threat" paranoia," it added. - Call for EU action - Chinese firms spent over 11 billion euros on German companies between January and October, a new record, according to accountancy firm EY. Included in that is the 4.6-billion-euro purchase of leading robot maker Kuka by Chinese appliance giant Midea, a deal that sparked particular alarm and which Gabriel had sought to thwart. Gabriel, also Germany's vice-chancellor, has since drawn up a list of proposals to give European Union governments greater powers to block takeovers by non-EU firms in strategic industries. Crucially there has been no word yet on whether Chancellor Angela Merkel -- who has championed close economic ties with Beijing -- approves of the idea. But Gabriel is likely to get a sympathetic hearing from at least some European peers. The new British government recently delayed the controversial Hinkley Point nuclear project over concerns about China's involvement, before eventually giving it the go-ahead. In Brussels, an in-depth EU antitrust probe is holding up state-owned ChemChina's proposed mammoth takeover of Swiss seed maker Syngenta. - Level playing field - Observers, however, say Germany is not about to close the door on China, one of its most important trade partners. Rather, the latest manoeuvres should be seen as part of a growing debate about how "to get a level playing field" with China, Kundnani told AFP. Gabriel himself told reporters this week foreign investment with China could not be "a one-way street". "We would like reciprocity," he said. Foreign investors have long complained of the obstacles to doing business in China, such as the requirement to team up with local partners, while some sectors are completely off-limits. Friedolin Strack of the BDI federation of German industries said that despite the frustrations, German firms had benefited enormously from doing deals with China -- leaving Gabriel to tread a fine line during his visit. "There are a lot of restrictions in Chinese markets," Strack told AFP. "And we should increase the political pressure and the pressure from businesses on China to remove these barriers. "But if we say we are open only to those countries who are open with us, that would harm German companies." Bucharest (AFP) - Around 5,000 people took to the streets of Bucharest on Sunday, a year after a nightclub fire that killed 64 young people and triggered an unprecedented protest movement against the Romanian political class. The blaze on October 30, 2015, blamed on fireworks and corruption that allowed the club to carry on opening despite lax fire safety, brought down the corruption-tainted administration of Social Democratic Victor Ponta. "A year has passed, nothing has changed," read one banner carried by demonstrators who marched in silence from the city centre to the "Colectiv" nightclub where the tragedy took place. Some were moved to tears while others lit candles and laid flowers in front of a monument inaugurated on Sunday in memory of the victims. Nearly 200 people were also injured in the fire. "We hope that things are going to change, otherwise that would mean that there is no hope" for Romania, Eugen Iancu, the father of one young man who died in the blaze, told AFP. He said he was still shocked by the situation in Romanian hospitals recalling that "most of the young people died because of bacteria" they were exposed to while being treated for their burns. Another demonstrator, Valentin, 38, was critical of the authorities' "indifference" and "corruption" and those he said "received money" to authorise the opening of the club despite inadequate safety standards. President Klaus Iohannis, who laid a wreath of flowers earlier in the day, said he regretted that a year on "we still do not know who is responsible for this terrible accident". Three managers at the club, which remains closed, and three people from a firm that installed the fireworks there have been charged with involuntary homicide. Their trial is due to start soon. A local mayor, a number of civil servants and two firefighters have also been accused of negligence. An honor guard opens the door as Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) enters a hall to attend a meeting with members of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, October 1, 2015. REUTERS/Yuri Kochetkov/Pool/File Photo Not since the Cold War have tensions between Russia and the West reached the terrifying heights we've seen in recent months. Russia now challenges the West in virtually every arena possible, with cyberattacks, nuclear posturing, military invasions of Western-leaning countries, and the intimidation of US allies and neutral states. According to Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, the founding publisher of Arms Control Wonk and an avid Kremlin-watcher, Russia's resurgence owes mainly to one thing: paranoia. "We've seen the failure of democratic institutions in Russia. It's not the open and free society that we had hoped for at the end of the Cold War, and with that failure comes an insecurity on the part of Moscow's leaders," Lewis said of Russia's retreat back toward dictatorship after the fall of the Soviet Union. Democracy provides countries like the US with a stable, established path for power changing hands. In the US, politicians serve at the pleasure of the people, who have legal and political means to replace their leadership without revolting. But in Russia, where rampant inequality exists between powerful, connected oligarchs and regular Russian citizens, Lewis said, the rulers are "terrified that they're going to be toppled from power, which they don't hold democratically or temporarily they fear a coup." Lewis said the wisdom from George F. Kennan's 1946 "Telegram from Moscow" still holds. Kennan argued that the Soviet Union saw itself in a "capitalist encirclement" and could not peacefully coexist with the capitalist, or Western, world. Paratroopers Day Moscow Russia "At bottom of Kremlin's neurotic view of world affairs is traditional and instinctive Russian sense of insecurity," Kennan argued. "Russian rulers have invariably sensed that their rule was relatively archaic in form, fragile and artificial in its psychological foundation, unable to stand comparison or contact with political systems of Western countries." Story continues Lewis contends that these conditions persist and that "the way they deal with that insecurity is bullying and threatening their neighbors." Russia has committed to "build their security on the insecurity of their neighbors," Lewis said. And creating instability is as easy as casting doubt, while creating stability requires accountability and transparency, which the Russian state need not bother with as it increasingly takes control of the country's media. "Interference with Ukraine and Baltics is part of that" will to destabilize Russia's neighbors, Lewis said. Moscow's push for chaos in the West can be seen, he said, in its "desperate effort to shore up Syria" as well as in its hacks on the US election system. "It's important to them to tear us down to prove that we're just as bad and corrupt as they are," Lewis said. Unfortunately for the US, much of Russia's campaign to discredit Western institutions works. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump often touts information exposed by WikiLeaks, an organization with ties to Russia, and has attacked the legitimacy of US democracy and threatened to ignore the results of the election. Russian President Vladimir Putin's favorability numbers, which he keeps artificially high in his country by controlling the media and oppressing dissenters, have also improved dramatically among US Republicans this election cycle. trump Lewis says Russia has funded several far-right nationalist organizations in Europe, like that of France's Marine Le Pen. The rise of nationalistic, law-and-order seeking authoritarians on the far right, a well-documented phenomenon in Europe, seems to favor autocratic regimes like Putin's. In countries like Turkey and Hungary, powerful leaders with nationalist rhetoric erode the democracies that brought them to power. Those leaders then increasingly turn to Putin as an ally who won't fault them for attacking the press or other democratic institutions. Lewis said Russian leadership wanted Americans to think, The people who run the US are just as bad as the people who run Russia," adding that he found such tactics "infuriating." While examples of corruption and abuse can certainly be found in Western, democratic governments, regular citizens and a free press can freely speak out when they disagree with the rich and powerful. This brings accountability to the government. Putin, on the other hand, doesn't want free speech, dissent, or rule by consensus; he wants order to provide the security his authoritarian government so sorely lacks. "Russians just want a free hand to bully their neighbors," Lewis said. "There is no level of Russian power that will make Putin feel secure. There is nothing we can do that can make them happy." Obama and Putin "If we gave them the Baltics, they'd ask for Finland and Poland," Lewis said. But the US has very few options to deal with this menace. The US allows free speech, and Russian propaganda and talking points will no doubt continue to find their way into Western society. Within Russia, Lewis said: "Putin is consolidating power, and he's paranoid. There's not much you can do. You can't fix it for the Russians they have to fix it themselves." NOW WATCH: 'You're the puppet': The last debate spiraled out of control over Russia and Putin More From Business Insider DUBAI (Reuters) - A Saudi security officer was killed and a second was wounded on Sunday in a drive-by shooting in the Eastern Province city of Qatif, state-owned Al Arabiya television reported. The shooting occurred while the security men were on patrol, Al Arabiya said. It gave no information about the assailants but said authorities were expected to release more details later. Gunmen shot dead two security officers last week on a residential street in nearby Dammam. Another two were gunned down in Dammam in September. Eastern Province is home to much of Saudi Arabia's oil production as well as to many Shi'ite Muslims, who form a minority in the conservative Sunni Muslim kingdom. Shi'ite militants angry at what they say is repression of their community have attacked security forces in Eastern Province in the past. The Islamic State militant group, which controls territory in Syria and Iraq, has also claimed attacks on Saudi security forces as well as deadly bombings and shootings that target the kingdom's Shi'ites. (Reporting by Katie Paul; editing by William Maclean/Mark Heinrich) ZURICH (Reuters) - Sika's founding family, locked in a bitter takeover battle with the company's management over plans to sell its controlling stake in the Swiss chemicals maker to France's Saint-Gobain (SGOB.PA), wants the three sides to hold talks on a compromise. In the latest twist of a takeover dispute going back almost two years, a Swiss court ruled on Friday in favour of Sika's management that the Burkard family's controlling voting rights could be restricted. The Burkard family's holding company immediately said it would appeal against the ruling. However, asked in an interview with Swiss newspaper Sonntagszeitung whether the time had come for a compromise, family member Urs Burkard said: "We would be pleased if all parties sat together at the table, so Sika, Saint-Gobain and the family holding SWH (Schenker-Winkler Holding)." Sika Chairman Paul Haelg, in an interview with Schweiz am Sonntag, said that the company had made an offer to the Burkards which would be a better alternative for the family, without elaborating. "I would first like to talk with the family about the concrete parameters," Haelg told the paper. "But it will be a financially attractive and quick solution, which retains Sika's independence." Sika could finance such a deal by its own means, Haelg said. In a separate interview with NZZ am Sonntag, Haelg said the family had not yet studied Sika's offer, which he said was made in July 2015, but he wanted to go back and talk to the Burkards about the offer as early as next week. After Friday's ruling by a court in Zug, Saint-Gobain said its board affirmed "it wishes to pursue this industrial project", adding that its agreement with the Burkard family is valid until June 2017 and Saint-Gobain can extend it until December 2018. Saint-Gobain declined further comment on Sunday. The battle for control of Sika began in 2014 when Saint-Gobain offered 2.75 billion Swiss francs ($2.8 billion) to buy SWH, the Burkards' private vehicle which owns 16 percent of Sika but has nearly 53 percent of the voting rights. The Burkards were in favour of the takeover. Story continues The deal would enable the French company to take control of Sika for far less than its 9.14 billion franc market capitalisation. Sika's board responded to the Saint-Gobain offer by reducing the family's voting power to 5 percent, blocking the takeover, a move contested by the Burkards but upheld on Friday by the Swiss court. ($1 = 0.9882 Swiss francs) (Reporting by Joshua Franklin; Additional reporting by Oliver Hirt; Editing by Susan Fenton) * US$12.4 billion of Singapore bonds fall due by end-2017 * Banks pulling back as non-performing loans rise * Third of companies highly leveraged at 10+ x core profit * Bond issuers exposed to struggling commodities market By Umesh Desai HONG KONG, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Singapore companies, highly exposed to slowing global trade and a lacklustre commodity market, face a financing scramble in 2017, as more than US$12 billion of their bonds falls due and banks grow wary of lending to the resources sector. That could trigger more blood-letting in a market that has already seen some high-profile corporate defaults, such as oil services firm Swiber Holdings, which hit the skids in July and went into judicial management this month. It has also seen an increase in the number of bond issuers trying to renegotiate the terms of their credit to stay afloat, a disturbing signal in a market skewed to retail buyers and smaller issues subject to light scrutiny. Corporate leverage has risen to increasingly risky levels, according to credit analysts and investors, while banks are becoming more circumspect about extending financing as the quality of their loan books causes concern. Between now and the end of 2017, according to Reuters data, US$12.4 billion of bonds falls due, but corporate balance sheets in the city state are looking strained. A Reuters study of 228 non-financial companies' half-year earnings shows that 74 had net debt more than five times their core profit, a level that usually prompts concern among credit analysts, and more than a third of that group were at least twice that level. "We had not seen Singapore dollar corporate defaults since 2009, but suddenly we see a pick-up in defaults in 2015-2016. This is a warning sign about a refinancing confidence crisis across many sectors, not just commodity-related ones," said Raymond Chia, Head of Credit Research for Asia ex-Japan at Schroders Investment Management. LIGHT SCRUTINY The structure of Singapore's capital markets has left them particularly vulnerable as global trade cools and Chinese growth slows. Commodities have been a mainstay after a frothy 2013 and 2014, and private banking has loomed large, fuelling smaller bond deals. Story continues In 2014, private banks accounted for almost half of investments into Singapore dollar corporate debt, a central bank report said last year. Their participation has helped encourage smaller issues that are not assessed by credit rating agencies and yet are targeted at private wealth investors, analysts say. "Their bond issues are also mostly unrated, so the layer of scrutiny provided by rating agencies is missing. Many of these deals were mispriced: they priced like investment grade even though they had high-yield profiles," said Harsh Agarwal, Head of Asia Credit Research at Deutsche Bank. That is now changing - at considerable cost for firms. Property firm Oxley Holdings, whose short-term debt dwarfs its cash balance, according to its latest accounts, saw yields on its bonds due 2019 jump 220 basis points to 7.5 percent in the past quarter. And banks, under pressure to increase provisions for bad loans, are pulling back from indebted sectors like real estate, commodities and oil and gas, which dominate Singapore's outstanding S$53 billion ($38 billion) of local currency corporate bonds. Non-performing loans have risen at all Singapore's three banks in the latest quarterly results, reflecting a decline in loan quality across sectors. "In the absence of further bank support, refinancing this debt may prove difficult, potentially leading to more defaults over the next year," said Devinda Paranathanthri at UBS Wealth Management, which estimates S$18 billion of local currency denominated bonds are coming due over the next 18 months. Over a quarter are from sectors facing structural headwinds. The latest sign of strain has been an increase in borrowers asking bondholders to cut them some slack. Ezra Holdings, Rickmers Maritime, Otto Marine and Marco Polo Marine are just some of the companies that sought bondholder consent this year to loosen the conditions, or covenants, attached to their loans. "It will continue to be busy, but the question is whether loosening covenants will be adequate to give these companies the lifeline that they need," said Kevin Wong, Singapore-based partner with law firm Linklaters. "There is a risk these consent solicitations may lead to full-blown debt restructurings." ($1 = 1.3943 Singapore dollars) (Additional reporting by Tripti Kalro; Editing by Clara Ferreira Marques and Will Waterman) JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's state prosecutor said on Sunday he has yet to decide whether to proceed with fraud charges against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, denying a newspaper report that the charges may be dropped after a review. Gordhan is accused of fraudulently approving, in a previous post as head of the revenue service, early retirement for a deputy tax commissioner and re-hiring him as a consultant, costing the tax agency 1.1 million rand ($79,586). Gordhan has denied any wrongdoing, saying the case is politically motivated. The state prosecutor has rejected allegations of political interference. His two co-accused, Oupa Magashula and Ivan Pillay, who worked under Gordhan during his tenure as head of the South African Revenue Service from 1999 to 2009, asked the state to review the charges. Gordhan refused to request a review. The City Press newspaper reported on Sunday that the office of state prosecutor Shaun Abrahams had drafted a letter indicating his intention to drop the charges. The letter was to be sent to the lawyers of the three accused before they appear in court on Wednesday, the newspaper said. "They are talking rubbish," Abrahams told Reuters. "I am applying my mind to it and I hope to made a decision soon." National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Luvuyo Mfaku said Gordhan's refusal to apply for a review would not affect the process. "If the national director decides to review on the basis of their (the co-accused) representations and say I am not proceeding with prosecution, automatically for all three it applies," Mfaku. Worries that Gordhan could be removed from his job have rattled markets and increased the risk that credit rating agencies would downgrade South Africa to "junk" status, undermining efforts to revive economic growth. The turmoil around the minister caused the rand to sink by 4 percent, but the currency has since recovered because of the support the minister has received. ($1 = 13.8215 rand) (Reporting by Ed Cropley and Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo, editing by Larry King) The woman at the heart of a lurid political scandal engulfing South Korean President Park Geun-Hye returned to the country Sunday to face accusations of influence-peddling and meddling in state affairs. With just over a year left to run, Park's presidency has unravelled over shocking revelations that she discussed and sought advice on government policy from Choi Soon-Sil, a close personal friend with no official position and no security clearance. Choi, who has been holed up in Germany since early September flew into Seoul Sunday morning on a flight from London, her lawyer Lee Kyung-Jae told reporters. "Choi told me she will cooperate with the investigation and expressed her deep apology to the people for letting them down and causing them frustration," Lee said. As well as a public uproar over her relationship with, and apparent control over Park, she faces charges of using her links with the president to strong-arm major companies like Samsung into donating large sums to two non-profit foundations she set up. Choi has spoken with prosecutors to schedule her questioning, Lee said. The past week has a seen a daily diet of increasingly sensational media reports regarding Choi, the 60-year-old daughter of a shadowy religious leader and one-time Park mentor. Invoking a lurid back-story of religious cults, shamanist rituals and corruption, the reports have portrayed Choi as a Rasputin-like figure whose influence extended to vetting presidential speeches and advising on key appointments and policy issues. - 'Beyond fantasy' - "As her attorney, I think the case must be thoroughly investigated and the truth be told to prevent any further eruption of speculation that goes beyond fantasy," Lee said. The South Korean leader on Sunday carried out a partial reshuffle of her key aides after ordering her secretariat to hand in their resignations earlier this week. Park accepted the resignations submitted by her Chief of Staff and four senior presidential secretaries, presidential spokesperson Jung Youn-Kuk said in a statement. Story continues A public apology by Park, in which she acknowledged seeking limited advice from Choi, has done nothing to assuage public outrage over the president's behaviour or halt a plunge in her approval ratings to record lows. More than 10,000 people took to the streets of Seoul on Saturday evening, calling on Park to resign and for Choi to be prosecuted. There were similar protests elsewhere, including the country's second largest city, Busan. Analysts say the scandal could paralyse Park's administration, underling her lame-duck status ahead of presidential elections in December next year. Choi is the daughter of the late Choi Tae-Min, who married six times, had multiple pseudonyms and set up his own religious group known as the Church of Eternal Life. Choi Tae-Min befriended a traumatised Park after the 1974 assassination of her mother, who he said had appeared to him in a dream, asking him to help her daughter. He became a long-time mentor to Park, who subsequently formed a close bond with Choi Soon-Sil that endured after Choi Tae-Min's death in 1994. Choi Soon-Sil's ex-husband served as a top aide to Park until her presidential election victory in 2012. SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Park Geun-hye has accepted the resignations of her top presidential aides, including the chief of staff, the presidential office said on Sunday, amid a deepening political crisis. The departure of the top presidential officials comes as Park is grappling with a recent influence-peddling scandal involving an old friend, Choi Soon-sil. Choi returned to South Korea from Germany on Sunday as the political crisis engulfed Park over allegations that she allowed Choi to use her friendship to exert improper influence and benefit personally. Jeong Yeon-guk, a spokesman for the presidential office, announced on Sunday that three long-time Park aides had also stepped down. (Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Nick Macfie) Madrid (AFP) - When conservative political survivor Mariano Rajoy takes control of Spain once again this week he will be faced with unprecedented opposition as he grapples with painful economic reforms and resurgent Catalan separatism. Rajoy's nomination has been formalised by a royal decree of King Felipe VI after he won a confidence vote in parliament on Saturday -- only possible because Spain's socialists (PSOE) decided to abstain and not vote against him. The 61-year-old prime minister has been at the helm of a provisional government without full powers for the last 11 months following inconclusive elections in December 2015 in which his Popular Party (PP) lost its absolute majority despite coming first. New elections in June once again failed to hand him an absolute majority. He is expected to name his new cabinet Thursday after which he will need to submit a budget to parliament for approval after a delay of several months -- a difficult task given that he commands the votes of just 137 of Spain's 350 lawmakers in the lower house. If Rajoy is able to persuade enough parliamentarians to back -- or not oppose -- his taxation and spending plans, he will still face the scrutiny of the European Union which will want to know how the country will reduce its structural deficit to below three percent of GDP for 2017. But it may prove impossible for Rajoy to secure enough parliamentary support while meeting the terms laid down by Brussels. To slash the deficit Rajoy will be faced with the thankless task of either cutting spending by 5.5 billion euros ($6 billion), angering the left on whose support he may depend to get the budget passed, or hiking taxes, a move that could draw the ire of business and jeopardise investment. The country has the second highest unemployment rate in the EU -- second only to Greece -- at 18.9 percent, which coupled with a pensions crisis exacerbated by an ageing population, threaten Spain's fragile green shoots of growth. Story continues His best hope would be to appeal to parliament's 32 centrist Ciudadanos members. Alongside the economy, Rajoy will be forced to grasp the thorny issue of Catalonia, Spain's wealthy northeastern region where an independence movement has gathered pace since Rajoy first came to power in 2011, according to constitutional law professor Javier Perez Royo. One columnist has argued in the right-wing daily La Razon that on the pressing, non-economic issues facing Spain -- like Catalonia -- an "agreement between the PSOE and the PP is necessary". Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont has vowed to press ahead with an independence referendum next year if Madrid refuses to negotiate. - 'Work to do' - "As long as the Catalan question is not resolved, we will have a knotty issue," said Royo who added that the issue has divided the left so seriously that it has been unable to unite to take power from Rajoy. Far-left party Podemos has said that it supports a referendum on Catalan independence while the PSOE does not. "The nationalists are going to be key to governing," according to sociologist Narcisco Michavila who was formerly an adviser to Rajoy. Nationalist parties, along with the independents, control 30 seats in parliament -- enough to block laws in the event of razor-thin margins. To resolve the Catalan issue, the PSOE has called for reform to the country's constitution to adopt a more federal system. But changing the country's basic law could prove to be an uphill battle -- the document has only been tweaked twice since it was adopted in 1978, and alterations require support from two-thirds of lawmakers. "Given the situation, nothing will happen," said legal expert Royo. On these major issues confronting Spain as it emerges from years of economic and political uncertainty, Rajoy will need a reliable opposite-number in the PSOE party to negotiate compromises and secure their support, one bill at a time. But the party, which has 85 seats in parliament, was thrown into disarray at the start of October when its leader Pedro Sanchez was ousted in a rebellion. He also stood down from parliament, but will be replaced soon. Rajoy does have one ace up his sleeve however -- the power to dissolve parliament. The PSOE opted to let their arch-rival govern rather than risk an electoral drubbing in the third elections in a year in a country tired of going to the polls. Several PSOE members, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the party would be willing to avoid an election at all costs to avoid an electoral wipeout. Rajoy captured the mood when he tweeted following parliament's vote on Saturday evening: "We have a lot of work to do." Starbucks has got it right yet again with their newly released range of U.S. states tumblers. We cant help feeling enamoured by the designs which evoke a strong nostalgia for a holiday spot weve spent our summer at. Part of the Starbucks Local Collection, each tumbler highlights the cities and states we love. Starbucks US Local collection tumblers From the breath-taking harbours of North Carolina to the rocky mountain wilderness of Idaho, there is one to suit every profile. Beach bum, city slicker or nature lover? Which is your favourite tumbler? Starbucks US Local collection tumblers Highlighting the distinctive trademark of each city, the designs on these double-walled ceramic Starbucks tumblers capture the beauty of each state through vibrant colours and illustrations. They come complete with a travel-friendly press-in lid and silicone seal that helps to prevent spills. With a capacity of 355ml to hold your daily caffeine fix its the perfect mug to display at your workplace while you reminisce memories. Here are top 3 that caught our eyes: Starbucks US Local collection tumblers Los Angeles Double Wall Traveler, 12 fl oz A closeup of a city girls face with LOS ANGELES and palm trees inscribed in the mirror lenses of her blue sunglasses. Starbucks says she sips an iced Starbucks beverageand so can you Starbucks US Local collection tumblers Miami Double Wall Traveler, 12 fl oz Miamis iconic flamingo, pink sunset and palm tree silhouettes is where well be dreaming off while sipping a cuppa coffee from this mug. Click here to Request for a Traveller to help you buy Starbucks US Local collection tumblers Waikiki Double Wall Traveler, 12 fl oz This vintage inspired prints depicting the palm trees of Oahus famous beachfront is an instant mood lifter! These Tumblers are available at U.S Starbucks stores and online for US$22.95. Not flying to America any time soon? Simply request a traveller to pick one up for you. Heres how it works: 1) Post up a request to buy on Airfrov website/app 2) Travellers who are visiting US will offer to help you 3) Place a deposit (held securely with Airfrov) 4) Wait for travellers to return with your tumbler! Story continues Airfrov Process The post Starbucks Local Collection in the U.S has the Prettiest City Tumblers Yet appeared first on Airfrov Blog. After avalanches of news about earnings, failed enthusiasm about a takeover, layoffs, and speculation Twitter Inc.'s (TWTR) CEO might depart, the stock ended the week down a little over 1%. A review According to Reuters, Twitter Inc announced Thursday that it would discontinue the video-sharing mobile app Vine, as it moves to cut 9 percent of its workforce worldwide to keep costs down after beating Wall Street quarterly earnings expectations. While the 9% of people who lost their jobs should really be the story, Vine seemed to get as much attention because of a rabid following. ALSO READ: America's 50 Best Cities to Live As for earnings, according to MarketWatch: Shares of Twitter Inc. TWTR, +1.49% surged 3.4% in premarket trade Thursday, after the social media company beat profit and sales expectations. The net loss for the quarter to Sept. 30 was $102.9 million, or 15 cents a share, compared with a loss of $131.7 million, or 20 cents a share, in the same period a year ago. Excluding non-recurring items, earnings per share came to 13 cents, beating the FactSet consensus of 9 cents. Revenue increased 8% to $616 million, above the FactSet consensus of $603.8 million. Average monthly users rose 3% to 317 million, beating the FactSet consensus of 316.4 million, while daily active users increased 7%. ALSO READ: NRA Instructions for Building Assault Rifle on Budget And, finally, the CEO issue, Bloomberg reports: Twitter hardly needs more advice. But I am nevertheless giving it some. It's time for Jack Dorsey to pick one of his two CEO jobs, either Twitter or Square. Or for Twitter's board to make the decision for him. Dorsey paring back to one public company CEO post won't necessarily put Twitter on the right path. But the company is in serious need of a spark, a ray of sunshine, a new reason to believe. A something. Dorsey quitting one of his jobs might help change Twitter's perception with the public, investors and employees, and it would buy the company some time for a reboot. Story continues ALSO READ: The Most Democratic County in Every State All that, and a stock which went nowhere. Related Articles 315 Rose Hill Road Water mill hamptons The sweet spot of the Hamptons housing market is cooling down. Sales of homes in Wall Street's playground that cost between $1 million and $5 million fell 24% year-over-year in the third quarter, according to a report by Douglas Elliman Real Estate. Jonathan Miller, CEO of the real-estate appraisal firm Miller Samuel, said this price range is the "sweet spot" of the market, according to The Real Deal. The cluster did not have the largest share of sales, however, with most buyers still choosing homes that cost $1 million or less. Miller said this slowdown can probably be linked to the punishing year that hedge funds are having. The Hamptons, near the easternmost end of Long Island, is a popular vacation-home choice for finance professionals who work in New York City. Hedge fund returns have been weak for some time, criticized for their relatively high fees and lackluster performance. Last quarter, investors pulled out the most cash from hedge funds since the first quarter of 2009, bringing total redemptions in the past year to $87 billion, according to an eVestment report released on Wednesday. Because Douglas Elliman's report is one quarter's data, it's impossible to draw any definitive conclusions on a trend. But this could be an early effect of Wall Street's falling profits, bonuses, and headcounts this year. The so-called Hamptons sweet spot was the only segment of the market where prices fell year-over-year in Q3. They jumped 29% on the luxury end vacation homes costing more than $5 million. That's in clear contrast to Manhattan, where the luxury end of the market has cooled. Across Manhattan, prospective homebuyers pushed back against expensive prices, prompting sellers to offer more concessions, like one month rent-free. The median sales price of a luxury house in the Hamptons rose 17% from the same period last year, to $6.2 million, according to Douglas Elliman. NOW WATCH: What it's like to take the 'Uber of seaplanes' from NYC to the Hamptons More From Business Insider DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Tanzania's president on Saturday ordered the security forces to go after top criminals financing organised networks behind elephant poaching, saying no one was "untouchable". The East African nation, home to the famous Serengeti which is packed with wildlife and Africa's highest mountain Kilimanjaro, relies on revenues from tourism and safaris but has been blighted by poachers chasing ivory to sell mostly in Asia. Since coming to power in 2015, President John Magufuli has promised root out corruption and mismanagement. "I am behind you ... arrest all those involved in this illicit trade, no one should be spared regardless of his position, age, religion ... or popularity," Magufuli said in a statement. "Go after all of them ... so that we protect our elephants from being slaughtered." Magufuli issued the directive after visiting the Natural Resources and Tourism Ministry in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam, where he saw 50 tusks seized from poachers. "This is unacceptable," he said during an inspection of the haul. "We cannot allow our natural resources to be lost because of the greed of a few people." Magufuli said he would continue to support the work of Tanzania's National and Transnational Serious Crimes Investigation Unit (NTSCIU) to fight elephant poaching. Poaching has risen in recent years across sub-Saharan Africa, where well-armed criminal gangs have killed elephants for tusks and rhinos for horns that are often shipped to Asia for use in ornaments and medicines. In Tanzania, the elephant population shrank from 110,000 in 2009 to around 43,000 in 2014, according to a census last year, with conservationists blaming "industrial-scale" poaching. There are also far fewer rhinos and they are endangered. The NTSCIU anti-poaching team is comprised of officials from the Tanzania Intelligence and Security Service, police, army, immigration, judiciary and the national wildlife service. The team is credited with the arrest of more than 870 poachers and illegal ivory traders and the seizure of over 300 firearms over the past few years. In October last year, prosecutors charged prominent Chinese businesswoman Yang Feng Glan, 66, dubbed the "Ivory Queen", with running a network that smuggled tusks from 350 elephants after she was arrested by members of the NTSCIU. She denies this. Magufuli on Saturday sacked the police director of criminal investigation, Diwani Athumani, without giving a reason. A police source said the president was not satisfied with progress in the fight against crime, including ivory smuggling. (Reporting by Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala; Editing by Edmund Blair and Alison Williams) King Bhumibol Adulyadejs presence once offered Thai citizens a comforting continuity through seven decades of putsches, riots, and chaos. But with the kings death at the age of 88 in October, Thailand is caught in an unstable interregnum where a junta-led military is enforcing an arch-royalist order. The kings heir apparent, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, has requested a delay to mourn before he takes the throne, leaving the future of both the monarchy and military unclear. The military has long been loyal to the king, sticking with the crown through six decades and eight putsches. The alliance between military and monarchy dates back to 1957-1958, when twin coups eviscerated the countrys young democracy, and they have since dominated the nation together, with the monarchy as junior partner. But the junta that rules Thailand today, on a scale not seen for four decades, faces severe challenges to its rule which is why the military may soon insist that the monarchys quiet subordination become more explicit. A reassertion of the militarys role as palace guardian would permanently solidify its prerogatives and legitimacy. After the May 2014 military coup, the palace was the only part of Thai society the military didnt claim control over. Section 44 of the post-coup constitution grants the junta leader a legal carte blanche for any deed necessary to ensure reform in any field and national peace and harmony and to suppress anything harmful to security, the monarchy, the economy, or the government. This section, which enshrines the juntas right to dictatorship, does, however, implicitly exclude the monarchy from military control. The media is crammed with propaganda heralding the return of happiness under the juntas leadership. A new constitution (which would replace the post-coup 2014 one), set to be enacted before Thailands return to formal electoral rule, predictably passed on Aug. 7 by referendum after the military squelched any sign of opposition. The draft charter enshrines a whole set of new powers for the military, most notably immunity to civilian oversight of its personnel and budget and a 20-year plan impervious to later government intervention. The next general elections are scheduled to take place in late 2017 or 2018. But despite all the juntas attempts to keep power, it faces an array of potential threats to its longevity. Indeed, its easy to imagine the scenarios that keep the generals up at night. The political turbulence following the 2014 coup has contributed to the distancing of investors from Thailand, slowing growth. The death of the king, followed by the crown princes decision not to immediately take the throne, could extend this uncertainty to a point where the economy plummets along with public confidence in the generals. Tourism is a Thai economic mainstay, but if resort destinations are bombed again, as happened in August with the most likely culprits being Malay Muslim insurgents tourists may flee. If the economy goes, support from the juntas mostly urban base could evaporate with it. But the interregnum offers the armed forces the chance to cement their power through reinforcing their symbolic and practical ties to the monarchy. Gen. Prem Tinsulanonda, now regent, has been the monarchys front man since 1980, first as prime minister and then as a top royal advisor. As regent, Prem serves as the acting monarch and in this capacity can exert enormous influence over the armed forces, since the ruling monarch must endorse all military reshuffles. The junta has sought to follow Prems example of connecting to the palace, symbolically linking itself to the monarchys past by building Rajabhakti Park (literally translated as loyalty to the monarchy park) where giant statues of seven past kings look down on adoring tourists on army land. Similarly, the recent Bike for Mom and Bike for Dad royal events, besides being tributes to the queen and king, were spearheaded by junta leaders. The armed forces are regular and major contributors to royal projects throughout the country. And Prems ascent to chair the kings Privy Council, and his promotion of several top generals to sit alongside him, has militarized the kings closest advisory body. With Prem already 96, junta leaders anticipate assuming his mantle as palace proxy upon his death, when they will also dominate the new kings Privy Council. Yet close military-monarchy relations could be turned against the armed forces if the new king asserts his own authority. That depends, though, on how closely the junta sticks together, the monarchys legal authority and ability to skillfully wield historical and cultural legacies, and how popular the new king proves to be. A strong monarch can control the army, while a weak one must comply. Where potentially strong monarchs are slow to assume power or exercise it, their ambivalence only facilitates more militarization. The third scenario may be closest to Thailands current situation. Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn lacks the widespread popularity enjoyed by King Bhumibol, is often outside of Thailand, and is perceived by some as a profligate whose abilities cannot match those of his father. Whether he would even resist a continuing military dictatorship seems questionable. Even with a weak monarch, internal squabbles could also cause the implosion of the regime. The junta, under Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and his deputy, Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan, appears to dominate the security forces. But the two enjoy only frictional amity with the aging regent Prem and are competing between each other to promote their own loyalists into positions of power. On a broader scale, Prayuth and Prawit represent a military faction known as the Eastern Tigers, a challenger to both the traditionally dominant Divine Progeny centered on the Kings Guard and the special forces backed by regent Prem. These factions arent ideological but represent powerful patronage networks. Although the Eastern Tigers hold the top positions right now, the new army commander, Gen. Chalermchai Sittisart, comes from the special forces, and the most critical strategic post, the commander of the forces stationed around Bangkok, is in Divine Progeny hands. Of all the countrys political institutions, the military possesses the greatest capacity and unity to most ably stand upon the political stage, especially at a time of transition for the monarchy. At the onset of the new reign, the armed forces will be tasked with both protecting the palace and acting as its representative. But as a new monarch comes to depend more on the military to prop up his own legitimacy, the power of the armed forces will only increase. Assuming it lasts, there are several possibilities for the juntas future. First, it could persist as a direct dictatorship. Second, a military prime minister could be selected by a half-elected parliament either as a party nominee or as an unelected leader without party connections. Finally, the military could decide to work behind the facade of a weak, albeit elected, prime minister. All these forms of control have been tried and tested in Thailand in the past. The form of military control that emerges could well depend on the extent of leverage that Prem and later the ascendant sovereign decide to apply upon the military. Thailand is in a dark tunnel, with no light in view amid burgeoning uncertainty and continuing junta oppression. Should he choose to do so, Prem, in his role as regent, could offer the strongest potential resistance to the juntas tyranny. In fact, on some occasions over the last two years, Prem has squabbled with Prayuth and Prawit, and he played no role in the 2014 coup. But the near-centenarian is also a military man. Sadly, it seems that the only opponents of the junta with the ability to force it from power are other soldiers who cant be counted on to divert Thailand from an authoritarian future. Photo credit: MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images A voter wearing a bicycle helmet marks her ballot during early voting in Boulder, Colorado October 21, 2008. For such an advanced democracy, many Americans just don't vote. In recent elections, turnout has ranged from about 50% to 60% of the voting-age population. But there's a simple change that the US could make to boost turnout dramatically, something that has worked in at least 26 other democracies. We could make Americans vote. President Barack Obama has endorsed the idea, and yet it has never taken hold in the US, for a variety of reasons. But many experts think it's a good idea. Benefits of mandatory voting The two countries leading in voter turnout are Belgium and Turkey, according to Pew Research data. In their most recent elections, those countries saw 87% and 84% turnout, respectively. The last US presidential election saw just 55% of people rocking the vote. Political scientists worry about this because older and wealthier Americans vote more often than anyone else. This means leaders' policies are more likely to favor their interests over other groups. It's called "class bias." Compulsory voting is a fairly old solution. Belgium first enacted its law in 1892, and Argentina in 1914, both as ways to keep the general population invested politically. It doesn't take much to get results. In Australia, where voting has been mandatory since 1924, the fine for not voting once is $20. After that, each fine is $50. If you never pay up you could lose your driver's license. In Belgium, after racking up penalties, chronic vote avoiders risk losing the ability to vote for 10 years. In the US, compulsory voting has barely entered mainstream conversation. In May of last year, President Obama publicly endorsed compulsory voting for the first time, telling a crowd in Cleveland that "it would be transformative if everybody voted" specifically because of the class-bias effect. "The people who tend not to vote are young, they're lower income, they're skewed more heavily towards immigrant groups and minority groups," Obama said. "There's a reason why some folks try to keep them away from the polls." Story continues obama speech A handful of studies suggest Obama may be right. One 2013 study found Australia's turnout rate was like a lot of advanced democracies before it switched, in 1924, at which point the law forced working-class people many of whom were otherwise disengaged from the political process to learn about politics out of necessity. That phenomenon has been validated in follow-up experiments using smaller-scale incentives: People tend to take an interest in things when there's something specific in it for them. Some have even suggested paying people to vote, rather than fining the apathetic. "When Australia passed compulsory voting, the Labor Party did better and you saw more progressive policies in line with what the working class was advocating for," Anthony Fowler, the study's author and a public-policy researcher at the University of Chicago, told Business Insider. "Compulsory voting would have large political consequences that would benefit the poor and working class." Other researchers have challenged the idea that voters start to lean left when voting is mandatory. Jason Brennan, Georgetown University professor and coauthor of "Compulsory Voting: For and Against," said Australia may be an anomaly. "The people who vote and the people who don't vote are roughly the same in terms of their partisan preferences," Brennan said in a recent interview with Governing. Doug Chapin, an election expert at the University of Minnesota, disagreed. He said candidates would have an incentive to campaign to everyone, not just the wealthier, older people who disproportionately vote today. factory workers The challenge of forcing Americans to vote Fowler says it's unlikely the US will adopt compulsory voting. For one, Republicans might fear an influx of progressive voters. Revamping the entire election process, which varies across the country, would require big changes. For example, Fowler speculates few Americans would be excited by the idea. "The idea that somebody might force me to vote might sound off-putting to a lot of American voters," because Americans don't often like being told what to do, he said. It goes against many Americans' notion of individual liberty. But compulsory voting doesn't require citizens to cast a vote for specific candidates. People are still free to submit a blank or partial ballot. Enforcement is another challenge. For instance, Chapin said Australia's turnout rate of 79% could be even higher if the penalties were stiffer and the law better enforced. If the US, a much more populous country than Australia, fails to go after vote avoiders, the mandate's effectiveness could wane. "You certainly hate to reduce democracy to a cost-benefit analysis," Chapin said, "but I think with something like this, whatever level of government is considering it is going to have to do that." electronic voting booth Some states have already taken steps to make voting easier by design. Earlier this year, Oregon became the first state to automatically register its residents to vote. If people don't want to, they have to manually opt-out. Right now 28 other states are weighing similar laws. Still, Chapin is skeptical that mandatory voting of any kind will make its way to the US, despite the evidence arguing in its favor. American government is slow-moving, even for small changes. If there were political will, overhauling the laws on voting the bedrock of democracy would take a long, long time. "My grandmother used to say 'never' is a child's word, so I'm hesitant to say it'll never happen," Chapin said. "But I think it's highly unlikely." NOW WATCH: Here are all the prominent Republicans voting for Hillary Clinton More From Business Insider Victorias Secret Models hosted a party at a NYC nightclub (Photo: Getty Images) Some Victorias Secret models gathered this weekend at Night of the Fallen event held at the Marquee nightclub in New York City. In glamorous gruesomeness, Martha Hunt, Romee Strijd, Josephine Skriver, Sara Sampaio, Jasmine Tookes, and Lais Ribeiro played host for the nights festivities. People usually seem more interested in what Victorias Secret Angels arent wearing. Still, when it comes to Halloween, we expected to see some stellar costumes from the group, and we werent disappointed. Take a closer look at their costumes below. Jasmine Tookes Jasmine Tookes as Princess Jasmine (Photo: Getty Images) Lais Ribeiro Lais Ribeiro as a scary nun (Photo: Getty Images) Martha Hunt Martha Hunt as Elvira Hancock from Scarface (Photo: Getty Images) Romee Strijd Model Romee Strijd as a dark angel (Photo: Getty Images) Josephine Skriver Josephine Skriver as a zombie prom queen (Photo: Getty Images) Sara Sampaio Al Hoceima (Morocco) (AFP) - Thousands of Moroccans attended the funeral of a fishmonger whose gruesome death in a rubbish truck crusher has caused outrage across the North African country, with authorities vowing to punish those responsible. Mouhcine Fikri, 31, was crushed to death on Friday in the truck in the northern city of Al-Hoceima as he reportedly tried to protest against a municipal worker seizing and destroying his wares. An image of his inert body -- head and arm sticking out from under the lorry's crushing mechanism -- went viral on social media, sparking calls for protests nationwide including in the capital Rabat. Footage online showed thousands of people following the yellow ambulance that carried Fikri's body through Al-Hoceima in the ethnically Berber Rif region on Sunday. Interior Minister Mohamed Hassad condemned the incident and vowed that an investigation would be held to "determine the exact circumstances of the tragedy and punish those responsible". "No one had the right to treat him like this.... We cannot accept officials acting in haste, anger or in conditions that do not respect people's rights," he told AFP. The funeral procession was led by a dozen drivers in their cars -- including taxis -- and marchers waving Berber flags. The ambulance headed to the area of Imzouren some 20 kilometres (12 miles) southeast of the city, where Fikri was buried in the late afternoon. The circumstances of his death remained unclear. But a human rights activist told AFP that the authorities forced the fishmonger to destroy several boxes of swordfish. Catching swordfish using driftnets is illegal. "The goods were worth a lot of money," said Fassal Aoussar from the local branch of the Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH). "The salesman threw himself in after his fish and was crushed by the machine," he said. "The whole of the Rif is in shock and boiling over." Story continues - 'Criminals, assassins, terrorists!' - Long neglected under the father of the current king, the Rif was at the heart of Morocco's protest movement for change in 2011, dubbed the February 20 movement. Protests continued in Al-Hoceima late Sunday, an AFP reporter said, with protesters shouting: "Criminals, assassins, terrorists!" "The people of the Rif won't be humiliated!" The crowd eventually dispersed around 2130 GMT without incident. Thousands of demonstrators -- including activists for Berber rights -- also gathered in Rabat, chanting "We are all Mouhcine!". Smaller protests were held in several other Rif towns and, unusually, in Casablanca and Marrakesh. In a statement on Sunday, the AMDH condemned the state for "having trampled on the dignity of citizens since the ferocious repression of the February 20 movement and keeping the region in a state of tension". It warned of a "possible repeat" of the 2011 protests in the Rif, just a week before Morocco starts hosting international climate talks. King Mohammed VI has ordered a "thorough and exhaustive investigation" into Fikri's death and the "prosecution of whoever is found responsible", an interior ministry statement said. The king -- who was in Zanzibar on a tour of East Africa -- sent the interior minister to "present his condolences" to Fikri's family, it said. It was the self-immolation of a street vendor in Tunisia in late 2010 in protest at police harassment that sparked Tunisia's revolution and the Arab Spring uprisings across the rest of the region the next year. Morocco is due to host the COP22 climate talks in Marrakesh from November 7 to 18. ROME (Reuters) - Italy was hit by its strongest earthquake in decades on Sunday, when a 6.6 magnitude tremor brought down buildings in several towns in the central Apennines. Dozens of people were injured but more than four hours after the quake struck no deaths were reported in the towns affected. Many had been largely evacuated after a series of tremors recently in the same area. Sunday's quake was the biggest since one measuring 6.9 in 1980, which killed an estimated 2,735 people in the southern region of Campania. Below is a list of major earthquakes in Italy in the past century. All magnitudes are as measured by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) - Jan 13, 1915 - Around 32,600 people are killed when an earthquake measuring 7.0 struck Avezzano in central Italy. - July 27, 1930 - A quake measuring 6.5 strikes the region of Campania in southern Italy, killing around 1,400 people. - May 6, 1976 - An earthquake measuring 6.5 rocks Friuli in Italy's northeastern corner, killing 976 people and leaving 70,000 others homeless. - Nov. 23, 1980 - Some 2,735 people are killed and more than 7,500 injured in an earthquake measuring 6.9. The epicenter was at Eboli but damage was reported over a huge area towards Naples. - Dec. 13, 1990 - An earthquake measuring 5.6 centered in the sea off Sicily kills 13 people and injures 200. - Sept. 26, 1997 - Two earthquakes measuring 6.4 kill 11 people and cause serious damage to the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, damaging priceless Medieval frescoes. - Oct. 31, 2002 - An earthquake measuring 5.9 hits Campobasso, south-central Italy, killing 30 people, most of them children, in San Giuliano di Puglia. - April 6, 2009 - An earthquake measuring 6.3 strikes the Abruzzo region east of Rome. It kills more than 300 people and devastates the 13th century city of L'Aquila. - May 29, 2012 - Seventeen people are killed and 350 injured in a 5.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the area around Modena in northern Italy 10 days after a tremor killed 10 in the same area. - Aug 24, 2016 - 297 people are killed when a 6.2 magnitude quake hits the central hilltown of Amatrice and nearby towns and villages. (Reporting by Gavin Jones and Steve Scherer; Editing by EMEA desk) (Updates with prayer ritual in Cannon Ball, Bismarck rally; background, adds byline) By Josh Morgan CANNON BALL, N.D., Oct 29 (Reuters) - Native American leaders vowed on Saturday to protest through the winter against a North Dakota oil pipeline they say threatens water resources and sacred lands, and are weighing lawsuits over police treatment of arrested protesters. A group of at least 200 Native American demonstrators meanwhile returned to the scene of an earlier confrontation with police to stage a peaceful ceremonial prayer vigil near the town of Cannon Ball, at the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. A smaller crowd of 25 to 50 rallied on the grounds of the state capitol in Bismarck, about 30 miles to the north, in a separate protest of the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline, police said. No arrests were reported at either location. At a news conference in Mandan, just outside Bismarck, Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault II said he and other tribal leaders were devising ways to furnish food, heat and shelter for protests to continue through the cold-weather months. "We're just working through some technical details as far as where the land is, and the type of land that can be used for some permanent structures," Archambault told reporters. At least 10 shelters were being readied on tribal land against temperatures that can plunge to less than 35 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (-37 Celsius) for days at time, he said. "Let's reroute the pipeline. It doesn't have to put our water at risk," said Archambault, who was flanked by Cheyenne River Sioux Chairman Harold Frazier. The planned 1,172-mile (1,885-km) path of the pipeline, the project of a group of companies led by Energy Transfer Partners LP, would skirt the Standing Rock reservation by about a half mile. But the Standing Rock tribe and environmental activists say it threatens water supplies as well as sacred Native American sites. Supporters say the pipeline, construction of which was halted by the federal government in September, offers the fastest and most direct route for bringing Bakken shale oil from North Dakota to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries. Story continues More than 400 protesters have been arrested in protests against the pipeline since Aug. 10 that have attracted support from such actors and celebrities as Mark Ruffalo, Shailene Woodley, Susan Sarandon and Chris Hemsworth. Archambault said his tribe may pursue a class-action over police tactics on Thursday. Officers in riot gear swept through a protester camp on private land using pepper spray, bean bag rounds and an audio cannon against demonstrators who refused to leave. At least 142 people were arrested on Thursday and Friday. The Morton County Sheriff's Department has said some protesters set fire to roadblocks and threw rocks, bottles and homemade gasoline bombs at officers. In an apparent easing of tensions on Saturday, sheriff's deputies allowed activists under escort to retrieve personal belongings left behind at the protest site in Thursday's raids. Separately, a group of 200 to 300 protesters led by Chief Arvol Looking Horse, spiritual leader of the Sioux nation, marched from a nearby campground to a police barricade, where they held a quiet prayer ritual and ceremonial dancing. The chief crossed the barricade to shake hands with a number of police officers, and the group quietly left after about three hours. (Additional reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington; Editing by James Dalgleish and Nick Macfie) A reinvigorated Donald Trump thanked Anthony Weiner on Sunday for the disgraced former congressmans apparent role in the discovery of emails that FBI Director James Comey said were pertinent to the bureaus investigation into Hillary Clintons use of a private email server. We never thought we were going to say thank you to Anthony Weiner, Trump said in between prepared remarks at a rally in Las Vegas one of three planned for the Republican nominee. Comey sent a letter to Congress Friday announcing a review of the new emails discovered on a laptop belonging to Weiner the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin during an FBI investigation into his alleged sexting with a 15-year-old girl. Related: Clinton campaign blasts Comeys letter as strange, unprecedented The Clinton campaign called Comeys decision strange and unprecedented following a Yahoo News report on Saturday that FBI agents had not been able to review any of the newly discovered material because the bureau had not yet gotten a search warrant to read them. As far as we know now, Director Comey knows nothing about the content of these emails, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, Clintons running mate, said on ABCs This Week With George Stephanopoulos. Why would you release information that is so incomplete when you havent even seen the material yourself? Eleven days before an election why would you talk about an ongoing investigation? I just have no way of understanding these actions. Theyre completely unprecedented. And thats why I think he owes the American public more information. The Trump campaign has, predictably, welcomed Comeys decision with open arms. The FBI director is keeping his word to the Congress that if new pertinent information came forward that justified the reopening of the case, that he would alert the Congress, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Trumps running mate, said on NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday. He has done that. Story continues On ABCs This Week, Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway sought to turn the FBIs surprise review of Clintons emails into a rallying cry for undecided voters reluctant to pull the lever for the brash real estate mogul. [The] problem that Hillary Clinton and her never-ending scandalabra [is the one she] always has, which is: Do people trust her to always tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Conway said. She has a very casual relationship with the truth. And people already know that. For these undecided voters theyre most concerned about her veracity and her dishonesty, and this simply doesnt help. And Trump, predictably, has taken it a step further, accusing Clinton of covering up a crime. Hillarys corruption shreds the principles on which our country was founded, he said. Her criminal action was willful, deliberate, intentional, and purposeful. In July, following an 11-month investigation, Comey concluded that while Clinton and her State Department colleagues were extremely careless in the handling of classified information, he could not find evidence they had broken any laws. Grombalia (Tunisia) (AFP) - Although Tunisia's tourism industry seems to be going through an unending chill, Mohamed Ben Sheikh is convinced there are good days ahead thanks to the nation's vineyards. Standing on a hillside on his land, he says, "Our country is rich in local produce." Among these assets, the ancient culture of winemaking is undergoing something of a revival in this overwhelmingly Muslim-majority country which has a reputation of being one of the most liberal in the Arab world. For decades, Tunisia has relied heavily on tourism but almost exclusively targeting beachgoers and sun worshippers. But the instability that followed its 2011 Arab Spring uprising has sparked a major crisis, forcing the north African country to rethink its strategy. And one of the possibilities is attracting wine enthusiasts. "Wine is a premium product which relates to both land and history. It is a way of promoting Tunisia," says Ben Sheikh, president of the chamber of alcoholic drinks producers. At the Neferis vineyard in Grombalia, perched on hills overlooking the Mediterranean some 40 kilometres (25 miles) southeast of Tunis, Ben Sheikh is trying to develop a wine route as an "alternative" form of tourism which he is hoping to be able to offer tour operators next year. Besides wine-making Tunisia is home to many archaeological sites, he adds. "We should create cultural tourism." - 'Rome's wine cellar' - Tunisia is no newcomer to vineyards. It has been producing wine for at least 2,800 years, Ben Sheikh says. "Carthage was the granary of Rome but it was also its wine cellar. It had a great agronomist, Magon, who was the first to write treaties on winegrowing," he explains. The idea is to develop a tour stretching from the capital Tunis to the nearby Cap Bon peninsula, mixing archaeology with visits to local vineyards. And it is the wine aspect which is most likely to surprise. Story continues Following a post-independence decline partly due to Europeans buying their own produce, according to industry veteran Belgacem D'Khili, Tunisia's winegrowing industry experienced something of a revival in the 1990s. At the time, the government promised to reclaim public land and bring in foreign investment in a step which saw the emergence of seven companies for agricultural development. Twenty years on and the bet seems to have paid off. Tunisian wine, which relies on old grape varieties such as Carignan, is branching out into newer varieties such as Chardonnay, Viognier or Verdejo. To date, it counts seven AOCs. For that, "we need investment in new technologies, and cooling the wine at controlled temperatures during fermentation," says Rached Kobrosly, who is in charge of quality control at the Neferis winery. Spread over 450 hectares (about 1,100 acres), Neferis produces 1.2 million bottles every year and Kobrosly says they compare among the world's best. He cites as examples Italy's typically rich red wine Amarone and classified French wines such as Saint-Emilion and Pomerol, both from the Bordeaux region. Kobrosly says the 32 million bottles emerging from Tunisian wineries -- and almost all of it consumed domestically -- "has a very great chance of being exported" and sold in overseas markets. - 'No image' - But despite the optimism the figures remain modest. Although the sector earns approximately 80 million euros ($87 million) annually and contributes 25 million euros to state coffers in taxes, revenues from wine exports do not exceed 10 million euros. This is partly due to the limited scale of vineyards -- only 15,000 hectares on a national level -- and a near total absence of any marketing strategy. "The problem with Tunisian wine is not one of a bad image but the fact there's no image!" says Kobrosly. "To reinforce its touristy appeal, events have to be launched around grape harvests and wine cellars," says Tahar Ayachi, a journalist specialising in heritage and tourism. "There was a time when one celebrated harvests and where one pressed grapes in village squares," Ayachi adds. D'Khili, who has for years headed the "Vignerons de Carthage" wine cooperative, says there is "long-term work" ahead. But with "the revolution in quality in the last 20 years, we have the tools to succeed." D'Khili, who is trying to promote Shadrapa, a picturesque domaine nestled on the banks of the Medjerda river about 70 kilometres west of Tunis, says the site could become a huge tourist draw. "We are close to Dougga, one of the most beautiful archaeological sites and we are working in tandem with some of the bed and breakfast places in the area," he says. "Viticulture is the sector of the future." By Jonathan Stempel Oct 30 (Reuters) - A federal judge rejected a bid by the four largest U.S. airlines to dismiss nationwide antitrust litigation by passengers who accused them of conspiring to raise fares by keeping seating capacity artificially low. In a decision late Friday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said she could "reasonably infer the existence of a conspiracy" among American Airlines Group Inc , Delta Air Lines Inc, Southwest Airlines Co and United Continental Holdings Inc to fix prices. Kollar-Kotelly, who sits in Washington, D.C., did not rule on the merits of the proposed class-action case, which combines 105 lawsuits filed around the country and seeks triple damages. The U.S. Department of Justice last year began its own probe into a possible conspiracy among the airlines, which, according to government data, command a roughly 69-percent domestic market share. Passengers claimed that the conspiracy began in early 2009, and has resulted in higher fares and reduced flight choices. They said the conspiracy, together with low fuel prices and higher fees for checking bags and other services, helped the airlines post a record $21.7 billion combined profit in 2015. The airlines said the litigation should be dismissed because there was no proof of an agreement to collude, or that they reduced capacity in tandem. But in her 41-page decision, Kollar-Kotelly pointed to statements by several airline executives about the need for "discipline" in seating capacity. "Starting in 2009, the industry experienced limited capacity growth," the judge wrote. "Notably, as defendants' executives acknowledged, this restriction on growing capacity was a marked change within the industry. The court is satisfied that at this stage, plaintiffs sufficiently pled parallel conduct." Kollar-Kotelly said this was true even for Southwest, though its use of a single aircraft type and other factors gave it a "limited ability" to reduce capacity. Story continues American spokesman Matt Miller called the plaintiffs' claims "plainly deficient," and said the carrier is confident they will be found meritless. Delta had no immediate comment. Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins declined to comment. United did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Michael Hausfeld, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, called the decision a "substantial victory" for passengers. "We look forward to moving forward aggressively to secure the relief the public deserves," he added. The case is In re: Domestic Airline Travel Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, No. 15-mc-01404. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Nick Zieminski) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged South African President Jacob Zuma on Sunday to reconsider its plan to withdraw from the International Criminal Court in October next year. The International Criminal Court, which opened in July 2002 and has 124 member states, is the first legal body with permanent international jurisdiction to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. South Africa and Burundi have officially notified the United Nations of their intent to withdraw from the Rome Statute, the 1998 treaty establishing The Hague-based court. The withdrawals will take effect in October 2017. After Ban spoke with Zuma by phone on Sunday, his spokesman issued a statement saying Ban "appreciates the continued and unwavering commitment of the South African government to justice and accountability" and hopes it will reconsider its decision. Ban told the U.N. Security Council on Friday that he regretted the ICC departures and said they could "send a wrong message on these countries' commitment to justice." Gambia said last week it also plans to withdraw from the court but it has not yet notified the United Nations. (Reporting and writing by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Bill Trott) (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department updated its travel warning on Turkey on Saturday, ordering family members of consulate employees in Istanbul to leave the country, citing threats against U.S. citizens. "The Department of State made this decision based on security information indicating extremist groups are continuing aggressive efforts to attack U.S. citizens in areas of Istanbul where they reside or frequent," the department said in a statement. The State Department said the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul remains open and said the order does not apply to any other U.S. diplomatic posts in Turkey. Saturday's warning updates previous State Department advisories of "increased threats from terrorist groups throughout Turkey." The department advises U.S. citizens to avoid travel to southeast Turkey and also advises caution on the risks of traveling anywhere in the country. (Reporting by Leslie Adler; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) No one in the U.S. government has wielded more influence over Ukraine than Vice President Joe Biden. As the Obama administrations point person on Ukraine policy, he has rallied support for Kiev in the face of Russian military intervention and cultivated a personal rapport with its leaders. But he has delivered tough love as well, delaying financial aid more than once over concerns about rampant corruption. With Bidens tenure as vice president about to expire, the next U.S. president will have to decide who will take up his unique role as Kievs go-to guy. The transition comes at a pivotal moment for the festering war in Ukraine, Americas increasingly tense rivalry with Russia, and Europes growing fatigue with Kievs incessant corruption. READ MORE OSCE drops drone surveillance of Ukraine war. CLICK HERE Is Russia killing off eastern Ukraines warlords? CLICK HERE The new commander in chief will take the oath of office on Jan. 20, 2017, against mounting alarm at the State Department, the Defense Department, and Congress over Russian behavior in Ukraine and elsewhere. From Russias indiscriminate bombing of the Syrian city of Aleppo to its hacking of the Democratic National Committee to its support for armed separatists in eastern Ukraine to its nuclear saber rattling, U.S. diplomats, senior military officers, and lawmakers are increasingly arguing for an aggressive tack against Moscow. Theres an appetite for a more assertive approach, said one congressional staffer who works on Ukraine and Russia policy. Its widely believed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is better prepared to take on Russia on behalf of Ukraine and walk a more hawkish line on foreign policy than the Obama administration. But Ukrainian officials are extremely apprehensive about her Republican counterpart, Donald Trump, who has spoken warmly of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Even President Barack Obama, a Democrat, has been reluctant to help shoulder the complete burden of Ukraines woes, in part out of fear of provoking a direct confrontation with Moscow. In 2014, Russian troops seized and annexed the Crimean Peninsula and then reportedly deployed Moscows own soldiers to eastern Ukraine to back separatists there. At the time, Obama overruled Biden and most of his advisors in deciding against arming Ukrainian soldiers. Story continues Obama was worried about triggering an escalating military standoff between Kiev and Moscow that Russia probably would win and was mindful of European capitals strong opposition to the move. Instead, Obama pushed for economic sanctions against Russia and agreed to have Germany and France lead diplomatic efforts with Kiev and Moscow to resolve the conflict. But the fighting has continued, and patience for Russia is running out in Congress, where some lawmakers now favor slapping fresh economic sanctions on Moscow. Senior diplomats are also frustrated at the state of the fraying Minsk peace agreement and believe the time has come for the United States to take a leading role in the talks, instead of deferring to Berlin and Paris. The internationally brokered Minsk deal has helped reduce fighting from a peak in 2014. But it has failed to secure a lasting cease-fire or the reintegration of separatist-controlled areas in Ukraines east. According to the United Nations, the conflict has killed nearly 10,000 people since it began in April 2014. Obama administration officials said there is a remote chance that the roughly 10 weeks between the U.S. election on Nov. 8 and when the next president enters office could serve as a window of opportunity for progress on the Minsk arrangements. But that will depend on Putins unlikely willingness to move away from Ukraines current low-level conflict, in which Moscow regularly dials up provocations from separatist forces to exert leverage over Kiev. According to emails allegedly belonging to senior Putin aide Vladislav Surkov, and recently obtained by a Ukrainian hacker group, the Kremlin has detailed plans on how to further destabilize Ukraines politics and economy. The authenticity of the documents has not yet been verified. Vice President Joe Biden gestures with enthusiasm after addressing deputies of the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev on Dec. 8, 2015. (Photo by SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/Getty Images) The Biden Effect Ukraines government has relied heavily on its direct channel to the U.S. vice president, and Bidens departure will leave a gaping hole. The vice presidents impact is largely based on the force of his big personality, his backing from Obama, and his long track record of promoting a robust American role in Eastern Europe from supporting NATOs enlargement to pushing for U.S. military intervention in the Balkans in the 1990s. If Clinton is elected, which looks likely if current public opinion polls hold, its possible the job of overseeing U.S. ties with Ukraine could shift back to the State Department. Clinton herself could take up the mantle, as she has shown strong interest in the conflict, according to current and former administration officials. Its even possible Biden will have a role in a future Clinton administration. Her advisors are toying with the idea of having Biden serve as her secretary of state, according to a report in Politico, though the prospects for that outcome remain unclear at best. But its clear the next president will have to have a point person for Ukraine, whether at the White House or the State Department, said a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Biden speaks to Ukrainian leaders on the phone two or three times a month, and he is very hands-on, the administration official told Foreign Policy. Ukrainian officials echoed that portrayal and heaped praise on Bidens outreach. Joes role was unique and valuable and will be very hard to duplicate, former Ukrainian Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko, now a fellow at the Atlantic Council, told FP. Obama and Biden have divided up responsibilities of responding to the crisis in Ukraine. The president has focused on shoring up support for retaining sanctions against Russia in his talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European leaders. Bidens mission, meanwhile, has sought to keep Ukraine in the loop while also ensuring Kiev doesnt violate the Minsk deal or fail to tackle corruption at home either of which could spur European capitals into abandoning the sanctions regime. The vice president has been extraordinarily involved in helping communicate to the Ukrainians to stay whiter than snow as it relates to reforms, and their obligations under Minsk, so theres no excuse for the Europeans to walk away, the administration official said. Protesters clash with police in Independence square in central Kiev at the height of protests against former President Viktor Yanukovych on Feb. 20, 2014. (Photo by JEFF J MITCHELL/Getty Images) The Battle to Reform A Country Bidens connection with the Ukrainians began shortly after the ouster of former President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014. After Yanukovych failed to sign a long-awaited trade association agreement with the European Union, and instead accepted an offer of $15 billion in government bond purchases and discounted gas from the Kremlin, massive protests erupted in Kiev. After months of protests and deadly clashes between protesters and police, Yanukovych fled the capital on Feb. 22, 2014, making his way to Russia, where he lives today. Washingtons immediate problem was to ensure a new government in Kiev was credible enough to handle the difficult political transition and salvage the countrys tanking economy. But Ukraines political culture had become dysfunctional and its institutions hollowed out, with the country run by a partnership between politicians and oligarchs. Arseniy Yatsenyuk a former foreign minister, economy minister, and presidential candidate emerged from the fray and won Western support, becoming prime minister after the Maidan revolution. Petro Poroshenko, a billionaire politician who had served in several cabinet posts over the previous decade and made his money in the confectionary business, also emerged on the post-Maidan political scene as a key player. Poroshenko would be elected president on May 25, 2014. Biden developed a personal bond with the governing duo and would go on to champion various reforms in Ukraine. He helped the fledgling government gain a $17.5 billion International Monetary Fund package, supported the overhaul of the countrys inefficient and corrupt gas sector, assisted in a high-profile move to reform Ukraines notoriously dishonest police force, and pushed for the creation of an independent anti-corruption bureau to combat graft. The vice presidents attention to Kievs precarious situation was also backed up by Victoria Nuland, the assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, who worked closely with Ukraines new cabinet of pro-Western technocrats, and by Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, who helped push market reforms. The most important thing has been the timing. Biden came when Ukraine desperately needed attention from the international community, and he gave it, said Balazs Jarabik, a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. But it was the vice presidents personal signature on diplomacy that pushed his advocacy further and allowed him to build a strong relationship with Ukrainian politicians. [Biden] is the real man. He does what he believes in. He has the vision; he has guts, Yatsenyuk, who resigned in April, told FP. Yatsenyuk credited Bidens drive in cementing U.S. credibility with Ukrainian lawmakers strongly enough for Washingtons criticism to be heeded as Kiev began to stall on reforms. One such example came in December 2015, when the vice president in a fiery speech urged the Ukrainian parliament to curb the power of the countrys oligarchs and to fulfill the promise of the Maidan revolution. Bidens brand of tough love became more pronounced as the old ways of Ukrainian politics resumed. Despite a series of measures to increase government transparency and salvage the countrys teetering economy, Kiev began to slow and in some cases completely halt carrying out anti-corruption reforms. Public dissatisfaction was growing in late 2015 with Poroshenkos choice for general prosecutor: Viktor Shokin, a veteran of Ukrainian politics and a close associate of the president. Shokin fumbled the corruption case of a former Yanukovych crony and let him flee the country. The position of general prosecutor, who is appointed by the president, enjoys outsized importance in Ukraine and is often used to exert pressure on rivals and cut deals for political and commercial gains. The Maidan revolution was supposed to bring an end to this type of horse-trading, but Shokin served as a reminder that little had changed. He reinforced that perception by hindering an investigation into two high-ranking state prosecutors arrested on corruption charges and after Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius cited him by name before quitting in protest over the delayed reforms. Dismayed by Poroshenkos backtracking, the White House withheld $1 billion in loan guarantees until Shokin was fired. Biden delivered that message directly to Poroshenko over the phone. Petro, youre not getting your billion dollars, Biden recalled telling the president in an interview with the Atlantic. Its OK, you can keep the [prosecutor] general. Just understandwere not paying if you do. Poroshenko eventually sacked Shokin. But the Ukrainian leaders reputation in Washington and in Ukraine soured as a result, and his approval ratings have hovered close to a dismal 10 percent ever since. Its hard to root out corruption in your system if the equivalent of the attorney general is not only corrupt but has a bunch of corrupt cronies in other positions and is actively thwarting investigations of oligarchs and government officials, the senior U.S. administration official said. Removing Shokin was a necessary if not wholly sufficient factor in continuing Ukraine on the reform path. Following the incident with Shokin, the pro-Western coalition of Yatsenyuk and Poroshenko was also thrown into peril as the two men began to clash, smearing each other in local media. Yatsenyuk narrowly survived a no-confidence vote brought against him by Poroshenkos party, sparking a tense political crisis. After months of infighting and lost confidence by Ukraines Western partners, Yatsenyuk resigned as prime minister in April. Since then, Kiev has continued to sputter on reforms, as the vested interests of the past have been confronted by a new wave of politicians and activists trying to take the country in a Western direction. The latest clash was illustrated in an ongoing feud between the Office of the General Prosecutor and the recently established National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). The new bureau was created to tackle high-profile corruption cases, but NABU has directly conflicted with the prosecutors office, which sees it as a political rival. In a dramatic incident in August, agents from the prosecutors office raided NABUs offices on a charge of illegal surveillance and later detained two of its investigators and beat them while in custody. Ukrainian servicemen play soccer on a road at Svitlodarsk, approaching Debaltseve on Feb. 15, 2015 as a cease-fire is cautiously observed (Photo by VOLODYMYR SHUVAYEV/AFP/Getty Images) Shipping Weapons to Ukraine Apart from prodding Kiev on reforms, U.S. policy toward Ukraine will hinge on the still simmering war in the countrys eastern Donbass region. If the Minsk deal collapses and violence spikes, the next president would face renewed debate not only about new sanctions on Moscow, but about whether to arm Ukrainian forces as they fight Russian-backed separatists. The question of whether to provide arms to Kiev particularly anti-tank weapons sparked a heated debate in and outside the administration when the war was at its peak in 2014. According to Derek Chollet, who at the time served as a top Defense Department official, Obamas advisors were virtually unanimous in calling for weapons for Ukraines security forces. This was one of the few occasions I can recall in the Obama administration in which just about every senior official was for doing something that the president opposed, Chollet wrote in his book The Long Game. The White House was so concerned about avoiding any tensions with Russia that it trucked in nonlethal military gear to Ukraine instead of flying it on U.S. military aircraft just in case the planes gray tails were perceived as a provocation. Low-level fighting continues, with casualties reported every week. Yet there are no large-scale military offensives underway, and front lines have frozen in place. And as a result, calls for arming Kievs forces have faded. The issue was riper when the conflict was hotter, the senior administration official said. The Ukrainian armed forces also have become much more capable and organized over the last two years, after receiving training and assistance from the United States and after Kiev began a reform program. Still, Ukrainian officials say they will raise the issue of receiving lethal aid from Washington with the next U.S. president and expect to win bipartisan support for the move on Capitol Hill. Hillary Clinton meets with Petro Poroshenko at the Intercontinental Hotel on Sept. 19 in New York City. (Photo by JUSTIN SULLIVAN/Getty Images) Kiev and a New White House Looking ahead, Ukraine and the tenuous Minsk peace accord will remain a foreign-policy priority for the next president because of their central role in Washingtons strained relations with Moscow. Officials in Kiev look upon a possible Clinton presidency favorably and have high hopes that their needs will be met. Hillary is a champion of Ukraine. She knows everything about Ukraine, said Yatsenyuk, the former prime minister. By contrast, Trump has expressed little sympathy for Ukraines plight and even parroted Russias point of view on events. After Trump gave a July interview to George Stephanopoulos on ABC News, in which he implied Russia had not invaded Ukraine and said those living in Crimea might actually be happier under Moscows control, Kiev expressed outrage. On his Facebook page, Yatsenyuk wrote that Trumps comments had violated the very values of the free world, civilized world order and international law. On the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in September, Clinton met with Poroshenko, and the two agreed that solidarity with Ukraine is important in resisting Russian aggression, according to the press release from Poroshenkos office. The Ukrainian president also reached out to Trump, but no meeting occurred: At the time, a spokesperson for Poroshenkos administration said the GOP nominees campaign never gave a clear answer about holding a meeting. Photo Credit: Getty Images/Foreign Policy illustration Miami (AFP) - Maybe it's better to leave the clown costume in the closet this Halloween. Hysteria sweeping the United States after a series of "creepy clown" sightings in recent weeks has created an unwelcome scare this October 31 when Americans will celebrate all things ghoulish, sinister and fantastical. The Halloween holiday sees millions of American children don costumes and go house-to-house trick-or-treating in neighborhoods across the country. But cities and law enforcement are discouraging or even banning clown costumes this year after sightings of sinister clowns, some armed with knives. Authorities fear the bizarre trend could provoke a nasty backlash when children turn out Monday night. The unusual sightings began in August with reports of people in South Carolina dressed as clowns trying to lure children into the woods. The appearances soon spread with more than 20 states now having reported clown incidents, and although most were pranks in bad taste or unverified threats, some arrests have been made, including for attacks. The craze has even spread beyond the United States to Europe, South America and Australia. The hysteria has had surprising repercussions for many, such as Armando Santana, a 22-year-old actor who performs as a scary clown in a popular Miami horror house. He says he would no longer dream of leaving his job without ditching the costume. "It means that by the end of the night I have to wash my face. I can't drive my car with this on, just in case I get stopped," he said, emitting a classic menacing chuckle. Even a building in Miami Beach warned its residents ahead of the Halloween door-knocking: "You must be extra careful with anyone wearing clown masks." Burger chain McDonald's meanwhile has scaled back public appearances of its famous smiley-faced clown mascot Ronald McDonald, citing "the current climate around clown sightings." And discount retail chain Target halted the sale of clown masks because of "the current environment," said spokesman Joshua Thomas. Story continues - No laughing matter - While some observers have made light of the sightings, police and other authorities are taking the craze seriously. "Did you know that you could be arrested for wearing a clown mask with the intent to disturb the peace?" warned the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office on Twitter this month. The Miami police released a video that shows a boy, fleeing a shadowy clown in the dark, being run over by a car. "These pranks can have serious or even tragic ends," it concludes. Miami police spokeswoman Yelitza Cedano Hernandez told AFP that, while it is not prohibited to dress like a clown, "if this prank leaves someone injured, the prankster is going to be arrested and the victim's family can take the person to court." In Kemper County, Mississippi, clown gear has been expressly banned until after Halloween, and authorities will slap a $150 fine on any violators. Meanwhile a number of US school districts -- particularly in New Jersey, Connecticut and Colorado -- have banned clown costumes in Halloween parades. The same action was taken by the city of Belmont, North Carolina, for its Belmont Boo Festival last week: No adult clown costumes allowed. - The bright side - "People dressed as horror clowns are not 'real clowns,'" said Randy Christensen, president of the World Clown Association. "They are taking something innocent and wholesome and perverting it to create fear in their audience," he said in a statement. But some benefit when there's a buzz. Staff at the Halloween Megastore in Miami said that clown masks, along with superheroes from the film "Suicide Squad" and the US presidential candidates, are hot sellers this season. And Nelson Albareda, producer of the House of Horror Haunted Carnival in Miami, which has an entire section dedicated to sinister clowns, welcomes the phenomenon. "I've been in the Halloween industry for 16 years and a lot of people have a phobia on clowns, so this is nothing new to us," he told AFP, while walking the haunted house's dusty passageways. "Now there's a lot of hoopla about clowns, even on social media. It's actually better for us." Matt Schultz of Cage the Elephant at the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience Day one at New Orleanss Voodoo Music + Arts Experience may have been dominated by hip-pop acts like the Weeknd, G-Eazy, and Rae Sremmurd, but day two, Saturday, was all about the rock featuring alt-prog legends Tool, Taylor Momsen-fronted rockers the Pretty Reckless, prosthetic-headed Swedish metalheads Ghost, the Claypool Lennon Delirium (the Claypool stands for Primuss Les, and the Lennon for rock royalty Sean), and even rising bands Nothing But Thieves and the Breton Sound respectively covering the Pixies and the Who. The day began, actually, in the stripped-down Toyota Music Den with the supremely rawkin Shakey Graves, aka Austins Americana/blues/self-described hobo folk one-man-band Alejando Rose-Garcia. Mr. Gravess smoky, swampy, ramshackle sound drew a beyond-capacity crowd and plenty of hoots n hollers, but the best-received roots-rocker of his all-too-brief set was City in a Bottle, dedicated to the now-mythical, septuagenarian NYC prostitute Monique the Freak. I need an easy dollar, are you trick or are you treat, Rose-Garcia grinningly rasped, making a probably unintentional reference to Halloween. If she was six teeth younger and I had half a mind, you know Id carry her away from that wicked thing outside. People going mental in the Toyota Music Den for @shakeygraves I'm afraid this is as good a view as I'm going to get! #voodoofest A video posted by Lyndsey Parker (@lyndseyparker) on Oct 29, 2016 at 2:23pm PDT Over on the main Altar Stage, Kentucky indie-rockers Cage the Elephant were a wild and unexpected revelation, less indie or alt and just straight-up glam-punk. Floppy-fringed, sweaty-and-shirtless frontman Matt Shultz was the three-headed monster lovechild of Jim Morrison, Iggy Pop (when he crowd-surfed, all that was missing from the spectacle was a randomly passed jar of peanut butter), and Thurston Moore with a touch of Andrew WK, thanks to the fake Halloween-costume blood smeared across his chin. (At we hope it was fake?) Story continues By the time Shultz collapsed to his knees in some sort of modified rock n roll childs pose, then mopped up his chest sweat with the bands setlist before throwing the balled-up, soggy paper into the elated crowd, we were sold. Rock n roll is not dead. The Elephant has most definitely entered the room. (Even the above-mentioned G-Eazy tweeted cage the fking elephant in awe during their set.) Perhaps Saturdays Halloween-ready rock act, however, was the epic and operatic Ghost (think KISS meets Empire of the Sun meets Turbonegro), resplendent in horned Hellraiser headdresses and Victorian suits on Pepsis second stage. Pyro blasts, synchronized fist-pumps, rants against the dude with the bad hair Donald Trump, occasional keytar solos (Stefon-from-SNL voice) this band had EVERYTHING, all the tricks and treats a theatrical-rock fan could hope for. A bit more poppy but just as theatrical, and also on the Pepsi Stage, was Gothic-Lolita chanteuse Melanie Martinez, continuing her shockingly successful self-reinvention from Season 3 teen Voice finalist to Alternative Press cover girl and full-fledged girl-powered phenom. On a pastel-nightmare stage that looked like the haunted set of Tom Pettys Alice in Wonderland-inspired Dont Come Around Here No More video, bedecked with scary man-sized bunny rabbits, stacks of baby blocks, and a massive birthday cake, Martinez, looking like a piece of Halloween candy in her tea-party frock, charmingly performed her spooky, tinkling carnival pop. Her All Hallows Eve-appropriate American Horror Story: Freak Show theme, Carousel, went over especially well with a sprawling audience of adoring girls many dressed exactly like Martinez in frilly pinafores, two-toned Cruella wigs, painted-on freckles, and oversized head-bows, and all chanting her name. Kudos to Martinez for being the rare reality star to make a credible transition to the real world. What other Voice veteran could open for Ghost, really? Melanie hoje (29) no festival VOODOO. pic.twitter.com/hXWJWnhObt Melanie Martinez BR (@MelanieMBrasil) October 30, 2016 Wrapping up Voodoo day twos rocking festivities on the Altar Stage were Tool who, due to City Parks strict 11 p.m. curfew, had to keep things short and bittersweet, playing only nine expansive, monstrous songs (including nima and Stinkfist, but no Schism or Sober and no encore) in 90 rushed, workmanlike minutes. It was clear that the rabid, Tool-T-shirted fans craved more from the enigmatic Maynard James Keenan and his incredibly tight, machine-precision band (who hadnt played Voodoo since 2001, and havent released as album since 2006). But at least Keenan returns to Voodoo on Sunday with his other band, Puscifer. Tune in Sunday at yahoo.com/voodoo, starting at 3:30 CT, for Yahoo Musics final day of live streaming from the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience, featuring what is sure to be a stupendous closing performance by Arcade Fire. Tal al-Lazzagah (Iraq) (AFP) - One rose up, the other was "abducted": as Iraqi forces launched their march on Mosul a fortnight ago, two neighbouring villages in their path experienced wildly contrasting fates. "We're the first village to free itself from the terrorists," said Yassin Ahmed Ali, pointing to the bullet holes in a car used by the jihadists who ruled his village for two years. He was smiling proudly in spite of the pain from a bullet wound to the shoulder. With the people of Tal al-Lazzagah, which lies in the Tigris Valley between Mosul and the offensive's main staging base of Qayyarah, to the south, he chased the jihadists away before the security forces arrived. "On October 17, around 1:00 pm, a group of terrorists arrived with a list of people to be executed," said Abu Ghanim al-Juburi, a 48-year-old resident. "In our village, despite two years of occupation, nobody agreed to swear allegiance and they know that many of us worked in the security forces," said Juburi, who previously worked at a nearby oil field. "We dug up the Kalashnikovs we had buried. I opened fire and wounded one of the terrorists," he said gleefully. The village's walls are pockmarked with the bullet holes from the clashes that ensued. Residents also passed around a suicide vest like a trophy. Juburi said at least one of the village's residents was killed in the battle: "They left his body in the middle of the street, hoping to shoot whoever would try to collect it." After a gunbattle that lasted several hours, IS members eventually fled. Stragglers were killed by elite forces from the interior ministry's Rapid Response force who arrived at night. "The first thing we need now is freedom. We don't want anyone telling us how long our beards should be, telling us what clothes to wear and that our women should all be in black," said Yassin Ahmed Ali. "We want our children to go to school, we need electricity and a hospital," the 52-year-old, who once worked for the Iraqi delegation to the UN in Geneva, said in fluent French. Story continues The residents of Tal al-Lazzagah are filled with pride at having ousted IS themselves but the village -- now a field of damaged houses and burnt-out cars -- will have to start from scratch. - Human shields - A few minutes down a road now controlled by the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary group, the village of Safina is completely silent. The Islamic State group took the entire population with them at gunpoint when they retreated from the village before Iraqi forces arrived. Umm Saber, 83, was the only one who got away. "I knew that I wouldn't be able to walk and that they were capable of killing me if I didn't keep up," she said. "So I hid in this house they had been using as a headquarters and they didn't think of looking for me there," she said. "When the soldiers got here I was so happy I kissed their shoes," said the hunched old lady, who had traditional tribal tattoos on her forehead and chin. She was later joined in the deserted village by Umm Sabreen, her husband and their children, who returned after managing to escape from the clutches of the jihadists. "On the morning of October 19, they used the mosque speaker to order everyone to evacuate the village. They gathered us like cattle and we walked, and we walked and we walked," said Umm Sabreen. "They killed the young men and tossed their bodies in the river. We were so tired we couldn't move our feet anymore so we hid in a warehouse," said the 27-year-old. Umm Sabreen said her sister and her children were still being held as human shields by IS. The United Nations said IS is believed to have abducted tens of thousands of people around Mosul in recent days and executed more than 250 people, mostly former members of the security forces, in just two days. "The Islamic State is transferring civilians from outlying villages to Mosul itself," a senior army officer told AFP, adding he expected them to then be used to impede the advance of the Iraqi forces. Heres one thing we can all say for certain regarding the latest twist of the Hillary Clinton email scandal: James Comey, who was once regarded as the Eliot Ness of law enforcement, a modern day straight-shooter impenetrable to political pressure, will instead leave the office of FBI chief as something closer to Inspector Clouseau. Dont take my word for it; thats the assessment of just about every law enforcement official, both former and present, I spoke to in the hours following his bizarre decision on Friday to reopen the case on the legality of Hillary Clintons email server, just days before the Nov 8 presidential election. It was bizarre, these people tell me, because the whole sordid Hillary Clinton email saga should never have gotten this far; Comey launched an investigation that developed far more evidence than anyone in law enforcement ever believed existed that Hillary Clinton broke the laws involving the receipt of sensitive government documents over an easily hacked private email server while she was President Obamas secretary of state. My sources in law enforcement were pretty convinced Comey would do the right thing and recommend charges to the Obama Justice Department, despite its political consequence, because the evidence was there and Comey was supposed to be so non political. He was a Republican appointed by Democrat Barack Obama to run a quasi independent investigative arm of the DOJ because he had a fierce independent streak. He famously brought white-collar cases during the pro-business Bush Administration as the US Attorney for the Southern District. Later in a senior position in the Bush DOJ, he refused to approve aspects of the government's domestic surveillance program. But there appears to be limits to Comey's independence, these same people now concede. In July, Comey came up with an odd excuse for not recommending criminal charges against Clinton: He couldnt develop enough evidence that Clinton intended to break the law under the standard of gross negligence. Story continues It was such an odd set rationale that Comey laid out for not bringing that case that most people listening to him at first thought he was laying out his reasoning to bring charges, as he explained one reckless move after another from Clinton in establishing the private server and private emails for handing all her government business. Indeed he initially laid out such a convincingly damning case against Clinton that markets began to crash for much of Comeys tortured remarks as investors initially came to the conclusion that Hillary Clinton would be indicted and someone as crazy as Donald Trump could become president. That didnt happen, of course, as Comey would explain -- and the markets that day recovered as he announced how Hillary Clinton may have done something criminal even if she never intended to do it and as a result he was giving her pass. Note to reader: Markets will take criminal over crazy any day of the week. But that wasn't the sentiment inside the FBI, where according to my law enforcement sources, a near mutiny broke out among career agents who believe there was plenty of evidence pointing to Clinton's gross negligence that Comey initially said never existed, and that their boss caved to political pressure from the Obama DOJ. Recall, Attorney General Loretta Lynch just had a private meeting with former president and possible first husband Bill Clinton just days before Comey handed in his verdict, which added to the fetid smell of the FBI chief's decision. Then there was the evidence: Remember, Clinton has never given much of a rationale for using only a private email account via her own server to send and receive state department related emails other than its convenience, which should never outweigh national security. Meanwhile, career agents argued her intent was inherent in simple creation of the private email server and exclusive use of a private email is supposed to be verboten under various laws including the Espionage Act. Her supporters point out that others like Bush Administration Secretary of State Colin Powell used a private email account, but that omits the fact that Powells email was from a computer he kept at the state department and he used it before the document laws were beefed up post 9-11. He also didnt go through the process of creating his own easily hacked private server. Another difference: Clinton used her private account exclusively, and Powell didnt. Thats probably because Powell didnt have a reason to have a private server that he could control and erase its contents; He didnt have a private charity that would do business with the federal government and would become a private enrichment vehicle, as Hillary and her former-president husband Bill have in the form of the Clinton Foundation. Now we have Comey possibly looking to make amends with his troops, possibly looking to cover his rear end, definitely looking incompetent, because of all people Anthony Weiner, the disgraced former Congressman, and soon-to-be ex husband of Hillary Clinton confident, Huma Abedin. FBI agents, investigating Weiners alleged depravity with an underage girl, stumbled across some more Hillary-related emails from Abedin, and as we learned Friday an investigation that was "closed" is now suddenly open. I say closed in quotes to underscore the murkiness of FBI investigative procedures. Cases are rarely officially closed and even when they are the bureau will leave the door open that additional information would re-ignite their efforts. If you think this story could get any more surreal consider the following: law enforcement sources tell Fox Business that Weiner could soon cooperate with the Feds, and that cant be good news for his wife or her boss. (an attorney for Anthony Weiner tells Fox News there is no cooperation agreement in place) Weiner, I am told, was miffed at the Clintons for keeping him away from the campaign before his latest sexting episode. Now facing a possible prison term for alleged dealings with an underage girl he has even more incentive to cooperate against his soon-to-be ex-wife and the Clintons. I can't tell you whether the new emails will reach Comey's standard for gross negligence, but that's really besides the point. The country could have been spared this spectacle if he had just done the right thing in July and recommended a charge against Clinton. Then the Democrats could have regrouped and given the nomination to Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden or someone who doesn't stand a chance of being indicted or impeached if elected. Yes if Hillary Clinton manages to win, she will be a sitting duck for every GOP investigative committee, particularly as the odds grow the Republicans will now keep the House and possibly the Senate. If you thought the last eight years were contentious, you ain't seen nothing yet. Thank you, James Comey. Related Articles According to one witness, Jose Fernandez was not likely driving at the time his boat crashed, killing him, 27-year-old Emilio Jesus Macias and 25-year-old Eduardo Rivero on the morning of Sept. 25. (AP) Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez was legally drunk and had cocaine in his system at the time his boat crashed into a Miami Beach jetty, according to toxicology reports released Saturday. However, it remains unclear whether Fernandez, the boats owner, or one of two others on board, 27-year-old Emilio Jesus Macias and 25-year-old Eduardo Rivero, was driving when the boat crashed on Sept. 25, killing all three men. According to an Associated Press report on Sunday, at least one witness in direct contact with Fernandez that evening has come forward suggesting the 24-year-old was not driving in the moments before the accident. Heres more from the AP: Authorities have interviewed a highly reliable witness who said he was on the phone with Fernandez just before the crash and heard the pitcher giving another person directions about where to steer the boat, he said. If you tell me that hed been drinking, Id say, So? He wasnt driving and he was very careful about that, family attorney Ralph E. Fernandez added. Authorities will continue trying to piece together evidence that might make it clearer who was driving at the moment of impact. Given the tragic outcome, that might seem inconsequential, but in case of future litigation its a highly important detail. Tampa-based attorney Ralph E. Fernandez, who is not related to the Fernandez family, also suggested that toxicology reports revealed behavior not consistent with the Jose Fernandez hed known. Cocaine use would be out of character for Fernandez, and the toxicology reports raise more questions than they answer about what happened that night, said the Fernandez familys Tampa-based attorney and longtime friend, Ralph E. Fernandez. That leads me to think, could this be an isolated incident? Yes. Could this have been involuntary? Yes. Why do you think theres still a criminal investigation pending? said the attorney, who isnt related to the pitcher. Fernandezs blood-alcohol level was 0.147, almost twice the legal limit of .08., according to Saturdays report. The report also showed both Macias and Rivero also had alcohol levels below the states legal limit, while Rivero also had cocaine in his system. Story continues More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports: Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Sanaa (AFP) - Yemen's Huthi rebels said Sunday that a new UN peace plan was a "basis for discussion" despite containing "fundamental flaws". The plan to end the country's 19-month-old war is "a basis for discussion... but contains fundamental flaws in general, in the details and the timeframe," the rebels said in a statement. They said the plan by UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed did not include a "total, permanent ceasefire" or foresee lifting the blockade against areas they control. They said that they would put their objections to the UN envoy when he visits Sanaa in the coming days. The rebels and their allies -- forces loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh -- are fighting forces loyal to the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, who is backed by a Saudi-led coalition. The conflict has killed nearly 7,000 people since the coalition launched military operations in Yemen in March 2015, according to the United Nations. A previous round of peace talks held in Kuwait collapsed in August. Hadi rejected the peace proposal on Saturday, saying it "only opens a door towards more suffering and war and is not a map for peace". The contents of the roadmap, which the envoy presented to the rebels on Tuesday, have not been made public. But informed sources say it calls for agreement on naming a new vice president after the rebels withdraw from Sanaa and other cities and hand over heavy weapons to a third party. Hadi would then transfer power to the vice president who would appoint a new prime minister to form a government in which the north and south of Yemen would have equal representation. Hadi said the new plan was an "explicit departure" from the UN Security Council's resolution 2216, which calls on rebels to withdraw from territory they have captured since 2014. The Huthis demand an end to coalition air strikes. The conflict has caused a humanitarian crisis in the Arab world's poorest country, displacing some three million Yemenis. NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City's Metropolitan Opera canceled its Saturday afternoon performance of "Guillaume Tell" after an audience member sprinkled an unidentified powder, which police believe was cremated ashes, into the orchestra pit. New York City Police officials said witnesses had heard a man say he was at the opera to spread the ashes of his mentor. "An individual from out of town ... indicated that he was here to sprinkle ashes of a friend, his mentor in opera, during the performance," John Miller, Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism told reporters at Lincoln Center. The Met said on its Facebook page that it also canceled the Saturday evening performance of "L'Italiana in Algeri," while police investigate the incident which happened in the second intermission. There were no reports of any injuries or any bad reactions to the substance, though the theater was evacuated and the New York Police Department dispatched a special unit to investigate, Officer Tiffany Phillips said. The suspect, a man who was not identified, had fled the scene and no arrests have been made, Phillips said. The Metropolitan Opera has seen other bizarre episodes in the past, including one in 1988 when a patron died during a plunge from the top balcony during the intermission of a performance of "Macbeth." (Reporting by Frank McGurty and Chris Michaud in New York, additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Leslie Adler, G Crosse and Nick Macfie) PARIS (Reuters) - Dozens of young Ethiopian and Eritrean migrants gathered on Sunday at a makeshift Orthodox church in the Calais "Jungle" camp, one of the only places still standing in the area, to attend a last service before the demolition is completed. Bulldozers are flattening the sprawl of ramshackle huts and tents in northern France which had been home to 6,000 refugees and migrants from Asia, the Middle East and Africa hoping to cross the English Channel and start new lives in Britain. Calais resident Pascal Froehly, who works for Caritas France charity, said he would like to see the church survive the "Jungle" demolition. "It has been built quite solidly ... it's an opportunity to recognize the knowledge and ingenuity of the refugees, among other things," he said, adding it was "a kind of reminder of what happened here, of the joy and suffering". It took migrants and volunteers about two months to build the church, which is made mostly of wood, and was completed in July 2015. French authorities said it would be destroyed, like the rest of the camp, but did not say when. Most adults have now been bussed to reception centers across France pending examination of their cases, in a dismantling of the camp which started on Monday. But the plight of hundreds of minors, nearly 1,500 of whom are now in temporary lodging in container-boxes in Calais, has become a point of dispute between Britain and France. (Reporting by Noemie Olive and Alex Fraser; Editing by Ingrid Melander and Alison Williams) Zoe Saldana stunned in a gorgeous gown covered in SNAKES Ahhhh, the joy of witnessing red carpet magic! Zoe Saldana attended LACMAs Art + Film gala with her husband last night, and she slayed in the most creative gown weve seen yet. The actress and mom of two sported a sheer and blush pink ensemble completely covered in a wildlife, giving an added spice to the red or green, in this case carpet. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art hosted a night of cool fashion and speeches, and honored artistic legend Robert Irwin and Oscar-winning filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow. Amongst fashionable guests like A$AP Rocky, Brie Larson, and Mary-Kate, Ashley, and Elizabeth Olsen, Zoe delivered a little snake-appeal with her extraordinary dress. Zoes dress is seriously unlike anything weve ever seen before, and we love every detail of it! Zoe Saldana The happy couple looked great, with Zoes husband Marco sporting a very classic and dapper black suit. Zoe Saldana and husband Covered in parrots, ladybugs, butterflies, ants, and snakes, Zoe makes for the most stunning wild woman! She kept her hair and makeup simple, as to not clash too much with her busy dress which is extremely important. Were glad to see her out and about! Zoes personality is always so badass, and its nice to see it play out in her fashion choices. The post Zoe Saldana stunned in a gorgeous gown covered in SNAKES appeared first on HelloGiggles. Credit: Courtesy When it comes to planning a creative marriage proposal some people would go to great lengths, and apparently depths, to make sure their engagement is as memorable as possible. Take Jennifer Don, for example. She turned her long distance relationship into inspiration for a uber original proposal by asking her boyfriend, Matt, to marry her in the middle of the two continental plates that divide them. It doesn't get more symbollic than that, right?! Here's how she pulled it off. Jennifer and Matt were supposed to meet in Iceland for what he thought was just a birthday celebration. Their plans included a dive in Thingvellir National Park where the North American and Eurasian continents meet underwater. Oh, and speaking of water--the temperature in Silfra, the rift where they dove, is between 35 and 39 degrees Fahrenheit year round because of the nearby glacier. RELATED: This Beautiful Engagement in Prague Took 2 Years to Plan--And HE Said Yes Credit: Courtesy So when Matt took the plunge into the freezing cold water, he had no idea that Jennifer had arranged for a whole romantic setup underwater, heart-shaped baloons and all. She even got him a ring that was hidden in a seashell. Naturally, speaking is not really something you can do when you are several feet below the sea surface, so she used written signs to propose to him. And guess what? He said gestured "yes." Watch how this dreamy underwater engagement unfolded below: We wonder if they will go for a nautical theme at their wedding. Congrats, Matt and Jennifer! Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Areas of patchy fog early. Morning clouds will give way to afternoon sunshine. High 63F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Areas of patchy fog developing. Low near 40F. Winds light and variable. The number of flipped houses is at a six-year high. But while such rapid turnover helped fuel the housing crisis a decade ago, advocates and analysts say the current wave is helping to ease a shortage of affordable housing in some parts of the country. The resurgence of flipping, or selling a house less than a year after buying it, comes as the construction of affordable single-family houses fails to keep up with demand, as builders concentrate on multi-family housing. In some states like Florida and Nevada, which have large stocks of cheap, foreclosed houses, flipping is boosting the housing supply for homeowners and for investors who want to rent out the properties. The renovated homes are helping to bring downtrodden neighborhoods back to life, while making homeownership possible for some first-time and low-income buyers. This flipping activity could be seen as a social good if its bringing houses up to standards and putting them back on the market, said Steven Swidler, an Auburn University professor who has studied flipping. But he also warned that flipping can help drive up already-rising housing prices. In other areas, he said, it could be putting it beyond the price points for affordable housing for some people. Its all about location, location, location. A total of 51,434 single-family homes and condos were flipped in the second quarter of 2016, up 14 percent from the previous quarter and the highest number since 2010, according to data from ATTOM Data Solutions. The number of flippers, including individuals, amateur investors and businesses, reached 39,775, the highest level in nine years. In Tampa, Fla., Memphis and Visalia, in Californias San Joaquin Valley, one in 10 homes sold in the quarter was flipped. Florida, Tennessee and Nevada are the states with the highest rates of flipping, with 7 percent or more of homes sold within a year. And in many of those places, the homes being flipped are selling well below the rest of the market, a sign that they are helping to fill a shortage of affordable housing. Nationwide, 5.5 percent of single-family homes and condos were flipped, a small increase over the second quarter of 2015, but still well below the peak in 2006, when 9 percent of sales were flips. In some high-priced places such as New York City, housing advocates complain that flippers are reducing the supply of affordable housing and driving out low-income residents and sometimes the middle class. But in other areas of the nation parts of Florida that have been plagued with foreclosures, for instance flipping can be part of the process of getting affordable housing back on the market, said Hector Sandoval, a University of Florida economist who has studied flipping in the state. Bringing these houses back to the market is good in general for the neighborhoods where they are located, said Sandoval. It increases the supply, which means prices cant go too high, and they should be affordable, at least for the middle class. In Nevada, todays flippers have found a niche fixing up foreclosed or abandoned housing that may need much work and then selling it to investors who are willing to recoup profits slowly by renting, said Swidler, the Auburn University professor who analyzed the way home flipping in Las Vegas contributed to the housing meltdown of the last decade by driving up prices.About 7 percent of sales in the state were flips in the second quarter of 2016, and the rate is about the same in Las Vegas. But todays flippers are not the same as those who helped drive a speculative frenzy 10 years ago.Conditions are different now. You cant just buy a house and expect to make a profit, Swidler said. In many cases (flippers) have to go in there and replace wiring, put in new refrigerators. Some of these places had holes in the walls. It took extensive work to renovate them.More amateurs and individual investors are flipping houses, drawn by reality television shows and a burgeoning housing market, said Daren Blomquist, senior vice president at ATTOM.Nationally, home prices have been rising since 2012, and the increases are even steeper in some areas with high levels of house flipping, like Tampa and Nashville, Tenn. But with housing prices rising faster than incomes in many parts of the nation, rehabbing foreclosed houses has the potential to return affordable housing at a time that its urgently needed.In Florida, flipping has been revived by a steady supply of foreclosed housing and a demand for affordable housing thats making once-marginal neighborhoods near Tampa more appealing to buyers of renovated homes, said Christopher McCarty, director of the state Bureau of Economic and Business Research.Rising rents also are encouraging small investors to buy renovated houses and rent them out, McCarty said, especially along the states central I-4 Corridor from Tampa to Orlando. House prices have grown more than 19 percent in the Tampa area since 2015, to $209,000, the largest increase in Florida. The median purchase price for a flipped house was $93,000 and the median selling price was $150,000, according to ATTOMs report. Peter Lee, a real estate agent and investor in Tampa, said unemployed carpenters and other construction workers sidelined by the housing bust and slowdown in new construction have found a new line of work renovating homes in the area.The buyers might be landlords looking for rentals, first time buyers or retirees from the Midwest, he said, all of whom find the prices affordable. Youre giving them a shiny renovated house for $100,000. Theyre in heaven.Tennessee has the second-highest rate of house flipping, at 7.2 percent. House prices have gone up nearly 20 percent in Memphis in the last year, and nearly 7 percent in Nashville. The typical flipped house in Nashville was bought for $114,500 and sold for $175,900, well below the areas median home price of $258,000.Rae Sovereign, an affordable housing activist in East Nashville, said the city is facing an affordability crisis as developers tear down houses to build new rentals. But flippers have played a generally positive role, she said, fixing up battered and sometimes foreclosed homes.I dont have a problem with people who want to fix up a house for a profit but still make it affordable, she said.Rae said a flipper bought her house for about $40,000, gutted it and rebuilt the interior, then sold it to her for $131,000 six years ago. Today she thinks its worth about $235,000.(EDITORS: STORY CAN END HERE) The resurgence of flipping is not helping to ease the affordability crisis everywhere.A study earlier this year by New York Citys Center for NYC Neighborhoods, a public-private partnership that promotes affordable housing, found that affordable housing was becoming harder to find in parts of Queens and Brooklyn where hundreds of homes were flipped last year.On average, Brooklyn homes bought by flippers in recent years were affordable for families making $75,000 a year near the typical income for the borough. But by the time they were sold, only families making $150,000 could afford the same house.Flipping reduces the quantity of affordable homeownership opportunities on the market by moving homes to significantly higher price points, the study concluded. Typical profits were more than $500,000 per sale in Bushwick, Brooklyn.Typical flipping profits topped $110,000 in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, Calif., as well as New York, according to ATTOMs data. The largest flipping profits were in the District of Columbia, where the typical flip netted $209,750.Prices rose so quickly in the District of Columbia that the district housing authority evicted some low-income tenants and sold their apartments to finance other renovations. Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser promised last year to investigate whether the citys own flipping practices were hurting her efforts to preserve affordable housing. Some states, including Idaho, Virginia and Washington, have laws that require house-flippers to register as contractors. In Washington, either the seller of a flipped house or a contractor hired to fix it up must be registered and have a $12,000 bond. This way the buyer has some recourse if theres a fire from bad wiring or sewage in the dishwasher because of the plumbing. Those things happened, said Shari Purves-Reiter of Washington states Department of Labor & Industries.In Idaho, a contractor license is required to do rehab work on a house unless its the homeowners primary or secondary residence. There are enforcement problems because of that wording, said Bill Hatch, a spokesman for the state Division of Building Safety.When flippers are questioned, they invariably come up with something like Oh, this is my secondary home, Hatch said. The best inspectors can do is to cite repeat offenders, he said. Steven Swidler, an Auburn University professor who has studied flipping. The 4 Sisters group of businesses in La Crosse will expand soon by opening the Creekside Pub and Grill and wedding venue at the former location of The Fieldhouse Bar and Grill. The Fieldhouse, at W5450 Keil Coulee Road in the town of Medary, closed in May 2014. The new pub and grill is expected to open in January, said Corynn Wieland, one of the owners of 4 Sisters. Outdoor fire pits and the wedding venue (featuring a large outdoor tent with a concrete floor that will seat up to 400 people for weddings and other events) are expected to open by spring. Wedding bookings already have begun. The lower level of the former Fieldhouse building also will be available for rental for parties and other events. The pub and grill will be on the upper level. The new facility will be family-friendly, said Wieland and Traci Weber, another 4 Sisters owner. We thought there was a need and we liked the location, Wieland said. 4 Sisters will continue to operate its other businesses 4 Sisters Wine Bar & Tapas Restaurant, 4 Sisters fourth street bar, 4 Sisters Catering and Wedding Day Designs. Also, 4 Sisters plans to open another restaurant in March near the Epic Systems campus in the Madison suburb of Verona, Wis. Carl and Lisa Johnson have moved their Coalition Drum Shop and Coalition Boardshop businesses from 215 State St. into part of Daves Guitar Shop at 1227 S. Third St. While the Coalition businesses are in a temporary space, they soon will move into the big new addition that guitar shop owner Dave Rogers is building. Rogers said the 14,000-square-foot addition should be finished in February or March and will cost slightly more than $1 million. Rogers said the second floor of the two-story addition will serve as warehouse space for his guitar business. The two Coalition businesses will occupy about half of the first-floor addition, and Rogers said the other half could be occupied by up to two other businesses. He doesnt have signed leases yet for that half. Carl Johnson said Rogers had approached him about moving his businesses to the Daves Guitar Shop building, as his drum business complements the guitar shop business. His boardshop sells skateboards, snowboards, longboards, Rollerblades and scooters. Johnson said he hopes to move his businesses into the addition in February. They opened Oct. 8 in their temporary quarters in the guitar shop building. Hours for both the drum and boardshop businesses are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and closed Sunday. Johnson closed the indoor skate park in his former State Street location on Sept. 1. Some of its ramps were sold to Anthem Skatepark and Board Shop in Winona, Minn., and the others were sold to someone whos thinking about opening a skate park, he said. For more information, visit www.coalitiondrumshop.com, www.coalitionboardshop.com or the two firms Facebook pages. Wild Birds Unlimited is returning to Onalaska. Gaylord and Karen Perry plan to open their franchised store Tuesday in the former Games by James location, Suite 214 in the Crosseroads Center shopping center at 9348 State Hwy. 16 in Onalaska, across from Valley View Mall. Wild Birds new location is between Jeris Hallmark Shop and Hair Paradise. The stores grand reopening celebration will be from Nov. 7 to 13. Store hours will remain 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. The Perrys bought the local Wild Birds Unlimited store in 2001, and moved it in 2009 from the Crossing Meadows shopping center in Onalaska to Shelby Mall on the far South Side of La Crosse. Gaylord and I are ready for retirement and we are relocating (the store) to increase sales to make the store attractive to a potential buyer, Karen Perry said, adding that the business has been in the area for 23 years. For more information, visit its Facebook page. Wild Birds Unlimited says it is the largest franchise system of backyard bird feeding and nature specialty stores, with more than 300 locations in the U.S. and Canada. MADISON Get ready for Shakespeares dramatic entrance. The First Folio is coming to Madison, one of the last stops in a year-long tour designed to exhibit a copy of the first printed collection of Shakespeares plays in every U.S. state, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. The precious and historic volume, laid open to the page bearing Hamlets To be or not to be speech, will be on display from Nov. 3 to Dec. 11 at the UW-Madisons Chazen Museum of Art. But how it got there, who exactly placed it in its specially designed case or when it will be removed from the museum and returned to its home at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., is something that very, very few people will ever know. The First Folio, traveling to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeares death, is to be delivered under conditions of top-secret security. Nobody on our staff will be allowed to touch it, said Chazen director Russell Panczenko. The Folger will send its own specially trained staff to lift the 900-page book into the glass case built to house it while on tour. Explanatory wall panels, bearing background information for visitors, are also shipped in by the Folger. The First Folios visit, and many cultural events linked to the occasion, have been coordinated by collections librarian Susan Barribeau of UW-Madison Libraries. But the Chazen is playing host to the rare book itself because the art museum is used to handling fragile and valuable cultural works. Even so, the First Folios visit is unique. Thousands nobody knows how many thousands of people are expected to come view it. Slots for group tours at the free-entry museum are already filling up. The First Folio was put together by two of Shakespeares actor friends and printed in 1623, seven years after Shakespeares death. Scholars believe about 750 copies were printed by a London print shop, and some 233 of those are known to have survived to this day. Eighty-two copies are in the Folger Shakespeare Library collection. An estimated 400,000 people have already turned out across America to see copies of the First Folio in the first 10 months of the tour, which began with a stop in Norman, Oklahoma, on Jan. 4. In some cities, as many as 30,000 people showed up to see the First Folio, said Folger spokeswoman Garland Scott. Because of tour security, Madison wont know exactly which of the Folgers 82 copies was shown here until the volume has been returned safe and sound to the Folger, Scott said. The First Folio is considered the closest thing the world has to Shakespeares plays as they were written. It is a collection of 36 plays, grouped for the first time into comedies, histories and tragedies. Eighteen of the plays including Macbeth, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, Twelfth Night and The Taming of the Shrew had never been in print before, and likely would have been lost if they had not been published in the First Folio. Actors also cherish the First Folio because of its purity. Shakespeares plays have been adapted, altered and abridged over the centuries. But the First Folio was published when the printing press itself was less than 200 years old. Punctuation, grammar, was still closely tied with speech, how people spoke and not grammar for reading purposes, said Randall Duk Kim, an actor and co-founder of American Players Theatre in Spring Green, whose roots are in performing Shakespeare. Kim noted that when actors go back to the First Folio, they find punctuation and even pauses that indicate entrances and exits from the stage that brings the words to life, and reflects the way the playwright wanted them to be heard. For the general public, the First Folio is probably the most studied book in the world besides the Bible, said Barribeau, who has spent the better part of the last two years coordinating Shakespeare in Wisconsin 2016 and the First Folios Wisconsin visit. The secrecy surrounding its arrival, while impressive, is also understandable, Panczenko said. In 2001, a First Folio sold at auction in just over $6.1 million. Another fetched $5.2 million in 2006. Its not so much that its valuable in terms of dollars which of course it is but its a unique piece of history, Panczenko said. And thats what you dont want to risk. Its not so much the monetary value; preservation for future generations of (this) very important artifact is paramount. The Chazens existing security system is sufficient to protect the First Folio, Panczenko said. Even so, the museum had to paint the space the book will be shown in the second-floor Garfield galleries at least four weeks ahead of time, to give the new paint three weeks to cure. That requirement was by contract, the museum director said. At the Folger, First Folios live in a vault that occupies an entire city block and is more than 30 feet underground, Scott said in an email to the State Journal. It looks a lot like the stacks in a modern library, with movable, sliding, metal shelving, very cool temperatures just the way the Folios like, and low humidity. Its monitored for temperature and moisture continually, she said. Many of the Folios are housed with special containers built by our conservation team. One thing that surprises folks is that the folios lay on their back rather than standing up the way books do on a bookshelf. Standing a book up puts stress on the book spine. UW-Madison owns a copy of the Second Folio, published in 1632. That bound volume is on display along with a copy of the Third Folio borrowed from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, plus other prized books from Shakespeares day in the exhibit The Globe/Global in Shakespeares Time, located in the special collections area of Memorial Library. Along with hosting the First Folio, the Chazen has mounted an exhibition of theater posters from the U.S. and Europe. The posters, all stunning works of graphic art, also demonstrate how Shakespeares stories continue to mesmerize audiences around the world. In the UW-Madison Libraries special collections room and soon at the Chazen, Youre seeing books that are half a millennium old, said special collections librarian Robin Rider. With the proper care, theyll do very nicely for another half a millennium without any difficulty. SUISUN CITY, Calif. Susan Kay Ekberg, 62, of Suisun City, formerly of La Crosse, passed away Sept. 15, 2016, peacefully at her home. Sue was born July 4, 1954, in Portage, Wis., to Edward and Joan Ekberg, with her sisters, Cathy (Dick) Hilton and Barbara (Gary) Kiehne. Sue graduated from Central High School, La Crosse, and attended UW-La Crosse. Sue married Jim Auyeung, and they moved to California, and had one son, Han Auyeung. Sue and Jim later divorced but remained good friends. She was most recently employed by the Contra Costa Sheriffs Department, until she took an early retirement due to her illness. Sue loved her son, Han, and was so proud of the wonderful young man he has become. Sue loved their family times as Han grew up, spent on the California Delta, enjoying time on the water. Sue had an early love of being on the river, growing up on the Mississippi in Wisconsin. She also loved to give rescue dogs a home and currently had two dogs in her care. She loved hiking with her dogs in the local parks. Sue enjoyed music and loved to attend local music performances. Sue was blessed with many good friends there in California, and here in La Crosse, and also her special group of Central High School friends, who have remained close since high school. Sue is survived and loved by her son, Han Auyeung of San Francisco; her mother, Joan Ekberg, of Onalaska; sister, Cathy (Dick) Hilton of Galesville; brother-in-law, Gary Kiehne, of Baraboo, Wis.; many nieces and nephews, along with her many good friends. Sue was predeceased by her father, Edward Ekberg; and her sister, Barbara Kiehne. We will all miss her kind spirit and beautiful smile and love of the sunshine. Fairfield Funeral Home, Fairfield, Calif., assisted the family and private family services were held. A special thank you to Yolo Hospice and their kind and compassionate care. Thank you also to Sues friends for their support and friendship. Memorials can be given to Yolo Hospice, 1909 Galileo Ct., Davis, CA 95618 or charity of donors choice. The new school year is still fresh and it has already begun. It being the ongoing effort on the part of schools to persuade parents that there is something wrong with their kids brains. This year, the effort is about something called executive function, which the Harvard Center on the Developing Child defines as the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions and juggle multiple tasks successfully. Just as an air traffic control system at a busy airport safely manages the arrivals and departures of many aircraft on multiple runways, the brain needs this skill set to filter distractions, prioritize tasks, set and achieve goals and control impulses. (Full disclosure! According to HCDC, I am not qualified to be an air traffic controller.) A number of teachers have told me that over the past year or so they have been required to attend seminars on executive function led by psychologists, psychiatrists or pediatric neurologists who claim that the frontal lobe moderates executive function; therefore, deficiencies in executive function are due to frontal lobe dysfunctions of one sort or another. The solution: expensive therapies and yes, you guessed it drugs. Be assured, folks, that this is about as scientific as most of the brain differences babble that has proliferated over the past decade, which is to say it is not very scientific at all. The fact is that barring obvious, measurable and reliably verifiable brain impairment (e.g. lesions), this stuff is theoretical. At best it is educated speculation. The further fact is all skills are brain-based, and all brain-based skills are distributed within a diverse population according to the bell-shaped curve, which educators are in danger of forgetting even exists (surely indicating a problem with executive function). In other words, it does not take brain problems for some kids to be below average with respect to a given skill. In many cases, the issue is simply maturity. Furthermore, the measures in question are unreliable. This adds up to the fact that a child who is below average with respect to a skill at age 7 may be above average at age 15. I maintain that this executive-function-left-frontal-lobe-brain-difference brouhaha is the latest iteration of the four-decades-long effort by the unholy alliance of psychology, psychiatry, pediatric neurology and Big Pharma to proliferate the spurious diagnosis of ADHD (for more on that volatile topic, see The Diseasing of Americas Children by yours truly and pediatrician Bose Ravenel). When one label has exhausted its half-life, a new name will give it new life. Before I go into the witness-protection program, one last fact: Good research (see Failure to Connect by professor Jane Healy, for example) has found that early and continuing exposure to electronic media (television, video games, smartphones, computers) can and does compromise the skills HCDC associates with executive function. In other words, the solution to many if not most childhood executive function issues may be as simple as shutting down electronic media. But that takes properly functioning parental executive function, which is another matter entirely. SAN FRANCISCO (TNS) Voters in five states, including California, will decide whether to expand the legal use of recreational marijuana to almost a quarter of the American population, a move that could prove to be one of the most consequential shifts in U.S drug policy since the 1930s. Passage in California, where polls show it has wide support, would make pot legal along the entire West Coast and give momentum to efforts to lift the ban nationwide. The state, the most populous in the U.S. with 39 million residents, was the first to allow medical marijuana two decades ago. In all, nine states will consider marijuana-related ballot measures on Nov. 8, which could more than double the $7 billion market for pot products by 2020. If this passes in California, and particularly if it passes in the other four states, its lights out for marijuana prohibition, said Troy Dayton, chief executive officer of The Arcview Group, an Oakland-based company whose 550 investor members have poured $85 million into 131 cannabis companies. Attitudes toward legalizing marijuana in the U.S. may have reached a tipping point. Opinion polls show a majority of Americans support it. Thats a dramatic shift from decades past partly the result of a new generation reaching voting age and nearly half the adult population trying pot. Failed drug policies that jail nonviolent users and growing evidence that its less harmful than cigarettes and alcohol have fueled calls for a change. Law enforcement and medical groups are among those opposing legalization, citing increases in cannabis-related traffic deaths and pot use by minors in states that allow it, such as Colorado, where dispensaries outnumber Starbucks cafes. While President Barack Obamas Justice Department in 2009 told federal prosecutors not to pursue criminal charges against people who use or supply the drug for medical purposes in states where its legal, its still considered a controlled substance under federal law. Colorado and Washington paved the way for legalization in 2012, and Oregon and Alaska followed in 2014. Its also on the ballot in Massachusetts and Maine, as well as Arizona and Nevada, home to Las Vegas, which draws more than 41 million tourists a year. Half of U.S. states allow medical use of marijuana, and three more, including Florida, look to add to that tally. Legalizing marijuana in Massachusetts means it may be available in Boston a major hub along the Northeast corridor, a train ride away from Manhattan and the first major market for legal pot on the East Coast. Californians have rejected recreational marijuana twice before, in 1972 and 2010. Support has swelled this time, with 60 percent of likely voters saying they will approve it compared with 50 percent six years ago, according to a September Field Poll. Sean Parker, the billionaire former president of Facebook Inc., has donated $8.8 million to the campaign to pass legalization in California. Its supported by the states lieutenant governor Gavin Newsom. California Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, opposes it. Expanding recreational marijuana comes with risks, opponents say. Pot use in states where its legal has led to higher arrest rates of minors and more pot-related hospitalizations, according to an October report by Smart Approaches to Marijuana, an Alexandria, Va.-based group opposing legalization. The thrust of these initiatives is not personal liberty and social justice, its really money, said Jeffrey Zinsmeister, the groups executive vice president. Its an addiction-for-profit model thats being sold to voters. Their profits depend on selling as much of an addictive product as possible. If approved, the California measure would levy a $9.25 per-ounce tax on cultivated pot and 15 percent sales tax on marijuana retail products. Local governments could tax even more. Legalization and taxation in the Golden State could eventually generate at least $1 billion in annual revenue for California and its municipalities and has already fueled an industry ready to take advantage of the market for pot products. Were in this transition from the legacy world of commercial marijuana legal, quasi-legal, gray market, illicit to the future, which is fully institutionalized, said Adam Bierman, CEO at MedMen, a Los Angeles-based cannabis management company which in June announced the MedMen Opportunity Fund, a $100 million investment fund. Still, marijuana remains an illegal substance under federal law, creating gray areas for pot businesses operating in states where its allowed. U.S. banks citing the federal law have refrained from doing business with pot establishments, even though the U.S. Treasury Department in 2014 issued guidelines allowing them to offer accounts and other services. Thats left sellers to operate as all-cash businesses and use cash to pay thousands in state and local taxes and fees each month. Pot advocates say additional states legalizing the drug may put pressure on Congress to remove the designation. Approval of recreational marijuana in all five states, along with the medical measure in Florida, will add $7.8 billion annually to the $7 billion market by 2020, Arcviews Dayton said. California already makes up less than half of the total U.S. market and the addition of recreational use will bolster economies of scale for the industry, he added. Theres a whole swath of investors that have been looking in Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska and saying OK, interesting, but when California passes, thats going to be go time for a lot of people, Dayton said. Legalization and taxation in the Golden State could eventually generate at least $1 billion in annual revenue for California and its municipalities and has already fueled an industry ready to take advantage of the market for pot products. It's concerning to see an executive director of anything living in an alternate universe, such as Mark Reynolds is living in (Monday's Tribune). The most accurate comment in his column about the United Nations meeting in Paris last December was, Much ado about nothing." Contrary to Reynolds' beliefs, there has been no agreement about what came out of the Paris conference. The best analogy I can think of for the conference is a convention of drug addicts all pledging to use fewer drugs. Each addict gets to determine the method he will use to reduce his consumption of drugs; no two addicts will measure their reduction in drug use the same way; each addict will report only the usage data that he wants to report, with no standardized measurement; and there is no penalty for not meeting the goal the addict pledged to meet. What addict wouldn't rush to ratify such an agreement? Reynolds' pipe dream of a revenue-neutral carbon-taxing program is another step into that alternate universe. I remember when Social Security was solvent with cash reserves instead of IOUs. I also remember when Social Security was not subject to federal income taxes. Democratic-controlled Congresses passed both changes. This new tax would be revenue neutral until some future president or Congress decided that the funds are needed for some other new idea, such as Obamacare. I believe that the climate is changing. I do not believe that mankind is the sole or even main cause of that change. First-term incumbent Republican Rep. Cody Horlacher faces a challenge from Democrat Brandon White. Horlacher didnt respond to the State Journals questionnaire. The election is Nov. 8. Brandon White Party: Democratic Age: 28 Address: 105 N. Franklin St., Jefferson Family: Single Education: UW-Platteville; University of Wisconsin Law School Job: Attorney; Wisconsin Army National Guard (Specialist) Elected Experience: None Other public service: None Cody Horlacher Did not respond. What is the top issue facing your district and how would you address it through the legislative process? Horlacher: No response. White: Jobs. Our Assembly district lost over 1,000 jobs in the past year alone, with the Tyson and McCain closings hitting us the hardest. We can fix it by investing in the things businesses are looking for in an area: well-maintained roads, an educated workforce and rural broadband. What is an outside-the-box idea you would like the Legislature to pass next session? Horlacher: No response. White: I would propose requiring proven job growth for any tax incentives we offer to companies. We should not be giving away our hard-earned tax dollars to businesses that provide nothing in return to our communities. We need much better accountability with how our money is being spent. What would be your area of expertise as a lawmaker? Horlacher: No response. White: Agriculture. I grew up on my familys dairy farm in Helenville. I understand the struggles that small farms are going through because I experienced them first-hand. If elected, I would fight for our hard-working farmers and give them a strong voice in the Legislature. Matthew DeFour iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- A creepy clown craze has taken America by storm in recent months, but its not the first time a wave of clown incidents has plagued the nation. In the 1980s, a cluster of phantom clown sightings, mostly reported by children, scared people in the suburbs around Boston, and ever since, similar flare-ups have occurred. The difference between then and now, according to experts? The social media factor. There is a strong element of social contagion in the recent mass hysteria surrounding clowns, said Benjamin Radford, a folklorist and author of Bad Clowns, which traces the history of threatening clowns. Clown reports are well suited for going viral on social media, Radford told ABC News. The key for something to go viral is the capacity for it to grab you emotionally before it grabs you cognitively, said Steven Schlozman, a child psychiatrist at Harvard who also teaches an undergraduate class on horror films. Clowns have an ability to make people emotionally engaged before theyre intellectually engaged, Schlozman told ABC News. But when did clowns, the supposed proponents of play, become a such a dark and sinister figure in pop culture? The History of Clowns For thousands of years, clown-like figures have existed in folklore. Characters like jesters -- satirical figures who poke fun at powerful figures -- can be traced back as early as 2500 B.C. In ancient Egypt, Pygmy clowns would make pharaohs laugh, as depicted in hieroglyphics. And according to ancient imperial Chinese folklore, a clown named Yu Sze was the only person allowed to poke holes in Emperor Qin Shih Huangs plan to paint the Great Wall of China. In ancient Rome, clowns were stock fools called stupidus. The English word for clown first appeared in the 1500s, when William Shakespeare used the term to describe foolish characters in his plays. The pantomime clown, a sort of bumbling buffoon character, was the prevailing clown of Western Europe and Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries. Londons most famous pantomime comic player was Joseph Grimaldi, considered the first recognizable ancestor of the modern clown due to his bizarre, colorful costumes, stark white face paint punctuated by spots of bright red on his cheeks and the blue Mohawk he wore on his head. Paris had its own version of the pantomime clown in Jean-Gaspard Deburau, who went by the name Pierrot. Deburau had a white face punctuated by red lips and black eyebrows, and French audiences were delighted by his silent gestures. But Europes early popular clowns had dark fates: Grimaldi was a penniless alcohol when he died in 1837, while Deburau killed a boy who shouted insults at him on the street with a walking stick. Americas Clowns: The Shift From Funny to Scary Clowns werent exported to America until the late 19th century, and they reached their heyday in the 1950s and 60s with beloved figures like Clarabell the Clown, Howdy Doodys silent partner, Bozo the Clown and Ronald McDonald. Bozo the Clown was so popular that by the 1960s there was a 10-year wait for tickets to the popular childrens show. But, Americas longstanding love-hate relationship with clowns began after their role in society changed in the 1970s. Serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who masqueraded part-time as a party clown named Pogo in the 1970s, changed the way Americans would view clowns forever after he was unveiled by newspapers as the Killer Clown. On the surface, Gacy was a respectable figure with a friendly face. He was the manager of three KFCs in Waterloo, Iowa, vice president of his local chamber of commerce and a member in good standing of the Jolly Joker clown club. But Gacy sexually assaulted and murdered at least 33 people, burying most of them in the crawl space of his suburban Chicago home. It wasnt long before Hollywood exploited the "killer clown" concept -- from the 1982 movie Poltergiest, that featured a scary clown doll under a childs bed, to the 1988 movie Killer Klowns from Outer Space. And while there were many other fictional clowns in pop culture that gave Americans the heebie jeebies in the '80s, it was arguably Stephen Kings Pennywise the clown, the main antagonist of his 1986 novel It, that solidified the clown's status as a figure to be feared. Why Clowns Creep Us Out According to experts, its not surprising that people find clowns creepy, especially considering their highly unusual characteristics: the dramatic wig, red nose, gaudy makeup and often oversized multi-colored clothing. Clown phobias are fueled by the fact that clowns wear disguises and makeup, which hides their true identity and feelings, said Rami Nader, a Canadian psychologist who studies cognitive behavior therapy and runs a stress and anxiety clinic in North Vancouver. When youre looking at a clown, hes got an exaggerated, painted-on face thats always projecting the same emotion, Nader told ABC News. You know its not real, and its not genuine because no one can be happy all the time. The ambiguity of clowns makes people uncomfortable, Nader added. Being creeped out is an emotional response to ambiguity about the presence of threats that enables people to maintain vigilance during times of uncertainty, according to a Knox College study on the nature of creepiness. Humans have evolved to err on the side of detecting threats in ambiguous situations. Unusual nonverbal behavior and characteristics associated with unpredictability are predictors of creepiness, according to the study. Clowns mischievous nature puts people constantly on guard because they never know if theyre going to get a pie in the face or be the victim of a prank. The Recent Creepy Clown Craze In 2016 alone, there have been several dozen reports to police of clowns behaving badly, including allegedly chasing people with knives and machetes, allegedly hanging out at cemeteries and appearing on desolate county roads in full-on makeup and garb in the dead of night, and allegedly attempting to lure children into dark woods. ABC News Social media threats from accounts featuring people impersonating scary clowns have partly been a source of the hysteria, according to authorities. One threat posted in the Washington State area mentioned a clown allegedly kidnapping a student and planting a bomb at a middle school. Some other schools in the country have been either closed or were placed on lockdown due to various social media threats from scary clowns, authorities say. There have been hoaxes as well. Some police departments have said that precious resources have been wasted investigating clown threats and so-called sightings. One 18-year-old woman allegedly made up that a clown held her at knifepoint -- all to avoid repercussions of being late to work, according to authorities. Some schools have banned clown costumes during the Halloween season, and some police departments are even warning people against dressing up as clowns for their own safety. The problem is that someone dressed like a clown could scare someone and theres a possibility, a possibility you could end up with someone getting shot, said Lt. Mike Bandish of the Palm Bay Police Department earlier this month. This is what a [law-abiding] clowns look like, Richard K. Jones of the Butler County Sheriffs Office in Hamilton, Ohio, wrote on Twitter in September, together with a photo of himself and a few friendly-looking clowns. At one point earlier this month, the hysteria was so widespread that "It" author King himself found the need to speak up, asking fans to cool the clown hysteria. The Life of Modern-Day Clowns The people taking the fall for all these clown incidents are those who have dedicated their lifes work to making people laugh: According to experts, negative images of clowns are harming clowning as a profession. In a survey asking 1,341 volunteers ages 18 to 77 to rate the creepiness of varying occupations as part of the Knox College study on the nature of creepiness, clowns topped the list, followed by taxidermists, sex shop owners and funeral directors. San Francisco-based clown Brian Wishnefsky, 62, compared the bad publicity to a modern-day witch hunt. Wishnefsky, a self-taught clown, has been making children laugh at Bay Area birthday parties for more than 31 years. He told ABC News he has rarely run into children (or adults) who were scared of him. Wishnefsky said that those fanning the scary clown fire simply need a scapegoat for their anger and have picked someone that has no way of fighting back. Clowns are the sacrificial victim, Wishnefsky said. Theres no anti-defamation league for clowns. Wishnefsky can make up to $200 or more for a 90-minute act, he said. Although hes still working the birthday party scene on a regular basis, he said he's experienced a drop in business. Those children are missing out on a clown that they would have loved, he said. The clown-haters are trying to make it so everyone hates clowns and drive them out of business. New York City-based comedian and clown Ambrose Martos, who performs for children at pediatric centers in tri-state area hospitals, called clowning an amazing job because he gets to bring laughter and joy, as well as a welcome distraction, to kids who are facing quite serious circumstances. Clowns are needed to lighten up dramatic situations and let people relax and forget about the troubles that theyre having at the time, said Martos, who goes by the clown name Dr. Phil E. Buster. Like Wishnefsky, Martos said he rarely encounters children who are scared of him and that 99 percent of the reaction is positive. So fear not, clown-lovers: clowns may not have completely been evacuated as a figure of fun, according to Schlozman. "They're really nice people who make balloons at kids parties, They really, really love making kids laugh," Schlozman said, adding that there will always be a market for that. And with the remake of Kings It pending a 2017 release, it looks like clowns, both the funny and creepy kind, are here to stay. Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, seeks re-election in Wisconsins First Congressional District, which includes Janesville, Kenosha, Racine and part of suburban Milwaukee. Ryan is challenged by Democrat Ryan Solen, Libertarian Jason Lebeck and self-described Trump Conservative Spencer Zimmerman. The election is Nov. 8. Jason Lebeck Party: Libertarian Age: 38 Address: 542 Harvard Court, Janesville, WI 53548 Family: Wife Holly, three kids Job: Technical Services Help Desk Technician Political experience: None Other public service: None Education: B.S. in Management Computer Systems, UW-Whitewater Paul Ryan (I) Party: Republican Age: 46 Address: P.O. Box 1488 Janesville, WI 53547 Family: Spouse Janna, children Liza, Charlie, Sam Job: Representative of the 1st Congressional District; Speaker of the House Political experience: Represented the 1st Congressional District since 1999; former Ranking Member and Chairman of the House Budget Committee; former Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Other public service: None Education: Bachelor of Arts from Miami University (OH) Ryan Solen Party: Democratic Age: 39 Address: 8239 W. Red Pine Circle, Mount Pleasant, WI 53406 Family: Melissa, Elijah, Cameron, Anya, Sebastian Job: Information Security Analyst at SC Johnson; Iraq War veteran (eight years active duty, U.S. Army) Political experience: None Other public service: None Education: BBA in Management Information Systems, MS in International Relations Spencer Zimmerman Party: Trump Conservative Age: 37 Address: 462 S. Randall Ave. No. 3, Janesville WI Family: Single Job: Presidential Limousine Service; U.S. Air Force, 2000-04 Political experience: Madison College Student Senate. Ran for Janesville City Council, Rock County Board, State Assembly 2008, 2010 and 2015 and U.S. Senate 2012 Other public service: None Education: Bachelors degree in business administration, Edgewood College; associates degree in information systems technology, Community College of the Air Force. Why should voters elect you to the U.S. House? Lebeck: Citizens are tired of career politicians growing government, protecting the interests of their parties and big-money donors, at the expense of their constituents. I will fight against crony capitalism. I will work to end the wars. I will protect private property rights. Ryan: Wisconsin has always been my home & my goal has always been to provide principled representation & flawless constituent service to my employers in southern Wisconsin. I work for Wisconsinites; I will always be their advocate fighting for limited government, defending our Constitution and advancing solutions to the challenges our nation faces. Solen: Because I know how to serve. I already have before. The good of the people and the country is my first focus. Party is a lower priority than people. Zimmerman: Im running against Paul Ryan as a Trump Conservative Nov. 8. I want to thank the Wisconsin State Journal for helping to share my priorities for Congress. We need to renegotiate or leave NAFTA, stop TPP, end the outsourcing of jobs, build a wall and end illegal immigration. How would you address partisan gridlock in the next session? Lebeck: I am willing to work with anyone, from any party, as long as the proposed legislation seeks to minimize governmental interference in citizens lives and is within the bounds of the Constitution. Ryan: In 2013, Democratic Senator Patty Murray and I authored a bill to fund the government for two years, while also cutting spending responsibly. In 2015, I helped pass a bipartisan transportation & infrastructure bill. In divided government, neither side gets everything they want, so I always try to work effectively for the good of hard-working taxpayers. Solen: I have a solid focus on the concept of bipartisan effort to resolve the issues that are afflicting our country. The more discussion that takes place, the better odds that we will be able to find solutions that work for everyone. I will make sure that all sides are represented when it comes to finding what works for everyone. Zimmerman: I will negotiate with the other side to best achieve a successful outcome. Compromise does not mean making concessions on core values as Paul Ryan has made. During the omnibus negotiations conservatives lost out on defunding Planned Parenthood, blocking Iraqi and Syrian refugee resettlement and overturning Obamas immigration executive actions. Whats the most important bill Congress should send to the next president? Lebeck: The most important bill would be something that limits all future bills to contain only one subject. I believe that bills which allow multiple topics hinders effective legislation, and that bills containing one subject would allow the citizens to hold their representatives more accountable. Ryan: We need to get our economy growing faster so we can create more jobs. That requires reforming our tax code so its simpler, fairer & more competitive. We need a tax code thats built to increase paychecks, jobs, and the economy. A predictable tax code will enable families & employers to better plan for the future. Solen: I think the next bill we need to get through is to address the issue of the debt that we continue to incur and how we can pay that back. In addition, it needs to address balancing the budget. Zimmerman: I will fight for term limits, two terms for senators and eight years for congressmen. I believe that this reform, in the form of a Constitutional Amendment, would do more to change Washington than anything done in the 200-plus years since the Constitution itself was ratified. Mark Sommerhauser For self-employed Green Bay-area dump truck driver Ken Simons, this years presidential election is all about the economy. Over the years, hes noticed fewer customers ordering mulch or gravel for their homes a sign to him of stagnant wages and the loss of good-paying manufacturing jobs. He says hes voting for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump because the country needs a businessman who will cut taxes to spur economic growth. For retired Milwaukee special education teacher Kay Frederick, this election is about equality. Ever since she was young, witnessing bullies slap the books out of the hands of a developmentally disabled girl, she has advocated for the less fortunate. She says shes voting for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton because of her inclusive message, qualifications and experience standing up for marginalized people. Both Simons and Frederick bear many of the same characteristics as the typical supporter of their respective candidate, according to data from the last two Marquette Law School polls. The data show Trump supporters are more likely than the average voter to: Be male. Live in a rural area. Lack a college degree. Be an evangelical Christian. Be pessimistic about the future. Conversely, Clinton supporters are more likely to: Be women. Live in a city. Have a college degree. Not practice a religion. Be optimistic about the future. The data reflect national polling about Trump and Clinton supporters, an indication that Wisconsin is a microcosm of the nation, said UW-Stevens Point political science professor Ed Miller. It also shows how polarized the state has become, Miller said. Only 4 percent of Clinton supporters are Republicans and only 3.4 percent of Trump supporters are Democrats, according to the data. Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette poll, said some of the differences are well known and predictable but others are not, including that Clinton gets more support among those earning less than $40,000 a year while Trump has considerable support from wealthier people. Trump is going to be caring for the people Simons, 66, has lived his whole life in the Green Bay area, most recently in the village of Howard. His grandparents were Dutch and Polish immigrants and they took it upon themselves to learn English. His father owned a cheese factory, where Simons worked from age 5 until 14, when his father sold the plant because he couldnt cope with state environmental regulations for wastewater treatment. I didnt even have time to turn around and dirty my diaper, Simons said. I was out there helping my dad make cheese. Simons graduated from East De Pere High School in 1968 and took some college courses at local trade schools, but never completed his degree, similar to about 58 percent of Trump supporters. He served in the Wisconsin National Guard for about eight years while working first as a supermarket meat cutter, and then as a car inspector for 20 years for the Green Bay and Western Railroad. During those years he voted with fellow union members for Democrats, including twice for former President Bill Clinton. But as an evangelical Christian, similar to 26 percent of Trump supporters, he disagreed with Democrats moving more in favor of abortion rights. After Bill Clintons various sex scandals and impeachment he started voting for Republicans. As for allegations that Trump groped several women, Simons says the two arent comparable because Bill Clinton settled a lawsuit with one of his accusers and allegations against Trump havent been proven. When 2000 came and George Bush was elected president, it was almost like we flushed the toilet, Simons said. Simons eventually lost his railroad job because of a merger, though not before buying a red dump truck and starting a hauling business, which he continues today. His annual income is in the $40,000 to $75,000 range, along with 28 percent of Trump supporters. About 1 in 5 Trump supporters makes less and 1 in 3 make more. Owning a business has meant complying with government regulations, licensing fees and taxes. He describes himself as just getting by, similar to roughly 4 in 10 Trump supporters. You come to realize how difficult it is to make a living as a small businessman, he said. For Simons, Trumps appeal is his success as a billionaire real estate mogul, though granted he has some mishaps along the way, you cant deny that. Hes also drawn to the notion that Trump doesnt need the job. He wants American citizens to be successful like he has been, Simons said. The key to success will be cutting taxes and bringing back manufacturing from overseas, Simons said. He points to the tax cuts under President Ronald Reagan, which he says yielded the economic gains in the 1990s. Simons also is concerned about the ballooning national debt, which under President Barack Obama has more than doubled to almost $20 trillion. When challenged on the point that independent economists, including the conservative Tax Foundation, have said Trumps economic plans would increase the debt 25 times more than Clintons, he says thats phony baloney. Those economists are probably Never Trumpers to begin with, Simons said. Though abortion was an issue that led Simons to leave the Democratic Party, he says social issues arent as significant an issue in this cycle as the economy and foreign policy. Simons is concerned the next presidents Supreme Court picks will set the course of the country with decisions restricting gun rights and reinstating the Fairness Doctrine that required equal air time for opposing political views on public airwaves. Asked whether the next generation will be better off than this one, Simons said it depends on whos president. If its Donald Trump it means hes going to be caring for the people, Simons said. If its Hillary Clinton, it will be her, and her cronies and her friends, and the American people will be secondary. Clinton is most qualified person for president Frederick, 67, grew up in Shorewood Hills thinking herself less well-off compared with the wealthier families who lived in the mansions along Lake Mendota. But when her Republican parents opted to send her to Madison Central High School, it opened her eyes to those living in actual poverty. She graduated from UW-Eau Claire and felt compelled to teach in Milwaukee Public Schools after reading 36 Children, a 1967 book about teaching in impoverished schools. As a young adult, Frederick was inspired by the message and example of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, people who had a vision of a better America. A great America that included everybody. She lives in Milwaukee, along with about 14.3 percent of Clinton voters. About 1 in 3 Clinton supporters live in urban areas. Among Trump supporters, 19.3 percent live in urban areas, and only 3.9 percent live in Milwaukee. Frederick has always voted for Democrats. She considered voting for Republican Sen. John McCain in the 2000 primary because she was impressed by his ability to work across the aisle, but was repulsed by the tactics used in the South Carolina primary. Of the 17 Republican candidates this year, she liked Ohio Gov. John Kasich the most, but still felt he was too conservative. She also considered Clintons primary opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, but concluded he was too thin-skinned and didnt come off as presidential. She is the most qualified person for president that Ive seen ever, Frederick said. I love the family values that Hillary stands for. I love her economic viewpoints. Like Simons, Frederick has criticisms of Obama. After he was elected in 2008, Frederick read a few chapters of his book, The Audacity of Hope, slammed it shut and complained to her husband, Hes a damn compromiser. She said the past eight years certainly wasnt the economic recovery I hoped. But unlike Simons, she blames Republicans for stoking divisions and throwing up roadblocks to the presidents agenda. Frederick says she is spiritual, but organized religion has turned her off. One in 5 Clinton supporters say they have no religious affiliation, compared with 7.5 percent of Trump supporters. She supports abortion rights and gay marriage. She also sees the value of the government safety net for low-income families, especially given her experience teaching special education in Milwaukee. She also admits she tends to shun people who espouse views that gay people shouldnt be allowed to marry or that African-Americans should be able to pull themselves up by the bootstraps. Its the Republicans in my (life) who say those things, Frederick said. I do not have friends who talk that way. If they talk that way, then they arent my friends. Frederick describes herself as one of those crazy people who doesnt mind paying taxes. She sees increasing economic disparity as a problem and dismisses tax cuts that benefit the wealthy as trickle-down economics. She and her husband, an IT professional, are living comfortably, making about $130,000 a year about a third of Clinton supporters make more than $75,000 and a third make less than $40,000. We have had great opportunities and we do feel like were blessed, Frederick said. And because were blessed its our obligation to help others. Frederick has an optimistic view about the next generation, like 30 percent of Clinton supporters, but only 7 percent of Trump supporters. She said her vote for Clinton isnt based on Clintons gender, but she is happy the country has moved to a point where a majority think a woman can serve as president. Asked about the publics distrust of Clintons honesty, Frederick waves it off, saying theres no politician out there who is 100 percent perfect. Im looking for someone who has ties and friendships around the world, is brilliant, knows whats going on politically and economically all over the planet, and how to handle more than one thing at a time, Frederick said. I just think we couldnt ask for someone who is better qualified. The finger-pointing is as familiar to voters as it is bewildering: Each candidate casts himself as the savior of Medicare and Social Security, while framing his opponent as out to gut the programs. Heated rhetoric about Medicare and Social Security pillars of retirement security for tens of millions of U.S. seniors has only intensified in recent years after sweeping overhauls of the programs were proposed in Congress. Wisconsins 2016 U.S. Senate race is no exception. Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and Democrat Russ Feingold have traded accusations about each others views and records on senior programs in public appearances and a recent TV ad barrage. Feingold, D-Middleton, says Johnson supports GOP efforts to privatize Medicare and Social Security. Such plans, Feingold said, would leave seniors retirements to the markets whims. We have to preserve it as a public program, Feingold said at a press conference last week, speaking of Social Security. Every Wisconsinite should know that (Johnson) is willing to risk their retirement on Wall Street. Johnson, R-Oshkosh, says Feingold is lying about this and other parts of his record. He accuses Feingold of being the one trying to raid seniors pocketbooks by failing to acknowledge the fiscal imperative to reform the programs and by raising taxes on Social Security benefits. This issue is demagogued. Sen. Feingold scares seniors, Johnson told the Wisconsin State Journal. I am dedicating myself to saving Social Security. Heres the solution: economic growth. To help sift through the rhetoric, here are some facts about the candidates records and what they say they would or would not do to shore up the programs for future generations. Johnson voted for a budget plan that called for privatizing Medicare. Johnson voted three times, in 2011, 2012 and 2013, for budget blueprints put forth by U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, who at that time was House Budget Committee chairman. The budgets called for transforming Medicare into a voucher program. Under that model, seniors would receive a fixed subsidy to help pay for private health care coverage. The Medicare eligibility age also would have increased from 65 to 67 under the proposal. An analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found the move would drastically increase out-of-pocket health care costs for seniors. Johnson told the State Journal that a vote for the Ryan budget didnt necessarily reflect support for its every provision. You can read all kinds of things into that vote, Johnson said. Medicare is a far larger discussion than an aspirational vote to finally balance the budget. Pressed repeatedly on whether he favors transforming Medicare into a fixed-subsidy program, Johnson declined to say yes or no. He said he generally favors changing the U.S. health care system to better reflect free market principles. Johnson has spoken positively about privatizing Social Security but has never explicitly voiced support for the move. At a town hall meeting in Prentice last year, Johnson said it was a shame that former President George W. Bush got slaughtered politically when he proposed a partial privatization of Social Security. That plan called for a voluntary option of private retirement accounts for future beneficiaries. Johnson told the newspaper that he simply meant it was unfortunate that Bush got such blowback for offering a way to make the program solvent. Its a shame that we didnt sit down on a bipartisan basis and address the problem, Johnson said. Johnson has blasted Feingolds claim that he wants to privatize Social Security as a lie. But asked by the State Journal if he would pledge never to vote to privatize the program, Johnson declined to do so. Im going to be taking a look at all the options, Johnson said. Feingold voted to increase taxes on a portion of seniors Social Security benefits. Feingold voted in 1993 for the first budget put forth by Democratic President Bill Clinton. It included a provision to increase income taxes on Social Security benefits for 5.5 million middle-class and affluent seniors, according to a 1993 report in The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Johnson campaign has featured this vote in a TV ad accusing Feingold of betraying his message of supporting seniors. Feingold told the State Journal the 23-year-old vote is far from Wisconsin voters minds during this campaign. This was one of thousands of provisions in the bill that seemed reasonable and obviously did not create great problems, Feingold said. I do not hear any complaints about that from people. Ensuring Social Security, Medicare remain solvent Politicians across the spectrum agree action is needed to ensure Social Security and Medicare remain viable. But gridlock in Washington, D.C., thus far has stymied any hope of agreement on a fix. The most recent projections show the Social Security trust funds would be depleted by 2034 if nothing changes. A key Medicare trust fund would be depleted by 2028. Johnson repeatedly has highlighted the programs unfunded liabilities to emphasize the need for action. He said adopting policies to promote economic growth, such as paring back regulations on businesses, is the biggest thing federal lawmakers can do to protect the programs for future generations. It will give us the revenue we need to be able to come up with bipartisan solutions, Johnson said. In terms of concrete steps to make the programs solvent, Johnson told the State Journal he has a very open mind. What I would support is a process and a bipartisan solution, Johnson said. What that solution is going to be, I cant predict. In addition to privatization, options could include increasing payroll taxes, raising the eligibility age, cutting benefits, or means-testing the programs by reducing or eliminating benefits for high-income seniors. Feingold has called for not only maintaining but expanding Social Security as a public program. He says he supports lifting the limit on income subject to Federal Insurance Contribution Act, or FICA, payroll taxes, which fund Social Security. The tax is levied only on the first $118,500 of yearly income. Feingold says the limit should be raised at least to the annual salary of a member of Congress, which is $174,000. Feingold said he opposes means-testing or increasing the eligibility age for the programs. The former concept has drawn support from some on the left, including President Barack Obama, who signaled a willingness to means-test Medicare. Feingold said he believes doing so could undermine support for the programs. These programs depend on broad public support, Feingold said. To start dividing the programs in terms of income or class is dangerous. Shiite militias join the battle for Mosul: SHURA, Iraq State-sanctioned Shiite militias joined Iraqs Mosul offensive on Saturday with a pre-dawn assault to the west, where they hope to complete the encirclement of the Islamic State-held city and sever supply lines from neighboring Syria. Other Iraqi forces aided by U.S.-led airstrikes and heavy artillery meanwhile drove IS from the town of Shura, south of Mosul, where the militants had rounded up civilians to be used as human shields. Dozens feared dead after airstrikes hit prisons: SANAA, Yemen Dozens of prisoners and security personnel were feared dead after Saudi-led airstrikes on Saturday battered two prisons inside a security headquarters in a western port city, security and medical officials said. The airstrikes bombed the al-Zaydiya security headquarters in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida. The building contained two prisons and many prisoners along with security forces have been killed in the strikes, the officials said. The city is under control of Yemens Shiite Houthi rebels who have seized the capital and much of the northern region in 2014. Child of Britains Schindler appeals for help for refugees: LONDON The daughter of a stockbroker nicknamed Britains Schindler for saving Jewish children from the Nazis appealed Saturday for the child refugees of today to be treated with similar compassion. Barbara Wintons late father, Nicholas, rescued more than 650 Czechoslovakian children, most of them Jewish, by putting them on trains to the U.K. and helping them escape Nazi-occupied Europe on the eve of World War II. UN says 25 killed in Central African Republics rising tensions: DAKAR, Senegal The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic says 25 people have been killed in clashes between armed groups amid rising tension in parts of the long-turbulent country. The peacekeeping mission urged armed groups to cease the cycle of violence of recent weeks, which it said goes against the aspirations for peace among the vast majority of the population in the impoverished, landlocked nation. Central African Republic descended into conflict in 2013 when the mostly Muslim Seleka rebels overthrew the Christian president. South Korean protesters call for president to step down: SEOUL, South Korea Thousands of South Koreans took to the streets of the capital on Saturday calling for increasingly unpopular President Park Geun-hye to step down over allegations that she let an old friend, the daughter of a religious cult leader, interfere in important state affairs. The evening protest came after Park ordered 10 of her senior secretaries to resign over a scandal that is likely to deepen the presidents lame duck status ahead of next years election. Maduro absent from Latin American leadership conference: CARTAGENA, Colombia Leaders of Ibero-American nations met Saturday as a political and humanitarian crisis deepened in Venezuela, a session that was overshadowed by a guessing game over whether their Venezuelan colleague would show. He didnt. Maduros government has been widely condemned for blocking attempts by the opposition, which won control of congress in December elections, to gather signatures in a petition seeking to hold a recall election against the socialist leader. Venezuela is suffering from severe food and medicine shortages and acute criminal violence. The Monroe County Sheriffs Office has been notified that convicted sex offender Randy S. Poff will be released from Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center on or before Nov. 11. Upon release Poff will be living at a residence on Grayling Avenue. He is required to submit to lifetime GPS monitoring and comply with all requirements of a lifetime registrant of Wisconsins sex offender registration program. The Monroe County Sheriffs Office will hold a community meeting on Poffs placement Monday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Tomah Police Department meeting room. Poff was convicted in La Crosse County of the following crimes: Three counts of indecent exposure in 1989. Two counts of second-degree sexual assault in 1991 for raping a 32-year-old woman jogging north of Myrick Park in La Crosse. The woman said a naked man grabbed her from behind, choked her and covered her mouth before dragging her into a bush. Sexually violent person commitment in 2011 for chasing a jogger and prowling outside the home of a 16-year-old girl and her mother. Poff was initially sentenced to prison for the 1991 conviction. He was committed to the custody of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and incarcerated at the Sand Ridge Treatment Center. A La Crosse County Judge Oct. 12 ordered Poff be released from Sand Ridge. Since the release order Monroe County Sheriffs Office has been working with Wisconsin Department of Corrections on the parameters of Poffs release and notifying community members. All sex offenders in Wisconsin are listed on the Department of Corrections Sex Offender Registry website at https://offender.doc.state.wi.us/public. Questions also can be directed to Scott Timm at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services at 800-583-7981. VATICAN CITY The Vatican on Tuesday published guidelines for Catholics who want to be cremated, saying their remains cannot be scattered, divvied up or kept at home but rather stored in a sacred, church-approved place. The new instructions were released just in time for Halloween and All Souls Day on Nov. 2, when the faithful are supposed to pray for and remember the dead. For most of its 2,000-year history, the Catholic Church only permitted burial, arguing that it best expressed the Christian hope in resurrection. But in 1963, the Vatican explicitly allowed cremation as long as it didnt suggest a denial of faith about resurrection. The new document from the Vaticans Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith repeats that burial remains preferred, with officials calling cremation a brutal destruction of the body. But it lays out guidelines for conserving ashes for the increasing numbers of Catholics who choose cremation for economic, ecological or other reasons. It said it was doing so to counter what it called new ideas contrary to the churchs faith that had emerged since 1963, including New Age-y ideas that death is a fusion with Mother Nature and the universe, or the definitive liberation from the prison of the body. To set the faithful straight, the Vatican said ashes and bone fragments cannot be kept at home, since that would deprive the Christian community as a whole of remembering the dead. Rather, church authorities should designate a sacred place, such as a cemetery or church area, to hold them. Only in extraordinary cases can a bishop allow ashes to be kept at home, it said. Vatican officials declined to say what circumstances would qualify, but presumably countries where Catholics are a persecuted minority and where Catholic churches and cemeteries have been ransacked would qualify. The document said remains cannot be divided among family members or put in lockets or other mementos. Nor can the ashes be scattered in the air, land or sea since doing so would give the appearance of pantheism, naturalism or nihilism, the guidelines said. It repeated church teaching that Catholics who choose to be cremated for reasons contrary to the Christian faith must be denied a Christian funeral. The new instruction carries an Aug. 15 date and says Pope Francis approved it March 18. The author of the text, Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, was asked at a Vatican briefing if Francis had any reservations about the text, particularly the refusal to let family members keep remains of their loved ones at home. The dead body isnt the private property of relatives, but rather a son of God who is part of the people of God, Mueller said. We have to get over this individualistic thinking. While the new instruction insists that remains be kept together, Vatican officials said they are not about to go gather up the various body parts of saints that are scattered in churches around the world. The practice of divvying up saints bodies for veneration a hand here, a thigh bone there was a fad centuries ago but is no longer in favor. Going to all the countries that have a hand of someone would start a war among the faithful, reasoned Monsignor Angel Rodriguez Luno, a Vatican theological adviser. LAS ARMAS DE CORONEL Ver tambien mi website: www.armasdecoronel.com para leer dos de mis libros, entrevistas, etc. FRIENDS and family came from as far away as Canada to celebrate the golden wedding of happy couple Peter and Mary Glenister. Peter Glenister, 71, and his wife Mary, 69, of Stag Lane ,Great Kingshill, were joined by 57 guests at their anniversary lunch at the Compleat Angler Hotel, Marlow, last Thursday. Among the guests were family who had witnessed their wedding in 1951 as well as the couple's four children and 11 grandchildren. "It was a wonderful day especially being able to share it with relatives and friends who came from all over Yorkshire, Devon and our nephew, another Peter Glenister, who travelled from Canada," said Mr Glenister. "We are proud to say both the youngest and the oldest living Glenisters were in attendance our 18-month-old grandson Thomas and my 92-year-old aunt Olive." Mr Glenister was born and bred in High Wycombe but met wife Mary, who is originally from Hazlemere, when she moved to Wooburn Green. "A mutual friend introduced us when I was 19 and Mary was 17. Our first date was at the Old Parish Cinema in Frogmoor," said Mr Glenister. "Two years later we married at Wycombe Parish Church." Mr Glenister worked in the insurance business and although he officially retired in 1989, continues to work at the family newsagents in Great Kingshill. Mr Glenister's grandparents, Charles and Ann Glenister, of Flackwell Heath, were featured in the Free Press at their golden wedding in1939 and their diamond wedding in 1949. Students who are the first in their family to attend college have a different experience than students with college graduate parents. Young people today do have many resources available to them. Books and websites offer advice on getting accepted into a school and dealing with life away from home for the first time. Also, most high schools in the United States have counselors and college advisors. Their job is to help students understand the process of applying to schools. But when Christopher Curran started looking for the right university, he had one less resource than most students in the U.S. His parents never went to college. So, they had little advice to give. Curran is from the town of Whitman in the northeastern state of Massachusetts. He is the oldest of five children. Curran always worked hard to impress his parents in school and in his daily life. So, his parents decided he would have what they never did. Currans parents had little money. But they worked hard to send him to Boston College High School, a well-known and respected private high school, in 2000. Curran says he always felt different from his classmates. They had money for new clothes while he worked at a part-time job to pay for his transportation to and from school. Also, when his classmates began considering which college to attend, their parents could share advice and connections from their own experiences as graduates. Curran, however, is considered a first-generation student, meaning he is the first in his family to attend college. He is not alone. The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce is an organization that studies the link between education and career success. Research from the organization suggests almost 32 percent of undergraduate students in the U.S. are first generation. The research also suggests first generation students have a much more difficult college experience than those whose parents hold degrees. Researchers found only about 40 percent of first generation students completed a degree or certificate program after six years of study. About 55 percent of students with degree-holding parents completed their programs in the same amount of time. In 2004, Curran chose to attend Bridgewater State University because it was close to his family. He admits that it was difficult to be unable to ask his parents for advice on specific things like choosing classes. His mother was more worried about the risky behavior that can happen at colleges, especially involving alcohol. Curran says at first he felt he had to work harder than other students to prove himself. He wanted to show his parents all the effort of sending him to a special high school and to college was worth it. But soon, he understood that having to succeed without the same resources as others also helped make him the man he is today. "I realized it was a lesson. And I realized that a lot of those kids that I went to high school with werent going to have the same understanding of how the real world works because theyve never had to work for it. So, when I got into college I definitely had a respect for what it took to get there and what it took to succeed. In that it wasn't just something that happened." Curran finished his undergraduate degree in 2008 and then went on to complete a masters degree as well. He says his path was long and never easy. But, he says, if a person never tries they will never know if they can succeed. Maria Urena is a college adviser with the College Success Foundation. Her organization works to improve college graduation rates among first-generation students and other minority groups. She says Currans story is very common among first-generation students. Urena notes that not all first-generation college students are the same. They may be from high or low income families. They may have been born in the U.S. or a foreign country. Urena works with students at A.C. Davis High School in the northwestern state of Washington. About 80 percent of the students there live in poverty, she says. Also, 49 out of the 50 students in her program have parents who never completed high school. Most of these students also have had to deal with traumatic experiences in their lives, Urena adds. This includes family members dying or going to prison. Also, families often need older children to work to provide extra income. Many of her students believe there is no chance they will ever go to college, she says. And those who do make the choice to seek higher education do not know what it requires. "A lot of times, students dont even know where to begin the process, like what kind of questions they need to be asking" That is why Urena meets regularly with both students and parents to discuss their goals and how to reach them. She brings community members in to help students with their application materials. The library at A.C. Davis High School stays open late so students can do things like apply for financial aid in their free time. Nichole Smith agrees that first-generation students need the extra help with the many steps in the application process. Smith is the chief economist at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. She says colleges should ensure all the information they provide to interested young people is easier to understand. But she adds that barriers for students are not completely removed once a college accepts them. First generation students often feel like they do not belong. They also feel greater stress and pressure to succeed, which can cause problems for them, she says. "When you ask them What are some of your biggest challenges and some of your greatest fears? They have a great fear of failure, because they feel if they fail, they not only fail themselves. They fail their parents. They fail their children or their potential children, if they don't have children yet. They fail their other relatives." Smith suggests that colleges and universities should do more to measure the progress of first-generation students. In that way, the dream of a college education can come true for them and hopefully their children as well. Im Pete Musto. Pete Musto reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Did your parents attend college? Are your children first-generation college students? What do you think are the best ways to support them? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story graduate(s) n. a person who has earned a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university advice n. an opinion or suggestion about what someone should do counselor(s) n. a person who provides advice as a job apply(ing) v. to ask formally for something (such as a job, admission to a school or loan) usually in writing undergraduate n. a student at a college or university who has not yet earned a degree degree n. an official document and title that is given to someone who has successfully completed a series of classes at a college or university certificate - n. a document that is official proof that you have finished school or a course of training realize(d) v. to understand or become aware of something masters degree n. a degree that is given to a student by a college or university usually after one or two years of additional study following a bachelor's degree income n. money that is earned from work, investments or business challenge(s) n. a difficult task or problem Marshow to get there and maybe even live there has been in the news a lot lately. Governments and private industry around the world are discussing ways to get people to the so-called Red Planet. In mid-October, U.S. President Barack Obama attended a science and technology conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He spoke of his love of the subject. Im a science geek, Obama said. I dont make any apologies for it. The president got laughter from a roomful of fellow science geeks. Obama first proposed a U.S. mission to Mars in 2010. He repeated his call this month to get humans to and from the Red Planet by the 2030s. Obama called for a partnership with private companies to develop a way to make it happen. In Pittsburgh, Obama examined a Boeing space flight simulatora device that recreates what it would be like to fly in space. He also saw a SpaceX Dragon Spacecraftthe kind that carries cargo to the International Space Station. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is part of ongoing research efforts to develop vehicles that could transport astronauts to the Red Planet. Cool stuff, Obama said. At the conference, the White House announced it is giving about $300 million to research and development-- including money for the deep-space exploration project that supports the presidents Mars-related goals. NASA and the aerospace company Lockheed Martin together are building Orion, a spacecraft designed to fly humans into deep space. It is part of the effort to get to Mars. Following Orions test flight in 2014, the spacecraft, rocket and launch operation systems are being built for their first mission together-- called Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) in 2018. During that three-week mission, Orion will go past the moon. The first time humans are expected to fly on board Orion is 2021. Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars. Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars Some scientists believe that the words of this popular Frank Sinatra song may come true one day. They want to return to the moon as a first step to exploring Mars. Some scientists question whether a trip to Mars is possible without huge amounts of money from the government. Paul Spudis is with the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas. Any program where the payoff is 20-30 years in the future is effectively a dead issue in Congress because they do not deal in timescales like that. They deal in timescales from two to 10 years. Spudis wrote a book called "The Value of the Moon." In it, he argues for establishing an outpost on the moon. It takes only three days to get there, and three to come back. He says NASA missions have shown that there is water at the moons poles. So, I have energy and I have materials. I can live on the moon. I can make rocket propellant. Scientists and space experts gathered recently at Rice University in Houston, Texas, for the Lost in Space 2016 conference. Former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao attended the meeting. He supports returning to the moon. We can train crews. We dont necessarily want the first crew on Mars to be rookies. We can train crews on the moon. Michael Lembeck is president of CEPStone. He supports using the moon as a training base. But he questions the idea some scientists have of using it as a chemical refueling station. If we talk about actually making the journey to Mars on chemical propulsion, that could be a dead end. We need high-speed transportation. That is something private industry is already developing. Elon Musk is founder of SpaceX. His company is working on designing transportation to Mars. He used the social news site Reddit earlier this month to explain his plans to colonize Mars. People asked him about his plan to send up to one million people to the Red Planet sometime in the next 40 to 100 years. Musk said the plan would begin with unmanned cargo missions. These missions would teach future crews how to land as well as the best way get water needed to make methane fuel. An unmanned ship would also be sent to Mars with equipment to build a plant to create refueling propellant for return trips to Earth. Musk said the first manned crew would have the job of constructing the plant. He has said that SpaceX is already working on equipment for the project. Musk also said his company will have actual models of the habitation, or living sections, maybe in a year or two. Musks plans also include 1,000 passenger ships flying all together to Mars. But much of the technology needed for the Interplanetary Transport Systemthe system to get people therehas not yet been developed. The recent crash of the European Space Agency probe as it landed on Mars shows how difficult it is to successfully get to, and land on, the planet. ExoMars Flight Operations Director Michel Denis said, This didnt land softly as we would have like to. The probe hit the ground traveling much faster than it should have, he said. NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which is circling around the planet, took a picture of the crash site. The ExoMars program is a joint effort with Russia. The program aims to determine if there is life on the planet. China is also working on its own mission to Mars. The country plans to land a rover vehicle on Mars by 2020. Im Anne Ball. This story was updated 11/07/16 Anne Ball wrote this story for Learning English with reports from VOAs Greg Flakus, Marissa Melton and Reuters News Service. Ashley Thompson was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story geek n. a person who is very interested in and knows a lot about a particular field or activity simulator n. a machine that is used to show what something looks or feels like and is usually sued to study something or to train people cargo - n. supplies outpost n. a small military base or town far away from other towns propellant - n. fuel rookies - n. a person who has just started a job or activity, a beginner colonize - v. to establish a place occupied by humans probe n. a thin, long instrument that is used especially for examining Millions of children in India drop out of school every year although enrollment at schools in the country is rising. To help dropout students, voluntary centers are training some of these children to return to school. At these centers, children learn to read and write so they can study what they have missed when they were out of school. One student, 8-year old Muskan Khatoon, is enrolled at a center in a poor neighborhood in New Delhi. Before going to the center, she had moved to a village after her father had an accident which put him out of work in the city. She dropped out of the village school after struggling with a common problem in rural areas: poor teaching. "I did not get books, the teacher used to teach for two hours, then go home," she said. Because Muskan fell behind, she could not get into a regular school when she returned to New Delhi. There are millions of children in India like her. In 2014, nearly 20 percent of children did not complete primary education. Obstacles to education Sakshi is a teaching center that gives dropouts the skills they need to return to mainstream schools. Zuber Khan is Director at Sakshi. He says thousands of rural migrants are flowing into cities in search of jobs. He says they struggle to register their children in schools. Khan says that migrant families often come in the middle of the school year when school registration is closed. And they often do not have any proof of identification. There are other issues that keep children out of school although free primary education in India is now a right. Amina Jha teaches at the Sakshi center. She says many children stay at home to do housework and take care of brothers and sisters as both parents work. "Especially girls. There are 19 children in my class who do not know the basic alphabet." To deal with this problem the centers sometimes permit children to come late after doing housework. They also provide them with food and books. Motivating parents Studies show that many illiterate families do not understand the importance of education. Motivating parents, then, is important to keeping children in school. In the neighborhood in New Delhi, many children are registering in regular schools after a year of informal education. Jha says now parents are more willing to send children to the center. "Children who used to play in the lanes now go to government schools. They wear uniforms. They know how to write, how to talk. That has made parents happy." Getting children into school is important for Indias future for many reasons. The country has the highest population of under 15-year-olds in the world. I'm Phil Dierking Anjana Pasricha wrote this story for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. What do you think is important for helping dropout students return to school? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story enrollment n. to formally become a student at a school mainstream adj. widely used or attended primary adj. the first level of education illiterate adj. unable to read motivate v. to give a reason to do something uniforms n. a special kind of clothing worn by all members of a group If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales. Albert Einstein It is often asserted that the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 proved that HWA was right and he really did see the future. This of course is nonsense. Herbert W. Armstrong said that Christ would return within twenty years in his book Mystery of the Ages. (PCG has since deleted those words so someone in there knows HWA spoke nonsense.) How convenient for them to forget this. Also Herbert W. Armstrong never said the Soviet Union would collapse. He thought it would survive intact until a few years after Christ's return. It shows how biased some many in the COGs are that they never seem to notice this. This inconvenient truth is just tossed into the memory hole. It is true that HWA said that some Eastern European states would break away from Moscow's orbit and join the European Empire he said would arise at any moment. But he never talked of the Soviet Union collapsing. He did not teach that. Also he portrayed the rise of the European Empire to be far quicker then what has actually happened. In Mystery of the Ages Christ was supposed to return by 2005 at the most. So assertions that the fall of the Berlin Wall somehow prove that HWA was right is just complete nonsense spread by people who, for whatever reason, are still in denial that HWA was a false prophet who merely talked out of his own "human reasoning". As'ad's Bio As'ad AbuKhalil, born March 16, 1960. From Tyre, Lebanon, grew up in Beirut. Received his BA and MA from American University of Beirut in pol sc. Came to US in 1983 and received his PhD in comparative government from Georgetown University. Taught at Tufts University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Colorado College, and Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Served as a Scholar-in-Residence at Middle East Institute in Washington DC. He served as free-lance Middle East consultant for NBC News and ABC News, an experience that only served to increase his disdain for maintream US media. He is now professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus. His favorite food is fried eggplants. I survived in a very miraculous way in the midst of death. We had to leave our home because of the war, fleeing to the mountains, running all the time from the soldiers of my country. Finally we got to Honduras and were taken into a refugee camp there named Mesa Grande. At the refugee camp in Honduras I learned to paint in the special style of my country. I only painted crosses because the cross was very significant for us. The civil war was like carrying a cross every day. Suffering, pain, death; it was a difficult time. But we wanted to come back to our country, we wanted to create a new future, a different country. We wanted to transform the cross into a living cross. I did get back to my beloved El Salvador but sadly, when I was 16, I was threated again and had to flee. I was sent to Sweden. I came to that good country as a refugee child. Alone. It was difficult but I survived. My therapy has been painting and music, when I feel sad I paint or play the piano. The colors and the notes become my world of relief. My crosses are around the world now, in approximately 119 countries. I serve at my church now as a volunteer. I am a lay pastor in a community in the rural area of El Salvador. We are born to serve, we are born to understand one another, we are born to love, we are born to live and be happy. On October 31, the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation will hold a commemoration in Sweden for the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. The event will include the participation of Pope Francis, LWF President Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan and LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Martin Junge. It is part of a dialogue between the Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches regarding their common beliefs and practices.The symbol of this event in Sweden is a cross painted by Salvadoran artist Christian Chavarria Ayala. You can read about the images on this cross here Christian says he has painted around 250,000 crosses of different sizes and colors to raise awareness on issues such as poverty, water, globalization and peaceful coexistence. The crosses are the best therapy to cope with difficult moments, says Christian.Christian grew up during El Salvador's bloody civil war. In an attack on his childhood home, Christian saw the army massacre his siblings, and left for dead by the army, he eventually made his way to a refugee camp in Honduras.In his own words You can read a short autobiography of Christian and his incredible life story at the website Afflicted with Hope Thiruvananthapuram: The alumni association of a prominent college has announced gold coins to the civic authorities which would kill the maximum number of stray dogs till 10 December in Kerala where four persons have lost their lives and over 700 have been injured in canine attacks in the last four months. In the wake of increasing stray dog menace in the state, office bearers of Old Students Welfare Association of Pala-based St Thomas College said the "gift" would be given to the heads of panchayats and municipalities across the state where most stray dogs are killed. The outfit had hit headlines recently for providing air guns at subsidised rates to deal with violent dogs. Earlier, cash incentives were also offered by a state-based industrialist for culling dogs. "We are planning to give the gift to panchayat presidents and municipality chairmen in the state who lead in killing the maximum number of stray dogs. Our aim is to ensure the safety of people from violent canines," James Pambaykkal, Association General Secretary, told PTI. Accusing the government of inactivity on the stray dog issue, he said the association was attempting to end the menace with the participation of people. The gold coins would be bought with the contributions, collected from the representatives of the 1200 member-association, he said. The weight of the coins would be decided according to the total amount collected, James, a physics post-graduate who passed out from the college in 1984, said. He said the civic authorities, who apply for the gold coins, should submit day-to-day figures of the culled dogs. The stray dog issue in the state came into the limelight again after the gruesome killing of 90-year-old Raghavan who was mauled to death by a pack of street dogs at Varkala on 26 October. As per government figures, four persons were killed in the last four months in stray dog attacks and 701 people, including 175 children, were injured across the state. This year, 53,000 people had to take treatment for dog bites in government medical college hospitals alone. As many as 88,172 suffered dog bites in 2013 while it was 1,19,119 in 2014 and 47,156 in 2015 in the state, the figures added. Antehri (Haryana): The last rites of army jawan Mandeep Singh, who was killed by terrorists in Macchil sector of Jammu and Kashmir, were held with full state honours on Sunday, even as his family and villagers demanded that Pakistan be given a befitting reply for its repeated misadventures. The jawan's body, wrapped in the tricolour, was brought in a bedecked army vehicle to his native village here as a large number of people including from neighbouring areas paid their last respect. The soldier whose body was mutilated by the terrorists was given a gun salute by the army, which sounded the last post. Mortal remains of soldier Mandeep Singh (who lost his life in Machil encounter) brought to his hometown Antahedi Village, Kurukshetra pic.twitter.com/px3N0MBSPk ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 Mortal remains of soldier Mandeep Singh (who lost his life in Machil encounter) brought to his hometown Antahedi Village, Kurukshetra pic.twitter.com/XyzvOCDBfZ ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 Kurukshetra: ML Khattar meets family members of soldier Mandeep Singh (who lost his life in Machil encounter) pic.twitter.com/9ygsFzZfFL ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 #WATCH: Villagers raise anti-Pak slogans just as mortal remains of Mandeep Singh arrives his hometown Antahedi Village, Kurukshetra pic.twitter.com/qdI8V5ren5 ANI (@ANI_news) October 30, 2016 Mandeep's father lit the funeral pyre. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, senior army officers, officials from the district administration were present on the occasion. Villagers who kept chanting "Shaheed Mandeep Amar Rahe" Villagers who kept chanting "Shaheed Mandeep Amar Rahe" also raised anti-Pakistan slogans. The 30-year-old soldier was scheduled to return to his village to celebrate Diwali and for a ceremony in connection with the family's newly constructed house here, but instead, he returned in a coffin, his family and local villagers, all of whom were inconsolable, said. Mandeep's family and villagers demanded the Centre avenge the sacrifice of soldiers and teach Pakistan a lesson. People of his village said they will not be celebrating Diwali today as a mark of respect to the martyr's supreme sacrifice. However, each household has decided to light a "diya" (earthen lamp) in his memory. Mandeep's sacrifice is the second loss to the district within a week after BSF constable Sushil Kumar, who belonged to Pehowa here, was martyred in Jammu district. Antehri is famous as a village of soldiers. Several youths from here are serving in the armed forces. There was anger among the people here over the barbaric incident at the Line of Control in Kashmir as the body of the jawan was mutilated by the terrorists, who were aided by the cover fire by Pakistan army. Mandeep had joined the 17th Sikh regiment as a sepoy in 2008. He had got married in 2014. Consoling the martyr's family, Khattar while responding to their demand that stern action be taken against Pakistan for harbouring terrorists and its repeated misadventures, said that "we will teach them a lesson". "We will avenge this. Pakistan will be taught a lesson," Khattar said. He also said, "The martyr laid down his life for the nation's sake. In this hour of grief, we are standing solidly behind the family. We will give whatever assistance they require." Meanwhile, interacting with reporters, Khattar described the killing of soldier Mandeep Singh as a cowardly act by the terrorists. Khattar said that such nefarious designs of evil forces would not succeed. "The martyrdom of Mandeep Singh will inspire many others to protect our motherland," Khattar said. The Chief Minister said that a financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh would be given to the next of kin of the martyr. To a question, he also said that the state government will consider raising a memorial or naming a road after the martyr. "Whatever his family wants, we will consider it," he said. A pall of gloom descended on the Antehri village after the body of the jawan reached here. People thronged the martyr's house to pay their last respect before the coffin was carried in a bedecked vehicle for the last rites. The chief minister and others laid a wreath on the martyr's body. Mandeep's widow Prerna is a Head Constable with Haryana police and posted at Shahbad Markanda here. Prerna said Pakistan must be taught a lesson for harbouring terrorists. "We cannot see our soldiers dying daily," she said breaking down into tears several times. Mandeep is the youngest of three sons of Phool Singh. Singh said rmy should be given a free hand to deal with nefarious designs of Pakistan. The martyr's brother Sandeep said that he wants to join the Army to avenge the killing of our soldiers. The martyr's neighbours described him as a "go-getter" who always had a smile on his face. Mandeep's sacrifice came within a week after Sushil Kumar (47), a BSF constable was martyred in Jammu district. He also hailed from Kurukshetra district and belonged to Pehowa town here. Kumar was killed as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire, resorting to heavy shelling and firing from automatic weapons in several sectors along the International Border in Jammu district on 24 October. This is not the first time that Pakistan has mutilated the bodies of Indian soldiers. During the Kargil war in 1999, Captain Saurabh Kalia, soldiers Arjunram Baswana, Mula Ram Bidiasar, Naresh Singh Sinsinwar, Bhanwar Lal Bagaria and Bhika Ram Mudh of the 4 Jat Regiment were captured by Pakistani troops and brutally tortured. The soldiers had their eardrums pierced with hot iron rods, eyes punctured and genitals cut off. The autopsy of the bodies also revealed that they were burnt with cigarettes butts. Their limbs were also chopped off, teeth broken and skull fractured during the torture. Even their nose and lips were sliced off. In another incident, on 8 January, 2013, Pakistani soldiers entered Indian territory in Krishna Ghati sector of the border and killed two Indian soldiers -- Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh. Indian officials said both the bodies were mutilated, and Hemraj's body was decapitated. With inputs from agencies FREDDY MOU | Loop PNG PRIME Minister Peter ONeill has described the latest report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the costs of Papua New Guinea hosting the APEC forum as rubbish and a nuisance. The IMF report stated that the government plans to spend K3 billion over 2015-18 on preparations for APEC 2018. However ONeill told Parliament that the amount mentioned by IMF is utterly rubbish, inaccurate and not true. How can you spend K3 billion when the country has only a K12 billion budget every year? he asked. By Ahmed Rasheed and Stephen Kalin | BAGHDAD/ERBIL, Iraq BAGHDAD/ERBIL, Iraq Iraqi troops and security forces edged closer to Mosul on two southern fronts on Sunday but a leader of the Shi'ite militias newly participating in the offensive warned that the battle for Islamic State's Iraq stronghold would be long and gruelling.A military statement said the army's Ninth Armoured Division raised the Iraqi flag in the village of Ali Rash, about 7 km (4 miles) southeast of Mosul, after recapturing it from the ultra-hardline Sunni Muslim militants.Further south, an Interior Ministry officer said security forces were advancing from the town of al-Shura, recaptured from Islamic State on Saturday, along the Tigris river valley towards Mosul 30 km (20 miles) to the north.The army and security forces, along with Kurdish peshmerga fighters, have been backed by U.S.-led air and ground support in their two-week-old campaign to crush Islamic State in the largest city of its self-declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria.Their battle for Mosul, still home to 1.5 million residents, could be one of the toughest battles in a decade of turmoil since the 2003 overthrow of then-President Saddam Hussein, a Sunni Muslim, brought Iraq's majority Shi'ites to power.On Saturday thousands of Iranian-backed Iraqi Shi'ite militia fighters, known as the Hashid Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) forces, joined the Mosul offensive, launching a campaign to take territory to the west of the city.Their target is to seize the town of Tal Afar, 55 km (35 miles) west of Mosul, from Islamic State. That would cut off any chance of the jihadists retreating into - or being reinforced from - their positions in neighbouring Syria.Iraqi troops and Kurdish peshmerga fighters are already driving Islamic State fighters back on the southern, eastern and northeastern approaches to Mosul."There is cooperation between ... the army, federal police, Hashid and counter-terrorism (forces) and also the (local Sunni) tribes," said Hadi al-Amiri, head of the Badr Organisation, the most powerful group within the Popular Mobilisation forces. Speaking in the village of Ain Nasir in the semi-arid land west of the Tigris, Amiri said the fight against Islamic State insurgents holding Mosul, who have already launched waves of suicide car bombs, roadside bombs and sniper attacks to slow down the advancing forces, could be long and bloody."The battle of Mosul will not be a picnic. It needs time, it needs precision, it needs a deep breath," he said, wearing military fatigues and with his face wrapped in a white checked headscarf against the wind and sand."We are prepared for the battle of Mosul even if it lasts for months". ISLAMIC STATE "REINFORCING" TAL AFAR The deployment of Shi'ite forces in northern Iraq, an ethnically mixed region where Sunni Muslims form a majority, could inflame sectarian tensions and has led to warnings from neighbouring Turkey.President Tayyip Erdogan said the town of Tal Afar, which the Shi'ite forces say they will recapture, is Turkmen - inhabited by people with strong cultural and historical links to Turkey - and said Ankara would act if the Popular Mobilisation forces "unleash terror" there.Anticipating the offensive on Tal Afar, and highlighting its strategic importance, Islamic State has also been reinforcing the town in the last 48 hours, an Iraqi security official said.He said two waves of reinforcements were sent including insurgents who had fought in neighbouring Syria and had experience in using anti-tank missiles. "Intelligence reports show that the Daesh (Islamic State) groups have entered TOW missiles systems into Tal Afar. It's obvious they are making preparations for a long protracted battle," the official from the provincial military operation command centre told Reuters.His comments could not be independently verified but a resident of Mosul, speaking to Reuters by phone, said relatives in Tal Afar reported seeing increasing numbers of Islamic State fighters in the town, some of them patrolling on motorbikes.Since launching their advance towards Tal Afar on Saturday, the Popular Mobilisation forces have taken over several villages in an area about 60 km (40 miles) southeast of their final target.Interior Ministry rapid response forces, who took control on Saturday of the town of al-Shura, about 30 km (20 miles) south of Mosul, advanced on Sunday a few km northeast and took three villages from Islamic State, an officer told Reuters.The Popular Mobilisation force, formed in 2014 to help push back Islamic State's sweeping advance, officially report to Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi's Shi'ite-led government, but has very close links to Iran.Human rights groups have warned of possible sectarian violence if the Shi'ite paramilitaries seize areas where Sunni Muslims form a majority, which is the case in much of northern and western Iraq. (Additional reporting by Michael Georgy in Erbil, Iraq; writing by Dominic Evans; editing by Mark Heinrich) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Sarah White | MADRID MADRID Mariano Rajoy faces the first test of a tough second term as Spanish prime minister this week, as he unveils a new cabinet that must build cross-party support to pass reforms in a fragmented and hostile parliament.The conservative leader won approval from lawmakers on Saturday to form a minority government after 10 months of political deadlock, but he will forced to seek out allies at every twist and turn to enact laws.He is set to outline his team on Thursday under scrutiny over whether he will signal a fresh start by bringing in new faces, even if most are expected to come from within the ruling People's Party (PP).Rajoy, who is due to be sworn in on Monday, governed with an absolute majority for four years from 2011. He lost that in 2015 and while the PP remained the largest party in parliament, he was unable to find coalition partners for a majority government, even after a fresh election in June this year.Several of his ministers had major rows with the opposition, including during Rajoy's recent stint as caretaker prime minister. Rival forces had, for instance, called on acting interior minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz to resign in June over his links to an alleged smear campaign."In theory at least Rajoy will be obliged to show his government is somewhat different," said Carlos Barrera, a political communications professor at the University of Navarre. He noted, however, that the prime minister was not known for favouring abrupt changes.Left-leaning newspaper El Pais, Spain's best-selling newspaper, called in an editorial on Sunday for a "deep renewal" of government members to build bridges with other parties. After the two inconclusive elections since last December and months of infighting between parties, Rajoy's minority administration has pressing reforms and legislation to tackle. First will be a new budget for 2017 to appease Brussels and meet next year's deficit targets, which will require either spending cuts or new formulas to raise extra revenues. While the economy is recovering well, unemployment remains at almost 19 percent, the second highest rate in the EU after Greece.Spain will also be trying to reclaim a spot at the European Union's top table as it deals with major problems, such as Britain's vote to leave the bloc. The caretaker government had been forced to take a back seat in recent months.European Council President Donald Tusk called for unity in Spain. "I trust that over the next years and under your leadership, Spain will benefit from the political stability and social cohesion that are necessary to respond to the challenges at hand," Tusk said in a congratulatory letter to Rajoy on Sunday. A FINE LINE Many in Spain are sceptical about how productive the government can be with just 137 seats in the 350-strong parliament.Even with support from the liberal Ciudadanos, Spain's fourth-largest party, Rajoy will struggle to achieve any form of stability without piecemeal agreements with the second-placed Socialists. The centre-left party reluctantly allowed Rajoy to return to office on Saturday by abstaining in a confidence vote, but has vowed to fight his policies. Rajoy has called for dialogue with rivals but also laid down some red lines as opponents seek to reverse some of his previous reforms, such as a labour market overhaul that make it cheaper to hire and hire staff."I'm not prepared to undo what has been built. Things can no doubt be improved, but I cannot accept that they be demolished," Rajoy told parliament before Saturday's confidence vote.His trump card is the threat of another snap election which would be likely to penalise his rivals. The Socialists, for instance, are without a leader and have angered many supporters by easing the PP's return to power. Even so, Rajoy cannot afford to ignore the opposition like he did when he enjoyed an absolute majority, analysts said. "Rajoy has to walk a fine line - he has to signal to his own voters that he is in control but also leave enough space to cut deals with other parties," said Antonio Barroso, an analyst with Teneo Intelligence in London. (Editing by David Stamp) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Isla Binnie | NORCIA, Italy NORCIA, Italy Sunday's earthquake struck the medieval walled town of Norcia as nuns, monks and priests were heading to morning prayer services, giving them just enough time to flee as the walls around them plunged to the earth.The quake hit the same central regions that have been rocked by repeated tremors over the past two months. Although it was bigger than an Aug. 24 earthquake that killed almost 300 people, no-one died on Sunday, but there was huge damage.Weakened by repeated powerful jolts in recent weeks, many of Norcia's churches, monasteries and chapels were wrecked."We thought it was the end of everything," said 74-year-old Sister Maria Raffaella Buoso, sitting on a bench outside the walls of Norcia after being evacuated from the Monastery of the Poor Clares of Santa Maria della Pace. The nuns of the Poor Clares are normally cloistered and only leave the monastery in an emergency. Firemen had to break the doors down to get them out. The six nuns have been ordered to leave for now, although they are confident that their church, which was built at the beginning of the 16th century, did not suffer extensive damage.Other places were less fortunate, including the historic Basilica of St. Benedict, which stood on the main square of Norcia and was supposedly built over the birthplace of Benedict, the patron saint of Europe, and his sister St. Scolastica. Badly damaged in multiple quakes on Aug. 24 and Oct. 26, the monastery complex, including the 13th century Basilica, finally collapsed in a pile of rubble on Sunday, leaving just the gothic facade standing. The 13 monks had been forced to abandon their monastery and their small commercial brewery following the previous tremors. However, they had hoped for a swift return, with the Italian emergency services releasing video earlier this week showing roof repairs being carried out on the imposing Basilica.Although Norcia is intimately linked with Saint Benedict, the monks only came back to the town in 2000, some 190 years after the community was suppressed by the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte when he took control of swathes of Italy."(We have) started to accept once more that our life is not our own and God has altered our path once again," one of the monks, father Benedict, wrote mid-week after the Oct. 26 quake. With dust still blowing in the air on Sunday morning following Italy's strongest quake since 1980, monks and residents sank to their knees in front of the eviscerated Basilica in silent prayer. While many of Norcia's sturdy houses have been earthquake-protected and largely survived this year's wave of tremors, the town's bigger religious structures were found to be less stable."Our churches have suffered terrible injuries," said mayor Nicola Alemanno, describing the old stone buildings as though they were living beings. A short distance from the town square, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Argentea lay in ruins, its roof caved in, while the nearby Convent of Sant'Antonio was also badly scarred."Everything is broken. All the rooms, the belltower has fallen down, the church itself," said an elderly nun, leaning on her cane as she was interviewed by la Repubblica TV.Local authorities have ordered residents out of the town center, forcing the nuns and monks to seek shelter elsewhere, including the six sisters from the Monastery of the Poor Clares, who were dismayed to hear that they would have to stay with Benedictine nuns in nearby Trevi."They live differently in other cloisters. They don't get up to pray at night," said Sister Maria Chiara Vittorie, 73. "It makes me sad to leave because this is our cloister, our life is here." (Editing by Crispian Balmer; and Alexandra Hudson) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Daytona Beach (US): US presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton has declared that the FBI's decision to announce a renewed probe into her use of email just ahead of voting was "unprecedented" and "deeply troubling." "It's pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election," the Democratic nominee on Saturday complained, addressing cheering supporters at a rally in the must-win state of Florida. Clinton remains the favorite to win the keys to the White House in the 8 November vote, but her momentum was slowed on Friday when FBI director James Comey made a shock announcement. In a letter to congressional committee chairs, the agency chief said agents were investigating a newly discovered batch of emails linked to Clinton, to see if they contained classified material. A previous FBI probe was declared finished in July, after Comey's agency found no evidence that Clinton had broken any laws through her controversial use of a private email server while secretary of state. News reports citing FBI sources said the emails were found on a laptop used by Clinton's aide Huma Abedin and her husband Anthony Weiner, who is subject to an unrelated investigation for sending explicit messages to a minor. But it is not clear whether the emails had any connection to Clinton's work at the State Department, and Comey's statement said only that investigators were studying to see if they are "pertinent" to the server probe. Clinton's opponent Donald Trump, however, has seized gleefully on the statement, and her Democratic allies have reacted with fury, arguing that Comey had been so vague in his letter that he was feeding unproven conspiracy theories. "It's not just strange, it's unprecedented," Clinton told the Daytona Beach rally. "And it is deeply troubling because voters deserve to get full and complete facts. So we've called on Director Comey to explain everything right away, put it all out on the table." Bill and JoAnn (Hill) Clements are celebrating their 60th anniversary on November 5, 2016. Their love story began when Billy met JoAnn on a blind date New Years Eve 1955. By the following summer Billy proposed and married the love of his life on November 11, 1956. Over the next several years their family became complete with their 3 children (Jerry, Trudy, Leanne). Farming has been a big part of Bill's life for 30+years and to this day he can be found on a tractor working the fields alongside his son Jerry. JoAnn spent many years taking care of their children and in the mid 70's obtained her real estate license and sold real estate for several years. JoAnn takes great pride in her yard, flowers and making homemade rolls and pies. They set a good example of hard work, commitment and love of family for their 4 grandchildren (Kara, Adam, Alyssa, Danika) and 3 great grandchildren ( Drayson, Ava, Jaedyn). Please join us in celebrating their 60th Anniversary at an open house Saturday November 5, 2016 at the Kimberly Methodist Church, 131 Syringa Ave. Kimberly, Idaho between 1-4 pm. Ask Policeman Dan: Q: Say I am driving on a road that has one lane in each direction. Eventually, the road widens into two lanes each direction. When it does, how do I know whether I need to use my turn signal? Sometimes the original lane appears to progress straight into one of the two new lanes, but other times its like the two lanes fork from the original lane, so that if I continued straight, I would be straddling the line. What is the correct action here? (By correct I mean one that would avoid giving an officer reasonable suspicion to make a traffic stop.) -Nicole A: I am driving on a road that has one lane in each direction. There I said it, just cant really make that work in writing though (Stop booing, you knew my jokes need watered regularly). When going from a single lane to a dual lane I would tell you that staying to the right would be correct. That would be unless there was a sign designating which lane would be the correct lane. Staying in the left lane could also be the correct choice if there was a plan to make a left turn as it would have to be from that lane anyway. Staying in the left lane when it was not designated as the proper lane to use should be safe from a traffic stop as well. This could be especially true if another driver was in the right lane and you were passing them. The only bad choice in the situation here would be straddling the line. The charge could be driving left of center or failure to maintain lane of travel. It could also lead to being checked for being an impaired driver. The main thing to remember here would be to pick a lane and stick to it until a lawful and legal move to the other lane can be made. Quote of the month: Dont watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.Sam Levenson Officer down: Please put these officers, killed in the line of duty, and their families in your prayers. They fought the good fight, now may they rest in peace. God bless these heroes. Sergeant Luis Melendez-Maldonado, Puerto Rico Police Department Police Officer Aaron Christian, Chesapeake Police, Ohio Deputy Sheriff Jack Hopkins, Modoc County Sheriff, California Have a question for Policemandan? Email your question(s) to policemandan@yahoo.com or look for Ask Policemandan on Facebook and click the like button. Mail to: Box 147, Heyburn, Idaho 83336 TWIN FALLS Snakes, spiders, cockroaches and legless lizards might seem like the perfect recipe for a haunted house, but on Saturday, children dressed as clowns, princesses and Star Wars heroes and villains interacted with the creepy creatures at a fun and educational event at the College of Southern Idaho. In the past, Creepy Crawly Day at CSI has been held earlier in the year, but doing it around Halloween could become a tradition, said Dan Taylor, an exhibit and facilities technician at CSIs Herrett Center for Arts and Science. Its a great experience that helps get rid of the stigma around these creatures, Taylor said. Children dressed in their Halloween best scrambled from one display to the next to view and hold worms, snakes, lizards and a fat, legless lizard named Legs. Brothers Carlos and Leo Espinoza both said Sweet Corn, a reddish-orange Corn Snake, was their favorite animal they saw. Its cool because it eats eggs, Carlos said. Arabella Ostrowski also liked Sweet Corn the best, while her younger brother, Hunter, said his favorite thing was touching an empty turtle shell on display next to a group of animal skulls and an insect collection. Sincerely, but just like the famous Youtube zombie, Hunter told a reporter, I like turtles. Holding a California King Snake with brown and white bands, Taylor explained the event educates children, teaching them that snakes arent bad but wildlife should be respected. Does he bite? a boy with clown makeup asked Taylor. No, this one wont bite, Taylor said as he handed the snake to the boy. But out in the wild they might. Along with the snakes, geckos and legless lizards that are permanently housed at the Herrett Center, a group from the University of Idaho brought a collection of spiders and cockroaches, including a tarantula and black widow. Across the room from the U of I group, Twin Falls resident Jacob Mishler set up his personal collection of skulls, the turtle shell and bugs both living and dead. I just liked animals and started collecting stuff about five years ago, Mishler said. Usually this stuff is in my living room. On Saturday though, Mishler stood behind two long tables and patiently talked with visitors about his collection, including the skulls of an alligator snapping turtle, a penguin, a capybara, an armadillo and many more. The entire time Mishler talked, an arachnid called a vinegaroon crawled on his hand. It looked like a scorpion except for the tail, which instead of containing venom contains a liquid akin to vinegar, hence the name. This event is perfect for Halloween, Taylor said. Its a tradition were looking to grow. TWIN FALLS Whatever their other differences, the importance of voting in local elections is one issue where Jack Johnson and Jill Skeem completely agree. Locally, our elections are so important and every vote counts, because the people we put in office locally represent our views and our way of life and have a direct impact on our life, said Johnson, the Republican candidate for the 3rd District Twin Falls County commissioner spot. It affects your quality of life, your property rights, so many things directly, said Skeem, the Democratic candidate. If theyre torn about the presidential election, they still need to get out and vote locally. Johnson, Skeem, and Tony Bohrn, a Hansen city councilman who is running as an independent and who didnt respond to a request for comment on this story, are vying for the commissioner seat currently occupied by George Urie, who Johnson beat in the GOP primary. There will be two new faces on the commission in January the winner of this race and Don Hall, a Republican running unopposed for the District 2 spot currently held by Leon Mills, who Hall beat in the May primary. Johnson spoke to the Times-News shortly after talking to political science students at the College of Southern Idaho about the importance of voting. For over 200 years, our countrys been fighting for the right to vote and the freedom to vote, he said. There are countries that dont even have that opportunity. People, do some history on it. It used to be just white male landowners were the only ones who had the right to vote. It took a lot of lives to get to a point for women to vote and minorities to vote. People fight and die all over the world for the right to vote, and we just take it for granted, Skeem said. Johnson said many of the voters he talks to want to discuss the presidential race. Whenever that comes up, I try to remind people we have local elections that really have more of an impact locally on us than the presidential election does, he said. Johnson isnt the only local aspirant for political office who has sometimes had to separate his campaign from the contentious presidential race. Both Republican and Democratic candidates running for Legislature in District 26, one of Idahos few purple districts encompassing Blaine, Camas, Lincoln and Gooding counties, told the Times-News in September that they, too, have had to urge people to vote on local issues and in down-ballot races even if they are too disaffected even to vote for president. State Democratic Party spokesman Dean Ferguson said Friday that he thinks a focus on national politics over local has helped Republicans to get elected to the Legislature and, in Fergusons view, has led to policies that are bad for the state. Your vote in local elections, he said, affects your life. The answer is yes, and in many ways more directly and powerfully than the national elections, Ferguson said. And thats because your local and state officials are deciding on what the quality of your school is going to be. Theyre deciding on what the quality of your communitys infrastructure is going to be, and whether or not you can attract businesses that pay well, or whether youre going to attract low-paying businesses. Ferguson said Democrats running for state-level office have been emphasizing persistence and focusing on local issues so people begin to understand there is a distinction between whats happening nationally and whats happening in your downtown. People do eventually see the Idaho Democrats are the ones they agree with the most, Ferguson said. State GOP Executive Director David Johnston said that being disaffected by national politics is all the more reason to vote down-ballot. State and local office holders, he said, both impact peoples day-to-day lives more and can act as a check on federal actions. You need good people at the local level to help buffer, he said. Everything from the traffic on your way to work to the regulations that affect what you do at work is affected by politics, Johnston said. The idea that peoples everyday lives arent impacted by who they vote for is false. Everything we do is affected by politics, he said. Skeem said some voters dont seem to understand the role of county commissioners, and she has to explain what a commissioners job is and how decisions made at the county level affect their lives. Many people Skeem talks to, she said, think county offices like commissioner, sheriff, prosecutor and coroner should be nonpartisan, like City Council spots in Idaho are, a view Skeem also supports. There tends to be a little bit of confusion on what a county commissioner is and does, she said. The one thing they arent confused on (is) it shouldnt be a partisan office. Skeem urged people to vote, and study up on the candidates if they dont know about them. You could be discouraged, but do not sit out on the process, she said. That means they won. Someone else is going to decide for you, and thats not what (you) want. I have heard stories of the "little women" off an on for many years. My friend Mary Burgdorf often spoke of them walking from their farm into the Springlake village store to purchase groceries. I felt so sorry for them, she remembers, it would have been a long, tiresome walk for them, for they were about the size of 5-year-olds. Mrs. Dale Cunningham recently sent me photos of the "little women": Nellie Bogart and Emma Hoad. Her mother had been neighbors of the family and remembered them. In October of 1938, they moved into the settlement of Springlake, according to The Port Byron Chronicle. Marilyn Holmes and her family lived next door. We used to love to go over to their home, she remembers. Their furniture was just our size. I was 3 or 4 at the time. I especially remember a rocking chair that you could just sit down in, your feet even touched the floor! We felt right at home! I also remember that at the end of each meal, after the cleaning up, the table would be set for the next meal. Nellie Hoad was married to John Bogart, a man of regular size and, for many years of their marriage, Nellies sister Emma also lived with them. John Bogart died in 1940, a couple of years before the Holmes family moved to Springlake. He was 87 years old. I remember Emma the most, she would especially want me to come over if I had an orange. She would take that orange and make orange marmalade and invite us over for a tea party with toast, crackers and homemade jam! I was impressed; it was delicious! My dad took care of getting the wood for their wood stove, he made sure that he cut it in small chunks so that they could handle it safely. I asked Marilyn if anyone ever made fun of the sisters because of their size. Not that I remember, she said, they were just accepted as neighbors and friends. The local Springlake news columns were full of the activities of Mr. and Mrs. John Bogart and Emma Hoad. Their comings and goings were reported: their shopping trips to Auburn, business trips to Westbury, visits to and from family in South Butler, Savannah or Wolcott. Emma and Nellie had a sister, Lizzie Barrell, who lived in Rochester and, on occasion, was a welcome visitor. There was also a sister, Mrs. Charles VerDow in Lyons. Nellie Bogart, 81, died in November 1947. The Cato Citizen said she had been an area resident for more than 40 years, had been ill for some time and was well-known and well-loved. Emma lived alone for the next couple of years. In February 1949, she "left by plane from Rochester to Los Angeles and arrived there that night. Her brother John met her there and took her to his home in Santa Barbara," according to The Fair Haven Register. As reported by The Cayuga Chief on April 2, 1959: Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Smith of Throop and Mrs. George Behm of Mintline have returned from a three-week trip to California. They called on Emma Hoad and found her very low. March 14, she passed away. She spent most of her life in this locality before going to Santa Barbara, California 10 years ago to make her home with her brother and his wife." I am grateful to have these photos and reminiscences. In all my perusals of the life of these remarkable sisters, I found no mention of their size except for one item from May 27, 1937 (six months before they moved into the village) Henry J. Hoad of Wolcott was overnight guest of his uncle, J. Bogart Saturday and brought his Aunt Emma Hoad neatly to church Sunday on his bicycle." July 24, 1922 - October 21, 2016 Mom was born on July 24,1922 to Joseph Alma Owens and Alice Elvaretta Harris at her grandparents home just west of Eagle ID. She attended school in Glenns Ferry ID, where she was very involved in music. She married William Abraham Moats, her high school sweetheart, on April 4, 1942 in Jasper FLafter traveling alone across the country by train during World War II. They returned to Glenns Ferry after the war; where they owned and operated Moats Auto Company together for many years. They raised their family there. When Dad took a Civil Service job, they left Glenns Ferry and lived in New Mexico, Colorado and Alaska (just to name a few places). As Mom would say, 'We moved from Valdosta GA to Bethel AK, and a half-dozen places in between'. When they retired, they settled in New Meadows ID. She moved to an assisted living complex in Meridian ID several years after Dad's passing, closer to more family. She had her mother's indomitable spirit and personal power; her heart and velvet touch combined with a back-bone of titanium steel. She was artistic in so many ways - music, painting, floral arrangement, cake decorating, seamstress extraordinare and raising a family. She was the ultimate Mom, Grandma, Nana & GG. Loving, strong, giving, kind and intuitive; with just enough humor and SASS to make life really interesting. She laughed and sang right up to her last day. She was so easy to love. She is survived by her children: Marsha Ann Shriver (Jim) of New Meadows ID, Janett Kay Hampton (Vic) of Boise ID, Virginia Rae Barton (Bruce) of New Plymouth ID, and William Hale Moats (Sandy) of Emmett ID, her sister Karen Rae Anderson (Doug) of Taylorsville UT, 11 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her adoring, beloved husband Bill, daughter Bonny Jeanne, parents Joseph & Elva Owens and siblings Seldon Owens, Lyle Owens, Bob Owens and Clarita Lawrence. Services will be held Saturday November 5th at 10:00 at the LDS Church 2nd Ward, 400 Elo Road, McCall ID. Viewing for family & friends at 9:30. Arrangements made by Heikkila Funeral Chapel. BOISE The Idaho Office on Refugees announced Friday its putting out a request for proposals for a career pathway program. Its looking to award federal funding to an organization to provide services and operational support for Career Pathway Navigators: Anti-Poverty Strategies for New Americans. Interested groups should submit a letter of intent by Nov. 11. The most qualified bidder will develop a new structure to help low-income refugees who struggle with underemployment to seek jobs that provide a living wage. Funding will come from For more information, contact the Idaho Office for Refugees at 208-336-4222 or jreeves@idahorefugees.org. TWIN FALLS While voters across the political spectrum have expressed strong opinions in this presidential election, some registered voters are unimpressed by either major party candidate. Statewide, voter participation bumps up in presidential election years. About 74 percent of registered Idaho voters cast their ballots in the 2012 election, compared to 46 percent in 2014. But even in presidential elections, the percentage of the Idaho voting age population that participated was only around 60 percent. In Twin Falls County, participation is typically higher around 77 percent in presidential election years, and 55 percent in non-election years, County Clerk Kristina Glascock said. But even with a high number of early voters 3,408 as of Friday morning there are still plenty of area residents who say they plan not to vote at all this election. The Times-News spoke to a handful of nonvoters about what they care about. The majority admitted that they didnt really keep up with the issues, either locally or nationally. Young voters, especially, seemed discouraged by the presidential candidates. Heres why they said theyre planning on not voting, and what if anything local candidates might do to change their minds: Elizabeth Kreft, Filer Why shes not voting: This would be the first election she could vote in besides the primary, but Kreft felt its too much work to have to get registered and go vote. Since I dont drive, I have a hard time with it, she said. Kreft was also discouraged in high school when her teacher discussed rules at polling places. I really wanted to vote when I was younger, she said. The issues: Kreft said she doesnt keep up with national or local issues. With her busy schedule, she hasnt made it a priority. Its not fun to me, she said. Why shes probably not changing her mind: In part, Kreft said its because she doesnt feel her voice matters. She said she probably wouldnt vote this year unless she was forced to. However, she imagines once shes married she may decide to vote. Id have someone with me, and not feel as awkward in there, Kreft said. Steve Martin, Twin Falls Why hes not voting: Theres too much corruption in church and state, Martin said. In his past experiences with the legal system, he believes there is too much influence by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the courts here in Twin Falls. The issues that matter to him: Homelessness, for one. Im homeless myself, Martin said. It has a lot to do with corrupt people in power. The entire government is manipulated by power, by authority. What might convince him to vote: Martin might decide to vote if the local government, especially law enforcement and the court system showed more accountability, he said. He said he hasnt voted since the early 90s. Rebecca Wheeler, Twin Falls Why shes not voting: I can never keep up with everything, Wheeler said. Ive always hated politics. An issue that matters to her: Wheeler thinks the cost of health care is a big issue, and it should be more affordable for companies to provide health insurance to their employees. Anything candidates could say to convince her to vote? No. Wheeler said she is an uninformed voter who chooses not to watch the news, so she doesnt believe she qualifies herself to vote. I guess I dont understand whats on the ballot enough to make the wisest choices, she said. Alejandra Arana, Twin Falls Why shes not voting: She doesnt like any of the presidential candidates. The issues that matter to her: Candidates need to care more about the people they serve, she said. In her view, both major party presidential candidates have come across as racist. Arana said she votes only during the presidential election years. At the local level? I think everythings fine right now, she said. Rebeka Gilbert, Jerome Why shes not voting: Gilbert disagrees with the presidential candidates, and said she hasnt kept up with the local elections. What matters to her: She said shes mostly concerned with everyday things, and she tends to stay out of political discussions because of drama. But, Gilbert is registered to vote. Im young, said Gilbert, 19. It doesnt really matter to me. Not changing her mind: Gilbert said local candidates probably couldnt convince her to vote this year. As long as theyre not doing something stupid, then Im for them I guess, she said. And heres someone who changed her mind about not voting: Darbie Chocker, Twin Falls Why she didnt want to vote: After watching the main party presidential candidates, Chocker felt she couldnt morally vote for either one of them. I think this has probably been one of the most confrontational elections in years past, she said. Chocker has voted in the past two presidential elections. The issues that matter to her: Shed have preferred to see a candidate that she felt had good moral standing. So instead of looking at the person, she decided to look at their stance on the issues. Chocker says she is pro-life, and also believes health insurance needs to be more affordable. States also need to have a say with regards to policy, she said. Why she changed her mind: Chocker attends Amazing Grace Fellowship in Twin Falls. One Sunday, the minister brought up the presidential election and made a point about voting. Its still our right as Americans and Christians to stand up for our beliefs and practice our rights to vote, Chocker said. She decided to vote according to her beliefs, but noted that she has a lot of research to do on candidates in the local and state elections. What do you tell non-voters? I understand this is a very difficult election to participate in, Chocker said. But she hopes nonvoters will consider her story and remember that a lot of people died for our right to vote. She also believes the best way to make a stand is to participate. Chocker recalls her father always telling her You cant have a say in whats going on unless you participate in it. Special To The Washington Post I carved pumpkins with my kids this week. My son is finally old enough to wield his own knife, but my daughter had to settle for a marker. I, of course, had to clean out the insides. The effort was well worth it (even with the mess on my patio) when we lit the candles and stepped back to admire the glowing, flickering faces. According to a LifeWay Poll, however, I am among a slight minority (49 percent) of evangelical Christians who participate fully in Halloween activities. 51 percent of evangelical Christians either avoid Halloween completely (28 percent) or avoid the pagan elements (23 percent). As a historian, I find this poll disappointing. Not because I think everyone should participate in Halloween (I dont really care that much), but because the very wording of the pollWhen you consider the pagan elements of Halloween, which is closer to your attitude?conveys that Halloween is still mostly regarded as a non-Christian holiday. Yes, Halloween has similarities with (possibly accretions from) Samhain, the Celtic end-of-summer celebration. But that does not make it a pagan holiday. As historian Nicholas Rogers, author of Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night (Oxford University Press, 2002), puts it: If Samhain imparted to Halloween a supernatural charge and an intrinsic liminality, it did not offer much in the way of actual ritual practices, save in its fire rites. Most of these developed in conjunction with the medieval holy days of All Souls and All Saints day. Indeed, most of the traditions we associate with Halloween are medieval or early modern in their originnot pagan. First, we know that festivals commemorating saints (All Hallows Eve) existed in Europe by 800. We also know that these festivals were not created to supplant previously-existing pagan rituals. The Irish world (which provides the origin of the Celtic feast Samhain) celebrated a feast for saints in April while the Germanic world (which did not recognize Samhain) celebrated in November. What does this tell us? It tells us that the actual chronology of Halloween contradicts the widely held view that the November date was chosen to Christianize the festival of Samhain (Rogers). In fact, John Mirks Festial (the most popular orthodox sermon compilation in late medieval England) actually explains how All Hallows Eve came about. Pope Boniface IV converted the Roman Pantheon into a Christian church dedicated to saints and martyrs during the 7th century. This day was then commemorated as All Saints Day. While Mirks story does tell about the Christian appropriation of a pagan temple, his narrative is firmly situated in a Christian event (the dedication of a new church) far removed from the Celtic world of Samhain. From this medieval perspective, Halloween is a celebration of Christian triumph over paganism, rather than a pagan holiday masquerading as Christian. Second, in the words of historian Ronald Hutton, we have no idea about what actually happened during the Celtic celebration of Samhain. Despite what you may have read from Pat Robertsons website or from James Frazers The Golden Bough (a classic social anthropology study from 1890 that explores the parallels between Christianity and ancient mythology), we have very little evidence about the actual practices of Celtic people or their festivals. Nicholas Rogers argues that James Frazers description of Samhain in The Golden Bough anachronistically projected medieval traditions onto the past (as Rogers writes, there is no hard evidence that Samhain was specifically devoted to the dead or to ancestor worship). In fact, scholars really arent sure what Celtic culture entails. Some are even questioning the reality of the Celts as a coherent people group. Let me say it again: we have very little evidence about the actual festivals of the people we know as Celts. It is the medieval Christian festivals of All Saints and All Souls that provide our firmest foundation for Halloween. From emphasizing dead souls (both good and evil), to decorating skeletons, lighting candles for processions, building bonfires to ward off evil spirits, organizing community feasts, and even encouraging carnival practices like costumes, the medieval and early modern traditions of Hallowtide fit well with our modern holiday. So what does this all mean? It means that when we celebrate Halloween, we are definitely participating in a tradition with deep historical roots. But, while those roots are firmly situated in the medieval Christian past, their historical connection to paganism is rather more tenuous. In 2014, it would have been difficult to overstate the anxiety and confusion in the Middle East, as Islamic militants hordes swept through Iraq and Syria. Across the region, people were asking: Where did the Islamic State come from, and where would it stop? For a while, agitated talk of fading borders and new maps became standard. It was the only time my Lebanese father ever wavered in his stubborn attachment to our fragile and failing country. Perhaps, he mused, buying a refuge in Europe made more sense than renovating our old family house in northern Lebanon, close to places where Islamic State sympathizers might be waiting in hiding. Today, as the Islamic State weakens, the sense of relief is unmistakable. The terrorist organization has not turned out to be the Godzilla many feared. Fears about Arab youth being seduced en masse have not materialized. The Iraqi state is in no worse shape than it was before (though thats no reason for contentment). Jordan has remained largely immune, thanks to sustained international patronage and a mighty security apparatus. Lebanons Sunni mainstream and hardened Islamists both firmly rejected the Islamic States entreaties. Yet, even as eyes are riveted on reports from Mosul, Iraq, and elsewhere, there is little optimismand certainly no euphoriato be found here. Everyone knows that the weakening of the Islamic State is accompanied by the resurfacing, often in more potent ways, of past fault lines. The hyped and simplistic Sunni-Shia divide obscures complex ethnic, intertribal, regional and political dynamics that have been catalyzed by the U.S. invasion of Iraq and aggravated by state collapse. Beyond the massive human and physical destruction, damage has been done in perverse, insidious and lasting ways. The Islamic State has embedded itself in the individual and collective Arab psyche. Many Shias, Christians and others now believe that there is a small dose of the Islamic State vengefulness, takfirism and hegemonic ambitionsin almost every Sunni. And many Sunnis, having rationalized the rise of the Islamic State as essentially driven by legitimate grievances, either condemn their extreme expression or denounce the Islamic State as un-Islamic rather than question its very foundations. In 2014, the Obama administration harbored hope that the fight against the Islamic State would rally all local governments and actors. After all, the group was the perfect villain: It was everyones enemy, and everyone was its enemy. Perhaps the common threat could get everyone to work together, or at least to pause their destructive competition. Iran and Saudi Arabia, and Syrian rebels and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were all targets of the organization: Cartesian logic demanded that they tone it down and redirect their firepower. But thats not how Middle Eastern politics function in this age of disorder. Unless the barbarians were at your gates, fighting the Islamic State was not necessarily the priority, especially if the United States was going to carry so much of the military burden; and when it became so (often thanks to Western pleading and pressure), it was motivated by other, more important calculations. If anything, the fight has become a vehicle and a guise for all actors to pursue their competing interests. Instead of facing the reality of what their ambitions and rivalries produce, then rethink and compromise, governments and militias have raced to fill whatever space could be recaptured from the terrorist organization. Competition over grievances and for glory is as important: who collaborated with the Islamic State, who suffered more, who fought more, and ultimately who deserves more will be at the heart of the coming struggles. Regional tensions and sectarian passions are considerably greater today than they were in 2014. Iran has adopted an ever-greater sectarian rhetoric to mobilize Shiite fighters even as it fights primarily non-Islamic State groups in its bid for regional power. Worried about its right flank, Saudi Arabia has needed to out-Sunni the militants domestically and regionally to discredit its terrorist claims and rally Sunni constituencies. Its war in Yemen since 2015 was partly a response to the domestic perception that the kingdom endorsed in 2014 the campaign against a Sunni insurgency just as the loosely-defined Shiite Houthi militia overtook the capital Sanaa. This instrumentalization of sectarianism has a cumulative effect that sips into societies and feeds escalation: today, both countries question each others very legitimacy, polarizing the region and aggravating fears and conflicts. Intra-Shia rivalries are set to worsen in Baghdad, as Iran-backed militias compete for glory and political power with the government and mainstream factions loyal to the traditional clerical establishment. Visitors to Iraqi Kurdistan are equally awed by Peshmerga dedication, inter-Kurdish dysfunctions and rivalries and distrust of Baghdad, its politicians and Shiite militias. Often overlooked is the internal retribution and political competition that risk battering the Sunni community even more. Mosul may be liberated in coming months, but political foresight, inclusiveness and magnanimity remain hard to be found. Nowhere is the situation as dire as in northern Syria. Kurdish militias, Syrian rebels (some supported by Ankara, others by Washington), Turkey and the United States are competing to seize Islamic State territory before figuring out the right apportionment. Nearby, Russia and Assad are mounting a savage siege of eastern Aleppo, wondering if the Turkish-backed rebels will soon move south to relieve the city or if Turkey will satisfy itself with a zone of influence and restrain them. Today, many Arabs instinctively understand the obvious: the Islamic State is the product of our societies enduring woes and of our governments failures as well as an enabler of further turmoil. It is a monster produced by the collective sleep of reason. Even so, that reality has not served us well. Save for the courageous Syrian demonstrators of 2011, the Iraqi anti-corruption movement of last year and brave Lebanese civil activists, talk of citizenship and good governance has faded. Most people seek refuge and purpose in their narrowest, most profound identities. The scene is now set for multiple low- and high-intensity sub-conflicts. This wont be the Islamic States promised apocalypse, but for the average Middle Easterner, it will be bad enough, just enough to allow the Islamic States next incarnation to lurk in the back. The Idaho House races in Twin Falls are both rematches from the last election cycle. Republican incumbent Steve Hartgen faces Democrat challenger Catherine Talkington, and Republican incumbent Lance Clow faces Democrat challenger Dale Varney. One race was an easy pick for us, the other much more difficult. The easy race first: Clow is far better prepared and possesses a much deeper understanding of a broad range of issues in the Legislature. Varney is focused on only two main points, expanding union rights and legalizing medical marijuana. We believe neither of Varneys issues is top of mind for Twin Falls voters. Instead, voters are more focused on the pillars of Clows education platform, which include expanding pay increases for teachers with advance degrees, funding early intervention literacy programs and considering a way for Idaho to adopt full-day kindergarten. Clow also wants to simplify the states tax structure and put more money in the hands of small-business owners. He wants to close the Medicaid gap not with a bandage program with but something comprehensive that will focus on preventative care not just reimbursements when people get sick. Some lawmakers lose our respect the longer theyre in office. Thats not the case with Clow, who has proven he puts in the homework on every issue, works for solutions and isnt a yes man for party leaders. He deserves another term. Above all, he carries himself as a wise and respected political leader. He listens first and respects a civil debate on issues, something we seem to be losing as our politics become more personal and hostile. We wish Hartgen would have followed Clows lead this campaign. No doubt Hartgen, too, has been an effective lawmaker. He has respect in his caucus, and like Clow he knows the details of just about every issue before the Legislature. But his campaign this election cycle has not exhibited the statesmanship we expect from Magic Valley legislators. His opponent, Talkington, has been knocking on voters doors for months, listening to what issues they find important to help shape her platform. Thats how politics is supposed to work. By contrast, Hartgen has spent much of his time attacking Talkington on social media, seeking desperately to paint her as a big-spending liberal. Based on interviews with the candidates, stories about their campaigns and their debate performances, were simply not buying Hartgens rhetoric. Despite his claims, Talkington does not want to raise taxes across the board. Instead, she proposes periodically re-examining tax exemptions for special interest groups. Thats a wise plan that could boost state revenue and close special perks for interest groups whove wiggled their way out of paying their fair share. I dont assume that because weve done something for 20 years means we should be doing it again, she said. If anything, Hartgen is the ideologue in this race, not Talkington. He drew boos at a political forum when he said he supports Trump because the nominee represents a return to conservative values; even top GOP leaders stopped making that argument months ago when it became clear Trump had no interest in upholding traditional conservatism. What little Hartgen has told voters about how hed govern during the next term has been the same old recycled Republican talking points weve been hearing for years: free enterprise, develop energy resources, lower taxes. Instead of telling voters the specifics of what he would do if elected, Hartgen has been more interested in scaring voters with exaggerated claims about what would befall them were Talkington to win. Take, for example, his claims that Talkington supports invasion of farms by eco-terrorists. In fact, she opposed the so called ag-gag bill that was supported by Hartgen and the GOP but was later struck down by a judge and ruled unconstitutional. The reality is Talkington doesnt support eco-terrorists. She opposes lobby-driven unconstitutional legislation that ends up unnecessarily costing the state money. She also points out, correctly, that the Legislature has wasted millions of dollars in brainless lawsuits and fines, especially in the scandals over the school broadband network and prison contracts. We endorsed Hartgen in his last race with Talkington because we found her unprepared for the Legislature. Thats not the case this time around. Even after her loss two years ago, her campaign never really stopped. Shes used that time to meet with voters, study the issues and build a closer connection with voters based on the issues and solutions important to them. In meetings with our editorial board this time, she articulated clear and smart solutions to Idahos biggest issues, especially education, which she says is on the minds of most voters this campaign. Even though Talkington is a Democrat, she supports the recommendations of Republican Gov. C.L. Butch Otters task force on education. But she wants to see them accelerated by spending money from the states rainy-day fund. With Idaho ranking near the bottom among state spending on public education, its essentially raining and time to tap those funds, she says. On taxes, Hartgen wants tax cuts in nearly every sector. But ask yourself this: Would you rather save a few bucks at tax time or see that money spent on what the state is supposed to be doing, like improving education and fixing roads? On health care, Talkington supports a waiver from the federal Medicaid program that would allow the state to help find care for 78,000 Idahoans now without insurance. But she wants those people to help pay their own way with co-pays. Hartgens latest proposal wouldnt entirely close the gap, still leaving perhaps thousands without insurance. He also proposes an asset test where the uninsured wouldnt be eligible for as much help if they owned cars or phones or other everyday items of value. We find that proposal impractical (how do you even begin to assess value on domestic goods?); others may say heartless. Talkington also says voters are wary about the states role in managing federal lands and are suspicious Republicans may sell off public lands in the future. Shed like federal lands to stay in federal hands but put pressure on the U.S. Congress to better manage the resources. This race isnt about who is voting for president or even party politics. Its about who will best represent the Twin Falls. Talkington hopes voters pay less attention to the Ds and Rs on their ballots and more on what the candidates are saying about the issues. If they do that, she may just have a chance to do something no Twin Falls woman has done in generations: win a seat to the Idaho House of Representatives. Rep. Steve Miller saw the need for state funded mental health crisis centers in Idaho. Steve not only voted to fund mental health facilities in Idaho, he went back to the Legislature and lobbied for more money than was initially allotted in the budget to help patients suffering with mental illnesses. Miller backed Governor C.L. Butch Otters $1.7 million plan to launch initial funding for the centers in Idaho Falls and Coeur d Alene. There is so much need and few good options to house patients in a mental health crisis. Jail certainly isnt a good option! Rather, patients in crisis just needed a warm safe place to get through the next 24 to 48 hours. Miller understands that this is just a start and hopes for funding for more facilities through out Idaho. Miller applauds the new centers being build in Twin Falls and Ada counties. You can be sure when Steve Miller sees a problem to solve, he goes to work. Finding affordable health care in Idaho is a hard nut to crack. Miller knows that, and seeks ways to find solutions that are sustainable. Conrad Casser Hailey The Idaho attorney generals recent press release opposing HJR5 reminds us of the big baby from the movie, "Honey, I Blew up the Kid," crying No nap! Idaho agencies regularly promulgate and adopt rules in contravention of existing statutes. National lobbyists know that you can pass any rule in Idaho and they send their most repressive, liberal, socialist rules to Idaho for trial runs. The A.G. calls any attempt on the part of the Legislature to reign-in and discipline its own child a power grab. The AG and his agencies need a nap, and we need HJR5. Chad Erickson Kamiah In a few days, all registered voters will be going to the voting poles to elect the next president of the United States as well as choosing federal, state and local officials. This election is particularly challenging for people of faith who bring a moral outlook to the privilege of voting. Our nation faces many situations and issues that demand well-informed moral choices: the ongoing destruction of a million innocent lives each year by abortion, physician-assisted suicide, the redefinition of marriage, the excessive consumption of material goods and the destruction of natural resources, deadly attacks on Christians and other religious minorities throughout the world, efforts to narrow the definition and exercise of religious freedom, economic policies that fail to prioritize the needs of poor people at home and abroad, a broken immigration system and a worldwide refugee crisis, and wars, terror and violence that threaten every aspect of human life and dignity. As Catholics, we are part of a community with profound teachings that help us consider challenges in public life, contribute to greater justice and peace for all people, and evaluate policy positions, party platforms, and candidates promises and actions in light of the Gospel in order to help build a better world. As people of both faith and reason, Catholics are called to bring to political life and to practice Christs commandment to love one another (John 13:34). Our nations tradition of pluralism is enhanced, not threatened, when religious groups and people of faith bring their convictions into public life. The Catholic community brings to political dialogue a consistent moral framework and broad experience serving those in need. In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation. As Catholics, we should be guided more by our moral convictions than by our attachment to any political party or interest group. In todays environment, Catholics may feel politically disenfranchised, sensing that no party and few candidates fully share our comprehensive commitment to human life and dignity. This should not discourage us. On the contrary, it makes our obligation to act all the more urgent. Faithful citizenship is an ongoing responsibility, not just an election year duty. In the words of Pope Francis, progress in building a people in peace, justice and fraternity depends on four principles related to constant tensions present in every social reality. These derive from the pillars of the churchs social doctrine, which serve as primary and fundamental parameters of reference for interpreting and evaluating social phenomena. The four principles include the dignity of the human person, the common good, subsidiarity and solidarity. Taken together, these principles provide a moral framework for Catholic engagement in advancing what we have called a consistent ethic of life. Rightly understood, this ethic does not treat all issues as morally equivalent; nor does it reduce Catholic teaching to one or two issues. In anchors the Catholic commitment to defend life and other human rights, from conception until natural death, in the fundamental obligation to respect the dignity of every human being as a child of God. Catholic voters should use Catholic teaching to examine candidates positions on issues and should consider candidates integrity, philosophy and performance. It is important for all citizens to see beyond party politics, to analyze campaign rhetoric critically and to choose their political leaders according to principle, not party affiliation or mere self-interest. The Catholic Church does not tell Catholics how to vote. The responsibility to make political choices rests with each person and his or her properly formed conscience, aided by prudence. This exercise of conscience begins with always opposing policies that violate human life or weaken its protection. As Catholics, we are not single-issue voters. A candidates position on a single issue is not sufficient to guarantee a voters support. Yet a candidates position on a single issue that involves the destruction of human life or the promotion of racism, may legitimately lead a voter to disqualify a candidate from receiving support. The above reflections are taken from the U.S. Bishops document entitled Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship which is published and revised every four years. The complete document can be ordered online from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Up until at least Nov. 8, the nation's attention will doubtless be focused on the "war" inside the country the tumultuous political conflict ripping us to pieces. But I am constantly amazed at how little attention we give to the wars outside that one can easily argue were the roots of the profound divisions and infantile diversions we so unhappily live with today. It's the media, many say (not thinking very deeply). It's redistricting in the states, giving both Democrats and Republicans nearly total control over their regions. No, others will argue, it goes back as far as kindergarten when tykes get little or no training in being decent people, much less responsible citizens. But now, when one would think all the arguments had been exhausted, forgive me if I put forward one more -- and let me back into my brief exposition with a little-noted article I spied on the front page of The New York Times recently. "SOMALI STRATEGY REVEALS NEW FACE OF U.S. WARFARE," the article was headlined, and then: "Using African Allies and Lessons From '93 to Strike Islamists." The article went on to make some very interesting points: An as-yet "clandestine" war in Somalia over the past year (Did you know we were at war with and in Somalia, too?) is a "blueprint for warfare" in the future; it is already a "model" that the U.S. is employing across the Middle East and North Africa, from Syria to Libya. In fact, "hundreds of American troops now rotate through makeshift bases in Somalia, the largest military presence since the United States pulled out of the country after the 'Black Hawk Down' battle in 1993." In short, what this well-documented and well-thought-out piece is saying is that, once again, we have put aside the old fears about Vietnam. Those 50,000 American dead and the hundreds of thousands of others killed don't seem to worry us anymore. And with no draft (thank you, Mr. Nixon!), our military actions become further removed and remote, more like something occurring on another planet. Our American soldiers are, at this very moment, supporting Iraqi Sunnis, Kurdish peshmerga, Iranian Shiites (to a far lesser degree) and God only knows who else to take back the large Iraqi city of Mosul. After 15 long and unproductive years, we continue to fight in Afghanistan (mostly against the Taliban, which stemmed from the mujahedeen we trained to fight the Soviets in the 1979 war), with no end in sight. But now we are also fighting in good old Somalia, in Libya, in Syria, and even in Yemen, at the bottommost tip of the Arabian desert. Barack Obama came into the presidency ready to keep American boots in American towns, but the dark realities of the situation an Iraq falling apart, an ISIS rising, an Iran ready to move in where Saddam had ruled, the Middle and Near East collapsing internally with no real spirit for reform were too much for him. So, as this unwarlike president leaves the White House, he is leaving a new pattern of warfare Special Operations troops leading fights against countries we have no real fight with, airstrikes liberally applied, drones here and there, private contractors taking the place of militarily disciplined institutions and individuals. This is what the future will be, and it is time that the American people realize it. If Hillary is elected president, I would expect the Somali pattern to be pretty close to hers. If The Donald is elected, I would expect a more quirky military policy, but less disciplined and far more violent. We can dream of an America that has a more cautious and careful military foreign policy, one in which our blessed land stands as a prudent example and not a hungry emperor. But until the American people themselves pay attention to the bombs their government is dropping and I mean that figuratively, as well as actually that is not likely to happen. Presidential hopeful and former Senator Hillary Clinton in an emerging and never played tape has regretted the US had pushed for elections in Palestinian territories in 2006 and had not prevented Hamas to win, US media The Observer reports. Targeted by another FBI probe, Clinton said, in an interview with Eli Chomsky of Jewish Press in September 2006 that the US push for elections in Palestinian territories in January 2006 was a big mistake as the results turned out in favor of Hamas movement, still on the US black list of terrorist organization. She hoped the US rigged elections in favor of Hamass rival, Fatah, seen as moderate towards Israel. I do not think we should have pushed for an election in the Palestinian territories. I think that was a big mistake, said the then Senator Clinton. And if we were going to push for an election, then we should have made sure that we did something to determine who was going to win. Hamas, dominant in the Gaza Strip, largely won the January 25, 2006 elections, outshining the Palestinian Authority dominated by Fatah with 74 seats against 45. The Observer also revealed that Chomsky was taken aback that anyone could support the ideaoffered by a national political leader, no lessthat the US should be in the business of fixing foreign elections. The tape emerges as presidential rival Donald Trump claims the US presidential election in 10 days is already rigged in advance in favor of the former US Secretary of State. @amysherman1 Hillary Clinton will campaign at a gay-friendly club in Wilton Manors Sunday. She will attend a rally at The Manor Complex, 2345 Wilton Drive, at 2 p.m. Doors open at noon. The public can RSVP here. This will be Clinton's first campaign event in Wilton Manors, a municipality in left-leaning Broward County, has a large openly gay community. Broward has about 600,000 registered Democrats -- the largest in Florida. The LGBT community is a reliable Democratic voting bloc. Clinton came out in support of same-sex marriage in 2013 in a video for the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group. Clinton appears at a Jennifer Lopez concert in downtown Miami tonight. In my five-plus years as the chair of the Missoula Economic Partnership Board of Directors, I have witnessed Missoula become a community where new businesses are welcome and thrive. When I arrived here in 2006, the term economic development was met with skepticism, and many Missoulians resisted the expansion opportunities needed to attract emerging businesses. We had pieces and parts, but we needed a solid foundation of components to build upon. Then Stimson Lumber Co. and Smurfit Stone closed their mills, putting hundreds of our friends and neighbors out of work. But, there were few other industries to which millworkers could look for alternative employment. The reality was clear: if our community was not growing, it was dying. The Bonner plants shutdown created a ripple effect across the local economy, from equipment retailers to grocery stores and other ancillary businesses. The global economic recession further compounded the losses, and Missoulas business leaders realized it was time to develop a new private/public approach. Out of this need, the Missoula Economic Partnership was born, bringing Missoulas job creators and stakeholders from both public and private sectors to the table to lead the economic development effort. Instead of relying largely on the volatile market conditions of one industry, Missoula took charge of its future. We have accomplished much over these five years, and now face a different set of challenges. Unemployment has dropped from a peak of 8.6 percent in 2011 to 3.5 percent in August 2016, resulting in a shortage of workers for businesses creating new jobs. Like other cities across the U.S., Missoulas economic base has shifted away from the natural resource industry towards a more diversified economy. We needed to diversify in order to responsibly grow. Accordingly, MEP formally approved a new strategic plan in September focusing on three clear goals: Facilitate the creation of 3,000 new jobs in Missoula County, at or above the average county wage ($17.70/hour in 2016). Cultivate $300 million in new capital investment in Missoula County. Address the barriers to business development and workforce attraction. In the years ahead, MEPs strategic initiatives will work to augment economic development incentives within local, state and federal governments. We will address Missoulas development barriers, including the lack of air service, absence of shovel-ready industrial sites, and shortage of affordable workforce housing. With each initiative, we will further position Missoula as the best place in the Northwest to live and do business. We have identified three priority industries upon which to focus our business retention, expansion and attraction efforts all intended to diversify the local economy: technology and data, biotech and life sciences, and advanced manufacturing. MEP always looks for opportunities in other industries and will continue to collaborate with the larger Missoula community to ensure a consistent economic vision. Through partnerships among our board of directors, investors, and strategic partners, we have all the tools necessary to realize our vision. Creating economic prosperity for everyone in Missoula is the right thing to do, and I have confidence in our ability to work toward and ultimately reach that goal. We are so fortunate to live in this beautiful place. Thank you for the opportunity to serve the business community in my role at MEP, and for your partnership in this effort. If the accomplishments weve achieved together over the past five years are indicative of whats to come, Missoulas future is bright. Jeff Fee is the outgoing board chairman of the Missoula Economic Partnership, where he has served for five years. Fee also will leave his job as CEO of Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula at the end of the year because the position has been eliminated. We do not accept unsolicited submissions. American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation (poetryfoundation.org), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright 2000 by Natasha Trethewey, Housekeeping, from Domestic Work (Graywolf Press, 2000). Poem reprinted by permission of Natasha Trethewey and the publisher. Introduction copyright 2016 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. Wake elected Montana School Boards Association officer Ann Wake, trustee on the Missoula County Public School Board (MCPS), was elected president-elect of the Montana School Boards Association. She has served as the municipal director from MCPS on the MTSBA Board of Directors for the past three years. On the present leadership track, she will become president of MTSBA in October 2017. Wake also was one of 16 school board trustees to be honored with the Marvin Heintz Award during the Montana Conference of Education Leadership. The award is given annually to those trustees who have reached the pinnacle of trustee training and leadership by amassing 96 hours in the School Board Academy trustee certification program. Trustees must maintain their certification with a minimum of 12 hours of training each year. Students entries invited for Letters About Literature Humanities Montana invites students in grades 4-12 to participate in Letters About Literature, a national competition in which students submit letters written to the authors of their favorite books. Students can enter themselves or teachers can send in their submissions. The deadline for grades 9-12 is Dec. 2 and for grades 4-8 is Jan. 9, 2017. For more information, contact sarah.kahn@humanitiesmontana.org or visit read.gov/letters. Spring Deans List Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska: Rachel ONeal, Missoula. Baylor University, Waco, Texas: Jeffrey Walrod, Missoula. Graduated Western Governors University, Salt Lake City: Sarah Buszmann of Missoula, M.S. in management and leadership; Jessica Bean of Missoula, B.S. in business management; Aimee Pier and Jolene Long, both of Missoula, M.A in elementary education; Kimberlee Aitken of Missoula, M.S in special education. Compiled by Mary Gerber, Missoulian The governor of Montana works for more than 1 million people, and must be willing to serve each and every one of them starting by listening to them. He must be open to a diversity of ideas, as well as to general criticism and detailed questioning. Gov. Steve Bullock, the incumbent Democrat running for a second term, has demonstrated a clear understanding of the governors role, and better still, his effectiveness at it. Even before he was elected governor, as attorney general, Bullock showed a deft ability to hear suggestions from a variety of sources, fold them into his proposals and then move his policies forward with bipartisan support. He also showed a willingness to draw the line when faced with a bad idea, and wield the veto pen accordingly. His leadership in setting financial priorities has helped keep the states economy in good shape. Republican challenger Greg Gianforte has based his campaign on smart business leadership. He has not, however, shown as much interest in public service. He has been unwilling to share with the public his reasoning for making large charitable contributions to groups that advocate for for public spending on private schools, prayer in schools, creationism, federal lands transfer proposals and other social matters. In fact, he has argued that its none of the publics business. And when challenged to consider opposing sides of issues outside his area of expertise, such refugee resettlement, Gianforte has an unfortunately tendency to shut down discussion. A successful public servant must be willing to have uncomfortable conversations on controversial subjects. Undoubtedly, Gianfortes biggest strength is his proven business success. He and his wife started a small software company called RightNow Technologies, based in Bozeman, which grew to employ more than 1,000 people in high-paying jobs, and eventually sold to Oracle Corporation for $1.8 billion. Despite his personal success in Montana, Gianforte maintains that state government hinders business growth and should adopt a customer service approach. Except Montanans arent the customers. Were the bosses. This mindset is reflected in Bullocks approach to improving the relationship between state government and local business, namely through the Main Street Montana Project launched more than three years ago. The projects goal was to identify improvements, industry by industry, and in keeping with Bullocks collaborative management style, it relies on participation from key business leaders as well as stakeholders from both the public and private sectors. Hearing that many businesses found government requirements difficult to navigate, Bullock launched a regulatory review that resulting in the streamlining of hundreds of regulations, and earlier this year the Governors Office of Economic Development developed the Montana Business Navigator to help guide new businesses through the permitting process. Phase 2, Bullock says, is to involve Montanas cities and counties in the navigator to make the process easier for businesses to navigate across every level of government. This inclusive, pragmatic approach found similar success with other issues tackled by the Republican-controlled 2015 Legislature, which passed Medicaid expansion and approved a budget without going into overtime. The bipartisan infrastructure bill, notably, failed by just one vote and Bullock has pledged to make it the starting issue of the next legislative session. He also intends to again take up early childhood education, and continue working to improve rural access to health care while looking for ways to drive down health care costs. Of course, Bullocks time in the Governors Office has also revealed his flaws. Gianforte has brought up some good points about Bullocks questionable use of the state plane and series of three lieutenant governors. There have been serious questions about state government under Bullocks watch that he could have prevented had he run a tighter ship. The decision to move the states criminally convicted mental health patients from an overcrowded facility to a private building with a $1.2. million annual contract should have been made only after other options were exhausted through a competitive bidding process performed out in the open. Similarly, Bullocks administration has paid more than $900,000 in settlements to at least 42 state employees to settle claims of an unknown nature. To be fair, his administration included these payments in the states online checkbook, which Bullock launched in his first year in office. However, his administration has rejected public records requests for details of the settlements. Bullock also should have at least attempted to intervene in a major tourism contract awarded, through a competitive bidding process, to a firm based in Wisconsin. In the future, we would like to see Bullock deepen his commitment to transparency and pay closer attention to the details such as developing a policy on the use of the state plane. But those are minor dings against an overall strong performance. Montanans should re-hire Steve Bullock as Montanas governor. Contrary to the glossy brochures filling our mailboxes, the state Senate 54th District election is not about guns. Or immigration. Or mandatory prison sentences. No, this election is about keeping the Finger Lakes a beautiful place to live and work. That means reversing the tide of oceans of landfill overtaking this place we call home. Republican candidate Pam Helming of Canandaigua is, frankly, the landfill candidate, put in place by the Republican Party, under whose watch the three largest landfills in the East have been built in our district. Having at one time worked for Casella Waste Services and completely subject to the whims of the Republican Party who are financing her campaign, Ms. Helming makes the perfect foot soldier for the waste industry. Not surprisingly, her resume and campaign literature omit any mention of her connections to Casella. Currently, she has a spot on the Ontario County Board of Supervisors, where she has consistently backed the interests of Casella Waste which manages the Ontario County Landfill. Call it on the job training for Albany. We dont need a waste industry proxy in the 54th Senate seat. At the recent election debate in Geneva (unattended by Helming) both of Helmings opponents, Kenan Baldridge and Floyd Rayburn agreed: The waste industry not only damages the Finger Lakes environment, it also interferes with our electoral process through its money and downstate influences. Helmings election would leave the Finger Lakes without a voice in Albany to oppose big garbage, an industry that has changed the very geography of our region, leaving behind a trail of misery for local residents. There is an alternative in this election, and a good one, in the person of Kenan Baldridge. Mr. Baldridge, of North Rose, is firmly opposed to the waste industrys continued takeover of our district. He believes in transparency in government and fair dealings with all the districts constituents, not just the special interests who use the region as their dumping ground. As a firefighter, paramedic and member of the Wayne County Board of Supervisors, Kenan has a stellar reputation as a clear thinker who works across the aisle to gets things done. As our candidate in Albany he will be beholden to no one except the voters. The stakes are high: Continue on as a regional dumping ground or take a new path. The choice is ours. Edward Lavin Geneva Per the argument for Initiative 177 (voter info pamphlet): "the kill is often not quick or efficient, suffering of trapped animal is enormous and can last for days." This does not conform to "Montana's tradition" of fair chase and respect for animals. Anyone who believes this "tradition" has to be an ignorant hypocrite because it is malarkey. Animals are pursued by hunters who employ unfair tactics in their effort to kill the animal from ambush. These include timers/cameras, scents, lures, feeds, tree stands and very long range rifles. The animals are mostly shot with a rifle, shotgun or bow and oftentimes it is poorly placed. The terrified animal struggles and sometimes escapes to a slow and painful death. This is a violent sport and not one that shows any humane treatment for the animal. "Fair chase" was the same argument used back in 2000 against elk farmers (Initiative 143) because some offered "canned hunts." It did not matter that these elk were actually livestock and not wild or that they were always killed in the shortest time, minimizing their agony. I am an elk farmer and not against hunting. Seeing "fair chase" used in this election is a painful reminder of the smear campaign used, causing many elk farmers to lose their businesses, incomes and rights for no good reason. The hunters and well-funded special interest groups used the Montana hoax for convincing the ignorant voters with clever media ads of misinformation to ban private livestock shooting (hunting) and new farms. James Weber, Marion We strongly support the re-election of Sen. Jennifer Fielder to represent Sanders County, and parts of Mineral and Missoula counties. Fielder has done an exceptional job representing Montanans over the last four years. We so value her understanding that it is the government's responsibility to serve the people within the limits of the Constitution and not to infringe upon our rights. She is a conscientious individual who is dedicated and hard-working, and her determination is unmatched. Her positions on cost-effective and carefully evaluated infrastructure projects; Syrian refugee resettlement in our Montana communities; the threat of Sharia law trying to establish itself in our state; and her correct stance regarding the transfer of federal lands to the state of Montana allowing for positive environmental and economic impacts are sound. We believe it is essential that this senator's voice return to our Montana Legislature for the next four years. Art Hassan, Trout Creek While visiting Boise, Idaho, recently it was a huge surprise to note that the Idaho Statesman newspaper, in its October 14 issue, carried an extensive article titled Statesman Editorial President Endorsement," in which their board wholeheartedly, save one, endorses Clinton. The sub-title: Candidates policies, experience led us to a clear choice: Clinton. As you most likely know, historically, Idaho has been, and remains, a Republican state. Another article reflects the sentiment of most of the state population of Mormons along with references to those of the state of Utah. Visit the site at idahostatesman.com/opinion. Please take a close look at the proven record of Dan Salomon, candidate for Senate District 47. Having grown up in agriculture, Salomon understands the value of hard work and fiscal responsibility. He has a first-hand understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by our agricultural and business communities. Salomon has a broad perspective as an independent businessman, as well as a community servant. Salomon has served on the local school board, the Lake County Weed Board, as chairman of the Ronan Rural Fire Board, and as a Farm Service Credit director. Salomon has a proven track record of representing these Montana values. He has served three terms in the Montana House of Representatives, serving on the House Education, Agriculture and Business and Labor committees. Salomon cast votes towards improving the business climate in Montana, receiving a 100 percent rating from the Montana Chamber of Commerce. Salomons voting record received a 94 percent rating by the United Property owners of Montana. As a member of the Education Committee, Salomon pushed for a tuition freeze and performance-based budgeting for our education system as well as more equitable funding system for primary and secondary education in our state. Salomon feels strongly feels that educating our children is the key to Montanas future. Salomon has consistently voted to reduce the size of government. Serving two terms on the House Agriculture Committee, Salomon has been a strong voice needed for this mainstay of Montana. We have plenty of lawyers in the Montana legislature but we have very few independent businessmen. Salomon has the knowledge and experience to be effective from the opening session He understands the laws and judicial precedents, and how to get to the facts. Dan Salomon will work hard to represent the people of Montana with common-sense leadership. Sjaan Vincent, Charlo Judge Dirk Sandefur knows law and order from every aspect: as a Havre police officer, a prosecutor of criminals, a public defender, and for the last 14 years, as a highly respected state district judge in Great Falls. As a judge, Sandefur has handled the entire spectrum of complex civil and criminal cases that come before Montanas courts. In all, Dirk Sandefur has 25 years of proven public service for Montanans. His opponent has no such experience. In addition, she is backed by out-of-state corporations that are spending vast sums of dark money to get her elected by attacking Sandefur. Please dont believe their deception. Sandefur is a fine man with an outstanding reputation for fairness and hard work. Thats why Cascade County citizens have elected him repeatedly to serve as state district judge. Judge Sandefur has my solid support for state Supreme Court justice. Shelli Lavinder Schwalk, Great Falls I am proud to support Dirk Sandefur for Montana Supreme Court. Montana needs Supreme Court judges who are fair, impartial and nonpartisan when deciding cases. As a district judge in Great Falls, Dirk Sandefur has earned widespread respect for being exactly that sort of judge. Judge Sandefur has the backing of Republicans, Democrats and Independents. All former Montana Supreme Court justices still living have endorsed him. Thats a remarkable seal of approval. I hope my fellow Montanans will not be fooled by the out-of-state dark money groups that are trying to distort this fine mans record. Just as they did in 2014, these groups want to buy a seat on the Supreme Court for Sandefurs opponent. If they succeed, she will be beholden to these groups and their interests. Lets send these dark money groups a message: Montanas high court is not for sale. Please join me in voting for Dirk Sandefur. Melanie Charlson, Missoula BILLINGS U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., has raised the issue of a secret plan to shut down Colstrips oldest units in 2017, much earlier than has been disclosed to the public. In a letter to Talen Energy CEO Paul Farr, the Republican senator said hes heard from constituents that the decision has already been made to shut down Colstrip Units 1 and 2 next year, but that the company is delaying the announcement. Daines asked Farr to disclose whether the State of Montana is also in the loop on quiet plans to close the units. "It's imperative for Units 1 and 2 to stay open as long as possible, Daines said Friday. It's also important for those who will be impacted by the closure of Colstrip to have the most up-to-date information about closure plans." Daines staff confirmed that by Friday evening, Farr hadnt replied to the senator. Talen did respond to The Gazette late Friday. "There has been no decision on a shutdown date for Colstrip Units 1 and 2, nor have any agreements been reached with any parties," said George Lewis, Talen spokesman. "We will respond more fully to Sen. Daines in an appropriate time frame. Until the response is prepared we will have no further comment about the letter." State Sen. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip, said his community doesnt want to be blindsided by an early closure. Whats publicly known is that the southeast Montana power plants oldest units will close on or before 2022, a concession made last summer in a pollution lawsuit settlement between Talen, the Sierra Club and the Montana Environmental Information Center. If the units closed next year, more than 100 families dependent on power plant jobs would be caught flat-footed, he said. I definitely believe that there has been a date set and theyre going to get the election out of the way and all this and then theres going to be a date announced, Ankney said. One way or another, its absolutely essential that they come up with a date. These people in Colstrip need to know so they can have a plan. Ankney said he didnt know if the State of Montana was aware of an undisclosed 2017 closure date. Daines sent a copy of his Farr letter the Montana Public Service Commission, the states utility regulator. PSC Chairman Brad Johnson called for disclosure from Talen. The PSC denied having any discussions with Colstrip owners about a 2017 closure. If a backroom deal has been made to shut down Colstrip Units 1 & 2 sooner than the 2022 date previously agreed upon, then we must know as soon as possible, Johnson said in a press release. An unexpected, early shuttering of Colstrip Units 1 and 2 could affect the utility lines servicing the power plants other two units. In a public records request filed Friday, The Gazette asked Gov. Steve Bullocks office to disclose any conversations concerning Colstrip between the governor, his staff and members of Talen Energy or its major shareholder Riverstone Holdings of New York City. Bullock, in a written statement, accused Daines of playing political games in support of Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte. "It is unfortunate Sen. Daines is waiting until now, days before an election where his former boss is on the ballot, to engage on the issue of Colstrip," Bullock wrote. "Unlike the senator, I've been working closely with PSE and Talen Energy to keep Colstrip open and operating, and called both CEOs to my office for a public meeting. That's where we learned that Talen is losing millions of dollars on Units 1 and 2. We asked them to continue to operate as long as possible while we work with all stakeholders to look for solutions. To politicize this now, as Sen. Daines is doing, is offensive to the workers and families of Colstrip." The governor did not say whether hes aware of plans to close Colstrips oldest units next year, or whether he requested any announcement of the closure be delayed. U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan predicted four years rife with scandal if Democrat Hillary Clinton is elected president. At a campaign stop in Billings for Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., Ryan reminded voters of the Bill Clinton 1990s, during which the first couple was repeatedly investigated at congressional request. "It's always a scandal, one scandal, after another, after another," Ryan said. "You never know what's going to happen next. It takes this country through an ugliness, playing by a different set of rules, using the system to help themselves, not to help you. Do we really want four years of this? Good grief! Ryan cited Friday's announcement by FBI Director James Comey of the potential discovery of more Clinton State Department emails as more of the same. The FBI is looking into whether there was classified information on a device belonging to Anthony Weiner, the disgraced ex-congressman who is separated from longtime Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Comey, in his letter to Congress on Friday, said the FBI had recently come upon new emails while pursuing an unrelated case and was reviewing whether they were classified. Democrats have denounced Comeys letter as inappropriate, given its release days before the presidential election and because Comey has indicated that its unknown if theres anything substantial in the emails. After the rally Sunday, Zinke said Comey was right to notify Congress. "I don't think in this case that holding something of this magnitude secret is wise and prudent," Zinke said. "I think it probably reinforced what a lot of America was already thinking. Certainly the decision to review and open up the case again, I would think there is compelling reason to do so." Ryan, who has represented Wisconsins first congressional district for 17 years, encouraged voters to re-elect Zinke. However the speaker did not utter Donald Trumps name. The closest Ryan came to referencing Trump was suggesting the Republican plans depended on wins in every race. We know what we need to do to bring America back on the right track and the only way we can did that is if we vote for Republicans up and down this ticket. There are men and women of courage and conviction who have earned our support. This man is one of them, Ryan said, gesturing to Montanas first-term representative. The event drew an unexpected appearance by Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, who called Zinke a leader on natural resource and rural economic issues. When I need a partner on our forestry and natural resources issues, fighting the wolf issue, defending our timber jobs, natural resources, its Ryan Zinke, Walden said. Zinke was credited with getting the export ban on petroleum lifted. *** About 100 people turned out for the 10 a.m. rally inside the Corporate Air hangar at Billings Logan International Airport. A thick fog blanketed the Yellowstone River valley, but up on the Rims, the sky was a brilliant blue. Ryan arrived in Billings the night before after a stop in North Las Vegas to campaign for two Reps. Cresent Hardy and Mimi Walters. The speaker held a Las Vegas rally then went door to door with the GOP incumbents, according to Las Vegas Now. Nevada is a state were Democrats are doing well and Republicans down ticket, including Hardy, are distancing themselves from Donald Trump. In early October, Hardy called on trump to withdraw from the presidential race. By comparison, the Billings stop was much shorter. Ryan spoke for less than 10 minutes. In Montana, Donald Trump had a double digit lead over Clinton with likely voters in a Lee Newspapers poll taken at mid-month. Zinkes lead over Democrat Denise Juneau in the same Lee poll was 14 percent. Staff from several Republican campaigns gathered on the stage after Sundays event for a group photograph with AshLee Strong, Speaker Ryans national press secretary. Strong, a Billings native, was credited for the speakers Billings appearance. Several Republicans in down-ticket races also spoke at the event. Greg Gianforte, Republican candidate for governor, told the audience that winning his tight race against incumbent Democrat Steve Bullock would depend on turnout. Were significantly ahead with people who havent voted yet and I need your help to get them out, Gianforte said. Republican candidate for the superintendent of the Office of Public Instruction Elsie Artnzen also spoke. U.S. Sen Steve Daines, R-Mont., said that Montanas political landscape has changed significantly for Republicans this decade. Out of eight statewide elected offices in 2010, Republicans held one, but have held three since 2014. I think this is going to be a very tight election, not only in Montana, but across the nation, Daines said. Every vote matters and we need to tell our neighbors, our friends to get out and vote. BUTTE A former inmate received three years in prison with another five suspended in Missoula federal court this week for his role in an interstate drug smuggling ring at the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge. Cordero Robert Metzker, 28, of Billings served as an intermediary between a prison laundry worker who traded drugs for money and two drug suppliers in Tennessee who mailed meth and Suboxone an opioid addiction manager back to the laundry worker to smuggle in for cash, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The smuggling ring ran from April to September last year, court documents show. Deer Lodge inmates would send Metzker money which he would forward to Tennessee residents Rachel Ross and Lauren Hoskins, the DOJ reported. Those women would buy drugs which they mailed to Erin Bernhardt, a laundry worker at the prison. In exchange for cash, Bernhardt would then smuggle the drugs to Ian Barclay, a prisoner serving eight years for drug possession and escape, who distributed the drugs to other inmates. All the involved parties reached plea agreements with the prosecution earlier this year to reduce sentencing and drop charges in exchange for guilty pleas and cooperation. Metzker was the first of the five conspirators to plead guilty and is the first to be sentenced. Bernhardt, the prison laundry worker, pleaded guilty on Aug. 17 to conspiracy to distribute drugs and accepting bribes and will be sentenced Dec. 1. Ross, one of the Tennessee women who bought and mailed drugs to Bernhardt, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute drugs on Aug. 17 and will also be sentenced Dec. 1. The other Tennessean, Hoskins, pleaded guilty on Sept. 6. to aiding in the distribution of drugs with sentencing set for Dec. 16. Barclay, the inmate who paid Bernhardt for drugs, pleaded guilty on Aug. 23 to conspiracy to distribute drugs and giving bribes with sentencing set for Dec. 21. This type of abuse within a public prison system cannot be tolerated, and the effective prosecution of these defendants demonstrates that it will not be, said U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana Michael Cotter. Metzker was originally imprisoned after being found guilty of drug possession with intent to distribute in Missoula County violating his probation from an earlier Gallatin County drug charge with some of the 8-year-total prison sentence suspended. The drug-smuggling ring was busted by an inter-agency investigation by the state prison, Montana Department of Corrections, FBI, U.S. Postal Inspector, and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigations. On Oct. 17, prison guard Martin Reap was found guilty in federal court of smuggling marijuana and cigarettes to prisoners in the state prison, in what Cotter has called an unconnected case. EUREKA If youve ever walked down Dewey Avenue, the main drag through this Tobacco Valley community, congratulations: Youve completed part of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail. Now, youve only got about 1,199 miles to go. Youll find most of the rest of the walk a tad more strenuous than the portion that passes through downtown Eureka. The PNT, as it is known, crosses seven mountain ranges, seven national forests, three states and three national parks as it makes its way from the east side of the Continental Divide to the Pacific Ocean. Youll climb a total of more than 205,000 feet thats more than eight Mount Everests, measured from base to peak as you hike from the starting point, about 200 yards inside the Canadian border on the east side of Glacier National Park. Youll also descend a total of more than 210,000 feet as you make your way up and down mountainsides to Cape Alava, Washington. Its an elevation change, to be precise, of 415,638 feet along the route. Thats similar to the elevation change on the longer-established and better-known Pacific Crest Trail that runs from California to Washington, with one big difference. The Pacific Crests elevation change of 420,000 feet happens over 2,650 miles. PNTs is crammed into less than half that distance. Thats what you get when you blaze a trail that runs east-west, instead of north-south, in the Western United States. *** If you havent heard of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail before, youre not alone. It, along with the 807-mile Arizona Trail and the 220-mile New England Trail, are the latest additions to Americas 11 national scenic trails as designated by Congress. The most famous of them all, certainly, is the 2,181-mile Appalachian Trail that runs from Maine to Georgia. Overall, the part of the Pacific Northwest Trail that is very appealing to me, is that it goes through some of the most beautiful and wild country in the entire Lower 48, says Jeff Kish. You start in Glacier Park. Theres no place better to start a hike. And the idea that, at the end of the hike, youll put your toes in the Pacific Ocean, is just amazing. Kish spent nine weeks hiking the trail from start to finish in 2014, the year before he was named executive director of the Pacific Northwest Trail Association (the president of the associations board of directors, by the way, is Missoula attorney Charley Carpenter, who was involved in a trial last week and unavailable for comment). Kish will be in Whitefish later this week, when the PNTs 24-person citizens advisory council spends two days hammering out recommendations for the U.S. Forest Service to follow in the long-term management of the trail. *** The trail is unusual in several respects. Compared to the others, its more of a challenge to navigate, Kish says. Its not intuitive, and its not signed because its so new. Physically, most trails follow a ridge, but the Pacific Northwest Trail crosses seven mountain ranges. Theres a lot of climbing. Then, theres the reality that vast stretches of it i.e., the parts that dont pass through towns like Eureka are usually devoid of other humans. Long-distance hikers have come to expect a certain amount of camaraderie along the trail, he says. On this one, theres solitude. You can go miles, days, a week without seeing another person. Some people love that, but for some its a challenge. On the other hand, the trail also passes very near to, and often through the middle of, towns 17 of them another rarity among national scenic trails. You can spend a night in a motel, take a hot shower, get a restaurant meal, Kish says. Hikers really appreciate that. When he hiked the 1,200 miles, Kish was also filing live reports for a website. Before I started my hike, I mailed my laptop to myself as a general delivery package at the Eureka post office, he says. Then I hiked from Chief Mountain to Eureka, picked up my laptop, checked into a hotel, uploaded my photos and wrote my piece. When I was done, I packed up my laptop and mailed it to Bonners Ferry, and repeated the process at each town that I resupplied in along the way to the Pacific. Lastly, you wont find many trails that let you sit down for part of the trip, but the PNT does. Before you can walk the last 150 miles or so of the trail across Washingtons Olympic Peninsula, you take a ferry ride from Coupeville to Port Townsend. *** The Pacific Northwest Trail was designated a national scenic trail in 2009, but it took almost 40 years to reach that point. It exists because Ron Strickland, then a student at Georgetown University, decided in 1970 that a trail from the Continental Divide to the Pacific Ocean near the Canadian border would be a great addition to the first two scenic trails the Appalachian and Pacific Crest so designated by Congress in 1968. Much of the trail, of course, did not exist when Strickland came up with the idea. And it didnt exactly get off to a flying start. In fact, half a dozen other trails were added to the list before the PNT was. A Seattle-area congressman agreed in 1974 to introduce a study bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, but that only culminated in a 1980 report from the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service that proclaimed the creation of the Pacific Northwest Trail neither feasible nor desirable. And that might have been that, except for one thing: Strickland. He had already founded the Pacific Northwest Trail Association in 1977, and he kept poring over maps, hiking segments of potential routes, and recruiting others to the cause. Stamina and patience, Strickland says in explaining how the trail the federal government dismissed in 1980 came to be three decades later. He wrote a guidebook for the trail in 1984, even though the trail didnt officially exist. He convinced a platoon of British Army regulars to help him build segments of the trail on Blanchard Hill near Washingtons Samish Bay. He was starting from nothing, Randy Urmston, the first president of the association, says on a YouTube video produced by Better World Films. It was just Rons idea, and it captured other peoples imagination. *** Only 40 to 50 people have hiked the entire 1,200 miles continuously in each of the last two summers, but thats twice as many as had been doing so the six years before that. If that still seems like awfully low usage, youre missing the point. Millions of people hike segments of the PNT every year. The most may be walking on a trail at Deception Pass, a state park in Washington the PNT passes through, and that draws as many visitors a year as does Glacier Park. The day hiker is the most important person on the trail, Strickland says, because our trails wont continue to exist unless we have a lot more people on them. If youve ever hiked on Glacier Park trails like Belly River, the Cosley Lake Cutoff, Stoney Indian Pass, Waterton Valley, Waterton Lake, Boulder Pass or Bowman Lake, youve been on the PNT. Those are the first routes the PNT follows from its starting point near the Chief Mountain Customs Office. The reward for completing the first leg of the journey, Kish says, is Polebridge, which means pizza at the Northern Lights Saloon, an overnight stay with Oliver at the Northfork Hostel, and huckleberry bearclaws for breakfast at Polebridge Mercantile. The rest of the Montana portion of the trip includes, Kish says, crossing the beautiful Whitefish Divide to Eureka, where hikers enjoy all the amenities of town before continuing their march along the Tobacco River and Lake Koocanusa, up into the rugged Purcells, and across the wild and remote Yaak Valley toward the Idaho border. Trails through Glacier, North Cascades and Olympic national parks are all part of the PNT. It also goes through the Kootenai and Flathead National Forests in Montana, the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, and the Colville, Okanogan-Wenatchee, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie, and Olympic National Forests in Washington. Kish has hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from start to finish as well. There is a greater variety of terrain on a trail that crosses the Mojave Desert and ends up in the Cascade Mountains, and it's "much more social," Kish says. "But the PNT is much more rugged and challenging." *** Its remarkable that Strickland and his band of supporters nursed the Pacific Northwest Trail through four decades of bureaucracy. But you should see what hes got up his sleeve now. He envisions the PNT becoming a part of a 7,700-mile trail that runs from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic. The idea of the Sea-to-Sea Transcontinental Trail is not as far-fetched as you might think. Large chunks are already in place. In addition to the PNT, the North Country National Scenic Trail, authorized in 1980, provides a 4,600-mile footpath through seven states, from North Dakota to New York. Sea-to-Sea would also utilize smaller portions of the Continental Divide Trail in Montana, the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, and the extension known as the International Appalachian Trail that continues on to the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec, Canada, and the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. I am very passionate about the Sea-to-Sea route, says Strickland, who first proposed it in 1996. It would make something much bigger than the existing parts. Its been done. Professional backpacker yes, there is such a thing Andrew Skurka, inspired by Stricklands idea, hiked the proposed route in 2005. It took him 11 months, and he did 1,400 miles of it on snowshoes. There are two gaps in the proposed route. One is relatively short, less than 30 miles between the North Country Trail in upstate New York, and the Appalachian Trail next door in Vermont. The other is considerably longer 800 to 900 miles across Montana and western North Dakota needed to link the Continental Divide Trail with the North Country Trail. Whether it comes to pass, or how long it might take, no one knows. But if it ever does, then anyone who walks down Dewey Avenue in Eureka will only have 7,699 miles to go if they want to complete the transcontinental hike. Shanghai, December 17 (Gasgoo.com) The year of 2008 is an eventful year for China and its auto industry. The following ten events have served as the highlights of the Chinese auto market this year, among others such as the Beijing Olympics traffic control in August, the sales tax hike on big-engine cars, and sales target cuts near the year end. 1. Disaster relief The devastating May 12 earthquake of 7.9-magnitude in western China's Sichuan province is a catastrophe to the Chinese nation. Automakers in the country responded rapidly to this national disaster. Homegrown brands such as Geely, BYD, Chery and Brilliance each donated more than 10 million yuan ($1.47 million) in cash to the relief effort, and some also added vehicles to the donation. Joint ventures including Shanghai GM, Shanghai VW, FAW VW, FAW Toyota, Guangzhou Honda (GAC Honda), and global brands VW, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Daimler-Benz, BMW donated huge sum of money and a lot of vehicles. 2. Beijing auto show The 2008 Beijing Auto Show in April was unprecedented in floor space and in the number of car makers, brands, models, and viewers. More than ten new models made their global debuts at the event, which showed the growing appeal of China's auto market. Home-grown Chinese auto brands, such as Chery, Geely, SAIC Roewe, Brilliance and Great Wall, hogged most limelight of the one-week show. 3. New energy vehicles China initiated its new-energy (alternative-energy) automotive development programs in 2008. Shanghai GM has launched its Buick LaCROSSE hybrid model, and BYD has released its F3DM electric model. Changan Auto and SAIC have decided to invest heavily in technical centers for new-energy vehicles. The Chinese government has promised to earmark 20 billion yuan to subsidize the alternative energy vehicle development. The sci-tech ministry is promoting a project to put 5,000 hybrid buses, 20,000 hybrid taxis and 5,000 electric vehicles on the streets in 10 cities by 2012. 4. Fuel tax According to the recently unveiled new fuel tax plan, vehicle owners in China would be required to pay the tax on gasoline that will be raised from 0.2 yuan to one yuan per liter, and diesel tax going up to 0.8 yuan from 0.1 yuan per liter. The plan, scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, adds that six toll fees, currently being charged for road or waterway maintenance and management, would be completely scrapped. Fuel oil and lubricants will be included under the fuel tax structure. 5. Copycat models The Shuanghuan CEO, not the Chinese carmaker's chief executive officer but a car model, is clearly fashioned after the BMW X5, though there are some styling differences. Despite the legal battle, however, Shuanghuan had been selling the CEO throughout Europe, including Germany. In addition, BYD F3-R hatchback looks like Daewoo Lacetti / Chevrolet Optra 5 hatchback. Great Wall Motor's Gwperi minicar was ruled by a German court in Sept. as copy of Fiat Panda. 6. Ten-million-unit sales China's auto market had achieved sales of 8.8 million vehicles in 2007, and based on this great achievement, the country's auto industry agents were fully confident in the first half of the 2008 that the vehicle sales would surge to 10 million at least this year in the China market. But the market downturn and financial crisis since August have dashed the beautiful dreams. By the end of November, China had sold 8.6 million vehicles. No sales miracle is possible in the final month. 7. In-house development This year, Shanghai VW has launched its Lavida and FAW VW the New Bora as their self-developed models for the Chinese market. More and more Chinese partners in joint ventures are seeking ways for independent innovation and own-brand development. Though self-developed models are believed to be cost-effective and benefit the buyers, the technological content, craftsmanship and popularity of China's new self-developed cars still leave much to be desired. 8. Restructuring / mergers China's auto industry regulators have urged some Chinese automakers to restructure or merger themselves, but there are no results in sight yet. The planned mergers of Dongfeng and Hafei, of Changhe and Hafei, the restructuring of Changan and Brilliance, cooperation of GAC (Guangzhou Auto) and Changfeng have been hot topics this year, but there is no concrete action on the way. 9. Buying troubled U.S. giants or brands SAIC and Changfeng were recently rumored to buy the troubled U.S. auto giants GM and Chrysler, and Ford is said to sell its Volvo brand to a Chinese buyer, but it is doubtful if Chinese auto companies have the financial and technical capabilities to buy the global giants or brands. Maybe the reported "talks to buy" are just some publicity stunt by the companies and the media. 10. Market downturn HELENA - Federal funds will allow Lewis and Clark County to begin work on groundwater and possibly soil regulations for a roughly 40-square-mile area in the Upper Tenmile Creek Mining Area Superfund Site. Future regulation is envisioned to mirror those regulating groundwater use and soils in East Helena where a Superfund site also exists, said Kathy Moore, environmental division administrator with the countys health department, Lewis and Clark Public Health. But regulation wont come quickly, she said and explained a timetable with opportunities for public comment that could, at its quickest, produce rules on soils by the end of 2017. Regulation on soils could address what happens to the dirt thats excavated for new homes and ensure that contaminated dirt isnt sold as topsoil and moved from the property. While regulation on contaminated soils in East Helena wasnt disputed because of health concerns, its uncertain if the same conditions exist in the Upper Tenmile Creek area of concern. Fewer people live in this area, Moore said and noted that, also unlike East Helena, theres less exposure to potentially contaminated soil. Im not ruling it out, she said of the need for soil regulations. I dont make the final decision. The (county) Board of Health does. I think its worth discussing an alternative however, she added. Regulation for new wells that are drilled to supply residences with water, primarily in an area that includes Rimini and extends southward where people live year-round, is less questionable. The process to put in place rules for new wells is envisioned to take longer and may not happen until fall of 2018, she suggested of a possible timeline. The Environmental Protection Agency website estimated there are 150 active and abandoned mines in the 53-square-mile Rimini Mining District. The federal agency is providing $71,638 toward the creation of regulations theyre called institutional controls. Institutional controls are a series of interventions that are intended to protect people from any contamination thats left in place, Moore said. She explained them as an assurance a neighbor cant do something that exposes others to contaminants. Without the creation of these controls, EPA cant close out its involvement and allow responsibility to eventually shift to the local government, Moore said. Groundwater control regulations are to be created by June 30, 2019, as is a community educational effort and the availability of blood screenings. Environmental assessments of homes in the Upper Tenmile Creek Superfund site area could also be conducted for homeowners, as they are in the East Helena site, Moore noted. The dust that has been carried into homes for decades by the gravel road there 6.25 miles of it is being paved and from dirt on clothing can leave homes, particularly furniture, contaminated, Moore said. The Superfund site in the Upper Tenmile Creek area is west of Helena in the mountainous country that rises toward the 6,320-foot MacDonald Pass. Mining for gold, lead, copper and zinc there began in the 1870s and continued through the 1930s, according to the EPA website. Waste rock containing heavy metals was used as filler material for roads, yards and local waterways. The waste rock contaminated the soil and groundwater with heavy metals. The East Helena environmental problems stem from the lead smelter that operated there from 1888 until 2001, according to the EPA website. For more than 100 years, lead and zinc smelting operations deposited heavy metals, arsenic and other hazardous chemicals into the soil, surface water and groundwater of the Helena Valley. In addition to affecting the town, residential subdivisions and agricultural lands were also impacted, according to the EPA. The sources of this contamination included the smelter stack, fugitive emissions from plant operations, process ponds and direct surface water discharges. Regulations for the East Helena site address both groundwater, where plumes of contaminants have been clearly identified, and soil. Efforts to clean up East Helena soils is nearing its completion although ditches and borrow pits where soil was removed for highway construction, Moore said. She predicted that the soil cleanup work, other than at the smelter site, would be completed by the end of next year. While regulation for the Rimini area would model those rules for East Helena, the two areas are quite different. Groundwater contamination in the Upper Tenmile Creek area as a result of mining is hit or miss, Moore said. Some of the water has barely any trace of these contaminants. Some of it is highly contaminated. And some of it is pristine. Our lack of knowledge is the biggest driving factor why we need this groundwater control area, Moore said. A permit and testing requirement for new wells could add $500 to the cost of a new well, she noted. But before regulations are put into place, there would be public meetings on proposed rules and then additional opportunities for comment, Moore said. An initial public meeting on proposed regulations could occur in late spring 2017 and include a public comment period. Moore mentioned both a 30-day period, which commonly occurs when the county commission is prepared to act on issues of public interest such as conservation easements, and the possibility of a 60-day period. Those proposed regulations would be refined based on public comments before one or two more public meetings are held, she continued, and added that these meetings could occur in late summer 2017. Based on the outcome of those meetings, an application for the creation of a groundwater control district could be made to the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation in the fall of the year. The state departments review could take a year, she noted. Existing wells, generally those in Rimini and in the Landmark subdivision near Hwy 12, have already been tested by EPA. Annual testing of these existing wells could be required on an annual basis to detect future contamination from mining wastes. When you ask Robbie Taylor about the condition of Buttes Mother Lode Theatre before its renovation in the mid-90s, youll likely hear a story Tours offered at county shop The Butte-Silver Bow Department of Public Works is hosting a public tour of the city and countys shop complex at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1. Meet at the shops main office, 1700 Civic Center Rd. Expect to spend at least an hour outside. Butte-Silver Bow must relocate the county shops in order to remove the Parrot tailings. The county would like citizens to be familiar with the existing facility in order to understand what is required for a new shop location. Tours of proposed relocation sites will follow in the coming weeks. Details: Public works at 406-497-6566. Walk-in flu vaccine clinics this week The Butte-Silver Bow Health Department will hold walk-in flu vaccine clinics from 2 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, Oct. 31 through Nov. 4, at the health department, 25 W. Front St. Questions: 406-497-5020. The vaccine is your best defense against the flu. Everyone from six months of age and up should get the vaccine, according to the department. Free colon cancer screening Nov. 12 Free colon cancer screening tests, which can be done in the privacy of your home, are being offered from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Southwest Montana Community Health Center, 445 Centennial Ave. No appointment is necessary. Screening patients are also invited to get a reasonably priced flu shot at the same time. Details: 406-723-4075 or come to the clinic on Nov. 12. Emerson book fair set Nov. 3-4 Emerson Elementary will have its Spring Book Fair Thursday and Friday, Nov. 3 and 4, in the school gym. Use the front door entrance. The fair is open to the public on Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Proceeds will go to the Emerson Library for new books. Vote no on marijuana I-182 Proponents of I-182 are trying very hard to make you believe that their initiative is a responsible and accountable solution to the medical marijuana debacle that Montana had to endure since 2004. I-182 is neither responsible nor accountable. While medical marijuana may be a viable medical solution for people with serious illnesses, providing marijuana from a corner shop by a provider who has no medical degree is neither practical, safe, nor good medicine. It didnt work the first time it was implemented, and it wont work this time. When medical marijuana passed in 2004, voters were appalled when it opened up the floodgates for recreational use in Montana. And over the past 12 years, the adverse consequences were never addressed by the marijuana industry. Dont be fooled. Their goal is to normalize marijuana use, not compassionately provide it for those who could medically benefit from it. Those who support I-182 hide their heads in the sand as to the consequences of marijuana use and throw insults at those who are against their poor solution for medical marijuana legalization. They had a chance to help get it right for 12 years, and Montanans have wizened up to their true goal normalization of marijuana. Marijuana is not good for the workplace, our schools or our homes. Please vote No to I-182. -- Steve Zabawa, Billings Vote for Haddon for Jeff. County attorney As a Jefferson County attorney who has been practicing law for over 45 years, I have known all Jefferson County attorneys from John McGough in the 1950s through today. I highly recommend you join me in voting for Steve Haddon for Jefferson County attorney. We have been fortunate to have excellent county attorneys in the past. Steve Haddon continues that good fortune. Steve Haddon has experience seldom found at a county attorney level. He has 18 years of civil practice experience and eight years of extensive federal court experience. For the past three years, he has proved his ability to listen to and serve the residents of Jefferson County and county government, first as a deputy county attorney and now as county attorney. Jefferson County faces issues involving county planning, zoning, and federal road access. Steve has been involved in the stream of issues that Jefferson County is currently working on. The old cowboy saying is that you should never change horses in the middle of a stream. I agree. Finally, Steve has that rare quality among attorneys to listen and give advice, not on what the clients want to hear, but what will ultimately serve them best. If you are in doubt as to who to vote for in this important race, ask the people who work for Jefferson County or the Jefferson County sheriffs office, or the people who serve on county boards and look to Steve for advice. I think you will find they agree Steve Haddon is an excellent county attorney and deserves your vote. -- Brud Smith, Boulder Gianforte will sign tax simplification Montana has one of the most complex, if not the most complex, individual tax returns in the country. In 2013 and again in 2015 the Legislature passed tax simplification bills that were well crafted and widely supported. Governor Bullock vetoed all efforts. Here are some of the reasons Montanas individual tax return is so complex. Once you have established Federal adjusted gross income, there can be up to 50 adjustments before you arrive to Montana adjusted gross income. Thousands of Montana taxpayers who take the Federal standard deduction must itemize on their Montana return to get to the lowest Montana taxable income. If you are married and both spouses work, and/or have separate taxable income, it is almost always advantageous to file separately. This requires you to allocate income and deductions between spouses and doubles your input. Finally, after you calculate your taxes, you have to consider 26 tax credits. The Montana Legislature carefully crafted bills that greatly simplified the Montana tax return. These bills started with Federal adjusted gross income, increased the standard deduction, provided tax tables for married filing jointly and head of household, and removed all but the most popular tax credits. The bills were also designed to be virtually revenue natural, and to minimize any differences the changes in the law would have on individual taxpayers. Montana taxpayers deserve tax simplification. Greg Gianforte will sign tax simplification. Governor Bullock has vetoed it twice. Montana taxpayers, the choice is yours. -- Bob Chrysler, retired CPA, Bigfork GOP sees public land as untapped revenue stream No doubt, Greg Gianforte is a man who looks around and sees opportunity. When you and I look out onto Red Mountain or Browns Gulch, we see the peaks and parks that have framed our hunts, our memories, our lives. We might see a grandchilds first elk, or remember the fresh taste of a cold beer after a long drag out. To those of us from Montana, we look to these public places and see our culture and our retreat. Greg Gianforte looks to them and sees a private marketplace. To us, they are the public waters of the Jefferson and the Big Hole, but to Gianforte and the other marketeers aiming for a Land Board majority, theyre just an untapped revenue stream, ready for their cronies to bid up and close down. The opportunism and profiteering certainly dont begin or end with the peddling of public places. It is a long vision that the likes of Greg Gianforte, Elsie Arntzen, and Matt Rosendale have as they look to the offices they seek as their chance to bludgeon their medieval ideology into our public institutions, beginning with the classroom and ending with the Land Board. By masquerading as though they worship at the altars of technology and the free market, they have tried their damnedest this election to publicly distance themselves from their true repressive ideology that free-thinking nations began to abandon, along with whale oil light, a century and a half ago. So it is here in the land of shining mountains on the eve of another election. The century old work of public access pioneers like George Grant is being challenged by feudal ideas of private property where the forest and stream and all their bounty are to be the dominion of nobility. The legacy of freedom in our public institutions is facing yet another onslaught from zealots that never seem to realize it is the first 10 words in our Bill of Rights, not theological self-righteousness, that makes our nation exceptional. Until their vision becomes law, however, the river is still open to the high-water mark and the ballot box is still the American way. Now it is up to us to make sure we use it. -- Bob Brock, Butte COLSTRIP In mid-September, Republican candidate for governor Greg Gianforte sent out a tweet saying: I've been to Colstrip 5 times this year. I stand with Colstrip United. The Bozeman technology entrepreneur sent the tweet a month after visiting the town, which is home to the second-largest coal-fired power plant west of the Mississippi and a 25,000-acre mine that exists solely to fuel the plant. That trip was to attend the Energy Open, an event highlighting the economic role the plant and mine play in the region. Theres a tweet from that day too, with a photo of a smiling Gianforte, the founders of Colstrip United, the towns mayor, and the head of the local economic development agency. Through trips and tweets, Gianforte has worked hard to endear himself to this small town of 2,200 in the southeastern corner of the state. Hes also hammered incumbent Democrat Gov. Steve Bullock, saying hes been absent and drawing a line for voters from Bullock to president Barack Obama and his partys nominee for president, Hillary Clinton, both unpopular figures in coal country. The narrative has worked for many voters here. The Obama administration and Hillary Clinton have basically said were going to kill coal. It seems like thus far our governor hasnt really helped us out so far," said Don Nolte, whos lived in Colstrip for 11 years and works at the mine. Half of the plant is slated to shut down by 2022 after a lawsuit over emissions from its older two units. The remaining operation will face challenges created by out-of-state owners in Oregon and Washington, where lawmakers are requiring utilities to ditch electricity from coal, as well as proposed federal rules demanding Montana reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by more than 40 percent, and by market forces including low natural gas prices. About 80 percent of Colstrips residents depend on jobs at either the plant or the mine. A 2010 report by the University of Montanas Bureau of Business and Economic Research said that the plant's existence accounts for 3,740 more jobs in the state and $360 million in personal income. With numbers like that, juxtaposed with the emotional narrative of layoffs, its easy to see why the future of Colstrip has become an issue voters hear about almost weekly in this years gubernatorial election and something many locals relish since they feel their community and region are often overlooked. In 2012 Bullock lost Rosebud County by just 14 votes, out of 3,520 cast. Its an historically pro-union town in a county with a significant Native American population, which is a traditionally strong Democratic voting bloc. His campaign, which has a Colstrip ad of its own, says the Republican challenger doesn't have a specific plan to help the town face economic challenges posed a shift in how the country gets its electricity, spurred in part by lower natural gas prices. Poster child For those who are worried about being left behind, its a really powerful symbol of what could happen to natural resource jobs, said University of Montana political researcher and journalism professor Lee Banville. Theyve literally turned it into a poster child of what happens to natural resource jobs. The issue at play in Colstrip are much more complicated than what campaigns can boil down into a 30-second ad, Banville added. Plus factors such as legislation from other states and low natural gas prices dont lend easily to campaign fodder. Colstrip is sort of a really perfect symbol of ... this accusation that Bullock hasnt done enough to protect Montana jobs. But when you look at it, it really is much more complicated. Its global economic shifts, commodities markets moving, natural gas prices dropping. Its not anything one politician can control. Gianforte has produced two TV commercials saying Bullock hasn't stood up to the federal government. Hes also slammed the incumbent over donations from people associated with Montana Environmental Information Center and the Sierra Club, the groups that filed the lawsuit that resulted in the closures of Units 1 and 2, and Montana Conservation Voters. The donations total $7,380 over two years and make up .16 percent of what Bullock has raised in both of his gubernatorial runs. Bullock campaign spokesman Jason Pitt said Gianforte hasn't offered a specific plan. He added that Bullocks office has a regular presence in town and accused Gianforte of misleading Montanans about Bullocks work on coal. Greg Gianforte's attacks ring pretty hollow when he is playing politics with Montana's energy future. For Gianforte to flat-out ignore the reality surrounding market downturns for coal and oppose investment in renewable energy is dangerous and makes him unfit to lead our state, Pitt said. Still, the challenger's message has resonated for many in this town. Weve only ever seen Bullock here once, said Autumn Stewart, the children's librarian at the Bicentennial Library. And when he was here it wasnt a great experience. He was very passive again, even in Colstrip. Political tool Stewarts husband, Evan, is the IT guy at the power plant. He feels like Bullock only started to show interest in Colstrip this spring after the plants owner, Talen Energy, told the plant's other owners it wanted out by 2018. "I see Gov. Bullock using us as a political tool during the election year. Weve seen him getting involved really when it was too late, when the gears were already moving against Colstrip. Before that I never saw that he had any interest in Colstrip and Eastern Montana. On Friday U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, and a former employee of Gianforte, sent a letter to Talen asking if they planned to close units 1 and 2 sometime in 2017. Daines said he had heard the company has decided to do so but is delaying an announcement. Talen on Friday told the Billings Gazette no decision had been made on a shutdown date. In June, Bullock released a 26-page energy plan that includes action items such as pursuing ways to make coal-fired power plants emit less pollution and finding ways to get money from the federal government to pay for those projects. It also highlights things hes already done, including hosting Chinese officials to talk about Montana coal and two groups he formed to work on the future of the plant. Banvillle said Bullocks timing has hurt his campaign. It does allow Gianforte to point out that Bullock is being reactionary. He could have on Day 1 of his governorship been doing things about Colstrip because it was in trouble then. Even if Bullock had acted earlier, Banville said, theres not much of a chance the town would be in a different situation now, but it would have helped his image. Gianforte's really been able to hammer him, and hes only been moderately effective in trying to play defense, and hes always playing defense." Though the Stewarts and Nolte say that most of their co-workers and friends feel the same way they do, not everyone in town agrees Bullock has been ineffective. Polarizing issue Every step along the way Bullock has fought for us, said Wyatt Burns, who works in Colstrip and lives in Billings. He questioned what Gianforte thinks he can do for the town. During the Energy Open, Gianforte said he would fight against the EPA's Clean Power Plan and try to find in-state owners for the plant. "We need to get more of that oversight back in Montana," he said. Burns questioned if any of that is possible. I dont know if Gianforte thinks he can pull some kind of dictator move. Its kind of beyond the control of what a governor can do. I realize Gianfortes concerns, but it seems hes making it a polarizing issue. Autumn Stewart doesn't think Gianforte is Colstrip's savior, but she supports him because of what she believes he can do for remaining natural resource jobs in the state. Im not sure that he can save Colstrip. Im not sure Colstrip is savable. Im not putting all my hope into him for the future of the town, but for the rest of Montana and the future of Montana how we go forward, I would like to see somebody that is interested in bringing jobs back into Montana rather than exporting them or giving away all of our cards. Evan Stewart said he hopes that changes this election. Voting Democratic seems to be saying I dont want my job to continue, Stewart said. Even if Bullock wants Colstrip to continue, he has to fight his own partys leadership at the federal level. Rex Rogers, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1638 in Colstrip and member of Bullock's Clean Power Plan Advisory Council, which has suspended its work while the plan works its way through legal challenges, thinks the governor has done everything he can. "I'll challenge anybody that can say we should be doing more," Rogers said. "We are leaving no stone unturned." While attending the Energy Open, Rogers disputed Gianforte's characterization that Bullock has abandoned Colstrip. "He's a co-sponsor of this event," he said. "He's in constant contact with us." "Whoever becomes governor we will have to do the best we can with," Rogers said. HELENA The interim director of VA Montana Health Care System is now the permanent director, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced Friday. Kathy Berger, who has helmed the agency on an interim basis for about four months, was named the permanent director on Friday. VA Montana manages the health care, in whole or in part, of more than 47,000 actively enrolled veterans. Berger was not available for comment Friday, but Ralph Gigliotti, Veterans Integrated Service Network 19 director, praised her leadership and experience. We are excited to bring Dr. Berger on board in a permanent capacity as director of VA Montana Health Care System, he said in a statement. She has served exceptionally well as acting director for the past four months and we look forward to great things for Montana in the future under her direction. Berger took the interim role following the resignation of former director John Ginnity and amid calls from Montanas congressional delegation and many veterans to improve access to health care in the state. Across the country, the VA has suffered a series of agency-rocking scandals surrounding wait times and false record-keeping. In Montana, wait times, workforce shortages and difficulties accessing alternative providers for rural patients have frustrated veterans and elected officials. In September, a judge ruled a senior Montana VA official retaliated against an employee who filed a patient safety report over an operating room error. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, a vocal advocate for veterans issues and the top Democrat on the subcommittee that funds the VA, said in a statement that VA leadership vacancies have served as a barrier for veterans seeking care. I have met with Kathy, and I believe she has the tools necessary to meet the responsibility of taking care of our veterans. Kathy has a lot of work ahead of her, and I will continue to work with her and the staff at VA Montana to ensure the folks who served this nation are able to access the care they have earned," he said. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, has also been outspoken on veterans issues and issued a statement Friday. The appointment of a new VA Montana Director is welcome news for Montanas veterans and I wish Dr. Berger the best, he said. Now that our veterans have a new director I look forward to seeing a commitment and change to ensure their needs are not only being met, but that Montanas veterans receive the best possible care. Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, praised the hiring as he had earlier advocated for a woman to be appointed to the position. Veterans deserve a system supporting them and their families rather than additional burdens, he said in an email. (Berger) has my congratulations along with my sincerest commitment to do all I can to help address the issues facing Montana's veterans, Zinke said. I'm happy to see the Administration heard my call to appoint a woman to the leadership position. I'm confident she will shake things up for the better. Along with her interim role in Montana, Berger has directed the Sheridan VAHCS in Sheridan, Wyoming, since 2015. She previously served as chief of Quality, Performance and Patient Safety at the Lexington, Kentucky VAMC. Berger served in the Air Force for nine years, stationed at three bases stateside and was the officer in charge while on deployment to Saudi Arabia. She holds associate's and bachelor's degrees from Northern Kentucky University, a master's in health care administration from California College of Health Sciences and a doctor of nursing practice from the University of Kentucky, according to a biography provided by the VA Montana Health Care System. Shanghai, December 19 (Gasgoo.com) China started to cut prices for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel at the zero hour today. The price of gasoline is cut by 0.91 yuan ($0.133) while the price of diesel has fallen by 1.08 yuan. Jet fuel prices has dropped by 2,400 yuan per ton. The cuts will help trucking companies, airlines, factories and others that are being squeezed by high fuel prices and a slump in sales, state media reported Friday. The benchmark price for gasoline was cut from 6.37 yuan per liter to 5.46 yuan and diesel from 6.23 yuan per liter to 5.15 yuan starting Friday morning, according to the Xinhua news agency. "The (gasoline) price cut of 0.91 yuan per liter means a monthly saving of 900 yuan for a taxi driver," said Mr. Qu, a Beijing cab driver waiting in Thursday's midnight dark for the clock to turn zero. (Click the title to read the full text of the article) Dongfeng Nissan may make electric vehicle Shanghai, December 18 (Gasgoo.com) Nissan China has recently announced Nissan's global plan to mass produce electric vehicles in 2010, and Dongfeng Nissan is likely to make Nissan electric cars for the Chinese market, said xinhuanet.com today. Nissan will start mass-producing its electric vehicles globally in 2010 and has signed the memo of understanding with several countries and regions. The Japanese carmaker is also in talks with China's auto authorities for local production of Nissan electric cars for the Chinese market. The joint venture Dongfeng Nissan may choose Beijing or Shanghai for a new facility to make the Nissan electric cars. WTO ruling impacts little on China auto industry Shanghai, December 17 (Gasgoo.com) Industry experts say the WTO's final auto parts ruling will have little impact on China's auto industry currently, according to newspaper reports Wednesday. Jia Xinguang, former chief analyst with the China National Automotive Industry Consulting and Development Corp, told Guangzhou Daily that the ruling won't affect much as China only imports a limited number of auto parts at present and moreover, output in CKD assembly plants only accounts for 1.98 percent of China's total production figure. Chrysler in tie-up talks with Great Wall Motor Shanghai, December 17 (Gasgoo.com) Hot on the heels of ending up cooperation with Chery, Chrysler is busy in talks with Chinas another automaker Great Wall Motor on cooperation projects, auto163.net said. Philip Murtaugh, Chrysler Asia CEO, went to inspect Great Wall Motors facility last week to look into the code-named CH041 model and CH031 hatchback, which were rumored to be the A-class model co-developed by Great Wall Motor and Chrysler. It is reported that Murtaugh was satisfied with the two models. Hybrids to make 10% of China auto output by '12 Shanghai, December 16 (Gasgoo.com) Experts said at an industry event that the hybrid vehicle output is expected to reach 1 million units annually by 2012, which will account for more than 10 percent of China's overall vehicle output, the Jinghua newspaper reported today Hybrids would be mass-produced for the Chinese market within the next three years, and production at this stage would be focused on mild-hybrid such as BSG and ISG hybrids, said the newspaper, citing experts presenting at International Hybrid Vehicle Technology Development and Application Seminar held last weekend. China mulling plan to cut car purchase tax Shanghai, December 16 (Gasgoo.com) China's top economic planning body has received proposals from China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) to reform the fuel tax mechanism, and may start to cut passenger vehicle purchase tax based on the proposals sometime next year, the Shanghai Securities Journal reported Tuesday. According to the report, the China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) is considering a proposal to cut the 10 percent tax paid by car buyers to 2 percent for engine sizes of up to 1 litre. Tax for engine sizes of between 1 and 1.5 litres would be 4 percent; engines of 1.5 and 2 litres would be taxed at 6 percent; 2 to 2.5 litres engines at 7 percent; 2.5 to 3 litres at 8 percent, while 3 to 4 litres at 9 percent, and engines greater than 4 litres would stay at 10 percent. Dongfeng Motor not to buy troubled GM Shanghai, December 16 (Gasgoo.com) China's third largest automaker Dongfeng Motor has no intention to acquire the troubled General Motors, reported Securities Daily yesterday, citing a publicity officer of the company. As a $14 billion loan package for the three Detroit-based automakers failed to pass the U.S. Senate later last week, GM has become the most troubled of the Big 3, though GM CEO Rick Wagoner is still unwilling to admit that the auto giant has come to the verge of bankruptcy. But sources said that Wagoner has decided to engage external advisors for this matter. Sales of imported big cars fall 50% m/m in Nov Shanghai, December 15 (Gasgoo.com) Statistics show that China's import of Acura, Audi and other brands' high-emission cars dropped in November by more than 50% month on month, said xinhuanet.com today. In addition, the inventories of many fuel-guzzlers have risen to triple the monthly average sales. Amid the global financial crisis, sales of big-engine cars imported to the Chinese market have slowed down. A Lexus dealer said that his store's sales in November dropped by more than 40%. Previously he could sell 120-130 units each month, but now only 60-70 units. Changfeng, AM General in talks on Hummer bid Shanghai, December 15 (Gasgoo.com) Hunan Changfeng Motor Co is in talks with AM General LLC about a joint acquisition for Hummer brand, general manager of Changfeng Motor said. "We never quit talks on acquiring the brand," said Zhengchu Chen in an interview with Beijing based Jinghua newspaper. "But now instead of doing it alone, we decide to form partnership with AM General to reduce risk as the global economy falters," Chen explained. "We have to always adjust our plan to market conditions." BYD F3DM electric hybrid car goes on sale Shanghai, December 15 (Gasgoo.com) BYD, the upstart Chinese company best-known for making cell-phone batteries, began selling its F3DM hybrid electric car today in the Chinese market, said sina.com. As the country's first mass-produced electric hybrid vehicle, the car is expected to retail for 149,800 yuan ($21,200) in China and will make its way to the U.S. in 2010. Important stuff you won't get from the liberal media! We do the surfing so you can be informed AND have a life! Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi [] Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes [] In May, American investment manager James (Jim) Chanos said South Africa is a wreck and Nigeria is basically a failed state, which puts MTN at risk because of its exposure in the two countries. Chanos, who is the president and founder of Kynikos Associates, is known for profiting from shorting shares. Short selling is when an investor believes a share price will decrease, and then shorts the share. The more the share price decreases, the more money the investor makes. Six months ago, Chanos said his short pick was MTN because it generates most of its money from Nigeria and South Africa. As these two countries are struggling economically, MTN will struggle in the future and makes for a good share to short, he said. MTN spokesperson Chris Maroleng hit back, saying the prospects of MTN remain positive and unchanged. Who was right? When Chanos selected MTN as his short in early May, the companys share price was R139.15. Six months later, and the share price has declined to R115.37 partly because of ongoing concerns in Nigeria. This means that anyone who followed Chanoss advice in May would have shown a 25% profit to date. MTN showing signs of improving MTNs latest quarterly update showed signs of recovery at the company, though, with group subscriber numbers up 0.9% quarter-on-quarter for the period ended 30 September 2016. MTN said there was significant network improvement across the Group, particularly in the Nigerian and South African operations. MTN South Africa reported a decline in subscribers of 0.5% to 29.7 million. This was made up of a 0.7% decline in the prepaid subscriber base now 24.5 million and a 0.7% increase in post-paid subscribers to 5.2 million. Data revenue increased by 15.1% year-on-year and contributed 34.4% to total revenue. Insurance companies have started offering protection against losses you could suffer from social media posts, a product called social media liability cover. The Sunday Times reported that the cover was launched in South Africa this week. Social media law expert Emma Sadleir has warned that the insurance is not a cure for potential defamation suits one could face over social media posts, though. According to the report, the insurance policy wont cover racial, cultural, or religious slurs. Sadleir said there is so much craziness thats going on with social media that people have started turning to the law for help. She said that taking out the insurance with the hope of protecting yourself if your child made defamatory comments on social media was not the way to go. Raise your children better, she said, but added that litigation is expensive. The damages relating to defamation are relatively low in South Africa, but where the costs come in are the legal fees. Your chickens stink The report highlighted a recent case where a Centurion businessman sued his neighbour for R1.3 million in the High Court in Pretoria for defaming him on Facebook. His neighbour called him perverse on Facebook after he complained about her chickens and hordes of rabbits in a dirty and smelly cage next to his wall. She was ordered to apologise, but the case for the R1.3 million in damages continues. In South Africa, children have civil capacity from the age of 13 allowing them to be sued for defamation. SHA Specialist Underwriters was the company listed as offering the social media cover. The full report is available in the Sunday Times of 30 October 2016. The office for Mountain Mojo Group, which is located in a diminutive space in the back of a building off North San Francisco Street, has already become too small for the energy and growth of Flagstaffs newest marketing firm. The firm was started by Rand Jenkins and Austin Leggett in January of this year, and has expanded quickly due to partnerships with local businesses like Little America and Second Chance Center for Animals. It made sense to come [downtown] and build a client base, and now weve got a pretty solid client base here in Flagstaff but now we definitely need more space, Jenkins said. Lots and lots more space. Of Mountain Mojo Groups core team of seven employees, the majority are NAU alumni, and theyve also hired eight interns from NAU, as well as a collection of freelance employees with whom they work on a project-by-project basis. We really wanted to tap into that local pool of talent here in town, and try to get as much work that was being outsourced not just to Phoenix, but out of the country, and keep it here, Jenkins said. Mountain Mojo Group offers services in web and social media development, graphic design, advertising and more. They work with beginning and established businesses and can help clients create or rebuild their brand by building new logos and websites, or can assist in creating commercials and visual advertisements. It doesnt matter what you do, what your business is, from being a plumber to Snowbowl if you want to market and get your idea out there we can do it, Leggett said. Some of the clients they serve include the Lumberyard Brewing Company, Flagstaff Hullabaloo and Arizona Irrigation and Maintenance. They worked with Little America to market their property remodel and new restaurant, and they helped Second Chance Center for Animals completely redesign the appearance of their brand. Weve been really lucky. Its a small town, so word of mouth is huge. And also a lot of people have reached out to us we kind of chat up the business and let people know what we do, Jenkins said. Jenkinss roots are in events: he co-founded The Green Room and worked as the general manager of The Pepsi Amphitheater. While Mountain Mojo Group does assist with elements of event planning, the team tries to avoid acting as principal organizers for events due to the labor-intensive nature of the job and the feeling that it takes away from other projects. Jenkins said the prices for their services are largely determined on a case-by-case basis and are dependent on the clients needs, but charges for graphic design and social media management can run roughly from $80 to $100 dollars, with web development costing a slightly higher amount. Theyve also recently partnered with eCreations, a Phoenix-based web design and development company. Leggett said that the companys expertise in coding and web design is a beneficial match for the creative expertise of their own team. Mountain Mojo Group is invested in supporting local businesses through a partnership with the Sustainable Economic Development Initiative of Northern Arizona. During the summer the team held a workshop on marketing for small businesses that was attended by nearly twice the number of people they had been expecting. Theyre planning to hold more workshops in the future. I would like to raise the bar for almost every business in town for how they perceive marketing and how they do it, said Jonathan Kersten, the social media director and client coordinator for Mountain Mojo Group. In upcoming months, Mountain Mojo Group is also hoping to expand their services into the national market to serve clients outside northern Arizona. WASHINGTON The FBI is investigating whether there is classified information in new emails uncovered during the sexting investigation of disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of one of Hillary Clintons closest aides. FBI Director James Comey told Congress in a letter that the emails prompted investigators to take another look at whether classified information had been mishandled, which had been the focus of its recently closed, criminal probe into Clintons use of a private email server. Comey couldnt guarantee that the latest focus of the investigation would be finished before Election Day. Clinton said Friday that the American people deserve to get the full and complete facts immediately. She urged the FBI to explain this issue in question, whatever it is, without any delay. Lets get it out, she said. Comey did not provide details about the emails, but a U.S. official told The Associated Press that the emails emerged through the FBIs separate sexting probe of Weiner, who is separated from Clinton confidant Huma Abedin. She served as deputy chief of staff at the State Department and is still a key player in Clintons presidential campaign. The two separated earlier this year after Weiner was caught in 2011, 2013 and again in 2016 sending sexually explicit text messages and photographs of himself undressed to numerous women. Federal authorities in New York and North Carolina are investigating online communications between Weiner and a 15-year-old girl. The U.S. official was familiar with the investigation but was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. The disclosure came less than two weeks before the presidential election and thrust a political liability for Clinton back into the headlines that her campaign thought had been resolved and had begun to recede from the minds of voters. The FBI said in July its investigation of Hillary Clintons private email server was finished. Comey stressed in his letter that the FBI could not yet assess whether or not this material may be significant, or how long it might take to run down the new investigative leads. In connection with an unrelated case, the FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation, Comey wrote. I agreed that the FBI should take appropriate investigative steps designed to allow investigators to review these emails to determine whether they contain classified information, as well as to assess their importance to our investigation. Clinton, in a brief statement to reporters Friday evening, noted: The director himself has said he doesnt know whether the emails referenced in his letter are significant or not. Im confident whatever they are will not change the conclusion reached in July. It was unclear what the emails contained, who sent them, or what connection they might have to the yearlong investigation the FBI closed in July without recommending criminal charges. The FBI probe focused on whether Clinton sent or received classified information using a server in the basement of her New York home, which was not authorized to handle such messages. Abedin was interviewed by the FBI as part of its investigation. Comey said in July that his agents didnt find evidence to support a criminal prosecution or direct evidence that Clintons private server was hacked. Matthew Miller, a former chief spokesman for the Justice Department, was dismayed by the timing of Comeys letter. Longstanding DOJ and FBI practice is you dont say anything publicly close to an election that can possibly influence that election, Miller said. Comey, who has talked often about the FBIs need to be accountable to the public, promised extraordinary transparency about the investigation and during intervening months has authorized the release of investigative files from the case, which are normally kept confidential. That stance also left Comey, a career federal prosecutor who has served under both Republican and Democratic administrations, open to criticism from leaders in both parties that he was trying to influence the outcome of the presidential race. Clinton campaign supporters were already suggesting the FBI director was putting a thumb on the scale. Had he waited until after Nov. 8 to announce the discovery of the new emails, however, Comey would surely have faced criticism for sitting on major news until after the new president had been selected. In an internal email to FBI employees, Comey wrote: Of course, we dont ordinarily tell Congress about ongoing investigations, but here I feel an obligation to do so given that I testified repeatedly in recent months that our investigation was completed. I also think it would be misleading to the American people were we not to supplement the record. The Associated Press acquired the email Friday night. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the department learned about the FBI letter from news reports and did not get any notification from the FBI. Toner pledged the department would cooperate to the full extent that we can. Speaking at a Clinton rally in Florida, President Barack Obama also steered clear of the issue. White House spokesman Eric Schultz declined comment beyond reiterating Obamas continuing support for Clinton. The ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, said Comeys letter was particularly troubling because it left so many questions unanswered. Without knowing how many emails are involved, who wrote them, when they were written or their subject matter, its impossible to make any informed judgment on this development, said Feinstein, D-Calif. The FBI has a history of extreme caution near Election Day so as not to influence the results. Todays break from that tradition is appalling. Republicans immediately pounced on the news, hoping to shake up a presidential race where most polls appear to show Republican nominee Donald Trump lagging well behind Clinton. House Speaker Paul Ryan said Clinton has nobody but herself to blame. She was entrusted with some of our nations most important secrets, and she betrayed that trust by carelessly mishandling highly classified information, Ryan, R-Wis., said in a statement. This decision, long overdue, is the result of her reckless use of a private email server, and her refusal to be forthcoming with federal investigators. I renew my call for the Director of National Intelligence to suspend all classified briefings for Secretary Clinton until this matter is fully resolved. Speaking to cheering supporters at a rally in New Hampshire, Trump used Comeys new letter to attack Clinton. We must not let her take her criminal scheme into the Oval Office, said Trump, who has pledged to lock up his political rival if elected. Perhaps finally justice will be done. Prior to seeking public office as a Republican, Trump was a supporter of Clintons past campaigns for president and senator. Records show the New York billionaire also contributed at least $4,300 to former Rep. Weiners Democratic campaigns. New directory-style permanent signs designed to help visitors find their way around Calistoga have been placed in strategic locations on Lincoln Avenue, which the city hopes will alleviate the splattering of A-frame signs placed on sidewalks used to draw customers. The directory signs list the majority of businesses on Lincoln Avenue, Washington Street and Foothill Boulevard. Shops such as Calistoga Pottery on Foothill Boulevard find it difficult to draw customers from the downtown area and hope that visitors will find them using the new directory signs. The Tourism Improvement District which is made up of the lodging industry paid about $20,000 for the signs, said Mayor Chris Canning, who is also the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. No city funds were used for these signs, Canning said. The chamber was given assistance by the Planning Department with designs and locations, and the Public Works staff is installing them, said Lynn Goldberg, planning and building director. The signs are located at 1124 Lincoln in front of Roam Antiques, 1307 Lincoln in front of Maldonado and Briggs tasting rooms, 1374 Lincoln at Brannans, 1477 Lincoln at Calistoga Creamery (formerly Scoops and Swirls), 1458 Lincoln at the Depot, and one will be installed at 1401 Lincoln at Hydro Grill, said Erik Lundquist, senior planner. The maps will be updated and rotated every six months, said Canning. The subject came to a head last year at a community forum that was held in October with business owners to discuss the proliferation of A-frame signs that are often illegally placed on sidewalks and obstruct easy passage for pedestrians, officials said. Often, the A-frame signs are placed in such a way that they violate city and Caltrans codes Lincoln Avenue is also State Highway 29 and must adhere to state rules and businesses have been cautioned against the placement of the lightweight, portable signs since at least October 2014, and likely before. And, they look like crap, said Vice Mayor Michael Dunsford at a City Council meeting last year. Dunsford is also the co-owner of Calistoga Inn Restaurant and Brewery, and Johnnys Restaurant and Bar, whose businesses do not use the sidewalk signs. Other downtown business owners have agreed, but some, such as J. Kirk Feireisen, owner of Yo El Rey coffee shop on Washington which is off the main drag of Lincoln Avenue say they need the signs to point visitors their way. Itll kill me, Feireisen said at the community forum about not having a sign on Lincoln. The style of the new directory signs was settled on through design reviews with the city and merchants in town during the community forum, individual discussions with city officials such as Canning. Canning walked a delicate line with business owners, speaking directly with them on an individual basis and sending out letters instructing business owners to abide by the law. He said at a 2015 meeting that the city had turned a blind eye long enough and now needed to start enforcing the law. Stricter enforcement of the A-frame signs will begin shortly, Goldberg said. We will be announcing the deadline for the removal of downtown A-frame signs soon, she said. 125 YEARS AGO Mr. A. Eaton has purchased the saloon formerly run by C.F. Babcock. He intends to put in a new stock of liquors and fixtures. Hereafter it will be known as The Elite. Work on the new jail is progressing finely and if the contractors for the stone work dont have to wait for the iron work our new jail should be completed by mid-January. A hearing is to be held before the Board of Supervisors on Saturday next to decide on the right of way for the County road through the ranch of Norman Hall to the Leroux Springs. The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad is doing a good business in both freight and passenger traffic to Southern California, so much that that another Pullman has been added. W. H. Anderson, whose ranch is near the San Francisco Mountains, has increased his yield of potatoes this year up to 4 to 5 tons per acre. Plus he has several acres of turnips, beets, carrots and rutabagas of which all are very fine. 100 YEARS AGO Remember the buffalo. Hunters, you owe it to yourself to vote YES on the amendment to the Fish and Game Law on Nov. 7. Northern Arizona Game Protective Association. Notice to Precinct No. 4 voters: Your polling place has been changed from the Lee Doyle Barn to the Labor Temple on Aspen. Tom L. Rees, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors. Your Ford recovered for $15. Call and see the material. W. H. Switzer PH. 94. Wanted: 2 small mules (about 70 pounds) with or without wagon. Must be cheap. Box 1046, Flagstaff. Wanted: Young men with nerve. Good pay. Short hours. Opportunity for travel and advancement. Normal physique.- good references required. Aviation Depot. The Conner Corp. 6309 S. Eggleston, Chicago, Illinois. The Coconino Water Development & Stock Co. has filed a petition with the State Commission for a certificate for distribution of water. They have been engaged for the past two years in development and experimental work in a plan to collect water from the San Francisco Mountains for the purpose of supplying water at the Grand Canyon, Ash Fork, Seligman, Kingman and other places. 75 YEARS AGO If the citizens of Flagstaff were wondering about the Army plane flying over town last Saturday, they were seeing Sidney Pidgeon, one of our hometown boys who, having got his wings, flew here from a base near Bakersfield, California to dip his wings to his friends here. He also dropped down in Kingman to visit his brother, who is employed there by Babbitt Brothers. The Coconino Sun is assisting Secretary of the Navy Knox in the enlistment of ambitious young men in giving them information about the opportunities in our Two Ocean Navy. Announcing the opening of a new Service Dept. in Northern Arizona, servicing International trucks and McCormick-Deere Farm Machinery. Flagstaff Implement Co. , 22 S. San Francisco H. L. Hutchinson, Owner. J. D. Walkup, Manager. The Red Cross is calling for more volunteers for the sewing production unit. Our quota must go up by January 1, 1942. We have a great need for women who will take sewing home. Materials are available at the library or at the Emerson School Sewing room. Garments to be made are women's and girls shirtwaist dresses, hospital gowns, operating room gowns and layettes. The need is great. Please volunteer, Mrs. Jack Knowles, Chairman of the Flagstaff Red Cross Unit. Construction of a 36-unit Tourist Court on the south edge of town has begun. Its just this side of U.S. 66 and Route 89 and being done by the property owner Ted Oldham. All are urged to buy Savings Bonds and Stamps by James Babbitt, who presided at the first meeting at the Courthouse on Wednesday. No one can buy more than $5,000 worth in any one year. Small bonds are available for $18.50 and may be purchased one 25-cent stamp at a time. A booklet is provided to stick your stamps into. In 10 years time they can be redeemed for $25. Carl Bowen found a buck alongside the Winona Road leading to Fisks Saw Mill. It had been shot and dressed. It was an old buck with its few teeth left loose and its antlers malformed. The meat was in good condition though the animal was emaciated. Mr. Bowen called the Sheriffs office, which collected it and turned the meat over to needy people. H.64 Tues. L. 24 Sat. Rain 0.03 Thurs. 50 YEARS AGO NAU Archeology students are mapping the pre-historic Apartment House site built by the Sinagua Indians. They flourished here in the thousands for two centuries following the eruption of Sunset Crater in approximately AD 1066. University Archeologist Roger Kelly has excavated areas with more sophisticated technology than previous excavators were able to make. It is a treasure hunt and the ruins are being mapped by the students. City water use is improving with 13,700 feet of new mains bringing the city total to nearly 600 miles of water service. City Water Superintendent James Rawlinson says we have 43 new fire hydrants. Water from Lake Mary totals nearly 332.8 million gallons, plus 418.2 million gallons coming from the Inner Basin and another 1532 gallons from the Woody Mountain wells. Saturday night or early Sunday morning Richard Charles Byrd plunged 500 feet from the Oak Creek Lookout. Parts of his car were scattered over of mile on the slope. Southern Union Gas Co. has filed an application with the Arizona Corporation Commission with a plan to pass on $15,000 of refunds received from wholesale suppliers. The refund would come in the form of a credit on your bill. J. O. Carnes District Manager for customer service in Northern Arizona. H. 70 Sun. L. 20 Wed. Clear all week 25 YEARS AGO The Snow Bowl expects to hire about 300 people mostly students before Thanksgiving the traditional opening of the Ski Season. J. R. Murray, Manager. The City Council is considering purchase offers for Kock Field and wants to know of any interest in this property. The State Board of Education is considering a change of policy to stop spanking students under the age of 16. Our school population is continuing to grow and the strain of overcrowding is becoming ever more difficult to handle. We now have 26 portable classrooms with this solution becoming increasingly unwieldy and expensive. The elk hunters are to receive refunds for their lost opportunity to hunt this season. Theres to be a Grand opening at Jay Lively Rink Saturday night with music to skate with and refreshing refreshments beginning at 6:30 pm. Skating is free until midnight. Skates to rent $1. H. 42 Sun. L.18 Tues. Snow 1 Sun. in town with 4 at the Snow Bowl base 5 of snow fell at Pulliam Tues. night and the schools opened late due to difficulties with the streets. Whats fun for Halloween? Well, if you like running from zombies, rolling down the street in a coffin or jumping in bouncy houses, you should have been at the Oxbow Commons in Napa on Saturday. Its awesome, said Kevin Horn, a great family event. Horns coffin, which he called the skull crusher, has been used in the Coffin Races, sponsored by the Napa City Fire Association, for the last four years. Although it only took a few hours to build, it gets decorated a little differently each year. But it wasnt the skull crusher Horn raced in on Saturday morning. Instead he opted for the grave digger, which was made out of a Home Depot shopping cart. Why? To race with his 10-year-old daughter, Olivia. Olivia said that, although her dad was running pretty fast, she had a good time in the Coffin Races. It was fun, she said. At first it was a little (scary), said her friend Madeline Cameron, 10, who rode inside the coffin. But then it wasnt. We hope we win this year, said Will Cronbach, 7. Will, who was running with the Jamaican bobsled team, said that he has been in the Coffin Races for the last three years. His dad, Eli Cronbach, was this years race official. Were hoping festival goers will come over and join, Cronbach said in the morning. There were extra coffins so, after a little prodding, children moved from the bounce house area to McKinstry Street in order to either get in one, run alongside one or watch from the curb. Winners receive a medal and the pride of winning, Cronbach said. Mostly, though, the event seeks to bring families out to have a good time and to raise money for community youth programs. Still, winning felt pretty sweet to Team Krider Racing, who took the first place medal in the adult races for the third year in a row, Jim Krider said. The secret, he said, is getting track students to race the coffin. While waiting for the coffins to line up, the crowd was entertained by Mike Lantier, who was the acting announcer. Were tying shoes, were checking helmets, he said. When the official was ready, hed ask Do we have a thumbs up? and off the coffins would go, wheels rattling, faces smiling. Meanwhile, anyone not watching or participating in the Coffin Races could enjoy the food trucks, live music or arts and crafts. The kids are loving the bounce houses, said Jenny Juri, who was dressed as a pirate. But her son, 3-year-old Mason, who was also dressed as a pirate, said that his favorite part was the helicopter! The Coast Guard and California Highway Patrol both made surprise visits to the Oxbow Commons during the festival, which they can do since there is so much room there. This is the perfect place for this, said Treena Madrigal, who was there with her son Micah and their dog Skittle. Theres a lot of room, its spacious. Lantier agreed that having the events at the Oxbow Commons was much better than where they used to do the Coffin Races downtown. This is a great spot, he said. Its centrally located and draws people in, he said. Widespread rain in the North Bay is expected to move south into San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area Sunday morning, National Weather Service officials said. The rain could be heavy at times. The North Bay will see the greatest accumulations with anywhere from three-quarters to 1.5 inches in the valleys and 1.5 to 2.5 inches in the higher elevations of Napa, Sonoma and Marin counties. Oakland and San Francisco can expect about a half an inch while San Jose will see a lesser amount, weather officials said. Most of the rain will fall during the early morning hours. Thunderstorms are possible, mainly in the North Bay, and any will be capable of producing hail, lightning and gusty winds. Thunderstorms and light rain throughout the Bay Area may linger through the day. Residents can expect a brief lull tonight and early Monday but rain may return Monday evening just in time for Halloween trick-or-treating, according to weather officials. North Bay valleys could see a third to a half an inch of rain while areas close to San Francisco Bay can expect a tenth to a quarter of an inch. Southern parts of the Bay Area will see less than a quarter of an inch, weather officials said. Showers are expected to linger into Tuesday with drier weather expected later in the week. It is an honor to write this letter in support of Rosaura Segura for Napa Valley College Board of Trustees. I have known Rosaura for more than 25 years and have always found her to be a hardworking, focused, committed and caring individual always looking for ways to help and improve the community. Rosaura is bilingual and bicultural, which makes her a great candidate for strengthening the relationship between the Latino community and Napa Valley College - a Hispanic Serving Institution. She is also a longtime local business owner who understands the importance of developing and/or strengthening public/private partnerships and the importance these have in helping students obtain an education and in getting ahead in this ever changing global economy. In addition to the many things that make Rosaura stand out as a candidate for Board of Trustees is her ability to work well with others within and beyond our community. This ability along with her desire to improve the quality of life for all granted her the honor of being nominated and selected as an Institute of Mexicans Abroad representative a decentralized body of the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs that serves initiatives and community needs of Mexicans living abroad, including in the U.S. Her knowledge of community needs as well as her business acumen has gained her the respect of her peers locally and internationally. Without a doubt, Rosaura has the leadership skills and abilities to help Napa Valley College shine in the golden state and beyond. Please help me in supporting Rosaura Segura for Napa Valley College Board of Trustees! Carmen Martinez-Calderon Napa Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy by John J. Sandherr John Sandherr and his wife Deb Editors Note: John Sandherr is a 58-year old man who lives near Pittsburgh, Pa. He has suffered from chronic pain for thirty years and has undergone 10 surgeries. . He is an arachnoiditis survivor and is an outspoken chronic pain advocate. He credits his wife Deb for helping him survive the past thirty years. Were glad he has added his voice to the National Pain Report. On August 8th just over 2 months ago I went to my monthly visit to see my Pain doctor. It was like any other appointment that Ive had for over 15 years. Every 28 days I would go in to get my pain medication and get a short but thorough exam from the Dr. or by his Physician Assistant. Each month was routine for me because of all the documentation that supports the severe pain I suffer with. There was nothing routine about my visit on that day as soon as I walked in I was told by the receptionist, Today is your last visit, I need you to sign this paper and you will be given your medical records. As of August 12th Dr. Frank will no longer treat pain patients, you need to find a doctor and fast. I must have looked like I was hit by a truck and then a train because the girl said, are you OK? and I said, NO, will you be giving me the name of a doctor that I can follow up with? NO was all she said. I took a seat and completed the forms I was given and returned them to the girl, she then handed me a large yellow envelope that had 186 pages of office notes that went back 6 years. I didnt ask but I assumed that 6 years is the required amount of time to conform to the guidelines. After I went back to my chair I was lost and broken and as I sit and write this all of those feelings come rushing back, my mind is blank but racing, my breathing is slow and then fast, my heart is pounding so fast I can actually hear it. I remember three cleansing breaths i can quiet my racing heart but for just a few minutes. After a 10 to 15 minute wait Dr. Shani called my name, she could hardly look me in the eyes. I sat across from her in the same chair I always have but there must have been a look of desperation mixed with fear etched into my face as Dr. Shani said to me, John you look terrible and I came right back with, I cant believe this is happening. She didnt know what to say while I sat there with tears that started rolling off my lower jaw. Im scared to death I said, and I dont know what Im going to do, no doctor is going to prescribe what Ive been taking for the last 10 years. Im done. She couldnt disagree and I knew it. Dr. Shani spent the next 10 minutes giving me a pep talk I gave her credit for trying and for caring. I had regained what composure I had left and asked Dr. Shani why is Dr. Frank closing the pain clinic? The answer came with no hesitation as Dr. Shani looked me right in the eye and uttered he wants to spend more time in the Operating Room and more time at the Addiction Clinic he opened last year. That statement left me thinking, I know Dr. Frank is a workaholic, he has fewer pain patients but that was due to those that got booted for failing a drug test or requesting more medication much too early. I was Dr. Franks oldest or longest patient, no one else had 15 years of treatment at the clinic, just me. Glued to the chair, I knew getting up meant never coming back. This wasnt easy, just 6 months prior I had asked Dr. Shani if the anti-opiate campaign was something I should worry about, was Dr. Frank going to close his doors someday soon. Shani told me not to worry and that Dr. Frank was a well established Dr. in the field of pain management and the patients had nothing to worry about, I needed to hear that. It seems that no one could foresee all that would happen over those next 6 months and I felt like I should have been ready for it, I read about this situation while on The National Pain Report and I never thought it would happen to me. With nothing left to do and thinking about what was next, I had but one last thing to ask Shani, can you please give me the name of a Dr. I can call, a Dr. that might be able to prescribe anywhere near the dose Im on and have been on for over 10 years, Shani said, I cant do that John so I said, Okay, how about off the record? She wrote down three names on a small piece of paper she had ripped off her calendar and slid it across the table to me. I asked if these Drs would be comfortable keeping me on my current dose and I already knew the answer to that question (Im on over 350 mg of OxyContin & OxyCodone, daily) No, you will need to wean yourself down over the next 60 to 70 days, as much as you can you can do it John, that was her reply. Shani slid the prescriptions across the table and said Good luck. I looked over the medication, everything was there. Fifteen years of what I believed to be good successful years had come down to 12 sheets of paper and little hope. Medication, I now had enough to get me through the rest of the year, if I cut back starting the next day, plus it gave me more time to look for and find a Dr. to treat me. I just couldnt walk out of that office without making some kind of a statement. I walked over to Shani and first gave her a big hug for taking such good care of me for so many years and then with my hands on her shoulders I looked at her and said I can reduce the medication and I will do my best, but no matter what, Im still going to end up in the Hospital and it wont be for a short stay. Its not the reduction of the medicine that worries me, its all that pain that will only get worse and thats what worries me the most, Im afraid I wont be able to take the pain. Shani, a short thin woman from India looked up at me with sad eyes and said, I know John and Im sure you will. That reply left me feeling extremely helpless and fearful but its that kind of attitude that wont do me a lick of good. Out the door I went and as I got into my car I kept thinking my pain is real, Im not a drug addict, there is little hope of finding a Dr. to treat me, my condition is progressive, Ive tried nearly every pain modality medicine has to offer and the one thing that allows me to be a productive member of society and ease my suffering is Opiate Pain Medication. Every day I read a news article that says a vast number of Americans believe that there is no place for opiates to treat any kind of pain. Now I hear that many are calling for a complete ban on opiates and I wonder if those people have ever had the need for a pain medication. If opiates are banned, what will people use in their place? Im not sure if they have given that any thought and they wont until they are in severe pain. Fifteen years is a long time, so, Dr. Frank became very familiar with my medical issues and my personal issues, he once asked me, how can you even walk when according to these test results you should be in unbearable pain and I can see that on your face and when you squirm in that chair yet you always seem to have a smile on your face. I would say, well I can smile or I can cry but I know Im better off than the patient I just saw in the waiting room, sitting in a wheel chair with no feeling from the waist down and still in pain. There will always be a person that is worse off than me and that keeps me going. Less than a week later I was at my surgeons office for a follow up visit with Dr. K an Orthopedic specialist Ive been seeing for over 12 years. Id developed drop foot in my right foot; the left foot went about 4 year prior. After only a few minutes Dr. K came walking through the door. He said, John Sandherr, man are you screwed. He said, I spoke to Dr. Frank the other day and he told me he was closing his pain clinic. He told me the DEA was making it almost impossible to treat pain patients with Opiates so hes going to stick with his addiction clinic. What are you going to do, he asked me. I know what youre taking and its a big dose, but you need it John. He said, I could operate on you and you might feel better for a few months, but after that you will be worse off because of all that scar tissue you have from the other 10 operations youve hador is it eleven. I feel for you brother, If ever there was a patient that needs to use pain medicine its you. Dr. K went on to tell me about a good friend of his that had a run in with the DEA over a single prescription he had written for a patient, the standard 7 day supply of Percocet following knee surgery. He was told that some of the pills wound up in the hands of someone other than the patient and for that reason he is now under investigation. I hold no grudge against Dr. Frank for closing the Pain Clinic and I know it was not a choice he made purely for money. What angers me is we now have a government telling Drs what they can or cannot prescribe for a patient that has not demonstrated any sign of drug addiction. People that are in pain and depend on opiates for relief deserve to be treated with what helps them the most. Just a week after my last visit the Governor of Pennsylvania signed a new bill that will almost force Drs to comply with when prescribing opiates. With that and the new Monitoring System the state just put in place, Drs now have a difficult and time consuming job and what they really want to do is help those in pain. When I found out that Bain Capital a Hedge Fund company are investing in substance abuse for profit it all made sense. I was working in the Mortgage Industry when the housing market collapsed; there were Hedge Funds for investing in housing failure. Many became multi-millionaires overnight. It was Dr. Isben that said follow the money and Ive started to do that. The money is invested heavily on addiction, not helping people in pain. Can we convince enough of the right people that the real facts have not been revealed? John Sandherr is a 58-year old man who lives near Pittsburgh, Pa. He has suffered from chronic pain for thirty years and has undergone 10 surgeries. He is an arachnoiditis survivor and is an outspoken chronic pain advocate. He credits his wife Deb for helping him survive the past thirty years. Were glad he has added his voice to the National Pain Report. This is the second time that I write a text to post on this website. My first text was two years ago and it is titled Just to get it off my chest , being about my struggles and hopes as a new ex Christian and ex missionary. It has been three years now since the last time I stepped into a church and, thanks to much effort, I am in a much better situation than the one described in my first text. I managed to graduate this year and got my English degree (in only three years instead of four, by taking more classes than usual). I also started a Postgraduate course and now I am a masters degree student of literary theory (in Brazil, many universities are public and, therefore, free) I still have to share an apartment with a flatmate, but he is a very nice person, so its ok for now. With this introduction made, I now can really get into the issue I would like to bring you all.Last week I attended a seminar on translation. Although my masters research is not specifically about that, I have been working as a freelancer translator since last year, to make some extra money, so, the seminar came in handy. Then I remembered that, when I was still a missionary I used to read articles and books about bible translation. Indeed, I considered to become a missionary translator for a few years. For those who might not be familiar with the issues involving bible translation, we can sum it up by saying that the original biblical texts disappeared long ago and now we only have copies of copies of copies of copies of the original texts. (A very good book about this is Misquoting Jesus, by historian Bart D. Ehrman ).I will focus on the new testament for now on, for its relevance in Christianity and western society is, in my opinion, heavier than the old testament. The new testament was written firstly in Greek , and then, translated into Latin, Syriac, Coptic, and many other ancient languages until it was translated to the modern languages of nowadays. Thus, it means that your English new testament, or my Portuguese new testament, or any other new testament in any other language of the world, is a translation that cannot be compared with the original written texts.There are still many Greek manuscripts that survived until the 21st century, but they are later copies, copies of copies of copies of the first versions. Biblical scholars vary with the implications that it has for the quality of the modern translations. Some say that it doesnt matter that we dont have the original, because we have so many copies and variations and texts of the Church fathers that we can pretty much recreate the original text. Some are not so optimistic and think that years of Church Tradition, lost copies and varieties in the manuscripts make it impossible for us to know how the original text was like. Considering what I studied about translator, I think that not having the original sources is a much bigger deal than the more traditional scholars want to admit.Having all that in mind and thinking about the translation theory that I have just studied, I cant help but to think if it makes sense to talk about what the bible says so decisively when we do not know the original text itself. I think that because translation theory states that a good translation is one that brings the intention of the author of the original text as much as possible. But, if we do not have the original text, how can we understand the authors intentions? A practical example might be helpful to clarify my argument here.To get my English Major I decided to write a final paper about Cormac McCarthy s novel The Road. It is a novel that was translated into Portuguese, so, I decided to use the Portuguese translation for my analyses (it may sound odd but to the final paper of my English degree I was not obliged to write in English). The professor who was my advisor, however, did not let me use the Portuguese version alone. I had to put the original English text together with the Portuguese translation when I quoted the novel. Thus, the Portuguese translation could be compared with the original English text in the analysis of the novel. After reflecting about literary and linguistics theory it makes total sense. If I want to analyze a novel written in English, it is very important to know the text in English, even if there is a Portuguese translation available. No translation, as good as it may be, can replace the original text, no translation can be a 100% accurate, so, the original text is always necessary. It has to do with author's intention.About authors intention, in literary theory, there are those who think that it is not important, those who think that it is a kind of important and those who think that it is the most important thing in a literary analysis. There is room for debate here. When it comes to the Christian faith, though, it is usually not so opened. We can say that most Christian, especially those who had a theological training, would say that the intentions of the authors of the biblical books are the most important things to consider in interpretation, and thats why theologians study Greek and ancient history in seminaries, to try to think as the people who wrote the bible used to think and then understand the text better.However, the fact is that we do not know what exactly the original authors wrote, so we cannot know their intentions as well as we would want. And, if we cannot know that, we cannot make a good translation, since a good translation is one that brings the authors intentions as much as possible. Therefore, the English new testament, the Portuguese new testament, or any new testament in any language of the world, is not a good translation, because, even if they are very close to the Greek manuscripts used as their sources, it is impossible to know if these Greek manuscripts are loyal to the original texts written in the first place. (another difficult matter is that the huge amount of Greek manuscripts that are available nowadays contradict each other, so how to determinate the best Greek manuscripts to use in a translation when the first sources are long gone?)If we consider all these issues and think about the gospels and the teachings of Jesus Christ, things get even messier. Even the first Greek manuscripts were probably not very good historical accounts of the deeds and teachings of the historical Jesus. Most historians agree that Jesus was a poor, illiterate, prophet Jew who spoke Aramaic. It does not mean he was stupid, it just means that he had no access to the formal education of his time. Even if he was a genius and learned how to read Hebrew, he probably could not speak or write in Greek, which was the lingua franca of the time.The fact is, he did not write anything at all and everything that he said, he must have said in Aramaic. But the gospels were not written in Aramaic. The gospels were written in Greek, so, there is already a linguistic gap between his actual words and what was written into the gospels. In other words, the original gospels were, in a sense, already a translation (there are even passages in the gospels in Greek that make more sense if you know the Aramaic language). Jesus spoke in Aramaic and it was translated into Greek. And since he died without writing anything, the original gospels were already a translation that could not be compared with the original words, which means, they were already not a good translation. These lost original gospels were copied and copied and copied and copied to many languages in a time that there was no press, electricity, or even glasses to help the copyist to see better, so, tell me about the quality of the translations that we have now?Consequently, after all these facts, which are only introductory due to limitations of space here, if one does not use the religious argument of gods providence and be completely honest, it can be said that there is no way to know the exact intention of the authors of the new testament. There is no way to make a good translation of the new testament into any language and, therefore, the new testament should not be analyzed and interpreted as it was a definitive text, free of problems, as it has always been.Tell me about Christocentric view of the bible now! We do not even know for sure if what Jesus taught made it into the original gospels, let alone into the copies of copies of copies which survived until the invention of the printing press in the fifteenth century. And we most certainly do not know if Jesus teachings made into the translations to our vernacular languages (Portuguese, Japanese, English, French, etc).So, what does the bible say about things? Before that I would like people to ask Which bible? Which translation? According to which manuscripts? And, what about the originals?Although the answer to these questions are not easy, people talk about what the bible says in ways that actively interfere with other peoples lives.To those who want to judge others by biblical standards, I would ask: Do you really know what the bible says? Really? Do you? STEPANAKERT. -- President of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan visited Talish village in the Martakert region to attend the opening of a cross-stone-monument in memory of the Sisian regiment freedom-fighters perished during the Four Day April War. President Sahakyan said they feel sorrow and sadness remembering friends and relatives, and on the other hand are proud to have heros who defended the native country and people showing bravery and selflessness. The NKR president underlined that residents of Syunik and Sisian, in particular, had always had an active participation in the defense of the their native land and the Artsakh Liberation War was not an exception during which they struggled against the enemy bringing their inestimable contribution to carving our glorious victories. NKR National Assembly chairman Ashot Ghoulyan, Armenian National Assembly deputy chairman Eduard Sharmazanov, other officials, representatives from Armenia and the Diaspora participated in the event. Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector Clinton sues Trump to recover $1 million from him Lukashenko: Armenia turned down proposed settlement plan Zas discuss Baku-Yerevan conflict in Minsk State Security Service conducts operation in Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture Iran expands sanctions on U.S. Cavusoglu discusses relations with Azerbaijan with his Iranian counterpart European gas price falls to $1,246 per 1,000 cubic meters in October Flight restrictions extended at 11 airports in south and center of Russia until November 9 Sergey Kopirkin: Unblocking of communications must be based on respect for countries sovereignty Storm Nalgae in the Philippines leaves 110 people killed Lukashenko on Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict: Why did they engage EU? Why are they engaging CSTO there? Ambassador: Russia justifies itself as Armenias ally Kopirkin: September battles between Armenia, Azerbaijan were stopped by Russia militarys efforts Gold price remains stable Death toll in Seoul stampede rises to 156 Armenian PM and Iranian President hold talks in Tehran Kopirkin: Karabakh status issue should be left to next generations 14 people injured in Chicago Halloween night shooting Armenias Pashinyan arrives in Iran Armenia economy minister: Government predicts 7% economic growth in 2023 Turkish and Ukraine defense ministers discuss situation with grain deal Copper prices are rising Russia envoy to Armenia: Many common paradigms being broken in South Caucasus Israel holds fifth parliamentary elections since 2019 Lavrov: Over past decades we managed to lay solid foundations for strategic partnership, alliance with Armenia Oil goes up in price Primakov Readings international forum kicks off in Yerevan One person killed in Toronto shooting Armenias Pashinyan heads for Iran Newspaper: Armenia premier sends intelligence to Artsakh on day of rally Putin on choosing Turkey as Russia natural gas supply junction: Erdogan is man of his word Russia, Turkey FMs discuss South Caucasus Kremlin: Armenia, Azerbaijan confirmed their interest in Russia mediation Armenia PM concludes visit to Russias Sochi Putin: Europe will not be able to exclude Russia from Yerevan-Baku relations normalization process Putin on extending mandate of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh: It will depend on other matters Putin: No Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty yet IMF forecasts $1 trillion unforeseen profit for oil exporter Lavrov and Cavusoglu discuss recent developments in Caucasus Seoul and Warsaw sign key agreements on nuclear energy development in Poland Statement by leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on results of meeting in Sochi Saudi Arabia and UAE defend OPEC decision Putin: Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan agree on joint statement U.S. wants EU to impose export restrictions against China Thunberg calls UN conference place for lies and fraud Putin, Pashinyan and Aliyev hold trilateral talks Russian businessman Artem Aslanyan commits suicide in Moscow Head of the Ministry of Finance: Sweden's economic outlook is gloomy and we're heading for a tough winter Norway to raise level of army combat readiness in response to Ukraine war Putin and Aliyev talks in Sochi are over Moldova expels Russian embassy employee after incident with falling rocket parts Estonia to expand by 30 times protected zone on border with Russia Serzh Sargsyan receives Garo Paylan Inflation hits new record in 19 eurozone countries Shoigu and Akar discuss Russia's decision to suspend participation in grain deal Head of Armenian Armed Forces General Staff: Azerbaijan refuses to allow evacuation of Armenian soldiers' bodies Inflation in Poland breaks the record of 25 years ago Head of General Staff of Armenian Armed Forces explains why Azerbaijanis 'trapped' were not captured Chief of General Staff of Armenian Armed Forces confirms loss of positions as result of Azerbaijani aggression Central Bank: Inflation in Armenia reaches 9.9% Edvard Asryan: The operational situation in the eastern and southeastern directions is relatively stable Iran arrests 6 suspects in attack on Shiraz mausoleum Aliyev: Baku put forward five main principles to normalize relations with Yerevan Putin: The goal of the trilateral talks is the implementation of all agreements of 2020 and 2021 Talks between presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan start in Sochi Six people detained in Belarus for hanging Ukrainian flag NBC News: Biden lost his temper on the phone with Zelenskyy European Parliament lawmakers arriving in Armenia on fact-finding mission Cavusoglu: Europe weakening runs counter to Ankara's economic interests Non-resident organizations providing online services in Armenia declare 1bn drams of VAT in 3 quarters October oil production in Russia falls Storm warning issued in Sochi due to tornadoes Putin and Pashinyan hold 1-hour talks in Sochi Pashinyan to visit Tehran on November 1 Over AMD 76 billion will be assigned to Armenian police in 2023 Provincial governor of Armenias Tavush, France envoy discuss future cooperation (PHOTOS) South Korea and the U.S. begin large-scale air force exercise Dollar, euro continue falling in Armenia Pashinyan says issue of Armenian captives is unresolved, despite discussions with Putin Iranian parliament chair to visit Azerbaijan Pashinyan: Communications passing through Armenia should be under Yerevan's full control Pashinyan: Russia's clear position on moving Azerbaijani soldiers to their initial positions is important World wheat prices up Putin urges to ensure peace in Karabakh and unblock transport infrastructure Pashinyan calls Russia's approaches to establishing Armenia-Azerbaijan relations acceptable State budget spending on Armenia emergency ministry needs to increase considerably in 2023 Pashinyan says he wants to discuss regional security issues with Putin Putin hopes for progress in Karabakh settlement during summit Putin: We have to end the Karabakh conflict 80% of Kyiv remains without water supply after morning strikes, mayor claims China accuses US of violating trade rules Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan meets Russian President Vladimir Putin Peskov: We will inform if documents are agreed as result of Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan leaders meeting Kremlin says Russia continues contacts with Turkey and UN on 'grain deal' Masis Abrahamyan, head of ANC - Netherlands office, files lawsuit against Armenian National Security Service Bloomberg names world's richest families Central Bank: About 86% of banks' profits in Armenia come from currency sale/purchase, exchange fees Head of Central Bank of Armenia: Economic growth in 2023 will be lower than 7% forecasted by government Armenia civil servants salaries to increase but bonuses to reduce Each of the candidates for Flagstaff mayor can count a strong group of supporters behind them, people who have formed their opinions through long talks with the candidates, years of watching them work on the city council dais or seeing their actions on nonprofit boards or in the business community. The Daily Sun contacted a few of the candidates loyal backers to get an idea of what has convinced them to throw their support behind either Councilmember Coral Evans or Mayor Jerry Nabours. Bob White, Nabours supporter: White, who is retired from the Flagstaff Police Department, lauded the mayor for his businesslike approach and principle-based decisions. He said he appreciates Nabours effort to not raise taxes and focus on better roads and a balanced budget. White also had a lengthy list of reasons about why he isnt voting for Evans. He said she didnt stand up and correct someone who, at a community meeting about police-community relations, said Flagstaff police have murdered people. He also faulted her for backing Councilmember Eva Putzova when Putzova was soliciting money for the legal defense of Frankie Madrid-Holguin, a gay community activist and undocumented immigrant who was facing deportation after being arrested by police and found to be in possession of heroin. White said he also doesnt like that Evans has pressed for council resolutions on issues like in-state tuition for DREAMers, that are outside its purview. Katherine Yelle, Evans supporter: Yelle, who is Evans' campaign manager, said what she most admires about the councilmember is her commitment to fighting for the entire community whether its a child, undocumented immigrant or CEO. Yelle said Evans thinks broadly and long term about everything from water issues to transportation, realizing, for example, that its not just about Milton. Along the same lines, Yelle said she likes that Evans takes a multifaceted approach to addressing affordable housing and sees the need to discuss increasing the citys tax levy, or total taxes revenues it's allowed to collect, instead of taking a hard stance against it like Nabours. Rob Wilson, Nabours supporter: In his support of Nabours, Wilson emphasized the mayors ability to lead city council through contentious and emotional issues like The Hub student housing project while remaining professional. He lauded Nabours for supporting a change in council rules requiring four votes to get an item on the agenda, which Wilson said has helped manage what was a months-long backup in agenda items Like White, Wilson said hes not in favor of Evans support of council action on issues or resolutions that are outside its scope of work. He also has concerns about the libel case against Evans brought by a spokesperson with the developer of The Standard student housing project, which the city has spent thousands to defend. Robert Breunig, Evans supporter: Evans' deep roots in the community and her work for underserved populations appeal to Breunig, the former president of the Museum of Northern Arizona. The clincher for him was when Evans stood up for the residents of Arrowhead Village trailer park when it was threatened with removal by The Standard student housing apartment complex. Taking an opposite view of Wilson, Breunig said he admired that Evans didnt back down from defending that community, even when she ended up getting sued by the developer. Shes also committed to encouraging public participation in city affairs, Breunig said. While not taking a hard anti-development or anti-business stance, Evans does take a thoughtful approach toward development initiatives and is a proponent of growing small business from within, Breunig said. Bill Packard, Nabours supporter: Packard said he respects that despite the controversy around The Hub development, Nabours stood by the citys regulations on development at the Southside property. Evans, on the other hand, seemed to jump on the bandwagon of the anti-Hub sentiment even if it was not the right way to do things, Packard said. He credited Nabours with helping the city move in the right direction with traffic and roads issues. Part of his support was more personal because Nabours has been a steady supporter of Packards business Full Circle Trade & Thrift much moreso than other councilmembers, he said. Loretta Mayer, Evans supporter: Mayer said she supports Evans first and foremost because she took an interest in Mayers business, SenesTech. Mayer said Evans asked how the city could support SenesTech and wanted to learn about business growth and international business in Flagstaff. Mayer said she likes that Evans wanted to bring together business and elected officials and supports her focus of balancing development with preserving the culture of Flagstaff. Mayer also noted that Evans has "spoken up for the citizens" on projects like The Hub and the future of the downtown public works yard property. The supermodel joined her close friends for a Halloween costume ball that featured a performance from the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, reports E! Online. Prinsloo wrote on her Instagram handle, "Freaks in the back" while posing with her friends including guitarist Andrew Watt, who added, "@chilipeppers brought the cheetah out in us... @behatiprinsloo @alitamposi what a night." In a Snapchat video, the 27-year-old model is seen dancing throughout the concert and was even spotted singing the words to the band's biggest hits including 'Give It Away' and 'Dark Necessities.' This if the first time Prinsloo was spotted at a night out since September when she welcomed a baby girl named Dusty Rose with 'Maroon' frontman Adam Levine. (ANI) The European Union and Canada will sign a free trade agreement on Sunday that aims to boost jobs and growth after weeks of uncertainty and opposition in part of EU member Belgium that had threatened to scupper the entire deal.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected in Brussels for a signing ceremony with leaders of the EU institutions billed as an EU-Canada summit, all eager to ink a deal before any further hiccup.The French speakers of southern Belgium, a minority within their own small country and accounting for less than 1 percent of the 508 million EU consumers likely to be affected by the deal, had held it up until a breakthrough on Thursday, confirmed by regional parliamentary votes on Friday.The Canadian agreement is seen as a springboard to a larger EU deal with the United States, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Treaty (TTIP), which has been much criticised by civil society groups and some politicians.While that deal was planned to be completed before the end of U.S. President Barack Obama's term in January, both sides now acknowledge this is no longer feasible.On Saturday, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said TTIP was not dead and talks with the United States would continue with the next U.S. administation.Supporters say the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada will increase trade between the partners by 20 percent and boost the EU economy by 12 billion euros ($13 billion) a year and Canada's by C$12 billion ($9 billion).This would come at a time of low growth with monetary policy at its limits and fiscal policy constrained.For Canada the deal is important to reduce its reliance on the neighbouring United States as an export market.For the EU, it is a first trade pact with a G7 country and a success plucked from the jaws of defeat at a time when the bloc's credibility has taken a beating from Britain's vote in June to leave after 43 years of membership."I think we are signing the best commercial treaty the European Union has ever signed with a particularly close partner which shares our values," Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said on Saturday.However, Sunday's signing is not the last act.Assuming the European Parliament gives its assent, CETA could come into force partially early next year, allowing import tariffs to be removed. However, full implementation to include a contentious investment protection system will only follow after clearance by some 40 national and regional parliaments.The Belgian experience shows this is not a given.On Thursday, Belgium's regions and the federal government agreed on a text addressing fears about the investment protection regime, saying it would not come into force during an initial period. It also has a safeguard clause to protect Belgian farmers in the event of a "market imbalance".The investment protection system has been the focus of most protests against CETA and TTIP. Critics says the system, with arbitrage panels to rule on disputes between states and foreign investors, could be abused by multinational companies to dictate public policy, such as on environmental standards.The EU and Canada say their investment protection system guarantees the right of governments to regulate and would use independent judges and be more transparent.The deal will eliminate tariffs on almost 99 percent of goods. The beneficiaries would include, for example, carmakers or the EU textile sector, for which Canadian duties of up to 18 percent can be imposed.Service companies could also benefit and EU companies would be able to tender for public contracts at Canadian provincial and municipal level, the first time Canada has offered this.Canada can send larger quotas of pork, beef and wheat to the EU market. EU dairy producers will be able to export more than double the amount of "high quality" cheeses to Canada. ($1 = 0.9107 euros) REUTERS RSD 0705 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0435-1000946.Xml A new study says that celebrity news reports over the past four decades appear to have contributed to the changing makeup of the traditional American family by helping to destigmatize out-of-wedlock childbirths in the United States. In the study by University at Buffalo sociologist, researcher Hanna Grol-Prokopczyk said, "Celebrities typically did not apologize for getting pregnant outside of marriage." "But the family model also changed over time. The early model dictated that you should marry by the time the baby is born. By the mid-2000s that had changed, and it became widely acceptable in the celebrity world to have a child without marrying first," Grol-Prokopczyk added. With People magazine as her proxy for popular culture news coverage, Grol-Prokopczyk analyzed nearly 400 cover stories dating from People's 1974 premier issue to the present to learn when the interest in celebrity pregnancies started and how the magazine's presentation of family norms changed over time. A more detailed study, including calculations of celebrity non-marital birth rates, is currently under peer-review. "I used People magazine because it's reputable in the sense that it doesn't publish fictional stories; it has been in continuous circulation for over 40 years; and it remains one of the most widely circulating magazines in the country," said Grol-Prokopczyk. "It also has a strong online presence, with as many as 72 million unique views in a given month." Her curiosity about the media's fascination with celebrity baby news began when she was pregnant with her first child. She signed up for news alerts, expecting to get medical and nutrition stories relevant to expectant mothers, but instead received mostly news reports about celebrity pregnancies. "Academics often scoff at celebrity news, but in fact there's evidence that celebrity culture is enormously influential in changing norms and has a very wide reach," she said. "For example, after Angelina Jolie wrote an op-ed after having her preventative mastectomy, a survey conducted weeks later found that 74 percent of Americans knew about her surgery and the decision." This became known as the Angelina Effect, and research on its impact was published in the journal Genetics in Medicine. "That attests to the fact that decisions celebrities make reach us and affect our thinking," said Grol-Prokopczyk. Her research further illustrates that point. The first People magazine cover that showed a celebrity pregnancy was in May 1976. Goldie Hawn was pictured and the text makes it clear that she's pregnant and unmarried, but the caption reads, "She's laughing with a baby and a new hubby on the way." "There aren't many non-marital fertility stories in the 1970s, but when they do appear there's almost always a promise that the parent will marry by the time the baby is born," said Grol-Prokopczyk. "It's like saying, 'Don't worry, readers. They'll be married by the time the baby arrives.'" The model was still the same when People magazine announced Melanie Griffith's pregnancy in 1989, with a caption that said she and Don Johnson were "thinking about an April wedding." Beginning in the 1990s, the normative model began to change, and by the mid-2000s, People magazine regularly showed celebrity couples who didn't marry by the time the baby was born, according to Grol-Prokopczyk. These non-marital births were almost without exception presented as happy, morally unproblematic events. "This includes women who were partnered but didn't plan to marry the partner, but it also includes so-called 'single mothers' who we now know were in committed same-sex relationships, in particular Jodie Foster and Rosie O'Donnell," she said. Seven covers about Foster and O'Donnell appeared between 1996 and 2002. None of them acknowledge that the women were in same-sex relationships, and two of them directly referred to the women as "single mothers." "Based on biographies of them now, we know they were in long-term, committed relationships at the time," said Grol-Prokopczyk. "People magazine was slow to show acceptance of same-sex parents, preferring to present them as single parents. This example shows that while celebrity media coverage can serve as an agent for social change -- by de-stigmatizing non-marital childbearing or transgenderism, for instance -- it does not always do so," she said. The paper has been presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association.(ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the auspicious occasion of Diwali today met jawans of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Indian Army and Dogra Scouts in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. "Spent time with our courageous @ITBP_official & Army Jawans at Sumdo, Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh. Jai Jawan! Jai Hind!," Prime Minister Modi tweeted. "Made unscheduled stop at Chango village, close to Somdu, to wish people on Diwali. Was deeply touched by the impromptu reception & their joy," he added. Showering his praise on the armed forces guarding the nation, Prime Minister Modi earlier today dedicated this year's Diwali to the jawans. Addressing the nation in the 25th edition of his 'Mann Ki Baat' radio programme, the Prime Minister said that he was flooded with messages full of wishes and love for the jawans. "Dedicate this Diwali to our soldiers. #Sandesh2Soldiers hashtag was used so much by everyone and we were flooded with well wishes and love for jawans from citizens. Be it BSF, CRPF etc, our jawans are on duty and guarding us; that is why we are celebrating Diwali joyfully," said the Prime Minister. Prime Minister Modi had earlier spent Diwali with soldiers of the Indian Army posted at the world's highest battlefield of Siachen as well as the Dogra war memorial at Amritsar. He also made it a point to be in Srinagar before his visit to Siachen in 2014, in solidarity with the flood victims in Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier last week, Prime Minister Modi launched a campaign named "Sandesh for Soldiers" to send Diwali greetings to those serving on India's borders. "I sent my #Sandesh2Soldiers. You could also do the same. Your wishes will certainly make our forces very happy. This Diwali, let us remember our courageous armed forces who constantly protect our nation. Jai Hind. When 125 crore people stand with soldiers, their power increases by 125 crore," he tweeted then. Prominent celebrities like film actors Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar as well as several Union Ministers have sent messages tagging Prime Minister Modi during the course of this campaign. (ANI) Remembering the contribution of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel popularly known as 'Iron man' of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged the nation to promote unity and equality among all. "Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel worked to bring everyone together, he worked for unity, fought for unity and brought unity among the people. We also have to forget about all our customs and traditions and treat a girl and a boy equally, and we are moving fast," said Prime Minster Modi while addressing the nation in the 25th edition of his 'Mann Ki Baat' radio programme. "We should take a positive step towards it and work to promote equality in the society. But on one Sardar's birthday, history remembers how the Sikhs and 'sardars' all over the country faced violence and pain, which is why we all need to learn that we all must unite and work towards unity rather than allowing divisiveness to spread," he added. (ANI) Yet another school has been damaged in mysterious fire, taking the number of educational institutes destroyed since July 9 to 22 in Kashmir, where government has decided to conduct class 10th and class 12th examinations next month though students are demanding its postponement, alleging that they have not complete their syllabus due to unrest. Meanwhile, chairmen of both the factions of Hurriyat Conference (HC) and Kashmir Economic Alliance Chairman (KEA) and other social and religious organization have strongly condemned torching of schools by unidentified persons. Official sources told UNI that fire broke out in Jawahar Navodya Vidyalya School at Aishmuqam in south Kashmir district of Anantnag in the wee hours today. However, due to timely action by lcoals only the room of principal suffered damage they said, adding that the cause of fire was being ascertained. Police have registered a case and initiated proceedings as the school remained closed for the past three months. With this, about 21 government school and a private school buildings have been gutted under mysterious circumstances despite the students staying away in response to separatist strike call since July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani and two other militants were killed in an encounter in Anantnag. Normal life remained paralysed for 114th day today in view of the unrest that has left 86 civilians dead and over 10,000 others injured in Kashmir, where government has announced to conduct 10th and 12th grade examinations though students are demanding its postponement in the wake of non-functioning of all educational institutes following unrest since July 9. The injured included some students who have lost one or both of their eyes after being hit by pellets fired by security forces and police. All educational institutes have been non-functional since July 9 as students preferred to stay indoors in view of current unrest in Kashmir, where some government schools are still occupied by security forces rushed from different parts of the country to curtail the unrest that entered 114th day today.MORE UNI ABS SHS ADG 1324 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0433-1001138.Xml Participate in traditional and contemporary offerings to honor the deceased. Members of the public may place photographs of their departed loved ones for a community offering. Considered to be a cultural treasure by those in the surrounding community, the annual celebration brings a large number of people to the South Broadway Cultural Center to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos/Day of the Dead on November 1st, in connection to The Catholic holiday of All Saints Day celebrated worldwide each year. The tradition originated in Mexico and is still practiced among indigenous people there. Traditionally, Dia de Los Muertos involves visits to the gravesites of loved ones, where often elaborate decorations are placed. Co-sponsored by the Consulado de Mexico, the celebration focuses not on death, but on celebrating the lives that have gone ahead -- the natural progression. Scheduled from 11a.m. to 6 p.m., the Dia de Los Muertos celebration will feature both traditional and contemporary ofrendas (offerings) to honor the deceased. A community ofrenda will be created on which members of the public may place photographs of their departed loved ones. Our sponsors will support the creation of special ofrendas and will announce the ofrenda winners at 11:30 a.m. The celebration will take place throughout the South Broadway Cultural Center and South Broadway Library. In the large community room will be the "Dead Market," an artists' market with themed art, jewelry and other objects celebrating Dia de Los Muertos, Others will exhibit their art in the Library, where a "Dead Poets Ofrenda" will be on display. Food Trucks offering both traditional Mexican fare and typical American food like hamburgers and hot dogs will be onsite. Its not hard to come up with ways to make the delegation from Legislative District 6 more moderate just about any local council or school board member would be to the left, which means they would likely be in the center. And thats where, during each election cycle since redistricting in 2012, we have maintained the LD 6 delegation should be, representing a district with a wide range of economic interests and political views. From lumber mill towns in the White Mountains to a college town like Flagstaff, it is a district that deserves leaders who can balance competing ideas and come up with creative compromise. Instead, in Senator Sylvia Allen and Representatives Bob Thorpe and Brenda Barton, we have Tea Party Republicans with some of the most rigid views on the primacy of states rights, small government and the free market. Throw in an allegiance to the NRAs version of the Second Amendment, and theres very little room for negotiation on any number of public policies that are important to Flagstaff. NO EXTRA FUNDING --Take Kids Care, which extends federally subsidized health care to kids of the working poor at a cost of $5 million to Arizona. Too expensive and unnecessary after Obamacare, according to the LD 6ers, even though their district has one of the highest child poverty rates in Arizona. --Restore draconian university funding cuts that have reduced per-student subsidies to their lowest levels in 30 years? Too expensive, even though NAU has been forced to double tuition in eight years. ---Fully fund all-day kindergarten as state revenues climb back to pre-recession levels? Too expensive, despite one of the lowest first-grade readiness ratings of any state. --Pass a long-term, dedicated tax for public education to get Arizona above 48th in per pupil spending? No tax increases period. (Instead, they supported a raid on the state land trust for 10 years at higher-than-sustainable withdrawal rates.) --Cut more corporate taxes on the hope they will stimulate job growth and spending? All for it, even though economists project a $250 million net cost to the state treasury in 2019. RIGID STATE CONTROL And thats just on the financial side of the public policy agenda. Although they represent several charter cities that have lobbied for various levels of local control on wages and benefits, plastic bags, short-term rentals and guns in libraries, the LD 6 trio has said no. Business convenience and the absolute rights of gun owners win out there is no balancing test. And while they are asserting state control, they would do away with the Common Core curriculum whether local school boards want it or not, and send public tax dollars via income tax credits to unaccountable private schools in the name of family choice even though public schools in Arizona are among the worst-funded in the country. States rights also extend to the federal government all three have backed an unsuccessful proposal to allow Arizona to nullify any federal law or regulation it considers unconstitutional. And when the armed Bundys of Nevada refused to pay their federally subsidized ranching fees, Thorpe was one of the first to rush to their defense. COLLABORATIVE DECISION-MAKING That doesnt mean that federal lands are all managed properly or couldnt benefit from more collaborative decision-making that leverages the free market. Thats the theory behind 4FRI; now the challenge is to make it work properly, not throw over all forest ownership to a state agency that would likely have to sell off large tracts just to manage what is left. Just managing the 8 million acres under state jurisdiction seems to be a challenge witness the Yarnell fire on state lands and the inadequate response of the state forestry department. That rigid us-vs-them approach to public policy differences becomes alarming when it leads to denying the facts rather than rethinking or compromising on a position. With the desert Southwest being at the leading edge of climate change impacts, for example, asserting that the state has no role to play in addressing the phenomenon borders on the irresponsible. And asserting, as Allen does, that promoting sustainable resource practices under the United Nations Agenda 21 is a plot to deprive citizens worldwide of private property rights plays into the hands of those mocking Arizona for its fringe politicians. CLEAR, POSITIVE CHOICES Fortunately, LD 6 has two candidates one each for Senate and the House who not only can step over a very low bar set by the incumbents but rise considerably above it. Nikki Bagley is a former nonpartisan mayor of Jerome running for Senate with a sensible platform of job creation, education funding, environmental protection and renewable energy investment. Alex Martinez of Flagstaff is a former school district superintendent and veteran who will make education and veterans services his priority. As we noted at the beginning, there arent many candidates who couldnt rise above the narrowly drawn Tea Party agenda of the LD 6 incumbents that ill-serves both their diverse district and an even more pluralistic state. But in Bagley and Martinez, voters have clear and positive choices. We urge LD 6 voters to send them to Phoenix with their fresh ideas and constructive leadership. Inspector General (IG) of BSF Vikash Chandra and other senior officers paid befitting tribute to the martyred hero Constable Koli Nitin Subhash at STC headquarters in Humhama in central Kashmir district of Budgam. A BSF post along the LoC came under heavy firing from Pakistan Rangers early Yesterday. "BSF jawans retaliated by firing with AMR (Anti Material Rifle), AGS (Automatic Grenade Launching System) and MMG targeting Pak forward posts. "However, while firing AMR, bolt got broken and AMR ammunition blasted in chamber of Ct Subhash's weapon," a BSF spokesperson said, adding the jawan was critically injured in the incident. Ct Subhash was given first aid but he succumbed to his injuries, he said, adding the mortal remains of the slain jawan was sent to Delhi from where it will be dispatched to his native place in Maharashtra. Ct Subhash is survived by his mother, wife and two minor sons. Later in the evening troops destroyed four Pak posts, inflicting heavy casualties on enemy troops.UNI ABS SHS ADG 1322 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0433-1001209.Xml People continued to suffer as normal life remained paralysed for 114th day today due to strike called by separatists in Kashmir, where the ongoing unrest has left 86 civilians dead and over 10,000 others injured. However, the Sunday market in Srinagar witnessed relatively high number of vendors thought the number of customers continued to remain less as customers from outskirts and district could not make it due to non availability of public transport. Police said there is no curfew or restriction on assembly of people in any part of Kashmir valley though deployment on ground will continue to maintain law and order. Meanwhile, all gates leading to historic Jamia Masjid, where no Friday prayers could be offered for the past 16 weeks, remained closed and large number of security forces remained deployed to prevent people from entering the area. Additional paramilitary forces, rushed from different parts of the country in view of the unrest since July 9, a day after the death of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani and two other militants in an encounter in Anantnag, remained deployed across the valley to maintain peace. Both the factions of the Hurriyat Conference (HC) and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), spearheading the agitation since July 9, in its latest calendar have extended the general strike till November 3. Though there was no curfew or restriction in the down town and SeK, business and other activities, which are functional on Sundays, remained paralysed for the 114 days. Public transport remained off the roads though private vehicles, mostly two wheelers and some three wheelers, could be seen plying on some routes. The situation in and around historic Jamia Masjid, stronghold of chairman of moderate Hurriyat Conference (HC) Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq, remained unchanged with gates leading to the worship place remained closed since July 9.MORE UNI ABS SHS ADG 1358 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0433-1001237.Xml A City court sentenced a 27-year-old manfor physically assaulting a three-year-old relative girl and orderedhim to undergo 10 year rigorous improsonment. The Sixth Additional Sessions Court in Mysuru, which is also thedesignated POCSO Special Court, passed orders convicting the accusedNazar Alam, a native of Bihar, who used to work as a jockey inMysuru race course, on Friday evening. Judge V M Pavale also imposeda fine of Rs 1,000 for the offence. A case had been booked against the accused, who used to reside inJ.C. Nagar near the Race Course in Mysuru, by the Nazarbad police,based on a complaint lodged by Afsar Khan, father of the victim. According to the complaint, the accused, who used to stay in hisbrother's house, took the victim from the house on January 24, 2016,promising to get her pani puri. He took her to the terrace of thehouse and raped her, the complaint said. Special Public Prosecutor B.C. Shivarudraswamy said the courtconsidered the medical evidence provided by the doctors of JSSHospital which treated the victim, besides the evidence givenby the victim's mother. The victim's father, who is also a jockey, had not supported thecase of the prosecution as the accused was his younger brother, Mr.Shivarudraswamy said. The accused as well as his brother were natives of Punas villagein Bihar's Kishanganj taluk. While Afsar Khan stayed with his familyin Mysuru, Nazar Alam was also married, but his family stayed in hishometown in Bihar. The accused, who had been arrested soon after the complaint waslodged, tried to secure bail, but his plea had been rejected by thecourt. As per the provisions of the POCSO Act, the police filed acharge-sheet within 90 days of booking the case. The trial wascompleted in about nine months, he added.UNI BSP RS CS 1700 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0284-1001419.Xml Miscreants fired at a shop killing the shopkeeper and injuring his wife at the border town of Moreh. Police said the man was declared dead on arrival at a hospital while her wife was fighting for her life at Shija Hospital, Imphal last night. Police suspected that two motorcycle borne persons fired at the shop which resulted in the death of Dharmendra Kumar and injury of his wife Chandra Devi . A search was conducted today at the area and police has started investigating into the matter. UNI NS AD VS SNU 1851 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0108-1001463.Xml Tlabung town in south-western Mizoram near the Bangladesh border is facing acute shortage of rice, gas and other essential supplies following a strike of supply trucks due to bad road that entered 20th day. Truckers have refused to ply on the National Highway-302 that connects Tlabung and Lunglei, the major town and district headquarters in southern Mizoram due to the dilapidated condition. Sources from Tlabung said there the stock of rice left in the government godown in the border town would last only for a few days. The strike had also badly affected supply of other essential commodities. Tlabung unit of Mizo Students' Union had on October 15 written to the Prime Minister about the bad road condition. MLA Nihar Kanti Chakma had also informed the Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highway Nitin Gadkari about the constituency and sought his help. Another students' body Mizo Zirlai Pawl in Tlabung also informed the Governor of the situation on October 25 and sought for his intervention.UNI ZS AD VS SNU 1850 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0108-1001464.Xml Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull and conveyed a sense of concern over the recent brutal killing of Mr Manmeet Alisher, a person of Indian origin, in Australia. According to reports, he was burnt to death on Friday when a man attacked him hurling some device at him that sparked the fire to the extreme shock of the passengers of the bus he was driving. Alisher, who died on the spot after the attack, had come from Punjab about nine years ago. Mr Turnbull expressed shock at the killing and assured India that the matter was being investigated. PM Modi reiterated his invitation to Mr Turnbull for a visit to India in 2017 and also wished him Happy Deepawali. UNI SM SNU 1949 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0271-1001582.Xml A large number of people thronged various markets, including road side shops to buy a range of items like small idols of Goddess Mahalaxmi and Lord Ganesh, sweets, fire crackers, serial bulbs, decorative lamps and clay lamps (diyas). People, including a large number of ladies, also thronged temples and offered special poojas to deities particularly to Mahalakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth. Business people also opened their new account books on Diwali after performing poojas to Mahalakshi in their tastefully decorated and illuminated shops. Traffic snarl ups were also seen at main thoroughfares in the state capital including Dak Bunglow roundabout, Boring Road, Patna Junction locality. Despite rush of shoppers at various market places, it is a 'quieter' Diwali this year. Firecrackers are being burst in lesser numbers compared to that of last year. Growing environmental awareness, anti-fire cracker campaigns run by a number of schools and emphasis on saving hard-earned money are seen as main reasons for less bursting of firecrackers. Meanwhile, people at martyred Border Security Force (BSF) Head Constable Jitendra Singh`s native Siswa village in East Champaran district are not celebrating Diwali as a mark of respect to the departed soul. He was killed at RS Pura sector of Jammu and Kashmir in shelling from the Pakistani side on October 27.UNI DH IS KK VS2028 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0212-1001583.Xml Family members and civil society representatives staged a protest outside the Lahore press club on October 28 to demand the release of Abdul Wahid Baloch. Hani Baloch, the daughter of Abdul Wahid Baloch, joined the demonstration and demanded the safe release of her father. Hani said that in these conditions where her father is missing, can the authorities understand that she is protesting here only due to her father. She also revealed that her grandmother, who is in hospital, keep asking about her son and they have tell her a lie that they have seen him in the police station. "My mother is having blood pressure and my sister is in shock. In such circumstances, I telling them a lie and going out to protest. I don't have any interest in politics, nor, do I want people to know who Hani Baloch is. If my father has done anything wrong, they should tell us. They should follow the constitution and tell us why he is in custody," said Hani. Abdul Wahid Baloch is a social worker and publisher, and a resident of Chakiwara in Lyari, Balochistan. He went 'missing' on July 26 and his family alleges that he was picked up by law enforcement agencies. A one-time telephone operator at the Civil Hospital in Karachi, Abdul Wahid was a book lover, and helped Baloch authors publish their works and activists to print their posters. Baloch activists have since launched #SaveWahidBaloch campaign and are protesting in various cities across Pakistan to demand the release of Wahid Baloch. (ANI) Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Sunday said that former information minister Parvaiz Rasheed has been made a scapegoat, adding the nation "demands much more". The PTI boss made this remark after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif asked Rasheed to step down from his post. Hitting out at Rasheed, the PTI chief invoking a metaphor said, "The nation wants the sacrifice of a horse, not a mule," reports the Dawn. He was speaking to reporters outside his Bani Gala residence. Facing stiff resistance, Rasheed had been asked to step down as the government was forced to launch a probe into Dawn's story "Act against militants or face international isolation, civilians tell military" which reported details of a high-level civil-military meeting discussing the issue of Pakistan's banned outfits. An action was demanded by the military as it viewed the leak from the meeting as a "break of national security". This move has given Khan, a strong critic of Sharif, another opportunity to hit out at the incumbent government as his party is all set for the protest of Islamabad on November 2. The PTI chairman said, "Rasheed could not speak without a signal from "his masters" to do so. He could not dare to anything on his own. He just obeyed instructions." "People are not ready to accept the sacrifice of an associate," he said. "We want to know who was the one from the 'royal family' who directed this entire drama," he added. Continuing his outburst against the government for their actions in the days leading up to his scheduled November 2 protest, Khan said that it has "gone out of its way" to restrain the party from exercising its constitutional right of protest. According to the PTI chief, the credibility of judiciary was at stake as the government was violating laws and had committed contempt of court. Khan yesterday said that a corrupt leader is controlling the country's institutions for justice. In an apparent reference to shipping containers that have blocked routes to Islamabad despite an order by the Islamabad High Court to keep the city open, he said "What will people think? You passed orders but everyone can see what is going on." (ANI) We have all seen on TV the poor veteran with PTSD whose VA doctors were not allowed to prescribe marijuana for him. That won't change if Prop 205 passes. It will still be considered an illegal drug under federal law, and the VA is a federal institution. All a veteran or anybody else has to do right now is go to a medical marijuana doctor (whom every medical marijuana dispensary has a list of) and get a refillable prescription or a medical marijuana card. That won't change, no matter whether Prop 205 passes or not. Under Prop 205 no one can be successfully prosecuted for driving under the influence (DUI) because it does not allow a blood level measurement. So hundreds more accidents are going to occur. "But Mom, the government says it is legal." How can we put a stamp of approval on something harmful by making it legal? Will we next legalize heroin? Cocaine? Crystal meth? A dozen or more designer drugs? Just so that drug cartels won't "rake in our dollars and create havoc on our streets?" Be serious! The drug cartels love Prop 205 because all illegal drug addicts start with marijuana. Please vote no on Prop 205. CARL E. SHRADER M.D. Flagstaff According to the MoD, the airstrike was carried out targeting a group of the Taliban insurgents in Sherzad district of Nangarhar, reports Khaama Press. However, there has been no comment on the reports by the Taliban militants so far. Earlier, the local officials in Nangarhar claimed that at least 13 loyalists of ISIS terrorist group were killed in an airstrike in Pacher Agam district. At least 27 ISIS loyalists have been killed during the latest counter-terrorism operations in this province, the ministry said. Regular raids are being conducted by Afghan forces and the US forces in Afghanistan against the Taliban insurgents and ISIS loyalist in the districts where they are conducting insurgency activities. Airstrikes have been increased by the US forces against the Taliban insurgents and ISIS loyalists after the Barack Obama administration earlier this year granted a broader role to the American forces. (ANI) The Islamist group al Shabaab seized a town northwest of Somalia's capital from government forces today, the latest small centre taken by the militant group trying to topple the country's Western-backed government.Al Shabaab, which once ruled much of Somalia, has been fighting for years to impose its strict interpretation of Islam on Somalia. African Union and Somali troops have driven it from major urban strongholds and ports, but they have often struggled to defend smaller, more remote areas from attacks."Many al Shabaab fighters attacked us this morning and after brief fighting we left the town for tactical reasons," Somali army Major Hussein Edin told Reuters from the nearby town of Baidoa. One Somali soldier was killed, he said.Goofgaduud lies about 250 km northwest of Mogadishu, the capital.Al Shabaab's military operations spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, confirmed the group had captured the settlement. He said seven Somali soldiers were killed.Al Shabaab's casualty figures and those announced by officials often differ.In a separate incident, the website of state radio, radiomuqdisho.net, said on Sunday that the Somali security forces had rescued a Kenyan woman who had been kidnapped by pirates in 2015. They did not give details about the woman. REUTERS VS NS1445 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0440-1001280.Xml A Saudi security officer was killed and a second was wounded today in a drive-by shooting in the Eastern Province city of Qatif, state-owned Al Arabiya television reported.The shooting occurred while the security men were on patrol, Al Arabiya said. It gave no information about the assailants but said authorities were expected to release more details later.Gunmen shot dead two security officers last week on a residential street in nearby Dammam. Another two were gunned down in Dammam in September.Eastern Province is home to much of Saudi Arabia's oil production as well as to many Shi'ite Muslims, who form a minority in the conservative Sunni Muslim kingdom.Shi'ite militants angry at what they say is repression of their community have attacked security forces in Eastern Province in the past.The Islamic State militant group, which controls territory in Syria and Iraq, has also claimed attacks on Saudi security forces as well as deadly bombings and shootings that target the kingdom's Shi'ites. REUTERS VS RAI1500 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0440-1001294.Xml Arab coalition warplanes bombed a security complex near the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, killing 60 people including inmates of a prison on the site, a regional official, relatives and medical sources said today.The prison in the city's al-Zaydiyah district was holding 84 inmates when it was struck three times late yesterday, Hashem al-Azizi, deputy governor of the Houthi rebel-controlled Hodeidah province of the same name, told Reuters.Local officials said the site lies within a security complex for the area guarded by Houthi militiamen but that only prison security guards were present during the night-time air strike.The Saudi-led coalition has been fighting Yemen's armed Houthi movement since March 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognised President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who was driven into exile by the Iran-allied group in late 2014.A Reuters witness at the security complex said the entire building was destroyed and medics pulled about 17 bodies away - many of them missing limbs - while others remained stuck under the rubble.One of the strikes directly targeted the building, the witness added, bringing it down over the heads of the prisoners, while two others hit the gate of the complex and nearby administration buildings.A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.The air attack was one of the deadliest among thousands of bombings which have largely failed to dislodge the Houthis from the capital Sanaa but have repeatedly hit schools, markets, hospitals and homes, killing many civilians.HADI REJECTS PEACE PLANRights groups have said the raids may amount to war crimes, but an investigative body set up by the coalition largely defended its methods in an August report which concluded that Houthi rebels regularly deploy to civilian sites.The Houthis deny this, and a top official in the movement criticized the United Nations and the Saudis' key ally and arms supplier, the United States, for not doing enough to hold the kingdom accountable for its air strikes."We condemmn the position of the international community and the UN for providing cover for the crimes of Saudi Arabia against Yemenis, and they are subject to the wishes of America," Saleh al-Samad said in a statement late on Saturday.The bombing may signal a renewed uptick in violence a day after Hadi rejected a new UN peace proposal to end the turmoil in the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country, saying the deal would only be a path to more war and destruction.Speaking after meeting UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed in Riyadh, Hadi said the agreement would "reward the rebels and penalise the Yemeni people and legitimacy", according to the government-controlled Saba news agency.According to a copy of the proposal seen by Reuters, the plan would sideline Hadi and set up a government of less divisive figures.Hadi's opponents accuse him of commanding only a small support base in Yemen and of being unable to bring its warring factions together given that he invited the Saudi-led coalition to intervene in the civil war.REUTERS VS RAI1502 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0440-1001307.Xml The Khaama Press quoted the Ministry of Interior (MoI) as saying that the airstrike was carried out in Dangam district and at least eight militants of the terrorist group were wounded. A statement by Ministry of Interior said BM-1 rocket launcher and a Dshk heavy machine gun belonging to the terrorist group were also destroyed in the raid. The Ministry of Interior further stated a major operation is underway in Dangam district to clear the area from the presence of terrorist groups. In an attempt to set up training camps in Kamdish district, more than 100 militants have been deployed in Nuristan province. (ANI) A powerful earthquake struck Italy today in the same central regions that have been rocked by repeated tremors over the past two months, with more homes and churches brought down but no deaths reported.The quake, which measured 6.6 according to the US Geological Survey, was bigger than one on August 24 that killed almost 300 people. Many people have fled the area since then, helping to avoid a new devastating death toll.With thousands already made homeless, a leading seismologist warned that the earthquakes could go on for weeks in a domino effect along the central Apennine fault system.The latest quake was felt across much of Italy, striking at 7.40 a.m. (0640 GMT), its epicentre close to the historic Umbrian walled town of Norcia, some 100 km (60 miles) from the university city of Perugia.Panicked Norcia residents rushed into the streets and the town's ancient Basilica of St. Benedict collapsed, leaving just the facade standing. Nuns, monks and locals sank to their knees in the main square in silent prayer before the shattered church."This is a tragedy. It is a coup de grace. The basilica is devastated," Bishop Renato Boccardo of Norcia told Reuters."Everyone has been suspended in a never-ending state of fear and stress. They are at their wits' end," said Boccardo, referring to the thousands of tremors that have rattled the area since August, including two serious quakes on Wednesday.Italy's Civil Protection unit, which coordinates disaster relief, said numerous houses were destroyed today in the regions of Umbria and Marche, but either they were deserted at the time or most of the residents managed to escape in time.Civil Protection chief Fabrizio Curcio said no deaths had been reported and around 20 people were injured, none of them critically. He said it was too early to say how many more people had lost their homes.Prime Minister Matteo Renzi promised a massive reconstruction effort regardless of cost and took advantage of the disaster to resume his frequent criticism of the European Union's public finance rules."We will rebuild everything, the houses, the churches and the businesses," he told reporters. "Everything that needs to be done to rebuild these areas will be done."He said he would have "no regard for technocratic rules" and would consider all money spent to make Italy's schools and hospitals earthquake-proof to be outside EU limits on budget deficits.Local authorities said towns and villages already battered by August's 6.2 quake had suffered further significant damage."This morning's quake has hit the few things that were left standing. We will have to start from scratch," Michele Franchi, the deputy mayor of Arquata del Tronto, told Rai television.Experts said today's quake was the strongest here since a 6.9 quake in Italy's south in 1980 that killed 2,735 people .ARTISTIC LOSSThe destruction of the Norcia basilica was the single most significant loss of Italy's artistic heritage in an earthquake since a tremor in 1997 caused the collapse of the ceiling of the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, which is 80 km to the north.The frescoed basilica, which is the spiritual, historic and tourist heart of Norcia, was built over the site of the home where the founder of the Benedictine order and his Sister St. Scolastica were born in 480.The basilica and monastery complex dates to the 13th century, although shrines to St. Benedict and his sister had been built there since the 8th century.Benedict founded the Benedictine order in Subiaco, near Rome. He died in 530 in the monastery at Monte Cassino, south of Rome, which was destroyed during World War Two. That monastery was later rebuilt.A number of other churches were also ruined today, Italian media reported, including Norcia's Cattedrale di Santa Maria, which was built in the 16th century, while the town hall belltower had deep cracks running through its walls.However, most of Norcia's homes appeared to have withstood the prolonged tremor, with residents praising years of investment by local authorities in anti-seismic protection.In the nearby city of Rieti, patients were evacuated from a hospital to allow experts to check on structural damage, while hillroads across the region were littered with fallen rocks.Today's earthquake was felt as far north as Bolzano, near the border with Austria and as far south as the Puglia region at the southern tip of the Italian peninsula.It was also felt strongly in the capital, Rome, where transport authorities shut down the metro system for precautionary checks. Authorities also toured the city's main Roman Catholic basilicas looking for possible damage.Italy sits on two geological fault lines, making it one of the most seismically active countries in Europe.Its deadliest quake since the start of the 20th century came in 1908, when a tremor followed by a tsunami killed an estimated 80,000 people in the southern regions of Reggio Calabria and Sicily.REUTERS JW PR2201 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-1001636.Xml WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- The United States ordered Saturday family members of employees in the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul to leave due to security concerns. In a statement issued by the State Department said the decision was based on security information that terrorist groups were increasing threats to U.S. citizens in Istanbul and nearby area. The Consulate General remains open and fully staffed. The order applies only to the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, not to other U.S. diplomatic posts in Turkey. ALGIERS, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- A policeman was killed on Saturday by three terrorists in the province of Constantine, 450 km east of capital Algiers, while investigators believe the assailants are members of the terrorist group of Islamic State. Two assailants were identified, after pictures of runway terrorists shown to witnesses of the attack, TSA news website said, quoting a source close to the investigation. The two detected attackers are namely Abu Hammam, chief of Ghorba squadron, a branch of IS in Algeria, and his assistant Halfaoui. Detectives are still working on the identification of the third terrorist, the source said. A wide scale manhunt operation has been triggered by counter-terrorism police. BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Interactions between China and Argentina are becoming continuously smoother, thanks to diverse cooperation in fields such as economic, industry, science and tourism, Argentinean experts, Cecilia Peralta and Nadia Radulovich have said. In a recent interview with Xinhua, the two co-founders of the Asia Viewers research firm, expressed a positive outlook for China-Argentina relations, who will celebrate 45 years of diplomatic ties in February 2017. "Relations between Argentina and Asia, in general, are in a new stage as their friendship and cooperation deepends. The state of the specific ties between China and Argentina can be seen by the exchanges of high officials," they emphasized. "After the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, which Presidents Mauricio Macri and Xi Jinping both attended, Argentina has seen great coordination with China on topics of global economy and governance," Radulovich said. "China is of great importance for our country," added the Asian expert, who sits with Peralta on the China Group of Argentina's Council for Foreign Relations (CARI). Peralta highlights diverse cooperation in fields such as economic, industry, science and tourism, adding that the next few years "are very promising for China and Argentina can reach more concrete, mature and orderly cooperation." In terms of why China has taken on a greater role as a partner to Argentina, the two observers said that "China is beginning to play a more significant role in the world, starting with its entry into the World Trade Organization. Interaction between both actions continue to become more fluid." The Asia Viewers founders pointed that Macri is set to make an official state visit in 2017 and that the Argentinean ambassador to China, Diego Guelar, has been very active on issues like tourism and visas. To boost the number of Chinese tourists to Argentina, which stood at around 30,000 last year, the country now allows Chinese travellers with valid U.S. and European visas to enter Argentina after filling out an online form, Argentina's Minister of Tourism, Gustavo Santos, told Xinhua in September. Peralta and Radulovich now hope that the two sides will "strike a better trade balance and help to generate infrastructure investments to help Argentina's development plans. China is a great partner in this area." BELGRADE, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Serbian police and security services found on Saturday an arsenal of weaponry and ammunition in Belgrade, which was close to where the parents of Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic live, Tanjug news agency reported. The arsenal was located in a forest near the family house of Vucic. Serbian police and security services are now searching for unknown suspects. Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic confirmed at the arsenal in Belgrade's Jajince district that the police here found a rocket launcher, hand grenades and ammunition just around 50 meters from the road that leads to the house where Vucic's parents live. "All measures will be taken in order to investigate how weapons ended up here. It is disturbing that weapons were found only several tens of meters from the place where vehicle of PM turns towards his family house, and in an ideal place where it has to slow down," Stefanovic was quoted as saying. The official added that Vucic's vehicle would be an easy target, especially for the rocket launcher. "We expect security services to provide us with information on these weapons because counter-intelligence protection is the most important," Stefanovic said. "This will test whether our security services are capable of facing this type of challenges," he said. "Serbian PM is at a safe location now," Stefanovic concluded, adding that police found the weapons thanks to a report of citizens. Please Donate In order to maintain this blog I have to pay for its upkeep including a hosting company, support services, virus and other malicious hackers. If you appreciate what I write please make a donation. Racist PayPal Tries to Close Down My Blog As you can see from this article PayPal have removed my blog. I would therefore ask people to make any future donations to the following: Name of Account: Brighton and Hove Unemployed Workers Centre Account No: 04094107 Sort Code: 09-01-50 Reference: Web donations WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Scientists had long ago proposed that common swifts, a medium-sized migratory bird, might spend most of their lives in flight, but it is only now that they have managed to prove that these birds can actually fly for most of the year -- 10 months -- without landing. "This discovery significantly pushes the boundaries for what we know about animal physiology," lead author Anders Hedenstrom of Lund University in Sweden, said in a statement. "A 10-month flight phase is the longest we know of any bird species -- it's a record." Previously, scientists have found frigate birds and alpine swifts can remain in flight for up to seven months. The new findings were published this week in the U.S. journal Current Biology. For this study, the researchers followed 13 individual birds, some of them for two years in a row, using a microdata log that was attached to each bird in southern Sweden. These data loggers enabled the researchers to determine whether the birds were in the air or not, their acceleration, and where they had been at any given time after leaving their breeding site in August for a migration to Africa and before returning for the next breeding season 10 months later. The results showed that some of the birds landed during short periods at night, sometimes during an entire night. But even these birds spent more than 99.5 percent of their 10-month migration and hibernation period in the air. Data from other birds showed that they did not land a single time in ten months. The birds' flight activity often appeared lower during the day than at night, most likely because the birds spent their days soaring on warm air currents, the researchers said. Hedenstrom said the researchers don't yet know whether or how the birds sleep but "the fact that some individuals never landed during 10 months suggests they sleep on the wing." Perhaps they find time to nap during slow descents at dawn and dusk, he suggested. Despite the high energetic costs associated with all that flight, common swifts also manage to live surprisingly long lives, contrary to popular notions about living hard and dying young. Leaders and envoys pose for photos during the 25th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government in Cartagena, Colombia on Oct. 29, 2016. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Saturday inaugurated the 25th Ibero-American Summit of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries, in the northern port city of Cartagena. (Xinhua/Mauricio Collado) CARTAGENA, Colombia, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Saturday inaugurated the 25th Ibero-American Summit of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries, in the northern port city of Cartagena. Leaders and envoys from 22 countries, including Spain, Portugal and Latin American states gathered to discuss education, youth and entrepreneurship, themes tabled by host Santos. In his opening address, Santos also touched on his government's ongoing peace process with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas, noting it would impact the life of young Colombians and future generations. The peace process suffered an unexpected setback in early October, after Colombians voted against a peace deal signed by the two sides, sending them back to the negotiating table. "My intention was and is to transform this surprising outcome into a great opportunity," said Santos, referring to the peace deal's defeat in an Oct. 2 referendum. "We have worked day and night to advance in these inclusive talks with all sectors of society: those who voted 'no', those who voted 'yes' and those who didn't vote," said Santos. "Who else but our (country's) youth can inspire us to persevere in the effort" to reach a peace deal acceptable to all sides, asked Santos, adding "we have chosen their reality, problems and opportunities as the theme of this summit." Santos touted several government measures designed to benefit youth, including university scholarships and job-placement programs. CANBERRA, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Asylum seekers who use people smugglers to illegally come to Australia by boat will be given a lifetime ban from entering the country, under a government plan set to be put to Parliament next week. Even if they are found to be legitimate refugees, those who employ the use of illegal people smugglers to make their way to Australia will never be allowed into the country, even as a tourist. According to the government, the lifetime ban will extend to those who have been sent to Australian detention centers on Nauru or Manus Island since July 19, 2013, however the laws will not affect children. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the law was a follow-up to former Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's pledge in July 2013 that any asylum seeker who comes to Australia by boat without a visa would "never be settled in Australia". "They must know that the door to Australia is closed to those who seek to come here by boat with a people smuggler," he told the press on Sunday. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the laws would send a "tough message" not only to people smugglers, but to those thinking of coming to Australia illegally. "This is a tough message we are sending to the people smuggling syndicates and those who pay people smugglers to try and enter Australia," Bishop told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Sunday. "They will not be settled in Australia and they won't be visiting Australia." Meanwhile Immigration Minister Peter Dutton told News Corp the Labor opposition should have "no excuses" not to support the laws in Parliament, as it was Rudd - a former Labor PM - who first announced such a plan. He added that Australia would continue to fight the illegal people smuggling trade which has resulted in hundreds of "deaths at sea". "This puts into law that crucial aspect which has been central to stopping the boats and stopping deaths at sea," Dutton said on Sunday. "It sends a clear message to people smugglers that the government's resolve in protecting Australia's borders is as strong as it has ever been." BEIJING, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel is going to pay an official visit to China from Sunday to Tuesday, at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Following is a profile of Michel. Born on Dec. 21, 1975 in the city of Namur in southern Belgium, Michel studied at the Free University of Brussels and the University of Amsterdam. In 1991, he joined the Jodoigne Young Liberals and assumed chairmanship during 1992 and 1999. Between 1994 and 1999, he was member of the Walloon Brabant provincial council and was vice chairman of the council between 1995 and 1999. He was elected a member of the federal parliament in 1999. From 2000 to 2004, Michel was home affairs minister of Wallonia. In the 2004-2006 period, he was alderman responsible for municipal companies and town planning in the city of Wavre. In 2006, Michel was elected mayor of Wavre. From 2007 to 2011, he took the office of federal minister for development cooperation. From January 2011 to October 2014, Michel served as leader of Mouvement Reformateur. He became Belgian prime minister in October 2014. NAY PYI TAW , Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC), led by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, has laid out the structure and work guidelines on holding the first national-level political dialogue next month. The two-day UPDJC meeting, which ended on late Saturday, was able to make nine decisions required for the national-level political dialogue, making a step forward with the peace process, said UPDJC Vice Chairman Dr. Tin Myo Win. The national-level political dialogue will begin in some regions and states in mid-November that are ready to host them, he said. Aung San Suu Kyi has on the first day of the meeting proposed to hold the national-level political dialogue in three types which are outlined as those based on region, national cause and ethnic affairs. She maintained that there is only one way to achieve peace, that is to stop conflict, calling for all out efforts to realize it without delay. Myanmar government is making efforts to pave way for non-signatory armed groups to the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA) to join and complete the signing before the national-level political dialogue next month as agreed at the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference held in August-September. The government's Peace Commission and Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN) of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) had held a framework review meeting for the political dialogue in Yangon last week. The national-level political dialogues are expected to represent all-inclusiveness with opinions and voices of the people including ethnic people in order to establish a union based on democracy and federal system as envisioned in the NCA for peace building. HAVANA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- The 25th International Ballet Festival of Havana was kicked off on Friday night, drawing companies from 16 countries, including the United States. This year's festival was named in honor of Cuban prima ballerina assoluta and choreographer Alicia Alonso, one of the leading figures in the world of ballet and founder of the National Ballet of Cuba (BNC). Alonso, 94, was guest of honor at the inauguration ceremony of the biennial event, which she has promoted for half a century. Teresa Amarelle, general secretary of the Federation of Cuban Women and member of the Communist Party of Cuba's politburo, addressed the audience at the inauguration gala, and highlighted Alonso's dedication to the BNC. "We dedicate the biggest applause to Alicia for being a symbol of Cuban identity and an expression of the national and universal art of dance art," said Amarelle. The festival opened with the world premiere of "Oscurio" by Belgian-Colombian choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa at the Grand Theatre of Havana, starring Cuban dancers Viengsay Valdes and Ariel Martinez. Visiting companies from 16 countries are set to perform from Oct. 28 to Nov. 6, including the prestigious U.S. Martha Graham Dance Company and Canada's Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal. Also performing are soloists or duets representing U.S. companies such as the Ballet Hispanico of New York, the Washington Ballet and the New York City Ballet. The British Northern Ballet, the Dutch National Ballet of Holland and the National Ballet of Uruguay are also on the performing list. The special guests at the festival include former Russian dancer Azari Plisetski, choreographer, teacher and brother of the late Russian prima ballerina assoluta Maya Plisetskaya, who had strong ties to the BNC, and the artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet, Aurelie Dupont, a former star dancer of that prestigious group. One of the world's oldest festivals of its kind, the festival was founded in 1960, immediately following the Cuban Revolution in 1959. (L-R) Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko and South Korean Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Joo Hyung Hwan pose for a photo before the 11th Economic and Trade Ministers' Meeting among China-Japan-South Korea in Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 29, 2016. (Xinhua/Hua Yi) TOKYO, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Trade ministers from China, Japan and South Korea agreed on Saturday to strengthen trade and economic cooperation between the three neighbors. The meeting, held ahead of a China-Japan-South Korea trilateral summit, saw the ministers discussing a number of issues, including implementing the G20 Summit outcome and conducting practical economic cooperation. As the world economic recovery remained fragile and anemic, the three major economies in East Asia should implement the consensus reached between their leaders, give full play to their industrial complementarity, and further promote investment and trade, so as to contribute to the steady economic growth in Asia, said Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng. Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko, for his part, said the three countries reached consensus on jointly advancing economic structural reform. He believed the meeting's outcome will promote regional and global economic growth. South Korean Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Joo Hyung Hwan said the three sides reached consensus on establishing a trilateral cooperation framework as well as speeding up the negotiations on a trilateral free trade deal and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng (front) gives a speech during the 11th Economic and Trade Ministers' Meeting among China-Japan-South Korea in Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 29, 2016. (Xinhua/Hua Yi) The three sides also reiterated in a joint statement their commitment to implement the outcome at the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, and emphasized the importance of the G20 Strategy for Global Trade Growth and the G20 Guiding Principles for Global Investment Policymaking. China has proposed to conduct industrial capacity cooperation in a third-party country under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasia Initiative, jointly explore a fourth-party market, and collectively promote sub-regional cooperation and development. The three sides also approved a joint research report on solidifying their supply chain connectivity, and agreed to develop an open world economy, improve the multilateral trade system and promote regional economic integration. by Shristi Kafle JUMLA, Nepal, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Some 850 kilometers away from Kathmandu lies Jumla, small town enclosed by golden hills situated along the banks of the Tila river. Despite being the zonal headquarters of Karnali, the largest region of the Himalayan country, Jumla has always remained in isolation. The locals of this mountainous district felt disconnected with the rest of the world and thus started accepting themselves as being marginalized. The media often portrayed and highlighted Karnali as an area beset with extreme poverty and zero social or economic development. This scenario that has often been pictured nationally and globally for decades is gradually set to change however, providing the hints at development in the region are a long term proposition. Since the 232-kilometer-long Karnali Highway connected this under-privileged part of the country with the major nearby town of Surkhet in 2007, Jumla started witnessing some gradual development. And with the construction of a black-topped road just two years ago, Jumla is escaping the shackles of isolation. For many senior citizens, its like a dream seeing a road and moving vehicles. "I had never thought that this place would be connected to the capital and the world. It's not just a highway, it's good luck for all of us," Bhakta Rokaya, 60, told Xinhua from his apple farm, located in the Rokayabada village, about 15 km away from the major town. Apple production is a major source of income for the majority of the residents of Jumla, which has a cold climate and suitable soil. While farmers like Rokaya previously had no market for their produce, the highway has proved to be a lifeline. These days, buyers from various parts and even from the capital can now approach the apple farmers directly, thanks to the road and mobile technology. Rokaya said, "From 150 trees, I produced 4,000 kg of apples in total this year. I sold a few kilograms to the traders and the remainder are being processed for making dry apple slices." Many of these entrepreneurs use hand-powered machines provided by development agencies to process the apples and sell them in the form of candy or slices in packets, worth Rs 100 (about 1 U.S. dollar). They also produce apple wine and brandy, which are becoming popular both locally and nationally. At a time when food insecurity has increased with the falling production of rice in the region, apple production has provided a means of livelihood to many. These small scale enterprises have been supported by different national and international organizations like the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). "Our Micro-Enterprise Development Programme (MEDEP) has been helping the most vulnerable communities across the country, including the Karnali region, to help them kickstart their businesses. There are over 100,000 enterprises created by our program and 2000 in Jumla alone," Sophie Kemkhadze, Deputy Country Director of UNDP Nepal, told Xinhua. As per a report conducted by the United Nations, Nepal ranked 145th on the global Human Development Index in 2014. Karnali lies at the bottom of this index as it has lagged behind in life expectancy, knowledge and a decent standard of living. Poverty is regarded as a major challenge in Karnali, which comprises the five districts of Kalikot, Jumla, Mugu, Dolpa and Humla. Among these, two districts, Humla and Dolpa, are yet to be connected by roads. However, statistics suggest that Nepal has made tremendous progress in lowering the poverty rate in the last 10 years. Under its Sustainable Development Goals, the National Planning Commission has projected a per capita gross national income of 2,500 U.S. dollars by 2030 from the current level of 772 U.S. dollars. "Agriculture, forestry, traditional production and the service industry are the major focal points of MEDEP; with vulnerable communities and women among the highest priorities. We believe the program has contributed significantly in poverty reduction in the country in the last decade,"Sophie added. With improved road connectivity and livelihood programs, locals of Jumla are changing their fate along with their life style. Though many remote villages' development committees are yet to be connected to the mainstream development, more populated areas are becoming better facilitated and adapting to modernity. Today, Jumla bazaar has various infrastructure including concrete buildings, electricity, mobile technology, hotels and restaurants, Internet cafes and, surprisingly, even a gym club. Though the Karnali highway is only operational for 12 hours everyday, nearly 10 public vehicles travel to and from Jumla daily, inviting increased trade and various economic opportunities. Yam Khadka, an owner and driver of a public bus operating on the Jumla-Nepalgunj route, told Xinhua, "The highway is narrow and bumpy, but If the road is upgraded and well managed, there won't be any difficulty in improving connectivity." Other development activities are also taking place rapidly with the use of modern technology in agriculture and the establishment of small-scale cottage industries. Thus the overall face of Jumla has been changing over the past two years and the scenario seems very impressive. Once upon a time, the Karnali region was synonyms with malnutrition, maternal and child mortality and women's health problems. But gone are the days when the people of Jumla used to die due to lack of emergency health services and medicine. Of late, there are more than 20 qualified health professionals at the government-owned Karnali Academy of Health Science that has been providing health services to the poverty-stricken people. Nabin Thapa, a doctor at the academy, told Xinhua, "Currently, there are 12 specialists and 7 doctors in the Health Academy. More than 120 patients from Jumla and other districts like Mugu, Jajarkot and Kalikot visit us everyday. We even perform surgeries," the doctor said. The major health problems seen in the region are pneumonia, asthma and pelvic inflammatory disease among women, he explained. "Ninety percent of health problems can be resolved in Jumla itself. If we had enough electricity and advanced lab facilities, locals should not be forced to visit the capital on chartered flights any more," Pramila Mahat, a nurse at the health center, told Xinhua. People from Karnali region have also been traditionally deprived of access to education for a long time due to poverty and complex geography. However, the establishment of boarding schools and colleges in almost all the village development committees have provided a new solution to students. Jagadish Lamichhane, a government officer working in Jumla, told Xinhua, "There are many senior high schools in the region and two colleges for degree programs. This is development in the truest sense." Locals of Karnali have struggled for the longest time in every aspect of their lives, and they feel that it is high time to upgrade their status from being the least developed region. Now, what is needed is to get proper recognition and attention from the government, especially from the central administration located in Singhadurar, in the capital city. There are many helping hands but Karnali, which is full of resources and potential, is waiting for more opportunities and economic transformation. As such, the region should not be neglected by the Nepalese government. BEIJING, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese commercial vessel joined the search for the Chinese sailor Guo Chuan who has been missing for nearly five days during a solo non-stop trans-Pacific adventure. The ship, named "Ruian City" from China COSCO Shipping Group, was on its routine route between Hawaii and Japan when it received messages for help on Saturday. "I received calls both from Guo Chuan's team and the China Maritime Rescue Coordination Center, asking for our assistance in searching for Guo Chuan," said Ruian City captain Ding Jianwu. At the request, five more lookout positions were added on the ship while the ship already scoured several spots where the 51-year-old mariner could possibly drift to. Guo was suspected of falling overboard on Oct. 25 Beijing time 900 kilometers off Hawaii and his team said he might wear life jacket then. "We are using every possible tools, the radar, binocle and our naked eyes in a bid to find Guo. We will spare no effort in the search of the captain," said Ding. "I hope there will be a miracle and pray for Captain Guo." Guo's support team and his family were desperate on looking for other ways to keep the search going after the U.S. Coast Guard suspended their effort on Thursday. The USCG located Guo's trimaran and then sent a boat and crew aboard the vessel but found no trace of Guo except his life jacket. The team said a travel company in Hawaii has offered to provide five to 10 helicopters to search the missing sailor, but they need larger ships with helipads. "These helicopters can fly 500 kilometers without stopping but the site of the accident is 900 kilometers off Hawaii. We need large ships which have helicopter platforms and equipment to refuel the choppers." Before the accident, Guo was attempting to sail from San Francisco to Shanghai in 20 days or less for a new solo trans-Pacific world record. Guo already had a world record to his name for a 138-day solo non-stop circumnavigation in 2013. by Xinhua writer Liu Chang BEIJING, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- In recent days, Washington seems to be agonizing over the colorful rhetoric of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, while its "pivot to Asia" policy faces even more uncertainties. The United States believes that it has some sort of natural rights to write what outgoing President Barack Obama called "the rules of the road" for the Asia-Pacific region. Moreover, it wants all nations in the region to observe that same playbook. Yet without obedient partnerships underpinned by strong economic, military and security cooperation, America's such geopolitical arrangement could go nowhere. In recent months, Washington has been troubled by a sense of worry. Since Duterte took office in late June, the new leader in Manila has kept flashing out signals that have perplexed the Americans, if not enraging them. Perhaps the U.S. leaders have now begun to miss the "good old days" when former Philippine President Benigno Aquino III was in power. Now that the Philippines has vowed to send all foreign troops home, including the U.S. forces stationed in the Southeastern Asian country, many are wondering how far Manila would go to push forward its independent foreign policy. While the Philippines seems to be pivoting away, the bleak picture for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact has also raised qualms of America's allies in the region about Washington's determination and ability to close the deal. The TPP is the economic magnet Washington tries to use to pull its regional partners together and to bolster its economic leadership in the Asia-Pacific. Its failure to be materialized, which now seems very likely, would sink the re-balance to Asia strategy deep down into the waves of the Pacific. Though Beijing has repeatedly promised to seek peaceful development, the suspicious and stubborn Washington still tries to counterbalance it. In his recent article published in the Foreign Affairs magazine, Ashton Carter, U.S. defense chief, criticized Beijing for being "out of step with where the Asia-Pacific wants to go." Considering America's intention to call the shots in the region, the secretary could probably really mean "where Washington wants to go." The rapprochement between Beijing and Manila has gotten on the nerves of the U.S. government. That may explain why U.S. Navy destroyer Decatur intruded earlier this month the waters of China's Xisha Islands in the South China Sea. At the very root of Washington's growing solicitude are its self-serving and arrogant ambition to maintain global hegemony and worries that its days of being the world's only superpower are in a ticking countdown. If the United States wants to get rid of the anxieties, it has to find its rightful place in the Asia-Pacific and the wider world, and starts to act more constructively, not coercively. Obsession with the vain dream of building a long-lasting global empire could ultimately turn its nightmares into reality. Related: Commentary: Time for Washington to self-question its Asia-Pacific policy BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- In the countdown to a farewell to the White House and prior to perhaps his last visit to Asia as a sitting U.S. president, Barack Obama should reflect upon his policies that failed to contribute to regional peace and stability. Obama starts a weeklong trip to Vietnam and Japan on Sunday. Full Story Commentary: U.S. self-serving Asia policy is root cause of regional tension BEIJING, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- It is regrettable that some U.S. politicians should take as priority the South China Sea issue at Monday's special summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump participates in the third and final presidential debate at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) in Las Vegas, Nevada, the United States, Oct. 19, 2016.(Xinhua/Yin Bogu) BEIJING, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump lashed out Saturday at Democrat Hillary Clinton's new email probe, saying the former state secretary was not fit to lead the country. Declaring his opponent "guilty" at rallies in Colorado's cities of Phoenix and Golden, Trump claimed that Clinton was a symbolic type of public corruption which is a "grave threat" to the U.S. democracy. On Friday, with the Nov. 8 election day being only 11 days away, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey said in a letter to the U.S. Congress that new emails had emerged recently which appear to be linked to the FBI's Clinton email probe. Comey said the FBI should investigate these new emails, but can not yet assess "whether or not this material may be significant." In response to news reports that the Department of Justice did not agree with FBI over the revelation of the new probe, Trump accused that the department is trying to protect Clinton. "When the outcome is fixed, when the system is rigged, people lose hope. They stop dreaming. They stop trying." the New York real estate billionaire said in Phoenix, "Hillary Clinton's corruption is corrosive to the soul of our nation and it must be stopped." Analysts said Trump was trying to mount a counterattack on Clinton by taking advantage of the FBI's decision. After the release of a 2005 audio tape about his "groping women" words and the emergence of several women's charges on his groping actions made against them, Trump has been reeling for weeks in his campaign for the White House. Calling Clinton's email practices the biggest political scandal since Watergate, Trump said in the city of Golden, Colorado state, that the FBI's review raises "everybody's deepest hope that justice, at last, can be properly delivered." On the Clinton side, words such as "unprecedented" and "deeply troubling" were heard from Democratic leaders. With backers declaring the new emails lack crucial details, Clinton told a rally in Florida that FBI Director James Comey should put out the "full and complete facts" about the review. "It is pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election," Clinton said. She charged that Trump tried to confuse and mislead voters with the issue in the home stretch of the election. Clinton also accused Trump of stoking fear, disgracing American democracy and insulting one group of Americans after another. "Are we going to let Donald Trump get away with that? You're right. We're not," she said. "No matter what they throw at us, we don't back down. Not now. Not ever." Clinton has repeatedly attacked Trump for being unfit to be president as well. Public opinion polls showed that Trump has narrowed the gap between him and Clinton nationally. On Saturday, the latest poll by tracker site RealClearPolitics put Clinton 3.9-percentage points above Trump nationwide, down from a lead of 7.1 points just 10 days ago. Even if Clinton wins the White House in the end, she would celebrate a victory under a cloud of investigation as the probe will not come to an end shortly. Also, public opinion polls show that American voters still deeply dislike both Clinton and Trump. "The whole campaign is now smeared with sex, corruption and scandal," Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic strategist who had previously advised former President Bill Clinton told Reuters, "Nobody remembers the beginning of something, they only remember the end. What are they going to remember? They're all the same: sex, scandal, corruption, emails. People are going to have trouble sorting out all this information." by Chris Dalby MEXICO CITY, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Some might say that a Hollywood blockbuster influencing a millennial celebration is tawdry. However, the opening scene of a James Bond film, Specter, where the British super-spy chases a villain through a massive parade, complete with giant skulls and costumed dancers, became so iconic that the city decided to recreate it for real. This year, Mexico City revamped its Day of the Dead celebrations, declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to be part of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2003. On Saturday afternoon, the biggest Day of the Dead parade in the history of the city danced, thrilled and spooked its way through the streets, from the iconic Angel of Independence to the central Zocalo square. Floats topped by giant, grinning skulls, worrisome Aztec warriors painted black, corpse brides, skeletons on roller blades, Christian crossed covered in marigolds, the various visions of the dead delighted the thousands of people lining on the way. The parade was divided into three separate stages. The first, named the journey to Mictlan, the name of the Aztec underworld, showed representations of pre-Hispanic gods from the Mexica, Mixteca and Zapoteca cultures, and was overseen by the Aztec god of Death, Mictlantecuhtli. The second part, the Child of Death, recalled elements of a tradition seen in the colonial era of the 19th century when the remains of deceased children were adorned in rich clothes for the celebration of the Holy Innocents. These were first displayed on paintings before being woven on cloth but some snapshots of this macabre ritual remain from the early days of photography. The third and final segment looked at the celebration of the dead from a modern perspective, namely a party that honors death and the afterlife. The floats reflected the collective imagination of the Mexican people and recalled the works of Jose Guadalupe Posada, a printmaker who first created the Catrina -- an image depicting a female skeleton dressed only in a hat befitting the upper class outfit of a European time. Frida Kahlo, Mexico's most famous cultural ambassador today, was also honored. Around 1,000 participants accompanied the process, dressed in various costumes, symbolizing the worship of death and its celebration in Mexico from pre-Hispanic times to the present. Most recognizably, the Catrina, for many the face of the celebration, was frequently seen in the form of an elegantly dressed woman with the face of a skull. Along the route, vendors were blending tradition with delectation, offering calaveritas, colorful sugar skulls, or the typical pan de muerto (bread of the dead). The parade ended after two hours at the Zocalo square, where a giant offering to the dead has been built, named "Ode to Water", designed by visual artist Betsabee Romero. Following the parade, a nighttime ride is to take place from the park of Chapultepec, in the heart of Mexico City, to the Zocalo. The only condition for participation: to be dressed up in disguise for the occasion, of course. The celebration does not stop on Saturday night, however. Over the next three days, families will gather at the altars they have built at their homes. Orange marigolds, hailed as the flowers of the dead, have been sprinkled across the alter, accompanied by fruit and other food favored by the deceased when they were alive. According to local tradition, these offerings help their spirits to remember their former lives. For those brave enough to face the witching hour and head outside the home, concerts and artistic activities will be held across the city. Far from the vision of death certain other cultures may hold, Mexican see it as part of the natural cycle of life, a moment not to be feared but embraced. The deceased are never forgotten but honored every year, forging a connection with future generations. RIYADH, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- One Saudi policeman was killed and another injured in shooting attack on Sunday in Saudi city Qatif in the Eastern Province, Sabq online local news reported. The attacks that targeted police personnel in the region have increased lately, as two policemen shot dead in Dammam on October 15, while in September 18 another two police personnel were shot dead by also anonymous gunmen in Dammam. About the last attack on October 15, the Saudi Interior ministry announced two days back that investigation linked the shooting to similar previous terrorist attack in Qatif and Dammam. This mean they weren't carried by Islamic State (IS) sleeping cells that were behind many blooding blast attacks in different parts of the country in the recent years. They are done by groups of Saudi Shiite youth who demands more rights in the Sunni conservative state. The Eastern Province witnesses on and off disturbances by Shiite minority. KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has stated his commitment to develop Malaysia's "strong and stable" relations with China, saying he intends to ensure that "it continuously improves and reaches new heights." In an exclusive interview with Xinhua ahead of his official visit to China starting on Monday, Najib said he regards China "as a true friend and a strategic partner" and the relationship between Malaysia and China has "created benefits not just for the people of our two nations but also for regional stability and harmony." "It is a relationship I am personally committed to; not just as the Prime Minister of Malaysia, but also as the son of Tun Razak -- our former Prime Minister who first established diplomatic relations with China 42 years ago," he said in written responses to Xinhua. Reiterating that the relationship between the two "has entered a special phase," Najib said he could not agree more with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who compared China's relations with Malaysia "as being as close as lips are to teeth" and Premier Li Keqiang, who recognized Malaysia as a "good neighbor, good partner and a good friend." Recalling the achievements in bilateral cooperation since 2013, when the bilateral relations was upgraded to "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," Najib listed a series of major infrastructure projects in railways, real estate and energy, the opening of a campus by China's Xiamen University in Malaysia and an increasing number of Chinese tourists arriving in Malaysia, which he hoped could reach two million by the end of the year. He highlighted "military cooperation," saying it has "hit new heights in recent years." Aside from the joint military training exercises in 2015 between Chinese and Malaysian armed forces, Najib revealed that that the two countries will be finalizing "the first significant defense deal" during his trip. He also noted that "a number of new agreements and understandings in various fields ranging from economy and defense to education and innovation" will be signed during the visit. Najib, who is about to embark on his third official visit to China since he assumed office in 2009, played down the impact of a sluggish global economy, saying trade relations between the two countries, having reached over 100 billion U.S. dollars in 2013, will continue to grow. Aside from a number of opportunities to do business with China, including energy and infrastructure, Najib noted that Malaysia has "welcomed significant investment from China" in innovation and technology. He said Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei's expanding presence in Malaysia symbolizes "the confidence that leading Chinese companies have in our economy." Najib commended the China-proposed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, saying he believes "the bank can join the ranks of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank as a powerful platform to assist developing countries achieve greater growth and development." Najib also welcomed the "Belt and Road" Initiative, saying there are "clear synergies" between the initiative and Malaysia's national transformation plan, which he put forward at the 2017 Budget speech earlier this month. On issues of security challenges faced by Malaysia and China, Najib said both countries have agreed to further strengthen cooperation in the areas of law enforcement, security and defense, including friendly visits and security consultation in between respective law enforcement, security and defense agencies. Najib said he is also committed to increase cooperation between the two sides in joint exercises and personnel training. He noted that the "community of common destiny" idea, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, reflects that China is intended to ensure a peaceful neighboring environment, which is crucial for the region's continued growth and stability. During the trip, Najib will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and top legislator Zhang Dejiang, according to a spokesman from China's Foreign Ministry. ROME, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- A powerful earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale jolted central Italy Sunday morning, further damaging historic buildings and churches following former tremors in the past week. The quake struck central Italy's Norcia town, a famous medieval town in Umbria, at 07:40 am local time (0640 GMT). The epicenter was at a depth of 10 km, the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology (INGV) reported. The INGV had previously estimated the quake at 6.1 magnitude. The local Sky TG24 TV station showed constant shakes and rubble on the ground and damage to buildings. ANSA reported that the 14th-century San Benedetto Basilica and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Argentea collapsed in Norcia during the quake. There are no immediate reports on casualties caused by the quake yet. The tremor was powerful enough to be felt in Rome, Naples and Venice. People kept sending messages on social media describing the shake. Italy has been hit constantly by earthquakes since August 24, when a 6-magnitude earthquake struck central Italy, killing 298 people. On October 26, two regions of Italy were struck by smaller tremors measuring 5.5 and 6.1 respectively. PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Seven members of a family were killed and another injured as a mortar mine struck a house in Baghlan-e-Markazi district of the northern Afghan province of Baghlan on Sunday, a local official said. "A mortar mine fired by Taliban militants struck a house in Baghlan-e-Markazi district at around noon leaving seven members of the family dead and injured another," district governor Gohar Khan Babiri told reporters here. Those who have lost their lives in the deadly attack include three women and four children, the official said. He added that the only surviving member of the ill-fated family is a child who received serious injuries in the attack. Taliban militants are yet to make comment. Baghlan-e-Markazi has been regarded as the bastion of Taliban militants in the restive Baghlan province with Pul-e-Khumri as its capital, located 160 km north of Kabul. Civilians often bear the brunt of war in Afghanistan as more than 2,560 civilians had been killed and over 5,830 others injured between Jan. 1 to Sept. 30 this year, according to a report released by UN mission in the conflict-riddled country recently. KABUL, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Some 70 militants were killed after Afghan army, police and intelligence agency personnel launched wide-scale operations against militants' hideouts within the past 24 hours, said the country's Defense Ministry on Sunday. Up to 15 armed Taliban insurgents were also wounded and 20 persons were detained by the joint forces during the raids launched in 15 of the country's 34 provinces, the ministry said in a statement providing operational updates. The joint forces backed by army's artillery and warplanes also found weapons and defused dozens of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and landmines, according to the statement. It also confirmed loss of nine army personnel over the same period. The Afghan security forces have stepped up security operations against militants recently as the militants have been attempting to take territory and consolidate their positions ahead of winter in the mountainous country. The Taliban militants have yet to make comments. SANAA, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- At least 60 prisoners were killed and 38 others injured when Saudi-led airstrikes hit a prison in Yemeni Res Sea port city of al-Hodayda on Sunday morning, medics, residents and Houthi-controlled state Saba news agency said. The targeted prison, located in al-Zaydiya district of al-Hodayda, was bombed to the ground in a series of airstrikes that began at dawn and lasted hours, said the source. Medics told Xinhua that the death toll reached to 60 and 38 injured. Saba news agency later confirmed the toll on its Arabic and English website. Rescue teams were still searching on the site. Meanwhile, the Health Office of AL-Hodayda sent an emergency call to people to donate blood to save the injured. It was the latest in a series of airstrikes that targeted civilians in Yemen since the war began in March last year. On Saturday, the coalition warplanes killed a total of 27 civilians, mostly children and women, in three Yemeni provinces of Saada, Marib and Taiz, according to residents, medics and local officials. Earlier this month, the airstrikes hit a funeral hall in the capital Sanaa, killing 140 mourners, including children, and wounded over 600 others. Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen conflict in March last year to restore its ally President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government to power, after Houthis and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh fought a revolution against "Hadi government corruption" and drove Hadi with his cabinet to flee into exile. The Saudi-led coalition has ever since failed to restore Hadi or recapture northern provinces from the allied Houthi and Saleh forces which has also controlled the capital Sanaa. The Saudi-led airstrikes and ground combat have killed over 10,000 Yemenis, mostly children and women, and forced more than two million to flee their homes. The latest round of peace efforts by the United Nations appeared to fail to end the 19-month long war in Yemen after apparently both rival, Houthis and their foe Hadi, rejected latest UN peace plan presented by UN Yemen envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed last week. DAMASCUS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Rebels used poisonous gas in an attack on a Syrian military academy in the northern city of Aleppo on Sunday, affecting 15 people, pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV reported. The rebels used the poisonous gas in the attack on the Assad Military Academy in the Assad Suburb in western Aleppo, as part of a broad offensive they started on Friday against government positions in Aleppo. The report spelled no further details about the material in use, but said the battles are raging neat the academy. The rebels, including extremist groups, successfully infiltrated Assad Suburb on Friday, engaging in intense battles with the Syrian forces, in what was deemed as the most violent military confrontation in Aleppo since beginning of the conflict there. The aim of the rebel offensive is to break the siege imposed by the government forces on rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo city. The Syrian army has laid a siege on rebel-held areas in Aleppo in recent months, urging the rebels to surrender themselves or leave eastern Aleppo to other rebel-held areas in the northwestern province of Idlib. The rebels didn't comply with the military repeated requests. Last week, a three-day truce, aiming to ease the evacuation of civilians and rebels who want to surrender in exchange for pardon, expired with a few civilians and rebels evacuating. The Syrian government accused the rebels of preventing the civilians, around 250,000, from leaving. Observers believe that Aleppo is going to be the decisive battle ground among the fighting groups, and the winner will be the one dictating its conditions to resolve the crisis, as the province contains all the groups that are supported by regional and international powers, with the civilians paying the price for this proxy war. BUJUMBURA, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- One Burundian national was Saturday morning shot dead and another one captured by Rwandan soldiers in Lake Rweru on the Burundi-Rwanda border, the governor of Kirundo has said. "The incident happened at about 07:00 (05:00 GMT) in the morning in the waters of Lake Rweru in Busoni district when three persons were sailing in the lake. Rwandan soldiers opened fire against the boat, killing one of the three Burundians and capturing another," said Kirundo Governor Melchior Nankwahomba. According to him, the killed man was suspected to sell fraudulent objects in Rwanda, adding that the third man managed to escape. Until Saturday afternoon, the corpse had not yet been retrieved from the lake and the captured man had not been released. "Relations between Burundi and Rwanda are bad. Previous incidents have already taken place on the common border in the province of Cibitoke and Ngozi for instance," said Nankwahomba. In August, two Burundian nationals were killed by Rwandan soldiers near River Ruhwa making border between Burundi and Rwanda on the Rwandan territory. According to the Burundian police, those victims from Cibitoke province were part of a team of nine Burundian citizens who had crossed to illicitly sell eggplants in Rwanda. The 2016 Presidential election is 11 days away, and the FBI just announced that they are reopening their investigation into Hillary Clintons private email system. With the Democratic candidate once again the subject of a criminal investigation, it raises many questions as to what happens if she is indicted or relinquishes her candidacy before the election, or even after. The law is hazy in some of these situations, so lets tackle them one by one. 1. If Clinton is indicted before the election The FBI merely said that they are reopening their investigation to examine new emails that came to light. They have yet to even determine whether the emails are actually evidence of criminal activity, let alone decide whether or not to prosecute. Therefore, its highly unlikely that an indictment would come before November 8. If it did, the indictment itself wouldnt mean that Clinton could no longer run, as an indictment is only an accusation, not a conviction. As my colleague Elura Nanos wrote earlier this year , Clinton could theoretically hope that voters hate Trump enough that they still vote for her (and hope that she isnt convicted before taking office).Of course, even if she wins on November 8, the nature of our electoral system makes it so that the members of the Electoral College could theoretically go rogue and not vote for Clinton, even if their states tell them to. George Washington University law professor John Banzhaf wrote recently that only 30 states have laws on the books prohibiting this from happening, and that those laws have never been enforced and might bee unconstitutional. More likely, however, is that she would be pressured by herself, the public, or the Democratic party to give up her candidacy. 2. If Clinton steps down before the election Should Clinton relinquish her candidacy before the election, the Democratic National Committee has rules in place for what happens next. Article 2, Section 7 of the DNC Bylaws says that if there is a vacancy on the national ticket, a special meeting of the Committee shall be held on the call of the Chairperson, where they would choose a new candidate. Such meetings make decisions based on a majority of those in attendance. Since we are exactly 11 days away from the election, there is one major problem: The ballot deadlines have passed in nearly every state. For example , in West Virginia, the law says a candidate must withdraw no later than eighty-four days before the general election . So the Democratic leadership would likely have to wage a public campaign to tell voters that if you vote for Clinton/Kaine, you are really voting for Biden (or whoever it maybe)/Kaine. Then the electors would have to change their vote for the new ticket when they meet on December 19th, 2016. 3. If Clinton wins the election and is indicted before the inauguration Heres where it starts getting tricky. As mentioned earlier, an indictment is far different from a conviction. An indictment does not disqualify a person from being eligible for the presidency (neither does a conviction, technically, but being in jail would probably get in the way). Should Clinton be indicted after winning the election but before officially taking office, she could try to play beat-the-clock and hope to take office before her case concludes. Once a person is in office as President, it gets even more complicated, as well see later. Should Clinton be indicted and convicted prior to her inauguration, and end up in jail, she may be deemed incapacitated, in which case Section 3 of the 20th Amendment kicks in and the Vice President-Elect, in this case Tim Kaine, would become President. (though that seems unlikely as the wheels of justice do not turn that fast) 4. If Clinton wins the election and steps down before the inauguration If Clinton becomes President-Elect and decides to step down before her inauguration, either due to being indicted or out of fear that an indictment may be imminent, it would be similar to the situation just described, and Kaine would become President. However in a situation where a candidate steps down after the general election, but before the Electoral College chooses the winner, federal law says the electors would be able to vote for whomever they want, although states may pass their own laws controlling this situation. 5. If the investigation continues after the election and Clinton wins and is inaugurated before a decision is made. Could Clinton be indicted when she becomes President? The law is unsettled when it comes to this situation, but most opinions tend to believe Clinton would luck out, due to the philosophy that Presidents and only Presidents are immune from prosecution while in office. The Department of Justice addressed this in a memorandum by the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) in 1973. That memo said that prosecution of a sitting President would undermine the power of the executive branch and its ability to function. In 2000, a new memo reviewed that determination and agreed that a President is immune from indictment and prosecution for the duration of their time in office. Of course, that memo acknowledged that no court has ruled on this issue yet. It almost happened during the 1974 Watergate scandal . Indeed, the issue was argued before the Supreme Court. White House attorney James D. St. Clair argued that because the Constitution says The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America that includes federal prosecutions. St. Clair argued that since the President controls prosecutions, the President isnt subject to them himself. However, Special prosecutor Leon Jaworski argued that the executive branch has evolved since 1789 to include the Cabinet and others, so this line of reasoning is faulty. St. Clair also mentioned that the Constitution says that after an official is impeached and convicted by the Senate, they are liable and subject to indictment, trial, judgment and punishment, according to law. He took that to mean that a President is only able to be prosecuted after being removed from office. Jaworski argued that this line applies to all federal officials subject to impeachment, not just Presidents. Since other officials are subject to prosecution, it cannot mean that impeachment is the only method of charging a President. Alas, Chief Justice Warren Burger decided that it wasnt necessary to rule on this issue in order to address the matter that was before the Court. So at this point, we just dont know if Clinton could be indicted as a sitting president. The law is still murky. So, what about impeachment? Pretty clear here. The House of Representatives determined in 1873 that Presidents cannot be impeached for offenses they committed before they took office. Since the conduct would have taken place prior to her becoming President, she couldnt be impeached for it. On top of all that, as LawNewzs Chris White noted , the Article II of the Constitution says the President shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment. So theoretically, President Hillary Clinton could pardon herself. Long story short, the Department of Justice can very well affect who our next President is. If they move swiftly to indict, or if Clinton believes shes in trouble, she could drop out before November 8. Alternatively, if an indictment comes soon after Clinton wins the election, she could still feel pressure to step down before she takes office. It all depends on what the FBI finds in these emails, what they decide to do about it, and when. But the clocks ticking. File photo shows students walk out a class room in a Burundian refugee site in western Tanzania. (Reuters) BUJUMBURA, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- While the Burundian government wants Burundian refugees living in Rwanda to return home, visiting UNHCR official believes that the refugees' repatriation should be voluntary according to international principles. "We have to respect the voluntary aspect of the repatriation of refugees. This is an international principle," said UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Volker Turk on Thursday, after visiting a transit site for asylum seekers at Cishemere in Cibitoke province, 40 km west of the Burundian capital Bujumbura. He was reacting to a Burundian government complaint that Rwanda is not allowing Burundian refugees to return home. "We want all refugees to come back home. They are mainly in Tanzania, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), in Rwanda and in Uganda. But Rwanda is not allowing Burundian refugees to return home," said Burundian Home Affairs and Civic Education Minister Pascal Barandagiye. According to him, even refugees voluntarily planning to return home must "hide" themselves to be able to leave the Rwandan territory. Barandagiye indicated that there is no problem with the other countries hosting Burundian refugees. He argued that Burundi is in peace and stability, adding that transit sites have been prepared to receive refugees. While at Cishemere transit site that mainly hosts asylum seekers from the DR Congo, Turk said he was impressed to see how activities are done at Cishemere. "I am glad to see how interviews with asylum seekers are done here. I also liked a good partnership existing between the Burundian government, the UN Refugee Agency and the Red Cross," said Turk. Cishemere transit site currently hosts 80 families of DR Congo asylum seekers who fled fighting in eastern DR Congo. Turk visited Burundi after visiting Rwanda and the DR Congo to eyewitness refugees' living conditions. Relations between Burundi and Rwanda have deteriorated after Burundi accused Rwanda of hosting and supporting perpetrators of the May 13, 2015 coup plot against Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza accused of bidding a third term in violation of the 2000 Arusha Agreement and the Burundian constitution. Burundi has suffered turmoil since April 2015 when President Nkurunziza decided to run his controversial third term in violation of the national constitution and the 2000 Arusha Agreement that ended a decade-long civil war. More than 500 people in Burundi have been killed and the UN Refugee Agency estimates that about 300,000 people fled to neighboring countries mostly Tanzania, Rwanda, DR Congo and Uganda since the outbreak of the crisis. A still image taken on September 7, 2016 from a video posted on social media said to be shot in Aleppo's Al Sukari on September 6, 2016, shows a boy breathing with an oxygen mask inside a hospital, after a suspected chlorine gas attack, Syria. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) DAMASCUS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Rebels used poisonous gas in an attack on a Syrian military academy in the northern city of Aleppo on Sunday, affecting 15 people, pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV reported. The rebels used the poisonous gas in the attack on the Assad Military Academy in the Assad Suburb in western Aleppo, as part of a broad offensive they started on Friday against government positions in Aleppo. The report spelled no further details about the material in use, but said the battles are raging neat the academy. The rebels, including extremist groups, successfully infiltrated Assad Suburb on Friday, engaging in intense battles with the Syrian forces, in what was deemed as the most violent military confrontation in Aleppo since beginning of the conflict there. The aim of the rebel offensive is to break the siege imposed by the government forces on rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo city. The Syrian army has laid a siege on rebel-held areas in Aleppo in recent months, urging the rebels to surrender themselves or leave eastern Aleppo to other rebel-held areas in the northwestern province of Idlib. The rebels didn't comply with the military repeated requests. Last week, a three-day truce, aiming to ease the evacuation of civilians and rebels who want to surrender in exchange for pardon, expired with a few civilians and rebels evacuating. The Syrian government accused the rebels of preventing the civilians, around 250,000, from leaving. A man gestures at the site of a car bomb during a demonstration in support of General Khalifa Haftar, in the coastal city of Benghazi on September 16, 2016. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) TRIPOLI, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- A car bomb explosion hit Libya's second largest city Benghazi on late Saturday, killing at least four and injuring 14 others, local media reported on Sunday. The explosion took place in Al-Keesh district in central Benghazi. Among those killed is Mohamed Bugaighis, an anti-corruption political activist who supports the national army headed by Maj. Gen. Khlalifa Haftar. No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion. Maj. Gen. Khlalifa Haftar has been leading a military campaign called "dignity" since 2014 against extremist groups in the city. Haftar's forces has recently taken control of three major oil ports in eastern Libya, after defeating the militias that had been closing the oil hubs for years. DAMASCUS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- At least 40 people have been killed and 250 others wounded over the past 48 hours by intensified rebel shelling on government-controlled areas in the country's northern city of Aleppo, a monitor group said Sunday. RAMALLAH, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Senior official of PLO Executive Committee said Sunday that Russia has started movement to host a bilateral meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Member of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee Ahmad Mjadalani told Xinhua that Moscow has not sent invitations for the meeting, but has informed the Palestinian leadership that it started preparations for such a meeting. "What we were informed by Russia is that it is studying the thorough preparations for the meeting with Netanyahu by eliminating obstacles in the way of the meeting and work to make it succeed before sending out official invitations," said Majladani. He mentioned that the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev who is expected to visit Israel and the West Bank on Nov. 10 will discuss this matter. The PLO official said that the Palestinian side, which welcomes any meeting with the Israeli side, in accordance with a pre-set timeframe and a guaranteed success to yield results and not just to serve as public relations. "The Palestinian side does not put any pre-conditions to hold any meetings, but there are due obligations that Israel must act upon, including freezing settlement activity and releasing the last batch for the pre-Oslo prisoners," explained Majdalani. In 1993, the PLO and Israel signed the interim Oslo Accords, under which the Palestinian National Authority was established and chaired by late Yasser Arafat. It was transitional for six years, where the two sides were supposed to negotiate a permanent status in September 1999. However, the two sides held a round of talks in Camp David but both failed to reach an agreement. Meanwhile, Majdalani said he is not so optimistic about Netanyahu's seriousness towards the Russian initiative. Russia formerly called for a meeting between Abbas and Netanyahu to be attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin last September, but it was postponed till further notice. On Sept. 6, Abbas said that he received a telephone call from the special Russian peace envoy who informed him that Netanyahu asked to postpone the trilateral meeting in Moscow. The peace talks between Palestine and Israel have been stalled since April 2014. The U.S. sponsored talks that lasted for nine months achieved no tangible results. by Liu Fang, Zindziwe Janse ALMKERK, The Netherlands, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- With the help of Dutch technology and the Chinese people's own hard work, it is possible to double China's potato production as proposed in the current five-year plan, thus making potato a strategic bulk necessity for the Chinese population, said Jan Hak, a Dutch agri-food expert who has been engaged in Sino-Dutch agricultural cooperation in the past decades. "China has set up a national strategy to make potato a staple food next to rice, wheat and corn. The Netherlands is leading in certain of these aspects. We could join hand in hand to reach a win-win situation," Hak, head of QuaTerNes, a Dutch leading company offering services, technologies and systems along integrated agri-food value chains, told Xinhua. Earlier in October, his group signed a MoU with Xunyi, a remote county in China's central-west province of Shaanxi, to develop a project for multiplication of seed potatoes and a project for growing rootstock virus free. "We are talking about an investment of 20 to 25 million euros. Next to our own capital, the financing will include leasing and some subventions from the local government and banks," he said. The projects add to a series of investments that Hak has done in China in recent years. In June, the ground-breaking ceremony was held for a Sino-Dutch HiTech Integrated Potato Chain Development Park in Qiqihar-Keshan, Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China. The park is designed to host modern sustainable potato production facilities from breeding through cultivation, storage, and processing of over 300,000 ton into market ready innovative potato products, as well as an advanced agriculture machinery workshop for assembling and construction of systems for planting, cultivation, harvesting, storage, and handling of potatoes and other crops. With their leading position in almost every aspect related to potatoes, the Dutch have been promoting new potato varieties and technologies in China since 1985. Hak, at the time chairman of the sector association of manufacturers of machines for food processing, food packaging and "biobased systems" in the Netherlands (GMV), was among the first Dutchmen who tried to seed Dutch potatoes in China. His first personal experience with China was in 1985, leading a Dutch expert mission to Beijing. In 1992, with the help of the Dutch government through a financing arrangement, GMV did the first demonstration of potato growing and processing in flakes in Hailar, northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. "In one year the company was running and it is still running. We modernized the starch factories in Kunming and we introduced the crisp, fried crisps, in Xiamen. That was slowly the beginning," Hak told Xinhua. Later on, Hak also invested in other sectors such as honey, herbs and dehydration, goji berries, demonstration orchards and machinery. "Not everything was successful," he admitted, "the nicest investment is that we are now producing harvesters in Handan, Hebei Province." Hak is optimistic about the future of potatoes in China. "Potato produces the highest result per mu (Chinese acre) with the lowest water consumption per food equivalent. Many Chinese provinces will be involved, especially in the so-called northern potato belt," said Hak. Also, "the potato chain modernization has been done here and there, little by little, in cultivation, processing, and storing, separately." According to Hak, the next phase will be making new products adaptable to the Chinese market, as "not everybody needs to eat French fries". "In Europe we do not eat noodles that much, but in China you have to look more in the direction of noodle products," he said. With his 40 years of international experience, Hak also helped Bank of China with organizing match-making events for small-and-medium-sized enterprises in the Chinese and Dutch agri-food sector. During such an event in Rotterdam in July 2015, 196 intentions of cooperation were registered after 279 business meetings. Hak also set up an investment fund registered both in Urumqi, capital of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and in Shanghai. "Projects to invest in will mainly be in the potato, fruits and vegetable industry. If we stick to potato and also strategic bulk goods in the agri-food sector, logistics and so on, it will be a successful fund," said Hak. PHNOM PENH, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- A Cambodian court on Sunday decided to temporarily detain a man posting to Facebook a death threat against Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, a court spokesman said. "Investigating Judge Kor Vandy decided to temporarily detain Ven Sopheap, alias Sam Pheap, on the charges of "death threat" and "provocation to commit discrimination" under the Articles 233, 494 and 496 of the Penal Code," Phnom Penh Municipal Court spokesman Ly Sophanna told reporters. Under the charges, the man could face a prison term of between 18 months and five years if convicted. Sam Pheap, 27, was arrested at his house in southeastern Prey Veng province on Thursday, two days after he returned from Thailand, where he worked as a laborer, said Pov Chivy, deputy police chief of Prey Veng province. He said the suspect had posted to Facebook "messages insulting and threatening to kill the prime minister" while he worked in Thailand. According to Chivy, the man has confessed to his action. MANILA, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine military said Sunday that two militants were killed and eight soldiers wounded in fightings between troops and Abu Sayyaf rebels in the southern Philippine province of Sulu. Army Maj. Filemon Tan, spokesman for the Philippine armed forces, said in a statement that two Abu Sayyaf fighters were killed in a brief firefight in Indanan, a town in Sulu on Sunday morning, bringing the total number of dead Abu Sayyaf fighters to 38 since the new government launched a renewed offensive against the criminal group in July. Tan said that eight soldiers were wounded in another clash that broke out in Patikul town, also in Sulu. He said the military could not say whether there were militants killed in the incident, saying there are still sporadic fighting until around 3 p.m. Sunday. The military used artillery and attack helicopters in both clashes in a bid to trap the militants, he said. In the Indanan clash where two militants were killed, Tan said the military recovered an M16 assault rifle, an M203 grenade launcher and an improvised explosive device. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered a military offensive to crush the Abu Sayyaf rebels, saying he has no plan to talk peace with the criminal group engaged in kidnap for ransom, executions, extortions and bombings in the southern Philippines. Since the military offensive was launched in July, the military said a total of 16 hostages have been "released." However, it said that 14 kidnap victims remain in captivity. At least 15 soldiers were killed and 28 wounded in the military offensive so far, according to military records. The Abu Sayyaf is believed to be responsible for a spate of attacks and robberies in the southern Philippines, including kidnap for ransom, bombings, extortions, raids of villages in the provinces of impoverished Basilan and Sulu since the early 1990s. The military said that there are now about 350 active members of the Abu Sayyaf group, the smallest but the most radical of the extremist movements in the southern Philippines. The group is active in the impoverished region, where minority Muslims have been fighting for self-rule since the 1970s. Army Col. Rodrigo Gregorio, head of the military task force that focuses on the war against the militants operating in Sulu, said that the offensive will continue. "The focus military operation will continue until we deal a crippling blow against the Abu Sayyaf and rescue the remaining hostages," Gregorio said. BRUSSELS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) and Canada signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, on Sunday. European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker together with Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia which is holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU, signed the long-delayed free trade deal with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a ceremony held in Brussels. The signing ceremony planned for Thursday was cancelled after a Belgian region opposed to sign the deal. The EU, a bloc with 500 million people, can only sign the deal with consent of all member states. All 28 EU states gave the "green light" to the deal on Friday when Belgian regional parliaments reached consensus. The CETA would remove more than 99 percent of tariffs that were currently imposed on trade between the EU and Canada and was expected to increase bilateral trade by 12 billion euros (about 13.2 billion U.S. dollars) per year, said the EU. PHNOM PENH, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Four Cambodian sailors rescued after being held hostage by Somali pirates for nearly five years returned home Sunday night. They were among 26 Asian seafarers who were released by Somali pirates on Oct. 22 after being held since their fishing vessel was hijacked in March 2012. The sailors exited from a flight from Nairobi, Kenya to Manila, the Philippines, and to Phnom Penh International Airport. They were transported out of the airport by a van organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). At the airport, the seamen just briefly told reporters that they were "very happy to be able to return to Cambodia". An Omani-flagged fishing vessel FV Naham 3 was hijacked south of the Seychelles in March 2012. Of the original 29-member crew, one sadly died in a scuffle with the pirates when the hijacking took place and two more succumbed to illness during their captivity, reports said. The remaining 26 crew members, from Cambodia, China, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam, spent much of their captivity on land in Somalia until they were freed last week. Dear Mr. Khan, I want to preface this letter by stating that I respect your sons sacrifice for this great nation. By all accounts, he is a true hero that sacrificed himself in service to our country. For that I am thankful. As a veteran, I watched your comments at the Democratic National Convention with a mixture of sadness, and anger. The United States has a military comprised of volunteers. Every single member has made the conscious choice to join the military and serve. There is not a single service member who has been forced into service. It is important for all service members (and apparently, their families) to understand that service to this great nation does not imbue one with special privileges or rights. I found your comments troubling when you said: Have you ever been to Arlington cemetery? Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one. Does it matter whether Mr. Trump has sacrificed nothing and no one?has Ms. Clinton ..sacrificed for this nation? How about Mr. Obama? Your comment stating that Mr. Trump has sacrifice no one is alarming. Are you intimating that YOU sacrificed? Sir, your son willingly sacrificed himself. As a father I cannot imagine the pain you must feel but his sacrifice is his own. He was not forced to serve. I am troubled that you would allow a party that has little more than contempt for the US Service Member to parade you into the DNC to denounce Donald Trump. Did you watch when protesters at the DNC booed and heckled Medal of Honor recipient Capt. Florent Groberg? Did you notice your party interrupting the moment of silence for slain police officers? Your own hypocrisy in not denouncing these acts and instead using the DNC as a platform to make a political point is disgraceful. The simple fact is that whether one served or sacrificed does not give greater power to their statements. One vote is as valuable as another. That sir, is why our Country is great. Your condemnation of one person for a statement while standing idly as your party disparages veterans and police officers is the height of hypocrisy. To conflate the need to prevent potential terrorists from entering our country with the belief that all Muslims should be banned is simply wrong and disingenuous. As a reminder, Mr. Trump said: Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life, The irony of your sons own death at the hands of these very people in Iraq should not be ignored. I have little doubt that your son would have recognized the need to protect our country from these very people. In fact, he held is own troops back so that he could check on a suspicious car. Your son understood sacrifice and how to protect his peoplehis soldiers.his fellow Americans As you continue to make the media circuit and bask in the glow of affection cast upon you by a party that has little regard for your sons own sacrifice, and veterans in general, I would ask you to consider your comments and your position more closely. Respectfully, Chris Mark MOGADISHU, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Eight Al-Shabaab militants and four soldiers died following a fierce gun battle near Baidoa town in southwest Somalia, government officials confirmed to Xinhua on Sunday. Information Minister for Southwest State in Somalia, Ugaas Hassan, said the Al-Shabaab militants had ambushed a military base when soldiers allied to Somalia National Army killed them. "The Al-Shabaab fighters attacked a military base near Baidoa and eight of them died during a gun battle with soldiers. We lost four soldiers," said Hassan. He denied claims by Al-Shabaab militants that they captured a government controlled territory in southwest Somalia. The minister disclosed that six soldiers from Somalia National Army who sustained injuries during the gun battle with Al-Shabaab have been hospitalized. ROME, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- A powerful earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale jolted central Italy Sunday morning, further damaging historic buildings and churches following former tremors in the past week. The quake struck central Italy's Norcia town, a famous medieval town in Umbria, at 07:40 am local time (0640 GMT). The epicenter was at a depth of 10 km, the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology (INGV) reported. It was the strongest quake registered in Italy since 1980, when a similar strike destroyed Irpinia area in southeast Naples, according to INGV experts. No casualties were immediately reported on Sunday. So far, at least nine people have been injured, one of them severely, in the towns of Norcia, Tolentino and Cascia, said Fabrizio Curcio, Italian civil protection's chief. "It is a provisional evaluation. Our emergency crews are checking on all of the small hamlets in the affected areas," Curcio told local media. Several buildings collapsed in Norcia and other affected areas, while many buildings struck by two previous earthquakes earlier this week, including the 14th-century San Benedetto Basilica in Norcia, were almost flattened. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Argentea also collapsed during the quake. The quake also caused disruption in many roads in central Italy. A main highway connecting Rome to the affected areas was cut off for several hours due to landslides, and some provincial roads were impassable, creating difficulties for relief efforts. Some villages like Castelsantangelo sul Nera were completely sealed off after the quake. Six aircraft were dispatched in the emergency, with all search-and-rescue teams alerted at the national level, the civil protection's head said. The temblor was strongly felt in the capital city of Rome, some 175 km southwest of the epicenter, where some people went out in the streets, and metro service was suspended. It was also felt as far as in the northern city of Bolzano at the border with Austria, some 600 km away, and in southern Puglia region, although less intensely. Central Italy is crossed by the Apennine mountainous chain, and is considered a high-seismic territory. The country has been hit constantly by earthquakes since August 24, when a 6-magnitude earthquake struck central Italy, killing 298 people. On October 26, two regions of Italy were struck by smaller tremors measuring 5.5 and 6.1 respectively. European Council President Donald Tusk (L), European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (R) and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pose for photos at EU-Canada Summit to sign the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in Brussels, Belgium, Oct. 30, 2016. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan) BRUSSELS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) and Canada signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, on Sunday in the wake of a weeks-long Belgian drama. European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker together with Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia which is holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU, signed the long-delayed free trade deal with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a ceremony held in Brussels. Hailing CETA as "the most comprehensive, ambitious and progressive trade agreement ever negotiated" by both Canada and the EU, a joint declaration released after the ceremony said the deal would open a new dimension to EU-Canada economic ties. The two sides committed to the swift provisional implementation of CETA while ensuring all stakeholders, including employers, trade unions, consumer and environmental groups, participate in the ongoing implementation. "We remain fully committed to the principle that trade agreements should fully preserve the ability of governments to regulate in the public interest, especially with regard to public services as well as environmental and labour protections," the declaration said. The deal comes with a binding joint interpretative instrument, which has legal status and will serve as an authentic interpretation of CETA, to explain what the provisions mean in practice. The landmark deal has sent a "positive signal" about the importance of free, fair and progressive international trade, the joint declaration said. "Today's decisions demonstrate that the disintegration of the Western community does not need to become a lasting trend," Tusk told a press conference after the ceremony, stressing that the West still possess enough strength and determination to counter fatalism of political's decay. Tusk said free trade and globalization have protected humanity from poverty, hunger and total conflict, but few people seem to believe or understand this today, noting "Post-factual reality and post-truth politics pose a great challenge on both sides of the Atlantic." "The alternative to free trade is isolationism and protectionism, a return to national egoisms, and as a result - the threat of violent conflict," he continued, "We should be able to convince our citizens that free trade is in their interest, and not just big companies and corporations." Juncker also celebrated the signature of the deal. He tweeted in social media after the ceremony, saying "Done. CETA is as of today the new golden standard in trade agreements." CETA would remove more than 99 percent of tariffs that were currently imposed on trade between the EU and Canada and was expected to increase bilateral trade by 12 billion euros (about 13.2 billion U.S. dollars) per year, the European Commission said in a press released on Sunday. "At the end of transitional periods for duty elimination, Canada will eliminate duties worth 500 million euros a year for goods originating in the EU," the statement noted. The signing ceremony planned for Thursday was cancelled after a Belgian region opposed to sign the deal. The French-speaking Belgian region Wallonia concerned that the deal would jeopardize European farmers' interest and grants too much power to multinationals. The EU, a bloc with 500 million people, can only sign the deal with consent of all member states. The consensus reached by all regional parliaments of Belgium on approving the CETA Friday cleared the way for signing of the deal. On Wallonia's requirement, the negotiators from the EU and Canada agreed to add an addendum to the deal. Under the addendum, the Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) of the deal, which would allow enterprises to sue European governments, would be determined by the European Court of Justice whether compatible with European treaties. After signature, the free trade deal still needs to get consent from the European Parliament for it to enter into force provisionally. BEIJING, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Beijing retiree Zhang Yousen made a lot of money renting out his land in Tongzhou district to lotus root farmers. He makes less now that the land is used for planting trees. Tree-planting is part of a government plan to create a wetland park around Majuqiao Township, where Zhang, 60, lives. The park will cover 153 hectares in southeastern Tongzhou, and should be finished before 2020. By then, Tongzhou will have official status as Beijing's "subsidiary administrative center." Tongzhou has become a giant building site with offices, apartment buildings, schools, hospitals and parks springing up all over. For Zhang, unfortunately, his private interest must give way to more environmentally friendly ways of using land. Until last year, migrant farmers rented 3,000 square meters of Zhang's land to grow lotus root, a popular vegetable in China. "Growing lotus root requires heavy use of fertilizer in summer, and salt to prevent the pond water from freezing for the winter. The soil has hardened up and become less fertile," said Zhang. "If you want to grow something else, you need to plough the soil deeply and restore the fertility of the surface soil," he said. Before 2012, lotus root growing was quite popular in Tongzhou. In Majuqiao, ponds were built in 16 out of 50 villages. In Tongzhou as a whole, there were over 2,000 hectares of such ponds. But lotus root consumes too much water, according to Yu Changyang, deputy head of the township. "Lotus root grows in water at least 20 meters deep and the root requires at least 30 centimeters of mud," said Yu. "Beijing is too dry and the water evaporates very quickly. One small pond uses at least 20 tonnes of water a year," he said. One of the world's biggest cities, Beijing is dire need of water. Per capita water resources are only 100 cubic meters, about one twentieth of the national average and one eightieth of the global average. Getting rid of plants that consume too much water has been a priority. Plants like lotus, rice and wheat have been phased out. It is estimated that in 2015, more than 23 million cubic meters of water were saved in this way in Beijing. In Majuqiao, there are no lotus root ponds left. In their place are rows of pine trees and magnolias. Reforestation is key to preserving the water in Tongzhou. One tree can preserve 20 cubic meters of water every year. At least nine wetland parks are planned in Tongzhou, covering more than 100 square kilometers. By 2020, a third of Tongzhou will be covered with forests. "There will be no smelly muddy ponds near my home, but big parks with fresh air and water. It is something I look forward to," said Zhang Yousen. OSLO, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The final shape of Iceland's new government remains unclear after the current centre-right ruling coalition failed to win a majority in the parliamentary election, final results showed Sunday. The Independence Party, one of the two ruling parties, took a strong lead by securing 21 out of the 63 seats in the parliament with winning 29.0 percent of the ballots cast, according to the results of Saturday's election published by Icelandic public broadcaster RUV. However, the centrist Progressive Party, the other ruling party, finished fourth with only eight seats, 11 fewer than what it had gained in the last parliamentary election in 2013. The opposition Left-Green Movement gained 10 seats with 15.9 percent of votes, while the Pirate Party, which had taken the lead in many pre-election polls over the months, also won 10 seats with 14.5 percent. The newly-formed Vidreisn (Revival) party, the Bright Future and the Social Democratic Alliance also crossed the 5-percent electoral threshold with seven, four and three seats respectively. Results showed neither the current centre-right ruling coalition of the Independence Party and the Progressive Party nor a possible alliance of four opposition parties managed to win a majority. The Pirate Party and three left-centre parties, the Left-Green Movement, the Bright Future and the Social Democratic Alliance, declared before the election that they would work together to form a coalition government if they win enough seats. Some local observers believe the Vidreisn (Revival) party, which was founded in May by some former Independence Party members, may play a key role to either extend the life of the incumbent government coalition or form an entirely different coalition. However, it was still too early to say which parties would form the next government in the Nordic island country. Icelanders cast ballots in the country's parliamentary election on Saturday, months after a global tax evasion scandal forced the prime minister to resign and prompted the snap vote. About 246,500 voters were eligible to vote in the election, in which a total of 12 parties were vying for the 63 seats in the Icelandic parliament. Turnout in the election was 79.2 percent, a historic low. The election was prompted by the resignation of Iceland's then prime minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson on April 5 after the so-called Panama Papers suggested Gunnlaugsson and other two cabinet members had ties with offshore companies. Iceland's ruling center-right coalition on April 6 decided to appoint Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson as new prime minister and hold early general election in the autumn. The centre-right camp Independence Party and the Progressive Party won the last parliamentary election in April 2013. But for the scandal, a general election would not come until April 2017. SHENYANG, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Most parts of north China will experience a sharp drop in temperatures together with snow or rain over the next two days, China's meteorological authority forecast on Sunday. Temperatures will drop in northwestern, northern and northeastern China, in some areas by as much as eight degrees Celsius. Freezing wind is also expected to sweep across most parts of north China. Northeast China's Liaoning Province saw its first snow this winter on Sunday. Snowfall in eastern part of the province reached 14 millimeters and traffic were disrupted. Liaoning provincial meteorological authority issued an orange warning, the second highest, for heavy snow. Sections of highways, including parts of the highway linking Harbin to Beijing, were closed, Liaoning provincial traffic department said on Sunday. Heavy snow is also expected in neighboring Jilin Province for the coming days. The center also forecast torrential rain in parts of Yunnan Province, warning residents of landslides and mud-rock flows. CAIRO, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Four Egyptian army soldiers were killed in the country's restive North Sinai province during military operations against militants, the military spokesman said in a statement on Sunday. According to the statement, six militants were killed during the ongoing clashes while three weapons and explosives caches were destroyed. Twelve roadside bombs ready to detonate against security forces on highways were discharged, it added. Egypt has been witnessing a growing wave of attacks by militants, based mainly in North Sinai, since the army-led ouster of Islamist leader Mohamed Morsi in 2013. The attacks have killed hundreds of police and army men, with a Sinai-based Islamic State affiliate group claiming responsibility for most of them. The Armed Forces in coordination with the police have lately intensified wide-scale operations to uproot the militants' hideouts, killing nearly 100 jihadists on Oct. 15, in retaliation to the killing of 20 soldiers in the same day. Also on Sunday, an Egyptian police officer and four civilians were injured after an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated in North Sinai's al-Arish city, official Ahram Online website reported. According to Ahram Online, the IED, which was planted next to the entrance of a bridge in the city, detonated as an armored police vehicle passed through the area. Last week, Egypt's military launched a new campaign to fight Islamist militants in North Sinai, killing over 50 in response to a militant attack two weeks ago that killed 12 soldiers and injured six others. ANKARA, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- A total of 10,131 civil servants were dismissed and 15 media outlets were closed according to a new legislative decree in Turkey, reported the state-run Anadolu Agency on Sunday. According to the decree published in the official gazette on Saturday, members of "terrorist organizations or groups involved in activities against the country's national security or those in contact with terrorist organizations or groups" were dismissed. Some 32 parliamentary officials, 183 members of the Court of Cassation, 249 members of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, 2,534 members of the Justice Ministry, 102 members of the Foreign Ministry, 2,219 members of the Education Ministry, 2,774 members of the Health Ministry and 101 members of the Turkish Armed Forces were removed from their posts. In addition, 1,267 academics were also dismissed as per the new decree, including several from prestigious universities. At least 1,082 police officers, including former officers and retired ones, were dismissed and stripped of their ranks in line with the decree due to suspected links to Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara blames for orchestrating the failed July coup. Fifteen media firms, including the Dicle News Agency and a number of newspapers and magazines were closed as per the decree over their alleged links to the Kurdistan Workers' Party. The decree also abolished elections for choosing a university rector as President Tayyip Erdogan will directly appoint rectors from candidates nominated by the Upper Educational Board. A state of emergency imposed right after the July failed coup attempt has been extended for another three months until January 2017. European Council President Donald Tusk (L), European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (R) and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pose for photos at EU-Canada Summit to sign the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in Brussels, Belgium, Oct. 30, 2016. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan) BRUSSELS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) and Canada signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, on Sunday in the wake of a weeks-long Belgian drama concluded. European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker together with Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia which is holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU, signed the long-delayed free trade deal with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a ceremony held in Brussels. Tusk tweeted after the signing ceremony, saying that the West still possess enough strength and determination to counter fatalism of political's decay. "The battle for CETA was highly emotional. Post-factual reality & post-truth politics pose a great challenge on both sides of the Atlantic," he tweeted. Tusk said tree trade and globalization have protected humanity from poverty, hunger and total conflict, but few people seems to believe this today. "We need to explain better the real effects of free trade. Protectionism means a return to national egoisms, and threat of violent conflict," he said in his twitter. Juncker also tweeted to celebrate the signature of the deal, saying "Done. CETA is as of today the new golden standard in trade agreements." The CETA would remove more than 99 percent of tariffs that were currently imposed on trade between the EU and Canada and was expected to increase bilateral trade by 12 billion euros (about 13.2 billion U.S. dollars) per year, the European Commission said in a press released on Sunday. "At the end of transitional periods for duty elimination, Canada will eliminate duties worth 500 million euros a year for goods originating in the EU,"the statement noted. Meanwhile, the EU executive body stressed that the agreement will have no impact on governments' powers to regulate in the public interest, especially with regard to environmental and social standards. The signing ceremony planned for Thursday was cancelled after a Belgian region opposed to sign the deal. The French-speaking Belgian region Wallonia concerned that the deal would jeopardize European farmers' interest and grants too much power to multinationals. The EU, a bloc with 500 million people, can only sign the deal with consent of all member states. The consensus reached by all regional parliaments of Belgium on approving the CETA Friday cleared the way for signing of the deal. On Wallonia's requirement, the negotiators from EU and Canadian sides agreed to add an addendum to the deal. Under the addendum, the Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) of the deal, which would allow enterprises to sue European governments, would be determined by the European Court of Justice whether compatible with European treaties. Meanwhile, the deal was said to come with a binding joint interpretative instrument, which will explain what the provisions mean in practice. "This is intended to help citizens understand better the meaning and scope of the agreement," the EU said. After signature, the free trade deal still needs to get consent from the European Parliament for it to enter into force provisionally. Jan Hak, Dutch agri-food expert engaged in Sino-Dutch agricultural cooperation in the past decades, at his office on Oct. 27, 2016. (Xinhua/Liu Fang) ALMKERK, The Netherlands, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- With the help of Dutch technology and the Chinese people's own hard work, it is possible to double China's potato production as proposed in the current five-year plan, thus making potato a strategic bulk necessity for the Chinese population, said Jan Hak, a Dutch agri-food expert who has been engaged in Sino-Dutch agricultural cooperation in the past decades. "China has set up a national strategy to make potato a staple food next to rice, wheat and corn. The Netherlands is leading in certain of these aspects. We could join hand in hand to reach a win-win situation," Hak, head of QuaTerNes, a Dutch leading company offering services, technologies and systems along integrated agri-food value chains, told Xinhua. Earlier in October, his group signed a MoU with Xunyi, a remote county in China's central-west province of Shaanxi, to develop a project for multiplication of seed potatoes and a project for growing rootstock virus free. "We are talking about an investment of 20 to 25 million euros. Next to our own capital, the financing will include leasing and some subventions from the local government and banks," he said. The projects add to a series of investments that Hak has done in China in recent years. In June, the ground-breaking ceremony was held for a Sino-Dutch HiTech Integrated Potato Chain Development Park in Qiqihar-Keshan, Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China. The park is designed to host modern sustainable potato production facilities from breeding through cultivation, storage, and processing of over 300,000 ton into market ready innovative potato products, as well as an advanced agriculture machinery workshop for assembling and construction of systems for planting, cultivation, harvesting, storage, and handling of potatoes and other crops. With their leading position in almost every aspect related to potatoes, the Dutch have been promoting new potato varieties and technologies in China since 1985. Hak, at the time chairman of the sector association of manufacturers of machines for food processing, food packaging and "biobased systems" in the Netherlands (GMV), was among the first Dutchmen who tried to seed Dutch potatoes in China. His first personal experience with China was in 1985, leading a Dutch expert mission to Beijing. In 1992, with the help of the Dutch government through a financing arrangement, GMV did the first demonstration of potato growing and processing in flakes in Hailar, northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. "In one year the company was running and it is still running. We modernized the starch factories in Kunming and we introduced the crisp, fried crisps, in Xiamen. That was slowly the beginning," Hak told Xinhua. Later on, Hak also invested in other sectors such as honey, herbs and dehydration, goji berries, demonstration orchards and machinery. "Not everything was successful," he admitted, "the nicest investment is that we are now producing harvesters in Handan, Hebei Province." Hak is optimistic about the future of potatoes in China. "Potato produces the highest result per mu (Chinese acre) with the lowest water consumption per food equivalent. Many Chinese provinces will be involved, especially in the so-called northern potato belt," said Hak. Also, "the potato chain modernization has been done here and there, little by little, in cultivation, processing, and storing, separately." According to Hak, the next phase will be making new products adaptable to the Chinese market, as "not everybody needs to eat French fries". "In Europe we do not eat noodles that much, but in China you have to look more in the direction of noodle products," he said. With his 40 years of international experience, Hak also helped Bank of China with organizing match-making events for small-and-medium-sized enterprises in the Chinese and Dutch agri-food sector. During such an event in Rotterdam in July 2015, 196 intentions of cooperation were registered after 279 business meetings. Hak also set up an investment fund registered both in Urumqi, capital of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and in Shanghai. "Projects to invest in will mainly be in the potato, fruits and vegetable industry. If we stick to potato and also strategic bulk goods in the agri-food sector, logistics and so on, it will be a successful fund," said Hak. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with his Argentine counterpart Mauricio Macri who came to Hangzhou to attend the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 3, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Tao) BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Interactions between China and Argentina are becoming continuously smoother, thanks to diverse cooperation in fields such as economic, industry, science and tourism, Argentinean experts, Cecilia Peralta and Nadia Radulovich have said. In a recent interview with Xinhua, the two co-founders of the Asia Viewers research firm, expressed a positive outlook for China-Argentina relations, who will celebrate 45 years of diplomatic ties in February 2017. "Relations between Argentina and Asia, in general, are in a new stage as their friendship and cooperation deepends. The state of the specific ties between China and Argentina can be seen by the exchanges of high officials," they emphasized. "After the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, which Presidents Mauricio Macri and Xi Jinping both attended, Argentina has seen great coordination with China on topics of global economy and governance," Radulovich said. "China is of great importance for our country," added the Asian expert, who sits with Peralta on the China Group of Argentina's Council for Foreign Relations (CARI). Huawei's Argentinean marketing director Rodrigo Ubeda (L) delivers the first Y6 smartphone to Nicolas Alganaraz (C), at a store of the telecommunication giant of China, in Buenos Aires city, Argentina, on Sept. 30, 2016. (Xinhua/Martin Zabala) Peralta highlights diverse cooperation in fields such as economic, industry, science and tourism, adding that the next few years "are very promising for China and Argentina can reach more concrete, mature and orderly cooperation." In terms of why China has taken on a greater role as a partner to Argentina, the two observers said that "China is beginning to play a more significant role in the world, starting with its entry into the World Trade Organization. Interaction between both actions continue to become more fluid." The Asia Viewers founders pointed that Macri is set to make an official state visit in 2017 and that the Argentinean ambassador to China, Diego Guelar, has been very active on issues like tourism and visas. To boost the number of Chinese tourists to Argentina, which stood at around 30,000 last year, the country now allows Chinese travellers with valid U.S. and European visas to enter Argentina after filling out an online form, Argentina's Minister of Tourism, Gustavo Santos, told Xinhua in September. Peralta and Radulovich now hope that the two sides will "strike a better trade balance and help to generate infrastructure investments to help Argentina's development plans. China is a great partner in this area." Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (C), European Council President Donald Tusk (L) and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker pose for pictures after the EU-Canada Summit in Brussels, Belgium, Oct. 30, 2016. The European Union (EU) and Canada signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, on Sunday in the wake of a weeks-long Belgian drama. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan) BRUSSELS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) and Canada signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, and the Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) during a bilateral summit here on Sunday. European Council President Donald Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker together with Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia which is holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU, signed the two landmark deals with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a ceremony held in Brussels. LONG-DELAYED CETA The EU-Canada free trade deal was reached in August 2014 after five years of negotiations. However, due to continued oppositions by various groups, including environmental activists, trade unionists and socialists, the final signature of the deal was delayed to this year. The signing ceremony planned for Thursday was cancelled after a Belgian region opposed to sign the deal. The French-speaking Belgian region of Wallonia concerned that the deal would jeopardize European farmers' interest and grants too much power to multinationals. The EU, a bloc with 500 million people, can only sign the deal with consent of all member states. The consensus reached by all regional parliaments of Belgium on approving the CETA Friday cleared the way for signing of the deal. Hailing CETA as "the most comprehensive, ambitious and progressive trade agreement ever negotiated" by both Canada and the EU, a joint declaration released after the ceremony said the deal would open a new dimension to EU-Canada economic ties. After signature, the free trade deal still needs to get consent from the European Parliament for it to enter into force provisionally. The two sides committed to the swift provisional implementation of CETA while ensuring all stakeholders, including employers, trade unions, consumer and environmental groups, participate in the ongoing implementation. Meanwhile, the deal comes with a binding joint interpretative instrument, which has legal status and will serve as an authentic interpretation of CETA, to explain what the provisions mean in practice. The landmark deal has sent a "positive signal" about the importance of free, fair and progressive international trade, the joint declaration said. "Today's decisions demonstrate that the disintegration of the Western community does not need to become a lasting trend," Tusk told a press conference after the ceremony, stressing that the West still possess enough strength and determination to counter fatalism of political's decay. Tusk said free trade and globalization have protected humanity from poverty, hunger and total conflict, but few people seem to believe or understand this today, noting "Post-factual reality and post-truth politics pose a great challenge on both sides of the Atlantic." "The alternative to free trade is isolationism and protectionism, a return to national egoisms, and as a result - the threat of violent conflict," he continued, "We should be able to convince our citizens that free trade is in their interest, and not just big companies and corporations." Juncker also celebrated the signature of the deal. He tweeted in social media after the ceremony, saying "Done. CETA is as of today the new golden standard in trade agreements." CETA would remove more than 99 percent of tariffs that were currently imposed on trade between the EU and Canada and was expected to increase bilateral trade by 12 billion euros (about 13.2 billion U.S. dollars) per year. The EU estimated that at the end of transitional periods for duty elimination, Canada will eliminate duties worth 500 million euros a year for goods originating in the EU. ENHANCED SPA To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, the EU and Canada are also committed to strengthening their cooperation on bilateral and international issues. The SPA deepens cooperation between the EU and Canada in fields such as foreign policy, crisis management, security and defense, energy and climate, enhanced mobility and people-to-people exchanges, the joint declaration said. Negotiations for the SPA launched in 2011. Around two-thirds of the agreement will enter into effect on a provisional basis after the signature, while the remaining parts will only enter into effect upon ratification by all EU member states. A joint declaration issued after the summit said the agreement will "enrich the political dimension of relationship and allow for more cooperation" in various sectors. Meanwhile, the leaders from the EU and Canada are committed to deepening cooperation between the two sides on foreign policy. "Today, the people of Canada and the European Union have opened a new chapter in their relationship. More than half a billion people on both sides of the Atlantic will enjoy new opportunities," Juncker told a press conference after the ceremony. Currently, the EU is Canada's second largest trading partner, with bilateral trade in goods and services amounting to more than 63 billion euros a year. (1 euro = 1.10 U.S. dollars) BEIJING, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese military forces have pledged to closely unite around the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, and vowed steadfast efforts on strict governance of the Party. The Central Military Commission (CMC) has issued a circular urging the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the armed police force to study and implement the spirit of the sixth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee. The Party committees of the five theater commands agreed that the two key documents on the discipline of the Party approved at the session were new major moves on strengthening the Party building, which showcase the determination of the CPC Central Committee on strict Party governance. Officers and soldiers of the PLA and the armed police force hailed Xi, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, as the core of the committee and the whole Party, citing achievements made since the 18th CPC National Congress in late 2012. They promised to uphold the CPC's absolute leadership over the military, and build a stronger army through strengthening strict Party governance within the forces. Departments of the CMC also pledged to strictly observe Party discipline and rules and to be "absolutely loyal, pure and reliable." Enhancing Party building and governance is the key to coping with challenges under the new situation and developing the socialism with Chinese characteristics, according to opinions of the staff with military institutions. Related: Commentary: CPC's strict Party governance resolve bolsters public confidence BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- With the strong resolve and commitment to running the Party according to the rule book, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has proved to the Chinese people, as well as the world, that it is capable of governing itself and the country well. The CPC Central Committee convened from Monday to Thursday, approving new efforts to strengthen governance of the Party. Full story Commentary: CPC meeting on strict Party governance part of overall strategy BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- With every passing meeting of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), a chart of China's future, designed by the nation's top leaders, unfolds. Members of the Syrian Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets, search for victims amid the rubble of a destroyed building following reported air strikes in the rebel-held Qatarji neighbourhood of the northern city of Aleppo, on October 17, 2016. (AFP/Xinhua) DAMASCUS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Syria's northern city of Aleppo is witnessing the most intense shelling and clashes since the conflict began there four years ago, following a major offensive the rebels had waged on Friday, a monitor group reported on Sunday. Hundreds of rockets and unspecified shells targeted government-controlled areas in western Aleppo, as part of the rebels' battle of "Greater Epic of Aleppo," according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The London-based watchdog group said the rebels of Jaish al-Fateh, or the Army of Conquest, one of 12 rebel groups waging the offensive in Aleppo, have received new advanced Grad missile and heavy bombs, whose kind is still unknown. It said the rebels were heavily using the Grad missiles in their attacks on western Aleppo. Following their offensive, the rebels, including ultra-radical ones, advanced into the government-controlled area of Assad Suburb in western Aleppo, in their push to break the siege imposed by the Syrian army on rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo. The Observatory, which says it relies on a network of activists on ground, said the Syrian army was trying to unleash a counter-offensive to recapture areas it lost in the Assad Suburb and the Jamiyet al-Zahra area in western Aleppo. It said 55 government forces have so far been killed in the attack. Meanwhile, tens of civilians were either wounded or killed by the violent shelling on eastern Aleppo. The Observatory also said that Syrian soldiers suffered suffocation as a result of poisonous gas used in the battles on Sunday. The state news agency SANA said the rebels used chemical gas in shelling the Assad Military Academy in the Assad Suburb area. Meantime, a Syrian military source told Xinhua that the Syrian army unleashed a counter attack in Aleppo, achieving notable gains, while killing many "terrorists." The wide-scale rebel offensive and the intensified shelling have pushed the UN special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, to express his "shock" over the shelling. In a statement Sunday, Mistura said there were "documented reports cited from field sources" indicating tens of civilian victims in government-controlled areas in western Aleppo, including children. "Those who claim the goal of the attack is to ease the siege on eastern Aleppo must remember that there is nothing justifying the use of random and disproportionate weapons, including heavy ones, on civilian areas, which could be tantamount to war crimes," he said. The Syrian army has laid a siege on rebel-held areas in Aleppo in recent months, urging the rebels to surrender themselves or leave eastern Aleppo to other rebel-held areas in the northwestern province of Idlib. The rebels didn't comply with the military repeated requests. Last week, a three-day truce, aiming to ease the evacuation of civilians and rebels who want to surrender in exchange for pardon, expired with a few civilians and rebels evacuating. The Syrian government accused the rebels of preventing the civilians, around 250,000, from leaving. Observers believe that Aleppo is going to be the decisive battle ground among the fighting groups, and the winner will be the one dictating its conditions to resolve the crisis, as the province contains all the groups that are supported by regional and international powers, with the civilians paying the price for this proxy war. Enditem WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Democratic president candidate Hillary Clinton continues to make President Barack Obama's controversial healthcare overhaul part of her campaign, but a recent poll show a slim majority of Americans don't like it. During an interview earlier this week with a Miami radio station, Clinton defended Obama's healthcare overhaul, saying that if elected she would stand by the controversial system and fix problems with the law. But despite Clinton's support for the law, a slim majority of Americans do not support it. Forty-four percent surveyed in Gallup's most recent update approve of Obamacare, compared with 51 percent who disapprove, according to a Gallup report released Friday. The public's approval of the healthcare law has consistently been below the majority level in recent years, ranging from a high of 48 percent shortly after Obama won reelection in 2012 to a low of 37 percent approval in late 2014. Forty-five percent of Americans now say that Obamacare hurts the healthcare situation and 37 percent say it helps it, with the rest 12 percent saying it has no effect, Gallup's report noted. The report came out just days after the announcement that Obamacare premiums would increase by 25 percent next year, despite myriad promises by the Obama administration that the health care revamp would bring low-cost healthcare to everyone. Republican candidate Donald Trump earlier this week said Obamacare was "blowing up," and vowed to repeal and replace it, echoing the sentiments of a number of other Republicans. Republicans favor a more competitive environment for healthcare, rather than a government-run system. While many Democrats tout such a system as being able to bring low-cost healthcare to low-income people, Republicans said lifting restrictions on insurance would be more beneficial for everyone. Currently, regulations stipulate that the nation's thousands of health insurers are not allowed to compete in states where they don't have a physical office. Other Republicans -- and many Americans -- are wary of what they see as a government power grab, with the state, rather than the free market, controlling what kind of healthcare citizens receive. When asked about repealing Obamacare, 51 percent of Americans said they favor repealing it, while 45 percent said they oppose repealing it, Gallup found. When asked about keeping Obama's healthcare law in place, 48 percent said they favor keeping it, compared with 49 percent who said they oppose keeping it, Gallup found. Americans' main concerns about healthcare in the country today are its cost and accessibility, a shift from decades ago when the public told Gallup that the most urgent health problems facing the nation were diseases, Gallup found. Obamacare, official known as The Affordable Care Act was designed, in large part, to address the minority of the population without healthcare coverage, Gallup noted. The uninsured percentage in the U.S. has fallen significantly since Obamacare was implemented. But, after six years, the law has yet to gain majority approval. Over half of Americans at this point say they disapprove of it, and only a minority say it has accomplished its objectives. News reports have recently highlighted the likelihood that health insurance premiums will rise significantly next year, likely leading to increased public criticism of the law, Gallup noted. MOSUL, Iraq, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi security forces on Sunday retook control of 11 villages from the Islamic State (IS) group around the group's stronghold of Mosul, as major anti-IS offensive continued to seize more ground around the city, a security source told Xinhua. The paramilitary units of Hashd Shaabi continued their operation launched on Saturday to advance in the vast rugged land in southwest of Mosul toward the town of Tal-Afar, some 70 km west of Mosul, a statement by the Hashd Shaabi's media office said. The paramilitary units backed by the Iraqi aircraft managed during the day to free eight villages located in southwest of Mosul after sporadic clashes with IS militants, according to the statement. Tal Afar, which used to have majority of both Sunni and Shiite Turkoman villagers as well as other minorities of Kurds and Arabs, fell to IS in 2014. The operation of the pre-dominantly Shiite paramilitary units is designed to cut off the supply lines between Mosul and neighboring Syria, but such advance in the ethnically mixed region where Sunni Muslims form a majority could spark sectarian tension with Sunni Arabs and neighboring Sunni state of Turkey. Separately, Iraqi army forces freed the village of Ali Rash, some 20 km east of Mosul, and raised the Iraqi flag on its buildings after driving out the IS militants, a source from the Operations Command of Nineveh Liberation told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. Also in the day, Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces freed the villages of Kanona and Rozbian near the IS-held town of Bashiqah, some 20 km northeast of Mosul, a Kurdish security source anonymously told Xinhua. On Oct. 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is also the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces, announced the start of a major offensive to retake Mosul, the country's second largest city. So far, the Iraqi security forces have inched to the eastern fringes of Mosul and made progress on other routes around the city, preparing for the major battle to storm the city and drive out the IS militants. Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when Iraqi government forces abandoned their weapons and fled. Iraqi families who were displaced by the ongoing operation by Iraqi forces against jihadistds of the Islamic State group to retake the city of Mosul, are seen gathering on an area near Qayyarah on October 24, 2016. (AFP/Xinhua) MOSUL, Iraq, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi security forces on Sunday retook control of 11 villages from the Islamic State (IS) group around the group's stronghold of Mosul, as major anti-IS offensive continued to seize more ground around the city, a security source told Xinhua. The paramilitary units of Hashd Shaabi continued their operation launched on Saturday to advance in the vast rugged land in southwest of Mosul toward the town of Tal-Afar, some 70 km west of Mosul, a statement by the Hashd Shaabi's media office said. The paramilitary units backed by the Iraqi aircraft managed during the day to free eight villages located in southwest of Mosul after sporadic clashes with IS militants, according to the statement. Tal Afar, which used to have majority of both Sunni and Shiite Turkoman villagers as well as other minorities of Kurds and Arabs, fell to IS in 2014. The operation of the pre-dominantly Shiite paramilitary units is designed to cut off the supply lines between Mosul and neighboring Syria, but such advance in the ethnically mixed region where Sunni Muslims form a majority could spark sectarian tension with Sunni Arabs and neighboring Sunni state of Turkey. Separately, Iraqi army forces freed the village of Ali Rash, some 20 km east of Mosul, and raised the Iraqi flag on its buildings after driving out the IS militants, a source from the Operations Command of Nineveh Liberation told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. Also in the day, Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces freed the villages of Kanona and Rozbian near the IS-held town of Bashiqah, some 20 km northeast of Mosul, a Kurdish security source anonymously told Xinhua. On Oct. 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is also the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces, announced the start of a major offensive to retake Mosul, the country's second largest city. So far, the Iraqi security forces have inched to the eastern fringes of Mosul and made progress on other routes around the city, preparing for the major battle to storm the city and drive out the IS militants. Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when Iraqi government forces abandoned their weapons and fled. LIMA, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- China will have a key role to play at a meeting of leaders from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), said a Peruvian official, whose country is hosting the 2016 APEC Economic Leaders' Week on Nov. 14-20. "China is going to have an important role, and is going to continue to have an increasingly important role," Julio Chan Sanchez, coordinator general of the meeting, told Xinhua in a recent interview. As one of the world's leading economies, China's decisions necessarily impact not just the 21-member group, but the entire globe, said Chan of Peru's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism. "China's economy is progressively larger, more important and more relevant for the rest of the world, for international trade and for the global economic system," he said. As such, China's participation serves to strengthen the forum, he added. At the 2014 meeting held in Beijing, China played an essential role in furthering the goal of creating a free-trade zone in the Asia-Pacific region, said Chan. A study of APEC's impact on Pacific Rim nations, commissioned by the member economies, is expected to be approved at the November gathering and published later this year, according to Chan. "China is contributing quite a lot with a series of measures to improve capacities, and while they mainly aim to strengthen the public sector, they also sometimes extend to private sector officials," providing training in relevant areas, said Chan. Last year, China organized a two-week seminar on value-added statistics gathering, and Peru sent three officials "to begin to understand how to develop this type of statistics and how to compile this type of data," said Chan. "That is an example China is setting," said Chan, adding "it leads through a series of actions and proposals that help us a lot with training." "I am certain this November will see very interesting results from the talks the two presidents have had in Beijing," said Chan. "The four Pacific Alliance countries (Peru, Chile, Colombia and Mexico) are also interested in projecting themselves to the world, especially to the Asia-Pacific (region), and have already taken the initial steps," said Chan, referring to last year's meeting in the Philippines, where the alliance held an informal meeting with APC leaders. "A similar meeting is likely to take place in Lima, and we assume there will be synergy between the two blocs," said Chan. APEC's member economies see the alliance, the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) -- a proposed free-trade agreement between members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -- as potential models of economic integration, said Chan. The November meeting marks the second time Peru's capital hosts the APEC meeting, which this year will focus on regional economic integration; strengthening micro, small and medium-size businesses; food security; and developing human capital. Related: China can help drive development of emerging APEC economies, says Mexican expert MEXICO CITY, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- China can help to drive the development of emerging Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) members through technological cooperation, a Mexican expert has told Xinhua. "This is undoubtedly a historic need that can improve ties in the region," said Professor Sergio Martinez at the Center for China-Mexico Studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Full story Spotlight: APEC meeting to map course on finance,trade, says Mexican expert MEXICO CITY, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Reducing non-tariff measures (NTMs) and rejecting protectionism will map the course on finance and trade for member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), according to a Mexican expert in international relations. The Sixth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee is held in Beijing, capital of China, from Oct. 24 to 27, 2016. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) by Mahmoud Fouly CAIRO, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) seeks inner development by strengthening Party governance and intra-Party supervision as seen in the recent CPC meetings, said Egyptian experts in Asian affairs. The CPC Central Committee convened a key meeting from Monday to Thursday in Beijing, approving new efforts to strengthen governance of the Party. "Through the Central Committee meetings, the CPC enhances political life inside the Party and renews its liveliness and youthfulness," said Nasser Abdel-Aal, expert in Asian affairs and professor of Chinese studies at Cairo-based Ain Shams University. The professor described the sixth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee to set new ideas for Party governance and supervision as "a strong push" in the development of the Chinese ruling party. The CPC has gone through tremendous changes since it introduced a document in 1980 outlining the norms of its inner political life, leading the party to highlight specific principles like maintaining closer ties with the people, self-criticism and intra-Party democracy. "The CPC takes all necessary measures to achieve internal reform in a way that reflects on the performance of the Party and hence the government, as the Party currently focuses on implementing best governance, fighting corruption and educating its cadres," Abdel-Aal told Xinhua. The professor continued that China is a state of institutions that never makes surprising decisions but it studies everything beforehand, stressing that the CPC Central Committee meeting is a message to the people that the Party does not only respond to their needs and demands but it is a step further. "The meeting also reflects the persistence of China's political leadership to combat corruption. So, the CPC is a successful example that copes with the age to build a real modern state," he told Xinhua. During the key CPC session, attendees approved a regulation on intra-Party supervision and a communique was later released stressing supervision as the fundamental guarantee for exercising power, as well as being a crucial measure for strengthening and regulating political life. "Such meetings are very important, as they represent self-revision inside the Party and leads to correcting the mistakes if any," said Ahmed Wali, an Egyptian former assistant foreign minister. The communique also called on all CPC members to "closely unite around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core." The session also touched upon several issues crucial to standardizing political life, stating that intra-Party democracy is fundamental to positive and healthy political life. "The CPC enjoys a kind of internal partisan democracy as it is not an inflexible party. Inner discipline is behind the CPC success yet it does not stand as an obstacle in front of the government's policies but it copes with development and openness," Wali told Xinhua. He added that the CPC is successful and progressive and it plays a key role in supervising the Chinese government's policy, which eventually led to a developmental leap in China. The ex-diplomat continued that the CPC managed to create a kind of unity among the Chinese people, arguing "this is why the West hopes for many political parties in China to stir up problems in the giant Asian country." For her part, Nadia Helmi, a political science professor and expert in Asian affairs, said that focusing on strengthening Party governance and intra-Party supervision in the sixth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee represents "renaissance" and "quantum leap" in political exercise in the Party. "This is the sixth session for the committee to discuss this issue, which shows the deep vision of the Chinese leadership and its political will to adopt constant development required for political exercise to cope with the domestic and international changes," the professor told Xinhua. Helmi said that the key CPC session also reflects the Chinese political will to continue its anti-corruption campaign not only by punishing the corrupt but blocking the ways for corruption through power or influence. "This policy would lead to constant inner development in the Party, especially at the level of leadership, and would renew its thoughts while maintaining the historical fixed principles," Helmi told Xinhua. Two-term GOP incumbent wants to boost employment by expanding job training and skills; Democratic challenger Mills says infrastructure and technology are lacking in largely rural district U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, the Republican incumbent for North Carolina's 8th Congressional District, is running on his track record and roots in the district. Democratic challenger Thomas Mills, a former social worker and campaign consultant who's also a political blogger, says Hudson has been entrenched too long in Washington politics, causing him to lose touch with constituents.The 8th Congressional District includes Anson, Montgomery, Richmond, Scotland, and Stanly counties, and parts of Cabarrus, Davidson, Mecklenburg, Randolph, Robeson, Rowan, and Union counties. The North Carolina FreeEnterprise Foundation, which tracks state elections, rates the district as leaning Republican based on its conventional voting behavior since 2008.Hudson, a former marketing consultant and entrepreneur, was elected to his seat in 2012, but has worked in the nation's capital since 1999. He served as director for the 8th District in the office of former GOP U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes. Hudson worked for Hayes until 2005 and then served various roles on the staffs of Republican U.S. Reps. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina and John Carter and Mike Conway, both of Texas."I think the people of this district want someone who's from [the 8th District], who lives here, who understands the needs and concerns of the people of this district, and who understands our values," Hudson said. "I'm the one that fits that bill." Hudson said Mills lives in Carrboro, outside the boundaries of the 8th District.Following his graduation from UNC Chapel Hill, Mills worked for many years as a carpenter before joining the Cleveland County Department of Social Services and earning his Master's of Public Administration from UNC-Charlotte in 1998. During his nine years with the department, he worked with autistic adults, taught in community colleges, and served as a child neglect and abuse investigator.Those experiences taught him how to relate to the struggles of low-income families, and helped him to learn the needs of the working class, Mills said.In the early 1990s, Mills began work as a political consultant and campaign strategist. In 2013 he founded PoliticsNC, a blog featuring commentary and analysis for state politics.Mills said.Both candidates agree that the 8th District's economic climate has failed to provide enough high-paying jobs. But they disagree on how to solve that problem. Hudson points to a need for better skills training for workers, while Mills says the district requires better infrastructure to support workers and move products efficiently.The issue ofHudson said.Mills said he believes that the poor condition of roads, railways, and bridges - as well as the lack of internet access - are to blame for a gap in technologies that will allow rural areas to compete in the marketplace.Mills said.Security and racial issues are of importance to Hudson, especially following the outbreak of riots in Charlotte, which borders the western edge of the district.Hudson said. "And it's real ... so I do think we need dialogue. I think we need understanding.Hudson said.Social, racial, and mental health are also critical issues for Mills, who said he's seen far too many children and families slip through the cracks of the nation's welfare system.Mills said, pointing to his work as a child neglect and abuse investigator.The support and education of children is critical to building up mental wellness and a stronger economic future, Mills added.While the candidates disagree on political issues, they concur that it's critical to represent constituents by staying in touch with reality.Hudson said.he said.Mills believes the congressman has grown too focused on pandering to special interests and large-scale donors.Mills said.However, Mills believes Hudson has I like to go out first thing in the morning, not long after waking. If weather permits, I always do so and have my first cup of coffee. in this way, I come to know the community of small animals that call the territory home, as we do. This morning I saw a band of squirrels working feverishly. My presence did not seem to make a bit of difference. They were too busy to glance my way, let alone give a morning greeting. A robin watched with me and I think he too was impressed with the agility and speed of the squirrels. They dashed about rapidly as if they were terribly late for something very important. I am glad I am not a squirrel, I thought.I hadn't been sitting long, when a bookmobile pulled up and parked near the corner. My daughter has not lived in her new house long and so it was a pleasant surprise. This may be "old hat" for many people here, but we do not have this service in Farm Life, and I had not seen one since my own children were little. If I were a resident, I'd have signed up this morning!Jenny had errands to run-one being a check up for Lyla. All was well and I like the friendly and sensible doctor, who said Lyla was "perfect". I napped with Lyla after lunch. I didn't mean but to lie down, but I fell asleep, while Jenny unpacked some things and placed them in their new homes. Lyla and I took a stroll in the early evening and I met two sisters who built small homes that are joined by a living room. It is a neat arrangement and it reminded me of the beautiful bond of sisters-and family in general. The economy we face in our later years is daunting, so these sisters got creative and somehow it encouraged me.I called Kyle and Christian in the evening. All was well at the rabbit patch and Christian did feed the kitten, which I will call "Ruth" if it is a girl.Before bed, I took Lyla out to see the the light of the moon on the river beneath it. The Pasquotank river was so still, it seemed like a huge mirror. Lyla was very quiet and watched the scene intently. There is a certain look she gets on occasion and I do not speak when I see it. She is thinking great thoughts or at least giving great consideration to something. She and I watched for a while- or a year. At some point, she raised her little finger, pointed up and said "moon" , for the first time.The content of the most ordinary days holds some splendor it seems, if I but examine the moments that made them. It is not a difficult task and most often beauty just leaps out and presents itself. Whether the moonlight falls on the river beneath it, or illuminates an old oak growing by a ditch bank, makes no difference. The day does not withhold beauty from any segment of the population, but instead is generous with all that seek it. NC requires all 11th-graders to take ACT exams WCPSS results: only one in four students ready for college System lacks accountability, lacks the ability to improve Test Scores Statewide and in Key Districts What the Data Show The ability to succeed in higher education - as defined by college readiness - has been one of the stated goals of the State Board of Education for every student in North Carolina.Beginning in 2012-13, North Carolina began requiring all eleventh-graders to take the ACT College Admissions Assessment. Test results became part of the state's school accountability program and have been used to assess college readiness.The ACT is administered in March across all 115 School Systems and charter schools in North Carolina. In 2015-16, 99,100 students took the ACT. The test is made up of a composite score (1-36) as well as subtests in English, math, reading and science. There is also a writing subtest.Results for the 2015-16 ACT test were released in the summer by the Department of Public Instruction. Recently, after an analysis of the test results, The Charlotte Observer reported only one school in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School District (CMS) had a majority of students that met all four benchmarks in English, math, science and reading. Meeting all four benchmarks indicates a high probability of success in college.Across CMS, a disappointing 20.2 percent of students met all four marks. This compares with a statewide number of 15.4 percent that met all four benchmarks. In addition, CMS students generated a composite mean ACT score of 18.9, compared to a state ACT composite of 18.6.So how did the largest school district in the state, Wake County Public Schools (WCPSS), perform on the ACT?Approximately, 10,295 WCPSS students took the ACT exam in 2015-16. WCPSS students produced a composite mean score of 20.2, which was higher than both the state composite mean (18.6) and the CMS composite mean (18.9).The percentage of WCPSS students that met all four benchmarks was 26.3 percent. Again this was higher than the state percentage (15.4 percent) and the CMS percentage (20.2 percent). That means that approximately one in four students graduating from WCPSS are college ready. While that number is better than the state average and the averages from a good many districts, it still suggests - by the state's own standards - a staggering three in four students are not college ready.While CMS had one school (Providence High) where a majority of students met all four benchmarks, WCPSS had two high schools, Green Hope High School (53.3 percent) and Wake STEM Early College High School (64.7 percent), where over half the students met all four benchmarks.On the negative side, six of 28 WCPSS high schools had composite means below the state mean of 15.4 percent. Nine of 32 CMS high schools had scores below the state mean.ACT scores for charter schools were also reported in the data.For CMS, three of four charter school scores exceeded the state composite mean of 15.4 percent of students that met all four benchmarks. For WCPSS, five of six charter schools exceed the state composite mean.As previously stated, North Carolina has required all 11th graders to take the ACT exam since 2012-13. State composite mean scores have increased very slightly over that period, rising from 18.4 to 18.6. In addition, the percentage of students who meet all four benchmarks has also risen slightly increasing, from 14.3 to 15.4 percent.Over the same period, CMS students raised their state composite scores from 18.5 to 18.9; the percentage of students meeting all four benchmarks also rose, from 17.1 to 20.2 percent. With regard to WCPSS trendlines, composite mean scores for WCPSS students stayed the same (20.2) over the period, while the percentage of WCPSS students who met all four benchmarks over the same period increased slightly, from 23.9 percent to 26.3 percent.It's easy to get lost in the data. The real question is: what does it all mean?CMS and WCPSS results both give reasons to be happy in a relative sense. However, when you put results in perspective the satisfaction evaporates. State composite scores and the percentage of students meeting all four benchmarks have had at best modest increases. WCPSS composite scores - while better than the state average - have been flat since 2012-13. In addition, only one in four students is college ready.If such results were produced by a corporation, the CEO would be fired. Not here. Despite the never-ending train of state and federal efforts to improve schools and improve student proficiency - No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, Common Core, to name a few - the results are not acceptable. So who needs to be held responsible and accountable for this dismal performance? The State Board of Education? State Superintendent of Instruction June Atkinson? Local school boards? Parents? Teachers? The students themselves? The lack of collective anger and focus in response to these results is part of the problem.Lastly, the current results also tell us that students aren't learning what they need to and even when they don't, they are still getting passed on to the next grade level. This leaves us with a K-8 problem, a high school problem, and eventually a college problem. For a number of years it's been out of fashion to hold a child back if he or she is academically not ready for the next grade level. The thinking is the damage to the child's emotional development outweighs the resulting academic problems. I disagree. If we fail to change, we'll soon have a society that will be unable to know the difference.